Treasurer Peter Costello's threat to call a double dissolution election over the Senate's rejection of some of the Coalition's vicious anti-immigrant, cost-slashing measures is nothing to be feared. Those who oppose Canberra's reactionary policies
Issue 258
Editorial
General
By Paul Oboohov
CANBERRA — In an upset, Cath Garvan — formerly of the PSU Challenge group but running as part of the "Team ACT" — has lost the Community and Public Sector Union ACT branch secretary position to an ALP identity, Simon Jarman,
Defending the ALP
At its meeting following the very successful rally it organised on November 23, the Anti-Racism Campaign (ARC) in Ipswich discussed the outcome of the rally. One non-aligned activist said that it was extremely positive to hear a
Sarah Stephen (Resistance organiser, Hobart):
We see wars and conflicts, oppression, hunger and cruelty on TV all the time. We aren't given the tools to understand it, but it disturbs our true human compassion that has not yet been distorted by
Serbian independent radio jammed
December 2 was the third consecutive day on which the single independent radio station in Belgrade, Radio B92, was jammed during its reports of the huge anti-government demonstrations in the Serbian capital. The
MELBOURNE — In the largest anti-racism demonstration in the country so far this year, more than 30,000 people rallied here on December 8. Organised by the People for Racial Equality coalition, which was set up from a Victorian Trades and Labour
By Daniel Kelly
Results of the recent Community and Public Sector Union elections within the Department of Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs have confirmed significant support for a more militant response to government attacks on
On November 25, protest actions of 183 unions erupted in Metro Manila, demanding the release of BMP leader Filemon "Popoy" Lagman, illegally arrested by intelligence agents of the armed forces on November 12. The actions included mass walkouts, work
An Anti-Christmas Poem
Unwillingly dress up as Santa,
Put up with their tedious banter
Feed your unwanted relations,
With their loud offspring have patience.
Don't trip over kiddies' toys,
Somehow stand the eternal noise,
Funny hats,
By Stephen Marks
MANAGUA — The Supreme Electoral Council (CSE) has dismissed challenges to Nicaragua's recent elections. On November 22 it formally declared Arnoldo Alemán the next president of Nicaragua and announced the composition of
Correction
In Bernie Brian's article "Mudginberri revisited" in GLW #257, we added a statement that the present federal treasurer, Peter Costello, was the bosses' barrister in that dispute. In fact, Costello represented the employers in a similar
Christabel Chamarette supports Racism No!
"Voting for Racism No! is more than symbolic", former WA Greens Senator Christabel Chamarette said in a statement on December 4. "It is a really tangible way to show politicians and governments that many
By Jorge Andres
PERTH — Racism No! candidate Clarrie Isaacs says he has no wish to "join the enemy" in parliament but simply wants to get closer to be able to "kick their arse". His running mate in the WA state election, Arun Pradhan, thinks the
Campaign against changes in Workcover
By Michael Bull
MELBOURNE — A rally of about 500 workers demonstrated in front of Parliament House on December 3 over the state government's proposed Workcover changes. The Victorian Trades Hall Council
By Sarah Harris and Alistair Dickinson
PENRITH — For the last six years, residents have campaigned against the proposed large-scale development of housing and industry on the federal government's Australian Defence Industries (ADI) site at St
By Ronnie McInnes
DARWIN — Space Transportation Systems Ltd (STS), a Queensland-based company, is proposing to construct a commercial satellite launch facility at Gunn Point, 40 km north-east of here. The facility would be a wholly commercial
Weipa CD launched
SYDNEY — Around 150 trade unionists, leftists and folk artists attended the launch of Union is strength, CD dedicated to the Weipa strikers, on December 1. Most of the artists on the compilation CD performed to help launch the
By Peter McGregor
The status of the rights of citizens varies, both over time within any society, and also between societies. The concept of rights as somehow natural or inherent in social life, and as universal, is question-begging. It is more
Indonesian activists face possible death sentence
Indonesian democracy activists will shortly go on trial for their lives. The chief judge of the Central Jakarta court has announced that the trials of the People's Democratic Party (PRD)
Patient No More: The Politics of Breast CancerBy Sharon BattAustralia & New Zealand EditionSpinifex Press, 1996. 431 pp., $24.95Reviewed by Dot Tumney Nothing delights a reviewer like a juicy quote explaining the reason for a book in a dozen lines.
