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Find articles and conversations by date, subject or search expression.

search syntax

Search syntax

Type words or a Sphinx search expression in the query box. The plugin uses this expression for full-text matching through SphinxQL.

Start with a few words, then narrow the search using these examples, inspired by recent posts on The Standard.

All words
unemployment statistics

Find both words, anywhere in the indexed text. A space means AND; unemployment & statistics also works.

A phrase
"data centres"

Find these words next to each other, in this order. Use straight double quotes, as shown.

Either word
Labour | National

Find either word. Use the vertical bar for OR.

Leave a word out
election -Trump

Find election while excluding Trump. election !Trump also works. Include a positive search word; -Trump on its own is not a valid search.

Group alternatives
(Labour | National) unemployment

Find unemployment together with either Labour or National. Parentheses make combinations easier to read.

Words near each other
"coalition government"~5

Find these words close together, in either order, allowing fewer than five intervening words.

In a title
@title "data centres"

Find the phrase in a post or page title. Comments have no indexed title; select Posts for articles only.

In the body
@body "tactical voting"

Find the phrase in the text of a post, page or comment.

By an author
@author lprent @body search

Find search in the body of items whose indexed author name contains lprent. Use the displayed author or commenter name, which may differ from a login name.

In a category
@category politics

Match words in indexed category names. Use the Categories checkboxes to select a specific category and its descendants.

In a tag
@tags election

Match words in indexed tag names. Use the Tags checkboxes to select a specific tag. Comments inherit their parent post’s categories and tags.

Combine fields
@title election @body (Labour | National)

Require election in the title and either Labour or National in the body. A field applies to following words until another field or the end of its parenthesized group. @* switches back to all fields.

Which fields work with @?

The current index supports @title, @body, @author, @author_full, @category and @tags. @author_full lprent searches the same author text as @author lprent; it uses the same word-matching rules.

The date columns published_utc, calendar_day and date_added are numeric attributes used for filtering, date counts or ordering. They cannot be searched with @: expressions such as @published_utc 2026 or @calendar_day 20261107 produce a query error. Use the From and To (inclusive) controls for dates.

Likewise, use Content for posts, pages or comments, and the Categories and Tags checkboxes for specific terms. Their numeric IDs and content-type attributes cannot be searched with @.

For example, enter @title election, select Posts, set From to 2026-01-01 and To (inclusive) to 2026-11-07, then press Search. This combines the title search with an inclusive date range in the site’s time zone.

Find recent posts

Select Posts only and Newest first. In Text Search or Archive Explorer, set From to one year ago and To (inclusive) to today, then press Search. The sidebar opens Text Search, where you can add these dates. For comments, the date range uses the comment’s own date.

Try @title election, @title "data centres" or unemployment statistics. Recent starting points:

If the results surprise you

Check Content and the date, category and tag filters. English word endings may match the same stem, so quotes fix word order rather than spelling. Wildcard searches such as elect* require index settings that the plugin’s default configuration does not enable.

Enter the expression itself in the box; choose dates and ordering with the controls. For example, use Labour | National for alternatives.

Background: Search upgraded (yet again).

Content
Date range
Browse dates
Categories

Names open category archives. Check boxes to combine filters, including subcategories.

Browse all category archives

Tags

Popular tags and your selections. Names open tag archives; check boxes to combine filters.

Browse all tag archives

Clear all

Searching: posts Sorted by: newest Results: 2,941–2,970 of 4,429

Post

What will National do on student allowances?

· Dancer

Spotted in the Waikato Times: Cambridge High School students did their best to get a policy out of him, but National leader John Key stayed tight-lipped on his party's student allowance stance yesterday: Of National's policy, Mr Key said: "We haven't announced it yet, but…

education

Post

Whom to believe? (2)

· Steve Pierson

Owen Glenn's letter to the Privileges Committee contradicts Winston Peters' previous statements to the media, the Privileges Committee, and, presumably, the PM. Glenn says that Peters did personally approach him for a donation, contrary to what Peters has said. It's important to remember that there's nothing…

election 2008 election funding nz first

Post

Drinking Liberally Auckland: Reminder.

· lprent

A reminder - Drinking Liberally is on in Auckland tonight with Laila Harre as the speaker. These are always fun to listen to the speaker and you get to do some networking. WHAT: Drinking Liberally Auckland City WHO: You and any of your left-leaning companeros…

notices

Post

Greens win better ETS

· Steve Pierson

The Greens have won some very good improvements to the ETS in exchange for their support. The most important is $1 billion over 15 years to insulate low-income homes and subsidise upgrades to insulation of higher income homes. That's a really positive development; all New…

climate change election 2008 Environment greens labour

Post

What else did Williamson say?

