Keith Locke-A Wasted Life Part 1

Keith Locke was born in Christchurch in 1944. A "red nappy baby" his parents were well known Communist Party members, Jack and Elsie Locke.
Elsie Locke, one of the few women to serve on the party's central committee left the CP in 1956. She become a leader of the "peace" movement and a socialist icon. Jack Locke stuck with the CP or its offshoot the Socialist Workers Organisation until his death in 1996. Keith's sister, Maire Leadbetter is a leading light in the Auckland socialist scene today.

Keith Locke began a Bsc in Sociolology at canterbury University in 1962 and quickly became a leading light in the "New Left Club" Also active in the club were people such as the late socialist "intellectual" Bruce Jesson, radical Trotskyite, Owen Gager, current Alliance Party co-leader Paul Piesse and serving Finance Minister, Michael Cullen.

From 1966-68 Locke studied in Edmonton, Canada and achieved an MA in Sociology. There he became involved with the League for Socialist action, a Trotskite Group affililiated to the US Socialist Workers Party. In 1969 while a PhD student in sociology at the University of Toronto, Locke became chairman of "Australians and New Zealanders Against the War in Vietnam" . He was one of 25 members who attended a demo of 10,000 against the war in Toronto. He was also with a group who drove to Ottawa to picket Australian PM Gorton who was in town for talks with PM Trudeau. Locke wrote to NZ Monthly review in June 1969 "Many tendencies on the left were present: pacifists, Trotskyists, communists, anarchists and liberals . Most of the Communist and pacifist forces no longer dispute that the central aim of the anti-war movement should be the immediate withdrawal of US troops."

That same year, back in New Zealand, our own Trotskyite group, the Socialist Action League was founded in Wellington.
By 1970, Locke was an SAL member and was writing for its paper, Socialist Action. In August 1970 he addressed Wellington Radical Activists Congress, arguing for Trotskyism at the session "Maoism or Trotskyism, which way for the revolution in New Zealand?"

In the early 70s the SAL tried to infiltrate the Labour Party.
From 1970-74, Locke was a financial member of Labour Party's Farm Rd Branch.
In 1972 the SAL launched a "Socialists for Labour" campaign, "to build support for a Labour Government in 1972 around a socialist programme . . . it expects to attract many young people into a national network of Young Socialists for a Labour Government groups." Locke was simultaneously chairman of "Socialists for Labour" and National Secretary of the SAL. On May 25th of that year,the National Executive of the Labour Party announced proscription of the SAL. It issued a statement "structure and affiliation of the SAL is such that it offends against the constitution of the NZLP . . . it is not possible to belong to both the NZLP and the SAL." Locke issued a counter statement "Is it not a publicly-acknowledged fact that the SAL is an organisation of Labour Party members which explicitly supports the Party and organises socialists for this purpose?" Labour unsuccessfully tried to expel Locke in 1974.

Meanwhile Locke was busy fighting many enemies. In 1971 he was a member of the National Laison Committtee which organised nationwide anti Vietnam War demos. In the December 8th 1972, Socialist Action, Locke complained that Mike Law of HART (now an academic at Waikato University) assaulted him in central Wellington "following months of intense political debate within the antiwar and antitour movements". This was probably part of the "Maoist vs Trot" conflict raging in New Zealand socialist circles at the time. Maoism vs Trotskyism was the framework for an August 1975 debate between Locke and Rob Campbell at Victoria University "Foreign or Local Ownership: is NZ Nationalism Progressive?" Apparently even the CIA was after Keith Locke. In February 1976 Socialist Action reprinted CIA documents on SAL members George Fyson, Keith Locke and Terry Lane, obtained for the SAL under a court order by US friends, the "Political Rights Defence Fund".

From the early '70s to 1977, Locke edited Socialist Action. In this job he made a blunder that haunts him to this day.
In April 1975 Locke wrote a lead article for Socialist Action under the banner heading: "Cambodia Liberated: Victory For Humanity" The "liberators" were of course the Khmer Rouge led by the infamous Pol Pot. More than million Cambodians were murdered under the Khmer Rouge. I wonder how many New Zealand Cambodians vote Green today?

In 1976 Locke made another faux pas. In a March 26th article for Socialist Action he wrote "Open Door to Warships Raises Nuclear Risks". The risky ships were of course American. A short time later (July 23rd) a P Neary wrote a letter to Socialist Action, opposing nuclear weapons and supporting fusion power. Keith Locke's reply "Capitalism cannot be trusted with nuclear power. . . socialism . . . would step up nuclear power research in order to make it safe"

Letter to Keith Locke

I have just emailed this post to Green Party MP Keith Locke.

Green Party MP Keith Locke has come out swinging against the police for using informers against New Zealand anarchist groups.

Mr Locke stated on Prime TV tonight;

There is no evidence whatsoever that there are seriously violent potential terrorists within Greenpeace or any of the organisations that they (the police) infiltrated.

Is Keith Locke's judgement on such matters to be trusted? How good is Locke's track record when it comes to spotting potential violent behaviour or threats to public safety?

For several years in the 1970s, Keith Locke was editor of the Trotskyite newspaper Socialist Action. The April 25th 1975 edition, carried a lead article by Mr Locke under the banner heading: "Cambodia Liberated: Victory For Humanity".

Who were the "liberators"? The Khmer Rouge of course. Who led the Khmer Rouge? Mass murderer Pol Pot-that's who.

Up to two million dead.

In 1980 Keith Locke was a member of Socialist Action League National Committee. On February 23rd that year (Socialist Action March 14th) Keith Locke gave a talk in Wellington "Why workers should support Soviet Action in Afghanistan."

At least a million dead.

Today on National Radio Keith Locke cited the German film "The Lives of Others", which exposes the massive use of informers by the East German Stasi in the 1980s. Mr Locke compared Stasi tactics to those of the New Zealand police.

Yesterday Mr Locke issued a press release entitled Police Stasi tactics towards protestors undermine democracy.

During the early 1980's Keith Locke's Socialist Action League was very very close to the pro-Soviet NZ Socialist Unity Party-named incidentally after the then East German ruling party. Keith Locke was at that time effectively a supporter of the Soviet Union and by extension, its client state-Stasi run East Germany.

Keith Locke is a supporter of the radical Auckland University based Students for Justice in Palestine.


Keith Locke marching with SJP banner

Auckland SJP is dominated by Muslim students of Palestinian, Afghan, Indian and Pakistani extraction. It is regarded as one of the most militant groups on campus.

In September 2006 Auckland University SJP published a magazine entitled Intifada.

Keith Locke contributed an article to the magazine in his capacity as Green Party Foreign Affairs spokesman.

Sometimes, when I support Palestinian rights, I am accused of not being “even-handed” in the Israel/Palestine dispute.

But what does “even-handed” mean when the situation on the ground is hardly “even”. There is only one occupying power (Israeli) and only one occupied people (the Palestinians).

Another contributor to Intifada was a young female Afghan refugee named Rana Khumkhor. Ms Khumkhor contributed a short story examining the motivations of a Palestinian suicide bomber.

When death becomes a sacrifice

The Dead cannot ask for justice it is the duty of the living to do so. For my father and for my people the hunger of my hatred opens its mouth. Calling to me to avenge those who have fallen. Years ago my father gave his life for me. Tonight I die for Palestine.

I could start by telling you my name, but what would be the point? I’m just a face, in a sea of oppression, inflicted upon my people. For generations we suffered at the hands of the Zionists. Oh my insane rage vengeance will be ours, the clouds will clear and the sun will shine on us again. They think by uprooting our trees they can destroy our history? But our history is in our hearts and we will tell it to our children and they will tell it to their children. They cannot cut off our tongues...

Religion is what keeps us alive. It is what keeps us going, because in the mind of a freedom fighter fear of god is greater then the fear of death. The desire for paradise dominates our thoughts, reminding us that this wasn’t the way life was supposed to be...

Suddenly my train of thought comes to an abrupt halt as the bus comes to a stop I glance up to see cars lining up in front of the bus. I shrug it off as traffic. I know time is running out. I look outside the window and can barely make out my city of Jenin in the distance. I know this will be the last time I will see my home ever again. There is no turning back now, it is at the end of a person’s life when they realise how important the choices in her life are. Maybe my death won’t make a difference; maybe my people will continue to live in terror tomorrow. But maybe for just a moment, my enemies can feel what we feel when we lose a brother or a sister, a father or a mother, a daughter or a son. If they can feel what we feel for just a moment for just a fraction of a second, my death would have been worth something...

“We will be reaching Jerusalem in a few minutes “ I sit up straighter in my seat. It is now the time, I can wait no longer. I feel around in my pocket for the trigger that leads to the c4-tapped securely to my chest. I swallow the bile that had risen in my throat. I am afraid yes, I am afraid the bomb wont go off. There is no greater shame then failure and I have no desire to fail. I close my eyes imagining what it will be like. Will it hurt? Will I meet my maker upon my death? Or will I wait till the day of reckoning where we all shall be judged...

