The Taking Control list server (electronic discussion group) serves as a useful (and private) electronic network for circulating and discussing material relevant to the fightback against transnational corporate power. For instance, CAFCA regularly sends out press releases and other material through Taking Control.

Membership is free but conditions apply.

Murray Horton has been the fulltime organiser for the Campaign Against Foreign Control of Aotearoa (CAFCA) and the Anti-Bases Campaign (ABC) since 1991. Throughout that whole time his income has been supplied by the CAFCA/ABC Organiser Account, which is sustained by regular pledgers and donations from members and supporters of both groups. None of his income comes from either CAFCA or the ABC. The Organiser Account is separate from, and independent of, both groups, existing solely to supply the income of the organiser.

This quite remarkable achievement has enabled both groups to have the services of a paid organiser, albeit one on the minimum wage. Neither CAFCA nor ABC can afford to directly pay Murray, as they don’t generate anywhere near enough income to pay a worker, as well as finance our activities and publications.

The Account just manages to keep its head above water. We ask you to consider becoming a pledger to the CAFCA/ABC Organiser Account. And, of course, we welcome donations (details below).

We want to retain Murray as our organiser and, knowing that you value the work that we and he have been doing for the past decade, ask for your help.

Donations can be sent to Box 2258, Christchurch, cheques payable to the CAFCA/ABC Organiser Account (we are not registered for GST).

Pledges can be automatically paid to that Account at: WestpacTrust, Sydenham Branch, Christchurch. Account number: 030866-0300063-00.

The CAFCA committee extends our deepest sympathy to our close friend and colleague, Dennis Small (well known to Watchdog readers for his many articles over the years). His mother, Dorothy Small, died in April, aged 89, in Christchurch. Dennis had lived with his mother for a long time and in her last few years had been her fulltime caregiver, so her death (just weeks short of her 90^th birthday) is a very big blow to him.

Mrs Small was wellknown to us on the committee. For several years, in the 90s, we held meetings in the detached dressmaking workshop at her place, and would break, late at night, to go into the house for the most wondrous suppers – sponges, cream cakes, you name it, the works, all served on the best china, while this liveliest of octogenarians tottered around chatting to us. She spoilt us rotten and always treated us as friends of the family.

Dorothy Small was a remarkable woman. For 65 years (until she had a heart attack, in 1999) she taught dressmaking and sewing, in her home workshop. She was an institution in Christchurch, putting on fashion parades in her younger days. She threw herself into all sorts of volunteer work, ranging from overseas medical relief projects to alleviating the suffering of stray dogs (she was great dog lover and there was always a performing one present at the CAFCA suppers). It’s worth remembering that, in her day, it was most unusual for a woman to run her own business, particularly one who was singlehandedly bringing up two sons. She was immaculate in appearance and anyone meeting her for the first time would guess her age to be decades younger than what it was. She will be sorely missed, not only by Dennis and the rest of her family, but by all of us.

When we started out in the mid 1970s (as CAFCINZ) we banked with the old Post Office Savings Bank, as everybody did. Courtesy of the Rogernauts this became PostBank and was promptly flogged off to the Australian-owned ANZ. In fact, with sale of TrustBank to Westpac in the 90s, all major banks became foreign-owned. For a while we had a term deposit with the TSB (Taranaki Savings Bank), but it does not accept any organisational banking and has quite a high minimum deposit required for any account.

So we were interested in Kiwibank from the outset and have put a substantial sum on term deposit there. We think it’s an excellent idea and, despite our criticisms of Jim Anderton (see cover story for details), congratulate him on having the foresight to get a publicly-owned, New Zealand-owned bank, aimed at serving the poor, up and running. Which is not to say there weren’t teethgrinding moments involved in actually giving them our money, as it proved to be a steep learning curve for New Zealand Post to transform itself, once more, into a bank. We wish this new bank every success and hope to have a long and productive relationship with it.

CAFCA shares the widespread abhorrence expressed by the trade union movement and others at the acquittal of Derek Powell for the manslaughter of Christine Clarke, in the course of a December 1999 Lyttelton picket by port workers (she was not a unionist but a supporter). Watchdog has written about this before (see # 93 for Christine Clarke’s obituary; and # 97, for "What A Bloody Joke!", our report on Powell’s first trial, his conviction for manslaughter and sentence to nine months periodic detention and two years’ loss of his driver’s licence). Both Powell and the Crown appealed and he won the right to a retrial. In August 2002 he was acquitted.