democratic participation
Categories under democratic participation
- petition (23)
- political education (61)
- referendum (92)
- vote smart (30)
Bernie Sanders on…
Written By: - Date published: 10:51 am, October 19th, 2016 - 16 comments
Excerpts from a lengthy Bernie Sanders interview published in the ‘New Republic’.
Online voting – the only choice for idiots
Written By: - Date published: 3:45 pm, October 9th, 2016 - 139 comments
As a computer programmer and someone who has been involved in politics for decades, I’m always amazed at idiots like Malcolm Alexander of the LGNZ talking about something that they clearly don’t understand the technicalities of. Online voting is way too fragile to roll out. And anyway young voters are still going to not have their voting details at hand.
Do elections matter?
Written By: - Date published: 8:00 am, September 27th, 2016 - 27 comments
Despite politics the world keeps turning. So why is it important and why should everyone vote?
Before you vote
Written By: - Date published: 10:12 pm, September 22nd, 2016 - 2 comments
Before you vote make sure you check out the Jobs that Count endorsement list. These are candidates who have signed the pledge to bring democracy back to their communities.
If that’s not worth voting for, we don’t know what is.
The “Intellectual Yet Idiot” Class – Knowing what’s best for you
Written By: - Date published: 10:38 am, September 18th, 2016 - 241 comments
When highly educated people end up being idiots, and uneducated people end up being smarter.
Just vote – Auckland Council version
Written By: - Date published: 8:00 am, September 18th, 2016 - 31 comments
It is local government election time. If you want to vote for progressive candidates these are some suggestions.
Labour Organising
Written By: - Date published: 10:09 am, September 14th, 2016 - 39 comments
From the UK. Organising 101.
NZ Human Rights Commission Open Letter to NZ Rugby Union on respecting women
Written By: - Date published: 10:28 pm, September 8th, 2016 - 106 comments
The Human Rights Commission is calling on New Zealanders to sign the open letter to New Zealand Rugby, which asks them to seek support in addressing their internal culture issues.
RNZ Auckland Mayoral Debate
Written By: - Date published: 7:51 am, September 7th, 2016 - 14 comments
The first big debate in the Auckland mayoralty race starts at 8am today. Links in the post.
Voting closes on October 8. Phil Goff wins the mayoralty shortly afterwards.
Guest Post: Beth Houston for Senior Vice President
Written By: - Date published: 2:30 pm, September 6th, 2016 - 29 comments
The Standard’s authors have offered candidates for the upcoming Labour Party internal elections the chance to guest post about why they’re running. Beth Houston has been nominated for the position of Senior Vice President. Here’s her vision for the role and the party.
Take the power back
Written By: - Date published: 10:26 am, September 5th, 2016 - 49 comments
The Jobs That Count campaign isn’t just about Talley’s AFFCO. It’s about getting local councils that work for all of us and make sure that the big businesses in our communities give back to us.
Democracy doesn’t belong to government…
Written By: - Date published: 11:14 am, September 1st, 2016 - 78 comments
42 years on, Norman Kirk’s words and work remain a beacon.
Guest post: Tane Phillips for Māori Vice President
Written By: - Date published: 8:00 am, August 23rd, 2016 - 11 comments
The Standard’s authors have offered candidates for the upcoming Labour Party internal elections the chance to guest post about why they’re running. Tane Phillips has been nominated for the position of Māori Vice President. Here’s his vision for the role and the party.
Legalize It
Written By: - Date published: 8:44 am, August 12th, 2016 - 95 comments
Is it time for a referendum on marijuana? There is strong support for the use of medicinal marijuana. Should we just admit that Kiwis like smoking dope and simply legalise it?
Guest post: Eva Hartshorn-Sanders for Senior Vice President
Written By: - Date published: 7:00 pm, August 3rd, 2016 - 67 comments
The Standard’s authors have offered candidates for the upcoming Labour Party internal elections the chance to guest post about why they’re running. Eva Hartshorn-Sanders has been nominated for the position of Senior Vice President. Here’s her vision for the role and the party.
Offer to NZLP candidates
Written By: - Date published: 1:54 pm, July 29th, 2016 - 19 comments
As the biggest left blog in New Zealand the Standard is offering candidates in Labour’s upcoming party role elections the chance to let us know what they stand for.
Is US Green Party’s Jill Stein the new people’s champion?
Written By: - Date published: 12:43 pm, July 28th, 2016 - 109 comments
Plus she makes Fox News reporters’ heads explode.
Is Democracy peaking?
Written By: - Date published: 8:00 am, July 5th, 2016 - 48 comments
Has traditional democracy’s power peaked and will it be replaced by a social media generated consciousness?
