Issue 115

News

'Legislative racism' condemned By Laura Bahnisch LAUNCESTON — At a forum entitled "Australia — A Racist Culture", held at the University of Tasmania, Michael Mansell described the proposed Mabo legislation as "legislative racism".
By Mark Lockett and Alana Kerr PERTH — Not to be out-done by Jeff Kennett, the Court Liberal government has stepped up its anti-union campaign by targeting student guilds. The Acts Amendment (Student Guilds and Associations) Bill, better known
By Di Quin MELBOURNE — Just under one year after the Coalition came into government in Victoria, the state remains in severe economic crisis, and a new austerity budget last week hit Victorians still reeling from the attacks brought in by
By Rodney Cheuk PERTH — Part 2 of the McCarrey Report, outlining the Court Liberal government's agenda of privatisation and corporatisation, was released on August 30. Written by former under-treasurer Les McCarrey, it proposes a major
Teacher unions call off industrial action By Norrian Rundle MELBOURNE — Despite a Saulwick Age poll showing 57% support for teacher strikes against further cuts to education, the two Victorian teacher unions called off their proposed
Boycott Mitsubishi campaign By Paul Woods BRISBANE — The Boycott Mitsubishi Campaign to save the world's rainforests from destruction continued here on September 10 with banner drops at three consecutive overpasses of Brisbane's major
By Janet Parker SYDNEY — In a world where only 1% of property is owned by women, there are very few places for women which are safe and accessible. For lesbians, the situation is even more bleak. But a group of Sydney women are about to change
Secondary students strike By Elle Morrell MELBOURNE — Students from Epping Secondary organised a strike on September 7 against cuts to education. Amidst a sea of anti-Kennett and "No cuts to schools" placards, three-quarters of the school
John Fahey's softly, softly budget By Reihana Mohideen SYDNEY — The NSW Liberal government's September 7 budget seems less harsh than the recent budget of the Goss Labor government in Queensland. The cutbacks to the public sector proposed
By Julie Brown PERTH— Greens (WA) Senators Dee Margetts and Christabel Chamarette declared on September 10 that, "As it stands, the federal budget is not one which anyone with a concern for social justice could support, and the government's
By Ray Fulcher MELBOURNE — The Victorian Trades Hall Council has called for a "week of action" against the Kennett government's attacks on workers and public services. Beginning October 3 and culminating in a city rally on October 6 as
Greenpeace criticises EPA By Marina Carman SYDNEY — Weeks after a 10-tonne crude oil spill from a Shell terminal into Gore Cove in Sydney Harbour, the area is still polluted and there is no sign of prosecution by the Environment
Kennett to axe 18,000 more jobs By Peter Boyle MELBOURNE — Victoria's official unemployment rate hit a post-1930s high of 13% in August, yet in its September 7 budget the Kennett government announced plans to get rid of another 18,000
Stop press "We have become a right-wing, conservative party." — Former prime minister Malcolm Fraser on the Liberal Party. Falling out "I don't see much joy in sitting down there seeing someone who I have lost a lot of respect for." —

World

Protesters against the Temer government's extreme austerity plans in Rio on October 17

Riot police cracked down and fired tear gas on thousands of protesters in central Rio de Janeiro on October 17 as marches flooded the streets to reject unelected President Michel Temer’s proposed 20-year freeze on public spending, which critics say will spell disaster in the cash-strapped country.

