Daily review 06/05/2022
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5:30 pm, May 6th, 2022 - 16 comments
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Daily review is also your post.
This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day.
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- Poison in the Stock: Comparing the Problematic Elements of Agatha Christie and J.K. Rowling
As you may have noticed, I have been slowly working my way through the works of Agatha Christie. At the time of writing, I have read some thirty-eight of her books – less than half her total output, but arguably enough to get a reasonable handle on it. It ...16 hours ago - Do We Have a Population Policy?
Population growth has some effect on economic growth, but it is complicated especially where infrastructure is involved. We need to think more about it. In an opinion piece in the New Zealand Herald, John Gascoigne claimed that New Zealand was a ‘tragic tale of economic decline’. He gave no evidence ...22 hours ago - Bryce Edwards: Have the Greens become too woke for their own good?
The Greens have been almost invisible since the 2020 election. Despite massive crises impacting on people’s lives, such as climate change, housing, inequality, and the cost of living, they’ve had very little to say. On this week’s highly contentious issue of politicians being banned from Parliament by Trevor Mallard, the ...1 day ago - Decarbonising the schools
The government has announced it will be replacing all coal boilers in schools by 2025: All remaining coal boilers in New Zealand schools will be replaced with cleaner wood burners or electric heating by 2025, at a cost of $10 million, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced. The coal ...1 day ago - Neo-Nazis in Ukraine. Comedians are often more truthful than politicians.
Israeli news media and politicians often complain about the activity of neo-Nazis in Ukraine. “Activists and supporters of Ukrainian nationalist parties hold torches as they take part in a rally to mark the 112th birth anniversary of Stepan Bandera, in Kyiv, Ukraine, January 1, 2021. Credit: Valentyn Ogirenko/Reuters The recent ...1 day ago - Skeptical Science New Research for Week #18 2022
Another gnawing warming worry Accidental outcomes of our engineering prowess are warming Arctic regions at a rapid pace. Another species of accomplished engineers is rapidly occupying and exploiting new territory we've thereby made more easily available, namely beavers (Castor canadensis). Beaver populations in affected Arctic regions have increased from "none" to "quite a ...2 days ago - Pursuit of Indigenous sovereign rights
Dr Simon Lambert’s dream is to see Indigenous nations across the world exercising their sovereign rights by adding their say to disaster risk reduction planning. Simon, of Ngāi Tūhoe and Ngāti Ruapani ki Waikaremoana, specialises in indigenous disaster risk reduction, indigenous health and indigenous development, social science, environmental management, planning ...2 days ago - ‘My stroke gave me purpose’ – Rukingi HaupapaRukingi Haupapa (Ngāti Whakaue, Te Arawa) credits his stroke in 2005 for changing his life: leading him to change his name, get his mataora (facial moko) and set up a trust to help fellow stroke survivors. Oranga (health and wellbeing) is Rukingi’s passion. He holds a Master’s degree in Indigenous ...2 days ago
- Thoughts on an abusive copThe Independent Police Conduct authority has today released two reports relating to the same police officer. In the first, they are found to have used excessive and unjustifiable force in the arrest of a child. In the second, they are found to have seriously assaulted a man during an unlawful ...2 days ago
- Hosking v. Ardern
Mike Hosking’s all-too familiar diatribe in today’s Herald is so dripping with venom and anti-Jacinda animus that one can’t help but wonder if the content matters less than the spirit and purpose in and with which it was offered. Hosking clearly needs help. He seems to live in a world ...2 days ago - Gordon Campbell on abortion rights, and biased Speakers
So a Supreme Court stacked with ideologues selected by Donald Trump is about to make an ideological decision to ban the legal right of American women to an abortion. In their infinite wisdom, the US courts have decided that the government cannot force people to wear a mask during a ...2 days ago - Jack Vowles: Te Tiriti – A Briefing for Chris LuxonNational party leader Chris Luxon has been reported as giving some badly uninformed responses to questions about Te Tiriti o Waitangi. As a potential Prime Minister, he needs to get up to speed. Te Tiriti is the Māori language version of the Treaty of Waitangi – the version that is ...2 days ago
- Why and How to Electrify EverythingThis is a re-post from the Citizens' Climate Lobby blog Electrification is a hot topic right now, with many countries searching for ways to reduce their dependence on Russian oil and gas as Putin’s war atrocities in Ukraine worsen by the day. Fortunately, many of the solutions to reduce long-term fossil fuel financial ...3 days ago
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- Bryce Edwards: Trevor Mallard’s petty fiefdomIs Parliament just the fiefdom of Trevor Mallard and his colleagues? That’s the impression the public might take from yesterday’s news that the Speaker of Parliament is issuing trespass notices to political opponents who visited the protest in March on the lawns of Parliament. Speaker Mallard has the absolute right ...3 days ago
- 29,000 employed under LabourThe quarterly labour market statistics were released this morning, showing unemployment holding at a record low of 3.2%. There are now 94,000 unemployed - 29,000 fewer than when Labour took office. Average wages are also up, and looking back, they've increased from $30.45 / hour in 2017 to $36.18 today. ...3 days ago
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- Geoffrey Miller: Jacinda Ardern continues to forge a more US-friendly foreign policyInternational analyst Geoffrey Miller reads between the lines of Jacinda Ardern’s speech to this week’s US business summit in Auckland Jacinda Ardern is slowly but surely shifting New Zealand’s foreign policy towards the West. That was the underlying theme of a keynote address by New Zealand’s Prime Minister this ...4 days ago
- Going full GileadToday's big news from America: the Supreme Court has reportedly voted to overturn Roe v. Wade: The Supreme Court has voted to strike down the landmark Roe v. Wade decision, according to an initial draft majority opinion written by Justice Samuel Alito circulated inside the court and obtained by ...4 days ago
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- Geopolitical transitions and the long decline.
For the last three decades the global geopolitical system has been in a state of transition. It first transited from the tight bi-polar arrangement of the Cold War, where two nuclear superpowers with closely integrated alliance systems (NATO and the Warsaw Pact, plus other related networks) strategicaly balanced each other ...4 days ago - Bryce Edwards: Why Labour won’t introduce a radical wealth taxPrime Minister Jacinda Ardern has been perceived as “softening her line on wealth taxes” – and therefore being open to the introduction of a new type of progressive taxation on the rich. This was the description published yesterday by leftwing wealth researcher Max Rashbrooke, who was reporting on the fact ...4 days ago
- Philip Temple: Nothing to fear?On 24 April the Minister for Māori Development, the Hon. Willie Jackson, stated on TVNZ’s Q+A programme that government plans for Māori co-governance were part of MMP. It meant ‘shared decision-making’, ‘partnership’, ‘diversity, about minorities working together’. ‘Co-governance is based on the principles of MMP, this is a consensus type ...4 days ago
- Does NZ’s media support free speech?
