Melbourne’s second lockdown is exposing the enormous class and political divides in our city.

While the well-to-do flee to their beach houses for 6 weeks of luxury lockdown, the majority of Melbournians – particularly those in the working class northern and western suburbs – are facing months of hardship, and the serious threat of exposure to the COVID pandemic.

Decades of privatisation and cost cutting in health, education, public housing, and other social services have made this pandemic much more dangerous. Liberal and Labor have both pursued politics that have made the rich many times richer, but hollowed out the livelihoods and conditions of the rest.

As Melbournians face the horrific dual crisis of the COVID pandemic and an economic catastrophe, we need a socialist alternative to the major parties that fights to put people before the interests of the profit system.

Victorian Socialists will be standing candidates in council elections across the north and west of Melbourne, and for Melbourne Lord Mayor. If elected, we will be a voice for all those struggling with unemployment and housing stress, and for the front-line workers who have inadequate PPE, and whose bosses put profits above their workers’ health.

Our candidates are trade union and social justice activists. If elected, we’ll be a voice demanding fundamental change at every level of government.

We’ll be campaigning to make the federal and state government guarantee ongoing financial support for laid off and unemployed workers, extending JobKeeper and JobSeeker.

We'll fight for council action to expand public services and reverse privatisations that have left, for example, aged care residents facing this pandemic in the hands of shonky private providers.

We’ll demand council action to target racist policing, and to adequately fund mental health, disability services and to build public housing.

We'll be a thorn in the side of developers and business interests, by defending open space and parkland – which we now need more than ever.

We want to take a huge campaign into our communities, but for it to succeed we are relying on hundreds of Victorian Socialists members and supporters joining the campaign. So please get involved!