Russell Brown on rubbish HoS article
Russell Brown at Hard News has already said what needed saying about today’s Herald on Sunday lead story.
The tipline has a SST column
Judith Collins had her debut as a columnist in the Sunday Star Times today. Her article was not contentious and raised issues of importance. She also revealed that she never liked the name “Crusher” and Hager’s description of her was false in many ways.
Heads in the Sand protest this Sunday
The Coal Action Network is planning a series of protests this Sunday to highlight how this Government has its head planted firmly in the sand when it comes to addressing climate change.
Open mike 07/12/2014
Open mike is your post. The Standard is not a conspiracy – just a welcome outlet for the expression of views. Leaders that command respect will not be undermined by this. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
Groser and National have a plan to save the world from global warming
Tim Groser and National have a plan to solve global warming so cunning you could put a tail on it and call it a weasel.
NZ Media and blogs vs blogs
Snippets from a detailed and interesting report on the ownership of NZ media, media trends and issues, and the role of blogs post dirty politics. One major quibble – not all blogs are created equal, no more than all TV is game shows, than all radio is talkback, or than all websites are porn.
Dirty Politics and the health advocates
How is it that Katherine Rich can be the head of the Food and Grocery Council and look after the interests of suppliers yet at the same time be on the Health Promotion Agency and not have a conflict?
Open mike 06/12/2014
Open mike is your post. The Standard is not a conspiracy – just a welcome outlet for the expression of views. Leaders that command respect will not be undermined by this. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
NRT: The NSA pwns Vodafone
Overnight, The Intercept spilled the beans on AURORAGOLD, the NSA’s programme to hack the world’s cellphone providers. The article included a classified map, which showed their degree of penetration. The interesting bit? New Zealand was on it and at just the right level to indicate Vodafone was the penetrated cell network.
Weekend social 05/12/2014
Weekend social is for non political chat. What’s on for the weekend, gigs, film or book reviews, sports, or whatever. No politics, no […]
Ministry lies about animal abuse.
Earlier this year Farmwatch investigated pig farming in New Zealand. We filmed horrific conditions and animal cruelty on several farms in Auckland and […]
Police neutrality
If anyone thought that David Parker was content to fade quietly into obscurity, they been proven thoroughly wrong. Parker has confronted one of politics’ sacred cows – police neutrality.
du Fresne: Stop bullshitting us, prime minister
An excellent assessment by Karl du Fresne, honest and direct.
Open mike 05/12/2014
Open mike is your post. The Standard is not a conspiracy – just a welcome outlet for the expression of views. Leaders that command respect will not be undermined by this. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
Fred Dagg – User’s Guide to NZ
I miss Fred Dagg – John Clarke’s latest is a purler. “New Zealand … is an egalitarian nation made up of well over four million rugged individualists and naturally gifted sportspeople and is run on alternate days by the government and whoever bought the national infrastructure.” Read, laugh and weep – he might be gone but we’re not forgotten, and thank God for that.
Did you hear the one about the escaped pedophile killer cannibal with ebola?
Say – did you hear the one about the escaped pedophile killer cannibal with ebola? John Key reckons its hilarious!
Brownlee catches Key’s thirdtermitis
What could possibly have Gerry behaving so erratically?
National’s campaign of false equivalences
John Key has been advertising us in parliament. But he has a problem distinguishing how his right puppet blogs operate compared to the volunteer blogs of the left. It says more about how John Key thinks than it does about us. Key prefers sites that recruit prostitutes in order to blackmail reporters.
Charter Schools: F
So despite the vast amount more funding (5x more per pupil) to charter schools, 1 of the 5 first, Te Kura Hourua ki Whangaruru, is failing abysmally.
The Government has previously said that all their problems were fixed, or being fixed – but they clearly aren’t.
Open mike 04/12/2014
Open mike is your post. The Standard is not a conspiracy – just a welcome outlet for the expression of views. Leaders that command respect will not be undermined by this. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
Prove It
So John Key reckons the decile 1 & 2 principals he talks to say that hardly any kids at their school need lunch. Campbell Live & Kids Can seem to only find school principals who say that lots of kids need lunch. So maybe John Key can name these mythical decile 1 & 2 schools that are doing so well. And then when he gets shown up again, maybe National can move to support Hone’s Food in Schools Bill.
Is John Key on the skids?
In the House today Megan Woods embarrassed John Key with some very simple yet direct questions about Jason Ede. Key’s attempts to joke away the issue was met with silence from his side of the house. Dirty Politics is clearly having an effect.
Why John Banks must never be the Super City Mayor
The Herald today suggested John Banks is thinking of another tilt at the Super City Mayoralty. This video shows why he should never be trusted with this position.
Distract and Divert
Why do I want to know about Bronagh’s private 30th wedding anniversary gift to John Key? The PM is in trouble and trying to get fluff out to distract from his recent repeated lying, make people think more nicely of him. Presumably his superstitiousness played well in focus groups.
Petition for Royal Commission on dirty politics
“Please take immediate steps to call for the establishment of a high calibre, non-partisan Royal Commission to investigate the inner workings of government in New Zealand and recommend a form of governance that has integrity, is truly democratic, and fit for the 21st century.”
Nothing to hide nothing to fear?
I guess we can conclude that Key has something to hide, otherwise what could he possibly have to fear?
Open mike 03/12/2014
Open mike is your post. The Standard is not a conspiracy – just a welcome outlet for the expression of views. Leaders that command respect will not be undermined by this. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
Blowing smoke
Is David Farrar being paid to attack plain packaging? His latest post quotes research described by the Melbourne Age as “pushed by the smoking lobby.” He also misrepresents New Zealand researchers’ views. The Age says “a co-ordinated assault just ahead of the review of plain packaging laws is emerging.” Looks to me like Farrar has joined it.
NRT: Just the beginning
I/S at No Right Turn on current and future spying legislation. “I will not vote for a party which supports spying. Neither should you.”
Key calls Slater’s bluff
Key says he is not concerned about his calls with Slater being made public.
Local Bodies: Government Responsible for Invercargill Poverty
The second annual Child Poverty Monitor was released today. bsprout on Local Bodies on poverty and inequalities in Invercargill, “provides a good snapshot of New Zealand society”.
The Countering Terrorist Fighters Legislation Bill
The Countering Terrorist Fighters Legislation Bill is set to return to Parliament today with some changes likely to be recommended by the select committee. And John Key is sounding conciliatory by promising to wind some powers back while at the same time promising an increase in powers next year even though a review of the Intelligence agencies has not been completed.
Losing money
The economic news is depressing for NZ at present. After riding a dairy commodity boom for the last few years, the payout for farmers looks like it will drop from a high of $8.50/kg last season to $4.85/kg this coming season. Meanwhile National has neglected our most sustainable resource – people. So expect a busted economy for the next few years.
Open mike 02/12/2014
Open mike is your post. The Standard is not a conspiracy – just a welcome outlet for the expression of views. Leaders that command respect will not be undermined by this. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
The Standard on Facebook
A number of changes are being considered by the authors of the Standard and the first is a dedicated Facebook page.
SISters are doin’ it for themselves
Got me smiling about no laughing matter!