"Labour leftwingers have been frustrated at the party’s refusal to seize on the crisis as a moment to propose a radical overhaul of the economy and society. Jon Trickett, now relegated to the backbenches from his position of shadow cabinet office minister, says: “The country’s crying out for a longer-term vision. We need to map out a great vision for the kind of new normal that can exist after this pandemic."" https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/may/01/labour-keir-starmer-coronavirus-covid-19-new-era
I agree with the UK leftists. Which hardly ever happens. I get that the new Labour leader prefers a cautious approach, and it is indeed understandable that in these fraught times Sir Keir would rather not hit the ground running. Problem is, the opposition is there to provide a viable alternative to the govt. There's a real danger the public will get irritated by the lack thereof. Timidity is a prescription for failure.
"These meetings, and polling seen by Labour strategists, are telling them the public don’t want to hear knee-jerk criticism of the government. “The approach we’re getting from the public is, ‘All of us need to be together, getting through this,’” said a party source."
Yeah, folks hate partisans. Being reasonable is the right way to go, but there are better ways to do that. You can actually be respectful and helpful while signalling the path to the future. I'm puzzled UK Labour is failing to comprehend this. Seems elementary.
I get that the new Labour leader prefers a cautious approach….
???? Caving in to ceaseless bullying by the most brutal and implacable pressure group on earth is not "cautious". There are other "c" words to describe such a person: careerist, cynical, compromised….
So he's a zionist, eh? Well, that does change my view of him for the worse. A lot. But I presume Trump will thump the table with glee when he discovers it, and acclaim him as a sensible leftist.
The idea that the Israel lobby slaughtered Corbyn is a joke. He got done by the electorate in the usual Shakespearean fashion (character flaws). His own worst enemy. Like Sanders, his inner narcissist prevailed over his political acumen. How many times did I express my wish here that they would realise socialism will only fly with younger generations if it is reframed to suit the new millennium? I lost count. Their intellectual laziness doomed them.
No, he's a supporter—however reluctantly, under a horrendous amount of pressure—of the state of Israel. The distinction is important.
The idea that the Israel lobby slaughtered Corbyn is a joke.
???? Your assessment is at odds with the facts. The initial attempts to ridicule and marginalize Corbyn—"Traingate", the sneering at his riding a bicycle, the scoffing his dress sense, and the attempts to portray him as a "traitor"—all failed to gain any traction.
Then the fantastical denunciations really started. Jamie Stern-Weiner sums it up:
Throughout the “Labour antisemitism” controversy, mainstream Jewish organizations demanded deference on issues of antisemitism, on the basis that they represented the affected constituency. These bodies in fact lack substantial democratic legitimacy: the JLC is unelected; BOD elections are largely uncontested, and do not engage either ultra-Orthodox Haredi Jews or most Jews who do not attend synagogue. But even if they did speak for a majority of British Jews in what they said about Corbyn, Labour, and antisemitism, that did not change the fact that it was wrong — just as British Hindu groups were also wrong to ascribe Labour’s support for human rights in Kashmir to anti-Hindu racism.
One of the ugliest aspects of this entire affair has been the scorn and contempt heaped by Britain’s Jewish establishment on Jewish Labour supporters, who have been marginalized and dismissed as “fake Jews” or collaborators. Corbyn’s association with left-wing Jewshas itself been cited as evidence of his malice, while the BOD’s pledges includes the demand that Labour “engage with the Jewish community via its main representative groups, and not through fringe organizations.”
No ground should be given to such authoritarian blackmail. ….
… The main objective of the “Labour antisemitism” campaign was never to reduce antisemitism, but rather to bog Labour down in a time-consuming, soul-destroying internecine conflict. It succeeded because, for honorable as well as cynical reasons, Labour leaders allowed it to.
Yeah, I did read Finkelstein's analysis a while back and found no reason to dispute it. However while the Israel lobby played the divide within Labour effectively, I don't agree that they defeated Corbyn in the public mind. I do agree he was not sufficiently adept to control the narrative. I just see it as a side-issue in the minds of most voters.
It wasn't a side issue, it was a non-issue. The charges were ludicrous, fantastical from the beginning. I agree with you about Corbyn's ineptness: would you or anyone else here try to placate people accusing you of imaginary crimes the way Corbyn tried to placate his accusers? His passivity in the face of those mobs astonished Max Blumenthal when he visited Britain in 2015.
"The idea that the Israel lobby slaughtered Corbyn is a joke".
No it's not Dennis. I suggest you take a look at some of the investigative journalism thecanary.co has done on this issue. Accepting that this site has a left wing bias (how terrible) it has demonstrated that there is a mass of proof that Israel has lobbied long and hard against Corbyn.
But much worse, and probably much more damaging to Corbyn, is spelt out in the Labour Party report recently leaked. This shows that there were high-up Labour Party members who were willing to sabotage Corbyn winning the last election because they hated him and his somewhat radical left-wing policies.
They were willing to put an extreme right-wing idiot into power for 5 years and sabotage the (majority) anti-Brexit campaign simply to satisfy this Corbyn hatred.
Starmer's reaction-trying to shoot the messenger (the leaker(s))-rather than listen to the message says it all about him.
Corbyn and Sanders had heart. The right idea about the people when everyone else had lost themselves. They are heroes and will be looked to as such for ever.
They are also object lessons for any of us here who're ever tempted to imagine the task of a serious political leader is either easy or one that any of us could do better.
These meetings, and polling seen by Labour strategists, are telling them the public don’t want to hear knee-jerk criticism of the government.
And that precludes promoting vision and ideas that would contribute to "a radical overhaul of the economy and society"….how?
No need to debate the merits and demerits of the play being acted out by government – change the script in a way that captures the moment. Maybe that's a 'step beyond' for myopic tribalists who are lacking in imagination and only concerned with 'getting a turn' at playing boss?
Yeah, you put your finger on the problem alright. Those who get to have a political career as servants of the status quo while pretending to be progressive. Democracy keeps promoting the pretenders – because most voters are easily suckered.
Yeah, folks hate partisans. Being reasonable is the right way to go, but there are better ways to do that. You can actually be respectful and helpful while signalling the path to the future. I'm puzzled UK Labour is failing to comprehend this. Seems elementary.
Everything you are saying on this theme resonates with me strongly. In the current atmosphere reasonableness seems an quixotic, suicidal ask, but that will only make the small victories along the way, all the sweeter.
