Issue 83

News

Carr crashes at rally By Dick Nichols SYDNEY — The central city rally on the November 30 National Day of Action here revealed a new level of hatred and disgust with Labor politicians on the part of the 3-4000 workers present. State ALP
By Alex Bainbridge WICKHAM, WA — Some 40 workers have been sacked as of Thursday December 3, at Robe River Iron Associates Cape Lambert plant. The sackings, along with threats of similar action to scores of others, are a result of the
By Geoff Spencer PERTH — Thousands of workers in WA demonstrated their anger at the proposed Coalition industrial relations policy in meetings around the state on November 30. In the north-west and the goldfields, some 3-4000 thousand
By Pip Hinman and Peter Boyle MELBOURNE — In a move calculated to tailor the ongoing campaign against the Kennett government's draconian Employee Relations Act to Labor's federal re-election bid, the Keating federal government announced on
By Zari Duniam and Dave Wright HOBART — Some 100 people attended a very lively, and sometimes heated, debate called "Trade Unions, Jobs, and Industrial Relations in the '90's", at Politics in the Pub here on December 4. The forum, sponsored
Thousands march against Groom By Ben Courtice HOBART — More than 7000 people took to the streets throughout Tasmania on December 3 to protest the Groom Liberal government's new anti-worker industrial legislation. In Hobart, some 4000
Carr on the ropes? By Barry Healy SYDNEY — NSW Labor Party leader Bob Carr will face a censure motion within caucus and his position may be in trouble according to rumours circulating inside the ALP after his performance at the National
Lesbian, gay ban lifted in military but not in Tasmania By Dave Wright The federal Labor government's decision to lift the ban on lesbians and gays in the armed forces has far-reaching ramifications for the struggle for lesbian and gay rights
5000 rally for union rights in Brisbane By Bill Mason BRISBANE — Thousands of workers around Queensland stopped work to attend rallies on the ACTU's National Day of Action against Liberal-National industrial policies on November 30. Some
By Greg Shapley SYDNEY — For the last few Sunday nights, the small bayside suburb of Kyeemagh has played host to a most unusual phenomenon. At sunset a rather large group (police have estimated 2000) of young people congregate, not (as the

World

Young Scottish Nationalists call for radical policies Attending the Scottish National Party Conference in Perth in September, CATHERINE BROWN from Green Left Weekly talked to Nicola Sturgeon and Shona Robison from Young Scottish Nationalists,
By Norm Dixon The African National Congress in mid-November adopted its approach to the upcoming round of discussions with the de Klerk regime about the resumption of constitutional negotiations. The document adopted by the ANC National Working
By Stephen Marks MANAGUA — Noticieros Univision is a slick pro- imperialist "news" show broadcast in Spanish from Miami and beamed each evening into Nicaragua and the rest of Latin America. On November 16 a lead item announced that
By Allen Myers PHNOM PENH — US Cambodian scholar Michael Vickery ruffled a few feathers at a seminar here on November 28 when he referred to the United Nations project in this country as "the Nicaragua- isation of Cambodia". The comparison
US urges Yeltsin to become dictator By Renfrey Clarke MOSCOW, Dec. 4 — If Boris Yeltsin has so far resisted the temptation to shut down the Russian parliament and install himself as dictator, it's not because of warnings from across the
By Harry Blutstein There is nothing particularly remarkable to the casual visitor about Oka, a small town about 60 kilometres north west of Montreal. At the junction of the Ottawa River and the St Lawrence, it is an affluent village with the
By Ali Jaber After adding political power to his US$3 billion worth of financial strength, Rafik Hariri, Lebanon's new prime minister, is on his way to becoming the Arab world's media tycoon. Hariri, 48, who was appointed prime minister last
Evans gets in on the act Australian taxpayers' funds are providing indirect support to the opposition side of Cambodian politics. In late November, foreign minister Gareth Evans approved a donation of A$20,000 to the "Khmer Institute of
Crude fabrication from Indonesian regime A press release and tapes purporting to be comments made by Xanana Gusmao, leader of the East Timorese independence movement for over a decade, were released by Indonesian armed forces in Jakarta on
By Stephen Robson As with other Third World countries, Vietnam has had a long struggle just to establish some basics of medical care that are taken for granted in industrialised countries. Take the problem of trachoma for example, an issue
By Renfrey Clarke MOSCOW — "We intend to come to power from below, by winning the political trust of the people." This was how Party of Labour leader Aleksandr Buzgalin mapped out the future of the Union of Democratic Left Forces, formed at a
By Stephen Marks MANAGUA — Workers and campesinos affiliated to the National Workers Front (FNT) marched on the offices of President Violetta Chamorro in Managua on November 25 as negotiations started between FNT leaders and the Nicaraguan
By Allen Myers PHNOM PENH — At a press conference on December 1, government spokespeople provided details on recent Khmer Rouge military advances. With government forces partially disarmed under the terms of the UN Paris peace accord, KR
By Renfrey Clarke MOSCOW, Dec. 4 — As a blast of Siberian air held temperatures in the Russian capital around minus 20, deputies gathered in the Kremlin Palace of Congresses on December 1 for the opening of the Seventh Congress of People's
The Alliance is a new progressive force that has emerged in New Zealand politics. It unites the Greens, the movement for Maori self-determination Mana Motuhake, the Democrats (who emerged from the former Values Party), the Liberals and the
By Sean Malloy It has been another harsh year for Palestinians. For those in exile it has been a year of frustrating diplomatic work, while at the same time re-winning some ground in the sphere of international support. For Palestinians in the
By Catherine Brown DUBLIN — "The main reason for this referendum is because the government does not accept that suicidal tendency is a reason for abortion", explained the then Irish Prime Minister Albert Reynolds. On November 26, not only was

