BY RUSSELL PICKERING& ALISON DELLIT
The Australian government is attempting to introduce legislation giving secret police agencies more powers, and enabling state persecution of dissidents. The legislation includes granting the attorney-general the
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Michael Albert, co-founder of the Boston-based Z Magazine (<http://www.zmag.org>) will be one of the feature speakers at the Second Asia-Pacific International Solidarity Conference to be held in Sydney on March 28-April 2. He is also the
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A single private corporation — Australasian Correctional Management (ACM) — runs all six of the horrendous refugee detention camps in Australia. ACM is the Australian subsidiary of the Miami-based detention and security giant, Wackenhut.
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and ain't i a woman?: Winning allies in the fight for women's liberation On International Women's Day (March 8), 1917, 50,000 women took to the streets of Petrograd, protesting against food shortages resulting from Russia's participation in
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It would be easy to think, watching Channel 10's ever-so-hip coverage of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, that homophobia in Australia was in retreat. But the March 12 attack, under parliamentary privilege, by cabinet
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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, 9pm. Phone 9565 5522. Visit <http://www.channel31.org>
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Israel-Palestine conflict The Israel-Palestine conflict is one which has been distorted by the mainstream media for decades. It is up to the independent press to give a more realistic picture of these events. Unfortunately, from reading the
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SYDNEY On March 13, the Sydney Labor for Refugees group decided to oppose the attempted exclusion of members of the Democratic Socialist Party, International Socialist Organisation and other activist left groups from the
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The five-day hunger strike by 170 people imprisoned in the Woomera detention centre, which began on March 7, has received scant coverage in the mainstream media. This has made it difficult for asylum seekers to relay their protest
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SYDNEY — Since the federal election, the campaign against the government's policy on refugees has grown dramatically. Dozens of new refugees' rights groups have formed. Labor for Refugees groups have formed in a number of states.
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She is one of Asia's most significant trade union leaders. Dita Sari, the 30-year-old chairperson of the independent Indonesian National Front for Labour Struggles (FNPBI), achieved notoriety for her refusal to be bought off. Most
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SYDNEY — Over the last two weeks, Socialist Alliance branches in Sydney have been attempting, without success, to get clarification from the Palm Sunday 2002 committee of why alliance members have been banned from attending Palm
News
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HOBART — A range of local industry bosses — Chickenfeed boss Rudie Sypkes, Steven Auld of Auld Constructions and Robert Wilkins of Wilkins Constructions — utilised the beginning of the building industry royal commission's
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PERTH Under pressure from local residents, the Western Australian health department on March 8 released worrying figures on cancer rates in the Kwinana industrial area, south of Perth. The government department is playing
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SYDNEY — Up to 400 people gathered for a two-hour protest vigil for Palestine on March 15. Well supported by the Sydney Palestinian community, the vigil was called by the Council of Australian Palestinian Organisations with the
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Ludicrous "It may be limiting of competition in that there's one dominant company, which is Foxtel, but it's ludicrous to say that competition will be limited." — Sydney right-wing radio broadcaster Alan Jones. Certainly not his government "I
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DARWIN — "No votes for ratbags" was the headline of the editorial in the March 7 Northern Territory News. The News was referring to the Socialist Alliance and its candidate for Lord Mayor of Darwin, Ruth Ratcliffe. The same
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MELBOURNE — Workers sacked by Hugo Boss (formerly called Flair Menswear) found themselves under greater attack this week. Twenty-five workers and leaders of their union, the Textile, Clothing and Footwear Union of Australia (TCFUA),
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More than 10,100 people have signed an online petition supporting a call for a royal commission into the government's treatment of asylum seekers. Out of thousands of active petitions from all over the world listed on the
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Only one day after an angry March 14 meeting of State Transit Authority (STA) bus drivers voted to strike for 48 hours in pursuit of their wage claim, the executive of the Rail, Tram and Bus Union has deferred the action. The
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MIDLAND, WA — In response to the February 11 Four Corners program that exposed the extent of the devastating toxic fire at the Waste Control recycling site in Bellevue in February 2000, and a year of community protest action,
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HOBART — The Stanley Burbury Theatre at the University of Tasmania was absolutely packed out on March 7 when David Suzuki presented a lecture emphasising the importance of social justice for saving the environment. Billed as
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Hundreds of detained asylum seekers from Afghanistan have been denied protection visas, despite recommendations from immigration department officers that they be granted. A spokesperson for immigration minister Philip Ruddock
Analysis
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Since the Australian government's refusal last year to allow asylum seekers rescued by the Norwegian freighter Tampa to land in Australia, a significant protest movement in support of refugees' rights has developed across Australia. The movement has
World
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SAN FRANCISCO — In a recent news release, the Canadian Action Group on Erosion, Technology and Concentration (ETC group) announced that the biotechnology industry continues to aggressively pursue the development of genetically modified seeds
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As dusk falls in Kabul, the streets fill with a choking gray smoke, despite the city's near-complete lack of industry. Nearly every family in this capital of one million is cooking its evening meal and trying to keep the bitter
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LONDON — Almost 30 years after the violent destruction of the reformist government of Salvador Allende in Chile, a repeat performance is being planned in Venezuela. Little of this has been reported in Britain. Indeed, little is
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Early on February 21, Colombia's 38-year civil conflict exploded into full-fledged war when President Andres Pastrana unilaterally broke off peace talks with the leftist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and ordered
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[The following statement was issued on March 8, chairperson of the Indonesian National Front for Labour Struggles (FNPBI).] International Women's Day is not just an annual tradition. This isn't also just a celebration.
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On March 13, Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe was officially pronounced the winner of the March 9-11 presidential election with 55% of the vote. Mugabe's "victory" over opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) candidate
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This year marks the 10-year anniversary of the historic "X case" ruling whereby suicidal women in Ireland were permitted to travel overseas to obtain an abortion. Rather than mark this anniversary with further liberalisation of
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Some 100,000 trade unionists and anti-corporate activists filled the streets of Barcelona on March 14 to call for a "social Europe". The protest came as the European Union summit prepared to meet on March 16-17 in the Catalan
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On March 12, UN secretary-general Kofi Annan made a speech that contained some of the harshest criticisms of Israel by any UN representative since the second intifada began in September 2000. Annan said: "Large-scale military
Culture
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The Autobiography of Abbie Hoffman Four Walls Eight Windows, New York, 2000 $29, paperbackIn August 1967, 15 or so hippies took a tour of the New York Stock Exchange. There, at the Mecca of global commerce, the
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MELBOURNE — One of Australia's most accomplished percussionists, Ray Pereira, will team up with visiting West African musician Nii Tetteh Tettey to perform at a Green Left Weekly cultural night on March 22. The theme of the evening is "End racism,
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Michael Franti, formerly of the legendary US rap outfit Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy and now with Spearhead, is not been afraid to tackle the key political issues of the day, such as Third World debt, the HIV-AIDS crisis or the death penalty.
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Despite winning the 2002 Grammy Award for best Latin/rock alternative album for Embrace the Chaos, Los Angeles-based Ozomatli's music is still firmly rooted in the streets. The band's commitment to political activism is strong.