David Seymour is all class

Written By: - Date published: 8:35 am, October 12th, 2021 - 71 comments
Categories: class, class war, covid-19, david seymour, poverty, the praiseworthy and the pitiful - Tags:

So yesterday David Seymour suggested that suburbs where the vaccination rate hit 90% should be allowed extra freedom.

From Bridie Witton at Stuff:

ACT Party leader David Seymour wants suburbs with Covid vaccination rates of 90 per cent or higher let out of lockdown and given a guarantee they won’t ever be put under stay-at-home orders again.

Many Aucklanders are reaching “boiling point” as the city enters its eighth week of lockdown and needed to see a “light at the end of the tunnel”, Seymour said on Monday. He said easing restrictions for highly-vaccinated suburbs would also encourage people in under-vaccinated areas to be jabbed.

“Why should a suburb who has done the right thing, and there’s many of those in central Auckland for example, continue to face the same sanctions as areas where vaccination rates are low?” he said.

“If they [the Government] made the commitment that they really won’t lock down suburbs that have reached 90 per cent vaccination, that creates a real impetus for those areas who tragically had low vaccination rates to start getting vaccinated.”

So which suburbs would they be?

In Auckland the data suggest that Herne Bay, Remuera, Takapuna, Howick and St Heliers would qualify first.  Out west the only area that would qualify is Henderson Heights and the part of Te Atatu Peninsular that has a view of Auckland Central.  Out south you can forget Mangere, Otara and Manurewa.  Can anyone see a pattern?

And the further away from the centre of the city the lower the vaccination rate.  Inner city suburbs have had great service.  Aotea, Waiheke, Rodney, the outskirts of Waitakere and Franklin are not doing so well.

This screenshot from Spinoff shows the disparity.  It is very clear to those that know the city that the wealthier the area the higher the vaccination rate.

The comment is badly camoflagued dog whistling.  It is also epidemiologically bonkers.  The virus does not respect the boundaries of wealthy suburbs.  But regrettably this sort of coarse class politics should be expected from Seymour.  He should have stuck with dancing with the stars.

71 comments on “David Seymour is all class ”

  1. Pingao 1

    I think that's a great idea. So just within those suburbs no one has too wear a mask or socially distance or any of those other awful restrictions. Same goes for anyone visiting those suburbs and their bars and shops and gyms and churches and what not. sarc.

    • lprent 1.1

      He hasn't thought about the servant problem. All of those cleaners coming over and miraculously being virus free as they cross the border of the suburb. Not to mention the deliveries that are required to keep the wealthy in the style that they wish to continue.

      It is questionable if Davy can think. The last time this could have been done in the manner he suggest would have been back in the 19th century when Auckland was more a set of villages and small towns. It appears that century is where Davy thinks we are.

      How did he manage to get through engineering school? The city operates as a ecosystem, as an entity, and not something that is possible to divide up.

      • alwyn 1.1.1

        "not something that is possible to divide up".

        Really? So that means that it is essential that Auckland be organised as a Supercity and everyone who says that creating that entity was a mistake were nuts? I have friends, currently locked up in Gomorrah on the Manakau, who say that Rodney Hide was wrong to push for the creation on the Supercity. Can I quote you as thinking that it is the only way the area can be organised was as he proposed?

        • logie97 1.1.1.1

          Supercity, or the original councils – just which would be appropriate in this instance? How could you possibly control movement around the super city as it now is or under the old councils. Seymour's idea is just fantasy… how on earth would you determine who is free to move about and freely associate against those not???

        • lprent 1.1.1.2

          Yes Really!

          Silly bugger – you're only looking at the taxation and services parts of the city and sound as simpleminded as Davy. Those have little to do with day to day life. The city is a whole lot more complex and layered than that.

          You both seem to think that an arbitrary political boundary (old city bounds or suburb) can constrain a disease.

          The problem here is (dials down explanation to 'talking to a dumbarse level') is that warm human bodies carry and spread the disease. Humans are required to such mundane things as serve coffee in cafes, clean drains, fix roads, etc…

          Personally I personally only have anything to do with the city politics and services when I have to pay rates, use roads and bike paths, deal with parking, and find potholes in local roads the hard way. I don't think I have had to deal with city servant or their contractors in person for more than a decade. I see them occasionally fixing the roads and inspecting cars to see where to place the ticket. No warm bodies carrying the disease within 10 metres of me – not really a problem.

          However to stop 'sanctions' as Davey the dimwit puts it would require that hairdressers, cafes, shops, and the whole business and socialising regime would be open. That the electricians, builders, plumbers and all sorts of trades people could as well. Not to mention the courier drivers, trucks to deliver goods – etc etc..

          So the roads in and out of the suburb would be as well – because how else can you get the people in to to all of those things? The people who do most of those tasks don't live in the effluent areas that Davy the thick engineer lives in. They live where the housing costs are cheaper.

          Remember that the current vaccines for Covid-19 are not 'sterilising' vaccines. They don't stop people from getting the diseases, don't stop the infection growing and spreading. They merely reduce the level of damage that the disease and the immune system does to those getting infected to the disease. They also tend to cause the immune systems to reduce the time that someone can be infectious for.

          And there have been people going to hospital who are partially and even fully vaccinated in places with higher background infection levels. These are the breakthrough infections, largely caused by a high background infection rate often coupled with a reduction in immune response (ie like getting a cold).

          So that means the even with a 90% vaccination rate, there can and will be infections with the vaccinated within those suburbs unless they lock everyone else out, prevent the unvaccinated from moving around, and constrain the movement of even the vaccinated in case they are currently infectious. ie similar to level 3 restrictions.

          If the blind twits lock all of the nurses, electricians service staff, and everyone else out – it looks to me like they'd sanction themselves. Not to mention that in a city, that is damn near impossible. Too many roads, bikeways, footpaths…

          Then of course you'd expect your average self-involved Act supporter in Epsom to act like the selfish idiots that they always are and self-detirmine that their hairdresser / cleaner / plumber couldn't possibly have a covid-19 and it was alright for them to bring their cheap and possibly diseased body through the quarantine.

          You may quote me as saying that I'm always amazed at how dumb Act supporters generally are. They are usually so involved in expressing how they'd like the world to be, that they forget to look at how the world actually operates.

  2. tc 2

    Such crass elitism/canine calling on show from rimmer willingly published by granny.

  3. Gezza 3

    Smug bugger’s getting too cocky for his own good.

    That suggestion is not going to go down well with the general public, imo. Smacks of elitism. Probably scored himself an own goal there.

    HE might be safe, himself, in his Epsom seat, but his other party MPs probably rely to a greater extent on a certain amount of good will from the voting public. He could squander that if he doesn’t take great care not to look & sound entitled & snobby.

    • dv 3.1

      Is he even aware that the vaccine doesn't stop transfer!!!!!

      (And how will he stop movement of the unvaced into those areas!!)

      • Gezza 3.1.1

        Hard to say. This is, as already noted in the post, an awfully blatant dog whistle to the less discerning elements of the voting public. He’s not a phool, so I reckon he does know the virus will still get in, but he’s appealing to those who think it doesn’t matter because those who’re vaccinated tend not to suffer severe Covid symptoms.

