Daily review 28/09/2020
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5:30 pm, September 28th, 2020 - 114 comments
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This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day.
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- Warmer Kiwi Homes smashes annual targetThe Government's highly successful insulation and heating programme, Warmer Kiwi Homes, is celebrating a key milestone with the completion of more than 38,000 insulation and efficient heater installs in the year to the end of June, smashing its target of 25,000 installs for the year. “The Warmer Kiwi Homes scheme ...5 days ago
- Exemption granted for Wallabies to enter NZBledisloe Cup rugby will be played in New Zealand after the Australian rugby team received an economic exemption to enter New Zealand. Travel between Australia and New Zealand was suspended on Friday for at least eight weeks following the worsening of the COVID outbreak across the Tasman. New Zealanders have ...5 days ago
- Minister of Foreign Affairs makes three diplomatic appointmentsForeign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta today announced three New Zealand Head of Mission appointments. They are: Mike Walsh as Ambassador to Iran Michael Upton as Ambassador to Ethiopia and the African Union Kevin Burnett as Ambassador to Indonesia Iran “Aotearoa New Zealand has a long-standing and constructive relationship with Iran, despite a ...5 days ago
- Enhanced Task Force Green Approved for West Coast and MarlboroughThe Government has activated Enhanced Task Force Green (ETFG) in response to the West Coast and Marlborough floods, Social Development and Employment Minister Carmel Sepuloni announced today. “To assist with the clean-up, up to $500,000 will be made available to support the recovery in Buller and Marlborough which has experienced ...5 days ago
- Govt support for upgrade of Eden Park players facilitiesMinister for Sport and Recreation Hon Grant Robertson has announced funding to upgrade the players facilities at Eden Park ahead of upcoming Women’s World Cup events. Eden Park is a confirmed venue for the Rugby World Cup 2021, the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2022, and a proposed venue for matches of ...5 days ago
- More jobs and quicker public transport motoring towards West AucklandWork to improve public transport for West Aucklanders and support the region’s economic recovery by creating hundreds of jobs has officially kicked off, Transport Minister Michael Wood announced today. Michael Wood and Auckland Mayor Phil Goff this morning marked the start of construction on the Northwestern Bus Improvements project. It ...5 days ago
- Government backs critical health researchResearch into some of New Zealanders’ biggest health concerns including cancer, diabetes, and heart disease is getting crucial support in the latest round of health research funding, Health Minister Andrew Little announced today. The funding, awarded through the Health Research Council of New Zealand, covers 31 General Project grants ($36.64 ...5 days ago
- New Bay of Islands hospital facilities to bring services closer to homePrime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Health Minister Andrew Little have joined a ceremony to bless the site and workers for Phase Two of the redevelopment of the Bay of Islands Hospital in Kawakawa today. The new building will house outpatients and primary care facilities, as well as expanded renal care ...6 days ago
- Raukokore re-imagined with ‘smart’ relocatable rent to own housingIwi, Crown Partnership Relocatable, fully insulated housing, connected to a new solar plant Provides a pathway to home ownership New housing in the remote eastern Bay of Plenty community of Raukokore shows how iwi and Crown agencies can work together effectively to provide warm, dry, energy efficient homes in a ...6 days ago
- Cabinet accepts Turkish authorities’ request for the managed return of three NZ citizensCabinet has agreed to the managed return of a New Zealand citizen and her two young children from Turkey, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced today. The three have been in immigration detention in Turkey since crossing the border from Syria earlier this year. Turkey has requested that New Zealand repatriate ...6 days ago
- Govt delivers more classrooms so children can focus on learningExtra Government investment in classrooms and school building projects will enable students and teachers to focus on education rather than overcrowding as school rolls grow across the country, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Associate Education Minister Kelvin Davis say. The pair visited Ruakākā School in Whangārei today to announce $100 ...6 days ago
- New station a platform for AirportLink to take offEvery Aucklander with access to the rail network will now have a quick and convenient trip to the airport, Transport Minister Michael Wood and Auckland Mayor Phil Goff said during the official opening of the new Puhinui Interchange today. The new interchange links the rail platform with a new bus ...1 week ago
- 10 days sick leave for employees deliveredLegislation doubling employees’ minimum sick leave entitlement to 10 days comes into effect today, bringing benefits to both businesses and employees, Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Michael Wood announced today. “Our Government is delivering on a key manifesto commitment to help Kiwis and workplaces stay healthy,” Michael Wood said. “COVID-19 ...1 week ago
- Prime Minister congratulates Fiame Naomi Mata’afa on Election WinPrime Minister Jacinda Ardern tonight congratulated Prime Minister-elect Fiame Naomi Mata’afa on her victory in the Samoa’s general election. “New Zealand has a special relationship with Samoa, anchored in the Treaty of Friendship. We look forward to working with Samoa’s new government in the spirit of partnership that characterises this ...1 week ago
- Quarantine Free Travel with Australia suspendedQuarantine Free Travel from all Australian states and territories to New Zealand is being suspended as the Covid situation there worsens, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins announced today. From 11.59pm today Australians will no longer be able to enter New Zealand quarantine-free. This will be ...1 week ago
- Growing conservation efforts in GisborneA big injection of Jobs for Nature funding will create much-needed jobs and financial security for families in TeTairāwhiti, and has exciting prospects for conservation in the region, Conservation Minister Kiri Allan says. “The projects target local communities most affected by the economic consequences of COVID 19 and are designed ...1 week ago
- Flood recovery given further assistanceThe Government is contributing a further $1 million to help the flood battered Buller community, Acting Emergency Management Minister Kris Faafoi announced today. “Buller is a small community which has found itself suddenly facing significant and ongoing welfare costs. While many emergency welfare costs are reimbursed by Government, this money ...1 week ago
- Funding for five projects to reduce food wasteThe Government is funding five projects to help address the growing problem of food waste, Environment Minister David Parker announced today. “New Zealand households throw away nearly 300,000 tonnes of food every year, half of which could still be eaten. By supporting these initiatives, we’re taking steps to reduce this ...1 week ago
- Temporary Accommodation Service activated for West Coast flooding eventThe Temporary Accommodation Service (TAS) has been activated today - meaning residents on the West Coast of the South Island and in the Marlborough region hit by flooding over the weekend can now access help finding temporary accommodation, announced Associate Minister of Housing (Public Housing) Poto Williams in Westport today. ...2 weeks ago
