LOCAL News :: Anarchism : Indigenous struggles : Labour : Operation Eight : Protest Activity
Labour party humiliated by protest at election congress
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- AIMC
Date Created
- 12 Apr 2008
Date Edited
- 12 Apr 2008 12:12:48 PM
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This work is in the public domain.
Members of the Labour Party assaulted people in an attempt to protect their ‘co-leader’ from being targeted. The October 15th Solidarity crew along with whanau from Te Urewera organised a march that went through town in advance of their arrival at the Labour Party Conference. Around 100 protestors gathered at 12noon at Te Aro Park and marched to the Town Hall. For approximately an hour, there was noisy demonstration with a sit-in blockade at one entrance.
1 | 2 | Protest Report | Raids on 15th October 2007 | Links | Aoteaoa Indymedia Features The Labour Party and its cabal of ministers including Cullen, Maharey, King, Laban, Goff and Horomia were humiliated at a protest today outside of their election year congress by people holding them responsible for a range of issues. Helen Clark’s speech was interrupted and ministers were forced outside when a fire alarm went off at approximately 2:20pm. Cullen sought refugee behind his mummy as he walked outside, but that didn’t stop him being confronted by people who had been arrested on October 15th. Members of the Labour Party assaulted people in an attempt to protect their ‘co-leader’ from being targeted. The October 15th Solidarity crew along with whanau from Te Urewera organised a march that went through town in advance of their arrival at the Labour Party Conference. Around 100 protestors gathered at 12noon at Te Aro Park and marched through Cuba Mall, Manners and Willis Street. “Ka whawhai tonu matou, ake ake ake!”, “One solution – Revolution!”, “1, 2, 3, 4 – Labour Party out the door” and “When Tuhoe/128/Workers’ Rights are under attack – stand up, fight back” were chanted on the march. Upon arrival, the march was met with a large police presence and a metal barricade. For approximately an hour, there was noisy demonstration with a sit-in blockade at one entrance.
Ministers and members of the Labour Party were forced to walk along the barricaded area while being heckled and shamed for their actions as they walked into the Town Hall. Helen Clark’s speech was supposed to start at 2pm. However, shortly afterwards, we heard news that the fire alarm went off and the Labour Party delegates started streaming out of the building (with Clark nowhere to be seen). Again, they were yelled at by the protest outside.
The Labour party, and Helen Clark in particular, bear primary responsibility for the nation-wide police raids of October 15th 2007, the invasion and lock-down of the township of Ruatoki and the passage of a raft of so-called ‘terrorism laws’. These laws, almost all of which have been directly imported from George W Bush’s ‘war on terrorism’ in the US, demonstrate Labour’s complicity in the oppression of people both in Aotearoa and around the world.
Operation 8 was motivated by the Labour government’s fear about tino rangatiratanga, about Te Mana Motuhake o Tuhoe and about real sovereignty for the indigenous people of Aotearoa. The government is scared of losing power, and of losing access to resources such as freshwater, minerals and oil and gas. It used its violent, coercive wing, the Armed Offenders Squad, to reinforce its power in Te Urewera on 15 October last year. The Labour government wills stop at nothing to retain power this year, including more acts of state violence and brutality against Maori people.
The people of Aotearoa are under attack, its time we stand up and fight back.
Police raids on 15th October 2007
On Monday, October 15th 2007, more than 300 police carried out dawn raids on dozens of houses all over Aotearoa / New Zealand. Police claim the raids were in response to 'concrete terrorist threats' from indigenous activists. The reality, however, included heavily armed police terrorising an entire township. To date, no evidence of the so-called terrorist plot has been revealed.
Police arrested 17 indigenous, anarchist, environmental and anti-war activists, including people from Tūhoe, Te Atiawa, Maniapoto and Pakeha. Police wanted to charge 12 people under the Terrorism Suppression Act (TSA), however the Solicitor-General denied the police permission to proceed. After four weeks in jail everyone was released on bail. On Tuesday, February 19th 2007, police raided further properties, arresting 3 more men. All were released on bail with strict conditions that same day.
19 people are facing charges under the Arms Act, in a trial that could take several years. Although out of jail, they have very strict bail conditions that deny them freedom of movement and association. On this site you can find out how to get involved in local support groups, dates and locations of solidarity events are happening and how to make a donation.
