Daily review 18/03/2020
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5:30 pm, March 18th, 2020 - 40 comments
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- Australia needs a Bill of Rights Act
Australia is one of the few western democracies not to have legal protection for fundamental human rights. The closest they come is recognising an implied right to freedom of political communication (but not other forms of freedom of expression) from the "representative government" clauses of their constitution. But some of ...4 hours ago - FalloutLast week I revealed how the Police had lied to the public over their "emissions-free fleet" strategy. Stuff's Henry Cooke has done the obvious followup of asking the Minister what she thinks about it, and it seems she is not happy: Police Minister Poto Williams says she is disappointed ...5 hours ago
- Can we be born into the wrong body?
by Don Franks Are some of us born into the wrong body? The possibility is sometimes offered as a clinching argument that some people need to, and are able to, change their sex. With one proviso, the answer has to be, yes, such a thing is possible. The only requirement ...6 hours ago - Moa’s Ark or flypaper of the Pacific – New Zealand’s place in the biology of the Pacific
It was the year 2002 and I was sitting in the shiny new office of our Biogeography Professor for my oral Diploma exam. It was going well, when I was asked to name an example of a Gondwanan distribution pattern, or in other words a species or group of species ...6 hours ago - Patrick Gower – Hero of the week
12 hours ago - Juliet Moses – Arsehole of the Week24 hours ago
- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #24, 2021
A hot budget problem This week's standout article for highlighting is Satellite and Ocean Data Reveal Marked Increase in Earth's Heating Rate (open access). From the two very different perspectives of above the atmosphere and below it, a team of authors led by Norman Loeb (head of NASA's CERES program) and including Gregory Johnson (head ...24 hours ago - Let it dieThe fishing industry is complaining in the Herald about their "labour shortage" and lamenting the fact that Young People These Days for some reason don't want to work for six weeks at a time doing hard, dangerous work on a boat in the middle of nowhere, and never seeing their ...1 day ago
- More bigotry in HungaryLast year Hungary ended legal recognition of trans people and banned gay people from adopting children. Now, they've followed that up with a Russian-style "propaganda law", banning "promotion" of homosexuality in schools or on TV: Hungary’s parliament has passed a law banning gay people from featuring in school educational ...1 day ago
- Institutionally corruptOver thirty years ago private investigator Daniel Morgan was murdered in London. The UK police repeatedly fucked up the investigation so obviously and blatantly that the government was forced to call a public inquiry. Now, after years of obstruction, it has finally reported back, finding the police to be "institutionally ...1 day ago
- With seas rising, stalled research budgets must also riseThis is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Gary Yohe and Eric Rignot From 1900 to 2000, the ocean along the U.S. East Coast rose at twice the annual rate of the pace in the previous 19 centuries, according to a recent study from Rutgers University. From Miami to New York to ...1 day ago
- Geoffrey Miller: Worst could be yet to come for New Zealanders’ perceptions of China
New Zealanders’ hostility towards China is growing rapidly – but the worst may be still ahead. International analyst Geoffrey Miller examines the latest survey results on how this country feels about China. The latest “Perceptions of Asia” survey from the Asia New Zealand Foundation, released today, shows a sharp rise ...1 day ago - Bryce Edwards: Political Roundup – Cash for access to politicians continuesShould anyone have trust in politicians, given the manner in which they solicit money from the wealthy? Probably not, since virtually every party in Parliament in recent times has been found to be involved in flaunting the law or accepting dodgy donations from the rich. News reports of questionable donations ...2 days ago
- Inaction speaks louder than wordsOne of the good things the government has done is implement a proactive release policy, requiring most cabinet papers to be published within 30 working days of a decision being made. Its not a perfect policy (note "most", but also they get to redact them however they want, without oversight), ...2 days ago
- Graham Adams: The dangers of putting media on the government’s payrollAccusations by a journalist that the Prime Minister leads an unusually secretive government don’t tell the whole story about its desire to control information. Graham Adams takes a closer look at the guidelines for the new $55 million journalism fund. Despite widespread cynicism about the Government’s ability to fulfil its ...2 days ago
- David Seymour caught telling liesAct Party Leader David SeymourIt really bothers me when the NZ Herald reports the claims of certain right wing politicians as the truth without any fact checking. Not only do they encourage dishonest politicians to continue to lie, they also degrade the standard of reporting we get in New Zealand.Of ...2 days ago
- To Speak, Or Not To Speak? That Is The Question.
Speaking Rights: The spectacle of the nation’s prime minister being denied the right to speak to her fellow citizens, personally, on New Zealand’s national day would generate massive antagonism among Pakeha of both sexes. A refusal to be guided by the customs of Ngāpuhi, on the other hand, would be ...2 days ago - We discovered what’s killing the world’s rarest penguin – and it could help us make a vaccineVartul Sangal, Northumbria University, Newcastle Yellow-eyed penguins are the most endangered penguin species in the world, with just 4,000 left in the wild. Found only in New Zealand and its outlying islands, these birds can grow up to 79cm tall and weigh 8.5kg, which is similar to a one-year-old ...2 days ago
- The COVID-19 lab leak theory highlights a glaring lack of global biosecurity regulationAlexander Gillespie, University of Waikato The revived debate over whether COVID-19 could be the result of an accidental release from the Wuhan Institute of Virology may never be adequately resolved. Either way, we risk not seeing the wood for the trees. While the World Health Organization (WHO) reported in ...2 days ago
- Opponents of fluoridation all at sea with new legislation
Image credit: Why Ideology and Science Don’t Mix Opponents of community water fluoridation (CWF) should be supporting the proposed fluoridation legislation instead of organising opposition to it. Think about it. If Fluoride Free NZ (FFNZ) was honest in its claim that they are ...2 days ago- Silent calamity: The health impacts of wildfire smoke
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Bob Henson Articles on U.S. wildfires don’t often show a photo of someone gasping in a hospital bed or felled by a heart attack. Yet an increasing body of evidence suggests that the biggest societal impacts of increasing wildland fire are happening ...2 days ago- Smokefree 2025
The Government’s proposed approach for achieving SmokeFree 2025 is a bit over-the-top. The proposals would restrict tobacco sales to a smaller number of to-be-licenced R18 outlets, which could then be subject to a sinking lid; impose an annual one-year increase in the purchase age for tobacco until full prohibition were ...2 days ago- Update on Long-COVID
Prof John D. Potter* This blog post updates an earlier post on Long-COVID and reports that estimates of prevalence are still wide at about 15 to 65% of those initially infected with the pandemic virus, SARS-CoV-2. As things stand now across the world, we do not yet have systems in ...2 days ago- A long-overdue apology
The New Zealand government is going to formally apologise for the "dawn raids" which targeted Pacific peoples in the 1970's. Good. Terrorising people on the basis of their race was wrong and something which should be a lasting shame to New Zealand. But there's another wrong they need to apologise ...3 days ago- Climate Change: The return of feebate
The government has resurrected its feebate policy to lower transport emissions, taxing dirty vehicles to subsidise clean ones. Good. We've known for a long time that passive measures such as fuel economy ratings and up-front labelling of lifetime costs weren't enough, and neither was the ETS (which adds just a ...3 days ago- National wants to convert farms into pine forests
It really hasn’t been a good time on the opposition benches lately. Not only have we had the various National Party scandals to ensure a decline in their public support, they’ve also entirely misread the room when it comes to the Climate Change Commission’s final report and the Government’s Clean ...3 days ago- Government for sale again
When the National Party ran a "Cabinet Club", selling personal access to Cabinet Ministers in exchange for large donations, I called it Government for Sale. Now the Labour party is doing the same thing: The Labour Party is selling tickets to a “business conference" featuring the prime minister and ...3 days ago- Nobody Owns The Christchurch Tragedy.
Mass Outpourings Of Love And Solidarity: In excess of 20,000 Wellingtonians gathered at the basin Reserve in mid-March 2019 to reaffirm Prime Minister Ardern's "They are Us" response to the Christchurch Mosque Shootings. The opponents of the "They Are Us" movie project would rather the world was not reminded of ...3 days ago- 2021 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #24
Listing of articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, June 7, 2021 through Sat, June 12, 2021 This week it was somewhat tricky to identify suitable articles for sharing which is why the list ended up shorter than it usually is. Articles Linked to ...4 days ago- Hoping For Divine Intervention.