Oh lord forgive me for my sins. Forgive my father, forgive my family and most of all forgive my people. Shed some light on our oppression and free us.

I clutch the trigger in my hand. I take the time to acknowledge each person in the bus. I feel the walls in my heart closing up for I feel no pity where we received none. I look out the window for the last time. The bus is coming over a hill. There lies Jerusalem in all its glory. I close my eyes and take my last breath…. Freedom

Keith Locke, a senior Green Party MP has supported the organisation responsible for this material-what can only described as pro-terrorist, anti Israeli propaganda.

Either Keith Locke supports the militant anti Israeli views of SJP and their apparent sympathy for suicide bombers, or he has been sucked into supporting their propaganda.

Either way, his judgement is suspect to say the least.

Keith Locke has supported Pol Pot's "liberating" army, the Soviet rape of Afghanistan and a publication that glorifies Palestinian suicide bombers.

On this evidence, who is best qualified to judge who is a risk to public safety-Keith Locke or the new Zealand police?

If Mr Locke would like to answer this question, I will publish his reply in full.

I will keep readers updated as to Keith Locke's response.

Keith Locke Wins "Hypocrite of the Year, 2006".... in January!

Green MP Keith Locke has pulled off a stunning coup in taking out the New Zeal "Hypocrite of the Year" award for 2006, in January.

However our panel of judges felt compelled to award the prestigious prize to Mr Locke as they felt no one could possibly match his latest achievement.

As reported in this morning's NZ Herald, "NZ should lead the way by offering reparation to East Timor, Green MP Keith Locke said today after details of a damning UN report into what happened under Indonesian occupation were published.

The Australian newspaper quoted the report, which is yet to be presented to the UN, saying Indonesia killed up to 180,000 East Timorese through massacres, torture and starvation during its 24-year occupation.

It said 90 per cent of the 180,000 deaths (almost a third of the pre-invasion population) were caused by starvation and disease, and that starvation was used as a weapon.

Indonesia should pay reparation, the report said. It also called for Australia, Britain and the United States to offer reparation for providing backing for its military during the years of occupation 1975-1999.

Mr Locke told National Radio today that New Zealand had played a lesser role and had "much lower level" of military links than Australia.

Also; "politically NZ didn't go quite as far as Australia. Australia accepted the occupation," he said.

However Mr Locke said NZ's position was to accept that East Timor could not become independent.

"Politically NZ's position was, particularly in the cold war background, `we've got to support the Suharto regime we don't want a small radical state'."

Mr Locke said NZ's reparation could be small but meaningful "such as scholarships".

"Offering reparations would be a recognition that politically we went down the wrong track and we're very sorry for it and this is our message to the East Timorese people that we've learnt the lesson from that and put it behind us."

Indonesia's Invasion of east Timor occurred in 1975. What was Keith Locke doing that year? Well for one thing he was editor of the Marxist journal "Socialist Action".


On April 25th 1975, "Socialist Action" published a lead article by Locke under the banner heading: "Cambodia Liberated: Victory For Humanity"

This was of course the Khmer Rouge takeover of Cambodia, led by the infamous, Pol Pot. According to the very scholarly "Black Book of Communism" by French academics, S Courtois, N Werth, J L Panne, A Paczcowski, K Bartosek and J L Margolin, the Khmer Rouge murdered two million Cambodians.


On February 21st 1980, Mr Locke gave a public talk in Wellington, entitled "Why Workers Should Support Soviet Action in Afghanistan." . According to "Black Book of Communism", this Soviet "Action" resulted in the deaths of 1.5 million people.

As far as our panel of judges are aware, Mr Locke has never publicly apologised for supporting two of the worst sustained atrocities of modern times. Nor has he paid or offered one cent in reparations to the families of those whose slaughterers he supported.

These two events occurred around the time of events in East Timor. Mr Locke wants the NZ people to be accountable for our minor support for Indonesia at the time.

Has Mr Locke accepted responsibility for his far greater errors of judgement? Has he "learnt the lesson from that and put it behind" him? Simply breathtaking hypocrisy, Mr Locke.

New Zeal feels confident in awarding Mr Locke the "Hypocrite of the Year" award at this early stage. We feel he is in strong contention for "Hypocrite of the Decade".

Congratulations Mr Locke. You've earned it.

Keith Locke-A Wasted Life Part 2

In 1977 Keith Locke was replaced as Socialist Action editor and began working in the SAL's national office. Around 1978 the SAL's "big brothers", the US Socialist Workers Party, ordered a "turn to industry". All over the world, university educated Trotskyites, took up jobs in factories and meatpacking plants to get "close to the workers". Locke shelved his PHd and went to work in the Gear Meatworks in Wellington, then later at the Woburn Railway Workshops.

During this period the SAL worked closely with the pro-Soviet, Socialist Unity Party and were clearly on the Soviet side of the Soviet/Chinese rivalry of the time.
On February 21st 1980 Locke gave a talk in Wellington "Why Workers Should Support Soviet Action in Afghanistan."

In March the same year he was elected Secretary at founding meeting of the Wellington Nicaragua Solidarity Committee, which oppossed US backed "aggression" against the Sandinistas. In the next couple of years he praised "peacenik" Owen Wilkes for exposing foreign bases in NZ, was active in the Latin America Committee and in the committee campaigning for an enquiry into the police "home invasion" and shooting of his workmate and Black Power associate, Paul Chase.
In October 1983 Locke signed a letter to US President Reagan protesting at the invasion of Grenada. Clearly some aggression was OK and some wasn't.

In 1985 Locke left the SAL, but certainly did not abandon socialist activity .In October 1986 he was a facilitator of a workshop with Owen Wilkes on the "Militarisation of Bases in Pacific" at the National Peace Workshops meetings in Auckland. Among the decisions reached at this workshop was; "Support a joint campaign against US bases in Australia, NZ and the Philippines".

By now Locke was National co-ordinator of the Philippines Solidarity Network. Founded in 1984, by Marxist priest John Curnow, PSN's role was to provide solidarity for the Maoist insurgency then seriously threatening the Philippines.
The PSN organised visits by Filipino communists to NZ, including one by party leader Jose Maria Sison and another by high ranking party member, Joy Balazao.
It also helped organise several "exposure tours" by NZ students and "peace activists", to the Philippines. These "tourists" fraternised with Communist Party front organisations and even worked in the field with units of the party's, New Peoples Army.

One 1988 tour, which included 4 PSN activists (2 of whom were Workers Communist League supporters) caused major controversy. The Philippines Army accused the delegation of involvement in a New Peoples Army ambush which killed 10 Armed Forces Philippines soldiers.

The PSN was run mainly members of the the Workers Communist League. The WCL had by then abandoned hard core Maoism and had adopted a more open policy towards working with other Marxist tendencies. Several Trotskyites began working on projects with the WCL. Locke was clearly one of them.

Locke kept his options open however and in November 1986 he wrote an article for the Socialist Unity Party's, "Tribune" on protest against US bases in NZ, Australia and the Philippines. In October the following year he attended a meeting in Auckland sponsored by the Soviet front, World Peace Council.

In January 1988, locke visited the Philippines during local elections. He was interviewed about the visit in the March 25th issue of the WCL's "Unity" newpaper."
In 1991 Locke left his leadership role with PSN, probably after visiting the Philippines for an International Peace Festival.

Locke was also an avid campaigner against NZ's military capability.
In 1989, he was national spokesman for "People Against the Frigates", which aimed to scuttle NZ's purchase of the ANZAC frigates. On May 11th 1990,the Christchuch Press reported that Locke claimed that the government's decision to buy 18 jet air trainers was "a total waste of $266 million," He also said NZ no longer needed a jet fighter squadron.

In 1989 Keith Locke got back into party politics. After bitter infighting in the Labour Party, Jim Anderton broke way to announce the formatiom of a "real Labour Party", the Newlabour Party. The entire WCL joined the new party as did a number of ex SUP, SAL and Communist Party members.

The NLPs first National Council contained no less than four ex SAL members (Matt Robson, Petronella Townsend, Keith Locke and Paul Piesse), a former SAL supporter, Francesca Holloway (now wife of political commentator Chris Trotter), WCL member Sue Bradford, 3 or 4 probable WCL members and one former covert SUP supporter.

In the late 80's "Information on Ireland" was NZ's leading support group for Irish Republicanism. IOI campaigned for the IRA, Sinn Fein and the even more extreme, Irish Republican Socialist Party . Membership ranged from old "Republicans" and university radicals, to senior members of the SUP, WCL and the Communist Party. The outlook of IOI can be gauged from an 1988 article in the Dominion Sunday Times. IOI and SUP member, Ana Meihana, told the paper, "The Irish cause is the Maori cause. The Maori fight in New Zealand is basically the same, only it is yet to reach a military stage like Ireland."

By July 1989, Locke was International Affairs spokesman for the NLP.
That August he wrote to IOI's paper "Saoirse" (Volume 6, Number 5)inviting suggestions from Saoirse readers for NLP foreign policy.

