Written By:
Date published: 1:19 pm, February 26th, 2015 - 64 comments
Its 100 days since the NZ Labour Party elected Andrew Little as its leader. What an inspired decision that has turned out to be! Little has galvanised the party, united the caucus and looks set to be the next PM. How has he turned Labour around?
Written By:
Date published: 10:42 am, February 26th, 2015 - 8 comments
Too little, too late, but a victory the environment (and for sanity) none the less.
Written By:
Date published: 10:26 am, February 26th, 2015 - 49 comments
“The head of the Council of Trade Unions has confirmed she has lung cancer.”
Written By:
Date published: 8:11 am, February 26th, 2015 - 114 comments
After the formal speeches on the Iraq deployment John Key set off on an extraordinary spittle-flecked rant against Labour. His “get some guts line” is going to haunt him for the next 3 years.
Written By:
Date published: 7:11 am, February 26th, 2015 - 5 comments
A petition to oppose sending troops to Iraq has gained over 9,000 signatures in its first 24 hours. You can sign the petition here.
Written By:
Date published: 6:54 am, February 26th, 2015 - 268 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 …
Written By:
Date published: 6:48 pm, February 25th, 2015 - 231 comments
Carmel Sepuloni’s mother has had charges of benefit fraud being laid against her. Andrew Little has done the sensible thing and stood down her as its social development spokesperson. While I’m sure that we will still get the dribbling trolls, this is how potential conflicts of interest should be handled. Updated.
Written By:
Date published: 4:16 pm, February 25th, 2015 - 7 comments
Yesterday the families lost only a small bit of the battle for justice at Pike in an application to get some of the documentation on the Peter Whittall decision. It is clear from the decision that the process of filing itself caused MBIE to agree to release a number of the key documents.
Written By:
Date published: 2:59 pm, February 25th, 2015 - 24 comments
National counterattack line on Iraq is now out and about, courtesy of National’s tester and parrot of lines – National pollster David Farrar at Kiwiblog. It consists of two contradictory lines about Labour. Also neither line is true. But they are just there for the ‘journalists’ to mindlessly repeat in the evening news.
Written By:
Date published: 11:22 am, February 25th, 2015 - 41 comments
The Electoral Commission has now released individual returns of donations and electoral expenses. And the Donghua Liu donation appears in Jamie-Lee Ross’s return. But the vast majority of electorate campaigns recorded head office donations and the overwhelming impression is that cabinet club donations are collected centrally and then distributed. So what happened with the Liu donation?
Written By:
Date published: 8:42 am, February 25th, 2015 - 109 comments
The first three speeches from yesterdays session in Parliament on sending troops to Iraq – John Key, Andrew Little, Russel Norman. Little’s speech is cogent, Norman’s is brilliant.
Written By:
Date published: 5:59 am, February 25th, 2015 - 76 comments
New Zealand banks (which are really Australian banks) are REALLY worried for us (oh, and for themselves).
Written By:
Date published: 5:55 am, February 25th, 2015 - 161 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 …
Written By:
Date published: 7:30 pm, February 24th, 2015 - 81 comments
John Key’s frothing exhortation to Andrew Little in Parliament to “get some guts” reminds one of opera’s famous Duke of Plazatoro “who led his regiment from behind, he found it less exciting.” Key’s not going to Iraq – our soldiers are the ones in danger.
Written By:
Date published: 4:15 pm, February 24th, 2015 - 105 comments
Back in 2003, John Key had an interesting take on whether it was appropriate to send troops to Iraq.
Written By:
Date published: 11:15 am, February 24th, 2015 - 172 comments
So, we’re off to Iraq. If the answer to ISIS isn’t sending Kiwi troops, what do Standardistas think practical alternatives might be?
EDIT: Key announces 143 troops to go to Iraq and support staff.
Written By:
Date published: 7:13 am, February 24th, 2015 - 73 comments
Brook Sabin pulls no punches laying the blame for the fruit fly outbreak at National’s feet. Key’s attempted denial is some of his worst work ever.
Written By:
Date published: 6:33 am, February 24th, 2015 - 133 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 …
Written By:
Date published: 12:00 pm, February 23rd, 2015 - 86 comments
National engages in Auckland’s Gay Pride parade by sending two MPs who voted against marriage equality and an Auckland Councillor who on Facebook calls a young man who pointed this out as a “little c*ck”. Way to blow relations with the gay and lesbian community. Update: And Linda Cooper has apologised, sort of …
Written By:
Date published: 10:24 am, February 23rd, 2015 - 8 comments
National is letting the regions wither. None more so than (Labour voting) Dunedin, with the closure of the Hillside Workshop, the underfunding of Dunedin Hospital, and the planned closure of the agricultural research center at near-by Invermay. Check out Dunedin North MP David Clark’s video update on Invermay.
Written By:
Date published: 10:00 am, February 23rd, 2015 - 227 comments
New Zealand will be sending troops to Iraq, and you read it first on The Standard. Or in other words, why are we still pretending that the decision hasn’t been made?
Written By:
Date published: 7:05 am, February 23rd, 2015 - 79 comments
That’s the third poll this year to have Labour well up to 30% range.
Written By:
Date published: 6:30 am, February 23rd, 2015 - 130 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 …
Written By:
Date published: 2:34 pm, February 22nd, 2015 - 90 comments
Yesterday’s Herald revealed that Donghua Liu made a second donation to National in 2013 which was repaid to him after last year’s election. A brief timeline was provided but in the interests of greater understanding I thought a fuller timeline would be helpful.
Written By:
Date published: 12:41 pm, February 22nd, 2015 - 42 comments
It will soon be four years to the minute since the most destructive and deadly Canterbury / Christchurch earthquake. Condolences to the friends and families of the dead. Greetings to all who lived through it and remember.
Written By:
Date published: 8:55 am, February 22nd, 2015 - 45 comments
Karol, ex of The Standard (and sorely missed), has started a new blog covering a mix of politics and popular culture. Please head on over and visit!
Written By:
Date published: 7:15 am, February 22nd, 2015 - 189 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 …
Written By:
Date published: 8:30 pm, February 21st, 2015 - 61 comments
The Herald announced today that Donghua Liu donated to National the sum of $25,000 in 2013. But the National return for donations in that year, signed on April 30, 2014, do not include this donation and Lee-Ross did not put it in his declaration of pecuniary interests. Maurice Williamson resigned on May 1 2014 for his attempting to affect a police prosecution of Donghua. But the story broke earlier.
Written By:
Date published: 10:35 am, February 21st, 2015 - 193 comments
One of National’s first five charter schools is a failure, and applications for new charter schools have been cancelled. Who could have predicted such a mess? Just about everybody…
Written By:
Date published: 8:00 am, February 21st, 2015 - 48 comments
According to some Ngati Whatua wanting to use Okahu Bay for a Mokopuna day has created something of a crisis. Maybe not for us or anyone who is reasonable but for the rednecks and the rabid right.
Written By:
Date published: 7:20 am, February 21st, 2015 - 79 comments
Another Roy Morgan poll out late last night makes decent reading for Little, Labour and the left.
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