It is pretty sickening to see the expansion of an authoritarian state in real time.
But here it is: China makes a move to fully suppress all anti-government dissent on Hong Kong 20 years before the treaty signed with the UK government runs out.
2. The withdrawal of the USA from global affairs is becoming increasingly obvious. US overseas troop deployments in total is now less than 100,000, lower than any time in the past century.
More chillingly for little old New Zealand, Australia for having the temerity to propose an investigation into the Covid-19 virus in China has been delivered hard counter-hits from China with major restrictions on imports of Australian beef and barley. The next step will be coal, and they've done that before.
It may well be all coincidence, but the intended chilling effect is that Australians believe clearly that it really is retaliation by China:
New Zealand is now in a state where we are totally reliant on the economic performance of Australia and China. The US's Mike Pompeo may well be standing up for Hong Kong, but the contest is far bigger already. And New Zealand is closer to the crosshairs of China than we have ever been.
And China's been playing silly buggers for years testing and pushing the boundaries to see if someone blinks 3 or 4 years ago when I was there, Chinese earth-moving equipment was discovered a kilometre inside Indian territory in Sikkim (adjacent to the border with Bhutan),
Xi Jinping, Trump, Bolsenaro, Netanyahu, Putin, Modi and a few others seem to want to expand their territory to accommodate the size of their egos.
In India they have sent troops beyond the area in dispute and the troops are taking up defensive positions.
The intent being to force India to agree to the border claimed by China.
In sych with the exercises to take islands by force, the message is clear. China in betraying the Hong Kong agreement has chosen to reveal it is prepared to seize by force what others do not concede in talks. It’s foreign policy is now fear and obey.
When globalism is replaced by nationalism, the wolves amongst nations soon prey on the weak.
"And New Zealand is closer to the crosshairs of China than we have ever been."
Impressive fearmongering. Extending your analogy, the CCP won't be ‘pulling the trigger‘ on NZ just yet IMHO, but (out of interest):
1. Do you think NZ recently became a little closer ora lot closer to 'China's crosshairs'?
2. With the ‘Red Menace‘ in abeyance, how best for NZ to keep the 'Yellow Peril' at bay?
Trade isn't a one-way street – in the interest of balance:
"There was a brief (4.5 minute) chat with Australian correspondent Bernard Keane on RNZ's nine-to-noon programme this morning [20 May 2020], including the "blame game" on China's recent imposition of tariffs on Australian barley. Interestingly, "Australia has been engaging in its own trade war on China for a very long time." Indeed, the opinions expressed by Keane seemed more balanced than many of the (anti-China) opinions expressed on The Standard." https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/2018747215/australia-correspondent-bernard-keane
Notwithsatanding your bizarre “little p.c. blankie” and “you’re clearly not built for any useful discussion” jibes, I do have concerns about the CCP’s military and (particularly for NZ) trade policies, but whipping up fear of the CCP is counterproductive, in my opinion.
Would it be a fair assessment to say that as the fallout from lockdown unfolds; recession or depression, wide-spread unemployment and shortages of all sorts; the National Party and its supporters will do everything it can to erode public confidence in the Government, attack it's leading figures and their plans to keep the country buoyant, use dishonest methods to turn voters against the 3 parties in Government and mislead New Zealanders as to their own ability to manage the coming difficulties? Would it not be prudent/wise/morally responsible to set aside such behaviour for the good of all New Zealanders, refrain from wasting the energy we'll need and perverting the plans that have till now, served us very well, simply because National's Politicians seek to be back in power?
My best bet for the current lot in government to secure their re-employement in government via the election is to do decent work, and maybe be a little less cynical and a bit more future minded rather then just throwing around band aids to some and a big fat nothing to others.
But National will do what National does – and it would be down right foolish to believe that would not do what they do. After all they too want to keep their well paying jobs in parliament, it sure beats working in private industry – or trying to find a job – at the current times. (btw, that applies to ALL of the suits in parliament)
This would be any governments worst nightmare. Years of health and unemployment costs, limited tourism and increased crime. A person needs to work out what is and is not important when it comes to who they vote for at the next election. I do not need the National Party to tell me that a deep recession or a depression is going to be next.
I know I shouldn't say it, but… If we have to live at Level Two for the forseeable future I think that would be a good thing
[fairyland hat on]
Limited tourism, increased local production and we're not treating people like sardines that can be packed into an economic can for profit. We'll not have the health costs with a cultural swing to physical distancing. Unemployment will take care of itself as business adjusts to an economic model that moves away from mass-consumerism and excess profit.
[hat off]
We need a coalition government that can work within the new parameters of infection control and bring the people along with it. That government is not National. Labour/Greens have some work to do.
"I know I shouldn't say it, but… If we have to live at Level Two for the forseeable future I think that would be a good thing"
I say it too .
and if we don,t have to live at Level 2 that is the way we should be going anyway, after a big conversation on what kind of a country we are aiming for; sustainable or not and that starts with a big nationwide discussion on what is a sustainable population level for NZ. I see us as a Norway of the Southern Hemisphere with our wilderness areas no longer being compromised and our manufacturing growth an extension of our agrarian production.
The law sets up the legal framework for future alert levels as there is no longer a State of Emergency. It effectively allows the Health Minister to issue an order that would make alert level rules legally enforceable.
That might include, for example, the ability for police or "enforcement officers" to close certain premises or roads, ban certain types of travel or congregations, or require people to be physically distant or to stay at home in their bubbles if necessary.
It also would allow warrant less searches of private property if there was a reasonable belief that the alert level rules were being broken.
Every Human Right organisation has voiced concern and while Hong Kong fights against state and police control, NZ seem to embrace it. Go figure.
Fair call. I shouldn't have generalised. I'd like some ofthe benefits of Level 2 to become normalised in our everyday life without requiring restrictive legislation for that to happen.
I'd like not for us to go back to the mass tourism, mass consumerism and businesss as usual with the exploitation of people and planet we have at Level 1. I like that we have practically ended people living on the streets at level 2.
Amen to that, but lets not get the focus away on any unintended consequences.
We certainly need to prioritize and I would say 2 issues need immediate attention: clean water and a stop of pumping the life (literally) out of aquifers and transport infrastructure including rail that gets diesel trucks off the road. It would provide plenty of work in that downturn and contribute to a better way of life that the next generation deserves.
Well shortly New Zealand will be covid-19 free- in a world where covid-19 is endemic NZ will be the most or one of the most popular places in the world for TV and Movie making – bring your staff do the quarantine and then you can do the work just like you used to – anywhere else not a shits show
NZ will be the most or one of the most popular places in the world for TV and Movie making
A friend was saying today, that a good mate of hers who works in the film industry, was telling her the same. And the flow on effect for the hospitality industry could be just the boost they need.
Enjoy and share and walk around with chorus in your head all day. 🤣
HRH* Nathleigh has produced this stan music video to recruit Australia's next Prime Minister. 😁😁😁 So please help to spread the word =) (*Human Resources Headhunter)
Public Enemy wasn't commenting on police brutality or racism.
They were complaining about representations of black people through Hollywood.
Burn Hollywood burn I smell a riot
Goin' on first they're guilty now they're gone
Yeah I'll check out a movie
But it'll take a black one to move me
Get me the hell away from this TV
All this news and views are beneath me
So all I hear about is shots ringin' out
About gangs puttin' each others head out
So I rather kick some slang out
All right fellas let's go hand out
Hollywood or would they not
Make us all look bad like I know they had
But some things I'll never forget yeah
So step and fetch this shit
For all the years we looked like clowns
The joke is over smell the smoke from all around
I was reading last night how quickly a person can get hypoxia (condition where not enough oxygen makes it to the cells and tissues in the body) during an anaesethic. When I saw the footage of the officer obstructing the airway of George and hearing George say he could not breath and the officer ignoring George and seeing George lose consciousness and the officer still not moving I realised that I was witnessing manslaughter.
I do hope that the officers are all put on trial and I know that this will not bring George back.
I am outraged and I suspect this occurs a lot and is covered up. There is a lot of ongoing tension in the USA with lives not mattering and due to the officers behaviour they have created further distrust and frustration in those who want change.
That having been said, it has long been recognised that restraining someone improperly can lead to their death. Shit, I was only a bouncer and I was explicitly taught to be exceptionally careful about it. Including warning signs like "I can't breathe" followed by "playing possum" [which isn't].
In an equitable society, I suggest that there would be some criminal issues for a court to consider.
If it can be argued one way, then it can be argued the other. That is what courts are for.
3rd degree murder is basically equivalent to manslaughter. If the cop intended him to die, that would be second-degree murder (plain murder in NZ). If the cop had planned in advance to kill him, that would be "first degree" murder.
It's not a “return to the ’90s”, it’s normal life there. This virulent and sinister racism, from Central Park in New York to San Francisco, is a constant in the United States.
MINNEAPOLIS—Calling for a more measured way to express opposition to police brutality, critics slammed demonstrators Thursday for recklessly looting businesses without forming a private equity firm first. “Look, we all have the right to protest, but that doesn’t mean you can just rush in and destroy any business without gathering a group of clandestine investors to purchase it at a severely reduced price and slowly bleed it to death,” said Facebook commenter Amy Mulrain, echoing the sentiments of detractors nationwide who blasted the demonstrators for not hiring a consultant group to take stock of a struggling company’s assets before plundering. “I understand that people are angry, but they shouldn’t just endanger businesses without even a thought to enriching themselves through leveraged buyouts and across-the-board terminations. It’s disgusting to put workers at risk by looting. You do it by chipping away at their health benefits and eventually laying them off. There’s a right way and wrong way to do this.” At press time, critics recommended that protestors hold law enforcement accountable by simply purchasing the Minneapolis police department from taxpayers.
