Key running scared of debate?
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2:16 pm, September 12th, 2014 - 81 comments
Categories: election 2014, john key -
Tags: debate, scared
81 comments on “Key running scared of debate?”
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- NZ horticulture sector feeding Kiwis and the world during COVID-19More New Zealanders are taking up the chance to work in horticulture as the sector keeps New Zealanders fed and in jobs during the COVID-19 Alert Level 4 lockdown. “Our horticulture sector has long been one of New Zealand’s export star performers, contributing around $6 billion a year to our ...3 days ago
- Work to repurpose PGF funds beginsThe Provincial Development Unit is working through applications and projects to see where Provincial Growth Fund money can be repurposed for initiatives deemed more critical to fighting the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones says. “We need to be throwing everything we have at ...3 days ago
- A million workers supported by Govt wage subsidyThe Government’s wage subsidy to protect jobs and keep workers and businesses connected during the lockdown has now supported over a million New Zealanders, with $6.6 billion already paid out. “We’re supporting businesses to pay wages, and stay connected with their workers so that we are all in a better ...3 days ago
- Government helps Pacific communities fight COVIDThe Government is stepping up efforts to help protect New Zealand’s Pacific communities in the fight against COVID-19. Cabinet has agreed that $17 million will be allocated to support a COVID-19 Pacific Response Package, which will: Support Pacific health and disability services facing increased demand; Ramp up public health messaging ...3 days ago
- Statement from the Prime Minister on Dr David Clark“Yesterday evening the Health Minister advised me of his trip to a beach during the lockdown and offered his resignation,” Jacinda Ardern said. “Under normal conditions I would sack the Minister of Health. What he did was wrong, and there are no excuses. “But right now, my priority is our ...4 days ago
- Statement from David ClarkLast night as part of my preparation for the Epidemic Response Committee, I provided the Prime Minister with a complete picture of my activity outside my home during Alert Level 4. That included the fact that on the first weekend of the Alert Level 4 lockdown I drove my family ...4 days ago
- COVID-19 mental health support beginsA range of support is being rolled out across New Zealand to help people look after their mental health during COVID-19 Health Minister David Clark said this morning. “COVID-19 has brought a lot of uncertainty into our lives and many of us will be feeling some level of distress or ...4 days ago
- New Zealanders in Peru to be assisted by Government charter flightThe New Zealand Government has made arrangements to charter a flight for New Zealanders stranded in Peru to depart the country, following agreement with the Chilean government to allow the necessary transit through Chile, Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters announced today. “Like many travellers around the world at the moment, ...4 days ago
- COVID-19 Hospital Preparation Well AdvancedHospital preparations for COVID-19 are well advanced says Health Minister David Clark. “Hospitals across New Zealand are repurposing buildings and training staff to get ready for COVID-19 patients. This gives me confidence that we are well prepared for any potential increase in COVID-19 patients needing hospital level care,” said David ...1 week ago
- Further measures to support businessesThe Government will be introducing legislation to make changes to the Companies Act to help companies facing insolvency due to COVID-19 to remain viable and keep New Zealanders in jobs. The temporary changes include: Giving directors of companies facing significant liquidity problems because of COVID-19 a ‘safe harbour’ from insolvency ...1 week ago
- Govt’s COVID plan, economic strength recognisedThe Government’s plan to cushion the blow of COVID-19 by supporting incomes, jobs and businesses, and position the economy to recover has been backed by another international report. International credit rating agency Moody’s today reaffirmed its highest Aaa credit rating on New Zealand, saying the economy is expected to remain ...1 week ago
- Government supports air services to offshore islandsThe Government has stepped in to support vital air links to our offshore islands, the Chatham Islands, Great Barrier Island and Motiti Island, Transport Minister Phil Twyford announced today. “As part of our $600 million support package to minimise the impacts of COVID-19 on the aviation sector, the Government has ...1 week ago
- Funding certainty for sports through COVID-19National sports organisations have been given certainty of funding to ensure they can remain viable through the COVID-19 pandemic, Sport and Recreation Minister Grant Robertson announced today. “The global spread of COVID-19 has had a significant impact on sport and recreation in New Zealand, including the cancellation or postponement of ...1 week ago
- Butchers now allowed to process porkChanges have been made to allow butchers to process pork, only for supply to supermarkets or other processors or retailers that are open, Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor has announced. “We carefully weighed the risk of allowing butchers to open their shops for retail customers, but the risk of spreading COVID-19 ...1 week ago
- Essential workers leave scheme establishedEssential workers who take leave from work to comply with public health guidance are being supported with a leave scheme to ensure they will continue to receive income, say the Minister of Workplace Relations and Safety Iain Lees-Galloway and Minister for Social Development, Carmel Sepuloni. A number of essential businesses ...1 week ago
- Govt WhatsApp helps share COVID-19 informationA Government WhatsApp channel has been launched to help make information more easily accessible and shareable in the fight against COVID-19. Govt.NZ, which is free to use on any mobile device, will carry information and news for the public, businesses, healthcare providers, not for profits and local government. It can ...1 week ago
