Duncan Webb
Duncan Webb is a New Zealand Labour Party Member of Parliament for Christchurch Central.
Duncan Webb moved to Christchurch from London in 1974 when he was six years old, coinciding with the Commonwealth Games being held in the city. His father had attended Bible college before becoming a pastor at the Maori Evangelical Fellowship Church in Wainoni. After briefly living in Aranui, Webb's family moved to South Brighton where he grew up along with his four siblings.
He attended Shirley Boys' High School and left before finishing his final year. Webb then attended the University of Canterbury, studying law. Webb graduated Bachelor of Laws with Honours in 1989 before being awarded a Doctor of Laws in 2007.
Webb currently lives in Christchurch and has worked as a lawyer and as a law professor at University of Canterbury. Webb has also worked for the Public Interest Project, which seeks to get innocent people out of jail, and for the Howard League, which promotes prisoners’ rights. He is a long-time member of the New Zealand Labour Party, joining in 1999.
Socialist Stance
Webb describes himself as a socialist and says that at the end of the day the state has an important role in making sure the economy works, and equity.
“Sometimes that is by regulating markets, sometimes it’s by leaving markets alone and sometimes it’s by actively entering markets, and that’s fundamentally a socialist point of view,” he says.
He says the government has a “massive” role in ensuring equity across populations and between generations.
“We should be making sure that our weakest and most vulnerable can lead dignified and rewarding lives without feeling shame, or that they have the begging bowl out. They haven’t. It’s a fundamental right and we should be proud to support that through our taxes.”
Webb says socialism has a “bad rap” and is cast around like a negative thing, when it’s “absolutely not”.
“There are members around the house that will think the state has a very limited role to play in intervening in the economy and in people’s lives,” he says. “I don’t agree, and I think in reality most people practice socialism even if they don’t preach it.”[1]
From Duncan Webb's maiden speech:
- What makes a flourishing family and a flourishing person? What profits us if we have more money but if we have a community that is unhappy, culturally impoverished, and deprived of recreation and art, where every spare hour is spent working to make ends meet and family and friends are put to one side. So, against that background, it's pretty clear I belong to the Labour Party: a party that has democratic socialist principles at its heart. I am a socialist.
- It's worth pausing—the word causes fear and loathing in some, but it shouldn't, because it's not anti-capital.[2]
World Kufiya Day
World Kufiya Day event in Parliament organised by Duncan Webb.
With Ibrahim Omer, Marja Lubeck, Marama Davidson, Willie Jackson, Tracey McLellan, Rachel Boyack, Sarah Pallett, Helen White, Emily Henderson, Vanushi Walters, Tamati Coffey, Golriz Ghahraman Teanau Tuiono, Chloe Swarbrick, Anahila Kanongata'a-Suisuiki, Ricardo Menendez March.
Politicians for Palestine
Wellington Palestine March 25 2021 · · Another gathering of politicians for Palestine.
Duncan Webb, Teanau Tuiono, Golriz Ghahraman, James Shaw, Marama Davidson, Ricardo Menendez March.
Aotearoa Standing With Palestine
Dr Duncan Webb, has been an active member of an Facebook group Aotearoa Standing With Palestine for about one year having posted to the page, commented on posts, and ‘liked’ posts.
The administrators of the group are Lindy Loo, Sandra Ann, Nedina Hohaia, and Fred Hayward. Hayward is one of the founding National Committee Members of the Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa – a group chaired by John Minto with Neil Scott as secretary.
There are also two other MPs who are members of “Aotearoa Standing with Palestine” – Labour Party MP, Ibrahim Omer, who joined the group about 3 years ago and Green MP, Teanau Tuiono who joined about one year ago. [3]
Palestine people
John Minto, Duncan Webb, Tamati Coffey, Golriz Ghahraman October 2019.
Minto fan
Duncan Webb Labour MP for Christchurch Central December 6 2020.
I love the work that John Minto does on this issue. I chat with him often. He is a radical and seasoned protester. I am a little more circumspect but I think we respect each other and understand why we approach things differently. We both agree that Palestine should be a free and independent nation with self determination and sovereignty over its own land in accordance with international law.
Palestinian advocacy
Duncan Webb has also defended the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign as a form of non-violent protest against Israeli policies towards the Palestinians. In early June 2018, Webb also presented a petition on behalf of Palestinian solidarity activist Donna Miles the New Zealand Superannuation Fund to divest from "illegal" Israeli settlements in the West Bank. In August 2018, Webb hosted a meeting with Unite Union Director Mike Treen, who participated in the International Freedom Flotilla's attempt that year to breach the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip.
Living Wage campaign
Yani Johanson, Tracey McLellan, Duncan Webb, Carol Beaumont support Living Wage Aotearoa New Zealand.
Together Against Racism
Duncan Webb Labour MP for Christchurch Central is with Josephine Varghese.May 17 2019·
Huge crowds at the Together Against Racism event today with some very powerful speeches. Well done to the organisers the Canterbury Socialist Society and others.