The Standard

Social issues

Categories under Social issues

Angry at Westpac

Written By: - Date published: 8:54 am, October 26th, 2015 - 57 comments

Westpac passing over Nicky Hager’s details was probably illegal, and may turn out to have been a very bad move…

Let them drink beer

Written By: - Date published: 1:16 pm, October 25th, 2015 - 30 comments

Health Minister Coleman provides another salient example of the surreal lengths that National will go to in order to avoid facing up to truths that they don’t approve of.

Key not taking us with him on the flag

Written By: - Date published: 11:06 am, October 23rd, 2015 - 31 comments

John Key’s antics trying to drum up support for a flag change are getting increasingly desperate, but NZ isn’t listening.

Paula Bennett and the social housing crisis

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, October 23rd, 2015 - 64 comments

Paula Bennett has uncovered the most significant risk that New Zealand faces.  Or has she?

Pressure mounts to force Auckland to open up land

Written By: - Date published: 1:57 pm, October 22nd, 2015 - 45 comments

Serious Fraud Office, Productivity Commission, Council failings, under-supply of houses, Developer Greed… a recipe for disaster

Is it time for progressives to love rugby?

Written By: - Date published: 8:30 am, October 22nd, 2015 - 328 comments

Ad reflects on the relationship between the left and rugby since the springbok tour.

Tony Veitch and the power of redemption

Written By: - Date published: 8:40 am, October 21st, 2015 - 124 comments

Tony Veitch has caused a major social media response by posting a comment which suggests that he is a victim of a bad relationship and not guilty of inflicting domestic violence.

I LOVE these kinds of stories

Written By: - Date published: 4:37 pm, October 20th, 2015 - 3 comments

““We had an 83-year-old man walking in here to vote for the first time in his life,” she said from near a polling station in Tsuut’ina Nation, near Calgary.”

Oh Canada oh Canada

Written By: - Date published: 3:48 pm, October 20th, 2015 - 84 comments

It appears that Stephen Harper’s conservatives in Canada have been voted out of office.

Obesity policy ignores elephant in the room

Written By: - Date published: 7:29 am, October 20th, 2015 - 182 comments

Obesity is a difficult topic to write about, but with the release of new government policy yesterday it is very much in the news. Unfortunately, unsurprisingly, National have chosen to tinker with the consequences of obesity without addressing the causes.

Kelvin Davis on Christmas Island

Written By: - Date published: 11:55 am, October 19th, 2015 - 39 comments

Today Key is trying to dress up Aussie platitudes (on detained Kiwis) as scraps of progress. But Labour MP Kelvin Davis is taking action…

Cameron Slater back in court

Written By: - Date published: 4:05 pm, October 18th, 2015 - 35 comments

For the observers of the continued disaster that is Cameron Slater, here is a snippet observed in the High Court list for tomorrow. There is a first call for action against him for contempt. A new application? He only just got done for 7 charges.

Our influence in Australia

Written By: - Date published: 10:41 am, October 18th, 2015 - 76 comments

Key has failed to budge Australia on the detention and deportation of Kiwis. Apart from the photo ops and the mutual admiration society, our actual influence is zero.

WMBAD: Prison

Written By: - Date published: 1:02 pm, October 16th, 2015 - 2 comments

Team White Man Behind A Desk are back with their final episode for 2015.

#hereforHelen

Written By: - Date published: 10:09 am, October 16th, 2015 - 3 comments

Details of a social media campaign to celebrate Helen Kelly’s contribution to the Trade Union movement.

Lucky Labour – disgraceful Speaker

Written By: - Date published: 7:01 am, October 16th, 2015 - 37 comments

Three of the four member’s bills drawn yesterday were sponsored by Labour leaders. What followed was one of the most disgusting maneuvers ever pulled by this government, justifying the headline – Nats play politics while Kiwi kids die in homes.

