Are you really wanting NZ to be like Australia in terms of the pandemic alwyn?
My guess about the RATs is that the government wants people getting PCR tests at this time because they're more accurate and better for containing delta. If someone buys a RAT privately, gets a false negative result but thinks they are covid free and then goes out partying (eg at a major NY music fest), you can see why this is a problem.
NZ govt are buying up RATs for when omicron arrives afaik.
I have a rather different view. I think that the Government is preventing people buying, or using, the tests because they won't necessarily find out what the results were and won't have a detailed oversight of everyone's health.
That makes very good sense if you think that people may find out that they do have Covid 19, but aren't showing anything much in the way of symptoms and don't tell the authorities and don't isolate.
I don't think it has anything to do with the accuracy of the tests.
By the way, the gentleman who made the comment is the leader of the Labour Party. I don't think the Federal Labour Party deserve much blame for the Pandemic, although the State Labour Parties deserve to cop the flack.
They aren't depriving them of testing. The full, rather invasive test is available and they certainly see the results of those.
It would be tests that people could do in private and self performed that may never get reported although the people would know their status as being infected.
The reason why RATs are needed in Australia is because there are so many people who are developing Covid symptoms, or who have been close contacts of those with Covid, that the PCR testing regime cannot cope. There aren't enough RATs available even though they are mostly being sold on the private market. Price gouging, which is an inevitable result of allowing private enteprise to control such an important public health item, albeit the RATs being not terribly accurate, means that there is added inequity in availablity. There are certainly lessons to be learned in NZ from the Australian experience (and that in many other places around the world where Omicron is wreaking merry havoc) and if the NZ government isn't watching and planning right now, it will be definitely be judged for its failure to do so when Omicron breaks through the MIQ barrier. NZ's current Delta caseload doesn't merit using RATs instead of PCR yet (20-30 cases / day compared to 20,000 / day in Queensland with similar population.)
Quite the mea-cupla from Danish mainstream press. (Translated via google). There ought to be many more headlines in this vein on the way.
We Failed
Under headline photo The messages of the authorities and politicians to the people in this historic crisis leave much to be desired
For ALMOST two years, we – the press and the population – have been almost hypnotically preoccupied with the authorities' daily coronatal.
WE HAVE STARED at the oscillations of the number pendulum when it came to infected, hospitalized and died with corona. And we've got the meaning of the pendulum's smallest movements laid out by experts, politicians and authorities, who have constantly warned us about the dormant corona monster under our beds. A monster just waiting for us to fall asleep so it can strike in the gloom and darkness of the night.
THE CONSTANT mental alertness has worn out tremendously on all of us. That is why we – the press – must also take stock of our own efforts. And we have failed.
WE HAVE NOT been vigilant enough at the garden gate when the authorities were required to answer what it actually meant that people are hospitalized with corona and not because of corona. Because it makes a difference. A big difference. Exactly, the official hospitalization numbers have been shown to be 27 percent higher than the actual figure for how many there are in the hospital, simply because they have corona. We only know that now.
OF COURSE, it is first and foremost the authorities who are responsible for informing the population correctly, accurately and honestly. The figures for how many are sick and died of corona should, for obvious reasons, have been published long ago, so we got the clearest picture of the monster under the bed.
IN ALL, the messages of the authorities and politicians to the people in this historic crisis leave much to be desired. And therefore they lie as they have ridden when parts of the population lose confidence in them.
ANOTHER example: The vaccines are consistently referred to as our 'superweapon'. And our hospitals are called 'super hospitals'. Nevertheless, these super-hospitals are apparently maximally pressured, even though almost the entire population is armed with a super-weapon. Even children have been vaccinated on a huge scale, which has not been done in our neighboring countries.
IN OTHER WORDS, there is something here that does not deserve the term 'super'. Whether it's the vaccines, the hospitals, or a mixture of it all, is every man's bid. But at least the authorities' communication to the population in no way deserves the term 'super'. On the contrary.
This morning I dropped into see one of our tradies. Looks up from his phone and says "First time in medical history that the failure of a treatment was blamed on those who didn't take it". He knows.
Everyone I meet is saying one thing privately and another publicly. And watching the sheer vindictiveness play out over the Djokovic affair is but a taste of what is to come.
I'm finding much the same tbh. My neighbour (a nurse) is out at booster time, and apparently many within the hospital are asking one another if they will do the booster. My guess is many people are testing the waters because they literally can't afford to say no, and so need the strength in numbers. (Remember unions?)
Also, yet another young person known to a friend hit the hospital with myocarditis.
Which reminds me. Since the rate is around 1 in 2000 to 1 in 3000 depending on age band, according to studies in Norway, Israel, the US and Japan, what's so different about the biology of young people in New Zealand that it's 'rare' in these parts?
Goodness my nurse flatmate had her booster in early-mid December. Very few turned it down, she didn't know of any herself but thought over the whole big ward there would have been some gone, on the law of averages. She works in a big surgical ward at Wgtn Hospital. The Unions won't help, they have said so.
My flatmate has a view that at the beginning of her nursing training that they were injected with a huge range of vaccines for illnesses that were not common here at all and some pretty terrifying. They have to keep on top of these where necessary but in a big hospital setting their HR department schedules reminders.
