Tax the corporations and the rich
For a progressive tax system where the wealthy pay their share; introduce a wealth tax for the super rich; an immediate rise in company tax to 50%; tax the big polluters; end the billions in public subsidies to mining corporations banks and energy companies; and end rampant tax evasion by multinationals. Scrap the GST.
Public ownership
Nationalise the mines, banks and energy companies, under community and workers’ control with no guaranteed right to compensation; take back the wealth so that it can be used for social and environmental purposes; oppose and reverse the privatisation of public assets and services.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander rights
Negotiate treaties to respect Aboriginal sovereignty and land rights; repeal the “Stronger Futures”/NT Intervention laws; abolish racist welfare quarantining and compulsory income management; no uranium waste dumps; close the gap in Aboriginal health, education, employment and housing; implement all the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody; fund language and culture programs and bilingual education in schools; Aboriginal control of Aboriginal affairs — not tokenistic Constitutional recognition; no closure of Aboriginal communities.
No crime to seek asylum
End boat turn-backs; abolish Border Force; offer asylum to all refugees and asylum seekers on Manus and Nauru; protect the rights of medical, teaching and security staff to speak out about abuse in detention; reaffirm Australia’s commitment to the Refugee Convention and honour our UNHCR obligations; close offshore and onshore detention centres and end mandatory detention; restore all Australian territories to the migration zone; end deportations and end ASIO security veto of refugees.
Against racism, defend our civil rights
End the racist targeting of Muslims; defend anti-discrimination laws; scrap ‘anti-terror’ laws; abolish ASIO and all spy agencies; repeal data retention laws; adopt a Bill of Rights. Support a free Palestine and oppose our government’s support of Israeli apartheid.
Workers’ rights
Scrap all anti-union laws; recognise workers’ right to strike and organise in law, including solidarity actions; increase the minimum wage; restore penalty rates; recognise the right to secure work for all – reverse casualisation; full industrial, residency and citizenship rights for all migrant workers; expand apprenticeship programs; guarantee retirement and access to the pension for all at age 60.
Industry and jobs
Retool Australia’s manufacturing sector for the production of renewable technologies public transport and other socially useful projects; immediate public investment to create jobs in providing better public housing, schools, hospitals and health facilities; create jobs by introducing a 30 hour week, with no loss of wages.
Social rights
Reverse the attacks on sole parent pensions; scrap “Work for the Dole” schemes; no compulsory income management and other forms of welfare quarantining; a guaranteed basic income for all; lift all welfare payments above the poverty line and index them to maintain real value; boost funding to community-based aged and childcare services; expand disability services and access; restore the universal right to the aged pension; abolish the Job Network and reestablish a Commonwealth Employment Service with a service provision (instead of punitive) focus.
Seniors
Restore the universal right to the Aged Pension and lower the eligibility to 60 years of age, while allowing older people to keep working until later in life by choice. The Age Pension is a permanent income replacement payment for people who have retired from the paid workforce so it needs to reflect changes in community incomes. The value of the pension should not fall below 27.7% of Male Total Average Weekly Earnings. Public community-based nursing homes should be funded and aged care staffing ratios should be legislated for across all aged care services. Home care for seniors and people with disabilities should be publicly provided.
Real climate action
A planned shift from coal and gas to 100% renewable energy within 10 years via public investment and emission reduction targets; guarantee alternative secure jobs for workers from the fossil fuel industry in the renewable energy sector; bring the power industries under public ownership and democratic control; stop Adani and all new coal mines; stop fracking and all unconventional gas extraction; tax the corporate polluters and billionaires; justice for climate refugees and those displaced by climate change; Tackle emissions from transport by investing in public transport and Very Fast Trains to connect capital cities.
