The trouble with the Wuhan virus is that it’s neither one thing nor the other!
If, on the one hand, it was as mild a disease as the flu (though the flu kills 500 people a year in this country, which figure surprised me) then fws like Alan Jones on Sky News Australia (I’m not going to link!) would be right in saying we need to learn to live with it. The flu has detrimental effects on the old and compromised, but, by and large, we all recover with few lasting after effects.
Not so Covid-19. It was shocking to learn a child under 1 has the virus in NZ, and there have been plenty of cases world-wide of young and seemingly healthy people being killed by the disease. Then there’s the phenomenon called long-covid, which seems to have debilitating effects for months. Few people suffer, but for those who do, it’s not nice!
On the other hand, if the virus had a death rate approaching that of the Black Death of the 1340s in Europe, or the Great Plague of 1665 in London – around 30% mortality, then our government’s commendable actions would seem mild and inviting disaster. (Not that I wish the virus to be more virulent!)
Because the death rate of Covid-19 is so relatively low it allows right whingers to rabbit on about the economy. It also allows the anti-vax nutbars a platform to voice their cranky views.
As an old time leftie (I would probably nationalise anything that moved and harness it to the service of the people) I have been, I admit, a little disappointed by the lack of ‘socialist fervour’ displayed by our government, but cannot fault their overall performance in containing this virus.
I posted this quote yesterday (a screen-shot, I think, of a FB page on a Twitter post – no idea how to copy and past that into Open Mike) but I think it’s worth repeating:
Ciaran Irvine said:
"The right wing media here (and also in the rest of the world) NEED Jacinda to fail at this – because how she has handled Covid indicts them all as not just clueless spoofers but in many countries actual mass murderers,
"The Right has been utterly, catastrophically, psychotically Wrong all over the world at every single step of this pandemic, so Aotearoa's success thus far infuriates them and they NEED us to fail."
We may not be so lucky when the next pandemic shakes the world up.
I can acknowledge the attempts at change made by the government: increases in minimum wage, the improvement in pensions.
However, the problems seem to arise amongst those who are charged with implementing any reform. They appear to be stuck in this neo-liberal mindset. Hospitals and DHBs having CEOs and sub contracting important parts of the work force.
As an example, our local DHB resisted issuing scrubs to front line staff for a long time in the first lockdown. Shortage of stock was cited as an excuse. This time round the policy is to wait until Covid is identified in the district before scrubs are available.
This arrogance is akin to folk who don't scan or wear masks, because they know better.
This is all about a balance sheet. The DHB bears the cost of laundering. Whereas public health should be the lens through which these decisions are made. Less of ‘The machine that goes bing’ ala Monty Python.
Back to your wider point, we are needing to have a korero about the short and medium term future and what life in Aotearoa looks like in 2025.
Yep, Scomo and others seem to believe this Delta outbreak in NZ is (somehow) a validation of their beliefs, and so are hoping NZ doesn't get on top of the outbreak. They would prefer NZ to be a NSW, not a SA or WA – depressing and revealing.
How’s your ‘keep it out, stamp it out’ mantra going now? Delta has really upped the cost of that hasn’t it?
I believe the tragic Covid-19 death toll is a validation of the Govt's virus elimination strategy, and the Team of (nearly) Five Million's has (again) responded magnificently.
I don't mean the full nutbar brigade. But if your dad died of it last year while you were convincing yourself that masks were an overreaction and it was fine to go to that football match and take shortcuts with isolation, then a country eliminating delta means that dad might have died of a preventable disease rather than an irresistable act of god.
……Because the death rate of Covid-19 is so relatively low it allows right whingers to rabbit on about the economy. It also allows the anti-vax nutbars a platform to voice their cranky views.
"……Aotearoa's success thus far infuriates them and they NEED us to fail."
Our local Fifth Columnists, enemy within, want us to fail more than most.
Fifth column
World War II poster from the United States denouncing fifth columnists
A fifth column is any group of people who undermine a larger group from within……
……Clandestine fifth column activities can involve acts of sabotage, disinformation, or espionage executed within defense lines by secret sympathizers with an external force….
We've had sabotage, we certainly have had disinformation. I don't think, we have had any espionage, executed by sympathisers of an external force embarrassed by our success, and wanting us to fail. (Unless you count the people parading with QAnon signs at a Billy TK anti-lockdown rally, as "sympathisers of an external force").
