I think that Andrew Little standing down was a mistake. I can't think of anyone in the Labour caucus capable of doing anything much between now and the election. That is either a panic reaction or part of a caucus whisper campaign. Labour should have…
Andrew Little has stepped down - expects Jacinda to replace him. Streaming on RNZ: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmyFW0zI1Vc Updates: Live: Andrew Little quits Labour leadership Live: Andrew Little quits, Jacinda Ardern up for Labour leadership
At 10:30 this morning there is a Labour caucus meeting where the subject of the leadership will be discussed. If Andrew Little decides to step down rumours suggest that a Jacinda Ardern / Kelvin Davis ticket is being considered. I personally don't have strong feelings…
Unbelievable. After ten days in the position it appears that Anthony Scaramucci has been fired from his white house job as communications director. From the Herald: US President Donald Trump has sacked his communications director Anthony Scaramucci, just 10 days into his role. The sacking…
Current polls leave National/minor and Labour/Green both short of majority. I had fond hopes that the left might get there without NZF, but we're running out of time for that. Like it or not (I don't) the chances of NZF determining the shape of 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 …
The US imposes reckless additional sanctions on Russia. Russia, as is par for the course in such circumstances, expels US diplomats. And a US State Department Official terms that reaction " a regrettable and uncalled for act." So, Russia should just have rolled over like a…
This is a Guest Post from Matthew Whitehead. Matthew is a writer, programmer, Green party member, and electoral reform activist. A new Colmar Brunton poll was recently released, having finished at the 27th of July, and as usual, the media is dramatizing its results without…
This is a Guest Post from Mary St George, a distance education teacher, who tweets about work, gardens, church, the environment and politics. As I approached the age of eighteen, my uncle gave me a rare piece of advice. It was about voting. He advised me never…
Having spent two weeks clobbering Metiria Turei it must be vexing for the angry right-wing pundit machine that The Greens were up - to their highest level ever - in last night's Colmar Brunton poll. Excellent news for The Greens, and an indication (though mind…
https://twitter.com/ColmarBruntonNZ/status/891539284192133120 https://twitter.com/LewSOS/status/891545583218958336 https://twitter.com/ArrestJK/status/891545109681942528 https://twitter.com/ArrestJK/status/891546552669360129 https://twitter.com/jamespeshaw/status/891556048594583553 https://twitter.com/JulieAnneGenter/status/891556622417317888 https://twitter.com/JulieAnneGenter/status/891555079370690560 https://twitter.com/jacquishattock/status/891600329518731267 Unless... https://twitter.com/BenUffindell/status/891565890180849664 https://twitter.com/BenUffindell/status/891566859568291843 https://twitter.com/BenUffindell/status/891570018307104768 It's very interesting but it would pay to remember it's one poll. There will be all sorts of ideas about what it means, so let's keep our eye on the ball too. This…
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 …
National's list has now been announced. And here it is. 1 Bill English List 2 Paula Bennett Upper Harbour 3 David Carter List 4 Steven Joyce List 5 Gerry Brownlee Ilam 6 Simon Bridges Tauranga 7 Amy Adams Selwyn 8 Jonathan Coleman Northcote 9 Chris…
An interesting piece on RNZ this morning, on an issue that we should all be watching out for: Your vote - caught in the web Even a casual observer will probably have noticed the adverts that appear in your social media feeds and internet browsers…
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 know that insane news out of America has become predictably ho-hum, but really, this week has been stunning. For an overview see: Donald Trump's manic, fantastical and utterly disastrous week, and White House week of chaos ends in open warfare. The antics new White…
The plight of three immigrants to our fair nation shows a stark contrast in treatment. The first immigrant is a young Tongan, Moriah, who suffers from a complex array of health problems. From Radio New Zealand: Moriah, 18 months old, was born with abnormal brain…
Much of the political commentary this week has been about Metiria Turei's confession that she lied to WINZ years ago. There are basically two kinds of reaction. The first is the "shock horror ripping off the taxpayer" well practiced "outrage". This we hear from loud…
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 a previous post I outlined the need for a major shift in how human societies organise as an urgent response to Climate Change. The Powerdown is a process whereby humans, in the face of climate change and resource depletion, choose to transition to a…
Reprinted with permission from the Failed Estate. Now Murdoch’s media has abandoned claims of a connection to actual journalism and shark-vaulted into the Trumpian post-truth void, we can set aside conventional media criticism and marvel at the death-throes desperation of its ‘yarn’-spinning. No longer content…
As usual the Nats ignore data that doesn't fit their prejudices. Ben Ross at The Spinoff: Finally revealed: report shows rail destroys roading for Auckland freight Back in June, KiwiRail refused to release the full business case for building the “Third Main” – a rail…
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://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlgTUoQEnmo Today in Parliament Paula Bennett was shown up big time by Phil Twyford who asked her a series of questions about the housing crisis. It was almost too painful to watch, almost. And it showed how badly this Government is handling the issue.…