The Standard

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Apparently Labour was to blame for the global financial crisis

Written By: - Date published: 9:00 am, July 5th, 2018 - 65 comments

These sorts of debates do my head in. Essentially because they are so removed from reality that anyone with any sense would know that Labour was not responsible for the last global financial crisis.  But apparently the opposition spokesperson does not understand what happened in 2008. Does this seem a bit harsh? Well it is […]

US Democrats plan to start civil war today *

Written By: - Date published: 11:32 am, July 4th, 2018 - 42 comments

* according to Alex Jones on Infowars.

The teachers’ strike

Written By: - Date published: 9:00 am, July 4th, 2018 - 56 comments

Teachers have indicated they will also be seeking a significant catch up in salaries and job conditions after a decade of neglect.

The right wing media’s infatuation with breeding

Written By: - Date published: 8:57 am, July 3rd, 2018 - 99 comments

Elements in the media clearly think that the payment of a modest amount to families with young babies will cause them to breed babies for a business.

Mexico turns left

Written By: - Date published: 7:48 am, July 3rd, 2018 - 53 comments

In Mexico a leftist Bernie Sanders like friend of Jeremy Corbyn has been elected as President in a landslide.

Families Package and Auckland Regional Fuel tax kick in

Written By: - Date published: 10:24 am, July 2nd, 2018 - 48 comments

Labour’s Family Package and the Auckland Regional Fuel tax have both kicked in.

Doofus of the week – July 1, 2018

Written By: - Date published: 10:34 am, July 1st, 2018 - 15 comments

The latest in an occasional series where we celebrate the horrendously awful and bizarre behaviour of political figures both locally and overseas.

Another day, another mass shooting in the US of A *

Written By: - Date published: 8:27 am, June 29th, 2018 - 41 comments

* but this one involves a media outlet and not a school.

Soper gets sucked in by National’s fake Ardern quote

Written By: - Date published: 4:35 pm, June 28th, 2018 - 51 comments

Barry Soper in the Herald has fallen for National’s fake news concerning something said by Jacinda Ardern that was taken totally out of context.

Socialist candidate rolls Democrat heavyweight in primary

Written By: - Date published: 8:11 am, June 28th, 2018 - 44 comments

In a major upset the fourth ranking Democrat in the House of Representatives has lost a New York primary to a young latino woman who is a self described socialist as well as a Bernie Sanders supporter.

Shock horror, National is telling fibs about Labour’s Industrial Relations policy

Written By: - Date published: 8:00 am, June 27th, 2018 - 102 comments

National has claimed that Jacinda Ardern ruled out national strikes during the last year’s election campaign.  And has trimmed a video and taken comments out of context to justify its claim.

The right is in disarray

Written By: - Date published: 8:17 am, June 26th, 2018 - 163 comments

David Seymour bombs out of dancing with the stars and Simon Bridges refuses to apologise for calling Neve’s parents “pinko”.  Just another week in the train wreck that is right wing politics in New Zealand.

The zero carbon bill

Written By: - Date published: 9:06 am, June 25th, 2018 - 88 comments

The Ministry for the Environment has released a discussion paper on a Zero Carbon Bill.  But one proposal is to exempt methane which would mean that effectively half of New Zealand’s greenhouse gasses would not be subject to limitation.

Doofus of the week June 24, 2018

Written By: - Date published: 12:44 pm, June 24th, 2018 - 37 comments

The latest in an occasional series where we celebrate the horrendously awful and bizarre behaviour of political figures both locally and overseas.

How low can Simon Bridges go?

Written By: - Date published: 3:12 pm, June 22nd, 2018 - 90 comments

Simon Bridges was interviewed on Radio Hauraki and chose to suggest that Jacinda’s baby may vote National, cost too much money even though she was born in a pubic hospital and transported to hospital in a private vehicle, and should go to school in boy’s clothing.

New Zealand basks in the birth of the Prime Minature

Written By: - Date published: 9:41 am, June 22nd, 2018 - 40 comments

Day one of her life and New Zealand is basking in the birth of the Prime Minature.