Below is an excerpt of a talk by journalist Karl du Fresne given at Victoria University on 28 April 2022 for the Free Speech Union. Here he examines the trends that are undermining a free press. [F]ree speech goes hand in hand with a free press – but it’s now ...4 days ago - The Stuff Of Nightmares.
Braking And Entering: The CCTV recording of the ram-raid against Auckland’s Ormiston Mall is so disturbing, so inspiring of dread and rage, that no amount of rational commentary will make the slightest difference. It confirms in the most powerful fashion the stories so many New Zealanders have been telling themselves: ...5 days ago - Ukraine – a beginner’s guideThe Author of this Dorset Eye article, Ukraine – a beginner’s guide, says: “In 2014, the journalist and writer John Pilger wrote an article for The Guardian newspaper entitled ‘In Ukraine the US is dragging us towards war with Russia’.[i] Eight years later, in 2022, this prediction came true when ...5 days ago
- New graphics resources: Cranky Cartoons and Fallacy IconsWhat's better than some Cranky Uncle cartoons scattered around here or there? A collection of them, cross-referenced with the fallacies they depict, of course! And this is what we highlight in this blog post. John Cook had made these cartoons available for download on his Cranky Uncle website in March 2021 ...5 days ago
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- Why the silence on censorship?6 days ago
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- Comforting but warped narratives are damaging our potential future: time we kill off all the myths
One thing is abundantly clear: the way we understand the world is largely a matter of narrative management. It is through the strength of narratives we frame concepts around politics, life, and our consequent approach to it. Personally. As Nations. Too often, we don’t even realise where these come ...7 days ago - Gutting the OIAStuff's Henry Cooke reports that the government is planning a significant increase in proactive release of official information, with plans to proactively release almost all advice to ministers. Which is an idea I love, and want to happen, but at the same time fear, because under this government it is ...1 week ago
- Something on NZ military diplomacy.A few weeks ago it emerged that NZ Minister of Defence Peeni Henare had asked cabinet for approval to donate surplus NZDF Light Armoured Vehicles (LAVs) to Ukraine as part of the multilateral efforts to support the Ukrainian defence of its homeland against the Russian invasion that is now into ...1 week ago
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Some time ago, I put together a complete and overly pedantic chain of custody for the One Ring: https://phuulishfellow.wordpress.com/2020/05/07/a-chain-of-custody-listing-the-ringbearers/ Today, I decided to match that, by doing something similar for the Silmarils. In the interests of clarity, I will be using the text as it appears in the published ...2 weeks ago - The Bewildering World of Christopher Luxon – Health reforms
There are currently twenty DHB's servicing Aotearoa - a country with five million people. A population that would fit comfortably in eightyone cities around the world.The fragmented system has twenty CEOs; twenty Boards (with up to eleven members each); twenty IT systems (to be confirmed); twenty HR departments; twenty payroll ...2 weeks ago - Christopher Tolkien’s Amazonian RequestsAn interesting piece of news out of Fellowship of Fans today. Not one that we were realistically expecting (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmc3sY0GQ0g) The news is that prior to his death in January 2020, Christopher Tolkien made some requests of Amazon, with regards to their impending Second Age adaptation, now called The Rings ...2 weeks ago
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- Woke stomping on speech rights in NZhttps://freespeech.buzzsprout.com/370355/10486710-special-report-aut-cancel-a-free-speech-union-meeting The Free Speech Union has had a speaking event canceled by AUT. In the first public talk in what was to kick off a nationwide lecture series, Free Speech Union member Daphna Whitmore was to talk about (ironically) her experiences with women’s rights group ‘Speak Up For Women’ and ...2 weeks ago
- Political Roundup: 23 April 2022INFLATION Bernard Hickey: The dirty little secrets inside our nation of inflation Bridie Witton (Stuff): Poorest hit harder by inflation with benefit hikes now linked to average wage Luke Malpass (Stuff): High inflation a lose-lose for the Government, but it won’t be panicking – yet Janet Wilson (Stuff): Robertson ...2 weeks ago
- Some sense on the Russia-Ukraine warIt’s a truism that the first casualty in war is the truth. But a close second is rational thought. We face this now where partisanship, wishful thinking and disinformation dominate what we read about the Ukraine-Russia war in our media. So, it is refreshing to come across an informed ...2 weeks ago
- Firing Canon: Finding Authority in Middle-earthA subject doing the rounds at the moment is the question of Tolkienian Canon. On one hand, there are the passionate Purists, for whom fidelity to Tolkien’s text is paramount in assessing Adaptations in general and The Rings of Power in particular. On the other, one finds discussions such ...2 weeks ago
- The Economic Costs of Warfare
We do not go to war for free; we need to factor its economic costs and its consequences into public discussions.Wars are costly. People die, life is disrupted while wars divert resources to war use and wantonly destroy. We are currently involved in two major wars: the war against the ...2 weeks ago - A conviction for hate speechThe Herald reports that a man who recoded a violent rant calling for genocide of Māori has been convicted for hate speech: Richard Jacobs, 44, filmed a video from his Pāpāmoa home in May last year where he called for the killing of Māori. The video was uploaded to ...2 weeks ago
- Approaching storm over the horizon.The Solomon Islands and PRC have signed a bilateral security pact. The news of the pact was leaked a month ago and in the last week the governments of both countries have confirmed the deal. However, few details have been released. What we do know is that Chinese police trainers ...2 weeks ago
- Elizabeth Rata: The Decolonisation of Education in New ZealandThe Ministry of Education is currently attempting to decolonise the New Zealand schooling system, using some radical innovations. In this article, Prof Elizabeth Rata challenges some of the ideological underpinnings and practical outcomes of this agenda. Prof Rata welcomes debate on this issue, and the Democracy Project welcomes further submissions ...2 weeks ago
- Controlling The Past.2 weeks ago
- Gordon Campbell on Ukraine virtue signalling, and our inflation spikeInflation at 6.9% is a bad sign of the rising cost of living, and hidden within the headline numbers are some even grislier figures. As CTU economist Craig Renney has pointed out: Food prices rose nearly 7%, led by fruit and vegetables which rose 17%. Meat rose 7.2%. The price ...2 weeks ago
- Six ways we’re reducing cost pressures for New Zealanders
Since the day we came into Government, we’ve worked hard to lift wages and reduce cost pressures facing New Zealanders. But we know the rising cost of living, driven by worldwide inflation and the war in Ukraine, is making things particularly tough right now. That’s why we’ve stepped up our ...2 days ago - Greens call for government to implement all recommendations of Casey report into detention of asylum...
