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 …
- This week’s bestselling books – November 8
FICTION1 The Songbirds of Florence by Olivia Spooner (Hachette, $37.99)Oho! Number one with a bullet in its first week in the shops; the author (and North Shore bookseller) really knows how to tell a story, and her latest novel (her first book, The Girl from London, was a smash hit ...1 week ago - Food poisoning: it’s often, but not always, the chicken
A few days before the media swung into full-time live coverage of the US elections, international headlines were made by the unpleasant symptoms experienced by more than 100 University of Canterbury students, suffering the unpleasant and unbecoming symptoms of a foodborne illness presumed to have been caused by a contaminated ...1 week ago
- Pahiatua’s Polish children return
If you’ve ever taken a stroll along Wellington’s waterfront you’ve probably seen the little plaque that tells the story of the Polish children of Pahiatua.On the 31st of October 1944, 733 Polish refugee children and 105 adult caregivers sailed into Wellington Harbour on the USS General Randall. On the first ...1 week ago
- Fixing Health NZ an ‘exceptional burden on one individual’ – Treasury
Official information from Treasury on the state of Te Whatu Ora reveals more about the people than about the finances The post Fixing Health NZ an ‘exceptional burden on one individual’ – Treasury appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 week ago
- Five reasons why Donald Trump won the US election
Opinion: There was always a lot more method in the electoral campaign madness The post Five reasons why Donald Trump won the US election appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 week ago
- Last living member of the 28th Māori Battalion, Sir Robert ‘Bom’ Nairn Gillies, dies
Sir Robert ‘Bom’ Nairn Gillies has passed away at 99 years old. He was the last surviving member of the 28th Māori Battalion, the most-decorated New Zealand battalion from World War II. Bom Gillies (Te Arawa – Ngati Whakaue, Ngati Kahungunu) was known for his humility, strength, and his deep ...1 week ago - Interim Financial Statements Of The Government Of New Zealand For The Three Months Ended 30 Septembe...
The September results are reported against forecasts based on the Budget Economic and Fiscal Update 2024 (BEFU 2024), published on 30 May 2024, and the results for the same period for the previous year. ...1 week ago - Commission Report Released On Domestic Contribution To The Second Nationally Determined Contribution
Minister of Climate Change Simon Watts today released the Commission’s report on the domestic emissions reductions that Aotearoa New Zealand could achieve as part of the country's second nationally determined contribution (NDC2). ...1 week ago
- Cleaners Left In Limbo After Contract Change At Auckland Transport Sites
After MMS lost its contract to provide cleaning services for Auckland Transport sites to City Cleaning, cleaners’ pay and conditions should have been transferred to the new contractor under Part 6A of the Employment Relations Act. ...1 week ago
- Social Housing Cutbacks Confirmed As Govt Axes Another 310 Kāinga Ora Workers
This makes a total of 551 roles lost since April 2024, or one in six workers across the country. A third of the workforce is in Auckland. ...1 week ago
- Local cult classic horror Black Sheep confirmed for a sequel
New Zealand’s scariest flock of sheep are back, baby. Rattle your dags, sharpen your shears and somebody check on Oliver Driver, because it has just been confirmed that a sequel for the local horror comedy Black Sheep will start production next year, nearly two decades after the original film ...1 week ago
- Have Your Say On The Oversight Of Oranga Tamariki System Legislation Amendment Bill
The bill seeks to enhance oversight and monitoring of the Oranga Tamariki system by making structural changes to the Independent Children’s Monitor and the Children and Young People’s Commission. ...1 week ago
- The ultimate holiday reads: An alphabetical guide
An A to Z of iconic books matched with iconic holiday locations. Whether you’re an ultralight traveller armed with only a Kindle, or you’re a romantic who loves to schlepp your travel-worn paperbacks (lightly battered and eventually swapped with a stranger in a train station for their charmingly worn Dostoyevsky), ...1 week ago
- The longest commute, day four: Cruisin’ on the Interislander
Joel MacManus attempts to travel from the bottom to the top of the country without a car or plane. Today: can he finally leave Te Waipounamu? The mission: Get from Stewart Island to Cape Reinga as fast as possible using only public transport. Wherever I can, I’ll travel by train. ...1 week ago
- Photo essay: Living and learning on a bus
The Rasmussens have lived on the road for over a decade. Documentary series Home Education joined the ‘road-schooling’ family in their house bus. Bridie Rasmussen’s seven kids learn through collaborative family based projects – about everything from geography, history and politics through designing their own ancient civilisation. Their resourceful mum ...1 week ago
- Has Simon Watts Forgotten Who The Minister Is?
