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Issue No. 306 12 May 2006  
E D I T O R I A L

Good Times
Hands up who watched Kim Beazley�s budget in reply last night? None of you? Thought so.

F E A T U R E S

Interview: Out of the Bedroom
Reverend Jim Wallis is leading a crusade to take the moral debate into the public arena.

Industrial: Cloak and Dagger
The Howard Government has begun a series of workshops to sell its WorkChoice vsision. Sean Ambrose sneaked through the doors for Workers Online.

Unions: Lockout!
Jim Comerford�s eyewitness account of the 15-month Lockout of 10,000 New South Wales miners in1929-1930 records the inside story of Australia�s most bloody and bitter industrial conflict

Legal: The Fantasy of Choice
Professor Ron McCallum argues the WorkChoices laws are built on a fundamental fiction.

Politics: Labor Pains
Labor has dealt itself out of the crucial workplace relations debate by failing to articulate a credible policy alternative to Howard�s new WorkChoices legislation, argues Mark Heearn and Grant Michelson

Economics: Economics and the Public Purpose
Evan Jones pays tribute to John Kenneth Galbraith, a big man who never stopped arguing that economics should serve the public good, not create public squalor.

Corporate: House of Horrors
Anthony Keenan takes a tour of Sydney�s notorious, Asbestos House, courtesy of Gideon Haig.

History: Clash Of Cultures
Neale Towart with a new take on Mayday through the words of a punk icon

International: Childs Play
An ILO report into Child Labour shows some progress is being made to curb this gobal scurge .

Culture: Folk You Mate!
Phil Doyle dodges Morris Dancers to find signs of Working Life at the National Folk Festival in Canberra over the Easter Weekend.

Review: Last Holeproof Hero
Finally, a superhero who has worked out how to wear his underpants. Nathan Brown ogles V for Vendetta

N E W S

 Howard Hunts Heroes

 Workplace Cop Shrugs Shoulders

 Gerry Built Apartments Fall Behind

 NFF Axe Over Childcare

 Ballarat Suffers Maxi-Rort

 Hunter Collects on Jobs

 Company Doctors Terminal

 Killer Bosses Swoop on Croweaters

 US: Thousands Fired For Joining Unions

 Cozzies Skills Skid

 Howard�s Unpaid Photo Op

 Activist's What's On!

C O L U M N S

The Soapbox
Albo's Meltdown
Labor's environment spokesman Antony Albanese argues that Chrernobyl is one reason why the ALP should stand firm on nuclear.

The Locker Room
A Sort Of Homecoming
Phil Doyle plays to the whistle.

Parliament
The Westie Wing
Our favourite MP, Ian West reports from Macquarie Street on some strange collective acction.

L E T T E R S
 Immigration Department Strikes Again
 Budget Dividend
 The Real Truth About Independent Contractors
WHAT YOU CAN DO
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SEDITIOUS INTENT Short Film Collection

Online now at http://spinach7.com/si/

Seventeen short films - some sad, some funny, some gentle, some illuminating - from the slick to the raw and edgy, ranging from fiction, faction, animation, claymation, subverts to adverts - they make up the exciting web-based SEDITIOUS INTENT short film collection site.

The collection is the result of a call to filmmakers across the country to "create a short film (from 30 secs - 5 mins) that responds in some way to the Australian Government's draconian new anti-terrorism laws".

When we initiated the project, we knew it wouldn't prevent the anti-terror laws from being implemented. However, 'SEDITIOUS INTENT' is aimed at keeping the discussion alive and enabling filmmakers to participate in actions that provoke debate that leads to change.

We have partnered with EngageMedia(http://engagemedia.org), a group distributing video stories about social justice and environmental issues in Australia, Southeast Asia and the Pacific. We are proud to be their first collection.

Labor Tribune

You are invited to the launch meeting of Labor Tribune

Labor Tribune [email protected]

IS MARXISM RELEVANT TO THE LABOUR MOVEMENT?

