Search Results

  1. Keep Calm and Carry On

    Written By:  Guest post -  Date published: 9:13 am, January 25th, 2016 -  135 comments
    Categories: capitalism, debt / deficit, Economy, economy, Financial markets, Globalisation, International, Media
    Tags: , ,

    Regular commenter Paul rounds up the links you need to read to prepare yourself for the coming second GFC. National won’t be able to pass this one on to future generations by loading NZ up with crippling debt. We’ll be paying for GFC2 economically, socially and personally, right here, right now.

  2. The Christmas Island riots

    Written By:  mickysavage -  Date published: 2:18 pm, November 10th, 2015 -  99 comments
    Categories: australian politics, International, john key, national
    Tags: , ,

    The barbaric treatment of New Zealand citizens by the Australian Government ought to attract condemnation and urgent diplomatic representations. But nothing is happening. Surely this is a time that John Key should get some guts. But instead of this he has accused the opposition of supporting rapists. Updated with video from Question one in Parliament today.

  3. Collins touting cars with her buddy Cam

    Written By:  Natwatch -  Date published: 9:21 am, October 17th, 2015 -  39 comments
    Categories: Judith Collins
    Tags: ,

    Judith Collins is a tout (sorry “Brand Ambassador”) for a car dealer, and it looks like she’s using Cameron Slater’s blog to give her a hand.

  4. That one time Government almost did something decent for workers

    Written By:  Helen Kelly -  Date published: 9:50 am, July 4th, 2015 -  41 comments
    Categories: human rights, workers' rights
    Tags:

    There was this one time when the Government understood that workers coming into NZ to help rebuild Christchurch were very vulnerable to exploitation. 

  5. Voices of the people on emissions targets and climate change

    Written By:  Anthony R0bins -  Date published: 7:17 am, June 1st, 2015 -  37 comments
    Categories: activism, climate change, democratic participation, global warming, sustainability
    Tags: , , , ,

    A record of the Dunedin consultation meeting on NZ’s emission targets. It was an extraordinary evening. So many people spoke with concern, with intelligence, with anger, with compassion, with emotion. Some spoke with hope, some without.

    Please – make a written submission before Wednesday.

  6. A police investigation – Part One

    Written By:  BLiP -  Date published: 7:00 am, April 12th, 2015 -  84 comments
    Categories: john key, Judith Collins, law and "order", national, police
    Tags:

    There’s nothing particularly wrong with Bryce Edwards’ article except that it ignores how National Ltd™ Police Ministers have successively sat by and done nothing in response to the on-going police failings.

  7. This is not business as usual. This is not some hippy over-reaction. This is serious shit!

    Written By:  mhager -  Date published: 4:18 pm, December 11th, 2014 -  55 comments
    Categories: Abuse of power, climate change, community democracy, cost of living, democracy under attack, Dirty Politics, election 2014, Environment, minimum wage, poverty, Privatisation, social democracy, socialism, Spying, sustainability, war, water
    Tags:

    New author Mandy Hager joins us with some reflections on having become a grandmother: “So that’s why I’m speaking out now, every opportunity I get. Not because I like the exposure (shudder), but because I love this tiny little person and I will fight for his future, come what may. It’s the right thing to do. …”

  8. Climate change – ETS or Carbon tax?

    Written By:  mickysavage -  Date published: 12:43 pm, June 4th, 2014 -  71 comments
    Categories: climate change, david cunliffe, Environment, ETS, global warming, greens, labour
    Tags:

    The media is trying to suggest that Labour is opposing the Green’s proposed Carbon Tax policy.  This is a gross over dramatisation of the situation.  Labour has in the past supported a Carbon Tax, has a policy formation process which prevents policy creation on the hoof, and prefers an ETS even though it is slightly more complex on the basis that it is slightly more effective in allocating costs and benefits across the board.

  9. Fixing the reserve bank

    Written By:  lprent -  Date published: 1:14 pm, April 29th, 2014 -  32 comments
    Categories: act, don brash, Economy, labour
    Tags:

    The head of the reanimated corpse of Brash should now be spinning furiously along with those fools from ACT who are into simplicity (because they can’t handle the real world). However having the Reserve Bank looking the balance of payments is pretty good. It includes the exchange rate and the export economy. They’re effectively now concerned with the exterior economy with a enforced savings tool as well as the interest rates. The government becomes largely responsible for the structural rigidities we have built up in the internal economy. That is a pretty good mix. Might have to train the MPs a bit though.

  10. Drill baby drill

    Written By:  mickysavage -  Date published: 8:12 am, April 3rd, 2014 -  40 comments
    Categories: climate change, disaster, energy, Environment, greens, Mining, national, same old national
    Tags:

    Two days after the IPCC has warned us of the threat posed by climate change and Simon Bridges has announced a huge block offer of parts of New Zealand and much of its territorial water.  This will include the pristine waters off Auckland’s west coast, home of Maui’s dolphin.  In a world that has to address its consumption of petroleum you have to question if it is worth the risk.

