By Matt Wilson

The expulsion of two St Josephs' students in September has set new standards for the violation of the democratic right to freedom of speech within Australian schools. St Josephs College, a Catholic school in North Melbourne, warned its students not to attend the S11 demonstrations or they would face expulsion as punishment. Although there were many cases of absenteeism over the three

days, Year 11 students, Dave Anderson and Marco Man, stood by their protest actions and admitted that they had gone to the rally on Sept 12.

Neither of the students could have imagined the repercussions of believing in their right to freedom of speech, and understandably so, for the actions of the St Josephs Principal were like nothing seen since the McCarthyism of the 1950s.

After S11 a high school student meeting was organised by the Socialist Party in order to set up the Student Solidarity Group. A group organised independently by young people from differing political backgrounds who all shared the common goal of fighting for youth rights. At the Dave and Marco explained how they had been intimidated into withdrawing from St Josephs, threatening that no other school would accept them if they had expulsion records. The SSG immediately acted, hundreds of petitions were signed and countless letters arrived expressing outrage at the schools actions. By the time of the SSG rally at St Josephs, the students had received support from around the world.

After the Student Solidarity rally, public pressure appeared to have dragged the school Principal out of his Cold War bunker. Commenting on radio that he would gladly meet with the students and their parents to discuss their return to school, a chance for redemption on St Joseph’s behalf appeared to have been taken up.

However all such hopes faded when the principal decided to use the meeting time to red bait and slander the SSG organisers in an attempt to terrorise Dave and Marco out of pursuing their case. After telling Marco's mother that due to the damage her son had caused the schools reputation he had no hope of returning to finish his studies, he went on to claim that the SSG organisers were international terrorists. If not for the seriousness of these allegations, it wouldn't hard to see the irony in this statement.

He explained that instead of standing up for their rights, Dave and Marco had been unwittingly manipulated by left-wing activists who only sought to pursue the issue for their own purposes. As a result, the two boys would achieve nothing except for drawing the attention of the FBI and CIA who would continue to collect files on them.

Marco's mother stated her disbelief at the Principals comments and upon explaining that Marco would soon be travelling to Hong Kong to visit relatives, the Principal questioned whether she may be a communist herself! Contrary to the Principal's beliefs and in contrast to his own actions, Dave and Marco have not been 'dropped' by the Student Solidarity Group. Discussions with the two boys are continuing and due to the wide support that the campaign has received from other schools and trade unions, their ability to continue schooling or take up apprenticeships has been quaranteed.

Just as the police violence at S11 showed us how our right to protest peacefully is under threat, schools like St Josephs are now moving to crush students' rights to speak out in any way.

This issue has strengthened the resolve of the Student Solidarity Group members to continue defending the rights of young people in their schools and workplaces. Our only hope of maintaining these rights is to remain active in our fight for them.

By Tiwai Clarke

The Olympic Games captivated the majority of the public, especially the victory for Cathy Freeman-a victory that meant so much to Aboriginal Australians.

Everyone had a tear in their eye in admiration of an Aboriginal woman who became Australia's number one hero-an historic event itself. The reason Australia won the most medals per capita was not only due to the home ground advantage, but also the vast amount of money pumped into elite sports by the Federal government and big businesses keen to cash in on the glory.

At the same time, state and federal governments are slashing education spending on state schools, which especially effect non-core cirrocumuli subjects, such as sport.

The enthusiasm of ordinary people for the games was twisted into horrible nationalism by Channel 7 and the rest of the media, as well as the Prime Minister who popped up whenever Australia won a gold medal. It was annoying to be told of an Australian in 25th position before news of whom was first, second or third.

The ruling class hopes the games' euphoria and a rise in nationalism will divert people's attention from real issues. This is unlikely to last long. The games will cost taxpayers $3.5 billion-equal to the amount the UN estimate is required to fight AIDS in Africa for five years. We'll be paying for the games for many years to come. The domination of money over the games was unfortunately reflected in the behaviour of some athletes, who couldn't wait to sell themselves to popular magazines even before the games ended.

