The conflict in Western Sahara, little known in Australia, is at last starting to get some prominence.
Unionists held a protest outside the Moroccan embassy in Canberra on February 9. This coincided with a visit to the Western Saharan capital, El Aaiun, by eight European trade unions to investigate the attack on striking phosphate workers by Moroccan police in August 2010.
A former Spanish colony, Western Sahara has been illegally occupied by Morocco since 1975, in defiance of international law and UN resolutions calling for a referendum on self-determination.
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Victorian Premier Ted Baillieu announced on March 1 that the government would push ahead with the unpopular plan to build Australia’s largest desalination plant in Wonthaggi.
This is despite pre-election promises that he would re-examine the contract with Aquasure, the private consortium commissioned to build and operate the plant, which was approved under Labor premier John Brumby in 2007.
According to the Age on March 1, the eventual price tag is "$24 billion that is expected to double household water bills over the next five years".
Rally in Perth on the 26 February 2011 in solidarity with the people of Libya in their struggle to overthrow the Gaddafi regime and move towards a democracy.
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