Victorian Socialists

Not to be confused with the early 20th century Victorian Socialist Party.

Political party in Australia

Victorian Socialists

Abbreviation|

* VS
* VicSoc

Leader| Collective leadership
Secretary| Corey Oakley
Founded| 5 February 2018; 7 years ago (2018-02-05)
Registered| 6 June 2018; 7 years ago (2018-06-06)
Headquarters| 83 Sydney Road, Brunswick, Melbourne, Victoria[1]
Ideology| Democratic socialism[2]
Political position| Left-wing[3][4]
Colours|  Black  White
Slogan| People before profit
Greater Bendigo City Council|

1 / 9

Website
www.victoriansocialists.org.au

* Politics of Australia
* Political parties
* Elections

Part of a series on

Labour politics
in Australia

Active organisations

* Australian Fabian Society
* Australian Labor Party
* Labor Left
* Labor Right
* Democratic Labour
* SEARCH Foundation
* Victorian Socialists

Defunct organisations

* Australian Socialist Party
* Australian Workers Party
* Blackburn-Mutton Labor Party
* Communist Party of Australia
* Democratic Labor Party (1955)
* Industrial Labor Party
* Industrial Socialist Labor Party
* Illawarra Workers Party
* Lang Labor
* Labor (Non-Communist)
* Lang Labor (SA)
* National Labor Party
* North Queensland Labor Party
* Official Labour Movement
* Parliamentary Labor Party
* Progressive Labor Party
* Protestant Labour Party
* Queensland Labor Party
* State Labor Party
* Socialist Labor Party

Related topics

* 1891 Australian shearers' strike
* 1998 Australian waterfront dispute
* Prices and Incomes Accord
* Politics of Australia
* WorkChoices

* Australia portal
* Organised labour portal

* v
* t
* e

Part of a series on

Socialism in
Australia

History

Early history

* New Australia
* 1891 Australian shearers' strike
* Red Flag riots

* * *

Great Depression and Aftermath

* Movement Against War and Fascism
* Egon Kisch incident
* Dalfram dispute
* Black Armada

* * *

Cold War

* 1948 Queensland railway strike
* 1949 Australian coal strike
* 1951 Australian Communist Party ban referendum

* * *

New Left

* Builders Labourers Federation
* Green ban

* * *

Contemporary

* S11
* G20 protests
* Occupy movement
* Occupy Sydney
* Occupy Melbourne
* Blockade IMARC

People

* Bacon
* Blackburn
* Burgmann
* Curtin
* Foley
* Gallagher
* Garden
* Gould
* Healy
* Hill
* Jolly
* Judd
* Lane
* McQueen
* Mundey
* Noonuccal
* Origlass
* O'Shea
* Paterson
* Petersen
* Percy
* Rhiannon

Organisations (Active)

* Australian Labor Party
* Communist Party of Australia
* Communist Party of Australia (M–L)
* Jewish Labour Bund
* SEARCH Foundation
* Socialist Alliance
* Socialist Alternative
* Socialist Equality Party
* Solidarity
* Victorian Socialists

Organisations (Defunct)

* Australian Socialist Party
* Communist Party of Australia
* Communist Alliance
* Democratic Association of Victoria
* Democratic Socialist Perspective
* Gezerd
* Industrial Socialist Labor Party
* Left Renewal
* Progressive Labour Party
* Red Eureka Movement
* Socialist Action
* Socialist Labor Party
* Victorian Socialist Party

Literature

Newspapers/Journals/Magazines

Active

* Arena
* Green Left
* Overland
* Red Flag
* The Socialist

Historical

* Australian Left Review
* The International Socialist
* The People
* The Socialist
* The Tribune

Related topics

* Anarchism in Australia
* Australian labour movement
* New Australia
* Politics of Australia
* Socialism with no doctrine
* Sydney Push

* Socialism portal
* Organised Labour portal
* Australia portal

* v
* t
* e

The Victorian Socialists (VS) is an Australian political party based in the state of Victoria. The party's stated aims are "to put politicians on a worker's wage so they live like the rest of us" and "to get socialists into parliament who will fight to make workers richer and billionaires poorer".[5]

## History

[edit]

The formation of Victorian Socialists was announced publicly on 5 February 2018.[6][7] It was officially registered by the Victorian Electoral Commission on 6 June 2018.[8] The party began as a collaboration between Socialist Alternative and the Socialist Alliance.[9] However, Socialist Alliance withdrew from the grouping in May 2020, citing disagreements with Socialist Alternative.[10]

