Archive for 2020
Judith Collins, Nicky Hager and Dirty Politics
Written By: - Date published: 12:16 pm, September 29th, 2020 - 55 comments
Judith Collins has said about Dirty Politics author Nicky Hager that he “still needs to meet his maker.” What did she mean by this? And why does she harbour such dark thoughts about Hager?
What forming a Labour/Green government might look like
Written By: - Date published: 11:23 am, September 29th, 2020 - 44 comments
Shaw said that what he is hearing from people is they want Labour to have to talk to someone while in govt and not be able to make decisions by itself.
The question then becomes, how much does the left want Labour to be encouraged greenward and leftward?
Open mike 29/09/2020
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, September 29th, 2020 - 91 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 28/09/2020
Written By: - Date published: 5:30 pm, September 28th, 2020 - 114 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 …
Mood of the Boardroom: National is toast
Written By: - Date published: 11:07 am, September 28th, 2020 - 45 comments
The NZ Herald Mood of the Boardroom finance election debate should be for National what it is like attending a Living Wage campaign meeting for Labour. They should be at home and the participants should be solidly behind them. But not this year.
Snow storm shout out to the undeserving poor
Written By: - Date published: 10:40 am, September 28th, 2020 - 84 comments
Why does Labour still not have a plan for unwell and disabled people living in poverty?
What Have Labour Done For The Poor, Exactly?
Written By: - Date published: 8:45 am, September 28th, 2020 - 30 comments
There’s been plenty of criticism about Labour’s policies not being effective enough to alleviate poverty. Time for a bit of perspective.
No Right Turn: The coming US shitshow
Written By: - Date published: 6:05 am, September 28th, 2020 - 44 comments
President Trump once again refused to commit to a peaceful transfer of power if he loses the US election.
Open mike 28/09/2020
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, September 28th, 2020 - 229 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 …
Latest Newshub/Reid Research poll – Labour cruising, National floundering
Written By: - Date published: 6:28 pm, September 27th, 2020 - 137 comments
Labour can still rule alone and the Greens are looking safer.
Open mike 27/09/2020
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, September 27th, 2020 - 109 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 …
National’s alternative budget doesn’t add up
Written By: - Date published: 9:36 am, September 26th, 2020 - 23 comments
If ever you needed a symbol of National’s current plight it is the handling of the release of its alternative budget. It has been a complete and utter shambles. A clusterf&*k of epic proportions. Because if there is one part of National’s reputation that needs to be defended at all costs it is the perception that they are competent financial managers and making multiple billion dollar mistakes in your alternative budget at election time is the one thing over all else that will hurt that part of your reputation.
Open mike 26/09/2020
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, September 26th, 2020 - 86 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 25/09/2020
Written By: - Date published: 5:30 pm, September 25th, 2020 - 26 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 …
So much for the climate change consensus
Written By: - Date published: 10:50 am, September 25th, 2020 - 39 comments
Ten months ago National supported the Zero Carbon Bill and called for a consensus between the major political parties on the overall framework through which climate change issues are addressed. This week National trashed all of that to try and shore up its sagging support.
Open mike 25/09/2020
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, September 25th, 2020 - 127 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 24/09/2020
Written By: - Date published: 5:30 pm, September 24th, 2020 - 68 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 …
Vote Labour To Support Your Job
Written By: - Date published: 8:30 am, September 24th, 2020 - 100 comments
This is a backpocket election – and that’s where most of Labour’s effort is going as it rightly should.
National’s many and varied Covid border policies
Written By: - Date published: 7:31 am, September 24th, 2020 - 12 comments
On Tuesday National announced the fifth variation of its Covid border policy this year.
The Greens on urban farming
Written By: - Date published: 6:05 am, September 24th, 2020 - 25 comments
This is exactly the kind of approach the Green Party would like to encourage – it’s strategic, it’s intergenerational and it recognises the interconnectedness of our people, the environment and local communities.
Open mike 24/09/2020
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, September 24th, 2020 - 178 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 23/09/2020
Written By: - Date published: 5:30 pm, September 23rd, 2020 - 12 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 …
Last night’s leader debate
Written By: - Date published: 9:21 am, September 23rd, 2020 - 129 comments
The leaders of our both main parties committed to neoliberalism is another kind of brutality that we seem reluctant to address.
