The Only Decent Thing Paul Henry Has Done

13 October 2010 Socialist Aotearoa www.socialistaotearoa.org The only decent thing Paul Henry has done All decent New Zealanders are celebrating over the news of Paul Henry’s resignation.Henry resigned in the face of growing outrage over his racist comments. TV bosses and the PM originally stood by Henry. This shows their unwillingness to stand up to bigotry. Socialist Aotearoa was right to lead a protest of anti- racist activists outside the TVNZ studios last week following the racist remarks made by Paul Henry in his interview with Prime Minister John Key on Monday 4 October, and to call for him to be sacked. Henry asked Key if Sir Anand was “even a New Zealander”. Henry then went on to ask Key about his next choice of Governor General: “Are you going to choose a New Zealander who looks and sounds like a New Zealander this time? Are we going to go for someone who is more like a New Zealander this time?” This response by TVNZ was wholly inadequate. People have a right to their own opinions, but Henry is a paid employee of a state subsidised TV company. Our taxes should not be used so that this right-wing bigot can pedal his racist filth on national TV. This is not the first time Henry has used his TV show to abuse other people. Henry gave a half-hearted apology earlier this year for disablist remarks he made about singer Susan Boyle and the Indian Govern- ment have lodged a formal complaint about racist remarks he made to an official of that Government. Each time he uses his position of power to make racist, sexist or disablist comments, he helps to legitimise every playground and workplace bully. The bosses want to set New Zealanders against each other by creating a false distinction between “real” and “other” New Zealanders. TVNZ CEO Rick Ellis originally said that Henry speaks for most New Zea- landers. This is not the case. In schools and workplaces up and down the country, people of different back- grounds and ethnicities,men and women, straight and gay, disabled and non-disabled people work side by side. By contrast, Henry represented the racist bullying bosses who seek to divide us. Across the country, workers were appalled and angry at Henry’s remarks. Socialist Aotearoa calls on all unions to continue to be vigilant to keep racism off our screens. Workers will not be divided by racist scum like Henry. United we stand, divided we fall. - Nicola Owen and Paul Brown For pictures, videos and more commentary on the campaign to sack Henry visit socialistaotearoa.org Workers’ revolt against the crisis Ten million workers on a general strike in Spain. Cop cars burning in Barcelona. The biggest workers action in Spain since the Revolution. And the anger is rising. The European Parliament barricaded in Brussels, protected by baton wielding robocops from over 100,000 workers representing unions throughout the continent. Banners flying from Greece, Italy, England, Portugal, Scandanivia- one continent, one struggle. The Peoples of Europe are rising up. There were marches in Poland and in Eastern Europe. The radical left makes connection again with workers unions after two decades of unrestrained neoliberal- ism replaced Stalinist state capitalism. Solidarnosc! And back in the Ould Sod, ruled by a drunken bum- bling Prime Minister who has given more money to one bank than the whole of the G8 promised to give Sub Saharan Africa, the radical alternative to a spine- Spain: Riots erupt in major cities during a less and pathetic union bureaucracy hits the ground general strike. running by ramming the gates of the Irish parliament on its first day sitting with a Cement Mixer, daubed with the slogans “Toxic Banks”. This mortar attack is the most concrete proposal so far! The wind is shifting- can you feel it? All this week I’ve been out in the stores and in the cor- ridors, talking to workers in retail, restaurants and casinos. Kiwi workers are sick of this shit- low pay, high stress, not enough hours, too much work, no security, lay offs, restructuring, unemployment, cuts to services, arrogant gobbledygook speaking HRs who need a good bullet in the head to clear their minds. Ireland: Cement mixer makes a statement about the economic collapse. Yeah, we mightn’t be having General Strikes on the scale of Spain. We mightn’t be driving Cement Mix- ers through the doors of the Beehive. Heads might be down and workers might be scared. But the resent- ment is palpable. GST going up? The Nats are Rats. Bernard Hickey admits the Emperor has no clothes, FFS. Teachers on strike. Doctors on strike. JB Hi Fi workers on strike. Soon to be joined by their brothers and sisters in the casinos, fastfood outlets and hotels. It’s