Holding our covid nerve

Written By: - Date published: 9:31 am, October 6th, 2021 - 48 comments
Categories: covid-19, labour, vaccines - Tags: ,

A lot has happened in the past half week with covid in New Zealand. I’ve barely kept up, relying on social media and news headlines while I’ve been distracted by other things. The main message I’ve had has been fairly chaotic with an undertone of panic (and some bullshit narratives from the international MSM). Last night I finally sat down and listened to the 4pm press conference from Monday, and discovered that it was coherent and consistent with Labour and the Ministry of Health’s plans, and that it made sense.

Here’s what I heard from Ardern and Bloomfield,

  1. We haven’t been able to eliminate the Auckland outbreak with existing tools, largely because of the nature of the delta variant.
  2. The longer term plan had been to transition to less reliance on lockdowns, once most New Zealanders were vaccinated.
  3. The delta outbreak has brought this strategy forward, but it’s still an ongoing process with a lot of uncertainty.
  4. At this point the focus is on Auckland and helping the city transition out of Level Three, but we have parallel transitions: Auckland now down through the levels, New Zealand as a whole over a longer time where vaccination replaces lockdowns as a primary tool.
  5. To do this, we need to keep on vaccinating as many people as possible.
  6. The government will continue to do the same things it did with the elimination strategy, now and in the future: comprehensive testing, contact tracing, genome sequencing, managed isolation and quarantine, and various levels of lockdown as needed.
  7. The government is also adapting around the persistence of the Auckland Delta outbreak, being realistic about people’s ability to maintain the necessary behaviours under hard lockdowns. It intends to do weekly pause and assess of the plan as it monitors the situation.

So we know that elimination is probably no longer possible in an absolute sense at thist stage, but that we will keep doing as much as humanly possible to stamp out infections and contain covid outbreaks while getting as many people vaccinated as possible.

There are still a lot of unknowns. We’ve seen some recent modelling about hospital overload and covid deaths even with a 90% vax rate (not a lot yet about long covid but this conversation is starting). We don’t know how this will play out in real life, nor what the nationwide transition to whatever the next phase is will look like. It’s much clearer now that we should prepare for covid deaths, long covid, and pressures on the health system, it’s more an issue of to what degree. I can’t see any way that this can be predicted.

It’s also very clear that this is not a strategy of let covid into the community and let vulnerable people look after themselves. And while I am sure that economics is a major factor for Labour, it’s also not a strategy of economy over people which is what we would have if NACT were in power.

I remain doubtful about border reopening to anything like what we had pre-pandemic, and I think the idea that the vaccine would mean never having another Level 4 lockdown is naive. But I do still by and large trust Labour despite them not being perfect in the face of the biggest challenge New Zealand has faced in our lifetimes. And, critically, I trust them despite them not doing what I want (abandoning neoliberalism and embracing social justice, sustainability and resiliency). Our success isn’t that dependent upon on us all agreeing.

Uncertainty is the name of the game, or one of them. Adaptability is another. That it’s not working out perfectly doesn’t mean we or the government are failing. What I think we need more of at this point is stories about ‘what if things work out’.  Not in a Pollyanna or return to BAU sense, we’re probably not going to get what we want. But we can still be ok and we need strong narratives of what that might be like, us being ok despite the pandemic.

I was pleased to hear Bloomfield point out that most people in Auckland, and New Zealand, are adhering to lockdown rules without any oversight or enforcement. It’s just a beautiful reframing in the middle of a press conference focused on things not going well.

Also pleasing was Ardern reiterating that vulnerable groups such as Māori remain a high priority in the vaccination programme and that this isn’t a passive process, it’s about actively going out to those communities and doing the mahi to make it work. There’s something here about how encouragement can lift spirits as well as open doors to hesitant or distracted people. What reaches people and calls them in?

My personal hope remains that we step up and take advantage of the opportunities the pandemic offers us as the opening to climate transition. We are inundated with so many stressful and scary messages about the state of the world, let’s not forget we can also ask What could possibly go right?

This from Judith Schwartz in that post, regarding climate change but could equally apply to our covid life,

… I want to speak to the brilliance and importance of that question, because it’s a question we tend not to ask. Yet we need to ask that question, perhaps more now than ever, because if we can’t envision what we want, what we wish for, what we aspire to, then how are we ever going to get there? So I think that what we have been dealing with, to a large extent, is a lack of imagination and creativity. So let’s open up that creativity.

…

I felt a disconnect between the hope and excitement of people who are engaged in regenerative agriculture and different kinds of ecosystem restoration projects, and people who don’t know that this is going on, who say we’re doomed and don’t know where to put their energy. So I wanted to make that connection to say, Hey, we are where we are, and we need to accept that, and accept that we don’t know where things are going. But let’s look at where we do have agency. In particular, let’s look at where we have more agency than we think we do…

The bigger conversation here, the one that requires courage, and the one that New Zealand should be having, is what is the balance point between preventing death and disability, and maintaining quality of economic and social life? I don’t want us to leave this to a default position arising from Labour, the opposition and the MSM hashing it out.