A week ago Simon Bridges was still leader of the National party. Ah, the good old days.
Remember when making a silly comment about hair dye was enough to get the eyes rolling? That now seems like a pearl of wisdom. Under his successor (assassin) the eyes have been spinning so fast they've fallen out of their sockets. The gaffe-meter is broken.
His latest gem: "Most New Zealanders are unemployed, but they don't know it yet" (yesterday).
A week is a long time in politics. It can only get better from here onwards. But in all seriousness, the Opposition is in serious disarray, ERC has been disbanded, and the only flutter of an election contest is some predictable sparring between the PM and the Deputy PM.
That 23% of Nat MPs having any business experience is telling, given their constant call that they are the party of Business. And I think Muller being in big business management is a far cry from owning and running a butcher or hairdresser or a service station.
"Prominent freshwater expert Dr Mike Joy said the advice from scientists and Kahui Wai Māori (the Māori Freshwater Forum) had “fallen on deaf ears.” “Instead, it appears the Minister for the Environment has caved into political and industry pressure to further delay implementing the long overdue instream nutrient limits.” He added that “the limits proposed by the specialist panels were key to achieving real change, and far from being extreme, would have simply brought New Zealand into line with the rest of the world”."
Yeah, but he's an ecologist and there's never been a place for such people in the Labour universe. Can’t support the capitalist system by listening to eggheads.
translation: we can't rely on science and best practice using the precautionary principle because too many politicians are beholden to the corporate industrial dairy lobby who are going to fob everyone off for as long as they can in order to keep strip mining NZ. Let's take a few decades to sort things out as the science can't tell us how to run extractive industries without damaging the environment.
/spit
Joy nailed it. If you're quitting smoking, there's little point in dropping from 3 packs a day to 2.5 packs if you have your lung health in mind.
Yep, industrial farming is up there with the tobacco industry. Also, the climate deniers, who basically used the same tactics 'there's not enough science yet'.
If you think the policy is sound, then put it up against what Joy is saying.
The Greens are saying it's way better than before, of course it is, National basically said for nine years go ahead and treat rivers like sewers.
I trust the Greens and Sage in particular, and I assume that they've built in many useful things despite the limitations. But it's stupid to pretend that this is adequate and is not a trade off with the industrial farming economy. Are there going to be reductions in dairy farms? Conversions to regenag? I'm guessing not, that it's ambulance at the bottom of the cliff that people are still being allowed to push ecosystems off.
Servers belonging to the social-media platform Twitter burst into flames on Thursday, after the company attempted to fact-check all of Donald Trump’s tweets.
“We knew that fact-checking Trump’s tweets was going to put a strain on our system,” Jack Dorsey, the C.E.O. of Twitter, said. “We had no idea that it would result in columns of fire shooting forty feet into the air.”
Reportedly, an explosion in the server fact-checking Trump’s tweets about Joe Scarborough ignited a blaze that quickly spread to a server furiously vetting his tweets about Barack Obama.
Fire trucks rushed to Twitter headquarters to extinguish the inferno, which San Francisco officials called the largest fact-checking-related fire incident in the city’s history.
While no one was injured in the conflagration, Dorsey quietly shelved plans to fact-check all of Donald Trump, Jr.,’s tweets.
This morning an NZR journalist reported for Goldsmith that he couldn't get up to date numbers on the correctness of the Grants given to businesses. He was told that audits were ongoing and quarterly reports would be issued. So far no charges had been laid.
How is this important enough to lead the news? How can Goldsmith get such a non-story published?
Barking at imaginary passing cars isn't an attempt at accountability.
Auditing claims isn't a 5 min exercise, it requires time and effort. It is entirely logical to report on the auditing of claims on a longer time frame than benefit applications, or positive COVID-19 tests.
I'd actually like to see a full list of the claims made rather than that silly little box where you try to get a name to come up. It would be a lot easier to check.
If only because a lot of places have a trading name but a different legal name.
The proposed nutrient limits were key to achieving real change, and far from being extreme, would have brought New Zealand into line with the rest of the world.
For example, in China, the limit for nitrogen in rivers is 1 milligram per litre – the same limit as our technical advisory group recommended.
Instead, Minister for the Environment David Parker decided to postpone this discussion by another year – meaning New Zealand will continue to lag other nations in having clear, enforceable nutrient limits.
…
The other main policy the expert panels pushed for was a cap on the use of nitrogen fertiliser. This was indeed part of the announcement, which is a positive and important step forward.
But the cap is set at 190kg per hectare per year, which is too high. This is like telling someone they should reduce smoking from three to two and a half packets a day to be healthier.
Sam Ackerman is due to shed some unwarranted tears this morning RNZ National, Friday 29 May 2020, 10:20 a.m.
Right now, Lynn Freeman is interviewing Filipina filmmaker Ramona Diaz. One of the things she's talking about is the use of fake news and disinformation by the egregious President Rodrigo Duterte. Well worth a listen. https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon
Unfortunately, at 11:30 Lynn will talk to sports reporter Sam Ackerman, who is apparently going to lament the loss of Radio Sport.
W T F ??!!??!? The death of Radio Sport was long overdue. If ever there was a source of fake news and bigotry, it was that joke of a station, with its dismal line-up of "talents" such as Tony Veitch, Martin Devlin, and Murray Deaker.
Here is Martin Devlin, beside himself after news of a British athlete being killed after being hit by a hammer-throw….
DEVLIN: He got killed with a HAMMER! Oh GOD, just imagine the MESS! Ha ha ha ha ha! STEVEN HUNTER AKA "SHUNTER" (PRODUCER): Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! DEVLIN: Ker-SQUISH! SHUNTER: Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! DEVLIN: Splat!" SHUNTER: Ha ha ha ha ha! DEVLIN: Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! https://morrisseybreen.blogspot.com/2018/01/lest-we-forget-martin-devlin-jan-26-2011.html
And, of course, Murray "Deaks" Deaker…
CALLER PHIL: I want to talk about the All Black squad. Murray, I am very, very concerned. I think we will have a lack of intelligence, once the ball goes past Daniel Carter.
DEAKER: [long, thoughtful pause] Conrad Smith?
PHIL: Yes, but what if he’s injured, Murray?
DEAKER: [long, thoughtful pause] I know what you’re getting at, Phil.
PHIL: Yes, well, it needs to be said, Murray.
DEAKER: [with utmost gravitas] A lot of people talk about this in private, but are not prepared to talk about it in public. But I don’t give a TOSS about that! The problem is that in this country we have a lot of boys that are EARLY MATURERS.
PHIL: Yes, oh yes.
DEAKER: These guys haven’t got the slender build of, say, a Dan Carter, or a Jeff Wilson, or an Andrew Mehrtens.
PHIL: That’s right, Murray.
DEAKER: So they’ve never had to jink, or sidestep, or run around any opponents. They are so HUGE that all they have ever had to do is barge past them. They’ve never had to THINK! Because they’re early maturers!
PHIL: It’s a worry. Because these overseas teams, they’re THINKERS, Murray! They’re private school boys, and they’re thinkers.! The Australians, Murray, they’re just so EDUCATED! I remember once when the lowest-qualified player in the team was a chartered accountant, Murray!
DEAKER: Yes, but we’ll not see the likes of Nick Farr-Jones, David Kirk, Sir John Graham and Sir Wilson Whineray again. They were very bright guys!
PHIL: I’m so worried, Murray….
The links were to particularly grievous and stupid comments by commentators on the (blessedly) defunct Radio Sport. That's why I keep a record of these comments, which would otherwise disappear into the ether. It means that when I point out that a particular sports broadcaster in fact knows nothing about sports and is a brutal bigot to boot, I can provide evidence.
Dont worry, mate, I'm just having a laugh, but if you're that bothered, stick it in your data base and I'll have a look for your killer zinger comeback some time in 2034 lol
In 2034, by the way, Pres. Eric Trump will be midway through his second term, and down here Jacinda will be nearing the end of her seventh. Former President Obama will still have sixteen more years to live….
Unfortunately, Radio Sport didn't stick to that core business. Instead, it turned over the airwaves to the likes of Deaker, Devlin, Veitch, Doug Golightly, and Willy Lose….
…life is not worth living without cricket on the radio.
Sounds like a protracted torture in brain activity deprivation. It' is as tedious as listening to the Trump alternately blustering and whining without the moments of inadvertent ironic humour.
I gave up on sports when I stopped playing them. I can't quite understand people who waste time on listening to them or even attending sports grounds to watch them. Don't they have anything else to do?
Fair comment, Lynn. The problem with Radio Sport was that they had 18 hours to fill every day.* Even if they had been knowledgeable, eloquent, and witty broadcasters, that would have been an almost impossible task. They possessed, sadly, none of those qualities.
* Midnight to dawn they paid for infinitely superior American sports talk radio.
It's more about the community, if you're watching local sports. Otherwise, I find it hard to get excited about some weekly competition that drags on and on. World Cups and the Olympics are pretty cool tho
Second time – 3 hours apart – got a phony call with female USA accent from automated scam machine claiming that someone has been spending $1000 with Amazon on my credit card. Phoned the bank just to check out and they report a wave of it going on – FYI. Bank says if you follow their directions they give you two different buttons for choice and you will be directed to a person who will harvest your card number from you. Warmer job I imagine than fruit picking or cabbage cutting out in the fields.
Try this " I'm so glad you called, can we talk about Jesus ? " Works every time, but mostly if I've had a bad day or even only a semi-terrific one I'll purge with a diatribe of the most offensive shit imaginable, its quite cathartic.
Remember these arseholes know they are committing a crime.
@ greywarshark (14) I was with a friend during the week when she received the same message, however this time the caller had an Indian accent. Fortunately, she was on to the fact it was a scam. Yep, the scammers are out there. Caution is needed.
