The Standard

spin

Categories under spin

All the left wants is a clean contest of ideas

Written By: - Date published: 8:56 am, September 15th, 2015 - 153 comments

Josie Pagani yesterday chose as a left wing commentator to condemn Jeremy Corbyn’s politics as being based on narcissism where hard decisions never need to be made, and the unpopularity of a policy was evidence not of its failure but of its virtue.  She should have analysed his history before making these claims.  And in the interests of balance the media really needs to choose left wing commentators who will proudly stand up and support progressive ideals rather than repeat right wing attack lines.

UK – Cameron loses his shit, new members flood to Labour

Written By: - Date published: 6:10 am, September 14th, 2015 - 183 comments

Cameron hysterical tweet

Inside National’s spin machine

Written By: - Date published: 10:32 am, September 11th, 2015 - 81 comments

A very interesting post in The Herald yesterday by Grant McLachlan (former Parliamentary researcher and a Nat campaign director) detailing National’s well resourced and well organised spin machine.

MPs are harmful to digital communications

Written By: - Date published: 8:23 am, September 11th, 2015 - 21 comments

As anticipated, what is the first complaint at this site under the Harmful Digital Communications Act 2015? Not from a kid cyber-bullied by the classmates. But by an adult trying to stifle legitimate criticism and analysis of what they wrote and distributed digitally. And they didn’t read what they were required to do under the act.

The left like Red Peak flag coz Nazis

Written By: - Date published: 10:19 am, September 7th, 2015 - 74 comments

According to Cameron Slater the left support the Red Peak flag coz the Nazis used to brand political prisoners with a red triangle that looks like an upside down red flag.

Syrian refugees – National backs down

Written By: - Date published: 8:16 am, September 7th, 2015 - 73 comments

The backtrack is under way.  Last week National was not budging on refugee numbers.  Today they will announced an urgent passage allowing for the intake of more Syrian refugees.  The focus groups have spoken. Update: and the announcement is for 600 new refugees over 3 years and $4,9 million in increased aid.

Crazy Corbyn?

Written By: - Date published: 7:11 am, September 3rd, 2015 - 88 comments

Jeremy Corbyn’s popularity in the UK Labour leadership race has the political establishment in a tizzy. So of course, out come the dirty tactics. Private Eye has done a great job of showing up one of these….

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.

Mike Hosking – The case of the vanishing journalist

Written By: - Date published: 9:24 am, August 29th, 2015 - 84 comments

To try and excuse his obvious bias Mike Hosking is now claiming not to be a journalist (unfortunate that his bio material says he is). That Hosking would try and disown journalism speaks volumes to his character.

National scared of farmers?

Written By: - Date published: 7:07 am, August 24th, 2015 - 41 comments

As the worm turns, the Nats are all over the place on health and safety. Andrew Little suggests that National is “terrified of the farming lobby”. Something sure has to explain the fact that they ended up fronting this crock.

Health and safety categories – ludicrous and venal

Written By: - Date published: 8:07 am, August 22nd, 2015 - 8 comments

A small sample of the reaction to National’s “health” and “safety” nonsense.

Government braces for expected worm farm mini golf fatality onslaught

Written By: - Date published: 7:30 am, August 21st, 2015 - 50 comments

Apparently worm farms and mini golf ranges are dangerous places.  And worm farmers playing mini golf are in grave peril.

Gower and the 3 News ratings slump

Written By: - Date published: 9:53 am, August 20th, 2015 - 68 comments

Seems like Hosking is not the only journalist attracting attention for his obvious pro-National bias.

Most allegations against Julian Assange dropped

Written By: - Date published: 6:39 pm, August 18th, 2015 - 94 comments

Most of the allegations against Assange have been dropped but Swedish authorities still refuse to question him in London. And Assange still hasn’t been charged with a single crime.

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.

