Dear Green Left Weekly reader,
What a relief to finally see the back of John Howard and his despised Coalition government!
While Work Choices was the straw that broke the camel's back, we at GLW have been working toward this result for some time. From building the inspiring mass rally at APEC to "welcome" George Bush, to supporting the anti-capitalist alternative Socialist Alliance, we've worked hard to see Howard's end. But now he's gone we can't let up. We still need to bury Howard's right-wing political agenda!
Labor has promised to remove some of Howard's anti-worker laws, to sign the Kyoto protocol and apologise to the Stolen Generations, but on many fronts Rudd is committed to the same policies as Howard. We still need to fight to abolish all anti-worker legislation, to bring the troops home from Iraq and Afghanistan, to close the refugee prisons, to stop black deaths in custody, to take urgent action to avoid catastrophic climate change and so on.
Our ability to keep this up depends on you, so we're asking you to help GLW by making a donation to the Bury Howard's Agenda Appeal for our Fighting Fund.
As you may have read in past Fighting Fund columns, the paper's supporters have been working hard all year to raise $250,000 to keep GLW coming out. We are currently about 80% of the way there, but with just a month to go, we are asking supporters to dig deep for us now, if you can, to help us make our target.
As a reader of GLW, I'm sure you know that the paper's reporting and analysis is a vital contribution to the progressive movement in Australia and internationally. Our survival as an independent media source depends on the generosity of our supporters so any donation, large or small, would be appreciated.
If you are not already, you could also become a member of Friends of Green Left, established to enable supporters to make regular donations to GLW. Membership entails a regular donation of $10 or more each month, or an annual donation of $120 or more. Members receive a 10% discount at all Resistance Bookshops and GLW events, and have the knowledge they are playing a crucial role in helping to keep GLW rolling off the press.
To join, just give us a call on 1800 634 206 (toll-free within Australia), make a deposit into our account — Greenleft, Commonwealth Bank, BSB 062-006, Account No. 901992 (by net-banking or any CBA branch; use international routing code CTBAAU2S if you're overseas), or donate online using a credit card at http://www.greenleft.org.au/donate.php. Every bit helps, but if you are unable to make a donation at the moment, perhaps you could pass this info on to a friend.
We've been very grateful for the excellent response to our public fundraising appeal in GLW this year and are hoping that we can convince many more people to become involved in supporting our project.
Howard's out and now it's time to bury his agenda and reverse the damage done by his government!
Peter Boyle
Green Left Weekly