I think Jacinda needs to stop with the hand-wringing, over-earnest, exaggerated caring manner. It has become cringe-worthy. And is putting people off, as they can't bear to watch or listen.
Maybe peel that style back to a more open, clear, fresh straight-eyed manner, through which Jacinda's genuine caring kindness will still shine through.
It does come through that the PM has kindness as a personal core value.
The core values of the government managing Covid is what the population in NZ trust. The government have a good track record and a hell of a job to do.
I afraid I couldn't resist it. It was the combination of the two wind directions that you and icognito had chosen that set me off. One I could have ignored but not the combination. It isn't meant to be a comment on any views that you might have expressed of course.
Except you opinion of Shakespeare though. I felt the same way when I was at school but I changed when I saw them acted rather than as something to study. The best was a performance of Macbeth held outside in the evening in the You Yangs, a National Park near Melbourne. No props, just the granite outcrops as a background to the performance. Magnificent.
One of the things I love about theatre and other performing arts is that it's a medium that only exists in the moment, and that moment is unpredictable in duration. Any part done well is over in an instant, but a short performance done badly takes an eternity…
Sorry, alwyn, but you have erred most grievously on quoting Northern hemisphere winds here in NZ. As a yachtsman, I learned long ago that as regards high pressure, low pressure, cyclones and anti-cyclones, everything in the Southern hemisphere is the opposite of the Northern hemisphere.
So here in Godzone, a wind from the NW will do the opposite of what it does in Europe.
Nice try, though.
(It’s a bit like the Coriolis effect causing bathtub water to spin the opposite way in each hemisphere when exiting via the plughole with no outside interference, like one of us deliberately spinning it the other way..
Now who would spin things a certain way??)
Well I know what it means, in these modern days. As I said though I simply couldn't resist making my comment after you used south and pat used north-west.
I'm not sure about In Vino though. It may foreign to him.
I would certainly agree that The Bard was very unlikely to have used "south" with that meaning. The phrase was apparently used for the first time about 300 years after his death.
"When the expression “go south” first appeared in the early 20th century".
Nah screw that. Elimination and tight border control has been hard but it's saved us from an absolute disaster. We are on the right track. Kia kaha Fortress NZ
High vaccination, a more highly trasmissable strain than Delta, a breakdown of contact tracing, people not isolating, no money left in the Covid fund, essential, services breaking down due to not having the staff. The most affected essential service will be health as there is already a shortage.
We can only have a sensible debate if we all know and agree on definitions and terms. I sincerely doubt this is the case, so we’re guaranteed talking past each other.
Elimination of disease: Reduction to zero of the incidence of a specified disease in a defined geographical area as a result of deliberate efforts; continued intervention measures are required. Example: neonatal tetanus.
Elimination of infections: Reduction to zero of the incidence of infection caused by a specific agent in a defined geographical area as a result of deliberate efforts; continued measures to prevent re-establishment of transmission are required. Example: measles, poliomyelitis.
Indeed….and I think B.H. is correct in his use of terminology (although I disagree with his assessment of the Gov positioning pre current outbreak), we will at some point, probably early,mid next year accept 'control' as our strategy….or at least the Gov will accept it, there will be opposition but I expect that will be insufficient to change the Govs direction.
Yet with elimination also requires our leaders to do more than "manage" what covid throws us. We need to have the confidence that those in charge are also reviewing the strategies. Modifying them from reviews see what works, what requires modification and what has failed . Such review processes appears not to have occurred until we have had this current outbreak, and then changed some processors. I accept some issues will not arise until the "system" is tested, others should have been seen in the planning stages that they would not succeed.
I have heard our PM comment that the delta variation is a game changer. Yet The first case of the Delta variant worldwide was detected in India in October last year. Daily cases surged from around 10,000 in February to more than 414,000 in May 7. And we in NZ have maintained the same game plan e.g. we only tested "several sites in Auckland" when there are 18.
And that is where many here IMO fail to see and become so defensive. That planning needs to be so much better than what it was, and that requires people to question what has been put into place and for those in power to accept that somethings need to change.
I would be reluctant to be too critical…by your own example delta only changed the game at the end of May and we have successfully maintained our border until a week or so ago…it is difficult to plan for all eventualities especially when the potential events are almost infinite.