Yellow Greens?

When I first posted on the wasted life of Keith Locke, the Green Party's "Frogblog" came out with some very dodgy statements, which I will tackle one by one.

Frogblog
"In a post appropriately called Green Bashing, Dave Farrar....summarises another who lists various things Keith said decades ago. I'm disappointed that DPF has chosen to point to such rubbishy posts...As to the Keith stuff. It is so silly defining people by their politics decades ago (and distorting even that record). No one ever does it with Donna Awatere-Huata, Stephen Franks, Ken Shirley, Deborah Coddington or Maurice Williamson, all of whom had radical pasts."

Yours Truly
Frogblog is quite right that the people named have radical pasts. Keith Locke however, has a radical past, present and probably future. My history of Locke started in the sixties and carried on to 2005. Locke has supported tyrants and murderers all his adult life. He has worked with hard core Marxist-Leninists up till well after entering parliament. What aspects of my history are "distorted"? Please identify my mistakes.

Frogblog
"DPF leaves out the blogger’s repetition of the slander that Keith supported Pol Pot. As Keith has said in parliament, he,like all of the anti-Vietnam War movement, welcomed the overthrow of the corrupt US puppet regime in Phnom Penh by the Khmer Rouge, having no idea what was going to happen next. When Pol Pot emerged and the killing fields began, he was at the forefront in NZ of opposing the Khmer Rouge at a time when the Muldoon Government supported it."

Yours Truly
I'm sure Keith Locke didn't know that Pol Pot would be as bad as he was. Locke did however know that the Khmer Rouge were hard core Maoists and that their victory was likely to lead to the mass killing of "class enemies". It happened in China, why wouldn't it happen in Cambodia? Where is the public apology to the Cambodian people for his monumental error of judgement. Before WW2 many Europeans backed Hitler. They didn't know how barbaric Hitler was going to be either, yet history still rightly judges them extremely harshly. Why should Locke be judged any more leniently?

For that matter, where is the apology to the Afghan people for publicly backing the rape of their country. Where is the public apology to the victim's of those murdering Filipino Maoists, the New People's Army, who Locke happily supported?

Where is the apology to the people of New Zealand for campaigning against our Frigate's and our Air Force Strike wing? Locke can't claim he did this to promote peace, because he has a long history of supporting war when it suits him.

Frogblog
"Keith was directly elected to his place on the Green list by 3000+ members and then into Parliament by 120,000 or so voters at the most recent election. As such he and the Greens have been judged twice now on his record as an MP and are still here."

Yours Truly
Only two groups now campaign in parliamentary elections as open Marxists-the Communist League (the remnants of Locke's old Socialist Action League) and the Anti-Capitalist Alliance (co-led by old SALer, Philip Ferguson). Their vote is counted in the tens.If Locke stood as what he is-a Marxist, how many votes would he get? Would he be in parliament without the Green camouflage? Locke is in parliament because well-meaning people think your party cares about the environment. Not because hordes of Marxist nutters want Keith Locke to lead the storming of Queen Street.


Frogblog should answer these questions honestly or issue apologies to myself and David Farrar. You should thank me for exposing the Marxist in your midst. You should get rid of Locke and all the other covert Marxists that hide in your party. Abandon socialism and become a true environmental party, like ACT. Do this and you might regain a little respect.

Don't do it and you will forever be known as the "Pumpkin Party" Green on the outside, yellow in the middle.

Russel Reminder 1, Keith Locke and the DSP

Several Green Party figures have dealings, with the Austalian, Marxist-Leninist group, the Democratic Socialist Party (or "Perspective" as it is now known).

The Green Party's probable future co-leader, Russel Norman, was a member of the DSP, in Brisbane, at least until 1991. He contributed several articles to the DSP's newspaper, Green Left Weekly, from 1994 up till at least 1999, but claims not to be aware of his Green colleague's involvement with the DSP. To jog Russel's memory I'll revisit Keith Locke's and Jeanette Fitzsimon's DSP connection's.


The first documented connection between Green MP, Keith Locke and the DSP is this articles">article which appeared in Green Left Weekly in 1991.

However there is evidence that Locke's links with leaders of the DSP, or as it was formerly known, Socialist Workers Party go back to the '70s. When DSP leader Jim Percy, died of cancer in 1992, Locke, Matt Robson, Petronella Townsend, Paul Piesse and Lew Stribling, sent this message of condolence to Green Left Weekly No 80 (November 1992).

"We have known Jim since 1970. Since that time we have shared the same socialist vision and supported the same struggles against oppression. Through two decades we kept in contact with Jim and benefited from sharing political ideas and experiences...Jim was with us in our early political development as members of the Socialist Action League in NZ. He was also alongside us when we formed the New Labour Party. He contributed his political ideas and experience to the NLP in a comradely and supportive way. He saw the NLP as a progressive development which could revitalise socialism in NZ and have a positive effect in Australia...We cannot be with you at the funeral of our comrade. However it is a maori tradition to sing at a funeral. We therefore request that when the Internationale is sung that it be recognised that the voices of Jim's comrades in NZ have also been raised as a final tribute to a respected fighter of the people"

Interestingly, the SWP/DSP had links with two groups in NZ. Firstly they had fraternal links with their Trotskyite sister party in NZ, the Socialist Action League. Both parties were also fellow members of the Brussels based "Fourth International". After the mid '80s, the SWP left the Fourth International and the above comrades left the Socialist Action League.

In the late '80s, the SWP formed close ties to a formerly Maoist group in NZ called the Workers Communist League. Keith Locke was very close to the WCL and fronted their organisation, the Philippines Solidarity Network. In 1990, when Keith Locke stood for parliament for the NLP, WCL members (under their new name "Left Currents") campaigned for him. It was Keith Locke's ex SAL friends and the WCL that formed the leadership of the NLP when it was formed in 1989.

The entire WCL joined the NLP, but some later left to join the Greens. The most notable example being current Green MP, Sue Bradford.

I believe the NLP and its 1991 "merger" with the Greens, Democrats and Mana Motuhake to form the Alliance Party, was modeled on the Brazilian "Workers Party" (now in power) which was formed in 1980. The Workers Party was a coalition of Greens, socialists, black activists and leftist Christians built around a Trotskyite/Communist core. The DSP had until recent years, very close ties to the Workers Party, though things have cooled lately. They still adore Venezuela's Chavez government however, which has extremely close ties to "Lula's" Workers Party.

In the early '90s, Keith Locke was listed as a NZ correspondent for Green Left Weekly. In 1993 he was a guest speaker a DSP forum "Unity in Action" in Australia. He spoke on his experiences with the newly formed Alliance Party.

At Easter 1994 the DSP hosted a huge "Green Left" conference in Sydney to launch their new international journal "Links". Delegates attended from the Brazilian Workers Party, the Italian Party of Communist Refoundation, the US Committees of Correspondence (a breakaway from the Communist Party USA), several Filipino Marxist organisations, the Sri Lankan Trotskyite Nava Sama Samaj Party, the Indonesian Peoples Committee, the Fourth International and the British Marxist group Militant. Dr Nguyen Khac Kinh, deputy director of Vietnams National Environment Agency was present as was NZ Alliance Foreign Affairs spokesman Keith Locke.

Locke contributed an article to the second edition of "Links", again, on the development of the Alliance Party. The last sentence read "the growth of the Alliance might seem odd to socialists used to seeing parties formed by unions, or as ideological projects, but it is working".

The last documented Locke/DSP link I can find, was an article he wrote in Green Left Weekly in 1999, well after he had defected to the Green Party.

I find it extremely hard to believe that Russel Norman, would have no idea that Keith Locke, a close colleague, was writing for the same Marxist-Leninist paper the he was.

I also find it hard to believe, that Russel Norman would not be aware that Keith Locke, was a long time associate of the leader of a Marxist-Leninist party that Norman had himself once belonged to,

Does anyone else find this less than credible?

Perhaps Russel Norman could re-visit the issue for us?

Keith Locke KeyWiki'd

Recently, New Zealand Green Party M.P. Keith Locke complained that the N.Z. Security Intelligence Service had been spying on him.

Keith Locke, second from left, Students for Justice in Palestine, 2006

Apparently Locke was spied on by Police Special Branch and later the Security Intelligence Service, for 55 years - seven of these when he was an M.P.

Locke thinks there's no justification for this and stated "That is shocking..." Locke says his files show the spies as having been "out of control". They even spied on his love life, he claims. He says they spied on him "for no good reason".

This website thinks that the N.Z.S.I.S. was well justified in spying on Keith Locke and would be acting irresponsibly if they were no longer doing so.

