The Standard

New Electricity Tax Coming

Written By:
Date published: 3:07 pm, February 10th, 2026 - 17 comments
Categories: Christopher Luxon, Simon Watts
Tags: , , , ,

National Party, laser focused on the cost of living, threw away ~$1 billion on ferries, introduced Paywave changes that will increase fees & are now levying a new tax on Kiwi families and businesses

Who is Athanasios Orphanides, Willis’ appointment for the RBNZ inquiry?

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Date published: 11:03 pm, February 11th, 2026 - 1 comment

Willis launches a surprise Covid inquiry with results to come out 6 weeks before the election. I looked further into it.

Open Mike 11/02/2026

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Date published: 6:00 am, February 11th, 2026 - 20 comments

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2.8% of New Zealand population outbound in 2 years as division widens

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Date published: 2:56 pm, February 10th, 2026 - 5 comments

OPINION: I visited Facebook recently and noticed some fake accounts (you know the ones with AI pictures depicting Māori in an unfavourable light, along with NZ flags featured prominently, as if love for a country is about a piece of cloth), and there’s a distinct anti-Indian sentiment being cultivated on the platform

Open Mike 10/02/2026

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Date published: 6:00 am, February 10th, 2026 - 53 comments

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Open Mike 09/02/2026

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Date published: 6:00 am, February 9th, 2026 - 53 comments

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Despite Denials, US-NZ Minerals Agreement likely to proceed

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Date published: 10:02 pm, February 8th, 2026 - 9 comments

The NZ government has shrouded US rare minerals discussions in secrecy, refusing to provide information to Kiwis even as the US confirms talks are in progress. The agreement may requires countries to commit to accelerated and extended mining

Fast Track law fails at the first big hurdle

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Date published: 9:19 am, February 8th, 2026 - 18 comments

Environmental groups have cheered the draft Panel’s decision refusing to allow Taranaki’s continental shelf from being smashed up to extract rare earth minerals. But how will the Government respond?

Open Mike 08/02/2026

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Date published: 6:00 am, February 8th, 2026 - 14 comments

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Are whales people? The Green Party Bill to give whales personhood

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Date published: 12:10 pm, February 7th, 2026 - 47 comments

Save the whales! (and ourselves)

Open Mike 07/02/2026

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Date published: 6:00 am, February 7th, 2026 - 21 comments

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GOOD NEWS: Fast-Track Seabed mining application rejected

Written By:
Date published: 9:00 am, February 6th, 2026 - 7 comments

TTR were asked to apply for Fast-Track by Chris Bishop after trying and failing for a decade through NZ courts. Yesterday, it looked like they were rejected again

Open Mike 06/02/2026

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Date published: 6:00 am, February 6th, 2026 - 34 comments

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Open Mike 05/02/2026

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Date published: 6:00 am, February 5th, 2026 - 28 comments

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“Surprise” unemployment high masks more damaging developments

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Date published: 12:50 pm, February 4th, 2026 - 8 comments

Unemployment hits 5.4% in the December quarter, but that doesn’t include the 140,000 plus Kiwi citizens that have fled in the last 2 years

This National-led Government is the best mis-manager of the economy

Written By:
Date published: 12:37 pm, February 4th, 2026 - 9 comments

When the coalition is treating the economy as a game, are they having fun?

Open Mike 04/02/2026

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Date published: 6:00 am, February 4th, 2026 - 48 comments

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Game on: Labour and the Greens speak to media from Waitangi

Written By:
Date published: 2:28 pm, February 3rd, 2026 - 28 comments

Chris Hipkins, Marama Davidson, and Chloe Swarbrick speak on unity, working together while being separate partners, and the upcoming election.

Is Shane Jones really to blame?

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Date published: 8:37 am, February 3rd, 2026 - 9 comments

NZ First is openly allegiant to commercial fishers, mining (fossil fuels) and tobacco companies, but is it really their fault?

Open Mike 03/02/2026

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Date published: 6:00 am, February 3rd, 2026 - 21 comments

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Shane Jones loves fossil fuels

Written By:
Date published: 1:09 pm, February 2nd, 2026 - 9 comments

National has allowed Shane Jones to effectively veto the country signing up to a road map away from the use of fossil fuels supported by much of the world that was consistent with current policy settings.

Open Mike 02/02/2026

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Date published: 6:00 am, February 2nd, 2026 - 21 comments

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What does Labour do about Winston?

Written By:
Date published: 2:29 pm, February 1st, 2026 - 61 comments

Current polling suggests that we may witness something that has not happened before, a one term National Government. But this may mean Labour making a deal with Winston Peters. What should Labour do?

Open Mike 01/02/2026

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Date published: 6:00 am, February 1st, 2026 - 14 comments

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Open Mike 31/01/2026

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Date published: 6:00 am, January 31st, 2026 - 12 comments

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Green Shoots, Anyone?

Written By:
Date published: 4:11 pm, January 30th, 2026 - 27 comments

There is no evidence of immediate improvement in our economy, or of this government improving it.

Mr 8%

Written By:
Date published: 7:57 am, January 30th, 2026 - 14 comments

2026 school lunches are just as bad, but they are also emblematic of Seymour’s spin and facade

Open Mike 30/01/2026

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Date published: 6:00 am, January 30th, 2026 - 17 comments

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Who would have thunk that slashing Health IT budgets would result in IT outages

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Date published: 2:03 pm, January 29th, 2026 - 9 comments

A year after the Government slashed a third of Health IT jobs the Auckland hospital system has suffered a massive IT outage.

Open Mike 29/01/2026

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Date published: 6:00 am, January 29th, 2026 - 28 comments

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How the Atlas Network is shaping your life, even if you’ve never heard of it

Written By:
Date published: 8:14 am, January 28th, 2026 - 43 comments

Australia’s media covers the nefarious rise and links of Atlas Network in Australia and NZ.