Polity: Income mobility
Written By:
Date published: 12:43 pm, November 21st, 2014 - 17 comments
David Farrar seldom seems to actually read the reports fully before he starts inventing meaningless canards. A theoretical equality of opportunity is irrelevant when your parent’s lack of disposable income is the major determinant of your own education and opportunities. We waste the opportunities from peoples abilities because of income inequalities.
Children’s Plea
Written By:
Date published: 10:11 am, November 21st, 2014 - 24 comments
We all know that Child Poverty is one of New Zealand’s major problems. In an attempt to finally get a response from the National government to the problem ex-Family Court judge Graeme MacCormick has issued a “Children’s Plea” to get the government to do something serious in their next budget. You can sign it here. […]
Who needs $4.8 billion anyway
Written By:
Date published: 7:15 am, November 21st, 2014 - 106 comments
Yesterday a report from the NZ Super Fund (the Cullen fund) provided further evidence of National’s economic “genius”. We could have used the $4.8 billion that they just chucked away.
Open mike 21/11/2014
Written By:
Date published: 6:35 am, November 21st, 2014 - 95 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 …
Interwebbing
Written By:
Date published: 11:04 pm, November 20th, 2014 - 8 comments
I was just having a look through the connections between this site and others (and contemplating how to increase it). I thought others might also be interested.
NRT: Policy of fear
Written By:
Date published: 3:58 pm, November 20th, 2014 - 17 comments
Community groups have a vital role in New Zealand. They speak on social problems such as poverty, mental illness and addiction. They also often have a direct role in fixing them via government funding. The tension between those two roles is one that National is ruthlessly exploiting to stifle dissent.
#JohnKeyHistory
Written By:
Date published: 12:47 pm, November 20th, 2014 - 99 comments
Apparently the New Zealand Wars were just another Rugby analogy to John Key.
One law for the rich
Written By:
Date published: 9:10 am, November 20th, 2014 - 77 comments
And, as ever, one for the poor.
Andrew Little should…
Written By:
Date published: 8:48 am, November 20th, 2014 - 217 comments
All the usual suspects are lining up to give advice to new Labor leader Andrew Little. Why shouldn’t we have a go?
Open mike 20/11/2014
Written By:
Date published: 6:30 am, November 20th, 2014 - 106 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 …
Hot Topic: CROWDFUNDING THIN ICE: THE FINAL PUSH
Written By:
Date published: 2:23 pm, November 19th, 2014 - 17 comments
The Kickstarter campaign to get climate documentary Thin Ice shown on public TV in the USA is closing in on its target … with 4 days to go.
Updated: Now within $2000 of the target having raised more than $4000 since yesterday afternoon. Help them get over the line.
Roger Sutton needs the book thrown at him
Written By:
Date published: 9:14 am, November 19th, 2014 - 101 comments
I have no real opinion about the details of the complaint against Roger Sutton, there simply isn’t enough information in the context. That would require seeing the report. However I do have strong opinion about someone who breaks the confidentiality clauses of any agreement. Throw the book at them
Labour and the unions
Written By:
Date published: 8:26 am, November 19th, 2014 - 109 comments
In which I ponder my 2c on the leadership race, and the path ahead for Labour and the unions…
Open mike 19/11/2014
Written By:
Date published: 6:29 am, November 19th, 2014 - 241 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 …
Country divided: Key can’t rule
Written By:
Date published: 11:25 pm, November 18th, 2014 - 43 comments
Election 2014 result coverage reprised…
A late run succeeds
Written By:
Date published: 7:08 pm, November 18th, 2014 - 46 comments
On October 4th Andrew Little was looking to see if he was even going to be in Parliament because he hadn’t achieved the near impossible task of winning New Plymouth. He was at the bottom of small list and only got back into parliament on special votes. But Andrew Little has a well deserved reputation is a organiser and a campaigner. It showed.
And the winner is …
Written By:
Date published: 1:45 pm, November 18th, 2014 - 487 comments
Vernon Small has tweeted that Andrew Little has been elected as the new leader of the Labour Party. Update: The result is confirmed.
NRT: A low R&D economy
Written By:
Date published: 1:24 pm, November 18th, 2014 - 12 comments
The Herald this morning reports that New Zealand is near the bottom in global R&D spending. Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce is in full denial mode, saying that this doesn’t reflect what he’s seen. But he did make his money from being a crony capitalist, so perhaps he just can’t recognize innovation?
Gerry Brownlee and Airport security
Written By:
Date published: 12:16 pm, November 18th, 2014 - 11 comments
Gerry Brownlee has admitted and been fined for entering a security area at Christchurch Airport. But there is an issue about whether he had a defence to the charge that he actually faced. And despite John Key’s and the CAA’s indication the report into the incident would be released it is now being withheld.
In defence of John Key
Written By:
Date published: 9:09 am, November 18th, 2014 - 158 comments
Click-bait, moi?
They’re lying to you
Written By:
Date published: 8:15 am, November 18th, 2014 - 37 comments
Lies, damn lies, and statistics
Open mike 18/11/2014
Written By:
Date published: 6:30 am, November 18th, 2014 - 114 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 …
NRT: Least preferred option
Written By:
Date published: 5:33 pm, November 17th, 2014 - 40 comments
Back in September, John Key said that sending the SAS to Iraq was his “least preferred option”, “at the very outer edge of what we’d be wanting to do”. Today, he’s changed his tune in his predictable way. Such a poodle wanting to have his belly scratched by his masters.
John Key and the Fart Tax
Written By:
Date published: 3:16 pm, November 17th, 2014 - 35 comments
Momentum is building for action on climate change – but Key reckons it’s all just too hard for little old NZ. If only the Nats hadn’t killed of funding for research into the reduction of agricultural emissions…
Polity: Bonza
Written By:
Date published: 11:56 am, November 17th, 2014 - 39 comments
Poor old Tony Abbott. Thrust into the limelight of hosting the world’s biggest economic meeting, and his true colours come out for everyone to see. Not a happy weekend for Tony Abbott and, by extension, for Australia. Perhaps “bumpkin” would be a better title
Last chance to vote
Written By:
Date published: 11:36 am, November 17th, 2014 - 67 comments
The Labour leadership campaign is in the home straight. Various authors have declared their preference and why and I thought I should do the same.
Islamic Extremism: not a threat
Written By:
Date published: 10:33 am, November 17th, 2014 - 112 comments
Not to NZ at any rate.
Open mike 17/11/2014
Written By:
Date published: 6:47 am, November 17th, 2014 - 133 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 …
My (late) vote
Written By:
Date published: 4:58 pm, November 16th, 2014 - 56 comments
Here are my votes for the leadership contest. It was a hard choice, especially having to rank them. But my main criteria was to look for the people who I think had the most chance retaining and utilising the ever increasing membership and the other parts of the party together into a election winning system for the left.
On machines and sleepless nights
Written By:
Date published: 3:46 pm, November 16th, 2014 - 5 comments
With Lyn away doing good works, I spent some late nights with beeping and screaming machines (those damn fans on hot machines) in the wee hours of the morning. My apologies for the outages mainly for our overseas readers. But I’m almost through the changes caused by an abrupt shift of the systems just before an election and during my starting a new job back in August.
Sale of social housing stock won’t save costs
Written By:
Date published: 2:00 pm, November 16th, 2014 - 20 comments
Hamilton City Council currently has plans to sell of its remaining pensioner housing stock. It already sold off a block of them in 2012. Of those sold, only 12 out of 53 units are available for seniors to rent at affordable rates. This is because 27 were sold as there was no social service provider able to buy them. So now Council want to sell the rest.
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