In a bill introduced to Parliament only yesterday, and now rushed through its first reading under urgency, the Government wants to empower itself to adjourn polling day multiple times without constraint – and not just in an election year, but the year after as well.
“It would mean that the Government could delay every local body election next year, all the way through 2023…………….
………………………….
“Granting this power under the cloak of Covid-19 is egregious.
“Local body elections are conducted by postal ballot, not by in-person voting.
Would you be comfortable with this if National were to attempt that, or worse even ACT?
Personally i believe that no election should be postponed unless really there is a good reason given, and currently that is not the case. So the question remains, is our government expecting worse to come? Or is that just a line up all the ducks in a row type prep.
I think the government is allowing for a worst case scenario should the pandemic take a turn for the worse. It is only a temporary measure but I would be interested to see why it unlimited in how many times the local elections can be delayed and more detail on the thinking.
Hi Sabine it says so in the Radio NZ article yesterday. I can't seem to post the link sorry. The RNZ story is less over-egged than the scoop story.
National has done it with Canterbury Regional Council ECAN for several years but not for the public good – it was to keep the dairy farmers happy essentially so they could increase irrigation and not worry about pollution of waterways.
As I said, I'd like to hear the detail of the reasoning. On the face of it it sounds sensible to have it be possible to postpone local government elections during a pandemic as a temporary measure. Even though it's a postal vote, it would still require many people throughout the country to travel and meet for it to happen.
Any external factor that significantly compromised participation by the voters would be a sufficient reason (e.g. war, natural disaster, pandemic). Any suspension should be time-limited and any extension should require justification by a court or in Parliament, or whatever. If ACT or National proposed something like that I would be fine with it.
The press release smells of more Nat mischief-making. And if you remember what National did with suspending ECan, this line is real hypocritical doozy "National will keep fighting Labour’s attempts to diminish local democracy. "
The press release doesn't tell us what "this" is – it just scaremongers. I'd have to go and read the Bill and life is too short.
I broadly outlined at 1.1.2 what I think would be acceptable, and if the actual Bill overstepped that, I would oppose it whoever did it. That's assuming I could even understand the Bill or muster the energy to try. Point is, I'm not going to get agitated into kneejerk expostulations after reading some Nat bullshittery.
In a bill introduced to Parliament only yesterday, and now rushed through its first reading under urgency, the Government wants to empower itself to adjourn polling day multiple times without constraint – and not just in an election year, but the year after as well.
the point that i am trying to make – and this bill was introduced, unless we are now calling everything that is said by the oppostion a lie – is would you be ok with National/Act doing this, and would you then also call the opposition 'fearmongers' for pointing out that this might not be a totally democratic thing to do.
I would also like to point out that last year we had elections. During a pandemic, with no one vaccinated and as always one single case away from lockdown.
The US had local and federal elections last year, with Covid killing people left right and centre.
So why do you think it would be ok? Consider also the fact that local elections are not in person but by mail.
Can we trust National? At your peril IMHO and same with Rimmer. I think Labour and Jacinda in particular has won some well earned brownie points for handling covid and would be almost be trusted to do the right thing for Aotearoa and not put one over us. Except the anti vaxxers will see only evil Govt domination strategy, but that's their problem.
Sorry, I do not entirely agree. Only those who have not experienced the erosion of democracy before will agree to any, even if it looks on the surface reasonable. Firstly, the public needs to be consulted. Lets just say they pay through their nose for those jobs (rates).
"The enemies of freedom have pushed the false narrative that democracy is in decline because it is incapable of addressing people’s needs. In fact, democracy is in decline because its most prominent exemplars are not doing enough to protect it. " end quote
"A good reason" is the sticking point . That's always a matter of opinion.
The easiest thing is to never have a postponement. Elections should go ahead. If there are extraordinary circumstances? Tough.
Say it's Election Day tomorrow and there's a big earthquake tonight. Most will still be able to vote. Every area is bound to have some able to vote. The main problem? Some polling staff may not be available.
It appears that National and ACT want more time. In fact, National will vote for it, as stated by Chris Bishop during the debate in Parliament:
So we'll vote for this bill, but with—
I quite liked the response by Julie Anne Genter:
Finally, when it comes to the changes to the Local Electoral Act, it will be interesting to see. It's pretty obvious that if we were in a situation of a level 3 or level 4 lockdown, we wouldn't be able to have public meetings. We wouldn't be able to run a normal local body electoral campaign. So I think this is a pretty reasonable provision that has a number of safeguards attached to it. I don't for one second believe the sort of bizarre conspiracy theories that were being peddled by Chris Bishop asserting that the Labour Government is going to use this power to somehow get an advantage in the Wellington mayoral race and not have to hold a by-election. I mean, that just sounds, quite frankly, a little bit deranged—although I guess that is where that party's getting to. They're really desperate at their 20-25 percent or less in the polls and making all sorts of random accusations.
“And its target, plainly, was the huge number – well over 400,000 – of National Party voters who defected to Labour in last year’s general election. The voters who rewarded Jacinda Ardern for getting them (and the rest of New Zealand) through the worst (or so they thought!) of the Covid-19 Pandemic.
Because, as Key the political strategist understands with crystal clarity, these are the only people who matter to National. Their sheer numbers represent something pretty close to 20 percent of the electorate. Win them back and National instantly regains electoral competitiveness. Fail to win them back, and National has no viable pathway to power. Clearly, Key is of the view that the present leader of the National Party either cannot, or will not, grasp this – the central reality of contemporary New Zealand politics – and he intends to do something about it.”
More accurately – it deprives its citizens of some rights while protecting other, higher priority, rights. (Namely the right to life.) Support from the community is a result of this tradeoff being widely accepted.
In fact, all that high vaccination rates do is shift this balance of rights. The likelihood of dying reduces, therefore lockdowns don't improve the right to life to a degree that will justify the loss of the right to freedom of movement.
Further, the reason our right-wing comrades dislike lockdowns is that they appear not to prioritise rights in the same way. Specifically, they seem to prioritise their right to freedom of movement over other people's right to life.
Rights as in human right, the right to be able to make a living and have a roof over the head, food on the table and clothes on their back is universal. There is no trading off with something or someone.
As for protecting everybody's right of expression or their belief, that stands to vote. In a true democratic society any vote casted will have to be accepted. In case of vaccination, once the majority (90%?) of people is, normal life ought to resume. There will always be a risk to catch something but people also need the freedom to go about their daily life's. We had 500 people die each year from the flu before Covid. Even though vaccination is available. Everybody knows the risk and as adults with a conscious mind we have to take responsibility.
Manchin faced a contested primary last time he ran, won heavily, and then his opponent from that primary was the D candidate in the other WV senate seat in 2020 and got trounced in the general election.
