When the bigots and misinformation-spreaders cry "free speech!", what they really mean is not "free to stand on the street and say it", which they will always have. They actually mean that somebody else should provide a free digital platform for them, face all of the legal consequences, and then pay the tech staff to run it. Not surprisingly, at some point patience runs out.
Really pleasing to see Racheal McGregor get some satisfaction from Colin Craig. Although I understand that the settlement was way short of her legal fees.
This shortfall clearly says to me that the legal system is seriously broken. It shouts, NO MONEY NO JUSTICE.
In hindsight perhaps Ms McGregor would have been better to have slipped a few dollars to a leather clad motorcyclist.
Two questions.
Do we at the bottom of the food chain have any other options ??
"There is no part of Aotearoa, no business, no community, no farm, no family, whose future will not be shaped in some way by the decisions we all take about what goes in the plan.
"This is why it is so important to get them right, and why the final plan needs to reflect the government's ambition, as well as your own."
…
"Communities, businesses, unions, iwi, young people, faith groups, organisations and people from all walks of live have made it clear to me that they want to be involved in making the plan for how we reach a net zero carbon Aotearoa."
Shaw said we have to go faster and further to reach the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5C.
"Inaction today will cost our children dearly, and certainly more than it will cost us to put it right now.
"In the three decades since the science of climate change was made abundantly clear roughly as much climate pollution has been emitted as from the start of the start of the industrial revolution up to that point."
He said politicians all over the world knew what was unfolding and had a chance to stop it but didn't – and this was last moment before the window of oppportunity closed "perhaps for ever".
The ERP will be one of the most important, most comprehensive plans this Government creates. It will set out exactly how each Minister across Government plans to reduce climate pollution to meet our emissions targets and address the climate crisis. If done right, it will set us firmly on the path to a low emissions future.
We know our kids and our grandkids need this plan to be as ambitious as possible. Help us show Government Ministers that there is overwhelming public pressure for ambitious climate action by making a submission.
Please engage with the climate change processes already ongoing, make a submission to the emissions reduction plan. the Greens provide a simplified form and a more comprehensive form above, or if you prefer the Ministry of the Environment form:
In Rotorua you have some 40 motels packed to the rafters with the undesirables and unhoused – i think Queen Victoria called these people 'unfortunates', whole families to one room. It does not matter if they are vaccinated or not, if it hits there it will do damage, and thanks to the generosity of this current Labour Led Government and its doodahs we have 4 – I repeat 4 ICU beds, are several nurses short, under resoursed etc, just like everywhere else.
And i would like to point out that to cover the shortfall of ICU nurses in Auckland these were pulled from other hospitals. Can we get them back from Auckland before Aucklanders bring death to everywhere? Or would that be rude to Aucklanders?
No we don't say fuck it your fault, we simply say the 3 million (or whatever the number) that have got vaccinated can no longer have their freedoms curtailed any longer. We strongly advise you to get vaccinated if you want to greatly reduce your risk of hospitalisation or dying. Pretty simple choice really. It is there choice but the country is not waiting until 2024 or whenever.
So over to them…get off their asses or take the risk of dying. No one is forcing you.
It is "inevitable" Covid-19 cases will crop up around the country once Auckland's border opens, and the greatest impact will be on communities with the least resources, experts say.
It's not just about the vaccination in this case. Dealing with the "inevitable" cases is the problem in these under-resourced communities.
It is ok, so sayeth the government, aucklanders and highly paid men and women who pontificate about leisure and entitlements such as driving a few hundered kilo meters to a million dollar batch elsewhere.
If the plague breaks out there, these same people will be no where to be found when it comes to taking personal responsability.
Of course we can. We can't allow the quarantine areas to be opened up just because that Judith Collins woman wants to, All she wants is to inflict Covid 19 on the whole population of New Zealand before Christmas. We have to stop her!
Wasn't that Grant and Chippies claim a few weeks ago? Well it is going to happen and that is under the Labour Parties' watch. They didn't decide to wait until even one DHB had reached 90% full vaccination. I expect a concerted boo from all the contributors to this blog. 1..2..3.. Silence.
Trying to get the last 9%-10% vaccinated could take another year or two, and still one or two percent will never get vaccinated under any circumstances.
Silly me. I believed what was in Stuff which said. Given Stuff's appalling record on factual information I should never have taken any notice of what they say.
"The 90 per cent target is gone, before any district health board (DHB) had even managed to reach it."
They haven't reached 90% (I mean they may have by the 1pm update on Thursday, but not when I wrote that article). That table rounds up – note that it says there are still 1800 doses to go.
That's what I thought too. All a bit indicative with the HSU chosen as denominator anyway. And the Māori specific rates I find more revealing about how far we have to go to protect communities.
Those are a bit disconcerting – it has been making me worried about a repeat of the 1918 ‘native’ mortality. Especially until recently some very low population jab velocities pointing to a long trail out time with previous techniques.
But it looks like something changed in the past few weeks. Statistically the 12-24yo Maori groups have started getting jabbed.
I haven't seen any analysis on it why it is happening. But when I look at the first dose maps it feels like an access issue in the rural and semi-rural areas where there are high Maori populations.
For instance if you look in the Bay of Plenty – it looks like round Opotiki is satisfactory – but the rest of the BoP is pretty lowish. Why?
BoP DHB has second jab rates that are too low when you look at it by DHB – but vast 1st to second jab jumps in some age groups (71% first jab to 59% in second for the 12-19 age group). It seems like a pattern across multiple DHBs.
I should have a look on the wayback to see when that change happened – clearly something has.
Alwyn your job is to pathetically whinge at anything the govt does.Urban area DHB's plus Southern DHB's have reached 90% plus. Rural areas are lagging behind but given their remoteness and poor access to healthcare that will push those to get immunised.
Now the borders are being opened the numbers will go up as people realise vaccination is the only option left to protect themselves.
And your evidence for this claim is what, precisely? What is wrong with the numbers I gave in my link, other than that it makes your beloved Government look stupid.
Something isn't true just because you want it to be and you simply won't accept anything that shows you to be wrong. You remind me of what my grandchildren, at least when they were very young, were like when they got overtired. To the suggestion that it was time to go home their answer might be "no". When asked why not the only thing they could manage was "because". Just "because". They have grown out of it and can be reasoned with. You are still in the terrible two's mindset.
