Just over a week after the independent member for Oxley, Pauline Hanson, made the most nakedly racist speech heard in an Australian parliament for decades, Prime Minister John Howard boasted that since his government was elected,
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No security in Australia-US war tiesWhile we are all assessing the budget damage done and counting who has been left standing, John Howard quarantined defence from any cuts and defence minister Ian McLachlan vowed to give the
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Israeli attacks on widespread Palestinian protests starting on September 25, resulting in a large number of deaths and injuries, in effect brought the infirm "peace process" to an end. The move towards all-out war against
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Repeal all abortion laws! The High Court is currently hearing an appeal by Superclinics against a NSW district court decision allowing a woman to bring a case of medical negligence for non-diagnosis of her pregnancy. The woman tried to sue the
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The Ever So Ordinary MP It is as notorious as the Melbourne weather that the intricacies of social discourse and our own high aspirations toward mutual respect and understanding never seem to coincide. Indeed, our desire for a certain political
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By Sunset Wignall-Blackman HOBART — An informal alliance has been formed between the police, the state Liberal government and retailers in an effort to promote business in the Hobart CBD by pushing young people out of the area. The government is
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CES and contracts It is my opinion that the new conservative Government first had to get rid of the CES before it could change I.R. Presently the CES has a watchdog role over the Labour Market, ensuring that shonky employment practices are not
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What's in a name? "I'm a supporter of the death penalty. But we don't want people to say 'Jackson' and the first thing they think of is the electric chair. We don't want to be labelled. We feel very uncomfortable. Since the electric chair is there,
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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,
News
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On September 26, a 90-strong meeting called by the Women's Abortion Action Campaign discussed the implications of the current High Court case involving the legality of abortion, in which the Catholic Church
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CANBERRA — The crushing defeat for the Labor right "Rage" ticket, which previously held all executive positions and a majority of other positions, in ANU Student Association elections last week has been attributed to their
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One September 25 the National Delegates Committee (NDC) in the Department of Employment, Education and Training and Youth Affairs (DEETYA) met in teleconference to finalise their log of claims prior to a membership vote beginning
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I find it rather apt that as I write this, there is a program being broadcast on Radio National about the burning of black churches in the US south. When Pauline Hanson said in her maiden address to federal parliament that
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DAVE THOMAS and JULIA PERKINS spoke with Aboriginal activist ROBERT BROPHO about a planned October 11 Aboriginal community demonstration outside the WA police headquarters. Bropho has been the leader of the Lockridge Aboriginal community, in the
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SAIT annual conferenceADELAIDE — The South Australian Institute of Teachers held its 45th annual conference on September 21, the last for the union in its present form. In 1997 SAIT will dissolve and become the Australian
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Howard's Indonesia policy rebuffedBRISBANE — John Howard faced a vocal, angry picket on September 22, on his return to Australia after meeting with Indonesian dictator Suharto. Howard was attending a Liberal Party meeting at
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MELBOURNE — One hundred and thirty-six maintenance workers at the ACI glassworks plant at Spotswood have been locked out for 13 weeks. The dispute began on June 3, when BTR-ACI ignored existing workplace agreements and announced 59
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SYDNEY — On September 23, 50 students staged a sit-in at a conference on "Higher Education in a Changing Environment" which was attended by vice-chancellors and at which Amanda Vanstone was scheduled to speak.
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Taking the next step in its campaign to guarantee unimpeded access for mining corporations to all areas of Australia, federal environment minister Senator Robert Hill made it clear last week that the Coalition is prepared to allow
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Child-care cuts anger communityPERTH — Carewest, an umbrella organisation for all community child-care centres, has been established in Western Australia to organise and mobilise child-care workers and parents in opposition to
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SYDNEY — After considerable public debate and heated lobbying from industry, unions and environment groups, the Carr Labor government has announced its interim forest and wilderness package. Carr says this package makes his
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Members of the socialist youth organisation Resistance have pledged their support for the campaign to defend Indonesian democracy activists arrested in the recent government crackdown. Resistance branches around the country have passed
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BRISBANE — A Hinchinbrook Legal Fighting Fund with a target of $50,000 was launched here on August 25. The fund will pay for a High Court challenge to federal environment minister Senator Robert Hill's consent to Keith Williams'
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NEWCASTLE — A meeting of BHP steelworkers on September 25 vowed to campaign against BHP's apparent decision to stop producing steel in Newcastle. The meeting was prompted by BHP chairperson Brian Loton's announcement to the
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PERTH — A bill to outlaw discrimination against gays and lesbians in WA was defeated on September 18. As a result, it remains legal to discriminate against homosexuals in employment, housing and provision of public services. WA
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Candle Day Amnesty International's annual fundraising Candle Day will take place on Friday, October 25 and Saturday, October 26. Volunteers will be in the streets selling badges and candles to support Amnesty's work. The organisation defends the
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The spoken word can be powerful, but immeasurably more so when spoken by the powerful. When those who make rules for the rulers, like Pauline Hanson and John Howard, have "their say", they do it on our behalf and without our
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Majorities need not apply "Welcoming Mr Howard, [Indonesian dictator Suharto] said Indonesia was developing its own brand of democracy where 'there is no place for a dictatorship of the majority'." — Sydney Morning Herald, September 17. All
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ACT budget fire-saleCANBERRA — The ACT budget, released on September 24, puts Action Buses and three ACT government buildings up for sale in a controversial effort to balance the books through $100 million worth of asset sales.