In August 2018, the party announced that it would field candidates for the 2018 Victorian state election in every Legislative Council seat and several Legislative Assembly electorates. Candidates included the former Geelong Trades Hall Secretary Tim Gooden for the Western Victoria Region and local councillors Stephen Jolly and Sue Bolton for the Northern Metropolitan Region.[11][12]

The 2018 election campaign gained support from several trade unions including the ETU, VAHPA, UFU, CFMMEU (MUA division), AMIEU and NUW.[13][14][15] It also won the support of several local immigrant diasporas and community organisations.[16][17] Endorsements were received from several prominent left-wing personalities, such as Tariq Ali, Noam Chomsky, Gary Foley, Tom Ballard, Corinne Grant, and Helen Razer. The party achieved a vote of 4.2% in the Northern Metropolitan Region while achieving 7.2% of the vote for the lower house seat of Broadmeadows, in a field of four candidates.[18][19]

In the 2019 federal election, VS ran candidates for the electorates of Calwell, Wills, and Cooper.[20] The party was registered at a federal level with the Australian Electoral Commission on 7 April 2019.[21] The party won votes of 4.6% in Calwell, 4.5% in Wills, and 4.2% in Cooper.

In September 2019, following allegations of family violence, Jolly was suspended from VS pending an investigation, leading him to resign from the party.[22][23]

In the 2020 Victorian local government elections, the party fielded candidates for Darebin, Hume, Maribyrnong, Melbourne and Moreland, and a ticket for the Lord and Deputy Lord Mayor of Melbourne.[24][25] Socialist Alternative member Jorge Jorquera became the first Victorian Socialists candidate to be elected to office, winning a seat on the Maribyrnong City Council.[26][27][28]

VS ran candidates for the House of Representatives and the Senate in the 2022 federal election, and subsequently launched a campaign to win a seat in the 2022 Victorian state election.[29]

Members of the party are involved in activist campaigns for a range of progressive causes.[citation needed] In July 2022, VS Assistant Secretary and 2022 state election candidate Liz Walsh was the organiser of large demonstrations in Melbourne, protesting the overturning of abortion rights by the United States Supreme Court, as well as calling for expanded access to abortion and increased healthcare funding in Australia.[30][31]

VS ran candidates in the west and north of Melbourne for the 2022 Victorian state election, reportedly mobilising over 1000 volunteers for its campaign and knocking on over 180,000 doors.[32] The party increased its vote from 2018, with its best result being a score of 9.3% in the seat of Footscray.[33][34]

VS ran candidates for the House of Representatives and the Senate in the 2025 federal election, On 13 May 2025, VS announced it intended to establish branches in all states and territories.[35][36]

## Structure

[edit]

According to the party constitution, the executive council picks all candidates and can determine policy. The executive council is made up of 4 party officers and 9 elected ordinary members. A party conference is held at least every 2 years where the officers and executive members are elected and a political platform may be determined.[37]

## Policies

[edit]

The Victorian Socialists supports a platform that includes the reversal of historical privatisation of industries, along with strong support for labour unions.[38] The party proposes the creation of a publicly owned electricity grid, along with increased funding for transportation, healthcare systems and public education, while removing government funding from private schools who have more resources than is necessary to meet the Schooling Resource Standard.[38][39] In order to pay for these policies, the Victorian Socialists support the introduction of a wealth tax, a tax on luxury properties (defined as the 25,000 most expensive residencies in Victoria), ending the ability of businesses and organisations to receive land tax exemptions, and instituting or increasing numerous other taxes on large corporations.[40]

The party supports transgender rights, Aboriginal land rights and a treaty with Aboriginal Australians, as well as support for asylum seekers. The Victorian Socialists also support the introduction of a carbon neutral economy by 2035.[38] In addition, the party seeks to cap the pay of Members of Parliament at AUD $87,000 per year, equivalent to that of a sixth-year nurse.[41]

## Electoral results

[edit]

### Federal

[edit]

