Peter Montague
After three years of study, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is about to publish a nine-volume draft "scientific reassessment" of dioxin and other dioxin-like chemicals, including dibenzofurans and some PCBs
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SYDNEY — Supporters of the East Timorese struggle "closed down" the Indonesian consulate here in an early morning action on July 7. Chains and locks were attached to the gates and doors, and posters calling for the liberation of East Timor and
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Stonewall in New YorkAn estimated 1.2 million people marched through the streets of New York to rally in Central Park to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Stonewall riots on June 26. Rodney Croome, invited to New York
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Introducing Asian Studies — The Vietnam War and International Relations in Eastern Asia — The Vietnam war dominated the region for two decades and the aftershocks are still being felt. Unlike Korea, China didn't commit troops but provided some
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SYDNEY — Police corruption has long been a central theme in New South Wales. Ian Temby's last report, on Operation Milloo for the Independent Committee Against Corruption, delivered in February, revealed police involvement in
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Tranby College seeks friends SYDNEY — Tranby Aboriginal Co-operative College in inner city Sydney is to launch a "Five by Five" campaign on August 5, which aims to raise $5 million in $5 per week contributions over five years to enable the
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Death in custody I'd like to bring to the attention some points I feel may be of significance and importance to members of the public, and also other Aboriginal organisations, concerning the recent death in custody of Anthony John Welsh at the
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Wrong priorities Nearly one in two private employers in Australia regard "good legs" and "big breasts" as more important employment criteria than skills and efficiency. This was the finding of a recent report released by the Public Sector
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Whaling clash on high seas On July 6 the whale protection ship Whales Forever was rammed by the Norwegian Coastguard vessel Andenes, ripping open a section of the hull and damaging a fuel storage compartment according to reports from the Sea
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Pride march targets age of consentLONDON — Sixty thousand queer, bisexual and transgender people and supporters joined the Gay and Lesbian Pride march here on June 18 to commemorate the twenty fifth anniversary of the
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The World Bank is attempting to take control of important international germ plasm collections, according to a statement released by more than 40 environmental and development non-governmental organisations (NGOs) attending a meeting on biological
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The problems confronting the current economic system: high unemployment, environmental destruction, poverty and increasing social dislocation, are proving intractable. The solution, we're constantly told, is to increase productivity, to become more
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WonderingThe GLW article entitled "Whose magazines?" (June 1) caught my eye. Kath Gelber, author of the "... and ain't i a woman?" column made some poignant comments on these magazines directed at women. Some of
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Based on highly reliable international contacts, leaked documents and horoscopes from several TV magazines, Nostradamus' Media Watch resents a highly accurate forecast of political events across the globe. Bob Hawke's
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Clear-felling WA's forests. PERTH — Western Australia has only about 125,000 hectares of old growth Karri/Marri forest left. Most of it is currently available for clear-felling. Clear-felling is a logging procedure which fells every tree; it
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"I think the [government-owned] Australian National Line [ANL] is a heartland issue for the Labor Party; there are no more serious people in the labour movement than the Maritime Union of Australia, and there is no-one I think
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ADELAIDE — Hoping to build on the success of the last two years, the Adelaide Reclaim the Night collective has begun preparations for this year's march on October 28. A dance is being organised to follow the march. Collective members want to make
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Ron Guignard ("Marxism and science", GLW #150) repeats his argument in GLW #145 that Marxism is not a scientific theory of society because it does not accord with his personal definition of what constitutes science. In his
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South — An international magazine program in seven parts, including filmmakers from the Caribbean, Africa, and Asia. The first episode assesses the mood on student campuses in China after the tragedy of Tienanmen Square, and the economic situation
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PERTH — Eighty people have been blockading logging operations near the town of Manjimup, south west of here since July 1. Despite timber industry statements that there would be a moratorium on logging for three weeks, protesters
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PERTH — Eighty people have been blockading logging operations near the town of Manjimup, south west of here since July 1. Despite timber industry statements that there would be a moratorium on logging for three weeks, protesters
News
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Black deaths continue Black deaths in custody are increasing, according to a report into 1993 deaths by the Institute of Criminology. Eight Aboriginal people died in custody in 1993, a rate almost eight times the national average.
