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“ Universities, which used to be seen as places for independent research and inquiry, are increasingly dominated by a pro-business, corporate agenda reflecting the priorities of administrations desperate for funding.”
Jack works in the education sector. He’s also a socialist activist and a rank-and-file union activist.
Jack sees the fight for genuinely free and high-quality public education at a primary, secondary and tertiary level as a core part of the broader struggle for a fairer society. “Over recent decades”, he says, “both Labor and Liberal governments have underfunded the public education system at every level and undermined conditions of teaching and learning. Universities, which used to be seen as places for independent research and inquiry, are increasingly dominated by a pro-business, corporate agenda reflecting the priorities of administrations desperate for funding.”
The situation in education, Jack thinks, is a microcosm of the problems in broader society. “It’s the same story everywhere”, he says, “governments privatising and cutting funding to vital public services while giving handouts to corporations and the rich, and then blaming individuals for the inevitable social problems that are worsened because of their policies”.
“COVID-19 intensified all the pre-existing inequalities and injustices created by decades of neoliberalism in Australia prior to the pandemic”, Jack says. “Corporations enjoyed massive profits propped up by government spending while workers, even where they were lucky enough to keep their jobs, suffered increased workloads and attacks on their wages and conditions. In my workplace, I joined other rank-and-file union members to fight back against management attacks and facilitate union organising on a national level”.
Jack also has a strong record of organising around broader issues of social justice: “I have been active in campaigns for refugee rights, solidarity with Palestine, and standing with marginalised groups. At a local level, I’ve spoken out when councils have demonised poor people and fought for more public housing and better public health services.”
Like all Victorian Socialists candidates, Jack sees social change coming from the collective action of ordinary people on the streets and in their workplaces. “Improvements in the conditions in which we live and work depend on building a layer of active, confident, and empowered workers and community members who will collectively stand up for our rights.”
“Victorian Socialists is the party that has disdain for corrupt career politicians. We want to massively increase taxes on the rich to fund vital community services, and we always fight alongside workers and other marginalised groups. This collective solidarity of everyday people is the most effective cure to the sick politics of neoliberalism. If elected, I will use my platform to amplify these struggles and advance solidarity.”