We’re living in a world in crisis. From the heatwaves, bushfires and extreme weather events brought on by global heating to the soaring inequality and cost of living crisis smashing the living conditions of the working class and poor. At the same time growing imperialist competition between the US empire and China has opened up the possibility of war between nuclear powers in our lifetime.
In Australia the new Labor government has presided over massive tax cuts for the richest, alongside wage cuts for workers and the largest ever military spend in Australian history – $368 Billion on nuclear-powered submarines.
The opening night panel of the Socialism Conference will discuss the multiple catastrophes unleashed by capitalism today as well as global resistance.
Speakers:
Eleanor Morley
Eleanor is one of the editors of Red Flag newspaper, a fortnightly publication of Socialist Alternative. She’s written extensively about the global economy, the new arms race and the rising tensions between US imperialism and China. She’s been a socialist activist in Sydney for over a decade, involved in many campaigns most recently fighting for refugee rights alongside the Tamil Refugee Council. She was also a leading activist in the Democracy is Essential campaign to win back the right to protest in Sydney. On opening night she’ll be discussing global inequality and the threat of war.
Anneke Demanuele
Anneke is a leading socialist activist from Melbourne. She’s one of the founding activists in Uni Students for Climate Justice which organised university walk-offs during the climate strikes and mass protests during the 2020 deadly bushfires. Most recently she’s lead demonstrations in Melbourne against the Nazi NSN and the transphobic far right. She will be talking about resistance around the world today, with a focus on anti-fascist struggle.
Mick Armstrong
Mick is one of the founding members of Socialist Alternative and a socialist activist since the 1970s, when he was involved in the campaign against the Vietnam War. Mick is the co-author of ‘A Marxist Analysis of the Labor Party’ and ‘1,2,3, What Are We Fighting For? – The Australian Student Movement from its Origins to the 1970s’. He’s a regular contributer to Marxist Left Review where he’s written on socialist strategy and Australian labour history. Mick will be discussing the class struggle in Australia and what we can expect from the Labor government.