Archive for February, 2018

National is united

Written By: - Date published: 9:50 am, February 9th, 2018 - 76 comments

National is united. There are no murmurings about leadership and Bill English’s and Paula Bennett’s positions are secure.

Open Mike 09/02/2018

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, February 9th, 2018 - 179 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 08/02/2018

Written By: - Date published: 5:35 pm, February 8th, 2018 - 39 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 …

And we’re off to the races!

Written By: - Date published: 5:12 pm, February 8th, 2018 - 123 comments

With Julie Anne Genter, Minister for Women, entering the co-leadership race, there’s now a real contest on our hands as to who joins James Shaw as co-leader of the Green Party. What does that mean for the Greens, and for New Zealand politics in general?

We are beneficiaries

Written By: - Date published: 12:44 pm, February 8th, 2018 - 212 comments

The sick and twisted thing about right wing politics is that tories like a certain level of unemployment because competition for jobs is essential for keeping wages low. Then they treat the inevitable victims of this like it’s all people’s own fault. This is the single biggest reason why I don’t buy into the narrative […]

Trickledown …

Written By: - Date published: 8:25 am, February 8th, 2018 - 17 comments

Over in America Republican intellectual genius Paul Ryan tweeted how a School teacher who will receive $1.50 extra per week because of Republican tax cuts was grateful for the increase. But it did not go down well …

NZ Court of Appeal and the Ministry of Health

Written By: - Date published: 6:27 am, February 8th, 2018 - 66 comments

The government has a responsibility to act fairly, centre its services around the needs of people, and treat NZ citizens as human beings.

Open Mike 08/02/2018

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, February 8th, 2018 - 223 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 07/02/2018

Written By: - Date published: 5:29 pm, February 7th, 2018 - 36 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 …

Two Labour Governments, two coal mines

Written By: - Date published: 12:38 pm, February 7th, 2018 - 13 comments

The New Zealand Government has rejected the OIO’s proposal to allow Bathurst to purchase DOC land for coal mining purposes.  And in Australia the Queensland Labor Government is working out how it can back out of an agreement to permit the Adani coal mine to proceed.

National claims credit for Waitangi Day

Written By: - Date published: 8:21 am, February 7th, 2018 - 58 comments

National is claiming some credit for the success of Waitangi day. But the things they claim credit for are because of decisions of others, not the National Government.

Open Mike 07/02/2018

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, February 7th, 2018 - 259 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 …

Buttered Bread

Written By: - Date published: 11:20 am, February 6th, 2018 - 84 comments

What side’s yours buttered on?

Waitangi day

Written By: - Date published: 8:36 am, February 6th, 2018 - 84 comments

By engaging with and showing respect for Ngapuhi Jacinda Ardern has transformed Waitangi Day from a day of dissent to a day of celebration.

Open Mike 06/02/2018

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, February 6th, 2018 - 149 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 05/02/2018

Written By: - Date published: 5:36 pm, February 5th, 2018 - 32 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 …

Prime Minister Ardern at Waitangi

Written By: - Date published: 2:34 pm, February 5th, 2018 - 182 comments

This is a new day for politics in New Zealand. A female Prime Minister has broken over a century of practise and is doing a main speech at Waitangi. Even more: no drama occurred. Anywhere.

National can win the next election

Written By: - Date published: 12:00 pm, February 5th, 2018 - 75 comments

There is a simple strategy for National to follow which may gain them victory in the next General Election.

Waihopai and North Korea

Written By: - Date published: 7:44 am, February 5th, 2018 - 14 comments

It’s worth asking ourselves what Goriz Gharaman was doing protesting at Waihopai. It’s the right place to protest.

Marama Davidson’s campaign launch – Boots Theory

Written By: - Date published: 6:21 am, February 5th, 2018 - 111 comments

Stephanie Rodgers’ progressive communications analysis of how Marama Davidson is hitting all the right notes.

Open Mike 05/02/2018

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, February 5th, 2018 - 104 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 …

Getting it right

Written By: - Date published: 4:08 pm, February 4th, 2018 - 13 comments

Council of Trade Unions President Richard Wagstaff writes in the NZ Herald about why paying people peanuts is bad for everyone. Highly recommended reading.

The 2017 General Election electorate expense returns

Written By: - Date published: 12:49 pm, February 4th, 2018 - 27 comments

Last year’s electorate expense returns have now been made public.

Ideological issues more than leadership are Nat’s problem

Written By: - Date published: 8:19 am, February 4th, 2018 - 108 comments

Changing National’s leadership will not help the conservatives regain power if they fail to address questions of why they lost the 2017 election. National may be the biggest single party but it is unlikely to stay that. And they have no remaining parliamentary partners.You can’t form a MMP government from that…

Open Mike 04/02/2018

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, February 4th, 2018 - 149 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 …

Zen and the art of greening the government

Written By: - Date published: 6:25 am, February 3rd, 2018 - 65 comments

Democracy, protest, and what makes this the first ever progressive New Zealand MMP government.

Open Mike 03/02/2018

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, February 3rd, 2018 - 284 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 02/02/2018

Written By: - Date published: 5:34 pm, February 2nd, 2018 - 46 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 …

Middle east Teenagers

Written By: - Date published: 10:01 am, February 2nd, 2018 - 60 comments

In the middle east a Palestinian teenager is detained for a minor assault and for protesting the occupation of her country.  And three Israeli teenagers are apparently trying to sue two New Zealand residents for exercising their rights of free speech.

Did you hear about the killer who got pulled over for speeding?

Written By: - Date published: 6:27 am, February 2nd, 2018 - 36 comments

Re-education may be the key to improving NZ driving habits.

Open Mike 02/02/2018

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, February 2nd, 2018 - 97 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 …