Issue 109

News

Workers seize equipment ADELAIDE — Workers from a bankrupt crane hire firm have hidden hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of equipment to guarantee that they will receive their redundancy payments. The workers seized two 50-tonne
By Peter Boyle On July 26 the federal cabinet worked out new drafting instructions on a legislative response to the 1992 Mabo land rights case. This represents an attempt to come to a common position with Liberal state governments in Western
Campaign to save professional centre By Nikki Ulasowski BRISBANE — Thirty people attended a rally on July 30 against the sale of Bardon Professional Development Centre. The centre is the latest victim in a range of cutbacks by the state
By Vannessa Hearman A report published by the Australian Manufacturing Council last month, The Environmental Challenge: Best Practice Environmental Regulation, demands relaxation of environmental regulations which are alleged to be
Kierath changes WA compo plans By Andrew McGain PERTH — The Court government announced on July 29 that it will "soften" its proposed changes to workers compensation. However, industrial relations minister Graham Kierath's new proposals
By Dave Riley BRISBANE — Queenslanders should brace themselves for continued government spending cuts. With the state budget not due to be brought down until September, already the razors are out. After 44 months in office, the Goss
Students Rally Against Education Cuts By Nathan Laurent BRISBANE — A rally of more than 600 student teachers at Queensland University of Technology on July 28 expressed anger at proposed state education cuts. The rally was
600 meet on Victorian Workcover By Di Quin MELBOURNE — State award union delegates, occupational health and safety delegates and injured workers met on July 21 to condemn the Kennett government's Workcover scheme. The meeting,
By Geoff Spencer MELBOURNE — Sixty people gathered outside the Australian Defence Industries (ADI) plant in Footscray on July 25 to draw attention to Australia's continued role in the Bougainville war. Organised by Australian
British environmentalists jailed Seven environmentalists, including Simon Fairlie, one of the editors of the Ecologist, were jailed for 28 days on July 23 for breaching a High Court injunction preventing them from protesting against the
By Sue Bolton MELBOURNE — Members of the Australian Services Union (ASU) employed by the State Electricity Commission of Victoria (SECV) in the La Trobe Valley went on strike for 24 hours at midnight on July 28. This followed a period of
Shadow over Cambodia Pol Pot and his Khmer Rouge are on the verge of another international victory. The propaganda campaign by the US, the UK and the UN Security Council has by and large been taken up by the media. The UN peacekeeping
By Peter Boyle MELBOURNE — The Australian Chemical Industry Council released a code of practice on "Community Right To Know" on July 13. In the wake of major chemical disasters, community groups here have been demanding legislation to

World

From mono-loyalty to real discipline According to news agency reports, the Indonesian government has decided to impose military training for new civil service recruits in a bid to "improve their skills and mentality". A policy of
Independent union conference banned On July 29 the Indonesian government barred supporters and members of a recently formed independent trade union from holding its first congress. Plain-clothes police and military intelligence banned
By Cipto R. JAKARTA — Since the middle of the year, strikes have been increasing. Recently the Ministry of Manpower raised the Jakarta minimum wage to Rp3100 (A$2), and companies should have been paying this amount by July. There have
Korean human rights activist arrested South Korean human rights campaigner Noh Tae-hoon was illegally arrested on July 15 in his lawyer's office. He is being detained under the notorious National Security Law. When an officer from the
By Sean Malloy Up to half a million civilian refugees have been created by a week of Israeli bombing and shelling of southern Lebanon. More than 8000 Israeli artillery shells have indiscriminately pounded towns and villages. One hundred
By Max Lane The largest demonstration of Filipino progressive forces since 1987 took place in Manila on July 26. Between 35,000 and 50,000 workers, students and others marched on the Congress to demonstrate against the Ramos government's
On July 21 a force of between 150 and 300 men, made up mostly of discharged members of the Sandinista Popular Army (EPS), but also including some former contras, seized the northern Nicaraguan city of Estelí. The group, which calls
By Mark Cox South Africa is not a subtle place. On the second day of my work with the South African Prisoners Organisation for Human Rights (SAPOHR) in Johannesburg, a white policeman shot dead one innocent pedestrian and injured another
Where is Cambodia headed now that a National Assembly is to adopt a constitution and a coalition government has been formed? Khuon Sundary is the deputy editor of Pracheachun, the daily newspaper of the Cambodian People's Party (CPP). She was
By Renfrey Clarke MOSCOW — The remaining confidence of many Russians in the economic strategies of their government perished over the weekend of July 24- 25, as a shock monetary reform threw retail trade into chaos and threatened to

Culture

The right to murder Cutting Edge: Impunidad SBS Television Tuesday, August 10, 8.30 p.m. (8 in Adelaide) Reviewed by Neville Spencer This documentary from Australian film maker Helen Gaynor examines a key issue behind the horrific
See no evil: the Sabra and Shatila massacres SBS TV's Timewatch series Monday, August 9, 7.30 p.m. (Adelaide 7.00) Reviewed by Sean Malloy "Tell the world. Film it, film it, film it", pleads a Palestinian woman who survived the horrors
Gross Misconduct Directed by George Miller Written by Lance Peters and Gerard Maguire Starring Jimmy Smits and Naomi Watts Reviewed by Didit T. and Max Lane [Note: This review has to reveal the plot of Gross Misconduct. Don't read it
Current affairs with conscience By Superna Aggarwal "When two elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers the most. It's the same when the two elephants make love." — Rakiya Omaar, a Somali woman, on the impact of the Cold War and
The warm inner glow em = By Denis Kevans I've worked at Lucas Heights for years, Though tell me any want to know, And when I leave, I'll take with me A permanent warm inner glow. And politicians scoffed their best At people
By Deb Sorensen in Kakadu National Park Never smile at a crocodile, No, you can't get friendly with a crocodile, Don't be taken in by his (sic) friendly grin, He's imagining how well you'll fit beneath his skin. A generation of
Bye Bye Blackbird John Coltrane, McCoy Tyner, Elvin Jones, Jimmy Garrison Fantasy through Festival First Meditations (for quartet) John Coltrane, McCoy Tyner, Elvin Jones, Jimmy Garrison Impulse!/GRP through BMG Records Reviewed
Timely drama Sons of Cain By David Williamson Directed by John Rado New Theatre, 542 King St, Newtown (Sydney) Reviewed by Betty Downie. David Williamson's play about political corruption seems very relevant these days. Indeed,
By Bronwen Beechey Despite the time that has elapsed since the names Guy Burgess, Kim Philby, Donald McLean and Anthony Blunt made headlines, they are still guaranteed to send shivers up the spines of the British establishment. All

Editorial

A jobs levy? Tax the majority, not the minority of super-wealthy people who live off company profits, dividends, and rent: this is the "solution" to unemployment that the ACTU and the ALP left are rallying behind. They are calling for a