RNZ Checkpoint asked for interviews with Todd Muller, Michelle Boag, Hamish Walker, Peter Goodfellow and the Helicopter Trust chairman, but they all declined.
Not very open or transparent. Maybe the entire National Party is having a cuppa (or a stiff drink) and a lie-down.
Anyone who believes Hamish Walker was the only person in receipt of the Boag list is living in Cloud Cuckoo Land. I'll bet a bridge she sent it out to several people at the least and left it up to them to sort out how they would use it to discredit the government.
That way, if something went wrong she could plausibly deny having been a party to whatever went wrong. Nice one Michelle dear.
I'm afraid Michelle B brings out the cat in me. A bully and a loud mouth who cannot cope with being wrong about anything. Her apologies are Clayton's apologies because she genuinely believes she knows best. She doesn't know what the word humility means.
Some 150 writers, academics and activists – including authors JK Rowling, Salman Rushdie and Margaret Atwood – have signed an open letter denouncing so-called cancel culture. They say they applaud a recent "needed reckoning" on racial justice, but argue it has fuelled stifling of open debate.
The letter denounces "a vogue for public shaming and ostracism" and "a blinding moral certainty". Cancel culture refers to online shaming of individuals who cause offence.
"The free exchange of information and ideas, the lifeblood of a liberal society, is daily becoming more constricted," says the letter.
US intellectual Noam Chomsky, eminent feminist Gloria Steinem, Russian chess grandmaster Garry Kasparov and author Malcolm Gladwell also put their names to the letter, which was published on Tuesday in Harper's Magazine. The appearance of Harry Potter author Rowling's name among signatories comes after she recently found herself under attack online for comments that offended transgender people. Her fellow British writer, Martin Amis, also signed the letter.
Perhaps the woke are attempting a re-run of McCarthyism??
Editors are fired for running controversial pieces; books are withdrawn for alleged inauthenticity; journalists are barred from writing on certain topics; professors are investigated for quoting works of literature in class; a researcher is fired for circulating a peer-reviewed academic study; and the heads of organizations are ousted for what are sometimes just clumsy mistakes.
I doubt the woke really do see themselves as a privileged caste. I suspect their collective narcissism is totally unconscious. Like the National Party rabid faction, the woke are just trying to see what they can get away with…
Yeah well and good but everyone has off days when you just want to grumble about everything. I tend to keep to myself on such days and grumble to myself. At least myself is the only one who gets bored.
Amis and Rowling were both involved in the brutal and degrading campaign of vilification of Jeremy Corbyn. If anyone knows about cancel culture, it's those two despicable individuals.
Too bad JK Rowling wasn't that vocal about 'cancel culture' when Harry Potter books were being burned in the Bible Belt.
Gloria Steinem — She must have amnesia given that the ERA she marched in favour of was 'cancelled' by the GOP at Phylis Schafely's insistence.
Margaret Attwood — Really?
They dont seem to realise that the true 'cancel culture', the true enemy, is not a few purple haired college students, it is Donald John Trump, Jair Bolsonaro, Viktor Orban and their Christian Taliban,
I doubt the woke really do see themselves as a privileged caste.
Oh they do … exclusivity's right at the heart of their enterprise. For all the performative talk of Oppressed Identities, it's an ideology of extreme privilege … disproportionately influential in the elite Universities of Britain & the US. First & foremost, an Elite White status-positioning activity (jockeying for status among one another) … with all the implied exclusivity (& desire for power) that you'd expect. Critical Theory is to the Intersectional Cult what L Ron Hubbard's ramblings are to Scientologists … exclusive "wisdom" that guarantees membership of a special little Priestly Caste. Archbishops Crenshaw, Butler, Hooks & Bishop Emeritus DiAngelo know best. Rote learning of Sacred Texts.
Hillarious – the number of Woke Twitter accounts that have begun with Pinned Tweets saying: "I don't see why I should have to do all the emotional labour of explaining Theory to the ignorant" (or words to that effect) … Pure Unadulterated Exclusivity.
And, of course, The Oppressed very much include ex-Boardingschool Girls from remarkably privileged backgrounds (apparently the raison d'être of the Left is to propel them into powerful & highly lucrative positions) … but apparently doesn't include Lower Income Whites (including women) … who (certainly in the NZ context) look set to become the unofficial Scapegoats for a Colonisation process that Woke elites disproportionately – and I mean massively – benefited from.
So Elitist & Self-Interested in so many more ways than one.
Could be the jungian shadow in their group collective psyche: overtly an oppressed minority (identity politics), covertly elitist (moral superiority in their subconscious).
I mean they never actually come out and say "Social justice warriors are superior humans." Perhaps they'd earn more respect if they were that honest(?). 🙄
"Animal Farm… tells the story of a group of farm animals who rebel against their human farmer, hoping to create a society where the animals can be equal, free, and happy. Ultimately, however, the rebellion is betrayed, and the farm ends up in a state as bad as it was before, under the dictatorship of a pig named Napoleon. According to Orwell, the fable reflects events leading up to the Russian Revolution of 1917 and then on into the Stalinist era
Orwell wrote the book between November 1943 and February 1944, when the United Kingdom was in its wartime alliance with the Soviet Union against Nazi Germany, and the British intelligentsia held Stalin in high esteem, a phenomenon Orwell hated.
