Written By: - Date published: 12:07 pm, February 25th, 2024 - 51 comments
From Election 2023’s result through to February 2024 there has been massive loss and damage to the Parliamentary capacity of Labour and Greens. Who still has the capacity to lead? What’s left?
Written By: - Date published: 10:25 am, February 1st, 2023 - 22 comments
Chris Hipkins has announced his cabinet reshuffle and there have been some dramatic changes.
Written By: - Date published: 7:52 am, November 7th, 2022 - 32 comments
The text of an excellent speech given by Kelvin Davis to the Labour Party conference on climate change.
Written By: - Date published: 10:13 am, May 12th, 2022 - 27 comments
Kelvin Davis gave an outstanding speech in Parliament yesterday where he ridiculed opposition for proposals that if passed would enhance inequality.
Written By: - Date published: 12:56 pm, January 4th, 2021 - 27 comments
Statements by the Minister for Corrections and Corrections themselves asserting that there had been no complaints about prison conditions at Waikeria, in the face of the Ombudsman’s report, just look to me to be pure sophistry and bullshit. The report on conditions in the high security make grim reading. Even ignoring the inmates protest – I want to protest about the waste of my taxes in providing such a unproductive, inhumane and outright evil environment.
Written By: - Date published: 1:48 pm, November 2nd, 2020 - 78 comments
Some details of the new Cabinet announced today by Jacinda Ardern.
Written By: - Date published: 9:13 am, October 25th, 2020 - 16 comments
Some thoughts on who the country’s Deputy Prime Minister should be.
Written By: - Date published: 11:05 am, October 29th, 2019 - 14 comments
I was reading one of Chris Trotters reflections which looked at the Corrections Amendment Bill 2018, that just passed its 3rd reading. “Putting The Check In Right-Wing Prisoners’ Mail”. It sounded odd and oddly lacked detail. I came to the conclusion taking press releases at face value without thinking was a very bad idea.
Written By: - Date published: 5:32 pm, September 12th, 2019 - 252 comments
A second resignation has swiftly followed that of Labour Party President Nigel Haworth. The person from the Labour Party Parliamentary team accused of sexual assault has today quit his job.
Written By: - Date published: 10:24 am, August 20th, 2019 - 71 comments
The Government has announced policies designed to reduce Maori incarceration rates dramatically.
Written By: - Date published: 7:46 am, April 29th, 2019 - 101 comments
Simon Bridges has decided to attack Corrections management for installing slushie machines designed to help cool prison guards in full uniform and heavy stab proof vests on hot days.
Written By: - Date published: 12:49 pm, February 4th, 2018 - 27 comments
Last year’s electorate expense returns have now been made public.
Written By: - Date published: 7:03 am, January 28th, 2018 - 51 comments
Who are the bigger criminals?
Updated.
Written By: - Date published: 9:03 am, January 23rd, 2018 - 29 comments
Jacinda Ardern has announced that she will spend five days at Waitangi leading up to Waitangi day to make full use of the time when people are gathered there to meet together as a government that wants to form open transparent relationships.
Written By: - Date published: 8:03 am, October 24th, 2017 - 78 comments
Details about how the next Cabinet may be made up are emerging. Winston Peters may regain the position of Minister of Foreign Affairs as well as being Deputy Prime Minister.
Written By: - Date published: 7:02 am, August 9th, 2017 - 48 comments
Much has been written about the Jacinda Ardern effect that has put Labour so enthusiastically back in the game. But the appointment of Kelvin Davis as deputy is also looking like a very smart move.
Written By: - Date published: 8:33 am, August 1st, 2017 - 169 comments
At 10:30 this morning there is a Labour caucus meeting where the subject of the leadership will be discussed. If Andrew Little decides to step down rumours suggest that a Jacinda Ardern / Kelvin Davis ticket is being considered.
