One station for two decades
"Southern trees bear strange fruit. Blood on the leaves and blood on the root. Black bodies swinging in the southern breeze. Strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees. — Lewis Allan
The lines above were made
-
-
Nearly six year ago, 91×ÔÅÄÂÛ̳ Weekly started production with a cover that demanded "Stop the War". The war was, of course, in the Arab-Persian Gulf, and the slogan "No blood for oil" became the clearest explanation of what the war was really
-
On September 1, visiting environmentalists Ravi Agarwal from the Indian non-government organisation Srishti and Von Hernandez, Greenpeace's south-east Asia toxics campaigner based in the Philippines, launched a campaign to
-
[The following is an edited version of a talk presented to the "Fight back!" conference organised by the Democratic Socialist Party and the socialist youth organisation Resistance on September 1. Paul is a year 9 student at Blaxland
-
The story so far Synopsis, being a summary of what has gone before, for the benefit of new readers: BILL CLINTON, a presidential nominee, conceives the project of executing a salutary missile strike to mark the consequences of wrongdoing and
-
More than 40 people attended the Brisbane Fight Back conference organised by the Democratic Socialist Party and Resistance here on September 1. The day featured discussion by trade unionists, students, migrants and Aboriginal
-
Who is getting control of the internet? The federal government has announced the composition of the Information Policy Advisory Council (IPAC), the role of which is to provide "authoritative and broadly based" advice to the government on the legal,
-
Can the education campaign win?Ten thousand university and high school students took to the streets on August 29 as part of a post-budget national day of action against cuts to education, student fee and HECS increases, and
-
NEWCASTLE — A panel consisting of a high school activist, a doctor working in reproductive health and a trade unionist who attended last year's Beijing Conference on Women addressed a forum on the impact on women of Howard's
-
ALP stands by HECSBRISBANE — The ALP is up to its old tricks trying to con students that the introduction of HECS in 1987 did not disadvantage students. Sheriff Deen, the presidential candidate on the Labor Club's YOU — Your
-
Actively Radical TV — Sydney community television's progressive current affairs producers tackle the hard issues from the activist's point of view. CTS Sydney (UHF 31), every Thursday, 7pm. Access News — Melbourne community TV, Channel 31,
-
MELBOURNE — In response to other union leaders denouncing so-called "agitators" at the August 19 rally at Parliament House, Martin Kingham, Victorian secretary of the CFMEU construction division, contacted the media to put a contrary point of view,
-
PERTH — A September 5 rally of more than1500 people was the first time here that high school, TAFE and campus staff and students united to oppose the attacks on the education sector. Previous campus actions in Perth have been
-
Pushing the plastic princess Imagine a new concept in marketing, aimed at warping the minds of little girls to convince them that the last word in glamour in this sick society is represented by a fully made-up, blonde-haired and blue-eyed
-
WOLLONGONG — The participation of more than 400 secondary and tertiary students in the rally against cuts to education here on August 29 showed the potential for a broad and militant student movement against the
-
Save Barrington Tops NEWCASTLE — "No Forests — No Future" was the title of a public meeting here on August 27 organised by the Wilderness Society. The meeting, attended by 140 people, was called to discuss woodchipping in native forests and
-
Green River Run — By Merv Lilley. Green River Run is an original mix of drama, song and poetry, set in the Australian canefields in the 1930s. This was a turbulent time, when the canecutters fought the employers to eliminate Wiels disease,
-
In his budget speech, treasurer Peter Costello admitted without hesitation that unemployment will "probably remain at around 8%". (The latest ABS figures estimate 8.6%, roughly 780,000 people.) After decades of promises by the
-
With the 1996 federal budget, the Howard government released Reforming Employment Assistance, a ministerial statement by Senator Amanda Vanstone, minister for employment, education, training and youth affairs (DEETYA). The statement
-
The August 19 "siege" of Parliament House prompted a torrent of hypocrisy from the establishment media. Television and radio "news" reports and page one stories in the dailies all seemed to be based on the same cliché-ridden,
-
The Coalition's jobless bashing timetable (Expenditure "savings" to June 30, 1999) July 1996 Introduce job seeker diary Establish dedicated telephone contact service for employers [dob in a "dole bludger" lines] Additional computer based
-
Democrats and Greens John Clancy claims in his ad (GLW 21/8) that the Australian Democrats are the only option for Left people. He asks which other party has "policies that cover every facet of fairness and honesty?" In fact the Greens, despite
News
-
PERTH — Up to 2000 people participated in the September 5 stop the budget rally here. Almost half were high school students. All the university campuses had good contingents, and hundreds came from nearly every Perth TAFE,
-
Brisbane council delays decision on Murarrie planBRISBANE — The City Council has delayed a final decision on approval for BHP's proposed metal-coating facility at Murarrie, reverting to its original deadline of November 5. The
-
Enterprise agreement rejectedSYDNEY — A meeting of more than 300 Department of Public Works and Services (DPWS) wages staff in Granville in Sydney's west on September 3 overwhelmingly rejected the department's enterprise
-
National Challenge revitalisedCANBERRA — At a meeting of Community and Public Sector Union activists held here on August 31, there were welcome signs that the fight against the Howard government's attacks is still a priority
-
Surfrider plans campaigns HOBART — On September 2, the Surfrider Foundation had its first meeting for this year. The group campaigns against the pollution of Tasmania's rivers and oceans. Michael Paxton, Tasmania's NUS environment officer, called
-
The state governments are currently considering a plan by the federal government to radically alter the public housing supply. The plan would slash $500 million from the housing budget. In place of subsidised public accommodation,
-
The circles that matter "[ACTU secretary Bill Kelty] still commands respect in many circles and will find among his strongest defenders businessmen such as Lindsay Fox." — Brad Norington, writing in the Sydney Morning Herald, September 4.
