News

On 22 February, Newcastle Greens councillor Michael Osborne received a notice of a “code of conduct” complaint, because he’d taken part in a protest.

Leading anti-war campaigner Pip Hinman, who is currently helping organise protests that will meet the visit of US President Barack Obama, has been preselected as Socialist Alliance’s candidate for the federal seat of Grayndler in Sydney’s inner west.

Thousands of workers rallied on March 9 in protest against the state Labor government's plans to privatise public assets. The crowd of 5000 people rallied at the Roma Street Forum, before marching to state parliament.

“There are two messages we want to get across as part of our campaign in the federal elections”, Socialist Alliance candidate Alex Bainbridge told Green Left Weekly.

Western Australian public servants are mounting an important battle to stop the government terminating their job security as part of an overall government assault on community services. Unionists say thousands of jobs are in danger and public services are threatened.

Around 150 people protested against the proposed internet filter in Melbourne. The rally heard from speakers from Socialist Alliance, Greens, Electronic Frontiers Australia, Exit International, Pirate Party, Sex Party.

On March 2, more than 40 people packed into La Tropicana cafe for a public forum on the theme “The Aboriginal struggle continues”. The meeting was organised by the Socialist Alliance.

The Communist Party of Australia is waging a very active campaign for the seat of Lee in the March 20 state elections. Candidate and CPA state secretary Bob Briton has featured several times in local media and support for the campaign has exceeded local branches’ expectations.

“The prime minister’s proposed shake up of public hospital funding has the capacity to reduce waiting lists to see specialists, to have surgery, and to get seen in emergency departments when needed”, Dr Tim Woodruff, president of the Doctors Reform Society, said in response to PM Kevin Rudd’s March 3 statement on healthcare reform.

The River, Lakes and Coorong Action Group (RLCAG) has sent out a probing questionnaire that asks candidates in the March 20 South Australian elections to answer 76 questions relating to the River Murray and the lakes at its mouth.

The Socialist Alliance (SA) held its Victorian state conference on February 27, with about 80 people taking part.

For the second year in a row, flag-raising ceremonies in Victoria marked the anniversary of the Saharawi Republic, as a gesture of solidarity and friendship with the people of Western Sahara. The Saharawi Republic was declared on February 27, 1976. However, the country remains under Moroccan occupation.