Woodside and the Western Australian government鈥檚 push to build a massive gas-processing plant at James Price Point will be a key battle in a broader campaign to protect the cultural and environmental heritage of the Kimberley region in WA.
This battle is significant for several reasons.
First, the government is trying to compulsorily acquire Aboriginal land. Traditional owners, some of who had previously been prepared to support the project, are now united in opposition. Many unions, including the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union, are supporting them.
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When the Victorian Parliament decriminalised abortion two years ago, the battle was finally over, right? Then why is the Fertility Control Clinic in East Melbourne still targeted by anti-abortion zealots? And why, after five years, has Melbourne City Council started harassing clinic defenders, potentially handing a victory to those same zealots?
SYDNEY 鈥 After the successful Latin America Solidarity Conference it organised in October, the Latin America Social Forum (LASF) in Sydney has launched a new blog, .
LASF is uploading videos of plenary talks from the conference and the 20 resolutions approved in the conference鈥檚 final session.
These resolutions have been translated to Spanish and sent to contacts across Latin America, many of who have expressed their appreciation for the work of LASF.
Cap Haitien, Haiti鈥檚 second largest city, was awakened by demonstrations on November 15 against the United Nation鈥檚 occupation force, Minustah, which is accused of being responsible for starting the cholera epidemic in Haiti.
Shortly after 6am, thousands of angry demonstrators took to the streets in the city, where cholera has killed more than 200 people. Demonstrators also denounced the Haitian government鈥檚 mismanagement of the epidemic.
There has been a lot of discussion about the problems within Australia鈥檚 national A-League football (鈥渟occer鈥) competition, with some even fearing that it is on the verge of collapse.
Maybe that won鈥檛 happen, but there are signs that things aren鈥檛 looking good. In September, Newcastle Jets became the latest club to be provided with an emergency loan. The league鈥檚 governing body, Football Federation Australia (FFA) agreed to provide short term financial assistance so the club could pay its players.
The Australian National University鈥檚 (ANU) sexuality department not only provides an invaluable support service to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer students on campus (LGBTIQ), it is also unashamedly political.
For example, it has thrown its weight behind the campaign for equal marriage rights.
So perhaps it is not surprising that the department has been challenged by homophobia on campus.
In May during Pride Week, 500 posters were ripped down.
A false argument
It was a nice piece of sophistry displayed by Simon Butler in opposing a burqa ban [Letters GLW #857]. So if I oppose the occupation of Afghanistan by US Imperialism I am no better than those Taliban and Al-Qaeda 鈥渢errorists鈥. Guilt by association is fraught with problems Simon. It鈥檚 a false argument.
Aboriginal workers in the government鈥檚 $672 million Strategic Indigenous Housing and Infrastructure Program (SIHIP) are working for what amounts to half the dole plus rations. However, these workers are still being recorded as contributing to SIHIP meeting its employment target, Crickey.com.au said.
SIHIP is the housing project announced by the federal government in 2008. The project was to provide much needed housing for Aboriginal populations in remote areas of the Northern Territory.
Western Australia鈥檚 proposed 鈥渟top-and-search鈥 laws look dead in the water after the National Party opposed the bill on November 11.
The proposed laws were to expand WA police powers to search people without having to provide grounds for suspicion. The laws would also allow the police minister to declare areas in which police had the power to arbitrarily stop and search people.
Thousands of supporters of Thailand鈥檚 Red Shirt movement (the popular name for the United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship) once again turned Bangkok鈥檚 busy Ratchaprasong Intersection into a sea of red on November 19.
Protesters turned out in their thousands to mark six months since the military attacked and dispersed a mass protest camp that occupied the area in April and May. More than 90 people were killed and thousands injured. Hundreds of protesters are still imprisoned.
The South Australian Labor government鈥檚 public service cuts were passed through parliament on November 8, ignoring sharp criticism from the Public Service Association (PSA) and widespread protests. Australian Council of Trade Unions president Ged Kearney described the cuts as a form of 鈥減olitical terrorism鈥, in an address to the PSA that day. She said public funding issues would become increasingly frequent across Australia as governments continue to adopt 鈥渘eoliberal, global agendas鈥.
The contrast is striking. As Australia鈥檚 state and federal governments continue their bloody-minded corporatisation and privatisation of our few remaining public assets, the revolutionary government of Venezuela is bringing important industries and sectors into public ownership and control.
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