I'd suggest that given our very limited resources we have done particularly well but we have absolutely no guarantee that we will continue to do so, and that is no reflection on the Gov, they have performed well, if not perfectly….and there is no such thing as perfection,
There is no need for the Gov to be defensive, though that wont stop various interests calling them out
Don't worry about Herodotius' analysis. If it is to do with the current government it is always negative… disguised as an opinion from someone who endeavours to present as an intellectual expert. In short, he/she is a troll.
That you for confirming that there are some here are closed to anything that resembles questioning the government or seeking to improve. Perhaps you could open an eye and look at what is happening in the real world. Or do you think that this government is mistake free and there is no need for any improvement ?
I think there's an implicit assumption in some of the current "questioning" that little to no planning and preparation has occurred in regards to delta. I'm not sure that's the case.
There's also the point that we have a world-leading government in regards to this pandemic. Argue about vax schedules all you want, whether we should have fast-tracked medsafe approval or gone for a collect-the-set approach to purchases of the different vaccines, or thrown more money to try and outbid plaguelands. A total death toll after 18 months of a couple of dozen? That's amazeballs.
So sure, question stuff. If the points are genuinely worthwhile and unlikely to have been considered by the people responsible.
Even better, if you think there's someone in NZ better to be PM or DGHealth or whatever, please name them for consideration. They'd have big shoes to fill, though.
I am on record here of stating that the current government is the best we have as an option, but that it does not mean that it is the best, and that there is not room for improvement. Also I believe that we the public deserve the best that they can provide, and imo that is not the case, not just COVID but housing, health, the environment etc I still think our waste water testing in Auckland was totally inadequate as this was suppose to be an early warning system of COVID being present, we were told that there were measures in place. Devonport is not somewhere on the margins of Auckland- and from my understanding ww from this area was not going to a station that was being tested.
and to have someone like Anne make attacks when she has on this site supported the governments stance on NOT meeting the pay demands of the nurses, from memory commenting that she is ok with the nurses fair pay to take 10 years.
how on earth can the dickhead commentators in the UK and Australia claim NZ is on the wrong path in light of these facts??
and lets check those stats again later when we are similarly vaccinated and all countries are operating under similar conditions, with or without covid on the loose.. lets just see who suffered the most lockdowns and who suffered the most deaths..
I suspect we know what the results will be..
and I suspect we know that the dickhead commentators will again avoid the facts… dickheads..
It typically occurs with an unspecified antecedent, in sentences such as:
"Somebody left their umbrella in the office. Could you please let them know where they can get it?"
"The patient should be told at the outset how much they will be required to pay."
"But a journalist should not be forced to reveal their sources."
The singular they emerged by the 14th century, about a century after the plural they. It has been commonly employed in everyday English ever since then and has gained currency in official contexts. Singular they was criticised since the mid-18th century by prescriptive commentators who considered it an error.
So it's lasted 600 odd years so far, I'd be betting on it sticking around myself.
That is not the same thing at all, arkie. It avoids the inconvenience of having to say 'he or she' or 'his or her' after words like 'everybody'…. and, as you say, has been accepted usage for a long time.
I cannot see the same acceptance being given to referring to one specific person as 'they'.
Well there are three examples of referring to one specific person as they in the quote I provided. The article is on the singular they and can provide you with further examples of singular they being used through 600 years of history.
That's more than enough time for acceptance I would have thought.
Correct, they were all uses of singular they 'with an unspecified antecedent', though that is different from your example of a plural they 'with an unspecified antecedent'.
As to your second example; what if the patient is named Jay Smith, or Robin Smith or any other number of non-gendered names?
Here on this pseudonymous forum many commenters names are not gender specific, I think that presents a pretty fair case for use of the singular they.
I have presented the facts about the 600 year history of the singular they, so with respect, it's not a 'bloody nonsense' and it has lasted and will outlast us both.
Cool – no argument with the examples you gave, but I still think it will not be generally accepted when the antecedent is specified in number and gender.
It won't take much to outlast me – I am getting old!
The ratings of the second season seem to be holding up, though some purists would have preferred to have stopped with the first. Suggestions that the lead role would be better played by Ardern feigning unconcerned detachment, and aping a conventional male presentation style seem misplaced. Especially with Bloomfield already excelling in that role.
Detractors seem mostly concerned that spoilers are not readily available pre-screening. However, given that episodes are; generally live tweeted, and synopses are widely distributed after airing, these criticisms seem rather churlish.
<blockquote>
Set in a dystopian world where autocratic and populist leaders are in charge of the USA, China, UK, Brazil and many other nations. 1pm Daily Update takes place in the imaginary island nation of New Zealand, a utopian society where science, facts, strong leadership and a genuine care for its people and environment take precedence over money and big business.
