News

  • RMIT refugee project under threat

    Andrea Mears, Melbourne RMIT appears to be looking to end a project that provides tuition-free scholarships for a small number of refugees. Currently, 61 refugees are enrolled at RMIT through the project, which provides scholarships to temporary

  • Tariq Ali: 'Punish the politicians with blood on their hands!'

    Norm Dixon, Sydney US President George Bush, British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Australian PM John Howard — "politicians with blood on their hands" — should be "punished" at the ballot box for invading and occupying Iraq, renowned political

  • Loose Cannons

    It wasn't her fault "I can honestly say that without Mrs Parks, I probably would not be standing here today as secretary of state." — NeoCondoleezza Rice at a memorial service for black civil rights activist Rosa Parks, who died on October 25.

  • Iraqi doctor speaks at peace forum

    PERTH — On May 14, 80 people heard Iraqi doctor Salam Ismael describe the situation in war-torn Iraq at the Australian Islamic College in Kewdale. Organised by the Perth Peace Group, the forum was also addressed by UnionsWA secretary Dave Robinson,

  • Injured construction workers support group set up

    Ruth Ratcliffe, Sydney On March 11, 35 workers attended the first meeting of the Construction Workers' Compensation Support Group. An initiative of the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU), the meeting was organised by Wayne

  • First Reclaim the Night march held in Maitland

    Kerry Vernon, Maitland Two-hundred women, their relatives and supporters marched along Maitland's main street on the night of October 28 in the first Reclaim the Night event to be held in this city of 54,000 residents. Led by 83-year-old feminist

  • Muslim-Iraqi-Murri unity against racism

    Paul Benedek, Brisbane "Whenever I want to ride a bus to university, I pray that the bus driver won't be racist, pray that he will look beyond my scarf and treat me like everyone else", Salam El-Merebi, an activist with Al-Nisa, a Muslim women's

  • News briefs 3

    3 NTEU initiates education campaign The Victorian division of the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) launched a "Cost of education" campaign at its February 28 council meeting. Targeted at schools, community groups, families and other

  • Activist jailed for drug protest

    Kathy Newnam, Darwin On October 19, social justice campaigner Stuart Highway was sentenced to eight months' jail, suspended after three months, for his involvement in a smoke-in on October 2002. The smoke-in, organised by the drug-law reform

  • Fears Qantas safety standards will decline

    Graham Matthews, Sydney On March 23, Qantas closed its heavy maintenance facility at Mascot, making 480 workers redundant. While the company has promised that it will not outsource maintenance to China, the 140 extra jobs promised for Melbourne and

  • News briefs 2

    MELBOURNE — Many unions have passed motions in support of the March 20 international protest against the occupation of Iraq. They include: the Geelong Trades and Labour Council; the Victorian branch of the Construction, Forestry, Mining and

  • Peace group forum

    SYDNEY - A Western Sydney Peace and Community Group public forum at Rooty Hill on October 17 explained how ordinary people will be affected by the federal government's proposed new "anti-terror" laws. Cameron Murphy from the NSW Council of Civil