  4. Tiger Mountain 4

    His “Dickdom” and whiteness run deep, and it seems Mr Seymour gets largely uncritical main media channel coverage not seen since Sirkey was PM. He has enablers from those suburbs, and unfortunately supporters in all sorts of places now that ACT has adopted populism and gun lovers.

    The sooner ACT is properly challenged on the right wing Chicago school platform it actually stands for behind the media free ride the better. ACT is anti union, anti working class and anti Māori.

    • tc 4.1

      The charter school party values align with the Heralds.

      He gets to publish whatever he's given as semi-literate copy and granny feeds off the clickbait.

      • Tiger Mountain 4.1.1

        Don’t get me started on Charter Schools…commendably the NZ Teacher Unions and many teachers held the line against Charters during Nationals last reign, which was not easy as many younger teachers have only experienced the time of private sector penetration of public education.

    • Gezza 4.2

      I still think some of their current support will revert back to National when Collins is rolled. Provided her replacement is credible & has a coherent policy platform.

      • tc 4.2.1

        Yup but JC isn't going anywhere soon and policy isn't a national party strength.

        Where's those bagmen when you need them eh.

      • Gosman 4.2.2

        Can you give me an example of a coherent policy platform that would attract new ACT party supporters away to National?

        • Gezza 4.2.2.1

          No.

          Would have to be a policy platform that was advanced regularly, in lieu of the endless silly sideswipes & potshots Collins keeps taking at Labour & their “friends”, barking at every passing car. Making her look petty, negative, & lacking in substantive alternative policies.

          Sort of, you’ll know it when you see it, kind of thing.

          • Gosman 4.2.2.1.1

            But that is why your analysis is flawed. You can't think of a policy that would pull people away from ACT towards National because of your ideological blinkers. ACT has been successfully positioning itself as a viable alternative to both Labour AND National which is why Labour has lost votes to ACT rather than National. That is going to be very difficult for National to claw back even with a more competent leader in charge. There is not one set of policies that would do it but more a range plus a dose of political good fortune for them.

            • McFlock 4.2.2.1.1.1

              ACT has been successfully positioning itself as a viable alternative to both Labour AND National which is why Labour has lost votes to ACT rather than National.

              ACT has always been an alternative to Labour and National. The only thing that makes it "viable" at the moment is National's complete disfunction.

              Has Labour lost votes, in any appreciable quantity, to ACT? Sure, I'm not saying there's no Lab4 diehard who's finally bit the bullet and officially gone over to the tory side, but seems to me Labour would lose more votes to greens or no-response than straight to ACT. Hell of a values shift by any voter who does that, is all I'm saying.

              • Gosman

                You can't argue with the data. National (aside from the last poll) hasn't really changed much from it's performance at the last election. It hovers somewhere in the mid 20's. Labour has fallen in support and The Greens have stayed the same. ACT on the other hand has basically doubled it's support since this time last year. Given National hasn't fallen by this much your view would require former Labour voters deciding to support National at around the same rate that former National voters start supporting ACT. While possible it is highly unlikely.

                • McFlock

                  lol

                  Where in the data does it show that individuals who chose to answer the survey for Labour have subsequently answered the next survey for ACT?

                  You're treating disparate random samples with unreported "fuckoff" survey rates as the same individuals.

                  Maybe some Labour supporters went to "I am making dinner", and the nats who were making dinner are now just outright going ACT because there's no difference between those two parties so they might as well go for the one that currently looks like a winner.

                  • Gosman

                    I love how left wingers such as yourself underestimate the ability of ACT to appeal to former Labour supporters. I suspect you are in for an unpleasant surprise in the next two years.

                    • Craig Hall

                      Agree, there are certainly swing voters who vote for either Labour or National based on vibe (for want of a better term) or occasionally a few specific issues, and also a fair few more who swing between Labour and Greens or National and Act on the preference of how much influence they want the smaller party to have in that coalition, but it's not like there are voters who never move preference elsewhere.

                      Act was a spinoff from Labour, so I'm sure there are social liberals who wouldn't want a bar of National on social policies but have changed their fiscal views to be more about smaller government and lower taxes, and for that matter, blue-green Nats who have decided the only way to give the environment more support politically is to vote Green.

            • Gezza 4.2.2.1.1.2

              Gosman said: “But that is why your analysis is flawed. You can’t think of a policy that would pull people away from ACT towards National because of your ideological blinkers.”
              …………………………

              I’d hardly call my comment an “analysis”. More like an observation. An analysis I’d put more time & thought & words into.

              Also I don’t know what you think my “ideological blinkers” are. I am not politically tribal & have not been since the Lange/Douglas administration. I make my mind up at each new election which candidate & which party I am going to vote for this time.

              In 2017, I was expecting a 4th National Maori Party ACT Party government & would not have been disappointed by that. In the event, Winston Peters handed the election to Jacinda Ardern & Labour, which was also worth giving a go, for a change.

              Both Labour & National are now centrist parties. Labour leans towards the union/socially liberal/progressive end of the centre spectrum, & National leans towards the personal responsibility & “lawn order” end.

              A new National leader could still manage to do some kind of reset back towards the party’s revised principles set out in the link below. At present they seem a bit rootless.

              https://teara.govt.nz/en/national-party/page-4

    • weston 4.3

      Why exacerbate ANY divides TM ?.By consistently using terms like 'gun lovers'you are lumping all gun owners into an imaginary camp to create the impression ALL gun users are some sort of right wing losers sitting around caressing their favorite weapon !!NZis not america and 99percent of the gun users in nz have a few guns the same as they have a few fishing rods !Why give Seymour any extra votes by alienating legitimate law abiding gun users by the careless and clueless use of language designed to divide ?

      personally i have no idea who the fuck the Gun women and i dont wanna know
      i support the other things you have been saying by the way

    • Nic the NZer 4.4

      David Seymour has Maori descent on his mothers side apparently. My current working theory is that he suffered physical harm as a child (according to Oranga Tamariki) because he wasn't actually raised as Maori. Unfortunately I'm having difficulty squaring that idea off against my own Scottish descent while being discouraged as a child from boozing, heroin use and fanatically supporting Diego Maradona and any other country facing England.

    • Gosman 4.5

      What do you mean "properly challenged"? The media has attempted to do this and ACT has avoided their traps quite easily.

  5. Tricledrown 5

    Many of those wealthy suburbs are populated by much older people who even with vaccination are more susceptible to Covid infection.

    National won't be happy with this blatant power grab.

  6. Peter 6

    Let Epsom be in Level 0 or whatever some drongo wants.

    Send in the army to keep outsiders out. Will I be allowed to transit through? Border patrols on Manukau Road?

    The joy, the freedom to be able to go shopping to be served by people who've come in from the polluted areas.

    Seymour is saying it not because he's necessarily serious but because he knows the notion will appeal to those who fancy themselves to be elite all over the country.

  7. Byd0nz 7

    I want to Seeless of Seymour, including on here, why give him attention, The best thing to give him, is voiceless detention.

    • Tiger Mountain 7.1

      Too late, he is out of his Incel chatroom and into public consciousness, what his party stands for needs to be challenged–Electronic Income Management for beneficiaries and all–freedom of the individual unless you are poor!

