Daily review 05/10/2020
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5:30 pm, October 5th, 2020 - 79 comments
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- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #13 2025
Open access notables New coasts emerging from the retreat of Northern Hemisphere marine-terminating glaciers in the twenty-first century, Kavan et al., Nature Climate Change: Accelerated climate warming has caused the majority of marine-terminating glaciers in the Northern Hemisphere to retreat substantially during the twenty-first century. While glacier retreat and changes ...3 hours ago - Trump’s critical minerals order may harm Australian interests
US President Donald Trump is certainly not afraid of an executive order, signing 97 since his inauguration on 20 January. In minerals and energy, Trump has declared a national emergency; committed to unleashing US (particularly ...5 hours ago - Is this what government is for?
Aotearoa has an infrastructure shortage. We need schools, hospitals, public housing. But National is dead set against borrowing to fund any of it, even though doing so is much cheaper than the "public-private partnership" model they prefer. So what will National borrow for? Subsidising property developers: The new scheme, ...6 hours ago - Late Capitalism / Early Dystopia FAQ
QUESTION:What's the difference between the National government loosening up the RMA so that developers can decide for themselves what's a good idea or not, and loosening up the building regulations in the early 1990s so that a builder could decide for themselves what was a good idea or not?ANSWER:Well in ...6 hours ago - China’s warships reveal more than a need to strengthen the ADF
Last month’s circumnavigation by a potent Chinese naval flotilla sent a powerful signal to Canberra about Beijing’s intent. It also demonstrated China’s increasing ability to threaten Australia’s maritime communications, as well as the entirety of ...7 hours ago
- Will Labour take on the oligarchs?
David Parker gave a big foreign policy speech this morning, reiterating the party's support for an independent (rather than boot-licking) foreign policy. Most of which was pretty orthodox - international law good, war bad, trade good, not interested in AUKUS, and wanting a demilitarised South Pacific (an area which presumably ...8 hours ago
- Louise Upston ensures beneficiaries can’t pay rent or utilities while Matt Doocey undermines p...
Hi Readers,I’ve been critical of Substack in some respects, and since then, my subscriber growth outside of my network has halted to zero.If you like my work, please consider sharing my work.I don’t control the Substack algorithms but have been disappointed to see ACT affiliated posts on the app under ...9 hours ago - Australia’s security architecture must evolve, not regress
The Independent Intelligence Review, publicly released last Friday, was inoffensive and largely supported the intelligence community status quo. But it was also largely quiet on the challenges facing the broader national security community in an ...9 hours ago
- More F-35s, more tankers: a reliable way to strengthen Australian deterrence
If the Chinese navy’s task group sailing around Australia a few weeks ago showed us anything, it’s that Australia has a deterrence gap so large you can drive a ship through it. Waiting for AUKUS ...11 hours ago
- Big Business
Think you've had enoughStop talking, help us get readyThink you’ve had enoughBig business, after the shakeupLyrics: David Bryne.Yesterday, I saw the sort of headline that made me think, “Oh, come on, this can’t be real.” At this point, the government resembles an evil sheriff in a pantomime, tying the good ...12 hours ago - Thursday 27 March
Kiwis working while physically and mentally unwell is costing businesses $46 billion per year, according to new research. The Tertiary Education Commission is set to lose 22 more jobs, following 28 job cuts in April last year. Beneficiaries sanctioned with money management cards will often be unable to pay rent, ...12 hours ago - No, You Don’t Deserve a Second Term
Last week, Matthew Hooton wrote an op-ed, published in NZME, that essentially says that if Luxon secures a trade deal with India, that alone, would mean Luxon deserved a second term in government.Hooton said Luxon displayed "seriousness and depth" in New Dehli. He praised Luxon for ‘doubling down’ on the ...12 hours ago - Climate skeptics have new favorite graph; it shows the opposite of what they claim
This is a re-post from the Climate Brink Last September the Washington Post published an article about a new paper in Science by Emily Judd and colleagues. The WaPo article was detailed and nuanced, but led with the figure below, adapted from the paper: The internet, being less prone to detail and nuance, ran ...13 hours ago
- NZ missing a primary health care opportunity
13 hours ago - Pressure Points: The importance of Australia’s military presence in East and Southeast Asia
This week ASPI launched Pressure Points, an interactive website that analyses the Chinese military’s use of air and maritime coercion to enforce Beijing’s excessive territorial claims and advance its security interests in the Indo-Pacific. The ...14 hours ago
- Pressure Points: The importance of Australia’s military presence in East and Southeast Asia
This week ASPI launched Pressure Points, an interactive website that analyses the Chinese military’s use of air and maritime coercion to enforce Beijing’s excessive territorial claims and advance its security interests in the Indo-Pacific. The ...14 hours ago
- Lunar New Year and the Future of Placemaking
This is a guest post by placemaker Paris Kirby. Featured Image: Neon Lucky Cat on Darby Street, city centre. Created and built by Aan Chu and Angus Muir Design (Photo credit: Bryan Lowe) Disclaimer: I am a Senior Placemaking and Activation Specialist at Auckland Council; however, the views expressed ...14 hours ago - Lunar New Year and the Future of Placemaking
This is a guest post by placemaker Paris Kirby. Featured Image: Neon Lucky Cat on Darby Street, city centre. Created and built by Aan Chu and Angus Muir Design (Photo credit: Bryan Lowe) Disclaimer: I am a Senior Placemaking and Activation Specialist at Auckland Council; however, the views expressed ...14 hours ago
- Bernard’s Picks ‘n’ Mixes on Thursday, March 27
In short: New Zealand is spending just a third of the OECD average on primary health care and hasn’t increased that recently. A slumlord with 40 Christchurch properties is punished after relying on temporary migrant tenants not complaining about holes in the ceiling. Westpac’s CEO is pushing for easier capital ...16 hours ago - Australia surveys volatile and unpredictable geoeconomics
The international economics of Australia’s budget are pervaded by a Voldemort-like figure. The He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is Donald Trump, firing up trade wars, churning global finance and smashing the rules-based order. The closest the budget papers come ...1 day ago
- The five-domains update
Sea state Australian assembly of the first Multi Ammunition Softkill System (MASS) shipsets for the Royal Australian Navy began this month at Rheinmetall’s Military Vehicle Centre of Excellence in Redbank, Queensland. The ship protection system, ...1 day ago
- The five-domains update
Sea state Australian assembly of the first Multi Ammunition Softkill System (MASS) shipsets for the Royal Australian Navy began this month at Rheinmetall’s Military Vehicle Centre of Excellence in Redbank, Queensland. The ship protection system, ...1 day ago
- Signalling Deliberate Reckless Disregard.
