News

  • Loose Cannons

    It wasn't her fault "I can honestly say that without Mrs Parks, I probably would not be standing here today as secretary of state." — NeoCondoleezza Rice at a memorial service for black civil rights activist Rosa Parks, who died on October 25.

  • Work Choices or justice at work?

    Sue Bolton, Melbourne Five religious leaders joined Victorian Trades Hall Council secretary Brian Boyd and ACTU assistant secretary Chris Walton on June 7 to voice their opposition to the Howard government's new Work Choices laws. Reverend David

  • First Reclaim the Night march held in Maitland

    Kerry Vernon, Maitland Two-hundred women, their relatives and supporters marched along Maitland's main street on the night of October 28 in the first Reclaim the Night event to be held in this city of 54,000 residents. Led by 83-year-old feminist

  • Picture of solidarity

    GEELONG — Trade unionists in Geelong send a message of solidarity to the 107 Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union members in Western Australia facing fines of up to $28,600 for striking. Geelong CFMEU organiser Shaun Reardan will

  • Rebel union formed

    Graham Matthews The workers' rights lobby group Unite, which formed in Melbourne in 2003 to "name and shame" dodgy bosses in the retail and fast-food industry, relaunched itself as an unregistered union on May 30. "The fast-food and retail

  • Activist jailed for drug protest

    Kathy Newnam, Darwin On October 19, social justice campaigner Stuart Highway was sentenced to eight months' jail, suspended after three months, for his involvement in a smoke-in on October 2002. The smoke-in, organised by the drug-law reform

  • Gippsland TLC opposes channel dredging

    In an August 15 media release, Gippsland Trades and Labour Council secretary John Parker described the Gippsland Ports proposal to dredge the McLoughlin Channel as irresponsible. The area is prone to contain acid sulfate soils that can cause habitat

  • Big stakes in Beaconsfield inquiry

    Ian Jamieson Following the death of miner Larry Knight and the rescue of two trapped miners 14 days after the April 25 rock fall at the Beaconsfield goldmine in northern Tasmania, on May 22 the state government established a special inquiry to

  • Labor bans brothels

    Alex Bainbridge, Hobart After years of advocating for a bill to legalise brothels, the state government announced on October 5 that it would amend draft legislation to instead ban brothels outright. The new legislation was passed by Tasmania's

  • Justice for Lebanon and Palestine rally

    MELBOURNE — On August 19, 200 people attended a Justice for Lebanon and Palestine rally organised by the Melbourne Palestine Solidarity Network. Speakers at the rally included Palestinian-Australian activist Nasser Mashani, Aber Chandab from the

  • Rocking the Block

    Kim White, Sydney On May 6, 500-700 people attended the Rock the Block festival in the inner-city suburb of Redfern, enjoying five hours of Indigenous and non-Indigenous music and films. Money raised by the festival will contribute towards a new

  • Put yourself in their shoes

    On September 24, refugee supporters placed 80 pairs of children's shoes outside the office of the Liberal member for Dobell, Ken Ticehurst, out of respect for the 80 children still held in detention by the Coalition government. The protest was a