- Pause to Quarantine Free Travel from South Australia to New ZealandQuarantine Free Travel from South Australia to New Zealand will be paused from 11.59am (NZT) tonight, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins has announced. However, people currently in the state who ordinarily live in New Zealand will be able to return on “managed return” flights starting with the next available flight, ...2 weeks ago
- New Zealand condemns malicious cyber activity by Chinese state-sponsored actorsNew Zealand has established links between Chinese state-sponsored actors known as Advanced Persistent Threat 40 (APT40) and malicious cyber activity in New Zealand. “The GCSB has worked through a robust technical attribution process in relation to this activity. New Zealand is today joining other countries in strongly condemning this malicious ...2 weeks ago
- PNG byelection officers protest over unpaid work – told ‘wait, no funds’
By Clifford Faiparik in Port Moresby Angry policemen, election officials and others involved in Papua New Guinea’s Moresby North-West byelection last month stormed into the Electoral Commission (PNGEC) headquarters this week demanding to be paid what they are owed. They have been waiting since June 24 to be paid wages, ...2 hours ago - Meet the contestants of Celebrity Treasure Island 2021
Celebrity Treasure Island is back and bigger than ever, with a fresh group of New Zealand stars ready to raise money for charity. Gird your loins for a new season of the reality series with it all: sea, sand, and 21 celebrities ready to catch pineapples with their feet. There’s no ...7 hours ago - What’s new to Netflix NZ, Neon and other streaming services in AugustWhat are you going to be watching in August? With thanks to our friends at Nando‘s, we round up everything coming to streaming services this month, including Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+, Apple TV+, Neon and TVNZ OnDemand.The biggiesNine Perfect Strangers (limited series, first three episodes on Amazon Prime Video on ...7 hours ago
- Dismissing mātauranga Māori: Racism and arrogance in academia
The University of Auckland's Stephen May explains how mātauranga Māori is a complementary counterweight to the arrogance and insularity of so much European thought Comment: A controversy has erupted over a letter to the editor in last week‘s Listener collectively penned by seven of my professorial colleagues at Waipapa Taumata Rau, University ...8 hours ago - The wahine winemaker hunting for a sense of placeWith few Māori in the winemaking industry, and even fewer Māori women, Jannine Rickards is a rare breed. Charlotte Muru-Lanning visits her in Wairarapa.An eye-catching bone hei matau adorns Jannine Rickard’s neck.A fishhook symbolic of journeys that are interwoven into journeys, it’s been worn for the last 20 years, since ...9 hours ago
- The Sunday Essay: Letter from AureliaHinemoana Baker writes from a boat on a river a long way away. The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New ZealandOriginal illustrations by Isobel Joy Te Aho-White.Not everything needs to be forced through the mind. I don’t know who said this first. Was it Derrida? The Buddha? ...9 hours ago
- Olympic bronze: The lady and the trampolinist
* Dylan Schmidt has won Olympic bronze in the men's trampoline final in Tokyo. Read about him and his special relationship with the life coach who's helped him on his medal journey.* The longest-serving member of “Team Dylan” – the network around Olympian Dylan Schmidt – is his athlete life ...19 hours ago - ULMWP calls for suspension of Indonesia from UN rights council over assault on deaf PapuanAsia Pacific Report newsdesk The United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) has called on the international community to immediately suspend Indonesia from the UN Human Rights Council over a shocking assault on a young deaf indigenous Papuan that has been likened to the George Floyd tragedy in the United ...24 hours ago
- At last – a commissioner to serve the elderly (the cohort which remembers the role of the hyphen i...
A splendid demonstration of the usefulness of the compound adjective can be found on The Beehive website today. A headline among the latest announcements says: Progress in establishment of Aged Care Commissioner Without a hyphen in “Aged-care” to show this is a compound adjective, an element of uncertainty can creep ...24 hours ago - Coral Bell: the ‘accidental academic’ who wanted to stop armageddonSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Melissa Conley Tyler, Research Associate, Asia Institute, The University of Melbourne ANU Bell School This piece is part of a new series in collaboration with the ABC’s Saturday Extra program. Each week, the show will have a “who am I” ...1 day ago
- Focus on Politics: Education grapples with systemic racism
Podcast - "That every Māori child can see themselves ... valued in the education system." Will moves to bring tikanga and te reo into classrooms work? John Gerritsen and Jamie Tahana investigate. ...1 day ago - Vaccine resistance in West Papua as covid-19 pandemic ragesBy Johnny Blades, RNZ Pacific journalist As with much of Indonesia, the country’s easternmost provinces of Papua and West Papua are struggling to contain the spread of covid-19, with the delta variant on the loose. In their latest update, health authorities in Papua province reported 33,826 confirmed cases of the ...1 day ago
- NZ covid-19 mass vaccination event starts in Auckland – long delaysRNZ News New Zealand’s first mass vaccination event is getting under way in Manukau where 16,000 people are due to receive a covid-19 vaccine in the next three days. The Vodafone Events Centre in Manukau has been set up with 242 booths, and people will file in at their allotted ...1 day ago
- Opinion by Chris Leitch – Return to orthodoxy the last thing we needOpinion by Chris Leitch, Leader of Social Credit party. Cashflow repeat. Image courtesy of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand. See: https://www.rbnz.govt.nz/monetary-policy/monetary-policy-tools As the Reserve Bank winds down its money creation programme (Quantitative Easing) some economists and commentators are calling for a return to orthodoxy – as if the economic ...1 day ago
- FAST now says it needs to delay Samoa’s Parliament conveningRNZ Pacific After previous calls for the Samoan Parliament to convene so a national budget can be passed, the ruling FAST Party now says there is no real need to rush to convene Parliament. Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata’afa said last Saturday that Parliament would meet “in the first opportunity” ...1 day ago
- Solomons PM warns journalists against ‘yellow journalism’ rumoursPacific Media Watch newsdesk Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare has warned the news media that the country’s emergency powers enable the government to target “yellow journalism” and the spreading of misinformation, reports the Solomon Islands Herald. Speaking in Parliament on a motion to extend the covid pandemic State of ...1 day ago
- Health: Land of the long, white inequity
Friday's first mass vaccination event initially suffered from poor communication with the intended communities. Dr Collin Tukuitonga says that is a problem repeated time and again for Pacific people, who continue to suffer poor health statistics The initial take-up failure of south Auckland’s mass-Covid-19 vaccination event is a clear indication ...1 day ago - The supermarket duopoly is a disaster for consumers. But don’t bet on a break-upIf you thought this week’s damning report on the state of our supermarkets would augur big changes in the sector, brace yourself for disappointment.This column was first published on Bernard Hickey’s newsletter, The Kākā.The Commerce Commission’s scathing draft review of the Foodstuffs/Woolworths duopoly suggests state intervention that could include a ...1 day ago
