[PEN-L:5078] Re: NZ - the alliance?

[BILL MITCHELL <ECWFM@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Doug:

>On a recent fly-by in NYC, Peter Camejo, the former SWP presidential
>candidate turned stockbroker (though still a self-identified socialist),
>said that very interesting things were happening in New Zealand - a left
>party called, I think, The Alliance, in particular. Any PEN-Lers have any
>knowledge of this?

The Alliance is a pot-pourri or motley collection whichever you like of
interest groups who have managed to become the third force in NZ politics
although they are still dwarfed by the Nationals and the Labour Party.

the alliance was started by a defecting labour politician who had the
conscience to realise that the Lange-Douglas era of the 1980s where
the new right policies started to be implemented were only preparing the
ground for the more lethal and brutal policies of the conservatives and
were anti-labour in the extreme. as they say - "first there was rogernomics
and now NZ is undergoing Ruthanasia!" (rogernomics - roger douglas the labour
treasurer who started all the destruction and ruthanasia - ruth x the
conservative treasurer who furthered it).

the alliance has had high hopes of taking the position held by the labour as
the main opposition. it basically brings together - maori groups, the greens,
womens and mens gay groups, and other small single interest groups. its
strength is its weakness. it is too fragmented and is likely to splinter when
they get down to actually deciding a broad policy approach - beyond each of
their own single interests.

but there has been a change in the electoral system in NZ now and i think it
means the small parties have a better chance of representation.

Basically, i would vote the alliance if i lived in NZ and bothered to accept
the compulsion to vote. so that might give you an idea of its platform and
sentiments. it has been said that it might be able to win G but i think that is
unlikely b.c the labour party has done a lot to purge itself from the evil
1980s version.

hope that helps
kind regards
bill

we need Brent or Ellen to chime in and fill out some more details.
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