Some thoughts on the Signal Houthi Principal’s Committee chat group conversation reported by Jeff Goldberg at The Atlantic. It is obviously a major security breach. But there are several dimensions to it worth examining. 1) Signal is an unsecured open source platform that although encrypted can easily be hacked by ...1 day ago - Economic security and geostrategic competition: fostering resilience and innovation
Australia and other democracies have once again turned to China to solve their economic problems, while the reliability of the United States as an alliance partner is, erroneously, being called into question. We risk forgetting ...1 day ago
- Wednesday 26 March
Machines will take over more jobs at Immigration New Zealand under a multi-million-dollar upgrade that will mean decisions to approve visas will be automated – decisions to reject applications will continue to be taken by staff. Health New Zealand’s commitment to boosting specialist palliative care for dying children is under ...2 days ago
- She Works Hard For The Money
She works hard for the moneySo hard for it, honeyShe works hard for the moneySo you better treat her rightSongwriters: Michael Omartian / Donna A. SummerMorena, I’m pleased to bring you a guest newsletter today by long-time unionist and community activist Lyndy McIntyre. Lyndy has been active in the Living ...2 days ago - The dangerous collapse of US strategic sealift capacity
The US Transportation Command’s Military Sealift Command (MSC), the subordinate organisation responsible for strategic sealift, is unprepared for the high intensity fighting of a war over Taiwan. In the event of such a war, combat ...2 days ago
- Stadium Unfeasibility
Tomorrow Auckland’s Councillors will decide on the next steps in the city’s ongoing stadium debate, and it appears one option is technically feasible but isn’t financially feasible while the other one might be financially feasible but not be technically feasible. As a quick reminder, the mMayor started this process as ...2 days ago
- Bernard’s Picks ‘n’ Mixes on Wednesday, March 26
In short in our political economy around housing, climate and poverty on March 26:Three Kāinga Ora plots zoned for 17 homes and 900m from Ellerslie rail station are being offered to land-bankers and luxury home builders by agent Rawdon Christie.Chris Bishop’s new RMA bills don’t include treaty principles, even though ...2 days ago - James (Jim) Grenon & Sinead Boucher’s Worlds Affect Us All
Stuff’s Sinead Boucher and NZME Takeover Leader James (Jim) GrenoonStuff Promotes Brooke Van VeldenYesterday, I came across an incredulous article by Stuff’s Kelly Dennett.It was a piece basically promoting David Seymour’s confidante and political ally, ACT’s #2, Brooke Van Velden. I admit I read the whole piece, incredulous at its ...2 days ago - Gordon Campbell On The Americanising Of NZ’s Public Health System
One of the odd aspects of the government’s plan to Americanise the public health system – i.e by making healthcare access more reliant on user pay charges and private health insurance – is that it is happening in plain sight. Earlier this year, the official briefing papers to incoming Heath ...2 days ago - Defence budget doesn’t match the threat Australia faces
When Australian Treasurer Jim Chalmers stood at the dispatch box this evening to announce the 2025–26 Budget, he confirmed our worst fears about the government’s commitment to resourcing the Defence budget commensurate with the dangers ...2 days ago
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The proposed negotiation of an Australia–Papua New Guinea defence treaty will falter unless the Australian Defence Force embraces cultural intelligence and starts being more strategic with teaching languages—starting with Tok Pisin, the most widely spoken language in ...2 days ago
- Here is the news at 4.30
Bishop ignores pawnPoor old Tama Potaka says he didn't know the new RMA legislation would be tossing out the Treaty clause.However, RMA Minister Bishop says it's all good and no worries because the new RMA will still recognise Māori rights; it's just that the government prefers specific role descriptions over ...2 days ago - China’s shadow fleet threatens Indo-Pacific communications
China is using increasingly sophisticated grey-zone tactics against subsea cables in the waters around Taiwan, using a shadow-fleet playbook that could be expanded across the Indo-Pacific. On 25 February, Taiwan’s coast guard detained the Hong Tai ...2 days ago
- Improving OIA enforcement
Yesterday The Post had a long exit interview with outgoing Ombudsman Peter Boshier, in which he complains about delinquent agencies which "haven't changed and haven't taken our moral authority on board". He talks about the limits of the Ombudsman's power of persuasion - its only power - and the need ...2 days ago
- A Fist, an American Flag, and Fire
Hi,Two stories have been playing over and over in my mind today, and I wanted to send you this Webworm as an excuse to get your thoughts in the comments.Because I adore the community here, and I want your sanity to weigh in.A safe space to chat, pull our hair ...2 days ago - Tuesday 25 March
A new employment survey shows that labour market pessimism has deepened as workers worry about holding to their job, the difficulty in finding jobs, and slowing wage growth. Nurses working in primary care will get an 8 percent pay increase this year, but it still leaves them lagging behind their ...2 days ago
- Big Gun
Big gunBig gun number oneBig gunBig gun kick the hell out of youSongwriters: Ascencio / Marrow.On Sunday, I wrote about the Prime Minister’s interview in India with Maiki Sherman and certainly didn’t think I’d be writing about another of his interviews two days later.I’d been thinking of writing about something ...2 days ago - Economic security and geostrategic competition: tariffs don’t equal coercion
The Trump administration’s decision to impose tariffs on Australian aluminium and steel has surprised the country. This has caused some to question the logic of the Australia-United States alliance and risks legitimising China’s economic coercion. ...2 days ago
- NZ Government, an Atlas Network puppet, intent on ruining public healthcare
