The West profiles Socialist Alliance

As part of their series profiling smaller parties in this election, The West Australian published answers we gave to their questions.

Here are our answers as supplied to The West:

Do all your candidates live in WA? If not, where, and what connection do they have to WA?

All our candidates live in WA and are hard working grassroots activists with a strong record of community engagement. That said, we believe it is more important to know what a candidate stands for than where they live.

The pitch - why should West Australians vote for you: (120 words or fewer)

Labor and Liberal have misused power by governing for the super rich.

Our plan to improve people's lives includes bringing the mines and banks into public ownership because they are among the most profitable monopolised industries.

We need to take this wealth from the billionaires who are destroying the planet and ruining people's lives, and put it into the hands of people and communities. This is the only way to ensure a fair and effective transition to an economy without carbon pollution where social resources are used democratically to meet needs like education, health and public transport.

We are an activist party. Voting for us strengthens the campaigns against Abbott's attacks and for social justice. A better world is possible.

If elected would you consider forming an alliance/voting bloc with any other party/Senator and if so, which/who and why?: (25 words or fewer)

The Socialist Alliance stands for the interests of workers, social justice and the environment and will independently assess policies from this standpoint.

Should the mining/carbon taxes be rescinded or kept and why? (25 words or fewer)

We support genuine climate action but carbon trading does not work. Increase the tax on mining profits and abolish the GST which hurts the poor.

Do you support deep cuts to the Budget and if so, in what areas? (25 words or fewer)

We support deep cuts in military spending and cuts to corporate welfare to fund higher spending on renewable energy and social services.