The Standard

Author Archive

Real protestors do not burn kids playgrounds

Written By: - Date published: 8:10 am, March 4th, 2022 - 239 comments

Wellington protestors recent activities in torching a 100 year old Pohutukawa, burning a kid’s playground and threatening to occupy Wainuiomata Marae suggests they are being given PR advice by Vladimir Putin.

Two years of living dangerously

Written By: - Date published: 1:53 pm, March 1st, 2022 - 75 comments

Yesterday marked the second anniversary of the first Covid case in New Zealand. What a time it has been.

Putin threatens Nuclear War

Written By: - Date published: 8:27 am, February 28th, 2022 - 254 comments

Vladimir Putin, obviously hurting because some of his personal ill gotten wealth has been frozen has upped the ante by raising the spectre of the use of Nuclear Weapons.

The difference between the Wellington protests and the pro Ukraine protests in Russia

Written By: - Date published: 7:59 am, February 26th, 2022 - 76 comments

Currently in this world there are two significant protests occurring, both similar but at the same time completely different.

Free public transport for Auckland is a very good idea

Written By: - Date published: 1:35 pm, February 23rd, 2022 - 66 comments

Efeso Collins has announced his first Mayoral campaign policy and it is a biggie, free public transport for Auckland.

Everyone is over Covid

Written By: - Date published: 8:46 am, February 22nd, 2022 - 134 comments

Jacinda Ardern said yesterday that everyone is over Covid.  She is right.  We all want this to end.

Why negotiating with the Wellington protesters is a waste of time

Written By: - Date published: 8:17 am, February 21st, 2022 - 277 comments

There is something of a manufactured chorus of calls for the Government to sit down and negotiate with the protesters.  Here are four reasons why negotiations would be a complete waste of time.

Why the Wellington protestors are wrong

Written By: - Date published: 10:52 am, February 20th, 2022 - 72 comments

The Wellington protest has exceeded any moral mandate to protest.

Why haven’t the police acted?

Written By: - Date published: 8:30 am, February 18th, 2022 - 474 comments

It is day 10 of the Anti vax protest on Parliament’s grounds.  More cars are being parked illegally and despite considerable disruption to Wellington’s roading network so far not one car has been towed by the police.

What does the right to protest actually mean?

Written By: - Date published: 12:30 pm, February 16th, 2022 - 62 comments

A primer on the “right to protest”.  Contrary to the views of some there is no right to protest.  Instead there are rights of assembly, movement and a right to freedom of speech.  And there is no absolute right to do these things at Parliament.

The difference between Black Lives Matter and the Anti Mandate protest

Written By: - Date published: 9:36 am, February 15th, 2022 - 57 comments

Claims that local Black Lives Matter protests and the Anti Covid mandate protest are different examples of the same thing appear to be very overstated.

Goff retiring as super city mayor

Written By: - Date published: 11:04 am, February 14th, 2022 - 52 comments

Phil Goff has announced that he will not seek re-election as Auckland’s Mayor.

The right to protest

Written By: - Date published: 10:05 am, February 13th, 2022 - 131 comments

Complaints that the police are unnecessarily interfering with the Wellington Convoy’s right to protest appear to be vastly overstated.

Freakin useless

Written By: - Date published: 2:58 pm, February 10th, 2022 - 114 comments

Maureen Pugh has posted a post on facebook supporting the Wellington protestors, deleted it when it was pointed out to her the protestors were anti vaccination, and then claimed she did not realise many of the protesters were against Covid-19 vaccination.

Luxon under pressure after latest Newshub Poll

Written By: - Date published: 10:08 pm, February 7th, 2022 - 93 comments

I am going to channel my Matthew Hooton left wing alter ego in the writing of this post.  The latest Newshub poll shows a resounding level of support for the Labour Party and there are murmurs of discontent about Chris Luxon after support for the right plummets.

