Yeah it was impressive as always Robert. I liked her focus on sealing the perimeter of the cluster rather than chasing down the rabbit hole after patient zero so Auckland can begin to move down alert levels
And has a skill I never learned: hearing stupid questions and giving tolerant and reasonable answers.
That question about whether it's still a team of five million would have had me telling the questioner to fuck off just as a matter of reflex, and she explained it consistently with the original analogy, and then told people outside Auckland how they could help those within Auckland. Quite spectacular.
Absolutely agree. Coming in late on repeat TV news channels 6 and 8, I happened to see that response to what I think was meant to be a hostile question. Quick, natural smile, perfect reply with candour and natural confidence.
Jacinda is, I think, the most talented, connecting communicator we have had as PM since Rob Muldoon at his peak. He was of the opposite nature – domineering, calculating, but still beguiling his 'mob'.
Lange was wittiest; Winston at his best was close to Muldoon, but less focused; I hoped for a lot from Palmer, but in dropping his legal, academic air he turned into the most boring speaker ever. Kirk was excellent, but too brief in existence.
I never liked PMs like Key and English who managed to mangle the English language while either charming or plodding…
I have waited to see how Jacinda would rate. I now believe that we are lucky to have one of the very best PMs we have had, in that she combines excellent communication skills with a good, kind character.
Regardless of how much social change she has been able to achieve to date, she is the leader that we on the Left cannot do without.
yeah – besides the choice of Winston and a myriad other instances of good luck, having a PM who has a toddler and therefore up to date with the communication skills to deal with journolists and tories 🙂
Apart from the dick who wrote to Collins asking her to resist the lockdown measures the National Party in general has been very quiet today. Maybe they think they are about to catch a break at last?
If there was a skerrick of self awareness amongst 'em, today was the day to keep it zipped.
Again I feel The Greens were prescient with giving The Nats their share of questions. The more they open their mouths the more they show how unfit they are to govern. climate
The same, sadly, applies to “Merv’s” intervention in National’s 2020 Auckland Central candidate selection. Newshub has alleged that this pseudonymous caller of late-night talkback shows is in fact a regional representative of the National Party with a bee in his bonnet about Nuwi Samarakone, the Sri Lankan-born party activist apparently favoured by the party hierarchy. “Merv’s” contribution followed the circulation, by a person, or persons, unknown, of a photograph of Ms Samarakone (a former ballet dancer) posing for the camera in leotards. Astonishingly, that was all it took to make sure that, at least as far as its three leading contenders are concerned, the Auckland Central contest will be an all-white affair. Childish brutality indeed!"
"It is very difficult to interpret Mr Te Kahika’s activity as anything other than an attempt to impede, undermine and in every way frustrate the Government’s attempt to respond adequately to a proven resurgence of community transmission of Covid-19 in the city of Auckland and, quite possibly, across the rest of New Zealand."
&
" If Holmes’s important stipulation that “the character of every act depends upon the circumstances in which it is done”, then Mr Te Kahika’s actions can only be described as extremely reckless and irresponsible."
He was my woodwork teacher. Nothings changed, he's still a bully and not very popular with his peers. A family friend knew him too, that's how I know combined with the attitude of the other teachers towards him when he wasn't around. Something that surprised me as a 13yo boy and stuck with me. It wasn't very often teachers openly dissed one of their own in front of students. Just saying..
Doing the math from his wiki page, twelve years of teaching before parliament in 1996 would put him in the tail-end of the days when teachers would lob chalk, dusters, and off-cuts at students.
Could be entertaining if they were gentle lobs and the teachers were original about it, but bloody terrifying if the teacher was a bully.
One of the more stupid journos just asked her if we are still a team of 5 million if there are different alert levels around the country. Ardern’s response will be come a classic, “Yes, because not everyone in the team is on the field at the same time.”
How long you reckon before some Aussie journos come up with blistering attack-lines on Ardern and NZ Govt. Y'know… can't cope with NZ being better 'n them at handling just about everything.
As a number of folk who thought they were clever have discovered, there aren't too many chinks in Jacinda's armour. I think the irredeemably negative will mostly look at the fate of Alan Jones and decide "Whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must be silent."
They may rage against the Victorian government in frustration however.
I suppose too, having won two tests, we don’t need a third game eh.
The business-commentariat is trying really hard to make her look like less of a sociopath by saying the quiet bits loud. The idea that we should let people die in a bullshit effort to maintain GDP is stupid even if it were real (not according to the examples of the rest of the world, as JA said this afternoon).
Old Merv, eh? In normal times this incident would have completely destroyed the National Party structure and Goodfellow in particular. How many lives has that guy had?
But here we are in post-pandemic times, and in a mega-cluster of National Party screw-ups, and it is nothing but a footnote.
If the National Party wants to move forward and provide this country with a decent opposition for the next decade they need to sack Peter Goodfellow right now. The poison is at the top.
edit
This is not what I think is good leadership from our public education institutions. A Southland polytechnic department head allegedly shared conspiracy theories about Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and US billionaire Bill Gates to a class of students.
An outline of the course noted requirements included displaying '’self-awareness, reflective practice and personal leadership in a health and wellbeing setting'’.
[Merle] Petersen, when asked if she believed those statements to be factually correct, provided a written statement saying all facts were open to interpretation. She was also approached in person by a Stuff reporter, but referred comment through SIT.
When asked if she thought it appropriate to repeat conspiracy theories at an academic institution, her statement said students were encouraged to do their own research into topics…
The paper about which the discussions took place focused on economic and social policy, she said.
This required students to examine how economic theory and social policy in New Zealand had contributed to oppression and marginalisation of particular groups.
‘’The discipline we teach, and into which students are enrolled, has an expectation that we educate the students to become aware of the socio-political contexts in which we work.
This is serious and I think this person should be sacked, and the Southern Institute of Technology should be closely checked to see how far this lazy system of tutor employment should be going. Students are very impressionable when at these colleges, and indeed are very influenced at any age when they are fully engaged in study and learning. The last thing they need to learn is that nothing they are told is really reliable. They can mislearn about life and the universe at home. When they go somewhere official they should be able to expect more than today's reckons from a teacher with a balanced viewpoint, male or female.
She is the Services Program Manager at Southern Institute of Technology, SIT.
She is part of the Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Social Workers (ANZASW) Te Ropu Tauwhiro i Aotearoa
Merle Grimwood-Petterson? Invercargill, NZ works at SIT
Amazing how many there are by Petersen name in the world – quite a few in South Africa. Her Facebook page is full of inspirational quotes with flowers etc.
You're letting prejudice get in the way of the evidence.
One problem for liberal/lefties that many of us have to face up to is that the conspiracy crazies draw a lot of support from Maori/Pasifika minorities, in the same way that Brian Tamaki does. God moves in mysterious ways.
