Socialism in Australia
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Socialism in Australia dates back at least as far as the late-19th century.
History
Pre-Federation
Like other
Pre-federation Australian socialism was highly influenced by philosophical ideologies arising from the
Socialist colonies
In the late 1890s, the colonies of Cosme and New Australia were founded in South America by groups of Australian socialists.
The settlement of New Australia was founded in 1893 by the supporters of the utopian socialist William Lane. Lane's socialism was inspired by Edward Bellamy as well as his unorthodox belief that race played a role in preventing a socialist society from forming.[2] Due to these beliefs, New Australia was built around the values of creating "a brotherhood of English-speaking Whites" which preserved the "colour-Line" which was seen as necessary in order to achieve communism.[5] After conflict over Lane's supposed incompetent management, 58 colonists left New Australia in 1894 to found the colony of Cosme several kilometres south, and the original colony was soon after dissolved.[6]
Founding of the Australian Labor Party
The predecessors to the then-democratic socialist Australian Labor Party were founded throughout the 1890s, with Labor formed through the merger of various unions and socialist parties. The ALP briefly took power at the state level in Queensland in 1899 - the first socialist government in the world at any level.[7]
Post-Federation
Unions
The Waterside Workers' Federation of Australia was led by several Communist Party members during its history, such as Jim Healy.[8] Under Healy, the Workers Federation went on strike in 1938 to prevent pig iron being shipped to Japan, to protest the invasion of China. In 1945, the union declared a ban on working Dutch ships, labelled the "Black Armada", during the Indonesian National Revolution.
Socialism was a major ideology behind the
Australian Labor Party
A number of socialists have been influential figures in ALP history. Notable among them was John Curtin (Prime Minister of Australia), Jim Cairns (the Deputy Prime Minister of Australia under Gough Whitlam), Jack Lang (the radical Premier of New South Wales), Tom Uren, Eddie Ward, and many early figures in Labor history, including James Scullin and Ted Theodore, who introduced Labor's socialist objective. Labor has undertaken some democratic socialist measures during its times in government, as well as many more decidedly free market measures since the Hawke government. Ben Chifley famously attempted to nationalise Australian banks in the 1940s, a policy of the party only dropped in the 1970s.
Under Jack Lang during the
Some recent, dissident figures in the party have attempted to pursue a more interventionist, democratic socialist agenda;
Some parts of the Labor Left continue to advocate for socialism. For example, the NSW Young Labor Left state on their website: "We believe in participatory and representative democracy; trade unionism and workers’ control of industry; the abolition of exploitation for private profit; the implementation of the ALP’s socialist objective; environmentalism and sustainability; as well as feminism, queer rights, and First Nations justice."[12] Their policy proposals include support for an Australian Green New Deal, prison abolition, public ownership of industry, industrial democracy, and Labor Party democracy.[13]
Contemporary era
Following the collapse of the communism in Europe from 1989 to 1991, belief in socialism collapsed, resulting in the fall of the Communist Party of Australia and the shift of Labor Left towards non-socialist ideologies.[14] The Communist Party of Australia was dissolved and the assets of the Communist Party were thereafter directed into the SEARCH Foundation,[15] a not-for-profit company set up in 1990 "to preserve and draw on the resources of the Communist Party of Australia and its archives."[16]
During the fall of the Communist Party, several organisations and individuals moved toward the Greens movement. Several ex-Communist Party and
The Greens in Sydney come from many backgrounds. Environmental and resident activists. Nuclear disarmers. Dissidents from the Labor Party who have witnessed betrayals by both wings of that party. Feminists. Anarchists. Those inspired by the German Greens. Socialists of various kinds. What is distinctive and unifying about this new force in Sydney is the emphasis on encouraging people’s self-confidence in their right to have their say, their right to democratically determine matters – whether they are large or small – which affect their lives.
In 1996 the
In 2001, several socialist organisations formed
Socialist organisations in Australia
Political historian Geoff Robinson describes the contemporary left as a "movement of parties and
Eco-socialism
Left Renewal
Left Renewal was established as a eco-socialist political faction of the
SEARCH Foundation
Formed in 1990 as the successor organisation of the Communist Party of Australia.[25]
Marxism–Leninism
Communist Party of Australia (Marxist–Leninist)
In 1961, the pro-China faction leader
Communist Party of Australia (1971–present)
In 1971, a group split from the Communist Party of Australia due to the party criticising actions of the Soviet Union, and formed the Socialist Party of Australia.[26] In 1996, following the dissolution of the original Communist Party of Australia in 1991, the Socialist Party of Australia re-named itself to the Communist Party of Australia.[26]
Australian Communist Party
In 2019, the Australian Communist Party split from the Communist Party of Australia due to disagreements surrounding united front tactics and relations with the Australian Labor Party.[27] It operates the Community Union Defence League, a mutual aid organisation founded in 2016.[28]
Trotskyism
Socialist Alternative
Formed in 1995 by expelled members of the
Socialist Equality Party
Initially formed in 1972 as the Socialist Labour League. In 2010, the SLL was refounded as the Socialist Equality Party.[30]
Solidarity
Initially formed in 1971 as the Marxist Workers' Group, then later the International Socialist Organisation. In 1995 several members were expelled and formed Socialist Alternative. In 2008, the ISO merged with several other parties to form Solidarity.[31]
Other
Communist Party of Australia (1920–1991)
The Australian Communist Party was initially established in 1920.
