The Standard

politicans

Categories under politicans

What will Winston do if National sacks Luxon?

Written By: - Date published: 12:53 pm, March 9th, 2026 - 16 comments

Winston Peters has been in this scenario before. The brutal replacement of Jim Bolger as PM in 1997 eventually saw Peters walk away from the coalition. What will happen this time around?

Dead man walking

Written By: - Date published: 8:46 am, March 6th, 2026 - 65 comments

It has been a hell of a week for Christopher Luxon. His performance particularly over Iran has been appalling. And a new poll puts National under 30%.

TVNZ Board Chair Andrew Barclay pro-actively reached out to Paul Goldsmith on 1News Gang Story

Written By: - Date published: 7:56 pm, March 4th, 2026 - 5 comments

Andrew Barclay

TVNZ Board members reached out to Paul Goldsmith on media stories, and later added stories to satisfy National Party Ministers

New Zealand needs regime change

Written By: - Date published: 11:56 am, March 3rd, 2026 - 22 comments

A prime minister who does not understand how vulnerable New Zealand’s economy is to a Middle Eastern war as we have now, is a Prime Minister who should be removed from office.

On The Iran War

Written By: - Date published: 8:00 pm, March 2nd, 2026 - 55 comments

Funny…when Russia invaded Ukraine, New Zealand didn’t wait for Putin to tell us whether his aggression was legal under international law. Different story when it comes to the Americans.

So much for being the President of Peace

Written By: - Date published: 8:59 am, March 1st, 2026 - 29 comments

Trump’s attack on Iran is one hell of a way to divert away from the Epstein files.

The United States and Israel attack Iran, again

Written By: - Date published: 8:27 am, March 1st, 2026 - 42 comments

Trump’s attack on Iran has a high risk of turning into another Afghanistan in which the United States was utterly humiliated.

Don’t fight the last war

Written By: - Date published: 5:53 pm, February 28th, 2026 - 29 comments

Hannah Spencer’s stunning win for the Greens in the the UK’s Gorton and Denton by-election has some lessons for political strategists here as well.

Gangs outnumber police in New Zealand – But That’s Not All

Written By: - Date published: 12:56 pm, February 27th, 2026 - 7 comments

Gang profits have doubled, international organised crime strengthening their hooks, NZ has lost experienced cops, retail crime is up and often being ignored, drug use is at full blown crisis, domestic violence at 8 year highs, and the violent crime numbers are off base

Paul Goldsmith tried to get homeless arrested 18 years ago

Written By: - Date published: 2:28 pm, February 26th, 2026 - 7 comments

Senior National Party Cabinet Minister tried to have police arrest homelessness in Auckland 18 years ago. This year he succeeded

In support of Chris Bishop

Written By: - Date published: 9:17 am, February 26th, 2026 - 12 comments

Chris Bishop was forced to eat humble pie this week on his plan to make Auckland a more compact city. And the Government’s backflip on the number of new dwellings makes a mockery of Auckland Council’s recent consultation on Plan Change 120. How councillors are supposed to weigh the new proposal with open minds under that kind of pressure is anyone’s guess.

Fining beggars

Written By: - Date published: 10:00 am, February 23rd, 2026 - 20 comments

Fining beggers will only increase their problems and moving them on will not solve the problem only spread it around.

Should job hiring be fair and transparent?

Written By: - Date published: 12:03 pm, February 20th, 2026 - 13 comments

Honi soit qui mal y pense.

Why can’t Government Ministers say “climate change”?

Written By: - Date published: 12:36 pm, February 18th, 2026 - 14 comments

In the midst of multiple states of emergency caused by climate change induced rainfall Mark Mitchell and Christopher Luxon have reverted to Oil Industry talking points that what is happening is “just weather” and that “weather changes.”

A comparison between the LNG Terminal deal and the NZ Steel deal

Written By: - Date published: 11:11 am, February 16th, 2026 - 14 comments

A comparison of the LNG Terminal deal and the previous Government’s deal with NZ Steel to replace its coal fired furnace with a renewable energy supplied electric arc furnace clearly shows what this Government’s priorities are.

