political parties

#ParkUpForGovernment

Written By: Ben Clark - Date published: 8:24 am, September 7th, 2016 - 10 comments

Despite the large number of people with terrible stories about homelessness to the Labour/Greens/Maori Homelessness Inquiry, this Government of Housing Inaction still thinks the problem should be ignored and the Inquiry ‘not needed’.

Government seeking to remove property buy back rights under urgency

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 4:38 pm, September 6th, 2016 - 13 comments

Nick Smith has introduced a bill into Parliament which he wants to be passed under urgency without select committee oversight.  The bill takes away the right of any prior owner of land taken under the Public Works Act to have housing land offered back to them.  To do this under urgency is banana republic stuff.

Guest Post: Beth Houston for Senior Vice President

Written By: Guest post - 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.

Will Shane Jones stand for NZ First in Whangarei?

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 9:08 am, September 5th, 2016 - 53 comments

Rumours suggesting that Shane Jones will stand for New Zealand First in Whangarei at the next election have resurfaced.

Water quality too important for bird-brained excuses

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 7:01 am, September 1st, 2016 - 59 comments

Nick Smith’s latest excuse for inaction on water quality is birds. Yes birds. You couldn’t make this shit up.

For a dose of blessed sanity, watch the (10 min) webcast by Dr Mike Joy explaining what the real problem is.

Nats cut police resources then demand the impossible

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 12:02 pm, August 30th, 2016 - 46 comments

We have had years of systematic under funding of the police and front-line numbers are falling. None the less police are now expected to attend every burglary. For the sake of this exercise in public perception other areas of police wrok will suffer.

Labour’s Auckland Push

Written By: te reo putake - Date published: 10:51 am, August 30th, 2016 - 57 comments

Matt McCarten is to head a new Labour party office in Auckland. The party is going to take to fight to National in the city that decides the election. Yet another bold step from Andrew Little, who is looking more and more like the next PM.

Roy Morgan August; Nat’s Down 7%

Written By: te reo putake - Date published: 7:50 pm, August 29th, 2016 - 268 comments

The latest Roy Morgan is out. A solid 7% drop for National.

Toby Morris: TA’s Story

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 11:12 am, August 28th, 2016 - 10 comments

Illustrator and commentator Toby Morris has animated TA’s story: “What do you want most in the world,” John Campbell asks TA, who has been living in a van with her family since February. “A library.”

Nick Smith commits to raising average wage to $250,000

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 10:55 am, August 27th, 2016 - 37 comments

Great news everyone! On The Nation this morning Nick Smith committed to raising average NZ wage to $250,000!

Robertson: Lessons from the Future of Work Commission

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 1:22 pm, August 26th, 2016 - 10 comments

Robertson: “What is the economic paradigm that will meet the challenge of world of less secure work, more automation?”

Third term and full of ideas…

Written By: Ben Clark - Date published: 8:22 am, August 26th, 2016 - 59 comments

You know National really have their finger on the pulse with their latest members bills. First was Nuk Korako showing why he’s 50 on the list with a bill that seems to not actually affect anything.  There don’t seem to be any Airports that have local Councils force them to advertise their lost luggage auctions […]

Foreign buyers estimated at 29%

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 7:03 am, August 25th, 2016 - 75 comments

Most of the media has reported the Government’s “3%” spin on the extent of residential property purchases in NZ going to foreign buyers pretty uncritically. There have been honourable exceptions, and yesterday property editor Anne Gibson in The Herald joined them.

Andrew Little on housing

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 10:16 am, August 23rd, 2016 - 109 comments

Andrew Little: “John Key will give you all the excuses you can stomach for his failure to stabilise house prices and boost incomes but the truth is clear: if we want to change the path we’re on, we need to change the government.”

The cross-party inquiry into homelessness is under way

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 1:04 pm, August 22nd, 2016 - 48 comments

After National blocked a proposed official inquiry into homelessness, Labour, The Greens and The Maori Party went ahead with their own. It will no doubt come up with useful recommendations. But to see them implemented we will need to change the government.