…SIT, when earlier approached for comment, replied with a statement saying it was not aware of the accusations, nor had the tertiary institutions ever received any previous complaints about Petersen’s political views.
'’SIT is a politically neutral institution,'' the statement said….
I feel that this is not an 'open-minded' neutral learning institution if encouraging this sort of discourse to happen.
…It is alleged Petersen then said Gates, who had plans to depopulate the world, held a secret meeting with Ardern.
When asked by a member of the class if Gates had to quarantine, she responded with an eye roll. ‘'She was deadly serious,’' the attendee said.
Petersen allegedly referred to Ardern as “dangerous”, telling the class people needed to “keep an eye on her”.
The person who attended the class was concerned Petersen’s views could have a negative impact on the students, many of whom wanted to be social workers.
And just to compare teaching styles. This NZ fear-laden, darkly intoned conspiracy theory approach and the Finnish one that appears to produce open keen wide-thinking students.
"National’s deputy leader Gerry Brownlee has backtracked over his questioning of the Government’s handling of coronavirus information, saying it was not his intention to play into the hands of conspiracy theorists."
"Speaking to Newstalk ZB’s Canterbury Mornings on Friday, Brownlee admitted he had got himself into a “bad spot” and that he “certainly didn’t intend to create any fear”.
“The way it has been presented has been unfortunate, I’ve certainly not enjoyed it,” he said."
David Skilling – "But this is an opportunity to invest in skills upgrading, capital and technology investment, to move to a higher productivity, higher wage economy."
I believe Labour the best to deliver this. National too interested in the short term, Greens would argue it means unsustainable growth, ACT would be opposed because skills upgrading conflicts with individual choice (big government offers me the way to improve my skill level but as an individual I am free to do what I like and I don't like the government telling me what to do).
The lead-up to the 2011 election was dominated by NZ hosting the Rugby World Cup. All over the news, all day, every day. There were 34 days between the final (won by John Key, with help from some All Blacks) and the election.
There are 35 days between now and the (provisional) election date, September 19.
I wonder what possessed Hilary Barry to take such a shrewish tone with the Prime Minister this evening? Jacinda looked upset by her tone and what sort of a silly question is asking her what she has got to say to the business people of Auckland as though she is a naughty child?
I saw that too Jan M and wondered the same thing. Either Barry has a bee in her bonnet about the Level 3 extension or she was trying to do the serious political interviewer thing and it didn't come off… or she’s a Nat supporter and let down her cover.
Whatever, Jacinda looked exhausted so hope she 's allowed to take it easy this week-end. She deserves a short break.
Whoever the next Prime Minister is, they will allow Covid-19 into New Zealand. Both leaders adamantly deny it now.
Polling overwhelmingly demands they publicly support what I called in March the idyllic scenario
What he really means is
1. that National is captured by those blinded by greed (a bit stoopid) and they arrogantly presume they can force Labour into opening borders recklessly (like a hooker touting for more custom by not requiring condom use) – constant bleating in the media (as per winter of discontent 2000).
2. Oz opposes us having elimination and Level 1 (it makes them look second-rate) because they can only bubble with us at level 2 (where we get tourists if we allow their infection rate).
Evidence what Kelly said today in Oz, that having level 1 was too risky (you only get there by elimination and they do not have a policy of elimination).
Australia's acting chief medical officer Paul Kelly said today New Zealand should not have returned to pre-pandemic life after going 102 days without community transmission. He said despite New Zealand's initial lockdown being successful, a return to mass gatherings and lack of social distancing was problematic. "That is just very dangerous," he told the Australian Senate's coronavirus inquiry today. "To go right back to a pre-Covid state makes them extremely vulnerable."
the right wing political world is embarrassed by comparative failure – their constant refrain is the economic cost of effective pandemic response, so they hate our example (low debt enabling the goal of elimination and the reward of level 1 recovery which is out of their reach sans vaccine).
Evidence Irish Times
the recent change in alert levels saying it was a "recipe for economic disaster." Burke-Kennedy suggested that following New Zealand's lead on lockdowns would turn Ireland's recession into a depression and trigger a higher number of suicides.
They have no choice but to accept community spread, the old TINA, thus their fear of our models existence. Nice how they claim they will save business men from suicide by allowing the deaths of less important old, poor and sick people.
David Seymour is saying what National really believes.
If a lockdown is required to maintain elimination, then it is time to have an honest conversation about accepting a new reality that the virus is here to stay and we must learn to live with it intelligently," Seymour said on Friday.
I believe Covid-19 will become endemic, globally, which means that we (NZ) need to have a plan for the future. I disagree that now is the time to have that conversation. After the Election, the Government should lead or initiate an inclusive debate about the way forward for NZ, preferably with much input from the public as well as from various experts, not just health experts and business people – we’re in this together.
Covid-19 is here to stay and won’t be eliminated or eradicated and will be endemic unless there is a highly effective vaccine for it. However, given what we know about coronaviruses, it is unlikely that even with a vaccine it will be eradicated.
The various scenarios should be discussed sooner rather than later and to pin all our hopes on an effective and safe vaccine becoming available in the very near future is fanciful; talking of evidence. So, we wait and do nothing, say nothing, and most certainly do discuss nothing? Avoid at all cost because even talking about it might put lives at risk? Because that would be the domain of RWNJs? I hope you don’t truly believe that because it is insulting to anyone’s intelligence.
There are those on the right, who would not wait behind our border even 6 months of 2021 for a vaccine. And on the right is where they belong.
Just as well that I didn’t even suggest anything of the kind. You’re achieving nothing by turning this into a hyper-polarised debate or by politicising it as a Left-Right issue. As I said, we’re in this together and simplistic binaries are of no help with complex issues, they are counter-productive.
And your Hootonesque apologetic ones especially.
I love your attempt at Monty Python humour 😀
Your wilful avoidance and attempt to shut down debate before it has even started does not sit well with me 🙁
1. were people vaccinated for the plague, and if not where did it go?
2. were people vaccinated for Spanish flu and if not where did it go?
PS I cannot see how any discussion about a plan for the future, based on a belief that SARS COV2 will always be with us, can occur in the absence of consensus about that.
PS I cannot see how any discussion about a plan for the future, based on a belief that SARS COV2 will always be with us, can occur in the absence of consensus about that. [my italics]
And how do you propose do we reach a consensus about that? Given that there are no plans to eradicate the virus on a global scale and with over 21 million cases in total and rising by hundreds of thousands daily. And if we don’t have or reach consensus, what do we then? When or what does trigger any discussion about a plan for the future? What do we do in the meantime? Are we allowed to talk about it before then and should we? If not, why not? Why are you so resistant (antagonistic) towards this?
It’s also based around protecting the capitalist base to the global economy that leads to indebted and under reourced government, rather than questioning its assumptions (why is printed QE money called a debt future generations owe – that just means they get underfunded health and education and welfare systems).
