Open mike 30/05/2016
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 …
Indigenous Perspectives
“It is possible to live in a society with a world view that does not include empire”
– Winona LaDuke
Time to wake up to the Electricity Authority
The Electricity Authority is planning hearings on proposals that will mean that Rio Tinto will save money on electricity charges but people living in Auckland and Northland will pay more. Time to make your voices heard.
Auckland’s housing crisis is just like Christchurch’s except …
Steven Joyce has claimed that Auckland’s housing crisis is like Christchurch’s. Has Auckland recently had two disastrous earthquakes?
Open mike 29/05/2016
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 …
Labour should front-foot tax
Good advice for Labour from Standard author Simon Louisson, writing on The Spinoff. Labour should front-foot tax!
Screw democracy – Auckland to get the Canterbury treatment
It’s naked panic now. In response to the crisis that isn’t a crisis Key is going to overrule the council that his government created and screw over Auckland democracy just like he screwed over Canterbury. What do you think of that Aucklanders?
Open mike 28/05/2016
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 27/05/2016
Daily review is also your post. This provides Standarnistas 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 …
Housing policy omnishambles
The Nats will pay you $3000 to move to Auckland and $5000 to leave it. This is what happens when you have no vision, no plan, and no NFI what you’re doing.
Trump In, Bern Out, Hillary Home and Hosed?
Donald Trump has finally got the last Republican delegates need to secure his candidacy. Bernie Sanders has lost his race (but is being pressured to stand as an independent). Now that the candidates are all but confirmed, the sideshow is over. It’s Clinton vs Drumpf in the most entertaining election in a generation.
The humour and wit of Joanne Hayes
Another National Backbencher has shown her prowess with social media.
Key’s powerful speech on the urgent housing crisis
John Key has given a powerful speech on NZ’s housing crisis: “This is an issue that should concern all New Zealanders. It threatens a fundamental part of our culture, it threatens our communities and, ultimately, it threatens our economy.”
Budget 2016 – F for Fail
— Deborah Russell
John Key used to be ambitious about dealing with poverty in New Zealand
- A read of John Key’s state of the nation speech from 2007 suggests that he was really ambitious to do something for the poor in New Zealand. And something weird is happening to his speeches on his website. They are disappearing.
Open mike 27/05/2016
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 …
The Mother Budget
There are budgets and there are budgets. And for all the presence or absence of bright ideas, there’s a budget that threatens to subsume all others…
Daily Review 26/05/2016
Daily review is also your post. This provides Standarnistas 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 …
Budget Live
Live coverage of the budget starts around 2pm.
Well that was boring.
Pre-budget reading
Budget day! Here’s a little light reading to get us started. Write your own line for the budget!
Paid parental leave bill progress towards anti-democratic veto
Sue Moroney’s bill to extend paid parental leave passed its second reading last night – bravo to all those who supported it! The Nats’ threat to veto is profoundly anti-democratic, overriding the will of Parliament.
Open mike 26/05/2016
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 25/05/2016
Daily review is also your post. This provides Standarnistas 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 …
Bennett’s housing “announcement” is a re-announcement and a lie
Paula Bennett’s “big” housing “announcement” today is a re-announcement with a twist of lie.
Newshub poll – Key’s government has failed on housing
Quite apart from falling to his lowest level ever as preferred PM, the Newshub poll had more bad news for King John.
The Government thinks that poverty is the fault of the poor, and some budget advisers
The Government is planning to change funding for budgeting services and to require providers to become “financial mentors” rather than “budgeting advisers” as if this will improve things.
Bennett admits she was wrong
Paula Bennett has basically apologised to Parliament for claiming that National would create 3,000 new social housing beds when all that it was doing is funding existing beds to make sure they did not disappear.
Budget choices – ignoring domestic violence refuges
Green Party MP Jan Logie: “The Government has made it clear that more funding for refuges will not be in this week’s Budget.”
Open mike 25/05/2016
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 24/05/2016
Daily review is also your post. This provides Standarnistas 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 …
Newshub poll – Key falls to lowest popularity
Latest Newshub poll shows little change in the party standings and Winston still kingmaker. It also shows that Key “plummets” to his lowest level ever.
Caption competition
Apparently the housing crisis surge is a figment of our imagination
Nick Smith thinks that the recently developing housing crisis is a figment of our imagination.
Another strong piece from Little
Andrew Little had an excellent piece in The Herald yesterday: “It’s always about choices, and National has made some terrible ones”.
William Gibson on Donald Trump
William Gibson of Neuromancer fame thinks that Donald Trump may be the real American fascist deal.
Nick Smith 0.75% successful on Auckland housing!
One year later Nick Smith has delivered three quarters of 1% of his promised 430 ha of new Auckland housing land. The Brighter Future strikes again.