Demonstrations against the continued detention and torture of David Hicks

The full horror of the abuse of David Hicks at the US concentration camp at Guantánamo is becoming clear to the Australian public. Last week, more details were added. “His mental condition is the one that’s a signifi cant concern … he has simply aged. His eyes are sunken, his cheeks are sallow and he looks like an old man.”. The comments came from David McLeod – an Australian lawyer who is part of a team working for Hicks. He visited the detainee for two hours in an observation room while his client remained chained to the fl oor.

Hicks had just refused to see an Australian con-sular offi cial on January 30. His letter declining the visit is chilling in its implications:

“I don’t want to see you. I am afraid to speak to you.

“Only last week an American impersonated an Australian embassy offi cial by claiming he was ‘from the Australian embassy in Washington’.

“This deteriorates my trust even further.“In the past I have been punished for speaking to

you. I am not well, I am not OK and yet you have not done anything for me and the Australian Government keeps saying I’m fi ne and in an acceptable situation.

“To speak with you and tell you the truth and re-ality of my situation ‘once again’ would only risk further punishments. You are not here for me but on behalf of the Australian Government who are leaving me here. If you want to do something for me then get me out of here. [signed] David Hicks”

Hicks has been in US custody since he was cap-tured in Afghanistan in late 2001. He has been in isolation for 10 months. His new cell inside the new Camp Six concrete fortress has no windows. He is on-ly allowed outside his cell for two hours a day and has only seen the sun three times since early December. Another detainee has described the $37 million maximum security facility as being like a Nazi con-centration camp.

Joshua Dratel, a US lawyer on Hicks’ legal team, said last week that his client and other detainees at Guantánamo have been shown photos of the hang-ing execution of Saddam Hussein and other former Iraqi government offi cials. They have been forced to view images of the hanging of Hussein’s half broth-er Barzan Ibbrahim. During that execution, the victim was decapitated.

“Unfortunately, it demonstrates that the lessons of Abu Ghraib and the humane treatment of detainees have not been learned. For David, who is at the mer-cy of his gaolers for more than fi ve years now, it is a constant reminder of the oppressive and brutalising system that detains and seeks to try him”, Mr Dratel and Australian lawyer Michael Griffi n wrote in a joint statement.

Howard and Attorney-General Philip Ruddock have clearly been caught off-guard by the strength of public opinion now insisting that David Hicks be brought home. Howard, who likes to boast of his sup-posed understanding the Australian character, has misjudged the importance Australians attach to the right of an accused persons to their day in court re-gardless of the nature of the charges against them.

Australians have also been shocked at how little as-sistance has been given to an Australian citizen by a government that stridently promotes the value of citizenship.

Howard has tried to appear tough lately on the question of hurrying the judicial process along. “The delay of the last fi ve years has been very regrettable”, the PM told the media recently. He wrote to the US government requesting a deadline of mid-February for David Hicks to be charged. Last Friday, Hicks was reportedly informed that he will now face two charg-es: one of attempted murder and another of providing material support for terrorism. Both carry a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. Old charges of conspira-cy and aiding the enemy have been let slide.

The PM’s claim to have secured the desired re-sponse on time from US authorities appears very shaky. The charges are not offi cial until they are approved by Judge Susan Crawford – a Bush appoin-tee who has worked under US Vice-President Dick Cheney. The Convening Authority for the military tri-bunals she is to head has not yet been constituted. It is unlikely these bureaucratic hurdles will be cleared by mid-February.

Howard has suggested that a large part of the re-sponsibility for the justice delayed belongs to Hicks’ own legal team. The PM conveniently omits the fact that the previous charges and the structure of the pre-viously established military tribunals were found by the US Supreme Court to be unjust and illegal. There is every chance that the re-jigged kangaroo court will also be found lacking. Hearsay evidence and evidence obtained through coercion (torture) will be allowed. Testimony can still be withheld from defence lawyers.

In sentencing, there is no guarantee that, should Hicks be found guilty, the time he has served in de-tention would be deducted from any prison term imposed. Ruddock had previously suggested that the US would observe this long-established judicial prac-tice.

“These things are geared up for David to be found guilty, this is how I’ve been looking at it”, David’s father Terry Hicks said last week. “David’s been pre-judged over the years, so it’s a system that’s not there to fi nd them not guilty.”

Nobody except Howard, Ruddock, Downer and a handful of the most die-hard reactionaries in the government are still saying that Hicks will be dealt with justly by the US military tribunals. Queensland Nationals Senator Barnaby Joyce has signed a letter to US Speaker Nancy Pelosi asking for Hicks to be sent home. Sources have it that Liberal MPs Bruce Baird, Petro Georgiou, Judy Moylan, Russell Broadbent and Danna Vale intend raising their misgivings in an up-coming party room meeting.

By now, Howard must be praying for a miracle. He needs Hicks home to meet the just demands of the Australian people. At the same time he needs him locked away and muzzled in Guantánamo at least un-til after the next Federal Election. What Hicks could say about the “War on Terror” and our US allies would certainly not help the chances of a Coalition victory.

The GuardianThe Workers’ Weekly

COMMUNIST PARTY OF AUSTRALIA ISSN 1325-295X

February 72007

$1.50

# 1306

2page 4page 5page 8page 12pageSinn Féin

Conference furthers

peace processHoward’s

support for bigotsEnd of the

442 Visa rorts

Hicks’ Guantánamo hell“I am not well, I am not OK”

TriStar – a stark warning

for all

David Hicks’ father speaks at a rally in Adelaide

2 The GuardianFebruary 7 2007

The GuardianIssue 1306 February 7, 2007

WaterThe most recent report on climate change by world scientists

goes further than ever before in warning of the consequences of climate change, the responsibility of humans for the looming crisis and the possibility that the environmental changes have become irreversible.

Despite the overwhelming evidence, the Australian Government is still in a state of denial, refuses to ratify the Kyoto Protocols and continues to give priority to nuclear power and geosequestration of greenhouse gasses emitted by the burning of coal. Geosequestration has not been researched or proven and nuclear power, even if it were a desirable option, is at least 10 to 15 years away. No real priority is being given to the development of renewable energy sources which have been researched and are immediately available.

Howard’s decision to allocate $10 billion to water conserva-tion measures, urgent as the lack of water is, is to deal with one of the consequences of global warming not the causes. In itself, the Howard plan, while helping to conserve the water already available, will not reverse the processes that have led to the unparalleled drought conditions across Australia.

At least a similar amount should be provided by the Federal Government for reform of the energy sector to phase out pollut-ing coal fi red power stations and polluting vehicles while building an energy network based on renewables. An attack on the causes of global warming is equally essential but there is no sign that the Howard government has yet been awakened to the real situation nor that it has a commitment to dealing with this situation as a matter of urgency.

It is clear that the Howard Government’s water plan is heav-ily infl uenced by opportunist political interests rather than the national good. A Federal election is just around the corner and the Liberal Party is lagging behind the Labor Party.

The government’s water plan also represents yet another grab for Federal power – and it will not be the last. The government’s grab for power is an element behind the water plan.

Federal control by the Howard Government is intended to entrench the private ownership of water resources and protect the interests of the big corporations controlling the rice and cotton farms and other big commercial users. The remarks of Malcolm Turnbull that the resumption of water licences will be a voluntary affair confi rms that these water-guzzling crops are not going to be unduly disturbed.

It would be much smarter for Australia to let other countries with a more plentiful water supply grow rice and cotton crops and to conserve our very limited and often uncertain water sup-ply to irrigate fruit and vegetable crops which require less water and thrive in Australia’s bountiful sunshine.

In all the circumstances the proposal of South Australia’s Premier, Mike Rann that water management should be under the control of an independent commission is both desirable and necessary. However, Rann’s proposal has been summarily thrown out by Howard and Turnbull.

The alternative is to have management vested in some handpicked authority in much the same way that the Boards of the Reserve Bank and the ABC have been stacked with Howard clones. The High Court has been similarly stacked with conser-vative judges. The Zwitkowski Commission that investigated energy supply and which came up with the recommendation of nuclear power is yet another example.

Unfortunately, apart from Rann’s proposal, other State Labor Governments seem to welcome a Howard takeover, prob-ably because they would be happy to divest themselves of this hot potato irrespective of the long term interests of the water users of Australia while further undermining the relevance of state governments.

Howard and Malcolm Turnbull, a super rich banker, intend to consolidate the private ownership of water supplies which will be preserved for the primary use of agri-businesses and commercial users. Prices will be allowed to spiral upwards as the “market forces” of supply and demand take control of this scarce resource.

If water usage is to be effectively planned and controlled in a way that looks after the interests of all users, it must be brought under public ownership and managed by a broad and democrati-cally responsible commission which administers a resource that is fundamental for life and is the property of all. It should never become private property.

Enrol to vote!Given that 2007 stands to be a “crunch time” year in determing the future of this country, Australian unions are strongly encouring all workers to ensure their families and mates are all enrolled to vote and ensure that their details are up to date.

YouthOnly 58% of 18 year olds were

enrolled at the last federal elec-tion, and yet should John Howard’s “WorkChoices” legislation be de-feated in 2007 they stand to be amongst the most exploited work-ers in generations. Even 17 year olds can provisionally enrol before they turn 18 – but not vote until 18

– a good opportunity to get in fi rst should John Howard call a snap election.

InternationalThe NSW rolls will close any-

time between March 2 and 6. Members are advised to fi x up their enrolment well beforehand

If you expect to be overseas dur-ing the state or federal election, you have a couple of options:

• Register as an Overseas Elector. Aimed at people who are overseas for a longish period. This stops you getting knocked off the roll when overseas provided you vote. Not voting makes you liable for removal.

• Overseas Notifi cation Form. Aimed at people temporarily over-seas who are returning to their registered addresses. This leaves the voter on the roll, and it also ac-knowledges that the voter may not be able to vote.

You can check your enrol-ment on the federal AEC website at www.aec.gov.au . You can print out the enrolment form from the site and post it to the AEC. It has to be signed by the applicant and witness, hence the need to print out. For further information from the NSW Electoral Commission visit their site site at www.elections.nsw.gov.au

PRESS FUNDWhere is everyone? Press fund contributions are often a bit short at the beginning of the year, but this week the numbers are very thin indeed. We really need your help to pay for the running costs of producing The Guardian, especially in these early months. So please, if you possibly can, send us in a contribution for the next issue. In fact, why not make a small but regular donation to the paper? You’d never notice the payment, but it would make a big difference to us. We offer our sincere thanks to this week’s contributors, as follows:Barry Stewart, $12, “Round Figure” $13.This week’s total: $25.Progressive total: $60.

ALP’s “roll-back” on HECS – but only for someALP Leader Kevin Rudd has promised that university students will have their Higher Education Contribution Scheme (HECS) slashed if the Labor Party wins the next election – but only for those who study for a maths or science degree .

Mr Rudd announced the $11 billion policy last week. Students unions cautiously welcomed the policy announcement.

The University of Sydney Students Representative Council President Angus McFarland warned that much more public investment in higher education and HECS relief is needed.

“This proposed reduction in maths and science is a positive step in the right direction to addressing the massive HECS debts students

face across the country,” said Mr McFarland

“But there are many other ar-eas of national priority, such as nursing, engineering and edu-cation, which should also be targeted. Furthermore, across the board HECS reductions would go a long way in making university ed-ucation more easily accessible, and stop young people being prevented from buying a house or starting a family when they graduate because of their large HECS debt,” he went on to say.

Under Labor’s plan the cost of a three-year degree would be slashed from $21,300 to $12,000, the same as for an arts or humanities degree. If the student chose to teach in maths or science the cost of the degree would be decreased even further

to $6000 as the Labor Government would foot half the bill.