This is no slight on any particular party. As it is all MPs. (That comment was aimed at Incognito btw, before he bans me again lol)
Was watching the AM show this morning and it happened to be David Parker who got the question any random MP could have.
You say you feel peoples pain during lockdown, are MPs on 80% wages again like last time? (That wasn't the wording, but was the gist of it)
Full pay was the answer.
Sorry to be cynical but find it a bit annoying, to see MPs from all sides chanting we are all going through this, while they are on full pay and half are probably in Welly, deciding whether to go to Logan Brown or Whitebait today.
A gorgeous comment. Now just come and clean the coffee of the keyboard of my computer. I was just having a cup when I read this.
Their serving hours are apparently from 11 am until midnight. The opening time should suit Winston's night-owl habits but closing at midnight sounds as if it could be a problem for him.
Along with friends I used to go there in the 1960's when I was a student at Vic and afterwards when I was working but still single. The staple item we had was the mixed grill. As far as I can see from the 2009 review it didn't change in the 40+ years from when I went there to 2009 and probably hasn't changed since.
As Joe's review puts it " Steak, chops, lambs fry, bacon, sausages and meat patties, served with traditional New Zealand salad and chips.". I certainly wouldn't think of trying to eat such a plateful today. It was enormous. The only places I have seen meals that large since then were in outback roadhouses in Australia where they had such meals for the road train drivers.
I can't think of any occasion I have been to the Green Parrot in the last 50 years. Even nostalgia isn't going to get me back these days though. Giving up eating there is probably why I'm not any heavier than I was in those days of my youth.
Thank you for the link. That certainly is a place that picked a menu for its target clientele and never changed it.
Shaun Hendy's modelling covers a range of variables with differing outcomes and what has been in the public's attention 7,000 pa deaths was based on 1 scenario, another has it with NIL deaths 95% over 5 vac and a high VE.
Vaccine effectiveness – Table 1. Vaccine effectiveness parameters chosen to reflect estimates of the effectiveness of the Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA vaccine after 2 doses [5].
For those with a little time the link to Hendy's model contains greater depth with various assumptions and modelled outcomes than the headline numbers a few days ago of 7,000 deaths and massive hospitalisations. One good thing about this blog there is always someone out there to give greater clarity or challenge perceptions.
My response if you followed the path is 6.1.1.2 which was replying to Macro 6.1.1. (which refers to Hendy's moddelling) I thought that was how things were am I wrong in that and if so perhaps you could be so kind as to point out where my error is ?
How is that trolling ? and if so then almost every comment on this site as I read them follows a similar pattern, are most contributors here also trolling and deserve the same attention ?
OK thanks it is tough living in Auckland, many are on edge 🖖, perhaps a Game of Thones, Chernobbyl (Things are tougher for others) or Star Trek binge is required to settle down !!
I just watched The Expanse (rewatched the first few series and then saw the last one for the first time). Fantastic stuff.
I suspect that attending to people's stress is being under valued atm. Hard to tell though, the MSM are reporting selectively. Would love to see some research on how a range of Aucklanders are going.
the most realistic one was 90 per cent of eligible people vaccinated, with some controls still in place including constraints on the countries people could come from, and some level 2-style restrictions.
The article simply said the hospital made an assessment based on this scenario, and that others in Auckland and nationwide were doing the same.
Others have noted this is one scenario in the Hendry recent modelling.
Whether they made any variation based on local health demographics or urban setting is not stated.
They do say they and other hospitals will need more ICU nurses.
One wonders if Andrew (washing my hands over and over again) Little will blame Health Boards for lack of such nurses – given his tactic of placing blame on medicinal marijuana industry if people suffer at the end of the interim regime.
Here's hoping this pig of a man is held to account for his vile, misogynist bullying.
After Stuff published a story about the case in April, a collection of more than 70 advocates and academics wrote an open letter to Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern calling for action. The documents outline how the Judicial Conduct Commissioner Alan Ritchie chose to investigate their concerns as a complaint.
The documents, available only to complainants in the Judicial Conduct Commission case, centre on a series of complaints about the Hawke’s Bay-based Judge Callinicos, arising in April this year.
The first relates to the case of Mrs P, a domestic abuse victim wrongly convicted of perjury in the district court in 2018, an ordeal that saw her lose her job as a teacher and spend a year living in a garage on home detention.
[…]
At the same time, unbeknownst to the public, there had been multiple other complaints about Callinicos’ behaviour during hearings in another Family Court case about a child named “Moana” in Oranga Tamariki care.
Those complaints also revolved around bullying – three social workers involved in the case were so badly treated they had to have psychological support – and what the judges describe as a “disproportionate” response to the Oranga Tamariki lawyers who appeared before Callinicos.
Weren't those three the social workers who were caught up in the Department lying to the Court?
I hope that this does not turn into another affair like that of Peter Mahon. Will we get another Judge who has embarrassed the Crown being destroyed by the rest of the Justice system.
I hope that this does not turn into another affair like that of Peter Mahon. Will we get another Judge who has embarrassed the Crown being destroyed by the rest of the Justice system.
It is a bit disingenuous to equate the Peter Mahon case with the current case. To begin with, it wasn’t the justice system who were embarrassed by Mahon's Erebus judgement. It was the PM of the day RD Muldoon who, together with a few Air NZ chiefs, set up the inquiry with the expectation that Mahon would follow the agreed line and come down with an erroneous judgement. He refused to play ball and came down with the truth so they destroyed the man and his professional integrity. It killed him.
It was among the lowest and most corrupt times involving a former PM in the history of this country.
Muldoon wasn't actually involved in the matter. He also never commented on the subject, at least while the enquiry was going on and in the appeals later on.
The Government, and a Minister, are of course responsible for Orangi Tamariki. I don't think anyone in the Cabinet was directly responsible of course. They were probably lied to like everyone else.
The fix certainly seems to be in to nobble Judge Callinicos though doesn't it. He had the nerve to point out the totally inappropriate behaviour of a couple of judges who are senior to him and that just isn't done.
I had cause to follow the tragedy closely from the night it occurred through to the release of the Justice Mahon report and beyond. I've read a great deal of material over the years pertaining to the matter.
As Justice Mahon said: it was "an orchestrated litany of lies" and it went all the way to the office of the PM, Rob Muldoon. He was in it up to his neck from the start. The whole affair was premised on the desire of the government and Air NZ to avoid all culpability. So, they tried to pin the blame on the pilots who had been supplied with wrong coordinates. That, in a nutshell, is what happened.
It will go down in history as the moment when Muldoon and his cohorts hit the bottom of the barrel.
totally being called out for lying, being found out for lying makes people look bad. Indeed. Generally those that do the lying. But then who knows. Words only mean what ever someone means when they use them.
