Archive for 2020

Labour and the Greens on welfare

Written By: weka - Date published: 10:48 am, May 27th, 2020 - 79 comments

While Labour remain wedded to a neoliberal view of welfare as a necessary evil with deserving and undeserving poor, the Greens are standing up for the rights of all of us to live with dignity and have a meaningful standard of living.

Cat MacLennan: We Are Beneficiaries

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 10:45 am, May 27th, 2020 - 9 comments

Approximately 2.8 million of Aotearoa New Zealand’s 4.9 million residents are now beneficiaries. Covid-19 has shown us that #WeAreBeneficiaries. Those New Zealanders who only need state support for a short time in their lives are incredibly lucky. Let’s stop looking down on and punishing those who are less fortunate.

New leadership same old tactics

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:32 am, May 27th, 2020 - 24 comments

National has released a social media ad suggesting that New Zealand’s per head of population Government debt figure will be worse than Greece’s by 2014. But the data used presumes the effects of Covid 19 in New Zealand’s figure but no effects of Covid 19 in Greece’s figure.

Open mike 27/05/2020

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 6:00 am, May 27th, 2020 - 176 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 …

Ko Paora Goldsmith tenei

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 9:11 pm, May 26th, 2020 - 33 comments

National’s new brains trust has not had a great day today. They responded to claims that their front bench looked awfully white and had no Tangata Whenua by claiming that Paora Goldsmith was from Ngāti Porou. The only trouble was that he wasn’t.

Todd Muller is Simon Bridges with less personality

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 1:33 pm, May 26th, 2020 - 68 comments

Todd Muller has announced a front bench that resembles a National Party front bench from 30 years ago. And his first live interview on national television did not go as well as he hoped.

Which industries are changing fastest?

Written By: advantage - Date published: 8:13 am, May 26th, 2020 - 30 comments

All sectors of our economy are affected. But how are the post Covid changes affecting your industry and your job?

Open mike 26/05/2020

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 6:00 am, May 26th, 2020 - 163 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 …

Two Tier. Bull. Shit.

Written By: Bill - Date published: 2:58 pm, May 25th, 2020 - 217 comments

I thought we were “in this together” or some such?

Todd’s MAGA hat

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 7:59 am, May 25th, 2020 - 119 comments

Todd Muller has spent the weekend not introducing himself to the country and talking about his ideas for our future but by defending the displaying of a MAGA hat in his office.

Open mike 25/05/2020

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 6:00 am, May 25th, 2020 - 116 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 …

The current National party.

Written By: lprent - Date published: 3:06 pm, May 24th, 2020 - 62 comments

The change of leadership inside of National is essentially meaningless. All it seems to have started is exposing the kind of internecine factional warfare that is lurking below their party surface. I can’t see the inexperienced National team, even with Amy Adams back in it, being able to make the kinds of long-term decisions required in a modern world.

On the Road with Todd and Ken

Written By: Guest post - Date published: 10:05 am, May 24th, 2020 - 57 comments

Catherine Delahunty recounts an impression of Todd Muller from her days as an Green MP. “The road to polite and personal good will is worth driving when there is no urgency and no deep changes required. It is good to arrive somewhere without personal damage and with genuine good will but it is not the base for addressing the most critical issues of our time.”

Open mike 24/05/2020

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 1:20 am, May 24th, 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 …

Todd Muller is no Jacinda Ardern

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 7:45 am, May 23rd, 2020 - 151 comments

Is Todd Muller the solution to National’s inability to deal with Jacinda Ardern?

Constitutions that build citizen power and joy

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 7:05 am, May 23rd, 2020 - 34 comments

Emerging from the current crisis, what kind of state can be envisaged that could do the opposite of this consciousness deflation, by enabling and encouraging an empowered citizenry, and harnessing public intelligence, creativity and ingenuity for the common good?

Open mike 23/05/2020

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 6:00 am, May 23rd, 2020 - 145 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 …

Nat Vote: And the Loser Is ….

Written By: te reo putake - Date published: 11:50 am, May 22nd, 2020 - 197 comments

The Nation holds its breath as the dullest political leadership race in a generation snores to a close. Who will win by losing? Who will lose by winning? Who cares?

UPDATE: It’s Mullertime!

UPDATE: Bennett dumped!

Work ideas

Written By: advantage - Date published: 8:13 am, May 22nd, 2020 - 28 comments

Jacinda Ardern has floated the idea of a four day working week and Grant Robertson wants to change the future of work. Maybe they should get on and do it.

Open mike 22/05/2020

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 6:00 am, May 22nd, 2020 - 138 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 …

The Colmar Brunton poll

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 5:55 pm, May 21st, 2020 - 213 comments

Results will be posted as soon as they are through. Update: Simon is in trouble.

Who wants to lead the National Party?

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:31 am, May 21st, 2020 - 93 comments

Tomorrow the National Party caucus meet to decide on a leadership challenge mounted by Todd Muller and Nikki Kaye. Both parties obviously think they have the numbers. Which MPs are misleading them?

No Right Turn on scrutiny of the COVID-19 Bill

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 7:05 am, May 21st, 2020 - 8 comments

Hopefully, this post-legislative scrutiny will provide a chance to correct any excesses.

Open mike 21/05/2020

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 6:00 am, May 21st, 2020 - 114 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 …

This is exactly why the MSM should be scrutinised as much as the government

Written By: weka - Date published: 2:22 pm, May 20th, 2020 - 37 comments

The Herald’s misleading, clickbait sound-biting of Labour MP Tamati Coffey isn’t even close to what we need in reporting from the Epidemic Response Committee.

The International investigation into Covid-19

Written By: advantage - Date published: 10:08 am, May 20th, 2020 - 81 comments

More than 110 nations have backed a call for the World Health Organisation to investigate the origins of the Covid-19 virus outbreak.

Dead man walking

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 7:00 am, May 20th, 2020 - 106 comments

The media is reporting there will be a vote of no confidence in Simon Bridges’ leadership at next week’s National caucus meeting.

Open mike 20/05/2020

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 6:00 am, May 20th, 2020 - 128 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 …

Mark Richardson for National leader!

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 11:08 am, May 19th, 2020 - 27 comments

Michelle Boag thinks that Mark Richardson should be the next National leader after Simon Bridges. Here at the Standard we wish to endorse this proposal.

Pollwatch for Newshub/Reid Research poll, 18th May 2020

Written By: Matthew Whitehead - Date published: 10:00 am, May 19th, 2020 - 53 comments

The latest Newshub/Reid Research poll is a bloodbath for National- but who are the likely victims? Pollwatch is back, this time with a model for electorate winners and losers to add onto the party vote stats.

What does National do in Epsom?

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 7:00 am, May 19th, 2020 - 33 comments

Last night’s Reid Research Newshub poll result will be reverberating through National’s caucus. And raises the question, do they gift Epsom to ACT and maybe get a right wing MP or do they preserve every seat they can for themselves.