October 30th, 2020 – Statement on the Centenary of the Australian Communist movement

Central Committee of the Australian Communist Party

“The formation of the Communist Party (October 30th, 1920) was one of the decisive revolutionary acts of the Australian working class. The formation of the CP of A was the outcome of the experience of the working-class gleaned in the struggles and growth of the labour movement from 1890 to 1920. In this period, the working class experienced the limitations of “liberal” Labor governments and reformist trade unionism. It experienced the futility and bankruptcy of socialist sectarianism (SLP, ASP), and anarcho-syndicalism (the IWW).”

These words from historical Party General Secretary Lance Sharkey, written in 1942, retain much of their validity on this day of the centenary of the founding of the original Communist Party described above. It was a bold act inspired by the triumph of the workers and peasants of Russia in 1917. It broke with the flawed tactics and strategy of reformism and sectarianism to unleash grass roots forces for social change. The Unemployed Workers’ Movement, the Workers’ Defence Corps, the Militant Minority Movement in the trade unions and the Militant Women’s Movement all wrote glorious chapters in the history of the Communist movement of this country.

Australian Communists were the first non-Indigenous Australians to fight for lands rights for the Aboriginal people. They were a major obstacle to plans of the imperialists for wars of conquest and the first to offer practical solidarity to their brothers and sisters around the world. They struggled in support of the people of Russia, India, China, the Spanish Republic, Indonesia, Vietnam and many other countries. They pioneered trade union tactics to protect our natural and built heritage from reckless “development”.

Every one of these actions was accompanied by remarkable bravery and self-sacrifice. The tactics of these comrades should be studied and their spirit revived. It is precisely this task that has been taken up by the Australian Communist Party since its foundation last year. The ACP has taken up the banner dropped by the original party after it fell into revisionism leading to its liquidation. The centenary of the founding of the Communist movement in Australia is an opportunity to re-commit to the revolutionary transformation of Australia to be a socialist country in a socialist world committed to the building of Communism.