By Any Chance, Are These Two Related? Climate Change Commission Chair, Rod Carr, and Michelangelo's Jehovah. Is that the message hidden in the CCC's report? That only divine intervention can save the planet from the effects of anthropogenic global warming?ROD CARR reminds me of God. Seriously, that beard. From a ...4 days ago- Re-Writing The Rules of the Game: Where Chile is Leading, Can Aotearoa-New Zealand Follow?
People Power: Ending neoliberalism requires massive and militant action on the ground. Between 2019 and 2020, the young and the poor made Chile ungovernable. Engaging in running battles with the Police and facing-down the army’s bullets, they rendered the political class and its mainstream media mouthpieces increasingly irrelevant to what ...4 days ago- National is falling apart
You’ve really got to wonder what possessed MP Simon Bridges to blatantly lie about gang violence he claimed to have witnessed yesterday.Perhaps he was just a bit desperate for some attention being that the headlines haven’t be very flattering for the National Party lately.His belief that misleading the public and ...4 days ago- How Are We Progressing with the War on Poverty?
Child Poverty Levels Are only Slowly Coming Down, What Next?Having settled on its macroeconomic settings, the Government then has to decide what to do with its revenue. In the 2021 Budget; it was largely committed to rolling forward existing spending, together with meeting some necessary commitments like dealing with covid ...5 days ago- They Are Us film should be made
Rose Byrne to play Jacinda Ardern in controversial movie ‘They Are Us’Framing is always an important aspect of media reports, especially when it comes to politics. In fact the way a story is framed can often determine whether a topic gains popular support or receives widespread public outrage.That’s been the ...5 days ago- The police lied to Parliament
Earlier today I blogged about the Ombudsman's final opinion on an OIA request for the police's "emissions-free fleet" strategy, in which the Ombudsman found that there never was such a strategy, and that the police repeatedly lied in an effort to hide that fact. But it turns out that I'm ...6 days ago- Spanish and Ukranian translations of The Debunking Handbook 2020
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Now this is something I truly was not expecting. Warner Brothers is producing an Anime Movie of the story of Helm Hammerhand, titled The War of the Rohirrim:https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/lord-of-the-rings-anime-movie-in-the-works-from-new-line-warner-animation-group-1234965985/ My first instinct was to check the date. No, not 1st April. This is for real: a Tolkien story – one ...6 days ago- There was never an “emissions-free fleet” strategy
Last month, I did a post about my efforts to excavate the Police's "emissions-free fleet" strategy, and how my OIA request had been extended "for consultations", whizzed past its extended deadline, then refused as it would "soon be publicly available". My complaint to the Ombudsman gained an attempted explanation from ...6 days ago- As more climate migrants cross borders seeking refuge, laws will need to adapt
Katharine M. Donato, Georgetown University; Amanda Carrico, University of Colorado Boulder; and Jonathan M. Gilligan, Vanderbilt University Climate change is upending people’s lives around the world, but when droughts, floods or sea level rise force them to leave their countries, people often find closed borders and little assistance. Part ...6 days ago- Geoffrey Miller: New Zealand’s relationship with Saudi Arabia faces increasing scrutiny
While New Zealand’s problematic but lucrative relationship with China gets lots of attention, there’s another important and similar relationship with Saudi Arabia that gets less attention. International analyst Geoffrey Miller explains why Riyadh is too important for Wellington to ignore. New Zealand’s new ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Barney Riley, ...6 days ago- Research now backs routinely offering pregnant women the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine
Michelle Wise, University of Auckland New Zealand and Australia will now routinely offer the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to women at any stage of pregnancy, following an update of vaccination advice. This comes as research suggests the risk of severe outcomes from infection is significantly higher for pregnant women compared to ...6 days ago- The Irish lough that offers a window into the deep sea
James Bell, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington; Rob McAllen, University College Cork, and Valerio Micaroni, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Deeper than most scuba divers can safely work and above where most underwater robots are designed to descend lie some of the most ...6 days ago- The economics of killing Huntly
RNZ reports that Genesis Energy's use of coal has spiked over the past few years, as they use to burn it rather than pay for gas: New Zealand has significantly increased its use of coal in recent years, despite its status as the worst, most polluting fossil fuel on ...6 days ago- Media Link: “A View from Afar” on NZ security strategy and the end of neoliberalism in South Ame...
I have not had much time to blog in recent weeks but continue the weekly series of podcasts with Selwyn Manning. This week we discussed efforts to develop a comprehensive national security strategy for New Zealand that goes beyond Defense White Papers and annual reports from various security agencies, then ...6 days ago- Bryce Edwards: Political Roundup – Reforming the Official Information Act is a democratic test for...
In promising to be New Zealand’s most open and transparent government ever, Labour has one key challenge: reform the Official Information Act. This vital piece of machinery for democracy is in terrible disrepair, and the Government has promised to rewrite it for the modern age, but so far are stalling ...6 days ago- Hard Questions – Hard Answers.
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When the government asks the public to conserve electricity, its usually because we're on the edge of a supply crisis, and its necessary to ensure our own lights will stay on. And when it does that, people generally buy into it, because they can see the reason. But last month, ...1 week ago- A republic is demographicly irresistable
Via New Zealand Republic: younger kiwis support a republic (where "younger" is basicly "people under 50"): There's a bit more on NewsHub here. This is basicly like the support graph for Scottish independence, which seems to have become demographicly irresistable. Sadly, Jacinda Ardern - who implicitly claims to be ...1 week ago- Good riddance to the Tasman Mill
Last night Norske Skog announced it will close the Tasman Mill at the end of the month, with the loss of 160 jobs. Good. This mill is a major source of emissions, and in 2019 we subsidised it to the tune of 238342 tons - meaning it was about 0.3% ...1 week ago- Speaker: Adventures In Gender Identity
It started during a recent visit to a gynaecologist. Don’t worry, I’m fine. I felt an intense discomfort as I picked up my prescription and I knew immediately that this was gender dysphoria. I’d experienced it many times before but my understanding of it in the past was so narrow and ...1 week ago- Why Indigenous knowledge should be an essential part of how we govern the world’s oceans
Meg Parsons, University of Auckland and Lara Taylor, Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research Our moana (ocean) is in a state of unprecedented ecological crisis. Multiple, cumulative impacts include pollution, sedimentation, overfishing, drilling and climate change. All affect the health of both marine life and coastal communities. To reverse the ...1 week ago- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #23, 2021
LIfe cycle analysis of "Dirk" Life cycle analysis (LCA) is a method used to evaluate the environmental impact of a product through its life cycle encompassing extraction and processing of the raw materials, manufacturing, distribution, use, recycling, and final disposal. From: Journal of Environmental Management, 2010. -- Science Direct Continuing with getting ...1 week ago- Climate Change: Scammed
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The Finance and Expenditure Committee has reported back on the Reserve Bank of New Zealand Bill. Part of the bill is a new confidentiality clause, restricting publication or disclosure of information obtained using the bank's information-gathering powers. The first-reading version was actually good, with explicit recognition of the OIA. So ...1 week ago- Genomic solutions for a plant taonga: a high-quality rewarewa genome
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The Climate Change Commission released its final advice to the government today, and the media is full of reports about how "ambitious" it is. Bullshit. Because when you look at the budgets - the only thing in the entire document that actually matters and has legal weight - they tell ...1 week ago- Bryce Edwards: Political Roundup – Jacinda Ardern’s opaque government by PR
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Today is a Member's Day, the first since the Budget. Unfortunately it looks like most of the time will be taken up with boring committee stages. First up is Anahila Kanongata’a-Suisuiki's District Court (Protection of Judgment Debtors with Disabilities) Amendment Bill, followed by Louise Upston's Rights for Victims of Insane ...1 week ago- A Failure of Tone: The National Party’s Week of Woe.
