The Standard

politicans

Categories under politicans

National’s refugee backdown

Written By: - Date published: 9:01 am, September 5th, 2015 - 82 comments

In both England and New Zealand conservative Prime Ministers are looking to urgently backtrack from recent refusals to do anything further for refugees.

Labour plans emergency bill to increase refugee numbers

Written By: - Date published: 4:46 pm, September 4th, 2015 - 67 comments

Labour plans to seek leave to introduce an emergency bill into Parliament on Tuesday to increase the number of refugees the country can receive.

Greens’ climate discussion paper

Written By: - Date published: 7:03 am, September 4th, 2015 - 122 comments

The Greens are attempting something remarkable, a plan that is economically credible, but set in the context of realistic environmental constraints. Did they succeed?

“Get some Guts!”

Written By: - Date published: 1:17 pm, September 3rd, 2015 - 96 comments

Who’s willing to help those suffering in Iraq & Syria now, Prime Minister?

Market forces

Written By: - Date published: 11:17 am, September 3rd, 2015 - 70 comments

Rosemary Macleod on the flag and market forces. Danyl Mclauchlan on the refugee disaster, market forces, and Key. Is this our New Zealand?

How much does New Zealand spend on refugees?

Written By: - Date published: 8:30 am, September 3rd, 2015 - 54 comments

The Government is under increasing pressure to increase the number of refugees that it takes.  Amnesty International’s proposal to double the number could be met by less than the cost of a flag referendum.

Is Syria the first failed state because of climate change?

Written By: - Date published: 9:31 am, September 2nd, 2015 - 172 comments

A climate change induced drought from 2006 to 2009 appears to have sparked the instability that has caused the Syrian Civil war.  The mass exodus of citizens that we are witnessing may be the first of many climate change induced events.

NRT: Meh

Written By: - Date published: 12:06 pm, September 1st, 2015 - 92 comments

Today the government announced the four candidates for John Key’s vanity flag referendum: three ferns (one of them the logo of Immigration NZ and the Companies Office) and a koru. And really, all I can say is “meh”. So how about defining a good way of doing a informal or invalid vote on this stupid first referendum on selecting John Key’s underwear..

Key is relaxed about widespread refugee crisis

Written By: - Date published: 9:02 am, September 1st, 2015 - 58 comments

John Key has ruled out an emergency intake of refugees and claims that New Zealand is doing its bit and that bit is enough.

Away with the economic fairies

Written By: - Date published: 7:02 am, September 1st, 2015 - 40 comments

The ANZ survey shows business confidence at the lowest levels since the financial crisis. Yesterday John Key insisted that it was “reasonably positive”. He was either completely wrong or lying through his teeth. Either way it’s unacceptable.

The politicisation of the All Blacks

Written By: - Date published: 9:22 am, August 31st, 2015 - 224 comments

All Black fan boy John Key opened up Parliament to allow the New Zealand Rugby Union announce this year’s world cup All Black squad on the weekend.

Black Monday wasn’t so bad, John Key is worse

Written By: - Date published: 8:51 am, August 31st, 2015 - 37 comments

Black Monday on the casino Chinese stock markets wasn’t a particular problem for NZ. John Key’s short-term thinking government will be. Both us and our next biggest trading partner Australia are now heavily exposed to falling Chinese imports and falling commodity prices. That is going to hurt over the coming years.

Serco – the company that fails at providing public services

Written By: - Date published: 11:55 am, August 30th, 2015 - 34 comments

They were, until a few months ago, the biggest company you’d never heard of.  They failed in the UK, they failed in Australia and they’ve failed here in our prisons. But they are still making good profits here. They’re a company dedicated, it seems, to making a profit while failing to deliver lots of different public services. We don’t need or want them here.

No, National shouldn’t have balanced the books.

Written By: - Date published: 9:30 am, August 28th, 2015 - 34 comments

Simon Louisson recently made a post about National’s profligacy, and all of the debt they have racked up. Guest poster Michael disagrees with Simon and says that “Yes, National was profligate.” and “No, National should not have balanced the books.”

Nats losing it on the TPP

Written By: - Date published: 7:02 am, August 27th, 2015 - 73 comments

National are trying to evade even the simplest questions on the TPP – because the truth is profoundly undemocratic. As usual Groser and Key turn to insults instead of engaging with people’s legitimate concerns.

