The Standard

uncategorized

Categories under uncategorized

Brassneck

Written By: - Date published: 12:21 pm, March 2nd, 2015 - 64 comments

The release of the candidate donation returns has shown us that the National Party are still rorting the system. However, there are issues for the NZ Labour Party as well. Four MP’s have taken money from sources that do not have the interests of the Labour party or, indeed, the majority of Kiwis at heart. Brassneck or bought and sold?

Open mike 01/03/2015

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, March 1st, 2015 - 278 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 …

John Key channels Clarke and Dawe

Written By: - Date published: 7:16 pm, February 26th, 2015 - 27 comments

David Parker recaps Key’s bluster on his Donghua Liu dinner, and it’s pure comedy.

Andrew Little; leadership, loyalty and lasting the distance.

Written By: - Date published: 1:19 pm, February 26th, 2015 - 64 comments

Its 100 days since the NZ Labour Party elected Andrew Little as its leader. What an inspired decision that has turned out to be! Little has galvanised the party, united the caucus and looks set to be the next PM. How has he turned Labour around?

National’s electoral returns and the Donghua Liu donation

Written By: - Date published: 11:22 am, February 25th, 2015 - 41 comments

The Electoral Commission has now released individual returns of donations and electoral expenses.  And the Donghua Liu donation appears in Jamie-Lee Ross’s return.  But the vast majority of electorate campaigns recorded head office donations and the overwhelming impression is that cabinet club donations are collected centrally and then distributed.  So what happened with the Liu donation?

NZ Banks are very worried…

Written By: - Date published: 5:59 am, February 25th, 2015 - 76 comments

New Zealand banks (which are really Australian banks) are REALLY worried for us (oh, and for themselves).

Open mike 25/02/2015

Written By: - Date published: 5:55 am, February 25th, 2015 - 161 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 …

ISIS. Crowdsourcing a solution.

Written By: - Date published: 11:15 am, February 24th, 2015 - 172 comments

So, we’re off to Iraq. If the answer to ISIS isn’t sending Kiwi troops, what do Standardistas think practical alternatives might be?

EDIT: Key announces 143 troops to go to Iraq and support staff.

Open mike 24/02/2015

Written By: - Date published: 6:33 am, February 24th, 2015 - 133 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 …

Labour the Greens and NZ First

Written By: - Date published: 9:10 am, February 19th, 2015 - 70 comments

An alternative view to Te Reo Putake’s proposal that Labour should support Winston Peters in the Northland by election.  I believe that Labour should stick to its current plan and endorse Willow Jean Prime.

Stand by Your Man

Written By: - Date published: 8:48 am, February 19th, 2015 - 107 comments

Sometime in the next few days, Winston Peters will announce whether or not he will stand in the Northland by-election. He should run unchallenged by the left and Labour and the Greens should endorse him for the greater good.

The Precariat Charter – Guy Standing – Wellington 19th Feb

Written By: - Date published: 9:35 pm, February 18th, 2015 - 5 comments

Professor Guy Standing will discuss the ideas in his new book ‘A Precariat Charter; from Denizens to Citizens” in Wellington on Thursday 19 February at St John’s Church Hall, Willis Street at 5:30pm. “Throughout history, class-based revolt has led to the creation of charters of demands, from the Magna Carta to South Africa’s Freedom Charter. It is now time for a Precariat Charter.” All welcome

Tory “charity”

Written By: - Date published: 3:30 pm, February 18th, 2015 - 42 comments

The Government is planning to make charities pay for police background checks. You can’t make this stuff up!

Labour’s Betrayal Continues

Written By: - Date published: 6:35 am, February 18th, 2015 - 440 comments

It might well be in Labour’s best interests to cut the crap now and go into coalition with the National Ltd™ Cult of John Key. It would be the honest thing to do. Kiwis will then know where the boundaries lie and who actually is working to oppose the implementation of the wider neo-liberal ideology.

Third termitis

Written By: - Date published: 9:44 am, February 15th, 2015 - 69 comments

The John Key led National Government is showing signs of third termitis.  Symptoms are a confusion of the national interest with National Party political interests, a willingness to sell state houses and pay the proceeds to large corporates when even your best friends are saying don’t, a staleness and inability to handle issues properly and being completely bereft of new ideas to improve the country.  The condition is almost inevitably terminal.

