Helen Clark Must Do More To

Socialist Worker Monthly Review #6 • April 2003 • $2 Helen Clark must do more to

STOP the WAR! ■ Withdraw the frigate ■ Condemn the invasion Inside: ● Green MP Keith Locke, Labour councillor Greg Presland and Socialist Worker’s Grant Brookes debate “What more can Labour do?” ● Burning the flag ● Direct action debates ● Plus: Kinleith strike, Prostitution Reform Bill, & more.

Socialist Worker Monthly Review April 2003 1 What’s on APRIL 12 WHO SAYS? International Day of “Resistance has Action Against the War been minimal Details available as Socialist ■ WELLINGTON protest action. Details to be becausec few Iraqis Worker Monthly Review Peace Action Wellington have confirmed. Contact Brian, will fight for goes to press: called a protest for either 472 7473 or Fiona Saddam – and even April 11 (Friday night) or April [email protected]. ■ AUCKLAND 12. Further details to be fewer will die for Gather at 12 noon, Western confirmed. Contact Grant, 566 ■ OTHER CENTRES him.” Park (corner Ponsonby Rd & K 8538 or e-mail Information on actions in Richard Perle, key Rd). [email protected] other centres will be posted Pentagon advisor to Organised by Global Peace & by Peace Movement Aotearoa Justice Auckland. ■ DUNEDIN as it becomes available, George Bush. For more information, phone Dunedin Coalition Against www.converge.org.nz/pma/ 361 6989. the War will be organising date.htm “Our forces will be met with applause and sweets and flowers.” Pentagon official.

“I’m not fighting for Saddam Hussein, I’m fighting for Iraq.” Nasr Al Hussein, one of hundreds of Iraqi exiles queuing to board coaches in WASHINGTON LONDON AUCKLAND Jordan to return to Baghdad. Local anti-war activities “I’d like to be in AUCKLAND HAMILTON speeches and music, Iraq. Then I could Saturday, 5 April – Pales- Saturday, 5 April – Peace including Brass Razoo. shoot you.” tine/Israel Rally for Peace, March from Founders Organised by Hutt Peace A cop in Wellington supporting peace and justice Theatre to the Plaza, Action and Peace Action threatens anti-war based on removal of Israeli Garden Place; with speakers Wellington, for more info protesters. occupation, right of return and prayers, an Interfaith phone 382 8129 or email for refugees, sharing Gathering. Gather 1pm at [email protected]. Jerusalem and cessation of Founders Theatre. For more “The time for Jewish only settlements in info contact Hamilton WELLINGTON democracies, occupied Palestine, 2pm to Peace Movement, phone Friday, 11 April – “The including New 3pm, Aotea Square, Queen 856 1001 or email immorality and illegality of Zealand, to deal to Street. Contact David [email protected]. this war”, with Dr Ramon Iraq has come. [The Wakim, 520 0201. Das, lecturer in philosophy, LOWER HUTT Victoria University, and US] has moral right Monday, 7 April – GPJA Saturday, 5 April – You Merav Datan, international on its side.” forum with special guest can not bomb the world to lawyer and principal drafter Editorial in the Sue Rhodes who has spent peace! March and rally of the Model Nuclear National Business the last six months in against the invasion of Weapons Convention – Review, mouthpiece Hebron, Palestine, as part Iraq. Gather 11am at the speaking about the invasion of the Christian Peace- Melling Bridge end of the of Iraq. From 6pm to of big business, 21 makers Team; 7.30pm at river bank car park for a 7.30pm at St Andrews on February. Trades Hall, 147 Great march through central the Terrace, 30 The Terrace. North Rd, Grey Lynn. For Lower Hutt down Queens Organised by Peace Move- more information contact Drive, to the US ambassa- ment Aotearoa, in conjunc- Global Peace and Justice dor’s residence and Town tion with St Andrews. For Auckland, John Minto Hall, then to a rally in the more information contact email [email protected] park outside the Lower Peace Movement Aotearoa, or Mike Treen email Hutt public library where 382 8129 or email [email protected]. there will be short [email protected]. 2d Socialist Worker Monthly Review April 2003 Editorial Socialist Worker Monthly Review No friend http://au.geocities.com/swo_nz of peace What’s on 2

“I’m with Helen Clark on Iraq”, declared NZ Herald columnist Diana Wichtel. Editorial 3 “This Council strongly supports the New Zealand Govern- ment’s stance”, read a resolution passed in Waitakere City. A petition being circulated by Auckland officials from the News Review 4 Council of Trade Unions “endorses” a statement on Iraq by Zimbabwe foreign minister Phil Goff. Palestine Recent weeks have seen an out-pouring of support for Workers resist war Labour from the corporate-owned media, the establishment Kinleith strike and top union officials. Prostitution Reform Bill They back Clark’s expressions of “regret” about the outbreak of war in Iraq. But they don’t ask what Labour is doing to stop it. FEATURE: WORLD

In recent months, the government has quietly stepped up AGAINST WAR

○○○○ military deployments to the war zone. ○○○○○○○○○○○○○ New Zealand military personnel are now working with US forces in Afghanistan, Bahrein, the United Arab Emirates, the Gulf of Oman, at US Central Command in Florida and right New Zealand & the here in New Zealand. war in Iraq 8 Top of the list are the frigate Te Mana, escorting US war convoys into the Persian Gulf, and the spy base at Waihopai which feeds intelligence information directly to the headquar- Debates in the anti- ters of the US National Security Agency in Washington. As Green MP Keith Locke writes elsewhere in this maga- war movement 10 zine, “Whatever their intended functions, both are in practice Burning the flag helping America in the war against Iraq”. Short war will boost US power Further deployments of an air force Orion and a Hercules What kind of action can stop war? are planned. What more can Labour do? US secretary of state Colin Powell says that 46 countries have signed up to America’s “coalition of the willing”.

The coalition, he said, includes 15 nations “who are COLUMNS ○○○○ providing assistance but do not wish to be named”. ○○○○○○○○○○○○○ As the editorial in the Dominion Post pointed out, “New Zealand, being part of the intelligence network, could well be Socialist Worker news 18 on the list”. Regardless of whether New Zealand is a signed-up member, our government is now providing far more assistance to Industrial Action 20 America’s war than many coalition members. Danger to life and limb Clark has refused to condemn the United States, Britain or Australia. Despite the death and carnage these aggressors are

bringing to Iraq, she continues to call them “New Zealand’s REVIEWS & LETTERS ○○○○ oldest and closest friends”. ○○○○○○○○○○○○○ So long as she’s helping allies like these, whatever the media tries to tell us, Helen Clark is no friend of peace. Frida 17

Cover photo: As many as 10,000 people march up Auckland’s

Queen Street on March 22. ○○○○○○

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Socialist Worker Monthly Review April 2003 3 News Review Iraq war threatens new Palestinian catastrophe

By GRANT BROOKES cleansing to drive the entire people from their land. Just one day before bombing Bush would be unlikely to started in Iraq, US national se- actively oppose this given the curity adviser Condoleezza increasing co-operation be- Rice announced a huge aid tween US and Israeli forces. package for Israel. Military officials have con- US backing for Israel’s oc- firmed that Israeli tactics used cupation of Palestinian areas in the occupied West Bank and could hardly be clearer. Gaza are being studied for the The US agreed to hand over assault on Baghdad. $10 billion to shore up Israel’s Anti-war coalitions around sinking economy and increase the world, including Global its military power. Peace & Justice Auckland and George Bush has made it Peace Action Wellington, have clear that war in Iraq is only the taken up the demand for a free first step in “reordering the Palestine as part of opposing Middle East”. to Israel and the US. Hardline members of the the war. Palestinian resistance to the This puts the Palestinians Israeli government are talking Supporting the struggle to occupation inspires millions squarely in George Bush’s openly about the “transfer” of liberate Palestine is essential to across the region to stand up sights. Palestinians – mass ethnic resisting US imperialism. General strike rocks Zimbabwe World’s workers by DAPHNE LAWLESS US president George W Bush announced at the start of March the imposi- resist war Robert Mugabe’s government in Zimba- tion of sanctions preventing Americans bwe is accelerating its attacks on workers, from doing business with the ZANU-PF The opening days of war in Iraq were students and peasants who oppose his leadership. met with mass protests and strikes ZANU-PF party’s dictatorial rule. Britain’s Conservative Party has even around the world: The BBC reported on March 24 that called for military intervention in Zimbabwe. BRITAIN: Over half a million people “government security forces have arrested As in Iraq, the West wants “regime marched through London on March 22. It and beaten hundreds of people following change” to replace a hostile government was the country’s biggest ever last week’s widely observed general strike”. with a friendly one. demonstration in wartime. Zimbabwean police admit to having ar- However, the last thing that Zimba- ITALY: The three main union federations rested about 400 opposition members. bwean capitalists and their Western allies immediately called a general strike when There are many reports of torture and – like Phil Goff – want is a genuine popu- war began. sexual abuse by pro-government forces. lar uprising that might sweep away both The biggest strikes were in Milan, At the insistence of Australia, Britain Mugabe and the capitalist system he ad- involving public sector workers and and New Zealand, Commonwealth sanc- ministers. engineering workers. Around a million tions against Zimbabwe were renewed on The recent general strike in Zimbabwe, or- people joined anti-war protests. March 20. ganised by the opposition Movement for AUSTRALIA: In three days of protests New Zealand’s foreign minister, Phil Democratic Change (MDC) was described as over 150,000 people took to the streets. Goff, said in support of this, “Legislation, a “complete success” in most major towns. In Melbourne, 3,000 trade unionists threats and intimidation have controlled However, the MDC has moved strongly walked off the job in anti-war strikes. and silenced the press and judiciary; oppo- away from its original base of working-class GREECE: On March 21 trade unionists nents of the regime continue to be sub- support in order to gain support from local walked out in a general strike. jected to violence and arbitrary arrests, and employers and their Western supporters. The main union federation struck for millions of Zimbabweans face starvation Instead of consistently supporting mass three hours, more left wing unions stayed through wanton mismanagement of the action to get rid of Mugabe, they have se- away for 24 hours. Over 200,000 workers economy and corruption”. cretly negotiated for a “government of na- from the public and private sectors took This is all true. But the real reason these tional unity” with ZANU-PF. part in a union demonstration in Athens. governments oppose the Mugabe regime is In addition, they have expelled a social- SPAIN: At least a million people joined because of its seizure of farmland from the ist MDC MP, Munyaradzi Gwisai, for sup- demonstrations on March 22. In Madrid, rich white minority. porting land redistribution for the benefit police opened fire on protesters with Mugabe is no friend of ordinary Zimba- of ordinary Zimbabweans. rubber bullets. bweans. Despite his tough talk against “im- Any Western intervention in Zimbabwe EGYPT: Over 50,000 people marched to perialism”, his government continues to would simply replace Mugabe’s thugs with Tahrir Square in the centre of Cairo. implement IMF-backed reforms which an MDC leadership now totally dedicated UNITED STATES: Nearly 200,000 make ordinary Zimbabweans poorer. to completing his free-market reforms. people protested in New York. Also, the seized farmland has mainly gone In contrast, the Zimbabwean people They were undeterred by the arrest of to the military and to cronies of ZANU-PF. showed last month they are capable of mass 1,100 people in San Francisco two days But Western businesses cannot stand to action which could lead to them seizing earlier in protests described as “absolute see their investments confiscated. control of their own factories and farmland. anarchy” by the assistant police chief.