Time magazine chose the book as one of the 100 best English-language novels (1923 to 2005); it also featured at number 31 on the Modern Library List of Best 20th-Century Novels, and number 46 on the BBC's The Big Read poll. It won a Retrospective Hugo Award in 1996 and is included in the Great Books of the Western World selection.
Unusual for a political allegory to achieve such long-term resonance & traction in the public mind, eh? Mass psychology at work! Ideals of equal rights come up against political psychology in real life. Some people are more equal than others! The woke are onto that! Collective narcissism driven by covert elitism is likely to make them as popular a sub-tribe as the communists…
The problem is that the overarching research endeavour abandoned truth and logic (during the literary criticism phase). Once that is gone then there is no basis to the chronology of research except appeal to authority. So it becomes all about who is referenced and not the truth of what is written.
guarantees membership of a special little Priestly Caste.
Yes. It's striking how the secular mind seeks transcendence, even when it avows it isn't. This however is a cult that demands fear without love, and guilt with no possibility of redemption.
Dang, no way? Same fella? Noooooo way. Hard case. I remember going to a jam and peace talk that he gave maybe three or four years ago. Brilliant musician.
Edit….. facepalms…. he’s Billy TK Senior’s boy… ok… I was like wow a shave has taken years off him. But it’s his son that’s leading the party. Dang I’m a donut sometimes.
One in the Bay of Plenty (shaken, embarrassed and bewildered but defiantly insisting he's still in charge), one in Southland (now in social isolation), and one on Waiheke Island (shunned by all decent citizens, shamed, still obviously toxic, and will never appear on RNZ's pisspoor light chat show The Panel ever, ever, ever again.)
More Cods Whalop from Muller, everyone knows he and his party are incompetent bumbling fools, you only need to look at the events of the last few weeks, Keystone Cops stuff
I think it is time for me to be a bit positive about Muller and his Band (The Wailers?). It is important that National keep on keeping on as we need them so we can have an election and win. There would be no fun in winning by default.
Oh oh. Michelle Boag reckons she was sent the data by email routinely.
National Party stalwart Michelle Boag has said the Ministry of Health regularly sent her personal email address details regarding Covid-19 patients.
She believed all emergency services, including police, would have received the same…..
…"I've said I am not going to discuss my motivations [for sending the information to Walker] because that is for the inquiry, but it is a statement of fact that at the beginning they started sending out this data by spreadsheet," Boag said.
I doubt there was any "sneaking". Cock-ups usually explain better than conspiracies.
Somebody's job was to send out the daily updates. Many organisations would be on the mailing list. When Boag was asked for an e-mail address, she provided her private one. Alarm bells didn't ring at the MoH (probably should have but she was an acting CEO of a vital emergency service, supposedly respectable and reliable).
An honourable person would have e-mailed back saying "Should you be sending me this stuff?". But it was Boag, so … no.
Having done one or two email lists around wee corners of the health sector (NEVER with patient data, though), that sounds pretty reasonable. Many folk are wearing three hats, and some "organisations" are umbrella MOUs without actual concrete addresses or sometimes staff. Emails can be random compared to orgs, and
So this was a covidian exigent circumstances practise, and Boag accepted her personal email as valid for ARHT by forwarding the messages repeatedly and not correcting the senders. And she was CEO of the organisation, and in that role she got the information to the intended recipient groups.
I suspect there's a lot of employment court case law about conducting work on personal emails.
But this also goes to Lprent's recent article about why business people are shite at politics: most people who genuinely deal with confidential information know when to say "I shouldn't have this access". The thought of refusing it, referring them to the correct email, asking the proper recipients to sort the issue… none of it seems to have crossed her mind.
Business people often think the boss should be able to know everything as a matter of routine. That is an enemy to information security.
Boag told Stuff she received information of Covid-19 patients throughout the pandemic response from the Ministry of Health – in an “unsolicited” email to her personal email address – but only once decided to leak to her National Party colleagues.
Oh, that's alright then. Your honour, I murdered one person, but I could have killed so many more, that counts for something, right?
The first 18 covid emails were forwarded without leaking, but covid-19 went south…
Do you think that multiple people were sent spreadsheets like the ones Boag received? Surely by now there would have been people popping up all over saying. "Me too."
Or was she singled out by a MOH leaker spreading mischief?
It probably wouldn't have been just for ARHT – especially given the covid cases in southern dhb. We have choppers too.
Probably other orgs, as well. I'm not sure Boag had the right end of the stick on why it was distributed – if there are covid cases in a community, there's no need for names. But if they get called to Jim Jimmies' address because he had a heart attack, that's when "currently covid positive" might be very useful information to have beforehand.
I'm sure there are nat voters in the Ministry of Health, but I'm not sure that they'd risk the career-ending prison time they'd get for spraying patient records all over the place. MoH and StatsNZ tend to take that stuff hyper-seriously. MSD… well, they do them, I guess.
