White Man Behind A Desk: Social Bonds
White Man Behind A Desk on the death of government, social bonds, and more. Perfect for a Friday!
White Man Behind A Desk on the death of government, social bonds, and more. Perfect for a Friday!
“Rock-star economy” is a catch-phrase that has served very well to persuade us that we are doing well in economic terms. But “chickens coming home to roost” and “living in a fool’s paradise” may be nearer the truth about our economic performance.

Sixteen years of Scoop. Good stuff!
Bravo to those “big business” leaders who have come out in support of strong universal health and safety legislation. Shame on the Collins faction in Cabinet who are fighting to water it down.
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 …
Slightly redesigned in support of #CampbellLives.
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.
Sometimes…often…I just can’t get my head around people who make obvious and simple things kinda difficult and fraught.
Someone who used his skills and intellect to fight in their corner. Someone who could go anywhere and do a good job on behalf of them
National is appearing to be changing tack and trying to now blame a junior official rather than the Labour Party for the failure to complete the Gulf Free Trade Agreement. And the promised release of the relevant cabinet papers proving it was all Labour’s fault has still not occurred.
“[The TPP] appears to be designed to cripple New Zealand’s strong public healthcare programme and to inhibit the adoption of similar programmes in developing countries.”
In 2013 Nick Smith promised an effective housing WOF. Yesterday he said “People dying in winter of pneumonia and other illnesses is not new.” Has National ever kept a constructive sounding social policy promise?

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 …
Slightly redesigned in support of #CampbellLives.
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.

Hey Spark – this is a terrible, terrible decision…
Freeing up Auckland land for private development and sale at market rates isn’t going to cut it.
Richard Harman has broken a story about the formation of a Blairite third way think tank within the Labour Party. Those involved include Stuart Nash, Phil Quin, Josie Pagani and Nick Legget.
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 …
Slightly redesigned in support of #CampbellLives.
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.
This should not be happening in New Zealand.
Helen Kelly: “Sign our petition and tell John Key that you support better health and safety in workplaces!”
I/S at No Right Turn: “Any improvement is better than what we’ve got now .. At the same time, we should recognise that this is pathetically weak.”
Advocates of Kiwisaver and other funded “retirement savings” schemes perpetuate the fundamental misunderstanding that “conventional” in New Zealand’s case “neo-liberal” economists, speculators, finance companies, politicians and those with a lot of share holding wealth in non-productive enterprises like to perpetuate.
Relationships Aotearoa is closing its doors today, as a result of ineptitude and indifference on the part of the Government. Claimed safeguards are looking incredibly shaky. Only three of the five organisations touted to take up the work are prepared to do so. And MSD has caused upset to the Privacy Commissioner by misrepresenting his views.
IN a breaking news update, the New Zealand Prime Minister has a revelation on Health and Safety
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 …
Slightly redesigned in support of #CampbellLives. 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.
“Prime News outrates TV3 as audience numbers halve”
An anonymous editorial in The Herald this morning really is atrocious. Apparently the limited uptake one of the Nats’ pet education policies is all the fault of the unions.
Andrew Little on the latest round of dirty politics.
“It beggars belief any politician – like John Key and Judith Collins – wants to have anything to do with him [Cameron Slater].”
Cameron Slater has posted one statement in response to Ben Rachinger’s allegations. It was by way of a jpg and was not searchable. As a public service broadcast I thought that New Zealand should have the benefit of the text of his response.
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 …

A brief roundup of coverage and developments in the latest dirty politics revelations.