4 Socialist Worker Monthly Review April 2003 News Review Kinleith strikers appeal for support

By GRANT BROOKES

More than 250 workers at Carter Holt’s Kinleith mill near Tokoroa were entering their fourth week of strike action as So- cialist Worker Monthly Review went to press. For the first time in recent memory, workers at a major plant in New Zealand were on an all-out indefinite strike. The mainstream media have imposed a news blackout on the dispute. Welling- ton’s Dominion Post devoted a total of seven column inches to the first four weeks of strike action. Even local community newspapers in Kinleith strikers have set up a 24-hour picket to stop the movement of goods from the plant. the company town have sidelined the workers’ stories. Holt’s profits rose by more than 400%. picket line. The dispute is over stalled contract Chief executive Chris Liddell gave Local Labour MP Mark Burton, as de- negotiations. himself a 32% pay rise, which took his fence minister, ordered the frigate Te Mana Carter Holt wants to reduce safety salary to $1.4 million, before moving on to the Gulf. While he says he is “very disap- standards by scrapping the on-site fire to greener pastures in November. pointed” in the company, he has not offered brigade and requiring production work- Analysts expect company profits to to intervene for the workers. ers to train for fire-fighting and emer- double again this year. But the strikers themselves are speaking at gency rescue duties. Management have threatened strikers worksites across the country, including other They also want to cut pay for most with the closure of the mill. But strike Carter Holt factories, to raise solidarity. workers by $10,000. leader Graham Holmes told Socialist Support has flowed in from a wide range But the anger driving the strike comes Worker these threats were just to put the of unions. Prison officers from nearby from deeper issues still. Kinleith worker pressure on. Waikeria Prison turned up out of the blue Tony Hurlihy told Socialist Worker, In 1999, the company spent $300 mil- with $700 worth of groceries. But more finan- “They’re trying to smash the union”. lion upgrading the plant. This would be cial support is urgently needed. Job cuts at Kinleith have reduced the money down the drain if it closed. If the company defeats the strike, it will workforce from over 2,000 to the 280 Workers have set up a 24 hour picket mean pressure for similar cuts goes on at Carter employed by Carter Holt today. across the railway line into the mill to pre- Holt’s competitors like Fletcher Forests. And Last year, production of paper at Kin- vent stockpiled goods from getting to mar- it will give employers across the country more leith was a record 532,000 tonnes. Carter ket. Rail workers have refused to cross the confidence to go on the attack. Carter Holt was also behind attacks on the watersiders’ union in 2001. The strike has stopped all production at Build solidarity to win the mill and is costing the company $3.5 million a week. With wider support from other Local officials from the Engineering, losses of $3.5 million. workers, the Kinleith strikers can win. Printing and Manufacturing Union are Staying out indefinitely puts pressure organising meetings at other worksites so on management to return to the negotiat- Kinleith strikers can appeal for wider un- ing table with a more reasonable attitude. ion support. EPMU officials are also But if management don’t budge after speaking to meetings themselves. prolonged pressure, workers should be Building solidarity in this way is the prepared to escalate the action and call key to winning the strike. on the wider solidarity they’ve built up. It also drives a coach and horses Carter Holt employs around 4,000 through the official policies of the EPMU. workers, most of them in New Zealand. Throughout the 1990s, EPMU officials If they all struck, it would cost the com- echoed bosses’ claims that workers must pany around $80 million a week in lost accept cuts to make New Zealand busi- revenue. ■ Take up a collection around your workplace for the nesses more “internationally competitive”. Secondary strikes by groups of work- Kinleith strikers. Donations can be deposited into the They pushed the idea that unions ers not covered by the employment agree- Engineering and Related Trades Union Welfare Account, should work in “partnership” and in ment at Kinleith would be illegal under 020-2640079883-007, at any BNZ branch. “good faith” with employers. Labour’s Employment Relations Act. Please post the deposit receipt, so your donation can But as strike leader Graham Holmes But legal channels have already failed be acknowledged, to Pam Patel, Kinleith Strike Welfare said to Socialist Worker Monthly Review, Kinleith workers over and over again. A Fund, Private Bag 92645, Symonds St, Auckland. “Good faith bargaining is a lot of rubbish”. court bid did not stop Carter Holt slash- ■ Send messages of support via Pam Patel at the same Sending speakers out is an important ing 390 jobs last year. address. way to raise financial support. The EPMU leaders now building soli- ■ Arrange a meeting and invite a Kinleith worker to When the company sees that workers darity for Kinleith should be prepared to speak at your workplace. Phone 0800 1 UNION for are digging in for the long haul, it makes call on workers at other Carter Holt sites speakers. them think twice about their weekly to take supportive industrial action.

Socialist Worker Monthly Review April 2003 5 News review Prostitution Reform Bill strengthens workers’ rights

By DAPHNE LAWLESS ers. Yvette tells (on the oppo- site page) how a person in Wel- Further progress on a law to lington was arrested before decriminalise prostitution has Christmas for “brothel keep- been delayed until later this ing” in their own home. month. Auckland police arrested MPs spent two and a half three women in a similar raid hours on March 26 discussing in January, at the same time as Labour MP Tim Barnett’s warning prostitutes to stay off Prostitution Reform Bill, but the streets for fear of attacks. could not even reach a decision Prostitutes say that some on its title. police abuse their powers and In February, over two years blackmail them for sex. An of- after the Bill was first intro- ficial report on the police duced to parliament, it passed leaked to the media in 1998 its second reading by a narrow said this practice was rampant. 62 votes to 56. In addition, a person con- Most National MPs voted victed of soliciting or brothel against it. keeping has difficulty travel- From the start National MP ling, getting finance or another Brian Neeson has raved that job. This makes it more diffi- decriminalising prostitution cult for workers to quit the sex will undermine the family. industry. And illegality also puts the “Morality” workers at more danger of dis- “Morals have collapsed,” he ease. Carrying condoms or fumed. “Our value system has other safer-sex equipment can shrunk and fallen over.” be used as evidence against But Neeson and his fellow them. National MPs have no problem with the “morality” of the US- Poverty and desperation drives women to work up stairs like this. Exploitation led butchery in Iraq that’s rip- Audrey Young commented ping families limb from limb. wants to criminalise the clients and are denied better jobs by recently in the NZ Herald that Prostitution – having sex for of sex workers. prejudiced employers. “the divide (between pro- and money – has never been illegal She suggests that this will Sleazy massage parlour op- anti-decriminalisation support- in this country. What is cur- discourage the sex industry erators know this. They place ers) is about whether prostitu- rently illegal is soliciting (offer- while not victimising the pros- advertisements in the newspa- tion is employment or exploi- ing to have sex for money), titutes themselves. pers like this one from the NZ tation”. keeping a brothel, or living off But Yates’ arguments are Herald: “Benefits cut off? Fam- But sadly, under capitalism the earnings of another per- not borne out by the experi- ily to support? Why not try all employment is exploitation. son’s prostitution. ence of such laws in Sweden. dancing at Showgirls!” Employers get rich from the The Bill would remove all Campaigner Craig Young Women, and men, become labour and oppression of oth- specific legal measures dealing reports that under these laws, prostitutes not because of ers. with prostitution and put it “female sex workers have been some moral flaw, or because Women should not be for under the same laws as other driven into backstreet areas they believe it’s a glamorous sale. But in the labour market, kinds of employment. where their occupational lifestyle. all workers have to sell them- This would mean that pros- safety cannot be insured, and It is because of financial selves to survive, no matter titutes would have the same face increased risks from need. And the current laws on what kind of work we do. basic guarantees on health, sexual violation and psychotic sex work makes such people Prostitutes deserve the safety and employment rights misogynist clients who may in- even more vulnerable. same rights as any other as any other worker. jure them, or worse”. Unfair dismissals, withhold- worker, and decriminalisation Many MPs have proposed No-one is claiming that ing payment and fines for of- is an essential step to giving amendments to the Bill in the prostitution is a good career fences such as “wearing the them that protection. committee stage. Most promi- opportunity. wrong stockings” are common Labour MPs who want to nent have been those put for- Prostitutes are overwhelm- in the industry. “protect” women from prosti- ward by Labour MPs Phil Goff ingly working class women One sex worker has told of tution and exploitation by and Dianne Yates. who don’t have bright career how her earnings for a day of pimps should focus instead on Goff, with an eye on the prospects and who have no work were confiscated as pun- raising benefits, improving ac- conservative opinion in his Mt chance of surviving on meagre ishment for not turning up to cess to free healthcare for all Roskill electorate in Auck- state benefits. work due to illness. and restoring universal student land’s “Bible belt”, proposes Some prostitutes are stu- Bosses can get away with allowances. keeping some restrictions on dents who are made desperate this only because sex workers That would help eliminate prostitution. by huge levels of debt. Others have no legal rights. the causes of prostitution, and Ms Yates, who describes are transsexual women who The laws also allow police be a real step towards women’s herself as “a radical feminist”, must pay massive medical bills to bully and harass sex work- liberation.