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This is a re-post from Carbon Brief by Wang Zhongying, chief national expert, China Energy Transformation Programme of the Energy Research Institute, and Kaare Sandholt, chief international expert, China Energy Transformation Programme of the Energy Research Institute China will need to install around 10,000 gigawatts (GW) of wind and solar capacity ...3 days ago
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- tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-2287094456929079731
Chris Trotter is now on Substack visit him at christrotter418256.substack.com ...3 days ago - Australia should work with South Korea to secure undersea cables
South Korea and Australia should enhance their cooperation to secure submarine cables, which carry more than 95 percent of global data traffic. As tensions in the Indo-Pacific intensify, these vital connections face risks from cyber ...3 days ago
- Parliament says “no” to transparency
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- Bolt from the blue: what we know (and don’t know) about the US’s powerful F-47 fighter
When the F-47 enters service, at a date to be disclosed, it will be a new factor in US air warfare. A decision to proceed with development, deferred since July, was unexpectedly announced on 21 ...3 days ago
- Yesterday Once More
All my best memoriesCome back clearly to meSome can even make me cry.Just like beforeIt's yesterday once more.Songwriters: Richard Lynn Carpenter / John BettisYesterday, Winston Peters gave a State of the Nation speech in which he declared War on the Woke, described peaceful protesters as fascists, said he’d take our ...3 days ago - Can we now find out who the real Vladimir Putin is?
Regardless of our opinions about the politicians involved, I believe that every rational person should welcome the reestablishment of contacts between the USA and the Russian Federation. While this is only the beginning and there are no guarantees of success, it does create the opportunity to address issues ...3 days ago - The transatlantic world will never be the same
Once upon a time, the United States saw the contest between democracy and authoritarianism as a singularly defining issue. It was this outlook, forged in the crucible of World War II, that created such strong ...3 days ago
- 30% of doctors leave NZ after graduation
A pre-Covid protest about medical staffing shortages outside the Beehive. Since then the situation has only worsened, with 30% of doctors trained here now migrating within a decade. File Photo: Lynn GrievesonMōrena. Long stories shortest: The news this morning is dominated by the crises cascading through our health system after ...3 days ago - Monday 24 March
Bargaining between the PSA and Oranga Tamariki over the collective agreement is intensifying – with more strike action likely, while the Employment Relations Authority has ordered facilitation. More than 850 laboratory staff are walking off their jobs in a week of rolling strike action. Union coverage CTU: Confidence in ...4 days ago
- The permanent Australia-China contest in the South Pacific
Foreign Minister Penny Wong in 2024 said that ‘we’re in a state of permanent contest in the Pacific—that’s the reality.’ China’s arrogance hurts it in the South Pacific. Mark that as a strong Australian card ...4 days ago
- Bernard’s Picks ‘n’ Mixes on Monday, March 24
Here’s my selection1 of scoops, breaking news, news, analyses, deep-dives, features, interviews, Op-Eds, editorials and cartoons from around Aotearoa’s political economy on housing, climate and poverty from RNZ, 1News, The Post-$2, The Press−$, Newsroom/$3, NZ Herald/$, Stuff, BusinessDesk/$, Politik-$, NBR-$, Reuters, FT/$, WSJ/$, Bloomberg/$, New York Times/$, Washington Post/$, Wired/$, ...4 days ago - Gordon Campbell on Israel’s murderous relapse, and Peters’ sad decline
In the past week, Israel has reverted to slaughtering civilians, starving children and welshing on the terms of the peace deal negotiated earlier this year. The IDF’s current offensive seems to be intended to render Gaza unlivable, preparatory (perhaps) to re-occupation by Israeli settlers. The short term demands for the ...4 days ago
- 2025 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #12
A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 16, 2025 thru Sat, March 22, 2025. This week's roundup is again published by category and sorted by number of articles included in each. We are still interested ...4 days ago
- Bullying a Chess Bot: More Martinian Shenanigans
In recent months, I have garnered copious amusement playing Martin, chess.com’s infamously terrible Chess AI. Alas, it is not how it once was, when he would cheerfully ignore freely offered material. Martin has grown better since I first stumbled upon him. I still remain frustrated at his capture-happy determination to ...4 days ago - Indian Summer
Every time that I see ya,A lightning bolt fills the room,The underbelly of Paris,She sings her favourite tune,She'll drink you under the table,She'll show you a trick or two,But every time that I left her,I missed the things she would doSongwriters: Kelly JonesThis morning, I posted - Are you excited ...4 days ago - Bernard’s Soliloquy for the week to March 23
Long stories shortest this week in our political economy: Standard & Poor’s judged the Government’s council finance reforms a failure. Professional investors showed the Government they want it to borrow more, not less. GDP bounced out of recession by more than forecast in the December quarter, but data for the ...4 days ago - Making sense of it all
Each day at 4:30 my brother calls in at the rest home to see Dad. My visits can be months apart. Five minutes after you've left, he’ll have forgotten you were there, but every time, his face lights up and it’s a warm happy visit.Tim takes care of almost everything ...5 days ago - A Response to ACT’s MRA-Style Rant
On the 19th of March, ACT announced they would be running candidates in this year’s local government elections. Accompanying that call for “common-sense kiwis” was an anti-woke essay typifying the views they expect their candidates to hold. I have included that part of their mailer, Free Press, in its entirety. ...5 days ago - Spread a Little Happiness
Even when the darkest clouds are in the skyYou mustn't sigh and you mustn't crySpread a little happiness as you go byPlease tryWhat's the use of worrying and feeling blue?When days are long keep on smiling throughSpread a little happiness 'til dreams come trueSongwriters: Vivian Ellis / Clifford Grey / ...5 days ago - Pick ‘n’ Mix at 6am on Saturday, March 22