- Pouākai – the world's largest eagle
From fable to fact, the world’s largest eagle was once considered a mythical creature. We now know that for a period of time it dominated forests in parts of the South Island. It was a perfect but petrifying predator. A massive bird with hooked beak, talons like tigers’ claws and ...1 day ago - Short story: XXX, by Emma Sidnam
"One minute we were fully clothed, chaste, and filled with longing, the next it was done. Thank you, she said": a short story by Emma Sidnam On a map, I mark an X for the houses of all the people I’ve slept with. It goes without saying that I avoid ...1 day ago - The Unity Books children’s bestseller chart for the month of JulyWhat’s the best way to get adults reading? Get them reading when they’re children – and there’s no better place to start than the Unity Children’s Bestseller Chart.AUCKLAND1 In Our Own Backyard by Anne Kayes (Bateman, $22, 13+)After the launch (featuring speeches by John Minto and Chlöe Swarbrick) Jo McColl ...1 day ago
- We need to talk about down thereWomen’s symptoms are all too frequently dismissed by healthcare professionals, especially when they relate to that shameful region between the legs. It’s time to stop suffering in silence, writes Maia Ingoe.When I was eight years old, I fell off the trampoline. It was a haven among unruly grasses, sitting on ...1 day ago
- Recipe: Vietnamese pho with garlic sesame tofuHearty and comforting, this twist on a classic is jazzed up with garlicky tofu and beautiful brown field mushrooms. If there is one meal my kids would eat every night, this is it. Even if I up the ante and we venture into the big city to a little food alley ...1 day ago
- The day I began my journey from Young Nat to committed socialistRobert Reid is a veteran of New Zealand’s trade union movement. But, believe it or not, he was once a committed National Party member.Fifty years ago, on Saturday 31 July, 1971, I left the National Party.Those who know me (or even troll me) as a socialist and trade unionist may ...1 day ago
- Vaccination rate needs to hit 70% to trigger easing of restrictionsSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Seven in ten people aged 16 and over will need to be fully vaccinated for COVID restrictions to begin to be eased, under targets agreed in principle by national cabinet on Friday. Further relaxation and ...2 days ago
- The Tokyo Lowdown: Day 7 glory
In one of NZ's great Olympic days - three medals on the rowing course - the fairytale of Emma Twigg stands out. LockerRoom's daily wrap of our Kiwi sportswomen continues. Performances of the day Emma Twigg can now finally believe. Many times during her 18-year Olympic journey, the single ...2 days ago - Week in Politics: Return of Suhayra Aden stirs up debateAnalysis - Harsh words from Judith Collins as it is announced Suhayra Aden can return to New Zealand, another big vaccine delivery clears the way for the programme to ramp up. ...2 days ago
- India’s vaccine rollout is ignoring the many inequities in its societySource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rajib Dasgupta, Chairperson, Centre of Social Medicine and Community Health, Jawaharlal Nehru University Some 6 months after India began what is said to be the largest COVID-19 vaccination drive in the world, equitable distribution has been a challenge. A recent instance ...2 days ago
- We must include more women in physics — it would help the whole of humanitySource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cathy Foley, Australia’s Chief Scientist, Office of the Chief Scientist Prajval Shastri, Author provided All around the world, there is an extreme gender imbalance in physics, in both academia and industry. Examples are all too easy to find. In Burkina ...2 days ago
- No wonder people are confused. Most official COVID vaccine advice is way too complexSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Danielle Marie Muscat, Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, University of Sydney from www.shutterstock.com As Sydney’s COVID-19 outbreak continues to grow, the message has shifted to urgently “get the jab”. And people’s motivation to get vaccinated is increasing. But with ever-changing advice, many ...2 days ago
- Curious Kids: do penguins fly underwater?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Belinda Cannell, Research fellow, Research Associate, The University of Western Australia Shutterstock Do penguins fly underwater? – Rhys, age 7, Perth. Indeed they do. They can’t fly through the air but they can fly underwater. In ...2 days ago
- 3 things we need to get right to ensure online professional development worksSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Filia Garivaldis, Senior Lecturer, BehaviourWorks Australia, Monash University Shutterstock One thing the COVID-19 pandemic has not changed is the need for employee training and skills development. Although lockdowns have reduced access to offices and increased job insecurity, they have provided ...2 days ago
- Vital Signs: Uber’s impact on traffic accidents is a lesson in calculating social benefitSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Richard Holden, Professor of Economics, UNSW Twinsterphoto/Sutterstock Uber has been great for some people and bad for others. It has been good for its founders and investors. It has been good for riders who get a convenient and well-priced new ...2 days ago
- VIDEO: Michelle Grattan on changes in opposition policySource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Michelle Grattan discusses the week in politics with University of Canberra Associate Professor Caroline Fisher. This week the pair discuss the extension of the Sydney lockdown, and the anti-lockdown protests which took place over the ...2 days ago
- HRC To Play A Role In Law Banning Conversion Practices
Te Kāhui Tika Tangata / The Human Rights Commission welcomes the Government’s introduction of the Conversion Practices Prohibition Bill. The proposed legislation would criminalise conversion practices . If passed, it would also create a civil ...2 days ago - Gamblers bet more when in the dark: feedback can curb their online lossesSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ben Newell, Professor of Cognitive Psychology, UNSW Online wagering is the fastest-growing segment of gambling in Australia. It’s a trend of particular concern because losing money through online brokering and betting apps is associated with higher rates of gambling-related harm than other ...2 days ago
- Conversion therapy 'widely discredited by science' – FaafoiConversion therapy can cause serious harm, says Justice Minister Kris Faafoi, who is introducing the government's planned law to ban the practice. ...2 days ago
- Not all the millions offered by the Ardern govt have been accepted – let’s see how it fares with...Several million dollars have been dished out for projects to build schools, control wilding pine control and what-have-you. Nurses – on the other hand – have turned down the money they were offered. In their case, Health Minister Andrew Little is obviously bemused and frustrated. He was advised last ...2 days ago
- The power of no: Simone Biles, Naomi Osaka and Black women’s resistanceSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kathomi Gatwiri, Senior lecturer, Southern Cross University Simone Biles, the US gymnast widely considered “the greatest of all time”, withdrew from the Olympic finals this week, saying: I have to focus on my mental health […] We have to protect our ...2 days ago
