"National Question" Part 8 Comrades Who C.A.R.E.

In 1964 (and earlier in some other centres) remnants of CABTA reunited in Auckland to form the Citizens Association for Racial Equality (CARE).

"main aim of the Association is to oppose racial prejudice in all its forms, both in New Zealand and overseas."

CARE's first Treasure was Tom Newnham, a longtime supporter of the Peoples Republic of China.


Another founder was Frank Haigh, lawyer to the Communist Party and employer of a young lawyer named David Lange. Haigh seeded the organisation with 500 pounds of his own money, no small sum in those days.


Others included Bill Glass, a doctor and former Communist Party member, who was still donating to the Party in the late '80s

Another founding member was Jim Gale, an Auckland teachers College lecturer who was the organisation's vice-president in 1968/69. Gale was the son of Communist Party member, Tom Gale and brother of life long Marxist-Leninist, Len Gale. Jim Gale was president of the Communist Party aligned, Auckland University Socialist Club in 1953 and in the late '50s worked for the Soviet front, Institute for Peace and Friendship,in Vienna.

Mat Rata was also a prominent member.


This pattern of Communist linked activists was repeated throughout the country.

CARE also attracted many other prominent figures including Maori activist Titewhai Harawira, two presidents of the Maori Women's Welfare League (Elizabeth Murchie and Mira Szasy), Marxist writers Bill Pearson and Con O'Leary, North Vietnam correspondent and former Communist Freda Cook, socialist priest Fr Terry Dibble, leftist businessman Harold Innes, leftist historian (later prominent member of the Waitangi Tribunal) Keith Sorrenson and future Labour parliamentarian Richard Northey.

Our current Race Relations conciliator, a keen young Marxist-Leninist, Joris De Bres was also CARE Secretary/Organisor for several years.

CARE campaigned hard on the real racism in South Africa and highlighted in every possible way, examples of racism at home. Later it worked closely with the emerging Maori radical movement, Nga Tamatoa, the Polynesian Panthers, HART, the NZ Race Relations Council and the Auckland Committee on Racial Discrimination.

CARE cultivated a moderate image while heavily pushing the socialist "National Question" agenda.

The organisation survived well into the 1980s.