David Matters
David Matters was Communist Party of Australia Vice President in 2013.[1]
2023 Queensland Party School
The Brisbane and Sunshine Coast branches of the Communist Party of Australia jointly hosted this year’s Queensland Party School, held the Waterloo Bay Hotel. Presenters were David Matters of the Qld State Committee, Alex Denton, Secretary of the Brisbane Branch, and Graham Holton, Secretary of the Sunshine Coast Branch.
David had recently returned from China where he was given an award for his contribution to the study of political economy. He is noted for his contribution to the union movement, editor of the AMR (Australian Marxist Review) journal, and as a member of the Central Committee.[2]
Visiting Canada
Party National School in Brisbane
According to Casey Davidson circa September 2019, comrades from Brisbane, Melbourne, and Sydney came together for the first Queensland-based full-weekend National School to study Lenin’s work, The Three Sources and Components of Marxism. Attendees enjoyed networking and learning in the Yuraba Conference Centre, surrounded by the leafy riverside parkland, Kumbartcho Sanctuary. All students were given a copy of the book, which was complemented by a PowerPoint with images and important points to help everyone better understand the content. These slides are available for other branches to use.
Lead by David Matters, Assistant General Secretary, Saturday morning commenced with the first component, the philosophy of Marxism. This meant having an in-depth look at materialism. Students explored how a materialist outlook provided an approach to how the world can be known and understood. It was also interesting to explore how the ruling class undermine materialism in place of idealism.[3]
Arab Left Alliance and CPA
Shamikh Badra February 17, 2018.
During a meeting between the Arab Left Alliance in Australia and members of the Central Committee of the Australian Communist Party, the Arab Left Alliance, which is a coalition of Arab communist parties in Australia represented by the Iraqi Communist Party, the Lebanese Communist Party, the Sudanese Communist Party, the Jordanian Communist Party, and the Palestinian People's Party, this is a message of solidarity with Palestine.
— with Maher Charif, Abdul Majeed Hamdan, Abu Sand Muhajna, Talat Al Safadi, Walid Al-Awad, Bassam Salhi, David Matters, Elias Alevizos, Elizabeth Hulm, Paul McAleer, Vinnie Molina, Bob Briton, Alexander Edward Denton
Solidarity with the Bolivarian revolution
Vinnie Molina October 21, 2017 ·
Solidarity with the Bolivarian revolution in Sydney NSW. With Daniel Gasparri charge d'affaires Bolivarian republic of Venezuela. Communist Party of Australia, CPA. — with David Matters, Warren Smith, Daniel Gasparri, Wayne Sonter, Elizabeth Hulm, Bob Briton and Anna Pha.
Communist Party school
The Communist Party of Australia held its first National School for 2016 on the weekend of May 21-22. The schools, held twice yearly at the Party’s headquarters in Surry Hills in Sydney, have been well supported by members and friends of the CPA.
The chance to participate and meet comrades from all over the country is appreciated and, in many ways, just as valuable as the opportunity to deepen our knowledge of Marxism-Leninism and its application to the Australian political environment. While comrades with more experience are encouraged to attend and contribute, content so far has been directed towards newer members of the Party.
Party General Secretary Bob Briton gave a broad introduction to the question of class and class struggle. There was discussion of some changes forced onto workers by employers in an effort to break up solidarity of the people they exploit. Christopher Crouch from WA shared some very original insights into the influence of ideology on the way we view reality and the efforts of the capitalist ruling class to impose their world view on workers.
John Heywood from SA addressed the ideological struggle in social media and gave practical advice on developing content, such as memes, for Facebook and Twitter. Bob Briton then presented material on the multi-lateral Trans Pacific Partnership, which seeks to prevent governments from legislating in defence of their own people or in favour of the sovereignty of their own countries. The long process of the building of corporate dictatorship was explored with a group exercise.
Party Vice-President David Matters gave a presentation on the Party’s Constitution, pointing out the way it defends democratic-centralism from destructive activities such as factionalism. He introduced what turned out to be a very lively role play concerning an industrial dispute in the construction industry. Sydney Central Branch member John Berwick gave a historical outline of two industrial disputes in which the CPA played a major role – the Queensland railway strike of 1948 and the coal strike of 1949.
In the afternoon, there was group discussion of a docudrama about the coal strike that caricatured the role of the CPA and misrepresented major events. The power of the capitalist media to shape public opinion was explored. Christopher Crouch wound up proceedings with a session seeking feedback and bringing the various threads of the weekend together.[4]