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Australia and South Pacific

Australian Education Union pushes sell out through delegates’ meetings

By our reporters, 22 May 2013

The substantial “no” vote gave some indication of the growing hostility among teachers to the union’s betrayals.

Why the SEP does not endorse the WikiLeaks Party

By Patrick O’Connor—SEP Senate candidate for Victoria, 20 May 2013

WikiLeaks’ founder Julian Assange has launched a new party ahead of Australia’s federal election in September.

The political issues in the fight to defend education

By Zac Hambides—SEP Senate candidate for NSW, 13 May 2013

Labor’s agenda in tertiary education is to strangle funding and complete the transformation of universities into thoroughly corporatised institutions.

Australian PM defends stripping refugees of welfare payments

By Mike Head, 11 May 2013

The Labor government is moving to impoverish hundreds of refugees seeking to exercise their basic legal right to appeal to a court.

SEP announces candidates for 2013 Australian election

11 May 2013

A total of 10 SEP candidates will stand for the Senate in five states.

Australian Labor government embroiled in leadership crisis

By Peter Symonds, 20 March 2013

The immediate trigger has been the government’s attempt to push through media regulation bills that have provoked fierce opposition from Australia’s media barons.

Union calls off Western Australian nurses’ strike

By Joe Lopez, 28 February 2013

Industrial action by nurses, drawing support from other workers, threatened to raise uncomfortable questions for the Liberal government, the Labor opposition and the union.

Australian corporate chief calls for major welfare cuts

By James Cogan, 26 February 2013

Don Argus, former chairman of BHP Billiton and the National Australia Bank, declared that public spending in Australia, especially on welfare, was “unsustainable.”

Leadership speculation surrounds Australian prime minister

By James Cogan, 23 February 2013

Journalists are being fed leaks by “unnamed” Labor sources that Gillard will face a leadership challenge, possibly as soon as March 12, when parliament resumes.

Australia: Bipartisan fraud on “closing the gap” of Aboriginal poverty

By Richard Phillips, 21 February 2013

Behind the cynical claims of concern in parliament, the shocking social conditions are the direct responsibility of successive governments over the past two centuries.

New Zealand government announces new austerity measures

By Tom Peters, 2 February 2013

In 2013, the Key government plans to push thousands of people off welfare, restrict access to medical procedures and close schools.

Australian opposition leader commits to austerity election campaign

By Patrick O’Connor, 1 February 2013

Abbott declared that he “won’t shirk the hard decisions” and would find the necessary “savings” to fund the Liberal Party’s pro-business proposals.

Australia: Gillard imposes Aboriginal celebrity as Senate candidate

By Richard Phillips, 31 January 2013

The appointment is part of Labor’s efforts to “revamp” its image in the lead up to the federal election.

Australian PM announces unprecedented seven-month election campaign

By James Cogan, 30 January 2013

The announcement is a direct response to the demands of the corporate elite that the government and opposition unveil policies to deal with the worsening global economic breakdown.

Australia: Government and media endorse French intervention in Mali

By Richard Phillips, 25 January 2013

Media editorials have openly pointed to Australian mining investments in Africa as the reason for supporting the military operation.

Australian prime minister reaffirms alignment with US against China

By James Cogan, 24 January 2013

Gillard’s decision to start the election year with a speech putting “national security” at the top of her government’s agenda reflects the enormous weight exerted by the US over Australian politics.

Australian hospital funding cuts cause bed closures

By Will Morrow, 24 January 2013

While being presented as accounting corrections, these cutbacks are entirely in line with the federal Labor government’s so-called health care reform program.

Refugees step up protests in Australia’s offshore detention camps

By Mike Head, 15 January 2013

The detainees face living for months in tents and converted shipping containers.

Fijian military objects to draft constitution

By Frank Gaglioti, 11 January 2013

The military is insisting that it continue to have a say in the governance of the Pacific island nation.

Australia headed for deepening slump in 2013

By Mike Head, 10 January 2013

The unravelling of the mining boom is compounding a contraction throughout the rest of the economy.

The world economy 2013: Illusions and reality

By Nick Beams, 8 January 2013

The past year has seen the destruction of a series of fictions assiduously promoted by the spokesmen of the ruling elites in the wake of the global financial crisis.

Island dispute continues to fuel China-Japan tensions

By Peter Symonds, 8 January 2013

While the latest incidents have not escalated into a dangerous diplomatic row, each had the potential to do so.

