Issue 291

News

Hinchinbrook protesters assaulted By Tim Walgers BRISBANE — On September 14, a group of around 60 protesters and media representatives were physically attacked by Port Hinchinbrook development site workers and supporters of the project.
By Chris Spindler Despite protestations about helping the rural sector, the federal Coalition's rural package, released a fortnight ago, does little more than continue the policy begun by the previous Labor government of actively removing small
Bus drivers fight attack By Bill Mason BRISBANE — Bus drivers here are mounting a campaign to defend their jobs, wages and conditions in the face of a concerted attack by their employer, the ALP-run Brisbane City Council. Demands by the
Thousands oppose forest agreement By Tony Iltis HOBART — Between one and two thousand people rallied outside parliament on September 18 to oppose the imminent, and long-delayed, signing of Tasmania's regional forest agreement (RFA). The
Kennett's cutbacks deny women justice By Margarita Windisch MELBOURNE — Displaying its callous attitude towards the disadvantaged, the Kennett government is refusing to address violence against women. In a ruthless effort to cut spending,
Students fight to hold elections By Nick Middleton CANBERRA — A general student meeting (GSM) has been called to sack the current University of Canberra Student Association executive and replace it with an executive that would hold office
Far right gathers in the deep north By Bernard Wunsch BRISBANE — Pauline Hanson will be making her first political speech in the Queensland capital at 11am on October 4, at the Festival Hall under the banner of "Prosper Australia!". She
Howard bullies Pacific nations on greenhouse By Norm Dixon Prime Minister John Howard, leading the Australian delegation to the South Pacific Forum meeting in the Cook Islands, found himself completely isolated over his government's
Individual contracts for CES By Paul Oboohov CANBERRA — The Public Employment Placement Enterprise (the corporatised successor to the Commonwealth Employment Service) is planning individual contracts for all former public servants as they
Sexism in student media By Amanda Lawrence CANBERRA — When the September 11 issue of ANU's student newspaper Woroni was released, it caused disgust. On the cover was a photograph of a woman sitting on a car with the words "No Fat Chicks"
CSDA workers campaign for new agreement By Bill Mason Workers in the Commonwealth Services Delivery Agency, now renamed Centrelink, are meeting on September 22-23 to discuss the next move in their campaign for a new agency agreement. They
By Reihana Mohideen One of Australia's strongest unions, the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Engineering Union (CFMEU), could be sued for millions of dollars worth of "damages" after the Industrial Relations Commission paved the way for
Nationally coordinated actions in defence of native title took place on September 20 and 21, and more are planned. Stefan Skibicki reports from Wollongong that around 500 people attended a rally on September 20. After assembling at the Trade
Homeless Aborigines in Darwin protest By Bill Day DARWIN — Corrugated iron humpies and tarpaulins slung between trees around an Aboriginal flag flying from a bamboo pole make up the base camp for homeless Aborigines protesting the
Meeting opposes Hydro sale By Tony Iltis HOBART — The proposed sale of the Hydro Electricity Corporation was the subject of a Politics in the Pub organised by the Tasmanian Greens on September 19. Senator Bob Brown and Trades and Labor
Five-day teaching ban at ANU By David Gosling CANBERRA — The campaign to stop 33 sackings in the Australian National University arts faculty escalated last week when staff in the National Tertiary Education and Industry Union held a
Native title conference tells it how it is By Martin Iltis CANBERRA — More than 150 people attended a conference here on September 13 titled "Native Title: Whose Title?" organised by Reconciliation in the ACT. Mary Lou Buck, a participant
SA government expands uranium mining By Rob Graham ADELAIDE — Plans are afoot for a major increase in uranium mining in South Australia, involving new mines at Beverley and Honeymoon, and the expansion of Roxby Downs to over twice its
By Melanie Sjoberg ADELAIDE — Most South Australians are aware that the Crows have made it to the AFL preliminary finals. A lot fewer would know that Premier John Olsen has called a state election on October 11. The Advertiser suggested that
By Ian Jamieson ROSEBERY — Under the whip of a declining health budget, rural and regional hospitals in Tasmania are facing closure or a severe curtailing of services. The latest casualty is a 70-year-old hospital in St Marys on the east
By James Vassilopoulos In a stunning victory for the Maritime Union of Australia, the US-owned company, International Purveyors, which had sacked its unionised workers at its Cairns port a week earlier, agreed on September 19 to allow them to

