EleanorAingeRoy is reporting at The Guardian, The islands of Tonga in the South Pacific have been devastated by Tropical Cyclone Gita with winds of 230km/h flattening parts of Parliament House and causing significant damage and injuries across the kingdom. Gita hit Tonga around 8pm on Monday…
Bill English has resigned. Apparently his confidence of last week had a limited lifespan. RNZ has the live feed. Now we can really speculate on which one of the no-hopers will assume the position to fail at the next election. They are somewhat short of…
Cross-post of a piece by Nick “Upper Hutt boy in London” Kelly. Blog here. How often do you hear people grizzling how ‘unfair’ something is? You hear a child tell their parents that its unfair they won’t buy them lollies. Its not ‘fair’ that your older…
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Some of you who have been watching the news lately may have noticed a petition by film-maker Renae Maihi, requesting that the Prime Minister revoke the Knighthood of one Mr. Bob Jones1, purveyor of racist trolling extraordinaire, and experiencer of multiple opinion column withdrawal, including…
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 …
It took me a while to figure out my exact discomfit with the two young travellers currently in NZ and intent on not using money. I've moved in circles where the free, trading, gift or scavenger economies are normal concepts and practices, so I don't…
The Metvuw site currently has the remains of a tropical storm hitting us in about 7 days’ time. This is the kind of pattern of summer we have grown used to as we become slightly more tropical; New Zealand is often now part of Tonga…
I get the feeling that the National Party caucus is not a happy place right now. Having been denied their rightful place as rulers of the country evidence of disunity has been emerging. First there was the hatchet job on Bill English which totally undermined…
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Some unwelcome publicity for National MP Chris Bishop in the Sunday Star Times this morning. National's Hutt South MP Chris Bishop was confronted before last year's election by a mother upset at the older man messaging her daughter and other minors. Witnesses said Bishop was…
There's one situation I can think of where bio-fuel use has a neutral impact on global warming. I live in a house that's heated by wood. I walk to the woods and gather fallen branches that I burn to keep my house warm. That's carbon…
I am pleased that the Government is moving quickly to review the existence of charter schools. The problems with charter schools are legendary. They are part of an approach by the libertarian right to attack public education, foist bulk funding onto the school system, and…
Cross-post of a piece by Nick ("Upper Hutt boy in London") Kelly. Blog here. People often say to me “you like politics.” By this they are referring to the fact that I have been politically active one way or another since I was 14, have…
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I was tempted to make the award to the National Party caucus for sticking with Bill and Paula as leaders but it seemed to me that was a cause of celebration not denigration. But there was one person who managed to attract attention for all…
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Fonterra as a construct – the establishment of a NZ Inc monopoly for the dairy industry – has been an abject failure for dairy farmers and a disaster for the environment. In a stunning analysis from a quarter least expected, share market analyst, Arie Dekker…
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 …
New Zealand only has two businesses of world-competitive scale that are also majority owned by New Zealanders: Fonterra, and Fletcher Building. As Fran O’Sullivan notes, Fonterra’s China plan is far from clear. Its' Australia plan is also far from clear. As Bryan Gaynor notes, Fletcher…
I think this is the right move. Bill has a proven record in elections. National knows what to expect with Bill. With the advantage of incumbency and the authority that comes with it, Bill did very well in the last election. This will not be…
National is united. Bill English will remain as leader for as long as he wants the job. Paula Bennet's position as deputy is secure, even if she made the caucus engage in charades and even if Winston did not go with National because he was…
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 …
Julie Anne Genter has just added her name into the Green Party co-leadership hat, as many have anticipated. As you will likely have heard, Marama Davidson announced her campaign first, and there is also a possibility that Eugenie Sage will decide to run, too, or…
The sick and twisted thing about right wing politics is that tories like a certain level of unemployment because competition for jobs is essential for keeping wages low. Then they treat the inevitable victims of this like it’s all people’s own fault. This is the…
Paul Ryan, or at least his social media team, wanted to celebrate the fact that a High School secretary was pleased that her weekly pay check increased by $1.50 per week. But it appears that the secretary was being sarcastic rather than grateful. https://twitter.com/funder/status/960907137630208000 And…
Disability support is something almost 100% of us will use at one time or another. I wish more currently able-bodied people realised that. - OAB MoH Disability Support service specifications 2015 (PDF) quoted in a recent Court of Appeal ruling, 2. Disability Support Services [The aim of…
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