July issue of The Spark
Last month the question of equality was blown open publicly and in quite a profound way by three events. The most prominent of these was of course the righteous controversy which resulted from Alasdair Thompson – CEO of the Employers and Manufacturers Association, the mouthpiece of a large section of the capitalist class – justifying the gendered wage gap on the basis of women’s menstruation. Away from the PR and spin-doctoring of the employers and government, who may present themselves as ‘centrist’, this really underlined the deeply reactionary essence of capitalism as it exists right now. We also had in Wellington a large demonstration of queer and transgender people demanding the right to not be bashed in the streets, which has prompted some tentative calls for a new GLBT liberation movement. This has included a large demonstration and organising meetings of up to 85 people. Thirdly, we saw the government indicate a possible reintroduction of youth rates, which was promptly opposed by a protest response within one week. We’ve been involved in the thick of the opposition against inequality and we aim to put The Spark and anti-capitalist ideology into the hands of others involved.
Note: As of July 4, this issue will carry a comprehensive insert which overviews te Mana Party by-election victory and the subsequent foundation hui.
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