Jess increases vote by 64% Big thanks to everyone!

Hi everyone,

With the election result still hanging in the balance, we would like to say a huge thanks to everyone who helped out with the 'Jess Moore for Cunningham' campaign. With 81.6% of the vote counted, Jess has 1155 votes (1.5%). This is already a 64% increase on our 2007 election result! Our highest vote counts came from suburbs close to where Jess lives. In Coledale Jess received 3% of the vote and in Austinmer she received 2.6%. She also faired well in very working class areas, e.g. 1.7% in Bellambi. So far George Takacs from the Greens is sitting on 15% across Cunningham. A big congrats to the Greens for their campaign, especially the wonderful victory of Adam Bandt in the seat of Melbourne and Lee Rhiannon in the NSW senate!!

Jess has been a fantastic candidate and has worked extremely hard during the campaign. She was able to communicate our ideas to a very broad audience and convinced people at every step. For evidence of this check out the campaign blog which documents the campaign: http://www.jessmoorecunningham.blogspot.com/. That being said she would be the first to say this has been a team effort. Thank you so much to the 80 or so people - Socialist Alliance members, supporters, friends etc - who worked on the campaign. A special thanks to our friends in Resistance, the Greens, the UOW environment collective, Equal Love Wollongong and ex-members of the Communist Party of Australia. Whether you helped letterbox, doorknock, fold leaflets, or whatever, your help and involvement is very, very much appreciated. On election day we had 50 people staffing polling booths with others preparing yummy food and drinks for the evening party. Let's stay in touch and continue the fight for a better world. Together we are stronger, and Socialist Alliance members will struggle alongside anyone and everyone willing to combat capitalism and campaign for a safe climate and better world. That means justice for workers, Aboriginal communities, refugees and queers, and for better healthcare, education, welfare and public transport.

Thanks to Jess and thanks to everyone who helped out. Stay in touch with what we're doing by visiting http://www.socialist-alliance.org/illawarra/ If you would like to join Socialist Alliance or would like more information please call me on 0425 329 963 or email bendigo1977@yahoo.com.au.

Yours in solidarity,

Chris Williams (Will)

Convener, Illawarra Socialist Alliance

Jess in today's Illawarra Mercury - fund student organisations!

Check out the September 1, 2010 edition of the Illawarra Mercury, it discusses funding to student organisations.

Jess gladly signed the pledge, organised by the National Union of Students (NUS) to 'fund our universities, create a more equitable system of Youth Allowance' and 'support student representative organisations'.

Jess writes for Tertangala, UOW students' magazine

Check out this article by Jess in the 4th Tertangala produced by the Wollongong Undergrad. Students' Association (WUSA) for 2010.

It also has a two-page interview with Jess starting page 36.

Jess was the president of WUSA in 2006 and has been a leading member of Students Against War (SAW) and the campus enviro collective. She has written for the Tert on a number of occasions since.

Click on the article for a larger image.

Jess in Northern Leader this week

Check out this article from this week's Northern Leader; it covers the August 11 'meet the candidates' forum organised by the Wollongong Undergrad. Students' Association (WUSA). Jess was president of WUSA in 2006 and played a leading role in the campaign against John Howard's Voluntary Student Unionism (VSU) legislation.

Jess received a loud cheer when she described this election campaign as the 'most boring' she'd ever experienced, and called on the major parties to actually outline what they stand for.

For Jess's speech to this forum visit http://jessmoorecunningham.blogspot.com/2010/08/jess-speaks-to-200-students-at.html

Jess in today's Illawarra Mercury

In today's Illawarra Mercury there are profiles of every candidate in the Illawarra. Check out this image from the Cunningham electorate of the Greens' George Takacs and Jess.

Remember if you can help staff a polling booth tomorrow, Saturday August 21, please contact Will on 0425 329 963 or email bendigo1977@yahoo.com.au

For all Socialist Alliance members, supporters, friends and volunteers there will be a 'S.A.N.E party' (Socialist Alliance Night of Election party) from 7pm on Saturday at 13 Girvan Cres, Corrimal. For catering purposes please let Will know on the above number that you'll be there.

Help put people and the planet before profits in Cunningham!

Youth activists say: Vote socialist and Green, then use your power!

Jess Moore, Socialist Alliance candidate for Cunningham, and Melanie Barnes, candidate for Denison, today urged young people to vote socialist and Greens and put the Coalition last.

“The spectacle of Labor and the Coalition blowing millions in an advertising slagging match is a turn off to younger voters,” said Moore, the national convener of socialist youth organisation Resistance.

Barnes, well-known Hobart climate activist, added: “The temptation for many young people is to turn off and vote informal, but that’s a mistake.

“We need to ignore the spin and demand some serious answers about the policies of parties on the issues that concern us."

Barnes recommended the web site Vote-o-Matic 2010 (at http://trog.qgl.org/voteomatic/) as a guide for undecided voters. The site orders parties according to people’s policy preferences on the issues in the election.

“The Socialist Alliance has produced a Policy Summary from Left to Right. (at www.socialist-alliance.org). Check it out and make up your own mind "

Jess Moore added: “But after voting socialist and Green, let’s act for the policies we have voted for—otherwise they´ll never happen.

“There is a lot at stake in this election for us - from climate change to our workplace rights to whether more young people's lives are going to be wasted in war of occupation of Afghanistan.

"It is our future and we can't let politicians in the pockets of big coal, big oil and big banks wreck it."

Barnes concluded: “Socialist Alliance candidates have had their best reception ever in this election campaign. That’s because we´ve spoken straight and we've addressed the big issues not played the manipulative politics of fear and spin".

