Zebedee Parkes

Facebook’s “Zucker” punch on February 18, disabling large sections of Facebook in protest at the federal government’s News Media Bargaining Code (NMBC), which led to amendments and the bill becoming law on February 25, reveals the enormous power of the media corporations.

It also shows how far we are from public interest journalism.

As the Titanic sank in 1912, the wealthy were given safety on lifeboats while the poor were left to die, locked in the sinking ship. 

Today, the countries of the Global North are taking a similar approach to the climate crisis.

Events over the last few weeks have revealed just how politicised Australia’s immigration policy has become. 

The Australian government is closing the Manus Island detention centre; but refusing to bring the 861 men in Manus Island to Australia, leaving them to live in fear and uncertainty.

The campaign to stop Saeed being deported, which is turning into a national focal point, began in the rain in Melbourne outside Melbourne Immigration Transit Accommodation (MITA) at Broadmeadows on March 21.

There is ample evidence that people across Australia want a transition to renewable energy. But if we are serious about taking action on climate change and swiftly moving to 100% renewables, we need to take the banks and energy sector into public ownership.

For serious climate action to be a reality we need a society where the majority of people — workers, farmers, students, the poor, First Nations people and refugees, the victims of climate change — are making decisions in the interests of our collective future.  

The offshore detention hellholes of Nauru and Manus Island are becoming increasingly unviable as more damning reports are published and protests grow in Australia.

The good turnout to national rallies on August 27 and 28 shows the refugee rights' movement is starting to gain political ground. A number of pro-asylum seeker groups are forming to force an end to the cruel policy of locking up refugees in offshore detention.

Imagine the kind of public transport system we could have if we had control over our public money and assets instead of corporations and their political lackeys, writes Resistance member Zeb Parkes.

We could provide safe pathways for people seeking asylum, instead of forcing them to get on leaky boats. This is what will stop the deaths at sea, not “deterrence” policies.

“Thank you for these protests. We love you and our hearts are with you in this moment.”

This message was sent from a refugee inside Northam Detention Centre in West Australia to activists who were protesting outside.