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Comment: Daily review 08/07/2025
Written By: Louis - Date published: 1:48 pm, July 9th, 2025
Winston Peters has had his New Zealand First Party excluded from his inquiry. https://thestandard.org.nz/daily-review-08-07-2025/#comment-2038238Comment: Daily review 08/07/2025
Written By: Louis - Date published: 12:25 am, July 9th, 2025
Jacinda Ardern participated in the Royal Commission of Inquiry, which, as I understand it, covered everything. Winston Peters' inquiry, which, imo, is a witch hunt. 1. Can't ask the same questions that were in the first RC inquiry. 2. Inquiry to look at ...Comment: Open Mike 06/07/25
Written By: Louis - Date published: 6:11 pm, July 6th, 2025
"Labour lifted 77,000 children out of poverty between Budgets 2018 and 2023." https://m.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA2407/S00159/national-disgrace-for-children-in-poverty.htm 220,000 homes were built under Labour. The government's build programme built 27k homes. ...Comment: Reality Check Radio needs a reality check
Written By: Louis - Date published: 5:34 pm, July 6th, 2025
King of Sweden blasts country's 'failed' coronavirus response Criticism of anti-lockdown stance comes as hospitals struggle to cope with surge in cases https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/dec/17/king-sweden-failed-covid-strategy-rare-royal-rebuke- ...Comment: Reality Check Radio needs a reality check
Written By: Louis - Date published: 5:27 pm, July 6th, 2025
As Director General of Health, Ashley Bloomfield was doing his job and among his many functions in the role, to ensure the health and wellbeing of New Zealanders, it included advising the government on health matters, particularly during a global pandemic.Comment: A different way of doing politics
Written By: Louis - Date published: 9:21 pm, July 3rd, 2025
I didn't miss anything in your post.Comment: A different way of doing politics
Written By: Louis - Date published: 9:20 pm, July 3rd, 2025
"Whereas labour with an absolute majority… didn't do the things promised to..and expected by…those who believed/voted for her .." Already answered that twice. For the third time, refer to 2.2.2.1.1.1 What does Jacinda's book have to do with anything? And ...Comment: A different way of doing politics
Written By: Louis - Date published: 6:57 pm, July 3rd, 2025
"The only positive thing I can say about them ..is that they have taken their opportunity to do stuff" Such as increasing homelessness? Homelessness up by 58% in Auckland WrittenBy: Mountain Tui - Date published:5:35 pm, June 7th, 2025 https://thestandard. ...Comment: A different way of doing politics
Written By: Louis - Date published: 6:29 pm, July 3rd, 2025
@SPC The Labour government's building program built more than 12,000 homes. https://x.com/LouieTheRed1/status/1914832227315408987Comment: A different way of doing politics
Written By: Louis - Date published: 6:13 pm, July 3rd, 2025
@SPC https://thestandard.org.nz/a-different-way-of-doing-politics/#comment-2037468 Apologies, I didn't realize you wanted me to comment on your post. The following raises a question about the figures. "But since then, the waitlist for social housing has ...Comment: A different way of doing politics
Written By: Louis - Date published: 6:00 pm, July 3rd, 2025
"they haven't sat there for three years with an absolute majority" Jacinda's second term, after winning a majority, was taken up with the global pandemic, and plans were pushed aside as a consequence. The Ardern government still did a lot of work ...Comment: A different way of doing politics
Written By: Louis - Date published: 5:51 pm, July 3rd, 2025
@SPC The onus is on Phillip, who made the claim. To quote Incognito's response to Phillip see 2.2.1.2.1.1. Also refer to Iprent's response above. 'Louis is correct, this is how it works here on The Standard and you’ve been around here long enough to know ...Comment: A different way of doing politics
Written By: Louis - Date published: 11:20 pm, July 1st, 2025
That's rather hypocritical of you, Phillip. After all, you were the one who made the claim, and then couldn't back it up. I hope you do take Iprent's advice seriously.Comment: A different way of doing politics
