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News briefs 3

3 NTEU initiates education campaign The Victorian division of the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) launched a "Cost of education" campaign at its February 28 council meeting. Targeted at schools, community groups, families and other

Woodchipping out of control

Kamala Emanuel & Alex Bainbridge In 1995, massive opposition to export woodchipping poured onto the streets of major cities in Australia. At the time, at least 80% of Australians were opposed to woodchipping in old-growth forests. Ten years

A woman's place is in the struggle: IWD and the birth of women workers' struggle

Although you wouldn't guess it from casting a look over the range of government-sponsored events and $40-a-head breakfasts with the local who's who to celebrate this year's International Women's Day, it is a day with very different origins. The

CHINA: Constitution change to promote private property

Eva Cheng The March 5-14 annual session of China's rubber-stamp parliament, the National People's Congress (NPC), will be asked by the country's rulers to approve 14 changes to the country's constitution, the most important of which is to

The White House v human rights

The President v David Hicks SBS televisionMarch 18, 8.30pm REVIEW BY ROHAN PEARCE The President v David Hicks is a moving documentary that follows the journey of a father, Terry Hicks, trying to understand the events leading up to the detention

Don't rely on the politicians

The war on Iraq was one of the most opposed wars in history. Millions of people marched to stop it before it began, and now that it clear that it was a war based on lies, outrage against the main warmongers, particularly US President George Bush, has

Women's liberation

Kerryn Williams These days, there is widespread acceptance of the concept of gender equality. Most girls grow up believing they are just as "good" as boys, and the majority of people agree that women and men should have the same opportunities.

Public transport for public good

Dave Riley The recent rail crisis in Sydney has drawn attention, once again, to the future of public transport in Australia. Since most Australians travel by car, the fate of the nation's public transport infrastructure may not seem overwhelmingly

VENEZUELA: Electoral commission rules against opposition

Doug Lorimer Venezuela's National Electoral Council (CNE) announced on March 2 that not enough valid signatures had been collected to force a recall referendum on left-wing President Hugo Chavez. The decision is a blow for the US-backed,

Andrews attacks SA industrial bill

Alex Tighe, Adelaide Federal workplace relations minister Kevin Andrews visited South Australia earlier this months to publicly declare that the state Labor government "must abandon the Fair Work Bill" because, he claimed, if passed into law it

Free speech attacked by UNSW Student Guild

Jess Melvin, Sydney The University of NSW Student Guild has launched a major attempt to ban students' freedom of speech by calling police onto campus to shut down campus bookstalls run by left-wing UNSW students. Since campus started for the

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. Includes the 91×ÔÅÄÂÛ̳ news. CTS Sydney (UHF 31), every Sunday, 9pm. Phone 9564 1277. Visit