In 2004 Residents Action Movement ran a slate of candidates in the Auckland local body elections.
They secured 87,000 votes city wide and elected one Regional Councillor, Robyn Hughes.
This year they are even more ambitious;
RAM is looking at getting 200,000 votes. This is a realistic target given our quality candidates and our cutting-edge “message” billboards which take up real issues concerning the majority of Greater Auckland’s residents.
RAM’s team of candidates include a range of ethnicities (Maori, Pasifika, Asian, Pakeha), a good gender balance (9 women, 12 men), and a wide age spread with one-third under 30.
This years RAM ticket enlist several young Labour leftists, an Auckland University Green Party leader, a couple of small business people, and a suitably “politically correct” ethnic, age and gender mix.
RAM’s core candidates are however almost all Marxists, mostly connected with , or SW’s parent body, the Communist Party of New Zealand.
These include;
Roger Fowler-Auckland Regional Council, Manukau Ward
Manager of a community learning centre, Queen’s Service Medal for three decades of community service, social justice activist, accomplished musician who has composed the “RAM Song”, lives in Mangere East.
Former Maoist radical and long time Communist Party member. Closely associated with Socialist Worker.
Robyn Hughes-Auckland Regional Council, Manukau Ward, Auckland District Health Board
Serving Regional Councillor. Partner of Grant Morgan. Long association with the Communist Party and Socialist Worker.
Grant Morgan-Auckland Regional Council, Manukau Ward, Auckland District Health Board
RAM organisor. Socialist Worker Central Committee member. Former General Secretary, Communist Party of New Zealand.
Peter Hughes-Auckland Regional Council, Waitakere Ward, Waitemata District health Board
Socialist Worker Central Committee member. Former Auckland District Chairman, Communist Party of New Zealand.
Bronwen Beechey-Auckland Regional Council, Auckland City Ward, Auckland District Health Board
Until her recent return to New Zealand, Beechey was a long time member of Australia’s largest Marxist-Leninist organisation, the Democratic Socialist Party. The DSP is closely allied to Socialist Worker.
Heather Carolan-Lyall-Auckland Regional Council, Auckland City Ward, Auckland District Health Board
Socialist Worker member. Wife of Socialist Worker Central Committee member, Joe Carolan.
Rachel Asher-Auckland City Council, Tamaki-Maungakiekie Ward, Auckland District Health Board
Former member of Victoria University Bolshevik Club. Close associate of Socialist Worker.
Geraldene Peters-Auckland City Council, Western Bays Ward
A founder of the Marxist leaning Global Peace and Justice Auckland and the anarchist leaning Indymedia. A long time leftist activist who has spent a month in Cuba. Works in AUT Communications Studies Department with Dr Martin Hirst.
Daphne Lawless-Auckland City Council, Eden-Albert Ward
Socialist Worker Central Committee member. Editor of SW’s magazine “Unity”.
Len Parker-Auckland District Health Board
Socialist Worker Central Committee member. Former member, Communist Party of New Zealand.
Sam Quayle-Avondale Community Board
Socialist and close associate of Socialist Worker.
RAM (Reds and Marxists) is a SCAM (Socialists, Communists, Anarchists, Marxists).
I guarantee that not 5% of their 87,000 voters in 2004 had any idea they were voting for Marxists.
All openly Marxist candidates in recent Auckland elections have counted their votes in the low hundreds.
Hopefully RAM’s cover is well and truly blown and this election delivers them the miniscule vote they deserve.
“Now, could we have some profiles covering people previously/presently comprising Z ?”
Sounds like a project for you Steve.
Steve-While i have dealt with this twice in the past, you may have missed it and it does sweem to be a bit of an issue for you.
There is no, nor has there ever been, any comnnection between myself , or my Z.A.P. associates and Mr Bolton.
Anyone who says different, is either misinformed or lying.
Happy now?
Yeah, hard !
Still, backs against the wall they can do amazing things…..Townsville a long way to travel but. Would be good if Hone Harawira could lead the supporters…..that’d bring the Aboriginal community out in force !
Now, could we have some profiles covering people previously/presently comprising Z ?
You’re allowed and expected to go back thirty years Trev…..leave no stone unturned so to speak. A Mr Bolton…..?
Belongs Steve-31 years off and on-was there tonight.
Bugger about the Warriors eh. Looking forward to next week.
Zenith Applied Philosophy…..hey, that’s not an acronym for ZAP….. ZAP…..ZAP…..is it ?
And who do we know used to belong/belongs to that…..?
Is it Z-ap-ionism perhaps ?
Mahgabe – I’m sure you can help on this one…..get back…..
Vote RAM in the upcoming elections – it’s the only alternative to Zenith Applied Philosophy free market preaching!
No worries. I always like bringing a smile to people’s faces.
Just love your use of the term ‘reactionaries’ Cameron. Straight out of the playbook
Don’t go changing!
EXOCET
and cause you are all greedy and hate each other 🙂
Cameron I can tell you we have even more scary people in our group: United Future and New Zealand First.
We’re pretty open about the fact we don’t believe national party politics and machinery should play a role in local body elections. Local councils should be able to speak up unafraid to national government. That’s why we have such a large diversity of people.
Have you heard about ‘Peoples Choice’, a front group for ACT, National and other reactionaries standing for the Manukau local body elections? Why don’t they openly declare themselves to be ACT/National/reactionary? Also they have a kind of Maoist sounding name for their group ;P
Might as well have had Reds and Marxists blasted all over their billboards
And yet Uncle Trev was just saying that RAM is a s00per-sekrit underground kommie konspiracy. You can’t both be right.
I remember Fowler. A master of the dumb comment. Back in the 70’s he was playing in a jug band when they got a gig playing for the Army NCO’s ball. Fowler announced the next song dedicated to the suffering workers and the Viet Cong. Didn’t go over big. An ugly scene ensued. Some striper obligingly doofed him.
Gig over.
Timing Rog, timing. Wait til you get paid, then spout.
I was just looking incredulously at the numerous RAM billboards on my way to work today – two RAM billboards right next to the other particularly stood out, one saying “Beat the Heat – Free Bus and Train rides funded with govt money” the other calling for “reduced rates, Aucklanders are paying too much”! Clueless! Utterly Clueless. Might as well have had Reds and Marxists blasted all over their billboards – I mean publicly funded bus trips for everyone next to sheer stupidity and failure to understand that they would have be paid from something takes them out of the realm of plain lefties and into socialist mentality. (Well to me anyway)
I think It is very unfortunate that former ACT candidate Jo Giles’ mayoral campaign is with a group called “city vision”, a rather unfortunate name considering the conations with the aukland group of the same name.
Shhhh! Trevor!
We love RAM in these parts. They take votes off Labour and City Vision.
I’m sure you didn’t mean it. They’re lovely people really ;o)