The deeper conversation is what kind of lives do we want to be living given the constraints we will have to live with going forward. Not just the deaths vs economics equation we’ve been avoiding (thankfully) the whole pandemic, but what does quality of life look like now and in the future? What do we want it to look like?

We all should have a say in this.

48 comments on “Holding our covid nerve ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. Robert Guyton 1
    6 October 2021 at 9:33 am

    I'm with Judith Schwartz!

  2. mickysavage 2
    6 October 2021 at 9:38 am

    Good post Weka. A lot of the shock horror response I have struggled with. That day when we had 46 new cases I am sure the collective heads of cabinet sagged. Elimination may be possible but it is not likely.

    Dealing with Covid is like skiing downhill very fast and having to make micro adjustments to keep going and trying not to crash.

    • weka 2.1
      6 October 2021 at 12:59 pm

      Got to feel for all of Labour and the MoH and allied staff. We're such a harsh country, and forget about how it's humans running the show. It's not just front line workers carrying the heavy load, there are MPs, staffers and MoH people who've not had a break from managing this crisis in 18 months.

  3. Ad 3
    6 October 2021 at 10:07 am

    The two sentiments don't seem to overlap.

    The role of the state to intervene with strength deep into even the least available of New Zealand's citizens and groups is so much clearer.

    But that's not crossing over into broader idealism. We've come out of lockdown three times and the only protests wanting something different were from angry farmers, anti-vaxxer+liberatarians, and 1%-er capitalists. From those protests the only party rising strongly is Act.

    Perhaps it ought to be a moment for expanding idealism, but it just isn't.

    • Tiger Mountain 3.1
      6 October 2021 at 10:39 am

      COVID has exposed like little else could, that Aotearoa NZ is now absolutely a Tale of Two Cities–where 50% have just 2% of the wealth. Neo lib enforced inequality has also guided us to lack of ICU capability, and general DHB under capacity and inconsistency.

      Hello–there is an alienated underclass in this country! Those with full pantrys and home offices can survive lockdowns well enough, but those who cannot will still come back to bite the middle class when healthcare becomes less functional for non COVID related matters.

      A class left focused eco socialist path is the way forward, and what organisational shape that takes will be illustrated in 2023 and 2026 General Elections as the boomer replacement gens make their mark.

  4. Treetop 4
    6 October 2021 at 10:35 am

    It comes down to the health system being able to cope with a Covid outbreak and Covid being endemic.

    I would asap authorise an alternative vaccination to Pfizer for those who have issues with components in the Pfizer vaccine.

    I had a 30 minute conversation with a relative this morning that were there an alternative vaccine to Pfizer they probably would get vaccinated, even though the Pfizer vaccine has a good reputation.

    • Leighton 4.1
      6 October 2021 at 11:11 am

      What was their reason Treetops? What does the Pfizer vaccine contain which is objectionable that wouldn't be in a hypothetical alternative vaccine?

      • Treetop 4.1.1
        6 October 2021 at 11:21 am

        I need to be careful how I word this as Incognito will not tolerate any misinformation. Fair enough.

        I will be getting back to my relative as I think they do not realise they are misinformed as I looked up their concern.

        The relative thinks that there is a simian cell line component in the Pfizer vaccine. In development there was, BUT not in the final version of the Pfizer vaccine.

      • Cricklewood 4.1.2
        6 October 2021 at 11:56 am

        I know a few as well, they just dont want an mRNA vax and wont be convinced otherwise. They will take/accept an Astrazenca or Jenson sinovax Novavax which have a longer track record in terms of technology… Hep and menginacocal vaccines for example.

        We do have alternates approved it just seems we havent imported any. At the very least that seems dumb given some people are allergic to Polyethylene glycol.

        • Treetop 4.1.2.1
          6 October 2021 at 12:50 pm

          Interesting that were an alternative vaccination available to using mRNA method, some people would get vaccinated.

        • weka 4.1.2.2
          6 October 2021 at 12:52 pm

          What would help is in depth research on who is hesitant or anti and why. Specifically why, the actual details. Because the last, harder 5 – 10% to get us to 90% will be a varied bunch of people, and strategies need to be targeted to them as well.

          Having a non-RNA vaccine makes sense to me in those terms.Whether the numbers warrant that is another matter.