The policy came only days af-ter Mr Rudd announced a Labor Government would spend $450 mil-lion a year to provide four-year-olds with 15 hours a week of preschool learning.

If Labor is elected the HECS measures would come into effect on January 1, 2009.

Ironically it was the Labor Hawke Government that intro-duced HECS under then Education Minister John Dawkins – as an “ad-ministration fee” in 1988.

The Communist Party of Australia’s policy on the issue has been unequivical from the start: A state funded system that provides free edcuation to children from pre-school through to university.

ObituaryVale Hector KerswellHector Kerswell, aged 96 years, passed away in a nursing home in Kalunga North Queensland on January 17.

He was one of a family of fourteen children and grew up to become a worker, trade union-ist and long-time member of the Communist Party. He was always a genuine working class man, always ready to help others in need.

He grew up in Home Hill in

Queensland and cut cane there. He also cut timber and then became an engine driver while working on a tin dredge in Mt Garnet. He spent his last working days at a timber mill in Yungaburra.

He was a good Union man and member of the Communist Party and although it is not known when he fi rst joined the Party it was prob-ably in the days when the CPA had extensive organisation among cane-

cutters in North Queensland. Hector maintained his Party

membership to the end and handed out copies of The Guardian when-ever he had the chance. He always ended his letters with the salutation, “Workers’ Greetings!”

His friend, Betty Stewart, writes that Hector “was active until the night before he died”. He will be missed by his friends in North Queensland.

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3The GuardianFebruary 7 2007

A Queensland policeman implicated in the November 2004 death in custody of Palm Island man Mulrunji Doomadgee is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a special review found there was suffi cient evidence against him.

Indigenous people, many of whom were attending Survival Day rallies and marches across Australia, describe the Qld Government’s decision on Friday to pursue the charge against Senior Sergeant Chris Hurley as “landmark” and a relief.

Queensland Attorney-General and Minister for Justice Kerry Shine confi rmed on Friday that he had received Sir Laurence Street’s le-gal opinion in relation to possible charges resulting from the death of Mulrunji.

Mr Shine said Sir Laurence considered the brief of evidence provided by the Director of Public Prosecutions Leanne Clare.

Former NSW Chief Justice Sir Laurence was appointed in early January after a storm of mostly pub-lic and some political protest over Ms Clare’s decision that there was insuffi cient evidence to charge Snr Sgt Hurley despite an earlier coro-ner’s fi nding that he was responsible for the 36 year old Mulrunji’s death.

Mr Shine said Sir Laurence had advised him that he believed there was enough admissible evidence to charge Snr Sgt Hurley, and to war-rant a conviction.

The Attorney-General said Sir Laurence had emphasised that his role was not to determine wheth-er Snr Sgt Hurley was guilty of an offence, but rather to determine whether he should be put to trial.

“In light of Sir Laurence’s opin-ion, and having given very careful consideration to the matters myself, I have decided it is in the public interest that this matter should be re-solved in court,” Mr Shine said

“I have today instructed the Crown Solicitor to take the neces-sary steps to initiate a prosecution as soon as possible.

“I ask that, given the pending legal proceedings, the media show restraint in their reporting of this matter so that Snr Sgt Hurley can be assured a fair trial.”

Mr Shine said that for legal rea-sons, the Government would not table Sir Laurence’s report in State

Parliament until after the matter goes to court.

“We will do so as soon as it is legally appropriate, but it is unlikely this will not be until after the court case to ensure fairness of the prose-cution is not compromised,” he said.

Mr Shine said the fact that Sir Laurence had formed a different opinion to that of Ms Clare was in no way a slight on the DPP.

“The best legal minds often dif-fer on matters of law – even in the High Court of Australia it is com-mon for differing judgements to be recorded,” he said.

“In my view, Ms Clare has acted within the scope of her duty and her authority.”

Opposition Justice Spokesperson Mark McArdle said Ms Clare should be allowed to review her report in light of Sir Laurence’s fi ndings.

“Ms Clare is the appropriate person to lay charges in criminal matters in Queensland,” he said.

Sir Laurence and a legal team including Brisbane Criminal Lawyer Peter Davis SC had been expected to conclude their review by the end of February.

The review’s early conclusion came just a week after the team visited Palm Island; the visit itself occurring the day after the suicide of Patrick Bramwell, 24, a witness in the Mulrunji coronial inquest.

Sir Laurence refused to com-ment on how he came to his decision, saying only he addressed the case “quickly in view of its im-portance”.

ReactionWhen the Koori Mail went to

print on Saturday, Snr Sgt Hurley had yet to be charged. However, there had been an overwhelming re-sponse to Friday’s announcement. A spokesman for Ms Clare said the DPP would not comment.

Premier Peter Beattie urged all parties to accept the outcome but continued to stand by Ms Clare amid concerns about her competence.

“There is no reason … for [Ms Clare] to take a decision relating to her future”, Mr Beattie said.

Indigenous people who marched on Queensland Parliament House, through Townsville streets and in other cities and towns on Friday as part of Survival Day celebrations and Australia Day protests erupted in cheers upon hearing the news.

Mulrunji’s sister Elizabeth said the family was “satisfi ed” and re-lieved at the developments.

“The tables have turned and at last we have hope and can start to move on, and on Survival Day (Australia Day) too”, Ms Doomadgee said in a statement.

“I pray that we will have justice for the death of my brother and that this case will provide our peoples with hope as it’s the fi rst time in Australia someone will be charged for the death of a black man while in police custody.”

Mulrunji family lawyer Andrew Boe described the report and the Government’s reaction as a “land-mark” decision.

“For the Palm Island commu-nity, which is beleaguered with so much disharmony and distress, this is really their fi rst ray of hope that the course of justice will actually

fl ow when it involves indigenous is-sues”, he said.

Stewart Levitt, from the Errol Wyles Justice Foundation, said that while it was a positive result, Ms Clare should be held accountable for her ruling that Mulrunji’s death was a “terrible accident”.

State Member for Townsville, Mike Reynolds, who last month broke ranks with his own party when he criticised the Government’s handling of the case, said Friday was one of the most important days in Australia’s history when it came to indigenous justice.

He said there should now be an investigation into the initial police probe into Mulrunji’s death, which the coroner found had lacked objec-tivity and independence.

“I see the investigation as an ab-solute sham, one that I feel ashamed of ”, Mr Reynolds said.

Federal Indigenous Affairs Minister Mal Brough, who had urged the State Government to seek a review of Ms Clare’s decision, also welcomed the developments, but said the time for public debate was now over.

Australian Greens leader Bob Brown, who was in Townsville to address the Survival Day rally, said the decision would “return a sense of justice” for all Australians.

On Friday the Queensland Police Union was threatening mass strikes by the State’s 9200 strong force whom QPU Vice-President Denis Fitzpatrick said was incensed at “this political in-terference”.

Mr Fitzpatrick said Snr Sgt Hurley, who has been suspended until the matter goes through court, was “absolutely shocked”.Koori Mail

Australia

More asylum seeker detainees?Last week brought news of a new detention centre to be erected on Christmas Island. This week that story has been followed by reports that the old Villawood Detention centre is likely to be subject to a major extension, or to be replaced by a brand new centre. Local residents were previously told by

the Howard government that the existing facility would simply be upgraded. However, this has not happened, despite consultants having carried out $5 million worth of planning work. The latest reports discuss a 200-bed high-security bed wing, suggesting that the government now foresees a major increase in the number of detainees.

Residents were not advised that the existing Villawood centre would be moved. Possible locations for a new centre are in Villawood, Bankstown, Hoxton Park, Prestons, Hunting wood, Marsden Park, Smeaton Grange or Moorebank.

Most of these suburbs are rela-tively new and fast-developing. The possible arrival of a new detention centre is a matter of deep concern for residents of these suburbs, be-cause the detention centres are, in effect, jails, and the incarceration of many of the immigration detainees is known to have caused them deep psychological trauma. However, none of this matters much to the Howard government, because al-most all these areas are in safe ALP federal seats.

The extent of the suffering of immigration detainees was dem-onstrated recently by the case of Muhammad Faisal, who was re-leased last week with a permanent protection visa, after having been detained for more than fi ve years at the Nauru centre. His imprisonment there was brought about by an ASIO report, which accused him of having

been uncooperative during inter-views with security and immigration offi cials.

Last year Faisal was fl own to a Brisbane psychiatric institution after showing signs of mental deteriora-tion. According to psychiatrists, this was probably brought on by having been detained there for so long, with no indication of any release date.

His release was prompted by what the Attorney-General re-ferred to as “fresh consideration” of his case. ASIO offi cials appear to have been persuaded to revise their original fi nding because Faisal’s mental collapse would have caused the Howard Government consid-erable political embarrassment. The Government’s callousness to-wards Faisal is similar to that which they have displayed towards David Hicks, imprisoned without trial and in appalling conditions for fi ve years in the Guantanamo Bay prison.

Faisal’s fellow-prisoner at the Nauru centre, Mohammed Sagar, was also subject to an adverse ASIO report. However, he is now to be de-ported to one of the Scandinavian countries, as a result of interven-tion by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees.

This is a federal election year, and the Howard Government is at-tempting to keep the lid on its immigration detention strategy. However, there are now clear indi-cations that the Government is just as determined as ever to retain and enforce its vile, racist immigration detention strategy.

Pete’s Corner

Part of the protest march in Brisbane on January 26

On the path to justice at last

Phot

o: K

oori

Mai

l

4 The GuardianFebruary 7 2007

The Australian Nursing Federation is calling for an urgent review of the Howard Government’s 442 Visa Scheme in the light of claims that nurses from China are being exploited by the temporary recruitment agency that employs them. The 442 Visa Scheme allows overseas workers to undertake workplace-based training. Under the rules of the visas their work must be part of a Federal Government-approved course of study or training.

ANF Federal Secretary Jill Iliffe said the actions of the nursing agency exposed the Government’s 442 occupational trainee visa as an “inadequate tool that enables un-ethical practices by companies to exploit overseas workers and pro-vide them with substandard wages and conditions.

“It is clear from the stories the Chinese nurses tell that they are not receiving any occupational train-ing”, but being used as a source of cheap labour.”

Ms Iliffe said the government was failing to enforce legislation covering the visas which requires “nominating organisations” to em-ploy trainees under Australian industrial relations law and relevant industry awards.

“In light of the appalling treat-ment of the Chinese nurses the ANF questions the merit of this scheme which claims to provide occupation-al training to participants.

“These nurses are registered nurses who are not being employed as registered nurses in Australia”, Ms Iliffe said. “Instead of apply-ing for licensure as a registered nurse and using their higher level skills, these nurses are being em-ployed as personal care assistants. They are being sent to work long hours, unsupervised, on miserable trainee wages while the company makes a tidy profi t on the back of their work.”

The company, Nurse Bank is paying the visa workers just $300 per week. They pay $12,000 for a 442 Visa training program. They can work up to 50 per week, in-cluding public holidays. Nurse Bank charges commissions for an administration fee, performance retention fee and nursing home wage fee.

The year-long, 38-hour-a-week nurse educator program undertaken by the Chinese nurses is run by Educational, Training, Employment Australia, which is owned by the same individu-al who owns Nurse Bank, Alan Hickling.

Ms Iliffe said the 442 Visa Scheme should be suspended while an independent body inves-tigates the concerns raised by the treatment of the nurses – which is not an isolated incident in the Federation’s experience – and other workers employed under the scheme.