Our sister site KeyWiki has put up a page on Keith Locke here

Read about Keith Locke's;

• Communist family background.
• Lockes 20 years as a leader of the Trotskyist movement in Canada and New Zealand.
• Description of Pol Pot's invasion of Cambodia as a "victory for humanity".
• Support for the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan.
• Trotskyist infiltration of the New Zealand Labour Party.
• Support for Latin American revolutionaries.
• Praise of nuclear power in socialist countries. Opposition in capitalist countries.
• Locke's support efforts for Filipino communist revolutionaries.
• Anti U.S. military bases activism.
• Support for East Timorese revolutionaries.
• Involvement, in the late 1980s, with the Soviet front World Peace Council.
• Leadership role in Jim Andertion's Maoist and Trotskyist dominated New Labour Party.
• Close involvement in the 1990s with Australian marxist-leninist group, the Democratic Socialist Party.
• Involvement in the mid 1990s in founding Links, a marxist journal involving Australian, South African, American, Cuban, Nicaraguan, former East German, Vietnamese, Sri Lankan, Brazillian, Filipino and Trotskyist communists.
• His involvement in 2006, with Auckland university's radical Students for Justice in Palestine - an organization which has glorified Palestinian suicide bombings against Israel.
• Locke's support for 17 anarchists and Maori radicals arrested in October 2007, for allegedly running terrorist training camps in the Urewera Mountains.

If you were in charge of New Zealand's security, would you be watching Keith Locke?

Keith Locke-A Wasted Life Part 4 (Final for Now)

In 1997 the Green Party left the Alliance. Though not a Green Party member, Keith Locke went with them. he quickly became the Greens Foreign Affairs spokesman and in 1999 he entered parliament at number 7 on the Green Party list.

Immediately Locke upped his campaign against the proposed FI6 fighter deal with US.
Eventually the deal was scrapped by the Labour government. Had the deal gone ahead, our old Skyhawk jet fighters would have gone to the Philippines military. The communist New Peoples Army probably wouldn't have been pleased.

Even though an MP, Locke maintained his links with Marxist-Leninists. In May 2000, Locke attended the Socialist Workers Organisation's "Socialism 2000" conference in Auckland. He starred in the opening debate "Is Global Capitalism Under Seige" with Mike Treen, an old comrade from the Socialist Action League and Joe Carolan from the SWO.

In 2003 a new magazine was launched in Auckland. Titled "Red & Green". It is linked with the Alliance Party but accepts contributions from a wide range of socialists. It's editorial board consists of Jill Oven's (NZ Cuba Friendship Society, Alliance Party), Cathy Casey (Auckland City Councillor, Alliance Party, partner of Matt McCarten), Len Richards (ex Socialist Labour League, Alliance Party) and Mike Treen (ex SAL, ex Communist League, Alliance Party).

Locke contributed an article to the first issue, "Labour and the War in Iraq" in it he wrote a wish list of actions a more courageous Labour Government would help to tackle;
"...specific collective actions against the Sharon Government, so that a Palestinian state can be brought into being."
"...campaign publicly against Bush's nuclear agenda, including "Star Wars", the development of "bunker busting" nukes and the threats to use nuclear weapons."
"...champion socially progressive agendas being advanced by governments in places like Brazil and Venezuela."
The last point refers to the Marxist "Workers Party" government in Brazil (part of the old "Links" network ) and Chavez's pro Cuban regime in Venezuela, that is currently the darling of Marxists everywhere.

Locke has links with "Global Justice and Peace,Auckland" a socialist protest group headed by his old comrade, Mike Treen and ex HART leader, John Minto. He is also close to the Christchurch based "Anti Bases Coalition", a motley collection of old Maoists, marxists, anarchists and peaceniks who protest outside the US base at Waihopai every year. In August this year Locke was in Tonga supportig the "Democracy Movement" as it seeks to overturn a the power of the Tongan monarchy. That "revolution" has a significant socialist component.

Keith Locke was born into a communist family and has fought for the cause ever since. He has wasted his life supporting some of the most murderous regimes and movements on the planet. The Green Party is harbouring a hardcore socialist, (not the only one). For a party that worries about pollution, how can they stand the stench of a "red nappy baby" who hasn't "changed" in nigh on 60 years?

Locke Shock! Harawira Horror! MPs Under Security Scrutiny?

If this don't beat all?

Two of Parliaments most radical MPs complaining that their past activities have been monitored by security services.

From today's NZ Herald

The Security Intelligence Service has been spying on an MP's private life and his communications with constituents, he says.


Green MP Keith Locke, a former peace activist, applied under the Privacy Act to have his top-secret security file released - revealing what he describes as distasteful intrusion into his personal life and unacceptable intrusion into the democratic process.

The declassified file showed that he had previously been covertly photographed, that the SIS had kept track of his private work with constituents and that he had been monitored in other ways as late as 2006.

He is demanding assurances that the monitoring will not continue, and calling for tighter Government control and public accountability for the so-called spooks. "Clearly the SIS has been operating without adequate government oversight," he said.

I would be protesting if the SIS wasn't monitoring Keith Locke and would be most disappointed if they didn't continue to do so.

Locke has supported the Khmer Rouge conquest of Cambodia, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the the murderous communist insurrection in the Philippines. He has been great mates with the Australian Democratic Socialist Party who are buddies with the former East German communist party, the barbarous Cuban Communist Party and the ultra militant Communist Party of India (Maoist).

Locke supported the Urewera 17 "terrorists" in 2007 and the suicide bomber sympathising Students for Justice in Palestine in 2006.

Please view my Keith Locke files:

here

here

here

here

& here

Green Party co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons said such surveillance of Locke would be a "huge discredit" to the SIS.

"MPs are elected by the people. To have the secret service spying on them is hugely anti-democratic," she said.

Why Jeanette-are bent MPs, with all their influence and access to information somehow less of a security threat than ordinary citizens?

Fitzsimons and Maori Party MP Hone Harawira will both be requesting their SIS files.


Harawira said he had been subjected to SIS surveillance as a member of the protest movement, before entering Parliament, and had once spotted his file while in police custody - alleging that he had been involved in an arms deal on a boat in Whangaparaoa Harbour.

Hone Harawira, now a Maori Party MP, was once arrested and secured by plastic wrist ties to a scaffold with fellow protesters . But the protesters moved the scaffold to read their files while police were away. His contained allegations he had done an arms deal on a boat in Whangaparaoa Harbour.

Hone Harawira of course denies this allegation, but he also supported those arrested in the October 17 2007 anti "terror" raids, who were using illegal weapons.

My Hone Harawira files;

here

here

& here

What do you think? Do these MPs warrant a little covert surveillance?

What about the more than 20 other serving MPs with former communist or far left backgrounds?

Keith Locke on Fiji

From Islands Business 21.12.06



A Member of Parliament has criticized the New Zealand government for not going far enough in resolving the ongoing political crisis in Fiji.

Green Party MP Keith Locke who is also the party’s foreign affairs spokesman said yesterday that New Zealand’s approach had made the problem worse. He was speaking at a seminar organized by The Coalition for Democracy in Fiji, an NZ-based group that was formed after Fiji’s first coup in 1987.

Locke, a founding member of the group and long time Fiji watcher said the latest coup was different from the previous ones in that it challenged Fiji’s elite more fundamentally.

The Amnesty and Qoliqoli Bills as well as corruption were issues that focused on Fiji’s elite segments, he said, adding that NZ was traditionally more comfortable dealing with the elites rather than forces that challenged the system and pushed for changes in a new direction.

Commenting on the military regime, he warned Fijians to “beware in trusting any benevolent dictatorship,” expressing concern that Bainimarama had justified military rule giving the example of China which he is reported to have said was doing well economically even without a democratic government.

New Zeal The New Zealand left has been very muted on the latest Fijian coup.

Most understand that this is a left wing coup, so appear willing to give the new regime some breathing space.

The NZCTU has decried the coup, but taken little action. The Coalition for Democracy in Fiji has made a few mild statements, but has organised little real protest.

There seems to be some disquiet among the left however at possible Chinese involvement. China is supported by some of the "old left" in NZ, but to their credit, many in the Greens and "new left" despise the Beijing regime.

Green Party Foreign Affairs spokesman, Keith Locke is probably a bit torn on the issue. He as a foot in both camps.

Locke understands the leftist nature of the coup. As a long time activist in the communist front, Coalition for Democracy in Fiji, he would well know the Marxist underpinning of the Fiji Labour Party. CDF has long supported the FLP and its socialist leader, Mahendra Chaudhry.

That the FLP and Chaudhry have now benefited from a military coup, creates a problem for the NZ left.

Fiji's first three coups were all carried out by "nationalists" opposed to the FLP and the left.

The latest coup has been executed by the left against the "nationalists". To paraphrase Locke, the "elites" have been well and truly "challenged".

Locke, however, clearly has some concerns over the pro-Chinese views of coup leader, Frank Bainimarama.

I think it will take awhile for NZ socialists to adopt a clear response to events in Fiji.

On The Subject of Hatred

An Israeli friend sent me these. I am told they were taken at a peaceful Muslim march in London last week. I believe the photos to be genuine. I'm not so sure about the commentary.


Keith Locke has assured me that the marcher doesn't really mean this and even if he does he has a right to express his views in a democratic society.


