Elections > Federal Election 2007 > Candidates

Farida Iqbal

Socialist Alliance candidate for Fraser

Why I am standing

When climate change poses a threat to human survival itself, we need a new kind of politics. The way we do politics in Australia today clearly is not working. We simply cannot afford to keep relying on a select minority of people who are elected into the parliament to make all the decisions for everybody. This system inevitably ends up serving the needs of profit (i.e the coal industry) rather than people or the planet. We need real democracy, where the masses of people are involved in making the decisions, and are not afraid to take on big business. The best opportunity to build real democracy in Australia today is by getting involved in protest movements. I aim to use this election campaign to build protest movements. I have been an activist for about ten years. I have mainly been involved in the anti nuclear movement, and in organising protests for same sex marriage. Whether it's the ALP or the Liberal party who get elected in 2007, we will have to protest against them. Whether its climate change, workers rights, the military intervention into Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory, same sex marriage or refugee rights, neither of the major parties are offering us real solutions. If we take a look at the history of the environmental movement in this country, such as the Jabiluka campaign, it shows that the people united in protest are powerful beyond measure and can hold any government to account.

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Important issues in my electorate

In 2006, the Stanhope Labor government introduced legislation for same sex civil unions in the ACT. This progressive legislation was overturned by the homophobic Liberal federal government. It is a shame that federal ALP policy does not explicitly support same sex civil unions (let alone marriage), but a Tasmanian style registry scheme.

I was involved in organising a series of protests in the ACT in support of the civil unions legislation. The Socialist Alliance position is that same sex couples deserve the right to civil unions and marriage. Anything less then full equality is telling people they are sub-human.

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Important policy documents

The Socialist Alliance aims to reduce greenhouse emissions by 95% by 2030. This is what the science tells us is necessary for human survival. To do this we need to phase out fossil fuels and replace them with renewable energy sources such as wind power. It's all well and good to propose targets like the ALP does, but it's meaningless if you allow the construction of new coal mines at the same time (such as Anvil Hill in the Hunter Valley). Socialist Alliance has a "no new coal mines" policy. Socialist Alliance does not support sham solutions such as "clean coal" or nuclear power.

Socialist Alliance supports the full repeal of WorkChoices, draconian legislation introduced by the Liberal government. The ALP only aims to repeal WorkChoices in part, leaving in place individual contracts, elements of it that curtail the right to strike and union right of entry into workplaces.

Socialist Alliance stands for troops out of Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory. The NT intervention is nothing but a cynical election stunt and a land grab. Socialist Alliance stands for land rights for Aboriginal people.

Socialist Alliance stands for troops out of Iraq and Afghanistan.

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Contact Details

Other Candidates

ARNOLD, Jim - CEC
CHURCHILL, Darren - DEM
HUNTER, Meredith - GRN
* MCMULLAN, Bob - ALP
TARANTO, Kerri - IND
WILLIAMS, Troy - LP

* incumbent