What do "transactional" and "relational" mean politically ? Shaw is dreaming if he thinks that conversations with a party that has just won a majority of seats in parliament will bring him the power that voters have just denied him. The Green Party kaupapa makes no sense to me – finite world ? Bullshit – look skywards on a clear night. "Human beings are part of the natural world" – a world where evolution by natural selection operates. And where is the "just distribution of social and natural resources" in that ? They would be more honest rebranding as the Abolish Poverty in Aotearoa Party. That's where the kaupapa really lies – take from the rich and give to the poor and sustainably enforce the taking !
Is there an endless vein of gold on the planet, Grafton Gully?
Is there no end to the fish in the sea?
Is the supply of dodo unlimited? Hang on…
Evolution has produced something remarkable; humans, capable of wresting evolution from the non-human world and shaping it how they/we will. And we are doing just that. How should we plot our path? Leave it to the soul-less corporations? Let it roll as it will? The Greens have ideas about managing human behaviour from here on in.
For the foreseeable purposes of humanity, mineral resources are not the limiting factor IF we have access to the energy to recycle what we already have.
Is there no end to the fish in the sea?
The crucial step toward decoupling human impact on the environment is to grow our own food using systems that do not rely on harvesting wild resources. In terms of fish, the solution is aquaponics.
Is the supply of dodo unlimited?
99.9% of all species that ever lived on planet Earth are extinct. Adapt or perish. This rule applies to humans as well.
Transactional would be "I want to be Minister of X, therefore I'm going to do Y deal with Labour" (i.e. there's a transaction, I guess in this case based on perceptions of leverage, in other situations it might be rhetoric around voter support eg NZF's line).
Relational would be "Labour and the Greens have a strong working relationship now, how can we work together within that relationship to advance our shared goals?"
Shaw didn't no transaction, he said it's not as transactional as people think.
Cutting edge politics (and science for that matter) recognises that the universe is held together by the relationships between people (and things). Capitalism and the patriarchy say that transaction is king (hence we have king makers in politics, those that can wield leverage and power monger). Deep green, indigenous, eco feminist etc politics say that the relationships matter more than the power over others. It's basically the position that will save the planet.
The only way that humans can make use of the material part of the universe outside of Gaia, is with Gaia's help. Finite world (Gaia) in terms of space, time, physical things and the relationships between them. There's only so much high tech metals to make space ships out of.
Two Zeds & Two Noughts, a new movie by Peter Greenaway about the death, decay, and decomposition of the National Party, the death of NZF, the rise of the monkey troupe ACT, and the lush Greens.
It's so irrational! They are claiming the rural vote knew the precise outcome of the election before it even took place. They're in full denial. Can't accept the average voter was rewarding Jacinda in particular for the way she responded to three tumultuous years and most of all for her and Dr Bloomfield's calming and competent Covid response.
I live in a National voting farming community that has shifted to Labour this election and those that did not vote Labour, voted Act. Fully agree with your comment Anne, that is exactly what I am hearing too, plus National was considered unfit to govern in these difficult times.
So to create a fair tax system we add another high earner tax bracket for those earning over $180k
yet the average house in Auckland has increased by the same value and is not taxed? More so for those who own rentals with this lotto bonus. So how is that going to help in creating a fair society ?
"Capitalism is about making sure the rich get to bludge heavily off of everyone else through owning and restricting access to what everyone needs." and doesn't a government ensure that what is needed to ensure that there is a functioning society is put in place and that there is a system to pay for this that is "FAIR" and reasonable. What is currently in place and proposed places the burden on only 1 subset. Nothing about businesses contributing yet they want a stable economic environment, educated workforce etc yet not pay for it ? or where other income is derived from to contribute ? i.e Broaden tax base ???
Why is Phil Twyford doing digital billboards thanking voters post election?
I drove through the intersection of Lincoln Rd and Universal Drive today and there's a huge billboard with Phil beaming at the poor of West Auckland from a $10-$20K billboard position thanking them for voting for him. Did he not spend all his money on the campaign itself.
He might have had a major effect in opposition and probably helped change the government more than anyone apart from Jacinda Ardern in 2017, but since then he has been terrible, and he continues to be terrible. I am not afraid to admit that.
Kiwibuild; hard to do but as Ricardo Menendez March says, much more work should have been done to make those homes accessible to working families. Much more uptake if more people were allowed to buy them.
Auckland airport rail; what a nightmare of very expensive competing reports. He seems to have no idea how to run a tender and no idea what the vision should be. Find out what you want then do the tender, not the other way round you moron.
And now he's taking out 5 figure digital billboards in order to build his personal brand on Universal Drive, the entry point to Ranui and Swanson, the very poorest parts of West Auckland.
How do you know whether a benefactor didn't pay for it? And it may be a big billboard but $10-20K? Way too high imo. As for the rest… well that is a matter of opinion. Yep, he made some bad mistakes with his rhetoric but that's the nature of the man. I'm sure he's learnt the error of his ways. Time will tell.
Sorry, Anne. I just don't think he's any good at all. 4/5ths of the pain Labour felt this last term were in his portfolios. I don't think he's up to the job and doing digital billboards promoting his own brand confirms his priorities for me.
Mickysavage will know Phil well. I wonder what he thinks…
The aim was to build 50,000 Kiwibuild houses. Annette King said no lets say 100,000 house because it had a better ring to the number. Had they just aimed to build as many houses as they could, there would be little blame and Phil would not have been hung out to dry.