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Queer conference stresses activismBRISBANE — Two hundred students from around the country attended the very successful Queer Collaborations Conference here from July 2-9. The conference opened with a rally at Albert
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Students reject ALP's anti-VSU "solution"MELBOURNE — Federal Minister for Employment, Education and Training Simon Crean's proposal to bypass state-based Voluntary Student Unionism (VSU) legislation with a federal law
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Meat inspectors' conditions for the chop?CANBERRA — Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) agency bargaining negotiations broke down on July 8 over the issue of conditions for meat inspectors and field-based
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More Aboriginal land cleared for SkyrailKURANDA — On July 5 police forcefully removed protesters opposing the skyrail and arrested two people. Sixty protesters, mostly locals from Cairns and Kuranda, have been using
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National student women's conferenceSYDNEY — Over 400 women gathered at Macquarie University from July 11-15 for the annual Network of Women Students in Australia (NOWSA) conference, the theme of which was "Women working
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PERTH — Former Labor Premier Brian Burke was found guilty on July 13 of four counts of cheating. Two days later he was sentenced to two years jail on each charge, to be served concurrently. The charges arise out claims
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Campaign against privatisationBRISBANE — A July 13 meeting of activists from trade unions and community groups decided to launch a campaign against the federal and state government's plans to privatise parts of the
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Printers beat MurdochSYDNEY — Printing workers at Rupert Murdoch's News Limited voted to return to work on July 17 after defeating company attempts to impose significant and retrograde changes in working conditions in a new
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Delighted "I am delighted that Mr Murdoch has shown such confidence in the company and its management. We will do everything we can to ensure this investment is very rewarding to him." — Fairfax managing director Stephen Mulholland, commenting on
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Brown attacks annual leave Dean Brown's Liberal government sided with a local South Australian employer in a failed bid to halve annual leave under an enterprise flexibility agreement. Secretary of the Automotive, Food, Metals and
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SA's own Dan QuayleADELAIDE — Single women are "going around getting pregnant to rort the system", according to state Liberal backbencher Joe Rossi. He has also been quoted by a suburban newspaper as saying that single
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Socialist youth set goalsSYDNEY — More than 250 people attended the 23rd Resistance National Conference here from July 8-10. Activists from around Australia, including Darwin, Perth and Launceston discussed the crisis of
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Gay businesses push boycott campaignThe struggle to repeal Tasmania's anti-gay laws has taken on a new edge with the launch of a boycott campaign by gay businesses around Australia and internationally. The campaign aims to
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Public service ends base grade recruitmentCANBERRA — From September, the Australian Public Service is to end recruitment of regularly paid base grade (or ASO1) officers. These are to be replaced by "trainees". This has
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Opposition to Grand Prix growsMELBOURNE — Despite concerted government and media attempts to discredit the Save Albert Park campaign, thousands attended a second rally to protest plans to hold the Grand Prix at the
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Tenants resist Kennett cutsMELBOURNE — On July 10 a vocal and vibrant crowd of 150, mostly tenants, marched to the Broadmeadows Department of Planning and Development to demand the right to keep tenants groups. The
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Hindmarsh bridge victoryADELAIDE — A major victory has been won by those fighting to stop the construction of the Hindmarsh Island bridge. On July 10 the federal Aboriginal Affairs Minister Rob Tickner announced a
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Right reinforced in Qld ALPBRISBANE — The right's stranglehold on the Queensland branch of the Labor Party was strengthened at the party's triennial state conference during the week June 27 to July 1. The dominance of
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BRISBANE — Fifty people attended a speak out in support of East Timor in the Queen Street Mall on July 15. The protest was called in response to the previous day's violent crackdown by Indonesian troops on a protest in Dili.
