In Spain the signs are unmistakable: a 鈥渉ot autumn鈥 of political and social conflict is brewing in the run-up to the November 20 general election.
Polling night will reveal how much the growing social resistance, brought onto the streets since May largely by the 15-M movement of 鈥渋ndignants鈥, has shaken up the political scene.
As things stand, the most likely result is a repeat of the wipe-out suffered by the governing Spanish聽 Socialist Workers Party (PSOE) at the May elections for local council and regional governments (known as 鈥渁utonomous communities鈥).
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Chanting 鈥渟hame Barry, shame鈥, 35,000 people from dozens of unions and their supporters rallied in Sydney鈥檚 Domain on September 8 to oppose savage cuts to public services and job conditions.
Contingents of teachers, nurses, firefighters, police, rail and bus workers, and public sector workers swelled the ranks of the protest, the largest union rally in the state in 20 years.
The rally, held just two days after the O鈥橣arrell government handed down its budget, was almost double the size predicted by Unions NSW.
Last month the Remuneration Tribunal awarded to the heads of the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA), the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).
Australia鈥檚 media, already saturated with gas and mining company propaganda, are about to be bombarded with more 鈥済ood news鈥 about coal seam gas (CSG). A campaign called 鈥淲e want CSG鈥 was launched on September 4. It includes television, radio, newspaper and online advertisements. It is backed by some of Australia鈥檚 largest energy companies, including AGL, Santos, and Origin Energy, under the banner of the Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association (APPEA).
Will NSW鈥檚 Liberal-National state government follow its Victorian colleagues and block the development of wind energy in the state?
Victorian Premier Ted Baillieu announced new planning laws on August 29 that ban wind farms from large areas of the state. The laws put so many hurdles in the way of new wind developments that most wind companies are now talking of abandoning further developments in the state.
When Liberal leader Tony Abbott promised in the last federal election campaign that the notorious anti-worker 鈥淲ork Choices鈥 laws of the former Howard Liberal-National government 鈥渄ead, buried and cremated鈥 very few people believed him.
Resistance is a co-sponsor of the in Melbourne over September 30 to October 4. 麻豆传媒 Weekly asked some Resistance members about their thoughts on this major event.
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Hannah Reardon-Smith, Brisbane
To me, events such as the Climate Change Social Change conference are essential for reigniting my enthusiasm and my energy for the good (but long) fight.
Australian Solicitor-General Stephen Gageler, who defended the government鈥檚 Malaysia solution in the High Court, confirmed the court鈥檚 decision 鈥渃ast doubt鈥 on all offshore processing, immigration minister Chris Bowen said on September 4.
British-based economist, activist and writer Derek Wall is a member of the Green Party of England and Wales and is the author of several books on ecology and politics.
Wall will speak via video link at the activist conference in Melbourne over September 30 to October 3. He maintains the ecosocialist blog .
Emissions rise under carbon price
Labor proposes a carbon price plan to 鈥渢ackle climate change鈥 and create what it calls a 鈥渃lean energy future鈥 by an implied decrease in greenhouse gas pollution.
However the Australian government-endorsed Treasury modelling report, 鈥淪trong growth, low pollution鈥, shows that under the carbon price plan, Australia鈥檚 domestic greenhouse gas pollution will increase to 621 million tonnes of CO2-equivalent in 2020, bigger than now or in 2000.
Rodney Augustine is from the Nyulnyu and Jabirrjabirr people. He is a spokesperson for the group and is a member of the 鈥淜eep the Kimberley鈥 group, both based in Melbourne.
He will speak at the activist conference in Melbourne, over September 30 to October 3.
Nicole Watson, a research fellow at the University of Technology Sydney鈥檚 , gave the address below at the Sydney launch of Walk With Us: Aboriginal Elders Call Out to Australian People to Walk with them in their Quest for Justice at Gleebooks, Sydney, on September 1.
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At the outset I would like to pay my respects to the traditional owners of the land, the Gadigal people.
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