Issue 168

News

Parliament locks out MPs By Ray Smith HOBART — The speaker of state parliament, Graeme Page, will introduce legislation in the new year to protect members of parliament from their constituents. This follows an embarrassing incident
Tent city in Sydney SYDNEY — Families from across NSW plan to establish a tent city in Hyde park from November 24 to 26 to highlight the lack of alternative supported accommodation for people with intellectual disability. John Jacobsen,
By Jim McIlroy BRISBANE — Revelations that Queensland authorities had ignored the total failure of the state's anti-pollution laws for many years underlined the urgent need for establishment of an independent environmental authority,
By Ana Kailis Queensland Premier Wayne Goss and environment minister Molly Robson were hopelessly stranded by the federal government's November 15 decision to stop the clearance of mangroves at the proposed "tourist mecca" at Oyster Point
Anger over Sydney runway noise By Barry Healy SYDNEY — Federal minister for transport Laurie Brereton is embroiled in another controversy following the disastrous opening of the third runway at Sydney airport to commercial traffic on
Perth workers rally against safety changes By Anthony Benbow PERTH — More than 1500 workers rallied on the steps of Parliament House on November 16. The WA Trades and Labour Council organised the rally in opposition to the Court
By Steve Rogers CANBERRA — Australian National University student and anti-fees campaigner Alison Dellit will be contesting the February 18 ACT elections as a Democratic Socialist candidate. Twenty-year-old Dellit is also a well known
Cases launched over kidnapping, death By Bill Mason BRISBANE — Angry words were exchanged between Aboriginal Legal Service spokesperson Sam Watson and police officers during a court hearing on November 16 in which six police were charged
By Ray Fulcher MELBOURNE — In what was described as an "exceptional decision" by sources in the Victorian branch of the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union, the Victorian Industrial Relations Court on November 14 overturned the May
Journalists act against Murdoch's attack By Tully Bates ADELAIDE — Attempts by Rupert Murdoch's Advertiser newspaper to lure journalists away from their union have met a poor response: only 34 out of 200 have left the union and signed
By Stephen Robson Meeting in Melbourne on November 2 and 3, representatives of 25 Aboriginal organisations declared the federal government's funding for land acquisition inadequate. Aaron Ross, the publicity officer for the New South Wales
Actions for East Timor Fifty people participated in a speak-out for East Timor in Brisbane on November 18, reports Nick Everett. The event was held to support the demands of 29 East Timorese students inside the US embassy in Jakarta and to
Tertiary fees exclude women By Michael Tardif Two studies released last week have further emphasised the likely impact of the federal government's push towards user pays tertiary education. Universities have been able to charge fees
By Robyn Marshall BRISBANE — Thirty Salvadorans have been on strike since November 17 at a roller door factory, Steel-Line Doors, at Sumner Park in Brisbane's western suburbs. They say they have been subjected to racial discrimination, and

World

By Peter Montague Environmental racism is the selective exposure of racial subgroups to dangerous toxins. It happens all the time. The clearest example is lead. For at least 40 years, the children of blacks and Hispanics in the USA have
Editor of Progressive dead at 63 MADISON, Wisconsin November 2—Erwin Knoll, editor of the Progressive magazine, died this morning in his sleep of an apparent heart attack. He was 63. "We have lost a lion", said Matthew Rothschild,
By Max Anderson LONDON — Thirty thousand university students marched in the pouring rain from Battersea Park in South London to Hyde Park on November 9, to protest against cuts in student grants and university budgets. Not content with
Special tribunal to try Ogoni leaders Nigerian military authorities have appointed a three person "special tribunal" to try Ken Saro-Wiwa and other Ogoni leaders, held since May. Government-controlled media reported during the November
Representatives of some of South Africa's most powerful trade unions and civic organisations have called for an immediate and total ban on the importation of toxic waste. The Department of Environment Affairs — controlled by the National Party
Filipinos protest against Clinton visit BY Jon Lamb MANILA — Some 1000 protesters took part in demonstrations over the weekend of November 12-13, against the visit of US President Bill Clinton to the Philippines. They demanded an end to
By Norm Dixon AUCKLAND — In the wake of the resignation of Jim Anderton, leader of the New Zealand Alliance and the country's most popular parliamentarian, the five-party Alliance has begun far-reaching organisational changes and policy
DODIE McGUINNESS is a member of the Sinn Fein Ard Comhairle (National Executive) and was a councillor for Derry City Council between 1985 and 1993. ZANNY BEGG spoke to her about her involvement in Republican politics. Dodie McGuinness was
The following speech was given by the Cuban foreign minister, ROBERTO ROBAINA, to the 49th session of the United Nations General Assembly, on October 3, 1994. While we are here making speeches, the military occupation of a small and impoverished

Culture

Live Wood By Paul Weller Polygram Reviewed by Arun Pradhan I'll come clean from the start. I was a Paul Weller fan. How could you not be? After all, he was the driving force behind the Jam. Throughout the late '70s, this band
Pacific women in struggle Daughters of the Pacific By Zohl de Ishtar Spinifex Press. $23.95 Reviewed by Samantha Lazzaro Zohl de Ishtar first became involved with the Pacific in 1971, when as a student she participated in a camp on
Faraway, So Close Directed by Wim Wenders With Otto Sander, Willem Dafoe and Natassja Kinski Reviewed by Vannessa Hearman The sequel to Wings of Desire continues the angel theme, with angel Cassiel (Otto Sander) finally joining the humans
Poem: My First Identity By Mohammed A. Rahman I am the poet for the human kind, Who was born by the name of human being. I might be born in the palace of Buckingham, Might be uncivilized in the deepest jungle of Amazon From the
Traditions, Lessons & Socialist Perspectives By Jim Percy New Course Publications $6.95 Reviewed by Dick Nichols Former Democratic Socialist Party leader Jim Percy died of cancer in October 1992 at, the tragically early age of 43. His last
Muse Sick-n-hour Mess Age Public Enemy Polygram Reviewed by Jean-Paul Nassif An attempted murder charge and a debilitating crack-cocaine addiction are what Chuck D's (lead vocalist of Public Enemy) clock-wearing comic relief sidekick
The Invisible Man: The Life and Liberties of H. G. Wells By Michael Coren Bloomsbury, 1994. 240 pp., $16.95 (pb) Reviewed by Phil Shannon H.G. Wells, author of best-selling science fiction novels, was not much taken with Vladimir Lenin: "a

Editorial

Dealing in death In September, the federal parliament's Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade reported on the implications of Australian arms exports. While the majority opinion somewhat predictably emphasised