Links: October 15th Solidarity | Te Mana Motuhake o Tuhoe | AoCafe | Civil Rights Defence | Te Kotahi a Tuhoe | Tūhoe: History of resistance | Tu Kotahi - Freedom Fighting Anthems
Aotearoa IMC Features: Police raid houses across Aotearoa under anti-terrorism legislation, at least a dozen arrests (15 Oct. 07) | 17 activists arrested, denied bail. 300+ Police raid houses across the country (15 Oct. 07) | Solidarity with the Urewera 17! Free them now! (17 Oct. 07) | Stop the Terror Laws! Free our Friends! (19 Oct. 07) | "Raise your voice before you lose your soul" - protests across Aotearoa (20 Oct. 07) | Urewera 17 Update: Bail Denied, Another Police Raid, Another Activist Named, Wellington Activists Moved (26 Oct. 07) | Across the world, people demand freedom for political prisoners! (27 Oct. 07) | Urewera 16 in court - 2 more bailed (2 Nov. 07) | 150 People Protest Labour Conference in Tamaki Makaurau (3 Nov. 07) | Two more prisoners lose name supression (7 Nov. 07) | No terrorism charges for the Urewera 16! (8 Nov. 07) | Tuhoe Hikoi Arrives at Parliament (14 Nov. 07) | The struggle continues… (19 Nov. 07) | Thousands gather in solidarity with October 15th arrestees and against the Terrorism Supression Act (1 Dec. 07) | Tame Iti back in jail for one night (11 Dec. 07) | UN to investigate New Zealand Government over conduct of the Oct 15 raids (26 Jan. 08) | Waitangi Day protests across Aotearoa (6 Feb. 08) | More Raids, 3 More Arrests in Tuhoe (19 Feb. 08) | La Lucha Sigue… Protests against raids and arrests (23 Feb. 08) | 'Operation 8' defendants back in court on March 5th (3 Mar. 2008) | Labour Party conference to be held responsible for Operation 8
Comments
Re: Labour party humiliated by protest at election congress
In reality, National is still the same old conservative protector of the few rich individuals, at the expense of employment, the poor, the sick, the homeless, and students.
I suggest to look at the mirror and ask yourself why are doing this and are achieving what your objectives by doing what you do...
PW © Auckland 2008
Re: Labour party humiliated by protest at election congress
Re: Labour party humiliated by protest at election congress
Also, I don't necessarily see that you've shown that any of the Labour party membership/leadership were actually humilitated. The only evidence of that you suggested was the fact that they left after a fire alarm was raised - this doesn't ammount to humiliation. Humiliation for politicians generally occurs when they're shown to act contrary to the values they publicly uphold. In this case, it's conceivable that this case will be used to show the party leadership is strong in the face of (what it would describe as) unnecessary/trivial/pety criticism.
Some final notes relate to some of the claims you've made. E.g. 1) "The people of Aotearoa are under attack, its time we stand up and fight back." - comments like this shouldn't appear in a purported news article. Despite the fact that the use of fear to inspire violence is pretty negative, the claim isn't supported by what you've said. 2) "Labour government’s fear about tino rangatiratanga" - this is self-defeating logic, without respecting tino rangatiratanga they wouldn't believe they hold power.
Re: Labour party humiliated by protest at election congress
Both Labout and National are the twin parties of capitalism and neo liberal politics, privatizing Aotearoa and opening it up to foreign control and investment. Free Trade today, low wages tomorrow.
John Key and Helen Clark are one in the same, America and China's mouthpieces.
Sell outs!
Labour is interested in foreign profit, Not New Zealand, Maori, the environment, workers, its pacific neibours;
they don't care for West Papuan, Tibetan, Burman, Palestinian, or other oppressed people.
They want the capital, they want genetic engineering, coal and other mineral wealth, water privatization, to futher sell off the foreshore they stole to companies like Rio Tinto.. to privatize and toll the roads, increse car usage rather than fund public transport so the oil and car lobby can increase their profits at our and the climate's expense.
Labour = George Bush, Blair/Brown and Howard politics. It = The Iraq war, and all the other attacks on human rights and anything decent.
They are the Terrorists. State Terrorism is alive and kicking.
Re: Labour party humiliated by protest at election congress
........In reality, National is still the same old conservative protector of the few rich individuals, at the expense of employment, the poor, the sick, the homeless, and students.
Re: Labour party humiliated by protest at election congress
Cullen serves the worldbank not New Zealand/Aotearoa.
Rogernomics hasn't ended.
Re: Labour party humiliated by protest at election congress
Re: Labour party humiliated by protest at election congress
maybe they would learn something...
Re: Labour party humiliated by protest at election congress
This year they have slipped in the polls.. and continue to fall out of favour with the public..
Re: Labour party humiliated by protest at election congress
AND Winston Peters, the foreign minister not being in support of the free trade deal, and Dunn not supporting the Labour ignoring the plight of Tibetans.
Labour has been through one embarrassment to the next. Climate policy is another one, Benson Pope, the Ministry for the Environment scandal and others make sure that there is endless embarrassment.
Re: Labour party humiliated by protest at election congress
Re: Labour party humiliated by protest at election congress
Re: Labour party humiliated by protest at election congress
There might be no difference for middle class showponies like yourselves but for working people a National government will mean no more rises in the minimum wage (it's gone up 70% under Labour) more unemployment (88% down under Labour) and weaker unions (Nats will bring back the hated ECA).
