Socialist Alternative (SALT) grew to be the largest Left organisation in Australia from the mid-2000s. This occurred as a result of the decline of the Democratic Socialist Party (DSP) and its liquidation into Socialist Alliance which is now many times smaller and weaker than the DSP was at its peak in the early-2000s.

January 2004 – Embarrassing details of an extensive scam being operated against left-wing organisations surfaced in the Ukraine in mid-2003. At least twelve, possibly up to twenty, small left groups, mainly in England and the United States, were conned by an enterprising group of Ukrainian politicos pretending to be supporters of each of these parties or their “internationals” setting up their Ukrainian “sections”.

The decision of the Sydney Palm Sunday 2002 organising committee to ban participation by members of the Democratic Socialist Party sets a dangerous precedent. Parties and other political organisations obviously have a right to determine their membership, based on their political program or basis of interest and whatever rules they choose.