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Life of Riley: To GST or not

To GST or not Exeunt PRIME MINISTER and POLONIUS. Enter HAMLET. HAMLET: To GST or not to GST — that is the question. Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, or to take up arms against a sea of

Copper smelter secretly commissioned

By Marg Perrott WOLLONGONG — The Port Kembla Copper (PKC) smelter started operating here secretly on February 4. Local residents began smelling sulphur fumes at 3pm. Some people began coughing, others had difficulty breathing. At a public meeting

Death caused by mandatory sentencing

By Rohan Gaiswinkler and Peter Johnston DARWIN — In a tragic event which puts the Northern Territory's mandatory sentencing laws under the national and international spotlight, a 15-year-old Aboriginal boy committed suicide here on February 10,

Council calls for reactor closure during Olympics

Council calls for reactor closure during Olympics By Jim Green SYDNEY — The mayor of Sutherland Shire Council, Ken McDonell, has called on the federal government to shut down the nuclear reactor at Lucas Heights during the Sydney Olympic Games.

WA uranium mine on the rocks

WA uranium mine on the rocks WESTERN MINING Corporation (WMC) announced that it would hand back the Yeelirrie uranium deposit to the Western Australian government if it failed to find a buyer in two years, according to a report in the February 9

No challenge to Queensland Labor

By Graham Matthews BRISBANE — On February 5, voters in the Queensland seats of Bundamba and Woodridge returned Labor members at by-elections. Both Labor candidates were elected with more than 50% of the primary vote. In Bundamba, Jo-Ann Miller

Union beats Yallourn Energy

Union beats Yallourn Energy By Michael Bull MELBOURNE — Energy unions have claimed victory in an increasingly bitter battle over the future of Victoria's power industry, after the Australian Industrial Relations Commission ruled in the

CD review: Viva East Timor!

Viva East Timor! Liberdade Viva East TimorVarious artistsMushroom Records Review by Mark Abberton In 1975, Paul Stewart's brother was killed in East Timor, along with four other Australian journalists. His inspiration for helping to coordinate a

Cuba: the revolution behind the music

By Federico Fuentes and Marina Carman The latest craze in Sydney seems to be Cuban music. For two weeks in January, the Bacardi Festival attracted tens of thousands of people to Darling Harbour. Many trendy clubs have regular Cuban theme nights.

The Insider: Whistle-blower versus big capital

Whistle-blower versus big capital Review by Tyrion Perkins The InsiderDirected by Michael MannStarring Al Pacino and Russell Crowe The Insider exposes the lengths that big business will go to stop the people knowing how much harm it does to make

The revolutionary in Russia's Duma

Oleg Shein is the only elected revolutionary Marxist in the new State Duma of Russia. He is one of these characters who seems to work non-stop around the clock, seven days a week. The group he represents, the Movement for a Workers Party (MWP), was

Action updates

Protest against Ruddock PERTH — Twenty people protested against immigration minister Philip Ruddock here on February 9. The protesters demanded the repeal of the Border Protection Act, full welfare rights for migrants and refugees, and an open