Does he not realise that he is the Minister in charge of the people who perpetrated this travesty? The people who have been affected need to see action, instead of the Minister’s ‘disappointment’. ...1 week ago
- More Than 18,400 Kiwis Call On Select Committee To Front Up On MPs’ Expenses
“Why should MPs not be held to the same standards as Ministers? If you’re spending taxpayers’ money, the public need to see the receipts” said James Ross, Policy and Public Affairs Manager at the Taxpayers’ Union. ...1 week ago
- My Greatest Trip: Eloping and Nessie hunting in Scotland
Alex Casey recounts a reverse honeymoon that ended with a secret wedding. It was a sighting almost as rare as Nessie herself. Steve Feltham, aka The Nessie Hunter, who has been parked up Loch-side looking for the mythical monster for the last three decades, cautiously peeked out of his iconic ...1 week ago
- Democrats left reeling as Trump claims decisive victory
Few could have predicted the size and scale of his success last night. This is an excerpt from The World Bulletin, our weekly global current affairs newsletter exclusively for Spinoff Members. Sign up here. A red wave It was around 8.30pm NZT when Donald Trump came out to address his ...1 week ago
- Introduction Of The Treaty Principles Bill
The existence and introduction of the Bill is extremely disappointing, has created angst amongst our people and further fuels the divisiveness created by Hon David Seymour and the Act Party. ...1 week ago
- Help Me Hera: My male flatmates keep asking me out and I hate it
My flatmate asked me out. I rejected him and he moved on, so why do I feel so annoyed? Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nz Dear Hera, I live in a large, social flat which I absolutely love. Recently one of my flatmates, Alister, asked me out, and I had to ...1 week ago
- The calls that Trump will take first
The election of Donald Trump will be welcomed more by those with greater economic strength than by those in vulnerable communities – who don’t have shares in Tesla The post The calls that Trump will take first appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 week ago
- The morning after the night before: Trump returns to the White House
The 45th president will become the 47th, with Republicans winning the Senate and on track to control the House too, writes Stewart Sowman-Lund in today’s edition of The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...1 week ago
- The longest commute, day four: Joel finally gets to ride a train
Joel MacManus attempts to travel from the bottom to the top of the country without a car or plane. Today: can he finally leave Te Waipounamu? The mission: Get from Stewart Island to Cape Reinga as fast as possible using only public transport. Wherever I can, I’ll travel by train. ...1 week ago
- The right’s weird new obsession: Singapore
The rightwing enthusiasm for authoritarian Singapore illustrates the extent to which, on one crucial point at least, New Zealand’s hands-off approach to the economy has failed, argues Max Rashbrooke. In years gone by, New Zealand’s right-wingers had predictable heroes. They looked to tax-cutting, regulation-shredding leaders like Margaret Thatcher, and their ...1 week ago
- Newsroom daily quiz, Thursday 7 November
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- The risk of NZ becoming a criminal safe haven
Opinion: The explosion of international crime The post The risk of NZ becoming a criminal safe haven appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 week ago
- US election: Harris fans cling to hope as election night fizzles
US election latest updates* Donald Trump is on the cusp of a return to the White House, after a strong performance in the US presidential election* Trump needs just three Electoral College votes to secure the presidency, after swing states North Carolina, Georgia, and Pennsylvania were called in his ...1 week ago
- When informed consent evaporates on the operating table
In the obstetrics and gynaecological theatres at North Shore Hospital, patients were treated or examined by trainee doctors without giving their consent.And the nurse who raised concerns was stood down for doing so.Now a report that looked at the issues has made adverse comments about what happened, but has stopped ...1 week ago
- A date with death: choosing a right time for assisted dying
Opinion: November 7 marks the third anniversary of the End of Life Choice Act coming into force. A unique aspect of our assisted dying law is that people need to specify, in advance, the time and date for their death as part of their application. Of course, the date can ...1 week ago
- Katherine Mansfield and her lifetime fan
Possibly Katherine Mansfield’s biggest fan outside academia and the literary world, Trysh Murphy-Dally was introduced to Katherine Mansfield by her Mum reading Katherine Mansfield’s Complete Stories to her as a young girl.
https://player.vimeo.com/api/player.jsMansfield’s influence and writings have had a profound effect on Trysh’s life.Made with the help of NZ ...
1 week ago - Trump tried once to break American democracy. Watch him do it again
Opinion: Tolerance for Trump’s first attempted coup and the deepening fractures of the American information ecosystem have enabled a grievous threat to the republic The post Trump tried once to break American democracy. Watch him do it again appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 week ago
- NZ’s low-cost, low-risk bid for UN Security Council seat
New documents offer insight into NZ’s attempt to secure another stint on the UN Security Council The post NZ’s low-cost, low-risk bid for UN Security Council seat appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 week ago
- Book of the Week: The superb Mr Shuker
Even in local literary households, Carl Shuker may not exactly be a household name in the way that, say, Eleanor Catton is, or Catherine Chidgey has lately become. But there’s a good chance he soon will be, on the strength of the release of the film adaptation of one of ...1 week ago
- Daily crossword, Thursday 7 November
The post Daily crossword, Thursday 7 November appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 week ago
- Cricket world champs’ meet their 4 am fans
White Ferns Rosemary Mair and Hannah Rowe returned to their home cricketing district this week with a World Cup trophy that some schoolgirl fans told them they’d watched them play for from 4 am before full days of school.“I think when we were over in Dubai, we were pretty caught ...1 week ago
- Live: Donald Trump claims victory on ‘the day the American people regained control’
It’s done. Trump is going back to the White House. ...1 week ago
- Treaty Principles Bill Is Deliberately Divisive
...1 week ago
- Parihaka: Remembering A Legacy Of Peaceful Resistance
This small papakāinga, now a powerful symbol of passive resistance, was the site of Aotearoa's first recorded non-violent stand against colonial violence and land confiscation. ...1 week ago
- Cook Islands Leader Insists New Passports Won’t Affect Ties With New Zealand
The Cook Islands leader says new passport proposal will not impact ties with Aotearoa, but a New Zealand Foreign Affairs spokesperson says it "would have implications". ...1 week ago
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