It's only fair that those who actively undermined the "team of 5 million" and the public health response, should now go to the back of the queue. They put lives at risk, while the majority made huge sacrifices.
So no vaccine for Simon Thornley, Mike Hosking, Jami-Lee Ross, etc, etc. They can get themselves some Swedish herd immunity instead.
Hmm, 750,000 initial vaccines for NZ in the first quarter next year. How does this work? Partial vaccination of a population with almost no exposure to the virus. Are they intending to open the borders on the basis of that? If not, what's the point of going early, rather than waiting for more robust results?
I wouldn't be surprised if it were prioritised for healthcare, airport, and isolation centre workers (and maybe people travelling overseas) at that level of initial supply.
But this is still an early step, however promising.
If it even works, it could only be effective for three months, which would mean it would be a prophylactic in areas near a cluster rather than a panacea for everyone. Or it might not work at all (although pfizer isn't exactly a healthcare startup promising the world and delivering nothing).
It does, however, suggest that the plan B jerks who worried that we might be as isolated as North Korea for the foreseeable future look a bit pessimistic. Research progress is well on its way, we most likely won't be closed to tourists for the next 50 years.
It does, however, suggest that the plan B jerks who worried that we might be as isolated as North Korea for the foreseeable future look a bit pessimistic.
Not sure why they think we will have access in the first quarter next year…the report I heard said they expect to produce 100 million vaccines over the next year and I doubt we will be at the front of the queue.
750,000 initial vaccines for NZ in the first quarter next year
Halve it. All of the vaccines look like they will need two doses close together to be effective.
The priority has to be on the people maintaining the medical services and the quarantine – because that is how we increase the border boundary and prepare for outbreaks.
Weka 2 doses per person required plus the vaccine needs to be stored at -80C also they say it will take 2 yrs of monitoring to make sure of the vaccines efficacy after roll out.
Basically, if a vaccine has only been trialled for say a month the we can't know the two year efficacy. It would be unethical to have a safe and effective vaccine and not use it just because we don't know how long it will work for.
Really, the 1.5mil doses will only happen if the vaccine doesn't get rejected for some reason. The reason NZ and others got in early was to both secure a portion of the initial supply before the rush boosts prices, and also it provided either revenue or secure revenue projections for developers to invest money on. A bit like crowdfunding, but where the sponsors are governments.
I see ANZ have just announced an end date to cheques. My question is for personal accounts:
If you don't want to use an online account what other decent options are there to transfer larger one off amounts to others whether it is to buy cars new or second hand, pay funeral expenses or tradesmans bills etc.
Bearing in mind the following:
trust in not being hacked is low for online
the daily transfer amount for most personal accounts online is only around $600 to $700
using debit cards means that any charge queried is not reversed until after any investigation is complete leaving the account holder out of funds in the interim
credit cards attract extra charges on the account
direct debits are hard to get off your account and not suitable for one offs
using phone or ATMs to pay hits the daily limit quickly and does not provide any answer back to ensure you have paid the correct person. This has caused a lot of problems overseas with the banks doing pretty much nothing to resolve the issues. Emails are also being hacked to change account numbers.
Even trade me on the website really didn't seem to have an answer for this paying of larger amounts for second hand goods.
Perhaps banking licences should come with a service requirement – or maybe us customers could own our account numbers and then use transactional services of our choice rather than rely on the banks. Something like the eftpos net that runs separately between us all shutting the banks out.
Daily transfer limits, or individual transaction limits are generally much higher than $700. We have accounts with four different banks and our transfer limits are in the tens of thousands for all of them – we have not requested high limits by the way, but are comfortable with the security in place for our online accounts. If we did reach the limit for a transaction, we would just make more than one payment.
Well lucky that you have lots to shift and don't care if you are hacked. Banks are not immune from hacking. Most people don't have lots and Trade me telling people to pay bit by bit over several days says this is quite a decent issue .
But the point remains – why should people be forced into online banking so they can pay their bills. It's an investment of a $500 computer plus some $960 a year in internet feeds. That is a lot for a lot of people. I say again – do we need to ditch the banks for transactions or does a banking licence come with service conditions.
The banks should retain bank cheques so that you can transfer the larger amounts in a formal and safe manner. And we used to have Post Office Savings Bank vouchers or something, that could be purchased and sent, and I think they could be cashed at a Post Office.
Locally banks withdrew from having an office in a local suburb with older people. Withdrawing services and forcing people to go on-line with all the cost and problems that ensue. Now they have linked together to have a shared one. That seems a practical method to provide services efficiently in the burbs and regions.
And there's pretty much no limit to how much you can transfer via other means that are safer.
And we used to have Post Office Savings Bank vouchers or something, that could be purchased and sent, and I think they could be cashed at a Post Office.
So?
They no longer exist because they no longer serve a purpose.
Withdrawing services and forcing people to go on-line with all the cost and problems that ensue.
Yeah, decreasing costs is what businesses do to increase shareholder bludging.
Now they have linked together to have a shared one. That seems a practical method to provide services efficiently in the burbs and regions.