Water and Environment
Ban the logging of old-growth forests and begin an urgent program of reforestation, sustainable farming and biodiversity protection; enforce the rehabilitation of mine sites by companies. Stop uranium mining and oppose the nuclear industry. Restore & increase funding to scientific organisations like the CSIRO & BOM that research climate change & green technology. Fund recycling and green tech facilities to tackle the recycling crisis; penalise companies that use excessive packaging or create products that can’t be repaired. End the profiteering of water trading - decisions on water allocation to be based on sustaining communities and the environment.
Women’s rights
Reverse the gender pay gap — for equal pay; enshrine the right to publicly-funded abortion and contraception; restore and expand funding to women’s refuges and community anti-violence programs; employer-funded, paid parental leave; funding to First Nations and feminist advocacy services. Legislate for superannuation to be paid on the paid portion of parental leave The Victorian Socialists support the full decriminalisation of sex work, we support sex workers’ right to organise collectively for their pay and conditions.
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex and Queer rights
Make all discrimination against LGBTI people illegal – no support for religious exemptions; full rights for trans and intersex people; full, publicly-funded medical services for gender transition; fully-funded school programs for non judgemental sex education and anti violence campaigns; full adoption rights.
Youth rights
Right to vote at 16; boost funding to youth services; full pay for young people – no youth wage!; expand youth housing programs; expand apprenticeship programs; no fees for TAFE and University; restore Austudy and Youth Allowance to a living wage
Drugs
End the so-called “war on drugs”; Legalise recreational drugs; provide safe injecting facilities and pill testing.
Justice
Abolish imprisonment for non-violent offences of poverty and non-payment of fines; decriminalise drugs; address corporate tax evasion and other corporate crimes including environmental vandalism; end mandatory detention; for prevention programs, community-oriented rehabilitation schemes and alternatives to imprisonment; fully fund legal aid; no private prisons; no police involvement in industrial disputes.
Education for all
Reverse the funding cuts to public education; make public education free at all levels; establish a free public preschool/childcare system accessible to all; expand the public education sector and massively increase funding to vocational education and TAFE; end public funding to private schools and for-profit private RTOs, tertiary institutions and training colleges, and cancel all student debt (including HECS/HELP/VetFee HELP etc). Abolish unpaid internships and placements in tertiary study.
Housing for all
Tackle homelessness and the housing shortfall with a large-scale expansion in quality public housing; cap rents and mortgage repayments at 20% of income; expand emergency accommodation services; target housing provision for at-risk youth.
Free healthcare for all
Restore free, universal health care – end back door co-payments; boost funding for preventative care and chronic disease management; free dental care; end subsidies to private health insurers; expand community-based health care networks, reproductive and sexual health clinics; boost funding to public mental health services. Legislate for aged-care staffing ratios. Legislate to support people’s choice to die with dignity. Replace NDIS with Medicare funded publicly run disability services.
Public transport in public hands
Make public transport frequent and free; boost investment in suburban and high-speed intercity rail; reverse the privatisation of public transport services.
Media and communications
Massive increase in funding for ABC and SBS – democratise their boards; reject privatisation of public broadcasters – no corporate advertising on SBS; increase funding and licences for community media; support a publicly owned NBN with fibre-to-the-premises; bring telecommunication companies back into public ownership; reject privatisation of Australia Post; support net neutrality, online privacy and a bill of digital rights.
Rural and regional
Restoration and rebuilding of transport links; housing, education and employment assistance in regional areas; just transition from fossil fuels to sustainable jobs; remove water subsidies to industries and mining companies that are contaminating water resources and clearing forests.
Animal welfare
End live exports; abolish the cruel and inhumane use of animals for sport, recreation or entertainment; tighten standards for free-range farming; implement alternatives to culling and netting of sharks.
International aid, not war and occupation
Bring back all military forces from Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere in the Middle East; no participation or support for imperialist interventions; isolate apartheid Israel; end ANZUS and US military bases in Australia; cut military spending; end Australia’s interference in the affairs of countries in the Asia Pacific; independence for West Papua.