Speakers: Meredith Burgmann, MLC, president of the NSW upper house Jack Mundey, environmental campaigner, former NSW secretary BLF Andrew West, SMH Online columnist, political biographer, Fabian Society executive Marcus Strom, editor Labor Tribune, secretary Summer Hill ALP

Tuesday May 16, 6.30pm

Mitchell Theatre Sydney Mechanics' School of Arts Level 1 280 Pitt Street, Sydney

www.labortribune.net

'Know Your Rights' Hypothetical

In Brisbane - Based on the 'Hypotheticals' format, Barb Lowing will host a panel including Tony Auckland, Tom McSweeny, Joss McWilliam and Bruce Redman. The event is free for financial Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance members and students (non-members $33) and will be held on Monday 22 May, 6.30pm - The Roundhouse Theatre, 6-8 Musk Ave Kelvin Grove. Bookings are essential. To reserve your seat, call Kate Brady on 02 9333 0911 or email [email protected]

MELBOURNE DECLARES PEACE ON THE WORLD

National Peace Conference Invitation Thursday, May 25, 7pm Public Meeting, Storey Hall, RMIT, Swanston St, City Saturday, May 27 Registration from 9am Maritime Union of Australia, 46 Ireland St, West Melbourne The conference seeks to foster better international connections and develop a clearer coherent national strategy for peace. It will coincide with tours by significant international players in the peace movement including: Hassan J'umar: President of the Iraqi Oil Workers Union, Cindy Sheehan, from Goldstar Families for Peace, USA. Sabah Jawad, Iraqi Democrats Against Occupation. Dr Salam Islmail, From Doctors for Iraq, Muslim Association of Britian and Stop the War Coalition. Cost : $50 for one or two delegates, $20 (waged observer) $10 (unwaged observer) Conference Dinner Saturday $20 waged, $15 unwaged Contact the conference roganising committee on: Phone: 0418 316 310 Email: [email protected] Mail GPO Box 1473, Melbourne VIC 3001

HISTORY AND CULTURE EVENTS COMING UP

Work, Industrial Relations and Popular Culture Conference Monday 25 September 2006, Brisbane Work and Industry Futures QUT, and the Department of Industrial Relations Griffith University are convening a one-day conference that explores Work, Industrial Relations and Popular Culture.

David Pope, the cartoonist behind the Heinrich Hinze cartoons will be Keynote Speaker with his presentation - "Is the pen mightier than s356? Cartoons and Work" (www.scratch.com.au)

We welcome any paper that explores the manner in which popular culture is used by unions, management or policy makers or alternatively, how work and industrial relations is represented within popular culture.

Sub-themes for the conference include: - Policy, Influence and Modern Mediums - Which is Reality, Work or TV? - Popular Music: Is it the End of the Working Class Man? - Working in the Movies: What do we see? - Popular Culture as a Teaching Tool. Call for Papers. Abstracts are due 14 July 2006 Full papers are due 11 September 2006 Location; Southbank, Brisbane.

The convenors would welcome participants to submit proposed titles earlier to assist in preparations. For further information please contact Keith Townsend ([email protected]) or David Peetz ([email protected])

Rekindling the Flames of Discontent: How the Labour and Folk Movements Work Together

A CONFERENCE / DINNER / CONCERT

The Brisbane Labour History Association is holding a Conference/Dinner/Concert on Saturday 23 September. This event will explore the historical relationship between the labour movement and the folk movement in Australia with a particular emphasis on Queensland.

Why? To celebrate the history of the interaction between the Folk and Labour movements, and promote its longevity.

When? Saturday 23 September. Conference from 1pm. Concert from 7pm.

Where? East Brisbane Bowls Club, Lytton Rd, East Brisbane, Next to Mowbray Park

It is still in the formative stages, but to date the following are confirmed:

1-5pm CONFERENCE (will include music with the presentations):
Doug Eaton on John Manifold & the Communist Arts Group in Brisbane, Brisbane Realists
Bob & Margaret Fagan on Sydney Realist Writers
Mark Gregory on trade union & labour songs/music, nationally/internationally
Lachlan & Sue on international perspectives

5 - 7pm Drinks followed by DINNER

7 - 11pm CONCERT
Combined Unions Choir
Bob and Margaret Fagan
Mark Gregory
Jumping Fences
For more information contact the BLHA President Greg Mallory on [email protected], or Secretary Ted Reithmuller on [email protected], or Dale Jacobsen on [email protected]


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