Tocsin2-10-1897, page 6

“The Tocsin’s” Platform.

Constitutional

1. One adult one vote

2. One General Electors Roll, to be compiled solely by the State, with Triennial Census as the basis.

3. The Effectual Enfranchisement of Seamen, Shearers and others following migratory occupations

4. Payment of Members of Both Houses

5. Legislative Initiative and the Referendum

6. Legislative Council Reform in the direction of abolition

7. Election of Members of Parliament by an Absolute Majority

8. Repeal of the Purification of Rolls Act

9. Purity of Elections

10. Annual Parliaments, accompanied by State Payment of election expenses, abolition of the deposit, increase of signatories to nominations, and the institution of equal electoral districts

1. A Progressive Tax on Land Values, exclusive of improvements

2. Industrial
11. Maintenance of the Independence of the Labour Party

12. A Department of Labour

13. A Universal Maximum Labour Day of Eight Hours

14. A Universal Minimum Wage

15. A Universal Saturday Half-holiday

16. The Abolition, as far as possible, of all Sunday Labour.

17. Course of Arbitration for Labour Disputes

18. State Provision of Work for the Unemployed

19. The Exclusion of all Undesirable Immigrants and of Workmen under Contract

20. Factories Reform, including the election of Factories Inspectors, male and female

21. The Perfection of the Policy of Protection

22. Old Age Pensions

23. Direct Employment of Labour by the State

24. Establishment of the Principle of Employers’ Liability

25. Abolition of all Laws which Place the Woman, whether a private of public capacity, at a disadvantage as compared with the Man

26. The Federation of Trades

1. The General Fraternal Organisation of Workers

2. General
27. Public Payment for all Public Services

28. A State Bank

29. Suppression of Fraudulent Adulteration

30. The Repression of Private Monopolies, Rings and Trusts

31. Companies Reform

32. Mining Law Reform, including State Ownership of Coal Mines

33. Charities Reform

1. Law Reform-

1. The Remedy of all Abuses in the Law, the Repeal of all Barbarous and Obsolete Acts, and the Reduction of the Cost of Law Proceedings in the direction of Free Justice

2. Codification of the Law

3. Court of Criminal Appeal

4. Abolition of Flogging and Capital Punishment

5. Prison Reform

6. Compensation to Persons Accused, Imprisoned, or Condemned Unjustly

34. Libel Law Amendment with reference to public utterances

35. Removal of Disabilities of Illegitimate Children, including provisions for Legitimation by Subsequent Marriage

36. The Protection of Neglected Children

37. Abolition of Imprisonment for Debt in any form

38. Drastic Reform of the Law of Inheritance, including provision for the recognition of the claims of widows and children and for increased progressive succession duties

39. Patents, Trade Marks, and Copyrights Reform

40. Appointment of a Public Trustee

41. Effective State Supervision of the Food Supply

42. The State Monopoly of Narcotics and Stimulants

43. State Dispensaries and Medical Services

44. Abolition of “Spec.” Selling in Wheat. &c

45. No further alienation of Crown Lands

46. The Approximation of Agricultural and Pastoral Titles to Mining Titles

47. Preservation of Commons and Public Reserves and the Opening of all Closed Roads

48. Nationalisation of Water Frontages

49. Nationalisation of Victorian Shipping

50. Application of Victorian Shipping Laws to all Shipping in Victorian Waters

51. Abolition of Part Charges on Shipping

52. The Democratisation of Municipalities

53. Defence Reform

54. Reform of the System of Government Borrowing

55. Extension of the Principles of Beneficial Co-operation towards the Ultimate Socialisation of the Means of Production and Distribution

1. Education Reform, including -

1. The Maintenance of the Principles of Free, Secular and Compulsory Education

2. The Provision of State Secondary and Technical Schools for Qualified Pupils and a Democratic University

56. State Insurance, including Insurance against Want of Employment and Sickness

57. To Bring the People Nearer to Art and Art Nearer to the People

58. A State Theatre

59. Purification of Sport

60. Non-recognition of Titles of “Nobility”

61. A free Hansard

62. Free Railways

63. A State Pawn-shop and Repression of Usury

64. The Abolition of Class Privilege

65. Opposition to any iniquitous tendencies of “Freedom of Contract”

1. To Raise the Social, Industrial and Intellectual Status of those Units of the Community who have been rendered least effective by the conditions of society.

2. Federation
66. The Consummation of Federation by a Convention elected directly by the People of all States to draw up a Federal Constitution, such Constitution to be eventually submitted to the People by Means of the Referendum

67. Initiative

68. Referendum of the whole of the people of Australia

69. A Watchful Attitude Toward Federation