The Standard

Open Mike 09/07/2017

Written By:
Date published: 6:00 am, July 9th, 2017 - 82 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 …

What happened to the Newshub article about Nick Smith and the Pike River film?

Written By:
Date published: 9:56 am, July 8th, 2017 - 41 comments

A Newshub article where Nick Smith contradicts the Police and Solid Energy about the existence of video showing a body in Pike River has disappeared …

Barclay goes to ground as police investigation widens to include Nat board member

Written By:
Date published: 8:18 am, July 8th, 2017 - 34 comments

Updates from the #debarclay – Under-investigation MP Todd Barclay has dropped off the public radar and Police to investigate board member over Todd Barclay saga.

Skepticism cynicism lies and hypocrisy

Written By:
Date published: 7:30 am, July 8th, 2017 - 17 comments

There’s a very good / depressing long read in The Guardian on the dangerous “weaponising” of cynicism by climate change deniers. One of the most interesting sections was a discussion of the way that voters are more forgiving of lies than hypocrisy.

Open Mike 08/07/2017

Written By:
Date published: 6:00 am, July 8th, 2017 - 209 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 07/07/2017

Written By:
Date published: 5:26 pm, July 7th, 2017 - 17 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 …

This Bloody Vote.

Written By:
Date published: 11:53 am, July 7th, 2017 - 212 comments

Disentangling the veritable plate of spaghetti that’s been set before us this election.

Does the left do more of the same or does it get radical this election?

Written By:
Date published: 11:12 am, July 7th, 2017 - 252 comments

Andrew Dean has written an opinion piece for Stuff where he suggests that to win this election Labour and the Greens have to become more radical.

Why no inquiry into abuse in state care?

Written By:
Date published: 7:03 am, July 7th, 2017 - 14 comments

As we celebrate Parliament’s apology for historical convictions for homosexuality, it surely raises the question of why the government is so hardheartedly against an inquiry into historical abuse.

Open Mike 07/07/2017

Written By:
Date published: 6:00 am, July 7th, 2017 - 48 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 …

Politics in the Age of Populism

Written By:
Date published: 9:28 pm, July 6th, 2017 - 3 comments

Bryce Edwards, Stephanie Rodgers and Rob Egan. Connolly Hall, Guildford Street, Wellington, 5:30 pm Friday 7th July.Fabian society, all welcome.

Daily Review 06/07/2017

Written By:
Date published: 5:30 pm, July 6th, 2017 - 33 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 …

The cost of the surplus

Written By:
Date published: 12:39 pm, July 6th, 2017 - 9 comments

Where are our priorities?

Labour and National government spending

Written By:
Date published: 9:27 am, July 6th, 2017 - 3 comments

The magical disappearing Foreign Trust industry

Written By:
Date published: 9:03 am, July 6th, 2017 - 22 comments

National’s original claims that New Zealand was not a tax haven are in tatters as the Sherwan rule changes have resulted in the mass exodus of Foreign Trusts from New Zealand.

The great Auckland housing crash of 2017

Written By:
Date published: 7:02 am, July 6th, 2017 - 79 comments

Two indicators both agree that the Auckland property market has started trending downwards. Over leveraged buyers are going to get burned, and first time buyers are still shut out. Perfect.

Open Mike 06/07/2017

Written By:
Date published: 6:00 am, July 6th, 2017 - 120 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 05/07/2017

Written By:
Date published: 5:30 pm, July 5th, 2017 - 48 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 …

Greens to fast-track airport rail for America’s Cup

Written By:
Date published: 2:36 pm, July 5th, 2017 - 79 comments

We paid for the Barclay lawyers too

Written By:
Date published: 11:32 am, July 5th, 2017 - 20 comments

Turns out that in the Barclay scandal we the taxpayer paid for not only the hush money payout, but also the lawyers fees.

Bill English reckons that landlords can’t raise rents

Written By:
Date published: 8:57 am, July 5th, 2017 - 51 comments

The last budget raised accommodation supplement – against the advice of Treasury who said that landlords would capture the cash. Not to fear though, because Bill English reckons that landlords can’t raise rents…

Government’s cruelty on Christchurch’s mental health

Written By:
Date published: 7:02 am, July 5th, 2017 - 16 comments

Christchurch’s mental health services are overwhelmed and verging on collapse. Canterbury has the most suicides in NZ. And yet the government has just declined a request for further funding. National – delivering misery for Canterbury.

NRT: Everybody knows the dice are loaded…

Written By:
Date published: 6:45 am, July 5th, 2017 - 137 comments

I/S at No Right Turn writes: “Around the world, we’ve seen a backlash against political establishments, driven in part by a recognition that economic and political systems are rigged to the advantage of the rich. And we have the same sentiments in New Zealand”

Plundering of water

Written By:
Date published: 6:34 am, July 5th, 2017 - 71 comments

The company behind the attempted water extraction operation in Ashburton is now trying to build the largest production bottling plant in the southern hemisphere in Waikato.

Open Mike 05/07/2017

Written By:
Date published: 6:00 am, July 5th, 2017 - 91 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 04/07/2017

Written By:
Date published: 5:47 pm, July 4th, 2017 - 21 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 …

NRT: National’s failure on rheumatic fever

Written By:
Date published: 10:46 am, July 4th, 2017 - 22 comments

I/S at No Right Turn writes: “Five years ago, National set itself a target as part of its “Better Public Services” targets to reduce the incidence of rheumatic fever by two-thirds. They failed.”

Special Housing Area provisions are failing but Nick Smith thinks everything is fine

Written By:
Date published: 9:50 am, July 4th, 2017 - 25 comments

Nick Smith is attempting to rewrite history by claiming that the Government never thought the special housing area affordable housing provisions would work and that the housing crisis is improving.

Paula Bennett threatens legal action over allegations

Written By:
Date published: 9:41 am, July 4th, 2017 - 122 comments

An open letter has accused Paula Bennett of serious historical crimes. Bennett has denied the allegations and threatened legal action. Facebook has removed the source documents.

The Good the Bad and the Ugly

Written By:
Date published: 8:00 am, July 4th, 2017 - 9 comments

Ad asks is the world more secure than a year ago? Is the danger of serious economic crisis higher or lower? Are the institutional arrangements and norms that resolve conflicts and enhance the prospects for international cooperation more or less robust than they were in July 2016.

Open Mike 04/07/2017

Written By:
Date published: 6:00 am, July 4th, 2017 - 62 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 …