The hypocrisy over drug use was disgusting. The brilliant Romanian gymnast faced the full brunt of the regulations and lost her gold medal for taking a cold & flu tablet, while the US openly protected known drug cheats from detection.

The Opening Ceremony was fascinating politically. It consciously included Aboriginal Australia as part of a clear carrot and stick approach by SOCOG and the NSW government to undermine Aboriginal protest at the games. The stick was the creation of a massive security apparatus, the clearing of a whole wing of Long Bay jail ready for protestors, and the propaganda campaign against S11 activists and others in Sydney preparing to highlight the injustices faced by Aboriginal Australians.

As a result the protest on September 15th was a muted affair. The games-like any major event under capitalism-were commodified and distorted by the powers that be. Nevertheless the vast number of people volunteering (they should have been paid!), and the near absence of racism showed the inate decency of ordinary people, and the spirit of euphoria gave us a break from the isolation and grind of everyday life under capitalism.

24 people travelled with the Socialist Party to join Aboriginal protestors in Sydney

Susanna Duffy reports on The Big Red Bus

Surely Lenin said "travel raises class consciousness as no propaganda can" and until you've travelled on the Big Red Bus this is a concept hard to grasp. I caught it to Sydney, so I know. Firstly it wasn't red, it wasn't big and it wasn't a bus but a compact little auto chugging up the Hume loaded with bedrolls, a folding table, various flags, the odd guitar, tents, nine well-built enthusiastic travellers and me. Off to the Aboriginal Tent Embassy to show our solidarity with the indigenous Australians, overlooked in the massive hype about the Olympics.

To tell the truth there wasn't much memorable about Sydney, (except for the crowds), about the Games (more crowds), or about the Tent Embassy (no crowds) but the journey up the highway bettered any I have taken in exotic places.

When was the last time you got a class analysis of salinity or copped a vibrant discussion of surplus on top of a train to Calcutta ? When I look back on events that shaped the year 2000, I 'll remember S11, and the Big Red Bus. Oh, and by the way , SP recruited a new member on that Big Red Bus.

By Jack Duffy

The Socialist Party is calling for support for the current leadership ticket in the upcoming election s in the Construction and General division of the CFMEU in Victoria. The branch has achieved important gains through its EBA campaign earlier this year, winning a 15% over three years and nine extra days off next year, with more to come.

There have been battles waged to improve health and safety on-site, leading to a reduction in deaths this year and the Labor government being forced to increase the number of WorkCover inspectors in the construction industry. The CFMEU has also continued to give active support to community campaigns and broader struggles, as seen recently at S11. In fact, alongside the AMWU, the branch effectively broke with the Trades Hall leadership over its initial push for the union rally for S11 to end on the opposite side of the Yarra from the Crown Towers.

The Socialist Party has not been uncritical of the leadership nevertheless we believe the best way to improve the union is not through electoral challenges but building rank and file involvement in the union and support for militant policies.

By Neil Gray

Senator Robert Hill, Federal minister for Aboriginal Heritage is refusing to make a declaration to save Pyrton riverland in Perth-a registered sacred site-from desecration. The community feels Hill is sitting on the report until after the State elections to save the credibility of his Liberal colleagues. WA Minister for Justice Peter Foss wants to build a pre-release prison on the sacred riverland but has faced overwhelming opposition from both the white and Aboriginal community forcing it's failure to be established for over two years.

Recent FOI documents confirm that the Government wanted to turn Pyrton into a full-scale Women's Prison housing maximum, medium, and minimum security prisoners. The present Women's Prison, Bandyup was to be turned into a male prison and other prison locations such as Longmore, and Nyandi were to be sold off as real estate opportunities. The documents refer to "significant room for expansion" at Pyrton. The overwhelming active and vocal opposition to Foss's plans is causing division in the Court government cabinet. Premier Court wants the Pyrton prison issue to go away but Foss is desperate and can't be seen to be losing.

