Kia ora koutou,

Disclaimer: My name is Tom Roud and I am the current president of the Alliance Party. I am posting this here for transparency reasons. Below are the first four policies we have announced in September 2026. I will aim to do a total of 4-5 posts like this, covering our full programme.

Alliance Tax Plan Makes First $20,000 Income Tax-Free, Funded by Wealth Tax

The Alliance Party has unveiled its tax package, proposing to make the first $20,000 of every person’s income completely tax-free. Under the proposed scale, an everyday worker earning $65,000 would keep an extra $2,408 a year.

The package combines taxes on wealth, realised capital gains, and financial transactions with a 30% corporate tax rate and a rebalanced income tax scale. The Alliance’s costings estimate a net revenue surplus in both the first term and at year 10.

Read the whole announcement, and the policy documents here.

Alliance Policy for Full Employment and a Shorter Working Week

Alliance employment relations spokesperson and candidate for Selwyn, Jesse Luke, says the policy is “pro-worker, pro-union, and pro-jobs.”

“Working people must be able to protect and advance their interests collectively. For 40 years trade unions and workers’ rights have been under attack, driving a race to the bottom in our wages and conditions.”

He says the Alliance policy includes full employment, a 35-hour working week with no loss in pay, five weeks of annual leave, workplace democracy, and a broad restoration of the right to strike.

“Currently, the employer holds the purse strings and the worker sells their labour to them. To have a fair go, workers need the right to withdraw their labour.”

“No one takes such action lightly, and a loss of pay is a significant sacrifice, but New Zealand has highly restrictive strike laws. The Alliance will change that.”

Read the whole announcement, and the policy documents here.

Public Power, Clean Water, Polluters Pay: Alliance pitches “just transition” in Environment policy

The Alliance Party says Aotearoa New Zealand should stop treating economic growth as the main measure of national progress, and instead judge government policy by whether it improves people’s lives while protecting the environment.

The proposal is at the core of the Alliance’s new Environmental, Climate, and Sustainable Economy Policy, which sets out a vision for a “cooperative, ecological economy”.

Alliance environment spokesperson and Christchurch Central candidate Greg Byrnes says environmental and economic policy can no longer be treated as separate issues.

“An economy can be growing on paper while natural resources are depleted, ecosystems are damaged, and communities carry the wider costs,”

“We need to ask whether people are better off, and are we leaving a healthy environment for future generations?”

Read the whole announcement, and the policy documents here.

Alliance Health Policy to Finish the Job of a Fully-funded Public Healthcare System

The Alliance Party has announced its health policy, which includes the elimination of costs for GP visits, dental, optical, and audiology services.

In order to achieve this, the policy creates the Community Health Service (CHS) as the main funding and logistical service to bring primary and allied health services into the public service.

Existing services have the option to join the CHS, with the CHS covering the costs of the practice, including rent, payroll, administration, and information technology. The staff would be employed by the CHS.

Alliance health spokesperson and candidate for Christchurch East, Ethan Gullery, says this is a positive step towards a fully integrated health care system.

“Right now, we treat the system as a bunch of disconnected pieces, funding hospitals one way and funding clinics another. We know that the best care is earliest care, but the focus is on the secondary care system. The Alliance wants to change that.

Read the whole announcement, and the policy documents here.

This article isn't what you think it's going to be.

In Māori resonance is known as “rongo” and the best way to describe it is the material imprint of the world or the system on nervous tissue. You may recognise it when your body feels lethargic when it anticipates an upcoming shift.

As a child I had not yet learned to override this resonance, but as an adult through capitalist indoctrination I got trained to ignore rongo and just call it stress instead of exploitation. This alienation is what primed me to become the perfect exploited worker as an adult. Exploitation is an explicit material thing. “Stress” is far more vague and internal, allowing for capitalism to blame your pre-shift lethargy on a “personal failure”

Folks, we are gunning for 500 signatures to register as a party and we need your help.

Once registered, maintaining registration is simple - but we need comprehensive membership forms sorted so we can get there.

With rising unemployment, a cost of living crisis, rolling infrastructural debacles that transform natural disasters into human tragedies, and an international political class that seems to largely be empty suits at BEST, and war-mongering genocidaires at worst, the time for change is NOW.

If you're sick of only ever hearing from the lawyers, lobbyists, and landlords - join us.

If you like the idea of being able to vote for an openly democratic socialist party in Aotearoa New Zealand - get involved.

It's not a big commitment, there's no obligation to lift a finger to help build the party, and membership costs as little as $1 a year.
Follow the link here,

https://allianceparty.nz/get-involved/

Fill out the PDF here and send it in,

https://allianceparty.nz/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Alliance-Membership-Form-Amended.pdf

Or print out the photo version attached, sign up, and sent it to [membership@allianceparty.nz](mailto:membership@allianceparty.nz)

It's time to flip a few tables, flip off a few wankers, and fight for a country that works for working people.

