Archive for 2020
Open mike 08/10/2020
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, October 8th, 2020 - 132 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 07/10/2020
Written By: - Date published: 5:30 pm, October 7th, 2020 - 49 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 …
The importance of party unity
Written By: - Date published: 9:33 am, October 7th, 2020 - 83 comments
If a party wants to become Government there are a few characteristics that is has to have. Fiscal competence is one, unity is another. National currently has neither.
The NZ Defence Force and extreme fire events
Written By: - Date published: 6:08 am, October 7th, 2020 - 19 comments
This Guest Post by The Scud looks at the issues with the NZ Defence Force’s capability in responding to extreme fire events and climate change.
Open mike 07/10/2020
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, October 7th, 2020 - 119 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 06/10/2020
Written By: - Date published: 5:30 pm, October 6th, 2020 - 67 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 …
The Trump Covid game
Written By: - Date published: 2:17 pm, October 6th, 2020 - 10 comments
Let’s imagine a scenario where you are the President of the United States and it is in the middle of a pandemic. You then contract the virus yourself. How would you rate compared to Donald Trump?
National leaks again
Written By: - Date published: 7:33 am, October 6th, 2020 - 62 comments
A highly critical email about Judith Collins written by National Maungakiekie MP Denise Lee has been leaked and indicates that National’s Auckland policy was made on the hoof and without reference to the person in caucus with actual responsibility for the subject.
Open mike 06/10/2020
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, October 6th, 2020 - 69 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 05/10/2020
Written By: - Date published: 5:30 pm, October 5th, 2020 - 79 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 …
New Zealand, Biden, Trump, and Australia
Written By: - Date published: 3:47 pm, October 5th, 2020 - 6 comments
If Donald Trump is re-elected in 30 days’ time, he will be vindicated and emboldened. What will the implications be for New Zealand?
Open mike 05/10/2020
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, October 5th, 2020 - 182 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 …
Meanwhile, the climate crisis
Written By: - Date published: 11:56 am, October 4th, 2020 - 44 comments
A large wildfire has destroyed many homes in the village of Ohau in the Mackenzie Country, and hundreds of people have been evacuated.
Trump’s not so bad: the holding our breath edition
Written By: - Date published: 11:17 am, October 4th, 2020 - 79 comments
An occasional series
Open mike 04/10/2020
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, October 4th, 2020 - 202 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 …
Paul Goldsmith should stop digging
Written By: - Date published: 3:05 pm, October 3rd, 2020 - 80 comments
Paul Goldsmith has shown yet again his complete inability to understand how Government finances work by claiming there is a $10 billion dollar hole in Labour’s fiscal plan where there is none.
POTUS, Covid and the New Zealand election
Written By: - Date published: 8:01 am, October 3rd, 2020 - 122 comments
News that Donald Trump has tested positive for Covid will have a significant effect on the US election as well as our local election. It raises the issue who will you trust to lead the country against this most agile yet deadly virus?
Open mike 03/10/2020
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, October 3rd, 2020 - 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 02/10/2020
Written By: - Date published: 5:30 pm, October 2nd, 2020 - 66 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 …
The Votesafe campaign
Written By: - Date published: 11:44 am, October 2nd, 2020 - 35 comments
A well funded organisation has emerged from nowhere and is potentially having a significant effect on one of the referendum topics this year.
Open mike 02/10/2020
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, October 2nd, 2020 - 260 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 01/10/2020
Written By: - Date published: 5:30 pm, October 1st, 2020 - 33 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 …
Open mike 01/10/2020
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, October 1st, 2020 - 301 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 …
Leaders’ debate post
Written By: - Date published: 6:59 pm, September 30th, 2020 - 115 comments
Post for discussion of the latest leaders’ debate scheduled for this evening. Be kind to each other.
Daily review 30/09/2020
Written By: - Date published: 5:30 pm, September 30th, 2020 - 10 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 …
Jacinda Ardern and New Zealand Health
Written By: - Date published: 11:59 am, September 30th, 2020 - 15 comments
Jacinda Ardern is a contender for winning a Nobel Peace Prize. If she were to get it for anything, it will be for her leadership response to the national health crisis response to COVID19.
NZ First and the SFO
Written By: - Date published: 8:57 am, September 30th, 2020 - 38 comments
Some random musings on the news yesterday that persons associated with NZ First had been charged by the Serious Fraud Office.
