The Standard

Social issues

Categories under Social issues

1938 13

Written By: - Date published: 8:05 am, August 11th, 2013 - 5 comments

A Sunday feature – each week a random section scanned from a copy of The Standard, September 15th, 1938. Find out more here.

Work – its precarious

Written By: - Date published: 10:51 am, August 9th, 2013 - 50 comments

The Governments attack on workers pay seems even more nasty given the stats released this week that show wages stagnating as prices increase especially those prices that workers spend their money on – housing, power, food etc. But the changes to the ERA going through the house will also increase insecurity. I spent Wednesday and […]

Labour supports Plunket

Written By: - Date published: 12:47 pm, August 8th, 2013 - 61 comments

Another good policy announcement from David Shearer.

“The problem gambler”: Key & SkyCity

Written By: - Date published: 12:05 pm, August 8th, 2013 - 10 comments

Brand Key – CEO of NZ Inc, speculator, gambler, spinmeister – epitomises the “neoliberal revolution”.  Gambling & other consumerist addictions are blamed on the individual. A court case against SkyCity shows the contradictory links between gambling, smoking, corporate influence & “insatiable consumerism.”

Support for off shore speculator ban

Written By: - Date published: 3:29 pm, August 7th, 2013 - 51 comments

support-housing-policy

Hypocrisy in the House: GCSB Bill

Written By: - Date published: 10:11 am, August 7th, 2013 - 46 comments

The debates during last night’s filibuster if the GCSB amendment Bill exposed the hypocrisy of John Key, and hangers on Peter Dunne and John Banks: as seen in  the videos of the speeches by Goff, Cunliffe and Peters.

Law Society – GCSB Bill still flawed

Written By: - Date published: 6:13 pm, August 6th, 2013 - 23 comments

A timely press release from the Law Society. The revisions to the GCSB Bill “do not address the fundamental flaws in the bill and the legislation should not proceed”. Peter Dunne, your last fig-leaf is ripped away. Please do not vote for this travesty.

GCSB Bill to be debated today

Written By: - Date published: 12:22 pm, August 6th, 2013 - 37 comments

GCSB KeyThe GCSB bill is due to be debated in Parliament this afternoon. It appears that the Government will have the numbers to pass the Bill but what will be of interest will be the linguistic somersaults Key will engage in to show why he should be allowed to strongly defend his own rights of privacy but trash Andrea Vance’s rights and Dunne will engage in to show that there is a principle at stake when he protects his rights of privacy but there is no need to protect our rights of privacy if the price is right.

Murdoch’s knives out in Oz election

Written By: - Date published: 9:07 pm, August 5th, 2013 - 13 comments

Rupert’s at it again. The Murdoch media were vicious in their pursuit of Gillard but it wasn’t personal. Now they’re after Rudd. And with Rudd as well, it isn’t personal or even political, it’s business as usual. Content download on high-quality broadband is the main threat to pay tv, and Labor’s NBN is perceived as worse for Murdoch’s SkyTV than the Coalition’s version.

Schadenfreude

Written By: - Date published: 3:36 pm, August 5th, 2013 - 59 comments

Schadenfreude.

First they came for……………….

Botulism scare products

Written By: - Date published: 8:48 am, August 5th, 2013 - 109 comments

The information on which products are at risk from the Fonterra botulism scare has taken far too long to come out. Thanks 3 News for this list.

1938 12

Written By: - Date published: 8:23 am, August 4th, 2013 - 1 comment

A Sunday feature – each week a random section scanned from a copy of The Standard, September 15th, 1938. Find out more here.

Hand of control?

Written By: - Date published: 6:43 pm, August 3rd, 2013 - 59 comments

John Key’s artwork is labeled, “Hand of government”. Does John Key think he is the sole element of government?  What delusion is this?  I look at some definitions of “government”.  What title would you give this (alleged) work of art?

Guardian at the gate

Written By: - Date published: 7:21 am, August 3rd, 2013 - 82 comments

There is a fascinating article in today’s Guardian re links between Britain’s GCHQ (equivalent of our GCSB) and the US’s NSA. All three are linked in the UKUSA network. It puts a whole new light on why Key wants to loosen our laws.

John Key trashes the Constitution

Written By: - Date published: 8:14 am, August 2nd, 2013 - 55 comments

john key is confusedJohn Key is getting into the habit of trashing important constitutional principles.  The freedom of the press, the independence of Parliamentary Services and the principle that even the Prime Minister is subject to Parliament and the Privileges Committee have all been attacked recently.  What next?

Waking up the fourth estate

Written By: - Date published: 7:05 am, August 1st, 2013 - 39 comments

Is this what it takes to wake up the fourth estate so they truly fulfill their role to speak truth to power?  Andrea Vance is mad as hell about the “hacking” of her phone records.  Press freedom and all our democratic rights are in danger.  Stop the GCSB Bill!

