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.
“You talking about me?”The neoliberal denigration of the past was nowhere more unrelenting than in its depiction of the public service. The Post Office and the Railways were held up as being both irremediably inefficient and scandalously over-manned. Playwright Roger Hall’s “Glide Time” caricatures were presented as accurate depictions of ...
Roger Partridge writes – When the Coalition Government took office last October, it inherited a country on a precipice. With persistent inflation, decades of insipid productivity growth and crises in healthcare, education, housing and law and order, it is no exaggeration to suggest New Zealand’s first-world status was ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – In 2022, the Curriculum Centre at the Ministry of Education employed 308 staff, according to an Official Information Request. Earlier this week it was announced 202 of those staff were being cut. When you look up “The New Zealand Curriculum” on the Ministry of ...
Chris Bishop’s bill has stirred up a hornets nest of opposition. Photo: Lynn Grieveson for The KākāTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate from the last day included:A crescendo of opposition to the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill is ...
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Graham Adams writes about the $55m media fund — When Patrick Gower was asked by Mike Hosking last week what he would say to the many Newstalk ZB callers who allege the Labour government bribed media with $55 million of taxpayers’ money via the Public Interest Journalism Fund — and ...
Note: this blog post has been put together over the course of the week I followed the happenings at the conference virtually. Should recordings of the Great Debates and possibly Union Symposia mentioned below, be released sometime after the conference ends, I'll include links to the ones I participated in. ...
The following was my submission made on the “Fast Track Approvals Bill”. This potential law will give three Ministers unchecked powers, un-paralled since the days of Robert Muldoon’s “Think Big” projects.The submission is written a bit tongue-in-cheek. But it’s irreverent because the FTAB is in itself not worthy of respect. ...
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Jack Vowles writes – New Zealand is said to be suffering from ‘serious populist discontent’. An IPSOS MORI survey has reported that we have an increasing preference for strong leaders, think that the economy is rigged toward the rich and powerful, and political elites are ignoring ‘hard-working people’. ...
Chris Trotter writes – MELISSA LEE should be deprived of her ministerial warrant. Her handling – or non-handling – of the crisis engulfing the New Zealand news media has been woeful. The fate of New Zealand’s two linear television networks, a question which the Minister of Broadcasting, Communications ...
TL;DR: The podcast above features co-hosts and , along with regular guests Robert Patman on Gaza and AUKUS II, and on climate change.The six things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the ...
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TL;DR: The global economy will be one fifth smaller than it would have otherwise been in 2050 as a result of climate damage, according to a new study by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and published in the journal Nature. (See more detail and analysis below, and ...
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Foreign Minister Winston Peters is understood to be planning a major speech within the next fortnight to clear up the confusion over whether or not New Zealand might join the AUKUS submarine project. So far, there have been conflicting signals from the Government. RNZ reported the Prime Minister yesterday in ...
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Buzz from the Beehive Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones relishes spatting and eagerly takes issue with environmentalists who criticise his enthusiasm for resource development. He relishes helping the fishing industry too. And so today, while the media are making much of the latest culling in the public service to ...
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The Government’s newly announced review of methane emissions reduction targets hints at its desire to delay Aotearoa New Zealand’s urgent transition to a climate safe future, the Green Party said. ...
The Government must commit to the Maitai School building project for students with high and complex needs, to ensure disabled students from the top of the South Island have somewhere to learn. ...
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey and his Government colleagues have made a meal of their mental health commitments, showing how flimsy their efforts to champion the issue truly are, says Labour Mental Health spokesperson Ingrid Leary. ...
Māori are yet to see anything from this Government except cuts, reversals and taking our people backwards, Māori Development spokesperson Willie Jackson said. ...
The Coalition Government’s refusal to commit to ongoing funding for social housing is seeing the sector pull back on developments and families watch their dreams of securing a home fade away, says Labour Housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty. ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector. "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today paid tribute to Singapore’s outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Meeting in Singapore today immediately before Prime Minister Lee announced he was stepping down, Prime Minister Luxon warmly acknowledged his counterpart’s almost twenty years as leader, and the enduring legacy he has left for Singapore and South East ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. While in Singapore as part of his visit to South East Asia this week, Prime Minister Luxon also met with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and will meet with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has made further appointments to the Board of Antarctica New Zealand as part of a continued effort to ensure the Scott Base Redevelopment project is delivered in a cost-effective and efficient manner. The Minister has appointed Neville Harris as a new member of the Board. Mr ...
