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New Philippines president backs 'free market'

By Reihana Mohideen MANILA — With over 70% of the vote counted and a commanding lead of 4 million votes over his nearest contender, Joseph "Erap" Estrada has all but been declared the new president of the Philippines. He will be sworn in on June

Poem: A politician's conversation with an asylum seeker

A politician's conversation with an asylum seeker You want what!To stay in Australia?You reckon you're a refugeebecause Indonesia invaded your countryand you fled across the Timor Sea?Brothers murdered,sisters raped,mother jailedand father

NTEU win for contract staff

By Jeremy Smith For more than two years, the National Tertiary Education Industry Union (NTEU) has campaigned to restrict the use of contract staff in post-secondary education. On May 11, the Australian Industrial Relations Commission endorsed the

A woman-centred abortion service

SYDNEY — The Powell St Clinic (Bessie Smyth Foundation) in Homebush in Sydney's west opened in 1977 to provide a service to women that was different, and still is, from many other abortion services. The clinic's services are not for profit, and

Loose cannons

Relaxed "I think the Indonesian government would be quite relaxed about that. After all, it was the Indonesian government itself which established the HRC." — Foreign minister Alexander Downer, on the government's decision to give $2 million in

US city dumps on the poor

By Peter Montague The city of Philadelphia has a long history of dumping its toxic wastes on other states and nations. Now the "city of brotherly love" is refusing to spend a paltry sum to clean up 3.6 million kilograms of the city's toxic

Portraying the stolen generations

Portraying the stolen generations In the Interest of Bennelong is an evocative display of photographs, text and indigenous art around the themes of the “stolen generation” — acknowledgment, unity and commitment. The exhibition will be

Speaker offers a recipe book for 'socialism'

Comment by Graham Matthews BRISBANE — The International Socialist Organisation (ISO) is presently touring Giles Ungpakorn around the country. Ungpakorn is billed as a visiting Thai socialist, speaking on "The Asian crisis and the struggle for

Reith orders troops on to waterfront

In a shock move today, the federal government ordered troops on to the waterfront of the national capital, Canberra. Workplace relations minister Peter Reith announced that the judges of the High Court, on the shores of Lake Burley Griffin, were to

The many facets of love

Savage/Love Directed by Deborah Johnston When the World Was Green (A Chef's Fable) Directed by Diana Denley Belvoir Street Theatre, Sydney Until June 7   Review by Sue Boland Two plays by Sam Shephard and Joseph Chaikin

Bill threatens 1967 referendum win

Bill threatens 1967 referendum win By Jennifer Thompson A bill currently before federal parliament, coming on top of the Coalition's Wik bill, threatens to further remove indigenous people's rights to protect their heritage, according to the

Patrick seeks to deregister MUA

Patrick seeks to deregister MUA By James Vassilopoulos In an attempt to smash the Maritime Union of Australia, Patrick Stevedores applied on May 22 to the Federal Court seeking massive damages and fines from the union and its deregistration.