In Vino: Following the Christchurch earthquake on 22 February 2011, the teachers' unions had well over six years to take strike action against the National led Government.
Why did teachers not strike under the National-led Government from 2008 to 2017? During that time teachers received minimal pay increases. In the 2009 budget National cut funding to all levels of education and training, from preschool up to and including ...
Yes, I realise questions are to be heard in silence. However Brownlee does not consistently apply this requirement when Government MPs ask questions. Their colleagues are at times speaking to each other during these questions.
I notice that Gerry Brownlee frequently interrupts Opposition MPs when they are starting to ask a question. He comments about supposedly "too much" background noise from other MPs, then asks the questioning Opposition MP to start again. I feel this is a ...
Corey: speak for yourself. Chris Hipkins gave a great speech yesterday. He has reflected on Labour's election loss and acknowledges that changes to tax policies are necessary, to address NZ's societal inequities. Evidently most people weren't voting for a ...
Thank you Grant Robertson for your compassion and sincerity. Your clear, informative, often humorous communication skills will be missed. Alwyn: In this RNZ interview economist Shamubeel Eaqub advises that the Labour Government is not to blame for the ...
I watched Grant Robertson's valedictory speech. I'll miss his wit, his sense of humour and his great skills in the debating chamber.
The brief interview in this RNZ article shows the malice of this Government's actions. It is unfathomable that funding for people with disabilities cannot now be used to assist them in accessing various regular activities which require transport with ...
This is a very odd press conference by Christopher Luxon. While answering questions in Queenstown, about claiming the accommodation allowance to live in his mortgage-free Wellington apartment, he appears, by insinuation, to be blaming Chris Hipkins for he,...
This is a great interview by RNZ's Lisa Owen with University of Otago public health professor Janet Hoek. It confirms the Government's determination to ignore research and facts about the health benefits of Labour's planned anti-smoking law changes, and to...
Efeso Collins displayed compassion, commitment and sincerity. A very sad time for NZ.
The relentless, negative campaign by the then Opposition against Labour, which clearly influenced voters, (along with the promise of unaffordable tax cuts, "getting tough on crime" and other poorly thought through policies), is continuing via MSM and ...
Anker: "But wheeling it out everytime someone on the left allegely stuff's up comes across as a little, well childish". Why do you consider it childish to raise this issue? Uffindell informed RNZ that his assault of the 13 year old was just one of his ...
tsmithfield: Re your comment "And that was for an event that happened when he was a teenager". Some media have perpetuated the notion that Sam Uffindell's assault on the 13 year old was the only incident of him assaulting and bullying while at school. As ...
I agree with you Adrian. The treachery and moral bankruptcy of the new government is succinctly described by Paul Molloy, in response to a very informative Newsroom article "Threat to walking and cycling a threat to health" on 21.12.23 by Dr Kirsty Wild ...
Kelvin Davis and Andrew Little displayed sincerity, integrity and compassion. They will be missed from Parliament.
How does Shane Reti rationalise his support of the Government's decision to repeal Labour's smokefree legislation, in the face of international evidence of its effectiveness in reducing smoking? In his own electorate many doctors at Whangarei Hospital, 18 ...
Re news that National have dropped their overseas property buyers' tax policy and need to find revenue of $740 million p.a. from other sources for their planned tax cuts, it was widely reported that this amount was never accepted as realistic by various ...
Belladonna: The NZ Baby Boomer cohort covers people born from the end of World War Two up to the early 1970s. https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/28730/baby-boom-generation-about-1969 NZ Boomers are aged from about 52 up to 78. It is incorrect to refer to ...
People blaming Chris Hipkins for Labour's election loss (not that you are Mike) seem to have a simplistic perspective. Evidently most people weren't voting for a wealth tax, or a tax exemption from the first $10,000 to $30,000 of income, because more would...
Given that National and their supporters' typical way of communication is negative, dishonest and often abusive, hopefully the moderator on tonight's leaders' debate will have the professionalism to acknowledge this, and not persist with the false ...
Re Micky's comments: "And the final polls in 2005 had National 5 points ahead of where it ended up and Labour 3 points behind. That sized change could see Labour returned to power". This seems a real possibility, in light of the Guardian poll, covering ...
Re this comment by Chris Trotter: "Lacking Peters’ restraining influence, the resulting National-Act government would have free-rein to impose the swingeing austerity programme required to pay for Luxon’s under-funded tax-cuts. That so many of us are ...
It's a typical National strategy. Just tell a little bit of the truth - i.e. lying by omission. Here's the link. https://thespinoff.co.nz/live-updates/05-10-2023/nicola-willis-confirms-only-3000-households-will-get-full-250-a-fortnight-tax-cut Chris Bishop...
Yes Anne. I saw that TV One news item. Luxon commented that the only positive thing Hipkins had done (I think he was referring to the campaign) was to get Covid. A tasteless, spiteful remark. Luxon repeatedly stated that the Labour Government has committed...
I watched Q and A this morning. https://www.tvnz.co.nz/shows/q-and-a About 20 minutes in Jack Tame interviewed James Shaw, and put forward a scenario of National forming a coalition with either Act, New Zealand First or the Greens. Tame commented a few ...
National MPs seem to have stopped using the ludicrous term "the squeezed middle", with reference to their tax cuts policy, as it excludes people in the most need. Christopher Luxon and Nicola Willis now claim that "low and middle income earners" will ...
I will miss Kim Hill's programme very much. For me she is one of the few RNZ presenters worth listening to. She has rare interviewing skills. She thoroughly researches the topics for discussion and asks insightful, analytical questions. She has a wry ...
Thank you Anne. I'm a regular reader of The Standard, but only a very occasional commenter. I appreciate the depth of knowledge of the post writers.
Thank you Micky. I agree with you about the media and RNZ's apparent bias towards National. Much of the interviewing is superficial and lacks analytical questions. It is unfathomable why so many people are resentful towards Labour, apparently for using ...
Alan: You haven't explained why you or anyone will resent Te Pāti Māori’s tax policy, which is designed to assist people in the most financial need.
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