Tamihere wants to privatise half of Watercare
John Tamihere has caused jaws throughout the region to drop by proposing that half of Watercare is privatised.
Social issues
Folau’s rights to free speech are not being attacked
Israel Folau’s difficulties are not examples of an attack on free speech or religious beliefs.
National offers to help with housing crisis
On behalf of the National Party Judith Collins has offered to help Labour deal with the housing crisis, the one that National is responsible for.
What happened to one person one vote?
Did you know that under our local electoral system some people get more than one vote?
National’s reshuffle
Simon Bridges had the chance to show leadership yesterday, cement his leadership of the National caucus, reward on talent and hard work and seek to unite a caucus that clearly has a few problems. How did he do?
The strange case of the missing Oregon Republican State senators
Republican State Senators in the state of Oregon have headed for the hills and are being protected by a local nut job militia in an effort to thwart the democratically elected majority from doing passing a law to address climate change.
Right wing loses it after Prime Minister makes a cake
In a week where Donald Trump almost starts war against Iran, gets accused again of sexual assault, and has his ICE staff deny toothpaste, soap and blankets to kids in detention and Boris Johnson gets accused of domestic violence the local right loose it when Jacinda Ardern makes a cake.
Results matter
Everyone knows that getting employers to increase rates of pay and improve conditions of work takes real pressure and the only real way working people can exert pressure, in the unbalanced relationship that exists between individual employees and employers, is by acting together; collectively. And that’s what we’ve been doing week in, week out and getting real results.
National is really worried that people may vote
Nick Smith has complained that making it easier for people to vote by allowing them to enrol on election day will disadvantage the National Party.
Facebook is planning crypto currency service – what could possibly go wrong?
The corporation that has become renowned as the purveyor of fake news and the underminer of elections is planning to roll out a crypto currency service.
What have Unions ever done for freeloaders?
Two teachers who support individual contracts and performance pay are upset that they are not going to immediately get the benefit the Teachers Unions negotiated for their members.
The Hong Kong protest worked
Carrie Lam, the Chief Executive of Hong Kong, has permanently suspended the legislative proposal to enable extradition of Hong Kong people to among other places mainland China.
The freedom to insult
David Seymour is proposing a law change that would protect neo nazis from the effects of their hate speech unless the speech also incited or threatened violence.
Mark Richardson wants to be a Nat MP
Mark Richardson thinks he may have a future career and will be able to transform from overpaid TV personality to overpaid public representative.
Three disturbingly different views on climate change
In the same week that Donald Trump said that the American climate was the cleanest climate, Ian Dunlop, former chairman of the Australian Coal Association, has warned of massive social consequences ranging from increased religious fervour to outright chaos. And UK Chancellor Philip Hammond is questioning if remedial action is affordable.
Deranged Jacinda syndrome
Mike Hosking has chosen to criticise Jacinda Ardern for touring the country and speaking to communities about the Wellbeing budget rather than flying across the world to take part in a photo opportunity.
Government under FiveEyes
Australian Federal Police chief Neil Gaughan told media after raiding the ABC that “if police did not investigate the leaking of classified information, Australia would no longer be entrusted by FiveEyes partners with intelligence that saves lives.” FiveEyes didn’t save Muslim lives in Christchurch.
The Teachers’ strike
Teaching is approaching a crisis point. Sure it has taken 9 years of the last Government’s rule to wreck the system. But this Government is expected to repair quickly the damage that the last Government caused.
Beltway news
Simon Bridges has accused Labour of engaging in dirty politics and considered that he was acting appropriately in releasing budget information early, contrary to standards that his Government implemented in 2014.
The Coming Global Economic Slowdown and New Zealand
With the United States – China trade war well underway, the sick chaos of Brexit is shrinking the U.K. economy and slowing much of Europe’s economy, and smaller economies such as that of Mexico in the crosshairs through further politically manufactured trade disputes, the second half of this year looks for New Zealand nowhere near as rosy as the first half.
Beware of Truth Sayers
We don’t all have to know all the facts and admitting ignorance is no shame but a virtue.
Bene bashing
National has engaged in the most crass form of beneficiary bashing in opposing Government changes to the benefit system announced in the budget and passed under urgency.
Budget commentary
Has New Zealand’s social media spent too much time on gocha politics and not enough on the substance of the wellbeing budget?
Same old dirty National
National is still embedded in Dirty Politics.
Whale Oil – the book
Whale Oil by Margie Thomson is about the Blomfield vs Slater case. Lost by Cameron Slater because after 7 years of trying to delay it, he was unable to mount a credible defense before a judge. But there is a lot of detail behind that that is worrying in an internet age..
Simon Bridges – criminal receiver
You have to wonder about what kind of law Simon Bridges, a former criminal prosecutor, actually practiced. Because given the events of today – it seems questionable if he understands the legal basis of our criminal laws about computers. Do we really want someone so incompetent at his chosen profession before entering politics (or have a criminal receiver of stolen goods) to run this country?
Bridges’ dodgy crime statistics
Simon Bridges is trumpeting some figures he has received from the Government as evidence that crime rates are increasing. But there is a slight problem. Police figures show that the number of reported offences is decreasing.
Religion and the threshold
It has been pretty boring watching the coverage of religious conservatives trying to present a meaningful political presence for the next election. Haven’t the NZ Herald’s puff piece journalists ever read about the history of religious parties in this “no religion” state? They’re fractional parties incapable of getting to 5% without assistance, and they don’t grow the vote for the right.
Run Brian Run
Brian Tamaki is set to announce the launch of a new political party today.
Billionaire pledges to pay off class of 2019’s student loans
Billionaire investor Robert F. Smith was invited to give the graduation speech at Morehouse College, his old school, and stunned everyone when he deviated from prepared speech notes.
Will the Christian Conservatives rise again?
Simon Bridges has conceded that his claim that talk about Alfred Ngaro setting up a conservative party was “rumour and speculation” was not actually true. And Ngaro has gone on the offensive describing abortion as an unholy holocaust.
Hate Speech Is an Evitable Evil
Online behaviour like any other behaviour can be modified but this will not happen by itself.
Aussie aussie aussie …
The Australian election is on today. Is this the end of Scomo and the Liberals? Is Tony Abbott goneburger? Will the last act of Bob Hawke’s life push Labor over the line?
The hard change of forestry
Forestry is forcing an important tilting point between mitigating climate change and land use, and it’s going to affect the viability of some North Island towns.
In praise of Judith Collins
In what is possibly a first ever occurrence the Standard is publishing a post in praise of Judith Collins for standing up for Green MP Golriz Ghahraman.
Why Labour’s student debt policy is a success
National has claimed that Labour’s tertiary fees policy is failing because numbers applying for it have not increased. But National clearly has failed to understand that the policy is about reducing student loan totals or it is deliberately misinterpreting the reason for the policy.