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Establishment media on racist rampage

By Rohan Pearce and Nikki Ulasowski HOBART — Recent articles in the Murdoch-owned Mercury are an example of how the media can reinforce racist myths and whip up nationalism. The government's crackdown on "boat people" has been an excuse for the

Mapoon elder slams Lingard over 'straw hut' remarks

Mapoon elder slams Lingard over 'straw hut' remarks By Bill Mason BRISBANE — A leader of the Aboriginal community at Mapoon on the Cape York Peninsula has slammed National Party MP and former Aboriginal affairs minister Kev Lingard over racist

Millions demand referendum in Aceh

By Sam King BANDA ACEH — The mass action that overwhelmed Aceh's capital city on November 8 is undeniable proof of the people's desire for a referendum and their resolve to campaign for it. Some 2 million people took to the streets, in the

Artists reclaiming the streets

Artists reclaiming the streets By Bruce White SYDNEY — "Reclaim the streets" is a striking phrase. It implies that some activities are now wrongfully excluded from the streets. It implies that someone imposed and maintains the exclusion, and it

Gay and lesbian pride springs out

Gay and lesbian pride springs out By Kim Bullimore and Simon Tayler CANBERRA — The ACT's first Gay and Lesbian Pride Festival — Spring Out — included a rally and march on November 13, attended by 300 people. The rally was addressed by,

East Timorese refugees: no end of trauma

East Timorese refugees: no end of trauma By Jon Land More than 200,000 East Timorese refugees are still languishing in militia-controlled camps across West Timor. United Nations personnel and representatives of human rights groups continue to be

A matter of life or death

A matter of life or death The national crisis in public health care was dramatised last week when emergency wards in at least five public hospitals in Sydney were closed to all patients except those with life-threatening conditions. "You don't get

On the box

Actively Radical TV — Sydney community television's progressive current affairs producers tackle the hard issues from the activist's point of view. CTS Sydney (UHF 31), every Sunday, 9-11pm. Ph 9565 5522. Access News — Melbourne community TV,

Bill on same-sex domestic violence welcomed

Bill on same-sex domestic violence welcomed By Bill Mason BRISBANE — Gay and lesbian organisations have welcomed the passage of Queensland government legislation giving same-sex couples the same access to domestic violence protection as that

Winning elections by killing prisoners

Winning elections by killing prisoners Comment by Karen Fletcher Between 1980 and 1998, the Australian prison population on any given day rose from an average of 9600 to an average of 19,906. The vast majority of prisoners serve sentences of less

Why work is getting harder

Why work is getting harder By Jonathan Singer "Reasonable hours are safer hours", the ACTU declared during its October 25-29 national campaign publicising the health and safety dangers of longer working hours. The dangerous hours campaign

South Coast teachers bury government offer

South Coast teachers bury government offer By Andrew Hall WOLLONGONG — Teachers in the northern suburbs of Wollongong buried a coffin outside Labor state MP David Campbell's electoral office on November 11. On the previous day their colleagues