Written By: Louis - Date published: 6:23 pm, July 1st, 2025
Good that you intend to clarify that what you post is an opinion, it will certainly save me from wasting my time.Comment: A different way of doing politics
Written By: Louis - Date published: 12:58 pm, June 30th, 2025
On The Standard, it is not uncommon to request a poster for a link to back up a claim. It wasn't an unreasonable request, and it wasn't about manipulating the conversation; it was about verifying your claim. Several posts later, you still haven't provided ...Comment: A different way of doing politics
Written By: Louis - Date published: 5:50 pm, June 29th, 2025
You could have answered the question by providing links to back up your opinions, Phillip.Comment: A different way of doing politics
Written By: Louis - Date published: 4:47 pm, June 29th, 2025
"Labour equally contributed to this division through their actions in the second half of the pandemic response." Was it really Labour, or was it anti-vaxxer hysteria, dirty politics from the opposition and clickbait media headlines?Comment: A different way of doing politics
Written By: Louis - Date published: 4:36 pm, June 29th, 2025
Kindess is real, not an image-building thing. Do you have any links to your claims? If memory serves, I recall the Key National government removed people from the housing waitlist and made it harder for people to get on it. Under Labour we had a true ...Comment: A different way of doing politics
Written By: Louis - Date published: 4:28 pm, June 29th, 2025
"j a. ..in real terms..left us with more homeless than when she arrived…" Link, please. j.a.? or Ardern Labour government?Comment: The other Jacinda Book
Written By: Louis - Date published: 5:30 pm, June 12th, 2025
Jacinda's second term, after winning a majority, was taken up with the global pandemic, and plans were pushed aside as a consequence. The Ardern government still did a lot of work regardless. She used up her entire political capital trying to save as many ...Comment: Latest opinion poll – Labour overtakes National
Written By: Louis - Date published: 10:09 pm, January 17th, 2025
Comment: Latest opinion poll – Labour overtakes National
Written By: Louis - Date published: 6:30 pm, January 17th, 2025
That's what I thought too @ Moutain Tui.Comment: 2024 in review
Written By: Louis - Date published: 9:18 pm, January 5th, 2025
"KIWI build should just be cut down to we are going to increase the public housing stock and land"" Labour did build public housing and buy land for housing developments. Kiwibuild was not state housing. Labour built 26,479 homes but National has ...Comment: Open mike 10/12/2024
Written By: Louis - Date published: 2:53 pm, December 11th, 2024
Well said Bearded Git. Darien Fenton posted "Who was it called for a greyhound racing to be banned in 2021? Oh that’s right. It was Labour, so has the government “inherited” this too?" https://x.com/DarienFenton/status/1866317181182693676 Michael Bain ...Comment: Open mike 10/12/2024
Written By: Louis - Date published: 6:31 pm, December 10th, 2024
Well said Incognito.Comment: Open mike 10/12/2024
Written By: Louis - Date published: 6:30 pm, December 10th, 2024
Incognito.Comment: Open mike 10/12/2024
Written By: Louis - Date published: 6:28 pm, December 10th, 2024
Incognito.Comment: Open mike 10/12/2024
Written By: Louis - Date published: 6:26 pm, December 10th, 2024
Agree with Observer @6 & @8.1 Winston Peters had a chance to ban greyhound racing when he was the Minister for Racing under the previous Labour government. If memory serves, Winston did say at the time, that he would do something about the appalling ...Comment: The strange case of the I am Hope funding
Written By: Louis - Date published: 5:28 pm, November 3rd, 2024
Comment: What’s up with Matt Doocey, Mike King & the $24mn of taxpayers money?
Written By: Louis - Date published: 10:50 am, November 3rd, 2024
It wasn't flushed down the loo, from your link, for example, "Within the $1.1bn that went solely to health, nearly half went towards putting more than a thousand mental health advisers into GP practices and other primary care settings, known as the Access ...
