Aotearoa Independent Media Centre

Today, Foreign minister Murray McCully said that New Zealand troops may be in Afghanistan for another four years. This is despite the growing opposition to the continued Western occupation of the country by Afghan President Hamid Karzai, himself installed by Washington soon after its invasion of the country in 2001.

Karzai last week demanded an apology from the International Security and Assistance Force (ISAF) over continued civilian casualties. Adding further fuel to the fire, Yar Mohammad Khan, a cousin of President Karzai's father, was shot dead when he emerged from his house during a raid by foreign troops in Kandahar just two days ago.

As we approach the 10-year mark of the ‘war on terrorism’ it useful to reflect upon New Zealand’s participation in it.

Links  |  Peace Action Wellington  |  Global Peace and Justice Auckland  |

Yesterday a Hikoi to Stop the Marine and Coastal Areas Act marched up Queen Street in the Auckland city centre. It began with a few short speeches and karakia in front of Britomart shopping mall. Some of the words said expressed disappointment in the relatively low numbers of participants. There were around 150 people, Maori and Pakeha walking up Queen Street with banners and flags. The Hikoi stopped at Myers park and more speeches followed. There were very broad but clear connections drawn between Tino Rangatiratanga struggles and sustainability, as well as neo liberalism and oppression of indigenous people around the world. The speeches stemmed from disappointment and disillusion in the current position of the Maori party – naming its coalition with the national party as a betrayal of Tino Rangatiratanga principles - to calls for an uprising against the government inspired by the current situation in the Middle East and North Africa.

Stalled contract negotiation at Skycity resulted in about 68 workers being locked out today in downtown Auckland.  The major claims of the union were for a minimum wage of $15 hr for all workers, a cost of living wage increase and for security of hours for part time staff. SkyCity Entertainment Group, which owns the casino projects a massive net profit of $130 million for this year. 

As workers were locked out, Unite union members then initiated a picket from 11:00 onwards, preventing Skycity customers from entering the building.  As of the time of writing, negotiations are taking place between Skycity and Unite to see if an agreement can be reached before the picket line re-establishes itself.

Links  |  Unite Union

BEYOND RESISTANCE PRESS RELEASE:

Desperate and unsettling stories are emerging in the poorest communities of Christchurch. Residents of the Eastern suburbs, especially Avonside, are still without water, and contact with state aid services has been zero. Housing New Zealand residents — neglected after the September 4th earthquake — are once again angry at the lack of help in their blocks, and are struggling to get through.

Members of Beyond Resistance and the strong community centred around Gilby Street have been door knocking and distributing food in the wider Avonside community. Using cars, bikes or on foot, they have managed to take prepared food and water out to those in need. Often they are the first contact with the outside world for Christchurch East residents, and their efforts have been very appreciated. Bottled water, soup, vegetables and gas canisters for cookers have been the main items of need.

Links  |  Beyond Resistance   |  Another Major Quake Strikes Otautahi

Today members of Auckland Action Against Poverty and their allies marched and attempted to occupy the office of Paula Bennet, head of the Ministry of Social Development.  Initially, about 15 activists occupied the lobby while two protesters climbed onto the roof and dropped a banner that read; "If we canceled welfare....how many would starve to death?  Bugger all" - John Key.  The police were quick on the scene and pushed the initial occupiers back while the rest of the picket made its way from the local WINZ office around the corner. 

Auckland Action Against Poverty | Photos of action | Global Peace and Justice Auckland | Socialist Aotearoa

Our latest information is that next Tuesday at midday the Welfare Working Group, led by former Commerce Commission chair Paula Rebstock, will issue its final report.

Given papers already released by the WWG, and various statements by John Key and Paula Bennett, we are quite apprehensive about what the report will recommend. We expect to see proposals to:

· Place most working age beneficiaries into one work tested benefit category, at a rate lower than the current invalids benefit.

· Maintain a small number of people – who will not be work tested – on a higher incapacity benefit.

· Place further work testing requirements on DPB recipients, & tighter sanctions and harassments on unemployed, sick, injured and disabled beneficiaries....& a lot else besides.

We want to let John Key, Paula Bennett and all political parties which are part of the current Government know that we don’t accept these attacks on people who are already struggling to survive.

Auckland Action Against Poverty | Alternative Welfare Working Group | Ten Myths about Welfare

The unclassified version of NZ Security 'Intelligence' Service (SIS) annual report for the year ending 30 June 2010 has recently been published on their website. The 29-page document is dry and boring and follows the same structure with more or less the same content as every SIS annual report. A few 'highlights' are documented here.

More: Submissions due on SIS - SIS info stall | OASIS - Submissions Against SIS Amendment Bill | Organising Against State Intelligence Services

Tamati Kruger has been the face of the Tūhoe negotiations in the media over the last few years. In the interview below, he gives an update on where the negotiations are at and shares his views on Mana Motuhake and the October 15 raids.

"Tūhoe have inherent powers of self government, despite the fact that capacity has been denied and impaired by Crown colonisation, today, Tūhoe communities consent to Mana Motuhake, and it is their natural orientation to have maximum autonomy, to live by their own traditions, way of life and aspirations. [...] We would expect of ourselves excellent welfare and social care services, self directed development opportunities and fair distribution of wealth system."

Links: Oral testimony of Tamati Kruger presented during the Te Urewera Inquiry of the Waitangi Tribunal | Tamati Kruger and the Nation of Tūhoe | 'The Nation': Tamati Kruger interviewed by Garner | Te Mana Motuhake o Tūhoe

Today in Auckland about 1000 people took part in a solidarity march with the current uprising in North Africa and the Middle East. The march began in Aotea square and marched down to the American consulate under the watch of the police whose presence was noticably large. Chants of “out out Mubarak!” and “long live Egypt!” were common as the crowd took over all of Queen Street on the way to the consulate.

Tunisian Intifada Spreads like Wildire |  SA-Stand in solidarity with the Egyptian People