For years they’ve been telling us we live in the Lucky Country. It’s now official. Each Australian – man, woman, child – is now worth $1.1 million, according to the World Bank. Its recent study estimating the wealth of 192 countries put Australia at the top of the list.

At the end of the 20th century we are confronted by a historical paradox. On the one hand, the economics, politics and culture of the world has become more unified than ever before, as a result of the growing domination of transnational capital. And yet, at the same time, we see an explosive growth of national struggles.

The campaign against the Vietnam War here developed in similar ways to the movement in the US. Of course Australia was a junior partner, and tagged along behind the US. But the Australian ruling class had its own aims and ambitions and interests in South-East Asia. In 1964 the Australian government introduced conscription to provide the cannon fodder – the “death lottery”: birth dates were balloted to determine who would be called up. In 1965 they sent the first contingent of troops to Vietnam.

The fundamental aim of the revolutionary Marxist party is to organise the socialist revolution. In order to realise this aim, the party must win the ideological and political allegiance of the overwhelming majority of the working class. This cannot be accomplished simply through propaganda alone. It is a general law of history that only through collective experiences of struggle, of action, can broad masses begin to free themselves from the domination of ruling class ideology and become receptive to revolutionary ideas.

Comrades, we’ve just come through a challenge to the party, a discussion, and a conference that make me even more confident about the party we have, the party we’re building towards, and the fundamental party-building perspectives we defend.

The fundamental aim of the revolutionary Marxist party is to organise the socialist revolution. In order to realise this aim, the party must win the ideological and political allegiance of the overwhelming majority of the working class. This cannot be accomplished simply through propaganda alone. It is a general law of history that only through collective experiences of struggle, of action, can broad masses begin to free themselves from the domination of ruling class ideology and become receptive to revolutionary ideas.

The crimes of rampaging capitalism today are all too visible. Susan George’s talk last night, the talks and panels today, have given us many reminders. We’re here BECAUSE we’re conscious of this. And we’re also conscious, and perhaps a little afraid, of the tremendous financial, military, ideological resources at the disposal of the ruling classes.

Comrades, we’re living in tumultuous times, in vital times. They’re crucial times for building, for rebuilding our organisations, the organisations of the oppressed, of the opposition. Greed, aggression, cruelty, exploitation are on the rampage. Clinton’s arrogant aggression in bombing Iraq again last week said it all.

The reasons why we need a revolutionary party, and Lenin’s outstanding contributions on this question, was thoroughly covered by Reihana’s talk yesterday. The aim of this talk is to look at the sort of party we’re building and some of the basic concepts and methods of our party-building approach.

Comrades, this Resistance Conference will prove to be a vital gathering. It comes at a crucial turning point in world politics. The contradictions of capitalism are deepening, yet the old misleaders of the movements of the workers and oppressed have been defeated and discredited, while the new generation has not yet forged the weapons it needs – its leadership, its organisation.