Australian state government prepares to privatise railways

By Terry Cook, 15 December 2012

The privatisation of rail and other assets by state governments is being driven by the federal Labor government’s restructuring agenda.

Australian foreign minister visits Sri Lanka to tighten anti-refugee measures

By Mike Head, 14 December 2012

Gillard’s government is stepping up its partnership with the autocratic Sri Lankan regime to prevent refugee boats sailing from the island.

Australian pseudo-left backs imperialist intervention in Syria

By Patrick O’Connor and Nick Beams, 14 December 2012

The overt shift by Socialist Alternative into the imperialist camp is bound up with the new political requirements of the Labor government.

Australia: Fire safety problems in new student accommodation

By Mark Church, 14 December 2012

Scores of new student apartments are not fire proof because of an unclear definition in Australian building codes.

SEP (Australia)

Film showing of Tsar to Lenin in Sydney this Sunday

14 December 2012

Nick Beams, the national secretary of the Socialist Equality Party, will introduce the showing of the great historical documentary Tsar to Lenin with a lecture on “The Historical and Contemporary Political Significance of the 1917 Russian Revolution”.

Australian court throws out allegations against former parliamentary speaker

By Patrick O’Connor, 13 December 2012

The entire sordid affair points to the debased character of official politics in Australia.

New Zealand Hobbit premiere used to drive “international competitiveness” agenda

By John Braddock, 13 December 2012

The media hype around The Hobbit has been used to justify further attacks on wages and working conditions.

Australia: Young people list economic issues as top concern

By Oliver Campbell, 12 December 2012

A survey points to growing social distress as the global economic crisis impacts on Australia.

Australian governments make bogus pledge to lower electricity bills

By Patrick O’Connor, 10 December 2012

The Australian energy network is now among the most deregulated and corporatised in the world, but the Labor government is demanding further privatisation.

Australian national income falls as global downturn deepens

By Mike Head, 8 December 2012

For all the Labor government’s claims that the economy is sheltered from the international turmoil, the latest data reflects the renewed worldwide slump.

Protests continue in Australian refugee detention camps

By Mark Church, 8 December 2012

Detainees are protesting against the barbaric conditions in the Pacific island camps, as well as the uncertainty surrounding their asylum claims.

Survey shows Australian teachers oppose NAPLAN testing

By Oliver Campbell, 7 December 2012

Ranking schools by NAPLAN literacy and numeracy test results is part of the Labor government’s regressive education agenda.

Papua New Guinea PM pledges fealty to Australian government, mining investors

By Patrick O’Connor, 6 December 2012

As well as emphasising the centrality of PNG’s relations with Canberra and Washington, O’Neill used his Australian trip to curry favour with the mining giants.

Australian central bank cuts interest rates amid signs of economic slump

By Mike Head, 5 December 2012

The new rate matches what Treasurer Wayne Swan called the “emergency” setting in April 2009 amid the global financial crisis.

Australian Senate report rejects dole increase

By Mike Head, 4 December 2012

Successive governments have driven down the real value of unemployment benefits, seeking to force jobless workers into low-wage work.

Australian opposition leader under pressure after accusing PM of criminality

By Patrick O’Connor, 30 November 2012

Abbott failed in his attempt to use a union scandal to force the prime minister to resign and hold an early election.

Australia: High-rise crane collapses on building site

By Terry Cook, 29 November 2012

A boom from a burning tower crane fell onto an inner city Sydney building site this week, narrowly missing construction workers.

Australia: Victorian teachers’ union abandons wage claim

By Susan Allan, 29 November 2012

Even though the AEU has dropped its demand for a 30 percent wage rise, the state government is insisting on further major concessions.

Australian prime minister defeated on UN vote

By Nick Beams, 28 November 2012

Gillard was forced to back down on the UN Palestine vote after opposition in the cabinet and on the Labor Party backbench.

Union corruption scandal plagues Australian PM

By Patrick O’Connor, 28 November 2012

The issue has been promoted by the Murdoch press as a means of placing pressure on Gillard to implement further austerity measures.

Australia: Safety experts discuss Bankstown apartment fire

By our reporters, 27 November 2012

Experts voice concerns about fire safety in multi-storey apartments and inadequate building codes.

An exercise in myth-making

Gough Whitlam: A Moment in History by Jenny Hocking

By Nick Beams, 26 November 2012

Whitlam's demise is presented as the downfall of a social reformer, almost totally ignoring the global context in which the 1975 Canberra Coup took place.