6 Socialist Worker Monthly Review April 2003 News review ‘I want to work safely and without fear’ YVETTE ASTRE – her working name – is a Wellington prostitute. She is alarmed MPs are increasingly viewing decriminalisation as a moral issue and are turning against it. To her, it is all about human rights.

❛I am a prostitute. Had my circumstances been different it is unlikely I would have chosen prostitution as a career. But, as things are at present, it is the only way I can create a better life for myself. Having made my choice, I want to be able to work safely and without fear. This is why I fully support decriminalisation. It is the best way to reduce exploitation and abuse of women in the sex industry. I have researched the alternatives but consider these would only make matters worse. Current prostitution laws deny sex workers human rights everyone else in this country takes for granted. Prostitutes in New Zealand are cur- “Sex Worker’s rights are Human rights”: Protesters in Perth support decriminalisation of rently convicted and fined under our prostitution in West Australia on International Women’s Day 1998. present very ambiguous laws. In order for me to advertise in The when they were late, away sick, for not This is a form of legalised abuse of Dominion Post I had to register with the wearing the right stockings – or for any- women. police as a prostitute. thing else they might think up? Decriminalisation wil1 also reduce How much the prostitute is paid is en- violence to women in another way. Vulnerable tirely up to venue owners. The women Because of current prostitution laws Having done this, I am now in a very are powerless to contest these arbitrary and the way police interpret them, many vulnerable situation because of the actions. sex workers are afraid to report inci- brothel-keeping laws. I am currently going through a gen- dents of violence for fear of prosecution These have been interpreted so der change to become a woman and themselves. widely that even a prostitute’s own bed- have been working as a woman. room can be considered a brothel. As a man I regularly used the serv- Risk My flat is totally unsuitable for work- ices of prostitutes in a particular parlour Many men know this, so those who ing from – instead I have the use of a in Wellington. get a perverted pleasure out of beating room near the city centre. It had a reception on the ground floor up women pick on sex workers because I keep my condoms etc for safe sex but the “massage” rooms were on the of the greater chance of getting away in my flat just as other adults do but first and second floors. with it. because I am on the police register as a Women working as escorts are at par- prostitute the police can enter my flat Violent ticular risk. with a search warrant, take my supplies When the women were upstairs alone If a client pays cash for a hotel room and business records and prosecute me with clients they were very vulnerable. then there would be no reason to give for brothel-keeping. I don’t know if there was an alarm his real name. I understand this happened to a per- system but even if there was, help could He could disappear before his sav- son in Wellington just before Christmas. take several minutes to arrive if a client agery is discovered. The Employment Relations Act does turned violent. I ask that the Bill be considered a hu- not cover sex workers. Many government departments have man rights issue, not a moral one. Consequently the owners of sex ven- panic buttons or other safety precau- Prostitutes are just like any other per- ues charge their workers bonds, fees and tions in their interview rooms – no son, with feelings, hopes and dreams just fines that would be illegal in any other doubt as a requirement of the Health like everyone else. industry. and Safety in Employment Act 2002. And we are entitled to the same hu- Would a government department, Employers are required to take every man rights.❜ say, get away with demanding a $500 reasonable precaution to protect em- bond when a female employee started ployee’s safety. This letter first appeared in Contact, a work? Prostitutes are not entitled to such free weekly newspaper delivered to Would that department – or any em- protection, yet they face great risks. homes in the greater Wellington region. ployer, generally – get away with impos- In fact many parlour owners condone It is re-printed here with Yvette’s ing a $20 fine on female employees clients’ violence against their workers. consent.

Socialist Worker Monthly Review April 2003 7 New Zealand & the war in Iraq Labour puts profits before peace

By GRANT BROOKES Auckland business consultant Stuart SSA then immediately re-registered as Bennett told readers of the National Busi- a new company, Southern Cross “With the commencement of military ac- ness Review last month to look out for op- Stevedoring. The Waterfront Workers Un- tion, New Zealand has turned its attention portunities in Iraq’s reconstruction. ion asked the Serious Fraud Office to in- to ways in which we can help alleviate the “New Zealanders will be among vestigate but only managed to recover $2 suffering and loss of life which may management and technical profession- million of the money robbed from the threaten the civilian population.” als from around the world offered high- workers. Foreign minister Phil Goff’s words of paying jobs to re-build Iraq’s infrastruc- SSA has also been named as a union- concern for the suffering Iraqi people ring ture”, he said. busting firm by the American waterfront hollow. New Zealand bosses would be espe- union. On March 13, prime minister Helen cially sought after, he added, for their ex- So far, the Labour government has an- Clark rejected out of hand a call from the perience in privatising state-owned indus- nounced $3.3 million in aid for Iraq. Refugee Council to allow Iraqis fleeing the tries, having done the same thing for years They should provide aid to the Iraqi war to seek safety here. back home. people whose lives have been devastated And if Labour really cared about the The kind of operator who’ll be granted by war – far more than this paltry sum. loss of life, they would not be turning their the spoils of war “rebuilding Iraq” is re- $3.3 million is less than a third of what attention away from stopping the war. vealed by the first deal signed by the US they spent sending the SAS to fight in Af- But Labour backed away from oppos- Agency for International Development. ghanistan. ing the war for fear of jeopardising the Stevedoring Services of America (SSA) The UN says nearly $5 billion is needed trading interests of New Zealand business. was awarded the contract to manage the just to provide the basics of life for the next In the same way, their policy for “rebuild- port of Umm Qasr. six months. ing Iraq” will put New Zealand business SSA was the owner of New Zealand But the contracts for reconstruction first. Stevedores. They placed NZ Stevedores must also be scrapped so that not a cent of This will help strengthen the hand of into liquidation in 1998, owing New Zea- the “aid” ends up in the pockets of the union-busters around the world and here land watersiders $15 million in redundancy greedy profiteers – local and foreign – now in New Zealand. and holiday pay. lining up with their hands out. Wellington protest targets Labour

Over 4,000 angry protesters took to the Canon Paul Ostreicher from the Angli- “Whose streets? Our streets!” and “The streets of Wellington on March 22 to ex- can Church – who was not a scheduled people, united, will never be defeated!”. press their rage at the outbreak of war speaker – had unexpectedly taken the Cheers would go up as protesters in Iraq. microphone. lobbed missiles over the fence. Toilet The march to the US embassy went via He said we should thank the New rolls, eggs, paint bombs and offal pelted parliament, where the message to Helen Zealand government for not doing what buildings in the embassy compound. Clark was “Bring the frigate back!”. the Australia had done in supporting The police, under the glare of TV And confronting over 100 baton- war and sending troops. There were cameras and smarting from the reaction wielding police, deployed behind steel some cheers around the Square. to their heavy-handed attacks on pro- fences ringing the embassy compound, But Don Carson from the Wellington testers at parliament two weeks earlier, they angrily demanded “No blood for Palestine Group responded. “Rather held their line. oil!”. than congratulating the government”, Protesters cried, “Who are you de- The great diversity of people on the he said, “we should be asking them to fending?!” and “Shame!” at the police. march showed the breadth of opposi- put up their hands and say what side Some officers were visibly shaken and tion to war. they’re on”. had to be relieved. Maori, Pakeha and Pacific people Faced with heavily reinforced de- raised their voices together. Arabs Frigate fences around the embassy, protest or- marched with Jewish people demand- As the march entered parliament ganisers sounded the siren to signal the ing “Peace! Now!”. grounds, organisers from Peace Action end of the action and rally people to “Free, free Palestine!” rose up from Wellington lead chants of “Bring back leave as a group. Lambton Quay. Te Mana!”, “Bring the frigate back!”. At first, some people appeared con- Unions Skate boarders fused. But gradually the chant was taken The local Council of Trade Unions, the A group of Somalian women in tra- up by more and more of the march, un- Maritime Union, the rail workers’ RMT ditional dress carried placards de- til it rang out round the grounds. union and the National Distribution Un- nouncing the war, while teenage skate The debate over Labour’s position on ion flew their banners on the march. boarders greeted the march at parlia- the war going on inside people’s heads In the week beforehand, Wellington ment gates, holding up boards with “No was being reflected in the mass protest. officials from the NDU toured worksites war” painted on the decks. A banner covered in hand-prints in telling their members about the protest. Young and old marched together, par- red paint was left on parliament steps E-mail notices were sent out by PSA ents pushed prams and disabled people bearing the messages “Not in our name” delegates at Inland Revenue and by joined the protest in wheelchairs. and “Bring back the frigate”. RMT officials. March organisers announced at At the embassy, protesters faced off But shamefully, officials from many points along the route that those want- against police for an hour of mass di- unions stayed away or did little or nothing to engage in more active forms of rect action, with too-ing and fro-ing ing to mobilise their members. protest should make their way to the along the fences and deafening chants. Unionists inside PAW are pushing front, while others should drop back. Anti-war slogans were mixed with anti- their leaders to advertise the next pro- At the opening rally in Civic Square, capitalist chants – “People not profit!”, test in the capital on April 12.

