Call to end nuclear tests In an open letter sent to the four remaining nuclear testing nations on February 20, Greenpeace called on France, Britain, the US and China to join the moratorium on nuclear testing instituted by the Commonwealth of
Issue 45
News
By Lesley Warne and Polly McDonald WOLLONGONG — Borrowing heavily from the former Labor government's fraudulent "Beds to the West" campaign, the Greiner Liberal government is adopting divide and rule tactics against NSW South Coast
By Kylie Budge The Environmental Youth Alliance is participating in an international campaign, called SOS Siberut, to protect the ecology and people of Siberut island in Indonesia. The campaign, coordinated by Down to Earth in London,
By Melanie Sjoberg MELBOURNE — While some media and business circles have hailed the recent Nissan plant closure as a necessary rationalisation, prospects in the vehicle industry are no brighter for Nissan's demise. Ford motors has announced
NEWCASTLE — Around 180 members of the Combined Waterfront Group of Unions staged a stop-work and march on the morning of February 17, in protest at Maritime Services Board plans to make 30 blue collar workers redundant in pursuit of "structural
By Tom Flanagan HOBART — A blockade organised by the Wilderness Society brought road works to a standstill in the threatened East Picton region of Tasmania's southern forest on February 17. About 40 protesters, including Green Independent
By Peter Boyle MELBOURNE — Controversial papers being circulated for community discussion by the Victorian ALP Budget Coordinating Committee argue convincingly that the money can be raised to pay for urgently needed social and environmental
Blue Mountains mayor resigns By Denis Kevans WENTWORTH FALLS — Mayor Peter O'Toole has resigned from the Blue Mountains City Council after the council failed to back his actions in regard to a controversial development. O'Toole had
By Caroline Petersen A scandal has erupted over government harassment of people who participated in the Aidex protests in Canberra last November. Protesters have had their Department of Social Security benefits reviewed after their names were
By Ray Fulcher and Jason Cheng MELBOURNE — The Victorian Trades Hall Council's February 17-21 Jobs and Justice campaign flopped badly. A series of suburban meetings on unemployment attracted miserable crowds of between 15 and 40, and a
Socialist to contest Wills By Dave Holmes MELBOURNE — The Democratic Socialist Party has announced that it will contest the Wills by-election. The party has selected Bob Lewis, a 40 year-old employee of the RMIT Student Representative
By Kristian Whittaker and Sue Bolton CANBERRA — Last month, Aborigines briefly occupied the old Parliament House and issued a Declaration of Aboriginal Sovereignty "invoking our claim to all the lands of the territories of our ancestors".
World
GAMINI SILVA returns from Sri Lanka with a report on a reign of terror in the troubled island. An Amnesty International report released in January 1992 highlights the continuation of extrajudicial executions, "disappearances" and torture
Russian child-care falls on hard times By Irina Glushchenko MOSCOW — Alarmed by growing popular protests, the Russian government on February 3 moved to abolish taxes on the provision of food in schools and child-care centres. But for
By Pat Walsh Indonesia shot itself badly in the foot on November 12, when troops gunned down at least 100 East Timorese civilians outside the Santa Cruz cemetery in Dili. There have been many massacres in East Timor, starting with and
Cuba's security council term ends By Héctor Igarza UNITED NATIONS — For both friends and foes, the Security Council will not be the same this year. Cuba completed its term as member of that body on December 31. Evaluating its two
By Craig Cormick Shortly after nominations closed for the Philippines presidential election on February 7, there were eight contenders left. Electoral authorities eliminated another 70 as "nuisance" candidates. A further 18 candidates nominated
"Chonnohyup's main achievement is that it still exists!" This how Lee Young Soon, a leading figure in the Korean Trade Union Congress, or Chonnohyup, summed up the two years of employer and government repression it has experienced since the it was
By Norm Dixon Black education in South Africa is a state of collapse. Massive underfunding, desperate overcrowding, woeful facilities, a complete lack of textbooks, seriously underqualified teachers and government indifference have resulted in
By Peter Annear SACRAMENTO — Ron Daniels is not yet a household name in the United States, but he has an impressive track record in the social, black and political movements. Now he is working towards independent presidential nomination
By Jorge Boccanera An old Navajo poem talks of "the voice that beautifies the earth, the voice of the summit, the voice of the thunder that reverberates in the black cloud". The poem tells how the voice that beautifies the earth is silenced,
By Keith Locke AUCKLAND — Election day, February 15, dawned rather damp in Tamaki, but it didn't affect the spirits of 600 Alliance supporters who crammed into Selwyn College to organise getting out the vote. I didn't know most of the people
By Norm Dixon Criminal charges were laid against Fiji Trade Union Congress (FTUC) general secretary Mahendra Chaudhry on February 7 under the provisions of repressive labour laws that came into force on October 31. Chaudhry was charged with
Culture
By Way of Deception: An Insider's Devastating Expose of the MOSSAD, by Claire Hoy and Victor Ostrovsky. Arrow Books Ltd, London. 1991. $12.95 (pb). Reviewed by Mark Delmege.
Our dear old Queen em = By Denis Kevans I really love Australia's deal old Queen, Our dear old Queen gets dearer, as you know, Our dear old Queen's the dearest Queen of all, She's far too bloody dear, she's got to go.
Selling Grandma NSW Premier Nick Greiner's "privatisation is for everyone" campaign has met an irreverent response from the Death Defying Theatre. In association with the Public Service Association, the group has put together "Selling
House of Glass By Pramoedya Ananta Toer Penguin, 1992. 340 pp. $16.95 Reviewed by Stephen Robson Those already acquainted with the previous volumes in the quartet have eagerly awaited this final novel. Translated by Max Lane, the first of
The American Clock By Arthur Miller Directed by Kevin Jackson New Theatre, 542 King St, Newtown Fridays and Saturdays 8.15 p.m., Sundays 5.30 p.m. Reviewed by Emlyn Jones This absorbing production is the result of director Kevin Jackson's
By Kath Tucker An unfortunately short season of the play Blind Justice and the Nipple of Mercy, at the Bay Street Theatre, was one of features of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. A thought-provoking, moving, and at times very funny
Orwell: the authorised biography By Michael Shelden Heinemann, 1991. $45. Reviewed by Craig Brittain Over the years I've read a number of biographies that seemed just about perfect: Dotson Rader's beautiful portrait of Tennessee Williams,
City of Hope Written and directed by John Sayles Starring Vincent Spano, Tony Lo Blanco, Joe Morton and Angela Bassett At the Mandolin Cinema, Sydney Reviewed by Barry Healy John Sayles launches a full frontal assault on the myth of the
Loyalty em = By Denis Kevans There's a face on Australia's postage stamps, Some say it's because of our loyalty, Some say it's because we seem to enjoy Licking the backside of royalty.
Barton Fink Directed by Joel Coen Written by Joel and Ethan Coen Starring John Turturro and John Goodman Reviewed by Ulrike Erhardt Barton Fink is all about heads. Heads that think, drink, feel superior or inferior and sometimes get chopped
Editorial
Thanks for nothing, Bob Bob Hawke's well-paid resignation from parliament last week on the Jana Wendt show was a fittingly farcical finale to a disastrous episode in the history of a disastrous political party. Starting out to represent