Archive for August, 2013
Liar
Written By: - Date published: 6:11 am, August 26th, 2013 - 90 comments
Nearly 60% of New Zealanders think John Key is a liar according to the latest Fairfax-Ipsos poll. That shouldn’t be surprising given the number of times he’s been caught out being less than honest
Open mike 26/08/2013
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, August 26th, 2013 - 168 comments
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the mike…
Robertson throws his hat in the ring
Written By: - Date published: 7:34 pm, August 25th, 2013 - 152 comments
For me, Grant Robertson’s move late on Sunday afternoon to declare that he will run for the Labour leadership shows that he has chops as an operator. Likewise, the swiftness with which he moved to hold a press conference after Shearer quit. But is being a good operator enough? Or does Labour need a leader that can communicate a real Labour vision?
Grant Robertson announces his candidacy
Written By: - Date published: 6:45 pm, August 25th, 2013 - 126 comments
Grant Robertson is the first Labour MP to announce that he is seeking the leadership of the Labour Party.
Time out
Written By: - Date published: 9:55 am, August 25th, 2013 - 46 comments
I’ll probably be back at some point, hopefully next year, to see Labour under a new leader win the election.
Solidarity forever …
Written By: - Date published: 9:27 am, August 25th, 2013 - 36 comments
Labour activists want a united Labour Caucus that focusses on the issues that matter. For the sake of the party we need to have a good humored leadership contest and then unity.
1938 15
Written By: - Date published: 8:15 am, August 25th, 2013 - 2 comments
A Sunday feature – each week a random section scanned from a copy of The Standard, September 15th, 1938. Find out more here.
Open mike 25/08/2013
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, August 25th, 2013 - 130 comments
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the mike…
Fukushima
Written By: - Date published: 2:37 pm, August 24th, 2013 - 103 comments
Meanwhile back in the real world, the nuclear disaster at Fukushima is creeping back in to the headlines, for all the wrong reasons.
Our Jen on the Nation
Written By: - Date published: 8:35 am, August 24th, 2013 - 37 comments
Standard author and all around good leftie Jenny Michie will be appearing on the Nation this morning to discuss the Labour leadership.
Update: the interview’s not on the web until tomorrow but there are a couple of grabs from it in this story
Poverty Watch 45
Written By: - Date published: 8:14 am, August 24th, 2013 - 20 comments
Welcome to Poverty Watch, a weekly update on National’s lack of response to the urgent and growing issue of poverty in NZ. This week, Auckland’s beggar ban. What sort of country are we?
Deal or no deal?
Written By: - Date published: 6:30 am, August 24th, 2013 - 193 comments
There’s a lot of speculation about whether a deal is being put together to find a single ticket for the Labour leadership, but I don’t think that’s likely at all.
Open mike 24/08/2013
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, August 24th, 2013 - 155 comments
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the mike…
Eligibility to vote in Labour’s leadership election process
Written By: - Date published: 5:55 pm, August 23rd, 2013 - 20 comments
Has your Labour Party membership lapsed because you forgot to pay your membership fee or were upset? Do not despair. You may still be able to rejoin and have a vote in the leadership election process if you meet the criteria.
Congrats to Kristine Bartlett & SFWU
Written By: - Date published: 2:42 pm, August 23rd, 2013 - 20 comments
The Employment Court has issued a preliminary ruling on caregivers pay – saying that their pay should be compared to what it would be if their profession was male-dominated, not 92% women. Kristine Bartlett is the test case with more than 20 years’ experience and skills bringing her a $14.32/hr wage. The Service and Food […]
Weekend social 23/08/2013
Written By: - Date published: 2:00 pm, August 23rd, 2013 - 24 comments
Weekend social is for non political chat. What’s on for the weekend, gigs, film or book reviews, sports, or whatever. No politics, no aggro, why can’t we all just get along?
A contest
Written By: - Date published: 1:36 pm, August 23rd, 2013 - 35 comments
There seems to be a desire from political correspondents for a Labour stitch-up. Vernon Small wonders whether this might cause a revolt from members – and fair enough too, we want our say!