I would love to see that trickling down, never mind that everyone jabbed between Jan to Jun is in need of a booster shot.
But lest pretend they are in that 90% group, because otherwise we would need to admit that the target is unreachable simply due to the fact that six moth after your double jab, you need a booster.
fwiw, Auckland should go to level 2 with the borders staying open. Go holiday in your own backyard, and keep the rest of the country covid free. There is no human right that gives anyone a right to drag a boat/bikes/othershit across the country to bring the pestilence to some small town with no hospital or even clinic. But i can see how the entitlement runs strong in some.
There have been some of that being drawn to my attention. I suspect the caching – so I will revert it. Let me know if it improves thingsafter a few hours.
I won't have time to look at it further until the weekend. Insufficient brain capacity left over from work….
It's not entitlement, it is love of whanau, and wanting to be together for Christmas. I've had a gutsful of anti Auckland prejudice.
We don't like living in a pressure cooker with a bunch of rule breaking numpties spreading the virus around much either. The rest of NZ needs to stop their prejudiced bullcrap.
Auckland has done ALL the mahi in this dismal pandemic. We locked down for (soon to be) 4 months and got over 95% jabbed (as of today). The rest of Aotearoa should be thankful, not spreading fear of opening up. Let's all get the Shot for Summer and have a great Christmas together.
It is completely unreasonable of non-Aucklanders to expect us to stay locked up indefinitely. Lockdown is a TEMPORARY suspension of human rights and it has gone on long enough. We sacrificed our sanity and stayed home for months, to give you a chance to protect yourself.
Does nobody care about protecting Aucklanders any more? We have to live in a pressure cooker with this small percentage of hard core rule breakers, and we are taking the blame for their bullshit.
Now the rest of Aotearoa needs to step up and do their part. Mask up, wash hands, use the Covid app, and above all get vaccinated. Stop pretending you can lock up your fellow Kiwis and be safe doing nothing.
The enemy is a virus – but another enemy is fear, hatred, and divisiveness. We are reaping the harvest of 35 years of neoliberal capitalism eating away at our institutions and social fabric.
Don't let paranoia and prejudice build Trumpian walls of division around your heart.
The deliberately unvaccinated can take the consequences of their "choices" as far as I'm concerned.
Except for the others that will suffer the consequences of their "choices", and the Governments choice to have "freedom day" before enough are vaccinated.
Medical staff, the immune compromised, children, especially those with asthma, rheumatic fever, leukemia, those whose medical treatment is delayed. All those who won't have, a choice!
What is so special about Aucklanders that they can not holiday in their own area?
I agree that Aucklanders should not be kept locked up at home – they should be free to move, but why the heck should you be entitled to a holiday in the South Island or in Gisborne?
What about the Team of 5 million?
Or do we need to open Auckland and its infested and covid carrying citizens to the rest of the country because dear Leader needs some good news? Or does the Labour party need to open up so that they can blame others for the inevitable spread of Covid?
Frankly Aucklanders, do the right thing, stay the fuck at home.
I'm double vaxxed, tested, and will use the Covid passport. Please don't tell me I can't go visit my elderly parents and whanau up North. I have been stuck at home for months, have been under huge emotional stress and put on tons of weight.
Pull your head in and stop spreading fear. We have had a shitty time and now you want to ruin Christmas as well.
I will be travelling out of Auckland to visit friends and family. I'm double vaxed so why not?
Who the hell are you to tell me I cant travel out of Auckland. As Robologic says, you need to pull your head in. You've definitely swallowed the fear porn.
Ansell's fortress of delusion is nigh impregnable. The media, courts, academia, and especially politicians of all stripes, are engaging in a N4zi conspiracy of bizarre experiments, murder and pedophilia… his head is full of snakes. An exorcism may be warranted.
Scott Hamilton is a national treasure. The "mainstream" right does more than just flirt with the far right nutjobs. They egg one another on in the Kiwiblog comments section, and express their real (disgusting) opinions
What does RTM mean after Hamilton's name? I assume he is using it to describe himself. I'm used to it being "Return to Manufacturer" which is used when something is not up to spec.
The last few days have been a bit too much of a whirl for me to manage a fresh edition each day. It's been that kind of year. Hope you don't mind.I’ve been coming around to thinking that it doesn't really matter if you don't have something to say every ...
The worms will live in every hostIt's hard to pick which one they eat the mostThe horrible people, the horrible peopleIt's as anatomic as the size of your steepleCapitalism has made it this wayOld-fashioned fascism will take it awaySongwriter: Twiggy Ramirez Read more ...
Hi,It’s almost Christmas Day which means it is almost my birthday, where you will find me whimpering in the corner clutching a warm bottle of Baileys.If you’re out of ideas for presents (and truly desperate) then it is possible to gift a full Webworm subscription to a friend (or enemy) ...
This morning’s six standouts for me at 6.30am include:Rachel Helyer Donaldson’s scoop via RNZ last night of cuts to maternity jobs in the health system;Maddy Croad’s scoop via The Press-$ this morning on funding cuts for Christchurch’s biggest food rescue charity;Benedict Collins’ scoop last night via 1News on a last-minute ...
A listing of 25 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, December 15, 2024 thru Sat, December 21, 2024. Based on feedback we received, this week's roundup is the first one published soleley by category. We are still interested in ...
Well, I've been there, sitting in that same chairWhispering that same prayer half a million timesIt's a lie, though buried in disciplesOne page of the Bible isn't worth a lifeThere's nothing wrong with youIt's true, it's trueThere's something wrong with the villageWith the villageSomething wrong with the villageSongwriters: Andrew Jackson ...
ACT would like to dictate what universities can and can’t say. We knew it was coming. It was outlined in the coalition agreement and has become part of Seymour’s strategy of “emphasising public funding” to prevent people from opposing him and his views—something he also uses to try and de-platform ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park from the Gigafact team in collaboration with members from our team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Are we heading ...
So the Solstice has arrived – Summer in this part of the world, Winter for the Northern Hemisphere. And with it, the publication my new Norse dark-fantasy piece, As Our Power Lessens at Eternal Haunted Summer: https://eternalhauntedsummer.com/issues/winter-solstice-2024/as-our-power-lessens/ As previously noted, this one is very ‘wyrd’, and Northern Theory of Courage. ...
