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# NSW Socialists launch campaign with a bang!
- URL: https://redflag.org.au/article/nsw-socialists-launch-campaign-with-a-bang/
- Published: 2026-10-14T04:56:39.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-14T04:58:35.000Z
- Author: Deaglan Godwin
- Tags: NSW, Elections

“Our message is clear: the working class isn’t going to take this shit lying down anymore”, roared Ryan Chapman, NSW Socialists candidate for the seat of Wollongong, at the launch of the party’s 2027 state election campaign.

The 300-strong crowd burst out in applause. The venue, Ashfield Town Hall, was packed to capacity.

The speakers, three of the party’s six lower-house candidates, reflected Australia’s modern, multicultural working class. The first speaker, Alma Torlakovic, candidate for the Western Sydney seat of Granville, spoke movingly of her childhood in war-torn Bosnia and Croatia. Shovan Bhattarai, candidate for the inner-west seat of Newtown, humorously described the multicultural lunchtimes at her Western Sydney primary school. Chapman spoke of growing up working class on the South Coast and joining the navy as his only option.

The housing crisis was a recurring theme. Chapman spoke about the campaign to defend the Bellambi housing estate north of Wollongong. Labor MP for the area and state planning minister Paul Scully wants to knock down the estate because it is on prized beachfront property. After detailing the eye-watering average rent rises in the inner-west, Bhattarai explained the party’s housing policy of slashing rents by 35 percent, implementing a rent freeze and building 150,000 new public housing units.

Housing is a clear example of how the NSW Labor government screws over workers to protect the profits of the rich. Labor is happy to take workers’ votes, but once in government, the party, in Torlakovic’s words, “treat Western Sydney like garbage”. The crowd was full of boos and cries of “shame” at any mention of federal or state Labor politicians.

“We are the party for the millions of people who make this city run”, declared Bhattarai. This unashamed emphasis on class politics is a refreshing antidote to a mainstream politics filled with either middle-of-the-road progressivism or vitriolic far-right bile.

After the speeches, people stuck around for food, drinks and campaign strategising. New volunteers met the campaign managers in their electorates, and people signed up for the numerous party activities planned for the coming weeks. The launch kicked off a frenetic fortnight of activity. Party activists hope this will help firmly establish the party among prospective voters and meet more people who will join the movement.

While we may not be backed by billionaires or the mainstream media, the socialist movement has always been fuelled by endless enthusiasm and dedication combined with a radical vision of a better world. If you want to be a part of that, get involved with the campaign today.