Cooperation has always been more efficient than competition but competition returns higher profits to the bludgers.
Cheques and other forms of banking were not error or fraud proof. But they were individual errors or frauds not the industrial scale frauds that you get from hacking. But they were a means of delivering money into the hands of the correct party.
As to how to transfer larger amounts in a safe way- I'm all ears for a non online way- because even my bank seems to be dead out of ideas.
And I’m glad to hear that there re some shared service centres out there. It was getting pretty grim in some parts of the country.
Yes I was pleased. It may have been something that Nick Smith organised somehow. He did do things for the electorate that kept him popular with the majority for quite some time.
About transferring money. I suppose you read about that case where a chap got had during a real estate purchase. IIRR he got an on-line message to send money for a house, purchase to his solicitor, (had paid the deposit so this was the bulk of the price), he did, and found out that it was a hacker conperson. I think he got his money back but it was thousands and nail-biting time.
IIRR he got an on-line message to send money for a house, purchase to his solicitor, (had paid the deposit so this was the bulk of the price), he did, and found out that it was a hacker conperson.
Sounds like he fucked up badly. He should have checked the email authenticity and where he was sending the money to.
Such cons only work because people don't check.
Still, would be interesting to know how he got his money back. Was it through:
The bank had insurance for these things that paid out
The conman was caught and the money was retrieved
The bank just created the money and stuck it in his account (please note: This may also be how the insurance paid out if it was insurance)
Check fraud is on the rise. A new survey by the American Bankers Association (ABA) reports that attempted check fraud ballooned to $15.8 Billion in 2018 as reported by banks.
But this number does not include fake check scams that impact consumers who deposit those checks into their bank accounts.
Since banks hold customers responsible for counterfeit checks that bounce, consumers are often the ones left holding the bag when they have been conned by fraudsters.
I'm pretty sure that cheque fraud was far worse when cheques were a major part of financial transactions.
But they were a means of delivering money into the hands of the correct party.
And so is doing it online.
As to how to transfer larger amounts in a safe way- I'm all ears for a non online way- because even my bank seems to be dead out of ideas.
Things done offline are actually more prone to fraud due to human error which is probably why we're seeing increased cheque fraud.
You're right about the costs of having an internet connection and even a computer but the problem isn't solved by staying in the past. The world has already moved on and its now essentially impossible to operate effectively in society without a computer or internet access.
Therefore the solution is free-internet access by right and even free, late model, phones.
American cheque fraud issues are not ours and are irrelevant. AFAIK every little bank there issues cheques and they are cleared with paper trails.
We have long had overnight clearing of transactions through the various banks and back to the Reserve Bank . Some of it is now actually real time on line. Overseas cheques only are different.
And no there was not widespread fraud here when cheques where more widely used.
Delivering correctly online is not foolproof or more secure. Issues abound overseas and even here, where emails have been changed (America's Cup) or numbers are punched incorrectly because the name doesn't verify as well. They have been pretty reluctant to fix this sort of stuff overseas too.
Why should the taxpayer make it free? Support the banks??? It still leaves other issues around ability confidence etc.
Just a couple of quick links – a search produces a mass of reputable stories.
American cheque fraud issues are not ours and are irrelevant.
No, its not irrelevant. The point is that cheque fraud is a major problem.
And no there was not widespread fraud here when cheques where more widely used.
Is suspect that you have no more knowledge of that than I do and yet I recall that warnings about cheque fraud abounded just as warnings about cyber-crime abound now.
Delivering correctly online is not foolproof or more secure.
I didn't say it was fool proof. Online scams work because people are fools.
Issues abound overseas and even here, where emails have been changed (America's Cup) or numbers are punched incorrectly because the name doesn't verify as well.
Human error – no matter the system, its always going to be there. Fortunately, good software can guard against it if using electronic systems.
Why should the taxpayer make it free?
I'll assume you're talking about the internet of which I stated the answer:
The world has already moved on and its now essentially impossible to operate effectively in society without a computer or internet access.
Its not about supporting the banks but ensuring that everyone has the tools to operate in society. Such has been done before – its why we have compulsory education.
If people are stupid enough to transfer money via online system to people without checking it then they're probably stupid enough to write out cheques to do the same thing.
FWIW I have a considerable background in NZ in this area. The USA does operate differently we've had a minimum of overnight clear here for around 40 years so the US experience is not transferable to us. I'm sure I would have noticed if there had been wholesale fraud as would others.
The banks don't have good software to guard against human error hence the amount of fraud recorded overseas and banks like everyone else get hacked. They also make human errors – playing with the FX system and transfering $100million to an NZ corporate by mistake.A quick look at the Australian banking Inquiry is a horrible lesson in just how badly banks run their internal systems and how badly they treat their customers.
To call people fools because they get caught up in scams? – some are pretty basic but others aren't or to blame them for dysfunctional systems and suggest they are just morons in any system is not good or necessarily correct. Nor is any system better just because it is newer. One size doesn't necessarily fit all.
The othger thing about scams is that some of them are laughably obvious on purpose – it stops the equivalent of tyre-kickers, in this sense people who will take it at face value initially but then wise up quickly.
