Written By:
- Date published:
6:00 am, April 16th, 2026 - 24 comments
Categories: open mike -
Tags:
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 …
IMO The NZ Green Party will do best……NACT1 are dinosaur thinking, dinosaur fuel advocates.
The Austraian lesson.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-05-27/australias-obsession-with-cheap-solar-derailing-market-insiders/11139856
Are you looking to rubbish solar Joe? There are always cowboy operators around.
It is not a reason to attack the massive benefits solar can bring to NZ. For me the (often not mentioned) idea that there will be many less oil tankers plying the oceans and NZ's roads (as we inevitably switch to EV’s) is a huge gain.
The technology for solar is developing rapidly. Smart meters…smart inverters are getting better and better. Solar panels have been developed that are installed as the roof of new builds. Batteries have halved in price in the last 5 years.
https://www.greenlancer.com/post/solar-panel-technology-trends
Nope. But I'm all for rubbishing half-arsed subsidy schemes like the Australian one that encouraged chancers to enter a poorly regulated market and hard-sell substandard systems priced down to the subsidy, and use unqualified, poorly paid labour to install them.
Fair comment….but for all that, those schemes have been phenomenally successful.
Good link. Yes those cheap systems…are rubbish.NZ would not want to become another dumping ground..
I have both thought, and said, before that surely NZ could set up our own Solar manufacture and supply/fitting?
We have any amount of Tech/Engineer/Tradies? And an Apprentice scheme again?
There's bound to be reasons for no…howsabout…Yes.
Keep it Green NZ.
And to BG….
Good thinking Psych…an opening at the election for the Left to support development of a solar tech institute somewhere where jobs are needed.
@ Joe @ 1.2
Another Australian lesson.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/world/592511/explosions-as-one-of-australia-s-two-oil-refineries-erupts-in-flames
The attack is now starting seriously.
https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA2604/S00083/labour-cant-get-its-story-straight-on-tax.htm
It follows National’s textbook attack lines and is manipulative, misleading, and intellectually dishonest, as one would expect from National. For example, it tries forcing Labour to rebut National’s assertions akin answering the question ‘when did you stop beating your wife?’.
One of National’s spokes-organs (NZH) has dutifully picked up on it, as has KB, of course.
A detailed taking-apart of the press release could be useful but would only be interesting to a handful of readers here.
Labour should run really tight messaging to avoid any hair-cracks where Simeon Brown could creep in.
Don't worry, Labour is hitting back.
https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA2604/S00079/govt-asleep-at-the-wheel-as-fuel-crisis-bites.htm
It follows Labour’s textbook attack lines and is manipulative, misleading, and intellectually dishonest, as one would expect from Labour.
You’re going back to the future; that press release was sent out a day before National’s.
But go on then, shows us your grit and tell us what is manipulative, misleading, and intellectually dishonest about Labour’s press release. Don’t be lazy and simply use my sentence as the sole substance of your comment.
"But go on then, shows us your grit and tell us what is manipulative … "
I've considered the idea but "a detailed taking-apart of the press release could be useful but would only be interesting to a handful of readers here".
Actually it wouldn't be read by many people here would it?
It would be read by me, at least, and a few others, I reckon.
Labour’s press release is only 213 words by my count, and so far, you’ve been dodging and lazily using my lines. So, put your shoulders under it, Alwyn. You do want to be seen and treated as genuine good-faith commenter here, don’t you?
What I would say to you, alwyn, is that I would read it – if you sell it well
Darn! I was going to close-off moderation of your comments (https://thestandard.nz/the-oil-crisis-what-would-jacinda-do/#comment-2057561 and https://thestandard.nz/the-oil-crisis-what-would-jacinda-do/#comment-2059028) but comments for that Post have now closed and I can’t be bothered to re-open them just to ban you for 3 weeks for wasting moderator time and repeatedly spouting BS about Covid-19 vaccine purchasing. Count yourself lucky that I’m a slack moderator at times although the impact of your commenting behaviour remains.
The intellectual dishonesty is in the question, "does the capital gains tax go far enough?"
To which one could counter with these examples and may others:
It is the insinuation that there is a slippery slope ("this is just the start") or a Trojan Horse ("you might be OK with this, but they're fooling you about what comes next"), without any evidence. In essence an insinuation that your opponent is of bad character and untrustworthy. It's standard stuff and I expect Simeon is singing to the base that are already locked in to voting National.
Lester hadn't been too visible lately. I see (maybe) why?
The Miniature of Health Simeon Brown gives Lester his acknowledgement…for what in his opinion he did.IMO the rest of NZ might well have a very different opinion!
And the New Health Guy…Mark Darrow. At least Lester..Levy had some connection with Hospitals? Mark appears to have been Automotive. Is that Simeons connection? FFS.
Anyone with knowledge of this?
Around 1.4 percent GDP on science and research while the OECD benchmark was 3 percent.
Unemployed scientists and others working overseas.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/science-and-technology/592542/scientists-left-homeless-after-government-s-job-cuts-advocates-say
Why cut a limited spend, to reallocate to a focus on advanced technology …
https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/science-funding-focus-national-impact
Thanks for the comment and links – depressing
The CoC is too lightweight for heavy lifting – laser-focussed on advanced technologies.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/2019031202/the-scientists-left-adrift-by-cuts
Chronic underfunding of science & research compounded by the Coalition’s austerity assault that’s causing destruction of the sector. It’s the complete opposite of what’s needed for innovating and diversifying the NZ economy and lift this country’s standard of living. And let’s not even go on how the Coalition reshuffles money to new priority areas.
https://newsroom.co.nz/2026/04/12/nzs-science-reforms-all-shell-no-substance/
National-led governments are rubbish at funding R&D. I remember John Key cutting funding and saying the private sector would do more R&D, which was the stuff of comedy. "Wait, what? This is New Zealand's private sector we're talking about, right?"
John Key excelled at making up shit and making it sound persuasive and convincing even – I wonder whether he was used to train AI bots.
https://scientists.org.nz/news/13454342
https://agscience.org.nz/welcome-to-2025/
Two key messages: 1) government investment threshold; 2) non-linear acceleration of private investment above threshold.
Even the Coalition numpties should understand the concept of non-linear returns on investment and exponential growth. But they’re ideologically blocked in an austerity death-spiral and a race to the bottom [with the rest of the world].
Is the Coalition ramping up the pressure on fuel companies or the rhetoric? Because they’re closing one eye and only looking at the supply side, they have limited options and power. They’re getting a bit antsy because it’s their heads on the block on 7 Nov and they don’t like to be in the dark.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/592544/govt-gives-fuel-companies-fair-warning-over-sharing-of-detailed-information-on-shipments
Are they hoping the Strait of Hormuz will be fully opened before they’ll have a detailed plan ready? My money is on the former before the latter.
The CoC has put New Zealand on a wishin' and hopin' and
thinkin' andprayin' track.What, me worry?