      ACT remains the rotten party of the libertarian elite it always has been since Roger Douglas and his motley crew formed it. Current ACT policies are in link, as slippery as the proverbial.

      https://www.act.org.nz/a_hand_up

  8. Ad 8

    Is this not what the government is doing already on a regional scale?

    • AB 8.1

      It is – but it's a fallacy to believe that because something sort of works at one scale it will also work at a different scale. If for instance, Seymour had suggested having different streets at different levels, or different houses in the same street at different levels, everyone would think it was a bit nuts.

      Seems to me that suburbs are too physically contiguous and too tightly linked in terms of flows for this idea to make sense – and it would take several armies to enforce any boundaries. Partial versions of it might be possible though, e.g. a government might not open schools in South Auckland, but open them in the rest of Auckland – though they would have to be brazen enough to fight off accusations that they were exacerbating existing educational disadvantage.

      Seymour most likely understands this – he's just voicing what he knows a solid chunk of his 15% support actually think. He's keeping them loyal and close.

      • Ad 8.1.1

        The lines they have set up are arbitrary DHB lines. May as well be Police command regions. They are just making it up.

        May as well have been Rugby franchise territories.

        The published mesh block data simply invites politicians to expand or contract infection defenses. NZHerald has already made town comparisons into a competition.

        Sorry about people's feels and all that, but there needs to be more competition between us, not less.

    • Patricia Bremner 8.2

      The South Island elite were annoyed not to have their position of L2 visited during yesterdays stand-up. They obviously felt impatient about the poorer areas of Auckland keeping them at this level. Self interest being displayed.

      This is the same thing, but I wonder if … a "Look over here"…. by Seeless, so what is happening in Act we are not to notice?

  9. Reality 9

    Seymour has brought in a number of MPs this election cycle but mostly they seem to have taken (or been instructed to) a vow of silence, apart from the gun woman who is let out occasionally and the deputy leader whose names most people don't know. Seymour is still a one man band and is lapping up his new found attention. Time for more scrutiny and publicity of his party and policies.

    • Gezza 9.1

      Agreed. And I think that scrutiny will start happening now that he’s gone & foot-shot himself with this absurd proposition.

    • Tiger Mountain 9.2

      The “gun woman” Nicole McKee, is a right piece of work from COLFO (NZ Council of Licensed Fire Arms Owners). The organisation presents as grass roots shooters, but is embedded with the firearms industry. Pre the ACT hook up their www site had links to the American NRA, which even then they tried to obscure by being Affiliates of international sports shootings organisations rather than direct affiliates, such links long gone from public view now.

      And yes the ACT numpties need to be scrutinised, and perhaps given the treatment that say Ms Wiles got from Cameron Slater recently and see how they shake out. I am not seriously advocating that!, but Seymour and new friends are not just harmless “other players” in the Parliamentary scene. They advocate attacking the minimum wage, abolishing Māori seats and much more.

      • Tricledrown 9.2.1

        If Maori seats were abolished National would loose rural guaranteed seats.

        Leaving National struggling to maintain a strong presence that electorate seats give them.

    • Anne 9.3

      Of course his MPs have been instructed to stay silent. He knows that if they opened their mouths everyone would see what a bunch of no-hopers they were.

      I am reminded of Peter Dunne when he brought a whole bunch of his supporters into parliament – United Front was it called? Oh no, that was the Monty Python crowd. 😉 Dunne did the same thing. Kept their mouths shut because half of them were nut-balls. In the end it showed and Dunne's party disappeared down the gurgler.

        • lprent 9.3.1.1

          I just looked at the first and last one, because they are in my daily news reading list. There was a reason that I’d ignored them. They didn’t say anything of any interest. They were space fillers for the page.

          Nicola McKee – two small quotations and slightly less than the Maori party spokesperson immediately above. Incredibly anodyne wish-washy general statements with no particular value and no statement of act policy. Compared to the Maori and Green party spokespeople statements above it – who were talking about their own personal experiences, you just get the impression that she would have been better off not saying anything rather than being a vacuous hole saying boilerplate statements of concern..

          Simon Court – got 3 paragraphs as they were obviously the only contacts that had anything bad to say about the delay. He wasted it on being sounding off with boilerplate sneers, not a thing about Act policy, and at the end was a hypocrite because he was pushing a faster response to the Emissions Reduction Plan – which from my understanding is opposed by Act anyway.

          It was then followed by a number of paragraphs of industry people praising a "sensible decision".

          Yeah – I can see that Act MPs apart from Davey are making a impact in the media. They are coming to epitomise people that you can rely on to say nothing of any note. The kinds of people you need to work on policy based on their deep commitment, concern, and personal experience for what they are doing.

          /sarc

          BTW: I guess that they don’t get asked by the NZ Herald or BusinessDesk at all. I can’t recall seeing any of then in those at all. Someone might want to review the other froth links for our entertainment… I don’t have time.

          • Gosman 9.3.1.1.1

            Nicole McKee has had a Private Members bill pulled from the biscuit tin on Gangs and has been interviewed on that.

          • Gosman 9.3.1.1.2

            I am confident you find anything ANY right wing MP is pretty much how you frame the comments from Nicole and Simon however the point I was countering was that the new ACT MP's were being kept quiet. That is obviously not the case.

            • William 9.3.1.1.2.1

              I'm flicking back & forwards between this thread & making a submission to Wellington City Council regarding the completion of the Evans Bay Cycle Lane. While looking at recent comments made by others I came across this gem posted this morning:

              —————————

              Nicole McKee MP ,

              You need to fix our pipes. This plan removes access to recreational water activities. You're spending money on the wrong thing and taking away recreational activities. Your being blind with arrogance and its sad because you're not listening to the people. You're on your own agenda with blinkers on. You're not a deity, your funded by us – open your ears and listen to the people.

              7 hours ago

              —————————

              Surely she could have run it past someone in the office to avoid the "Ratepayer of Hataitai" vibe and correct the grammar. It's a good example of why they're being kept on a short leash.

          • Higherstandard 9.3.1.1.3

            'They are coming to epitomise people that you can rely on to say nothing of any note. '

            Perhaps they should join the current government ? Although to be fair then they'd also need to become expert in non-delivery of various warbling.

    • Gosman 9.4

      There have been a range of policies and statements from the new ACT MP's

      • Brigid 9.4.1

        Do us a favour and teach Nicole McKee the difference between 'your' and 'you're'

        She seems confused.

  10. Chris T 10

    Brooke van Velden is also fairly spotlighted.

    She asks lots of questions in parliament and has been in the media quite a bit

  11. Stuart Munro 11

    I guess he figures there are a few votes to be squeezed out of Auckland frustration – and it's probably true. Chaos benefits minor parties – hence Winston's sudden reappearance. But chaos isn't particularly good policy – though it may appeal to NRA affiliated enthusiasts.

    Seymour might become a threat if he tended to avoid cheap shots like this, and nutted out plausibly superior policy – but the long habit of being a poodle is hard to break. The worst of the toxic media vermin may even throw him a few treats.

  12. Ad 12

    Act for 20%, that puts the political Ebola into National.

  13. bwaghorn 13

    The main flaw is it could never work , short of walling them off , of course the wealthy probably would like that.

    • Visubversa 13.1

      Until they had to mow their own lawns. clean their own houses, do their own laundry and fill their own swimming pools. Until they realise that their gym is on the other side of the wall, and that they can't drive their 4WD monsters up and down Ponsonby Rd.

