Chinese Communists Want to Work With Nats

Press Release by Chinese Embassy in NZ 14.04.06


Wang Zhaoguo, member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, said Friday that the CPC is ready to further relations with the New Zealand National Party.

Wang, also vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the Chinese National People's Congress, said in a meeting with Don Brash, leader of the National Party, that the two nations have maintained good relations since forging diplomatic ties, and the CPC values its relations with the National Party.

Further enhancing the exchanges and cooperation between the two parties will help promote the friendly and cooperative ties between the two states and two peoples, he said.

Wang Jiarui, Minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee met with Don Brash at the same day.

Wang expressed his welcome to Dr Brash, who made the visit to China as his first foreign tour since he was elected party leader. The two sides agreed on expanding exchange and cooperation between China and New Zealand and making join efforts to advance bilateral relations.

They also exchanged views on cooperation in education, culture, economy and trade.

Greetings Nats-From the Communist Party of China

Don Brash got up to address 300 people at dinner at the National Party Northern Regional Conference at the Waipuna Centre last night.

How did he open? Just back from Asia, Mr Brash passed on greetings to the conference from the Communist Party of China.

He went on to add that the Communist Party "wants to work more closely with the National Party"

Then he surmised, that the Chinese Communist Party seemed closer to some "other parties" than it was to Labour.

Mr Brash was clearly being a little tongue in cheek here, by implying that Labour was to the left of the CPC. Inadvertently though Mr Brash was making a comment on his own National Party.

Is this an association of which the national Party should be proud?

Lindsay (No Bullshit) Mitchell on the Maori Party

Lindsay Mitchell has some reservations on the Maori Party.

The Maori party is racist, socialist, separatist, tribalist and reactionary. A party of "freedom and choice" doesn't get into bed with a party like that - not on a permanent basis. They sleep with them when it suits. Which is a partnership that speaks ill of both camps and will inevitably end in tears.

Who is actually being critical of the Maori Party world-view at the moment? Nobody. Not one party is prepared to challenge their blatantly racist proclaimations and their schizophrenic attitude to welfare dependence - probably the most pressing issue Maori face.

The Maori Party has shown extraordinary energy since the election. Their MPs are passionate and deservedly high-profile but their ideas are awful. They are still caught up in the victimhood mentality and all the bitterness that entails. Some more than others. It is my sincere belief that they will not advance the social circumstances of the Maori people. Not if they stay on their current course.

And there ought to be a party prepared to point this out.

Lindsay is mostly right. The Maori Party has a lot of socialist baggage, but then so did Donna Awatere. The ACT MPs have actively tried to work with the Maori Party in areas such as education.

Will working with ACT make the Maori Party a more positive force, or will it weaken ACT? I think we should seek common ground where we can, but be very clear on the areas we won't compromise ie abolishing the Maori seats.

Kim Bryant on the Chinese Enemy

A letter submitted to the Christchurch Press, by Kim Bryant. The only point I am slightly doubtful on is "armed neutrality". I still woner if a a return to ANZUS might serve us better. Any opinions?

"History is famous for its repetition. The myopia that allowed Hitler to arm Germany to the teeth in the 1930’s, has been resurrected by Helen Clark’s peacenik cadre. Their left-wing roots make it impossible for them to acknowledge that China, an unrepentant communist dictatorship, is arming itself at an alarming rate, way beyond the requirements of home defence, or even the re-taking of Taiwan.

To these wishfull thinkers any aggressive ambitions by the world’s most populous nation are too horrendous to contemplate. They continue to base their defense strategy, more on John and Yoko’s “Give Peace a Chance” than on a concise analysis of “The Rise of Hitler’s Germany” Why else would the emphasis be on international peacekeeping (Helen’s UN Secretary General aspirations aside.)

It’s not necessary for NZ to formally devote itself to US foreign policy, like Australia, but rather to follow the Swiss WW2 model of armed neutrality. Hitler’s generals advised that taking Switzerland was not worth the cost. Our emphasis should be on High Tech air and sea defense. The exact reverse of current priorities. Whilst good relations with the US are essential, they are sadly not the defenders of world freedom Bush and Rumsfeld would have us believe.

In depth analysis of both China’s strategic intentions and her massive military buildup is glaringly absent. The current “Emperor’s” new clothes are plainly military fatigues not the benign business suits of Hu Jin Tao. I am sure he has studied Sun Tzu’s “The Art of War”, in which the central dictum is deception, “…when weak feign strength, and when strong feign weakness…”

Mini Fisk-Trading With the Enemy

After I argued that trade with China is a security risk to this country and ideally should be banned, anonymous replied with this comment. Here is a mini fisk.

Once againg you leave behind free markets for conservative rubbish. You argue that the Left knew that boycotting South Africa would be a good thing, etc. But in fact that helped keep the Nationalists in power in SA longer.

Marxists orchestrated the ostracism of South Africa for many years. Eventually the Afrikaner/National party elite tossed the towel, freed Mandela and abolished Apartheid. How the hell did the ostracism in any way extend the Apartheid era?

Free trade is the best means of changing regimes not trade boycotts --- of course we see how well that worked in Cuba where the US boycott is now almost half a century old and Castro still lingers on.

Free trade really stopped Hitler in his tracks didn't it. Hitler's war machine was helped significantly by Western nations trading with Germany in the '30s. I'll bet many of the athletes who went to the '36 Olympics naively thought they were aiding world peace. Instead they aided the German propaganda machine.

Why is there now general agreement that Chamberlain's appeasement policy towards Hitler was a cowardly failure, but Western appeasement of the despicable tyrant, Hu Jintao is somehow praiseworthy? Had the Nazis been ostracised in the mid '30s, WW2 may never have occurred.

Sure the US boycott of Cuba has not toppled Castro, but is has sure slowed him down. Had Canada, Latin America and Western Europe also shown the same resolve, Castro would have been hung by his heels from a lamp post long ago.

Banning trade or restricting trade is not liberalism, it is not libertarianism, it is not free markets. It is socialist interventionism.

Here's a hypothetical question for you anon. You are Minister of Defence in the 2017 ACT/Libz coalition government. Tasmania is run by a fundamentalist Old Testament cult and is on the verge of developing a nuclear weapon. They have made threatening noises about bringing on Armageddon and are suspected of sinking several NZ fishing
vessels.

The SIS informs you that an NZ company is supplying vital computer technology which the Tasmanian leaders need to complete their nuclear weapons programme.

Do you

A Let the sales proceed because to stop them would be interfering with free trade and would be unlibertarian?

B Ban trade in the said technology because you believe that the state's obligation to protect all of its citizens from attack far outweighs the right of a company to aid and trade with an enemy power?

Remember anon, I am a libertarian, NOT an anarchist. I believe the state's chief role is national defence. That the state has an obligation to stop trade in certain products, or with certain powers if that trade creates a security problem is a perfectly libertarian proposition.

Would you, as a libertarian Minister of Defence stop trade in any circumstances? Would you for instance allow an NZ company to sell ammunition to a country we were formally at war with?

If not, why not?

If so, would you then front up to the mum's and widow's of dead kiwi soldiers and explain that the NZ made bullets that killed their loved ones were sold to uphold the principles of unconditional free trade?

"National Question" Part 1, A Ticking Off From Moscow and a Blueprint for Maori Revolution

Marxist-Leninist interest in racial, or "National Question" politics probably began in this country shortly after the formation of the Communist Party of New Zealand (CPNZ) in 1921.

The Party at the time was tiny and had little contact with Maoris. It used other avenues however, such as it's early affiliation to the Labour Party to raise Maori issues.

At Labour's 1925 conference, CPNZ members Alex Galbraith (pictured)


and Gordon Kilpatrick moved the resolution "That this conference approves the policy of socialisation of land and means of production under the autonomous control of the Maori race".

Shortly after, the CPNZ was expelled from the Labour Party and did little work, on their own account among the Maori population.

The Moscow based Communist International (Comintern) was not pleased with the CPNZ's slackness and in March 1934 admonished the Party in a letter to the CPNZ's theoretical journal, NZ Labour Review.

"During the last year, the Party has not reacted at all to the National Colonial problem. The slogan of the self determination of... the Maori must be constantly driven into the minds of the working masses, linking it up with the tasks of the current struggles... Great efforts must be made to bring Maori workers into the Party ranks. The Party must work out concrete demands for the Maori toilers and take steps to secure the poorer part of the Maori population and the Maori youth in the struggle for these demands..."

The following year saw the CPNZ campaigning in the General Elections on a platform which included a call for "Self determination of the Maoris to the point of complete separation"

In NZ Communist Review of March 1936 the CPNZ printed a resolution submitted by Wellington comrade, Myles Omerod which was formally adopted by the 8th Party Conference.

