Socialist Aotearoa Post Election Debate begins
The NZ Election- Notes to kickstart a Socialist Aotearoa electoral analysis
from Joe C
1. Labour Party- end of the Clark Era- many time wasters like Judith Tizzard in the electoral dustbin of history- Clark resigned- leadership contest will be lacklustre- party bereft of ideas and leadership- Mike Williams seriously damaged by his own Neutron bomb- Labour party affiliated union leaderships now will have to fight or die under a National-ACT government
2. National Party- strengthened under Key's "Centrist" sheeps clothing- now face a Global Crisis in Capitalism- will implement a shock doctrine in cuts after honeymoon period- will ensure that the working class, not the wealthy, pay for the crisis with cutbacks in public services, freeze on wages, attacks on union rights.
3. ACT- the radical neoliberal tail that will wag the Time for a Change Nats- Roger Douglas reelected an MP- increased to 5 MPS. Irish example- Fianna Fail (Irish conservative party) ruled with Progressive Democrats (Irish hard right neoliberal party) for many years, blaming the unpopular policies on the junior partner. ACT commited to implementing SHock Doctrine attack ideologically.
4. Greens- smaller improvement than what they hoped for- their timidity in the final weeks, attaching themselves too close to a floundering Labour party, not being vocal and strong enough about core issues cost them votes. Delahunty in as an MP, joins Left Green bloc with Locke and Bradford. Young Green voters also looking to anti capitalist ideas and a movement for climate change- ACT and many Nats still climate change deniers, this issue will heat up in ways that the parliamentary reformist left will not be able to deal with- Labour govt rhetorical about climate change, emissions actually increased on its watch.
5. NZ First- History. Good riddance to racist nonsense. Labour damaged by defending a corrupt Winston Peters and dealings with dodgy capitalists for favours. WInston's economic nationalist tack "left" didn't help him enough- 4.3% but no cigar.
6. Maori Party- increased MPs by one, but now risks forming a deal with National government. Left-right split within Maori party supporters will open up. Leadership will be tainted forever if they make a deal with Key.
7. LEFT OF THE LEFT-
Alliance Party- 1,721 votes, 0.08%
Workers Party- 824 votes, 0.04%
RAM- 405 votes, 0.02%
Left of the Left campaigns largely invisible- no billboard presence or aggressive realpolitik intervention. Alliance increased its vote slightly from 2005's 1641 votes (0.07%), Workers Party got 500 members on paper and 824 party votes, just short of their informal target of 1000. RAM had publicly claimed 3000 members- this will be a disappointing result for the "Broad Left" party.
Are the Left of the Left content with running their seperate propaganda campaigns? The movement now needs radical socialists to change gear- National and ACT will start the Shock Doctrine soon, and union rights, public services and will come under attack. Labour party affiliated unions have no clear strategy to fight. Socialists within the unions now have to step up and organise the defence and fightback.
Socialist Aotearoa- emergency Hui on Wednesday, txt
021 1861450
for details.- public meeting next week "Right Wing Government and Global Capitalism in Crisis- Resisting the Shock Doctrine!".
SA to start recruiting from anti capitalist Greens, left Maori party supporters opposed to a deal with Key, disillusioned social democrats bereft of strategy but wanting to fight back, union members opposed to destruction of workplace rights.
SA to meet with Unite union, Workers Party, Alliance, Anarchist network and RAM to begin organising joint radical Left fightback campaign.
| party | votes | % of votes | seats | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| % | change | electorate | list | total | change | |||
| National | 951,145 | 45.45 | +6.36 | 41 | 18 | 59 | +11 | |
| Labour | 706,666 | 33.77 | -7.33 | 21 | 22 | 43 | -7 | |
| Green | 134,622 | 6.43 | +1.13 | 0 | 8 | 8 | +2 | |
| ACT | 77,843 | 3.72 | +2.21 | 1 | 4 | 5 | +3 | |
| Māori | 46,894 | 2.24 | +0.12 | 5 | 0 | 5 | +1 | |
| Progressive | 19,536 | 0.93 | -0.23 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| United Future | 18,629 | 0.89 | -1.78 | 1 | 0 | 1 | -2 | |
| other parties | 137,452 | 6.57 | -0.48 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -7 | |
| total | 2,092,787 | 100.00 | 70 | 52 | 122 | +1 | ||
| informal votes | ? | |||||||
| disallowed special votes | ? | |||||||
| total votes cast | 2,103,842 | |||||||
| turnout | ?% | |||||||
Non-parliamentary parties
| Party | Votes | % | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand First | 88,072 | 4.21 | -1.51 | |
| Kiwi Party | 11,659 | 0.56 | ||
| Bill and Ben | 10,738 | 0.51 | ||
| Legalise Cannabis | 7,589 | 0.36 | +0.11 | |
| New Zealand Pacific | 6,991 | 0.33 | ||
| Family Party | 6,973 | 0.33 | ||
| Alliance | 1,721 | 0.08 | +0.01 | |
| Democrats for Social Credit | 1,112 | 0.05 | ±0.00 | |
| Libertarianz | 1,070 | 0.05 | +0.01 | |
| Workers Party of New Zealand | 824 | 0.04 | ||
| Residents Action Movement | 405 | 0.02 | ||
| Republic of NZ | 298 | 0.01 | -0.01 | |
| Minor parties, total | 137,452 | 6.57 | -0.46 | |
- ^ 2008 GENERAL ELECTION - PRELIMINARY RESULTS
- ^ Key dates, 2008 general election, elections.org.nz.
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