A protest was held outside James Hardie's shareholders' meeting on August 19. I am a city-based Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) site delegate. Over the years, many of us construction workers have seen workmates become ill and die because of the effects of working with asbestos products made by James Hardie.
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The photograph accompanying the article "The demise of university education" in GLW #639 was taken by Johanna Trainor.
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Sam Byrne, the deputy mayor of Marrickville, is standing for the Greens in the Marrickville state by-election. He believes he has a chance of taking the once safe Labor seat on September 17.
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On August 19, young environmental activists led a different sort of demonstration against global warming. Juliana Qian and Lachlan Campbell-Type, with a small group of supporters, thanked commuters at train stations for using public transport.
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A rally on August 24, organised by the Macquarie University Students Against Racism Coalition, was attended by 100 students and staff angered by racist comments made to the media in July by Macquarie University academic Andrew Fraser.
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The Queensland Labor government has suffered its first major electoral setback since its massive win in the February 2004 state election. In by-elections held on August 20, the ALP lost two "safe" seats in the Brisbane region, Chatsworth and Redcliffe, with swings of 13.8% and 10% respectively.
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On August 16, federal cabinet endorsed the full privatisation of Telstra, despite 70% public opposition according to a recent Newspoll. At the time, Queensland National Party senator Barnaby Joyce was threatening to cross
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Refugee-rights activists rallied and marched in cities around the country on August 26-28, to mark the anniversary of the Tampa crisis in 2001. In Melbourne, Chris Peterson reports, around 500 people rallied at the State Library on August 26, and
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The following "Statement to the Muslims participating at the PM's Summit", signed by 51 Australian Muslim organisations, was issued on August 22.
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Australia's "poet lorikeet", Denis Kevans, died at Sydney's Westmead Hospital on August 22, following complications from heart surgery.
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At its August 24 executive meeting, the Australian Council of Trade Unions decided to postpone the planned national day of action against the federal government's anti-union laws to November 15.
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Kathy Newnam, Darwin Letty Scott has called for the Northern Territory government to re-open the coronial inquest into the death of her husband, Douglas Scott, in Berrimah prison in July 1985. For more than 20 years she has fought to overturn the