I don't know about the perjury case but the case involving 'Moana' is/was far from straightforward.
The judgment, as reported, by Callinicos J in that case was very careful. The three social workers and the dept itself did themselves no favours in their focus despite them saying, often, that their 'focus was on the child'. When questioned this came down down to that what they really they meant their focus 'was on the child as long as doing the best for the child did not contradict or conflict with the social workers own views'. It was clear that the judge had misgivings about the advice that they were putting forward to him.
In fact it does not surprise me at all that these social workers have hitched themselves to the perjury case. A bit like paraphrasing the Mandy Rice-Davies quote 'Well they would do (say) that wouldn't they?"
1 'A woman who appeared in a Family Court hearing brought by her ex-husband over a challenge to a separation of assets told Newsroom earlier this year that comments about her character by Judge Callinicos, including that she was “inherently dishonest”, manipulative and devious, had amounted to “sustained hounding and bullying”.
2 The judge found for her ex-husband, awarding him further assets, and he won a large award of costs, ultimately leading to her bankruptcy.
Paras 1& 2 appear to be about Callinicos. Not clear if this judgement was taken further.
3 The woman was then wrongly convicted by another judge of perjury over a document and sentenced to a year’s home detention, ending her career. This conviction was quashed by the Court of Appeal, in which three justices declared her conviction a miscarriage of justice and questioned the reasoning and comments by the lower court judges.
A wide-ranging review of transgender inclusion in non-elite sport in the UK has concluded the current policies are not fit for purpose and require a reset.
The Sports Councils Equality Group (SCEG) said "for many sports, the inclusion of transgender people, fairness and safety cannot co-exist in a single competitive model".
BoysVsWomen.com – – pretty clear that male puberty is a huge advantage
The vast majority of human births are XX or XY. When there are genetic abnormalities we end up with different combinations. So it is true sex is not binary however, for 99 per cent of the population it is. [more like 99.98%]
There are ethical considerations of course. But surely the safety of women competitors in contact sports should be at the top. Then quibble over advantages in strength, endurance, speed, conferred by male physiology.
As it happens I rate Kim Hill the best there is and am an avid listener.
I am sure Kim will do the best job that she can within the confines that I suspect her employers place upon her.
As for hosking I have tried to listen to him twice of late to see what all the criticism was about. I couldn't last the distance, he's daft as a brush and the negativity is on the wrist slashing scale
Sharp analysis of The Hosk. 5 minutes max of his hi-speed rabbitting on arrogant rants with their the too frequent & irritating radio ads is about all I can stand before I have to switch the damn radio off to preserve its life.
Yeah Police letting these things happen is ridiculous, especially if they decide to come down hard on Tamaki's flock tomorrow… and then if they don't more and more ordinary people are going to go well fuck it why should I follow the rules if all these other groups don't have to, it's damn close to a no win situation now.
Yeah, but turning up with enough cops to arrest/disperse everyone in that particular crowd would probably have bigger risks for killing people than the stupidity of the gathering.
Trump donor: Corey Lewandowski made unwanted sexual advances
"A Donald Trump donor is accusing Corey Lewandowski, one of the former president’s longtime top aides, of making unwanted sexual advances toward her at a Las Vegas charity event over the weekend.
Trashelle Odom, the wife of Idaho construction executive John Odom, alleges that Lewandowski repeatedly touched her, including on her leg and buttocks, and spoke to her in sexually graphic terms. Odom said that Lewandowski “stalked” her throughout the evening.
"A Trump spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment, though word of the incident has shaken the former president’s inner circle, several people familiar with the discussions said."
I wasn't sure why there is perturbation in Republican ranks at first until I considered it a bit. The actual assaults, the predatory behaviour, is nothing. It's just Trumpian, such behaviour has been accepted, okayed by all and sundry including all the religious Trump supporters.
The concern will be about the impact on the fund-raising, the money coming in.
The world they populate?
"Soon after the November election, a business colleague of Donald Trump’s close ally Corey Lewandowski offered a whistleblower and convicted ex-banker an expensive deal: In exchange for a $300,000 fee up front—plus another $1 million if successful—the two men would push the then-president for a pardon, according to the ex-banker and an associate who heard the pitch."
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Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it: We want our country to be a ...
The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading → ...
Ele Ludemann writes – The government is omitting general Treaty references from legislation : The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last Government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty ...
What was that judge thinking?Peter Williams writes – That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop:Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
Buzz from the BeehiveThe text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary. It can be quickly analysed ...
For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
Questions need to be asked on both sides of the worldPeter Williams writes – The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop:The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
TL;DR:Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
Bob Edlin writes – The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
The New Zealand public voted for a change in direction at the 2023 general election and that is exactly what this coalition government has been delivering in its first 100 days. There was an immediate focus on the economy, easing the cost of living, cracking down on law and order ...
The Government has left the health system as an afterthought, announcing half-baked targets at the last minute of their 100-day plan, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
Kiwis are still waiting for their promised cost of living support after 100 days of a National Government that is taking us backwards, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
100 days of National taking NZ backwardsThe National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
The Government must commit to funding free and healthy school lunches, as thousands of people sign the petition to keep them, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti says. ...
If the Government was serious about moving families into public housing, they would build more houses so there is actually somewhere for people to go. ...
The free and healthy school lunches programme feeds our kids, helps them to learn, and saves families money – but it is at risk under this Government, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
The Government’s proposed changes to Firearms Prohibition Orders (FPO) add almost nothing new and are merely an attempt to distract from its plans to loosen gun laws, police spokesperson Ginny Andersen and justice spokesperson Dr Duncan Webb said. ...
The great Victorian era English politician Lord Macauley stood in the British House of Parliament and said, "The gallery in which the reporters sit has become a fourth estate of the realm".He understood and outlined even way back then, the significant role and influence media have in a democracy. ...
"The Government is moving quickly to realise an additional $46 million in tariff savings in the EU market this season for Kiwi exporters,” Minister for Trade and Agriculture, Todd McClay says. Parliament is set, this week, to complete the final legislative processes required to bring the New Zealand – European ...
New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April. ...
Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand. Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships. “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland Acknowledgements and opening Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says. “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024 Acknowledgements and opening Morena, Nga Mihi Nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country. “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week. “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee. “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today. “The Amendment Paper represents ...
Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level. “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024. “Lower fruit and vege ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction. Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
Recommendations from the Climate Change Commission for New Zealand on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction and unit limit settings for the next five years have been tabled in Parliament, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “The Commission provides advice on the ETS annually. This is the third time the ...
