Tom Bramble is co-author, with Mick Armstrong, of the book 'The Fight for Workers’ Power: Revolution and Counter-Revolution in the 20th Century', published by Interventions.
The latest figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics confirm that real wages are falling at the fastest rate since the Great Depression, possibly even the 1890s, both period of massive unemployment.
The revelation by ABC’s Four Corners program on 31 October that the US Air Force will base six B-52 bombers in the Northern Territory is the latest signal that the United States is preparing for war with China and confirms Australia’s bipartisan commitment to these murderous plans.
Australian workers are suffering the most dramatic reductions in living standards for decades, but the Labor government’s budget will only make things worse. This is obvious if we consider three key issues: real wages, energy prices and housing costs.
Liz Truss’s resignation as Britain’s prime minister after just 44 days in office is the latest indication of a Tory party in chaos. With four prime ministers in six years and four chancellors of the Exchequer (treasurers) in four months, a massive polling deficit against Labour and the party’s business backers in open revolt, the Conservatives are in crisis.
The decision by the Chinese Communist Party at its twentieth national congress to re-elect Xi Jinping as general secretary, setting him up for an unprecedented third term as Chinese president, takes place at a time of significant change in China.
The ALP may have won the May election with an extraordinarily low primary vote of just 33 percent, but the Albanese government has since firmly put its stamp on national politics. It is polling well, enjoying a substantial lead over the Coalition, and Anthony Albanese dominates opposition leader Peter Dutton as preferred prime minister. Simply not being the Morrison government has been a large part of this success.