Allowing a home-grown scientific consensus to inform our Covid-19 response has safeguarded health – such a common sense approach, compared to the ‘balance‘ advocated by market forces. I’m enjoying retail shopping and restaurant dining now – what’s the rush?
That is pretty much the basis you have to use for this particular bug. Even the 2 week infection limit looks like it may have been optimistic as there are now examples of people getting infected and not displaying any virus shedding until weeks afterwards – but it looks like it is doing the job – so not worth changing.
I was just reading some wannabe guest post writer sending something in via email proclaiming the theory that covid-19 is just a hoax by the government. Feels like they cribbed it off some other site as clickbait (and that is what their reference site looks like as well). All assertions based on the idea that it is just influenza and that nothing the government did (like closing and controlling borders in this and previous outbreaks) made any difference.
I was tempted to put it up just so I could eviscerate the ‘author’. The increased total death rate above normal in the US, Brazil, UK, and now Russia of this ‘influenza’ even with the social distancing there being the obvious club to beat the dipshit with. But since it was, like almost of 30 odd similar propositions I get daily, just an excuse to provide links to other sites – I restrained myself. Besides the dipshit clickbaiter would never actually come and argue their point.
Reminds me, I need to write a explicit policy on asserting false facts in comments and providing links and/or not defending their usage. I don’t mind rapping people over the knuckles about it. But it is starting to get irksome. Plus the National party appears to be making using completely false facts their only strategy based on some of the social media I have seen.
One from Pugh used pre-covid data from debt levels in Greece against projected post-covid-19 debt levels in NZ which was a pretty egregious bit of lying. I was thinking that a immediate 6 month ban unless they justified their usage to me in email was the appropriate site response – with all correspondence published.
Yeah it was initially, as per the plan designed around an influenza pandemic. But we get a new influenza strain each year, and apparently covid might be a bit more stable. Days after we went into L4 specialists started suggesting we might be able to eliminate it, rather than just slow it.
There's been some kerfuffle about the semantics of "eliminate", but I guess it's generally the "plan A+" crowd that won, rather than the "plan B" dude lol
I can accept that, yet that is not what is being conveyed and what was the aim/measure to achieve before we progress down. What will happen in the future when there are a few cases diagnosed ? Do we progress up the levels again for eradication to mirror what has been achieved this time ?
For the foreseeable, we'll have border quarantine (and testing of improving sensitivity and timeliness). If a case shows up there, no worries it's doing its job. Although staff who contacted that person might be themselves quarantined.
If a case goes through quarantine then presents with covid a week later, we might see a national or regional alert escalation, or maybe a combination (e.g. the locality of know contacts goes to level 3/4, while the rest of the country goes back to level 2 to aid tracing if an unkown contact went out of town).
A random case popping up with no known travel association? That's when people will be probably looking at a nationwide L3/4 again, because it breaks the known behaviour of the disease.
But these are possible variations, not gospel. It's a judgement call at the time, based on many factors and inputs. But so far the govt's been pretty good at communicating what is happening, why, and what the risks are.
I'm not sure what you mean by "not what is being conveyed". The elimination goal has been pretty consistent for a couple of months now, which is actually pretty miraculous in this fast-changing situation.
Appreciate the wish for certainty now and in the future, but also understand the need to adjust responses and 'level details' as NZ gets on top of this pandemic threat, learning as we go.
Covid-19 is novel, with no proven treatment or vaccine (yet) – caution is (still) warranted, IMHO.
Covid-19 is novel, with no proven treatment or vaccine (yet)..
Personally I remain unconvinced that they will get a vaccine within 5 years. And that is only because they were getting close to trialling SARS and MERS viruses using new approaches before this particular coronavirus popped up.
The more that is revealed about covid-19, the more unconvinced I get. A 32k base pair virus from inside bat colonies – and one that appears (in my view) to have had about a decade adapting to humans. It looks both endemic, unlikely to get a widespread herd immunity, and vaccines are unlikely to have a long term effect. I see this hanging around and if a vaccine is achieved, is going to require boosters every few years.
Specific antiviral treatments to prevent slipping into a critical state seem more likely in the medium term.
Which of the Level 2 restrictions do you consider an unreasonable restriction?
About all I can see that's significantly different from Level 1 is limiting gatherings to 100 or less, ensuring physical distancing, and record-keeping of visitors.
That doesn't seem onerous, particularly since we are still in a time period where undetected presymptomatic or asymptomatic community transmission could still be occurring. It seems to me to be very low pain to maintain Level 2 for a few weeks longer to minimise the risk of the massive pain of having to go back up the levels.
I am fortunate and I gather from your comment that you to are also (I hope so), but ask that question to someone who has or is considering shutting down their business or has or could lose their job, and the consequence of that be it financial, health, relationship etc. The delay of progressing thru the stages by 1,2 or 3 weeks could make a difference to them.
What kind of business might be at serious risk of having to close because of another few weeks of limiting gatherings to 100 people, some physical distancing, and maintaining visitor logs?
I would guess it's very very few. The massive lockdown we have already had will have already culled the marginal businesses, and another few weeks of level 2 won't affect the vast majority of businesses that were robust enough to survive until now. It will affect a few weeks of profitability for sure, so the owners have an incentive to make as much noise as they can, which is where I think the push to go to Level 1 is coming from.
A few more weeks of Level 2 certainly won't change the outlook for the business sectors that have been wholesale obliterated such as tourism.
With no community sport until June 22nd there is 2-3 weeks where cafes, bakeries, mobile coffee etc miss out on that trade.( + the feel good factor of life returning to some resemblance to normal) Some of these businesses are next to parks that when there is no action there is no foot traffic that is 2/7 of their trade. Restaurants, pubs etc that to comply with distancing have limited what their business can cater for. Professional sports events that have eliminated crowds those industries that support these events. Whist these may not be large compared to already announced closures, tell that to those affected.
I would suggest to those affected that they ponder the consequences of having to go back into a Level 3 or 4 lockdown.
And that they also ponder that the team that made the decisions that appear to have us on track for a return to domestic normality much faster than our peer nations are the same team that see our best course is to maintain Level 2 for a few weeks longer. Their record of success so far is awfully hard to argue with.
NZ at level 2 is now less restrictive than Queensland which has similar (almost) zero new case rates and very few active cases. Queensland, like WA, NT, SA and Tas are keeping their borders closed to Vic and NSW where there is (admittedly low) community transmission. NZ is probably one of the very few advanced economies with such opportunites. Count your lucky stars you live where you live.
Well around my hood it's starting to look pretty normal apart from the distancing, the hand sanitiser and the signing in. I've also stuck my head into a number of the small local businesses that I would really hate to loose – $50 note in hand to donate if needed- to check that they are okay and found that they were fine with lots of work and any worries had vanished.
I still have more to check though. Stuff did take the donation but happy with that.
same here redbaron. in my small town and the neigbouring two I was in yesterday, shops were busy and car parks hard to find. the only closed shop in my local town is a pizza shop that closed three weeks prior to lockdown.
If only they kept it to musical items, it would be wonderful.
Television footage of street demonstrations following the Qu’ran burnings by U.S. troops. Major General Gawn has an answer ready: “There are a hundred thousand American troops in Afghanistan. There will always be a few bad apples.” Gen. John R. Allen tries to muster up every bit of gravitas he can as he assures the U.S. television audience that those responsible for the Qu’ran burnings “will be tracked down.”
If only they kept it to musical items, it would be wonderful.
+100
And also carried that approach forward to their police forces in USA to ours in NZ and Australia too. So sad to hear about this latest USA police outrage. Chris Trotter eviscerates it:
Chris Trotter? It will be interesting to see what he says if those cops are acquitted. I wonder if his views have evolved since the killing of Trayvon Martin in 2013…
NOELLE McCARTHY: Now you have something about this Florida verdict, and Juror B-37?
…A long, rambling discussion ensues, with most of the participants clearly disgusted with the verdict. But not everyone….
CHRIS TROTTER:[very slowly, mustering all the pomp and gravitas he can] I think all this talk about the jury is most unfortunate. You have, even in this case I think, to trust the jury. In any trial, there are always items of evidence that we do not know about, even in this case I think.
….[Long, extremely uncomfortable pause]….
NOELLE McCARTHY:[doggedly positive] One thing the whole world is talking about, Zoe Ferguson, is the royal birth!
"Covid 19 coronavirus: $60 million funding boost for New Zealand's libraries"
"This is targeted funding over two years to keep librarians in jobs and upskill them to provide extra assistance to jobseekers and to people wanting to improve their reading and digital literacy skills."
..so, Librarians as unskilled Jobseeker assistants with no official title and code of conduct, has now just become the new normal.
Pity those poor deluded souls that visit libraries to, you know, borrow books….between the strict limit on titles held in each library, the aesthetic of half empty shelves (a policy in some library's..'safer' and more 'tidy looking' apparently)..and now the full and open morphing of libraries into Social Welfare offices the self fulfilling prophesy of 'no one reads books anymore' is well on its way.
I do believe that yesterday morning RNZ reported that people without computers could still access doctors on line via the libraries. Seriously.
If the powers that be wish to move the world on line..job seeking and Doctors visits and Education.. then they need to come up with specialised computer hubs, with specialised staff..computer lounges in winz for starters. Though I guess that would only work if winz offices could become 'customer friendly'.
Libraries have become a place where the poor may have cheap access to a computer for a while… Is there any other place?
I agree with you in that I want libraries to remain as they were, with this as a temporary addition, not see the destruction of the traditional library, which becomes just a Social Welfare Office.
"This Tweet violated the Twitter Rules about glorifying violence. However, Twitter has determined that it may be in the public’s interest for the Tweet to remain accessible."