Moral is to avoid numbering goals because the Opposition just uses numbers to bash the Government. (Key was much more cunning and gave no numbers about how many houses they would build, let alone admit there was a crisis. Sneaky lot!)
This is the refrain from some seasoned Standard commenters on the pain certain yachties felt, unable to moor their floating mansions in cheap NZ waters because of Covid.
Two weeks later another outbreak comes through NZ ports and shipping.
It's pretty easy to demand open access for hard done by recreational and lifestyle boaties from the comfort of suburban Brisbane, but for the people of NZ who are affected by outbreaks at the sea border it is very serious, emotionally and economically.
Bad assumption. One of us spent last night cleaning a ship hull at anchor in a 2m swell. 20hr shift buster. This vessel is heading to NZ soon, and a clean hull keeps our coastal waters free of bio-fouling pest species. Say thank you.
As for the 'floating mansion' crack, you really are an ignorant twat. Most of these boats are actually worth less than a typical Auckland house, and a good deal smaller. Life for a cruiser has it's rewards, but you work for it.
unable to moor their floating mansions in cheap NZ waters
And again the deliberate misrepresenting lie. Objectively of all the people who are arriving here already, these people who will have to do effectively two quarantines back to back, are the lowest possible risk.
As for the 'cheap anchoring' thing … the cost of anchoring really isn't the issue here.
Two weeks later another outbreak comes through NZ ports and shipping.
Yachties are in a completely different scenario to people working commercial ships which have much shorter transit times. Many of those people are working to very tough rules:
Wayne Turner is the master of Capitaine Tasman, a container ship that sails between Mount Maunganui, Auckland, Noumea, Suva and Lautoka – making a 17-day round trip.
New Zealand, Noumea and Fiji are all countries without community transmission of the virus.
Turner said effectively the crew were in constant isolation.
"You've got people that are basically in prison. They can't depart the vessel, they can't go for a walk, get fresh air, they can't get off the vessel.
"It needs to be managed so that people can have those basic human rights, provided that [they] take appropriate action, they need to be able to get off the vessel, stretch their legs, [get] fresh air, change of scene.
"Just the normal stuff you need for psychological wellbeing, it is worse than being in prison," he said.
Crew were also not allowed ashore in Fiji or Noumea, so they were trapped on board, Turner said.
"We don't get any leave at all and no visits.
"It is pretty inhumane what seafarers are having to face and for no real reason. It's a lack of understanding on the part of the powers-that-be as to the real risks that exist, which are negligible, if at all."
Turner said while crew must wear PPE gear at all times while on the deck in port and can be fined if they do not, stevedores coming on board to load or discharge cargo, do not have to.
"If I go on deck while in port in New Zealand, if Customs see me [not wearing PPE gear] I can be liable for a fine of up to $2000.''
He said all of the 18 crew, including himself, have their temperatures taken twice a day and it is logged.
"We have no contact with the external world effectively."
Turner said as a New Zealander he had been Covid tested and isolated for the past two months. He was not able to leave the ship nor visit his Mount Maunganui home, family or friends and they could not visit him.
"Home is basically 2-3 kilometres away."
'The government is just not interested'
Some other crew members have not been ashore since March.
"It's pretty inhumane to have been on board from March without having been able to step off the vessel at any stage."
Unless you've worked in these sorts of remote locations you probably won't appreciate just how difficult this is. There are tens of thousands of people working all over the globe under extraordinary pressure, just to maintain the ordinary flow of trade and goods that make your 'safe suburban life' possible.
Objectively of all the people who are arriving here already, these people who will have to do effectively two quarantines back to back, are the lowest possible risk.
And we still don't have any responsibility for them unless they're NZers. They chose the lifestyle that put them in the position that they're in knowing that it came with risk.
"It is pretty inhumane what seafarers are having to face and for no real reason. It's a lack of understanding on the part of the powers-that-be as to the real risks that exist, which are negligible, if at all."
Those negligible risks just resulted in more confirmed cases in NZ.
There are tens of thousands of people working all over the globe under extraordinary pressure, just to maintain the ordinary flow of trade and goods that make your 'safe suburban life' possible.
And that shows the problem of being trade dependent.
You don't compare the risk to NZ particularly well.
Boats typically crewed by three to six people, spending generally a month or more in isolation in transit, present a low risk of Covid.
A BATM carries a crew of around 80 people, a large enough confined population to cycle Covid in the way the cruise ships did, becoming in effect large incubators.
The slave ships are an extreme form of externalising costs, and the cost in terms of Covid risk to NZ has already proven to be much greater than would be presented by the yachts coming here.
You might wonder why such an invidious practice has continued for four decades, aided and abetted by corrupt governments instead of following NZ labour laws like any other business. I have certainly never seen a credible explanation, apart from The two most abundant materials in the universe are hydrogen and stupidity. ~ Harlan Ellison. Inevitably the government is now investing in hydrogen also – fml.