The coalition Government is beginning its fight to lower building costs and reduce red tape by exempting minor building work from paying the building levy, says Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. “Currently, any building project worth $20,444 including GST or more is subject to the building levy which is ...
Proposed changes to tax legislation to prevent the over-taxation of low-earning trusts are welcome, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The changes have been recommended by Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee following consideration of submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill. “One of the ...
Assalaamu alaikum. السَّلَام عليكم In light of the holy month of Ramadan, I want to extend my warmest wishes to our Muslim community in New Zealand. Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, renewed devotion, perseverance, generosity, and forgiveness. It’s a time to strengthen our bonds and appreciate the diversity ...
Former Transport Minister and CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber Hon Simon Bridges has been appointed as the new Board Chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) for a three-year term, Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced today. “Simon brings extensive experience and knowledge in transport policy and governance to the role. He will ...
Good morning all, it is a pleasure to be here as Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology. It is fantastic to see how connected and collaborative the life science and biotechnology industry is here in New Zealand. I would like to thank BioTechNZ and NZTech for the invitation to address ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says he is looking forward to the day when three key water projects in Northland are up and running, unlocking the full potential of land in the region. Mr Jones attended a community event at the site of the Otawere reservoir near Kerikeri on Friday. ...
Associate Finance Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government has agreed to restore deductibility for mortgage interest on residential investment properties. “Help is on the way for landlords and renters alike. The Government’s restoration of interest deductibility will ease pressure on rents and simplify the tax code,” says ...
Sport and Recreation Minister Chris Bishop will travel to Switzerland today to attend an Executive Committee meeting and Symposium of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Mr Bishop will then travel on to London where he will attend a series of meetings in his capacity as Infrastructure Minister. “New Zealanders believe ...
Pacific Media Watch Earthwise hosts Lois and Martin Griffiths. Earthwise presenters Lois and Martin Griffiths on Plains FM 96.9 community radio talk to Dr David Robie, a New Zealand author, independent journalist and media educator with a passion for the Asia-Pacific region. David talks about the struggle to raise awareness ...
Pacific Media Watch Ismail al-Ghoul, an Al Jazeera Arabic correspondent who was held for 12 hours at Gaza’s al-Shifa hospital, says Israeli forces rounded up Palestinian journalists at the facility and made them kneel on the ground for hours, while naked and blindfolded. “The occupation forces handcuffed and blindfolded us ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tony Wood, Program Director, Energy, Grattan Institute chinasong, Shutterstock Electricity customers in four Australian states can breathe a sigh of relief. After two years in a row of 20% price increases, power prices have finally stabilised. In many places they’re ...
Chumbawamba have reportedly issued the deputy PM a cease-and-desist notice after he used their song 'Tubthumping' before his state of the nation speech. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Deborah Lupton, SHARP Professor, Vitalities Lab, Centre for Social Research in Health and Social Policy Centre, and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making and Society, UNSW Sydney kitzcorner/Shutterstock The assertion from Queensland’s chief health officer John Gerrard that ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Shutterstock Why are musicians so keen to get played on the radio? It can’t be because of the money. In Australia they are paid at rates so low they ...
"Farmers make a point not to tell our urban cousins how to live, yet Chlöe from central Auckland is hell-bent on having her say about farmers," says ACT Rural Communities spokesman Mark Cameron. “On her first day in the House as Green ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards – Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Curran, Associate Professor of Ecology, Lincoln University, New Zealand Getty Images/Gerald Corsi In the latest move to reform environmental laws in New Zealand, the coalition government has introduced a bill to fast-track consenting processes for projects deemed to ...
Uber has argued it does not have as much control over drivers as the unions suggest, and wants a judgment ruling that drivers are employees and not contractors set aside and sent back to the Employment Court. The 2022 ruling followed a three-week hearing in which four drivers sought to ...
What can and can’t be purchased by disabled people or their carers has been slashed in an effort by the Ministry of Disabled People Whaikaha to save money. The purchasing guidelines, a set of rules that sets out what can be purchased using the various streams of Government disability funding, ...
The Treasury has published today a new Analytical Note by Tod Wright and Hien Nguyen, Fiscal incidence in New Zealand: The effects of taxes and benefits on household incomes in tax year 2018/19 . Analyses of the distributional impact of taxation and government ...
The Treasury has published today a new Analytical Note by Cory Davis, Boston Hart and Benjamin Stubbing, Household cost-of-living impacts from the Emissions Trading Scheme and using transfers to mitigate regressive outcomes . This Analytical Note ...
A coalition of public transport and climate organisations, united as ‘Transport for All’, is actively opposing the government’s transport proposals. The draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) includes plans for higher fares for public transport, ...
Greater Wellington is inviting feedback on proposed changes to its Revenue and Financing Policy. The Revenue and Financing Policy covers the Council’s various sources of funding, and how the cost of services is shared across the region. This includes ...
Labour has conceded it could have done more to deal with disruptive state housing tenants while in government but says the current coalition is going too far. ...
The band has asked their record label to issue a cease and desist to stop the NZ First leader using their 1997 hit to support his ‘misguided political views’. “I get knocked down, but I get up again,” blared through the speakers on Sunday as Winston Peters took the stage ...
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist Food rationing is underway in remote areas in Papua New Guinea’s Highlands following torrential rain and flash flooding. More than 20 people have been reported dead in Chimbu Province. In nearby Enga Province, the centre of last month’s massacre, a 15-year-old boy has been ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Hughes, Lecturer, Research School of Management, Australian National University After months of debate and intrigue, the AFL’s 19th and newest team, the Tasmania Devils, finally launched its jumper, logo and colours in Devonport this week. The Devils will wear green, ...
Brannavan Gnanalingam reviews the debut novel by Saraid de Silva.One of the most baffling things for children who move to a new country is what their parents’ (or grandparents’) lives were like prior to moving – for kids in particular, they’re too busy trying to fit in in their ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Gaunson, Associate Professor in Cinema Studies, RMIT University Narelle Portanier/Binge “If you don’t know who your mob are, you don’t know who you are,” Detective Andrea “Andie” Whitford (played by Leah Purcell) is told early into the new crime ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elise Klein, Associate professor, Australian National University It’s commonly accepted that women do the vast majority of caregiving in Australian society. But less appreciated is that Indigenous women do larger amounts of unpaid care than any other group. Working with the Aboriginal ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne Joe Biden and Donald Trump have both secured their parties’ nominations for the November 5 United States general election by winning a ...
Comment: There has been a striking contrast in trans-Tasman interest about Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi’s visit to New Zealand and Australia. While the Australian press has been full of articles about the visit – including his curious decision to meet with former prime minister and China booster Paul Keating ...