Here’s my selection1 of scoops, breaking news, news, analyses, deep-dives, features, interviews, Op-Eds, editorials and cartoons from around Aotearoa’s political economy on housing, climate and poverty from RNZ, 1News, The Post-$2, The Press−$, Newsroom/$3, NZ Herald/$, Stuff, BusinessDesk/$, Politik-$, NBR-$, Reuters, FT/$, WSJ/$, Bloomberg/$, New York Times/$, Washington Post/$, Wired/$, ...6 days ago - Siding with the Right Of the Right
ACT up the game on division politicsEmmerson’s take on David Seymour’s claim Jesus would have supported ACTACT’s announcement it is moving into local politics is a logical next step for a party that is waging its battle on picking up the aggrieved.It’s a numbers game, and as long as the ...6 days ago - Jam tomorrow, butter next week
1. What will be the slogan of the next butter ad campaign?a. You’re worth itb. Once it hits $20, we can do something about the riversc. I can’t believe it’s the price of butter d. None of the above Read more ...6 days ago - Why Do Cryptocurrencies Appear to Be So Valuable?
It is said that economists know the price of everything and the value of nothing. That may be an exaggeration but an even better response is to point out economists do know the difference. They did not at first. Classical economics thought that the price of something reflected the objective ...6 days ago - Awful optics: political fighting in Taiwan stalls part of defence budget rise
Political fighting in Taiwan is delaying some of an increase in defence spending and creating an appearance of lack of national resolve that can only damage the island’s relationship with the Trump administration. The main ...6 days ago
- The Independent Intelligence Review is finally out, and it’s a worthy sequel
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- Law, culture, and the OIA
Yesterday outgoing Ombudsman Peter Boshier published a report, Reflections on the Official Information Act, on his way out the door. The report repeated his favoured mantra that the Act was "fundamentally sound", all problems were issues of culture, and that no legislative change was needed (and especially no changes to ...6 days ago
- A new US humanitarian agency must operate without political blinders
The United States government is considering replacing USAID with a new agency, the US Agency for International Humanitarian Assistance (USIHA), according to documents published by POLITICO. Under the proposed design, the agency will fail its ...6 days ago
- Worming Through Dangerous Times
6 days ago - Why is the Govt so afraid of borrowing?
Mōrena. Long stories shortest: Professional investors who are paid a lot of money to be careful about lending to the New Zealand Government think it is wonderful place to put their money. Yet the Government itself is so afraid of borrowing more that it is happy to kill its own ...6 days ago - The future of the Combined Space Operations initiative
As space becomes more contested, Australia should play a key role with its partners in the Combined Space Operations (CSpO) initiative to safeguard the space domain. Australia, Britain, Canada and the United States signed the ...6 days ago
- Release: Labour backs farmers’ call for better process on GE
Labour shares farmers’ concerns that the Gene Technology Bill is moving too fast. ...8 hours ago - Release: Bar still too high for small mental health providers
Small mental health providers will still be locked out of co-funding from the Mental Health Innovation Fund despite a lower threshold. ...8 hours ago
- Greens call for Govt to scrap proposed ECE changes
The Green Party is calling for the Government to scrap proposed changes to Early Childhood Care, after attending a petition calling for the Government to ‘Put tamariki at the heart of decisions about ECE’. ...11 hours ago - NZ First Introduces Bill That Gives Democracy Back To The People
New Zealand First has introduced a Member’s Bill today that will remove the power of MPs conscience votes and ensure mandatory national referendums are held before any conscience issues are passed into law. “We are giving democracy and power back to the people”, says New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters. ...11 hours ago - Speech: Navigating the New World (Dis)order in Turbulent Times
Welcome to members of the diplomatic corp, fellow members of parliament, the fourth estate, foreign affairs experts, trade tragics, ladies and gentlemen. ...12 hours ago
- Release: Kiwis lose faith in job market
Confidence in the job market has continued to drop to its lowest level in five years as more New Zealanders feel uncertain about finding work, keeping their jobs, and getting decent pay, according to the latest Westpac-McDermott Miller Employment Confidence Index. ...2 days ago
- Greens question Govt commitment to environmental protection with RMA reform
The Greens are calling on the Government to follow through on their vague promises of environmental protection in their Resource Management Act (RMA) reform. ...3 days ago
- Release: Govt must tackle meth use crisis
New data shows methamphetamine use is spiralling out of control while the Government sits on its hands. ...4 days ago
- “Make New Zealand First Again”
“Make New Zealand First Again” Ladies and gentlemen, First of all, thank you for being here today. We know your lives are busy and you are working harder and longer than you ever have, and there are many calls on your time, so thank you for the chance to speak ...4 days ago
- Release: Govt’s continued lack of action on Gaza condemned
Hundreds more Palestinians have died in recent days as Israel’s assault on Gaza continues and humanitarian aid, including food and medicine, is blocked. ...6 days ago
- Release: National at sea over Defence jobs
National is looking to cut hundreds of jobs at New Zealand’s Defence Force, while at the same time it talks up plans to increase focus and spending in Defence. ...1 week ago
- Release: National standards returning by stealth
It’s been revealed that the Government is secretly trying to bring back a ‘one-size fits all’ standardised test – a decision that has shocked school principals. ...1 week ago
- Release: Kiwis still struggling as economy stumbles along