This resolution is worth reading several times. Though written 70 years ago it is a blueprint for much of the racial and social change that has occurred since that time. Every point in the resolution has been, or is in the process of being implemented today.

"SELF DETERMINATION OF NATIONS... The CPNZ...must also defend the right of the Maori people to form an independent state with it's own territory if they so desire. If the Maori people do not desire state separation, we must support the demands for local autonomy in the districts where the majority of the population is Maori.

WORK AMONG THE MAORIS... In the struggle around these issues, it is important to take all possible steps to enlist the support of the mass organisations of the Maori people, as well as those of the pakeha... care must be taken when approaching the organisations of the Maori people with proposals, that these proposals in no way offend the tribal and cultural traditions of the Maoris.

As their chief cultural medium and most cherished possession, the Maori is most particularly sensitive regarding his language... The demand should be raised for the right of all Maoris to be educated in their own language at the expense of the state, and that court cases in which Maoris are defendants be conducted in the Maori language.

THE LAND QUESTION... This, the most important economic question among the Maoris, must be more thoroughly discussed and studied by our Party. It is necessary to raise not only the general demand for sufficient land for the Maori population, but also to take up the demand for the restoration of particular lands of which the Maori people have been defrauded by trickery, the demand that all land now in dispute between Maori and Pakeha be unconditionally surrendered to the Maori people...The demand must be supported for an immediate Government Commission composed of equal Maori representation to investigate all land questions considered in dispute by the Maori people nationally.

ORGANISING OUR WORK AMONG THE MAORIS...In our work among the Maori people we must apply the tactic of the United Front on a wide scale, drawing the most diverse Maori organisations into the struggle for the particular demands which most concern them. For example, the Maori church organisations could, by a correct approach be drawn into such struggles as the demand for equal relief, the demand for the education of Maori children in their own language etc...

In our work among the Maoris we must further ensure that Party members who are Maoris, become members of the mass organisations among the Maoris (church, sports, cultural etc) and work within these to develop around themselves broad fractions on the basis of a simple programme of a revolutionary national liberationist character. In this it is especially necessary to avoid trying to base such fractions on a programme of proletarian revolution. Our Communist Maoris must become the spearhead of the national liberation struggle of their people"

The Waitangi Tribunal and the Kohanga Reo movement, guaranteed Maori representation on councils etc. can, I believe be traced back to this resolution. While Maori membership in the CPNZ was small and often secret, Party influence can be traced through many Maori organisations. Many Maori leaders of the past five decades were members of, or were "cultivated" by the CPNZ or by one or more of its offshoots.

In Communist Review of May 1936, the CPNZ bluntly told the comrades "This makes our position clear, for every pakeha communist, as a member of the dominant race, it is a bounden revolutionary duty to declare without reservations for the right of the maori people to complete independence"

Marxist Manipulation of Maoridom

One or two readers have asked me to Blog on the history of Marxist-Leninist and socialist influence in the Maori "self determination" movement.


I hope to show that far from being a natural phenomenon, Maori nationalism, radicalism and separatism are very much an artificial movement.

In order to solve any problem we must know it's true cause. I contend that NZ's racial problems have been consistently amplified and aggravated by people whose express purpose is to wreck our form of society and replace it with a model of their choosing.

These people, the Marxist-Leninists and their sympathisers, working through myriad fronts and organisations have been picking the racial scab in this country for more than 70 years. They have deliberately created unnecessary racial division and are using it to create "social change".

Marxist-Leninists, worldwide, have practised for decades a process of agitating amongst native peoples and minority groups in order to achieve social breakdown and eventual socialist control.

This process is known to the initiated as solving the "National Question".

The process is international in scope and can be observed in action among the Australian Aborigines, the US Indian, Black and Hispanic populations, Israeli Palestinians, Northern Irish Catholics, the Saamic people of Norway, the Xhosa of South Africa, the Mapuche of Chile and the Maori of New Zealand.

It is being pushed by hundreds of Marxist-Leninist parties and sects among dozens of minorities all over the globe. The mother of world socialism, the United Nations is harnessing it's power, through "The Decade of Indigenous Peoples" to bring about major social transformation and power shifts in every continent.

The recent report by UN "rapporteur", Rodolfo Stavenhagen (a Mexican Marxist sociology professor), which claimed all sorts of indignities suffered by Maori, was a good example of "National Question" politics in action.

The very long series of articles following will look at Marxist Manipulation of Maoridom from the 1920s till today. Much of it was previously published in Lindsay Perigo's "Free radical", but there will be some significant new material.

Fox Trot for Freedom

Fox trot for freedom, waltz for wealth, pirouette for prosperity, rock for responsibility, limbo for liberty, cha cha for choice.

GO RODNEY AND KRYSTAL!

Ostracism or Trade? How Best to Deal With China

In my recent post on Keith Locke and nuclear power, I was drawn into a debate on trade with China in the comments box.

At one point I wrote

"I view trade with China today as completely irresponsible and morally reprehensible."

Dave Christian replied

Oh dear. I expected better of you. The living conditions of Chinese people will improve if we refuse to trade with them? The Chinese government will change it's policies for the better if we refuse to trade with them? Or should we just invade and kill them in large numbers to improve their lives? Your case would be helped if you could give ONE example from history where a trade embargo (alone) had a positive influence upon the target country. Or is it just that you have never heard of comparative advantage and think cheap production of goods is somehow cheating us of something.

I think Dave's comment deserves a comprehensive response.

Just to clarify. I am an advocate of free trade. I am a dyed in the wool Adam Smith fan. I believe free trade will benefit Kiwi and Chinese alike-economically that is.

There is only one valid reason to interfere with the free flow of goods and services. There is only one reason why a government may legitimately block trade. That is, on the grounds that national security is at stake.

Clearly if we were at war with China, Australia or the Malagasy Republic, it would be perfectly legitimate for the government to ban trade with the enemy nation.
In fact it would be treasonous if they did not.

What if we are in a pre war state? What if we had good reason to believe that another nation had designs on our sovereignty, or on that of our allies? Would it then be justified to ban trade with that nation?

It is highly possible that in the next 20 years, China will go to war with our ally, the USA over our friend, Taiwan.


I don't relish that prospect, but it certainly considered as a real possibility by many responsible military and strategic thinkers.

Should we be aiding, in any way, the strengthening of the Chinese economy to make China's victory more probable in such a war?

Should we instead ostracise China, increase our trade with Taiwan and by so doing, decrease the chance of war?

Ostracising rogue nations is far more moral and more likely to achieve real change than "building bridges" for the tanks to roll across.

The socialists understand this very well. They didn't advocate increasing trade with South Africa to bring down Apartheid. They worked tirelessly to ostracise South Africa and they were ultimately successful.

Now some socialists are trying to do the same to oust Mugabe in Zimbabwe. Even though it was they who helped install him in the first place!

How does the US government try to tackle the mafia. Do they engage with them? Do they encourage their business enterprises in the hope they will mend their ways?

No, they work hard to cut off their funding in every way possible.

The answer to dealing with evildoers, whether it be the Chinese Communist Party, the mafia, the local teenage gang, or a naughty child, is not to engage with the destructive or attention seeking behaviour.

The answer is to ostracise. Leave the evildoer to stew in his own juices. Withdraw your support. Evil cannot survive, but by leeching off good. The Chinese Communist Party would implode very quickly if the West refused to deal with them until they disbanded the Communist Party. .

Do I believe this will happen, Dave? Not on your nelly. Economic integration between China and the West is now so extensive, that barring miracles, nothing will reverse it. I do however think we should do everything possible to slow down the progess of the Chinese Communist Party.

If nothing changes, does that mean that China will eventually strike out militarily, with disastrous consequences for our region? Unfortunately, I think that is a very strong possibility.

I hope I am wrong.

Italian Communists Make Big Gains

From the Communist Party of Australia's Guardian 26.4.06

The general elections of April 9-10 saw a massive increase in communist representation in the Italian Parliament.

The Communist Refoundation Party vote increased both in percentage and in absolute numbers — from five percent achieved in 2001 to 5.8 percent in the Chamber of Deputies (from 1,867,712 votes to 2,229,604) and from 5.1 to 7.4 percent in the Senate.


It will now have 41 MPs in the lower house (up from 11) and 27 in the Senate (up from 3).


The Party of Italian Communists (a 1998 split from Refoundation) also fared well. From no respresentation in the previous Parliament it now has 16 MPs in the Lower House and 11 in the Senate (in coalition with the Greens).

