I wonder how many of those middle class, anti-vaccination, 4×4 driving parents who get their medical advice from Facebook are taking note of this on-going measles tragedy in Samoa?
Oh no, not at all. Apparently being called aand or treated like a criminal for causing preventable deaths is only for politicians and doctors. Not non-medically trained facebook Karen’s.
The problem with the anti-anti vax position is twofold.
One is that telling people with a very strong ideological position that they are scum and should be in prison won't change their minds. The people we should be working on are those that are about to be radicalised to the anti-vax, scientifically illiterate part of the community. There are lots of people concerned about vaccination issues who aren't there yet, but creating social ostracisation isn't going to pull them into better critical thinking.
The other is that low vaccination rates in NZ are largely to do with poor management of public health. The number of people who choose not to vaccination is still relatively small, and the MoH acknowledges that they on their own wouldn't be an issue. A bigger problem, and I'm guessing way more relevant to Samoa, is the lack of access to primary health care including vaccinations (think low income families who travel back to the islands). That's on successive governments and Health spend although another guess is that it gets worse under National.
People who want to blame anti-vaxers for what is happening in Samoa are showing a similar lack of knowledge and critical thinking as the anti-vaxers. What I don't understand is why the people so upset about communicable disease outbreaks aren't agitating for strategies like quarantining, or restricting travel. I guess we don't want to upset people's lives. I also didn't hear a lot of agitation for financial and medical assistance before the outbreak in Samoa, but I guess if we had that kind of intention we'd be solving the access issues in NZ already.
One is that telling people with a very strong ideological position that they are scum and should be in prison won't change their minds.
I don't want to change peoples minds. I want people to be criminally sanctioned if they persist in undermining public health initiatives.
People who want to blame anti-vaxers for what is happening in Samoa are showing a similar lack of knowledge and critical thinking as the anti-vaxers.
Yeah, people who call out this privileged, scientifically illiterate fool are just like her.
/
After 32 measles deaths, Samoa has brought in compulsory vaccination and warned anti-vaxxers but a prominent rugby league WAG has defiantly dubbed the country "NaziSamoa" on Instagram
[…]
Samoa's state of emergency, declared last week, has seen children banned from public gatherings.
But the mandate for compulsory vaccination of all children and adults has met resistance from anti-vaxxers, notably Taylor Winterstein.
Taylor and Frank Winterstein have two children. Photo / Instagram
The WAG and mother-of-two runs A$200-a-head ($211) workshops on the dangers of vaccinations and has nearly 25,000 Instagram followers, reports news.com.au.
The wife of Samoan international and Penrith second rower, Frank Winterstein, she has likened the vaccination mandate to Nazi Germany, and reposted her opinion again following the child deaths.
there are all sorts of problems with what she is doing, and all sorts of problems with establishing law that would allow her to be prosecuted.
Doesn't answer my question though. How will criminally sanctioning Winterstein increase vaccination rates? Please talk me through how you see that working. Because I think that that idea is more about lashing out rather than addressing the reasons why the vax rate sometimes isn't high enough in NZ.
Seems to me that if we start charging people who disseminate incorrect and dangerous medical advice (especially for a profit), fewer people will disseminate incorrect and dangerous medical advice. Which will mean fewer parents acting on inaccurate and dangerous medical advice, and therefore more vaccinations.
Two points. Afaik the main problem with vaccination rates in NZ is poor access. The number people choosing to not vaccinated is less of an issue.
The people who choose not to vaccinate will still have social media and conversations at playgroup, even if people like Winterstein are silenced. That part of the culture doesn't respond well to ostracisation, ridicule, and authority. What you are suggesting is more likely to lead to radicalisation into full blown anti-vaxer (I know this part of the culture pretty well).
Better approach imo is this: Govt sorts out the access issues, using carrots not sticks. Govt also runs some kind of science literacy campaign, designed in such a way to reach the alternative part of the culture.
I also think that letting people make choices about one vaccine at a time, better adverse reporting processess, and community engagement would go a really long way.
In addition to people choosing to not vaccinate intentionally there is a cohort of people that would vaccinate if they had access. This is a well known issue in public health. Barriers to access might be things like lack of transport, cultural safety, time off work, lack of knowledge about the value of vaccines and so on. These generally fit into the larger issue of access to health care generally for poor and marginalised people in the community.
There are more than two choices. A sensible one is to ensure kids basic vaccinations are covered, spacing them out to give their little bodies more time to recover + skip the newer ones like HPV.
Every vaccine is a separate choice and needs to be considered this way…freaking heck this is NZ…unvaccinated children are one rusty nail away from disaster. But likewise the unmitigated push for increased vaccine use is highly debatable especially when the studies concluding safety are all funded in some way by big pharma.
The polarisation of the debate is hampering us resolving the issue (might as well name the trolling/astroturfing that happens in vax debates online too). To use your example, some parents are going to choose to vaccinate if they feel better about the schedule. Polarisation is preventing that issue being resolved.
The tendency of some progressives to go proto-fascist over this is disturbing, as is the moral outrage leading to ignoring the bigger issue.
When we have access to good health care including vaccinations for all NZers, then we can see if the anti-vaxers, or people who choose to not vaccinate, are still a problem. Afaik health authorities see the main issue as being one of access.
What evidence do you have that they are the main drivers of the measles outbreak in NZ? Genuinely interested. Is anyone studying this?
Like I said, attacking anti-vaxers and people who chose to not vaccinate will imo radicalise them. It won't motivate them to vaccinate their kids. I know people that are undecided who give up trying to figure out all the information because the debate is so vitriolic but they don't vaccinate their kids. Some get scared into vaccinating, but I'm dubious that this accounts for sufficient numbers to warrant the tactics because of how many get put off.
ISTR from previous discussions that antivaxxers were about a quarter of undervaxxed. Also that in manu dhbs that number relates to a bit more than the difference between the current dhb vax rate and the target.
At the upper end, higher vax rates have a more significant effect on reducing disease transmission – increasing vax rate from 5% to 10% isn't going to have as much an effect on the same disease as increasing from 85% to 90%.
People not in contact with primary healthcare need to be tracked and reached somehow. People refusing/delaying are right there in the office. Hence low hanging fruit.
they're not though. Many of the people I know who don't vaccinate their kids by intentional choice rarely go to a GP. But I don't see how that makes any difference because they're not going to respond to ridicule, hatred and ostracisation.
Are your stats for childhood vaccinations in general?
I think we're conflating "refuse in principle, but haven't been offered" vs "was offered but declined".
So the "many people" in your group who rarely go to the GP might not even be "offered", so then would be in the "access to primary healthcare" numbers rather than "refused", from an immunisation register perspective. So vthe number might be larger than those officially logged as "refused".
As for how they react to accusation and so on, I'm not to worried, really. The health act has "draconian" powers for a reason: without them, idiots kill other people with their infections.
BTW, the immunisation stats break down by delivery point e.g. whether they’re fully immunised @6months vs 18months etc.
The health act has "draconian" powers for a reason: without them, idiots kill other people with their infections.
For once I find myself agreeing with you wholeheartedly McF. We've gone for so long without a massive and lethal pandemic now that too many people have forgotten what it can take to defeat our most ancient enemy.
Edit
That's interesting weka. You know a number of people who don't want to be part of a wider community who join together to participate in systems that have been found to be useful for a better life. That doesn't bode well for the future, with cells or groups that decide to reject the ways of the the society in important matters to a society's culture and health.
This attitude will weaken the already fragile cohesion of society. I don't see it giving more autonomy and respect to the individual, rather one of dismissing the main society to adopt conformity with another group that takes an emotional or resentful stance to the norms of society. This group rejects the advice of the main society concerning the risks and benefits of practices it follows.
I hope that separation into groups in self- imposed isolation geographically or culturally does not grow in numbers, mirroring Gloriahaven and Centrepoint. They are different from closely aligned local groups in villages and towns, working around enterprises in an agreed unity, each with its own style and encouraging a healthy mind in a healthy body respected as part of a diverse unified community, each taking interest to be well informed with self-respect and practising self-reflection as well. That combination would limit the number of anti-vaxxers and self-centred dogmatists.
" A sensible one is to ensure kids basic vaccinations are covered, spacing them out to give their little bodies more time to recover + skip the newer ones like HPV. "
No evidence for any of that. Our bodies cope with more than one antigen at a time, have done for millions of years. But this "spaced out" view is being used as a sort of anti-vax halfway house.
UN Rapporteur on Torture Nils Melzer explains why the UK’s treatment of Julian is tantamount to torture, why Julian won’t face a fair trial in the US..all the while all the media stay absolutely silent…their silence however speaks volumes to their complicity and to where their interests really lay..our own included, no wonder most MSM is in a death spiral.
Interestingly, Melzer offered BBC for him to a ‘Hardtalk’ to be asked the hard questions…of course they don’t take him up on that offer, as we all know just the Russiagate fiasco, no MSM will go near anyone who will challenge their narrative with facts….again this speaks volumes.
Its interesting that Melzer started off believing all the Assange tripe…he's a rapist, mistreats his cat , a nutter who smears faeces on the walls, a Russian agent who propelled Trump to the WH , that sort of thing, then as he became aware of the concerted media/intelligence/govts/campaign, swung firmly behind Assange.
He's become an unshakeable advocate for journalistic freedom
Yeah, wouldn't it be nice to see a few of those around here come to their senses in the same way, not going hold my breath on that happening any time soon though.
The odiousness and stupidity of the centre-left should not come as any surprise…
This is the second poll this week to show voters are increasingly likely to oppose impeachment, despite wall-to-wall media coverage of the House hearings that have produced bombshell testimony about how Trump threatened to withhold financial aid to Ukraine if the country did not open an investigation into former Vice President Joe Biden, a top contender for the Democratic presidential nomination.
Funnily enough, a lot of these are women. But then maybe they realise that sometimes women need abortions, need female centric healthcare, and don't want to loose their rights as human beings. Go figure. Maybe its just the white working class male with economic anxiety that is good with grabbing them by the pussy.
That is pretty much it. A very recent poll across the US gave 70% of women voters would not be voting Trump in 2020 whereas around 50% of men would. This ties in with his around 42% approval rating 54% disapproval rating. Women have been perhaps the most active in the resistance of GOP policies. Although, of course, you will find the religious right and similar others in support because of their desire for the end times. But those with any sense, see the underhand workings of Moscow Mitch and the GOP Senate, with the steady stream of right wing judicial appointments, not only to the Supreme Court, but to the all the other levels as well which will ultimately lead to a very restrictive and stupidly legalistic America. The idiotic Abortion Bill in Ohio just a case in point.
blame the centre left other wise he would have typed
The odiousness and stupidity of the independents should not come as any surprise.
…..but the poster did not.
As for impeachment, the resident should have thought harder, covered up more, or simply have been less stupid. Also more support impeachment then do not.
I think this is a very good article on climate change, in particular warnings about extreme claims of doom and apocalypse that are counter-productive to taking sensible action on climate change – and on more important issues affecting the wellbeing of people and our planet.
Journalists and activists alike have an obligation to describe environmental problems honestly and accurately, even if they fear doing so will reduce their news value or salience with the public. There is good evidence that the catastrophist framing of climate change is self-defeating because it alienates and polarises many people. And exaggerating climate change risks distracting us from other important issues including ones we might have more near-term control over.
…
First, no credible scientific body has ever said climate change threatens the collapse of civilization much less the extinction of the human species.
…
It’s not like climate doesn’t matter. It’s that climate change is outweighed by other factors. Earlier this year, researchers found that climate “has affected organized armed conflict within countries. However, other drivers, such as low socioeconomic development and low capabilities of the state, are judged to be substantially more influential.”
…
Last January, after climate scientists criticized Rep. Ocasio-Cortez for saying the world would end in 12 years, her spokesperson said"We can quibble about the phraseology, whether it's existential or cataclysmic.” He added, “We're seeing lots of [climate change-related] problems that are already impacting lives."
That last part may be true, but it’s also true that economic development has made us less vulnerable, which is why there was a 99.7% decline in the death toll from natural disasters since its peak in 1931.
In 1931, 3.7 million people died from natural disasters. In 2018, just 11,000 did. And that decline occured over a period when the global population quadrupled.
Capitalism hasn't been all bad, in fact it has done a lot of good.
What about claims of crop failure, famine, and mass death? That’s science fiction, not science. Humans today produce enough food for 10 billion people, or 25% more than we need, and scientific bodies predict increases in that share, not declines.
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) forecasts crop yields increasing 30% by 2050. And the poorest parts of the world, like sub-Saharan Africa, are expected to see increases of 80 to 90%.
Nobody is suggesting climate change won’t negatively impact crop yields. It could. But such declines should be put in perspective. Wheat yields increased 100 to 300% around the world since the 1960s, while a study of 30 models found that yields would decline by 6% for every one degree Celsius increase in temperature.
Rates of future yield growth depend far more on whether poor nations get access to tractors, irrigation, and fertilizer than on climate change, says FAO.
All of this helps explain why IPCC anticipates climate change will have a modest impact on economic growth. By 2100, IPCC projects the global economy will be 300 to 500% larger than it is today. Both IPCCand the Nobel-winning Yale economist, William Nordhaus, predict that warming of 2.5°C and 4°C would reduce gross domestic product (GDP) by 2% and 5% over that same period.
So the impact of climate change needs to be put into sensible perspective.
I asked the Australian climate scientist Tom Wigley what he thought of the claim that climate change threatens civilization. “It really does bother me because it’s wrong,” he said. “All these young people have been misinformed. And partly it’s Greta Thunberg’s fault. Not deliberately. But she’s wrong.”
…
Wigley started working on climate science full-time in 1975 and created one of the first climate models (MAGICC) in 1987. It remains one of the main climate models in use today.
“When I talk to the general public,” he said, “I point out some of the things that might make projections of warming less and the things that might make them more.
…
“You’ve got to come up with some kind of middle ground where you do reasonable things to mitigate the risk and try at the same time to lift people out of poverty and make them more resilient,” said Emanuel. “We shouldn’t be forced to choose between lifting people out of poverty and doing something for the climate.”
Happily, there is a plenty of middle ground between climate apocalypse and climate denial.
But most arguments over climate change seem to be on the more extreme fringes.
NZ media generally have decided not to give publicity to extreme climate denial. They should be just as sensible about restricting extreme claims that tend towards climate apocalypse.
(Claims made in the article have links to various sources).
Having a read now, but for future reference, please don't put such long cut and pastes in comments, it's a pain for people on tiny devices who are trying to get to the next comment.
One is that he conflates the issue of how to frame discussion of the climate crisis with the issue of how bad the crisis is. The framing issue exists wherever one is on the the 'how bad is it?' spectrum. His conflation seems to be using the framing issue to deny that the crisis is that bad.
Another problem is this statement,
First, no credible scientific body has ever said climate change threatens the collapse of civilization much less the extinction of the human species.
This is a self-serving statement, because any scientists who do believe that CC threatens the collapse of civ will be written off as not credible. Instead of addressing the views of those scientists he uses XR spokespeople as examples, which is weird. Let's have a go anyway. Some well known, easy to look up science people that see a potential threat to civ from CC are James Lovelock, James Hansen, David Attenborough, Kevin Anderson,
There's also a problem with his selective use of quotes and arguments. eg he uses this statement from Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to illustrate catastrophe exaggeration,
The world is going to end in 12 years if we don't address climate change
But what she actually said, in context, was this,
Millennials and people, you know, Gen Z and all these folks that will come after us are looking up and we're like, The world is going to end in 12 years if we don't address climate change and your biggest issue is how are we gonna pay for it? This is the war—this is our World War II.
She's not saying that the world will literally end in 12 years, she's referencing the public discourse around the IPCC report that talked about a 12 year time frame to act, and is pointing out that young people want older people stop talking about money and instead talk about action. She is saying that in a modern, Millennial vernacular.
His bit on the resiliency of crops fails for two reasons. One is that current increases in crop yields are due to industrial ag that uses fossil fuels, carbon releasing tech like ploughing, and ecocidal practices. All of that won't be available in the future. The other fail is that the IPCC itself says there are serious crop failure issues if GHG emissions aren't reduced. Shellenberger is cherry picking to support his own denialism.
