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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Struts are an essential part of a car’s suspension system. They are responsible for supporting the weight of the car and damping the oscillations of the springs. Struts are typically made of steel or aluminum and are filled with hydraulic fluid. How Do Struts Work? Struts work by transferring the ...
Car registration is a mandatory process that all vehicle owners must complete annually. This process involves registering your car with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and paying an associated fee. The registration process ensures that your vehicle is properly licensed and insured, and helps law enforcement and other authorities ...
Zoom is a video conferencing service that allows you to share your screen, webcam, and audio with other participants. In addition to sharing your own audio, you can also share the audio from your computer with other participants. This can be useful for playing music, sharing presentations with audio, or ...
Building your own computer can be a rewarding and cost-effective way to get a high-performance machine tailored to your specific needs. However, it also requires careful planning and execution, and one of the most important factors to consider is the time it will take. The exact time it takes to ...
Sleep mode is a power-saving state that allows your computer to quickly resume operation without having to boot up from scratch. This can be useful if you need to step away from your computer for a short period of time but don’t want to shut it down completely. There are ...
Introduction Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) has revolutionized the field of translation by harnessing the power of technology to assist human translators in their work. This innovative approach combines specialized software with human expertise to improve the efficiency, accuracy, and consistency of translations. In this comprehensive article, we will delve into the ...
In today’s digital age, mobile devices have become an indispensable part of our daily lives. Among the vast array of portable computing options available, iPads and tablet computers stand out as two prominent contenders. While both offer similar functionalities, there are subtle yet significant differences between these two devices. This ...
A computer is an electronic device that can be programmed to carry out a set of instructions. The basic components of a computer are the processor, memory, storage, input devices, and output devices. The Processor The processor, also known as the central processing unit (CPU), is the brain of the ...
Voice Memos is a convenient app on your iPhone that allows you to quickly record and store audio snippets. These recordings can be useful for a variety of purposes, such as taking notes, capturing ideas, or recording interviews. While you can listen to your voice memos on your iPhone, you ...
Laptop screens are essential for interacting with our devices and accessing information. However, when lines appear on the screen, it can be frustrating and disrupt productivity. Understanding the underlying causes of these lines is crucial for finding effective solutions. Types of Screen Lines Horizontal lines: Also known as scan ...
Right-clicking is a common and essential computer operation that allows users to access additional options and settings. While most desktop computers have dedicated right-click buttons on their mice, laptops often do not have these buttons due to space limitations. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on how to right-click ...
Powering up and shutting down your ASUS laptop is an essential task for any laptop user. Locating the power button can sometimes be a hassle, especially if you’re new to ASUS laptops. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on where to find the power button on different ASUS laptop ...
Dell laptops are renowned for their reliability, performance, and versatility. Whether you’re a student, a professional, or just someone who needs a reliable computing device, a Dell laptop can meet your needs. However, if you’re new to Dell laptops, you may be wondering how to get started. In this comprehensive ...
Two-thirds of the country think that “New Zealand’s economy is rigged to advantage the rich and powerful”. They also believe that “New Zealand needs a strong leader to take the country back from the rich and powerful”. These are just two of a handful of stunning new survey results released ...
In today’s digital world, screenshots have become an indispensable tool for communication and documentation. Whether you need to capture an important email, preserve a website page, or share an error message, screenshots allow you to quickly and easily preserve digital information. If you’re an Asus laptop user, there are several ...
A factory reset restores your Gateway laptop to its original factory settings, erasing all data, apps, and personalizations. This can be necessary to resolve software issues, remove viruses, or prepare your laptop for sale or transfer. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to factory reset your Gateway laptop: Method 1: ...
“You talking about me?”The neoliberal denigration of the past was nowhere more unrelenting than in its depiction of the public service. The Post Office and the Railways were held up as being both irremediably inefficient and scandalously over-manned. Playwright Roger Hall’s “Glide Time” caricatures were presented as accurate depictions of ...
Roger Partridge writes – When the Coalition Government took office last October, it inherited a country on a precipice. With persistent inflation, decades of insipid productivity growth and crises in healthcare, education, housing and law and order, it is no exaggeration to suggest New Zealand’s first-world status was ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – In 2022, the Curriculum Centre at the Ministry of Education employed 308 staff, according to an Official Information Request. Earlier this week it was announced 202 of those staff were being cut. When you look up “The New Zealand Curriculum” on the Ministry of ...
Chris Bishop’s bill has stirred up a hornets nest of opposition. Photo: Lynn Grieveson for The KākāTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate from the last day included:A crescendo of opposition to the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill is ...
