Author Archive

Weird stuff Jacinda Ardern has been accused of

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 9:25 am, January 25th, 2022 - 212 comments

It appears that social media allegations against Jacinda Ardern are becoming more and more extreme.

The problem with middle of the road politicians

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 11:38 am, January 23rd, 2022 - 21 comments

Joe Biden is struggling to get his agenda passed by the American Legislature. Because of two Senators, one with significant coal interests and the other Senator more willing to protect the rights of a minority of Senators to hold up legislation than the rights of a minority of Americans to vote.

Omicron is coming

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 10:54 am, January 21st, 2022 - 113 comments

So far the country has fought back and eliminated the original Covid infection, won a couple of skirmishes and then and fought and quelled the Delta incursion. But it looks like Omicron is coming …

Let’s help Tonga

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:32 am, January 19th, 2022 - 12 comments

In 2010 the poor but proud Island Nation raised $705,000 to donate to the Christchurch Earthquake Appeal Fund. If New Zealanders were to reciprocate their generosity we would donate over $30 million. It is time for us to return the favour.

He’s not the messiah …

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:22 am, January 18th, 2022 - 125 comments

… he is allegedly a very naughty boy.

More Anarchy in the UK

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:19 am, January 14th, 2022 - 20 comments

Boris Johnson’s reign as UK Prime Minister may be terminal after news of a Downing Street party held during lockdown was leaked to the press.

What does Luxon do about Hipango?

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 9:31 am, January 11th, 2022 - 49 comments

Harete Hipango is in the news again, this time for posing with a group of anti vaxxers and posting a photo and making some pretty way out there comments on social media.

Human rights and MIQ

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:42 am, January 10th, 2022 - 155 comments

Well known socialite, fashion blogger and apparent Constitutional expert Jamie Ridge thinks that the country’s MIQ arrangements are completely unconstitutional.

Book Review Helen Kelly: her life

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 7:05 pm, January 8th, 2022 - 12 comments

The Helen Kelly biography by Rebacca Macfie provides a clear and intense overview of what has happened to New Zealand society over the past 40 years from a time of high union membership and equality to now where unions struggle and inequality is significant.

Australia’s Omicron problem

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 9:44 am, January 6th, 2022 - 132 comments

With over 61,000 new Covid cases reported yesterday Australia is in the midst of an infection surge that it has not seen before. What lessons can New Zealand learn from Australia’s handling of the pandemic?

A few random predictions for 2022

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 11:30 am, January 1st, 2022 - 117 comments

A few random predictions for 2022.

New Zealand 2 Covid 0 so far …

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:36 am, December 30th, 2021 - 280 comments

But Omicron may be loose.

The Standard’s 2021 political awards

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 7:34 am, December 28th, 2021 - 68 comments

It is that time of year where nostalgia kicks in and the desire to review current events dims. So much has happened this year. It has truly been twelve months of the praiseworthy and the absolutely pitiful. And it is time to reflect on the personalities who made us smile, made us frown and made us raise our eyebrows to breaking point.

Die Hard is a Christmas movie

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:09 am, December 25th, 2021 - 33 comments

Here at the Standard we choose to debate the important issues of the day. What needs to be done about climate change, how the Country’s covid response is going (remarkably well and don’t believe the naysayers), and which National faction is leaking and undermining which leader. But there is one debate that is currently raging that has until now not been addressed …

Bad Covid takes

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 3:11 pm, December 19th, 2021 - 130 comments

There seems to be a correlation between commentators who have both Herald and Newstalk ZB exposure and how really bad their Covid takes are.

V Day!

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:16 am, December 17th, 2021 - 319 comments

Yesterday was Aotearoa’s V day, the day that we reached the goal of having 90% of the target population vaccinated against Covid.

The country’s books are in remarkably good shape

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:44 am, December 16th, 2021 - 79 comments

As the country rebounds out of partial lockdown the Treasury’s recently released half yearly Economic and Fiscal update suggests that the Country’s accounts are in remarkably good shape.

Clearing the decks

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 10:00 am, December 13th, 2021 - 14 comments

The draft report into Nick Smith’s treatment of a young staff member that eventually saw him leave Parliament has made its way into the public realm, just in time to be lost in the pre Christmas media wash up.

Fair pay agreements – the employers fight back

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 10:19 am, December 11th, 2021 - 48 comments

BusinessNZ and Federated Farmers have this week attacked the Government for intending to implement policy designed to improve the plight of poorly paid workers.

Anarchy in the UK

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 9:08 am, December 10th, 2021 - 25 comments

Boris Johnson is on the ropes. Not because of the disastrous effects of Brexit which only passed because of some of the whoppers that he told, but because of a Christmas party held last year at 10 Downing Street at a time when the UK was under a strict lockdown.

The Freedom Bus is on the move *

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:42 am, December 9th, 2021 - 44 comments

But special entry conditions including being double vaccinated or having a recent clear Covid test apply.

National’s caucus reshuffle

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 7:49 am, December 7th, 2021 - 140 comments

The deckchairs have been reshuffled. And Chris Luxon is confident that reorganising the pecking order of a deeply dysfunctional caucus will make all the difference.

Some good news about Covid

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 7:58 am, December 6th, 2021 - 230 comments

In Auckland there ares welcome signs that the spread of Covid is declining and the Health system is holding up. And the Vaccination roll out has gone that well that Chris Luxon has described Auckland as having some of the highest vaccination rates of any city in the world.