Written By: - Date published: 12:01 am, January 1st, 2012 - 26 comments
To everyone in the Standard community – Happy New Year!
We hope 2012 finds you all safe and well and ready for another year of arguing about politics 😉
Written By: - Date published: 12:21 pm, December 31st, 2011 - 9 comments
Ralph Hotere has been made a member of the New Zealand Order of Merit.
Given his contribution to art and to the political discourse this is well deserved.
Congratulations Ralph, from all of us here at the Standard.
Written By: - Date published: 11:29 pm, December 30th, 2011 - 31 comments
FFS: If you are going to confess your foibles to Facebook, then don’t let a low-grade sociopath have access to your dribblings. Not only is it going to be embarrassing to you after you sober up. But you are going to find that every other border line nutter has liked it all over the net. A few simple rules when you are sober will prevent the problem.
Written By: - Date published: 9:18 am, December 27th, 2011 - 54 comments
Radio New Zealand reports that Peter Ellis has a petition to the Minister of Justice seeking a pardon. The current Minister of Justice, Judith Collins, signed another petition seeking an inquiry into his case in 2005. The question is will Collins now walk the talk?
Written By: - Date published: 7:17 pm, December 26th, 2011 - 154 comments
According to Janet Wilson (I know – I was surprised she’s still around too) the Standard are blind to any rational coverage. Wilson makes this claim while posting her list of best and worst of 2011 (we got “Worst Election News Coverage”).
Written By: - Date published: 4:40 pm, December 21st, 2011 - 84 comments
Labour’s new leader promised a fresh approach. He’s delivered already in his speech in reply today. Gone is the ritual opening denunciation of the government’s programme – Shearer begins with where a new Labour government would start.
Written By: - Date published: 2:44 pm, December 19th, 2011 - 111 comments
The new Labour line-up is announced. Parker Finance, Ardern Social Development, Cunliffe Economic Development (plus Assoc Finance) round out the top five.
Written By: - Date published: 11:59 am, December 18th, 2011 - 97 comments
David Shearer’s brand is of a new kind of politician. Not burdened by the old rivalries, he is touted as the man that can move New Zealand forwards – a consensus-builder rather than a scarred old warrior. The weekend media coverage has been excellent. His Address in Reply this week will consolidate his brand. Here is what I would say if I were him.
Written By: - Date published: 6:51 am, December 17th, 2011 - 143 comments
The judicial recount has given Waitakere back to Bennett. By 9 votes. Could swing back on a high court petition. Who knows who really has more support out west. Sepuloni and Bennett are essentially as popular as each other. Just shows the stupidity of winner take all electoral systems.
Written By: - Date published: 1:39 pm, December 16th, 2011 - 9 comments
In 2008, the Electoral Commission released its non-decision on the address I used on Chris Knox’s CD “it’s a better way with Labour” on 16 December. They were embarrassed and buried it in the pre-Christmas dump. This December, I’m waiting for a much more important decision on the RadioLive “Prime Minister’s Hour.” There’s a lot at stake.
Written By: - Date published: 2:33 pm, December 15th, 2011 - 37 comments
Key is playing petty politics as usual on poverty. He should have accepted Shearer’s call for a cross party process and his offer of help on the new “ministerial poverty committee”.
Written By: - Date published: 7:19 pm, December 14th, 2011 - 44 comments
One of David Shearer’s campaign volunteers organised this video as a surprise for David on the night of the Mt Albert By-Election in 2009. We played it to David and the Labour Party activists during the election night celebrations and I’ve had it sitting on my computer ever since. After re-watching it with my partner […]
Written By: - Date published: 2:55 pm, December 14th, 2011 - 50 comments
micky savage writes about Labour’s results in Auckland. There were some stunning results, particularly in South Auckland where Labour’s share of the vote increased by 10.2% in Mangere, 7.3% in Manukau East and 5.2% in Manurewa. And in Phil Goff’s Mount Roskill it increased by 1%. These were very good results in an election where the tide was going out.
Written By: - Date published: 10:59 am, December 14th, 2011 - 62 comments
There’s talk Shearer might hand Cunliffe the poisoned chalice of foreign affairs. As Clark did her main rival, Goff. That’s no job for a man with a young family. Anyway, Goff’ll want it back ahead of taking the Chinese ambassadorship. Instead, let Cunliffe swap with Parker, who was invisible in economic development and energy, and take on Joyce.
Written By: - Date published: 9:00 am, December 14th, 2011 - 89 comments
Congratulations David Shearer, you’re leader of the Left now, and the prime target for the Right’s smear machine. The Right’s strategy is obvious: bait and switch. Having proclaimed Shearer’s virtues to high heaven, they (and their useful idiots) will now say ‘who is this man?’, try to frame unreasonable expectations, and try to beat up leadership rumours.
Written By: - Date published: 6:34 pm, December 13th, 2011 - 69 comments
Here is David Shearer’s first speech as Labour party leader.
Written By: - Date published: 5:18 pm, December 13th, 2011 - 38 comments
I’ve now seen David Shearer in three Labour selection contests – I was on the panel in Waitakere in 2002 and Mt Albert in 2009, and I was in Wesley Church last Wednesday in Wellington. He’s won two out of three, and been most impressive every time. Had I been a caucus member today, he would have had my vote. This is why.
