The Alliance Party, once a strong force in Aotearoa’s electoral landscape, has returned from a decade in hibernation to contest the Christchurch local body elections. Tom Roud, a founding member of the Canterbury Socialist Society, has decided to throw his hat in the ring, running as the Alliance’s candidate for Council in Christchurch’s Central Ward; he is also running for the Community Board.
The Alliance was initially founded in 1991 as a grouping of four small parties, including Jim Anderton’s NewLabour which had split away from the Labour Party in protest over the right-wing Rogernomics reforms of the 1980s. The party became a major political force during the 1990s, providing a clear left-wing alternative to the neoliberal policies on offer from both Labour and National. The Alliance became a coalition partner in Clark’s Labour government, before splitting over the issue of the war in Afghanistan. Once Anderton split from the party, the Alliance went into a steady decline. The party was deregistered in 2015 and thus can no longer run a list in a general election. However, the Alliance was never formerly dissolved, and earlier this year suddenly reemerged to contest the Christchurch local body elections.
At this event we will heard from Acting Party President Victor Billot and Alliance candidate for Christchurch’s Central Ward Tom Roud. Victor and Tom provided insights into how and why the Alliance Party has reemerged, why the party has chosen to focus its efforts on Christchurch local body elections, and where they think the party will go next.
