APPM closes mills and goes yachting By Dave Wright HOBART — The APPM Wesley Vale and Burnie paper mills will be shut down for a week due to what management claims is a shortage of orders. But at the same time that 1600 workers will be
Issue 70
News
A budget follows Keating's course By Stephen Robson PERTH — Following in the footsteps of the federal budget, the Lawrence government brought down a slightly expansionary budget on September 1. With a state election expected in February,
Goss slated on promises to women By Philippa Stanford BRISBANE — "Women and the Goss Government" was the theme of a September 2 forum here. Speakers were Susan Price, Democratic Socialist candidate in the state election, and Unna Liddy of
By Peter Anderson Victoria's main public service union, the SPSF Victoria (State Public Services Federation), has called Jeff Kennett's job creation scheme a hoax and says that the Liberal Party already knows the scheme is certain to fail.
Penalty rate cuts hit young By Sean Lennon MELBOURNE — Young workers in the hospitality industry would be hardest hit if the employers' challenges to penalty rates before the industrial courts succeed, according to the Victorian Trades
By Tracy Sorensen SYDNEY — An organisation hoping to become a national green party, the Greens, was launched here on August 30. Representatives of Queensland, NSW and Tasmanian green political groups told the media they had agreed on a
By Peter Boyle MELBOURNE — Outgoing officials of the Victorian branch of the Transport Workers Union, along with office staff and organisers, ended a week-long occupation of the union's offices on September 4. The dispute erupted after the
By Peter Boyle MELBOURNE — One hundred and eighty-two independents had nominated for the October 3 Victorian elections when nominations closed on September 4. This is not surprising: the last Saulwick Age Poll (September 1 and 2) showed that
Aid for Nicaragua By Pip Hinman Non-governmental organisations in Australia are joining the international relief effort for Nicaragua after tidal waves triggered by an earthquake devastated 340 kilometers of the country's Pacific coast on
By Maurice Sibelle BRISBANE — Australia's first Indigenous Peoples Party will field 10 candidates in the Queensland state election on September 19. Champion jockey Darby McCarthy will head the IPP ticket in the seat of Clayfield. The
Price campaigns for green, left alternative By Bill Mason BRISBANE — In one of the shortest election campaigns in Australian political history, the Labor, Liberal and National parties have produced few real issues so far for the September
Brown speaks in Wollongong By Col Hesse WOLLONGONG — Following the formal launch of the Greens political party (see page 5), Tasmanian MP Bob Brown spoke to a meeting of more than 100 people here on September 2. Addressing the meeting,
Brewery struggle continues By Leon Harrison PERTH — The struggle to turn the old Swan Brewery site into parkland continues. One of the protesters arrested on the site on August 28, Uniting Church minister Helen Richmond, made a scathing
By Stephen Robson PERTH — Severely embarrassed by the international furore over the toxic waste ship, Maria Laura, the Australian government is under strong pressure to ban toxic waste exports. The controversial shipment was organised by
World
NZ spending falls By Ian Powell WELLINGTON — A report from the Statistics Department has confirmed how extensive and widespread the impact of unemployment and repressive economic policies has been in New Zealand. The department surveyed
By Rodolfo Casals The Cuban economy has developed special and exceptional characteristics since late 1989. The new conditions that emerged as a result of the collapse of socialism in Eastern Europe and the subsequent disappearance of the
IMF loan to Albania The IMF on August 26 announced approval of a $US29 million loan to Albania — its first since Albania became a member last October. The announcement said that the country's economy had suffered such collapse since 1990 that
By Lenore Tardif Mark Deasey has worked with Quaker Service Australia in Cambodia for the past four years. Back in Australia, he talked to Green Left Weekly about the changes he has witnessed and his view of the peace process. "When I
Dr Aurora Parong has been a close observer of the human rights situation in the Philippines under three regimes — Marcos, Aquino, Ramos. Rather than moving into medical practice after her graduation from the University of the Philippines, she
Lebanon vote shakes Syrian influence By Sean Malloy Voting in the recent Lebanese elections underlined the nation's desire for political independence. Results so far show a large swing against pro-Syrian candidates and towards supporters of
The following letter from a prisoner in East Timor, arrested after the Dili massacre in November 1991, was dated June 23 and recently received in Australia. Only today I'm able to answer your letter sent through H. For I was very busy. As you
By Chris Beale There has been considerable violence in the period of campaigning for the Thai elections on September 13. One horrific incident was a bomb explosion at Hat Yai railway station on August 13, killing three people and injuring at
The ruthlessness of the apartheid state in eliminating its opponents was a key theme in the speeches made during the 10th anniversary commemoration in Cape Town of the assassination of activist and journalist Ruth First. First was killed in a
By Norm Dixon In a remarkable turn of events, the recently elected government of Fiji, led by coup leader Sitiveni Rabuka, is applying pressure on the Australian-owned Emperor gold mine's management to recognise the Fiji Mine Workers Union. The
By Sean Malloy Is the "no-fly" zone south of the 32nd parallel in southern Iraq a Bush re-election stunt or part of the US establishment's long-term political and economic plans in the Middle East? Dr Bob Springborg, associate professor of
Culture
Refractory Girl Women and Sport edition, Winter 1992 Edited By Angela Matheson $5.00 Reviewed by Carolyn Beecham "It has been argued", says Shona Thompson, "that sport is a trivial and frivolous issue for feminism when lined up against
Viva! Zimbabwe — Dance Music from Zimbabwe Various artists Hannibal records through Festival Available on CD and cassette Reviewed by Norm Dixon Mention Zimbabwean music, and the band that most people will think of is the Bhundu Boys. The
By Mike Karadjis SYDNEY — With two weekends still to run, the second Multicultural Theatre Festival is already a success. "Australian Accents" features 17 theatre companies of Australians from different cultural backgrounds. The opening
Making good use of the didgeridoo Didgeridoo Dreaming Alastair Black Jarra Hill/Larrikin Records Available on CD and cassette Didgeridoo Fusion BushGiants Jarra Hill/Larrikin Records Available on cassette Reviewed by Cameron Parker
Through Murri Eyes Brisbane's community theatre company, Street Arts, will shortly be presenting Through Murri Eyes, a collaboration of dance, song and theatre. The performance takes the audience through Aboriginal history, from traditional
A successful Wollongong Cultural Dissent on August 15 featured the talents of local Irish-Australian singer-songwriter Vince Brophy (pictured), with support from Adelaide's Phil Doyle.
Modern Poetry em = By Rosemary Evans poetry = I can't stand poetry = poetry like this, poetry = which is really just poetry = chopped-up prose poetry = masquerading as verse. poetry = poetry is first cousin to music; poetry = it should
The Player Directed by Robert Altman Written by Robert Altman and Michael Tolkin Starring Tim Robbins, Greta Scacchi and a galaxy of Hollywood stars National release Reviewed by Lee Wallace The Player, Robert Altman's take on Hollywood,
Doin' time behind bars Barmaids Written by Katherine Thompson Directed by Angela Chaplin Performed by Valerie Bader and Angela Punch McGregor Belvoir Street Theatre, Sydney Reviewed by Margaret Allan Anyone who has ever "done time"
Editorial
Labor's sinking ship The parade of former prime ministers on the ABC's AM program last week was enough to show to what extent the political landscape has altered for the worse after 10 years of Labor dominance in state and federal parliaments.