NZME is on a mission to change the Government

Written By: - Date published: 11:00 am, February 7th, 2022 - 133 comments

NZME owned entities including the Herald and Newstalk ZB appear to be on a mission to change the Government.

David Seymour should stick to twerking

Written By: - Date published: 12:35 pm, February 4th, 2022 - 306 comments

David Seymour has responded to slumping poll results by claiming that the Treaty of Waitangi should be trashed.

The problem with and the benefits of MIQ

Written By: - Date published: 9:04 am, February 1st, 2022 - 93 comments

It may not be apparent from the wall to wall sound emanating from the opposition and from the media but this Government’s Covid response has been exceptionally good and way better than that of pretty well every other major country in the world.

Go well Jacinda

Written By: - Date published: 11:04 am, January 30th, 2022 - 40 comments

Worrying news emerged this morning with a report that Jacinda Ardern is a close contact of an Omicron case on an Air New Zealand flight.

Going cold turkey on Spotify

Written By: - Date published: 10:58 am, January 29th, 2022 - 166 comments

Neil Young’s decision to withdraw his music from Spotify because of its insistence on highlighting self declared idiot Joe Rogan has seen a number of people either cancelling their subscriptions or considering alternatives.

About the latest Colmar Brunton poll

Written By: - Date published: 8:15 am, January 28th, 2022 - 52 comments

The latest Colmar Brunton (now Kantar) poll has now been released and some of the commentary and analysis is pretty ordinary.

The importance of proper mask wearing

Written By: - Date published: 8:58 am, January 27th, 2022 - 55 comments

With an Omicron surge appearing to be inevitable the importance of proper mask wearing has never been more important.

Weird stuff Jacinda Ardern has been accused of

Written By: - Date published: 9:25 am, January 25th, 2022 - 212 comments

It appears that social media allegations against Jacinda Ardern are becoming more and more extreme.

The problem with middle of the road politicians

Written By: - Date published: 11:38 am, January 23rd, 2022 - 21 comments

Joe Biden is struggling to get his agenda passed by the American Legislature.  Because of two Senators, one with significant coal interests and the other Senator more willing to protect the rights of a minority of Senators to hold up legislation than the rights of a minority of Americans to vote.

Omicron is coming

Written By: - Date published: 10:54 am, January 21st, 2022 - 113 comments

So far the country has fought back and eliminated the original Covid infection, won a couple of skirmishes and then and fought and quelled the Delta incursion.  But it looks like Omicron is coming …

Let’s help Tonga

Written By: - Date published: 8:32 am, January 19th, 2022 - 12 comments

In 2010 the poor but proud Island Nation raised $705,000 to donate to the Christchurch Earthquake Appeal Fund.  If New Zealanders were to reciprocate their generosity we would donate over $30 million.  It is time for us to return the favour.

He’s not the messiah …

Written By: - Date published: 8:22 am, January 18th, 2022 - 125 comments

… he is allegedly a very naughty boy.

More Anarchy in the UK

Written By: - Date published: 8:19 am, January 14th, 2022 - 20 comments

Boris Johnson’s reign as UK Prime Minister may be terminal after news of a Downing Street party held during lockdown was leaked to the press.

What does Luxon do about Hipango?

Written By: - Date published: 9:31 am, January 11th, 2022 - 49 comments

Harete Hipango is in the news again, this time for posing with a group of anti vaxxers and posting a photo and making some pretty way out there comments on social media.

Human rights and MIQ

Written By: - Date published: 8:42 am, January 10th, 2022 - 155 comments

Well known socialite, fashion blogger and apparent Constitutional expert Jamie Ridge thinks that the country’s MIQ arrangements are completely unconstitutional.

Book Review Helen Kelly: her life

Written By: - Date published: 7:05 pm, January 8th, 2022 - 12 comments

The Helen Kelly biography by Rebacca Macfie provides a clear and intense overview of what has happened to New Zealand society over the past 40 years from a time of high union membership and equality to now where unions struggle and inequality is significant.