By Rina Anticich
PERTH — This week, Curtin University and the University of Western Australia will be electing the student guilds of 1998. Most tickets promise to provide students with plenty of cheap beer and more bands in the tavern, but
Issue 289
News
Tax workers campaign against sackings
By Ben Courtice
MELBOURNE — Members of the Community and Public Sector Union Tax Section have begun rolling stoppages and pickets aimed at pressuring management not to sack staff. So far pickets have
Charges against unionist dropped
CANBERRA — On September 1, charges of criminal damage to Parliament House were dropped at the Canberra Magistrates Court against CFMEU Adelaide organiser Davie Thomason. The charges arose from the ACTU rally on
Rally defends native title
By Kamala Emanuel
NEWCASTLE — Sixty people attended a rally and march here for Aboriginal land rights and democratic rights for migrants and refugees on August 30. Speakers condemned Howard's proposed amendments
Campaigning against racism
CANBERRA — Around 100 people rallied at the Aboriginal Tent Embassy on September 3. The rally, organised by the Campaign Against Racism (CAR), was called to protest against the federal government's racism and job
Kumarangk defenders take next step
By Alice Davies
ADELAIDE — The campaign against the bridge to Hindmarsh Island (Kumarangk) in South Australia won an important victory on September 3 when High Court Chief Justice Brennan agreed to refer
By William McDonald
MELBOURNE — About 100 people from the Kurdish community and supporters marched on September 1 to support the Musa Anter Peace Train, which was journeying from Brussels to Diyarbakir in northern Kurdistan (south-eastern
Opposition to public housing changes
By Bridget Riggs
MELBOURNE — Several hundred people took to the streets on September 5 to voice their opposition to the state government's current public housing "reform" package. The rally at the Town
Action against racism in WA
By Anne O'Callaghan
PERTH — Action Against Racism organised a picket on August 29 outside a One Nation supporters' meeting at Warwick community hall. Despite only five days' notice, AAR mobilised more than 50
Precedent
"The Indonesian government used to complain about the Australian media like this. I just never thought I would hear it from an Australian foreign minister." — Indonesian journalist Ratih Hardjono on Alexander Downer's complaint that
Protest against One Nation in Robertson
By Simon Frew
ROBERTSON — At the second One Nation meeting in the NSW southern highlands, protesters outnumbered supporters by about four to one. Despite the violence by Hanson supporters at a
Campaign defending native title grows
By Jennifer Thompson
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission has rejected the government's native title bill, introduced to parliament on September 4, calling it unfair and divisive. The
By James Vassilopoulos
BRISBANE — The title of the Australian Council of Trade Union's congress, September 1-5, was "Negotiating the Future". A more apt title would have added "Away". This, the first congress since the election of the federal
Correction
In the article on Campaign Against Racism in Adelaide in last week's GLW, it was incorrectly reported that National Action has an office in Woodville and that the Vietnamese community was planning to march past it on September 6. In
Rally against toxic waste dump
By Ben Courtice
MELBOURNE — On August 31, 400 people rallied on the steps of parliament to meet a cavalcade of 40 farmers' tractors and trucks which had made its way in from the outlying suburb of Werribee.
By Tom Flanagan
DARWIN — While the Northern Territory elections returned the ruling Country-Liberal Party to government (with 18 seats to Labor's seven), a significant vote was recorded for progressive candidates in a range of electorates. The
By Jo Brown
SYDNEY — Sydney University is planning to build a private hospital on its main campus in conjunction with Health Care of Australia, a division of Mayne Nickless. The construction would involve the demolition of the Bosch lecture
Analysis
Environment before profits
"Australia has the opportunity to lead the world as a clean and green nation, an objective which is not only environmentally responsible but will produce major economic benefits and job opportunities for the
World
Chilean-Australian refugee arrested returning to Chile
By Neville Spencer
Nelson Rivera, a Chilean refugee resident in Sydney for eight years, has been sentenced to 400 days in prison after returning to Chile to visit his ill mother. He was
Gay groups protest in Ecuador
On August 27, a coalition of gay groups and human rights organisations held the first public demonstration for gay rights in Quito, Ecuador. The two-hour protest was organised by gay associations to promote a
By Adam Hanieh
On 25 August, Palestinian prisoner Imad Sabi negotiated a "release" with the Israeli Security Service (Shabak). Imad Sabi agreed to four years of exile in exchange for his release from continued administrative detention (detention
By Renfrey Clarke
MOSCOW — Anti-nuclear campaigners may be on the road to victory in a battle to prevent the completion of the Rostov Nuclear Power Plant, under construction in southern Russia. Local authorities in six administrative districts
Gay youth at higher risk of suicide
By Marina Cameron
A University of Minnesota research team released a report on August 27 showing that gay youth are seven times more likely to kill themselves than their heterosexual counterparts. The
By James Balowski
Over the last few weeks, fires have again swept through Kalimantan and other parts of Indonesia, destroying thousands of hectares of rainforest and blanketing Singapore and Malaysia in a dense cloud of smoke and ash. Despite
By Eva Cheng
Led by Washington, most advanced capitalist countries imposed economic sanctions on China after the Tiananmen massacre in 1989. The sanctions are still partially enforced, though now confined to "sensitive" technologies. But the big
By Adam Hanieh
While most international media have focused on the aftermath of the July suicide bombings and the effects on Palestinian/Israeli negotiations, a damning report by the Palestinian Legislative Council has escaped the attention of
By Norm Dixon
Workers in every province of South Africa strongly supported a week of rolling general strikes beginning August 18 to demand changes to the Basic Conditions of Employment Bill. Employers and COSATU reported that 60-100% of workers
Taliban offers unconditional peace talks
By Rupen Savoulian
After many months of refusing even to contemplate talks with the Afghan opposition, the Taliban regime in Kabul has announced that it is will hold unconditional peace talks with
Young republicans in Belfast and South Armagh have launched a new initiative to mobilise young people across the Six Counties. Calling itself Sinn Féin Youth, and targeting people between the ages of 15 and 25, the initiative has already
By Ana Kailis
MEXICO CITY — On September 13, 1111 Zapatistas will begin a march from Chiapas to Mexico City to demand the implementation of the San Andres agreements (signed in 1996) and to protest against the continuing military incursions
Culture
Cars, chaos and death — but no princess
AutogeddonBy Heathcote Williams and Nightshift Theatre AsylumSt Stephens Church, Newtown, Sydney Review by Brendan Doyle
The timing was brilliant, but not, alas, the publicity. Here's a group
Boy meets girl ... who used to be a boy
Different for GirlsDirected by Richard SpenceStarring Rupert Graves and Steven MacintoshScreening at the Luna Cinema in Perth and selected cinemas nationwide Review by Corrine Glenn
This is a tale of
Any which way you can: Youth livelihoods, community resources and crimeBy Rob White, with Megan Aumair, Anita Harris and Liz McConnellAustralian Youth Foundation Review by Marina Cameron
This study by Rob White, professor of Criminology at the
African dance music courtesy of East Timor
By Arun Pradhan
PERTH — The unique sounds of Jah Era will feature at a Reggae Against Racism here on September 21. The mix of cultural influences in the band is best reflected in Angelo
Rage Against Racism
By Kathy Newnam
BRISBANE — A Rage Against Racism was held at the University of Queensland on September 4. The event was organised by the RAGE ticket in the student union election. The money raised will go to
Hostage of FortuneDirected by Meg Kanowski and Katrina DeveryMetro Theatre, Brisbane September 10-20, Wednesday to Saturday 8pmBookings 3221 1527 By Lynda Hansen
Director Katrina Devery studied theatre at University of Southern Queensland and