Julia Gillard has always been willing to go that extra mile when it comes to putting the boot into refugees. In spite of being nominally in the Left, she sided with the Labor Right at the 2004 national conference to vote against Labor for Refugees motions. December’s national Labor conference is going to be no different.

For the past two months, the Occupy movement has electrified US politics and inspired movements in its image around the world. The occupations themselves have been relatively small, but hugely popular: a sign of the deep crisis of legitimacy facing those that run the world.

Baiada Poultry workers in Melbourne have won a major victory for fair pay and job security after 13 days on strike. These 300 mostly migrant workers stuck together in the face of harassment and intimidation from their bosses, the media and police to humble a major corporation through indefinite strike action.