          • Cricklewood 4.1.2.2.1
            6 October 2021 at 1:29 pm

            A couple I know that are very well educated (doctorate level) are in the hesitant camp. Their main concerns sit around the lack of longer term data which just isnt available yet and wont be for 2-3 years. Those concerns are very much lessened with the vaccines using tech with a longer track record. One thing they do say is that we are lucky to be in a situation where up until now we have had the luxury of being able to wafch and wait, with that seemingly coming to an end potentially they'll hold their noses and take a Pfizer if there isnt any other choice.

            Given the cost of Covid I suspect if getting even 1000 extra people dosed if they'll accept an alternative will be money well spent.

            • weka 4.1.2.2.1.1
              6 October 2021 at 6:21 pm

              especially if that's a chunk of Aucklanders, front line workers, and vulnerable groups.

            • Brigid 4.1.2.2.1.2
              6 October 2021 at 9:45 pm

              Does this couple except that if we all choose to watch and wait, there'd be nothing to watch or wait for?

              And that quite a few of us, perhaps even them, would be dead or seriously permanently damaged.

              • Cricklewood …
                6 October 2021 at 10:20 pm

                Sure, but as I say what would be the harm in having two options here? We've approved them but never actually imported them… thats the bit I dont get.

                • Brigid …
                  7 October 2021 at 11:33 am

                  If that's their preferred vaccine, what's to stop these people importing them themselves? They probably could afford it.

            • McFlock 4.1.2.2.1.3
              6 October 2021 at 10:53 pm

              They want to wait a couple of years before getting a jab against delta, with its demonstrated short and long term problems?

              Are they just figuring getting the disease will be odds-on less severe than some latent adverse event down the line?

              • weka …
                6 October 2021 at 11:10 pm

                way I read is it they're not agin vaccines generally, but have a problem with the novelty of the RNA vaccine. I'm guessing they're not in Auckland, so the risk of getting covid is very low ("up until now" but still true for most of the NI and all of the SI). They would probably get one of the older tech vaccines, and if push comes to shove they will get the RNA one, but have been ok thus far to wait because the risk is low.

                I reckon there will be quite a few people thinking like that. They’re not anti-vaxxers.

                • McFlock …
                  7 October 2021 at 1:57 am

                  That's my take, too.

                  But it seems to me to have the same risk calculation as someone who never wears a seatbelt unless they think they're going to crash. Most of the time, by the time you have enough information to be scared it's too late to get the protective effect.

                  And that's the most charitable interpretation.

                • Cricklewood …
                  7 October 2021 at 7:25 am

                  They're in Auckland and yes they're well aware of the risks… and are very cautious bascially work from home, shop online etc very tight bubble.

                  Bringing in some Astra Zeneca would solve the issue for them, probably others. We've approved it just never purchased any it seems a big gap in the vacc program to me.

                  • McFlock …
                    7 October 2021 at 3:10 pm

                    Seems to have been a pretty clear decision to keep the other jabs in reserve.

                    The pfizer apparently had advantages over others in being adapted to new strains, and I also guess that everyone having the same jab would make firefighting easier if one vaccine had shortcomings: everyone gets a booster, rather than "if you received this vaccine on the third day of the new moon when mars was in ascendency, see your doctor" sort of thing.

                    • Cricklewood …
                      7 October 2021 at 4:38 pm

                      Yeah, can see and understand the reasoning. They do talk about having a reserve of Jensen but from what I can see that never happened.

                      Just think at this stage where we are getting to the harder end we should really be offering an alternate to mop up an extra percent or 2 be they hesitant or people who for various reasons are unable to have the Pfizer.

                      Will make a difference to the health system.

                    • McFlock …
                      7 October 2021 at 4:49 pm

                      Well, the other part of it is the inefficiency of getting the individually-ordered jabs to people who believe they're too smart for school. 3 in remmers want Jensen, 2 in chch want the russian on, it's all been bought by NZgovt and needs distribution to the preferred vax provider at a time convenient for the folks…

                      Might be lower-hanging fruit with bigger returns than that.

                      Heck, they might not ever get the jab they want. If extra effort for Māori and Pasifika communities and a couple of mandates eg for teachers takes us to a "highly vaccinated" point, they might be fresh out of luck.

  5. esoteric pineapples 5
    6 October 2021 at 11:15 am

    "I was pleased to hear Bloomfield point out that most people in Auckland, and New Zealand, are adhering to lockdown rules without any oversight or enforcement. It’s just a beautiful reframing in the middle of a press conference focused on things not going well." – people and business are getting noticeably slacker by the day in the provincial region I live in

    • weka 5.1
      6 October 2021 at 12:56 pm

      same, but I've also argued for over a year that we need different strategies for the provinces that haven't had community transmission for long periods of time. I was pleased to see my own are get up to speed fast in August, and while things are slacking off a bit, I see way more people wearing masks and scanning than last year.

      The worst places I'm seeing are cafes (and I assume bars), where there are attempts at social distancing but places are struggling. I can see the rationale for a vax certificate in those places because of that, even though I think there are long term problems of segregation by vax status. Is the certificate a carrot or a stick? Framing matters.