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Briefly for paying subscribers at 6.30am on Friday, July 11, the key scoops, breaking news, deep-dives, Op-Eds, analysis and other news links in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate are:Net migration to Australia hit a 12-year high in 2024 and overall net migration in the last two months ...6 days ago
- Communities Can’t Foot the Bill for Climate Crisis
Te Pāti Māori sends aroha to whānau, and communities impacted by the recent severe weather across Nelson Tasman, Banks Peninsula, Northland and beyond. While dozens of people are still unable to return home, National and Labour are already hinting at a Climate Adaptation plan that would see impacted communities pay ...7 hours ago
- Minister must back regional vocational education with real support
The Government’s move to re-establish ten polytechnics fails to ensure the thriving, future-focussed vocational education sector Aotearoa deserves. ...2 days ago - Submissions show overwhelming opposition to RSB
The Green Party is calling on Cabinet to stop the Regulatory Standards Bill, after only 19 of a total 208 submissions heard over the course of last week’s submissions process supported the Bill. ...2 days ago
- An update on Winston’s War on Woke & June wrap up
New Zealand First continues to bring balance, experience, and commonsense to Government. During the month of June, we made progress on many of our promises to New Zealand. An update on Winston's War on Woke ...5 days ago - Green Party won’t contest Tāmaki Makaurau by-election
After careful consideration, the Green Party will not stand a candidate in the upcoming Tāmaki Makaurau by-election. ...5 days ago
- Te Pāti Māori Announces Award-Winning Broadcaster Oriini Kaipara to Contest Tāmaki Makaurau By-El...
Te Pāti Māori have confirmed the selection of celebrated broadcaster and longtime West Auckland advocate Oriini Kaipara (Ngāi Tūhoe, Ngāti Awa, Tūwharetoa, Ngāti Rangitihi) as its candidate for the Tāmaki Makaurau by-election. Oriini’s deep whakapapa to Tāmaki Makaurau is grounded in her upbringing at Hoani Waititi Marae, where she was ...6 days ago
- OPED – Mark Patterson: “Do something about the bloody trees”
“Do something about the bloody trees” would be the most common refrain I hear around Clutha and when travelling about rural New Zealand. Forestry has been, and is, a legitimate land use option for farmers and forestry companies. Always has been, always will. Sensible farmers have incorporated planting out of ...6 days ago
- OPED – Jenny Marcroft: Supporting our oyster farmers
Most of us who live in the Mahurangi region are well aware of the ongoing challenges faced by oyster farmers because of multiple significant sewage spills into Mahurangi Harbour. Watercare’s sewerage network in Warkworth is infiltrated with stormwater following rainfall, resulting in overflows into the Mahurangi River and the wider ...1 week ago
- NZ First Introduces Bill to Protect New Zealanders’ Ability to Use Cash
New Zealand First has today introduced a Member’s Bill that would protect New Zealanders’ ability to use cash. The Bill will provide for the enduring use of cash as a private, accessible, and reliable method of payment. “People who rely on cash due to barriers to digital banking deserve ...1 week ago
- New study shows speed of Antarctic ice melt, Govt fans climate flames
As the Government pulls out of global climate commitments, a significant new report shows that sea ice around Antarctica is melting at unprecedented speed. ...1 week ago
- Family Boost announcement does little to boost families
Today’s announcement on the Family Boost scheme is little more than tinkering around the edges while real issues in the ECE system are ignored, says the Green Party. ...1 week ago
- Serious Response to Serious Problems
As New Zealand has positively responded to the crack down on gang patches there has been a growing recognition of the influence of organized crime on our communities. New Zealand First continues to be focused on all aspects that undermine the safety and security in our neighbourhoods, businesses, and ...2 weeks ago
- NZ First Bill: Only Official New Zealand Flag to Fly on Government Buildings