After years of pressuring banks and other institutions to stop investing in fossil fuels, climate campaigners are making some progress. So how does divestment work?For years, climate activists have been pushing banks and other big institutions to divest from fossil fuels. New research from climate advocacy group 350 Aotearoa ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. The three young Polynesians are part of a K-pop fan community in Tāmaki Makaurau. It’s one of many that have sprung up worldwide as K-pop has gone ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. This one-off documentary presents three intimate portraits of young Polynesians who are pulled into a Korean cultural phenomenon. K-POLYS is directed by Litia Tuiburelevu, Produced by Hex ...
There’s ample evidence demonstrating free school lunch programmes provide wide benefits across schools, households and communities according to public health researchers. ACT Minister David Seymour wants to reduce the spending on Aotearoa New Zealand’s ...
By Wata Shaw in Suva Fiji is facing an exodus of Fijians as many are leaving for overseas seeking employment and education and others are migrating, says Opposition MP Viliame Naupoto. Speaking in Parliament, he said: “His Excellency’s speech (Ratu Wiliame Katonivere) comes after a little over one year of ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming comments from Christopher Luxon this morning recommitting to ‘no new taxes’ as part of Budget 2024. “Mr Luxon’s refusal at the Post-Cabinet press conference yesterday to repeat the ‘no new taxes’ promise ...
SAFE is urgently calling on the Environment Committee to reject the Government’s Fast-Track Approvals Bill, and is urging New Zealanders to rally behind the call. The proposed Bill, currently under consideration with the Environment select committee, ...
Teammates who spend all their time picking fights with spectators are only helpful for the other team, writes Madeleine Chapman. Anyone who has ever played a team sport competitively, particularly as a child and particularly, for some reason, basketball, will know that there’s a lot of politics involved. While there ...
The long-running Wellington music festival is too focused on the Jim Beam-ness and not enough on the Homegrown-ness.There is something about Homegrown that’s difficult to place. A barely perceptible-ness. Like feeling a ghost is watching you from the corner of the room but when you look, there’s nothing there. ...
The latest Ipsos New Zealand Issues Monitor reveals that fewer New Zealanders believe crime / law and order is one of the top issues facing our country. In 2018, Ipsos New Zealand started tracking the key issues facing New Zealand. In this wave ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Griffiths, Deputy Program Director, Budgets and Government, Grattan Institute Australia’s political donations rules are woefully inadequate, but donations reform is finally on the agenda. The federal government has signalled its interest in reform and will soon begin briefing MPs on its ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Patrick Taylor, Chief Environmental Scientist, EPA Victoria; Honorary Professor, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University Naiyana Somchitkaeo/Shutterstock A recent study published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine has linked microplastics with risk to human health. The study ...
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The Government is assigning itself the ability to delay local body elections as it chooses?
https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA2109/S00275/government-wants-power-to-delay-local-elections-through-2023.htm
from your link
Would you be comfortable with this if National were to attempt that, or worse even ACT?
Personally i believe that no election should be postponed unless really there is a good reason given, and currently that is not the case. So the question remains, is our government expecting worse to come? Or is that just a line up all the ducks in a row type prep.
What do you think Robert?
I think the government is allowing for a worst case scenario should the pandemic take a turn for the worse. It is only a temporary measure but I would be interested to see why it unlimited in how many times the local elections can be delayed and more detail on the thinking.
Then the government should openly discuss this and not use 'emergency' rule. The US had a full outbreak last year in many places and voted.
And how do you know it is a temporary measure, as nothing in the article speaks of that. OR is that wishful thinking?
Again, would you be comfortable if National or ACT or an N/A government were to do that?
I agree!
Hi Sabine it says so in the Radio NZ article yesterday. I can't seem to post the link sorry. The RNZ story is less over-egged than the scoop story.
National has done it with Canterbury Regional Council ECAN for several years but not for the public good – it was to keep the dairy farmers happy essentially so they could increase irrigation and not worry about pollution of waterways.
As I said, I'd like to hear the detail of the reasoning. On the face of it it sounds sensible to have it be possible to postpone local government elections during a pandemic as a temporary measure. Even though it's a postal vote, it would still require many people throughout the country to travel and meet for it to happen.
I agree with Pingao. I am not anxious about this, but my Nat/ACT voting friends are.
Any external factor that significantly compromised participation by the voters would be a sufficient reason (e.g. war, natural disaster, pandemic). Any suspension should be time-limited and any extension should require justification by a court or in Parliament, or whatever. If ACT or National proposed something like that I would be fine with it.
The press release smells of more Nat mischief-making. And if you remember what National did with suspending ECan, this line is real hypocritical doozy "National will keep fighting Labour’s attempts to diminish local democracy. "
So you would be ok with N/A government to do this too then?
The press release doesn't tell us what "this" is – it just scaremongers. I'd have to go and read the Bill and life is too short.
I broadly outlined at 1.1.2 what I think would be acceptable, and if the actual Bill overstepped that, I would oppose it whoever did it. That's assuming I could even understand the Bill or muster the energy to try. Point is, I'm not going to get agitated into kneejerk expostulations after reading some Nat bullshittery.
the point that i am trying to make – and this bill was introduced, unless we are now calling everything that is said by the oppostion a lie – is would you be ok with National/Act doing this, and would you then also call the opposition 'fearmongers' for pointing out that this might not be a totally democratic thing to do.
I would also like to point out that last year we had elections. During a pandemic, with no one vaccinated and as always one single case away from lockdown.
The US had local and federal elections last year, with Covid killing people left right and centre.
So why do you think it would be ok? Consider also the fact that local elections are not in person but by mail.
I would want to know if "without constraint" is actually true. I'm not trusting a National Party press release to tell me that it is.
chances are that without that Press release you would not even know about it.
That is why any government of any stripes and colors needs an opposition.
I agree with AB.
Can we trust National? At your peril IMHO and same with Rimmer. I think Labour and Jacinda in particular has won some well earned brownie points for handling covid and would be almost be trusted to do the right thing for Aotearoa and not put one over us. Except the anti vaxxers will see only evil Govt domination strategy, but that's their problem.
So you are ok wiht Labour potentially suspending/delaying elections?
If necessary yes, and in a pandemic it could be more than once.
Sorry, I do not entirely agree. Only those who have not experienced the erosion of democracy before will agree to any, even if it looks on the surface reasonable. Firstly, the public needs to be consulted. Lets just say they pay through their nose for those jobs (rates).
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-52308002
"The enemies of freedom have pushed the false narrative that democracy is in decline because it is incapable of addressing people’s needs. In fact, democracy is in decline because its most prominent exemplars are not doing enough to protect it. " end quote
https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-world/2021/democracy-under-siege
"A good reason" is the sticking point . That's always a matter of opinion.