Tone Deaf? From a party-political point of view (and what other point of view should a National Party MP be taking?) Paul Goldsmith’s comments regarding the “benefits” of colonisation merely played into the fast-solidifying narrative of National being a stale white bread party that can’t get out of its own way ...1 week ago- How virus detectives trace the origins of an outbreak – and why it’s so tricky
Marilyn J. Roossinck, Penn State Every time there is a major disease outbreak, one of the first questions scientists and the public ask is: “Where did this come from?” In order to predict and prevent future pandemics like COVID-19, researchers need to find the origin of the viruses that ...1 week ago- Self-inflicted “poverty”
Nurses are going on strike tomorrow in pursuit of better pay and higher staffing levels. So why isn't the "Labour" government paying them properly? Apparently, they're pleading poverty: Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says the nurses’ union wanted a 17 per cent pay increase for all nurses, but the Government ...1 week ago- Surrendered II
Good news on the climate front: OMV's surrender of its exploration permits in the Great South Basin, announced last December, has finally gone through. But there's other good news as well: from the sudden hole in NZPAM's permit map, they've also surrendered a pair of permits - 51906 (Matuku) and ...1 week ago- From smallpox to polio, vaccine rollouts have always had doubters. But they work in the end
David Isaacs, University of Sydney In 2019, before COVID-19, the World Health Organization (WHO) identified vaccine hesitancy as one of the top ten greatest threats to global health. Every year, vaccination saves around 4-5 million lives, although a further 1.5 million lives could be saved annually with improved global ...1 week ago- How much is the Greens’ reputation worth?
$54,000, apparently: The Green Party says it won’t return two five-figure donations from a woman convicted of animal neglect which required several horses to be put down. Three weeks before being sentenced in the District Court for animal neglect described by the SPCA as amongst the worst it had ...1 week ago- What would sustainable tourism really mean for New Zealand? Let’s ask the river
Jason Paul Mika, Massey University and Regina Scheyvens, Massey University Excitement among Cook Islands tourism operators and officials at the opening of quarantine-free travel with Aotearoa New Zealand was understandable. The impact of the pandemic on the island nation’s economy has been massive and will be felt for a ...1 week ago- Power from the ocean: can we use bio-fouling organisms to help extract energy from waves?
Craig Stevens, National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research; Louise Kregting, Queen’s University Belfast, and Vladislav Sorokin, University of Auckland People living near the coast are familiar with the power of ocean waves. What we see when a typical wave breaks on a beach is the endpoint of a global ...1 week ago- Cooling effect of clouds ‘underestimated’ by climate models, says new study
This is a re-post from Carbon Brief by Ayesha Tandon Clouds could have a greater cooling effect on the planet than climate models currently suggest, according to new research. The paper, published in Nature Climate Change, aims to correct a “long-standing” and “unaddressed” problem in climate modelling – namely, that existing models ...1 week ago- Perilous Treasures – accepted
In a good bit of news, I’ve had another short story acceptance. My 1750-word (loose) Historical-Fiction piece, Perilous Treasures, will feature in the upcoming Summer Solstice edition of Eternal Haunted Summer (https://eternalhauntedsummer.com/). This one is a fictional elaboration on an earlier blog post of mine, specifically about ...1 week ago- 2021 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Update #23
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Session forty-nine. Recall the terrible situation the party was in at the end of the previous session: Annalax and Elknel fleeing for their lives through the forest, with the rest of the party being dragged away by Nightmare Creatures. Well, the DM had a cunning plan on how ...2 weeks ago- Unpacking Peggy McIntosh’s Knapsack
This article in Quillette by William Ray takes a look at the origins of the concept of white privilege. Ray was a volunteer in an imperialist army in the former Yugoslavia where he saw up close the horrors of identity politics being played out. [White Privilege is] the unquestioned and unearned ...2 weeks ago- Update of NZ fluoridation review timely and useful
Image credit: Kurt:S/Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0). An updated New Zealand scientific review of community water fluoridation (CWF) finds that CWF in New Zealand is safe and effective. The new review, Fluoridation: an update on evidence, was published by the New Zealand Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisor Juliet Gerrard FRSNZ HonFRSC. It examines ...2 weeks ago - Silent calamity: The health impacts of wildfire smoke
- Green MPs back calls for work to stop immediately in Pūtiki Bay following unnecessary police presen...
Green MPs Dr Elizabeth Kerekere and Chlöe Swarbrick strongly support the calls by Ngāti Paoa for Auckland Council to immediately step in to stop works happening in Pūtiki Bay/Kennedy Point today. ...3 hours ago - Acting boldly to address the housing crisis so we all thriveTēnā koe Minister Woods, ...1 day ago
- Addressing period poverty in schools
Today, we’re taking the next step in our work to support children and young people in poverty, starting to roll out free period products in more than 1,600 schools and kura across New Zealand. ...2 days ago - Dawn Raids apology welcomed, needs to be backed up with amnestyThe Green Party’s Te Mātāwaka Māori and Pasifika Caucus welcomes an announcement today by the Prime Minister to apologise for the Dawn Raids. ...3 days ago
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- Our action on climate changeIn 2019, we established the Climate Change Commission to provide independent advice on climate change action and to hold this Government and future Governments to account. Today, the Commission's final advice was released. It sets out the total amount of global warming pollution Aotearoa must cut by 2035 to be ...1 week ago
- Our action on climate changeIn 2019, we established the Climate Change Commission to provide independent advice on climate change action and to hold this Government and future Governments to account. Today, the Commission's final advice was released. It sets out the total amount of global warming pollution Aotearoa must cut by 2035 to be ...1 week ago
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- Celebrating our oceansAotearoa New Zealand is surrounded by Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa, the Pacific Ocean. The ocean is central to our identities and to our ecosystems. The Big Blue both isolates us from other countries and connects us to our Pacific neighbours. We have the seventh largest maritime area in the world, ranging from ...1 week ago
- Caring for the land, caring for peopleHere in New Zealand, we have a remarkable natural environment, with unique ecosystems and native species. It’s taken millions of years for Aotearoa to develop this precious environment – and it’s up to us to protect it! In collaboration with communities across the country, we’re doing just that. ...2 weeks ago
- Caring for the land, caring for peopleHere in New Zealand, we have a remarkable natural environment, with unique ecosystems and native species. It’s taken millions of years for Aotearoa to develop this precious environment – and it’s up to us to protect it! In collaboration with communities across the country, we’re doing just that. ...2 weeks ago
- How much do you know about Aotearoa’s unique environment?Test your knowledge this World Environment Day! Think you’re a nature super-fan? Can’t tell a kauri from a kāmahi? To celebrate World Environment Day this week, we’ve put together a quiz to test how much you know about Te Taiao. Flex your nature muscles or learn something new about the ...2 weeks ago
- Green Party MP Golriz Ghahraman receives her COVID-19 vaccinationToday Green Party MP Golriz Ghahraman, who is immunocompromised, received her first COVID-19 vaccination at the Auckland CBD vaccination centre. ...2 weeks ago
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- Greens call for Facebook to be held accountable for role in spreading disinformationThe Green Party is calling on the Government to hold Facebook accountable for its role in enabling behaviour which threatens democracy, by strongly regulating data privacy and the spread of dangerous disinformation. ...2 weeks ago
- Greens call for more protection of native whitebait species at risk of extinctionThe Green Party is pleased to see new whitebaiting measures, announced today, to establish a more consistent management regime across the country, but we must go further, faster, to protect our native taonga. ...2 weeks ago
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- Green Party launches petition for publicly-owned public transportThe Green Party is launching a petition calling on the Government to remove legislative barriers to public ownership of our public transport depots, vehicles and services. ...2 weeks ago
