C is for Capital
— C mo te Capital is available in te reo Māori Welcome to the ABC of Socialism, an introduction to socialist ideas for would-be world-changers. In our previous columns we introduced readers to two classes: the working class (or proletariat) and the capitalist class (or bourgeoisie). These are the main classes that make up capitalist […]
The Luxon Government: Its nature and the Challenge Ahead
A talk given by Martin Gregory to a national meeting of the ISO on 3 February 2024 The Luxon Government: Its nature and the Challenge Ahead A talk given by Martin Gregory to a national meeting of the ISO on 3 February 2024 First of all, a disclaimer. I am not going to talk about […]
Rally to support immigrant workers
Unions including TEU, First, E Tū, and NZNO gathered outside the Philippines embassy in Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington at midday on Friday 19th January 2024, calling on the Philippines government to ensure migrant workers are provided support. New Zealand construction company ELE, which employed numerous Filipino workers on temporary work visas, went into receivership in December […]
No rollback on reproductive rights!
Protestors marched earlier this month, on the second of December, in defence of abortion and reproductive rights in Wellington. The march, organised by Poneke Anti-Fascist Coalition, was intended to counter the anti-abortion “March for Life” which is held each year by the organisation Right to Life. The numbers on both sides were smaller than they […]
Union Response to the War on Gaza
Palestinian unions are urging global unions to show solidarity and refuse to support the ongoing destruction in Gaza, including hospitals, ambulances, and refugee centres. Calling on unions internationally: To refuse to build weapons destined for Israel. To refuse to transport weapons to Israel. To pass motions in their trade union to this effect. To take […]
Student Activism Revival
An exciting development of 2023 has been the return of university student protest, with a wave of protests erupting onto campuses across Aotearoa in response to proposed staff and course cuts. While we have seen outbreaks of student discontent on campus in recent years, such as the “New University” protests sparked by specialist library closures […]
Te Tairawhiti: The Sun Rising Over a Troubled Land
Ehara toku tu he tu ka neke, a, ko toku mana ki Hikurangi, ehara nana te nuku. Ehara toku kaha he kaha naku noa, ko toku kaha ki Waiapu, nana te kaha. Ehara ahau noa, ko Ngati Porou kei te mihi. I stand unmoving, as my mana is at Hikurangi, he does not move. My […]
The far right in the 2023 general election
Amongst the parties who vied for our votes in Aotearoa’s October 2023 general election, not a single one represented the working class against capitalism. However, this does not in any way mean all of the options were equally bad or that the various potential outcomes of the election were irrelevant. Beyond the obvious battle between […]
The Labour Party loses the election: What is to be done?
This was an election that Labour contrived to lose. The most dramatic shift in party support was the drop in the Labour vote from 50 percent in 2020 to towards half of that this time. Every other party gained. Labour lost votes to the Greens and Te Pāti Māori, which demonstrates that Labour managed to […]
Vote Green or Te Pāti Māori, and Build a Socialist Alternative
The International Socialist Organisation’s position on the general election, in line with a decision at a membership conference, is summed up in the slogan: ‘Keep National Out, and Build a Socialist Alternative.’ The implication is to give the party vote to Labour, the Greens or Te Pāti Māori. In this opinion piece Grant Brookes puts […]
