In March of this year National recycled a private member's bill that Mike Sabin originally championed. The bill if enacted would have permitted a Judge to draw an adverse inference from a defendant facing child sex abuse charges exercising the right to silence. The bill…
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 …
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 …
The Regional Strategy and Policy Committee of Auckland Council debated the TPPA yesterday. The debate was somewhat long and fractious with a great deal of discussion about such strange things as whether or not the minor changing of the words of the resolution was appropriate. Conservative…
The NBR reckons the Nats are tacitly endorsing Phil Goff for mayor of Auckland. Text (from the image below) reads: Ms Simpson is the chair woman of the right-leaning Orakei board and is active in the community. It is believed she and Mr Goff would…
Obama called Médecins Sans Frontières and said sorry for killing Twelve Doctors Without Borders staff and seven patients, including three children... And for injuring; Another 37 others : 19 staff members, including five in critical condition, and 18 patients and caretakers. He explained that he is authorising US…
Remember back in the day when National announced increases in class sizes, and argued that it wouldn't damage educational outcomes? Bollocks of course. When it turned out that Key sent his kids to private schools because of the smaller classes that was pretty much the…
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 …
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 ...
According to a release from the Labour Party today, even that doyen of Charter Schools, Catherine Isaac, thinks Parata's decision to not allow a comparison between Charter Schools and State Schools is baffling. So baffling she wrote to Parata urging her to include it. And…
Helen Kelly was made the first life member of the new E tū union yesterday. Helen is standing down from her role as President of the CTU due to health reasons (lung cancer), but will remain active supporting union causes. Thank you Helen. If the…
The Paris Climate Change Conference is an important gathering of human beings in the face of the biggest crisis humanity has ever faced. Some think it is too late and civilisation is stuffed, others think that without immediate corrective action civilisation is doomed, a…
I/S at No Right Turn on the government's National Statement of Science Investment . (Meant to repost this earlier in the week!) An empty strategy The government finally released its National Statement of Science Investment today, more than a year after releasing the draft. Its…
Yet another excellent discussion of the TPP yesterday: Bryan Gould: Dairy tariffs still in place - why did we sign TPP? Now that we are at last allowed to know a little more about the TPPA negotiated in our name, it is clear that the…
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 …
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.
https://twitter.com/EtuUnion/status/651526624001703936 E Tū Union has been formally launched. Congratulations to all involved. The website is here. Faceook page is here. Twitter is here. And a special congratulations to Standard Author Helen Kelly who is the union's first life member.
If this report is accurate it opens an interesting can of worms! Labour threatens to defy TPP property provision The Labour Party is threatening to defy a key provision of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) if it becomes the next government. The agreement prohibits current and…
Here's some of the best analysis of and reaction to the TPP. Starting with the indefatigable Jane Kelsy: National government betrays NZers in TPPA deal ‘This deal is a travesty of democracy’, said Professor Jane Kelsey about the conclusion of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA)…
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 …
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.
No empire lasts for more than a handful of centuries. Most, far less. Think French, Spanish, Austro-Hungarian, Ottoman, British. The concept of the United States as an empire in decline is neither new nor novel. I first came across the idea via Dmitry Orlov's unique…
From the EPMU Next week marks an historic moment for the union movement in New Zealand, with the launch of the new union formed from the merger of the Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union and the Service and Food Workers’ Union. The new union’s name…
In 15 to 25 years, the expected tariff reduction return to NZ will be (summarized by kiwiblog) The Beehive site has some details on the deal. The savings on tariffs, once full implemented by sector are: Dairy $102 million Meat $72 million Fruit and vegetables $26 million Other agriculture…
The deal has been done. We are told that it is the best thing since sliced bread although we are not allowed to know the details. Tobacco companies will not be allowed to use the investor state resolution procedure which is a good thing. All…
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 …
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.