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AMWU national council attacks militants

BY SUE BULL MELBOURNE — As the picket line set up by Victorian Australian Manufacturing Workers Union officials and their supporters reached its 12th day on August 26, an emergency AMWU national council was meeting. The workers, striking

Socialist Alliance applies for registration

BY GRAHAM MATTHEWS MELBOURNE — The Socialist Alliance lodged its application for registration as a political party with the Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC) on August 29, submitting the details of its 763 Victorian members. Success in the

IRAQ: A war based on lies

BY JOHN PILGER LONDON — The Blair government was told in January by the Americans that there was no justification for attacking Iraq in the "war on terrorism" and that their main aim was getting rid of Saddam Hussein, who stood in the way of the

UNITED STATES: What's behind right-wing anti-war dissent

BY ROBERT JOHNSON PORTLAND, Oregon — There is a significant amount of dissenting noise regarding President George Bush's mad rush to war against Iraq coming from portions of the US right-wing. Brent Scowcroft, George Bush senior's national

PACIFIC: Australia blackmails Pacific Islands Forum

BY MICHELLE BREAR SUVA, Fiji — As the South Pacific region's major imperialist power, Australia is in a strong position to influence regional political and economic decisions. At the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), held here on August 19-20,

AMWU dispute explained

SYDNEY — The national and Victorian leaderships of the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union are in dispute. The national leadership recently stood down the Victorian secretary Craig Johnston and, against the wishes of the Victorian branch,

Campuses protest on Tampa Day

Curtin University JANE ARMANASCO & MARK HEWITT report that Curtin University Refugee Rights Action Network activists set up a mock detention centre and campaigning stall on August 26. More than 1000 leaflets were distributed to questioning students

Socialist Alliance selects candidate

BY PAUL MILLER MELBOURNE — The Melbourne West branch of the Socialist Alliance on August 27 selected Justine Kamprad as its candidate for Footscray in the next Victorian election. Kamprad is an activist in the Australian Manufacturing

Telstra sell-off: Regional customers will suffer

BY ALISON DELLIT "Barry ... said Sammy looked a little bit blue and he was gasping... [Barry] went to ... use the phone and it didn't work, so then he said 'I'll run [to the farm down the road] and I'll get an ambulance'... Later, Sammy made this

Johnston addresses packed meeting

BY TIM STEWART BRISBANE — To a packed Kurilpa Hall of 90 people, Craig Johnston, Victorian state secretary of the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU), gave a gripping account of union struggle Workers First-style. Organised by the

Protest flotilla targets threat to Morton Bay

BY ANDREW PHILLIPS BRISBANE — Five-hundred people took the water on August 14 to protest the Queensland Labor government's plan to allow the Sun Aqua company to build a multi-million dollar sea cages and fish farms in a pristine part of Morton

Bruce Springsteen: A hymn to humanity not patriotism

The Rising Bruce Springsteen Sony Music REVIEW BY RICHARD PITHOUSE Bruce Springsteen's new album, The Rising, has been marketed as vigorously as his 1984 Born in the USA album and, as with that album, has achieved massive