She thinks it is odd that people are drawing the line at the Covid vaccination when some of the others they had earlier, at the beginning of their training, were far more instrusive in the way of side effects. Now with Astra Zeneca that is an option if you don't want a Pfizer booster.
Travelling with the vaccine passport (a requirement for entry to some countries and returning to NZ if you had been to some countries) had vaccinations against these illnesses
I don't recall any moaning about them. If you wanted to travel you had to have them, end of. I guess if you want to work you have them.
Presumably your neighbour has had the first two and has a flu vaccine each year……something odd with the logic I am finding with these stories.
Be that as it may, they have made the decision and know the consequences, so far be for any of us to query even if we find it odd. The group of non vaccinated is getting smaller and smaller by the day.
Hmm. So vaccines so you don't contract something have…well, what have they got to do with mandating m-RNA injections that don't stop you contracting anything?
There's no difference there? No?
Anyway. Many people who are injected are against mandated injections. Injected or not injected has got nothing to do with it.
The vaccines that my flatmate had to have at the beginning of her nursing training were mandated ie no vaccines, no training…you could not start your training until you had these vaccines. Same with any updates, you get a reminder…….
That is why my flatmate is puzzled, so it is ok to have to have a vaccine/s at the beginning of training to be a nurse and keep them up to date but not ok now. If it is mRNA that is the problem then Astra Zeneca is available.
Hope fully you understand now…..it speaks directly to the mandates issue.
Don't think I missed the point – if vaccinations are administered in order that a viral infection is not contracted, or failing that, is then not spread, then there are cases where that would make sense.
But if a medicine touted as a vaccine is administered for those same reasons, but fails to stop both infection and spread, then there's no point to it.
the sheer vindictiveness play out over the Djokovic affair is but a taste of what is to come
Oh, a good number of people I talk to who will be on the receiving end of future vindictiveness have been aware for a wee while that there may well be a race between sanity and burnings.
And watching the sheer vindictiveness play out over the Djokovic affair is but a taste of what is to come
Actually I have not encountered this vindictiveness, most think he is a bit of a wally anyway (long standing belief) and seeing pictures of him with children while infectious with nary a mask to be seen just seemed to reinforce a bit of the 'wally-ness.'
My view is that he seems a little confused about where he has been, the timeline and his Covid journey…….
Though take the point about the wider Scomo issues.
I see novax is falling back to the trump excuse, " my lacky didnt fill in the paperwork correctly". when all else fails, and you are in danger of being shown up as the arsehole you are, blame an underling.
@ woodart (2.1.4.1) … no doubt the performing (tennis) court clown signed the paperwork which had been completed by a member of his staff. That makes him responsible. No way of getting out of it, by blaming someone else.
One useful framing of the relative influence of beliefs is narrative vs metanarrative. For instance, govts framing the pandemic as a threat to all, requiring state intervention in the lives of all is the current prevalent narrative.
Those who feel threatened by this take refuge in the metanarrative of nature. Immune systems being allowed to do their natural thing. Christians refer to this personal sovereignty view as the will of God. The social contract reserves sovereignty to the state, in contrast.
Although postmodernism is rarely precisely defined, it is diametrically opposed to much of the thinking of the Enlightenment, the Age of Reason, modernism and humanism—with respect to rationality, essentialism, objectivity, sovereignty, the reasoning process, human nature and the human capacity to discover interconnected universal truths.
Postmodernist practitioners claim that there are an infinite number of equally valid ways to interpret the world and they reject the idea of human universals. They argue that human behaviour, discourse and social linguistic patterns are wholly motivated and determined by people’s desire for power over others, and vulnerable to manipulation in the service of that goal.
You can see a correlative framing here: diversity of belief vs truth. When the media promotes a scientific view as truth, humanity tends to dissent & produce alternatives. Climate change, covid, you name it.
Today, postmodernism has taken over western academia, especially in the liberal arts. One way to understand this phenomenon is to analyse it using the framework described by Jean-François Lyotard, in his 1979 work, The Postmodern Condition: A Report on Knowledge.
As Lyotard puts it, postmodernism boils down to an attitude of incredulity towards all meta-narratives. (A meta-narrative is any account of human knowledge or history that explains it in terms of a single conceptual framework or looks at it through a single conceptual lens—for example, through the lens of Darwin’s theory of evolution.)
To identify a meta-narrative, postmodernists look for repeated themes, tropes, truth claims and patterns in how people talk about ideas—and note whether they support a particular all-encompassing explanation of human nature and society, the truth of which is widely taken for granted.
A deep dive into the social science and humanities disciplines reveals that there is indeed a dominant meta-narrative. It is critical social justice theory—which, ironically, was engendered and facilitated by postmodernists. The critical social justice meta-narrative holds that western societies are nothing but tyrannical social organizations, which benefit only one group of people by virtue of a powerful discourse that has over-valued certain immutable phenotypic characteristics of human beings. This meta-narrative is being especially strongly propagated by certain relatively new academic departments dedicated to critical social justice areas of study.
It has seeped out beyond those departments, however, and begun to establish itself as the only acceptable academic narrative. It is shaping every curriculum, research project and theory—as well as the attitudes of students. And it is accepted with the same degree of credulity, intransigent allegiance and obsessive attention that has prompted postmodernists to call other meta-narratives dangerous. In consequence, western universities are becoming increasingly controlled by this single meta-narrative.
Mimetics explains why this shit happens. Mental contagion. End result: capture of the entire social ecosystem. Monoculture. But never totally – always you seem to be able to find pockets of dissent where nonconformists seek refuge to regroup. Eventually the tide of rebels at the margins floods inward over the power-centers of the ruling belief-system, barbarians storm the gates of the citadel.
So don't let paranoia get to you – even when a belief or paradigm threatens to achieve total control, this too shall pass…
'This too shall pass'……is a very reassuring phrase to me anyway. It has been useful in times of personal uncertainty and if I needed it during what is happening with Covid I would find it reassuring too.
I think the concept of rebels at the margins flooding inwards is time bound. And with the contagion not being fully developed we usually find the contagion lifts before the we get so tired of it we flood into the centre of it (time bound).
so if the ferry company were regulated to provide a set service, this apparent shortage of jobs would result in increasing wages and improved work conditions. I’m guessing also there would be a shift from less desirable jobs to those in the ferry.
So laziness has become extremely contagious! Kiwi unemployed too lazy to work, and/or kiwi employers too lazy to employ them.
I see the printed report has the usual deviant focus on difficulty of importing foreigners to fill these jobs that are apparently unable to be filled by our unemployed. The usual organised whining by employers somehow fails to get connected to all the lay-offs that the pandemic has caused.
It's almost as if the pandemic has curdled the brains of the journos. The difficulty in connecting cause and effect in the report is obvious when you read between the lines.
Training was normal in our industries not too long ago. Everyone knew it was a normal cost of doing business. This is now also too difficult for journos to even think of.
this bollocks was given way too much oxygen last year, with the same threats. talking to a relie who is engineer for biggest packhouse in hawkes bay, no problems getting staff last year and this year. their secret… provide GOOD accomodation.two biggest packhouses there have good modern accomodation. staff not a problem.
From Fuller's page – While there is no vaccine pass mandate in place for public transport, we have opted to put these additional measures in place to create the safest possible operating environment for our passengers and crew.
&
After a period of consultation, Fullers360 mandated all employees to have at least one vaccination dose by 20 December and be fully vaccinated by 10 January 2022.
I'm sure there are those who will insist there is probably no correlation between the mandating and shortages.
"A prose sentence which touches like a branding iron is good. A sentence which keeps its feet clean from beginning to end is good. A sentence which, travelling, looks out of portholes as far as horizons and beyond is good. A sentence which goes to sleep is good, if the season is winter; bad, if it is early spring. A sentence which stumbles on useless objects instead of on buried treasure is bad, and worse if it illuminates useless objects with artificial light, but good if it casts a unique radiance upon them."
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Inspirational: The Family of Man is a glorious hymn to human equality, but, more than that, it is a clarion call to human freedom. Because equality, unleavened by liberty, is a broken piano, an unstrung harp; upon which the songs of fraternity will never be played.“Somebody must have been telling lies about ...
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This is a guest post by Connor Sharp of Surface Light Rail Light rail in Auckland: A way forward sooner than you think With the coup de grâce of Auckland Light Rail (ALR) earlier this year, and the shift of the government’s priorities to roads, roads, and more roads, it ...
Note: As a paid-up Webworm member, I’ve recorded this Webworm as a mini-podcast for you as well. Some of you said you liked this option - so I aim to provide it when I get a chance to record! Read more ...
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How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop:The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
TL;DR:Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
Bob Edlin writes – The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
Every year, in the Budget, Parliament forks out money to government agencies to do certain things. And every year, as part of the annual review cycle, those agencies are meant to report on whether they have done the things Parliament gave them that money for. Agencies which consistently fail to ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
The New Zealand public voted for a change in direction at the 2023 general election and that is exactly what this coalition government has been delivering in its first 100 days. There was an immediate focus on the economy, easing the cost of living, cracking down on law and order ...
The Government has left the health system as an afterthought, announcing half-baked targets at the last minute of their 100-day plan, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
Kiwis are still waiting for their promised cost of living support after 100 days of a National Government that is taking us backwards, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
100 days of National taking NZ backwardsThe National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
The Government must commit to funding free and healthy school lunches, as thousands of people sign the petition to keep them, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti says. ...
If the Government was serious about moving families into public housing, they would build more houses so there is actually somewhere for people to go. ...
The free and healthy school lunches programme feeds our kids, helps them to learn, and saves families money – but it is at risk under this Government, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
The Government’s proposed changes to Firearms Prohibition Orders (FPO) add almost nothing new and are merely an attempt to distract from its plans to loosen gun laws, police spokesperson Ginny Andersen and justice spokesperson Dr Duncan Webb said. ...
The great Victorian era English politician Lord Macauley stood in the British House of Parliament and said, "The gallery in which the reporters sit has become a fourth estate of the realm".He understood and outlined even way back then, the significant role and influence media have in a democracy. ...
The government’s attack on Māori health this week is committing tangata-whenua to a premature death, says Te Pāti Māori. “The government have begun their onslaught on Māori health with the abolishment of the Māori Health Authority and smokefree laws in the same day” said health spokesperson and co-leader, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. ...
"The Government is moving quickly to realise an additional $46 million in tariff savings in the EU market this season for Kiwi exporters,” Minister for Trade and Agriculture, Todd McClay says. Parliament is set, this week, to complete the final legislative processes required to bring the New Zealand – European ...
New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April. ...
Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand. Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships. “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland Acknowledgements and opening Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says. “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024 Acknowledgements and opening Morena, Nga Mihi Nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country. “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week. “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee. “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today. “The Amendment Paper represents ...
Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level. “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024. “Lower fruit and vege ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction. Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
Recommendations from the Climate Change Commission for New Zealand on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction and unit limit settings for the next five years have been tabled in Parliament, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “The Commission provides advice on the ETS annually. This is the third time the ...
The coalition Government is beginning its fight to lower building costs and reduce red tape by exempting minor building work from paying the building levy, says Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. “Currently, any building project worth $20,444 including GST or more is subject to the building levy which is ...
Proposed changes to tax legislation to prevent the over-taxation of low-earning trusts are welcome, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The changes have been recommended by Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee following consideration of submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill. “One of the ...
Assalaamu alaikum. السَّلَام عليكم In light of the holy month of Ramadan, I want to extend my warmest wishes to our Muslim community in New Zealand. Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, renewed devotion, perseverance, generosity, and forgiveness. It’s a time to strengthen our bonds and appreciate the diversity ...
Former Transport Minister and CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber Hon Simon Bridges has been appointed as the new Board Chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) for a three-year term, Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced today. “Simon brings extensive experience and knowledge in transport policy and governance to the role. He will ...
Good morning all, it is a pleasure to be here as Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology. It is fantastic to see how connected and collaborative the life science and biotechnology industry is here in New Zealand. I would like to thank BioTechNZ and NZTech for the invitation to address ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says he is looking forward to the day when three key water projects in Northland are up and running, unlocking the full potential of land in the region. Mr Jones attended a community event at the site of the Otawere reservoir near Kerikeri on Friday. ...
Associate Finance Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government has agreed to restore deductibility for mortgage interest on residential investment properties. “Help is on the way for landlords and renters alike. The Government’s restoration of interest deductibility will ease pressure on rents and simplify the tax code,” says ...
Sport and Recreation Minister Chris Bishop will travel to Switzerland today to attend an Executive Committee meeting and Symposium of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Mr Bishop will then travel on to London where he will attend a series of meetings in his capacity as Infrastructure Minister. “New Zealanders believe ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Deborah Lupton, SHARP Professor, Vitalities Lab, Centre for Social Research in Health and Social Policy Centre, and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making and Society, UNSW Sydney kitzcorner/Shutterstock The assertion from Queensland’s chief health officer John Gerrard that ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Shutterstock Why are musicians so keen to get played on the radio? It can’t be because of the money. In Australia they are paid at rates so low they ...
"Farmers make a point not to tell our urban cousins how to live, yet Chlöe from central Auckland is hell-bent on having her say about farmers," says ACT Rural Communities spokesman Mark Cameron. “On her first day in the House as Green ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards – Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Curran, Associate Professor of Ecology, Lincoln University, New Zealand Getty Images/Gerald Corsi In the latest move to reform environmental laws in New Zealand, the coalition government has introduced a bill to fast-track consenting processes for projects deemed to ...
Uber has argued it does not have as much control over drivers as the unions suggest, and wants a judgment ruling that drivers are employees and not contractors set aside and sent back to the Employment Court. The 2022 ruling followed a three-week hearing in which four drivers sought to ...
What can and can’t be purchased by disabled people or their carers has been slashed in an effort by the Ministry of Disabled People Whaikaha to save money. The purchasing guidelines, a set of rules that sets out what can be purchased using the various streams of Government disability funding, ...
The Treasury has published today a new Analytical Note by Tod Wright and Hien Nguyen, Fiscal incidence in New Zealand: The effects of taxes and benefits on household incomes in tax year 2018/19 . Analyses of the distributional impact of taxation and government ...
The Treasury has published today a new Analytical Note by Cory Davis, Boston Hart and Benjamin Stubbing, Household cost-of-living impacts from the Emissions Trading Scheme and using transfers to mitigate regressive outcomes . This Analytical Note ...
A coalition of public transport and climate organisations, united as ‘Transport for All’, is actively opposing the government’s transport proposals. The draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) includes plans for higher fares for public transport, ...
Greater Wellington is inviting feedback on proposed changes to its Revenue and Financing Policy. The Revenue and Financing Policy covers the Council’s various sources of funding, and how the cost of services is shared across the region. This includes ...
Labour has conceded it could have done more to deal with disruptive state housing tenants while in government but says the current coalition is going too far. ...
The band has asked their record label to issue a cease and desist to stop the NZ First leader using their 1997 hit to support his ‘misguided political views’. “I get knocked down, but I get up again,” blared through the speakers on Sunday as Winston Peters took the stage ...
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist Food rationing is underway in remote areas in Papua New Guinea’s Highlands following torrential rain and flash flooding. More than 20 people have been reported dead in Chimbu Province. In nearby Enga Province, the centre of last month’s massacre, a 15-year-old boy has been ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Hughes, Lecturer, Research School of Management, Australian National University After months of debate and intrigue, the AFL’s 19th and newest team, the Tasmania Devils, finally launched its jumper, logo and colours in Devonport this week. The Devils will wear green, ...
Brannavan Gnanalingam reviews the debut novel by Saraid de Silva.One of the most baffling things for children who move to a new country is what their parents’ (or grandparents’) lives were like prior to moving – for kids in particular, they’re too busy trying to fit in in their ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Gaunson, Associate Professor in Cinema Studies, RMIT University Narelle Portanier/Binge “If you don’t know who your mob are, you don’t know who you are,” Detective Andrea “Andie” Whitford (played by Leah Purcell) is told early into the new crime ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elise Klein, Associate professor, Australian National University It’s commonly accepted that women do the vast majority of caregiving in Australian society. But less appreciated is that Indigenous women do larger amounts of unpaid care than any other group. Working with the Aboriginal ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne Joe Biden and Donald Trump have both secured their parties’ nominations for the November 5 United States general election by winning a ...
Comment: There has been a striking contrast in trans-Tasman interest about Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi’s visit to New Zealand and Australia. While the Australian press has been full of articles about the visit – including his curious decision to meet with former prime minister and China booster Paul Keating ...
After years of pressuring banks and other institutions to stop investing in fossil fuels, climate campaigners are making some progress. So how does divestment work?For years, climate activists have been pushing banks and other big institutions to divest from fossil fuels. New research from climate advocacy group 350 Aotearoa ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. The three young Polynesians are part of a K-pop fan community in Tāmaki Makaurau. It’s one of many that have sprung up worldwide as K-pop has gone ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. This one-off documentary presents three intimate portraits of young Polynesians who are pulled into a Korean cultural phenomenon. K-POLYS is directed by Litia Tuiburelevu, Produced by Hex ...
There’s ample evidence demonstrating free school lunch programmes provide wide benefits across schools, households and communities according to public health researchers. ACT Minister David Seymour wants to reduce the spending on Aotearoa New Zealand’s ...
By Wata Shaw in Suva Fiji is facing an exodus of Fijians as many are leaving for overseas seeking employment and education and others are migrating, says Opposition MP Viliame Naupoto. Speaking in Parliament, he said: “His Excellency’s speech (Ratu Wiliame Katonivere) comes after a little over one year of ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming comments from Christopher Luxon this morning recommitting to ‘no new taxes’ as part of Budget 2024. “Mr Luxon’s refusal at the Post-Cabinet press conference yesterday to repeat the ‘no new taxes’ promise ...
SAFE is urgently calling on the Environment Committee to reject the Government’s Fast-Track Approvals Bill, and is urging New Zealanders to rally behind the call. The proposed Bill, currently under consideration with the Environment select committee, ...
Teammates who spend all their time picking fights with spectators are only helpful for the other team, writes Madeleine Chapman. Anyone who has ever played a team sport competitively, particularly as a child and particularly, for some reason, basketball, will know that there’s a lot of politics involved. While there ...
The long-running Wellington music festival is too focused on the Jim Beam-ness and not enough on the Homegrown-ness.There is something about Homegrown that’s difficult to place. A barely perceptible-ness. Like feeling a ghost is watching you from the corner of the room but when you look, there’s nothing there. ...
The latest Ipsos New Zealand Issues Monitor reveals that fewer New Zealanders believe crime / law and order is one of the top issues facing our country. In 2018, Ipsos New Zealand started tracking the key issues facing New Zealand. In this wave ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Griffiths, Deputy Program Director, Budgets and Government, Grattan Institute Australia’s political donations rules are woefully inadequate, but donations reform is finally on the agenda. The federal government has signalled its interest in reform and will soon begin briefing MPs on its ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Patrick Taylor, Chief Environmental Scientist, EPA Victoria; Honorary Professor, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University Naiyana Somchitkaeo/Shutterstock A recent study published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine has linked microplastics with risk to human health. The study ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Albert Van Dijk, Professor, Water and Landscape Dynamics, Fenner School of Environment & Society, Australian National University Global climate records were shattered in 2023, from air and sea temperatures to sea-level rise and sea-ice extent. Scores of countries recorded their hottest year ...
As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, a teacher explains why he and his partner are in frugal mode – and how they’re making it work. Gender: Male Age: 35Ethnicity: Pākehā Role: I am an intermediate school teacher and my partner is ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Bendall, Senior Lecturer, Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences, Australian Catholic University Binge Mary & George, the new British television drama series, depicts the real-life story of Mary Villiers and her son George, and their social climbing at the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jason Nassios, Associate Professor, Centre of Policy Studies, Victoria University This article is part of The Conversation’s series examining the housing crisis. Read the other articles in the series here. Australian state and federal governments spend money in many ways to ...
The finance minister is denying that there’s a $5.6b shortfall in paying for the government’s campaign promises, including tax cuts. At his post-cabinet press conference yesterday, the PM refused to rule out new taxes to pay for the cuts, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s ...
Kāinga Ora tenants abused by their neighbours are doubting the government's crackdown on disruptive tenants will make a difference on their behaviour. ...
Kāinga Ora is New Zealand’s biggest residential landlord, housing more than 180,000 vulnerable people in more than 67,000 properties. Yesterday the government announced a crackdown on its tenants who fall behind on rent. One longtime Kāinga Ora tenant shares her experience.For 18 years I lived in a 1960s standalone ...