Keith Locke tells me these men are not really threatening and even if they are they are probably Israeli provocateurs.


Keith Locke is pleased that women are taking a more prominent role in Muslim society.


Keith Locke wants to extend friendship and solidarity to these obviously oppressed and alienated Muslim brothers.


Keith Locke says that Muslims don't understand freedom because the are oppressed by the US and Israel. We need to be more accepting of their different cultural outlook.


Keith Locke assures me that "behead" is Arabic for "forgive"..


Keith Locke is appalled that a peaceful demonstration like this was harassed by the police. He bets the cop is waiting for the photographer to leave so he can use his Taser on the poor woman

Whoops Apparently i've been fooled here and these photos were taken at demos after the Danish cartoons incident. Sorry about that. I think they're still worth re-visiting though.

Green Party File 4 Keith Locke Supports Suspected Terrorists, Suicide Bombing Sympathisers

Green Party file 3 here

Green MP Keith Locke has been one of Parliament's biggest supporters of the anarchists and maori radicals arrested in the October 15th anti terror raids.

Here he is addressing an "Urewera 17" support rally in Auckland on 27th October 2007



One of those arrested in the police raids was Omar Hamed, a young Auckland based anarcho-communist. Now Auckland University Students Association International Affairs officer, Hamed has since 2006, been a leading light in the university's Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) branch. New Zeal has recieved allegations in recent days that a senior member of SJP was also to attend training camps in the Ureweras but was forestalled by the police raids.

Keith Locke, a long time supporter of the Palestinian cause has ties to SJP.

From the anarchist website Indymedia

Yesterday around 500 people took to the streets of Auckland to oppose Israel's brutal attacks on the people of Gaza and Lebanon, which have already killed more than 300 innocent civilians. The day started with a rally in Aotea Square. Members of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), the Palestine Human Rights Campaign (PHRC), Green MP Keith Locke and several others spoke condemning Israel's terrorist actions against innocents. One of the SJP speakers got an awesome chant in Arabic going amongst Arabic speaking members of the crowd.


Keith Locke holding the SJP banner

Auckland SJP is now dominated by mainly Muslim students of Palestinian, Afghan, Indian and Pakistani extraction. It is regarded as one of the most militant groups on campus. But just how extreme is SJP?

In September 2006 Auckland University SJP published a magazine (with students association help) entitled Intifada.

Keith Locke contributed an article to the magazine in his capacity as Green Party Foreign Affairs spokesman.

Sometimes, when I support Palestinian rights, I am accused of not being “even-handed” in the Israel/Palestine dispute.

But what does “even-handed” mean when the situation on the ground is hardly “even”. There is only one occupying power (Israeli) and only one occupied people (the Palestinians).

Other contributors included SJP president Sahar Khumkhor, an Afghan refugee and Auckland University politics tutor, Omar Hamed and Asher Goldman, a Wellington anarchist, anti-Zionist Jew and close associate of "Urewera 17" arrestees Hamed and Urs Signer.

Another contributor was Rana Khumkhor, a female, presumably the sister of Sahar Khumkhor.

When death becomes a sacrifice

The following is a short story written by Rana Ghumkhor. It examines the motivations of a suicide bomber.

Some extracts

The Dead cannot ask for justice it is the duty of the living to do so. For my father and for my people the hunger of my hatred opens its mouth. Calling to me to avenge those who have fallen. Years ago my father gave his life for me. Tonight I die for Palestine.

I could start by telling you my name, but what would be the point? I’m just a face, in a sea of oppression, inflicted upon my people. For generations we suffered at the hands of the Zionists. Oh my insane rage vengeance will be ours, the clouds will clear and the sun will shine on us again. They think by uprooting our trees they can destroy our history? But our history is in our hearts and we will tell it to our children and they will tell it to their children. They cannot cut off our tongues...

Religion is what keeps us alive. It is what keeps us going, because in the mind of a freedom fighter fear of god is greater then the fear of death. The desire for paradise dominates our thoughts, reminding us that this wasn’t the way life was supposed to be...

Suddenly my train of thought comes to an abrupt halt as the bus comes to a stop I glance up to see cars lining up in front of the bus. I shrug it off as traffic. I know time is running out. I look outside the window and can barely make out my city of Jenin in the distance. I know this will be the last time I will see my home ever again. There is no turning back now, it is at the end of a person’s life when they realise how important the choices in her life are. Maybe my death won’t make a difference; maybe my people will continue to live in terror tomorrow. But maybe for just a moment, my enemies can feel what we feel when we lose a brother or a sister, a father or a mother, a daughter or a son. If they can feel what we feel for just a moment for just a fraction of a second, my death would have been worth something...

“We will be reaching Jerusalem in a few minutes “ I sit up straighter in my seat. It is now the time, I can wait no longer. I feel around in my pocket for the trigger that leads to the c4-tapped securely to my chest. I swallow the bile that had risen in my throat. I am afraid yes, I am afraid the bomb wont go off. There is no greater shame then failure and I have no desire to fail. I close my eyes imagining what it will be like. Will it hurt? Will I meet my maker upon my death? Or will I wait till the day of reckoning where we all shall be judged...

Oh lord forgive me for my sins. Forgive my father, forgive my family and most of all forgive my people. Shed some light on our oppression and free us.

I clutch the trigger in my hand. I take the time to acknowledge each person in the bus. I feel the walls in my heart closing up for I feel no pity where we received none. I look out the window for the last time. The bus is coming over a hill. There lies Jerusalem in all its glory. I close my eyes and take my last breath…. Freedom

Keith Locke, a senior Green Party MP has supported the organisation responsible for this material. He has lent his name to to what can only described as virulent anti-Israeli propaganda. Israel is a valued friend and trading partner of New Zealand. Either Keith Locke supports the militant anti Israeli views of SJP and their apparent sympathy for suicide bombers, or he has been stupidly sucked into supporting their propaganda.

Is such a ratbag/idiot fit to serve in our Parliament?

Green Party file 5 here

Keith Locke-A Wasted Life Part 3

In 1990 Keith Locke stood as NLP candidate for Mt Eden. He was openly backed by "Left Currents", the new name for a revamped Workers Communist League. He was also busy running "One World Books" -a "progressive" bookshop and HQ for several socialist organisations.

In 1991 Locke joined the editorial board of a new socialist magazine, "Agenda"
Fellow board members included two former WCL supporters, Leonie Morris and Bruce Cronin, two veterans of Philippines "exposure tours", Janet Cole and Susannah Downing and leading Information on Ireland activist and former SUP member Dean Parker.

In late 1991 the NLP merged with the Greens, Mana Motuhake and the Democrats to form the Alliance Party. This was clearly linked to events in Australia and further abroad. Both the group of ex SAL members who formed the NLP and the Workers Communist League had strong ties to the Australian Socialist Workers Party.
In 1990 the SWP changed it’s name to “Democratic Socialist Party” while it’s newspaper “Direct Action”, became “Green Left Weekly” This was part of a strategy to moderate it's image with the Australian public and other political groups.

The DSP was, and still is, very well connected to the international grouping of Trotskyite parties, the "4th International", many of the world's leading traditional communist parties and an array of Maoist groups, environmental and "social movements"
The aim,in several countries, was to unite these disparate groups into a third party to the left of the existing Labour or Social Democratic Party.

The SWP/DSP had long dreamed building such a "third force” in Australia. To this end the SWP had, in ‘87-’89, unsuccessfully attempted mergers with both the Communist Party of Australia and the Pro-Soviet Socialist Party of Australia.
According to Green Left Weekly, 18th of November 1992, “Jim (Percy, DSP leader), was the initiator...” of the party’s “analysis of the Australian Labor Party which has resulted in the Party seeking to build a third force in Australian politics similar to the New Zealand NLP”. The project stalled for a while when Jim Percy died of cancer in late 1992.

In November 1992, Locke and former SAL comrades, Paul Piesse, Petronella Townsend, Matt Robson and Lew Stribling wrote to GLW, offering condolences on the death of Percy. "We have known Jim since 1970. Since that time we have shared the same sociasupportedion and suported the same struggles against oppression. Through two decades we kept in contact with Jim and benefitted from sharing political ideas and experiences...Jim was with us in our early political development as members of the SAL in NZ. He was also alongside us when we formed the NLP. He contributed his political ideas and experience to the NLP in a comradely and supportive way. He saw the NLP as a progressive development which could revitalise socialism in NZ and have a positive effect in Australia...We cannot be with you at the funeral of our comrade. However it is a maori tradition to sing at a funeral. We therefore request that when the Internationale is sung that it be recognised that the voices of Jim's comrades in NZ have also been raised as a final tribute to a respected fighter of the people"

In 1994 the DSP launched an important new international magazine "Links"
According to an editorial in the first issue; “Links is a new international discussion magazine. It is a magazine for the post Cold War left... a magazine that is taking steps to unify and bring together the forces for socialism in the world today..."Links" hopes not only to bring together active socialists from different countries and different continents, but to unite socialists coming from different traditions-the tradition of the pro-Moscow communist parties, Trotskyite parties, Maoism, the left wing of national movements, left forces breaking with social democracy, and activists from social movements who have come to see the need for a party.”