Not necessarily. Anyway, some sectors of our society, including health and education, are not doing well because of the lockdowns. I wouldn’t want to be an NCEA student this year or a cancer patient waiting to be seen or treated by a specialist. Mental health is also taking a battering, it seems although numbers are hard to come by.
I disagree. A plan could include different versions of MIQ. It wouldn’t necessarily mean what you think it means. But if you start from an extreme PoV, I can see why you wouldn’t be keen to even contemplate other options and just want to stick with BAU and shut down any discussion about a ‘plan’ as RW conspiracy.
The answers to 1 and 2 are "millions of infections and dead, and social isolation efforts, created a herd immunity and slowed the spread enough to lower the reproductive rate below 1".
The goal is to avoid the millions of dead, no? So we either wait for a vaccine, or until it blows over. And if that takes a couple of years, well at least we're not digging mass graves.
herd immunity worked with Spanish Flu because enough people got it and died? i.e. if smaller numbers of people had it, it wouldn't have gone away? And if smaller numbers of people had died it wouldn't have gone away?
Sorry, was unclear. The survivors were immune. The others died.
Bubonic plague has a different vector for infection, but many of the basic techniques of prevention are still relevant – ISTR someone mentioning at TS ships with plague victims being let in at the behest of the business community that wanted the trade.
so the Spanish Flu herd immunity was established by widespread infection, deaths of many leading to a smaller population, who had been infected but survived? Eliminated because this sequence led to an R value of less than 1?
Many viruses figure out a balance to stay in the human body permanently, establishing a balancing act between not killing the host but not being eliminated by the immune response. Herpes, for example. But by their nature they have to be pretty mild – killing few of their hosts.
Covid and Spanish flu aren't like that. From the virus' point of view, they have a ticking clock to spread to someone else before the virus kills the host or their host kills them (i.e. the patient gets better).
People who die quickly have less time to spread the virus, so there's an evolutionary bias towards becoming less lethal (more time to spread = more infections of that version).
There's also the problem that if you, as a virus, find your siblings and ancestors have already infected most of the people you meet and they got better, then you probably can't pass your descendents on to those people.
If every contact with a vulnerable person gives you a 30% chance of infecting them, coming into contact with four people gives you a decent chance of spreading yourself about if nobody has caught it before.
If 3 of those 4 caught it before, you've only got a 30% chance of spreading it. Repeat that twice, and your strain probably becomes an evolutionary dead end.
The Bubonic Plague (Spanish flu) was a bacterial infection so incomparable to aligning to as yet unknown final behaviours of SARS- CoV- 2, a virus.
The Spanish flu was an H1N1 influenza -A strain virus which became a pandemic. What happened in the time of this pandemic 1918 to 1920 was that people either developed immunity or died. The Spanish flu virus H1N1 had since been reconstructed for scientific study then these samples destroyed after experimentation.
So the Spanish flu potentially did not go away nor was herd immunity established as fact.
H1N1 influenza-A virus strain subtype appeared again as the Swine flu in 2009.
Influenza A viruses are the only influenza viruses known to cause flu global epidemics of flu disease.
SARS- CoV-2 is NOT an influenza virus. The SAR acronym being of the type drscribed as
severe acute respiratory syndrome.
SARS-CoV(1) emerged in 2002.
Combating SARS- CoV-2 is an unknown still. Ideally, having a plan economic or otherwise to carry on with life should be the goal now.
To date only 2 infectious viruses are known to have been potentially eradicated, smallpox and rinderpest.
That does not explain why so many young people died rather than older people – the immune system of healthy adults was triggered – “cytokine storm.
Hear of Samoa in relation to Sapanish flu – but for one ship visit they might have had no deaths at all?
It is possible to bubble and avoid deaths.
During the plague there were villages and towns that had no deaths – they used quarantine and then the plague was gone.
As for a plan – both parties have investment programmes to create domestic economy jobs (one focused on more and more roads, one more diverse based on investment in community well being).
Despite no eradication of Spanish flu, it no longer exists. Despite no eradication of plague has anyone in our country ever been infected treated for it?
After the Election, the Government should lead or initiate an inclusive debate about the way forward for NZ, preferably with much input from the public as well as from various experts, not just health experts and business people – we’re in this together.
The government MUST lead the debate, and should have started a long time ago.
We had three month during which the government should have led the debate on what to do if he virus re-emerges, how to handle future lock downs, what protections the public can expect etc etc etc.
Without that open approach from government the void will be filled by conspiracy theories.
As for the 'we're' all in this together? Now some are really knee deep in the shit, others are happy and able to work from home / or receive their income from investments and thus feel still in control of things. The rest of us however is not in that position. We are the expandable err 'hero' essential worker who is asked to rehire the staff we let go for a bit of cash via the flexi scheme or hey , here a few dollars , why won't you start a business. No we are not all in this together.
That's not the sort of planning Incognito is suggesting – his is about moving on from the keep it out bubble approach.
[Either you have a reading comprehension and cognitive problem, which is why you misunderstood me, or you are simply unwilling to understand what I was saying. Either way, you have misinterpreted my words, knowingly or unwittingly. You were making up shit and put words/meanings into my mouth. Point out where I suggested “moving on from the keep it out bubble approach” or retract and apologise – Incognito]
If you are not in favour of moving on from our keep it out bubble approach, sure I retract and apologise.
My impression, that this was your position was based on your wanting government to set a future direction based on a changed world environment and assumption this meant a change from current keep it out and eliminate policy.
I’d also like to take the opportunity to thank you for your many positive and high quality comments on this site – from one volunteer to another, so to speak.
For the record, I’m supportive of the current approach at present. However, the current approach has no in-built mechanism for the future – it is kind of a one-trick pony. I think it is important that we plan for the future, especially when a vaccine takes a long (?) time or never arrives. If not plan for anything (different), at least discuss the various options with their associated risks and advantages. Talking doesn’t commit anybody to anything AFAIK.
Chris Hipkins was saying today that TINA. That might be so, but it is not very inviting to constructive criticism. I find that a little ‘problematic’.
The Plan B group are holding their Policy Symposium tomorrow. I have criticised them in the past for being pseudo-scientific and their PR has been shit. They have become somewhat of an ‘anti-establishment’ group and that has killed the debate before it got off the ground. It think this is in some ways regrettable, as it is good a good thing when the powers that be are challenged – to keep an open mind is the key to making improvements, when/where possible, and progress in general.
As you can see, I have a nuanced view of this complex issue but I repeat, I’m not advocating or favouring anything at present.
