Author Archive
Pragmatism and the limits of patience
Written By: - Date published: 9:08 am, April 13th, 2011 - 20 comments
Bill English managed to cause quite a fuss this week with his claim that New Zealand had a “competitive advantage” due to factors like our low wage economy. Another of the factors that English cited was how “pragmatic” the public are as the Nats ram through their economic changes…
The broadband revolt
Written By: - Date published: 12:50 pm, April 12th, 2011 - 16 comments
One of the Nats’ few constructive policies at the last election was Steven Joyce’s ultra-fast broadband project. The Nats promised $1.5 Billion investment to deliver UFB to 75% of New Zealand homes within 10 years. Almost 3 years in, their proposals have just been met with almost universal rejection from industry and consumer groups.
Stop deep sea oil
Written By: - Date published: 7:15 am, April 12th, 2011 - 138 comments
Protest action by Greenpeace has disrupted prospecting activities in the Raukumara Basin by Brazilian petrochemical giant Petrobras. John Key has come out swinging for Big Business, and wants to send in the navy to sort out the protesters. But Greenpeace has it right. We shouldn’t be drilling for oil…
On Hickey on tax cuts
Written By: - Date published: 7:16 am, April 11th, 2011 - 24 comments
Bernard Hickey sets out the “theory” behind National’s tax cuts, and sums up the impact of the tax package as a whole: “Simply put, it’s not working”.
Why isn’t it working? Well the fact that the theory is nonsense probably doesn’t help…
Even the IMF is starting to get peak oil
Written By: - Date published: 7:58 am, April 10th, 2011 - 40 comments
Peak oil. We’ve long had warnings from scientists and greens. Right wing governments never listen to those. But recently we’ve also had warnings from organisations that you might think that any government would pay attention to. The IMF is the latest to sound the alarm.
Harawira / MP truce breaking?
Written By: - Date published: 8:36 am, April 9th, 2011 - Comments Off on Harawira / MP truce breaking?
The first cracks are appearing in the agreement between Hone Harawira and the Maori Party not to stand against each other in electorates.
Brownlee, you’re doing a heck of a job
Written By: - Date published: 9:03 am, April 8th, 2011 - 56 comments
The Nats are taking far too long to act on accommodation after the Christchurch quake. Japan accomplished more in 2 weeks than we have so far managed in 6 weeks and counting. While they build, we dither…
Armstrong on “Austerity”
Written By: - Date published: 5:24 pm, April 7th, 2011 - 12 comments
John Armstrong is losing patience with the Nats: “National is certainly consistent when it comes to cutting spending. It consistently fails to practise what it preaches…”
Please advise
Written By: - Date published: 7:15 am, April 7th, 2011 - 21 comments
Government ministers seem blind to the most obvious of issues because they have “received no advice”. Remember back in the dark ages when Ministers had some initiative? Remember when we elected leaders to lead?
NZPA axed
Written By: - Date published: 7:46 pm, April 6th, 2011 - 20 comments
NZPA is to close with 42 reporters and support staff losing their jobs. A few weeks ago, there was talk that APN and Fairfax would stop NZPA selling stories to other outlets because they didn’t want their websites losing traffic to the TV and radio websites but I don’t think anyone saw this coming. Too many workers losing their jobs in this country.
Of train sets and stuffed companies
Written By: - Date published: 8:52 am, April 6th, 2011 - 29 comments
The saga of South Canterbury Finance just keeps getting worse and worse, with news yesterday that the taxpayers’ bill for the bailout rose by a further $300 million due to the costs of “insider loans”. Why are we spending $1.2 Billion (and climbing) on a stuffed company?
Child crime and bullying
Written By: - Date published: 6:43 am, April 5th, 2011 - 41 comments
Under Key’s government we are seeing an escalation in violence committed by children. Why? TV and media violence hasn’t noticeably step-changed in the last year. More likely it is a symptom of the stress that families are under. Children are the canaries in the coal mine…
Chose a brighter future?
Written By: - Date published: 7:27 am, April 4th, 2011 - 100 comments
With news now that a starving boy was found eating cockroaches, and that impoverished elderly are eating catfood, the plight of the underclass is getting nothing but worse. Is this the “brighter future” that National promised?…
The New American Dream
Written By: - Date published: 7:37 am, April 2nd, 2011 - 14 comments
Truthout is one of my favourite sources of political commentary in America. Here’s editor William Rivers Pitt on “The New American Dream”…
Business confidence and Christchurch
Written By: - Date published: 9:02 am, April 1st, 2011 - 6 comments
At this time in our history we need government leadership like we have never needed it before. But the signs aren’t good. Christchurch is a city on the edge, and round the country business confidence is plummeting.
