ALP rejects funding for East Timor
The Victorian branch of the ALP has voted against a proposal to provide the National Council of Timorese Resistance (CNRT) with $5000 for urgent reconstruction work in East Timor. The motion, proposed by the Labor
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Helping By Brandon Astor Jones "Just as [we] made a successful commitment to ensuring that every child has access to public education starting at age 5, we must commit ourselves to ensuring that in the 21st century every child in America has
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Anyone who voted for the Australian Labor Party or the Australian Democrats in last year's federal election must be feeling well and truly duped by now. Most ALP and Democrats voters believed, falsely, that these parties represented
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Sound the trumpet And so this is the last edition for now as we turn toward the future with a degree of something or other. On the Y2K thing, we're expectant. Come the end of the year/decade/century/millennium we could see in the new year on
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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 Sunday, 9-11pm. Ph 9565 5522. Access News — Melbourne community TV,
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Marxism 2000 conference: confident in the future of socialismWhose century was the 20th, and whose century will the 21st be? As the millennium draws to a close, we should reflect on this. Capitalism is still in power across most of
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The federal government has withdrawn the outstanding parts of its "second wave" of anti-union legislation after the Democrats decided to join with the ALP and the Greens to defeat these measures in the Senate. The ALP, however,
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The 'irritant' of affirmative action A bill has been introduced into parliament to amend the 1986 affirmative action act after a government-ordered review of the legislation resulted in a report called Unfinished Business. The gist of the
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See you next year This is the last issue of Green Left Weekly for 1999. The next issue will be published on January 19 — don't miss it!
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Technology for the new millennium There is a new technology in the air. It is called CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access). It holds huge promise for mobile phones. It is being spoken of as the possible basis for a single international mobile phone
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What's in a number? Nothing, really: 2000 (or 2001 by some calculations) is no more or less significant than 1997 or 2016. But as the new year approaches, the media are overflowing with stories on the biggest/best/shortest/most
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Dockers There is one talent which the British ruling class possess in abundance, and that is their ability to produce propaganda denigrating their opponents, whilst pretending that they are interested only in revealing the truth. The film
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Australia faces "massive economic, environment and social challenges" due to excessive concentrations of salts in soils and waterways, according to the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO). Arresting the
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Coincidence in media-land?The editors of the establishment newspapers — especially the "quality" broadsheets — claim that their editorial decisions on what is, and isn't, news are not influenced by the business interests of
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In a bitter irony, parliament has presented its new laws and regulations governing asylum seekers as part of a "solution" to the "refugee problem". They are nothing of the kind: the new regime will make it almost impossible for most
News
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Protest against forced deportations SYDNEY — More than 30 members and supporters of the Burmese community protested outside the Thai consul general's office on December 2 to call for an immediate halt to the forced deportation of Burmese
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Union defends tenants SYDNEY — Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union members joined a picket at a Glebe Point Road boarding house on December 1 to protest against the threatened eviction of two tenants. It is believed the owner wants to
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WTO protest in BrisbaneBRISBANE — About 50 people protested against the World Trade Organisation on November 30, outside the Stock Exchange Towers. Called by the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), the action was in
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Queensland University takes union to courtBRISBANE — On November 26, the management at the University of Queensland took the National Tertiary Education Industry Union (NTEU) to the Australian Industrial Relations Commission
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Public meeting condemns white Australia policyBRISBANE — Green Left Weekly hosted an emergency public meeting here on December 1, entitled "Reject the new white Australia policy", in response to the federal government's
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BRISBANE — The Queensland Art Gallery is currently hosting the Third Asia Pacific Triennial (APT3). The Asia Pacific Triennial began in 1993 as an attempt to bring the art of the Asia-Pacific region into contemporary focus. Up to 77
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Che Guevara was made head of the National Bank of Cuba in 1960. As head of the bank, and later director of industry, Che wrote a lot about the planning of a socialist economy. Implicit in Che's writings on human socialisation and
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Tinsel, unbearable family reunions and presents are the contemporary attributes of what was once a festive day for celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. The story of the virgin birth of baby Jesus in a stable in Bethlehem is
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The ballot for a new certified agreement in the Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care concluded last week. The result was a resounding "no". Sixty per cent of staff rejected the shabby agreement, which provided for a very
