Nats’ climate negligence
Yesterday was a big day for climate news, highlighting yet again the irresponsible negligence of this National government.
Open mike 13/11/2014
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 …
Social housing providers
Is Key planning to flog off state houses at half price to a liquor company?
Lauranora – National’s biggest achilles heel?
The Phillip Smith story is going to hurt National. It was warned two years ago about the relationship between passports and multiple identities yet nothing seems to have been done.
Key apology not genuine
Key’s apology isn’t genuine, he is still playing the political weasel. Key didn’t “misinterpret the question”, he was just displaying the same level of empathy as his favourite blogger.
Open mike 12/11/2014
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 …
Not a great headline for Key
The cost of terrorist rhetoric
When John Key takes to the media to over-hype the risks of ISIS terrorism to NZ, there is a cost.
The TPPA – big business plans to fight back
Big business is planning a fighting fund to extol the virtues of the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement. And they want there to be a debate about the benefits of the TPPA. But only after the treaty has been concluded …
Effects of privatised power
The entirely predictable effects of privatising much of our electricity generation capacity are arriving thick and fast.
Open mike 11/11/2014
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 …
Hot Topic: Climate documentary Thin Ice raising money for US broadcast
Thin Ice, the superb documentary about climate science and scientists filmed and produced by New Zealand and British climate scientists, has launched a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign to finance a new edit of the film so that it can be shown on public TV in the US. 14 days to go and they need a bit more cash.
Lessons from the ’30s and 40’s: culture and the left
We often look to the first Labour Government for core left wing values, & a political way forward. As well as massively restructuring of the NZ economy, work, welfare & housing, that Government aimed to restructure NZ culture & to combat capitalist-dominated popular culture.
Standard questions: Grant Robertson
A couple of weeks ago we asked readers to suggest questions for written answers from the candidates. We chose / edited six questions, and sent them to the four campaigns. Here are Grant Robertson’s answers.
The final Labour leadership contest meetings
Details of the final two Labour leadership meetings to be held in AUckland tonight and tomorrow night.
Vance on terrorism scare tactics
An excellent piece by Andrea Vance in the weekend, on Key’s terrorism dog and pony show.
Open mike 10/11/2014
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 …
Andrew Little’s plan for Labour
One of the most important challenges we must confront is rebuilding our Party and our movement.
Fifty year mortgages
Fifty year mortgages are here, and as usual the game is rigged against the ordinary buyer. Madness.
The United States mid term Elections
Some brief thoughts on what happened in the United States election this week combined with a guest post by Ad on the challenges that progressive parties are facing in the Western World.
Open mike 09/11/2014
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 …
“Marching in the streets”
Thousands of people protested and marched around the country against the secret and anti-democratic TPPA negotiations. Reports & pics. Updated
Andrew Little in Auckland on Sunday and virtual hustings
The Labour leadership race continues!
The working poor
The Nats’ line on poverty is that beneficiaries need to get in to work. The rise of the working poor both in NZ and internationally, shows what nonsense that excuse is.
Outage last night
The site had a strange problem with a database solid state drive last night while restarting after doing operating system upgrades. This morning it was completely offline and causing problems with the other drives in the array. Restored to an hourly backup.
Open mike 08/11/2014
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 …
Weekend social 07/11/2014
Weekend social is for non political chat. What’s on for the weekend, gigs, film or book reviews, sports, or whatever. No politics, no […]
Elective surgery waiting lists
The Nats have been manufacturing “good news” stories in health by creating a system that turns away one third of the patients in need.
TPPA protests Saturday
Noel Pearson remembers Goff Whitlam
A wonderful speech given by Noel Pearson given at the State Memorial Service for Gough Whitlam. Well worth a watch.
Nats’ selective science
Dita De Boni in the Herald takes the Nats to task for their selective use of science, and Sir Peter Gluckman proposes gagging scientists.
Open mike 07/11/2014
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: Betrayal at Pike River
I/S at No Right Turn on the Pike River decision.
Paid parental leave bill faces defeat
The first repercussion of the election result is the almost inevitable defeat of Sue Moroney’s Paid Parental Leave private member’s bill. The Government is clearly determined to prevent her from getting credit for raising and highlighting an issue of importance to Kiwi families.
Million Mask March
On the other side of the world the Million Mask March is underway.
Reds under the beds
Governments have always used external threats (real or not) to expand their powers. Supposedly “small government” types seem the most keen to grab more powers, for some strange reason.