As it behooves mediocre right wing … men everywhere, Ben Thomas is a bit late to the white-ant pile on but tries to make up for it with gravitas and enthusiasm…
Haven't seen any of the usual pundits defend her yet. Spose it's just a question now of how long she can stagger on in the role of LOTO until someone delivers the coup de grace, while the National party continues to bleed out the last of its credibility too.
National is going to need a major overhaul after her departure. Shudder to think they might in desperation fatigue & despression choose Bridges as leader again.
What our NZDF is doing there is evacuating people who we owe the service to evacuate……
…..the most likely route to achieving that would have been to admit the US had been defeated and arrange a transfer of power to a Taliban-led set-up beforehand. Needless to say, few of his [Biden] critics were ready to come to terms with that reality.
Following the grotesque debacle at Kabul airport, our Prime Minister 'pledged' future evacuation of all those people we left behind who we owe a service of gratitude to during our war effort.
If we can 'admit' that we have been defeated, if we can accept that adventurist military missions to evacuate people are at an end.
Then our government need 'to come to terms with that reality', and begin negotiations with the Taliban regime.
In my opinion our Foreign Affairs Minister, at the head of a New Zealand delegation to Kabul, would be the best person to step on to the world stage and successfully open these negotiations, between our two governments for the safe return of the people we are responsible for..
A dark skinned person from a colonised people, a proud Maori woman with a Moko, would be the best representative of our secular multi-culteral country. Her official acceptance by the Taliban as our official envoy, would be a test of Taliban good faith of their stated acceptance of diversity and tolerance of both women and minorities.
Now that civilian flights have resumed. To the honour their pledge, our government, with the agreement of the Taliban government, need to urgently send a chartered Air New Zealand plane to Kabul without delay, to rescue those we owe a debt of service to.
Government faces mounting pressure to rescue stranded New Zealanders and at-risk Afghans from Taliban
….The letter, which was also signed by more than 25 lawyers, academics, and advocates, said “more action is needed” as the humanitarian needs in Afghanistan grew “by the hour”.
Caught a glimpse of the last minutes of Jack Tame interviewing Mahuta (on Q+A) while I was quickly channel surfing on the weekend.
She was basically pleading helplessness in the absence of practical assistance from our other partner countries.
NZ seems to have been excluded from a meeting they all recently had after the evacuation mission abruptly ended.
Given she can be a very animated & staunch Wahine Toa when pushing initiatives like Three Waters & Maori Wards, it seemed from Mahuta's comments & demeanour like there's no great enthusiasm in Govt to get off the arse & actually DO something ourselves … but as I only saw a minute or two of this interview I don't know what else was said.
The BBC seems have picked up on this story that I first saw covered in The Guardian.
If there is any validity to this story (there may not be) it might be a wee while before the dust settles from any in-fighting & we know who we are finally dealing with at a diplomatic level over there. Not sure how much respect & mana the Taliban Foreign Minister is going to accord a woman Foreign Minister.
We saw the photos from the streets of Kabul and the airport. We could turn our TVs off and get on with moaning about being in lockdown.
The panic, terror and loss of hope came in some accounts, the freaking out to get out.
I know what should have been done, we all know. We envisaged being there with no chance of knowing what it was really like to be there.
The Washington Post listed some of the numbers involved. (With attribution to where the figures had come from.) It's easy to say 124, 334 but dealing with Eden Park full, three times over, pouring out onto the streets? They were moved, they have to go somewhere It is easy to say what should have happened and should happen now.
Number of people evacuated: 124, 334
Number of flights: 778 flights — 387 U.S. military and 391 non-U.S. military
Number of U.S. citizens evacuated: “More than 5,500, almost 6,000”
Number of U.S. legal permanent residents evacuated:
Total undisclosed, but 2,785 have arrived in the United States through Aug. 31
Number of U.S. citizens who wanted to leave but were not evacuated: “100 to 200”
Number of Afghans evacuated, currently on staging bases in the United States, Europe and the Middle East: 63,000, of whom 20,000 are in the United States
Number of Afghans who may be eligible for some sort of U.S. visa: As many as 265,000
Number of Afghans evacuated who qualify for special immigration visa:About 7,000
Number of Afghan special immigration visa applicants and families: About 88,000
"In my opinion our Foreign Affairs Minister, at the head of a New Zealand delegation to Kabul, would be the best person to step on to the world stage and successfully open these negotiations, between our two governments for the safe return of the people we are responsible for..
A dark skinned person from a colonised people, a proud Maori woman with a Moko, would be the best representative of our secular multi-culteral country. Her official acceptance by the Taliban as our official envoy, would be a test of Taliban good faith of their stated acceptance of diversity and tolerance of both women and minorities."
In most respects New Zealand diplomacy has gone backwards under this government and in particular under this Minister of Foreign Affairs:
– The Pacific Islands Forum that we helped invent remains split and in disarray.
– As of this week in Glasgow have zero credibility with climate-affected island states because our climate response is one of the world's weakest.
– We are routinely ignored by Australia on multiple levels and policy areas.
– Our aid efforts in the Pacific region are being supplanted by China.
– Our international friends are decreasing.
But you're right, It's the moko on a female Minister that will win the Taleban over.
"In most respects New Zealand diplomacy has gone backwards under this government and in particular under this Minister of Foreign Affairs:"
AD
If that is your truely held opinion Ad, then surely you would agree that it is time for the Minister of Foreign Affairs to step forward and reverse our ‘mostly backwards diplomacy’.
I couldn't think of a more noble and Mana enhancing cause in which to reverse our "backwards diplomacy", than with a diplomatic mission to rescue those who served with us in Afghanistan.
"It's the moko on a female Minister that will win the Taleban over."
Ad
On the contrary, it is the Moko which is most likely to offend the Taliban. Tatau is haram to Islam. Tatau is expressly forbidden in Koranic verse Surat An-Nisa' Ayat 119.
The Moko is part of Maori cultural heritage. Another part of Maori cultural heritage is the challenge, Whakatara.
The Taliban leadership have made a number of lofty claims on protecting the rights of minorities and women. They need to be challenged to honour them.
I couldn't think of a more potent symbol, to challenge the Taliban to match their lofty words with their deeds, than for them to have to afford diplomatic status to a tatooed Wahine Toa envoy trom the South Pacific.
Afghanistan is a basket case and NZ has brought in a number of refugees. This Kiwi thinks we have done enough there. At least until the dust settles. When the UN organises Afghan refugees and the Covid question is settled we could look again. Just now we have enough of our own poor and homeless. Refugees in their own country. Let’s deal to some of those issues first.
….Just now we have enough of our own poor and homeless. Refugees in their own country. Let’s deal to some of those issues first.
Our country spent over $300 million fighting in that war. You are all for withholding humanitarian aid to a desparate people and make up for some of the damage this war caused them?
So what do you think Nic, of this country spending huge amounts to have a military presence in the South China Sea as part of the military build up amid increasing tensions between China and West,.
As we gear up for another blood bath, don't you think that this continued military expenditure on our next war, would be a better target for your gripe about taking care of own first, before helping the Afghan people?
Although some would argue that surrogacy enables infertile couples to have the child they wished for, and is therefore good thing, I would argue that no one has a right to rent a woman's body for nine months with all the dangers and problems including death that can result from pregnancy. Not to mention the harm to the child who is ripped from the mother who gave birth to it soon after birth. I believe that essentially surrogacy is the exploitation of poor women, often from impoverished countries by wealthy men. I was therfore appalled to see this bill supported by the government which will make it easier to enforce surrogacy agreements. https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/bills-and-laws/proposed-members-bills/improving-arrangements-for-surrogacy-bill-tamati-coffey/?fbclid=IwAR32rNE0J0rCrgcPPi7S6Wp3-HGnESpi-sLvfazceF0ZbaqlK1Rsk2HA95A
Australia's next submarine fleet will be nuclear-powered under an audacious plan that will see a controversial $90 billion program to build up to 12 French-designed submarines scrapped.
Australia, the United States and Britain are expected to jointly announce a new trilateral security partnership on Thursday, with a focus on aligning technology and regional challenges.
But Australia's embrace of nuclear-powered submarines will have its political and technological challenges, given there is no domestic nuclear industry.
The new three-nation security pact – called AUKUS – will be seen by China as a bid to counter its regional influence, especially in the contested South China Sea.
The nuclear submarines would likely be based in WA.
The scrapping of the French contract is a very big deal – clearly the perceived urgency has increased substantially. And of course note that AUKUS explicitly excludes NZ. Looks like ANZUS is done.
Wow. That really does read like NZ's suddenly been shunned & left out in the cold.
To tell the truth, as the years have gone by & we seemed to have less & less powerful military assets & effective war-fighting capability (compared, say, to WW2) I've been a bit embarrassed that wherever we sent military contributions to group missions with our partner countries, we often seemed to to bludge off them for security & equipment.
I wonder if Peeni Henare, our Defence Minister, is going to be approached for comment?
This will cause a gigantic stink in Australia. The Short Fin Barracuda decision was a disaster – the French have banked billions of dollars and delivered exactly nothing and they'll be laughing all the way to the bank. What a waste of money!
The Australians will now buy off the shelf Virginia class SSNs from the Americans and get them into service ASAP. Anyone paying attention can see the US is accelerating the development and deployment of weapon systems for a confrontation with China THIS DECADE.
Anyone paying attention can see the US is accelerating the development and deployment of weapon systems for a confrontation with China THIS DECADE.
A 'confrontation'? As if civilisation didn't have enough worries.
Please, NO disproportionate increase in NZ's military spending while Kiwis go hungry and homeless. Let the hawks play their war games – follow the money.
Where did the $5tn spent on Afghanistan and Iraq go? Here’s where
The gravy train for the defense industry was also fueled by the way the wars were budgeted and paid for. Congress used “emergency” and “contingency” funding that circumvented the normal budget process. For the first decade of the conflict, the US used emergency appropriations, which are typically reserved for one-off crises such as floods and hurricanes. Detailed spending oversight was minimal. And because this type of spending is excluded from budget projections and deficit estimates, it enabled everyone to sustain the pretense that the wars would be over shortly.
The result was what former defense secretary Robert Gates termed a “culture of endless money” inside the Pentagon. The defense department made the operational decisions; managed the bidding process for contractors; awarded the contracts (largely using non-competitive bids); and kept at least 10% of the wartime funding in classified accounts.
Why America Goes to War
Money drives the US military machine.
“People say the Pentagon does not have a strategy,” he [Col. John Boyd] said. “They are wrong. The Pentagon does have a strategy. It is: ‘Don’t interrupt the money flow, add to it.’”
…
Sometimes the naked pursuit of self-interest is unabashed, but even when the real object of the exercise is camouflaged as “foreign policy” or “strategy,” no observer should ever lose sight of the most important question: Cui bono? Who benefits?
From the disgracful climate and bush fire response,
To the shambolic lack of any coordinated Federal response to the Covid Crisis.
To debased groveling to the American war machine, this is the sort of thing the people of the South Pacific have come to expect from Scott Morrision and the Australian Liberal Party.
Let us hope that the Australian Labor and Green opposition parties make this into an election issue
Australia's planned nuclear submarine fleet won't be welcome in New Zealand, according to Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.
….The country has been staunchly nuclear-free for decades, earning the ire of treaty partner US by declining visits from its nuclear-powered ships….
"That of course means that they well understood our likely position on the establishment of nuclear-powered submarines and their use in the region."
[Prime Minister Ardern]
Time for NZ to ditch 5 Eyes and join the non aligned Nations movement. Bi lateral trade agreements and mutually beneficial engagement with other countries on the basis of an independent foreign policy.
Would fit in well with a transition from New Zealand to “Aotearoa NZ”, and finally to “Aotearoa”, with a new flag, and becoming a republic. The Māori Party target of 2026 for place names could be a good timeline and allow for the necessary discussion, referenda and legislation.
We're far too small to be effectively footing it militarily with the big boys.We've only ever been required for diplomatic cover.If it is in the US's interests to protect us should push come to shove, they will. If it's not they won't
Look how the Americans treated their allies , us included ,in Afghanistan .
I'm a pacifist, if we're ever to get ourselves out of the catastrophe we're in pandemic and climate wise, we need to throw all our resources into cooperation, not war and killing machines.
I'm glad if we're out of Anzus, no more nagging to up our military spending …buying from guess who?
Lets put our money into civil defence and natural disaster for our Pacific neighbours, fisheries patrol
I'm a pacifist, if we're ever to get ourselves out of the catastrophe we're in pandemic and climate wise, we need to throw all our resources into cooperation, not war and killing machines.
That's a fine idealistic position and one I have considerable personal commitment to. On the other hand if someone broke into your home to commit a crime – would you demure from calling the police because 'they're the tool of state violence'?
I'd suggest that pacifism for you and not for Xi Xinping is a very weak position indeed.
This is a big deal of major significance Defence-wise for NZ. Wonder if & when any MSM outlets are going to pick it up & start asking questions of PM & relevant Ministers?
How we square our nuclear free legislation with our near total reliance on Australia to help maintain our defense force is going to interesting once the Aussies get SSNs.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison is set to announce his country's submarine programme will "go nuclear" under a new defence pact with the US and the UK that has been described as "China's worst nightmare".
Jingoistic, sabre-rattling language like that from Australia doesn't augur well when they could be "speaking softly while carrying a big stick". Xi Jinping's Foreign Office responds fiercely to such provocations these days.
We can be fairly sure that Ocky paranoia won't allow them to watch themselves be outflanked to the south. We could refocus defence spending on border protection and leave the big boysngirls to look after the big stuff.
Redlogix NZ doesn't have the budget to be in that league all we can do is be a supporter in that we hand over $5 billion in forgone taxes to Australia to help pay for theie massive military budget.
Taiwan is being intimidated by a refundementalized China who are flexing their new found muscle.Hong Kong etc .
We are under pressure from China in the Pacific from Chinas cheap loans with strings attached.
Welcome to the emergence of the new colonial super power.China is playing the long game they don't have election cycles to pander to .
NZ has increased its Defence budget markedly but delivery times are 5 yrs plus we need to spend now otherwise in 5 yrs it maybe to late.
China has a massive technology advantage not to mention an even bigger manufactoring capability.
Redlogix we are in a different world diplomacy is going to have to go into hyperdrive.No doubt China will play hardball with trade wars.
Therefore we will need New markets for our products but also China owns large businesses inside New Zealand.
I think all the big nations understand NZ's limited budget – but that was not a prime consideration in the past, we were seen as sharing common open society, democratic values and were valued as a reliable partner. While no-one expects NZ to get a fleet of nuclear subs, it's the over-arching trilateral agreement with the US and the UK that seems to be new – and I'd wonder if NZ was even told about the discussions that must have been going on for some time now.
And the really interesting question that the article is silent on is what exactly will these subs be armed with?
Wikipedia says they're easily made tomahawk cruise missile capable. Tomahawks can be conventional or nuclear-tipped. So they potentially will be nuclear armed if the diplomatic temperature with China/US/Oz gets ramped up over eg South China Sea dominance/Taiwan.
ANZUS was essentially done in 1986. While it has never been formally abrogated, and we now allow US nuclear powered vessels into our harbours (and turn a blind eye onto the weaponary carried) the pact is little more than an historical agreement.
The Australia, New Zealand and United States Security Treaty, or ANZUS Treaty, was an agreement signed in 1951 to protect the security of the Pacific. Although the agreement has not been formally abrogated, the United States and New Zealand no longer maintain the security relationship between their countries
As a homeless automation engineer I get to randomly meet all manner of interesting people. In the past few days I've had the chance to talk with an Australian defense contractor here in WA. This is someone with a multidecade career in the AU military.
His view is that AU is essentially indefensible with conventional weapons, and as long as our regional neighbours were willing to abide by a rules based trade order it was an acceptable risk. This no longer holds true.
newsflash; all countries are indefensible with ANY weapons, thought sep 11 2001 would have made that obvious. it doesnt matter if the country is huge and empty or small and crowded . however, if the aussies are stupid enough to want to play bigboys with u.s. and u.k. let them go. anything nuclear powered(ships,subs, or power stations) are huge money pits , and require very expensive ongoing maintainance . cant just tie them up to the wharf and switch them off . many countries in the east have subs , and aus has had them for years, but going nuclear means going broke . yanks must be pissing themselves with laughter and the chinese will be having a chuckle as well . its all very well when you have hundreds of millions of taxpayers to pay for shiny toys, but when the cost is to be shared amongst only 25 million or so unhappy aussies , its not so funny.
Good point. I seem to recall Xi Jinping actually reduced the personnel numbers in the PRC Military. Altho they're increasing the number of aircraft carriers they have (to 3, I think) & they're developing stealth aircraft & other capabilities, they're going for quality over quantity. Much effort supposedly being put into their cyber-capability – not just for strategically or tactically attacking or neutralising Opponents' military assets, but also their national & financial civilan infrastructure.
Hard to foresee exactly what any major outbreak of hostilities between China and any other “great (or budding great) power” might look like.
New Zealand's anti-nuclear warship legislation will be severly tested if the Australian Government dare try and enter or transit through our patch of ocean with one of these vessels.
Not necessarily. Scomo says they're not going to be nuclear-armed (if you can believe that will still be the case if “the balloon goes up”).
And do we even really care about nuclear-propelled ships these days? Depending on various factors diplomatic & strategic our govt of the day might conceivably just say nothing if these subs routinely transit our territorial waters at the outer edges for military exercises or whatever reason.
Personally speaking, In the interests of nuclear non-proliferation, I think the New Zealand authorities should strictly adhere to the letter of our nuclear free legislation. Australia needs to be given a warning that any deliberate attempt to infringe our sovereignty and flout New Zealand Law, will be matched with diplomatic reprisals, not excluding punitive tarrifs on Australian goods and services, not excluding banking. (Australian banking services take $3.5 billion out of our economy every year. They might take our laws seriously if they knew that profit takeing might be impacted by any reckless military advenurism to test our resolve to remain Nuclear Free.
If nothing else, detecting illegal Australian nuclear vessels in our waters will give our navy a good work out on their submarine detection capabilities.