Open mike 23/09/2020
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, September 23rd, 2020 - 131 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 …
Colmar Brunton poll: Labour still way ahead
Written By: - Date published: 6:04 pm, September 22nd, 2020 - 90 comments
Judith will not enjoy this poll result.
Daily review 22/09/2020
Written By: - Date published: 5:30 pm, September 22nd, 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 …
How low can National go?
Written By: - Date published: 7:44 am, September 22nd, 2020 - 43 comments
With news of a second mistake in National’s draft budget its campaign is in trouble and support for other right wing parties appears to be surging. Update: Stuff is reporting a further $3.9 billion dollar mistake …
Open mike 22/09/2020
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, September 22nd, 2020 - 87 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 21/09/2020
Written By: - Date published: 5:30 pm, September 21st, 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 21/09/2020
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, September 21st, 2020 - 219 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 …
Paora Goldsmith is National’s $4 billion dollar man
Written By: - Date published: 4:17 pm, September 20th, 2020 - 116 comments
Paul Goldsmith has blighted National’s campaign launch by making a $4 billion dollar mistake in National’s budget costings.
- 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
- How the first reading of the Treaty Principles Bill played out
And why one former MP, explains Stewart Sowman-Lund for The Bulletin, says John Key would never have allowed this to happen. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...2 weeks ago
- All 14 malls in Christchurch ranked from worst to best
To celebrate Christchuch Anniversary Day, Joseph Harper ranks every mall in the ‘garden city’. This is the first in the Malls of New Zealand series, where we rank the malls in major centres. Next week: Auckland. When I was growing up in pre-quake Ōtautahi, people used to say that the ...2 weeks ago
- The climate and human rights crises are indelibly intertwined
At the Cop29 climate conference, the host country’s president called oil a ‘gift of god’. But for many people all over the world, it is in fact a curse. Maria Armoudian, a senior lecturer in politics and international relations, explains. In the first week of the United Nations international climate ...2 weeks ago
- Uniformed Defence Force Should Not Be Used As Strike Breakers
“In a modern liberal democracy, any deployment of the armed forces in employment relations is a drastic step, and should be avoided at all costs,” said Wagstaff. ...2 weeks ago - House suspended as haka interrupts first reading of the Treaty Principles Bill
Speaker Gerry Brownlee has suspended the House of Representatives after a haka, led by Te Paati Māori and performed by members in the public gallery, interrupted the first reading of the Treaty Principles Bill. As thousands continue to protest and hīkoi around Aotearoa, the first reading of the Treaty Principles ...2 weeks ago
- Review: Crowded House gets Ōtautahi breaking the rules
Last night at Wolfbrook Arena in Christchurch, Crowded House did the unthinkable – they got a polite New Zealand concert crowd to break the rules. Here’s something I’ve observed about concert attendance in the north vs the south. Where most Aucklanders will bustle in just as the main act takes ...2 weeks ago
- The case for reading books about animals wearing clothes
In light of Gloriavale’s reluctant acceptance of Winnie-the-Pooh, Claire Mabey argues in favour of the wider canon of anthropomorphic animal literature. There is nothing more bleak than the banning of books and the curtailment of reading. Control what people read and you control what they think, and how they behave. ...2 weeks ago
- Coldplay and 57,000 babies at Eden Park
Review: Everything happens all at once at Coldplay’s sold-out show. About 15 minutes into Music of the Spheres, I realised that we were all just big babies. When Coldplay emerged for their first song, our compostable plastic wristbands lit up around Eden Park, delighting us all. Minutes later, Chris Martin ...2 weeks ago
- Dear Donald, here’s why you should cut NZ a break in the tariff torrent
Ten irrefutable reasons for the incoming president to exempt plucky little New Zealand from import tax hikes. The former and future president, Donald J Trump, has been re-elected on a platform pledging new and universal import tariffs of 10%-20%. The challenge for New Zealand politicians and officials is to somehow ...2 weeks ago
- Help Me Hera: Why do I only befriend people nobody else can stand?
