The Standard

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Accelerating climate change under urgency

Written By: - Date published: 2:02 pm, December 11th, 2025 - 3 comments

The Government is legislating to halve methane emission reduction targets and remove the requirement for the ETS to accord with Paris Accord obligations. And intends to pass these changes under urgency despite there being no requirement to do so.

Why the next election will not be easy for Labour

Written By: - Date published: 12:12 pm, December 7th, 2025 - 27 comments

This may be a one term National Government. But electoral law reform, the state of Labour’s coalition partners, a possible economic upturn and a change in National’s leader threaten this.

The Government’s 59 policy changes that are destroying the country’s climate response

Written By: - Date published: 8:41 pm, December 5th, 2025 - 8 comments

Count them and weep.

Is National planning to welch on Paris Climate obligations?

Written By: - Date published: 11:50 am, December 4th, 2025 - 12 comments

It appears to be more and more inevitable that National will welch on the country’s Paris Accord obligations.

Seymour and the mouldy meal

Written By: - Date published: 11:29 am, December 2nd, 2025 - 22 comments

David Seymour’s campaign to reduce the so called excessive spend on Labour’s school lunches have struck a rather awkward problem. At least for one school recently provided lunches were inedible which basically destroys the whole reason for having them.

He’s running

Written By: - Date published: 12:25 pm, November 26th, 2025 - 31 comments

Christopher Luxon’s stint as Prime Minister is under serious threat. And despite his clear assertions to the contrary the rumour mill suggests that Chris Bishop is lining up for a tilt for the top job.

The Coalition of Chaos

Written By: - Date published: 8:09 am, November 21st, 2025 - 35 comments

Winston Peters is misbehaving big time and shortly after saying assets sales is a tawdry silly argument he yesterday threatened to repeal the Regulatory Standards Act.

Why does National really hate EVs?

Written By: - Date published: 8:56 am, November 19th, 2025 - 14 comments

The Government has reversed the clean car standard and by doing this has ensured that the country’s car fleet will be less efficient and produce more greenhouse gasses.

The Fast Track law is being made worse

Written By: - Date published: 8:48 pm, November 16th, 2025 - 8 comments

Just over a year ago the Government passed a constitutional abomination of a law and is now trying to make it worse and do this quickly. What is going on?

The tawdry silly argument in favour of selling assets

Written By: - Date published: 12:00 pm, November 12th, 2025 - 26 comments

Winston Peters has criticised National’s proposal to campaign at the next election on asset sales in a way that makes you wonder how National and NZ First can survive in coalition.

Wrecking the country’s climate change response

Written By: - Date published: 11:59 am, November 8th, 2025 - 18 comments

If you thought that your contempt for the current administration had peaked let me disappoint you. This week they have taken steps to undermine the Climate Change Commission and the ability of the public to influence future emission reduction plans.

Let them eat Michelin Stars

Written By: - Date published: 2:46 pm, November 7th, 2025 - 9 comments

The Government’s class prejudices are now on clear display. In the same week that news emerged that the Government is considering a ban on rough sleepers in major urban town centres further news emerged that it is subsidising Michelin to award Michelin stars to local restaurants.

Treaty what treaty?

Written By: - Date published: 2:47 pm, November 5th, 2025 - 19 comments

The Government’s all out assault on te Tiriti o Waitangi continues. And this time supposed liberal Erica Sanford is engaged in the latest assault.

The attempted hostile takeover of Kelston Boys High School

Written By: - Date published: 10:17 am, October 31st, 2025 - 24 comments

Individual State Schools face the prospect of hostile takeover by groups that may wish to change dramatically the way that the school is run. And Kelston Boys High School is a test case for how the process may work.

CGT – The Empire strikes back

Written By: - Date published: 10:06 am, October 30th, 2025 - 140 comments

The usual voices have publicly attacked Labour’s proposed Capital Gains Tax using arguments that do not stack up.

Is that it?

Written By: - Date published: 8:13 am, October 28th, 2025 - 151 comments

Labour’s Capital Gains Tax has been released in less than an optimal manner. And the policy is more modest than some would have liked.

Spare a thought for Christopher Luxon

Written By: - Date published: 12:25 pm, October 27th, 2025 - 12 comments

Christopher Luxon successfully contesting his Auckland Council Rates bill will reinforce a strong impression that he is more concerned with personal wealth than the collective good.

More RONS!

Written By: - Date published: 9:40 am, October 25th, 2025 - 23 comments

National has announced it will be spending nearly three times as much on Roads of National Significance as it campaigned on and has justified dubious investment decisions by changing how benefits are calculated.

The strange goings on in Papatoetoe

Written By: - Date published: 11:03 am, October 19th, 2025 - 3 comments

In the Papatoetoe subdivision of Otara Papatoetoe Local Board complaints of stolen voting papers and voters being told how to vote inside polling booths and in public places have been referred to the police.

Plunket declares war on the BSA

Written By: - Date published: 1:31 pm, October 16th, 2025 - 46 comments

Sean Plunket has threatened to sue the Broadcasting Standards Authority after it released a draft opinion suggesting that broadcasters using the internet should be subject to the same requirements as traditional broadcasters.

Government by the Farmers for the Farmers

Written By: - Date published: 12:14 pm, October 13th, 2025 - 13 comments

In a move that further undermines the country’s response to the climate crisis the Government has halved the methane reduction goal and determined that farms will not pay a price for greenhouse gas emissions.

The 2025 Local Government Election results

Written By: - Date published: 11:01 am, October 12th, 2025 - 49 comments

The provisional Local Government election results have shown appalling turnout especially in Auckland and a voter reaction against large rates increases, potentially caused by the shelving of the Three Waters Reform package.

National Crashes in latest poll

Written By: - Date published: 1:03 pm, October 8th, 2025 - 41 comments

National crashing into the 20s in the latest Couria Poll must have increased dramatically the prospects of Christopher Luxon being deposed as Prime Minister.

Do not feed the Droll

Written By: - Date published: 11:05 am, October 7th, 2025 - 57 comments

Martyn Bradbury’s attacks on Winston Peters and an attack on his home has allowed Winston to claim victimhood status and hog the media spotlight.

Voices for Freedom’s local government campaign

Written By: - Date published: 2:22 pm, October 4th, 2025 - 8 comments

Anti vax organisation Voices for Freedom has published a glossy well presented booklet suggesting how local body campaigns should be run. And it looks like a number of right wing campaigns are borrowing heavily from the information in the booklet.

Luxon’s bad faith stunt

Written By: - Date published: 8:56 am, October 1st, 2025 - 29 comments

Christopher Luxon recently wrote to Chris Hipkins seeking a bipartisan approach to gas drilling but then immediately turned this into a farce by leaking the letter to the Herald.

The Government wants to cheat the next election result

Written By: - Date published: 8:00 am, September 28th, 2025 - 24 comments

Christopher Luxon is sticking to his lines that the proposed changes to the Electoral Law will speed up the result even though this will disenfranchise an estimated 55,000 kiwis and even though the Chief Electoral Officer has said that if properly resourced the changes will make no difference.

Old man yells at rest of the world

Written By: - Date published: 10:53 am, September 26th, 2025 - 12 comments

Winston Peters has blamed the two most populous countries in the world for contributing to climate change, a problem that many in his party thinks does not exist.

National announces reversal of School Building Project cuts

Written By: - Date published: 9:42 am, September 23rd, 2025 - 7 comments

In the hope that it can address the Construction Industry crisis National has announced a partial reversal of cuts made to school building project made earlier in its term.

So much for the relentless focus on growth

Written By: - Date published: 3:32 pm, September 19th, 2025 - 26 comments

National’s crashing of GDP growth figures makes a mockery of its claim earlier this year that the Government was relentlessly focussed on unleashing growth.

The primary concern of the Left is Truth not Victory

Written By: - Date published: 10:35 am, September 14th, 2025 - 102 comments

The US right’s claim the left was responsible for the assassination of Charlie Kirk is unravelling as more details of the alleged killer emerge.