I agree, NZ must retaliate with the full force and economic might of a hobbit with a squirting pistol. All cross-Tasman sporting arrangements must be cancelled forthwith and indefinitely, including rugby, netball, and cricket, but not horse racing because we won’t want to wake up and irk Winston and the self-entitled horsy folk. We must transfer all our banking to KiwiBank. And NZ must close any travel bubbles so that no Ozzie can come here to going skiing on our slopes with pristine freshly fallen snow. That’ll show them what jingoist kindness is. Oi!
AUKUS explicitly excludes NZ. Looks like ANZUS is done.
I think most NZers accepted ANZUS was dead a long time ago and as far as I know it hasn't had any major impact on our relationships with allied nations. If the Aussies want to have nuclear submarines they are welcome to them.
Imo, it is in our interest NOT to be a part of such an alliance as AUKUS. Let's keep our spare billions (?) to fight poverty, inequality and Climate Change – and pandemics.
Right on there Anne. Rather extravagant hyping of China threats I would say. Last time I looked, China still only had exactly 1 functional aircraft carrier. Anyone with sense who looks at where there military hardware is aimed can see that there is nothing in their sights beyond Taiwan. Tibet, Taiwan and Hong Kong. All regions with traditional links to China. Thanks be that we aren't rushing to join the crazies! How sad the USA is no longer no. 1 but really, does that require war?
good post. huuuge hyping of china's threats(gee,where have I seen that before?). if you want a laugh, google varyan(?) to find out the background of china's only aircraft carrier, very interesting .
"In June, the CSIS experts who have been following this carrier's development predicted that China would not be able to launch the ship until 2022, but in their latest progress report, they wrote that "recent imagery suggests that the vessel may be ready to launch later this year."
…
Well, let's call it 3, shall we, with possibly more on the drawing board? They do rather seem to be wanting more than just couple of floating platforms for lost Navy pilots
What they have is enough to maintain control of the South China Sea and to keep Taiwan aware of their ability to use force if necessary. They could and may attempt an invasion of Taiwan if push comes to shove. Taiwan and China still have a legacy of an unfinished civil war. Taiwan manufactures the most top end semiconductors in the world and with the sanctions imposed by the USA these are an extremely valuable asset. China is unable to import the sophisticated dutch EUV machinary to their chip foundries. So China would rather not create the conditions for the destruction of these chip foundries. Perhaps the USA would be happy for them to be destroyed as they control the next most important chip foundry country, South Korea. The hyping of the China threat and absurd claims of danger to Australian sovereignty are nothing more than a continuation of the attempt to strangle China and provoke them to lash out in the direction of Taiwan. At present, China can cope with everything except being starved of high end semiconductors. At present, both sides require Taiwan intact but the advantage is with the USA in that they can and are setting up high end foundries on their own soil and can deprive China of the necessary Dutch equipment. When the US feels secure in their production they will push play on Taiwan. In the mean time it doesnt hurt to bait China and get people all worried that they are about to set sail with their 2 and 1/2 aircraft carriers to take over the whole world.
I guess my concern is that with the Western Powers sabre-rattling like this Xi Jinping & Co seem to be getting more and more forceful in their statements pushing back on Western interference in their neck of the woods.
The way Xi's talking they seem to want to be the recognised regional superpower in Asia. They're still smarting from the Western colonialists' enclaves of over a century ago. USA doesn't belong there, as far as they're concerned.
I don't think they're mad-crazy enuf to start a war against the US yet, but they've got a now far-flung diaspora for support, & computers & cyber-warfare capabikity have given them the capacity to respond to insults & threats with practical demonstrations of their power.
My concern is mainly that someone is going to miscalculate & / or that there may be a covert cyber war between the US & China.
The idea that the PRC might invade Taiwan in order to take control of the chip foundries is dead on arrival for three reasons:
The bulk of the actual designs come from the US. Tell me why the Yanks would continue to send these in the event of a PRC invasion?
The really valuable asset is the very clever and highly skilled people who run them. They would be either long gone or make very bad indentured slaves.
And a few small demolition charges set off by retreating troops would wreck the hyper-delicate installations anyhow.
There is no rational scenario where PRC can invade Taiwan and win anything of substantive value on the island itself. It would serve only two important purposes I can think of, one as a massive political buffer for the CCP against internal unrest, and the other as a strategic foot-hold in a critical part of the First Island Chain that would enable further projection of naval power into the Pacific.
If what you state is true, why does the US not allow the Chinese access to the Dutch EUV machines? While design and operation may be difficult they can both be learnt. Without the machines there is no chance.
My closest colleague at present used to work for ASML – and from a conversation we had some months back it was clear that the technology underlying these chip etching machines represents a remarkable pinnacle of achievement that would not be so easy to replicate.
But yes, no doubt the CCP would like to get it's hands on the IP as it has done with so many other things.
Setting aside the semiconductor story – tell me why you think the CCP is busy building up so much military capacity and expending so much soft political power on invading Taiwan? What exactly is gained by this?
Clearly it’s been an independently governed nation for many decades. The Taiwanese ROC government gave up on it’s claim to mainland China long ago – yet the CCP are not willing to reciprocate even in the smallest detail.
I'm not able to cut and paste on this phone but can link you to an article by Chas Freeman that categorically states that the prevailing thinking in China wrt Taiwan is that it is the US backed bastion of the losing anticommunist side of the unfinished civil war suspended by the US. Note 3 at the bottom. Totally agree that any conflict over Taiwan will result in the destruction of Taiwan. This is a feature not a bug for US zero sum thinking. The US can only get China to take this road if they are completely desperate. The pull out from Afghanistan to focus solely on the Pacific suggests that the US believes they are at this point. I of course have no way of knowing but the sudden abrupt attack on foreign money into China and attempts to shore up the support of those lower down the heap suggest that heat is building in a supposedly cold war.
Totally agree that any conflict over Taiwan will result in the destruction of Taiwan.
And less obviously the destruction of the PRC. While the CCP is very keen on projecting what a strong and rising power it is – and how resistance is futile – the truth is more complex.
There is no other major nation more dependent on external inputs and outputs, on it's ability to trade with the world, for it's very survival. Everything from energy, food, agricultural and industrial inputs then across to access to all the global markets necessary for it's export focused economy is dependent on the ability of ships to sail safely in and out of Chinese ports.
China cannot even feed itself without these ships. And if it invaded Taiwan the very least thing that would happen is that every marine insurer in the world would immediately declare the region a conflict zone and require every customer to get the hell out of Dodge. And that's before their customers cancelled every order for years out.
And while any invasion would kill millions of Taiwanese – all captured on video – it's also a well defended island and would inflict a heavy cost on any invasion force if chose to. For all these reasons the CCP's preferred route is simply to intimidate Taiwan into surrendering it's sovereignty.
All of which is obvious and brings us back to the point of the exuberent hyping of the China threat. Given everything that you say above, how exactly does China pose a threat? A nation that requires the good will of neighbours near and far planning to invade Australia?? Its absurd.
Well China could recognise Taiwan and stop promising to invade them. That and the daily military flights pushing the boundaries of their airspace.
Little things like that might help to look like less of a threat.
(And that's before we explore the bombast being run for internal consumption by the state controlled media.)
A nation that requires the good will of neighbours near and far planning to invade Australia??
From a strategic perspective gaining control over Australia would at the moment be easier than Taiwan as it’s far less defended. And there would be a great deal more to gain for about the same cost. It’s not an altogether absurd possibility.
Hell all the CCP would have to do is sail a couple of it’s larger fishing boats into Wellington harbour and NZ would fold before lunchtime if the Yanks didn’t object.
Well at least I know that when it comes to China you really are in lala land if you believe it would be easier to invade Aus than Taiwan! A lot more to gain! Hahaha! China in a forever war in Australia. Of course in this scenario everyone else is just standing back laughing at poor old Aus being invaded by China. The USA just watches as hundreds of thousands of the PLA sail past. Not to mention logistics! The Taliban kicked out the US with next to nothing. We could and would deal with a couple of trawlers. Your grip on reality is seriously questionable. China invading Aus is laughable in the extreme. There is nothing to gain simply because of all the shipping troubles outlined above even if they could gain a toehold. Sorry. You cant have it both ways. Taiwan impossible but Aus doable. What a joke
Precisely. The point being that if you only have one overseas base (Djibouti) and two aircraft carriers then you lack the ability to support any kind of invasion. The Chinese military configuration is totally locally focused. The Chinese have openly stated that they consider Hong Kong, Tibet and Taiwan to be part of China. You may or may not agree with them but to then use this as a demonstration of their agressiveness on the world stage is ludicrous. Tibet was reintegrated in the 1950s. Hong Kong was always on loan and Taiwan was even regarded by the US as the legitimate voice of China for many years.
They're not military ambitions .You think China isn't allowed to trade and invest in Africa.Colonisation of Africa?Hmmmm that has a familiar ring to it
Oz is basically the permanent South Pacific supercarrier for the US. Where the US goes, Oz goes. I don't think they have an independent foreign policy.
Aren't they a bit stuffed for trade with the Middle Kingdom now that China has expressed its displeasure by stopping buying so much coal off them?
Making light of a very real problem looking at the US new foriegn policy is that they have shown they can't win a sustainef conventional war.
This why Australia is going for the Nuclear option.Australias existing subs have never left port it is another white elephant.Looking at the french subs they may have been another massive white elephant with delivery times unknown capability unknown other than being able to stay ay sea for a couple of weeks.
Australias Airforce is at its weakest point for several decades selling most of its F18's to Canada in favour of the untested over priced f35 lightening 11 which has numerois faults and very expensive fixes and upgrades only 4 have been delivered and they have been grounded.
The f35 could be a complete lemon especially as it needs a massive level of ground support just to stay flying .Software and electronics technictians are in very short supply and Defence force wages aren't going to attract many if any.
While peace is a grand ideal in the real world if we don"t have signifigant capability in this part of the world we mayne asking for trouble.
We only have a scare force we need to support Australia by helping them where we can.
We only have a scare force we need to support Australia by helping them where we can.
Our force is so bloody scarce these days it seems like Australia usually even needs to help us help them. Maybe their Defence wallahs have just decided we're not worth having in a major defence alliance as we bring so little warfighting capability to the bonfire?
Ad, according to ScoMo the new subs will be based in WA. The RAN have 2 Naval Base Garden Islands. The one where the subs will be based would be the one just out of Freemantle aka HMAS Stirling. Why piss of all the Sydneysiders who don't want nuclear ships hanging around and being a possible target for a pre-emptive attack when you can shove all the risk to the other side of the country 1000's of km away?
How's the weather up the road in Freeo? My mokopuna live down the road in Baldivis. 🙁
BTW in the 1970's I was teaching Control Theory at Philomel – I understand we were the only training facility in the country to be doing so. The down stream was that in the early '80's with the combination of the introduction of open-ended engagement, and "think-big", there was a huge exodus of highly trained control electrical artificers to projects such as Glenbrook et al. By then, I was then director of manpower planning on the Naval Staff. Tying up frigates was the consequence, until we could restrict the exodus of certain trades and raise pay rates to match civilian pay.
Interesting you should mention Control Theory. From my perspective industrial automation has four broad disciplines:
Sequential logic – originally the domain of the electromechanical systems used by the automotive manufacturers to run their huge assembly lines. These became PLC's in the 70's.
Process control – originating in the petrochem world they started as typically pneumatic instrumented systems that evolved into DCS technology. Their prime application was in oil refining, but this extends now to all the processes that produce the feedstocks of virtually every modern material you can think of.
Motion control – is arguably the oldest. The very first implementations were attempts at auto-pilots on large ships in the early part of the last century. It gained a great deal of theoretical foundation during the intense efforts to improve battleship gunnery in the decades leading up to WW2. These started as astonishingly complex mechanical computers (the Directors on the Iowa class battleships were astounding devices) which then morphed into Servo systems when electronics came along.
And finally the new kid on the block are Safety Systems. Essentially an evolution of existing automation technologies to ensure hidden faults are captured, redundancy, data integrity and security to ensure high levels of availability and on-demand capacity.
While these all used to be quite separate trades and technologies – there has been a strong convergence in the past decade. The best vendors now have platforms that credibly perform across all four disciplines in the one package. My user name doesn't necessarily mean what people think it does.
While most people are very aware of IT and telecoms technologies because they use them every day – there is a lot less visibility on what we do. Yet in 2021 there is literally nothing about the modern world that we do not touch in some capacity. We've long been the Cinderella of the tech world – but arguably we have more fun. We get to play with big toys in real-time and it's deeply satisfying to see big equipment and plant get up and go, or implement productivity or efficiency improvements that make a real difference.
It's a great direction for any young adult to head into – I only just wish I had more decades ahead of me because the best part is yet to come.
The gunnery fire control systems in the Leander Class frigates were developed in the 1950's, and as you note above, based upon technology developed in WW2. Our task at the Academic School, was teaching the mathematical theory involved in the technology.
I remember one time I was in HMNZS Taranaki as the Training Officer and we were on a gunnery practice off the Alderman Islands to the east of Coromandel. A single shot from the 4.5" gun took out the target behind the tow-plane (which was the object of the exercise after all). So that was the end of that. 🙂
What of course has changed in the year since this skit was made is that Australia has discovered just how crudely China is willing to weaponise that trade.
"The government will say these are dangerous times. It wants a peaceful Pacific. It says this is all about peace.
"That may not be the way it's read elsewhere."
Australian economist warns against economic alliance to counter Chinese trade dispute
"The more the idea of an 'economic alliance' with the U.S. on par with its security alliance is embraced, the greater the danger of Australia getting bogged down with the U.S. in a 'forever war' against its largest trading partner – in this case, spilling treasure rather than blood," he [Prof. Laurenceson] wrote.
We are spending all this money and effort to protect our trade routes through the South China Sea. And who else has trade routes through the South China Sea?
That's right, China does.
And who else do you think is spending a fortune to protect 'their' trade routes?
Does all 'this' appear to be a recipe for conflict?
"They wanna have a war to keep their factories.
They wanna have a war to keep us on our knees.
They wanna have a war to stop us buying Japanese.
They wanna have a war to stop industrial disease.
They're pointing out the enemy to keep you deaf and blind.
They wanna sap your energy, incarcerate your mind.
Give you "Rule Britannia", gassy beer, page three.
Two weeks in España and Sunday striptease."
For a start the assumption is that international tensions and trade patterns are constant to the level that a multibillion dollar multi-year defense strategy can be implemented in time to face a threat the simple model deems worthy of defense.
Secondly, having the ability to push back against regional powers expanding their sphere of influence to, say, appropriate large swathes of maritime resources and control sealanes to trading partners other than those regional does not preclude trading with those regional powers.
Thirdly, why would a regional power bother to trade if it can just take?
You think that clip is bolix McFlock. Which part? The part where the gathered Australian military top brass ludicrously refuse to aknoAwledge which country this military escalation is against. And instead resort to vague platitudes about promoting peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. And on being pressed to be more specific are reduced to giving hesitant nods, rather than give a straight answer?
I do want to just underscore, very clearly: This partnership is not aimed or about any one country; it’s about advancing our strategic interests, upholding the international rules-based order, and promoting peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific.
There are many reasons to use soft words and diplomatic language, not least of which is so people determined to be outraged can't use those words as an excuse to throw a tantrum. Geopolitical, or blogwise.
These military chiefs do not have the courage to admit to us that they are gearing up for a war with China.
McFlock, you can excuse their evasion and misdirection all you like. But it is all part of preparing the public for war.
The first victim of war is truth. Our military chiefs are just getting an early start.
By not naming the enemy, the military top brass can all claim to be innocent, and taken by surprise when hositilites do inevitably break out. That way they can escape any blame for escalating or provoking the tensions that lead us up to open military conflict. And conveniently, for them, be able to accuse the other side of launching a surprise attack on us. While they act all surprised and innocent to help inflame public outrage against the 'treacherous' enemy. All to create the political environment and war hysteria necessary to maintain public support for continued and escalating hostilities and bloodshed.
In truth, both sides are just as guilty of wanting and preparing for war.
Like gangsters fighting a turf war each side seeking a monopoly over territory and resources, while accusing the other side of being the aggressors.
This is why we have to hide behind platitudes about ensuring regional security, and protecting trade routes etc. Behind the platitudes we are basically arming ourselves to the teeth actively increasing regional insecurity in preparation for a war 'to destroy our economic rival and enemy'.
Politics is concentrated economics. War is politics conducted by other means.
While we can laugh at a parody of the Australian miltiary brass squirming when they are put on the spot to name who they are preparing to go to war with.
New Zealand's military leaders are little different in hiding behind platitudes and evasions to hide their war plans.
New Zealand maritime security strategy targets China
The 40-page document, “Maritime Security Strategy—Guardianship of Aotearoa New Zealand’s Maritime Waters,” was officially launched on June 17 at a conference hosted by the Victoria University of Wellington (VUW) Centre for Strategic Studies, following its publication in December by the Ministry of Transport….
….While not naming China, the Maritime Security Strategy cites the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and refers to unspecified efforts “to frustrate the current norms and behaviours” that in turn threaten the “integrity” of the maritime “rules-based order.”
Soft, diplomatic language is used in order to avoid escalation to the point of confrontation, while military capabilities are increased in order to leave any opposition (current and future) unable to have an advantage.
Thirty years ago the main likely opposition for security in Oceania was Indonesia. Exercises were based around opposition forces with fictitious names that happened to look similar to Indonesia.
These days it's forces that look equivalent to China. China are developing nuclear carrier capabilities, hypersonic missiles, and 5/6gen aircraft, just like the yanks. Fair play to them. Who do you think they are spending those billions to confront?
Ever hear the expression "speak softly, but carry a big stick"?
The reason is that if you do not carry a big stick, someone will thump you no matter how softly you speak. WW2 comes to mind.
But if you carry a big stick and speak loudly, someone will have to speak equally loudly in order to look as big and strong as you. Then we have two loud buffoons with big sticks yelling at each other, so one waves the stick a bit more, and sooner or later it will come to blows.
WW1 comes to mind.
Yes, that clip is still bollocks. Because the headline the next day would be "Senior Aussie military staff admit preparing for war with China". If China was looking for a pretext to end some multilateral effort without losing diplomatic chips, that would be it. Japan exiting the League of nations springs to mind, but these days it could involve something like GHG emmission target, just to have an extra five years of emmissions-based production before going back into the agreement. Or maybe they don't like the way multilateral negotiations about fishing in the antarctic ocean are going.
Sure, it's a funny clip. But that script would cause a diplomatic incident if it actually happened.
Good article in the Herald written by Dr Chris Gale arguing the the visceral reaction to the Wanaka couple is the Product of a campaign of fear it makes some very good points and offers food for thought.
Unfortunately a newspaper article with selective quotes may present a limited view of a person's perspective.
"Part of the anger towards the couple came from a ''prolonged campaign of fear'' from the Government and the media over Covid-19.
''Everybody is being told over and over that they should be scared,'' he (Gale) said.
Does he really think the Government is running a campaign of fear? And governments around the world the same, since many clearly have had similar approaches to dealing with their public?
To not run a 'campaign of fear' what should the government have done? Not turned it into a big event by having daily conference updates? By not saying anything? By saying "There's a wee situation, but nothing to worry about?"
Gale is quoted as saying, "People were being told if they followed the rules then New Zealand could stop the virus, but it was not as simple as that."
Here is the news, nothing is "as simple as that" when it comes to the virus, from day one and every day since. The only simple thing is saying the government is running a campaign of fear.
Its a worthwhile opinion, there is a risk of a deep societal faultline… neighbours turning on neighbours etcwont end well. Look at what happened to Dr Wiles on the back of percieved rule breaking…
The rich/poor faultline is pretty clear and glossing over it by complaining about a campaign of fear suggests which side of the line the complainer is on.
It was also very interesting to note that at the same weekend there was a gathering of some 300 mob members in Auckland despite official limits are being completely ignored. Police were "monitoring".
Fear? From 2 rich people flying south? I think we are being hoodwinked.
NZ's defense problem has got nothing to do with money, really. Modern weapons do cost eye watering amounts but the general slow down of technological development means well maintained weapon systems now have lifespan of many decades.
Our problem is persuading anyone in a country with a small population that a military career is worthwhile. We've got a deeply demilitarised society with an elite consensus that is chronically incapable of taking defense seriously. No one wants to serve in the armed forces. They can't keep two infantry battalions fully manned or keep 105 armoured vehicles oparional with enough trained drivers and mechanics. The Navy has ships that have spent their lives tied up due to a lack of crews. The military is primarily seen as a gigantic trade training scheme and once people are qualified in easily transferable skills they leave.
Yes. We've largely taken for granted the relatively secure environment we've enjoyed since the end of WW2. Two or more generations have grown up thinking that somehow the world owes them their happy little place in the sun. Well that little illusion is rapidly unravelling.
And the same generations have also been persuaded that the entire Western enterprise is vile, and NZ specifically is a genocidal colonial enterprise that really isn't worth defending. Rude awakening ahead.
In the long run the only thing that will ensure the peace and security of NZ, and by extension – all of humanity – is a rules-based global order with the authority and capacity to prevent arms races and nation-state conflict. I've written to this theme many times.
How do we get there? Sadly just not possible under the present UN & 5-Great Power Veto-holding Security Council setup – that's looking more & more like the defunct & utterly useless League of Nations pre-WW2.
i think what it will take will be an utter calamity of some sort so that something better can rise from the ashes….proverbially or in reality…..humans seem to be quite stupid and vested interests are intent on their own way….hope/work for the best and plan for the worst i reckon.
Experience to date (in fact throughout history) is that so long as Great Powers exist there is sadly, but realistically, little prospect of something better arising from ashes.
We've gone thru a short period when there was ONE global liberal democratic superpower & altho they're too blind to see it they've behaved appallingly.
The human ape, being what it is, apparently as a species has a virtually inexhaustible capacity to find things to war over – land, resources, religion, ideology, "national interest", politics ….
Look around the world. Our higher brain functions seem to be far too easily overridden by our animal brain's drive to survive & to dominate other perceived threats in order to do so. And we are too susceptible to the often nefarious people in charge who can so easily manipulate us to do their bidding,
It can get a bit depressing until one reminds oneself that it's always been like this & somehow humans still have managed to recover from disastrous local, regional or global wars & started over again with a certain amount of optimism there can be something better.
Two or more generations have grown up thinking that somehow the world owes them their happy little place in the sun.
An odd framing, imho – I certainlyenjoy my little place in the sun (none of that about today though), and never thought the world owed me such.
Nor do I consider "that the entire Western enterprise is vile", or that NZ "is a genocidal colonial enterprise" – is there evidence that "the same generations" have be so persuaded en masse? What are these assertions based on – fact, or belief?
How do we 'win‘ this one and preserve our "happy little place in the sun" a little longer?
I think you've summarised the situation pretty well there, Sanctuary.
Our air defence attack capability is down to a few sitting-duck P3 Orions & C-130 Hercs dropping bombs on beaches.
From watching a Maori TV documentary series following a party of DF recruits at Waiouru, it looks like if rangatahi tangata whenua with 28th bn whakapapa didn't turn up & enrol every year it'd be deserted.
Defense procurement in NZ is whole other story. Our politicians are largely ignorant of military affairs and defer their decisions on equipment entirely to the military professionals. Those professionals ALWAYS opt for the most capable platform they can get, regardless of actual mission profile and what numbers they'll actually need.
The responsibility for LAV purchase fiasco lies in the first instance with the army brass hats, who got what they recommended but also with the politicians, who uncritically gave them what they wanted.
The Navy got more patrol ships than they had crews for and the inshore patrol boats are to big to be economical for local pottering about and to small for deep water operations.
The NH90 helicopter is a highly capable battlefield transport that also cost a fortune, limiting the purchase to 11 and are gold plated for their usual role of SAR and disaster support. We needed at least 16 airframes, New UH-60Ms would have been a better choice IMHO. The P-8 is a highly capable aircraft but the purchase will come back to bite us money wise. We got four when we need at least six and the huge cost of the four we are getting does not include the traditional price gouging on software updates and the like the US indulges in, let alone the UAV purchase and integration that is meant to be integral to it's us in the medium and long term. The P-8 mission profile – high altitude ASW – means the airframe isn't really aerodynamically suitable for low level fisheries surveillance and that means the airframes will wear out quicker and the fuel consumption (and hence per sortie costs) higher.
Just by-the-by, at Xmas last year I was chatting to a cousin-in-law who's a mad keen fisher. Often goes away on fishing expeditions with mates who own decent-sized launches, some of which occasionally they take far out to sea, beyond sight of the mainland, and may stay out there overnight if both the fishing & the weather forecast are good.
He was telling me that when they do this, it's not an uncommon experience to have an RNZAF P3 Orion suddenly appear & check them out on a low flyby. He says you have no idea they're there until they swoop past – they're so quiet.
Yes, those LAVs seem to have been a complete waste of money. Defence has been such a low Govt priority for decades now that I imagine expectations have by now dropped so low in our Military they’ve given up seriously arguing for more & better.
When I was a lad I worked on a crayfishing boat with my old man off the East Coast. One day we were silently staring over the side as another cray pot was winched to the surface when suddenly the scream of an engine saw us both jump about six feet in the air as a pair of Skyhawks streaked past at about 100ft above us. They both shot up and did victory rolls in opposite directions before disappearing around Cape Kidnappers, probably having a good laugh at our expense.
As a young man of around 20 at the time I will never forget how green with envy I was at the exuberance and freedom of those jet fighter pilots.
I can identify with that. Travelling from Welly to my turangawaewae in New Plymouth every year to see my olds via the Foxton Straight we sometimes stopped at a "Moa House" cafe (now burnt down) & my missus & I would often see & hear the Skyhawks landing or taking off at nearby Ohakea airbase – or even flying huge loops in the sky.
Impressive to watch them fly straight & level & then zoom up at a steep angle.
I'm old enuf to remember seeing our Vampires & Canberras flying here, and even once saw a touring UK Vulcan bomber – with that awesome howl: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xJlsDiC9TBI
(Thank heavens it was in the days before car alarms were ubiqitous !)
I was pissed off that we never got replacements for the Shyhawks. The little soldier boy in me wanted F-16s.
Slomo of course was never the sharpest knife in the drawer, but even he ought to think a bit about the Greek parallel , unless his game plan is to rat a raft of national assets to cover the debt. Probably is.
The core strategic problem for any AU defense planner is the sheer size of the continent. It means that any assets are going to be both concentrated and with very big gaps between them. Missiles arrive very quickly and are extremely hard to defend against, and once a few airborne divisions land somewhere remote it would be extremely hard to dislodge them with conventional warfare.
In many ways it’s easier to defend a relatively small place like Taiwan where you can focus your efforts on a few strategic points.
Essentially AU needs a deterrent and they have nothing land-based that will serve that role. Their surface navy is also far too small and vulnerable – so subs it is. Diesel electrics simply don't have the range when compared to the oceans they have to operate in and crucially spend too much time in port where they are a target.
Only nuclear subs with their 6 month or more deployment endurance are fit for this purpose.
Only nuclear subs with their 6 month or more deployment endurance are fit for this purpose.
I think it remains to be seen what form any Taiwan Strait conflict may take, and it may well fall short of all out conflict, which would hurt both sides badly. In such circumstances, the capacity to remain undetected is a significant advantage – allowing one to be the responder, not the target of initial hostilities. Much depends on how regional dominoes fall – if Indonesia offered logistical support to Oz, or to China, the map reads rather differently. Japan, at present, seems disposed to contest expansions near some island possessions, and the Philippines, though not cashed up enough to deploy major forces, has lost enough face and fishing rights to offer Oz friendly ports.
One fast way of getting out of the quagmire of being a pleb is to become an influencer, no offence to online celebrity chefs because they’re wonderful and witty and they can cook. Shame there’s no frigging flower left in the supermarket because those shows make me drool. Just about anything makes me drool these days, or cry, or frigging angry.
During WW1 when rationing was introduced in the UK there was controversy over barley – there wasn't enough for both brewing and livestock feeding. The "beer vs. bacon" argument flared briefly, but in the end beer won, because people like their distractions in grim times.
The health system is not up to coping with opening up to covid when vaccination reahes 80 or 90%.
No where enough nurses doctors and other health proffessionals it will take at least five years or more to train enough people to do the job.
Bringing in more has been the go to before the pandemic. Are we going to steal health proffessionals from poorer countries leaving them worse off.What are govt plans to cope when they can't keep Covid out.looking at other countries with better funded health systems 200 deaths a week would be the best case scenario.
Our hospital system in Auckland can barely cope with 40 covid serious illness cases 1,000's of cases would overun our over burdened existing hospital system.The govt needs to get a plan going and show us how this will work.
You'd think with all the time the last lockdown brought us the govt would have being beavering away building resilience, preparing for the inevitable etc etc…
Even though its a reasonably small outbreak in part thanks to Auckland sucking it up at level 4 you read that we are letting people out of quarantine early without test because capacity… no wonder hard lockdowns are the go to response some hard questions need answering.
Just put up a bunch of tents in the far corner of the hospital carpark as the unvaccinated covid patient ward.
If they're unvaccinated because they don't trust the medical establishment and put their faith in de-wormer, vitamins C D and Q, crystals, poking pins at their qi, a bit of spinal snap crackle and pop, essential oils, magic water, what have you – they can keep their faith in those remedies and take their chances on being last in the queue for calling on the medical establishment they had previously rejected.
children don't matter in a world of healthcare based on value judgements rather than universality.
We might want to ask why healthcare should be limited to people Andre hates when there are plenty of other people doing stuff that harms themselves or society.
18 months ago my cousin and her husband in Salt Lake City were doctors with that view to their work. They're now both psychological and physical wrecks from putting in waaaay too many hours trying to keep unvaccinated covid patients alive.
edit: and they’re unsuccessful way too often for anyone’s mental well-being.
This is why we lock down.
Our hospitals already triage patients and occasionally get it wrong, seems pretty bad to chuck someone out into the carpark if they dont have a vaccine passport
Once everyone has had reasonable opportunity to get vaccinated, lockdowns for the sake of idiots that refuse vaccination will be pretty fkn unpalatable.
By about a week's time from now, everyone in Auckland will have had reasonable opportunity to get their first jab. So nine weeks from now (one week to finish first jabs, six week gap, two weeks after second jab), everyone will have had reasonable opportunity to get fully vaccinated (except under 12s).
After that point, I will certainly have big problems with the idea of more lockdowns. I'm fairly confident the rest of the large fully vaccinated majority at that point will also find further lockdowns unpalatable.
you seem to on here alot critisising people who havent been, or dont want to be vaccinated, yet only two days ago you were saying that you were one of very few in your workplace that hadnt been jabbed. hypocritical maybe???
I said I was one of the last ones to get jabbed, and I got my first on Tuesday last week.
When my age group opened up on I went online and grabbed the first booking slot available at a local jab centre, which was for 18th August. Which ended up being the first day of lockdown, and the only day that vaccinations were cancelled.
Then the 7th was the first available slot when I went to rebook. Between the 18th and 7th, walk-ins had mostly been discouraged, so I simply left my booking as it was and fronted up at the appointed time. Y'know, coz scheduling is a whole lot easy when people make and keep their appointments.
Go ahead and call that hypocritical if that's what flushes your toilet.
So how long would you be happy for the willfully unvaccinated to hold Auckland hostage in lockdowns for? After all, you're sweet, you’re not in lockdown, you can roam around as much as you want (except to Auckland).
For the purpose of forming my opinions, I get to decide.
Those opinions are partly informed by the experiences of some I know that are actually involved in knuckling down and trying to get vaccinations into arms in remote areas. And finding it's much more a resistance issue than a lack of resource issue.
@Sacha: everyone in Auckland can just rock up to a vaccination site and get the jab. Today. Tomorrow. Every single day over the coming week.
Over the next week, even essential workers will have had a day off when they shouldn't have other activities taking all their time. Because we’re in lockdown. People should be either at home, maybe at work if they’re essential, and doing essential activities such as grocery shopping, getting vaccinated and other healthcare. Nothing else
If someone is in Auckland and they haven't had their first jab within a week, it's because they choose not to make the very minimal effort needed to get it. They have had reasonable opportunity to get vaccinated.
Auckland has had capacity for walk-ins and drive-ins for most of a week now. It's how two of my kids got their first jab. In south auckland where a lot of resource was thrown at it early on, people have been able to get vaccinated as walk-ins for well over a month. That's how the young people I work with got fully vaccinated well ahead of their age group.
If it takes driving a vax bus around and knocking on people's doors and a practitioner having an extended discussion to get someone vaccinated, the seriousness of the pandemic makes that worth doing. But let's be clear, that's people unreasonably taking up a huge amount of resource for something they should be simply dealing with themselves. It's not because they're being discriminated against or somehow it's more difficult for them, it's that they are choosing to be difficult.
So how long would you be happy for the willfully unvaccinated to hold Auckland hostage in lockdowns for?
When you frame it like that, not long at all – but then I'm no politician.
Safe vaccines that quickly end the pandemic. It’s ending. Normal life — that's all we want," he said. "You know what we want? Normal life. Normal life will finally resume, and next year will be the greatest economic year in the history of our country." https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/live-updates/2020-election-campaign/?id=73702022
Unfortunately with covid alive and well and rampant in an only partially vaccinated community, (even at 80 – 90%) putting up tent hospitals is going to be the exact scenario. It is only fair that those who have refused to uptake the vaccination should not deny access to the many others in the community who need intensive care for a variety of other reasons.
The evidence is clear. Those who have been fully vaccinated have a greatly reduced need for hospitalisation from covid. Those who are unvaccinated with covid by and large are those filling the hospitals. I posted a day or two back a graphic of NZ's experience in the latest outbreak which clearly illustrates this fact.
Even National (and their right arm ACT) are not going to front a policy of vaccine passport healthcare. I expect only a short executive career for Andre where he is cleaned out as a "left-wing" stooge after the election.
Of course his policy contribution will do way more to revive National than his vote ever will.
If people start missing out on healthcare because the system has been broken by idiots refusing a very safe, very effective and free disease preventative, you might be surprised where the public conversation goes.
So the availability of a free, safe vaccine – and the existence of a large populace that refuses to be vaccinated and urging others to refuse – in some people's minds changes the debate. Not only among laypeople and the commentariat, but among healthcare professionals.
"I can't tell you how many emails I've had in the last 48 hours talking about this; those of us working with the National Academies right now are going around and around on this issue," Dr. Eric Toner, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, said in a Zoom interview.
That RNZ article is trying to overegg things a bit I think. I agree the numbers of "extras" coming in seems a lot. However November to march is up to 22 weeks (depending on when you start) At 4900 beds per fortnight that makes over 50,000 beds available. Suddenly the numbers of extra's don't seem so big.
Great to hear our medical staff having been recognised in shout outs at 1:00
perhaos with the additional $7b COVID fund, something more tangible to show our appreciation could also be given say a simple $1,000 to all hospital staff, and if some argue that that misses out on some then be more generous and enlarge the group.
The nurses pay dispute imo will not happen pre Christmas so to do anything would be a great positive token of appreciation. And my idea of such a payment would be wider than only the nurses. There are many who contribute at the front line to our health system. Even PaknSave workers have been given a 10% loading to their rates.
The Nurses pay round is looking less likely to be resolved quickly as the DHBs are now trying to put the staffing levels on the back-burner and resolve 'at a later date'.
Just like the Pay Parity which has been dragging on since National were in power.
Not surprisingly, the Nurses have pushed back on that and see it as one of the primary 'planks' of negotiations.
I had always taken lockdown as levels 3 and 4. In both those levels, freedom of movement and freedom of association are severely restricted to personal bubbles, workplaces and homes.
Whereas level 2 and lower, you may go where you please and visit whom you please, subject to a few much less onerous conditions such as venue capacity reductions and PPE use.
So, the definition is somewhat subjective? I guess we also have different tolerance levels for these ‘lockdowns’ depending on personal circumstances, et cetera.
I guess if you asked a government official, they would call level 4 "lockdown", and level 3 "restrict". At least, that's the wording on the official alert levels descriptions.
Indeed, it appears that Level 4 is labelled “lockdown”. So, Level 3 and lower are still acceptable then once the vaccination roll-out has runs its course?
Personally, I find some of the Alert Level 1 measures restrictive, but I can tolerate them for a medium-long time although not indefinitely. Level 4 is a pain in the proverbial, but they are relatively short-lived.
My attitudes will change over time and depending on what’s going on in the rest of the world. I hate to think that we might end up being the ‘Albania’ of ‘North-Korea’ of the world, but at the same time, I cringe at Plan B.
To my values and priorities, level 3 is still an unpalatable level of restriction on freedom of movement and freedom of association, once everyone has had reasonable opportunity to get vaccinated. I don't much care whether some government publication calls it something other than lockdown, it's still lockdown as far as I'm concerned.
At a family level during this lockdown, my dad in Northland has been diagnosed with bowel cancer. He needed to go to Whangarei Hospital for a scan, 2 hours drive each way. In level 2 or lower I would have gone to drive him, but as it was, mum ended up driving him. That's the most single-day driving she's done in decades, by a long way. They crashed on the way home, trivially minor injuries, but wrote the car off. He has heart issues sufficiently serious that there might not be anesthetists willing to work his operation, but if he does go under the knife I would really want to go see him beforehand. Because there would be a significant chance he wouldn’t make it out the other side. But we probably won't get out of level 3 (lockdown as far as I'm concerned) soon enough.
I'm sure many other families have had to deal with much more serious life-changing issues and been prevented from getting together by the movement restrictions we currently have.
I’m sorry to hear about your dad, but it kinda emphasises what I argued about personal circumstances and experiences colouring one’s attitudes towards pandemic restrictions and thus to anything that might speed up or slow down lifting those restrictions. I guess this is the proverbial open door.
Over time, the ‘negative’ aspects will start to outweigh any of the real and perceived benefits of those measures. The question for me is to what extent high (?) vaccination levels are going to be sufficient to relax those restrictions and what sacrifices are we prepared to make?
Of course, you are worried about your dad, but should you be worried about him catching Covid-19 upon lifting restrictions? Equally, should anybody be worried about elderly relatives catching Covid-19 even when vaccinated? I won’t attempt to pre-empt your answer.
As for what my elderly parents might think about the risk of getting infected vs not being able to have family and friends visit, they would be very very strongly on the side of having people coming visit and let the infection chips fall where they may.
Particularly after everyone has had reasonable opportunity to get vaccinated. That moment in their area came and went quite a while ago. As I understand it, the local practitioners are now at the stage of putting a lot of individual effort into trying to get local maybes turned into vaccinees. That moment of everyone has had reasonable opportunity in my area isn't very far away.
For most of my parents lives they've lived with the risk of much more serious diseases than covid, that weren't always held at bay by vaccines with the astonishingly high effectiveness of the Pfizer vaccine.
As for the idea that they might have to forgo having people visit for the sake of protecting people that refuse to protect themselves, I won't put their reaction in writing here to save moderators the trouble of permanently banning me.
I've needed to go to Welly hospital for a follow up chest-x-ray scan – looking at a potential malignancy in my left lung.
I'm now paying the price of a life-time (since age 14) hard-to-kick addiction to cigarettes – severe emphysema. The Respiratory Clinicians' suspicion of a tumour in there too was a nasty shock & meant two specialised scans last year to see what's going on in there.
My scheduled 6 month follow-up scan 3 weeks ago during level 4 lockdown had to be rescheduled when we got to level 2. I had it last week. The good news is that there's been no change & the radiologist & others in the multi-specialist team has concluded no other changes, & no malignancy.
Which is obviously good, but it really has brought home to me how lockdowns place immense stress on the health system & anxiety for the patients.
Also, how desperately short of staff our hospitals seem to be, even BEFORE Covid-19 ended up putting them under even more pressure. Wellington Publc Hospital is a real United Nations & has been for many years. It couldn't cope without huge numbers of doctors & nurses from overseas.
It's a major worry how our public health system is going to cope when right around the world Health administrators are going to be chasing the same qualified resources.
Rob MacCulloch writes – Can’t remember the last book by a Kiwi author you read? Think the NZ government should spend less on the arts in favor of helping the homeless? If so, as far as Newsroom is concerned, you probably deserve to be called a cultural ignoramus ...
Eric Crampton writes – Grudges are bad. Better to move on. But it can be fun to keep a couple of really trivial ones, so you’re not tempted to have other ones. For example, because of the rootkit fiasco of 2005, no Sony products in our household. ...
A new report warns an estimated third of the adult population have unmet need for health care.Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāHere’s the six key things I learned about Aotaroa’s political economy this week around housing, climate and poverty:Politics - Three opinion polls confirmed support for PM Christopher Luxon ...
Today is May the fourth. Which was just a regular day when my mother took me to see the newly released Star Wars at the Odeon in Rotorua. The queue was right around the corner. Some years later this day became known as Star Wars Day, the date being a ...
Buzz from the Beehive Much more media attention is being paid to something Winston Peters said about former Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr than to a speech he delivered to the New Zealand China Council. One word is missing from the speech: AUKUS. But AUKUS loomed large in his considerations ...
Is the economy in another long stagnation? If so, why?This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be ...
The annual list of who's been bribing our politicians is out, and journalists will no doubt be poring over it to find the juiciest and dirtiest bribes. The government's fast-track invite list is likely to be a particular focus, and we already know of one company on the list which ...
In the weeks after the October 7 Hamas attacks on Southern Israel I wrote about the possible 2nd, 3rd and even 4th order effects of the conflict. These included new fronts being opened in the West Bank (with Hamas), Golan … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – It is one of the oldest truisms that there is never a good time for MPs to get a pay rise. This week’s announcement of pay raises of around 2.8% backdated to last October could hardly have come at a worse time, with the ...
David Farrar writes – Newshub reports: Newshub can reveal a fresh allegation of intimidation against Green MP Julie-Anne Genter. Genter is subject to a disciplinary process for aggressively waving a book in the face of National Minister Matt Doocey in the House – but it’s not the first time ...
The Treasury has published a paper today on the global productivity slowdown and how it is playing out in New Zealand: The productivity slowdown: implications for the Treasury’s forecasts and projections. The Treasury Paper examines recent trends in productivity and the potential drivers of the slowdown. Productivity for the whole economy ...
Winston Peters’ comments about former Australian foreign minister look set to be an ongoing headache for both him and Luxon. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for subscribers features co-hosts and , along with regular guests on Gaza and ...
These puppet strings don't pull themselvesYou're thinking thoughts from someone elseHow much time do you think you have?Are you prepared for what comes next?The debating chamber can be a trying place for an opposition MP. What with the person in charge, the speaker, typically being an MP from the governing ...
The land around Lyme Regis, where Meryl Streep once stood, in a hood, on the Cobb, is falling into the sea.MerylThe land around Lyme Regis, around the Cobb that made it rich, has always been falling slowly but surely into the sea. Read more ...
Buzz from the Beehive Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters was bound to win headlines when he set out his thinking about AUKUS in his speech to the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. The headlines became bigger when – during an interview on RNZ’s Morning Report today – he criticised ...
The Post reports on how the government is refusing to release its advice on its corrupt Muldoonist fast-track law, instead using the "soon to be publicly available" refusal ground to hide it until after select committee submissions on the bill have closed. Fast-track Minister Chris Bishop's excuse? “It's not ...
As pressure on it grows, the livestock industry’s approach to the transition to Net Zero is increasingly being compared to that of fossil fuel interests. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / Getty ImagesTL;DR: Here’s the top five news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above ...
The New Zealand Herald reports – Stats NZ has offered a voluntary redundancy scheme to all of its workers as a way to give staff some control over their “future” amidst widespread job losses in the public sector. In an update to staff this morning, seen by the Herald, Statistics New Zealand ...
On Werewolf/Scoop, I usually do two long form political columns a week. From now on, there will be an extra column each week about music and movies. But first, some late-breaking political events:The rise in unemployment numbers for the March quarter was bigger than expected – and especially sharp ...
David Farrar writes – The Herald reports: TVNZ says it is dealing with about 50 formal complaints over its coverage of the latest 1News-Verian political poll, with some viewers – as well as the Prime Minister and a former senior Labour MP – critical of the tone of the 6pm report. ...
Muriel Newman writes – When Meridian Energy was seeking resource consents for a West Coast hydro dam proposal in 2010, local Maori “strenuously” objected, claiming their mana was inextricably linked to ‘their’ river and could be damaged. After receiving a financial payment from the company, however, the Ngai Tahu ...
Alwyn Poole writes – “An SEP,’ he said, ‘is something that we can’t see, or don’t see, or our brain doesn’t let us see, because we think that it’s somebody else’s problem. That’s what SEP means. Somebody Else’s Problem. The brain just edits it out, it’s like a ...
Our trust in our political institutions is fast eroding, according to a Maxim Institute discussion paper, Shaky Foundations: Why our democracy needs trust. The paper – released today – raises concerns about declining trust in New Zealand’s political institutions and democratic processes, and the role that the overuse of Parliamentary urgency ...
This article was prepared for publication yesterday. More ministerial announcements have been posted on the government’s official website since it was written. We will report on these later today …. Buzz from the BeehiveThere we were, thinking the environment is in trouble, when along came Jones. Shane Jones. ...
New Zealand now has the fourth most depressed construction sector in the world behind China, Qatar and Hong Kong. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 8:46am on Thursday, May 2:The Lead: ...
Hi,I am just going to state something very obvious: American police are fucking crazy.That was a photo gracing the New York Times this morning, showing New York City police “entering Columbia University last night after receiving a request from the school.”Apparently in America, protesting the deaths of tens of thousands ...
Winston Peters’ much anticipated foreign policy speech last night was a work of two halves. Much of it was a standard “boilerplate” Foreign Ministry overview of the state of the world. There was some hardening up of rhetoric with talk of “benign” becoming “malign” and old truths giving way to ...
Graham Adams assesses the fallout of the Cass Review — The press release last Thursday from the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls didn’t make the mainstream news in New Zealand but it really should have. The startling title of Reem Alsalem’s statement — “Implementation of ‘Cass ...
This open-for-business, under-new-management cliché-pockmarked government of Christopher Luxon is not the thing of beauty he imagines it to be. It is not the powerful expression of the will of the people that he asserts it to be. It is not a soaring eagle, it is a malodorous vulture. This newest poll should make ...
The latest labour market statistics, showing a rise in unemployment. There are now 134,000 unemployed - 14,000 more than when the National government took office. Which is I guess what happens when the Reserve Bank causes a recession in an effort to Keep Wages Low. The previous government saw a ...
Three opinion polls have been released in the last two days, all showing that the new government is failing to hold their popular support. The usual honeymoon experienced during the first year of a first term government is entirely absent. The political mood is still gloomy and discontented, mainly due ...
National's Finance Minister once met a poor person.A scornful interview with National's finance guru who knows next to nothing about economics or people.There might have been something a bit familiar if that was the headline I’d gone with today. It would of course have been in tribute to the article ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – Throughout the pandemic, the new Vice-Chancellor-of-Otago-University-on-$629,000 per annum-Can-you-believe-it-and-Former-Finance-Minister Grant Robertson repeated the mantra over and over that he saved “lives and livelihoods”.As we update how this claim is faring over the course of time, the facts are increasingly speaking differently. NZ ...
Chris Trotter writes – IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in acknowledgement of electoral victory: “We’ll govern for all New Zealanders.” On the face of it, the pledge is a strange one. Why would any political leader govern in ways that advantaged the huge ...
Bryce Edwards writes – The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill ...
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 ...
Auckland Transport have started rolling out new HOP card readers around the network and over the next three months, all of them on buses, at train stations and ferry wharves will be replaced. The change itself is not that remarkable, with the new readers looking similar to what is already ...
Completed reads for April: The Difference Engine, by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling Carnival of Saints, by George Herman The Snow Spider, by Jenny Nimmo Emlyn’s Moon, by Jenny Nimmo The Chestnut Soldier, by Jenny Nimmo Death Comes As the End, by Agatha Christie Lord of the Flies, by ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Have a story to share about St Paul’s, but today just picturesPopular novels written at this desk by a young man who managed to bootstrap himself out of father’s imprisonment and his own young life in a workhouse Read more ...
The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill English, Simon Bridges, Steven Joyce, Roger Sowry, ...
Newsroom has a story today about National's (fortunately failed) effort to disestablish the newly-created Inspector-General of Defence. The creation of this agency was the key recommendation of the Inquiry into Operation Burnham, and a vital means of restoring credibility and social licence to an agency which had been caught lying ...
Holding On To The Present:The moment a political movement arises that attacks the whole idea of social progress, and announces its intention to wind back the hands of History’s clock, then democracy, along with its unwritten rules, is in mortal danger.IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in ...
Stuck In The Middle With You:As Christopher Luxon feels the hot breath of Act’s and NZ First’s extremists on the back of his neck and, as he reckons with the damage their policies are already inflicting upon a country he’s described as “fragile”, is there not some merit in reaching out ...
The unpopular coalition government is currently rushing to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act. The clause is Oranga Tamariki's Treaty clause, and was inserted after its systematic stealing of Māori children became a public scandal and resulted in physical resistance to further abductions. The clause created clear obligations ...
Buzz from the Beehive The government’s official website – which Point of Order monitors daily – not for the first time has nothing much to say today about political happenings that are grabbing media headlines. It makes no mention of the latest 1News-Verian poll, for example. This shows National down ...
It Takes A Train To Cry:Surely, there is nothing lonelier in all this world than the long wail of a distant steam locomotive on a cold Winter’s night.AS A CHILD, I would lie awake in my grandfather’s house and listen to the traffic. The big wooden house was only a ...
Packing A Punch: The election of the present government, including in its ranks politicians dedicated to reasserting the rights of the legislature in shaping and determining the future of Māori and Pakeha in New Zealand, should have alerted the judiciary – including its anomalous appendage, the Waitangi Tribunal – that its ...
Dead Woman Walking: New Zealand’s media industry had been moving steadily towards disaster for all the years Melissa Lee had been National’s media and communications policy spokesperson, and yet, when the crisis finally broke, on her watch, she had nothing intelligent to offer. Christopher Luxon is a patient man - but he’s not ...
Chris Trotter writes – New Zealand politics is remarkably easy-going: dangerously so, one might even say. With the notable exception of John Key’s flat ruling-out of the NZ First Party in 2008, all parties capable of clearing MMP’s five-percent threshold, or winning one or more electorate seats, tend ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is ...
Luxon will no doubt put a brave face on it, but there is no escaping the pressure this latest poll will put on him and the government. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political ...
This is a re-post from The Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler In the wake of any unusual weather event, someone inevitably asks, “Did climate change cause this?” In the most literal sense, that answer is almost always no. Climate change is never the sole cause of hurricanes, heat waves, droughts, or ...
Something odd happened yesterday, and I’d love to know if there’s more to it. If there was something which preempted what happened, or if it was simply a throwaway line in response to a journalist.Yesterday David Seymour was asked at a press conference what the process would be if the ...
Hi,From time to time, I want to bring Webworm into the real world. We did it last year with the Jurassic Park event in New Zealand — which was a lot of fun!And so on Saturday May 11th, in Los Angeles, I am hosting a lil’ Webworm pop-up! I’ve been ...
Education Minister Erica Standford yesterday unveiled a fundamental reform of the way our school pupils are taught. She would not exactly say so, but she is all but dismantling the so-called “inquiry” “feel good” method of teaching, which has ruled in our classrooms since a major review of the New ...
Exactly where are we seriously going with this government and its policies? That is, apart from following what may as well be a Truss-Lite approach on the purported economic “plan“, and Victorian-era regression when it comes to social policy.Oh it’ll work this time of course, we’re basically assured, “the ...
Hey Uncle Dave, When the Poms joined the EEC, I wasn't one of those defeatists who said, Well, that’s it for the dairy job. And I was right, eh? The Chinese can’t get enough of our milk powder and eventually, the Poms came to their senses and backed up the ute ...
Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is higher than for any other mayor ...
Buzz from the Beehive Pharmac has been given a financial transfusion and a new chair to oversee its spending in the pharmaceutical business. Associate Health Minister David Seymour described the funding for Pharmac as “its largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff”. ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its ...
TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:10am on Monday, April 29:Scoop: The children's ward at Rotorua Hospital will be missing a third of its beds as winter hits because Te Whatu Ora halted an upgrade partway through to ...
span class=”dropcap”>As hideous as David Seymour can be, it is worth keeping in mind occasionally that there are even worse political figures (and regimes) out there. Iran for instance, is about to execute the country’s leading hip hop musician Toomaj Salehi, for writing and performing raps that “corrupt” the nation’s ...
Yesterday marked 10 years since the first electric train carried passengers in Auckland so it’s a good time to look back at it and the impact it has had. A brief history The first proposals for rail electrification in Auckland came in the 1920’s alongside the plans for earlier ...
Right now, in Aotearoa-NZ, our ‘animal spirits’ are darkening towards a winter of discontent, thanks at least partly to a chorus of negative comments and actions from the Government Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on ...
You make people evil to punish the paststuck inside a sequel with a rotating castThe following photos haven’t been generated with AI, or modified in any way. They are flesh and blood, human beings. On the left is Galatea Young, a young mum, and her daughter Fiadh who has Angelman ...
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. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
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 ...
Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced Pharmac’s largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff. “Access to medicines is a crucial part of many Kiwis’ lives. We’ve committed to a budget allocation of $1.774 billion over four years so Kiwis are ...
Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Norton, Professor in the Practice of Higher Education Policy, Australian National University Every year on June 1, student debt in Australia is indexed to inflation. In 2023, high inflation pushed the indexation rate to 7.1%, the highest since 1990. This ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Changes in the May 14 budget will cut the student debt of more than three million people, wiping more than $3 billion from what people owe. The government will cap the HELP indexation rate ...
Asia Pacific Report The prosecutor’s office at the International Criminal Court (ICC) has appealed for an end to what it calls intimidation of its staff, saying such threats could constitute an offence against the “administration of justice” by the world’s permanent war crimes court. The Hague-based office of ICC Prosecutor ...
By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk A women’s union in New Caledonia has staged a sit-in protest this week to support senior Kanak indigenous journalist Thérèse Waia, who works for public broadcaster Nouvelle-Calédonie la Première, after a smear attack by critics. The peaceful demonstration was held on ...
New Zealand Food Safety is monitoring overseas recalls of Indian packaged spice products manufactured by MDH and Everest due to concerns over a cancer-causing pesticide. ...
