Analysis

Greenhouse outlaws John Howard says Australia cannot afford to cut back on greenhouse gas emissions. He says this country is a "special case" — given our reliance on fossil fuels — and has even countenanced withdrawing from the climate

If you don't fight ... The failure of the ACTU's living wage claim for a $20 "safety net" rise and a general 8.75% increase in award wage rates indicates the weakened state of the trade union movement today. In rejecting the ACTU's claim on

Hands off native title! @box text intro = Politics and law have come a long way since the High Court rejected terra nullius in the 1992 Mabo case. Given the distance travelled, it seems remarkable that the prime minister should threaten that

Selective conscience The Senate is expected to vote on Monday night, after we have gone to press, on Victorian Liberal MP Kevin Andrews' bill to overturn the Northern Territory law permitting voluntary euthanasia. Indications are that the

One-way 'mutual obligation' Federal cabinet last week approved plans to double the size of a work for the dole scheme announced by PM John Howard last month, and to introduce tougher penalties for young people who refuse to participate or drop

Close Lucas Heights! The federal government should not allow nuclear waste to be reprocessed at the Lucas Heights nuclear facility south of Sydney. It should close it down altogether, and withdraw completely from the nuclear fuel cycle. The

One year too many Sunday, as we have all been repeatedly reminded, was the first anniversary of the election of the Howard government. For big business and its media, it was an occasion for taking stock of what the government has "achieved", and

A question of priorities In New Zealand last week for talks on trade and "defence" links, PM John Howard took on the job of trying to persuade New Zealanders that it really is in their interests to spend millions more dollars on defence — and in

How to create real jobs Howard's youth work-for-the-dole scheme won't make a dent in the 30% youth unemployment rate. But that is not its real purpose, which is to whip up public hysteria about "dole bludgers" once again. The blatant politics of

Only one solution The federal government's mid-year budget review, released on January 28, will certainly be used to justify another savage budget in May. The review projects a budget deficit for 1996-97 of $8.49 billion, $2.84 billion more than

A shorter working week Since its election, the Howard government has repeatedly claimed job creation as its first priority (just in case anyone got confused by cuts to labour market programs, mass lay-offs in the public service and its "cross your

Editorial: 'Special treatment' and deaths in custody Editorial: 'Special treatment' and deaths in custody Already this year at least two more Aborigines have died in custody. A 19 year old died after being chased by NSW police and another died in