National Day of Action Against Welfare Reform

So Bennett/National is at it again attacking the poor, mothers, the sick and disabled. Threats of cutting benefits in half if people don't conform to bureaucratic "solutions" to child health and education... 

But excuse me who ends up missing out when the benefit is cut in half? Why does Aotearoa have increasing poverty and social problems?

It's certainly not the beneficiaries who caused the world

 economic crisis and high unemployment.
It's not beneficiaries who created the fastest growing gap between rich and poor in the OECD.

It's not beneficiaries who are pushing more and more people below the poverty line.

We need to the stop government from blaming the poor and oppressed for the social problems we face today. 

We need to stop the government trying to solve these social problems by taking more resources away from the poor and oppressed.

We need to stand up and say No to cuts to welfare. We need to stand up for those who have no voice. 

Join in the National day of action for the rights of beneficiaries on the 5th of October!"

Find out details of the national day of action here. Facebook page for the Dunedin event here.

Rowan MacArthur

Dunedin rallies against asset sales

More than 1000 people took part in this lively event on Saturday. (The Otago Daily Times estimates between 1 - 2000). The march was led by bagpipes, with stilt walkers in the midst, and flags, banners, and pickets made for a very colourful group.

Onlookers joined, workers filmed from their places of employment, and kids rode on their parents’ shoulders, making it feel like a very family-orientated event, also making a mockery of John Key trying to make asset sales a family-orientated decision. There was plenty of chanting and a lively, political atmosphere.

Pania Roa, from Mana Otepoti was the MC for the event, and gave a solid left-wing perspective on opposition to the sales. There were speeches from Labour, OPSA (Otago Polytech Student Association), the Greens, Grey Power, and another from Labour then the Nurses Union.

There was an air of Nationalism in the mix, which was one of the concerns we discussed at the last ISO branch meeting. This was not that prevalent, but was voiced by the Greens, and Labour, talking about how money would be finding its way off shore, and that being a main concern: we, by contrast, see the capitalist motive towards profit and accumulation as being the problem - capitalists in New Zealand that will buy these shares will be just as ruthless as overseas investors. Although there was this nationalism, good points were still made. Labour obviously felt the need to tack left: David Parker gave a rousing speech, talking about families already struggling to pay the power bills, and the way that privatisation of our electricity companies will lead to higher prices.

Glenda Alexander (NZNO) also gave a rousing speech, talking about the last time our assets were sold, and how the problems that came with privatisation were dealt with using extra privatisation, the time she was referring to being the privatisation of several hospitals. I commend Glenda for her speech, as she was also representing the interests of her fellow union members, as well as the people receiving health care.

It is good to see mass protest return to the streets of Otepoti/Dunedin.

Joe Baird

Don't lock us out of education: Budget Day 2012

Thursday 24th is the day when the national budget for the coming year will be announced for the first time. Based on what has already been announced and discussed in the media, we can expect the most deeply cutting attacks on workers, beneficiaries and students in decades.

At Victoria University the students' association VUWSA and campaign group "We Are The University" (WATU) are organising a march from Campus down to Parliament under the banner of "Don't lock us out of education" to protest the proposed changes to the student allowance scheme, including limiting access to 4 years and effectively lowering the parental income cap which determines eligibility. These changes will make it even more difficult for those from low income backgrounds to gain qualifications, and make postgraduate work nearly impossible. They are also opposing proposed changes to how courses are funded at government level, which will see money being taken away from arts and humanities courses deemed to be of "low economic impact".

The National government claims to have a mandate to visciously impose auterity measures on workers, beneficiaries and students in New Zealand, while pouring millions of dollars of public money into private coffers. Only by organising collectively can we take a stand against they who would steal from the pockets of the poor to benefit themselves.

We will be meeting tomorrow at 12 noon in the Hunter Courtyard at the centre of the Kelburn Campus.

Kevin Hodder