Organised workers fighting for a better society are a big part of the solution to the political and economic crises facing our communities.
Hi, I’m Brendan. I’m proud to be running in this year’s state election as the Victorian Socialists candidate for Niddrie.
I’m a public high school teacher, and a proud unionist and socialist, and I think organised workers fighting for a better society are a big part of the solution to the political and economic crises facing our communities.
I have played a big part in the Socialists in Schools campaign for a better public education system, and I hope to connect that momentum to a political campaign for the schools and other public services we deserve.
It is no secret that the public education system is in crisis – Victoria currently has the lowest funding with the lowest paid teachers and education support staff in Australia. This crisis is a direct result of the neoliberal policies of the state Labor government including Education Minister Ben Carroll, who is the current MP for Niddrie. Labor has overseen budgets that deprioritise public education, and has tried to use accounting tricks to cover this up.
This fight for the public services we deserve is tied into the fight against fossil fuel subsidies, real estate speculation and the drive to militarisation and war. If we have a government that keeps putting profit over people, they will continue to undermine the services our communities desperately need.
I've been a fighter for education, public services, immigrant and workers’ rights both here and in the United States. I aim to use this opportunity to highlight the inequality in our education system and to highlight how workers can be a solution for it and for so many other problems in our society.