8 Socialist Worker Monthly Review April 2003 New Zealand & the war in Iraq

1: Auckland high school students join the protest, March 22. 2: Protest at parliament to disrupt the state banquet for Australian prime minister John Howard, March 10. 3: Direct action blockade of US consulate in Auckland, March 22. 4: Student-led march for peace in Hamilton, March 29. 5: Wellington protest on March 22 reflects a cross-section of society.

Thanks to www.indymedia.org.nz for 3, 4.

5 2

4 3

Socialist Worker Monthly Review March 2003 9 Debates in the anti-war movement Burning the flag

By GRANT BROOKES

Wellington teacher Paul Hopkinson shot to prominence on March 10 following a protest against Australia’s warmongering prime minister, John Howard. Paul was arrested for burning the New Zealand flag on the steps of parliament. He later appeared on TV and in the newspapers charged with dishonouring the flag and criminal nuisance. If convicted, he faces a year in prison. If a reason was needed why people who oppose the war should support Paul, it was provided by TV3 News two weeks later. On March 24, they proudly announced that the New Zealand flag is fly- ing over Britain’s 7th armoured division, thanks to a Dunedin-born soldier fighting in Southern Iraq. Wellington teacher Paul Hopkinson with supporters outside the Wellington district court Well before that, of course, the navy’s on March 14. version of the New Zealand flag was being paraded officially in the Gulf on the with the unpatriotic protesters who in- frigate Te Mana, assisting US forces. vaded the pitch in Hamilton, stopped the Poem The New Zealand flag has been raised rugby match and unveiled a communist over a host of criminal wars throughout red flag. the last century. Some Labour MPs spoke out against In 1929, it flew over the building in the bill in parliament. David Caygill had A piece of cloth New Zealand-administered Western Sa- been a leader of an anti-Vietnam War moa where troops opened fire with ma- protest in Christchurch in 1971 where the "He’s got no right to teach our chine guns on unarmed pro-independ- flag was set alight. kids— ence demonstrators. He declared, “If we write hard-and- In the 1970s, anti-war protesters here fast rules into our law, about the use of the little bastard’s burnt our burned the New Zealand flag to express flags, we run the risk of stifling a reason- flag!" their disgust over its presence, alongside able means for people to express them- the Stars and Stripes, in South Vietnam. selves”. "Hey mate, it’s just a piece of But when the vote came, he fell into cloth…" “One nation” line. Labour voted with National to pass But it’s not only on the battlefield the bill into law. where the flag is used to rally support Despite this, Caygill’s point was made "A piece of cloth be fucked, it for injustice. again last month in the NZ Herald by symbolises everything we On Waitangi Day 1995, the flag was Auckland lawyers Richard Ekins and stand for— trampled by activists protesting Nation- John Ip. Black caps, Jonah— NZSO, the al’s “fiscal envelope” policy of insultingly They said, “Setting fire to the flag as low settlements for huge land thefts and the centre piece of a protest – illustrat- yacht…" atrocities committed against Maori. ing disagreement with the state and its The Maori activists recognised that policies – is an overt act of political ex- "South Auckland slums where the flag symbolises the false idea that we pression and as such is at the core of the glue-eared children rot; are “one nation” with common interests. free speech right.” We are not “one nation”. Maori are Paul is a member of the Anti-Capital- it waved for years to greet treated as second class citizens. Women ist Alliance. But the charges laid against apartheid teams, face double standards. him by police are an attack on the whole Workers do not benefit when the in- anti-war movement. flew silent, smug, above a terests of New Zealand businesses are If Paul is convicted, it will set a legal million silent screams, it promoted. precedent and add to the armoury of As Paul says, “Flags are symbols. It’s measures the police can use to clamp was a symbol of the ruling elite. It doesn’t down on dissent. a toilet rag, for Uncle Sam to represent the working people of New Following the protest, Peace Action wipe his arse on in Vietnam– Zealand.” Wellington voted unanimously to sup- The law against burning the New Zea- port him in fighting the charges. Mate, you and me and sanity land flag was passed by the National gov- High profile legal academic and civil ernment in 1981 in the wake of huge pro- rights lawyer Paul Miller has offered to are better off tests against the Springbok Tour. represent him for free. To just accept it as a piece of The most rabid supporter of the law Paul appears again in the Wellington cloth." was Winston Peters, then a National MP. district court on May 5. Those who can He raved that a law enshrining the should join the rally in support of Paul Don Franks New Zealand flag was needed to deal from 9am.

10 Socialist Worker Monthly Review April 2003 Debates in the anti-war movement A short war would boost US power

The outbreak of war in Iraq was met by a easier to push through attacks at home, as and that the defeat of that ruling class and chorus of voices expressing a hope that the would a victorious Blair. its military was the lesser evil amid the evil conflict would be short. Socialists continue to do all in our of war. Their motives were mixed. A host of power to build the movement to stop the Socialists in Russia at the time spelled government officials and New Zealand war. But the very worst outcome would be this out. The leading revolutionary business leaders – from dairy giant for it to end quickly in an easy victory for Vladimir Lenin said that faced with a bar- Fonterra, Tourism New Zealand, the Ware- the US and Britain. barous war, the lesser evil for the working house, Forsyth Barr and many more – said Now the war is on, by far the lesser evil class was “the defeat of its government in a short war would be a “perfect war” be- are reverses, or defeat, for the US and Brit- a reactionary war”. cause it wouldn’t hurt profits. ish forces. He argued that “whoever wants a last- Prime minister Helen Clark echoed That may be unlikely, given the over- ing and democratic peace must stand for their view. whelming military superiority they enjoy. civil war against the government” and that But many ordinary people who think But it would be the best outcome in mili- “the latter’s military reverses facilitate its there’s no such thing as a “perfect war” also tary terms. overthrow”. hoped that this one would be short. It would make it more likely that Blair That argument was the preserve of a That is an understandable reaction, would not survive, and Bush would be in minority at first but was borne out in prac- motivated by wanting to see the least loss trouble too. tice. of life in the immediate conflict. It would limit the ability of the US and The First World War was ended when, It is, however, mistaken. The US doesn’t its allies to impose suffering, war and death first in Russia in 1917, then in Germany in want war just to remove Saddam Hussein. on an even bigger scale. 1918, mass revolutions toppled the war- It wants to show that it can use its mili- Socialists have a long tradition to draw mongering governments. tary power to impose its will anywhere in on in taking this stance. What turmoil war will bring today is the world. When the First World War started many impossible to predict. The easier the US finds that in Iraq the who had spoken against war in the run-up Civil unrest in Britain could put the sur- more likely it will go on to use military to it fell into line behind their national vival of Blair’s administration in question. power elsewhere. governments. And the nightmare that haunts Bush Bush already has a list of possible tar- It was very important that in Germany and Blair is that revolt and revolution in gets – Iran, North Korea, Syria, Libya, Cuba. the revolutionary socialist MP Karl the Middle East will topple regimes there Liebknecht spoke out against war when no and challenge Western domination over Attempted coups one else in the parliament did. the region and its oil wealth. The US has already meddled with at- He refused to vote for war credits to Everyone in the anti-war movement tempted coups against the elected govern- finance the German war effort and de- should do all in their power to build pro- ment of Venezuela in South America. clared, “The main enemy is at home.” tests against Bush’s war and Helen Clark’s And the US backs the right wing gov- That meant refusing to drop struggles behind-the-scenes co-operation with it. ernment in a civil war in neighbouring against employers and the government While war continues any military re- Colombia. over domestic issues. verses they suffer will help the process of A quick victory in Iraq will make war Liebknecht’s stance made clear that for stopping them today and of preventing the more likely in these areas. him the main enemy was his ruling class, bloody future they plan for us all. It would also mean the US would push even harder to impose its interests and those of the corporations that back it across the globe. There would be even more savage IMF austerity programmes to suck wealth out of indebted countries. In New Zealand, the push to privatise public services in health and education, under World Trade Organisation treaties like GATS, would be even stronger. US power would also swing even harder behind regimes such as Israel, so bringing more suffering to the Palestinian people. Everywhere there would be the spec- tre of an emboldened US military in the wings to ensure no government dared cross the US. Of course, even the mightiest empire is not immune from mass revolts which can humble it. But the immediate result of a quick victory in Iraq would be to strengthen the US ruling class and its allies and weaken those Iraqi people celebrate over a downed US Apache helicopter. Western corporate media are who oppose it. not reporting the mounting US and British losses. Military reverses can amplify the power A victorious Bush would also find it of protests against the warmongers.