No Right Turn: The transport policy we need
Written By: - Date published: 6:05 am, September 30th, 2020 - 40 comments
All of these policies will get fossil cars off the roads, reducing emissions.
Open mike 30/09/2020
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, September 30th, 2020 - 111 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 …
SFO exonerates NZ First
Written By: - Date published: 5:51 pm, September 29th, 2020 - 56 comments
The SFO has put out a press release a few days before overseas voting starts. They have not laid charges against NZ First or anyone in it. They have laid charges against two other people. What I find appalling is that they waited so close to the election before making it clear that whatever NZF did was lawful. To me that smacks of political malfeasance. And the complainants probably should be brought up on charges themselves for wasting police and SFO time.
Daily review 29/09/2020
Written By: - Date published: 5:30 pm, September 29th, 2020 - 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 …
- NZ to sign $4m climate reparations deal with Vanuatu
Vanuatu hopes funding from NZ will unlock additional money towards its anticipated loss and damage needs of US$177 million over the next decade The post NZ to sign $4m climate reparations deal with Vanuatu appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 week ago - Committee draws short straw to work on Treaty Principles Bill
The Treaty Principles Bill has been handed over to the Justice Select Committee. It’s now up to them to shepherd it through a six-month debate. The post Committee draws short straw to work on Treaty Principles Bill appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 week ago
- Ka tuku te rākau: Handing over the baton of protest to a new generation
As tens of thousands show their support for the hīkoi to parliament, the organisers are busy behind the scenes ensuring things run smoothly. For many, this is their first time leading a kaupapa of this scale – and it hasn’t all been easy. On August 31, an extraordinary hui was ...1 week ago - Banks are grappling with a scam ‘crisis’ while Facebook profits from it
The CEOs of two major New Zealand banks say Facebook is rife with fraud – and that Meta is too busy making money from scam ads to try and stop them. Duncan Greive reports. The story would have been dystopian a few years ago, but is now routine, almost unremarkable. ...1 week ago
- Funding is not the central part of our infrastructure crises
Opinion: Govt does not develop trust by just stopping things to save short-term costs The post Funding is not the central part of our infrastructure crises appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 week ago
- Newsroom daily quiz, Monday 18 November
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- Nerves and uncertainty over Trump’s tariff plans
Donald Trump claimed victory in a fair election, voted in by Americans worried about the cost of living and lifted up by his promises to punish countries that are punishing America – by slapping tariffs on the world.“I guess it’s called democracy,” says trade specialist John Ballingall from Sense Partners, ...1 week ago
- The march on Wellington
A redoubt was built on Mr Clifford’s property on Thorndon Flat in anticipation of war in 1846. It was simply a square earthwork with a surrounding trench. All round the parapet were wood-framed loopholes for musket-fire. A more extensive work was constructed at the Te Aro end of the town as a ...1 week ago
- Daily crossword, Monday 18 November
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- Luxon faced with superpower struggle
Comment: The PM has left Lima with headaches waiting for him at home – and diplomatic challenges with China and the US to be navigated The post Luxon faced with superpower struggle appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 week ago
- Is Fonterra selling up or selling out?