As for people saying "I also got that information", why would they? They're not after the headlines, they maybe needed it to do their jobs, and some nat might have fucked this up for all of them.
All people with covid-19 are in quarantine except for the two women in Lower Hutt who are no longer active cases anyway – noone else has been allowed out since then. Once people are out of isolation or quarantine, I assume, there are no restrictions on where they live or where they go in NZ. If so, a list of where these people are is of no use to emergency services because people may no longer be there anyway. All they need is a list of the isolation/quarantine hotels and they should be treating every person there as infectious anyway – no matter what their last known status was.
I suspect it was started at or before L4 was imposed, when community transmission was evident and was expected for the long term (meaning you could be called to any address and if might have positive cases there) – and it didn't have clear "off" criteria.
It might even have been automated.
But it was going to the relevant services as part of infectious disease management – the "leak" began with Boag.
jfc, what a mess. So the MoH was regularly sending spreadsheets with the names and other details of the people in quarantine to Boag's personal email address, and then Boag was giving that to the ARHT as needed?
ARHT were a bit sly with their statement then. Obviously they just wanted to formalise that they didn't pass information to Boag and that their systems were secure, but I have to wonder if they knew that Boag was going to clear things up today.
It's quite possible that the trustees had no knowledge of the covid email when they made the statement, if the CEO was forwarding operational info to the people who actually needed to know it. As far as they're concerned, she had no access to their patient management system or any of that stuff. It's possible that none of the people on the list were people they had treated, i.e. had ever even been patients of the ARHT.
This isn't an IT compromise.
It's not even a particularly catastrophic screw up with the email addresses, as long as whoever manages her email is reasonably competent. And if that was the email address supplied by Boag or the ARHT to MoH as a high-level contact email, that's on whomever supplied the address.
Sure, there are "learnings" (as managers like to say at these times), but it's not gobsmackingly terrible – the emails went to the CEO of the organisation, and the CEO forwarded it to the people who needed to know. It wasn't posted online by accident, or went to some analyst's softball league team list, or accessible via a web kiosk at reception. I'd even go so far as to say it barely rates a news report.
Assuming that she didn't reply to each and every email with "this is a personal email address and completely inappropriate for patient information, please send it to [relevant address]", the real fuckup is employing someone that corrupt in the health sector.
All those decent, sane, and balanced Republicans like Karl Rove, John Bolton, and William Kristol. The "resistance" ads just keep getting better all right.
All the way to victory with the Rebel Republicans in the vanguard.
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With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
The Government has delivered on its election promise to provide a financially sustainable model for Auckland under its Local Water Done Well plan. The plan, which has been unanimously endorsed by Auckland Council’s Governing Body, will see Aucklanders avoid the previously projected 25.8 per cent water rates increases while retaining ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today. "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure. The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say. “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
Whānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...
Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced Pharmac’s largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff. “Access to medicines is a crucial part of many Kiwis’ lives. We’ve committed to a budget allocation of $1.774 billion over four years so Kiwis are ...
Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
RNZ News A group of academic staff at New Zealand’s largest university have expressed concern at the administration’s move to block a protest encampment that was planned to take place on campus calling for support for the rights of Palestinians. This week, the University of Auckland warned that while it ...
Genterwocky After a hard days marching, Sir Doocey calls in at the Village Tavern For a pint of ale and a pork pie. The grim villagers stare at him. “Do not be travelling on the forest road,” warns a crusty old beak. “And why is that, antique peasant?” Grins Sir ...
Political conferences after a party returns to power are usually a chance for some healthy, even unhealthy backslapping. Yet National Party president Sylvia Wood’s address to its mainland representatives on Saturday hardly contained the unalloyed delight that one might have expected following National’s escape from the wilderness of opposition. Yes, ...
Comment: Almost half the world is voting in national elections this year and artificial intelligence is the elephant in the room. There are genuine fears AI-generated or AI-edited deepfakes will potentially manipulate election outcomes not just in the US and UK, but critically in countries such as India. For that ...
Ahead of the reality franchise’s return to New Zealand, allow us to introduce the eight brides and grooms. Chuck on a veil and tie back your man bun, because it’s time to say “I do” to a new season of Married at First Sight NZ. The reality TV “social experiment” ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Norton, Professor in the Practice of Higher Education Policy, Australian National University Every year on June 1, student debt in Australia is indexed to inflation. In 2023, high inflation pushed the indexation rate to 7.1%, the highest since 1990. This ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Changes in the May 14 budget will cut the student debt of more than three million people, wiping more than $3 billion from what people owe. The government will cap the HELP indexation rate ...
Asia Pacific Report The prosecutor’s office at the International Criminal Court (ICC) has appealed for an end to what it calls intimidation of its staff, saying such threats could constitute an offence against the “administration of justice” by the world’s permanent war crimes court. The Hague-based office of ICC Prosecutor ...
By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk A women’s union in New Caledonia has staged a sit-in protest this week to support senior Kanak indigenous journalist Thérèse Waia, who works for public broadcaster Nouvelle-Calédonie la Première, after a smear attack by critics. The peaceful demonstration was held on ...