First thought was that if health professionals who care for those with Covid have decided not to get vaccinated, then surely they have their own reasons? They are after all qualified in the area of healthcare.
Making vaccination madatory seems to me like it risks those clinicians walking away from front line care. It's not like we have an abundance of doctors as nurses in NZ.
“Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins confirmed he has asked health officials for advice on making the Pfizer vaccine mandatory for health workers in contact with confirmed Covid-19 cases, including in hospitals.
Such policy wasn’t on the table before the highly infectious Delta strain forced a rethink of how to protect the country. It would be a “last resort”, Hipkins told the Herald.
“We currently encourage all frontline healthcare workers to be vaccinated. This is a group that has been eligible to be vaccinated since the beginning of the rollout to Group 2 [in March].”
[Despite several attempts by several Moderators to get your attention to the Moderation of your comment, you have refused to acknowledge and engage with it. You are wasting Moderator time. I have no time to keep monitoring you and trying to get your attention.
For those of you with time on your hands in lockdown, I highly recommend Helen Kelly, her Life by Rebecca Mackie. Not sure if its possible to purchase and download, but if you can, do.
it’s an outstanding book and includes the background stories of Pat and Cath Kelly, Helens parents. It also details the impact of Rogernomics and the despicable employment contracts on working people of NZ and the resulting demise of Trade Unions.
The book captures the extraordinary leader and woman Helen was. Driven, determined, deeply compassionate and committed to working people.
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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 ...
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. ...
The Government has delivered on its election promise to provide a financially sustainable model for Auckland under its Local Water Done Well plan. The plan, which has been unanimously endorsed by Auckland Council’s Governing Body, will see Aucklanders avoid the previously projected 25.8 per cent water rates increases while retaining ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today. "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure. The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say. “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
Whānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...
Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
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 ...
Genterwocky After a hard days marching, Sir Doocey calls in at the Village Tavern For a pint of ale and a pork pie. The grim villagers stare at him. “Do not be travelling on the forest road,” warns a crusty old beak. “And why is that, antique peasant?” Grins Sir ...
Political conferences after a party returns to power are usually a chance for some healthy, even unhealthy backslapping. Yet National Party president Sylvia Wood’s address to its mainland representatives on Saturday hardly contained the unalloyed delight that one might have expected following National’s escape from the wilderness of opposition. Yes, ...
Comment: Almost half the world is voting in national elections this year and artificial intelligence is the elephant in the room. There are genuine fears AI-generated or AI-edited deepfakes will potentially manipulate election outcomes not just in the US and UK, but critically in countries such as India. For that ...
Ahead of the reality franchise’s return to New Zealand, allow us to introduce the eight brides and grooms. Chuck on a veil and tie back your man bun, because it’s time to say “I do” to a new season of Married at First Sight NZ. The reality TV “social experiment” ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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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 ...
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Opinion
The trouble with the Wuhan virus is that it’s neither one thing nor the other!
If, on the one hand, it was as mild a disease as the flu (though the flu kills 500 people a year in this country, which figure surprised me) then fws like Alan Jones on Sky News Australia (I’m not going to link!) would be right in saying we need to learn to live with it. The flu has detrimental effects on the old and compromised, but, by and large, we all recover with few lasting after effects.
Not so Covid-19. It was shocking to learn a child under 1 has the virus in NZ, and there have been plenty of cases world-wide of young and seemingly healthy people being killed by the disease. Then there’s the phenomenon called long-covid, which seems to have debilitating effects for months. Few people suffer, but for those who do, it’s not nice!
On the other hand, if the virus had a death rate approaching that of the Black Death of the 1340s in Europe, or the Great Plague of 1665 in London – around 30% mortality, then our government’s commendable actions would seem mild and inviting disaster. (Not that I wish the virus to be more virulent!)
Because the death rate of Covid-19 is so relatively low it allows right whingers to rabbit on about the economy. It also allows the anti-vax nutbars a platform to voice their cranky views.
As an old time leftie (I would probably nationalise anything that moved and harness it to the service of the people) I have been, I admit, a little disappointed by the lack of ‘socialist fervour’ displayed by our government, but cannot fault their overall performance in containing this virus.