The Natural Choice: As a starter for ten percent of the Party Vote, “saving the planet” is a very respectable objective. Young voters, in particular, raised on the dire (if unheeded) warnings of climate scientists, and the irrefutable evidence of devastating weather events linked to global warming, vote Green. After ...
The Government cancelled 60% of Kāinga Ora’s new builds next year, even though the land for them was already bought, the consents were consented and there are builders unemployed all over the place. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political ...
Photo by CHUTTERSNAP on UnsplashEvery morning I get up at 3am to go around the traps of news sites in Aotearoa and globally. I pick out the top ones from my point of view and have been putting them into my Dawn Chorus email, which goes out with a podcast. ...
Over on Kikorangi Newsroom's Marc Daalder has published his annual OIA stats. So I thought I'd do mine: 82 OIA requests sent in 2024 7 posts based on those requests 20 average working days to receive a response Ministry of Justice was my most-requested entity, ...
Welcome to the December 2024 Economic Bulletin. We have two monthly features in this edition. In the first, we discuss what the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update from Treasury and the Budget Policy Statement from the Minister of Finance tell us about the fiscal position and what to ...
The NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi have submitted against the controversial Treaty Principles Bill, slamming the Bill as a breach of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and an attack on tino rangatiratanga and the collective rights of Tangata Whenua. “This Bill seeks to legislate for Te Tiriti o Waitangi principles that are ...
I don't knowHow to say what's got to be saidI don't know if it's black or whiteThere's others see it redI don't get the answers rightI'll leave that to youIs this love out of fashionOr is it the time of yearAre these words distraction?To the words you want to hearSongwriters: ...
Our economy has experienced its worst recession since 1991. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that matter in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Friday, December 20 in The Kākā’s Dawn Chorus podcast above and the daily Pick ‘n’ Mix below ...
Twas the Friday before Christmas and all through the week we’ve been collecting stories for our final roundup of the year. As we start to wind down for the year we hope you all have a safe and happy Christmas and new year. If you’re travelling please be safe on ...
The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts & talking about the year’s news with: on climate. Her book of the year was Tim Winton’s cli-fi novel Juice and she also mentioned Mike Joy’s memoir The Fight for Fresh Water. ...
The Government can head off to the holidays, entitled to assure itself that it has done more or less what it said it would do. The campaign last year promised to “get New Zealand back on track.” When you look at the basic promises—to trim back Government expenditure, toughen up ...
Open access notables An intensification of surface Earth’s energy imbalance since the late 20th century, Li et al., Communications Earth & Environment:Tracking the energy balance of the Earth system is a key method for studying the contribution of human activities to climate change. However, accurately estimating the surface energy balance ...
Photo by Mauricio Fanfa on UnsplashKia oraCome and join us for our weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm today.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream for our chat about the week’s news with myself , plus regular guests and , ...
“Like you said, I’m an unreconstructed socialist. Everybody deserves to get something for Christmas.”“ONE OF THOSE had better be for me!” Hannah grinned, fascinated, as Laurie made his way, gingerly, to the bar, his arms full of gift-wrapped packages.“Of course!”, beamed Laurie. Depositing his armful on the bar-top and selecting ...
Data released by Statistics New Zealand today showed a significant slowdown in the economy over the past six months, with GDP falling by 1% in September, and 1.1% in June said CTU Economist Craig Renney. “The data shows that the size of the economy in GDP terms is now smaller ...
One last thing before I quitI never wanted any moreThan I could fit into my headI still remember every single word you saidAnd all the shit that somehow came along with itStill, there's one thing that comforts meSince I was always caged and now I'm freeSongwriters: David Grohl / Georg ...
Sparse offerings outside a Te Kauwhata church. Meanwhile, the Government is cutting spending in ways that make thousands of hungry children even hungrier, while also cutting funding for the charities that help them. It’s also doing that while winding back new building of affordable housing that would allow parents to ...
It is difficult to make sense of the Luxon Coalition Government’s economic management.This end-of-year review about the state of economic management – the state of the economy was last week – is not going to cover the National Party contribution. Frankly, like every other careful observer, I cannot make up ...
This morning I awoke to the lovely news that we are firmly back on track, that is if the scale was reversed.NZ ranks low in global economic comparisonsNew Zealand's economy has been ranked 33rd out of 37 in an international comparison of which have done best in 2024.Economies were ranked ...
Remember those silent movies where the heroine is tied to the railway tracks or going over the waterfall in a barrel? Finance Minister Nicola Willis seems intent on portraying herself as that damsel in distress. According to Willis, this country’s current economic problems have all been caused by the spending ...
Similar to the cuts and the austerity drive imposed by Ruth Richardson in the 1990’s, an era which to all intents and purposes we’ve largely fiddled around the edges with fixing in the time since – over, to be fair, several administrations – whilst trying our best it seems to ...
String-Pulling in the Dark: For the democratic process to be meaningful it must also be public. WITH TRUST AND CONFIDENCE in New Zealand’s politicians and journalists steadily declining, restoring those virtues poses a daunting challenge. Just how daunting is made clear by comparing the way politicians and journalists treated New Zealanders ...
Dear Nicola Willis, thank you for letting us know in so many words that the swingeing austerity hasn't worked.By in so many words I mean the bit where you said, Here is a sea of red ink in which we are drowning after twelve months of savage cost cutting and ...
The Open Government Partnership is a multilateral organisation committed to advancing open government. Countries which join are supposed to co-create regular action plans with civil society, committing to making verifiable improvements in transparency, accountability, participation, or technology and innovation for the above. And they're held to account through an Independent ...
Today I tuned into something strange: a press conference that didn’t make my stomach churn or the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. Which was strange, because it was about the torture of children. It was the announcement by Erica Stanford — on her own, unusually ...
This is a must watch, and puts on brilliant and practical display the implications and mechanics of fast-track law corruption and weakness.CLICK HERE: LINK TO WATCH VIDEOOur news media as it is set up is simply not equipped to deal with the brazen disinformation and corruption under this right wing ...
NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi Acting Secretary Erin Polaczuk is welcoming the announcement from Minister of Workplace Relations and Safety Brooke van Velden that she is opening consultation on engineered stone and is calling on her to listen to the evidence and implement a total ban of the product. “We need ...
The Government has announced a 1.5% increase in the minimum wage from 1 April 2025, well below forecast inflation of 2.5%. Unions have reacted strongly and denounced it as a real terms cut. PSA and the CTU are opposing a new round of staff cuts at WorkSafe, which they say ...
The decision to unilaterally repudiate the contract for new Cook Strait ferries is beginning to look like one of the stupidest decisions a New Zealand government ever made. While cancelling the ferries and their associated port infrastructure may have made this year's books look good, it means higher costs later, ...
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Today is a special member's morning, scheduled to make up for the government's theft of member's days throughout the year. First up was the first reading of Greg Fleming's Crimes (Increased Penalties for Slavery Offences) Amendment Bill, which was passed unanimously. Currently the House is debating the third reading of ...
We're going backwardsIgnoring the realitiesGoing backwardsAre you counting all the casualties?We are not there yetWhere we need to beWe are still in debtTo our insanitiesSongwriter: Martin Gore Read more ...
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At the 2023 election, National basically ran on a platform of being better economic managers. So how'd that turn out for us? In just one year, they've fucked us for two full political terms: The government's books are set to remain deeply in the red for the near term ...
AUSTERITYText within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedMy spreadsheet insists This pain leads straight to glory (File not found) Read more ...
The NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi are saying that the Government should do the right thing and deliver minimum wage increases that don’t see workers fall further behind, in response to today’s announcement that the minimum wage will only be increased by 1.5%, well short of forecast inflation. “With inflation forecast ...
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This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Bob HensonIn this aerial view, fingers of meltwater flow from the melting Isunnguata Sermia glacier descending from the Greenland Ice Sheet on July 11, 2024, near Kangerlussuaq, Greenland. According to the Programme for Monitoring of the Greenland Ice Sheet (PROMICE), the ...
In August, I wrote an article about David Seymour1 with a video of his testimony, to warn that there were grave dangers to his Ministry of Regulation:David Seymour's Ministry of Slush Hides Far Greater RisksWhy Seymour's exorbitant waste of taxpayers' money could be the least of concernThe money for Seymour ...
Willis is expected to have to reveal the bitter fiscal fruits of her austerity strategy in the HYEFU later today. Photo: Lynn Grieveson/TheKakaMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that matter in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Tuesday, December 17 in The Kākā’s Dawn Chorus podcast ...
On Friday the government announced it would double the number of toll roads in New Zealand as well as make a few other changes to how toll roads are used in the country. The real issue though is not that tolling is being used but the suggestion it will make ...
The Prime Minister yesterday engaged in what looked like a pre-emptive strike designed to counter what is likely to be a series of depressing economic statistics expected before the end of the week. He opened his weekly post-Cabinet press conference with a recitation of the Government’s achievements. “It certainly has ...
This whooping cough story from south Auckland is a good example of the coalition government’s approach to social need – spend money on urging people to get vaccinated but only after you’ve cut the funding to where they could get vaccinated. This has been the case all year with public ...
And if there is a GodI know he likes to rockHe likes his loud guitarsHis spiders from MarsAnd if there is a GodI know he's watching meHe likes what he seesBut there's trouble on the breezeSongwriter: William Patrick Corgan Read more ...
Here’s a quick round up of today’s political news:1. MORE FOOD BANKS, CHARITIES, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SHELTERS AND YOUTH SOCIAL SERVICES SET TO CLOSE OR SCALE BACK AROUND THE COUNTRY AS GOVT CUTS FUNDINGSome of Auckland's largest foodbanks are warning they may need to close or significantly reduce food parcels after ...
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 ...
This is a guest post by Tim Adriaansen, a community, climate, and accessibility advocate.I won’t shut up about climate breakdown, and whenever possible I try to shift the focus of a climate conversation towards solutions. But you’ll almost never hear me give more than a passing nod to ...
A grassroots backlash has forced a backdown from Brown, but he is still eyeing up plenty of tolls for other new roads. And the pressure is on Willis to ramp up the Government’s austerity strategy. Photo: Getty ImagesMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that matter in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
Hi all,I'm pretty overwhelmed by all your messages and emails today; thank you so very much.As much as my newsletter this morning was about money, and we all need to earn money, it was mostly about world domination if I'm honest. 😉I really hate what’s happening to our country, and ...
A listing of 23 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, December 8, 2024 thru Sat, December 14, 2024. Listing by Category Like last week's summary this one contains the list of articles twice: based on categories and based on ...
I started writing this morning about Hobson’s Pledge, examining the claims they and their supporters make, basically ripping into them. But I kept getting notifications coming through, and not good ones.Each time I looked up, there was another un-subscription message, and I felt a bit sicker at the thought of ...
Once, long before there was Harry and Meghan and Dodi and all those episodes of The Crown, they came to spend some time with us, Charles and Diana. Was there anyone in the world more glamorous than the Princess of Wales?Dazzled as everyone was by their company, the leader of ...
The collective right have a problem.The entire foundation for their world view is antiscientific. Their preferred economic strategies have been disproven. Their whole neoliberal model faces accusations of corporate corruption and worsening inequality. Climate change not only definitely exists, its rapid progression demands an immediate and expensive response in order ...
National has only been in power for a year, but everywhere you look, its choices are taking New Zealand a long way backwards. In no particular order, here are the National Government's Top 50 Greatest Misses of its first year in power. ...
The Government is quietly undertaking consultation on the dangerous Regulatory Standards Bill over the Christmas period to avoid too much attention. ...
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. ...
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. ...
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. ...
Labour will continue to fight unsustainable and destructive projects that are able to leap-frog environment protection under National’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. ...
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. ...
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. ...
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. ...
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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. ...
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. ...
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. ...
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. ...
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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. ...
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. ...
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. ...
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. ...
Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick has today launched a Member’s Bill to sanction Israel for its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, as the All Out For Gaza rally reaches Parliament. ...
After years of advocacy, the Green Party is very happy to hear the Government has listened to our collective voices and announced the closure of the greyhound racing industry, by 1 August 2026. ...