You crow about Labour slipping in the polls but it's workers who will suffer. You're so fucking out of touch and egotistical it's not funny. When John Key wins this year and starts privatising assets and cutting wages and work rights you'll have blood on your hands.
But you'll be fine, won't you? Nice and comfortable and middle class, and you'll have a whole new government to protest against. You people make me fucking sick. Take a long hard look at yourselves and think about what you've achieved today.
Re: Labour party humiliated by protest at election congress
Re: Labour party humiliated by protest at election congress
Chur, awesome mahi today, love & solidarity from the Kulin Nations.
ka whawhai tonu matou ake ake ake !!!!
Re: Labour party humiliated by protest at election congress
Re: Labour party humiliated by protest at election congress
www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm
"A fire alarm yesterday gave a small but rowdy group of protesters the perfect chance to get in the faces of delegates at the Labour Party's annual congress.
The more than 600 delegates had to evacuate Wellington Town Hall when Prime Minister Helen Clark was just moments into her keynote speech.
The small police contingent had until then been able to easily cope with the 50-odd protesters but the evacuation brought delegates and MPs face to face, with some ministers finding themselves jostled.
Bearing the brunt were Finance Minister Michael Cullen and Local Government Minister Mark Burton, who combined to protect an elderly delegate from the melee.
Transport Safety Minister Harry Duynhoven had some angry words for the protesters, attempting to get them to move away from the delegates.
Miss Clark, the protesters' prime target, was nowhere to be seen, and delegates were allowed back inside after about 30 minutes.
Before the alarm, protest leaders had urged their small band to keep up the noise for the full 45 minutes of Miss Clark's speech. They lasted only about 10 before tapering off.
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They had gathered primarily to protest the arrests last October of Tuhoe and other activists but a casual observer would have been hard pressed to know that was their aim."
Re: Labour party humiliated by protest at election congress
We are some of the people who have been fucked over by Clark's government: the poor, the disabled, low paid workers, people with high five figure student loans and no real jobs etc.
Working class union delegates - MY ARSE! They were middle-class trade union officials there to kiss the bottoms of the Labour Party (or are you trying to argue that the likes of Andrew Little are actually rank and file workers?). Scabs sell out to the enemy. If those so-called 'workers' actually cared about the people that they are supposed to be representing - they would be out protesting against this pro-business, anti-worker, right-wing party, not acting as Labour's bobble heads. For example, this 'better law' you have for workers is the Employment Relations Act - it gives the bosses the power, workers still don't have the right to hold political strikes or do anything outside of contract negotiations. Ah yes, I nearly forgot, the few workers who are members of militant trade unions have some minor concessions under the ERA.
Re: Labour party humiliated by protest at election congress
These people you spat at and abused didn't arrest your mates, many of them will have spoken up inside the party in favour of your cause. If you want to make change you need to get these people on board and engage with them. Yesterday's effort has turned them all against you, and rightly so.
What exactly did you achieve yesterday, other than massaging your egos and giving National and the business elite a good laugh?
Re: Labour party humiliated by protest at election congress
Labour has increased the minimum wage more than 70% and largely abolished youth rates. Working For Families gives huge support - hundreds of dollars a week - to working families. Workers now have a fourth week's annual leave. We have guaranteed meal and rest breaks. We have the right to elect health and safety reps. Unemployment is down 88% to the lowest level in decades.
I know it's not the workers' revolution you and I would both like but it makes life a lot easier for ordinary people. There is a difference between Labour and National, you're just too caught up in your own ego to realise your protest is harming the workers who claim to represent.
Working class union delegates - MY ARSE!
You obviously weren't paying much attention or seeing what you wanted to see. I talked to quite a few union delegates - a linesman, a couple of cleaners, an engineer and a dairy worker - and those were just the ones I happened to come across. They were appalled by your behaviour, every single one.
Scabs sell out to the enemy. If those so-called 'workers' actually cared about the people that they are supposed to be representing…
They do, that's why they were at conference - to make a difference that will improve people's lives. They're rank and file workers representing real people. Who do you represent? Where's your mandate to speak on behalf of the working class?
Re: Labour party humiliated by protest at election congress
Looks like all the baby labour bloggers are coming our way.
The increasingly shrill and vitriolic hysteria from pro Labour union officials banging on about working class delegates might fool young Labour students cosseted from the reality of the trade union movement, but it doesn't wash with any of the anti capitalist activists who have been on the ground building the fightback with unions like Unite, the NDU and the SFWU.
Throughout the whole of the SupersizeMyPay campaign, not one Labour MP showed up on the picket lines. Radical activists delivered maximum solidarity during the Progressive lockout, when local Labour MP Taito Field was busy exploiting Asian workers.
If the baby Labour bloggers want a scrap on Indymedia, let's give them both barrels, comrades.
