Maoism in the Developed World

For several years after 1969 there were serious schisms in the CPNZ. Until the 1977 split between pro-Chinese and pro-Albanian factions, these divisions seemed to be activated more by personal struggles for power within the organization than by ideological issues.

In late 1969, S. W. Taylor, who had organized a “Revolutionary Committee Within the CPNZ” in Auckland was expelled from the party, under accusations of “Trotskyism.” At the time of his expulsion, the National Committee urged members to “accept the duty individually and collectively to study the Thought of Mao Tse-tung, the Lenin of our era, providing as it does the ideological, political and organizational guide to resolving the many problems and differences which still exist at all levels in our party.”

Then, in August 1970, Secretary General Wilcox announced that “efforts to overcome differences between the central leadership in Auckland and the Wellington district leadership had met with total failure.” As a consequence, Jack Manson, a member of the National Committee and the Politburo, and R. Bailey and four other members of the Wellington leadership were expelled. However, the Wellington leaders, with the evident support of most of the party members there, continued to call themselves the Wellington district of the CPNZ.[610] They came to be known as the “Manson-Bailey group.”

The Manson-Bailey group gained some support in other cities, including Auckland. It was noted by H. Roth in 1973 that “The group has been careful not to come forward as a rival party, because it hopes to draw the majority of the CPNZ to its side and to gain recognition from Peking as the CPNZ.”[611]

In October 1973 a further split occurred. The National Committee, which had not met in 1971 or 1972, announced the expulsion of W.P.G. McAra. H. Roth noted that this came about as the result of “a deep personality clash between McAra and Wolf,” that is, R. C. Wolf, one of the two members of the party’s National Secretariat. It was McAra who had particularly pushed in 1970 for the expulsion of the Manson-Bailey group.[612]

A further expulsion took place in 1974, of one F. N. Wright. Of this event, H. Roth wrote that “Most of these rebels against Wilcox’s leadership have kept their supporters together in a loosely organized fashion, but Wright has gone so far as to promote a miniscule new party, the Communist Party of Aotearoa (the ancient Maori name of New Zealand.”[613]

In October 1976, the CPNZ expelled S. M. Hieatt, 35-year veteran party member, who had been in the National Committee and the Politburo. This expulsion apparently arose from Hieatt’s demand that there be a new party conference—the most recent one having been ten years previously, although the party constitution called for such meetings every three years. Hieatt formed the South Auckland Marxist-Leninist Group. H. Roth noted that “They continue to support the Chinese Communist Party and claim to have no political differences with the CPNZ.”[614]

The Chinese-Albanian Split In The CPNZ

Events in China after the death of Mao Tse-tung brought about a much more fundamental division within the CPNZ, and a realignment of forces among those who had been Maoists in New Zealand. This process began with the removal of V. G. Wilcox as general secretary in March 1977. He was “removed from all posts of responsibility.”

Wilcox’s demotion was not officially announced to the party members. However, the Chinese party was informed. The first concrete information about what had occurred was provided by Vanguard, the organ of the Communist Party of Australia (Marxist-Leninist). It commented in an article entitled “Unite All Marxist-Leninists in Oceania” in March 1978 that Mao’s “three worlds theory” was “the touchstone of the Marxist-Leninists,” and excoriated “all those who in the name of communism oppose the revolutionary essence of communism, either by silence, attempted suppression of comrades like comrade Wilcox, lies, slander, intrigues and conspiracies.” This article, which was circulated surreptitiously among members of the CPNZ, was republished in Peking Review. Then in April 1978, the Chinese party canceled all subscriptions to People’s Voice and New Zealand Communist Review. H. Roth noted that “Since substantial quantities were involved, the CPNZ characterized this action as ‘a deliberate blow at the economics of the People’s Voice and hence of our Party.’”[615]

The leaders of the CPNZ struck back. The National Committee answered the Australian Maoist periodical, saying that “The basic construction in New Zealand, a developed capitalist country, is that between the working class and the capitalist class headed by monopoly section. Consequently, the working class faces a directly socialist revolution. Any attempt to try to insert an intermediate stage between capitalism and the dictatorship of the proletariat is opportunism and revisionism.”