From: HISSGB-AT-lure.Latrobe.edu.au
Date: Fri, 18 Oct 1996 23:02:10 +1000
Subject: Re: CPA refounded



The statement concerning the Socialist Party of Australia renaming itself the
CPA involves a considerable rewritting of history. Actually the SPA was
originally a right ward split from the CP. In response to the upsurge of the
late 60s which had largely by passed the CP here a section of the CP leadership 
began to move to the left to relate to student radicalism and growing rank and
file worker militancy, most notably in the building industry.

As well the CP leadership condemned the Russian invasion of Czechoslovakia. In
response the Russians fomented and funded a split in the party. The pro-Russian
stalinists who went with the SPA were disproportionately older and more likely
to hold fulltime union positions. A section of the CP's union leaders who had
initially condemned the Czech invasion eventually went with the pro-Russian
majority because they were worried that the CP was becoming too radical. For
example in the building industry the left of the CP called for greater rank and
file control of the union and for fulltime officials to return to the job after
a few years. This sent the more conservative CP union officials troppo.

After the SPA split for a few short years the CPA continued on a more left wing
trajectory and pulled in some revolutionary students and impressive working
class militants and began to distance itself considerable from stalinism.
However this process came to an end in the mid-70s partly because the level of
struggle began to decline. The party then began a sharp lurch to the right
towards Euro-communism and its eventual demise. Its parting legacy was its key
role in drafting the Accord - the strategy by which the ALP govt screwed the
working class during its 13 years in office.

As for the SPA they were a very old and tired stalinist rump which in turn
suffered a split which cost them most of the union officials they had
originally looked to. Renaming themselves the CP won't reverse this process of
decline and irrelevance.

Comradely

Mick Armstrong

Socialist Alternative