House of Representatives

Election  | Votes  | Victoria  | Australia  | +/–

|
|
|
|

%  | Seats  | %  | Seats
2019 | 12,453  | 0.34  |

0 / 38

| 0.09  |

0 / 151

|  0
2022 | 27,226  | 0.73  |

0 / 39

| 0.19  |

0 / 151

|  0
2025 | 23,670  | 0.58  |

0 / 39

| 0.15  |

0 / 151

|  0

Senate

Election  | Votes  | Victoria  | Australia  | +/–

|
|
|
|

%  | Seats  | %  | Seats
2022 | 21,739  | 0.57  |

0 / 39

| 0.14  |

0 / 151

|  0
2025 | 62,866  | 1.54  |

0 / 39

| 0.40  |

0 / 151

|  0

### Victoria

[edit]

Victorian Legislative Assembly

Election year  | # of
overall votes  | % of
overall vote  | # of
seats won  | +/–
2018 | 15,442  | 0.44 (#7)  |

0 / 88

|  0
2022 | 48,942  | 1.35 (#7)  |

0 / 88

|  0
Victorian Legislative Council
Election year  | # of
overall votes  | % of
overall vote  | # of
seats won  | +/–
2018 | 32,603  | 0.91 (#12)  |

0 / 40

|  0
2022 | 52,245  | 1.39 (#12)  |

0 / 40

|  0

## Elected representatives

[edit]

### Current

[edit]

Image  | Name  | Office  | Term start | Term end | Notes

|
|
|
|
|

|  | Owen Cosgriff  | Councillor of the City of Greater Bendigo for Whipstick Ward | 26 October 2024 | Incumbent |

### Former

[edit]

Image  | Name  | Office  | Term start | Term end | Notes

|
|
|
|
|

|  | Stephen Jolly | Councillor of the City of Yarra for Langridge Ward | 5 February 2018 | 23 September 2019 | Left party after membership suspended[42]
|  | Jorge Jorquera  | Councillor of the City of Maribyrnong for Yarraville Ward | 24 October 2020 | 26 October 2024 | Contested Burndap Ward in 2024 after Yarraville Ward abolished but lost seat[43][44]

## Notable members

[edit]

* Jeff Sparrow[45]
* Van Thanh Rudd[46]
* Jordan van den Lamb[47][48]

## See also

[edit]

