Resisting Talisman Sabre 09 and the Af/Pak War

PALESTINE SOLIDARITY TOUR

PALESTINE SOLIDARITY TOUR

featuring renowned US singer/songwriter, David Rovics

with special guest, Phil Monsour

Saturday August 8, 7pm

Ahimsa House, Horan St, West End

Admission: $15 concession, $20 waged

Delicious Middle Eastern Food and Drinks available
Fundraiser for pro-Palestinian newspaper Green Left Weekly and Justice for Palestine to continue solidarity work in Australia.

Bookings Ph Ewan 0401 234 610; Emad  0424 264 750

Presented by Green Left Weekly & Justice for Palestine

www.davidrovics.com www.philmonsour.com www.greenleft.org.au www.justiceforpalestinebrisbane.org

“The Second Father” — a Brisbane Better Book?

Some questions arising from the publication of  The Second Father

— A view from the inside : the true story of Domenico Cacciola

[Domenico Cacciola, Carmelo Cacciola and Ben Robertson.St Lucia, Qld. : University of Queensland Press, 2009.1 v.AN: 43767454 ISBN: 9780702237126 (pbk.) $34.95]

No reason to get excited, the thief, he kindly spoke,
There are many here among us who feel that life is but a joke.
But you and I, we’ve been through that, and this is not our fate,
So let us not talk falsely now, the hour is getting late.
— Bob Dylan “All along the WatchTower”

It seems that the entire Queensland Special Branch are dragging out their diaries to write memoirs.

Take a back seat Barry Krosch, Domenico Cacciola has decided to tell all. Surely he is not going to reveal the political corruption of the Queensland Special Branch, the lies,  the verbals, the political arrests, how Special Branch stopped street marchers from getting employment with the State Government and more … in Domenico Cacciola’s book with the original title of “The Second Father”

Unite in Opposition to the State Government

Rally

12pm, Friday 3 July

Roma St Forum,

cnr Roma & Turbot Sts

Vamos a Cuba: Combined Unions Choir

Combined Unions Choir

Fund Raising concert

for a Union Choir trip to Cuba with other workers choirs.

July 17th    7:30pm
Paddo Workers Centre. … see poster below

QRail not for sale!

A few weeks ago the State Government announced it wants to privatise Queensland Rail (other than passenger services), Queensland Motorways, the Port of Brisbane, Forestry Plantations Queensland and the Abbot Point Coal Terminal.

If it gets away with selling these assets, what will be next – the electricity industry, our water supply? Many Queenslanders oppose such a fire sale of our public assets.

So does the Electrical Trades Union (ETU) and we are sponsoring a Statewide community campaign – the Light on the Hill campaign – to try and stop the sale.

Queenslanders concerned about the State Government’s proposal are invited to attend the following campaign activities in their area.

The Electrical Trades Union (ETU) is sponsoring a Statewide community campaign against the sale of public assets, including most of Queensland Rail, by the Bligh Labor Government.

The Light on the Hill campaign gives ETU members and their fellow Queenslanders a chance to speak out against the privatisation of State Government assets.

St. Mary’s in Exile at the TLC [Queensland Council of Unions building]

The July Meeting of the 17 Group –

Wednesday the 1^st of July at 7pm in

Unit 6 at 20 Drury St, West End.

The topic: “ St. Mary’s in Exile at the TLC [Queensland Council of Unions building]”. The speakers will be the two priests who were deprived of their former roles as the administrators and celebrants at St Mary’s church, namely Peter Kennedy and Terry Fitzpatrick.

Peter and Terry will, mainly in question and answer form, address the issues, religious, philosophical, cultural and social, raised by the series of recent events culminating in their dismissal by the Bishop.