Jobs found for ripped off 442 Visa workersThe Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union (AMWU) in Queensland has successfully organised jobs for the Filipino workers formerly exploited by Dartbridge Welding on 457 visas.

AMWU Queensland Assistant Secretary Danny Dougherty said that despite some diffi culties along the way, he was pleased that he had been able to help the workers se-cure work that was well paid and with decent conditions.

“After everything they’ve been through, they deserve to have a good experience of working in Australia.

“The workers are all in per-manent jobs and most of them are getting paid $4 to $5 more an hour than they were with Dartbridge.”

Forty workers from the Philippines were brought to Australia last year by Dartbridge Welding in Ipswich under the gov-

ernment’s disgraceful 457 Visa Scheme.

Three of them were sacked af-ter they joined the AMWU and the story hit the national headlines af-ter it was revealed the workers were being underpaid and forced to pay nearly $1400 per week to share a 4 bedroom Brisbane house.

Union action prompted a belat-ed investigation by the Immigration Department as further revelations of their mistreatment including non payment of sick leave and penalty rates were made public.

One of the workers, Roy Yabut, said he and his fellow workers joined the union because they were “cheated”.

“We were told in the Philippines that we were going to make all this money and it was not the salary we were earning.”

Mr Yabut, now an AMWU del-egate, says he was glad that they

were able to join a union and have their rights protected.

“I was acting within my rights because joining a union is legal in Australia. I think the company sacked us to make an example out of us, to intimidate other Filipino workers from doing the same thing.”

The AMWU has also helped the workers fi nd alternative accommo-dation after the exorbitant rates the company was charging the them for their board.

Mr Dougherty said that the union had been able to place 31 of the workers in jobs and is still fi -nalising work arrangements for the remaining nine.

“This type of exploita-tion should not be happening in Australia, but it will continue un-til the government stops allowing them to be paid less than Australian workers.”

Qantas maintenance heading over seasQantas is continuing to secretly send aircrafts overseas for maintenance while refusing to fi nd work for willing Australian aircraft engineers, the Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers Association (ALAEA) says.

The ALAEA is appearing be-fore the Australian Industrial Relations Commission in Sydney seeking orders that Qantas fi nd jobs for the six remaining engineers left without work following the deci-sion to close Qantas’ Sydney heavy maintenance centre where over 250 engineers were made redundant.

The CEO of Qantas, Geoff Dixon, has made the statement that Qantas employees should not be too concerned with the imminent takeover by the Macquarie/Texas Pacifi c (APA) consortium, yet Qantas itself has failed in it’s obli-gation to fi nd positions for the six licensed engineers.

Qantas announced last year that the centre was closed and staff not repositioned would be made redundant but in fact was bound by agreement to redeploy all staff who wanted work.

The ALAEA is arguing before the Full Bench that Qantas has breached its obligations under the agreement in failing to place the six in new jobs.

ALAEA federal president Paul Cousins said the fact that Qantas was sending work off shore con-tinuously only added insult to injury.

“We are aware of at least 22 aircraft that Qantas have out-sourced for maintenance overseas – six Airbuses, six Boeing 747s, four Boeing 737s and six aircraft for repainting – on the grounds that it lacked capacity to carry out the maintenance in Australia”, Mr Cousins said.

“Yet at the same time they are telling these engineers there is no work for them here.

“It is clear Qantas is once again attempting to soften up the public to accept offshore air-craft maintenance – something we know the public is strongly op-posed to especially on the grounds of safety and the outsourcing of Australian jobs.

“With the current negotiations for private ownership looming, it is more important than ever for Qantas to be honest with the pub-lic about its plans for maintenance and keeping the highest safety standards that are the benchmark of this airline.”

One of many avenues in which Qantas can overcome the restric-tions in the redeployment of the engineers is via over 1000 years of annual leave accumulated by over-worked engineers.

$50,000 visa rortCanberra restaurant Zeffi relli Pizza Restaurant was fi ned $50,000 for not paying workers properly.

This follows a long-running and concerted campaign by the Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Workers’ Union (LHMU) to high-light problems in the hospitality industry in the ACT.

The Federal Magistrates Court ordered Zeffi relli to pay penalties of $50,000 in addition to $5,400 in outstanding wages and interest ow-ing to two former employees, both of whom were Filipino subclass 457 visa holders.

In handing down his decision, Federal Magistrate Mowbray said, “This case is a deterrence. As I not-ed earlier... a clear message needs to be sent to both the Italian eatery and the industry in general that un-

derpayment of wages will not be tolerated.”

LHMU organiser David Bibo says the courts ruling vindicates the union’s long-running campaign to raise the issue of underpayments and non-payments in several ACT restaurants, and shows this type of activity is effective.

The underpayments and re-sulting penalties stem from eight breaches of the Liquor and Allied Industries Catering, Café, Restaurant (ACT) Award 1998, and Workplace Relations Act 1996 (the Act).

“The message is clear to the hospitality industry and to other employers. Don’t underpay your workers. It’s only a matter of time before you’re caught out”, David Bibo said.

ANF calls for urgent review of 442 Visa Scheme

The CPA on the WEBFor more information on the Communist Party of Australia,documents, Guardian archives, campaigns, links to other parties,papers and organisations and much more, visit our websites:

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74 Buckingham St Surry Hills NSW 2010guardian@cpa.org.au

5The GuardianFebruary 7 2007 Australia

In a sickening but not unexpected revelation last week it was reported that Prime Minister John Howard is mixing it with the Catch the Fire Ministries. He is reported to have recorded a video message to be played at a prayer meeting of the church in Melbourne on “Australia Day”. His offi cial duties as Prime Minister had left him unable to attend the event in person.

The church is part of the same grouping as the Assemblies of God in the US, Family First Party in Australia, and a number of church-es including Hillsong (Sydney) and Paradise in South Australia.

In 2004, the church was found to have vilifi ed Muslims but the

Victorian Supreme Court overturned the decision in December and ruled that the case be heard again.

Pastor Danny Nalliah from the church in Melbourne told the me-dia that they were going to pray for the protection of Australia – particu-larly in a climate of terrorism, also for our servicemen who are serving overseas.

Steve Fielding, the Family First Senator from South Australia has proven to be a trustworthy ally to the Coalition government. Howard and Fielding clearly hold very similar ultra-conservative views, particularly on the family, women, abortion and other social issues.

Family First can be expected to

stand candidates in the forthcom-ing federal elections and there is a very real possibility that they will get more candidates elected. In the last elections their candidate was elected with a very small primary vote on the back of ALP preferenc-es. The ALP did a deal with them to keep the Greens out and it worked in Victoria.

With the apparent purging of the parliamentary Liberal Party of can-didates that are not on the extreme side of right-wing politics and the possibility of more Family First candidates being elected, Australia will need protecting, as will demo-cratic rights, multiculturalism and secular education.

The NSW Greens are calling on the major parties to trans-fer the almost $100,000 they have received in donations from the parent company of Tristar – the Arrowcrest Group – into a fund to assist the embattled Tristar workers. The au-tomotive parts company has closed down its operations and refuses to pay its workers their entitlements. It was publicly shamed into paying a redundancy to a dying employee, even though the amount it did eventually fork out was less than three time what he should have been paid. “These dona-tions would go some way to restoring the entitlements Tristar workers have lost because of the unscrupulous actions of the company’s management”, said Greens MP Lee Rhiannon.

In fact, millions of dollars in political donations are escaping scrutiny by being logged late with the Electoral Commission. Last year the major parties and corporations were found to be fi ddling the fi gures with donations, in effect breaching the Electoral Act. The companies involved in the late pay-ments to the Liberal and Labor parties include Macquarie Bank, Mirvac, Multiplex and Stockland – the big end of town.

At the smaller end of town, a MYOB Australian Small Busi-ness Survey has found that nearly half of small businesses are dissatisfi ed with the Howard Government’s contribution to the development of small business. The survey revealed that inter-est rates are the issue causing most concern. Howard governs for the big end of town so small businesses are bound to be hit.

Labor leader Kevin Rudd also wants to govern on behalf of the big corporations. That’s why he’s dumped Labor’s promise to “rip up” the WorkChoices IR legislation should Labor gain offi ce in the coming election and go for a softer option. Addressing the chief executives of leading companies at a Business Coun-cil of Australia dinner last week, Rudd promised that Labor would “consult” business leaders on workplace relations is-sues. He would bring business leaders into his cabinet through a council of corporate advisors to be chaired by Rod Edding-ton. Eddington is a director of the consortium bidding to take over Qantas, a consortium which includes Macquarie Bank.

CAPITALIST HOG OF THE WEEK: is Andrew Gwinnett, the chairman of the Arrowcrest group, parent company of TriStar. Foreign Affairs Minister Alexander Downer last year told parliament that Gwinnett was “a very generous Ad-elaide businessman” and “a very good man”. It’s now been revealed that Gwinnett – who oversaw the theft of TriStar workers’ entitlements – owns at least fi ve properties in South Australia worth a total of $6 million. They include a $2.8 million 12-room neo-Georgian mansion in the prestige suburb of North Adelaide, another $870,000 property in the same street, offi ces in Adelaide’s CBD, farm land and an $850,000 unit in the resort town of Encounter Bay.

“Catch the Fire” worshippers. In Melbourne, the highlight of their Australia day service was a video message supporting their cause from none less than the Prime Minister John Howard.

Preaching to the converted

DampierThe development of iron ore in the Pilbara in 1960s initiated the confl ict between industry and the Aboriginal heritage centred on the Dampier archipelago. This was intensifi ed in the 1970s with the exploitation of the North West Shelf for gas.

In the demand for suitable ports on a diffi cult coastline, heritage claims have been trampled under-foot.

Today this confl ict is fl aring with Woodside Petroleum intent on building the Pluto LPG at Burrup with the port at King Bay. The WA and Federal governments, seeing nothing beyond the billions of dol-lars coming from Pluto, have laid down the red carpet to Woodside, which is 30% owned by Shell.

The WA government records show destruction of 4776 petro-glyphs. Of 1800 rescued and stored, when examined by Woodside in 2002 (20 percent were damaged by fi re).

There is growing opposition to this government sponsored van-dalism. The Jo McDonald Cultural Heritage movements summed up the need for opposition, saying the "entire Dampier Archaeological ev-idence, particularly rock art … is [of] extremely high scientifi c sig-nifi cance".

The Dampier Archipelago, especially Burrup, is of world im-portance. Although there has been little archaeological work done there, it portrays the extensive his-tory of human ritual and artistic endeavour. Its 30,000 to 40,000 years of Aboriginal presence contin-

uous to the present, the time of the massacre of sixty to two hundred killed or drowned in 1868.

The rock carvings, the extensive tool making at Burrup and other places, and the numerous middens, one half a kilometre long, could tell a story of continuous development.

The carvings were done in dif-ferent ways. Many were made a sharply pointed stone to make lines cutting through the desert vanish or patina formed on the rocks accumu-lated from arid conditions 17,000 years ago. The carvings showed up from the then exposed grey rock. Some of the carvings were previous to that time for they are covered by the varnish and patina, and some are so new they were unweathered.

Woodside began work on the

gas plant area in 2001 However, in 2002 National Trust WA placed the Dampier Rock Art precinct on the Endangered Places List. In 2003 they held public forums and a rec-ommendation was submitted to the World Monuments Fund to plae the Dampier rock art on its lists of 100 most endangered places in the world. This was done.

Robin Chapple was employed by the National Trust WA for a year to investigate the Burrup situation and the whole situation.

A meeting attended by for-ty people, organised by the CPA WA Branch invited Robin as a guest speaker, who had them en-thralled with his information and his slides. He has used this infor-mation and slides widely and with the Australian Friends of Rock Art, organised demonstrations outside Woodside’s Offi ces in Perth, has become a leading force in the cam-paign.