- The discovery of Indigenous children’s bodies in Canada is horrific, but Australia has similar tra...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lilly Brown, Lecturer, The University of Melbourne Content warning: This article contains distressing information on Stolen Generations and residential schools. When I read that the bodies of 215 children had been found in unmarked graves on the grounds of the former Kamloops ...2 days ago
- The Unity Books bestseller chart for the week ending July 30The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 In Our Own Backyard by Anne Kayes (Bateman, $22) From Kete Books: “It’s March 2020 and Liza, her ...2 days ago
- Rapid antigen testing isn’t perfect. But it could be a useful part of Australia’s COVID responseSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Deborah Williamson, Professor of Microbiology, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity Shutterstock Since the start of the pandemic, COVID-19 testing in Australia has been performed using highly sensitive PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests. But this conventional model of ...2 days ago
- Muller takes more time away
Former National leader Todd Muller, forced to retire by leader Judith Collins and the party caucus, will remain on leave for three more weeks to care for his wife Outgoing National MP Todd Muller will not return to Parliament as planned on Tuesday after taking five weeks leave. The MP ...2 days ago - Yesterdaze: A gold in synchronised snarking
James Elliott hands out red cards to runners in the reckons relay as he does his best not to put his hand into a power saw The sensation you get when you see that Mike Hosking is trending on Twitter is a lot like the feeling some people get when they ...2 days ago - Demand at South Auckland mass vaccine event takes organisers by surpriseNew Zealand’s first mass vaccination event proved more popular than expected this morning, with many waiting up to an hour for their jab due to higher than anticipated demand. Justin Latif reports. Shortly after New Zealand’s first vaccination event commenced, reports began filtering in of long wait times for people ...2 days ago
- The Friday Poem: To Get Here, by Lynn DavidsonA new poem by 2021 Randell Cottage Creative NZ Writer in Residence Lynn Davidson.To get hereI drove through the Kaimanawas (which is the old forest,survivor of brutal winters/ or the wild horses streaming over tussock/or the mountain range) And which translates as treasure or eat the wildor heart-eater or ...2 days ago
- Everything we learned from Lorde’s recent publicity blitzShe’s Lorde of onion rings and chicken wings, but what else have we learned about the award-winning singer from her run of media appearances?With the impending release of a new album and an upcoming global tour, Lorde has climbed aboard the promotional train, destination everywhere. We watched her get day ...2 days ago
- COVID has changed policing — but now policing needs to change to respond better to COVIDSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Vicki Sentas, Senior Lecturer, UNSW Law, UNSW With rolling lockdowns now part of how Australians live in the pandemic age, important questions arise about corresponding changes in policing. Constantly changing public health orders bring not only confusion but expansive police authority to ...2 days ago
- Conversion therapy law: Government reveals all the detailsThe government has revealed all the details of its ban on conversion therapy, with a penalty of up to five years in prison for serious harm caused by putting someone through it. ...2 days ago
- Govt To Jail Parents For Affirming Daughter As Girl, Son As BoyFamily First NZ says that the proposed ‘conversion therapy’ ban will be yet another attack on parents’ rights, is fundamentally flawed and unfair, and has been opposed by the Ministry of Health, a government select committee, and by the ...2 days ago
- There’s no escape from climate change – and NZ should brace for the tariffs imposed by our tradi...
When a magazine as authoritative as The Economist heads up its lead “No Safe Place” , even climate change deniers should sit up and take notice. The Economist” says the most terrible thing about the spectacular scenes of destruction that have played out around the world over recent weeks ...2 days ago - All sports interviews should be like thisRuby Tui and Michaela Blyde aren’t just brilliant rugby sevens players: the pair look unassailable in the race for ‘best interview at the Tokyo Olympics’ gold.In a world of anodyne, cliche-replete sports interviews, Ruby Tui and Michaela Blyde of the Black Ferns sevens are a coruscating beam of light. Having ...2 days ago
- Health Minister Andrew Little responds after nurses reject pay offerThe Health Minister is speaking to media after nurses rejected the government's latest pay offer, meaning planned strikes would go ahead. ...2 days ago
- The Salvation Army Supports Proposed Conversion Practices Prohibition BillThe Salvation Army is supporting the proposed Conversion Practices Prohibition Legislation Bill, which will outlaw this unethical practice. The Salvation Army continues to oppose vilification of, or discrimination against, anyone on the grounds of sexuality ...2 days ago
- New Home Consents Continue To Break RecordsA record 44,299 new homes were consented in the year ended June 2021, Stats NZ said today. “The annual number of new homes consented rose again in the June 2021 year, the fourth consecutive month of rises,” construction statistics manager Michael ...2 days ago
- Te Tiriti O Waitangi And Māori Equity Front And Centre In New Te Pūkenga ReportBoosted outcomes for Māori and te whakatinanatanga o Te Tiriti o Waitangi (Te Tiriti o Waitangi in practice) are key outcomes of Te Pae Tawhiti Insights Report released today. Te Pae Tawhiti is the biggest piece of Te Tiriti o Waitangi self-reflective ...2 days ago
- What the hell has happened to the McFlurry®?Emily Writes has had enough of the lies – an unflurried McFlurry® is no McFlurry® at all.This post was first published on Emily Writes Weekly.At some point it changed. And we just accepted it. We didn’t rise up in the streets and demand our McFlurrys be flurried. And now it’s too ...2 days ago
- EnviroWaste Partners With NZ Food Network To Feed Hungry KiwisEnviroWaste has joined NZ Food Network (NZFN) to put more food on the table for the thousands of Kiwi households experiencing food insecurity. The new partnership will see EnviroWaste working with its large food production clients to ...2 days ago
- Offshore And Returning Kiwi Remain Keen To Contribute To New Zealand’s Prosperity Says Kea ReportThe Kea Future Aspirations survey of offshore and recently returned community members, released today, shows that a significant number of our offshore Kiwi still hope to return to New Zealand despite growing post-covid momentum in key markets. This report ...2 days ago
- The cutting-edge tech helping NZ athletes shave seconds from their timesWhen our Olympic athletes train for their events, it’s no longer enough to have a coach standing on the sidelines keeping an eye on what’s going on. These days, performance monitoring tech is now a staple in every top New Zealand athlete’s training regime. Mirjam Guesgen reports.With the powerful pull ...2 days ago
- Community concern a ‘risk’ to dramatic expansion of school zones and buildings
Today, 6yo Gus Milne wants to talk to the PM about learning to cook in his new class kitchen; his dad would like to talk about the millions invested in school infrastructure ...2 days ago - How a perfect storm of events is turning Myanmar into a ‘super-spreader’ COVID stateSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adam Simpson, Senior Lecturer, University of South Australia Myanmar is facing a catastrophic health crisis that could have ramifications not just for the country’s long-suffering people, but across the region as well. The country is experiencing a major spike in COVID cases ...2 days ago
