Mass Lobby Of The Labour Party Conference
Mass Lobby Of The Labour Party Conference
and
Peace &
Justice Counter-Conference
There will be a mass lobby of the Labour Party's election year conference in Wellington next Saturday morning, 18 May. Hundreds are likely to peacefully protest against the Labour-led government bowing to corporate interests on issues like genetic engineering, teachers' pay & conditions, free trade, US war moves, student fees and restrictions on the right to strike,
The
day before, 17 May, there will be a Peace & Justice
counter-conference at the Victoria University students
association hall. Keynote speakers include:
* Paul Bruce
(international secretary of the Green Party).
* Mike
Williams (Wellington secretary of the Seafarers Union).
* Nicky Hager (researcher & author).
* Roland
Sapsford (CBC sustainable transport activist).
*
Alastair Duncan (national bargaining co-ordinator of the
Service & Food Workers Union).
* Jon Carapiet (Green
Party, GE-free campaigner).
* Jasmine Aletia (women's &
gay rights activist).
* Don Franks (socialist &
musician).
* Nick Kelly (Labour Party, sacked as Paul
Swain's electorate secretary after publicly opposing
corporate globalisation).
* Plus others. Note: the
affiliations of speakers are for identification purposes
only, since some are appearing in a personal
capacity.
These two events are being backed by a diversity of grassroots activists & leftists from the union & student movements, Green Party, Alliance, Labour Party, socialist groups and a wide range of grassroots causes, including GE-free, anti-globalisation, anti-war, justice in Palestine, women's & gay rights, sustainable transport and many more.
"The mass lobby of Labour's conference and the Peace & Justice counter-conference are likely to be significant events in NZ political history," said Grant Morgan, secretary of Socialist Worker, the organisation which initiated these events. "They will help build a 'movement of movements' in New Zealand similar to the Social Forums in Italy which are central to mass mobilisations over there against corporate and military globalisation."
The media are invited to the Peace & Justice conference. More information appears below and attached.
For follow-up inquiries, please contact: Grant Morgan Socialist Worker secretary & conference organiser (09) 634 3377 (days & evenings) gcm@actrix.gen.nz =================
TEXT OF ADVERTISING LEAFLET FOR LOBBY & COUNTER-CONFERENCE (which is also attached in PDF):
We oppose armed globalisation with our minds and our bodies.
THE LEFT IN NZ CAN CREATE A "MOVEMENT OF MOVEMENTS".
The Peace & Justice conference and the mass lobby of Labour¹s conference will bring together a diversity of activists and leftists. This will promote the building of a "movement of movements" in Aotearoa. Only this unity in action can provide mass alternatives to capitalism¹s armed globalisation.
PEACE & JUSTICE PROGRAMME:
Friday 17 May. 12 noon to 6pm, then again at 8pm for two hours. Hunter Lounge, Level 2, VUWSA Building, Victoria University, Wellington.
12 noon-1.15pm
CORPORATE & MILITARY GLOBALISATION Speakers (10 minutes
each):
* Don Carson - Wellington Palestine Group.
*
Nicky Hager - researcher & author.
* Nick Kelly - Labour
Party, anti-globalisation activist.
* Jon Carapiet -
Green Party, GE-free campaigner. Followed by open
discussion.
1.30pm-2.45pm REBUILDING THE UNIONS & THE
FIGHT FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE Speakers (10 minutes each):
*
Mike Williams - Seafarers Union.
* AlAstair Duncan -
Service & Food Workers Union.
* Don Franks - Socialist
Worker.
* John Maynard - Postal Workers Union. Followed
by open discussion.
3pm-4.15pm PEOPLE & PLANET, NOT
PROFITS & POWER Speakers (10 minutes each):
* Jasmine
Aletia - women¹s & gay rights activist.
* Nick Henry -
student activist.
* Jim Delahunty - left activist.
*
Roland Sapsford - CBC sustainable transport activist.
Followed by open discussion.
4.30pm-6pm STRATEGISING FOR A BROAD LEFT ALTERNATIVE A giant workshop involving everybody. No keynote speakers. Grant Morgan from Socialist Worker will introduce (5 minutes) and sum up (5-10 minutes).
8pm-10pm GRASSROOTS ALTERNATIVES: FROM
SEATTLE TO ARGENTINA & ITALY Speakers (10 minutes each):
* Paul Bruce - Green Party.
* Brendan Tuohy -
Socialist Party of Aotearoa.
* AlIstair Shaw - Radical
Society.
* Grant Brookes - Socialist Worker. Followed by
open discussion.
The affiliations of speakers are for identification purposes only, since some are appearing in a personal capacity.
MASS LOBBY OF LABOUR PARTY CONFERENCE:
Saturday 18 May. Start 8.30am. Events Centre, Queens Wharf, Wellington.
The mass lobby of the Labour Party¹s election year conference will be interactive (NOT abusive).
The Labour-led government is promoting the interests of the corporate elite around issues like genetic engineering, free trade, US war moves, student fees and restrictions on the right to strike.
The mass lobby will look to popularise and legitimise policies which serve the interests of grassroots people and the planet we live on.
PEACE & JUSTICE SOCIAL:
* Party hard on Saturday
night, 18 May. Put the "social" into socialism. Details to
be announced at the conference and lobby.
Ends