Socialist Worker Monthly Review April 2003 11 Debates in the anti-war movement What kind of action can stop the war?

Putting demands on Labour and backing them up with mass civil disobedience is way forward for the anti-war movement, argues DAVID COLYER.

ESCALATE THE PROTEST rect action only protests would mean aban- the slaughter. “The war on terrorism” has brought the doning a large proportion of people who The major demands of our movement terror of war to a second country. want to march against the war. should include: Many anti-war activists, myself in- cluded, feel the only proper response to No time for pessimism • Withdraw all of New Zealand military this escalation of barbarism is for us to es- At the first meeting of the Christchurch forces currently working with the US. calate our protests. direct action group, some people suggested • Publicly condemn the invasions of Iraq Activists around the country are organ- that most New Zealanders were watching and Afghanistan and call on the US and ising to take “direct action”. the war like it was a movie, ignoring the others to withdraw their forces. In Auckland, during the March 22 pro- death and suffering in Iraq. They hoped a • Close the Waihopai and Tangimoana spy test, there was a sit-down in the middle spectacular action would grab headlines, bases and demilitarise the US Air Force of Queen Street. Then several hundred breaking through the fog of pro-American base at Christchurch airport. people marched back down Queen Street reporting and show that although the war to protest outside the US consulate. The had begun, the anti-war movement had not If these things happen it will give an sit-down cased a great deal of argument gone away. enormous boost to anti-war activists between activists during and after the Some suggested that the general popu- around the world. It will make it easier for demonstration. lation needed to be shocked out of their them to demand their governments also In Christchurch, activists wanting to or- apathy by a dramatic action that would stop supporting the US, and it will make it ganise direct action have set up a new force them to take sides, for or against the harder for the US to claim that it is lead- group autonomous of the Peace Action war. ing a “coalition of the willing” in its “war Network. They believe that keeping direct This is an unnecessarily pessimistic on terrorism”. action separate from the marches is the outlook. best way to avoid arguments within the The opposition to the war in this coun- Beyond Iraq Network. try has generated more activism and less Focusing on our government’s involve- Peace Action Wellington has tried to apathy than any issue in the last ten years ment with the wider “war on terrorism” accommodate the desire for direct ac- (except perhaps the GE-free movement). will out-last the fighting in Iraq. tion. Already this year we’ve seen well over This is important, because if the US On their Saturday 22 march to the US 20,000 people protest around the country wins a quick victory they will soon set their embassy, those who didn’t want to confront on February 15. Demonstrations of a simi- sights on a new target. police were warned to keep to the back, lar size continued through March. Although Helen Clark denies it, the while those up front pushed at police lines Many people who oppose the war will war in Iraq is part of George W Bush’s and showered the compound with paint be wondering what they can do in the “war on terrorism”. Under this banner, bombs and toilet paper. face of the massive power of the Ameri- US-led forces have invaded Afghanistan can war machine and George W’s cru- and Iraq; US troops are involved in civil March together sader mentality. wars in Colombia and the Philippines; Is- In a report on the March 22 sit-down If we want to convince people that it’s rael (America’s attack dog in the Mid- and blockade of the US consulate, Auck- not too late to stop the war, then we need dle East) is slaughtering thousands of land’s Anti Imperialist Coalition calls for to be able to tell them what they can do Palestinians. mass direct action. I agree with a lot of that will make a difference. Iran and North Korea remain on Bush’s what they say, but not their call that “Di- Spectacular stunts could be part of get- “Axis of Evil” list. His advisers have sug- rect action must replace symbolic ting this message across, but on their own gested Syria, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen and marches”. they cannot stop the war. even Saudi Arabia as possible target for Mass marches that unite thousands of If you are planning an attention-grab- the next invasion. people and reflect every shade of anti-war bing stunt, why not use some of the pub- The mobilisations against capitalist opinion are the most fertile soil for mass licity to promote the next mass protest? globalisation have shown that a broad direct action to grow from. “movement of movements” can be built by The approach of Peace Action Welling- Make Labour stand up stressing the links between seemingly sepa- ton on March 22 shows that it is possible Action that will have a direct impact on rate problems facing grassroots people. for everyone who is against the war to America’s ability to fight this war is not Opposition to the war can be easily march together. Those who favour direct possible in this country. linked with opposition to a free trade deal action can carry this out, and those who But we can do more than simply ex- with the US and to the World Trade Or- don’t can keep out of trouble. press our opposition. By forcing our gov- ganisation’s GATS privatisation plans. Abandoning marches in favour of di- ernment to take action, we can help stop The war is also being used as an excuse

12 Socialist Worker Monthly Review April 2003 Debates in the anti-war movement

March 22: Right, Wellington at the American Embassy. Left, Auckland sit-down on Queen Street. to attack our civil liberties, under the guise when those protests move from marches on a group of people, not individuals, and of so-called “anti-terrorism laws”. towards civil disobedience and strikes the form of protest does not limit the num- which disrupt business as usual. bers who can be involved, the more peo- Economic interests If the anti-war movement moves in this ple the better. This war is linked to so many other is- direction, it will create an enormous Sit-in can flow easily from a march. sues because they are all the result of a amount of pressure on the government to For example, in September 2000 an wider system of capitalism and imperialism. meet our demands. Auckland march in solidarity with pro- This is a war waged by the US state in Although mass civil disobedience is tests against the World Economic Forum the interests of US corporations, to ensure more powerful than a march, it would be in Melbourne ended with a sit-in at the they stay ahead of their European rivals. a mistake for the movement to stop build- Australian consulate. The New Zealand government’s posi- ing the big marches. tion on the war is likewise driven by the In Aotearoa and around the world, it is Blockades economic interests of NZ corporations. On the size and unity of the massive peace In the tradition of the anti-capitalist the one hand they are supporting the US protests that have given activists the cour- protests in Seattle and Melbourne, mass with military personnel, in the hope of se- age to take direct action. pickets could stop people coming and go- curing a free trade deal. On the other hand, British socialists make this point well: ing from target buildings. they did not side with the US against “The massive demonstrations have en- These have several advantages over an France and Germany, fearing that this split couraged action like the school strikes, the inside sit-in; it’s easier for people to join a between the great powers could hinder the walkouts and strikes last Thursday and the blockade once it starts, a blockade is out- global free trade negotiations of the World train driver’s boycott of arms supplies in side the building and so more visible, and Trade Organisation. Motherwell.” it doesn’t matter if police are already As the Russian socialist Lenin argued Strikes are the most powerful form of guarding the building – they get blockaded during World War One, “imperialism is the direct action. But political strikes, such as too. highest stage of capitalism”. a strike against the war, are illegal under The primary concern of governments is the Employment Relations Act. Targets to ensure capitalism is running smoothly If the wider anti-war movement em- Auckland has a US, British and Austral- and that the flow of profits into corporate braces mass civil disobedience, it will break ian consulate, Wellington has the embas- coffers is not interrupted. down the barrier between “legal” and “il- sies and Christchurch has a US airforce The warmongers aren’t just out for legal” protest. This will make it easier for base at its airport. blood, they’re out for profit and power too. workers to take anti-war strike action in A focus on our own government’s role The profit and power of the warmon- the future. makes finding targets easier. gering capitalists in the US, the pro-free Wellington, Auckland and Christchurch trade pro-war corporate bosses here (and Ideas for action all have Ministry of Defence or military all other capitalists around the world) de- Here are my ideas for mass civil diso- offices in the central city. pends not only on their control of re- bedience. They could all be described as Another target could be Inland Rev- sources like oil, but also on their control “open actions” because there is no in-built enue Department offices, under the slogan of working people. limit on the number of people involved. such as: “No more tax money for war - re- US vice-president Dick Cheney’s com- For example, ten people could do a sit-in, call NZ forces”. pany may have won the contract to repair but if 100 or 1000 people turn up to join in, Likewise government departments like oil facilities, but he won’t be clambering it would be even better. the Ministry Of Foreign Affairs and Trade up and down oil derricks in the Iraq desert. could be targeted to highlight the murder Sit-ins for meat / bombs for butter US free trade Civil disobedience Sit-ins when people occupy an area - deal. The greatest fear of the capitalists and roads, parks, buildings - and wait until the Pickets or sit-ins at the offices of gov- their governments is that they will lose cops arrive and then either get up or get ernment MPs could demand that they get control over their workers. This fear grows dragged away, have a long history in the of the fence and actively oppose the war. when workers, students and other grass- peace movement. These could be combined with building an roots people protest in large numbers, and They are “mass actions” in that they rely anti-war group in that area.

Socialist Worker Monthly Review April 2003 13 Anti-war debates: What more can Labour do? ‘Peace movement should support the government’ By GREG PRESLAND, chair of the New Lynn Labour Party & Waitakere City Councillor (personal capacity).