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"If you tremble with indignation at every injustice, then you are a comrade of mine." — Che Deep in the jungles of Colombia, guerillas who call themselves "Guevaristas" prepare for another offensive against the brutal and corrupt
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Correction The article "Victimised unionist garners support" in Green Left Weekly issue #387 reported that an Australian Bureau of Statistics NSW sub-delegates' committee meeting voted unanimously for a motion in support of Organising Works trainee
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Well, yes "It shows that the little man ... can ... get justice. However, the fact that it took him nine years to do it proves that the system does have its problems." — Tasmanian Senator Paul Calvert on Geoff Marr, who had just won an unfair
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Tas Labor stalls on teacher salariesHOBART — The state branch of the Australian Education Union has called on the government to implement its pre-election promise to introduce a "salary nexus" between teachers in Tasmania
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For the capitalists, Che is a marketing gold mine, his face being used to launch a thousand products: Wear a Che Swatch watch; Go to a Che theme night at pubs like Bonaparte's Hotel in Brisbane; Follow Kate Moss by wearing a designer Che
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MELBOURNE — Fifty or more armed police lined up outside of the departments of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Industry ready for a surge of angry anti-World Trade Organisation (WTO) demonstrators on November 30. However, the
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To add your name to the following petition or obtain copies for wider distribution, please phone (02) 9690 1230, fax (02) 9690 1381, or e-mail <glw@greenleft.org.au>. In 1997 Australia became infamous because of the rapid rise of the
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Rally supports indigenous educationDARWIN — Seventy staff, students and supporters rallied at the Northern Territory University (NTU) on November 26 to protest the sacking of more than half of the staff in the Faculty of
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Aboriginal death in WA prison PERTH — Murray Jones, the new chairperson of the WA Deaths In Custody Watch Committee, expressed his sorrow and anger on November 29 at the death of yet another Aboriginal man in custody. "How many more of our
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Union win at Macquarie UniversitySYDNEY — At Macquarie University, the National Tertiary Education Industry Union and management have agreed to sign a "heads of agreement" to cover wages and conditions for academic and
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His image is widely recognised, but most people know little about his incredible life. This is no accident. Che's life is a story of a commitment to fighting all the values that capitalist consumer society imposes. Che's image
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PERTH — Since mid-November, BHP Iron Ore workers at the company's operations at Mt Newman and Port Hedland in WA's north-west have had to deal with unprecedented individual contracts. For decades, workers at the mine and
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CFMEU demands justice for retired workerSYDNEY — Sixty members of the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union occupied a furniture factory in Milperra, south-west Sydney, on December 1 to demand that 61-year-old Heather
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CANBERRA — In the same week that the federal ALP voted for corporate tax cuts and the new racist refugee laws, the ACT Labor Party voted to reintroduce rank and file preselection of its election candidates. A special ACT
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Ruddock challenged on immigration policyPERTH — Federal minister for immigration Philip Ruddock presented the closing speech to a two-day conference on immigration here on December 1. Speaking at the University of WA, Ruddock
Analysis
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A victory to build on Twenty-four years ago this week, the Indonesian military launched its brutal invasion of East Timor. Today East Timor is at last free of the Indonesian occupation. Although the East Timorese have paid a huge price, and now
World
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LONDON — Around 3000 people rallied outside Euston railway station on November 30 as part of worldwide protests against the World Trade Organisation's agenda at its conference in Seattle, USA. The rally here was the culmination of
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SEATTLE — Those who marched or stood or sat in the streets here last week made history, and they knew it. And like the great marches against the Vietnam War, or the first sit-ins in the south in the late '50s, it was not always
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Troops attack West PapuansIndonesian military forces shot protesters trying to prevent them lowering the West Papuan independence flag in the south coast town of Timika on December 1. Approximately 30 people were injured by the
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Poll victory will test AllianceThe November 27 poll in New Zealand gives the balance of power to the centre-left Alliance (which received 8% of the vote and will gain 10-11 seats, depending on the special votes). This will give this
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Scottish socialists see good growing weather Lisa Young and Pam Currie GLASGOW — The Scottish Socialist Party exploded onto the political scene in 1999. Tommy Sheridan's election to the Scottish parliament represents a major breakthrough for a
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Australian solidarity activist jailed in JakartaAction in Solidarity with Indonesia and East Timor member Chris Latham was arrested in Jakarta on November 29. Latham, who is a student in Sydney, was participating in a demonstration
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JAKARTA — Spending a day at the People's Democratic Party (PRD) headquarters in East Jakarta watching the stream of activists coming and going, it's easy to forget that just three years ago, the party was banned, its key leaders
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LOS ANGELES — Pacifica Radio, also known as "Free Speech Radio", was founded in 1948 by journalist Lewis Hill and a group of anarcho-pacifist war resisters who wanted to counter the rising repression and militarism of the Cold War.