Monday left me brokenTuesday, I was through with hopingWednesday, my empty arms were openThursday, waiting for love, waiting for loveThe end of another week that left many of us asking WTF? What on earth has NZ gotten itself into and how on earth could people have voluntarily signed up for ...
Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.State of humanity, 20242024, it feels, keeps presenting us with ever more challenges, ever more dismay.Do you give up yet? It seems to ask.No? How about this? Or this?How about this?Full story Share ...
Determining the hardest sport in the world is a subjective matter, as the difficulty level can vary depending on individual abilities, physical attributes, and experience. However, based on various factors including physical demands, technical skills, mental fortitude, and overall accomplishment, here is an exploration of some of the most challenging ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
The Government’s newly announced review of methane emissions reduction targets hints at its desire to delay Aotearoa New Zealand’s urgent transition to a climate safe future, the Green Party said. ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector. "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra In the free-for-all between the Australian government and Big Tech boss Elon Musk this week, the government had to be on a winner. Most people would have little sympathy with Musk’s vociferous opposition to ...
Asia Pacific Report Chief Mandla Mandela, a member of the National Assembly of South Africa and Nelson Mandela’s grandson, has joined the Freedom Flotilla in istanbul as the ships prepare to sail for Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. Mandela is also the ambassador for the Global Campaign to Return to ...
Pacific Media Watch Journalists who report on environmental issues are encountering growing difficulties in many parts of the world, reports Reporters Without Borders. According to the tally kept by RSF, 200 journalists have been subjected to threats and physical violence, including murder, in the past 10 years because they were ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards, Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Senior Lecturer, Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society, University of Canberra BagzhanSadvakassov/Upsplash, CC BY-SA Australia’s inflation rate has fallen for the fifth successive quarter, and it’s now less than half of what it was back in late 2022. ...
ACT's Rural Communities and Veterans spokesman Mark Cameron responds to cancellations and protests of ANZAC Day commemorations in Wellington. He says, "These pitiful attempts to detract from ANZAC Day are not at all indicative of the feelings of mainstream ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Meighen McCrae, Associate Professor of Strategic & Defence Studies, Australian National University American and Australian stretcher bearers working together near the front line during the Battle of Hamel in 1918.Australian War Memorial While the AUKUS alliance is new, the Australian-American partnership ...
Pōneke based peace activists staged a silent protest at the ANZAC day service to highlight New Zealand’s complicity in war and genocide, and urge the government to take concrete steps to stop the genocide in Palestine. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Magdalena M.E. Bunbury, Postdoctoral Researcher, James Cook University Burial with a horse at the Rákóczifalva site, Hungary (8th century AD).Sándor Hegedűs, Hungarian National Museum, CC BY How do we understand past societies? For centuries, our main sources of information have been ...
Amanda Thompson doesn’t really do Anzac Day. But what she does do is remember the people she knew who had a lifetime to remember stuff they didn’t really want to, because of a war they didn’t ask for. And she does make Anzac biscuits.First published in 2021.All my ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kathryn Willis, Postdoctoral Researcher, CSIRO Xavier Boulenger/Shutterstock In the two decades to 2019, global plastic production doubled. By 2040, plastic manufacturing and processing could consume as much as 20% of global oil production and use up 15% of the annual carbon ...
With our collective remembrance, and steadfast belief in our common humanity, we strengthen our hope and resolve to do what we can to foster dialogue and understanding, and to heal divisions in our pursuit of peace. ...
Principal reasons for the opposition is the loss of the public’s democratic right to have “a fair say” and the vital need for a government free from corruption, said Casey Cravens of Dunedin, president of the New Zealand Federation of Freshwater ...
Never mind the scoreboard – in the 2000 Bledisloe Cup decider, the real trans-Tasman battle was won before kickoff.First published in 2016. The dawn of the new millennium was a dark time for the All Blacks. Their final game pre-Y2K was a 22-18 loss to South Africa in the ...
I’m on the wrong side of 40, I never pursued creative work and now my job is killing my soul. Help! Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nzDear Hera,May I start with the least original conversation opener you’re likely to hear around the motu at the moment, particularly in Wellington: ...
“Never again - No AUKUS” was the message of the wreath laid at this morning’s national ANZAC Day commemorative service at Pukeahu National War Memorial Park this morning by the Stop AUKUS group. ...
Until this month, Auckland swimmer Hazel Ouwehand had never met a qualifying time in an Olympic event for a New Zealand team, even as a junior. Now she’s very likely off to the Paris Olympics after swimming well under the qualifying standard in the 100m butterfly twice – both in ...
While Anzac Day has experienced a resurgence in recent years, our other day of remembrance has slowly faded from view.The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand. Original illustrations by Hope McConnell.First published in 2022.The high school’s head girl and ...
