Issue # 1426      2 September 2009

Call for unity

On Sunday August 30, CPA National President Vinnie Molina by invitation of the Communist Party of Chile (Melbourne Branch) addressed a gathering of 100 people.

At a cultural centre in Footscray, Melbourne people come together to listen to keynote speaker Jaime Gajardo the General Secretary of the Chilean Federation of Workers, CUT, and a member of the central committee of the Communist Party of Chile.

The Chilean leader highlighted the difficult effects of the global economic crisis on the Chilean people, in particular the process of privatisation of essential services including education and health services. The struggles against neo-liberal policies have united large sectors of society in which the Communist Party of Chile plays a leading role.

Comrade Gajardo said one of the key issues for the left progressive forces to be able to participate in the electoral process is to bring about change in the electoral rules that prevent smaller parties from being elected to parliament because of the unfair electoral distribution and rules. This is similar to the problems faced by smaller parties in Australia.

In his greeting Comrade Molina acknowledged the struggle of the Chilean people and compared this to the struggle facing the Australian working class. He outlined the policies of the CPA to confront the struggle of the working class against the economic crisis including the establishment of a peoples bank, the protection of superannuation, a 10 percent cut in the military budget and the creation of jobs and housing as the minimum demands to transfer the weight of the crisis from the shoulders of the workers.

The President of the CPA called for unity of the left and progressive forces to unite for a people’s government. He called on those present to consider joining the Communist Alliance as a mechanism to bring more progressive people into government.

Next article – Venezuelan student leader visits Perth

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