Written By: - Date published: 9:26 pm, June 25th, 2013 - 4 comments
Just in case you don’t know, Danyl’s book, Unspeakable Secrets of the Aro Valley, is now available for pre-order.
Personally I’m in awe of anyone that can manage to write a whole goddamn novel, especially a good one. And I reckon this will be a good one. I’ve got mine ordered – you should too.
Written By: - Date published: 9:17 am, June 25th, 2013 - 34 comments
The Law Society is not exactly a hotbed of leftie activism. So the supporters of this appallingly arrogant government should sit up and take notice when they speak out as clearly as this against the GCSB spying bill. Two faced Key is simultaneously claiming that the current law is both unclear and “very clear”. He needs to be called out on it.
Written By: - Date published: 11:23 pm, June 24th, 2013 - 22 comments
John Ryall writes on the case of long-term caregiver Kristine Bartlett who took a landmark case to the Employment court this morning. It is on the application of the Equal Pay Act 1972 into gender segmented work. Hopefully this will help reduce the lack of progress on closing our male-female wage gap.
Written By: - Date published: 7:11 pm, June 24th, 2013 - 18 comments
So the Ministry of Health has relented to some caregivers and is paying them something… but not others. Margaret Spencer has given up her life to look after her adult son, but gets no compensation for it. If she gave her son over to strangers to look after, not only would the MoH have to […]
Written By: - Date published: 12:50 pm, June 24th, 2013 - 33 comments
So it looks like Labour’s Christchurch East candidate when Lianne Dalziel steps down will be either Clayton Cosgrove or James Caygill. The first question you ask is ‘why wouldn’t Clayton just stand in Waimakiriri again?’. He’s won it 4 of 5 attempts and Wilkinson only has a 600 majority. A slight swing will win it for him again, why give that up? The answer is troubling.
Written By: - Date published: 8:11 am, June 23rd, 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.
Written By: - Date published: 9:54 pm, June 22nd, 2013 - 6 comments
As National Volunteer Week draws to a close, let us continue to celebrate the 1/3 of New Zealanders who regularly do volunteer work in our communities.
Written By: - Date published: 2:50 pm, June 22nd, 2013 - 102 comments
Many business people say that a country should be run like a business. Maybe they are right. It should be run like a SUCCESSFUL business. It is appropriate for Government to take lessons from business success, and the reverse. But when it comes down to details, right wing Neo-Liberal business do not want Government and country they govern to become too successful or democratic…
Written By: - Date published: 2:59 pm, June 21st, 2013 - 306 comments
Ken Perrott at Open Parachute has been debunking some of the nonsense around fluoridated water by investigating claims (his background is in scientific research). It is refreshing after reading some of the recent misinterpreted drivel around about the science.
Written By: - Date published: 1:27 pm, June 21st, 2013 - 28 comments
Mana’s housing policy is ambitious, and leaves National’s inaction looking increasingly isolated and out of touch. But there are too many gaps in this policy as currently stated. Needs work.
Written By: - Date published: 9:19 am, June 21st, 2013 - 42 comments
The leaderless uprising in Brazil exposes unbearable inequalities in a dysfunctional post-growth world. Extravagant sports events and expensive stadium contrast with anti-public service austerity measures. Home building lags in Christchurch, while Key looks to asset sales to fund a stadium.
Written By: - Date published: 9:14 am, June 20th, 2013 - 84 comments
Blame beneficiaries, blame the young, blame the old, blame the boomers, blame Maori, blame Pakeha, blame granny, hell, why don’t we just blame the Jews! Anything except place the blame where it belongs. On successive Governments who have sold us out to the rich, and offshore corporates. And the system which allows a few stupid […]
Written By: - Date published: 7:00 pm, June 19th, 2013 - 23 comments
The conservatives are back, telling lies and trying to ignore the fact that humans enjoy sex and teenagers have minds of their own – and they’re getting media pickup. Don’t fall for it!
Written By: - Date published: 9:01 am, June 19th, 2013 - 54 comments
The proposed changes to employment law make massive changes to the right to strike. Those opposed to the Bill by Jamie Lee-Ross to allow replacement labour during strikes, need to be consistent in this view and should also be very worried about the main Employment Relations Amendment Bill now in Select Committee.
