Green Left Weekly - Resistance!

Who is Gillard’s education revolution for?

jay_f — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 06:41:31 +0000

Sat, 15/06/2013

Like most sectors of society, the education system in Australia is under attack. For decades, education has been underfunded, so when Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced that she intended to fund the Gonski reforms, many people were temporarily relieved.

Then she said that, to pay for primary and high school education reforms, the government would cut funding to universities. Private schools won’t lose funding and, in some cases, will get more. Yet the ailing TAFE system would get nothing.

So much for an education revolution.

Libyan students denounce Gaddafi

mel_b — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 14:12:46 +0000

Sun, 13/03/2011

By Annie Ross

One hundred people rallied in Wollongong on March 5 in solidarity with the peoples’ uprising against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi.

The rally heard from Libyan students who spoke of the brutality of Gaddafi's regime and the need for democracy. They urged the Australian government to pressure Gaddafi to step down.

True queer liberation needs equal marriage

mel_b — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 12:43:11 +0000

Sun, 20/03/2011

By Zoe Lavergne & Annie Ross

Resistance supports the fight for equal marriage rights for Lesbian, Gay Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex and Queer (LGBTIQ) people.

Resistance believes that the capitalist system has a vested interest in preventing people from uniting, and in continuing to repress queers. This oppression takes many forms, and includes laws that discriminate against LGBTIQ people.

It is incredible that queer people in Australia still do not have the right to get married. This injustice has broad consequences for the whole LGBTIQ community.

Celebrating kick-arse women in music

mel_b — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 12:23:28 +0000

Fri, 26/02/2010

By Annie Ross

Resistance and Socialist Alliance members in Newcastle, New South Wales, have initiated a poll on the social networking website Facebook to decide the best 100 songs by women musicians of all time. The poll is timed to coincide with International Women's Day (IWD) on March 8.

In 2009, Australian radio station Triple J ran a poll to find the "Hottest 100" songs of all time. Only two of the songs in the final list were sung by female vocalists, and only three bands had women in them.

Why I joined Resistance

mel_b — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 12:21:35 +0000

Sun, 21/02/2010

"I think the media plays a big role in desensitising the masses to injustice and the inequality in the world. It says "that's the way it is", and makes us think, "I'm only one person, what can I do?"

I get angry mostly about what I call "the war on terror incorporated" and the total waste of war. I listen to bands like Anti-Flag. Films by people like Michael Moore informed me a bit.

Young activist to take on parliament

mel_b — Sat, 01 Jun 2013 08:39:01 +0000

Sat, 01/06/2013

By Liam Conlon

Liah Lazarou, 28, is standing as a youth candidate for the Socialist Alliance in the South Australian seat of Adelaide, currently held by Labor MP Kate Ellis.

She was interviewed by Resistance member Liam Conlon about why she is standing in the election and what she is trying to achieve.

How did you get involved in political activism?

I grew up in a very working class background and was raised by a single father. He took me to my first rally, which was against Pauline Hanson in 1996. I was eleven years old.

Why socialists fight for free education

jay_f — Sat, 25 May 2013 10:21:16 +0000

Sat, 25/05/2013

By Angus McAllen

Socialist activists are involved in political struggles across many different issues. From equal marriage rights to defending education, refugee rights to the environment, socialists help organise and lead these campaigns, and seek to win important political reforms around them.

It might seem contradictory for socialists to fight for reforms. Since socialists oppose capitalism and the capitalist state, why is it that they campaign for measures that encourage the expansion of the capitalist state?

Marriage equality bill part of the fight for justice

mel_b — Sat, 18 May 2013 09:59:44 +0000

Sat, 18/05/2013

By Ben Peterson

The fight against homophobia is arguably the civil rights issue of our times. It is increasingly unacceptable that, in 2013, society continues to discriminate against people based on their sexuality.

This is most obviously demonstrated by the continued refusal to grant equal marriage rights to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LBGTI) people.

Going on strike can build strong student movement

jay_f — Sat, 04 May 2013 11:03:39 +0000

Sat, 04/05/2013

By Ben Peterson

Austerity almost seems like the defining feature of politics today. Across Europe and the US, crippling cuts to education, health care and welfare budgets are driving millions further into poverty.

Even in Australia, where our economy has been spared the worst of the financial crisis, both big parties are raising taxes on ordinary people and applying cuts to welfare and education.

Last year, cuts to courses and staff at several universities, including Sydney University and La Trobe University, led to strong campaigns by staff and students to defend their education and jobs.

Education cuts will hurt poor

mel_b — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 11:56:29 +0000

Sat, 20/04/2013

By Ben Peterson

The federal Labor government has announced it intends to dramatically increase funding to primary and high school education as part of the Gonski reforms. But before you think that maybe, just maybe, the government might be making some policy that could be defended by progressives, there's a devil in the detail.