News

  • Bans on One Nation meetings dangerous

    BRISBANE — On July 29, the Ipswich City Council banned the use of council facilities by the racist Pauline Hanson's One Nation party. The next day Brisbane Lord Mayor Jim Soorley said he fully supported Ipswich council's decision

  • Vanstone plans an education survey

    In the work of privatising education, the seemingly neutral government proposal that teaching and student results be tested is dangerous cover for gathering evidence to argue that private education "works better", that public

  • Curragh coal miners hold firm

    BLACKWATER — Now in the 13th week of their strike, 158 mineworkers at the central Queensland Curragh open cut mine are holding firm in defence of conditions against the giant US company ARCO. If ARCO succeeds in destroying

  • NSW teachers win agreement

    The NSW Teachers' Federation lifted its ban on skills tests after its executive voted on August 1 to accept an agreement with the Department of Education. The skills tests, taken each year by 120,000 students in years three and

  • Queensland CPSU president resigns

    Queensland CPSU president resignsBRISBANE — The Community and Public Sector Union's Queensland president, Andrew Finegan, resigned on July 14 citing the union's poor leadership in the campaign to protect public sector

  • Westrail targets Aboriginal passengers

    By Sean Martin-Iverson PERTH — Westrail plans spend $3 million on a campaign against a small group of Aboriginal youths accused of terrorising people on Perth trains. It will increase the number of special train constables from 87 to 107 and

  • Brisbane activists reject attacks on free speech

    BRISBANE — On July 28, the Anti-Racist Campaign (ARC) adopted a set of aims and objectives which included: "In its campaign against racism ARC will attempt to build actions that challenge the basis for racist ideas and

  • Join the Frankston protest against One Nation

    Join the Frankston protest against One Nation The Campaign Against Racism has called a protest rally outside the Frankston launch of Pauline Hanson's One Nation party on Wednesday, August 6 at 6.30pm, Mechanics Institute Hall, Nepean Highway

  • Government attacks local councils

    Tasmanian local governments face an uncertain future as the Liberal state government pushes ahead with a program of forced amalgamation. As part of his "Directions Statement", a mid-term attempt to address the malaise in the

  • CPSU rank and file meet

    CPSU rank and file meetBRISBANE — Community and Public Sector Union members met in the City Hall on July 16 and voted against the national management committee's (NMC) move to dump the union's campaign for an Australian

  • Black activist's visa revoked

    Immigration minister Philip Ruddock cancelled the visa of US Black Panther activist Lorenzo Kom'Boa Ervin on July 25. Ervin was arrested in Brisbane and held in solitary confinement earlier this month after

  • Push for Tasmanian Hydro sale

    Push for Tasmanian Hydro saleHOBART — The Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Trust Bank of Tasmania have released a report supporting plans by the state government to privatise all or part of the Hydro