These guys are going to lose the election precisely because ordinary workers are not satisfied with the crumbs they've thrown our way after nearly ten years in power.
Here are some ideas circulated by socialists that would have a REAL impact on workers lives-
(1) Free public transport throughout NZ. Massive investment in rail and free busses- an emergency Monbiot style "system change, not climate change" programme.
(2) Free tertiary education for all. Cancel all student debts immediately.
(3) A Micky Joe Savage style emergency housing programme. Rent control, New York style.
(4) A minimum wage of $20 per hour. Huge tax cuts for the working poor, funded by taxing the rich (until they bleed!). A massive extension of union rights and power.
(5) Free broadband for all- jack the NZ network up to Korean standards.
JC
Re: Labour party humiliated by protest at election congress
These people you spat at and abused didn't arrest your mates, many of them will have spoken up inside the party in favour of your cause. If you want to make change you need to get these people on board and engage with them. Yesterday's effort has turned them all against you, and rightly so.
What exactly did you achieve yesterday, other than massaging your egos and giving National and the business elite a good laugh?"
1. I would prefer to be a politically naive revolutionary than a right-wing apologist so-called liberal anyday.
2. The problem with your analysis is that there isn't any sympathetic left-leaning NZers left in the Labour Party, so why look for them there?
3. You hypocritical phonies sold your soul so longer ago you wouldn't have any idea what our are causes are, even if they jumped out and bit you on the bum. For example, your conference included Phil Goff: who protested against the War on Vietnam, yet recently sent more troops to support America's War on Afghanistan.
4. Yesterday didn't turn any of our mates within the conference against us, our mates were already with us outside.
5. What exactly did you achieve yesterday at the Labour Party conference, other than massaging your egos and giving National and the business elite a good laugh?
6. If you are genuinely for working people why did you need the police to protect you? The police only protect the interests of capital and the ruling class.
"your definately better off as a worker with labour do you poseurs not realise national is 10 times as worse!!"
How exactly is national 10 times worse? National have always been the party of business, positioning themselves to the right especially when they have no policies of their own. The Nats don't lie about what they represent or what their objectives are. Many of Nationals's more extreme policies are watered down or not implimented due to public outcry, unless they are continuations of what Labour has started.
Sure unionised white collar workers (ie the minority) are better off under Labour, but casual and part time workers, those on the minimum wage and the worthy poor are not. Tax cuts for the rich and GST has not helped working people, and the targeting of 'Working for Families' has not helped beneficiaries - those people with families who need it the most. Unemployment is only low because the former unemployed are now either working in part time or casualised jobs or have become Sickness or Invalids - Labour has created little or no real jobs with real wages.
Re: Labour party humiliated by protest at election congress
Re: Labour party humiliated by protest at election congress
Sereindipity of the fire alarm - luck was obviously on your side.
There is something rotten in the state of denmark er New Zealand.
Helen Clark succsion planning is a major failing of her and of Labour. The belief only she, & only Labour hold the true path is their 1st mistake.
That leads to 'mistakes' such as the raid on Ruatoki.
Trade Unions abandonded workers decades ago.
Andrew Little as a student leader supported loans and user pays & as a Unionist actively endorses Chinese manufactureing, campains for Labour against the welfare of his membership.
Labour & National are the same with small variation.
I'm not voting Labour fir the first time in my life - I'm voting Green. Especially that Nandor isn't there anymore.
Who are the Labourers with in Labour?
Can anyone one name a manual labourer who rose through the ranks of Labour?
School Teachers & lawyers all.
They have abandonded a major ethic of organic intellectuals and as such they serve only the middle class.
Re: Labour party humiliated by protest at election congress
Labour is a bosses party flying a pink flag to falsely claim that it is on the workers side. On the other hand, it still has a strong working class backing, especially in the unions who would not exist without the ERA, on the grounds that is is the 'lesser evil'.
Therefore cooler heads will have to prevail.
I would suggest the SW and WP raise their 'minimal' demands INSIDE the Labour Party and the unions. These programs are minimal and reformist (in the sense they are directed at parliament), and essentially no different from that of the 'Micky Savage' first Labour government- tax the rich for a living wage etc etc e.g. If you want to tackle climate change you need to re-nationalise the producer boards for a start.
In this way we counter the 'lesser evil' objections of those who list Labour's concessions ('$12 bucks', record employment, working for families, carbon trading, customary rights etc), as falling far short of the living wage, a livable environment, basic rights and the secure employment that workers need.
The more you raise this minimum program inside the Labour Party, and its powerful union affiliates (and those who claim independence but in fact rely on pressuring Labour) the more you will prove that Labour as a bosses party can't do this because it is committed to protecting bosses profits by tax cuts, balancing the budget etc.
Labour supporters will see that the Labour Party can never deliver what they need to live on while they push for bigger profits. Only then will the 'lesser evil' argument be destroyed.
