Federal indigenous affairs minister Jenny Macklin announced on October 23 that the Labor government will not implement the key proposals of the independent review into the Northern Territory intervention. Aboriginal critics have described the decision as the government turning its back on Aboriginal people.
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New legislation granting parenting rights to same-sex couples was passed in the Senate in October 16. The legislation grants legal recognition to children of same-sex parents born through IVF or surrogacy.
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The Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC) the secretive body formed by the Howard government in 2005 to police the construction industry has ratcheted up the use of its compliance powers in the last six months, workplaceexpress.com.au reported on October 20.
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Long-term Resistance activist Leigh Hughes has been recognised by the Australian Capital Territory Conservation Council for his leading role in the Canberra environment movement. The "Leading Light Award" was one of three "Local Hero" awards announced at the Conservation Council's annual fundraising dinner on October 17, and recognises the "most outstanding environmental effort of an individual under the age of 30". Hughes, who is also a member of the Democratic Socialist Perspective, joined Resistance as a high-school student in 1998. -
This year, Green Left Weekly has been running a regular Arabic-language supplement called The Flame. It aims to cover news from the Arabic-speaking world as well as news and issues from within Australia. The current issue of The Flame, as PDFs, can be read here
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SYDNEY More than 100 people attended a public forum on October 17 featuring Maria Eugenia Guerrero, sister of Cuban Five political prisoner Antonio Guerrero.
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A student at a Hobart High School was suspended two weeks ago for dying his hair a bright colour.
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On September 30, more than 400 people gathered on the courthouse lawns in Mparntwe-Alice Springs to demand an end to the Northern Territory intervention.
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Conditions in South Australian prisons have been brought to light by prisoners at the Port Augusta Prison protesting on October 9.
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One hundred students and staff at RMIT attended an information session on October 14 organised by the Islamic Students Society (ISS).
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The latest issue of the Socialist Alliance’s national discussion bulletin, Alliance Voices, is out, in a new web-based format. It can be found at http://alliancevoices.blogspot.com.
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“How can we maintain a safe and habitable climate? That’s the question we need to pose to build this movement”, Kirrliee Boyd from the Adelaide Hills Climate Action Group told a workshop at the Climate Emergency — No More Business as Usual conference on October 10-11.