- If Australia is serious about fixing the culture at parliament, this is the code of conduct we needSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Blair Williams, Research Fellow, Global Institute for Women’s Leadership (GIWL), Australian National University Lukas Coch/AAP Australia has been rocked by serious allegations of sexual assault and harassment that have poured out of parliament house this year. In February, former ...2 days ago
- Australia shouldn’t ‘open up’ before we vaccinate at least 80% of the population. Here’s whySource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Duckett, Director, Health Program, Grattan Institute Shutterstock Earlier this month National Cabinet released a four-phase COVID response plan. It wasn’t so much a plan – it had no dates and no thresholds – but more a back-of-the-napkin thought bubble. ...2 days ago
- Pest plants and animals cost Australia around $25 billion a year – and it will get worseSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Corey J. A. Bradshaw, Matthew Flinders Professor of Global Ecology and Models Theme Leader for the ARC Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, Flinders University AAP Shamefully, Australia has one of the highest extinction rates in the world. And ...2 days ago
- Climate change is causing tuna to migrate, which could spell catastrophe for the small islands that ...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katherine Seto, Research Fellow, University of Wollongong Small Pacific Island states depend on their commercial fisheries for food supplies and economic health. But our new research shows climate change will dramatically alter tuna stocks in the tropical Pacific, with potentially severe consequences ...2 days ago
- Should the University of Melbourne host the Menzies Institute? The answer hinges on academic freedomSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katharine Gelber, Professor of Politics and Public Policy, The University of Queensland The University of Melbourne will open the Robert Menzies Institute, in honour of Australia’s longest-serving prime minister, in September this year. The presence of board members with close ties to ...2 days ago
- A COVID ‘ring of steel’ around Sydney would play havoc with Australia’s supply chainsSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Flavio Romero Macau, Associate dean, Edith Cowan University Claudio Divizia/Shutterstock If a “ring of steel” was actually placed around Sydney, as suggested by Victorian premier Daniel Andrews, the rest of Australia would suffer in ways that aren’t immediately apparent. Completely ...2 days ago
- Friday essay: how ‘Afghan’ coats left Kabul for the fashion world and became a hippie must-haveSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Bonyhady, Emeritus professor, Australian National University Masking Afghan coats for sale in Herat, 1974. Shutterstock The London launch of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band in May 1967 was a musical and fashion landmark. While the clothes worn by all ...2 days ago
- Live updates, July 30: Nurses resume pay talks after rejecting latest government offerWelcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for July 30, bringing you the latest news updated throughout the day. Get in touch at stewart@thespinoff.co.nz8.00am: Pay talks resume as nurses reject latest offerThe government’s latest pay offer to nurses has been rejected, with planned strikes in August and September once again on ...2 days ago
- The incredible legacy of Merata Mita’s Patu!As part of an exhibition on the 1981 Springbok tour protest, Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision has restored and remastered Patu!, the masterwork of wahine Māori filmmaker Merata Mita and her artistic collaborators. Dan Taipua looks back at the legacy of this cinematic taonga.Patu! is a documentary from a different ...2 days ago
- The Bulletin: Supermarket duopoly laid bare, faces forced competitionGood morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Supermarket duopoly laid bare, one industrial action ends while another restarts, and window closing for quarantine-free travel from Australia.A couple of years ago former Spinoff staffer Henry Oliver made a very astute observation about the NBR Rich List, and I want ...2 days ago
- Conversion therapy legislation to cover religious groupsThe government's ban on conversion therapy will cover religious groups, but they will still be able to freely express their beliefs. ...2 days ago
- Newsroom daily quiz, Friday 30 July
Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions. ...2 days ago - Newsroom daily crossword, Friday 30 July
...2 days ago
First past the post is the winner in a horse-race, right? Politics in New Zealand is a horse-race, right??
The kings horse always wins.
If it was our minister of racing would be polling a lot higher than 1%.
Colmar Brunton poll looks like a Colmar Brunton. Always seems to be about 3% leaned towards the Nats. Hard to make much of it, but bless Jessica Mutch Mackay, she's trying to spin it like we finally have a poll we can rely on.
Labour should coalesce with ACT – Rimmer has worked hard, earned the respect – Jacinda! Choose Seymour!
I'd rather not see that to be honest. ACT has a policy of doing away with the place I work, so I'm not keen on that.
It’s the trends that count. Not ideal direction for labour.
I'm beginning to think, based on the poll results post debate, and the stuff I read Collins saying, that a substantial percentage of NZers actually like violence, and seeing people hurting other people.
On election day it's the number (of votes) that counts – that number is looking less than "ideal" for National
National’s time will come again, but it won’t be this time – they need to get past their obsession with shitty low blows first.
Indeed not looking awesome for National at the moment. But if the greens fall below 5% then labour no mates isn’t looking quite as comfortable.
Expect Green party support will keep them in parliament – Labour look dependable regardless.
You'll have about an hour of hope on election night.
7 pm: Greens 5%. 10 pm: Greens 6-7%.
Two weeks later, the result: Greens 8-9%.
It's always fun to watch National supporters fail to understand how counting votes actually works. Key won a single party majority 3 times, as long as you went to bed early.
It takes a special kinda person to believe the greens are going to land at 8-9%.
I’m not surprised you’re one of them.
Nothing special, just evidence-based analysis of Labour's cautious positioning, and the clear incentive for Labour left voters to back the coalition partner, both tactically (i.e. above threshold) and philosophically (more progressive government).
Wow you just convinced me that I need to part vote green .
Keep up the good work
The trend is that Labour + Greens have not moved. There aint no trend.
I'm still amazed that around 35% Nat & Act voters – are not voting as if their life depends on it. Because them opener borders would not be good.
I am curious though, we we are not getting any polling on the referenda? Is that not allowed?
Spliffer? It's curious, isn't it! Will those who vote "left", because the right is so crap, protest-vote against cannabis reform, for "balance"?
That's what I reckon's happening.
The previous CB poll had polling on the referendums, and I expect this one might too. TV networks always pad out several days' worth of coverage from the polls, to get their money's worth.