  14. DukeEll 14

    "It is also epidemiologically bonkers. The virus does not respect the boundaries of wealthy suburbs. "

    But it does respect 90% vaccination rates. Which could also be seymours point, and would also make it epidemiologically sound

  15. It really sucks that a tiny minority of Aucklanders is holding the rest of us to ransom. We are suffering and paying for their selfishness and total disregard for the wellbeing of others. They are bludgers who do nothing but make life harder for everyone else, they only exist to rip off others and rort the system.

    Crime does pay, especially for Epsom one percenters

    (This is extreme sarcasm FYI: the landlords, banksters and property spruikers of Epsom and Parnell are engaging in class warfare. And Seymour is throwing bones to them)

    • gsays 15.1

      Thanks for clarifying the sarcasm.

      I had a diatribe of epic proportions and I was gonna come from a long run up, a'la Hadlee in his prime.

      • logie97 15.1.1

        Just to correct you there for future reference. Hadlee went as a raw talent to Nottinghamshire cricket owning a long run-up. He had to play (John Player) Sunday league in his first year with a maximum of 20 pace run-ups. As a result of modifying his approach he turned from an average bowler to become the champion he was, off a shortened run.

        • gsays 15.1.1.1

          Thanks for the elucidation (gonna have to sit down after using that word).

        • Macro 15.1.1.2

          Exactly. Says it all in his book "Rhythm and Swing". He had a much shorter run up than a lot of other fast bowlers.

          Maybe Dennis Lillee would have been a better example.

        • Patricia Bremner 15.1.1.3

          Yes, was in Rotorua for a game where Hadley and Howarth had obvious words about his run up at Smallbone Park.

      • Craig Hall 15.1.2

        Michael Holding aka Whispering Death if you want a fast bowler with a very long run up in his prime.

  16. georgecom 16

    Another health gem from the leader of the opposition.

    how about unrestricted travel overseas for people from those suburbs as well, that's a grand idea

  17. barry 17

    Seymour clearly knows something about the virus that has escaped the epidemiologists and microbiologists. There is nothing magic about 90% vaccination rate. It is not a goal, but an aspiration. Anything less than 100% is not going to stop the virus, although the higher the percent vaccinated the lower the number of hospitalisations.

    The people who want to suddenly open up when the percentage hits a certain value (like in NSW and Victoria) are indulging in wishful thinking.

    The virus is what is setting the rules. The government is just discovering them. Luckily the government found the rules for the first strains, but the rules for delta are different, and the government hasn't found them yet. Seymour and the like are making up rules without consulting the virus at all.

  18. logie97 18

    Why hasn't he suggested that the South Island (Christchurch/Queenstown) be opened up for the thousands of overseas citizens to return home to. Do their mandatory 14 days down there and then allow them to go to all points north, including back into lockdowns in Auckland.

  19. coreyjhumm 19

    If the govt listened to him he'd be attacking the govt for abandoning low vaccinated suburbs. This opposition and media have become full on contrarians. Jacindas doing too many press conferences she loves the attention, Jacindas not doing enough press conferences she's afraid of the questions.

    Labour has no plan. Open us up. Labours opening us up and throwing us in harm's way.

    The right can't make up their minds

    This is a stupid idea but in saying that I don't get why commentors above me have judged this as racist when the govt and businesses are already telling the unvaccinated they can't go to bars or events or festivals without a vaccine, the vaccine is free to all regardless of your race or ethnicity, it'd only be classism or racism if the vax was only available to rich white people, the vast vast majority of nz is getting vaxxed regardless of their wealth or ethnicity, some need extra help absolutely but they better hurry up because the clock is ticking and people aren't going to wait for them they have till about mid November to get vaxxed, it's going to be impossible to restrict people who are vaxxed as the vaxxed population increases and people demand their lives back the team of five million idea dies and becomes the team of vaccinated and the team of unvaccinated and team of unvaccinated.

    The problem indeed with this is that people who work and study in suburbs don't always live there so you'd have unvaxed people traveling to vaxxed areas where the unvaxed person is likely to get sick. It's a dumb idea.

    There are loads of restrictions coming these aren't racist or classist when the jab is freely available to all. We will eventually be a no jab no service society, so get vaccinated or you'll be a social pariah or worse dead.

    The publics patience with the unvaccinated is wearing thin but having suburbs that have high vaccination rates go to level one is dumb.

    Seymour isnt racist but he is classist and always will be a tosser and a hypoctical contrarian career politician whose been running for office since he turned 18 yet insults career politicians.

    Book your vaccine appointment today. Delta is coming and it's going to kill a lot of unvaccinated people.

  20. Gezza 20

    It just randomly occurred to me that a better title for this post might have been:

    David Seymour is all [cl] ass

    😕

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

  • Bernard’s Saturday Soliloquy for the week to July 27

    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My top six things to note around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the week to July 27 were:1. The Minister for Ford Rangers strikes againTransport Minister Simeon Brown was again the busiest of the Cabinet ministers this week, announcing an ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    16 mins ago
  • Ticket To Anywhere

    You got a fast carAnd I want a ticket to anywhereMaybe we make a dealMaybe together we can get somewhereAny place is betterYesterday’s newsletter, Trust In Me, on the report of abuse in state care, and by religious organisations, between 1950 and 2019, coupled with the hypocrisy of Christopher Luxon ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    58 mins ago
  • Stories of varying weight

    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on anything you may have missed. Share Read more ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 hours ago
  • Balancing External Security and the Economy

    New Zealand is again having to reconcile conflicting pressures from its military and its trade interests. Should we join Pillar Two of AUKUS and risk compromising our markets in China? For a century after New Zealand was founded in 1840, its external security arrangements and external economics arrangements were aligned. ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    18 hours ago
  • Weekly Climate Wrap: The unravelling of the offsets

    The ‘50 Shades of Green’ farmers’ protest in 2019 was heavy on climate change denial, but five years on, scepticism and criticism about the idea that pine forests can save us is growing across the board. File photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s the top six news items of note in climate ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    23 hours ago
  • What makes us tick

    This morning the sky was bright.The birds, in their usual joyous bliss. Nature doesn’t seem to feel the heat of what might angst humans.Their calls are clear and beautiful.Just some random thoughts:MāoriPaul Goldsmith has announced his government will roll back the judiciary’s rulings on Māori Customary Marine Title, which recognises ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    24 hours ago
  • Foreshore and seabed 2.0

    In 2003, the Court of Appeal delivered its decision in Ngati Apa v Attorney-General, ruling that Māori customary title over the foreshore and seabed had not been universally extinguished, and that the Māori Land Court could determine claims and confirm title if the facts supported it. This kicked off the ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 day ago
  • Gordon Campbell on the Royal Commission report into abuse in care

    Earlier this week at Parliament, Labour leader Chris Hipkins was applauded for saying that the response to the final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care had to be “bigger than politics.” True, but the fine words, apologies and “we hear you” messages will soon ring ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    1 day ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Friday, July 26

    TL;DR: In news breaking this morning:The Ministry of Education is cutting $2 billion from its school building programme so the National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government has enough money to deliver tax cuts; The Government has quietly lowered its child poverty reduction targets to make them easier to achieve;Te Whatu Ora-Health NZ’s ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Weekly Roundup 26-July-2024