Why I electorate vote Cunliffe: op ed
Written By: - Date published: 12:10 pm, August 23rd, 2013 - 138 comments
I wasn’t going to express my opinion on the upcoming Labour leadership selection process. However, the usual right leaning MSM hacks seem to have been following the current Labour caucus leadership in naming Robertson as the frontrunner. This is my op ed testimony for my frontrunner, the MP for my electorate: Cunliffe.
Losing your job
Written By: - Date published: 11:42 am, August 23rd, 2013 - 73 comments
David Shearer is not the only one to lose his job this month. It’s quite a list, when you add it up…
Choose wisely
Written By: - Date published: 8:33 am, August 23rd, 2013 - 136 comments
I’m sure we’ll be doing comparisons between the candidates for the Labour leadership in the coming days. Any of the really contenders would at least be credible and a credible PM is the thing Labour has been lacking. What I would caution against is listening to Espiner/Garner/Gower fantasy candidate – Jones. Those same guys said ‘choose Shearer’ and Labour listened.
GCSB & TICS
Written By: - Date published: 7:13 am, August 23rd, 2013 - 52 comments
There will be plenty of coverage of the Labour leadership process here on The Standard, I don’t feel any need to contribute. There are too many other important matters that mustn’t fall under the radar. You thought the GCSB spying Bill was bad? The TICS bill is worse.
Open mike 23/08/2013
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, August 23rd, 2013 - 92 comments
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the mike…
Time to renew – by midnight
Written By: - Date published: 8:45 pm, August 22nd, 2013 - 42 comments
The word is that the NZ Council decided tonight when they will cut off the memberships which are current for voting in the membership vote on the leadership primaries.
The deadline is at midnight tonight.
Unity and democracy
Written By: - Date published: 6:42 pm, August 22nd, 2013 - 190 comments
With a new leadership race there’s now a real chance to bring the Labour party together to fight the good fight against the right.
No time for experiments
Written By: - Date published: 3:04 pm, August 22nd, 2013 - 158 comments
We all knew David Shearer was a good guy and he’s just proved how good – and noble – a man he is by resigning rather than forcing a messy and protracted leadership coup. Let’s hope that caucus, Labour members and the affiliates will be as clear headed. Now is not the time for another […]
Big announcement at 1:30 … Shearer stands down as leader
Written By: - Date published: 1:30 pm, August 22nd, 2013 - 336 comments
It is confirmed that David Shearer has announced that he will stand down as Labour’s leader after a new leader is selected. The leadership will now be decided under the Party’s constitution.
Collins & Key go head to head over Henry Inquiry
Written By: - Date published: 11:30 am, August 22nd, 2013 - 22 comments
Judith Collins is making a play for support among her fellow National ministers and trying to turn them against Key following Key’s contemptuous attitude to their privacy in the Henry Inquiry. At the Privileges Committee hearing into the Henry Inquiry yesterday, Collins and sidekick Anne Tolley asked why Henry thought he could look at their emails without their permission. Why indeed.
David Bennett’s successor?
Written By: - Date published: 10:39 am, August 22nd, 2013 - 17 comments
Rumour has it that David Bennett has decided to retire at the next election. It’s been made clear to him that he’ll never be allowed anywhere near a ministerial portfolio. Who will take on his role? Well, how about this guy – Mark Sabin – who yesterday told Parliament that, thanks to St Key, New Zealand has the highest growth rate on Earth, when it’s actually 117th?
Disgusting
Written By: - Date published: 9:40 am, August 22nd, 2013 - 110 comments
Chris Finalyson’s contribution to the GCSB debate yesterday was a strong reminder that the job description for National MPs includes a requirement that they be rude and arrogant and a belief that they are somehow superior to the rest of us.
Hypocrite
Written By: - Date published: 8:47 am, August 22nd, 2013 - 19 comments
“New Zealanders will not have
confidence in [a …] bill rammed through
by a slender majority without public support
and with the backing of only the bare minimum
of parties necessary to get it through Parliament.”
— John Key, 2007.
