By Sam Wainwright and Sarah Stephen
Protests are continuing against the federal government's white paper proposal to remove the under 18 dole and introduce a below award "training wage".
Around Australia more than a thousand people participated in rallies, marches and pickets in the week leading up to the federal budget. This has been followed by further actions.
On May 7, 150 people gathered on the lawns next to Salamanca Market in Hobart for a "youth speak-out" against the white paper organised by the national youth organisation Resistance. People limboed under a "poverty line" before voicing their anger and frustration at the government's attacks on the young and unemployed.
One of the speakers asked, "Since when has legalised slavery been a solution to unemployment? It's a solution for the government because it will bring down the unemployment figures, but all it's doing is turning the long-term unemployed into a cheap labour pool."
Anger was also expressed at the banning of posters on sexuality in secondary colleges following the United Nations Human Rights Commission's findings against Tasmania's anti-gay laws. The Education Department is imposing the bans without consulting students.
One of the protesters said, "It's totally patronising to say that we shouldn't be dragged into the gay law reform debate. Controlling what we can and can't discuss is an attack on freedom of speech, and we'll fight it all the way. If school authorities ban our access to information, we'll have to distribute our own." People at the speak-out decided to mount a campaign to have the ban overturned (phone (002) 346 397 for details).
A similar action was organised by Resistance in the Newcastle mall on May 7. The speak-out received an enthusiastic response as 200 signatures against the white paper were collected in less than two hours.
The Newcastle protest put forward concrete proposals to solve unemployment as an alternative to the government's welfare- and wage-cutting plan. It called for a 35-hour week with no loss in pay, an end to corporate handouts, no training wage but equal pay for equal work, and job creation through the expansion of much-needed social services such as public transport, education, health and environmental repair.
About 50 people attended a Canberra public meeting against the white paper proposals. The meeting, initiated by a number of groups, heard speakers from Resistance, International Socialist Organisation and the Australian National University SRC. Discussion focused on the impact of the white paper; it was resolved to organise a protest in two weeks' time (phone Allison, (06) 247 2424 for details).
In Sydney a demonstration is being held on May 16 outside the Hilton Hotel, where treasurer Ralph Willis will be speaking at a Financial Review dinner to celebrate the budget. Organised by the Cross Campus Education Network, the demonstration's theme is "Rally against the budget for jobs and justice — they're celebrating and you're not invited!" The protest's three key demands are no below award training wage, no cuts to the under 18 dole and real job creation, not corporate handouts.