      • Gezza 5.1.1
        6 October 2021 at 5:27 pm

        I saw a mum pushing baby in a pram along the footpath in our shopping village late this morning, while I was sitting in the car re-entering the car-radio/audio code. She wasn’t wearing a mask.

        It made me wonder how many other people weren’t wearing masks, so I dcanned the street. There were a couple of kids agec about 8 – 10 not wearing masks, but EVERY ADULT I could see was wearing one.

        Most of them are wearing cloth masks, some of very classy-looking design. It just doesn’t seem to be an issue around here.

  6. Siobhan 6
    6 October 2021 at 11:17 am

    Many of us have moved on from this narrative of "unknowns" and "unpredictability".

    We have had this disease floating around the entire planet for a long time now.

    We broadly know enough to understand what will happen sooner rather than latter. People will get sick. And as anyone who has used the Public Hospitals in the last decade knows…these places can barely cope with the normal levels of patients. Auckland Hospital seemingly struggled with planning around with this last "outbreak" for goodness sakes.

    We need Central government plans and investment to hospitalise at home*.

    We need the drugs to minamalise covid effects and duration.**

    Most importantl… we need the Government to acknowledge this, and actually get ahead of the game… this government, after a one off initial proactive stance, has spent the entire covid epidemic seemingly two steps back, which is so very typical.

    ** https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/451512/government-urged-to-buy-game-changer-covid-19-drug-treatment

  7. Tony Veitch (not etc.) 7
    6 October 2021 at 11:31 am

    There is a decided parallel between our response to Covid-19 and climate change, both here and around the world.

    Most of the world seems to have accepted the virus as endemic and, shrugging their collective shoulders, seem determined to live with it.

    Of course, ‘the economy comes before health,’ so a return to ‘normal’ is demanded by the death-cult capitalists.

    Unfortunately, our government seems to have succumbed to the demands of business leaders, who prioritise their wealth above the health of the poor.

    Our leaders, here and across the globe, will, likewise, pay lip service to combatting climate change, but, when the rubber hits the road, will shy away from the tough economic decisions because, to distort the words of Gerry Brownlee, ‘you can’t make a business case for saving the world.’

  8. georgecom 8
    6 October 2021 at 2:03 pm

    One significant figure to watch, if we want to emerge from a seeming perpetual level2/3 malaise are vaccination rates – particularly the first dose as once the first is taken most people will follow through for the second (and even if they don't they will have a level of protection). first dose rates are running at 0.33 of the population per day, so its takes 3 days to get an extra 1% or about 42,000 people first dosed. ON the current rates, 30 days to get to 90% first dose and it's then I think the government will look seriously at structural changes, not necessarily immediately, but certainly start to signal it. Auckland should be there sooner as well.

    Some people have worried about the significant drop from the 1% per day we saw a month ago. And heck yes, we would have loved it had that trend continued. The rate has dropped off for sure, BUT it's not collapsed. Auckland is now, I think, 85% of first jabs. The Auckland first jab rate sets a potential ceiling on where we might expect things to get to, where it is possible to get to. So whilst the Auckland % continues to climb there is still room for optimism. Covid scares in the Waikato has focused the minds of some fence sitters, missing out on summer events without covid passports will focus the minds of others.

  9. Ad 9
    6 October 2021 at 6:16 pm

    Hang in there Jacinda. You're doing a good job.

    You're not perfect but you're pretty good.

    • Puckish Rogue 9.1
      6 October 2021 at 6:22 pm

      Hang in there?

      Is she having to find another job because shes been laid off, having to survive financially on 80% of her wage, having to consider that your business (and life savings) is gone, having to lay people off to keep your business afloat

      Yeah shes doing it real tough

      (there may or may not be some personal life issues in there)

      • DukeEll 9.1.1
        6 October 2021 at 7:05 pm

        How many of her staff sacrificed 20% of their wages to keep their business afloat?

        Probably about the same that are prevented from travelling for business reasons.

        A rule for thee and not for me is a mockery

      • bwaghorn 9.1.2
        6 October 2021 at 7:14 pm

        I'd imagine she'll be in full employment far longer than the woeful collins!

    • weka 9.2
      6 October 2021 at 6:40 pm

      Aē.

      How incredibly fortunate are we that we count covid deaths one at a time. So much to be grateful to Ardern for that.

  10. Stuart Munro 10
    6 October 2021 at 7:11 pm

    I was a bit down on it all a few days back when it spread to Waikato.

    But I caught the 1pm briefing (a day late), and it's clear that the same government and health professional team that crushed alpha are still calling the shots. I'm not about to second guess them.

    Reckon our PM just about rates a sparkly umbrella.

