News

Sue Bolton, Melbourne In cities across Australia on June 15, nearly 1000 people joined rallies and marches to demand a "fair deal for cleaners". Rallies were held in Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Darwin, Hobart, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney. The

Powerful arguments "When you get into Cabinet, if you don't have the support of the prime minister, at the end of the argument you don't win." — Health minister and numbers man Graham Richadson. What a relief "Pentagon officials now

PERTH — On July 30, 40 people attended a showing in the suburb of Darlington of the film The Power of Community, How Cuba Survived Peak Oil. Organised by the East/Hills branch of the Socialist Alliance, the screening prompted discussion afterwards

Sue Bull, Geelong Two hundred and fifty trade unionists and supporters chanting "Rats out!" forced the Australian Building and Construction Commission to abandon a planned employers' information session here on June 5. The ABCC, better known as

Kerry Smith On August 7, the Edmund Rice Centre (ERC) released information indicating that up to nine asylum seekers and several of their children were killed upon return to Afghanistan after they were detained on Nauru by the Australian government.

Marcus Greville, Melbourne In a bruising blow to the Howard government's anti-union laws, striking Amcor workers won an agreement on August 16 in which all legal action against the workers and their union, the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union

BRISBANE — On October 7, a snap protest was organised by the University of Queensland student union women's rights group outside the Liberal Party headquarters in Bowen Hills. The protest was in response to a Family First candidate's comments that

Andrea Mears, Melbourne RMIT appears to be looking to end a project that provides tuition-free scholarships for a small number of refugees. Currently, 61 refugees are enrolled at RMIT through the project, which provides scholarships to temporary

Pip Hinman, Sydney On August 15, Marrickville Council reaffirmed its anti-nuclear stance, unanimously adopting a motion from Greens' Mayor Sam Byrne that called on policy makers to "focus on the practical benefits provided by renewable energy and

Paul Oboohov, Canberra On September 23, candidates for the October 9 federal election addressed a forum at the Australian National University organised by the National Tertiary Education Union. The Liberal candidate for the seat of Fraser, Adam

PERTH — On May 14, 80 people heard Iraqi doctor Salam Ismael describe the situation in war-torn Iraq at the Australian Islamic College in Kewdale. Organised by the Perth Peace Group, the forum was also addressed by UnionsWA secretary Dave Robinson,

Politicians grilled about refugee policy CANBERRA — A jam-packed forum on June 22 of 220 people organised by the Refugee Action Committee grilled politicians and activists on their policy and actions towards refugees. ACT MLA Kerrie Tucker