- Managed departure plan for stranded foreign nationals enables safe, orderly exitThe Government has announced a plan to enable the safe, orderly exit of tens of thousands of stranded foreign nationals from New Zealand during the current COVID-19 Alert Level 4 restrictions, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters has said. “When we moved into lockdown a week ago, the ...1 week ago
- Government delivers COVID-19 support to GPs and PharmaciesHealth Minister Dr David Clark says the Government is delivering on its commitment to support general practice doctors and nurses, and pharmacies on the front-line of our fight against COVID-19. "For us to overcome COVID-19, we need community health services such as general practice and community pharmacy to step up ...1 week ago
- Susan Thomas the new Chief High Court JudgeJustice Susan Thomas has been appointed Chief High Court Judge, Attorney-General David Parker announced today. She replaces Justice Geoffrey Venning who has resigned from the position. David Parker paid tribute to Justice Venning, who he said had stewarded the High Court very capably over the last five years. “On behalf ...1 week ago
- Business Finance Guarantee – applications openBusinesses can start applying to their banks for loans under the Business Finance Guarantee Scheme set up to support the New Zealand economy during the COVID-19 pandemic. “We’re moving quickly to protect New Zealand businesses, jobs and the economy during this unprecedented global economic shock,” Finance Minister Grant Robertson said. ...1 week ago
- Work starts on ways to fast-track consents to boost recovery from Covid-19 downturnWork is underway looking at measures to speed up consents for development and infrastructure projects during the recovery from COVID 19, to provide jobs and stimulate our economy. Environment Minister David Parker said the COVID-19 pandemic is a serious global crisis that will have a wide ranging and lasting impact ...1 week ago
- Advance payments to support contractorsAdvance payments will be made to transport construction industry contractors to retain the workforce and ensure it is ready to quickly gear up to build projects which will be vital to New Zealand’s COVID-19 economic recovery, Transport Minister Phil Twyford announced today. He said keeping the workforce required to build ...1 week ago
- Government seeks infrastructure projectsThe Government has tasked a group of industry leaders to seek out infrastructure projects that are ready to start as soon as the construction industry returns to normal to reduce the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Economic Development Minister Phil Twyford and Infrastructure Minister Shane Jones say. The Infrastructure ...1 week ago
- Health system scaled up to prepare for COVID-19Work to scale up the health system in preparation for COVID-19 was today outlined by Health Minister David Clark, as he reported back to the new Epidemic Response Committee. “We are well placed to contain the spread of COVID-19. We have taken early and decisive action at our borders, and ...1 week ago
- Essential media COVID-19 guidelines refinedThe Government is refining its COVID-19 essential business guidance to include the distribution of news publications for communities which are hard to reach. The Minister of Broadcasting, Communications and Digital Media, Kris Faafoi, said the move was in recognition of the importance for New Zealanders who might be harder to ...1 week ago
- Supermarkets able to open on Easter SundayThe Government is ensuring supermarkets can open on Easter Sunday so we can buy groceries, but stay closed on Good Friday allowing workers to take a break. This provides a balanced approach and ensures we avoid large queues that two days closure may cause. “Supermarkets will be able to open ...1 week ago
- New Zealand defence personnel conclude mission at TajiFollowing the successful conclusion of the Building Partner Capacity (BPC) mission at Taji, New Zealand defence personnel are returning to New Zealand from Iraq, in accordance with the Cabinet decision made in June 2019, Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Ron Mark announced today. “New Zealand is very ...1 week ago
- Home Support Workers Are On The Front Line, So Why Haven’t They Been Paid?
...1 hour ago - The Unity Books chart for the strange week ending 10 April: Other worlds
Week three of our lockdown Top 10s – books about elsewhere, brought to you by the good humans of Unity Books.A reminder that these lists are completely unshackled from space and time and what’s happening in the world of books right now. Take no notice of the numbers, either – ...1 hour ago - Do Māori Made Easy with me: Week two, day fiveShe’s not a teacher or a fluent speaker – she just wants to practise te reo Māori with you! Join Leonie Hayden as she works through the first four weeks of Scotty Morrison’s Māori Made Easy, thanks to Penguin Random House NZ.Ngā mihi o Te Aranga, happy Easter everyone. We’re still on ...2 hours ago
- NZ lockdown – Day 16: Second death confirmed, cases rise on Good Friday
By RNZ News A Christchurch woman in her 90s who was living in the Rosewood rest home is New Zealand’s second death from Covid-19, the Health Ministry has confirmed. Director of Public Health Caroline McElnay said today the “frail” woman could not have family around her in her last ...2 hours ago - What you need to know about the world of Noughts + CrossesNoughts + Crosses is set in the present day, but if our history had run a wildly different course. Sam Brooks brings you up to speed on what you need to know before you dive into the show.First things first, what is Noughts + Crosses?Noughts + Crosses is a BBC ...2 hours ago
- Covid-19: New Zealand cases mapped and charted, April 10The latest in our new series of charts, graphics and data visualisations by Chris McDowall.This work is entirely funded by the generosity of The Spinoff MembersThese posts collate the most recent statistics and present them as charts and maps. The Ministry of Health typically publishes data updates in the early ...3 hours ago
- You will know the border has been reached when virus vigilantes stop you in the name of health and ...
