The Standard

Author Archive

Special Housing Area provisions are failing but Nick Smith thinks everything is fine

Written By: - Date published: 9:50 am, July 4th, 2017 - 25 comments

Nick Smith is attempting to rewrite history by claiming that the Government never thought the special housing area affordable housing provisions would work and that the housing crisis is improving.

He’s baaaack

Written By: - Date published: 1:28 pm, June 30th, 2017 - 153 comments

Shane Jones will seek to reenter Parliament and has been selected as the candidate for the Whangarei seat.  But for New Zealand First.

The NRA declares war on reality

Written By: - Date published: 9:01 am, June 30th, 2017 - 39 comments

The National Rifle Association in America has released a video which essentially advocates for violence against liberal resistance to conservatism.

Thiel shows commitment to New Zealand by spending 12 days in it

Written By: - Date published: 12:52 pm, June 29th, 2017 - 49 comments

Following an intervention by the Ombudsman the Government has been obliged to disclose the number of days that Peter Thiel spent in New Zealand in the five years leading up to his grant of citizenship.  The answer is very few.

Manus Island operator seeking to buy and manage Housing Corporation Homes

Written By: - Date published: 8:31 am, June 29th, 2017 - 27 comments

The Government is seeking to sell 2,500 Christchurch Housing Corporation homes. The shortlist of potential purchasers includes an Australian company recently successfully sued for human rights breaches of refugees on Manus Island.

The Todd Barclay debacle enters the sixth day of the news cycle

Written By: - Date published: 8:34 am, June 26th, 2017 - 61 comments

Through his never ending changing of the description of what happened in the Todd Barclay issue Bill English has kept the story prominently placed for six days in a row.

Bill English is no John Key

Written By: - Date published: 9:00 am, June 22nd, 2017 - 37 comments

During Dirty Politics John Key was able to stand in front of a group of reporters and with complete confidence make a series of statements the veracity of which was dubious.  Bill English has shown this week that he does not have that ability.

Some random impertinent questions about Todd Barclay’s problems

Written By: - Date published: 2:30 pm, June 20th, 2017 - 146 comments

Bill English has admitted that he knew about the tape that Todd Barclay says does not exist.  And National have some serious questions to answer concerning Todd Barclay’s behaviour.

National’s Todd Barclay problem

Written By: - Date published: 8:24 am, June 20th, 2017 - 113 comments

Newsroom has released details about how National handled the police investigation into Todd Barclay’s alleged illegal wiretapping suggesting that Bill English thought it had occurred and that the complaint was dealt with in part by a payment from John Key’s Prime Minister’s fund.

New Zealand folds and apologises to Israel

Written By: - Date published: 10:34 am, June 14th, 2017 - 81 comments

New Zealand has completely backed down from its original position of opposing the illegal occupation by Israel of Palestinian land and apologised to Israel for damaging the relationship.

Owen Jones’ and the Guardian’s Corbyn mea culpa

Written By: - Date published: 2:30 pm, June 11th, 2017 - 57 comments

Owen Jones of the Guardian has posted a mea culpa about his pessimism that Jeremy Corbyn would succeed as Labour leader.  But meanwhile blairites are claiming that Corbyn missed an open goal while at the same time calling for unity.

Labour excels in the UK

Written By: - Date published: 4:04 pm, June 9th, 2017 - 132 comments

Labour’s performance in the United Kingdom is phenomenal compared to expectations from even three weeks ago. What are the lessons for New Zealand Labour?

Is Donald Trump helping Jeremy Corbyn get elected?

Written By: - Date published: 7:56 am, June 7th, 2017 - 17 comments

Donald Trump’s closeness to Theresa May and his boorish behaviour over London’s recent attack may be helping Jeremy Corbyn’s attempt to win this week’s general election.

