The Standard

Author Archive

Key attends secret lunch to raise cash for flag change campaign

Written By: - Date published: 10:36 am, April 9th, 2016 - 102 comments

The Herald has reported that John Key helped with fundraising for the flag referendum by attending a private lunch with six wealthy donors.

TPPA review time slashed

Written By: - Date published: 8:30 am, April 8th, 2016 - 38 comments

The Government has reduced the time the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Select Committee has to report back on submissions on the TPPA from one month to five days.

What should Auckland Council do about begging

Written By: - Date published: 9:51 am, April 7th, 2016 - 55 comments

Two conservative mayoral candidates have proposed that people begging should be fined.

John Key’s response to the Panama Papers leak

Written By: - Date published: 9:13 am, April 5th, 2016 - 42 comments

John Key and National are floundering and trying urgently to work out what lines they should use concerning the release of the Panama Papers.

Sanders is down but not out

Written By: - Date published: 8:33 am, April 3rd, 2016 - 66 comments

The parties are over half way through the primaries and Bernie Sanders still has a chance of pulling off what would be a dramatic victory.

The sock puppets, the media and the UBI

Written By: - Date published: 8:00 am, March 31st, 2016 - 117 comments

Labour’s discussion of a possible UBI is still generating debate.

Key wants to turn New Zealand into a haven for the 1%

Written By: - Date published: 7:30 am, March 29th, 2016 - 95 comments

Fran O’Sullivan has spilt the beans.  John Key thinks that overseas terrorism and by implication climate change are good for the New Zealand economy and that the country should not do anything about overseas corporates paying low tax rates because investment will occur.  And he wants New Zealand to become a haven for people overseas fleeing from terrorism and climate change.  But only if they are wealthy.

Bunnings has no heart

Written By: - Date published: 12:33 pm, March 27th, 2016 - 47 comments

Bunnings management has insisted that a defibrillator bought by the workers at its Dunedin Store be given away to charity.

The media treatment of Labour’s UBI discussion paper

Written By: - Date published: 7:30 am, March 24th, 2016 - 144 comments

John Key and an array of National sock puppets have misrepresented Labour’s UBI proposal as party policy and as being very expensive when it is not party policy and when a variety of different potential forms have been raised for discussion.

Teapot tapes – Key backs down over Parliamentary Services payment

Written By: - Date published: 2:08 pm, March 22nd, 2016 - 66 comments

John Key’s office has announced that he will now pay the agreed damages from private sources.

National tricky on climate change aid

Written By: - Date published: 8:27 am, March 19th, 2016 - 10 comments

TVOne has discovered that National’s preposed climate change aid spend announced at COP21 would result in a reduction in the amount spent compared to previous years.

Taxpayers Union is relaxed about Multinationals not paying tax

Written By: - Date published: 1:45 pm, March 18th, 2016 - 150 comments

The Taxpayers Union has chosen not to criticise multinational corporation tax avoidance even though it increases the tax obligations of New Zealanders.

National admits the ETS is broken

Written By: - Date published: 9:04 am, March 18th, 2016 - 12 comments

Paula Bennett has conceded that the Emissions Trading Scheme is not working and that the two for one scheme which halves the cost of carbon credits for major polluters will be phased out. But when?

Key fiddles while dairy industry burns

Written By: - Date published: 9:27 am, March 16th, 2016 - 46 comments

The dairy crisis is escalating with a further drop in prices occurring overnight. And John Key has chosen to defend the Government’s handling of the crisis by attacking Andrew Little.  He would be better off explaining what his Government is doing to address what is becoming a crisis.

Wee Todd Barclay may have a wee problem

Written By: - Date published: 8:47 am, March 12th, 2016 - 63 comments

Clutha Southland National MP’s employee dispute has escalated with a police inquiry into the possible secret recording of a staff member being conducted.

