United States politics is witnessing a new sorry spectacle 鈥 and one with real consequences for Australia, as well as other nations on the Pacific rim. US President Barack Obama is trying to drum up support from his party to implement the agenda of the huge corporations that sought to block his election and re-election via the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) 鈥渇ree trade鈥 deal involving 12 Pacific rim nations.
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Ecuador has lifted 1.3 million people out of poverty in the past eight years, a new survey revealed on April 13, .
The results of the first 鈥淪urvey of Living Conditions in Ecuador鈥 showed that poverty has fallen by one third. It also revealed that 900,000 individuals have been lifted out of extreme poverty, whilst the Gini coefficient, which measures wealth gaps, has dropped 4.8 points since 2006.
BRISBANE
Join us on International Workers鈥 Memorial Day on Tuesday April 28 at 10am to remember all those who have been injured or killed at work and renew the call for safe workplaces. Emma Miller Place, Roma St, Brisbane.
CAIRNS
Come to a May Day Dinner on Friday May 1 at 7pm to celebrate workers鈥 solidarity. With Jeremiah Johnson and band, great speakers and bar. Entry including food $35/$25; entry only $10/$7. Machans Beach Hall. Ph Jonathan 0437 790 306.
MELBOURNE
Recently I went to an asylum seeker forum at Gosford Anglican Parish. Hosted by the awesome Father Rod Bower and chaired by Labor鈥檚 Senator Deborah O鈥橬eill, it featured special guest speaker, Labor鈥檚 Shadow immigration minister Richard Marles.
I was nervous when I arrived. When I left, I was furious! Here鈥檚 why鈥
Despite talking a lot, and very well, Marles made just seven points.
Let鈥檚 take a look at each of these points individually.
1. Liberal is worse than Labor
Tony Abbott鈥檚 government is gearing up for another budget, and much has been made about how to raise revenue and what to cut.
The government has toned down its previous rhetoric about a budget emergency, which appears to have disappeared despite the government failing to pass most of last year鈥檚 budget measures, but it still looks as if they will make the most disadvantaged pay while keeping things sweet for their mates in the big end of town.
SOUTH AUSTRALIA鈥橲 ABORIGINAL COMMUNITIES TO REMAIN OPEN
Remote Aboriginal communities in South Australia will remain open despite federal funding cuts.
Last year, the federal government announced it would leave it up to the states to fund remote communities. About 150 Aboriginal communities in Western Australia are under threat of closure after the Western Australian government refused to step in and fund them.
The Greek government said on April 17 that it was releasing detainees in its neglected immigration centers.
鈥淭he people that were there, were living an indescribable barbarity,鈥 said Greek immigration minister Tasia Christodoulopoulou. According to Christodoulopoulou, many of the detainees were illegally being held indefinitely.
Lines of grey muttering faces, masked with fear,
They leave their trenches, going over the top,
While time ticks blank and busy on their wrists,
And hope, with furtive eyes and grasping fists,
Flounders in mud. O Jesus, make it stop!
鈥 Siegfried Sassoon.
Implausible as it might seem, it was the violent protest of a group of Bosnian high school students that sparked World War I.
Last week the Minister for Social Services Scott Morrison announced that from January 1 next year parents who do not vaccinate their children for reasons of 鈥渃onscientious objection鈥 will be denied access to child care payments (Child Care Benefit and Child Care Rebate) and the Family Tax Benefit Part A end of year supplement. These payments are worth up to $15,000 a year.
A shows the aftermath of the 鈥淧aniai massacre鈥 in West Papua in December last year, bringing to light Indonesia's human rights abuses.
Spain's left-wing Podemos party would win a general election if it were held today, a Metroscopa poll released on April 12 found. General elections are scheduled for December.
Podemos, which was founded in January last year, came first with the support of 22.1% of those questioned. The opposition Spanish Socialist Workers Party (PSOE) regained lost ground to come second with 21.9% of the vote. The ruling conservative Popular Party (PP) would come third with 20.8% of the vote.
Australian Nuclear Free Alliance released this statement on April 14.
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A delegation of Australian nuclear free campaigners travelled to Canada to present at the World Uranium Symposium being held in Quebec City on April 14 to 16.
The group included representatives from Aboriginal communities impacted by nuclear projects and national environment groups.
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