PARTISAN!

We address this letter to all socialists and communists in Queensland, including the Queensland-based branches of Socialist Alternative, Socialist Alliance, and the Communist Party of Australia.

Just over two months ago, the LNP returned to power in Queensland. This result was entirely unsurprising. This victory was won on the back of a racist, anti-youth campaign that ultimately reflected a worldwide rightward political shift and intensification of working-class oppression. Like most electoral contests in Australia, the hope for this election was to simply keep the right out of power.

What was notably absent in this state election was a socialist electoral ticket; not a single socialist candidate was run anywhere in Queensland. This was a missed opportunity to propagandise against the unfettered killing inflicted by capitalism, and for the necessity of workers’ power. If we want to fight back against the lies and chauvinism of the bourgeois parties, whilst outlining the way towards a future built by the workers, we need to do so on the highest stage possible.

In its most successful form, this front would be a de-facto electoral alliance between the Revolutionary Communist Organisation, Socialist Alternative, Socialist Alliance, the Communist Party of Australia, and willing independent socialists.

Such a front must be internally democratic, and follow a system of “one member, one vote”. The front should adopt an unashamedly communist minimum-maximum program, and call for the establishment of a democratic republic through revolution.

The immediate aim of such a front will be to use the focus put onto politics by election campaigns to propagandise, agitate, and raise the class consciousness of workers. Party propaganda will be focused around highlighting the need for workers organisation and revolution. We do not intend to limit ourselves to being a spoiler option on the ballot; we fully intend to get as many hardened cadres into Parliament as possible. The role of these elected socialists will be to continue this agitation onto the bully pulpit.

We have no illusions of winning seats in the first election we contest, however, we will have made a start in agitating for socialism as one socialist organisation. In formal talks on the matter with other sects, we have already found grounds for agreement on such a front. The Brisbane section of the RCO has resolved that building this front will be a central focus of its work over the next few years. Getting this front to function will be a major step towards re-grouping the Australian left into a single, mass communist party.

We invite the Queensland sections of all socialist and communist organisations to join us in establishing a united, socialist electoral front in advance of the 2028 Queensland state election. We call for a party program to be drafted and ratified by the first all-membership meeting of such a front.

We eagerly anticipate the response of our comrades in Queensland.

In solidarity,

Central Committee of the Revolutionary Communist Organisation