Government plans RMA power grab

Written By: - Date published: 8:00 am, March 9th, 2016 - 29 comments

The Government is planning to allow the relevant Minister to change District Plans by regulation or to allow National Policy Statements to change district plans and to prevent submissions being received unless evidence contained is provided by a professional adviser with expertise.

Labour and Lees-Galloway secure end to zero hours contracts

Written By: - Date published: 2:07 pm, March 8th, 2016 - 126 comments

Labour has forced the Government to back down on plans to entrench zero hour contracts.

How is homophobia still a thing?

Written By: - Date published: 11:00 am, March 8th, 2016 - 62 comments

The Anglican parish of St Mathew in the City has a proud history of tolerance and liberal thinking and support for LGBTI rights.  A couple of boofheads showed up last week and disrupted its Sunday service.  What should a liberal do? Updated with photos and video of the individuals involved.

The destruction of the Republican Party

Written By: - Date published: 8:30 am, March 5th, 2016 - 49 comments

It appears that the party of Abraham Lincoln and Ronald Regan are having problems.

Labour and the Keytruda campaign

Written By: - Date published: 11:50 am, March 2nd, 2016 - 66 comments

In a shock horror expose Andrew Little has been exposed as having had dinner with people who work for drug companies. Clearly according to some it is better for him to never meet these people. Or to stop having dinners.

Fuster and Cluck ride again?

Written By: - Date published: 1:39 pm, February 27th, 2016 - 13 comments

John Palino has all but announced that he will also stand for the super city Mayoralty and there is a rumour that Simon Lusk will be his campaign manager.

David Seymour thinks ACT is the environmental party

Written By: - Date published: 8:30 am, February 27th, 2016 - 72 comments

David Seymour will at ACT’s conference today outline why ACT and not the Greens is the real environmental party.

Old rich white man complains about another group receiving privilege

Written By: - Date published: 10:43 am, February 25th, 2016 - 84 comments

In an apparent irony free statement Don Brash is complaining that young Maori woman Josie Butler may be the recipient of some privilege.

Guantanamo Bay to close?

Written By: - Date published: 1:17 pm, February 24th, 2016 - 21 comments

Barak Obama has moved to fulfill a very old election pledge and is attempting to close the Guantanamo Bay Detention Centre.

The flag change campaign’s last throw of the dice

Written By: - Date published: 3:11 pm, February 23rd, 2016 - 133 comments

The pro change Flag Campaign has been launched on Social Media using themes that will appeal to progressives about the need for change. The problem is what they want it to be changed to.

Latest Colmar Brunton poll result

Written By: - Date published: 10:57 am, February 22nd, 2016 - 202 comments

The latest Colmar Brunton poll result suggests that it is not all doom and gloom for the left.

Homosexual law reform happened 30 years ago

Written By: - Date published: 9:16 am, February 21st, 2016 - 95 comments

Some thoughts on yesterday’s gay pride parade and why National has in the space of 30 years changed from being deeply anti gay rights to being superficially in support.

The responses to the Bain report leak

Written By: - Date published: 8:26 am, February 20th, 2016 - 47 comments

A review of some commentary about the leak of information from the Bain compensation claim report includes a comment from David Seymour which is surprisingly good.

Glucina Key #ponygate text revealed

Written By: - Date published: 4:10 pm, February 19th, 2016 - 149 comments

Rachel Glucina’s text to John Key sent just after interviewing Amanda Bailey has been revealed.

Someone wants to crush Bain’s compensation claim

Written By: - Date published: 7:34 am, February 18th, 2016 - 142 comments

Leaks to the Herald about details from the report investigating the compensation claim by David Bain suggests that the Government is moving to refuse the claim.

Petition Peter Dunne to show some sense and some compassion

Written By: - Date published: 7:30 am, February 16th, 2016 - 30 comments

Helen Kelly is getting the run around from Peter Dunne with her request for permission to use cannabis oil.  The talented Foxy is running a petition.