Daily review 25/06/2020
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5:30 pm, June 25th, 2020 - 45 comments
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The Electricity Authority has proposed forcing the big four gentailers to offer the same hedging contracts and prices for wholesale electricity to their smaller competitors as they offer their own retailing arms internally. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things that stood out to me ...16 hours ago - What Can We Do Again?
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The great problem you’re facing this month is very often not the one you’ll be worrying about a year from now.I find this notion reassuring. I lean upon it. But lately, given what the hell has been going on in the world, not so much.Perversely yesterday’s White House spectacle reinstated ...23 hours ago - Fact brief – Are high CO2 levels harmless because they also occurred in the past?
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It must be bad idea week at the Beehive. Yesterday, they were promoting vigilantism - a policy hated by everybody except the very worst people in the world. And today, they've announced that they're going to proceed with ACT's weird four-year-term bill, which would make the length of the parliamentary ...4 days ago - Thursday 27 February
Fleur Fitzsimons has been appointed as the new National Secretary of the PSA. The Government has confirmed it will amend the Crimes Act to give all citizens greater ability to arrest or detain thieves stealing from retail stories amid an increase in retail crime – the move is opposed by ...4 days ago
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Seymour has broken the first rule of modern focus-group and poll-driven politics: never alienate the soccer and netball ‘moms’. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things that stood out to me in our political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Thursday, February 26:A crescendo ...4 days ago - Been Caught Stealing?
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Stay where you areYou're not going, just leavingI will sit around, let everybody talkAnd they will say what they knowThey will end up believingI will sit around, let everybody talkAndrew by Fur Patrol.Subscribe to Nick's Kōrero and save 20%Around lunchtime yesterday, I started seeing notifications about Andrew Bayly’s resignation. To ...6 days ago - The Rot of NZ’s Biggest Churches
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7 days ago - NZ’s Coalition Government flings doors WIDE open for rich foreigners
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7 days ago - National’s Urbanist Minister
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The Government’s levies announcement is a step in the right direction, but they must be upfront about who will pay its new infrastructure levies and ensure that first-home buyers are protected from hidden costs. ...3 days ago - The week in review
New Zealand First continues to bring balance, experience, and commonsense to Government. This week we've made progress on many of our promises to New Zealand. Winston representing New Zealand Winston Peters is overseas this week, with stops across the Middle East and North Asia. Winston's stops include Saudi Arabia, the ...4 days ago - Release: Govt abandons retailers with citizen’s arrests
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Green Party Co-Leaders Marama Davidson and Chlöe Swarbrick have announced the party’s plans to deliver a Green Budget this year to offer an alternative vision to the Government’s trickle-down economics and austerity politics. ...5 days ago - State of the Planet speeches, 2025
At this year's State of the Planet address, Green Party co-leaders Marama Davidson and Chlöe Swarbrick announced the party’s plans to deliver a Green Budget this year to offer an alternative vision to the Government’s trickle-down economics and austerity politics. ...5 days ago
- Release: Millions spent to rehash bad ideas on retail crime
The Government has spent $3.6 million dollars on a retail crime advisory group, including paying its chair $920 a day, to come up with ideas already dismissed as dangerous by police. ...6 days ago
- Greens stand in solidarity with mana whenua of Lake Rotokākahi
The Green Party supports the peaceful occupation at Lake Rotokākahi and are calling for the controversial sewerage project on the lake to be stopped until the Environment Court has made a decision. ...6 days ago
- Report highlights urgent need for “life-changing” free dental care
ActionStation’s Oral Healthcare report, released today, paints a dire picture of unmet need and inequality across the country, highlighting the urgency of free dental care for all New Zealanders. ...6 days ago
- Release: Overhaul of Overseas Investment Act a Fire Sale of Kiwi Assets
The Government’s reckless overhaul of the Overseas Investment Act is a fast track for foreign investment at the expense of Kiwi interests. ...7 days ago
- MP Views: The Golden Age, The Red Band Cavalry, Fluoride, and Social Media
The Golden Age There has been long-standing recognition that New Zealand First has an unrivalled reputation for delivering for our older New Zealanders. This remains true, and is reflected in our coalition agreement. While we know there is much that we can and will do in this space, it is ...1 week ago
- Release: Call for Destiny Church to lose charity status
Labour Te Atatū MP Phil Twyford has written to the charities regulator asking that Destiny Church charities be struck off in the wake of last weekend’s violence by Destiny followers in his electorate. ...1 week ago
- Release: Two Labour members’ bills drawn from ballot
Bills by Labour MPs to remove rules around sale of alcohol on public holidays, and for Crown entities to adopt Māori names have been drawn from the Members’ Bill Ballot. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Govt losing police faster than it can hire them
The Government is falling even further behind its promised target of 500 new police officers, now with 72 fewer police officers than when National took office. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Child poverty reduction must remain a priority