By Stephen Wright and Stefan Armbruster of BenarNews Fiji’s ranking in a global press freedom index has jumped into the top tier of countries with free or mostly free media after its government last year repealed a draconian law that threatened journalists with prison for doing their jobs. Fiji’s improvement ...
We might be in Invercargill but all anyone can talk about is Gore. Specifically, Salford Street. That’s where three-year-old Lachlan Jones lived, south of the centre of town, between the A&P Showgrounds and the Mataura River. Roughly 1.2 km away from the single level home he lived in with his ...
MONDAY I lined up the latest round of civil servants from city hall against the wall, and signalled for the firing squad to drop their rifles. I stepped up onto a wooden crate to look at the office workers in the eye. But that didn’t feel right, so I found ...
Keen hiker and second-year MSc student Liam Hewson wears two hats when he’s in the great outdoors. “The scientist in me appreciates nature and goes, ‘Oh, there’s that thing and there’s another thing,’ but then the tramper and the outdoorsy person in me thinks, ‘Cool bush.’” Born and bred in ...
After a long and illustrious career as a goal kicker, Dan Carter’s favourite way to unwind is… kicking goals. Why can’t he get enough of it? And what it’s like to watch him do it for an hour straight? A semicircle of people wielding cameras and phones has formed in ...
Dame Susan Devoy takes us through her life in television, including late night ER debriefs, her proudest CTI moment and the show she watches in secret. Quite aside from her four world champion squash titles, Dame Susan Devoy will likely go down in history as one of the best Celebrity ...
Hera Lindsay Bird reveals the best places in Ōtepoti to score more for your apocalypse-prep book hoard.Sometimes I get the feeling I’ve been killed in a car crash, and this second half of my life is just the brain unspooling itself, like one of those episodes of a hospital ...
ThreeNow’s new murder mystery series takes us on a dark, damp journey into the Australian wilderness.This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. High Country is ThreeNow’s new Australian eight-part crime drama, set in a remote part of the Victorian highlands. It tells ...
Introducing a new way to read The Spinoff every weekend. After nearly 10 years of being an online magazine, we’re finally embracing the weekend liftout. Despite our best efforts to convince you otherwise, writers and editors at The Spinoff don’t work weekend. It is through the sheer power of technology ...
Tip one: let yourself be nurtured by this big old man. Tip two: don’t ask him to adopt you. So, you’ve arrived at your first session with a new therapist. He tells you to make yourself comfortable and you opt for the tweed armchair, hoping it makes you look like ...
I didn’t know books could open you back up; that there were books that stayed with you, where reading was like a chemical event. I knew nothing.The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.Not too long ago, I was listening to the American ...
Former Olympic swimmer James Magnussen has already started training for the Enhanced games, though says he won’t start taking performance enhancing substances until about nine months out from the competition. The Australian world champion was the first athlete to be announced by Enhanced, but he says the organisation has had ...
Everyone thinks he’s dead. Every day they expect his body to be washed up along the coast. Most likely up Karitane way, the way the tide’s running. But nobody’ll be too surprised if his body’s never found. Even in death he wouldn’t have wished for such attention. He would have ...
Council members voted 21 to 4 in favour of Ahluwalia returning to the Laucala campus following a much-awaited meeting in Vanuatu this week. It comes as USP and its two unions — the Association of the University of the South Pacific Staff (AUSPS) and the Administration and Support Staff Union ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nicola Henry, Professor & Australian Research Council Future Fellow, Social and Global Studies Centre, RMIT University Shutterstock Following an emergency meeting of the National Cabinet this week, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced a raft of measures to tackle the problem ...
Analysis - A poll showing the opposition is more popular than the government raises questions, politicians go through their 'trial by pay rise' and a Green MP loses her cool in the debating chamber. ...
The entire stretch of Tokomaru Bay on the East Coast will be subject to a joint customary marine title for two hapū, and extending up to four miles out to sea. A High Court judge has found the two groups, who during the case settled a dispute over boundaries for ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Hall, Lecturer, Media & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University A longstanding feud between TikTok and Universal Music Group seems to have finally reached an end, with both parties signing a deal that will see Universal-backed music returned to the social media ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Siobhan O’Dean, Postdoctoral Research Associate, The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use, University of Sydney After several highly publicised alleged murders of women in Australia, the Albanese government this week pledged more than A$925 million over five years ...
Political parties have now fully disclosed the donations they received last year - with National getting more than double the cash of any other party. ...
A Pacific regionalism expert has called out New Zealand's Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters for withholding information from the public on AUKUS military pact. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Richard de Grijs, Professor of Astrophysics, Macquarie University Bruno Scramgnon/Pexels All systems are “go” for tonight’s launch of China’s next step in a carefully planned lunar exploration program. Placed on top of a powerful Long March 5 rocket, the Chang’e 6 ...
National returned a massive donation the day after a Newsroom story linked the donors to a property being investigated for operating unlawfully as a migrant workers’ hostel. The party’s 2023 donation filings, released on Friday, show it returned a $200,000 donation from Buen Holdings on August 23. That was the ...
Pacific Media Watch New Zealand has slumped to an unprecedented 19th place in the annual Reporters Without Borders World Press Freedom Index survey released today on World Press Freedom Day — May 3. This was a drop of six places from 13th last year when it slipped out of its ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joshua Black, Political Historian and Administrator Officer, Australian Historical Association, Australian National University Australia has had its fair share of public record-keeping controversies in recent years. Some have been mere farce, as in the case of two formerly government-owned filing cabinets (containing ...
Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL), a United Nations-affiliated organization dedicated to fostering peace through civilian-led initiatives, has issued a statement in response to the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran. ...
A poem by Tessa Keenan, from AUP New Poets 10. Mātou These days we are a photograph; one of a farm strewn with cows that used to be bright harakeke or swamp. The kids point at it and say the sun sits behind a smudge (left by someone at Christmas); ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan (Faber & Faber, $25)The masterful Irish writer ...
Marriage and civil union statistics record the number of marriages and civil unions registered in New Zealand each year, and divorce statistics record the number of divorces granted in New Zealand each year. Key facts Marriages and civil unions In ...
Marriage and civil union statistics record the number of marriages and civil unions registered in New Zealand each year, and divorce statistics record the number of divorces granted in New Zealand each year. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lennon Y.C. Chang, Associate Professor of Cyber Risk and Policy, Deakin University Taiwan stands out as a beacon of democracy, innovation and resilience in an increasingly autocratic region. But this is under growing threat. In recent years, China has used a variety ...
In this excerpt from her new memoir, Dame Susan Devoy remembers her turn as star contestant on the 2022 season of Celebrity Treasure Island. The most anxious time of every day was pre-elimination, when you knew this could be your final day on the show. I felt such contradictory emotions, ...
A week that began in triumph ended in an all-too-familiar disaster for the Green Party. Duncan Greive asks if there’s something in the mission that breaks its best and brightest. A long, strange week for the Green party began with a fantastic poll result. On one level this is hardly ...
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist Vanuatu’s former prime minister and opposition MP Ishmael Kalsakau has stepped down — just two days after he confirmed he was the rightful opposition leader. Kalsakau, MP for Port Vila, confirmed to ABC’s Pacific Beat, and the Vanuatu Daily Post on Thursday that he ...
What’s to blame for the coalition’s choppy start? Six months in, and the mojo meter is in the doldrums. A new poll would put National out of power and sees its leader, Chris Luxon, sliding in popularity. How much is it about policy, how much coalition management and a perception ...
The striking report goes far beyond the proposed repeal of the Oranga Tamariki Act’s Treaty of Waitangi provision, and its impact should be felt far beyond the unique circumstances of the claim it addresses. Earlier this week, the Waitangi Tribunal released an interim report on the government’s proposed repeal of ...
The world has been experiencing a productivity slowdown, from which New Zealand has not been exempt. COVID-19 temporarily boosted labour productivity, but more recently, productivity has retreated. The overall trend since 2007 has been one of slow productivity ...
What’s more wasteful than spending $315k on syrup and machine maintenance? Trying to drum up a controversy about it.Cast your mind back to the pre-pandemic idylls of 2019. A “rat” was a disgusting rodent and not a self-administered plague test; the sixth Labour government was in power; and the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Fitz-Gibbon, Professor of Social Sciences, Faculty of Arts, Monash University, Monash University Ken stocker/Shutterstock In the wake of numerous killings of women allegedly by men’s violence in 2024, thousands of Australians have joined rallies across the country to demand action ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Henry Cutler, Professor and Director, Macquarie University Centre for the Health Economy, Macquarie University Oleg Ivanov IL/Shutterstock Waiting times for public hospital elective surgery have been in the news ahead of this year’s federal budget. That’s the type of non-emergency surgery ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Konstantine Panegyres, McKenzie Postdoctoral Fellow, Historical and Philosophical Studies, The University of Melbourne Amna Artist/Shutterstock One of the earliest descriptions of someone with cancer comes from the fourth century BC. Satyrus, tyrant of the city of Heracleia on the Black Sea, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Rose, Professor of Sustainable Future Transport, University of Sydney LanaElcova/Shutterstock Electric vehicles are often seen as the panacea to cutting emissions – and air pollution – from transport. Is this view correct? Yes – but only once uptake accelerates. Despite the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Giselle Natassia Woodley, Researcher and Phd Candidate, Edith Cowan University There is widespread agreement Australia needs to do better when it comes to gender-based violence. Anger and frustration at the numbers of women being killed saw national rallies over the weekend and ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Graham, Lecturer in Economics, University of Sydney Mark and Anna Photography/Shutterstock As home ownership moves further out of reach for many Australians, “rentvesting” is being touted as a lifesaver. Rentvesting is the practice of renting one property to live ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sukhmani Khorana, Associate Professor, Faculty of Arts, Design and Architecture, UNSW Sydney Netflix The new season of Heartbreak High is garnering mixed reviews. Critics are writing about the racy story lines, comparing it to other coming-of-age series about teenage relationships and ...
Bob Carr intends to launch legal action against Winston Peters and Julie Anne Genter is facing a second allegation of bullying. Both sucked the air out of an announcement on education, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in ...
In 1995, Sally Clark went out on her own in a bold and unorthodox attempt to join an illustrious group of equestrian riders conquering the world. In the days of glovebox road maps, brick cell phones, and the hit song How Bizarre, Clark refused to follow Sir Mark Todd, Blyth ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ben Beaglehole, Senior Lecturer, Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Otago niphon/Getty Images The number of people accessing medication for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in Aotearoa New Zealand increased significantly between 2006 and 2022. But the disorder is still under-diagnosed and ...
To celebrate the start of New Zealand music month, we look back at the best local tuneage that managed to weasel its way into Hollywood productions. There’s nothing quite like the thrilling zap of recognition when New Zealand weasels its way into a glamorous Hollywood production. Crack open a Tui ...
People trust other people more than institutions. So how can the media gain that trust through journalists without losing what’s important about the institution? Anna Rawhiti-Connell reflects on two years of curating the news for The Bulletin.Amonth ago, armed cops descended on my neighbourhood as calls to “lock your ...
Opinion: PFAS – per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances – are a class of thousands of man-made chemicals used widely in everyday consumer items such as textiles, packaging, and cookware, popular for their water, grease and stain-repellent properties. However, the very properties that make PFAS so attractive to manufacturers are also what ...
NONFICTION 1 The Last Secret Agent by Pippa Latour & Jude Dobson (Allen & Unwin, $37.99)’ This is the hottest book in New Zealand, number one with a bullet in its first week, selling more than any overseas title, and demand is so huge that it’s already been reprinted. A ...
As it behooves mediocre right wing … men everywhere, Ben Thomas is a bit late to the white-ant pile on but tries to make up for it with gravitas and enthusiasm…
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/opinion/126389309/the-end-is-nigh-as-judith-collins-stumbles-once-too-often
[RL: The racist reference to skin colour has been deleted. Be more careful.]
Haven't seen any of the usual pundits defend her yet. Spose it's just a question now of how long she can stagger on in the role of LOTO until someone delivers the coup de grace, while the National party continues to bleed out the last of its credibility too.
National is going to need a major overhaul after her departure. Shudder to think they might in desperation fatigue & despression choose Bridges as leader again.
Snowflake alert!
I'd be interested to know why you think it's acceptable to casually denigrate anyone on the basis of their skin colour.
Following the grotesque debacle at Kabul airport, our Prime Minister 'pledged' future evacuation of all those people we left behind who we owe a service of gratitude to during our war effort.
If we can 'admit' that we have been defeated, if we can accept that adventurist military missions to evacuate people are at an end.
Then our government need 'to come to terms with that reality', and begin negotiations with the Taliban regime.
In my opinion our Foreign Affairs Minister, at the head of a New Zealand delegation to Kabul, would be the best person to step on to the world stage and successfully open these negotiations, between our two governments for the safe return of the people we are responsible for..
A dark skinned person from a colonised people, a proud Maori woman with a Moko, would be the best representative of our secular multi-culteral country. Her official acceptance by the Taliban as our official envoy, would be a test of Taliban good faith of their stated acceptance of diversity and tolerance of both women and minorities.
Now that civilian flights have resumed. To the honour their pledge, our government, with the agreement of the Taliban government, need to urgently send a chartered Air New Zealand plane to Kabul without delay, to rescue those we owe a debt of service to.
Our government needs to show boldness.
Half hearted measures won’t cut it. Any further delay even “by the hour” could be measured in lives lost.
Caught a glimpse of the last minutes of Jack Tame interviewing Mahuta (on Q+A) while I was quickly channel surfing on the weekend.
She was basically pleading helplessness in the absence of practical assistance from our other partner countries.
NZ seems to have been excluded from a meeting they all recently had after the evacuation mission abruptly ended.
Given she can be a very animated & staunch Wahine Toa when pushing initiatives like Three Waters & Maori Wards, it seemed from Mahuta's comments & demeanour like there's no great enthusiasm in Govt to get off the arse & actually DO something ourselves … but as I only saw a minute or two of this interview I don't know what else was said.
Afghanistan: Taliban leaders in bust-up at presidential palace, sources say
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-58560923
The BBC seems have picked up on this story that I first saw covered in The Guardian.
If there is any validity to this story (there may not be) it might be a wee while before the dust settles from any in-fighting & we know who we are finally dealing with at a diplomatic level over there. Not sure how much respect & mana the Taliban Foreign Minister is going to accord a woman Foreign Minister.
A real life version of Asterix and the Goths.
We saw the photos from the streets of Kabul and the airport. We could turn our TVs off and get on with moaning about being in lockdown.
The panic, terror and loss of hope came in some accounts, the freaking out to get out.
I know what should have been done, we all know. We envisaged being there with no chance of knowing what it was really like to be there.
The Washington Post listed some of the numbers involved. (With attribution to where the figures had come from.) It's easy to say 124, 334 but dealing with Eden Park full, three times over, pouring out onto the streets? They were moved, they have to go somewhere It is easy to say what should have happened and should happen now.
Number of people evacuated: 124, 334
Number of flights: 778 flights — 387 U.S. military and 391 non-U.S. military
Number of U.S. citizens evacuated: “More than 5,500, almost 6,000”
Number of U.S. legal permanent residents evacuated:
Total undisclosed, but 2,785 have arrived in the United States through Aug. 31
Number of U.S. citizens who wanted to leave but were not evacuated: “100 to 200”
Number of Afghans evacuated, currently on staging bases in the United States, Europe and the Middle East: 63,000, of whom 20,000 are in the United States
Number of Afghans who may be eligible for some sort of U.S. visa: As many as 265,000
Number of Afghans evacuated who qualify for special immigration visa:About 7,000
Number of Afghan special immigration visa applicants and families: About 88,000
"In my opinion our Foreign Affairs Minister, at the head of a New Zealand delegation to Kabul, would be the best person to step on to the world stage and successfully open these negotiations, between our two governments for the safe return of the people we are responsible for..
A dark skinned person from a colonised people, a proud Maori woman with a Moko, would be the best representative of our secular multi-culteral country. Her official acceptance by the Taliban as our official envoy, would be a test of Taliban good faith of their stated acceptance of diversity and tolerance of both women and minorities."
In most respects New Zealand diplomacy has gone backwards under this government and in particular under this Minister of Foreign Affairs:
– The Pacific Islands Forum that we helped invent remains split and in disarray.
– As of this week in Glasgow have zero credibility with climate-affected island states because our climate response is one of the world's weakest.
– We are routinely ignored by Australia on multiple levels and policy areas.
– Our aid efforts in the Pacific region are being supplanted by China.
– Our international friends are decreasing.
But you're right, It's the moko on a female Minister that will win the Taleban over.
Well Ad it does fairly scream "not a white imperialist"
"In most respects New Zealand diplomacy has gone backwards under this government and in particular under this Minister of Foreign Affairs:"
AD
If that is your truely held opinion Ad, then surely you would agree that it is time for the Minister of Foreign Affairs to step forward and reverse our ‘mostly backwards diplomacy’.
I couldn't think of a more noble and Mana enhancing cause in which to reverse our "backwards diplomacy", than with a diplomatic mission to rescue those who served with us in Afghanistan.
"It's the moko on a female Minister that will win the Taleban over."
Ad
On the contrary, it is the Moko which is most likely to offend the Taliban. Tatau is haram to Islam. Tatau is expressly forbidden in Koranic verse Surat An-Nisa' Ayat 119.
وَّلَاُضِلَّنَّهُمْ وَلَاُمَنِّيَنَّهُمْ وَلَاٰمُرَنَّهُمْ فَلَيُبَتِّكُنَّ اٰذَانَ الْاَنْعَامِ وَلَاٰمُرَنَّهُمْ فَلَيُغَيِّرُنَّ خَلْقَ اللّٰهِ ۚ وَمَنْ يَّتَّخِذِ الشَّيْطٰنَ وَلِيًّا مِّنْ دُوْنِ اللّٰهِ فَقَدْ خَسِرَ خُسْرَانًا مُّبِيْنًا
The Moko is part of Maori cultural heritage. Another part of Maori cultural heritage is the challenge, Whakatara.
The Taliban leadership have made a number of lofty claims on protecting the rights of minorities and women. They need to be challenged to honour them.
