Were people smugglers paid money to take refuges away from New Zealand?

Amnesty International has published a report “By Hook or by Crook: Australia’s Abuse of Asylum-Seekers at Sea” which has rightfully been described as a damning indictment of Australia’s handling of the refugee crisis. But New Zealand benefitted from payments of money to people smugglers.  What did the Government know?

Five years as a united Auckland

Auckland Council is delivering a publication to all Auckland households celebrating five years of Auckland super city. But is there any reason to celebrate?

Open mike 30/10/2015

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Daily Review 29/10/2015

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 …

Open mike 29/10/2015

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Daily Review 28/10/2015

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 …

Getting mommy to dispense the drugs

Now that cannabis is going legal and heading for the neighbourhood social gatherings where mothers sell addictive substances (like cosmetics and kitchenware) to each other. Lets legalize it, tax it HEAVILY, and could someone please give Helen Kelly and others like her the relief that they can use.

Open mike 28/10/2015

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Daily Review 27/10/2015

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 …

Let’s keep politics out of Rugby

The right used to state that politics should be kept out of sport.  With John Key politicising the All Blacks to an obscene it may be time for them to reinforce what now appears to be a very reasonable principle.

Open mike 27/10/2015

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Sobriety

The video excerpt comes from the Yann Arthus-Bertrand film ‘Human’. It’s available to view on youtube.

Angry at Westpac

Westpac passing over Nicky Hager’s details was probably illegal, and may turn out to have been a very bad move…

Open mike 26/10/2015

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Let them drink beer

Health Minister Coleman provides another salient example of the surreal lengths that National will go to in order to avoid facing up to truths that they don’t approve of.

Kelvin Davis on the Christmas Island Detainees

Kelvin Davis’s recent visit to Christmas Island has revealed that New Zealand citizens are living in shocking conditions.  And meanwhile John Key’s talk of giving the Australians a “blunt message” appears to have had negligible effect.

The left in Auckland

Ad comments on the change of National’s approach to local government in Auckland and suggests that there should be cooperation amongst the parties on the left locally and between the central organisations of the parties.

Open mike 25/10/2015

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AECT election campaign shenanigans

The Auckland Energy Community Trust triennial election is currently under way and complaints have been made about C&R advertising of the payout to beneficiaries which they are entitled to as a matter of course.  And some ill discipline amongst the right gives the City Vision candidates a real prospect of success.

Open mike 24/10/2015

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Daily Review 23/10/2015

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 …