When Labour supporters understand that, only then will they move towards a socialist alternative. It will be equally clear that minimal demands raised in parliament will not suffice, and that these demands have to be raised in the struggle outside parliament, to bring down the parliaments that will resist them by force.
Then there will be no need for 50 people to scream at the Labour Party from outside since the party will be gutted from the inside. In its place will be a mass socialist party fighting for a socialist republic.
Re: Labour party humiliated by protest at election congress
they supported the raids on Tuhoe and activists, support free trade, GE and the foreshore and seabed theft, and anti climate policies, like coal, aviation and motorway expansion, along with increased dairy expansion and desforestation to clear more land for dairy.
LABOUR is pro RULING CLASS and pro multinational's and America... China, Indonesia.. Australia and so on. They don't care about the working class, poor or anyone outside of their profit circles.
Fuck Labour, national and neo liberalism.
Re: Labour party humiliated by protest at election congress
How does that figure?
Are the trade unions not working class?
None of them are fillu democratic. Some are not very democratic at all?
What IS working class in your book?
The problem is that MANY workers support Labour.
Look at where they won the last election.
NOT in Remers. NOT in the country.
In South Auckland. In working class Christchurch.
That's the base.
So: HOW do we make workers not support Labour but something better?
The ONLY test of whether tactics like yesterday's protest are justified is the question:
DO THEY HELP TO BREAK WORKERS AWAY FROM SUPPORT FOR LABOUR?
IF (I wasn't there) Labour supporters IN GENERAL were being called scabs and other derogatory words then this is BLOODY STUPID - BECAUSE HUGE NUMBERS OF WORKERS ARE LABOUR SUPPORTERS.
There's no way round that fact, no matter how much some people might try to pretend.
If we don't accept that Labour has the electoral support of huge numbers of workers who see it as their friend and a lesser evil then we will never work out a way to break workers from it.
Agreed?
If not, then let's debate.
Re: Labour party humiliated by protest at election congress
There's all this talk about 70% wage increases.
70% of shit is still shit.
I work hard and get $12.85 an hour before tax.
I think that every union official and other defender of Labour as a champion of the low paid should say how much they themselves get paid.
Don Franks
Re: Labour party humiliated by protest at election congress
Re: Labour party humiliated by protest at election congress
Re: Labour party humiliated by protest at election congress
Re: Labour party humiliated by protest at election congress
It's dumb to deny wage rises and drops in unemployment in recent years. These have occurred, even if wages are way too low for most people and the standard of living has risen. But if don't want to sound like fools we have to acknowledge the big drop in unemployment and the rise in wages. What we need to do is point out these are not due to Labour policy, which is just hands off neoliberalism watered down only a little with some Keynesianism - these improvements are due to the boom in prices for primary product exports, and esp dairy exports. That boom has NOTHING to do with Labour policy. Imagine what Labour culd have achieved if it had used the windfall of surpluses the boom gave it to do something bold to reverse the legacy of neo-liberalism - to buy back assets, reopen services in small towns gutted in the 80s and 90s, restore benefits to pre-1991 levels, build tens of thousands of state houses etc
Let's try to interpret and talk about social and economic realities, and not put our fingers in our ears and pretend that NZ is in the same situation it was in in 1992, where 14% of the population was out of work and wages were plumeting.
Re: Labour party humiliated by protest at election congress
Re: Labour party humiliated by protest at election congress
Re: Labour party humiliated by protest at election congress
So is a noisy demonstration. Would you prefer the authorities to extinguish any public dissent, as in Tibet? Activists draw a reaction from the ugly redneck element in Aotearoa, and some of the above commentators demonstrate this.
Re: Labour party humiliated by protest at election congress
Re: Labour party humiliated by protest at election congress
they just hate national.
there is more to the world than the false choice of twin capitalism - ie coke - pepsi politics of National or Labour, Democrat or Republican.. Capitalism or capitalism, big buisness or big buisness... war in iraq or war in iraq.. war in afghanistan or war in afghanistan... destruction of the environment or .... low wages or ....
Labour isn't an option, even unions know they aren't offering hope... simply holding on to what little they have left.
Labour is pro free trade, not pro worker!!!
Re: Labour party humiliated by protest at election congress
Where does all Fonterra's profits go?
Why is sairy, cheese and food prices rising in NZ, a country which produces them locally?
Re: Labour party humiliated by protest at election congress
Re: Labour party humiliated by protest at election congress
There is a lot of anger in Aotearoa and it will grow as food and fuel prices further impoverish many people.
Expect the 50-100 figure to grow markedly in future. Food riots are quite likely and are already happening in the third world.
Re: Labour party humiliated by protest at election congress
Re: Labour party humiliated by protest at election congress
Please explain.
Solid Energy is a state-owned enterprise. It currently runs several coal mines in NZ and is proposing the long-fought Cypress Mine at Happy Valley.
