Blogger, Artist, Social Media, Web Designer, Photographer- I blog about nouns-people, places and things, even when it's negative I try to put a positive spin on it. @tinawinterlikfb https://tinawinterlik.blogspot.com
Australia Votes for Hope: Labor’s Victory and the Global Pushback Against Fascism
By Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita
On May 3, 2025, something powerful happened in Australia—something that should inspire people around the world who believe in democracy, social justice, and climate action.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and the Australian Labor Party won a resounding victory, securing a strong majority government. This election wasn’t just a routine political shift. It was a clear rejection of far-right narratives, fear politics, and divisive leadership. It was a powerful reminder that people—when empowered—can push back against the rising tide of fascism.
A Historic Win
This marks the first time in Australia’s history that a Labor Prime Minister has been re-elected with a larger majority. Albanese’s platform focused on practical yet compassionate policies: easing the cost of living, expanding social services, taking climate change seriously, and restoring dignity to public discourse.
Meanwhile, opposition leader Peter Dutton—a symbol of the hard-right in Australian politics—not only lost the election, but also lost his own seat. That hasn’t happened to a federal opposition leader in over 100 years.
Let that sink in.
The people didn’t just vote out the far-right—they voted it out with clarity and force.
Australia’s Parties for Canadian Eyes
For those of us watching from Canada, it helps to understand the lay of the land:
Labor is Australia’s centre-left party, like a blend between our NDP and Liberals.
The Liberals (despite the name) are conservative and aligned with the business-friendly, right-wing policies of our Conservative Party.
The Greens are like our Greens but more influential—they lost seats this time but still hold significant sway.
The Nationals, partners of the Liberals, are a rural, socially conservative force.
Independents, especially progressive “teals,” continue to shake up old power structures.
Australia’s system is different—voting is compulsory, and preferential voting gives people more power to vote with their conscience. What a concept!
Why This Matters Globally
In a time when many countries are struggling with disinformation, climate denial, growing inequality, and increasing authoritarianism, Australia’s election results are a beacon of hope.
It shows that when people are informed, engaged, and given a system that values their vote—they choose community over cruelty, equity over exclusion, and facts over fear.
The Message to the World: We Are Not Alone
Fascism relies on division. It spreads in silence. But movements—whether in Australia, Canada, the U.S., or beyond—grow in solidarity. When we see victories like this, we know that the fight isn’t over—and we’re not alone in it.
We can take inspiration from this moment to demand better leadership, fairer systems, and policies that protect the vulnerable and our planet. We can reject leaders who govern by scapegoating, and instead uplift those who lead with empathy and evidence.
Keep Watching, Keep Speaking
Let’s celebrate this win—and learn from it.
Let’s build systems that represent the people, not the powerful.
And let’s remember: hope is not passive. It’s active, and it just won a majority government in Australia.
When I joined the live feed it was already in progress. I am just re-watching from the beginning and I started crying...it's hard to write with blurry eyes but I must share.
"We Need You to Save Our Lives!"
"We need you to Vote because our children are dying!"
We can have a better place to live. There are so many people who ARE loving and care and want to change things. We have to be strong and brave and know the truth and VOTE!!! PLEASE VOTE http://anyonebutclark.ca/
Will you help get the word out?
3 ways go all out for May 9th
Forward this email on to others who may want to sign.
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Please vote and encourage your friends and family to join you in voting!
If you can help us get the #VoteABC campaign in front of more voters in the next week, please chip in
http://democracynow.org
- While polls show Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton are among the
least popular major-party candidates to ever run for the White House, it
appears no third-party candidates will be invited to take part in the
first presidential debate next month. The debates are organized by the
Commission on Presidential Debates, which is controlled by the
Democratic and Republican parties. Under the commission’s rules,
candidates will only be invited if they are polling at 15 percent in
five national surveys. Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson
and the Green Party’s Jill Stein have both witnessed recent surges in
support, but neither have crossed the 15 percent threshold. More than
12,000 people have signed a petition organized by RootsAction calling
for a four-way presidential debate. We speak to Green Party presidential
nominee Dr. Jill Stein. Four years ago she was arrested outside a
presidential debate protesting her exclusion from the event.
