About the DSP

The Democratic Socialist Perspective seeks to build a mass revolutionary socialist party that is capable of organising the Australian working class to bring into being a socialist society through replacing the political rule of the capitalist class with a government of the working class. See Program of the DSP.

However, a mass revolutionary socialist party in this country will never be built simply by the incremental growth of the existing small socialist propaganda groups. The road to such a party will be conditioned by the specific social conditions and political developments that emerge. Crucial in this process will be the consistent effort by the consciously revolutionary forces to win over and fuse with the leaderships that emerge in the working class. The DSP sees the struggle to build a broadly based anti-capitalist party as a stage in the struggle for a mass revolutionary party in this country.

At its 21st Congress on December 27-30, 2003, the DSP voted to stop operating as a separate party, and to function from then as a tendency within the Socialist Alliance.

Whilst acknowledging the early stage of development of the Socialist Alliance, the 22nd Congress of the DSP in Sydney, January 5-8, 2006 reaffirmed the DSP’s commitment to building the Socialist Alliance as a new party project. (See the DSP's resolution.)

We think that the Socialist Alliance will have to go through a more extended period of united campaigning and regroupment with broader left forces before it can harness the leadership resources and political confidence to take a significant step to creating a new socialist party. Nevertheless, for the first time in many years many militant workers look towards a left party project. By championing the need for a broadly based anti-capitalist party or a “new mass workers’ party” and by organizing the most united left intervention in the social movements, the Socialist Alliance can continue to win the respect of and recruit broader layers of militant workers to its ranks and in this way take practical steps along the road to such a party.

The DSP continues to make available meeting and organising space to the Socialist Alliance and stands by the agreed protocols between Socialist Alliance and Green Left Weekly encouraging and securing greater access and input by the Socialist Alliance, its members and affiliates into Green Left Weekly. DSP members continue to politically organise together with other Socialist Alliance members through branches, caucuses, committees and working groups, wherever effective, in order to build the most united left political intervention possible and to build the Socialist Alliance.

In the meantime, the DSP has to continue to take urgent steps to replenish its cadre base and maintain the political, organisational and financial viability of its own structures. Most importantly, we seek to win, educate and develop a new generation of revolutionary youth cadre and recruit them to the DSP.

Find out more about our ideas through the pamphlets listed below. We have branches in all Australian capital cities and a number of regional centres. If you would like more information about the DSP contact us in your area.

Array