New Zealand Food Safety is monitoring overseas recalls of Indian packaged spice products manufactured by MDH and Everest due to concerns over a cancer-causing pesticide. ...
By Stephen Wright and Stefan Armbruster of BenarNews Fiji’s ranking in a global press freedom index has jumped into the top tier of countries with free or mostly free media after its government last year repealed a draconian law that threatened journalists with prison for doing their jobs. Fiji’s improvement ...
We might be in Invercargill but all anyone can talk about is Gore. Specifically, Salford Street. That’s where three-year-old Lachlan Jones lived, south of the centre of town, between the A&P Showgrounds and the Mataura River. Roughly 1.2 km away from the single level home he lived in with his ...
MONDAY I lined up the latest round of civil servants from city hall against the wall, and signalled for the firing squad to drop their rifles. I stepped up onto a wooden crate to look at the office workers in the eye. But that didn’t feel right, so I found ...
Keen hiker and second-year MSc student Liam Hewson wears two hats when he’s in the great outdoors. “The scientist in me appreciates nature and goes, ‘Oh, there’s that thing and there’s another thing,’ but then the tramper and the outdoorsy person in me thinks, ‘Cool bush.’” Born and bred in ...
After a long and illustrious career as a goal kicker, Dan Carter’s favourite way to unwind is… kicking goals. Why can’t he get enough of it? And what it’s like to watch him do it for an hour straight? A semicircle of people wielding cameras and phones has formed in ...
Dame Susan Devoy takes us through her life in television, including late night ER debriefs, her proudest CTI moment and the show she watches in secret. Quite aside from her four world champion squash titles, Dame Susan Devoy will likely go down in history as one of the best Celebrity ...
Hera Lindsay Bird reveals the best places in Ōtepoti to score more for your apocalypse-prep book hoard.Sometimes I get the feeling I’ve been killed in a car crash, and this second half of my life is just the brain unspooling itself, like one of those episodes of a hospital ...
ThreeNow’s new murder mystery series takes us on a dark, damp journey into the Australian wilderness.This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. High Country is ThreeNow’s new Australian eight-part crime drama, set in a remote part of the Victorian highlands. It tells ...
Introducing a new way to read The Spinoff every weekend. After nearly 10 years of being an online magazine, we’re finally embracing the weekend liftout. Despite our best efforts to convince you otherwise, writers and editors at The Spinoff don’t work weekend. It is through the sheer power of technology ...
Tip one: let yourself be nurtured by this big old man. Tip two: don’t ask him to adopt you. So, you’ve arrived at your first session with a new therapist. He tells you to make yourself comfortable and you opt for the tweed armchair, hoping it makes you look like ...
I didn’t know books could open you back up; that there were books that stayed with you, where reading was like a chemical event. I knew nothing.The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.Not too long ago, I was listening to the American ...
Former Olympic swimmer James Magnussen has already started training for the Enhanced games, though says he won’t start taking performance enhancing substances until about nine months out from the competition. The Australian world champion was the first athlete to be announced by Enhanced, but he says the organisation has had ...
Everyone thinks he’s dead. Every day they expect his body to be washed up along the coast. Most likely up Karitane way, the way the tide’s running. But nobody’ll be too surprised if his body’s never found. Even in death he wouldn’t have wished for such attention. He would have ...
Council members voted 21 to 4 in favour of Ahluwalia returning to the Laucala campus following a much-awaited meeting in Vanuatu this week. It comes as USP and its two unions — the Association of the University of the South Pacific Staff (AUSPS) and the Administration and Support Staff Union ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nicola Henry, Professor & Australian Research Council Future Fellow, Social and Global Studies Centre, RMIT University Shutterstock Following an emergency meeting of the National Cabinet this week, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced a raft of measures to tackle the problem ...
Analysis - A poll showing the opposition is more popular than the government raises questions, politicians go through their 'trial by pay rise' and a Green MP loses her cool in the debating chamber. ...
The entire stretch of Tokomaru Bay on the East Coast will be subject to a joint customary marine title for two hapū, and extending up to four miles out to sea. A High Court judge has found the two groups, who during the case settled a dispute over boundaries for ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Hall, Lecturer, Media & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University A longstanding feud between TikTok and Universal Music Group seems to have finally reached an end, with both parties signing a deal that will see Universal-backed music returned to the social media ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Siobhan O’Dean, Postdoctoral Research Associate, The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use, University of Sydney After several highly publicised alleged murders of women in Australia, the Albanese government this week pledged more than A$925 million over five years ...
Political parties have now fully disclosed the donations they received last year - with National getting more than double the cash of any other party. ...
A Pacific regionalism expert has called out New Zealand's Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters for withholding information from the public on AUKUS military pact. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Richard de Grijs, Professor of Astrophysics, Macquarie University Bruno Scramgnon/Pexels All systems are “go” for tonight’s launch of China’s next step in a carefully planned lunar exploration program. Placed on top of a powerful Long March 5 rocket, the Chang’e 6 ...
National returned a massive donation the day after a Newsroom story linked the donors to a property being investigated for operating unlawfully as a migrant workers’ hostel. The party’s 2023 donation filings, released on Friday, show it returned a $200,000 donation from Buen Holdings on August 23. That was the ...
