Re: [Marxism] The Democratic Socialist Perspective ¹ s dirty laundry

[John <johnedmundson@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Sat, 2009-04-18 at 20:14 +1000, Nick Fredman wrote:
> John:
> 
> >>For those who don't realise, Nick has abruptly jumped the Tasman here to
> refer to New Zealand...Matt McCarten is now one of the key figures behind
> Unite<<
> 
> Thanks John for the clarifications to a rushed post. I understand McCarten
> post Alliance has also been involved in the Maori Party,

Yes, he did lend his significant talent to the Maori Party campaign, a
strange decision given a lot of the Maori Party's stated policy. A lot
of people on the left (and I guess Matt has to be included in this case)
saw the Maori Party as a good thing and worth supporting. They're now in
a National (traditional Tory although way more sophisticated and urbane
these days) led government with at least one ministerial portfolio - I
can't remember off hand - they've voted for privatising prisons, they're
very pro-army (there are lots of Maori in the army) so I'd say they'll
look favourably on a request to send the SAS back to Afghanistan. They
have some incredibly reactionary social policy stuff too. I found Matt's
decision to get behind their campaign odd to say the least.

>  and that he, or
> maybe other leaders of Unite such as Mike Treen, collaborate in the union
> and in electoral projects with the Socialist Worker comrades

Only in the sense that all sorts of lefty people work as Unite
organisers. Socialist Aotearoa, a left split from SW over their
disastrous RAM electoral project, Workers Party, I think SW, some
anarchists, all work in Unite. I don't think Matt or Mike are any closer
to SW than that really. They're generally on good terms with most people
on the left as far as I can tell, but I'm not in Auckland so don't have
my ear that closely to the ground.
Cheers,
John


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