Good questions were raised by “a Far North man”, who did not want to be named because of his fear of retribution. Talking to the Northland Age late last month, the man said he was ” … scared. Really scared. Not because of some virus. We have ways to deal ...3 hours ago - Second NZ death from Covid-19
The Ministry of Health called an unscheduled Good Friday press conference to announce the news that a second Kiwi has succumbed to the illness. A second New Zealander has died from Covid-19, a woman in her 90s who had been treated at Burwood Hospital in Christchurch. Dr Caroline McElnay, the Director ...5 hours ago - Another streaming service? Yup, but Quibi comes with a twistSam Brooks takes a look at new American streaming service Quibi, and asks what sets it apart from all the rest.So what is Quibi and what makes it different?Quibi is a new streaming service based out of the US with one twist: you can only watch it on your phone. ...5 hours ago
- Dr Ashley Bloomfield saying kia ora 44 timesToday New Zealand begins two desolate days without updates from Ashley Bloomfield. Here’s something to soften the blow.The daily briefings from Dr Ashley Bloomfield, the director general of health, have become a staple in many people’s lives, especially under lockdown. He’s hardly missed a day, but this Easter weekend is ...6 hours ago
- 1.2m Indonesian workers laid off as coronavirus crushes economyBy Made Anthony Iswara in Jakarta The Covid-19 pandemic, which is spreading like wildfire in Indonesia, has taken not just lives but also the earnings of millions of workers, one month after the government announced Indonesia’s first two confirmed cases of the virus. Jumari, a 61-year-old who works in ...6 hours ago
- A meeting of NZ’s children on how to ruin the lives of parents in lockdownA tape recording in a brown paper bag recently landed in Emily Writes’ letterbox. After thoroughly disinfecting it she was shocked to discover what it contained. Today was a normal day, day 8271 of the lockdown, and I saw there was a parcel in the letterbox. Knowing a trip to ...6 hours ago
- Asia’s Leading E-cigarette Brand Proposes Measures To Prevent New Zealand Minors From VapingIn spite of the ongoing COVID-19 lockdown, the New Zealand Parliament’s Health Select Committee is continuing to progress its mandate to regulate vaping and prevent young people from using vaping products. RELX Technology, Asia’s leading independent ...7 hours ago
- The Friday Poem: Once by Vincent O’SullivanA new poem by Vincent O’Sullivan. Once Once in my life I’ve been fishing. A brother-in-law assured, ‘You don’t need to talk out there,’ so we didn’t. After an hour or so he liftedthis reluctant silvery strip from its hook and walloped its head againstthe ridge of the dinghy we sat in for those aeons ...7 hours ago
- OMV Exit Signals End Of Offshore Oil Exploration In NZFriday, April 10: Austrian oil giant OMV has announced today that it’s indefinitely postponing its last remaining oil and gas exploration plans in the Taranaki Basin. Greenpeace is claiming "a win of generational significance" that signals ...8 hours ago
- Week in Politics: The exit plan and life after level 4
Analysis - Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is preparing the country for a marathon recovery and life under "the new normal" is starting to take shape, writes Peter Wilson. ...9 hours ago - Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them*
Misinformation, disinformation and just plain lies about Covid-19 are boiling up on the Internet and spilling over into real life. Peter Bale explains how some powerful forces use the chaos and trolling for their own reasons. Christchurch man Raymond Coombs, 38, thought it would be hilarious to pretend he had Covid-19 and cough over fellow shoppers ...9 hours ago - Like nothing else on Earth: Go Further South is the slow-TV balm we needTara Ward talks to Spencer Stoner, the producer of Go Further South, the slow TV sensation that hits our screens this Easter. Let’s change Good Friday’s name to “Great Friday”, or maybe “Even Better Friday”, because Prime is giving us the television tonic every lockdown needs. Go Further South, the ...9 hours ago
- Recipe: Make your own gheeThis versatile ingredient is brilliant for roasting and frying, and it’s a great way to extend the shelf life of butter. It’s also super easy to whip up at home. Until about a year ago I religiously used olive oil to fry and roast with. I preferred using this oil over ...9 hours ago
- Forget old screen ‘time’ rules during coronavirus. Here’s what you should focus on insteadSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joanne Orlando, Researcher: Children and Technology, Western Sydney University COVID-19 has left parents grappling with the challenges of online learning, entertainment and work. It’s natural the amount of time children spend using screens will now increase. But that’s OK. Screen time recommendations ...10 hours ago
- Coronavirus an ‘existential threat’ to Africa and her crowded slumsSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Sanderson, Professor and Inaugural Judith Neilson Chair in Architecture, UNSW The head of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has warned coronavirus poses “an existential threat to our continent”. Evidence from past crises shows not everyone is ...10 hours ago
- Friday essay: today’s grandmothers grew up protesting. Now they have nothing to loseSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gillian Triggs, Emeritus Professor, University of Melbourne Grandmothers as social activists? What a radical idea … but one that is increasingly true of today’s generation of grandmothers. Witness the determination and courage of Karen Nettleton in pulling out all the stops to ...10 hours ago
- Was the Easter bach invasion real?
Holiday towns around the country have been on edge, fearing Easter visits from city folk going to their baches. But in one instance, the fears might have been over-stated. Tim Murphy reports. Truth is the first casualty of war, and we keep getting told we are in a war against ...10 hours ago - With everyone stuck indoors, esports is poised for its time in the sunSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle O’Shea, Senior Lecturer Sport Management, Western Sydney University Against a global backdrop of cancelled sports leagues, and as part of their season opening, National Rugby League (NRL) fans recently packed the stands of Townsville’s new Queensland Country Bank Stadium. Fortunately, professional ...10 hours ago
- What a simulated Mars mission taught me about food wasteSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dianne McGrath, Environmental Engineering PhD candidate; sustainability and food waste expertise, RMIT University As a food waste researcher, I’m interested in how humans prepare food, eat and manage leftovers. This interest is not just confined to Earth – it extends to other ...10 hours ago
- Covid-19 live updates, April 10: No Bloomfield or Ardern on Good Friday in lockdown NZFor all The Spinoff’s latest coverage of Covid-19 see here. Read Siouxsie Wiles’s work here. New Zealand is currently in alert level four. The country is shut down, apart from essential services. For updated official government advice, see here.The Spinoff’s coverage of the Covid-19 outbreak is funded by The Spinoff Members. To support this work, join The ...10 hours ago
- Old ways inform the new for iwi under lockdown
Kayne Peters leaves his Auckland home to spend the lockdown in his whanau bubble in the King Country and help look after those most in need. Ka mate kainga tahi. Ka ora kainga rua. “One dwelling place is overcome, but the second is secure” This whakatauki or proverb well describes ...12 hours ago - Pacific defences: ocean, isolation and lockdown
The natural isolation of small Pacific islands set in the huge Pacific Ocean could prove to be the defining factor if these vulnerable nations manage to remain free of Covid-19. There is every reason to be optimistic if these small nations can keep rigid restrictions in place. Of course, the ...13 hours ago - How will we know it’s gone?