Locke contributed an article on the Alliance Party to the first issue of "Links". He also represented the Alliance at the Easter 1994 "Links" planning and assessment meeting in Sydney, which was formally hosted by the DSP. Other delegates at this meeting came from the Brazilian Workers Party,(now in power in Brazil), the Italian Party of Communist Refoundation, the US Committees of Correspondence (a breakaway from the Communist Party USA), several Filipino Marxist organisations, the Sri Lankan Trotskyite Nava Sama Samaj Party, the Indonesian Peoples Committee, the Trotskyite Fourth International and the British Marxist group, Militant. Dr Nguyen Khac Kinh, deputy director of Vietnams National Environment Agency was also present. The main discussion was on broadening the distribution of LINKS to promote the "widest possible unity of Marxists from different political traditions".

"Links" continues today as a force in the international socialist movement. Its editorial board has included high ranking members of the South African Communist Party, the DSP, the Party of Democratic Socialism (the former East German Communist Party), the US Committees of Correspondence and Matt McCarten from the NZ Alliance Party. Contributing editors have come from the Cuban Communist Party, The Brazillian Workers Party, The Italian Refoundation Communist party, the Russian Party of Labour, the French Revolutionary Communist League and a whole host of third world and European Marxist-Leninist groups. US Marxist writer James Petras has also been prominent

Locke, Matt Robson and their Alliance colleague Matt McCarten stayed in contact with the DSP right through the 90's and beyond. At one stage Locke was Auckland correspondent for Green Left Weekly and wrote occasional articles for the paper till at least 1998, a year before entering parliament. To remove any lingering doubts on the nature of the DSP I quote former DSP parliamentary candidate, Susan Price in GLW of 26th April 1995; “DSP is a Marxist-Leninist party and we don’t think that is a bad thing”.

What Does This Tell You About the Tongan "Democracy Movement"?

Two former Trotskyists, Green MP, Keith Locke and former Progressive MP, Matt Robson, have come out in support of the Tongan "Democracy Movement".

From Scoop.

The New Zealand Government should take note of concerns that the presence of New Zealand troops in Tonga could be seen to strengthen the hand of the monarchy, Green MP Keith Locke warns.

Leaders of Tonga's democracy movement have expressed concerns that Australian and New Zealand troops in Tonga's capital Nuku'alofa could in practice reinforce the political system that caused unrest in the first place. Meanwhile, the New Zealand joint defence force commander in Tonga says troops are likely to increase their presence.

"The most useful contribution New Zealand could make to law and order in Tonga would be to push the King's government to uphold the agreement reached just before the riot broke out for 21 of Tonga's 30 MPs to be democratically elected," Mr Locke says.

"We should also support the democracy movement's call for a new interim government, pending next year's election under new rules. The present government does not have the support of the majority of the people.

"If we take the side of the people, rather than the regime, there will be little need for New Zealand troops to stay. The riot was a result of frustration with the slow pace of change, and is unlikely to be repeated if people see that democracy is truly around the corner," Mr Locke says.

From the NZ Herald

New Zealand needs to wholeheartedly back the Tongan democratic movement or face the prospect of continually sending troops to aid a strife-torn neighbour, says former Progressive Party MP Matt Robson.

When in Parliament Mr Robson instigated an inquiry by the foreign affairs and defence committee into New Zealand's relationship with the island kingdom. He has been a constant critic of Tonga's monarchy and an agitator for democratic reform.

Yesterday he said the weekend violence in the Tongan capital Nuku'alofa, in which eight people died, should make New Zealand politicians think again about their dealings with Tonga.

"A drastic reassessment of their relationships with the different governing elites has to take place," Mr Robson said.

"It's time for them to solidly support the move to democracy and not get drawn into a morass of sending soldiers to clean up these situations ... New Zealand has not given help to the people, but to the elites. Now what they're giving is soldiers. What they needed before this was a firm commitment to democracy."

New Zeal Interesting that backing for Tonga's "Democracy Movement" has come from the far left, even before blame for the riots has been established.

Despite strong allegations from Tonga's biggest private sector employer, Mike Jone, that the arsons were at least partially commercially motivated (targeting non supporters of the "Democracy Movement"), both Locke and Robson strongly support this highly dubious movement.

I wonder if Keith Locke and Matt Robson view "democracy" in the same way most people do?

History tells us that any third world movement with the words "democracy" or "democratic" in its name, usually isn't.

Marxist MP Backs Sex Offender's "Right" to Privacy

Marxist MP, Keith Locke has come out strongly against National MP Simon Power's call for communities to be warned when sex offenders are paroled in their area.

According to this morning's Christchurch Press, Comrade Locke claimed that making the addresses of offenders public would open the way for more "disgraceful vigilante action" of the type recently seen in New Brighton..

Comrade Locke went on to say "We need more compassion towards former sex offenders trying to reintegrate into society"....If we had that, then former offenders wouldn't need to hide their past and the community could work with them in ensuring the safety of children in the area".

Get the Marxist outlook here. Sex offenders are the responsibility of society. We have an obligation to let them live in their midst and help them to reform.

Comrade Locke clearly does not see sexual offending as a personal evil choice, the consequences of which should be borne by the villain himself.

Comrade Locke is right that we should have compassion for sex offenders. They are human too and nobody is completely beyond redemption. However if you commit a heinous offence against a child, the most compassion you should realistically expect is not to be hung or castrated.

Some crimes cannot be atoned for in a lifetime. That is the harsh reality. The perpetrators of such crimes should be jailed for life to suffer and reflect on their flaws.

Those a bit lower down the scale of evil, may one day seek release from jail, to work every remaining day of their lives towards atonement and forgiveness.

They should be marked men for life. That is until they can prove (and the onus is most certainly on them) that they can once again be trusted by decent people.

Comrade Locke has no kids. He has been a Marxist nutcase his entire life. He has supported murderers, tyrants and torturers and praised them as heroes.

How does he have the cheek to tell decent, sane people that they should allow convicted sexual predators to mingle incognito with their children?

The man should be locked in a dark cell with six of them for a month. Dressed as above.

Matt McCarten and the Marxist-Leninists

As promised, I will begin a series of posts on links between two key Green Party MPs, Keith Locke and Jeanette Fitzsimons and the Australian Marxist-Leninist organisation, the Democratic Socialist Party. Probable future Green Party co leader, Russel Norman was once in the DSP and wrote several articles for its paper, Green Left Weekly from at least 1994 to at least 1999.

As a backgrounder I will first look at Locke and Fitzsimon's former colleague in the Alliance Party, Matt McCarten and his dealings with the DSP. I will then post on
Locke and Fitzsimons separately and possibly add some further backgrounders.


Matt McCarten has long had the dream of building a party of the "working class", to the left of Labour, to shake up the power structures of this country. To this end, he has collaborated, for at least 15 years with the Australian Democratic Socialist Party, who have long worked towards for a similar organisation in Australia.

McCarten's first known link to the DSP, or the Socialist Workers Party as it was then known, was in 1990 when he attended, with Jim Anderton, a SWP organised "Socialist Scholars" conference in Sydney. (Direct Action 11.9.90)

In July 1992, he was guest speaker, with Otago university activist, Joss Debreceny, at the conference of the DSP's youth wing, Resistance, in Melbourne. (GLW No 63)

The DSP was led by two brothers, Jim and John Percy. Jim Percy died of cancer in late 1992. Green Left Weekly, No 80 of November 1992 carried messages of condolence from communist and socialist activists from all over the world. Several letters came from NZ, including from Jim Anderton, Keith Locke and Matt Robson.

Matt McCarten, writing as President of the NLP and Chairman of the Auckland Alliance Party had this to say. "I valued my friendship and political collaboration with Jim. He gave me the theoretical base for my political work. I owe so much to him. The impact Jim had on me over the last few years was enormous. Jim was one of the few left leaders who was able to bring Marxism-Leninism alive into todays world. He made socialism relevant to those of us who seek a new society based on social justice. His socialism was inclusive, warm and exciting. He was the major political influence in my life."

In January 1993, (GLW No 84) McCarten was guest speaker, on the Alliance Party, at a DSP organised Socialist Activists Education Conference in Sydney. Malik Miah, a San Fransisco based member of the US Committees of Correspondence was also a guest speaker. The CoC was formed in 1992 and comprised of a large breakaway group from the Communist Party USA (including the notorious Angela Davis) and a mixture of Trotskyite, Socialist and Maoist Groups. The CoC was attempting to build a "Third Force",in US politics, similar to the Alliance party in NZ.

That same year, McCarten gave a speech in San Francisco on the Alliance Party, which was reprinted in GLW No 107.

In Easter 1994, the DSP organised a major "Green Left" international conference in Sydney, attended by around 800 people. Attendees were virtually all Marxist-Leninists or Greens and included Keith Locke, Jeanette Fitzsimons and I believe, Matt McCarten. The conference's main purpose was to launch a new international magazine called "Links".

