Join us & take the fight to Labor Party HQ

What: Stop the Cell-Out Rally outside Labor Party HQ
Where: 377 Sussex Street, Sydney
When: 10am, Friday 1st May,

Join us this May Day to tell the Labor Party that we will not accept the manipulation of policy to suit their privatisation agenda.

Labor Party policy clearly states: “Labor opposes the private contract management of prisons.”

Corrective Services Minister John Robertson is trying to get ALP HQ to say that selling off Cessnock and Parklea prisons to international companies to run does not breach Labor policy.

When the powerful ALP Administrative Committee meets this Friday morning, Minister Robertson wants them to agree with his topsy turvy argument.

If this happens the Party would be manipulating policy to say that black is white and up is down.

Prisons should not be run for profit. Private prisons will hurt local communities - jobs will be lost and safety will be compromised. 

The Administrative Committee is meeting on May Day – the International Day of the Worker -  to vote on the ‘re-interpretation’ of policy.

Come along and hold Labor to its policy of opposing private prisons!

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Stop The Cell-Off Sydney Rally

Thursday April 2nd

Watch the rally video here

The crowd of 5,000 outside State Parliament on Thursday, April 2nd, clearly demonstrated that this campaign will not stop.

The more than 2,000 people that sent a virtual protestor to Minister Robertson less than 24 hours after the site went live,demonstrated how quickly we can mobilise.

At the rally, prison officers vowed to keep up the fight – in their workplace, in their communities – to highlight their concerns at what this decision will do to the NSW justice system.

Unions and supporters from across the state - and even across the ditch! – joined us to send the Government a message that they have a fight on their hands to privatise prisons.

Some fantastic speakers addressed the crowd, including prison officers from Goulburn, Cessnock, Parklea and Long Bay, as well as Brett Holmes, from the NSW Nurses Association and Bob Pritchard, the President of the NSW Police Association.

A dozen Labor MPs rebelled against the government’s decision, including Cessnock MP Kerry Hickey, Blacktown MP Paul Gibson and Bathurst MP Gerard Martin.

We will be keeping the pressure on the Government every chance we get until they reconsider the decision to allow big business to run prisons for profits.

Thanks for your support and let’s keep up the fight.
 
Photos from Thursday's rally


Part of the massive Macquarie Street crowd.


Popular chants included 'Shame, Labor, Shame' and 'Sack Rod Woodham'


"Any resemblance to actual persons or companies is purely coincidental."


Kim Loveday, Delegate, Long Bay Correctional Officer.


Members and supporters gather at Hyde Park.


John Cahill, General Secretary, PSA.