By Pip Hinman "Bill Clinton's 'successful' operation in Mogadishu has led to an unknown number of civilian deaths, has undermined the entire relief effort, and alienated the majority of ordinary Somalis from the very people they had hoped had
By Stephen Marks MANAGUA — Nicaraguan President Violeta Chamorro used her Armed Forces Day address on September 3 to announce that the head of the Sandinista Popular Army, General Humberto Ortega, will be sacked early next year, plunging the
By Anthony Brown In the federal House of Representatives on September 17, 1970, a young Labor MP, Paul Keating, described transnational mining corporation Rio Tinto Zinc's (RTZ) financial control of Australia's natural resources as
Gyorgy Scrinis continues a debate In his response to my article on "Industrial Cuisine", Dave Riley's dismissal of my critique of supermarket culture and the modern diet, and his attack on food cooperatives, show how out of touch he is with some
Stevie Nile dictates to Fahey Until the last week, the lesbian and gay communities themselves have been divided about the anti-vilification legislation, but the unprincipled actions taken by Fred Nile, who forced the government to modify
US blockade of Cuba opposed PANAMA CITY — Cuba has taken its case against the United States' 30-year blockade to the Group of 77, made up of developing countries. The head of Cuba's delegation, Angel Gomez Trueba, attending a
On October 5, 1968, a peaceful civil rights demonstration, declared illegal by the authorities, was brutally attacked by the Royal Ulster Constabulary and its 2000 participants clubbed down on the streets of the nationalist city of Derry, in the
By Renfrey Clarke MOSCOW — On the night of August 25, unknown assailants fired more than 100 bullets into the country house of Yuri Gekht, a business leader and head of the Industrial Union faction of the Russian parliament. Gekht, who has
Since August 28, Indonesia's media have been preoccupied about a speech by Vice-President Try Sutrisno in which he talked about "internal elements who are prepared to become traitors to their people and nation". Although ex-general Try did not
FSLN to hold extraordinary congress By Stephen Marks MANAGUA — The Sandinista Assembly, the highest decision-making body of the FSLN, has called an extraordinary congress in May 1994 to chart out new strategies for struggle and
Green Left Weekly's MIRIAM TRAMER spoke to journalist and political commentator AMOS WOLLIN in Tel Aviv about the agreement between the Israeli government and the Palestine Liberation Organisation. What are the responses of Israelis and
Returned from a visit to Guatemala, ERIC EARLEY reports on the situation of that country's indigenous people. The indigenous people of Guatemala and the Aborigines of Australia have many things in common. The colonial legacy in both countries is

September 11 marks the 20th anniversary of the overthrow of Socialist president Salvador Allende by the Chilean military.

By Pip Hinman SYDNEY — Activists from the Bougainville Freedom Movement picketed the regional headquarters of the Australian Defence Force on September 9. They demanded an end to Australia's involvement in Papua New Guinea's attempts to quash
By Sean Flood (This is the abridged text of a speech made in Sydney on August 25 at the launch of the second edition of the author's book Mabo: A Symbol of Sharing. Sean Flood is the NSW public defender.) Mabo ditched terra nullius, the
Arrests in East Timor Amnesty International has announced its concern for the safety of 53 students, and possibly many others, who were arrested by Indonesian security forces in East Timor in advance of a visit to the territory by
Comment by Ruth Birgin Why, in the present Australian federal and state governments, is there not one vocal politician with enough backbone to tackle the "drug problem", not as a legal, but as a socio-medical issue? The overwhelming

Culture

Between Light and Dark By Penelope Swales Launch: Friday September 17, 8:30 p.m. The Old Troubadour Upstairs, 388 Brunswick St, Fitzroy Reviewed by Lachlan Anderson The long-awaited follow-up to Penelope Swales' album Songs from the
By Ignatius Kim While media freedom and objectivity have for long been an ideological cornerstone of liberal democracy, their actual practice is rare and often a focus of political tension. This will be one of the issues tackled in an SBS
Red Belly Blues Red Belly Blues By Red Belly Blues Reviewed by John Tognolini Red Belly Blues is a duo composed of Chris O'Connor on acoustic 12-string guitar and vocals and Damian Cohen on harmonica and vocals. Their music is addictive
By Karen Fredericks "We don't want to encourage pale imitations of the ABC or commercial radio broadcasters. We want to preserve the spirit of community radio ... the unfiltered voices of real people telling their own stories." This,
Something to shake the establishment The Custodians By Eric Earley Directed by Carol Woodrow With Gary Cooper, Lillian Crombie, Christopher Baz, Ron Hill, Boris Kelly, Melissa King, Dennis Mckay To September 18 at the Canberra Theatre
By Zanny Begg SYDNEY — The National Maritime Museum has gathered together a collection of artworks produced by Sydney wharfies in a fascinating exhibition, "On the Waterfront: wharfies, artists and actors". The exhibition brings to life the
Judy Horacek is a cartoonist well known for her work dealing with feminism, the environment, social justice, peace and unrequited love. An exhibition of her past and recent productions will be held from September 16 to 29 as part of Melbourne's
The following interview with NESTOR LARA, of Radio Farabundo Marti, was conducted in San Salvador by MATTHEW ABUD. Could you tell us how Radio Farabundo Marti grew up during the years of war: what were some of the major problems that you faced?

Editorial

The Greens and the budget Just before Prime Minister Paul Keating flew off to Washington, he dismissed the attacks on his budget in the Senate as "sport" preventing him from governing in the national interest. But the Green and Democrat