An important interview with Dr Michael Baker on Radionz this morning about Covid-19 and NZ. I had to search through the audios for this, it wasn't featured above as important news.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/2018769516/new-covid-fears-in-auckland 19 mins Today 9.08am Sir David Skegg, is an epidemiologist at the University of Otago Medical School and former chairman of the Public Health Commission, Health Research Council and New Zealand Science Board. He's concerned at the levels of general complacency reflected at both public and government agency level.
and – Today on Morning Report at 8.15 am. https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2018769501/covid-19-epidemiologist-on-positive-case-s-visit-to-pub Aucklanders who were at a packed pub on Auckland's North Shore on Friday night are being told to stay home, and get a Covid-19 test as soon as possible. It has emerged that an infectious person visited the Malt pub in Greenhithe between 7.30pm and 10pm Friday night. The Ministry of Health says anyone there during this time should get tested and stay in isolation until they get a negative result.
Michael Baker is a Professor of public health and an epidemiologist.
I am convinced after listening to these professionals that the government should be making it mandatory for masks to be worn on planes and also buses, and no bloody argumentation. They are a good step to take in limiting the spread of the virus, and people have gone right away from doing anything to be precautionary. I go to the supermarket and never see blokes going near the hand sanitising machine – easy to use. But I think to most that's not a male thing – it's women who fuss about cleanliness and prissiness. So they won't do things till it is The Rule.
And these intelligent, trained, wise professionals note that the Russian seamen are being put in isolation – well pretty much isolated. Two to a room, which means the whole purpose of isolation is undermined, and in 14 days they won't be sure that the tests indicate a full clear period for the disease to show BECAUSE IT MUST BE A TIME AWAY FROM ALL OTHER PEOPLE. How does our MoH and Director allow such shoddy stuff to go on. We can only maintain our near-free status by adopting the right protocols and turn those into absolute procedures. These fishermen need to be put in separate rooms and the 14 day isolation starting again.
It was mentioned that the doubling up in the isolation hotel might have been a cost-saving measure by the fishing company. Well if our ruling is that the men should be separated completely, the company should be complying! Assert yourself NZ authorities, this is where we need that sovereignty that spineless governments have been so willing to sign away in favour of promised prosperity.
And it was reiterated that PPE – protective clothing for workers doesn't prevent disease, just provides some protection.
"Early anecdotal analysis of voting behaviour reveals that many National voters voted Labour and Greens to prevent the shambolic National Party from getting anywhere near Government."
I would imagine this would only be the first increase for this restoration. It is not the Notre Dame. We should have something more modern and innovative to meet the heartfelt needs of the 21st century but no, cling on to the old. Look up at the steeple, not down to the people.
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TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 10:06am on Wednesday, May 1:The Lead: Business confidence fell across the board in April, falling in some areas to levels last seen during the lockdowns because of a collapse in ...
Over the past 36 hours, Christopher Luxon has been dong his best to portray the centre-right’s plummeting poll numbers as a mark of virtue. Allegedly, the negative verdicts are the result of hard economic times, and of a government bravely set out on a perilous rescue mission from which not ...
Green Party MP Hūhana Lyndon says her Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill is an opportunity to right some past wrongs around the alienation of Māori land. ...
A senior, highly respected King’s Counsel with decades of experience in our law courts, Gary Judd KC, has filed a complaint about compulsory tikanga Māori studies for law students - highlighting the utter depths of absurdity this woke cultural madness has taken our society. The tikanga regulations will compel law ...
The Government needs to be clear with the people of the Nelson Marlborough region about the changes it is considering for the Nelson Hospital rebuild, Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said. ...
Ministers must front up about which projects it will push through under its Fast Track Approvals legislation, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
There has been a material decline in gas production according to figures released today by the Gas Industry Co. Figures released by the Gas Industry Company show that there was a 12.5 per cent reduction in gas production during 2023, and a 27.8 per cent reduction in gas production in the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins tonight announced the recipients of the Minister of Defence Awards of Excellence for Industry, saying they all contribute to New Zealanders’ security and wellbeing. “Congratulations to this year’s recipients, whose innovative products and services play a critical role in the delivery of New Zealand’s defence capabilities, ...
Welcome to you all - it is a pleasure to be here this evening.I would like to start by thanking Greg Lowe, Chair of the New Zealand Defence Industry Advisory Council, for co-hosting this reception with me. This evening is about recognising businesses from across New Zealand and overseas who in ...
It is a pleasure to be speaking to you as the Minister for Digitising Government. I would like to thank Akolade for the invitation to address this Summit, and to acknowledge the great effort you are making to grow New Zealand’s digital future. Today, we stand at the cusp of ...
New Zealand is urging both Israel and Hamas to agree to an immediate ceasefire to avoid the further humanitarian catastrophe that military action in Rafah would unleash, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The immense suffering in Gaza cannot be allowed to worsen further. Both sides have a responsibility to ...
A new online data dashboard released today as part of the Government’s school attendance action plan makes more timely daily attendance data available to the public and parents, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. The interactive dashboard will be updated once a week to show a national average of how ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced Rosemary Banks will be New Zealand’s next Ambassador to the United States of America. “Our relationship with the United States is crucial for New Zealand in strategic, security and economic terms,” Mr Peters says. “New Zealand and the United States have a ...
The Government is considering creating a new tier of minerals permitting that will make it easier for hobby miners to prospect for gold. “New Zealand was built on gold, it’s in our DNA. Our gold deposits, particularly in regions such as Otago and the West Coast have always attracted fortune-hunters. ...
Minister for Trade Todd McClay today announced that New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will commence negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA). Minister McClay met with his counterpart UAE Trade Minister Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi in Dubai, where they announced the launch of negotiations on a ...