The gathering, according to Malik Miah "brought together a wide
range of activists and concerned individuals to discuss and debate the ecological and social problems currently facing the world. During the meeting, a new international discussion journal, "Links", a quarterly magazine for socialist renewal, was launched."

Explained "Links" editor Peter Boyle "The range of groups involved in "Links" is proof of a new climate of collaboration in the international left, This is a project involving the left from the Communist Party, the Trotskyist, Maoist, ex-Social Democratic, independent left and liberation theology traditions. We all have in common a desire for socialist renewal based on support for democracy, feminism, ecological sustainability and internationalism."

The "Links" editorial board included; Jeremy Cronin, a leader of the South African Communist Party and editor of The African Communist; Langa Zita from the SACP and the South African Metalworkers union; Baddegama Samitha from the New Socialist Party of Sri Lanka; and leading members from the New Zealand Alliance, the Sandinista National Liberation Front, the Farabundo Marti¡ National Liberation Front and the Fourth International.

Matt McCarten was on the Editorial Board and Keith Locke wrote an article on the Alliance Party for the first issue.

In 1998, according to GLW No 302, McCarten again "crossed the ditch" to attend a DSP organised conference "150 Years of the Communist Manifesto".

In 1999, McCarten was Still on the Editorial Board of "Links" with Andre Brie of German Party of Democratic Socialism (the former East German Communist Party), Max Lane, Doug Lorimer and John Percy of the DSP, Jeremy Cronin and Langa Zita of the South African Communist Party and Carl Bloice, Malik Miah and Joanna Misnik of the CoC.

In 2000, McCarten attended the DSP's "Marxism 2000" conference. He spoke on "New Zealand: the Recent Experience and Perspectives of the Alliance."

The same year, the March 1st issue of "The Guardian" (journal of the Communist Party of Australia) published this editorial. "Left Unity, Progressive Unity It's Time!"
"The Progressive Labour Party under the title of "Towards a Progressive Alliance" convened a one-day conference of progressive parties and community groups in Sydney last weekend. It brought together representatives of a number of political parties and community organisations, including some trade unions. Matt McCarten, Director, NZ Alliance Party attended and spoke of the New Zealand experience and while warning against simply attempting to copy the NZ "model" advanced some excellent principle on which to build relationships between different organisations."

After the collapse of the Alliance Party after the 2002 elections, McCarten turned to other groups to further his dream. For a while he worked with the Maori Party, but soon quit. He then began building aovement called the Workers Charter Movement, as the basis for a new mass based political movement. The WCM was based around the Socialist Workers Organisation (and its front, the "residents Action Movement") elements of the Greens and Maori Party, the "Unite" trade union, the late Bill Andersen's, Socialist Party of Aotearoa and John Minto and Mike Treen's, "Global Peace and Justice, Aotearoa".

Meanwhile in Australia in 2001, the DSP had set up a nationwide wide "Socialist Alliance". The SA was made up of several parties, including Workers Power, the Freedom Road Socialist Party and the Communist Party of Iraq (in Australia). The DSP was by far the biggest group, followed by the International Socialists, sister party to NZ's, Socialist Workers Organisation.

Links between the Socialist Alliance and Workers Charter activists have been extensive and ongoing.

I quote this report from GLW of an Easter 2005 DSP organised conference held at Sydney Boy's High School. "Among the most exciting developments discussed at the Asia-Pacific International Solidarity Conference held in Sydney at Easter was the rapidly changing map of New Zealand politics, in particular, the development of the Maori Party, the UNITE union and the Resident Action Movement. Several left-wing leaders from New Zealand attended the conference, including Matt McCarten, who was until recently the campaign manager for the Maori Party, Global Peace and Justice Auckland leader Mike Treen, and Dave Colyer and Grant Morgan from NZ Socialist Worker, who all addressed a feature session on March 28.".

McCarten was a guest speaker as was Srilata Swaminathan, Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist), Ahmed Shawki,of the US International Socialist Organisation, Ali Kazak, head of the Palestinian delegation to Australia, (former PLO rep in Australia), Leonel Vivas, ambassador for Venezuela and Malik Miah, trade union and Green Party activist, USA.



Matt McCarten at the DSP's Asia-Pacific International Solidarity Conference, Sydney Easter 2005

Former Young Nat/Committed Maoist, Takes Helm At NDU

If the National Distribution Union could possibly move an atom further left, it will do so under the leadership of new National Secretary Robert Reid.


Reid, the current NDU president is set to replace Laila Harre in August as she departs for an HR job with the Auckland Transition Agency.

Reid has a more than 35 year history on the left and is easily one of the country's most committed socialists.

The son of a Dunedin Presbyterian Minister, young Robert started out Tory, joining the Young Nats at 14 at Kaikorai Valley High School in the late '60s.

Unfortunately he also joined the Marxist leaning Student Christian Movement, which combined with the Vietnam War, turned Reid to the Dark Side.

By the early '70s Reid was involved in student politics at Lincoln College and was active in solidarity with breakaway East Pakistan-now Bangladesh.

When not hanging around with the Progressive Youth Movement, Reid was leading another Maoist front-Organisation to Halt Military Service (OHMS-formed to organise resistance against the Compulsory Military Training then in force.

By 1973 Reid was in Wellington-serving as Victoria Uni Students Association Man Vice President.

Always interested in international affairs Reid was assistant-secretary of South Pacific Action Network (SPAN), another Maoist run organisation, designed to encourage revolutionary activity in the region. SPAN shared its PO Box with the NZ/North Korea Friendship Society.

In 1974-75 Reid was chairman of Wellington Committee On Vietnam. His duties including writing a letter to Christchurch "ex" communist Elsie Locke
20.2.75 COV, Wgtn-wrote letter with Geoff Woolford to Elsie Locke (mother of Green MP Keith Locke) asking her to sign Declaration against Vietnam war.

Through late 70s Reid worked, like many of his comrades in the Wellington Marxist-Leninist Organisation, in car factories in the Hutt Valley. The Maoists were intent on infiltrating industry at the time and burrowing into the union movement from below.

In 1980 Reid helped found a new organisation-the Workers Communist League (WCL)-popularly known as the "weasels" for their sneaky and underhand tactics.

By 1983 Reid was on serving on the WCL Central Committee and as an Engineering Union delegate at General Motors.

By 1985 he was National Co-ordinator for the Employment Network, where he worked closely with another old Maoist hang-around, future Labour cabinet Minister Paul Swain.

In July 1986 Reid and Swain co-wrote an article for radical journal Race Gender Class "The Government Employment Strategy: A Critique" The article argued thatleft wing activists are challenged to "develop alternative strategies alongside unemployed groups". The WCL dominated the unemployed workers movement that was very active at the time.

By the late '80s Reid was WCL International Affairs officer-a role which brought him into close contact with several foreign communist and radical organisations.

The WCL's main foreign cause at the time was supporting the Maoist led insurrection in the Philippines. Reid and many of his comrades set up the Philippines Solidarity Network (PSN) which sent comrades to the Philippines to observe the rebels in action and toured several Filipino revolutionaries through this country. PSN was a WCL dominated organisation, but it was fronted by former Trotskyite Keith Locke.

In late 1989 Reid and his partner Maxine Gay joined a nine person New Zealand delegation invited to attend a Workers Conference in Tokyo and Osaka. This was the beginning of People's Plan for the 21st Century (PP21) a pan Pacific radical movement, uniting militant unions, NGOs, indigenous groups and others in a push for a new type of socialism, to replace the failed models of the 20th century.


While mainly involving former Maoist organisations, PP21 was initiated by several Japanese radicals, including Muto Ichiyo who had worked closely with a Soviet KGB connected ring in smuggling US Vietnam War deserters through Japan in the early '70s.

PP21 later merged with the World Social Forum movement, a rotating semi-annual gathering of communist parties and radical movements.

In the early 90s Reid was Manawatu Secretary of the Council of Trade Unions (CTU), but lost his job after Ruth Richardson's admirable Employment Contracts Act cut union membership and revenues.

The WCL dissolved around the same time, but Reid joined its shortlived successor group Left Currents-as did another old "weasel" future Green MP Sue Bradford.

In late 1993 Reid was in Thailand working for the PP21 organising committee. The same year he served on the National Organising Group for the Peoples Assembly/ Building Our Own Futures (BOOF)project-the New Zealand PP21 affiliate.

An article in the People's Network's Common Ground Vol 1 No 1 1994 stated that "PP21 was the international inspiration for the Peoples Assembly and the ongoing activity and more than a dozen people from Aoteoroa have been involved in International PP21 activities."

Reid participated in the Peoples Network with several former WCL supportrs, including Maxine Gay, Quentin Jukes and Sue and Bill Bradford until it dissolved into the Green Party in the late '90s.

Reid worked for another PP21 affiliate through the '90s-Asia Pacific Workers Solidairty Links-travelling often to Pakistan, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines to laise with the area's many militant trade unions.

