Students say ‘Resign Pyne’
About 100 people protested outside the Melbourne launch of federal education minister Christopher Pyne’s new book, A Letter to My Children, on July 31.
The day before, Pyne had been chased off La Trobe University by students chanting, "Pyne the Minister. Can he fix it? No he can’t.”
The protest was called to draw attention to Pyne's ongoing attempts to deregulate university fees. This would condemn future students to pay much higher fees to gain a tertiary education.
Pyne has failed so far in his attempts to pass the deregulation legislation, but he is committed to implementing fee deregulation during this term of the Abbott government.
Asylum seeker dies at Yongah Hill detention centre
A 28-year-old Afghan asylum seeker died on July 31 at a WA detention centre from a suspected heart attack amid claims he had been denied medical treatment.
Detainees said the man, believed to be Mohammad Nasim Najafi, had been sick for the past two weeks. “They did not let him see a doctor ... only gave him Panadol," said a detainee. “He said he couldn't breathe ... they let him die.”
Najafi arrived at Christmas Island four years ago by boat after his family was killed by the Taliban.
Ian Rintoul, from the Refugee Action Coalition, said the death has highlighted the neglect and lack of medical care in the detention centre.
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