Remembering our personal political power
Written By: - Date published: 12:32 pm, June 27th, 2016 - 23 comments
Even in times of upheaval there are things we can do. Here are 11 post-Brexit ways to act right now.
Dirty Politics Farrar and freedom of speech
Written By: - Date published: 1:45 pm, June 22nd, 2016 - 119 comments
There’s a petition – Get Rid of Hosking – it’s closing in on 16K signatures. Dirty Politics Farrar is a mite agitated about it, so let’s all give the Streisand effect a big hand.
Pay up Compass
Written By: - Date published: 10:22 am, June 21st, 2016 - 39 comments
Not only has Compass being serving below quality food to hospital patients but it appears that they may not have paid some long term employees what they are entitled to.
Mana 2.0
Written By: - Date published: 12:41 pm, June 19th, 2016 - 255 comments
Hone’s back! The leader of the Mana party has announced he’s re-forming the Mana Movement and will stand again in Te Tai Tokerau. Is there a chance of a deal with Labour to strengthen the next Government?
What the Swiss voted on (UBI proposal)
Written By: - Date published: 11:47 am, June 7th, 2016 - 13 comments
Some context for the debate.
Stick a Fork in Him, He’s Dunne
Written By: - Date published: 6:57 pm, June 1st, 2016 - 140 comments
The Labour/Greens electoral pact spells the end of the line for Parliament’s most self serving MP, Peter Dunne. National have a choice to make; stand down in Ohariu or stab him in the back. And then there’s the equally supine Maori party. Te Ururoa Flavell’s hold on his seat is also shaky. No Flavell, no Maori Party.
No Mates National. The Brighter Future just arrived!
Indigenous Perspectives
Written By: - Date published: 1:55 pm, May 29th, 2016 - 30 comments
“It is possible to live in a society with a world view that does not include empire”
– Winona LaDuke
We’re going to burn it all, until we burn it down.
Written By: - Date published: 12:11 am, May 20th, 2016 - 173 comments
What does it really mean to reduce NZ’s total fossil fuel use by 50% by 2030: a warm up discussion for an upcoming thought experiment.
Climate Change Change Pt 1: What are we waiting for?
Written By: - Date published: 9:20 am, May 3rd, 2016 - 48 comments
Before government spending cuts there was The Riot for Austerity, a grass roots Climate Change movement that showed how it was possible for ordinary people to change and significantly reduce their carbon emissions without someone forcing them to.
A Design for Living; Guest Post
Written By: - Date published: 10:33 am, April 10th, 2016 - 56 comments
Young Labour member and regular TS reader TheSocialDemocrat has drawn up a manifesto for change. As neo-liberalism enters its twilight phase, now is the time to redefine the debate about what makes a society great.
Simplicity
Written By: - Date published: 11:57 am, April 9th, 2016 - 62 comments
Good shit happening in France.
Can We Trust Winston Peters?
Written By: - Date published: 11:03 am, March 20th, 2016 - 139 comments
Recent polling makes it clear that neither National or Labour can win power without the support of NZ First. So should the left be worried that Winston Peters will take his party back over to the blue team?
Fear is a Man’s Best Friend
Written By: - Date published: 4:05 pm, March 17th, 2016 - 141 comments
It’s been an intense day or two for Andrew Little. But he’s still feeling better than John Key. Why? Because Key’s got the fear.
