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Social issues

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Roast busters – not prosecuted?

Written By: - Date published: 2:13 pm, October 29th, 2014 - 182 comments

“A lack of evidence”. Seriously?

Update: Confirmed.

Slater sued

Written By: - Date published: 8:49 pm, October 28th, 2014 - 53 comments

Radio NZ has a post up “Tribunal hears blogger privacy case”. A prosecution of Cameron Slater under the Privacy Act for breaching Matthew Blomfields privacy. I suspect that over the next 3-4 days Slater will ponce around acting out courtroom fantasies that have little to do with the law. And will probably get hammered. Good. (Updated)

Emmerson – The bloodsucker’s treat

Written By: - Date published: 11:51 am, October 28th, 2014 - 6 comments

emmerson-employment

National losing the middle?

Written By: - Date published: 8:23 am, October 28th, 2014 - 133 comments

In its first term, National was very careful to be incremental – Key hung to the middle, chipping away carefully at workers’ rights without doing anything dramatic. Having gained the public’s trust by continuing (outside the House) to be a clown they’d like to have a drink with, they went with one big hit with […]

Labour day – thank a unionist

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, October 27th, 2014 - 72 comments

Today is a day to celebrate the rights hard won by workers and unions, past and present. There’s a reason it’s called “Labour Day” not “Free Market Day”…

Collective bargaining? Yeah right …

Written By: - Date published: 10:30 am, October 26th, 2014 - 11 comments

JAmooches continues their analysis of the effects of the Employment Relations Amendment Bill. Today the focus is on the provisions that negate the requirement for the parties to act in good faith bargaining, in particular for being able to conclude collective agreements.

NRT: National lets Shell drill illegally

Written By: - Date published: 10:28 am, October 26th, 2014 - 14 comments

Illegal drilling in our “Exclusive Economic Zone” gets let off with a “warning”.

Poverty and the need to belong

Written By: - Date published: 8:03 am, October 25th, 2014 - 37 comments

I’ve read a couple of thought-provoking accounts of poverty lately. There are common themes – issues that the political right, which can only see “the poor” as separate from “us”, will never understand and acknowledge.

Hager vs police – suppressing debate

Written By: - Date published: 6:46 am, October 24th, 2014 - 71 comments

The police and Hager are in the process of initiating legal proceedings against each other. The police action against Hager was and is designed to intimidate, to suppress debate. Rod Oram calls shame on dirty politics and the people who perpetrate it.

Raising money for good works

Written By: - Date published: 12:54 pm, October 23rd, 2014 - 15 comments

One of the features of recent weeks has been the remarkable success of the online fund raising to allow Nicky Hager required to challenge the police raid. My partner Lyn has similarly had success in raising money for her to transfer skills to charity workers in India. I am now resigned to living on my own for a time while she does good works elsewhere.

Open mike 23/10/2014

Written By: - Date published: 6:40 am, October 23rd, 2014 - 193 comments

Open mike is your post. The Standard is not a conspiracy – just a welcome outlet for the expression of views. Leaders that command respect will not be undermined by this. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …

Measuring poverty

Written By: - Date published: 9:38 am, October 22nd, 2014 - 40 comments

The National government has always been selective about what it likes to measure, and so far refused to measure poverty. Under questioning on Morning Report this morning Key finally made a commitment to do so. We must hold him to it.

NRT: National’s failure on housing

Written By: - Date published: 1:54 pm, October 21st, 2014 - 25 comments

A year ago National rammed through special housing areas promising 9000 homes consented in the first year under it. Over the last year they have managed to build 5 and consented 294. Nick Smith fails maths yet again. This year 13,000 – yeah right!

Hypocrisy and the cost of crime

Written By: - Date published: 7:54 am, October 21st, 2014 - 58 comments

The Government canned a report on the costs of various kinds of economic crime. RNZ obtained a copy under the OIA, and we can see why the Nats would never have wanted it released…

Strategic voting

Written By: - Date published: 6:44 am, October 20th, 2014 - 196 comments

It’s all very well taking the moral high ground on strategic voting, but the nice guys are finishing last. Enough already, time for the Left to use the same tactics as the Nats.

