John Minto is a New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

 based political activist known for his involvement in various left-wing groups and causes, most notably Halt All Racist Tours

Halt All Racist Tours

Halt All Racist Tours was a protest group set up in New Zealand in 1969 to protest against rugby union tours to and from South Africa.-Chronology:...

. A 2005 documentary on New Zealand's top 100 history makers

New Zealand's Top 100 History Makers

New Zealand's Top 100 History Makers was a weekly television programme first shown on Prime Television New Zealand on 6 October 2005. 430 notable New Zealanders were ranked by a panel to determine the 100 most influential in New Zealand history...

 listed him as number 89. Today he is involved with the protest group Global Peace and Justice Auckland

Global Peace and Justice Auckland

Global Peace and Justice Auckland describes itself as "a network of people who provide a platform for individuals and groups to discuss and organise co-operatively on peace and justice issues." They are well known for organising the Auckland component of the global February 15, 2003 anti-war...

 and the Unite Union

Unite Union

The Unite Union is a trade union in New Zealand. It is the sponsor of the campaign directed towards improving working conditions for fast food workers in the country, in addition to representing other hospitality and retail workers...

. He also wrote a weekly column for The Press and was formerly editor of the (now defunct) Workers' Charter

Workers' Charter

Workers' Charter was a broad-based, left-wing movement active in New Zealand, which produced a monthly newspaper of the same name. The paper's editor is well known New Zealand socialist and anti-racist John Minto, and its contributors range across the left wing spectrum- anarchists, revolutionary...

 newspaper.

Minto is also the chairmain of QPEC, Quality Public Education Coalition (Inc) and co-vice-president of the Mana Party

Mana Party (New Zealand)

The Mana Party is a New Zealand political party led by Hone Harawira. It was formed in April 2011, and plans to contest the 2011 general election. Standing under the Mana Party banner, Mana won an early victory when Mr Harawira won the by-election in Te Tai Tokerau held on 25 June 2011...

.
John Minto, along with Trevor Richards, Tom Newnham

Tom Newnham

Thomas Oliver "Tom" Newnham QSO was a New Zealand political activist and former educationalist. He was involved in several left wing causes: attacking institutional racism in New Zealand, and opposing the 1981 Springbok Tour and apartheid in general .He spoke Cantonese and Mandarin fluently after...

 and others, was involved in forming Halt All Racist Tours, a group set up to protest rugby union

Rugby union

Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...

 tours to and from Apartheid South Africa

South Africa

The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

, in 1969.