AFTER THE ELECTION THE FIGHT BACK CONTINUES

AFTER THE ELECTION THE FIGHT BACK CONTINUES

Young Communist League (British Columbia)

May 13, 2009

The re-election of the Campbell Liberals is very dangerous news – for youth, students, the working class and the people of British Columbia. Can we wait four more years for another election to fight back? Can we rely on defensive struggles? No! The only effective response is for the youth to stand together with labour and the people’s movements and go on a serious offensive for jobs, accessible education, the environment, rights and services!

Were it for the students, there would be an anti-Liberal majority in the Legislature today composed of 44 NDPers and 10 Greens. Student Vote also gave the Communist Party a significant percentage – 17% in Kootenay West, 3% in Surrey Newton, and 4% in Vancouver Mount-Pleasant. Young people want new ideas and a new direction. The challenge of youth and student activists is to turn that sentiment into powerful united action.

The election results also marked an increase in both the NDP and Communist Party’s popularity. While an anti-Liberal majority is not in Victoria, the majority of voters cast their ballots against the Liberals. Condemning the voters as ‘stupid’ blames the victim and misses that point. The complete bankruptcy of the Campbell Liberal’s policies was temporarily obscured by a false economic boom of the scandalous Olympics. On the other hand, voters were faced with tepid alternatives from the NDP. Voter turnout was at a record low.

The second attempt to win the support of British Columbians for the Single Transferable Vote (STV) electoral system went down in flames. The YCL renews its demand for a Mixed Member Proportional voting system, much more closely reflecting the people’s choice than the current, un-democratic, “First Past the Post” system.

Some are already beginning to talk about what needs to be done next election to defeat the Liberals, but the real question is: what happens in the meantime? With the Liberals at the steering wheel, the corporations will try to leave our generation and the working class holding the bag for a worsening economic crisis – which we didn’t make.

If young people needed another reason to mobilize and resist, just look at the Liberal’s disastrous record. The energy and creativity of all the youth and students can contribute tremendously to expanding existing campaigns for higher minimum wages, accessible education, child care, peace, ecological sustainability, democracy and sovereignty, including that of aboriginal peoples.

The Young Communist League calls upon youth to join with labour and the people of British Columbia in a militant, united fight back to stop and reverse the agenda of the Campbell Liberals and win a better BC, and a better world. For us, that means socialism!

It’s our future, and our fight!