New Zealand First has today introduced a member's bill which would make it law that government buildings can only display the official flag of New Zealand. “Government buildings are for all New Zealanders and should not be hijacked to force cultural, woke, or divisive political ideology down the throats of ...2 weeks ago
- Healthy Homes standards need more teeth
With mandatory Healthy Homes standards coming into effect for all tenancies tomorrow, the Green Party is calling for a new Rental Warrant of Fitness system to give the new standards true effect. ...2 weeks ago
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- Politics with Michelle Grattan: Malcolm Turnbull on Australia’s ‘dumb’ defence debate
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The Albanese government remains in complicated territory on the international stage. It has to tread carefully with China, despite the marked warming of the bilateral relationship. It is yet to find its line ...26 minutes ago - Why is Israel bombing Syria?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ali Mamouri, Research Fellow, Middle East Studies, Deakin University Conflict in Syria has escalated with Israel launching bombing raids against its northern neighbour. It follows months of fluctuating tensions in southern Syria between the Druze minority and forces aligned with the new ...2 hours ago
- Government shuts the door on open-plan classrooms
The government has called a halt to building open-plan classrooms, even though most teachers who actually use the structures believe their students benefit from them. ...2 hours ago - NZ Jewish Council Clarifies Position: Advocating For Safety And Accountability, Not Censorship
Our call was, and remains, for a coordinated, principled, and effective government response to antisemitism, following recent actions taken by the Australian Government. ...4 hours ago - Retail crime advisory group costs $500k in three months
The government is defending the amount of money spent on its retail crime advisory group, but Labour says it is a hard sum of money to stomach. ...4 hours ago
- Bougainville election: More than 400 candidates vie for parliament
By Don Wiseman, RNZ Pacific senior journalist More than 400 candidates have put their hands up to contest the Bougainville general election in September, hoping to enter Parliament. Incumbent President Ishmael Toroama is among the 404 people lining up to win a seat. Bougainville is involved in the process of ...4 hours ago
- Lifting advertising restrictions will enable medical conferences in NZ – David Seymour
The Associate Health Minister says medical conferences can happen in New Zealand now, because the government is lifting advertising restrictions on medicines. ...5 hours ago
- Retail crime advisory group spends $500k in three months
The government is defending a half-million dollar spend-up in 100 days by its retail crime advisory group, but Labour says it is a hard sum of money to stomach. ...5 hours ago
- Parliament considering big changes to employment law
Parliament is considering an employment relations bill that would cement contractor status, water down or eliminate grievance claims, and end '30-day rule' requirements. ...5 hours ago
- Scientists could be accidentally damaging fossils with a method we thought was safe
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mathieu Duval, Adjunct Senior Researcher at Griffith University and La Trobe University, and Ramón y Cajal (Senior) Research Fellow, Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana (CENIEH) 185,000-year-old human fossil jawbone from Misliya Cave, Israel. Gerhard Weber, University of Vienna, CC ...6 hours ago
- Right-wing political group Advance is in the headlines. What is it and what does it stand for?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Riboldi, Lecturer in Social Impact and Social Change, UTS Business School, University of Technology Sydney Advance/Facebook Political lobby group Advance has been back in the headlines this week. It was revealed an organisation headed by the husband of the Special ...6 hours ago
- We travelled to Antarctica to see if a Māori lunar calendar might help track environmental change
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Holly Winton, Senior Research Fellow in Climatology, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Holly Winton, CC BY-SA Antarctica’s patterns of stark seasonal changes, with months of darkness followed by a summer of 24-hour daylight, prompted us to explore how ...6 hours ago
- ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for July 16, 2025
ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on July 16, 2025. How a drone delivering medicine might just save your lifeSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Centaine Snoswell, Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Health Services Research, The University of Queensland Flystock/Shutterstock Drones can ...6 hours ago
- Have Your Say On The Online Casino Gambling Bill
The bill would establish a licensing regime for online casino gambling to facilitate a safer and regulated online casino gambling market. ...6 hours ago
- How a drone delivering medicine might just save your life
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Centaine Snoswell, Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Health Services Research, The University of Queensland Flystock/Shutterstock Drones can deliver pizza, and maybe one day your online shopping. So why not use them to deliver urgent medicines or other emergency health-care supplies? ...6 hours ago
- Gone By Lunchtime: ‘The one thing they could blow up the government over’
We rattle through the reg stan bill, its advocates, its dissenters, and the tension it has created within the coalition. There has plenty plenty of heat, and occasional shafts of light, in the arguments around the government’s regulatory standards bill (or reg stan bill, as nobody except the Gone By ...6 hours ago - Why it’s important young, unemployed Australians get a good job instead of just ‘any’ job
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brendan Churchill, ARC Senior Research Fellow and Senior Lecturer in Sociology, The University of Melbourne Lightfield Studios/Shutterstock We often hear young people need to get a job – any job – but what if the problem isn’t whether they’re working or ...6 hours ago
- Chaos on Courtenay: Inside Ray Chung’s unruly, incomprehensible campaign rally
The controversial mayoral candidate’s rally devolved into a mess of yelling, finger-pointing and claims of assault. I’m not sure where to start. I’m not even sure I understand what I just witnessed. On Tuesday night, Wellington mayoral candidate Ray Chung and his oxymoronically-named party Independent Together hosted a campaign rally ...7 hours ago
- Why do some autistic people walk differently?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nicole Rinehart, Nicole Rinehart, Professor, Clinical Psychology, Director of the Neurodevelopment Program, School of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University Autism is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects how people’s brains develop and function, impacting behaviour, communication and ...7 hours ago
- Can gas from food scraps fill an energy void?
Proponents of biogas say it has the potential to help fill the shortfall from declining gas fields in this country. ...8 hours ago
- Watch: Minister Erica Stanford makes education announcement
The Education Minister says all new classrooms will be designed in a flexible way to ensure better student outcomes. ...8 hours ago
- Govt to halt ‘pricey, pointless’ council planning work ahead of RMA overhaul
Chris Bishop says much work now underway will be outdated by the time the new regime takes effect. ...8 hours ago
- Two New Bills Show Cross-Party Support For Modern Slavery Laws – Parliament Needs To Act!
World Vision’s Head of Advocacy and Justice, Rebekah Armstrong, says there are aspects of both bills that are very similar which shows that MPs from both sides of the house want legislative change to combat forced labour, worker exploitation, ...8 hours ago
- ‘Immersed in stacks of picture books’: Isobel Joy Te Aho-White’s reading life
Welcome to The Spinoff Books Confessional, in which we get to know the reading habits of Aotearoa writers, and guests. This week: Isobel Joy Te Aho-White (Ngāti Kahungunu, Kāi Tahu), illustrator of three books up for awards at the 2025 New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults. ...9 hours ago
- Government announces $600,000 support package for flood-affected farmers
The government has given the Mayoral Relief Fund $300,000 for the Nelson Tasman rural sector. ...9 hours ago
- Echo Chamber: Shane Jones, greatest ever Australian politician?