Written By: - Date published: 9:57 am, June 18th, 2013 - 50 comments
Many praise Jackson and Weta for the work it brings to NZ. However, a recent US-focused survey by Scott Squires, shows how subsidies, like that for the Hobbit, plus lack of unionisation are contributing to increasing exploitation, income insecurity and competition among skilled VFX workers internationally. [Update: Squires’ response]
Written By: - Date published: 6:52 pm, June 17th, 2013 - 4 comments
Have you done this yet?
Written By: - Date published: 7:24 pm, June 16th, 2013 - 120 comments
What can one (anyone) say about this image? Well, I guess we will find out.
Written By: - Date published: 5:00 pm, June 16th, 2013 - 26 comments
On this coming Wednesday’s episode of The Vote – our monthly break from the awfulness that I hear is 3rd Degree – a very angry-making important moot is to be discussed: Our kids – The problem’s not poverty, it’s parenting. Do you agree? I first heard of this on Twitter, was informed of this, and […]
Written By: - Date published: 10:15 am, June 16th, 2013 - 51 comments
The Right’s favourite sprawl example at the moment. Sections for $50,000. Wow! But they haven’t asked why new sections in Houston are so cheap. They’ve just assumed its because Houston doesn’t have tight zoning rules. In fact, they do – but their rules encourage sprawl. And, while the land may be cheap, it means much higher living costs – particularly transport.
Written By: - Date published: 8:54 am, June 16th, 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.
Written By: - Date published: 8:54 am, June 14th, 2013 - 400 comments
Bernard Hickey asked such an interesting question on Twitter that it’s worth a post and discussion here. When and how will the young revolt?
Written By: - Date published: 9:21 am, June 13th, 2013 - 70 comments
We don’t know how often John Key has met with Peter Thiel, co-founder of Palantir which developes cyber-intell systems like PRISM, & is now operating in NZ. Thiel’s involvement in NZ is extensive. He has been pursuing his “utopian” libertarian, cyber-focused agenda in NZ for a few years.
Written By: - Date published: 6:52 am, June 13th, 2013 - 46 comments
The angles and implications of the GCSB / PRISM / Palantir story are multiplying at a frightening rate, and only a mug would trust anything coming out from the government about it. Key is openly contradicting himself on the GCSB law, it’s farcical.
Written By: - Date published: 9:53 am, June 12th, 2013 - 34 comments
If there was a national standard in scientific method than the right wing spinsters talking up yesterday’s national standards results would all fail it.
Written By: - Date published: 10:00 am, June 10th, 2013 - 57 comments
Two leakers (one a true whistleblower), are in the news right now, both focused on the US-led surveillance society, operating in the interests of corporate power. And today, in relation to this, 2 journalists show the importance of the fourth estate to democracy. Kim Hill & Glenn Greenwald take a bow.
Written By: - Date published: 7:31 am, June 10th, 2013 - 72 comments
There’s a lot of talk at the moment about whether Labour is too close to the Greens. Lately, we’ve seen spin coming out that Labour might be able to govern without the Greens, favouring NZF instead. Meanwhile, the Greens seem happy to talk about a future Greens-Labour government. National’s leaking to Peters and Peters is playing the race card. What’s going on?
Written By: - Date published: 8:38 am, June 9th, 2013 - 11 comments
A Sunday feature – each week a random section scanned from a copy of The Standard, September 15th, 1938. Find out more here.
Written By: - Date published: 4:03 pm, June 7th, 2013 - 241 comments
Having resigned as Minister, how long before we see a by-election in Ohariu as Peter Dunne’s credibility keeps dripping away? And will we see an early election?
Written By: - Date published: 12:02 pm, June 6th, 2013 - 38 comments
I was impressed by this press statement from the Mana Party on the ground in the Ikaroa Rawhiti by-election reporting that they door-knocked over 1000 houses over the weekend and found that support for their candidate was over 70%. As a political campaigner of many years experience, and I’m now running Labour’s by-election HQ in […]
Written By: - Date published: 10:00 am, June 6th, 2013 - 116 comments
(Socialist) feminism seems to be on the rise internationally, exposing how threats to “old boys” corporate-aligned power are countered by policing women’s bodies. Sue Bradford highlights the contradiction between Owen Glenn’s paternalistic corporate capitalism and the feminist-aligned participants in his Inquiry. Jan Logie addresses the gender pay gap.
Written By: - Date published: 9:05 am, June 6th, 2013 - 28 comments
Housing Minister Nick Smith had ominous words for Auckland. Hands up all you Aucklanders who are keen to sacrifice quality housing?
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