For background on the issues involved go to the St Mary’s Community website at

Mt Mary's in South Brisbane (with the land rights flag taken down)

www.stmaryssouthbrisbane.com

Letters from Archbishop of Brisbane suspending Fr Peter Kennedy

· Letters from the Archbishop

Submitted by Editorial Team on Fri, 05/06/2009

·  Notice of Penalty of Suspension

· Notice of revocation of faculties to hear confessions, preach and assist validly at marriages (These documents are pdf files and require the free Adobe Reader)

· Media reports Saturday June 6

Trotsky contented himself with saying about this one “ Not in my area ” and muttering something as he left the room that sounded like “ opium of the people ” and “ sigh of the oppressed creature ”.  So again he probably won’t be there.  But the usual convivial crowd will be, eating and drinking and talking into the night.  All are welcome, orthodox and heretical, lapsed and unlapsed, anyone who believes in anything.

Australia’s ‘Construction Stasi’

by Humphrey McQueen

Dare Australia’s Labor government gaol Adelaide builders’ labourer, Ark Tribe?

Tribe’s crime is that he refuses to attend a secret hearing of the Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC). His failure to appear renders him liable to six months in prison or a fine of $22,000. Similar penalties apply if he turns up but refuses to answer, or if he answers but then tells anyone what the questions were. The power to coerce testimony also applies to passers-by whom the ABCC felt might provide evidence of wrong-doing by unionists, as happened to a Melbourne university lecturer subpoenaed in 2007.

Close the Bases

Close the Bases Stop the Exercises End the Wars Up to 30,000* US and Australian troops will be practicing bombing, landing and raiding at Shoalwater Bay in Central Queensland – just north of Rockhampton- in the NT and in WA as part of Australia-US Joint Military Exercises Operation Talisman Sabre 2009 from JULY 6 – 26 this year. The Peace Convergence is calling for peace action to take place throughout the war games in the Shoalwater region, throughout Queensland and around Australia. Join us in saying NO! to the practicing and waging of war.

FOCO NUEVO in June 09

Foco Nuevo continues to bring great acoustic performances in the inviting atmosphere of the newly-named Ellen Taylor Community Centre (previously called Ahimsa House).

And a reminder that we’ve got hot meals on offer with our friends Manoli and Nayita bringing their Latin American cooking skills to Foco Nuevo.

Our guests for June are Julie Minto and the Acoustic Union String Band.

The Ellen Taylor Community Centre June 2009 Newsletter

Ellen Taylor Community Centre Newsletter

Welcome to the first issue of the Ellen Taylor Community Center Newsletter.
This issue announces the establishment of the “Ellen Taylor Community Centre” at 26 Horan Street, West End in honour of Ross Taylor’s late wife and to honour Ross’s great gift to the Kurilpa community of the building
located at 26 Horan Street in West End, Brisbane.

Ross’s intent in donating this building to the community is to establish a centre that will serve the Kurilpa community comprised of but not limited to South Brisbane, West End, Highgate Hill, Dutton Park and Hill End in
an effective and compassionate manner. His vision is to provide much needed space at reasonable rates for services and products in this region focused on environmental outcomes, learning and compassionate community counselling, The Ellen Taylor Community Centre will also take steps to foster, accommodate
and auspice other community groups, individuals and clubs who share similar values and are in need of function and meeting spaces.

Oodgeroo: Bloodline to Country — a review

Editor’s Note:  I have reprinted Rosemary Sorensen’s excellent article “Ode to Oodgeroo” about a new play by Sam Watson below.

If you can make it get along to this play Oodgeroo: Bloodline to Country at the Roundhouse Theatre, Brisbane, July 2-11.

Rosemary Sorensen | June 08, 2009| Article & Photo from: The Australian

From right Sam Watson, Rhonda Purcell & Roxanne Mc Donald - photo from The Australian

TURNING a life as complex and dramatic as Oodgeroo Noonuccal’s into a theatre production was always going to be a huge assignment. The poet and activist’s journey – from a girl who left school at 13 to a woman instrumental in such epoch-defining events as the 1967 referendum – is an epic.

