Author Archive
Some Nats growing a spine on health and safety?
Written By: - Date published: 3:00 pm, May 27th, 2015 - 18 comments
Helen Kelly and the CTU have done a great job raising the issues of workplace health and safety. Have they even got the attention of some Nats? Apparently there are delays to proposed changes as some in caucus resist.
Is Maurice Williamson jumping ship?
Written By: - Date published: 2:30 pm, May 25th, 2015 - 50 comments
Rumours are surfacing that Maurice Williamson wanted to jump ship to Act but was turned down.
Angry Andy, Creepy Key
Written By: - Date published: 4:09 pm, May 13th, 2015 - 54 comments
Today’s social media lolz. There’s a difference between obvious attempts to astroturf a nickname and ones that have gone viral naturally.
PM’s social media advisor lashes out on Twitter
Written By: - Date published: 11:14 am, May 11th, 2015 - 49 comments
PM’s staff threatening people on Twitter. Such a good look.
Geddis spanks Farrar
Written By: - Date published: 10:40 am, April 16th, 2015 - 30 comments
Andrew Geddis at Pundit on National’s spin on Bridges. Includes a pretty sticky moment for Nat spinster David Farrar. You will need to disinfect your brain.
What is happening in the National Party?
Written By: - Date published: 8:03 am, April 8th, 2015 - 172 comments
Trouble is brewing in National’s ranks. In a series of recent tweets occasional Standard commenter Matthew Hooton outlines his reasons for now opposing John Key’s Government.
Sledging sucks
Written By: - Date published: 11:01 am, March 30th, 2015 - 33 comments
Hey, all you folk angry with Aussie cricket team sledging – how do you put up with John Key PM?
Peters: Northland wants an explanation
Written By: - Date published: 11:03 am, March 26th, 2015 - 35 comments
Stuff: “Peters says that over the next 48 hours the only thing National voters want from Key is an explanation for why they’re having a by-election in the first place.”
PM can’t calculate GST
Written By: - Date published: 7:24 am, March 18th, 2015 - 66 comments
Gotcha politics is all good sport when the opposition makes a mistake. How about Key’s self-inflicted blunder?
Nats now threatening Northland
Written By: - Date published: 10:42 am, March 13th, 2015 - 81 comments
The Nats are now threatening Northland voters with the loss of roading projects and more. Classy.
Get some guts
Written By: - Date published: 8:11 am, February 26th, 2015 - 114 comments
After the formal speeches on the Iraq deployment John Key set off on an extraordinary spittle-flecked rant against Labour. His “get some guts line” is going to haunt him for the next 3 years.
NZ sending troops to Iraq
Written By: - Date published: 10:00 am, February 23rd, 2015 - 227 comments
New Zealand will be sending troops to Iraq, and you read it first on The Standard. Or in other words, why are we still pretending that the decision hasn’t been made?
Nats bungle Bain process
Written By: - Date published: 6:30 pm, February 19th, 2015 - 52 comments
A new review of compensation for David Bain. Another fine mess courtesy of Collins/Slater and National.
Key runs from poverty protestors
Written By: - Date published: 10:19 am, February 16th, 2015 - 226 comments
The PM running from a yacht club when confronted with protestors against poverty. Pretty fair summary of where this country is at.
Key is in reverse gear about Sky City
Written By: - Date published: 5:30 pm, February 12th, 2015 - 103 comments
The focus group results are in and John Key is backing off from the Government injecting further money into the SkyCity convention centre.
Cult of “personality”
Written By: - Date published: 8:36 am, February 9th, 2015 - 56 comments
The latest bout of National’s cult of “personality” was on show at yesterday’s Big Gay Out
So now it’s a family not a club
Written By: - Date published: 3:48 pm, February 4th, 2015 - 114 comments
John Key wanted to be in the Five Eyes “club”, but I guess that didn’t focus group well, so now we’re being fed a new line – “family”.
What did Key know about Sabin’s issues?
Written By: - Date published: 11:18 am, February 2nd, 2015 - 116 comments
Now that Mike Sabin has resigned attention is on what John Key knew and when.
John Key on media freedom
Written By: - Date published: 11:02 am, January 9th, 2015 - 37 comments
Yesterday John Key condemned the attacking of journalists going about their daily work and said that it was an attack on the fourth estate and the democratic principles of freedom of speech and expression. But his track record on respecting the independence of journalists leaves a lot to be desired.
Did you hear the one about the escaped pedophile killer cannibal with ebola?
Written By: - Date published: 9:52 am, December 4th, 2014 - 15 comments
Say – did you hear the one about the escaped pedophile killer cannibal with ebola? John Key reckons its hilarious!
Why John Banks must never be the Super City Mayor
Written By: - Date published: 12:00 pm, December 3rd, 2014 - 60 comments
The Herald today suggested John Banks is thinking of another tilt at the Super City Mayoralty. This video shows why he should never be trusted with this position.
Key calls Slater’s bluff
Written By: - Date published: 11:11 am, December 2nd, 2014 - 54 comments
Key says he is not concerned about his calls with Slater being made public.
