Keith Locke

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Keith Locke (born 1944) is a current New Zealand MP representing the Green Party who was first elected to parliament in 1999.

As of 2006 he is the Green Party spokesperson on Auckland Transport, Civil Defence, Customs, Defence, Disarmament, Ethnic Affairs, Foreign Affairs, Human Rights, Immigration, Overseas Development Assistance, Pacific Island Affairs, Police, Security and Intelligence, Sports, Fitness and Leisure, Trade and Veterans' Affairs.

Vernon Small, deputy political editor of the New Zealand Herald, dubbed him Backbencher of the Year in 2002.^[1]

Contents 1 Family and background 2 Political history 2.1 Member of Parliament 2.2 Political viewpoints 3 Controversy 4 References 5 External links

[edit] Family and background

Locke was born and grew up in Christchurch, to Jack and Elsie Locke, prominent members of the Communist Party of New Zealand. Both were life-long political activists for a wide variety of causes (with Elsie Locke particularly respected as a leading feminist, peace and social justice activist and writer). Their four children were brought up in this environment and followed their parents into a life of activism, (as well as Keith, his sister Maire Leadbeater is a well-known activist). Former Prime Minister Rob Muldoon is said to have described the Lockes as the most "notorious Communist family in New Zealand". The Lockes lived in the Avon Loop area of Christchurch and were very active in the community notably organising River Avon clean-ups and native tree planting and arguing against development of the area, and in favour of retaining the character of the area.^[2]

He has a BSc in Psychology from the University of Canterbury and then went to Canada for a Masters in Sociology at the University of Alberta. He studied towards but never completed a Ph.D in Sociology at Alberta, before returning to New Zealand. Locke lectured in Sociology at Victoria University from 1970 - 72, but then decided to leave academia and continue the class struggle from within the working classes, working in workshops and meatworks.^[3]

[edit] Political history

Politically active all his life, he joined the Socialist Action League in 1970. By 1972 he was the both the National Secretary of the SAL and chairman of "Socialists for Labour". Because of his far-left affiliations, the Labour Party attempted to expel Locke in 1974.^{[citation needed]} By 1985 Locke had left the SAL but was still involved in various socialist movements such as the World Peace Council.^{[citation needed]}

In 1989 Jim Anderton broke away from the Labour Party to form the NewLabour Party. Locke as well as several other former SAL members were given roles in the NLP's first National Council. Locke was their foreign affairs spokesperson and stood as the NLP candidate for Eden in the 1990 election.

In December 1991 the NLP merged with the Greens, Mana Motuhake and the Democrats to form the Alliance Party. Locke continued as foreign affairs for the Alliance and stood in Eden in the 1993 election and Owairaka in the 1996 election.

However, by 1997 the Greens had decided to leave the Alliance. Even though they were not Green Party members, Locke and Sue Bradford left the Alliance and joined the Greens.

[edit] Member of Parliament

Parl.	Electorate	List Pos.	Party
46th	List	7	Greens
47th	List	7	Greens
48th	List	5	Greens

Locke was made foreign affairs spokesperson and in the 1999 election was elected to Parliament at number 7 on the Green Party list. He was returned to Parliament in the 2002 election again at number 7 on the Green Party list and in the 2005 election at number 5. In all three elections he stood in the Epsom electorate.

[edit] Political viewpoints

As a Member of Parliament, Locke has established a profile of being an "unofficial civil liberties watchdog".^[4] Recently, Locke has been involved in campaigns against the New Zealand Police being armed with Taser guns, and repeal of the law of sedition.

Locke is a supporter of New Zealand becoming a republic. In his maiden speech, Locke stated "We should also break free of the British Crown and become a republic. The question is not whether the monarchy has a lot of power over us. In practice it doesn't. The problem is that bowing before the British Queen reflects a colonial mentality."^[5] In 2002, Locke put forward the Head of state (Referenda) Bill, which if passed would bring about a referendum on the question of whether New Zealand should become a republic.^[6]

[edit] Controversy

His political enemies have referred to him during question period as "Pol Pot" or "the Honourable Member for Cambodia" due to supportive articles he wrote while editor of the New Zealand Socialist Action newspaper about the Khmer Rouge regime under the headline; Cambodia liberated: victory for humanity. Locke has claimed his initial support for the Khmer Rouge was because "...many people thought the Khmer Rouge were an adjunct of the Vietnamese communist forces" and that he thought they "...would be better than the regimes they replaced". He also responded that he renounced his support after hearing of their atrocities, while the New Zealand Government of the time continued to express support for the regime.^[7].

Similarly, while he opposed the 2001 war in Afghanistan to remove the Taliban, he wrote an article (in Socialist Action) entitled "Why workers should support Soviet action in Afghanistan" in 1980. This led to accusations of hypocrisy.^[8] Locke explained that his previous support for the Soviet invasion was the position of the Socialist Action League, that he was wrong to have supported it, that he was incorrect in believing it would protect human rights in Afghanistan, and that he now believes it encouraged Islamic extremist groups.^[9]

During the 2005 election he contested the Epsom electorate in Auckland and at a public meeting he promised to run through the streets of Epsom naked if the electorate was won by ACT New Zealand's leader Rodney Hide. Hide won the seat. "I'll do it. I have to," Locke was reported as saying. "I was so confident, but I have turned out to be wrong and I have got to do it."^[10] Locke's promise made headlines in media around the world.^[11][12] On Sunday 25 September 2005 Locke walked near-naked down Broadway (a main shopping street in Newmarket, Auckland) wearing shoes, socks, a G-string, and body paint.^[13] The paint camouflaged Locke's skin by depicting a suit and tie from the neck down.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Keith Locke bio (Green Party website)
• Keith Locke bio (NZ Parliament website)