Christine Fletcher’s dear Phil letter

Written By: - Date published: 2:48 pm, October 15th, 2015 - 17 comments

Christine Fletcher has penned an open letter to Phil Goff where she criticises in trenchant terms super city’s current performance and offers some thoughts on where improvement can be made.

Court’s decision on TPP OIA has both Nats and Ombudsman squirming

Written By: - Date published: 10:44 am, October 15th, 2015 - 23 comments

The High Court recently found that Government and Tim Groser improperly considered Prof. Jane Kelsey’s application for information concerning the TPPA negotiations. The Nats aren’t happy. The Ombudsman isn’t happy. Tough.

Thanks Canterbury for the surplus

Written By: - Date published: 1:45 pm, October 14th, 2015 - 91 comments

The Government books have hit surplus.  But it looks like treatment of the financials for the Canterbury Earthquake may account for pretty well all of it. Update: Underspending on special education accounts for much of the “surplus”.

Cancer patients and punitive policies

Written By: - Date published: 10:45 am, October 14th, 2015 - 73 comments

We need a welfare system that acknowledges the realities of cancer and other major medical conditions. That isn’t “special treatment”, it is basic human decency.

CYF Review: Great work if you can get it

Written By: - Date published: 12:21 pm, October 13th, 2015 - 40 comments

Radio New Zealand has reported that Paul Rebstock, chair of the Government appointed committee engaged in the review of Child Youth and Family, is being paid $2,000 a day to perform her job.  This is the equivalent to the daily pay of thirteen social workers.

Medicinal cannabis

Written By: - Date published: 4:05 pm, October 12th, 2015 - 50 comments

Helen Kelly calls for the government “to get real about medicinal cannabis”. Seriously – what are we waiting for?

More charter school hypocrisy

Written By: - Date published: 7:03 am, October 9th, 2015 - 21 comments

Turns out the Education Minister overrode Ministry advice to protect National’s pet charter schools from being evaluated on their actual outcomes. Plus a bonus side order of hypocrisy on class sizes.

Even Catherine Isaac thinks Parata has no idea

Written By: - Date published: 5:15 pm, October 8th, 2015 - 18 comments

When Catherine Isaac (wife of Roger Kerr (deceased) of the former Business Round-table and ACT party stalwart) is at odds with Parata, something must be amiss.

Labour to defy TPP on property ownership?

Written By: - Date published: 9:46 am, October 7th, 2015 - 165 comments

If this report is accurate it opens an interesting can of worms!

TPPA agreement reached

Written By: - Date published: 7:28 am, October 6th, 2015 - 163 comments

The TPPA has been agreed to. Dairy access improvement is minimal, there will be a cost hit on Pharmac and every industry but Tobacco will be able to access the investor state dispute resolution procedure.

Hekia has gone rogue

Written By: - Date published: 9:00 am, October 5th, 2015 - 41 comments

Hekia Parata has announced that student achievement and not need caused by poverty will be a central part of any future funding system.

TPPA deal close?

Written By: - Date published: 7:35 am, October 5th, 2015 - 288 comments

The TPPA is said to be close to being concluded with resistance to change in Pharmaceutical rules being provided by Australia, not New Zealand.  And John Key says that the deal isn’t a very good deal for Dairy.

Left wing activism and the humdrum need to maintain jobs and careers

Written By: - Date published: 9:58 am, October 4th, 2015 - 173 comments

From the commentator formerly known as Ad is this post where he asks the question many of us face, how do we balance jobs and careers with the desire to be left wing activists?

Embarrassment turns to spite

Written By: - Date published: 8:15 am, October 4th, 2015 - 40 comments

Parliamentary Services have marred what might otherwise have been a showcase example of how public protest is treated in New Zealand.

WMBAD: Global goals

Written By: - Date published: 2:50 pm, October 2nd, 2015 - 3 comments

The White Man Behind A Desk is back, looking at the big picture, why we hate politicians, and why you need to tweet John Key.