Sunday, 8 September 2013
The history of the Communist Party in New Zealand

Within months of the Communist Party of New Zealand being founded in 1921 George "Red" Wilkinson and two of his comrades were thrown in prison for selling seditious literature. George Wilkinson's son Max followed in his father's footsteps and joined the party after witnessing the Chinese Revolution first hand as a shepherd on Rewi Alley's famous school in Sandan.

Max Wilkinson, 88, tells Jeremy Rose about his parents' commitment to the communist cause and reflects on his own socialist beliefs. And Massey University associate professor of history Kerry Taylor talks to Chris Laidlaw about the history of communism in New Zealand. 

Links to previous programmes in the Lived Philosophies series: