Television, radio and newspapers invite comments. So do blogs. Being heard is important to many people, whether it is an opinion about something broad (like politics) or more personal, like an issue at work, or in a relationship. Some who comment here do so because…
The latest oil spill: Leaked oil in Tauranga Harbour came from Mobil pipeline Heavy fuel oil spilled from a ship bunkering at the Port of Tauranga has washed up along the shores of the city's inner waterways - leaving a "boiling black mess". At least…
I have always found the scientific thread running through Catholicicism interesting. This, perhaps, is one of its most important expressions: Vatican official calls for moral awakening on global warming At climate change summit Cardinal Peter Turkson warns on burning of fossil fuels, in a likely…
A feisty speech from Grant Robertson on the international embarrassment that is our PM. Seems he is not alone: "Kiwis embarrassed to be the home of the 'creepy hair fetish guy as a PM'". https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTlZDCemrxU
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 Standarnistas 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.
Earlier today Martyn Bradbury reported that The Daily Blog was under attack: https://twitter.com/CitizenBomber/status/593231178720653313 The site has been up and down all afternoon. If there is anything The Standard can do to help let us know. Update: https://twitter.com/CitizenBomber/status/593297938001989632 Update: 2205 lprent; It looks like it is…
Today, we see a Herald 'editor' demonstrating exactly how useless they are at interpreting polls. Their editorial says The result of our poll today could suggest voters will forgive any foolish behaviour from this Prime Minister. Huh? Ponygate only started late last week. When was the…
The anonymous editorial in the Herald this morning felt like it had been designed by committee. There were some criticisms of Key and National but the editorial tried to suggest that basically things are fine for National. And strangely it says that there will be…
Corin Dann on John Key's visit to Saudi Arabia, where people are still executed for sorcery: Yes, John Key did raise [the issue of human rights] but it’s clear he didn’t push very hard. The National Party Twitter account on the Bali 9: https://twitter.com/NZNationalParty/status/593176941525471234 Yep,…
Overnight our premier states person, the Prime Minister, announced to International media something he denied to his own citizens due to National Security concerns. Information about the troops being sent into danger in Iraq. He also confirmed that despite saying he would raise human rights…
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 …
There have been quite a few questions raised about the legal and political implications of the Prime Minister's harassment of an Auckland cafe worker, Amanda Bailey. Former National Party MP Marilyn Waring aced it when she said "I'm getting tired of it being called anything…
Daily review is also your post.This provides Standarnistas 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.
Reposted from No Right Turn. New Zealand's policy on climate change has been one of inaction, justified by excuses and special pleading. A key plank in this is our emissions profile. Roughly 50% of our greenhouse gas emissions come from agriculture. We can't do anything…
Key's line on harassing a waitress is that he's the most "casual" PM ever. He was just joking around. It was all a bit of fun. He was misinterpreted. These are the lines of every sexist harassing jerk ever. These are the lines of male…
Andrea Vance wrote yesterday on Key's current trip to Saudi Arabia (all quotes from this piece). It's a country with a deeply troubling record on human rights: Amnesty International's New Zealand executive director Grant Bayldon said Saudi Arabia's justice system was "a sham." Research published…
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 …
Watch Miliband ko Boris. Andrew Marr opined this might be a foretaste of things to come when Ed is PM and Boris has knifed David Cameron, which Rupert Murdoch thinks likely. Johnson flails and Miliband counter-punches - "don't get rattled, Boris," same primary school "but not…
Last Week Tonight (John Oliver) on Key and his pathetic excuses. When it's available in embeddable form will include it here, in the mean time view here.
One aspect of Ponygate which deserves more analysis is the respective role of the main stream media and the alternative media and the relationship between the two. How this story developed and a comparison to previous situations provides an interesting overview.Firstly in relation to the story I…
Since when was harassing a waitress "casual"? John Key's "excuse" blew up all over Twitter last night. A sample... https://twitter.com/FoxyLustyGrover/status/592206444159569920 https://twitter.com/stephenreeves/status/592201873462964224 https://twitter.com/MariaSherwood2/status/592198680750362624 https://twitter.com/grantrobertson1/status/592186533425197056 https://twitter.com/Rtmiss/status/592138479808577536 https://twitter.com/MaramaDavidson/status/592283224878895104 https://twitter.com/LiamBLabour/status/592188249881190400 https://twitter.com/3RachelNZ3/status/592194846967795712 https://twitter.com/missnaanibanana/status/592272964298506240 https://twitter.com/UnPressed/status/592202468399808512 https://twitter.com/helenkellyCTU/status/592203697507053568 https://twitter.com/helenkellyCTU/status/592194099190501376 https://twitter.com/helenkellyCTU/status/592193445684350976 https://twitter.com/helenkellyCTU/status/592191824539754496 https://twitter.com/CateOwen/status/592226641343942657 https://twitter.com/UnPressed/status/592208161613852672 https://twitter.com/Xeronema/status/592211937896738816 https://twitter.com/tieaknotinit/status/592213573461356545 https://twitter.com/retroDoomer/status/592211524061540352 https://twitter.com/FoxyLustyGrover/status/592195926543847424 https://twitter.com/FoxyLustyGrover/status/592207405003345920 https://twitter.com/FoxyLustyGrover/status/592252111510896641 https://twitter.com/ryanfoley2002/status/592252330348646400
I'm planning to enjoy a day off today - the first "mondayised" public holiday - thanks to the work of David Clark, Grant Robertston, and others in Labour and the parties that supported the Bill. National and ACT voted against this holiday. According to employers…
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 …
"I'm a friendly guy that likes to interact with the public. I do like to have a bit of a laugh and I'm probably the most casual Prime Minister New Zealand has had." John Key. Q+A.The most casual Prime Minister New Zealand has had. And,…
As is all over the news this morning, Nepal and surrounding areas have been hit by a severe quake. At time of writing there are over 1,100 confirmed dead, a toll that is likely to rise. I'm sure all our thoughts are with those affected.…
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 …
One of the most disturbing things about the ponytail pulling fiasco is the vehemence with which the young woman at the centre of this storm has been attacked, and her situation minimized. It smacks of a deep level of misogyny and misunderstanding in our culture…