Remember that time we had a global pandemic?
Written By:
Date published: 11:19 am, July 16th, 2024 - 5 comments
how’s it going five years on?
Open mike 16/07/2024
Written By:
Date published: 6:00 am, July 16th, 2024 - 36 comments
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
Daily review 15/07/2024
Written By:
Date published: 5:30 pm, July 15th, 2024 - 26 comments
Daily review is also your post. This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Don’t forget to be kind to each other …
Government wins pay dispute with police: National Party 1, Police 0, Public -1
Written By:
Date published: 3:53 pm, July 15th, 2024 - 25 comments
The National Government has won in its long standing pay dispute with New Zealand police. With Australia offering $20,000 cash bonuses and attractive packages to poach our cops, what’s going to happen to an already demoralised and stretched police force?
Mountain Tui: Trump’s shooting reveals a hidden danger for New Zealand too
Written By:
Date published: 10:00 am, July 15th, 2024 - 73 comments
Trump’s shooting has left the world shocked and bewildered. But what, if anything, does it mean for us here in New Zealand?
Open mike 15/07/2024
Written By:
Date published: 6:00 am, July 15th, 2024 - 22 comments
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
Trump shot
Written By:
Date published: 11:37 am, July 14th, 2024 - 142 comments
In breaking news Donald trump has been shot in a Pensylvania. Film suggests that he is fine although suffered a wound to his ear. The implications for the US elections are profound. This is a post for general discussion and will be updated as matters develop. Updates 1305: BBC interviewed a witness who is talking […]
Government is paying lip service to climate change
Written By:
Date published: 11:29 am, July 14th, 2024 - 6 comments
This week Change Minister Simon Watts showed the depth of the Government’s thinking by releasing a three page brochure outlining its collective thoughts. If the Government is at that level of thinking the country is well and truly stuffed. And meanwhile ACT’s Mark Cameron wants to prevent local government from considering climate change when formulating regional plans.
Open mike 14/07/2024
Written By:
Date published: 6:00 am, July 14th, 2024 - 32 comments
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
Open mike 13/07/2024
Written By:
Date published: 6:00 am, July 13th, 2024 - 64 comments
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
Daily review 12/07/2024
Written By:
Date published: 5:30 pm, July 12th, 2024 - 4 comments
Daily review is also your post. This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Don’t forget to be kind to each other …
Conflict what conflict?
Written By:
Date published: 1:22 pm, July 12th, 2024 - 16 comments
National activist Sunny Kaushall is to head a committee with a budget of $3.6 million over two years to advise the Government on complex legal and privacy issues for which Kaushal’s qualifications are not clear.
Mountain Tui: When is an independent expert or advisory group “independent?”
Written By:
Date published: 11:06 am, July 12th, 2024 - 5 comments
As reports confirm that the Government intends to sell off Kiwirail ferries, the question has to be asked: “Why is the Government paying thousands of dollars to former National Party members for advice” and when is independent advice not reliable?
Open mike 12/07/2024
Written By:
Date published: 6:00 am, July 12th, 2024 - 45 comments
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
Daily review 11/07/2024
Written By:
Date published: 5:30 pm, July 11th, 2024 - 10 comments
Daily review is also your post. This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Don’t forget to be kind to each other …
Winston Peters – lazy hypocrite on ferries
Written By:
Date published: 11:33 am, July 11th, 2024 - 15 comments
My ire was raised this morning when I read a pile of PR drivel from acting PM Winston Peters about the Interislander. If he wanted to be useful looking at “critical part of our infrastructure” – then there are number of better things he could usefully do – rather than chasing headlines.
Mountain Tui: The Kiwirail Interislander saga continues
Written By:
Date published: 7:57 am, July 11th, 2024 - 40 comments
Nicola Willis’s decision to cancel the Kiwirail i-Rex contract without a back up plan is coming back to bite. As costs pile up for the taxpayer, we have already lost half a billion dollars, but that won’t be the final bill. And there are still no ferries.
Open mike 11/07/2024
Written By:
Date published: 6:00 am, July 11th, 2024 - 30 comments
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
Daily review 10/07/2024
Written By:
Date published: 5:30 pm, July 10th, 2024 - 19 comments
Daily review is also your post. This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Don’t forget to be kind to each other …
The best carbon capture device is a tree
Written By:
Date published: 11:06 am, July 10th, 2024 - 18 comments
The Government is hoping that Carbon Capture and Sequestration will reduce the country’s greenhouse gas emission levels. But it is refusing to protect forests and trees, which are the best Carbon Capture and Sequestration devices going.
