This Labour Weekend the New Zealand Federation of Socialist Societies is holding its second annual conference in central Wellington. Taking place across two days the conference will feature a diverse line up of speakers discussing topical issues for the left including the future of trade unionism in Aotearoa, the anti-globalisation movement, and the crisis in our nation’s universities. There will also be a guided walking tour around central Wellington visiting sites relating to the 1913 Great Strike.

With nearly a hundred registered attendees, the conference is shaping up to be a major event. The keynote addresses on the Saturday and Sunday evenings are free events, open to all, whether they have registered for the conference or not. On Saturday evening a panel of experienced tino rangatiratanga activists will discuss “Te Tiriti and the struggle for socialism,” while on Sunday evening a Palestinian-Chilean organiser will speak to “Resisting neoliberalism in Latin America: The 2019 Chilean revolt and the struggle for constitutional reform.”

The theme for this year’s conference is “The Dual Crisis in Aotearoa.” The “dual crisis” is the idea that New Zealand has periodically gone through simultaneous crises in both its colonial and its capital foundations. During the 1970s, the welfare state began to falter due to global economic shocks. At the same time, significant Māori protest over historic injustices emerged. The establishment of neoliberalism required stabilisation of this dual crisis. The state responded by establishing the Waitangi Tribunal and, shortly after, initiated the right-wing Rogernomics reforms. Today we are witnessing another dual crisis, which the National-led government is responding to through attacks on Māori and a desperate new wave of austerity and wealth transfers to the rich. Much of the conference content will engage directly with our theme of dual crisis.

There is a rich tradition of socialist organising in Wellington which the Federation seeks to keep alive. Founded in 1901, the Socialist Party was an important precursor to the Labour Party. The Socialist Party held their first annual conference in Wellington in 1908. Their activists included Paddy Webb, Bob Semple, Michael Joseph Savage, and Harry Holland, all of whom later became Labour MPs. Savage led Labour to victory in the 1935 election and his government laid the foundations of the welfare state. The Federation wishes to honour and contribute to that noble tradition.

More conference information, including the complete programme, can be found at https://www.socialistsocieties.org.nz/conference/.

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