Siann Fox is a 17-year-old queer rights activist from the LaTrobe Valley, about 130 kilometres from Melbourne. She says that growing up in rural Victoria is what propelled her into activism and joining Whatever, a young queer group based in the Gippsland region. Radical Women recently met Siann and talked about Whatever’s work. “In rural… Read more »
Posts in: International
Change of government in New Zealand heralds the need for a fightback!
With the election of a National Party-led government in New Zealand/Aotearoa on 8th November 2008, the working class will have a much harder struggle ahead. The Nationals won 44.93% of the vote, the Labour Party polled 33.99% and the Greens came in third with 6.72%. As the worldwide capitalist economic crisis loomed, the Labour Party,… Read more »
Fair Work Bill retains restrictions on organising
On 25 November 2008, Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard grandly told Parliament that the government’s Fair Work Bill “takes the Australian value of the fair go and builds around it a new workplace relations system ready to meet the needs of the nation in the 21st century.” ACTU President Sharan Burrow echoed Gillard’s enthusiasm, declaring,… Read more »
The Conch — big, bold and brassy
The Conch is a big band with plenty to say. Their debut album joyfully declares, “artists have interpreted the world in many ways, the point, however, is to change it!” They set out to inspire and energise all who work alongside them in the struggle for a beautiful future for the people of this planet…. Read more »
Olympic games: An expensive imperialist spectacle
How much is an Olympic gold medal? Not the token itself, but the cost of training and maintaining the winner. About $40 million, based on the last 35 years of government funding for so-called “elite” sports. A bronze is a bargain, coming in at only $16 million! It’s important to remember that this funding goes,… Read more »
Bankrupting Dissent
The federal minister for destroying the environment, Peter Garrett, has made a series of outrageous pro-business decisions, including approval of the Gunns pulp mill near Launceston, the dredging of Port Phillip Bay and a desalination plant near Wonthaggi. All three projects pose considerable risks to the environment and have led to the formation of local… Read more »
Your Say
Two states cannot deliver justice for Palestine On his recent trip to the Middle East, George Bush called for an end to Israeli occupation of the Palestinian West Bank territory and expressed his support for a Palestinian state. This was a public relations stunt. If Bush were genuine, he would stop U.S. aid to Israel…. Read more »
A question of power
At the very sharp end of the climate change crisis is the energy question. Most of the planet’s electricity generation is derived from coal, and all motorised transport requires the consumption of fossil fuel or other organically derived material. Coal, oil, gas and so-called “biofuels” are all based on carbon. When carbon is burnt, it… Read more »
As Rudd fails workers, will the Victorian Trades Hall Council lead the fight?
Bryan Boyd, Secretary of the Victorian Trades Hall Council (VTHC), has a Soapbox column on the council’s webpage. In June, Boyd said the debate about industrial relations is “hotting up in 2008 as the federal government develops its ‘substantive’ IR bill – the draft to be available in the second half of the year.” Bryan… Read more »
Victorian teachers vote “yes” to agreement but are deeply divided
On 5 May, the Victorian Premier, John Brumby, announced that he had struck a deal with the Australian Education Union (AEU), bringing the tenacious 16-month campaign for a new Victorian Government Schools Agreement to an end. In November 2007 and February 2008, teachers had turned out for the biggest stopwork meetings and rallies in the… Read more »
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