It’s Time for Australia to Demand Julian Assange’s Release
As Australian journalist Julian Assange faces the hell of extradition, it is more urgent and necessary than ever for the Australian government to intervene on his behalf.
11 Articles by: Zacharias Szumer
Zacharias Szumer is a Melbourne-based writer.
Australia Helped Indonesia Cover Up Atrocities in East Timor
After East Timor declared independence from Portugal in 1975, Indonesian dictator Suharto ordered an invasion and tried to crush the national liberation movement. Australia knew Indonesian forces were carrying out massacres — and helped hide it from the world.
Meet the Mining Billionaires Ransacking Australia
The super-profitable mining industry in Australia has produced a new class of ruthless billionaires. Their fortunes tower above those of the nation’s other business elites, and they’ve used this wealth to shape the political landscape in their interest.
Frank Sinatra vs. Australia’s Trade Unions
Touring Australia in 1974, Frank Sinatra launched into a sexist tirade against female journalists. Trade unions hit back — by shutting down Sinatra’s tour.
Gerry Harvey Is an Emblem of Australia’s Corrupt Economic System
Australian retail billionaire Gerry Harvey has rightly been vilified for describing COVID-19 as an opportunity for profitmaking. But Harvey was just stating the facts: the pandemic has enabled his class to get even richer off the backs of the working class.
Australian Agricultural Bosses Can’t Find Workers. Maybe They Should Try Paying More.
Agricultural bosses and their allies are accusing Australians of being work-shy as they face a post-pandemic labor shortage. But it’s low wages and abusive working conditions that make it hard for them to find workers. The solution is obvious: decent pay for decent work.
Australian Renters Are Organizing To Fight Evictions, Just Like They Did in the 1930s
In the wake of the pandemic, Australian renters are once again facing the threat of mass evictions. The militant renters’ struggles of the Great Depression are an excellent model for the movement that’s taking shape today.
The Australian Right Is Trying To Import Trump-Style Reactionary Populism
Victoria’s lockdown has provoked a self-styled rebellion that postures as defending freedom against the state premier, “Dictator” Dan Andrews. But once you scratch the plebian surface, the “movement” is led by right-wing activists and funded by Liberal Party money.
Having Socialist Elected Officials Makes a Difference for Working-Class People
For almost a decade, people in three Melbourne local councils — Yarra, Darebin, and Moreland — have elected socialist councilors to represent them. By standing up to developers, neoliberal local government managers, and the federal government, Melbourne’s socialist councilors have not let them down.
After the Bushfires and Amid the Pandemic, Australia’s Fossil Fuel Industry Is Gaining Steam
The Labor Party in Australia speaks a progressive language on climate change that it rarely enacts in policy. Now, under cover of the health crisis, the Victorian branch is expanding deforestation projects and onshore gas exploration.
Instead of Choking on Smoke, Sydney Workers Are Walking off the Job
Following cataclysmic bushfires, Sydney has spent the last fortnight choked by poisonous smoke. While Prime Minister Scott Morrison pretends all is normal, construction and dock workers have refused to put business as usual above their health, and are walking off the job.