-
BRISBANE — Around 1500 public transport workers, from Queensland Rail and City Council buses, rallied at Roma Street forum for a joint stop-work meeting on September 2. Workers were angry at plans by the Borbidge government to
-
By Anitra Gorris-Hunter and Natalie Woodlock HOBART — More than 100 people rallied on the steps of state parliament on August 14 to protest against cuts to women's services and shelters. The Sexual Assault Support Service (SASS), which will
-
Deal offered on school cleaner contractsBRISBANE — The Queensland government has been forced to retreat on its threat to privatise school cleaning, in what the Labor opposition calls "a humiliating backdown". The Borbidge
-
NSW teachers win pay riseSYDNEY — A 14-month campaign of industrial action against the NSW Department of School Education by public and private school and TAFE teachers has won a 16% pay rise for teachers in public schools and
-
The Senate Economic References Committee, which examined the Coalition government's Workplace Relations Bill, reported on August 22. Three reports emanated from the committee: the majority report backed by the ALP, a
-
Battle for Hinchinbrook heats upBRISBANE — Constructing a major resort on the Hinchinbrook Channel on the north Queensland coast is "like building a hotel on the top of Uluru", prominent marine biologist Professor Frank Talbot
-
Mark AllenMark Allen, a fiery young organiser with the building division of the WA Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union, was killed on the job on September 6. Mark's death was the direct result of massive safety
-
NT TLC to administer workplace agreements? By Tim E. Stewart Darwin — A debate has begun among Northern Territory union officials about whether Australian Workplace Agreements (AWAs) under Howard's proposed industrial relations laws will be
-
ALP backs down on hospital fundingSYDNEY — A September 5 rally at Prince of Wales Hospital of more than 1000 hospital workers, patients, building workers from the hospital's construction site and community supporters
-
Defence campaign needed In the wake of the ACTU Council's disgraceful abandonment of union members and principles last week, the Democratic Socialist Party has called for a campaign to defend all those being charged by the Australian Federal Police
-
CANBERRA — The issue of youth crime in city and suburban centres here has been receiving much media attention. The supposed increase in youth crime, however, is questioned by DAVID MATTHEWS, coordinator of the youth information and advocacy service
Analysis
-
After two weeks of bluster and evasion, the ACTU Council has officially absolved itself from all responsibility for the actions of angry workers at Parliament House on August 19. In a cowardly and dishonest statement issued from its September 2-4
World
-
ANC to review death penalty A meeting of ANC national and provincial cabinet ministers and MPs on September 1 recommended a review of the organisation's policy on the death penalty. The ANC currently opposes the death penalty. ANC MP Carl Niehaus
-
International day of support for democracy in Indonesia "We expect the first international actions in support of the Indonesian democratic movement to be one of the widest series of solidarity actions for many years", Max Lane told a seminar
-
By Pio d'Emilia KIM MYONG HI is a well-known Korean writer and journalist. He has lived for many years in Japan, first as a student and later as spokesperson of Kim Dae Jung's Korean Democratic Movement and as correspondent of the daily Joong Ang
-
A recently released Australian Conservation Foundation report accuses BHP of planning to recreate the environmental and social disaster of the Papua New Guinea Ok Tedi mine, this time in the tiny Caribbean island of Dominica. ACF
-
French unionists oppose deportations Thousands marched in protest at the French government's tough immigration policies on August 28. The demonstrators, led by Communist Party leader Robert Hue, dissident former bishop Jacques Gaillot and human
-
MOSCOW — On August 23 leaders of Russia's main coal miners' union, the 780,000-member Russian Union of Coal Industry Workers (Rosugleprof), agreed to suspend a nationwide strike due to begin three days later. Then, shortly
-
President Suharto's move to oust Megawati Sukarnoputri as the legally recognised head of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) was aimed at ensuring that there would be no opposition to Golkar, the ruling party, in next year's
-
