The Standard

Social issues

Categories under Social issues

Deconstructing the government’s report card

Written By: - Date published: 12:21 pm, July 7th, 2015 - 11 comments

The government has awarded itself a nice report card. Let’s take a closer look.

Common People; Yanis Varoufakis is all Class.

Written By: - Date published: 11:21 am, July 7th, 2015 - 81 comments

The Greek Finance minister has unexpectedly quit. He had already said he would resign if the referendum was lost; nobody expected that he would go after such a stunning win. But it was the strategically correct thing to do. Why can’t some of the veterans in the NZ Labour Party take the hint?

Police using “sealed” Hager documents?

Written By: - Date published: 7:14 am, July 7th, 2015 - 48 comments

Nicky Hager’s lawyer claims that the police are using supposedly “sealed” information taken in the raid of Hager’s home.

School lunches – Key vs data

Written By: - Date published: 7:11 am, July 6th, 2015 - 29 comments

Key claimed that the number of hungry kids in schools was limited to “the odd one or two”. Everyone knew it was nonsense. Now a survey by the New Zealand Principals’ Federation indicates the true extent of the problem.

That one time Government almost did something decent for workers

Written By: - Date published: 9:50 am, July 4th, 2015 - 41 comments

There was this one time when the Government understood that workers coming into NZ to help rebuild Christchurch were very vulnerable to exploitation. 

Open letter on Nauru

Written By: - Date published: 2:03 pm, July 2nd, 2015 - 8 comments

Twenty eight legal academics have written an open letter to Murray McCully expressing their concern at the worsening rule of law situation in Nauru.

New Powers to Ministers to screw Iwi

Written By: - Date published: 10:19 am, July 2nd, 2015 - 25 comments

The Social Housing Reform (Transaction Mandate) Bill allows designated Ministers to sell off state houses. Currently Housing New Zealand has no such power. Interestingly however this Government could introduce a Bill with criteria to enable sales to be signed off by the CE of Housing New Zealand but instead they are seeking that power for themselves. But within it there is a fishhook for iwi. UPDATE: comment from Turei and response from Bennett

It’s great to be a charter school!

Written By: - Date published: 9:15 am, July 2nd, 2015 - 48 comments

A charter school banks an “operating surplus” of $2.4 million, while state schools remain chronically underfunded.

Bust up in New Zealand First?

Written By: - Date published: 9:00 am, July 2nd, 2015 - 16 comments

Radio New Zealand has reported on sources claiming that New Zealand First Deputy Leader Tracy Martin will this week be replaced as deputy by Ron Mark.

The police should be above the law

Written By: - Date published: 7:11 am, July 1st, 2015 - 34 comments

Well that’s the opinion of Judith Collins at least.

Greens allow split vote on online speech bill

Written By: - Date published: 3:35 pm, June 30th, 2015 - 87 comments

The Greens will split their vote on the Harmful Digital Communications Bill.

Update: The Bill has passed.

Another disease of poverty making a comeback

Written By: - Date published: 9:18 am, June 30th, 2015 - 139 comments

Add another disease of poverty to the list of those that are making a comeback in NZ.

Will New Zealand social housing soon subsidise Australian social housing?

Written By: - Date published: 2:56 pm, June 29th, 2015 - 58 comments

John Key’s interview on Morning Report this morning suggests that National does not know what it is doing with its social housing policy.  Are we approaching a situation where profits from New Zealand social housing is going to underwrite the cost of Australian social housing?

Selling state houses to Australia

Written By: - Date published: 10:29 am, June 28th, 2015 - 20 comments

English needs to explain why the government can’t find NZ buyers for their “social housing” plans. The Nats to explain how selling state houses helps a single family in need.

Australia where the bloody hell are you on gay marriage?

Written By: - Date published: 8:00 am, June 28th, 2015 - 55 comments

Following on from New Zealand, Ireland and many other states the United States Supreme Court has recently ruled that banning same sex marriages is a breach of the 14th amendment’s right to life and liberty.  It makes you wonder when Australia is going to institute change.

