International Socialists

Disillusionment, demoralisation, frustration, anger

Editorial Comittee

In the 1990s there is far greater anger about the failure of capitalism, and the Labour and National governments that manage it, to deliver the goods. The reality for workers, beneficiaries, Maori and students has been falling incomes and rising debt. Most recognise that the New Right policies of Labour and National have only served to benefit the small wealthy minority that rules our society. But most also thought that New Zealand's first MMP election would bring about real change.

An opinion poll conducted in the run-up to the election showed that 60-70% thought that it would be harder for governments to push through unpopular anti-working class policies and that politicians would be more accountable. In the election itself 51% voted for parties which campaigned on an anti-National basis - the Alliance, Labour and NZ First.

The coalition talks which effectively put National back in power graphically demonstrated how little had really changed. The spectacle of National being returned to power - against the clear wishes of a majority of voters and even of NZ First's own supporters - has created a mood of disillusionment and demoralisation within the working class. The anger that was expressed in the strikes and protests of the period from 1990-95 remains, but it is contained to a greater extent by the feeling that we cannot hope to fight for progressive change and win.

The political situation in New Zealand stands in marked contrast with that prevailing in Britain where 18 years of Tory rule has just been ended by Labour's landslide victory. As British socialist Tony Cliff points out, "Labour's landslide has created a mood of expectation among workers that reforms are possible." The MMP election here has had precisely the opposite effect: workers' expectations of change through MMP and parliament have been dashed.

In this context, some have become engulfed by pessimism and think that workers, students and Maori are no longer interested in socialist ideas and the struggle for a better world. Others have responded with an other-worldly sect-like hysteria in which a working class seething with anger could topple a weak, divided and chaotic government at any moment.

Neither of these views connects with reality. In reality the working class is seething with frustration and anger in response to more than a decade of vicious attacks by right-wing Labour and National governments as well as the attacks of bosses under the Employment Contracts Act. But this anger is currently being tempered because the widespread expectations of change coming through MMP have not been realised. And it is an exaggeration to say that the coalition government is weak and divided. In fact, the coalition government is anchored by the continuing dominance of National on the right. Even though NZ First's popularity has declined massively, this need not create any short term problems for the government given the current composition of parliament.

But if it is a mistake to exaggerate the mood of frustration and anger amongst workers, it is equally mistaken to respond to the recent resurgence of the right with doom and gloom pessimism. The key characteristic of politics in the 1990s is volatility. We have already seen big struggles in New Zealand during the 1990s: opposition to the Gulf War, mass working class opposition to the ECA in 1991, the successful struggle by Seafarers to maintain their union in 1994, a major revival of struggle on the campuses and the biggest wave of Maori protests since the 1960s and 1970s.

Struggles by workers, Maori and students will continue to break out. And it is collective struggle which will restore confidence in our ability to change things for the better. The wildcat strike action by PSA members in Income Support last year, the Waiouru occupation, recent protests over allowances by students and underfunding by childcare workers are all examples of the kind of fightback we need to build.

But in order to build this fightback we all need to develop a clearer understanding of why and how capitalism, the ruling class and the government are causing the problems we face. And we also need to show that while it is true that real change can't come through parliament, real change is possible if we take power in our own hands and use it to build a democratic and socialist alternative.