En Passant

Amy Thomas writes in the July edition of Solidarity: “Labor is back”, claimed a triumphant Bill Shorten in his election night speech. But in truth, the result was Labor’s second lowest primary vote since the 1930s. Of an overall 3.71 swing against the Coalition, only 2.27 per cent went to Greens and Labor.

Writing in Socialist Worker UK, and republished in Australian socialist magazine Solidarity, Dave Sewell starts off by saying:

‘A wave of strikes and protests to defend workers’ rights is causing a crisis for France’s Labour-type government. President Francois Hollande’s proposed Work Law increases working hours and gives bosses more power to sack workers.’

To read the whole article in Solidarity magazine click here (via my blog). The French resistance that could take down a government

Lachlan Marshall in socialist magazine Solidarity explains the Syrian regime’s history of deals with imperialism and attacks on its own working class in order to boost its own wealth and power.

This is the link to my article in socialist magazine Solidarity on the untouched billions in tax rorts for the rich.

The latest article in socialist magazine Solidarity starts off:

‘Turnbull has delivered a budget for business and the rich. Its centrepiece is handouts to business and high income earners. Most workers get nothing, except the impact of further cuts to services.

‘Everyone earning over $80,000 a year, including those on million dollar incomes, will get a tax cut. Only the top 25 per cent of tax-payers will benefit.

‘The tax increase on those earning over $180,000, introduced two years ago as a “deficit repair levy”, is also being reversed. Close to $8 billion over four years that could have gone into schools and hospitals is being sacrificed.

‘Alongside that are tax cuts for business.’

The drive to attack the poor, students and workers is systemic. It requires a systemic response.

‘This is a government totally committed to the interests of big business and the rich. It’s now clear that Turnbull can be beaten. But that can’t be left to opinion polls and Turnbull’s gaffes, or electing a Labor government. There has to be a fight.’ To read the whole article in socialist magazine Solidarity, click here.

This is the link to my article in socialist magazine Solidarity on the Panama Papers.

Bernie Sanders has shown radical ideas can find a serious audience in the US. Peter Jones in Australian socialist magazine Solidarity looks at what he stands for and where his campaign for president is headed.

The debate over Senate voting reform and the Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC) legislation is seriously undermining the united left we need to kick out Turnbull and defeat the Liberals’ anti-union agenda.