No, the obvious ones are targeting people who are easily taken advantage of – people without computer smarts or with poor education, maybe language issues, maybe a touch of dementia. The ones least able to defend themselves.
– and Cormack says the party is paying too much attention to focus groups and polls, and too little attention to formulating, and acting, according to its own ideology.
Oh noes! Stupid, stupid, stupid. They have a couple of years to be truly progressive with the will of the people behind them, and one year to consolidate and let the scaredy-cats see the sky isn't going to fall in.
If they waste this opportunity I will be resigning from the party.
"Cormack says" says it all. It's an opinion from a commentator who I have not heard of. The arguments in the piece are not well developed, and I'd need more persuading of the man's case than what I read here; note also that the piece is actually constructed as a commentary on what Cormack said in his interview. What Cormack said has been put through the filter of the reporter's own views and bias, whatever that may be. The piece is not written by Cormack. It is second hand.
The other query I have is to the credibility of a person who has acted as a staffer for National, Labour and the Greens. In that continuum, where does he sit?
I'm assuming he was either a Public Service staffer or a press secretary – probably the latter. Press secretaries seem to swop around between parties and don't necessarily align with their own bias. That's my observation anyway.
…explores Ardern's history earning her political stripes under Blair and Clarke. As an adherent of the Third Way…
During their apprenticeship in the Labour Party, the prevailing belief was that social issues could be addressed by market-based solutions – even when the problems they were trying to address is the result of the failure of the market. If Margaret Thatcher was alive today, she would be comfortable with Ardern’s leadership and happy to see her legacy continuing to shape a new generation of political leaders.
Yeah IMHO they had better hurry up and find a fifth way because the fourth way will look a lot like Trumpism. For a lot of people we are back to the 1930's for their general quality of life and that didn't end well..
But it should have put Robertson in context not only with English, but also with Cullen, and the true state architect of our state's financial framework, Bill Birch under Shipley.
Birch steadied the excesses of the Douglas-Caygill-Richardson era, and from Birch Cullen gave that some very strong institutional foundations which last to this day.
“The country is largely unified around the idea that politics has grown too divisive, the politics is too adversarial, and that politicians need to be more civil, So Biden’s message about healing is well-placed, everyone in the States wants a healed polity.
“However, when you ask Americans what steps can be taken to make politics more civil and cooperative the strong inclination is to blame the infidelity and hostility strictly on one’s partisan opponents.”
For a large number of Americans, reconciliation is really getting the other side to resign, he told Jesse Mulligan.
“They want reconciliation but in reality they just want the political opposition to go away.”
The notion of principled compromise has dissolved, he says.
“The idea that compromise always involves an abandoning of principle seems to have taken hold, the idea of compromise is always see as capitulation to the other side.
“This strikes me as a fundamentally anti-democratic idea.”
The United States was formed with too much political process and too little institutional stability.
I can imagine for example a United States where each state unifies its Police force (eradicating county by county differences), and then proposes to appoint judges solely through the office of the Attorney General, would start to take some of the futile political heat out of the country.
Yes. An observed feature of the triplet political model is a cycle in which mode has a period of ascendancy, and the order in which this seems to happen is conservative, liberal, socialist and then repeat.
Right now we are at the point where liberalism has dominated for some decades while the socialist instinct is now ascending. Conservatism in the meantime is at it's weakest nadir, which means the political dialog is placing far too little weight on stability as a virtue.
The predictable result is a great deal of entropy.
At a less cerebral level, a FPP electoral system locks you into a two party system, that tribalises everyone. A great deal of futile heat results from this too.
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Monday left me brokenTuesday, I was through with hopingWednesday, my empty arms were openThursday, waiting for love, waiting for loveThe end of another week that left many of us asking WTF? What on earth has NZ gotten itself into and how on earth could people have voluntarily signed up for ...
Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.State of humanity, 20242024, it feels, keeps presenting us with ever more challenges, ever more dismay.Do you give up yet? It seems to ask.No? How about this? Or this?How about this?Full story Share ...
Determining the hardest sport in the world is a subjective matter, as the difficulty level can vary depending on individual abilities, physical attributes, and experience. However, based on various factors including physical demands, technical skills, mental fortitude, and overall accomplishment, here is an exploration of some of the most challenging ...
The allure of sport transcends age, culture, and geographical boundaries. It captivates hearts, ignites passions, and provides unparalleled entertainment. Behind the spectacle, however, lies a fascinating world of financial investment and expenditure. Among the vast array of competitive pursuits, one question looms large: which sport carries the hefty title of ...
Introduction Pickleball, a rapidly growing paddle sport, has captured the hearts and imaginations of millions around the world. Its blend of tennis, badminton, and table tennis elements has made it a favorite among players of all ages and skill levels. As the sport’s popularity continues to surge, the question on ...
Abstract: Soccer, the global phenomenon captivating millions worldwide, has a rich history that spans centuries. Its origins trace back to ancient civilizations, but the modern version we know and love emerged through a complex interplay of cultural influences and innovations. This article delves into the fascinating journey of soccer’s evolution, ...
