Analysis

Labor's migrant bash The Labor Party seems determined to maintain only the worst of its traditional policies and attitudes. While it has ditched most of its traditional commitment to social justice, strong trade unionism and democratic rights,

The Liberal convention The Liberal Party is the only thing in Australian politics capable of making the Labor Party look relatively good, and the Liberals did their darnedest to that end in their July 2-5 national convention in Sydney. Besides

Resource security Little could be more short-sighted, not to say downright criminal, than the NSW government's proposed resource security legislation. The package of five bills would dump the existing state list of around 200 endangered species

Justice for refugees Federal court judge Marcus Einfeld made some telling points in his June 17 speech to the National Press Club, launching National Refugee Week. He rightly castigated the federal government's treatment of Cambodian boat

Desperate Kirner boycotts ALPMELBOURNE — Premier Joan Kirner's government is looking desperate. On June 12, her sub-faction in the Victorian ALP, had to organise a boycott of a meeting of the party's state administrative

A new tax slug In a piece of shabby demagogy, Victorian and NSW premiers Joan Kirner and Nick Greiner are trying to blame their latest round of tax rises on inequities in the distribution of federal funds among the states. The truth is, these

When women have demanded change, there has always been a backlash. Two thousand years ago angry women stormed the Roman Forum demanding equal rights, and the counter- assault from law-makers was swift — the troublesome sex

In July 1 the Keating government hopes to have in place a law to make superannuation obligatory for all workers. Employers will have to set aside for superannuation each year a minimum of 3-5% of wages or pay the equivalent as a levy to the

Democracy and trade unions Around the country, trade union rights are under attack. The APPM dispute in Burnie and the Greiner government's union-bashing in NSW are only the more prominent examples of a widespread offensive against the

Thailand Yet another glimpse into the reality of the New World Order emerged on our television screens on May 18 as Thai troops mercilessly opened fire and killed at least 100 peaceful demonstrators demanding democracy. The Thai military

A small blow for justice In recent weeks the Australian government struck a small blow for justice in the Middle East when it dropped its ban on government contact with the Palestine Liberation Organisation and foreign minister Gareth Evans

Politics after Los Angeles Following the collapse of the bureaucratic attempts to build socialism in eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, propagandists for capitalism had a field day proclaiming the victory of their system. Some even