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/1-news-colmar-brunton-poll-support-cannabis-legalisation-dropping-end-life-choice-remains-steady-v1
there you go.
looking good for a no on cannabis.
I don't think our side is going to win.
And ACT and National govt might just come through.
They won't come through – as long as voters … vote. Which doesn't mean a "like" on social media.
With an average turnout, Ardern will win a second term comfortably, with the Greens.
But a low turnout is a real risk, and Collins' only hope. Let's do all we can to encourage people to get out, as soon as advance voting starts.
Millsy, last election I said "Don't despair", I say it again
Vote early. Shut out the noise, as you have done your best.
Agree with that. Also, remember the only important poll is your vote. Forget what the media is wanting you to hear or think.
Also, I say to anybody thinking of voting for the right aren't we lucky to have had an incompetent administration of the coalition of losers who didn't know what they were doing that stopped you from getting the virus and kept you safe so you can now vote for some other party which is more concerned about greed than peoples welfare.
As someone said many times "You don't know how lucky you are" or if National supported by that gun lobbying prat Rimmer get in "were"
Yip the coalition has been so useless I am going on holiday next week visiting friends and family across the north island and having meals in cafes while having adventures.
News must be new, so shifts of one percentage point are presented as up/down movement, supposedly more "interesting" than a reporter explaining the margin of error.
The real take from tonight's poll is confirmation and consolidation from other polling: no, the Greens haven't been hurt (and don't wait for the commentators to re-assess their doom-laden predictions), but NZF are gone and ACT's gain is real.
I see National has scored 3 percentage points since last week's poll. I reckon its due to Collins performance at the first leader's debate.
As someone pointed out to me last week… what's the matter with Jacinda? She can sock it to them in the debating chamber and gets kudos for it so why can't she do it in a TV debate.
I concur. Pull your socks up Jacinda.
My comment from before stands. Seriously, it seems like Judith Collins would gain 10% for National if she assaulted Jacinda Adern live on telly during the debate.
Why does Jacinda have to sock it to anybody?
Well then why does she 'sock it to them' in the House? I could have put it this way… she needs to counter Judith's bullying behaviour and untruths by calling her out on it.
Why do people assume that socking it to bullies is somehow wrong? That is why they get away with so much because people let them.
She doesn't need to get dragged into a mudfight, but she does need to engage with Collins better. Just rebut with calm, direct questions, instead of letting Collins rewrite history:
"So what does that mean, Judith? You supported zero carbon act / gun control / the lockdown (etc) Do you regret that?".
Don't rely on the moderator to do that job for her, which was the problem in the TVNZ debate. Collins' whoppers went unchallenged. A post-debate fact-check is useless, it needs to be in real time.
"That's as true as your five dollar cheese, Judith …".
Which is pretty much what I was trying to say. 🙂
Have been watching the youth debate courtesy of TVNZ online. What a treat.
They reminded me of the public meetings and debates of yesteryear – lively, lots of fun, a bit raucous at times but the two ingredients which were missing… nastiness and bully boy/girl behaviour.
Bravo to all who took part. A great debate ably managed by Jack Tane.
Labour + Greens is the same in this poll as the last CB, they just traded a percentage point with each other. That’s good right? Isn’t it what most commenters in here wanted?
Nats + ACT look to have clawed a bit back from the minors.
So no change really.
I'd be happier with a higher GP vote obviously but a L/G coalition withhout NZF is a really good result for the left. Would be great for the Mp to get a seat or two as well, they've ruled out supporting Nat.
What Mutch Mckay and others aren't factoring in is Overseas votes. Always favour the left, bound to overwhelming favour Jacinda Ardern especially as we are not charging in the main for quarantine.
I will check out how many votes this usually off. This latest poll may serve a purpose of getting Labour voters out to vote.
Another factor as community transmission fades away, this will help Labour too
For all the hype about what a political wunderkind Swarbrick is, the miserable polling results on such a no-brainer as the cannabis referendum is quite an abject failure. (h/t James at 3.3 for link)
snort, is that the Ad school of politics? What forces do you think have been brought to bear on the vote?
Prob'ly much the same forces that legalisation advocates have had to overcome in all the other places in the world where legalisation actually passed. Often resoundingly.
except the places where they haven't been overcome.
Lots of people don't want to legalise cannabis. Might help to understand why.
Because for too many people, they go with their feels and reckons and "other ways of knowing", rather than facts and evidence, when making their decisions.
yep. For others, they don't have the time or inclination to educate themselves.
Hooten saying on Twitter that the SFO investigation into NZ First is set to be released. They reckon it clears them all.
Winston says a lot of things. Many of them so weaseled it’s an art form.
his party say exactly what winny tells them to. So it’s not surprising they are all saying the same thing.
I guess we will wait for the SFO – but it sounds like it’s close (or they know it’s going to be after the election so they can lie their pants off before hand)
For the ignorant pontificating about hydrogen being a waste of time.
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/09/airbus-unveils-concepts-for-hydrogen-powered-plane
the time for gloating is when theres a working prototype and proven safety…you may be a little premature
Those parroting oil industry propaganda dismissing hydrogen are being premature. Still the most promising sustainable technology for long haul ships. Nothing else comes close. Except for fusion, which looks a lot less likely than solving the issues with hydrogen. I've been following the research closely, being "in the business".
When shipowners, not noted for wasting money, commute serious money to something they expect a return
EROI of 0.25
Depends on the source.
You can name a source with a better EROI?….preferably at least 10 fold more efficient
Like rail. The return has to factor in the costs of not having it. Such as climate collapse from continued fossil fuel use.
Thats fine as long as you accept that it is totally unsustainable especially in a world where energy is in short supply….as will the world be when it no longer uses fossil fuels (for whatever reason)
0.25 seems a wee bit harsh. I've seen some figures as good as 0.5, including compressing the hydrogen. Admittedly from hydrogen optimists.
The piece below from InsideEVs gives a good illustration of the losses, even if their general tone is inline with their other articles of being a bit over-pessimistic on hydrogen. Nevertheless, their figure for EROI goes as high as 0.35.
https://insideevs.com/news/406676/battery-electric-hydrogen-fuel-cell-efficiency-comparison/
0.5 still dont cut it does it.
Weeell, if the choice is doing without shipping (and aviation), and massively overbuilding renewable electricity to be able to make hydrogen for those applications even at an EROI of 0.25, I'm picking the hydrogen route will happen.