How will we know when we’ve been successful in stopping Covid-19 within New Zealand? Farah Hancock reports. As the country moves into its third week of lockdown and the daily number of cases continues to drop, how can we be certain it's safe to move levels and how will we ...13 hours ago - Let’s not end lockdown early
Are we nearly in the clear? It's too early to tell and we can't take anything for granted, says Professor Nicholas Agar of Victoria University of Wellington. Our nation’s fight against Covid-19 seems to be going well. As a Kiwi, I’m enjoying the global applause for our “go hard and ...13 hours ago - At home in an Auckland hotel: My two weeks in Covid-19 quarantineThe government yesterday announced it would step up its arrivals policy to mandate hotel quarantine or ‘managed self-isolation’ for all returning New Zealanders – people like Andrew Todd, who describes what it’s like to live in a Covid-19 quarantine zone.Four weeks ago, I was living in Canada, earning a meagre ...13 hours ago
- Photo essay: The lockdown rush hour
Christchurch’s arterial routes, and the air around them, are being transformed by the lockdown. David Williams takes a look As the days shorten, the nightly commute comes ever closer to sunset. That would normally mean thousands of cars lining up at busy Christchurch intersections, sending plumes of carbon monoxide into ...13 hours ago - An appointment with Dr Merriman
A doctor's note from novelist Eileen Merriman, a haematologist at North Shore hospital. At the hospital where I work is a critically ill patient infected with Covid-19 in our intensive care unit – younger than me, with no pre-existing medical conditions. And today I overhead a couple of doctors discussing ...13 hours ago - Four-legged training buddy helps Black Stick
Every Friday of lockdown, LockerRoom shares posts from Kiwi sportswomen who've caught our eye with novel ways of keeping on top of their game. This week, gymnasts put their own spin on the toilet paper challenge, the Black Sticks captain gets her pet in on lockdown training, and a triathlete ...13 hours ago - Iwi lock down their rohe – in pictures
If you’re out on the road this weekend, be prepared to be stopped – and not just by the police. Kayne Peters reports on the official and unofficial roadblocks springing up all over the motu. Iwi across the country have stepped up efforts to secure their borders ahead of Easter ...13 hours ago - What’s the plan to keep disabled people safe?
The Covid-19 challenge for disabled people is two-fold: keeping them safe, and ensuring disability support continues to be available to them. What's the plan for this? asks Samuel Murray. While we are rightfully focused on eliminating Covid-19, we need a specific plan that addresses the needs of both the disability ...13 hours ago - Non-essential sales continue on Facebook Marketplace
Although New Zealand-based e-commerce companies like TradeMe are toeing the line on non-essential sales, Facebook Marketplace remains a wild west where buying and selling hasn't stopped, Marc Daalder reports Want a pair of high-heeled Converse shoes to wear during lockdown? How about a cashmere scarf or new jigsaw puzzle? You're ...13 hours ago - Jacinda Ardern’s war on Covid complacency
Halfway through the lockdown, government restrictions to prevent the spread of coronavirus seem to be taking hold. But the latest suite of measures show the Prime Minister is awake to the dangers of overconfidence, Sam Sachdeva writes “This is going to be a marathon.” Jacinda Ardern’s choice of metaphor to ...13 hours ago - Lockdown letters #15: Read all about it in The Daily ChirpResponding to sudden, shocking change requires a double lens, writes Fiona Farrell.Read more from the Lockdown letters here.My granddaughter has been making a newspaper. The Daily Chirp. It’s very small, as befits a newspaper designed for birds, but it contains news (a worrying rise in Tweet-19), “Adds” for birdseed medicine ...13 hours ago
- Open or else face funding cut – Minister Tehan’s edict to independent schoolsSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Education Minister Dan Tehan has warned non-government schools that if they fail to open for the next term they will face losing funding. He said on Thursday that “as part of the funding requirement” a ...18 hours ago
- Australia’s coronavirus debate turns to the way outSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Remember how last year’s Easter felt bizarre because the country was in election-mode? How normal that seems, now everything is surreal, with the nation “holidaying” in this peculiar, unpleasant limbo. As we contemplate the grimness ...20 hours ago
- Politics with Michelle Grattan: MPs Tim Watts, Fiona Martin, Clare O’Neil and Helen Haines talk ab...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Michelle Grattan talks with MPs Tim Watts (Gellibrand, Victoria), Fiona Martin (Reid, NSW), Clare O’Neil (Hotham, Victoria) and Helen Haines (Indi, Victoria) about how they do their job during the pandemic. They discuss the operation ...21 hours ago
- Kāinga Ora apologises after state housing tenants told rent was going upState housing provider Kāinga Ora is phoning 6000 tenants to apologise after many received letters saying their rent would go up. ...24 hours ago
- Coronavirus: what causes a ‘second wave’ of disease outbreak, and could we see this in Australia...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nic Geard, Senior Lecturer, School of Computing and Information Systems, University of Melbourne; Senior Research Fellow, Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of Melbourne Following the emergence and rapid spread of COVID-19, several countries have succeeded in bringing local outbreaks under ...1 day ago
- Keith Rankin Chart Analysis – Testing for Covid19
Analysis by Keith Rankin Today’s chart shows the per capita level of testing performed in a number of countries. While the highest testing rate shown is Norway, we should note that Iceland has tested over eight percent of its population; too high to show on this chart. A ...
