Peter Talley is now a knight
The Queens Birthday Honours List has been announced with Peter Talley’s contribution to philanthropy being rewarded with appointment as a Knights Companion.
Voices of the people on emissions targets and climate change
A record of the Dunedin consultation meeting on NZ’s emission targets. It was an extraordinary evening. So many people spoke with concern, with intelligence, with anger, with compassion, with emotion. Some spoke with hope, some without.
Please – make a written submission before Wednesday.
Open mike 01/06/2015
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 …
Schools under pressure
Schools are not adequately funded for the job we ask them to do.
Yes it is
“Is this a glimpse of Earth’s future?”
Labour and the Greens
Some thoughts on how Labour and the Greens need to manage relations in the hope that they can form a future progressive Government.
White Man Behind a Desk
Quiet Sunday morning? Check out White Man Behind a Desk.
Open mike 31/05/2015
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 …
New Greens male co-leader: James Shaw
The new male co-leader of the Green Party is James Shaw.
Things that make you go “Hmmmm”
Sepp Blatter. John Key. Hmmmm.
Coup Coup Ca Choo!
So why was Maurice dancing with ACT? Why was Borrows bullshitting about bikes? Does Judith Collins sleep with a copy of the Art of War under her pillow? I don’t know, but I think we should be told.
Kelvin Davis’ massive Hikoi
Over the next two weeks Kelvin Davis and supporters will be going a Hikoi through the North to publicise the curse of sexual violence and to get more men to speak out against it.
New Greens co-leader elected today
The Green Party are livestreaming parts of their annual conference today, including the announcement of their new male co-leader at 2pm.
Stewart’s brilliant account of the significance of Campbell Live
Rachel Stewart’s piece should be required reading for anyone who cares about New Zealand.
Open mike 30/05/2015
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 29/05/2015
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.
Make a submission – Generation Zero video
Weekend social 29/05/2015
Long weekend – how are you spending yours?
Auto Kiwisaver
Nice to see English acknowledging the importance of Kiwisaver – thanks Michael Cullen, thanks Helen Clark! I certainly support default enrollment. But – isn’t this Big Government Nanny State Gone Mad?
RIP Campbell Live
Campbell Live plays for the last time tonight. With New Zealand on Air having new targets that will make support for similar shows unlikely the holding of the powerful to account is about to become more difficult.
Money for nothing and the sheep are for free
The legal suit offered as part justification for the Government paying $11 million to a Saudi businessman was apparently “off the table” at the time that Cabinet agreed to the payment. So why was the payment made? And why didn’t Murray McCully tell this to Cabinet or to Parliament earlier?
Open mike 29/05/2015
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 28/05/2015
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.
All our eggs in the dairy basket
This government has been artificiality buoyed by a diary boom, now the bust leaves us highly exposed.
Students speak on loan cap
Students speak on the lifetime limit on eligibility for student loans. This particularly affects those committed to a long term course of study, such as medical students. They can’t get loans for their final years of study. It’s crazy.
Sheepgate
It has emerged that the New Zealand Government has paid money to a Saudi businessman allegedly to settle a legal dispute that does not exist but more probably to persuade the Saudi Government to enter into a free trade agreement. Update – and maybe there was a threat of legal action but because of the actions of National, not Labour.
Open mike 28/05/2015
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 …
RIP the Alliance Party
The demise of the Alliance Party was announced today.
Daily Review 27/05/2015
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.
In Praise of Key
Hardly a comprehensive take, but in the interest of stating some obvious stuff…
Some Nats growing a spine on health and safety?
Helen Kelly and the CTU have done a great job raising the issues of workplace health and safety. Have they even got the attention of some Nats? Apparently there are delays to proposed changes as some in caucus resist.
Crosby ‘most successful propogandist since Goebbels’ – Ken Livingston
Ken Livingston talks about Lynton Crosby and neoliberalism.
Petition: Raise the age of child protection
Currently, child protection law means a young person leaves CYFS care at 17, but other state support, like housing and student allowances, doesn’t start until age 18.
Sky City redux – the house still wins
Sky City has managed to persuade the Government to allow it to build a cheaper building while retaining the same valuable gambling regulatory concessions. Update: and the Government appears to have made further contractual concessions to Sky City.
Open mike 27/05/2015
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 …
Effective political communication
Richard Harman concluded his presentation to the recent Fabian “Destination Next Progressive Majority” event by quoting the noted political scientist Bob Chapman’s remark that he had “reluctantly come to the conclusion that it was far more important for a political party to have a communication strategy than an economic policy.” I’m inclined to agree.