Tinting car windows offers numerous benefits, including enhanced privacy, reduced glare, UV protection, and a more stylish look for your vehicle. However, the cost of window tinting can vary significantly depending on several factors. This article provides a comprehensive guide to help you understand how much you can expect to ...
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. ...
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. ...
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. ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
The Government’s newly announced review of methane emissions reduction targets hints at its desire to delay Aotearoa New Zealand’s urgent transition to a climate safe future, the Green Party said. ...
The Government must commit to the Maitai School building project for students with high and complex needs, to ensure disabled students from the top of the South Island have somewhere to learn. ...
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey and his Government colleagues have made a meal of their mental health commitments, showing how flimsy their efforts to champion the issue truly are, says Labour Mental Health spokesperson Ingrid Leary. ...
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 ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector. "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
While Anzac Day has experienced a resurgence in recent years, our other day of remembrance has slowly faded from view.The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand. Original illustrations by Hope McConnell.First published in 2022.The high school’s head girl and ...
Australian and New Zealand volunteers fought together in the Waikato War, yet still its place in the Anzac tradition is unacknowledged by our defence forces or Returned Services Association.First published in 2018.When I was a boy cub I attended Anzac Day services in the South Auckland suburb of ...
A poem by Wellington writer Tayi Tibble.Hoki Mai She kisses him goodbye with her eyes still wet and alight from their last swim in the Awatere river. At the train station celebration, she leads the Kapa Haka but her voice keeps breaking under and over itself like waves. ...
A poem from Bill Manhire’s 2017 book of verse Some Things to Place in a Coffin.My World War I Poem Inside each trench, the sound of prayer. Inside each prayer, the sound of digging. Image courtesy of Auckland War Memorial Museum. ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[quiz],DIV[quiz],A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Thursday 25 April appeared first on Newsroom. ...
There are three books I have wolfed down in one sitting over the last two years. Colleen Maria Lenihan’s gorgeous and sad debut Kōhine, Noelle McCarthy’s memoir Grand about becoming her mother and then unbecoming her, and now Hine Toa, a staunch yet gentle self-portrait by living legend Ngāhuia te ...
Asia Pacific Report Students and activist staff at Australia’s University of Sydney (USyd) have set up a Gaza solidarity encampment in support of Palestinians and similar student-led protests in the United States. The camp was pitched as mass graves, crippled hospitals, thousands of civilian deaths and the near-total destruction of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James B. Dorey, Lecturer in Biological Sciences, University of Wollongong Australian teddy bear bees are cute and fluffy, but get a look at that massive (unbarbed) stinger! James Dorey Photography Most of us have been stung by a bee and we ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jen Roberts, Senior Lecturer, School of Humanities and Social Inquiry, University of Wollongong Aussie~mobs/FlickrVictor Farr, a private in the 1st Infantry Battalion, was among the first to land at Anzac Cove just before dawn on April 25 1915. Victor Farr ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Gregory Moore I had the good fortune to care for the sugar gum at The University of Melbourne’s Burnley Gardens in Victoria where I worked for ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Senior Lecturer, Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society, University of Canberra BagzhanSadvakassov/Upsplash, CC BY-SA Australia’s inflation rate has fallen for the fifth successive quarter, and it’s now less than half of what it was back in late 2022. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rachel Ong ViforJ, ARC Future Fellow & Professor of Economics, Curtin University Just when we think the price of rentals could not get any worse, this week’s Rental Affordability Snapshot by Anglicare has revealed low-income Australians are facing a housing crisis like ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Meighen McCrae, Associate Professor of Strategic & Defence Studies, Australian National University American and Australian stretcher bearers working together near the front line during the Battle of Hamel in 1918.Australian War Memorial While the AUKUS alliance is new, the Australian-American partnership ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tracey Holmes, Professorial Fellow in Sport, University of Canberra When the news broke last weekend that 23 Chinese swimmers had tested positive to a banned drug in early 2021 and were allowed to compete at the Tokyo Olympic Games six months later ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cally Jetta, Senior Lecturer and Academic Lead; College for First Nations, University of Southern Queensland Australian War MemorialAboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised this article contains names and images of deceased people, as well as sensitive historical information ...
RNZ News Melissa Lee has been ousted from New Zealand’s coalition cabinet and stripped of the Media portfolio, and Penny Simmonds has lost the Disability Issues portfolio in a reshuffle. Climate Change and Revenue Minister Simon Watts will take Lee’s spot in cabinet. Simmonds was a minister outside of cabinet. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Lindenmayer, Professor, Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University laurello/Shutterstock Some reports and popular books, such as Bill Gammage’s Biggest Estate on Earth, have argued that extensive areas of Australia’s forests were kept open through frequent burning by ...
Analysis - Christopher Luxon framing the demotion of two ministers as the portfolios getting "too complex" is a charitable way of saying they weren't up to the job. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra With Jim Chalmers’s third budget on May 14, Australians will be looking for some more cost-of-living relief – beyond the tax cuts – although they have been warned extra measures will be modest. As ...
