Australia

Budget modesty means many youth will stay in poverty

The Australian Youth Affairs Coalition released the statement below on May 9. * * * The peak body for youth affairs in Australia has welcomed last night’s budget measures that support a fair go for young Australians, but continues to call on the Gillard government to ensure that financial assistance is raised to levels that ensure young Australians are not living below the poverty line.
Rally against coal seam gas mining, Sydney May 1.

Marrickville Council votes to ban coal seam gas from St Peters

Stop CSG Sydney released the statement below on May 9.

Stop coal seam gas rally, Sydney, May 1.

Marrickville resident urges council to block CSG

Stop CSG Sydney campaigner Pip Hinman addressed Marrickville Council on May 8 to urge the council to rule out coal seam gas mining in the area.

Stop coal seam gas rally, NSW parliament, March 15.

St Peters CSG mines would affect entire area, says activist

Louise Steer, public officer for Stop CSG Sydney, made the remarks below at Marrickville Council’s May 8 meeting.

‘Fair go’ budget less fair for some

The National Welfare Rights Network released the statement below on May 9. * * * “The nation’s budget is now in the black but unfortunately more single parent families are in the red,” said Maree O’Halloran, President of the National Welfare Rights Network today in a preliminary response to the May 8 federal budget. “There are some small but significant gains in the budget for people made redundant and for those currently looking for work, studying or/and caring for children.

Budget missed opportunity to slash bloated defence spending

The Australian Anti-Bases Campaign Coalition released the statement below on May 8. * * * “Cuts in military spending of up to $5 billion in the budget are a step in the right direction, but the Gillard government has missed an opportunity to enhance Australia’s security and release funds needed for social, infrastructure and environmental projects,” Denis Doherty, national co-ordinator of the Australian Anti-Bases Campaign Coalition, said in Sydney today.

Adelaide May Day marked by Left Unity

May Day was celebrated in Adelaide on Saturday May 5 with a march through the city streets. A sizable Left Unity block marched down together from the Adelaide Activist Centre. They marched under a Left Unity banner, but also carried individual banners representing the participating groups. The Left Unity contingent included Socialist Alliance, Resistance, the Communist Party of Australia (CPA), the Industrial Workers of the World (Wobblies) Adelaide branch, along with other independent members of the left.

We need secure jobs we can count on

It used to be that when you got a job, it was a job you could count on. Over the past 30 years, that's been changing. More and more workers feel insecure in their job. The National Union of Workers' campaign aims to reverse this trend.

PHOTOS: 'No cuts': Sydney uni staff & students defiant

Activists in the biggest staff-student campaign to defend education seen in Australia for decades have won a partial victory against an attempt by the University of Sydney administration to cut hundreds of teaching and non-teaching jobs. The immediate job cuts have been reduced to 23 under pressure from the campaign. But staff and students are keeping up the fight. The photos below are of a rally and march of 500 people held on May 7, during which the administration called in the police and riot squad.

Melbourne suburb furious at bus cuts

The Bring Back the Buses Action Group released the statement below on May 7. * * * A quiet street in Melbourne northern suburb Mill Park is to be the scene of an angry protest against the Baillieu government’s recent cuts to bus services. Rail link bus route 571 and Northlands-Greensborough bus route 563 were axed in a large scale northern suburbs bus restructure, which coincided with the opening of South Morang Station last month. A further six buses were re-routed, many of which now terminate at the new South Morang rail-bus interchange.
Western Saharan human rights activist Malak Amidane

Western Saharan activist: ‘We will be free, but we need help’

Western Saharan human rights campaigner Malak Amidane is touring Australia in May to raise awareness of the brutal occupation of her homeland.

Victoria TAFE fights for survival

As part of savage budget cuts, the Victorian Coalition government has slashed $300 million over four years of funding for the provider of public technical and further education, the state’s 18 TAFE institutes that teach about 400,000 students a year. Funding per student in 80% of courses has been cut from about $8 per training hour to as low as $1.50 - to a range meant to reflect labour market priorities. Trades apprenticeships, aged care and child care received some small increases.