Daily review 03/07/2026

Written By: notices and features - Date published: - 8 comments
Categories: Daily review

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 …

8 comments on “Daily review 03/07/2026”

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  1. 1

    Laws, NZF,

    "Otago Regional Council going so looks around for another income."

    Elegant comment.

    1. 1.1

      Perhaps seeking an elegaic silver-haired look? Perhaps with an AI plug-in he could simulate intelligence? I suppose anything is possible nowadays…

    3. 1.3

      Potentially 3 more years of government taxpayer income while getting New Zealand Super & former MP Super – it would depend on his list ranking.

    4. 1.4

      Looks like he could be going for the rabid rightist slice of the electorate (on the basis that Seymour is a liberal wimp).

      He has faced criticism for calling the late Tongan King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV a "bloated brown slug" in 2006, and calling Governor-General Anand Satyanand a "fat Indian" in 2010. He was taken off air in 2011 after talking in his talkback show about wanting to shoot journalists over coverage of that year's election. https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/politics/658049/former-mayor-broadcaster-michael-laws-to-stand-for-nz-first-in-upcoming-election

  2. 2

    Trotter ain't dead: https://lawnews.nz/politics/election-2026-why-the-prospects-for-preserving-political-stability-just-took-a-turn-for-the-worse/

    Since every party with the funds to do so is constantly polling the electorate, we must assume that National – whose campaign war-chest is bulging at the seams with donated gold – was being kept up-to-date by its own polling firm (David Farrar’s Curia Research Ltd) about what was happening out there in the place former National leader Don Brash called “punterland”.

    Certainly it would explain the unmistakable note of panic in the voices of National’s keynote speakers: the Prime Minister, President Sylvia Wood and Campaign Chair Simeon Brown.

    He doesn't give sources to validate such evidence of panic in the public arena. Yet perhaps he's been shooting the breeze with the 3, earning spare cash as political advisor.

    Labour steadfastly refuses to demonstrate either clarity or courage. Small policies, with small price-tags, are all the party is prepared to offer. Labour’s leader Chris Hipkins and his advisers have a plan – and they are sticking to it.

    Minimalism. Rely on the legendary kiwi complacency acting as an ebb-tide of voters from National to Labour. Underwhelming everyone lulls the enemy into a false sense of security. Then you pounce. I could advance this thesis & call it the McNulty master-strategy, were I a political theorist rather than a dilettante, but too diffident given that way too much time has passed since Labour last showed such expertise.

    the Greens’ tax policies demonstrate considerably more radicalism than their previous propensity for alienating performative displays. A wealth tax signals revolutionary intent much more effectively… Opportunity, likewise, is presenting an unapologetically radical manifesto to the electorate. Their commitment to establishing a compassionate technocracy is genuinely new and shows every sign of attracting the support of at least one voter in 20.

    Compassionate technocrats have long been thin on the ground, so I don't like his chances of achieving contagion with that framing. Yet such creatures could add value to our political ecology. We could hope for epigenetic effervescence.

  3. 3

    For any cricket tragics that have had enough of the pollies and their antics.

    Just under 10 minutes of good analysis and praise for the NZ Mens Cricket team in their recent series win in England. Coming back from 1-0 down, less their skipper and best player, as well missing key bowlers. Showing grit, courage and skill.

    Contrasted with Englands performance.

    https://youtu.be/x66q9D-WX8Q?si=k-kl2VbrFvvsWCnw

  4. 4

    Ha Dennis, Trotter and Laws overlapped almost half a century ago at Otago varsity, one as Critic editor, the other as politico side-kick to 'The Guv', the student union president who strolled round nattily in full Edwardian kit (wing-tip collar and all). The Guv was nominated later to stand for the Nats in Dunedin, but removed himself from consideration when rumours of a penchant for seducing young men emerged. Ah, more innocent days.

    Laws had already incubated his nasty persona then. Trotter was leftist, but has since hardened into a crusty old crust, the epitome of the crotchetty old man.

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