Kiwis aren’t feeling any better off despite figures showing a very slight growth in GDP in the December quarter. ...1 week ago
- Greens call for compassionate release of Dean Wickliffe
The Green Party is calling for the compassionate release of Dean Wickliffe, a 77-year-old kaumātua on hunger strike at the Spring Hill Corrections Facility, after visiting him at the prison. ...1 week ago
- Another failed ETS auction, another indictment on the Govt’s climate credibility
The ETS auction’s failure today is yet another clear sign that the Government is failing us all on climate action. ...1 week ago
- Release: Luxon quick to give away principled position on nukes
Christopher Luxon seems to have thrown New Zealand’s principled anti-nuclear advocacy under a bus. ...1 week ago
- NZ must act on Israel’s slaughter of children
The Green Party is calling on Government MPs to support Chlöe Swarbrick’s Member’s Bill to sanction Israel for its unlawful presence and illegal actions in Palestine, following another day of appalling violence against civilians in Gaza. ...1 week ago
- Release: Still no certainty for disability communities
One year on from the Government’s abrupt and callous changes to disability funding, the community still has no idea what the future holds. ...1 week ago
- Green Party backs volunteer firefighters in their call for ACC recognition
The Green Party stands in support of volunteer firefighters petitioning the Government to step up and change legislation to provide volunteers the same ACC coverage and benefits as their paid counterparts. ...1 week ago
- Stand Up for Palestine: A Call to Action Against Israels Treacherous Attack
At 2.30am local time, Israel launched a treacherous attack on Gaza killing more than 300 defenceless civilians while they slept. Many of them were children. This followed a more than 2 week-long blockade by Israel on the entry of all goods and aid into Gaza. Israel deliberately targeted densely populated ...1 week ago - MP Views: Living Strong, The Economy, Servicing Our Nation, The Golden Egg, and 4 Year Terms
Living Strong, Aging Well There is much discussion around the health of our older New Zealanders and how we can age well. In reality, the delivery of health services accounts for only a relatively small percentage of health outcomes as we age. Significantly, dry warm housing, nutrition, exercise, social connection, ...1 week ago
- Shane Jones has no shame
Shane Jones’ display on Q&A showed how out of touch he and this Government are with our communities and how in sync they are with companies with little concern for people and planet. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: National botches health funding numbers
Health Minister Simeon Brown’s claim that the Government has put $16.68 billion into the health system over three years is wrong. ...2 weeks ago
- Government tramples on the rights of disabled migrant children
The Green Party is condemning the Government’s move to tighten access to visas for disabled children. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Auckland needs second harbour crossing
Labour supports Minister Chris Bishop’s call for input on the second Waitematā Harbour crossing. ...2 weeks ago
- Speech: Barbara Edmonds’ speech to NZ Investment Summit 2025
I am grateful to have the opportunity to speak to you today about how we make overseas investment work for all New Zealanders. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Labour does not support PPPs for prisons
Labour does not support the private ownership of core infrastructure like schools, hospitals and prisons, which will only see worse outcomes for Kiwis. ...2 weeks ago
- Dunedin Futures report should be a wake-up call
The newly released report on the South Dunedin Future Programme must be a wake-up call for our Government. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Members’ Bill makes wage theft a crime
Workers will now be able to go to the Police and report their employer if they are not being paid wages they’re owed. ...2 weeks ago
- Missed opportunity to stop the stealing of Māori land
The Green Party is disappointed the Government voted down Hūhana Lyndon’s member’s Bill, which would have prevented further alienation of Māori land through the Public Works Act. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Labour supports sanctions against Israel’s illegal occupation
The Labour Party will support Chloe Swarbrick’s member’s bill which would allow sanctions against Israel for its illegal occupation of the Palestinian Territories. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Govt procurement plan cuts wages and trashes the environment
The Government’s new procurement rules are a blatant attack on workers and the environment, showing once again that National’s priorities are completely out of touch with everyday Kiwis. ...2 weeks ago
- Procurement proposals pose risk to people and planet
The Green Party is concerned by the impact the Government’s proposed changes to procurement processes could have on people and planet. ...2 weeks ago
- Just six Government MPs needed to pass Unlawful Occupation of Palestine Sanctions Bill
With Labour and Te Pāti Māori’s official support, Opposition parties are officially aligned to progress Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick’s Member’s Bill to sanction Israel for its unlawful presence in Palestine. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Labour’s approach to Māori economy benefits all
Under Labour, the Māori economy went from strength to strength according to the latest report released by MBIE. ...2 weeks ago
- 20 Years of Success Down the Drain: Govt Gut Whānau Ora
Te Pāti Māori extends our deepest aroha to the 500 plus Whānau Ora workers who have been advised today that the govt will be dismantling their contracts. For twenty years , Whānau Ora has been helping families, delivering life-changing support through a kaupapa Māori approach. It has built trust where ...3 weeks ago
- Green Party launches petition to allow Pacific whānau visa-free access
The Green Party is launching a petition calling on the Government to extend visa-free travel to visitors from Pacific Island nations. ...3 weeks ago
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This Ohau thing is weird. Everyone now says it's always been a risk yet they still built there.