I posted this quote yesterday (a screen-shot, I think, of a FB page on a Twitter post – no idea how to copy and past that into Open Mike) but I think it’s worth repeating:
Ciaran Irvine said:
"The right wing media here (and also in the rest of the world) NEED Jacinda to fail at this – because how she has handled Covid indicts them all as not just clueless spoofers but in many countries actual mass murderers,
"The Right has been utterly, catastrophically, psychotically Wrong all over the world at every single step of this pandemic, so Aotearoa's success thus far infuriates them and they NEED us to fail."
We may not be so lucky when the next pandemic shakes the world up.
Not a lot to take issue with there.
I can acknowledge the attempts at change made by the government: increases in minimum wage, the improvement in pensions.
However, the problems seem to arise amongst those who are charged with implementing any reform. They appear to be stuck in this neo-liberal mindset. Hospitals and DHBs having CEOs and sub contracting important parts of the work force.
As an example, our local DHB resisted issuing scrubs to front line staff for a long time in the first lockdown. Shortage of stock was cited as an excuse. This time round the policy is to wait until Covid is identified in the district before scrubs are available.
This arrogance is akin to folk who don't scan or wear masks, because they know better.
This is all about a balance sheet. The DHB bears the cost of laundering. Whereas public health should be the lens through which these decisions are made. Less of ‘The machine that goes bing’ ala Monty Python.
Back to your wider point, we are needing to have a korero about the short and medium term future and what life in Aotearoa looks like in 2025.
It is depressing that people want us to fail (deaths, life long illness, overflowing hospitals) for political reasons.
Yep, Scomo and others seem to believe this Delta outbreak in NZ is (somehow) a validation of their beliefs, and so are hoping NZ doesn't get on top of the outbreak. They would prefer NZ to be a NSW, not a SA or WA – depressing and revealing.
I believe the tragic Covid-19 death toll is a validation of the Govt's virus elimination strategy, and the Team of (nearly) Five Million's has (again) responded magnificently.
Keep it out, Stamp it out
Unite against COVID-19
https://covid19.govt.nz/
And for personal coping reasons, I suspect.
I don't mean the full nutbar brigade. But if your dad died of it last year while you were convincing yourself that masks were an overreaction and it was fine to go to that football match and take shortcuts with isolation, then a country eliminating delta means that dad might have died of a preventable disease rather than an irresistable act of god.
Our local Fifth Columnists, enemy within, want us to fail more than most.
We've had sabotage, we certainly have had disinformation. I don't think, we have had any espionage, executed by sympathisers of an external force embarrassed by our success, and wanting us to fail. (Unless you count the people parading with QAnon signs at a Billy TK anti-lockdown rally, as "sympathisers of an external force").
I think Jacinda needs to stop with the hand-wringing, over-earnest, exaggerated caring manner. It has become cringe-worthy. And is putting people off, as they can't bear to watch or listen.
Maybe peel that style back to a more open, clear, fresh straight-eyed manner, through which Jacinda's genuine caring kindness will still shine through.
2c for the start of the day
It does come through that the PM has kindness as a personal core value.
The core values of the government managing Covid is what the population in NZ trust. The government have a good track record and a hell of a job to do.
I agree, the PM seems to be less 'stage managed' than a lot of her ilk- Collins and Bridges for example.
The lack of involvement by Labour MPs in 'National's many issues' last election was refreshing.
Of course , unless maybe she genuinely cares and not being a fake means that fact shows on her face.?
Yeh sounds like she is being asked to fake being a fake.
Right on. Same with the constant harping from so many sources on the emotional angle. It's intellectually dishonest.
Just give us the news, information and analysis.
I'll decide how i feel about it – it doesn't need to be orchestrated.
But how are we to know what to think if Jenny May Coffin doesn't show us she's sad every morning?
Like goldsmiths piece in granny on the education system they spent 3 terms screwing over.
The hypocrisy is palpable and the attack angles multiple
I put up a post just after 6am but appear to have run into a moderation problem?
One word triggered Auto-Moderation. Just be patient until a Moderator releases it.
https://thekaka.substack.com/p/why-elimination-will-have-to-end
Kite is flying…what way is the wind blowing?
Southward
NW here
Well incognito at least is claiming to be sane.
You are, I fear, admitting to insanity. A wind from the NW indeed. Did you never see Hamlet when you were at school? As he put it
"I am but mad north-north-west. When the wind is southerly, I know a hawk from a handsaw."
Lol…I may well be….and Shakespeare I can happily live without
I afraid I couldn't resist it. It was the combination of the two wind directions that you and icognito had chosen that set me off. One I could have ignored but not the combination. It isn't meant to be a comment on any views that you might have expressed of course.
