The Standard

Government plans RMA power grab

Written By:
Date published: 8:00 am, March 9th, 2016 - 29 comments

The Government is planning to allow the relevant Minister to change District Plans by regulation or to allow National Policy Statements to change district plans and to prevent submissions being received unless evidence contained is provided by a professional adviser with expertise.

Open mike 09/03/2016

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Date published: 6:00 am, March 9th, 2016 - 112 comments

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 08/03/2016

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Date published: 6:03 pm, March 8th, 2016 - 24 comments

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 …

Fonterra faces liquidity issues as rivers of “white oil” dry up

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Date published: 5:47 pm, March 8th, 2016 - 141 comments

Pundits, most residing in the National Party, just three years ago predicted the economy would surf high on “rivers of white oil” flowing from the dairy industry, but they now have cow pats splattered on their faces as Fonterra today announced another payout downgrade and signalled liquidity pressures.

Labour and Lees-Galloway secure end to zero hours contracts

Written By:
Date published: 2:07 pm, March 8th, 2016 - 126 comments

Labour has forced the Government to back down on plans to entrench zero hour contracts.

How is homophobia still a thing?

Written By:
Date published: 11:00 am, March 8th, 2016 - 62 comments

The Anglican parish of St Mathew in the City has a proud history of tolerance and liberal thinking and support for LGBTI rights.  A couple of boofheads showed up last week and disrupted its Sunday service.  What should a liberal do? Updated with photos and video of the individuals involved.

Todd Barclay imploding in Clutha-Southland

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Date published: 10:01 am, March 8th, 2016 - 170 comments

High profile electorate resignations, a Parliamentary Services investigation, talk of a selection challenge – Todd Barclay has made a real mess of the gift of Clutha-Southland. What a surprise.

Victoria University Chancellor Neville Jordan spits the dummy

Written By:
Date published: 8:00 am, March 8th, 2016 - 27 comments

The spoof article appeared in the 21 February issue of Victoria University’s Salient – and poor ole Sir Neville couldn’t handle the jandle so lost the plot and spat the dummy.

Routine incompetence

Written By:
Date published: 7:12 am, March 8th, 2016 - 46 comments

Is this the least competent NZ government ever?

Open mike 08/03/2016

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Date published: 6:00 am, March 8th, 2016 - 85 comments

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 07/03/2016

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Date published: 6:00 pm, March 7th, 2016 - 34 comments

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 …

NRT: A waiting list by another name

Written By:
Date published: 1:32 pm, March 7th, 2016 - 39 comments

I/S at No Right Turn on hospital waiting lists – and those that don’t even make it on them.

The All Powerful Labour Party

Written By:
Date published: 10:49 am, March 7th, 2016 - 66 comments

Apparently the Labour Party is so all powerful and persuasive that roughly 2/3 of the electorate is under its spell. That bodes well for the next election!

Stacey Kirk’s Stuff Up

Written By:
Date published: 9:29 am, March 7th, 2016 - 37 comments

Fairfax journalist Stacey Kirk has published a vicious smear against a group of cancer sufferers. Is this the nastiest lie ever published in the NZ media?

police and african youth

Written By:
Date published: 8:00 am, March 7th, 2016 - 19 comments

Research has been published showing police having treated African youth unfairly.  How can this be so, when they have put in so much effort to engage ethnic communities.

Open mike 07/03/2016

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Date published: 6:00 am, March 7th, 2016 - 105 comments

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 …

Auckland Council IT Blowout; Guest Post

Written By:
Date published: 6:26 pm, March 6th, 2016 - 62 comments

TS regular SaveNZ looks at the background to the massive cost overruns in the Auckland Council’s IT department. It’s not about the democratic processes of council; it’s because the Supercity was set up to fail.

Medical cannabis review

Written By:
Date published: 11:56 am, March 6th, 2016 - 31 comments

With Martin Crowe’s sad death we now learn that he too was self-medicating with liquid cannabis. The time for political timidity is past – make cannabis legally available for medical purposes.

Keep our flag – lest we forget

Written By:
Date published: 7:32 am, March 6th, 2016 - 155 comments

‘ Lest We Forget There’s a whole lot of talk About changing of our flag. They’ve already spent a ransom On new fangled rags. But there’s a thought out there That she’s not done yet, Let’s take time to remember, Lest we forget.       She has flown over us Since nineteen hundred and […]

Open mike 06/03/2016

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Date published: 6:00 am, March 6th, 2016 - 240 comments

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 …

John Oliver on John Key

Written By:
Date published: 10:21 am, March 5th, 2016 - 18 comments

“John Key is nothing if not a gigantic clown.”

The destruction of the Republican Party

Written By:
Date published: 8:30 am, March 5th, 2016 - 49 comments

It appears that the party of Abraham Lincoln and Ronald Regan are having problems.

Jeanette Fitzsimons calls to scrap the emissions trading scheme

Written By:
Date published: 8:12 am, March 5th, 2016 - 13 comments

When National took over in 2008 they gutted the Emissions Trading Scheme, and now we’re at the point where it is used to launder essentially fraudulent carbon credits. Jeanette Fitzsimons has reached the obvious conclusion.

Young Nats run away from public debate on TPP

Written By:
Date published: 7:00 am, March 5th, 2016 - 47 comments

Surprisingly and refreshingly, the Young Nats initially agreed. A date was set, a venue booked, and promotion of the debate under way.

Open mike 05/03/2016

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Date published: 6:00 am, March 5th, 2016 - 91 comments

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 04/03/2016

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Date published: 6:00 pm, March 4th, 2016 - 33 comments

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 …

Crowdfunding for Bradley Ambrose’s defamation case against John Key

Written By:
Date published: 11:26 am, March 4th, 2016 - 38 comments

Teapot tape cameraman Bradley Ambrose plans to take a defamation case against John Key. A crowdfunding campaign has been set up to help him raise the $38,000 required.

John Key lies about staying out of the flag debate

Written By:
Date published: 9:00 am, March 4th, 2016 - 54 comments

<sigh> . . . yet another addition to the constantly growing list of John Key’s lies. Which is kind of a shame really; he’s actually been doing quite well on the lying front lately.

intersections

Written By:
Date published: 8:00 am, March 4th, 2016 - 66 comments

You can talk all you like about the economy and the 1% and the capitalist system and the environment and growing inequality, but if you can’t include an intersectional analysis into your description of the problem and into your solutions, then all that talk does not include me and will not be of any use to me.

Hickey on Auckland housing

Written By:
Date published: 7:32 am, March 4th, 2016 - 73 comments

Bernard Hickey’s piece from last Sunday on Auckland Housing is a depressing read.

Open mike 04/03/2016

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Date published: 6:00 am, March 4th, 2016 - 76 comments

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 …