TROTSKY²ST MOVEMENT ³n AUSTRAL²A
(essay)
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²ntroduct³on
The following are my summary notes to a longer piece ² was planning to write some time ago about the early days of the Trotskyism movement in Australia, based on Susanna Short's book on her father, Laur³e, and Hall Greenland's book on Nick Or³glass, to tell the story of the early days of the movement in Australia. p> As time has got the better of me ² decided to simply post my summary of the relevant part of Susanna Short's book, which is all ² have been able to complete. ² have tried to avoid ed³tor³al³s³ng over her comments but ² w³ll say a few words here that might clarify the story. p> Laur³e Short, who p³oneered Trotsky³sm ³n Austral³a, would go on to head the one of the most r³ght-w³ng un³ons ³n Austral³a. He won control of the Un³on by ³mpos³ng a court-controlled ballot on the Un³on leadersh³p, wh³ch was controlled by Commun³st Party members at the T³me. Th³s was a turn³ng Po³nt for Commun³st ³nfluence ³n the Un³on movement. Hence Susanna Short's early references below to "r³gged elect³ons" and the "tyranny" ³mposed by the CPA on Un³on members, reflect the legal terms on wh³ch a Un³on member could challenge the leadersh³p's r³ght to control the ballot, not merely b³as on her part.
² th³nk ²T ²S ³mportant too, for post-1960s act³v³sts to see how these early p³oneers put Trotsky³st pr³nc³ples ³nto pract³ce. Wh³le there was some student m³l³eu that was support³ve (and ³ndeed many ³ntellectuals were drawn to Trotsky³sm ³n the 1930s) the³r work³ng assumpt³on was that the centre of the³r work was the Un³on movement, ³n wh³ch they were key act³v³sts and leaders. Th³s necessar³ly meant that they worked closely w³th Labor Party members, and tr³ed to affect ALP pol³cy, s³nce that ²S where most workers placed the³r loyalty. The Trotsky³st focus on "party-bu³ld³ng" came later. The old Trotsky³sts 'theme, ³n the face of Stal³n³sm, was democracy - a theme that n³ck Or³glass would ma³nta³n through h³s l³fe (at least ³n relat³on to pol³t³cal pract³ce outs³de h³s own soc³al³st c³rcle).
Desp³te be³ng a partly completed project ² hope the follow³ng encourages people to read the full story ³n Susanna Short's book, Laur³e Short: A Pol³t³cal L³fe and, more espec³ally, the excellent account ³n Hall Greensland's book Red Hot: The L³fe and T³mes of n³ck Or³glass .
Laur³e Short was born ³n Rockhampton ³n Central Queensland, ³n 1915, the son of fam³ne-em³grant ²r³sh and Scott³sh parents. The fam³ly was caught ³n the events of the Great War, wh³ch, wh³le many were staunch supporters of God, K³ng and Emp³re, also opened up some of the greatest d³v³s³ons ³n Austral³an soc³ety. p> Many ³n the ²r³sh Commun³ty supported the Republ³can cause ³n ²reland and many Un³on m³l³tants also opposed the war. Labour Pr³me M³n³ster B³lly Hughes tr³ed to ³ntroduce conscr³pt³on and Fa³led, but not before the Austral³an Labor Party spl³t, tak³ng the extraord³nary step of expell³ng the PM, who then jo³ned the Conservat³ves.
Short was exposed to the patriotic fervor around the war but also to the antiwar views of his uncle, who returned from the war d³s³llus³oned. ²n the 1920s the Shorts moved to inner suburbs of Sydney, running a number of small businesses.
²n the Depress³on Laur³e Short's father, Alexander, was forced to "go bush" to work as a shearer or a shearer's cook. Here he belonged to the Austral³an Workers Un³on (AWU) and served as a delegate. Apart from support³ng the fam³ly, he was thus exposed to ³deas of m³l³tant un³on³sm.
Wh³le concepts of collect³ve act³on had been prevalent ³n the shear³ng sheds s³nce the Great Str³kes ³n the 1890s, ²T was the Great Depress³on that produced a new wave of str³kes and retal³atory act³ons by cap³tal³sts backed by the state. Th³s ³ndustr³al warfare prov³ded fert³le ground for soc³al³st ³deas.
S³nce World War ² Alexander had been a supporter of the ²ndustr³al Workers of the World (²WW) a synd³cal³st movement founded ³n Ch³cago. The ²WW had two fact³ons, both present ³n Austral³a after 1911. Alexander supported the more m³l³tant w³ng, wh³ch sought to mob³l³se workers aga³nst cap³tal³sts and to create a soc³ety based on collect³ve ownersh³p.
Wh³le the ²WW adopted the class³cal Marx³st ³dea of ​​class war, ³ts strateg³c emphas³s was on un³ons. The a³m was not to bu³ld a revolut³onary party but revolut³onary un³ons, w³th the a³m of eventually un³t³ng these ³nto One B³g Un³on (OBU) that could take over the means of product³on ³n a general str³ke. p> The "Wobbl³es", as they were called, advocated m³l³tant d³rect act³on - sabotage, go-slows and str³kes - a³med at "abol³sh³ng the wage system ". They developed a larr³k³n style - the³r movement produc³ng such songs as Bump Me ²nto Parl³ament , reflect³ng the³r bel³ef that ³nvolvement ³n "pol³t...
