Victorian Socialists

Not to be confused with the early 20th century Victorian Socialist Party.

Victorian Socialists
Abbreviation	VS VicSoc
Leader	Collective leadership
President	Andrew Charles
Secretary	Corey Oakley
Founded	5 February 2018;6 years ago (2018-02-05)
Registered	6 June 2018;6 years ago (2018-06-06)
Headquarters	Victorian Trades Hall, Carlton, Melbourne
Ideology	Socialism
Political position	Left-wing [1] [2]
Colours	Black   White
Slogan	People before profit
Greater Bendigo City Council	1 / 9
Website
www.victoriansocialists.org.au
Politics of Australia Political parties Elections

The Victorian Socialists (VS) is an Australian political party based in the state of Victoria. The party's stated aims are "to put politicians on a worker's wage so they live like the rest of us" and "to get socialists into parliament who will fight to make workers richer and billionaires poorer". ^[3]

History

The formation of Victorian Socialists was announced publicly on 5 February 2018. ^{[4] [ better source needed ]} It was officially registered by the Victorian Electoral Commission on 6 June 2018. ^[5] The party began as a collaboration between Socialist Alternative and the Socialist Alliance. ^[6] However, Socialist Alliance withdrew from the grouping in May 2020, citing disagreements with Socialist Alternative. ^[7]

In August 2018, the party announced that it would field candidates for the 2018 Victorian state election in every Legislative Council seat and several Legislative Assembly electorates. Candidates included the former Geelong Trades Hall Secretary Tim Gooden for the Western Victoria Region and local councillors Stephen Jolly and Sue Bolton for the Northern Metropolitan Region. ^{[8] [9]}

The 2018 election campaign gained support from several trade unions including the ETU, VAHPA, UFU, CFMMEU (MUA division), AMIEU and NUW. ^{[10] [11] [12]} It also won the support of several local immigrant diasporas and community organisations. ^{[13] [14]} Endorsements were received from several prominent left-wing personalities, such as Tariq Ali, Noam Chomsky, Gary Foley, Tom Ballard, Corinne Grant, and Helen Razer. The party achieved a vote of 4.2% in the Northern Metropolitan Region while achieving 7.2% of the vote for the lower house seat of Broadmeadows, in a field of four candidates. ^{[15] [16]}

In the 2019 federal election, VS ran candidates for the electorates of Calwell, Wills, and Cooper. ^[17] The party was registered at a federal level with the Australian Electoral Commission on 7 April 2019. ^[18] The party won votes of 4.6% in Calwell, 4.5% in Wills, and 4.2% in Cooper.

In September 2019, following allegations of family violence, Jolly was suspended from VS pending an investigation, leading him to resign from the party. ^{[19] [20]}

In the 2020 Victorian local government elections, the party fielded candidates for Darebin, Hume, Maribyrnong, Melbourne and Moreland, and a ticket for the Lord and Deputy Lord Mayor of Melbourne. ^{[21] [22]} Socialist Alternative member Jorge Jorquera became the first Victorian Socialists candidate to be elected to office, winning a seat on the Maribyrnong City Council. ^{[23] [24] [25]}

VS ran candidates for the House of Representatives and the Senate in the 2022 federal election, and subsequently launched a campaign to win a seat in the 2022 Victorian state election. ^[26]

Members of the party are involved in activist campaigns for a range of progressive causes.^{[ citation needed ]} In July 2022, VS Assistant Secretary and 2022 state election candidate Liz Walsh was the organiser of large demonstrations in Melbourne, protesting the overturning of abortion rights by the United States Supreme Court, as well as calling for expanded access to abortion and increased healthcare funding in Australia. ^{[27] [28]}

VS ran candidates in the west and north of Melbourne for the 2022 Victorian state election, reportedly mobilising over 1000 volunteers for its campaign and knocking on over 180,000 doors. ^[29] The party increased its vote from 2018, with its best result being a score of 9.3% in the seat of Footscray. ^{[30] [31]}

