The Standard

uncategorized

Categories under uncategorized

Jacinda Ardern to National – Bring It On

Written By: - Date published: 3:46 pm, November 6th, 2022 - 157 comments

Text and video of Jacinda Ardern’s speech today to the Labour Party Annual Conference.

Sustainability and Economic Paradigms.

Written By: - Date published: 8:19 am, November 2nd, 2022 - 84 comments

Our economic system depends on infinite and exponential growth.

Labour day

Written By: - Date published: 12:34 pm, October 24th, 2022 - 13 comments

Enjoying your weekend? Thank a unionist!

The Auckland Mayor’s powers

Written By: - Date published: 9:29 am, October 18th, 2022 - 72 comments

Wayne Brown has by Mayoral decree ordered Watercare to stop working on the Three Waters reform.  But he should take legal advice because his decree has absolutely no legal force.

How Brexit Shanked Britain

Written By: - Date published: 8:05 am, October 17th, 2022 - 23 comments

The political and economic disasters now unfolding in Britain are the responsibility of the Conservative Party from their 2016 Brexit vote through to now.

RNZ, Three Waters and partisan commentary

Written By: - Date published: 11:43 am, October 11th, 2022 - 55 comments

rnz logo

Yesterday on Radio New Zealand’s Political Commentator’s show Bridget Morten said that three waters is a toxic thing for the Government but then declared that her law firm represents a group currently taking the Government to Court over three waters.  Should such clearly partisan views be given expression by RNZ?

The difference between Simon Wilson and Mike Hosking

Written By: - Date published: 9:28 am, October 3rd, 2022 - 47 comments

Wayne Brown’s mayoral campaign hit a really big pothole on the weekend when he was caught bad mouthing Herald reporter Simon Wilson.  His comments received a lot of support from the right on social media who made comments about Wilson similar to the comments the left make about Mike Hosking. Are these examples of the same phenomenon, political bias against critical commentators?

Even more proof that Conservatives are not good economic managers

Written By: - Date published: 11:44 am, September 29th, 2022 - 61 comments

There has been this carefully crafted illusion that conservative politicians are somehow better with the finances than progressive politicians.  Recent events in the United Kingdom suggest that this illusion is terribly misplaced.

Caption contest

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, September 29th, 2022 - 55 comments

Keep it seemly.

The Very Bad Slightly Good Things About the Russian Invasion

Written By: - Date published: 8:49 pm, September 25th, 2022 - 8 comments

The Russian invasion of the Ukraine has cost tens of thousands of people their lives, millions of people their homes, seriously disrupted billions of people,  and increased the threat of nuclear war but there are positive developments coming from it.

Russian roulette

Written By: - Date published: 8:53 am, September 23rd, 2022 - 277 comments

Vladimir Putin has effectively conceded that the Ukraine war is not going well for Russia by seeking to conscript 300,000 new soldiers, planning for referenda in Russian held areas and threatening the use of Nuclear weapons if Russia’s modified territorial integrity is threatened.

What is Paul Eagle doing?

Written By: - Date published: 12:33 pm, September 22nd, 2022 - 17 comments

Some concerning reports have emerged about Paul Eagle’s mayoral campaign. This week there have been reports that he snubbed a Labour Council candidate while endorsing a right wing candidate.  And that he has been working behind the scenes supporting a team of independents.

Luxon’s mishandling of the Uffindell report

Written By: - Date published: 8:11 am, September 21st, 2022 - 65 comments

The only word that I can think of is clusterfuck. I cannot understand how badly Christopher Luxon has handled the Maria Dew report into what Sam Uffindell may have done when he was a younger person.

The right’s last desperate throw of the dice in Auckland

Written By: - Date published: 12:50 pm, September 16th, 2022 - 18 comments

Even though her name is on the ballot paper and people can vote for her National aligned Mayoral candidate Viv Beck has purported to withdraw from the Auckland Mayoral race.

Covid review due today

Written By: - Date published: 8:37 am, September 12th, 2022 - 45 comments

The Government is to make an announcement today on the future of covid mandates and the traffic light system.  With infection numbers and hospitalisation and death rates plummeting it appears likely that these measures will not be renewed.

Freedom is Not Guaranteed: Sometimes You Must Fight

Written By: - Date published: 8:00 am, September 11th, 2022 - 177 comments

If we fail to support Ukraine’s struggle we all lose far more than self rule for 44 million people.