Daily Review 06/06/2017

Written By: - Date published: 5:38 pm, June 6th, 2017 - 26 comments

Daily review is also your post. This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Don’t forget to be kind to each other …

UK election goes down to the wire

Written By: - Date published: 11:00 am, June 5th, 2017 - 58 comments

In the United Kingdom the polls continue to narrow and Jeremy Corbyn continues to perform outstandingly well.  Is the upset of all upsets possible?

Arise Sir John

Written By: - Date published: 7:24 am, June 5th, 2017 - 261 comments

John Key has been awarded a knighthood. Want to know why?

When Earth’s future is under attack …

Written By: - Date published: 9:25 am, June 3rd, 2017 - 36 comments

US Secretary of State and Oil Baron Rex Tillerson is visiting New Zealand next Tuesday. And 350 Aotearoa is planning to provide him with a warm reception.

Madman Trump withdraws America from Paris Accord

Written By: - Date published: 8:01 am, June 2nd, 2017 - 213 comments

Donald Trump has announced that the USA will be withdrawing from the Paris Climate Change Accord.

National’s social media is starting to suck

Written By: - Date published: 8:13 am, May 31st, 2017 - 46 comments

National’s social media have chosen a picture that sums up its policies well.

Government was advised the Accommodation Supplement increase will not work

Written By: - Date published: 8:25 am, May 29th, 2017 - 70 comments

Radio New Zealand has reported that the Government ignored two year old treasury advice to implement the increase in the accommodation supplement.

What the feck Greens

Written By: - Date published: 11:56 am, May 28th, 2017 - 138 comments

The Green Party caucus decision to support the Government’s tax reduction legislation is hard to comprehend and has created a perception of messiness in the way the Labour-Green MOU operates.

White middle class male privilege

Written By: - Date published: 9:07 am, May 27th, 2017 - 19 comments

Rohan Lord this week pulled out from being a Labour candidate because he thought his prospects of being elected were remote because he was a white middle class male.  His comments displayed a complete lack of understanding of how the Labour Party works and ignores the fact that having a truly representative caucus is a virtue.

The Labour lite budget

Written By: - Date published: 8:31 am, May 25th, 2017 - 25 comments

From pre announced budget initiatives it is clear that today’s budget will provide National the opportunity to announce watered down insipid versions of current Labour Party policies.

No one owns water, apart from corporations who sell it …

Written By: - Date published: 12:43 pm, May 22nd, 2017 - 27 comments

The Herald has reported that ordinary New Zealanders are paying 500 times as much for water as corporations who export it.

Let’s green the red zone

Written By: - Date published: 8:00 am, May 22nd, 2017 - 91 comments

A Christchurch community group has come out with an outstanding solution for what to do with red zone land that is currently unusable.

The UK elections – Has Labour got the big mo?

Written By: - Date published: 10:58 am, May 21st, 2017 - 66 comments

And in the United Kingdom the election that was meant to be a foregone conclusion suddenly is suddenly tightening.

Slater v Craig – battle of the has beens

Written By: - Date published: 8:55 am, May 21st, 2017 - 22 comments

The High Court this week has been asked to dissect the decline of the Conservative Party and of the 2014 form of dirty politics.

The possible privatisation of Ports of Auckland

Written By: - Date published: 8:59 am, May 19th, 2017 - 134 comments

The Government is attempting through coercion and cajoling to get Auckland Council to privatise Ports of Auckland.

National’s messy Israel position

Written By: - Date published: 8:31 am, May 16th, 2017 - 20 comments

National’s shifting position on Israel suggests all is not happy within National’s ranks.

Alfred Ngaro reprimanded for being “naïve”

Written By: - Date published: 7:54 am, May 15th, 2017 - 53 comments

Alfred Ngaro has apologised to the Prime Minister for threatening the funding of voluntary organisations critical of the Government, not for expressing the views or even thinking them but for being naïve.

National threatens Government critics with loss of Government contracts

Written By: - Date published: 9:31 am, May 14th, 2017 - 78 comments

Alfred Ngaro has told a National Conference that critics of the Government can expect to lose Government support for proposed contracts.  And that Labour prompted concern about families living in cars.