Williams sues Craig and Bomber takes on Police

Written By: - Date published: 2:53 pm, August 14th, 2015 - 44 comments

Two breaking news stories as Jordan Williams gets in first and sues Colin Craig and Martyn Bradbury is spoken to by police about a blog post advocating civil disobedience.

Free beer for all

Written By: - Date published: 10:46 am, August 12th, 2015 - 191 comments

Diversion alert.  The Government considers that urgency should be given to changing the law to allow more beer to be drunk when the All Blacks are playing during the Rugby World Cup.

#Sheepgate – Key’s cheerleaders are sent in

Written By: - Date published: 9:06 am, August 7th, 2015 - 62 comments

John Armstrong thinks that National has bested Labour over #sheepgate because Key keeps saying it is all Labour’s fault.  And Hosking thinks the payment has a good business case despite the payment having not achieved the result that was being sought,

The Flag will make us rich

Written By: - Date published: 12:21 pm, August 6th, 2015 - 66 comments

John Key thinks the new flag will make us all rich and be worth billions.

The dump of the #sheepgate papers

Written By: - Date published: 8:52 am, August 5th, 2015 - 97 comments

The sheepgate papers have been dumped and despite John Key’s claims to the contrary the only evidence of a change in position on live sheep exports is that of the National Government, not the previous Labour Government.

TPPA hopefully sinking again

Written By: - Date published: 12:52 pm, August 1st, 2015 - 52 comments

Looks like the TPP press conference has been delayed. Good. Lets hope this restraint of trade agreement stays that way. I had time to look at the varied opinions in the Herald this morning. A range from the good to the pathetic…

Jumped tripped or fell

Written By: - Date published: 11:36 am, July 29th, 2015 - 27 comments

mount-eden-interior

National’s week from hell

Written By: - Date published: 8:30 am, July 26th, 2015 - 43 comments

This was the week from hell for National when they experienced the Serco fiasco, news that they responded to a suggestion they close a failing Charter School by giving it more money, the Judicial spanking of their undermining of the Problem Gambling Foundation and the ruling that their legislation removing the rights of some prisoners to vote was a breach of the country’s human rights.

Failing Charter School punished by increase in funding

Written By: - Date published: 1:33 pm, July 24th, 2015 - 33 comments

The Friday afternoon bad news dump is on with news that Education Minister was recommended to close a poorly performing charter school.  She has elected not to do so and to instead give the school extra money.

The great state house sell off – small groups need not apply

Written By: - Date published: 12:19 pm, July 21st, 2015 - 10 comments

Treasure has indicated that the sell off of State housing should occur in minimum lots of a hundred houses.  Only large wealthy organisations need apply and claims that the sale was about the building of capacity amongst local social service providers cannot be reconciled with this.

National doesn’t know what it’s doing on foreign buyers

Written By: - Date published: 11:41 am, July 20th, 2015 - 158 comments

National on a foreign buyers register: Smith says no, English says yes, Collins says maybe, Key says – bad Labour!

Ben Guerin: a dirty politics fuckwit

Written By: - Date published: 5:11 pm, July 13th, 2015 - 104 comments

This pathetic young nat dickhead has slapped up a site purporting to be Labour. But he left his fingerprints all over the site. He is employed by a National party list MP Brent Hudson. You’d think he’d be old enough to not to leave his fingerprints while jerking off in dirty politics… Or not do dirty politics at all. Updated: site removed.

Another #Keyfib about Kiwisaver

Written By: - Date published: 8:27 am, July 10th, 2015 - 42 comments

The treasury release of budget policy advice suggests that John Key’s claim that changes to Kiwisaver would not have any effect on participation numbers was, ahem, erroneous.

The surplusgoround

Written By: - Date published: 2:18 pm, July 8th, 2015 - 56 comments

The on again off again surplus is on again. Key will be kicking himself for telling us all that we’re not interested in this artificial target.

What is it with Herald Gossip Columnists?

Written By: - Date published: 8:43 am, July 5th, 2015 - 197 comments

Another Herald Gossip Columnist has managed to land herself in hot water this week.