We live in very interesting times. I consider that I am on the Left of the Labour Party but a “moderate” Lefty. For most of my life international relations have been dominated by the Cold War. Most of the countries of the world aligned themselves behind one or other of the superpowers and any potential change in allegiance was considered to be a significant event. For instance, I can remember in the 1980s poor Grenada being invaded by the USA after electing a Leftist government. As history shows, the Soviet Union folded under the strain of the arms race and the need to con- tinuously pour resources into an increasingly hun- gry military machine. The US was left in charge of the world, or so they thought. The one remaining body in their way was the United Nations, a body that the US always has had problems accepting. The Cold War meant that the security council of the United Nations rarely avoided a veto but following the end of the Cold War hopes were high Labour foreign minister Phil Goff: opposed to war? that a civilised structure of international governance would evolve. built but at the same time I believe that this gov- The goal must be for a world where international ernment’s line has been really good, they have em- relations are based on well defined principles and phasised that unilateral action is bad, the inspec- disputes and differences are dealt with in a struc- tions are important and should continue, and dip- tured way. lomatic means should be used rather than military action to resolve the situation in Iraq. US privilege When this government’s response is compared to that The United States occupies a privileged position, of England or Australia the difference is startling. with about 5% of the world’s population but con- Helen Clark may not have trumpeted Labour’s trol of half of the world’s resources. conviction for peace from the rooftops but we are Its current international policies appear to have dealing with the 300 pound bully called USA which as their primary aim the preservation of this posi- does not enjoy opposing views being expressed tion of privilege. verses our very beautiful but very small country and The US also spends approximately half of the $900 her discretion is understandable. billion that the world spends each year on military Despite the pressure, the government has adopted budgets. This figure is especially chilling when it is a progressive independent line and enunciated it considered that $40 billion is all that is required to clearly, most recently to the UN on March 27. ensure the essentials of life to everyone on the planet. The opening words of the New Zealand speech I consider that we should be very afraid at the were, “The New Zealand Government deeply re- prospect of a US thinking that it can use military grets the breakdown of the diplomatic process and force to further its interests. the hostilities which are now under way”. My two daughters and I have been on the recent The local Labour Party held a meeting recently protest marches against the Iraq war. concerning the Iraq situation. It was fascinating. We I am totally opposed to the concept of war. The only had a lecturer in international law present, we also justification for military action is, I believe, where there had members of the Australian Labour Party and is broad consensus established within the United Na- the English Labour Party. tions and the humanitarian imperatives are clear. The There was a great deal of informed discussion current war in Iraq meets neither of these conditions. and consensus against the war. The feeling of the It is heartening to see the widespread protests meeting was relief that our government had not throughout the world and the expressions of oppo- succumbed to the pressure and opposed what is sition that have come from many different nations, clearly a stupid and foolhardy action. organisations and groups. This government is not part of the problem. It de- I am proud to say that I have been part of this serves support for what is a principled and ethical stand. and I drafted the resolutions recently passed by the The local peace movement in my opinion could Waitakere City expressing its opposition to the war build a substantial coalition against the war if it ac- and in support of continued diplomatic action. knowledged that this government should be sup- What I have found hard to fathom about the reported in its stand. cent protests is the groups that have used the pro- The people of Iraq deserve our maximised sup- tests to denigrate the New Zealand government. port and perhaps our barbs should be reserved for I believe that it is vital that a mass movement is the real villains – Bush, Blair and Howard. 14 Socialist Worker Monthly Review April 2003 Anti-war debates: What more can Labour do? Labour should ‘rethink relations’ with the US By KEITH LOCKE MP, Green Party Foreign Affairs not many Iraqis would be happy with the “ex- spokesperson planation” that we are only defending those ships from Al Qaeda terrorists (none of whom The people of New Zealand can take a bow for have ever been discovered). making sure our government didn’t commit The Waihopai station is also part of an inte- troops to Iraq. grated five-nation Echelon network, dominated Right from when a US-led invasion of Iraq by the US National Security Agency. was seriously mooted, Labour MPs were under Although the government has assured us, in huge public pressure not to allow New Zea- response to my questions in the House, that land’s participation. New Zealand has “sovereign control” over Overwhelmingly, Labour activists were an- Waihopai, there is simply no practical way for tiwar, and this viewpoint was strongly reflected New Zealand to control the way that the NSA in Labour’s caucus. filters the huge number of phones, faxes and e- The anti-war feeling in New Zealand is also the mails passing through Waihopai. legacy of the big anti-Vietnam war demonstrations The NSA puts thousands of key word com- and the movement for a nuclear-free country. binations, phone and fax addresses into the fil- However, it was not all plain sailing to keep tering system. New Zealand out of the war. In earlier stages A recent US Congressional document lists Labour was oscillating between two considera- Waihopai (along with the SAS) as New Zea- tions, one that there wasn’t a “clear and present” land’s contribution to the war in Afghanistan, danger from Iraq, and therefore an invasion so it is reasonable to expect that information would not be justified, and the other was to passing through it may be used for the war on abide by a UN decision, whatever that might Iraq. Waihopai should be closed down. be, even if it endorsed a war. The Greens have been pressing Labour to People like Phil Goff attacked the Greens take a leading role internationally in trying to for being inconsistent. If you really support the stop the war. UN you have to abide by its decisions, he said. For example, it could have initiated moves We replied that the UN security council can to call the UN general assembly together to tell make mistakes, particularly under US pressures, the Bush, Blair and Howard to get their troops and we were not obliged to support wrong de- out. Greenpeace and other organizations have cisions – such as the sanctions regime which was been pushing for this. so harmful to the Iraqi people. The Greens are pushing for a whole rethink of New Zealand’s relations with Australia, Brit- Good books ain and the United States. In the end, the popular movement, particularly The war is shaking up everyone’s thinking, as reflected through the French and German gov- and New Zealand being subservient to these ernments’ positions, stopped the UN endorsing a powers, as has often been the case, is much less war, and Labour went along with that. attractive to New Zealanders. However, it is clear that Labour still wants to be in the good books in Washington, particularly to get a free trade agreement, and hasn’t rocked the boat in other aspects of the political and defence relationship. Labour stays engaged in the so-called “war on terrorism”, with officers on staff with "Op- eration Enduring Freedom” in Afghanistan. It has been a little embarrassing to them, particularly when there have been accusations against the US of bombing civilian areas, tor- turing suspects, and getting involved in in-fighting between the warlords. Labour has put people off the scent by simply refusing to discuss what the New Zealand SAS or other officers have been doing in Af- ghanistan. Labour might also be pleasing the Bush administration by staving off local criticism of the role of our frigate Te Mana is playing in the Gulf, and the use to which the Waihopai satel- lite communications interception station is put. Whatever their intended functions, both are in practice helping America in the war against Iraq. Bombing civilian areas: The Afghan village of Niazi Qalaye was flattened by the One of the tasks of the frigate is to escort US air force, killing 207 innocent people. The New Zealand SAS was involved in US warships through the Straits of Hormuz, and directing aerial bombardments in Afghanistan.

Socialist Worker Monthly Review April 2003 15 Anti-war debates: What more can Labour do? Labour should listen to the anti-war protests

By GRANT BROOKES, editor of Socialist Worker caused a stir when they were published in the anti- Monthly Review. war Arab Times in Saudi Arabia. If the New Zealand government publicly con- Tens of thousands of people around New Zealand have demns this war, as it should, it will help in building taken to the streets in protest at this war. the anti-war movement around the world. These people, as Keith says, “can take a bow for mak- Labour should also withdraw the frigate Te Mana. ing sure our government didn’t commit troops to Iraq”. Three days into the war, Helen Clark repeated her The movement on the streets has expressed, and claim that Te Mana is not involved in the war on Iraq. strengthened, the huge anti-war feeling in this country. Te Mana’s mission includes “escorting United The pressure of protests so far has nudged the gov- States and coalition vessels through the Straits of ernment away from passive acceptance of whatever Hormuz” into the Persian Gulf. One of them, the the security council decided to telling the UN there USNS Watkins, is shown in the photo below. was “no cause” for war at this time. As Clark was making her statement, US and Brit- It has prompted prime minister Helen Clark to ish warships were hunting the Persian Gulf for Iraqi over-rule her foreign minister, Phil Goff, and say that patrol boats and speedboats that had slipped away New Zealand would not be legitimising a US con- undetected. quest of Iraq by sending in peacekeepers after the Naval commanders expressed concern about pos- fighting stops. sible “suicide attacks” by Iraqi speedboats packed Greg argues that now there is little more Labour with explosives. can do against the “300 pound bully” in Washington. Does our prime minister expect us to believe that But as the New York Times commented last month, Te Mana would not open fire on Iraqi vessels threat- “There may still be two superpowers on the planet: ening to blow up unarmed US transport ships like the United States and world public opinion”. the Watkins? The mass of the world’s workers outweighs George Bush, and Labour could stand up to the US if they Military role called on workers’ support. The fact is, Te Mana is playing a military role in But Labour’s position on the war is not being the war, protecting US war convoys as they sail into driven solely by the protests or the anti-war opinions the combat zone. of workers. Back home, the spy base at Waihopai near Helen Clark told the Listener last month that she Blenheim is also implicated in the war. spoke against war in Iraq in a meeting with British The government’s commitment to keeping up the prime minister Tony Blair in April last year, before a flow of intelligence to the US was underscored last single protest took place here. month when they announced the deployment of She was concerned that war would undermine the troops from Woodbourne air force base to guard the “rules-based international order” which, she says, in- spy station for the duration of the war. Waihopai, as cludes the World Trade Organisation. Keith says, should be closed down. At bottom, Labour’s position is based on their Greg finally argues that the peace movement could desire for more free trade deals which benefit New build a substantial coalition against the war if it fell Zealand business, but which cost workers’ jobs at in behind the government. home and further impoverish Third World nations. Building a substantial coalition is indeed a goal that Commitment to a free trade deal with America the movement should aim for. Labour Party members also explains why Labour has refused to condemn and supporters should be – and are – welcome in the the invasion. anti-war coalitions around the country. An article in Britain’s Guardian newspaper last High profile Labour Party members, like Christch- month by renowned Egyptian journalist Hani urch’s mayor Gary Moore, are already supporting anti- Shukrallah says that opposition to war in the West war coalitions which are targeting the government. has had a “profound effect on popular consciousness Many workers may vote Labour, but they have in Egypt and in the rest of the Arab world”. no great love for the government. Backing the gov- Helen Clark’s mild criticisms of the invasion ernment will not motivate large numbers of people to join the anti-war movement. On the other hand, if the movement stopped protesting against the assistance our government is giving to America’s war, they would easily become sub- ordinated to Labour’s pro-capitalist agenda. On March 22, two days after the invasion, the movement in Auckland mobilised 8,000 people onto the streets against the war. At a closing rally, thousands expressed their support for a series of demands put forward by organisers from Global Peace & Justice Auckland. “We call on the New Zealand government to condemn the US-led invasion of Iraq and the US policy of pre-emptive military strikes”, they said. “We call on the government to withdraw our frig- New Zealand frigate Te Kaha escorting military supply ship USNS Watkins ate Te Mana from the Gulf and withdraw all New towards Iraq. The US Navy says the mission of the Watkins is to provide Zealand military personnel from the war region.” “equipment, fuel, supplies and ammunition to sustain U.S. forces”. Labour should listen to these protesters.