Maybe he was trying to say that any rhetoric around catastrophe is a problem, but overall he seems to be arguing that the crisis isn't as bad as people are making out. Unfortunately he is doing that in a misleading way.
I've long suspected that this blog wasn't in fact run by Lynn and Mike, but rather they are just puppets of a bigger master who controls us all. I'm afraid you've been misled and your position is entirely unpaid.
I see Pete is using the Parliamentary privilege of his own blog to whinge & whine about TS commenters. Just as well that he didn’t do it here because it would have triggered a predictable and inevitable response.
So you're happy for 'TS commenters' to whinge and whine about me here as much as they like, but any criticism from me would trigger "a predictable and inevitable response"?
Does that mean you don't want me to respond to the whinging and whining that you seem to approve of if not encourage.
The 'team' (a term used by Sacha and weka) intolerance of anyone deemed outside the team is one of the biggest impediments to decent, open discussion of political and social issues, and one of the biggest turnoffs to casual observers and voters (around various social media).
Reading the comments on your blog, there seems to be some cultural issues there as well.
Thing that stands out for me though is that of the people that responded to your original comment here, you have ignored the comments that addressed the issue you raised, and instead you've spent your time having a go at the people you think are having a go at you. This tells me a lot about your intentions here Pete.
It's a curse having to interpret everything literally including historic idiomatic phrases like "taking one for the team" but some like the badger refuse all help. Retreat to the false reassurance of their lair and moan, stuck with the knowledge that they could have been a contender.
Dear Pete, if you had written that allegation about Sacha here on TS you would have copped a ban, instantly, and you know it.
Just to make it absolutely clear to you, there is no team here, no assignments, no coordinated action against you or anybody else, and no conspiracy. Occasionally, we do experience a pile on here. Although this is often self-inflicted, we do put the brakes on it when it gets out of control, which does happen – TS is not a perfect organisation either.
If you cannot stand the heat of the debate here because people disagree with the long cut & paste you put up you may want to consider the alternative. What pisses me off is that you spray and walkaway when the going gets tough and then whinge & whine in the comfort of your own blog where you find solace from supportive commenters. Over the years, you have pissed and dissed on TS a few times – yesterday I happened to read a long exchange in the past between Lynn and you on your blog. It is pretty clear that even after all these years you still don’t understand TS and frankly, I can’t see it happening.
But as usual you have no answer to the simple blunt reality that if you collapse our current energy systems to carbon zero tomorrow, you become directly responsible for the death of billions in the days after. Sure you may have 'saved the planet' but history will account you the vilest mass murderer of all time.
Getting to carbon zero is entirely doable, but it's a complex task with a multitude of moving parts. And to get there we need to keep our current systems running just long enough to get us past the transition. The greatest threat of all would be a true collapse of our industrial, technological civilisation. That would unleash an intolerable stew of dysfunction, inflicting immense damage in every sense, environmental, economic, social and moral.
The good news is the technical solutions to wean us off fossil carbon are now at hand; better still many countries are on sustainable political paths toward implementing them. Extremists at both ends of debate are now just getting in the way. Fortunately both are becoming increasingly marginalised.
Maybe he was trying to say that any rhetoric around catastrophe is a problem, but overall he seems to be arguing that the crisis isn't as bad as people are making out.
There are significant problems with rhetoric arguments over deadlines and climate emergency.This is well signalled in the scientific literature.The problem is an obvious one can you identify it?and why it is so dangerous.
There are all sorts of problems with climate crisis rhetoric and framing, including timeframes. This is not news to me and I've talked about it in the past. That's a different thing from there being no crisis. I thought I'd explained that reasonably well in my comment. There's nothing in my comment that suggests there are no issues with the framing.
There is a significant scientific problem there ie a physical solution that is so fucken dangerous in the hands of morons like Gates and politicians its clearly identified, dont you understand the risk.
Because I'm busy and I don't see a reason to when I don't even know what the point is. You've said "There are significant problems with rhetoric arguments over deadlines and climate emergency" which I agree with.
Then you've made some obscure statements, I think it's on you to say what you mean.
will save you the time weka……is a political/sociological case that misunderstands the basic element of lag in their main argument…while there is uncertainty around the carbon budget for say 1.5C increase there is not 12-34 years of emissions available to burn before it is reached indeed it is possible the carbon budget for 1.5C has already been reached …geo engineering advocates and totalitarians will attempt to act regardless.
Agreed. That identifying middle ground would at least be a navigatable first start and a departure from the constant wordy ebb and flow of various parties asserting that their theory is more correct than anybody else's.
Yes she is a good choice for the position……to be fair, Taine and the other candidate never really had a chance up against her. I really couldn't understand the Stuff article the other week saying Taine was favorite to win!!!!!
Ms Bennett is National’s Election Campaign Manager and this is part of the party’s (and her personal, no doubt) campaign. She’s just doing her job while the DP Squad are digging for dirty dirt.
I wouldn't buy that dress either. I wear long sleeve dresses to hide my biceps and hairy arms. I also like comfortable loose fitting dresses because they make my masculine protrusions less obvious.
In between Bumps, royalty, fashion, crosswords and food Paula is trying to partly fit in to all genres and be eye-candy. Who handles her makeover? It has been outstanding work, just short of eugenics.
I tend to look at previous historical facts/ and or events, and assumptions being made to day at IRT to CC and actions by various nation states to give me a rough idea when I compile IMAP/ SMAP planning processes to give me a Most Dangerous Course of Action and a Most Likely Course of Action.
Southland engineering firms, the aquaculture sector and the region's struggling youth are the latest winners from the Government's Provincial Growth Fund.
Regional Economic Development minister Shane Jones was in Invercargill on Thursday to announce the fund would pump $4m total into the three sectors.
Ten engineering firms in Southland will receive a total of $2.13 million to assist them with buying equipment that would lift productivity and create 57 new jobs in the sector.
Underwater welding is actually an essential technique and skill for constuction and maintenance of infrastructure as well as the marine and fishing industries. Please keep up.
The modern world cannot provide quality of life that matches the expectations of people living in developed countries with universal education and complex service systems. The supply of water for cities is insufficient in a number of Australian cities. This from Sydney:
…Cataract Dam is only 26 percent full, prompting community debate about the long-term supply of clean drinking water during long droughts.
Western Sydney University scientist Ian Wright, who specialises in research into urban water quality, described the results as "shocking" and "unnatural".
He said the pollution was caused by metallic sediments – deep in the dams' catchments – dissolving into the water. The sediments are a by-product of coal-mining activity, which over many decades has damaged Sydney's rock beds, swamps and streams. The records show samples from Cataract and Cordeaux dams have exceeded acceptable limits more than 90 times in three years.
By comparison, neighbouring Avon Dam has breached the limits just three times in three years.
Dr Wright said that while small doses of iron are safe to drink, an elevated level usually indicates more dangerous contaminants in the dams..
The World and our futures mokopuna will gain many positive effects if we start mitigating Global Warming now.
If we don't it will cost trillion of $$$$$ in lost people lives wild life and assets.
COP25: youth ‘leadership’ contrasts with government inaction, says UN chief
Ahead of Madrid climate change conference António Guterres says political will.
António Guterres, the United Nations secretary general, contrasted the “leadership” and “mobilisation” shown by the world’s youth on the climate emergency with the lack of action by governments, which were failing to keep up with the urgency of the problem despite increasing signs that the climate was reaching breakdown.
Before the start of a critical conference on the climate crisis on Monday, he said the world had the technical and economic means to halt climate chaos, but what was missing was political will.
“The technologies that are necessary to make this possible are already available. Signals of hope are multiplying. Public opinion is waking up everywhere. Young people are showing remarkable leadership and mobilisation. [But we need] political will to put a price on carbon, political will to stop subsidies on fossil fuels [and start] taxing pollution instead of people.”
Guterres called for further investment from rich countries and support for poor nations to make the changes needed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and cope with the impacts of global heating. Amid rising temperatures, wildfires, heatwaves, droughts and floods, the danger signals were clear and must be acted on without further delay, he said.
To fulfil the Paris goals, far tougher targets on emissions are needed, while this year’s negotiations – known as COP25, running from 2 December to 13 December – will focus on technical issues such as a mechanism for trading carbon within the Paris agreement.
Resolving these technicalities will allow the UN to wrap up the Paris “rulebook”, setting out how to measure and achieve emissions cuts, but experts are concerned that it leaves too little time for the substantive question of targets, which under the rules must be resolved by the end of 2020
I not impressed with the health system 3 times they dropped the ball on my mokopuna health my daughter had a mist chest infection 3 check ups. They go and use my doctor against me they use my wife psychologist to turn her against me the system is bent WHANAU
When the Waitangi Tribunal released its comprehensive Māori health report in July, the claimants involved were initially pleased.
But now they're concerned the tribunal's recommendations are being ignored, despite assurances from the Ministry of Health.
"They are simply ticking boxes to assuage whoever may be looking from the outside whether it's their own minister or other Māori stakeholders or iwi," says National Hauora Coalition (NHC) Chief Executive Simon Royal.
"Which is essentially the behaviour the ministry has exhibited, and we've been complaining about, over the years. So it's repeating behaviours
The prejudice suffered by Māori because of these Crown failures is extensive," said the tribunal in its report.
I think it's good having a ban on foreign political donations. We need laws made to better Aotearoa not having foreign countrys leveraging our policy for their gain that in most case is not good for Aotearoa.
I know that Samsung makes the best fridges with their digital inverter soft start technology. All the off grid solar power enthusiasm buy them.
I know that the best thing for Aotearoa is to keep the Ports of Auckland were it is.
Spend the billions Greening our economy.
The United Nations report is the World’s reality.
They have been cleaning up the mess your party made of Aotearoa in the 9 year's you were in.
That's is cool a online tool using Artificial intelligence to help people understand and treat measles.
I don't mind the odd ding in my waka I've had mine for 10 years still going fine my next vehicle will be a Electric hybrid.
Times are changing fast if one is no on board the waka of being environmentally friendly well you will be left behind in the whenua.
Not exactly the Orient Express, but Europe's sleepers are back
untenable, sleepers lost their allure. One by one, Europe's great rail lines terminated or dramatically cut international night-train services.
Now, with environmental activist Greta Thunberg's "flight shaming" making people more aware of their carbon footprint, the night-train industry is seeing a renaissance. It's luring a new class of traveller – not the small but wealthy group of people of leisure who travelled on opulent trains like the Orient Express, but ordinary business people and tourists with a climate conscience.
That's heartening news for Siemens AG engineer Paul Winkler, who's been building trains for 27 years and believed he'd never again make another sleeper train car for western Europe.
No no this teaches people to respect all cultures not just the culture in power at the minute. This is good for all our mokopuna wairua. Boiling – – – -.
Great to see Te Marae return to the Mokopuna of the tangata who carved and built the Whare that went on a journey over seas.
Awsome to see Iwi Ngāti Whatua building whare for their whanau.
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
TL;DR: In today’s ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Tuesday, March 19:Kāinga Ora’s dry rot The Spinoff DailyBill McKibben on ‘Climate Superfunds’ making Big Oil pay for climate damage The Crucial YearsPreston Mui on returning to 1980s-style productivity growth NoahpinionAndy Boenau on NIMBYs needing unusual bedfellows Urbanism SpeakeasyNed Resnikoff's case ...
Negative yesterday, negative today. Negative all year, according to one departing reader telling me I’ve grown strident and predictable. Fair enough. If it’s any help, every time I go to write about a certain topic that begins with C and ends with arrrrs, I do brace myself and ask: Again? Are ...
Bryce Edwards writes – 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 show a minimal amount of flux in public support ...
Inspirational: The Family of Man is a glorious hymn to human equality, but, more than that, it is a clarion call to human freedom. Because equality, unleavened by liberty, is a broken piano, an unstrung harp; upon which the songs of fraternity will never be played.“Somebody must have been telling lies about ...
Tax Lawyer Barbara Edmonds vs Emperor Justinian I- Nolo Contendere: False historical explanations of pivotal events are very far from being inconsequential.WHEN BARBARA EDMONDS made reference to the Roman Empire, my ears pricked up. It is, lamentably, very rare to hear a politician admit to any kind of familiarity ...
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 show a minimal amount of flux in public support for the various parties in ...
Buzz from the Beehive Housing Minister Chris Bishop delivered news – packed with the ingredients to enflame political passions – worthy of supplanting Winston Peters in headline writers’ priorities. He popped up at the post-Cabinet press conference to promise a crackdown on unruly and antisocial state housing tenants. His ...
Ele Ludemann writes – The Reserve Bank is advertising for a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion advisor. The Bank has one mandate – to keep inflation between one and three percent. It has failed in that and is only slowly getting inflation back down to the upper limit. Will it ...
Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency Waka KotahiThe fact that a ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Gavin Jacobson talks to Thomas Piketty 10 years on from Capital in the 21st CenturyThe SalvoLocal scoop: Green MP’s business being investigated over migrant exploitation claims StuffSteve KilgallonLocal deep-dive: The commercial contractors making money from School ...
It’s a home - but Kāinga Ora tenants accused of “abusing the privilege” may lose it. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The Government announced a crackdown on Kāinga Ora tenants who were unruly and/or behind on their rent, with Housing Minister Chris Bishop saying a place in a state ...
This is a guest post by Connor Sharp of Surface Light Rail Light rail in Auckland: A way forward sooner than you think With the coup de grâce of Auckland Light Rail (ALR) earlier this year, and the shift of the government’s priorities to roads, roads, and more roads, it ...
Note: As a paid-up Webworm member, I’ve recorded this Webworm as a mini-podcast for you as well. Some of you said you liked this option - so I aim to provide it when I get a chance to record! Read more ...
TL;DR: In my ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Monday, March 18:IKEA is accused of planting big forests in New Zealand to green-wash; REDD-MonitorA City for People takes a well-deserved victory lap over Wellington’s pro-YIMBY District Plan votes; A City for PeopleSteven Anastasiou takes a close look at the sticky ...
Buzz from the Beehive Here’s hoping for a lively post-cabinet press conference when the PM and – perhaps – some of his ministers tell us what was discussed at their meeting today. Until then, Point of Order has precious little Beehive news to report after its latest monitoring of the ...
David Farrar writes – We now have almost all 2023 data in, which has allowed me to update my annual table of how labour went against its promises. This is basically their final report card. The promiseThe result Build 100,000 affordable homes over 10 ...
I’m a bit worried that I’ve started a previous newsletter with the words “just when you think they couldn’t get any worse…” Seems lately that I could begin pretty much every issue with that opening. Such is the nature of our coalition government that they seem to be outdoing each ...
Geoffrey Miller writes – Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. ...
Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture ...
Last week Transport Minster Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre. The new train control centre will see teams from KiwiRail, Auckland Transport and Auckland One Rail working more closely together to improve train services across the city. The Auckland Rail Operations Centre in ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson said in an exit interview with Q+A yesterday the Government can and should sustain more debt to invest in infrastructure for future generations. Elsewhere in the news in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 6:36am: Read more ...
Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. It is more than just a happy ...
TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to March 18 include:China’s Foreign Minister visiting Wellington today;A post-cabinet news conference this afternoon; the resumption of Parliament on Tuesday for two weeks before Easter;retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson gives his valedictory speech in Parliament; ...
New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters’s state-of-the-nation speech on Sunday was really a state-of-Winston-First speech. He barely mentioned any of the Government’s key policies and could not even wholly endorse its signature income tax cuts. Instead, he rehearsed all of his complaints about the Ardern Government, including an extraordinary claim ...
A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
“I’ve been internalising a really complicated situation in my head.”When they kept telling us we should wait until we get to know him, were they taking the piss? Was it a case of, if you think this is bad, wait till you get to know the real Christopher, after the ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
.“$10 and a target that bleeds” - Bleeding Targets for Under $10!.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.This government appears hell-bent on either scrapping life-saving legislation or reintroducing things that - frustrated critics insist - will be dangerous and likely ...
“It hardly strikes me as fair to criticise a government for doing exactly what it said it was going to do. For actually keeping its promises.”THUNDER WAS PLAYING TAG with lightning flashes amongst the distant peaks. Its rolling cadences interrupted by the here-I-come-here-I-go Doppler effect of the occasional passing car. ...
Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology – the Internet – is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
Bob Edlin writes – And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ HeraldThomas CoughlanSimeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
TL;DR:Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
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. ...
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. ...
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. ...
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 ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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, ...
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Evicting more people from state housing is ignorant to the consequences of poverty, the Greens say, but the Housing Minister says it's a privilege that can be taken away if abused. ...
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Good to see UK Labour spinning this latest terror attack against Conservative police number cuts and poor terrorism control.
That's good for a 1% shift.
Keep going you've got 12 days to get 10 points.
Yep +1 to that.
Surely there's mileage in Polish immigrant subdues murderous London terrorist with narwhal tusk.
Apparently not!
Daily Mail exclusive reveals violent immigrant used terror panic to steal valuable ivory narwhal tusk
12 days to get 5 points….the Libdems and SNP are certain to go with Labour
I wonder how many of those middle class, anti-vaccination, 4×4 driving parents who get their medical advice from Facebook are taking note of this on-going measles tragedy in Samoa?
https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/health/117844758/on-the-deserted-streets-of-apia-a-nation-searches-for-salvation-from-a-deadly-measles-epidemic
I thought the comment by the PM? of Samoa that anti vaxers should be put in prison was a good idea.
Oh no, not at all. Apparently being called aand or treated like a criminal for causing preventable deaths is only for politicians and doctors. Not non-medically trained facebook Karen’s.
The problem with the anti-anti vax position is twofold.
One is that telling people with a very strong ideological position that they are scum and should be in prison won't change their minds. The people we should be working on are those that are about to be radicalised to the anti-vax, scientifically illiterate part of the community. There are lots of people concerned about vaccination issues who aren't there yet, but creating social ostracisation isn't going to pull them into better critical thinking.
The other is that low vaccination rates in NZ are largely to do with poor management of public health. The number of people who choose not to vaccination is still relatively small, and the MoH acknowledges that they on their own wouldn't be an issue. A bigger problem, and I'm guessing way more relevant to Samoa, is the lack of access to primary health care including vaccinations (think low income families who travel back to the islands). That's on successive governments and Health spend although another guess is that it gets worse under National.
People who want to blame anti-vaxers for what is happening in Samoa are showing a similar lack of knowledge and critical thinking as the anti-vaxers. What I don't understand is why the people so upset about communicable disease outbreaks aren't agitating for strategies like quarantining, or restricting travel. I guess we don't want to upset people's lives. I also didn't hear a lot of agitation for financial and medical assistance before the outbreak in Samoa, but I guess if we had that kind of intention we'd be solving the access issues in NZ already.
I don't want to change peoples minds. I want people to be criminally sanctioned if they persist in undermining public health initiatives.
Yeah, people who call out this privileged, scientifically illiterate fool are just like her.
/
After 32 measles deaths, Samoa has brought in compulsory vaccination and warned anti-vaxxers but a prominent rugby league WAG has defiantly dubbed the country "NaziSamoa" on Instagram
[…]
Samoa's state of emergency, declared last week, has seen children banned from public gatherings.
But the mandate for compulsory vaccination of all children and adults has met resistance from anti-vaxxers, notably Taylor Winterstein.
Taylor and Frank Winterstein have two children. Photo / Instagram
The WAG and mother-of-two runs A$200-a-head ($211) workshops on the dangers of vaccinations and has nearly 25,000 Instagram followers, reports news.com.au.
The wife of Samoan international and Penrith second rower, Frank Winterstein, she has likened the vaccination mandate to Nazi Germany, and reposted her opinion again following the child deaths.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=12288666
How will criminally sanctioning Winterstein increase vaccination rates?
If you or I attempted to use social media to offer unqualified financial advice we'd be sanctioned because of any harm we may do.
The woman is using social media to not only offer, but to monetise insidious, unqualified advice that undermines public health initiatives.
Sanctioning her would prevent her from doing any harm.
there are all sorts of problems with what she is doing, and all sorts of problems with establishing law that would allow her to be prosecuted.
Doesn't answer my question though. How will criminally sanctioning Winterstein increase vaccination rates? Please talk me through how you see that working. Because I think that that idea is more about lashing out rather than addressing the reasons why the vax rate sometimes isn't high enough in NZ.
Seems to me that if we start charging people who disseminate incorrect and dangerous medical advice (especially for a profit), fewer people will disseminate incorrect and dangerous medical advice. Which will mean fewer parents acting on inaccurate and dangerous medical advice, and therefore more vaccinations.
nice theory.
Two points. Afaik the main problem with vaccination rates in NZ is poor access. The number people choosing to not vaccinated is less of an issue.
The people who choose not to vaccinate will still have social media and conversations at playgroup, even if people like Winterstein are silenced. That part of the culture doesn't respond well to ostracisation, ridicule, and authority. What you are suggesting is more likely to lead to radicalisation into full blown anti-vaxer (I know this part of the culture pretty well).
Better approach imo is this: Govt sorts out the access issues, using carrots not sticks. Govt also runs some kind of science literacy campaign, designed in such a way to reach the alternative part of the culture.
I also think that letting people make choices about one vaccine at a time, better adverse reporting processess, and community engagement would go a really long way.
What access issues . Doctors are free for kids
Vaccines are free for kids .
All that is required is to be bothered to get off your arse and take them .
Oh and ignore moron antivaxxers and religious fools.
In addition to people choosing to not vaccinate intentionally there is a cohort of people that would vaccinate if they had access. This is a well known issue in public health. Barriers to access might be things like lack of transport, cultural safety, time off work, lack of knowledge about the value of vaccines and so on. These generally fit into the larger issue of access to health care generally for poor and marginalised people in the community.
There are more than two choices. A sensible one is to ensure kids basic vaccinations are covered, spacing them out to give their little bodies more time to recover + skip the newer ones like HPV.
Every vaccine is a separate choice and needs to be considered this way…freaking heck this is NZ…unvaccinated children are one rusty nail away from disaster. But likewise the unmitigated push for increased vaccine use is highly debatable especially when the studies concluding safety are all funded in some way by big pharma.
The HPV vaccine is not given to very young children.
Anyway, why do you suggest skipping it? What’s your rationale for this?
this is close to my position too.
The polarisation of the debate is hampering us resolving the issue (might as well name the trolling/astroturfing that happens in vax debates online too). To use your example, some parents are going to choose to vaccinate if they feel better about the schedule. Polarisation is preventing that issue being resolved.
The tendency of some progressives to go proto-fascist over this is disturbing, as is the moral outrage leading to ignoring the bigger issue.
When we have access to good health care including vaccinations for all NZers, then we can see if the anti-vaxers, or people who choose to not vaccinate, are still a problem. Afaik health authorities see the main issue as being one of access.
We should increase access to primary healthcare in general.
In the specific case of stopping outbreaks that infect hundreds or thousands of people, the low hanging fruit are antivaxxers.
What evidence do you have that they are the main drivers of the measles outbreak in NZ? Genuinely interested. Is anyone studying this?
Like I said, attacking anti-vaxers and people who chose to not vaccinate will imo radicalise them. It won't motivate them to vaccinate their kids. I know people that are undecided who give up trying to figure out all the information because the debate is so vitriolic but they don't vaccinate their kids. Some get scared into vaccinating, but I'm dubious that this accounts for sufficient numbers to warrant the tactics because of how many get put off.
Didn't say "main drivers".
ISTR from previous discussions that antivaxxers were about a quarter of undervaxxed. Also that in manu dhbs that number relates to a bit more than the difference between the current dhb vax rate and the target.
At the upper end, higher vax rates have a more significant effect on reducing disease transmission – increasing vax rate from 5% to 10% isn't going to have as much an effect on the same disease as increasing from 85% to 90%.
People not in contact with primary healthcare need to be tracked and reached somehow. People refusing/delaying are right there in the office. Hence low hanging fruit.
they're not though. Many of the people I know who don't vaccinate their kids by intentional choice rarely go to a GP. But I don't see how that makes any difference because they're not going to respond to ridicule, hatred and ostracisation.
Are your stats for childhood vaccinations in general?
I think we're conflating "refuse in principle, but haven't been offered" vs "was offered but declined".
