On Political Economy and Billionaire Bolt-Holes in Aotearoa
By Neil Ballantyne, via Reimagining Social Work While politicians, pundits, and the media tell stories about politics, economics, and society as if they were distinct spheres of influence, the working people of Aotearoa are acutely aware they are not. We have a firm grasp of the fundamentals of political economy:
Cuts to Disability Services Are Part of a Class War
By Elliot Crossan March 18th is an infamous date within the disabled community. One year ago yesterday, Whaikaha — the Ministry of Disabled People — suddenly announced sweeping changes to flexible funding without consultation. Now-former Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds caused outrage when she tried to justify her actions
Is NZ as Stable as Luxon Claims?
By Elliot Crossan “New Zealand has been and will continue to be a poster child for social and political stability […] when you look at all the tension, volatility and strife in the world today, I think that makes us pretty special, and a very attractive destination for anyone looking
Where Is the Resistance to Privatisation and Austerity?
By Elliot Crossan Yesterday, Health Minister Simeon Brown announced a “major overhaul” of our healthcare system, which will involve “partnering with the private sector.” This comes in the same week that a survey was released showing that 86% of healthcare workers believe that the government’s cuts to Te Whatu Ora will make
Will Climate Change Create the Conditions for a “Great Leveling”?
By M. Peterson 2025 has already been a turbulent year, and looks set to continue that way. It began in January with the wildfires that engulfed Los Angeles county, killing at least 29 people and forcing more than 200,000 to evacuate. Up to 16,000 homes and businesses — many owned
Only Together Can We Stand Against Destiny Church
By Evelyn Henare Last week, myself and many others watched in horror as members of Destiny Church, a far-right, fundamentalist cult led by self-appointed Archbishop Brian Tamaki, attacked a Pride event in Auckland. This violent attack has left much of our community shaken and unsure what to do. It represented
An Ode to Solidarity and Organisation: Review of Pride (2014)
By Elliot Crossan Being a revolutionary can be a lonely experience. To look at the world and see all the oppression, the injustice, the various crises faced by our society — it is overwhelming. To sit scrolling through horrific images of Palestinian homes lying in rubble, next to images of
System Change Statement on the Treaty Principles Bill
Submissions have reopened on the Treaty Principles Bill after a record-breaking number of submissions crashed the Parliament website. If you have not done so already, you now have until 1pm on Tuesday 14th January to submit. System Change Aotearoa made a submission to the Select Committee, which you can read
Should Socialists Join the NZ Labour Party? An Interview with Justine Sachs
Elliot Crossan interviews Justine Sachs Justine Sachs is a socialist activist who has been involved in left-wing activism for over a decade. She is a trade unionist, currently working for the New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) as an organiser, and a leading pro-Palestine voice in the Auckland Jewish community, being
