News

Rolling stoppages to protest Kennett cuts

Rolling stoppages to protest Kennett cuts By Di Quin MELBOURNE — State public sector unions will begin an industrial action campaign throughout Victoria from May 17 in response to the Kennett government's vicious funding cuts,

Risks

Risks People with asbestos material in their housing are at risk of contracting an asbestos-related disease. These diseases include: Asbestosis. Fibres lodge in the lungs, causing a scar which continues to grow even though there may be no

Rape Crisis Centre to close

Rape Crisis Centre to close By Melanie Sjoberg ADELAIDE — Workers at the Rape Crisis Centre learned of its end in a blunt fax from the minister for family and community services, Martin Evans, on May 12. The centre will be amalgamated

Port Macquarie hospital dispute in court

Port Macquarie hospital dispute in court By Anne Casey The Port Macquarie Hospital Action Group was caught off guard on May 6 when bulldozers and other heavy machinery began clearing the site of the controversial new private hospital for

Nurses impose bans

Nurses impose bans By Di Quin MELBOURNE — Nurses at Western General have imposed bans on elective admissions and internal transfer of patients due to an increasing strain on midwifery staffing levels. The closure of the midwifery

ACTU defers national wage claim

By Peter Boyle On May 13 the ACTU executive rejected a call by several unions covering low-paid workers for a national wage claim of $8 per week for workers who had not managed to strike enterprise bargains with their employers. ACTU

Gay man murdered in Adelaide

Gay man murdered in Adelaide By Alison Dellit ADELAIDE — A homosexual man was murdered here last week, exactly 21 years after the infamous drowning of Dr George Duncan. Duncan, a gay professor at Adelaide University, was bashed and

Joh jury inquiry focuses on investigator

Joh jury inquiry focuses on investigator By Bill Mason BRISBANE — The spotlight in the ongoing Criminal Justice Commission inquiry into the selection of the jury in the 1991 Joh Bjelke-Petersen corruption trial has now turned to legal

Free speech campaign widens

Free speech campaign widens By Maurice Sibelle BRISBANE — The campaign for free speech in the Queen Street Mall is gaining support against Lord Mayor Jim Soorley's attempt to further restrict the right of peaceful assembly. Support

Sacrifice

Sacrifice While the ACTU is determined to sacrifice wages for the sake of "the economy", some of the highest salary earners in the country don't have the same approach to their incomes. Victorian Premier Jeff Kennett (on $131,771 a year, plus

Public tenant dies from asbestos cancer

By Martin O'Byrne MELBOURNE — A legal firm here is planning to take action against the state Ministry of Housing over the death of a public tenant from an asbestos-related disease. Last September 10, Doreen Porter died from mesothelioma

'DAGS' demonstrate

'DAGS' demonstrate MELBOURNE — A new group calling itself the Direct Action Group Survivors (DAGS) organised a demonstration of about 60 people outside the Liberal Party headquarters here on May 7. Speakers condemned the Kennett