Notice: Protest Locations Today

Today is the union protest day.

A few of us explored a health privatisation protest which I felt would be positive, but the logistics and resources available to us was miniscule - and after some discussion, we felt joining the union one was best and would support the unions too.

That gave me the opportunity to learn more about unions - and understand the many constraints and handcuffs our laws put on them.

Which is a pity - because now would be a time when the heel of the capitalist oligarchy crunch can’t feel louder. And a strong and unleashed union movement would be incredible.

Remember - 1/3 of Dunedin turned out for their Dunedin hospital protest: “Do it once, Do it Right” - but this government didn’t even blink, and most media downplayed how big a deal it was.

So given how this government - and our corporate funded system - operates - the solidarity is now key.

Standing together no matter what our concern - and the concerns are numerous under this government.

• Is it the live export ban which is cruelty to animals?

• Is it the fact that they created a fast track process to intentionally bypass all environmental and community checks - and overrule at least a decade of court rulings?

• Is it the fact that they are going to bring in wide scale commercial sea bed mining to decimate our wildlife and environment?

• Is it their systematic attack on the disabled community?

• Is it the privatisation of our water, education, roads, prisons, and hospitals / health care?

• Is it telling GPs that to survive they should lump increased costs on sick Kiwis?

• Is it playing games with school lunches, taking away nutritional components and role modelling - so David Seymour can get his hobby project to privatise education?

• Is it their insistence to lecture and take away research backed Maori policies and outreach - including playing politics with Section 7AA which had nothing to do with incorrectly placing Maori children in care - and everything to do with better outcomes for tamariki?

• Is it the persistent and pathological liar of Prime Minister Luxon, or the nefarious arrangements of Chris Bishop on everything he touches, or perhaps the $500,000 hatchet job Bill English did on Kainga Ora?

• Is it their torpedoing of our climate and environmental progress - in worshipping the dying fossil fuel industry which they try to sell as a super hero, when it is the incarnate of destruction?

• Is it their wholesale ignoring of workers - teachers, doctors, nurses, Uber drivers?

• Or maybe just their wholesale adoption of a tried failed Tory playbook - run by the same neoliberal junk tanks that fund politicians like David Seymour and Chris Luxon?

Which is it? Because there’s a lot more and today is just about standing together in solidarity. Kiwi to Kiwi, and shoulder to shoulder.

Tui