Nice to have
Written By: - Date published: 7:17 am, March 31st, 2011 - 116 comments
Bill English wants to cut things that are “nice to have”, like the adult education classes (that he used to praise in opposition), and keep “necessities”, like tax cuts for the already wealthy. This is the kind of economic “wisdom” that has Bill leading us into an all time record budget deficit.
No jury of their peers
Written By: - Date published: 9:23 am, March 30th, 2011 - 55 comments
Given the controversy surrounding the 2007 Urewera raids, the legal system should be bending over backwards to conduct a process that is above reproach. Instead, they are doing the exact opposite.
Brownlee wrong for Christchuch
Written By: - Date published: 4:46 pm, March 28th, 2011 - 19 comments
Gerry Brownlee is making a mess of the rebuilding of Christchurch. In the latest fiasco, the person Brownlee tapped to head the new earthquake recovery authority apparently can’t face the prospect of working with him.
Hickey on borrowing
Written By: - Date published: 6:58 am, March 28th, 2011 - 91 comments
The latest piece from economist Bernard Hickey is a despairing warning on the subject of borrowing. With the current government making things worse not better, is there any way out of this downwards spiral?
Leadership rumours
Written By: - Date published: 6:45 am, March 26th, 2011 - 257 comments
It’s been a dreadful week for Labour. So out come the oft repeated rumours of a coup against leader Phil Goff. Usually this is just the ever predictable right wing blogs stirring. This time the excellent Scoop news site is making the claim. Scoop has it wrong.
Darren Hughes resigns
Written By: - Date published: 5:50 pm, March 25th, 2011 - 204 comments
Darren Hughes has resigned as an MP.
Earth hour 2011
Written By: - Date published: 3:35 pm, March 25th, 2011 - 16 comments
Where does a year go? Tomorrow is Earth Hour 2011. Will you go beyond the hour?
Germany abandons nuclear power
Written By: - Date published: 7:22 am, March 25th, 2011 - 31 comments
The world will gradually be forced to abandon fossil fuels. Fukushima (and Chernobyl, and Three Mile Island) show us that we can’t trust nuclear power. It has to be green, renewable energy sources. Can’t be done? Germany thinks it can.
English vs. Key on rebuilding costs
Written By: - Date published: 7:13 am, March 24th, 2011 - 49 comments
The PM and the Minister of Finance are at odds on how the cost of rebuilding Christchurch will be met. Bill English thinks that the costs are too high to be met by cuts, and significant borrowing will be required. John Key wants to avoid borrowing and cover the costs with budget cuts. This disagreement is indicative of the Nats shambolic preparation for the road ahead.
Informed consent
Written By: - Date published: 10:08 am, March 23rd, 2011 - 47 comments
Owners of businesses in the red zone CBD want brief access to their premises to retrieve items and data that are vital to whatever remaining chance they have of keeping their enterprises alive. The government is refusing access on the grounds of safety. There’s right on both sides of the issue, but whatever happened to informed consent?
Another foreshore hikoi
Written By: - Date published: 4:07 pm, March 22nd, 2011 - 13 comments
Around 300 hikoi marchers arrived at Parliament this afternoon to protest against the Nat / Maori Party rebranded version of the foreshore and seabed bill. The numbers weren’t huge, but the hikoi brought a powerful symbolic message.
Fact checking Key
Written By: - Date published: 8:31 am, March 22nd, 2011 - 17 comments
According to Scoop, the PM is telling porkies about the average income of New Zealanders. On behalf of the various authors here at The Standard I’d just like to say, well, gosh! — imagine our surprise.
Vanishing rebuilding rhetoric
Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, March 21st, 2011 - 7 comments
We’ve had the memorial service. Now we need action. Now we need the plan. Christchurch needs rebuilding. How is it going to happen? Does the current government have the will? I went looking for clues in John Key’s three big speeches to date. What I found was not encouraging…
20 March
Written By: - Date published: 7:36 am, March 20th, 2011 - 94 comments
Here’s my prediction for 20 March 2011.
Who will do the rebuilding?
Written By: - Date published: 8:26 am, March 19th, 2011 - 38 comments
Who will plan, oversee and administer the rebuilding of Christchurch? Public servants. The kind of “back room bureaucrats” that the Nats love to hate. But governments can’t get anything done without them.
Christchurch memorial service
Written By: - Date published: 7:03 am, March 18th, 2011 - 183 comments
A memorial service will be held in Hagley Park today to pay tribute to victims of the February quake. Proceedings begin at 10:30am, with the service starting at 12:30, and two minutes silence at 12.51pm. This event has strongly polarised opinions in Christchurch…
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