(ht Toby Manhire)
High jump and higher education – the fallacy of continuous improvement
Written By: - Date published: 7:46 am, August 22nd, 2013 - 12 comments
They set targets and you meet those targets, so they raise the targets. You meet them again, so they raise them again. If those targets were high jump bars, everyone watching would know you are going to miss the target at some point. That is not a failure. That is just something that is eventually beyond the very limits of your ability. However, if you are a tertiary education teacher we pretend there is no limit.
- Join us at 5pm for 2024’s last Hoon
Photo by Mauricio Fanfa on UnsplashKia oraCome and join us for our weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm today.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream for our chat about the week’s news with myself , plus regular guests and , ...3 weeks ago - Christmas Gifts: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.
“Like you said, I’m an unreconstructed socialist. Everybody deserves to get something for Christmas.”“ONE OF THOSE had better be for me!” Hannah grinned, fascinated, as Laurie made his way, gingerly, to the bar, his arms full of gift-wrapped packages.“Of course!”, beamed Laurie. Depositing his armful on the bar-top and selecting ...3 weeks ago
- ‘Utterly heartbreaking’: Two children allegedly murdered in grim start to 2025
The Minister for Children and for Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence encouraged people to use the resources available to them to get help. ...1 day ago - Watch live: Dame Tariana Turia laid to rest
The founder of Te Pāti Māori is being buried at her marae at Whangaehu. ...1 day ago
- New mother’s surprise $9000 tax bill
Megan Hunt was horrified to discover she had a huge bill from Inland Revenue for overpaid Working for Families credits. ...1 day ago
- Cane toads on the barbie? How eating invasive species might help manage them
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Carla Archibald, Research Fellow, Conservation Science, Deakin University ABC Eating rabbit, camel, carp, feral cat, deer and cane toad might sound extreme to some, but it’s gaining attention as a solution to tackle the growing impact of invasive species. Now, Tony ...1 day ago - Inland Revenue changes interest rates for late payments
Inland Revenue is changing the interest rates paid by and to taxpayers who over and underpay their tax. ...1 day ago
- ‘I don’t hold the hose, mate’: Australia’s political history is full of gaffes. Here are som...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Frank Bongiorno, Professor of History, ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences, Australian National University The Oxford English Dictionary defines a gaffe as a “blunder, an instance of clumsy stupidity, a ‘faux pas’.” It evokes a sense of triviality rather than high ...1 day ago
- Can apps and digital resources support your child with autism or ADHD? Here’s what to look for
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kelsie Boulton, Senior Research Fellow in Child Neurodevelopment, Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney Fabio Principe/Shutterstock Neurodevelopmental conditions such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism affect about one in ten children. These conditions impact development, behaviour and wellbeing. ...1 day ago
- Fully recovering Australia’s threatened species would cost 25% of GDP. We can’t do it all at onc...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By April Reside, Lecturer in Conservation, The University of Queensland An endangered golden-shouldered parrot Imogen Warren/Shutterstock Australia has already lost at least 100 species since European colonisation. Across land and freshwater habitats, 1,657 species are currently threatened with the same fate. Their populations ...1 day ago
- Wellington’s secondhand bookshops, ranked and reviewed
Summer reissue: Claire Mabey assesses the browsing merits of the capital’s secondhand bookstores. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be a member today. Secondhand bookstores are extremely dangerous ...1 day ago - It’s time for the Greens to grow up – Swarbrick
The Green Party has increasingly faced the probably unfair (at least inaccurate) criticism that it’s abandoned its raison d’être.During the 2024 adjournment debate, where Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick refused to stick with the convention of making niche political jokes and bad puns, Act leader David Seymour accused Swarbrick of ...1 day ago - A plea for more politicians of conviction
Opinion: The sad passing of Dame Tariana Turia has rightly drawn attention to the value of politicians who have strong convictions which they pursue even when it is difficult to do so. Not all of the people who have expressed admiration for her were moved to that emotion when she ...1 day ago
- Where is she now? Wendy Frew