16 Socialist Worker Monthly Review April 2003 Letter Review ‘Tentacles of the movement’ Fiery portrait By Farah Reza

The film Frida explores the life of reach small town NZ Frida Kahlo, the Mexican artist and socialist. Frida was an artist of startling power, and was married to the artist Diego Rivera. She died tragically early at the age of 47, nursed by Rivera. The film shows that during her short life Frida was artistically and politically active. The phase in Kahlo and Rivera's lives when they take the exiled Russian revolutionary Leon Trotsky and his wife into their home is briefly touched upon. Trotsky is depicted as a coura- geous and intelligent socialist who stood on the right side of history. His anti-fascist and anti- Stalinist politics are sympatheti- Protest in Greymouth on the first day of the war cally portrayed. As clear blue skies continue, the occasional ing a Vietnam veteran who’s totally against Kahlo's part in Rivera's life in jet passes overhead at 30,000 feet leaving a what's happening. the US, where he is commissioned narrow vapour trail which slowly widens But we are still “strange” fronting up in to paint a mural for the million- until it becomes a broad strip of cloud across public with views about events on the other aire Rockefeller, is explored with the sky. side of the world. depth. It seems at times, like a metaphor for Nevertheless, many share our scepticism She longs to paint and live what’s currently happening on the global about what's happening. alongside ordinary people in political scene. There is, down here, still the difficulty of Mexico, and warns Rivera away On moving down here to Greymouth we “dealing with the stranger” and this makes from his luxury-loving, commis- felt that a peace group would be a suitable dialogue outside the extended family diffi- sion-seeking side. political construct for this community, hav- cult. When his mural is going to be ing witnessed the very good work that the We know that when society was still made pulled down by Rockefeller ow- Waiwhetu Peace Group has done over the up of roving bands, the stranger was killed. ing to the portrait of Lenin on it, last decades in Lower Hutt. Things have become more sophisticated she states that “if you lie with We called an inaugural meeting and 14 but dealing with the stranger remains one dogs, you will catch fleas”. people turned up, all concerned with events of the complex tasks in life, until we reach Kahlo's unflinching honesty as in the Middle East. the alienation of the big city, when the a socialist and artist comes They felt that it would be best to begin stranger simply doesn’t exist. through with force in the film. with a Picnic for Peace. We got permission The other thing to get used to down here, The political references in the to use the local park and to construct a to- is the lack of the “church of the Left”; that film might be lost on someone tem there for people to place signs, mes- weekly turning up to a variety of meetings who doesn't know about the po- sages etc. of the like minded to reaffirm one’s beliefs. litical period Kahlo lived The press publicised the event and the There is the proselytising as well of through. Mayor agreed to open it. We were not over- course, but everyone recognises that that is But the excellent perform- whelmed with people but a couple of local far more difficult. ances from Salma Hayek as Kahlo musicians turned up and it seemed a satis- But it feels as if we are doing okay. Doris and Alfred Molina as Rivera make factory beginning. Lessing wrote of the “moral” impact of a the film a pleasure to watch. The strangest thing was the arrival, just small communist cell in a provincial town in It’s not too late to catch Frida. before we kicked off, of a file of men in pro- the then Rhodesia, during World War Two. The film is being given a long run tection suits and masks who proceeded to A strange statement perhaps, but one and is still screening in smaller clamber over and through the adventure that is actually very true: moral in the sense movie theatres. playground. of people with a belief in social justice bring- They turned out to be a local volunteer ing people’s attention to matters that are fire brigade practising for a chemical fire, of concern. or a terrorist attack? All very surreal. One of the great things about the cur- From there to the invasion and a small rent peace movement is that it’s spreading vigil as people drove home from work. tentacles everywhere, not just in cities. Some toots of support, some fingers from We have a very solid and committed the red neck brigade. (A person can get team of eight or so. Now the task is to suspicious of 4 wheel drives). broaden our base, probably through some A further vigil, and leafleting on Satur- educational evenings, as well as continuing day morning outside the supermarket. to “witness” publicly to what’s happening Now we have a newsletter as well, a colin the Middle East and elsewhere. lection of articles on the war. Speeches were And I suspect, similar things are happen- necessarily sharper – no longer talking ing in the provinces up and down the coun- about the virtues of “peace” but talking try. The task is to keep it going. about US imperialism. Geoffrey Rush and Selma Hayek as Some people stopped and talked, includ- PAUL MAUNDER, Greymouth Trotsky and Kahlo.

Socialist Worker Monthly Review April 2003 17 Socialist Worker news Broadening the anti-war movement The organisation that publishes this magazine is a nationwide organisation of activists. Join Socialist Worker and get involved in building an organisation dedicated to workers’ struggles against capitalism and war.

★ AUCKLAND arts students went to the office of the and Justice about improving national Outrage at Bush’s war is fuelling the student union at Waikato Polytech to co-ordination. movement. The passionate and huge ask them to take a stand against the war. This also gave us ideas about organ- protest on March 22 shows which way They gave us the use of their photo- ising. We are working with a very wide we are headed up here. copier for leaflets and allowed us to range of groups to help set up a Global Our branch organised two engaging hang anti-war banners off the building. Peace and Justice Group in Tauranga. public forums last month – “The Strug- But we are also asking them to make gle for Women’s Liberation” after Inter- their own opposition more visible. ★ WELLINGTON national Women’s Day, and “Spread the People on the protest took Socialist Wellington Socialist Worker members Struggle that can Stop the War” after Worker leaflets readily. So did workers have thrown themselves into building the the March 22 protest. in a pub near the march route. We gave anti-war movement over the last month. Both forums were full of debate and out over 300 of them. We are involved in printing posters discussion, especially over the role of di- In the last month, two people have for Peace Action Wellington, pasting rect action in a mass movement. joined Socialist Worker in Hamilton – them up, running stalls, distributing leaf- On our Saturday stalls outside Bor- one of them a former member who lets and writing press releases to help ders bookshop on Queen Street we are wants to get active again. This month we publicise anti-war actions. One of our taking a big banner for people to sign are starting to hold branch meetings. members, a singer, performed at the and sign-up sheets to get involved in the Getting anti-war leaflets out to rally on the March 22 Day of Action. movement. The first time we took these groups of workers is our next aim. Socialist Worker also has a growing forms out we got 60 names. We plan to talk to a Socialist Worker number of supporters helping us to dis- Our work has resulted in two new supporter about taking leaflets into tribute Socialist Worker leaflets in un- members in the last month. One of them work at Waikato Hospital. ionised worksites around Wellington. has helped us set up a regular anti-war Last month, we got anti-war leaflets stall on AUT campus. ★ BAY OF PLENTY out to factory workers at Griffins, to rail Anti-war activity remains the focus for workers, seafarers, hospital workers and ★ HAMILTON Socialist Worker members in Rotorua office workers commuting home from Over 250 people marched against the and Tauranga. Wellington railway station. Hundreds war in Hamilton on March 29. We had a small but lively protest of were distributed in all. The protest, which began in Garden 70 people in Rotorua on March 22. Final figures aren’t in yet, but we also Place and ended with a “die-in” outside the Socialist Worker leaflets and Rotorua sold around 250 copies of Socialist Council Chambers, was a student initiative. Anti-War Movement leaflets were dis- Worker Monthly Review. Shoppers smiled and waved. A fire tributed to 11 worksites through net- Aside from anti-war activity, we also engine waved and cheered and gave us works of union delegates. took up an invitation to speak at the the peace sign. One of us was delegated to go to Wellington Peoples Forum on “The Before the march, a group of media Auckland to meet with Global Peace threat from GATS”.