In response to a new report from ERO, the Government has acknowledged the urgent need for consistency across the curriculum for Relationship and Sexuality Education (RSE) in schools. ...
The Green Party is appalled at the Government introducing legislation that will make it easier to penalise workers fighting for better pay and conditions. ...
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Auckland Central MP, Chlöe Swarbrick, has written to Mayor Wayne Brown requesting he stop the unnecessary delays on St James Theatre’s restoration. ...
Kiwis planning a swim or heading out on a boat this summer should remember to stop and think about water safety, Sport & Recreation Minister Chris Bishop and ACC and Associate Transport Minister Matt Doocey say. “New Zealand’s beaches, lakes and rivers are some of the most beautiful in the ...
The Government is urging Kiwis to drive safely this summer and reminding motorists that Police will be out in force to enforce the road rules, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“This time of year can be stressful and result in poor decision-making on our roads. Whether you are travelling to see ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says Health New Zealand will move swiftly to support dozens of internationally-trained doctors already in New Zealand on their journey to employment here, after a tripling of sought-after examination places. “The Medical Council has delivered great news for hardworking overseas doctors who want to contribute ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has appointed Sarah Ottrey to the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC). “At my first APEC Summit in Lima, I experienced firsthand the role that ABAC plays in guaranteeing political leaders hear the voice of business,” Mr Luxon says. “New Zealand’s ABAC representatives are very well respected and ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced four appointments to New Zealand’s intelligence oversight functions. The Honourable Robert Dobson KC has been appointed Chief Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants, and the Honourable Brendan Brown KC has been appointed as a Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants. The appointments of Hon Robert Dobson and Hon ...
Improvements in the average time it takes to process survey and title applications means housing developments can progress more quickly, Minister for Land Information Chris Penk says. “The government is resolutely focused on improving the building and construction pipeline,” Mr Penk says. “Applications to issue titles and subdivide land are ...
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The Government today announced the intended closure of the Apollo Hotel as Contracted Emergency Housing (CEH) in Rotorua, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. This follows a 30 per cent reduction in the number of households in CEH in Rotorua since National came into Government. “Our focus is on ending CEH in the Whakarewarewa area starting ...
The Government will reshape vocational education and training to return decision making to regions and enable greater industry input into work-based learning Tertiary Education and Skills Minister, Penny Simmonds says. “The redesigned system will better meet the needs of learners, industry, and the economy. It includes re-establishing regional polytechnics that ...
The Government is taking action to better manage synthetic refrigerants and reduce emissions caused by greenhouse gases found in heating and cooling products, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds says. “Regulations will be drafted to support a product stewardship scheme for synthetic refrigerants, Ms. Simmonds says. “Synthetic refrigerants are found in a ...
People travelling on State Highway 1 north of Hamilton will be relieved that remedial works and safety improvements on the Ngāruawāhia section of the Waikato Expressway were finished today, with all lanes now open to traffic, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“I would like to acknowledge the patience of road users ...
Tertiary Education and Skills Minister, Penny Simmonds, has announced a new appointment to the board of Education New Zealand (ENZ). Dr Erik Lithander has been appointed as a new member of the ENZ board for a three-year term until 30 January 2028. “I would like to welcome Dr Erik Lithander to the ...
The Government will have senior representatives at Waitangi Day events around the country, including at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, but next year Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has chosen to take part in celebrations elsewhere. “It has always been my intention to celebrate Waitangi Day around the country with different ...
Two more criminal gangs will be subject to the raft of laws passed by the Coalition Government that give Police more powers to disrupt gang activity, and the intimidation they impose in our communities, Police Minister Mark Mitchell says. Following an Order passed by Cabinet, from 3 February 2025 the ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Justice Christian Whata as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Whata’s appointment as a Judge of the Court of Appeal will take effect on 1 August 2025 and fill a vacancy created by the retirement of Hon Justice David Goddard on ...
The latest economic figures highlight the importance of the steps the Government has taken to restore respect for taxpayers’ money and drive economic growth, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Data released today by Stats NZ shows Gross Domestic Product fell 1 per cent in the September quarter. “Treasury and most ...
Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds and Associate Minister of Education David Seymour today announced legislation changes to strengthen freedom of speech obligations on universities. “Freedom of speech is fundamental to the concept of academic freedom and there is concern that universities seem to be taking a more risk-averse ...
Police Minister, Mark Mitchell, and Internal Affairs Minister, Brooke van Velden, today launched a further Public Safety Network cellular service that alongside last year’s Cellular Roaming roll-out, puts globally-leading cellular communications capability into the hands of our emergency responders. The Public Safety Network’s new Cellular Priority service means Police, Wellington ...
State Highway 1 through the Mangamuka Gorge has officially reopened today, providing a critical link for Northlanders and offering much-needed relief ahead of the busy summer period, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“The Mangamuka Gorge is a vital route for Northland, carrying around 1,300 vehicles per day and connecting the Far ...
The Government has welcomed decisions by the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) and Ashburton District Council confirming funding to boost resilience in the Canterbury region, with construction on a second Ashburton Bridge expected to begin in 2026, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Delivering a second Ashburton Bridge to improve resilience and ...
The Government is backing the response into high pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in Otago, Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard says. “Cabinet has approved new funding of $20 million to enable MPI to meet unbudgeted ongoing expenses associated with the H7N6 response including rigorous scientific testing of samples at the enhanced PC3 ...
Legislation that will repeal all advertising restrictions for broadcasters on Sundays and public holidays has passed through first reading in Parliament today, Media Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “As a growing share of audiences get their news and entertainment from streaming services, these restrictions have become increasingly redundant. New Zealand on ...
Today the House agreed to Brendan Horsley being appointed Inspector-General of Defence, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “Mr Horsley’s experience will be invaluable in overseeing the establishment of the new office and its support networks. “He is currently Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security, having held that role since June 2020. ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government has agreed to the final regulations for the levy on insurance contracts that will fund Fire and Emergency New Zealand from July 2026. “Earlier this year the Government agreed to a 2.2 percent increase to the rate of levy. Fire ...
The Government is delivering regulatory relief for New Zealand businesses through changes to the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Act. “The Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Amendment Bill, which was introduced today, is the second Bill – the other being the Statutes Amendment Bill - that ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed further progress on the Hawke’s Bay Expressway Road of National Significance (RoNS), with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) Board approving funding for the detailed design of Stage 1, paving the way for main works construction to begin in late 2025.“The Government is moving at ...
