Labour’s Victory: a Confirmation, and an Opportunity
This was a win on an historic scale. You have to go back almost eighty years, to the First Labour Government’s victories in 1938 and 1946, to find suitable comparisons for Labour shares of the popular vote so commanding, and so clear. This was Labour’s best result since MMP was introduced, and the Greens’ third […]
Convergence on the Right: What’s Driving the Rise of Conspiracy Theories?
If the election has been dominated in the mainstream by the centre-left, Labour and Jacinda Ardern, on the right-wing dangerous fringes are enjoying a worrying rise. ACT’s increased vote share is the most visible but, further right, conspiracy-theory-fuelled parties are drawing big crowds. Conspiracy theories have always been the realm of the far right – […]
Labour’s Wellington rally
On Sunday 11 October Labour held its Wellington election rally at the Michael Fowler auditorium which can seat 1,800 on two tiers – ambitious. In fact the smaller top tier wasn’t needed and the main tier had some empty seats towards the back, but the audience was easily big enough to create a cheery atmosphere […]
The Right to Live and Die: Critical support to proposed euthanasia reforms
A reader of the site, John Ashborne, contributes to the debate on the End of Life Choice Act referendum. It was with great concern that I read the views expressed in the ISO’s 18 August article on the upcoming euthanasia referendum (“Thoughts on the End of Life Choice Act Referendum”, by Dougal McNeill and Serah […]
Vote Labour, but Build a Socialist Alternative
As the anti-capitalist socialist movement is unable to stand candidates in the general election with any prospect of success, the ISO advocates electoral support for Labour without for a moment down-playing our fundamental criticisms of the party’s politics. We are not for abstaining. It makes a difference whether National or Labour forms the government. Take, […]
Renters United making its mark
A sharp, clear demonstration by Renters United in Wellington over the weekend injected some much-needed class demands into the election campaign. Renters United focus on the one-sided class war that’s been waged over the last decade or more not in our workplaces, but in our homes: rent out of control; power tipped massively to landlords […]
From anti-racism to liberation
The Black Lives Matter movement has succeeded, in just over a month, in moving mass consciousness and mass discussions over racism further than years of well-meaning educational programmes. The movement, in its size, youth, anger and multiracial composition, offers an image of hope and the way forward. The leadership of young Black demonstrators has given […]
Thoughts on the End of Life Choice Act referendum
The ISO has not adopted a position on the End of Life Choice Act referendum. This personal contribution from two members sets out their argument for voting ‘no’. The New Zealand General Election will take place on October 17th, 2020. When voting, we will each have the opportunity to vote in two referenda. Though the […]
Labour’s launch; lowering expectations
Jacinda Ardern’s speech at the Labour party’s election campaign in Auckland confirms that this time round Labour’s campaign is going to be completely different to 2017’s. In 2017 Labour rolled out an election manifesto that was a long shopping list of reforms. In government, Labour’s record over the last three years has been mixed. Labour […]
VUW Panel on End of Life Choice Act
The New Zealand General Election is fast approaching. In addition to the customary option to vote for a party and an electoral candidate, there will simultaneously be two referenda. One of those will be about whether or not to pass into law particular processes to allow people with terminal illness the option of assisted death […]