Why does this myth persist, and what’s the real reason our skin is suffering?It’s one of the biggest international grievances New Zealanders hold, up there with the sinking of the Rainbow Warrior and 1981’s underarm incident. We’re quick to tell international travellers that the world’s pollution led to the ...
When the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act was introduced in 2009 it was firmly targeted at gangs and drugs. The legislation means police no longer need a conviction to seize assets that criminals can’t prove were paid for legitimately, as long as their alleged offences are punishable by more than a ...
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Bob’s relationship with certain members of Lincoln’s academic staff continued to deteriorate in the 1990s. Others supported him publicly, though articles such as Roland Clark’s 1993 piece in Growing Today cannot have pleased the university management. Clark wrote that Bob was selling onions from the Biological Husbandry Unit to a ...
SailGP’s races feature in-your-face action, with agile, hydro-foiling catamarans tacking and jibing for the title over several days. However, public comments ahead of the global series’ return to New Zealand have left this past year’s controversy in the shadows, as a key appointment attracts criticism from dolphin advocates. A year ...
Opinion: We are fast approaching a fundamental change in prisons. As the number of people on custodial remand looks set to overtake the number of sentenced prisoners, the main function of prisons in New Zealand may become incarcerating un-sentenced people who may not be guilty of offending. We have already ...
A huge seven months lies in store for the White Ferns, beginning this week with the visit of England and culminating with the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh in September and October. Starting on Tuesday in Dunedin, the world ranked No. 2 visitors will play five T20s and three ODIs, ...
Opinion: In a move that has shocked road safety advocates across the country, the new Minister of Transport, Simeon Brown, is poised to abandon the previous government’s speed limit reduction policy, particularly around schools. Even more alarmingly, he wants school speed limits to be variable rather than full-time, arguing ...
Auckland Council is opposing a fast-track development backed by Sir John Kirwan and Spark NZ, because it doesn’t meet stringent new climate adaptation requirements The post Surf-data centre faces new 3.8C climate warming rules appeared first on Newsroom. ...
The letters, which were published last week, were addressed to Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) Chairperson Megawati Sukarnoputri, National Democrat Party (NasDem) Chairperson Surya Paloh, National Awakening Party (PKB) Chairperson Muhaimin Iskandar, Justice and Prosperity Party (PKS) President Ahmad Syaikhu and United Development Party (PPP) Chairperson Muhammad Mardiono. In ...
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this could be any sustained crisis (quake, climate, pandemic, GFC). Covid could be our practice run if we let it.
https://twitter.com/thatsferntastic/status/1481728238619860992
https://twitter.com/thatsferntastic/status/1481781749684523008
One of the comments in the Twitter stream certainly shows the difference between the Labour Party in Australia and our lot.
Anthony Albanese
"Rapid tests should be free and available to everyone.
Why does our Government prevent us even paying for them if we want one? Why are they banned?
Are you really wanting NZ to be like Australia in terms of the pandemic alwyn?
My guess about the RATs is that the government wants people getting PCR tests at this time because they're more accurate and better for containing delta. If someone buys a RAT privately, gets a false negative result but thinks they are covid free and then goes out partying (eg at a major NY music fest), you can see why this is a problem.
NZ govt are buying up RATs for when omicron arrives afaik.
I have a rather different view. I think that the Government is preventing people buying, or using, the tests because they won't necessarily find out what the results were and won't have a detailed oversight of everyone's health.
That makes very good sense if you think that people may find out that they do have Covid 19, but aren't showing anything much in the way of symptoms and don't tell the authorities and don't isolate.
I don't think it has anything to do with the accuracy of the tests.
By the way, the gentleman who made the comment is the leader of the Labour Party. I don't think the Federal Labour Party deserve much blame for the Pandemic, although the State Labour Parties deserve to cop the flack.
alwyn,I say alwyn,if your theory is correct,how will the Govt 'have a detailed oversight of everyone's health'….by depriving them of testing?
If they didn't test themselves were asymptomatic,didn't think they had covid,they're still not going to register…regardless.
They aren't depriving them of testing. The full, rather invasive test is available and they certainly see the results of those.
It would be tests that people could do in private and self performed that may never get reported although the people would know their status as being infected.
The reason why RATs are needed in Australia is because there are so many people who are developing Covid symptoms, or who have been close contacts of those with Covid, that the PCR testing regime cannot cope. There aren't enough RATs available even though they are mostly being sold on the private market. Price gouging, which is an inevitable result of allowing private enteprise to control such an important public health item, albeit the RATs being not terribly accurate, means that there is added inequity in availablity. There are certainly lessons to be learned in NZ from the Australian experience (and that in many other places around the world where Omicron is wreaking merry havoc) and if the NZ government isn't watching and planning right now, it will be definitely be judged for its failure to do so when Omicron breaks through the MIQ barrier. NZ's current Delta caseload doesn't merit using RATs instead of PCR yet (20-30 cases / day compared to 20,000 / day in Queensland with similar population.)
Quite the mea-cupla from Danish mainstream press. (Translated via google). There ought to be many more headlines in this vein on the way.
We Failed
Under headline photo The messages of the authorities and politicians to the people in this historic crisis leave much to be desired
For ALMOST two years, we – the press and the population – have been almost hypnotically preoccupied with the authorities' daily coronatal.