August 13 — Students begin three-day festival at Yonsei University, calling for unification with North Korea. Hundreds of radicals, who also demand the withdrawal of 37,000 US troops stationed in the South, are blocked from leaving Seoul to march
-
As the third anniversary of the Oslo peace accords between the Palestine Liberation Organisation and Israel approaches, and PLO President Yasser Arafat meets the new Israeli prime minister for the first time, the Israeli
-
A New Zealand environmental group, Coromandel Watchdog, is calling for action to counter a serious risk of cyanide contamination from the tailings dam of a gold mine. Sampling by the Waikato Regional Council indicates that cyanide in the tailings at
-
On September 3 the United States launched the latest salvo in its five-year war against Iraq. The US military's cruise missile attacks on Iraq, like its mammoth six-week display of high-tech butchery in 1991, has nothing to do with
-
'No food for our communist enemies' With these words uttered in front of the television cameras, the police stopped the parents of students locked up in Yonsei University from bringing food and medicine to their sons and daughters. The final
-
Global merchants of death Tobacco has become a political issue in the 1996 presidential campaign. First, Republican candidate Bob Dole, while speaking in a tobacco-growing state, said that many smokers never become addicted to nicotine. This is
-
The National Commission for Human Rights, established by the Suharto dictatorship, has surprised the regime by announcing that its investigations reveal that five people were killed and 74 are missing from the riot that took place after
-
As a national strike by 165,000 public sector workers entered its third week, the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) warned the government that workers in the private sector would also walk out if it continued to refuse to
-
On August 23 the Los Angeles City Council voted 11-0 to ask US attorney general Janet Reno for an investigation into charges that US-backed Nicaraguan contra rebels supplied tonnes of cocaine to Los Angeles street gangs in the 1980s and that the
-
Philippine union fights railway privatisationMANILA — The "bonanza sale" of public assets has been described as a new form of colonising the Third World. The Ramos government in the Philippines, with Ramos describing
-
MOSCOW — Workers at one of Russia's largest atomic power plants won another round late in August in a long-running battle to force management and the government to keep wage payments up to date. Protest action at the Leningrad
Culture
-
Primo Levi: Bridges of KnowledgeBy Mirna CicioniBerg Publishers, 1995. 222 pp., $29.95 (pb)Reviewed by Phil Shannon Amongst the 200,000 demonstrators in Milan in 1994 protesting against the inclusion of neo-fascists in the newly elected right-wing
-
MisallianceBy George Bernard ShawDirected by Kevin JacksonWith Adrian Adam, Danielle Antaki, Peter Astridge, Stephen Barker, Janet Gibson, John Grinston, Bronwyn Lim, Sean Ryan, Stuart TyeNew Theatre, Newtown, Sydney until October 26Reviewed by Allen
-
Post Election Blues Haiku everyday we walk a little lighter pockets emptied into politicians' lies John Tomlinson
-
t's remarkable that the music of the Pacific features so sparingly on the world music scene in Australia. In PNG, Fiji and the Pacific, there is some great music that combines the best of indigenous rhythms and harmonies with contemporary pop
-
Black Cargoes There's a silence out on the wharf tonight, The wharf they call Pier One, Where in years gone by, there was many a fight, In the bitter winds of the winter night, Till the fight for the wharves was won. The Dutch, they ruled
-
The House on Capital Hill: Parliament, Politics and Power in the National CapitalEdited by Julian Disney and J.R. NethercoteANU/Federation Press, 1996. 245 pp. PaperbackReviewed by Tony Smith This book produces both theory and personal stories.
-
Aboriginal Sovereignty — Three Nations, One Australia? is a new book by controversial author and historian HENRY REYNOLDS. Published by Allen & Unwin at $17.95, it calls for the establishment of three nations within one Australian state as a
-
Independence DayDirected by Roland EmmerichAustralian cinema release August 29Canadian BaconDirected by Michael MooreReleased on video, 1996Reviewed by Greg Adamson Canadian Bacon, John Candy's last film, is a humorous and startling look at the US
-
Challenging the Centre: Two Decades of Political TheatreEdited by Steve CapelinPlaylab PressReviewed by Dave Riley Today, if I employed the term "agit-prop", very few people would know what I mean — and many of those who perchance recognised the