I couldn't think of a more potent symbol, to challenge the Taliban to match their lofty words with their deeds, than for them to have to afford diplomatic status to a tatooed Wahine Toa envoy trom the South Pacific.
Let's do this!
Go on. Pick up the phone to Parliament and suggest it to the Minister. Tell us how it goes.
I think I will. Thanks for the suggestion.
I will do my best.
P.S. I'll let you know how I get on.
Afghanistan is a basket case and NZ has brought in a number of refugees. This Kiwi thinks we have done enough there. At least until the dust settles. When the UN organises Afghan refugees and the Covid question is settled we could look again. Just now we have enough of our own poor and homeless. Refugees in their own country. Let’s deal to some of those issues first.
Just spray and walk away
Our country spent over $300 million fighting in that war. You are all for withholding humanitarian aid to a desparate people and make up for some of the damage this war caused them?
So what do you think Nic, of this country spending huge amounts to have a military presence in the South China Sea as part of the military build up amid increasing tensions between China and West,.
As we gear up for another blood bath, don't you think that this continued military expenditure on our next war, would be a better target for your gripe about taking care of own first, before helping the Afghan people?
Although some would argue that surrogacy enables infertile couples to have the child they wished for, and is therefore good thing, I would argue that no one has a right to rent a woman's body for nine months with all the dangers and problems including death that can result from pregnancy. Not to mention the harm to the child who is ripped from the mother who gave birth to it soon after birth. I believe that essentially surrogacy is the exploitation of poor women, often from impoverished countries by wealthy men. I was therfore appalled to see this bill supported by the government which will make it easier to enforce surrogacy agreements. https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/bills-and-laws/proposed-members-bills/improving-arrangements-for-surrogacy-bill-tamati-coffey/?fbclid=IwAR32rNE0J0rCrgcPPi7S6Wp3-HGnESpi-sLvfazceF0ZbaqlK1Rsk2HA95A
Well this changes a great deal:
The scrapping of the French contract is a very big deal – clearly the perceived urgency has increased substantially. And of course note that AUKUS explicitly excludes NZ. Looks like ANZUS is done.
Wow. That really does read like NZ's suddenly been shunned & left out in the cold.
To tell the truth, as the years have gone by & we seemed to have less & less powerful military assets & effective war-fighting capability (compared, say, to WW2) I've been a bit embarrassed that wherever we sent military contributions to group missions with our partner countries, we often seemed to to bludge off them for security & equipment.
I wonder if Peeni Henare, our Defence Minister, is going to be approached for comment?
This will cause a gigantic stink in Australia. The Short Fin Barracuda decision was a disaster – the French have banked billions of dollars and delivered exactly nothing and they'll be laughing all the way to the bank. What a waste of money!
The Australians will now buy off the shelf Virginia class SSNs from the Americans and get them into service ASAP. Anyone paying attention can see the US is accelerating the development and deployment of weapon systems for a confrontation with China THIS DECADE.
A 'confrontation'? As if civilisation didn't have enough worries.
Please, NO disproportionate increase in NZ's military spending while Kiwis go hungry and homeless. Let the hawks play their war games – follow the money.
I wish John Clarke was still alive.
The whole thing is disgusting on so many levels.
For instance what plans are in place for decommisiong these floating nuclear plants when they are done with?
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20150330-where-nuclear-subs-go-to-die
From the disgracful climate and bush fire response,
To the shambolic lack of any coordinated Federal response to the Covid Crisis.
To debased groveling to the American war machine, this is the sort of thing the people of the South Pacific have come to expect from Scott Morrision and the Australian Liberal Party.
Let us hope that the Australian Labor and Green opposition parties make this into an election issue
I couldn't be bothered learning this lickspittle's name.
I noticed on the TV One News item that they showed Scomo saying Ardern was the first person he called to advise her of their decision.
Andrew McFarland, their “cub reporter” in Oz made a point of referring to China’s more recent “aggressive” foreign policy stances ….
Whoops
*MacFarlane
Time for NZ to ditch 5 Eyes and join the non aligned Nations movement. Bi lateral trade agreements and mutually beneficial engagement with other countries on the basis of an independent foreign policy.
Would fit in well with a transition from New Zealand to “Aotearoa NZ”, and finally to “Aotearoa”, with a new flag, and becoming a republic. The Māori Party target of 2026 for place names could be a good timeline and allow for the necessary discussion, referenda and legislation.
Well said, fuck off with the war mongers.
We're far too small to be effectively footing it militarily with the big boys.We've only ever been required for diplomatic cover.If it is in the US's interests to protect us should push come to shove, they will. If it's not they won't
Look how the Americans treated their allies , us included ,in Afghanistan .
I'm a pacifist, if we're ever to get ourselves out of the catastrophe we're in pandemic and climate wise, we need to throw all our resources into cooperation, not war and killing machines.
I'm glad if we're out of Anzus, no more nagging to up our military spending …buying from guess who?
Lets put our money into civil defence and natural disaster for our Pacific neighbours, fisheries patrol
I'm a pacifist, if we're ever to get ourselves out of the catastrophe we're in pandemic and climate wise, we need to throw all our resources into cooperation, not war and killing machines.
That's a fine idealistic position and one I have considerable personal commitment to. On the other hand if someone broke into your home to commit a crime – would you demure from calling the police because 'they're the tool of state violence'?
I'd suggest that pacifism for you and not for Xi Xinping is a very weak position indeed.
This is a big deal of major significance Defence-wise for NZ. Wonder if & when any MSM outlets are going to pick it up & start asking questions of PM & relevant Ministers?
Hmm. Nowt on RNZ site yet, but just spotted this in The Herald:
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/australia-us-and-uk-form-auukus-under-a-new-nuclear-defence-pact/PMMR46UAWAKXCQB2DXM6MZXATY/
How we square our nuclear free legislation with our near total reliance on Australia to help maintain our defense force is going to interesting once the Aussies get SSNs.
From The Herald article:
Jingoistic, sabre-rattling language like that from Australia doesn't augur well when they could be "speaking softly while carrying a big stick". Xi Jinping's Foreign Office responds fiercely to such provocations these days.
Stuff's now picked it up:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/126398085/australia-united-kingdom-and-united-states-announce-major-new-aukus-defence-pact
Seems quite a big story to me. RNZ's well behind the eight ball – nothing yet.
TVNZ & Newshub have covered it too.
We can be fairly sure that Ocky paranoia won't allow them to watch themselves be outflanked to the south. We could refocus defence spending on border protection and leave the big boysngirls to look after the big stuff.
"Outflanked to the South"?
Do you mean here?
https://www.stuff.co.nz/world/300341577/the-newest-battlefield-between-china-and-the-us-antarctica
No, I mean here.
Hmm. I gave up on the idea of us mounting a surprise attack on Oz to bring them to heel re their foreign policy some years back.
About the time we covered the Skyhawks in protective foam & tried to find a buyer. 🤔
The best we could hope for was for their Defence Forces en masse to die laughing.
"How many deaths will it take 'till they know
too many people have died?
The answer my friend is blowing in the wind,
the answer is blowing in the wind." Dillon.
Here we go again!!
Red, somehow I’ve sunk down the thread
But really, that old trope ?
I think better of you Red .
We can and should be putting our shoulders to the wheel of diplomacy, you know that old time art?
This constant ratching up of tensions and everyone armed to the teeth will not end well
Redlogix NZ doesn't have the budget to be in that league all we can do is be a supporter in that we hand over $5 billion in forgone taxes to Australia to help pay for theie massive military budget.
Taiwan is being intimidated by a refundementalized China who are flexing their new found muscle.Hong Kong etc .
We are under pressure from China in the Pacific from Chinas cheap loans with strings attached.
Welcome to the emergence of the new colonial super power.China is playing the long game they don't have election cycles to pander to .
NZ has increased its Defence budget markedly but delivery times are 5 yrs plus we need to spend now otherwise in 5 yrs it maybe to late.
China has a massive technology advantage not to mention an even bigger manufactoring capability.
Redlogix we are in a different world diplomacy is going to have to go into hyperdrive.No doubt China will play hardball with trade wars.
Therefore we will need New markets for our products but also China owns large businesses inside New Zealand.
Tightrope walking required.
Good question Redlogix.
I think all the big nations understand NZ's limited budget – but that was not a prime consideration in the past, we were seen as sharing common open society, democratic values and were valued as a reliable partner. While no-one expects NZ to get a fleet of nuclear subs, it's the over-arching trilateral agreement with the US and the UK that seems to be new – and I'd wonder if NZ was even told about the discussions that must have been going on for some time now.
And the really interesting question that the article is silent on is what exactly will these subs be armed with?
Wikipedia says they're easily made tomahawk cruise missile capable. Tomahawks can be conventional or nuclear-tipped. So they potentially will be nuclear armed if the diplomatic temperature with China/US/Oz gets ramped up over eg South China Sea dominance/Taiwan.
ANZUS was essentially done in 1986. While it has never been formally abrogated, and we now allow US nuclear powered vessels into our harbours (and turn a blind eye onto the weaponary carried) the pact is little more than an historical agreement.
As the NZ Official Historian notes:
As a homeless automation engineer I get to randomly meet all manner of interesting people. In the past few days I've had the chance to talk with an Australian defense contractor here in WA. This is someone with a multidecade career in the AU military.
His view is that AU is essentially indefensible with conventional weapons, and as long as our regional neighbours were willing to abide by a rules based trade order it was an acceptable risk. This no longer holds true.
Interesting. Is Indonesia still a threat?
newsflash; all countries are indefensible with ANY weapons, thought sep 11 2001 would have made that obvious. it doesnt matter if the country is huge and empty or small and crowded . however, if the aussies are stupid enough to want to play bigboys with u.s. and u.k. let them go. anything nuclear powered(ships,subs, or power stations) are huge money pits , and require very expensive ongoing maintainance . cant just tie them up to the wharf and switch them off . many countries in the east have subs , and aus has had them for years, but going nuclear means going broke . yanks must be pissing themselves with laughter and the chinese will be having a chuckle as well . its all very well when you have hundreds of millions of taxpayers to pay for shiny toys, but when the cost is to be shared amongst only 25 million or so unhappy aussies , its not so funny.
Good point. I seem to recall Xi Jinping actually reduced the personnel numbers in the PRC Military. Altho they're increasing the number of aircraft carriers they have (to 3, I think) & they're developing stealth aircraft & other capabilities, they're going for quality over quantity. Much effort supposedly being put into their cyber-capability – not just for strategically or tactically attacking or neutralising Opponents' military assets, but also their national & financial civilan infrastructure.
Hard to foresee exactly what any major outbreak of hostilities between China and any other “great (or budding great) power” might look like.
New Zealand's anti-nuclear warship legislation will be severly tested if the Australian Government dare try and enter or transit through our patch of ocean with one of these vessels.
Not necessarily. Scomo says they're not going to be nuclear-armed (if you can believe that will still be the case if “the balloon goes up”).
And do we even really care about nuclear-propelled ships these days? Depending on various factors diplomatic & strategic our govt of the day might conceivably just say nothing if these subs routinely transit our territorial waters at the outer edges for military exercises or whatever reason.
Niether confirm nor deny?
Personally speaking, In the interests of nuclear non-proliferation, I think the New Zealand authorities should strictly adhere to the letter of our nuclear free legislation. Australia needs to be given a warning that any deliberate attempt to infringe our sovereignty and flout New Zealand Law, will be matched with diplomatic reprisals, not excluding punitive tarrifs on Australian goods and services, not excluding banking. (Australian banking services take $3.5 billion out of our economy every year. They might take our laws seriously if they knew that profit takeing might be impacted by any reckless military advenurism to test our resolve to remain Nuclear Free.
If nothing else, detecting illegal Australian nuclear vessels in our waters will give our navy a good work out on their submarine detection capabilities.
I agree, NZ must retaliate with the full force and economic might of a hobbit with a squirting pistol. All cross-Tasman sporting arrangements must be cancelled forthwith and indefinitely, including rugby, netball, and cricket, but not horse racing because we won’t want to wake up and irk Winston and the self-entitled horsy folk. We must transfer all our banking to KiwiBank. And NZ must close any travel bubbles so that no Ozzie can come here to going skiing on our slopes with pristine freshly fallen snow. That’ll show them what jingoist kindness is. Oi!
I think most NZers accepted ANZUS was dead a long time ago and as far as I know it hasn't had any major impact on our relationships with allied nations. If the Aussies want to have nuclear submarines they are welcome to them.
Imo, it is in our interest NOT to be a part of such an alliance as AUKUS. Let's keep our spare billions (?) to fight poverty, inequality and Climate Change – and pandemics.
Right on there Anne. Rather extravagant hyping of China threats I would say. Last time I looked, China still only had exactly 1 functional aircraft carrier. Anyone with sense who looks at where there military hardware is aimed can see that there is nothing in their sights beyond Taiwan. Tibet, Taiwan and Hong Kong. All regions with traditional links to China. Thanks be that we aren't rushing to join the crazies! How sad the USA is no longer no. 1 but really, does that require war?
good post. huuuge hyping of china's threats(gee,where have I seen that before?). if you want a laugh, google varyan(?) to find out the background of china's only aircraft carrier, very interesting .
I believe the Chinese actually now have 2 fully-operational aircraft carriers, & a 3rd under construction.
https://www.businessinsider.com/photos-show-china-aircraft-carrier-progress-reveals-more-about-design-2021-7?r=AU&IR=T
OMG! Two!
"In June, the CSIS experts who have been following this carrier's development predicted that China would not be able to launch the ship until 2022, but in their latest progress report, they wrote that "recent imagery suggests that the vessel may be ready to launch later this year."
…
Well, let's call it 3, shall we, with possibly more on the drawing board? They do rather seem to be wanting more than just couple of floating platforms for lost Navy pilots
What they have is enough to maintain control of the South China Sea and to keep Taiwan aware of their ability to use force if necessary. They could and may attempt an invasion of Taiwan if push comes to shove. Taiwan and China still have a legacy of an unfinished civil war. Taiwan manufactures the most top end semiconductors in the world and with the sanctions imposed by the USA these are an extremely valuable asset. China is unable to import the sophisticated dutch EUV machinary to their chip foundries. So China would rather not create the conditions for the destruction of these chip foundries. Perhaps the USA would be happy for them to be destroyed as they control the next most important chip foundry country, South Korea. The hyping of the China threat and absurd claims of danger to Australian sovereignty are nothing more than a continuation of the attempt to strangle China and provoke them to lash out in the direction of Taiwan. At present, China can cope with everything except being starved of high end semiconductors. At present, both sides require Taiwan intact but the advantage is with the USA in that they can and are setting up high end foundries on their own soil and can deprive China of the necessary Dutch equipment. When the US feels secure in their production they will push play on Taiwan. In the mean time it doesnt hurt to bait China and get people all worried that they are about to set sail with their 2 and 1/2 aircraft carriers to take over the whole world.
That's an astute analysis, Subliminal.
I guess my concern is that with the Western Powers sabre-rattling like this Xi Jinping & Co seem to be getting more and more forceful in their statements pushing back on Western interference in their neck of the woods.
The way Xi's talking they seem to want to be the recognised regional superpower in Asia. They're still smarting from the Western colonialists' enclaves of over a century ago. USA doesn't belong there, as far as they're concerned.
I don't think they're mad-crazy enuf to start a war against the US yet, but they've got a now far-flung diaspora for support, & computers & cyber-warfare capabikity have given them the capacity to respond to insults & threats with practical demonstrations of their power.
My concern is mainly that someone is going to miscalculate & / or that there may be a covert cyber war between the US & China.
The idea that the PRC might invade Taiwan in order to take control of the chip foundries is dead on arrival for three reasons:
There is no rational scenario where PRC can invade Taiwan and win anything of substantive value on the island itself. It would serve only two important purposes I can think of, one as a massive political buffer for the CCP against internal unrest, and the other as a strategic foot-hold in a critical part of the First Island Chain that would enable further projection of naval power into the Pacific.
If what you state is true, why does the US not allow the Chinese access to the Dutch EUV machines? While design and operation may be difficult they can both be learnt. Without the machines there is no chance.
My closest colleague at present used to work for ASML – and from a conversation we had some months back it was clear that the technology underlying these chip etching machines represents a remarkable pinnacle of achievement that would not be so easy to replicate.
But yes, no doubt the CCP would like to get it's hands on the IP as it has done with so many other things.
Setting aside the semiconductor story – tell me why you think the CCP is busy building up so much military capacity and expending so much soft political power on invading Taiwan? What exactly is gained by this?
Clearly it’s been an independently governed nation for many decades. The Taiwanese ROC government gave up on it’s claim to mainland China long ago – yet the CCP are not willing to reciprocate even in the smallest detail.
I'm not able to cut and paste on this phone but can link you to an article by Chas Freeman that categorically states that the prevailing thinking in China wrt Taiwan is that it is the US backed bastion of the losing anticommunist side of the unfinished civil war suspended by the US. Note 3 at the bottom. Totally agree that any conflict over Taiwan will result in the destruction of Taiwan. This is a feature not a bug for US zero sum thinking. The US can only get China to take this road if they are completely desperate. The pull out from Afghanistan to focus solely on the Pacific suggests that the US believes they are at this point. I of course have no way of knowing but the sudden abrupt attack on foreign money into China and attempts to shore up the support of those lower down the heap suggest that heat is building in a supposedly cold war.
Totally agree that any conflict over Taiwan will result in the destruction of Taiwan.
And less obviously the destruction of the PRC. While the CCP is very keen on projecting what a strong and rising power it is – and how resistance is futile – the truth is more complex.
There is no other major nation more dependent on external inputs and outputs, on it's ability to trade with the world, for it's very survival. Everything from energy, food, agricultural and industrial inputs then across to access to all the global markets necessary for it's export focused economy is dependent on the ability of ships to sail safely in and out of Chinese ports.
China cannot even feed itself without these ships. And if it invaded Taiwan the very least thing that would happen is that every marine insurer in the world would immediately declare the region a conflict zone and require every customer to get the hell out of Dodge. And that's before their customers cancelled every order for years out.
And while any invasion would kill millions of Taiwanese – all captured on video – it's also a well defended island and would inflict a heavy cost on any invasion force if chose to. For all these reasons the CCP's preferred route is simply to intimidate Taiwan into surrendering it's sovereignty.
