Odd isn't it how the whiff of corruption follows McCully around - 'Numerous donations' by hotel founder to National Party, but no conflict During the 2014 election, Scenic Hotel Group founder Earl Hagaman donated $101,000 to the National Party. A month later, the company won…
Whyalla, the third largest town in South Australia, has a population of 22,000. It's a town devoted to serving one South Australian steelworks, Arrium Ltd. Arrium has called in the administrators. Do you save the town? Australia has lost 164,000 manufacturing jobs in the course…
Housing is very much in the news again: No rich parents? No house! House price rise spreads to regions House price records smashed across New Zealand Stating the obvious - Bernard Hickey: Time for action on high house prices ... Auckland's stratified median house price,…
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 …
Jane Bowron writes in the Dominion Post: 'Hopeless' comment a sign of a tired Government Two things happened this week that could signal the beginning of the end of John Key and his government. Firstly, Finance Minister Bill English made the reckless comment at a…
There is absolutely no story here and nothing to see. And no link whatsoever between donations of $101,000 to the National Party and the subsequent awarding of a contract to manage a luxury resort in Niue to the donor's company. Nothing at all. From Radio…
These days I am struck with a bizarre sense of unreality when I read pieces like this: NZ planners’ think-tank on climate change impacts New Zealand’s top planners will be holding a think-tank on climate change impacts this week at the New Zealand Planning Institute’s…
Last week I wrote a post - What tax evasion robs us of. It quoted an estimate that the US had $21–32tn of untaxed assets, and that if taxed properly the income would fund a UBI in America. On The Nation on Saturday Gareth Morgan…
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 …
In the UK, Cameron's latest cuts have provoked a very public response: Anti-austerity protest: tens of thousands attend London march Noisy crowd wielding banners, expletive-filled placards and pig effigies descend on capital from across the UK An anti-austerity march in London has attracted tens of…
Largely prompted by our ongoing need to construct narratives out of the margin of error, there have been two opinion pieces on Labour this weekend. Audrey Young: Labour's new focus is all about the leader I'm not sure the headline is correct, but never mind.…
A recent article by George Monbiot published in the Guardian titled "Neoliberalism – the ideology at the root of all our problems" neatly describes the battle between neoliberal and Kensyan economics and how neoliberalism won the battle but is failing because of its inherent problems. He also…
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 …
Media release in my mail this morning saying that Michael Wood will be standing for selection as the Labour candidate for Mt Roskill. He'd replace Phil Goff who will be standing for the Auckland Mayoralty. "The Labour selection in early June will enable local party…
Courtesy of the IDG group who own thestandard.co.nz, we are able to shorten our address from thestandard.org.nz to our brand new name of :- thestandard.nz Some of you are probably aware that since late 2014, it was possible to get direct .nz addresses. In our case what I…
Brighter Future. Cusp of Something Special. Is it supposed to look like this? March 24: Inland Revenue to cut 1500 jobs between 2018 and 2021 March 29: NZ Post plans to cut another 500 jobs April 5: 180 jobs to go at Fisher & Paykel…
In continuing fallout from the Panama Papers: UK and European allies plan to deal ‘hammer blow’ to tax evasion Britain and its European allies have announced new rules designed to be a “hammer blow” against tax evasion in direct response to the Panama Papers leak…
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 …
In 1989, David Brin wrote a near-future look (2038) at the world. It was entitled 'Earth'. I was just rereading in Northern Italy between the long days of work fulfilling a contract. It is a book that is well-known for its prophetic musing on future trends. One low likelihood…
Not knowing anything about the electricity industry, this looks like a difficult topic to me: Another lines company ponders solar charge Lines company Eastland Group is considering following the example of the Hawke's Bay lines company Unison and imposing an extra lines charge on people…
A couple of recent Guardian posts sum up how current economic settings are doomed to fail, unless the only goal is to preserve privilege for the 1%. The first suggests that wealth does not trickle down, it floods offshore into tax havens. The estimate is…
As Nick Smith flounders about uselessly, here are extracts from Phil Twyford's speech to the NZ Planning Institute on the housing crisis in Auckland [emphasis added at some points]. Speech to NZ Planning Institute conference ... Fuelled by concern about unaffordable housing and falling home…
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 …
Bill English's abominable comment that young Kiwi men are "pretty damned hopeless" has caused quite a reaction. But here's an unexpectedly positive one. One Friend of The Standard (FoTS) rang Bill English's office to offer their help in teaching some of these young men to…
Tax evasion is illegal. Tax avoidance is a moral grey-zone. They both cost governments income that could be used to further the public good. This interesting piece by Colin Holtz in The Guardian looks at the costs of tax evasion, and how (in America) the…
"Productivity is commonly defined as a ratio between the output volume and the volume of inputs. In other words, it measures how efficiently production inputs, such as labour and capital, are being used in an economy to produce a given level of output." New Zealand…