Open mike 10/07/2024
Written By:
Date published: 6:00 am, July 10th, 2024 - 38 comments
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
Daily review 09/07/2024
Written By:
Date published: 5:30 pm, July 9th, 2024 - 9 comments
Daily review is also your post. This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Don’t forget to be kind to each other …
Quality of candidates – start with “are they human?”
Written By:
Date published: 10:34 am, July 9th, 2024 - 12 comments
With all of the issues about Green party MPs, who have been having issues recently, I was intrigued to run across the article in the Guardian “Reform UK under pressure to prove all its candidates were real people” after the recent election in the UK.
Open mike 09/07/2024
Written By:
Date published: 6:00 am, July 9th, 2024 - 48 comments
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
Daily review 08/07/2024
Written By:
Date published: 5:30 pm, July 8th, 2024 - 9 comments
Daily review is also your post. This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Don’t forget to be kind to each other …
Open mike 08/07/2024
Written By:
Date published: 6:00 am, July 8th, 2024 - 34 comments
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
Code Pink at NATO: Negotiate for peace.
Written By:
Date published: 2:10 pm, July 7th, 2024 - 53 comments
When NATO leaders meet in Washington, what they should be doing, apart from figuring out how to comply with Article 33(1) of the UN Charter, is conducting a clear-eyed review of how this organization that claims to be a force for peace keeps escalating unwinnable wars and leaving countries in ruins.
Sham consultation – sham contracting
Written By:
Date published: 10:59 am, July 7th, 2024 - 11 comments
Minister for Workplace Relations and Health & Safety Brooke van Velden hasn’t met with the CTU Te Kauae Kaimahi since November last year. And has announced major proposed changes to workers rights and job conditions.
Mountain Tui: New Zealand deserves better than marketing
Written By:
Date published: 10:58 am, July 7th, 2024 - 6 comments
Last week the Coalition Govt said they were doing away with the name “fast-track.” This is a Govt of professional lobbyists so I am not surprised by their attunement to marketing. “Fast-track” became bad for business. The name had to go. They have also weakened regarding fast-track because of opposition.
The implications of UK Labour’s success for NZ Labour
Written By:
Date published: 10:48 am, July 7th, 2024 - 79 comments
What should New Zealand Labour learn from UK Labour’s success in the recent election?
Open mike 07/07/2024
Written By:
Date published: 6:00 am, July 7th, 2024 - 6 comments
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
- Daily crossword, Tuesday 24 September
The post Daily crossword, Tuesday 24 September appeared first on Newsroom. ...5 days ago - ‘Inconvenient truths’ stall naming PM’s science chief
Govt committed to data-based decisions has cut nearly 400 science roles, and the PM’s own expert position has sat vacant for months The post ‘Inconvenient truths’ stall naming PM’s science chief appeared first on Newsroom. ...5 days ago
- Shoppers go down road to Kmart, denting Warehouse sales
Wellington shopper Elvira George would rather drive 40 minutes to Kmart in Porirua than visit her local Warehouse store five minutes down the road.The Miramar hairdresser used to pop in to the Warehouse store at Lyall Bay every other weekend and have a look around if she had a spare ...5 days ago
- Rural academic activity stifled by ‘geographical narcissism’
Opinion: Rural New Zealanders have poorer health outcomes than their urban peers and the country suffers from a strained and maldistributed health professional workforce.Rectifying these problems is no easy fix but one thing is certain – we need to support more rural health professionals to take up academic roles, combining ...5 days ago
- The dubious politics of the Treaty Principles Bill
Opinion: Former PM Sir Geoffrey Palmer KC outlines why the Treaty Principles Bill is flawed, and concerning The post The dubious politics of the Treaty Principles Bill appeared first on Newsroom. ...5 days ago
- More Australians are using their superannuation for medical procedures. But that might put their fin...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Neera Bhatia, Associate Professor in Law, Deakin University fizkes/Shutterstock A record number of Australians are accessing their superannuation early on compassionate grounds, mainly to fund their own medical procedures – or those of a family member. Some 150,000 Australians have ...6 days ago - Interislander replacements: ‘We’re continuing to take advice’ – Willis
The finance minister says it would be "premature" to blame any delay on a difference of opinion among the three governing parties. ...6 days ago - PODCAST – The Murky World of Israel’s Booby-Trapped Pagers and Walkie-Talkies
Podcast: A View From Afar with Paul G. Buchanan and Selwyn Manning. In this episode of A View from Afar political scientist and former Pentagon Analyst, Paul G. Buchanan and journalist Selwyn Manning discuss: The Murky World of Israel’s Booby-Trapped Pagers and Walkie-Talkies. Paul and Selwyn reveal Israel’s long-form ...6 days ago
- Government’s anti-working from home move a ‘total distraction’ – union
The government caused Wellington's retail woes and forcing public service staff back to the office is not going to fix them, a union leader says. ...6 days ago
- View from The Hill: The Greens’ demands on the RBA make for bad economic policy. Is it also crazy ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra When the Greens tell Labor they’re ready to negotiate, what they usually mean is they’re preparing to make populist demands that can’t or shouldn’t be met. So it is with their “ask” on the ...6 days ago
- Not guilty: At the end of the Polkinghorne trial, what have we learned?
