Open mike 24/04/2015
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Daily review 23/04/2015
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.
NRT: National’s hand-wringing on housing
Auckland house prices have exploded again. Houses get more capital gains than their inhabitants do in salaries. So what is the government doing about it? Nothing. They haven’t tried the economic basics.. Capital gains tax to decrease demand, or a building programme to increase supply. Meanwhile National’s landlord MPs laughing all the way to the bank…
Herald’s interview with the waitress – updated
Late night developments, the “hair pull” waitress states that a Herald interview (to be published today) was obtained under false pretences, and she withdrew her consent for it.
Multiple updates on the changing story.
Chaos and Mayhem at the Herald
The Herald has responded to criticism of its role in publishing the identity of the victim of John Key’s creepy behaviour by publishing, at this stage, three different responses. What is going on?
Andrew Little entrusted with delivering a Gallipoli medal
It was touch and go at Wellington Airport as the great-niece of a Gallipoli soldier raced to meet Labour leader Andrew Little to get him to deliver a medal to Turkey on her behalf.
Blogging at The Standard since Election 2014
A brief numbers-y overview of what your honoured authors have gotten up to since September.
National Council of Women open letter to John Key
The text of an open letter from the National Council of Women to John Key about his treatment of waitresses.
International laughing stock
John Key has finally achieved the world fame he has clearly always wanted, but not in a good way. Here’s a roundup of the international coverage of his harassment.
Open mike 23/04/2015
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Dear John… UPDATED
UPDATED And another one fingering another little girl’s hair. Not a ponytail but braids. Very brief at 2:15. (h/t ianmac)
Daily review 22/04/2014
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.
Record-breaking Government
Not satisfied with setting records for biggest deficit and largest total deficit over term, the Key government is now going for most deficits in a row. They now look to equal the National government’s 7 deficits from 1966-72. And this is the stuff they want to be judged on…
Reaction to harassed waitress story
Some of the reaction from Twitter.
My Little Ponytail
A really strange story has appeared on The Daily Blog. It claims to be a first person account of PM John Key regularly physically harrassing a staff member in his local cafe over the summer. While it may be much ado about nothing, the Prime Minister really should tell NZ his side of the story. Or resign if it’s true.
Update: It’s true. Key’s office has confirmed the harassment.
International interest in Auckland property market
If the latest ad running in Malaysia and Singapore is anything to go by we can expect more fuel to the Auckland property price flames. “How would you like people in New Zealand, to give you around half their weekly wages?”…
Open mike 22/04/2015
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Daily review 21/04/2015
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.
The decontextualisation of ANZAC Day
Everyone else is giving their reckons on the treatment of ANZAC Day this year, as we commemorate the centenary of the first year of World War I. So here are mine.
Dirty Politics on Nine to Noon
Matthew Hooton’s attack on Nicky Hager’s journalistic credentials on Nine to Noon yesterday was straight out of the “Dirty Politics” playbook. Kathryn Ryan wasn’t impressed and neither was I. Coincidentally Hager spoke last week about his investigative journalism – you can judge for yourself who spoke the truth.
Parsing John Key
John Key’s recent public response to the news of the likely interception of Chinese diplomatic communications resemble those of a used car salesman rather than those of a New Zealand Prime Minister.
ANZAC 4 SALE
Has the spirit of ANZAC Day become subsumed by the commercial imperative?
Open mike 21/04/2015
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Daily Review 20/04/2015
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.
Murdoch on reality TV
Be afraid. Be very afraid.
Terrorism in NZ? The Herald was in a frenzy yesterday, because apparently we are a “sitting duck”. But, hang on…
Colmar poll
No significant changes in yesterdays TV1 / Colmar Brunton poll, with National unchanged on 49%, Labour unchanged on 31%, and all changes within the margin of error.
Open mike 20/04/2015
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Replacing Russel
The Greens have closed their nominations for male co-leader, and are running a number of provincial meetings. I went to the second one in Auckland. The biggest issue for the Greens now after cracking the 10% electoral support in 2011 is that they didn’t grow their vote in 2014, and remain well below polling. Part of that is getting their public face right.
But they do it too …
With revelations that New Zealand has potentially been involved in the interception of Chinese diplomatic communications the questions arise did John Key know about it and did he authorise the activity.
Spying on China
So great, now we’re trying to spy on China. What could possibly go wrong?
Open mike 19/04/2015
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Let Campbell Live entertain you
John Campbell is engaged in the most marvellous fightback in trying to save Campbell Live. But you have to wonder why he is not on a State Channel with robust protection for quality journalism.
A Very British Jamboree
Is Thatcherism finally to be laid to rest?
Housing and capital gains tax
This week the Reserve Bank recommended adopting the Labour / Green capital gains tax, the National party denied and dithered, and Don Brash explained the truth about the property bubble.
(Image credit Foxy.)
The UK Greens election video
Well worth a watch even if some do not necessarily agree with it. Hat tip Adam.