1 day ago - NZ lockdown – day 15: Number of new coronavirus cases plummets to 29By RNZ News New Zealand has recorded just 29 new cases of Covid-19 in the past 24 hours, but the prime minister says a decision on changing the alert level will only be made two days before the lockdown ends. It is the fourth day in a row there ...1 day ago
- Tropical Cyclone Harold: Aerial footage shows Vanuatu destructionThe Guardian’s Pacific Project disaster video. By the Pacific Project Tropical Cyclone Harold lashed the South Pacific island of Vanuatu, ripping off roofs and downing telecommunications, before moving towards Fiji and Tonga. The powerful cyclone made landfall on Monday in Sana province, an island north of Vanuatu’s capital Port ...1 day ago
- What to do if you’ve been fined for breaching coronavirus restrictionsSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elyse Methven, Lecturer in Law, University of Technology Sydney The message to everyone during the coronavirus pandemic is to stay at home and only leave if you really need to for, say, food, health care or exercise. Police now have powers to ...1 day ago
- Manaaki: The free online service offering businesses support through Covid-19Business is Boring is a weekly podcast series presented by The Spinoff in association with Callaghan Innovation. Host Simon Pound speaks with innovators and commentators focused on the future of New Zealand. This week he talks to Pat MacFie from Manaaki.This week we have another special podcast highlighting some of ...1 day ago
- Some Labour strategists may agree with Peters that the election should be delayed
NZ First leader Winston Peters today said he wants the election held on November 21, Radio NZ reported. He says he believes the health system would be under the pump in September with the winter flu season and the country potentially still dealing with the impacts of Covid-19. Prime Minister ...1 day ago - Crayfish exports pick up but far from normal
New Zealand Rock Lobster (crayfish) are once again heading to China with the first small consignment being airfreighted last week. It was one of the first primary industry sectors in New Zealand to be affected by Covid-19, and as we now know, the sledgehammer that hit this industry was just ...1 day ago - The coronavirus lockdown might help limit this year’s flu season – but you should still get your...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lauren Bloomfield, Senior Lecturer, School of Medicine, University of Notre Dame Australia Lockdown measures aimed at limiting the spread of COVID-19 should actually help cut the cases of flu this year. That’s because keeping people apart to reduce the spread of coronavirus ...1 day ago
- We could have had 200 new Covid-19 cases today
New modelling from Te Pūnaha Matatini projects the impact of the lockdown, and what our next steps could be, Marc Daalder reports New figures from a team of mathematicians and scientists modelling the way Covid-19 could affect New Zealand indicate the lockdown has significantly dampened the spread of the virus. ...1 day ago - Bernard & Jarrod: RBNZ wants banks to step up
Bernard Hickey talks to Kiwibank chief economist Jarrod Kerr about the latest retail spending data and the Reserve Bank's call for banks to step up as market-makers for corporate and local government bonds. In their latest daily 'Bernard Zooms out to lunch with Jarrod' video, Bernard Hickey and Jarrod ...1 day ago - Easter eggs can bring a little ‘normality’ to kids in isolation. But should we ration them or le...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Georgie Russell, Senior Lecturer, Deakin University This Easter will be especially challenging, with family isolation and many parents under financial strain, or other stressors. So, many parents will be looking to restore some sense of “normality” by welcoming the Easter bunny into ...1 day ago
- Review: The Beths, live (streamed)The Beths’ live-streamed concert yesterday showed that even in lockdown, music isn’t dead. Here’s why it worked, and where you can see Kiwis live streaming for the next week.Yesterday at 9am, Liz Stokes put a giant pineapple mask over her head and played the Animal Crossing theme on a trumpet ...1 day ago
- New Conservative Leader To Contest Waimakariri ElectorateNew Conservative Leader Leighton Baker has lived in and around the Waimakariri district since 1992 and is revelling in the opportunity to represent the electorate in Parliament after the 2020 general election. “Waimakariri is a diverse district with a strong ...1 day ago
- An All-of-government COVID-19 Response Requires Central-local Urban Growth Partnerships“Hard-hit councils, who oversee half this country’s public infrastructure, require financial support from central government that is tied to shared priorities through Urban Growth Partnerships,” says Paul Blair CEO of Infrastructure New Zealand. ...1 day ago
- Airways to close seven traffic control towers
Airways may close seven of its regional air traffic control towers because of a collapse in traveller numbers. The services under review are provided at Hawke's Bay, Gisborne, New Plymouth, Rotorua and Invercargill Airport as well as the airfield flight information services provided at Kapiti Coast Airport and Milford Sound ...1 day ago - New RMA Climate Change Proposals Increase Cost And UncertaintyProposals to expand the role of local councils into climate change mitigation under the Resource Management Act would add confusion, complexity and duplication, according to the Petroleum Exploration and Production Association of New Zealand (PEPANZ) and ...1 day ago
- New modelling reveals the impact of lockdown, and the hopes for eliminationAs New Zealand enters its third week of Covid-19 lockdown, a just released set of modelling provides a flare of light at the end of the tunnel, reports Toby Manhire.On a day that the active case number decreased, it finds that “While New Zealand case numbers remain low, tracing, testing, ...1 day ago
- Scientific modelling is steering our response to coronavirus. But what is scientific modelling?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rachael L. Brown, Director of the Centre for Philosophy of the Sciences and Lecturer at the School of Philosophy, Australian National University As they released the modelling of the COVID-19 pandemic behind Australia’s social isolation policies this week, Prime Minister Scott Morrison ...1 day ago
- Covid-19: New Zealand cases mapped and charted, April 9The latest in our new series of charts, graphics and data visualisations by Chris McDowall.This work is entirely funded by the generosity of The Spinoff MembersThese posts collate the most recent statistics and present them as charts and maps. The Ministry of Health typically publishes data updates in the early ...1 day ago
- Teachers could be called on to estimate year 12 student grades – this is fairer than it soundsSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jim Tognolini, Director, Centre for Educational Measurement and Assessment, University of Sydney Following a meeting with states and territories, federal education minister, Dan Tehan said year 12 students were a priority, and were being sent a clear signal: “There will be no ...1 day ago
- COLFO Urges Minister To Temporarily Extend LicencesThe Council of Licenced Firearms Owners (COLFO) is calling for an equal extension to all licencing regimes, following the Government’s announcement today offering motorists a six-month licencing grace period. COLFO says that like motorists, licenced ...1 day ago
- An Open Letter to Shane Jones, Minister of ForestryDear Minister Jones, Firstly, let me introduce myself. My name is Adrian. I am an employee in the forestry industry, a Future Forester, a graduate of Canterbury University and, albeit very small, a forest owner. ...1 day ago
- WHO: Careful what you wish for ending lockdown
As countries in Europe plan a tightrope walk back out of lockdown, the World Health Organisation warns it is too early to relax strict suppression measures in the fight against Covid-19, writes Peter Bale Two weeks into New Zealand's aggressive and early lockdown to combat the spread of Covid-19, voices ...1 day ago - Dramatic changes in consumer spending in March
Consumers dramatically changed their spending patterns last month because of Covid-19 and the government ordered lockdown. Official numbers show overall retail spending using electronic cards fell a record seasonally adjusted 3.9 percent on the previous month. Stats NZ senior manager Sue Chapman said spending on eating out and accommodation plunged ...1 day ago - New subsidy for Christchurch businesses
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- Men To Boys.