    Kia ora. These are some stories that caught our eye this week – as always, feel free to share yours in the comments. Our header image this week (via Eke Panuku) shows the planned upgrade for the Karanga Plaza Tidal Swimming Steps. The week in Greater Auckland On ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    1 day ago
  • God what a relief

    1. What's not to love about the way the Harris campaign is turning things around?a. Nothingb. Love all of itc. God what a reliefd. Not that it will be by any means easye. All of the above 2. Documents released by the Ministry of Health show Associate Health Minister Casey ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 day ago
  • Trust In Me

    Trust in me in all you doHave the faith I have in youLove will see us through, if only you trust in meWhy don't you, you trust me?In a week that saw the release of the 3,000 page Abuse in Care report Christopher Luxon was being asked about Boot Camps. ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 day ago
  • The Hoon around the week to July 26

    TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking about the Royal Commission Inquiry into Abuse in Care report released this week, and with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on a UN push to not recognise carbon offset markets and ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Friday, July 26

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 26, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Transport: Simeon Brown announced $802.9 million in funding for 18 new trains on the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines, which ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Radical law changes needed to build road

    The northern expressway extension from Warkworth to Whangarei is likely to require radical changes to legislation if it is going to be built within the foreseeable future. The Government’s powers to purchase land, the planning process and current restrictions on road tolling are all going to need to be changed ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    1 day ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #30 2024

    Open access notables Could an extremely cold central European winter such as 1963 happen again despite climate change?, Sippel et al., Weather and Climate Dynamics: Here, we first show based on multiple attribution methods that a winter of similar circulation conditions to 1963 would still lead to an extreme seasonal ...
    2 days ago
  • First they came for the Māori

    Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedFirst they came for the doctors But I was confused by the numbers and costs So I didn't speak up Then they came for our police and nurses And I didn't think we could afford those costs anyway So I ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    2 days ago
  • Join us for the weekly Hoon on YouTube Live

    Photo by Joshua J. Cotten on UnsplashWe’re back again after our mid-winter break. We’re still with the ‘new’ day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when we have our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Will the real PM Luxon please stand up?

    Notes: This is a free article. Abuse in Care themes are mentioned. Video is at the bottom.BackgroundYesterday’s report into Abuse in Care revealed that at least 1 in 3 of all who went through state and faith based care were abused - often horrifically. At least, because not all survivors ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    2 days ago
  • Will debt reduction trump abuse in care redress?

    Luxon speaks in Parliament yesterday about the Abuse in Care report. Photo: Hagen Hopkins/Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:PM Christopher Luxon said yesterday in tabling the Abuse in Care report in Parliament he wanted to ‘do the ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Olywhites and Time Bandits

    About a decade ago I worked with a bloke called Steve. He was the grizzled veteran coder, a few years older than me, who knew where the bodies were buried - code wise. Despite his best efforts to be approachable and friendly he could be kind of gruff, through to ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Why were the 1930s so hot in North America?

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Jeff Masters and Bob Henson Those who’ve trawled social media during heat waves have likely encountered a tidbit frequently used to brush aside human-caused climate change: Many U.S. states and cities had their single hottest temperature on record during the 1930s, setting incredible heat marks ...
    2 days ago
  • Throwback Thursday – Thinking about Expressways

    Some of the recent announcements from the government have reminded us of posts we’ve written in the past. Here’s one from early 2020. There were plenty of reactions to the government’s infrastructure announcement a few weeks ago which saw them fund a bunch of big roading projects. One of ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    2 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Thursday, July 25

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Thursday, July 25 are:News: Why Electric Kiwi is closing to new customers - and why it matters RNZ’s Susan EdmundsScoop: Government drops ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • The Possum: Demon or Friend?

    Hi,I felt a small wet tongue snaking through one of the holes in my Crocs. It explored my big toe, darting down one side, then the other. “He’s looking for some toe cheese,” said the woman next to me, words that still haunt me to this day.Growing up in New ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago
  • Not a story

    Yesterday I happily quoted the Prime Minister without fact-checking him and sure enough, it turns out his numbers were all to hell. It’s not four kg of Royal Commission report, it’s fourteen.My friend and one-time colleague-in-comms Hazel Phillips gently alerted me to my error almost as soon as I’d hit ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Thursday, July 25

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Thursday, July 25, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day were:The Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry published its final report yesterday.PM Christopher Luxon and The Minister responsible for ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • A tougher line on “proactive release”?

    The Official Information Act has always been a battle between requesters seeking information, and governments seeking to control it. Information is power, so Ministers and government agencies want to manage what is released and when, for their own convenience, and legality and democracy be damned. Their most recent tactic for ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago
  • 'Let's build a motorway costing $100 million per km, before emissions costs'

    TL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:Transport and Energy Minister Simeon Brown is accelerating plans to spend at least $10 billion through Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) to extend State Highway One as a four-lane ‘Expressway’ from Warkworth to Whangarei ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Lester's Prescription – Positive Bleeding.

    I live my life (woo-ooh-ooh)With no control in my destinyYea-yeah, yea-yeah (woo-ooh-ooh)I can bleed when I want to bleedSo come on, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)You can bleed when you want to bleedYea-yeah, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)Everybody bleed when they want to bleedCome on and bleedGovernments face tough challenges. Selling unpopular decisions to ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • Casey Costello gaslights Labour in the House

    Please note:To skip directly to the- parliamentary footage in the video, scroll to 1:21 To skip to audio please click on the headphone icon on the left hand side of the screenThis video / audio section is under development. ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    3 days ago
  • Why is the Texas grid in such bad shape?

    This is a re-post from the Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler Headline from 2021 The Texas grid, run by ERCOT, has had a rough few years. In 2021, winter storm Uri blacked out much of the state for several days. About a week ago, Hurricane Beryl knocked out ...
    3 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on a textbook case of spending waste by the Luxon government

    Given the crackdown on wasteful government spending, it behooves me to point to a high profile example of spending by the Luxon government that looks like a big, fat waste of time and money. I’m talking about the deployment of NZDF personnel to support the US-led coalition in the Red ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    3 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Wednesday, July 24

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:40 am on Wednesday, July 24 are:Deep Dive: Chipping away at the housing crisis, including my comments RNZ/Newsroom’s The DetailNews: Government softens on asset sales, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • LXR Takaanini

    As I reported about the city centre, Auckland’s rail network is also going through a difficult and disruptive period which is rapidly approaching a culmination, this will result in a significant upgrade to the whole network. Hallelujah. Also like the city centre this is an upgrade predicated on the City ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    3 days ago
  • Four kilograms of pain

    Today, a 4 kilogram report will be delivered to Parliament. We know this is what the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care weighs, because our Prime Minister told us so.Some reporter had blindsided him by asking a question about something done by ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Wednesday, July 24

    TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Wednesday, July 24, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Beehive: Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced plans to use PPPs to fund, build and run a four-lane expressway between Auckland ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Luxon gets caught out

    NewstalkZB host Mike Hosking, who can usually be relied on to give Prime Minister Christopher Luxon an easy run, did not do so yesterday when he interviewed him about the HealthNZ deficit. Luxon is trying to use a deficit reported last year by HealthNZ as yet another example of the ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago
  • A worrying sign

    Back in January a StatsNZ employee gave a speech at Rātana on behalf of tangata whenua in which he insulted and criticised the government. The speech clearly violated the principle of a neutral public service, and StatsNZ started an investigation. Part of that was getting an external consultant to examine ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Are we fine with 47.9% home-ownership by 2048?