The eight-week media circus of the Philip Polkinghorne trial ends with a not guilty verdict. Lyric Waiwiri-Smith reports from the High Court. After eight weeks, the verdict comes in just past 2pm: former eye surgeon Philip Polkinghorne is not guilty of murdering his wife, Pauline Hanna. After 10 hours of ...6 days ago - Offering end of life support as part of home care is important – but may face some challenges
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jennifer Tieman, Matthew Flinders Professor and Director of the Research Centre for Palliative Care, Death and Dying, Flinders University Andrew Angelov/Shutterstock Earlier this month, the government announced major changes to aged care in Australia, including a A$4.3 billion investment in home ...6 days ago
- Earth is getting a tiny new mini-moon. It won’t be the first (or the last)
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Laura Nicole Driessen, Postdoctoral researcher in radio astronomy, University of Sydney The minimoon 2020 CD3 orbited Earth between 2018 and 2020. International Gemini Observatory/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/G. Fedorets, CC BY Earth is going to have its very own mini-moon from September 29 until November 25. ...6 days ago
- Woolworths and Coles sued by ACCC for allegedly misleading shoppers over the price of more than 500 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jeannie Marie Paterson, Professor of Law, The University of Melbourne At a time most people are trying to cut their weekly grocery bills, Australia’s supermarket giants have been hit with legal action for allegedly misleading shoppers over the price of hundreds of ...6 days ago
- Council finally releases settlement payment to former CEO
It took more than six months, and required an intervention by the chief ombudsman, but Christchurch’s council has finally released its exit payment to former chief executive Dawn Baxendale.The council announced in November last year it had accepted Baxendale’s resignation, after a tumultuous four years in the job, and a ...6 days ago
- PSA Strongly Opposes Any Clawback On Flexible Work Arrangements
The directive from Public Service Minister Nicola Willis to reduce numbers of people working from home is just a scapegoat for the real problem which is of the Government’s own making. ...6 days ago - Watch: Nicola Willis demands tightening of working-from-home public service arrangements
Public Service Minister Nicola Willis has directed department bosses to tighten up on working-from-home arrangements. ...6 days ago
- Am I The Asshole? How judging other people’s dirty laundry became the internet’s favourite pasti...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Melanie Myers, Sessional Academic, Creative and Professional Writing, The University of Queensland Shutterstock You don’t have to be an avid Reddit user to know about r/AITA, or Am I the Asshole? This subreddit’s digital afterlife reaches endlessly across the vast plains ...6 days ago
- RNZ cancels release of podcast episode featuring ex-minister Kiritapu Allan
The public broadcaster had promoted the episode of It's Personal with Anika Moa, but decided not to air the interview following an "editorial check". ...6 days ago
- Harris’ post-debate gains sustained in US polls, but Republicans likely to gain Senate control
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne The United States presidential election will be held on November 5. In analyst Nate Silver’s aggregate of national polls, Democrat Kamala Harris ...6 days ago
- The pressing case for a new emergency visa to help people fleeing Gaza and other conflicts
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jane McAdam, Scientia Professor and ARC Laureate Fellow, Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law, UNSW Sydney Recent conflicts in Afghanistan, Ukraine, Sudan and Gaza have displaced large numbers of people. In each case, Australia’s humanitarian response has been different. Some people have ...6 days ago
- State Of NZ’s Waters Worsening As Luxon Barges Ahead With Reckless Plan To Strip Freshwater Protec...
In May, the Government announced plans to remove requirements for consent applicants to comply with Te Mana o Te Wai - the hierarchy of obligations, which puts the health of fresh water and communities ahead of commercial use of water. ...6 days ago
- Businessman Christopher Luxon talks business to business people
Lyric Waiwiri-Smith gets an ‘economic education’ at the prime minister’s Bloomberg Address. In his hour-long Bloomberg Address, prime minister Christopher Luxon revealed just one new tidbit of information to a crowd of his former ilk: businesspeople. The possibility of a four-year government term, to be voted on in a referendum ...6 days ago
- Louise Upston rejects official advice $3b a year needed to fix child poverty
Minister for Child Poverty Reduction Louise Upston says the government is taking a different approach. ...6 days ago
- The United Nations has a plan to govern AI – but has it bought the industry’s hype?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Zena Assaad, Senior Lecturer, School of Engineering, Australian National University saiko3p/Shutterstock The United Nations Secretary-General’s Advisory Board on Artificial Intelligence (AI) has released its final report on governing AI for humanity. The report presents a blueprint for addressing AI-related risks ...6 days ago
- New to streaming: What to watch on Netflix NZ, Neon and more this week
We round up everything coming to streaming services this week, including Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+, Apple TV+, ThreeNow, Neon and TVNZ+ If you like New Zealanders in surprising roles: Cocaine Bear (Netflix, September 24) If you like your movies silly and splattery, last year’s cult hit Cocaine Bear ...6 days ago
- CPAG Disappointed Child Poverty Reduction Minister Rejected Official Advice To Get NZ Back On Track ...
