Daily review 12/03/2020

Written By: - Date published: 5:30 pm, March 12th, 2020 - 40 comments
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This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day.

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40 comments on “Daily review 12/03/2020 ”

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  1. A 1
    12 March 2020 at 6:36 pm

    If there was one thing this government could do to drastically benefit the people of NZ it would be to tell people to start gradually forward buying of food/essential items as a precautionary measure.

    Beneficiaries should all be given the ability to access additional money (recoverable as which means basically a loan, payable at the minimum $1/week rate) in order to do this and cover approximately 3 weeks of quarantine + a bit extra) . Wide spread quarantine is the best way to avoid overrunning our health system and vastly preferable to the state that virus stricken areas of Italy now find themselves in.

    Strong leadership that can act without advice from WHO/CDC is needed.

    https://threader.app/thread/1237142891077697538

    • Anne 1.1
      12 March 2020 at 6:51 pm

      Strong leadership that can act without advice from WHO/CDC is needed.

      Which A is precisely what we're getting.

      As for the gradual building up with supplies (not the stupid panic buying of course) well, that is something most citizens should be able to work out for themselves.

      You seem to have something against the WHO. In my view they are acting in an impeccable manner. They are putting the facts out there on a regular basis which is their job, but it is up to individual countries to pick them up and take appropriate action. Some are… some aren't. It is not the fault of the WHO if some countries are dragging their heels but NZ is not one of them.

      • A 1.1.1
        12 March 2020 at 7:37 pm

        That's because WHO are directly responsible for this mess getting out of control.

        They spread incorrect information early on and prioritized the economy over human life, delayed the declaration of a pandemic over 40 days for a virus that showed exponential growth. Eventually the documentary will come out showing just how badly they let the world down.

        • Macro 1.1.1.1
          12 March 2020 at 9:28 pm

          🙄

          You do realise that the WHO is not a regulatory body and has no input whatsoever in the global economy. It's function is to research, advise, and assist

          Governments (who) have a responsibility for the health of their peoples which can be fulfilled only by the provision of adequate health and social measures.

          For more info on the role of the WHO you can find it here:

          http://apps.who.int/gb/bd/

      • weka 1.1.2
        12 March 2020 at 11:55 pm

        "As for the gradual building up with supplies (not the stupid panic buying of course) well, that is something most citizens should be able to work out for themselves."

        Anne, I'm sure you appreciate that many beneficiaries aren't in a position to do this. They simply don't have the spare cash.

        • Anne 1.1.2.1
          13 March 2020 at 10:03 am

          I was thinking broadly weka but you are right. Thank-you for reminding me.

          This is a time when Minister Carmel Sepuloni needs to instruct Winz to loosen the purse strings and provide a means by which beneficiaries can receive a boost to their allowance so that they can make such provision for themselves.

          • weka 1.1.2.1.1
            13 March 2020 at 1:06 pm

            I think so. I'm wondering if they will do it if we end up with widespread infection, but the time to do it would be now so that people can afford extra soap and handwash, and to self isolate (yes, this costs beneficiaries too).

    • Sabine 1.2
      12 March 2020 at 6:59 pm

      The government could simply send to every beneficiary a food voucher over 200 and be done with it. Non of that 'refund' bull of $ 1 per week. If we can bail out huge corporation we can protect our poorest and most vulnerable from outright starvation.

      The government could also make sure that all beneficiaries are given the heating allowance (unless this is already done), thus making sure that people might not have the usual respiratory illness that they have every winter due to cold, uninsulated and rather moldy houses.

      The government could also offer a mortgage/rent holiday should there be a. a total shut down, or b. 'self isolation'. And if only to prevent people from loosing their homes because they don't have any income.

      The government could also increase base benefits by $1.20 per hour for 40 hours a week, which would be a really nice touch for our beneficiaries, cause the 3% ain't gonna cut it.

      The government could set up a grant for small – owner occupied – businesses so that they may apply for a grant to cover leases if they have to close, or loose business because no one leaves the house anymore.

      the government could do so many things and hopefully someone in the beehive will wake up and tell the government to finally do something.

