Notable Members
In 2003 Paul Hopkinson, who stood as a candidate for the Anti-Capitalist Alliance in the 2005 election, became the first person to be charged under the Flags, Emblems and Names Protection Act, after burning a New Zealand flag at an anti-war demonstration. In 2008 Hopkinson also became the first school teacher to be suspended without pay for challenging the provisions of the 1993 Electoral Act relating to public servants, when he refused to voluntarily take unpaid leave in order to contest the seat of Christchurch East in that year's general election as the Workers Party candidate.
Nick Kelly was elected president of the Victoria University of Wellington Students' Association (VUWSA) in 2006 after holding a string of other positions in the organisation. Prior to this he was the Chair of Paul Swain's Labour Electorate Committee (LEC) in 2000, but was sacked in 2001 for opposing Labour's economic policies. He was also dragged out of a Labour conference for yelling at Prime Minister Helen Clark over Labour's support for the invasion of Afghanistan. In 2002, Kelly was expelled from the Labour Party altogether for standing against Paul Swain for the seat of Rimutaka. In September 2008 Kelly took up a new role as president of the Wellington Tramways Union. Kelly left the Workers Party in June 2009.
Another party member, Joel Cosgrove, won the VUWSA presidency in 2008.
Read more about this topic: Workers Party Of New Zealand
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