Do you have a link for that? I downloaded the app on to my Telstra only phone the other day. Telstra is Austalia's biggest network. The only problem is that I didn't have a working SIM on it and my older Samsung smartphone won't accept the app. Just over 3 million Aussies have downloaded the app so far, but no idea how many actually use it. Seems a bit fiddly and annoying. Can imagine that many won't bother or may give up if there are technological problems. Seems easier just keeping away from everybody and remembering who you have been close to. Rules are 1.5m distancing here, not 2 m like NZ. Wonder if Aussie coronaviruses can't jump as far?
"Behavioural economics looks at how people make decisions in the real world – warts, irrational biases and all – and applies this to public policy. Its signature policy is set out in the 2008 book Nudge, by Cass Sunstein and Richard Thaler. The central insight is that changing the way choices are presented to people can have a huge impact."
Haven't read it but I suspect nudges work via framing. The frame you create can focus the attention of others on whatever you want.
"Coming just as the financial crisis hit, Nudge was perfectly timed to achieve maximum traction by offering politicians the chance to reap savings through low-cost policy. Sunstein was quickly appointed to a senior job in the Obama administration, while David Cameron set up the behavioural insights team, dubbed the “nudge unit”, led by psychologist turned policy wonk David Halpern."
"The nudge unit has since had a mixed track record: there have been some real successes on pensions and tax payments but in other areas it’s been a bit of a damp squib. So I was surprised when Halpern popped up to talk about the government’s pandemic strategy in the press in early March. It was he who first publicly mentioned the idea of “herd immunity” as part of an effective response to Covid-19 (the government has since denied this was ever the strategy)." https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/apr/26/nudge-theory-is-a-poor-substitute-for-science-in-matters-of-life-or-death-coronavirus
"Halpern is reportedly on Sage, the government’s scientific advisory committee for emergencies, and he is also the government’s What Works national adviser, responsible for helping it apply evidence to public policy. So one might expect there to be something substantial behind the idea of behavioural fatigue."
Well, yes. Obviously the hundreds of breaches of the lockdown here, and consequent prosecutions, suggest there's behavioural fatigue out there in Aotearoa. "Goddam, I've been doing this isolation shit too long already, I'm tired of it."
"But evidence presented to government by the Sage behavioural subcommittee on 4 March, representing the views of a wider group of experts, was non-committal on the behavioural impact of a lockdown, noting that the empirical evidence on behavioural interventions in a pandemic is limited. Shortly after Halpern’s interviews, more than 600 behavioural economists wrote a letter questioning the evidence base for behavioural fatigue."
Clever buggers. The evidence is out there, but if nobody collects & collates it, then you can dismiss it as anecdotal. Social science 1.01 – and who wants to pay for the research? No govt would do that while mired in lockdown admin.
"“Behavioural fatigue is a nebulous concept,” the review’s authors later concluded in the Irish Times." Ah, smart move. Nobody does nebulous better than the Irish. Readers would resonate with the critique big-time.
The writer suggests "you understand that the Behavioural Insights Team is a multimillion-pound profitable company, which pays Halpern, who owns 7.5% of its shares, a bigger salary than the prime minister." You should. Psychologists with that much leverage in commerce and politics are extremely rare.
"The Washington Post, citing two people with knowledge of internal discussions, reported on Thursday that some officials had discussed the idea of canceling some of the massive U.S. debt held by China as a way to strike at Beijing for perceived shortfalls in its candidness on the COVID-19 pandemic."
Is self-testing even legitimate? If it's the same test used here I can't imagine people are going to do that to themselves with any degree of accuracy.
"Bridges has also drawn attention for repeatedly saying the confusing phrase “the medicine is worse than the cure”.
Advertising works if you keep repeating the message. He gets that part. The part he doesn't get is that the message is meant to sell something. The Leader of the Opposition is expected to sell the idea that the Opposition would make a better govt than the current one to the public. I don't see how telling them that the medicine is worse than the cure is gonna achieve that.
Kids learn that you endure the medicine to get the cure. Adults are supposed to have moved on from that phase. Wrestle with more complex problems. Politicians are meant to solve the difficult commonly-experienced problems. Perhaps his minders forgot to take off his training wheels?
Starmer cameunder criticism for not disclosing all his donors during the campaign itself, when Labour members were deciding who should replace Jeremy Corbyn.
The donation from Chinn was not registered until five days after Starmer won the election, although it was received in February.
Although there is no suggestion of illegality, Labour members may consider this a violation of their trust.
In 2018, Chinn co-hosted a high-profile celebration of the life of late Israeli president Chaim Herzog, attended by Israeli ambassador Mark Regev. Published photos show that Tony Blair also attended.
He can call himself Keir as much as he likes but this is the end for me. Just describing yourself as a Zionist, which is the same as being in favour of the conquest of India, is too much.
Apparently this is the Best the Democratic party can offer the world…although I guess it does illustrate just how shallow their pool of talent has become…what a joke.
I'm curious what you think you'll achieve by spamming the site with the same March 26 clip over and over again after others had also spammed us multiple previous times with it.
Nevertheless, if anyone's curious about the bigger picture but not enough to actually go looking, here's a piece that looks into the background of the allegations.
The author of your link is a shameless Democratic Party careerist and, not surprisingly, a Russiagate truther. He recently praised that empty bag of wind Pete Buttigieg: "Pete's intellect, empathy and ability to articulate his sound policies place him a cut above decades of politicians on both sides of the aisle."
No doubt this smear against Tara Reade will advance his own career.
Even if that were a fair assessment of the author, how does that affect the facts he's pointed to that raise red flags around the credibility of Reade's allegations?
Also, what purpose do you think is achieved by spamming this site over and over again with the same month-old clip?
He doesn't raise any red flags. All he does is try to smear her. I guess you have to admire his dogged persistence, given that he wrote his hit piece after the tape of her mother ringing up Larry King came to light.
Where have I "fulminated", Baggers? The only fulmination in this discussion, other than that by our friend Andre, is by Michael Stern, that former prosecutor-cum-Democratic Party careerist and conspiracy theorist.
Christ Andre! The guy starts off with a false sub-header. (Only rabid idiots have ever said we must blindly accept every allegation of sexual assault)
And in case you missed it, the #metoo movement has hardly covered itself in glory when it's come to Tara Reade. For example, see this piece on Time's Up.
The NYT took weeks to report on the story at all even though there is far more corroborating evidence for her allegation that there was for Christine Blasey Ford – and allowed the Biden team to edit their piece when they finally did run something.
