The Standard

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The Fast Track law is being made worse

Written By: - Date published: 8:48 pm, November 16th, 2025 - 8 comments

Just over a year ago the Government passed a constitutional abomination of a law and is now trying to make it worse and do this quickly. What is going on?

Why Is National Allowing Trans Tasman Resources to Destroy our Common Good?

Written By: - Date published: 10:52 am, November 15th, 2025 - 20 comments

This government is deliberately enabling private seabed mining in Taranaki to prevent New Zealand’s largest future renewable electricity supply.

The tawdry silly argument in favour of selling assets

Written By: - Date published: 12:00 pm, November 12th, 2025 - 26 comments

Winston Peters has criticised National’s proposal to campaign at the next election on asset sales in a way that makes you wonder how National and NZ First can survive in coalition.

Wrecking the country’s climate change response

Written By: - Date published: 11:59 am, November 8th, 2025 - 18 comments

If you thought that your contempt for the current administration had peaked let me disappoint you. This week they have taken steps to undermine the Climate Change Commission and the ability of the public to influence future emission reduction plans.

Let them eat Michelin Stars

Written By: - Date published: 2:46 pm, November 7th, 2025 - 9 comments

The Government’s class prejudices are now on clear display. In the same week that news emerged that the Government is considering a ban on rough sleepers in major urban town centres further news emerged that it is subsidising Michelin to award Michelin stars to local restaurants.

Treaty what treaty?

Written By: - Date published: 2:47 pm, November 5th, 2025 - 19 comments

The Government’s all out assault on te Tiriti o Waitangi continues. And this time supposed liberal Erica Sanford is engaged in the latest assault.

More RONS!

Written By: - Date published: 9:40 am, October 25th, 2025 - 23 comments

National has announced it will be spending nearly three times as much on Roads of National Significance as it campaigned on and has justified dubious investment decisions by changing how benefits are calculated.

Hayek’s Acolytes and History’s Judgement

Written By: - Date published: 1:02 pm, October 18th, 2025 - 44 comments

While we should acknowledge Jim Bolger’s life of service to New Zealand we should also recognise the critical and continuing damage done to New Zealand by his government.

Government by the Farmers for the Farmers

Written By: - Date published: 12:14 pm, October 13th, 2025 - 13 comments

In a move that further undermines the country’s response to the climate crisis the Government has halved the methane reduction goal and determined that farms will not pay a price for greenhouse gas emissions.

Luxon’s bad faith stunt

Written By: - Date published: 8:56 am, October 1st, 2025 - 29 comments

Christopher Luxon recently wrote to Chris Hipkins seeking a bipartisan approach to gas drilling but then immediately turned this into a farce by leaking the letter to the Herald.

National announces reversal of School Building Project cuts

Written By: - Date published: 9:42 am, September 23rd, 2025 - 7 comments

In the hope that it can address the Construction Industry crisis National has announced a partial reversal of cuts made to school building project made earlier in its term.

So much for the relentless focus on growth

Written By: - Date published: 3:32 pm, September 19th, 2025 - 26 comments

National’s crashing of GDP growth figures makes a mockery of its claim earlier this year that the Government was relentlessly focussed on unleashing growth.

Whanganui MP Carl Bates shielded 25 rentals from disclosure

Written By: - Date published: 6:31 pm, September 14th, 2025 - 22 comments

Bates set up a family trust after the election, presumably to hide his rentals from disclosure.

Duncan Garner – National is f&*ked

Written By: - Date published: 9:58 am, September 11th, 2025 - 37 comments

A beehive leak has led Duncan Garner to form the firm conclusion that National is
f&*ked.

This trick of National could win them the 2026 election

Written By: - Date published: 12:22 am, September 10th, 2025 - 14 comments

US voter suppression tactics are back in vogue and National’s Coalition is bringing them to Aotearoa New Zealand

Guest Post – Planning By Firing Squad

Written By: - Date published: 4:26 pm, September 2nd, 2025 - 11 comments

The Planning by Firing Squad approach is characterised by being very rushed, lacking in detail, an almost total lack of public consultation, non-existent local knowledge and consistently paying little heed to environmental effects. It is a classic Wellington Ivory Tower approach.

