Editorial

Next on the chopping block? In its decade in office, the federal Labor government has repeatedly demonstrated its lack of commitment to public ownership. Already partially privatised are the Commonwealth Bank, Qantas, the manufacture of defence

Ho-hum for the republic Ignoring calls from Prime Minister Paul Keating for an unemotional and non-inflammatory debate on the prospects for a republic as the findings of the government's Republic Advisory Committee were handing down on October

Kennett's failed experiment One year ago Jeff Kennett became premier of Victoria because of widespread disillusionment in the previous state Labor government. He immediately launched a blitzkrieg of cuts to education, health, public transport

The real thing Seventy-two of Australia's "bidding elite" are descending upon Monte Carlo to hear the International Olympic Committee's decision on which city will host the Olympic Games in the year 2000. Asked to explain the purpose of the

The Greens and the budget Just before Prime Minister Paul Keating flew off to Washington, he dismissed the attacks on his budget in the Senate as "sport" preventing him from governing in the national interest. But the Green and Democrat

Middle East peace? The decision by the Israeli government to sign an agreement with the Palestine Liberation Organisation to allow the Palestinian Arab population in the Israeli-occupied Gaza Strip and the West Bank town of Jericho limited

Labor's 'Son of Fightback!' The Catholic bishops have accurately described the Keating government's budget as "Son of Fightback!". It introduces indirect taxes that hit low- and medium-income earners the most and lavishes the largest cuts in

Keating's creeping GST Even ACTU president Martin Ferguson felt the need to make a pretence of attacking the 1993 federal budget. We cannot "defend the undefendable", he said. He failed, of course, to use the opportunity to announce the

US/UN out of Somalia! The United Nations/United States "peacekeeping" mission in Somalia stands exposed for the grisly farce it is. In a joint statement addressed last week to the UN Secretary General, Boutros Boutros-Ghali, 26

The ugly logic of enterprise bargaining It appears that the Keating government is about to strike a new deal with the ACTU to allow enterprise bargains to be stitched together without unions. At present the Industrial Relations Commission can

A jobs levy? Tax the majority, not the minority of super-wealthy people who live off company profits, dividends, and rent: this is the "solution" to unemployment that the ACTU and the ALP left are rallying behind. They are calling for a

BWIU deregistration There is little doubt that there is a major push under way by employers and governments to eliminate any real role for trade unions in defending workers' interests in the struggle over wages and working conditions. This