Pacific Media Watch New Zealand has slumped to an unprecedented 19th place in the annual Reporters Without Borders World Press Freedom Index survey released today on World Press Freedom Day — May 3. This was a drop of six places from 13th last year when it slipped out of its ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joshua Black, Political Historian and Administrator Officer, Australian Historical Association, Australian National University Australia has had its fair share of public record-keeping controversies in recent years. Some have been mere farce, as in the case of two formerly government-owned filing cabinets (containing ...
Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL), a United Nations-affiliated organization dedicated to fostering peace through civilian-led initiatives, has issued a statement in response to the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran. ...
A poem by Tessa Keenan, from AUP New Poets 10. Mātou These days we are a photograph; one of a farm strewn with cows that used to be bright harakeke or swamp. The kids point at it and say the sun sits behind a smudge (left by someone at Christmas); ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan (Faber & Faber, $25)The masterful Irish writer ...
Marriage and civil union statistics record the number of marriages and civil unions registered in New Zealand each year, and divorce statistics record the number of divorces granted in New Zealand each year. Key facts Marriages and civil unions In ...
Marriage and civil union statistics record the number of marriages and civil unions registered in New Zealand each year, and divorce statistics record the number of divorces granted in New Zealand each year. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lennon Y.C. Chang, Associate Professor of Cyber Risk and Policy, Deakin University Taiwan stands out as a beacon of democracy, innovation and resilience in an increasingly autocratic region. But this is under growing threat. In recent years, China has used a variety ...
In this excerpt from her new memoir, Dame Susan Devoy remembers her turn as star contestant on the 2022 season of Celebrity Treasure Island. The most anxious time of every day was pre-elimination, when you knew this could be your final day on the show. I felt such contradictory emotions, ...
A week that began in triumph ended in an all-too-familiar disaster for the Green Party. Duncan Greive asks if there’s something in the mission that breaks its best and brightest. A long, strange week for the Green party began with a fantastic poll result. On one level this is hardly ...
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist Vanuatu’s former prime minister and opposition MP Ishmael Kalsakau has stepped down — just two days after he confirmed he was the rightful opposition leader. Kalsakau, MP for Port Vila, confirmed to ABC’s Pacific Beat, and the Vanuatu Daily Post on Thursday that he ...
What’s to blame for the coalition’s choppy start? Six months in, and the mojo meter is in the doldrums. A new poll would put National out of power and sees its leader, Chris Luxon, sliding in popularity. How much is it about policy, how much coalition management and a perception ...
The striking report goes far beyond the proposed repeal of the Oranga Tamariki Act’s Treaty of Waitangi provision, and its impact should be felt far beyond the unique circumstances of the claim it addresses. Earlier this week, the Waitangi Tribunal released an interim report on the government’s proposed repeal of ...
The world has been experiencing a productivity slowdown, from which New Zealand has not been exempt. COVID-19 temporarily boosted labour productivity, but more recently, productivity has retreated. The overall trend since 2007 has been one of slow productivity ...
What’s more wasteful than spending $315k on syrup and machine maintenance? Trying to drum up a controversy about it.Cast your mind back to the pre-pandemic idylls of 2019. A “rat” was a disgusting rodent and not a self-administered plague test; the sixth Labour government was in power; and the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Fitz-Gibbon, Professor of Social Sciences, Faculty of Arts, Monash University, Monash University Ken stocker/Shutterstock In the wake of numerous killings of women allegedly by men’s violence in 2024, thousands of Australians have joined rallies across the country to demand action ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Henry Cutler, Professor and Director, Macquarie University Centre for the Health Economy, Macquarie University Oleg Ivanov IL/Shutterstock Waiting times for public hospital elective surgery have been in the news ahead of this year’s federal budget. That’s the type of non-emergency surgery ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Konstantine Panegyres, McKenzie Postdoctoral Fellow, Historical and Philosophical Studies, The University of Melbourne Amna Artist/Shutterstock One of the earliest descriptions of someone with cancer comes from the fourth century BC. Satyrus, tyrant of the city of Heracleia on the Black Sea, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Rose, Professor of Sustainable Future Transport, University of Sydney LanaElcova/Shutterstock Electric vehicles are often seen as the panacea to cutting emissions – and air pollution – from transport. Is this view correct? Yes – but only once uptake accelerates. Despite the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Giselle Natassia Woodley, Researcher and Phd Candidate, Edith Cowan University There is widespread agreement Australia needs to do better when it comes to gender-based violence. Anger and frustration at the numbers of women being killed saw national rallies over the weekend and ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Graham, Lecturer in Economics, University of Sydney Mark and Anna Photography/Shutterstock As home ownership moves further out of reach for many Australians, “rentvesting” is being touted as a lifesaver. Rentvesting is the practice of renting one property to live ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sukhmani Khorana, Associate Professor, Faculty of Arts, Design and Architecture, UNSW Sydney Netflix The new season of Heartbreak High is garnering mixed reviews. Critics are writing about the racy story lines, comparing it to other coming-of-age series about teenage relationships and ...