Biden could put the entire thing to rest by having the seal broken on the University of Delaware files of his senatorial papers. (He has publicly refused to do that)
Trotting out nonsense about Russia in an attempt to discredit her is straight up fucking woeful.
It's not as if there are have not been other concerns raised about Biden's behaviour around women, right? And it's not as if the only time women claiming sexual harassment are to be taken seriously is when the allegation is against a perceived 'bad guy', right?
Anyway. I'm not a US voter, but the idea that a nation gets to choose between two alleged sexual predators for their president is …actually, I'm at a loss for words.
I think that anyone who is actually serious in examining these allegations ( unlike our Biden or bust boy here Andre) would do themselves more a service in reading the links provided below from from some serious jurno's instead of the Dem hack that speaks to and confirms Andres well known bias…
Of course what is really the problem here is Andre, just like many of his centrerist cohorts on this site are just to dishonest and spinless to come out and say what we all know they are thinking, yeah Biden could well be a rapist, but I still think he's is better than Trump…but then again after the way they all lost their shit over the kavanaugh rape allegations or the way they went feral on Assange allegations I guess they can't..LOL!!!…man talk about the chickens coming home to roost…it's fucking hilarious.
Ryan Grim: Dems Will Back Biden As Long As They Think He’ll Beat Trump
The allegations against Kavanaugh, Trump, Biden, and Clinton were all backed up with credible evidence. The ludicrous "allegations" against Assange were concocted by British and U.S. black ops.
Yes I agree with you (Assange was probably the wrong example) what I was getting at is that liberal MSM and their supporters like Andre have, and without even the slightest hint of embarrassment or even a blush, used one set of standards in reporting on the allegations against Kavanaugh, Trump etc than they have with these allegations against Biden, the blatant hypocrisy is just jaw dropping..
Na, the allegations against Assange were genuine enough – but the prosecution side of it in Sweden became political. The claim that requiring a guy to use a condom each time, or get consent each time, was part of a political entrapment is conspiracy theory and based on nothing more than the now ironic and embarrasing word association of wiki leak to lack of use of a condom.
In the real world, as opposed to the world of “Never Trump” Republican factionalists, Russiagate conspiracy theorists and Twitter trolls that you inhabit, WikiLeaks refers to the site that angered the U.S. and many other rogue states by revealing their crimes to the public.
RIP wikileaks the site for holding shitty governments to account. Such a promising youth with massive potential for brilliance, brought low by narcissism and power intoxication. Now a mere empty husk of what could have been.
Wikileaks hasn't faded because of any personal defects Assange may or may not have. Wikileaks has faded because corporate/liberal outlets and their journalists jumped on board with states and went all out to discredit and marginalise it as a credible source for news.
The idea that Assange is solely responsible for his own downfall, and the 'husking' of WikiLeaks, is convenient, but feeble.
'Narcissism' and 'power intoxication' descriptors are better directed at the leader of the country seeking to extradite Assange for his 'crimes'.
It is very much to Melzer’s credit that he admits that he was himself initially taken in by the propaganda campaign. He reveals that, in December 2018, he was asked by Assange’s lawyers to intervene. He declined:
"I was overloaded with other petitions and wasn’t really familiar with the case. My impression, largely influenced by the media, was also colored by the prejudice that Julian Assange was somehow guilty and that he wanted to manipulate me."
'Narcissism' and 'power intoxication' descriptors are better directed at the leader of the country seeking to extradite Assange for his 'crimes'.
Also directed. Not necessarily better directed. Which just adds to the irony of his actions to help boost the Douche ex Machina into the Oval Office.
Since Hillary and whomever she appointed to Attorney General would have been much more likely to agree with Holder and Obama's 2013 conclusion that the "New York Times problem" meant it would be against the interests of the US as a whole to go after him.
The U.S. authorities say he is wanted not because he embarrassed them but because he endangered informants, dissidents and rights activists in several countries, including Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan by illegal actions.
I'm sure if they all whinge just a few more days, Biden will pull out and only Sanders will reactivate his campaign and walk into the convention upon a path of rosepetals as the sole candidate for the dem nom. It is destiny.
@ McFlock, what the fuck are you talking about? what has this got to do with Sanders?…look if you think it's OK voting for an alleged rapist because he is a better sort of alleged rapist than the guy from the other party then just say so and stop beating round the damn bush..and don't blame us that your people are usually seriously dodgy in some way shape or form…it is just the natural result of selling out your principles and values for power…in case you hadn't noticed.
I've said repeatedly that it's not okay. Even less than 24hrs ago. But it is the situation: vote for Biden, or do nothing to get rid of Trump. Clear enough for you?
What you guys have never answered is "what do you you expect a US voter to do?" They have three options: vote Biden, vote Trump, or abstain/3rdparty (same diff: only helps the incumbent). No option is ideal, or even "okay". But whatever they do in November will be one of those three.
So please do me the courtesy of answering me as clearly as I answered you.
Amazing how easily some were convinced of the allegations of rape against Assange, yet find the allegations of known creep Biden so difficult to believe
Are these the same people who cried rape apologist! Women dont lie?
How depressingly partisan the whole thing is, no real underlying empathy, just point scoring
… some were convinced of the allegations of rape against Assange …
They weren't convinced of the allegations, francesca. Nobody who looks at that shameful business believes a word of those fantasies. As you rightly point out, it’s partisanship, and involves as much regard for the truth as supporting a sports team.
So, pointing to an article that discusses some relevant facts that were conveniently ignored in the one-sided story-making by hard-core Berners, and asking for clarification on the status of an unsourced assertion makes me a "camp guard"?
Cool bananas.
I'm still curious what you think will be achieved by spamming us with the same month-old clip over and over again.
I'm use to right wing trolls attempts at wit falling flat, but man that was sad.
My point was simple – argue the point, which is a case of sexual assault has been leveled at Biden. A pretty serious case, which you have been hell bent to undermine at every turn. Mostly with slurs and personal attacks, I'll give you it's a normal response for this sort of thing.
Rich McHugh (one of the journalists who has reported on Tara Reade's allegations) claims he has spoken to the National Archive, and they say they would not hold any such record.
Add that to the fact others have previously pointed out (before Biden's little diversion tactic), that the University of Delaware has Biden's congressional papers under seal, and that is where a filed report of sexual harassment would be held.
Biden or the University of Delaware could unseal the records, but seem hell bent on keeping them sealed until two years after Biden exits public life or some such.
So, a second-hand assertion that they would not be in the National Archives, one of the three places suggested so far where such a record, if one existed, might be stored. Not a refutation of the possibility that it might be stored within the Senate's own administrative system, as suggested by the letter Macro posted.
