The Gillard and Abbott for-and-against carbon tax travelling road shows have turned the political landscape into a circus. Embedded media packs who ask no serious questions and do not press for real answers are playing a key role in promoting the big polluters whose only concern is profits. Opposition leader Tony Abbott is on a roll, whipping up fear, creating confusion, not letting truth or the urgency of addressing climate change stand in the way of his political ambitions. He is running an extremely dangerous political campaign based on rank opportunism, trying to bring down the government.  more ...

The asylum seekers the federal government wants to deport to Malaysia will, in effect, be punished by prolonged detention, abuse of human rights, as well as arbitrary arrest or deportation.   more ...

On April 16, Fair Work Australia (FWA) handed down a decision in the Australian Services Union’s (ASU) Equal Remuneration Case confirming that the work of social, community and disability services (SACS) staff in the non-government sector is undervalued. It then called for further submissions and discussion on the amount to be awarded, setting down further hearings for August. A submission made by the Labor government did little more than pay lip service to valuing the work of SACS staff.  more ...

Imperialism has been the most powerful force in world history over the last four or five centuries, carving up whole continents while oppressing indigenous peoples and obliterating entire civilisations. Yet, it is seldom accorded any serious attention by our academics, media commentators, and political leaders. When not ignored outright, the subject of imperialism has been sanitised, so that empires become “commonwealths”, and colonies become “territories” or “dominions” (or, as in the case of Puerto Rico, “commonwealths” too). Imperialist military interventions become matters of “national defence,” “national security,” and maintaining “stability” in one or another region.  more ...

Fuwa Tetsuzo, director of the Japanese Communist Party Social Sciences Institute, said on May 10 that the nuclear accident in Fukushima has clearly illustrated two fundamental problems of capitalism. The following is Fuwa’s speech at the JCP head office:  more ...

The Right in the US, in the form of the Republican Party, is conducting a sustained attack on the Obama administration, with their focal point being the US deficit. The Right is demanding that urgent action be taken to cut the deficit, by dropping all manner of projects that serve the public.  more ...