* Socialism in Australia

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Home". Victorian Socialists. Retrieved 23 April 2025.
2. ^ "Victorian Socialists Constitution" (PDF). Australian Electoral Commission. Retrieved 15 April 2019. "We work to foster solidarity through authentic collective struggle and to demonstrate the need for, and legitimacy of, democratic socialism."
3. ^ Henriques-Gomes, Luke (10 November 2018). "Reason v socialism in Victorian election: Fiona Patten gears up for a fight". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 November 2018.
4. ^ "A Highly Simplified Guide To All Of Victoria's Minor Parties, From Batshit To Actually Pretty Ok". PEDESTRIAN.TV. 9 November 2022. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
5. ^ "Select policies of the Victorian Socialists". Red Flag. 5 November 2022. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
6. ^ Royall, Ian (5 February 2018). "Victorian Socialists hope to pinch seat in Victoria's Upper House election race". Herald Sun. Archived from the original on 10 May 2024. Retrieved 5 February 2025.
7. ^ "Who are the Victorian Socialists?". Red Flag. 5 February 2018. Archived from the original on 4 December 2024. Retrieved 5 February 2025.
8. ^ "Registration of the Victorian Socialists". Victorian Electoral Commission. 6 June 2018. Archived from the original on 2 April 2019. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
9. ^ Mitchell, Ivan; Lopez, Daniel (2018). "The Immodest Victorian Socialists". jacobin.com. Archived from the original on 10 May 2024. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
10. ^ "Socialist Alliance withdraws from Victorian Socialists". Socialist Alliance. 14 May 2020. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
11. ^ Thomson, Andrew (2 November 2018). "Socialists to stand across western Victoria". The Standard. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
12. ^ Pearce, Gary (19 October 2018). "The Victorian Socialists' fight for an alternative". Overland literary journal. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
13. ^ Hutchinson, Samantha (15 October 2018). "Unions back Victorian Socialists' campaign". The Australian.
14. ^ "Victorian Socialists". Facebook. 7 February 2018.
15. ^ Carey, Adam (3 May 2018). "Socialists hope union donation will secure jolly good election result". The Age.
16. ^ Troaditis, Dimitris (14 November 2018). "Victorian Socialists: Θα είναι το νέο πρόσωπο στη νέα Γερουσία; | Neos Kosmos". Neos Kosmos. Retrieved 15 November 2018.
17. ^ "Stephen Jolly on Twitter". Twitter.
18. ^ "State Election 2018: Northern Metropolitan Region results summary - Victorian Electoral Commission". www.vec.vic.gov.au. Retrieved 22 May 2019.
19. ^ "State Election 2018: Broadmeadows District results summary - Victorian Electoral Commission". www.vec.vic.gov.au. Retrieved 22 May 2019.
20. ^ Walsh, Liz (2019). "Victorian Socialists to stand in federal election | Red Flag". Red Flag. Retrieved 3 March 2019.
21. ^ "Registration of a political party Victorian Socialists" (PDF). Australian Electoral Commission.
22. ^ Towell, Noel; Millar, Benjamin (23 September 2019). "Stephen Jolly splits from Victorian Socialists amid serious allegations". The Age. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
23. ^ "Victorian Socialists". Facebook. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
24. ^ "Having Socialist Elected Officials Makes a Difference for Working-Class People". Jacobin. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
25. ^ "Council Election Candidates". Victorian Socialists. Archived from the original on 18 January 2021. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
26. ^ Dmytryshchak, Goya (4 November 2020). "Maribyrnong council's new look". Maribyrnong & Hobsons Bay. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
27. ^ "Maribyrnong City Council election results 2020". Victorian Electoral Commission. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
28. ^ "Jorge Jorquera, a member of Socialist Alternative, has just been elected onto the Maribyrnong council in Melbourne's western suburbs". Facebook. 27 November 2020. Archived from the original on 18 November 2024. Retrieved 18 November 2024.
29. ^ "Victorian Socialists launch election campaign | Victorian Socialists". victoriansocialists.org.au. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
30. ^ Booker, Chloe (2 July 2022). "'My body, my choice': Thousands rally in Melbourne to support US abortion rights". The Age. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
31. ^ "Australians rally against U.S. overturning of key abortion ruling". Reuters. 2 July 2022. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
32. ^ Hall, Bianca (22 November 2022). "'It's not easy being a socialist': Door-knocking with Richmond candidate Roz Ward". The Age. Retrieved 28 November 2022.
33. ^ "Victoria Election 2022 Results". abc.net.au. Retrieved 28 November 2022.
34. ^ "2018 State election results". www.vec.vic.gov.au. Retrieved 28 November 2022.
35. ^ "Have you always wanted to join a party like Victorian Socialists but live outside of Victoria? Now you can". Victorian Socialists. 13 May 2025. Archived from the original on 14 May 2025. Retrieved 14 May 2025.
36. ^ Plested, James (13 May 2025). "Expanding the Victorian Socialists project". Red Flag. Archived from the original on 14 May 2025. Retrieved 14 May 2025.
37. ^ "Constitution of the Victorian Socialists". victoriansocialists.org.au. January 2024. Retrieved 29 November 2024.
38. ^ a b c "Our Policy Platform". Victorian Socialists. Retrieved 2 February 2023.
39. ^ "Early childhood, primary and secondary education". Victorian Socialists. Retrieved 2 February 2023.
40. ^ "But how are you going to pay for it?". Victorian Socialists. Retrieved 2 February 2023.
41. ^ Elliot, Tom (14 November 2022). "Tom Elliott backs Victorian Socialists' pledge to lower pay of politicians". 3AW. Retrieved 2 February 2023.
42. ^ Armstrong, Liam (7 February 2018). "Could Steve Jolly Be Australia's First Socialist Politician in 70 Years?". VICE. Archived from the original on 3 September 2024. Retrieved 5 February 2025.
43. ^ Dmytryshchak, Goya (18 November 2020). "Maribyrnong councillor Jorge Jorquera makes history". Star Weekly. Archived from the original on 16 June 2024. Retrieved 5 February 2025.
44. ^ "Victorian Socialists' biggest council campaign to date". Victorian Socialists. 2 September 2024. Archived from the original on 19 January 2025. Retrieved 5 February 2025.
45. ^ Sparrow, Jeff (23 October 2018). "Is socialism the answer to the climate catastrophe? | Jeff Sparrow". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 6 December 2018. Retrieved 6 December 2018.
46. ^ "St Albans Van Thanh Rudd".
47. ^ Bahr, Jessica (26 August 2024). "Jordan went viral online exposing dodgy rentals. Now, he's entering politics". SBS News. Archived from the original on 17 November 2024. Retrieved 2 January 2025.
48. ^ "Announcing the 'Pingers4Parliament' (Jordan van den Lamb) Senate campaign | Victorian Socialists". victoriansocialists.org.au. Archived from the original on 14 October 2024. Retrieved 2 January 2025.