The community in Bassendean has a 2-pronged attack to stop the prison proposal. The Pryton Action Group and community members will be intervening in the upcoming State election to let the public know who are the best candidates that support the community option of a Culture and Environment Centre on Pyrton. Pyrton campaigners including Socialist Party member Neil Gray are also heavily involved in building the Community Planning Coalition (CPC)-an umbrella group of over 80 community groups fighting the Court government's dictatorial and profit oriented planning agenda. A rally on 7th September drew around 500 people from all over the state to protest against the undemocratic pro-big business planning decisions made by Planning Minister Graham Keirath, the same minister responsible for draconian IR legislation by the Court government. The rally had an important impact with the most MP's standing out the front of a rally this size for many years. It was a great success in declaring the group's existence and highlighting Kieraths' and the Court government's pro-big business planning agenda through the media.

A further rally will be held before the State elections. This rally will send a strong signal to the next State government whether Labor or Liberal that they face a strong, unified community stand if they don't listen to the people. There will be no honeymoon for Labor if they don't satisfy the wishes of the people.

By a West Australia teacher

The State School Teachers Union in WA is locked in battle with the State government over a new Certified Agreement. The union is fighting for salary increases of 7.5% + 7.5%, while the government is offering 3% + 3% + 4% over three years. The campaign is also seeking reduced class sizes, support for disadvantaged schools and other reforms. The greedy teachers campaign is not going to wash. The unions' campaign got off to a very good start on 1st September with a rally in the center of Perth where over 6,000 teachers attended. A sense of determination and militancy was generated but this has to be followed up with a concerted campaign to dig roots deep into the community of every school and TAFE College. The leaders of the union have to get out of central office and show the lead to the union branches holding meetings and rallies in the locality of every school and college. One day stoppages need to be organised as part of a campaign of intensification calling on other unions for support leading up to a 24 hour General Strike. Timing is good for teachers as the last thing the government need is industrial campaigns rocking WA weeks before an election.

In the last two years State government has dumped $20 million worth of computers into schools so they can claim that primary schools have a ratio of one computer for every 10 students and one computer for every 5 students in high schools. Yet they have provided no funds for teacher training. This means that even in primary schools the kids know more than teachers and train them! There is no provision for technical back up so computers stand around dead or as screen savers, totally useless as educational tools. Teachers are expected to maintain and learn to teach in their own time! Pay structures are no way comparable to other so-called professions. A first year teacher starts on $32,000. There is consequently a severe shortage of teachers.

The Governments answer to this is to stop all permanency. 30% of teachers in WA are temporary staff. They can be dismissed with six days notice. Permanency is possible if you go country for three years but even then this has been cancelled without warning in the past so teachers don't trust the scheme. In one so-called flagship school temporary staff constitute 73% of the staff. They are treated little more than short-term casual labour. Is this a way to build an education system to help our kids? It is an ideological extension of the new sick minded globalisation approach to treating dedicated teachers, children and schools to the power of the dollar.

The Federal and WA Governments' long-term strategy is very plain. They aim to destroy public education and replace it with a private school system. This is why they are pouring millions into government subsidised private schools whilst staving the public school system. Total costs for capital works in the WA government school system are down from $169 million to $131 million with predictions of further cuts in 2001. Budget estimates for loans and advances to the private systems in the year 2000 are now at $126 million heading for $181 million in 2003. This means that the government are presently spending just as much on subsidising the private sector as they are the public and plan to spend more on private than public. The implications are a nightmare for public education.

Rank and file state schoolteachers in Victoria are calling for the rejection of the Certified Agreement proposed by the State Labor government and the leadership of the teachers' union (AEU). A 3% per year pay rise for the next three years is the only reform guaranteed, all other gains are subject to teachers jumping through hoops ie productivity trade-offs.The deal calls for set 23 periods of 50 minutes face to face for teachers. But unless at least 1,000 extra teachers are employed, the only way to reach this target (and get extra pay rises) is through cutting the students' cirriculum. In fact only 300 extra teachers are to be employed (over 10,000 were sacked in the Kennett era). Labor is thereby putting teachers in an impossible situation. On top of this there is no guarantee that the 100 new teachers will be distributed equitably throughout the system. To get involved in the AEU rank and file fightback against this deal, contact Norrian Rundle or Lorraine Lockhart on 9401 2599