Except you opinion of Shakespeare though. I felt the same way when I was at school but I changed when I saw them acted rather than as something to study. The best was a performance of Macbeth held outside in the evening in the You Yangs, a National Park near Melbourne. No props, just the granite outcrops as a background to the performance. Magnificent.
I guess you had to be there
True, that.
One of the things I love about theatre and other performing arts is that it's a medium that only exists in the moment, and that moment is unpredictable in duration. Any part done well is over in an instant, but a short performance done badly takes an eternity…
Sorry, alwyn, but you have erred most grievously on quoting Northern hemisphere winds here in NZ. As a yachtsman, I learned long ago that as regards high pressure, low pressure, cyclones and anti-cyclones, everything in the Southern hemisphere is the opposite of the Northern hemisphere.
So here in Godzone, a wind from the NW will do the opposite of what it does in Europe.
Nice try, though.
(It’s a bit like the Coriolis effect causing bathtub water to spin the opposite way in each hemisphere when exiting via the plughole with no outside interference, like one of us deliberately spinning it the other way..
Now who would spin things a certain way??)
I suggest that you take it up with Shakespeare. He wrote the words after all.
The wind was figurative and so was the direction. You know when things go South means, don’t you? I don’t think that Will gave it that meaning though.
Well I know what it means, in these modern days. As I said though I simply couldn't resist making my comment after you used south and pat used north-west.
I'm not sure about In Vino though. It may foreign to him.
I would certainly agree that The Bard was very unlikely to have used "south" with that meaning. The phrase was apparently used for the first time about 300 years after his death.
"When the expression “go south” first appeared in the early 20th century".
https://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/go/words/word-of-the-week-metaphorically-going-south-has-changed-through-history/article_70166330-e2ed-5d7a-9cba-b2d96a4735d1.html
ps I see pat commented, a greay deal more succinctly, while I was composing this.
In Shakespeare's time they knew the world was round, but had no idea of differing weather patterns in the Southern hemisphere.
alwyn should have known this and allowed for it in his almost-creditable witticism.
He came to the end of his wit.
Apparently its a 19th century idiom, so a little after Shakespeares time
Nah screw that. Elimination and tight border control has been hard but it's saved us from an absolute disaster. We are on the right track. Kia kaha Fortress NZ
What is going to end elimination in NZ?
High vaccination, a more highly trasmissable strain than Delta, a breakdown of contact tracing, people not isolating, no money left in the Covid fund, essential, services breaking down due to not having the staff. The most affected essential service will be health as there is already a shortage.
Edit transmissible.
We can only have a sensible debate if we all know and agree on definitions and terms. I sincerely doubt this is the case, so we’re guaranteed talking past each other.
https://gh.bmj.com/content/6/8/e006810
Good link Incognito. Eradication is the best solution to aim at. To hell with the right wing cult of death
it is only the right wing redneck country leaders who failed with elimination who claim elimination can't work … funnily enough… doh
… and as always they drag the rest of the populace down with them
… enough with right wing redneck leaders
Elimination has worked for us to date…..that dosnt mean that it will to continue to do so or even continue to be acceptable to the majority.
Yet with elimination also requires our leaders to do more than "manage" what covid throws us. We need to have the confidence that those in charge are also reviewing the strategies. Modifying them from reviews see what works, what requires modification and what has failed . Such review processes appears not to have occurred until we have had this current outbreak, and then changed some processors. I accept some issues will not arise until the "system" is tested, others should have been seen in the planning stages that they would not succeed.
I have heard our PM comment that the delta variation is a game changer. Yet The first case of the Delta variant worldwide was detected in India in October last year. Daily cases surged from around 10,000 in February to more than 414,000 in May 7. And we in NZ have maintained the same game plan e.g. we only tested "several sites in Auckland" when there are 18.
And that is where many here IMO fail to see and become so defensive. That planning needs to be so much better than what it was, and that requires people to question what has been put into place and for those in power to accept that somethings need to change.
https://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/diseases-and-conditions/covid-19-novel-coronavirus/covid-19-health-advice-public/covid-19-wastewater-testing
I would be reluctant to be too critical…by your own example delta only changed the game at the end of May and we have successfully maintained our border until a week or so ago…it is difficult to plan for all eventualities especially when the potential events are almost infinite.