WE HAVE STARED at the oscillations of the number pendulum when it came to infected, hospitalized and died with corona. And we've got the meaning of the pendulum's smallest movements laid out by experts, politicians and authorities, who have constantly warned us about the dormant corona monster under our beds. A monster just waiting for us to fall asleep so it can strike in the gloom and darkness of the night.
THE CONSTANT mental alertness has worn out tremendously on all of us. That is why we – the press – must also take stock of our own efforts. And we have failed.
WE HAVE NOT been vigilant enough at the garden gate when the authorities were required to answer what it actually meant that people are hospitalized with corona and not because of corona. Because it makes a difference. A big difference. Exactly, the official hospitalization numbers have been shown to be 27 percent higher than the actual figure for how many there are in the hospital, simply because they have corona. We only know that now.
OF COURSE, it is first and foremost the authorities who are responsible for informing the population correctly, accurately and honestly. The figures for how many are sick and died of corona should, for obvious reasons, have been published long ago, so we got the clearest picture of the monster under the bed.
IN ALL, the messages of the authorities and politicians to the people in this historic crisis leave much to be desired. And therefore they lie as they have ridden when parts of the population lose confidence in them.
ANOTHER example: The vaccines are consistently referred to as our 'superweapon'. And our hospitals are called 'super hospitals'. Nevertheless, these super-hospitals are apparently maximally pressured, even though almost the entire population is armed with a super-weapon. Even children have been vaccinated on a huge scale, which has not been done in our neighboring countries.
IN OTHER WORDS, there is something here that does not deserve the term 'super'. Whether it's the vaccines, the hospitals, or a mixture of it all, is every man's bid. But at least the authorities' communication to the population in no way deserves the term 'super'. On the contrary.
https://ekstrabladet.dk/nyheder/lederen/vi-fejlede/9072013
This morning I dropped into see one of our tradies. Looks up from his phone and says "First time in medical history that the failure of a treatment was blamed on those who didn't take it". He knows.
Everyone I meet is saying one thing privately and another publicly. And watching the sheer vindictiveness play out over the Djokovic affair is but a taste of what is to come.
I'm finding much the same tbh. My neighbour (a nurse) is out at booster time, and apparently many within the hospital are asking one another if they will do the booster. My guess is many people are testing the waters because they literally can't afford to say no, and so need the strength in numbers. (Remember unions?)
Also, yet another young person known to a friend hit the hospital with myocarditis.
Which reminds me. Since the rate is around 1 in 2000 to 1 in 3000 depending on age band, according to studies in Norway, Israel, the US and Japan, what's so different about the biology of young people in New Zealand that it's 'rare' in these parts?
Goodness my nurse flatmate had her booster in early-mid December. Very few turned it down, she didn't know of any herself but thought over the whole big ward there would have been some gone, on the law of averages. She works in a big surgical ward at Wgtn Hospital. The Unions won't help, they have said so.
My flatmate has a view that at the beginning of her nursing training that they were injected with a huge range of vaccines for illnesses that were not common here at all and some pretty terrifying. They have to keep on top of these where necessary but in a big hospital setting their HR department schedules reminders.
She thinks it is odd that people are drawing the line at the Covid vaccination when some of the others they had earlier, at the beginning of their training, were far more instrusive in the way of side effects. Now with Astra Zeneca that is an option if you don't want a Pfizer booster.
Travelling with the vaccine passport (a requirement for entry to some countries and returning to NZ if you had been to some countries) had vaccinations against these illnesses
https://www.healthnavigator.org.nz/medicines/v/vaccines-international-travel/
I don't recall any moaning about them. If you wanted to travel you had to have them, end of. I guess if you want to work you have them.
Presumably your neighbour has had the first two and has a flu vaccine each year……something odd with the logic I am finding with these stories.
Be that as it may, they have made the decision and know the consequences, so far be for any of us to query even if we find it odd. The group of non vaccinated is getting smaller and smaller by the day.
Hmm. So vaccines so you don't contract something have…well, what have they got to do with mandating m-RNA injections that don't stop you contracting anything?
There's no difference there? No?
Anyway. Many people who are injected are against mandated injections. Injected or not injected has got nothing to do with it.
You have missed my point…..
The vaccines that my flatmate had to have at the beginning of her nursing training were mandated ie no vaccines, no training…you could not start your training until you had these vaccines. Same with any updates, you get a reminder…….
That is why my flatmate is puzzled, so it is ok to have to have a vaccine/s at the beginning of training to be a nurse and keep them up to date but not ok now. If it is mRNA that is the problem then Astra Zeneca is available.
Hope fully you understand now…..it speaks directly to the mandates issue.
Don't think I missed the point – if vaccinations are administered in order that a viral infection is not contracted, or failing that, is then not spread, then there are cases where that would make sense.
But if a medicine touted as a vaccine is administered for those same reasons, but fails to stop both infection and spread, then there's no point to it.
the sheer vindictiveness play out over the Djokovic affair is but a taste of what is to come
Oh, a good number of people I talk to who will be on the receiving end of future vindictiveness have been aware for a wee while that there may well be a race between sanity and burnings.
Scomo thinks there are…votes in it.
Well everyone's talking about Djokovic rather than the fuckup Scomo's made letting Omicrom loose
Actually I have not encountered this vindictiveness, most think he is a bit of a wally anyway (long standing belief) and seeing pictures of him with children while infectious with nary a mask to be seen just seemed to reinforce a bit of the 'wally-ness.'
