Issue 1342

News

At a mass meeting, the ACTU departed from previous election campaigns by urging unionists to vote for either Labor or the Greens.听Zita Henderson reports.

Aged people are being discriminated against in homes with inadequate听staff-to-patient ratios, reports听Jack Williams.

Anti-war and peace activists are planning to picket a naval arms bazaar, Indo Pacific Expo, being organised in Sydney. Pip Hinman reports.

National Tertiary Education Union members at the University of Sydney have听voted听to strike for 48 hours on May 11鈥12 over work conditions.听Georgie Dixon reports.

A spirited action against the commodification of education outside Sydney University鈥檚 Fisher Library heard from staff and students. Rachel Evans reports.

Scott Morrison's 鈥渃aptain鈥檚 pick鈥 for the seat of Warringah is听Katherine Deves has long been an anti-LGBTI rights campaigner.听Shane Crocker reports.

Civil rights activists are angry that the federal government's witch hunt against Bernard Collaery is continuing. Kerry Smith reports.

Inner West residents were shocked to be told by the council鈥檚 general manager that they were effectively being shut out of the preparation of the demerger case. Peter Boyle reports.

NSW bus drivers are striking to receive the same pay and conditions for the same work across the network, reports Jim McIlroy .

Unionists rallied outside Liberal National MP Warren Entsch's office to call for better wages and conditions for workers, an end to insecure work and for a change in government. Isaac Nellist reports.

Thousands marched in the annual Palm Sunday鈥檚听walk for justice for refugees in Melbourne. Supporters of refugee rights also took to the streets in Canberra and Newcastle.听Chloe DS, Elizabeth Trenchos,听Paul Oboohov and听Steve O'Brien听report.

Pacific Outreach Officer at the Edmund Rice Centre Maria Tiimon听Chi-Fang, from the tiny Pacific island state Kiribati, warned at the Palm Sunday rally听that her community is the听"collateral damage to the greed of distant colonising powers".听

The Palm Sunday march听on April 10听took up the intersecting issues of war, refugees and climate emergency.

Four Fireproof Australia activists were arrested and charged under the new draconian anti-protest laws. Rachel Evans reports.

Protesters gathered outside the Federal Court to demand Santos withdraws its bid to try to override the Gomeroi鈥檚 opposition to a coal seam gas plant in the Pilliga Forest in north-west New South Wales. Jim McIlroy reports.

Brunswick residents, who have been battling to stop a Bunnings Warehouse from being built in a residential area for nearly two years, have won. Andrea Bunting reports.

Analysis

Exaggerated coverage of Anthony Albanese鈥檚 supposed day one 鈥済affe鈥 in this election campaign,听including by the ABC, help disguise the lack of difference between the two parties听and tips the scales towards the Coalition, argues Alex Bainbridge.

Suzanne James spoke听to Socialist Alliance candidate for the NSW Senate听Dr Niko Leka aboutrefugee and asylum seeker policy, addressing the climate crisis and the need for universal health care.

Jim McIlroy reports on听Tom McDonald's long involvement in Australia鈥檚 trade union and Communist movements.

Tucked away at the end of Labor鈥檚听Secure Australian Jobs Plan听for this election is a promise to abolish the ABCC. Workers will need to hold Labor听to account if elected, argues Sue Bull.

Socialist Alliance candidate Kamala Emanuel spoke听to Alex Bainbridge about what is motivating her to run in the federal election.

John Shipton addressed questions after the premiere of Ithaka, afilm听about the campaign to free his son Julian Assange which is听screening across the country.

War and climate change are linked: one cannot be solved without solving the other, and neither can be resolved by capitalism. Because this is all too obvious, William Briggs听argues a lot of time and effort is spent on obscuring the truth.

Suzanne James听spoke to trade unionist and Socialist Alliance candidate for the Victorian Senate听Angela Carr听about Australia鈥檚 economic and social equity crisis.

Alex Bainbridge speaks with John Shipton, about听the campaign to free Julian Assange听in听the 91自拍论坛 Show #20.

Labor will not commit to raising the JobSeeker payment of $44 a day, backing down on a promise it made in 2019 to review it. Isaac Nellist reports on the response.

Suzanne James spoke听to Angela Carr, Socialist Alliance candidate for the Senate in Victoria, about housing, health, National Disability Insurance Scheme听and the party's听plans to address the growing socio-economic inequality crisis.

If war were not such a profitable enterprise for capitalism, the arms industries would not be so huge, writes William Briggs.

Morrison, Joyce and听Dutton are salivating at the prospect of purchasing hypersonic missiles. They believe it will make听Australia 鈥渁ttractive鈥 鈥 in an existentially doomed way 鈥 to other powers in the region, writes听Binoy Kampmark.

World

Barbed wire

This month, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government joined an ignominious collective in announcing a refugee deal with Rwanda, seedily entitled the UK-Rwanda Migration Partnership, reports Binoy Kampmark.

Free Julian Assange

Wikileaks founder Julian Assange's fate now rests in the hands of British Home Secretary Priti Patel, writes Binoy Kampmark.

Anti war protest in Belarus

An underground anti-war movement continues to organise in Russia and neighbouring Belarus, despite facing harsh repression, reports Dick Nichols.

PLM attacked in Mindanao

A delegation led by Partido Lakas ng Masa (PLM) presidential candidate Leody de Guzman came under gunfire in Mindanao on April 19, while meeting with members of an Indigenous tribe on their occupied lands, reports Susan Price.

Ketanji Brown Jackson

Ketanji Brown Jackson was confirmed as the 116th justice of the Supreme Court on April 7, reports Malik Miah. While a victory, racism remains central to politics in the US.

Imran Khan

Since he lost power, former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan鈥檚 rhetoric against the United States has intensified. However, Khan鈥檚 anti-US stand cannot be called anti-imperialism, writes Farooq Tariq.

Leody de Guzman and Maria Ressa

The May 9 national elections in the Philippines are taking place as the country reels under the blows of multiple system crises 鈥 climate, economic and social 鈥 compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic, writes Reihana Mohideen.

Emmanuel Macron

John Mullen shares his initial analysis of the French presidential election results.

Culture

Call to Peace

Melbourne-based visual artist Nina Sanadze launched her thought-provoking installation Call to Peace on March 27, reports Mayura Ashok.

Maixabel film

The Basque liberation movement, ETA, waged war on the Spanish state for about 60 years. Maixabel is obligatory viewing to understanding the emotional and spiritual impact of armed struggle, writes Barry Healy.

Ecosocialist Bookshelf April

Climate & Capitalism editor Ian Angus presents six new books for activists.

Ben Lewis, translator and editor of Karl Kautsky on Democracy and Republicanism,听sits down to听talk听with 91自拍论坛.