The latest child poverty statistics show child poverty reduction must remain a priority for the Government. ...2 weeks ago
- Static child poverty stats highlight need for urgent action
This morning’s Stats NZ child poverty statistics should act as a wake-up call for the government: with no movement in child poverty rates since June 2023, it’s time to make the wellbeing of our tamariki a political priority. ...2 weeks ago
- Right to Repair Bill passes significant step
Green Party Co-Leader Marama Davidson’s Consumer Guarantees Right to Repair Amendment Bill has passed its first reading in Parliament this evening. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Rate cuts highlight Willis’ economic blunders
Today’s Official Cash Rate cut is good news for borrowers, but also a symptom of rising unemployment and an economy in recession. ...2 weeks ago
- NZers didn’t need this much pain to reduce OCR
Today’s OCR cut will fail to soothe the long-term pain Christopher Luxon’s Government is inflicting upon our communities. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: ACT taps out of Treaty Principles Bill submission process
“The ACT Party can’t be bothered putting an MP on one of the Justice subcommittees hearing submissions on their own Treaty Principles Bill,” Labour Justice Spokesperson Duncan Webb said. ...2 weeks ago
- Govt funding for biodiversity an embarrassment
The Government’s newly announced funding for biodiversity and tourism of $30-million over three years is a small fraction of what is required for conservation in this country. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: University cuts on the cards under National
The Government's sudden cancellation of the tertiary education funding increase is a reckless move that risks widespread job losses and service reductions across New Zealand's universities. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Transparency needed on boot camps
The Government is stonewalling requests for information about its boot camps experiment, while pushing ahead with a Bill to enshrine them into law. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Disabled people languishing in psych wards due to Govt cuts
National’s cuts to disability support funding and freezing of new residential placements has resulted in significant mental health decline for intellectually disabled people. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Nicola Willis tone deaf as 230 jobs lost
Nicola Willis thought it was the perfect time to celebrate today, while 230 people lost their jobs. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Students misled on halal school lunches
It’s been revealed that Muslim students have been misled on the Government’s school lunches, which were claimed to be halal. ...2 weeks ago
- Job losses from Kinleith Mill closure devastating
The hundreds of jobs lost needlessly as a result of the Kinleith Mill paper production closure will have a devastating impact on the Tokoroa community - something that could have easily been avoided. ...2 weeks ago
- Mariameno Kapa-Kingi Enters Members Bill to Establish Mokopuna Māori Authority
Today Te Pāti Māori MP for Te Tai Tokerau, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi, released her members bill that will see the return of tamariki and mokopuna Māori from state care back to te iwi Māori. This bill will establish an independent authority that asserts and protects the rights promised in He Whakaputanga ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Bloodbath continues for health leadership
The Government continues to tear apart New Zealand’s health leadership, sacking or forcing the resignation of our top medical experts. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Paper mill closure adds to growing job losses
The Government has no plan to support workers as 230 more jobs are lost today with the closure of the Kinleith paper mill. ...2 weeks ago
- Democracy Matters
The Whangarei District Council being forced to fluoridate their local water supply is facing a despotic Soviet-era disgrace. This is not a matter of being pro-fluoride or anti-fluoride. It is a matter of what New Zealanders see and value as democracy in our country. Individual democratically elected Councillors are not ...3 weeks ago
- Release: Willis’ supermarket announcement all talk, no plan
Nicola Willis’ latest supermarket announcement is painfully weak with no new ideas, no real plan, and no relief for Kiwis struggling with rising grocery costs. ...3 weeks ago
- Release: Homelessness growing under National
Housing is going in the wrong direction under National, despite promises to build more houses and reduce the social housing waitlist. ...3 weeks ago
- Release: More Kiwis are hungry, homeless and out of work
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Interesting that Muller is “campaigning” in Tukituki today. With a majority of about 2.5k it’s a seat that could change hands if National’s vote is on the slide.
Polls showing good recovery for National. ACT is also on the rise. It has over taken NZ First as the fourth biggest party. We've only just started the election campaign as well.
For all those here who called the premature death of the ACT party you might want to start looking for something to wipe egg off of faces…
I don't know who predicted that but it would be silly. Bridges and Muller have given Seymour the chance to pick up Nat voters, it's no surprise that he has.
More surprising that NZF haven't picked some up, since Winston has been posing as internal opposition.
going to get close to 5% I think
When it gets to 5% rimmer gets to be head of a real party, presuming the caucus does not choose his replacement.
I expect most people have forgotten the last time ACT had a caucus. They were the best soap opera in town.
Roy challenged Hide, Franks annoyed everyone, Garrett had the most insane resignation story ever, whatsername from Dunedn came in, and then there was Brash and Banks and … people died of popcorn overdose.