  11. Oil rigs – coming to a beach near you?

    Written By:  mickysavage -  Date published: 7:58 am, November 19th, 2013 -  98 comments
    Categories: auckland supercity, climate change, Conservation, Economy, energy
    Tags:

    The Government is in the process of handing out oil exploration permits which would if unchanged allow drilling 6 nautical miles out from the west coast beaches of Auckland.  And Auckland Council had the chance to submit on the proposal and did so, in a very gentle way, but forgot to ask the locals including the local board.  There has to be a better way.

  12. John Key, Crosby & corporate lobbyists

    Written By:  karol -  Date published: 10:26 am, July 16th, 2013 -  40 comments
    Categories: accountability, capitalism, Conservation, crosby textor, democracy under attack, john key, Mining, slippery, spin, trade, uk politics
    Tags: ,

    Joining the dots: David Cameron is under fire for his links with lobbyists for big tobacco & big oil, via his link with Lynton Crosby.  John Key, with links to Crosby Textor, has also bowed to big tobacco. Networks of Influence.

  13. Networks of influence: Key, Peter Thiel & the GCSB

    Written By:  karol -  Date published: 9:21 am, June 13th, 2013 -  70 comments
    Categories: accountability, capitalism, copyright, democracy under attack, greens, john key, russel norman, same old national, slippery, Spying, telecommunications
    Tags: ,

    We don’t know how often John Key has met with Peter Thiel, co-founder of Palantir which developes cyber-intell systems like PRISM, & is now operating in NZ.  Thiel’s involvement in NZ is  extensive. He has been pursuing his “utopian” libertarian, cyber-focused agenda in NZ for a few years.

  14. Nats’ environmental record

    Written By:  Guest post -  Date published: 12:25 pm, May 21st, 2013 -  40 comments
    Categories: disaster, Environment, national
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    Long time commenter BLiP on the National government’s environmental record.

  15. We’re leaving & we’re taking the dams

    Written By:  Zetetic -  Date published: 8:57 am, May 7th, 2013 -  18 comments
    Categories: boycott, capitalism, class war, energy, privatisation, Satire
    Tags:

    Following the Labour and Greens’ rejection of their demand that the parties drop their NZ Power policy to lower power prices, the business elite has announced capital flight. ‘If Origin Energy loses its rentier profits, who’s next? said Phil O’Reilly, close to tears, ‘The banks? The Telecoms duopoly? The petrol companies?* The construction materials oligopoly? The ports and airports?

  16. Mining & the sly dismantling of conservation protections

    Written By:  karol -  Date published: 11:00 am, March 28th, 2013 -  32 comments
    Categories: activism, climate change, Conservation, democracy under attack, greens, Maori Issues, Mining, national/act government
    Tags: ,

    Cuts to DOC, the Crown Minerals (Permitting and Crown Land) Bill [3rd reading today], permits allowing the exploration for minerals on Schedule 4 land: here is the stealthy NAct MO in action, to undermine the strong public protests against Schedule 4 mining. [Update: the Bill is #6 on today’s Final Order Paper]

  17. 2012 cabinet report card

    Written By:  IrishBill -  Date published: 12:25 pm, January 2nd, 2013 -  18 comments
    Categories: national, Politics
    Tags:

    After Eddie dissed the usual beltway year in review style of column/post I was a little chary about doing this one. And then I realised the good thing about The Standard is we do real world and beltway issues. So here goes my once-over assessment of the 2012 cabinet performance and what it’s likely to mean for the future.

  18. Give TPP the ‘Dracula Treatment’

    Written By:  Ben Clark -  Date published: 7:54 pm, December 4th, 2012 -  40 comments
    Categories: trade
    Tags: ,

    RELEASE THE TEXT

  19. A rock and a hot place

    Written By:  James Henderson -  Date published: 6:30 am, July 5th, 2012 -  49 comments
    Categories: climate change, Environment, peak oil
    Tags:

    Yesterday National pollster David Farrar excitedly quoted from a George Monbiot article saying peak oil isn’t happening. Two problems: 1) Farrar omitted to quote the bits of the article saying that the flipside of no peak oil would be runaway climate change. 2) the report Monbiot’s article is based on is written by an oil executive who claims we’ll stumble on endless cheap oil and all live happily ever after.

  20. Reaching Tipping Point

    Written By:  Ben Clark -  Date published: 7:35 am, June 8th, 2012 -  24 comments
    Categories: climate change, Conservation, disaster, Environment, sustainability, water
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    Two major new reports out yesterday (from the UN and in Nature) show the earth is headed for a tipping point: our consumption is unsustainable, and we’re degrading the environment.  Soon it will be beyond the point of return.