Analysis: Melissa Lee has lost the media portfolio and her spot in Cabinet after multiple failed attempts to find solutions for a media industry in crisis. On Wednesday, the Prime Minister announced Lee would be losing her spot in Cabinet along with her media and communications ministerial portfolio. The job ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Simon Wilmot, Senior Lecturer, Film, Deakin University Among the many Australian who served during the second world war, there is a small group of people whose stories remain largely untold. These are the Muslim men and women who, while small in number, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kelly Saunders, PhD Candidate, University of Canberra There has been much analysis and praise of Justice Michael Lee’s recent judgement in Bruce Lehrmann’s defamation case against Channel Ten. Many people were openly relieved to read Lee’s “forensic” and “nuanced” application of law ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kathy Gibbs, Program Director for the Bachelor of Education, Griffith University zEdward_Indy/Shutterstock Around one in 20 people has attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It’s one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders in childhood and often continues into adulthood. ADHD is diagnosed ...
The Fairer Future coalition of anti-poverty groups say Whaikaha must be properly funded going forward, and that to argue that poor financial management of the new Ministry is a red herring by the Prime Minister. ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is today congratulating Hon. Paul Goldsmith on his appointment as Minister for Media and Communications and urges him to rule out state intervention in the private media sector. ...
Asia Pacific Report The West Papuan resistance OPM leader has condemned Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and US President Joe Biden, accusing their countries of “six decades of treachery” over Papuan independence. The open letter was released today by OPM chairman Jeffrey P Bomanak on the eve of ANZAC Day ...
Welcome to The Spinoff Books Confessional, in which we get to know the reading habits and quirks of New Zealanders at large. This week: writer and one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people of 2024, Lauren Groff.The book I wish I’d writtenIf I wish I’d written a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Fechner, Research Fellow, Social Marketing, Griffith University mavo/Shutterstock Imagine having dinner at a restaurant. The menu offers plant-based meat alternatives made mostly from vegetables, mushrooms, legumes and wheat that mimic meat in taste, texture and smell. Despite being given that ...
“Three Strikes is a dead-end policy proposed by a dead-end government. The Three Strikes law ignores the causes of crime, instead just brutalising people already crushed by the cost of living.” ...
By Don Wiseman, RNZ Pacific senior journalist An Australian-born judge in Kiribati could well face deportation later this week after a tribunal ruling that he should be removed from his post. The tribunal’s report has just been tabled in the Kiribati Parliament and is due to be debated by MPs ...
With its clear mandate for police use, political nuances, and nuanced public trust, Denmark's insights provide valuable considerations for Australia and New Zealand. ...
Books editor Claire Mabey reviews poet Louise Wallace’s debut novel. A famous poet once said to me that he’s always suspicious when a poet publishes a novel. I never really understood why but maybe it’s something to do with cheating on your first form. Louise Wallace is a poet. She’s ...
For a few months at the turn of the millennium, TrueBliss burned bright as the biggest pop stars in the country. Alex Casey chats to two superfans who still hold the flame. During a humble backyard wedding in Nelson, 1999, one of the cordially invited guests had to excuse themselves ...
How will the recent wave of job cuts impact ethnic diversity in the media? In November last year, I was working a very busy day in the newsroom of a large online news site, interviewing whānau about their concerns over the imminent closure of one of the few puna reo ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ruth Knight, Researcher, Queensland University of Technology Have you ever felt sick at work? Perhaps you had food poisoning or the flu. Your belly hurt, or you felt tired, making it hard to concentrate and be productive. How likely would you be ...
Despite heavy criticism and an ongoing select committee process, the Police Minister says the Government will forge ahead with a ban on gang patches. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sam Whiting, Lecturer – Creative Industries, University of South Australia Shutterstock Everyone has a favourite band, or a favourite composer, or a favourite song. There is some music which speaks to you, deeply; and other music which might be the current ...
A new survey says ‘outlook not great’ for those charged with building infrastructure, while RMA changes delight farmers and depress environmentalists, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. First RMA changes announced ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Olli Hellmann, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Waikato Getty Images When New Zealanders commemorate Anzac Day on April 25, it’s not only to honour the soldiers who lost their lives in World War I and subsequent conflicts, but also ...
A leaked document shows the Canterbury/Waitaha arm of health agency Te Whatu Ora is scurrying to save $13.3 million by July. The “financial sustainability target”, which was “allocated” to Waitaha, is consistent with what’s happening in other districts, says Sarah Dalton, executive director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists. ...
A look at the state of the previous government’s affordable housing scheme, and what could come next.Remind me: What’s KiwiBuild again?First announced in 2012, KiwiBuild was a flagship policy of the Labour Party heading into both its 2014 and 2017 election campaigns. With Jacinda Ardern as prime minister, ...
Labour in opposition will be shocked to learn which party had six years in power but squandered any chance to make real change. Grant Robertson’s valedictory speech was a predictably entertaining trip down memory lane. The acid-tongued incoming Otago University chancellor administered a sick burn to the coalition government. He ...
Taiwan’s semiconductor industry is seen some as its ‘silicon shield’ against invasion – but how will overseas expansion affect that protection? The post The state of Taiwan’s silicon shield appeared first on Newsroom. ...