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Unionists support forest reserves NEWCASTLE — The Trades Hall Council on September 19 adopted a resolution calling for "a comprehensive, adequate and representative (CAR) native forest reserve system based on public forests", and urging the state
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ADELAIDE — After months of stalling by the state Liberal government and significant industrial action by education workers, the dispute over wages and workload appears to have entered a new phase with the intervention of a full
World
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People's Democratic Party (PRD) prisoners in Jakarta are refusing to answer any questions from the attorney-general's interrogators. In a letter smuggled out from the attorney general's detention centre, PRD chair Budiman Sujatmiko, PRD leaders
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British trade unions in solidarity As the campaign in solidarity with the Indonesian democracy movement prepares for the October 28 international day of protest for human rights in Indonesia, British trade unions have decided to organise a protest
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Machinists win 99-day strike A bitter 99-day strike against McDonnell Douglas Aerospace Corporation in the US ended in victory on September 11 when members of Machinist Union District 837 voted to accept a five-year contract. The main issue was
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MOSCOW — Electricity generating workers in the Maritime District of Russia's far east are locked in a battle with federal and local authorities to force the payment of long-overdue wages. Power output in the district, whose
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PARIS — Ten thousand people marched through the streets here on September 22 to protest against the visit by the pope. People lined the streets as the demonstrators chanted "Kick out the pope and his clergy, not the immigrants"
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The international Rainforest Action Network has issued an action alert concerning rainforests in Nigeria's Cross River State, home to an astounding variety of animals, including one third of Africa's primates and more than 1000 species of
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AUCKLAND — It's a beautiful sunny day, the first day it hasn't rained in months. Winston Peters, the leader of the New Zealand First Party, has gambled on an open air campaign launch for the October 12 election and has won. God
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All 25 members of the National Executive of Herri Batasuna (the party of left-wing Basque nationalism) have been threatened with jail. The Spanish authorities accuse them of being agents of ETA, which is engaged in an armed
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International media organisations and Pacific islands groups have joined in a chorus of protest at the jailing on September 20 of two Tongan journalists and pro-democracy campaigner and MP 'Akilisi Pohiva. The jailings are the latest
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On Sunday, September 15, the largest protest action in recent years in defence of the environment in the US took place in the remote northern California town of Carlotta. Organized by Earth First!, the action mobilised some
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Suharto's rise: Communist plot or military coup?People watching Indonesian television on the night of September 30 didn't need a guide to know what was on. With the Suharto regime desperate to resurrect the "latent threat of
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Armed police raid Porgera villagers More than 200 armed PNG police raided houses along the Porgera River on August 31. Police claimed they were attempting to recover property stolen during a riot by disgruntled landholders at the Porgeras gold
Culture
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The IncorruptibleBy Louis NowraDirected by Aubrey MellorSydney Theatre Company in association with PlayboxDrama Theatre, Sydney Opera House until October 19Reviewed by Helen Jarvis An unknown country politician and sugar cane farmer is plucked out of
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Bureaucrat House the homeless. They are human, too. If Christian grace you profess, House the homeless. Indeed, while you live in opulent excess; What if (s)he were you? House the homeless. They are human, too. Brandon Astor Jones
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Community activist awards MELBOURNE — The Inaugural Community Activist Awards are being organised as a fundraiser for Access News, the alternative news segment on Channel 31 community TV. Access News comes from a left-wing, trade union and
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Guerilla Days in IrelandBy Tom BarryDublin: Anvill Books. 1981Reviewed by Rupen Savoulian This is not a new book, but it's worthwhile having a look for it at your local library or bookshop. Tom Barry was born in 1898 in County Cork. In June 1915,
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VirtuosaDirected by Anna McCrossin-Owen and Merfyn OwenSeptember 25 to October 6Theatreworks, St KildaReviewed by Nedjeljka Viduka Virtuosa chronicles the life of Clara Schumann, a great pianist and composer, whose life and work in music history has
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GuantanameraDirected by Tomas Gutierrez Alea and Juan Carlos TabioWith Mirtha Ibarra and Jorge PerugorriaOpens Lumiere Cinema Melbourne, October 10Reviewed by Natasha Izatt Guantanamera ... GuajiraGuantanameraGuantanamera ... GuajiraGuantanamera
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Prepared for 91×ÔÅÄÂÛ̳ Weekly by Sasha Shtargot For 20 years community radio 3CR in Melbourne has been at the forefront of alternative, progressive media, covering the struggles of ordinary people for social justice. For the last 15 years 3CR
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The O'Tooles were the first in our street to get television. It was 1956, the Melbourne Olympics were on and our biggest treat was to be invited to their lounge room to watch the magic. Young Peter O'Toole, was forever going on about
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BillalDirected by Tom ZubryckiFrom October 10, Sydney Valhalla and St Kilda GeorgePreviewed by Jennifer Thompson Tom Zubrycki's new documentary is powerful medicine for anyone unconcerned about the effects of hate-mongering commentary by Pauline
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According to a September 25 report, 13 Kurdish prisoners were killed in a Turkish security forces attack inside the prison of the Kurdish city of Diyarbakir. Many of the dead had suffered severe head injuries. Another 12 prisoners were taken to