This is the largest representation of Communists in the Italian Parliament since the 1991 dissolution of the old Italian Communist Party.

In spite of a slim majority of votes for the right coalition, the left Union has gained a Senate majority of 159 to 156 seats.

The voting for the lower house was clearer and favourable for the Union. The centre-left won by a very small margin of 25,000 votes but under the rules will be in a position to implement its program with 348 of the 630 seats.

The Communist Refoundation Party will support a government with Romano Prodi as Prime Minister and will take part in it.

"A very important step has been taken", said the Party statement. "We defeated Berlusconi. Now we intend to lead Italy towards a change and help the rise of a new alternative left in Italy, which is now stronger after this election."

Maksimovich on Fuel from Coal

Maksimovich from Outsidethecube posts part 2 of his article on converting coal to transport fuel here.

As we suggested in our previous post the market pricing of Fischer-Tropsch coal to liquid fuels is now a very cost effective option for NZ. The indigenous production of coal to liquid transport fuels would reduce NZ imports to zero ,change the current account to positive,create 5000 jobs in the SI, and provide energy security for NZ for 500 years.

Spirit of '76 on "Leftism"

Spirit of '76 with a very succint analysis of what it means to be a "leftie".

Leftism is not about having any form of rational ideology, just a belief in your own highly smug moral superiority, with a matching condescending attitude, a refusal to consider anything but the most simplistic ideas, and a willingness to say absolutely anything, no matter how dishonest and contradictory, to gain power and force your will on others.

Sums it up pretty well, I reckon.

Insolent Prick is Back.

I just removed Insolent Prick from my blogroll because he hadn't posted since December. Now one of the Kiwi Blogosphere's wittiest and most un PC writers is back.

Catch him here while you can.

Hat Tip David Farrar

Civil Union and the Right to Contract

Rodney Hide on civil unions

There have been 20,000 marriages since Civil Unions became an option and 468 civil unions.

The way I figure it that’s 20,000 couples pleased to be able to get married. And 468 couples pleased to be able to have a civil union. I don’t see how anyone getting married could be upset by others opting for a civil union. Those who had a civil union previously didn’t have that option so there must be a net gain in happiness.

There’s now more choice, that must be a good thing.

Several critics have pointed to the low numbers of civil unions as if this was some reason for not legalising them.

Basically the state should be involved in registering and if necessary enforcing contracts, not in specifying their terms.

While civil unions were pushed by the gay and hard left, the fact remains they are a step forward for liberty.

As Rodney points out, people who want to get married still can. Those who wish to enter into another form of relationship now have that option.

To support civil unions, implies no value judgement on homosexuality or any other form of sexual expression. It requires only a belief that the right of individuals to freely enter into contracts should not be limited by the state or any other non participating individual or group.

Cathy Odgers on War Medals

The legendary Cathy Odgers has written an excellent piece on the "war medals for sale" issue.

Seems that a seaman Odgers won the first VC awarded in NZ.

Nothing equally galvanises or polarises us more than war.
Even after the war is over, everyone seems to have an
opinion on the war and the events that unfold. Most of whom
were never present or have even served in their lives.

At regular intervals pecuniary gain from the sale of medals
is an issue. Social commentators are generally against
profit from the sale of war medals. We have seen this
recently with the proposed sale of Charles Upham’s
Victoria Cross.

So lets for argument sake take a hypothetical. It is a
little known fact that the first recipient of the VC for
action in New Zealand was not a New Zealander at the time,
but a Pom. His name was William Odgers (born February 14th
1834, died December 20th 1873).

Check out the whole post on Clint Heine's Blog

Keith Locke on Safe Socialist Nuclear Power

As tomorrow is the 20th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster, I thought it might be the time to resurrect one of Marxist Green MP, Keith Locke's, more idiotic scribblings.


In the July 23rd 1976 issue of "Socialist Action", editor Keith Locke wrote; "Capitalism cannot be trusted with nuclear power... socialism ... would step up nuclear power research in order to make it safe"

Who Will Kill Our Next Young ANZACs?

ANZAC Day, is a good time to think about who may kill our next generation of under equipped, under supported and under appreciated young soldiers.

From Sir Humphrey's

A recently completed study by the Rand Corporation...shows that China is watching the United States closely and is devoting significant resources toward the development of highly technical, novel approaches to both defense and the projection of power. The potential for a conflict with the United States over the status of Taiwan is the driving force for Chinese military planning, the study says.

Why do we want a free trade deal with our most likely enemy in our (God forbid)next major war?

Buying cheap Chinese barbecues and Christmas trees makes no more sense than shipping scrap metal to Japan did in the '30s.

Big Balls Need Huge Ball Room

From Rodney's Blog


Years ago I asked Richard Prebble what was the most important attribute for a successful politician. He didn’t hesitate: courage.

I now know Preb was right. The rarest attribute amongst MPs—and the most important—is courage. Courage to stand up for your constituents, for your policies, for what you believe in, for your team. The courage to keep going when all seems lost.

The Preb taught me something else too. The public always watch the guy who’s on the trapeze with no net. Same routine with a net—not so interesting. “The trick my boy is to be up on that political trapeze, looking like there’s no net!”

Earlier this year I was asked if I would go Dancing. On TV. Live.

I hadn’t seen the last show. I knew nothing of it. I know nothing of dancing. I have never danced. I have never to the best of my memory ever danced at a party. It’s not something I do.

Dancing terrifies me. Dancing in front of people I just can’t do. And now I was asked to dance in front of the nation—live on TV.

I knew I had to do it. I couldn’t turn down a challenge like that. I would have to spend the rest of my life wondering if I could have done it or worse concluding that I was gutless.

I have now done four weeks dance training. It’s tough. It’s hard work. It’s frustrating. It requires enormous concentration. It’s fabulous fun.

My dance partner is Krystal Stuart. She’s a fabulous dancer. She’s also my teacher. She’s very patient. She’s—thankfully—got a good sense of humour.

I started not knowing what the beat was in the music. I didn’t know one step. I had to learn each step over and over. Then put them together into a movement. Then the movements together. Then to the music. And then with Krystal.

The first time I danced our waltz routine it was probably the ugliest dancing ever done. But the sense of achievement that I got was second to none. I danced it! All those steps that a few days earlier I couldn’t do were now put together into a dance.

I told the DWS producer that Epsom was my priority. Dancing would have to be second to the good people of Epsom who voted for me. She accepted that.

I have been managing Parliament. The truth is that even at half steam I do four times more than the average Labour MP.

Last night I spoke to One Tree Rotary. The members loved that I was dancing and wanted to hear all about it. They enjoyed the dancing stories and my dance demonstration with President Neil.

Because it’s fun. And because they like their MP to have courage. To be entertaining. And to be prepared to swing high overhead without the net.

And remember: it screens live starting Sunday May 7 TV One at 7:30.

And remember too: Vote Krystal and Rodney:

phone 0900 89 818
or text Rodney to 8981

ANZAC Day Peace Rally.

I watched a huge peace rally in Christchurch's Cathedral Square this morning. ANZAC Day Dawn Parade.


Several thousand people standing in the pouring rain, honouring those who fought for the peace and freedom we now enjoy.

Media Bias on Nepali Revolution

Speaking of media bias. Why are the demonstrators in Nepal referred to on radio and TV as being "pro democracy"?


The rebellion is Maoist led and every demonstration is a sea of hammer and sickle flags. How "democratic" is Maoist revolution?

The people who lived through the Chinese Revolution of 1947 or the Cambodian Revolution of 1975 have few kind words for those "democratic" times.

Bias at the Herald? No-o-o-o-o-o!

From Sir Humphrey's

Here's an interesting game. Search news sites for the frequency of the terms "far-left" and "far-right".

The NZ Herald - far-left: 87, far-right: 432 (334 of them from its garbage Independent and Reuters-oriented international news section). That's a ratio of nearly 1:5, even including results from the sports section as part of the far-left count (!!).

So in a world of socialist regimes and social(-welfare) democracies, the NZ Herald's International editorial stance apparently results in... many references to the 'far-right'. Because of all those Ayn Rand-worshipping nation states popping up around Antarctica, obviously.

Letter to Nandor Tanczos

I have just emailed this letter to Green MP, Nandor Tanczos

nandor.tanczos@parliament.govt.nz

Dear Mr Tanczos

As a leading contender for the Green Party male co-leadership race, you have recently called for the Green Party to ditch its left wing image. According to a recent Herald article by Vernon Small, your "main pitch has been to lead the party out of the shadow of Labour and establish itself as a third force." According to Vernon Small, your latest latest paper, posted on the party's members-only forum, explains "why the Greens are not a left-wing party".

