News

  • News briefs

    Terror laws in parliament On March 22, the federal government introduced the final bill of its "anti-terrorism" package into parliament. It proposes to give ASIO the right to detain people for 48 hours without access to legal advice, and with

  • TCFUA workers do it with Flair

    BY LINDA WALDRON& NATALIE ZIRNGAST MELBOURNE — Workers at Flair Menswear Preston, manufacturers of Hugo Boss fashions, held a victory barbecue on the morning of March 18, after a two-week picket. A planned solidarity sausage sizzle at the

  • STA bus drivers boilover

    Only one day after an angry March 14 meeting of State Transit Authority (STA) bus drivers voted to strike for 48 hours in pursuit of their wage claim, the executive of the Rail, Tram and Bus Union has deferred the action. The

  • Loose cannons

    Ludicrous "It may be limiting of competition in that there's one dominant company, which is Foxtel, but it's ludicrous to say that competition will be limited." — Sydney right-wing radio broadcaster Alan Jones. Certainly not his government "I

  • Refugee royal commission petition a hit

    More than 10,100 people have signed an online petition supporting a call for a royal commission into the government's treatment of asylum seekers. Out of thousands of active petitions from all over the world listed on the

  • Hugo Boss workers attacked

    MELBOURNE — Workers sacked by Hugo Boss (formerly called Flair Menswear) found themselves under greater attack this week. Twenty-five workers and leaders of their union, the Textile, Clothing and Footwear Union of Australia (TCFUA),

  • Suzuki emphasises social justice

    HOBART — The Stanley Burbury Theatre at the University of Tasmania was absolutely packed out on March 7 when David Suzuki presented a lecture emphasising the importance of social justice for saving the environment. Billed as

  • Protests demand freedom for Palestine

    SYDNEY — Up to 400 people gathered for a two-hour protest vigil for Palestine on March 15. Well supported by the Sydney Palestinian community, the vigil was called by the Council of Australian Palestinian Organisations with the

  • Socialist Alliance: 'Ratbags and proud of it!'

    DARWIN — "No votes for ratbags" was the headline of the editorial in the March 7 Northern Territory News. The News was referring to the Socialist Alliance and its candidate for Lord Mayor of Darwin, Ruth Ratcliffe. The same

  • Building industry witch-hunt comes to Hobart

    HOBART — A range of local industry bosses — Chickenfeed boss Rudie Sypkes, Steven Auld of Auld Constructions and Robert Wilkins of Wilkins Constructions — utilised the beginning of the building industry royal commission's

  • Kwinana cancer concerns grow

    PERTH — Under pressure from local residents, the Western Australian health department on March 8 released worrying figures on cancer rates in the Kwinana industrial area, south of Perth. The government department is playing

  • Bellevue residents welcome clean up

    MIDLAND, WA — In response to the February 11 Four Corners program that exposed the extent of the devastating toxic fire at the Waste Control recycling site in Bellevue in February 2000, and a year of community protest action,