New Zealand’s Local Elections: What’s At Stake?
Local government “Local government” is the term used for elected officials and non-elected bureaucratic structures that oversee geographic subparts of New Zealand. The Local Government Act 2002 describes the purpose of local government as twofold: to enable democratic local decision-making and action by, and on behalf of, communities; and to promote the social, economic, environmental, […]
Free Palestine! The Protest Movement in Aotearoa
It has been nearly two years since 7 October 2023, and the subsequent genocidal onslaught against Palestinians; two years of mass murder being broadcast around the world. The majority of people can see what’s going on and are outraged, not only by the actions of Israel, but by the inaction of our own “representatives”. Despite […]
Why We Don’t Need More Cops
This article was originally published in Salient. It has been updated. The New Zealand Government loves cops. They love them so much that they are even inviting cops from other countries to set up shop in Aotearoa, welcoming the FBI to bring their repressive operations to Aotearoa. We will cover the FBI in more detail in […]
J is for Justice
According to states around the world, one of their central purposes is to maintain order and dispense justice among their populations. Socialists understand that the order they maintain is the capitalist order – an order that is anti-democratic, unequal and fundamentally unjust. This is clear in Aotearoa, where the state called New Zealand was built […]
Healthcare in Aotearoa
The Coalition government has been relentless in its cuts to public services across the board, all while pumping out policies that uphold the status quo and benefit the wealthy few. Health has been especially targeted, with funding cuts, moves towards privatisation, and deregulation of professions being three methods through which this government is prioritising profit […]
The Politics of Law and Order
The politics of “law and order” in New Zealand finds its natural home in the current pro-business coalition government. It is no accident that a central focus on accumulation is complemented by a “tough on crime” approach: there has to be some way of managing the fallout, the communities abandoned by austerity, those who don’t […]
“Share the Wealth, Protect Public Health!”: Notes from the Nurses’ Strike in Pōneke
Heralded by fire truck sirens and honks from passing cars, Te Whatu Ora nurses, midwives, healthcare assistants and kaimahi hauora from Hutt Hospital and Wellington Hospital walked off their shifts at 9am today, on 30 July. More than 200 boarded buses to Wellington Train Station where they were joined by striking healthcare workers from around […]
Global Economics
The following was presented as a talk at the 2025 International Socialist Organisation hui-ā-tau annual conference. A recorded version is available here: https://youtu.be/JQJFCpdEnW8 Global Overview The already meagre projections of recovery announced by major capitalist institutions last year fell even further after the rollouts of USA president Donald Trump’s tariffs regime. Throughout the period of […]
Nurses and Healthcare Workers: Right to Strike!
Nurses, midwives, and healthcare assistants have voted to go on a 24-hour strike at the end of July. When nurses and the health system are being attacked by a government ruling for the rich, it is right to strike! The Te Whatu Ora offer of 1 percent in April 2025 and 1 percent in April […]
Consent and Workplace Safety in Performing Arts
Work in the performing arts – including dance, theatre and film – raises unique issues at the intersection of consent and workplace safety. Workers in these industries are fighting to raise awareness of these issues, promote safer practices, and strengthen protections against harassment and abuse. Denise Roche is the director of Equity, the Aotearoa performers’ […]
