MELBOURNE — On August 21, Irish Socialist Party parliamentarian Joe Higgins addressed a meeting of 70 people as part of week-long Australian speaking tour which included public meetings in Newcastle, Sydney and Perth. Higgins is a member of the Dail, the parliament in southern Ireland.
Higgins was jailed last year for one month for his role in blockades opposing garbage collection charges. He related the campaign's success in involving people to prevent garbage services being put on a user-pays basis.
Higgins has also taken a firm anti-war stand in parliament. In January 2003, he introduced a bill into parliament calling on the Irish government to stop allowing the US to refuel its planes at Shannon airport, which has since become a touchstone fight for Irish peace activists. Higgins was a keynote speaker at the March protests at Shannon against US President George Bush's visit to Ireland.
At the Melbourne meeting, organised by the Socialist Party, Higgins also discussed the need for building new workers' parties in the face of the complete betrayal of working people by the old social-democratic parties. Higgins argued that socialists must play a critical role in the development of these new workers' parties.
Jody Betzein
'Punish Howard' student rally
MELBOURNE — On August 19, 100 university and 50 high school students rallied to demand that the federal government reverse recent HECS fee increases and increase funding for higher education.
After rallying outside the State Library, the students marched along to Collins Street to the Sofitel Hotel where a meeting of the vice-chancellors of the Group of Eight leading universities were holding a meeting. The rally was addressed by Democrats Senator Natasha Stott-Despoja.
Smaller protests in Brisbane and Canberra demanding the fee reversal were also held on the day. Although protests had been scheduled in Sydney, they were postponed due to heavy rain. A handful of students held speak-outs and distributed information at both Sydney University and the University of Technology, Sydney.
Zoe Kenny
Student protest against police charges
MELBOURNE — On August 17, 50 students rallied in front of the Monash Clayton administration building to oppose police charges against three Monash University students due to their involvement in a demonstration and occupation against HECS increases earlier this year.
Protesters said that the three students have been singled out because of their non-white migrant backgrounds. The occupation had involved at least 1000 students and 20 students were originally charged by the police.
Rashad Seedeen
Women demand better childcare and maternity leave
MELBOURNE — "Women are saying that we want to decide when, if and how we have children", Debbie Brennan, a member of Radical Women and the Socialist Alliance said on August 21. "Without access to crucial supports like paid maternity leave, affordable childcare and an independent income, we don't have a real choice."
Brennan is one of the organisers of an August 28 protest demanding: free, quality 24-hour child care; pay equity for all child care workers; employer-funded paid maternity leave for all women; equal pay; equal employment opportunity; and secure jobs for women. The protest starts at noon at Treasury Place. For more information, phone Debbie on (03) 9288 0062 or Angela on 0409 076 978.
From Â鶹´«Ã½ Weekly, August 25, 2004.
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