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- Plan for vaccine rollout for general population announced
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- NZ economy grows driven by households, construction and business investmentThe Government’s efforts to secure the recovery have been reflected in the robust rebound of GDP figures released today which show the economy remains resilient despite the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Grant Robertson said. GDP increased 1.6 percent in the first three months of 2021. The Treasury had ...6 hours ago
- Milestone 250th tower continues to improve rural connectivityThe Government has welcomed the completion of the 250th 4G mobile tower, as part of its push for better rural connectivity. Waikato’s Wiltsdown, which is roughly 80 kilometres south of Hamilton, is home to the new tower, deployed by the Rural Connectivity Group to enable improved service to 70 homes ...6 hours ago
- Quarantine Free Travel pause with Victoria to lift on TuesdayFollowing a further public health assessment of the COVID-19 outbreak in greater Melbourne, New Zealand’s Quarantine Free Travel pause with Victoria has been extended to 11.59pm on Tuesday 22 June, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins says. It has been determined that the risk to public health in New Zealand continues ...6 hours ago
- Prime Minister mourns passing of Dr Sir Ian HassallPrime Minister Jacinda Ardern is mourning the passing of Dr Sir Ian Hassall, New Zealand’s first Children’s Commissioner and lifelong champion for children and children’s health. As a paediatrician Sir Ian contributed to a major world-first cot death study that has been directly credited with reducing cot deaths in New ...23 hours ago
- APEC structural reform meeting a successAPEC ministers have agreed working together will be crucial to ensure economies recover from the impact of COVID-19. Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs David Clark, chaired the virtual APEC Structural Reform Ministerial Meeting today which revolved around the overarching theme of promoting balanced, inclusive, sustainable, innovative and secure growth ...1 day ago
- Digital hub to boost investment in forestryA new website has been launched at Fieldays to support the forestry sector find the information it needs to plant, grow and manage trees, and to encourage investment across the wider industry. Forestry Minister Stuart Nash says the new Canopy website is tailored for farmers, iwi and other forestry interests, ...1 day ago
- Government continues support for rangatahi to get into employment, education and trainingOver 230 rangatahi are set to benefit from further funding through four new He Poutama Rangatahi programmes, Minister for Social Development and Employment Carmel Sepuloni announced today. “We’re continuing to secure our economic recovery from COVID by investing in opportunities for rangatahi to get into meaningful employment, education or training ...1 day ago
- NCEA subjects up for consultationThe education sector, students, their parents, whānau and communities are invited to share their thoughts on a list of proposed NCEA subjects released today, Education Minister Chris Hipkins says. This is a significant part of the Government’s NCEA Change Programme that commenced in 2020 and will be largely implemented by ...1 day ago
- Major investment in plantain forage programme aims to improve freshwater qualityThe Government is backing a major programme investigating plantain’s potential to help farmers protect waterways and improve freshwater quality, Acting Agriculture Minister Meka Whaitiri announced at Fieldays today. The Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures (SFFF) fund is contributing $8.98 million to the $22.23 million seven-year programme, which aims to deliver ...1 day ago
- America’s Cup decisionThe Minister responsible for the America’s Cup has confirmed the joint Crown-Auckland Council offer to host the next regatta has been declined by the Board of Team New Zealand. “The exclusive period of negotiation between the Crown, Auckland Council, and Team New Zealand ends tomorrow, 17 June,” said Stuart Nash. ...1 day ago
- Food and fibres sector making significant strides towards New Zealand’s economic recoveryThe Government is backing the food and fibres sector to lead New Zealand's economic recovery from COVID-19 with targeted investments as part of its Fit for a Better World roadmap, Forestry Minister Stuart Nash said. “To drive New Zealand’s recovery, we launched the Fit for a Better World – Accelerating ...1 day ago
- Cost of Government Southern Response proactive package releasedThe Government has announced the proactive package for some Southern Response policyholders could cost $313 million if all those eligible apply. In December, the Minister Responsible for the Earthquake Commission, David Clark announced a proactive package for SRES claimants who settled their claims before October 2014. It trailed the judgment ...2 days ago
- New support to reduce emissions from public building and construction projectsGovernment agencies are getting new support to reduce carbon emissions generated by construction of new buildings, with the release of practical guidance to shape decisions on public projects. The Ministers for Building and Construction and for Economic Development say a new Procurement Guide will help government agencies, private sector suppliers, ...2 days ago
- He Whenua Taurikura: New Zealand’s first Hui on Countering Terrorism and Violent ExtremismThe Prime Minister has opened New Zealand’s first hui on Countering Terrorism and Violent Extremism, which is being held in Christchurch over the next two days. The hui delivers on one of the recommendations from the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the terrorist attack on Christchurch masjidain ...2 days ago
- Speech to inaugural Countering Terrorism HuiE aku nui, e aku rahi, Te whaka-kanohi mai o rātou mā, Ru-ruku-tia i runga i te ngākau whakapono, Ru-ruku-tia i runga i te ngākau aroha, Waitaha, Ngāti Mamoe, Ngai Tahu, nāu rā te reo pohiri. Tena tātou katoa. Ki te kotahi te kakaho ka whati, ki te kapuia, e ...2 days ago
- Campaign shines a light on elder abuseA new campaign is shining a spotlight on elder abuse, and urging people to protect older New Zealanders. Launched on World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, the Office for Seniors’ campaign encourages friends, whānau and neighbours to look for the signs of abuse, which is often hidden in plain sight. “Research suggests ...2 days ago
- Farewelling sports administrator and philanthropist Sir Eion EdgarSport and Recreation Minister Grant Robertson today expressed his sorrow at the passing of Sir Eion Edgar – a leading sports administrator and celebrated philanthropist who has made a significant impact both within and beyond the sport sector. “Sir Eion’s energy, drive and generosity has been truly immense. He leaves ...3 days ago
- Government to apologise for Dawn RaidsThe Government will make a formal apology for the wrongs committed during the Dawn Raids of the 1970’s. Between 1974 and 1976, a series of rigorous immigration enforcement policies were carried out that resulted in targeted raids on the homes of Pacific families. The raids to find, convict and deport overstayers ...3 days ago
- Humanitarian support for Bangladesh and MyanmarForeign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta today announced that New Zealand is providing NZ $8.25 million in humanitarian assistance to support refugees and their host populations in Bangladesh and to support humanitarian need of internally displaced and conflict affected people in Myanmar. “Nearly four years after 900,000 Rohingya crossed the border ...3 days ago
- Poroporoaki: Dame Georgina Kamiria KirbyE Te Kōkō Tangiwai, Te Tuhi Mareikura, Te Kākākura Pokai kua riro i a matou. He toka tū moana ākinga ā tai, ākinga ā hau, ākinga ā ngaru tūātea. Haere atu rā ki te mūrau a te tini, ki te wenerau a te mano. E tae koe ki ngā rire ...3 days ago
- Feedback sought on future of housing and urban developmentNew Zealanders are encouraged to have their say on a long-term vision for housing and urban development to guide future work, the Housing Minister Megan Woods has announced. Consultation starts today on a Government Policy Statement on Housing and Urban Development (GPS-HUD), which will support the long-term direction of Aotearoa ...3 days ago
- Clean car package to drive down emissionsNew rebates for electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles start July 1 with up to $8,625 for new vehicles and $3,450 for used. Electric vehicle chargers now available every 75km along most state highways to give Kiwis confidence. Low Emission Transport Fund will have nearly four times the funding by 2023 ...4 days ago
- Progress towards simpler process for changing sex on birth certificatesThe Government is taking the next step to support transgender, non-binary and intersex New Zealanders, by progressing the Births, Deaths, Marriages and Relationships Registration Bill, Minister of Internal Affairs, Jan Tinetti announced today. “This Government understands that self-identification is a significant issue for transgender, non-binary and intersex New Zealanders, and ...4 days ago