The Government has either been too busy with dealing with the pandemic or governing in general but is has shied away from this difficult conversation. This has created a vacuum that is now being filled by the Oppos, fringe parties, and conspiracy theorists, which all have an agenda and something to gain by media attention. Conspiracy theories are shooting up like hallucinatory mushrooms for those scared souls who search for solace. The narrative is framed and controlled by those people. For this reason alone, the Government should wrestle back the initiative and lead, but they’re not going to at this side of the Election.
That show is almost unwatchable in itself, so shallow, and that's the second time Gorman has been on this week insisting we can't carry on like this and there needs to be a Grand Coalition to make the all decisions in the future. It looked like a total hit job on the Govt. He definitely has an agenda and Barry looked like she is in on it.
Gorman was on RNZ Friday morning with the same line – parroting Collins. National involved in decision-making before a delayed election. Black swan event coup opportunity mentality.
I don't mind hearing his criticisms, but his solution is unworkable nonsense. Even at the best of times (i.e. not these) a Lab-Nat coalition could not last 5 minutes. And whoever is in government, there has to be an opposition filling the vacuum.
I'm obviously biased, but the best health strategy is to get the election over, have a functioning government and give them the job for 3 years. Putting that off doesn't solve anything.
A grand coalition is a ridiculous idea at this time. Unless the election has to be delayed for a year or two. Anyone suggesting it is to be mocked and derided. We have a govt with a workable majority until November and then from memory a supermajority is needed for just one vote and that is to delay the election (or it's on a week by week basis by an electoral official?)
Look at Germany right now, a grand coalition would see the likes of act, nzpp and all the Looney tunes parties polling around 10-20% and lab/Nat would probably have to govern together for a few elections until they either become one party like national did with it's predecessors or get replaced by new vehicles, potentially dangerous vehicles.
Grand coalitions should only ever be called for in times of war when governing parties are split and can't get a majority in their own ranks. Get this tripper off the tv
I'm not sure of Hillary's politics but she's definitely not a labour voter, she says "they labour party" with a kind of hatred in her tone and an expression that looks like she tasted something foul…. But on the other hand she defended jacinda on social media when mark Richardson asked about her potentially getting pregnant and has been really against all the conspiracy theories going round. Maybe she's apolitical and just doing her job, stranger things have happened
a grand coalition is always a bad idea, i lived through a few in Germany. Generally they can't get their act together, little gets done, and early election more often then not are called once parties break of for lack of 'confidence'.
however, that does not mean a grand coalition can not happen.
And if it will happen here its gonna be the no mates party, the hologram and one of the religious / conservative parties, my bet would be the bishops wife and maybe the new conservatives.
i can not see a labour/national coalition as the parties are too far apart and not even saving the country would bring them together to that point. We would need a different set of people in the no mates party.
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Last week Transport Minster Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre. The new train control centre will see teams from KiwiRail, Auckland Transport and Auckland One Rail working more closely together to improve train services across the city. The Auckland Rail Operations Centre in ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson said in an exit interview with Q+A yesterday the Government can and should sustain more debt to invest in infrastructure for future generations. Elsewhere in the news in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 6:36am: Read more ...
Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. It is more than just a happy ...
TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to March 18 include:China’s Foreign Minister visiting Wellington today;A post-cabinet news conference this afternoon; the resumption of Parliament on Tuesday for two weeks before Easter;retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson gives his valedictory speech in Parliament; ...
New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters’s state-of-the-nation speech on Sunday was really a state-of-Winston-First speech. He barely mentioned any of the Government’s key policies and could not even wholly endorse its signature income tax cuts. Instead, he rehearsed all of his complaints about the Ardern Government, including an extraordinary claim ...
A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
“I’ve been internalising a really complicated situation in my head.”When they kept telling us we should wait until we get to know him, were they taking the piss? Was it a case of, if you think this is bad, wait till you get to know the real Christopher, after the ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
.“$10 and a target that bleeds” - Bleeding Targets for Under $10!.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.This government appears hell-bent on either scrapping life-saving legislation or reintroducing things that - frustrated critics insist - will be dangerous and likely ...
“It hardly strikes me as fair to criticise a government for doing exactly what it said it was going to do. For actually keeping its promises.”THUNDER WAS PLAYING TAG with lightning flashes amongst the distant peaks. Its rolling cadences interrupted by the here-I-come-here-I-go Doppler effect of the occasional passing car. ...
Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology – the Internet – is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
Bob Edlin writes – And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ HeraldThomas CoughlanSimeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
TL;DR:Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it: We want our country to be a ...
The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading → ...
Ele Ludemann writes – The government is omitting general Treaty references from 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 public service on Treaty ...
What was that judge thinking?Peter Williams writes – That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop:Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
Buzz from the BeehiveThe text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary. It can be quickly analysed ...
For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
Questions need to be asked on both sides of the worldPeter Williams writes – The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
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, ...
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 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 ...
Pacific Media Watch Earthwise hosts Lois and Martin Griffiths. Earthwise presenters Lois and Martin Griffiths on Plains FM 96.9 community radio talk to Dr David Robie, a New Zealand author, independent journalist and media educator with a passion for the Asia-Pacific region. David talks about the struggle to raise awareness ...
Pacific Media Watch Ismail al-Ghoul, an Al Jazeera Arabic correspondent who was held for 12 hours at Gaza’s al-Shifa hospital, says Israeli forces rounded up Palestinian journalists at the facility and made them kneel on the ground for hours, while naked and blindfolded. “The occupation forces handcuffed and blindfolded us ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tony Wood, Program Director, Energy, Grattan Institute chinasong, Shutterstock Electricity customers in four Australian states can breathe a sigh of relief. After two years in a row of 20% price increases, power prices have finally stabilised. In many places they’re ...
Chumbawamba have reportedly issued the deputy PM a cease-and-desist notice after he used their song 'Tubthumping' before his state of the nation speech. ...
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 ...
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I'd far rather stare at an empty podium than at Jessica Mutch when awaiting these press conferences.
15k tests yesterday
Up from roughly a couple thousand a day before this outbreak. Nice scale-up.
So many tests, so few positives, and none outside the known cluster 🙂
A very nice positive comment Incognito the sort of thing we all need at the moment instead of all the whinging and negativity by the right.
that was impressive.
The Prime Minister's presentation of the new situation was elegant and sound. She's impressive in the face of challenge.
Yeah it was impressive as always Robert. I liked her focus on sealing the perimeter of the cluster rather than chasing down the rabbit hole after patient zero so Auckland can begin to move down alert levels
And has a skill I never learned: hearing stupid questions and giving tolerant and reasonable answers.
That question about whether it's still a team of five million would have had me telling the questioner to fuck off just as a matter of reflex, and she explained it consistently with the original analogy, and then told people outside Auckland how they could help those within Auckland. Quite spectacular.
Absolutely agree. Coming in late on repeat TV news channels 6 and 8, I happened to see that response to what I think was meant to be a hostile question. Quick, natural smile, perfect reply with candour and natural confidence.