Gough Whitlam: A Moment in History by Jenny Hocking

An exercise in myth-making

By Nick Beams, 24 November 2012

Whitlam’s demise is presented as the downfall of a social reformer, almost totally ignoring the global context in which the 1975 Canberra Coup took place.

Book Review: Gough Whitlam: A Moment in History

An exercise in myth-making

By Nick Beams, 23 November 2012

Whitlam’s demise is presented as the downfall of a social reformer, almost totally ignoring the global context in which the 1975 Canberra Coup took place.

Australian government pushes for energy privatisation

By Terry Cook, 23 November 2012

The White Paper demands that every avenue for profit in the energy sector must be opened up for the major corporations and finance houses.

Australia: Students and staff protest University of Western Sydney cuts

By Mark Church, 22 November 2012

The sweeping cuts follow similar moves at other universities across the country, flowing from the Gillard government’s “education revolution.”

Australian government intensifies anti-refugee policy

By Mike Head, 22 November 2012

The Gillard government is increasingly violating the basic democratic rights of refugees, and repudiating any adherence to fundamental precepts of international law.

Australia: Coroner criticises police over Brazilian student’s death

By Chris Johnson and Richard Phillips, 20 November 2012

Despite her damning indictment of the police conduct, the coroner did not recommend criminal charges against the police, or the withdrawal of Tasers.

Australian government proposes new “Accord” between business and unions

By Patrick O’Connor, 20 November 2012

The “national economic reform panel” is to serve as a mechanism for imposing a new wave of pro-business restructuring against the working class.

Australian government announces inquiry into institutional child sex abuse

By Patrick O’Connor, 19 November 2012

While posturing as a defender of children, Gillard is working to protect the Catholic Church, and implementing an austerity agenda that will compound the social distress facing many children.

Nauru refugee hunger striker taken to hospital

By Mark Church, 19 November 2012

Omid’s protest highlights the brutality of the Australian Labor government’s policy of transporting refugees to be detained indefinitely on Nauru.

Financial elite demands deeper spending cuts in Australia

By Mike Head, 17 November 2012

Standard & Poor’s drew parallels between Australia and Spain, and warned that Australia could risk losing its AAA credit rating.

Ford Australia sacks 210 workers

By Will Morrow, 17 November 2012

The Gillard Labor government, along with the trade unions, has worked with Ford to organise the layoffs.

Residents voice concerns about fire safety at Bankstown apartment

By Richard Phillips, 17 November 2012

False alarms and other fire safety issues continue to plague Euro Terraces residents in south-west Sydney.

Labour MP blames workers for New Zealand mine disaster

By Tom Peters, 16 November 2012

The government and opposition Labour Party, along with the unions, are desperately seeking to wash their hands of any responsibility for the tragedy.

US-Australian ministerial talks boost military ties

By Peter Symonds, 15 November 2012

The AUSMIN talks in Perth are part of the Obama administration’s renewed diplomatic and strategic offensive against China throughout Asia.

Australian government asks High Court to curb free speech rights

By Mike Head, 14 November 2012

The Labor government has asked the judges to wind back a so-called implied protection of political communication.

Unemployment surges in New Zealand

By John Braddock, 14 November 2012

The official jobless rate rose from 6.8 to 7.3 percent in the September quarter, its highest level since 1999.

Australian government prepares “transition” for Solomon Islands intervention

By Patrick O’Connor, 13 November 2012

Nearly 10 years after dispatching hundreds of troops, federal police and government officials, Canberra is winding down RAMSI’s military component.

Infrastructure Australia calls for privatisation of public assets

By James Cogan, 12 November 2012

The government body identified four “asset classes” where there is still substantial public ownership: energy, water, transport and plantation forestry.

Australia’s worsening housing affordability crisis

By Mark Church, 10 November 2012

Over the past two decades, the cost of buying a home has almost trebled, compared to average incomes.

New Zealand mine disaster inquiry whitewashes government

By Tom Peters, 10 November 2012

The disaster was the outcome of the decades-long assault on the jobs, conditions and rights of workers aimed at boosting “international competitiveness.”

Hunger strike continues in Australian refugee detention centre on Nauru

By Mark Church, 10 November 2012

On the government’s instructions, Australian officials have refused to negotiate with the detainees over their asylum visa applications.

Qantas Australia sacks another 500 maintenance engineers

By Patrick O’Connor, 9 November 2012

With the support of the federal Labor government, and the collaboration of the trade unions, Qantas is imposing layoffs on a near-monthly basis.

