We did not know it would be this bad
Marama Davidson’s question to Jacinda Ardern in Parliament yesterday allowed Jacinda to outline the enormous mess the last National Government has left the country in.
Social issues
The hidden infrastructure fiscal crisis gets real
Steven Joyce’s $11.7 billion fiscal hole is becoming more and more of a reality although it is in hidden infrastructure costs that National had suppressed in search of the elusive surplus.
immigration profiling
A data modelling programme that includes race and ethnicity as factors for consideration is a bad idea.
Mike Hosking reckons: Minimum wage increase will be terrible for everyone
Mike Hosking reckons that an increase in the minimum wage will increase housing unaffordability and cause job losses and business closures.
free-to-air sports
The comprehensive Commonwealth Games coverage on free-to-air TV is refreshing and something we need to see a lot more of.
Labour speaks up.
Partial transcript of a speech as reported in “The Independent”
Hallelujah Parliament to pass law allowing for wiping of convictions for engaging in homosexual behaviour
It is predicted that today Parliament will pass a law allowing for the expunging of convictions of adults for engaging in homosexual behaviour.
Doofus of the week Easter 2018 edition
This week the award goes to a Fairfax reporter for writing as fawning a review of a political career as you can imagine.
The manufacturing of a narrative
The past week has seen the Herald focus on issues concerning Clare Curran to the almost exclusion of anything else, including the perilous state of our Health system and Kim Dotcom’s successful appeal against the last Government’s breach of his rights of privacy.
Operation Burnham
There is a great article by Gordon Campbell on the likelihood of an inquiry but more importantly what will or wont be covered […]
Who cares about personal privacy? Not Facebook
Not the National Party and 3 of its most senior MPs.
Joyce may have been right about the Fiscal hole
Steven Joyce’s prediction of a $11.7 billion deficit in the Government’s finances may be true. But this is because the last Government has underfunded health and hidden problems.
Julie Anne Genter: Working for Women’s Rights on the World Stage
The Minister for Women on her recent trip with the NZ delegation to the UN.
Underpants not Underarm
In the days of the British Raj unsportsmanlike behaviour was condemned by saying “it isn’t cricket.” Australian batsman Cameron Bancroft hiding ball-tampering sandpaper in his trousers in a forlorn attempt to avoid the cameras showed that for Aussies “it is cricket.” We’ve seen it before of course with the Chappells. Heads must roll.
Doofus of the week – March 24, 2018
This weeks award goes to Jonathan Coleman for failing to know that a leaky building crisis existed in Manukau DHB, and for then refusing to talk about it and hanging up on Suzy Ferguson of Radio New Zealand.
Marilyn Waring still takes no prisoners
Unpaid labour “is the single largest sector in any nation’s economy and the whole of the market economy only is able to function on top of that.”
Marama Davidson – Te Pire Haeata ki Parihaka – Parihaka Reconciliation Bill – First Reading
“I will apologise to the people of Parihaka who are here, while I do recount some of the important history that they have heard and know and live and breathed, but that still today, too many in our country are not aware of and are not familiar with and so I seek to put it on record in the House as part of my contribution.”
Labour ban letting fees
A good start from Labour on rent reforms, but will their bigger plans be enough?
The Incredible Silence of John Key V2.0
Update: Bridges finds his voice. And apologises.
Sanctions. Weapons of War.
When elite’s tussle, shouldn’t we look after us and ours?
Tell the Health Committee: Make our cannabis law fair for those in pain
“The Health Select Committee is about to consider the government’s changes to medicinal cannabis law. This is your chance to tell politicians they have not gone far enough.”
The Greens have a handy online submission form that you can send as is or add your own thoughts. Submissions close on Wednesday.
Collins: No one cares about National’s abject failure over housing
Judith Collins thinks that no one cares that National oversaw the creation of a significant housing crisis.
Corporate media: Blame it on the alcohol
Do we have a sexual assault problem in New Zealand, or an alcohol problem? The media has decided for you. (Content warning: Sexual assault, rape culture, discussion of problematic news coverage thereof)
Food security in New Zealand
The Standard regular commenter Macro takes a look at the state of food security in NZ
Daily Review 13/03/2018
Daily review is also your post. This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Don’t forget to be kind to each other …
Housing needs a builder not a crusher
Phil Twyford has the perfect response to National’s claim that Judith Collins’ appointment as Housing Spokesperson would cause him to lose sleep.
Is youth the new political divide?
There is evidence in the United Kingdom and in New Zealand that youth and not class may be the new political divide.
Good Witches Hunting
With the publishing of another misogynistic cartoon, it’s time to ask who were the witches and why are so many men still afraid of them?
Simon Bridges’ not very good first week
In this very important first week Simon Bridges has committed two major blunders. He has claimed he was environmentally friendly when any view of his Ministerial history would confirm that this is not the case. And he forgot his Government oversaw the stripping of democratic rights from all prisoners, and adjusted his position when his error was pointed out.
Our Reserve Bank
There is a case for the Reserve Bank to be eradicated, or at least major changes made to its structure.
Respecting our Rights and the New Zealand Constitution
The Minister of Justice and the Prime Minister teased a little bit of constitutional change yesterday. Let’s look at what that could actually mean, and how it could upon up old laws for review by Parliament.
Why does Criminal Justice have to be so politicised?
Judith Collins has indicated that the chances of a mature debate about Criminal Justice are slim.
Special laws for rich people
Queenstown Lake District Council wants to protect the uber wealthy from Labour’s new overseas house buying ban.
Little proposes radical shake up of the Criminal Justice system
Andrew Little has called for a complete change the way criminal justice works. But National’s initial response suggests that the prospects of a mature discussion on the issue are slim.
ALRANZ: 16 reasons to change the abortion law
Labour are intending to change NZ’s abortion laws. ALRANZ has 16 good reasons why that’s important (and overview of the current laws).
Labour to reform abortion law
Justice Minister Andrew Little has given the go ahead to change NZ’s archaic abortion legislation.