Jacinda is, I think, the most talented, connecting communicator we have had as PM since Rob Muldoon at his peak. He was of the opposite nature – domineering, calculating, but still beguiling his 'mob'.
Lange was wittiest; Winston at his best was close to Muldoon, but less focused; I hoped for a lot from Palmer, but in dropping his legal, academic air he turned into the most boring speaker ever. Kirk was excellent, but too brief in existence.
I never liked PMs like Key and English who managed to mangle the English language while either charming or plodding…
I have waited to see how Jacinda would rate. I now believe that we are lucky to have one of the very best PMs we have had, in that she combines excellent communication skills with a good, kind character.
Regardless of how much social change she has been able to achieve to date, she is the leader that we on the Left cannot do without.
Some learn this during parenthood, some during a career in education, some never do. Don’t worry, ‘soft skills’ are not for the faint-hearted.
yeah – besides the choice of Winston and a myriad other instances of good luck, having a PM who has a toddler and therefore up to date with the communication skills to deal with journolists and tories 🙂
she suffers fools and foolish questions quite gladly doesn't she, or with skill and aplomb anyway.
Apart from the dick who wrote to Collins asking her to resist the lockdown measures the National Party in general has been very quiet today. Maybe they think they are about to catch a break at last?
They may be ruminating on Mr Bridge's resignation.
If there was a skerrick of self awareness amongst 'em, today was the day to keep it zipped.
Again I feel The Greens were prescient with giving The Nats their share of questions. The more they open their mouths the more they show how unfit they are to govern. climate
"
"Crude, but effective.
The same, sadly, applies to “Merv’s” intervention in National’s 2020 Auckland Central candidate selection. Newshub has alleged that this pseudonymous caller of late-night talkback shows is in fact a regional representative of the National Party with a bee in his bonnet about Nuwi Samarakone, the Sri Lankan-born party activist apparently favoured by the party hierarchy. “Merv’s” contribution followed the circulation, by a person, or persons, unknown, of a photograph of Ms Samarakone (a former ballet dancer) posing for the camera in leotards. Astonishingly, that was all it took to make sure that, at least as far as its three leading contenders are concerned, the Auckland Central contest will be an all-white affair. Childish brutality indeed!"
Ibid (again, Chris Trotter) – perfectly skewered.
Again, Chris Trotter pins it:
"It is very difficult to interpret Mr Te Kahika’s activity as anything other than an attempt to impede, undermine and in every way frustrate the Government’s attempt to respond adequately to a proven resurgence of community transmission of Covid-19 in the city of Auckland and, quite possibly, across the rest of New Zealand."
&
" If Holmes’s important stipulation that “the character of every act depends upon the circumstances in which it is done”, then Mr Te Kahika’s actions can only be described as extremely reckless and irresponsible."
Well worth reading, imo.
http://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/2020/08/is-billy-tk-shouting-fire-in-crowded.html
James Dann's question is pretty funny…
"Gerry Brownlee was a woodwork teacher the leaky building crisis was caused by bad carpentry I’m just asking questions"
😆
He was my woodwork teacher. Nothings changed, he's still a bully and not very popular with his peers. A family friend knew him too, that's how I know combined with the attitude of the other teachers towards him when he wasn't around. Something that surprised me as a 13yo boy and stuck with me. It wasn't very often teachers openly dissed one of their own in front of students. Just saying..
Doing the math from his wiki page, twelve years of teaching before parliament in 1996 would put him in the tail-end of the days when teachers would lob chalk, dusters, and off-cuts at students.
Could be entertaining if they were gentle lobs and the teachers were original about it, but bloody terrifying if the teacher was a bully.
and maybe the media should ask their own questions of Mr Brownlee
One of the more stupid journos just asked her if we are still a team of 5 million if there are different alert levels around the country. Ardern’s response will be come a classic, “Yes, because not everyone in the team is on the field at the same time.”
"What was the tone of the Prime Minister's announcement"? asked TVOne.
A very feminine question, I thought; and I rejoiced!
12 more days, two weeks total. Could have been worse.
Child 1 is upset – doesn't like remote learning (I agree, digital learning is a poor facsimile of the real thing).
Child 2 is fine – voracious appetite for schoolwork no matter the circumstance.
I was all over the place the last few days but JA brought us all around yet again.
Well, it's looking like we've nailed it again.
The electoral clincher being of course, beating Aussie again .
Reckon not many on the team think Jacinda didn't earn her place.
How long you reckon before some Aussie journos come up with blistering attack-lines on Ardern and NZ Govt. Y'know… can't cope with NZ being better 'n them at handling just about everything.
As a number of folk who thought they were clever have discovered, there aren't too many chinks in Jacinda's armour. I think the irredeemably negative will mostly look at the fate of Alan Jones and decide "Whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must be silent."
They may rage against the Victorian government in frustration however.
I suppose too, having won two tests, we don’t need a third game eh.
This from Oz put up by Muttonbird at OM 31.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12356678
Covid 19 coronavirus: Australian health chief says New Zealand's strategy 'very dangerous'
Don't come the raw prawn with us mate (redundant popslang from the 60s.)
Damn – I consistently overestimate the intelligence of Aussies – the ones I know are as sharp as. Mind, half of them used to be kiwis.
This 12 days will suck all political oxygen towards Ardern's leadership fire.
Labour will come out of it over 55%.
Economy and health will be the top issue as voters enter the polling booth.
when do you think the election will be?
September 19.
4 weeks after level 2 probably is fair.
Although there is nothing to stop the other parties hitting the campaign trail everywhere other than Auckland.
Shit can act and national even get 100 people to a meeting!!!
They should merge and merve them into combined Oppo meetings; on current polling they may soon be equal in numbers.
October 17.
Allows time for Auckland to return to level 2, barring more bad news (possible at any time, this year, next year, whenever).
Politically smart not to give National a loser's excuse.
October 10.
One week to build up again and two weeks lost in Levels 2 & 3.
Warning: my predictions are more often wrong than right. 🙁
The PM mentioned that the Electoral Commission had been doing work on an election @ Level 2.
October 3.
Moved two weeks because of the two weeks at Level 3 in Auckland.
September 19.
Today Jacinda referred to “the philosophy of New Zealanders”…
Go Early. Go Hard.
Somebody really ought to ask Judith Codger to say something stoopid, I mean add her constructive comments.
The business-commentariat is trying really hard to make her look like less of a sociopath by saying the quiet bits loud. The idea that we should let people die in a bullshit effort to maintain GDP is stupid even if it were real (not according to the examples of the rest of the world, as JA said this afternoon).
Is Hooton back on the payroll then?
Lol
Hootons virus has been far more damaging and infectious to National than carona virus.
Too soon to call but very encouraging. The A-Team. Why would anyone with half a brain consider change?
