Communist Party of Australia

April 18, 2018 - click here for index of articles.

ACT OF WAR – CPA Statement

The Communist Party of Australia condemns last week’s military attack against Syria in the strongest possible terms. Early morning of April 14 the United States, Britain, and France launched over one hundred missiles at Syrian targets in Damascus and Homs. Such aggression punishes the Syrian people for refusing to submit to the regime-change agenda imposed on their country by outside powers, and by provoking nuclear-armed Russia, raises the potential for global war, putting our planet and future generations at great risk. more ...

Editorial – Coalition of the Killing

The actions of the United States in bombing Syria are the most blatant demonstration to date that the US and its allies will, as a matter of course, treat the views and opinions of the international community and its representative body the UN with utter contempt. This violation of national independence and sovereignty by the Coalition of the Killing is now its mode of operation in international affairs. US President Trump’s unilateral actions also show he has no respect for US constitutional law, much less international conventions or world rules-based order. more ...

Serve the people – Young Communists’ work

Every week they’re there. Volunteers distributing between 100 to 150 free, nutritious meals to Sydney’s homeless. Clothes and information on services are available, too. Tea, coffee, fruit and bread to take away are piled onto several trestle tables. The stall at the Macquarie Street end of Martin Place is a happy place. Music plays and the homeless and the volunteers can’t help breaking out into the occasional, impromptu dance. Chats strike up between volunteers, regular customers and the increasing number of new faces. more ...

Excluding the vulnerable – Public housing in peril

Yet another dimension to these problems is the matter of consultation with those affected by the policies about to be implemented. Notifications have been served on those residents that they must vacate their current premises and that they will be “relocated”. The advice from the government is that the return to the redeveloped site will be an “option” conditional upon the availability of a dwelling that meets the needs of the tenant “in accordance with the ‘Matching Clients With Housing Size Guidelines’ ”. With the redeveloped estates generally having smaller and fewer “social housing” units, it is to be expected that many current residents will be excluded and thus unable to return to their present neighbourhoods. more ...

The commodification of education

In India, the NDA (National Democratic Alliance) government’s appointment of hack loyalists to important positions in the sphere of education has rightly raised concerns about the damage being done to the education system. But this is not the sole source of danger to the system. The era of globalisation of capital brings in its train a process of destruction of education, of which in the Indian context the intrusion of communal-fascism into the sphere of education is an important additional ingredient. This process of destruction, its “how” and “why”, has to be understood in its totality. more ...

The right to strike – Politics in the Pub Perth

In January of this year the Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) in New South Wales called a strike in Sydney over the failure of the New South Wales government to negotiate over wages and safety. The NSW government, fearing the consequences of the industrial action which included the impact on the economy, sought to circumvent the unions right to strike by making an application in the Fair Work Commission to have the strike called off, claiming the impact would be too great on the economy and inconvenience the public attending school, hospital appointments and work. more ...

Syria war danger – Time to resist is now

Missiles “will be coming.” That’s the threat of President Donald Trump on April 12 in response to claims that the Syrian government of Bashar al-Assad deployed chemical weapons in the Islamist rebel-held town of Douma. His warning seemed to be aimed more at Moscow than Damascus, however, with his tweet proclaiming Russia should “Get ready,” because his missiles are “nice and new and ‘smart!’ ” Trump’s militaristic threats and reckless boasting set the stage for a major new US attack in the Middle East and increase the danger of a much larger international conflict. Needless to say, such warmongering must be resisted. more ...

Victory – 20th Anniversary of Patrick dispute

Friends and supporters of the Maritime Union of Australia gathered to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the dispute with Patrick stevedoring on Saturday April 7. Twenty years ago was a time when Australian unionism hung in the balance as it faced a concerted corporations-government-National Farmers Federation attack on the most militant of unions – the MUA. more ...

Commuters continue to fight bus privatisation

Commuters are continuing to fight the privatisation of Sydney’s Inner West Public Buses. Glebe Residents, RTBU-Bus Division, CPA Maritime and the local Member Jamie Parker, Greens MP, staged a protest at one of the busiest bus stops on April 5, and plan to continue to hold these protests on following Thursdays. more ...

Culture & Life – Make it Australian

Dozens of Australia’s best-known and most successful actors, directors, screenwriters, producers and production crew – including 15 Oscar winners – have penned an open letter calling on the nation’s parliamentarians to protect the local screen industry and to act now to ensure it thrives into the future. more ...