An independent review of New Zealand’s detention regime for asylum seekers has found arbitrary and abusive practices in Aotearoa’s immigration law, policy, and practice. ...4 days ago - Rising household costs hurting low-income peopleThe Green Party says the Government needs to do more for those on the lowest incomes as inflation outpaces wage and benefit increases. ...1 week ago
- HRC housing inquiry confirms need for rental WOFThe Human Rights Commission inquiry into housing quality confirms what the Green Party has been calling for - a rental Warrant of Fitness and a register of landlords and property managers. ...1 week ago
- Greens call for urgent action to fix tax systemThe Green Party is urging the Government to take urgent action to create a fairer tax system that works for all New Zealanders. ...2 weeks ago
- UNDRIP – Let’s get on with itThe Green Party welcomes the next steps towards implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) in Aotearoa, and calls on the Government to get on with the mahi of upholding Tangata Whenua rights. ...2 weeks ago
- More Kiwis in work as our recovery gains momentumOur economic recovery is gaining momentum and the latest figures show that the Government’s focus on jobs is working. We’ve delivered a record low unemployment rate as well as a steady fall in the number of New Zealanders receiving a main benefit. ...2 weeks ago
- Urgent action needed to soften inflation blow for low income NZersThe Green Party says urgent action is needed to soften the blow of inflation for New Zealanders on the lowest incomes. ...2 weeks ago
- Nature needs us to act right nowThe Green Party welcomes the release of the implementation plan for Te Mana o te Taiao Aotearoa New Zealand Biodiversity Strategy and calls on the Government to act faster to protect our oceans. ...2 weeks ago
- Funding for Pacific Stop Smoking Services to support Smokefree 2025 goal
Pacific communities can expect more support to go smokefree as Associate Ministers of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall and Aupito William Sio launched one of the new Pacific stop smoking services at K’aute Pasifika Trust in Hamilton today. The Smokefree Pacific Advisory Group, chaired by Associate Professor Dr Collin Tukuitonga, was ...1 day ago - Buses take to the road on Northern BuswayNorthshore commuters now have access to congestion free travel to and from the city, as far north as Albany, thanks to the completion of the latest Northern Busway extension which was opened today by the Minister of Transport, Michael Wood. The four year project has delivered an additional five kilometres ...1 day ago
- All coal boilers to be removed from schoolsThanks to a $10 million dollar investment, all remaining coal boilers in New Zealand schools will be replaced with renewable woody biomass or electric heating sources by 2025 reducing carbon emissions by around 35,400 tonnes over 10 years, Climate Change Minister James Shaw announced today. The move is part of ...1 day ago
- Technical innovation to revolutionise forestryAn innovative high-tech approach to forestry management is set to transform New Zealand’s forestry industry, Forestry Minister Stuart Nash and Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor announced today. The Government is backing Precision Silviculture, a $25.5 million, seven-year programme led by Forest Growers Research Limited (FGR). “The investment is part of the ...1 day ago
- New links in chain of Great Rides cycle trailsMore of New Zealand’s most stunning landscapes, culture and heritage destinations will be showcased by the addition of two new cycle trails to the Ngā Haerenga Great Rides network. Tourism and Economic and Regional Development Minister Stuart Nash has today opened the Whakarewarewa Forest Loop trail near Rotorua, and announced ...2 days ago
- Proposals aimed at user-friendly, up-to-date conservation processesPublic feedback is being sought on proposed changes to improve management planning and concession processes in conservation legislation. “Management strategies and plans are key tools which help manage natural and historic resources by providing guidance on what can and cannot be done in our national parks and conservation areas,” Conservation ...2 days ago
- Next steps for two new schools for ŌmokoroaPlanning for two new schools on the Bay of Plenty’s Ōmokoroa Peninsula is underway as part of the Government’s comprehensive plan to support growth in the fast-growing Otumoetai catchment. Ongoing housing development will see 1,200 new homes in Ōmokoroa by 2025, and another development area in the west of the ...2 days ago
- Travel trade show reconnects with AustraliaA government-backed push to reconnect the tourism and travel industry with our largest market in Australia will see Tourism Minister Stuart Nash head to Sydney next week. Stuart Nash is leading a delegation to one of the first major international trade events by Tourism New Zealand since the COVID-19 outbreak ...2 days ago
- Budget 22 investing in biosecurity for future economic securityBudget 22 invests $110.9 million into New Zealand’s biosecurity work $42.9 million to bolster New Zealand’s biosecurity readiness for future incursions $68 million over the coming year to continue the M. bovis eradication momentum Protection of primary sector vital with exports forecast to hit record $50.8 billion for year-end 2022 ...2 days ago
- Joint M. bovis eradication plan reaches significant milestoneMycoplasma bovis (M. bovis) down to one infected property 271 farms cleared of M. bovis No working farms currently confirmed infected Plans for next steps towards a national pest management plan under way Hundreds of thousands of milk samples and animals tested last year Four years into a world-first attempt to ...2 days ago
- Crown accounts reflect strong economyThe Crown accounts are continuing to reflect the strong position New Zealand is in to manage the challenging global environment, Grant Robertson said. For the nine months to the end of March, the Operating Balance before Gains and Losses (OBEGAL) deficit was $8.1 billion, $4.1 billion below that forecast in ...2 days ago
- Budget 2022: Government clears road for 64,000 people to get driver licensesThe Government is: Increasing funding for driver licence support Removing barriers for people who have trouble obtaining driver licences Strengthening testing infrastructure and making it more equitable Reviewing the Graduated Driver Licensing System regulatory framework to ensure it is fit for purpose Budget 2022 will see an estimated 64,000 New ...3 days ago
- Speech at announcement of nationwide plan to tackle hospital waiting lists, Auckland, 4 May 2022Today I am setting out our plan to deal with growing hospital waiting lists. COVID-19 has been hugely disruptive to hospital systems all over the world. In England, for example, there was a 200-fold increase in the number of people waiting more than a year for planned care, from just ...3 days ago
- Nationwide plan to tackle hospital waiting listsHospital waiting lists will be managed nationally under the Labour Government’s plan to cut the time people who need operations and appointments have to wait, Health Minister Andrew Little says. “COVID-19 has been hugely disruptive to hospital systems all over the world,” Andrew Little told health users, providers and unions ...3 days ago
- Speech to the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs – Whare Tawāhi-a-mahi i AotearoaIt is a pleasure to be here tonight addressing you all and continuing to showcase New Zealand’s reconnection to the world. It was fantastic to be travelling again and promoting New Zealand with the Prime Minister a couple of weeks ago to Singapore and Japan. However these are challenging times for trade. ...4 days ago
- Record 50,000 homes consented in a yearIn the year ended March 2022, 50,858 new homes were consented, up 24 per cent from the March 2021 year. 21,477 new homes were consented in Auckland in the year ended March 2022, driven largely by an increase in multi-unit dwellings. 5,303 new homes were consented in March 2022 alone. ...4 days ago
- Broadened criteria for returning visa holdersThe Government is broadening the ability for residence class visa holders to re-enter New Zealand, Minister for COVID-19 Response Chris Hipkins has announced. The change means residence class visa holders not vaccinated against COVID-19 will be able to enter New Zealand from 6 May. The change allows New Zealand Permanent ...4 days ago
- Mānawatia a Matariki – te whakanui i a MatarikiI tāpaea i te rangi nei Te Tohu o Matariki ki te iwi tūmatanui e te Minita mō te Kōtuinga o Ngāi Māori me te Karauna: Te Arawhiti, Kelvin Davis rāua ko te Minita Tuarua mō te Toi, te Ahurea, me te Tukuihotanga, a Kiri Allan. Hei tā Kelvin Davis, ...4 days ago
- Pre-budget speech to Rabobank breakfastI want to thank Rabobank for hosting us this morning, and all of you for making it along for an early start. Yesterday, New Zealand opened its borders again to tourists and business visitors from around 60 visa waiver countries as we continue our reconnection with the world. The resumption ...4 days ago