On Morning Report yesterday, I heard you say that the Greens should be "neither left nor right, but out in front".

All this makes good sense, but Mr Tanczos, you have some problems here with several of your colleagues.

One aspect of this is the involvement of several high ranking Green Party members in the Wellsford based Kotare Education and Research Trust, or Kotare School.

No doubt you are aware of the school, Mr Tanczos. Kotare openly runs classes
in Paolo Freire based Marxism, for activists as young as 14 years old. Your own former youth MP, John Darroch has even spoken to a yong audience there.

Prominent Green Party members involved in the Kotare School include;

Sue Berman A current Kotare trustee. Ms Berman is also co-convenor of the Greater Auckland Green Party

Bill Bradford An original trustee of Kotare in 1995. In 2002, Mr Bradford was Northern area executive networker for the Green Party.

Sue Bradford Your parliamentary colleague has been a trustee of Kotare since its foundation and lists involvement in Kotare as one of her community activities on the Green Party website.

Karen Davis A current Kotare Trustee. Ms Davis has been Policy co-convenor of the Green Party and is now Party co-convenor (the equivalent of Party co-President).

Catherine Delahunty Kotare's education co-ordinator. Ms Delahunty was number nine on your party list in 2005 and has held several important Green Party posts including Auckland Campaign Manager, 1999 election, Auckland co-convenor 2000-2002, East Coast candidate 2002, electorate contact East Coast 2002- 2004, Female National co-convenor (2002- 2004), convenor Strategic Plan group (2002-2004).

Gordon Jackman A current Kotare trustee. In 2002, Mr Jackman stepped down as Chair of Greenpeace NZ. This was to avoid "conflict of interest" as he had been asked to assist the Green Party in its negotiations with the Labour Party following that year's election.

I'm sure you will agree, Mr Tanczos that it will hard to honestly shed the Green Party's left wing image when several of your most senior party members are running a taxpayer funded, Marxist training "school".

I'm assuming you wish to alter the character of the Green Party, rather than just its image. Therefore I have some questions for you?

A Do you think it is appropriate for senior Green Party officials to be involved in running, or teaching at, a Marxist training school?

B Do you think it is appropriate for senior Green Party officials to be involved in running a taxpayer funded, Marxist training school that "teaches" 14-17 year old children?

C Would you use your position as Green Party co-leader to take action to cut all links (direct or indirect) between the Green Party and the Kotare Research and Education Trust, or any of its subsidiaries?

I look forward to to your reply.

Yours Faithfully

Trevor Loudon

I Simply Had No Idea....

So Heather's joined the Terries and Rodney will be burning up the stage on "Dancing With the Stars". NZ's worst kept secret is out.


I think this is great. NZers will see a side of Rodney that many of them didn't know existed. Can't wait to see who Rodney's supposedly gorgeous partner is.

S.A.P. Number 7, Peter Wills

When Peter Wills, Deputy Director of Auckland University's Centre for Peace Studies, penned an article criticising war hero, VC winner Clive Hulme in today's Sunday Star/Times I saw red.

The article entitled "The Bravest War Hero Can Still Be a Coward in Disguise" took Hulme to task for breaking the rules of war, in donning a German military uniform and using the disguise to get close enough to kill several German soldiers.

Who is this Peter Wills? Who is he to judge our military heroes?



This Socialist Academic Profile looks at Wills's history as a "peace" activist.

In 1985, Wills was involved the NZ anti Tomahawk Missiles Campaign, working alongside the late Owen Wilkes. He was, at the time also a leading member of "Scientists Against Nuclear Arms". This organisation was closely allied to International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War and Engineers for Social Responsibility. All three were regarded as part of the new wave of Soviet "Peace" fronts created in the early '80s to be less obvious than the completely Soviet dominated World Peace Council.

SANA was founded in Britain in 1981 by scientist Professor Mike Pentz. British Conservative MP, Julian Lewis, wrote a 1995 obituary of Mike Pentz " Not only was Mike an enemy of nuclear deterrence and of Nato's doctrine of flexible response, he was also a prominent activist in a number of highly committed political bodies.

As Communist Party candidate for the Barnes Division of Surrey County Council, he polled 216 votes in the 1955 local government elections. As well as being a Vice-Chairman of CND (1981-84), he was a Sponsor of the British arm of the leading Soviet front body, the World Peace Council (WPC). He was Chairman of the J.D. Bernal Peace Library, founded by the former WPC Chairman and lifelong Stalinist Bernal in 1967.

When he set up Scientists Against Nuclear Arms(SANA) in 1981, Mike chose the Morning Star (Communist Party newspaper) as the vehicle for an article explaining "how scientists can arm the peace movement with the facts".

In May 1984, he went to Moscow at the invitation of the official Soviet Peace Committee to establish links with the Kremlin's "Scientific Research Council on Problems of Peace and Disarmament". He was listed as one of four activists due to represent another Soviet front, the World Federation of Scientific Workers, at the 1982 UN Second Special Session on Disarmament.

In January 1987, Peter Wills visited Moscow at the invitation of the Soviet Academy of Science. He was pictured in the pro Soviet, NZ Socialist Unity Party's "Tribune" (April 13 page 9)in Moscow with Hone Harawira and NZ Ambassador Alison Stokes. He had been invited to the "For a Nuclear-Free World, for the Survival of Mankind" Forum. According to "Tribune" Wills had discussions with Yuri Druzdov, Head of the Asia, Africa and Middle East Department.


This "Druzdov" was very possibly "Yuri Drozdov", pictured here in 1961.

Drozdov is regarded as a KGB "legend" and has recently published a book in Russia on his experiences "Fiction Excluded. The Notes of the Chief of Illegal Intelligence" - that's a name of a new book by the notorious Soviet spymaster Yuri Drozdov published in Russia. For 35 years he worked in the Soviet Foreign intelligence, spying in China, Germany, United States. The book tells of his operation in Germany, where, pretending to be the leader of the Neo-Nazi movement, Drozdov managed to recruit BND officer. Drozdov was also behind creation of the famous Soviet special units as, for example, "Vimpel" – created for special force missions abroad.

According to Pakistan's "Pak Tribune"
The deployment of the Soviet military contingent in Afghanistan in the end of 1979, warded off the Soviet Union's collapse by ten or even twelve years, said Yuri Drozdov. He was a KGB department chief at that time.

In March 1987 Wills was interviewed in the SUP's "Tribune" as a member of SANA. He was involved in campaign with CND to get Auckland Harbour made nuclear-free.

On June 8, 1987, Wills was the first speaker at an Auckland Trades Council Peace Office seminar. He was introduced by the SUP's Bill Andersen, founder of the World Peace Council's NZ affiliate, the NZ Council for World Peace".

In October 1987, Wills represented SANA at a World Peace Council Bureau meeting in Auckland.

In November 1988 Wills was a physics lecturer at Auckland University, based temporarily near Washington DC. He released a technical paper with Owen Wilkes (then a peace researcher with Peace Movement Aotearoa), outlining their case against Black Birch observatory - that it was being used for military purposes and was breaching the Nuclear Free Act of 1987.

In 1990, Wills was working at the Centre for Peace Studies, at Auckland University when he wrote an article for September's "Peacelink" on chemical weapons use in the Gulf War.

In May 1991 Wills wrote an article for the socialist journal "Agenda" on "Secret Star Wars Plans for Pacific"

In the Mid '90s, Wills was chairman of Greenpeace NZ.

Just the kind of person to give balanced comment on Clive Hulme's military exploits.

We Should Trust the Leninists-To Be Leninists

Socialists see the international communist movement far differently than most mainstream Westerners do. This is not because they are deluded. It is because they have inside knowledge and a far greater understanding of Marxist-Leninist strategy than we do.

Worldwide, Marxist-Leninist parties are growing again and most believe that China and Russia will eventually return to a more openly socialist stance. They believe that allied with the likes of Castro, Chavez, Mbeki, other third world revolutionaries and much of the Islamic world, they will be able to challenge and defeat the West.

Below is a recent article from "Vanguard" newspaper of the pro-Chinese, Communist Party of Australia (Marxist-Leninist).

“Thanks to China and Venezuela, we are in good way to resolve the crisis that appeared in our country after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991."

Cuban leader Fidel Castro said these words last year. In November of the previous year, Hu Jintao the Chinese President, made a goodwill tour of South America. It included Cuba.


There is no doubt that relations between the two countries are strong and getting stronger. The positive standing of China extends through Latin America.