- Crown speeds up engagement with takutai moana applicantsThe Crown is taking a new approach to takutai moana applications to give all applicants an opportunity to engage with the Crown and better support the Māori-Crown relationship, Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Minister Andrew Little says. Following discussions with applicant groups, the Crown has reviewed the existing takutai moana application ...5 days ago
- Alcohol and Other Drug Treatment (AODT) Court opensThe Minister of Justice, Kris Faafoi, and the Minister for Courts, Aupito William Sio, have welcomed the opening of a new Alcohol and Other Drug Treatment (AODT) Court in Hamilton. The AODT Court (Te Whare Whakapiki Wairua) addresses situations where substance abuse and offending are intertwined. “New Zealanders have told ...5 days ago
- EU and UK FTAs top of list for first ministerial trip since COVID-19Trade and Export Growth Minister Damien O’Connor today announced details of his planned visit to the United Kingdom and European Union next week, where he will hold trade and agriculture discussions to further New Zealand’s economic recovery from COVID-19. The visit will add political weight to ongoing negotiations with both the EU ...5 days ago
- Arihia Bennett to chair Royal Commission Ministerial Advisory GroupTe Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu chief executive Arihia Bennett MNZM has been appointed chair of the newly appointed Ministerial Advisory Group on the Government’s Response to the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the terrorist attack on Christchurch mosques. “Twenty-eight people from diverse backgrounds across Aotearoa have been selected for the ...5 days ago
- Speech to the New Zealand Medical Association General Practitioners' Conference, RotoruaKi ngā pou maha o te whare hauora o Aotearoa, kei te mihiTo the pillars of our health system I acknowledge/thank you Ki te ope hapai hauora o roto o tēnei rūma, kei te mihi To our health force here in the room today, I acknowledge/thank you He taura tangata, ...6 days ago
- Karangahape Road upgrades are streets aheadThe upgrades to Karangahape Road makes the iconic street more pedestrian and cycle-friendly, attractive and environmentally sustainable, Transport Minister Michael Wood and Auckland Mayor Phil Goff said at the formal celebration of the completion of the Karangahape Road Enhancements project. The project included widening footpaths supporting a better outdoor dining ...6 days ago
- Speech to APEC business eventE ngā tumu herenga waka, ākina ā ngaru, ākina ā tai ka whakatere ngā waka ki te whakapapa pounamu, otirā, ki Tamaki o ngā waka Tena koutou katoa… To the great leaders assembled, who guided your waka through turbulent times, challenging waters and you continue to navigate your respective waka ...7 days ago
- Pause on Quarantine Free Travel with Victoria extendedFollowing an assessment of the COVID-19 outbreak in greater Melbourne, New Zealand’s Quarantine Free Travel pause with Victoria will continue for a further seven days, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins says. There are now 93 cases associated with the outbreak in greater Melbourne, spread over four clusters. Contact tracing efforts ...1 week ago
- Supplier Diversity Aotearoa Summit: Navigate 2021*** Check with delivery *** A mihi to all who have contributed to making today a success – starting with you! As you have explored and navigated government procurement today you will hopefully have reflected on the journey of our people so far – and how you can make a ...1 week ago
- Pukemiro School to closePukemiro Primary School near Huntly will close following years of declining roll numbers, Education Minister Chris Hipkins announced today. “I’ve consulted with the School Commissioner, and this decision acknowledges the fact that the few remaining students from last term are now settled at other nearby schools. “I want to thank ...1 week ago
- Govt acts to protect NZers from harmful contentNew Zealanders will be better protected from harmful or illegal content as a result of work to design a modern, flexible and coherent regulatory framework, Minister of Internal Affairs Jan Tinetti announced today. New Zealand currently has a content regulatory system that is comprised of six different arrangements covering some ...1 week ago
- Consultation on exemption of new builds from proposed tax rulesThe Government has today confirmed new builds will be exempt from planned changes to the tax treatment of residential investment property. Public consultation is now open on details of the proposals, which stop interest deductions being claimed for residential investment properties other than new builds. “The Government’s goal is to ...1 week ago
- Speech for Predator Free 2050 ConferenceIntroduction E ngā mana E ngā reo E ngā iwi Tēnā koutou katoa Ka huri ki ngā mana whenua o te rohe nei. Tēnā koutou He mihi hoki ki a tatou kua tau mai nei i raro i te kaupapa o te rā Ko Ayesha Verrall toku ingoa No ...1 week ago
- New stock exchange to help grow small businessesA new share trading market, designed as a gateway to the NZX for small-to-medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), has been granted a licence by the Government. Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister, David Clark said Catalist Markets Ltd will provide a simpler and more affordable ‘stepping stone’ for SMEs to raise capital. “This ...1 week ago
- Visa extensions provide certainty to employers and 10,000 visa holdersChanges to onshore visas will provide employers and visa holders with more certainty, Immigration Minister Kris Faafoi has announced. Around 10,000 Working Holiday visas and Supplementary Seasonal Employment (SSE) work visas due to expire between 21 June 2021 and 31 December 2021 will be extended for another six months to ...1 week ago
- Fiji babies test positive for covid-19 as health officials report 121 new cases
By Siteri Sauvakacolo in Lautoka, Fiji Six infants who tested positive to covid-19 are in stable condition at Lautoka Hospital in the west of Fiji. Health Secretary Dr James Fong confirmed this to The Fiji Times this week. The infants and their mothers were from a community in lockdown in ...16 mins ago - A Niuean man’s story of Lake Alice: ‘The pain was so bad … [you feel] your body is off the bed...By Khalia Strong Hakeagapuletama Halo walks into the courtroom. He is a head taller than most, dressed in a crisp white shirt. He has a nervous smile and bright, eager eyes. Known as Hake to his family and friends, this is not the first time he has detailed the abuse ...16 mins ago
- Problem of racism towards Pasifika in climate change: ‘We want to be valued’SPECIAL REPORT: By Mariner Fagaiava-Muller, RNZ Pacific Journalist In New Zealand, youth climate change movement School Strike 4 Climate Auckland has declared itself as racist, and disbanded, but young activists say going silent is not the answer. The group had organised large protests in centres throughout the country, becoming the ...16 mins ago
- 50 years of the Polynesian Panthers: ‘It was a time of revolution’The Polynesian Panther Party will hold a three-day fonotaga commemoration event this weekend at the University of Auckland’s Fale Pasifika. Whakaako kia Whakaora – Educate to Liberate. Image: RNZ/Polynesian Panthers Dawn Raid apology The Panthers’ golden jubilee couldn’t be more forthcoming, given an announcement made this week of a ...16 mins ago
- Indigenous Papuan graduates praise Aotearoa – and their governorsBy Laurens Ikinia in Auckland Four fresh indigenous Papuan students have graduated with degrees from Aotearoa New Zealand universities in the past few weeks to fulfil the dreams of Papuan provincial government leaders Lukas Enembe and Dominggus Mandacan. The two governors of both Indonesian-Melanesian provinces, Enembe (Papua) province and Mandacan ...16 mins ago
- Elderly Pasifika man sobs as memories of Dawn Raids surface over apologyBy Barbara Dreaver, TVNZ News Pacific correspondent As the New Zealand government confirmed it would apologise for the 1970s Dawn Raids against Pacific Islanders, memories have surfaced for those traumatised by them, including one elderly man. The politically-driven crackdown on overstayers from the Pacific Islands involved special police squads raiding ...16 mins ago
- Councillor calls out racist comments
An email exchange over the Auckland harbour cycleway included one racist criticism too far for an Auckland councillor, who says she encounters it "all the time" An Auckland councillor fed up with racist comments from members of the public has posted one on her social media accounts to try to ...34 mins ago - Business is Boring: What Woop does differently with their food boxes
On this week’s episode of Business is Boring, Simon Pound talks to Thomas Dietz, founder and CEO of Woop, about breaking into the competitive food box market.Subscription food boxes have become big business in the last decade. In New Zealand, My Food Bag achieved huge revenue, attracted private equity money ...1 hour ago - Australia’s 2.5% minimum wage rise: there’s something in it for you, and the economySource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Buchanan, Professor, Discipline of Business Information Systems, University of Sydney Business School, University of Sydney Australia has a serious wage problem. Over the past decade wages for all but the top 20% of income earners have flat-lined. This is part ...1 hour ago
- Team NZ’s rejection of public funding offer means around $100m won’t be sunk into America’s Cu...
