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: collapse, economic risks, GFC 2
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.
Written By:
mickysavage -
Date published: 2:18 pm, November 10th, 2015 -
99 comments
Categories: australian politics, International, john key, national
Tags: christmas island, kelvin davis, marama fox
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.
Written By:
Natwatch -
Date published: 9:21 am, October 17th, 2015 -
39 comments
Categories: Judith Collins
Tags: cameron slater, judith collins
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.
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.
Written By:
Anthony R0bins -
Date published: 7:17 am, June 1st, 2015 -
37 comments
Categories: activism, climate change, democratic participation, global warming, sustainability
Tags: dunedin, emissions targets, lost causes, paris talks, we the people
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.
Written By:
BLiP -
Date published: 7:00 am, April 12th, 2015 -
84 comments
Categories: john key, Judith Collins, law and "order", national, police
Tags: police
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.
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.
Written By:
lprent -
Date published: 1:14 pm, April 29th, 2014 -
32 comments
Categories: act, don brash, Economy, labour
Tags: reserve bank
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.
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: simon bridges
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.
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.
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: david cameron, tobacco industry
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.
Written By:
Guest post -
Date published: 12:25 pm, May 21st, 2013 -
40 comments
Categories: disaster, Environment, national
Tags:
Long time commenter BLiP on the National government’s environmental record.
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?
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: catherine delahunty, nick smith
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]
Written By:
IrishBill -
Date published: 12:25 pm, January 2nd, 2013 -
18 comments
Categories: national, Politics
Tags: beltway
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.
Written By:
Ben Clark -
Date published: 7:54 pm, December 4th, 2012 -
40 comments
Categories: trade
Tags: Jane Kelsey, TPPA
RELEASE THE TEXT
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.
Written By:
Ben Clark -
Date published: 7:35 am, June 8th, 2012 -
24 comments
Categories: climate change, Conservation, disaster, Environment, sustainability, water
Tags: nature, rio+20, unep
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.
Written By:
Bunji -
Date published: 1:58 pm, May 25th, 2012 -
4 comments
Categories: budget2012, national
Tags: roads
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.
Written By:
Zetetic -
Date published: 11:46 am, May 17th, 2012 -
10 comments
Categories: john key, national/act government, Satire
Tags: What's good for the goose
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 […]
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.
Written By:
Anthony R0bins -
Date published: 7:35 am, November 24th, 2011 -
39 comments
Categories: economy, employment, labour, national
Tags: clueless, economic management, lies
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!
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.
Written By:
r0b -
Date published: 12:32 pm, May 15th, 2011 -
19 comments
Categories: capitalism, class war, International, tax
Tags: ireland, paul krugman, tax cuts
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.
Written By:
notices and features -
Date published: 8:11 pm, May 14th, 2011 -
2 comments
Categories: blogs
Tags: the jackel
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!
Written By:
Eddie -
Date published: 11:45 am, May 9th, 2011 -
27 comments
Categories: john key
Tags: elitism, government waste, hypocrisy, lies
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.
Written By:
Eddie -
Date published: 11:00 am, May 6th, 2011 -
13 comments
Categories: parliamentary spending
Tags: elitism, government waste, out of touch
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’.
Written By:
Guest post -
Date published: 10:30 am, April 27th, 2011 -
4 comments
Categories: election 2011, transport
Tags: roads
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?’
Written By:
r0b -
Date published: 12:01 pm, April 21st, 2011 -
19 comments
Categories: cost of living, education, national
Tags: broken promises, early childhood education, ece
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.
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