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According to the ALP website, “The Australian Labor Party maintains formal links with fraternal parties overseas through ongoing membership of the Socialist International association.”
Why it continues to maintain full fee paying membership of the Socialist International association given its current agenda of dismantling democracy in order to implement draconian laws is a question begging an answer. One has to wonder if the Ethics Committee of this association is aware of the actions of one of their full member parties, and if they were, would they continue to support said membership; or would they propose sanctions to the leading organs of the Socialist International as is their mandate in such cases.
Under sections 5.1 – 3 of the Statutes of the Socialist International association a decision to expel a rogue party or organisation from membership can be taken by the Congress if a majority of two-thirds of member parties voted for that to occur. It appears that parties, countries, and associations, which do not agree to adhere to the clearly stated principles of the Socialist International association, would a) not be supported to become party members, or b) if they were members, an expulsion would be justified.
The Socialist International association appears to have an admirable set of principles they set forth as an agenda for their fee paying party members to follow. The below quotation, taken from their Ethical Charter, using principles “adopted at the XXII Congress of the Socialist International, São Paulo”, has a affirmation party members agree to uphold and promote for acceptance into the association of the Socialist International. This affirmation states: "We, member parties of the Socialist International, reaffirm our total commitment to the values of equality, freedom, justice, solidarity and peace which are the foundation of democratic socialism. We solemnly undertake to respect, defend and promote those values in the spirit of the fundamental declarations and campaigns of the Socialist International"
Their Ethical Charter points out that member parties will follow strictly certain principles to defend pluralistic democracy, of which, a respect of the rights of minorities and individuals; and an independent and impartial judicial system based on the law are identified as essential to the fulfilment of this charter. Seeing that the SA Labor Government, under Rann, and now Rudd, is busily implementing laws which seriously undermine the rights of individuals, and which call into question the ongoing existence of an independent and impartial judicial system, it is increasingly apparent that this government is only rendering lip service to the ideals of the Socialist International association.
The Ethical Charter of which the Labor Government is a fee paying full member goes on to state it is their responsibility to:
"Guarantee, under all circumstances, the respect of human dignity and to act in accordance with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the other important conventions adopted by the United Nations and its institutions.
To respect and reinforce the fundamental human rights, be they individual rights (respect of private life, freedom of thought, belief, education, sexual orientation and right to equal treatment etc.), social rights (freedom of trade unions, right to strike, social protection etc.) or political rights (freedom of association, universal vote).
To fight against all ultra nationalist, fundamentalist, xenophobic and racist trends and to refrain from all forms of political alliance or co-operation, at any level, with any political party inciting or trying to inflame prejudices, ethnic or racial hatred
To reject and resolutely oppose any drift to authoritarianism as well as any political system which allows or practises the violation of human rights to conquer or impose its power (political assassination, torture, arbitrary detention, press censorship, banning or repression of peaceful demonstrations, etc)." By implementing the Serious Organised Crime Control Act (S.O.C.C.A) the Labor government is not acting “in accordance with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights”, they are not showing a “respect of private life”; and because of passing laws which state that the prosecution do not have to prove their case when attempting to sentence an individual to a long term jail sentence they are not providing a “right to equal treatment” before law. By the Attorney General Michael Atkinson calling a small country newspaper and berating them for not writing an article in the way that he wanted it written, so that the F.R.E.E AUSTRALIA PARTY would be portrayed in a negative light, he was engaging in press censorship as he and others within the Labor party drift into an authoritarian model of governance. The F.R.E.E AUSTRALIA PARTY stands opposed to authoritarian governance and calls for an Independent Commission Against Corruption (I.C.A.C) to be given the highest priority at this time. The F.R.E.E AUSTRALIA PARTY asks for the Ethics committee of the Socialist International association to examine the actions of one its party members and to act accordingly. Written by Craig Hendry
REFERENCES
About the Australian Labor Party (online) Available: http://www.alp.org.au/about/index.php accessed 10.05.09. Socialist International home site (online) Available: http://www.socialistinternational.org/index.cfm accessed 10.05.09. MEMBER PARTIES of the SOCIALIST INTERNATIONAL (online) Available: http://www.socialistinternational.org/viewArticle.cfm?ArticlePageID=931 accessed 12.05.09 Statutes of the Socialist International (online) Available: http://www.socialistinternational.org/viewArticle.cfm?ArticleID=27 accessed 10.05.09. Ethical Charter of the Socialist International (online) Available: http://www.socialistinternational.org/viewArticle.cfm?ArticleID=24 accessed 10.05.09.
Serious Organised Crime Control Act 2008 Section 9
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