The Government today released a request for information (RFI) to seeking interest in partnerships to plant trees on Crown-owned land with low farming and conservation value (excluding National Parks) Forestry Minister Todd McClay announced. “Planting trees on Crown-owned land will drive economic growth by creating more forestry jobs in our regions, providing more wood ...
Court timeliness, access to justice, and improving the quality of existing regulation are the focus of a series of law changes introduced to Parliament today by Associate Minister of Justice Nicole McKee. The three Bills in the Regulatory Systems (Justice) Amendment Bill package each improve a different part of the ...
A total of 41 appointments and reappointments have been made to the 12 community trusts around New Zealand that serve their regions, Associate Finance Minister Shane Jones says. “These trusts, and the communities they serve from the Far North to the deep south, will benefit from the rich experience, knowledge, ...
The Government has confirmed how it will provide redress to survivors who were tortured at the Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital Child and Adolescent Unit (the Lake Alice Unit). “The Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care found that many of the 362 children who went through the Lake Alice Unit between 1972 and ...
It has been a busy, productive year in the House as the coalition Government works hard to get New Zealand back on track, Leader of the House Chris Bishop says. “This Government promised to rebuild the economy, restore law and order and reduce the cost of living. Our record this ...
“Accelerated silicosis is an emerging occupational disease caused by unsafe work such as engineered stone benchtops. I am running a standalone consultation on engineered stone to understand what the industry is currently doing to manage the risks, and whether further regulatory intervention is needed,” says Workplace Relations and Safety Minister ...
Mehemea he pai mō te tangata, mahia – if it’s good for the people, get on with it. Enhanced reporting on the public sector’s delivery of Treaty settlement commitments will help improve outcomes for Māori and all New Zealanders, Māori Crown Relations Minister Tama Potaka says. Compiled together for the ...
Mr Roger Holmes Miller and Ms Tarita Hutchinson have been appointed to the Charities Registration Board, Community and Voluntary Sector Minister Louise Upston says. “I would like to welcome the new members joining the Charities Registration Board. “The appointment of Ms Hutchinson and Mr Miller will strengthen the Board’s capacity ...
More building consent and code compliance applications are being processed within the statutory timeframe since the Government required councils to submit quarterly data, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “In the midst of a housing shortage we need to look at every step of the build process for efficiencies ...
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey is proud to announce the first three recipients of the Government’s $10 million Mental Health and Addiction Community Sector Innovation Fund which will enable more Kiwis faster access to mental health and addiction support. “This fund is part of the Government’s commitment to investing in ...
New Zealand is providing Vanuatu assistance following yesterday's devastating earthquake, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. "Vanuatu is a member of our Pacific family and we are supporting it in this time of acute need," Mr Peters says. "Our thoughts are with the people of Vanuatu, and we will be ...
The Government welcomes the Commerce Commission’s plan to reduce card fees for Kiwis by an estimated $260 million a year, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says.“The Government is relentlessly focused on reducing the cost of living, so Kiwis can keep more of their hard-earned income and live a ...
Regulation Minister David Seymour has welcomed the Early Childhood Education (ECE) regulatory review report, the first major report from the Ministry for Regulation. The report makes 15 recommendations to modernise and simplify regulations across ECE so services can get on with what they do best – providing safe, high-quality care ...
The Government‘s Offshore Renewable Energy Bill to create a new regulatory regime that will enable firms to construct offshore wind generation has passed its first reading in Parliament, Energy Minister Simeon Brown says.“New Zealand currently does not have a regulatory regime for offshore renewable energy as the previous government failed ...
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Youth advocates are worried tighter rules for emergency housing could lead to someone dying due to the impacts on mental health and physical safety for those denied shelter. ...
“We urge the Health Select Committee to extend the date for submissions,” concluded Rev Bush. “There is too much at stake to leave the outcome of this review only in the hands of politicians or those with vested interests.” ...
A separate passport, citizenship and membership of the United Nations are only available to fully independent nations, Winston Peters' office says. ...
By Emma Andrews, Henare te Ua Māori Journalism Intern at RNZ News The New Zealand fuel company Z Energy is swapping out street names for “correct” kupu on service stops around the country, with the help of local hapū. When Z took over 226 fuel sites from Shell in 2010, ...
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NewsroomBy Dr Lisa Darragh, Dr Raewyn Eden and Dr David Pomeroy
At long last, The Spinoff shells out for a nut ranking. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be a member today.It recently came to The Spinoff’s attention ...
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Summer reissue: One anxiously attentive passenger pays attention to an in-flight safety video, and wonders ‘Why can’t I pick up my own phone?’ The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up ...
Summer reissue: Why do those Lange-Douglas years cast such a long shadow 40 years on? The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be a member today. First published June ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp');Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions.The post Newsroom daily quiz, Monday 23 December appeared first on Newsroom. ...
The Government’s social housing agency has backed out of a billion-dollar infrastructure alliance that would have built about 6000 new homes in Auckland – less than 18 months after signing a five-year extension.Labour says the decision to rip up the contract and sell off existing state houses could lead to ...
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ByKoroi Hawkins, RNZ Pacific editor New Zealand’s Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) says impending bad weather for Port Vila is now the most significant post-quake hazard. A tropical low in the Coral Sea is expected to move into Vanuatu waters, bringing heavy rainfall. Authorities have issued warnings to people ...
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Spinoff editor Mad Chapman and books editor Claire Mabey debate Carl Shuker’s new novel about… an editor. Claire: Hello Mad, you just finished The Royal Free – overall impressions? Mad: Hi Claire, I literally just put the book down and I would have to say my immediate impression is ...
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Despite overwhelming public and corporate support, the government has stalled progress on a modern day slavery law. That puts us behind other countries – and makes Christmas a time of tragedy rather than joy, argues Shanti Mathias. Picture the scene on Christmas Day. Everyone replete with nice things to eat, ...
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The New Zealand government coalition is tweaking university regulations to curb what it says is an increasingly “risk-averse approach” to free speech. The proposed changes will set clear expectations on how universities should approach freedom of speech issues. Each university will then have to adopt a “freedom of speech statement” ...
