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Graham Matthews, Sydney "Blair was elected on 36% of the vote, with a voter turnout of just 61%, giving him the support of just 22% of the voting population", began David Golan, introducing his report on George Galloway's electoral breakthrough for

SYDNEY — At a May 10 Defend Our Unions public forum at the Gaelic Club in Sydney, attended by 60 people, it was unanimously decided to launch a cross-union defence committee to oppose the federal Coalition government's anti-union laws. The public

Bronwyn Jennings, Geelong PM John Howard had to cut and run on May 28 when he was confronted by workers protesting the federal government's anti-worker changes to the industrial relations laws. Howard was in Geelong to announce funding for the

MELBOURNE — National Union of Workers Victorian secretary Martin Pakula has rejected claims made by Kemalex Plastics on May 23 that it is a small family-owned company that is struggling to survive. Kemalex employs 200 people in Victoria and South

SYDNEY — Tony Kevin, author of the book A Certain Maritime Incident and well-known campaigner for a judicial inquiry into the SIEV X sinking, was awarded the Community Relations Award in the NSW Premier's Literary Awards, which are attached to the

Long journey to injustice "For my own country, the process of becoming a mature, multi-ethnic democracy was lengthy and violent. Our journey from national independence to equal injustice included the enslavement of millions and a four-year civil

Kathy Newnam, Darwin This month, 11,000 US troops will arrive in Australia to join with 6000 Australian troops for the Talisman Sabre military exercise in northern Australia. Protests across the country will take place on June 10 to mark the

Susan Price& Marce Cameron, Sydney Cross-unions delegates' meetings held across Sydney and regional NSW on May 27 were well-attended, with the largest of at least 1000 delegates at Sydney's Masonic Centre spilling into a second auditorium. The

BRISBANE — "We need to organise the community to stop black deaths in custody. We need to give the families and loved ones of those killed all the support we can", Aboriginal activist Sam Watson told a May 12 suburban meeting to highlight

SYDNEY — On May 19, 23 people attended the launch of the Peace Coalition on Sydney University. The meeting was addressed by Donna Mulhearn, a humanitarian activist who has helped with aid projects and been a "human shield" in both Iraq and

CAIRNS — "Aboriginal people were paid a pittance for their work over 100 years, and even that pittance was stolen", Terry O'Shane, chair of a rally held in the city mall on May 15, told the audience. Aunty Ruth Hegarty from the Stolen Wages

NEWCASTLE — Five-hundred people attended the Newcastle May Day march this year. This was a bigger turnout than in recent years, largely because of a big contingent of people protesting against the NSW Labor government's plans to close down the