Democracy
Now! is an independent global news hour that airs weekdays on nearly
1,400 TV and radio stations Monday through Friday. Watch our livestream
8-9AM ET: http://democracynow.org
Please consider supporting independent media by making a donation to Democracy Now! today: http://democracynow.org/donate
Jill Ellen Stein (born May 14, 1950) is an American physician, activist, and politician. She is currently the Green Party's nominee for President of the United States in the 2016 election.[1][2][3] Stein was the presidential nominee of the Green Party in 2012,[4] in which she received 469,501 votes (0.4%).[5] She has also twice been a candidate for Governor of Massachusetts—in 2002 and 2010.[6][7][8]
Photo by Paul Stein -Jill Stein speaking at the Occupy Wall Street S17 demonstration on Bowling Green, Lower Manhattan, New York.
So bizarre, as if holding a sign that says, "no racism, no hate" is a bad thing. Well if you support Trump it obviously is. Did you see the video of Hitler's rise to power. I beg of you all to have a conversation, we are at a serious crossroads here...you must remember what Bernie says, how growing up in a basically a migrant neighbourhood in the US and going to the market and people had serial numbers tattooed on their arms. Have a conversation about hate and racism, educate yourself and your children. Do NOT be apathetic at this time in history because you may NOT have the opportunity in the future.
CHOOSE LOVE NOT FEAR!!!
I do not think some people realize the SERIOUSNESS of this situation. Please for those of you who are older and remember the the World Wars and all the suffering, speak up, DON'T LET IT HAPPEN AGAIN...because it's brewing. People, older people I find are apathetic, they don't really care, they are not in touch or they think they can't do anything...but YOU MUST!
Speak with your children, your family and friends, SPEAK OUT AGAINST HATRED!!
Did you read the story of Anne Frank? It has been many years since I read it but it affected me deeply. Share this story, this could be your child? Do you want this to happen to them? Is this the life you want for your family, your country, the world?
During the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands, Anne Frank received a blank diary as one of her presents on June 12, 1942, her 13th birthday.[8][9] According to The Anne Frank House, the red, checkered autograph book
which Anne used as her diary was actually not a surprise, since she had
chosen it the day before with her father when browsing a bookstore near
her home.[9] She began to write in it on June 14, 1942, two days later.[10][11] On July 5, 1942, Anne's older sister Margot received an official summons to report to a Nazi work camp in Germany, and on July 6, Margot and Anne went into hiding with their father Otto and mother Edith. They were joined by Hermann van Pels, Otto's business partner, including his wife Auguste and their teenage son Peter.[12] Their hiding place was in the sealed-off upper rooms of the annex at the back of Otto's company building in Amsterdam.[12][13] Otto Frank started his business, named Opekta, in 1933. He was licensed to manufacture and sell pectin,
a substance used to make jam. He stopped running his business while
everybody was in hiding. But once he returned, he found his employees
running it. The rooms that everybody hid in were concealed behind a movable bookcase in the same building as Opekta. Mrs. van Pels's dentist, Fritz Pfeffer,
joined them four months later. In the published version, names were
changed: the van Pelses are known as the Van Daans, and Fritz Pfeffer as
Mr Dussel. With the assistance of a group of Otto Frank's trusted
colleagues, they remained hidden for two years and one month.
They were betrayed in August 1944, which resulted in their
deportation to Nazi concentration camps. Of the eight people, only Otto
Frank survived the war. Anne died when she was 15 years old in Bergen-Belsen, from typhus.
The exact date of her death is unknown and has long been believed to be
in early March, a few weeks before the prisoners were liberated by
British troops in April 1945. However, new research in 2015 indicated
that Anne may have died as early as February.[14]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin_Wall Read about the wall. Do you know about the wall. HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT THIS!!
