Table of contents
What is Socialism?
Australian Socialism pre-dates Marx and Engels. While it experienced a long dormant period, reports of its death have been highly exaggerated.
The word socialism is based on “society”, the idea that society as a whole is more important than individual profits and wealth. Indeed, Australian socialism was so ahead of its time in the 1800s that Henry George, (U.S. socialist) spent time in Australia learning from Irish Australians about early socialism.
Is Australia a Socialist Democracy
Early socialists briefly took power in the state of Queensland in 1899, thus becoming the first socialist government in the world.
Socialism is generally more popular in Australia than in the United States. Australia even saw a communist (Fred Paterson) elected to the Queensland Parliament in 1944. There are also differences in what Australians and Americans like and don’t like about socialism. Australians for example are more likely to support public ownership of important national assets.
Some of the early Australian Labor Party (ALP) governments pro-claimed a socialist agenda. Indeed, throughout most of the 20th century there was a strong socialist faction within the party. However, they invariably failed to constitute a majority when the ALP was in government.
Prime Minister Gough Whitlam (1972-75) was widely seen as a social democrat.
Australian Socialism Abandoned by Labor
Under the Hawke and Keating governments, the ALP abandoned any pretence of a socialist agenda, embracing neoliberal reforms and market-based policies. The party holds such policies to this day. Consequently, Australia is not a socialist democracy.
Australian Socialist Party
The term ‘Socialism’ is again being used more often in political debate. Many candidates are no longer afraid to describe themselves as socialists. This coincides with generational change. Stoking fears of the communist ‘bogey man’ and red baiting have become an outdated strategy for right wing critics in the major parties. This is happening as young Australians perceive the villain of our times is not the ghost of the Soviet Union, but the global climate crisis.
Socialist Alliance vs Socialist Alternative
The Communist Party of Australia wielded some power in the 20th century, especially in the trade unions. The party had largely disappeared by century’s end, as a result of their support for Stalinist authoritarianism. However, today marxism continues to have a voice through two minor parties which share the initials S.A.
In 2001 members from various socialist organisations united under the Socialist Alliance banner. The party is a well known voice of Australian Socialism. Socialist Alliance has a strong focus on grassroots activism. The party stood in some seats for the first time at the 2022 federal election and has a growing membership base.
Socialist Alliance is a minor political party in Australia. Socialist Alliance was formed in 2001 from an alliance of various socialist organisations and activists. The party is involved with the trade union, environmentalist and student movements in Australia.
Socialist Alliance Members
Two Socialist Alliance members currently serve on local councils, Sue Bolton (Moreland City Council) and Sarah Hathway (Greater Geelong).
Socialist Alternative is a major revolutionary group in Australia. They are a highly visible leftist organisation focused on militant activism, building a mass socialist party, and overthrowing capitalism. They publish the newspaper Red Flag and are prominent in many grassroots political campaigns.
Socialist Alternative members running for political office at state or local level would likely run under their state banner, such as Queensland Socialists or Victorian Socialists.
Victorian Socialists
Victorian Socialists (VS) are a Victorian based electoral alliance of various socialist parties, organisations, community groups and trade unionists. The party seeks, “to put politicians on a worker’s wage so they live like the rest of us” and “to get socialists into parliament who will fight to make workers richer and billionaires poorer”. VS is a minor party with a left wing socialist agenda.
Australian Socialism: Jorge Jorquera
The Victorian Socialists (VS) is a democratic socialist party formed in 2018 out of an electoral alliance of various socialist parties, organisations, community groups and trade unionists. VS member Jorge Jorquera, served as a Councillor on Maribyrnong City Council (2020-24).
Australian Socialism: Owen Cosgriff
A proud member of Victorian Socialists, Owen Cosgriff was elected to the Greater Bendigo City Council as the representative for Whipstick Ward in 2024. Owen received a first preference vote of 40.7% in a field of three and got up with 52.7% after preferences.
Socialist Alliance and Socialist Alternative are both left-wing political organisations in Australia that advocate for socialism, but they differ in their approach, strategy, and some of their ideological positions. Here are some key differences between the two parties:
- Approach to Socialism: Socialist Alliance is more focused on democratic socialism and working within the framework of existing political systems to implement change. In comparison, Socialist Alternative is more revolutionary, advocating for a fundamental overthrow of capitalist systems.
- Organisational Structure: Socialist Alliance aims to be more inclusive and broad-based, seeking to unite various left-wing forces. Socialist Alternative is more disciplined and centralised, with a focus on building a cohesive revolutionary organisation.
Both groups contribute to the broader socialist and leftist movements in Australia, but they do so with different strategies and underlying philosophies.
Australian Socialism and The Australian Greens
From the 1970’s onwards, many socialist campaigns focussed on reducing environmental destruction. The Green Bans Movement by the Builder’s labourers Federation (BLF) was a leading example of this.
The Australian Greens, commonly known as The Greens, are a confederation of Green state and territory political parties in Australia. Following the 2022 federal election, the Greens became the third-largest political party in Australia by vote and the fourth largest by elected representation.
Prominent members of the Australian Greens have supported a number of socialist policies over the course of the party’s existence. Looking back, one of the most prominent socialists within the party was former Senator Lee Rhiannon. However more recently Senator Mehreen Faruqi and the Member for Griffith, Max Chandler-Maher have taken up the Socialist cause. While Max lost his seat at the 2025 federal election, he remains a great talent from the left and has a remarkable work ethic. He is a modern face of the emerging left in Australia.
Is Australia Socialist or Capitalist?
Australia has a mixed-market economy that incorporates both capitalist and social welfare elements. While it has social programs and regulations aimed at ensuring a certain level of welfare and equity, the economy is primarily driven by private corporations.
A central feature of socialist economics is the widespread state ownership of the means of production. However, this is not the case in Australia. Australia does not have a socialist economy. Some might argue that it operates as a mixed economy, given the government’s retention of ownership of some key services and agencies. Nevertheless, it is more accurate to describe Australia as a country with a capitalist economy.
Examples of Socialism in Australia
Progressive policies that exist in Australia are the outcome of socialist struggle. These include public health care, public housing and the NDIS. Socialist policies are consistently targeted by neoliberal conservatives, who push to cut publicly funded services in favour of a ‘survival of the fittest’ approach. An approach that disproportionately benefits the wealthiest 1% of Australians.
Australian Socialism Reddit
If you’re looking for discussions about socialism in Australia on Reddit, you might want to check out subreddits like r/Australia or r/Socialism. These communities often discuss various political ideologies, including socialism, and how they relate to Australian society and policy. You can find threads on topics such as social programs, labor rights, and the political landscape in Australia. Just search for keywords like “Australian socialism” within those subreddits to find relevant discussions.
Democratic Socialist Party Australia
The Democratic Socialist Perspective (DSP) was an Australian socialist political group. It was founded in 1972 as the Socialist Workers League (SWL), changing its name to the Socialist Workers Party (SWP) a few years later. In the early 1990s it was once again renamed, as the Democratic Socialist Party, and in 2003 it became the Democratic Socialist Perspective. The DSP operated as the largest component of a broad-left socialist formation, the Socialist Alliance, until in 2010, it voted to merge into the Socialist Alliance.
Other Relevant Material regarding Australian Socialism
- Australian Left links
- Australian Socialists
- Fred Paterson
- Public Services Sector
- Simple Definition of Socialism
Other Material