Global divestment day

Written By: - Date published: 7:27 am, February 14th, 2015 - 7 comments

“We are demanding institutions do what is necessary to avert the climate crisis by divesting from fossil fuels. Together, we are making fossil fuels history.”

How does #nzpol do on Facebook?

Written By: - Date published: 8:30 am, February 10th, 2015 - 19 comments

Feinstein Doak has a post up with the Top Political Facebook Posts of 2014, and the results are interesting.

Police told the Government about Sabin’s problems

Written By: - Date published: 7:30 am, February 7th, 2015 - 218 comments

Police Commissioner Mike Bush has essentially confirmed that under the no surprises policy the Police told either Anne Tolley or Michael Woodhouse or both about the Police investigation into Mike Sabin. The issue will be when they were told. If this occurred before the time that Labour told the Prime Minister’s office about Sabin’s difficulties the veracity of what John Key has told us will have to be questioned.

A calculated feeding of the beasts within

Written By: - Date published: 2:13 pm, February 5th, 2015 - 76 comments

The social democracy of my youth has radically collapsed into our current culture of individualism, privatisation and personal greed.

What did Key know about Sabin’s issues?

Written By: - Date published: 11:18 am, February 2nd, 2015 - 116 comments

Now that Mike Sabin has resigned attention is on what John Key knew and when.

Queensland and Northland

Written By: - Date published: 5:30 pm, February 1st, 2015 - 49 comments

The conventional wisdom re the Queensland election late last year was  ”that converting (Labor’s) current tally of nine seats into the 45 needed for a majority will be a bridge or more too far.”  Anastascia Palaszczuk was obviously not conventional but was wise enough to dare to win on community issues. A community-issue based campaign in Northland could also spring a surprise here.

The Northland by-election

Written By: - Date published: 2:30 pm, January 30th, 2015 - 163 comments

A by-election is imminent – so how does Labour win in a safe National seat?

National MP Mike Sabin resigns

Written By: - Date published: 11:56 am, January 30th, 2015 - 151 comments

UPDATED: Northland MP Mike Sabin has resigned.

Taxpayers Union Press Release on Eleanor Catton

Written By: - Date published: 4:48 pm, January 28th, 2015 - 277 comments

The Taxpayers Union has responded to Eleanor Catton’s comment that New Zealand is dominated by money hungry politicans who do not care about culture by demanding she pay back funding used on her six month residency.  Way to prove her point boys.

investing in social cohesion

Written By: - Date published: 10:15 am, January 28th, 2015 - 19 comments

experiences of solidarity and support can be found across the planet.  they aren’t particularly hard to find, these many instances of kindness and humanity.  so why does it feel like we live in a world that is incredibly hostile?

Open mike 22/01/2015

Written By: - Date published: 6:56 am, January 22nd, 2015 - 266 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 …

Open mike 21/01/2015

Written By: - Date published: 6:50 am, January 21st, 2015 - 268 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 …

Top 1% own 50% of world wealth: Oxfam

Written By: - Date published: 10:44 pm, January 19th, 2015 - 241 comments

Winnie Biyanyima of Oxfam is one of six co-chairs at the Davos World Economic Forum. She says her role  is to challenge the powerful elites, and she goes armed with a new report that shows that on current trends by next year the world’s richest !% will hold more wealth than the other 99%. She’s got some good ideas on what to do about it too.

Shortlist for GCSB Chief announced

Written By: - Date published: 1:31 pm, January 16th, 2015 - 15 comments

It makes for great reading and throws the net wider than last time… just Check it out here

Open mike 12/01/2015

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, January 12th, 2015 - 109 comments

The Authors of The Standard are now in holiday mode. Posting will be less regular and dependant on individual author enthusiasm.

The Hypocrisy of Hate

Written By: - Date published: 4:07 pm, January 11th, 2015 - 223 comments

You’d think that with all the WW1 commemorations going on at the moment it would make us more vigilant about our freedom and security, not sleep-walking towards another Holy Crusade (in the name of the God of Money and Father of Fossil Fuels), seduced by slick liars and the gods of commercialism and greed.