- Budget 22: New fiscal rules to be put in placeSurpluses will be kept within a band of zero to two percent of GDP to ensure new day‑to‑day spending is not adding to debt. A new debt measure to be introduced to bring New Zealand closer in line with other countries. A debt ceiling will ensure New Zealand maintains some ...4 days ago
- Strategy highlights pathway to reduce infrastructure deficitThe Government has welcomed Te Waihanga/New Zealand Infrastructure Commission’s first infrastructure strategy as a major milestone in building a more prosperous, resilient and sustainable future for all New Zealanders. Rautaki Hanganga o Aotearoa – New Zealand Infrastructure Strategy 2022–2052 set out the infrastructure challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand ...4 days ago
- New Zealand and the United States – Dynamic Economic Partners in the Indo-PacificIt is a pleasure to participate today in the United States Business Summit and to have the opportunity to speak to you about the US-New Zealand trade and economic relationship. I would like to join the Prime Minister in thanking the organisers – especially Fran O’Sullivan and Michael Barnett who I ...5 days ago
- More political elites and defence entities sanctioned, and prohibitions extendedForeign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta has today announced further sanctions on Russian politicians and defence entities supporting Putin’s actions in Ukraine, as part of the Government’s ongoing response to the war. “Through these sanctions, we are demonstrating our intention to continue going after those who are responsible for Russia’s invasion ...5 days ago
- Government supports grass roots emergency resilience initiativesSupporting preparations for a potential Alpine Fault rupture on the West Coast is one of several grass roots initiatives benefitting from a Government funding package to strengthen community resilience to emergencies. “Due to its isolation, its topography, and its proximity, the West Coast is particularly vulnerable to the impacts of ...5 days ago
- Speech to Te Waihanga SymposiumIntroduction Kia ora koutou katoa, Today is a significant day for infrastructure in New Zealand. And that means it is a significant day for our productivity, our environment, our wellbeing and connections as people. That is because good quality infrastructure is core to improving all of those things. Today we ...5 days ago
- Speech to New Zealand US Business SummitRingitia mai, waetia mai Tuhi tuhia mai e Kei te manawa tonu te aroha me te whakapono Can I please acknowledge our co-chairs today Fran O’Sullivan and Michael Barnett. US Ambassador to New Zealand Tom Udall. The Minister for Trade and Export Growth Damien O’Connor. And the really excellent ...5 days ago
- Tourism and travel back on the world mapNew Zealand is back on the world map for international tourism and business travellers as the country opens up to visitors from around 60 visa-waiver countries who enjoy freer travel here from today. Tourism Minister Stuart Nash and Immigration Minister Kris Faafoi say the welcome mat is out for citizens ...5 days ago
- Budget 2022 invests to keep Kiwi kids in class and learningThe Government is committed to improving student attendance at school and kura, Education Minister Chris Hipkins and Associate Education Minister Jan Tinetti said in a pre-Budget announcement today. “It’s clear that young people need to be at school, and yet attendance rates haven’t been good for a long time. It’s ...6 days ago
- Workers make their voices heardEssential workers sent a clear message today that they no longer want to see their pay and conditions set through a race to the bottom, and that they support fair, good faith bargaining with employers through Fair Pay Agreements. On International Workers’ Day, Minister of Workplace Relations and Safety Michael ...6 days ago
- New sea level data underlines need for actionClimate Change Minister James Shaw says the release of new sea level rise data underlines the importance of the work the Government is doing to build a low emission, climate resilient future for Aotearoa. “Data from the NZ SeaRise programme confirms why this Government is right to prioritise action to ...6 days ago
- Govt and Air New Zealand to trial innovative and accurate new COVID-19 testThe Government is partnering with Air New Zealand to trial an innovative new COVID-19 testing solution that uses Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) technology, Associate Minister for COVID-19 Response Dr Ayesha Verrall announced today. “As New Zealand reconnects with the world, we are exploring innovative COVID-19 testing technology to help keep ...6 days ago
- Government’s Winter Energy Payment kicks in for over 1 million KiwisA warmer winter is on the horizon for over 1 million New Zealanders receiving either a main benefit or New Zealand Superannuation as the Winter Energy Payment begins today. “When we first came into office, we introduced the Winter Energy Payment as part of our Government’s December 2017 Families Package. ...6 days ago
- Ultra-Fast Broadband extends up West CoastWorld-class Ultra-Fast Broadband (UFB) is now available in Haast, one of New Zealand’s most remote West Coast towns, Minister for the Digital Economy and Communications, David Clark announced today. “A reliable, fast and secure internet connection is an important asset in the digital economy and that is why this Government ...6 days ago
- Govt launches Smokefree May campaignAssociate Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall launched ‘Smokefree May’ today at an event at Manurewa Marae. This new campaign, developed with Hāpai Te Hauora, supports the Government’s plan to make New Zealand smokefree by 2025. At the event, a new brand was also unveiled for the Smokefree 2025 Action ...1 week ago
- Government partners with Ka Uruora to deliver up to 172 new homes for whānauMinister of Housing Hon Dr Megan Woods and Associate Minister of Housing (Māori Housing) Peeni Henare have today announced a new investment partnership with Ka Uruora to build up to 172 new homes for whānau who need them most. Ministers Henare and Jackson joined partners Ka Uruora at an event ...1 week ago
- Council ownership of waters entities confirmedLocal councils ownership of water entities confirmed and new shareholding structure put in place Local community and council voice further strengthened in Regional Representative Groups with the majority of Working Group recommendations accepted Co-governance on the board of the four water entities ruled out by Local Government Minister with board ...1 week ago
- Pacific Business Village launched in TaurangaA new Pacific Business Village that will grow Pacific businesses, fundamental to our COVID-19 recovery, was launched by the Minister for Pacific Peoples Aupito William Sio in Tauranga today. “The Government wants the Village used as a strategic framework for any long-term economic development work in our regions for Pacific ...1 week ago
- Another COVID-19 drug in the medicine chestHealth Minister Andrew Little says New Zealanders who contract COVID-19 now have access to six medicines proven to safely prevent the most severe and life-threatening symptoms of the virus. Andrew Little was in Auckland this afternoon to see the first shipment of molnupiravir, the second oral anti-viral COVID-19 medicine to ...1 week ago
- Changes to intensive winter grazing regulations better for farmers and environmentChanges to intensive winter grazing rules will make them more practical for farmers and effective in lifting environmental outcomes, Environment Minister David Parker and Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor announced today. “For New Zealand, our economy depends on our environment. Cleaning up our winter grazing practices protects our freshwater resources, the welfare of our animals, ...1 week ago
- Government supports extra housing developmentFive Auckland suburbs to get improved infrastructure to boost supply of new housing, and support existing homes Up to 16,000 new homes enabled on crown-owned land including public, affordable and market homes Capacity created for an extra 11,000 homes on surrounding privately owned land. Projects include water main renewal, sewage ...1 week ago
- US official rules Majorie Greene can seek reelection
U.S. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene should be allowed to run for reelection, Georgia's secretary of state rules. ...36 mins ago - National's Tauranga by-election candidate Sam Uffindell promises to prioritise investment in ro...The leader of the National Party says the party will focus on winning the Tauranga by-election, and is not concerned about whether Winston Peters stands or not. ...1 hour ago
- Why the public distrust the news media – it’s a matter of suspecting state subsidies have turned...