Scientists are concerned that the sulphur dioxide and the nitrous oxide from the emissions of Pluto would erode the varnish and erase the carvings.

Dampier rock art subject matter is diverse. It has geometric designs, naturalistic or fi gurative represen-tation of humans and a wide range of sea and land animals, including some of thylacines or Tasmanian Tiger, extinct from the mainland for 3,000 years.

The examined middens showed they ate crabs, fi sh, turtles and du-gong, as well as euro, wallaby and birds.

It is an outstanding archaeologi-cal fi eld only began to be examined and evaluated and must not be de-stroyed by development of industry which can easily go to the other cleared places.

Qantas jobs and pay at riskUnions fear the takeover of Qantas by a private equity consortium will cost thousands of jobs and put downward pressure on workers’ wages and conditions while bonuses for senior executives will go through the roof.

Qantas employs around 37,000 staff with more than 90 percent union members.

In recent years Qantas staff have borne the burden of the company’s drive for a stronger competitive po-sition and the workers have a right to be very disappointed that their jobs and wages and conditions are now at further risk.

Qantas workers have experi-enced an average pay cut in real

terms of more than three percent in recent years. As a result, company profi ts have soared and salaries for senior management have risen by more than 40 percent.

Senior Qantas executives are also set to share in a $110 million incentive scheme should the private equity bid succeed.

Private equity funds are inter-ested in short-term benefi ts and unions are rightly concerned that these are likely to be achieved via the outsourcing of jobs overseas, the sell-off of business units and the slashing of services, includ-ing regional airline routes. And of course more downward pressure on wages and working conditions.

6 The GuardianFebruary 7 2007

Magazine

A visit to the People’s Republic of China – Part 1by Sitaram Yechury*

A fi ve-member Central Committee delegation of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] headed by Sitaram Yechury visited China at the invitation of the International Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in October.

The delegation was warmly re-ceived by the highest levels of the CPC and the governmental leader-ship. The delegation visited some industrial units as well as villages to see in practice how the Chinese rural economy is doing. The dele-gation had a rich experience of the process of socialist construction in China and the associated problems that have emerged during the reform process and the manner in which the CPC is tackling these.

At all levels, there was a point-ed reference to improving the economic relations between India and China. The Chinese feel that with both the economies grow-ing, India’s relative advantage in information technology software and China’s relative advantage in manufacturing hardware must be combined to produce a new synergy. The CPI(M), on its part, extended an invitation for Chinese enterprises to come to India, particularly to West Bengal, Kerala and Tripura which are presently ruled by CPI(M)-led coalitions.

Welcoming the CPI(M) dele-gation, Luo Gan (Internal Security and Order at the Great Hall of the People) expressed confi dence that the visit will help to improve bilater-al relations between the two parties, the peoples and the countries.

He briefed the delegation on the latest decisions of the CPC cen-tral committee which has adopted a detailed resolution on the practice of building a harmonious socialist society.

The CPC’s concept of “Socialism with Chinese Charac-teristics” has always kept the people as its central priority and working for their prosperity is its primary task. Currently, enormous chang-es and rapid economic structural changes are taking place in China. The overall living standards of the

Chinese people have markedly in-creased in recent years. At the same time, certain contradictions are also arising. Unequal distribution lead-ing to income inequalities exist. There are also inequalities in in-comes between the rural and urban workers. There are also problems of corruption. The CPC’s priority is to remove such inequalities and build a harmonious society.

In all discussions the CPC’s appreciation of the international situation was marked by an assess-ment that the main issue concerns peace and development under the framework of international organi-sations. The natural tendency in global development, they say, is to-wards multilateralism. However, unilateralism pursued by the USA which seeks global domination is a major problem. The military attacks and interference in international affairs need to be checked and bal-anced by other powers. The main issue in international relations is the struggle between multilateralism and unilateralism. Our delegation expressed the hope that China, in future, would be more forthcoming in opposing unilateralism in order to strengthen multilateralism.

The Long March spirit

During the two days that we spent in Beijing, the media was full of news on two issues – one was the celebrations of the 70th anniversa-ry of the Long March and the other

was on the campaign against cor-ruption.

On October 22, 1936, the Long March ended in extreme North West China. At a grand ceremony held in Beijing, President Hu Jintao recall-ing the valour and determination of the Red Army said that: “The Long March which laid the foundation for revolution and paved the way for new China, is a matter of great pride for the nation”. The Long March was a historic military manoeuvre conducted by the Red Army under the leadership of the CPC, covering a distance of 12,500 kilometers and liberating village after village on its way. At the end of the Long March, the new CPC headquarters was es-tablished at Yunan from where the struggle for the fi nal liberation was conducted. The aim of the ceremo-ny to mark its 70th anniversary was, according to President Hu Jintao, to encourage the party, the army and the people to “advance along the socialist road with Chinese charac-teristics”.

Hu Jintao compared the lat-est decision of the CPC central committee for building of a har-monious socialist society to a new Long March the party has now started.

The China Daily editorially commented that: “It is not easy for government offi cials to stick to that spirit in this affl uent and pluralis-tic society. Temptations of various kinds threaten to erode the will of those in power. The fi ght against corruption has a critical bearing on the fate of the party and the suc-cessful building of a harmonious society.

“However there lies the para-dox: the more diffi cult it is for those in power to stick to the Long March spirit, the more necessary it be-comes for them to have it as their core values.

“This spirit should constitute the very basis of the personal ethics for government leaders and offi cials at various levels. Only with this spirit, will they be able to intentionally be-have themselves at their posts.

“The 70th anniversary of the Long March is intended to be a les-son for our government leaders and offi cials, to be fi lled with the Long March spirit of putting the entire na-tion before themselves.”

Campaign against corruption

The campaign against corrup-tion has reached a very serious stage in China. The party chief of the powerful Shanghai unit of the CPC was recently stripped of all his party positions, including removal

from the Standing Committee of the Polit Bureau on charges related to corruption.

According to offi cial fi gures, more than 67,500 government functionaries have been punished on corruption charges since 2003 – nearly 18,000 in the fi rst eight months of this year. The control and elimination of corruption is con-sidered by the CPC as one of the priority tasks to ensure the Rule of Law and eliminate the consequen-tial effects this has on crime and terrorism.

China is now grappling with the fact that in order to avoid inves-tigations, those facing corruption charges are leaving to foreign coun-tries. Newspapers published records of more than 500 people suspected of serious economic crimes who left for foreign countries. The money in-volved in these cases alone is up to $US8.75 billion.

During the course of our stay in Beijing, three in-depth discussions with party leaders took place.

Four stagesFang Li, Vice-Minister of Policy

Research for the Central Committee CPC, explained that they divide the history of the revolution since the founding of the CPC in 1921 into four stages.

The fi rst stage ends in 1949 with the establishment of the People’s Republic of China. Through 1921 to 1949, the activities of the CPC were guided by Mao Zedong Thought, the strategy of liberating rural areas and encircling urban centres, and adopt-ing united front tactics, and fi nally, the triumph of the national demo-cratic revolution.

The second stage is between 1949 and 1977 where the efforts for the consolidation of the social-ist system and the building of the socialist economy were undertaken. The cultural revolution, however, derailed this process and an intense inner-party struggle fi nally led to the beginning of the third stage be-tween 1978 and 2002.

This is the stage of reform and opening up of China that has paved the way for an unprecedented eco-nomic growth of over 8 per cent per annum. The fourth and current stage, they say, began in 2002 with the 16th Congress of CPC.

Putting people firstThis Congress adopted a spe-

cial resolution on the building of a harmonious socialist society. This, according to them, has a very large content. In typical Chinese style, they explained that this resolution has one core point: always put peo-ple fi rst by coordinated development

of the economy and comprehensive development of the human being. By comprehensive development, they mean the economic, political, social and cultural development. By coordinated development of the economy, they speak of striking a balance:

(a) between rural and urban de-velopment

(b) between regions(c) between the economy and

society (i.e., overcoming economic and social inequalities); and

d) sustainable development (ie., acquiring balance with nature).

This program has six basic guidelines: advanced development under the Rule of Law; justice; eco-logical and environmental balance; honesty and non-corruption; social order and regulation; and harmony between man and nature.

The six guidelines are: always keep the people fi rst; be scientifi c; continue with reform and opening up of the society; deepen democra-cy; reform development strategies and the leadership of the CPC.

They have established special targets to be achieved by 2020:

(1) Advanced democracy(2) rural-urban parity(3) full employment and social

security(4) strengthen public services(5) strengthen morality and so-

cial relations(6) strengthen innovative social-

ist economic management(7) socialist social management(8) increase effi ciency by pro-

tecting the environment; and(9) building an all-round well-

off society.The best way to implement

Marxism, according to CPC, is to proceed from the realities and to seek truth from the facts. If theory cannot change the present situation, then, while sticking to the basic rev-olutionary tenets of Marxism, we need to innovate.

While learning from all civili-sations and from ancient Chinese culture itself, the CPC today seeks to combine the Marxist theory with the present realities. They claim that the revolution can only succeed when this combination is correctly im-plemented. Recalling that Marxism came to China from outside, like in many other countries, it was the task of the Chinese Communists to implement the Marxist principles in the concrete conditions of China. This is what gave rise to the slogan of building “Socialism with Chinese Characteristics”.* Sitaram Yechury is a member of the Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist)

China is looking to eliminate income

inequalities between urban and rural

workers

General Secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) E.M.S.Namboodiripad visiting China on May 10th, 1983.He is greeted by a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee Peng Zhen.

7The GuardianFebruary 7 2007

Magazine

Water: The Greens offer sustainable solutionsAs the Federal Government moves to take over complete control of the management of Australian water sources and supply and State governments bicker over the Federal plan and their own plans within each State, the NSW Greens have published their own water policy. We reproduce it in full as a matter of public interest. Their policy statement says:

• Urban water management must recognise that the South East of Australia suffers extended peri-ods of drought that are highly likely to be more frequent and severe as a result of global warming.

• Securing both the natural en-vironment and the supply of food is becoming an increasingly urgent task that requires the public interest to be protected; clean water must be valued as an essential source of life and managed in an ecologi-cally sustainable and socially just manner.

• Urban water supply, drainage and sewage systems are interrelat-ed parts of natural water catchments and must be sustainably managed within these catchments.

• Water catchments are to be managed for the long term sustain-able support of urban life within their rich and diverse natural eco-systems. They must not be exploited for maximum short-term profi t.

• Water catchments must be managed sustainably within their own confines and transfers be-tween catchments must over time be eliminated.

• Urban wastewater manage-ment must focus on conservation, effi ciency, treatment and reuse rath-er than on transport and discharge to [the] environment.

A public resource• Water, and the infrastructure

that delivers and disposes of it, must remain a public resource under pub-lic ownership and control.

• All decision-making relat-ing to water management must be coupled with full community partic-ipation and public accountability.

• The pricing of water use, treatment and discharge must take into account the full social, environ-mental and economic costs at each stage of the water cycle.

• As urban water pressures are in part driven by climate change it is unacceptable and ultimately self-defeating to meet short term water scarcity by the use of energy inten-sive water extraction or treatment technologies that produce carbon emissions which in turn cause cli-mate change.

• A total water cycle man-agement approach means that the allocation and use of water must be a fundamental determinant and ecological constraint on how land is used. Water extraction from the natural environment should be minimised.

• The Greens will work towards

ending Sydney’s dependence on wa-ter extracted from the Shoalhaven River.