It’s full steam ahead for the economy, according to the latest GDP statistics and a Finance Minister who eagerly drew attention to the new data. Our farm industries, generally, are doing nicely, too, thank you, in spite of head winds which include a growing raft of government regulations. But prospects ...2 hours ago - Party people: Flamingo Pier on the places that inspire them to get downSome of New Zealand’s best party people have finally released a debut album. We asked Flamingo Pier about the places that inspired it.The lads from Flamingo Pier call themselves a “music collective”. Yeah, they do your normal band things – they have a couple of EPs, an upcoming tour, and ...3 hours ago
- Remembering New Zealand’s gossipiest newspaperGossip Week: Writer and former NZ Truth reporter Redmer Yska recounts a pivotal moment for New Zealand’s grubbiest paper – losing the right to report on divorce proceedings. All week, The Spinoff is taking a look at the role of gossip in Aotearoa’s past, present and future – read more Gossip ...3 hours ago
- An adventure every visit: From Skyworld’s glitzy launch to its bleak presentTwenty-one years ago, the Force Entertainment Centre was meant to be the crown jewel of Queen Street. What stands there now is the empty shell known as Skyworld, writes Sam Brooks.Two security guards stand sentinel over nothing. There are no stores, the toilets are closed, and even if they were ...3 hours ago
- Why a carbon price alone won’t be enough to drive down New Zealand’s emissionsSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Hall, Senior Lecturer in Social Sciences and Public Policy, Auckland University of Technology Kai Schwoerer/Getty Images With its emissions budgets, the Climate Change Commission’s final advice to the government charts a course towards a low-emissions economy. But its comprehensive ...3 hours ago
- PM Jacinda Ardern reveals Covid-19 vaccine plan for group 4
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has given details about the vaccine rollout plan for the general population who so far haven't been eligible - group 4. ...4 hours ago - How morale among our food producers is flagging in the face of Covid fatigue and Ardern’s regulato...
KPMG’s global head of agribusiness, Ian Proudfoot, reports morale in NZ’s farming industries has slumped over the past year, with industry leaders struggling under the pressure. “We could sense anger during our conversations, particularly in relation to the labour shortages the sector faces”. Proudfoot is the author of the KPMG “Agribusiness Agenda” ...5 hours ago - At last, health, aged care and quarantine workers get the right masks to protect against airborne co...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By C Raina MacIntyre, Professor of Global Biosecurity, NHMRC Principal Research Fellow, Head, Biosecurity Program, Kirby Institute, UNSW Shutterstock Almost a year ago, in July 2020, our calls for the government to urgently upgrade the guidelines to protect health workers from ...5 hours ago
- Watch live: PM Jacinda Ardern reveals Covid-19 vaccine plan for group 4Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is giving details about the vaccine rollout plan for the general population who so far haven't been eligible - group 4. ...5 hours ago
- Covid-19: NZ's quarantine-free travel pause with Victoria extended to 22 JuneNew Zealand's quarantine-free travel pause with Victoria has been extended by five days to 11.59pm on Tuesday 22 June. ...6 hours ago
- Millennials And Gen Z Pushing For Social Change And Accountability
Climate change and other societal issues remain top of mind for New Zealand’s millennials and Gen Zs. Across the world people have seen a year of intense uncertainty due to the COVID-19 pandemic, political instability, racial discord, and severe climate ...6 hours ago - NZ’s clean car discount is a turn in the right direction, but how much will it drive consumer dema...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Basil Sharp, Professor of Energy Economics, University of Auckland www.shutterstock.com New Zealand faces two enormous challenges if it is to meet its international climate change commitments under the Paris Agreement: biogenic methane emissions from agriculture, and carbon emissions from industry ...6 hours ago
- Ten places where you can still buy a house for under $300kTurns out there are still some places in New Zealand where you can buy a house for a relative pittance. But where are they?For many of us, $300,000 is a lot of money. In the context of New Zealand housing, however, such a number has become positively paltry. Try making ...6 hours ago
- SCHEDULED LIVE: Buchanan and Manning on G7 NATO EU Get Behind US for the Biden-Putin SummitA View from Afar: Selwyn Manning and Paul Buchanan present this week’s podcast, A View from Afar, where they will analyse how leaders of the G7, NATO and EU juxtapositioned behind the United States to form a consensus-pact immediately prior to the Biden-Putin Summit. United States President Joe Biden ...7 hours ago
- A New Board Brings Energy And Focus To The New Zealand Institute Of International AffairsFollowing a major change to its constitution and governance arrangements, the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs recently elected a new board to take it forwards. The Institute is an independent non-governmental organisation that encourages ...7 hours ago
- Singing the news: How our stories (and our gossip) were shared through waiataGossip Week: A chat with composer Tweedie Waititi about the days when our gossip and news was sung, and how our waiata have evolved.All week, The Spinoff is taking a look at the role of gossip in Aotearoa’s past, present and future – read more Gossip Week content here.“Mōteatea, that was ...7 hours ago
- Complaint That Officer Used Excessive Force During Arrest In WellingtonThe Independent Police Conduct Authority investigated a complaint that excessive force was used on a youth following his arrest in Wellington on 12 January 2020. The incident took place after a car appeared to evade an alcohol checkpoint. The ...8 hours ago
- Here’s hoping Damien O’Connor can strike a trade deal with the UK on terms similar to those secu...
We have had the chance to scan the new Australia-United Kingdom Free Trade agreement and – if Trade Minister Damien O’Connor can negotiate similar terms for us – the prospects look hearteningly good for NZ. Beef and sheep meat tariffs on Australian exports to the UK will be eliminated after ...8 hours ago - 2021 Ratepayers’ Report ReleasedThe New Zealand Taxpayers' Union has today published the 2021 edition of Ratepayers' Report – online local government league tables – at www.ratepayersreport.nz With these league tables, New Zealanders can easily compare their local council’s performance ...8 hours ago
- Perfectly TayiFaith Wilson responds to Rangikura, the much-anticipated second book of poetry by Tayi Tibble. I find myself on Facebook, as us older millennials so often do, on a stalking mission looking back through Tayi Tibble’s childhood photos. I’m midway through reading a poem in Tibble’s first book, Poūkahangatus, called ‘Ode to ...8 hours ago
- Dunne Speaks: Ministry Of Health Needs Better Day-to-day Leadership...9 hours ago
- This deep-sea creature is long-armed, bristling with teeth, and the sole survivor of 180 million yea...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim O’Hara, Senior Curator of Marine Invertebrates, Museums Victoria C. Harding/Museums Victoria, Author provided Let me introduce you to Ophiojura, a bizarre deep-sea animal found in 2011 by scientists from the French Natural History Museum, while trawling the summit of ...9 hours ago
- Resettling refugees in other countries is not working, nor is it fair. So, why is Australia doing it...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Claire Higgins, Senior Research Fellow, Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law, UNSW The federal government has scrambled in recent days to minimise the political fallout from its treatment of the Tamil family from Biloela. After almost two years stuck on Christmas Island, ...9 hours ago
- Which COVID vaccine is best? Here’s why that’s really hard to answerSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Wen Shi Lee, Postdoctoral researcher, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity from www.shutterstock.com With the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines accelerating, people are increasingly asking which vaccine is best? According to Google Trends, more and more people want to ...9 hours ago
- Bones and all: see how the diets of Tasmanian devils can wear down their sharp teeth to blunt nubbin...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tahlia Pollock, PhD candidate, Monash University Zoos Victoria, Author provided Tasmanian devils are expert scavengers, with strong jaws and robust teeth that give them the notorious ability to eat almost all of a carcass — bones and all. Scientists have ...9 hours ago
- More stress, unclear gains: are selective schools really worth it?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Melissa Tham, Research officer at the Centre for International Research on Education Systems, Victoria University Shutterstock Thousands of primary and secondary students in Sydney and Melbourne are preparing for selective entrance exams. If successful, students will gain entry into a ...9 hours ago