New Electricity Tax Coming

Written By: - Date published: 3:07 pm, February 10th, 2026 - 19 comments

National Party, laser focused on the cost of living, threw away ~$1 billion on ferries, introduced Paywave changes that will increase fees & are now levying a new tax on Kiwi families and businesses

Despite Denials, US-NZ Minerals Agreement likely to proceed

Written By: - Date published: 10:02 pm, February 8th, 2026 - 9 comments

The NZ government has shrouded US rare minerals discussions in secrecy, refusing to provide information to Kiwis even as the US confirms talks are in progress. The agreement may requires countries to commit to accelerated and extended mining

Fast Track law fails at the first big hurdle

Written By: - Date published: 9:19 am, February 8th, 2026 - 18 comments

Environmental groups have cheered the draft Panel’s decision refusing to allow Taranaki’s continental shelf from being smashed up to extract rare earth minerals. But how will the Government respond?

Are whales people? The Green Party Bill to give whales personhood

Written By: - Date published: 12:10 pm, February 7th, 2026 - 47 comments

Save the whales! (and ourselves)

GOOD NEWS: Fast-Track Seabed mining application rejected

Written By: - Date published: 9:00 am, February 6th, 2026 - 7 comments

TTR were asked to apply for Fast-Track by Chris Bishop after trying and failing for a decade through NZ courts. Yesterday, it looked like they were rejected again

“Surprise” unemployment high masks more damaging developments

Written By: - Date published: 12:50 pm, February 4th, 2026 - 8 comments

Unemployment hits 5.4% in the December quarter, but that doesn’t include the 140,000 plus Kiwi citizens that have fled in the last 2 years

Game on: Labour and the Greens speak to media from Waitangi

Written By: - Date published: 2:28 pm, February 3rd, 2026 - 28 comments

Chris Hipkins, Marama Davidson, and Chloe Swarbrick speak on unity, working together while being separate partners, and the upcoming election.

Is Shane Jones really to blame?

Written By: - Date published: 8:37 am, February 3rd, 2026 - 9 comments

NZ First is openly allegiant to commercial fishers, mining (fossil fuels) and tobacco companies, but is it really their fault?

Shane Jones loves fossil fuels

Written By: - Date published: 1:09 pm, February 2nd, 2026 - 9 comments

National has allowed Shane Jones to effectively veto the country signing up to a road map away from the use of fossil fuels supported by much of the world that was consistent with current policy settings.

What does Labour do about Winston?

Written By: - Date published: 2:29 pm, February 1st, 2026 - 61 comments

Current polling suggests that we may witness something that has not happened before, a one term National Government. But this may mean Labour making a deal with Winston Peters. What should Labour do?

Mr 8%

Written By: - Date published: 7:57 am, January 30th, 2026 - 14 comments

2026 school lunches are just as bad, but they are also emblematic of Seymour’s spin and facade

Who would have thunk that slashing Health IT budgets would result in IT outages

Written By: - Date published: 2:03 pm, January 29th, 2026 - 9 comments

A year after the Government slashed a third of Health IT jobs the Auckland hospital system has suffered a massive IT outage.

How the Atlas Network is shaping your life, even if you’ve never heard of it

Written By: - Date published: 8:14 am, January 28th, 2026 - 43 comments

Australia’s media covers the nefarious rise and links of Atlas Network in Australia and NZ.

Civil war wasn’t inevitable – but it may be

Written By: - Date published: 6:55 am, January 26th, 2026 - 268 comments

How misinformation and lies created the environment for battle in the US and elsewhere

The rise of Winston follows the rise of Pauline Hansen and Nigel Farage

Written By: - Date published: 6:05 am, January 25th, 2026 - 47 comments

Ten months to go and there is no political party currently countering the sustained rise of New Zealand First.

Should Luxon join Trump’s Board of Peace?

Written By: - Date published: 9:27 am, January 21st, 2026 - 16 comments

Donald Trump invited Christopher Luxon to join a new organisation to oversee the redevelopment of Gaza and eventually the replacement of the United Nations. How should Luxon respond?