Observer …..ha ha ha re the accurate description of the ACT party….. I have really enjoyed the range of comments you have made of late
You forgot Rodney dropping his dance partner and Brash walking the plank. First class comedy.
I haven't read many, if any, suggestions of ACT's demise recently, you might be mistaken by all the Right-Wing attacks that NZ1 will die (may or may not happen) so I feel you are making stuff up, are you proud to be a disseminator of Alternative Facts. Such a pathetic attack on commentators here.
Commentators say lots of different things. It's not a borg.
Observer …..ha ha ha re the accurate description of the ACT party….. I have really enjoyed the range of comments you have made of late
Gosman an thinks a party scoring. 3% is a success…….ha ha ha ha
This headline on stuff is harsh. Should we be asking for a more rational, kinder approach while we are feeling raw from events?
Jun.25/20 8.24 https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/coronavirus/300041875/david-clark-throws-ashley-bloomfield-under-the-bus-while-bloomfield-looks-on
https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/health/coronavirus/300041875/david-clark-throws-ashley-bloomfield-under-the-bus-while-bloomfield-looks-on
Look carefully at the photo; Bloomfield is watching the media, unable to believe the garbage he's hearing and also realising how Labour politicians must feel when they are being attacked in partnership by National and the media. He'll be grateful to be a civil servant and not the Minister of Health.
I like SPC's comment on stuff and his one at 5.2 below:
XXXXXXX
SPC
"We went from no testing before release to a new regime requiring testing before release from June 9.
So local officials determined that to mean it applied only to those who arrived from June 9, not to those who arrived earlier but who were still in managed isolation. So for a week or so people were still leaving without a test. Some scandal.
The risk of community spread from that 1000 who did complete their 2 weeks, is no greater than the many thousands who have gone in and out of the 2 week quarantine in past months. And we went weeks then and still are without any community transmission.
How Muller can go from there is no spread go to level 1 now now now, to believing there is commmunity spread – given the same situation for one extra week … well it reminds me of the commentators on the Muppets. "
XXXXXXX
Any COVID found in the North Island I will blame on Michael Woodhouse and Todd Muller for the deliberate hiding of 2 women's real travel information to attack the Health Minister with in Q Time.
I was wrong about NZF but the rest was not hard to predict:
https://thestandard.org.nz/daily-review-24-06-2020/#comment-1722385
The Greens have impressively loyal support. Very few headlines lately, but the core remains. A Labour-Green majority is the most likely outcome, as it has been for much of this term (with Northland the wild card).
Muller will be pleased, he's done the job he was put there for. The hard part is yet to come.
I hope you are right, but Peters is a master at election spikes.
As was predicted by TS commenters, the media are over-egging the gains made by National in the latest poll:
https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/300042555/national-makes-enormous-recovery-in-new-poll
"Massive" is the word some are using.
It should be remembered that relative to Reid Research and UMR , CB polls have historically favoured the Right. That is, National and ACT.
Tomorrows headlines "Labour plummets!".
“Muller snatches victory from the jaws of defeat to unlosable position for winning Opposition!”.
And Coughlan goes with the narrative being parroted by the Herald and Newshub. Not an original amongst them.
The plain fact is, Bloomfield had already accepted responsibility, all by himself as head of the operational side of the partnership.
MSM, trying to pose as a cut above social media, when they often play herd spin to manipulate the public.
RNZ seem pretty keen to push the blame theme, not sure what's in it for them.
True, this afternoon RNZ used an ex-National employee (they did say so..) some Ben Jones guy, I think. But Jesse M then introduced him as somebody who should have a good grasp on the topic, and let him utter an entire National Party Propaganda piece on how horrible Clark had been to Bloomfield.
No attempt at balance – thanked him at the end, and moved on to another topic.
If I am not called in to work tomorrow, I think I will send him a complaint. It is utterly unbalanced presentation.
Ben Thomas Jones is a former National Partyy press officer
There's a post up now. Can you repeat the above? Too good to just left here.
Jun.25/20
Bayer bought out Monsanto or took it over. They are now paying out $10+ billion compensation. They must be expecting to make squids from somewhere. Where, what, why, how, when? Curious minds would like to know.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/world/419847/bayer-to-pay-10-point-9-billion-to-settle-weedkiller-cases
ACT on 4% is good news for most of us in here I would have thought. The votes behind their rise in the polls are coming from National anyway so no gain for the centre-right. Plus it puts an end to the free seat National has benefited from since Seymour won Epsom. And you’d have to think having ACT resurgent on their right flank would embolden the right wing lunatics in National which means more space for Ardern and Labour in the centre.
Not really, ACT has generally got enough party list votes for 1 seat.
