- by Vinnie Molina – CPA National President
- The Guardian
- Issue #2036
Party President Vinnie Molina. Photo: CPA
It feels like only a few months have passed since I wrote a season’s greeting for 2022.
It was the year our 14th Congress, delayed by COVID, finally went ahead under the banner of “Building the Party for a Socialist Future.” The Congress elected its new CC and delivered a new Political Resolution which will guide Party work until the next congress.
The year has passed by quickly leaving behind both positive and negative experiences for workers and their families. Party members have been on the ground with workers in their struggle for better wages and conditions.
The government let COVID rip through the community abandoning hundreds of thousands of people. Part of that strategy was to stop reporting daily cases giving the appearance that the worse had gone and now there was a new normal. As I write media reports talk about more than 100,000 new cases in a week nationally, about an average of 14,000+ cases per day.
The new government that emerged from the federal election held in May represented a blow to the two-party system. Teals, Greens, and independents are an interesting cross bench. Several pieces of legislation have passed through both houses of parliament but the government has been forced to negotiate with those holding the balance of power.
The most recent IR Laws relied on ACT senator David Pocock who voted with the government. Finally, we see the promise to abolish the Australia Building and Construction Commission (ABCC) delivered with this Bill which also introduced some other reforms but has not the right to strike. A new round of IR is still needed to abolish the FairWork Act, give the right to strike and end the right of employers to lockouts. Workers and their unions must continue this struggle.
2022 also saw significant labour struggles with workers rising up together to fight for their interests. Some gains have been made but the state has been exposed for which class they represent. Some unions, such as the nurse’s union in WA, have been threatened with deregistration or fined in acts of intimidation by government. As we go into 2023 more and more workers in their unions are realising only united action of workers can defeat the employer class and their repressive apparatuses.
Over the year our party continues to experience significant growth across the country. This in part has been the result of more activity and presence in the struggle. I recall the famous quote by Engels that “an ounce of action worth a tonne of theory” it is imperative that in 2023 all party members actively participate in the people’s struggles. Peace, housing, workers’ rights, and the environment are just some of the priorities of work in the next period as decided by the 14th Congress.
In the new year the CPA will strengthen its work among women to ensure the building the Party for a socialist future.
The Guardian editor and the collective have done a great job keeping the workers’ weekly coming out during the last 3 years of the pandemic. I thank the editor for his work and wish him success in the new endeavours.
I take this opportunity also to wish all CPA members and Guardian readers a peaceful season’s holiday and all the very best in the new year 2023.
This is the final Guardian for 2022, the first in 2023 is 23rd January.