New Zealand Sign Language Week is an excellent opportunity for all Kiwis to give the language a go, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. This week (May 6 to 12) is New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) Week. The theme is “an Aotearoa where anyone can sign anywhere” and aims to ...
Six tertiary students have been selected to work on NASA projects in the US through a New Zealand Space Scholarship, Space Minister Judith Collins announced today. “This is a fantastic opportunity for these talented students. They will undertake internships at NASA’s Ames Research Center or its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), where ...
New Zealanders will be safer because of a $1.9 billion investment in more frontline Corrections officers, more support for offenders to turn away from crime, and more prison capacity, Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell says. “Our Government said we would crack down on crime. We promised to restore law and order, ...
The OECD’s latest report on New Zealand reinforces the importance of bringing Government spending under control, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The OECD conducts country surveys every two years to review its members’ economic policies. The 2024 New Zealand survey was presented in Wellington today by OECD Chief Economist Clare Lombardelli. ...
The Government has delivered on its election promise to provide a financially sustainable model for Auckland under its Local Water Done Well plan. The plan, which has been unanimously endorsed by Auckland Council’s Governing Body, will see Aucklanders avoid the previously projected 25.8 per cent water rates increases while retaining ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today. "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure. The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say. “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
Whānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...
Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Franco Montalto, Professor of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering and Director, Sustainable Water Resource Engineering Laboratory, Drexel University Water runs into a storm drain in a Los Angeles alley on Aug. 19, 2023, during Tropical Storm Hilary.Citizen of the Planet/Universal Images ...
The inquest into the death of Gore toddler Lachlan Jones has turned up a new witness who says he saw two teenagers and a small child in a high vis vest in the area where the boy’s body was found the day he died. Lachie’s body was discovered face up ...
Stories from the tenancy trenches, featuring spider infestations, cupboard rats and same-sex discrimination. Lucy’s brother was living in a damp 1930s building in Mt Eden where “he had to tie the cupboard doors closed so the rats didn’t get in”. Although he shared custody of his six-year-old son, his property ...
Simeon Brown, Chris Luxon, and Wayne Brown climbed into a hole and announced a plan to solve Auckland’s water woes. This is how it’ll work. New Zealand’s pipes are munted. They’re cracked and leaking, and struggling to handle all the extra poos excreted by our rising population. It’s a big, ...
After replacing a fifth of their caucus in just four months, the Greens’ opportunity to reset, reshuffle and refocus on the Government is quickly slipping away The post Persistent Green Party scandals delay caucus reset appeared first on Newsroom. ...
I knew Taika Waititi quite well when he was a kid. His mother lived in a tall narrow house in Aro St, and my youngest sister had a similar house two doors along. They were both single mums, they each had a son aged seven. Taika and my nephew Stepan ...
Opinion: “As time passes, knowledge of the circumstances of the August 2016 outbreak will fade and its immediate impact will be lost.” This statement is from the 2017 report of the Official Inquiry into the Havelock North campylobacteriosis outbreak. The then National-led government established the inquiry after the outbreak left ...
Opinion: Nicholas Khoo looks at two key points in the high-stakes foreign policy pact debate – and asks if NZ can engage with as little drama as possible. The post Where to next for the Aukus ruckus? appeared first on Newsroom. ...
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Opinion: ‘Reference-class forecasting’ is at the heart of improving pricing a project and identifying the expected timeframe but it doesn’t appear to be in use here The post ‘Think fast and act slowly’ is failing big projects appeared first on Newsroom. ...
What do a sombrero in Argentina and cognitive driving tests have in common? Don’t worry, we’re not setting up a bad joke. Hinengaro Clinic dementia clinician Gregory Winkelman has the answer on today’s episode of The Detail. “We ask a patient’s spouse or son or daughter: If you went to ...
Wellington long jumper Phoebe Edwards is back and she’s having fun again. Until this year, Edwards, a top athlete in her teens, had never competed as a senior athlete in New Zealand. In March, the 26-year-old won a national long jump title in a lifetime best of 6.28m after ...
ANALYSIS:By Olli Hellmann, University of Waikato When New Zealanders commemorate Anzac Day today on April 25, it’s not only to honour the soldiers who lost their lives in World War I and subsequent conflicts, but also to mark a defining event for national identity. The battle of Gallipoli against ...
By Robin Martin, RNZ News reporter A New Zealand local authority, Whanganui District Council, has passed a motion calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, condemnation of all acts of violence and terror against civilians on both sides of the conflict and the immediate return of hostages. It comes as ...
Asia Pacific Report The Aotearoa chapter of the Women’s International league for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) has appealed to the New Zealand government to call out Israel over the “cruel and barbaric use of force” in Gaza and demand a permanent ceasefire. The league’s open letter was sent to Prime ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The Albanese government will invest $566 million over a decade on data, maps and other tools to promote exploration and development in Australia’s resources industry. The project will fund “the first comprehensive map of what’s ...