"We have a solid base on which to deepen our relations, thanks to our many shared common politics. We both choose a socialist path to our development," Hu said when the two leaders met. “Socialism will remain in the end the only real hope for peace and the survival of our species," added Castro and noted Cuba and China share "the ideals of socialism;” that China "objectively speaking has become the most promising hope and the best example for all developing countries." "I do not hesitate to say that it is now the main engine of world economic growth … Each people must adapt its revolutionary strategy and goals to the specific conditions of its own country.

"In a country that was overwhelmingly rural, a vanguard of workers and intellectuals contributed to the poor and oppressed of China the enlightening ideas of socialism, inspired by the genius of (Karl) Marx, and the boundless daring and revolutionary talent of Lenin,"

Cuba’s Vice President, Raul Castro, said at a business forum during the same visit, "China has achieved nothing short of a feat, transforming a poor, backward and multiethnic country into a genuine power," and that "this was not a miracle; rather it was achieved through the guidance of the Communist Party, which led toward socialism using Chinese techniques for this growth." Raul Castro continued, “In Cuba, we, too, adopt socialism to buttress our independence and economic development."


Referring to Hu's tour, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez stated: "China came to Latin America like a sister. China reached out a hand in friendship toward those who needed it most."

At a conference around that time Castro Neves, Brazil's ambassador to China, declared that: "In 2003, our economy had zero growth. We did not progress, but, fortunately, did not regress either. Without China, we would have regressed almost 1 percent." In Brazil, the largest country of South America, where 185 million inhabitants live, this 1 percent represents the difference between suffering from famine and having enough to eat for hundreds of thousands of people.

China is now Cuba’s third largest trading partner, behind only Venezuela and Spain. In varying degrees, China supports Cuban education, oil exploration, nickel mining, technological development and transportation infrastructure.

At the end of 2005 a group of leaders of the Communist Party of China arrived in Cuba for talks with their Cuban counterparts. On December 21 the Cuban President received the Chinese Communist Party’s Political Bureau Standing Committee member Luo Gan at the Revolution Palace in Havana. Fidel Castro and Luo Gan examined the state of bilateral relations in the presence of high-ranking Communist Party officials from both nations, according to the Granma newspaper.


NoteThe West generally thinks China is on the way to "liberal democracy" because she has enjoyed great success through using capitalist methods. Unfortunately most fail to realise that Marxist-Leninists have always acknowledged the huge productive power of capitalism and have often used it when it suits them. Lenin's New Economic Policy of the '20s was widely seen as a capitalist restoration in Russia-until Stalin reversed it.

Marxist-Leninists have learned by their mistakes. They no longer nationalise industry when coming to power, they milk capitalism, while tightening their grip on all other sectors of society. South Africa under Mbeki, Venezuela under Chavez or Brazil under "Lula" are good examples of the modern approach to socialist take over.

We should take Castro, Chavez and Hu Jintao at their word. World revolution is still very much on their agenda

Russia Backs Iran. Who is Surprised?

From Jihad Watch

Russia today offered its most outspoken support yet of the controversial nuclear programme in Iran, its neighbour and trading partner.


"Our advice to our Iranian colleagues and friends is to complete work with the International Atomic Energy Authority and to calmly continue its nuclear energy programme... and on this path we are ready to provide assistance to Iran," Sergei Kislyak, the Deputy Foreign Minister, told a security conference in Moscow.





From Axis Information and Analysis July 2005

Cardinal changes in Russian-Iranian relations are not in view, said Aleksey Dedov, Russia's provisional Charge d'Affaires in Tehran, in an interview in the Russian daily, Nezavisimaya Gazeta. "Shortly after his election, Ahmadinejad personally confirmed the success of the Iranian leadership's strategic line towards further development of mutually beneficial and multidirectional cooperation with Russia,"

Heather Roy, I Salute You

ACT's Heather Roy is easily one of the most hardworking and committed MPs in parliament.

As ACT's national security spokesman she has decided to front up to see what life is like for soldiers in the field. Heather Roy has joined the Territorial Army.

This weekend, she leaves her family and the comfort of Karori to start six weeks of Basic training in the muddy dugouts, seemingly vertical hills and freezing rivers of Waiouru.

Having done a "Basic" myself many years ago, I know Heather will enjoy the experience immensely and learn heaps about herself and her comrades.

It's a real credit to Heather that she takes her responsibilities so seriously that she is willing to take on yet another big commitment.

For more details check out this article.

Hats off to Heather Roy.

ACT Up!

according to the latest Roy Morgan poll

ACT is up from 1% to 2.5%.

Maori Party is up by 0.5% to 2%

NZ First is down 1% to 3.5%

National are down by 3% to 40%

Labour are up 1.5% to 41.5%

Greens are up 0.5% to 7%.

According to Andrew Falloon

Strangely enough though, it shows that the Government in its present form does not enjoy 50% support, and would need the Greens or the Maori Party to govern. But then, if the Nats were to govern they would need the support of the Maori Party, NZ First, United Future and those troublesome ACT chaps. It seems the Greens hold a significant amount of power, but will their support hold until the election? They will surely suffer if they are hovering around the 5-6% mark with the absence of an electorate.

Kotare Kay Makes Moko Pay

A few years ago, an activist associated with the Kotare School made a complaint to the Human Rights Commission. In my opinion, this complaint resulted in a significant loss of choice and ability to exercise property rights, for licensed premises owners and employers, all over the country.

Below is an article on the incident and its consequences by Human Rights Commissioner Joris De Bres


"Moko, a traditional and contemporary expression of tikanga Maori (Maori Culture)
All New Zealanders are familiar with the traditional moko. It appears in our carvings, our art, and it is recognised internationally as something distinctively and uniquely New Zealand. Maori have traditionally worn the moko as an inherent part of their culture, and it is worn by many today.

There have been instances where Maori have been refused service in licensed premises because of a general ban on tattoos, or a specific ban on facial tattoos. These have, in a number of cases, led to complaints to the former Race Relations Office and more recently (since the two organisations were merged) to the Human Rights Commission. One such complaint was received in 2001 from Kay Robin, of Gisborne, who was refused entry to Scotty's Bar and Grill on the grounds of a "no facial or offensive tattoos" policy. Proceedings were filed in the Human Rights Review Tribunal, but the issue was eventually settled by a voluntary agreement involving the Director of Human Rights Proceedings, the plaintiff and the defendant.

The settlement reached included an acknowledgment by the bar owner that the "no facial" portion of his "no facial or offensive tattoos" policy was in breach of the indirect discrimination provision (Section 65) of the Human Rights Act in respect of the plaintiff's moko, and that the implementation of the policy had caused the plaintiff humiliation, loss of dignity and injury to feelings because of the special taonga status of ta moko.

The bar owner agreed that he would no longer continue to breach Section 65 of the Act by the use and implementation of a "no facial or offensive tattoos" policy and that he would pay the defendant $3000 as compensation for humiliation, loss of dignity and injury to her feelings. He agreed to remove the word "facial" from the sign displayed in his premises and not to add it to any similar sign in future.

The defendant had argued that under the Sale of Liquor Act 1989 he was "not obliged to serve liquor at any time to any person". However, this section of the Act is specifically subject to the Human Rights Act. The settlement in this case confirms the Commission's view that it is contrary to the indirect discrimination Provisions of the Human Rights Act to decline to serve liquor to someone with a moko.

The Commission's advice to bar owners, as well as other employers and proprietors, is to take note of this settlement as it sends a clear signal as to the meaning of the Act. It is our view that a person of Maori descent cannot be denied entry to or service in a licensed premises on the grounds that they are wearing a moko on any visible part of their body.

Proprietors are advised to use their common sense in identifying moko, rather than seeking to question the authenticity of the moko or the ethnicity of the wearer. In general terms, the Commission advises caution in refusing service on the grounds of wearing any kind of bodily marking per se, and suggests that general references to reasonable standards of dress and appearance are less likely to be in breach of anti-discrimination provisions.

Should other customers complain, we suggest they be respectfully told "Mate, this is New Zealand, it's part of our culture".



This post is not primarily concerned about the abominable decision by youthful Marxist, De Bres. It is about the role of Kay Robin and (if any) the Kotare School in the incident.

Here are some questions I'd love to have answered. Perhaps someone from Kotare might oblige?

A Kay Robin was a trustee of the Kotare Research and Education Trust in 2005 and associated with Kotare at least as early as 2003. Was she involved with Kotare in any way during or before the "Scotty's" incident?

B Was Kay Robin aware of Scotty's no facial tattoos policy before she entered the premises on the day in question?

C If not, did any Kotare personnel become involved or in any way, assist or give sdvice with the HRC complaints procedure?