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Conference discusses US role in Colombian conflictQUITO, Ecuador — On November 25-26, more than 60 international delegates and 300 Ecuadoran human rights and social justice activists met here at the Conference for Peace and
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Left-of-centre coalition wins in New ZealandAUCKLAND — The elections on November 27 resulted in a swing to the left, giving a left-of-centre coalition of the Labour Party and the Alliance sufficient seats in parliament to
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RAMALLAH — An outcry has arisen following the arrests of several prominent Palestinians living in the West Bank. The arrests came after they had issued a public statement which criticised corruption within the Palestinian
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Chile's social democracy struggling in electionSANTIAGO — On December 12, Chileans will elect a new president. Extreme right-wing candidate Joaquim Lavin has been gaining ground on a campaign "for change"; Chileans are weary
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MOSCOW — While continuing its war in the Caucasus, Russia is due later in December to elect the national parliament. Few people show much interest in the elections. The numerous parties and blocs have had trouble scraping
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As investigations by both the United Nations and the Indonesian Human Rights Commission continue into the Indonesian military's involvement in the killing and destruction which took place in East Timor, the Howard government remains
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NZ judge supports asylum seekersAUCKLAND — Asylum seekers at Auckland's Mt Eden Prison have been released after a High Court judge told the Immigration Service on November 30 that the men may have been wrongly jailed. The 16
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Left loses in UruguayJorge Batlle of the ruling Colorado Party was elected Uruguay's president in a second round run-off vote on November 28. The vote followed parliamentary and first round presidential elections held on
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The future of Pakistan's military regimeThe new regime of General Pervaiz Musharraf argues that the Nawaz Sharif government, which it overthrew in a military coup in October, was not able to save the system from a total
Culture
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Keep your finger on the pulse Just because Green Left Weekly is taking a break for the next six weeks, you don't have to lose touch with what's going on in the green and left movements. Green Left Weekly's TV show in Sydney (on channel 31) will
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Radical LA band to play freeSYDNEY — Ozomatli, a politically and musically incendiary band from Los Angeles' sprawling and distressed working-class suburbs, is coming to Sydney for three free concerts at Darling Harbour. No
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Orwell, Darwin-styleDARWIN — Using creative licence and a line from George Orwell's famous book Animal Farm, a new musical collective of the same name is attempting to combat the "all bands are equal, some are more equal than
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Anti-disciplinary Protest: Sixties Radicalism and PostmodernismBy Julie StevensCambridge University Press, 1998. $29.95 Yippies to yuppies, students to stockbrokers, hippies to entrepreneurs, grand narratives to relativism. Did the
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Review by Tony Iltis Imperialism, The Highest Stage Of CapitalismBy V.I. Lenin (1916)Resistance Marxist LibrarynResistance Books, Sydney, 1999. 147 pp., $10.95Available at Resistance Bookshops, or send $12.95 (incl. postage) to PO Box 515, Broadway
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Tiddas say farewellFREMANTLE — It was standing room only at the Fly By Night Club on November 27. The lights went down. The background music stopped. The crowd hushed, then cheered as Tiddas strode onto the stage at their