There’s relief for building owners bending under the weight of earthquake strengthening rules – and costs – that came into force seven years ago. Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk has announced a scheduled 2027 review of the earthquake-prone building regulations will now start this year. Owners will also get ...
Opinion: It has been announced that nine percent of roles at Oranga Tamariki will be disestablished, presumably to help fund the tax cuts promised by the coalition Government. I am reminded of the graphics used to illustrate pandemic events, where five thousand people are standing in a field and then ...
After more than two sleepless days, running through savage terrain, Greig Hamilton didn’t know if he was going to finish one of the most gruelling psychological assaults in sport. He was metres away from the finish line, a yellow gate made famous in a Netflix documentary; a race he’d dreamed ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[quiz],DIV[quiz],A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Wednesday 24 April appeared first on Newsroom. ...
The following interview with former Green Party MP Sue Kedgley came about because she features in the new memoir Hine Toa by activist Ngāhuia te Awekōtuku; the two knew each other at the University of Auckland in the early 70s, when they were both took on leadership roles in the ...
COMMENTARY:By Murray Horton New Zealand needs to get tough with Israel. It’s not as if we haven’t done so before. When NZ authorities busted a Mossad operation in Auckland 20 years ago, the government didn’t say: “Oh well, Israel has the right to defend itself.” No, it arrested, prosecuted, ...
NEWSMAKERS:By Vijay Narayan, news director of FijiVillage Blessed to be part of the University of Fiji (UniFiji) faculty to continue to teach and mentor those who want to join our noble profession, and to stand for truth and justice for the people of the country. I was privileged to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Three weeks from now, some of us will be presented with a mountain of budget papers, and just about all of us will get to hear about them on radio, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dan Lowry, Ice Sheet & Climate Modeller, GNS Science Hugh Chittock/Antarctica New Zealand, CC BY-SA As the climate warms and Antarctica’s glaciers and ice sheets melt, the resulting rise in sea level has the potential to displace hundreds of millions of ...
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Wonderful news about the Pfizer vaccine so far.
It's only fair that those who actively undermined the "team of 5 million" and the public health response, should now go to the back of the queue. They put lives at risk, while the majority made huge sacrifices.
So no vaccine for Simon Thornley, Mike Hosking, Jami-Lee Ross, etc, etc. They can get themselves some Swedish herd immunity instead.
Hmm, 750,000 initial vaccines for NZ in the first quarter next year. How does this work? Partial vaccination of a population with almost no exposure to the virus. Are they intending to open the borders on the basis of that? If not, what's the point of going early, rather than waiting for more robust results?
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/coronavirus/300154345/covid19-pfizer-vaccine-could-roll-out-in-new-zealand-at-the-start-of-2021-if-success-continues
Big ifs. I am 74, and would possibly qualify if this comes true.
But I fear that some people are counting their chickens before the Covid hen has even laid all the eggs.
I wouldn't be surprised if it were prioritised for healthcare, airport, and isolation centre workers (and maybe people travelling overseas) at that level of initial supply.
But this is still an early step, however promising.
If it even works, it could only be effective for three months, which would mean it would be a prophylactic in areas near a cluster rather than a panacea for everyone. Or it might not work at all (although pfizer isn't exactly a healthcare startup promising the world and delivering nothing).
It does, however, suggest that the plan B jerks who worried that we might be as isolated as North Korea for the foreseeable future look a bit pessimistic. Research progress is well on its way, we most likely won't be closed to tourists for the next 50 years.
Not that they're an horrendous loss, anyway.
It does, however, suggest that the plan B jerks who worried that we might be as isolated as North Korea for the foreseeable future look a bit pessimistic.
Then again what happens when it mutates.
lol you're running out of tendrils of pessimism to latch onto.
Not sure why they think we will have access in the first quarter next year…the report I heard said they expect to produce 100 million vaccines over the next year and I doubt we will be at the front of the queue.
Halve it. All of the vaccines look like they will need two doses close together to be effective.
The priority has to be on the people maintaining the medical services and the quarantine – because that is how we increase the border boundary and prepare for outbreaks.
Then the people with problematic immune systems.
they have 1.5m doses.
Weka 2 doses per person required plus the vaccine needs to be stored at -80C also they say it will take 2 yrs of monitoring to make sure of the vaccines efficacy after roll out.
So guinea pigging the first doses?
"If all goes well, the first doses of the vaccine could be delivered in NZ by the first quarter of 2021."
Link above.
Not really "guinea pigging".
Basically, if a vaccine has only been trialled for say a month the we can't know the two year efficacy. It would be unethical to have a safe and effective vaccine and not use it just because we don't know how long it will work for.
Really, the 1.5mil doses will only happen if the vaccine doesn't get rejected for some reason. The reason NZ and others got in early was to both secure a portion of the initial supply before the rush boosts prices, and also it provided either revenue or secure revenue projections for developers to invest money on. A bit like crowdfunding, but where the sponsors are governments.
