News

  • Battle for union democracy hits elections, courts

    MELBOURNE &#151 As the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union's Victorian branch approaches a round of organiser elections, the court case on democracy in the union has continued another week without a decision being made as to who

  • Evolve wins low-key elections

    CANBERRA — In a low-key Australian National University Students Association (ANUSA) elections, held September 9-12, the Evolve ticket won all executive positions, National Union of Students (NUS) delegate positions and

  • Sydney Social Forum calls for WTO protests

    SYDNEY &#151 Against the backdrop of a looming US-led war on Iraq, some 300 activists participated in the first Sydney Social Forum on September 20-21. The SSF hosted 65 workshops and six feature panels. Topics discussed included

  • Refugee activist stands for parliament

    MELBOURNE — The September 16 meeting of the Socialist Alliance's Melbourne branch preselected long-term anti-racist campaigner Arun Pradhan as its candidate for the seat of Melbourne in the next state election. Pradhan

  • News briefs

    No war on Iraq! LAUNCESTON &#151 Thirty-five people attended a "No war on Iraq!" public forum at the Royal Oak Hotel on September 15, organised by Launceston Socialist Alliance. Vicki Walker of the Socialist Alliance and Debbie Butler of the

  • NTEU protests sacking

    BRISBANE &#151 University of Queensland (UQ) academics, members of the National Tertiary Education Industry Union, will take industrial action from September 25 over the university's decision not to renew the employment contract of

  • Greens win high vote in Mayoral poll

    WOLLONGONG — Illawarra Greens candidate Michael Organ won an historic 15% of the vote in the Wollongong lord mayoral by-election on September 14. The humiliating defeat inflicted on ALP candidate Bob Proudfoot, who won

  • Trade union-backed coalition opposes war

    HOBART — Three hundred people participated in a rally demanding “No war on Iraq” on September 21. The rally was organised by Peace Coalition, which met for the first time on September 15. Speakers at the rally included

  • Loose Cannons

    Maaate! "Federal Workplace Relations Minister Tony Abbott last night seized on a Queensland government report by [former Labor PM] Bob Hawke recommending a time limit for protected industrial action by the state's 200,000 public sector workers."

  • Student guild approves refugee referendum

    PERTH &#151 On September 17, the University of Western Australia Student Guild decided at a special council meeting to hold a referendum on October 22 on whether or not UWA should be declared a refugee safe-haven. The Student

  • Newcastle Uni becomes 'refugee sanctuary'

    NEWCASTLE — After a week of determined campaigning by students, academics and staff, the refugee sanctuary referendum on Newcastle University finished at 3pm on September 20. More than 700 students voted in the week-long

  • Campaign begun to release Aceh detainees

    SYDNEY &#151 A campaign has begun to pressure the Indonesian government to release detained British-born Australian academic Lesley McCulloch and US nurse Joy-Lee Sadler. The women's interpreter, Fitra bin Amin, has already been