All journalism is second hand assertion now is it?
And when the National Archives say they have no such record, are you going to argue the University of Delaware lift the seal on their records, or run around forums like this one proclaiming Biden's innocence and Tara Reade's malevolence?
Well we shall await the advice back from the Secretary of the Senate with interest wont we.
Even if she was an intern, the employing authority would still be the Senate, and the immediate office for reporting such an occurrence would be the The Office of Fair Employment Practices
I've added the bold for those who are experiencing problems digesting pretty basic info….
And @UDelaware — which houses the collection of Joe Biden's senatorial papers — just confirmed to me that the papers "will remain closed to the public until two years after Mr. Biden retires from public life."
I've never worked for the US Senate, but everywhere I have worked in the US, personnel records have been kept very distinct from the records generated by my actual work.
To the extent that when the division I worked for was sold off to another company, my personnel records stayed with the original parent company, while all my engineering calc sheets, drawings, test reports etc went to the new owner.
So it's entirely plausible, probable even, that the personnel records for the staff in Biden's office are stored separately to the intellectual information generated by his work duties as a senator.
Which sounds plausible, until one considers whether the only copy of his senatorial paycheques are in his papers at Delaware. Is it more likely that HR stuff will kept by the senate, too? Including complaints?
Maybe parents are right to fear sending their children back to school or early learning centres. In the US a small number of children and other under 20s have died from C-19. There are also a minority of children with serious symptoms linked to C-19.
The problem is complicated because those under 20yrs in the US are not being tested. Some of the children with serious conditions are maybe being misdiagnosed with other conditions that have similar symptoms. Latino children are a significant proportion of children diagnosed with C-19.
80% or C-19 recorded deaths in the US are for people over 65yrs. At least 20 people under 20 yrs have died from C-19. In New York state by end April 30 C-19 positive children died and 56 were admitted to pediatric ICUs.
Doctors in several countries are reporting inflammatory syndromes in children linked to C-19. Symptoms include diarrhea, cough, fever, sore throats, vomiting, and can look like aseptic meningitis or Kawasaki disease.
The Guardian have picked up on this story as well.
In an article entitled 'European schools get ready to reopen despite concern about pupils spreading Covid-19, the writer points to Christian Drosten, 'a virologist and Germany’s leading coronavirus expert', has conducted research which 'found that the viral loads in children differed little from those in adults.'
'Drosten’s study, which was released this week, examined the viral loads in the throats of 3,721 people, including more than 100 children, who tested positive for coronavirus in Berlin between January and April.'
“The end result is as clear as glass,” Drosten said “Children do not have significantly different concentrations of the virus in their respiratory passages compared to adults.”
I wonder if our health experts are investigating this.
The research report referred to in Ed's Guardian article doesn't break it down by age specifically, but uses the term Kindergarten age youngest age group. It seems to be a German-based research, and in Germany, the kindergarten age is 3-6 years.
In that age group, 1749 children were tested, with 37 testing positive ie 2.10% of the group. This compares with 2.25% of 1-10 year olds. Compares with 6-11% approx of over 60s.
The Intercept article I linked to above, refers to the Covid research project in the US. It breaks the 1-10 ages down to 0-2 & 2-11yrs.
They have a chart showing the estimated numbers of under 2s positive for C-19 (83,333), and the numbers in a critical condition in ICUs (35); 2-11 year olds = estimated 11667 positive & 49 in ICUs
Whereas the attack rate in children seems to correspond to that in adults (2), it is obvious that children are under-represented in clinical studies and less frequently diagnosed due to mild or absent symptoms.
And
An estimate based on the number of symptomatic admissions in a specialist pediatric hospital assumes that thousands of pediatric cases were missed during the early phase of the Wuhan outbreak, at a time at which only ca. 10,0000 adult patients were registered (13). Because they are mostly asymptomatic, children may not be presented at testing centers even if they belong to households with a confirmed index case.
This
There are many other factors that complicate the determination of infection rates in, and transmission rates from children. For instance, the age profile during the early phase of the outbreak in many European countries makes it difficult to derive transmission rates from household contact studies. Early transmission clusters were started by travellers of adult age, making children less likely to be index cases in households (4). Another circumstance making children less likely to carry the virus into households is that kindergartens and schools were closed early in the outbreak in Germany.
So
These combined effects will cause children to be more likely to receive rather than spread infections in households for purely circumstantial reasons. This observation may be misunderstood as an indication of children being less infectious.
Which should lead to younger teachers overseeing the primary school age children during the on-line phase and pre schools using younger teachers only while the numbers are still small.
Maybe parents are right to fear sending their children back to school or early learning centres.
My fear with kids is somewhat more basic. This is an almost unknown disease that we're just starting to get information on. Like all unknown diseases or for that matter unknown drug or any unknown environmental change, it isn't just the obvious effects that you need to worry about. It is also the ones that haven't been picked up yet.
For instance blood clots with covid-19. In the hospitals on lifer supports. In the lungs. In young adults. And even in 'covid toes' of children.
These are all relatively immediate symptoms. But as a species we have no idea of where this disease is getting to or its full range of behaviours – especially over the longer term. After all we’ve only known about it for (at most) 4 and half months.
I was reading about an autopsy reports of residual covid-19 RNA in the lungs of a recovered patient (who died of something else). There wasn't anything about if it was active or not.
One of the things I've been worried about is if covid-19 is one of the stealth viruses. After all this damn thing has 30,000 base pairs – which for a virus is one hell of a lot of code, and presumably very little of it is unused because virus evolution tends to be ruthless about ‘junk’.. The host species, bats, are well known for how ferocious their immune systems are. As they'd have to be given their communal nesting habits.
You have to wonder about what the longer-term effects of having the virus are, and especially in a child that has 60+ years of life ahead of them.
Thank you lprent. I am but a simple teacher of languages, yet (or maybe because of that) I find your comment above most compelling evidence as to why we should wait, and not follow the short-sighted advice of those concerned mainly with commerce – eg, dear young Simon Bridges and his supporting cortège…. (Not sure whether I got the right French word there. Time will tell.)
So if schools remain closed when we move to the next level – what do those families who have all adults working do ?
Unfortunately when we reach level 2 – a consequence will be schools and ECE centres opening – due to necessity. An unfortunate consequence of our economic system that requires multi incomes to sustain a family.
Extend lock down and Labour replicates the 2013 team NZ sailing: losing what is "Not Losable".