Be fair to poor old tired John Key. He does not have much to say but tired old cliches. 30 minutes minus ad breaks will be say 12 minutes. Too long?
And at the end of the day, there might be just a little of fear should Kim Dot Com come up with a little something to dent Key’s claimed invincibility. And how will Armstrong et el cope with that?
Fear stalks the 9th floor of the Beehive. Wooooo!
And when David as PM reaches into the records, then what?
I’f forgotten about ads.
I figured thirty minutes would leave barely 10 minutes of “debate” from each candidate after the emceeing is done with. A couple of questions and that is it.
FFS. The pm is an arse, a liar and a coward
I have a suspicion Key, consciously or unconsciously, might want to lose this election so he can escape the sh*t storm that will follow whoever wins. Even if Key wins, he will be dogged in parliament with unanswerable question. He’s said if he loses he will retire. Dotcom would love the irony of Key fighting extradition from Hawaii!
Your very much on the money in your opinion. I hear that John Key showed signs that he was very disappointed in his invited guests at Nationals economic forum held in Whangarei yesterday. Apparently he spoke of the importance to sign off the treaty settlement with Northland iwi. He also talked of the deal with the Maori party. The mostly business audience didn’t get it which visibly annoyed Key. While the ever optimistic National party campaign manager Joyce pumped up the volume, Key gave my friend the impression he has had enough.
I would say the whole dirty politics saga and the pending Auckland town hall event put on by Dotcom is getting to him. Then if you look at having to deal with Peters or Craig and then there is Act, especially after the latest Jamie Whyte insane shotgun shopkeeper comments. Can anyone really blame him for calling it quits and jetting off to Hawaii, flagging politics altogether.
Yeah, I agree Keyster is a gonna, but he is a happy camper in Hawaii wher there stll are many sharks as similar as him, and just ready to take a bite of his torso while he goes for a swim. Halelluha.
oh what shit storm it would be and those us who enjoy protesting occupy st stephens ave parnell has certain appeal
‘That is not enough John, Front up!’
30 minutes? Hardly worth bothering with.
30 minutes may prove to be too much for a rattled PM.
Key is scared all right and with good reason. I have had 3 people this week raise with me that they were going to vote National but now they dont trust Key. All three were in a state of but” who do we vote for”. One at the end said she thinks she will vote NZ first, one probably would vote National the third one had no idea how they would vote. All three never mentioned Labour or the Greens as options.
So National will not want Key and Cunliffe facing off. National’s tactics will be dont russell the horses and to pray on peoples fears with the whole steady as we go line.
Cunliffe has to show that National are being quite on policy because they are hiding there real agenda. A good example is the fact that Nationals tax cut’s don’t add up National are simply behaving like a problem gambler, lies lies and more lies while spending what they cant afford with no regard for how to pay for the rent/mortgage.
This election is going to be very close the left need to be seen as solid/ dependable and sadly Russell Norman being a bit smart with trying to distance himself from Labour was actually a bit silly. I urge supporters of Labour and the Greens to NOT START ATTACKING EACH OTHER, nothing to gain by doing this only and an election to loose!
Perhaps the other half hour could be used toadd Noman for a chat with cunliffe and hosking… As the time is booked.
Ps
Isnt this the second debate with cunners key has run from?
Tracey – Damn! You beat me to it with your suggestion. But I suggest just an empty chair when John Key vacates it.
But don’t do a Clint Eastwood and talk to it incessantly.
The moderator could say, ” Now Mr Ke! … Oh that’s right he had to go early. Oh well. What do you think Mr Cunliffe?”
But seriously I think it would make good TV. to leave Key’s chair there even if Norman was there . Depends who’s going to be the moderator and if the producers have enough chutzpah?
It is funny that those losing trust in Key dont connect his untrustworthiness with denigration of labour and greens. IOW hes been lying about labour and greens
If people dont want key they cannot vote for act, uf, cp, or nzf
Yup the disconnect is huge. I honestly think that Labour’s ABC club have done some serious damage not only to Labour but the left as a whole. This of coarse was assisted by Slater/Hooten /Farrar’s agenda and a more than willing MSM. Remember how Hooten thought Shearer was so good for Labour!!!!! I know Cunliffe will make a great Prime Minister and the Labour/ Green policy mix will be great for NZ. The leadership of both parties have to show they can work together and that they have all NZer’s interest at heart.
