By Nicki Jonas, Socialist Party Melbourne
Whale Rider, is one of the most stunning and thought provoking films released this year. Director Niki Caro sensitively weaves together realistic storytelling and myth, calling on the mystical qualities of the New Zealand landscape to create a powerful cinematic experience.

Over 3,000 signatures on petitions calling for the defence and extension of Medicare have been collected by SP members in Melbourne in the past three weeks. Also more than 4,000 leaflets advertising the Medicare rally have been distributed.

By Jimmy Cocking Socialist Party Melbourne
Michael Franti and Frontline. Everyone Deserves Music.
Michael Franti has become a cultural icon of revolution amongst a growing number of musicians who feel compelled to speak their minds about the current human situation.

Victorian Trades Hall Council have initiated a new campaign to unite unions and community organisations in defence of basic rights. A Fair Australia is a new organisation pulled together by Victorian Trades Hall Council to see if there is the basis for unity in action by unions and community organisations.

Perth SP’s Joel Cooke looks at the Medicare debate from a socialist perspective
Medicare, alongside HECS, represents the final bastion of Social Democracy’s victories in Australia. Both of these reforms to the capitalist system are today mere shadows of those that the Australian working class struggled to win during and following the post-war capitalist boom [...]

Nicki Jonas reviews Eminem’s new film, 8 Mile.
The movie 8 mile is a fairly simple story about a working class kid, Jimmy Rabbit, struggling to make it as a hip hop emcee. From growing up in a trailer park, to the crap job he can’t leave, he’s a white kid trying to get hooked [...]

In late July, the Australian government led the biggest armed intervention in the South Pacific since World War Two. More than 2,000 military personnel and police officers have gone to the crisis torn Solomon Islands. Contrary to the claim of Australia’s main political parties and the media, this action has nothing to do with providing [...]

France has been gripped by a sweeping protest movement against the neo-liberal measures of Raffarin’s right-wing government. KARL DEBBAUT writes.

The Scottish Socialist Party (SSP) now has six MSPs elected to the Scottish parliament. This important breakthrough can assist socialists to reach a new generation who are looking for an alternative to poverty, low pay, racism and war. But how is socialism to be won? In this article, Philip Stott (International Socialists, CWI Scotland) looks [...]

Greek Social Forum: What political alternative