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Pacific Media Watch The union for Australian journalists has welcomed the delivery by the federal government of more than $150 million to support the sustainability of public interest journalism over the next four years. Combined with the announcement of the revamped News Bargaining Initiative, this could result in up to ...
Somebody at the NZ Herald has had enough.
When the bigots and misinformation-spreaders cry "free speech!", what they really mean is not "free to stand on the street and say it", which they will always have. They actually mean that somebody else should provide a free digital platform for them, face all of the legal consequences, and then pay the tech staff to run it. Not surprisingly, at some point patience runs out.
https://twitter.com/LoganChurch01/status/1460675461168517122/photo/1
Yet more bureaucratic cruelty at the border.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/bay-of-plenty/300456525/gut-wrenching-wait-for-woman-in-managed-isolation-as-sister-dying-from-leukaemia
The great experiment gone bad.
https://twitter.com/joshtpm/status/1460353632948391937
https://www.ala.org/ala/ppo/currentprograms/greatexperiment/greatexperimentgeorge.htm
Really pleasing to see Racheal McGregor get some satisfaction from Colin Craig. Although I understand that the settlement was way short of her legal fees.
This shortfall clearly says to me that the legal system is seriously broken. It shouts, NO MONEY NO JUSTICE.
In hindsight perhaps Ms McGregor would have been better to have slipped a few dollars to a leather clad motorcyclist.
Two questions.
Do we at the bottom of the food chain have any other options ??
Is this the kind of society we want ??
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/453438/government-releases-consultation-document-ahead-of-emissions-reduction-plan
https://action.greens.org.nz/strengthen_the_erp
Please engage with the climate change processes already ongoing, make a submission to the emissions reduction plan. the Greens provide a simplified form and a more comprehensive form above, or if you prefer the Ministry of the Environment form:
https://consult.environment.govt.nz/climate/emissions-reduction-plan/consultation/
Greens and Maori party saying opening Auckland border on 15th December is too soon as some communities have not yet lifted their vaccination rate.
Well how about they get their asses down to the vaccination clinic and get jabbed, they've already had months to do this.
Covid-19 NZ: Auckland border reopening too soon, say Green and Māori parties | Stuff.co.nz
We cant stay closed forever just for them.
True as Jester. Bloody pidgeon post should have reached everybody by now, no more excuses.
Need a dose of that personal responsibility, mate.
In Rotorua you have some 40 motels packed to the rafters with the undesirables and unhoused – i think Queen Victoria called these people 'unfortunates', whole families to one room. It does not matter if they are vaccinated or not, if it hits there it will do damage, and thanks to the generosity of this current Labour Led Government and its doodahs we have 4 – I repeat 4 ICU beds, are several nurses short, under resoursed etc, just like everywhere else.
And i would like to point out that to cover the shortfall of ICU nurses in Auckland these were pulled from other hospitals. Can we get them back from Auckland before Aucklanders bring death to everywhere? Or would that be rude to Aucklanders?
But they haven't and they might not, so as a society do we so fuck it your fault and wilfully put them at greater risk?
Or do we say on balance its better to stay away and reduce the risks to those populations and accompanying health systems?
the tail cannot keep wagging the dog forever
survival of the fittest, etc
When close family members contract a serious infection that will motivate those who are hesitant.
Sadly
No we don't say fuck it your fault, we simply say the 3 million (or whatever the number) that have got vaccinated can no longer have their freedoms curtailed any longer. We strongly advise you to get vaccinated if you want to greatly reduce your risk of hospitalisation or dying. Pretty simple choice really. It is there choice but the country is not waiting until 2024 or whenever.
So over to them…get off their asses or take the risk of dying. No one is forcing you.
Covid-19 will 'crop up' all around New Zealand once Auckland's border opens – experts
It's not just about the vaccination in this case. Dealing with the "inevitable" cases is the problem in these under-resourced communities.
It looks like the most under resourced communties have lost more health workers than others to mandates as well. Bit of a double whammy
It is ok, so sayeth the government, aucklanders and highly paid men and women who pontificate about leisure and entitlements such as driving a few hundered kilo meters to a million dollar batch elsewhere.
If the plague breaks out there, these same people will be no where to be found when it comes to taking personal responsability.
"We cant stay closed forever just for them".
Of course we can. We can't allow the quarantine areas to be opened up just because that Judith Collins woman wants to, All she wants is to inflict Covid 19 on the whole population of New Zealand before Christmas. We have to stop her!
Wasn't that Grant and Chippies claim a few weeks ago? Well it is going to happen and that is under the Labour Parties' watch. They didn't decide to wait until even one DHB had reached 90% full vaccination. I expect a concerted boo from all the contributors to this blog. 1..2..3.. Silence.
Yes Grant Robertson said something along the lines of "on the first day of Xmas, national gave to me….Covid".
Well looks like we are getting Covid for Xmas anyway and it's not from National!
Sorry to burst your bubble but Ak DHB is already there today overall: https://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/diseases-and-conditions/covid-19-novel-coronavirus/covid-19-data-and-statistics/covid-19-vaccine-data#90pct
Not so rosy for Māori rates, also at that link.
Trying to get the last 9%-10% vaccinated could take another year or two, and still one or two percent will never get vaccinated under any circumstances.
Silly me. I believed what was in Stuff which said. Given Stuff's appalling record on factual information I should never have taken any notice of what they say.
"The 90 per cent target is gone, before any district health board (DHB) had even managed to reach it."
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/coronavirus/300456900/covid19-nz-vaccine-rollout-in-13-charts-as-government-gives-up-on-90-per-cent-target
They haven't reached 90% (I mean they may have by the 1pm update on Thursday, but not when I wrote that article). That table rounds up – note that it says there are still 1800 doses to go.
The time value of information is always an issue.
Like why am I sitting in a empty google meet with no-one else here? Time-zones. Calendar…
Nope – everyone is just late…
/side-issue
That's what I thought too. All a bit indicative with the HSU chosen as denominator anyway. And the Māori specific rates I find more revealing about how far we have to go to protect communities.
Those are a bit disconcerting – it has been making me worried about a repeat of the 1918 ‘native’ mortality. Especially until recently some very low population jab velocities pointing to a long trail out time with previous techniques.