- Hidden women of history: Eliza Hamilton Dunlop — the Irish Australian poet who shone a light on co...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anna Johnston, Associate Professor of English Literature, The University of Queensland Portrait of Eliza Hamilton Dunlop (no date), colour photograph of oil painting Wollombi Endeavour Museum In this series, we look at under-acknowledged women through the ages. Eliza Hamilton Dunlop’s poem ...9 hours ago
- Meet the ‘unusual’ new CEO of Kiwi WealthRhiannon McKinnon wants to user her position as head of a Kiwisaver fund to help New Zealanders think about investing – including those groups traditionally excluded from the investment conversation. Kiwi Wealth’s new acting chief executive Rhiannon McKinnon is the first to admit her appointment was “unusual”. She is among ...10 hours ago
- Live updates, June 16: Several MIQ breaches revealed Welcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for June 16, bringing you the latest news updated throughout the day. Get in touch at thebulletin@thespinoff.co.nz7.35am: Several MIQ breaches revealedTwelve people attempted to break the rules of managed isolation in an Auckland hotel over the weekend, in three different groups.The NZ Herald’s Vaimoana ...10 hours ago
- The Bulletin: Damien O’Connor’s major trade missionGood morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Damien O’Connor’s major trade mission, in principle agreement made to give RBNZ debt serviceability tools, and big vaccine rollout announcement coming today.Trade minister Damien O’Connor is currently in the UK, seeking to make things happen on free trade agreements with ...10 hours ago
- Golden Mile businesses worry over impact of car ban
Fears 'Let's Get Wellington Moving' will cause retail and hospitality businesses to grind to a halt, writes Hamish Cardwell. Wellington retailers in the central shopping corridor are scared a plan to ban cars from the area will cause businesses to close or abandon the area. What is known as the ...11 hours ago - Discovery's plans for TV3 revealed
TV3’s owner has revealed its New Zealand strategy and it includes a new on-demand streaming service, more locally produced programmes, and a news gathering partnership in Dunedin. The plans were revealed by new chief Glen Kyne in an interview with Newsroom’s co-editor Mark Jennings. Glen Kyne has a lot he ...11 hours ago - What does ‘off the record’ actually mean?Gossip Week: The use of off the record conversations is a staple of journalism, but what does it actually involve? And can you trust journalists to keep their word? Alex Braae asks around.All week, The Spinoff is taking a look at the role of gossip in Aotearoa’s past, present and ...11 hours ago
- Book of the Week: Her body, her choice
Paddy Richardson reviews one of the best novels of 2021 Wellington writer Sue Orr's novel Loop Tracks is the story of the girls who went away. Down south, up north, across the island. A few of them came back. They were different; somehow awkward, less comfortable in their skin. They didn’t ...12 hours ago - Newsroom's daily sudoku, Thursday 17 June
...12 hours ago - Newsroom daily quiz, Thursday 17 June
Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions. ...12 hours ago - Charity for disabled deals behind closed doors
Critics of the the decision to shut down and sell a vital Auckland facility for the disabled want to know why there’s been so much cloak and dagger from the Trust responsible COMMENT: Straight answers haven’t been forthcoming from the board of the Laura Fergusson Trust. The charity, whose decision ...12 hours ago - Online hate poses unique challenges for Govt
The two-day hui in Christchurch on terrorism and violent extremism has highlighted the challenges that lie ahead for Government, tech companies and New Zealand society alike, writes Marc Daalder ANALYSIS: Police Commissioner Andrew Coster was surprised by the short, to-the-point question he received from a man in the front row ...12 hours ago - Paddle queen's Olympic build-up on a duck pond
Three-time world rafting champion and firefighter Anne Cairns will race in canoe sprint for Samoa at the Tokyo Olympics, after a build-up in a muddy Manawatū lagoon. In an international paddling career spanning more than 20 years, Anne Cairns is set to make her second Olympic appearance in Tokyo. And she’s done ...12 hours ago - Filmmaking 101: Do no harm
If we hope to portray true events on the big screen sensitively, we need to follow a model of filmmaking that does no harm to those whose stories we tell, writes Dr Davinia Thornley The planned film adaptation of the Christchurch mosque shootings has demonstrated the volatile impact of true ...12 hours ago - What would it take to make our climate truly safe?
The recent Climate Change Commission report falls well short of ensuring we reduce emissions to a safe level. Jack Santa Barbara has some advice on what we should be doing. Comments on the Climate Change Commission’s recent advice report have been mixed. The more ambitious targets have been welcomed, but also ...12 hours ago - Newsroom daily crossword, Thursday 17 June
...12 hours ago - Anne Salmond: Seize the day, before it's too late
Distinguished Professor Dame Anne Salmond reflects on some key questions she raised in an earlier Newsroom column over how Aotearoa New Zealand can design a new institutional order which takes account of the Treaty of Waitangi and whakapapa At the end of this column, Iwi vs Kiwi: Beyond the Binary, which Newsroom published on ...12 hours ago - ‘I shouldn’t have to protect myself’
At a breakfast meeting in Christchurch, public sector agencies are told some home truths. David Williams reports On the evening of March 15, 2019, Anjum Rahman, of the Islamic Women’s Council, revealed her group had warned authorities of a potential attack on Muslims. “We need to be taken seriously and ...12 hours ago - Will New Zealand have to one day let Covid-19 in?New Zealand’s success in executing a Covid-19 elimination strategy means it is one of an exclusive group of countries now at a fork in the road. That may not, however, be such a bad place to be, writes Laura Walters.As the world looks towards the Covid-19 endgame, the World Health ...13 hours ago
- A better way to give eye tests to kids
A Kiwi start-up has developed cunning eye test technology for pre-schoolers. Watch this space - and those grey dots. ...13 hours ago - Peter Dunne: 'They Are Us' becomes 'It's About Us'
Peter Dunne is suspicious of the timing of the apology to Pacific peoples over the Dawn Raids ...13 hours ago - The blurred lines around political donations
Our rules and regulations over political donations are fuzzy - and most of our politicians are getting tripped up by them. Is it time to make those laws more transparent? Two-thirds of the parties in Parliament since 2017 are facing charges from the Serious Fraud Office over their political donations. ...13 hours ago - APEC pushes for Covid-19 'green recovery' amid concern
NZ leads discussion on importance of building back better, amid concerns that message isn't being heard. ...13 hours ago - Greater tech uptake to meet Covid labour shortage in hotels
Covid and new restriction on migrant workers have fast-forwarded the need for automation in hospitality ...13 hours ago - Bryce Edwards: Cash for access to politicians continuesOpinion - News reports of questionable donations and fundraising have been building up over recent years, and this year it only seems to be escalating, Bryce Edwards writes. ...20 hours ago
- European Masterpieces from the Met demonstrates art’s power to speak to the human conditionSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alastair Blanshard, Paul Eliadis Chair of Classics and Ancient History, The University of Queensland Caravaggio (Michelangelo Merisi) Italy 1571–1610 The Musicians 1597 Oil on canvas 92.1 x 118.4cm Rogers Fund, 1952 / 52.81 Collection: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York The ...20 hours ago
- Five burning questions in the NZ v India battle for cricket’s biggest prizeFollowing a staggering seven-year turnaround in form, the Black Caps have arrived in Southampton to take on India for the World Test Championship final. Michael Appleton has been thinking about it a lot. These questions especially.The inaugural World Test Championship final starts on Friday. It will feature probably the best ...21 hours ago
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Promising, but bastard side-effects.
(FLASH – Sanofi offers anti-malaria Plaquenil to treat 300,000 patients.)
A renowned research professor in France has reported successful results from a new treatment for Covid-19, with early tests suggesting it can stop the virus from being contagious in just six days.
Professor Didier Raoult from infection hospital l'Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire (IHU) Méditerranée Infection in Marseille (Bouches-du-Rhône, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur), published a video explaining the trials on Monday March 16.
https://www.connexionfrance.com/French-news/French-researcher-in-Marseille-posts-successful-Covid-19-coronavirus-drug-trial-results
Looks like another quinine analog closely related to chloroquine that also may be a useful treatment.
Yet more reason to go back to self-medicating with gin and tonics. Lots of them. I wonder how high a blood alcohol concentration is needed for anti-viral effects?
Chloroquine (or hydroxychloroquine) plus an old HIV cocktail liponavir+ritonavir is looking very promising judging from information out of China and Queensland.
As they're all out of patent reasonably cheap as well – I wonder if the prices are set to go through the roof ?