How do I end this cycle of misery, once and for all? Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nz Dear Hera How do I break a lifelong pattern of forming close friendships with people that nobody else can stand? Ever since I was about 12, I have had a succession of very ...2 weeks ago
- On the frontlines of Hīkoi mō te Tiriti
Thousands converged on Auckland, the day before the first reading of the controversial Treaty Principles Bill, writes Stewart Sowman-Lund for The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...2 weeks ago
- You’re gonna miss the post office when it’s gone
Despite it dwindling locations and reduced service, NZ Post remains a pillar in every community, writes Hera Lindsay Bird. Every Saturday morning I arrive at 7.30am, and enter the post office box lobby. Behind the narrow corridor of identical red letterboxes, there is a locked room, full of ancient Christmas ...2 weeks ago
- ‘Whaka round, find out’: When the hīkoi came to Auckland
The Toitū te Tiriti hīkoi reached Auckland on Wednesday, seeing thousands cross the Harbour Bridge and walk around the coast to Bastion Point. Lyric Waiwiri-Smith joined them. Atop Bastion Point, a crowd of red, black and white gathered at the end of what we’ve been told is a history-making moment. ...2 weeks ago
- Government Will Not Say If Gang Members To Be Excluded From Abuse In Care Compensation
The government is refusing to say whether gang members could be excluded from compensation for abuse they suffered while in state care. ...2 weeks ago
- Fair News Bargaining Bill In Limbo As Minister Says It Is Not Ready
It was supposed to have its second reading on Wednesday, but on the final order paper appeared at 13th, meaning it was effectively postponed for the week. ...2 weeks ago
- Free Speech Union Endorses Carter’s Copyright (Parody And Satire) Amendment Bill, But It Raises Qu...
We commend the Green Party’s Bill to protect the speech rights of creators, artists, and commentators who are regularly targets of censorship. We hope this represents the turning of a new leaf in their defence of all speech rights. ...2 weeks ago
- A hīkoi dispatch from Ōtautahi
A thousand-strong crowd gathered in Ōtautahi today to show support for the Toitū te Tiriti hīkoi. Alex Casey was there. One of the most charming aspects of attending demonstrations in Ōtautahi’s city centre is that they happen right in the orbit of our many tourist trams, periodically forcing the crowd ...2 weeks ago
- Submissions Open For The Employment Relations (Employee Remuneration Disclosure) Amendment Bill
The bill seeks to amend the Employment Relations Act 2000 to protect employees who discuss or disclose their remuneration. ...2 weeks ago
- Hobson’s Pledge Support Peaceful Protest But Encourage Listening
It is concerning that some participants of the hīkoi seem to believe only their voice and actions are to be respected, and are intent on shutting down any debate. ...2 weeks ago
- ‘Effortless-seeming genius’: Carl Shuker’s favourite reads and other stories
Welcome to The Spinoff Books Confessional, in which we get to know the reading habits of Aotearoa writers, and guests. This week: Carl Shuker, author of new novel The Royal Free. The book I wish I’d written I wish I’d written Philip Hensher’s Kitchen Venom. No one talks about it ...2 weeks ago
- Gone By Lunchtime: Our decision desk is now ready to call the US election
The new old president, the hīkoi hits Auckland, and a momentous day of apology at parliament. After more than a week scrutinising the granular data, the Gone By Lunchtime podcast decision desk is ready to make a call: Donald Trump has won the US presidency. In a new episode, ...2 weeks ago
- Small Business Owners, MPs Rally Together To Demand Transparency In Tauranga Marine Precinct Sale
“This sale, and the lack of information surrounding it, shows exactly why we need better regulations to hold council staff and it’s leadership more accountable,” Harvey said.” ...2 weeks ago
- The Lord of the Rings musical is better than you’re probably expecting
Musical theatre sceptics Gabi Lardies and Stewart Sowman-Lund review the three-hour spectacle at Auckland’s Civic Theatre. Gabi Lardies: Stewart, we sat through THREE HOURS of musical theatre last night. That’s a big ask for an audience trained on 12-second reels. Tickets are between $69 and $179 – we were both ...2 weeks ago
- The four funniest New Zealanders are ready for their holiday orgy
In 2016, Chris Parker, Tom Sainsbury, Kura Forrester and Brynley Stent surprised audiences with an orgy. Now they’re doing it all again, on a bigger, shinier stage. Eight years ago, four little-known comedians, two who had just met, ended their play thrusting, sweating and panting in an over-the-top orgy. There ...2 weeks ago
- New Zealand Government Refuses NGO Calls To Back End To Secret WCPFC Compliance Processes
Accountability.Fish, a global non-governmental organisation dedicated to improving the transparency and accountability of Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs), has raised concerns for some time over the lack of transparency within the ...2 weeks ago
- Who are the New Zealanders who can’t afford nourishing food?
