Spot the stunning lack of self awareness: https://twitter.com/oneforthedr/status/598330009946689536 The discussion which follows is pretty brutal for Key. So, pulling ponytails and calling people names - I guess it's true, the PM is 11 years old (a treat if you missed it last month!). I liked…
Why is it left to the Reserve Bank to take (poorly targeted, belated) action on the property price bubble? Yesterday's press release from The Greens was spot on: Reserve Bank forced to do AWOL Govt’s job on housing The Reserve Bank is being forced into…
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
Daily review is also your post. This provides Standarnistas the opportunity to review events of the day. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Don't forget to be kind to each other.
When the people are on to you: https://twitter.com/FrancesCook/status/598332319292751872 https://twitter.com/VernonSmall/status/598333932250140672 David Farrar didn't get the memo, he went with "hysterical": https://twitter.com/KiwiblogDPF/status/598321274352324608 Trouble is, there's a difference between obvious attempts to astroturf a nickname and ones that have gone viral naturally: https://twitter.com/LostArcNZ/status/598333744739553280
As widely reported today, the TPPA has taken a probably fatal hit in the US Senate. As ever, thanks to Gordon Campbell for excellent coverage: Gordon Campbell on the death knell for the TPP It is unusual for anyone to vote for an early execution,…
I am conflicted by this farm safety story. It is great to see a farmer talking about the impact on him of a death on his farm. It is rare and important that stories accompany these deaths. They humanise them and move people to action. This farmer needs…
Tēna koutou katoa. Thank you for joining me this morning. Thank you John Milford for your welcome, and Peter Cullen for your kind introduction. Next week, the Government will present its seventh budget. Only on rare occasions does a single budget have a profound effect…
It's like ACT's David Seymour is seeing the world for the first time: Home ownership now for privileged few - ACT For the first time in New Zealand's history, home ownership has become the privilege of the wealthy, says ACT leader David Seymour. Seymour said…
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
Daily review is also your post. This provides Standarnistas the opportunity to review events of the day. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Don't forget to be kind to each other.
The TPPA is being negotiated in secret and (from leaked chapters) is damaging to our sovereignty. We should not sign up under these conditions. Full marks to these folk for clever protest placement:
Social media guru Giovanni Tiso has discovered something unusual. Cactus Kate's blog is slowly disappearing from the internet. The original is still there but is completely devoid of content apart from references to right wing blogs and the occasional left wing blog. A link to the…
Two opinion pieces yesterday make uncomfortable reading for Key. An anonymous editorial on Stuff: Budgets and broken promises The Government is preparing the voters for a dull, do-little Budget. There is nothing new in that, of course. But nothing can disguise the fact that this…
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An excellent summary reposted with permission from Dim-Post "There’s loads of analysis about on the outcome of the election in the UK; most of it is focused on Labour. What went wrong? Did they choose the wrong Miliband brother? Should they return to Blairism? And so…
Daily review is also your post. This provides Standarnistas the opportunity to review events of the day. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Don't forget to be kind to each other.
[Update: About a month after this post was published, shortly after The Nation covered Rachinger's account of being offered money to hack this blog, allegations were made about Rachinger's past behaviour. We're not going to give the sordid story any oxygen here, but if true…
Gwynn Compton is "Senior Advisor Social Media" in Key's office. He's involved in National's disastrous social media campaign to change the flag. And he seems to be getting pretty angry about it (ht gitso): PM's staff threatening people on Twitter. Such a good look.
The Auckland housing crisis, and that is exactly what it is, poses major political threats to the Government. All Auckland landowners are having a great time, totalling up increases in land prices which seem to be increasing daily. Everyone, apart from the young and renters,…
A significant milestone has been passed: Global carbon dioxide levels break 400ppm milestone Concentrations of CO2 greenhouse gas in the atmosphere reached record global average in March, figures show, in a stark signal ahead of Paris climate talks Record carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations in the…
The site www.standfor.co.nz is supposed to get us all excited about the flag distraction: "Before our country decides which flag we’ll stand for, we want to know what you stand for" It's not turning out the way the Nats intended. Random screenshot from last night,…
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There’s a major and rather obvious contributory factor to UK Labour’s failure in the UK general election that doesn’t seem to have drawn any comment. Until now… Cameron played the anti-Scottish card. The English Tory press ran with it. Then Miliband, instead of neutralising it,…
Watching the recent United Kingdom election results unfurl brought back feelings I experienced during the aftermath to last year's general election campaign. Same sorts of issues, same problems for the left and at the end of it all a deeply upsetting result. The similarities are clear. A wealth…
The award winning documentary Hot Air, on the politics of climate change in New Zealand, by Alister Barry & Abi King-Jones, is now free to view on Youtube. See also the site www.hotairfilm.co.nz. Fascinating stuff, do watch... The politics of climate change in New Zealand.…
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