Dingo

The transnational corporations behind the push to grow 
genetically modified crops in Australia already have governments 
in their pockets. But public opposition is such that wide-scale 
introduction has thus far been thwarted. In NSW, the Carr Labor 
Government is under pressure to reject an application by Bayer 
and Monsanto for a 5000-hectare trial of GM canola, with the NSW 
National Party joining with the Greens in Parliament to oppose 
the trial. "The Government promised a three-year ban to protect 
farmers and consumers until we know more about GM crops", said 
Greens MP Ian Cohen. And the recent revelation of a GM breach by 
Bayer in a trial crop covering less than one hectare was evidence 
enough of the danger of GM contamination posed to other 
Australian agriculture by such trials.

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The corporate world promotes individualism as its creed, but 
requires co-operation and collective organisation from its 
workforce, an unsupportable contradiction. So we get the 
spectacle of the JP Morgan Chase Corporate Challenge with the 
management and around 5000 staff members of 235 companies 
trotting through Sydney's Centennial Park on a 5.6 kilometre 
corporate togetherness run. If the race was conducted under real 
corporate rules, there'd be a trail of dead and wounded littering 
the track with the winner being the last one standing, awarded 
the annual Hostile Takeover trophy.

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CAPITALIST HOG OF THE WEEK: is the Office of the Employment 
Advocate, set up to promote the Howard Government's individual 
contracts, Australian Workplace Agreements (AWAs). The Advocate, 
Jonathan Hamberger, has been busy at work in Australia's schools. 
A letter singing the praises of AWAs, which are part of the 
Government's anti-union agenda, has been sent to all public and 
private high schools throughout the nation. The letter exhorts 
school principals to tell students the Government wants to give 
them "choice" when they go in search of a job and to promote the 
Employment Advocate's website. The letter says the Employment 
Advocate "is committed to ensuring that young people and those 
advising them have access to accurate and easy-to-read 
information on AWAs". Of course, "choice" doesn't extend to the 
Advocate informing students about unions, awards and collective 
bargaining.