NRT: We can no longer trust Bill English’s OIA responses

Written By: - Date published: 12:38 pm, August 26th, 2015 - 8 comments

I/S at No Right Turn writes on the latest abuse of the OIA process.

In face of share market meltdown, Govt’s options limited

Written By: - Date published: 7:15 am, August 26th, 2015 - 55 comments

John Key says New Zealand has options in the face of a share market meltdown and is not like Greece (well that’s a relief). Simon Louisson asks how real are John Key’s options? Thanks to this Government’s profligate past spending, including irresponsible tax cuts, our options have narrowed drastically.

National Ltd™’s Shane Reti Caught Out In Another Lie

Written By: - Date published: 7:12 am, August 26th, 2015 - 32 comments

Shane Reti lied about the process of ratifying the TPP. In a Press Release to the Northern Advocate, Reti states “. . . the agreement comes before parliament and opposition parties and select committees for debate and modifications . . .”

The cost of Joyce’s vanity

Written By: - Date published: 10:47 am, August 25th, 2015 - 21 comments

Another entry in the ongoing story of Steven Joyce’s ego-ministry – $600K for a web site.

NRT: Exposing dirty politics

Written By: - Date published: 10:13 am, August 22nd, 2015 - 39 comments

I/S at No Right Turn on the OIA into communications between Key and Glucina.

John Key’s brighter future is not for everyone

Written By: - Date published: 1:43 pm, August 20th, 2015 - 46 comments

While beneficiary numbers decrease the incidence of beneficiaries being trespassed and the numbers of pregnant women living homeless is increasing. Are we really seeing things improve or are more and more people falling through the cracks?

Nanaia Mahuta: Māori Party should stand up for workers

Written By: - Date published: 3:00 pm, August 19th, 2015 - 17 comments

Nanaia Mahuta is calling on the Māori Party to do the right thing for Māori workers and vote to strengthen the Health and Safety Reform Bill.

Ponytailgate: What does Key have to hide?

Written By: - Date published: 1:41 pm, August 19th, 2015 - 59 comments

The Ombudsman is to investigate John Key’s office’s refusal to provide information about what contact occurred between Key and Rachel Glucina during ponytailgate.

Key priorities – puppy photo op not Pike River people

Written By: - Date published: 9:40 am, August 19th, 2015 - 27 comments

Unbelievable.

Murdoch on Key slash Hosking

Written By: - Date published: 8:54 am, August 19th, 2015 - 15 comments

Muroch-on-key-hosking

Hosking, Henry and Media Bias

Written By: - Date published: 8:35 am, August 18th, 2015 - 187 comments

Yesterday a debate that has occurred on the Standard about how main stream media has a right wing bias became mainstream when Winston Peters accused Mike Hosking of being a National Party Stooge.  An online poll provided overwhelming support for his statement.  And recently Steven Joyce attacked Rod Oram because his analytical thoughtful analysis critical of the Government displayed evidence of left wing bias.

Parsing John Key on TPPA

Written By: - Date published: 1:32 pm, August 17th, 2015 - 72 comments

John Key made some outlandish claims about TPPA opponents this morning on the Paul Henry show.  And in response, as usual, he was not pulled up on his claims by his interviewer.

Labour is the party of economic competence

Written By: - Date published: 7:10 am, August 17th, 2015 - 147 comments

The old myth that National are good managers of the economy should now be well dead and buried. For a recent case study see Robertson vs Joyce on dairy prices…

Caption contest

Written By: - Date published: 12:00 pm, August 16th, 2015 - 78 comments

Keep it seemly …

Who is to blame for Solid Energy’s failure

Written By: - Date published: 9:52 am, August 16th, 2015 - 64 comments

… and why is Solid Energy removing links to its Annual reports from its website?

TPPA Protest review

Written By: - Date published: 4:55 pm, August 15th, 2015 - 38 comments

An open post to cover  the TPPA protests today. In Auckland it was big and noisy with an estimated 10,000 plus people attending.  Congratulations to the organisers including Jane Kelsey and well done to everyone who turned up despite the weather.  There is a lot of anger building over this issue and I am sure the […]