Some notes of interest:
- Labour MP Trevor Mallard is the Minister of State-owned Enterprises and recently became Minister for the Environment. How convenient.
- Labour MP and new Conservation Minister Steve Chadwick, when talking with SHVC, appeared to know nothing about the threatened kiwi and other wildlife at Happy Valley nor about the mine.
Who are these people?
Labour's main policies on climate change and coal include:
- the Emissions Trading Scheme (= buying our way out of pollution) and
- the NZ Energy Strategy's Security of Electricity Supply (= burning coal when we've run all the lakes dry 'cos we're incapable of reducing or even just stabilising our power consumption).
Seeing as the proposed Cypress Mine's coal at Happy Valley will be shipped to China and/or Japan, where is the justification for the mine except to make a quick buck for people like the Coal mine company's manager who is currently on a salary close to 500k a year.
By the way, members of the Save Happy Valley Coalition (SHVC) were also present on Friday and at the protest yesterday, distributing pamphlets mainly and talking to many Labour Party delegates (and the general public). If the media bothered to read the leaflets they took from us or read the banners we were holding, then maybe they would have got our message. The "casual observers" we spoke to seemed to get it.
Re: Labour party humiliated by protest at election congress
It's always been a bit like that. Vote Lab to keep out the Nats. Doesn't change the basic problem - people in Otara are rock-solid Labour. How to change that? Protests are good, but strategy must be based on reality. Labour supporters are not all scabs and scum. Face reality. Look at a voting map from the last election results. Talk to people in working class suburbs. Do you think things will change automatically if Key wins later this year? C'mon! Workers will have TWICE as much reason to support Labour is National are actually in power! If you're relying on a Key win to destroy Labour as the preferred electoral choice of the working class, FORGET IT. An as for this wish for depression and food riots - GET REAL! Extreme poverty does NOT usually breed radicalisation. It might if it descended really quickly on a highly militant organised strong working class, but in NZ in 2008 it will just lead to massive social fragmentation and the decline of the unions. Look at the logic of your own arguments! People point out NZers are poorer now than in 1984. We were kicked in the guts by Rogernomics and Ruthenasia. Wage levels have still not recovered, especially relative to the increased cost of living. So where's the radicalisation over the past 25 years?
All this daydreaming about economic melt down and riots is just an excuse for not having an analysis and strategy. It's espeically stupid to talk about food riots in NZ, as if we were part of the Third World. For fuck's sake! Our economy is profitting from the food crisis! Food prices going up
there'll be an upturn here! I prefer an upturn to a downturn because a tight labour market is making the unions grow. What we should be doing is not jerking off over the idea of some apocalypse that will magically radicalise the proles, but saying - where's our share in the upturn? Why isn't the surplus being sent on us? Why aren't wages being raised etc The demand for a rise in the minimum wage to $15 is a good one. By not living in the real world you let the Labour bureacrats off the hook. They laugh at you. We have to join with the workers who still vote Labour and be active in the unions that still tell workers to vote Labour and expose Labour by putting demands on them.
Re: Labour party humiliated by protest at election congress
Anarchists don't want Labour or National. We want to govern ourselves on our own conditions.
Re: Labour party humiliated by protest at election congress
Two dead ends are hoping for a recession/depression that will radicalise everyone, and just hoping that sheer projctions of anger will turn people away from Labour. Honestly, spitting at Goff won't do anything. I hate Goff. I would love to spit on him. But I wouldn't because I know the only way to beat him is to discredit him in the eyes of the workers who still vote for him and his party. Spitting on Goff actually makes some people who don't realise what a prick the guy is feel sorry for him and makes us look bad. Depressing, but true. I also know that calling these Labour supporters scum or scabs is no way forward.
What to do? Put demands on Labour that will expose them in the eyes of their supporters when they aren't granted. They boast about the upturn and low unemployment - we should say we demand a share in it through better wages and much more social spending.
Re: Labour party humiliated by protest at election congress
For example, why should we put up with COMALCO being subsidised by every working class family for one more year?
The fact that we could win support for these demands, yet Labour could not meet them without creating a crisis of confidence among the bosses, is the wedge we use to break workers from Labour.
Re: Labour party humiliated by protest at election congress
So let's make it a viable option. Let's talk about anarchy in practice, let's practice anarchy.. feed and house ourselves... marginalise the state...
Re: Labour party humiliated by protest at election congress
Re: Labour party humiliated by protest at election congress
The state will smash you every time. That is why you need to seize control of the state, socialise the economy and redistribute the power first.
Re: Labour party humiliated by protest at election congress
It would require an educated and sophisticated electorate or it would end up like National & NZ Fist in power forever.
If you get the Govt you deserve. How about the Governance you deserve?
One issue = one person = one vote
The technology is here, how about the will?