Barfly he would complain if the Coalition put forward such a Stupid Policy.Goldsmith would be saying why should viable non subsidized businesses tax be going to failing businesses.
I don't quite get this one – does anybody know anything more? Is the NZ government subsidising overseas airlines ( some state owned with no profit incentives)? Are these markets that Airnz is unable to fly to for some reason? Yes we need to get the goods home and away but use our own carrier first?
For those who are interested, here is a list of some countries and their Covid-19 tests per one million population. New Zealand's testing rate is quite impressive.
Israel 42,108
Italy 33,962
Spain 32,699
Ireland 31,179
Germany 30,400
New Zealand 30,191
Russia 25,354
Singapore 24,600
Australia 23,770
Canada 22,050
USA 20,241
UK 15,082
South Korea 12,153
Sweden 11,833
Saudi Arabia 9,392
Iran 5,656
South Africa 3,668
Taiwan 2,659
Pakistan 878
India 708
The complete list of countries and their stats are on the worldometer website.
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After copping criticism for not releasing the report for nearly eight months, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese released the Independent Intelligence Review on 28 March. It makes for a heck of a read. The review makes ...
After copping criticism for not releasing the report for nearly eight months, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese released the Independent Intelligence Review on 28 March. It makes for a heck of a read. The review makes ...
In short this morning in our political economy:Donald Trump has shocked the global economy and markets with the biggest tariffs since the Smoot Hawley Act of 1930, which worsened the Great Depression.Global stocks slumped 4-5% overnight and key US bond yields briefly fell below 4% as investors fear a recession ...
Hi,I’ve been imagining a scenario where I am walking along the pavement in the United States. It’s dusk, I am off to get a dirty burrito from my favourite place, and I see three men in hoodies approaching.Anther two men appear from around a corner, and this whole thing feels ...
Since the announcement in September 2021 that Australia intended to acquire nuclear-powered submarines in partnership with Britain and the United States, the plan has received significant media attention, scepticism and criticism. There are four major ...
On a very wet Friday, we hope you have somewhere nice and warm and dry to sit and catch up on our roundup of some of this week’s top stories in transport and urbanism. The header image shows Northcote Intermediate Students strolling across the Te Ara Awataha Greenway Bridge in ...
On a very wet Friday, we hope you have somewhere nice and warm and dry to sit and catch up on our roundup of some of this week’s top stories in transport and urbanism. The header image shows Northcote Intermediate Students strolling across the Te Ara Awataha Greenway Bridge in ...
The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts & talking about the week’s news with regular and special guests, including: and Elaine Monaghan on the week in geopolitics and climate, including Donald Trump’s tariff shock yesterday; and,Labour’s Disarmament and Associate ...
I'm gonna try real goodSwear that I'm gonna try from now on and for the rest of my lifeI'm gonna power on, I'm gonna enjoy the highsAnd the lows will come and goAnd may your dreamsAnd may your dreamsAnd may your dreams never dieSongwriters: Ben Reed.These are Stranger Days than ...
With the execution of global reciprocal tariffs, US President Donald Trump has issued his ‘declaration of economic independence for America’. The immediate direct effect on the Australian economy will likely be small, with more risk ...
The StrategistBy Jacqueline Gibson, Nerida King and Ned Talbot
AUKUS governments began 25 years ago trying to draw in a greater range of possible defence suppliers beyond the traditional big contractors. It is an important objective, and some progress has been made, but governments ...
I approach fresh Trump news reluctantly. It never holds the remotest promise of pleasure. I had the very, very least of expectations for his Rumble in the Jungle, his Thriller in Manila, his Liberation Day.God May 1945 is becoming the bitterest of jokes isn’t it?Whatever. Liberation Day he declared it ...
Beyond trade and tariff turmoil, Donald Trump pushes at the three core elements of Australia’s international policy: the US alliance, the region and multilateralism. What Kevin Rudd called the ‘three fundamental pillars’ are the heart ...
So, having broken its promise to the nation, and dumped 85% of submissions on the Treaty Principles Bill in the trash, National's stooges on the Justice Committee have decided to end their "consideration" of the bill, and report back a full month early: Labour says the Justice Select Committee ...
The 2024 Independent Intelligence Review offers a mature and sophisticated understanding of workforce challenges facing Australia’s National Intelligence Community (NIC). It provides a thoughtful roadmap for modernising that workforce and enhancing cross-agency and cross-sector collaboration. ...
OPINION AND ANALYSIS:Chief Ombudsman Peter Boshier’s comments singling out Health NZ for “acting contrary to the law” couldn’t be clearer. If you find my work of value, do consider subscribing and/or supporting me. Thank you.Health NZ has been acting a law unto itself. That includes putting its management under extraordinary ...
Southeast Asia’s three most populous countries are tightening their security relationships, evidently in response to China’s aggression in the South China Sea. This is most obvious in increased cooperation between the coast guards of the ...
In the late 1970s Australian sport underwent institutional innovation propelling it to new heights. Today, Australia must urgently adapt to a contested and confronting strategic environment. Contributing to this, a new ASPI research project will ...
In short this morning in our political economy:The Nelson Hospital waiting list crisis just gets worse, including compelling interviews with an over-worked surgeon who is leaving, and a patient who discovered after 19 months of waiting for a referral that her bowel and ovaries were fused together with scar tissue ...
Plainly, the claims being tossed around in the media last year that the new terminal envisaged by Auckland International Airport was a gold-plated “Taj Mahal” extravagance were false. With one notable exception, the Commerce Commission’s comprehensive investigation has ended up endorsing every other aspect of the airport’s building programme (and ...
Movements clustered around the Right, and Far Right as well, are rising globally. Despite the recent defeats we’ve seen in the last day or so with the win of a Democrat-backed challenger, Dane County Judge Susan Crawford, over her Republican counterpart, Waukesha County Judge Brad Schimel, in the battle for ...
In February 2025, John Cook gave two webinars for republicEN explaining the scientific consensus on human-caused climate change. 20 February 2025: republicEN webinar part 1 - BUST or TRUST? The scientific consensus on climate change In the first webinar, Cook explained the history of the 20-year scientific consensus on climate change. How do ...
After three decades of record-breaking growth, at about the same time as Xi Jinping rose to power in 2012, China’s economy started the long decline to its current state of stagnation. The Chinese Communist Party ...
The Pike River Coal mine was a ticking time bomb.Ventilation systems designed to prevent methane buildup were incomplete or neglected.Gas detectors that might warn of danger were absent or broken.Rock bolting was skipped, old tunnels left unsealed, communication systems failed during emergencies.Employees and engineers kept warning management about the … ...
