Sydney Indymedia

The Life & Death of Democracy

featuring

John Keane

The third age of democracy is plagued by growing social inequality and troubled by the visible decline of political party membership and, especially among young people and the poor, fluctuating turnout at elections and growing disrespect for 'politicians' and official 'politics'. Whether and how democracies can adjust to the new world of campaign mega-advertising, political 'spin' and corporate global media is proving equally challenging.

There are then the deep-seated trends for which there is no historical precedent, and no easy solutions, like the rise of the United States as the world's first democratic empire; the spread of uncivil wars; rising fears about the biosphere; and the proliferation of new forms of violence and new weapons systems with killing power many times greater than that of all democracies combined. In Australia, we have the Howard government's assault on industrial democracy.

Has democracy a future?

Activists involved in the Mexico/Australia Solidarity Network staged an action at the steps of the Opera House today demanding the freedom of Mexican political prisoners incarcerated in Atenco and Oaxaca. The prisoners have been incarcerated since police staged para-military operations on demonstrations in these cities earlier this year. The Sydney activists defied laws against political protest at the Opera House, holding banners that said ‘We are all Atenco. We are all Oaxaca. Free the Political Prisoners’ and ‘Democracy is more than a vote’.

The repression in Atenco on May 3rd has sparked a new wave of resistance to the Mexican state. On this day, a demonstration of only 300 people in Atenco, defending an established market space for indigenous flower sellers, were met with around 3000 police, including about 14 helicopters. Nearly 200 people were arrested; houses were systematically raided and people indiscriminately taken from their homes; 30 out of 47 women arrested were raped or sexually assaulted; 2 people were killed; and countless others were wounded. There are numerous reports of people being piled in the back of police utes in bloody heaps. There are still 26 people left in ‘The State of Mexico’ prison.

Mr Moore said a child's education tended to suffer as a result of being homeless, as did their emotional and physical wellbeing and their relationships with peers and teachers. "Many feel embarrassed about it, and shamed, so they don't share with their friends or teachers, who could support them."

by Catherine Naylor

More than 1000 children in Can–berra end up homeless each year and the number is set to rise as the ACT Government slashes funding for homeless services, community advocates said yesterday.

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare found Canberra has the highest rate in Australia of homeless children aged up to four years.

Unionists and supporters at a Newcastle rally against the radical Howard Government Industrial Relations laws today marched on a Spotlight store. Union organisors estimated six thousand people rallied in Newcastle against the Howard Government's Industrial Relations laws. At 10 o'clock the main auditorium at the Panthers club was overflowing with latecomers forced to listen in a secondary hall or stand around in the foyer.

After speeches from union and community leaders, which included the Catholic Bishop for the Hunter region, the crowd of unionists and supporters streamed out of the club into King street, marching down to a local Spotlight store.

40,000 people attended the main NSW rally in the outer suburb of Blacktown - almost double the number organisers expected.

150,000 protesters took over the centre of Melbourne today. Workers also rallied in regional Victoria today with protests in Ballarat, Geelong, Hamilton, Portland, Warrnambool and Wodonga/Albury.

ACTU Media Release 28 June 2006

Widespread community concern over cuts to take-home pay and the loss of basic employment conditions has underpinned strong turnouts at protests across Australia today says the ACTU.

150,000 protesters took over the centre of Melbourne today

Community joins together to fight the Jail

by Justice Action

A petition has today been distributed to schools, housing and community
groups, calling on members of the Legislative Assembly for the Australian
Capital Territory to scrap plans to build the Territory's first jail.

The leader of the Opposition, Bill Stefaniak has agreed to table the
petition in parliament.

This petition draws to the attention of the Assembly that $128.7 million has been allocated to the construction of a jail with an ongoing annual cost of $19.63 million while 39 schools have been marked to close and $7.3 million slashed from the budget of Housing ACT.

Drug action week saw residents in Coffs Harbour doing outreach actions in the City Center Mall to tell people some truths about drugs.

The following was taken from an email sent to me by the teacher concerned. 

Laurel 

I am attempting to be re-employed by the Department of Education and Training following an injury in 2003.

The ongoing saga has been documented here on Indymedia by various writers (thank you all - Antino, Laurel, Jo Hewitt, etc)

I will attend an additional appointment with neurologist Dr Corbett because I have researched his past history and involvement as a witness in various cases and I have not found that he has ever attempted to misrepresent the truth on behalf of any government department.