Structure

According to the party constitution, the executive council picks all candidates and can determine policy. The executive council is made up of 4 party officers and 9 elected ordinary members. A party conference is held every 2 years where the officers and executive members are elected and a political platform may be determined. ^[32]

Policies

The Victorian Socialists supports a platform that includes the reversal of historical privatisation of industries, along with strong support for labour unions. ^[33] The party proposes the creation of a publicly owned electricity grid, along with increased funding for transportation, healthcare systems and public education, while removing government funding from private schools who have more resources than is necessary to meet the Schooling Resource Standard. ^{[33] [34]} In order to pay for these policies, the Victorian Socialists support the introduction of a wealth tax, a tax on luxury properties (defined as the 25,000 most expensive residencies in Victoria), ending the ability of businesses and organisations to receive land tax exemptions, and instituting or increasing numerous other taxes on large corporations. ^[35]

The party supports transgender rights, Aboriginal land rights and a treaty with Aboriginal Australians, as well as support for asylum seekers. The Victorian Socialists also support the introduction of a carbon neutral economy by 2035. ^[33] In addition, the party seeks to cap the pay of Members of Parliament at AUD $87,000 per year, equivalent to that of a sixth-year nurse. ^[36]

Electoral results

Federal

Election	Votes	Victoria		Australia		+/–
		%	Seats	%	Seats
2019	12,454[ citation needed ]	0.34	0 / 38	0.09	0 / 151	0
2022	27,226[ citation needed ]	0.73	0 / 39	0.19	0 / 151	0

Victoria

Victorian Legislative Assembly
Election year	# of overall votes	% of overall vote	# of seats won	+/–
2018	15,442[ citation needed ]	0.44 (#7)	0 / 88	0
2022	48,942[ citation needed ]	1.35 (#7)	0 / 88	0
Victorian Legislative Council
Election year	# of overall votes	% of overall vote	# of seats won	+/–
2018	32,603[ citation needed ]	0.91 (#12)	0 / 40	0
2022	52,245[ citation needed ]	1.39 (#12)	0 / 40	0

Elected representatives

Current

• Owen Cosgriff – Greater Bendigo City Council (2024−present) ^[37]

Former

• Stephen Jolly − Yarra City Council (2018−2019) ^[9]
• Bridgid O'Brien − Yarra City Council (2019−2019) ^[38]
• Jorge Jorquera − Maribyrnong City Council (2020−2024) ^{[23] [15]}

Notable members

• Jeff Sparrow ^[39]
• Van Thanh Rudd ^[40]

