The Centre for Independent Studies (CIS) 鈥 a right-wing economic think tank 鈥 released its What鈥檚 Next for Welfare-to-Work? report on October 15. As part of a strategy to push more people off welfare, the report called for a fall in the minimum wage and a tightening of eligibility rules for the Disability Support Pension (DSP).
Graham Matthews
In May last year, federal Treasurer Wayne Swan announced the formation of the Australia鈥檚 Future Tax System Review, to be run by Treasury secretary Ken Henry. When the Henry review reports to government in December, its recommendations are likely to leave the wealthy smiling and the rest of us grinding our teeth.
One hundred people gathered at Parramatta ferry wharf on October 9 to call on the NSW government to abandon plans to privatise Sydney Ferries. The protest was organised by Save Our Sydney Ferries, a coalition of unions and public transport support groups.
On October 6, the Reserve Bank of Australia lifted the official interest rate by a quarter of a percentage point to 3.25%. Explaining the bank鈥檚 decision, RBA governor Glenn Stevens said 鈥渢he risk of serious economic contraction in Australia鈥 had now 鈥減assed鈥.
As the Australian economy begins its 鈥渞ecovery鈥, economic and social indicators show the recession has disproportionately affected working people and the poor. The rich are just getting richer.
The problem is obvious to anyone who uses public transport 鈥 in Sydney or any other major city in Australia. Public transport networks, designed in the 1940s, are straining to service growing cities.
Workers at the Campbell's Soup factory at Shepparton in Victoria have delivered a setback to the federal Labor government's plan to apply individual contracts by stealth.
Permaculture Diary 2010
Compiled by Michele Margolis
Graphic design by Richard Telford
$30 (including postage), pb
Available from
Business economists and their paid media scribblers are frantically keen to announce the end of the financial crisis. Their aim is to return confidence in the market and to encourage working people to take on more debt.
In April 2008, workplace relations minister Julia Gillard began the process of 鈥渁ward simplification鈥, asking the Australian Industrial Relations Commission (AIRC) to compress about 2500 existing state and federal awards into just 120.
On August 12, Australia鈥檚 formerly government-owned telecommunications
company, Telstra, announced a $4 billion profit for the 2008-09 financial year.
Unions NSW unveiled its 鈥淏etter Services for a Better State鈥 campaign at a seminar for public sector union delegates and Your Rights at Work activists in Parramatta on August 20.
- Previous page
- Page 7
- Next page