The Standard

Author Archive

Waikeria Prison

Written By: - Date published: 10:16 am, January 3rd, 2021 - 95 comments

The stand off at Waikeria Prison between inmates and Corrections staff has attracted two responses from opposition parties, one being constructive and helpful and the other being complete and utter grandstanding.

How low will Bridges go?

Written By: - Date published: 11:00 am, January 2nd, 2021 - 24 comments

Simon Bridges has spent the last week casting aspersions on people who have tragically died at Music Festivals in an attempt to score culture war inspired political points and undermine the Government’s new pill testing law.

Without the handbrake what should this Government do?

Written By: - Date published: 9:52 am, January 1st, 2021 - 112 comments

Welcome to 2021.  This is the year for the Labour Government to be brave.  What should it seek to achieve this year?

Parihaka

Written By: - Date published: 11:09 am, December 30th, 2020 - 8 comments

A post reflecting on the history of the Parihaka settlement, how local Taranaki Iwi were treated appallingly by the Crown and the Government, and how the settlement amount paid is but a miniscule amount of the damage actually caused.

Trump pardons buddies

Written By: - Date published: 10:24 am, December 27th, 2020 - 13 comments

Donald trump has in the past couple of days issued a number of pardons to people including former members of his campaign team, Jared Kushner’s father, a group of contractors involved in the massacre of 14 Iraqi civilians including a 14 year old boy and Ben Carson’s best friend.

Plan B activists still think NZ should be like Sweden

Written By: - Date published: 11:50 am, December 26th, 2020 - 171 comments

In a letter published in the Royal New Zealand College of Medical Practitioners journal Plan B academics have criticised the Government’s Covid elimination strategy because of the economic effects at the same time that recently announced growth figures show the economy grew in the past 12 months despite Covid.

Operation warped

Written By: - Date published: 9:05 am, December 20th, 2020 - 30 comments

Donald Trump has spent the past week stuffing up the vaccine roll out in some states, fighting attempts to cancel the Trump wall and blaming China for Russian hacks on American institutions and corporations.

Shock horror, trickle down does not work

Written By: - Date published: 7:31 am, December 18th, 2020 - 54 comments

In yet another study academics at the London School of Economics have concluded that trickle down leads to higher income inequality but do not have any significant effect on economic growth or unemployment.

The Government’s finances are in very good shape

Written By: - Date published: 7:55 am, December 17th, 2020 - 66 comments

The Government’s finances are in remarkably good shape.  Who would have predicted that dealing properly with a global pandemic would have had better results for the economy than timidly dealing with it and trying to ensure that economic activity continued? But by international levels our Government debt is already low and maybe now is the time to spend on vital areas such as poverty, climate change and the housing crisis.

What does Steinlager and the Pacific anti nuclear movement have in common?

Written By: - Date published: 10:07 am, December 16th, 2020 - 25 comments

In as blatant a case of cultural and historical misappropriation as you can imagine the makers of Steinlager has produced a dumbed down video that distorts the history of decades of opposition to French Nuclear testing in the Pacific in an effort to sell beer.

Ihumātao deal imminent

Written By: - Date published: 7:38 am, December 14th, 2020 - 25 comments

Radio New Zealand is reporting that a deal on Ihumātao is imminent and that Cabinet is expected to sign off on the deal today.

Brexit revisited

Written By: - Date published: 7:19 am, December 13th, 2020 - 19 comments

With Brexit looming there is talk of unfinished customs software and the possibility of chaos around ports, the UK’s food supply being compromised, and potential skirmishes with France at fishing spots.  And Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron are refusing to talk to Boris Johnson.  Hang on England, this is going to get wild.

The Mayor’s budget proposal and Auckland’s climate change response

Written By: - Date published: 11:33 am, December 11th, 2020 - 10 comments

Auckland Mayor Phil Goff’s recently released budget proposal for Auckland Council contains some welcome proposals to address climate change. But of itself this budget will not go near to achieving Auckland’s goal of halving emissions by 50% in 2030.

The challenge to the reeferendum result

Written By: - Date published: 7:53 am, December 8th, 2020 - 57 comments

A group of more than 350 people have applied to the High Court to try and void the reeferendum result.

What now for Judith?

Written By: - Date published: 7:28 am, December 8th, 2020 - 51 comments

The latest Colmar Brunton poll results have been released just in time to get the summer BBQs firing.  And the results would not have pleased Judith Collins.