Bob Carr intends to launch legal action against Winston Peters and Julie Anne Genter is facing a second allegation of bullying. Both sucked the air out of an announcement on education, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in ...
In 1995, Sally Clark went out on her own in a bold and unorthodox attempt to join an illustrious group of equestrian riders conquering the world. In the days of glovebox road maps, brick cell phones, and the hit song How Bizarre, Clark refused to follow Sir Mark Todd, Blyth ...
Today, Todd Muller finally became relatable:
He refused a radio interview because "he's having a cup of tea and a lie-down".
Two things I enjoy whenever I can. Vote Nats for Naps!
RNZ Checkpoint asked for interviews with Todd Muller, Michelle Boag, Hamish Walker, Peter Goodfellow and the Helicopter Trust chairman, but they all declined.
Not very open or transparent. Maybe the entire National Party is having a cuppa (or a stiff drink) and a lie-down.
They may have broken out the Chinese meth.
Anyone who believes Hamish Walker was the only person in receipt of the Boag list is living in Cloud Cuckoo Land. I'll bet a bridge she sent it out to several people at the least and left it up to them to sort out how they would use it to discredit the government.
That way, if something went wrong she could plausibly deny having been a party to whatever went wrong. Nice one Michelle dear.
I agree Anne. As Nash said manyNat finger prints over this.
I'm afraid Michelle B brings out the cat in me. A bully and a loud mouth who cannot cope with being wrong about anything. Her apologies are Clayton's apologies because she genuinely believes she knows best. She doesn't know what the word humility means.
& he wants to lead the country?
Woke lynch-mobs on social media have been bullying celebs, and now the celebs are organising a fight-back: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-53330105
Perhaps the woke are attempting a re-run of McCarthyism??
I doubt the woke really do see themselves as a privileged caste. I suspect their collective narcissism is totally unconscious. Like the National Party rabid faction, the woke are just trying to see what they can get away with…
"I suspect their collective narcissism is totally unconscious." – I suspect you're right – "just trying to see what they can get away with…"
You may have backed a winner Dennis; ‘totally unconcious narcissism‘ is trending now.
“You may be an Unconscious Narcissist or you may know one.”
http://wendykeller.com/unconscious-narcissism/
I had to check it out 😉
Yeah well and good but everyone has off days when you just want to grumble about everything. I tend to keep to myself on such days and grumble to myself. At least myself is the only one who gets bored.
Yup, had me right up to ..signed by New York Times op-ed contributors David Brooks and Bari Weiss..fucking whinging petals….
Yep, Joe90, absolutely. "Cancel Culture", up there with "antifa" made up boogiemen. BS.
Oh God, it gets worse. I noticed only the names of those third-rate scribblers J.K. Rowling and Martin Amis. Brooks and Weiss as well?
Brooks has long been nothing more than a joke; Weiss is his younger equivalent….
Amis and Rowling were both involved in the brutal and degrading campaign of vilification of Jeremy Corbyn. If anyone knows about cancel culture, it's those two despicable individuals.
Too bad JK Rowling wasn't that vocal about 'cancel culture' when Harry Potter books were being burned in the Bible Belt.
Gloria Steinem — She must have amnesia given that the ERA she marched in favour of was 'cancelled' by the GOP at Phylis Schafely's insistence.
Margaret Attwood — Really?
They dont seem to realise that the true 'cancel culture', the true enemy, is not a few purple haired college students, it is Donald John Trump, Jair Bolsonaro, Viktor Orban and their Christian Taliban,
Oh they do … exclusivity's right at the heart of their enterprise. For all the performative talk of Oppressed Identities, it's an ideology of extreme privilege … disproportionately influential in the elite Universities of Britain & the US. First & foremost, an Elite White status-positioning activity (jockeying for status among one another) … with all the implied exclusivity (& desire for power) that you'd expect. Critical Theory is to the Intersectional Cult what L Ron Hubbard's ramblings are to Scientologists … exclusive "wisdom" that guarantees membership of a special little Priestly Caste. Archbishops Crenshaw, Butler, Hooks & Bishop Emeritus DiAngelo know best. Rote learning of Sacred Texts.
Hillarious – the number of Woke Twitter accounts that have begun with Pinned Tweets saying: "I don't see why I should have to do all the emotional labour of explaining Theory to the ignorant" (or words to that effect) … Pure Unadulterated Exclusivity.
And, of course, The Oppressed very much include ex-Boardingschool Girls from remarkably privileged backgrounds (apparently the raison d'être of the Left is to propel them into powerful & highly lucrative positions) … but apparently doesn't include Lower Income Whites (including women) … who (certainly in the NZ context) look set to become the unofficial Scapegoats for a Colonisation process that Woke elites disproportionately – and I mean massively – benefited from.
So Elitist & Self-Interested in so many more ways than one.
Could be the jungian shadow in their group collective psyche: overtly an oppressed minority (identity politics), covertly elitist (moral superiority in their subconscious).
