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On October 21, 70 local parents and supporters filled Moreland Concert Hall to hear state election candidates from the Pascoe Vale and Brunswick electorates speak on the issue of a high school for Coburg. The meeting was organised by the campaign group High School for Coburg. HSC was established about two years ago by a group of parents who were concerned that there was no local high school for their children to attend.

About 70% of TAFE teachers walked off the job on November 19 as part of a branch-organised wildcat strike.

On March 26, the NSW Legislative Council passed the motion by Greens NSW MP John Kaye that called on the government to drop its demands that TAFE teacher conditions be slashed to pay for salary increases.

On March 21, 200 people gathered at Sydney Town Hall for the sixth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq, demanding an end to the current US-led wars and occupations. The protests was organised by the .

The battle over the privatisation of NSW electricity continues. A power industry delegates’ meeting on May 15 condemned the state ALP government’s push to privatise the retail electricity providers and generators and reaffirmed its “total rejection” of the government’s plans.

On April 27, around 300 residents gathered at Rozelle’s Callan Park in the second Sunday protest against the NSW ALP government’s bid to close the psychiatric hospital and redevelop the parklands.

On July 17, Chris M, a union delegate at the NSW State Transit’s Port Botany depot, was sacked by the State Transit Authority (STA), which is the government owned authority responsible for the operations of Sydney Buses and Newcastle Buses & Ferries. The sacking occurred four days prior to M becoming a permanent employee and thus having access to unfair dismissal protection.

A conference organised by Indonesian Solidarity, in association with the University of Sydney Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies’ West Papua Project, was held on August 9-10, gathering West Papuan government and NGO representatives, academics and international solidarity activists to discuss the current obstacles to justice and prosperity faced by West Papua.

“Tear up Work Choices! Defend all our rights at work” is the title of a new petition being circulated by trade union activists around Australia. The petition calls on the ACTU and state, territory and regional labour councils to immediately call a national day of protest to demand the full repeal of Work Choices and the Workplace Relations Act. It also calls for workers’ right to take industrial action to be enshrined in Australian law.

On March 15, more than 1000 public sector workers and their supporters rallied in the city under the banner of “Job cuts = service cuts”. They were expressing opposition to the 20,000 “backroom” job cuts proposed by the NSW Liberals as part of its state election campaign. The election will be held on March 24.

DARWIN — On November 30, 300 people rallied and marched against the looming US-led war on Iraq. In Alice Springs, 100 people also rallied. Col Friel, a veteran human rights and environmental activist, told the

DARWIN — The fourth solidarity brigade to East Timor organised by Action in Solidarity with East Timor/Action in Solidarity with Asia and the Pacific will leave for Dili on May 13. “We will be helping build a well in