What happens when the Covid vaccine becomes available?

Written By: - Date published: 7:42 am, December 4th, 2020 - 60 comments

The United Kingdom has used emergency procedures to approve for general use the Pfizer Covid vaccine.  But this will nor provide overnight respite from Covid.  How do you handle the mass vaccination of pretty well the whole planet?  And what are the implications for New Zealand’s border policy?

Parliament’s climate change declaration

Written By: - Date published: 7:53 am, December 3rd, 2020 - 28 comments

Parliament has finally declared that the country is in a climate emergency.  And it has also told the public service that it has to become carbon neutral within five years.

National’s gonna National

Written By: - Date published: 8:25 am, December 2nd, 2020 - 73 comments

On two issues, pill testing at music festivals and tax changes to address the housing crisis, National yesterday indicated that it will do what conservative parties do and oppose any meaningful change.

Stuff apologises for decades of racist reporting

Written By: - Date published: 7:58 am, November 30th, 2020 - 123 comments

In a headline I thought I would never read this morning Stuff has apologised for decades of racist reporting, and has in its own words “grappled with the truth that our journalism has often unfairly portrayed Maori, ranging from racist to blinkered”.

Auckland’s tree protection problem

Written By: - Date published: 11:17 am, November 28th, 2020 - 24 comments

Currently in Auckland far too many of our magnificent trees are not protected. Here are some thoughts on what the Government and Auckland Council should do to change this.

Comrade David signals radical rewrite of Act’s living wage policy

Written By: - Date published: 7:36 am, November 25th, 2020 - 75 comments

Comrade David Seymour has signalled that Act may argue for a minimum wage of $50 per hour.

National announces terms of reference for its election campaign review

Written By: - Date published: 7:45 am, November 24th, 2020 - 62 comments

National wants to work out what went wrong during the last election.

Georgian Republicans are part of the deep state threat to Trump

Written By: - Date published: 8:05 am, November 23rd, 2020 - 22 comments

Over in the US of A some amazing claims are being made with Trump’a lawyer claiming that in Georgia, which has perfected the art of disenfranchising Black American voters, there has been a deep seated conspiracy to lose the state for Trump.  And Venezuela is involved.  

National’s annual conference

Written By: - Date published: 9:47 am, November 22nd, 2020 - 64 comments

National has heeded the calls for change and rejuvination by returning Peter Goodfellow as its president.

South Australia’s new Covid strain

Written By: - Date published: 7:53 am, November 19th, 2020 - 16 comments

During a week in which two Covid vaccines have been announced there is disturbing news coming out of Australia where a new more potent strain of the virus has appeared in South Australia.

Trump’s chances of winning the Presidential Election through legal action

Written By: - Date published: 9:05 am, November 18th, 2020 - 19 comments

To win the Presidential Election Donald Trump has to win multiple legal challenges in multiple states.  So far his cases have not gone very well.

The million MAGA muppet march

Written By: - Date published: 9:33 am, November 16th, 2020 - 37 comments

America is in some trouble.  Covid19 is surging.  The third wave is hitting hard.  Suddenly 100,000 daily new infections is not a scary possibility, 200,000 is.  And a group of Americans have been persuaded that Trump has had the election stolen off him.

Capitalism’s end game

Written By: - Date published: 8:07 am, November 13th, 2020 - 145 comments

In Aotearoa New Zealand we are facing a new crisis. Not Covid, although the recent case of community spread is deeply concerning. The crisis is the value of houses.

Some men just want to see the World burn

Written By: - Date published: 8:24 am, November 12th, 2020 - 58 comments

Normally when you lose an election you say nice things about the winner and make way for them. But is Trump doing this in the US of A? No sirree. From refusing Biden transition resources to instructing officials not to cooperate with Biden’s team to mass sackings of Defense officials to various failed cases Trump is obstructing the transition every step of the way.

What should the left make of the US election result?

Written By: - Date published: 7:43 am, November 10th, 2020 - 76 comments

Now the dust is settling on the US election result the one question I have is why was it even close?

Lawyers, guns and money

Written By: - Date published: 8:05 am, November 9th, 2020 - 51 comments

Over in the United States of America the country is descending into chaos. But so far the farcical type of chaos as opposed to the violent type of chaos and this is a good thing.