Socialist Alliance
Initially formed in 2001 by several socialist organisations in an attempt for left unity.[21] However, by 2010, most constituent parties had left and the last major organisation in the Alliance, the ex-Trotskyist Democratic Socialist Perspective voted to merge into the Socialist Alliance.[22]
Socialist Labor Party
Initially formed in 1887 as the Australian Socialist League. In 1901, the ASL formed the Socialist Labor Party to contest the 1901 Australian federal election.[33] Between the late 1890s and 1905, the party shifted towards De Leonism.[34][3] The party declined after the 1920s, however, the party maintained its newspaper The People until the early 1970s where it then ceased its activities.
Victorian Socialists
The Victorian Socialists is a
Revolutionary Communist Organization
The Revolutionary Communist Organization is a multi-tendency pre-party formation based around programmatic unity.[36] The group was formed in January 2023.[37] The organization works to build a mass socialist workers party in Australia.
Red Ant Collective
The Red Ant Collective is an group focused around anti-imperialism.[38] It was founded in 2022.
Timeline
1870 to 1960
1960 to Present
See also
- Anarchism in Australia
- Australian Labor Party
- Communist Party of Australia
- Conservatism in Australia
- Economic history of Australia
- Feminism in Australia
- Liberalism in Australia
- List of political parties in Australia
- Politics of Australia
References
- ^ Fry, E. (1982). "A Hundred Years of Socialism in Australia". Australian Left Review, 1(80), 44–51.
- ^ ISBN 9780691149349.
- .
- ^ Cosme Monthly, June 1895
- ^ Australian Encyclopaedia Volume 2, p 191, Angus and Robertson Limited, 1926
- ISSN 1833-7538. Retrieved 9 February 2010.
- ^ Markey, Ray; Svensen, Stuart. "James (Jim) Healy (1898–1961)". Healy, James (Jim) (1898–1961). National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
{{cite book}}
:|website=
ignored (help) - ^ ISBN 9780429487347.
- ^ "LANG, LABOR AND SOCIALISM". sa.org.au. Retrieved 2022-10-27.
- ^ "Labor's Anthony Albanese Is Not a Friend of Australia's Left — And He Never Was". jacobin.com. Retrieved 2022-10-27.
- ^ "Young Labor Left". Young Labor Left. Retrieved 2022-10-27.
- ^ "Our Policies". Young Labor Left. Retrieved 2022-10-27.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-925801-79-8.
- ^ "SEARCH Foundation". SEARCH Foundation. Retrieved 7 November 2018.
- ^ "SEARCH Foundation (Australia)". Links International Journal of Socialist Renewal. Retrieved 29 June 2019.
- ^ ISBN 9780522867947.
- ^ "Eggs Over Albanese: Labor's Green Ham-Fisted Attempt To Distract On Stacking". New Matilda. 29 June 2020.
- ^ Raue, Tom. "Is there a future for the left in the Greens?". Overland literary journal.
- ^ "CPA – About Us – An Introduction". www.cpa.org.au. Retrieved 15 May 2019.
- ^ a b c "Socialist Alliance lifts off!: Founding represents historic moment for left electoral unity". Freedom Socialist Party. Retrieved 19 February 2020.
- ^ a b "DSP merges into Socialist Alliance". Democratic Socialist Perspective. Archived from the original on 25 January 2014. Retrieved 4 December 2013.
- ^ "Current register of political parties". Australian Electoral Commission. Retrieved 15 May 2019.
- ^ Aston, Heath (22 December 2016). "Hard-left faction forms inside Greens aiming to 'end capitalism'" – via The Sydney Morning Herald.
- ^ a b "OUR MISSION". SEARCH FOUNDATION. Retrieved 2019-11-13.
- ^ a b "Socialist Party of Australia (II) - Institution". Reason in Revolt. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
- ^ "Our History".
- ^ "Community Union Defence League".
- ^ What's left of the left soldiers on The Age, 1 May 2002. Retrieved 10 June 2007.
- ^ "Statement of Principles". World Socialist Web Site. 12 March 2013. Retrieved 15 May 2013.
- ^ "Forging Unity For the Struggle Ahead Archived 18 February 2008 at the Wayback Machine", Socialist Worker, 13 February 2008. Retrieved: 14 July 2009.
- ^ a b c "Communist Party of Australia - Institution". Reason in Revolt. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
- ^ "THE AUSTRALIAN SOCIALIST LABOR PARTY". The People And The Collectivist. Vol. IV, no. 170. New South Wales, Australia. 21 April 1900. p. 4. Retrieved 5 April 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Australian Socialist League - Institution - Reason in Revolt". Reason in Revolt. Retrieved 5 September 2019.
- ^ "Victorian Socialists Constitution" (PDF). Australian Electoral Commission. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
We work to foster solidarity through authentic collective struggle and to demonstrate the need for, and legitimacy of, democratic socialism.
- ^ https://www.revcomorg.info/about-us
- ^ https://twitter.com/revcomorg/status/1617406514096144384
- ^ https://red-ant.org/about-us/