Christchurch was like that.
I'd be interested to read the info saying Christchurch specifically was an earthquake risk before the city was founded.
Before Christchurch or Wellington or Napier was founded there were no geotech reports done.
Before Invercargill or Greytown or Queenstown was founded there were no flooding assessments done.
Before Auckland was founded there were no volcano risk or sea level rise reports reports done.
I'm not even sure Maui had any sense either.
Blaming people when their life has just literally gone up in flames is just so shitty.
I'm not blaming the residents. I'm blaming the developer and the local council which signed off on it. Risk reporting has come a long way since the mid 19th century. I naturally assumed such risk is taken into account these days. Obviously not.
What evidence do you have of negligence on anyone's part? Not even the local lines company is prepared to rise to that inhuman bait. Maybe you could wait until the ashes cooled down before pointing the fingerbone.
By your measure of blaming Councils and developers for fire risk to property, QueenstownLakes should be liable for fire risk from Queenstown's own pine forests with homes subdivided right beside them or for subdivision around Wanaka's Mt Iron
https://www.nzgeo.com/stories/wildfire-2/
But then you'd have to do the same shitty blame game for … Te Anau, Hawea, Makaora, all towns on the West Coast from south to north, Chrischurch's Port Hills, Golden Bay, any settlement near any national park, Taupo, Tokoroa, Kinleith, Gisborne, Auckland suburbs like Titirangi and Glen Eden and Albany … in fact anywhere with a stand of trees.
Hold your breath and wait for the inquiry.
Fed Farmers and the local mayor have already been casting blame around. They of course want to see DoC and any other environmental conscience gone from the region so they can plant green dairy circles across the region.
You seem to want the same which is disappointing.
Maybe you could wait until the ashes cooled down before pointing the fingerbone.
You mean this isn't a time to ask questions, but a time to offer thoughts and prayers?
Christchurch was considered a low earthquake risk …until 2010
This area is know for high winds and dry conditions. It's never been built on before.
???
The Mackenzie Basin.
plenty of building there…Twizel, Tekapo etc…even Ohau has had a Lodge since the early fifties
Yes, I've been to Ohau lodge. Very nice and it too might be at risk but from memory it is hard up against the ranges. The affected settlement seemed to be out on the flat with dry pines and grasses in and around it.
Someone didn't do their risk assessments properly. Insurance companies must be fuming.
Let them fume…theyre quick enough to take the premiums…and from reports not all were insured.
If some weren't insured, that is sad for them. I wonder if the Waitaki District Council and Fed Farmers will step up.
There was a significant quake in 1869
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1869_Christchurch_earthquake
also
https://web.archive.org/web/20101225184414/http://eqc.govt.nz/home/research/researchpapers/p_105.aspx
Joel Cayford did a series of posts on Christchurch seismic activity back in 2011.
A good post to start is Faulty Thinking about Christchurch.
A month later he followed it up with Councils Fudge Christchurch Seismicity, which goes over the records and risk estimates.
They had a huge flood in Brisbane I think, on a flood plain, known, and still built there. The temptation is too great, wow a spare bit of land I can build something there and make a quid or whatever.
Food 2011 was last big apparently. https://actioninspections.com.au/im-buying-a-home-in-the-flood-zone-in-brisbane/
Some tips: We might have to build on this sort of land in say Christchurch Dunedin at some time. https://www.empiredesigns.com.au/tips-for-building-or-rebuilding-in-flood-zones
People in the Brisbane valley flood plain also successfully lobbied against a large set of protective stopbanks just five years ago, after intensive consultation and engagement.
The most effective guide is insurance premiums responding to risk, but even then people just hold out, get devastated, and cry foul to GoFundMe or whatever.
Are they? I thought they were talking about recent years with the DoC issues. There are communities all over NZ built in what are now higher fire risk areas, but they weren't so high when first built. Central Otago, North Otago, Canterbury, Marlborough, Nelson. Basically half the South Island has areas of increased risk now.
The landscape has changed and climate change is pushing the boundaries. It's a potent mix of nature and human's ignoring the problem. People are still building in daft places. NZ doesn't have a bushfire mentality, yet. But we will.
Fed Farmers are trying to blame it on DoC. I just feel that if developers are going to build it is up to them and the local council to have a plan to make the development safe. The district mayor is also laying the blame at the feet of DoC. Well sorry mate, it's your council.
would have to look at when tenure review happened on those stations relative to when the houses were built. Are they new houses?
We still build in Wellington, so what's your point.
Indeed we still build in Wellington. The risk is high.
My point is those that build in places like Ohau are responsible for minimising risk.
No poll tonight?
No idea.
Early voting numbers are really high. So far about 165,000 people have already voted in the 2 days booths have been open.