With a local majority of over 8,000, why it was was necessary for the apparent alternative Ian Dunwoodie to white ant her out of town is completely beyond civil reason. Hell, ask around town – she's a lot easier to work with than Carmel Sepuloni.
Its good to see Tangata whenua O Aotearoa receiving houners the list looks to deserve there houners from what I have seen go down in the last few months.
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 ...
April has been a quiet month at A Phuulish Fellow. I have had an exceptionally good reading month, and a decently productive writing month – for original fiction, anyway – but not much has caught my eye that suggested a blog article. It has been vaguely frustrating, to be honest. ...
A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 21, 2024 thru Sat, April 27, 2024. Story of the week Anthropogenic climate change may be the ultimate shaggy dog story— but with a twist, because here ...
Hi,I spent about a year on Webworm reporting on an abusive megachurch called Arise, and it made me want to stab my eyes out with a fork.I don’t regret that reporting in 2022 and 2023 — I am proud of it — but it made me angry.Over three main stories ...
The new Victoria University Vice-Chancellor decided to have a forum at the university about free speech and academic freedom as it is obviously a topical issue, and the Government is looking at legislating some carrots or sticks for universities to uphold their obligations under the Education and Training Act. They ...
Do you remember when Melania Trump got caught out using a speech that sounded awfully like one Michelle Obama had given? Uncannily so.Well it turns out that Abraham Lincoln is to Winston Peters as Michelle was to Melania. With the ANZAC speech Uncle Winston gave at Gallipoli having much in ...
She was born 25 years ago today in North Shore hospital. Her eyes were closed tightly shut, her mouth was silently moving. The whole theatre was all quiet intensity as they marked her a 2 on the APGAR test. A one-minute eternity later, she was an 8. The universe was ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park in collaboration with members from our Skeptical Science team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is Antarctica gaining land ice? ...
Images of US students (and others) protesting and setting up tent cities on US university campuses have been broadcast world wide and clearly demonstrate the growing rifts in US society caused by US policy toward Israel and Israel’s prosecution of … Continue reading → ...
Barrie Saunders writes – Dear Paul As the new Minister of Media and Communications, you will be inundated with heaps of free advice and special pleading, all in the national interest of course. For what it’s worth here is my assessment: Traditional broadcasting free to air content through ...
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 arguments for such a bold reform. ...
Peter Dunne writes – The great nineteenth British Prime Minister, William Gladstone, once observed that “the first essential for a Prime Minister is to be a good butcher.” When a later British Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, sacked a third of his Cabinet in July 1962, in what became ...
Ele Ludemann writes – New Zealanders had the OECD’s second highest tax increase last year: New Zealanders faced the second-biggest tax raises in the developed world last year, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) says. The intergovernmental agency said the average change in personal income tax ...
We all know something’s not right with our elections. The spread of misinformation, people being targeted with soundbites and emotional triggers that ignore the facts, even the truth, and influence their votes.The use of technology to produce deep fakes. How can you tell if something is real or not? Can ...
This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Simon Clark. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). This year you will be lied to! Simon Clark helps prebunk some misleading statements you'll hear about climate. The video includes ...
It is all very well cutting the backrooms of public agencies but it may compromise the frontlines. One of the frustrations of the Productivity Commission’s 2017 review of universities is that while it observed that their non-academic staff were increasing faster than their academic staff, it did not bother to ...
Buzz from the Beehive Two speeches delivered by Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters at Anzac Day ceremonies in Turkey are the only new posts on the government’s official website since the PM announced his Cabinet shake-up. In one of the speeches, Peters stated the obvious: we live in a troubled ...
1. Which of these would you not expect to read in The Waikato Invader?a. Luxon is here to do business, don’t you worry about thatb. Mr KPI expects results, and you better believe itc. This decisive man of action is getting me all hot and excitedd. Melissa Lee is how ...
…it has a restricted jurisdiction which must not be abused: it is not an inquisitionNOTE – this article was published before the High Court ruled that Karen Chhour does not have to appear before the Waitangi Tribunal Gary Judd writes – The High Court ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – One of reasons Oranga Tamariki exists is to prevent child neglect. But could the organisation itself be guilty of the same?Oranga Tamariki’s statistics show a decrease in the number and age of children in care. “There are less children ...
David Farrar writes: Graeme Edgeler wrote in 2017: In the first five years after three strikes came into effect 5248 offenders received a ‘first strike’ (that is, a “stage-1 conviction” under the three strikes sentencing regime), and 68 offenders received a ‘second strike’. In the five years prior to ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in politics. That’s refreshing and will be extremely ...
TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the two days to 6:06am on Thursday, April 25:Politics: PM Christopher Luxon has set up a dual standard for ministerial competence by demoting two National Cabinet ministers while leaving also-struggling ...
Hi,Today I mainly want to share some of your thoughts about the recent piece I wrote about success and failure, and the forces that seemingly guide our lives. But first, a quick bit of housekeeping: I am doing a Webworm popup in Los Angeles on Saturday May 11 at 2pm. ...
It is hard to see what Melissa Lee might have done to “save” the media. National went into the election with no public media policy and appears not to have developed one subsequently. Lee claimed that she had prepared a policy paper before the election but it had been decided ...
Open access notablesIce acceleration and rotation in the Greenland Ice Sheet interior in recent decades, Løkkegaard et al., Communications Earth & Environment:In the past two decades, mass loss from the Greenland ice sheet has accelerated, partly due to the speedup of glaciers. However, uncertainty in speed derived from satellite products ...
Buzz from the Beehive A statement from Children’s Minister Karen Chhour – yet to be posted on the Government’s official website – arrived in Point of Order’s email in-tray last night. It welcomes the High Court ruling on whether the Waitangi Tribunal can demand she appear before it. It does ...
Mr Bombastic:Ironically, the media the academic experts wanted is, in many ways, the media they got. In place of the tyrannical editors of yesteryear, advancing without fear or favour the interests of the ruling class; the New Zealand news media of today boasts a troop of enlightened journalists dedicated to ...
It's hard times try to make a livingYou wake up every morning in the unforgivingOut there somewhere in the cityThere's people living lives without mercy or pityI feel good, yeah I'm feeling fineI feel better then I have for the longest timeI think these pills have been good for meI ...
In 1974, the US Supreme Court issued its decision in United States v. Nixon, finding that the President was not a King, but was subject to the law and was required to turn over the evidence of his wrongdoing to the courts. It was a landmark decision for the rule ...
Every day now just seems to bring in more fresh meat for the grinder.In their relentlessly ideological drive to cut back on the “excessive bloat” (as they see it) of the previous Labour-led government, on the mountains of evidence accumulated in such a short period of time do not ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Megan Valére SosouMarket gardening site of the Itchèléré de Itagui agricultural cooperative in Dassa-Zoumè (Image credit: Megan Valère Sossou) For the residents of Dassa-Zoumè, a city in the West African country of Benin, choosing between drinking water and having enough ...
Buzz from the Beehive Melissa Lee – as may be discerned from the screenshot above – has not been demoted for doing something seriously wrong as Minister of ...
Morning in London Mother hugs beloved daughter outside the converted shoe factory in which she is living.Afternoon in London Travelling writer takes himself and his wrist down to A&E, just to be sure. Read more ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – The recent announcement of the University Advisory Group, chaired by Sir Peter Gluckman, makes very clear where the Government’s focus and priorities lie. The remit of the Advisory Group is that Group members will consider challenges and opportunities for improvement in the university sector including: ...
Eric Crampton writes – The Reserve Bank of New Zealand desperately wants to find reasons to have workstreams in climate change. It makes little sense. They’ve run another stress test on the banks looking to see if they could find a prudential regulation case. They couldn’t. They ...
Rob MacCullough writes – Pundits from the left and the right are arguing that National’s Fast Track Bill that is designed to speed up infrastructure decisions could end up becoming mired in a cesspool of corruption. Political commentator ...
Looking at the headlines this morning it’s hard to feel anything other than pessimistic about the future of humanity.Note that I’m not speaking about the future of mankind, but the survival of our humanity. The values that we believe in seem to be ebbing away, by the day.Perhaps every generation ...
Swabbing mixed breed baby chicks to test for avian influenzaUh oh. Bird flu – often deadly to humans – is not only being transmitted from infected birds to dairy cows, but is now travelling between dairy cows. As of last Friday, Bloomberg News reports, there were 32 American dairy herds ...
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. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
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 ...
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It is pretty sickening to see the expansion of an authoritarian state in real time.
But here it is: China makes a move to fully suppress all anti-government dissent on Hong Kong 20 years before the treaty signed with the UK government runs out.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/28/world/asia/china-hong-kong-crackdown.html
This sits well with the context provided by RedL yesterday concerning the growth of Chinese aggression recently:
"1. CV19 has done two things; one is that the exemplary Taiwanese response (they actually warned WHO of CV19 human to human transmission on Dec31) is a major loss of face for the CCP, and also obviously it has caused a major distraction in the USA.)
2. The withdrawal of the USA from global affairs is becoming increasingly obvious. US overseas troop deployments in total is now less than 100,000, lower than any time in the past century.
3. The Chinese military has dramatically expanded it's capacity in the past few years. In particular they may well believe their new hypersonic missile capacity gives them the ability to keep the US Navy aircraft carriers at a safe distance.
4. They keep on saying that they are preparing for war.
5. Their military are in the middle of major invasion landing exercises on Hainan Island. Also in their sights are an invasion of the Dongsha Island group ."
More chillingly for little old New Zealand, Australia for having the temerity to propose an investigation into the Covid-19 virus in China has been delivered hard counter-hits from China with major restrictions on imports of Australian beef and barley. The next step will be coal, and they've done that before.