I'd suggest that given our very limited resources we have done particularly well but we have absolutely no guarantee that we will continue to do so, and that is no reflection on the Gov, they have performed well, if not perfectly….and there is no such thing as perfection,
There is no need for the Gov to be defensive, though that wont stop various interests calling them out
Don't worry about Herodotius' analysis. If it is to do with the current government it is always negative… disguised as an opinion from someone who endeavours to present as an intellectual expert. In short, he/she is a troll.
What!…me worry?
Not meant to be taken literally.
That you for confirming that there are some here are closed to anything that resembles questioning the government or seeking to improve. Perhaps you could open an eye and look at what is happening in the real world. Or do you think that this government is mistake free and there is no need for any improvement ?
I think there's an implicit assumption in some of the current "questioning" that little to no planning and preparation has occurred in regards to delta. I'm not sure that's the case.
There's also the point that we have a world-leading government in regards to this pandemic. Argue about vax schedules all you want, whether we should have fast-tracked medsafe approval or gone for a collect-the-set approach to purchases of the different vaccines, or thrown more money to try and outbid plaguelands. A total death toll after 18 months of a couple of dozen? That's amazeballs.
So sure, question stuff. If the points are genuinely worthwhile and unlikely to have been considered by the people responsible.
Even better, if you think there's someone in NZ better to be PM or DGHealth or whatever, please name them for consideration. They'd have big shoes to fill, though.
I am on record here of stating that the current government is the best we have as an option, but that it does not mean that it is the best, and that there is not room for improvement. Also I believe that we the public deserve the best that they can provide, and imo that is not the case, not just COVID but housing, health, the environment etc I still think our waste water testing in Auckland was totally inadequate as this was suppose to be an early warning system of COVID being present, we were told that there were measures in place. Devonport is not somewhere on the margins of Auckland- and from my understanding ww from this area was not going to a station that was being tested.
and to have someone like Anne make attacks when she has on this site supported the governments stance on NOT meeting the pay demands of the nurses, from memory commenting that she is ok with the nurses fair pay to take 10 years.
US, Australia, NZ and UK
Ausie
1739 cases 38 death per million
NZ
611 cases 5 death per million
UK
95,986 cases , 1,931 deaths
US
116,704 cases, 1944 deaths
https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/#countries
how on earth can the dickhead commentators in the UK and Australia claim NZ is on the wrong path in light of these facts??
and lets check those stats again later when we are similarly vaccinated and all countries are operating under similar conditions, with or without covid on the loose.. lets just see who suffered the most lockdowns and who suffered the most deaths..
I suspect we know what the results will be..
and I suspect we know that the dickhead commentators will again avoid the facts… dickheads..
Yes Dick head is a very gentle description in my view.
And apparently Trump was booed at a rally for promotion of vaccination!!
https://www.stuff.co.nz/world/americas/300390673/donald-trump-booed-at-alabama-rally-after-encouraging-crowd-to-get-covid19-vaccine
Alabama
per million
135,7592 cases
447 deaths
I trust Greywarshark is keeping ok, I haven't seen anything from them for a while.
I think they found a new home over at TDB.
Ahh, ta.
For heaven's sake – 'they' is plural. Give up on that bloody nonsense. It will not last.
When in Rome …
You aren't in Rome. You are on a little country at the bottom of the world, luckily for you. (Until just lately – hoping for status quo to hold.)
Lucky. My Italian sucks.
Que?
There's an appropriate Blackadder line somewhere…
Cunning …
It’s a saying, but you know this.
Actually, I’m in my lounge catching up with the daily news before I can chill out.
So it's lasted 600 odd years so far, I'd be betting on it sticking around myself.
That is not the same thing at all, arkie. It avoids the inconvenience of having to say 'he or she' or 'his or her' after words like 'everybody'…. and, as you say, has been accepted usage for a long time.
I cannot see the same acceptance being given to referring to one specific person as 'they'.
Well there are three examples of referring to one specific person as they in the quote I provided. The article is on the singular they and can provide you with further examples of singular they being used through 600 years of history.
That's more than enough time for acceptance I would have thought.
With respect, (as Winston used to love to say) all three examples you used were non-specific in gender and identity, just like my example 'everybody'.
If the patient were specifically named 'John Smith' nobody would say 'they' instead of 'he'.
Correct, they were all uses of singular they 'with an unspecified antecedent', though that is different from your example of a plural they 'with an unspecified antecedent'.
