Communist League announces candidates for 2011 General Election

September 23, 2011

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Communist League is standing two candidates for the 2011 General Election to present a working class voice against the parties of capitalist rule.

Patrick Brown is standing in Mt. Roskill. Brown, a factory worker and union member, stood for the Communist League in Maungakiekie in the 2008 election. He is a long-time opponent of racism and imperialist war.

Felicity Coggan, a meat worker and union member, is standing in Manukau East. Coggan was the Communist League candidate for mayor of Auckland in 2007. She is a supporter of the Cuban revolution and a long-time campaigner for a woman’s right to safe legal abortion.

The Communist candidates call for a massive nationwide public works programme. Such a programme is needed now to rebuild the houses, community facilities, roads and drains of earthquake-devastated Christchurch; to build houses, schools, hospitals, public transport, and other facilities and infrastructure that working people of city and country everywhere need; and to create jobs at union wages, and provide training, for the tens of thousands who need work and incomes.

The Communist candidates call for the withdrawal of all New Zealand troops from Afghanistan, the Pacific and elsewhere they are stationed. They campaign in defence of democratic rights, and demand that all the frame-up charges against the Urewera Four be dropped. They advocate worker control of enforcing safety on the job so no worker has to die or be maimed. This includes calling for the reinstatement of union check inspectors in all mines.

Brown, Coggan, and supporters of their campaign join struggles by workers, farmers and others against the impact of the capitalist economic crisis. They point to the need for working people to forge a revolutionary movement to take power from the capitalists and establish a government of workers and farmers.

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