      • A 1.2.1
        12 March 2020 at 7:32 pm

        If it's not recoverable there may be pushback which will cost time.

        Additionally many workers will need assistance too.

    • Cinny 1.3
      12 March 2020 at 7:10 pm

      Yet another reason to have an edible garden.

      • Sabine 1.3.1
        12 March 2020 at 7:15 pm

        i have a edible garden, and i would really like to not having to survive of that. Cause this summer was a bad summer for crop, too hot, not enough water and all that jazz.

        But i have lots of herbs. They did well.

        • Cinny 1.3.1.1
          13 March 2020 at 8:00 am

          Herbs = medicine, so that's all good 🙂

          Our vege garden wasn't that flash this year either. But we've loads of pumpkin's, figs and grapes. Happy to share. Mental note, if we are going to live off of figs we will need to stock up on toilet paper lolololz 🙂 🙂

          • mpledger 1.3.1.1.1
            13 March 2020 at 10:06 am

            My garden wasn't that great either. My bought tomato plants had minimal growth until midway through Feb when they took off.

  2. Muttonbird 2
    12 March 2020 at 6:53 pm

    Farrar watch:

    FDP has produced a list of what National will be announcing tomorrow he would do about Coronavirus.

    It includes, of course, stopping the minimum wage hike which prevents $1650K/year after tax reaching low income families where one parent is working 40 hours a week.

    Farrar also wants a tax cut for all by dropping the bottom tax rate from 10.5% to 5% giving everyone, including wealthy people, $750/year extra.

    I'm no mathematician but it looks like under David's plan, rich people who will be least impacted by Coronavirus related economic pressure will be better off $750.

    Meanwhile, those at the working low end of the economic spectrum, who will be greatly affected by Coronavirus related economic pressure, they will be $900 worse off.

    This is typical right wing thought. Hammer the poor and protect the rich, particularly in times of crisis. And this is beside the other usual corporate welfare ideas in National’s his list like subsidising employer profits with taxpayer cash, etc.

    • Cinny 2.1
      12 March 2020 at 7:28 pm

      Reminds me of Q2 yesterday.

      https://www.parliament.nz/mi/watch-parliament/ondemand?itemId=211459

      simon: Has the advice on the number of job losses as a result of the minimum wage increase on 1 April been updated to reflect the additional impact of coronavirus, which will mean many more thousands of job losses?

      Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: I already answered that, and if the member listened, I said no.

      simon: Does she understand her top priority is to keep New Zealanders in jobs and off the dole?

      Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Actually, my top priority is keeping New Zealanders healthy, and that is the best thing that we can do for our economy as well.

      The nat's response to Covid19 has been revolting, they've always put money above people, but to do so during a pandemic, in my eyes that's a type of genocide.

      • A 2.1.1
        12 March 2020 at 7:42 pm

        Puts a smile on my face reading JA's second response, thanks.

        • alwyn 2.1.1.1
          12 March 2020 at 9:06 pm

          If she really meant what she said she wouldn't also be saying she was going to be happily shaking hands with anyone she happens to meet at Pacifika would she?

          https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12316063

          It's all very well to say that she washes he hands frequently. What about the people she shakes hands with after she has shaken the hand of someone who is infected? They will just have to put up with it if they get infected because they don't have ready access to hand sanitisers. Remember Judith Tizard? There was a joke about her that she was the Minister in Charge of looking after Helen Clark's handbag. I wonder if Ms Ardern has a Minister in Charge of looking after her hand wipes?

          If she really wants to take care of New Zealanders' health she should stop being so silly and should discourage hand shakes until the pandemic is over. How hard is that to understand?

          • Peter 2.1.1.1.1
            12 March 2020 at 9:29 pm

            I get all that. I'll file it with all the stuff I've seen over the past couple of years about all the terrible things she does and all the examples of bad leadership and non-leadership she's displayed. Like having a baby, wearing a hijab, saying anything about Australia, breathing …

            • Muttonbird 2.1.1.1.1.1
              12 March 2020 at 9:48 pm

              Nothing Jacinda Ardern does is good enough for some people simply because she is Jacinda Ardern. This is similar to the way some of us saw John Key.

