After the elections...

Firstly, I'd like to say a huge (if slightly belated) thank you to all of the people who helped the Socialist Alliance campaign at the election! With counting not yet complete we polled 491 votes in Perth and 570 votes in Fremantle (both .8 per cent). We averaged just over 1% across the lower house seats we contested and have so far polled almost 25,000 votes in the senate. In almost every case our (modest) vote has increased.

Secondly: what an interesting (and encouraging) election result! The big increase in the Green vote (and representation) plus the first Green elected to the lower house at a general election are good news for the whole progressive movement and every social justice campaign.

Check out the Green Left article: 'Greenslide' a shift to the left - neither major party wins majority mandate and join the discussion there. You might be interested in Tim Anderson's comments on Creating the democracy we don't yet have and other articles on the election here and here.

Socialist Alliance will be discussing the election result, what it means and where to from here at our next meeting in Perth tomorrow night (6:30pm, Thurs 26 August at the Perth Activist Centre, 15/5 Aberdeen St, East Perth - next to McIver station). You are more than welcome to come along and join the discussion and encouraged also to get actively involved in the Alliance if you want to help fight for the progressive changes we so desperately need.

Alex Bainbridge
Socialist Alliance