Already in the week parliament resumed the talk of a “new paradigm” has come crashing down to Earth. The opening days of parliament were consumed by the usual bickering. And far from any shift to the left, Julia Gillard’s government has continued right where it left off.
The suicide death of Fijian asylum seeker Josefa Raulini on September 20 triggered a wave of protest inside Villawood detention centre.It pushed the horrible consequences of mandatory detention and offshore processing onto the mainstream political agenda.
Tony Abbott’s efforts to pose as a defender of land rights through his attack on the Wild Rivers legislation is motivated by mining interests, writes Paddy Gibson
Hawke and Keating’s Accord agreement was designed to hold back wages and conditions and weakened union power, argues Feiyi Zhang
Many see Cuban society as a model for socialism. But a look at its history presents different conclusions, argues Mark Gillespie
Carl Taylor takes a look back at a strike where workers took on a Labor government
It took a Cairns jury less than an hour to find Tegan Leech and Sergie Brennan not guilty on charges of procuring an abortion. The decision, which widens the circumstances when abortion is legal, puts pressure on Queensland Premier Anna Bligh to decriminalise abortion completely.
Updates on the situation are available at Refugee Action Coalition Sydney’s website
In 2007, the mass union mobilisations through the Your Rights at Work campaign were the central force driving John Howard from office. It beggars belief that only three years later, we came so close to having a Coalition government led by Howard’s clone, Tony Abbott.
Julia Gillard’s deal with The Greens to establish a parliamentary committee on a carbon price has been hailed as a new chance for serious action on climate change. The Greens have led the charge for a carbon tax; new MP Adam Bandt has called it “the key to dealing with the climate change challenge.”
As she lost the seat of Bennelong, Maxine McKew summed up Labor’s crisis: compared to 2007, she said, Labor stood for nothing.
The struggles against the NT Intervention and the expansion of the nuclear industry in the NT continued to build during the election period - through the Greens campaign and the Intervention Rollback Action Group’s (IRAG) grassroots mobilisation.
Solidarity meets in cities all around the country. Check here for details of the latest upcoming meetings.
The suicide of a Fijian asylum seeker, followed by rooftop protests and hunger strikes at Sydney’s Villawood detention centre have exposed again the cost of mandatory detention of refugees. This follows a breakout from Darwin detention centre, and underscores the crisis in detention, with over 5000 asylum seekers behind bars. Major rallies will be held across the country October 22-23
Mark Fordham, former CDEP co-ordinator at Ampilatwatja Community will be speaking in Brisbane and Sydney as part of the jobs with justice campaign.
Despite coming to power promising action on climate, Kevin Rudd’s emissions trading scheme, the CPRS, is worse than nothing, giving billions in handouts to polluters. As a result new coal power stations are planned nationwide. Across the country grassroots climate action groups are organising to demand real action on climate change.
The Victorian Trades Hall Council Climate Change Working Group together with the Climate Emergency Network is hosting a climate change conference for trade unionists and local activists, on Saturday October 9th, from 10am – 4pm in Meeting Room 1 at Trades Hall. Entry via gold coin donation on the day, please email tradeunionclimateconference <at> gmail.com to register your attendence beforehand.
Review: Peoplequake by Fred Pearce
Random House, $32.95
Review: Made in Dagenham, directed by Nigel Cole
In cinemas October 28
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