Union legends back Jess!

MEDIA RELEASE

Thursday August 5 - Some of the Illawarra's foremost fighters for social justice have backed Jess Moore, Socialist Alliance candidate, in the seat of Cunningham. Trade union legends Monica Chalmers (pictured, right), Neville Arrowsmith (pictured, left), Jim Keogh and Ken McBride have endorsed Moore and are actively assisting her campaign.

'I'm incredibly humbled to have people like Monica, Jim, Neville and Ken on board. They have tirelessly been at the forefront of struggles for workers' rights, women's rights, Aboriginal rights and other social justice issues.

'Change that put people before profit - universal healthcare and education, the 40 hour work week and the right to vote for Aboriginal people - were not gifted to us, but won by the trade unions and social movements. They were won by people organising themselves to act together for change. Here in the Illawarra, Monica, Jim, Neville and Ken are some of the people most responsible for leading progressive change.

'I'm proud to stand next to them, work alongside them and aim to carry on their tradition. They struggled with people and never gave ground to racism, sexism and attacks on the less well-off. They never gave up and they inspire me to carry on the struggle to put human need and the planet before corporate greed.'

Monica Chalmers was the first woman to head the South Coast May Day committee and spent decades in the union and women's rights movements. Jim Keogh is the secretary of the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) Veterans, Southern branch. Neville Arrowsmith is a founding member of the Illawarra Labour History Society. Ken McBride is the assistant secretary of the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) Veterans, Southern branch. All four have spent decades in the trade union and solidarity movements and continue to be active today for social justice.

Busy few days for Jess

The last few days have been really busy for Jess. On Friday the candidates were officially declared (see photo) for Cunningham. Jess drew the last spot on the ballot paper. During the afternoon she volunteered at the Port Kembla community garden with friends.
On Saturday Jess spoke at the 'Defending Aboriginal rights, eyewitness report from the Northern Territory' meeting in Wollongong. Check out earlier posts on this blog, or http://www.greenleft.org.au/node/44718 for more information.
On Sunday Jess attended the 'Solidarity with Gaza' lunch, organised by the South Coast Labour Council. Jess has been a long-time solidarity campaigner for the rights of Palestinians, including speaking at the Wollongong rally for Gaza earlier this year (check out posts from early June on this blog). Funds raised by the dinner will go to the El Wafa hospital in Gaza.
If you can help out with the campaign this week please call 0425 329 963.

Candidate helps build Aboriginal protest house in remote NT

MEDIA RELEASE

Thursday July 22, 2010 - Jess Moore, Socialist Alliance candidate for Cunningham, has just returned from the Northern Territory where she helped put the roof on the Alyawarr people's 'protest house'. The Alyawarr people have walked out of Ampilatwatja, a remote Aboriginal town about 350 kilometres north east of Alice Springs, to protest government treatment and the Northern Territory intervention. They have set-up a camp on their traditional lands just out of Ampilatwatja; the protest house is the first building to be constructed.

‘The Alyawarr people are an inspiration; working on the house was just amazing. They are taking things into their own hands after repeated government failures in the areas of housing, health and education and being supported by solidarity activists and trade unionists. We need to show solidarity with the Alyawarr people and their walk-off', said Moore.

Moore also attended the Defending Indigenous Rights gathering in Alice Springs, which took place over July 6-9 and brought together 200 Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people from around the country.

‘The immense poverty and Third World conditions inflicted upon Aboriginal people was a stark feature of the gathering', she said. 'There were stories of communities without doctors, schools or housing, and the inability of remote communities to access fresh fruit or veggies (a lettuce cost $14(!) in one community). This was also very visible in Alice Springs with widespread homelessness among Aboriginal people.'

In Ampilatwatja, Moore could see first-hand the effects of the intervention. The complete lack of real employment for Aboriginal people was striking.

'There are people in the community who desperately want to work. And there is certainly plenty that needs doing. But with the intervention came welfare quarantining, and changes to the Community Development Employment Projects. Aboriginal people now are forced to work for the dole, and half their payment is put onto the Basics Card, which can only be used at certain stores to buy certain things', she said.

'This is nothing more than working for rations, and it’s happening across the Territory. Unless government policy changes more communities will follow the lead of the Alyawarr people. I'll be returning to the walk-off camp again to help out, and plan to organise others from the South Coast to join me'.

'Every election candidate should get out to remote Aboriginal communities and see the impact of the NT intervention for themselves. The gap is not being closed, it's getting wider. And an enormous amount of public money is being spent to starve Aboriginal people off their land.’

'The human impact of the racist NT intervention must be brought to light. Out of sight cannot be out of mind. Aboriginal people are living in Third World conditions in wealthy Australia. We must put an end to this!', she concluded.

Jess helps build Aboriginal protest house in NT

Jess has just returned from the Northern Territory, and the remote Aboriginal community of Ampilatwatja, about 350km north east of Alice Springs. She is pictured here drilling roof panels on to the protest house. The Alyawarr people have walked out of Ampilatwatja to protest the NT intervention and government treatment. They have set up camp on their traditional lands and plan to build a sustainable community including permaculture gardens. The protest house is the first solid structure (visit http://www.greenleft.org.au/node/43192 for more info). Jess is helping to organise more work brigades to the walk-off camp in the future, of which hopefully there will be many.

Jess at the Aboriginal rights convergence

Friday July 9, 2010 - Jess (pictured, centre, with other Illawarra participants) has been taking part in the Aboriginal rights convergence in Alice Springs, NT.

The convergence has been a fantastic success, culminating in a 300 strong march and rally through the streets of Alice today. The rally demanded an end to the racist NT intervention and an end to welfare quarantining, among other things.

Participants have heard from a range of inspiring speakers including Aboriginal elders and activists from all over Australia.

Jess to witness NT intervention first hand

In July, Socialist Alliance election candidates will be taking a trip to the Northern Territory to personally witness conditions under the federal government's intervention into Aboriginal communities.

SA youth candidates — and Resistance members — Jess Moore, Zane Alcorn and Ewan Saunders will join Indigenous activists, students, community groups and campaigners from across the country in Alice Springs for an important gathering of intervention-affected Aboriginal communities.

As Aboriginal rights activists, they are part of the national campaign to repeal the intervention, and will return home more aware and more inspired to act against injustice and wage effective solidarity campaigns

Jess Moore, candidate for Cunningham

The intervention promised to "close the gap", but it only delivered racism.

Aboriginal people continue to be disadvantaged and discriminated against. They are being forced to live in Third World conditions in wealthy Australia, under legislation that required the suspension of the Racial Discrimination Act.

For access to essential goods, services and infrastructure — a basic right for white Australia — communities are being forced to sign over their land rights. It’s a policy of starving people out to take their land.

All those who support social justice have a responsibility to put the human impact of the racist intervention on the agenda this election. Out of sight cannot be out of mind. We must put an end to this!

Calls to fund infrastructure and social services in all Aboriginal communities across Australia need to be actively supported. Local community control, which has been undermined by successive governments, must be restored.

The movement for Aboriginal rights must take its lead from Aboriginal-led resistance, such as the Ampilatwatja walk-off. The convergence of activists and traditional owners at the "Defending Indigenous Rights: land, law, culture" convergence is an enormous opportunity to do just this.

It is an important means to further the campaign against the intervention, to protect and advance Aboriginal land rights and culture, draw attention to the struggle for justice and to support Aboriginal people.

For more visit: http://www.greenleft.org.au/node/44557