  11. miravox 11
    6 October 2021 at 9:03 pm

    "My personal hope remains that we step up and take advantage of the opportunities the pandemic offers us as the opening to climate transition."

    That was my personal hope – that we'd transition to a new normal where climate change and social cohesion were included in the covid equation. I now feel that is not going to happen here. Clearly some places have worked in these changes. Paris streets are a good example, (albeit with teething problems) but mostly in NZ it's just mitigation, e.g. mask wearing rather than widening pedestrian areas where people can keep 2-metre distances. Any changes in farming practices were happening before Covid, and I don't have the slightest sense that anyone who is in a position to make changes is at all interested in social cohesion. house prices are still rising (that may change after today's intervention on interest rates), transitional housing and decent financial support are still pipe dreams. No wonder people who are struggling are avoiding vaccinations – it's a chance to give the big middle finger to authority – they can't be arrested for that.

    We're just working on how to mitigate Covid to allow the old normal to continue with masks. There's no will to move to a sustainable new normal.

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  • Weekly Roundup 19-April-2024
    It’s Friday again. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week on Greater Auckland On Tuesday Matt covered at the government looking into a long tunnel for Wellington. On Wednesday we ran a post from Oscar Simms on some lessons from Texas. AT’s ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    24 hours ago

  • Jack Vowles: Stop the panic – we’ve been here before
    New Zealand is said to be suffering from ‘serious populist discontent’. An IPSOS MORI survey has reported that we have an increasing preference for strong leaders, think that the economy is rigged toward the rich and powerful, and political elites are ignoring ‘hard-working people’.  The data is from February this ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    1 day ago

  • Clearing up confusion (or trying to)
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters is understood to be planning a major speech within the next fortnight to clear up the confusion over whether or not New Zealand might join the AUKUS submarine project. So far, there have been conflicting signals from the Government. RNZ reported the Prime Minister yesterday in ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    1 day ago

  • How to Retrieve Deleted Call Log iPhone Without Computer
    How to Retrieve Deleted Call Log on iPhone Without a Computer: A Step–by–Step Guide Losing your iPhone call history can be frustrating, especially when you need to find a specific number or recall an important conversation. But before you panic, know that there are ways to retrieve deleted call logs on your iPhone, even without a computer. This guide will explore various methods, ranging from simple checks to utilizing iCloud backups and third–party applications. So, let‘s dive in and recover those lost calls! 1. Check Recently Deleted Folder: Apple understands that accidental deletions happen. That‘s why they introduced the “Recently Deleted“ folder for various apps, including the Phone app. This folder acts as a safety net, storing deleted call logs for up to 30 days before permanently erasing them. Here‘s how to check it: Open the Phone app on your iPhone. Tap on the “Recents“ tab at the bottom. Scroll to the top and tap on “Edit“. Select “Show Recently Deleted“. Browse the list to find the call logs you want to recover. Tap on the desired call log and choose “Recover“ to restore it to your call history. 2. Restore from iCloud Backup: If you regularly back up your iPhone to iCloud, you might be able to retrieve your deleted call log from a previous backup. However, keep in mind that this process will restore your entire phone to the state it was in at the time of the backup, potentially erasing any data added since then. Here‘s how to restore from an iCloud backup: Go to Settings > General > Reset. Choose “Erase All Content and Settings“. Follow the on–screen instructions. Your iPhone will restart and show the initial setup screen. Choose “Restore from iCloud Backup“ during the setup process. Select the relevant backup that contains your deleted call log. Wait for the restoration process to complete. 3. Explore Third–Party Apps (with Caution): ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    1 day ago

  • How to Factory Reset iPhone without Computer: A Comprehensive Guide to Restoring your Device
    Life throws curveballs, and sometimes, those curveballs necessitate wiping your iPhone clean and starting anew. Whether you’re facing persistent software glitches, preparing to sell your device, or simply wanting a fresh start, knowing how to factory reset iPhone without a computer is a valuable skill. While using a computer with ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    1 day ago

  • How to Call Someone on a Computer: A Guide to Voice and Video Communication in the Digital Age
    Gone are the days when communication was limited to landline phones and physical proximity. Today, computers have become powerful tools for connecting with people across the globe through voice and video calls. But with a plethora of applications and methods available, how to call someone on a computer might seem ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    2 days ago

  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #16 2024
    Open access notables Glacial isostatic adjustment reduces past and future Arctic subsea permafrost, Creel et al., Nature Communications: Sea-level rise submerges terrestrial permafrost in the Arctic, turning it into subsea permafrost. Subsea permafrost underlies ~ 1.8 million km2 of Arctic continental shelf, with thicknesses in places exceeding 700 m. Sea-level variations over glacial-interglacial cycles control ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago

  • Where on a Computer is the Operating System Generally Stored? Delving into the Digital Home of your ...
    The operating system (OS) is the heart and soul of a computer, orchestrating every action and interaction between hardware and software. But have you ever wondered where on a computer is the operating system generally stored? The answer lies in the intricate dance between hardware and software components, particularly within ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    2 days ago

  • How Many Watts Does a Laptop Use? Understanding Power Consumption and Efficiency
    Laptops have become essential tools for work, entertainment, and communication, offering portability and functionality. However, with rising energy costs and growing environmental concerns, understanding a laptop’s power consumption is more important than ever. So, how many watts does a laptop use? The answer, unfortunately, isn’t straightforward. It depends on several ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    2 days ago

  • How to Screen Record on a Dell Laptop A Guide to Capturing Your Screen with Ease
    Screen recording has become an essential tool for various purposes, such as creating tutorials, capturing gameplay footage, recording online meetings, or sharing information with others. Fortunately, Dell laptops offer several built-in and external options for screen recording, catering to different needs and preferences. This guide will explore various methods on ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    2 days ago

  • How Much Does it Cost to Fix a Laptop Screen? Navigating Repair Options and Costs
    A cracked or damaged laptop screen can be a frustrating experience, impacting productivity and enjoyment. Fortunately, laptop screen repair is a common service offered by various repair shops and technicians. However, the cost of fixing a laptop screen can vary significantly depending on several factors. This article delves into the ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    2 days ago

  • How Long Do Gaming Laptops Last? Demystifying Lifespan and Maximizing Longevity
    Gaming laptops represent a significant investment for passionate gamers, offering portability and powerful performance for immersive gaming experiences. However, a common concern among potential buyers is their lifespan. Unlike desktop PCs, which allow for easier component upgrades, gaming laptops have inherent limitations due to their compact and integrated design. This ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    2 days ago

  • Climate Change: Turning the tide
    The annual inventory report of New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions has been released, showing that gross emissions have dropped for the third year in a row, to 78.4 million tons: All-told gross emissions have decreased by over 6 million tons since the Zero Carbon Act was passed in 2019. ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago

  • How to Unlock Your Computer A Comprehensive Guide to Regaining Access
    Experiencing a locked computer can be frustrating, especially when you need access to your files and applications urgently. The methods to unlock your computer will vary depending on the specific situation and the type of lock you encounter. This guide will explore various scenarios and provide step-by-step instructions on how ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    2 days ago

  • Faxing from Your Computer A Modern Guide to Sending Documents Digitally
    While the world has largely transitioned to digital communication, faxing still holds relevance in certain industries and situations. Fortunately, gone are the days of bulky fax machines and dedicated phone lines. Today, you can easily send and receive faxes directly from your computer, offering a convenient and efficient way to ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    2 days ago

  • Protecting Your Home Computer A Guide to Cyber Awareness
    In our increasingly digital world, home computers have become essential tools for work, communication, entertainment, and more. However, this increased reliance on technology also exposes us to various cyber threats. Understanding these threats and taking proactive steps to protect your home computer is crucial for safeguarding your personal information, finances, ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    2 days ago

  • Server-Based Computing Powering the Modern Digital Landscape
    In the ever-evolving world of technology, server-based computing has emerged as a cornerstone of modern digital infrastructure. This article delves into the concept of server-based computing, exploring its various forms, benefits, challenges, and its impact on the way we work and interact with technology. Understanding Server-Based Computing: At its core, ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    2 days ago

  • Vroom vroom go the big red trucks
    The absolute brass neck of this guy.We want more medical doctors, not more spin doctors, Luxon was saying a couple of weeks ago, and now we’re told the guy has seven salaried adults on TikTok duty. Sorry, doing social media. The absolute brass neck of it. The irony that the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago

  • Jones finds $410,000 to help the government muscle in on a spat project
    Buzz from the Beehive Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones relishes spatting and eagerly takes issue with environmentalists who criticise his enthusiasm for resource development. He relishes helping the fishing industry too. And so today, while the media are making much of the latest culling in the public service to ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    2 days ago

  • Again, hate crimes are not necessarily terrorism.
    Having written, taught and worked for the US government on issues involving unconventional warfare and terrorism for 30-odd years, two things irritate me the most when the subject is discussed in public. The first is the Johnny-come-lately academics-turned-media commentators who … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    2 days ago