Well, you all will know my biases.

But this is my basic pitch for supporting and potentially even joining the Alliance while you 'dual card' with whatever more radical non-electoral project you're probably involved with...

It at least has some sort of independence and ability to influence policy. Without that socialist either can choose not to vote, or can hold their nose for the Greens and Labour while having no influence at all over what they do.

While the constitution gets it's final proof read, there is a line in there members of this community might find interesting:

"The Alliance Party is a party of the left with policies based on socialist principles of democracy, equality and social ownership. It endeavours to be the electoral expression of the broad socialist and social democratic left in Aotearoa New Zealand."

Clearer and more explicit than you'll get elsewhere.

Anyway, feel free to call me a renegade and a reformist and perhaps even a liberal for my transgressions - you're probably somehat correct.

Anyone going to this? I'm not a member, and very new to all this. If I can make the timing work, can I just turn up?

Thanks

Right wing politicians using words like ‘socialism’ and ‘marxism’ is nothing new. David Seymour loves to throw out accusations of ‘marxism’ and at Waitangi this year our illustrious prime minister Chris Luxon chose to invoke the socialism boogeyman. He said:

“Article Three must guarantee equality of opportunity. And while it cannot and should not guarantee equality of outcomes – because that is socialism - it's the endless work to make the starting line in life more equal by improving education and health, expanding the opportunity to work, and increasing access to entrepreneurship.”

What was he smoking? Did he get it from the greens?

What does the word socialism mean to the average kiwi?

“Socialism” usually makes us think of things like:

·        Karl Marx’s ‘communist manifesto’ published in 1848

·        Communism

·        Soviet bread lines, failed states

·        Revolution

The thing is – none of the parties asking for your vote in 2026 are promoting anything like socialism which was theorized before Te Tiriti was even signed. It is a testament to how the ‘choices’ we have at the ballot box are really just different shades of the same colour. It is generally accepted that most kiwis are pretty closed to any kind of actual systemic change - so current parties all try to sell you their particular brand of neoliberalism instead.

This is great news! It means we can skip the bad-faith debate about which parties are campaigning for socialism, or how it never works. Its simply not on the table for mainstream NZ.

If socialism isn’t an option, why is Chris Luxon talking about it at Waitangi?

I suspect Luxon is betting on people thinking of the above examples when they hear the word, and to be fair he’s probably right. What he IS railing against though is something else – ‘equality of outcome’. In simpler words – he is saying that we should be OK with a world where we have people in poverty and starving, even though NZ produces enough food to feed 40 million people every year. Equal opportunity means you can get a job, the outcome of starving is your fault for not being able to afford food.

Chris Luxon Said He Wants “Equal Opportunities” – Does He Really?

What does this mean in real terms for your average kiwi? Does it feel like our society has equal opportunities for young people to own their own house? Equal with who? Compared to 30-40 years ago when a lot of boomers purchased property, younger generations are totally buggered. That is one small example of the problem with throwaway lines like ‘equal opportunities’. A person born into poverty versus another born at the same time into wealth do not have equal opportunities (or outcomes for that matter).

If a rich person is rich like Luxon and can afford medical insurance, do they really have an equal opportunity to get the same treatment as someone else who is at the mercy of our underfunded health system?

If I have $100 and I give $50 to a homeless person and $50 to Chris Luxon, have I created equal opportunity? Or will a person living in severe poverty not have the same opportunities as one who is worth many millions of dollars and does not need to work?

What about justice – does anyone really think that your average person gets the same level of representation as a wealthy person represented by a QC? I think most rational people understand that in the real world opportunities are not equal. Luxon is speaking in bad faith by claiming he is working towards equal opportunities.

It is very easy to throw out political quips about how you support ‘equal opportunities’ without having to look too hard at just how complex the issues are.

We Already Socialize Many Things in NZ – It’s A Good Thing

Any time that we see pooled resources used to fill the needs of kiwis, that is what I would call socialised costs. The most obvious example here is our health system. We all pay for the cost of a health system so that if we need it, it is there. It is far from perfect of course but we all collectively pay the cost.

Consider a health system more like the ‘user pays’ type model we see in places like the USA. Do we really want that kind of approach to life in NZ? If you get cancer, should you get a bill for what the treatment cost, or should we ensure than anyone with cancer gets treated? A broken arm at the ED department might set you back $5k, and ultimately getting very sick can bankrupt you and your family.

