Green Left Weekly

GLW issue number 1074

stuart_m — Sat, 24 Oct 2015 05:19:03 +0000

Sat, 24/10/2015

Student occupation demands a Fossil Free UTAS

pip.hinman — Sat, 24 Oct 2015 05:13:42 +0000

Fri, 23/10/2015

A student occupation demanding that the University of Tasmania (UTAS) divest its $300 million portfolio from the fossil fuel industry has entered its second week.

The sit-in outside the university vice-chancellor’s office began on October 7, and is part of a nationwide campaign calling on other universities to do the same.

Fossil Free UTAS released a statement on October 19 saying: “We are here to demand that the university gets off fossil fuels because it will save students’ money today and because it is the morally right thing to do.”

Aki Nawaz from Fun Da Mental: 'Ask me some difficult questions!'

stuart_m — Sat, 24 Oct 2015 05:10:04 +0000

Sun, 18/10/2015

By Mat Ward

Canada: Trudeau changes style, not substance

stuart_m — Sat, 24 Oct 2015 04:55:19 +0000

Sat, 24/10/2015

By Kerry Smith

Canadians elected a new national government on October 19, with new Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberal Party winning 184 seats out of 338.

The hated Conservative Party of Prime Minister Stephen Harper came in second place with 99 seats. The historically left-wing New Democratic Party won 44 seats.

Fourth coal loader is climate vandalism

stuart_m — Sat, 24 Oct 2015 04:49:45 +0000

Fri, 16/10/2015

By Zane Alcorn, Newcastle

The New South Wales government's nominally independent Planning Assessment Commission (PAC) has approved a fourth coal loader for the port of Newcastle.

Port Waratah Coal Services (PWCS) initially applied to build the loader in 2012 at the height of the resources boom. Since then coal prices have crashed, caused by the fact that renewable energy is now a preferred source of “new build” power plants across the globe and fewer new coal-fired power plants are being built than was forecast.

Geelong socialist wins over 5% in council vote

pip.hinman — Sat, 24 Oct 2015 04:28:35 +0000

Sat, 24/10/2015

By Sarah Hathway, Geelong

Former police prosecutor Peter Murrihy is the new councillor for the Kildare ward after winning the recent by-election in the Greater Geelong Council. Murrihy defeated 10 other candidates to win the safe Liberal ward with 27.41% of the primary vote.

Although Murrihy said he was politically unaffiliated, he received preferences from Liberal Party member Trent Sullivan. Much was made in the local media of the fact that Murrihy put forward no political promises or commitments during his campaign.

MUA rally targets cruise ship company in Sydney

tony_i — Sat, 24 Oct 2015 04:18:20 +0000

Tue, 20/10/2015

By Jim McIlroy, Sydney

Around 100 members of the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) rallied at the Sydney Overseas Passenger Terminal at Circular Quay on October 9 to oppose harsh exploitation of crews aboard Royal Caribbean cruise ships, and demand the right of employees and linesmen on the dock to be union members.

Sydney MUA secretary Paul McAleer told the rally: "This cruise company imposes a huge level of exploitation on its crews, including underpayment and poor conditions on board. Up to now, the company and the shipping agents, Port Jackson Holdings, have refused to allow port workers to join the union.

Help Green Left Weekly gain more subscribers

tony_i — Sat, 24 Oct 2015 04:15:57 +0000

Wed, 21/10/2015

By Jim McIlroy

Green Left Weekly is launching a major subscription drive from this issue until the end of the year.

We want to get Australia's best socialist weekly newspaper out into the hands of more readers over the next eight weeks.

Why? Because in a period of heightened right-wing attacks on civil liberties and free speech, the truth about defending the interests of the people must get out there even more broadly.

PM's staff reject bargaining offer

tony_i — Sat, 24 Oct 2015 04:14:43 +0000

Wed, 21/10/2015

By Jim McIlroy

Staff of Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's department have overwhelmingly rejected an enterprise bargaining agreement offer in a ballot which finished on October 18.

Public servants at the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet (PM&C) voted no to a management offer which attacked their rights, conditions and real wages.

About 76% of staff participated in the ballot. The result is a further nail in the coffin of the federal Coalition government's industrial relations policy towards its own workforce.

More hospital staff demand release of children in detention

tony_i — Sat, 24 Oct 2015 04:10:54 +0000

Fri, 23/10/2015

Staff at Lady Cilento Children's Hospital in Brisbane have followed in the footsteps of colleagues at Melbourne's Royal Children's Hospital and called for the immediate release of children being held in immigration detention centres.

Government backs down on funding for climate denialist

tony_i — Sat, 24 Oct 2015 04:10:23 +0000

Fri, 23/10/2015

The federal government has withdrawn an offer to provide $4 million to any Australian university willing to host climate sceptic Bjorn Lomborg and his “Consensus Centre”.

Staff at Flinders University in Adelaide, where management had been considering the proposal, welcomed the news.

National Tertiary Education Union Flinders University branch president Ron Slee said, “Today's decision is a welcome relief for a university community that has been relentless in its campaign to protect against the reputational damage that would inevitably travel with the Lomborg money.”

Portuguese president refuses to let left form gov't - says only those who'll implement Troika's austerity can be trusted

tony_i — Sat, 24 Oct 2015 03:51:16 +0000

Sat, 24/10/2015

By Kerry Smith

Portuguese President Anibal Cavaco Silva said he will not allow a coalition of left parties to form a government, despite the fact that they won an outright majority in October 4 parliamentary elections - on grounds it would "violate" existing commitments to the European Union.

So that's why Israel oppresses Palestinians. Thanks, Netanyahu, for clearing that up

stuart_m — Sat, 24 Oct 2015 03:41:41 +0000

Sat, 24/10/2015

By Carlo Sands

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu raised the odd eyebrow when he insisted in an October 20 speech that Adolf Hitler had no plans to exterminate Jews until convinced to do so by a Palestinian — the then-Mufti of Jerusalem Haj Amin al-Husseini.

The German government immediately responded by pointing out that “all Germans” know their nation was responsible, which must have made for an odd phone call: “Is that Mr Netanyahu? Yes, hi, Germany here. Ah, we just wanted to … um ... this is a bit awkward but ... you know that whole Holocaust thing? Yeah? That was us.

Fighting Fund: Extreme wealth causes extreme poverty

tony_i — Sat, 24 Oct 2015 03:39:23 +0000

Fri, 23/10/2015

By Peter Boyle

The latest World Bank Global Monitoring Report boasted that only 9.6% of the world's population — 702 million people — are forecast to be living in extreme poverty in 2015, 200 million fewer than in 2012. And this even with the WB now raising its official poverty line from the 2008 US$1.25 a day level to US$1.90.

WB president Jim Yong Kim declared that the world has a good chance of ending extreme poverty by 2030.

Climate Guardian Angels occupy rooftop of minister Hunt's office

tony_i — Sat, 24 Oct 2015 03:38:30 +0000

Fri, 23/10/2015

Climate Guardian Angels took over the rooftop of environment minister Greg Hunt's office in Hastings, Victoria, on October 16 to protest his approval of Adani's Carmichael coalmine.

Climate Guardian co-convener Dr Liz Conor said, “To be actively expanding Australia's coal export industry now is beyond irresponsible; it is staggeringly negligent. It will consign our children and theirs to a volatile, dangerous climate system, with far-reaching repercussions for their lives.”