## Further reading

[edit]

* Anderson, Ian (9 October 2020). "The Socialist Macro-Sect in the 'Digital Age': The Victorian Socialists' Strategy for Assembling a Counter-Public". TripleC: Communication, Capitalism & Critique: 685–700\. doi:10.31269/triplec.v18i2.1210.
* Mitchell, Ivan; Lopez, Daniel (2018). "The Immodest Victorian Socialists". Jacobin.

* v
* t
* e

Socialist organisations in Australia

Groups|

| Active|

| Marxist–Leninist|

* Communist Party of Australia
* Communist Party of Australia (Marxist–Leninist)

|

Trotskyist|

* ISA Australia
* Freedom Socialist Party
* Radical Women
* Socialist Alternative
* Socialist Equality Party
* Solidarity

Democratic|

* Socialist Alliance
* Resistance: Young Socialist Alliance
* Victorian Socialists

Factions|

* Ferguson Left
* Labor Left
* Left Renewal

Other|

* Australian Fabian Society
* Jewish Labour Bund
* SEARCH Foundation
* Anarchism in Australia

Defunct|

| Marxist–Leninist|

* Communist Alliance
* Communist Party of Australia
* Queensland
* Red Eureka Movement

|

Trotskyist|

* Democratic Socialist Perspective/Socialist Workers Party
* Socialist Action

Other|

* Australian Socialist Party
* Democratic Association of Victoria
* Gezerd
* Industrial Socialist Labor Party
* Left Alliance
* Macedonian-Australian People's League
* Progressive Labour Party
* Socialist Labor Party
* Victorian Socialist Party

* v
* t
* e

Political parties in Victoria

Parliamentary parties|

* Labor (LA: 54, LC: 15)
* Coalition (LA: 29, LC: 14)
* Liberal (LA: 20, LC: 12)
* National (LA: 9, LC: 2)
* Greens (LA: 3, LC: 4)
* Legalise Cannabis (LC: 2)
* Animal Justice (LC: 1)
* Libertarian (LC: 1)
* One Nation (LC: 1)
* Shooters, Fishers and Farmers (LC: 1)

Other VEC-registered parties|

* Companions and Pets
* Family First
* Freedom
* Health Australia
* New Democrats
* Sustainable Australia
* United Australia
* Victorian Socialists

Defunct parties|

* Angry Victorians
* Aussie Battler
* Christians
* Conservatives
* Country
* Country Progressives
* Democratic Association of Victoria
* Derryn Hinch's Justice
* Henry George Justice
* Hudson
* Liberal Country
* Liberty Alliance
* Local Jobs
* National Liberal
* Public Transport
* Redistribution Liberals
* Reason
* Sex Party
* Socialist Alliance
* Restore Democracy Sack Dan Andrews
* Transport Matters
* United Australia
* Victorian Farmers' Union
* Victorian Liberals
* Victorian Socialist Party
* Voice for the West
* Voluntary Euthanasia

* Politics of Victoria
* Politics portal

* v
* t
* e

Political parties in Australia

Federal parliamentary parties|

* Labor (H: 94, S: 29)
* Coalition (H: 55, S: 27)
* Liberal (H: 28, S: 23)
* National (H: 15, S: 4)
* Greens (H: 1, S: 10)
* One Nation (S: 4)
* Australia's Voice (S: 1)
* Centre Alliance (H: 1)
* Katter (H: 1)
* Lambie (S: 1)

State and territory parliaments
(parties not represented federally)|

* Legalise Cannabis (Vic: 2, NSW: 1, WA: 1)
* Animal Justice (NSW: 1, Vic: 1, WA: 1)
* Shooters, Fishers and Farmers (NSW: 2, Vic: 1)
* Libertarian (NSW: 1, Vic: 1)
* SA-Best (SA: 1)
* Christians (WA: 1)

Other AEC-registered parties|

* Better Together
* Citizens
* Dai Le & Frank Carbone
* Democrats
* Fusion
* Family First
* Great Australian
* HEART
* Indigenous-Aboriginal
* Kim for Canberra
* People First
* Reason
* Socialist Alliance
* Sustainable Australia
* Trumpet of Patriots
* Tyrrell for Tasmania
* Victorian Socialists

* Defunct parties
* Local government parties
* Politics of Australia
* Politics portal
* List of political parties

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template