You know how Labour and the Greens are supporting all the rapists and murderers that are based on Christmas Island. There is a slight problem. There are none. From Radio New Zealand: Of the forty New Zealanders being detained on Australia's Christmas Island, one is…
The combined antics of cynical Key and useless Carter have brought NZ international shame yet again. Here's The Guardian: New Zealand female MPs thrown out of parliament after disclosing sexual assaults Women ruled out of order by Speaker for demanding prime minister John Key apologise…
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 Standardistas 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 …
Excellent piece on Newsworthy yesterday - Is John Key Gutless? Yes He Probably is TBH. Well worth reading for various reasons, but the best bit was these famous political quotes - as Key might have said them: “We shall fight on the beaches, we shall…
One of the more unusual customs I have seen in Parliament is that when an MP takes exception at something said to them or about them they can raise this as a point of order and normally get a retraction. They can dish out the…
Human Rights are Universal. That means they apply to all humans. It means we don't choose who those rights apply to and who they don't apply to. If we did, then we'd all eventually wind up on the 'wrong' side of the line. So when…
News Flash! Just a couple of months after launching, it looks like MediaWorks' entertainment website Scout may be flushed down the gutter. Stuff is reporting that self styled 'queen of gossip' Rachel Glucina has driven away the majority of the staff who began the project.…
So yesterday Key added another entry to his legacy list - ushering in a "new level of brutality" for debate. (Not that it's that new of course, following on from throat-slitting and "get some guts".) Rob Salmond had an interesting take on the incident: Cold,…
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 Standardistas 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 …
Serial fondler of young persons' hair and celebrity PM impersonator John Key lost it in Parliament today. Unable to defend his unwillingness to speak up for Kiwis caught up in Australia's Christmas Island fiasco, Key instead accused Labour of "backing rapists". The useless speaker David…
On a remote island a number of Kiwis are being held in detention by a foreign state. They are being held because they have been convicted of crimes. But they have already served their sentences. As an additional punishment they are to be deported back…
“Smash the State” was a well know maxim of anarchism for a long time. The state is the point where-by the forces of capitalism and reaction can bring overbearing force onto the population - generally violently and always with a level of malice reminiscent of…
Mihingarangi Forbes is one of the most dedicated and talented reporters this country has. Her show on Maori Television Native Affairs was a must watch. Her recent resignation was further evidence to me that the media's ability to actually talk about what was happening in Aotearoa is being…
The Atlantic reports Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz on inequality in this excellent piece: Stiglitz: Here's How to Fix Inequality If there’s one thing Joseph Stiglitz wants to say about inequality, it’s that it has been a choice, not an unexpected, unfortunate economic outcome. The last…
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 …
Can’t be many more important campaigns than saving the planet right? Only people power will change the current economic levers which are designed to burn burn burn. We have the chance to join with others around the world ahead of the climate talks in Paris…
Daily review is also your post. This provides Standardistas 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 …
Isn't it amazing how many Ministers can't wait to front up to the media when they are selling. But when it comes to after sales service they just don't want to front? The latest is the Minister for Corrections following revelations Serco was deliberately just…
Originally posted at Boots Theory. Andrew Little's speech to conference has had great feedback, topping off a pretty good weekend for the party. I was there when he delivered it, and the response in the hall was thunderous. A few people who covered the conference…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5zvajZNyTw With news of the death of a Kurdish detainee and rioting breaking out on Serco run Christmas Island this short video featuring Kelvin Davis shown to the weekend's Labour Party Conference has become especially relevant.
Most of us know someone affected or killed by cancer. Which is what makes the issue of treatment personal to all of us: Cancer - the cost of a life: 'I don't believe people should have to beg for their lives' The number of New…
I'm sorry I missed Labour's conference this weekend, it sounds like it was great. Reaction to major speeches by Annette King, Grant Robertson and Andrew Little has all been good. In particular, Andrew Little seems to have given a stellar performance. Here's Audrey Young: Little…
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 …
Andrew's speech can be viewed on his Facebook page. The speech is due to start at 1:30 pm. The text will be added as soon as possible. From the Labour website: On Sunday November 8, Labour Leader Andrew Little will address the 99th Labour Party…
This post was prompted after reading an article titled “Being Poor is too Expensive”. The article highlights the compounding cost of living in poverty, a poverty that the blissfully ignorant assume can be walked away from unscathed without a backward glance, if only one would…
Two recent examples suggest that the free market can be a hindrance to the development of policies that address climate change. The first one is news that the US complained about India's solar power to the World Trade Organisation. The WTO then ruled against India’s incentive policies…
n In breaking news Len Brown has announced he will not seek the Auckland Mayoralty next year. Len Brown will not run for mayor of Auckland at next year's local elections. He made the announcement this morning on TVNZ's Q&A. Mr Brown said it…
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 …