Asia Pacific Report Following an open letter by Auckland University academics speaking out in support of their students’ right to protest against the genocidal Israeli war on Gaza, a group of academics at Otago University have today also called on New Zealand academic institutions to “repair colonial violence” and end ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Linda J. Graham, Professor and Director of the Centre for Inclusive Education, Queensland University of Technology Ryan Tauss/ Unsplash, CC BY Two male students have been expelled from a Melbourne private school for their involvement in a list ranking female students. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University The Reserve Bank is now assuming Australians will see no interest rate cuts this year – and quite possibly none before the next federal election, due next May. That’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Hayward, Emeritus Professor of Public Policy, RMIT University The Victorian budget offered more of the same on Tuesday, with the only change being how the budget papers were packaged. The usual shrink wrap was gone, hinting at savings in the pages ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The Coalition is demanding extensive amendments to the government’s legislation targeting non-citizens who refuse to co-operate with their removal. In a dissenting report to the senate inquiry into the legislation, the Coalition says it ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Vanita Yadav, Senior Research Fellow, Urban Transformations Research Centre, Western Sydney University Brett Boardman/Belvoir The complex and grappling issue of violence against women takes centre stage in the soul-stirring solo dance drama Nayika: A Dancing Girl. During a dinner conversation ...
Disruption to patient care from a nationwide junior doctors strike is bordering on unsafe, a senior doctor claims, despite what health officials say. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Diepstraten, Senior Research Officer, Blood Cells and Blood Cancer Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute Ground Picture/Shutterstock The anti-cancer drug abemaciclib (also known as Vernezio) has this month been added to the Australian Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) to treat certain ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dominic McAfee, Postdoctoral researcher, marine ecology, University of Adelaide Robbie Porter, OzFish Unlimited Around Australia, hundreds of people are coming together to help a once-prized, but decimated and largely forgotten marine ecosystem. They’re busy restoring Australia’s native oyster and mussel reefs. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sara Webb, Lecturer, Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing, Swinburne University of Technology Austin Human/Unsplash How does Earth stop meteors from hitting Earth and hurting people? –Asher, 6 years 11 months, New South Wales Alright, let’s embark on a meteor ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rory Mulcahy, Associate Professor of Marketing, University of the Sunshine Coast Professional sports organisations regularly promote and develop initiatives to support diversity, equity and inclusion. While sport has the power to change attitudes by sparking conversations about political issues and social ...
Comment: The weekly Monday post-Cabinet press conference is a useful forum for observing Christopher Luxon and how he is developing into the job of Prime Minister. He attempts to convey the impression of a man of action, speaking fast, delivering memorised National Party strategies in a connect-the-slogans kind of way, ...
Double votes, missing ballot boxes, tired tech and stressed staff: how tick-tallying went astray at last year’s election. Cast your mind back to November 2023, that bleary-eyed post-election period duringwhichwewaited, andwaited, for a coalition deal to be hammered out. A distraction from the hotel-hopping of our ...
International audiences are starting to discover what New Zealand already knew about After the Party.When After the Party aired in New Zealand last year, the response was fast and furious. In his preview for Rec Room, Duncan Greive said it was a “gritty, wrenching and highly confronting” series. By ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Shahram Akbarzadeh, Convenor of the Middle East Studies Forum (MESF), and Acting Director the Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University Iran’s leadership has been a direct beneficiary of the months-long war in Gaza. With every missile that Israel fires ...
Claire Mabey reviews the haunting and sexy debut novel from Sinéad Gleeson, who is about to touch down in Aotearoa for a string of live events.When Irish writer Sinéad Gleeson was in Aotearoa in 2018 with her spectacular collection of essays, Constellations, she told me she was working on ...
PNG Post-Courier Bougainville Affairs Minister Manasseh Makiba has described the Post-Courier’s front page story yesterday regarding a meeting between Bougainville and national government leaders as “sensationalised” and without substance. The Autonomous Bougainville Government (AGB) had warned it might use “other avenues to gain its independence” should the PNG government “continue ...
Where some saw the worst press conference given by the government to date, Anna Rawhiti-Connell recognised girl maths game.Nicola Willis, recently exasperated by comparisons to Ruth Richardson, said she was “a bit sick of being compared with every female finance minister that’s ever been out there.”Some think that’s ...
The March results are reported against forecasts based on the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update 2023 (HYEFU 2023), published on 20 December 2023 and the results for the same period for the previous year. ...
Jamie Arbuckle, the district councillor who became an MP but decided to keep getting paid for both roles, will instead donate one salary to charity. ...
Adding gender to the Human Rights Act would simply make the implicit explicit. So why is it so controversial? Paul Thistoll explain. At present, Aotearoa’s 1993 Human Rights Act (HRA) includes sex, marital status, religious belief, ethical belief (meaning a lack of religious belief), colour, race, ethnicity or national origin, ...
As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, an 18-year-old who’s studying and working in hospo shares their approach to spending and saving. Want to be part of The Cost of Being? Fill out the questionnaire here.Gender: Transmasc Age: 18 Ethnicity: Pākehā/Māori Role: Student, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jane Kelsey, Emeritus Professor of Law, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Getty Images Resources Minister Shane Jones has reportedly asked officials for advice on whether oil and gas companies could be offered “bonds” as compensation if drilling rights offered by ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Gleeson, Associate Professor of Law, Macquarie University Shutterstock The Albanese government is weighing up the costs of delivering an election promise to protect religious people from discrimination in Commonwealth law. Such protections were relatively uncontroversial when included in state anti-discrimination ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yen Ying Lim, Associate Professor, Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University Pexels/Andrea Piacquadio Dementia is often described as “the long goodbye”. Although the person is still alive, dementia slowly and irreversibly chips away at their memories and the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Judy Bush, Senior Lecturer in Urban Planning, The University of Melbourne Adam Calaitzis/Shutterstock I met with a friend for a walk beside Merri Creek, in inner Melbourne. She had lived in the area for a few years, and as we walked ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Throsby, Distinguished Professor of Economics, Macquarie University Arts companies and individual artists in Australia are supported by government arts agencies, philanthropists, industry bodies, private donors and patrons. However, it is frequently overlooked that a major source of support for the arts ...