Very well summed up CGE.
Yes Winston has this time shown his real preference of wanting a centre left coalition anyway, and like so many we are all Winsston included what dark secrets hide in NatZ bucket list anyway as they have cleverly avioded the spelling out of agendas, so next three years they would be able to say we won on our policies ad will do what the country wants us to do.
Winston is fearful as we all are this time.
Key is a deserate man cliggng onto that sinking dingy called planet key.
This while the sharks hover around him.
Nixon number two comming along!
Unfortunately, I suspect that many on the right intend to support National by stealth. Just as long as they can say they didn’t vote for National without actually lying.
I had a friend who knew a friends mother, who knew and uncle who was related to another friend who said they made their bed and are now not voting National.
Thats not what I said at all Infused cant you read or is your comprehension level just so poor?
Just pointing out how stupid these arguments are.
Yes your argument is very stupid. But then what’s new? They always are.
“Just pointing out how stupid these arguments are.”
ere refresh your vocab
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argument
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anecdote
good to see you putting your no doubt expensive education to good use !
why did Key not tell you Infused that he has teamed up with the Nazi Founded elitist Group the Bilderberg Group as Prime Minister of NZ.
Are you not that inquisitive. Yes BilderBerg was founded in 1943 by the Nazi party top order as a vehicle to extend Nazi iideology after the close of WW11.
Ask key next time will you.
Yes I heard someone at the bus stop say they had a friend whose brother in law was considering switching his vote from National to Green – it’s all over bar the shouting (although having said that, with Norman’s recent statements indicating a possible willingness to reach an “accommodation” with National, may be not!)
If you want a change of govt I urge PARTY VOTE LABOUR. The Greens will be part of the new govt but not unless Labour can lead it.
Otherwise…..3 more years of National….Key….Collins….Bennett……Joyce….Slater et al
Anyone feeling nausea about that?
Exactly !! +10000000 Kat
1000000000000000000%+++++++++++++++++++++
Labour must return us to its roots for the common people it was born of in 1937 during the last depression- ressession.
Nats will sell our soul if they get any chance. they are without shame.
1000000+ Kat
Well then give David Cunliffe the extra 30 minutes to discuss Labour policies. Just because the sulky brat won’t front up for the full hour shouldn’t mean Cunliffe has to forego the opportunity. After all, the media owes him a thing or two after the way they’ve been behaving. Show the voters David that you’re not some namby pamby who is ashamed to be man.
Man up mate!
😀 Anne
Ooo, yeah, good idea, Anne.
Here here go david – go hard david!!!
“sulky brat” or temper tantrum?
It certainly shows how compromised TVNZ is, they could have said 1 hour or we’ll give it all over to a Cunliffe interview and tell everyone you chickened out.
Yep, imagine if David Cunliffe had suggested truncating to 30 minutes: Both 6.00pm news’s would be leading with Cunliffe being a coward, Labour giving up, Armstrong would be calling for his resignation, blah, blah…
clear double standards.
Saarbo-precisely.
If Cunliffe had done what Key has the journalists would be calling it a gaffe. So far what have we heard? A timid media silence.
Actually it’s more of a right wing editorial refusal to acknowledge Key’s petulant fear of exposure.
Key knows that Cunliffe has outclassed him in public debates and hopes that by slinking into the shadows and not fronting up voters will still think he’s competent.
The sad thing is that with the usual obsequious assistance from the Hoskings, Armstrongs, Watkins, Slaters and Co., he probably will get away with it and voters will be left unaware.
Doesn’t seem to affect the voters anyway. More like Labour having a cry.
Do you ever have anything intelligent to add or do you just look at poll’s all day?
Don’t worry that doesn’t need answering. I think we all know you and intelligence are pretty far removed from each other.
I hardly ever check the polls. I just like to read between the lines.
Why does John Key/National have to have one hour? Why do they have to front at all? We’ve had two already.
Because a functioning democracy requires an informed public.
All the information is out there. You hardly need a debate.
“I hardly ever check the polls. I just like to make shit up that suits my argument.”
FIFY. You’re welcome.
You can’t even get the insult right. It’s FIFTY.
You’re welcome.
http://www.internetslang.com/FIFY-meaning-definition.asp
You can’t even get that right!
will he/she come back?
who cares? 🙂
I rest my case.
What a crock infused, you talk such crap.
The National support is so edgy as is clearly Key with all the knives at his back from internal National swabbling over how Key has mucked up the Planet Key machine that he looks like a beaten man now just watch his body language man!!!
Than come Monday Kim.com will be the vehicle and the moment of truth we all will learn how Key lied to us all.
And the shock waves of this will recerberate all around the world as they will ring out Richard Nixons case happening once again.
Key needs to grow a pair and Man Up, he talks in weasel words and one liners, not alot of substance there.
That sucking sound is National’s tide going out.
John’s on the cusp of something but he has forgotten what it is! Russell is being tricky for what ever reason, but the real problem is, that Labour and Greens start fighting with each other as seems to be happening in some quarters. Best to spend this last weekend doing something constructive like door knocking, canvassing or phoning, there’s still plenty of people that haven’t made up their minds – it’s amazing how easy it is to discuss Labour with them and help them make up their mind. You just have to get out there and do it! David Cunliff will be a great leader, the Labour policies are fantastic and will return New Zealand to a country that cares about the people who live here. Maybe ‘ infused’ would like to give a hand this weekend, a bit of sign waving is good for you, makes you feel really one with the people with all the toots and supportive waves.
“John’s on the cusp of something but he has forgotten what it is!’
