The Standard

Songs for the New Year – summertime!

Written By: karol
Date published: 9:11 am, January 1st, 2015 - 35 comments

Happy New Year! Some songs for the times.

Open mike 01/01/2015

Written By: notices and features
Date published: 8:00 am, January 1st, 2015 - 156 comments

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 ten most popular Standard posts of 2014

Written By: mickysavage
Date published: 8:36 am, December 31st, 2014 - 26 comments

Following on from yesterday’s ten most commented on posts this post sets out the details of the ten most read posts for 2014.

Open mike 31/12/2014

Written By: notices and features
Date published: 8:00 am, December 31st, 2014 - 192 comments

The Standard’s ten most commented on posts in 2014

Written By: mickysavage
Date published: 9:42 am, December 30th, 2014 - 61 comments

Details of the ten posts in 2014 that attracted the most lively discussion.

Open mike 30/12/2014

Written By: notices and features
Date published: 7:45 am, December 30th, 2014 - 223 comments

Guest Post: from a Fairy Godmother

Written By: Guest post
Date published: 6:50 pm, December 29th, 2014 - 36 comments

How can young unemployed people get help in finding a job, when they have been trying to get one for some time?

The Socialist Pope

Written By: mickysavage
Date published: 1:26 pm, December 29th, 2014 - 54 comments

Pope Francis has created a stir recently. He has been instrumental in the ending by the United States of sanctions against Cuba, he has criticised the Curia for being inwardly focussed and not sufficiently concerned for the poor and he has reached out to Muslims. And to top things off he is intending to issue a Papal Encyclical on climate change and will be urging countries to enter into a meaningful agreement on climate change.

Top MP tweeters ….?

Written By: karol
Date published: 9:54 am, December 29th, 2014 - 27 comments

Claire Trevett in the NZ Herald has an article on her chosen top MP tweeters, now that Judith Collins has vacated her (alleged) position as “Minister of Twitter” Not quite my list of top tweeters… and yours?

Open mike 29/12/2014

Written By: notices and features
Date published: 7:45 am, December 29th, 2014 - 75 comments

National knew about Sabin allegations since before the election

Written By: mickysavage
Date published: 8:44 am, December 28th, 2014 - 67 comments

The Sunday Star Times has revealed today that the inquiry into Mike Sabin started before the last election and that senior National figures knew about it. And it appears that two private members bills he drafted have disappeared. The questions has to be asked, why is he still the chair of Parliament’s Law and Order committee. And when did John Key find out about the allegations?

Open mike 28/12/2014

Written By: notices and features
Date published: 7:45 am, December 28th, 2014 - 190 comments

If the voice fits….?

Written By: karol
Date published: 10:06 am, December 27th, 2014 - 218 comments

Politics has traditionally been men’s business. Gradually women have come to be given more space in this sphere of public activity. However, there are still strains of traditional masculine values evident in political activity, organisation and debate. How much does Key trade in
bloke-iness?

SkyCity’s expected subvention explained for John Roughan

Written By: lprent
Date published: 9:28 am, December 27th, 2014 - 42 comments

At last, some of our conservative short-term thinkers have woken up to the elephant in the room with the SkyCity convention centre subvention. Years late and their previous support has cost taxpayers dearly already. Perhaps they could learn to read reports? And think before committing us to be suckers?

Open mike 27/12/2014

Written By: notices and features
Date published: 7:30 am, December 27th, 2014 - 27 comments

Religion without God

Written By: tracey
Date published: 11:42 am, December 26th, 2014 - 132 comments

What does religion without God look like… Sounds unlikely but Atheists the world over are meeting in!”churches” to indulge in religious-esque rituals

Bill Gates on Piketty and inequality

Written By: mickysavage
Date published: 10:00 am, December 26th, 2014 - 64 comments

Thomas Piketty in his book Capital in the Twenty-First Century came to the strong conclusion that capitalism left by itself will increase inequality and cause increased risk of social, economic and democratic upheaval. He has an unlikely supporter, albeit critical, in Bill Gates, one of the richest men in the world.

Preempting Godwin

Written By: notices and features
Date published: 9:51 am, December 26th, 2014 - 10 comments

Godwin’s law (or Godwin’s Rule of Nazi Analogies) is an Internet adage asserting that “As an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches 1″. But it is not only online…

Open mike 26/12/2014

Written By: notices and features
Date published: 7:30 am, December 26th, 2014 - 197 comments

Have a right royal Christmas and a Brighter 2015

Written By: tracey
Date published: 11:13 am, December 25th, 2014 - 12 comments

A message from the throne of the right honourable, but close enough to touch it, Sir, John Key.

How the Sex Pistols saved Christmas – republished

Written By: mickysavage
Date published: 9:30 am, December 25th, 2014 - 5 comments

Reprinted from last year. How the Sex Pistols saved Christmas for striking Huddersfield fire fighters and their families.

The Government wishes Andrea Vance a very merry Christmas

Written By: mickysavage
Date published: 8:50 am, December 25th, 2014 - 25 comments

On the eve of Christmas in a cynical attempt to avoid political damage the Government has apologised to Andrea Vance for breaching her rights of privacy in 2013 after requiring Parliamentary Services to hand over her metadata and attempting to cover up the exercise.

Open mike 25/12/2014

Written By: notices and features
Date published: 8:00 am, December 25th, 2014 - 98 comments

One word away from needing food parcels

Written By: tracey
Date published: 1:05 pm, December 24th, 2014 - 71 comments

The smug middle class National voter seems oblivious to how close they are to financial hardship…

Imperator Fish: Let’s hear them out

Written By: notices and features
Date published: 10:43 am, December 24th, 2014 - 12 comments

Sky City wants the taxpayer to help cover the increased cost to build its new Auckland convention centre. They agreed to build the convention centre in return for the government giving the casino a licence extension and allowing it to operate more gaming machines…. So…

Europe & the anti-austerity left

Written By: karol
Date published: 9:42 am, December 24th, 2014 - 28 comments

The UK Green Party is gaining in popularity as many people turn away from the 3 established parties. The radical left Syriza party in Greece could possibly gain power in their election – what powerful international right wing forces would then be unleashed?

Open mike 24/12/2014

Written By: notices and features
Date published: 7:21 am, December 24th, 2014 - 190 comments

Where to the nation?

Written By: RedLogix
Date published: 8:04 am, December 23rd, 2014 - 143 comments

Left wing politics in New Zealand bends most of its attention and energy inwards onto the nation state. This is of course understandable because traditionally Parliament has been the prime locus of power. But no longer; two quite distinct forces are at work to change this picture. The first is globalisation. We are in its second […]