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'An MP should be a public servant'

Reprinted here is an abridged version of Pam Corkery's February 20 maiden speech to the New Zealand parliament. Corkery left her 19-year career in broadcasting to stand for the Alliance in the October general election. Her media career — in both

Loose cannons

Why would you need more than one? "There is a limit to how many blank cheques you can ask for." — James Sensenbrenner, chair of the US House of Representatives' science committee, worried about cost overruns on the US$30 billion international

New US nukes targeted at Third World

New US nukes targeted at Third World By David Muller The US government is stepping up the technological and nuclear arms race against the Third World. In early April, six radar-evading B-2 "Stealth" bombers were officially commissioned into

A grand sweep of history and class conflict

A grand sweep of history and class conflict World's Endby T. Coraghessan BoyleBloomsbury, 1996. 456 pp., $16.95 (pb) Review by Phil Shannon If the obsessively introspective focus of most novels these days either puts you to sleep or has you

Visible to all except the Australian government

Children of the Resistance: The current situation in East Timor as seen through the eyes of two Australian touristsBy Rebecca Winters and Brian KellyAustralians for a Free East Timor, 1996. 36 pp., $6 Review by Jon Lamb Children of the

NTEU supports national day of action

NTEU supports national day of action By Jo Brown SYDNEY — Meetings of the NTEU branches at Sydney and New South Wales Universities last week decided to support the National Day of Action on May 8 to defend public education. A meeting of

Victorian CPSU leader opposes strike action

Victorian CPSU leader opposes strike action By Chris Slee MELBOURNE — Sue Mountford, secretary of the Victorian branch of the Community and Public Sector Union, argued against setting a date for strike action in support of the union's

Taking control of our lives

Events like the mass suicides of cult members in California recently are symptoms of an acute social sickness of extreme conditions of human alienation. There are other, more "ordinary", examples of this alienation in our daily lives. These

On the box

Actively Radical TV — Sydney community television's progressive current affairs producers tackle the hard issues from the activist's point of view. CTS Sydney (UHF 31), every Thursday, 10pm, and Saturday, 7pm. Access News — Melbourne

Gay and lesbian rights: is there anything to fight for?

By Marina Cameron The Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras in Sydney prompted an article in the Sydney Morning Herald on March 3 to pose the question, "What's the point of being gay?". Increased acceptance in some workplaces, more mass advertising aimed

Write on: letters to the editor

Sexist language? I am writing in response to Lisa Macdonald's comments on gender-specific terminology in "What's in a name?" (GLW #268). She was correct in pointing out that "language reflects rather than shapes reality". I also agree that it

Jail terms called for in PRD trials

By James Balowski The subversion trials of 14 Peoples Democratic Party (PRD) activists are now dragging into their fourth month and the Indonesian government is moving quickly to bring them to a "conclusion". On March 26, the Jakarta daily