Oh yeah – look at that rise… That really has gone mainstream behaviour now.
https://elections.nz/stats-and-research/2020-general-election-advance-voting-statistics/
I suspect that as well as the obvious advantages of voting without those other disease laden wretches, that there is a strong element of 'I already know who I'm voting for' that wasn't present in the last two elections.
I suspect that isn't going to be good for the right. It means that each day that these kinds of rates persist, the smaller the group that is available to convince otherwise shrinks.
It's also the first time early voting has opened with two full weekend days for voting. So it might have been a bit easier for wannabe early voters to actually do it this year.
Talking to a returning officer and it sounds like things were just as busy today….they astounded at how many have been through.
I heard that too Pat that today was really busy.
Tomorrow night for the Colmar-Brunton. Not sure when we’ll see another Reid Research, or a Roy Morgan for that matter.
Fingers and toes crossed the news is good.
The wheels can still fall off. The next 2 weeks is crucial. Jacinda cannot fuck this one up.
If early voting keeps trending the way it has this opening weekend then I reckon National has got another 2 or 3 days max to pull off the game-changer they need if they’re going to come back from the dead. They are really running out of road now.
Labour and the Greens have so far run an extraordinarily disciplined campaign. Apart from the odd candidate getting on the wrong side of fact-checking there has literally been nothing to upset the apple cart.
Where do you get early voting data from please tell?
https://elections.nz/stats-and-research/2020-general-election-advance-voting-statistics/
Things may be about to go spectacularly bad for National.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2020/10/leaked-email-national-mp-criticises-judith-collins-highly-problematic-idea-of-reviewing-auckland-council.html
Nah. The behaviour exposed by that e-mail is totally on-brand for Judthulhu. Any votes that might be changed by shit like that have already been changed. In both directions.
It's the continued leaking which is the problem. The Nats didn't like her before and nothing has changed.
Denise Lee just drew a political target on her forehead and told Judith to aim straight.
Auckland Council has very few friends left and Auckland Transport has even fewer.
I suspect that the only reason why Collins went for AT is because they're actually doing a good job in getting public transport working and building cycleways.
Taken a train recently?
How many kms of cycleway in a decade on AT network?
Yeah. New carriages. Electrification. Loads of young people and students use them. Journeys are way up. And they are fixing the lines as we speak.
Cycle ridership has tripled on the NW cycleway between 2012 and 2018 due to major upgrades between Lincoln Rd and the CBD including Lightpath, the Grafton Gulley cycleway, and the Waterview path.
Yes. Gets better nearly every time.
Well, that's one way to ensure even more Aucklanders don't vote for National. We remember, quite clearly, how they fucked Auckland last time they pulled this shit.
Collins comment at the end speaking about housing, "We cannot afford to go another three years waiting for something to happen". Yeah indeed, it was 9 years last time she was in power waiting for something to happen
@Andre 8.1
It’s not the behaviour that’s the problem here. We all know what National’s like. It’s the fact of the leak itself. Now? At the crucial point in an election campaign? Are they mad? Could be like a dam bursting. Looks like more than a few National MPs are already eyeing up the lifeboats.
That photo in the Herald over the weekend with the knives….
It wouldn't have been published without reason, and probably set up as well.
Whether the dam bursts after 17 Oct or before…
Interesting Judith Collins' unpopularity within the caucus has been exposed by one of their own MPs. What a laugh. And it is likely Denise Lee is not the only MP upset at Collins' behaviour.
Her popping her friend Maureen Pugh in at 19 has to have gotten a few backs up
looks like a $16 billion fiscal hole coming out of Epsom now.
Not content with Goldsmith miscalculating to the tune of $8 billion
Seems David Seymour has decided to join the club with his own $8 billion fiscal hole
As Niles Standish of Crank Yanker fame would say, "Take your $8 billion fiscal hole and DOUBLE it". That might explain the recent crank yanking we are seeing from both Goldsmith and Seymour.
When two black holes collide – or is it cannibalise each other? – it sends gravitational shock waves through the whole Universe. Many years from now some distant civilization might detect a short sharp spike and they’ll go “WTF!!” and then trace its origin back to the joining of two giant fiscal holes in the year 2020 AD on a small scorched planet orbiting a dwarf star. I’ll bet they’ll never figure out it the holes were man-made because they’ll have no record of our civilization, of course.
Your theory of everything is up to making predictions now?
Not just any predictions but miracles.
If I was optimistic, I would suggest that Judith knows that this election is lost for her, and with it the centre ground. She also know that her career is probably finished after the election, as well. So, she is just going all out Crusher, one final nothing-to-lose flurry before she bows out and goes back to the law chambers, you can tell she is just enjoying just being herself.
But, Im not going to get too carried away just yet.
Not quite this I don't think. I suspect she feels if Nats can get 35-37% in defeat it will be enough for her to stay on as leader. And in her mind, get another crack in 2023, maybe in a more suitable electoral climate. The Nats caucus might have other ideas.
+1
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/ldr/427651/legal-battle-forecast-over-drury-plan-changes
Is this good planning? Will there be some factories there or is it all for the dainty seat-fillers and consumers, shop, shop, shopping.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/ldr/424525/drury-development-feedback-sought-on-plans-to-transform-area-south-of-auckland
Anybody else think that it’s either a very lucky break or great campaign strategy that saw Labour release its LGBTQI policy today, amongst other things banning conversion therapy, after the country spent the weekend cringing at the sight of the National Party leader humiliating herself trying to curry favour with the conservative religious right.
Judith Collins proclaimed herself a longstanding Anglican and prayed in an Anglican church.
The New Zealand Anglican Church is one of the most thoroughly liberal and politically correct institutions in the entire country.