CPAG Executive Officer, Sarita Divis states, ‘Not only has the Minister rejected official advice, she has not provided any solid evidence, modelling or data that shows her chosen path will result in us meeting the 2028 goal of halving child poverty.' ...6 days ago
- Move over Olympians, Australia’s wildlife are incredible athletes
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Euan Ritchie, Professor in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, School of Life & Environmental Sciences, Deakin University Now that the Paris Olympics and Paralympics have disappeared from our screens, let’s get back to watching animal videos. But seriously, have you ever paused to ...6 days ago
- BCTF Calls On Government To Go Further On VET Reform For Meaningful Change
Grant Florence, BCTF Chief Executive, says its key focus is on the work-based learning aspect of the proposed reform and that while it supports the proposal for a statutory body with industry representation to set standards, it believes the statutory body ...6 days ago
- The benefits of eating unpopular fish
The least popular eating fish tend to also be the most sustainable. But the two don’t have to be mutually exclusive if you know what to do with them. This is an excerpt from our food newsletter, The Boil Up. Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about fish. Fresh fish, ...6 days ago
- Dogma or data? Why sentencing reforms in NZ will annoy judges and clog the courts
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kris Gledhill, Professor of Law, Auckland University of Technology Getty Images The Luxon government surely has little sense of irony. Shortly after introducing the Parliament Bill, designed to reinforce the fundamental constitutional principle of the separation of powers, it has ...6 days ago
- Federal Newspoll still tied but Albanese’s ratings up; Queensland Newspoll has big LNP lead
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne A national Newspoll, conducted September 16–20 from a sample of 1,249, had a 50–50 tie for the third consecutive time. Since the ...6 days ago
- Students using artificial intelligence to cheat on assessments, teachers warn
Teachers says artificial intelligence has huge potential for improving education, but misuse of the technology is an increasing problem. ...6 days ago
- Coming Up LIVE – The Murky World of Israel’s Booby-Trapped Pagers and Walkie-Talkies
The LIVE Recording of A View from Afar podcast will begin today at 12:45pm September 23, 2024 (NZST) which is Sunday evening, 8:45pm (USEDT). In this episode of A View from Afar political scientist and former Pentagon Analyst, Paul G. Buchanan and journalist Selwyn Manning will discuss: The Murky World ...6 days ago
- Debunking some capital gains tax myths
The CGT debate is back in the news – and it’s been met with some reasonable discussion and some tired, old myths. Simon Percival debunks a few common ones. The annual capital gains tax discussion has started up again. Just this month, Chris Hipkins said that Labour was considering a ...6 days ago
- Police begin testing new approach to 111 calls, pulling back on social harm callouts
A new system means police will not respond to some 111 calls. ...6 days ago
- How did they get my data? I uncovered the hidden web of networks behind telemarketers
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Priya Dev, Lecturer & Academic Data Science, Digital Assets & Distributed Ledgers, Australian National University Kokhan O/Shutterstock Last year, I started getting a lot of unsolicited phone calls, mainly from people trying to sell me things. This came as a surprise ...6 days ago
- With all these defamation lawsuits, what ever happened to free speech?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brendan Clift, Lecturer in Law, The University of Melbourne Shutterstock It seems like the dust barely settles from the latest high-profile defamation stoush before the next set of litigants straps on the gloves and steps into the ring. Many of these ...6 days ago
- Do footy’s best and fairest awards achieve what they claim?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hunter Fujak, Senior Lecturer in Sport Management, Deakin University Football’s awards season kicks off this week, with the AFL’s Brownlow Medal awarded on Monday evening and the NRL’s Dally M awarded on October 2. Both medals aim to crown their league’s best ...6 days ago
- Basic service provider or mini democracy? Why NZ needs to decide what it wants from local government
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jeffrey McNeill, Honorary Research Associate, School of People, Environment and Planning, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa – Massey University Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s recent challenge to local government “to rein in the fantasies and to get back to delivering the basics brilliantly” was ...6 days ago
Recent Comments