Another fatal train crash in Australia

By Peter Byrne, 8 November 2012

The fundamental cause of the accident is the very existence of road vehicle crossings over railway lines in a metropolitan setting.

Greens enter government in Australian Capital Territory

By Mike Head, 8 November 2012

After losing nearly a third of their votes at the October 20 election, the Greens have joined a coalition with the Labor Party.

Australian government critics express fears of an Asian war

By Peter Symonds, 7 November 2012

The government’s White Paper on “Australia in the Asian Century” dismissed the prospect of conflict between the US and China.

Job cuts deepen throughout Australian auto industry

By Terry Cook, 6 November 2012

The GM and Autodom retrenchments are part of a global restructuring of the auto industry, which has accelerated since the financial crash erupted in 2008.

Murdoch’s Australian holds conference promoting austerity and pro-business “reform”

By Patrick O’Connor, 6 November 2012

The reports centred on how to ensure the international competitiveness of Australian capitalism amid continued crises in Europe and the US.

Australian detainees in hunger strike on Nauru

By Mark Church and Mike Head, 5 November 2012

Asylum seekers are protesting the appalling conditions on the island and the Australian government’s refusal to start processing their refugee claims.

Drilling company fined negligible sum for safety breaches in New Zealand mine disaster

By Tom Peters, 3 November 2012

Family members of the Pike River miners reacted with anger to the $46,800 fine given to VLI Drilling for its role in the 2010 disaster, which killed 29 men.

Labor steps up Australian commitment to Afghan war

By James Cogan, 2 November 2012

Prime Minister Gillard said additional Australian forces were likely to be deployed over the next year.

Australia: Job cuts mount amid signs of stalling growth

By Max Newman and Terry Cook, 2 November 2012

Official labour force figures for September show a rising unemployment rate and job destruction in all industry sectors.

Fire safety problems in Australia’s tallest apartment block

By Richard Phillips, 1 November 2012

A flawed fire escape in the Q1 tower highlights the result of the de-regulation of the building industry.

SEP public meeting in New Zealand

The socialist alternative to unemployment, austerity and war

1 November 2012

The alternative to austerity and war is the development of an independent political movement of the working class that fights for a workers’ government based on socialist policies.

Australian Labor government “excises” entire country to bar refugees

By Patrick O’Connor, 31 October 2012

Australia will effectively become a legal black hole for refugees, undocumented workers, and anyone else without recognised legal status.

Hurricane Sandy leaves 8 million without power in US

By Kate Randall, 31 October 2012

The widespread damage wrought by Sandy is spread across 12 states, with 40 dead and more than 8 million without power.

New Zealand Maori business elite sues for water ownership

By Tom Peters, 31 October 2012

The Mana Party, trade unions and pseudo-left groups are supporting a push by Maori business interests to profit from the government’s asset sales.

Australian government pledges further pro-business industrial relations reform

By Terry Cook, 30 October 2012

Australian unions have endorsed Labor’s planned changes to industrial relations laws that undermine workplace protections.

Gillard government releases “Australia in the Asian Century” White Paper

By Peter Symonds, 30 October 2012

The White Paper entitled is based on a fraud—that the economic rise of Asia will continue inexorably into the indefinite future.

Australian government’s new mining tax raises zero revenue

By Patrick O’Connor, 29 October 2012

The loss of revenue will trigger further regressive spending cuts as the government seeks to deliver the budget surplus demanded by the financial markets.

No decision on coronial inquiry into Bankstown fire for months

By Richard Phillips, 27 October 2012

The response by all levels of government to the plight of Euro Terraces fire victims has been one of callous indifference.

Australian opposition under fire over budget update response

By Patrick O’Connor, 26 October 2012

Opposition leader Tony Abbott faces sharp criticism within ruling circles over his perceived failure to press for more savage austerity measures.

Australian mining unions ram through new productivity agreement

By Richard Phillips, 25 October 2012

The large minority vote against the agreement underscores the deep hostility of the Queensland coal miners towards the company, and growing distrust and opposition to the unions.

Deepening social inequality and poverty in New Zealand

By John Braddock, 25 October 2012

Two recent reports detail the falling incomes of working people and rising levels of poverty, especially among children.

Australian government imposes new spending cuts

By Patrick O’Connor, 23 October 2012

The abrupt end of the mining boom has had an immediate impact on the government’s budget, demonstrating the acute sensitivity of Australian capitalism to global economic shifts.