    Renting for life: Shared ownership initiatives are unlikely to slow the slide in home ownership by much. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:A Deloitte report for Westpac has projected Aotearoa’s home-ownership rate will ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Let's Win This

    You're broken down and tiredOf living life on a merry go roundAnd you can't find the fighterBut I see it in you so we gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsWe gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsAnd I'll rise upI'll rise like the dayI'll rise upI'll rise unafraidI'll rise upAnd I'll ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Waimahara: The Singing Spirit of Water

    There’s been a change in Myers Park. Down the steps from St. Kevin’s Arcade, past the grassy slopes, the children’s playground, the benches and that goat statue, there has been a transformation. The underpass for Mayoral Drive has gone from a barren, grey, concrete tunnel, to a place that thrums ...
    Greater AucklandBy Connor Sharp
    4 days ago
  • A major milestone: Global climate pollution may have just peaked

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Global society may have finally slammed on the brakes for climate-warming pollution released by human fossil fuel combustion. According to the Carbon Monitor Project, the total global climate pollution released between February and May 2024 declined slightly from the amount released during the same ...
    4 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Tuesday, July 23

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Tuesday, July 23 are:Deep Dive: Penlink: where tolling rhetoric meets reality BusinessDesk-$$$’s Oliver LewisScoop: Te Pūkenga plans for regional polytechs leak out ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Tuesday, July 23

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Tuesday, July 23, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Health: Shane Reti announced the Board of Te Whatu Ora- Health New Zealand was being replaced with Commissioner Lester Levy ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • HealthNZ and Luxon at cross purposes over budget blowout

    Health NZ warned the Government at the end of March that it was running over Budget. But the reasons it gave were very different to those offered by the Prime Minister yesterday. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon blamed the “botched merger” of the 20 District Health Boards (DHBs) to create Health ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago
  • 2500-3000 more healthcare staff expected to be fired, as Shane Reti blames Labour for a budget defic...

    Long ReadKey Summary: Although National increased the health budget by $1.4 billion in May, they used an old funding model to project health system costs, and never bothered to update their pre-election numbers. They were told during the Health Select Committees earlier in the year their budget amount was deficient, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    4 days ago
  • Might Kamala Harris be about to get a 'stardust' moment like Jacinda Ardern?

    As a momentous, historic weekend in US politics unfolded, analysts and commentators grasped for precedents and comparisons to help explain the significance and power of the choice Joe Biden had made. The 46th president had swept the Democratic party’s primaries but just over 100 days from the election had chosen ...
    PunditBy Tim Watkin
    5 days ago
  • Solutions Interview: Steven Hail on MMT & ecological economics

    TL;DR: I’m casting around for new ideas and ways of thinking about Aotearoa’s political economy to find a few solutions to our cascading and self-reinforcing housing, poverty and climate crises.Associate Professor runs an online masters degree in the economics of sustainability at Torrens University in Australia and is organising ...
    The KakaBy Steven Hail
    5 days ago
  • Reported back

    The Finance and Expenditure Committee has reported back on National's Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Bill. The bill sets up water for privatisation, and was introduced under urgency, then rammed through select committee with no time even for local councils to make a proper submission. Naturally, national's select committee ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Vandrad the Viking, Christopher Coombes, and Literary Archaeology

    Some years ago, I bought a book at Dunedin’s Regent Booksale for $1.50. As one does. Vandrad the Viking (1898), by J. Storer Clouston, is an obscure book these days – I cannot find a proper online review – but soon it was sitting on my shelf, gathering dust alongside ...
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell On The Biden Withdrawal

    History is not on the side of the centre-left, when Democratic presidents fall behind in the polls and choose not to run for re-election. On both previous occasions in the past 75 years (Harry Truman in 1952, Lyndon Johnson in 1968) the Democrats proceeded to then lose the White House ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    5 days ago
  • Joe Biden's withdrawal puts the spotlight back on Kamala and the USA's complicated relatio...

    This is a free articleCoverageThis morning, US President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the Presidential race. And that is genuinely newsworthy. Thanks for your service, President Biden, and all the best to you and yours.However, the media in New Zealand, particularly the 1News nightly bulletin, has been breathlessly covering ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    5 days ago
  • Why we have to challenge our national fiscal assumptions

    A homeless person’s camp beside a blocked-off slipped damage walkway in Freeman’s Bay: we are chasing our tail on our worsening and inter-related housing, poverty and climate crises. Photo: Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Existential Crisis and Damaged Brains

    What has happened to it all?Crazy, some'd sayWhere is the life that I recognise?(Gone away)But I won't cry for yesterdayThere's an ordinary worldSomehow I have to findAnd as I try to make my wayTo the ordinary worldYesterday morning began as many others - what to write about today? I began ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • A speed limit is not a target, and yet…

    This is a guest post from longtime supporter Mr Plod, whose previous contributions include a proposal that Hamilton become New Zealand’s capital city, and that we should switch which side of the road we drive on. A recent Newsroom article, “Back to school for the Govt’s new speed limit policy“, ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    5 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Monday, July 22

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Monday, July 22 are:Today’s Must Read: Father and son live in a tent, and have done for four years, in a million ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Monday, July 22

    TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Monday, July 22, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:US President Joe Biden announced via X this morning he would not stand for a second term.Multinational professional services firm ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #29

    A listing of 32 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, July 14, 2024 thru Sat, July 20, 2024. Story of the week As reflected by preponderance of coverage, our Story of the Week is Project 2025. Until now traveling ...
    6 days ago
  • I'd like to share what I did this weekend

    This weekend, a friend pointed out someone who said they’d like to read my posts, but didn’t want to pay. And my first reaction was sympathy.I’ve already told folks that if they can’t comfortably subscribe, and would like to read, I’d be happy to offer free subscriptions. I don’t want ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • For the children – Why mere sentiment can be a misleading force in our lives, and lead to unex...

    National: The Party of ‘Law and Order’ IntroductionThis weekend, the Government formally kicked off one of their flagship policy programs: a military style boot camp that New Zealand has experimented with over the past 50 years. Cartoon credit: Guy BodyIt’s very popular with the National Party’s Law and Order image, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • A friend in uncertain times

    Day one of the solo leg of my long journey home begins with my favourite sound: footfalls in an empty street. 5.00 am and it’s already light and already too warm, almost.If I can make the train that leaves Budapest later this hour I could be in Belgrade by nightfall; ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • The Chaotic World of Male Diet Influencers

    Hi,We’ll get to the horrific world of male diet influencers (AKA Beefy Boys) shortly, but first you will be glad to know that since I sent out the Webworm explaining why the assassination attempt on Donald Trump was not a false flag operation, I’ve heard from a load of people ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago
  • It's Starting To Look A Lot Like… Y2K

    Do you remember Y2K, the threat that hung over humanity in the closing days of the twentieth century? Horror scenarios of planes falling from the sky, electronic payments failing and ATMs refusing to dispense cash. As for your VCR following instructions and recording your favourite show - forget about it.All ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Bernard’s Saturday Soliloquy for the week to July 20

    Climate Change Minister Simon Watts being questioned by The Kākā’s Bernard Hickey.TL;DR: My top six things to note around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the week to July 20 were:1. A strategy that fails Zero Carbon Act & Paris targetsThe National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government finally unveiled ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Pharmac Director, Climate Change Commissioner, Health NZ Directors – The latest to quit this m...