It may well be all coincidence, but the intended chilling effect is that Australians believe clearly that it really is retaliation by China:
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/may/26/chinas-trade-bans-are-retaliation-to-covid-19-inquiry-more-than-half-of-australians-say
This has had the intended effect of getting Australia's government to prepare for some lengthy backwards moonwalking:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/22/take-a-calm-breath-agriculture-minister-seeks-to-cool-escalating-trade-hostilities-with-china-over-coal
New Zealand is now in a state where we are totally reliant on the economic performance of Australia and China. The US's Mike Pompeo may well be standing up for Hong Kong, but the contest is far bigger already. And New Zealand is closer to the crosshairs of China than we have ever been.
China has also moved thousands of troops into territory claimed by India along the shared Himalayan border
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/27/china-and-india-move-troops-as-border-tensions-escalate
And China's been playing silly buggers for years testing and pushing the boundaries to see if someone blinks 3 or 4 years ago when I was there, Chinese earth-moving equipment was discovered a kilometre inside Indian territory in Sikkim (adjacent to the border with Bhutan),
Xi Jinping, Trump, Bolsenaro, Netanyahu, Putin, Modi and a few others seem to want to expand their territory to accommodate the size of their egos.
In India they have sent troops beyond the area in dispute and the troops are taking up defensive positions.
The intent being to force India to agree to the border claimed by China.
In sych with the exercises to take islands by force, the message is clear. China in betraying the Hong Kong agreement has chosen to reveal it is prepared to seize by force what others do not concede in talks. It’s foreign policy is now fear and obey.
When globalism is replaced by nationalism, the wolves amongst nations soon prey on the weak.
"And New Zealand is closer to the crosshairs of China than we have ever been."
Impressive fearmongering. Extending your analogy, the CCP won't be ‘pulling the trigger‘ on NZ just yet IMHO, but (out of interest):
1. Do you think NZ recently became a little closer or a lot closer to 'China's crosshairs'?
2. With the ‘Red Menace‘ in abeyance, how best for NZ to keep the 'Yellow Peril' at bay?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellow_Peril
If you don't believe that the trade embargo has happened, go ask the Australian Embassy. Ask them if they feel targeted.
But since all you can do for discussion is withdraw into a corner with your little p.c. blankie, you're clearly not built for any useful discussion.
The full Five Eyes partners have come out against China's actions against Hong Kong.
All of the actions described above demonstrate increased Chinese aggression.
“Both countries [China and India] need to activate backchannel talks and ensure that it is handled delicately.”
https://www.news.com.au/technology/innovation/military/very-volatile-china-sends-5000-troops-to-disputed-border-with-india/news-story/788d455620c2728bde6dbc9b197a76c5
Trade isn't a one-way street – in the interest of balance:
Notwithsatanding your bizarre “little p.c. blankie” and “you’re clearly not built for any useful discussion” jibes, I do have concerns about the CCP’s military and (particularly for NZ) trade policies, but whipping up fear of the CCP is counterproductive, in my opinion.
Back to my lovely soft, warm blankie.
Would it be a fair assessment to say that as the fallout from lockdown unfolds; recession or depression, wide-spread unemployment and shortages of all sorts; the National Party and its supporters will do everything it can to erode public confidence in the Government, attack it's leading figures and their plans to keep the country buoyant, use dishonest methods to turn voters against the 3 parties in Government and mislead New Zealanders as to their own ability to manage the coming difficulties? Would it not be prudent/wise/morally responsible to set aside such behaviour for the good of all New Zealanders, refrain from wasting the energy we'll need and perverting the plans that have till now, served us very well, simply because National's Politicians seek to be back in power?
My best bet for the current lot in government to secure their re-employement in government via the election is to do decent work, and maybe be a little less cynical and a bit more future minded rather then just throwing around band aids to some and a big fat nothing to others.
But National will do what National does – and it would be down right foolish to believe that would not do what they do. After all they too want to keep their well paying jobs in parliament, it sure beats working in private industry – or trying to find a job – at the current times. (btw, that applies to ALL of the suits in parliament)
That's a good point.
Jones throwing his lollies at raglan wharf when there are sewage issues and a single lane bridge WDC need to deal to.
Not a good look IMO as basic infrastructure should be numero uno priority.
Council's have failed across NZ in providing basics. Central leadership required.
Dirty Politics about to kick in.
https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2020/05/29/guest-blog-manu-caddie-dirty-politics-2-0/?fbclid=IwAR3BPi9WXIcfwHzGk5nCjJUmntSc9lQ0PdMI9ldZYWQNyiUsg51EmBdRxyk
Without the Facecloth tracking code: https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2020/05/29/guest-blog-manu-caddie-dirty-politics-2-0/
Thanks for that I will be more careful next time
All good. Not a risk, just easier to handle without the cruft.
Yes.
ditto
What if Covid-19 becomes endemic?
This would be any governments worst nightmare. Years of health and unemployment costs, limited tourism and increased crime. A person needs to work out what is and is not important when it comes to who they vote for at the next election. I do not need the National Party to tell me that a deep recession or a depression is going to be next.
"What if Covid-19 becomes endemic?"
I know I shouldn't say it, but… If we have to live at Level Two for the forseeable future I think that would be a good thing
[fairyland hat on]
Limited tourism, increased local production and we're not treating people like sardines that can be packed into an economic can for profit. We'll not have the health costs with a cultural swing to physical distancing. Unemployment will take care of itself as business adjusts to an economic model that moves away from mass-consumerism and excess profit.
[hat off]
We need a coalition government that can work within the new parameters of infection control and bring the people along with it. That government is not National. Labour/Greens have some work to do.
Your vision is agreeable. I trust the current government the most to steer the country through the rapids.
"I know I shouldn't say it, but… If we have to live at Level Two for the forseeable future I think that would be a good thing"
I say it too .
and if we don,t have to live at Level 2 that is the way we should be going anyway, after a big conversation on what kind of a country we are aiming for; sustainable or not and that starts with a big nationwide discussion on what is a sustainable population level for NZ. I see us as a Norway of the Southern Hemisphere with our wilderness areas no longer being compromised and our manufacturing growth an extension of our agrarian production.
Miravox – No it wouldn't.
And I cite:
The law sets up the legal framework for future alert levels as there is no longer a State of Emergency. It effectively allows the Health Minister to issue an order that would make alert level rules legally enforceable.
That might include, for example, the ability for police or "enforcement officers" to close certain premises or roads, ban certain types of travel or congregations, or require people to be physically distant or to stay at home in their bubbles if necessary.
It also would allow warrant less searches of private property if there was a reasonable belief that the alert level rules were being broken.
Every Human Right organisation has voiced concern and while Hong Kong fights against state and police control, NZ seem to embrace it. Go figure.
Something about the prospect of drowning in your own lung fluid makes people support infectious disease control, eh.
Fair call. I shouldn't have generalised. I'd like some ofthe benefits of Level 2 to become normalised in our everyday life without requiring restrictive legislation for that to happen.
I'd like not for us to go back to the mass tourism, mass consumerism and businesss as usual with the exploitation of people and planet we have at Level 1. I like that we have practically ended people living on the streets at level 2.
Amen to that, but lets not get the focus away on any unintended consequences.
We certainly need to prioritize and I would say 2 issues need immediate attention: clean water and a stop of pumping the life (literally) out of aquifers and transport infrastructure including rail that gets diesel trucks off the road. It would provide plenty of work in that downturn and contribute to a better way of life that the next generation deserves.
Just a start and it is feasible.
"What if Covid-19 becomes endemic?"
Well shortly New Zealand will be covid-19 free- in a world where covid-19 is endemic NZ will be the most or one of the most popular places in the world for TV and Movie making – bring your staff do the quarantine and then you can do the work just like you used to – anywhere else not a shits show
A friend was saying today, that a good mate of hers who works in the film industry, was telling her the same. And the flow on effect for the hospitality industry could be just the boost they need.
Yes. The issue then becomes what is the best use of *our time and energy and creative powers? All of us.
Enjoy and share and walk around with chorus in your head all day. 🤣
HRH* Nathleigh has produced this stan music video to recruit Australia's next Prime Minister. 😁😁😁 So please help to spread the word =) (*Human Resources Headhunter)
https://t.co/i8CN0IBNiL
❤️😁
Haha, nice one Jess. Will try and put that up as a post later on.
Jess Nice one I shared that.
There is a return to the '90s in the US. Tensions are high just like the tinder box that was set off by the beating of Rodney King.
The police actions are bad enough, but the following inaction compounds the injustice.
https://i.stuff.co.nz/world/americas/300023356/violence-looting-in-minneapolis-after-george-floyd-police-killing
Chuck D and Public Enemy called it before it kicked off.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=k6MlwT1lBk0
Public Enemy wasn't commenting on police brutality or racism.
They were complaining about representations of black people through Hollywood.
Burn Hollywood burn I smell a riot
Goin' on first they're guilty now they're gone
Yeah I'll check out a movie
But it'll take a black one to move me
Get me the hell away from this TV
All this news and views are beneath me
So all I hear about is shots ringin' out
About gangs puttin' each others head out
So I rather kick some slang out
All right fellas let's go hand out
Hollywood or would they not
Make us all look bad like I know they had
But some things I'll never forget yeah
So step and fetch this shit
For all the years we looked like clowns
The joke is over smell the smoke from all around
Burn Hollywood burn
Yes, ostensibly the song was about racism and Hollywood.
Not everyone that was rioting was on the streets because of Rodney King.
In the same way folk that are upset now, isn't just because of Eric Garner and George Floyd.
Hollywood's profound influence also impacted on the woman who phoned police because a BLACK man was videoing her recently.
P.E. we're spot on, not bad for a bunch of 'rabble rousers'.
