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Peter Boyle On February 23, Australian treasurer Peter Costello belted out this warning to Muslim migrants: "Before becoming an Australian you will be asked to subscribe to certain values. If you have strong objections to those values, don't come

Duncan Meerding, Hobart The Socialist Alliance will be contesting Tasmania's March 18 state election, standing two candidates in the south of the state, in Franklin and Denison. The socialists will be running on a platform of opposition to the

Call for ban on steel jaw trapsOn November 13, National Anti-Steel Jaw Trap Day, Animal Rescue called for a total ban on traps and snares in Australia. Such a ban exists in 68 other countries. Current laws in Australia

Speaking clearly I "I understand that the enemy could misread what I say. That's why I try to be as clearly I can." — Emperor George Bush II, September 23. Speaking clearly II "Our strategy is to help the Iraqis help themselves. It's

Tim Doughney, Melbourne "To not speak out against racism would be cowardly", Dean Mighell, Victorian secretary of the Electrical Trades Union, told an anti-racist public forum held at the Brunswick Town Hall on February 9. He said workers should

#4 Migrant forum supports refugee rights BRISBANE — Strong support for refugee rights was the overwhelming sentiment of a forum sponsored by the Ethnic Communities Council of Queensland in the Brisbane Town Hall on September 30. Election

Strikes hit Sydney Buses SYDNEY — Bus mechanics at NSW government-owned Sydney Buses workshops struck for three hours on June 30, disrupting morning peak-hour services. The strike was over conditions in their latest enterprise bargaining

Kathy Newnam More than 40 people gathered at the "Let's get seditious" forum at Groove Cafe on January 28, to hear from speakers challenging the federal Coalition government's new anti-sedition laws. Anti-war campaigner Emma King spoke about the

CANBERRA — Ali Kazak, head of the Palestinian delegation in Canberra, and James Crafti from the Socialist Alliance addressed an emergency rally on July 13 organised by Australians for Justice and Peace in Palestine. The protesters called for an end

Nicole Hilder, Wollongong On September 24, 200 people attended a feisty meet-the-candidates forum on "family values", held in the Wollongong mall. Referred to by its critics as "the big day out for homophobes", the event was organised by Jeff

DARWIN — Participants in a June 7 protest against the Australian government's theft of East Timor's oil and gas resources. The protest was organised to coincide with the annual South East Asia Australia Offshore Conference. Photo by Kathy

Iggy Kim, Sydney On June 10, more than 100 delegates to the NSW Trades and Labor Council unanimously passed a motion of support for the June 30 "Bring the troops home now" protest in Sydney, organised by the Stop the War Coalition. The motion was