“Stop the War on the Poor!” Crashing National’s Party
A quarter of children in New Zealand live in poverty, and 10% are in extreme poverty, according to a new study. What will Christmas be like for them? What will the financial stress mean for families and whanau? This is a world away from National Party members’ and supporters’ lifestyles. Last weekend they held a […]
Auckland Action Against Poverty Welfare Impact
Today I am going to give a brief overview of the recent Auckland Action Against Poverty Welfare Impact that I attended, what drives me to work in this area, and my plans to build a sustainable welfare advocacy service in Otepoti. Firstly, my interest in welfare stems from my upbringing, living in a household sustained […]
Auckland University Students Rally Against Fee Increases
On the afternoon of Monday the 21st of October a rally of around 50 to 100 people was held in front of the steps of the Old Choral Hall at the University of Auckland, protesting fee increases and the increasing commodification of education. The rally was in protest of the yearly fee increases and the […]
Fighting for welfare justice in Aotearoa: an interview with a welfare advocate
The following is an interview with a welfare advocate, conducted by Andrew Tait of the ISO on August 16, 2013 You’re a solo mother. What is your experience of Winz as a consumer? It’s set up in such a way that people are uninformed about their entitlements. For example, if they find out they are […]
Public education under threat: What kind of university do we need?
The following was delivered as a branch talk in Wellington on June 4th, 2013. “Tertiary education in New Zealand is undergoing a slow and painful crucifixion – a painful death from a thousand small adjustments in policy, which are fundamentally changing our nation’s approach to tertiary education.” That was the response of Sandra Grey, Vice-President […]
Racism – Alive and Dangerous
The past couple of days have made me sick to the very core. First a racist cartoon blaming individuals for poverty and a widespread response which claimed ‘it’s just a joke’ and now the news that a neo-nazi group ‘Right Wing Resistance’ is trying to set up branches around the country. As times get more […]
“Restructuring”: Job Losses at Elam School of Fine Arts
[Thanks to Natasha Ovely for submitting this guest post.] Somewhere alongside the white wall studios slapped with half-hearted painterly expressions and littered with lewd, lazy structures, lie a set of workshops brimming with activity that beckon the golden years of art-making. These technical workshops are fast paced and at times chaotic environments that few people […]
Marching Against Asset Sales
Saturday was another reminder that there is deep-seated opposition to the government’s asset sales plans, whatever the spin around the advertisements may be. Asset sales benefit the rich and power is a public good that should run by the public in the public interest. It’s a simple, class-based analysis that resonates. The spirit of the […]
Stand Up for Kids: Supporting Public Education
Public education in Aotearoa is under attack. From charter schools – the failed money-making scheme imported from right-wing US think-tanks – to National’s ongoing plans to increase classroom sizes to national standards and league tables, the last years have seen relentless assaults on public education. Add to this the disaster of Novopay, and the insecurity […]
Anti-Chinese rants won’t stop asset sales
There was an evening rally against asset sales in Wellington on February 13. As a gathering of the committed the attendance was quite good. Estimates vary, but 400 would be about right I think. The unions – which could potentially turnout thousands of members against privatization – are not able to do so in their […]