Edit oops, sorry mods, spotted the F in the name field too late…
Reinforcing prejudices
I was reading last night how quickly a person can get hypoxia (condition where not enough oxygen makes it to the cells and tissues in the body) during an anaesethic. When I saw the footage of the officer obstructing the airway of George and hearing George say he could not breath and the officer ignoring George and seeing George lose consciousness and the officer still not moving I realised that I was witnessing manslaughter.
I do hope that the officers are all put on trial and I know that this will not bring George back.
I am outraged and I suspect this occurs a lot and is covered up. There is a lot of ongoing tension in the USA with lives not mattering and due to the officers behaviour they have created further distrust and frustration in those who want change.
Murder, not manslaughter. Nice try.
I initially wrote murder and changed it as Floyd did not die at the scene.
So Derek Chauvin killed George Floyd without malice or forethought?
https://twitter.com/NBCNews/status/1266134329870225409
https://twitter.com/DelilahBenson12/status/1266139481406689280
Paramedics worked on him for an hour at the scene but could not revive him. He was killed there.
An earlier report said he died in hospital, this is why I said "did not die at the scene." It is clear that Floyd was killed and who killed him.
Murder is if he intended the person to die.
That having been said, it has long been recognised that restraining someone improperly can lead to their death. Shit, I was only a bouncer and I was explicitly taught to be exceptionally careful about it. Including warning signs like "I can't breathe" followed by "playing possum" [which isn't].
In an equitable society, I suggest that there would be some criminal issues for a court to consider.
he might not intended,
but he sure as heck could not give two fucks if the guy did die.
so yeah, murder fits. Nothing accidental about having your knee on the windpipe of a man in handcuffs for nine minutes.
the only reason this guy is not in prison is because he wears the blue uniform. Anyone else would be in the box, and charges would be thrown at them.
Law's all about intent.
And it's a bit difficult to lean on a windpipe when they're face down.
I do agree with your last paragraph, though.
and one could argue that keeping your knee on the winpipe of a men who is restrained by handcuffs and two other officers is intend.
To bad if he lives, really. The intend was for him to die.
The cop intended to do no good, and it matter not one bit to him if the guy on the floor lives or dies. And that my friend is intend.
btw, he was charged with third degree murder.
Maybe they need a few new laws on cop who murder while in uniform.
If it can be argued one way, then it can be argued the other. That is what courts are for.
3rd degree murder is basically equivalent to manslaughter. If the cop intended him to die, that would be second-degree murder (plain murder in NZ). If the cop had planned in advance to kill him, that would be "first degree" murder.
It's not a “return to the ’90s”, it’s normal life there. This virulent and sinister racism, from Central Park in New York to San Francisco, is a constant in the United States.
Ice Cube probably said it best about the Rodney King riots:
https://youtu.be/C8V66bxvM2Q
"Riots"? You mean “rebellions.”
https://twitter.com/marclamonthill/status/1266018234073038851
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=Nhu_uxRR2og&t=55&app=desktop
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fannie_Lou_Hamer
Protestors Criticized For Looting Businesses Without Forming Private Equity Firm First
That is some brilliant dark satire… I hope.
Nikki's shoulders.
https://www.facebook.com/tomsainsbury6/videos/3180121542027187/
😂
You are awful – but funny.
Lmao !!!
A week ago Simon Bridges was still leader of the National party. Ah, the good old days.
Remember when making a silly comment about hair dye was enough to get the eyes rolling? That now seems like a pearl of wisdom. Under his successor (assassin) the eyes have been spinning so fast they've fallen out of their sockets. The gaffe-meter is broken.
His latest gem: "Most New Zealanders are unemployed, but they don't know it yet" (yesterday).
Most.
Meh, he’s just projecting his own dire situation onto most New Zealanders. I feel a bout of solidarity with comrade Muller coming up.
Todd Muller mash-up/take-down.
https://twitter.com/i/status/1265645303748628485
A week is a long time in politics. It can only get better from here onwards. But in all seriousness, the Opposition is in serious disarray, ERC has been disbanded, and the only flutter of an election contest is some predictable sparring between the PM and the Deputy PM.
Atleast Winston v Arden is a fair fight, Ardern v muller will be like watching Shane Cameron v Dave Tua again .
Mike Tyson vs Stephen Hawking.
They’d still offer Tyson $20 million for a round of shadow boxing.
Boring Bill English did 3 rounds with a boxer for charity it showed him to be slow and out of touch like his political career.
Or Ryder v. Slater. (Muller, it hardly needs to be said, is the bloke in red.)
That 23% of Nat MPs having any business experience is telling, given their constant call that they are the party of Business. And I think Muller being in big business management is a far cry from owning and running a butcher or hairdresser or a service station.
National’s business experience during a pandemic is zero.
Much respect to the creator, that was epic
Labour bottling it again. Already sold out housing, beneficiaries, public transport and now fresh water standards. Next stop climate change…
Now now, stop beating on poor Labour, they're only on 59%. Peaking, so the only way forward is down. Show a little compassion!
And Marama says it's a win for the Greens, which means leftist solidarity hand-holding with Labour, right? https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/28-05-2020/te-mana-o-te-wai-whats-in-the-governments-new-freshwater-cleanup-package/
"Prominent freshwater expert Dr Mike Joy said the advice from scientists and Kahui Wai Māori (the Māori Freshwater Forum) had “fallen on deaf ears.” “Instead, it appears the Minister for the Environment has caved into political and industry pressure to further delay implementing the long overdue instream nutrient limits.” He added that “the limits proposed by the specialist panels were key to achieving real change, and far from being extreme, would have simply brought New Zealand into line with the rest of the world”."
Yeah, but he's an ecologist and there's never been a place for such people in the Labour universe. Can’t support the capitalist system by listening to eggheads.
Read all the scientific reports the government released as part of the government policy.
Has 100 times more weight.
translation: we can't rely on science and best practice using the precautionary principle because too many politicians are beholden to the corporate industrial dairy lobby who are going to fob everyone off for as long as they can in order to keep strip mining NZ. Let's take a few decades to sort things out as the science can't tell us how to run extractive industries without damaging the environment.
/spit
Joy nailed it. If you're quitting smoking, there's little point in dropping from 3 packs a day to 2.5 packs if you have your lung health in mind.
Yep, industrial farming is up there with the tobacco industry. Also, the climate deniers, who basically used the same tactics 'there's not enough science yet'.
All the other scientific and economic reports were published at the same time, in Scoop, if you dared to look. OR even read.
And instead of spitting, have a look at the Greens praising the policy to the gills.
None of them are climate deniers either. Not one.
Go on though, keep emoting. You haven't mentioned the Nazis yet.
Lol, but you did.
If you think the policy is sound, then put it up against what Joy is saying.
The Greens are saying it's way better than before, of course it is, National basically said for nine years go ahead and treat rivers like sewers.
I trust the Greens and Sage in particular, and I assume that they've built in many useful things despite the limitations. But it's stupid to pretend that this is adequate and is not a trade off with the industrial farming economy. Are there going to be reductions in dairy farms? Conversions to regenag? I'm guessing not, that it's ambulance at the bottom of the cliff that people are still being allowed to push ecosystems off.
Shame Trump didn't move so quickly (or at all) on the Virus problem.
Now cases are ca 20k per day and 1000+ deaths per day
With nearly 1,8m cases and over 103000 deaths
BUT BUT allow checking on the lies he tells GEEZ, that is a really serious affront!!!
This morning an NZR journalist reported for Goldsmith that he couldn't get up to date numbers on the correctness of the Grants given to businesses. He was told that audits were ongoing and quarterly reports would be issued. So far no charges had been laid.
How is this important enough to lead the news? How can Goldsmith get such a non-story published?
https://www.rnz.co.nz/audio/player?audio_id=2018748484
It is about accountability of government in extraordinary times, so quite fair. It's what we fund an Opposition for.
Barking at imaginary passing cars isn't an attempt at accountability.
Auditing claims isn't a 5 min exercise, it requires time and effort. It is entirely logical to report on the auditing of claims on a longer time frame than benefit applications, or positive COVID-19 tests.
Reasonable to ask.
Ok to ask. But they got an answer that the audits were ongoing so why the headlines?
Someone in govt has told Sepuloni to promptly reverse her resistance: https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/417855/government-backtracks-on-wage-subsidy-audit-data-moves-to-weekly-reporting
I'd actually like to see a full list of the claims made rather than that silly little box where you try to get a name to come up. It would be a lot easier to check.
If only because a lot of places have a trading name but a different legal name.
Cuomo? No, no, NO.
His comedian brother at the 3:40 mark…
Scientist Mike Joy in his own words about this government diluting water policy: https://theconversation.com/new-zealand-government-ignores-expert-advice-in-its-plan-to-improve-water-quality-in-rivers-and-lakes-139554
Jesse Mulligan said before he interviewed Mike Joy yesterday: "This is the first time I've had you on the programme for years."
Why would that be? He has on a propagandist for the farming lobby nearly every week.
or kicking the can just past the election?
Sam Ackerman is due to shed some unwarranted tears this morning RNZ National, Friday 29 May 2020, 10:20 a.m.
Right now, Lynn Freeman is interviewing Filipina filmmaker Ramona Diaz. One of the things she's talking about is the use of fake news and disinformation by the egregious President Rodrigo Duterte. Well worth a listen. https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon
Unfortunately, at 11:30 Lynn will talk to sports reporter Sam Ackerman, who is apparently going to lament the loss of Radio Sport.
W T F ??!!??!? The death of Radio Sport was long overdue. If ever there was a source of fake news and bigotry, it was that joke of a station, with its dismal line-up of "talents" such as Tony Veitch, Martin Devlin, and Murray Deaker.
