By Kerry Vernon

NEWCASTLE -- An angry, 500-strong rally greeted PM John Howard when he arrived at a civic reception in Maitland Town Hall on April 17. Howard's speech at the opening of the East Maitland electorate office of Liberal member for Paterson, Bob Baldwin, was almost drowned out by chanting maritime union members earlier that day.

Rally participants included pensioners, sacked maritime workers and their supporters, anti-Jabiluka uranium mine activists, students and members of other unions. They protested in support of the maritime union and against job cuts and the funding cuts to health care, nursing homes and public education. Only 150 people attended the reception.

On the evening of April 19, federal industrial relations minister Peter Reith received a similarly angry reception from more than 300 MUA supporters outside a meeting he attended in Beenleigh, just south of Brisbane.

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