The National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) welcomed the announcement of Senator Chris Evans to a portfolio responsible for skills, taking in higher education and TAFE.
It also welcomed the reappointment of Senator Kim Carr to the portfolio of innovation, industry and science, but reiterated concerns that a narrow focus on skills risks undervaluing the sector.
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After a record high vote for the Greens in the August 21 federal election, it did not take long for the corporate media to get its claws out.
In particular, Rupert Murdoch-owned News Ltd鈥檚 flagship newspaper The Australian has been called out for its string of critical stories and headlines targeting the Greens.
In a September 9 editorial, the paper responded to Greens Senator Bob Brown's criticism that the paper was openly attacking the Greens-Labor deal, saying the Greens 鈥渁re bad for the nation; and ... should be destroyed at the ballot box鈥.
Three of the 12 Tamil asylum seekers accused of rioting at Christmas Island detention centre in November 2009 have had their charges dismissed.
The lawyers for detainee Mr Suntharalingam successfully argued that it would not be fair to use his record of interview against him, as he did not fully understand the caution given to him by the Federal Police at the start of the interview.
Without the interview Commonwealth prosecutors were unable to continue the charges against him.
A rally outside Queensland state parliament on September 14 demanded the charging of police who break the law, a full royal commission into the state鈥檚 police force and real accountability. After the rally, a delegation from the Aboriginal community met police minister Neil Roberts and discussed issues arising from the deaths in custody crisis.
Below is an excerpt from the speech Murri leader and Socialist Alliance member Sam Watson gave at the rally.
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Greens MLC John Kaye officially welcomed to Sydney the new Cuban consul Reinaldo Garcia as part of an event to mark 12 years since the arrest of the 鈥淐uban Five鈥.
The Cuban Five are anti-terrorist fighters who were arrested in the US for infiltrating and collecting information on Miami-based right-wing anti-Cuban terrorist groups.
Despite disclosing information they had gathered to US authorities, it is they and not the terrorists that are facing jail terms, in some cases double life sentences.
Now that we finally know who is going to govern our country; now that we know who is backing who and why; now that we鈥檝e breathed a collective sigh of relief; now 鈥 right now 鈥 it鈥檚 time to mobilise! It鈥檚 time to mobilise around what I鈥檝e been muttering to anyone who鈥檒l listen over the past few weeks: renewables, renewables, renewables.
On September 10, the commercial television regulator, Commercials Advice (CAD) withdrew approval for the screening of a pro-euthanasia ad by Exit International on September 12.
Exit International condemned the decision as an attack on free speech. According to its website, Exit International is 鈥漚 leading end-of-life choices (voluntary euthanasia/ assisted suicide) information and advocacy organisation鈥.
91自拍论坛 Weekly鈥檚 Simon Butler asked five Australian climate activists for their thoughts on the current state of the movement. Phillip Sutton is the convenor of Melbourne鈥檚 Climate Emergency Network and co-author of the 2008 book Climate Code Red. Adam Lucas is coordinator of Beyond Zero Emissions Sydney and lectures in the Science and Technology Studies Program at the University of Wollongong.
Australian Manufacturing Workers Union members at Megabolt in Campbellfield, Victoria went back to work on September 16 after taking successful protected industrial action to win their first union collective agreement.
AMWU officials formed a guard of honour for the workers as they walked into the factory for the first shift.
For the first time, many Megabolt workers鈥 pay has risen above the minimum wage with an immediate 10% pay rise, sign-on bonus and back pay to June 2. This will be followed by 4.5% raises over the following two years.
On September 15, Leela Krishna, a Tamil refugee in Villawood Detention Centre, was removed to Melbourne's Maribyrnong Detention Centre. Supporters of Leela protested and leafleted Sydney Airport's domestic terminal on the day.
Despite being recognised as a refugee by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship in April, Leela is still being imprisoned while ASIO conducts 鈥渟ecurity checks鈥. A gay man, he has experienced sexual harassment, bullying and physical assault in detention and has attempted suicide several of times.
As the people of Australia face acute shortages in health, public transport, housing and welfare, the federal and NSW governments will spend about $3 million to get Oprah Winfrey 鈥 the US talk-show host and billionaire 鈥 to visit Australia. Wait a minute, WHAT?
Winfrey will fly to Australia in December 鈥 with 300 members of her audience 鈥 to shoot several episodes of her talk show. It has been reported that the federal government will chip in $1.5 million to the trip; the NSW government with throw in a further $1-2 million.
In an attempt to divide staff, on September 13 management at Macquarie University (MQ) proposed to split the current Enterprise Agreement in two, and tried to ram through a second-rate agreement for general staff.
If successful this would mean MQ general staff would have the worst conditions of any of the 26 agreements across Australian universities. This has angered the local National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) branch.
The NTEU is campaigning to defeat the push by calling for a 鈥淣o鈥 vote in a ballot of general staff set to open on September 23.
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