Tony Veitch…. https://morrisseybreen.blogspot.com/2019/07/tony-veitch-newstalkzb-in-action-dec-28.html
Here is Martin Devlin, beside himself after news of a British athlete being killed after being hit by a hammer-throw….
DEVLIN: He got killed with a HAMMER! Oh GOD, just imagine the MESS! Ha ha ha ha ha!
STEVEN HUNTER AKA "SHUNTER" (PRODUCER): Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!
DEVLIN: Ker-SQUISH!
SHUNTER: Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!
DEVLIN: Splat!" SHUNTER: Ha ha ha ha ha! DEVLIN: Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! https://morrisseybreen.blogspot.com/2018/01/lest-we-forget-martin-devlin-jan-26-2011.html
And, of course, Murray "Deaks" Deaker…
CALLER PHIL: I want to talk about the All Black squad. Murray, I am very, very concerned. I think we will have a lack of intelligence, once the ball goes past Daniel Carter.
DEAKER: [long, thoughtful pause] Conrad Smith?
PHIL: Yes, but what if he’s injured, Murray?
DEAKER: [long, thoughtful pause] I know what you’re getting at, Phil.
PHIL: Yes, well, it needs to be said, Murray.
DEAKER: [with utmost gravitas] A lot of people talk about this in private, but are not prepared to talk about it in public. But I don’t give a TOSS about that! The problem is that in this country we have a lot of boys that are EARLY MATURERS.
PHIL: Yes, oh yes.
DEAKER: These guys haven’t got the slender build of, say, a Dan Carter, or a Jeff Wilson, or an Andrew Mehrtens.
PHIL: That’s right, Murray.
DEAKER: So they’ve never had to jink, or sidestep, or run around any opponents. They are so HUGE that all they have ever had to do is barge past them. They’ve never had to THINK! Because they’re early maturers!
PHIL: It’s a worry. Because these overseas teams, they’re THINKERS, Murray! They’re private school boys, and they’re thinkers.! The Australians, Murray, they’re just so EDUCATED! I remember once when the lowest-qualified player in the team was a chartered accountant, Murray!
DEAKER: Yes, but we’ll not see the likes of Nick Farr-Jones, David Kirk, Sir John Graham and Sir Wilson Whineray again. They were very bright guys!
PHIL: I’m so worried, Murray….
https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-21032012/#comment-449711
Ackerman is lamenting the loss of this garbage? In fact, the demise of Radio Sport is about as regrettable as the demise of Whaleoil Beef Hooked.
Why do I get the feeling you have a severe hatred of Radio Sport.
Funny thing about radios, some people may not understand.
You don't actually have to listen to them and you can switch channels.
It's gone, Chris. Thank God. The curse of Breen strikes again.
https://media1.tenor.com/images/aedf0a83eba45622947b6c988131ded1/tenor.gif?itemid=4731328
Anyone who links to themselves from 2011 and 2012 should probably provide all the answers you need to know.
The links were to particularly grievous and stupid comments by commentators on the (blessedly) defunct Radio Sport. That's why I keep a record of these comments, which would otherwise disappear into the ether. It means that when I point out that a particular sports broadcaster in fact knows nothing about sports and is a brutal bigot to boot, I can provide evidence.
What do you do, sir?
Dont worry, mate, I'm just having a laugh, but if you're that bothered, stick it in your data base and I'll have a look for your killer zinger comeback some time in 2034 lol
Killer zinger on the way, buddy.
In 2034, by the way, Pres. Eric Trump will be midway through his second term, and down here Jacinda will be nearing the end of her seventh. Former President Obama will still have sixteen more years to live….
https://morrisseybreen.blogspot.com/2018/01/who-will-be-lead-mourner-at-obamas.html
But Morrissey, life is not worth living without cricket on the radio.
Fair comment, my bearded friend.
Unfortunately, Radio Sport didn't stick to that core business. Instead, it turned over the airwaves to the likes of Deaker, Devlin, Veitch, Doug Golightly, and Willy Lose….
https://morrisseybreen.blogspot.com/search?q=Willy+Lose
Agreed…I never listened to them.
Neither did anyone else. That's why NZME did what it had wanted to do for years, and got rid of it.
Sounds like a protracted torture in brain activity deprivation. It' is as tedious as listening to the Trump alternately blustering and whining without the moments of inadvertent ironic humour.
I gave up on sports when I stopped playing them. I can't quite understand people who waste time on listening to them or even attending sports grounds to watch them. Don't they have anything else to do?
Fair comment, Lynn. The problem with Radio Sport was that they had 18 hours to fill every day.* Even if they had been knowledgeable, eloquent, and witty broadcasters, that would have been an almost impossible task. They possessed, sadly, none of those qualities.
* Midnight to dawn they paid for infinitely superior American sports talk radio.
It's more about the community, if you're watching local sports. Otherwise, I find it hard to get excited about some weekly competition that drags on and on. World Cups and the Olympics are pretty cool tho
lprent….oh you are so wrong…..I remember listening to England v Pakistan on the BBC World Service while sleeping under the stars in Tibet in '82.
(This was before Thatcher removed funding for Test Match Special on the World Service-unforgivable.)
Second time – 3 hours apart – got a phony call with female USA accent from automated scam machine claiming that someone has been spending $1000 with Amazon on my credit card. Phoned the bank just to check out and they report a wave of it going on – FYI. Bank says if you follow their directions they give you two different buttons for choice and you will be directed to a person who will harvest your card number from you. Warmer job I imagine than fruit picking or cabbage cutting out in the fields.
Yes we have had several calls. 3 yesterday, None today yet!!
Hang up Don't respond.
Try this " I'm so glad you called, can we talk about Jesus ? " Works every time, but mostly if I've had a bad day or even only a semi-terrific one I'll purge with a diatribe of the most offensive shit imaginable, its quite cathartic.
Remember these arseholes know they are committing a crime.
The calls are machine recorded.
So not ta goer.
That's awesome, thanking you Adrian, I'm going to use that one day 🙂
@ greywarshark (14) I was with a friend during the week when she received the same message, however this time the caller had an Indian accent. Fortunately, she was on to the fact it was a scam. Yep, the scammers are out there. Caution is needed.
Feel like reading TheStandard.org.nz with new fonts and wider layout? (client side only)
Here's my custom CSS: 🤓 (work in progress)
https://gist.githubusercontent.com/roblogic/09d2bb93a67483f05158ccda0ae3fe53/raw/
It works with the Stylus browser extension.
Thank you. Look forward to delving over coming days.
Oh, Stylus needs the filename “stan.user.css” also. So install Stylus, then go to
https://gist.githubusercontent.com/roblogic/09d2bb93a67483f05158ccda0ae3fe53/raw/stan.user.css
and it should give TS a nice makeover 🙂
https://twitter.com/roblogic_/status/1266205469497896960?s=20
Nice use of css.
You can just add that directly to your browser as well…
Cheers, a bit of creativity and hacking is always a fun diversion
Ta. Hacking the layout appeals.. 🙂
how to win all the votes you want ONE active case in NZ
Excellent news.
https://www.twitter.com/radionz/status/1266177542647504896
It is, yet we are still at level 2, level 1 potentially 3 weeks away. It is easy (I grant you) to comment after the event.
I hope our govt. acts promptly to accelerate our move down the alert levels.
Allowing a home-grown scientific consensus to inform our Covid-19 response has safeguarded health – such a common sense approach, compared to the ‘balance‘ advocated by market forces. I’m enjoying retail shopping and restaurant dining now – what’s the rush?
A period of two infection cycles between easing restrictions is prudent.
We don't want to fuck it up at the end and have to redo two months of effort.
That is pretty much the basis you have to use for this particular bug. Even the 2 week infection limit looks like it may have been optimistic as there are now examples of people getting infected and not displaying any virus shedding until weeks afterwards – but it looks like it is doing the job – so not worth changing.
I was just reading some wannabe guest post writer sending something in via email proclaiming the theory that covid-19 is just a hoax by the government. Feels like they cribbed it off some other site as clickbait (and that is what their reference site looks like as well). All assertions based on the idea that it is just influenza and that nothing the government did (like closing and controlling borders in this and previous outbreaks) made any difference.
I was tempted to put it up just so I could eviscerate the ‘author’. The increased total death rate above normal in the US, Brazil, UK, and now Russia of this ‘influenza’ even with the social distancing there being the obvious club to beat the dipshit with. But since it was, like almost of 30 odd similar propositions I get daily, just an excuse to provide links to other sites – I restrained myself. Besides the dipshit clickbaiter would never actually come and argue their point.
Reminds me, I need to write a explicit policy on asserting false facts in comments and providing links and/or not defending their usage. I don’t mind rapping people over the knuckles about it. But it is starting to get irksome. Plus the National party appears to be making using completely false facts their only strategy based on some of the social media I have seen.
One from Pugh used pre-covid data from debt levels in Greece against projected post-covid-19 debt levels in NZ which was a pretty egregious bit of lying. I was thinking that a immediate 6 month ban unless they justified their usage to me in email was the appropriate site response – with all correspondence published.
Was it the same one as I mentioned in the back-end?
I thought that a driver for the shutdown was to protect our health system from being overrun – Not to have 0 cases
Level 2 – Reduce The disease is contained, but the risk of community transmission remains
Level 1 – Prepare The disease is contained in New Zealand
https://covid19.govt.nz/assets/resources/tables/COVID-19-alert-levels-summary.pdf
Yeah it was initially, as per the plan designed around an influenza pandemic. But we get a new influenza strain each year, and apparently covid might be a bit more stable. Days after we went into L4 specialists started suggesting we might be able to eliminate it, rather than just slow it.