The easiest thing is to never have a postponement. Elections should go ahead. If there are extraordinary circumstances? Tough.
Say it's Election Day tomorrow and there's a big earthquake tonight. Most will still be able to vote. Every area is bound to have some able to vote. The main problem? Some polling staff may not be available.
Bastards!
Hard to tell what they’re barking at this time.
https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/bills-and-laws/bills-proposed-laws/all
It appears that National and ACT want more time. In fact, National will vote for it, as stated by Chris Bishop during the debate in Parliament:
I quite liked the response by Julie Anne Genter:
https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/hansard-debates/rhr/combined/HansDeb_20210929_20210929_28
He's a bit late – https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2001/0035/latest/LMS350017.html is the relevant legislation, and it was added in May 2020. Maximum delays are 6 weeks at a time, although they can be delayed.
The Chief Electoral Officer can delay the general election as well, circumstances requiring.
It’s rare I agree with Chris Trotter, but he’s on the money with this one.
http://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/2021/10/thoroughly-planned-and-carefully.html
“And its target, plainly, was the huge number – well over 400,000 – of National Party voters who defected to Labour in last year’s general election. The voters who rewarded Jacinda Ardern for getting them (and the rest of New Zealand) through the worst (or so they thought!) of the Covid-19 Pandemic.
Because, as Key the political strategist understands with crystal clarity, these are the only people who matter to National. Their sheer numbers represent something pretty close to 20 percent of the electorate. Win them back and National instantly regains electoral competitiveness. Fail to win them back, and National has no viable pathway to power. Clearly, Key is of the view that the present leader of the National Party either cannot, or will not, grasp this – the central reality of contemporary New Zealand politics – and he intends to do something about it.”
This government needs more challenge the longer it deprives its citizens of rights.
But I'd be surprised if Key has moved the dial at the next opinion poll.
[user name and e-mail address fixed]
"…it deprives its citizens of rights."
More accurately – it deprives its citizens of some rights while protecting other, higher priority, rights. (Namely the right to life.) Support from the community is a result of this tradeoff being widely accepted.
In fact, all that high vaccination rates do is shift this balance of rights. The likelihood of dying reduces, therefore lockdowns don't improve the right to life to a degree that will justify the loss of the right to freedom of movement.
Further, the reason our right-wing comrades dislike lockdowns is that they appear not to prioritise rights in the same way. Specifically, they seem to prioritise their right to freedom of movement over other people's right to life.
Rights as in human right, the right to be able to make a living and have a roof over the head, food on the table and clothes on their back is universal. There is no trading off with something or someone.
As for protecting everybody's right of expression or their belief, that stands to vote. In a true democratic society any vote casted will have to be accepted. In case of vaccination, once the majority (90%?) of people is, normal life ought to resume. There will always be a risk to catch something but people also need the freedom to go about their daily life's. We had 500 people die each year from the flu before Covid. Even though vaccination is available. Everybody knows the risk and as adults with a conscious mind we have to take responsibility.
o.ac.nz/otagomagazine/issue45/inbrief/otago664450.html#:~:text=Research%20by%20the%20University%20of,biggest%20single%20infectious%20disease%20killer.
I think Sir John has basically pulled the rug out from under Judith Collins. Just a question of time. She’s been shafted by her former boss.
The Democratic management in the Senate is in deep, deep trouble.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/infrastructure-reconciliation-debt-shutdown_n_6154cc68e4b099230d1ea1c5
when you run R in places of D in order to 'win' and then wake up to the fact that indeed R's are R's.
Some of that is a natural consequence of the R Party becoming so extreme that previous Rs have defected to D.
Maybe someone needs to take Kyrsten Sinema and Joe Manchin aside and quietly explain that unless they support Biden's bill:
And then, even if they back down and support the bill, do these things anyway.
Manchin faced a contested primary last time he ran, won heavily, and then his opponent from that primary was the D candidate in the other WV senate seat in 2020 and got trounced in the general election.
Sinema is toast however.
Who cares hopefully their rotten system will go broke an hopefully they wont bore us to death with the details for months like they did last time !!
This is no slight on any particular party. As it is all MPs. (That comment was aimed at Incognito btw, before he bans me again lol)
Was watching the AM show this morning and it happened to be David Parker who got the question any random MP could have.
You say you feel peoples pain during lockdown, are MPs on 80% wages again like last time? (That wasn't the wording, but was the gist of it)
Full pay was the answer.
Sorry to be cynical but find it a bit annoying, to see MPs from all sides chanting we are all going through this, while they are on full pay and half are probably in Welly, deciding whether to go to Logan Brown or Whitebait today.
Yes, that will probably piss some viewers right off.
They will be awfully hungry if they turn up at Whitebait for lunch.
It closed permanently in, if I remember correctly, March 2019.A shame. It was a great place to eat although very expensive.
I suspect you are not a Wellingtonian.
I suspect you don't understand I am a Wellingtonian, but just can't afford to eat at ponsey places, and don't note down which have shut
Fair enough though. Replace that one with the other ponsey place Winston eats at
Green Parrot?
Charge about 30 bucks for a breakfast, ffs
Just looked.
22 bucks for a cheese omelette and 20 bucks for fried eggs. I mean wtf?
It must be licensed for him to have breakfast there?
A gorgeous comment. Now just come and clean the coffee of the keyboard of my computer. I was just having a cup when I read this.
Their serving hours are apparently from 11 am until midnight. The opening time should suit Winston's night-owl habits but closing at midnight sounds as if it could be a problem for him.
Thanks for the laugh though.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/local-papers/the-wellingtonian/2721809/Restaurant-review-The-Green-Parrot
Along with friends I used to go there in the 1960's when I was a student at Vic and afterwards when I was working but still single. The staple item we had was the mixed grill. As far as I can see from the 2009 review it didn't change in the 40+ years from when I went there to 2009 and probably hasn't changed since.
As Joe's review puts it " Steak, chops, lambs fry, bacon, sausages and meat patties, served with traditional New Zealand salad and chips.". I certainly wouldn't think of trying to eat such a plateful today. It was enormous. The only places I have seen meals that large since then were in outback roadhouses in Australia where they had such meals for the road train drivers.
I can't think of any occasion I have been to the Green Parrot in the last 50 years. Even nostalgia isn't going to get me back these days though. Giving up eating there is probably why I'm not any heavier than I was in those days of my youth.
Thank you for the link. That certainly is a place that picked a menu for its target clientele and never changed it.
TBF it is bloody nice and you do get a good feed.