Regional hegemons come in different shapes and sizes. Australia needs to think about what kind of hegemon China would be, and become, should it succeed in displacing the United States in Asia. It’s time to ...
RNZ has a story this morning about the expansion of solar farms in Aotearoa, driven by today's ground-breaking ceremony at the Tauhei solar farm in Te Aroha: From starting out as a tiny player in the electricity system, solar power generated more electricity than coal and gas combined for ...
After the Berlin Wall came down in 1989, and almost a year before the Soviet Union collapsed in late 1991, US President George H W Bush proclaimed a ‘new world order’. Now, just two months ...
Warning: Some images may be distressing. Thank you for those who support my work. It means a lot.A shopfront in Australia shows Liberal leader Peter Dutton and mining magnate Gina Rinehart depicted with Nazi imageryUS Government Seeks Death Penalty for Luigi MangioneMangione was publicly walked in front of media in ...
Aged care workers rallying against potential roster changes say Bupa, which runs retirement homes across the country, needs to focus on care instead of money. More than half of New Zealand workers wish they had chosen a different career according to a new survey. Consumers are likely to see a ...
The scurrilous attacks on Benjamin Doyle, a list Green MP, over his supposed inappropriate behaviour towards children has dominated headlines and social media this past week, led by frothing Rightwing agitators clutching their pearls and fanning the flames of moral panic over pedophiles and and perverts. Winston Peter decided that ...
Twilight Time Lighthouse Cuba, Wigan Street, Wellington, Sunday 6 April, 5:30pm for 6pm start. Twilight Time looks at the life and work of Desmond Ball, (1947-2016), a barefooted academic from ‘down under’ who was hailed by Jimmy Carter as “the man who saved the world”, as he proved the fallacy ...
The landedAnd the wealthyAnd the piousAnd the healthyAnd the straight onesAnd the pale onesAnd we only mean the male ones!If you're all of the above, then you're ok!As we build a new tomorrow here today!Lyrics Glenn Slater and Allan Menken.Ah, Democracy - can you smell it?It's presently a sulphurous odour, ...
US President Donald Trump’s unconventional methods of conducting international relations will compel the next federal government to reassess whether the United States’ presence in the region and its security assurances provide a reliable basis for ...
Things seem to be at a pretty low ebb in and around the Reserve Bank. There was, in particular, the mysterious, sudden, and as-yet unexplained resignation of the Governor (we’ve had four Governors since the Bank was given its operational autonomy 35 years ago, and only two have completed their ...
Long story short:PMChristopher Luxon said in January his Government was ‘going for growth’ and he wanted New Zealanders to develop a ‘culture of yes.’ Yet his own Government is constantly saying no, or not yet, to anchor investments that would unleash real private business investment and GDP growth. ...
Long story short:PMChristopher Luxon said in January his Government was ‘going for growth’ and he wanted New Zealanders to develop a ‘culture of yes.’ Yet his own Government is constantly saying no, or not yet, to anchor investments that would unleash real private business investment and GDP growth. ...
For decades, Britain and Australia had much the same process for regulating media handling of defence secrets. It was the D-notice system, under which media would be asked not to publish. The two countries diverged ...
For decades, Britain and Australia had much the same process for regulating media handling of defence secrets. It was the D-notice system, under which media would be asked not to publish. The two countries diverged ...
This post by Nicolas Reid was originally published on Linked in. It is republished here with permission.In this article, I make a not-entirely-serious case for ripping out Spaghetti Junction in Auckland, replacing it with a motorway tunnel, and redeveloping new city streets and neighbourhoods above it instead. What’s ...
This post by Nicolas Reid was originally published on Linked in. It is republished here with permission.In this article, I make a not-entirely-serious case for ripping out Spaghetti Junction in Auckland, replacing it with a motorway tunnel, and redeveloping new city streets and neighbourhoods above it instead. What’s ...
In short this morning in our political economy:The Nelson Hospital crisis revealed by 1News’Jessica Roden dominates the political agenda today. Yet again, population growth wasn’t planned for, or funded.Kāinga Ora is planning up to 900 house sales, including new ones, Jonathan Milne reports for Newsroom.One of New Zealand’s biggest ...
In short this morning in our political economy:The Nelson Hospital crisis revealed by 1News’Jessica Roden dominates the political agenda today. Yet again, population growth wasn’t planned for, or funded.Kāinga Ora is planning up to 900 house sales, including new ones, Jonathan Milne reports for Newsroom.One of New Zealand’s biggest ...
The war between Russia and Ukraine continues unabated. Neither side is in a position to achieve its stated objectives through military force. But now there is significant diplomatic activity as well. Ukraine has agreed to ...
One of the first aims of the United States’ new Department of Government Efficiency was shutting down USAID. By 6 February, the agency was functionally dissolved, its seal missing from its Washington headquarters. Amid the ...
If our strategic position was already challenging, it just got worse. Reliability of the US as an ally is in question, amid such actions by the Trump administration as calling for annexation of Canada, threating ...
Small businesses will be exempt from complying with some of the requirements of health and safety legislation under new reforms proposed by the Government. The living wage will be increased to $28.95 per hour from September, a $1.15 increase from the current $27.80. A poll has shown large opposition to ...
Summary A group of senior doctors in Nelson have spoken up, specifically stating that hospitals have never been as bad as in the last year.Patients are waiting up to 50 hours and 1 death is directly attributable to the situation: "I've never seen that number of patients waiting to be ...
Although semiconductor chips are ubiquitous nowadays, their production is concentrated in just a few countries, and this has left the US economy and military highly vulnerable at a time of rising geopolitical tensions. While the ...
Health and Safety changes driven by ACT party ideology, not evidence said NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi President Richard Wagstaff. Changes to health and safety legislation proposed by the Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety Brooke van Velden today comply with ACT party ideology, ignores the evidence, and will compound New ...
In short in our political economy this morning:Fletcher Building is closing its pre-fabricated house-building factory in Auckland due to a lack of demand, particularly from the Government.Health NZ is sending a crisis management team to Nelson Hospital after a 1News investigation exposed doctors’ fears that nearly 500 patients are overdue ...
Exactly 10 years ago, the then minister for defence, Kevin Andrews, released the First Principles Review: Creating One Defence (FPR). With increasing talk about the rising possibility of major power-conflict, calls for Defence funding to ...