World

By Norm Dixon While the United Nations, the aid industry and the world press continue to accuse — without evidence — the new government of the Democratic Republic of Congo of systematic human rights abuses during the uprising that overthrew
Steps toward ending radioactive dumping in oceans By Barry Healy On the final day of the meeting of the OSPAR Convention on September 5 in Brussels, the British and French governments for the first time agreed to moves to end marine nuclear
Privatisation push at Chinese CP congress By Eva Cheng Chinese President Jiang Zemin has pronounced a firm intention to further restore the rule the market and private profits to China at the Communist Party's 15th congress, held in
Study shows danger of nuclear waste traffic A serious accident involving a ship carrying highly radioactive nuclear waste through the waters of the Federal States of Micronesia would result in increased cancer risks, require a ban on the
By Michael Karadjis — NICOSIA, September 5 — The following declaration was signed by 58 Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot political, cultural, trade union, peace and women's organisations on the occasion of the International Day for
By Adam Hanieh RAMALLAH — On September 15, the Israeli government announced the lifting of the internal closure on Palestinian towns in the West Bank. This decision means Palestinians can now travel between towns but are still prohibited from
In Africa World Bank protests veterans' victory The World Bank is withholding a US$62 million loan to Zimbabwe in protest at the Mugabe government's compensation package for liberation war veterans. Following a determined campaign of
By Michael Karadjis Athens — The second Anti-Racist Festival was held here over the weekend of September 12-14, gathering thousands of people together in discussions about how to confront rising racism in Greece and in Europe and to fight for
By Dave Riley The start of Irish peace negotiations may have marked a crossroads in Irish history, but signs of such a momentous event were hard to find. At Stormont Castle in Belfast, Sinn Féin took its seats at the negotiating table
By Eva Cheng Rampant corruption of Communist Party officials in China has been well known since 1949. But Deng Xiaoping's capitalist "reforms" since 1979 have given them new means of enrichment. Lavish banquets, bigger villas, consumer
On September 10, the Cuban government announced that it had arrested a Salvadoran mercenary responsible for a number of bomb attacks against tourist sites in Havana, including the September 4 Copacabana hotel bombing that left an Italian tourist
By Rupen Savoulian On October 23, Algerians will go to the polls in local elections. Thirty-eight political parties, two coalitions and several independents are fielding candidates. The parties which will stand are the National Liberation Front
Indonesian troops rampage through campus By James Balowski Scores of university students, workers and lectures were injured when Mobile Brigade troops went on a violent rampage through the campus of Syiah Kuala University, according to a
Birth-control riots Authorities in China's southern province of Guangdong have ordered birth-control officials to stop abusing power following several outbreaks of rioting over stiff fines, Chinese newspapers have reported. They also warned
Greenpeace collects evidence of climate change By Barry Healy The Greenpeace protest vessel Arctic Sunrise has recently visited communities along the Bering Sea and Chukchi Sea coasts of Alaska to document observations by native peoples of
By Sonny Melencio A longer version of this article was written in July, a week after the much publicised devaluation of the Philippine peso. It was circulated among members of the progressive trade union organisation Bukluran ng Manggagawang

Culture

Left on-line Debate erupts on Young Liberal site — Recent articles in Green Left Weekly on the far right in the Liberal Party have provoked a lively debate on the web site of the Young Liberal Movement of WA. The YLMWA was identified by GLW
By Kyla Slaven We all know about the railing, nasty and simplistic messages put forward by commercial radio, television and print media in Australia. News and current affairs are presented as objective, "natural" reporting of the "most important
A Midsummer Night's DreamBy William ShakespeareDirected by Noël C. ToveySydney Theatre Company in association with the Olympic Arts FestivalsWharf Theatre until October 4 Review by Allen Myers This excellent production is part of the
Jump Ralph, JumpCarlton Courthouse Theatre, MelbourneWednesday to Sunday, September 25 to October 12, 8.30pmTickets phone 11566 or at the door, $15/$12. Preview by Bronwen Beechey Craig Friemond's play Jump Ralph, Jump examines universal human
On Stage VietnamWritten by Mona Brand and Pat BarnettDirected by Adam Lawrence GriggsAt the Organ Factory, Clifton Hill, MelbourneUntil September 27 Review by Bridget Riggs This play begins with the sound of choppers, dim lighting and a lone
Behind the white male hero Black MaryBy Julie JansonDirected by Angela ChaplinCompany B in association with the Olympic Arts FestivalsWilson Street Carriage Works 229 Wilson Street, Newtown, SydneyUntil October 12 Review by Helen
The Bottom LineTo be launched at the Rose, Shamrock and Thistle, Evans St, RozelleSaturday, October 18, 8pm. $6 and $4Purchase an album at the door and get in free. For nearly 10 years Peter Hicks has been entertaining Sydney audiences with his songs
CoraggioBy Level Crossing (Bradfield TAFE performing arts students)Directed by Patrick GuerreraATYP Studio, The Wharf, Sydney Review by Brendan Doyle Have you noticed how mainstream Sydney theatres are cutting themselves off more and more from
Blood on the FieldsWynton Marsalis and the Lincoln Centre Jazz OrchestraColumbia/SonyThree CDs, $49.95 Review by Norm Dixon The long-awaited release on CD of Wynton Marsalis' epic jazz odyssey about slavery was preceded by the controversy that