- How the Fast-track Bill Approvals became law
The contentious Fast-track Approvals Bill is now law - but it hit a few speed bumps on the way. ...1 week ago - The 2024 Golden Jandals for conspicuous contributions to NZ politics
Charge your glasses and gather around for the latest edition of the world’s most coveted footwear-themed political prizes, with your hosts, Toby Manhire and Ben McKay. Forget boot camps. This is the jandal academy. Affordable, rubbery, and radiating that unmistakable aroma of sea salt and toe sweat, the official ceremony ...1 week ago - Our outlandish political predictions for 2024, revisited
This time last year, our esteemed team of political pundits made their wildest predictions for the year of our Lord 2024. Did anyone make an accurate call? Let’s find out. Madeleine Chapman: Barbara Edmonds reluctantly takes the position of Labour leader or deputy. Somewhat surprisingly, there has been no movement ...1 week ago
- A double salute to the Syrian people
Analysis: What a difference a month makes in the kaleidoscopic Middle East. The outlook for the region over the past year or more has been very dark to say the least.Reckless zero-sum narratives have hardened and securitised identity politics adding accelerant to devastating conflicts stretching from Gaza to Lebanon and ...1 week ago - Daily crossword, Wednesday 18 December
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- The long neoliberal con
Opinion: While all the media and popular coverage seems to have been directed towards the Treaty Principles Bill, David Seymour and Act are poised to achieve another substantive victory that has been over 20 years in the making.The Regulatory Standards Bill, first introduced to Parliament in 2006 and reintroduced last ...1 week ago
- Winton’s Kāinga Ora lawsuit balloons to $305m-plus
Despite donating to governing parties, developer widens legal case to encompass multiple stymied housing projects The post Winton’s Kāinga Ora lawsuit balloons to $305m-plus appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 week ago
- Xmas: Best coffee table book
Okay so the next day, the very next day, that my feature on the top 10 coffee table books of the year was published last week in ReadingRoom, I came across a courier package in the corner of my room, opened it up, and it revealed not just a book ...1 week ago
- Government’s ‘abject failure’ on secrecy clauses
Govt agencies are giving themselves a ‘get out of jail free card’ on OIA requirements, observers say The post Government’s ‘abject failure’ on secrecy clauses appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 week ago
- Why universities must be neutral
Opinion: Academic freedom is key to exploring ideas in the classroom and to produce innovative research The post Why universities must be neutral appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 week ago
- It’s not just Bella’s runs – it’s the way she’s getting runs
If Bella James opens the batting with Suzie Bates for her country in the Rose Bowl series starting this Thursday, it’ll be the ultimate full circle moment for the 25-year-old opening batter.White Ferns legend Bates is a key reason James started playing cricket. As an 11-year-old, James and her Arrowtown ...1 week ago
- Teachers’ union to file Waitangi Tribunal claim
Largest education union to file a claim, focusing on policies like the $30m cut to te reo Māori teacher training The post Teachers’ union to file Waitangi Tribunal claim appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 week ago
- Silly season sees Seymour sitting in last chance hair salon
Opinion: Latest regulatory review looks more like a photo-op than anything substantive The post Silly season sees Seymour sitting in last chance hair salon appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 week ago
- Newsroom daily quiz, Wednesday 18 December
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('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.The post Newsroom daily quiz, Wednesday 18 December appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 week ago
- More redundant Ruapehu infrastructure lands on DoC’s plate
Whakapapa’s buyer has not sought ownership of two cafés and other infrastructure in its DoC application The post More redundant Ruapehu infrastructure lands on DoC’s plate appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 week ago
- Buildings ‘pancaked’ in Vanuatu as 7.3 magnitude quake strikes off capital Port Vila
By Stefan Armbruster and Harry Pearl of BenarNews A strong 7.3 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Vanuatu today, US geologists said, severely damaging a number of buildings in the capital, crushing cars and briefly triggering a tsunami warning. Witnesses described a “violent shake” and widespread damage to Port ...1 week ago - Fiscal update shows Kiwis paying price for government’s austerity, critics say
The government's opening of the books has been met with derision from its opponents inside Parliament and out. ...1 week ago
- Hugh Marks is the new managing director of the ABC. Is he the right person for the job?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Denis Muller, Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Advancing Journalism, The University of Melbourne Aspects of Hugh Marks’s record as chief executive of the Nine Entertainment Company raise questions about his suitability for the position of managing director of the ABC, to which ...1 week ago
- Powerful 7.3 magnitude quake strikes Vanuatu – triggers tsunami waves
RNZ Pacific A large 7.3 magnitude earthquake has struck off the coast of Vanuatu’s capital Port Vila , shortly after 3pm NZT today. The US Geological Survey says the quake was recorded at a depth of 10 km (6.21 miles). Locals have been sharing footage of damage to infrastructure in ...1 week ago
- Chris Trotter: Running Us Off The Rails
New Zealand will pay a high price for pulling out of this deal – just as it did 64 years ago when the Second National Government tore up the contract its Labour predecessor had signed with British and American interests to establish a large cotton ...1 week ago - Fast-track bill passes into law, amid protest
Protesters shouted "this bill kills" and unfurled a banner before they were ordered to be removed. ...1 week ago
- Australia’s latest brush with extreme heat shows just how good weather forecasting really is
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ailie Gallant, Associate Professor, ARC Centre of Excellence for Weather of the 21st Century, Monash University Google Earth As a dome of heat developed over north and central Australia last weekend, parts of the country braced themselves for their first taste ...1 week ago
- Tech giant Meta will pay Australians $50 million for enabling the Cambridge Analytica scandal
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katharine Kemp, Associate Professor, Faculty of Law & Justice; Lead, UNSW Public Interest Law & Tech Initiative, UNSW Sydney The Australian Information Commissioner today announced a settlement with tech giant Meta over its involvement in the Cambridge Analytica scandal. The settlement ...1 week ago
- Protesters Disrupt 3rd Reading Of Fast-track Bill
”The fast-track bill is anti-democratic, anti-climate, and anti-Te Tiriti. Regardless of the bill passing today, thousands of New Zealanders are ready to stop these projects from being built in our communities,” says 350 spokesperson Adam Currie. ...1 week ago
- The government is spending millions on news, but crucial community media remains underfunded
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Bridget Backhaus, Senior Lecturer in Journalism and Media Studies, Griffith University Shutterstock The Australian government has launched its News Media Assistance Program, throwing a lifeline to public interest journalism and local news. The latest push for a more diverse and ...1 week ago
- Cars in Australian cities are emitting less – but in the regions exhaust emissions are growing
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kai Li Lim, St Baker Fellow in Electric Mobility, The University of Queensland becauz gao/Shutterstock Within five years, transport is expected to be Australia’s top source of greenhouse gas emissions. While renewables and storage are bringing down emissions from the electricity ...1 week ago
- Te Pāti Māori’s Rawiri Waititi says Luxon may be ‘drop-nuts’ if he doesn’t...