Add to the task the fact that the man entrusted with the initial writing of the script comes to the story with deeply felt emotions almost too intense to interrogate, and you have a very delicate situation.

Sam Watson remembers Oodgeroo as “Aunty” Kath Walker, a woman who inspired many that encountered her, particularly those in the Brisbane indigenous community to which Watson’s family belongs. She was his mentor, and her insistence on discipline and hard work was central to his development as writer and political activist. She was also stern witness to the way young men, such as her son, Denis, could let their passionate hearts overrule their heads.

Denis Walker (now Bejam Kunmunara Jarlow Nunukel Kabool) was involved in trying to set up an Australian version of the Black Panthers. It was the Brisbane group’s ideological links with that militant and violent organisation that prompted Oodgeroo to write the famous Son of Mine.

Oodgeroo "Kath Walker" Photo from Paradigm Oz

WorkLife Film festival

Hi all,

Please pass this notice on to others..
the next film in the Worklife Film festival is
"Final Offer"  on

Thursday 18th June at 6:30pm for 7:00pm
Paddington Workers Centre,
2 Latrobe Tce., Paddington

Drinks available and Pizza also.
- a documentary about the struggle between the US & Canadian auto workers and GM in 1984

Regards,
Ross Gwyther
———————————–

Labor Party puts more of Queensland up for sale

“You can’t make figs grow on barren trees” — Ernie Lane speaking about the ALP in Dawn to Dusk-reminiscences of a rebel.

About 500 unionists and community members attended a rally outside the ALP State conference at the Convention centre in Brisbane today (7 June 2009).

The President of the ALP, Andrew Dettmer, was booed by the crowd when he suggested that nothing would be solved by people leaving the ALP.

“The Labor Party does not get better by people leaving it.” he stated. The reply from the union members present: “Whose side are you on Andrew. Are you with the union or are you with them. Go on get back to your mates (in the ALP).”

Attempts at comic relief by a young man dressed as an auctioneer could not dispell the anger of the crowd.

Officials from the Electical Trades Union ETU (Peter Simpson), Maritime Union of Australia MUA (Mick Carr), Qld Public Sector Union QPSU, Manufacturing union AMWU (Andrew Dettmer) spoke out against privatisation of Ports, Rail and Electricity infrastructure currently in public hands.

Abolish the Australian Building & Construction Commission

Click on the recording of Julia Gillard’s speech to the ACTU congress and reply by ACTU Secretary Jeff Lawrence and while it is playing read the explanation below.

Earlier at the ACTU congress Ark Tribe, a rigger from South Australia, received a standing ovation.

What Ark had done was write a petition on a toilet hand towel to get better conditions on his construction worksite at Flinders University. He got his mates to sign the petition and asked management to correct the bad safety conditions on site.

The Australian Building and Construction commission were brought in by the boss and demanded that Ark reveal the people who were at the meeting where they got the petition together.

Ark refused.

New government, same old racism

Invasion Day 2009 in Southbank Parklands, Brisbane.

by Sam Watson, Socialist Alliance Indigenous Rights Spokesperson

28 May 2009

In his Sorry Speech, delivered on February 13, 2008, Kevin Rudd said “We apologise for the laws and policies of successive Parliaments and governments that have inflicted profound grief, suffering and loss on these our fellow Australians.”

More than a year later, the Rudd government has joined this list of successive governments, having not only failed to end Howard’s racialist Northern Territory Emergency Response, but also expanding it and forcing Aboriginal housing agencies to sign away their land or miss out on much needed funding.

Indian Music Festival at West End in June

Contact Sandra Kovac 0411 01 5991

ANTaR Forum on Human Rights

Australians for Native Title and Reconciliation (ANTaR) Qld warmly invites members of the Indigenous community to attend a forum on

HUMAN RIGHTS :

Luncheon Discussion: Trade Union Exchange Program

Sunday Luncheon You are invited to Adam’s Oriental Restaurant.

SUNDAY 31st May. 11.30 am

Speaker: Grace Grace Member for Brisbane Central .

