People before profit
What we stand for
The major parties look after big business. 48 Australian billionaires have more wealth than the poorest 40% of the population. It doesn't have to be like this.
Canberra Socialists is a new party looking to shake up politics. We are dedicated to rebuilding a movement that will stand up for workers' rights, against racism, and demand real climate action. We should have a society where every person is guaranteed what we need to live a dignified life: secure housing, healthcare, education.
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Canberra needs a political force that will stand up to the rich and powerful and support those fighting back.
ACT Labor has been in government since 2001. Since then, many issues facing ordinary Canberrans have gotten worse.
The high cost of living in Canberra is punishing for people on low incomes. Canberra has the second highest average rent in the country. As luxury hotels go up in the CBD, public housing gets neglected and knocked down. We need a party that will fight to end the housing affordability crisis, and stop the massive flow of wealth to property developers and landlords.
Healthcare in the territory was systematically underfunded by the government led by Andrew Barr and Shane Rattenbury. Between 2015-16 and 2018-19, funding to emergency departments was cut by 2.5%. ACT was the only jurisdiction to cut expenditure in these years. As a result, wait times for emergency departments and elective surgeries have grown longer and longer.
Canberra's higher than average median income masks the crisis of affordability for many renters. 61% of low income renters pay more than 30% of their income on housing. That's a higher proportion than any other state or territory.
The rate of incarceration for First Nations people is the worst in the country. An Indigenous person is 24.6 times more likely than a non-Indigenous person to be sent to prison in Canberra. This is an unconscionable ratio for a government that claims to be progressive.
That's why we’re taking inspiration from the Victorian Socialists and building a political party in this Territory that puts people before profit and fights for the rights of workers and the oppressed.
