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The truth about privatisation

By Karl Miller MELBOURNE — The Victorian Liberal government is on a privatisation binge. Its privatisation plans and accomplishments include: electricity generation, electricity transmission/distribution, water distribution, gas

French Greens oppose nuclear testing

Shortly after the newly elected conservative president Jacques Chirac announced that nuclear weapons testing in the Pacific would be resumed on June 13, the French Green Party issued a statement, reprinted below, condemning the decision. The

The politics of 'corruption'

The politics of 'corruption' By Tim Anderson Images of brothel owners and small time drug-dealers paying off corrupt police have created excitement at the NSW police royal commission. Some commentators have rather breathlessly suggested

Inspired collaboration

Canto General: Song of the people Brisbane City Hall Auditorium, May 31 Directed by Mark Dunbar Presented by BEMAC and Brisbane Biennial International Music Festival Reviewed by Lynda Hansen Canto General was presented to 1500 people

'Not a dream, but a necessity'

By Trish Corcoran Young people around Australia are discussing the state of world politics in preparation for the 24th national conference of Resistance. The conference will be held in Melbourne, July 8-10. The discussion is wide-ranging:

Yeltsin plans election victory — without the voters

By Boris Kagarlitsky MOSCOW — Less than six months before the date set for fresh elections to parliament, electoral blocs are being formed, and the press is forecasting the likely distribution of seats in the lower house, the State Duma.

Socialist slams 'poverty state'

Socialist slams 'poverty state' By Bill Mason BRISBANE — "Why is Queensland, the state which Premier Wayne Goss and Treasurer Keith De Lacy always boast is the best managed economy in the nation, the leader in poverty?", asked Democratic

NSW forests policy a partial victory

By Lisa Macdonald SYDNEY — The new Labor government announced its forests industry reform plan for NSW on June 13. A central plank of the ALP's state election campaign in March, the plan has been cautiously welcomed by the peak environment

Whose bank now?

By Eva Cheng In 1993, finance minister (now treasurer) Ralph Willis publicly assured us that the federal government has "no intention whatever" of reducing its ownership of the Commonwealth Bank to less than 50.1%. The statement was made

Bank robbery: the great fees rip-off

By Chow Wei-Cheng We are witnessing most brazen bank robbery of them all. The top four banks this year alone will reap a massive $5.2 billion in profits from customers and workers. Yet they are crying poor and introducing schemes to increase the

The children demand peace

I Dream of Peace Published by UNICEF and Harper Collins $25 Reviewed by Norman Taylor "Don't ever hurt the children. They're not guilty of anything." This is the plea of a schoolgirl who is one of a great many still suffering from the

Poem: A Black Man

Poem: A Black Man By Shane Riley Aboriginal i am a Black man i'm different cause my skin isn't white i'm a Black man a proud one they tried to take it away from me with no hope of success i'm a Black man with nothing to