Archive for September, 2015

All the left wants is a clean contest of ideas

Written By: - Date published: 8:56 am, September 15th, 2015 - 153 comments

Josie Pagani yesterday chose as a left wing commentator to condemn Jeremy Corbyn’s politics as being based on narcissism where hard decisions never need to be made, and the unpopularity of a policy was evidence not of its failure but of its virtue.  She should have analysed his history before making these claims.  And in the interests of balance the media really needs to choose left wing commentators who will proudly stand up and support progressive ideals rather than repeat right wing attack lines.

Open mike 15/09/2015

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, September 15th, 2015 - 171 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 …

Daily Review 14/09/2015

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 pm, September 14th, 2015 - 21 comments

Daily review is also your post. This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Don’t forget to be kind to each other.

Breaking: Abbott leadership challenge

Written By: - Date published: 5:58 pm, September 14th, 2015 - 88 comments

Seems to be a leadership challenge against Abbott in Australia, a conference at 6pm our time…

Update: Abbott is gone, Turnbull won 54-44.

Making Like Private Frazer

Written By: - Date published: 1:20 pm, September 14th, 2015 - 20 comments

Political awakenings.

Young on Little

Written By: - Date published: 11:14 am, September 14th, 2015 - 48 comments

While Labour leaders are in the spotlight, a good piece on Andrew Little by Audrey Young in the weekend.

Guest Post – Hawkes Bay is GE free

Written By: - Date published: 9:41 am, September 14th, 2015 - 26 comments

A guest post by Ad on the Hawkes Bay’s decision to prohibit under its District Plan the release or the conducting of field trials of GM crops and animals.

UK – Cameron loses his shit, new members flood to Labour

Written By: - Date published: 6:10 am, September 14th, 2015 - 183 comments

Cameron hysterical tweet

Open mike 14/09/2015

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, September 14th, 2015 - 74 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 …

Does the left win by tacking to the centre or by being principled?

Written By: - Date published: 11:40 am, September 13th, 2015 - 162 comments

Jeremy Corbyn’s election provides a further opportunity to discuss if elections should be won by  tacking to the centre or adopting a principled approach to politics.

Stuff piece on Red Peak

Written By: - Date published: 10:26 am, September 13th, 2015 - 23 comments

flag-ferns1

Anti TPP ad (Australian)

Written By: - Date published: 10:06 am, September 13th, 2015 - 17 comments

An Australian TV ad on the downsides of the TPP – “We just received word that Channel 9 banned our new TV ad from airing during the evening news”

Open mike 13/09/2015

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, September 13th, 2015 - 30 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 …

Jeremy Corbyn wins!

Written By: - Date published: 10:43 pm, September 12th, 2015 - 271 comments

Jeremy Corbyn wins the UK Labour leadership contest with nearly 60% of the vote on the first ballot.

Well spoken Police Commissioner

Written By: - Date published: 9:19 am, September 12th, 2015 - 27 comments

In The Herald: “Despite the number of armed incidents recently police should remain unarmed, the Police Commissioner says.”

Key and Abbott are prepared to sacrifice the Pacific

Written By: - Date published: 8:07 am, September 12th, 2015 - 98 comments

Climate change induced sea level increases poses a huge threat to most Pacific Islands.  They are seeking support for a goal of limiting temperature increases to no more than 1.5 degrees.  Australia and New Zealand are insisting on sticking to a goal of no more than 2 degrees even though this will likely mean that many Islands will disappear.

Refugee crisis a taste of things to come

Written By: - Date published: 7:05 am, September 12th, 2015 - 75 comments

The current refugee crisis is but a taste of the climate refugee crisis to come. But it according to Key it’s fine, because it won’t be a problem in the next year or two.

Open mike 12/09/2015

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, September 12th, 2015 - 78 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 …

Daily Review 11/09/2015

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 pm, September 11th, 2015 - 38 comments

Daily review is also your post. This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Don’t forget to be kind to each other.

Tim Barnett announces his resignation

Written By: - Date published: 2:49 pm, September 11th, 2015 - 7 comments

Labour Party General Secretary Tim Barnett has also announced his resignation today.

Inside National’s spin machine

Written By: - Date published: 10:32 am, September 11th, 2015 - 81 comments

A very interesting post in The Herald yesterday by Grant McLachlan (former Parliamentary researcher and a Nat campaign director) detailing National’s well resourced and well organised spin machine.

Breaking News – Russell Norman resigning from Parliament

Written By: - Date published: 10:13 am, September 11th, 2015 - 85 comments

Russell Norman has announced that he is resigning from Parliament to become Executive Director of Greenpeace.

MPs are harmful to digital communications

Written By: - Date published: 8:23 am, September 11th, 2015 - 21 comments

As anticipated, what is the first complaint at this site under the Harmful Digital Communications Act 2015? Not from a kid cyber-bullied by the classmates. But by an adult trying to stifle legitimate criticism and analysis of what they wrote and distributed digitally. And they didn’t read what they were required to do under the act.

Wellington rallies for refugees

Written By: - Date published: 7:02 am, September 11th, 2015 - 13 comments

A great turnout at last night’s rally at Parliament to call for the government to double the quota for refugees.

Open mike 11/09/2015

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, September 11th, 2015 - 80 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 …

Daily Review 10/09/2015

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 pm, September 10th, 2015 - 27 comments

Daily review is also your post. This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Don’t forget to be kind to each other.

Andrew Little – Our values and interests on the world stage

Written By: - Date published: 2:50 pm, September 10th, 2015 - 54 comments

Text of a speech delivered today by Andrew Little to Whanganui Grey Power where he talks about New Zealand’s tradition of standing up for our values and interests on the world stage.

Flag process a missed opportunity

Written By: - Date published: 9:51 am, September 10th, 2015 - 123 comments

Any new flag for NZ should have been a unifying symbol. Instead Key has turned the referendum into a divisive process. Faced with four crap flag choices we’ll probably vote for no change and the whole stupid $26m process will have been a complete waste of time and money. Ludicrous.

Tony Abbott and the Syrian refugee crisis

Written By: - Date published: 8:49 am, September 10th, 2015 - 75 comments

In the UK, in Australia and in New Zealand conservative governments have initially refused to accept more refugees then in a matter of days they have changed their view.  At the same time they have announced increased support for refugees they have announced military action against ISIS.  Makes you wonder if this is based on Crosby Textor advice.

Open mike 10/09/2015

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, September 10th, 2015 - 75 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 …

Daily Review 09/09/2015

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 pm, September 9th, 2015 - 58 comments

Daily review is also your post. This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Don’t forget to be kind to each other.