My view is that he seems a little confused about where he has been, the timeline and his Covid journey…….
Though take the point about the wider Scomo issues.
I see novax is falling back to the trump excuse, " my lacky didnt fill in the paperwork correctly". when all else fails, and you are in danger of being shown up as the arsehole you are, blame an underling.
@ woodart (2.1.4.1) … no doubt the performing (tennis) court clown signed the paperwork which had been completed by a member of his staff. That makes him responsible. No way of getting out of it, by blaming someone else.
One useful framing of the relative influence of beliefs is narrative vs metanarrative. For instance, govts framing the pandemic as a threat to all, requiring state intervention in the lives of all is the current prevalent narrative.
Those who feel threatened by this take refuge in the metanarrative of nature. Immune systems being allowed to do their natural thing. Christians refer to this personal sovereignty view as the will of God. The social contract reserves sovereignty to the state, in contrast.
You can see a correlative framing here: diversity of belief vs truth. When the media promotes a scientific view as truth, humanity tends to dissent & produce alternatives. Climate change, covid, you name it.
Mimetics explains why this shit happens. Mental contagion. End result: capture of the entire social ecosystem. Monoculture. But never totally – always you seem to be able to find pockets of dissent where nonconformists seek refuge to regroup. Eventually the tide of rebels at the margins floods inward over the power-centers of the ruling belief-system, barbarians storm the gates of the citadel.
So don't let paranoia get to you – even when a belief or paradigm threatens to achieve total control, this too shall pass…
'This too shall pass'……is a very reassuring phrase to me anyway. It has been useful in times of personal uncertainty and if I needed it during what is happening with Covid I would find it reassuring too.
I think the concept of rebels at the margins flooding inwards is time bound. And with the contagion not being fully developed we usually find the contagion lifts before the we get so tired of it we flood into the centre of it (time bound).
But it is fascinating.
so if the ferry company were regulated to provide a set service, this apparent shortage of jobs would result in increasing wages and improved work conditions. I’m guessing also there would be a shift from less desirable jobs to those in the ferry.
https://twitter.com/jmnicholls/status/1481739007021436928?s=21
So laziness has become extremely contagious! Kiwi unemployed too lazy to work, and/or kiwi employers too lazy to employ them.
I see the printed report has the usual deviant focus on difficulty of importing foreigners to fill these jobs that are apparently unable to be filled by our unemployed. The usual organised whining by employers somehow fails to get connected to all the lay-offs that the pandemic has caused.
It's almost as if the pandemic has curdled the brains of the journos. The difficulty in connecting cause and effect in the report is obvious when you read between the lines.
Training was normal in our industries not too long ago. Everyone knew it was a normal cost of doing business. This is now also too difficult for journos to even think of.
No. We have to import people to do important jobs. We need more DJs. We don't need people to do trivial things like providing the Public Transport.
Heard a radio report tonight that orchards need 10,000 foreign workers….otherwise produce will be left to…rot.
Scales Corp NZ's biggest apple agribusiness has had record earnings AFAIK.
this bollocks was given way too much oxygen last year, with the same threats. talking to a relie who is engineer for biggest packhouse in hawkes bay, no problems getting staff last year and this year. their secret… provide GOOD accomodation.two biggest packhouses there have good modern accomodation. staff not a problem.
From Fuller's page – While there is no vaccine pass mandate in place for public transport, we have opted to put these additional measures in place to create the safest possible operating environment for our passengers and crew.
&
After a period of consultation, Fullers360 mandated all employees to have at least one vaccination dose by 20 December and be fully vaccinated by 10 January 2022.
I'm sure there are those who will insist there is probably no correlation between the mandating and shortages.
really? I haven't seen people saying that the mandates don't cause staffing issues.
I'm sure there are those who will claim (or imply) that the staffing issues are caused by the mandates, without having any evidence of such.
Meanwhile, I'm more interested in the whole picture (including but not limited to mandates).
so those disaffected fullers staff can go and get a job at ????.think you are adding one plus one and getting eleven bill.
As marine staffing issues existed well before the vaccine mandates, you are talking bollocks.
The cost of living in Auckland, and the amounts Fullers pay for being responsible for 100 plus passengers!
Plus the fact that the NZ maritime industry has relied on immigration to provide trained people, for decades.
"A prose sentence which touches like a branding iron is good. A sentence which keeps its feet clean from beginning to end is good. A sentence which, travelling, looks out of portholes as far as horizons and beyond is good. A sentence which goes to sleep is good, if the season is winter; bad, if it is early spring. A sentence which stumbles on useless objects instead of on buried treasure is bad, and worse if it illuminates useless objects with artificial light, but good if it casts a unique radiance upon them."
~ Janet Frame (living in the Maniatoto)"
…as for a life sentence….try and avoid..it.
Rogan struggles with facts but the legacy media is the problem.
/
https://twitter.com/FullContactMTWF/status/1481638689415462916
I took a look at the thread under that tweet. Fucking sick. I was right about Twitter.
https://twitter.com/danjonesocean/status/1481296790477541380?s=21
That person obviously does not accept the scientific truths in biology.
It took thirteen years?
He was head-down, tail-up, sciencing!