Clare Curran-Was She a Communist?

Wellington blog, The Hive has uncovered an interesting tidbit about newly selected Dunedin South Labour candidate, Clare Curran.


It seems that in 1991 Clare Curran was the Australian New left Review.

The Hive points out that Australian Left Review was the journal of the Communist Party of Australia.

While mostly true that might not be 100% technically correct;

According to Wikipedia

Australian Left Review was a monthly journal of the Communist Party of Australia (CPA) from 1966 to 1992. It was the successor to the earlier CPA journal Communist Review. In 1992, the publication briefly changed its name to ALR Magazine before ceasing publication altogether.

Curran’s article appeared in the ALR in November 1991.

In 1991 the Communist Party of Australia dis-banded and re-established itself as the New Left Party.

The Left Party itself dissolved in 1992, turning over its considerable assets to the still existing SEARCH Foundation.

Confusingly, the Communist Party of Australia was re-established in 1996, when pro-Soviet hardliners, who had previously broken away from the CPA to form the Socialist Party of Australia, re-adopted the “Communist” name.

So when Curran’s article appeared in print, ALR might have technically been the publication of the New Left Party rather than the CPA.

Clare Curran later worked for Social Change Media, a left leaning PR and marketing agency, which works mainly for unions, local government and NGOs.

Social Change Media is not just another marketing agency; we specialise in designing and managing campaigns for public sector and non-profit organisations that have a behaviour change focus.

SCM’s publishing wing is Pluto Press Australia, which specialises in vaguely leftist, Labor Party and union oriented publications.

It has published a couple of titles by Sydney university academic, Frank Stilwell, who in 1991 was president of the shortlived New Left Party.

It would be interesting to find out if Clare Curran wrote more articles for Australian Left Review and if she was ever a member of the Communist Party of Australia or the New Left Party.

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6 thoughts on “Clare Curran-Was She a Communist?

  1. There’s a faint possibility of a likelihood, you might possibly get it-within the margin of error of course.

  2. We’ll want more in the way of standard of proof than your customary “possibility of a likelihood” Trev…..

  3. Very touching anon

    “this lady has a kind looking face so what if she used to be an Australian communist, you think the Labour party would have looked twice at her nomination if there was the slightest smigen of it left”

    As many of the Labour caucus come from communist backgrounds, I think Curran’s leftism would be considered a plus rather than a negative.

  4. For goodness sake the prick she replaced used to stick tennis balls up kids whatsits didn’t he, or would you prefer the tender mercies of the Engineers union, this lady has a kind looking face so what if she used to be an Australian communist, you think the Labour party would have looked twice at her nomination if there was the slightest smigen of it left, get a life you precious little woofter.

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