In events eerily similar to what happened in the USA last week, Greater Auckland was recently accidentally added to a group chat between government ministers on the topic of transport.We have no idea how it happened, but luckily we managed to transcribe most of what transpired. We share it ...
Hi,When I look back at my history with Dylan Reeve, it’s pretty unusual. We first met in the pool at Kim Dotcom’s mansion, as helicopters buzzed overhead and secret service agents flung themselves off the side of his house, abseiling to the ground with guns drawn.Kim Dotcom was a German ...
Come around for teaDance me round and round the kitchenBy the light of my T.VOn the night of the electionAncient stars will fall into the seaAnd the ocean floor sings her sympathySongwriter: Bic Runga.The Prime Minister stared into the camera, hot and flustered despite the predawn chill. He looked sadly ...
Has Winston Peters got a ferries deal for you! (Buyer caution advised.) Unfortunately, the vision that Peters has been busily peddling for the past 24 hours – of several shipyards bidding down the price of us getting smaller, narrower, rail-enabled ferries – looks more like a science fiction fantasy. One ...
Completed reads for March: The Heart of the Antarctic [1907-1909], by Ernest Shackleton South [1914-1917], by Ernest Shackleton Aurora Australis (collection), edited by Ernest Shackleton The Book of Urizen (poem), by William Blake The Book of Ahania (poem), by William Blake The Book of Los (poem), by William Blake ...
First - A ReminderBenjamin Doyle Doesn’t Deserve ThisI’ve been following posts regarding Green MP Benjamin Doyle over the last few days, but didn’t want to amplify the abject nonsense.This morning, Winston Peters, New Zealand’s Deputy Prime Minister, answered the alt-right’s prayers - guaranteeing amplification of the topic, by going on ...
US President Donald Trump has shown a callous disregard for the checks and balances that have long protected American democracy. As the self-described ‘king’ makes a momentous power grab, much of the world watches anxiously, ...
They can be the very same words. And yet their meaning can vary very much.You can say I'll kill him about your colleague who accidentally deleted your presentation the day before a big meeting.You can say I'll kill him to — or, for that matter, about — Tony Soprano.They’re the ...
Back in 2020, the then-Labour government signed contracted for the construction and purchase of two new rail-enabled Cook Strait ferries, to be operational from 2026. But when National took power in 2023, they cancelled them in a desperate effort to make the books look good for a year. And now ...
The fragmentation of cyber regulation in the Indo-Pacific is not just inconvenient; it is a strategic vulnerability. In recent years, governments across the Indo-Pacific, including Australia, have moved to reform their regulatory frameworks for cyber ...
Today, the Oranga Tamariki (Repeal of Section 7AA) Amendment Bill has passed its third and final reading, but there is one more stage before it becomes law. The Governor-General must give their ‘Royal assent’ for any bill to become legally enforceable. This means that, even if a bill gets voted ...
Abortion care at Whakatāne Hospital has been quietly shelved, with patients told they will likely have to travel more than an hour to Tauranga to get the treatment they need. ...
Thousands of New Zealanders’ submissions are missing from the official parliamentary record because the National-dominated Justice Select Committee has rushed work on the Treaty Principles Bill. ...
Today’s announcement of 10 percent tariffs for New Zealand goods entering the United States is disappointing for exporters and consumers alike, with the long-lasting impact on prices and inflation still unknown. ...
The National Government’s choices have contributed to a slow-down in the building sector, as thousands of people have lost their jobs in construction. ...
Willie Apiata’s decision to hand over his Victoria Cross to the Minister for Veterans is a powerful and selfless act, made on behalf of all those who have served our country. ...
The Privileges Committee has denied fundamental rights to Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, Rawiri Waititi and Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, breaching their own standing orders, breaching principles of natural justice, and highlighting systemic prejudice and discrimination within our parliamentary processes. The three MPs were summoned to the privileges committee following their performance of a haka ...
April 1 used to be a day when workers could count on a pay rise with stronger support for those doing it tough, but that’s not the case under this Government. ...
Winston Peters is shopping for smaller ferries after Nicola Willis torpedoed the original deal, which would have delivered new rail enabled ferries next year. ...
The Government should work with other countries to press the Myanmar military regime to stop its bombing campaign especially while the country recovers from the devastating earthquake. ...
The Green Party is calling for the Government to scrap proposed changes to Early Childhood Care, after attending a petition calling for the Government to ‘Put tamariki at the heart of decisions about ECE’. ...
New Zealand First has introduced a Member’s Bill today that will remove the power of MPs conscience votes and ensure mandatory national referendums are held before any conscience issues are passed into law. “We are giving democracy and power back to the people”, says New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters. ...
Welcome to members of the diplomatic corp, fellow members of parliament, the fourth estate, foreign affairs experts, trade tragics, ladies and gentlemen. ...
In recent weeks, disturbing instances of state-sanctioned violence against Māori have shed light on the systemic racism permeating our institutions. An 11-year-old autistic Māori child was forcibly medicated at the Henry Bennett Centre, a 15-year-old had his jaw broken by police in Napier, kaumātua Dean Wickliffe went on a hunger ...
Confidence in the job market has continued to drop to its lowest level in five years as more New Zealanders feel uncertain about finding work, keeping their jobs, and getting decent pay, according to the latest Westpac-McDermott Miller Employment Confidence Index. ...
The Greens are calling on the Government to follow through on their vague promises of environmental protection in their Resource Management Act (RMA) reform. ...
“Make New Zealand First Again” Ladies and gentlemen, First of all, thank you for being here today. We know your lives are busy and you are working harder and longer than you ever have, and there are many calls on your time, so thank you for the chance to speak ...
Hundreds more Palestinians have died in recent days as Israel’s assault on Gaza continues and humanitarian aid, including food and medicine, is blocked. ...
National is looking to cut hundreds of jobs at New Zealand’s Defence Force, while at the same time it talks up plans to increase focus and spending in Defence. ...
It’s been revealed that the Government is secretly trying to bring back a ‘one-size fits all’ standardised test – a decision that has shocked school principals. ...
The Green Party is calling for the compassionate release of Dean Wickliffe, a 77-year-old kaumātua on hunger strike at the Spring Hill Corrections Facility, after visiting him at the prison. ...
The Green Party is calling on Government MPs to support Chlöe Swarbrick’s Member’s Bill to sanction Israel for its unlawful presence and illegal actions in Palestine, following another day of appalling violence against civilians in Gaza. ...