The BFD blog has posted an article in the name of Family First today headed “Public not happy with govt funding of media”. And how did Family First find out about the level of public dissatisfaction? Not from the mainstream media, you can be sure. No, they learned it from ...3 hours ago - Sam Uffindell: Aspirational For Tauranga
National’s Tauranga candidate Sam Uffindell officially launched his campaign in Mount Maunganui today, outlining how he’ll work hard to address the issues Tauranga faces. Mr Uffindell was joined by party leader Christopher Luxon and hundreds of ...4 hours ago - Firearm Legislation Changes Could Be ReversedThe coronial inquiry into the March 15 terror attack is now likely to highlight the inadequacy of the firearms legislation that was rushed through by Government afterwards, says the Council of Licensed Firearm Owners (COLFO). The coronial inquiry ...4 hours ago
- Focus on Politics: Budgeting during a cost-of-living crisisPodcast - Finance Minister Grant Robertson and National's spokesperson Nicola Willis talk to RNZ Political Editor Jane Patterson ahead of this year's Budget. ...7 hours ago
- Taranaki man pleads guilty for threat to kill the prime ministerA man angry at pandemic restrictions threatened to assassinate the prime minister and suggested he would do it by biting her throat. ...20 hours ago
- Below the Line: How much are the parties spending on ads? And how come One Nation’s Townsville can...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Benjamin Clark, Deputy Engagement Editor, The Conversation On Monday May 9, early voting centres will open and Australians can start casting their votes for the federal election. Increasing numbers of Australians are choosing not to line up for their democracy ...22 hours ago - Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup: Have the Greens become too woke for their own good?Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards. Political Roundup is entirely subscriber-funded. The ethos behind this public service is to help foster a robust and informed public debate, with a great diversity of perspectives. If you appreciate what we are doing in providing non-partisan analysis and information about politics, economy, and society, ...22 hours ago
- Keith Rankin Chart Analysis – Covid19: Deaths from March 2021 in Comparable CountriesAnalysis by Keith Rankin. The countries shown here have rates of Covid19 mortality comparable with each other, and – with one exception – have recent ‘excess deaths’ data. We should note that the World Health Organisation (WHO) has just released its world Covid19 mortality estimates for the pandemic so far, ...23 hours ago
- VIDEO: Election focus is on hip pocket nerve with rising living costs and interest ratesSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra University of Canberra Professorial Fellow Michelle Grattan and University of Canberra Vice-Chancellor Professor Paddy Nixon talk about this week in politics. They discuss the interest rate rise, with neither side sure how it will affect ...1 day ago
- A climate scientist on India and Pakistan’s horror heatwave, and the surprising consequences of be...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew King, Senior Lecturer in Climate Science, The University of Melbourne The record-shattering heatwave that engulfed most of India and Pakistan through March and April brought temperatures exceeding 45℃ in many areas, leading to critical electricity and water shortages. Indeed, the ...1 day ago
- The Archibald 2022 finalists: sitters speaking up to power; artists speaking back to the canonSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joanna Mendelssohn, Principal Fellow (Hon), Victorian College of the Arts, University of Melbourne. Editor in Chief, Design and Art of Australia Online, The University of Melbourne Archibald Prize 2022 finalist, Yoshio Honjo Yumi Stynes as onna-musha (female samurai), natural earth pigments on ...1 day ago
- Japan’s path to becoming a leader in Western science: an Asian perspective on science and other fo...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anthony Poole, Professor of Molecular Evolution, University of Auckland Shutterstock/Hannizhong Several well-intentioned efforts seek to incorporate mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge) into science in New Zealand. These include a pilot National Certificate in Educational Achievement (NCEA) programme in biology and chemistry ...1 day ago
- Secondary Teachers Delighted Dirty Boilers Are Going – But Not Soon EnoughSecondary teachers are very pleased the Government is removing coal boilers from schools but they need to go sooner than 2025, says Melanie Webber, President of PPTA Te Wehengarua. “This is something that PPTA has been pushing for, through our involvement ...1 day ago
- More Action Needed To Ensure Schools Are Fossil FreeNZEI Te Riu Roa welcomes the government’s announcement today around removing coal boilers from schools but would like to see swifter action to support climate change initiatives. “This is a good first step on the pathway to a fossil free schooling ...1 day ago
- Buzz from the Beehive – but is a $10.2m investment in a forestry management programme not worth sh...It looks looks like visitors to the Beehive website are being short-changed today. Point of Order is aware of at least one ministerial announcement that has yet to be posted. It deals with a government investment ($10.2 million from the Ministry for Primary Industries’ Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures fund) in ...1 day ago
- Food shortages, millions of refugees, and global price spikes: the knock-on effects of Russia’s Uk...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Olga Oleinikova, Senior Lecturer and Director of the SITADHub (Social Impact Technologies and Democracy Research Hub) in the School of Communication., University of Technology Sydney In the wake of the Russia’s continued aggression and a third round of inconclusive diplomatic negotiations, the ...1 day ago
- Lemon water won’t detox or energise you. But it may affect your body in other waysSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Evangeline Mantzioris, Program Director of Nutrition and Food Sciences, University of South Australia Shutterstock If you believe anecdotes online, drinking lukewarm water with a splash of lemon juice is detoxifying, energising and soothing. Water and lemon juice on their own ...1 day ago
- Govt funds $10m to drive productivity in forest sectorThe government is putting $10.2 million into a seven-year project aimed at raising the skill level of forestry management practices. ...1 day ago
- The govt knocks down old state houses and builds new ones – but the net result is a waiting list t...It was a simple question about housing and Point of Order listened closely to Housing Minister Megan Woods’ response. Alas, we are none the wiser on one part of the question, about advice on how long it will take to get the waiting list down to around 5844. But – ...1 day ago
- All coal boilers in NZ schools to be gone by 2025 as $23m in emission reduction projects get green l...All remaining coal boilers in New Zealand schools will be replaced with cleaner wood burners or electric heating by 2025, at a cost of $10 million, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced. ...1 day ago
- With the UN powerless, the greatest danger now may be Russia beginning to lose in UkraineSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexander Gillespie, Professor of Law, University of Waikato Getty Images There could be no better example of the United Nations’ failure to live up to its founding ideals than the recent visit by secretary general António Guterres to Russia. Attempting ...1 day ago
- ‘A human being, not just mum’: the women’s liberationists who fought for the rights of mothers...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Isobelle Barrett Meyering, Research fellow, Macquarie University Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales and courtesy SEARCH Foundation, CC BY-NC-SA Mother’s Day has long been exploited for commercial and political gain. This year, again, my inbox is filled with ...1 day ago