Hopefully he will find out on Monday at 7pm on live stream.
lol
Heather @11 100+
It seems that Key’s con-artisty doesn’t hold up if he can’t control the conversation, as in the tele-debate format.
But I’m still wary. Labour should assume National’s team has a strategy, and that a brief and intense attack is prepared to run out the clock before details can be addressed.
Labour could easily end up on the back foot — Having to prepare for any conceivable word-salad-question from Key, with no concise and clear line of attack against the morass of evasions.
This is the one that will stick — It’s no time to get complacent.
Key will be to busy sorting out Monday night, The heavy mates of Dotcom have arrived , I wonder if they are left wing
ive heard they dress on the left , does that help ?
neither left nor right; they’re anti concentrated, and un-democratic power.
They could always talk to his office for the other half hour!!
😀 Brilliant!
Office? Is THAT the polite spelling now!
Ha Ha good humour feigoa.
Just a sign he feels the election is won, why give your opposition screen time when you already have the election in the bag?
Especially given that when he has given Cunliffe any “screentime” he’s come off decidedly second-best.
lol
I think that’s sort of the point (wishful thinking notwithstanding – why wouldn’t he want to shoot for governing alone?).
In a debate both key and cunliffe will get equal screentime.
Key obviously believes that this will hurt the nats and give a boost to labour. You seem to agree with him.
As do I 🙂
+1 😈
It’s Dotcom’s revelations he doesn’t want to have to deal with in the debate.
The storyline of this campaign will make a fantastic movie, unless Warner Brothers already owns the the rights to it.
” Just another asset sale,” says Key.
Bob
Pollitical + Opinion polls globally are all manipulated when you want to learn just search goggle Polls are manipulated there are 1.4 millions sites so dont beliieve all you hear or see much less speak fool.
‘
John Key’s decision to not participate in the so-called debate is the right one but, I suspect, hasn’t been made for the right reasons. The MSM’s attempt to reduce politics down to a form of entertainment is pernicious and has resulted in a complete arse-about-face situation where, rather than the MSN providing a service to politics, politics is now providing a service to the MSM. Rather than the MSM providing its consumers with anything like actual debate or support for the practise of democracy, it has reduced our politicians down to part-time celebs filling in space between advertisements. The lead-up to and the aftermath of the so-called debates provides seemingly endless additional copy as the punters pontificate about “who won” and “zingers” etc. In effect, the so-called debates are just the same as the polls in that the MSM is using them to manufacture content which it attempts to portray as delivering real information. The so-called debates have added no value to the wider political conversation and may even have detracted from it as blog thread after blog thread becomes cluttered with win/loss battle analogies typically seen on sports pages.
Still, having had another of my stream-of-consciousness rants, I do agree that John Key’s decision is a tactical mistake. Now is not the time to bring order to the MSM and its a matter of making the best of a bad situation. For National Ltd™, John Key has just made a bad sitiuation even worse. Nice one.
re National Ltd™
Judging by the lack of policy and of substance now from several National ministers, including today Tolley, recently Key and English and of course Perata, and laws that have made it into legislation here which give the impression that they might have been drafted north and east of us, I think that should be (Multi)National Ltd™
‘
Heh! Wasn’t that a telling Freudian slip by John Key. Not only did it give away his actual intentions for New Zealand, it also displayed National Ltd™’s dismissive attitude to the concept of our beautiful mutual multi and bi cultural society. For John Key the word “society” is synonymous with “business” so the slip is probably understandable given his inner mercantile and all pervading belief system.
Well said Blip I hope the dull brained MSM wake up before we loose the coutry to this nasty lot of carpetbaggers and finally after all the Dirty politics saga carries on, come to our rescue…
So, the big question, given all this, that MSM need to keep asking is: what new laws do you have planned for your next term, PM? And what changes to current laws do you have planned, PM?
The usual weasel-worded reply is, of course “we have no plans to…”, but that’s hardly a credible response during an election campaign (or if he gives that response then that’s a clear mistake on his part).
So, force him (and them) to say what they will enact. We have a right to know.
Exactly Stever,
By Key not releasing any solid bottom line policy platform they can come back after and say we were voted back!
Then now will proceed to sell us into slavery in after secretly signing us up to the aggressive rules of the TPPA and clamp down on free speech and workers rights and then increase taxes to pay for their pork barrel promises.
They will open all foriegn bids to buy any remaining crown assets.
This short video explains the TPPA well and although it is a US video, the issues are exactly the same for NZ. Signing the TPPA would be the worst thing for NZ. Everyone needs to know this information.
http://economyincrisis.org/issues/tpp
The democratic process is not johns ,give it back i want to be fully inform..as far as i know the word democratic still exists in my world…
“dont russell the horses”
😀
Only 30 minutes , that’s a long time when you’re facing public humiliation .
When will it end , it seems like hours , when can we go home .
These must be the thoughts going through cunliffes mind .
Key must be in shock and can’t believe his luck ,so much to talk about , the greens move to cuddle up to National has left cunliffe and the left completely impotent , the demise of labour at the hands of the greens continues .
Key- its all over rover so go rove some other country to plunder shitbag!
What concerns me is the lack of real ‘General Leadership Debates’ we used to have back on the day. Disabled DLANZ think National and with the support of Labor, have monopolized the Media.
I also think these Broadcasters are playing to their Ad Makers commercial interests….my view
Regards and keep emiling
Doug Hay
Cordinator DLANZ
The TV1 guide for next Wednesday, 17th Sept, 7 pm, does show only half an hour for the leader’s debate.
Vote 2014 : 19:00 – 19:30
When you say that the PM’s office does not agree to a one hour debate, did Key give a reason why he has chickened out? I haven’t seen any news item on it.
I think I read that he thought it would not be fair.
The implication I got was to tv3 maybe.