Harm Reduction Coalition Aotearoa, a new incorporated society dedicated to ending harmful drug policies, officially launched today, seeks a new fit-for-purpose drug law for Aotearoa New Zealand, rooted in science, experience and evidence. ...
The Corrections Minister admits he "muddied the water" after he and the Prime Minister repeatedly provided incorrect information about a $1.9 billion prison spend-up. ...
It took a post-post-cabinet statement to confirm that 810 new beds will be built at Waikeria, writes Stewart Sowman-Lund in this extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...
Lili Tokaduadua was only 15 when she left her family in Fiji to pursue her netball dream in New Zealand. She’d been playing the sport for 10 years and was offered a netball scholarship at Auckland’s Howick College. Now, in her first year out of high school, the 19-year-old defender ...
The beloved local grocers lost a legal challenge to stop a new cycleway outside their store. Joel MacManus reports. In the annals of New Zealand legal history, there are a few brave people who have dared to stand up to the powers that be, no matter how bleak the odds ...
How what we produce and what we eat connects us to the world beyond our shores, visualised. Walking around a supermarket or vege shop, it might be obvious that everything on the shelves came from somewhere. But you might ...
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The following interview with auto electrician and former caver Stu Berendt, 68, of Charleston on the West Coast, came about because he was part of the caving team that found the rare and amazing fossil remains of the giant Haast eagle, the subject of one of the year’s best books, ...
A $1.8b funding boost for Pharmac still won’t enable it to buy more drugs, raising questions about the Government’s approach to the agency The post Can Pharmac do more with the same pot of money? appeared first on Newsroom. ...
James Shaw: "I think people think politics is more transactional than it is…"
Yes, indeed.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/300138697/election-2020-will-they-wont-they-greens-insist-negotiations-still-on-with-labour
Relational 🙂
What do "transactional" and "relational" mean politically ? Shaw is dreaming if he thinks that conversations with a party that has just won a majority of seats in parliament will bring him the power that voters have just denied him. The Green Party kaupapa makes no sense to me – finite world ? Bullshit – look skywards on a clear night. "Human beings are part of the natural world" – a world where evolution by natural selection operates. And where is the "just distribution of social and natural resources" in that ? They would be more honest rebranding as the Abolish Poverty in Aotearoa Party. That's where the kaupapa really lies – take from the rich and give to the poor and sustainably enforce the taking !
Is there an endless vein of gold on the planet, Grafton Gully?
Is there no end to the fish in the sea?
Is the supply of dodo unlimited? Hang on…
Evolution has produced something remarkable; humans, capable of wresting evolution from the non-human world and shaping it how they/we will. And we are doing just that. How should we plot our path? Leave it to the soul-less corporations? Let it roll as it will? The Greens have ideas about managing human behaviour from here on in.
Is there an endless vein of gold on the planet,
For the foreseeable purposes of humanity, mineral resources are not the limiting factor IF we have access to the energy to recycle what we already have.
Is there no end to the fish in the sea?
The crucial step toward decoupling human impact on the environment is to grow our own food using systems that do not rely on harvesting wild resources. In terms of fish, the solution is aquaponics.
Is the supply of dodo unlimited?
99.9% of all species that ever lived on planet Earth are extinct. Adapt or perish. This rule applies to humans as well.
This always gives me hope.
https://youtu.be/Wy7Q6wazD_E
Transactional would be "I want to be Minister of X, therefore I'm going to do Y deal with Labour" (i.e. there's a transaction, I guess in this case based on perceptions of leverage, in other situations it might be rhetoric around voter support eg NZF's line).
Relational would be "Labour and the Greens have a strong working relationship now, how can we work together within that relationship to advance our shared goals?"
Shaw didn't no transaction, he said it's not as transactional as people think.
Cutting edge politics (and science for that matter) recognises that the universe is held together by the relationships between people (and things). Capitalism and the patriarchy say that transaction is king (hence we have king makers in politics, those that can wield leverage and power monger). Deep green, indigenous, eco feminist etc politics say that the relationships matter more than the power over others. It's basically the position that will save the planet.
The only way that humans can make use of the material part of the universe outside of Gaia, is with Gaia's help. Finite world (Gaia) in terms of space, time, physical things and the relationships between them. There's only so much high tech metals to make space ships out of.
Yeah, weka! Dialogue rather than discussion.
I like it.
Ako.
Intelligence breaks natural selection. It, quite simply, no longer applies.
Unless choice is just the next-level iteration of natural selection…
We'll soon know…
A strong Green/Labour collaborative arrangement will be a body-blow to the Right.
I'm expecting to hear yelps of pain 🙂
The effort they are putting into claiming rural votes were not a vote for Labour but a vote against the Greens is a joy to behold.
Putting words in the mouths of people who are usually loyal to them but weren't this time is quite desperate.
The awesome power of the Greens: forcing Deep Blue Farming Nats to vote Labour!
Turning the world on its head!
Go Greens!
The Greens hacked into the farmers’ hive mind. Just ask Billy.