Transition at the Limits of What People Can Cope With

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, September 7th, 2022 - 39 comments

Many European governments now face a perfect storm of threatened energy security, rising inflation, war-propelled refugee crisis, and climate objectives. New Zealand be warned.

Sharma keeps digging

Written By: - Date published: 10:10 am, August 30th, 2022 - 33 comments

Last night a 4,761 word rant was published on Gaurav Sharma’s facebook page.  In it he details information which on the face of it may have breached confidentiality requirements. And the overwhelming effect of the allegations is Meh.

Not A Ripple of Difference

Written By: - Date published: 1:24 pm, August 19th, 2022 - 24 comments

The polls are out and the internal revolt last month to remove James Shaw as Greens co leader hasn’t made a ripple.

Molloy drops out of Mayoralty race

Written By: - Date published: 12:57 pm, August 12th, 2022 - 35 comments

Self described tough man Leo Molloy has found the going too tough and has pulled out of the Auckland mayoralty race.

Bastards Versus Assholes

Written By: - Date published: 10:53 am, August 12th, 2022 - 47 comments

This post was written before Gaurav Sharma’s Herald article and should not be taken as validation of his comments.  There are necessary bastards in political life, and in developed democracies compared to everywhere else ours are gentle as lambs

Was This The Change We Needed?

Written By: - Date published: 1:07 pm, August 9th, 2022 - 11 comments

Crises that profoundly test a small developed state like New Zealand have required huge growth in state strength and policy power. But was it the change we needed?

Luxon’s latest gaffes

Written By: - Date published: 9:48 am, August 4th, 2022 - 57 comments

Hot on his confusion of Hawaii with Te Puke Christopher Luxon’s has dropped a couple of new clangers by admitting then denying that National will not increase health funding at least by the rate of inflation and then by displaying his class prejudice by saying people are not going to get rich on welfare.

National’s weird take on the Government’s Climate Adaption Plan

Written By: - Date published: 9:05 am, August 4th, 2022 - 7 comments

The Government’s release of the National Adaption Plan to deal with climate change has been met by National with an insistence that who should pay for potentially hundreds of billions of costs should have already been identified.

Chris Bishop supports AND opposes vaccine mandates

Written By: - Date published: 8:28 am, August 3rd, 2022 - 51 comments

Remember when National’s Chris Bishop thought that Labour was not being staunch enough of mandates?  He now thinks that Labour is being too staunch.

Political donations law needs reform

Written By: - Date published: 2:44 pm, August 1st, 2022 - 7 comments

Judge Jagose’s decision to acquit two persons linked to New Zealand First charged with obtaining control over $750,000 has opened up rather large holes in the obligations of political parties to report donations.

Ardern’s Leadership Generates Pacific Results

Written By: - Date published: 8:33 am, July 28th, 2022 - 9 comments

New Zealand has been overdue to show strong results in the Pacific Islands. Not a moment too soon, this is what Prime Minister Ardern delivered.

Really bad takes on the Green’s leadership issue

Written By: - Date published: 9:55 am, July 26th, 2022 - 60 comments

There have been some spectacularly bad takes on Green Party leadership issues by voices on the right and academia which were all shown to be spectacularly wrong after Chloe Swarbrick announced that she was not seeking the Green Party leadership.

The inside story of National’s civil war

Written By: - Date published: 12:24 pm, July 25th, 2022 - 16 comments

Andrea Vance’s book Blood Bath provides an insider’s view of the carnage that erupted in the National Party from 2017 to 2021.  And while things have calmed down under Christopher Luxon’s his weaknesses, including his glossing over the importance of policy detail and his tendency to bag businesses has been noted.

Brian Tamaki really annoys Auckland by adding to traffic congestion

Written By: - Date published: 10:21 am, July 24th, 2022 - 53 comments

Brian Tamaki and Vision New Zealand supporters sought to improve levels of support by causing significant congestion in Auckland city yesterday.

Unthinkable Renationalisation

Written By: - Date published: 10:02 am, July 21st, 2022 - 57 comments

Europe is leading the global fight against climate change by rapidly shifting away from fossil fuels. This now includes fully renationalising energy companies and forced decreases in gas use. What could New Zealand learn?