See also

• Socialism in Australia

References

1. Henriques-Gomes, Luke (10 November 2018). "Reason v socialism in Victorian election: Fiona Patten gears up for a fight". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 November 2018.
2. "A Highly Simplified Guide To All Of Victoria's Minor Parties, From Batshit To Actually Pretty Ok". PEDESTRIAN.TV. 9 November 2022. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
3. "Select policies of the Victorian Socialists". Red Flag. 5 November 2022. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
4. Royall, Ian (2018). "Victorian Socialists hope to pinch seat in Victoria's Upper House election race". Herald Sun. Archived from the original on 10 May 2024.
5. "Registration of the Victorian Socialists". Victorian Electoral Commission. 6 June 2018.
6. Mitchell, Ivan; Lopez, Daniel (2018). "The Immodest Victorian Socialists". jacobin.com. Archived from the original on 10 May 2024. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
7. "Socialist Alliance withdraws from Victorian Socialists". Socialist Alliance. 14 May 2020. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
8. Thomson, Andrew (2 November 2018). "Socialists to stand across western Victoria". The Standard. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
9. Pearce, Gary (19 October 2018). "The Victorian Socialists' fight for an alternative". Overland literary journal. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
10. Hutchinson, Samantha (15 October 2018). "Unions back Victorian Socialists' campaign". The Australian.
11. "Victorian Socialists". Facebook. 7 February 2018.
12. Carey, Adam (3 May 2018). "Socialists hope union donation will secure jolly good election result". The Age.
13. Troaditis, Dimitris (14 November 2018). "Victorian Socialists: Θα είναι το νέο πρόσωπο στη νέα Γερουσία; | Neos Kosmos". Neos Kosmos. Retrieved 15 November 2018.
14. "Stephen Jolly on Twitter". Twitter.
15. "State Election 2018: Northern Metropolitan Region results summary - Victorian Electoral Commission". www.vec.vic.gov.au. Retrieved 22 May 2019.
16. "State Election 2018: Broadmeadows District results summary - Victorian Electoral Commission". www.vec.vic.gov.au. Retrieved 22 May 2019.
17. Walsh, Liz (2019). "Victorian Socialists to stand in federal election | Red Flag". Red Flag. Retrieved 3 March 2019.
18. "Registration of a political party Victorian Socialists" (PDF). Australian Electoral Commission.
19. Towell, Noel; Millar, Benjamin (23 September 2019). "Stephen Jolly splits from Victorian Socialists amid serious allegations". The Age. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
20. "Victorian Socialists". Facebook. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
21. "Having Socialist Elected Officials Makes a Difference for Working-Class People". Jacobin . Retrieved 22 September 2020.
22. "Council Election Candidates". Victorian Socialists. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
23. Dmytryshchak, Goya (4 November 2020). "Maribyrnong council's new look". Maribyrnong & Hobsons Bay. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
24. "Maribyrnong City Council election results 2020". Victorian Electoral Commission. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
25. "Jorge Jorquera, a member of Socialist Alternative, has just been elected onto the Maribyrnong council in Melbourne's western suburbs". Facebook. 27 November 2020. Archived from the original on 18 November 2024. Retrieved 18 November 2024.
26. "Victorian Socialists launch election campaign | Victorian Socialists". victoriansocialists.org.au. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
27. Booker, Chloe (2 July 2022). "'My body, my choice': Thousands rally in Melbourne to support US abortion rights". The Age. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
28. "Australians rally against U.S. overturning of key abortion ruling". Reuters. 2 July 2022. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
29. Hall, Bianca (22 November 2022). "'It's not easy being a socialist': Door-knocking with Richmond candidate Roz Ward". The Age. Retrieved 28 November 2022.
30. "Victoria Election 2022 Results". abc.net.au. Retrieved 28 November 2022.
31. "2018 State election results". www.vec.vic.gov.au. Retrieved 28 November 2022.
32. "Constitution of the Victorian Socialists". victoriansocialists.org.au. January 2024. Retrieved 29 November 2024.
33. "Our Policy Platform". Victorian Socialists. Retrieved 2 February 2023.
34. "Early childhood, primary and secondary education". Victorian Socialists. Retrieved 2 February 2023.
35. "But how are you going to pay for it?". Victorian Socialists. Retrieved 2 February 2023.
36. Elliot, Tom (14 November 2022). "Tom Elliott backs Victorian Socialists' pledge to lower pay of politicians". 3AW. Retrieved 2 February 2023.
37. "Greater Bendigo City Council results". VEC. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
38. Bolton, Sue (2019). "Another socialist elected to Yarra council". Green Left.
39. Sparrow, Jeff (23 October 2018). "Is socialism the answer to the climate catastrophe? | Jeff Sparrow". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 6 December 2018. Retrieved 6 December 2018.
40. "St Albans Van Thanh Rudd".

Further reading

• Anderson, Ian (9 October 2020). "The Socialist Macro-Sect in the 'Digital Age': The Victorian Socialists' Strategy for Assembling a Counter-Public". TripleC: Communication, Capitalism & Critique: 685–700. doi: 10.31269/triplec.v18i2.1210 .
• Mitchell, Ivan; Lopez, Daniel (2018). "The Immodest Victorian Socialists". Jacobin .