Len Brown’s future

Written By: - Date published: 8:53 am, October 19th, 2014 - 41 comments

The Herald has stated that Penny Hulse will not rule out an attempt at the Super City Mayoralty although she will not do so if Len Brown is standing. Now is a good time for Len to say what he intends to do.

No point in state houses

Written By: - Date published: 8:32 am, October 18th, 2014 - 75 comments

There’s no point in state houses. Not according to the Nats anyway. Unbelievable.

Sherman Cunliffe

Written By: - Date published: 8:50 pm, October 17th, 2014 - 308 comments

Surely this should put Paddy Gower and co to bed once and for all. With great grace despite Shearer’s baiting, and with great clarity, Cunliffe has declared he will never seek the Labour leadership again. It was Shermanesque. Now surely he can get on with using his great talent for Labour and not have him […]

David Parker – my choice for Leader

Written By: - Date published: 7:12 am, October 15th, 2014 - 199 comments

Heavyweight Cabinet experience, strong egalitarian values, a cool debater, with a passion for manufacturing and a high-value economy, a good deal of steel and with an open mind and a twinkle in his eye – these are the reasons why I support David Parker for Labour Party Leader.

The housing dream

Written By: - Date published: 2:06 pm, October 14th, 2014 - 23 comments

The “Kiwi dream” is over – the housing crisis just gets worse and worse.

Dear David Shearer

Written By: - Date published: 8:51 am, October 14th, 2014 - 278 comments

David Shearer has chosen to publicly call for unity while at the same time attacking David Cunliffe and the concept that Labour’s leadership should be representative.

Andrew Little: Law changes shaping up to be worse than first thought

Written By: - Date published: 8:43 pm, October 13th, 2014 - 24 comments

Good to see David Cunliffe backing Andrew Little. He’s a strong left-wing candidate who is already taking John Key’s attack on workers rights head-on today. Law changes shaping up to be worse than first thought by Andrew Little on October 13, 2014 The Prime Minister needs to be up front about exactly what changes he is planning […]

Some thoughts on David Cunliffe’s withdrawal

Written By: - Date published: 2:30 pm, October 13th, 2014 - 111 comments

Some personal comments on news today that David Cunliffe has withdrawn from the Labour leadership contest.

David Cunliffe announces withdrawal from the Labour Party leadership contest

Written By: - Date published: 2:11 pm, October 13th, 2014 - 336 comments

Statement from David Cunliffe I am today announcing that I have decided not to nominate for the 2014 Labour Party leadership contest. It has been a hard decision to make but it is one that I believe is in the best interests of the wider Labour Party. There is so much work to do on […]

Cunliffe to pull out?

Written By: - Date published: 12:35 pm, October 13th, 2014 - 154 comments

Only a rumour at this stage…

Terrorism and thoughtcrime

Written By: - Date published: 6:54 am, October 13th, 2014 - 51 comments

Key is considering bringing in thoughtcrime. Guilt by association. Detaining people because they may commit a crime.

And then there were four

Written By: - Date published: 6:33 pm, October 11th, 2014 - 156 comments

David Parker is likely to join the leadership race tomorrow…

Update: Confirmed – David Parker is standing.

Donations still rolling in for Hager

Written By: - Date published: 9:42 am, October 11th, 2014 - 16 comments

Assisted no doubt by attempts to have the fund shut down, donations are still rolling in for Nicky Hager’s defence.

Headbutting Bunnies

Written By: - Date published: 7:13 pm, October 10th, 2014 - 8 comments

I watched the NRL Grand Final last Sunday night and pleased to see the Rabbitohs win. But I was sickened by what I saw from James Graham – two tackles led with his head fractured Sam Burgess’ cheekbone and saw David Tyrell stretchered off the field with concussion, not to return. Burgess should also have been taken from the field, and head tackles  outlawed as they are in American football.

Noam Chomsky on Student debt

Written By: - Date published: 2:00 pm, October 10th, 2014 - 61 comments

Have Student loans made current University Students less radical?

Onya, Granny!

Written By: - Date published: 11:05 am, October 10th, 2014 - 46 comments

Today’s Herald editorial raises important questions about the police search of Nicky Hager’s home. “Inconvenient and embarrassing disclosures do not justify police actions to uncover journalistic sources. The effect of such raids is to intimidate such people from approaching media to disclose uncomfortable truths.”