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Why Changing the Government Should Be Enough

Written By: respublica - Date published: 11:27 am, August 28th, 2025 - 30 comments

Outrage is easy. Outrage feels righteous. But outrage without discipline destroys the very people it claims to save.

If we want transformation that endures, we must build it brick by brick. Or watch it burn, again.

It Is Not Enough Only to Change the Government

Written By: Elliot Crossan - Date published: 6:41 pm, August 27th, 2025 - 19 comments

Everyone on the left can agree that we must change the government. Elliot Crossan argues that if Labour wins in 2026 and refuses to transform the system generating extreme inequality, NZ society will continue to fragment. Change the government. This is currently the unanimous goal of trade union leaders, left-wing politicians and progressive NGOs. At rallies, […]

Corbyn still draws a crowd – what’s new?

Written By: Mike Smith - Date published: 6:15 pm, July 30th, 2025 - 17 comments

Zarah Sultana for one – she’s a star. Gaza for another – anti-zionism/semitism won’t work this time. 500,000 signed up in a week for a new party is impressive.

Vale David Parker MP

Written By: Mike Smith - Date published: 2:08 pm, May 8th, 2025 - 20 comments

David Parker’s Deputy Leader ‘s speech in 2014 at the Wellington Labour Party Conference was the best I ever heard from a Labour Leader. Vision matched values in intensity and scope. Parliament now loses one of its very best.

NZ Leftist Collective March 2025

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 8:38 pm, March 30th, 2025 - 17 comments

Samah Huriwai-Seger, Shane te Pou. Craig Renney, Kieran McAnulty, hosted by Pat Brittenden

The Unbearable Weight of Being a Useful Idiot

Written By: Guest post - Date published: 9:57 am, March 23rd, 2025 - 96 comments

Res Publica takes aim at modern day ‘tankies’. Pro-authoritarian leftist, who can apologise for any authoritarian regime provided that it is intellectually cloaked in the ‘correct’ rhetoric and a veneer of geo-politics. In their view, modern day tankies are only good at reducing the left’s credibility to rubble in real-time.

NZ Fabian Society event: Brian Easton on Transforming New Zealand

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 9:21 am, February 13th, 2025 - 7 comments

“Why is the Left failing?”

Standing for Auckland

Written By: Nick Rockel - Date published: 1:47 pm, February 2nd, 2025 - 16 comments

Can Kerrin Leoni pave the way as Tamaki Makaurau’s first wāhine Māori Mayor? Open to all today from Nick’s Kōrero…

The Left Went That Way

Written By: advantage - Date published: 8:38 am, January 14th, 2025 - 37 comments

In the past two decades, election results in western Europe, Australasia, and North America have been framed as a crisis of the left. But in reality are things that bad?

Anti-Muslim, anti-black, pro-Zionist: UK Labour goes for purge

Written By: Mike Smith - Date published: 4:44 am, June 2nd, 2024 - 10 comments

I attended Faiza Shaheen’s impressive candidate launch in Chingford four years ago. She aimed to take on IDS and she dented his majority. Reselected two years ago by the local Labour Party, four days ago she was deselected by a 3-person kangaroo court from the party’s National Executive Committee.
Update: Faiza Shaheen to stand as an independent in Chingford.

The future of UK Labour and what it means for Aotearoa

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 10:09 am, April 2nd, 2024 - 55 comments

It appears almost inevitable that Keir Starmer will be the next Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. But his taking the party to the right and an active drive to rid the party of left wingers raises the spectre that his Goverment would be a pale immitation of its predecessors.

What’s Left?

Written By: advantage - Date published: 12:07 pm, February 25th, 2024 - 51 comments

From Election 2023’s result through to February 2024 there has been massive loss and damage to the Parliamentary capacity of Labour and Greens. Who still has the capacity to lead? What’s left?

A sad lament from the serial left

Written By: Mike Smith - Date published: 10:39 pm, February 13th, 2024 - 103 comments

Attacking leftists attempts to expose the Atlas Network of right-wing think tanks, Chris Trotter offers this gem “Morally speaking, is taking money from oil companies really all that distinguishable from giving money to oil companies every time we fill up our petrol tank?”

New Year’s Resolution

Written By: advantage - Date published: 10:25 am, January 1st, 2024 - 8 comments

With the left out of power, one of the most useful things we can do in 2024 is simply let people know where they can join in and do good.

