The Standard

Social issues

Categories under Social issues

Rentier capitalism

Written By: - Date published: 11:01 am, March 24th, 2016 - 46 comments

Tautoko Murray Edmonds’ comment yesterday on this Michael Hudson interview This is an absolutely brilliant discussion of what contemporary economic theory SHOULD be all about, and why it is not (the main reason being that classical economic theory of the type that Key believes in, serves the 1% at the expense of the 99%). It […]

Flag distraction result today

Written By: - Date published: 8:30 am, March 24th, 2016 - 135 comments

Bragging rights I guess to whomever best predicts the outcome.

House Tales.

Written By: - Date published: 3:01 pm, March 22nd, 2016 - 32 comments

If ‘home is where the heart is’ then what’s the story when everything’s heartless?

Glasses and Brick Walls (& woods and trees).

Written By: - Date published: 9:41 pm, March 21st, 2016 - 47 comments

The thing about not having great sight is that sometimes you don’t really see things coming.

Here we go again – from leaky homes to porous pipes

Written By: - Date published: 12:32 pm, March 21st, 2016 - 24 comments

As if leaky buildings was not enough, New Zealand’s lax standards and lack of inspection may be contributing to new problems in the Building Industry.

National tricky on climate change aid

Written By: - Date published: 8:27 am, March 19th, 2016 - 10 comments

TVOne has discovered that National’s preposed climate change aid spend announced at COP21 would result in a reduction in the amount spent compared to previous years.

A measure of justice for Nicky Hager

Written By: - Date published: 7:58 am, March 19th, 2016 - 22 comments

The Police’s return yesterday of Nicky Hager’s data, equipment and belongings is – too little and too late – a measure of justice for Hager. But the process doesn’t end there, and open questions remain.

National admits the ETS is broken

Written By: - Date published: 9:04 am, March 18th, 2016 - 12 comments

Paula Bennett has conceded that the Emissions Trading Scheme is not working and that the two for one scheme which halves the cost of carbon credits for major polluters will be phased out. But when?

UK sugar tax

Written By: - Date published: 11:47 am, March 17th, 2016 - 27 comments

The UK has done the sensible thing for public health and introduced “a new tax on sugary drinks”. The Herald asks: UK sugar tax – could NZ be next?

Local democracy just got screwed

Written By: - Date published: 7:01 am, March 15th, 2016 - 31 comments

If the RMA Amendment Bill goes through, then community groups all over the country are going to become intimately acquainted with just how badly they have been shafted by Mr Smith and his accomplices.

Rowing together

Written By: - Date published: 9:00 pm, March 14th, 2016 - 51 comments

The Nation interview on the economy on the weekend was very interesting – leaders of Labour, Greens and New Zealand First all agreeing on the need for New Zealand economy to diversify beyond dairying. It was a very encouraging sign that the time is ripe for change – now I look forward to their combined ideas on what should be done.

Could National lose Whangarei?

Written By: - Date published: 11:32 am, March 14th, 2016 - 43 comments

National are nervous about losing the safe electorate seat of Whangarei. Something tells me that the NATs will be fighting back hard come 2017.

Family First on the important issues of the day

Written By: - Date published: 11:10 am, March 14th, 2016 - 13 comments

Don’t conservative cranks have anything better to do with their time?

Caption competition

Written By: - Date published: 1:21 pm, March 13th, 2016 - 91 comments

key-draped-in-flag

Go, technology, inequality, the future of work

Written By: - Date published: 12:05 pm, March 13th, 2016 - 42 comments

Miscellaneous Sunday morning meanderings on technology, inequality and the future of work.

The Gun Club

Written By: - Date published: 2:34 pm, March 11th, 2016 - 172 comments

In the wake of the shooting of four police officers in Kawerau, it’s time NZ had a cold, hard look at our gun culture. We need an inquiry that addresses both legal and illegal gun ownership. But there’s a related matter that also needs looking at …

Intergenerational theft

Written By: - Date published: 10:23 am, March 10th, 2016 - 86 comments

The Guardian has an excellent piece on “the 30-year economic betrayal dragging down Generation Y’s income”.