Say – anybody remember this guy?
Written By: - Date published: 10:42 am, November 28th, 2014 - 27 comments
Key will apologise to Slater but not Billingsley or Vance
Written By: - Date published: 7:30 am, November 25th, 2014 - 21 comments
John Key has apologised to Cameron Slater for releasing an email which details a campaign against a senior Public Servant.
Key apology not genuine
Written By: - Date published: 7:39 am, November 12th, 2014 - 219 comments
Key’s apology isn’t genuine, he is still playing the political weasel. Key didn’t “misinterpret the question”, he was just displaying the same level of empathy as his favourite blogger.
Five headed monster
Written By: - Date published: 9:30 am, October 24th, 2014 - 56 comments
With all due respect to the five-headed monster, I think it’s time for a new version…
Nats illegally gaming the OIA process
Written By: - Date published: 8:17 am, October 16th, 2014 - 75 comments
It is clear to anyone who has read Dirty Politics that the National government illegally games the OIA process for political gain. Now we have Key’s confirmation of the fact.
Harawira’s recount bid did not “backfire”
Written By: - Date published: 3:17 pm, October 9th, 2014 - 155 comments
The usual Tory cheerleaders have been quick to heap further bile on Hone Harawira.
“We may as well kiss democracy goodbye”
Written By: - Date published: 8:13 am, September 19th, 2014 - 104 comments
The words of the title of this post are those of the Ombudsman, reflecting on yet another typical Nat government scandal as broken by David Fisher in The Herald this morning.
Key changing his story (again)…
Written By: - Date published: 12:37 pm, September 15th, 2014 - 60 comments
Well well – Mr “No middle ground. I’m right. He’s wrong” is changing his story. He now admits that surveillance did go ahead…
- Toi Te Mana: The landmark indigenous history of Māori art has arrived
Two authors of an extraordinary new book on the history of Māori art, Deidre Brown and Ngarino Ellis, discuss how they approached it, and why. Māori art is one of the great art traditions of the world. That kaupapa was the starting point for a project we began 12 years ...6 days ago - On being undeniably, irretrievably old
David Hill is in his ninth decade. In a touching tribute to his late friend, he challenges some myths about ‘old farts’. The Spinoff Essay showcases the best essayists in Aotearoa, on topics big and small. Made possible by the generous support of our members. I‘m past The Birthday. Not “the ...6 days ago
- ‘So simple, so sweet, so pure’: Rita Mae’s perfect weekend playlist
Singer-songwriter Rita Mae shares her perfect weekend playlist. “Gritty, bold, and to-the-point” is how Tāmaki Makaurau indie darling Rita Mae describes her upcoming project. The singer-songwriter’s second EP, Kiss the Sky, will be released into the world on November 15. “[Kiss the Sky is] about desire and greed, it’s about ...6 days ago
- Like it or not, ethnicity is a useful shortcut for identifying health needs
Proxies, including those based on ethnicity, play an important role in a fair and equitable resource allocation system, write public health academics Tim Tenbensel and Monique Jonas. The government’s recent directive that public services should be prioritised “on the basis of need, not race” will make it harder and more ...6 days ago
- Podcast: The cost of prison
Is New Zealand’s prison system about safety, or just punishment? And what are the social and financial costs of prioritising retributive justice? What if our hunger for punishment is costing us more than we realise? In this week’s episode of When the Facts Change, Bernard Hickey sits down with ...6 days ago
- NZ’s best baller is back in action
Steven Adams has swapped franchises and has a new home for the 2024-25 NBA basketball season.And his Houston Rockets teammates got a taste of how different he is to them when he posted a picture on Instagram of a bare room featuring a mattress on the floor with the caption, ...6 days ago - Winner of the Sargeson Prize, Secondary Schools Division
Third try. With a shaky hand, I place the burgundy bindi on my forehead. Is it centred?You’d always put the bindi on for me; I couldn’t do it. Then you’d braid my hair, finishing it with a delicate red ribbon. You’d help me with everything. I remember your crimson-red saree ...6 days ago
- Katherine Mansfield and some risky advice
No series on the legacy of Katherine Mansfield would be complete without the father – daughter duo Karl Stead and Charlotte Grimshaw. They are Mansfield Menton Fellowship winners: Karl in 1972, Charlotte in 2024.Stead’s literary life is packed with bouquets – and brickbats – for novels, poetry and literary criticism.,DIV,A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp');Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions. .wp-block-newspack-blocks-homepage-articles article .entry-title { font-size: 1.2em; } .wp-block-newspack-blocks-homepage-articles .entry-meta { display: flex; flex-wrap: wrap; align-items: center; margin-top: 0.5em; } .wp-block-newspack-blocks-homepage-articles article .entry-meta { font-size: 0.8em; } .wp-block-newspack-blocks-homepage-articles article .avatar { height: 25px; width: ...7 days ago
- 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 ...7 days 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 ...7 days 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 ...7 days 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. ...7 days 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
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