But it looks like something changed in the past few weeks. Statistically the 12-24yo Maori groups have started getting jabbed.
I haven't seen any analysis on it why it is happening. But when I look at the first dose maps it feels like an access issue in the rural and semi-rural areas where there are high Maori populations.
For instance if you look in the Bay of Plenty – it looks like round Opotiki is satisfactory – but the rest of the BoP is pretty lowish. Why?
BoP DHB has second jab rates that are too low when you look at it by DHB – but vast 1st to second jab jumps in some age groups (71% first jab to 59% in second for the 12-19 age group). It seems like a pattern across multiple DHBs.
I should have a look on the wayback to see when that change happened – clearly something has.
Alwynger by the time borders open 90% of eligible people will be vaxxed .
Your faith in this lot is admirable. Stupid but still admirable.
Alwyn your job is to pathetically whinge at anything the govt does.Urban area DHB's plus Southern DHB's have reached 90% plus. Rural areas are lagging behind but given their remoteness and poor access to healthcare that will push those to get immunised.
Now the borders are being opened the numbers will go up as people realise vaccination is the only option left to protect themselves.
And your evidence for this claim is what, precisely? What is wrong with the numbers I gave in my link, other than that it makes your beloved Government look stupid.
Something isn't true just because you want it to be and you simply won't accept anything that shows you to be wrong. You remind me of what my grandchildren, at least when they were very young, were like when they got overtired. To the suggestion that it was time to go home their answer might be "no". When asked why not the only thing they could manage was "because". Just "because". They have grown out of it and can be reasoned with. You are still in the terrible two's mindset.
I would love to see that trickling down, never mind that everyone jabbed between Jan to Jun is in need of a booster shot.
But lest pretend they are in that 90% group, because otherwise we would need to admit that the target is unreachable simply due to the fact that six moth after your double jab, you need a booster.
fwiw, Auckland should go to level 2 with the borders staying open. Go holiday in your own backyard, and keep the rest of the country covid free. There is no human right that gives anyone a right to drag a boat/bikes/othershit across the country to bring the pestilence to some small town with no hospital or even clinic. But i can see how the entitlement runs strong in some.
with the borders staying closed. – no edit function.
There have been some of that being drawn to my attention. I suspect the caching – so I will revert it. Let me know if it improves thingsafter a few hours.
I won't have time to look at it further until the weekend. Insufficient brain capacity left over from work….
It's not entitlement, it is love of whanau, and wanting to be together for Christmas. I've had a gutsful of anti Auckland prejudice.
We don't like living in a pressure cooker with a bunch of rule breaking numpties spreading the virus around much either. The rest of NZ needs to stop their prejudiced bullcrap.
Auckland has done ALL the mahi in this dismal pandemic. We locked down for (soon to be) 4 months and got over 95% jabbed (as of today). The rest of Aotearoa should be thankful, not spreading fear of opening up. Let's all get the Shot for Summer and have a great Christmas together.
It is completely unreasonable of non-Aucklanders to expect us to stay locked up indefinitely. Lockdown is a TEMPORARY suspension of human rights and it has gone on long enough. We sacrificed our sanity and stayed home for months, to give you a chance to protect yourself.
Does nobody care about protecting Aucklanders any more? We have to live in a pressure cooker with this small percentage of hard core rule breakers, and we are taking the blame for their bullshit.
Now the rest of Aotearoa needs to step up and do their part. Mask up, wash hands, use the Covid app, and above all get vaccinated. Stop pretending you can lock up your fellow Kiwis and be safe doing nothing.
The enemy is a virus – but another enemy is fear, hatred, and divisiveness. We are reaping the harvest of 35 years of neoliberal capitalism eating away at our institutions and social fabric.
Don't let paranoia and prejudice build Trumpian walls of division around your heart.
The deliberately unvaccinated can take the consequences of their "choices" as far as I'm concerned.
Except for the others that will suffer the consequences of their "choices", and the Governments choice to have "freedom day" before enough are vaccinated.
Medical staff, the immune compromised, children, especially those with asthma, rheumatic fever, leukemia, those whose medical treatment is delayed. All those who won't have, a choice!
Well actually why not?
What is so special about Aucklanders that they can not holiday in their own area?
I agree that Aucklanders should not be kept locked up at home – they should be free to move, but why the heck should you be entitled to a holiday in the South Island or in Gisborne?
What about the Team of 5 million?
Or do we need to open Auckland and its infested and covid carrying citizens to the rest of the country because dear Leader needs some good news? Or does the Labour party need to open up so that they can blame others for the inevitable spread of Covid?
Frankly Aucklanders, do the right thing, stay the fuck at home.
I'm double vaxxed, tested, and will use the Covid passport. Please don't tell me I can't go visit my elderly parents and whanau up North. I have been stuck at home for months, have been under huge emotional stress and put on tons of weight.
Pull your head in and stop spreading fear. We have had a shitty time and now you want to ruin Christmas as well.
I will be travelling out of Auckland to visit friends and family. I'm double vaxed so why not?
Who the hell are you to tell me I cant travel out of Auckland. As Robologic says, you need to pull your head in. You've definitely swallowed the fear porn.
Many Maori are being manipulated by likes of Brian Tamaki,Dr's teachers religous leaders etc who are antivax.
They are targeting the poorest and least educated.
https://www.twitter.com/SikotiHamiltonR/status/1460737187058651137
Ansell's fortress of delusion is nigh impregnable. The media, courts, academia, and especially politicians of all stripes, are engaging in a N4zi conspiracy of bizarre experiments, murder and pedophilia… his head is full of snakes. An exorcism may be warranted.
Scott Hamilton is a national treasure. The "mainstream" right does more than just flirt with the far right nutjobs. They egg one another on in the Kiwiblog comments section, and express their real (disgusting) opinions
What does RTM mean after Hamilton's name? I assume he is using it to describe himself. I'm used to it being "Return to Manufacturer" which is used when something is not up to spec.
RTM = "Reading The Maps", which is the name of his blog: http://readingthemaps.blogspot.com/
Thank you. I hadn't heard of it, or him, until now.
Right-wing Trolling Mollot or Mallet.
A bedtime lullaby.
King by Satyricon.