D If Kay Robin was aware of the policy, were any Kotare personnel involved in planning this incident, so it could be used as the basis of a complaint to the Human Rights Commission?

E Did Kotare, or anyone associated with Kotare, recieve any of the $3,000 paid by "Scotty's"?

My post on Rosa Parks shows how a stage managed incident can be used to initiate "social change". Is this what happened here or am I being a bit over conspiratorial?

Anyway, I'm sure the owner of "Scotty's" would like to know.


Letter to the Gisborne Herald
Saturday, March 24, 2006

The She Triathlon at the weekend was an amazing experience for my sisters and I as first-time participants and all the mothers and grandmothers.
We were just a few of the many whanau members – apparently the largest contingent of Maori to participate in the She triathlons to date.
It was hugely disappointing to see that Maori were not visible in any of the photos used by The Gisborne Herald on Monday March 20 and Tuesday March 21.
I have voiced my concerns to the editor and while I understand it was not deliberate I fail to see how we could be missed.
The camera doesn’t lie, but neither is it all-seeing.
He mihi aroha ki nga wahine toa nga wahine noa huri i te rohe Ka mau i te wehi. It takes nothing away from the awesome sense of achievement.

Kay Robin

What Does Kotare School Actually Do?

Sue Bradford's Kotare School works with a wide variety of groups all over NZ and abroad. Below are excerpts from their Spring 2005 newsletter to give an idea what they're up to. Much of it sounds quite innocuous, harmless even. However think of the damage that UNITE and Sue Bradford's youth wage campaign will do to our vulnerable young. Think of the damage the Happy Valley campaign and others like it have done to the livelihoods of West Coasters.

What I am trying to illustrate here is the depth and breadth of Kotare's networking. These people are training hundreds of people in Marxist techniques to covertly "change" our society in a socialist direction. This is what used to be called, in more honest times, "subversion"

Do we want hundreds more radicals trained by Sue Bradford and Co, at our expense, unleashed on our country?

My comments are in bold.

Twice during 2005 Kotare has taken workshop participants to visit Puatahi Marae and met with whanau from Ngati Rongo. It has been a privilege to take our participants to this awesome marae and to hear the stories and challenges faced by this hapu. We look forward to building on this relationship and acknowledge this gift to our organisation and education programmes.

A little "white guilt" never hurt an aspiring revolutionary.

In May 2005 a range of community development workers came to Kotare to discuss the thorny issues of leadership in groups. We were very fortunate to have Julie Foreman and Ella Hogan with us from the Sydney Community Animation Project who are Freire based workers in grassroots housing campaigns and other issues. There are practical and ideological issues around leadership which Kotare is keen to keep exploring. The Community Animators from Sydney brought a fresh analysis and perspective to the workshop!.

Kotare networks with other Freire based, or Marxist "schools" including several in the USA.

Catherine ran a workshop at the Tairawhiti Youth Workers Symposium on using skits to explore issues with young people. The theme explored in this session was the disappointment of youth workers when young people did not respond to projects designed for them not by them, and the associated power issues; the drama tools were very well received

Always focusing on the young and the gullible.

Sustaining Our Activism Sustaining Ourselves June 05. Shona, Gordon and Catherine facilitated this workshop with some inspiring younger activists in Wellington. Many of these people had been fighting the motorway bypass and/or global capitalism at international protests. The most valuable activity was a discussion of burn out using a story telling process. It inspired us to schedule an intergenerational dialogue process at the Summer School in January 06.

This of course refers to the anarchist, neo Maoist and Green anti motorway agitators of the Campaign for a Better City.

Quentin Jukes came to Te Tairawhiti and facilitated a very useful day for the Tairawhiti Beneficiary Advocates Group, which is a group developed from Kotare's work on the poverty issues of the East Coast. It was great for the volunteer advocates to have some creative time with Quentin to affirm the value of individual differences in styles and a common commitment to justice based advocacy

Teaching beneficiaries that the answer to their problem lies in screwing the taxpayer for every cent possible. That's what socialist "empowerment", is all about.

Shona and Kay led the annual junior youth program at the Centre in early October, As usual the young people kept us on our toes and it was really great to have presentations from young activists Frances Mountier and John Darroch. Frances is part of the anti mining campaign fighting to protect Happy Valley from Solid Energy and John is active in Radical Youth and organics in Auckland. The group was also privileged to visit Ngati Rongo at Puatahi marae and learn about the realities of colonisation and Te Tiriti from the flaxroots.

Holding two teen age radical ratbags up as heroes to an even younger bunch of aspiring Che Guevaras. Bloody disgraceful.

Sewage Activist Workshop November 17-19. Gordon and Catherine will be leading this workshop for activists based in coastal hapu and communities. The workshop is to assist these people and their groups to share effective strategies to challenge institutional pollution of the food basket and the environment. A range of groups from around the country will be represented and we hope to build solidarity as well as share technical and practical solutions.

Shit stirrers.

Women Studies Conference. Catherine and Karen are planning to offer a workshop at this Auckland Conference for women in community groups. The issues of social change versus social service work is a possible theme.

Social work should be about helping people to better themselves. Social change involves no personal responsibility-society has to change, not the individual. Libertarians want a society where people are free to change themselves and their circumstances. Socialists want to change society so that everyone conforms to their view of reality.

Kotare Summer School "Sustaining Our Activism" January 21, 22, 23 2006 3 days of dialogue, strategising and relaxing with activists from many different campaigns and experiences. We invite people of all ages to attend this opportunity to deepen our connections. There will be intergenerational story telling and dialogue, chilling out on the deck and radical vision brainstorms, plus good food and guitars!

Making bloody revolution fun!

Activist Skillshare - "The Change Agency" In March 2006 Sam LaRocca and James Whelan from the Australian organisation The Change Agency are coming to spend time with Kotare. We are planning an activist skillshare and educators training workshop with them. We would also like to put them in touch with groups around the country interested in their work (see web site www.TheChangeAgency. org). This will be an exciting opportunity to share ideas and techniques for social change work, so if you are interested register with Kotare now for either the activism skillshare or the educational techniques workshop.

Networking, networking, networking....

Disabled Activist Strategy Workshop Some disabled activists including from the DPA are is interested in a workshop with Kotare to look at some of our tools for analysis and campaigning in relationship to their goals. Gordon Jackman of Kotare is also a DPA member and would lead the process. This is an exciting new area of solidarity and coalition building potential for Kotare Trust. .

Disabled people are now a big target of the organised left. The recent move to make deaf sign languague an official language has big implications, just as making Maori an official language has. Only ACT's two MPs were smart enough to see this and voted against it.

Deep South Community Building. The South Coast Environmental Society from Aparima (Riverton) have invited Kotare to return to run another community development workshop in their region in March. We look forward to returning to this great community working towards their own environmental and economic sustainability.

Is this a front for the Rriverrton Rrevolutionarry Arrmy?

How Whorehouses are Healthier than Hospitals

Richard Prebble's latest "The Letter" also says As an interesting aside, everyone now agrees that the prostitution law reform has been a failure. There is more prostitution, more street walking and younger girls are involved.

Here is your answer to our health problems.


There are no waiting lists in brothels. If anything, there is an oversupply of beds. Health has 12.000 bureaucrats for 12,000 beds. You will often find bureaucrats in bed in brothels, but businesspeople run brothels not bureacrats. In brothels, "specialists" are available to deal with any special "problem" at a moments notice. There are way more women in nurses uniforms in brothels than there are in hospitals. Almost everybody leaves a brothel (A) alive and (B) satisfied.

Here's a paradox. If our health system was as free as our sex industry, fewer kiwis would actually get screwed.

Prebble on Why Health is Sick

From the latest "The Letter" by Richard Prebble.

There are now 12,000 health bureaucrats, one for every hospital bed. Despite an increase in hospital spending of around 40%, elective surgery has increased by just 8%.

The private system has always been more efficient but the gap is increasing. The cost of a night in intensive care at Auckland Public Hospital costs $3901, while at the private Auckland based Ascot Hospital it is just $929. The conclusion of the Gibbs Report into health, now 20 years old, is still valid. Gibbs found that the most efficient public hospital was more inefficient than the most inefficient private hospital. Answer; use the private system for all elective surgery.

Hospital Boards used to be connected to their local community and had a high degree of autonomy. Labour campaigned to restore elected boards and local control. But now the boards are there to do the Minister's wishes. A directive by new Minister of Health Pete Hodgson dated 27 March stated that no MP may visit a DHB without ministerial "permission". If given a briefing the DHB is "to provide the Minister with a written report on the nature and details of the visit."