🤣 ROFL!!!! Incognito
It took great skill, a few brave men & women, and a cunning plan involving a Trojan Cow.
While James ran a distraction.
Being Greens they could not resort to the dead cat strategy and instead used the blinding light and 5G mesmerising resonance of crystals.
2Ö2Ö – what a year!
Two Zeds & Two Noughts, a new movie by Peter Greenaway about the death, decay, and decomposition of the National Party, the death of NZF, the rise of the monkey troupe ACT, and the lush Greens.
Lmfao !!! Imagine, omg!!! Too funny.
Robert…. hahahahahaaa too true !!!
This is weird – us greenies are all cock-a-hoop! Do we know something???
It is in our grenes.
Poor Billy!
But he said this would happen!
He knew the game was rigged!
He told his people to prepare for the worst!
And so it proved to be.
It's so irrational! They are claiming the rural vote knew the precise outcome of the election before it even took place. They're in full denial. Can't accept the average voter was rewarding Jacinda in particular for the way she responded to three tumultuous years and most of all for her and Dr Bloomfield's calming and competent Covid response.
I live in a National voting farming community that has shifted to Labour this election and those that did not vote Labour, voted Act. Fully agree with your comment Anne, that is exactly what I am hearing too, plus National was considered unfit to govern in these difficult times.
[Fixed minor error in user name]
I am expecting you will be disappointed
Love it how RWNJs are suddenly flocking to Jacinda Ardern asking her to save them from the evil Greens.
So to create a fair tax system we add another high earner tax bracket for those earning over $180k
yet the average house in Auckland has increased by the same value and is not taxed? More so for those who own rentals with this lotto bonus. So how is that going to help in creating a fair society ?
Whatever makes you think that capitalism is any fair?
Capitalism is about making sure the rich get to bludge heavily off of everyone else through owning and restricting access to what everyone needs.
"Capitalism is about making sure the rich get to bludge heavily off of everyone else through owning and restricting access to what everyone needs." and doesn't a government ensure that what is needed to ensure that there is a functioning society is put in place and that there is a system to pay for this that is "FAIR" and reasonable. What is currently in place and proposed places the burden on only 1 subset. Nothing about businesses contributing yet they want a stable economic environment, educated workforce etc yet not pay for it ? or where other income is derived from to contribute ? i.e Broaden tax base ???
Why is Phil Twyford doing digital billboards thanking voters post election?
I drove through the intersection of Lincoln Rd and Universal Drive today and there's a huge billboard with Phil beaming at the poor of West Auckland from a $10-$20K billboard position thanking them for voting for him. Did he not spend all his money on the campaign itself.
He might have had a major effect in opposition and probably helped change the government more than anyone apart from Jacinda Ardern in 2017, but since then he has been terrible, and he continues to be terrible. I am not afraid to admit that.
Kiwibuild; hard to do but as Ricardo Menendez March says, much more work should have been done to make those homes accessible to working families. Much more uptake if more people were allowed to buy them.
Auckland airport rail; what a nightmare of very expensive competing reports. He seems to have no idea how to run a tender and no idea what the vision should be. Find out what you want then do the tender, not the other way round you moron.
And now he's taking out 5 figure digital billboards in order to build his personal brand on Universal Drive, the entry point to Ranui and Swanson, the very poorest parts of West Auckland.
Wanker.
How do you know whether a benefactor didn't pay for it? And it may be a big billboard but $10-20K? Way too high imo. As for the rest… well that is a matter of opinion. Yep, he made some bad mistakes with his rhetoric but that's the nature of the man. I'm sure he's learnt the error of his ways. Time will tell.
Sorry, Anne. I just don't think he's any good at all. 4/5ths of the pain Labour felt this last term were in his portfolios. I don't think he's up to the job and doing digital billboards promoting his own brand confirms his priorities for me.
Mickysavage will know Phil well. I wonder what he thinks…
The aim was to build 50,000 Kiwibuild houses. Annette King said no lets say 100,000 house because it had a better ring to the number. Had they just aimed to build as many houses as they could, there would be little blame and Phil would not have been hung out to dry.
Moral is to avoid numbering goals because the Opposition just uses numbers to bash the Government. (Key was much more cunning and gave no numbers about how many houses they would build, let alone admit there was a crisis. Sneaky lot!)
Greg O'Connor was doing the same long before the election period began. Big vanity billboard at the bottom of the Ngauranga Gorge
Nothing wrong with thanking voters. By billboard or otherwise.
How it was funded will come out int he campaign expenses, which are published and open for scrutiny.
Most MPs just get elected and fly down the next day and start the $160k salary without a word of thanks to anyone but their partners.
Todd McClay has a bill borad up in Rotorua thanking those that got him in .
Maybe they are all wankers 🙂
Somewhere, a sailor waits.
This is the refrain from some seasoned Standard commenters on the pain certain yachties felt, unable to moor their floating mansions in cheap NZ waters because of Covid.
Two weeks later another outbreak comes through NZ ports and shipping.
It's pretty easy to demand open access for hard done by recreational and lifestyle boaties from the comfort of suburban Brisbane, but for the people of NZ who are affected by outbreaks at the sea border it is very serious, emotionally and economically.
from the comfort of suburban Brisbane
Bad assumption. One of us spent last night cleaning a ship hull at anchor in a 2m swell. 20hr shift buster. This vessel is heading to NZ soon, and a clean hull keeps our coastal waters free of bio-fouling pest species. Say thank you.
