The Standard

An Early Christmas.

Written By:
Date published: 12:33 pm, December 5th, 2019 - 23 comments

Christian tradition dictates Christmas falls on the 25th of December. This year though, if we simply view Christmas through a lens of ‘good things happening’, then Christmas is coming early.

Youth and the aspirational centre

Written By:
Date published: 12:20 pm, December 5th, 2019 - 12 comments

In 2017 UK general election, it was predicted that the Conservatives would win by a landslide. Why? Well the polls said so. The polls made various assumptions about turnout and which constituencies were marginal and likely to turn. Also commentators assumed that Labour under Corbyn had moved too far left, and could not win the centre ground and win. All of this commentary and analysis proved to be bullshit.

Time to become a republic

Written By:
Date published: 8:09 am, December 5th, 2019 - 85 comments

There are indications that Elizabeth the UK Queen may stand down from her office in the next two years. That may be the perfect time for Aotearoa New Zealand to cast aside constitutional provisions based on heredity and become constitutionally independent of the old country.

Open mike 05/12/2019

Written By:
Date published: 7:00 am, December 5th, 2019 - 63 comments

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 04/12/2019

Written By:
Date published: 5:30 pm, December 4th, 2019 - 47 comments

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 …

Little’s Electoral Bill a curate’s egg – good in parts

Written By:
Date published: 1:51 pm, December 4th, 2019 - 11 comments

I’ve always liked Punch magazine’s famous cartoon “True humility” where the curate assures his bishop noticing his bad egg that parts of it are excellent. Most discussion on Little’s Bill has focused on the bad bits regarding foreign donations. The good bit requires all political ads online to be attributed.

Protecting democracy

Written By:
Date published: 7:10 am, December 4th, 2019 - 40 comments

We need to normalise a political culture based on real relationships, where people can work through their beliefs and thinking about how they want society to be without being constantly bombarded with information and processes that are deeply anti-human.

Open mike 04/12/2019

Written By:
Date published: 7:00 am, December 4th, 2019 - 73 comments

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 …

Terror attack at London Bridge

Written By:
Date published: 2:35 am, December 4th, 2019 - 2 comments

With just over a week to go till the UK General Election, polls (which are questionable in reliability) show the race getting tighter. Expect lots of harsh word and dubious tactics. In all this, political operators shouldn’t forget that real people’s lives are impacted by events like terror attacks. Politicians from all sides need to think about their actions before trying to gain political points.

Daily review 03/12/2019

Written By:
Date published: 5:50 pm, December 3rd, 2019 - 19 comments

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 …

Government to ban foreign donations to political parties

Written By:
Date published: 12:19 pm, December 3rd, 2019 - 66 comments

The Government has announced that it will pass under urgency changes to the Electoral Law to ban overseas donations.

Why some MPs should not tweet

Written By:
Date published: 9:16 am, December 3rd, 2019 - 7 comments

National MP Joanne Hayes has provided a textbook example of the perils of Twitter.

Open mike 03/12/2019

Written By:
Date published: 7:00 am, December 3rd, 2019 - 155 comments

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 02/12/2019

Written By:
Date published: 5:30 pm, December 2nd, 2019 - 35 comments

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 …

Immigration: we can’t keep succumbing to fear tactics

Written By:
Date published: 11:54 am, December 2nd, 2019 - 18 comments

 

 

 

 

 

Whither Warren?

Written By:
Date published: 7:40 am, December 2nd, 2019 - 20 comments

Is it too early to call negative odds on Elizabeth Warren’s candidacy?

Open mike 02/12/2019

Written By:
Date published: 7:00 am, December 2nd, 2019 - 103 comments

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 …

Labour’s infrastructure spend announcement

Written By:
Date published: 12:06 pm, December 1st, 2019 - 35 comments

Is the Government commitment to the budget responsibility rules weakening? Because at the Labour Party Conference Grant Robertson has indicated that the Government will shortly announce a big capital spend on infrastructure.

How To Get There 1/12/19

Written By:
Date published: 7:00 am, December 1st, 2019 - 57 comments

Welcome to TS’s Sunday think piece. It’s a blank sheet, a tabula rasa, waiting for your thoughts on the future and How To Get There.  

Open mike 01/12/2019

Written By:
Date published: 7:00 am, December 1st, 2019 - 118 comments

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 …

Labour Conference

Written By:
Date published: 7:10 am, November 30th, 2019 - 97 comments

It’s a weird moment for the Labour Party at Conference this weekend.

Open mike 30/11/2019

Written By:
Date published: 7:00 am, November 30th, 2019 - 65 comments

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 …

The folly of electoral pacts

Written By:
Date published: 2:15 am, November 30th, 2019 - 2 comments

Originally posted  Nick Kelly’s blog One feature of the UK election has been various electoral alliances or deals done. This has mostly occurred around the issue of Brexit. Early on in the campaign I wrote about Trump’s intervention in the UK election, specifically him calling on The Brexit Party and The Conservatives to do a deal. […]

Daily review 29/11/2019

Written By:
Date published: 6:16 pm, November 29th, 2019 - 28 comments

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 …

Bridges calls for investigation into National’s handling of electoral donations

Written By:
Date published: 9:29 am, November 29th, 2019 - 24 comments

Simon Bridges’ demand of an investigation into the New Zealand First Foundation appears to have backfired after it emerges that the NZ First Foundation was modelled on the National Party Foundation.

Lefties on The Standard redux

Written By:
Date published: 8:56 am, November 29th, 2019 - 66 comments

A dedicated post on The Standard providing a discussion space for left-wing people only.

Open mike 29/11/2019

Written By:
Date published: 7:00 am, November 29th, 2019 - 32 comments

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 28/11/2019

Written By:
Date published: 5:38 pm, November 28th, 2019 - 22 comments

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 …

Strike Force Raptor for the win

Written By:
Date published: 8:14 am, November 28th, 2019 - 40 comments

National has proposed significant changes to the Criminal Justice system to create a Police group without evidence that it works, and that if enacted would make our prisons less safe and plug holes in our law that do not exist.

Submissions to upgrade Ihumātao Ōtuataua Stonefields heritage listing

Written By:
Date published: 7:10 am, November 28th, 2019 - 18 comments

Pania Newton and the Protect Ihumātao Team are asking New Zealanders to submit to Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga using this process. Submissions close 4pm Friday.

Next round of NZ and international climate actions

Written By:
Date published: 7:05 am, November 28th, 2019 - 6 comments

School Strike for Climate, Extinction Rebellion, That Humble Man, Greenpeace.