Laila Harre faces socialist grilling

Even at the front lines of the revolution, Laila Harre had to face questions about the future of the Alliance.

The Associate Minister of Labour, who recently exposed tensions in her party when she wanted to speak to striking Herald journalists, was one of the invited "thinking activists" at a hui on the "global revolt against capitalism" in Auckland at the weekend.

Organised by the Socialist Workers Organisation (motto: Workers of the World Unite), the hui still had 50 empty seats at the Trades Hall lecture theatre when Ms Harre rose to speak on the evils of globalisation.

Although multinationals told people that globalisation was good for them, their experience of it was overwhelmingly negative, she said.

In New Zealand, 40 per cent of the unemployed were under 25. Another consequence of globalisation was development of thermal power stations, which were contributing to global warming.

"These are the things that are people's reality. You can't tell people to believe they are wrong about that."

Ms Harre said there were risks for the Government in signing international agreements.

If New Zealand had signed the Multilateral Agreement on Investment it would have reduced the Government's ability to change policy.

It would have risked being taken to international courts for some of its more contentious actions such as rationalisation of ACC.

Political influence was needed for any real change to occur, she said. The Alliance was working to fill the space abandoned by the other parties.

She was applauded - but then faced several minutes of questioning on whether the Alliance was making a difference.

One man asked when the Alliance was going to "take a stand on the railways" - and "what about Air New Zealand?" A member of the Socialist Workers Organisation challenged the Alliance to support workers' right to strike.

Afterwards, Ms Harre said she did not want her picture taken by a Herald photographer in front of the Socialist Work banner.

"From a political point of view I see myself as the property of the Alliance ... I know a picture can paint a thousand words."