- Week in Politics: Another poll shows Māori Party could be kingmakerAnalysis - National gains ground in another poll that shows the Māori Party could hold the balance of power after the next election. ...1 day ago
- Don’t give mum chocolates for Mother’s Day. Take on more housework, share the mental load and ad...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Leah Ruppanner, Professor of Sociology and Founding Director of The Future of Work Lab, The University of Melbourne Shutterstock With Mother’s Day right around the corner, many grateful and loving families are thinking about what to give mum to show ...1 day ago
- Submissions sought on proposed conservation legislation changesConservation minister Kiri Allan says she is looking forward to hearing people's views on proposed changes to conservation concession processes. ...1 day ago
- Have Your Say On Proposed Changes To The Fisheries Act 1996The Chairperson of the Primary Production Committee is now calling for submissions on the Fisheries Amendment Bill. The bill would amend the Fisheries Act 1996. The amendments are intended to modernise and strengthen New Zealand’s fisheries management ...1 day ago
- New Zealand Must Not Sabotage Its Smokefree 2025 GoalNancy Loucas, CAPHRA's Executive Coordinator, says New Zealand finally has Smokefree 2025 in its sights, but a vocal minority are doing their best to sabotage it. CAPHRA is quick to dismiss any claims by commentators that vaping’s long-term health effects ...1 day ago
- Reserve Bank Optimising New Zealand’s Monetary Policy Implementation Framework For The FutureThe Reserve Bank has undertaken an internal review of its monetary policy implementation framework. As a result of this review, the Reserve Bank will retain a floor system for monetary policy implementation, and does not intend to reintroduce credit tiers. ...1 day ago
- Our Papatuanuku – Mother Earth On Mother's DayScientists have just told us that sea level rise in New Zealand is happening twice as fast as we thought, putting some of our cities at risk of catastrophic flooding in our lifetimes. We are also becoming more aware of the effects of climate change ...1 day ago
- For Road Safety Week Our Leaders Need To Be Road Safety HeroesNext week is Road Safety week, from 9th to 15th May and the search is on for Road Safety Heroes. Lucinda Rees from NZ School Speeds would like to challenge the Government and Waka Kotahi to be super heroes, by tweaking some details of the Setting of Speed ...1 day ago
- Beyond angry protesters and inked arms, there’s this First Nations story of the Southern Cross –...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Samuel Curkpatrick, Researcher and adjunct lecturer, University of Divinity Southern Cross constellation in the night’s sky. Wikimedia Commons, CC BY Can the Southern Cross represent Australian identity? Waved by a proud athlete or an angry protester, inked into skin or stuck to ...1 day ago
- Amid COVID and heated debate about China, how will multicultural Australia vote in 2022?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Jakubowicz, Emeritus Professor of Sociology, University of Technology Sydney original The debate over whether an “ethnic vote” phenomenon exists in Australia re-emerges at each federal election. Some argue people from ethnic communities can be influenced by issues which are cultural ...1 day ago
- Explainer: what happens if the 2022 election results in a hung parliament?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anne Twomey, Professor of Constitutional Law, University of Sydney AAP/Lukas Coch What happens if no party or coalition of parties wins a majority in the House of Representatives at the federal election? This is known as a “hung parliament”. ...1 day ago
- How do we protect kids from abuse in sport without creating a ‘culture of suspicion’ that ruins ...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Blake Bennett, Senior Lecturer in Sport Coaching and Pedagogy, University of Auckland GettyImages Although sport is often touted as a vehicle for positive experiences, many investigations into sporting cultures – particularly high performance sport – have highlighted how predatory or abusive ...1 day ago
- Why are there so many new Omicron sub-variants, like BA.4 and BA.5? Will I be reinfected? Is the vir...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sebastian Duchene, ARC DECRA Fellow, The University of Melbourne Shutterstock By now, many of us will be familiar with the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID. This variant of concern has changed the course of the pandemic, ...1 day ago
- This Mother’s Day, let’s celebrate the brave, multi-tasking mums of the Australian bird worldSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ayesha Tulloch, ARC Future Fellow, Queensland University of Technology Shutterstock In the human fascination with birds, it’s the flashy appearance and antics of males that get the most attention from researchers and the public. From their colourful plumage to ...1 day ago
- Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jesse Adams Stein, Senior Lecturer & ARC DECRA Fellow, School of Design, University of Technology Sydney Most politicians vocally support Australian-made products. Manufacturing certainly provides excellent opportunities for candidates in high-vis to make election campaign announcements. Labor has promised to make Australia ...1 day ago
- Who really wins and loses from first homebuyer schemes? What you need to know as a buyer, owner or r...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Freebairn, Professor, Department of Economics, The University of Melbourne The Coalition and Labor parties have each produced election policies designed to help low and middle income earners buy homes. Who is likely to benefit from them and who is likely to ...1 day ago
- The multiverse is huge in pop culture right now – but what is it, and does it really exist?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Luke Barnes, Lecturer in Physics, Western Sydney University Marvel Studios Whether you need a new villain or an old Spider-Man, your sci-fi movie will sound more scientifically respectable if you use the word multiverse. The Marvel multiverse puts different versions ...1 day ago
- Grattan on Friday: ‘Gotcha’ questions are ugly journalism but hazards for leadersSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The public don’t have much regard for journalists and many people will be critical of the “gotcha” questioning that found Anthony Albanese on Thursday unable to recite the six points of his policy on the ...2 days ago
- Apartments, together: New unit titles law fosters political collaborationAll political parties in Parliament have supported a law improving regulation of body corporates, with hopes it will improve access to apartment living. ...2 days ago
- Swarbrick targets drug laws as 49 substances reclassifiedGreen MP Chloe Swarbrick has used the reclassification of 49 drugs - including Fentanyl - to argue New Zealand's drug laws increase harms and should be replaced. ...2 days ago
- Perpetrators of family violence sometimes use threats of suicide to control their partnerSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Scott Fitzpatrick, Research Fellow, Australian National University Shutterstock Men’s suicide is often linked to social and economic factors such as financial problems, legal issues and unemployment. But when seeking to understand men’s suicide, we shouldn’t overlook important questions of responsibility, ...2 days ago
- Abortion is no longer a crime in Australia. So why is it still so hard to access?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Erica Millar, Senior research fellow, La Trobe University Shutterstock A leak of draft court documents reveals Roe v. Wade – which has broadly guaranteed abortion rights in the United States since 1973 – may be overturned. The US decision ...2 days ago
