Daily review 17/08/2021
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5:30 pm, August 17th, 2021 - 40 comments
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Iain Rennie, CNZMSecretary and Chief Executive to the TreasuryDear Secretary, Undue restrictions on restricted briefings This week, the Treasury barred representatives from four organisations, including the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi, from attending the restricted briefing for the Half-Year Economic and Fiscal Update. We had been ...1 week ago
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Returning to the model that was failing for most polytechnics and Institutes of Technology is not the answer. ...3 days ago
- Release: National buries 1019 planned homes
It’s been revealed that National has cancelled 60 percent of its housing projects planned before mid-2025 amidst housing woes. ...3 days ago
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The Government is quietly undertaking consultation on the dangerous Regulatory Standards Bill over the Christmas period to avoid too much attention. ...3 days ago
- Release: Why not both? Luxon shuns Waitangi celebrations
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is running away from problems of his own creation, with his decision not to go to Waitangi. ...4 days ago
- Govt’s ‘free speech’ legislation stokes fear, not freedom
The Government’s planned changes to the freedom of speech obligations of universities is little more than a front for stoking the political fires of disinformation and fear, placing teachers and students in the crosshairs. ...4 days ago - Release: Nicola Willis spirals country deeper into recession
The economy shrank 1% this quarter and New Zealand has tumbled into the depths of a recession of Nicola Willis’ making. ...4 days ago
- Release: Hikes for company directors but not ordinary Kiwis
Working people are going backwards while company directors are being given huge pay hikes. ...5 days ago
- ECE no place to cut corners
The Ministry of Regulation’s report into Early Childhood Education (ECE) in Aotearoa raises serious concerns about the possibility of lowering qualification requirements, undermining quality and risking worse outcomes for tamariki, whānau, and kaiako. ...5 days ago
- Release: Strengthening Justice Services for New Zealanders
A Bill to modernise the role of Justices of the Peace (JP), ensuring they remain active in their communities and connected with other JPs, has been put into the ballot. ...5 days ago
- Release: Labour will continue fight against destructive projects
Labour will continue to fight unsustainable and destructive projects that are able to leap-frog environment protection under National’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. ...6 days ago
- Green Government will revoke dodgy fast-track projects
The Green Party has warned that a Green Government will revoke the consents of companies who override environmental protections as part of Fast-Track legislation being passed today. ...6 days ago
- Government for the wealthy keeps pushing austerity
The Green Party says the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update shows how the Government is failing to address the massive social and infrastructure deficits our country faces. ...6 days ago
- Release: Visa changes let migrant workers be paid less
The Government’s latest move to reduce the earnings of migrant workers will not only hurt migrants but it will drive down the wages of Kiwi workers. ...6 days ago
- Release: Nightmare before Christmas for Nicola Willis
With more debt and a larger deficit, Nicola Willis’ reputation is in tatters after her failure to return the Government’s books to surplus. ...6 days ago
- Warning to Fast-Track Applicants – ‘Exploit the Whenua, Face the Consequences’
Te Pāti Māori has this morning issued a stern warning to Fast-Track applicants with interests in mining, pledging to hold them accountable through retrospective liability and to immediately revoke Fast-Track consents under a future Te Pāti Māori government. This warning comes ahead of today’s third reading of the Fast-Track Approvals ...6 days ago
- Release: Govt cuts wages for lowest paid NZers… again
For the second year running, the government has effectively cut wages for the lowest paid workers in New Zealand. ...6 days ago
- Govt’s miserly 1.5% minimum wage will take workers backwards
The Government’s announcement today of a 1.5 per cent increase to minimum wage is another blow for workers, with inflation projected to exceed the increase, meaning it’s a real terms pay reduction for many. ...6 days ago
- Release: Govt shirking responsibility for rate hikes
All the Government has achieved from its announcement today is to continue to push responsibility back on councils for its own lack of action to help bring down skyrocketing rates. ...6 days ago
