Hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans took to the streets of Caracas on November 4, in a massive sea of red, to support the proposed constitutional reforms adopted by the National Assembly that will be put to a referendum on December 2. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has explained that the reforms aim to deepen the Bolivarian revolution that his government is leading, which has already achieved significant gains in redistributing wealth and power to the poor majority.
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KERRY NETTLE has been a NSW Greens senator since 2001. She spoke to Green Left Weeklys PIP HINMAN about what the Greens had achieved, and why it was critical that they hold the balance of power in the new Senate.
The idea that we build something much better than capitalism had been around for generations but, 90 years ago in Russia, for the first time an alliance of workers and peasants made a revolution that was to frame the course of history ever since.
Thousands of people across the country took part in Walk Against Warming rallies on November 11 calling for action on climate change. Pictured: Activists prepare for a radical `youth contingent' in Sydney's Hyde Park that marched to the main rally. Organisers estimate that 30,000 people joined the main protest. In Parramatta, 150 people rallied before the demonstration in the city, in a protest organised by the Climate Action Network. In Adelaide, 1500 people joined the WAW demonstration; in Hobart 3000 protested; and 500 people joined a Brisbane WAW, 40 of them part of a youth contingent. Between 15,000 and 20,000 people rallied in Melbourne, 400 in Cairns, while more than 500 joined the Newcastle protest. In Wollongong, 300 people rallied on November 10. Organisers estimated 8000 turned out in Canberra.
More than 500 students in Launceston walked out of class on November 8 to protest against the planned pulp mill in the Tamar Valley. This followed a similar protest of 600 students in Hobart the previous week.
As the federal governments Northern Territory intervention grinds on with an escalating price-tag and concomitant obfuscation from politicians and bureaucrats about its actual implementation, we are beginning to see media reports especially from the rampantly pro-intervention Rupert Murdoch stable of support for the measures from the affected communities. While most of these refer to whitefella bureaucrats or store managers, the most cherished, obviously, have been apparent endorsements from Indigenous people as each new phase is rolled out. Most recently, weve seen the same pattern as welfare quarantining has started to come into effect in some communities.
Bush's new poodle
"French President Nicolas Sarkozy used his first official visit to Washington to extol two centuries of bonds with the US and lay out pro-American positions on the war in Afghanistan and the Iranian nuclear dispute ... 'I wish to
The following appeal for solidarity with the Pakistani peoples struggle for democracy has been initiated by Melbourne civil liberties lawyer Rob Stary.
“When Ken Fry came back from a funeral several years ago he complained that one of the speakers ’went on about the bloke as though he was a blessed saint … I hope they don’t go on about me like that when I go …’.”
After complaining bitterly about federal ALP leader Kevin Rudds plan to keep key elements of the Howard governments Work Choices laws such as restrictions on the right to strike, the Victorian branches of the Electrical Trades Union and the United Firefighters Union have decided to give substantial support to the Greens in the November 24 federal election. Both unions have constructed big billboards on their offices advocating a vote for Greens candidate Adam Bandt in the seat of Melbourne. The ETU has also donated $20,000 to the Greens.
People before profits was the message coming from the rally for rights organised by the Socialist Alliance in Newtown on November 9. The rally was addressed by Catholic priest Peter Maher, Your Rights At Work campaigner Michael Haines, three representatives from Community Action Against Homophobia (CAAH) and Greens candidate for Grayndler, Saeed Kahn.
What about your preferences?
At its November 1 meeting the Socialist Alliance national executive decided its recommendation on preference flows for "above-the-line" voting for the Senate. It also urged all SA House of Representatives campaigns to
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