When Dr Dodwell rang me some weeks ago he said that the main reason I have to return to Dr Corbett is that Dr Corbett did not have ‘the full picture’ regarding me on the occasion of my first visit. I asked Dr Dodwell just what he intended sending to Dr Corbett and he replied ‘the complaints against you in 1997’.

Media release: 27 June 2006

by Michael Anderson, Goodooga, NSW

“Restitution and reparations are our solution, not further oppression of Aboriginal Peoples”

Aboriginal political activist, Michael Anderson, who is spokesman for the Euahlayi and Gumilaroi nations in northwest New South Wales, issued a statement today saying that he is contacting Aboriginal people around Australia, promising to challenge the changes to the Federal law in respect to Aboriginal Peoples using traditional customary law as a mitigating factor in their defence to some crimes.

Media Release 26 June 2006

The Sanba-Blisstas will be thundering through the streets in their wild & whacky way, drumming, shaking & dancing up dissent at the Independence From America Day Parade in Byron Bay next Sunday 2nd of July.

Byron Shire Mayor Cr Jan Barham will be opening the celebration when it gathers in Apex Park Main Beach for an open mike SpeakOut against the US Alliance and in particular the war and grief it has brought to this land.

"In this time of war, I am happy to be seen and heard speaking up for peace," she said.

The sixth annual, organizer Graeme Dunstan of Peacebus.com describes the event as pure and passionate dissent, a fearless gathering in the open, a preemptive strike for peace and a flowering of grass roots, direct action democracy.

A message from Socialist Alliance member Tim Gooden, Secretary, Geelong and Region Trades and Labour Council

Finally, after first backing Australian Workplace Agreements, ALP leader Kim Beazley has promised that Labor will phase them out. That’s a gain for our campaign against Work Choices.

AWAs, along with the ban on union entry into workplaces, have always been the core of the Howard government’s attack—they leave workers defenceless against their employers.

Beazley’s change of heart is a result of the massive public opposition to Work Choices.

ACOSS would like to hear from what you think is needed to create fairness for all in Australia. Possible choices include:

Child care? Minimum wage? Child protection? Own home? Clean water? Paid work? Clean air? Peace? Competition? Public Transport? Environment (care for)? Rewards for achievement? Education Services? Equal rights? Safety net for poor people? Family life? Strong economy? Freedom from violence? System of law? Democracy? Reconciliation? Health? Telecommunications? Housing? Welfare? Human rights? Women’s rights? International citizenship? Work? Indigenous rights? Work-life balance?

More than 80 people, including young workers from the Gold Coast, Perth, Sydney and Melbourne, joined local participants at Geelong Trades Hall on June 17 for the “Up Yours Howard” young workers’ conference.

by Kiraz Janicke, Geelong

More than 80 people, including young workers from the Gold Coast, Perth, Sydney and Melbourne, joined local participants at Geelong Trades Hall on June 17 for the “Up Yours Howard” young workers’ conference.

The conference was initiated by the socialist youth organisation Resistance and sponsored by Geelong Trades Hall Council (GTHC) as part of the ongoing fight-back against the Howard government’s Work Choices legislation.

Attorney-General Philip Ruddock issued a media release last week welcoming the passage of the ASIO Legislation Amendment Bill 2006. The Australian Security Intelligence Organisation’s (ASIO) “questioning and detention powers will continue for the next decade,” he declared.

By Mike Head via sam

Riding roughshod over deep disquiet in the legal profession, as well as among broad layers of ordinary people, the Howard government has taken a series of decisions that underscore its determination to extinguish basic legal and democratic rights.

After being obliged to conduct reviews of key aspects of the new anti-terror laws—detention without trial, the outlawing of organisations and sedition—the government has rejected every recommendation for limiting or even clarifying the extraordinary powers it now wields. Instead, it has decided to retain these powers, designed to suppress political dissent on the pretext of protecting people from terrorism.

The WSWS and Socialist Equality Party unequivocally oppose the Howard government’s military intervention into East Timor and demand the immediate withdrawal of all Australian troops and police from the tiny island state.

by WSWS.org via sam

The deployment has nothing to do with restoring peace and stability. Like the recent intervention into the Solomon Islands, it is an act of neo-colonial aggression to further Australian economic and strategic interests in the region. The Howard government wants to force regime change in East Timor, replacing the government of Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri with an administration more amenable to Australia’s requirements.