So the "many people" in your group who rarely go to the GP might not even be "offered", so then would be in the "access to primary healthcare" numbers rather than "refused", from an immunisation register perspective. So vthe number might be larger than those officially logged as "refused".
As for how they react to accusation and so on, I'm not to worried, really. The health act has "draconian" powers for a reason: without them, idiots kill other people with their infections.
BTW, the immunisation stats break down by delivery point e.g. whether they’re fully immunised @6months vs 18months etc.
For once I find myself agreeing with you wholeheartedly McF. We've gone for so long without a massive and lethal pandemic now that too many people have forgotten what it can take to defeat our most ancient enemy.
Edit
That's interesting weka. You know a number of people who don't want to be part of a wider community who join together to participate in systems that have been found to be useful for a better life. That doesn't bode well for the future, with cells or groups that decide to reject the ways of the the society in important matters to a society's culture and health.
This attitude will weaken the already fragile cohesion of society. I don't see it giving more autonomy and respect to the individual, rather one of dismissing the main society to adopt conformity with another group that takes an emotional or resentful stance to the norms of society. This group rejects the advice of the main society concerning the risks and benefits of practices it follows.
I hope that separation into groups in self- imposed isolation geographically or culturally does not grow in numbers, mirroring Gloriahaven and Centrepoint. They are different from closely aligned local groups in villages and towns, working around enterprises in an agreed unity, each with its own style and encouraging a healthy mind in a healthy body respected as part of a diverse unified community, each taking interest to be well informed with self-respect and practising self-reflection as well. That combination would limit the number of anti-vaxxers and self-centred dogmatists.
" A sensible one is to ensure kids basic vaccinations are covered, spacing them out to give their little bodies more time to recover + skip the newer ones like HPV. "
No evidence for any of that. Our bodies cope with more than one antigen at a time, have done for millions of years. But this "spaced out" view is being used as a sort of anti-vax halfway house.
UN Rapporteur on Torture Nils Melzer explains why the UK’s treatment of Julian is tantamount to torture, why Julian won’t face a fair trial in the US..all the while all the media stay absolutely silent…their silence however speaks volumes to their complicity and to where their interests really lay..our own included, no wonder most MSM is in a death spiral.
Interestingly, Melzer offered BBC for him to a ‘Hardtalk’ to be asked the hard questions…of course they don’t take him up on that offer, as we all know just the Russiagate fiasco, no MSM will go near anyone who will challenge their narrative with facts….again this speaks volumes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACsLL8JC7zY
Thanks for that Adrian
Its interesting that Melzer started off believing all the Assange tripe…he's a rapist, mistreats his cat , a nutter who smears faeces on the walls, a Russian agent who propelled Trump to the WH , that sort of thing, then as he became aware of the concerted media/intelligence/govts/campaign, swung firmly behind Assange.
He's become an unshakeable advocate for journalistic freedom
Good for him ! An honest man
Yeah, wouldn't it be nice to see a few of those around here come to their senses in the same way, not going hold my breath on that happening any time soon though.
A Sunday watch.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fb3k6tB-Or8&feature=youtu.be
Thanks for that Joe, here is one of my favorites,,,
A Debate on the Existence of God: The Cosmological Argument — F. C. Copleston vs. Bertrand Russell.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXPdpEJk78E
The odiousness and stupidity of the centre-left should not come as any surprise…
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/471542-poll-finds-sharp-swing-in-opposition-to-impeachment-among-independents
Independents are most likely to vote GOP.
http://archive.li/qadaH#selection-883.0-893.184
Perhaps because former Republican Party supporters have moved to Independent in the last couple of years?
Sure, maybe a point or two.
https://news.gallup.com/poll/15370/party-affiliation.aspx
Funnily enough, a lot of these are women. But then maybe they realise that sometimes women need abortions, need female centric healthcare, and don't want to loose their rights as human beings. Go figure. Maybe its just the white working class male with economic anxiety that is good with grabbing them by the pussy.
That is pretty much it. A very recent poll across the US gave 70% of women voters would not be voting Trump in 2020 whereas around 50% of men would. This ties in with his around 42% approval rating 54% disapproval rating. Women have been perhaps the most active in the resistance of GOP policies. Although, of course, you will find the religious right and similar others in support because of their desire for the end times. But those with any sense, see the underhand workings of Moscow Mitch and the GOP Senate, with the steady stream of right wing judicial appointments, not only to the Supreme Court, but to the all the other levels as well which will ultimately lead to a very restrictive and stupidly legalistic America. The idiotic Abortion Bill in Ohio just a case in point.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/nov/29/ohio-extreme-abortion-bill-reimplant-ectopic-pregnancy
What's that got to do with the centre left? No mention of them. More likely right wing nut-balls masquerading as independents.
Because the centre left is what is at fault.
Not the centre right, not the far right, not the orange pile of shit that is to fucking dumb to get extortion right, or his handlers.
Except that wasn't the talking point of maui's comment @ 6.
He said:The odiousness and stupidity of the centre-left should not come as any surprise…
Then he/she proceeded to quote from the link provided which talks about "independents" and doesn't mention the centre-left.
that is exactly what i said.
blame the centre left other wise he would have typed
The odiousness and stupidity of the independents should not come as any surprise.
…..but the poster did not.
As for impeachment, the resident should have thought harder, covered up more, or simply have been less stupid. Also more support impeachment then do not.
https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/impeachment-polls/
also people identifying as independent are the largest block of voters, followed by demcorats and then republicans.
https://news.gallup.com/poll/15370/party-affiliation.aspx
so yes, he is blaming a fictional group of 'centre left', and as for polls we all have them. 🙂
Yep,, as it turns out the most dangerous enemy of progressive change getting off the ground, turns out to be the centre left third way liberals.
I think this is a very good article on climate change, in particular warnings about extreme claims of doom and apocalypse that are counter-productive to taking sensible action on climate change – and on more important issues affecting the wellbeing of people and our planet.
Michael Shellenberger (Forbes): Why Apocalyptic Claims About Climate Change Are Wrong
Capitalism hasn't been all bad, in fact it has done a lot of good.
So the impact of climate change needs to be put into sensible perspective.
But most arguments over climate change seem to be on the more extreme fringes.
NZ media generally have decided not to give publicity to extreme climate denial. They should be just as sensible about restricting extreme claims that tend towards climate apocalypse.
(Claims made in the article have links to various sources).
Middle-ground, shmiddle-ground!
Your "sensible" is going to sink us all, Pete. Just stop it!
But it's only the most 'common' sense, Robert. 🙂
Beige will not save us.
Neither will petty dissing. Have you read the article?
Your summary was more than enough, thanks.
Funny that you diss 'sensible action' as somehow 'beige'.
So you have chosen to ignore the article and diss the messenger. I think that's a bit pathetic, but predictable.
I have other pigs to wrestle today, sorry.
So you drop some muck and run? At least you drew attention to the comment, so thanks for that.
Only the most fragrant straw-coloured muck, mind. Don't want to scare the horses.
other pigs to wrestle got a smile from me.
We all know the feeling, amirite
And what of the Pete's article? Or do you like to keep things simple?
I critiqued the article below,
What of "Pete's article"?
A white-out contributed to the Erebus tragedy.
A beige-out will cause much greater harm.
the article paid for and promoted by the oil industry?
I didn't see evidence of that. Do you have any? Or are you trying to discredit Michel Shellenberger?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Shellenberger
@ P George
Shellenberger is a lobbyist
"Shellenberger was president and a senior fellow at the Breakthrough Institute, which he co-founded with Ted Nordhaus in 2003"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Shellenberger
As noted earlier The Breakthrough Institute was launched in the first instance by Rockerfeller Philanthropy Advisors
You don't seem to have allowed for cascade collapses in complex systems.
https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10.1098/rstb.2008.0219
https://thebreakthrough.org/people/tom-wigley
https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Talk:Breakthrough_Institute
Rockerfeller huh….follow the money
Having a read now, but for future reference, please don't put such long cut and pastes in comments, it's a pain for people on tiny devices who are trying to get to the next comment.
There's a few problems with this article.