The search for Wendy Frew takes you to Pine Crescent Park, Rosedale, in Invercargill. “Possibly windswept and interesting” to quote a Billy Connolly-ism.It’s a setting that nurtured a remarkable deep-south sporting family dynasty – one fit to rival the Bracewells of the North.Among the eight children of Karen and Colin ...1 day ago
- ‘The room went dead quiet’: Josh Thomson on his worst 7 Days moment
Summer reissue: Josh Thomson on the 80s milk ad jingle he can’t stop singing, the beauty of The Simpsons, why Jersey Shore is as good as Shakespeare and more. For someone who spends a lot of time on our screens, popping up in everything from 7 Days to Taskmaster, Educators ...1 day ago
- Final day for public feedback on Treaty Principles Bill
The legislation proposes to rewrite the treaty principles long-defined by the courts ...1 day ago
- How you – yes, you! – can be a godsend to a new parent
Everyone can help lighten the load for a struggling new mum or dad. Here’s how. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be a member today. As I recently ...1 day ago
- Dame Tariana Turia to be laid to rest today
Dame Tariana died on Friday, aged 80. ...1 day ago
- ‘Man had eel in his bum’: Remembering the story that almost broke the Herald
Summer reissue: This year the Herald on Sunday celebrated a significant birthday. Hayden Donnell takes a look back at one of its most defining moments. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and ...1 day ago
- How Wellington became a cornucopia of Malaysian food
Summer reissue: Our capital is a far cry from hot, bustling Kuala Lumpur, so why is this freezing city full of excellent Malaysian cuisine? My dad once told me that there are more Malaysian restaurants in Wellington per square kilometres than there are back in Malaysia. He was completely ...1 day ago
- Newsroom daily quiz, Tuesday 7 January
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp');Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions.The post Newsroom daily quiz, Tuesday 7 January appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 day ago
- Daily crossword, Tuesday 7 January
The post Daily crossword, Tuesday 7 January appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 day ago
- Five Pacific region geopolitical ‘betrayals’ in 2024
COMMENTARY: By David Robie, editor of Asia Pacific Report With the door now shut on 2024, many will heave a sigh of relief and hope for better things this year. Decolonisation issues involving the future of Kanaky New Caledonia and West Papua – and also in the Middle East with ...2 days ago
- Labour should apologise to Dame Tariana Turia’s whānau – Willie Jackson at tangi
Willie Jackson was among politicians past and present paying respect to Dame Tariana today - and made the call for an apology over her treatment during the Foreshore and Seabed controversy. ...2 days ago
- ‘Ghost of Suharto’ marks Prabowo’s new phase in West Papua occupation
SPECIAL REPORT: By Paul Gregoire United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) provisional government interim president Benny Wenda has warned that since Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto took office in October, he has been proven right in having remarked, after the politician’s last February election, that his coming marks the return ...2 days ago
- Should I get a weighted vest to boost my fitness? And how heavy should it be?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rob Newton, Professor of Exercise Medicine, Edith Cowan University ZR10/Shutterstock Exercise training while wearing a weighted vest is undergoing somewhat of a renaissance. Social media posts and trainers are promoting them as a potential strategy for improving fitness and health. ...2 days ago
- Live: Hīkoi mō te Tiriti supporters invited to honour Dame Tariana Turia at tangi
The Prime Minister is visiting Whangaehu Marae to pay his respects. ...2 days ago
- How do mosquito repellents work? A chemistry expert explains
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daniel Eldridge, Senior Lecturer in Chemistry, Swinburne University of Technology kamitana/Shutterstock It’s summertime, and for many of us that means plenty of time outside – and, unfortunately, mosquitoes. The combination of the increase in temperature and plenty of water is ideal ...2 days ago
- Even calm people can fly into a rage behind the wheel. Here’s how to curb your road rage – befor...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Milad Haghani, Senior Lecturer of Urban Risk & Resilience, UNSW Sydney Marian Weyo/Shutterstock If someone bumps into us on the footpath or in the mall, we’re generally quite forgiving. We instinctively apologise or step aside, and usually don’t scream at, stalk, ...2 days ago
- Relentless warming is driving the water cycle to new extremes, the 2024 global water report shows
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Albert Van Dijk, Professor, Water and Landscape Dynamics, Fenner School of Environment & Society, Australian National University EPA/MIGUEL ANGEL POLO Last year, Earth experienced its hottest year on record − for the fourth year in a row. Rising temperatures are changing ...2 days ago
