SAM WAINWRIGHT will run as the Socialist Alliance candidate for Fremantle at the September federal election.
The port city councillor for Hilton ward urges locals looking for a left-wing voice to abandon the ALP.
“Labor has paved the way for Abbott by caving in to the conservatives on a whole number of issues, especially the mining tax and the gutless way both of them bet up on refugees to distract people from their real problems,” he says.
“You can’t fight Coke with Diet Coke.
“We have to confront the ideas of Abbott head on.”
The former wharfie says both Labor and the Liberals are “freeway addicts” and slaves to the interests of big business.
“Between them they are about to spend $1 billion on freeways associated with the Perth Gateway project around the airport,” he says.
“But public transport and freight rail projects struggle to get a look in. To make things worse road freight gets a carbon tax exemption but rail does not.”
Mr Wainwright says housing affordability is another growing problem in WA with, “people sleeping rough on the street only the tip of the iceberg”.
“This is a direct and inevitable product of both federal and state government policy,” he says.
“Investment in public housing has not kept pace with demand, shrinking in real terms, and transforming it into residual welfare housing.
“We have to scrap welfare for landlords and speculators and instead significantly expand public housing and introduce rent controls, like those imposed in New York and Los Angeles.”
The Hilton local says Australia’s biggest problem today is the major parties being “loyal servants to big business”.
He jokes the Libs play bad cop to Labor’s good cop.
“What we need in this country is a serious political force that is 100 per cent on the side of working people, the environment and our communities.
“Through our campaigns we want to link up with people who feel the same way to build that alternative. By supporting us, people help that project.”
Two potential Liberal candidates have surfaced to take on Labor incumbent Melissa Parke: Local businessman Matthew Hanssen, who secured a significant swing for the party at the March 9 election, and unknown Sherry Sufi.
by BRENDAN FOSTER
I’d like to know your policies on sole parents also on Newstart. This is increasing homelessness!!