The Socialist Party calls for:

• No government subsidies to private schools
• Free education for everyone, for the whole of your life - abolish HECS, up-front fees and all other course-related fees.
• The stolen loot gone to the private sector to be returned to the public education system
• A massive injection of funds to rebuild our public schools and pay teachers a decent wage
• Permanency for all teachers as they enter the profession and a scheme of professional development to raise teachers Information Technology skills.
• Smaller class sizes and more resources to facilitate quality education.
• No to student loans-ncrease Austudy to $380.00 (net) per week for all full-time students over the age of 16.
• School curriculum to be worked out by democratically elected committees of students, teachers and the wider communities-opposition to VSU.
• Ultimately these demands can all be met with a socialist planned production utilising the huge wealth of WA, the rest of Australia and internationally.

By John L. Wickham

The owners of the Lyndhurst Landfill, Pacific Waste Management Australia Pty Ltd (PWM) have applied to the Environmental Protection Authority for a permit to take a lot more waste, including proscribed or toxic waste. PWM intend to remove the existing cap or seal, which is over one of the landfills in order to take on this extra waste. They intend to extend the height of the seal an extra eleven metres. Opening up old sections of the landfill has never been attempted before, especially a toxic waste tip. The nearest resident lives only twenty-five metres from the perimeter of the landfill, and the Lynbrook housing estate is about a further one kilometre away.Residents up to one and a half kilometres away during the last four years have been suffering from both respiratory and sinus ailments and unexplainable illnesses. Residents living close to the landfill have requested both the EPA and the City of Greater Dandenong to do an environmental impact study on the effect of the landfill on the surrounding area, also including the height extension. Such requests have thus far, been refused. Toxic waste must be located at least twenty kilometres away from the nearest farm, market garden or residence, and must be contained, not in landfills, but in above-ground concrete repositories.

RATWISE (Residents Against Toxic Waste In the South East) are holding a meeting on Thursday 12th October at 8:00 PM, in order to work out a public meeting on how best to fight Pacific Waste Management's obscene proposal to uncap one of their landfills, and take on extra toxic waste. People should write to the EPA to object at GPO Box 4395QQ, Melbourne, 3001. In the subject line of your protest letter, mention the Works Approval Application number given above. To get involved contact Robyn Thompson on (03) 5996 7036. We urgently need as many people as possible, as there is only a very tiny handful of us. We need legal advice, people to write up leaflets, etc. It is five minutes to midnight in this campaign so please come and help us.

In the 12 months to June 2000 there was a 16% rise in strike action over the previous year, with 764 disputes involving 577,700 workers losing 790,100 of working days. Not surprisingly, management policy accounted for most disputes, followed by working conditions, attacks on unions, and then wages. NSW lost 397,700 working days to Victoria's 229,600. Education, health and community sector workers struck the most, followed by construction and the metal industry.

The Federal Government's new funding policy for private schools is a disgrace. Schools are classified not on the wealth of parents, but on the wealth of the area students come from. So the $20,000-a-term Geelong Grammer (with many borders from rural areas) gets an extra $3,065 for each secondary student. Under this new formula, the institution that Prince Charles attended is not considered to be in the top 217 schools!

Dear Editor,

I'd like to put a counter view. It may hurt our pockets, but I see advantages in higher petrol prices: 1. People may rethink their purchase of gas guzzling Toorak Tractors/Tanks. These machines cause considerable damage to those of us forced to drive 20 years old plus vehicles.2. People may start to use public transport and/or walk, car pool, etc. I started using public transport seriously during the Gulf War. I use my car (1979 Mazda 323) about once a week. I also walk a lot, which keeps me relatively fit - if I don't get run over!3. Vehicle manufacturers may just put more effort into researching alternative fuels. Petrol is a finite resource, and mini crises like this also help to remind people they should not take petrol for granted. Cheers,Bob Holderness-Roddam