- Continental drift: why the need for critical minerals might change the way we define Earth’s zones
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rupert Sutherland, Professor of tectonics and geophysics, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Office of Ocean Exploration and Research/NOAA, CC BY-SA Continents and oceans have scientific definitions that underpin international law. The idea of dividing the world into geographical ...2 days ago
- Do natural fabrics really keep us cooler in summer? Here’s the science
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nisa Salim, Senior Lecturer at the School of Engineering, Swinburne University of Technology Dasha Petrenko/Shutterstock The Bureau of Meteorology has warned Australia is facing one of the hottest summers on record. As the weather warms, many of us reach for light-coloured ...2 days ago
- 3 drugs that went from legal, to illegal, then back again
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Philippa Martyr, Lecturer, Pharmacology, Women’s Health, School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Western Australia Peruvian Syrup, containing cocaine, was used to ‘cure’ a range of diseases. Smithsonian Museum of American History/Flickr Cannabis, cocaine and heroin have interesting life stories and long ...2 days ago
- Dreading the school or daycare drop-off? How to handle it when your child doesn’t want you to go
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kylie Ridder, Lecturer in Early Childhood Education, Murdoch University Kiefer Photography/Shutterstock You’re doing daycare or school drop-off, you’re already late for work, and your child’s lip starts to quiver. A tremble turns into a wail, a wail into heart-rending cries as ...2 days ago
- Perfectionist leaders can push their teams to meet high standards – but it can backfire and stifl...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gamze Koseoglu, Senior Lecturer, The University of Melbourne fizkes/Shutterstock Have you ever kept a brilliant idea to yourself, fearing your boss’s reaction? This hesitation is more common than you might think, especially when working under perfectionist leaders. Some of the most ...2 days ago
- 5 tips to ace a job interview – including how to prepare for the question they’ll definitely ask
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kerry Brown, Professor of Employment and Industry, School of Business and Law, Edith Cowan University Photo by Anna Shvets/Pexels If you’re back in the job market, or looking for your first position after graduating, you’ll need to think about how to ...2 days ago
- Why you should treat workplace friendships like your diet – aim for balance and variety
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stefan Korber, Senior Lecturer in Innovation and Entrepreneurship, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Getty Images The list of organisations abandoning the option of fully remote work for employees has grown recently, with the likes of Amazon, IBM, JPMorgan and Meta ...2 days ago
- Sunglasses reflect more than the light: a brief history of shades, from Ancient Rome to Hollywood
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Margaret Maynard, Associate Professor, School of Communication and the Arts, The University of Queensland State Library Victoria Sunglasses, or dark glasses, have always guarded against strong sunlight, but is there more to “shades” than we think? The pupils of our ...2 days ago
- Inside the fast rise and faster collapse of the acclaimed K Road restaurant Cotto
Summer reissue: The Auckland eatery closed its doors with no warning in late 2023, prompting concerned customers to ask the simple question: what went wrong? Stewart Sowman-Lund finds out. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read ...2 days ago
- Dunedin’s secondhand bookshops, ranked and reviewed
Summer reissue: Hera Lindsay Bird reveals the best places in Ōtepoti to score more for your apocalypse-prep book hoard. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be a member ...2 days ago
- Stanford braces herself for a year of cuts – and reform
“Next year is going to be a tough year for me, because I’m going to have to make some very, very difficult decisions,” Education Minister Erica Stanford says.That means cuts. Or at least replacements.“This is the problem in education: we never stop doing things.”This leads to a disjointed system, where ...2 days ago
- Protecting our democracy by reforming Parliament
Opinion: Aotearoa New Zealand currently exists in an unstable world. Democracies are under challenge across the globe, and we are not immune.As the inhabitants of one of the world’s oldest democracies, New Zealanders are accustomed to electing their Members of Parliament every three years and we value the importance of ...2 days ago
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