Written By: - Date published: 2:13 pm, February 20th, 2017 - 13 comments
Te Tai Tokerau looks to be a hotly contested seat in the 2017 general election, and the Greens are entering the fray there for the first time, with new candidate Godfrey Rudolph.
Written By: - Date published: 9:35 pm, December 14th, 2015 - 38 comments
2015’s just about up. Here’s my quick summary of the year here at the Standard. Thanks y’all!
Written By: - Date published: 8:02 am, December 7th, 2015 - 113 comments
To date, TeachFirst(NZ) has received more than $6.4 million dollars of public money and, as a result, has infested 18 schools with dozens of so-called “teachers”.
Written By: - Date published: 9:02 am, December 4th, 2015 - 12 comments
It was suggested in Parliament that SERCO’s first place position on the Prison Performance Table had been the result of Lotu-Iiga and his department having had the wool pulled over their eyes.
Written By: - Date published: 12:48 pm, December 2nd, 2015 - 103 comments
Standard Exclusive:
Te Reo Putake interviews one of the first batch of deportees from Australia under the Liberal Government’s hardline approach to Kiwis who serve jail time in the lucky country.
Written By: - Date published: 12:00 pm, November 11th, 2015 - 85 comments
David Carter’s refusal to rule John Key’s “backing the rapists” comment out of order raises issues about his ability to properly do the job of speaker.
Written By: - Date published: 11:55 am, August 30th, 2015 - 34 comments
They were, until a few months ago, the biggest company you’d never heard of. They failed in the UK, they failed in Australia and they’ve failed here in our prisons. But they are still making good profits here. They’re a company dedicated, it seems, to making a profit while failing to deliver lots of different public services. We don’t need or want them here.
Written By: - Date published: 12:14 pm, July 25th, 2015 - 72 comments
Recent focus has been on the tragedy and incompetence of a Serco run private prison. But problems extend further than that, into the entire way NZ views its prison system. We need fundamental penal reform.
Written By: - Date published: 8:59 am, September 21st, 2014 - 174 comments
National has an outright majority and the left has gone backwards. Some thoughts on what may have happened.
Written By: - Date published: 6:31 pm, August 6th, 2014 - 225 comments
It’s been an interesting few days in the battle for Te Tai Tokerau. Never mind the bollocks, people. The question for Labour isn’t should we stand aside for Hone in the north or Mana/IP anywhere else. The question is ‘do we need ’em?’. The answer is looking more and more like no.
Written By: - Date published: 3:56 pm, June 19th, 2014 - 73 comments
My comment at The Daily Blog responding to a section of one of Martyn ‘Bomber’ Bradbury’s post got moderated out. That does rather reinforce what my comment said. So I will simply repeat it here. The political scene is a very bad place to have as sensitive ego in as Bomber has. Most people involved around the political scene will have different opinions and they usually aren’t hesitant in expressing them. It appears that young Bomber lacks the backbone to withstand that diversity without having a fit of pique.
Written By: - Date published: 11:10 am, June 3rd, 2014 - 144 comments
Scott Yorke at Imperator Fish opines on electorate seats and inter-party relations. On the way through he identifies some strikingly bad net behaviour. Labour MPs past and present who badly need to learn to control themselves on the net just as much as Bomber does.
Written By: - Date published: 8:25 am, May 5th, 2014 - 232 comments
Judith Collins’s startling attack on Katie Bradford on the weekend has created all sorts of problems for John Key. Relations with the Press Gallery must be at an all time low. Sacking her will cause all sorts of problems within National’s caucus, retaining her in Cabinet will risk further bad publicity. There is no upside.
Written By: - Date published: 10:20 am, April 23rd, 2014 - 115 comments
Labour has swung positively behind the change from Jones to Kelvin Davis. In his interview on TV3’s First Line this morning, Davis was confident, down-to-earth, & energetic. Hone Harawira & Davis are strong candidates for Te Tai Tokerau and those struggling on low incomes. Both would be assets for a Labour-led government.
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