John Passant

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Canberra: Left Unity Public Forum
Left Unity: A Forum with Socialist Alternative and Socialist Alliance on Left Unity 6 pm Thursday 16 May Room G 52 Haydon-Allen Building ANU Socialist Alternative and Socialist Alliance are in talks about unity, and as part of that process we will hold a joint forum here in Canberra on left unity in Australia. If you are interested in this exciting development and want to learn more or be involved, come along to this public forum and hear the discussion and debate. https://www.facebook.com/events/452603648150763/ (0)

Labor's super back down: a party rotten to the core
Me on superannuation and the death rattle of the ALP in The  Conversation. (0)

Marxism 2013 Conference
“Marxism is one of the best forums for debate in Australia” John Pilger gives a glowing review of the Marxism Conference. He will be returning to speak at Marxism 2013. Buy your tickets online today at www.marxismconference.org The talk on Saturday at 4 pm about taxing the rich looks interesting too.  Wonder who is giving that one? (0)

Marx and taxing economic rent in Australia
A very amateurish first draft by me on Marx and taxing economic rent, with too much explanation of basic ideas and then off on tangents and misunderstood ideas. http://docs.business.auckland.ac.nz/Doc/51-John-Passant.pdf

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An article of mine on superannuation tax rorts in the Canberra Times
This is an article of mine in the Canberra Times on Tuesday 12 February. I argue that the benefits of the superannuation tax concessions go disproportionately and overwhelmingly to the rich and that it’s time to end the super tax rorts. (3)

Me in the media recently on tax
‘Mining Tax shortfall: the experts respond’ The Conversation 8 February 2013 ‘Current super concessions favour the wealthy – so why aren’t we supporting reform?” The Conversation 8 February 2013 (0)

Tax the rich
I am speaking at Marxism 2013 on taxing the rich. I will be talking on Sunday 31 March at 11.30. The Conference is the biggest left wing event of the year, over Easter at Melbourne University. Others speakers among the 70 or more include John Pilger, Gary Foley, Billy X Jennings, Brian Jones, Bob Carnegie, Jeff Sparrow, Antony Loewenstein, Toufic Haddad, and speakers from parties from Indonesia, The Philippines, Pakistan, New Zealand, the US and many many more….Check out the link here. (2)

The 99 Passant
I am about half through compiling the first volume of my most read (readers’ view) or most interesting (my view) articles from this blog.  Keep an eye out for Volume I of the 99 Passant when it is published later this year. I’ll keep you updated. (0)

More threats
As some of you may know I have been censoring the posts of a serial pest who makes anti-Muslim and racist comments and has in the past threatened me. He has posted again saying that the next time he is in my area – he names my street – he’ll ‘drop in to say g’day’. Clearly this is an attempt to further intimidate me. If anything happens to me or my family here are his details to provide to police.  jack 58.96.105.106  He has a druid name email at txc. (0)

Doctors and other bruises
I am having various tests and analysis done with a range of doctors over the coming weeks so may not be as communicative as normal on this blog. Bear with me. Hopefully I will be back in the New Year fighting fit. (4)

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A W shaped readership response?

The last month saw a big spike in readers, especially from the US.  That increase has now dropped back so that the readership is leveling out at around its pre-spike levels.  The blog was ephemerally attractive to a wider audience.   Maybe the shock of the new wore off.  How to recapture the magic?

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Ethical martini: Can journalism survive the internet?

This piece, by Martin Hirst from Ethical Martini and the AUT, is reproduced with his permission. Here is a link. I spent an interesting 24 hours in Christchurch on Friday and Saturday as a guest of the New Zealand Broadcasting School. I was a speaker at the school’s conference to celebrate 25 years of turning [...]

Crap corner: Geelong Council sacks workers after they fill in potholes

Geelong Council has sacked two workers after they filled in hazardous potholes in their lunchtime.

South Africa: economic apartheid continues

 There are strikes or threatened action in the following sectors in South Africa: Gold, Platinum, Coal, Municipal workers, Paper and Chemicals, Rail, Communications, Doctors, the SABC.  Couple this strike wave with the first recession since the downfall of apartheid and the anger in the townships over the conditions people are forced to live in and the situation [...]

Australian hypocrisy over Rio Tinto arrests

John has an article in the August edition of Socialist Alternative about Australian hypocrisy over the Rio Tinto arrests. It is based on Rudd gives China a Stern talking to on this site.

Race shapes the day

America is a country shaped and dominated by race.  That history will not disappear, as the arrest of African American Professor Harvey Gates for ’breaking in’ to his own home shows. Conservatives argue that the election of Barack Obama means that the US is somehow a post-racialist society.  Certainly the American electorate rejected the overt racism of [...]

Closing down one tax lurk for the rich; what about the others?

Often seemingly appropriate policy responses can lead to tax rorts. Take section 23AG of our income tax laws. Back in the mid 1980s Australia moved from an exemption system for foreign taxed income to a foreign tax credit system (FTCS).  In essence under the FTCS Australian residents declare their foreign income and receive a credit [...]

Obama’s not-so-new Latin America policy

PRESIDENT BARACK Obama declared recently that there would no longer be junior and senior partners in the Americas but his actions are sending a different message.

How the US created Osama bin Laden

The “terrorists” of today like Osama bin Laden were trained, funded and backed by US imperialism yesterday.

Inflation: up or down, core or non-core?

Any wage increase less than 4 percent in the coming year will be a real wage cut. Let unions fight to defend living standards.