As for the 'floating mansion' crack, you really are an ignorant twat. Most of these boats are actually worth less than a typical Auckland house, and a good deal smaller. Life for a cruiser has it's rewards, but you work for it.
unable to moor their floating mansions in cheap NZ waters
And again the deliberate misrepresenting lie. Objectively of all the people who are arriving here already, these people who will have to do effectively two quarantines back to back, are the lowest possible risk.
As for the 'cheap anchoring' thing … the cost of anchoring really isn't the issue here.
Two weeks later another outbreak comes through NZ ports and shipping.
Yachties are in a completely different scenario to people working commercial ships which have much shorter transit times. Many of those people are working to very tough rules:
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/428037/covid-19-rules-for-ship-crew-it-s-worse-than-being-in-prison
Unless you've worked in these sorts of remote locations you probably won't appreciate just how difficult this is. There are tens of thousands of people working all over the globe under extraordinary pressure, just to maintain the ordinary flow of trade and goods that make your 'safe suburban life' possible.
And we still don't have any responsibility for them unless they're NZers. They chose the lifestyle that put them in the position that they're in knowing that it came with risk.
Those negligible risks just resulted in more confirmed cases in NZ.
And that shows the problem of being trade dependent.
You don't compare the risk to NZ particularly well.
Boats typically crewed by three to six people, spending generally a month or more in isolation in transit, present a low risk of Covid.
A BATM carries a crew of around 80 people, a large enough confined population to cycle Covid in the way the cruise ships did, becoming in effect large incubators.
The slave ships are an extreme form of externalising costs, and the cost in terms of Covid risk to NZ has already proven to be much greater than would be presented by the yachts coming here.
You might wonder why such an invidious practice has continued for four decades, aided and abetted by corrupt governments instead of following NZ labour laws like any other business. I have certainly never seen a credible explanation, apart from The two most abundant materials in the universe are hydrogen and stupidity. ~ Harlan Ellison. Inevitably the government is now investing in hydrogen also – fml.
An important interview with Dr Michael Baker on Radionz this morning about Covid-19 and NZ. I had to search through the audios for this, it wasn't featured above as important news.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/2018769516/new-covid-fears-in-auckland 19 mins Today 9.08am
Sir David Skegg, is an epidemiologist at the University of Otago Medical School and former chairman of the Public Health Commission, Health Research Council and New Zealand Science Board.
He's concerned at the levels of general complacency reflected at both public and government agency level.
and – Today on Morning Report at 8.15 am.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2018769501/covid-19-epidemiologist-on-positive-case-s-visit-to-pub
Aucklanders who were at a packed pub on Auckland's North Shore on Friday night are being told to stay home, and get a Covid-19 test as soon as possible.
It has emerged that an infectious person visited the Malt pub in Greenhithe between 7.30pm and 10pm Friday night.
The Ministry of Health says anyone there during this time should get tested and stay in isolation until they get a negative result.
Michael Baker is a Professor of public health and an epidemiologist.
I am convinced after listening to these professionals that the government should be making it mandatory for masks to be worn on planes and also buses, and no bloody argumentation. They are a good step to take in limiting the spread of the virus, and people have gone right away from doing anything to be precautionary. I go to the supermarket and never see blokes going near the hand sanitising machine – easy to use. But I think to most that's not a male thing – it's women who fuss about cleanliness and prissiness. So they won't do things till it is The Rule.
And these intelligent, trained, wise professionals note that the Russian seamen are being put in isolation – well pretty much isolated. Two to a room, which means the whole purpose of isolation is undermined, and in 14 days they won't be sure that the tests indicate a full clear period for the disease to show BECAUSE IT MUST BE A TIME AWAY FROM ALL OTHER PEOPLE. How does our MoH and Director allow such shoddy stuff to go on. We can only maintain our near-free status by adopting the right protocols and turn those into absolute procedures. These fishermen need to be put in separate rooms and the 14 day isolation starting again.
It was mentioned that the doubling up in the isolation hotel might have been a cost-saving measure by the fishing company. Well if our ruling is that the men should be separated completely, the company should be complying!
Assert yourself NZ authorities, this is where we need that sovereignty that spineless governments have been so willing to sign away in favour of promised prosperity.
And it was reiterated that PPE – protective clothing for workers doesn't prevent disease, just provides some protection.
Community case visited a pub in Greenhithe for 2 and 1/2 hours.
Doesn't look good.
Infectious Covid-19 case visited Auckland pub on Friday night
A wake up call for everyone. Use the COVID App!
Urgent Care Clinics
😷
"Early anecdotal analysis of voting behaviour reveals that many National voters voted Labour and Greens to prevent the shambolic National Party from getting anywhere near Government."
Hoots Robert! Perhaps some brave journalist might ask Collins if that is true?
Best comment I've read on the whole election. Cheers for the laugh!
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/428917/cost-to-reinstate-christ-church-cathedral-goes-up-by-50m
I would imagine this would only be the first increase for this restoration. It is not the Notre Dame. We should have something more modern and innovative to meet the heartfelt needs of the 21st century but no, cling on to the old. Look up at the steeple, not down to the people.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/on-the-inside/428807/building-support-for-transformational-policies-crucial-to-labour-s-vision-jessica-berentson-shaw
? What is this journo like as far as reasoned thought goes? The heading strikes a good note with me.