Written By: - Date published: 11:11 am, December 13th, 2011 - 340 comments
Labour have come out of their caucus after their vote on who should succeed Phil Goff as leader. The new leadership team is David Shearer and Grant Robertson.
Written By: - Date published: 8:27 am, December 13th, 2011 - 31 comments
To Cunliffe and Shearer, good luck. To the 34 people choosing the next Labour leader, remember your task is to choose the person who can represent a million+ centre and left voters. The man to take the centre-left to victory in 2014. Don’t you dare let petty personal issues cloud your judgement. We, whom you are privileged to represent, deserve better.
Written By: - Date published: 7:35 am, December 13th, 2011 - 48 comments
Read this and weep: New rolling stock (carriages) for South Island scenic rail journeys are as good as, or better than anything I have experienced anywhere else. They rival equipment used on Switzerland’s premier scenic rail journeys, including the famed Zermatt to St Moritz Glacier Express. And, best of all, the new rail vehicles, classified […]
Written By: - Date published: 10:59 pm, December 12th, 2011 - 65 comments
David Lange was a good man with a sharp mind, he was quick as a cat thinking on his feet – especially debating – he was an excellent communicator. With only six years’ parliamentary experience before becoming leader of the NZLP he was also the least experienced of all Labour’s twelve leaders to date. David Lange got eaten alive.
Written By: - Date published: 3:43 pm, December 12th, 2011 - 10 comments
Scott at Imperator Fish has kindly given us permission to syndicate posts from his blog – the original of this post is here
The Labour leadership contest is not a left-right battle, but a tough call between an Obama-like orator and a down-to-earth guy who lives his values. Both talented and want to reform the party: but hard to chose who’s best to lead the fight to National.
Written By: - Date published: 9:53 am, December 12th, 2011 - 33 comments
Paula Bennett did pretty well in 2008, she won a seat that gave more party votes to Lab+Greens than Nat+ACT. But she was a bad MP. The electorate swung away from Nat+ACT and Bennett lost. But does she take it with grace? No she whines that Labour used “nasty and vicious” tactics like “mobilising the left” and getting out the vote on election day.
Written By: - Date published: 2:16 pm, December 10th, 2011 - 196 comments
Official Election results are out. Carmel Sepuloni takes Waitakere back for Labour by 11 votes, and National loses one seat to the Greens. MMP wins by a mile. Well done Carmel – I’m really glad she stays in Parliament. I don’t think a recount will change anything – I scrutineered the official count last election and the people doing it were very very careful.
Written By: - Date published: 12:11 pm, December 9th, 2011 - 89 comments
Nat masterminds Farrar and Slater are throwing it all into the anti-Cunliffe push. Farrar has a quote dredged up by the Nat research unit of Cunliffe in 2007 saying he doesn’t want to be PM because “it’s bastard of a job and I have a young family. I don’t think the two would go together.” “They must be older now” smirks Farrar. Yes, dumbarse. 7 years older by 2014.
Written By: - Date published: 9:18 am, December 9th, 2011 - 16 comments
Scott at Imperator Fish has kindly given us permission to syndicate posts from his blog – the original of this post is here
Scott wants his say on the Labour leadership – even if he’s not sure who he’d vote for. But he’ll decide like many of us at the Sunday Meet the Candidates Meeting.
Written By: - Date published: 11:52 am, December 7th, 2011 - 193 comments
I am tribal labour. I am the son of an Anglican Minister known as the “Red Reverend” and a stalwart member of Timaru Labour. My political beliefs were instilled into me from birth. For me the foundation is that every human being is of equal moral worth and the structures of our society must give everyone a chance to be the best that they can be. That means leaning against the free market when it undermines human dignity and starves many of the opportunities they need to build a good life.
Written By: - Date published: 10:19 am, December 7th, 2011 - 88 comments
“That’s MMP for you” John Key smugly proclaimed in justification of his charter schools policy. Apparently, it’s MMP’s fault that he chose to rort the system and then us the one ACT MP as an excuse for unmandated rightwing policies. But why are the Nats suddenly acting so haughty and pushing through unmandated policies? The answer is MMP.
Written By: - Date published: 2:34 pm, December 5th, 2011 - 75 comments
Coalition agreements are expected to be signed today, with Ministerial roles expected for both Dunne and Banks. But it is the details of the policy gains that will tell us the mettle of these two. Did they achieve anything significant with their negotiating power?
Written By: - Date published: 11:25 am, December 5th, 2011 - 131 comments
I enjoyed Jenny’s piece the other day on David Shearer’s leadership abilities. His skill at taking the ball and running with it, and doing what he thinks is right. I want to similarly praise David Cunliffe for his leadership in economic thinking. God knows we need someone who gets the problems and the solutions. Cunliffe brings that understanding in droves.
Written By: - Date published: 9:26 am, December 5th, 2011 - 216 comments
David Cunliffe has said that, if he is Labour leader, he will look to buy back any assets National sells once he is PM. Under the existing Takeovers Code, that wouldn’t be too hard. But why not go a step further and make it clear to any potential investor that our energy sector won’t be their cash cow? A bit of regulatory reform would sink the assets’ share value.
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