In 1995 Reid was chairman of Aoteoroa Non-Governmental Organisations Association (ANGOA)-a "weasel" infiltrated organisation charged with dispersing taxpayers money to various "charitable" causes.

In 1998, Reid joined with several other militants to set up the UNITE union-now lead by militant Marxists Matt McCarten, John Minto and Mike Treen.

In the late '90s Reid was a leading light in TUF (Trade Union Federation), a militant breakaway from the CTU, led largely by former WCL members.

In 2001 Reid was one of the initial sponsors of Christchurch based anti free trade group ARENA-a coalition of former Maoists, anarchists and Maori radicals.

Other ARENA sponsors included; Dr Jane Kelsey, Professor of Law, Auckland University; Moana Jackson, Ngati Kahungunu, Ngati Porou; Maxine Gay, President, NZ Trade Union Federation; Cherryl Waerea-i te-rangi Smith, Ngati Apa, Ngati Kahungunu, Te Aitanga A Hauiti; Radha D’Souza, APEC Monitoring Group; Aziz Choudry, Coordinator, GATT Watchdog, PP21 activist; Annette Sykes, Ngati Pikiao; Bill Rosenberg, CAFCA; Leigh Cookson, GATT Watchdog; David Small, Senior Lecturer in Education, University of Canterbury; Gillian Southey; Joe Davies, Coordinator, East Timor Independence Centre Otautahi; Murray Horton, CAFCA and former PP21 activist Trish Murray.

In 2002 Reid was Alliance Party candidate for Wellington Central.

Robert Reid has been an active member of the Alliance since its inception...Robert is President of UNITE, a union especially for low waged, part-time, casual and unemployed workers. He was National Secretary of the former Footwear Workers Union. He is coordinator of the Council of Trade Unions Industry and Economic Development Programme. He serves on the transition board for the new Textile, Clothing, Footwear and Carpet (TCFC) Industry Development Organisation. Robert has been active in the anti-free trade movement for many years. This involvement has been through union activity opposed to the elimination on tariffs on New Zealand manufacturing industries through to membership of anti-free trade organisations such as ARENA.

After 2005 visit to China with a CTU delegation Reid said the situation was worse than anything he had seen on official or un-offical trips to China, but added "Before we throw any more stones at China we should clean up our own industry first."

Robert Reid is set to lead New Zealand's third largest and possibly, strategically most important, union. He will take over an organisation completely dominated by Socialist Party of Aotearoa communists, former Maoists and anarchists.

At what crucial point will Reid turn his union against the National/ACT government?

Is it if, or is it when?

No Sects Please, We're Libertarians

A recent comment posted on David Farrar's Kiwiblog on "yours truly".

"Loudon is a rather strange character at times. Sometimes reasonable sometimes rabid. He says he'll work with anyone moving in a more liberal direction then links to the Locke (the three of us are a) Foundation which contradicts that.

He links selectively. Certainly on some issues the Greens are proliberty (and on many they are not) but he doesn't link to them. On a small number of issues the rabid religious right is proliberty but very few and very far between. Yet he links to them. He's not a Randroid, I assure you. No real Objectivist would have anything to do with the Religious Right but there are few real Objectivists in New Zealand just a few self proclaimed messiahs of liberty. Right!"
W.M.

W.M. raises some interesting points here. Why would I, a self proclaimed libertarian, link to the Locke Foundation? For that matter, why would I quote Maxim Institute publications and in an earlier post praise Maxim "guru", Bruce Logan?

Both organisations are Christian based and both have at times proposed using the state to ban certain activities such as abortion or prostitution.

The answer is very simple. On the vast majority of issues (education liberalisation, private provision of welfare, reduced role of the state, better defence, more individual responsibility, lower taxes, freedom of religion and conscience, parental responsibility for children etc etc) I am in complete agreement with what I understand Locke and Maxim's positions to be.

I am also generally in agreement with their moral outlook; I believe in "family values" and am supportive of the Judeo-Christian ethic, that I believe has underpinned western civilisation.

Where we differ is that I do not believe that the state is needed to support any of the "goods" they strive for. I believe in a cultural, philosophical and religious free market. I think that freedom will deliver excellence and constant improvement in all those "moral" areas. I believe that state intervention (such as laws "protecting" families) are retrograde, just as laws "protecting" maori have been.

Being libertarian, does not mean you are a moral anarchist. It simply means that you believe the state has no role to play in those areas. You can despise abortion or homosexuality, or line dancing, or pornography. You have a right to be agin or afore anything. Being a libertarian means you let people run their own lives, make their own successes or failures and let the free market sort out who's right and who's wrong.

I believe in seeking agreement with who you can, whenever you can. I make it very clear to my friends at Locke and Maxim that I don't agree with everything they do, but that our areas of agreement are great.

I am a proud ACT Party member, because that is the best vehicle for me. ACT is libertarian enough to inspire me, but pragmatic enough to get things done.

That said, I have friends and colleagues in the Naional Party and the Libertarianz, as well as heaps of others with no party affiliation, but a commitment to more freedom. I believe I have the right and indeed a responsibility to work with all who desire a freer society.

Our movement is too small and we are far too far from our ideal society to be sectarian. Why scrap over dead issues, when we have huge battles on education, tax reform and justice reform, before us.

The great freedom movements of our civilisation, such as Magna Carta and the American Revolution were achieved by people with huge differences, who buried them long enough to achieve something great.

That is the attitude which inspires me.

Mike and Gman Hit the Spot

Discovered two excellent posts today while surfing my blogroll.

Mike Heine has an excellent piece "liberalism and the Labour Market" on the stupidity of minimum wage laws and union attempts to manipulate the labour market.

"Unions and politicians over-complicate the labour market, and they do so at workers' peril. Of course if the Unions didn't there wouldn't be much call for them - hence why they make as much noise as they do. The labour market, like any other one, comes down to supply and demand. When demand for labour is high, expect the price (wages/salaries) to be higher. When supply is outdoing demand, it's going to be lower."

Gman hits the spot with a piece entitled

What if…..Greens Co-Leader Keith Locke were born 60 year earlier.

Bletchley Park—Buckinghamshire, January 7 1940

British Communist Party Co-Leader, Mr Keith Locke, today lead (yet another) protest outside the secretive Bletchley complex protesting the probably illegal use of technology and snooping believed to be undertaken in the plant, ominously code-named "station-X".

"Everyone knows what really goes on inside these gates," Mr Locke yelled, whilst holding an anti-American placard, "The Communist Party are the only voice in Parliament against sweeping new powers awarded to GCHQ and the shadowy sections 5 and 6 of Military Intelligence!. Workers of the world should unite against this oppression from Mr Churchill and his close chum Mr Roosevelt.

"We are in danger of becoming a surveillance state because of legislation that attacks our freedoms and civil liberties, with snooping into people's private lives the norm.

Mr Locke has been at the forefront of protest. Keith says: "We have to wake up to the fact that the so-called 'war against Nazism' is being used as an excuse for a serious infringement of our human rights..."

Check them out.

Keith Locke Supports Maoist Terrorist (Yes, Again!)

October 30, 2002

Prime Minister of the Netherlands,
Binnenhof 20,
Postbus 20001,
2500 EA The Hague,
Netherlands.

copy to Minister of Foreign Affairs,
Bezuidenhoutseweg 67,
Postbus 20061,
2500EB The Hague,
Netherlands



Dear Prime Minister,

I am a Green MP in New Zealand and our party's foreign affairs spokesperson.

I am disturbed by reports of actions being taken against Professor Jose Maria Sison, who has been a refugee in your country for many years.

I have met Professor Sison and read a lot of his articles and it is clear to me that he is an important political analyst, who has written many articles and books on the Philippines.

It stretches the imagination that someone so engrossed in scholarly works in the Netherlands is somehow responsible for terrorist acts somewhere else. It deeply concerns me that anti-terrorist laws are now being used against him.

One does not have to agree with all that Professor Sison writes, and I certainly don't, to know that he does make a significant contribution as a political analyst.

I would request that his rights as a refugee in your country be respected.

Yours sincerely,

Keith Locke, MP

Comment; Professor Sison is the leader of the Communist Party of the Philippines. He is also General Consultant to the International League of Peoples' Struggle, a worldwide Maoist organisation. Sison has lived in the Netherlands since 1987. On 28 October 2002, the Council of the European Union added Jose Maria Sison and the New People's Army (armed wing of the Communist Party, now in its 35th year of war with the Philippines government) to its list of 'terrorist' persons, groups and entities. The Dutch government then began attempts to expel Sison.

Keith Locke, who for several years ran the NZ Philippines Solidarity Network (which supported the CPP/NPA and once sponsored a visit by Sison to NZ) clearly thinks the liberal Dutch are being a bit tough.

The CPP/NPA have murdered thousands in their decades long war. Why is a "peacenik" like Locke, supporting terrorist killers. Maybe someone from the Green Party could enlighten us? Didn't he learn a lesson from his support for Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge?