The Standard

Author Archive

Does Parliament really need more shock jocks?

Written By: - Date published: 7:02 pm, July 14th, 2026 - 12 comments

Michael Laws and Paul Henry are planning a return to Parliament. Laws as a potential New Zealand First MP and Henry as an Act MP. Does Parliament really need more shock jocks?

Latest poll – too close to call

Written By: - Date published: 9:41 am, July 14th, 2026 - 57 comments

The latest RNZ Reid Research Poll suggests that the chances of Christopher Luxon needing a new job after the next election are increasing.

Let’s celebrate Kiwi music

Written By: - Date published: 8:21 am, July 10th, 2026 - 18 comments

Something to do on Matariki Day, celebrate Te Ao Aotearoa. RNZ has invited people to vote and comment on the list of the 100 best Kiwi songs and the top 50 will be played today.

This Government’s war on the homeless and the young

Written By: - Date published: 11:32 am, July 3rd, 2026 - 10 comments

In a land of milk and honey you would think that every kiwi would have plenty to eat and somewhere to live. But this week has shown the Government wants to refuse emergency to some poor people and feed young children inadequate school lunches.

With friends like NZ First …

Written By: - Date published: 12:27 pm, June 27th, 2026 - 6 comments

This week Tama Potaka announced the Government will backtrack on a proposal that would have allowed for the sale of up to 60% of the country’s conservation land. But Shane Jones then completely undermined the announcement by talking about using Conservation land for mining.

National panics with Kiwisaver announcement as polling crashes

Written By: - Date published: 3:52 pm, June 24th, 2026 - 21 comments

National’s recent Kiwisaver announcement, expected to cost $110 million a year, only pays back some of the savings from its erlier Kiwisaver cuts expected to save $610 million a year, and appears to be signs ofincreasing panic.

The trouble with AI

Written By: - Date published: 11:50 am, June 21st, 2026 - 21 comments

Is AI the great savoiur for our civilisation? Or a fast track to environmental, social and economic devasation?

The Alarming Echos between Trump and Luxon on elections

Written By: - Date published: 12:04 pm, June 17th, 2026 - 10 comments

In the United States and in New Zealand the current administrations wish to speed up the finalisation of election results by supressing the right to vote.

National panics

Written By: - Date published: 8:58 am, June 15th, 2026 - 16 comments

It is strange for a party in power finishing its first term to call a media event on a Sunday just so it can attack the opposition. But this is what happened yesterday.

Which side is TOP on?

Written By: - Date published: 10:55 am, June 14th, 2026 - 159 comments

The Opportunity Party which has a suite of progressive policies thinks that it can work with National, even though National’s priorities should be an anathema to it.

National intends to proceed with the LNG terminal and welch on the country’s Kyoto Protocol obligations

Written By: - Date published: 10:19 am, June 12th, 2026 - 12 comments

National, a party of supposed economic geniuses, will spend billions on an LNG terminal that is not needed, billions on roads of National significance whose business cases are appalling, and attack Labour for a policy that is cheap, will help ordinary people, reduce fuel dependancy and greenhouse gas emissions.

Labour’s list

Written By: - Date published: 12:10 pm, June 10th, 2026 - 44 comments

Labour’s recently announced list contains a number of new impressive candidates and is clear evidence that the party is being rejuvinated.

When is a Free Speech Union not a Free Speech Union?

Written By: - Date published: 11:54 am, June 4th, 2026 - 117 comments

When it is a right wing astroturfing front.

No nukes

Written By: - Date published: 9:37 am, June 1st, 2026 - 30 comments

The timing of the recent suggestion by Chris Penk that New Zealand should review its nuclear free policy makes you wonder if the Trump Administration has applied pressure to do so.

Hegseth accuses New Zealand of freeloading because we don’t want to arm for war

Written By: - Date published: 9:24 am, May 31st, 2026 - 32 comments

Pete Hegseth has claimed that New Zealand is freeloading because it is not spending enough of weapons of war at a time of international chaos created by the United States.

More fishy than a bait shop

Written By: - Date published: 8:38 pm, May 27th, 2026 - 15 comments

Christopher Luxon has implied that a junior staffer met major polluters and received submissions urging him to sink Mike Smith’s bid to hold them to account which were then hidden. But it was his Chief Policy Advisor.

Doing their master’s bidding

Written By: - Date published: 9:10 am, May 25th, 2026 - 43 comments

Briefing papers from two of the corporates being sued by Mike Smith for damaging the environment urging the Government to change the law to stop the case were received but allegedly lost by Luxon’s office.

The absurdity of the Move on Orders law

Written By: - Date published: 11:31 am, May 24th, 2026 - 5 comments

Paul Goldsmith’s move on orders bill applies to young people aged 14 even though existing legislation provides police with all the powers they need to deal with homeless young people.

National wages war on the poor

Written By: - Date published: 8:19 am, May 22nd, 2026 - 32 comments

How cruel do you have to be to raise rents for some of our poorest citizens during a cost of living crisis?

The beatings will continue until morale improves

Written By: - Date published: 1:24 pm, May 19th, 2026 - 73 comments

National today intensified efforts to alienate the entire public service by announcing that a further 9,000 public positions will be culled if, god help us, they are returned to power.

Should we renationalise the BNZ?

Written By: - Date published: 9:01 am, May 18th, 2026 - 46 comments

Winston Peters is trying to appeal to the far left by calling for the renationalisation of the Bank of New Zealand.

Constitutional outrage

Written By: - Date published: 10:01 am, May 12th, 2026 - 26 comments

The Government’s plans to retrospectively change the law to stop a case seeking damages for climate damage caused by heavy emitters is a constitutional outrage and shows not only contempt for the rule of law but also contempt for any action taken by a citizen against climate change.

Dirty Politics 2.0

Written By: - Date published: 9:47 am, May 10th, 2026 - 38 comments

National has engaged in a Dirty Politics style attack on TVNZ reporter Maiki Sherman in an attempt to cower the media in election year.

Crisis what crisis

Written By: - Date published: 11:01 am, April 30th, 2026 - 23 comments

Christopher Luxon has responded to Winston Peters releasing emails suggesting Luxon wanted to support the US invasion of Iran by dressing him down publicly. The Government is clearly in crisis.

As stable as a three legged stool?

Written By: - Date published: 10:36 am, April 26th, 2026 - 46 comments

The Peters-Willis-Jones stoush during the past week underlines the importance of Labour indicating that it will not go into coalition with NZ First after the next election.

Will the real National leader please stand up

Written By: - Date published: 8:33 am, April 21st, 2026 - 19 comments

Christopher Luxon will today face his sternest challenge as leader as repeatedly bad polls are having their effect on National’s caucus’s morale.

Tick tock …

Written By: - Date published: 9:42 am, April 17th, 2026 - 34 comments

National is leaking like a sieve. Either a coup is under way or a group of disgruntled MPs are busily attempting to destabilise Luxon’s leadership. Either way this is not good for National.

The Iranian Imbecile crisis

Written By: - Date published: 4:48 pm, April 11th, 2026 - 67 comments

The Cuban Missile crisis was solved by intelligent leadership acting in the best interests of their nations. The current Iranian crisis shows no sign of quality leadership.

Towards an independent Foreign Policy

Written By: - Date published: 9:07 am, April 8th, 2026 - 16 comments

Vanushi Walters has outlined a stark contrast between the Government’s appeasement of Donald Trump and Labour’s desire to have an independent principle based foreign policy.

Missing in action

Written By: - Date published: 10:15 am, April 6th, 2026 - 48 comments

As this Government’s inaction over the oil crisis becomes more pronounced more and more people are noticing that Christopher Luxon is missing in action.

Pawn takes Bishop

Written By: - Date published: 5:38 pm, April 5th, 2026 - 19 comments

Christopher Luxon this week showed strong leadership by demoting Chris Bishop for a coup against Luxon that was staged six months ago.