  21. National’s budget priorities: Roads to Nowhere

    Written By:  Bunji -  Date published: 1:58 pm, May 25th, 2012 -  4 comments
    Categories: budget2012, national
    Tags:

    The 3 most expensive items in the Budget: 1. $10.24 billion: Superannuation, 2. $3.69 billion: Debt Servicing, 3. $3.32 billion: National Land Transport Agency (Roads of National Signficance etc) – up $334 million. National are prepared to sack teachers, raise prescription costs and pick paperboy’s pockets to defend their roads that make no economic sense.

  22. Performance pay for ministers to be introduced

    Written By:  Zetetic -  Date published: 11:46 am, May 17th, 2012 -  10 comments
    Categories: john key, national/act government, Satire
    Tags:

    In a surprising pre-Budget u-turn, Prime Minister John Key has announced the Government will drop its policy of incrementally introducing performance pay for teachers and, instead, introduce it for ministers. “Listening to Hekia Parata fluff her way through her spin lines on the teacher cuts, I had a kind of epiphany” said Key. “Any fool […]

  23. Shearer’s Address in Reply

    Written By:  Eddie -  Date published: 11:59 am, December 18th, 2011 -  97 comments
    Categories: david shearer
    Tags:

    David Shearer’s brand is of a new kind of politician. Not burdened by the old rivalries, he is touted as the man that can move New Zealand forwards – a consensus-builder rather than a scarred old warrior. The weekend media coverage has been excellent. His Address in Reply this week will consolidate his brand. Here is what I would say if I were him.

  24. How we got where we are

    Written By:  Anthony R0bins -  Date published: 7:35 am, November 24th, 2011 -  39 comments
    Categories: economy, employment, labour, national
    Tags: , ,

    Last election we had a choice between competent economic management and a bunch of hollow promises. We made a poor choice then, and the record shows that we have wasted three years as a result.  Coming up to this election we don’t need more tired Nat excuses, we need solutions. Bring back Labour!

  25. What the Commission said – Key on RadioLive

    Written By:  Mike Smith -  Date published: 3:30 pm, October 11th, 2011 -  64 comments
    Categories: brand key, broadcasting, election 2011, election funding, john key
    Tags:

    Key’s staff spun to media that his Radio Live show was ok if he didn’t discuss politics, saying the station had received advice from the Electoral Commission that “political content’ could breach rules. That didn’t sound right to me, so I asked the Commission what they actually said.

  26. Krugman: The unwisdom of elites

    Written By:  r0b -  Date published: 12:32 pm, May 15th, 2011 -  19 comments
    Categories: capitalism, class war, International, tax
    Tags: , ,

    Paul Krugman on the real reasons for the economic carnage.  Not social spending policies, but the daft economic policies of the right-wing “policy elites”.  Our focus should not be on slashing spending, but on National’s stupid, unaffordable tax cuts.

  27. Jackel’s week that was

    Written By:  notices and features -  Date published: 8:11 pm, May 14th, 2011 -  2 comments
    Categories: blogs
    Tags:

    This week in The Jackel’s week that was: deepsea oil protests continue, Prince Charles against business as usual, child poverty, Libya, bees, onshore oil protests, US flooding, Nats prepare for cuts as we pay for their mistakes, ACC’s hardline savings come at a price, Wikileaks, and more!

  28. Gower on Chopper Key

    Written By:  Eddie -  Date published: 11:45 am, May 9th, 2011 -  27 comments
    Categories: john key
    Tags: , , ,

    Patrick Gower has more on the helicopter flight that John Key took in 2009 after opening a walkway that Key says was necessary because of mystery meetings that were supposedly arranged that afternoon. The flight cost us $2,000 when Key learned the helicopter was owned by the Velas.

  29. Saying a lot while saying very little

    Written By:  Eddie -  Date published: 11:00 am, May 6th, 2011 -  13 comments
    Categories: parliamentary spending
    Tags: , ,

    The out of touchness, she burns! In a few short replies, the Nats said so much this week. The stories of perk abuse have been rolling out almost too fast, in fact. Each needs following up, each minister needs to be hounded, but there are so many targets. The galling thing is in a fortnight the Nats will tell us ‘everyone has to tighten their belts’.

  30. Spending cuts I’d like to see – No 3

    Written By:  Guest post -  Date published: 10:30 am, April 27th, 2011 -  4 comments
    Categories: election 2011, transport
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    Following two years of unsustainable tax cuts and economic mismanagement, National appears certain to rebalance the books with spending cuts. But what will they choose to cut? George.com asks: ‘how about the $4.2 billion in roading projects that will return, at best, just $3 billion of benefits?’

  31. ECE costs increasing

    Written By:  r0b -  Date published: 12:01 pm, April 21st, 2011 -  19 comments
    Categories: cost of living, education, national
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    The Nats’ attack on early childhood education (ECE) is starting to bite.  As surely as night follows day, the cuts in funding for childcare centres are showing up as increased costs for parents.