I see ANZ have just announced an end date to cheques. My question is for personal accounts:
If you don't want to use an online account what other decent options are there to transfer larger one off amounts to others whether it is to buy cars new or second hand, pay funeral expenses or tradesmans bills etc.
Bearing in mind the following:
Even trade me on the website really didn't seem to have an answer for this paying of larger amounts for second hand goods.
Perhaps banking licences should come with a service requirement – or maybe us customers could own our account numbers and then use transactional services of our choice rather than rely on the banks. Something like the eftpos net that runs separately between us all shutting the banks out.
Daily transfer limits, or individual transaction limits are generally much higher than $700. We have accounts with four different banks and our transfer limits are in the tens of thousands for all of them – we have not requested high limits by the way, but are comfortable with the security in place for our online accounts. If we did reach the limit for a transaction, we would just make more than one payment.
Well lucky that you have lots to shift and don't care if you are hacked. Banks are not immune from hacking. Most people don't have lots and Trade me telling people to pay bit by bit over several days says this is quite a decent issue .
But the point remains – why should people be forced into online banking so they can pay their bills. It's an investment of a $500 computer plus some $960 a year in internet feeds. That is a lot for a lot of people. I say again – do we need to ditch the banks for transactions or does a banking licence come with service conditions.
Yes we do but some people get upset with the idea. This is probably due to decades of being told that government is bad.
The banks should retain bank cheques so that you can transfer the larger amounts in a formal and safe manner. And we used to have Post Office Savings Bank vouchers or something, that could be purchased and sent, and I think they could be cashed at a Post Office.
Locally banks withdrew from having an office in a local suburb with older people. Withdrawing services and forcing people to go on-line with all the cost and problems that ensue. Now they have linked together to have a shared one. That seems a practical method to provide services efficiently in the burbs and regions.
Whatever makes you think that cheques are safe?
And there's pretty much no limit to how much you can transfer via other means that are safer.
So?
They no longer exist because they no longer serve a purpose.
Yeah, decreasing costs is what businesses do to increase shareholder bludging.
Cooperation has always been more efficient than competition but competition returns higher profits to the bludgers.
Thanks for all your trouble to put me on the right track Draco.
Cheques and other forms of banking were not error or fraud proof. But they were individual errors or frauds not the industrial scale frauds that you get from hacking. But they were a means of delivering money into the hands of the correct party.
As to how to transfer larger amounts in a safe way- I'm all ears for a non online way- because even my bank seems to be dead out of ideas.
And I’m glad to hear that there re some shared service centres out there. It was getting pretty grim in some parts of the country.
Yes I was pleased. It may have been something that Nick Smith organised somehow. He did do things for the electorate that kept him popular with the majority for quite some time.
About transferring money. I suppose you read about that case where a chap got had during a real estate purchase. IIRR he got an on-line message to send money for a house, purchase to his solicitor, (had paid the deposit so this was the bulk of the price), he did, and found out that it was a hacker conperson. I think he got his money back but it was thousands and nail-biting time.
Sounds like he fucked up badly. He should have checked the email authenticity and where he was sending the money to.
Such cons only work because people don't check.
Still, would be interesting to know how he got his money back. Was it through:
Yeah, I think you may be being a little too optimistic there:
I'm pretty sure that cheque fraud was far worse when cheques were a major part of financial transactions.
And so is doing it online.
Things done offline are actually more prone to fraud due to human error which is probably why we're seeing increased cheque fraud.
You're right about the costs of having an internet connection and even a computer but the problem isn't solved by staying in the past. The world has already moved on and its now essentially impossible to operate effectively in society without a computer or internet access.
Therefore the solution is free-internet access by right and even free, late model, phones.
American cheque fraud issues are not ours and are irrelevant. AFAIK every little bank there issues cheques and they are cleared with paper trails.
We have long had overnight clearing of transactions through the various banks and back to the Reserve Bank . Some of it is now actually real time on line. Overseas cheques only are different.
And no there was not widespread fraud here when cheques where more widely used.
Delivering correctly online is not foolproof or more secure. Issues abound overseas and even here, where emails have been changed (America's Cup) or numbers are punched incorrectly because the name doesn't verify as well. They have been pretty reluctant to fix this sort of stuff overseas too.
Why should the taxpayer make it free? Support the banks??? It still leaves other issues around ability confidence etc.
Just a couple of quick links – a search produces a mass of reputable stories.
https://www.which.co.uk/news/2020/03/bank-transfer-fraud-losses-soar-to-almost-500m-in-2019/
https://www.theguardian.com/money/2019/dec/07/i-lost-my-193000-inheritance-with-one-wrong-digit-on-my-sort-code
No, its not irrelevant. The point is that cheque fraud is a major problem.
Is suspect that you have no more knowledge of that than I do and yet I recall that warnings about cheque fraud abounded just as warnings about cyber-crime abound now.
I didn't say it was fool proof. Online scams work because people are fools.
Human error – no matter the system, its always going to be there. Fortunately, good software can guard against it if using electronic systems.
I'll assume you're talking about the internet of which I stated the answer:
Its not about supporting the banks but ensuring that everyone has the tools to operate in society. Such has been done before – its why we have compulsory education.