The Berlin Wall (German: Berliner Mauer) was a barrier that divided Berlin from 1961 to 1989.[1] Constructed by the German Democratic Republic (GDR, East Germany), starting on 13 August 1961, the Wall completely cut off (by land) West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin until government officials opened it in November 1989.[2] Its demolition officially began on 13 June 1990 and was completed in 1992.[3] The barrier included guard towers placed along large concrete walls,[4] which circumscribed a wide area (later known as the "death strip") that contained anti-vehicle trenches, "fakir beds" and other defenses. The Eastern Bloc
claimed that the Wall was erected to protect its population from
fascist elements conspiring to prevent the "will of the people" in
building a socialist state in East Germany. In practice, the Wall served to prevent the massive emigration and defection that had marked East Germany and the communist Eastern Bloc during the post-World War II period.
Do you want to go backwards? Do you want your children, neighbours, friends and family to suffer the things these poor souls went through.
Don't be apathetic, speak up for #HUMANRIGHTS, #SOCIALJUSTICE #LOVE
To Canadian and Worldwide #MEDIA, I implore you to do the ETHICAL THING, RAISE AWARENESS about the wall, about Hitler, about CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY but do it in away to encourage people to #LOVE one another so that #LOVE GROWS AND hatred dies NOT vice versa. For the sake of ALL OUR #CHILDREN, NOW IS THE TIME!!!
WE MUST UNITE FOR #LOVE!
Listen to what David Bowie says here...he was referencing "the wall" and YOU CAN BE HEROES, even if it's just for ONE DAY!! That one day is the VOTE!!! I beg you America, you are being tested now...don't fail...
"I, I can remember (I remember) Standing, by the wall (by the wall) And the guns, shot above our heads (over our heads) And we kissed, as though nothing could fall (nothing could fall) And the shame, was on the other side Oh, we can beat them, forever and ever Then we could be heroes, just for one day" "Then we could be heroes, just for one day"
Full Speech: Bernie Sanders “Where We Go From Here” Speech in New York on Thursday June 23, 2016 - Full Speech: Bernie Sanders Speech at The Town Hall in New York City (6-23-16) Bernie Sanders NYC FULL Speech "Where We Go From Here" - Rally, Live Event
Bernie Sanders holds New York City rally - Event Central
Bernie Sanders Where We Go From Here Speech New York (6-23-16)
Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders addresses supporters at a ‘Where We Go From Here’ rally in New York City, New York.
“In the United States of America, democracy is the foundation of our way of life. And what happened in Arizona is a disgrace. I hope that every state in this country learns from that and learns how to put together a proper election where people can come in and vote in a timely manner and go back to work. Whatever the cost of that problem is people in the United States of America shouldn’t have to wait five hours in order to vote. We do not know how many thousands of people who wanted to vote in Arizona did not vote.”
http://trofire.com/2016/03/23/bernie-sanders-on-voter-suppression-what-happened-in-arizona-is-a-disgrace/
Aracely Calderon, a naturalized citizen from Guatemala, arrived just before the polls closed at 7 pm
in downtown Phoenix to vote in Arizona’s primary last night. “When
Calderon arrived, the line spanned more than 700 people and almost 4
blocks,” the Arizona Republic reported. She waited in line for five hours, becoming the last voter in the state to cast a ballot at 12:12 am. “I’m here to exercise my right to vote,” she said shortly before midnight, explaining why she stayed in line.
But many other Arizonans left the polls
in disgust. The lines were so long because election officials in
Phoenix’s Maricopa County, the largest in the state, reduced the number
of polling places by 70 percent from 2012 to 2016, from 200 to just
60—one polling place per every 21,000 voters.
The significance of this election feels tangible and weighty and personal suddenly. The line to vote at the Utah House District 24 Democratic Caucus tonight with Anson Fogel.
Posted by Alexandra Fuller on Tuesday, March 22, 2016