Amazing Grace

Written By: - Date published: 8:57 am, June 27th, 2015 - 99 comments

Barack Obama sings the spiritual Amazing Grace during the eulogy for Clementa Pinckney, one of those killed by a racist gunman in Charleston. Not completely in tune, but he hits the right note. As his Presidency winds down, Obama has one last opportunity to move the American mindset. The rule of the gun must end.

An open letter to Andrew Little

Written By: - Date published: 6:08 pm, June 26th, 2015 - 433 comments

A respectful open letter to Andrew Little with suggestions for how to win the next election!

White man behind a desk: Climate Change

Written By: - Date published: 4:00 pm, June 26th, 2015 - 3 comments

White man behind a desk explores why National is behind the Catholic Church and Shell when it comes time to addressing climate change.

Sacrificing mental health to dragons

Written By: - Date published: 10:00 am, June 26th, 2015 - 44 comments

The Labour Party has had a sneak peek at the process our government is using to pick “providers” for its mercenary social impact bonds scheme, and it’s like something off television.

Only ACT standing up for free speech?

Written By: - Date published: 8:46 am, June 26th, 2015 - 76 comments

ACT has withdrawn support for the Harmful Digital Communications Bill. Bravo. Labour, Greens – where do you stand on this badly drafted and damaging bill?

Dickensian

Written By: - Date published: 7:23 am, June 25th, 2015 - 73 comments

Step 1: Make welfare assistance almost impossible to obtain. Step 2: Dismiss the concerns of the poor by telling them they should ask for more help. Done!

Gender, Power and Culture

Written By: - Date published: 9:07 pm, June 24th, 2015 - 10 comments

Catriona MacLennan and Prue Hyman will discuss this topic at Connolly Hall, Guildford Terrace, Wellington, Thursday June 25th at 5:30pm. All welcome. Read more…

John Key excited that TPP deal close but

Written By: - Date published: 1:42 pm, June 24th, 2015 - 30 comments

admits it doesn’t adequately address dairy products (one of NZ’s main export products). That’s right, the PM acknowledges that dairy products are not dealt with in a way NZ would like… He even has to contradict Tim Groser’s views here and here  to try to not make his point. It’s “net positive” for NZ if […]

Do petitions work?

Written By: - Date published: 12:30 pm, June 24th, 2015 - 31 comments

The increased use of petitions is a very clever innovation by the Labour Party because this Government has proven to be a weather vane lot, guided by polls.

If you thought the Auckland property bubble was bad now…

Written By: - Date published: 7:27 am, June 24th, 2015 - 81 comments

… then prepare for it to get a lot worse.

NRT: Disgraceful

Written By: - Date published: 11:05 am, June 23rd, 2015 - 11 comments

I/S at No Right Turn: “Since coming to power in 2008, the National government has sold more than a thousand state houses and tightened access to the remainder considerably. The net result? People not getting the assistance they need…”

Lift the refugee quota

Written By: - Date published: 7:16 am, June 23rd, 2015 - 69 comments

Refugees are people, but they get treated as a political football, as recent events in Australia and NZ have demonstrated once again. It is long past time that NZ raised its refugee quota.

Pope Francis has much to say

Written By: - Date published: 7:20 am, June 22nd, 2015 - 219 comments

pope-francis-the-earth-filth

Open mike 22/06/2015

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, June 22nd, 2015 - 89 comments

Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …

Scary programmer

Written By: - Date published: 3:35 am, June 18th, 2015 - 17 comments

As some of you will be aware, I’m a dedicated computer programmer. So the Underhanded C Contest is just fun. That is to write code that is as readable, clear, innocent and straightforward as possible, and yet it must fail to perform at its apparent function. To be more specific, it should do something subtly evil. This years winner really takes the cake on that.

 

Southern DHB sacked

Written By: - Date published: 12:36 pm, June 17th, 2015 - 53 comments

Southern DHB sacked – scapegoats for systematic underfunding of the health sector.