News

  • Riot police to be used against children

    SYDNEY — The NSW Labor government has announced that riot police with Tasers, CS gas and police dogs can now be used against children detained in juvenile detention facilities. Juvenile justice minister Tony Kelly is quoted in the April 6 Sydney

  • Socialists launch Fraser election campaign

    Nick Everett, Canberra On June 23, the Socialist Alliance launched its election campaign for the ACT federal seat of Fraser. Attended by 25 alliance members and supporters, the meeting was addressed by James Vassilopoulos, the alliance's candidate

  • Union rallies say 'Make James Hardie pay!'

    Liam Mitchell Tens of thousands of trade unionists participated in rallies in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane on September 15 to demand that the James Hardie company, which dominated the Australian market for asbestos products throughout the 20th

  • Protest at 'Melbourne 13' trial

    Colin Mitchell, Melbourne On July 24, activists from Civil Rights Defence (CRD) protested in front of the County Court at the committal hearing of 13 Muslim men arrested in raids in Melbourne last November and March. The men are accused of

  • Beattie back flips on uranium

    Jon Lamb, Brisbane Queensland Labor Premier Peter Beattie announced on April 4 that he no longer opposes uranium mining in Queensland. This will give mining companies the green light to increase uranium exploration. One site near Mt Isa, known as

  • Bells tolled for children in detention

    SYDNEY — On June 10, refugee-rights group ChilOut marked the passing of the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission's deadline for children and their parents to be released from immigration detention. In Sydney, 500 people rallied and

  • Community fights for hospital services

    Greg McFarlane, Sydney The battle between the local community and Northern Sydney Health over future hospital services in Sydney's northern beach suburbs is heating up, following NSW health minister Morris Iemma's announcement on September 6 that

  • Residents say no to more motorways and traffic

    Jo Obronschka, Sydney More than 300 people attended a meeting organised by the Marrickville Transport Action Group (MTAG) on November 26 to discuss the Labor state government's plans for motorways, road construction and traffic increases in the

  • Police capsicum spray Mamdouh Habib

    Raul Bassi, Sydney At about 10.30pm on March 29, dozens of residents gathered together after two young men were gunned down in a drive-by shooting in Blaxcell Street, in Sydney's western suburb of Granville. Among the residents were Mamdouh Habib

  • Justice for Hicks and Habib

    Mamdouh Habib's wife Maha Habib, David Hicks' father Terry Hicks and their solicitor Stephen Hopper addressed a public forum at the Granville Youth and Community Recreation Centre on May 29, on the topic: "Justice for Hicks and Habib".From Green Left

  • ADI applies for right to discriminate

    Chris Latham, Perth On August 31, Australian Defence Industries informed the Western Australian Equal Opportunity Commission that it intends to apply for an exemption from the WA Equal Opportunity Act. If upheld, the application would allow ADI

  • Worker paralysed, boss fined $40,000

    Barry Healy, Perth A Perth demolition company has been fined just $40,000 in the case of an industrial accident that left a young worker permanently paralysed. In November 2003, a director of Murphy Demolition cut a safety pin off a "quick hitch"