By Dick Nichols
MANILA — What stance should the working people, peasants and poor of the Asia-Pacific region take towards Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, the instrument of regional capitalist integration conceived by the Australian Labor
Despite the danger of arrest and torture, and the imprisonment of at least 24 of its members, the People's Democratic Party (PRD) is still organising. EDMUND THAMPSON and JILL HICKSON spoke with MARCEL — a National Committee member and chairperson
Kurdish parliamentarian denied visa
The Australian embassy in Paris has refused a visa to the deputy speaker of the Kurdistan Parliament in exile to attend a conference at Deakin University in Melbourne. According to a December 1 statement by the
OZ
SYDNEY — Ever since the elation over the inheriting of pollution chaos, traffic nightmares and constant night flyovers from Atlanta, Sydney Festival art officials have revived their interest in bringing artists and performers from all over the
Doctors strike over Medicare cuts
By Tuntuni Bhattacharyya and Kamala Emanuel
Hospital doctors struck across NSW, and up to 1000 rallied in Sydney on December 3 to protest the federal government's proposal to restrict Medicare provider numbers
Actively Radical TV — Sydney community television's progressive current affairs producers tackle the hard issues from the activist's point of view. CTS Sydney (UHF 31), every Thursday, 10pm, and Saturday, 7pm.
Access News — Melbourne
Korean struggles
General strike called
South Korea's two biggest labour organisations, the Federation of Korean Trade Unions and the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, have separately called a general strike for mid-December. The calls are
DANIEL NINA works as a lawyer with the Community Peace Foundation in Cape Town. Born in Puerto Rico, Nina has spent the last six years in South Africa. He liaises closely with the ANC government's minister of justice on criminal law and the court
On November 26, agents of Peru's intelligence service violently seized General Rodolfo Robles Espinoza in Lima, beating him and spraying him in the face with tear gas before forcing him into a vehicle with darkened windows. Robles was then taken to
Call for solidarity
Roisin McAliskey, daughter of long-time Irish civil rights activist Bernadette Devlin McAliskey, was arrested in her home town of Coalisland in the north of Ireland in mid-November. After being held in Castlereagh Barracks in
By Kim Scott
Responding to allegations made in June on the commercial TV program A Current Affair about "lazy lineys" in Darwin Telstra, management have hired private investigators to observe Telstra staff on and off duty. Darwin lines installation
Comment by Doug Lorimer
In my opinion, Greg Ogle's review of Katherine Gibson and Julie Graham's book The End of Capitalism in GLW #256 concedes far too much to the drivel of these "post-modernists". For example: lHe writes, "many on the left
By Wendy Robertson and Sarah Stephen
This is the third article in a discussion between Resistance and Left Alliance about the approach the left should take to structural reform of the National Union of Students. It is a response to Left Alliance's
By Marina Cameron
Ask any young person today what they think of society and their future and you will more than likely get a dissatisfied response. In 1995, a national survey found that the majority of young Australians expect a poorer quality
By Lisa Macdonald
PM John Howard professes outrage at charges that his government is racist. Minister for Aboriginal affairs, John Herron argues that "that's all in the past". Today, says MP Pauline Hanson, Aborigines get "privileged treatment".
By Norm Dixon
Papua New Guinea Defence Force soldiers and the pro-PNG "resistance" militias were implicated in the murder of Theodore Miriung, premier of the Port Moresby-appointed Bougainville Transitional Government, a coronial inquiry has found.