    Summary:As New Zealand loses at least 12 leaders in the public service space of health, climate, and pharmaceuticals, this month alone, directly in response to the Government’s policies and budget choices, what lies ahead may be darker than it appears. Tui examines some of those departures and draws a long ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week ago
  • Flooding Housing Policy

    The Minister of Housing’s ambition is to reduce markedly the ratio of house prices to household incomes. If his strategy works it would transform the housing market, dramatically changing the prospects of housing as an investment.Leaving aside the Minister’s metaphor of ‘flooding the market’ I do not see how the ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    1 week ago
  • A Voyage Among the Vandals: Accepted (Again!)

    As previously noted, my historical fantasy piece, set in the fifth-century Mediterranean, was accepted for a Pirate Horror anthology, only for the anthology to later fall through. But in a good bit of news, it turned out that the story could indeed be re-marketed as sword and sorcery. As of ...
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā's Chorus for Friday, July 19

    An employee of tobacco company Philip Morris International demonstrates a heated tobacco device. Photo: Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy on Friday, July 19 are:At a time when the Coalition Government is cutting spending on health, infrastructure, education, housing ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Friday, July 19

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 8:30 am on Friday, July 19 are:Scoop: NZ First Minister Casey Costello orders 50% cut to excise tax on heated tobacco products. The minister has ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Roundup 19-July-2024

    Kia ora, it’s time for another Friday roundup, in which we pull together some of the links and stories that caught our eye this week. Feel free to add more in the comments! Our header image this week shows a foggy day in Auckland town, captured by Patrick Reynolds. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Climate Wrap: A market-led plan for failure

    TL;DR : Here’s the top six items climate news for Aotearoa this week, as selected by Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer. A discussion recorded yesterday is in the video above and the audio of that sent onto the podcast feed.The Government released its draft Emissions Reduction ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Tobacco First

    Save some money, get rich and old, bring it back to Tobacco Road.Bring that dynamite and a crane, blow it up, start all over again.Roll up. Roll up. Or tailor made, if you prefer...Whether you’re selling ciggies, digging for gold, catching dolphins in your nets, or encouraging folks to flutter ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Trump’s Adopted Son.

    Waiting In The Wings: For truly, if Trump is America’s un-assassinated Caesar, then J.D. Vance is America’s Octavian, the Republic’s youthful undertaker – and its first Emperor.DONALD TRUMP’S SELECTION of James D. Vance as his running-mate bodes ill for the American republic. A fervent supporter of Viktor Orban, the “illiberal” prime ...
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Friday, July 19

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 19, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:The PSA announced the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) had ruled in the PSA’s favour in its case against the Ministry ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago

  • Joint statement from the Prime Ministers of Canada, Australia and New Zealand

    Australia, Canada and New Zealand today issued the following statement on the need for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza and the risk of expanded conflict between Hizballah and Israel. The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. The human suffering is unacceptable. It cannot continue.  We remain unequivocal in our condemnation of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    17 hours ago
  • AG reminds institutions of legal obligations

    Attorney-General Judith Collins today reminded all State and faith-based institutions of their legal obligation to preserve records relevant to the safety and wellbeing of those in its care. “The Abuse in Care Inquiry’s report has found cases where records of the most vulnerable people in State and faith‑based institutions were ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    20 hours ago
  • More young people learning about digital safety

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government’s online safety website for children and young people has reached one million page views.  “It is great to see so many young people and their families accessing the site Keep It Real Online to learn how to stay safe online, and manage ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    21 hours ago
  • Speech to the Conference for General Practice 2024

    Tēnā tātou katoa,  Ngā mihi te rangi, ngā mihi te whenua, ngā mihi ki a koutou, kia ora mai koutou. Thank you for the opportunity to be here and the invitation to speak at this 50th anniversary conference. I acknowledge all those who have gone before us and paved the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    23 hours ago
  • Employers and payroll providers ready for tax changes

    New Zealand’s payroll providers have successfully prepared to ensure 3.5 million individuals will, from Wednesday next week, be able to keep more of what they earn each pay, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Revenue Minister Simon Watts.  “The Government's tax policy changes are legally effective from Wednesday. Delivering this tax ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Experimental vineyard futureproofs wine industry

    An experimental vineyard which will help futureproof the wine sector has been opened in Blenheim by Associate Regional Development Minister Mark Patterson. The covered vineyard, based at the New Zealand Wine Centre – Te Pokapū Wāina o Aotearoa, enables controlled environmental conditions. “The research that will be produced at the Experimental ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Funding confirmed for regions affected by North Island Weather Events

    The Coalition Government has confirmed the indicative regional breakdown of North Island Weather Event (NIWE) funding for state highway recovery projects funded through Budget 2024, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Regions in the North Island suffered extensive and devastating damage from Cyclone Gabrielle and the 2023 Auckland Anniversary Floods, and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Indonesian Foreign Minister to visit

    Indonesia’s Foreign Minister, Retno Marsudi, will visit New Zealand next week, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced.   “Indonesia is important to New Zealand’s security and economic interests and is our closest South East Asian neighbour,” says Mr Peters, who is currently in Laos to engage with South East Asian partners. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Strengthening partnership with Ngāti Maniapoto

    He aha te kai a te rangatira? He kōrero, he kōrero, he kōrero. The government has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the aspirations of Ngāti Maniapoto, Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka says. “My thanks to Te Nehenehenui Trust – Ngāti Maniapoto for bringing their important kōrero to a ministerial ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Transport Minister thanks outgoing CAA Chair

    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has thanked outgoing Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority, Janice Fredric, for her service to the board.“I have received Ms Fredric’s resignation from the role of Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority,” Mr Brown says.“On behalf of the Government, I want to thank Ms Fredric for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Test for Customary Marine Title being restored

    The Government is proposing legislation to overturn a Court of Appeal decision and amend the Marine and Coastal Area Act in order to restore Parliament’s test for Customary Marine Title, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says.  “Section 58 required an applicant group to prove they have exclusively used and occupied ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Opposition united in bad faith over ECE sector review

    Regulation Minister David Seymour says that opposition parties have united in bad faith, opposing what they claim are ‘dangerous changes’ to the Early Childhood Education sector, despite no changes even being proposed yet.  “Issues with affordability and availability of early childhood education, and the complexity of its regulation, has led ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Kiwis having their say on first regulatory review

    After receiving more than 740 submissions in the first 20 days, Regulation Minister David Seymour is asking the Ministry for Regulation to extend engagement on the early childhood education regulation review by an extra two weeks.  “The level of interest has been very high, and from the conversations I’ve been ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government upgrading Lower North Island commuter rail

    The Coalition Government is investing $802.9 million into the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines as part of a funding agreement with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA), KiwiRail, and the Greater Wellington and Horizons Regional Councils to deliver more reliable services for commuters in the lower North Island, Transport Minister Simeon ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government moves to ensure flood protection for Wairoa