Australian and New Zealand volunteers fought together in the Waikato War, yet still its place in the Anzac tradition is unacknowledged by our defence forces or Returned Services Association.First published in 2018.When I was a boy cub I attended Anzac Day services in the South Auckland suburb of ...
A poem by Wellington writer Tayi Tibble.Hoki Mai She kisses him goodbye with her eyes still wet and alight from their last swim in the Awatere river. At the train station celebration, she leads the Kapa Haka but her voice keeps breaking under and over itself like waves. ...
A poem from Bill Manhire’s 2017 book of verse Some Things to Place in a Coffin.My World War I Poem Inside each trench, the sound of prayer. Inside each prayer, the sound of digging. Image courtesy of Auckland War Memorial Museum. ...
There are three books I have wolfed down in one sitting over the last two years. Colleen Maria Lenihan’s gorgeous and sad debut Kōhine, Noelle McCarthy’s memoir Grand about becoming her mother and then unbecoming her, and now Hine Toa, a staunch yet gentle self-portrait by living legend Ngāhuia te ...
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Asia Pacific Report Students and activist staff at Australia’s University of Sydney (USyd) have set up a Gaza solidarity encampment in support of Palestinians and similar student-led protests in the United States. The camp was pitched as mass graves, crippled hospitals, thousands of civilian deaths and the near-total destruction of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James B. Dorey, Lecturer in Biological Sciences, University of Wollongong Australian teddy bear bees are cute and fluffy, but get a look at that massive (unbarbed) stinger! James Dorey Photography Most of us have been stung by a bee and we ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jen Roberts, Senior Lecturer, School of Humanities and Social Inquiry, University of Wollongong Aussie~mobs/FlickrVictor Farr, a private in the 1st Infantry Battalion, was among the first to land at Anzac Cove just before dawn on April 25 1915. Victor Farr ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Gregory Moore I had the good fortune to care for the sugar gum at The University of Melbourne’s Burnley Gardens in Victoria where I worked for ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Senior Lecturer, Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society, University of Canberra BagzhanSadvakassov/Upsplash, CC BY-SA Australia’s inflation rate has fallen for the fifth successive quarter, and it’s now less than half of what it was back in late 2022. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rachel Ong ViforJ, ARC Future Fellow & Professor of Economics, Curtin University Just when we think the price of rentals could not get any worse, this week’s Rental Affordability Snapshot by Anglicare has revealed low-income Australians are facing a housing crisis like ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Meighen McCrae, Associate Professor of Strategic & Defence Studies, Australian National University American and Australian stretcher bearers working together near the front line during the Battle of Hamel in 1918.Australian War Memorial While the AUKUS alliance is new, the Australian-American partnership ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tracey Holmes, Professorial Fellow in Sport, University of Canberra When the news broke last weekend that 23 Chinese swimmers had tested positive to a banned drug in early 2021 and were allowed to compete at the Tokyo Olympic Games six months later ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cally Jetta, Senior Lecturer and Academic Lead; College for First Nations, University of Southern Queensland Australian War MemorialAboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised this article contains names and images of deceased people, as well as sensitive historical information ...
RNZ News Melissa Lee has been ousted from New Zealand’s coalition cabinet and stripped of the Media portfolio, and Penny Simmonds has lost the Disability Issues portfolio in a reshuffle. Climate Change and Revenue Minister Simon Watts will take Lee’s spot in cabinet. Simmonds was a minister outside of cabinet. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Lindenmayer, Professor, Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University laurello/Shutterstock Some reports and popular books, such as Bill Gammage’s Biggest Estate on Earth, have argued that extensive areas of Australia’s forests were kept open through frequent burning by ...
Analysis - Christopher Luxon framing the demotion of two ministers as the portfolios getting "too complex" is a charitable way of saying they weren't up to the job. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra With Jim Chalmers’s third budget on May 14, Australians will be looking for some more cost-of-living relief – beyond the tax cuts – although they have been warned extra measures will be modest. As ...
Analysis: Melissa Lee has lost the media portfolio and her spot in Cabinet after multiple failed attempts to find solutions for a media industry in crisis. On Wednesday, the Prime Minister announced Lee would be losing her spot in Cabinet along with her media and communications ministerial portfolio. The job ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Simon Wilmot, Senior Lecturer, Film, Deakin University Among the many Australian who served during the second world war, there is a small group of people whose stories remain largely untold. These are the Muslim men and women who, while small in number, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kelly Saunders, PhD Candidate, University of Canberra There has been much analysis and praise of Justice Michael Lee’s recent judgement in Bruce Lehrmann’s defamation case against Channel Ten. Many people were openly relieved to read Lee’s “forensic” and “nuanced” application of law ...
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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/