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Democracy and civil rights

In recent years governments have cracked down on the right to protest by strengthening police powers and applying criminal penalties to protest action. This process has been accelerated over the past two years - with governments particularly targeting those standing-up for peace and justice for the Palestinians in the context of Israel’s genocide in Gaza.

Victorian Socialists want to defend civil liberties and political rights – and we want to empower people to democratically control every part of social life.

What we think

  1. Socialists defend democracy and want to extend it to every part of social life.
  2. Capitalism is incompatible with genuine democracy because it establishes private, dictatorial control over the economy. This also means that capitalism constantly threatens limited, parliamentary democracy.
  3. Socialists defend political rights, including freedom of opinion, freedom of speech and freedom of organisation.
  4. Social rights – including the rights to food, housing, healthcare, education and so on – must be instituted to maximise democratic participation and to create a more just, free and equal society.
  5. Australia’s constitution, government, legal system and state institutions originated in British settler-colonialism, were built on the dispossession and genocide of Aboriginal people and are geared to serve the interests of capitalism. Consequently, they must be replaced.

We'll fight to

  1. Crack down on behind-closed-doors political lobbying by big business including legislating to increase transparency requirements for MPs (e.g. publication of ministerial diaries).
  2. Divert spending on policing and state surveillance into spending on social services.
  3. Repeal authoritarian ‘anti-terror’ laws.
  4. Abolish ASIO and all spy agencies.
  5. Repeal data retention laws.
  6. Adopt a Bill of Rights.
  7. Increase funding for meeting Freedom of Information requests in line with legislated timeframes and implement reforms to close loophoples in existing legislation.
  8. End the racist targeting by police of First Nations people, Muslims and African Australians
  9. Abolish imprisonment for non-violent offences of poverty and non-payment of fines
  10. Prosecute corporate tax evasion and other corporate crimes including environmental vandalism
  11. Support prevention programs, community-oriented and therapeutic rehabilitation schemes and alternatives to imprisonment
  12. Fully fund legal aid and the community legal sector
  13. Abolish private prisons
  14. Legislate against any police involvement in industrial disputes