Getting out the vote
Tips on helping people to enrol to vote.
Greens commit to Tauranga – Hamilton – Auckland passenger rail service
National has let regional rail services rust away but the Greens in government will restore rail as the backbone of New Zealand’s transport system, for freight and for people
Open Mike 18/08/2017
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For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy).
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Daily Review 17/08/2017
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 …
A “Culture of Entitlement”?
With the current dialog about welfare, It is time to look at the people who are the real beneficiaries, of the welfare system.
Who use the educated and healthy workforce our system provides
The people who say “everyone should stand on their own two feet”, “you don’t work you don’t eat”, and “take personal responsibility”,
The business sector.
Labour addresses urgent mental health need in Canterbury
In the wake of devastating earthquakes in Canterbury, National’s treatment of mental health needs in the region has been absolutely shameful. Yesterday Jacinda Ardern released new policy to help address the crisis. Great work from Labour in an area that National have cruelly neglected.
Are Government-business Think Tanks worthwhile?
In America Donald Trump has abandoned business think tanks that he established not that long ago. During the last Labour Government Helen Clark established the Growth and Innovation Advisory Board with mixed results. What should a Jacinda Ardern led Labour-Green coalition do?
National – Delivering no pay rises for NZ
Expect plenty of Nat boasting on “the economy” in the election campaign. They’ll be desperate to hide the inconvenient fact that ordinary workers are going backwards.
Hager: Dirty Politics three years on
In an excellent piece on The Spinoff, Nicky Hager reflects on three years after Dirty Politics.
Time now to sweep the party of these disgusting tactics out of office and #ChangeTheGovernment.
Open Mike 17/08/2017
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For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy).
Step up to the mike …
Daily Review 16/08/2017
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 …
Key praises Ardern and Labour
Key: “The camera likes Jacinda. Paul Holmes once said to me ‘on TV they see your heart’ – she responds well to that so that works really well for her…”, “Labour made the right decision to make Jacinda Ardern leader”
Race Relations Commissioner calls on UN to to support inquiry into the abuse of children in state care
Race Relations Commissioner Dame Susan Devoy has called on the UN to tell the government to hold an independent inquiry into the abuse of children and people with disabilities in state care. (Some of us were wrong about Devoy!)
This is life on a benefit for ill and disabled people
A must read Guest Post for anyone thinking about poverty and welfare this election – a former social scientist turned welfare beneficiary speaks out on WINZ’s state-sponsored neglect of more than 84,000 long-term disabled New Zealanders.
Strewth Cobbah
Over the ditch the Australian Government has accused New Zealand Labour of using Parliament to undermine Barnaby Joyce. But an analysis of the claim suggests that anyone claiming this should be regarded as being a whacka because the media was onto the claim two days before the questions were asked.
NZ Super Fund divests from high risk fossil fuels
350 Aotearoa and the Green Party on the $950 million removal from high-risk fossil fuel investments.
Open Mike 16/08/2017
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 15/08/2017
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 …
What are our SAS up to? An easy to digest guide!
A short video looking at the major issues in the Hager/Stephenson book ‘Hit and Run’
Hope for Pike River families
Most major political parties apart have agreed to a commitment which would set up a government agency to take over Pike River Mine and reclaim the miners’ bodies. Naturally the exception is National – isolated on this issue prior to the election….
Equal pay week of action 12 – 20 August
A week of action to support all Kiwis getting a fair go at work.
Labour’s policies
A list of Labour’s announced policies to date and an easy way to compare them to other parties’ policies.
NRT: National resorts to racism on water
I/S at No Right Turn: ”
This isn’t a “Pandora’s box”. The model for an easy, full and final settlement to resolve this exists, and iwi are keen. What is lacking is goodwill from the government to sign it. And Finlayson knows all this – so he is actively trying to mislead the New Zealand public about it, trying to appeal to the racism of rednecks in order to protect the stolen “rights” of a privileged few”.
Nats repeat failed bootcamp policy in plea to rally their scared angry base
English’s “boot camp” policy is pure politics. As much as he tries to deny it, it’s more or less an exact repeat of Key’s failed 2008 attempt, it would do much more harm than good if ever implemented. More than any other flailing to date, this mess is a sign of National’s desperation.
Open Mike 15/08/2017
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For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy).
Step up to the mike …
The Newstralian Parliament
Policy idea for any party: Can we please keep making Aussie govt MPs citizens until they give NZ citizens in Oz the rights to education, health & social security they should get under CER? Oh, and a vote. Best blackmail EVER.
Daily Review 14/08/2017
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 …
Labour’s School Leavers’ Toolkit
“Labour’s School Leavers’ Toolkit will help students learn to drive, understand practical budgeting, be equipped with workplace skills, and learn how our political system operates through civics education at school. Every secondary school will be resourced to provide these courses.”
Chaos between supposed coalition partners
Open warfare between supposed coalition partners in the run-up to the election. Just imagine what would happen if the Greens were attacking Labour like this.
Brutal
Punitive welfare settles into a new low.
National’s weekend of blind panic
What a weekend of National panic that was. From desperate lies on water costs to repeating failed policy from 2008 to plans to wake parents up in the middle of the night to administer “instant fines” in a youth curfew. Jacinda Ardern’s Labour has got them on the run.
Leaders in the progressive government-in-waiting
Jacinda Ardern at the chippy and James Shaw in the House.
Open Mike 14/08/2017
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For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy).
Step up to the mike …
National promises stronger, more skilled criminals
National are going to send our most “hardened” youth offenders to the Army to be trained up. If that fails, they’ll send them to adult prisons to learn their craft better.
National promises to get tough on youth crime
National has announced its policy to deal with youth crime by reannouncing a military service scheme that already exists, proposing a special category for young offenders that will have some young people seek that status and by proposing to fine parents who can’t keep their kids home at night.
Dunne over
On current polling the Nats are going to be short at least one of their puppet parties after the election.