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Labor backs 'big brother' powers

BY DALE MILLS A law presently before federal parliament, if passed by the Senate, would allow immigration officials to collect "biometric data" on all non-citizens entering Australia. Biometric data includes records of a person's face, iris,

INDONESIA: Poor farmers protest

Hundreds of poor farmers from West Java belonging to the Party of United People's Opposition (Popor) demonstrated outside the electoral commission on September 25. The farmers were protesting the commission's decision to give in to pressure from

Fair share for aged care!

BY ALICE MENNIE CANBERRA — Along with more than 100 aged care nurses from across NSW, I travelled to Parliament House on September 10 to protest about the unequal treatment of aged care nurses. We had one simple demand — to increase our wage

Subiaco mayor welcomes Socialist Alliance

BY FRED FUENTES PERTH — More than 40 people on September 19 attended a Subiaco screening of Michael Moore's Roger and Me. The event was organised by the Socialist Alliance. Alliance members hope to form an alliance branch in the area in the

Bush visit sparks anti-war protest preparations

BY NORM DIXON Activists around Australia are preparing for big anti-war protests to coincide with the visit to Australia by US President George Bush. Bush is expected to arrive any time after October 21. The biggest protest is likely to be in

Sydney Uni staff strike back at Abbott

BY KATHLEEN SCOTT SYDNEY — Sydney University staff have overwhelmingly rejected the federal government's interference in university enterprise bargaining negotiations. A federal government announcement on September 22 led to an 11th-hour decision

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. Includes the Green Left news. CTS Sydney (UHF 31), every Sunday, 9pm. Phone (02) 9564 1277. Visit

Songs of the political underground

Songs of ProtestVariousBlatant Propaganda ProductsSend $10 to PO Box 1327 Woden, ACT 2606 or visit <http://www.BlatantPropaganda.com> REVIEW BY ANDREW HALL The Songs of Protest CD is a great collection of Australian music artists with a

BRITAIN: Hutton inquiry finishes hearings

BY ROHAN PEARCE The inquiry into the apparent suicide of David Kelly, an advisor to the British defence ministry who was involved in compiling British Prime Minister Tony Blair's September 2002 dossier on Iraq's alleged weapons of mass destruction,

Members First nominates candidate

BY PAUL OBOOHOV CANBERRA — Members First, the rank-and-file network in the Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU), has nominated Andrew Hall as a candidate to be the union's national president. An election for the position will be held in

Travelling to work on the 457

BY BELINDA CRANSTON SYDNEY — A modest brick veneer building is tucked behind a prominent RSL club in Second Avenue, Blacktown, in Sydney's outer western suburbs. Inside, a dozen or so members of a Serbian Orthodox Church community stand while

Confront the liars - protest Bush and Howard!

On February 4, Prime Minister John Howard made a statement to federal parliament, in which he set out his government's reasons for supporting a US-led war on Iraq. The principal reason, Howard said, was that "the Australian government knows that Iraq