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2013

Receiving a Harmony Award from the Federation of Islamic...

Keith receiving a Harmony Award from the Federation of Islamic Associations of NZ in 2013

Keith Locke being invested as a Member of the...

I'm belatedly adding to my website a photo of me being invested as a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit "for services to human rights advocacy" by...

Keith Locke’s submission to the NZ Parliament on the...

Summary I am strongly opposed to this Bill, and I urge the Select Committee to reject it. The Bill violates the right of Members of Parliament to free speech and...

Reducing the prison muster rather than building a new...

I am heartened by the way Labour and the Greens are talking up justice reform and the need to reduce prison numbers. Justice Minister Andrew Little told TV3’s Nation last week that everything is on the table, including reform of the bail, parole and sentencing legislation.

Kiwi prominent in ICAN, this year’s Nobel Peace Prize...

New Zealand has a long history of active anti-nuclear NGOs, several of whom are involved in ICAN via their international parent bodies. These include the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War and Pax Christi – all of whom are represented on the ICAN international steering committee.

Pitfalls for the Greens and NZ First in coalition...

One thing the Greens and NZ First won’t want to repeat is the Alliance experience in coalition with Labour from 1999 to 2002. With Ministers inside the Cabinet, committed to Cabinet solidarity, they had difficulty differentiating from Labour. This frustrated the party’s support base.

Some bold ways of funding Green election promises

Election promises can cost a lot of money. Here are some ways the Greens in government could raise some extra cash. All these proposals are consistent with existing Green policy.

A fairer electoral system would have helped UK Labour...

UK Labour did fantastically well in Thursday’s general election, despite Jeremy Corbyn being painted as an “unelectable” leftist by the media commentariat – and even by most of his Labour colleagues. Labour’s advance was not really a surprise. As I wrote in my Daily Blog post a year and a half ago, Corbyn’s “Keynesian policies are considerably more popular than the austerity championed by Cameron and the Labour right.”

America’s crazy war in Yemen

It is shameful that the New Zealand government supports the American/Saudi war on Yemen, which is causing such suffering. The UN reports that 7,700 people have been killed so far, including 1500 children. Millions have been displaced, primarily as a result the Saudi bombing of homes, hospitals and other infrastructure. It is a catastrophe.

Israel’s anti-nuclear whistleblower more deserving of NZ citizenship

No self-respecting country sells its passports to rich people who don’t even live there, which is why it was so bad to grant NZ citizenship to the American multi-billionaire Peter Thiel.