As to your second example; what if the patient is named Jay Smith, or Robin Smith or any other number of non-gendered names?
Here on this pseudonymous forum many commenters names are not gender specific, I think that presents a pretty fair case for use of the singular they.
I have presented the facts about the 600 year history of the singular they, so with respect, it's not a 'bloody nonsense' and it has lasted and will outlast us both.
Cool – no argument with the examples you gave, but I still think it will not be generally accepted when the antecedent is specified in number and gender.
It won't take much to outlast me – I am getting old!
The ratings of the second season seem to be holding up, though some purists would have preferred to have stopped with the first. Suggestions that the lead role would be better played by Ardern feigning unconcerned detachment, and aping a conventional male presentation style seem misplaced. Especially with Bloomfield already excelling in that role.
Detractors seem mostly concerned that spoilers are not readily available pre-screening. However, given that episodes are; generally live tweeted, and synopses are widely distributed after airing, these criticisms seem rather churlish.
https://m.imdb.com/title/tt12511606/
Imaginary utopia leads brave new world invisibly away from 1984 in spite of massive drone deployments. . .
o.m.g.
That's fecking amazing.
The other one I saw today was this:
[img only link]
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E9mWhxBVcAISDSj?format=jpg&name=large
https://twitter.com/glocks75/status/1430339867083304963/photo/1
First thought was that if health professionals who care for those with Covid have decided not to get vaccinated, then surely they have their own reasons? They are after all qualified in the area of healthcare.
Making vaccination madatory seems to me like it risks those clinicians walking away from front line care. It's not like we have an abundance of doctors as nurses in NZ.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/exclusive-mandatory-vaccination-considered-for-health-workers-treating-covid-19-patients/2WYUESH326UI3COGKANOQEHTTY/
Edit: forgot it was paywalled, adding quote
“Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins confirmed he has asked health officials for advice on making the Pfizer vaccine mandatory for health workers in contact with confirmed Covid-19 cases, including in hospitals.
Such policy wasn’t on the table before the highly infectious Delta strain forced a rethink of how to protect the country. It would be a “last resort”, Hipkins told the Herald.
“We currently encourage all frontline healthcare workers to be vaccinated. This is a group that has been eligible to be vaccinated since the beginning of the rollout to Group 2 [in March].”
[Despite several attempts by several Moderators to get your attention to the Moderation of your comment, you have refused to acknowledge and engage with it. You are wasting Moderator time. I have no time to keep monitoring you and trying to get your attention.
Banned for three weeks – Incognito]
See my Moderation note @ 10:38 am.
Rather Ardern's Mormon kindness than Mortlock's toxic, white bread evangelicalism.
https://twitter.com/davidfarrier/status/1430235729079115776
https://www.webworm.co/p/worshipping-at-the-church-of-anti
If you haven’t already discovered Jonathan Pie…
https://youtu.be/_buiAGqcy7s
On my box of disposable marks, (the ones with a blue side and a white side) I could not see which side needs to be worn closest to the nose and mouth.
Does anyone know if it makes a difference which side is closest to your face?
white side to face
I looked at where the elastic was placed and it is smoother on the white side.
I have been wearing blue side to face.
lol…why doesn't that surprise me!
Here you go.
https://smartairfilters.com/en/blog/does-surgical-mask-orientation-affect-its-ability-capture-viruses/
Thanks for that.
Wearing either side closest to the mouth face will be sufficient to stop the shouts of 'wear a mask' and strange looks in public.
Breathing through my mouth when wearing a mask stops my glasses from fogging up. At least I can now see people I would want to avoid.
Fogging: the eternal foe.
Wearing masks as high up the bridge of the nose as possible (under the glasses) seems to help, but then my chin starts popping out the bottom.
I did manage to work out to not put the mask on upside down as there is only one end which has the wire to mold the mask on the bridge of the nose.
Edit: I have worn a mask upside down.
Rosemary posted this a few days ago. My partner walked past while I was watching and said, "That's what I do to stop my glasses fogging up."
Worth a trial, if that's an issue:
https://youtu.be/5P0AVeX19Gk
I did see the other video on viral load, the immune vitamins and breathing exercises by the same woman. I appreciate the link.
I was given a cardigan a few months ago what a marvelous garment ive scarcely taken it off since frequently wearing it to bed then waking up feeling half cooked !Its made by a company called mcdonalds and contains mulberry silk ,possum and marino wool.Dont kill possums for nothing people theyre far too valuable imo