One is that he conflates the issue of how to frame discussion of the climate crisis with the issue of how bad the crisis is. The framing issue exists wherever one is on the the 'how bad is it?' spectrum. His conflation seems to be using the framing issue to deny that the crisis is that bad.
Another problem is this statement,
This is a self-serving statement, because any scientists who do believe that CC threatens the collapse of civ will be written off as not credible. Instead of addressing the views of those scientists he uses XR spokespeople as examples, which is weird. Let's have a go anyway. Some well known, easy to look up science people that see a potential threat to civ from CC are James Lovelock, James Hansen, David Attenborough, Kevin Anderson,
There's also a problem with his selective use of quotes and arguments. eg he uses this statement from Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to illustrate catastrophe exaggeration,
But what she actually said, in context, was this,
She's not saying that the world will literally end in 12 years, she's referencing the public discourse around the IPCC report that talked about a 12 year time frame to act, and is pointing out that young people want older people stop talking about money and instead talk about action. She is saying that in a modern, Millennial vernacular.
His bit on the resiliency of crops fails for two reasons. One is that current increases in crop yields are due to industrial ag that uses fossil fuels, carbon releasing tech like ploughing, and ecocidal practices. All of that won't be available in the future. The other fail is that the IPCC itself says there are serious crop failure issues if GHG emissions aren't reduced. Shellenberger is cherry picking to support his own denialism.
Maybe he was trying to say that any rhetoric around catastrophe is a problem, but overall he seems to be arguing that the crisis isn't as bad as people are making out. Unfortunately he is doing that in a misleading way.
Thank you for taking one for the team.
Welcome. I like to keep certain muscles flexible and strong, plus it helps when I go to write posts on climate (or critical thinking 😉 ).
Ooh, I see Mr George is now claiming on his own blog that I have been 'assigned' to harrass him here. Where's my paycheque?
I've long suspected that this blog wasn't in fact run by Lynn and Mike, but rather they are just puppets of a bigger master who controls us all. I'm afraid you've been misled and your position is entirely unpaid.
From time to time, we get sent back to the ‘workshop’ to get ‘recalibrated’. Don’t ask for pay as you’re doing this for the Greater Good.
I see Pete is using the Parliamentary privilege of his own blog to whinge & whine about TS commenters. Just as well that he didn’t do it here because it would have triggered a predictable and inevitable response.
So you're happy for 'TS commenters' to whinge and whine about me here as much as they like, but any criticism from me would trigger "a predictable and inevitable response"?
Does that mean you don't want me to respond to the whinging and whining that you seem to approve of if not encourage.
The 'team' (a term used by Sacha and weka) intolerance of anyone deemed outside the team is one of the biggest impediments to decent, open discussion of political and social issues, and one of the biggest turnoffs to casual observers and voters (around various social media).
Sorry, where did I use the term 'team'?
Reading the comments on your blog, there seems to be some cultural issues there as well.
Thing that stands out for me though is that of the people that responded to your original comment here, you have ignored the comments that addressed the issue you raised, and instead you've spent your time having a go at the people you think are having a go at you. This tells me a lot about your intentions here Pete.
You didn't say it but you used it.
Sacha: "Thank you for taking one for the team."
Weka: "Welcome."
"you've spent your time having a go at the people you think are having a go at you."
That's very funny.
It's a curse having to interpret everything literally including historic idiomatic phrases like "taking one for the team" but some like the badger refuse all help. Retreat to the false reassurance of their lair and moan, stuck with the knowledge that they could have been a contender.
Dear Pete, if you had written that allegation about Sacha here on TS you would have copped a ban, instantly, and you know it.
Just to make it absolutely clear to you, there is no team here, no assignments, no coordinated action against you or anybody else, and no conspiracy. Occasionally, we do experience a pile on here. Although this is often self-inflicted, we do put the brakes on it when it gets out of control, which does happen – TS is not a perfect organisation either.
If you cannot stand the heat of the debate here because people disagree with the long cut & paste you put up you may want to consider the alternative. What pisses me off is that you spray and walkaway when the going gets tough and then whinge & whine in the comfort of your own blog where you find solace from supportive commenters. Over the years, you have pissed and dissed on TS a few times – yesterday I happened to read a long exchange in the past between Lynn and you on your blog. It is pretty clear that even after all these years you still don’t understand TS and frankly, I can’t see it happening.
But as usual you have no answer to the simple blunt reality that if you collapse our current energy systems to carbon zero tomorrow, you become directly responsible for the death of billions in the days after. Sure you may have 'saved the planet' but history will account you the vilest mass murderer of all time.
Getting to carbon zero is entirely doable, but it's a complex task with a multitude of moving parts. And to get there we need to keep our current systems running just long enough to get us past the transition. The greatest threat of all would be a true collapse of our industrial, technological civilisation. That would unleash an intolerable stew of dysfunction, inflicting immense damage in every sense, environmental, economic, social and moral.
The good news is the technical solutions to wean us off fossil carbon are now at hand; better still many countries are on sustainable political paths toward implementing them. Extremists at both ends of debate are now just getting in the way. Fortunately both are becoming increasingly marginalised.
Maybe he was trying to say that any rhetoric around catastrophe is a problem, but overall he seems to be arguing that the crisis isn't as bad as people are making out.
There are significant problems with rhetoric arguments over deadlines and climate emergency.This is well signalled in the scientific literature.The problem is an obvious one can you identify it?and why it is so dangerous.
https://mikehulme.org/why-setting-a-climate-deadline-is-dangerous/
There are all sorts of problems with climate crisis rhetoric and framing, including timeframes. This is not news to me and I've talked about it in the past. That's a different thing from there being no crisis. I thought I'd explained that reasonably well in my comment. There's nothing in my comment that suggests there are no issues with the framing.
There is a significant scientific problem there ie a physical solution that is so fucken dangerous in the hands of morons like Gates and politicians its clearly identified, dont you understand the risk.
No idea what you are referring to. Why not spell it out?
Why dont you read the paper.
Because I'm busy and I don't see a reason to when I don't even know what the point is. You've said "There are significant problems with rhetoric arguments over deadlines and climate emergency" which I agree with.
Then you've made some obscure statements, I think it's on you to say what you mean.
will save you the time weka……is a political/sociological case that misunderstands the basic element of lag in their main argument…while there is uncertainty around the carbon budget for say 1.5C increase there is not 12-34 years of emissions available to burn before it is reached indeed it is possible the carbon budget for 1.5C has already been reached …geo engineering advocates and totalitarians will attempt to act regardless.
Agreed. That identifying middle ground would at least be a navigatable first start and a departure from the constant wordy ebb and flow of various parties asserting that their theory is more correct than anybody else's.
Let's have a leisurely natter while Rome burns.
+1
is nothing more than a(nother) delaying tactic
Short, sharp and to the point.
Good one Claire Szabo. Just what Labour needs:
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12289804
Yes she is a good choice for the position……to be fair, Taine and the other candidate never really had a chance up against her. I really couldn't understand the Stuff article the other week saying Taine was favorite to win!!!!!
Only the best people…
https://twitter.com/weareoversight/status/1200539180478152704
Paula Bennett should be focusing on issues that matter to New Zealanders instead of wasting time posing for glossy magazine covers.
https://www.twitter.com/paulabennettmp/status/1200682839827570688
Ms Bennett is National’s Election Campaign Manager and this is part of the party’s (and her personal, no doubt) campaign. She’s just doing her job while the DP Squad are digging for dirty dirt.
It's not Vogue, but beggars can't be choosers.
I would never buy that coral dress and neither should Ms Bennett IMHO. I guess she’s still reinventing herself.
I wouldn't buy that dress either. I wear long sleeve dresses to hide my biceps and hairy arms. I also like comfortable loose fitting dresses because they make my masculine protrusions less obvious.
She's still horrible mind you.
In between Bumps, royalty, fashion, crosswords and food Paula is trying to partly fit in to all genres and be eye-candy. Who handles her makeover? It has been outstanding work, just short of eugenics.
Republican college-educated men.The men with all the money.https://twitter.com/rmc031/status/1200393386441805825
I’ll counter Pete George post with this one https://www.news.com.au/technology/environment/climate-change/a-lot-of-suffering-grim-3000yo-warning-about-to-come-true/news-story/84274e09f8cc1ae708bfb0b43947d297, it has an Australian twist to in this article from new.com.au. But you can drop Australia, add NZ or combined two countries for this article as I believe this would happen to both countries in a worst case scenario with CC if past history is anything to go by.