- Luxon’s ‘localism’ strikes again
The Government has used its final post-Cabinet press conference of the year to punch down on local government without offering any credible solutions to the issues our councils are facing. ...7 days ago
- Release: Govt breaks promise on EV chargers
The Government has failed to keep its promise to ‘super charge’ the EV network, delivering just 292 chargers - less than half of the 670 chargers needed to meet its target. ...7 days ago
- Greens call for end to subsidies for Methanex
The Green Party is calling for the Government to stop subsidising the largest user of the country’s gas supplies, Methanex, following a report highlighting the multi-national’s disproportionate influence on energy prices in Aotearoa. ...1 week ago
- Govt child poverty targets allow for increase in poverty
The Green Party is appalled with the Government’s new child poverty targets that are based on a new ‘persistent poverty’ measure that could be met even with an increase in child poverty. ...1 week ago
- Release: Four weeks annual leave under threat
The Government’s attack on workers continues with news it is scrapping work on the Holidays Act. ...1 week ago
- Govt’s emissions plan for measly 1% reduction
New independent analysis has revealed that the Government’s Emissions Reduction Plan (ERP) will reduce emissions by a measly 1 per cent by 2030, failing to set us up for the future and meeting upcoming targets. ...1 week ago
- Greens stand in solidarity with Whakaata Māori on sad day
The loss of 27 kaimahi at Whakaata Māori and the end of its daily news bulletin is a sad day for Māori media and another step backwards for Te Tiriti o Waitangi justice. ...1 week ago
- Sanctions regime to create more hardship for families
Yesterday the Government passed cruel legislation through first reading to establish a new beneficiary sanction regime that will ultimately mean more households cannot afford the basic essentials. ...1 week ago
- Govt gifts renters housing anxiety for Christmas
Today's passing of the Government's Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill–which allows landlords to end tenancies with no reason–ignores the voice of the people and leaves renters in limbo ahead of the festive season. ...1 week ago
- Release: National Party urged to support modern slavery legislation
Labour is urging the Prime Minister to walk the talk and support legislation combating modern slavery. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Labour has lost confidence in the Speaker
The Speaker of the New Zealand Parliament made an unprecedented decision on the government amendment to the Fast Track Approvals Bill last night. ...2 weeks ago
- One year on, still no progress on new ferries
Today’s announcement from the Government on its plan for new ferries throws more uncertainty on the future of the country’s rail network. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Nicola Willis’ smaller ferries will cost more
After wasting a year, Nicola Willis has delivered a worse deal for the Cook Strait ferries that will end up being more expensive and take longer to arrive. ...2 weeks ago
- Bill to sanction unlawful occupation of Palestine
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waiting……
argh still waiting.
Suddenly the vaccine stroll out isn’t looking so flash.
Ironic 24 hours after the UK got ultimate freedoms.
So we still rely on a strategy that’s 18 months old.
Well the brits are paying for their 'ultimate freedums'.
The vaccine helps against worst cases, but is not the whole answer.
UK's 'ultimate freedums' vs NZ's 'vaccine stroll out' (both clever) – I'd rather be here.
Some of us really don't know how lucky we are… stay safe; protect yourself and others.
https://covid19.govt.nz/
So the "free" UK is still losing in a day what we've lost in 18 months.
Yup, and 26 deaths is a 'good' day in the “free” UK.
The 7-day moving average for the UK is currently 89 tragic Covid deaths per day – an “ultimate freedums” "strategy” of sorts, but not, it seems, for the whole ‘team’.
UK has a population of approximately 66 million people, so 26 deaths isn't too bad! More people probably got killed on the roads in the UK than that.
26 on a good day.
2019 comparison:
UK road deaths, 1754 (4 or 5 on an average day). NZ had 353 (1 a day).
UK influenza deaths, 1213 (3 or 4 on an average day).NZ, roughly 500 a year (1-2 a day).
So (barring a catastrophic math screw up by me, which can happen) to get to their "oh yay, we can party again" acceptable level of deaths from covid using your comparator and the "it's like a flu" crowd: take each. Add them together. Multiply that by three. Then you get their number of covid dead on a good day.