I mean they never actually come out and say "Social justice warriors are superior humans." Perhaps they'd earn more respect if they were that honest(?). 🙄
Unusual for a political allegory to achieve such long-term resonance & traction in the public mind, eh? Mass psychology at work! Ideals of equal rights come up against political psychology in real life. Some people are more equal than others! The woke are onto that! Collective narcissism driven by covert elitism is likely to make them as popular a sub-tribe as the communists…
The problem is that the overarching research endeavour abandoned truth and logic (during the literary criticism phase). Once that is gone then there is no basis to the chronology of research except appeal to authority. So it becomes all about who is referenced and not the truth of what is written.
guarantees membership of a special little Priestly Caste.
Yes. It's striking how the secular mind seeks transcendence, even when it avows it isn't. This however is a cult that demands fear without love, and guilt with no possibility of redemption.
A new political party drawing large crowds – The New Zealand Public Party
https://www.nzpublicparty.org.nz/about
https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FTeAoWithMoana%2Fvideos%2F390456811929751%2F&show_text=0&width=560
Split the anti 1080 and 5G vote even finer. Can see it going really well once he's put under any scrutiny.
NZ Pee Pee? Mind you, did have regard for some of the aims of the Progressive Party.
Jeebers. At a glance, anti-vax, anti-abortion, anti-fluoride, anti-1080, anti-5G. All in the one party.
Not a rabbit for every pot, but more a rabbit hole for every rabbit.
Billy Te Kahika, aka Billy T K. Great guitarist. Interesting ideas…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_TK
Dang, no way? Same fella? Noooooo way. Hard case. I remember going to a jam and peace talk that he gave maybe three or four years ago. Brilliant musician.
Edit….. facepalms…. he’s Billy TK Senior’s boy… ok… I was like wow a shave has taken years off him. But it’s his son that’s leading the party. Dang I’m a donut sometimes.
He's a demon on that guitar! Impressive.
Yep, turning the stoner vote into wasted votes.
Someone decided to go through all the rural NZ town's Facebook groups and collate it all into a party manifesto.
So, every time a National MP self-destructs their Leader promises to build a road 😀
At the current rate, by 19 September they will have promised to tarseal the whole of NZ, four lanes wide, and three meters thick.
Bit like Bridge's bridges. I believe one did finally get built.
I think National had better start praying their supporters only stay home on election day and not go and vote for the opposition.
Three more victims of Covid-19 today
One in the Bay of Plenty (shaken, embarrassed and bewildered but defiantly insisting he's still in charge), one in Southland (now in social isolation), and one on Waiheke Island (shunned by all decent citizens, shamed, still obviously toxic, and will never appear on RNZ's pisspoor light chat show The Panel ever, ever, ever again.)
Justice, almost
More Cods Whalop from Muller, everyone knows he and his party are incompetent bumbling fools, you only need to look at the events of the last few weeks, Keystone Cops stuff
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/todd-muller-says-governments-everyday-glitches-putting-recovery-back-after-auckland-isolation-breaches
This obsession with the quarantine means the Nats aren't focussed on the economic policy which they are supposed to be so good at.
Another win for Labour.
How can you think of the economy at a time like this when some minor event could possibly cause something ??! Now is not the time to be positive!
I think it is time for me to be a bit positive about Muller and his Band (The Wailers?). It is important that National keep on keeping on as we need them so we can have an election and win. There would be no fun in winning by default.
I like the sound of Todd Muller and the Wailers.
One silver lining: it's now easy for the gov't to send the Covid returners to Queenstown for their isolation.
If the locals aren't happy, they can always complain to their local MP.
It's probably been nixed by the DHB anyway, not much more than primary healthcare in Queenstown, and 2-4 ours by road or 1 hour by air to nearest.
https://www.odt.co.nz/regions/queenstown/govt-urged-avoid-queenstown-isolation
Which was the right argument to take all along, not one about Country of origin.
They'll like Invercargill much more, staying inside will be more appealing.
Harsh, Gabby, too harsh!
You always look on the bright side Gabby.
Oh oh. Michelle Boag reckons she was sent the data by email routinely.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12346635
So now Boag is saying that the MoH sent her the material because she was chair of Rescue Helicopiter thing…
Why would MoH do that? Who in the MoH would have sneaked her onto the list?
I hope they unravel this, but it may be difficult.
The good thing is that Boag is now mud regardless.
Edit – Quicker than me, Ianmac. It will be interesting to find out if she is right – every Tom, Dick and Harry was being sent this privileged info. ??
I doubt there was any "sneaking". Cock-ups usually explain better than conspiracies.
Somebody's job was to send out the daily updates. Many organisations would be on the mailing list. When Boag was asked for an e-mail address, she provided her private one. Alarm bells didn't ring at the MoH (probably should have but she was an acting CEO of a vital emergency service, supposedly respectable and reliable).
An honourable person would have e-mailed back saying "Should you be sending me this stuff?". But it was Boag, so … no.
That could very well be the story they cook up.
I'd suggest it's very probably what happened.
Politics junkies get excited about the prospect of moles and leaks. Routine office work, not so much.
