Communist League announces candidate for Auckland mayor;
Patrick Brown campaigns for a working class alternative

Patrick Brown, the Communist League candidate for mayor of Auckland, said today his campaign “presents a working class alternative” in the elections.

“My campaign joins with working people who confront, and are beginning to resist, the capitalists’ attacks on our rights, living standards and working conditions that flow from the slow-burning world depression of the capitalist system,” Brown said. “Our wages, job security and safety at work are being eroded, along with social rights like health care, education and care for the young and the old. For most of us, housing is increasingly either unaffordable or substandard.

“The other candidates in the election all look to ‘business’ and ‘the market’ – i.e. capitalism – to address the deep social problems we face,” said Brown. “At the same time, they paper over the class realities in this city, which is run by the wealthy propertied rulers – the ones who reap the rewards of our labour.

In contrast, Brown said, “The Communist League poses a working class road out of this dog-eat-dog, crises-ridden capitalist system and its wars, racism and oppression of women.”

Brown is a worker and long-time union member. His campaign stands with meatworkers standing up to the Affco company’s attacks on their union and hard-won rights. Communist League campaigners join actions to defend Maori land at Ihumatao in Mangere, and to oppose probes aimed at shutting down a woman’s right to choose abortion.

“Through struggles like these, working people will gain confidence in our capacities,” Brown said. “We will learn we can build a movement to take political power out of the capitalists’ hands. That’s the only way to end the historic, irresolvable crisis of their system.”

Brown said workers “must oppose all forms of the bosses’ divide-and-rule tactics, including the scapegoating of immigrants. In response, we must organise to strengthen our unions, bring all workers into their ranks, and fight to improve wages and conditions for everyone.

“We demand a public works programme to create jobs at union wage rates and build schools and medical facilities, child care and recreation centres, and replace crumbling infrastructure,” Brown said.

The socialist revolution in Cuba shows what working people are capable of, said the Communist League candidate. “Workers and farmers there organised a movement to take political power. They took control of their own destiny and set about building a society based on human solidarity.

“Come and join us,” Brown said. “Our campaign welcomes all those who want to champion the interests of working people.”

ENDS

© Scoop Media