Culture

Jive Soweto — Various artists Earthworks through Larrikin What About Tomorrow — Sipho "Hotstix" Mabuse Gallo through Festival Nomari — Sello "Chicco" Twala Teal Records through Festival Siyaya — Stimela Gallo through Festival
By Zany Begg "I can't tell you where I'm going but I can tell you where I came from", says Michelle Shocked about her latest album The Arkansas Traveler. This sense of heritage is an important theme that flows through Shocked's music. While
Reinventing Socialism Edited by Duncan Kerr Pluto Press Australia Ltd in association with the Fabian Society 1992 122pp. $14.95 A Century of Social Change Labor History Essays Volume Four The Australian Labor Party and Pluto Press
Seeing Red: The Communist Party Dissolution Act and Referendum 1951: Lessons for Constitutional Reform The Evatt Foundation Sydney, December 1991 206 pp. $20 Reviewed by Simon Emsley The High Court decision to disqualify Phil Cleary as
Milena Directed by Vera Belmont Screenplay and dialogue by Vera Belmont in collaboration with Marie Genevieve Ripeau, Guy Konopicky, Dan Frank and Lou Garfinkle Starring Valerie Kaprisky, Stacy Keach, Gudrun Langrebe, Peter Gallagher and Nick
Tomorrow is too late By Fidel Castro Ocean Press 1992 54 pp. $9.95 Reviewed by Sean Malloy Tomorrow is too late presents an overall analysis of world environmental problems and necessary solutions from a Third World perspective. The
By Norm Dixon Mark Achbar and Peter Wintonick's fascinating Manufacturing Consent, a documentary on the ideas of noted US linguist and political dissident Noam Chomsky, has made a remarkable impact in its all too brief cinema run in Australia.
A short story by Monica Gomez Translated by Marisa Cano It was a cool September morning and Spring was in the air, dewdrops slowly melted down the window, and fell in the garden with a rhythmical beat, while I got up to prepare myself a cup
1492: The Conquest of Paradise Director Ridley Scott Screenplay by Roselyne Bosch Starring Gerard Depardieu, Sigourney Weaver, and Armand Assante Showing at Hoyts Reviewed by Roberto Jorquera The year 1492 has been depicted as the year
Trafford Tanzi Written by Claire Luckham Directed by Michael Gillett Starring David Mackennal, Jenny Scott, Suzie Stephens, and Gerry Gould Showing at The Rep, Newtown, Sydney Reviewed by Annabel O'Grady Trafford Tanzi originated in
For many years 1950s US films like Reefer Madness and I was a Communist for the FBI have been reliable money raisers for radical and progressive organisations. Deadly serious when they were first made — a grotesque mix of anti-communist hysteria
The Long Day Closes Written and directed by Terence Davies Starring Leigh McCormack and Marjorie Yates Reviewed by Wayne Ruscoe "Between my father dying when I was seven and leaving primary school, those years were just so happy I was
One Way Street: Fragments for Walter Benjamin Directed by John Hughes Screening on ABC-TV as part of The Big Picture — New Directions series on Thursday December 10, 9.30 p.m. Reviewed by Bronwen Beechey One Way Street explores the life
By Norm Dixon On stage, popular vocalist and trumpeter Vince Jones personifies the image of the smooth, laid back jazz artist. His easy rapport with his band and the effortlessness of their performance win the audience every time. But while his
Original, fresh and funny Life on the Edge Cartoons by Judy Horacek Introduced by Dale Spender Spinifex 1992 86 pp. $14.95 Reviewed by Vannessa Hearman The work of feminist cartoonist Judy Horacek has finally been compiled into a