Finance Minister Nicola Willis will travel to the United States on Tuesday to attend a meeting of the Five Finance Ministers group, with counterparts from Australia, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. “I am looking forward to meeting with our Five Finance partners on how we can work ...
The coalition Government has today announced purrfect and pawsitive changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to give tenants with pets greater choice when looking for a rental property, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Pets are important members of many Kiwi families. It’s estimated that around 64 per cent of New ...
State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the Government has also asked NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) to consider and provide advice on a Long Tunnel option, Transport Minister Simeon Brown ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters have condemned Iran’s shocking and illegal strikes against Israel. “These attacks are a major challenge to peace and stability in a region already under enormous pressure," Mr Luxon says. "We are deeply concerned that miscalculation on any side could ...
Hundreds of people in little over a week have turned out in Northland to hear Regional Development Minister Shane Jones speak about plans for boosting the regional economy through infrastructure. About 200 people from the infrastructure and associated sectors attended an event headlined by Mr Jones in Whangarei today. Last ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti has today thanked outgoing Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora Chair Dame Karen Poutasi for her service on the Board. “Dame Karen tendered her resignation as Chair and as a member of the Board today,” says Dr Reti. “I have asked her to ...
The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has signalled their proposed delivery approach for the Government’s 15 Roads of National Significance (RoNS), with the release of the State Highway Investment Proposal (SHIP) today, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Boosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Government’s plan to ...
New Zealand is renewing its connections with a world facing urgent challenges by pursuing an active, energetic foreign policy, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “Our country faces the most unstable global environment in decades,” Mr Peters says at the conclusion of two weeks of engagements in Egypt, Europe and the United States. “We cannot afford to sit back in splendid ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced the Australian Governor-General, His Excellency General The Honourable David Hurley and his wife Her Excellency Mrs Linda Hurley, will make a State visit to New Zealand from Tuesday 16 April to Thursday 18 April. The visit reciprocates the State visit of former Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced that Medsafe has approved 11 cold and flu medicines containing pseudoephedrine. Pharmaceutical suppliers have indicated they may be able to supply the first products in June. “This is much earlier than the original expectation of medicines being available by 2025. The Government recognised ...
New Zealand and the United States have recommitted to their strategic partnership in Washington DC today, pledging to work ever more closely together in support of shared values and interests, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The strategic environment that New Zealand and the United States face is considerably more ...
April 11, 2024 Joint Declaration by United States Secretary of State the Honorable Antony J. Blinken and New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs the Right Honourable Winston Peters We met today in Washington, D.C. to recommit to the historic partnership between our two countries and the principles that underpin it—rule ...
The Fast-track Bill, if passed, would allow three Ministers, unchallenged and unchecked, to approve the immediate extraction and exhaustion of one-off resources. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Duckett, Honorary Enterprise Professor, School of Population and Global Health, and Department of General Practice and Primary Care, The University of Melbourne iamharin/Shutterstock For many people, the term “bulk billed” refers to a GP visit they don’t have to pay ...
Emmas Hislop, Sidnam and Wehipeihana discuss what’s in a name. Emma Sidnam: Hello Emmas! Thank you so much for agreeing to do this with me. My first question for you is related to what’s been on my mind for a while. It’s very important. You see we’ve recently had some ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Sievers, Research Fellow, Global Wetlands Project, Australia Rivers Institute, Griffith University Chris Brown Humans love the coast. But we love it to death, so much so we’ve destroyed valuable coastal habitat – in the case of some types of habitat, ...
Josh Thomson on the 80s milk ad jingle he can’t stop singing, the beauty of The Simpsons, why Jersey Shore is as good as Shakespeare and more. For someone who spends a lot of time on our screens, popping up in everything from 7 Days to Taskmaster, Educators to Good ...