Re: Labour party humiliated by protest at election congress
To all you Labour Party apologists, this is what your so-called 'left-leaning' party wants: tax cuts for the rich
www.stuff.co.nz/4478447a10.html
Re: Labour party humiliated by protest at election congress
But are rank and file members of Labour parties really the equivalent of strikebreakers? Remember that Labour has always behaved in ways consistent with the Operation 8 raids - consider the carpenter's strike of 1949, the internment of dissidents in WW2, Rogrnomics in the '80s...
Do you seriously think every ordinary working class member of the party in those eras was a scab? And given that so many workers still support Labour at the ballot box, do you think they are going to be educated if they see you calling ordinary Labour delegates scabs on TV? Surely not?
Wouldn't it be better to say to ordinary Joe Bloggs members - look, you are in th wrong party, here's why you should break with Labour, not throw the worst insult that can ever be hurled at them?
Re: Labour party humiliated by protest at election congress
Re: Labour party humiliated by protest at election congress
Re: Labour party humiliated by protest at election congress
Of course, if course, we should write off the leaders, and the middle class careerists who attach themselves to the party. But what of the workers that still support it in the hundreds of thousands, and the unions that send delegates?
Should we write them off as scabs/scum, or see them as people who are on our side and need to be convinced that Labour is not the way to advance the cause of workers and defeats the agenda of the Nats? There were Service and Food Worker delegates at the conference who had stood on picket lines with some of the protesters. There were NDU members at the conference who had bought T-shirts to raise money for the victims of the police operation in the Ureweras. Someone here has said that she/thinks it's appropriate to call these people scabs.
Someone else thinks scumbags is a good word. My challenge to these people is this - if you really believe that a trade unionist who supports Labour is a scab, then put your beliefs into action. Call for them to be excluded from the union movement, from all picket lines and demonstrations, blackballed generally etc
Dumb idea eh?!!!! It's like when the Alliance supported the Afghanistan war in 2001 and some 'radicals' in Wellington ran around saying every Alliance member was therefore a warmonger with blood on their hands who should be kicked off demos etc People can mistakenly belong to or support parties with a bad leadership and still be good trade unionists, good activists etc The way to go is to patiently argue with them, not call them scabs and scumbags.
Look, I don't agree with some of the groups that were demonstrating against Operation 8. For instance, I hate Stalinism and Maoism, and a lot of people in the Workers Party like Mao. Their crap in Spark about Stalin being a great man and about the Maoists in Nepal being some sort of liberation struggle creeps me out. Stalin killed untold millions of workers. Does that mean that every person who mistaken supports Stalin and Stalinist parties should be condenced and kicked off demos? No. They can still be good comrades, good activists, good trade unionists. I prefer to argue patiently and respectfully with them.
Same goes for the 10-12 genuine militant trade unionists I know who still for mistaken reasons belong to Labour, and the scores more I know who still vote Labour. I know that I have zero chance of changing their minds and getting them to support groups to the left of Labour if I just call them scabs or scumbags. They so obviously aren't either!
None of you guys can actually explain what was gained by calling all Labour memebrs scabs and scumbags. What was gained? How did it help win workers away from Labour? What is your strategy?
What are you trying to achieve? What I would do if I talked to a Labour delegate at that conference is first try to convince that the police operation in the Ureweras was wrong, then try to get them to raise it in the party. Make them learn from experience that the leadership does not give a toss. People elarn through their own experience. They don't learn by being verbally abused. But it's easier to shout abuse and pretend that the revolution is going to come magically througb some kinda cataclysm than to try to win the hard arguments with the majority of the working class that is still very moderate in its politics, doesn't like Tame Iti and 'Maori radicals', is scared of socialism, anarchism, 'radical ideas' etc etc etc
Re: Labour party humiliated by protest at election congress
The first sentence is right on, and clearly explains why the second sentence is totally wrong.
Re: Labour party humiliated by protest at election congress
Most business models target the outcome – profit. It doesn’t matter how it gets there, whether it’s at our expenses or without mores, all it aims at is profit. We become the means of achievement by our nature as unattached free radicals. And soon we shall end up with a vote that we never informally intended.
Labour has just hit the young generation on Compulsory Third Party Insurance. This is in addition to petrol tax on ACC, petrol tax on Road Maintenance and other infrastructure upgrades, increased cost of groceries based on global rates, and to add to other Social Policies such as the Anti-smacking, Prostitution, and so on.
National has reared its true head; after a term in office will resort to selling public assets, privatisation of bureaucratic services, and dismantling the social infrastructure of bureaucratic organisations which will give rise to massive unemployment. It’s a laugh when wages are never compared to other nations, because we are led to believe there is a skills shortage. Hello, scientists and academics have left NZ because of this business monopoly on politics and funding.