• Least-cost planning would be established to redirect fund-ing towards investment in water conservation and localised water reclamation programs and away from the expansion of water sup-ply infrastructure such as dams, desalination plants and end of pipe recycling schemes.

• On-site and locally-based wastewater treatment and re-use would be encouraged where appli-cable to minimise energy costs in water treatment and transport.

Costing and pricingWater authorities must develop

a true-cost, user and polluter pricing system that takes into account:

• The environmental and eco-logical cost of water extraction and discharge;

• The fi nancial and quality of life costs imposed on current and fu-ture generations;

• The full cost of water resourc-es including marginal infrastructure costs; and

• Social equity in allocating wa-ter resources by ensuring all people, regardless of income, have ready ac-cess to suffi cient clean water at an affordable cost.

Native eco-systems and indige-nous aquatic fl ora and fauna must be protected by:

• Preventing the construction of new dams or the augmentation of existing dams;

• Ensuring viable environmen-tal water fl ows that mimic natural variability;

• Prohibiting any increase in inter-catchment water transfers; and

• Over time, eliminating exist-ing transfers.

• In the use of Sydney’s exist-ing water storage infrastructure, Sydney Water should be required to adopt “demand side management” rather than “supply side manage-ment” throughout the El Nino and La Nina climate cycles so that dam storage levels are protected at all

times and not just during drought conditions.

• The pollution of groundwa-ter must be prevented from sources such as landfi ll, fuel storage tanks, and contaminated recharging.

• Urban groundwater extraction must be required to never exceed re-charge rates, and where the quantity of the water resource has been sub-stantially diminished, the use of the aquifer is to be restricted to enable recovery.

Recycling water• Sewage treatment to levels

must be increased consistent with the non polluted environment that receives any sewage discharge or the subsequent safe reuse of the dis-charge including sewage sludge.

• In the long term dry weather sewage discharge into water ways

(beyond ecological needs) must be replaced with a decentralised treat-ment and recovery system in which water and nutrients are reused and solid and toxic contamination ended.

• Sewage fl ows need to be mi-nimised by reducing water use, on-site grey water treatment and non-aquatic technologies for han-dling human waste.

• All existing sewage ocean outfalls should be phased out.

• Urban water authorities should be required to take effective action to ensure that point-source pollution contribution to the Hawkesbury-Nepean system and other waterways, particularly as sewage discharge, is signifi cantly reduced and ultimately eliminated.

• An inter-agency approach covering both wastewater and

stormwater should be established to coordinate the reduction of sewage overfl ows by minimising storm water infi l tration.

The Greens will:• Maintain public ownership

and control of all water and sewage infrastructure;

• Oppose the development of any infrastructure that increases or facilitates transfer of water between catchments;

• Develop a strategy to completely phase out Sydney’s de-pendence on extracting water from the Shoalhaven River.

Local planning instruments and government policies would be de-veloped that encourage:

• The installation of dry com-posting systems and on-site grey water treatment systems technology where appropriate;

• Indigenous native and low water use plantings in all urban areas;

• Residential, commercial and industrial water tank installations;

• The harvesting of urban storm water for local non-potable use;

• High levels of water effi cien-cy and on-site recycling in industry; and

• The use of non-potable sources.

Water efficiencyThe Greens support reduced wa-

ter demand by all water-users by:• Creating incentives for the in-

stallation and use of water effi ciency devises such as dual fl ushing toilets and water effi cient shower and tap nozzles;

• Mandating 5 star water effi -ciency standards for all new water use appliances with adequate subsi-dies available to ensure low income households are not fi nancially dis-advantaged;

• Encouraging industrial pro-cesses that are low net water users with the ultimate aim of zero water waste emissions from industry by regulation, pricing and investment policies;

• Promote full public reporting by industry of pollutants entering waterways;

• Support a sustained capital works program to eliminate sewage overfl ows and infi ltration problems;

• Ensure that all stormwater in-frastructure includes best-practice pollution minimization devices;

• Work towards reducing diffuse-source pollution of river sys-tems by supporting well resourced environmental protection authorities together with effective land man-agement and development control measures;

• Support reduced organics, pa-per and toxics in landfi ll as a water purity measure and oppose the op-eration of landfi lls with a risk of leaching while seeking the remedia-tion of existing sites;

• Promote multi-level off-takes to large storage dams so that the quality and temperatures of releases are as close to natural as possible;

Sewage treatment

The Greens support initiatives that maximise the recovery of all suspended solids and sludge during sewage treatment by:

• Requiring suitable post-treatment of all sewage sludge to minimize environmentally hazard-ous components;

• Prohibiting incineration as a method of sludge disposal and identifying environmentally sound ultimate disposal techniques for the toxic pollutant component;

• Requiring the maximum ben-efi cial use for non polluted sludge while observing appropriate eco-logical and catchment management concerns;

• Imposing high standards for licensing and monitoring of the use of sludge-based fertilisers and com-post;

• Accelerating research and de-velopment of new uses for sludge including its appropriate role in non-edible crops, pastures, recreational lands, industry and agriculture and,

• Controlling source pollut-ants as the best means of improving sludge quality;

• Ensure there is adequate routine monitoring of a range of biologically signifi cant organic and inorganic chemicals in our urban water systems including heavy met-als, pesticides, industrial residues, faecal indicators, pathogenic bacte-ria, viruses and protozoa;

• The use of non-phosphate-based cleaning agents would be promoted;

Community focus• Community based programs

for keeping nutrients from diffuse sources, such as detergent phos-phates, garden waste and pet faeces, out of urban water run-off should be facilitated.

• A shared community focus would be encouraged in which indi-viduals, institutions and businesses minimise run-off and manage pol-lutants at their source through better land planning, waste minimisation and clean production strategy.

Water catchments must be sustainably managed for the long term

Securing both the natural environment and the supply of food is becoming an increasingly urgent task that requires the public interest to be protected.

8 The GuardianFebruary 7 2007

This Árd Fhéis reiterates Sinn Féin’s political commitment to bringing about Irish re-unifi cation and the establishment of a 32 County Democratic Socialist Republic.

This Árd Fhéis supports civic policing through a police service which is representative of the com-munity it serves, free from partisan political control and democratically accountable.

We support and will work for the development of a routinely un-armed police service as envisaged in the Good Friday Agreement.

We support fair, impartial and effective delivery of the rule of law. The changes to policing se-cured in all reforming legislation, including by Sinn Féin needs to be implemented fully. The truth about wrongdoing by British military, in-telligence and policing agencies

needs to be uncovered and ac-knowledged. Sinn Féin supports the demands for this from the fami-lies of victims. The PSNI (Police Service of Northern Ireland) needs to make strenuous efforts to earn the trust and confi dence of na-tionalists and republicans. Gardaí (Police force of the Republic of Ireland) corruption and malpractice – which has been exposed in the Morris Tribunal and the Abbeylara inquiry in the 26 counties – shows the need for constant vigilance and oversight.

This Árd Fhéis is totally op-posed to political, sectarian and repressive policing and any form of criminalisation of republican-ism. The experience of nationalists and republicans in the Six Counties is of a partisan, unionist militia which engaged in harassment, tor-

ture, assassination, shoot-to-kill and collusion with death squads and we will never endorse such policing practices.

The Good Friday Agreement re-quires and defi nes ‘a new beginning to policing’ as an essential element of the peace process. …

We note also the commitment by PSNI Chief Constable Hugh Orde that plastic bullets will not be used for purposes of public order/crowd control and his acknowledgement of the hurt resulting from injuries and death of innocent people includ-ing children. These weapons should never be used again. Sinn Féin will continue to campaign for a total ban. …

Sinn Fein is committed to jus-tice. Sinn Fein is committed to law and order and to stable and inclu-sive partnership government, and, in good faith and in a spirit of genu-ine partnership, to the full operation of stable power-sharing government and the north south and east west arrangements set out in the Good Friday Agreement.

The responsibility of the police is to defend and uphold the rights of citizens.

International

Sinn Féin seeks peace & “rule of law”

A Man’s a Man for A’thatby Robbie Burns

Is there for honest povertyThat hings his head, an a’ that?The coward slave, we pass him by –We dare be poor for a’ that!For a’ that, an a’ that,Our toils obscure, an a’ that,The rank is but the guinea’s stamp,The man’s the gowd for a’ that.

What though on hamely fare we dine,Wear hoddin grey, an a’ that?Gie fools their silks, and knaves their wine -A man’s a man for a’ that.For a’ that, an a’ that.Their tinsel show, an a’ that,The honest man, tho e’er sae poor,Is king o men for a’ that.

Ye see you birkie ca’d ‘a lord,’What struts, an stares, an a’ that?Tho hundreds worship at his word,He’s but a cuif for a’ that.For a’ that, an a’ that,His ribband, star, an a’ that,The man o independent mind,He looks an laughs at a’ that.

A prince can mak a belted knight,A marquis, duke, an a’ that!But an honest man’s aboon his might -Guid faith, he mauna fa’ that!For a’ that, an a’ that,Their dignities, an a’ that,The pith o sense an pride o worth.Are higher rank than a’ that.

Then let us pray that come it may[As come it will for a’ that],That Sense and Worth o’er a’ the earth,Shall bear the gree an a’ that.For a’ that, an a’ that,It’s comin yet for a’ that,That man to man, the world, o’erShall brithers be for a’ that.

Armed struggle an “option of last resort”:Contribution to the debate by Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams

By any measurement the republican struggle is stronger now than at any time since partition. The Sinn Fein peace strategy, supported by the vast majority of Irish republicans, has delivered enormous change. There are tens of thousands of Irish republicans on the island of Ireland and beyond and thousands of them are involved in activism. The confi dence of nationalists living in the north has never been higher.

In the south many citizens are looking for an alternative to the conservative policies of the estab-lishment parties.

In the midst of great wealth more and more people see the need for equality. There is great poten-tial to build a really radical political movement.

But the most signifi cant suc-cess of the Sinn Fein peace strategy is the Irish peace process which has created for the fi rst time ever in our long and troubled history, a peaceful and democratic option for achiev-ing the free and united Ireland that is the core political objective of all Irish republicans.

The cornerstone of a truly national republic will be the recog-nition, protection and respect for individual rights on an equal basis for all. Like the United Irelanders 200 years ago: “Equality is our watchword”.

As a result of all of this the IRA took the historic and courageous de-cision in July 2005 to end its armed campaign.

The IRA decision presented an unparalleled challenge and op-portunity for every nationalist and republican. One which we in Sinn Fein have proactively sought to build on.

The goal of a united Ireland re-

mains absolute but the means by which it can be achieved no longer needs to involve armed actions.

Conditions have changed

The conditions which in the past led to republican armed actions have fundamentally changed.

Armed struggle was never a republican principle. It was and al-ways has been an option of last resort in the absence of any other alternative.

But, there is now an alternative.There is a peaceful way to

achieve political change, equality, justice and ultimately Irish freedom.

Given our collective history, the current debate on policing is un-doubtedly a diffi cult one for all Irish republicans.

We have all suffered as a result of political policing, some more di-rectly and painfully than others.

We cannot and should not for-get the abuses of the past. We need to expose these abuses and those responsible for them. But we also have a responsibility to create a dif-ferent and better future.

We need to hold both police services to account. They need to uphold the rights of citizens in a non-partisan and professional way. That is the core of Sinn Fein’s ap-proach to policing.

I have called for the debate on the way forward within the broad republican community to be wide-spread and inclusive over the coming weeks.

A small number of republicans continue to engage in armed ac-tions. None of the groups involved have any strategy to deliver Irish unity and independence.