In apparent defiance of the Biden administration, the Netanyahu government has now initiated missile strikes against Iran. Last Saturday night (Sunday morning in New Zealand) Iran launched more than 300 drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles against Israeli military targets. With the assistance of US, UK and possibly French forces, ...
Māori representation brings a perspective that encompasses not only the interests of Māori communities but also a broader, holistic approach to environmental stewardship and community well-being, principles deeply embedded in Te Ao Māori (the Māori ...
This week in Auckland, a group of young people took over the microphone at a ministerial press conference, to explain why they oppose the Fast-Track Approvals Bill. One young woman said, ‘We’re here because we love Aotearoa New Zealand. We want to raise our children in an environment that’s thriving, ...
The summer was wonderful. Evie was wonderful, too; finally a teenager, finally worthy of long, hot days. She shaved her legs for the first time and bought cut-off shorts from the op-shop that made them look long. She got a Warehouse singlet so tight on her new shape that her ...
When Thomas James was on his solo camp as part of Outward Bound, the keen outdoorsman didn’t find it too challenging, as others often do. In what might just be the perfect illustration of his character, he saw it as a great opportunity to solve a few problems. “I thought, ...
From the unstable and drippy to the hi-tech and pretty, here’s our ranking of all the tunnels you can drive through in this country. The first tunnel seems to have been built in 2200BC in Babylonia, kicking off a global phenomenon for digging holes in order to get places more ...
Lucinda Bennett on the art of being greedy but resourceful. This is an excerpt from our weekly food newsletter, The Boil Up. When I picture the market, it is always this time of year. Crisp air, dripping nose, counting coins with cold fingers. Sunlight pale, filtered through specks of dew still ...
Zoë Colling’s favourite piece in the ‘That’s So Last Century’ collection is a lubrication chart for a sewing machine from the ’60s. It’s about the size of a postcard, and carefully maintained. “I like it that this piece of ephemera highlights that manual and technical side of the skill involved ...
Kia Ora Gaza A passionate haka reverberated through Auckland International Airport as a medical team of three New Zealand doctors received an emotional farewell from a big crowd of supporters before flying to Turkey to join the international Freedom Flotilla to Gaza. The doctors, who left Auckland yesterday, hope to ...
With submissions closing today, Macassey-Pickard says groups around the country have been supporting a huge range of people to make their submissions. ...
Our response to the new legislation is informed by targeted conversations with practitioners working in the system and through an implementation lens. ...
The new ‘Fast-track Approvals Bill’ would give just three Ministers the power to approve or deny development projects. They would avoid the usual checks and balances that are in place to protect rivers, land, the ocean, and communities. ...
COMMENTARY:By Eugene Doyle Helen Clark, how I miss you. The former New Zealand Prime Minister — the safest pair of hands this country has had in living memory — gave a masterclass on the importance of maintaining an independent foreign policy when she spoke at an AUKUS symposium held ...
The government's released the list of organisations provided with information on how to apply - just hours before public submissions on the bill close. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Milton Speer, Visiting Fellow, School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, University of Technology Sydney Before climate change really got going, eastern Australia’s flash floods tended to concentrate on our coastal regions, east of the Great Dividing Range. But that’s changing. Now ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elizabeth Finkel, Vice-Chancellor’s Fellow, La Trobe University Sia Duff / South Australian Museum In February, the South Australian Museum “re-imagined” itself. In the face of rising costs and inadequate government funds, CEO David Gaimster, who took the reins last June, declared ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alan Pearce, Professor, School of Allied Heath, Human Services & Sport, La Trobe University, La Trobe University This week, Collingwood AFL player Nathan Murphy announced his retirement, brought on by his concussion history and ongoing issues. The 24-year-old’s seemingly sudden retirement, ...