Business & investing: Fonterra ramps up case to farmers to divest its consumer brands The post Is Fonterra selling up or selling out? appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 week ago
- No special treatment for NZ casinos in online gambling rules
‘Faceless’ offshore firms may outbid local casinos for online licences but minister says there’s nothing to be done The post No special treatment for NZ casinos in online gambling rules appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 week ago
- Damning report on residential specialist schools as minister seeks advice
Study on NZ’s three residential specialist schools finally sees light of day The post Damning report on residential specialist schools as minister seeks advice appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 week ago
- Luxon to ‘push on’ with Trump amid tariff concerns
New Zealand must work with politicians like Donald Trump regardless of any polarising policies, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has said at the conclusion of an international summit where the incoming ruler’s plans loomed large.Luxon took part in the annual leaders’ retreat at the Apec summit, held this year in Peru’s ...1 week ago
- Countries clash over emissions cuts at COP29
A week of late nights, tense exchanges and dozens of pages of draft negotiating texts have failed to make significant progress on the big issues up for discussion at COP29.On key agenda items – finance, carbon trading and how to implement last year’s commitment to transition away from fossil fuels, ...1 week ago
- An Ode to .. Hana
Home alone“OK,” says Chris Luxon, CEO of Bottom Feed Enterprises.“I’m going out now to an important work event.Can I trust you to behave?”“Sure, Dad,” says Seymour. “I’m thirteen now.”“All right,” says Dad.“Call me if you need to – and remember,Whatever you do, don’t hit the Box with the Stick.”“Sure, Dad,” ...1 week ago
- China plays for power as Luxon manages differences
China is not generally known for its understated approach to diplomacy, but even by its usual standards, the country’s presence at this year’s Apec summit has been unavoidable.Large groups of supporters bearing miniature flags and banners of support have taken up residence outside the hotel accommodating Chinese president Xi Jinping ...1 week ago
- Toitū te Tiriti hīkoi fits: Savage style for seasoned steezers
Māori don’t just hīkoi for change – we dress for it, too. One thing we don’t get enough credit for as Māori (aside a very long list of many other things) is our ability to dress for an occasion, be it a reunion, hui, tangi or hīkoi. You can trust ...1 week ago
- Dog of the month: Georgie, who would like The Spinoff to rank peanut butters
Get to know Georgie, our latest Dog of the Month. This feature was offered as a reward during our What’s Eating Aotearoa PledgeMe campaign. Thank you to Georgie’s human, Peter, for his support. Dog name: Georgie Age: 2 years, 10 months Breed: An absolute mutt. We think some Staffy, some ...1 week ago
- Crown apology: Three voices from NZ’s shameful recent past
Abuse survivor: It is time to deliver, Prime MinisterKeith Wiffin says the Government needs to commit to concrete timelines for redressWe’ve heard those words from the state before, and they are meaningless because they have not resulted in change or progress.We are called survivors, but firstly I would like to ...1 week ago
- Of Treaties, Cabbages and Kings
During his speech to introduce the Treaty Principles Bill, David Seymour made a number of statements that are either disingenuous or ignorant. Early in his speech, he asked: ‘Where in the world is it a good idea to give different rights based on ancestry? Where in the world has that approach ...1 week ago
- The great lunch debate
Would you call fried chicken and chips at 10am ‘lunch’?“I try and keep as regular a schedule as I can, but that will translate a bit weirdly when I’m on shift work,” says reporter Finn Blackwell, who’s often found in RNZ’s breakroom well before noon, feasting on anything from a ...1 week ago
- The Secret Diary of .. Sheriff Seymour
Monday Sheriff Seymour rode his white horse through the beautiful tree-lined streets of the wealthiest suburb in Dodge, and arrived at the mansion of one of the richest men in the whole state.He rang the doorbell. A servant led him to an oak-panelled room, and gestured for him to sit.He ...1 week ago
- The case for COPs (even this one)
Every day this week, COP29 has managed to spark international headlines for all the wrong reasons.First, the eight hour agenda fight over what, actually, diplomats will spend time negotiating this year.Then on Tuesday the President of Azerbaijan, which is hosting COP29 in the capital Baku, called oil and gas a ...1 week ago
- The Weekend: In defence of Auckland’s ‘incredibly’ expensive Christmas tree
Anna Rawhiti-Connell reflects on the week that was. This week I hosted The Spinoff’s Year In Review live event In Wellington. Everything went remarkably well, and you can attend the same (but maybe more refined) event in Auckland on December 11. The welcoming crowd in Wellington even wanted more of ...1 week ago
- ‘Really worried’: What Now’s Chris Kirk on smuggling gunge out of New Zealand
