Analysis

  • Health care and income protection for all

    Health care and income protection for all Despite the federal government's $35 million handout to insurance fund United Medical Protection in March, on April 29 UMP’s directors announced its provisional liquidation. The collapse of the

  • Fighting for global justice after M1

    Fighting for global justice after M1 The 2001 May 1(M1) blockades of Australia’s stock exchanges rallied support for the cancellation of Third World debt and the abolition of institutions such the World Bank and the International

  • M1: Demand money for jobs, not war

    Since the September 11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, First World governments have exploited the fear that was generated to justify the diversion of government funds from programs that benefit working people and the poor to the

  • Woomera and beyond

    Woomera and beyond The Easter protest at the Woomera immigration detention centre successfully highlighted the brutality of the Australian government's policy of mandatory detention of asylum seekers. It has added momentum to the

  • ALP trickle will become a flood

    ALP trickle will become a flood The response of rank-and-file unionists to Victorian Electrical Trades Union leader Dean Mighell's resignation from the Labor Party was predictable: “Good on yer mate, it's about time!” They don't want

  • Build the refugees' rights movement

    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

  • Sacrificed on the altar of imperialism

    Sacrificed on the altar of imperialism “It is more dangerous, but at the end of the day ... the sure way to work against the enemy is to put people on the ground”, General Tommy Franks, the commander of Washington's war in Afghanistan,

  • The solution to airline crisis

    The solution to airline crisis The February 27 collapse of the Tesna bid from millionaires Lindsay Fox and Solomon Lew for Ansett will almost certainly mark the final end of that airline. As a result, Australians can look forward to

  • Howard must go!

    Howard must go! By February 22, it appeared that former defence minister Peter Reith had finally decided to hang on to the hot potato of blame in the “children overboard” scandal. Admitting that he knew the federal Coalition

  • The Murdoch effect

    Here in Australia, the "threat" of the "flood" of illegal asylum seekers (no more than 4000 arrive in a year, most of them genuine) is said to have given Prime Minister John Howard his election victory last November. The decisive

  • Mass pressure needed to change Labor policy

    According to a Melbourne Age poll, conducted by AC Nielson last August and September, Prime Minister John Howard's government enjoyed 71% support for its policy of mandatory detention of asylum seekers who arrive without permission. However, a

  • Anti-refugee policy can be abolished

    Anti-refugee policy can be abolished Prime Minister John Howard and immigration minister Philip Ruddock stood firm throughout the two-week hunger strike by asylum seekers in the Woomera detention centre. Some said this was proof that