So, no, she didn't humiliate herself. She supported an exceedingly tolerant and inclusive institution.
What Labour did was announce a set of things any of which they could have done in the previous term – and didn't even try.
She prayed like a child in a Disney movie for political effect. It was embarrassing. Practicing Anglicans are most likely appalled.
They’ll probably do what the Catholics do though and accept that any new recruit is not to be turned away.
You were embarrassed. She wasn't.
She didn't invite the media in there, and it would have been worse if she had sought to ban them from the scene. She was invited to pray by the priest of the church.
She's not a new recruit to the Anglican church.
I'm surprised you have fallen for Judith's version of events so easily. There are ways a proper practicing Christian could politely ask the media for some level of privacy while she "spoke to god". A proper practicing Christian would be at home asking for such a simple request. She didn't even bother.
The very core of being Anglican is the central act of the community coming together at Mass to celebrate the Eucharist. It is that continued 'act of faith' that makes one a practising Anglican, not a baptisimal certificate.
Judith missed the St. Thomas service by two hours. Following the liturgy is morning tea so Judith also missed a mix and mingle with that parish community.
There is no special loss or gain of the power of a prayer by kneeling, posing hands or praying elsewhere.
She could have prayed at a local park, in a haybarn or in her car. She was very aware of the cameras as she played to them blatantly when posing in different directions while voting.
There was no need for such a 'charlatan' type display in church other than political posturing . Pretty sure on the campaign trail followed relentlessly by media in all these weeks it would have been news if she just popped into a church to pray around the country.???
That Judith just popped over to another electorate missing many, many polling booths to be at the one with an Anglican church was a staged theatrical stunt. She was voting in another electorate and had to use the special vote box as per rules.
Public acts of praying are explicitly condemned as unnecessary and possibly hypocritical by the Big Man himself. From the Sermon on the Mount:
5 And when thou prayest, be not as the hypocrites: for they love to stand and pray in the Synagogues, and in the corners of the streets, because they would be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward.
6 But when thou prayest, enter into thy chamber: and when thou hast shut thy door, pray unto thy Father which is in secret, and thy Father which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.
7 Also when ye pray, use no vain repetitions as the Heathen: for they think to be heard for their much babbling.
8 Be ye not like them therefore: for your Father knoweth whereof ye have need, before ye ask of him.
(Geneva translation, for Bible spods.)
Collins certainly did invite the media there.
A leader casting a vote is always an election photo-op. That's why the cameras were there (as they are for all major leaders). She chose to cast her vote at a church, knowing that the cameras would be there. She chose to go into a church to "pray" (pose), again in full knowledge and expectation.
“Collins didn’t seek privacy as she led the media pack into the building and a media handler checked with church staff that it was okay for cameras to enter.”
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/122976973/election-2020-judith-collins-keeps-the-faith-with-two-weeks-to-go-as-she-votes-and-prays
Only the staggeringly naive would think this was some accident.
Great observation
.
In the Herald video clip she stated to reporters when asked, that no she had not been at that church before. So somehow between her Papakura home and St. Thomas Tamaki it was just a bloody miracle that the media were there.
To reporters she also in a most unChristian way said after saying she doesn't judge others ,
" I could have turned around and said 'get out of this house of worship you evil media', or I could have just done exactly what I was going to do in the first place. I would have thought they would have expected it was a private moment but they came charging in."
The church is as much the media persons' place to be as the hypocrite’s while praying in public.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2020/10/nz-election-2020-judith-collins-insists-support-for-abortion-euthanasia-entirely-consistent-with-her-christian-faith.html
Of course she wasn't. Psychopaths don't feel embarrassment.
That's a big call DTB.
I called hypocrite because the report card scores on the enactment of the gospels showed very unchristian results after 9 years.
" Unicef executive director Vivien Maidaborn said the report proved that New Zealand policy was killing children."
https://educationcentral.co.nz/unicef-report-reveals-new-zealands-poor-scores-for-child-wellbeing/
I called hypocrite too because it's easy for JC to pray and slang Labour for not instantly fixing their deadly sins.
And what else would you call a person who set those policies that killed children, showed no guilt for doing so and would do it again in the blink of an eye?
The Greens in Canada have elected a new leader to replace long-serving, outgoing leader Elizabeth May. Paul will be standing in the by-election scheduled for the downtown Toronto riding just vacated by outgoing Liberal Finance Minister Bill Morneau.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/annamie-paul-says-greens-needed-for-this-moment-1.5750187
@Ad 8.2
Apparently it wasn’t Denise Lee who leaked her email to Jenna Lynch. Auckland Council and AT and their relative friendless-ness are incidental to the shit that’s about to hit the fan in the National Party.
@Ad 14.1
Judith Collins drove herself across the isthmus to a church outside of her electorate where she had to cast a special vote in order to get a photo op. All just to try and mop up a few supporters who are straying to the loony Christian fringe parties that have cropped up on her right flank.
I’m not sure that this is quite correct. Stuff reported her saying she’d voted for Simon O’Connor – ie she must be enrolled in Tamaki, not Papakura. Which is odd, but allowed. But then she was photographed posting a ballot into a special votes box, so that’s confusing.
Looks like the National Party hit job on Jake Bezzant is winding back up again.
@Ad 14.1.1.1
The whole bloody country was embarrassed for her. It was a set up for crying out loud. Maybe it will achieve what the National Party wants it to achieve. Who knows? But one thing’s for sure it’s just another sign that National has had to abandon the centre in a mad scramble to shore up its rapidly disintegrating right flank.