They have no popular sup port. Their actions are counter-produc-tive. Their actions put the lives of innocent people and their own mem-bers in grave danger.

The only product of their cam-paign is incidents like the tragedy of Omagh – where republican and unionist lives were taken – and the destroyed lives of an increasing number of young people facing long prison sentences.

I appeal to those groups engaged in armed actions to end them.

I do not want to see any other people killed or imprisoned as a re-sult of their activities.Democracy – the way forward

I welcome the decision of re-publicans who oppose Sinn Fein, to stand in the assembly elections.

Elections are the proper arena for testing different political views and analysis and I look forward to defending and promoting and win-ning popular reendorsement of the Sinn Fein peace strategy.

The Sinn Fein leadership is willing to meet with and discuss all of these matters with other re-publican groups, including how we can secure the release of political prisoners.

Sinn Fein is intent on jour-neying on from here, to be part of building a republic worthy of those who made the supreme sacrifi ce.

Our focus is clear. Sinn Fein is determined to achieve an end to British rule in our country.

I want to meet with these or-ganisations to brief them in detail on current developments and impress upon them my belief that the current Sinn Fein strategy is the best way forward for our community and for the wider republican struggle.

I am willing to work with the families of prisoners belonging to or supportive of these groups and I have already raised with both governments a number of is-sues, including the conditions in Maghaberry Prison and the transfer of prisoners held in England back to Ireland.

January 28: A historic motion passed by its Árd Fhéis (Party Conference). The Sinn Féin Party says it will accept the police force of Northern Ireland as long as it is fair, non-partisan and abides by “the rule of law”. The following is an edited version of the introductory paragraphs to the motion:

Resting on his plough, lost in the muse. Statue in the Sydney Domain

9The GuardianFebruary 7 2007

Tim Wheeler

WASHINGTON – More than 1,000 anti-war lobbyists from 48 states visited the offi ces of Congress members on Monday, January 29, to urge them to pass a Senate resolution opposing the Iraq war and to use the “power of the purse strings” to terminate the deadly four-year confl ict”.

The grassroots lobby came on the fi nal day of a three-day mobil-isation sponsored by United for Peace and Justice that brought half a million anti-war protesters to the United States’ capital. They rallied on the Mall and then marched up Capitol Hill, completely surround-ing the Capitol building.

More than 40 protesters from Illinois crowded the office of Democrat Senator Dick Durbin, second ranking leader of the Senate, during the “Lobby Day”. The Reverend Findley Cambell, an African-American minister from Chicago, told Durbin’s aide, “We understand that the Democrats have a slender majority. We are not unrealistic. We’re looking on this non-binding resolution to hear a powerful debate against this war.” He urged Durbin to contin-ue working with Nebraska Senator Chuck Hagel and other moderate Republicans to pass the resolution with a strong bipartisan majority.

Ultimately, Cambell said, we have to stop the funding. “We’re tired of funding the war profi teers, corporations like Halliburton”.

The peace mobilisation was not limited to Washington DC. Americans Against Escalation staged a seven-state “fl y around” on January 29-30 urging moder-ate Republicans in Maine, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Ohio, Indiana and Minnesota to vote for the bipartisan Hagel-Biden resolution condemning Bush’s plan to deploy 21,500 more troops. The White House has unleashed a fren-zied drive to block the resolution.

Iraq war veteran Jon Soltz, na-tional chairman of VoteVets.org, charged that Bush’s escalation,

backed by Senator John McCain and Senator Joe Lieberman, “would place more troops in the cross-hairs of a civil war”. Soltz, of Pittsburgh, served as an Army captain in Iraq from May to September 2003.

George Martin of Milwaukee, co-chair of United for Peace and Justice, had just visited the of-fi ces of Democrat Representative Gwen Moore and Republican James Sensenbrenner. He was on his way to visit Wisconsin Senator Russ Feingold, who has announced he will introduce a bill to “use the power of the purse to end funding for the war and safely redeploy our troops from Iraq”.

“We’re looking for the details of Feingold’s bill”, Martin told the People’s Weekly World. “We had 700 people who travelled from Wisconsin on seven buses and by plane and car” for the march.”

He had just returned from the World Social Forum in Nairobi, Kenya, where people from more than 50 nations signed a pledge to stage a “Global Day of Action” on the fourth anniversary of the Iraq war in March. “I presented the pledge on the fi nal day of the fo-rum and it met with resounding applause from the entire assem-bly, 15,000 people”, Martin said. “The world has never been so unit-ed against a war as it is against this one.”

Clayola Brown, Vice President of Unite Here, summed up the mes-sage in her fi ery rally speech. “We told Bush with our votes that we didn’t want this war to continue but he was deaf”, she said. “So we say again: End this war NOW!” She led the crowd in a chant ,”Not one more death; not one more dollar; not one more day!”

Democrat Representative Maxine Waters, chair of the Out of Iraq Caucus, said Congress mem-bers must stand and be counted. “The proof of the pudding is when the administration comes asking for more money”, she told the World. “These nonbinding resolutions on the Senate side are fi ne. But the American people are way ahead of

that. It’s time to get to the real ques-tion: cutting off the money.”

Actor Susan Sarandon told the World, “President Bush lied about the weapons of mass destruction and about who was behind 9/11 to get us to support a war we would not oth-erwise have supported. He says we are in Iraq to spread democracy and freedom. How do you spread free-dom with lies?”

The marchers poured up Constitution Avenue led by a con-tingent of active duty soldiers called “Appeal for Redress” and Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW). While a tiny group of Bush sup-porters stood with a banner, “God Bless the Troops, Support President Bush”, the anti-war soldiers chant-ed, “Support the troops, bring them home”.

IVAW President Kel ly Dougherty said, “If it were up to the privates and sergeants, we would all be home by now. Obviously, Bush is determined to continue the war. It is up to Congress to stop funding it and bring all our soldiers home.”

Brian Hill, a medic with the National Guard at Corpus Christi, Texas, said 1,200 active duty, re-serve and National Guard soldiers have signed the Appeal for Redress calling for an end to the Iraq war. “We’re in the fourth year of the Iraq war and the anti-war sentiment has grown steadily”, he told the World. “What got soldiers really mad was the ‘surge’, the plan to send another 21,000 soldiers. That was the tip-ping point. Now I’m at risk of being deployed to Iraq.”

Sam Webb, National Chair of the Communist Party USA, was marching with the CPUSA con-tingent. “Passing the nonbinding resolution in the Senate is of over-riding political importance to the struggle to cut off funds and with-draw US troops from Iraq”, he told the World. Webb pointed out that the Bush administration has unleashed a drive to block the resolution in the Senate even though its sentiment is supported by a clear bipartisan majority. People’s Weekly World

International

INDIA: According to a recent Goldman Sachs report, India will become the world’s fi fth largest economy within 10 years, moving ahead of Italy, France and Great Britain. India may reach second place by mid-century, behind China, it said. The report attributes India’s economic growth to government policies allowing for “competition and effi ciency.” As if in rebuttal, last week the Com-munist Party of India (Marxist) noted, “Investment, modernisation, effi ciency and productivity increases are terms which have to be looked at within a class context”. The party has criticised the gov-ernment’s neo-liberal economic policies, saying they have caused severe hardship and ruin among India’s working people, par-ticularly in agriculture. The Goldman Sachs report predicted that within 15 years a fourfold rise in average personal income in In-dia is likely, as is a fi vefold increase in automobile purchases and a tripling of oil requirements. It said India will need to overcome inadequate port facilities and highways, insuffi cient electricity generating capabilities and looming shortages of skilled workers.

BRITAIN: Hundreds of public service workers descended upon parliamentarians and government ministers in London on Janu-ary 23 as part of a Trades Union Congress campaign against privatisation. Threatened pay caps and lack of recognition for workers’ contributions to improved services is causing low mo-rale, they said. The lobbyists asked ministers to refrain from justifying austerity measures – so-called “reforms” – by harp-ing on public service shortcomings. Ministers were encouraged to consider the complexities of providing public services and hazards of a “quick fi x.” Unionists protested against infl exibility and top-down management strategies, cautioning that contracts with private companies may violate the ethical foundations of the public sector. Market mechanisms for promoting “choice” were criticised as causing divisions among providers and blocking collaboration. Ministers “should work with public sec-tor staff, treating them as part of the solution, not part of the problem”, according to General Secretary Brendan Barber.

DJIBOUTI: On January 11, a single US military command for Africa was established in Djibouti, located on the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea. The new headquarters, which includes 2,000 troops, replaced command operations shared between Europe and the US Washington are confronting a “caliphate from Spain, all of Europe, Africa, across Asia, Indonesia” according to Gen-eral Peter Pace. That was the context for US military support for Ethiopia’s recent invasion of Muslim-ruled Somalia. US arms sales to Africa – 40 percent to East Africa – totalled US$39 mil-lion in 2005 and $60 million in 2006. Nearby Kenya hosts two US bases; Zambia and Uganda, one each. Mombasa, Kenya, hosts an oil pipeline terminal that is accessible to US ships. Oil from Africa currently accounts for about 20 percent of total US im-ports, and that fi gure is expected to climb to 25 percent by 2015.

Global briefs

Out to terminate the deadly conflict – some of the Washington protesters

“We voted for peace”Marchers tell Congress to end Iraq war

New dangerous conflict being prepared in the BalkansThe western European powers together with the US are initiating a new conflict to further tear Yugoslavia to pieces having succeeded to break up the Federation when they launched separatist wars in Croatia, Bosnia and Kosovo. Slovenia and Macedonia were also led into breaking away from the Federation and are now dominated by the European and US imperialist powers.

Kosovo became what has been called a UN protectorate and is oc-cupied by NATO “peacekeepers” although it remains a part of Serbia. Albania which became involved in the earlier confl ict has continued to demand the complete independence of Kosovo which has a predomi-nantly Albania ethnic population.

This was always the objective of the western powers and despite the UN Charter, which calls for respect and protection of the sovereignty of nations, it is also supporting the de-mands of the separatists. Last Friday a representative of the UN presented

a plan to Belgrade which, in effect, would result in the separation of Kosovo from the Serbian Republic.

The rejection of the UN and imperialist moves was seen in the result of the recent Serbian elections which saw the Radical Party receiv-ing the highest proportion of votes because of its strong stand against the separatist plans. The Radical Party (formerly Socialist Party) is the Party of Slobodan Milosevic who waged a strong struggle against the break up of the Federation of Yugoslavia. However, the Radical Party did not win enough seats to govern in its own right.

Towards the end of January the outgoing Serbian government ratifi ed Kosovo as part of Serbia, by proposing that Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica sever relations with those states that recognise the independence of the province.

Kostunica, from the Serbian Democratic Party, recalled the re-sults of last year's referendum on the new Constitution which was

approved by the majority and reit-erated that Kosovo is an inalienable territory of Serbia.

Within the UN Security Council, Russia and China have declared their opposition to the plan for Kosovo independence. A Russian diplomat has said that “If the sepa-ration takes place without the state’s consent a very negative precedent will be created for other internation-al situations”. He said that the fi rst ever attempt is being made to detach a part from an integral state, not an independent entity from a federa-tive state.

Also last week, Oliver Ivanovic, the leader of the Serbians within Kosovo declared that independence for Kosovo would be a “declaration of war”. He said that independence for Kosovo without the approval of Serbia will be considered illegal and the Serbs will stop it even if it will take an all out new war in the region. He said this will not be an immediate response but “it will come sooner or later”.

10 The GuardianFebruary 7 2007

Letters to the EditorThe Guardian74 Buckingham StreetSurry Hills NSW 2010

email: guardian@cpa.org.au

Encouraging democratic changes

I am writing about the recent Latin American democratic transformations, the present situation in the Middle East and the role of the USA.