Just pricey
Jojo's first day thru The Gate
https://vimeo.com/268920247
Sobering
Auckland Hospital is preparing to with deal with an average of six Covid-19 deaths a week next year, even with a 90 per cent vaccination rate.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/coronavirus/300420299/covid19-auckland-hospital-rapidly-preparing-for-border-reopening
I would trust their projections over Shaun Hendy's any day.
🙄 I think you will find if you were to read the short Stuff article linked to above that their projections are based on Shaun Hendy's modelling.
Shaun Hendy's modelling covers a range of variables with differing outcomes and what has been in the public's attention 7,000 pa deaths was based on 1 scenario, another has it with NIL deaths 95% over 5 vac and a high VE.
https://cpb-ap-se2.wpmucdn.com/blogs.auckland.ac.nz/dist/d/75/files/2017/01/modelling-to-support-a-future-covid-19-strategy.pdf
Exactly.
What's VE?
Vaccine effectiveness – Table 1. Vaccine effectiveness parameters chosen to reflect estimates of the effectiveness of the Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA vaccine after 2 doses [5].
For those with a little time the link to Hendy's model contains greater depth with various assumptions and modelled outcomes than the headline numbers a few days ago of 7,000 deaths and massive hospitalisations. One good thing about this blog there is always someone out there to give greater clarity or challenge perceptions.
thanks! Don’t have time to read right now, so appreciate the explanation
Since you seem to know, what were Hendy’s predictions again for the ADHB under similar assumed conditions? Or are you just trolling again?
My response if you followed the path is 6.1.1.2 which was replying to Macro 6.1.1. (which refers to Hendy's moddelling) I thought that was how things were am I wrong in that and if so perhaps you could be so kind as to point out where my error is ?
How is that trolling ? and if so then almost every comment on this site as I read them follows a similar pattern, are most contributors here also trolling and deserve the same attention ?
Incog was replying to someone else.
OK thanks it is tough living in Auckland, many are on edge 🖖, perhaps a Game of Thones, Chernobbyl (Things are tougher for others) or Star Trek binge is required to settle down !!
I just watched The Expanse (rewatched the first few series and then saw the last one for the first time). Fantastic stuff.
I suspect that attending to people's stress is being under valued atm. Hard to tell though, the MSM are reporting selectively. Would love to see some research on how a range of Aucklanders are going.
Could always try Vigil'ant, with gratitide, sponsored by nuclear free TVNZ On Demand.
One in the household has been watching and greatly enjoying "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel", but I prefer SiFi – But we all need some cheering up.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Marvelous_Mrs._Maisel
That is one hospital Jimmy.
Sobering indeed.
https://twitter.com/nickjonesnzer/status/1443667060261720072
The article simply said the hospital made an assessment based on this scenario, and that others in Auckland and nationwide were doing the same.
Others have noted this is one scenario in the Hendry recent modelling.
Whether they made any variation based on local health demographics or urban setting is not stated.
They do say they and other hospitals will need more ICU nurses.
One wonders if Andrew (washing my hands over and over again) Little will blame Health Boards for lack of such nurses – given his tactic of placing blame on medicinal marijuana industry if people suffer at the end of the interim regime.
Here's hoping this pig of a man is held to account for his vile, misogynist bullying.
After Stuff published a story about the case in April, a collection of more than 70 advocates and academics wrote an open letter to Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern calling for action. The documents outline how the Judicial Conduct Commissioner Alan Ritchie chose to investigate their concerns as a complaint.
The documents, available only to complainants in the Judicial Conduct Commission case, centre on a series of complaints about the Hawke’s Bay-based Judge Callinicos, arising in April this year.
The first relates to the case of Mrs P, a domestic abuse victim wrongly convicted of perjury in the district court in 2018, an ordeal that saw her lose her job as a teacher and spend a year living in a garage on home detention.
[…]
At the same time, unbeknownst to the public, there had been multiple other complaints about Callinicos’ behaviour during hearings in another Family Court case about a child named “Moana” in Oranga Tamariki care.
Those complaints also revolved around bullying – three social workers involved in the case were so badly treated they had to have psychological support – and what the judges describe as a “disproportionate” response to the Oranga Tamariki lawyers who appeared before Callinicos.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/126546393/bullying-excessive-partisan-and-demeaning-supreme-court-justice-slams-judges-treatment-of-abuse-victim
Weren't those three the social workers who were caught up in the Department lying to the Court?
I hope that this does not turn into another affair like that of Peter Mahon. Will we get another Judge who has embarrassed the Crown being destroyed by the rest of the Justice system.
It is a bit disingenuous to equate the Peter Mahon case with the current case. To begin with, it wasn’t the justice system who were embarrassed by Mahon's Erebus judgement. It was the PM of the day RD Muldoon who, together with a few Air NZ chiefs, set up the inquiry with the expectation that Mahon would follow the agreed line and come down with an erroneous judgement. He refused to play ball and came down with the truth so they destroyed the man and his professional integrity. It killed him.
It was among the lowest and most corrupt times involving a former PM in the history of this country.
Muldoon wasn't actually involved in the matter. He also never commented on the subject, at least while the enquiry was going on and in the appeals later on.
The Government, and a Minister, are of course responsible for Orangi Tamariki. I don't think anyone in the Cabinet was directly responsible of course. They were probably lied to like everyone else.
The fix certainly seems to be in to nobble Judge Callinicos though doesn't it. He had the nerve to point out the totally inappropriate behaviour of a couple of judges who are senior to him and that just isn't done.
Nonsense.
I had cause to follow the tragedy closely from the night it occurred through to the release of the Justice Mahon report and beyond. I've read a great deal of material over the years pertaining to the matter.
As Justice Mahon said: it was "an orchestrated litany of lies" and it went all the way to the office of the PM, Rob Muldoon. He was in it up to his neck from the start. The whole affair was premised on the desire of the government and Air NZ to avoid all culpability. So, they tried to pin the blame on the pilots who had been supplied with wrong coordinates. That, in a nutshell, is what happened.
It will go down in history as the moment when Muldoon and his cohorts hit the bottom of the barrel.
Who was the judge who convicted her of perjury?
totally being called out for lying, being found out for lying makes people look bad. Indeed. Generally those that do the lying. But then who knows. Words only mean what ever someone means when they use them.
I don't know about the perjury case but the case involving 'Moana' is/was far from straightforward.
The judgment, as reported, by Callinicos J in that case was very careful. The three social workers and the dept itself did themselves no favours in their focus despite them saying, often, that their 'focus was on the child'. When questioned this came down down to that what they really they meant their focus 'was on the child as long as doing the best for the child did not contradict or conflict with the social workers own views'. It was clear that the judge had misgivings about the advice that they were putting forward to him.
In fact it does not surprise me at all that these social workers have hitched themselves to the perjury case. A bit like paraphrasing the Mandy Rice-Davies quote 'Well they would do (say) that wouldn't they?"