Old Merv, eh? In normal times this incident would have completely destroyed the National Party structure and Goodfellow in particular. How many lives has that guy had?
But here we are in post-pandemic times, and in a mega-cluster of National Party screw-ups, and it is nothing but a footnote.
If the National Party wants to move forward and provide this country with a decent opposition for the next decade they need to sack Peter Goodfellow right now. The poison is at the top.
edit
This is not what I think is good leadership from our public education institutions.
A Southland polytechnic department head allegedly shared conspiracy theories about Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and US billionaire Bill Gates to a class of students.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/education/300078747/tutor-alleged-to-have-shared-conspiracy-theories-with-polytech-class
An outline of the course noted requirements included displaying '’self-awareness, reflective practice and personal leadership in a health and wellbeing setting'’.
[Merle] Petersen, when asked if she believed those statements to be factually correct, provided a written statement saying all facts were open to interpretation. She was also approached in person by a Stuff reporter, but referred comment through SIT.
When asked if she thought it appropriate to repeat conspiracy theories at an academic institution, her statement said students were encouraged to do their own research into topics…
The paper about which the discussions took place focused on economic and social policy, she said.
This required students to examine how economic theory and social policy in New Zealand had contributed to oppression and marginalisation of particular groups.
‘’The discipline we teach, and into which students are enrolled, has an expectation that we educate the students to become aware of the socio-political contexts in which we work.
This is serious and I think this person should be sacked, and the Southern Institute of Technology should be closely checked to see how far this lazy system of tutor employment should be going. Students are very impressionable when at these colleges, and indeed are very influenced at any age when they are fully engaged in study and learning. The last thing they need to learn is that nothing they are told is really reliable. They can mislearn about life and the universe at home. When they go somewhere official they should be able to expect more than today's reckons from a teacher with a balanced viewpoint, male or female.
She is the Services Program Manager at Southern Institute of Technology, SIT.
She is part of the Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Social Workers (ANZASW) Te Ropu Tauwhiro i Aotearoa
Sounds like a South African import.
There's a few SA/Zim expat imports here who are virulently against any kind of socially conscious government in their adoptive home.
Berend de Boer, the gun nut, is another one.
On facebook – https://www.facebook.com/merle.petersen.7
Merle Grimwood-Petterson? Invercargill, NZ works at SIT
Amazing how many there are by Petersen name in the world – quite a few in South Africa. Her Facebook page is full of inspirational quotes with flowers etc.
"Sounds like a South African import."
You're letting prejudice get in the way of the evidence.
One problem for liberal/lefties that many of us have to face up to is that the conspiracy crazies draw a lot of support from Maori/Pasifika minorities, in the same way that Brian Tamaki does. God moves in mysterious ways.
You can take the white person out of South Africa, but you can't take South Africa out of the white person.
Seriously? We got here based solely on "Merle Petersen "?
I think he's a Dutchie.
Same thing.
Bit sweeping that Muttonbird I think. Same root perhaps.
The apple never falls far from the tree.
Penny Simmonds.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/121555775/education-boss-penny-simmonds-to-run-for-invercargill-seat
From link:
…SIT, when earlier approached for comment, replied with a statement saying it was not aware of the accusations, nor had the tertiary institutions ever received any previous complaints about Petersen’s political views.
'’SIT is a politically neutral institution,'' the statement said….
I feel that this is not an 'open-minded' neutral learning institution if encouraging this sort of discourse to happen.
…It is alleged Petersen then said Gates, who had plans to depopulate the world, held a secret meeting with Ardern.
When asked by a member of the class if Gates had to quarantine, she responded with an eye roll. ‘'She was deadly serious,’' the attendee said.
Petersen allegedly referred to Ardern as “dangerous”, telling the class people needed to “keep an eye on her”.
The person who attended the class was concerned Petersen’s views could have a negative impact on the students, many of whom wanted to be social workers.
Oranga Tamariki candidates?
And just to compare teaching styles. This NZ fear-laden, darkly intoned conspiracy theory approach and the Finnish one that appears to produce open keen wide-thinking students.
From Where to Invade Next with Michael Moore.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHHFGo161Os
Brownlee!
"National’s deputy leader Gerry Brownlee has backtracked over his questioning of the Government’s handling of coronavirus information, saying it was not his intention to play into the hands of conspiracy theorists."
Yeah/nah, Gerry.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/122453434/gerry-brownlee-admits-getting-into-a-bad-spot-over-covid-conspiracy-theories
"Speaking to Newstalk ZB’s Canterbury Mornings on Friday, Brownlee admitted he had got himself into a “bad spot” and that he “certainly didn’t intend to create any fear”.
“The way it has been presented has been unfortunate, I’ve certainly not enjoyed it,” he said."
Pfffffffft!!!!
So the polling came back and they were headed for single figures with that approach….
Nah, an emotional junior staffer told him to pull his head in.
David Skilling – "But this is an opportunity to invest in skills upgrading, capital and technology investment, to move to a higher productivity, higher wage economy."
I believe Labour the best to deliver this. National too interested in the short term, Greens would argue it means unsustainable growth, ACT would be opposed because skills upgrading conflicts with individual choice (big government offers me the way to improve my skill level but as an individual I am free to do what I like and I don't like the government telling me what to do).
https://www.firstnzcapital.co.nz/rest/document/public/encrypted?hash=a5LZhJCykwcmuH1pLIrUgvuGNDRHeWnPoirqqcdJfxnKf89nU02b7PozFdXP30mdl8GA1Bt8Aw0%3D
Today's forgotten fact:
The lead-up to the 2011 election was dominated by NZ hosting the Rugby World Cup. All over the news, all day, every day. There were 34 days between the final (won by John Key, with help from some All Blacks) and the election.
There are 35 days between now and the (provisional) election date, September 19.
I wonder what possessed Hilary Barry to take such a shrewish tone with the Prime Minister this evening? Jacinda looked upset by her tone and what sort of a silly question is asking her what she has got to say to the business people of Auckland as though she is a naughty child?
I also object to them having that Gorman fellow on giving Covid updates. He has, I think, a political agenda, to bag the Coalition government.
I'd much soon they had David Skeggs or Baker – much more objective.
I think he has too – I listen and wait for the weasel words
I saw that too Jan M and wondered the same thing. Either Barry has a bee in her bonnet about the Level 3 extension or she was trying to do the serious political interviewer thing and it didn't come off… or she’s a Nat supporter and let down her cover.
Whatever, Jacinda looked exhausted so hope she 's allowed to take it easy this week-end. She deserves a short break.
Hooton claims that the next government will let the virus in.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=12356349
What he really means is
1. that National is captured by those blinded by greed (a bit stoopid) and they arrogantly presume they can force Labour into opening borders recklessly (like a hooker touting for more custom by not requiring condom use) – constant bleating in the media (as per winter of discontent 2000).
