Open mike 20/07/2016
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 …
Anti-Corbyn media bias
“When a democracy cannot rely on its press to provide its citizens with information about political parties that meets the basic standards of fairness, then we can expect a political process that is equally unbalanced.”
London School of Economics study.
Daily Review 19/07/2016
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 …
National denies/admits Chinese trade reprisals threatened
Yesterday this was the story: Speaking shortly after his arrival in Indonesia for a three-day trade trip, Key sought to pour cold water […]
Republican circus
The Republican convention circus is under way, a four day parade of ignorance and prejudice.
How to wreck a busway
The Government’s proposal to allow hybrid vehicles to use bus lanes is not only crazy but they did not talk to local authorities before doing so.
Auckland without workers
The unaffordability of Auckland housing is now seriously impacting even moderately well paid professions. As these trends continue, how is Auckland going to cope without without workers?
Democracy and Dunne
The union movement’s digital campaign arm – Together – has sent out the following email asking for support to put Peter Dunne on the spot with his electorate over Easter Trading.
How to collapse liberal society
Liberal society is in reverse in many parts of the world. What do we do to arrest this?
Open mike 19/07/2016
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 18/07/2016
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 …
China trade realpolitik
We can’t afford to be using sub-standard steel. We shouldn’t have to buckle to pressure to do so, but we have no leverage at all.
Shinbone Star: Bloody Hell
Reprinted with permission from John Palethorpe’s blog Shinbone Star where he analyses the current situation of the British Labour Party and analyses what happens if Jeremy Corbyn wins, and what happens if he loses.
O’Sullivan and Watkins – warnings to the Nats
Even National’s fans are worried for them these days. The “third termitis” meme is becoming well established.
Open mike 18/07/2016
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 …
BREXIT Sitrep
BREXIT has brought into sharp relief the cleavages in British politics. The ordinary members of the UK Labour Party are consolidating their take back of Labour from entitlement minded Blairite Third Way careerists.
God Botherer
God’s been a bit of a let down recently. Is it time for Him to retire?
More bold intervention needed
National Labour and the Greens are all proposing to intervene in the market to do something about the housing crisis. What other policy areas are there where the parties can agree on active state intervention?
Open mike 17/07/2016
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 …
Military coup underway in Turkey: Erdo-gone?
The attempted military coup appears to have been quickly and effectively put down by pro-Erdogan forces.
A target we can celebrate missing
Anne Tolley has conceeded that the Nats will not meet their objective of getting 65,000 people off the benefit in the next two years. Good. It is the wrong goal.
Salmond on the ravages of neoliberalism
2013 New Zealander of the year Dame Anne Salmond: “In the name of progress, we sacrifice the future of our own children and the planet.”
Open mike 16/07/2016
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 15/07/2016
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 times they are a changing
Dedicated to the latest UMR poll that Bomber reports has Labour on 33%, the Greens on 12% and National on 41% …
National’s Rodeo.
The fiction that National is doing a competent job of managing the economy is entirely due, now that the boom from Dairy and Christchurch rebuilding is ending, to immigration and rising house prices.
They are now riding a bolting horse that they cannot dismount, caused by their own inaction.
Nice attack
As is being widely reported, a truck has been used as a weapon to kill around 60 people in Nice, as crowds celebrated Bastille Day. Many shots were fired and the driver is dead. Motives are not yet known, and (at time of writing) no group has claimed responsibility.
The death of comments
RNZ and The Spinoff both turned off the ability to comment this week. Many other sites have done the same. It’s not really a very cheerful landscape.
Nats abandon social housing target
As part of their “comprehensive” response to the housing crisis, the Nats are backing off their promise to increase the number of social housing places. Great news for those families sleeping in cars tonight.
Open mike 15/07/2016
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 14/07/2016
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 housing crisis interactive
Go to Labour’s Housing Map interactive and enter your address to get information on housing trends in your area.
Public invited to have say on homelessness
The Māori Party have joined Labour and the Greens’ Cross-party Homelessness Inquiry, which is now asking for public input into the crisis including from people directly affected.
Rethinking Political Thought – Shamubeel Eaqub
We have many eminently solvable problems facing our society, like a shortage of state houses. We need to add some empathy, love and civic duty, to competition in our politics. We will be a better and fairer economy and society for it. Fabian Society, Connolly Hall, Guildford Terrace, Wellington Friday 15th 5:30pm. All Welcome. Read more. Register here.
Democracy vs efficiency
Events in England really highlight the different processes of the two main parties. The Conservatives have completed their leadership transition, Labour’s contest has barely begun. Which model is best?
Vote for Helen!
Yesterday 10 of the candidates for the UN’s top job faced off in debate. For the first time this was a public event, hosted and broadcast by Al Jazeera.