By Bronwen Beechey MELBOURNE — Environment groups, local councils and residents have reacted angrily to a February 3 "options paper" by the Coode Island Review Panel nominating six possible sites for relocation of the hazardous chemicals
Issue 43
News
By Stefan Skibicki and Bernie Brian WOLLONGONG — Members of the Liquor Trades Union (LTU) and Transport Workers Union (TWU) working in the canteens at BHP's Port Kembla steelworks have voted to remain on strike indefinitely over plans by
MELBOURNE — The vehicle builders union (VBEF) estimates that at least another 1000 jobs will be lost in related industries as well as the 2000 directly lost as a result of the closure Nissan's Australian car manufacturing operations. Other
Red-faced Hewson retreats By Julia Perkins SYDNEY — "Listen mate, I grew up from your stage. I'm going to make sure you have the chance to get a job", yelled red-faced, finger-pointing Liberal leader John Hewson outside Randwick Social
Toxic incinerator for Newcastle? By Edward Johnstone NEWCASTLE — The city council here may be considering a high-temperature incinerator (HTI) at Kooragang Island, says John Benett of Newcastle Concerned Citizens (NCC). During 1991, the
Alternative to the 'red-back and funnel-web' By Greg Adamson CANBERRA — Democratic Socialist Party candidate Lara Pullin made an impact in her first week of campaigning for the ACT Legislative Assembly elections on February 15. The
By Fiona McCrossin The south-east old growth forests of NSW in 1969 were the first large area of Australian forest to be allocated to export woodchipping. Since then, national park gains in the region have been concentrated in the unloggable
Residents act against sand mining By Tracy Sorensen Residents of Diamond Beach, a small town near Taree, have begun a petition campaign against a development application for sand mining by the Mineral Deposits company (a subsidiary of BHP
There will be protests against the arrival of two French warships in Sydney on February 23 and 24 to celebrate the arrival of the explorer La Perouse in 1788. Further details are available from the Sydney Peace Squadron, phone (02) 316 5790.
By Vivienne Porzsolt The outcome of a case currently before the Human Rights Commission in Canberra could have a huge impact on the status and welfare of women. "For women's health and women's health centres, the consequences could be
120,000 tertiary places are missing By Simone Siracusa and Alex Bainbridge MELBOURNE — Around 120,000 students eligible for higher education will not be offered places in universities and colleges because of government funding cuts. For
By Petar Delyan More than 10,000 people of Macedonian descent rallied in Melbourne on February 1, calling on the federal government to recognise Macedonia's declaration of independence from Yugoslavia. On February 2, up to 8000 attended a
World
By Chawki Salhi ALGIERS — Arising first among the petty bourgeoisie, intellectuals of lower class origin and small traders, with the support of the traditionalist sectors of the middle bourgeoisie, fundamentalism has become a mass phenomenon.
Green information for government The Government Purchasing Project in the United States, founded by Ralph Nader, wants to hear from groups and individuals about innovative ways to make government a "green" consumer. It would like specific
The torture of detainees in Indonesia, especially during the first days of detention, is not exceptional. In politically unstable regions like Aceh, East Timor and Irian Jaya (West Papua), torture is routine. These are the conclusions of a
By Leslie Cagan Stepped-up US pressure on Cuba and the increasing desperation of the island nation's economic situation are prompting a surge in solidarity organising around the US. New groups are forming specifically to work for an end to
By Chawki Salhi ALGIERS — The Algerian establishment has responded to the victory of the fundamentalist Islamic Salvation Front (FIS) in the first round of the legislative elections by cancelling the second round and setting up a military
By Norm Dixon Five Australian government ministers visiting Papua New Guinea have demanded, and received, strong assurances that the government there will step up "internal security" to protect the investments of Australian big businesses.
By Ian Powell WELLINGTON — The newly formed Alliance of progressive third parties continues to perform extraordinarily well in opinion polls, suggesting that this new formation is likely to turn the country's two-party system into a
By Sally Low 1992 was supposed to be the year when one huge prosperous market would emerge in western Europe — a market that would lay the basis for giant European companies to match the US and Japan as the most successful exploiters of the
By Renfrey Clarke MOSCOW — With the massacre of real wages since the new year, labour unions in Russia and the other republics of the former Soviet Union are facing the toughest test in their recent history. The response by union officials
By Renfrey Clarke MOSCOW — As Russians gasped for breath after their first weeks of price liberalisation, how did they rate their government and its policies? Opinion polls in Moscow and St Petersburg have now provided some of the answers.
By Renfrey Clarke MOSCOW — In the main street of Novosibirsk in western Siberia, the protest march was a kilometre in length. Thousands of members of the city's labour collectives were demanding the restoration of affordable prices for
Culture
By Penny Saunders The Melbourne International Lesbian and Gay Film Festival (at the National Theatre, St Kilda, until February 15) presents a challenging program of local and international film dealing with diverse subjects ranging from
Mythical Past, Elusive Future: History and Society in an Anxious Age By Frank Furedi Pluto Press, London and Concord, Mass, 1992 Reviewed by Ian Bolas Reason, progress, change — the words are rarely spoken today without an apologetic
By Miguel D'Souza The movie Boyz 'n' the Hood has brought the realities of black America to all who have seen it. Director John Singleton has created a picture of the struggle to survive in Amerikkka that is chilling in its portrayal of the
Socialism: past and future By Michael Harrington NAL/Dutton. $9.95 Reviewed by Craig Brittain It was characteristic of Michael Harrington that when he learned he was dying of cancer in 1988, he began to write what he knew would be his last
Debts By Stefo Nantsou Zeal Theatre, Civic Playhouse, Newcastle, February 17 & 18 Reviewed by Frank Razmovski Stefo Nantsou's play of corporate and political corruption sketches the past 30 years of Australian history as an epic cartoon
Editorial
Labor's economic statement The Labor Party left was on the right track with its call last week for increased public spending to create employment in the coming February 26 economic statement. A delegation consisting of Senator Bruce Childs and