2. Oz opposes us having elimination and Level 1 (it makes them look second-rate) because they can only bubble with us at level 2 (where we get tourists if we allow their infection rate).
Evidence what Kelly said today in Oz, that having level 1 was too risky (you only get there by elimination and they do not have a policy of elimination).
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12356678 3.
the right wing political world is embarrassed by comparative failure – their constant refrain is the economic cost of effective pandemic response, so they hate our example (low debt enabling the goal of elimination and the reward of level 1 recovery which is out of their reach sans vaccine).
Evidence Irish Times
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2020/08/irish-newspaper-slams-new-zealand-s-alert-level-change.html
They have no choice but to accept community spread, the old TINA, thus their fear of our models existence. Nice how they claim they will save business men from suicide by allowing the deaths of less important old, poor and sick people.
David Seymour is saying what National really believes.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2020/08/act-leader-david-seymour-wants-new-zealand-to-accept-new-reality-that-covid-19-is-here-to-stay.html
I believe Covid-19 will become endemic, globally, which means that we (NZ) need to have a plan for the future. I disagree that now is the time to have that conversation. After the Election, the Government should lead or initiate an inclusive debate about the way forward for NZ, preferably with much input from the public as well as from various experts, not just health experts and business people – we’re in this together.
Beliefs mean nothing. And your Hootonesque apologetic ones especially. Decisions need to be based on evidence.
Even beginning that discussion before stage 3 vaccine trials conclude is premature.
There are those on the right who would not wait behind our border even 6 months of 2021 for a vaccine. And on the right is where they belong.
Fair enough 🙂
Covid-19 is here to stay and won’t be eliminated or eradicated and will be endemic unless there is a highly effective vaccine for it. However, given what we know about coronaviruses, it is unlikely that even with a vaccine it will be eradicated.
The various scenarios should be discussed sooner rather than later and to pin all our hopes on an effective and safe vaccine becoming available in the very near future is fanciful; talking of evidence. So, we wait and do nothing, say nothing, and most certainly do discuss nothing? Avoid at all cost because even talking about it might put lives at risk? Because that would be the domain of RWNJs? I hope you don’t truly believe that because it is insulting to anyone’s intelligence.
Just as well that I didn’t even suggest anything of the kind. You’re achieving nothing by turning this into a hyper-polarised debate or by politicising it as a Left-Right issue. As I said, we’re in this together and simplistic binaries are of no help with complex issues, they are counter-productive.
I love your attempt at Monty Python humour 😀
Your wilful avoidance and attempt to shut down debate before it has even started does not sit well with me 🙁
Ever answered these questions
1. were people vaccinated for the plague, and if not where did it go?
2. were people vaccinated for Spanish flu and if not where did it go?
PS I cannot see how any discussion about a plan for the future, based on a belief that SARS COV2 will always be with us, can occur in the absence of consensus about that.
And how do you propose do we reach a consensus about that? Given that there are no plans to eradicate the virus on a global scale and with over 21 million cases in total and rising by hundreds of thousands daily. And if we don’t have or reach consensus, what do we then? When or what does trigger any discussion about a plan for the future? What do we do in the meantime? Are we allowed to talk about it before then and should we? If not, why not? Why are you so resistant (antagonistic) towards this?
Because having a plan is really about opening up borders – allowing greater risk of and toleration for community spread.
And that involves greater risk to the poor, ethnic minorities, those with health conditions and the aged.
And it does not deliver better results than elimination and operating at Level 1.
It’s also based around protecting the capitalist base to the global economy that leads to indebted and under reourced government, rather than questioning its assumptions (why is printed QE money called a debt future generations owe – that just means they get underfunded health and education and welfare systems).
Not necessarily. Anyway, some sectors of our society, including health and education, are not doing well because of the lockdowns. I wouldn’t want to be an NCEA student this year or a cancer patient waiting to be seen or treated by a specialist. Mental health is also taking a battering, it seems although numbers are hard to come by.
I disagree. A plan could include different versions of MIQ. It wouldn’t necessarily mean what you think it means. But if you start from an extreme PoV, I can see why you wouldn’t be keen to even contemplate other options and just want to stick with BAU and shut down any discussion about a ‘plan’ as RW conspiracy.
The answers to 1 and 2 are "millions of infections and dead, and social isolation efforts, created a herd immunity and slowed the spread enough to lower the reproductive rate below 1".
The goal is to avoid the millions of dead, no? So we either wait for a vaccine, or until it blows over. And if that takes a couple of years, well at least we're not digging mass graves.
herd immunity worked with Spanish Flu because enough people got it and died? i.e. if smaller numbers of people had it, it wouldn't have gone away? And if smaller numbers of people had died it wouldn't have gone away?
Sorry, was unclear. The survivors were immune. The others died.
Bubonic plague has a different vector for infection, but many of the basic techniques of prevention are still relevant – ISTR someone mentioning at TS ships with plague victims being let in at the behest of the business community that wanted the trade.
so the Spanish Flu herd immunity was established by widespread infection, deaths of many leading to a smaller population, who had been infected but survived? Eliminated because this sequence led to an R value of less than 1?
In Europe there were areas – towns and villages that never developed herd immunity because they never had any cases. Quarantines worked then too.
There have been flu outbreaks in the 20th C that barely affected some areas of the world – these never developed herd immunity either.
Consider the case of Samoa, would people have died of the Spanish h flu if that ship had not arrived?
If the world develps herd immunity within 2 years again this time, those areas with effective quarantines for that period have few if any deaths.
Many viruses figure out a balance to stay in the human body permanently, establishing a balancing act between not killing the host but not being eliminated by the immune response. Herpes, for example. But by their nature they have to be pretty mild – killing few of their hosts.
Covid and Spanish flu aren't like that. From the virus' point of view, they have a ticking clock to spread to someone else before the virus kills the host or their host kills them (i.e. the patient gets better).
People who die quickly have less time to spread the virus, so there's an evolutionary bias towards becoming less lethal (more time to spread = more infections of that version).
There's also the problem that if you, as a virus, find your siblings and ancestors have already infected most of the people you meet and they got better, then you probably can't pass your descendents on to those people.
If every contact with a vulnerable person gives you a 30% chance of infecting them, coming into contact with four people gives you a decent chance of spreading yourself about if nobody has caught it before.
If 3 of those 4 caught it before, you've only got a 30% chance of spreading it. Repeat that twice, and your strain probably becomes an evolutionary dead end.
Yes.
The Bubonic Plague (Spanish flu) was a bacterial infection so incomparable to aligning to as yet unknown final behaviours of SARS- CoV- 2, a virus.
The Spanish flu was an H1N1 influenza -A strain virus which became a pandemic. What happened in the time of this pandemic 1918 to 1920 was that people either developed immunity or died. The Spanish flu virus H1N1 had since been reconstructed for scientific study then these samples destroyed after experimentation.