  • Despair – construction consenting edition
    Eric Crampton writes – Kainga Ora is the government’s house building agency. It’s been building a lot of social housing. Kainga Ora has its own (but independent) consenting authority, Consentium. It’s a neat idea. Rather than have to deal with building consents across each different territorial authority, Kainga Ora ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • Coalition promises – will the Govt keep the commitment to keep Kiwis equal before the law?
    Muriel Newman writes – The Coalition Government says it is moving with speed to deliver campaign promises and reverse the damage done by Labour. One of their key commitments is to “defend the principle that New Zealanders are equal before the law.” To achieve this, they have pledged they “will not advance ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • An impermanent public service is a guarantee of very little else but failure
    Chris Trotter writes –  The absence of anything resembling a fightback from the public servants currently losing their jobs is interesting. State-sector workers’ collective fatalism in the face of Coalition cutbacks indicates a surprisingly broad acceptance of impermanence in the workplace. Fifty years ago, lay-offs in the thousands ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • What happens after the war – Mariupol
    Mariupol, on the Azov Sea coast, was one of the first cities to suffer almost complete destruction after the start of the Ukraine War started in late February 2022. We remember the scenes of absolute destruction of the houses and city structures. The deaths of innocent civilians – many of ...
    Open ParachuteBy Ken
    2 days ago

  • Babies and benefits – no good news
    Lindsay Mitchell writes – Ten years ago, I wrote the following in a Listener column: Every year around one in five new-born babies will be reliant on their caregivers benefit by Christmas. This pattern has persisted from at least 1993. For Maori the number jumps to over one in three.  ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • Should the RBNZ be looking through climate inflation?
    Climate change is expected to generate more and more extreme events, delivering a sort of structural shock to inflation that central banks will have to react to as if they were short-term cyclical issues. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago

  • Bernard's pick 'n' mix of the news links
    The top six news links I’ve seen elsewhere in the last 24 hours, as of 9:16 am on Thursday, April 18 are:Housing: Tauranga residents living in boats, vans RNZ Checkpoint Louise TernouthHousing: Waikato councillor says wastewater plant issues could hold up Sleepyhead building a massive company town Waikato Times Stephen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell on the public sector carnage, and misogyny as terrorism
    It’s a simple deal. We pay taxes in order to finance the social services we want and need. The carnage now occurring across the public sector though, is breaking that contract. Over 3,000 jobs have been lost so far. Many are in crucial areas like Education where the impact of ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    2 days ago

  • Meeting the Master Baiters
    Hi,A friend had their 40th over the weekend and decided to theme it after Curb Your Enthusiasm fashion icon Susie Greene. Captured in my tiny kitchen before I left the house, I ending up evoking a mix of old lesbian and Hillary Clinton — both unintentional.Me vs Hillary ClintonIf you’re ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago

  • How extreme was the Earth's temperature in 2023
    This is a re-post from Andrew Dessler at the Climate Brink blog In 2023, the Earth reached temperature levels unprecedented in modern times. Given that, it’s reasonable to ask: What’s going on? There’s been lots of discussions by scientists about whether this is just the normal progression of global warming or if something ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago

  • Backbone, revisited
    The schools are on holiday and the sun is shining in the seaside village and all day long I have been seeing bunches of bikes; Mums, Dads, teens and toddlers chattering, laughing, happy, having a bloody great time together. Cheers, AT, for the bits of lane you’ve added lately around the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago

  • Ministers are not above the law
    Today in our National-led authoritarian nightmare: Shane Jones thinks Ministers should be above the law: New Zealand First MP Shane Jones is accusing the Waitangi Tribunal of over-stepping its mandate by subpoenaing a minister for its urgent hearing on the Oranga Tamariki claim. The tribunal is looking into the ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago

  • What’s the outfit you can hear going down the gurgler? Probably it’s David Parker’s Oceans Sec...
    Buzz from the Beehive Point  of Order first heard of the Oceans Secretariat in June 2021, when David Parker (remember him?) announced a multi-agency approach to protecting New Zealand’s marine ecosystems and fisheries. Parker (holding the Environment, and Oceans and Fisheries portfolios) broke the news at the annual Forest & ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago

  • Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?
    Bryce Edwards writes  – Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Matt Doocey doubles down on trans “healthcare”
    Citizen Science writes –  Last week saw two significant developments in the debate over the treatment of trans-identifying children and young people – the release in Britain of the final report of Dr Hilary Cass’s review into gender healthcare, and here in New Zealand, the news that the ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • A TikTok Prime Minister.
    One night while sleeping in my bed I had a beautiful dreamThat all the people of the world got together on the same wavelengthAnd began helping one anotherNow in this dream, universal love was the theme of the dayPeace and understanding and it happened this wayAfter such an eventful day ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago

  • Texas Lessons
    This is a guest post by Oscar Simms who is a housing activist, volunteer for the Coalition for More Homes, and was the Labour Party candidate for Auckland Central at the last election. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    3 days ago

  • Bernard's pick 'n' mix of the news links at 6:06 am
    The top six news links I’ve seen elsewhere in the last 24 hours as of 6:06 am on Wednesday, April 17 are:Must read: Secrecy shrouds which projects might be fast-tracked RNZ Farah HancockScoop: Revealed: Luxon has seven staffers working on social media content - partly paid for by taxpayer Newshub ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • Fighting poverty on the holiday highway
    Turning what Labour called the “holiday highway” into a four-lane expressway from Auckland to Whangarei could bring at least an economic benefit of nearly two billion a year for Northland each year. And it could help bring an end to poverty in one of New Zealand’s most deprived regions. The ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago

  • Bernard's six-stack of substacks at 6:26 pm
    Tonight’s six-stack includes: launching his substack with a bunch of his previous documentaries, including this 1992 interview with Dame Whina Cooper. and here crew give climate activists plenty to do, including this call to submit against the Fast Track Approvals bill. writes brilliantly here on his substack ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago

  • At a glance – Is the science settled?
    On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago

  • Apposite Quotations.
    How Long Is Long Enough? Gaza under Israeli bombardment, July 2014. This posting is exclusive to Bowalley Road. ...
    Bowalley Road
    4 days ago

  • What’s a life worth now?
    You're in the mall when you hear it: some kind of popping sound in the distance, kids with fireworks, maybe. But then a moment of eerie stillness is followed by more of the fireworks sound and there’s also screaming and shrieking and now here come people running for their lives.Does ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago

  • Howling at the Moon
    Karl du Fresne writes –  There’s a crisis in the news media and the media are blaming it on everyone except themselves. Culpability is being deflected elsewhere – mainly to the hapless Minister of Communications, Melissa Lee, and the big social media platforms that are accused of hoovering ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Newshub is Dead.
    I don’t normally send out two newsletters in a day but I figured I’d say something about… the news. If two newsletters is a bit much then maybe just skip one, I don’t want to overload people. Alternatively if you’d be interested in sometimes receiving multiple, smaller updates from me, ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago

  • Seymour is chuffed about cutting early-learning red tape – but we hear, too, that Jones has loose...
    Buzz from the Beehive David Seymour and Winston Peters today signalled that at least two ministers of the Crown might be in Wellington today. Seymour (as Associate Minister of Education) announced the removal of more red tape, this time to make it easier for new early learning services to be ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?
    Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. Our political system is suffering from the ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    4 days ago

  • Was Hawkesby entirely wrong?
    David Farrar  writes –  The Broadcasting Standards Authority ruled: Comments by radio host Kate Hawkesby suggesting Māori and Pacific patients were being prioritised for surgery due to their ethnicity were misleading and discriminatory, the Broadcasting Standards Authority has found. It is a fact such patients are prioritised. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • PRC shadow looms as the Solomons head for election
    PRC and its proxies in Solomons have been preparing for these elections for a long time. A lot of money, effort and intelligence have gone into ensuring an outcome that won’t compromise Beijing’s plans. Cleo Paskall writes – On April 17th the Solomon Islands, a country of ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Climate Change: Criminal ecocide
    We are in the middle of a climate crisis. Last year was (again) the hottest year on record. NOAA has just announced another global coral bleaching event. Floods are threatening UK food security. So naturally, Shane Jones wants to make it easier to mine coal: Resources Minister Shane Jones ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago

  • Is saving one minute of a politician's time worth nearly $1 billion?
    Is speeding up the trip to and from Wellington airport by 12 minutes worth spending up more than $10 billion? Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me in the last day to 8:26 am today are:The Lead: Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago

  • Long Tunnel or Long Con?
    Yesterday it was revealed that Transport Minister had asked Waka Kotahi to look at the options for a long tunnel through Wellington. State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    4 days ago

  • $41m to support clean energy in South East Asia
    New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    16 hours ago

  • Minister releases Fast-track stakeholder list
    The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    18 hours ago

  • Judicial appointments announced
    Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    18 hours ago

  • Education Minister heads to major teaching summit in Singapore
    Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa.  The summit is co-hosted ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    19 hours ago

  • Value of stopbank project proven during cyclone
    A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    19 hours ago

  • Anzac commemorations, Türkiye relationship focus of visit
    Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul.    “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    20 hours ago

  • Minister to Europe for OECD meeting, Anzac Day
    Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    22 hours ago

  • Comprehensive Partnership the goal for NZ and the Philippines
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr.  The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Government commits $20m to Westport flood protection
    The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Taupō takes pole position
    The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Cost of living support for low-income homeowners
    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners.  “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Government backing mussel spat project
    The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Government focused on getting people into work
    Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Clean energy key driver to reducing emissions
    The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Earthquake-prone buildings review brought forward
    The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Thailand and NZ to agree to Strategic Partnership
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Government consults on extending coastal permits for ports
    RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Inflation coming down, but more work to do
    Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • School attendance restored as a priority in health advice
    Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Unnecessary bureaucracy cut in oceans sector
    Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Patterson promoting NZ’s wool sector at International Congress
    Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector.    "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Removing red tape to help early learners thrive
    The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • RMA changes to cut coal mining consent red tape
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