News

Vannessa Hearman Kirsty Sword-Gusmao, the Melbourne-born wife of East Timorese President Xanana Gusmao and chairperson of the Alola Foundation for women and children of East Timor, has condemned the stance taken by the Howard government on the

HOBART — On April 3, the Tasmanian University Union voted down a motion from education officer Michael Harris to support the ACTU's June 28 workers' rights protests and to encourage students to participate in the demonstrations. All but three of

@intro2 = As students campaign against proposals to make higher education more expensive and more polarised, many university workers are arguing for their union to actively support the protests. RMIT staff member LISA FARRANCE, a member of the

Colin Mitchell, Melbourne On July 24, activists from Civil Rights Defence (CRD) protested in front of the County Court at the committal hearing of 13 Muslim men arrested in raids in Melbourne last November and March. The men are accused of

Duncan Meerding & Jim McIlroy More cities have now taken up the call to hold demonstrations in the week prior to the federal election. The Hobart Peace Coalition has initiated a broad group to organise an "End the lies" rally — a similar theme

SYDNEY — On March 29, as news of the general strike in France began to reach Australia, 20 Sydney University students and staff attended a Resistance-organised forum on the revolt against the French government's new First Employment Contract (CPE).

Chris Atkinson, Melbourne "We support the mounting campaign of the Iraqi people to rid their country of foreign military occupation", said Adelaide Resistance activist Amy McDonell in the opening report of Resistance's national conference on April

Jo Obronschka, Sydney More than 300 people attended a meeting organised by the Marrickville Transport Action Group (MTAG) on November 26 to discuss the Labor state government's plans for motorways, road construction and traffic increases in the

Phil Chilton, Perth For the second time in a month, 30 refugee-rights activists maintained a vigil outside the Perth Immigration Detention Centre on July 17. Nine people stayed overnight. The vigil was initiated by the Refugee Rights Action

Sarah Stephen On March 23, the immigration department announced that 42 of the 43 West Papuan asylum seekers who arrived in Australia on January 18 and have been held on Christmas Island since then, had been granted refugee status. They will be

Iggy Kim, Sydney The March 27 NSW local government elections resulted in an increased vote for candidates whose general policy positions are to the left of the ALP, with the Greens registering significant improvements. The Greens more than

Barry Healy, Perth A Perth demolition company has been fined just $40,000 in the case of an industrial accident that left a young worker permanently paralysed. In November 2003, a director of Murphy Demolition cut a safety pin off a "quick hitch"