POSTPONED: Capital politics
Other capitals have been conservative – dominated by government, their populations employed by or dependent on it and reluctant to ‘rock the boat’.
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Description
This event is postponed until further notice.
What shapes the politics of a capital city? Famously, some capitals have been radical and at odds with a conservative countryside and smug provincial centres. Other capitals have been conservative—dominated by government, their populations employed by or dependent on it and reluctant to ‘rock the boat’.
What about Wellington? In this paper, it is argued that while Wellington has a radical past, before about the 1950s this did not stem from its role as the seat of government, indeed that likely had a conservative effect on the city’s politics. In contrast, Wellington’s left-leaning politics since the 1960s owe more to its capital city status, as will be explained.
Speaker Bios
Malcolm McKinnon is an Adjunct Associate Professor in the School of History, Philosophy, Political Science and International Relations. He taught New Zealand history and international relations in the History Department at Victoria University of Wellington between 1979 and 1990; he has taught courses and supervised research in the School over the last fifteen years.