It is very interesting to note that while much of the world’s at-tention has been focused on Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Palestine and other areas of the Middle East, en-couraging democratic changes have been sweeping Central and South America.

These positive developments have taken place without the pres-ence of huge numbers of troops from western armies that are alleged to be required to spread democracy in the Middle East and other parts of the world. Despite the presence of so many US troops and bases in Iraq, Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Jordan and other US al-lied states the supposed attempts to bring democracy to the region have been a stunning, distressing and bloody failure.

While the leaders of Venezuela, Bolivia, Nicaragua, Ecuador, Chile and others have relied on the ef-forts of their own people, and in doing so have taken great strides

improving the conditions of their citizens in a variety of ways, spread-ing democratic participation among the population, advancing their self-determination and extending health and welfare services to more of their people.

Of course the last time the peo-ples of Latin America attempted democratic changes and challenged the corrupt, repressive, governments of the region, the USA sought to protect its strategic, economic and political position by stifl ing these progressive movements.

The USA, through the covert activities of the CIA and Operation Condor supported the oppression of these peoples by fi nancing, training, supplying and arming the various dictatorships. One by one the dem-ocratic and radical movements were suppressed, with popular and even elected governments overthrown, at the human cost of many hundreds of thousands of people killed, tortured, exiled and disappeared. Some ob-servers may suggest that it is partly because the US is so preoccupied with the Middle East that the Latin Americans have been able to loosen the grip of the US stranglehold over the area on this occasion.

Of course the situation in the Middle East is, we are told, a dif-ferent situation as the US is on a mission trying to spread democracy in the area. It is a mere coincidence that the volatile, oil rich region is of incredible strategic, economic and military importance to the USA. And many of the pro-US regimes appear increasingly weak and di-vided as they struggle with unrest and dissent. Though some skeptics might suggest that the US is deeply

engaged in the region to protect its interests and its allies and confront regimes that are not compliant to-wards the policies of USA.

It seems straightforward to me that if the people of any country strive for democracy, independence and freedom, then it is mostly up to the people of that nation them-selves to achieve these aims. Even if outside military intervention was well intentioned, such funda-mental changes cannot be imposed from outside by others, even those with powerful armies and superior technology.

Steven KatsinerisHurstbridge, Vic

David’s predicamentI believe there will be a demo in Canberra to coincide with the opening of the Parliament session demanding a quick solution to David Hicks’ detention. As time goes on and on, the detention of a human being without a charge looks more and more spiteful and cruel.

I listened to an ABC talk-back radio some days ago and the major-ity of people were extremely angry with David’s predicament. Though there were some listeners who be-lieved that he got what he deserved for what he had done (though we do not exactly know what he might have done as no charges against him have been laid), generally speaking the feeling was that no matter what he might have done the way he is being mistreated is not proper or civilised.

There were many cases already of the people who had been tortured in Guantanamo and lived to tell the

tale when they returned to their home countries. No matter where they were from, their stories are very similar. Frankly, The US has a track record of treating their pris-oners inhumanly – one only has to recall all those murderers they have trained for Latin American countries some years ago, not to mention their own prisoners in the USA. Breaking down a person’s spirit and humiliat-ing a human being seems to be an art form with those people.

I have no view on David’s in-nocence or guilt because I have no information on either.

But I have a very glum view of the treatment he is getting – I feel it is aimed at not only breaking down his spirit but essentially pushing him to suicide. Wouldn’t it be a lovely solution for the Australian govern-ment? After all, they were shown up as a pack of so-and-sos for not even pretending to lift a fi nger to assist an Australian citizen imprisoned by a foreign power according to the rule set up by that foreign power! What a joke!

I am not a great admirer of Israeli politics but I really admire

Israel’s persistence in trying to as-sist their citizens in trouble. I also fi nd it extremely distasteful that the Australian government just started to even mention David Hicks only when it became clear that his case may impact on the coming election results.

Some time ago Mr Howard called on everyone to appreciate unique Australian “mateship”.

Well, we do and that’s why even those who some time ago could not care less about David Hicks feel now that enough is enough, fi ve years in solitary confi nement in in-humane conditions without a charge is just not fair.

The government should demand David’s return immediately and if he is quilty – charge him and pun-ish him here.

Is Australian law so helpless that it can’t deal with one person? I don’t think so.

We do not allow animals to be treated in this way. The USA may be our best buddy but some of their practices leave much to be desired.

Matti EnglishNSW

Venezuelan Communists push worker councils

The Communist Party of Venezuela (CPV) is about to introduce a proposal that the National Assembly establish workers councils and include them under the new “Organic Law for Citizen Participation and People’s Power”. At a Caracas news conference on January 15, Pedro Eusse, the party’s Labour Secretary, declared the purpose of the initiative to be the insertion of “working-class power” into the process of building socialism.

The proposal coincides with a major national campaign under way to launch a network of 50,000 com-munity councils. It also comes at a time when the CPV is redefi ning its own political role – even whether it should continue to exist – follow-ing President Hugo Chávez’s call on December 15 for a single “party of the revolution” provisionally des-ignated as the United Socialist Party of Venezuela.

The development of workers’ councils fi ts within Venezuela’s current campaign to expand “par-ticipatory democracy”, the prime element of that project being the movement for community councils. Under the leadership of Assembly delegate David Velasquez, the National Assembly passed an en-abling law for community councils on April 9, 2006. Velásquez, a

CPV leader, is now shepherding the community councils into exis-tence as head of the Ministry for People’s Participation and Social Development.

Eusse described for reporters the necessity for creating means by which the working class “can achieve progressively higher levels of consciousness that, as protago-nists of people’s power, they are the class that leads the revolutionary process”.

The new councils will “assume political and economic functions for carrying out peoples’ power in workplaces and in industrial areas”, he said. Although they will not du-plicate the work of labour unions, “they will share responsibilities, en-gage in mutual support, and above all shape class consciousness. They will promote workers’ unity, of both men and women, and protect so-cial, economic, cultural and politi-cal rights.”

The workers councils will take on important responsibilities, in-cluding:

• Managing information on the administration, fi nances and pro-duction output of private, public and worker-operated companies, also those already or about to be expro-priated.

• Organisation of labor col-lectives that operate all such enterprises, private companies ex-cepted.

• Formation of worker groups focusing on technical, cultural, po-litical and ideological matters.

• Development of leadership skills essential for processes of pro-duction and oversight.

• Promotion of working-class involvement in the politics of the revolution, particularly issues “re-lating to defence of the homeland and the people’s democratic victo-ries”.

• Coordination and cooperation

with community councils and other “instruments of people’s power”.

• Monitoring, with labour unions, to assure that worker and union rights are respected.

While the National Assembly is deliberating on the proposal, the CPV will be promoting workers councils in workplaces, both private and public, throughout Venezuela. They will be seeking support from all social and political forces within the Bolivarian process.

In a recent interview, David Velásquez discussed the role com-munity councils will assume in Venezuela, a description that ap-plies equally to workers councils. “We must transform the old appa-ratus of the state”, he said, adding, “This offi ce will begin to study how we transfer functions, resourc-es and components to community power”. He distinguished between traditional “constitutional” power and a new “constituent power” that

will enable Venezuelans, via “par-ticipation as protagonists”, to build “people’s power.”

Along with pushing for work-ers councils, the CPV is in the midst of assessing Chavez’s pro-posal for a unifi ed socialist party. Spokespersons say the decision will be informed by ideas such as working-class centrality in the rev-olutionary process, leadership that is collective and unifi ed, putting the revolution into the hands of one party, and, above all, commitment to building socialism.

The CPV was scheduled to hold a seminar on ideology on February 3. Community-level par-ty groups will meet on February 18, followed by conferences of regional committees on February 25. The party will make its fi nal decisions on its future role at a special national party congress on March 3-4. People’s Weekly World

The Communist Party of Venezuela has convened a

Special National Party Congress for March 3-4 to examine the

propoal by President Hugo Chávez for a single

“party of revolution”

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11The GuardianFebruary 7 2007

Sun Feb 11 – Sat Feb 17

The vast open wildernesses of African savannah, Asian

steppe, Arctic tundra and North American prairie are the great plains of the planet. Together they cover more than a quarter of the land on Earth and one living thing is at their heart – grass. This humble plant feeds the greatest gatherings of wildlife found anywhere on Earth.

The red-billed quelea swarm across the African savannah de-vouring grass seeds; every year herds of wildebeest mass in East Africa in search of new grass; and on the Arctic tundra caribou mi-grate for 2,000 miles on a quest for good grazing. After fi lming for three years, Planet Earth captured the most mysterious herd of all – the shy Mongolian gazelle in Great Plains (ABC Sunday 7.30 pm). The elusive and bizarre-looking Tibetan fox is captured on fi lm for the fi rst time here as it hunts the pikka. The plains of Northern India hide a diverse range of animals, from elephants and rhino, to the smallest of all wild pigs – the rare

pygmy hog. In Botswana, massive herds of buffalo and elephant trek hundreds of miles in search of water and new grass.

Several times a year the city of Venice is swamped by high

waters. Depending on the height of the tides, shops and restaurants are forced to put up barricades, store their goods up high, or close down altogether. Pedestrians are often forced to negotiate the city on special raised walkways and the water eats away at the foundations of the ancient buildings. Saving Venice (SBS Sunday 8.30 pm) follows the search for a way to save Venice from being overcome by fl ood waters and looks at the ambitious and hugely expensive scheme that was approved by the Berlusconi government.

Called the Moses Project, the plan is to build 78 mobile steel bar-riers that will normally lie on the seabed but will be activated dur-ing exceptionally high tides. The scheme has been met with plenty of opposition and many believe that the construction of these barriers will lead to an ecological and eco-nomic disaster.

Karl Rove: The Architect (SBS Monday 3.30 pm)

traces Rove’s political career from his days campaigning for Richard Nixon as the Chair of the College Republicans to his appointment as deputy chief of staff in charge of coordinating domestic policy, economic policy, national security, and homeland security. Drawing on interviews with major fi gures in the Bush 2004 campaign, Rove’s associates from Texas, power

brokers from Washington, a Rove biographer, and reporters for The Washington Post, the fi lm examines Rove’s plan for George W Bush’s re-election campaign – a “base strategy” that would mobilise Bush’s core supporters to turn out in record numbers.

Messsage Stick (ABC Monday 6 pm) launches

in 2007 in a brand new time slot. In this fi rst episode for the year, well-known Australian singer/songwriter, Paul Kelly has brought together the crème of the Australian Music industry to record the songs of Aboriginal singer/songwriter Kev Carmody, as part of a tribute album to a man who’s been called, among other things, the “Black Bob Dylan”.

Part musical documentary, part intimate profi le, this program ex-plores the life of Kev Carmody from his childhood spent listening to old records on the family’s wind-up 78rpm machine, and many nights spent singing around the campfi re, to his university days where his mu-sic career offi cially started.

Now, Uncle Kev, one of the el-der statesmen of the Indigenous music scene, must start re-evaluating his life as a performer. The onset of arthritis has made playing a guitar a painful experience and a degen-erative neck/spine disease means travelling and touring is happen-ing less and less. The tribute album is seen by Uncle Kev as a catalyst for change and a move towards just writing songs for other artists. But it’s a change that could take a lot of getting used to and the album’s launch could be bittersweet.

From the intimate to the platonic to the perfunctory,

Podlove – Lost Without You (SBS Monday 10.50 pm) explores the impact of digital communications

on our relationships with family, friends, lovers and strangers. They text faster than most people can type. They customise their mobiles the way their mothers customise their gardens, and when they go to sleep at night, their phones are tucked safely under their pillows.

