My reasons for joining MANA back in 2011, when I was a fresher, were directly related to my involvement in the International Socialist Organisation (ISO). Thus, the main reason for my support for this party at this particular time is the solid activist basis of its leadership and membership, such as we see in Hone Harawera, John Minto and Sue Bradford; fighting the good fight for the rights of the poor and have-nots in this increasingly unequal country of ours. Summarily, MANA policies such as bringing back the right to strike, immediately raising the minimum wage to $15, and replacing GST, which disproportionately affects those on lower incomes, with a “Hone Heke” financial transaction tax, affecting those on higher incomes, puts MANA to the left of most other so-called “left wing” parties in actually addressing the massive inequities within this society in terms of poverty and unequal wealth distribution.
At the end of the day, many people like to pigeonhole Hone as a racist and a loose cannon based on the selective coverage he receives by the media, but fail to ignore the good grass roots activism he and other members have done, such as protesting the forced removal of tenants from state housing, and also their involvement with the Occupy movement.
Thus, from these credentials, I get the impression that most of the MANA Party are not about compromise but genuinely sticking up those at the bottom of the heap, and this gives me confidence in them as both a party and activist organisation.
Young Politician
Johnny Fg of Mana
