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A very different parliamentarian

BY LISA MACDONALD A whirlwind speaking tour by Scottish Socialist Party (SSP) member of parliament Colin Fox left a trail of inspiration and optimism along the east coast of Australia last week. Fox, one of six SSP activists elected to the

MEXICO/UNITED STATES: NAFTA at 10

BY DAVID BACON SAN FRANCISCO — There is a free-trade agreement that gives an idea of what Latin America can expect from the US President George Bush's Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA). In a few weeks, the North American Free Trade Agreement

Newcastle protesters march on parliament

BY GEOFF PAYNE NEWCASTLE — On November 19, 50 opponents of the state Labor government's plan to cut rail services between Broadmeadow and Newcastle boarded the 8am train to Sydney to rally outside Parliament House. Chanting slogans made up on

You've got a friend!

BY ALISON DELLIT This is the second week of our campaign to get more Friends of Green Left Weekly — people who will give a regular donation to the paper, to help us ensure that we can keep covering the news and providing analysis you won't find

Stevedoring at White Bay to end

BY SHANE BENTLEY SYDNEY — P&O Ports will cease stevedoring operations at White Bay on November 28. The company will then move its operations to Darling Harbour and share the facility with Patrick Stevedores. Lease costs paid to the NSW government

Skilled Engineering refuse work to Patrick staff

BY SHANE BENTLEY SYDNEY — On November 17, the notorious anti-union labour-hire company Skilled Engineering refused to hire Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) maintenance staff employed at Patrick Stevedores terminals at Port Botany, Sydney and

Green Left Weekly's web readers

BY JOHN PERCY Since Green Left Weekly first started being posted on the world-wide web in September 1995, we knew it was an opportunity to reach a whole new layer of readers. When, after a while, we were able to put all the back issues on the web

Medicare Plus? Medicare fraud!

BY DAVID SCRIMGEOUR The federal Liberal Party has realised that being too blatant about dismantling Medicare is electorally dangerous. After widespread negative reactions to its fraudulently named "Fairer Medicare" package, on November 18 the

Loose cannons

Aussie battler "I believe I am entitled to be paid for my labour irrespective of how much of the company I own." — Frank Lowy, who last year was paid $13.39 million as executive chairman of Westfield Holdings and who also heads the company's

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

EUROPEAN SOCIAL FORUM: 'Constructing another Europe, another world'

BY SUSAN AUSTIN PARIS — The second European Social Forum, held in Paris from November 12-15, attracted around 50,000 people, mainly from the countries of the Europe Union. The ESF is modeled on the World Social Forum (WSF), held for the last

Broad-scale land clearing continues in Qld

BY ROBYN MARSHALL BRISBANE — On November 13, Louise Matthiesson of the Wilderness Society addressed a public meeting in New Farm to highlight the lack of action by Premier Peter Beattie's Labor government on stopping land clearing. In May, the