Children should never be used as bargaining chips

Written By: - Date published: 8:27 am, June 21st, 2018 - 66 comments

Donald Trump has announced a “backdown” of the policy of separating children of refugees from their parents at the US border. Instead they will be imprisoned with their parents potentially for extended periods of time.

The United States is becoming a rogue state

Written By: - Date published: 4:57 pm, June 20th, 2018 - 53 comments

The United States of America in its support for Israeli trashing of Palestinian rights and the withdrawal of support for the United Nations Human Rights Council as well as the mass incarceration of children of parents who have tried to enter the United States without permission is displaying concerning signs.

Givealittle legal fund set up for Renae Maihi for defence against Bob Jones’ claim

Written By: - Date published: 3:50 pm, June 19th, 2018 - 58 comments

Bob Jones has threatened Renae Maihi with a defamation lawsuit for seeking to have his knighthood taken off him.  Laura O’Connell Rapira of Action Station has responded by starting a givealittle page to cover Renae’s legal costs.

Hosking poll shows overwhelming support for cycle lanes

Written By: - Date published: 8:04 am, June 19th, 2018 - 54 comments

Mike Hosking created an online poll which he must have thought would show opposition to cycleways but which has indicated that cycleways are very popular with Aucklanders.

Bottom feeding fish redux

Written By: - Date published: 3:26 pm, June 18th, 2018 - 24 comments

Newsroom has released details of media emails sent to the police about the Clarke Gayford rumours.

Sage refuses permission to mine conservation land

Written By: - Date published: 10:09 am, June 18th, 2018 - 94 comments

Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage has incurred attacks from the right by refusing to allow the desecration of conservation land on the West Coast.

Does National really want climate change to be a bipartisan issue?

Written By: - Date published: 10:06 am, June 17th, 2018 - 94 comments

National has cautiously pledged to support the Government’s proposed Climate Change Commission. But is it looking for opportunities to delay or weaken urgent action that New Zealand needs to be taking now rather than signing up for urgent action being started now?

Government announces living wage to be paid to all core public servants

Written By: - Date published: 2:13 pm, June 15th, 2018 - 42 comments

The Government has announced that all employees in the core public service will be paid a living wage from September 1, 2018.

In defence of Eugenie Sage

Written By: - Date published: 7:28 am, June 15th, 2018 - 154 comments

Eugenie Sage has been criticised for granting OIO consent to the foreign buy out of a water bottling company and a piece of sensitive land.  But from the looks of the details that have been released she may have had no choice.

Nats indignant that Twyford is not fixing their housing crisis quickly enough

Written By: - Date published: 7:24 am, June 14th, 2018 - 95 comments

Judith Collins has criticised Phi Twyford because after eight months as Minister he has not fixed a crisis that took nine years to create.

Kiwis trust in Government surges

Written By: - Date published: 12:55 pm, June 13th, 2018 - 61 comments

At the same time that business confidence is in negative territory overall trust in the Government has surged. Why is this?

Winston sues

Written By: - Date published: 8:10 am, June 12th, 2018 - 78 comments

Winston Peters has commenced legal proceedings against Anne Tolley and Paula Bennett because of the leaking during last year’s election campaign of private information about a superannuation overpayment he received.

Donald Trump’s unusual diplomatic behaviour

Written By: - Date published: 11:02 am, June 11th, 2018 - 44 comments

Donald Trump has chosen to insult Canadian leader Justin Trudeau and buddy up to North Korean leader Kim Jon Un all in the same week.

Who gives a hooton about climate change?

Written By: - Date published: 11:47 am, June 10th, 2018 - 125 comments

Matthew Hooton and Fran O’Sullivan have claimed that the Government’s decision to ban off shore petroleum exploration is “Orwellian”, part of an attempt to divert attention from other issues, bad for the environment and bad for jobs. Are they right?

The Northcote by election

Written By: - Date published: 8:00 pm, June 9th, 2018 - 212 comments

The Northcote election could be be extremely close.

lprent: Update. It was close. The preliminary results show a 1362 margin, reduced from about 6210 last election. The turnout was a bit under half of the previous election – not bad for a by-election.