What does this Government have against Te Reo Māori?

Written By: - Date published: 12:09 pm, August 13th, 2025 - 14 comments

Erica Stanford’s removal of te reo words from reading books is the latest of a series of attacks on te reo Māori by this Government.

Fisher and Paykel

Written By: - Date published: 12:07 pm, July 29th, 2025 - 26 comments

Chris Hipkins came up with a zinger yesterday calling Christopher Luxon and Nicolas Willis “Fisher and Paykel” because of the incredible amount of spin they produce.

Judith Collins believes proposed changes to enrollment laws breaches Bill of Rights

Written By: - Date published: 12:06 pm, July 28th, 2025 - 29 comments

Judith Collins has issued a Bill of Rights report which concludes that National’s proposed changes to the enrollment electoral laws breach the Bill of Rights Act.

NZ Government is Captured

Written By: - Date published: 12:01 pm, July 24th, 2025 - 11 comments

Winston Peters’ recent “sausage” insults distract From Regulatory Capture in our government. Opinion/analysis by Mountain Tui

So the Government has increased homelessness

Written By: - Date published: 11:20 am, July 24th, 2025 - 11 comments

For some time now National has been crowing about how they have solved the emergency housing problem in Aotearoa. But a recent report suggests that their policies have cause a surge in the number of homeless kiwis.

The Time For The Left To Act Is Now

Written By: - Date published: 8:57 am, July 23rd, 2025 - 50 comments

None of National’s policies are working. But the time of Labour’s policy vacuum needs to be over. It’s time to make their mark and take Luxon front on and win.

Hey Federated Farmers climate change is real

Written By: - Date published: 10:22 am, July 22nd, 2025 - 9 comments

The Commerce Commission has dismissed Federated Farmers’ claim that banks offering lower interest rates to clients who meet greenhouse gas emission targets are engaging in cartel type behavior.

National raided $6,000,000,000 infrastructure & flood fund

Written By: - Date published: 7:47 pm, July 20th, 2025 - 25 comments

Tasman, Top of the South Island patiently waits after National raided $6 billion infrastructure fund

Climate Change and Bumper Sticker Politics

Written By: - Date published: 7:50 am, July 15th, 2025 - 16 comments

Christopher Luxon has engaged in a classic example of bumper sticker politics by blaming Labour for excessive power prices, not the structure of the power sector. And he has completely ignored the imperitave action that climate change demands the country takes.

National Wants to Increase Retirement Age to 67

Written By: - Date published: 11:10 am, June 28th, 2025 - 75 comments

If Luxon and Willis go ahead with it as a policy platform for the 2026 election, and win, a raise in the age of entitlement for national superation will most likely be implemented.

The mother of the mother of all budgets is unrepentant

Written By: - Date published: 3:07 pm, June 20th, 2025 - 15 comments

Ruth Richardson remains totally convinced that her “mother of all budgets” was appropriate and claims that it was responsible for slaying inflation and promoting a high-growth high-wage high-employment economy.

Cecilia Robinson’s Tend Health Win

Written By: - Date published: 1:10 pm, June 12th, 2025 - 37 comments

For-profit healthcare continues its acceleration under National as second largest private healthcare provider in Australia shuts down

Homelessness up by 58% in Auckland

Written By: - Date published: 5:35 pm, June 7th, 2025 - 8 comments

$250mn in emergency housing “savings” a year under National, while government increases corrections budget to ~$2b a year, and will surpass NZ’s ”moral and fiscal prison failure prison rate” by 2026

Work will not be so safe

Written By: - Date published: 3:01 pm, June 4th, 2025 - 11 comments

Brooke Van Velden has announced changes to Workplace safety laws that will see prosecutions of Employers decrease but prosecutions of workers start.

Shut up you dickhead

Written By: - Date published: 8:26 am, June 1st, 2025 - 13 comments

Chris Bishop has chosen to say loudly and publicly “what a load of crap” during a song celebrating Te Reo Maori performed during the Aotearoa Music Awards ceremony.