In her 1993 book, The End of Equality?, Anne Summers admits to being puzzled by the Howard government’s concern about Australia’s low birth rate and its call for women to reproduce more while, at the same time, it refuses to provide inexpensive and quality childcare to help this happen.
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Despite having won formal equality, the lack of an organised women’s movement means that the Howard government has been able to take back a lot of the reforms won as a result of the struggles of the 1970s and 1980s. No reform is permanent under capitalism, and without a strong movement that mobilises to defend and expand reforms to improve women’s lives, the capitalist class can easily remove, or knobble, the gains that have been won.
When the vice-president of the land of the free came to Sydney recently, the joke going around was that he brought a troop surge to town. A few friends are still sporting bruises from that surge, made possible by the NSW Labor governments generous provision of a large number of bullies in uniform to terrorise the local population.
Angry at the brutal occupation of Iraq and the inhumane treatment of David Hicks, university students are joining anti-war and radical groups such as Resistance at orientation weeks in bigger numbers this year. The first revolution of the 21st century, in Venezuela, is also attracting a lot of interest.
Most students started on campus a week after John Howard decided to send more troops to Iraq and Afghanistan. With the government under growing pressure to bring David Hicks home, the surge against the war and the so-called war on terror is growing rapidly on all campuses.
The NSW Public Service Association and Unions NSW have called a rally on March 15, in the lead-up to the NSW elections, against job cuts. The PSA is highighting Liberal leader Peter Debnam’s threat to cut 20,000 public service jobs if elected, and is circulating a petition calling on all candidates to “maintain public sector job levels in real terms as at 2006 state budget levels”.
The spirit of the radical movements of the 1960-70s was reignited at the Socialist Alliance’s “Stand up for your rights” election campaign concert on March 24. Performing classic hits from artists such as Bob Marley and John Lennon, plus original music and songs, a swathe of musicians and five of the Socialist Alliance candidates in the March 24 NSW election called for a united struggle against corporate greed and exploitative governments.
Chanting ALPs hands are black, we want our future back, members of the Rising Tide environment group protested outside the ALPs NSW head office on February 27 against a proposed new coal export terminal in Newcastle.
This years annual International Womens Day rally in Melbourne is being organised by the Victorian Trades Hall Council. To be held at the GPO at noon on March 8, the rally will focus on protesting against PM John Howards legislative attacks on the wages and working conditions of women workers.
Australian soldiers fired on three youths in Dili on February 23. One youth died at the scene a camp for internally displaced people (IDP) near Dili Airport. The others were injured; one later died in hospital.
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