Explore the archive
Find articles and conversations by date, subject or search expression.
Searching: posts Sorted by: newest Results: 1–30 of 53
Post
Ed Miliband has narrowly beaten his brother David to become the new leader of Labour in the UK. It was a very tight race - Ed only got to the required 50 % and indeed only surpassed David in votes for the first time after…
Post
I guess we shouldn't really mock such unfortunates but this latest missive from the Bog is too hard to resist. Farrar and his merry band of ignorant loons are furious that the ODT, one of New Zealand's better newspapers, is daring to ask pertinent questions…
accountability act blogs crime dpf Media newspapers rodney hide
Post
I've generally made it a rule never to get involved in, or pass much comment on, local body politics as I've learned the hard way that it is usually a dismal affair but someone engaging in systematic electoral fraud is a new low. The signs…
Post
The Sunday Star Times has documents showing John Key's Chief of Staff and anti-MMP campaigner Peter Shirtcliffe discussing how best to remove proportional representation from Kiwi votors. According to the documents the two decided that STV wouldn't attract people away from MMP: Shirtcliffe prepared notes…
Post
Matt McCarten has finally got his website up for which SuperCity candidates to back. As Rodney Hide has forced the Auckland mayor, Council and Local Boards to be less-democratic First Past the Post elections, Progressives need to vote in a block - we don't want…
auckland supercity class war democratic participation First Past the Post
Post
451 days after we hit 100,000 comments, we've hit 200,000. Now, will we get to 300,000 before the election, which will be in late July about 300 days from now? Maybe, here's every 20,000 comments plotted by days since we started: And the election itself…
Post
On Thursday, the 2010 Organised Crime Assessment for New Zealand was released to the public. Essentially it told us what we already know; we have a problem, we know what the problem is, and we’re failing to solve it. It is time we approached the…
Post
So there is a high probability that if your house was built in the 50s, 60’s and 70’s it will contain various levels and types of asbestos. And 15 000 chimneys have fallen over all around Christchurch, or are damaged and being demolished and the…
Post
Open mike is your post. It's open for discussing topics of interest, making announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. Comment on whatever takes your fancy. The usual good behaviour rules apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the mike...
Post
Standardista spies in Dunedin report that the Labour candidate selection process -- to replace long serving MP Pete Hodgson -- finished recently. The campaign was vigorous but good natured, and all three candidates acquitted themselves well at the selection meeting. Congratulations to David Clark, who…
Post
Switzerland, where women only got full voting rights in 1990, now has a female majority in their cabinet. Until now only 6 women had ever held ministerial posts - and now there are 4 out of the 7 ministers who form the inner sanctum of…
Post
Check out Hilary Calvert’s interview in the ODT. It’s, um, extraordinary and hilarious. Calvert can’t remember whether she was ever a member of a different political party, when she first stood for ACT, or whether she has any convictions. More evidence of the depth of…
Post
Digested Read Digested – Equality: better education and social mobility. Inequality: more teen pregnancies Education is the future – it will be what creates or destroys the success of our society when the next generation has its turn to lead. So what produces the best…
Post
A reader has sent us a Lefty's guide to voting in the Dunedin City Council elections. With the huge numbers of candidates and the relatively small amount of information we get on them, this kind of guide is really useful. If anyone else wants to…
Post
The idea of The Chinese Century has been around for a long time now. But a couple of articles that caught my eye recently make me think that the start of that century is well and truly upon us. The first: America Is Suffering a…
Post
We're about to hit 200,000 comments. We're past 199,700 now and increasing by an average of 250-odd a day. It took 688 days to get to the first 100,000 and just 450 for the next 100,000. The 100,000th comment was good old Felix in fine…
Post
Open mike is your post. It's open for discussing topics of interest, making announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. Comment on whatever takes your fancy. The usual good behaviour rules apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the mike...
Post
You've only got a day left to see "Dave Kent, a Listening Eye" at Enjoy Gallery on Cuba Street. If you've got the time and are near the place, it's well worth a look. The exhibition is centred around Dave's work for Wellington's Media Collective,…
Post
I see Hide and Garrett are trying a new spin today. Here's Garrett: "As a result of my foolish actions 26 years ago I now have other battles to face." And Hide: "I've spoken to MPs from across the House and they are sitting there…
Post
A few days ago Charles Chauvel wrote a piece on Red Alert on why Labour voted for CERRA (the Canterbury Earthquake Response and Recovery Act or the Gerry Brownlee Enabling Act). I give him credit for not resorting to Brendon Burns' 'women and children first'…
Post
Digested Read Digested – Equality breeds trust; inequality breeds crime. (Or: Do you want to be a bonobo or a chimp?). In Sweden 66% of people trust strangers; in Portugal it’s just 10%. Anecdotally we see in Norway blankets left outside cafes in case people are…
Post
So. If you're too poor to afford house insurance and you're left homeless by an act of god, the government won't help you. But if you're rich enough to own a farm, then one year you get hit by an act of god, the government…
Post
Lockwood Smith has been doing a great job in parliament of late. He can be bullied by National MPs, particularly Gerry Brownlee, but he sets off in the right direction. Making Ministers answers questions. Brilliant. Allowed John Key to make a right fool of himself…
Post
John Key, July 2010: I also want to pay a special acknowledgement to my friend and deputy, Bill English. What a great job he is doing as Finance Minister. He's delivered two Budgets that have steered New Zealand out of recession and put the economy…
Post
In the aftermath of the Christchurch earthquake, our parliamentary representatives seemed - how should we say? - a little too relaxed and casual around the issue of our representative democracy and suspending its traditional systems associated with degrees of oversight, accountability and redress. Sure, there…
Post
Open mike is your post. It's open for discussing topics of interest, making announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. Comment on whatever takes your fancy. The usual good behaviour rules apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the mike...
Post
The latest GDP figures are awful. the Reserve Bank had predicted 0.9% growth in the June Quarter. It came in at 0.2% - far worse than anyone expected and slower than population growth, so economic production per person declined. Revisions out previous data show the…
Post
“All I can say is that in the 22 months that Mr Hide has been a minister in my Government he’s shown very good judgement and he has my full support.” John Key, 17 Sep 2010
accountability act caption contest john key leadership national national/act government rodney hide
Post
Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment Jan Wright has released her Mining the Conservation Estate report. Among other important points, it hits on an issue that was raised by writers on The Standard during the Schedule 4 fight. Why is it that miners get to mine…
Post
What is John Key thinking? Why would he tie himself so firmly to the mast of the sinking ship that is Rodney Hide and ACT? And tie himself he has: Rt Hon JOHN KEY: Mr Hide has carried out his affairs in a personal and…