The magical world of New Zealand’s, Neo-Liberal right wing.

Written By: - Date published: 6:06 am, August 1st, 2013 - 83 comments

It has been obvious that some people live in a different world than the rest of us. One where Chicago school economics, work! One where you save the village by blowing it up! One where global warming can be stopped, Canute like, by legislation. One where dropping wages and giving everything to bloated financiers, makes […]

It Wasn’t the Workers or Unions Misusing their Power that Killed the Pike River Miners – CTU Submission

Written By: - Date published: 6:57 pm, July 31st, 2013 - 4 comments

Tomorrow we will deliver our Submission on the Legislation implementing the recommendations of the Pike River Inquiry. Despite the PM saying all the recommendations would be implemented – the legislation falls well short on the issue of tripartism for the Governance of the new agency WorkSafe. The Royal Commission of Inquiry into Pike and the […]

Reaction to housing policy

Written By: - Date published: 8:17 am, July 31st, 2013 - 134 comments

Labour will be pleased at the reaction to its Latest housing policy, from Vernon Small, John Armstrong and (knock me down with a feather) Colin Espiner. Opinion polling is also in favour.

Speculation

Written By: - Date published: 8:32 pm, July 30th, 2013 - 143 comments

I know many of the liberal left don’t like or can’t accept the thought that banning non-residents from speculating on residential property in NZ is in any way xenophobic. Thankfully, from my perspective at least, the liberal left doesn’t speak for the whole of the left. Thing is, this banning of foreign investment is similar […]

The non-resident property speculators are….?

Written By: - Date published: 10:03 am, July 30th, 2013 - 50 comments

An NZ Herald Editorial exposes John Key’s politically motivated spin against Shearer’s housing policy, but also takes some swipes at the “left”. Gower misleads, by repeating Key’s “anti-Asian” smears, supported by the eg of a website targeting South African property speculators.

Questions for Key

Written By: - Date published: 8:45 am, July 30th, 2013 - 61 comments

Why is it acceptable to his government that, under the current law, Kiwi families can be outbid for Kiwi houses by overseas speculators who have no intention of living here? What good to the New Zealand economy is created by non-resident foreigners buying existing New Zealand houses? In the new sprawl suburbs he wants to create, how many houses being bought by foreign speculators would be acceptable to him?

John Banks and racism

Written By: - Date published: 7:35 am, July 30th, 2013 - 19 comments

At the moment there are plenty of racists trying to accuse Labour of racism. I might put together a post on the Iwi/Kwi Orewa Nats later on, but in the mean time I give you – John Banks.

Jonolism or Journalism?

Written By: - Date published: 7:44 pm, July 29th, 2013 - 50 comments

Patrick Gower’s report on TV3 6pm News tonight, on Labour’s housing for Kiwis policy, shows what is wrong with corporate infotainment TV news.  He gets tonight’s award for Jonolism.  Here’s hoping the Campbell Live tonight will show Gower how it should be done. [Update: Campbell interviews Ferguson]

Xenophobia – a Nat guide

Written By: - Date published: 11:41 am, July 29th, 2013 - 65 comments

foreign-norman

Contactless cards: capitalism thrives, customers lose

Written By: - Date published: 9:24 pm, July 28th, 2013 - 36 comments

Contactless (“wave and go”) features are becoming a compulsory feature for credit and debit cards.  Hi-tech equipment can pilfer from such cards as people pass by.  Plus other problems.  But, they ensure banks and merchants make more money.

Labour’s new housing policy – Shearer on Q+A

Written By: - Date published: 9:27 am, July 28th, 2013 - 702 comments

David Shearer on Q+A just set out new policy on housing, proposing restrictions on overseas buyers. It’s another big policy move from Labour…

1938 11

Written By: - Date published: 8:22 am, July 28th, 2013 - 6 comments

A Sunday feature – each week a random section scanned from a copy of The Standard, September 15th, 1938. Find out more here.

The Auckland Protest

Written By: - Date published: 7:33 pm, July 27th, 2013 - 49 comments

GCSB protest-15Some photos from today’s Auckland protest.  It was a great occasion.  The question needs to be though, where to from here?  This momentum needs to be built on.

The Dunedin protest

Written By: - Date published: 4:33 pm, July 27th, 2013 - 18 comments

I haven’t seen many photos of the Dunedin anti GCSB Bill protest around, so here are a few of mine. 500 people in the Octagon. Best slogan: “Look in your own Key hole”.

Poverty Watch 41

Written By: - Date published: 12:31 pm, July 27th, 2013 - 3 comments

Welcome to Poverty Watch, a weekly update on National’s lack of response to the urgent and growing issue of poverty in NZ. This week, the NBR “rich list” and the sick joke of “trickle down” wealth.