All of which is obvious and brings us back to the point of the exuberent hyping of the China threat. Given everything that you say above, how exactly does China pose a threat? A nation that requires the good will of neighbours near and far planning to invade Australia?? Its absurd.
Well China could recognise Taiwan and stop promising to invade them. That and the daily military flights pushing the boundaries of their airspace.
Little things like that might help to look like less of a threat.
(And that's before we explore the bombast being run for internal consumption by the state controlled media.)
A nation that requires the good will of neighbours near and far planning to invade Australia??
From a strategic perspective gaining control over Australia would at the moment be easier than Taiwan as it’s far less defended. And there would be a great deal more to gain for about the same cost. It’s not an altogether absurd possibility.
Hell all the CCP would have to do is sail a couple of it’s larger fishing boats into Wellington harbour and NZ would fold before lunchtime if the Yanks didn’t object.
Well at least I know that when it comes to China you really are in lala land if you believe it would be easier to invade Aus than Taiwan! A lot more to gain! Hahaha! China in a forever war in Australia. Of course in this scenario everyone else is just standing back laughing at poor old Aus being invaded by China. The USA just watches as hundreds of thousands of the PLA sail past. Not to mention logistics! The Taliban kicked out the US with next to nothing. We could and would deal with a couple of trawlers. Your grip on reality is seriously questionable. China invading Aus is laughable in the extreme. There is nothing to gain simply because of all the shipping troubles outlined above even if they could gain a toehold. Sorry. You cant have it both ways. Taiwan impossible but Aus doable. What a joke
Two carriers? You do realise that that makes them second equal, with Italy and Great Britain, in the carrier operating league? Only the US has more.
Precisely. The point being that if you only have one overseas base (Djibouti) and two aircraft carriers then you lack the ability to support any kind of invasion. The Chinese military configuration is totally locally focused. The Chinese have openly stated that they consider Hong Kong, Tibet and Taiwan to be part of China. You may or may not agree with them but to then use this as a demonstration of their agressiveness on the world stage is ludicrous. Tibet was reintegrated in the 1950s. Hong Kong was always on loan and Taiwan was even regarded by the US as the legitimate voice of China for many years.
The Chinese military configuration is totally locally focused.
Geography. So far Beijing has no choice but to constrain itself to acting in it’s local region.
But their ambitions can be measured by the very global scope of the BRI and their colonisation of Africa.
They're not military ambitions .You think China isn't allowed to trade and invest in Africa.Colonisation of Africa?Hmmmm that has a familiar ring to it
Yeah but when the west does the same thing it gets called 'genocidal hegemonic empire' or some such.
Trade yes – but as many nations have discovered to their dismay trade with the PRC seems to come with a lot of strings attached.
AUKWARD,
American, United Kingdom, With Australian Radioactive Deal
Tino hātakēhi! (Very funny)
Oz is basically the permanent South Pacific supercarrier for the US. Where the US goes, Oz goes. I don't think they have an independent foreign policy.
Aren't they a bit stuffed for trade with the Middle Kingdom now that China has expressed its displeasure by stopping buying so much coal off them?
Reminds me of the Bradley Fighting Vehicle, from the film The Pentagon Wars.
Making light of a very real problem looking at the US new foriegn policy is that they have shown they can't win a sustainef conventional war.
This why Australia is going for the Nuclear option.Australias existing subs have never left port it is another white elephant.Looking at the french subs they may have been another massive white elephant with delivery times unknown capability unknown other than being able to stay ay sea for a couple of weeks.
Australias Airforce is at its weakest point for several decades selling most of its F18's to Canada in favour of the untested over priced f35 lightening 11 which has numerois faults and very expensive fixes and upgrades only 4 have been delivered and they have been grounded.
The f35 could be a complete lemon especially as it needs a massive level of ground support just to stay flying .Software and electronics technictians are in very short supply and Defence force wages aren't going to attract many if any.
While peace is a grand ideal in the real world if we don"t have signifigant capability in this part of the world we mayne asking for trouble.
We only have a scare force we need to support Australia by helping them where we can.
We only have a scare force we need to support Australia by helping them where we can.
Our force is so bloody scarce these days it seems like Australia usually even needs to help us help them. Maybe their Defence wallahs have just decided we're not worth having in a major defence alliance as we bring so little warfighting capability to the bonfire?
Coal is a side issue.
It’s iron ore that keeps the Aussie economy afloat. If or when China stops buying that, the Aussies will know China is really pissed off.
yes, if aus were thinking ahead, they would have bought coal powered subs .
Yes great clip.
Imagine what the Kiwi version looks like.
As I type this I can see the Garden Island base. This is no hypothetical.
Well good to hear you are closer to home than you have been.
Ad, according to ScoMo the new subs will be based in WA. The RAN have 2 Naval Base Garden Islands. The one where the subs will be based would be the one just out of Freemantle aka HMAS Stirling. Why piss of all the Sydneysiders who don't want nuclear ships hanging around and being a possible target for a pre-emptive attack when you can shove all the risk to the other side of the country 1000's of km away?
Gezz you were up early!
How's the weather up the road in Freeo? My mokopuna live down the road in Baldivis. 🙁
BTW in the 1970's I was teaching Control Theory at Philomel – I understand we were the only training facility in the country to be doing so. The down stream was that in the early '80's with the combination of the introduction of open-ended engagement, and "think-big", there was a huge exodus of highly trained control electrical artificers to projects such as Glenbrook et al. By then, I was then director of manpower planning on the Naval Staff. Tying up frigates was the consequence, until we could restrict the exodus of certain trades and raise pay rates to match civilian pay.
How's the weather up the road in Freeo?
I'm based in Rockingham/Kwinana for the moment. Weather this winter has been remarkably wet and windy. Enough to make all the kiwis homesick.
Awww wish i was there. Played golf on the Rockingham Golf course a year or two back – along with the kangaroos!
Interesting you should mention Control Theory. From my perspective industrial automation has four broad disciplines:
Sequential logic – originally the domain of the electromechanical systems used by the automotive manufacturers to run their huge assembly lines. These became PLC's in the 70's.
Process control – originating in the petrochem world they started as typically pneumatic instrumented systems that evolved into DCS technology. Their prime application was in oil refining, but this extends now to all the processes that produce the feedstocks of virtually every modern material you can think of.
Motion control – is arguably the oldest. The very first implementations were attempts at auto-pilots on large ships in the early part of the last century. It gained a great deal of theoretical foundation during the intense efforts to improve battleship gunnery in the decades leading up to WW2. These started as astonishingly complex mechanical computers (the Directors on the Iowa class battleships were astounding devices) which then morphed into Servo systems when electronics came along.
And finally the new kid on the block are Safety Systems. Essentially an evolution of existing automation technologies to ensure hidden faults are captured, redundancy, data integrity and security to ensure high levels of availability and on-demand capacity.
While these all used to be quite separate trades and technologies – there has been a strong convergence in the past decade. The best vendors now have platforms that credibly perform across all four disciplines in the one package. My user name doesn't necessarily mean what people think it does.
While most people are very aware of IT and telecoms technologies because they use them every day – there is a lot less visibility on what we do. Yet in 2021 there is literally nothing about the modern world that we do not touch in some capacity. We've long been the Cinderella of the tech world – but arguably we have more fun. We get to play with big toys in real-time and it's deeply satisfying to see big equipment and plant get up and go, or implement productivity or efficiency improvements that make a real difference.
It's a great direction for any young adult to head into – I only just wish I had more decades ahead of me because the best part is yet to come.
The gunnery fire control systems in the Leander Class frigates were developed in the 1950's, and as you note above, based upon technology developed in WW2. Our task at the Academic School, was teaching the mathematical theory involved in the technology.
I remember one time I was in HMNZS Taranaki as the Training Officer and we were on a gunnery practice off the Alderman Islands to the east of Coromandel. A single shot from the 4.5" gun took out the target behind the tow-plane (which was the object of the exercise after all). So that was the end of that. 🙂
What of course has changed in the year since this skit was made is that Australia has discovered just how crudely China is willing to weaponise that trade.
Crude, and maybe not particularly effective? Not sure how these new subs will enhance Australia's bilateral trade relations with China.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_military_expenditures
Brilliant clip Sanc, just brilliant.
yeah, that clip is still bollocks.
For a start the assumption is that international tensions and trade patterns are constant to the level that a multibillion dollar multi-year defense strategy can be implemented in time to face a threat the simple model deems worthy of defense.
Secondly, having the ability to push back against regional powers expanding their sphere of influence to, say, appropriate large swathes of maritime resources and control sealanes to trading partners other than those regional does not preclude trading with those regional powers.
Thirdly, why would a regional power bother to trade if it can just take?
You think that clip is bolix McFlock. Which part? The part where the gathered Australian military top brass ludicrously refuse to aknoAwledge which country this military escalation is against. And instead resort to vague platitudes about promoting peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. And on being pressed to be more specific are reduced to giving hesitant nods, rather than give a straight answer?
Reality trumps art;
I thought I was pretty clear.
There are many reasons to use soft words and diplomatic language, not least of which is so people determined to be outraged can't use those words as an excuse to throw a tantrum. Geopolitical, or blogwise.
These military chiefs do not have the courage to admit to us that they are gearing up for a war with China.
McFlock, you can excuse their evasion and misdirection all you like. But it is all part of preparing the public for war.
The first victim of war is truth. Our military chiefs are just getting an early start.
By not naming the enemy, the military top brass can all claim to be innocent, and taken by surprise when hositilites do inevitably break out. That way they can escape any blame for escalating or provoking the tensions that lead us up to open military conflict. And conveniently, for them, be able to accuse the other side of launching a surprise attack on us. While they act all surprised and innocent to help inflame public outrage against the 'treacherous' enemy. All to create the political environment and war hysteria necessary to maintain public support for continued and escalating hostilities and bloodshed.
In truth, both sides are just as guilty of wanting and preparing for war.
Like gangsters fighting a turf war each side seeking a monopoly over territory and resources, while accusing the other side of being the aggressors.
This is why we have to hide behind platitudes about ensuring regional security, and protecting trade routes etc. Behind the platitudes we are basically arming ourselves to the teeth actively increasing regional insecurity in preparation for a war 'to destroy our economic rival and enemy'.
Politics is concentrated economics. War is politics conducted by other means.
As Shakespear said “many a truth is said in jest”
Still think that clip is bollix?
While we can laugh at a parody of the Australian miltiary brass squirming when they are put on the spot to name who they are preparing to go to war with.
New Zealand's military leaders are little different in hiding behind platitudes and evasions to hide their war plans.
Yes, geopolitics is all about "both sides".
Soft, diplomatic language is used in order to avoid escalation to the point of confrontation, while military capabilities are increased in order to leave any opposition (current and future) unable to have an advantage.
Thirty years ago the main likely opposition for security in Oceania was Indonesia. Exercises were based around opposition forces with fictitious names that happened to look similar to Indonesia.
These days it's forces that look equivalent to China. China are developing nuclear carrier capabilities, hypersonic missiles, and 5/6gen aircraft, just like the yanks. Fair play to them. Who do you think they are spending those billions to confront?
Ever hear the expression "speak softly, but carry a big stick"?
The reason is that if you do not carry a big stick, someone will thump you no matter how softly you speak. WW2 comes to mind.
But if you carry a big stick and speak loudly, someone will have to speak equally loudly in order to look as big and strong as you. Then we have two loud buffoons with big sticks yelling at each other, so one waves the stick a bit more, and sooner or later it will come to blows.
WW1 comes to mind.
Yes, that clip is still bollocks. Because the headline the next day would be "Senior Aussie military staff admit preparing for war with China". If China was looking for a pretext to end some multilateral effort without losing diplomatic chips, that would be it. Japan exiting the League of nations springs to mind, but these days it could involve something like GHG emmission target, just to have an extra five years of emmissions-based production before going back into the agreement. Or maybe they don't like the way multilateral negotiations about fishing in the antarctic ocean are going.
Sure, it's a funny clip. But that script would cause a diplomatic incident if it actually happened.
Good article in the Herald written by Dr Chris Gale arguing the the visceral reaction to the Wanaka couple is the Product of a campaign of fear it makes some very good points and offers food for thought.
''At the end of all of this nobody is going to remember how compliant you were with the rules, but your neighbours are going to remember how much you cared for them.''
Unfortunately a newspaper article with selective quotes may present a limited view of a person's perspective.
"Part of the anger towards the couple came from a ''prolonged campaign of fear'' from the Government and the media over Covid-19.
''Everybody is being told over and over that they should be scared,'' he (Gale) said.
Does he really think the Government is running a campaign of fear? And governments around the world the same, since many clearly have had similar approaches to dealing with their public?
To not run a 'campaign of fear' what should the government have done? Not turned it into a big event by having daily conference updates? By not saying anything? By saying "There's a wee situation, but nothing to worry about?"
Gale is quoted as saying, "People were being told if they followed the rules then New Zealand could stop the virus, but it was not as simple as that."
Here is the news, nothing is "as simple as that" when it comes to the virus, from day one and every day since. The only simple thing is saying the government is running a campaign of fear.
Its a worthwhile opinion, there is a risk of a deep societal faultline… neighbours turning on neighbours etcwont end well. Look at what happened to Dr Wiles on the back of percieved rule breaking…
The rich/poor faultline is pretty clear and glossing over it by complaining about a campaign of fear suggests which side of the line the complainer is on.
It was also very interesting to note that at the same weekend there was a gathering of some 300 mob members in Auckland despite official limits are being completely ignored. Police were "monitoring".
Fear? From 2 rich people flying south? I think we are being hoodwinked.
that gathering might keep auckland in lockdown, sucks to be in auckland.
The essential holidaymakers put the rest of the country at risk.
NZ's defense problem has got nothing to do with money, really. Modern weapons do cost eye watering amounts but the general slow down of technological development means well maintained weapon systems now have lifespan of many decades.
Our problem is persuading anyone in a country with a small population that a military career is worthwhile. We've got a deeply demilitarised society with an elite consensus that is chronically incapable of taking defense seriously. No one wants to serve in the armed forces. They can't keep two infantry battalions fully manned or keep 105 armoured vehicles oparional with enough trained drivers and mechanics. The Navy has ships that have spent their lives tied up due to a lack of crews. The military is primarily seen as a gigantic trade training scheme and once people are qualified in easily transferable skills they leave.
Yes. We've largely taken for granted the relatively secure environment we've enjoyed since the end of WW2. Two or more generations have grown up thinking that somehow the world owes them their happy little place in the sun. Well that little illusion is rapidly unravelling.
And the same generations have also been persuaded that the entire Western enterprise is vile, and NZ specifically is a genocidal colonial enterprise that really isn't worth defending. Rude awakening ahead.
In the long run the only thing that will ensure the peace and security of NZ, and by extension – all of humanity – is a rules-based global order with the authority and capacity to prevent arms races and nation-state conflict. I've written to this theme many times.
How do we get there? Sadly just not possible under the present UN & 5-Great Power Veto-holding Security Council setup – that's looking more & more like the defunct & utterly useless League of Nations pre-WW2.
We are going to have a pick a side, but we'll put off that evil day for as long as possible.
i think what it will take will be an utter calamity of some sort so that something better can rise from the ashes….proverbially or in reality…..humans seem to be quite stupid and vested interests are intent on their own way….hope/work for the best and plan for the worst i reckon.
Experience to date (in fact throughout history) is that so long as Great Powers exist there is sadly, but realistically, little prospect of something better arising from ashes.
We've gone thru a short period when there was ONE global liberal democratic superpower & altho they're too blind to see it they've behaved appallingly.
The human ape, being what it is, apparently as a species has a virtually inexhaustible capacity to find things to war over – land, resources, religion, ideology, "national interest", politics ….
Look around the world. Our higher brain functions seem to be far too easily overridden by our animal brain's drive to survive & to dominate other perceived threats in order to do so. And we are too susceptible to the often nefarious people in charge who can so easily manipulate us to do their bidding,
It can get a bit depressing until one reminds oneself that it's always been like this & somehow humans still have managed to recover from disastrous local, regional or global wars & started over again with a certain amount of optimism there can be something better.
yes i agree… tho should be noted that its only now that we can utterly devastate civilisation/planet with the push of a button
An odd framing, imho – I certainly enjoy my little place in the sun (none of that about today though), and never thought the world owed me such.
Nor do I consider "that the entire Western enterprise is vile", or that NZ "is a genocidal colonial enterprise" – is there evidence that "the same generations" have be so persuaded en masse? What are these assertions based on – fact, or belief?
How do we 'win‘ this one and preserve our "happy little place in the sun" a little longer?
I think you've summarised the situation pretty well there, Sanctuary.
Our air defence attack capability is down to a few sitting-duck P3 Orions & C-130 Hercs dropping bombs on beaches.
From watching a Maori TV documentary series following a party of DF recruits at Waiouru, it looks like if rangatahi tangata whenua with 28th bn whakapapa didn't turn up & enrol every year it'd be deserted.
Defense procurement in NZ is whole other story. Our politicians are largely ignorant of military affairs and defer their decisions on equipment entirely to the military professionals. Those professionals ALWAYS opt for the most capable platform they can get, regardless of actual mission profile and what numbers they'll actually need.
The responsibility for LAV purchase fiasco lies in the first instance with the army brass hats, who got what they recommended but also with the politicians, who uncritically gave them what they wanted.
The Navy got more patrol ships than they had crews for and the inshore patrol boats are to big to be economical for local pottering about and to small for deep water operations.
The NH90 helicopter is a highly capable battlefield transport that also cost a fortune, limiting the purchase to 11 and are gold plated for their usual role of SAR and disaster support. We needed at least 16 airframes, New UH-60Ms would have been a better choice IMHO. The P-8 is a highly capable aircraft but the purchase will come back to bite us money wise. We got four when we need at least six and the huge cost of the four we are getting does not include the traditional price gouging on software updates and the like the US indulges in, let alone the UAV purchase and integration that is meant to be integral to it's us in the medium and long term. The P-8 mission profile – high altitude ASW – means the airframe isn't really aerodynamically suitable for low level fisheries surveillance and that means the airframes will wear out quicker and the fuel consumption (and hence per sortie costs) higher.
It goes on and on.