But I'm also picking that if the world ever comes to its senses and puts a high enough price on fossil fuels that reflects the damage they do, then shipping will go to small nukes, and long haul aviation will go to liquid biofuels.
And if both or either of those things happen they will be tightly restricted, chronically expensive and sparingly used.
The rooskies did a working prototype more than three decades ago with the Tu-155. Just a minor downside was the tank, that only fed one of the three engines for a short flight, took up a hefty fraction of the passenger area in the fuselage.
https://www.researchgate.net/figure/TU-155-Liquid-Hydrogen-Aircraft-Design-Tupolev-2009_fig12_235113427
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tupolev_Tu-155
The "proven safety" aspect is a bit lacking, tho.
I'd also like to hear good atmospheric physicists comment on the effects of leaking significant quantities of hydrogen into the stratosphere just below the ozone layer.
And Archie Blue built a mini that ran on onboard electrolysis in the 1970s…..where are all these hydrogen powered vehicles now?
In the Museum of Wonderful Inventions that would Save the World that the Oil Industry Bought and Suppressed to Protect their Profits.
They didnt…he died poor
They obviously paid what it was worth.
they paid nothing…and didnt need to for the same reason noted above…the EROI is unworkable.
… what it was worth.
and the museum is empty
Well at least they went one better than the poms, as the poms give up designing a Hydrogen powered plane (like it did with its 1960's version of its Joint Strike Fighter as it became a dog of an Aircraft on paper) as a became a monster of an aircraft as the old adage of aircraft design of power vs weight vs drag = more power vs more weight = more drag and on it went upwards.
Tony Butlers Book, British Secret Projects Hypersonics, Ramjets & Missiles.
Chatper 11, Fuel and Materials for Hypersonic Flight
It may take slightly more than that. London has run hydrogen buses for over a decade – but, although a handful of new doubledeckers are in prospect, there has been no move to swap any significant fraction of the fleet to hydrogen, even as scheduled replacements. They are a vanity project at this time.
Not what you would deem a roaring success.
Against nearly half a million battery electric buses? Yeah, nah.
https://www.pri.org/stories/2019-10-08/china-dominates-electric-bus-market-us-getting-board
Then in the US they're looking at their massive fleets of school bus to go battery electric and then be vehicle to grid when needed. It's actually a reasonably good fit for smoothing the output from massive PV installations.
https://www.axios.com/electric-school-buses-vehicle-to-grid-power-19f7b6b1-662b-4501-a96e-dcf3fd57a886.html
can you explain what Labour and Ngai Tahu said today then?
Is Ardern talking about manufacturing hydrogen in Bluff, to use for the long haul road fleet in NZ? Which means freighting hydrogen from Bluff all over NZ?
And O'Regan is talking about using Manapouri to manufacture hydrogen and sell it overseas? Or is there something else about export I am missing?
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/122908649/election-2020-ngi-tahu-pushes-for-green-hydrogen-transition-at-tiwai-point
Would be good to understand this in the NZ context.
I think the only concrete thing to come out of today's event was that the current government wants there to be a controlled transition from an aluminium smelter in Southland to something else over 3-5 years.
The hydrogen proposal may be a viable alternative. It may also be a dead cat. I'm inclined to go with the dead cat.
ok, shall I take it that no-one knows what Ardern or O'Regan mean at all?
https://www.interest.co.nz/business/107254/labour-aims-three-five-year-extension-life-southland-smelter-including-supporting
that doesn't explain it.
It gives all the explanation provided to date
Don't worry about the ouvea waste either as we can; dig a hole, burn it or hope there is another flood. But the solution is "MOVE" it to other sites. That is a long term solution ?? As there was no comment regarding this I wonder if our government has been outmanoeuvre AGAIN.
"New Zealand Aluminium Smelters and Rio Tinto have regularly reaffirmed their March 2018 commitment to the $4 million plan alongside local authorities and the government to move the waste from Mataura and other sites around Southland over six years."
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=12363030
Nothing would surprise
It doesn't talk about Ngai Tahu at all, and it doesn't cover Ardern's statement this afternoon.
Ardern made a subsequent statement re Tiwai?…you have a link?
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/122908649/election-2020-ngi-tahu-pushes-for-green-hydrogen-transition-at-tiwai-point
I've been asking what this means,
"We are creating a freight link for refuelling freight in New Zealand"
I assume she means that hydrogen would be manufactured at Tiwai and then shipped to fueling stations across NZ.
As i understand it. that is the Taranaki hydrogen plant.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/113153482/joint-venture-green-hydrogen-project-tipped-as-beginning-of-hydrogen-industry-in-taranaki
https://www.hiringa.co.nz/
Export would appear to be this
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5c350d6bcc8fedc9b21ec4c5/t/5de5b6665be571035175c34b/1575335526810/New+Zealand+Hydrogen+Association+-+Media+Release+-+LOI+-+28+November+2019+FINAL.pdf
yes, but she was talking about Ngai Tahu's idea about Tiwai and I thought an engineering bod here might get past their antipathy for the idea and explain what she meant.
Sounds like Ngai Tahu are simply floating an idea, whether it has any Gov support isnt stated…what Ardern described is what is covered in the links posted re Taranaki
I don't think one of the worlds largest shipping companies, who are noted for being tight arses, would invest tens of millions, in a "dead cat".
Don't know anything about the Tiwai proposal.
What I do know about is research into hydrogen as a cargo ship fuel.
If the storage issues can be sorted, which seem much more technically feasible, and closer to solutions than the long awaited nuclear fusion, hydrogen has the energy density to replace hydrocarbons for shipping.
It can also be extracted from water using sustainable electricity.
As has been noted, currently the return is not as good as using the electricity directly, but there are several promising technologies to improve that.
Anyone who thinks shipping is going to go away, is not aware of how much of their food and necessities is transported around NZ alone.
Hands up (even tiny ones) if you spend 100X more a year on your hair than you pay in tax.
72% of Kiwis approve of Jacinda Ardern (tonight's poll).
Keep up the snide, the snark, the personal insults, Judith. You're reading the room so well.
That is the problem, Labour trades on the Cult of Personality. Should Labour win this election that will mean that since the transition of NZ in 1984. Labour will have been in power longer than National. I wonder who then takes responsibility for where NZ will be in 2-3 years time.
No matter how well or what good intentions JA has, she is only the leader of Labour and is still bound by the party.
Yep…when Ardern is 60 in 2040 she may retire gracefully….then National may have a chance of the Treasury Benches.
Non political question?
I just started James joyce's Ulysses.
Should I bother carrying on ?
does he learn to write a sentence that makes sense at some point . ?