              The difference being of course that JA's, "having a baby, wearing a hijab, saying anything about Australia", was John Key's pulling ponytails, wearing a bathrobe, doing prison jokes on the radio.

              I think there's a huge difference in the integrity of the two people. Ardern is sincere, professional and compassionate. And John Key is bumbling, contrived and indifferent.

              Some people will always believe bumbling, contrived and indifferent makes the best leader. They like Donald Trump.

              • adam …
                12 March 2020 at 11:57 pm

                Sheesh mutton bird talk about downplaying it – the issue was fetishist nature of his ponytail pulling (as it involved younger women) and the rape based prison jokes.

                My issue is labour party supports not being able to handle criticism of the labour led government essentially being national with a nicer face.

                Which, as always, comes back to the coalition being economically hard right. The criticism I had of labour before the last election still holds – when you embrace hard right economics you end up doing the same as the last guys.

                • alwyn …
                  13 March 2020 at 9:26 am

                  We can see that KDS remains very strong in Muttonbird and yourself.

                  Now, perhaps you could address the point I was making? Why is the PM, for no good reason, risking exposing everyone she shakes hands with to the possibility of getting this infection?

                  Why does she have to do such a stupid thing?

                  • Incognito …
                    13 March 2020 at 9:33 am

                    Why does she have to do such a stupid thing?

                    This blows your mind, doesn’t it 😉

                    • alwyn …
                      13 March 2020 at 10:02 am

                      Can you think of any good reason to ignore reality?

                      Do you know why she is doing it? And please don't tell me that it is just for a photo-op. Even I wouldn't believe that.

                      Perhaps Forrest Gump was right?

                    • Incognito []
                      13 March 2020 at 11:00 am

                      You’ll have to ask the PM what her reasoning is although some of it is in plain sight in the media.

                      Indeed, why would a mother of a young child and the PM of a small country do these things?

                      I can think of a few reasons and I’d encourage you to do some lateral thinking before I’ll give my thoughts, which undoubtedly will be pooh-poohed – you’ve already started doing this 🙁

                  • David Mac …
                    13 March 2020 at 10:55 am

                    She walks the thin line of a role model that wants to be careful yet not panic inducing.

                    If adopting the position you suggest "Oh no, I'm not touching any other human beings."

                    Our petrol stations would be dry by Monday.

                  • adam …
                    13 March 2020 at 2:55 pm

                    I thought your little brain alwyn would have worked I was not responding to you.

                    Indeed i was responding to muttonbird.

                    You are a waste of time debating with, as your tiny little brain can not even work out how a thread works.

                    If you want to know my opinion of Ardern she is a fine corporate lick spittle – I know not grovlly, nor fubar enough sexually for the likes of you alwyn but she OK. At least she is recognised by international journalist – unlike our last PM.

                    • alwyn …
                      14 March 2020 at 10:04 am

                      Oh dear. I have upset His Excellency Lord Adam. I replied to one of his comments without having obtained his permission to do so.

                      Still he has reconfirmed his delusions about other commenters here. Exactly what he means by " I know not grovlly, nor fubar enough sexually for the likes of you alwyn but she OK." is I think best ignored as it appears to come from the deepest, darkest recesses of his imagination.

  3. Muttonbird 3
    12 March 2020 at 7:20 pm

    Thought now might be a good time to re-read Camus, The Plague.

    More countries appear to be entering the phase described by Part Two of this very important classic:

    The town is sealed off. The town gates are shut, rail travel is prohibited, and all mail service is suspended.

  4. Exkiwiforces 4
    12 March 2020 at 10:40 pm

    I may fight for my freedom, but I’m making sure you will never take my toilet rolls.

    https://twitter.com/thinkdefence/status/1237858307282358274?s=20