I am not so sure Observer. It would be very easy for a mole to add Boag to the list.
i think it highly unlikely clinical details sent to a CEO. They would need to go to the clinical lead.
anyway Boag is surely done for. Reputation tarnish
[Fixed error in e-mail address]
Having done one or two email lists around wee corners of the health sector (NEVER with patient data, though), that sounds pretty reasonable. Many folk are wearing three hats, and some "organisations" are umbrella MOUs without actual concrete addresses or sometimes staff. Emails can be random compared to orgs, and
So this was a covidian exigent circumstances practise, and Boag accepted her personal email as valid for ARHT by forwarding the messages repeatedly and not correcting the senders. And she was CEO of the organisation, and in that role she got the information to the intended recipient groups.
I suspect there's a lot of employment court case law about conducting work on personal emails.
But this also goes to Lprent's recent article about why business people are shite at politics: most people who genuinely deal with confidential information know when to say "I shouldn't have this access". The thought of refusing it, referring them to the correct email, asking the proper recipients to sort the issue… none of it seems to have crossed her mind.
Business people often think the boss should be able to know everything as a matter of routine. That is an enemy to information security.
with an extensive history in the upper circles of National she will not be allowed to face the full consequences of her actions….ce la vie
ah oui, et merde..
La vie en Waiheke Rosė. Salut!
Lol the DR photo, good choice. Maybe tomorrow will be chickens coming home to roost.
The guy with covid-19 who went out of isolation and then went shopping – to add insult to injury took selfies while in the supermarket.
What passes as mitigation in the minds of the entitled tory:
Oh, that's alright then. Your honour, I murdered one person, but I could have killed so many more, that counts for something, right?
The first 18 covid emails were forwarded without leaking, but covid-19 went south…
Do you think that multiple people were sent spreadsheets like the ones Boag received? Surely by now there would have been people popping up all over saying. "Me too."
Or was she singled out by a MOH leaker spreading mischief?
It probably wouldn't have been just for ARHT – especially given the covid cases in southern dhb. We have choppers too.
Probably other orgs, as well. I'm not sure Boag had the right end of the stick on why it was distributed – if there are covid cases in a community, there's no need for names. But if they get called to Jim Jimmies' address because he had a heart attack, that's when "currently covid positive" might be very useful information to have beforehand.
I'm sure there are nat voters in the Ministry of Health, but I'm not sure that they'd risk the career-ending prison time they'd get for spraying patient records all over the place. MoH and StatsNZ tend to take that stuff hyper-seriously. MSD… well, they do them, I guess.
As for people saying "I also got that information", why would they? They're not after the headlines, they maybe needed it to do their jobs, and some nat might have fucked this up for all of them.
All people with covid-19 are in quarantine except for the two women in Lower Hutt who are no longer active cases anyway – noone else has been allowed out since then. Once people are out of isolation or quarantine, I assume, there are no restrictions on where they live or where they go in NZ. If so, a list of where these people are is of no use to emergency services because people may no longer be there anyway. All they need is a list of the isolation/quarantine hotels and they should be treating every person there as infectious anyway – no matter what their last known status was.
I suspect it was started at or before L4 was imposed, when community transmission was evident and was expected for the long term (meaning you could be called to any address and if might have positive cases there) – and it didn't have clear "off" criteria.
It might even have been automated.
But it was going to the relevant services as part of infectious disease management – the "leak" began with Boag.
jfc, what a mess. So the MoH was regularly sending spreadsheets with the names and other details of the people in quarantine to Boag's personal email address, and then Boag was giving that to the ARHT as needed?
ARHT were a bit sly with their statement then. Obviously they just wanted to formalise that they didn't pass information to Boag and that their systems were secure, but I have to wonder if they knew that Boag was going to clear things up today.
It's quite possible that the trustees had no knowledge of the covid email when they made the statement, if the CEO was forwarding operational info to the people who actually needed to know it. As far as they're concerned, she had no access to their patient management system or any of that stuff. It's possible that none of the people on the list were people they had treated, i.e. had ever even been patients of the ARHT.
This isn't an IT compromise.
It's not even a particularly catastrophic screw up with the email addresses, as long as whoever manages her email is reasonably competent. And if that was the email address supplied by Boag or the ARHT to MoH as a high-level contact email, that's on whomever supplied the address.
Sure, there are "learnings" (as managers like to say at these times), but it's not gobsmackingly terrible – the emails went to the CEO of the organisation, and the CEO forwarded it to the people who needed to know. It wasn't posted online by accident, or went to some analyst's softball league team list, or accessible via a web kiosk at reception. I'd even go so far as to say it barely rates a news report.
Assuming that she didn't reply to each and every email with "this is a personal email address and completely inappropriate for patient information, please send it to [relevant address]", the real fuckup is employing someone that corrupt in the health sector.
Who would get this info? Police? GPS ? Hospital EDs? Ambulance……
The helicopter people have distanced themselves from her, so it may be news to them she was getting this information.
is it possible Boag herself requested to be on the list
These just keep getting better..
https://twitter.com/JonnyGeller/status/1280555059424776192?s=20
All those decent, sane, and balanced Republicans like Karl Rove, John Bolton, and William Kristol. The "resistance" ads just keep getting better all right.
All the way to victory with the Rebel Republicans in the vanguard.
https://media3.giphy.com/media/ioeQEPFDeS8s8/giphy.gif