The Standard

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How To Ensure Power Shifts

Written By: - Date published: 11:49 am, August 17th, 2026 - 15 comments

There is now a 50-50 chance that the government will change in November 2026, and Labour must have the plan to fully shift power beyond Parliament. This is how you do it. 

A Labour Government Is Good For Business

Written By: - Date published: 4:06 pm, August 6th, 2026 - 8 comments

In the week that the Prime Minister offended small business, unemployment rose to 170,000 and over 6% in the North Island, and the Reserve Bank continues to raise interest rates, Labour showed, again, why the public knows they are better for small business than any other party.

Does Policy Still Win the 2026 Election?

Written By: - Date published: 12:17 pm, August 6th, 2026 - 20 comments

In a 2026 election beset already by bombast and hyperbole, is the big-policy-first approach of the left still working?

Our Worst Recession

Written By: - Date published: 4:21 pm, July 29th, 2026 - 16 comments

The very worst crisis is the one from which you learn nothing. New Zealand has not had an economic stagnation and housing market price decline this bad since the 1970s.

Electricity Policy and Power Bills In Winter 2026

Written By: - Date published: 1:47 pm, July 22nd, 2026 - 10 comments

The Green Party’s Kiwipower policy has a lot of similarities to the policy that the Greens and Labour jointly launched in the 2014 election. It will again be major issue in this election.

Sam Neill you believed in us

Written By: - Date published: 12:46 pm, July 14th, 2026 - 6 comments

It is no longer a trivial thing that a person makes their fortune in the world and still chooses to invest and stay in the land of their childhood, New Zealand. For this, and many other good reasons, we can all be proud of Sam Neill.

A Very High Impact Climbdown by Minister Bishop

Written By: - Date published: 5:57 pm, July 9th, 2026 - 21 comments

Minister of Transport Chris Bishop has now finally admitted that National’s 2023 election promises in transport were “very ambitious, ” and pushed many of them into simply future unfunded ideas, at devastating economic cost.

The Fast Track Legislation Really is This Bad

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 pm, June 8th, 2026 - 12 comments

There is growing local opposition to the prospect of open cast mining in the Central Otago approved by the Fast Track process.

Should Kiwis dream of Electric Sheep?

Written By: - Date published: 10:34 am, June 6th, 2026 - 15 comments

Electricity and Data Centres are a major problem and opportunity for New Zealand. 

OMG BUDGET 2026

Written By: - Date published: 2:01 pm, May 28th, 2026 - 83 comments

This is simply your space to react to the hyperbole, the outrages, the theatre of this coalition government’s election year budget. Buckle in.

Do We Still Want Socialism? 

Written By: - Date published: 8:55 am, May 22nd, 2026 - 32 comments

There are still those who pine, from the readership of Jacinda Ardern’s biography, for a state that is perfectly kind, does everything with speed and authority, and brims with patrician wisdom for us all.  Her 1.5 terms held many instances in which the state operated on the extremes of control to respond to massive crises.

National Is Destroying Wellington

Written By: - Date published: 9:48 am, May 21st, 2026 - 13 comments

Wellington is being deliberately targeted by National and it is destroying the third largest region of New Zealand.

The Last Old Party Election

Written By: - Date published: 10:27 am, May 9th, 2026 - 23 comments

Anyone who thinks that New Zealand won’t be touched by the same rapid democratic pessimism as we see in our most comparable democracies, is like those who thought COVID could be stopped from reaching us.

Yes Test Before Getting NZ Super

Written By: - Date published: 9:36 am, May 2nd, 2026 - 83 comments

Superannuation is the ultimate Don’t Go There of New Zealand politics. But unless this benefit becomes means tested rather than subsidises rich asset-hoarding old people, it is going to sink every other part of the government. 

Trump v Pope Leo

Written By: - Date published: 10:10 am, April 18th, 2026 - 6 comments

Following threats against Canada, Greenland, Denmark and engaging in attacks on Iran, Venezuela, Latin America, Nigeria, Syria and Iraq Donald Trump has now attacked the Pope.

What If Trump Is Right?

Written By: - Date published: 4:35 pm, April 5th, 2026 - 38 comments

What if Donald Trump is right and the West should reopen the Strait of Hormuz?

Destroying Business 2025

Written By: - Date published: 1:22 pm, March 25th, 2026 - 6 comments

This government has an appalling record of large scale business closures, which continue to damage the careers of thousands of New Zealand workers.

What We Can Do

Written By: - Date published: 6:50 pm, March 20th, 2026 - 30 comments

In absence of a concrete leadership plan from this government to address the impending oil supply crisis, this post is for us to simply note down what actions we are taking ourselves. 

What Should Be In the Plan for New Zealand’s Upcoming Oil Crisis?

Written By: - Date published: 11:31 am, March 11th, 2026 - 90 comments

In the short and medium term, what should this government do as a plan?

New Zealand needs regime change

Written By: - Date published: 11:56 am, March 3rd, 2026 - 22 comments

A prime minister who does not understand how vulnerable New Zealand’s economy is to a Middle Eastern war as we have now, is a Prime Minister who should be removed from office.

The United States and Israel attack Iran, again

Written By: - Date published: 8:27 am, March 1st, 2026 - 42 comments

Trump’s attack on Iran has a high risk of turning into another Afghanistan in which the United States was utterly humiliated.

Green Shoots, Anyone?

Written By: - Date published: 4:11 pm, January 30th, 2026 - 27 comments

There is no evidence of immediate improvement in our economy, or of this government improving it.

The rise of Winston follows the rise of Pauline Hansen and Nigel Farage

Written By: - Date published: 6:05 am, January 25th, 2026 - 47 comments

Ten months to go and there is no political party currently countering the sustained rise of New Zealand First.

Our Quiet Tyranny

Written By: - Date published: 12:18 pm, January 16th, 2026 - 17 comments

The attack on the NZ Reserve Bank is lock step with Trump.

MCERT V MAF V MBIE V Treasury

Written By: - Date published: 3:01 pm, January 15th, 2026 - 4 comments

The merger of many functions of the central public sector concerned with cities, the environment, housing and urban development, and transport, was announced in the week before Christmas and is now underway. There’s plenty of good on the face of it.

A Radical Gets Real Power and Runs Something Big

Written By: - Date published: 7:48 am, January 10th, 2026 - 7 comments

Tim Shadbolt’s passing shows what it’s like when a bona fide radical activist gets into power for long enough to make a permanent difference.

Advantage’s 2026 predictions

Written By: - Date published: 12:03 pm, December 23rd, 2025 - 11 comments

Advantage gets out the crystal ball and postilated what may happen next year.

It’s Changed Too Much For The Nostalgia Cure

Written By: - Date published: 10:23 am, December 14th, 2025 - 13 comments

If Labour wins government in 2026, many things won’t be recoverable.

“National is Getting NZ Back on Track”?

Written By: - Date published: 2:21 pm, December 8th, 2025 - 13 comments

That’s the headline of the pamphlet in the letterbox. But from their own measures is that true?

Abolishing New Zealand’s Regional Councils

Written By: - Date published: 7:06 am, November 30th, 2025 - 19 comments

The government on Tuesday announced plans to replace regional councillors with boards made up of mayors and maybe some minister-appointed representatives. It’s a mess.

Labour Gets Ready To Win Election 2026

Written By: - Date published: 1:08 pm, November 29th, 2025 - 60 comments

Labour has recovered from the 26.9% vote share hiding it received in 2023, and is ready to run government again.