News

The problem with Australia, federal opposition leader John Hewson told the Business Council of Australia on October 17, was that most people are paying dearly for the benefit of a few. A privileged but vocal and influential minority

From their inception several years ago, the Greiner government's attempts at industrial relations reform have correctly been seen as a blueprint for the policies of a future federal Liberal-National government. However, until

BRISBANE, October 20 — The perjury trial of Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen came to a sensational end yesterday with a hung jury and revelations that the jury foreman was a National Party branch official, with alleged links to the Friends of

MELBOURNE — About 170 journalists from the Age newspaper picketed the headquarters of the ANZ Bank (receivers of the troubled Fairfax newspaper empire) to protest against increased concentration of media ownership and the threat this poses to

HOBART — The council of this fair city is not one of the more progressive bodies in the Australian governmental system. Resting on a system of multiple voting for property owners, its members are elected by a few hundred

WA government stalls on safe sexPERTH — The WA Health Department's safe sex campaign, aimed at 16- to 25-year-olds, has been stalled yet again. Health minister Keith Wilson, a right-wing Catholic, first blocked the

Workers block provocation by MobilMELBOURNE — Workers at Mobil's Yarraville terminal won a victory over management on October 15 after four days of strike action. The strike followed a series of provocative actions by the

Youth depression, suicide at high levelPERTH — An alarming suicide rate and the level of severe depression amongst Western Australian young people are the subjects of two new health reports. One study found that more than

Margaret Perrott and Lesley Warne SHELLHARBOUR — The proposal to build a luxury marina and resort at South Shellharbour Beach, south of Wollongong, seems to be once again on the agenda. Visits to the area in the last month by federal treasurer

MELBOURNE — One never knows what to expect in the city these days. The other day I saw a young woman running through the lunchtime crowd, shouting: "Give me a dollar! Somebody give me a dollar, or I'll sing!" As she weaved her way

AIDS advertising campaign hamperedPERTH — The West Australian AIDS Council has begun a newspaper advertising campaign to alert homosexual men who do not identify with the gay community of the dangers of AIDS. The campaign

Belfast councillor visits AustraliaBritain's policy in the north of Ireland is falling apart to the extent that many British Tory politicians will now admit privately that they would like to get out. But