There's been some kerfuffle about the semantics of "eliminate", but I guess it's generally the "plan A+" crowd that won, rather than the "plan B" dude lol
I can accept that, yet that is not what is being conveyed and what was the aim/measure to achieve before we progress down. What will happen in the future when there are a few cases diagnosed ? Do we progress up the levels again for eradication to mirror what has been achieved this time ?
Depends on the scenario of "new cases".
For the foreseeable, we'll have border quarantine (and testing of improving sensitivity and timeliness). If a case shows up there, no worries it's doing its job. Although staff who contacted that person might be themselves quarantined.
If a case goes through quarantine then presents with covid a week later, we might see a national or regional alert escalation, or maybe a combination (e.g. the locality of know contacts goes to level 3/4, while the rest of the country goes back to level 2 to aid tracing if an unkown contact went out of town).
A random case popping up with no known travel association? That's when people will be probably looking at a nationwide L3/4 again, because it breaks the known behaviour of the disease.
But these are possible variations, not gospel. It's a judgement call at the time, based on many factors and inputs. But so far the govt's been pretty good at communicating what is happening, why, and what the risks are.
I'm not sure what you mean by "not what is being conveyed". The elimination goal has been pretty consistent for a couple of months now, which is actually pretty miraculous in this fast-changing situation.
Appreciate the wish for certainty now and in the future, but also understand the need to adjust responses and 'level details' as NZ gets on top of this pandemic threat, learning as we go.
Covid-19 is novel, with no proven treatment or vaccine (yet) – caution is (still) warranted, IMHO.
Personally I remain unconvinced that they will get a vaccine within 5 years. And that is only because they were getting close to trialling SARS and MERS viruses using new approaches before this particular coronavirus popped up.
The more that is revealed about covid-19, the more unconvinced I get. A 32k base pair virus from inside bat colonies – and one that appears (in my view) to have had about a decade adapting to humans. It looks both endemic, unlikely to get a widespread herd immunity, and vaccines are unlikely to have a long term effect. I see this hanging around and if a vaccine is achieved, is going to require boosters every few years.
Specific antiviral treatments to prevent slipping into a critical state seem more likely in the medium term.
Which of the Level 2 restrictions do you consider an unreasonable restriction?
About all I can see that's significantly different from Level 1 is limiting gatherings to 100 or less, ensuring physical distancing, and record-keeping of visitors.
That doesn't seem onerous, particularly since we are still in a time period where undetected presymptomatic or asymptomatic community transmission could still be occurring. It seems to me to be very low pain to maintain Level 2 for a few weeks longer to minimise the risk of the massive pain of having to go back up the levels.
I am fortunate and I gather from your comment that you to are also (I hope so), but ask that question to someone who has or is considering shutting down their business or has or could lose their job, and the consequence of that be it financial, health, relationship etc. The delay of progressing thru the stages by 1,2 or 3 weeks could make a difference to them.
What kind of business might be at serious risk of having to close because of another few weeks of limiting gatherings to 100 people, some physical distancing, and maintaining visitor logs?
I would guess it's very very few. The massive lockdown we have already had will have already culled the marginal businesses, and another few weeks of level 2 won't affect the vast majority of businesses that were robust enough to survive until now. It will affect a few weeks of profitability for sure, so the owners have an incentive to make as much noise as they can, which is where I think the push to go to Level 1 is coming from.
A few more weeks of Level 2 certainly won't change the outlook for the business sectors that have been wholesale obliterated such as tourism.
With no community sport until June 22nd there is 2-3 weeks where cafes, bakeries, mobile coffee etc miss out on that trade.( + the feel good factor of life returning to some resemblance to normal) Some of these businesses are next to parks that when there is no action there is no foot traffic that is 2/7 of their trade. Restaurants, pubs etc that to comply with distancing have limited what their business can cater for. Professional sports events that have eliminated crowds those industries that support these events. Whist these may not be large compared to already announced closures, tell that to those affected.
I would suggest to those affected that they ponder the consequences of having to go back into a Level 3 or 4 lockdown.
And that they also ponder that the team that made the decisions that appear to have us on track for a return to domestic normality much faster than our peer nations are the same team that see our best course is to maintain Level 2 for a few weeks longer. Their record of success so far is awfully hard to argue with.
NZ at level 2 is now less restrictive than Queensland which has similar (almost) zero new case rates and very few active cases. Queensland, like WA, NT, SA and Tas are keeping their borders closed to Vic and NSW where there is (admittedly low) community transmission. NZ is probably one of the very few advanced economies with such opportunites. Count your lucky stars you live where you live.
Well around my hood it's starting to look pretty normal apart from the distancing, the hand sanitiser and the signing in. I've also stuck my head into a number of the small local businesses that I would really hate to loose – $50 note in hand to donate if needed- to check that they are okay and found that they were fine with lots of work and any worries had vanished.
I still have more to check though. Stuff did take the donation but happy with that.
same here redbaron. in my small town and the neigbouring two I was in yesterday, shops were busy and car parks hard to find. the only closed shop in my local town is a pizza shop that closed three weeks prior to lockdown.
Look up South Korea's second wave 54 cases overnight, and Australia has some community transmission. Safe rather than sorry. June 8 is not long now.
Great collaboration between NZ Defence Forces and US Defense Forces.
https://youtu.be/zUuOnl4f0rE
Ahhh Jingoism
If only they kept it to musical items, it would be wonderful.
If only they kept it to musical items, it would be wonderful.
+100
And also carried that approach forward to their police forces in USA to ours in NZ and Australia too. So sad to hear about this latest USA police outrage. Chris Trotter eviscerates it:
https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2020/05/29/poisonous-legacy-why-george-floyd-could-be-choked-while-the-whole-world-watched/
I think Morrissey has covered this also further down.
Chris Trotter? It will be interesting to see what he says if those cops are acquitted. I wonder if his views have evolved since the killing of Trayvon Martin in 2013…
Beautiful work both teams ka pai e kia ora.
Thanks Macro Good one.
..so, Librarians as unskilled Jobseeker assistants with no official title and code of conduct, has now just become the new normal.
Pity those poor deluded souls that visit libraries to, you know, borrow books….between the strict limit on titles held in each library, the aesthetic of half empty shelves (a policy in some library's..'safer' and more 'tidy looking' apparently)..and now the full and open morphing of libraries into Social Welfare offices the self fulfilling prophesy of 'no one reads books anymore' is well on its way.
I do believe that yesterday morning RNZ reported that people without computers could still access doctors on line via the libraries. Seriously.
If the powers that be wish to move the world on line..job seeking and Doctors visits and Education.. then they need to come up with specialised computer hubs, with specialised staff..computer lounges in winz for starters. Though I guess that would only work if winz offices could become 'customer friendly'.
Libraries have become a place where the poor may have cheap access to a computer for a while… Is there any other place?
I agree with you in that I want libraries to remain as they were, with this as a temporary addition, not see the destruction of the traditional library, which becomes just a Social Welfare Office.
They always dress up things like this as being about 'jobs'.
Libraries are community knowledge hubs already, not just places with books. I'd trust a librarian to help people more than a winz staffer.
Not great but it recognises the value of libraries and librarians and also the impact on rates which might otherwise lead to library funding cuts.
The Pride of Minneapolis. NOT.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=12335764
Here's one of Minneapolis' finest working as agent provocateur….
"This Tweet violated the Twitter Rules about glorifying violence. However, Twitter has determined that it may be in the public’s interest for the Tweet to remain accessible."
https://www.twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1266231100780744704
Fork !!! It's going to be real ugly by the time we wake up tomorrow.
Best news all year:
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2020/05/national-mps-say-law-change-lets-government-scrutinise-every-foreign-financial-transaction.html
So Louisa Wall has exited out of Manurewa. One hopes she will get a suitably high position on List. Politics sometimes is a hard place
With a local majority of over 8,000, why it was was necessary for the apparent alternative Ian Dunwoodie to white ant her out of town is completely beyond civil reason. Hell, ask around town – she's a lot easier to work with than Carmel Sepuloni.
Not sure It's it's going to run seat there's is someone else
[Fixed typo in user handle]
See Moderation note.
What the actual fork… the CNN team were just arrested while they were reporting on the riots..wow!
https://twitter.com/CNN/status/1266315061221613569
Only the black CNN reporters, the white ones were fine…
'Murica…. go figure.
Not sure its Ian that is going to get the seat there is someone else
[Fixed typo in user handle]
See Moderation note.
Kia Ora Newshub.
The art plagiarism hiding behind A court??????.
People who stuff there recycling bins with rubbish are so short sighted wake up.
Ka kite Ano
Kia Ora
Te Ao Maori News
Its good to see Maori coming out with online resources to support tangata mental health.
Ka kite Ano.
https://youtu.be/qQfetkoGrpU
Kia Ora Newshub.
Opening Travel to the Pacific Islands is logical.
That's good to see People supporting Aotearoa business.
Ka kite Ano
Kia Ora
Te Ao Maori News.
Planting a billion trees is awesome I hope all our Waterways edges are planted with trees to help keep them clean.
Find Your Fish helping Rangatahi find a great future is a good idea Kia Kaha.
Ka pai Te reo Maori in Te whare
Ka kite Ano.
Kia Ora
Te Ao Maori News.
Yes it does exist here in Aotearoa.
Its good to see Tangata whenua O Aotearoa receiving houners the list looks to deserve there houners from what I have seen go down in the last few months.
Ka kite Ano.
The kawaii run is awesome at Te motu Te Kawaii run is awesome at Te Waiapu to it great to see a ruhui at Te Motu.
Ka kite Ano
Kia Ora
The Am Show.
With that data on whare heat it good that the government has $50.00 a week winter heating payment for the tangata that need it the most..
In winter and we still have warm weather like this That's global warming.
Plant based plastic bottles is good news especially when it breaks down fast in the environment.
Ka kite Ano