Not one board protested at this removal of even the pretence of local autonomy. It took a complaint from ACT MP Heather Roy to the Auditor-General for the Minister to claim the directive was unauthorized. However the "corrected" directive of 6 April says that "it is normal practice for them [MPs] to approach the responsible Minister and advise of their intention to visit." (False, MPs have never sought ministerial approval to visit hospital boards). DHB's are advised to "please ring or email the Minister's office and check that the requesting MP has advised the Ministers office." "Following the visit, we would appreciate a written report".

Question from yours truly. Why are the two sectors that give everybody the most grief-Health and Education, also the two most socialised sectors of our economy?

Delahunty Spills Her Guts on Kotare School, Part 2 (Final)

Excerpts from Part Two of a talk given by Kotare School "educator", Catherine Delahunty in Sydney in 2004. "We Make the Road By Talking?” Part one is here.

Working at our Centre and around the country we share our structural analysis tools and interactive learning techniques with community workers who are the front line of both community development work and community enterprise. We travel the length of the country to work with community groups and campaigns, but we prefer when it is affordable, to bring people together at the Kotare Centre. At our Centre we display the posters of forty years of justice struggles from our country and from around the world.

One of the critical lessons of the campaigns of the 1980’s was learning how much damage we can do to each other by brutal ideological internal conflict. I grew up on the fundamentalist Marxist left and learnt that no matter how wonderfully right we were about everything we could not build a movement for change because of the intolerant and abusive behaviour which characterised our processes. At Kotare we strive to walk another road which is respectful and supportive of people and dedicated to good and safe processes. This is a challenge when you just know that lecturing people in a very loud voice is the most effective way to brow beat them into revolutionary correctness.

In other words, the old Marxists put people off by being too strident and doctrinaire. Kotare is about a subtler, more gentle and more effective form of Marxism.

In the workshop that we are offering to this Conference, we are using one of one our favourite tools, a structural analysis technique called “The Wave”. This is a tool for mapping positional power in relation to a specific issue. The genealogy of tools such as “The Wave” is debated, but our researches suggest it came from Paolo Freire and was brought to Aotearoa by a key exponent of Freire’s work, Phillipe Franchette from Mauritius. Phillipe visited Aotearoa a number of times in the 1980s and worked with a range of people and groups.

Philippe Franchette, a Catholic priest, did indeed bring Marxist Structural Analysis to NZ in the '80s. One his pupils was well known Maori "Radical" and colleague of Donna Awatere's, Ripeka Evans. Franchette worked closely with Marxist priest, father John Curnow (who had close ties to the Workers Communist League) holding structural analysis courses all over the country to mainly church and Maori groups. Maori Party leader, Tariana Turia, for instance studied with Curnow. Structural Analysis was denounced by some conservative Catholics at the time as a form of "Marxist brainwashing", which was probably not too far from the truth.

I learnt about“The Wave” as an analytical tool from Christine Herzog, who is a remarkable structural analysis and Te Tiriti rights educator from Auckland. At Kotare we mainly use this tool as a role-play wearing hats and masks etc because it’s more fun and more dynamic than sitting and talking about it. It is only one of many creative ways of working with the issues that people bring to workshops. These tools help us to name the enemy, strategise for change and affirm a progressive vision in whatever sector we work in.

Name the "enemy", a "progressive vision". Does this sound a teensy bit Marxist to you?

Kotare is unabashedly political and we own our agenda. We have relationships with a growing number of groups and communities who want to critically analyse their work and direction.

Our workshops and programmes have diverse titles from “Coalition Building Skills for Activists” to “Refresh and Review for Isolated Community Workers” to “The Revolutionary Pyjama Party – Film Weekend”. We hold workshops on structural analysis, drama for social change and women's empowerment in political life. We attract the fringe dwelling social activists who often comment that at least there is one place they can go where their preoccupation with justice is normalised.

The "Fringe dwelling social activists" are being armed by Kotare with the technology to covertly subvert our system and way of life. This is the "democracy", the left are always going on about?

In order to stay in touch with the campaigning realities of our target participants we draw different lines from most academics and adult educators. The following two case studies outline how we are active in catalyst work and follow up support for people making change. The difficulty is where to draw the line between working “for” and working “with” people and groups on campaigns, and what is education as opposed to campaigning. Sometimes we seem to be wearing numerous hats and juggling them for the coins tossed by the small number of philanthropic trusts who recognise our value.

More on the funding of Kotare later. Rest assured dear taxpayer, you're doing your bit.

Case Studies of the Activist/Educator Role
1. The role of Kotare in the creation of advocacy for the poor
The process whereby we became a catalyst for major local challenge on welfare issues is a good example of the way educators can support and inspire activism. Several of the travelling tutors for Kotare Trust, including myself, live in Te Tairawhiti on the East Coast of the North Island of Aotearoa. This area, although a rich food basket has appalling wealth and poverty gaps between the Pakeha farming and land holding classes and the Maori dispossessed. Many people on low incomes and benefits receive a bare minimum and are barely coping. You would think that targeted Government support would be well utilised but our researches revealed that the opposite it was true.

So at the beginning of 2003 Kotare held a workshop for community workers on how to force the Ministry of Social Development to pay people their entitlements under law. This resulted in a community process of meetings and challenges leading up to an “Impact” outside Ministry offices in Oct 2003. An “Impact” is a direct action involving as many experienced beneficiary advocates as possible sitting outside welfare offices advocating for full entitlement for as many people in need as possible over a 3 day period. About 500 people attended the “Impact” seeking help, which naturally led to a follow up process and the development of a new local group carrying out ongoing advocacy. A year later the group is offering a free service to the communities of Te Tairawhiti and has forced MSD into an improved performance.

Great. No thought about upskilling people to earn higher wages, or getting people off the dole. Kotare's whole pupose here was to teach people how to squeeze every possible last dollar out of the MSD-or rather poor saps like us who pay the taxes..

The role of Kotare in Te Tiriti o Waitangi protest
Kotare is a Pakeha dominated organisation. In our country this means that according to a treaty of agreement made between the Crown and tangata whenua leadership we have a right to live within the country providing we acknowledge the independent sovereignty of the tangata whenua. As in Australia, the colonisation process has done its best to suppress the collective indigenous rights and ongoing relationships of the indigenous people to their land and resources. In 2004 yet another confiscation of indigenous rights (to the foreshore and seabed) is being forced through Parliament. Protest has been huge and dynamic and there has been a role for Pakeha willing to face the issues. Kotare members have been active participants in the political protests and in the Select Committee hearings to Parliament.

Marxists call this "National Question" politics. The deliberate promotion of "self determination" by "oppressed" races in order to bring about social change, up to the point of revolution if necessary.

We make the road by action as well as talk. We make the road by being uncomfortable and unpopular with the mainstream. We make the road by walking in the protest marches and into the forums of the powerful with our unrefined anger, our experience and our analysis. We then make the road by teaching each other what it is that we have felt and seen and learned while in the midst of the political action.

In other words, we don't fit into your society, but we aren't humble enough to examine our screwed up ideas and make personal changes. We're going to force you to live on our terms-and we're going to teach other malcontents how to make trouble as well.

Cuba-Venezuelan Parliamentary Fusion

From the Communist party of Australia's Guardian 12.4.06

On March 31, on the other side of the world, the Speaker of the Venezuelan Parliament, Nicolas Maduro, arrived in Havana heading a delegation that will participate in the second Cuba-Venezuela Legislative meeting, aimed at further boosting official relations.

The gathering will lay the ground-work to strengthen links between the two country's legislative houses and implement concrete actions.

The participants will analyse the ALBA integration project, US aggression and interventionist policy, Washington´s economic and financial blockade of Cuba and the release of five Cubans unfairly imprisoned in US jails. (ALBA is the Alternativa Bolivariana para las Américas, a progressive alternative to the US-promoted Free Trade Area of the Americas.)

The inter-parliamentary co-operation between the two nations and their coordination in international forums will also be discussed, including Latin American integration policy and the experiences in collaboration between Cuba and Venezuela.

Ricardo Alarcon, Speaker of the Cuban Parliament, leads the Cuban delegation at the meeting.

Trans Tasman Socialist Solidarity Solidified

From the CPA's Guardian of 12.4.06


Peter Symon, Warren Brewer, Brendan Tuohy and CPA President, Hannah Middleton.

The Communist Party of Australia recently had the pleasure of hosting a delegation from the Socialist Party of Aotearoa . Party Secretary Warren Brewer and Chair Brendan Touhy's March visit heralds a strengthening of trans-Tasman co-operation between communist forces.

During their week-long visit the comrades held talks with trade unionists in Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong, and spoke at public forums with the theme: "Industrial Relations — learning from New Zealand's disaster".