The use of food for bio-fuel has also rocketed the price of food, when there are other alternatives. Unemployment and inflation is already causing conflict and unrest in parts of Europe and Africa, climate changes has made it impossible to grow food to feed the world. Soon, it will erupt in here, and a massive reaction is expected after years of been taken for granted by the Business Roundtable and their Western World Order.
Let me announce that the distribution of wealth in NZ is now at its most unequal state when the poor people are paying the same amount of tax at the petrol pump and the groceries store. It is clearly unethical, unprofessional, and taking the ordinary NZ for granted that he/she is naive, stupid and dumb...
Unlike the business model of social organisation where no holds bar and only the strong survive, Community objective targets the process. It is not the profit but the social relations of production. It is the organisation of the community to become aware of the shared issues of our struggle, and to ensure that we are one in the mind and spirit, will produce a much more pure product in the final analysis. We need a leader who is not connected to business and to politics and to stop us from being monopolised by them and by the Media. We need to weed out the defective aspect that’s tarnishing our organisation to achieve our common goal - solidarity. The final product will produce itself when we achieve solidarity. And this is hard to break, even by the most powerful politicians of our time.
The same model can be applied to redevelop rugby among other sports, but you will know how hard it is when politicians and business personnel are involved in the decision making process.
We can have representatives from Youth against Third Party Insurance, reps from Parents, from low income workers, from whanau and indigenous people, to form a collective organisation to put this country back together again.
Re: Labour party humiliated by protest at election congress
Re: Labour party humiliated by protest at election congress
Its called quasi-forced employment. Anyone who ever saw those stats and were impressed by them have never recently been thru a re-employment program via WINZ.
I sat through this over the last few weeks and watched a room full of unemployed poor people be treated like semi-criminals, patronised and badgered into some crap jobs which noone else wanted to work.
I watched the middle class members of those WINZ seminars [all] apply for either the sick benefit or invalid benefit so that they didnt have to take a cleaning type job.
Out of a group of 20 who began the 5 week process of re-employment via WINZ, only 4 that I know of are now in so called employment. 1 moved to Australia and the rest I assume are on one of those other benefits.
One way or another 90% or more of those that originally applied for the dole were now either on another benefit or in some form of shit employment.
Works great for the stats though.
Re: Labour party humiliated by protest at election congress
There is already more than enough food to feed the world. It's just that those in power decide where it goes and most of that time it is out of poor grower countries into overstocked rich consumer countries.
Climate change will make it harder to grow food sustainably longterm as weather patterns go haywire. The market will just follow. The poor will continue to starve.
Re: Labour party humiliated by protest at election congress
Re: Labour party humiliated by protest at election congress
Re: Labour party humiliated by protest at election congress
**YEAH RIGHT - SICKNESS BENEFIT AND INVALIDS BENEFITS HAVE GONE UP - LABOUR IS MAKING PEOPLE SICK!!!
**MORE CASUAL JOBS THAN PROPER WORK TOO - THE UNION'S ARE USELESS ON THIS POINT - DOING LITTLE TO STOP THIS TREND
"I sat through this over the last few weeks and watched a room full of unemployed poor people be treated like semi-criminals, patronised and badgered into some crap jobs which noone else wanted to work."
ABSOLUTELY - WINZ IS A HALF-ASSED, NON-EVENT - NOW THAT UNEMPLOYMENT IS DOWN - ITS BEST TO ABOLISH WINZ AND START PAYING PEOPLE A DECENT AMOUNT TO LIVE - WHETHER THEY WORK OR NOT - WORKING IS BECOMING FAR LESS IMPORTANT NOW. I LOVE UNEMPLOYMENT.
"Works great for the stats though."
YES - AND THAT'S WHAT LABOUR IS ABOUT - PUTTING UP A FRONT AND THATS ALL - THERE IS NO POSITIVE CHANGE AT ALL IN NZ - IF THERE WAS - THE PEOPLE WOULDN'T FEEL SO WRECKED/DEGRADED
Re: Labour party humiliated by protest at election congress
I think Labour Party = Scumbags would be a good title for a pamphlet. labour party are the scumbags. the followers are potential comrades when they finally get their consciousness on. divide the rich, unite the poor. we need to make it clear to kiwis every chance we get the record of labour's allying with corporations over interests of the public. when understanding is more widespread than empty obfuscating rhetoric then we can draw clear battle lines and free the fuck out of this hellhole.
Re: Labour party humiliated by protest at election congress
pie the politicians in their dirty rotten faces. make them think twice before leaving their gated lairs crammed with ill-gotten treasure. I live to await the day someone creams helen in her filthy profitstuffed piehole.
Re: Labour party humiliated by protest at election congress
Re: Labour party humiliated by protest at election congress
Theyve been making a shitload of ground in the last few weeks from what I can hear... most any bloody left wing parties done since the mid 90s with the alliance.
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Re: Labour party humiliated by protest at election congress
Re: Labour party humiliated by protest at election congress