More action needed, say Canberra protesters

August 28, 1996
Issue 

Beyond their blood-curdling accounts of the angry scenes at the doors of Parliament House, the establishment media studiously avoided reporting the depth of feeling of participants at the anti-Howard rally on August 19. From a safe distance inside the "coward's castle" and on the police side of the barricades, the parliamentary press gallery preferred to regurgitate the media releases of the Australian Federal Police and the Coalition government rather than talk to some of 25,000 trade unionists, students, community group and Aboriginal activists who converged outside.

Green Left Weekly's correspondents fanned out through the crowd to find out why the protesters had come to Canberra and how they thought the government's attacks could be defeated.

Lindsay, Aboriginal activist from Victoria: "As Aborigines, we've got to get together, but we also need the unions and others. We need everybody united to stop the government. The most disadvantaged people in Australia are getting the biggest cuts. This is a racist government. Australia has the most sophisticated apartheid system in the world. Protests like this are the only way to go. We need more protests, we need stronger protests. Just coming to the doors, pushing them in, then getting pushed back is pretty soft."

Katrina, member of the Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) in Canberra: "I'm here to fight the cuts and to unite with others to let Howard know that his economic rationalist program is not going to get through. The Australian people are not going to take it. We have to keep protesting like this until Howard is defeated."

Shinja, from Canberra: "I think it is important to have your say. Otherwise the government can do anything. It is good to see different people here defending their interests together. It's great to see the unity."

Graham, Students Representative Council member at Southern Cross University, Lismore: "Today is an unprecedented opportunity for activists to come together. I think the idea of joining with trade unions and marching on parliament is a great thing. We have brought a group of people down and we will go back very inspired by such a huge rally and a sense that we are hooked into a national movement."

Harry, Friends of the ABC, Canberra: "I'm really worried about the cuts the government is imposing on the most important cultural institution in this country. The ABC is more than just television, it's also orchestras, educational programs and drama shows. Especially here in Canberra, our ABC radio station is probably going to go, and we'll be left with nothing to reflect upon or report our local community. We need more demonstrations like this one to show the Libs that what they are doing isn't popular."

Dick, CFMEU member working at the Newstan coal mine in the Hunter Valley: "We're here to try to protect our rights. In our award we have a preference clause. Howard's industrial relations bill will put an end to that. Some people in the Hunter Valley have pulled out of the union. We don't like it, but the law of the land will leave us buggered if we don't fight. The best way to fight Howard is exactly what we're doing here now! Not just one-off actions, there should be more follow-up rallies because we'll go away from here now and all feel good but in a week's time, that little jerk in there'll say, 'Oh well, they've gone away. They won't come back again.'"

Rob, NSW Teachers Federation member from Wollongong: "I think it's disgusting what the Liberals want to do to our education system. They're going to set this country back 100 years. I worry for the students, what with all the fees they have to pay and the debts that they'll be left with. I also blame Labor for all this. In NSW, Bob Carr is doing exactly the same thing to the state education system. All Labor has done is roll out the red carpet for the Liberals to take office and finish the job."

Pamela, student at Sydney College of the Arts: "We're here to protest education and public sector cuts. It's great to see the unions out. The trade union movement really needs to build itself up and be active. We need concerted actions and strikes against the government to make sure these issues are heard. I think the ALP, Greens and Democrats need to take on board the significance of the rally today. It is part of a broader swelling of anger and resentment. They should block the budget."

Kate, NSW Nurses Association member: "Nobody is sacrosanct from Howard's attacks. Everybody is affected. We have just fought a big fight in NSW and won. We believe in solidarity with the unions, and that's why we are here today. We must fight together; we can't turn our backs for a moment."

Arianwen, high school student at Dickson Secondary College, Canberra: "I'm here to defend my right to an education and my right to work and get paid a wage for it. I think people have to stop the Liberals, and we can do that by doing what we are doing now. We need to show them that we are angry and we are not going to take this lying down!"

Ana, process worker at Ford in Melbourne and member of the metalworkers' union: "I'm here to support my union and because I'm really unhappy with the changes to the industrial relations legislation, especially the taking away of the unfair dismissals laws. People have got to understand that Howard's out to take from us everything, and they've got to do something about it."

Jean, CPSU member, Sydney: "I'm here to tell that lying mongrel Johnny Howard that he better leave the ATSIC alone or else we're going to have more demos like this one. Labor, the Democrats and the Greens should stand firm against the Liberals in the Senate and not put up with any of the cuts. They should hold out until the next election so we can vote the Liberals out."

Ted, member of the Australian Services Union from Sydney: "As a parent, I feel very much for the next generation that will have very few rights and very little protection if the attacks in the IR bill are not fought. They won't have anyone to turn to if the unions are dismantled, and they will have to face up alone to the bosses and their individual contracts. Mostly they'll be working part time and have several jobs, maybe travelling long distances to make a between them reasonable living. It is imperative that we defeat the industrial relations bill now.

"Really, it's about time we had a new party to organise workers and get out and explain what's going on, to be at the workplace organising workers to defend their rights and explain what their rights should be. We need a party that is genuinely based in the working class."

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