McDonalds bans community languages
Sue Bolton, Melbourne
Global burger chain store McDonalds has banned its employees in Australia from speaking languages other than English while on duty.
Employees in Melbourne鈥檚 outer northern suburbs were told of the order by senior management figures at special regional paid training sessions.
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The signing of the much-anticipated 鈥淔orest peace deal鈥, an agreed statement of principles between some conservation groups and the timber industry, was announced on October 19.
Most of the statement of principles had already been leaked. Still up in the air was the two last minute demands made by the Forest Industries Association of Tasmania. These concerned recognition of already existing supply contracts from publicly owned native forests and the use of forests for wood-fired power station.
Mike Smith, the CEO of the ANZ Bank has fumed about Liberal-National shadow treasurer Joe Hockey鈥檚 recent populist rhetoric against the four big banks that increasingly dominate the Australian economy.
鈥淭he Liberals鈥 economic credentials have been hijacked by out-there proposals鈥, Smith said in the October 29 Sydney Morning Herald.
鈥淢r Hockey seems to be on some kind of personal vendetta. It would appear he has been taking economics lessons from Hugo Chavez.鈥
Has Hockey been taking lessons from Venezuela鈥檚 socialist president?
The River: A Journey through the Murray-Darling Basin
By Chris Hammer
Melbourne University Publishing 2009, $34.99 pb
Canberra journalist Chris Hammer has spent over a decade reporting on the crisis facing the Murray-Darling river system, and the communities that rely on it for their livelihoods.
To write The River, however, Hammer actually travelled from tail to tip of the river system 鈥 from Cunnamulla to Dubbo and Echuca, from Bourke to Menindee and the Murray Mouth 鈥 and witnessed first-hand a river system in terminal decline.
In a win for community campaigners and the environment, BHP Billiton has dropped plans for a massive long-wall mine under the pristine Dharawal State Conservation Area (DSCA) on the NSW south coast.
The decision came on October 26 after a review by the NSW Planning Assessment Commission that said society would be better off without the mine.
Importantly, the review backed up the argument made by community groups that 鈥渞emediation鈥, where the company would take responsibility for cleaning up the site, is a myth in these circumstances.
Hunter Valley activist Pete Gray gained notoriety on October 25 for throwing shoes at former prime minister John Howard on ABC鈥檚 political talk show, Q&A.
Gray is a long-time activist committed to non-violent direct action. He is a member of climate action group Rising Tide and has also been involved in a variety of social justice campaigns.
Gray鈥檚 decision to throw his shoes at Howard was a homage to Iraqi journalist Muntadar al-Zaidi, who threw his shoes at former US president George Bush during a press conference in December 2008.
Six fighters from the private army of Afghan warlord, drug trafficker and highway robber Matiullah Khan were recently in Australia for training with the Australian Defence Forces, the October 29 Sydney Morning Herald said.
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