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AWU: A union too far awaySYDNEY — "What sort of workers movement is it when the 20 superunions in Australia only represent one group in society — the employers?", asked Bob Fuge at a Rank and File Alliance public
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SA public servants seek pay riseADELAIDE — The state Liberal government has rejected wage claims by public sector unions, threatening further job losses if wages rise. It has said that departments
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Protests target Tasmania's anti-gay lawsProtests demanding the repeal of Tasmania's anti-gay laws were held in a number of cities on July 14. Rohan Gaiswinkler reports from Hobart that 800 people attended a rally in
Analysis
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Elect all who govern It appears that the "debate" over republic versus monarchy is going to remain with us for some time. The campaign by Keating's ALP for a more "dignified national identity" has become one of the government's most important
World
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PIETERMARITZBURG, Natal — The new South African government of national unity has not only rejected strong and well-motivated calls for a commission of inquiry into the skulduggery surrounding the toxic waste importing
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United Left makes gains in SpainMADRID — The United Left (UL), based on the former Communist Party but which includes a wide spectrum of the left, scored a major success in the June 12 European elections with 13.4% of the
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The patterns of Western capitalist investment in the Third World have been changing rapidly. The result is an even greater dependence of underdeveloped countries' governments, writes CHOW WEI CHENG. Mutual funds have taken over much of the
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PHNOM PENH — The gloves are coming off in Cambodia in the struggle against the Khmer Rouge. It is now one year since the United Nations ushered in a coalition government of the previously governing Cambodia People's Party and
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WINDHOEK — Four years after independence, Namibia's farm workers have yet to see their employers' attitudes change. Workers face unjustified dismissal, assault and exploitation at the hands of predominantly white farmers.
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DUBLIN — Four Catholic priests, members of the Clergy for Justice group, have accused Irish church leaders of deliberately ignoring the "institutional violence of the British state in Northern Ireland". "Given the way the British government
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LONDON — Britain's railways came to a near halt on June 16 and June 23 as signal workers struck in support of an 11% pay claim. The signal workers are demanding a large pay increase to compensate for greater workloads and the
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DAR ES SALAAM — Nine years into the structural adjustment program (SAP), Tanzania's workers, social workers and human rights activists are saying the program disregards basic human rights. They point out that
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Haitian president opposes US invasion In a June 25 interview with Scott Simon of National Public Radio, Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide emphatically rejected proposals for the US to restore the elected government by means of a military
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JOHANNESBURG — The coming of democracy here has special significance for the lesbian and gay community. One of the gains, a world first, is a constitutional bill of rights that specifically outlaws discrimination on the grounds
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JOHANNESBURG — The Police and Prison Civil Rights Union (POPCRU) is committed to building a democratic police service purged of "Third Force" elements, restructured to reflect South African society and respectful of trade union
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Cuba blockade costs jobs According to a United States marketing consultant who visited Havana in May, the US economic blockade of Cuba prevents the creation of between 60,000 and 120,000 permanent jobs in the US. This is considered a
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Attempted coup a diversion In the days following my return from Phnom Penh, dramatic events put Cambodia back on the front pages of the world's press. As I arrived at the airport on July 1 a friend told me: "There's a coup in process — right
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QUITO — Indigenous people throughout Ecuador have been engaged in protests against a new agricultural law which was approved by the national congress and President Sixto Duran Ballen at the beginning of June. Protests
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Indonesia denies abuses in TimorIndonesian authorities have reacted angrily to a film by British journalist Max Stahl which documents a second massacre soon after the shootings at Santa Cruz cemetery in Dili on November 12,
Culture
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Henry V The Australian Theatre for Young People will open their major production for the year, Henry V by William Shakespeare, from July 18 at the Eveleigh Street Railway Yards in Redfern. The production involves a cast of 40 young performers
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A moving portrayal of refugeesPERTH — Refugee Week, sponsored by Austcare and the Refugee Council of Australia, ended with the multi-media production In Search of Peace at the Artists Club on June
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A tribute to women often forgotten Bread and Roses Directed by Gaylene Preston Written by Graeme Tetley and Gaylene Preston Featuring Genevieve Picot, Mick Rose, Donna Akersten, Tina Regtien and Erik Thomson Cinema Nova, Melbourne
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John Steinbeck: A Biography By Jay Parini Heinemann, 1994. 614 pp., $45 (hb) Reviewed by Phil Shannon When John Steinbeck observed one of the most cruelly victimised groups of the 1930s Depression — the Oklahoma Dust Bowl refugees — he
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In Australia's Spies and Their Secrets, author David McKnight uncovers a shadowy hand behind the events which shaped Australian politics from the end of the second world war to the 1970s. In this period the Australian Security Intelligence
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Tommy Emmanuel liveGYMPIE — Joseph Furphy once said of his great novel Such is Life that it had "temper democratic, bias offensively Australian". In the case of the Tommy Emmanuel concert here on June 16, I would
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All in the Family is a new CD created in solidarity with East Timor. GIL SANTOS, who was part of the project, explains how it came about. This monster of a project had its genesis 18 months ago when a few of us who play at parties and