Australian and US government representatives finally agreed on a free-trade agreement (AUSFTA) on February 9, after 11 months of negotiations and widespread protest and controversy in both countries. Amid claims and counterclaims about which national
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Over the last few weeks it has been confirmed by the government-initiated commission of inquiry that AWN Ltd, Australia's wheat export monopoly, paid $300 million in bribes to the government of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein between 1999 and 2003 to
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The August 27 Court of Appeal decision to jail militant unionist Craig Johnston is a sharp illustration of the class prejudices of Australia's legal system. While Johnston is locked up because of property damage sustained during an industrial
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On July 5, 107 Western Australian construction workers who had worked on the Perth to Mandurah rail project became victims of some of this country's most draconian anti-union laws. They face persecution at the hands of the Australian Building and
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It's called democracy "With the pace-setter across the Tasman hobbled, the pressure for reform in Australia — especially the labour market— will be diminished", wrote Steve Burrell in the Financial Review. Reason enough to celebrate the
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On the last day of the NSW government inquiry into building products firm James Hardie's asbestos compensation fund, the barrister representing the company at the inquiry made an anouncement implying that James Hardie would pay full compensation to
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On July 23, defence minister Brendan Nelson announced that Canberra is willing to contribute armed Australian soldiers to a "robust" (meaning armed and prepared to carry out combat operations) international "peacekeeping" force to "stablise" Lebanon.
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The Australian government is continuing the disgraceful 30-year bipartisan foreign policy of utter disregard for the people of East Timor. The second round of negotiations with the East Timorese government to settle the maritime boundary between
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Following public criticism from leading figures in US President George Bush's administration of his promise to withdraw Australian troops from Iraq "by Christmas", on July 12, federal ALP leader Mark Latham made a partial accommodation. He announced
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It took the federal Coalition government three attempts and 10 months of negotiations to finally get its Medicare legislation passed by the Senate — by 33 votes to 31 on March 11. This was only after health minister Tony Abbott secured the votes of
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On June 1, students and young workers around Australia will be leading by example — showing why young people have always been at the forefront of progressive struggles. The June 1 student strike initiated by the Resistance socialist youth
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The February 12 announcement by Prime Minister John Howard that a Coalition party room meeting had approved a reduction in federal parliamentarians' superannuation to 9% (from 69.1%) would have gladdened most hearts. Howard was pleased because he