The What Now and Brain Busters presenter takes us on a trip down TV memory lane. Growing up, Chris Kirk was a huge fan of What Now. Every Sunday morning, he would wake up early to watch Carolyn Taylor and Jason Fa’afoi entertain the nation, delighting in every chaotic, gunge-filled ...1 week ago
- The case of the cursed bread: An excerpt from Una Cruickshank’s The Chthonic Cycle
The Chthonic Cycle by Una Cruickshank is a compelling series of essays that explore a wide range of fascinating and unexpected subjects. This excerpt, from an essay called ‘Les Tigres’, tells the story of a massed hallucination event in 1951, France. On a hot August day in 1951, 280 people ...1 week ago
- The slowest city in the world is on the brink of change
New Zealander Tasha Black relays what it’s like in post-revolution Bangladesh from an eight-hour traffic jam in Dhaka. It’s Friday night on the outskirts of Dhaka, Bangladesh, and the traffic is stuck. Trucks, auto-rickshaws, private cars, buses, all stuck. A stationary ambulance futilely spins its red and blue lights. It’s ...1 week ago
- The Nobel Prize in Not Beating Up Your Kids
On the most extraordinary human achievements you’ll never, ever notice, and possibly shouldn’t celebrate. The Spinoff Essay showcases the best essayists in Aotearoa, on topics big and small. Made possible by the generous support of our members. We’re all in therapy these days, everyone in the Veja-heeled milieu I find myself ...1 week ago
- ‘Theatrical, chaotic and romantic’: Heidi Simpson’s perfect weekend playlist
Indie-pop darling Heidi Simpson shares her perfect weekend playlist. Heidi Simpson is a singer, tune maker, pop music believer and certified cool girl. The Tāmaki Makaurau native typically muses on Saturday nights and the emptiness between waiting for something to happen, but her recently released single ‘Best Kept Secret’ is ...1 week ago
- The Kiwi world champions you’ve heard too little about
The Paddle Ferns are back on top of the world after winning the Canoe Polo World Championships for the second time in eight years.It’s a growing sport that combines kayaking and ball-handling skills in a contact team game, played either indoors or out, with five players a sideSeventeen countries competed ...1 week ago
- Short story: I’ll ask my sister, by Marilyn Duckworth
A chatter of small brown birds rose up from the crippled tree at the street’s end. Muttering. She was reminded of the local Council who were still grumpily debating problems, including those of street verges. Some home owners had been taking it upon themselves to make cheeky personal use of ...1 week ago
- Censorship Is Alive And Well In New Zealand
“What this looks like to us is censorship of anyone who tries to disagree with this Government, which causes a chilling effect” says Cooper Legal Senior Associate, Lydia Oosterhoff. ...2 weeks ago - In Cold Water is a must-see for true crime fans
A new documentary series tells the story of a former Napier councillor accused of murder in Canada. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. In 2010, New Zealander Peter Beckett was on holiday in Canada’s Rocky Mountains, enjoying a relaxing afternoon fishing on ...2 weeks ago
- The Friday Poem: ‘FREE TRAMPOLINE’ by Sophie van Waardenberg
A new poem by by Sophie van Waardenberg. FREE TRAMPOLINE If I could, I’d praise the world— how this, how that, how the darling other— but all I do is sit down, hang on, come home. It has to be enough. On the walk from the station all the sidewalk ...2 weeks ago
- The Unity Books bestseller chart for the week ending November 15
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington. AUCKLAND 1 Zest: Climbing From Depression to Philosophy by Daniel Kalderimis (Ugly Hill Press, $40) Kalderimis ...2 weeks ago
- The rebuilding of Fazerdaze
Following the release of her sophomore album Soft Power, Amelia Murray (Fazerdaze) tells Alex Casey about heading south and rediscovering herself. Fazerdaze is back in Morningside, but everything has changed. “It’s so strange to be back, ” she says softly, gesturing out of The Spinoff’s office window at the drizzly ...2 weeks ago
- Where does kai come from? Learning in the māra
Lucinda Bennet reflects on appreciating vegetables and learning through doing. This is an excerpt from our food newsletter, The Boil Up. When you pull a carrot from the ground, there’s a certain sound it makes, a kind of “pop” as the tip detaches from the root cap. It’s something you can ...2 weeks ago
- The cost of being: A lawyer with two kids, a mortgage and a love of good meat
As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, a 42-year-old lawyer shares how he and his family approach their finances. Want to be part of The Cost of Being? Fill out the questionnaire here. Gender: Male. Age: 42. Ethnicity: Pākehā. Role: Lawyer with two ...2 weeks ago
- Watch live: New Zealand vs Australia in the Trans-Tasman Scrabble Challenge
In an Antipodean first, the Bledisloe Cup of Scrabble is streaming live on YouTube all weekend. Here’s how to watch and everything else you need to know. What’s all this then? It’s Scrabble as you’ve never seen it before! Unless you already watch Scrabble online, in which case it’s Scrabble ...2 weeks ago
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