By calculating the weekly deficit in people’s budgets, a new report shows how those receiving benefits or working for minimum wage often can’t pay for food after the cost of fixed expenses. One in five working-age New Zealanders doesn’t earn enough to feed themselves and their family well, new ...2 weeks ago
- The Cost Of Silence: NZ’s Role In Standing Against Iran’s Repression
The piece highlights the recent execution of Jamshid Sharmahd by the Iranian government, discusses New Zealand's current approach (as well as that of other democracies) toward the regime's hostage-taking tactics, and suggests an alternative, more unified approach. ...2 weeks ago
- Horrific, heartbreaking, wrong: Who apologised, and how
Politicians and public sector bosses say sorry, but victims of state abuse have something to say, too, writes Toby Manhire in today’s extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. Sorrow and substance ...2 weeks ago
- As te reo Māori grows, so does the search for trilingual interpreters
Deaf Māori face exclusion from their whānau and cultural heritage due to an extreme shortage of trilingual interpreters. Imagine being deaf and at the tangi of a loved one. You stand when everyone else stands, sit when everyone else sits, and stare at the lips of speakers, trying to catch ...2 weeks ago
- We have the ratings for Stuff’s ThreeNews. What story do they tell?
Duncan Greive analyses three months’ worth of ratings data to get a sense of whether Stuff and Three’s big bet is paying off. When Three shocked the country by announcing it was shutting Newshub earlier this year, as many as 10 groups are thought to have canvassed the idea of ...2 weeks ago
- The Treaty Principles Bill
Human Rights Commission’s Tino Rangatiratanga leaderJulia Whaipooti explains what has been happening. ...2 weeks ago
- Survivors Must Receive Redress To Have The Opportunity To Heal: Save The Children
Today’s vision shared of New Zealand is of an Aotearoa where every child has their rights understood, respected and upheld ensuring they live good lives now and have a bright future to look forward to. ...2 weeks ago
- Govt Axes Specialist Māori Body Advising Pharmac Without Consulting Māori
"This is another sad indictment of the priority the National-led Government places on improving the health of Māori," said Fleur Fitzsimons, Assistant Secretary for Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi Public Service Association. ...2 weeks ago
- An Apology For The Apology? Blind Survivor Deplores Use Of Ableist Slur By Prime Minister At Histori...
“The phrase "turn a blind eye" is an inherently ableist expression that wrongly equates blindness with ignorance, neglect, or deliberate stupidity. This phrase reinforces the dangerous & outdated stereotype that blind people are less perceptive, capable, ...2 weeks ago
- Care Experienced Young People Say Apology Means Nothing Without Action
The apologies seemed sincere, but amongst those listening there was disappointment that there is still no redress system; and a sense that unless the apology is followed by action the words will seem hollow. ...2 weeks ago
- Ara Taiohi Calls For Abuse Apology To Be Backed Up By Rangatahi-centred Policies
We must build back better, build a system with rangatahi at its very centre. The legacy of this government will be measured by their ability to respond appropriately, to create a physically safe and emotionally nurturing environment for children and ...2 weeks ago
- Three rooms, one apology: Survivors gather across the motu for abuse in care reckoning
Joel MacManus reports from parliament as the prime minister delivers the national apology for abuse in state care, while Lyric Waiwiri-Smith in Auckland and Alex Casey in Christchurch join survivors watching the livestream. ‘It’s not enough’ – Wellington As Andrew Bridgman, the acting chief executive of Oranga Tamariki, began the ...2 weeks ago
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