Great Food and Interesting Discussions!

In 1998 the Queensland Council of Unions (QCU) and the Shanghai Municipal Trade Union Council set up an exchange program. As part of the ongoing activities of this exchange program, Grace Grace led a QCU delegation to China in 2008. Her talk will discuss this exchange  program and highlights of her visit to China.

Grace was born in Brisbane and has lived locally all her life. She went to schools in the city and at Kangaroo Point, before studying a Bachelor of Labour Studies.

Grace Grace was elected as the member for Brisbane Central on 13 October 2007, following the retirement of the former member and Queensland Premier Mr Peter Beattie MP.

Grace began her career as an industrial officer in the banking sector, where she represented the interests of workers on matters such as superannuation, occupational health and safety and workplace concerns. After many years working in industrial relations, Grace went on to be elected as the General Secretary of the Queensland Council of Unions in 2000. She was the first woman to hold this position in the 115 year history of the Queensland Council of Unions – an association body representing Queensland unions and some 400,000 members.

For further information contact:
Don Wilson 3358 4385.    Adam’s Oriental Restaurant (Rear of Sapphire Motel), Corner Boundary & Brereton Streets West End. 11:45 (for 12.00 start) till 2:00pm, Sunday, 31st May 2009  —————————————————————————————————————————————————————- RSVP Wednesday 27th May 2009. Cost $25 per person Sunday
Luncheon.
Money Order/ Cheque payable to… Australia China Friendship Society.

PO Box 1520 Fortitude Valley Qld.4006

Given names: . . .  . . .  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  .

Family name: . .  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  .  Contact email   Address: . . . . .  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  .   Contact telephone number:  . . . . .  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Foco Nuevo in May 2009

NADIA SUNDE ROSS CROW GRESHKA

JUMPING FENCES

Friday 29th May
8.00 p.m.

AHMISA HOUSE
26 Horan Street, West End
Meals, cakes, tea and coffee available

$10 / $7 concession

Foco Nuevo continues to bring great acoustic performances in the inviting atmosphere of Ahimsa House.

We are pleased to be able to offer meals again, with our friends Manoli and Nayita bringing their Latin American cooking skills to Foco Nuevo.

Nadia Sunde has captivated audiences around Australia with her ‘soulful’ voice, beautiful songs and powerful stage presence. Nadia recorded two albums with Brisbane based band ‘Spot the Dog’ – ‘Bedside

Nadia

Manners’ and ‘Drunk on the Moon’ . Nadia released her debut solo album in 2000 called ‘The Spark’ . It received national ABC radio airplay, was a ‘Feature Album’ on ABC Coast FM and was nominated for ‘Best Folk Album’ at the ‘Queensland Sunnie Awards’ . Nadia’s musical styling moves across country, through folk, into rock and on into something unique that is completely her own. [website].

Ross Crow: first performed the percussive

Ross

poetry of Ross Clark at the National Folk Festival 2008, bracketed between Brisbane performances with Margret RoadKnight. Last year his poems were published in rival publications The Best Australian Poems 2008 and The Best Australian Poetry 2008. In his second solo performance here at Foco Nuevo, Ross will hum and strum and drum, and perform at least one world premiere.

Greshka

Greshka are a troop of aspiring musicians bringing the infectious beats and grooves of eastern europe to your feet. Their music extends from upbeat Yiddish tunes to traditional Serbian and Bosnian melodies and drunken um-pahs of the Russians. The five-piece lineup is comprised of clarinet, trumpet, saxophone, double-bass and percussion.

Jumping Fences will be introducing the night. [website].
Foco Nuevo is a reference to Brisbane’s FOCO Club, a lively and alternative performance space which ran on a weekly basis during the late 1960s.

Looking forward to seeing you there,
Lachlan and Sue

N.B. BYO
web
www.foconuevo.org.au
email enquiries:

lachlan@foconuevo.org.au

sue@foconuevo.org.au