Values Party

The Values Party was an enviro-socialist political party, active in New Zealand in the 1970s.

Anti-capitalist

1975 - The party, according to November 7 Truth, was seriously considering a proposal to prevent personal wealth being passed onto heirs after death - with the money going to the state instead." An article in the Turning Point" magazine said "Values Party economic policies will lead towards community control and management of production, finance and distribution... "We must be dedicated not to the reform of capitalism but to the eradication of capitalism."

"Militant revolution"

According to Truth November 7, 1975 Terry McDavitt, Wellington Values co-ordinator, wrote an article in "Turning Point":"Militant revolution is part of what I seriously propose for the Values Party... But I have no doubt that any New Zealand revolution will go through a militant stage - and some blood will be shed... "I'd rather blood wasn't shed at all, that we could confine the militancy to providing stretchers for the wealthy once they realise they're not going to be compensated, but unless we and others start seriously on revolution now, it will be... "The Values revolution is neither apocalyptic nor piecemeal; instead it involves both militant and cultural actions, deliberate intervention in history... "The nearest contemporary example is the continuing Chinese revolution... "He listed actions Values members could take to promote the revolution, including the support of justified strikes "specially those like Kawerau"... "Other actions are painting telephone boxes, slogan writing, chopping down advertising hoardings, joining communes, joining peoples' unions and planting vegetables in local parks.

He advocated spitting when members pass concerns like Woolworths, Gubays, Todds and Ford. But most important was to plan and organise, develop cadres and cell groups, build group solidarity and communicate to the people, he said.

Conference disarray

The 1977 Annual conference of the Values Party broke up in disarray. It had to sort through 560 remits "most associated with more power for the people, co-operative ownership of land and goods, and an equal sharing of wealth".

CORSO supporters

From November "Vibes": "Values has been active in its support for CORSO since this organisation's grants were cut by the Government."

Tensions

1988 March, Peacelink explained the Values Party's demise: "In the end tension between "soft" grass roots supporters, and/or anti-centralist party-members, allied against the more politicised neo-Marxist intellectual left activists, proved impossible to contain."