If people are stupid enough to transfer money via online system to people without checking it then they're probably stupid enough to write out cheques to do the same thing.
FWIW I have a considerable background in NZ in this area. The USA does operate differently we've had a minimum of overnight clear here for around 40 years so the US experience is not transferable to us. I'm sure I would have noticed if there had been wholesale fraud as would others.
The banks don't have good software to guard against human error hence the amount of fraud recorded overseas and banks like everyone else get hacked. They also make human errors – playing with the FX system and transfering $100million to an NZ corporate by mistake.A quick look at the Australian banking Inquiry is a horrible lesson in just how badly banks run their internal systems and how badly they treat their customers.
To call people fools because they get caught up in scams? – some are pretty basic but others aren't or to blame them for dysfunctional systems and suggest they are just morons in any system is not good or necessarily correct. Nor is any system better just because it is newer. One size doesn't necessarily fit all.
The othger thing about scams is that some of them are laughably obvious on purpose – it stops the equivalent of tyre-kickers, in this sense people who will take it at face value initially but then wise up quickly.
No, the obvious ones are targeting people who are easily taken advantage of – people without computer smarts or with poor education, maybe language issues, maybe a touch of dementia. The ones least able to defend themselves.
I wonder if the PM will take the time to listen?
https://www.rnz.co.nz/programmes/the-detail/story/2018771981/why-is-labour-putting-the-brakes-on-its-own-political-capital
Excerpt:
Oh noes! Stupid, stupid, stupid. They have a couple of years to be truly progressive with the will of the people behind them, and one year to consolidate and let the scaredy-cats see the sky isn't going to fall in.
If they waste this opportunity I will be resigning from the party.
if they waste this opportunity i suspect you may have quite a bit of company
"Cormack says" says it all. It's an opinion from a commentator who I have not heard of. The arguments in the piece are not well developed, and I'd need more persuading of the man's case than what I read here; note also that the piece is actually constructed as a commentary on what Cormack said in his interview. What Cormack said has been put through the filter of the reporter's own views and bias, whatever that may be. The piece is not written by Cormack. It is second hand.
The other query I have is to the credibility of a person who has acted as a staffer for National, Labour and the Greens. In that continuum, where does he sit?
the piece is not written (though there is a summary)…it is an audio file
Thanks for the explanation, Pat.
I'm assuming he was either a Public Service staffer or a press secretary – probably the latter. Press secretaries seem to swop around between parties and don't necessarily align with their own bias. That's my observation anyway.
This was worth a read… (from the sidebar) https://democracyproject.nz/2020/11/10/josiah-banbury-labour-won-the-election-battle-but-national-won-the-ideological-war/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=josiah-banbury-labour-won-the-election-battle-but-national-won-the-ideological-war
…explores Ardern's history earning her political stripes under Blair and Clarke. As an adherent of the Third Way…
During their apprenticeship in the Labour Party, the prevailing belief was that social issues could be addressed by market-based solutions – even when the problems they were trying to address is the result of the failure of the market. If Margaret Thatcher was alive today, she would be comfortable with Ardern’s leadership and happy to see her legacy continuing to shape a new generation of political leaders.
Ouch. The truth hurts.
There will be weeping and wailing and gnashing…
they are all 'third way'….and have been since the formation (and subsequent demise) of New Labour.
Yeah IMHO they had better hurry up and find a fifth way because the fourth way will look a lot like Trumpism. For a lot of people we are back to the 1930's for their general quality of life and that didn't end well..
wouldnt hold your breath waiting….history indicates we dont learn from it
It is worth the read so far as it goes.
But it should have put Robertson in context not only with English, but also with Cullen, and the true state architect of our state's financial framework, Bill Birch under Shipley.
Birch steadied the excesses of the Douglas-Caygill-Richardson era, and from Birch Cullen gave that some very strong institutional foundations which last to this day.
Foundations based on propping up a failed economic model with offshore land sales.
Beneath the green and shady hill
lies Mrs Birch, mother of Bill
Her soul of course has fled this vale
of tears, and so this plot's For Sale.
Good couplet. We are nothing if not based on property rights.
The tools to maintain regional hegemony are payoff for selling out the Palestinians.
https://twitter.com/John_Hudson/status/1325951585042771968
Bibi must be spitting tacks!
What happens when everything becomes political:
The United States was formed with too much political process and too little institutional stability.
I can imagine for example a United States where each state unifies its Police force (eradicating county by county differences), and then proposes to appoint judges solely through the office of the Attorney General, would start to take some of the futile political heat out of the country.
Yes. An observed feature of the triplet political model is a cycle in which mode has a period of ascendancy, and the order in which this seems to happen is conservative, liberal, socialist and then repeat.
Right now we are at the point where liberalism has dominated for some decades while the socialist instinct is now ascending. Conservatism in the meantime is at it's weakest nadir, which means the political dialog is placing far too little weight on stability as a virtue.
The predictable result is a great deal of entropy.
At a less cerebral level, a FPP electoral system locks you into a two party system, that tribalises everyone. A great deal of futile heat results from this too.