From 1 – 3 June the Workers Party of New Zealand hosted its annual “Marxism” conference which featured international speakers and interventions by other NZ left groups. Around 60 mainly young people met in a serious-minded, yet lively and comradely atmosphere to discuss the class struggle and the prospects for socialism.

Dennis Maga from the Philippines addressed the conference on state repression, focusing on the plight of imprisoned congressman and former leader of the KMU union federation Crispin Beltran (a.k.a. “Ka Bel”). Maga’s campaign has dogged President Gloria Arroyo’s recent visit to NZ at every opportunity.

On the “Workers Struggles in New Zealand” session, activists discussed Unite union’s SuperSizeMyPay campaign, and the recent National Distribution Union lockout at Progressive Enterprises.

The debate on the Australian socialist movement was kicked off by Anthony Main for the Socialist Party, who stressed the importance of community campaigning. He was followed by Coral Wynter for the DSP, who emphasised the need for broad alliances.

The most contentious debate was over Venezuela. Socialist Worker NZ has accused the London leadership of their tendency of “Eurocentrism” for failing to make Venezuela solidarity work a priority. Main voiced some reservations about Chavez (e.g. his support for Ahmadinejad); while Mike Treen (Unite President) insisted that the left had to support him uncritically.

The concluding session was on the effectiveness of international tendency groupings. Main made the case for the Committee for a Workers International, with its numerous affiliates and organisational structure. For the Workers Party NZ, Phil Ferguson replied that “we recognise in principle the need for an International. The question is, does the CWI represent the International that we require?”