I tend to look at previous historical facts/ and or events, and assumptions being made to day at IRT to CC and actions by various nation states to give me a rough idea when I compile IMAP/ SMAP planning processes to give me a Most Dangerous Course of Action and a Most Likely Course of Action.
While thinking about Australia, Media Watch this morning did a piece of what sort of regime we should be thinking about for public media in NZ…
I was impressed by the summary about the ABC and it does sound good. Not so sure about Eire or Canada.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/mediawatch/audio/2018724866/mediawatch-for-1-december-2019
Kiwibuild may have missed promised targets but it did succeed in changing the industry's focus says Fletcher chair https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/117846966/fletcher-building-chairmans-praise-for-kiwibuild
Southland Times
That Jones lad is a genius. Underwater welding for the young!
Underwater welding is actually an essential technique and skill for constuction and maintenance of infrastructure as well as the marine and fishing industries. Please keep up.
I know. Admiring it as a way to bridge multiple objectives.
The modern world cannot provide quality of life that matches the expectations of people living in developed countries with universal education and complex service systems. The supply of water for cities is insufficient in a number of Australian cities. This from Sydney:
…Cataract Dam is only 26 percent full, prompting community debate about the long-term supply of clean drinking water during long droughts.
Western Sydney University scientist Ian Wright, who specialises in research into urban water quality, described the results as "shocking" and "unnatural".
He said the pollution was caused by metallic sediments – deep in the dams' catchments – dissolving into the water.
The sediments are a by-product of coal-mining activity, which over many decades has damaged Sydney's rock beds, swamps and streams.
The records show samples from Cataract and Cordeaux dams have exceeded acceptable limits more than 90 times in three years.
By comparison, neighbouring Avon Dam has breached the limits just three times in three years.
Dr Wright said that while small doses of iron are safe to drink, an elevated level usually indicates more dangerous contaminants in the dams..
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/world/404581/shocking-metallic-gunk-contaminates-sydney-drinking-water-dams
The 4th estate takes aim…at itself.
Two disturbing pieces
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/dec/01/politicians-and-cultist-supporters-in-cahoots-avoiding-scrutiny-is-their-aim
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/nov/30/cult-that-defines-trumps-power-is-just-a-few-scratches-away-from-the-surface-in-australia
'Fake News', 'False Flag', 'Crisis Actors', 'Conspiracy theory', – Fascism
The hall marks of modern fascism repeat in Brazil. As in Syria the rescuers and humanitarians are depicted as terrorists.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/nov/26/brazil-police-raid-ngo-office-amazon-wildfires?CMP=share_btn_fb&fbclid=IwAR0m7cW_n3fo2oB49eIJNIAcXQasJ7SGBA5Im8C1gjS5Xkby3x-NP8BzDP8
Kia Ora 1 News.
Money talks.
Tawhirimate is going Mana in Poneke.
I think that poll is insensitive with what is happening.
I think that all mahi should show Wahine more respect.
My Tane mokopuna favourite breakfast.
Ka kite Ano
The World and our futures mokopuna will gain many positive effects if we start mitigating Global Warming now.
If we don't it will cost trillion of $$$$$ in lost people lives wild life and assets.
COP25: youth ‘leadership’ contrasts with government inaction, says UN chief
Ahead of Madrid climate change conference António Guterres says political will.
António Guterres, the United Nations secretary general, contrasted the “leadership” and “mobilisation” shown by the world’s youth on the climate emergency with the lack of action by governments, which were failing to keep up with the urgency of the problem despite increasing signs that the climate was reaching breakdown.
Before the start of a critical conference on the climate crisis on Monday, he said the world had the technical and economic means to halt climate chaos, but what was missing was political will.
“The technologies that are necessary to make this possible are already available. Signals of hope are multiplying. Public opinion is waking up everywhere. Young people are showing remarkable leadership and mobilisation. [But we need] political will to put a price on carbon, political will to stop subsidies on fossil fuels [and start] taxing pollution instead of people.”
Guterres called for further investment from rich countries and support for poor nations to make the changes needed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and cope with the impacts of global heating. Amid rising temperatures, wildfires, heatwaves, droughts and floods, the danger signals were clear and must be acted on without further delay, he said.
To fulfil the Paris goals, far tougher targets on emissions are needed, while this year’s negotiations – known as COP25, running from 2 December to 13 December – will focus on technical issues such as a mechanism for trading carbon within the Paris agreement.
Resolving these technicalities will allow the UN to wrap up the Paris “rulebook”, setting out how to measure and achieve emissions cuts, but experts are concerned that it leaves too little time for the substantive question of targets, which under the rules must be resolved by the end of 2020
Ka kite Ano link below.
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2019/dec/01/island-states-want-decisive-action-to-prevent-inundation
I not impressed with the health system 3 times they dropped the ball on my mokopuna health my daughter had a mist chest infection 3 check ups. They go and use my doctor against me they use my wife psychologist to turn her against me the system is bent WHANAU
When the Waitangi Tribunal released its comprehensive Māori health report in July, the claimants involved were initially pleased.
But now they're concerned the tribunal's recommendations are being ignored, despite assurances from the Ministry of Health.
"They are simply ticking boxes to assuage whoever may be looking from the outside whether it's their own minister or other Māori stakeholders or iwi," says National Hauora Coalition (NHC) Chief Executive Simon Royal.
"Which is essentially the behaviour the ministry has exhibited, and we've been complaining about, over the years. So it's repeating behaviours
The prejudice suffered by Māori because of these Crown failures is extensive," said the tribunal in its report.
Ka kite Ano link below.
https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/health/117679098/whats-happened-since-the-damning-waitangi-tribunal-report-on-mori-health
Some Eco Maori Music For The Minute.
https://youtu.be/cEXhZ8PwM-Y
Kia Ora 1 News.
I think it's good having a ban on foreign political donations. We need laws made to better Aotearoa not having foreign countrys leveraging our policy for their gain that in most case is not good for Aotearoa.
I know that Samsung makes the best fridges with their digital inverter soft start technology. All the off grid solar power enthusiasm buy them.
I know that the best thing for Aotearoa is to keep the Ports of Auckland were it is.
Spend the billions Greening our economy.
The United Nations report is the World’s reality.
They have been cleaning up the mess your party made of Aotearoa in the 9 year's you were in.
That's is cool a online tool using Artificial intelligence to help people understand and treat measles.
I don't mind the odd ding in my waka I've had mine for 10 years still going fine my next vehicle will be a Electric hybrid.
Ka kite Ano
Some Eco Maori Music For The Minute.
https://youtu.be/eJlN9jdQFSc
Times are changing fast if one is no on board the waka of being environmentally friendly well you will be left behind in the whenua.
Not exactly the Orient Express, but Europe's sleepers are back
untenable, sleepers lost their allure. One by one, Europe's great rail lines terminated or dramatically cut international night-train services.
Now, with environmental activist Greta Thunberg's "flight shaming" making people more aware of their carbon footprint, the night-train industry is seeing a renaissance. It's luring a new class of traveller – not the small but wealthy group of people of leisure who travelled on opulent trains like the Orient Express, but ordinary business people and tourists with a climate conscience.
That's heartening news for Siemens AG engineer Paul Winkler, who's been building trains for 27 years and believed he'd never again make another sleeper train car for western Europe.
Ka kite Ano link below.
https://i.stuff.co.nz/travel/destinations/europe/117919418/not-exactly-the-orient-express-but-europes-sleepers-are-back
Kia Ora 1 News.
Times have changed.
You will know my views on the heavy rain fall down south.
The Bush fire season is causing a lot problems in Australia at the minute.
Ka kite Ano
Kia Ora Te Ao Maori News.
That's was my thoughts to.
No no this teaches people to respect all cultures not just the culture in power at the minute. This is good for all our mokopuna wairua. Boiling – – – -.
Great to see Te Marae return to the Mokopuna of the tangata who carved and built the Whare that went on a journey over seas.
Awsome to see Iwi Ngāti Whatua building whare for their whanau.
Ka kite Ano