"Congratulations once again to Green Left Weekly. As I've often said to people all over the world when they ask what the press is like in Australia, 'Mostly owned by Murdoch and mostly unfree.'
"But I always add quickly, 'There is one newspaper that is independent of powerful interests and that's Green Left Weekly'.
"Those of you who produce Green Left Weekly should never regard yourselves as on the margins. In fact, you are the true mainstream -- the keepers of an Australian tradition of truthful, people's journalism that goes back to the Sydney Monitor in the 19th century and other independent voices that spoke against undemocratic power in all its forms.
"This independence is the essence of press freedom. So again, congratulations to all of you who produce and support Australia's proud independent newspaper."
-- Award-winning journalist and filmmaker John Pilger. Green Left Weekly will be marking its 1000th issue in March. See details for screenings of Pilger's new film Utopia across the country.