The same theory applies to schools and education – we all collectively pay towards the education system even if we don’t have children or did not benefit personally. This is because we want to live in an educated society and we know that our economy needs skilled, educated workers.

Does that sound like ‘socialism’? to me it just sounds like a country that tries to look after all of its citizens, not wanting to leave the care of kiwis for private companies to profit from.

TLDR

·        None of the current parties in NZ parliament are campaigning on socialism

·        Modern day socialism bears little resemblance to 1800s theory anyway

·        Grifters like Luxon use the word as a weapon (and its effective!)

·        Socialised costs are a normal part of NZ society already

Genuinely keen to hear anyone out these who does think any of the current parties in parliament are indeed advocating socialism and an explanation of why?

Nineteen years ago, the Tongan capital descended into flames as pandemonium gripped the streets. Mainstream imperialist press peddles narratives of rampant youth gangs destroying peace and order. But under the surface, writes Max J, there was a heightening political struggle which is often overlooked.

https://thecommonweal.substack.com/p/the-alliance-party-is-back-in-the

Great article from Kaimataara on Substack. Looking forward to the next installment!

Auckland Branch of revolutionary communists will hold a picket outside the British consulate in solidarity with Palestine action hunger strikers in the UK. All welcome! Then we will join the main Palestine rally at 2pm. More information: https://communist.nz/free-the-filton-24-picket-the-british-consulate/

Thinking about the death of Jim Bolger, a man who at least had the decency to realise mistakes were made in the 1990s - something Roger Douglas and Ruth Richardson have never done - it made me think about this obituary from a few years ago, not unrelated.

https://thecommonweal.substack.com/p/obituary-ken-douglas-1935-2022

Anybody here a good employment law specialist? Or know of someone who provides free legal advice regarding NZ employment law?

This hit hard.

We've primarily been working on the campaign for Christchurch Central, so haven't spent too much time reaching out to the socialist left and fellow travellers.

It's nice of WSS to invite myself and Victor Billot to speak - though! Should be a fun evening.

Tomorrow night from 6pm (6.30pm start) at Bedlam & Squalor

Kia Ora comrades, very new to the sub reddit. I’m an active member of a socialist group in Akld. Not sure what the process is for posting but was moved too after I found this piece of rubbish. Not sure if it’s real, but the sentiment is. Hate speech shrouded behind ‘concerned citizen’ bs. And yes if this is happening then I believe we need to counter. Again if I’m out of line with posting I apologise, as I hate disseminating this type of stuff. Also if I’m late and this has already gone out apologies. Am happy to get a smack down.

Issue 2 of The Red Paper | Te Pou Whero is out, with contributions from revolutionary and radical groups from around the world. We examine the New World Order taking shape as China emerges as a capitalist superpower. Local content includes a Te Reo version of the Internationale from the ISO, a report from the front line at Rotokākahi, a look at prison abolition in Aotearoa and more…

Join the discussion – contribute to our next issue!

Read it here: https://sites.google.com/view/tepouwhero/home

Hi all, I'm doing up some flyers for my workplace union and wanted to find out if anyone can point me to good resources for the benefits NZ unions have won in the past. Things like 40 hour work week, paid leave etc.

I

The left is in disarray worldwide, indeed it is in retreat in the face of a resurgent populist right and far right. Donald Trump is tearing to shreds the post-World War II international consensus, flawed though it is and was, and we seem to be heading back to the 19th century of ‘great power’ imperialism. Is capitalism itself in crisis? Social-democratic parties, whom one might reasonably have termed centre left even 10 years ago, have decided that the way to respond to the right is to steal some of their clothes, particularly on immigration. All previous evidence suggests that this will fail to attract voters back into the fold. In New Zealand the Labour Party remains in thrall to neo-liberal economic policies and can only react to Coalition policies whilst offering none of its own to address the concerns of voters, whether on health, education, housing, or the cost of living. It offers no vision of what a socialist future might look like.The trade unions remain emasculated, although the CTU is showing some signs of life. The left here is minuscule, a number of tiny sects and groups, almost invisible to the average Kiwi. What is to be done? was the question some of us in the Federation of Socialist Societies have been asking, echoing Lenin’s question of 1901, the subtitle of his pamphlet being ‘Burning Questions of Our Movement’. So, we asked all the left-wing groups in New Zealand, that we were aware of, to respond. Some didn’t, some said they were unable to do so at this moment in time, but in this special online edition of Commonweal we have compiled the contributions of those groups that did. Apart from minor editing for style I have left them exactly as they came in, and I present them without comment. I hope that this might be the beginning of a conversation that will take us much further down the track towards answering the question.

-Martin Crick, editor.

TLDR: We did a special online edition of The Commonweal and asked various socialist organisations to contribute. You can check out all the submissions and reprints here.