I'll guess the quinine analogs would be easy and cheap to make – they've been used for malaria treatment for ages and poor countries would not be thrilled about paying profiteering western pharmaceutical prices for them. ISTR thinking I might have needed a top-up in Africa and checked out what was I could get locally and they were available for pennies in the dollar of what I paid in the US.
I've got no reckons for the anti-HIV drugs tho.
https://www.pharmac.govt.nz/wwwtrs/ScheduleOnline.php
HCQ is quite cheap the HIV drugs more expensive – although if effective in keeping people well and out of hospital I suspect they'll be considered cheap.
ISTR reading somewhere on the internets (so 100% totally true lol) that the required dose of quinine to be anti-malarial was something like 300 G&Ts. Per day.
But hell, worth a try.
Weren't there a bunch of people in Iran who self medicated with high amounts of alcohol and died?
Talking with some local business people today, by crikey simon has done some damage and it's only Wednesday.
True blue business people are saying that simon is an idiot and that they are happy with the governments Covid-19 plan.
P.S… that photo is awesome.
good to hear that. Would be a bad sign if he wasn't losing support over this.
Belated St Paddy's day concert for any Dropkick fans.
(starts @ 13.00)
tl;dr -we're in for a rough AF ride
https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1239975682643357696.html
didn't read the report, but reading the twitter thread, one thing not mentioned is that flattening the curve in the last scenario allows time to build more hospital gear and train people.
The flaw in that of course is the fuckwits in charge of the federal government. That the states have the ability to act autonomously may mitigate some of the damage.
People finding a suitable place to self-isolate. Government could help by getting this sorted. If they can get home.
And minister of foreign affairs, Winston Peters, says at least 80,000 New Zealanders are overseas and not all of them will get home before flights grind to a halt.
and
A New Zealander returning from Australia because of Covid-19 says she's struggling to find a suitable place to self-isolate for 14 days. Holly Girven Russell is set to fly home on Monday, after she quit her job and booked flights late last week.
The Government has since urged all New Zealanders traveling overseas to return.
Girven Russell says she'll be looking for work when she arrives, but her biggest concern is finding a safe place to go into quarantine.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/covid-19/412008/coronavirus-live-covid-19-updates-in-new-zealand-and-around-the-world
She did say though that she could self isolate at her parents’ house but didn’t want to do that as her grandparents visited often. Perhaps they could be persuaded to stay away for the quarantine period?
NZ isn't short of empty houses and there will be lots of empty motels/hotels soon too. Looks more like a logistical issue to me, that will get sorted out better as we adapt.
Covid-19 and flu in NZ.
What you can do to help
While the Ministry of Health looks at other strategies for early detection of Covid-19, there is one we can all help with right now. We need every household in New Zealand to sign up to the FluTracking project. Each week you’ll be sent an email asking if anyone in your house has had a fever or cough. This information is being used as an early warning system for Covid-19.
So, in summary. If all you know about testing for infectious diseases is stuff you’ve been reading on the internet, then stop tweeting your reckons and firing off your hot takes. Sign up to FluTracking. Wash your hands. Stay at home if you start to develop any symptoms. If you’re unsure what those symptoms are, we’ve got you covered. Check out Spinoff cartoonist Toby Morris’s handy guide.
By Siouxsie Wiles • 18/03/2020
https://sciblogs.co.nz/infectious-thoughts/2020/03/18/how-testing-for-covid-19-works/
Unfortunately the privacy policy suggests that data sent to the site is governed by australian law
Yep. If they want to get most people signed up they're going to have to do better than hey go sign up.
We are approaching an election that is flavoured with many to and fro forces.
If I vote Green am I turning NZ into an Amsterdam cafe? If I vote Winston, will I be one of 4% and wasting my vote? We've got lots of forces playing on our decision this next election and I think we should be approaching it with the Convid thing pretty much put to bed.
Every other bloody thing has been put on ice, I think we should push a tiny bit of legislation through the house, shelve the election and get on with the major priority. I think such a bold move is a vote winner and just plain sensible. Lets address the elephant in the room before we decide who's the next boss.
hard to tell what's going to happen but I'd be surprised if covid is over for NZ before the election.
If National was in government would you want an election postponed?
..but I'd be surprised if covid is over for NZ before the election.
So would I. If you look at the history of epidemics and pandemics, you'll usually see waves of the disease passing through with weeks or months between.
The most obvious one was the 1918/19 pandemics which had about 4-5 waves in NZ. The pauses between the waves are from the infection transmission time and time to symptoms becoming apparent. Auckland got hit hard in terms of cases on the second wave. Wellington and much of the rest of the country on the 3rd wave after spread from Auckland.
In the case of C-19, the long non-symptomatic period (at least 7 days compared to the 2 days of 1918) will effectively spread the waves out.
Of course the comms and plans are somewhat more sophisticated this time around.
BTW: This was a pretty good read on it
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/coronavirus/120354661/pathetically-understaffed-and-hopelessly-complacent-lessons-from-black-november
Any attempt to do that is likely to get NAct pushback for forming a government of "national unity" in other words including NAct politicians in the cabinet.
I don't think voting green ( or for decrimalising weed) is going to give us too much Amsterdam. I hate to think how much money has been spent by the cops, courts & prisons on this over the years.
If we had given just a fraction of the funds to the health system we would all by now have been advised many times that it (what follows is not strictly accurate) "makes you fat, gives you wrinkles, teeth and eyeballs turn yellow and fall out all the fun things in life don't work etc etc". until we had all submitted. Nobody would be touching the stuff.
David that is a good thought for sensible action. I second it and I bet a lot would multiple tick it. How do we get that over to the PTB? Could you write direct to the PM and suggest it. She will be surrounded by thoughts and ideas from the incumbents and might welcome some fresh ideas like a breeze from an open window. ' j.ardern @ parliament.govt.nz' corrected, will register a confirmation it has been received. After that, who knows.
All those demanding total testing (including that dickhead leading the National Party) may wish to consider the following…NZ has the capacity to undertake (at best) 1000 covid tests per day (multiple tests are often required to confirm)…at that rate for every NZer (not including tourists) it would take over 13 years to process
.
You do the maximum you're capable of processing.
You don't limit to travel-related cases.
You don't piss around with this virus.
So do these tests consume any specialised chemicals or materials that have limited stocks given that every country in the world will be wanting to test as many people as possible?
and crucial parts of the materials or gear aren't in NZ but have to come from somewhere else. Who is making the decisions about which countries get what?
Aren't they testing contacts of people with confirmed covid?
Here's a write up about tests and availability in a NZ context.
https://thespinoff.co.nz/science/18-03-2020/siouxsie-wiles-how-testing-for-covid-19-works/
fuck
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/coronavirus/120393001/coronavirus-samoas-first-suspected-case-arrived-on-a-flight-from-auckland
With bells on. Shitsake.
what's going on with people being sick for a few days before they do anything. Are we still assuming it's just a cold until it's not? I guess he might of self-isolated for that time, but probably not.
Maybe they're not big media consumers.
I'm intrigued that the Aussies are processing the test in "10-20 days" when the aussie who came to wellington got his results in like a day. Seems odd, but maybe the testing shit has hit the fan over the ditch.
The Faroe Islands have tested 933 people, around 2% of island's population, with 58 testing positive. None of the 58 are in serious condition.
https://corona.fo/?_l=en
BTW I saw somewhere earlier that the first flu vaccinations are likely to be available this week. First tranche to healthworkers, compromised and over 65's?
Perhaps anybody here who might be eligible could follow up – and get vaccinated if applicable.
Already been rung by our doctor's office and invited to the first vaccination. Their initiative!
The wealthy are the problem.
https://www.npr.org/2020/03/15/815828858/coronavirus-and-the-rich-beaubien
What is wrong with the guy? ScoMo on schools stating that the virus affects young differently (maybe that was an earlier mutation?…not true now). Even if that were true it assumes young people won't spread it to their family when they get home.
https://www.news.com.au/national/scott-morrison-schools-should-remain-open/news-story/98825afacacafcd126aca1f0d8c0760b