Becky, Brittany and Laura are barely in their teens but already mo-bile phones are as natural a part of their life as they are necessary and by their own admission, they’d be lost without them. Each day mil-lions of girls just like them freely fl irt, gossip, hate and share their most personal dreams and fears over SMS, even though they may lack the courage to make an actual phone call or say it face-to-face. Set amidst teen talent factories and the blissful-ly quiet streets of Sydney’s Western suburbs, this short fi lm explores this social phenomenon and asks wheth-er mobile phones are connecting girls to the real world or removing them from it.

Cutting Edge: Living Old (SBS Tuesday 8.30 pm)

produced by Frontline, investigates this national crisis and explores the new realities of aging in America. Vast numbers of the elderly are living lives that neither they nor their families ever prepared for or imagined. Through the perspectives of the elderly, their families and the doctors and nurses who care for them, this documentary explores the modern realities of aging in both urban and rural America.

Catalyst (ABC Thursday 8 pm) asks: is Australia

in the grip of the worst drought on record or the worst ever? What if we could return to the ancient past a hundred times further than our oldest weather records to fi nd out? …One man and his team have.

Professor Patrick De Deckker

has spent decades digging up core samples from the bottom of fresh-water lakes and deep sea canyons. From the mud, dust and strange animals inside, he has searched for Australia’s drought cycles.

This new series of Australian Biography features docu-

mentaries about people from all walks of life, including those from Indigenous and non-English speaking backgrounds. It is a showcase of the great diversity yet similarity of Australia’s citizens. Some are widely known while others are recognised within a particular community. In tonight’s episode, Joan Kirner (SBS Friday 8 pm), she speaks to interviewer Robin Hughes about her life and career. Joan was the fi rst woman Premier of Victoria and she is a passionate believer in community action and equity for women. In this interview, the woman who would like to have “In Sisterhood” inscribed on her grave talks about politics, feminism and being a Mum.

In Around The World In Eighty Treasures: Mexico

To America (ABC Saturday 7.30 pm) Dan Cruickshank begins the second leg of his world tour, just 14 days into his epic fi ve month journey across six continents and 40 countries, travelling through two thousand years of history. His journey takes him from Mexico’s mysterious pyramids and lost cities to the United States and the skyscrapers of New York.

In this week’s episode he iden-tifies seven great treasures. In Mexico it is Palenque, the Giants of Tula, Rivera’s painting “Man, Controller of the Universe” and in America it is the Statue of Liberty, Monticello, Virginia, Mesa Verde and the 1851 Navy Colt Revolver, in Colorado.

Worth Watching

previewsABC & SBS

Public Television

Mongolian gazelle – Planet Earth: Great Plains (ABC Sunday 7.30 pm)

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The Guardian

Not even waiting to be sworn in as the new Workplace Relations Minister, Joe Hockey drew blood from a “heartless” boss the week before last. He’d been sent in by PM John Howard to repair the bad public image of a man with days to live and his three children being cheated of their entitlements as a result of his government’s WorkChoices legislation. The election campaign is well and truly under way with the Coalition Government out to create a public image that it protects workers.

John Beaven, accounts manager at the Sydney car components manufacturer TriStar, had worked for the company for 43 years. When the company began winding down op-erations two years ago it offered workers voluntary redundancy. Mr Beaven was one of those responding positively to the offer, but the company did an about turn and knocked him back while paying out a number of others.

Mr Beaven was terminally ill with bowel and liver cancer and the company seemed to be waiting for his death to avoid making him a redundancy payment.

Howard and former Work Choices Minister Kevin Andrews had turned their backs on Mr Beaven, that was until the government felt the issue had become too hot electorally. An appearance on the powerful radio talkback jock Alan Jones’ show saw Howard ducking for cover. “We will endeavour to persuade the company to alter its position”, he told Jones. “The company is behaving in an appalling fashion”, he said, quickly adding that the company had not broken the law.

Whose laws, Mr Howard?“What has broken down here is the moral

sensitivity of the company. … I am not de-fending for a moment what the company has done. I’m trying to point out that in this par-ticular case it has applied the letter of the law, I think insensitively and unfairly and wrong-ly”, said a very defensive Howard.

But a closer look at the TriStar dispute shows that the government is, and has been throughout its term in offi ce, also behaving in an appalling fashion, that the $50,000 volun-tary redundancy payout agreed to by TriStar sells Mr Beaven short by more than $100,000 and that around 30-35 other workers are also being cheated of their entitlements.

In fact the government has stood by and facilitated the theft and slashing of TriStar employees’ entitlements with its WorkChoices legislation and changes under Peter Reith’s ministry. It should have acted to protect TriStar’s workforce at least six or seven years ago!

Theft of entitlementsThe issue of protecting workers’ entitle-

ments hit the headlines in early 2000 when a company associated with the PM’s broth-er, National Textiles, collapsed leaving 340 workers owed a total of $11 million in unpaid leave and superannuation entitlements.

The Howard Government did nothing to protect workers from similar losses of en-titlements in the future, instead it went into damage control joining the NSW government in providing National Textile workers with partial relief of $6 million out of public (not employer) funds. The government set up a na-tional tax-payer funded scheme (GEERS) to cover company collapses – with payments to workers capped at $10,000.

It was one of a number of cases where workers’ hard-earned entitlements were lost or

thieved by employers. Oakdale Colliery owed its workers $6.3 million; mining contractor Colrok $9 million; Exicom closed its Sydney operations owing 1000 sacked workers over $17 million; HIH; OneTel; Empire Rubber; STP; and Ansett workers who have still not been fully compensated for their losses, just to recall a few examples.

In some cases it involved outright skul-duggery on the part of bosses. A company would transfer its workforce to a nominal shelf company (often without their knowl-edge and a similar sounding name) with little or no asset base. The original company holds the assets, but in law has no responsibility to those workers. The shelf company gets into fi nancial trouble, blackmails workers into ac-cepting pay cuts, longer hours, etc, and then still goes bust. There are few if any assets to sell off to fund the workers’ entitlements – they have been siphoned off by the original company and now line management’s pock-ets. To add insult to injury the company starts a new shelf company under another name – and if they are “lucky” some of the retrenched workers may apply to get their old jobs back on inferior conditions.

In other instances companies genuinely go belly up – sometimes for reasons beyond their control or for poor or corrupt management. Regardless of the cause, it is workers whose entitlements, including redundancy and super-annuation payments are at risk.

“Only a small number of companies may go under, taking workers entitlements with them, but how are workers to know which ones will fall? Workers have lost millions re-cently and without unions they will lose more. If you had suggested in April that One Tel was about to go under, backed as it was by the Packer and Murdoch families, you would have been laughed at. But it did…”, said Victorian Trades Hall Council Secretary in support of a Campaign being waged by the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU) in 2001 to protect workers’ entitlements.

TriStar – the long struggleIn the case of TriStar, its workforce and

the unions (AMWU and Australian Workers Union) took strike action to protect their enti-tlements in the event of TriStar’s closure.

In 1999, when Arrowcrest took over TriStar (renamed from TRW Steering and Suspension Australia) the new management had discontinued a previous insurance ar-rangement that covered over $17 million in accrued workers’ entitlements. When workers discovered this and that the company’s fi nan-cial statement carried forward taxable losses of more than $40 million they became con-cerned.

Industrial action in March 2000 result-ed in the company agreeing to take out some cover, but when the enterprise bargaining agreement came up for renewal in June 2001, management saw it as an opportunity to with-draw the protection. It also demanded a cap of 26 weeks’ wages in redundancy payouts – most of the 250 workers were entitled to much more.

The unions were seeking protection of entitlements and demanded that TriStar pay 1.5 percent of their wages into the Manusafe fund. (Manusafe is an industry trust fund set up by the unions where employers can con-tribute the entitlements of workers as they accrue. These entitlements include severance, long service leave, annual leave and loading, and sick leave.)

At that time, under the EBA at TriStar, a worker made redundant after 30 years’ service could expect around $122,000 (long service leave, holiday and an uncapped redundancy payment of 4 weeks’ wages for every year’s service). Arrowcrest had a reputation for sack-ings and casualising workplaces.

The then Workplace Relations Minister Tony Abbott’s response to workers trying to secure their money was to lay into them with accusations of “industrial and economic treason”. It took strike action and the stand-ing down of thousands of workers by the major car manufacturers who use the “just-in-time” system before the company agreed to take out an insurance bond to protect their entitlements.

Facing destitutionTriStar began winding down its workforce

last year, offering $50,000 voluntary redun-dancy packages. By August, the company has stopped production at the plant and still had around 35 of its oldest and longest-serving employees idling their time away.

Management knew that if they waited until September 2006 it could apply for the termination of the three-year-old EBA under WorkChoices legislation. And that is what they did. TriStar has succeeded with its ap-plication, leaving the company free to cut the insurance bond. At best the remaining work-ers would be entitled to 12 weeks’ wages– not four for every year of service. In Mr Beaven’s case they stood to avoid any redundancy pay-out if they waited for him to die while still on the books as an employee.

This appalling situation, made possible by the Howard Government’s IR “reforms” was confi rmed by the Industrial Relations Commission last week, but the AMWU is ap-pealing.

“If successful, the company, which has ceased production, will get to keep millions of dollars in redundancy payments that it owes to workers under their agreement’, the AMWU said.

PM shuns workersIn November, the TriStar workers wrote

to the Prime Minister requesting his help and travelled to Canberra in an effort to try to meet the PM and have him intervene to save their entitlements.

“We can’t believe that this can be legal and wish that you would talk to the company and tell them that this is not fair”, they said. “We are very worried that we will lose every-

thing. This is all that most of us have to live on for the rest of our lives”, their letter said.

AMWU MSW offi cial Martin Schultz said that some workers who are owed up to $160,000 could end up with as little as $12,000.

“This is why the workers are taking this trip. We have to do every thing we can to try and get the workers their entitlements and we’re all hoping that the Prime Minister will act to help them.”

Their hopes fell on deaf ears. The Prime Minister did not want to know them. Why should he intervene when WorkChoices was achieving exactly what it was intended to do: enable employers to rip every cent off workers possible and send the profi t graphs sky high.

In the seven years to 2001, over 70,000 manufacturing workers alone lost their jobs and over $400 million of employee entitle-ments were lost each year.

The scheme introduced by the coalition government offers a maximum of $20,000 – $10,000 from the Feds and another $10,000 from if the state where they work if it has signed up to the system.

The government was forced into lean-ing on TriStar for Mr Beaven. It’s time to put pressure on Joe Hockey and the PM to see that the remaining workers get their full en-titlements and that Mr Beaven or his family receive the rest of what he is owed – another $100,000. As for TriStar’s actions being “le-gal”, to use the government’s own words, it is time to ditch the Coalition government and Reith’s and WorkChoices legislation and re-place them with measures that protect workers from the likes of TriStar and other corpora-tions. In particular, a scheme is needed to protect all workers’ entitlements a scheme where they are protected as they accrue.Write, phone, fax, email Joe Hockey demanding justice for the remaining workforce. Reith, Abbott, Andrews and Howard have all had a hand in this sordid business, aiding and abetting TriStar in the accumulation of millions of dollars of profits while leaving a long-standing, loyal workforce to destitution.The Honourable Joe HockeyWorkplace Relations MinisterPO Box 6022House of RepresentativesParliament HouseCanberra ACT 2600Tel: (02) 6277 7200Fax: (02) 6273 4406Email: J.Hockey.MP@aph.gov.au

The big TriStar conA stark warning