- Lawyer says justice minister's failure to respond over Kyung Yup Kim's extradition 'c...A lawyer is calling Minister of Justice Kris Faafoi callous for not responding to a letter asking for a man to be exempt from extradition because of health issues. ...2 days ago
- Call For Public Submissions On The Review Of Standing Orders 2023...2 days ago
- Pay Negotiations For Care And Support Workers Set Up To FailUnions representing care and support workers, E tū, NZNO, and PSA, have entered discussions with the Government to improve pay rates and lock in existing training rights for 65,000 care and support workers. The historic 2017 Care and Support Workers ...2 days ago
- Buzz from the Beehive: Good news about the war on Mycoplasma bovis – and the PM pops up with O’...If the news was bad, we imagine it would have been left to Biosecurity Minister Damien O’Connor to do the announcing and he may well have stalled until Friday, when journalists and commentators are packing up for the weekend. But the news in this case is good and ...2 days ago
- Dairy prices fall sharply but farmers will do nicely, thank you, from this season’s payout and Syn...
Only two months ago Radio NZ was airing a report “Why are global dairy prices so high?” Now, the story is rather different after two sharp falls at Fonterra’s fortnightly global dairy auctions, and the pundits are pondering what has happened. But NZ’s dairy farmers can still rest easy that ...2 days ago - Race for the Senate: could Labor and the Greens gain control?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne As well as the whole House of Representatives, 40 of the 76 Senate seats will be up for election on May 21. There are 12 senators per state and ...2 days ago
- Feedback sought on proposed changes to conservation lawThe proposed changes to conservation law are focused on streamlining the processes for concessions and management planning for national parks and conservation land. ...2 days ago
- Recent COVID-19 court cases show New Zealand’s Bill of Rights Act is not as strong as some might w...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Claire Breen, Professor of Law, University of Waikato Getty Images While the recent legal challenges to elements of the government’s COVID-19 response have had mixed results in the courts, they have revealed something important – how the rule of law ...2 days ago
- Biosecurity Funding Increase A Sensible MoveAn $111 million injection for biosecurity in the May Budget is a pragmatic acknowledgement of how vital it is to our economy we stop pest organisms at our borders, Federated Farmers says. "This extra money shows an appreciation by the government pest ...2 days ago
- The federal election winner will get a big opportunity to change the face of the High Court – will...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Patrick Leslie, Research Fellow in Politics, Australian National University Will Oliver/EPA/AAP The leaked Roe v Wade draft opinion this week has shown us the power of the legal system when it comes to facilitating (or winding back) social change. ...2 days ago
- China’s ‘innovation machine’: how it works, how it’s changing and why it mattersSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marina Yue Zhang, Associate Professor of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Swinburne University of Technology China has had the world’s fastest growing economy since the 1980s. A key driver of this extraordinary growth has been the country’s pragmatic system of innovation, which balances government ...2 days ago
- How can Aboriginal communities be part of the NSW renewable energy transition?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Heidi Norman, Professor, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Technology Sydney The New South Wales government’s roadmap to transition from coal-based electricity to renewable energy involves the creation of five “renewable energy zones” across the state. These “modern-day power ...2 days ago
- Thames-Coromandel And Queenstown Lakes Councils Question Equity In Three Waters Reform EntitiesDistricts such as Thames-Coromandel and Queenstown Lakes will be severely under-represented in the government’s shareholding scheme for the new water service entities and lose out in the financial support package – both of which are based on normally-resident ...2 days ago
- Australia is investigating a digital currency, or e-dollar, but its benefits seem slight and the ris...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nafis Alam, Professor and Head, School of Business, Monash University Shutterstock We are used to thinking of money as notes and coins, the kind most of us hold in our wallets. But most money – in Australia it’s 96.3% – ...2 days ago
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- The Nats need to diversify – and if they don’t know what this requires, the Greens and Maori Par...Now that the Nats might muster enough votes to forge a right-leaning coalition partnership and oust the Ardern government at the next election, the commentariate has become agitated on the “diversity” issue. Issue? Newsroom’s Joe Moir calls it a “crisis”. National’s just had its first opportunity to deal with its diversity ...2 days ago
- Former Speaker criticises trespass orders for former MPsSir David Carter says issuing trespass orders forbidding former MPs from entering parliamentary grounds was a "stupid move" without justification. ...2 days ago
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- Financial Statements Of The Government For The Nine Months Ended 31 March 2022Please find attached the Financial Statements of the Government of New Zealand for the nine months ended 31 March 2022 . ...2 days ago
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- Police accept IPCA findingsPolice accept the IPCA's findings into two incidents in the Bay of Plenty in 2018 and 2019 involving the same officer. The officer is referred to as Officer A in both of the authority's findings. In the first case, in September 2018, an allegation ...2 days ago
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- Council Urges Government Investment In Flood Protection InfrastructureIn the Waikato, it is expected that ratepayers will spend about $2.8 billion over the next 50 years on the regular maintenance and renewal of flood protection infrastructure. Waikato Regional Council, as part of a collaboration of regional and unitary councils ...2 days ago
- 65,000 years of food scraps found at Kakadu tell a story of resilience amid changing climate, sea le...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anna Florin, Research fellow, University of Cambridge May Nango sharing stories about Mamukala wetlands with her grandson, in 2015. Anna Florin (courtesy of GAC), Author provided For 65,000 years, Bininj – the local Kundjeihmi word for Aboriginal people – have returned to ...2 days ago
- We tracked election ad spending for 4,000 Facebook pages. Here’s what they’re posting about – ...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Glenn Kefford, Senior Lecturer (Political Science), The University of Queensland Shutterstock Have you noticed your Facebook and Instagram feed filling up with political ads lately? The social media strategies of many parties and candidates aim to bypass mainstream media to ...2 days ago
- Half-time results are in: who’s having a good election campaign, and who isn’t?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Kenny, Professor, Australian Studies Institute, Australian National University Wes Mountain/The Conversation, CC BY-ND When pre-poll voting starts on Monday May 9, it will signal the denouement of one of the least compelling streaming series ever to secure repeat funding: ...2 days ago
- A burnt-out health workforce impacts patient careSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Karen Willis, Professor, Public Health, Victoria University, Victoria University Shutterstock Throughout the pandemic, we’ve heard much about health-care worker burnout. But what we haven’t heard much about is its effects on patients. Even before the pandemic, health workers were grappling ...2 days ago
Get up early and watch this sunrise.
