[Edition 25] NEWTOWN, Sunday: Tonight’s meeting of the Marxism-Leninism Now Collective demonstrated the continuing relevance and ultimate success of communist principles, according to the Collective’s Secretary, George Addison, 44. Comrade Addison, as he insists on being called, believes that the Collective’s meetings provide what he calls “a blueprint for tomorrow”.

[Edition 25] NEWTOWN, Sunday: Tonight’s meeting of the Marxism-Leninism Now Collective demonstrated the continuing relevance and ultimate success of communist principles, according to the Collective’s Secretary, George Addison, 44. Comrade Addison, as he insists on being called, believes that the Collective’s meetings provide what he calls “a blueprint for tomorrow”.

Addison believes that the Collective’s activities provide a useful model for political participation. “In this day and age, the average citizen plays no part in politics. Our Collective is quite different. Last night we discussed the GST, and there were some rousing speeches. Quite a powerful message was sent to Canberra when we voted to condemn it.” The Collective also plays a valuable role in politicising the wider community of Newtown, and after last night’s meeting the members went out to the streets to spraypaint “NO GST” on a nearby wall. “That will show John Howard,” said a proud Addison.

The Secretary dismissed as “ridiculous” the notion that communism was dead. “We are proof positive that this is not true,” he said. “We pool our resources, and each takes according to his need,” Addison explained. “For example, I bring the tea and instant coffee, as I am a waged worker, and one of my fellow members only contributes hot water because he is on the dole and it’s his house that we use for meetings. While yet another provides a ready supply of milk arrowroot biscuits. That’s a system that works.”

Though on a small scale, Addison maintains that the Collective’s meetings provide a workable model for the allocation of resources within society generally. “I know it sounds like a Utopia,” he says, “but if we can have a Utopia amongst the three of us, why can’t everybody have one?”