Issue No 112 | 21 September 2001 | |
NewsRort-Friendly Proposals Draw Fire
Workers in regional centres are spearheading opposition to Government plans to hack 2300 jobs out of the Australian Tax Office. NSW centres, Newcastle and Wollongong, joined Townsville, Geelong and Chermside in voting for half-day strikes last week in pointers to escalating resistance as the CPSU embarks on a nationwide round of stop work meetings. Five hundred Newcastle tax officers pulled the pin last Tuesday and more than 100 Illawarra colleagues walked out the following day. The CPSU's Michael Tull called Government plans to cull 1300 fulltimers and a further 1000 casuals a "serious threat" to the viability of the country's tax base. "Cuts and massive changes to the tax system have put the ATO under pressure with increasingly-embarrassing results," he said. "Your experience and mine might suggest everyone pays their taxes but slippage at the top end is a serious problem. "Unless the ATO is resourced to do its job the outlook for services like health and education are worrying, to say the least." Tull said the position was further complicated by Tax Office refusals to disclose its financial position or negotiate staffing levels with the union. He said last week's actions had generated "significant" community support in regional centres where the ATO is a important employer.
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Interview: Exit Interview Michael Costa looks back at his 14 years with the Labor Council to chart the highs, the lows and the bits in between. Parliament: Opening Salvo In his Maiden Speech, delivered this week, Costa gave vent to his views on immigration, Marx, globalisation and mental health. Scandals: My Evil Twin Co-conspirator and 'intellectual soulmate' Mark Duffy recounts the legendary 'Leaked Paper' Affair and how its predictions soon came to pass. Politics: An Agent for Change Former secretary Michael Easson argues that Costa was instrumental in redefining the factional balance in NSW in the wake of the Cold War. Review: The Thoughts of Chairman MC Neale Towart trawls the collected works of Michael Costa and looks at his love-hate affair with Marx. Factions: Kyoto Sunset Naomi Steer - the first left-winger to work at Labor Council in decades - recalls how she discovered the real Michael in a Karaoke lounge. History: A Proud Tradition Former Premier Barrie Unsworth argues Costa enters Parliament as the best qualified Labor Council leader ever to make the transition. Psychology: The Man Behind the Mask Costa's predecessor Peter Sams argues that behind the bluff facade lay a loyal and caring friend. Seduction: Michael and Me Chris Christodoulou recounts how Costa convinced him to cross the factional divide and take up residence in Sussex Street. Satire: Ode to Leon Long-time sparring partner, Peter Botsman submits this lyrical tribute to Costa's career.
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