The Standard

Social issues

Categories under Social issues

Green Shoots, Anyone?

Written By: - Date published: 4:11 pm, January 30th, 2026 - 27 comments

There is no evidence of immediate improvement in our economy, or of this government improving it.

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.

What price is a “Kiwi” worth?

Written By: - Date published: 8:25 am, January 22nd, 2026 - 11 comments

Some NZ hospitals are going into critical status at least twice a day, turning away patients who are then as twice likely to die. Plus: National isn’t meeting its targets and election day announced.

The Carney speech

Written By: - Date published: 6:09 am, January 22nd, 2026 - 44 comments

“The old order is not coming back. We should not mourn it. Nostalgia is not a strategy.

But from the fracture, we can build something better, stronger, and more just.

The powerful have their power. But we have something too – the capacity to stop pretending, to name reality, to build our strength at home, and to act together.”

Luxon’s utu

Written By: - Date published: 11:11 am, January 17th, 2026 - 10 comments

Christopher Luxon is extracting utu on Chris Bishop for his pre Christmas attempted coup by making Bishop eat humble pie on his plans to allow intensification in Auckland’s inner suburbs.

Iran in the vortex – what’s really going on?

Written By: - Date published: 9:27 pm, January 16th, 2026 - 26 comments

To understand what’s going on in Iran, abandon what the Persians invented centuries ago: Manichaeism, black-and-white, political framing.

Affordability is not about prices – it is about extraction

Written By: - Date published: 11:25 am, January 9th, 2026 - 10 comments

The real affordability crisis lies in the systematic extraction of income from households.

Simeon Brown sidesteps key issues in “catastrophic” Manage My Health breach

Written By: - Date published: 9:39 am, January 6th, 2026 - 12 comments

The company has been accused of using outdated encryption protocols, and has been slow to respond to community concerns. And importantly, has National put our other public health data at risk too?

Happy New Year from The Standard

Written By: - Date published: 9:44 am, January 1st, 2026 - 7 comments

Happy New Year to all the readers, commenters, and fellow authors/mods at The Standard

Advantage’s 2026 predictions

Written By: - Date published: 12:03 pm, December 23rd, 2025 - 11 comments

Advantage gets out the crystal ball and postilated what may happen next year.

Good work if you can get it

Written By: - Date published: 11:36 am, December 21st, 2025 - 9 comments

National’s Ministerial Retail Advisory Group leader Sunny Kaushall has hit the headlines for huge catering costs inluding paying $9 for bottles of coke worth $5.50. But the deeper story should be why his activity, which is clearly political in nature, being funded by a fund set aside for victims.

The Tunnels project and SH 1 to Wellington Airport

Written By: - Date published: 9:50 am, December 20th, 2025 - 13 comments

The plan ignores standard traffic planning practice, takes no account of predicted sea level rise and will be obsolete before the last stone is turned.

Much ado about nothing

Written By: - Date published: 11:55 am, December 19th, 2025 - 6 comments

The Taxpayer’s Union campaign against Nicola Willis’s Socialist handling of the economy, complete with novelty fudge has crashed unceremoniously. The sponsors have clearly spoken.

National takes $90 million awarded for Wairarapa Masterton Hospital – for itself

Written By: - Date published: 7:31 am, December 19th, 2025 - 3 comments

Shane Reti and Simeon Brown

Masterton hospital has been deemed structurally unsafe with money awarded for its remediation after a long court case.

It’s Changed Too Much For The Nostalgia Cure

Written By: - Date published: 10:23 am, December 14th, 2025 - 13 comments

If Labour wins government in 2026, many things won’t be recoverable.

$270 a year more in energy costs for householders – Government pushes fossil fuel / agricultural corporate welfare

Written By: - Date published: 9:48 am, December 13th, 2025 - 5 comments

Under a series of science driven policy options, National / ACT and NZ First unanimously choose “catastrophic peril”. Anything for the fossil fuel and farmer industry, but at what cost, NZ?

Jason Walls’ Odd Choices & Chris Bishop’s Sly RMA

Written By: - Date published: 11:47 am, December 10th, 2025 - 13 comments

Jason Walls is a former Newstalk ZB Political Editor turned TVNZ business correspondent. Under his choices, can we still rely on 1News business reports? Plus: Chris Bishop’s nefarious RMA play

Privatisation and Plunder

Written By: - Date published: 4:36 pm, December 9th, 2025 - 3 comments

Privatisation and Plunder is essential reading for those who want to work for a society where prosperity for all is the aim.

“National is Getting NZ Back on Track”?

Written By: - Date published: 2:21 pm, December 8th, 2025 - 13 comments

That’s the headline of the pamphlet in the letterbox. But from their own measures is that true?

From In and Down to Outward-In: The Big Picture matters

Written By: - Date published: 11:19 am, December 7th, 2025 - 2 comments

The world is entering a generation of challenges not seen since the late 1930s. New Zealand is better placed than most states to weather this challenge if it prepares now.

Seymour and the mouldy meal

Written By: - Date published: 11:29 am, December 2nd, 2025 - 22 comments

David Seymour’s campaign to reduce the so called excessive spend on Labour’s school lunches have struck a rather awkward problem. At least for one school recently provided lunches were inedible which basically destroys the whole reason for having them.

Abolishing New Zealand’s Regional Councils

Written By: - Date published: 7:06 am, November 30th, 2025 - 19 comments

The government on Tuesday announced plans to replace regional councillors with boards made up of mayors and maybe some minister-appointed representatives. It’s a mess.

David Seymour’s Act Repeals Freedom and Democracy

Written By: - Date published: 1:43 pm, November 22nd, 2025 - 28 comments

For all people who believe and stand for freedom & democracy, know thy enemy, who has a name and a platform.

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.

Some Number 8 Fencing Wire in Gaza

Written By: - Date published: 4:01 pm, November 7th, 2025 - 10 comments

The importance of a New Zealand focus
on the rebuild of Gaza.

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.

National’s Measles Gambit

Written By: - Date published: 10:51 pm, November 3rd, 2025 - 52 comments

As measles cases increase, National and ACT have chosen to come over the top of health officials and schools exercising caution.

Tend Health re-brands as Aratataki – A “Charity” – And Lobbied Simeon Brown

Written By: - Date published: 12:15 pm, November 2nd, 2025 - 90 comments

Cecilia Robinson and Chris Luxon

Ryan Bridges fawns over Tend’s Telehealth corporate model which is subsidised by taxpayers, rewards private equity investors, and costs about $80 per consult

The attempted hostile takeover of Kelston Boys High School

Written By: - Date published: 10:17 am, October 31st, 2025 - 24 comments

Individual State Schools face the prospect of hostile takeover by groups that may wish to change dramatically the way that the school is run. And Kelston Boys High School is a test case for how the process may work.

CGT – The Empire strikes back

Written By: - Date published: 10:06 am, October 30th, 2025 - 140 comments

The usual voices have publicly attacked Labour’s proposed Capital Gains Tax using arguments that do not stack up.