Or am I missing something?
How far in have you got?
I made it 3 sentences before deciding I would take the zero for that part of my seventh form English assessment.
About 10 pages and have not the foggiest in what's going on.
Jaeezzuss! 10 Pages!
I am not worthy to roll in your spittle.
1 once read anna karenina start to finish .that's a feat I I'm still very proud of.
I went through a phase when I found Tolstoy quite readable. But oddly, really not memorable. I really can't recall anything about his works, and don't feel any desire to reread them to refresh my memory. Unlike some other authors I keep getting drawn back to, because there's fresh nuance and subtleties I find every time I go back.
Quality outcome – 7 more pages than me.
I couldn't figure out why I wanted to live in some guy's head when he went to the bog – I think that was what was going on anyway.
Tolstoy IMHO is a lot more readable but I was very upset by he ending of war & peace when i was younger.
Your teacher was a sadist.
Bwaghorn – it takes some doing but is a treasure once you've learned the language. Give it time. One evening, as you drop off to sleep, you'll feel your brain aligning itself to Joyce's style. New day, you're off!
Aagh I see I bit like watching the romeo and juliet movie
Ok when I'm not so busy and tired of an evening I will attempt again.
Yep. One of the greatest things ever written. First time through don't try too hard to understand it. Treat it like poetry. Then find a decent companion or exegesis and read it a second time.
In 1963, my English Teacher chose not Ulysses to inflict upon us, but 'Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man'. I read it OK, maybe not understanding it as well as if I had been older, but it was OK, and may be an easier Intro to James Joyce..
Judith is only 2% away from her personal aspirational target of 35%. I know she can do it! In any case, just like Merv, she will cling on to Leadership like shit sticks to a blanket; it is the National way and pretty legal too.
@weka 7.1
I’d be quite happy if the Māori Party picked up a seat from Labour and maybe an extra list MP too. But the polling out tonight in the Māori seats doesn’t look very promising for that.
So Labour + Greens looks the most likely government combo at this stage. Though I see that the Nact and ACT fanbois are juggling all sorts of crazy scenarios on the old Twitter.
Just watched the online Young voters debate with Jack Tame. One rep from each Party. Plus a few from Party groups around the Hall.
Pretty good. Questions specific with some follow up. 3 were sitting MPs. It was much more watchable that the Leaders Debate with John.
Taking part in the debate were:
Kiri Allan – Labour
Simeon Brown – National
Chlöe Swarbrick – Greens
Robert Griffith – NZ First
Brooke van Veldon – Act
@bwaghorn 14.
Just give it away. Everybody else does.
I didn't. Once you've finished, there's the art of Pablo Picasso, start to finish.
Merv's still hanging around?
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/427117/nats-official-who-allegedly-goes-by-merv-still-in-leadership
tried researching how many overseas votes there were last election 2017. But to date unable to find it.
Anybody know what percentage voted from overseas? Swordfish?
65,000 overseas votes.
It's on the election website.
.
anker
61,524
= 2.34% of all votes (incl informal & disallowed).
= 2.37% of valid votes only.
Which is equivalent to 2.84 MPs in Parliament and heaps more than ACT’s share of the total vote.
The more I see of Collins, the less impressed I am. I had thought that she was sharp, good at cutting through others' arguments and someone for getting real points across clearly. However, as leader, she seems to be spouting nonsensical buzz-words, and often tailing off at the end of sentences, having lost track of exactly where she was going. After the debate, she was constantly trying to remember figures and tripping over her own tongue, and when she was asked about whether she hadn't neglected her own policy somewhat, she reeled off a few policies, before saying, 'It's only an hour and a half, if only it was two-and-a-half, I could have got… done any more [nervous smile and '…yeah…', like she's trying to make small-talk when visiting her mother-in-law for the first time, and pretending she doesn't hate the slightly stale date scones that were clearly cut on a board normally used for garlic].'
Then, today at the Grey Power meeting, there was, 'I don't think for a moment that these [Labour politicians] know how many cents there are in a dollar, except they do know that your dollar should be their dollar.' That's a non-sequitur of John-Key-ish proportions; just stringing together lazy, right-wing clichés with no thought for whether they even fit together to form a statement. It reminds me a lot of Melissa Lee, too, who, when put on the spot campaigning for a seat, ended up spouting a whole lot of stuff that either didn't make any sense, or seemed to mean something that she really should not have said.
Witness, too, the line at the same meeting, 'I know you might love Miss Ardern, but actually, I'm all over her.' So she loves her even more than they do? Riiiight…. Okay, we all know what she meant, but even then: is she trying to say that there was a time when she thought was wildly enthused by Ardern, or something? All in all, if you imagine a lot of what Collins says being said by the rhetorically hapless George W Bush, it really doesn't seem too far out of place.
Susie Ferguson didn't do a bad job on Morning Report the other day of pulling her up on her bumbling replies about their fiscal errors, but honestly, presenters should be halting her constantly, and asking her, 'Wtf… you just said what?… and what was it even supposed to mean?' and people should be putting together montages of her gaffes accompanied by a laughing track.
Fully agree, Hanswurst – her language ability is limited, and she will need compliant, helpful Media to help her again if she is to repeat her questionable "success" of that first TV debate.
Mind you, I thought both John Key and Bill English mangled the English language, and found it hard to believe that Bill English was really a graduate in English! Todd Muller had big problems with language too.
Better if I don’t say what I thought of Simon Bridges as an alleged graduate of Harvard in Law, etc… “The medicine is worse than the cure.” Lord save us!
I fully agree, especially on Key, but the thing is that Key was mangling the language in his fabled capacity as a freewheeling, self-taught financial wizard, while English built his political persona around the image of 'barbecue Bill', the amateur pugilist and Dipton farmer. Part of the problem for Bridges and Collins is that they have built their political images as clever lawyers, Collins as a hard-nosed battler for conservative principles, Bridges (rightly or wrongly) as a precocious hot-shot prosecutor. It's much harder for them to defuse a situation by grinning and saying, 'Aw shucks!'
Like her commentary during the Mt Albert byelection campaign of some years back when she made her claim about criminals from South Auckland stopping off in Mt Albert on their way to West Auckland. No-one knew what that had to do with the price of fish but the local wits and cartoonists did try to unravel her thoughts on the matter… much to everyone's enjoyment.
Not sure Collins could ever beat that pearler but you never know.
A useful rapid testing option, if we take the trouble to develop it. Sniffer dogs can detect Covid apparently.