Veitch saga shows it really is no longer OK
I know it’s not The Standard’s style to follow the media in the disgusting practice of turning real people’s lives into soap opera but there […]
Guest post
More pain ahead
The current financial crisis originated in America with a wave of defaults in “sub prime” mortgages. The excellent presentation found here covers a […]
NZ’s debt in perspective
Remember when John Key used to say “New Zealand has a growth problem, not a debt problem”? He doesn’t say that anymore, which […]
Teabagging fad sweeps US
In 1773, a group of Bostonians who objected to being forced to pay a tax on tea by the British Parliament, which they […]
Mana enhancement
The Maori Party MPs always read from pre-prepared speeches in the House. Here’s one they might like to read on Budget Day: We […]
The tax cut bandwagon
For the last two election campaigns we had to put up with National, aided and abetted by many commentators, dominating the agenda with […]
The next oil spike(s)
Remember the oil spike? Over the course of the last 4-5 years, oil kept on breaking records, culminating in a massive spike to […]
Capitalism losing its allure
The capitalist doctrine sure has taken a beating lately. Not only have its raw excesses created a global crash which shows no signs […]
Weak
We’ve all been subjected to mainstream journalists gushing over Key’s ‘strong leadership’ but now it’s being put to the test and we’re seeing […]
Statistical crimes and the media
You might have noticed that there was none of the traditional beat-up over crime when the crime statistics came out last week even […]
Where would you get that idea? 2
Well, Granny Herald breaks the news: “NZ’s murder rate halved in past 20 years”: New Zealand’s murder rate appears to have almost halved […]
Messy play at Playcentre
Playcentre was founded during the second world war as a way for families (mainly mothers) to support each other while providing quality child-centred […]
Imagine
I grew up in the long shadow of the Cuban Missile Crisis (you youngsters can go look it up). I have never quite […]
Meeting Joe Overton
A little while ago we had some discussion here about the Sensible Sentencing Trust and their status as a charity. That’s not what […]
G20 outcomes
Well the G20 process – which many said would “redesign capitalism” – has now finished. Various agreements were reached, which are predictably being […]
G20 updates
The Guardian has excellent video of the G20 protests. Gives you a real feeling of what things are like in the ground. So […]
G20 protests
Tens of thousands of people protested yesterday April 1st in London at the G20 summit. The protest is made up of a multitude […]
Regurgitating rubbish
On his blog Colin Espiner rejects the argument that National’s tax cuts are “unfair because they give more to those who earn more” saying “I’m afraid […]
It’s the men in black
The SIS has made its yearly attempt to scare the crap out of MPs and get more funding. Apparently, New Zealand is under […]
Happy tax cut day?
The tax cuts that National are implementing today are more generous to high income earners, and less generous to low income earners, than […]
Repeat offender
Breakfast host Paul Henry is in trouble again after making fun of a guest’s appearance. “Shall I read these out? They’re a bit […]
Tax cuts for some
The Weekend Herald’s front page proclaims ‘$2 billion more in the pocket“. The article goes on to say “the average worker will get […]
A hint of uranium on the breeze
Well well well. According to the Herald: “New Zealanders are being asked whether the Government should allow nuclear-powered ships back into our waters […]
What’s a Poor Pragmatic Key to do?
Just when the Kiwi corporate kleptocracy was kicking into high gear to ensure that the taxpayer is properly stuck with the paying the […]
Fun with labour productivity
We often hear that labour productivity is not growing fast enough and some argue it should be a focus of government economic policy. […]
Blindly cutting away
One of the most cavalier and foolish actions of the National led government during its first 100 day blitz of legislation (in itself […]
Clean water worth paying for
Rodney Hide, who thinks nothing of spending billions on tax cuts for the well-off, is baulking at spending “some tens of millions” to improve […]
Thanks, I guess
Growing up I always knew the rich had it better than us. It’s only now that I’m one of the wealthy that I […]
Disgraceful
A Standard reader emails: Today at the beginning of question time a minute silence was observed for Mary Bachelor former MP for Avon […]
Pinch me
A cyclist and Standard reader writes: Pinch me. Maybe I’ll wake up in a world where a cycleway isn’t the government’s flagship idea […]
Vampire economics
Earlier this week the Prime Minister announced $2.5 million for tourism advertising in Australia. New Zealand is not alone in trying to increase […]
A fairer 9 day fortnight
National’s 9-day fortnight will save only 2-3% of the jobs that are expected to be lost in the recession. It’s a trifling investment […]
Cutting through the spin on ACC
We’ve heard a lot of panicky comments in the last few weeks about a ‘cost blowout’ at ACC. We’re told there is $22 […]
How to reduce ACC costs without cutting cover
The sensationalist tone of media releases regarding the financial situation at ACC has ignored the causes behind this so called ‘blow out’. The investment […]
Stop McCully’s cull of NZAID
The Standard hasn’t commented on what’s happening with NZAID yet, and people can be forgiven for not knowing what’s going on. But chances […]
Open justice
David Bain’s retrial begins in Christchurch today. Yesterday the Judge held that certain web-based newspapers may screen delayed video coverage of the trial, […]