From a newsroom article….https://www.newsroom.co.nz/judges-examination-she-was-in-the-box-just-crying
1 'A woman who appeared in a Family Court hearing brought by her ex-husband over a challenge to a separation of assets told Newsroom earlier this year that comments about her character by Judge Callinicos, including that she was “inherently dishonest”, manipulative and devious, had amounted to “sustained hounding and bullying”.
2 The judge found for her ex-husband, awarding him further assets, and he won a large award of costs, ultimately leading to her bankruptcy.
Paras 1& 2 appear to be about Callinicos. Not clear if this judgement was taken further.
3 The woman was then wrongly convicted by another judge of perjury over a document and sentenced to a year’s home detention, ending her career. This conviction was quashed by the Court of Appeal, in which three justices declared her conviction a miscarriage of justice and questioned the reasoning and comments by the lower court judges.
Para 3 relating to perjury was not Callinicos.
New report on transgender in sport
The Sports Councils Equality Group (SCEG) said "for many sports, the inclusion of transgender people, fairness and safety cannot co-exist in a single competitive model".
https://www.bbc.com/sport/58732146
Good article on this issue here, about a transgender athlete who competed at the Tokyo Olympics.
I put up a post.
If anyone has good references for the science on the advantages of male puberty in sports, I'd like to add them to the post.
https://thestandard.org.nz/revisiting-sports-trans-inclusiveness-and-womens-sex-based-rights/
BoysVsWomen.com – – pretty clear that male puberty is a huge advantage
The vast majority of human births are XX or XY. When there are genetic abnormalities we end up with different combinations. So it is true sex is not binary however, for 99 per cent of the population it is. [more like 99.98%]
There are ethical considerations of course. But surely the safety of women competitors in contact sports should be at the top. Then quibble over advantages in strength, endurance, speed, conferred by male physiology.
thanks Rob. My head's not good with graphics at the moment, will save for later.
a couple of twitter threads.
Jon Pike
@runthinkwrite
@OU_Philosophy
, Senior Lecturer in Philosophy. Political Philosophy, and the Ethics and Metaphysics of Sport. Co-convenor
@OU_GCN
Runner. Lefty.
https://twitter.com/runthinkwrite/status/1443492763518050304
Just heard an add on natrad that Kim Hill will be talking to Peter Thiel, tomorrow morning, I hesitate to use the word 'interview' these days
WellJohnr if you can't handle an intelligent interviewer then stick to your stupid mate Hosking.
As it happens I rate Kim Hill the best there is and am an avid listener.
I am sure Kim will do the best job that she can within the confines that I suspect her employers place upon her.
As for hosking I have tried to listen to him twice of late to see what all the criticism was about. I couldn't last the distance, he's daft as a brush and the negativity is on the wrist slashing scale
Sharp analysis of The Hosk. 5 minutes max of his hi-speed rabbitting on arrogant rants with their the too frequent & irritating radio ads is about all I can stand before I have to switch the damn radio off to preserve its life.
My apologies Johnr. Yes she is the best there is, in fact she is a gem.
Thiel meets steel.
Shit:
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/covid-19-delta-outbreak-complete-carnage-reports-of-huge-gathering-in-west-auckland/OURNRWTZY7WN7SUDM4GXECS4PE/
This has the potential to cost Jacinda the next election. The perception of the Covid response being held hostage by criminals is a terrible look.
Yeah Police letting these things happen is ridiculous, especially if they decide to come down hard on Tamaki's flock tomorrow… and then if they don't more and more ordinary people are going to go well fuck it why should I follow the rules if all these other groups don't have to, it's damn close to a no win situation now.
Yeah, but turning up with enough cops to arrest/disperse everyone in that particular crowd would probably have bigger risks for killing people than the stupidity of the gathering.
Not sure which way I'd go on that one.
"Those gathered were "compliant" with police and moved on to another location."
yeah. Delicate work, that.
that's a shockingly badly written article. Are journos restricted in their movements under L3?
Clay target shooting has got to be the weirdest way to end a major political career I've heard of.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/nsw-premier-gladys-berejiklian-to-make-significant-announcement-following-anti-corruption-wathcdog-bombshell/LGZ7CFGNZR4SQFZL6AKCHPDUTI/
Gladys says goodnight, toodle pip.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbF1tBzOukk
Interesting events over in NSW.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/icac-investigation-live-updates-gladys-berejiklian-investigated-over-daryl-maguire-dealings-20211001-p58wfi.html
Yes, resigned under a bit of a cloud to say the least.
why make stupid, fatuous, throw away promises if you don't want people to remember them?
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
Today's AFR:
…corrupts?
Not only is Gladys Berejiklian common-or-garden Liberal corrupt, but she managed to bring death and economic pain to nearly 20million people.
That is quite some political legacy.
Fancy that, Mike Hosking's idol biting the dust.
Lewandowski has been replaced as head of the MAGA PAC after rumours of an affair with the North Dakota Governor (brunette with no running name).
As to her interest
She wants to run for President. As to the rumours she said “she was of a God fearing family”.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/kristi-noem-affair-allegations-lewandowski/2021/09/29/859ad8da-2154-11ec-9309-b743b79abc59_story.html
This from last weekend:
Trump donor: Corey Lewandowski made unwanted sexual advances
"A Donald Trump donor is accusing Corey Lewandowski, one of the former president’s longtime top aides, of making unwanted sexual advances toward her at a Las Vegas charity event over the weekend.
Trashelle Odom, the wife of Idaho construction executive John Odom, alleges that Lewandowski repeatedly touched her, including on her leg and buttocks, and spoke to her in sexually graphic terms. Odom said that Lewandowski “stalked” her throughout the evening.
"A Trump spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment, though word of the incident has shaken the former president’s inner circle, several people familiar with the discussions said."
https://www.politico.com/news/2021/09/29/corey-lewandowski-sexual-advances-allegations-514650
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I wasn't sure why there is perturbation in Republican ranks at first until I considered it a bit. The actual assaults, the predatory behaviour, is nothing. It's just Trumpian, such behaviour has been accepted, okayed by all and sundry including all the religious Trump supporters.
The concern will be about the impact on the fund-raising, the money coming in.
The world they populate?
"Soon after the November election, a business colleague of Donald Trump’s close ally Corey Lewandowski offered a whistleblower and convicted ex-banker an expensive deal: In exchange for a $300,000 fee up front—plus another $1 million if successful—the two men would push the then-president for a pardon, according to the ex-banker and an associate who heard the pitch."
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2021/02/corey-lewandowski-allegedly-pitched-more-1-million-trump-pardon/617980/