As 2010 draws to end and the summer holidays beckon. Now is a time to reflect on the year gone and the year ahead. 2010 was a year when anyone who was still under the illusion that the National led government was going to be Labour Lite was truly broken.
The National led government has started the process of undermining workers' rights with the passing of the 90 day hire and fire law for all workers on the pretence that it creates jobs!
Alongside this it is likely that your 2011 summer holidays will be curtailed as you have had to have sold a weeks leave just to get a job, along with your union rights being curtailed as the organiser isn't allowed on site without the bosses permission.
This legislation passed through parliament in the same week as the Pike River mining disaster, which undermines somewhat the government's sincerity and the obligatory crocadile tears from the prime minister.
We also saw tax cuts for the rich and the GST hike for the rest of us, Apparently there is no new money for public services but the government can borrow money to give their rich mates a tax cut!
Alongside this it is likely that your 2011 summer holidays will be curtailed as you have had to have sold a weeks leave just to get a job, along with your union rights being curtailed as the organiser isn't allowed on site without the bosses permission.
This legislation passed through parliament in the same week as the Pike River mining disaster, which undermines somewhat the government's sincerity and the obligatory crocadile tears from the prime minister.
We also saw tax cuts for the rich and the GST hike for the rest of us, Apparently there is no new money for public services but the government can borrow money to give their rich mates a tax cut!
At the sametime the government bailed out of South Canturbury Finance for $1.8 billion! It has also been revealed by the Securities Commision that of the 50 finance companies that failed; out of the 26 so far investigated, 14 companies have charges laid against them by the Securities Commision, Ministry of Economic Development and the Serious Fruad Office. It will be interesting to see how these prosecutions go and what charges are laid if any agianst the remaing 24 finance companies. No doubt we can expect the bourgeoise courts to hand out harsh sentences for these ladies and gentlemen of finance capital!
General Election
2011 is the year of the general election. Labour is positioning itself to the left - if in words only. The recent Labour Party annual conference was a welcome departure from the past support for neo-liberal economic policy. Labour needs to adopt a bold socialist progamme if it is to win the next election and turn the opinion polls around.
If this is not the case then the likelyhood is the return of a National government. This is subject to world events in particular further shocks in the world economy.
Already being planned in the second term of a National government is partial privatisation of state assets. The Finance Minister, Bill English, has indicated that State Owned Enterprises need to borrow money so that they can in effect pay the government bigger dividends. This indebtedness will no doubt be used to 'sugar-coat' the need for privatisation.
The various government working parties are all reporting the need to further cuts in social welfare, increasing the age for state retirement to 67 and the list continues...
The more far sighted New Zealand Bourgeoise and their international counter-parts fully understand that the reforms of the past are no longer affordable on the basis of capitalism and must be undermined and got rid off. The bourgeoisie cannot afford to maintain the present level of living standards, but the working class cannot afford any further attacks on living standards.
This means one thing - 2011 will bring a further intensification of the class struggle, and this time it will go much further than the CTU's national stop work meeting / rallies recently held across the county. You have only look to the actions of our brothers and sisters in Britain and Europe to see the future of direction of the class struggle in New Zealand.
If this is not the case then the likelyhood is the return of a National government. This is subject to world events in particular further shocks in the world economy.
Already being planned in the second term of a National government is partial privatisation of state assets. The Finance Minister, Bill English, has indicated that State Owned Enterprises need to borrow money so that they can in effect pay the government bigger dividends. This indebtedness will no doubt be used to 'sugar-coat' the need for privatisation.
The various government working parties are all reporting the need to further cuts in social welfare, increasing the age for state retirement to 67 and the list continues...
The more far sighted New Zealand Bourgeoise and their international counter-parts fully understand that the reforms of the past are no longer affordable on the basis of capitalism and must be undermined and got rid off. The bourgeoisie cannot afford to maintain the present level of living standards, but the working class cannot afford any further attacks on living standards.
This means one thing - 2011 will bring a further intensification of the class struggle, and this time it will go much further than the CTU's national stop work meeting / rallies recently held across the county. You have only look to the actions of our brothers and sisters in Britain and Europe to see the future of direction of the class struggle in New Zealand.