the calm before the storm here in Aotearoa. Aotearoa: Teachers strike and march for fair - Joe Carolan wages and respect. Workers’ revolt Class war in the Socialist Aotearoa activists in Auckland have against the crisis SuperCity been leading and supporting workers involved in a range of struggles against bad bosses, bad laws and a mad economic system that puts people before profit. Joanne stands tall In August Unite Union gathered to protest at BurgerFuel Mission Bay against the firing of Joanne Bartlett, on the 89th day of her 90 day trial period. A week later socialists burst through the doors of the Wellington Burger Fuel during a workers’ rights rally. As a result of these actions and the threat of a nationwide day of action Burger Fuel agreed to pay out Joanne and remove the 90 day trial period from it’s contracts. Westin hotel workers on the scrap heap 99 workers at luxury Viaduct hotel Westin were made redundant with no compensa- tion just weeks before Fashion Week began. Noisy pickets and a lobby occupation con- fronted the owners who have been gone into a recievership. Many workers have young families to support, and some workers were pregnant. The job losses and strain on these workers’ families is a direct result of the global economic collapse. As always, workers are the first to feel the pain. $15hr minimum wage not 15% GST On the day National hiked GST to 15%, Unite’s UTU Squad was joined by striking delegates from JB Hi-Fi stores in New Lynn and Albany. The Wellington JB store also was paralysed by strike. The squad picketed the stores in New Lynn and St Lukes, before bust- ing through the front doors of JB’s Corporate HQ. Rather than talk to the delegates about the crisis of understaffing, low pay, cutbacks in hours and security, management at Head Office retreated from the reception area and hid behind closed doors. This has been their behaviour throughout with a workforce that is finding its own voice. Paul, left, a delegate from New Lynn enjoyed his first day on strike. Disabled people and beneficaries under attack Disabled people and beneficiary groups were out- raged last week at proposals by Treasury to kick tens of thousands of disabled people off sickness and invalids benefits. The National Government has already begun to undermine New Zealand’s welfare system by push- ing through legislation to force people on DPB and sickness benefit into compulsory work testing. Thinly disguised as a way of helping people out of poverty, it’s clear that these measures are all about making a life on benefit even more uncomfortable. The latest proposals come as part of the consultation by the Welfare Working Group into the long term fu- ture of benefits. In the same way as other countries, like the UK, a right wing government is using the economic recession to argue that we can no lon- ger afford to allow even a basic standard of living to people who are unable to work. The Welfare Work- ing Group, formed by Paula Bennett to destroy our welfare system, is made up of people with no idea about life on benefits, and led by Paula Rebstock, the former Chair of the New Zealand Commerce Com- the changes has nothing to do with helping people mission. out of poverty. It is all about saving money and forcing people to take whatever job they can get, The focus of the Welfare Working Group is how to no matter how insecure or poorly paid. force people off benefits. They don’t seem to care whether there are jobs available, or the support or We should be clear that this won’t just affect peo- training for people to take those jobs. It is clear that ple on benefits now. It has an impact on the work- they want to make poverty and unemployment an ers across New Zealand. Forcing more people individual problem, blaming beneficiaries for not hav- into the reserve army of labour helps bosses to ing jobs. This is at a time when the government has drive down wages and conditions, making things cut the training incentive allowance, adult community worse for all of us. Taking away basic entitlement education, and access to early childhood education, to benefits can affect each one of us, if we are making it even harder for people to get training or be unlucky enough to lose our jobs. able to take jobs. That’s why this isn’t only an issue for beneficiaries On top of this, the Welfare Working Group is con- - the whole union movement needs to back the sidering insurance-based benefits systems, where campaign to fight for benefits. you only get out what you were able to pay into the system, assuming you ever had the opportunity to We call on the CTU and all of the trades unions to be able to pay anything in.

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