Socialist books STOP THE WAR ON IRAQ The case against Bush and Blair

George Bush and Tony Our leaders talk about how they can be stopped. Blair are intent on waging democracy, but in reality ● We argue that war flows a bloody war on Iraq. their war is about oil, and from the logic of a system They talk of “weapons of US military and economic based on exploitation and mass destruction” and a dominance. profit the world over. “war against terror” even as This pamphlet argues ● And we show that we will they aim their deadly that we should not fall for need a challenge to that “smart bombs” and cruise Bush and Blair’s lies, and whole system if we are to missiles on the ordinary that people everywhere win a world free forever people of Iraq. should unite to stop this from the horror of war. They do not care that the war. ● We also reprint extracts Iraqi people are already suf- ● We answer the lies of from articles by anti-war fering from the effects of George Bush and Tony writers John Pilger, Robert war and a decade of sanc- Blair. Fisk and Noam Chomsky. tions that has killed a mil- ● We explain what their Read this pamphlet, sell lion children. real motives for war are, and it and pass it on. Send $4 to PO Box 13-685 Auckland

18 Socialist Worker Monthly Review April 2003 Socialist Worker info Contact the socialists near you Socialist Worker ★ NORTHLAND WHERE WE STAND Phone: Vaughan (09) 433 8897 Email: [email protected] SOCIALISM We are internationalists because ★ AUCKLAND Capitalism is a system of exploita- socialism depends on spreading tion which generates inequality, crisis working class revolutions around the Meets 7.30pm every Tuesday at the and war. Although workers create world. Trade Union Centre, 147 Great North society’s wealth, it is controlled by the Rd, Grey Lynn. Transport available. ruling class for its own selfish ends. LIBERATION FROM Socialism can only be built when Phone: Len 634 3984 OPPRESSION the working class takes control of We fight for democratic rights. We social wealth and democratically plans ★ HAMILTON oppose the oppression of women, its production and distribution to meet Maori, Pacific Islanders, lesbians and Phone: Anna 847 6303 human needs, not private profits. This gays. Email: [email protected] will eliminate all class divisions in All forms of oppression are used to society. divide the working class. ★ TAURANGA Stalinist countries such as China We support the right of all op- and Cuba, just like the former Soviet pressed groups to organise for their Phone: Tony 544 1859 Union and the Eastern bloc, have own defence. Their liberation is Email: [email protected] nothing to do with socialism. They are essential to socialist revolution and state capitalist. We support the impossible without it. ★ ROTORUA struggles of workers against every dictatorial stalinist ruling class. TINO RANGATIRATANGA Phone: Bernie 345 9853 We support the struggle for Maori Email: [email protected] REVOLUTION NOT self determination. REFORMISM The government’s approach to ★ WELLINGTON The present system cannot be Treaty claims has benefited a Maori Meets 7.30pm every Monday at Room reformed to end exploitation and elite while doing little for working class 2, Crossways (upstairs – use back/side oppression, contrary to what Alliance, Maori. entrance), Elizabeth St, Mt Victoria. Labour and union leaders claim. It Tino rangatiratanga cannot be must be overthrown by the working achieved within capitalism. It will only Phone: Grant 566 8538 class. become a reality with the establish- Fax: (04) 566 8532 Capitalism’s parliament, army, police ment of a workers’ state. Email: [email protected] and judiciary protect the ruling class. Write: PO Box 36-106 Moera, Lower These institutions cannot be taken over REVOLUTIONARY PARTY Hutt and used by the working class. To achieve socialism the most To pave the way to socialism the militant sections of the working class ★ GREYMOUTH working class needs a new kind of have to be organised into a mass state—a democratic workers’ state revolutionary socialist party. Phone: Kyle (021) 237 9567 based on workers’ councils and We are in the early stages of Email: [email protected] workers militia. building such a party through involve- ment in the day-to-day struggles of ★ CHRISTCHURCH INTERNATIONALISM workers and the oppressed. Workers in every country are Socialist Worker must grow in size Phone: Don 385 5268 exploited by capitalism, so the struggle and influence to provide leadership in Email: [email protected] for socialism is global. the struggle for working class self- emancipation. ★ We campaign for solidarity with TIMARU workers in other countries. We fight We need to revitalise the unions with a rank-and-file movement. Phone: Vaughan 686 6498 racism and imperialism. We oppose all immigration controls. We support all If you like our ideas and want to fight for socialism, then join us. ★ NATIONAL OFFICE genuine national liberation struggles. Socialist Worker members elsewhere in Aotearoa and our sister organisations overseas can be contacted through Socialist Worker’s national office. Want to fight for a better world? Join Socialist Worker

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Socialist Worker Monthly Review April 2003 19 Industrial Action A regular column by DON FRANKS DANGER TO LIFE AND LIMB a comment on the CTU’s priority campaign for 2003

If all deaths resulting from workplace accidents and work-related the attention of the employer and carry no authority to shut jobs disease are taken into account, more than 400 people die each down. They are in the CTU’s words: “primarily a communication year from workplace causes. That shocking toll is the current of- tool.” ficial OSH estimate. A more powerful new tool comes in the form of instant fines Non-fatal workplace injuries run into thousands, exactly how for unsafe practices, but these may only be issued by government many it’s impossible to say, because of the huge number of acci- health inspectors. dents going unreported. Such fines must consider “the financial circumstances of the Up until now there hasn’t been a united union strategy to halt employer” – and can be applied to workers as well. this carnage and make our workplaces safe. Under the new amendments workers can stop in unsafe con- Last month the Council of Trade Unions announced that health ditions, but this provision existed previously as a common law and safety would be the “CTU priority campaign for 2003”. right and is, in any case surely, the reaction of any sane human On March 11 the CTU Wellington head office called a being when faced with imminent danger to life and limb! meeting which union organisers were “not just invited but The law allows all employers a period of six months grace be- expected to attend”. fore they’re obliged to set up any sort of health and safety system. There, CTU president Ross Wilson outlined the CTU’s cam- Ross Wilson defended that section of the amendments by ar- paign, which limits itself to unions carrying out the latest govern- guing that six months is not really such a long time; delegates ment amendments to the from workplaces more danger- Health and Safety Act. ous than the CTU head office These amendments widen were less certain. coverage of the Health and “Can’t we just go out and Safety Act and place more onus elect our own health and safety on employers to provide effec- people right now, without wait- tive safety equipment. There’s ing six months?” asked a union- a new system of “instant fines” ist at the meeting. for unsafe practices, and, in “Well, I suppose you can”, theory, a duty on all employers Ross replied. “But they to facilitate staff safety systems. wouldn’t then be covered by According to the CTU lead- the new legislation.” ers, the “key to the Act” is its That small exchange indi- introduction of “worker partici- cates the difference between pation”. This refers to new militant unionism and govern- workplace staff health and ment-dependent unionism. safety reps. Remembering workers killed on the job at parliament on Campaigning in full support of The CTU has a goal of elect- Workers’ Memorial Day 2001. Photo from www.union.org.nz untried Government reforms ing 10,000 new health and reflects CTU leaders preoccu- safety reps within the first year of the Act. pation with union/government “partnership”, but it’s not the best Workers elected as representatives will be trained by the ACC way for workers to strive to improve their lives. department. Unionism first arose when workers got together away from Ross Wilson gives uncritical support to the new government the boss and the government, formulated their own demands and amendments, presenting them to delegates as a great new oppor- then took united (and illegal) action to achieve them. tunity for “worker participation” and growth of the whole union “Worker participation” in struggle for health and safety – and movement. money, dignity and peace – is something that unions have most At the meeting I asked Ross if we had to give anything away productively “just gone out and done.” Every significant union in exchange for the reforms. He replied wearily “Don, there’s advance can be traced to unilateral workers action. no plot”. Industrial laws do have a bearing on worker’s freedom to There probably is “no plot”, but as a scaffolding to build a organise. health and safety campaign the new law has more than a few In most cases, their effect is one of restricting workers – such loose boards. as the Employment Relations Act’s prohibition of most strikes. In theory the system for training Health and safety reps must Where labour laws do offer workers some rights it makes sense cover all workers – in practice – possibly less than half. Only jobs to use them. Arbitration provisions sometimes help workers on with over 30 staff must automatically elect health and safety reps. very small sites, which by themselves have little industrial muscle. On jobs with less than 30 staff, one of those employees But the new health and safety amendments actually offer less must step forward and formally request the boss to set up a to workers on small sites. safety system. Union opinion about the CTU’s campaign is divided. Some Unlike union delegates, the new safety reps must be for- officials believe its a chance to recruit more members. Other un- mally elected by secret ballot and trained in a government ionists see it as secondary to their present struggles against the approved course. The law provides for up to two days train- employer’s current offensive. ing a year, but bosses can refuse the time off “if business is One SFWU organiser fears that going through the elaborate unreasonably disrupted.” procedures required by the amendments will drain the union’s Trained health and safety reps have very limited powers. They limited resources. And most union activists I spoke to complained may issue “hazard notices” on a job they declare unsafe. But these that the campaign ignores what they see as the main cause of notices may only be issued once a hazard has been brought to industrial accidents – understaffing.