Labour’s leadership

Written By: redfed - Date published: 10:06 am, November 3rd, 2023 - 34 comments

Now that the dust is settling it is time for the Labour Party to think about its future.

Election Night 2023 on The Standard

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 7:00 pm, October 14th, 2023 - 237 comments

A post for election night discussion on the Standard (and links for where to watch).

Solidarity and ostracism

Written By: weka - Date published: 6:04 am, January 12th, 2023 - 80 comments

The mechanism for ostracism destroys solidarity and has serious implications for the left.

Comrade Chris and the politics of the warm inner glow

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 11:06 am, November 9th, 2022 - 127 comments

Left wing contrarian Chris Trotter has made some outlandish claims about Jacinda Ardern’s recent conference speech.

An appeal to Putin’s Apologists

Written By: Guest post - Date published: 10:10 am, June 12th, 2022 - 121 comments

Guest with a life of anti-fascist and anti-war activism in their rear-view mirror, alarmingly finds at fifty that they are staring at the green shoots of fascism in their headlights.This is not where any progressive expected to be. But for the left, there is also no discounting fascist action by offering up the reasoning of the aggressor.

“We have to talk about sex. It’s important”

Written By: weka - Date published: 10:55 am, July 28th, 2021 - 145 comments

British philosophy professor Kathleen Stock being interviewed by Redline’s Daphna Whitmore on gender critical feminism and the sex/gender wars. Also, why being able to debate matters.

Bryce Edwards: The State of the political left (in the Age of Outrage)

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 6:10 am, May 31st, 2021 - 134 comments

What role has the political left played in helping create some of the changes to the current way politics is debated?

“Beyond Jacinda” – Colin James and Cr Tamatha Paul

Written By: Mike Smith - Date published: 1:45 pm, December 3rd, 2020 - 20 comments

Colin James and Councillor Tamatha Paul will discuss Colin’s paper “Beyond Jacinda” on Monday 7 December at 5:30pm at Baptist Church, 46-48 Boulcott Street Wellington. It will also be shown on Zoom and available on YouTube. Registration links below. All Welcome.

Qanon is here

Written By: advantage - Date published: 7:37 am, September 14th, 2020 - 132 comments

While a few in the media leapt at the opportunity to vilify a small evangelical community at the latest COVID 19 spread, the really big COVID 19-conspiracy story landed by the thousand this weekend. It’s overdue we woke up to QAnon here.

Joe Biden’s Four Surprising Vectors for Success

Written By: advantage - Date published: 7:00 am, August 14th, 2020 - 15 comments

He’s old, boring, uninspiring, and offends no-one: surely he’ll fail miserably as President? But he has a stronger chance than any Democrat President since LBJ of getting very strong domestic reforms done.

A Welcome Change Coming.

Written By: Bill - Date published: 1:26 pm, February 29th, 2020 - 16 comments

There’s an increasing number of progressive and conservatives who are rediscovering their moral compass in these, the final days of unfettered liberalism.

Constructive Criticism and Team Work In Politics

Written By: Incognito - Date published: 1:51 pm, January 26th, 2020 - 34 comments

Team play is more important than ever in politics.

Why UK Labour lost? Part 7: Momentum and the Corbynistas

Written By: nickkelly - Date published: 10:23 pm, January 15th, 2020 - 10 comments

Originally posted on Nick Kelly’s blog

Momentum and its supporters need to find a way of selling genuine social democratic politics to a conservative English public.

Guest Post – What is wrong with the left?

Written By: Guest post - Date published: 8:24 am, January 10th, 2020 - 168 comments

Guest post from old maaaaate cans about recent Stuff guest columns attacking the left for not civilised enough and wondering if it is because of right wing insecurity.

Goodbye 2019

Written By: advantage - Date published: 3:04 pm, January 1st, 2020 - 8 comments

Throughout the world 2019 was the worst year for the left since 1979. What will 2020 bring?

It Is the Thought That Counts

Written By: Incognito - Date published: 12:33 am, December 28th, 2019 - 70 comments

Antagonistic personalities are an obstacle to effective politics tackling major present problems.

Listening to left wing dissent

Written By: weka - Date published: 7:10 am, December 16th, 2019 - 178 comments

What stands out for me are the voices of the people who are saying actually, there were solid reasons for abandoning Labour, this is why I did. There’s something important here about really listening to dissent and being willing to engage with views that don’t make sense in the context of our own personal ideologies.