So the Spanish flu potentially did not go away nor was herd immunity established as fact.
H1N1 influenza-A virus strain subtype appeared again as the Swine flu in 2009.
Influenza A viruses are the only influenza viruses known to cause flu global epidemics of flu disease.
SARS- CoV-2 is NOT an influenza virus. The SAR acronym being of the type drscribed as
severe acute respiratory syndrome.
SARS-CoV(1) emerged in 2002.
Combating SARS- CoV-2 is an unknown still. Ideally, having a plan economic or otherwise to carry on with life should be the goal now.
To date only 2 infectious viruses are known to have been potentially eradicated, smallpox and rinderpest.
https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/qa/1918flupandemic.htmh
ttps://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/viruses/types.htmhttps://w
ww.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473-3099(20)30484-9/fulltext
Correction to paragraph 1,
Spanish flu was a virus that had bacterial pneumonia evolve as the cause of deaths.
https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn14458-bacteria-were-the-real-killers-in-1918-flu-pandemic/
That does not explain why so many young people died rather than older people – the immune system of healthy adults was triggered – “cytokine storm.
Hear of Samoa in relation to Sapanish flu – but for one ship visit they might have had no deaths at all?
It is possible to bubble and avoid deaths.
During the plague there were villages and towns that had no deaths – they used quarantine and then the plague was gone.
As for a plan – both parties have investment programmes to create domestic economy jobs (one focused on more and more roads, one more diverse based on investment in community well being).
Despite no eradication of Spanish flu, it no longer exists. Despite no eradication of plague has anyone in our country ever been infected treated for it?
The government MUST lead the debate, and should have started a long time ago.
We had three month during which the government should have led the debate on what to do if he virus re-emerges, how to handle future lock downs, what protections the public can expect etc etc etc.
Without that open approach from government the void will be filled by conspiracy theories.
As for the 'we're' all in this together? Now some are really knee deep in the shit, others are happy and able to work from home / or receive their income from investments and thus feel still in control of things. The rest of us however is not in that position. We are the expandable err 'hero' essential worker who is asked to rehire the staff we let go for a bit of cash via the flexi scheme or hey , here a few dollars , why won't you start a business. No we are not all in this together.
That's not the sort of planning Incognito is suggesting – his is about moving on from the keep it out bubble approach.
[Either you have a reading comprehension and cognitive problem, which is why you misunderstood me, or you are simply unwilling to understand what I was saying. Either way, you have misinterpreted my words, knowingly or unwittingly. You were making up shit and put words/meanings into my mouth. Point out where I suggested “moving on from the keep it out bubble approach” or retract and apologise – Incognito]
See my Moderation note @ 9:18 AM.
If you are not in favour of moving on from our keep it out bubble approach, sure I retract and apologise.
My impression, that this was your position was based on your wanting government to set a future direction based on a changed world environment and assumption this meant a change from current keep it out and eliminate policy.
Thank you for your conditional retraction 😉
I’d also like to take the opportunity to thank you for your many positive and high quality comments on this site – from one volunteer to another, so to speak.
For the record, I’m supportive of the current approach at present. However, the current approach has no in-built mechanism for the future – it is kind of a one-trick pony. I think it is important that we plan for the future, especially when a vaccine takes a long (?) time or never arrives. If not plan for anything (different), at least discuss the various options with their associated risks and advantages. Talking doesn’t commit anybody to anything AFAIK.
Chris Hipkins was saying today that TINA. That might be so, but it is not very inviting to constructive criticism. I find that a little ‘problematic’.
The Plan B group are holding their Policy Symposium tomorrow. I have criticised them in the past for being pseudo-scientific and their PR has been shit. They have become somewhat of an ‘anti-establishment’ group and that has killed the debate before it got off the ground. It think this is in some ways regrettable, as it is good a good thing when the powers that be are challenged – to keep an open mind is the key to making improvements, when/where possible, and progress in general.
As you can see, I have a nuanced view of this complex issue but I repeat, I’m not advocating or favouring anything at present.
The Government has either been too busy with dealing with the pandemic or governing in general but is has shied away from this difficult conversation. This has created a vacuum that is now being filled by the Oppos, fringe parties, and conspiracy theorists, which all have an agenda and something to gain by media attention. Conspiracy theories are shooting up like hallucinatory mushrooms for those scared souls who search for solace. The narrative is framed and controlled by those people. For this reason alone, the Government should wrestle back the initiative and lead, but they’re not going to at this side of the Election.
That show is almost unwatchable in itself, so shallow, and that's the second time Gorman has been on this week insisting we can't carry on like this and there needs to be a Grand Coalition to make the all decisions in the future. It looked like a total hit job on the Govt. He definitely has an agenda and Barry looked like she is in on it.
Gorman was on RNZ Friday morning with the same line – parroting Collins. National involved in decision-making before a delayed election. Black swan event coup opportunity mentality.
I don't mind hearing his criticisms, but his solution is unworkable nonsense. Even at the best of times (i.e. not these) a Lab-Nat coalition could not last 5 minutes. And whoever is in government, there has to be an opposition filling the vacuum.
I'm obviously biased, but the best health strategy is to get the election over, have a functioning government and give them the job for 3 years. Putting that off doesn't solve anything.
A grand coalition is a ridiculous idea at this time. Unless the election has to be delayed for a year or two. Anyone suggesting it is to be mocked and derided. We have a govt with a workable majority until November and then from memory a supermajority is needed for just one vote and that is to delay the election (or it's on a week by week basis by an electoral official?)
Look at Germany right now, a grand coalition would see the likes of act, nzpp and all the Looney tunes parties polling around 10-20% and lab/Nat would probably have to govern together for a few elections until they either become one party like national did with it's predecessors or get replaced by new vehicles, potentially dangerous vehicles.
Grand coalitions should only ever be called for in times of war when governing parties are split and can't get a majority in their own ranks. Get this tripper off the tv
I'm not sure of Hillary's politics but she's definitely not a labour voter, she says "they labour party" with a kind of hatred in her tone and an expression that looks like she tasted something foul…. But on the other hand she defended jacinda on social media when mark Richardson asked about her potentially getting pregnant and has been really against all the conspiracy theories going round. Maybe she's apolitical and just doing her job, stranger things have happened
a grand coalition is always a bad idea, i lived through a few in Germany. Generally they can't get their act together, little gets done, and early election more often then not are called once parties break of for lack of 'confidence'.
however, that does not mean a grand coalition can not happen.
And if it will happen here its gonna be the no mates party, the hologram and one of the religious / conservative parties, my bet would be the bishops wife and maybe the new conservatives.
i can not see a labour/national coalition as the parties are too far apart and not even saving the country would bring them together to that point. We would need a different set of people in the no mates party.