Nearly 30,000 New Zealanders crossed the ditch last year. Could the minister for resources be next? Echo Chamber is The Spinoff’s dispatch from the press gallery, recapping sessions in the House. Columns are written by politics reporter Lyric Waiwiri-Smith and Wellington editor Joel MacManus. The last time the 54th parliament ...9 hours ago
- Local Government New Zealand Hits New Low
LGNZ are gaslighting ratepayers. So desperate to defend rates having gone up by more than 34 percent over the last three years – two and a half times the level of inflation – they now plan to spend ratepayer money to fight ratepayers. ...10 hours ago
- The shocking truth behind the death of Jaffas – a Spinoff investigation
Claire Mabey uncovers a giant Jaffas conspiracy. “You don’t know what you’ve got til it’s gone.” – Joni Mitchell in a song that was later covered by Counting Crows. “You don’t know what you’ve got til you realise you never had it.” – Claire Mabey Content warning: What I am ...12 hours ago
- How to approach going to the cinema like a philosopher
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alain Guillemain, PhD Candidate in Philosophy, Deakin University Philosophy is the study of fundamental questions about reality, knowledge, and values. One “does philosophy” when they respond to such questions in ways that engage critical thought and inquiry. Many of us will often ...12 hours ago
- Australia’s census is getting a stress test – keeping it going is good for everyone
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Liz Allen, Demographer, POLIS Centre for Social Policy Research, Australian National University GoldPanter/Shutterstock The Australian Bureau of Statistics will roll out a large-scale census test next month. About 60,000 households will take part across the country to stress test the bureau’s ...12 hours ago
- How safe are the chemicals in sunscreen? A pharmacology expert explains
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Musgrave, Senior Lecturer in Pharmacology, University of Adelaide aquaArts studio/Getty Last week, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) released its safety review of seven active ingredients commonly used in sunscreens. It found five were low-risk and appropriate for use in sunscreens ...12 hours ago
- Control fire and ferals in Australia’s tropical savannas to bring the small mammals back
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alyson Stobo-Wilson, Research Adjunct in Conservation Ecology, Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University Alyson Stobo-Wilson In remote central Arnhem Land, finding a northern brushtail possum is encouraging for the local Indigenous rangers. Though once common, such small ...12 hours ago
- Florida is fronting the $450M cost of Alligator Alcatraz – a legal scholar explains what we still ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Schlakman, Senior Program Director, The Florida State University Center for the Advancement of Human Rights, Florida State University Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis leads a tour of the new Alligator Alcatraz immigration detention facility for President Donald Trump and U.S. Department of ...13 hours ago
- Coalition rift opens over UN letter as Seymour defends rogue response
The Act leader’s unilateral reply to the UN has exposed fresh cracks in the coalition – and created a clean-up job for Winston Peters, writes Catherine McGregor in today’s extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. Letter row underscores coalition strain David Seymour’s ...13 hours ago
- As house prices drop, will the retirement nest egg still be such a safe bet?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Claire Dale, Research Fellow, the Pensions and Intergenerational Equity (PIE) research hub, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau MonthiraYodtiwong/Getty Images Changes to KiwiSaver, global economic uncertainty and predictions house prices could drop by as much as 20% by 2030 all mean ...13 hours ago
- Scandal, division and rumours – Gore District Council’s tumultuous term
Watch: RNZ checks in on what's been a tumultuous term and looks ahead to what October's election might hold. ...14 hours ago
- Protest or court? The war against private helipads plots its next move
After a four-year process, a controversial helicopter landing site at the Westmere home of rich-listers Anna Mowbray and Ali Williams has been approved. What does that mean for their neighbours and the rest of Auckland? On a dark and stormy Thursday night last week, more than 100 people gathered at ...16 hours ago
- Te Pūkenga loses over $80m in funding, 855 staff ahead of disestablishment
The exact number of job losses at Te Pūkenga can now be revealed, as the mega vocational education institute prepares to be split into 10. Mega-institute Te Pūkenga has lost over $80m in funding and one in 10 staff as the nation’s largest vocational education provider prepares to be split ...16 hours ago
- Have we lost the art of the argument?
It’s a whole-of-politics problem – but is more vexing for the left, because it is progressives who seek change most profoundly. Duncan Greive attempts to persuade you all. There’s a clear and present danger in contemporary politics – which is conducted on global platforms and accessible from anywhere – to ...16 hours ago
- A love letter to Fiona
I met Fiona Kidman for the first twice. Firstly, fittingly, through her words on paper and secondly, gratefully and intimately, through her words spoken out loud in her light-filled living room. My documentary portrait of her, The House Within, explores my desire to collate these two experiences. Although I’m hesitant ...16 hours ago
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