Both comrades have long histories as union activists and related the horrors inflicted on New Zealand workers after the Employment Contracts Act was enacted in 1991.

The comrades were also invited to the CPA Central Committee meeting where formal greetings were exchanged.

CPA General Secretary, Peter Symon, told The Guardian that the visit restored relations between the two parties that had been in abeyance for some years.

"It's an important step in this area of the world where the people of our own countries are facing serious attacks on their rights and conditions and where the people of the South Pacific nations are also striving to consolidate their independence, build their economies and improve living standards.

"Our parties have important responsibilities and their joint co-oporation will add to our collective strength and influence", he said.

Comrade Brewer concurred: "It seems only fitting, as the bourgeoisie of our two country's discuss, with growing enthusiasm, the notion of a single trans-Tasman market, perhaps even a common currency that the Australian and New Zealand Parties of the Marxist-Leninist tradition should formalise their fraternal relationship", said Comrade Brewer.

"To be able to link our visit, to meet with the CPA Central Committee, with practical work among ordinary unionists and party members was a real bonus."

"What is surprising is not the number of Kiwis we have met but the extent to which we, workers on both sides of the ditch, experience the same employer tactics, often the same employers, the same economic polices, and the same excuses for failure.

"There has probably never been a time when the interests of the Australasian working class have had so much in common."

The SPA presented the CPA with a gift of a framed lino-cut.

"It was created in the mid to late '50s to produce banners and the like", said Comrade Brewer. "It is of a Pakeha and Maori hand and for our purpose it symbolises the new CPA-SPA relationship."

The lino-cut was created by artist Len Gale, a life long Marxist and member of the SPA. Len was involved in the 1951 NZ waterfront lockout as part of the underground media group. He is known in Australia for the art work he produced for the 100th anniversary of Eureka — recently reprinted by the CPA for the 150th anniversary.

Note For a bio of Brendan Tuohy, go here.

Warren Brewer

Brewer was formerly a unionist in the Waikato, latterly with the
NZ Building Trades Union and the SPA controlled, National Distribution Union.

In the late '90s he was a leader of the Hamilton Organisation for Local Democracy, which worked on local body issues. He was also active in the Hamilton Latin America Committee.

Now living near Christchurch, Brewer publishes SPA's paper "Red Flag". He is also a member of Murray Horton's Campaign Against Foreign Control of Aotearoa.

Brewer also the co-edits "The Spark", the journal of the Trans Tasman Socialist Secretariat. The TTSS, consists of SPA and the Australian organisation, the Maritime Union's Socialist Activities Association. This group, MUSAA is independent, but allied to the Communist Party of Australia.

It is perhaps a signal of action to come that SPA and the CPA have re-established direct ties.

Near Limitless Transport Fuel from Coal?

Maksimovich at Outsidethecube runs an excellent scientific/political blog. Check out his latest post on coal to diesel conversion technology here.

Professor Alan Goldman and his Rutgers team in collaboration with researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have developed a way to convert carbon sources, such as coal to diesel fuel.

This important advance could significantly cut America's dependence on foreign oil – what President Bush called "an addiction" in his 2006 State of the Union address. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, our 286 billion tons of coal in the ground translate into energy reserves 40 times those of oil.

How long until the greenies start raving on about "Peak Coal"?

Newman Explains Labour's Health Rationing System

In her latest Newman Weekly, Muriel Newman explains how Labour's health waiting lists work-or more accurately, don't.

To see the full article go to Muriel's NZ Centre for Political Debate.

Emily, like 180,000 or so other New Zealanders, is on a hospital waiting list.

The problem is this “queue” of people waiting for surgery is no longer called a “waiting list”. It was changed when lengthening hospital waiting lists became politically embarrassing in the late nineties.

Growing waiting lists are a symptom of a sick health system: a “Schindler’s list” of 180,000 sick and dying people is hardly the sort of image wanted by a government trying to claim it is running a modern and effective health system!

Waiting lists have now been replaced with a “tiered” booking and management system. Patients needing non-urgent surgery are referred to a specialist by their GP. They then join the hundreds of thousands of patients waiting for a specialist assessment. Once seen by the specialist, they will receive a ‘points’ score, which will either qualify them for the hospital booking system, or they will remain under assessment by the specialist or their GP until their condition deteriorates to a stage that justifies surgery.

In other words, the single old-fashioned waiting list has now been replaced by a modern version - several separate waiting lists operating at different levels of prioritization. At the highest level are those patients who are booked in for surgery with a date for their operation. Next are those who are booked in but are still waiting for a date. Then, there are those waiting to get onto the booking list, those waiting to be assessed, and those waiting for their conditions to deteriorate. But no matter what they want to call it, there are still 180,000 people waiting for surgery.

Fisking Marxist Matt McCarten

I couldn't let this piece in todays Herald on Sunday, by Marxist Matt McCarten, go by without a good fisking. Below are some excerpts, with my comments in bold.

Wasn't the victory for workers in France magnificent this week? Millions of workers and students took to the streets over the past month to staunchly oppose their Government's attempt to introduce new employment laws. This law was to allow employers to sack any young worker in their first two years for any reason whatsoever.

The French working class and the youth took to the streets day after day. Rolling general strikes were called by the central trade union federations. The cities were paralysed. After several weeks of huffing and puffing, the senior French politicians capitulated. The Government surrendered on every point. It was a complete and humiliating backdown.

New Zealanders should take note from this - of how attacks against working people can be defeated. Dr Wayne Mapp, the National Party's Political Correctness Terminator, has a bill currently before Parliament that is similar to what the French Government tried to impose. Mapp is proposing that New Zealand employers can legally sack new workers in their first three months without giving a reason or having to justify their actions. National and Act supported this pro-slavery legislation to go to select committee as you would expect. But disappointingly, so did NZ First, United Future and three of the four Maori MPs.

Victory? Bloody victory. The French have just condemned thousands of young people to unnecessarily high unemployment. Joblessness is especially high for immigrant and Muslim youth. That means they will now be denied a chance to enter the French mainstream and enjoy the economic prosperity their parents emigrated for. That means more crime, more Islamic radicalisation, more riots and more social division. Hang on a minute! If you're a Marxist-Leninist like Matt, maybe it is a victory, after all.

Thankfully, there is a breath of fresh air. The successful fight by young workers employed in fast-food restaurants in Auckland for a better deal gives me hope. The Unite union's campaign against low wages and youth rates has dovetailed nicely with the Greens' Sue Bradford's bill against youth rates.

This is of course a total coincidence. Sue Bradford runs the Kotare School for training young revolutionaries. Radical Youth members such as those who organised the recent march in Queen Street are involved both with the Kotare School and Matt's UNITE union. If any readers believe this is a coincidence, please contact me ASAP. I own a big bridge that connects Auckland City with the North Shore, that you might like to buy? Very poor form Matt, praising UNITE in your column, without mentioning that you run the organisation.

The most inspiring thing has been the secondary school students who have now come into the frontline of this campaign. Off their own back, 1000 Auckland students left school a couple of weeks ago and marched in protest at their discriminatory wages.

What total rubbish. Several Radical Youth leaders are the sons and daughters of well known Auckland socialists. A few organised and well supported agitators can easily get a certain number of naive teenagers to go along with damn near anything.

The students have taken them at their word and have organised a second march against youth wages on May 1, after school finishes.

Buses are being arranged to take students to Aotea Square. The student organisers are requesting teachers and parents come too.

Who's providing the buses Matt? I' bet UNITE is, like it did last time. Without UNITE and probably Kotare, Radical Youth would be nothing. This stuff is nothing new. The Communist Party had the Young Communist League, the Progressive Youth League and the Progressive Youth Movement. Sue Bradford's People's Network had the Aotearoa Youth Network and the National Youth Network. Your comrades in the Australian Democratic Socialist Perspective/Socialist Alliance have their youth wing, Resistance. Every one of these so called independent youth groups worked or works in the interests of the parent party. Radical Youth is no different Matt and you know it.

This next generation is showing real spine. The challenge for other workers and the rest of New Zealand is, do we expect them to fight on their own or do we support them? Like the French showed the world, when students and workers take to the streets together to send a message to politicians, they win.

On May Day we'll see if the youth are on their own or if the rest of New Zealand is going to support them.

Spine? What cobblers. Real courage is taking an individual stand, not stirring up mobs of silly schoolkids to take the hits for you. The courageous kids are the ones who do so well at work that the boss wil give them a wage rise before even being asked. You should be deeply ashamed of yourself Matt, for using your column to write what you must know is pure propaganda. The Herald should be ashamed for allowing you the column space to do it.