The prime minister not attending Waitangi Day would show he "has no balls and may be a drop-nuts", Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi says. ...1 week ago
- Can Syria avoid becoming another Libya or Iraq? A week after Assad’s fall, here are 3 possible fut...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ali Mamouri, Research Fellow, Middle East Studies, Deakin University After the fall of the Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria, the world was moved by emotional scenes of liberation — families reuniting after years of separation and former prisoners walking free from the ...1 week ago
- The fiscal update is no Christmas present for the government – but signs of a slow recovery are th...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Hickson, Economics Lecturer and Director Business Taught Masters Programme, University of Canterbury After a slow economic year, many New Zealanders are eyeing 2025 with uncertainty but also a degree cautious optimism. Interest rates are dropping and unemployment rates remain below expectations. ...1 week ago
- Immigration Minister Delivers Changes In Time For Christmas
"It’s been an incredibly tough few seasons, with huge pressure on farmers who have been unable to find the staff they need to run their businesses." ...1 week ago
- Live: ‘Brutal austerity’ – reaction to opening of govt’s books
The PSA says the reckless drive to cut costs shows the government is prepared to put dollars ahead of Kiwis' lives. ...1 week ago
- ‘Brutal austerity’ – reaction to opening of govt’s books
The PSA says the reckless drive to cut costs shows the government is prepared to put dollars ahead of Kiwis' lives. ...1 week ago
- Why do we revert to our childhood selves when we visit family?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gery Karantzas, Professor in Social Psychology / Relationship Science, Deakin University TORWAISTUDIO/Shutterstock You’re an independent, capable adult all year round. But when you gather with family for a holiday such as Christmas, suddenly the child in you comes out. Maybe ...1 week ago
- Serious youth offenders numbers drop by 7%
It equates to being over a third of the way towards the government's target of 15 percent fewer youth offenders by 2030, Oranga Tamariki says. ...1 week ago
- HYEFU revealed: Nicola Willis deploys convenient new measure amid bleak books
Analysis - The opening of the books at Treasury has revealed a bleak economic outlook, and a new measure to improve that picture. ...1 week ago
- New Zealanders Be Warned – More Brutal Cuts To Public Services Coming
"History and now fresh evidence tell us that austerity doesn’t work, but the Government is failing to listen. Today in the Budget Policy Statement it set the stage for further deep and broad cuts which will impact the services New Zealanders need now and in ...1 week ago
- The best books of 2024: The people’s choice
The results of our reader survey of the best books of the year. Over 300 Spinoff members responded to our call out to discover what people enjoyed reading locally and internationally this year. The results show a healthy crossover with The Spinoff’s best New Zealand books of 2024, with some ...1 week ago
- Now We Know Why Nicola Willis Didn’t Want Experts In The Room: Changes OBEGAL Calculation To Appea...
“Nicola Willis is guilty of manipulating the fiscal indicators in the same way then Opposition Finance Spokesperson Nicola Willis jumped up-and-down about when Grant Robertson changed the way Net Core-Crown Debt was calculated to make the numbers ...1 week ago
- Minimum Wage Decision A Conscious Decision To Increase Poverty
It is an indefensible attack on working people and will only serve to inflame poverty and undermine a weak economy. ...1 week ago
- What makes a great sports coach? We identified 17 of the world’s best, and found some patterns
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cliff Mallett, Professor of Sport Psychology and Coaching, The University of Queensland red mango/Shutterstock The study of leadership in high-performance coaching aims to deepen the understanding of how and why coaches lead the way they do, rather than just what they ...1 week ago
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