The Mental Health Foundation provides support and resources for those facing the loss of their job, so it’s wrong in the very week the Government adds another 1000 jobs to its tally of cuts, that this is happening. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexander Howard, Senior Lecturer, Discipline of English and Writing, University of Sydney Daniel Boud/Sydney Theatre Company Decay, terror, revulsion. These are three of the central themes of Thomas Bernhard’s rarely performed play The President. The Austrian is one of the greatest ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ye In (Jane) Hwang, Postdoctoral Research Associate at School of Population Health, UNSW Sydney Shutterstock You’d be hard pressed to find any aspect of daily life that doesn’t require some form of digital literacy. We need only to look back ten ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says threats by ministers Shane Jones and David Seymour to reform or close down the Waitangi Tribunal were “ill-considered”, as legal experts say the ministers may have breached Cabinet Manual conventions. “I think those comments are ill-considered and we expect all ministers to actually exercise good ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rob Newton, Professor of Exercise Medicine, Edith Cowan University Pexels/RDNE stock project You’re not in your 20s or 30s anymore and you know regular health checks are important. So you go to your GP. During the appointment they measure your waist. ...
A new poem by Evangeline Riddiford Graham. Mitochondrial Problem I. It was long drive to Kansas for the man and his dog but you have to understand he said She doesn’t fly. Which calls to mind not carsick shitting barking or whining but a dog who chooses not to as ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Hemingway’s Goblet by Dermot Ross (Mary Egan Publishing, $38)Hot off the press, this debut ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Laura Wajnryb McDonald, PhD candidate in Criminology, University of Sydney Less than 24 hours after Ashlee Good was murdered in Bondi Junction, her family released a statement requesting the media take down photographs they had reproduced of Ashlee and her family without ...
Chief executive Shaun Robinson said it has not had any government funding cut, but government-funded contracts have not kept pace with rising costs. ...
The Ministry of Health has delayed the release of its evidence brief on the safety, reversibility and mental health and wellbeing outcomes for puberty blockers. While we wait, Julia de Bres speaks to those with firsthand experience. Best practice gender-affirming healthcare is based on trans people’s self-determination and agency. The ...
Barcelona’s city streets have gone from traffic-clogged to pedestrian-friendly. How? Superblocks. Ellen Rykers explains. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week I read a great interview with renowned urbanist Janette Sadik-Khan by The Spinoff’s Wellington editor Joel MacManus: “You can reimagine streets, ...
Student groups ‘Climate Action VUW’, Schools Strike 4 Climate and VUWSA will be on the street in Wellington today, the last day for submissions on the Fast-track Approvals Bill, with a message that the fight against the Government’s ‘War on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sofia Ammassari, Research Fellow, Griffith University Since 2014, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popularity has grown exponentially – and so has the formidable organisational machine of his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). These two factors will be key to delivering the BJP a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brendon Hyndman, Associate Professor of Education (Adjunct) & Senior Manager (BCE), Charles Sturt University During COVID almost all Australian students and their families experienced online learning. But while schools have long since gone back to in-person teaching, online learning has not gone ...
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The Chair of the National Maori Authority, Matthew Tukaki, has warned a Parliamentary Select Committee that fast-tracking legislation is a perilous practice that undermines the core tenets of democracy, transparency, and accountability. ...
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The government’s plan to get 50,000 people off jobseeker support by 2030 has had a rocky start, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. Beneficiary numbers are up – and so are ...
Raglan Roast is a staple of Wellington coffee culture. But with five branches across the capital, which one is the best? I am a die-hard Raglan Roast fan. It’s consistently the most affordable cafe in Wellington, and one of the only places you can get a coffee after 3pm. So, ...
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Hineaupounamu ‘Missy’ Nuku has been scaling mountains in Canada for her college basketball team, the Lakeland Rustlers. Alberta is currently home for the 20-year-old point guard, who is in her first year of a scholarship at Lakeland College, where she is studying for a business degree. She has certainly made ...
New Zealand and the Philippines have signed a new maritime security agreement and stated their concerns over activity in the South China Sea, as Chinese vessels continue to flout international law. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Philippines President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos committed to signing a Mutual Logistics Supporting Arrangement by ...
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Opinion: With maths understanding at 42 percent for Year 8 students, there’s no doubt something has to be done. But how? The post Financial literacy should be on all of us appeared first on Newsroom. ...
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.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQQdsKH3Qt8