Nats think “pretty legal” is good enough…

Written By: - Date published: 7:47 am, March 10th, 2016 - 24 comments

… but the courts may beg to differ.

“The greatest polling error in primary history”

Written By: - Date published: 7:44 pm, March 9th, 2016 - 114 comments

Bernie Sanders has just won the Michigan Democratic primary. Polling guru Nate Silver of 38degrees said that given that Sanders was behind by an average of 21.3% in all polls leading  up to the vote, if Sanders won Michigan it would count among “the greatest polling errors in primary history.” It was – why is interesting.

New report on GCSB spying powers

Written By: - Date published: 2:19 pm, March 9th, 2016 - 28 comments

A Government-ordered review of NZ’s spy agencies has just been released. Key wants Labour’s support for increased power to spy on Kiwis.

Health law expert on the TPP

Written By: - Date published: 12:43 pm, March 9th, 2016 - 20 comments

We won’t be able to say that we weren’t warned.

Health Ministry lost the plot and heads should roll

Written By: - Date published: 9:34 am, March 9th, 2016 - 23 comments

The Health Ministry committed to spending $18m that they didn’t have on upgrading their own offices, and tried to claw the money back from the underfunded DHBs trying to deliver health care to NZ. And that seems to be just fine with Minister Coleman.

How is homophobia still a thing?

Written By: - Date published: 11:00 am, March 8th, 2016 - 62 comments

The Anglican parish of St Mathew in the City has a proud history of tolerance and liberal thinking and support for LGBTI rights.  A couple of boofheads showed up last week and disrupted its Sunday service.  What should a liberal do? Updated with photos and video of the individuals involved.

NRT: A waiting list by another name

Written By: - Date published: 1:32 pm, March 7th, 2016 - 39 comments

I/S at No Right Turn on hospital waiting lists – and those that don’t even make it on them.

The All Powerful Labour Party

Written By: - Date published: 10:49 am, March 7th, 2016 - 66 comments

Apparently the Labour Party is so all powerful and persuasive that roughly 2/3 of the electorate is under its spell. That bodes well for the next election!

Stacey Kirk’s Stuff Up

Written By: - Date published: 9:29 am, March 7th, 2016 - 37 comments

Fairfax journalist Stacey Kirk has published a vicious smear against a group of cancer sufferers. Is this the nastiest lie ever published in the NZ media?

police and african youth

Written By: - Date published: 8:00 am, March 7th, 2016 - 19 comments

Research has been published showing police having treated African youth unfairly.  How can this be so, when they have put in so much effort to engage ethnic communities.

Auckland Council IT Blowout; Guest Post

Written By: - Date published: 6:26 pm, March 6th, 2016 - 62 comments

TS regular SaveNZ looks at the background to the massive cost overruns in the Auckland Council’s IT department. It’s not about the democratic processes of council; it’s because the Supercity was set up to fail.

Medical cannabis review

Written By: - Date published: 11:56 am, March 6th, 2016 - 31 comments

With Martin Crowe’s sad death we now learn that he too was self-medicating with liquid cannabis. The time for political timidity is past – make cannabis legally available for medical purposes.

Keep our flag – lest we forget

Written By: - Date published: 7:32 am, March 6th, 2016 - 155 comments

‘ Lest We Forget There’s a whole lot of talk About changing of our flag. They’ve already spent a ransom On new fangled rags. But there’s a thought out there That she’s not done yet, Let’s take time to remember, Lest we forget.       She has flown over us Since nineteen hundred and […]

John Oliver on John Key

Written By: - Date published: 10:21 am, March 5th, 2016 - 18 comments

“John Key is nothing if not a gigantic clown.”