By Sam Wainwright
PARIS — "The unions have shown that collective action is just as modern as the law of the market" said Le Monde's November 30 editorial. Who could disagree: after 12 days on strike, French truck drivers can claim victory in the
Environmentalism: it's too late for utopias
Divided Planet: The Ecology of Rich and PoorBy Tom AthanasiouLittle Brown (USA), 1996. 385 pp., US$24.95 (hb)Available only by mail order: phone Resistance Bookshop on (02) 9690 1977Reviewed by Lisa
With this issue, we reach the end of Green Left Weekly's publishing year. We will resume publication in the new year with the January 22 issue, when we'll be back with a new look and a wealth of information, discussion and debate. To make sure you
By Jennifer Thompson
Following a November 14 European parliament resolution condemning recent Israeli conduct in the occupied territories, a December 1 Arab League extraordinary meeting has warned that the peace process between the PLO and the
On the way up
"I'm looking to rise up to be state or federal director of the Liberal Party, and I've got to go through certain avenues to get there." — Rod Dent, son of the first person to die under the NT's euthanasia law, explaining why he
By Trevor Stace
PERTH — On November 11 the West Australian published an article by David Marr concerning the secret life of former Supreme Court judge David Yeldham, who committed suicide after receiving a subpoena to appear before the Wood royal
Science, Nonscience and Nonsense: Approaching Environmental LiteracyBy Michael ZimmermanJohns Hopkins University Press, 1995. 217pp., $45 (hb)Reviewed by Dot Tumney Like lots of other material with this subtitle, this book discusses greenhouse, CFCs,
'The bells will toll for all humanity'
Reprinted here is the text of the speech given on November 16 by Cuban President Fidel Castro, at the World Food Summit, held in Rome at the headquarters of the United Nations Food and Agricultural
Campus axed
By Jonathan Strauss
SYDNEY — The St George campus of the University of New South Wales is to be closed, with the loss of four schools (Teacher Education, Applied and Performing Arts, Sport and Leisure Studies and Wool and Animal
SYDNEY — Performance artist Annette Rups-Eyland's new piece Fallen Totems: An inner journey will feature at the 1997 Fringe Festival at Bondi Pavilion Gallery. Rups-Eyland's work — the fourth in a series — aims to examine social and religious
By Tim E. Stewart
DARWIN — Responding to a native title claim lodged by Larrakia people on crown land around Darwin and the satellite city of Palmerston, warning shots have been fired by the Northern Territory establishment. The NT News labelled
By Cate Weate
HOBART — The Tarkine wilderness, a 350,000-hectare area in north-west Tasmania, is the largest tract of cool temperate rainforest left in Australia and home to many endangered species, wild and scenic rivers, ancient cultural
A short story by Craig Cormick
Luke reaches into the large dusty box and pulls out a detached arm. He wrinkles up his nose in distaste and throws it back in again. "This job is the worst!", he says. "The worst job ever!"
Paul, wrapping a small
Christmas Classifieds
Apology: The illustration of the Panasonic Cordless Phone (Model KX-T4026AL) on page 16 of the Optus World Christmas catalogue currently being distributed shows the incorrect handset for the advertised model. The correct
'Fight Racism Dinner'
By Bill Mason
BRISBANE — "My thanks go to Resistance for their support for East Timor and the East Timorese people", Leila Corte-Real, a representative of the Timorese community in Brisbane, told a Fight Racism Dinner held
WorotanOumou SangaréWorld Circuit through FestivalReviewed by Norm Dixon The West African country of Mali has become something of a music hot spot in recent years. Artists such as Ali Farka Touré, Salif Keita and Mory Kanté have
This is it, the last issue of Green Left Weekly for 1996 — and what a year it has been!
For the last 12 months, Green Left has been covering all of the issues and debates that have made the news, both in Australia and overseas. In particular,
By Gaetano Greco and Lorella Di Pietro
The secretary of the ACTU, Bill Kelty, has finally come around to the idea of shorter working hours as a means of reducing unemployment. It's about time. In the past decade the ACTU has not been willing even
Hypocritically surprised
Recently I received the following in a letter from an Australian friend, Stephanie Wilkinson:
"A few days go I met the delightful Mrs Lettie Scott. Lettie is the widow of an Aboriginal man, the late Mr Douglas Scott, who