· Steve Pierson

I notice that, while the Nats have attempted to play down Maurice Williamson's promise of $50 a week in tolls, they haven't retracted Williamson's over statements from the same interview, specifically: RAWDON Okay let's look beyond roading, where else do you see PPPs being the…

national slippery

Post

Metaphor

· Steve Pierson

So, I was walking along in Kelburn yesterday, and I saw Stephen Franks' faded yellow mini. He was driving along in the centre of the lane when, without warning, he made a sharp right turn. And I was all like 'metaphor'.

uncategorized

Post

Greens back emissions trading scheme

· all_your_base

The Greens have decided to back the government's emissions trading scheme saying in a press release that it's a start but there's more to do: We reported on Thursday that we had achieved virtually nothing in two areas - agriculture, and protection of important biodiversity…

Environment greens

Post

Kiwis waking up to Nats’ secret agenda

· Steve Pierson

According to the TV3 poll last night, 46% of voters believe National has a secret agenda. And why wouldn't they? We've had Bill English talking about a secret agenda to 'sort out' Working for Families and sell Kiwibank while being recorded, on the same recordings, we've…

election 2008 national slippery

Post

Sales pitch

· all_your_base

He just doesn't give up does he? Maurice Williamson was spotted this morning still trying to sell his toll booth idea to Auckland motorists. Spy photos below.

same old national transport

Post

Williamson goes to ground

· Dancer

From RNZ's Checkpoint I hear they've been after Maurice Williamson all day to clarify what he said on Agenda yesterday (as discussed below). But he's gone to ground and is not returning calls. Williamson may admire what they are doing in Australia but Gordon Campbell…

flip-flop

Post

Whom to believe?

· Steve Pierson

On Agenda on Sunday, National's Transport spokesperson, Maurice Williamson, said National would impose tolls on major new road projects - Transmission Gully, Waterview etc - and on the Harbour Bridge if a tolled second crossing of the harbour is built. Williamson said a typical person using those…

national transport

Post

Nat: our ‘diversity’ is just a gimmick

· Steve Pierson

Unless a party has a systematic bias towards one sector of the population, it would be normal to expect that their candidates would represent a cross-section of the community - after all, talented, qualified people can be found in all groups; political aptitude is not…

racism same old national

Post

Beastly

· Steve Pierson

[I do love the idea that someone would go to the zoo merely to hurl insults at the apes]

child discipline humour

Post

Adapting to the end of cheap oil

· Steve Pierson

On August 1, Transit NZ and Land Transport NZ were merged into the NZ Transport Authority. The new organisation's first major publication shows a welcome shift in thinking and an acknowledgment that the age of cheap oil is over. Managing Transport Challenges When Oil Prices Rise contains…

election 2008 greens labour national transport

Post

On grounds of race or trust?

· Dancer

Regular Standard readers will know I like to keep an eye out on what's happening in the States (where the arte of politic$s is bigger, brighter and harsher). While there's been comment on Obama's choice of running mate, it was this piece in the Observer…

International us politics

Post

Open democracy?

· IrishBill

According to the Sunday Star Times the Sensible Sentencing Trust and Family First have decided to refuse to comply with the Electoral Finance Act. While the Sensible Sentencing Trust is outrightly claiming they are going to use their breach of the Act as a publicity…

election 2008 election funding rumour

Post

Reflections on Shawn Tan

· Steve Pierson

There's a lot of heat but not much light in the debate about the EPMU's suspension of Shawn Tan. What we know from the media is that Tan was told he had to seek approval from the union's national executive in line with his collective…

act workers' rights

Post

Foss puts foot in it

· Dancer

Craig Foss annoyed some students in Napier when he described early childhood teachers as "glorified babysitters", according to a recent story in the Hawke's Bay Today (sent in by a bemused reader). He admitted that he used the term "babysitting" yet also tried to argue…

education

Post

The Standard Week: August 15-22

· Steve Pierson

As expected, the polls out last weekend did not show National being hit by the secret agenda tapes scandal because they were conducted before the story had fully emerged. We will have to wait for the next round of polls to see what effect there…

standard week

Post

Drinking Liberally (AKL) with Laila Harre

· all_your_base

WHAT: Drinking Liberally Auckland City WHO: You and any of your left-leaning companeros WHEN: 7.30pm, Wednesday 27th August WHERE: London Bar, cnr Wellesley & Queen Sts (opposite Civic). The entrance to the bar is around on Wellesley St, you need to go up the stairs…

notices

Post

Greens call for public input on ETS

· Steve Pierson

One thing you can always say for the Greens, they're democratic to their core. Currently, they find themselves facing a tough choice - whether or not to support Labour's Emissions Trading Scheme - and, true to their democratic principles, they're asking for advice from the…

climate change election 2008 Environment greens

Post

Another leftie in the ‘sphere

· IrishBill

We finally get to welcome Chris Trotter to the blogosphere as he's started a new blog at http://www.policy.net.nz/blog/ I've often thought Trotter's solid smart writing and love of a robust argument would be suited to blogging and I fully expect his new blog will go…

blogs

Post

Consquences on climate change

· Dancer

Deputy leader Bill English yesterday late afternoon released what could barely be described as National's policy on climate change. I was sorry to see such little detail on what they planned, despite his saying (again) that their structure would be in place within nine months. Surely they must…

climate change

Post

Tasteless

· Steve Pierson

Thank God for those individuals of high morals who are at this moment whipping themselves into a frenzy over Pharmac's decision to fund different varieties of condom as well as the plain ones it has funded for years. Where would be without you? Here's the…

health

Post

Briefly

· Steve Pierson

The coverage of the Australian Dfat* briefing paper on Helen Clark is as unsurprising as it is depressing. Depressing in that this appears to be Martin Kay's biggest scoop of the year (he's dragged it out to a second article today) and no-one covering the…

International Media