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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?

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.

Caption competition

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

key-draped-in-flag

“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.

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.

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.

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.

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.”

What a picture’s worth…

Written By: - Date published: 10:10 pm, March 3rd, 2016 - 73 comments

Turnout may be very important in the US presidential election – not good news for Hillary though.

The minimum wage is not a living wage

Written By: - Date published: 7:01 am, March 1st, 2016 - 110 comments

Credit where it’s due for an increase in the minimum wage – but the gap between that and a living wage keeps growing…

Fuster and Cluck ride again?

Written By: - Date published: 1:39 pm, February 27th, 2016 - 13 comments

John Palino has all but announced that he will also stand for the super city Mayoralty and there is a rumour that Simon Lusk will be his campaign manager.

Homosexual law reform happened 30 years ago

Written By: - Date published: 9:16 am, February 21st, 2016 - 95 comments

Some thoughts on yesterday’s gay pride parade and why National has in the space of 30 years changed from being deeply anti gay rights to being superficially in support.

Glucina Key #ponygate text revealed

Written By: - Date published: 4:10 pm, February 19th, 2016 - 149 comments

Rachel Glucina’s text to John Key sent just after interviewing Amanda Bailey has been revealed.

Twerking For Daddy

Written By: - Date published: 7:01 pm, February 15th, 2016 - 148 comments

As if the second round of booing in a week wasn’t bad enough, John Key got royally trolled by a young BGO attendee on Instagram. Then the Herald bizarrely decided her selfie of the PM with his hand tantalisingly close to her hair was a genuine BGO good news story. But wait! There’s more!!!

Shock Horror media bias exists in New Zealand

Written By: - Date published: 8:31 am, February 15th, 2016 - 85 comments

Claire Robinson has analysed press use of photos during the 2014 general election campaign and has concluded that the major newspapers exhibited substantial bias in favour of Prime Minister John Key.

Kia Kaha Christchurch

Written By: - Date published: 5:22 pm, February 14th, 2016 - 50 comments

A further earthquake has occurred in Christchurch today.

Open Mike 14/02/2016

Written By: - Date published: 7:19 am, February 14th, 2016 - 202 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 …

Key’s Bitter Legacy; Gareth Hughes Nails the PM’s Vanity.

Written By: - Date published: 11:06 am, February 12th, 2016 - 218 comments

The Green’s Gareth Hughes delivered a blistering speech in reply to the PM’s statement to the House. It begs the question ‘what will Key’s lasting legacy be?’. A failed flag referendum? Poverty? Inequality? Corruption? Selfies with AB’s?

As Key’s star fades, the less he seems to have left us to remember him by. What was the point of him anyway?

Northland Fishing Competition

Written By: - Date published: 2:25 pm, February 11th, 2016 - 35 comments

Winston Peters has stitched John Key up again, this time hook, line and sinker. When Key lied in Parliament about the Northland MP’s supposedly leisurely lifestyle, Peters offered a challenge: provide some evidence or donate $100k to charity.  Will cowardly Key take the bait?

Daily Review 09/02/2016

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 pm, February 9th, 2016 - 45 comments

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 …

Key booed by rugby crowd

Written By: - Date published: 3:21 pm, February 7th, 2016 - 81 comments

Key went to the rugby on Saturday, but his grandstanding didn’t go as planned.

The Whitehead Report does not exonerate Murray McCully

Written By: - Date published: 9:28 am, February 7th, 2016 - 11 comments

The Whitehead report into the circumstances surrounding the failed waiver of diplomatic immunity for the Malaysian attache charged with sexual assault charges has been released and blames the incident on an inadvertently worded email. But questions remain about why Murray McCully only took active steps after media broke the story and the effects his reorganisation of MFAT has had on its ability to do its job.

Ongoing Police Surveillance of Protesters

Written By: - Date published: 2:34 pm, February 5th, 2016 - 50 comments

I went to the anti-Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) protests yesterday to take photos. When I arrived I was immediately struck by the level of Police surveillance. Police photographers were carefully and systematically taking photos of every activist. But this wasn’t what interested me the most. Two police officers were busy scribbling in notebooks throughout the day. […]

What they don’t tell you about the TPPA

Written By: - Date published: 7:07 pm, February 3rd, 2016 - 146 comments

When a government prepares to surrender a share of its sovereignty, you would expect a compelling reason for doing so. No country would accept limits on its law-making power without an equal trade-off, surely? Well, no country except New Zealand. The TPPA places substantial limits on the government’s law-making powers while offering very little in return.

Key’s second waitress bungle

Written By: - Date published: 7:04 am, February 3rd, 2016 - 78 comments

Key’s badly dented “political antennae” took another solid beating yesterday, with his second high-profile bungle involving a waitress.

A tale of two States of the Nation speeches

Written By: - Date published: 8:57 am, February 2nd, 2016 - 6 comments

The State of the Nation speeches provide an interesting start to the political year.  John Key’s speech borrowed Labour Green policy that until now the Government has consistently derided and tried to present it as a “kickstart” while Andrew Little’s tertiary education policy announcement has received almost universal support and National is struggling to work out what attack lines to use.

Your Favourite Conspiracy Sucks

Written By: - Date published: 10:50 pm, February 1st, 2016 - 198 comments

The return of the X Files has got me thinking. Just how hard is it to keep a big conspiracy secret? Happily, a British scientist has the answer; it’s bloody hard. More or less impossible, actually, according to his new formula. It seems the truth really is out there.

New Day Rising

Written By: - Date published: 12:38 pm, January 31st, 2016 - 80 comments

Goff and Shearer’s disloyal and self serving support for the TPPA has backfired. They’ve shown that the ABC faction are now a spent force and that Andrew Little has the overwhelming support of caucus. The sun has set on the splitters and there is a new day rising.