ACTU: New Postcard Campaign

A new campaign to send Federal parliamentarians postcards opposing the Government's workplace changes has been launched by the ACTU.

This is a chance for Australian voters and workers to express the sense of betrayal and disillusionment they have for the Federal Government with the main by-line on the postcard stating, 'I didn't vote for an attack on my rights at work.'

To download the post card go to:
http://actu.asn.au/work_rights/tools_resources/
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Special Minister of State: plans for electoral laws

Unions would be forced to disclose the sources of their funding under a toughening of electoral laws to be revealed by the Federal Government tonight.

The Special Minister of State, Eric Abetz, says that unions and other non-government groups should be listed as associated entities under the Electoral Act because "they exist almost solely for the benefit of the Labor Party".

Senator Abetz, who is preparing to take the plan for electoral reform to cabinet this month, is also examining ways to toughen up disclosure requirements for the Australian Conservation Foundation, WWF Australia, the Wilderness Society and the RSPCA.

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Sydney: 150th birthday of the Eight hour day

In Sydney's Rocks area close to Observatory Hill is the Garrison Church, much used for weddings.

150 years ago the stonemasons working on the church downed tools and won an eight hour day, eight hours for work, eight hours for rest, and eight hours for themselves. On October 1 1855 they celebrated their new conditions with a special dinner.

No plaque yet commemorates this historic event, however the fact that this weekend is a long weekend (Labour Day ... formerly Eight Hour Day) is a fitting tribute.

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Report: Students bearing $13b HECS burden

The Federal Government's Higher Education Report 2004-5 shows the accumulated HECS debt of Australian university graduates is more than $13 billion.

Labor's education spokeswoman Jenny Macklin says it shows since the Government was elected in 1996, the accumulated HECS debt has increased from $4 billion to $13 billion.

"What it shows is there has been over a 100 per cent increase in university fees and students as a result of that are carrying enormous HECS debt, it's making it harder and harder for young people to buy a home and we already have evidence that young people are delaying starting their families because of this very high level of HECS debt ....

More than 60 university degrees are now costing more than $100,000 for Australian university students and we also know that HECS also has gone up on average by more than 100 per cent," she said.

Howard's terror laws

"THEY that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." (Benjamin Franklin, 1759)

"It must be a matter of serious concern that the leaders have agreed to assist the Commonwealth to circumvent one of the fundamental human rights protections contained in the Australian constitution." (John von Doussa, 2005)

When these new anti-terrorism measures become law, police can arrest whoever they like, people as young as 16, and imprison them for 14 days if they have "reasonable grounds" for believing they pose a terrorist threat.

What those reasonable grounds might be is anyone's guess. The fundamental principle of the presumption of innocence is out the window.

On top of that, "suspects" could be tagged with electronic tracking devices or held under house arrest for up to a year, again without charge. This would be subject to judicial review but - and here's the crunch - a review only to determine that the letter of the law had been obeyed. The judge would not be permitted to establish if there was factual evidence for branding any person a terrorist suspect.

Nor is there any mechanism to guard against these periods of detention, either 14 days or a year, being rolled over indefinitely. Detainees could be released, then re-arrested within minutes.

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