Just by-the-by, at Xmas last year I was chatting to a cousin-in-law who's a mad keen fisher. Often goes away on fishing expeditions with mates who own decent-sized launches, some of which occasionally they take far out to sea, beyond sight of the mainland, and may stay out there overnight if both the fishing & the weather forecast are good.
He was telling me that when they do this, it's not an uncommon experience to have an RNZAF P3 Orion suddenly appear & check them out on a low flyby. He says you have no idea they're there until they swoop past – they're so quiet.
Yes, those LAVs seem to have been a complete waste of money. Defence has been such a low Govt priority for decades now that I imagine expectations have by now dropped so low in our Military they’ve given up seriously arguing for more & better.
When I was a lad I worked on a crayfishing boat with my old man off the East Coast. One day we were silently staring over the side as another cray pot was winched to the surface when suddenly the scream of an engine saw us both jump about six feet in the air as a pair of Skyhawks streaked past at about 100ft above us. They both shot up and did victory rolls in opposite directions before disappearing around Cape Kidnappers, probably having a good laugh at our expense.
As a young man of around 20 at the time I will never forget how green with envy I was at the exuberance and freedom of those jet fighter pilots.
I can identify with that. Travelling from Welly to my turangawaewae in New Plymouth every year to see my olds via the Foxton Straight we sometimes stopped at a "Moa House" cafe (now burnt down) & my missus & I would often see & hear the Skyhawks landing or taking off at nearby Ohakea airbase – or even flying huge loops in the sky.
Impressive to watch them fly straight & level & then zoom up at a steep angle.
I'm old enuf to remember seeing our Vampires & Canberras flying here, and even once saw a touring UK Vulcan bomber – with that awesome howl:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xJlsDiC9TBI
(Thank heavens it was in the days before car alarms were ubiqitous !)
I was pissed off that we never got replacements for the Shyhawks. The little soldier boy in me wanted F-16s.
https://twitter.com/swordfish7774/status/1429636226131238912
I hope Oz doesn't live regret its purchase – US gear commands exceptional prices, but it's not always the best of breed.
The Swedes have quietly produced some pretty good subs for a while now.
Slomo of course was never the sharpest knife in the drawer, but even he ought to think a bit about the Greek parallel , unless his game plan is to rat a raft of national assets to cover the debt. Probably is.
The core strategic problem for any AU defense planner is the sheer size of the continent. It means that any assets are going to be both concentrated and with very big gaps between them. Missiles arrive very quickly and are extremely hard to defend against, and once a few airborne divisions land somewhere remote it would be extremely hard to dislodge them with conventional warfare.
In many ways it’s easier to defend a relatively small place like Taiwan where you can focus your efforts on a few strategic points.
Essentially AU needs a deterrent and they have nothing land-based that will serve that role. Their surface navy is also far too small and vulnerable – so subs it is. Diesel electrics simply don't have the range when compared to the oceans they have to operate in and crucially spend too much time in port where they are a target.
Only nuclear subs with their 6 month or more deployment endurance are fit for this purpose.
Only nuclear subs with their 6 month or more deployment endurance are fit for this purpose.
I think it remains to be seen what form any Taiwan Strait conflict may take, and it may well fall short of all out conflict, which would hurt both sides badly. In such circumstances, the capacity to remain undetected is a significant advantage – allowing one to be the responder, not the target of initial hostilities. Much depends on how regional dominoes fall – if Indonesia offered logistical support to Oz, or to China, the map reads rather differently. Japan, at present, seems disposed to contest expansions near some island possessions, and the Philippines, though not cashed up enough to deploy major forces, has lost enough face and fishing rights to offer Oz friendly ports.
Aljazeera tv news is showing a live press conference about it that’s just started – Andrew Blinken speaking …
"Team of 5 million", "We are all in this together", "He waka eke noa"
Sports teams, business people and entertainers using MIQ spots | RNZ News
C’mon, the show must go on.
Yeah great. Fully half the MIQ places taken by the glitterati, no booking required like the plebs
One fast way of getting out of the quagmire of being a pleb is to become an influencer, no offence to online celebrity chefs because they’re wonderful and witty and they can cook. Shame there’s no frigging flower left in the supermarket because those shows make me drool. Just about anything makes me drool these days, or cry, or frigging angry.
During WW1 when rationing was introduced in the UK there was controversy over barley – there wasn't enough for both brewing and livestock feeding. The "beer vs. bacon" argument flared briefly, but in the end beer won, because people like their distractions in grim times.
The health system is not up to coping with opening up to covid when vaccination reahes 80 or 90%.
No where enough nurses doctors and other health proffessionals it will take at least five years or more to train enough people to do the job.
Bringing in more has been the go to before the pandemic. Are we going to steal health proffessionals from poorer countries leaving them worse off.What are govt plans to cope when they can't keep Covid out.looking at other countries with better funded health systems 200 deaths a week would be the best case scenario.
Our hospital system in Auckland can barely cope with 40 covid serious illness cases 1,000's of cases would overun our over burdened existing hospital system.The govt needs to get a plan going and show us how this will work.
You'd think with all the time the last lockdown brought us the govt would have being beavering away building resilience, preparing for the inevitable etc etc…
Even though its a reasonably small outbreak in part thanks to Auckland sucking it up at level 4 you read that we are letting people out of quarantine early without test because capacity… no wonder hard lockdowns are the go to response some hard questions need answering.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2021/09/covid-19-alleged-quarantine-escapee-sent-home-after-just-10-days-without-being-tested.html
Just put up a bunch of tents in the far corner of the hospital carpark as the unvaccinated covid patient ward.
If they're unvaccinated because they don't trust the medical establishment and put their faith in de-wormer, vitamins C D and Q, crystals, poking pins at their qi, a bit of spinal snap crackle and pop, essential oils, magic water, what have you – they can keep their faith in those remedies and take their chances on being last in the queue for calling on the medical establishment they had previously rejected.
A bit tough on children who caught the plague because their parents are idiots
children don't matter in a world of healthcare based on value judgements rather than universality.
We might want to ask why healthcare should be limited to people Andre hates when there are plenty of other people doing stuff that harms themselves or society.
I want a doctor like this
https://twitter.com/StLouisLung/status/1434495345959096322?s=20
18 months ago my cousin and her husband in Salt Lake City were doctors with that view to their work. They're now both psychological and physical wrecks from putting in waaaay too many hours trying to keep unvaccinated covid patients alive.
edit: and they’re unsuccessful way too often for anyone’s mental well-being.
This is why we lock down.
Our hospitals already triage patients and occasionally get it wrong, seems pretty bad to chuck someone out into the carpark if they dont have a vaccine passport
Once everyone has had reasonable opportunity to get vaccinated, lockdowns for the sake of idiots that refuse vaccination will be pretty fkn unpalatable.
By about a week's time from now, everyone in Auckland will have had reasonable opportunity to get their first jab. So nine weeks from now (one week to finish first jabs, six week gap, two weeks after second jab), everyone will have had reasonable opportunity to get fully vaccinated (except under 12s).
After that point, I will certainly have big problems with the idea of more lockdowns. I'm fairly confident the rest of the large fully vaccinated majority at that point will also find further lockdowns unpalatable.
you seem to on here alot critisising people who havent been, or dont want to be vaccinated, yet only two days ago you were saying that you were one of very few in your workplace that hadnt been jabbed. hypocritical maybe???
I said I was one of the last ones to get jabbed, and I got my first on Tuesday last week.
When my age group opened up on I went online and grabbed the first booking slot available at a local jab centre, which was for 18th August. Which ended up being the first day of lockdown, and the only day that vaccinations were cancelled.
Then the 7th was the first available slot when I went to rebook. Between the 18th and 7th, walk-ins had mostly been discouraged, so I simply left my booking as it was and fronted up at the appointed time. Y'know, coz scheduling is a whole lot easy when people make and keep their appointments.
Go ahead and call that hypocritical if that's what flushes your toilet.
Lockdowns in response to outbreaks have been and will continue to be unpalatable but tolerable; preferable to "I'm vaccinated – let 'er rip" imo.
Pleased we didn't rush down the UK/US 'freedums' path – no hurry eh?
Promises promises!
So how long would you be happy for the willfully unvaccinated to hold Auckland hostage in lockdowns for? After all, you're sweet, you’re not in lockdown, you can roam around as much as you want (except to Auckland).
Who gets to decide what counts as a 'reasonable opportunity' to get vaccinated?
https://www.stuff.co.nz/pou-tiaki/300402158/we-know-how-to-boost-vaccine-rates-just-give-us-the-resources-mori-health-providers-say
For the purpose of forming my opinions, I get to decide.
Those opinions are partly informed by the experiences of some I know that are actually involved in knuckling down and trying to get vaccinations into arms in remote areas. And finding it's much more a resistance issue than a lack of resource issue.
Exactly, the vaccination drive so far has only worked for people who
not everyone enjoys such privileges
Oh, I see. 'Remote areas' like Auckland.
@Sacha: everyone in Auckland can just rock up to a vaccination site and get the jab. Today. Tomorrow. Every single day over the coming week.
Over the next week, even essential workers will have had a day off when they shouldn't have other activities taking all their time. Because we’re in lockdown. People should be either at home, maybe at work if they’re essential, and doing essential activities such as grocery shopping, getting vaccinated and other healthcare. Nothing else
If someone is in Auckland and they haven't had their first jab within a week, it's because they choose not to make the very minimal effort needed to get it. They have had reasonable opportunity to get vaccinated.
Auckland has had capacity for walk-ins and drive-ins for most of a week now. It's how two of my kids got their first jab. In south auckland where a lot of resource was thrown at it early on, people have been able to get vaccinated as walk-ins for well over a month. That's how the young people I work with got fully vaccinated well ahead of their age group.
If it takes driving a vax bus around and knocking on people's doors and a practitioner having an extended discussion to get someone vaccinated, the seriousness of the pandemic makes that worth doing. But let's be clear, that's people unreasonably taking up a huge amount of resource for something they should be simply dealing with themselves. It's not because they're being discriminated against or somehow it's more difficult for them, it's that they are choosing to be difficult.
You are really not listening. So I will not waste any further effort talking. Enjoy your day.
Access to Bethells Beach was cut off due to the recent floods 😉
I think you're sweet too Andre.
When you frame it like that, not long at all – but then I'm no politician.
https://covid19.govt.nz
I'm touched. It's been at least four decades since the last time someone told me they think I'm sweet.
Unfortunately with covid alive and well and rampant in an only partially vaccinated community, (even at 80 – 90%) putting up tent hospitals is going to be the exact scenario. It is only fair that those who have refused to uptake the vaccination should not deny access to the many others in the community who need intensive care for a variety of other reasons.
The evidence is clear. Those who have been fully vaccinated have a greatly reduced need for hospitalisation from covid. Those who are unvaccinated with covid by and large are those filling the hospitals. I posted a day or two back a graphic of NZ's experience in the latest outbreak which clearly illustrates this fact.
Let's hope it doesn't come to that. Delta sucks. Lockdown sucks. What a 💩 situation
Yeah, that is a downside. Perhaps we could split them out and give them proper care and treatment.
Triaging on likelihood to participate in practical therapeutic efforts.
Not a value judgement, just whether or not one should bother prescribing treatments to someone who probably won't take them.
Marketing not your thing. National also asking if you are interested in running the new health ministry.
Andre's prepping for voting National at the next election. I kid you not.
Even National (and their right arm ACT) are not going to front a policy of vaccine passport healthcare. I expect only a short executive career for Andre where he is cleaned out as a "left-wing" stooge after the election.
Of course his policy contribution will do way more to revive National than his vote ever will.
Yes lets do that for Alcoholics, smokers, people who get whooping cough, measles and got knows what else you could be vaccinated against…
Healthcare only for the virtuous…
If people start missing out on healthcare because the system has been broken by idiots refusing a very safe, very effective and free disease preventative, you might be surprised where the public conversation goes.
That RNZ article is trying to overegg things a bit I think. I agree the numbers of "extras" coming in seems a lot. However November to march is up to 22 weeks (depending on when you start) At 4900 beds per fortnight that makes over 50,000 beds available. Suddenly the numbers of extra's don't seem so big.
Great to hear our medical staff having been recognised in shout outs at 1:00
perhaos with the additional $7b COVID fund, something more tangible to show our appreciation could also be given say a simple $1,000 to all hospital staff, and if some argue that that misses out on some then be more generous and enlarge the group.
Just solving the Nurse's pay dispute would be a start.
They clearly have the money for it.
The nurses pay dispute imo will not happen pre Christmas so to do anything would be a great positive token of appreciation. And my idea of such a payment would be wider than only the nurses. There are many who contribute at the front line to our health system. Even PaknSave workers have been given a 10% loading to their rates.
The Nurses pay round is looking less likely to be resolved quickly as the DHBs are now trying to put the staffing levels on the back-burner and resolve 'at a later date'.
Just like the Pay Parity which has been dragging on since National were in power.
Not surprisingly, the Nurses have pushed back on that and see it as one of the primary 'planks' of negotiations.
Out of curiosity, what is the definition of “lockdown” here in NZ? Is it Alert Level 4, 3, 2, 1, or all of the above?
I had always taken lockdown as levels 3 and 4. In both those levels, freedom of movement and freedom of association are severely restricted to personal bubbles, workplaces and homes.
Whereas level 2 and lower, you may go where you please and visit whom you please, subject to a few much less onerous conditions such as venue capacity reductions and PPE use.
Ta
So, the definition is somewhat subjective? I guess we also have different tolerance levels for these ‘lockdowns’ depending on personal circumstances, et cetera.
I guess if you asked a government official, they would call level 4 "lockdown", and level 3 "restrict". At least, that's the wording on the official alert levels descriptions.
https://covid19.govt.nz/alert-levels-and-updates/about-the-alert-system/
Indeed, it appears that Level 4 is labelled “lockdown”. So, Level 3 and lower are still acceptable then once the vaccination roll-out has runs its course?
Personally, I find some of the Alert Level 1 measures restrictive, but I can tolerate them for a medium-long time although not indefinitely. Level 4 is a pain in the proverbial, but they are relatively short-lived.
My attitudes will change over time and depending on what’s going on in the rest of the world. I hate to think that we might end up being the ‘Albania’ of ‘North-Korea’ of the world, but at the same time, I cringe at Plan B.
To my values and priorities, level 3 is still an unpalatable level of restriction on freedom of movement and freedom of association, once everyone has had reasonable opportunity to get vaccinated. I don't much care whether some government publication calls it something other than lockdown, it's still lockdown as far as I'm concerned.
At a family level during this lockdown, my dad in Northland has been diagnosed with bowel cancer. He needed to go to Whangarei Hospital for a scan, 2 hours drive each way. In level 2 or lower I would have gone to drive him, but as it was, mum ended up driving him. That's the most single-day driving she's done in decades, by a long way. They crashed on the way home, trivially minor injuries, but wrote the car off. He has heart issues sufficiently serious that there might not be anesthetists willing to work his operation, but if he does go under the knife I would really want to go see him beforehand. Because there would be a significant chance he wouldn’t make it out the other side. But we probably won't get out of level 3 (lockdown as far as I'm concerned) soon enough.
I'm sure many other families have had to deal with much more serious life-changing issues and been prevented from getting together by the movement restrictions we currently have.
I’m sorry to hear about your dad, but it kinda emphasises what I argued about personal circumstances and experiences colouring one’s attitudes towards pandemic restrictions and thus to anything that might speed up or slow down lifting those restrictions. I guess this is the proverbial open door.
Over time, the ‘negative’ aspects will start to outweigh any of the real and perceived benefits of those measures. The question for me is to what extent high (?) vaccination levels are going to be sufficient to relax those restrictions and what sacrifices are we prepared to make?
Of course, you are worried about your dad, but should you be worried about him catching Covid-19 upon lifting restrictions? Equally, should anybody be worried about elderly relatives catching Covid-19 even when vaccinated? I won’t attempt to pre-empt your answer.
As for what my elderly parents might think about the risk of getting infected vs not being able to have family and friends visit, they would be very very strongly on the side of having people coming visit and let the infection chips fall where they may.
Particularly after everyone has had reasonable opportunity to get vaccinated. That moment in their area came and went quite a while ago. As I understand it, the local practitioners are now at the stage of putting a lot of individual effort into trying to get local maybes turned into vaccinees. That moment of everyone has had reasonable opportunity in my area isn't very far away.
For most of my parents lives they've lived with the risk of much more serious diseases than covid, that weren't always held at bay by vaccines with the astonishingly high effectiveness of the Pfizer vaccine.
As for the idea that they might have to forgo having people visit for the sake of protecting people that refuse to protect themselves, I won't put their reaction in writing here to save moderators the trouble of permanently banning me.
To be clear, I was thinking of any risk posed by vaccinated people.
I've needed to go to Welly hospital for a follow up chest-x-ray scan – looking at a potential malignancy in my left lung.
I'm now paying the price of a life-time (since age 14) hard-to-kick addiction to cigarettes – severe emphysema. The Respiratory Clinicians' suspicion of a tumour in there too was a nasty shock & meant two specialised scans last year to see what's going on in there.
My scheduled 6 month follow-up scan 3 weeks ago during level 4 lockdown had to be rescheduled when we got to level 2. I had it last week. The good news is that there's been no change & the radiologist & others in the multi-specialist team has concluded no other changes, & no malignancy.
Which is obviously good, but it really has brought home to me how lockdowns place immense stress on the health system & anxiety for the patients.
Also, how desperately short of staff our hospitals seem to be, even BEFORE Covid-19 ended up putting them under even more pressure. Wellington Publc Hospital is a real United Nations & has been for many years. It couldn't cope without huge numbers of doctors & nurses from overseas.
It's a major worry how our public health system is going to cope when right around the world Health administrators are going to be chasing the same qualified resources.
I think atheists rely more on Science:
By dog, it's muh right to get covid.
https://twitter.com/CvilleHoller/status/1438347806448758785
Here's an idea. You probably shouldn't be selling nuclear subamarines, if you can't remember who you are selling them to.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/sep/16/joe-biden-forgets-scott-morrisons-name-during-historic-pact-announcement
Hey Joe, who did you sell that nuclear submarine to?
“some fella down under”
Can you be more precise?
I dunno, some fella, in some country, below the equater?