It's real purpose to National is as a repository of right wing policies they keep at arms length – but get to chose which ones to adopt as part of a coalition deal. Charter schools etc/term limit welfare was rumoured to be the one after 2017. Maybe it will be the all in one faith based provider with term limt welfare that the US has – red cap and all).
“And you’d have to think having ACT resurgent on their right flank would embolden the right wing lunatics in National which means more space for Ardern and Labour in the centre.”
With the referenda coming up some socially conservative Labour voters may move too.
We are gonna hear a bit about euthanasia and pot during this campaign.
Cant qwite put my finger on why some folk are against de-funding police.
//
https://twitter.com/EricKleefeld/status/1275795677939982337
WILMINGTON — “We are just gonna go out and start slaughtering them fu—– ni—–. I can’t wait. God, I can’t wait.
These are the words of a now-former Wilmington Police Department officer Kevin Piner.
[…]
‘A civil war is coming’
The second of the two conversations that day happened after Piner received a phone call from Moore.
According to the summary, “Moore began telling Piner about an arrest he had made at work the day before. During that conversation, Moore refers to the female as a ‘negro’ and a ‘ni—-‘ on multiple occasions.”
He also referred to a magistrate judge, who is also black, as a ‘fucking negro magistrate.’
“At one point, Moore states, ‘she needed a bullet in her head right then and move on. Let’s move the body out of the way and keep going.’ Piner responds, ‘That’s what I have been trying to tell you,'” according to the documents.
After more derogatory comments about the arrestee and the magistrate, the conversation takes an even bleaker turn, as the two officers discuss an upcoming ‘civil war.’
“Piner tells Moore later in the conversation that he feels a civil war is coming and he is ‘ready.’ Piner advised he is going to buy a new assault rifle in the next couple of weeks. A short time later Officer Piner began to discuss society being close to ‘martial law’ and soon ‘we are just gonna go out and start slaughtering them fucking ni—–. I can’t wait. God, I can’t wait.’ Moore responded that he would not do that. Piner stated, ‘I am ready.'” according to the summary.
https://portcitydaily.com/local-news/2020/06/24/fired-wilmington-cop-we-are-just-going-to-go-out-and-start-slaughtering-them-f-ni-i-cant-wait-god-i-cant-wait-free-read/
Have you heard anything else about the spate of black men dying by hanging? I've looked thru Google and have only found reference to three events.
I seem to recall there were upwards of half a dozen of them.
https://twitter.com/TheWhiteHorseLC/status/1275904281565114373?s=20
The Brits need some Vitamin D to get their immune system strength up – they will have the virus for some time.
The older locals should be on Vitamin D supplements for the winter (oldies don't get as much from sun on the skin in summer as younger ones do)
UC Berkeley's newsstand displays the front pages of international newspapers.
http://archive.li/XmDsR/c072e2f89dfba779c87a4469940d65651e265d77.jpg
https://twitter.com/RonaldKlain/status/1275966574869073920
https://twitter.com/sarahcpr/status/1270157187957116930
Update on my post from yesterday regarding me having not been tested during or after leaving mandatory isolation.
Today I called the Covid 19 hot line to say I was never tested and was never contacted by MoH. The guy tried to argue with me that I had to have been contacted all ready. I assured him I had not been and confirmed all the details I had given them at the time of me leaving the hotel.
I am being tested tomorrow. I have no answer as to why or how I slipped through the cracks
John, thanks for the update – good news that you're being tested.
Isn't it great John that there is a testing regime in NZ associated with quarantine. You will feel reassured if yours comes out negative. Most countries just quarantine for 14 days and then get an all clear without testing.
Ok John, well you have done the right thing. Good luck with the text and put your feet up being glad to that you are home.
Re the smoking room. In all the reading I have done, unless someone coughs over you with the virus, up to fifteen minutes in close contact with them is o.k.
It was just really strange that I had to enter the elevator alone to get to the smoking area but the smoking area was the size of two elevators but allowed up to 4 people in there. The rules were pretty patchwork. I tried smoking out the front where people took their walks and was easy to distance from others but they insisted I used the smoking area. Sometimes I would wait until after 10pm because they closed the smoking area at 10pm and you had to use the outside exercise area if you wanted to smoke.
A very weird situation.
a very weird, and new, unprecedented situation. Good on you John.
You should have smoked in your room, they would not have known – getting rid of the butts when going out for a walk.
Smoking indoors when alone is no threat to anyone, whereas getting the virus in a smoking room might well be.
Sure you will be fine. The testing is recent. But you could have found the contact details online earlier if you thought you had been missed.
I don’t really follow the news. It was my friend who brought it up to me a couple days ago that tipped me off that I should have been tested. I did everything I was told in isolation so thought I was fine
Odd comment