No-one in NZ should be surprised if they have bothered to look across the ditch – half of Australia is locked down. The good news is that the states and territories that acted swiftly (Queensland, SA, WA, NT) all squashed the delta variant quickly, NSW not so much, Victoria on a knife edge. NZ is not messing around, so here's hoping! Perhaps it might shake some of the complacency out of the public.
It never rains….
Holy crap! That is a freakin' big difference.
These are probably not actual prices. The energy companies submit bids ahead, for each half hour, but the system is largely automated from there including constraints (which come in when there are shortages). Constraints will set unrealistic prices in the automated system so the system tries to avoid them (if there is sufficient generation available).
The implication being shortage/brownout looks like ridiculus prices.
Perhaps this advice has been on the telly…if not, and the silly blue mask is all you've got…
Its kinda odd we go into lockdown at midnight but from about 3pm Aucklands have been packed into the Supermarkets including Devonport the few hours before announcement seem to carry the greatest risk.
Yeah… that was a source of amusement for me too. The places of interest in Devonport (my part of town) may well include the NW supermarket which has a monopoly in the area.
So, they all go piling in before the deep clean can be carried out. Idiots.
Rather amused here to see the streams of Aucklanders driving in to the Coromandel tonight to avoid the lockdown!
Lols. Now they can't get out.
On Dominon road atm its packed hardly a mask in sight eateries pretty busy
Bit ahort notice for people to buy them tbf.
Probably will be tomorrow.
Short notice to buy masks? We've had 18 bloody months to buy them! It's like we do need to be told what to do.
Better than a bought one….ie…you can barely breathe wearing one. (I used three 2 ply paper towels.)
I cant see the point of wearing a mask when out in the fresh air. Saw someone jogging the other day wearing a mask. Perfectly understandable when on public transport or indoors.
'I cant see the point of wearing a mask when out in the fresh air'.
Yeah but it seems like you revel in your ignorance, so hardly surprising .
No evidence of any superspreader events from outdoor protests from what I've seen, or from outdoor exercising. Perhaps your ignorance level needs to be reevaluated?
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7454741/
I thought we were recently trying to improve debate here, with an emphasis on making one's opinion clear. Oh well…
https://news.northeastern.edu/2020/08/11/racial-justice-protests-were-not-a-major-cause-of-covid-19-infection-surges-new-national-study-finds/
Feel free to start the debate by doing a critical analysis and comparison of those two reports. Oh well, you won’t because you have no interest in genuine debate, only in confirming your own bias, IMO.
I can imagine you standing in the middle of a deserted beach wearing a mask. The scare tactics have certainly worked on yourself and many others.
The Virus TRAVELS in/on fresh air.
Well damn
An excellent piece that is likely lost amongst all the current covid drama.
"It will be difficult for governments to change their mind-sets that economic growth is the best route to prosperity. But the realities of resource and energy limits will force them to rethink priorities and goals. We need to move beyond politicians who are simply good managers and look for those with a new vision for the new realities that we face."
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/climate-emergency/building-small-nimble-communities-to-ensure-climate-safety
Thank you, pat, and yes, that is the way.
The advice given needs to updating to include mouthwash/nasal rinse after going out in public, or for reducing viral load during illness (virus replicates in nose and mouth). I've given myself a rinse this evening including the nasel bit.
Betadine or Listerine with cyptoheptine (check back) works for the mouthwash.
This information is from the FLCCC Alliance, so apologies to those who find them offensive. Personally I'd rather get info from medical doctors who need to be right or watch their patients die than any other source, but to each there own.
How it started: everyone here got their shots now?
How it's going: waterboard yourself if you leave the house.
🤣🤣🤣
When I think Blackrock I think of exploitation. VG won't be any different.
https://financialpost.com/investing/a-20-trillion-blackrock-vanguard-duopoly-is-investings-future/wcm/3d3cb37e-5c6c-4ffe-9e80-430038119685
I remember someone (possibly George Gammon) warning about index funds but it wasn't along the lines of taking over the world.