    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced his intention to appoint a Crown Manager to both Hawke’s Bay Regional and Wairoa District Councils to speed up the delivery of flood protection work in Wairoa."Recent severe weather events in Wairoa this year, combined with damage from Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023 have ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • PM speech to Parliament – Royal Commission of Inquiry’s Report into Abuse in Care

    Mr Speaker, this is a day that many New Zealanders who were abused in State care never thought would come. It’s the day that this Parliament accepts, with deep sorrow and regret, the Report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care.  At the heart of this report are the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government acknowledges torture at Lake Alice

    For the first time, the Government is formally acknowledging some children and young people at Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital experienced torture. The final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care “Whanaketia – through pain and trauma, from darkness to light,” was tabled in Parliament ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government acknowledges courageous abuse survivors

    The Government has acknowledged the nearly 2,400 courageous survivors who shared their experiences during the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State and Faith-Based Care. The final report from the largest and most complex public inquiry ever held in New Zealand, the Royal Commission Inquiry “Whanaketia – through ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Half a million people use tax calculator

    With a week to go before hard-working New Zealanders see personal income tax relief for the first time in fourteen years, 513,000 people have used the Budget tax calculator to see how much they will benefit, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis.  “Tax relief is long overdue. From next Wednesday, personal income ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Paid Parental Leave improvements pass first reading

    Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden says a bill that has passed its first reading will improve parental leave settings and give non-biological parents more flexibility as primary carer for their child. The Regulatory Systems Amendment Bill (No3), passed its first reading this morning. “It includes a change ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Rebuilding the economy through better regulation

    Two Bills designed to improve regulation and make it easier to do business have passed their first reading in Parliament, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. The Regulatory Systems (Economic Development) Amendment Bill and Regulatory Systems (Immigration and Workforce) Amendment Bill make key changes to legislation administered by the Ministry ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • ‘Open banking’ and ‘open electricity’ on the way

    New legislation paves the way for greater competition in sectors such as banking and electricity, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “Competitive markets boost productivity, create employment opportunities and lift living standards. To support competition, we need good quality regulation but, unfortunately, a recent OECD report ranked New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Charity lotteries to be permitted to operate online

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says lotteries for charitable purposes, such as those run by the Heart Foundation, Coastguard NZ, and local hospices, will soon be allowed to operate online permanently. “Under current laws, these fundraising lotteries are only allowed to operate online until October 2024, after which ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Accelerating Northland Expressway

    The Coalition Government is accelerating work on the new four-lane expressway between Auckland and Whangārei as part of its Roads of National Significance programme, with an accelerated delivery model to deliver this project faster and more efficiently, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “For too long, the lack of resilient transport connections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Sir Don to travel to Viet Nam as special envoy

    Sir Don McKinnon will travel to Viet Nam this week as a Special Envoy of the Government, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced.    “It is important that the Government give due recognition to the significant contributions that General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong made to New Zealand-Viet Nam relations,” Mr ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Grant Illingworth KC appointed as transitional Commissioner to Royal Commission

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says newly appointed Commissioner, Grant Illingworth KC, will help deliver the report for the first phase of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons, due on 28 November 2024.  “I am pleased to announce that Mr Illingworth will commence his appointment as ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • NZ to advance relationships with ASEAN partners

    Foreign Minister Winston Peters travels to Laos this week to participate in a series of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-led Ministerial meetings in Vientiane.    “ASEAN plays an important role in supporting a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific,” Mr Peters says.   “This will be our third visit to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Backing mental health services on the West Coast

    Construction of a new mental health facility at Te Nikau Grey Hospital in Greymouth is today one step closer, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “This $27 million facility shows this Government is delivering on its promise to boost mental health care and improve front line services,” Mr Doocey says. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • NZ support for sustainable Pacific fisheries

    New Zealand is committing nearly $50 million to a package supporting sustainable Pacific fisheries development over the next four years, Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones announced today. “This support consisting of a range of initiatives demonstrates New Zealand’s commitment to assisting our Pacific partners ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Students’ needs at centre of new charter school adjustments

    Associate Education Minister David Seymour says proposed changes to the Education and Training Amendment Bill will ensure charter schools have more flexibility to negotiate employment agreements and are equipped with the right teaching resources. “Cabinet has agreed to progress an amendment which means unions will not be able to initiate ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Commissioner replaces Health NZ Board

    In response to serious concerns around oversight, overspend and a significant deterioration in financial outlook, the Board of Health New Zealand will be replaced with a Commissioner, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti announced today.  “The previous government’s botched health reforms have created significant financial challenges at Health NZ that, without ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Minister to speak at Australian Space Forum

    Minister for Space and Science, Innovation and Technology Judith Collins will travel to Adelaide tomorrow for space and science engagements, including speaking at the Australian Space Forum.  While there she will also have meetings and visits with a focus on space, biotechnology and innovation.  “New Zealand has a thriving space ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Climate Change Minister to attend climate action meeting in China

    Climate Change Minister Simon Watts will travel to China on Saturday to attend the Ministerial on Climate Action meeting held in Wuhan.  “Attending the Ministerial on Climate Action is an opportunity to advocate for New Zealand climate priorities and engage with our key partners on climate action,” Mr Watts says. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Oceans and Fisheries Minister to Solomons

    Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is travelling to the Solomon Islands tomorrow for meetings with his counterparts from around the Pacific supporting collective management of the region’s fisheries. The 23rd Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Committee and the 5th Regional Fisheries Ministers’ Meeting in Honiara from 23 to 26 July ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Government launches Military Style Academy Pilot

    The Government today launched the Military Style Academy Pilot at Te Au rere a te Tonga Youth Justice residence in Palmerston North, an important part of the Government’s plan to crackdown on youth crime and getting youth offenders back on track, Minister for Children, Karen Chhour said today. “On the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Nine priority bridge replacements to get underway

    The Government has welcomed news the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has begun work to replace nine priority bridges across the country to ensure our state highway network remains resilient, reliable, and efficient for road users, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“Increasing productivity and economic growth is a key priority for the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Update on global IT outage

    Acting Prime Minister David Seymour has been in contact throughout the evening with senior officials who have coordinated a whole of government response to the global IT outage and can provide an update. The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet has designated the National Emergency Management Agency as the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • New Zealand, Japan renew Pacific partnership

    New Zealand and Japan will continue to step up their shared engagement with the Pacific, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.    “New Zealand and Japan have a strong, shared interest in a free, open and stable Pacific Islands region,” Mr Peters says.    “We are pleased to be finding more ways ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • New infrastructure energises BOP forestry towns

    New developments in the heart of North Island forestry country will reinvigorate their communities and boost economic development, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones visited Kaingaroa and Kawerau in Bay of Plenty today to open a landmark community centre in the former and a new connecting road in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • 'Pacific Futures'

    President Adeang, fellow Ministers, honourable Diet Member Horii, Ambassadors, distinguished guests.    Minasama, konnichiwa, and good afternoon, everyone.    Distinguished guests, it’s a pleasure to be here with you today to talk about New Zealand’s foreign policy reset, the reasons for it, the values that underpin it, and how it ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2024-07-27T00:43:00+00:00