Candidate profiles in Wollongong Advertiser

Check out the profiles of candidates in this week's Wollongong Advertiser. You can see from the titles that candidates stand for VERY different things. Jess stands for 'People before profits', while Labor's Sharon Bird vows to 'cut business tax'! The Liberals are 'taking a stand', whatever that means; the Greens are worried about unemployment.

If you can help out with the campaign to put people (and the planet) before profit in Cunningham - especially if you can help staff polling booths on Saturday - please call Will on 0425 329 963.

Jess speaks to 200 students at Wollongong Uni

Watch Jess Moore's speech to the 200-strong 'meet the candidates' forum organised by the Wollongong Undergrad. Students' Association (WUSA) on Wednesday August 11, 2010. There were speakers present from the Greens, Labor, Liberal, National & Non-Custodial Parents' Party.

'Young people can play an incredible role in making change'

Listen to Jess explain why she thinks young people are 'bored' with the federal election campaign, and Socialist Alliance's views on social change. Jess is also the national organiser of Resistance, socialist youth organisation.

Media coverage of campaign

Check out this coverage in today's Illawarra Mercury. It covers the Liberal Party's purchasing of sponsored links of other candidates' names on Google (scroll down for initial media release).

Notice Sharon Bird comments that she's not upset by the Liberals' actions - no doubt because the Labor Party does the same thing!

Union veterans back socialist candidate

Check out this article in Australia's leading independent newspaper, Green Left Weekly, on Jess's campaign:

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Union veterans back socialist candidate

By Chris Williams

Sunday August 8, 2010 - Some of the Illawarra’s foremost fighters for social justice have backed Socialist Alliance candidate Jess Moore in the seat of Cunningham on the New South Wales south coast.

Highly regarded, veteran trade unionists Monica Chalmers, Neville Arrowsmith, Jim Keogh and Ken McBride, who have all spent decades in union and solidarity campaigns, have endorsed Moore and are helping her campaign.

For full article visit http://www.greenleft.org.au/node/45075

Liberals buy sponsored link for 'Jess Moore for Cunningham' on Google

MEDIA RELEASE

Saturday August 7, 2010 - If you search for 'Jess Moore' - the Socialist Alliance candidate for Cunningham - on Google, the first link to come up is for the Liberal Party. The same sponsored link appears if you search for 'Jess Moore for Cunningham'. This is now the case for all candidates running in Cunningham.

'Money from the big end of town funds the Liberal Party's campaign, and this is what they are spending it on. People who are trying to find out what the candidates stand for are being mis-directed to the Liberal Party's anti-worker and anti-social policies. This kind of dishonestly and manipulation should be condemned by all those who believe in open and democratic elections', said Moore.

'Rather than debate us openly or honestly the Liberals are buying sponsored links to confuse and mislead people. I have attended every 'meet the candidates' meeting that I've been invited to, in the interests of democracy and choice. The Liberal Party has failed to attend any of these meetings. Now - worse still - they're trying to stop people finding out about the alternatives.

'For candidates not backed by the major parties it's incredibly hard to get your ideas out to a broad audience. We can't afford TV ads, for example. But the internet is a much more even playing field. We've put a lot of work into the "Jess Moore for Cunningham" blog for this reason.

'How can we break the undemocratic dominance of the two major parties if our ability to talk to people is undermined by tricks like this?

'I challenge Philip Clifford to a public debate on the issues facing the people of Cunningham. Rather than just buying up website links, Clifford should face his opponents and honestly put forward what his party stands for', Moore concluded.

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.

Jess speaks to Australian Services Union

listen to Jess address the meet the candidates meeting organised by the Australian Services Union (ASU) on Thursday July 29. Other speakers were George Takacs (Greens) and Sharon Bird (ALP). Liberal candidate Philip Clifford didn't attend.

Campaign leaflet - what we stand for

To help distribute / letterbox the campaign leaflet, please contact 0425 329 963 or email bendigo1977@yahoo.com.au

Jess speaks about people powered change

The Cunningham ballot paper

This image from today's Illawarra Mercury. Now that the election has been called for Saturday August 21 we need all hands on deck to build the campaign for a real alternative in Cunningham! Jess is standing for action on climate, jobs, health, education, marriage equality and against racism. Can you help? Please email bendigo1977@yahoo.com.au or ring 0425 329 963 if you can help with any of the following: Letterboxing, fundraising (or make a donation, we need to raise at least $3000, can you donate $100?), staffing a polling booth on August 21, door-knocking, ringing members and supporters to help out, designing/writing/producing leaflets or other media (blog, website etc).

Let's hit the campaign trail!

Jess in Northern Leader

Jess speaks to WIN TV

I'm standing to put forward a real political alternative

Coverage in Green Left Weekly, Sun May 23...

Jess Moore, well-known community activist and part-time worker, will contest the seat of Cunningham on New South Wales’ south coast in the coming federal elections.

Moore, a member of Socialist Alliance, is a leading climate and renewable energy campaigner in Wollongong. She is active in the struggle for marriage equality and helped found the Illawarra Aboriginal Rights Group, set up in response to the racist Northern Territory intervention.

Moore was president of the Wollongong Undergraduate Students' Association in 2006 and is the national co-ordinator of Resistance, a socialist youth organisation. She introduces her election campaign below.

* * *

We can't wait for the world to change, we need to make it happen ourselves. I'm standing as a Socialist Alliance candidate to put forward a real political alternative, one that puts the interests of ordinary people before the profits of the big corporations.

Click here for full speech: http://www.greenleft.org.au/node/44175