Sub-ed having a good laugh this evening:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/local-democracy-reporting/300582278/christopher-luxton-sidesteps-te-reo-questions-to-focus-on-big-issues
And Chris wants to take the use of Te Reo to referendum!
Ashburton, eh? More Christchurch than Christchurch.
Oh dear, was there a “t” in Luxton in that URL? It has been corrected but heads should toll for this
Close to 30% of 'Muricans reckon they would vote for an unprincipled person who, given his self-interest, should not be in the position of public service. Frightening.
One such idea emerged from Mr. Trump, who was unhappy about the constant flow of drugs across the southern border, during the summer of 2020. Mr. Trump asked Mr. Esper at least twice if the military could “shoot missiles into Mexico to destroy the drug labs.”
“They don’t have control of their own country,” Mr. Esper recounts Mr. Trump saying.
When Mr. Esper raised various objections, Mr. Trump said that “we could just shoot some Patriot missiles and take out the labs, quietly,” adding that “no one would know it was us.” Mr. Trump said he would just say that the United States had not conducted the strike, Mr. Esper recounts, writing that he would have thought it was a joke had he not been staring Mr. Trump in the face.
https://archive.ph/YLLf7 (nyt)
But hardly surprising when regressive pricks like Alito call the shots.
How many people want to kill Jacinda Ardern?
More and more are coming out of
their mother's bedroomsthe woodwork. A big thanks to NZ security services, police, and courts keeping the PM safe from right wing nutters.This is the tip of the iceberg though. The real danger is those right wing nutters careful enough to keep a lower profile.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/taranaki-man-charged-with-threatening-to-kill-prime-minister-jacinda-ardern/5AA3H2AOBGUC7RFKB4YKXXVGOI/
I thought this was a really interesting take on differential rating in the Wairoa district (an area I know a bit about, though don't live there). Substantially increasing the rates that forestry companies pay in comparison to other commercial and residential users. Which was challenged by the forestry companies – who lost the court case.
Specifically commenting that 1/4 of the total Council budget is spent on roads (and that forestry trucks are both frequent and destructive users of those roads); and that forestry conversion reduces the number of residential families (used to be 2-3 families per farm, now zero). And, while there may be increased job opportunities – they are very largely outside the Wairoa District.
The Government incentives and carbon credits are more than sufficient to make forestry more profitable than farming.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/foresters-take-over-farms-but-fail-to-stop-wairoa-council-hitting-back-with-rates-rises/4MJKBIF6MM2HPUKTDYHQK2YNOE/?c_id=1&objectid=12522365&ref=rss
Each time I join the queue for the Ellerslie-Panmure on ramp in the morning there are several concrete trucks from the nearby Stevensons plant also queueing. Anyone know if they pay more for damage to the roads?
As for the societal makeup of rural communities, surely it is up to dairy farmers to make their case by not polluting water courses they way they have over the last 2 decades.
Why would you be concerned about concrete trucks specifically?….they operate well below maximum axle loads compared to other forms of trucking
That's what I see on my drive, of course.
"Anyone know if they pay more for damage to the roads?"
No idea.
I guess it would depend on how the Auckland Council apportions rates, and whether the damage your concrete trucks do to the roading network is disproportionate to their use of it.
Not a heck of a lot of dairy farming in Wairoa – too hilly.
But, this isn't (or wasn't intended to be) a comment on 'dirty dairying' but on the tools that rural areas have to support the needed infrastructure – and whether these are 'fair' or not…
Because, when it comes to infrastructure (roads, water, sewerage, democracy, libraries, Santa parades – or other community events of your choice) someone has to pay the bills, or everyone suffers.
anyone? I'm not that great on statistics and probability and don't really understand what .8 x less likely to get covid if you’ve bolstered means. It's a quote from this website.
I think (and entirely open to being corrected if I'm wrong – by those with greater statistical understanding).
.8x less likely to get Covid if boosted (compared to an unvaccinated person).
So 20% less likely to catch Covid, than an unvaccinated person. For every 100 unvaccinated people who catch Covid, only 80 boosted ones will.
By comparison, a rating of 1x – would mean that a vaccinated and unvaccinated person were equally likely to catch Covid.
It's not a great statistic. And shows that even being boosted isn't a great protection against *catching* Covid.
But the one below is more promising. Boosted people are 4.3x less likely to be hospitalized with Covid – which is definitely worth it.
For every 100 boosted people hospitalized, there will be 430 unvaccinated ones hospitalized.
It means 20% more likely to catch covid after having a booster (than the other groups). As Belladonna indicates 1x is equally likely and 4.3x is hospitalization at almost 20% of the rate. But numbers below 1 do indicate worse performance.
However there could be several reasons for this including,
1) That statistic may be miss-leading and different from the same statistic broken down by age group. This is somewhat likely as older people are more likely to take up boosters than younger. Its entirely possible that every age category suggests an above 1x multiple favoring boosters, while the over all ratio is less than one due to the size of each age group. Unfortunately the MoH seems not to produce the age categorized statistics, or like Scotland normalize the statistic for a standard population.
2) Its possible people take more risks with a booster shot.
3) There is some t-cell immunity after having caught it recently, its possible that this form of immunity is protecting different numbers of those groups, especially when updating those figures using a month of values.
Also as suggested its much more relevant that people are kept out of Hospital than if they catch it (or not).
Former Conservative MP and minister and one-time chief of staff for a former mayor of London, Boring Johnston.