The Green Party stands in support of volunteer firefighters petitioning the Government to step up and change legislation to provide volunteers the same ACC coverage and benefits as their paid counterparts. ...
At 2.30am local time, Israel launched a treacherous attack on Gaza killing more than 300 defenceless civilians while they slept. Many of them were children. This followed a more than 2 week-long blockade by Israel on the entry of all goods and aid into Gaza. Israel deliberately targeted densely populated ...
Living Strong, Aging Well There is much discussion around the health of our older New Zealanders and how we can age well. In reality, the delivery of health services accounts for only a relatively small percentage of health outcomes as we age. Significantly, dry warm housing, nutrition, exercise, social connection, ...
The Government’s new planning legislation to replace the Resource Management Act will make it easier to get things done while protecting the environment, say Minister Responsible for RMA Reform Chris Bishop and Under-Secretary Simon Court. “The RMA is broken and everyone knows it. It makes it too hard to build ...
Trade and Investment Minister Todd McClay has today launched a public consultation on New Zealand and India’s negotiations of a formal comprehensive Free Trade Agreement. “Negotiations are getting underway, and the Public’s views will better inform us in the early parts of this important negotiation,” Mr McClay says. We are ...
More than 900 thousand superannuitants and almost five thousand veterans are among the New Zealanders set to receive a significant financial boost from next week, an uplift Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says will help support them through cost-of-living challenges. “I am pleased to confirm that from 1 ...
Progressing a holistic strategy to unlock the potential of New Zealand’s geothermal resources, possibly in applications beyond energy generation, is at the centre of discussions with mana whenua at a hui in Rotorua today, Resources and Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is in the early stages ...
New annual data has exposed the staggering cost of delays previously hidden in the building consent system, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “I directed Building Consent Authorities to begin providing quarterly data last year to improve transparency, following repeated complaints from tradespeople waiting far longer than the statutory ...
Increases in water charges for Auckland consumers this year will be halved under the Watercare Charter which has now been passed into law, Local Government Minister Simon Watts and Auckland Minister Simeon Brown say. The charter is part of the financial arrangement for Watercare developed last year by Auckland Council ...
There is wide public support for the Government’s work to strengthen New Zealand’s biosecurity protections, says Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard. “The Ministry for Primary Industries recently completed public consultation on proposed amendments to the Biosecurity Act and the submissions show that people understand the importance of having a strong biosecurity ...
A new independent review function will enable individuals and organisations to seek an expert independent review of specified civil aviation regulatory decisions made by, or on behalf of, the Director of Civil Aviation, Acting Transport Minister James Meager has announced today. “Today we are making it easier and more affordable ...
The Government will invest in an enhanced overnight urgent care service for the Napier community as part of our focus on ensuring access to timely, quality healthcare, Health Minister Simeon Brown has today confirmed. “I am delighted that a solution has been found to ensure Napier residents will continue to ...
Health Minister Simeon Brown and Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey attended a sod turning today to officially mark the start of construction on a new mental health facility at Hillmorton Campus. “This represents a significant step in modernising mental health services in Canterbury,” Mr Brown says. “Improving health infrastructure is ...
Finance Minister Nicola Willis has welcomed confirmation the economy has turned the corner. Stats NZ reported today that gross domestic product grew 0.7 per cent in the three months to December following falls in the June and September quarters. “We know many families and businesses are still suffering the after-effects ...
The sealing of a 12-kilometre stretch of State Highway 43 (SH43) through the Tangarakau Gorge – one of the last remaining sections of unsealed state highway in the country – has been completed this week as part of a wider programme of work aimed at improving the safety and resilience ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters says relations between New Zealand and the United States are on a strong footing, as he concludes a week-long visit to New York and Washington DC today. “We came to the United States to ask the new Administration what it wants from ...
Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee has welcomed changes to international anti-money laundering standards which closely align with the Government’s reforms. “The Financial Action Taskforce (FATF) last month adopted revised standards for tackling money laundering and the financing of terrorism to allow for simplified regulatory measures for businesses, organisations and sectors ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour says he welcomes Medsafe’s decision to approve an electronic controlled drug register for use in New Zealand pharmacies, allowing pharmacies to replace their physical paper-based register. “The register, developed by Kiwi brand Toniq Limited, is the first of its kind to be approved in New ...
The Coalition Government’s drive for regional economic growth through the $1.2 billion Regional Infrastructure Fund is on track with more than $550 million in funding so far committed to key infrastructure projects, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. “To date, the Regional Infrastructure Fund (RIF) has received more than 250 ...
[Comments following the bilateral meeting with United States Secretary of State, Marco Rubio; United States State Department, Washington D.C.] * We’re very pleased with our meeting with Secretary of State Marco Rubio this afternoon. * We came here to listen to the new Administration and to be clear about what ...
The intersection of State Highway 2 (SH2) and Wainui Road in the Eastern Bay of Plenty will be made safer and more efficient for vehicles and freight with the construction of a new and long-awaited roundabout, says Transport Minister Chris Bishop. “The current intersection of SH2 and Wainui Road is ...
The Ocean Race will return to the City of Sails in 2027 following the Government’s decision to invest up to $4 million from the Major Events Fund into the international event, Auckland Minister Simeon Brown says. “New Zealand is a proud sailing nation, and Auckland is well-known internationally as the ...
Improving access to mental health and addiction support took a significant step forward today with Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey announcing that the University of Canterbury have been the first to be selected to develop the Government’s new associate psychologist training programme. “I am thrilled that the University of Canterbury ...
Health Minister Simeon Brown has today officially opened the new East Building expansion at Manukau Health Park. “This is a significant milestone and the first stage of the Grow Manukau programme, which will double the footprint of the Manukau Health Park to around 30,000m2 once complete,” Mr Brown says. “Home ...
The Government will boost anti-crime measures across central Auckland with $1.3 million of funding as a result of the Proceeds of Crime Fund, Auckland Minister Simeon Brown and Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee say. “In recent years there has been increased antisocial and criminal behaviour in our CBD. The Government ...
The Government is moving to strengthen rules for feeding food waste to pigs to protect New Zealand from exotic animal diseases like foot and mouth disease (FMD), says Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard. ‘Feeding untreated meat waste, often known as "swill", to pigs could introduce serious animal diseases like FMD and ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held productive talks in New Delhi today. Fresh off announcing that New Zealand and India would commence negotiations towards a Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement, the two Prime Ministers released a joint statement detailing plans for further cooperation between the two countries across ...
Agriculture and Trade Minister Todd McClay signed a new Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) today during the Prime Minister’s Indian Trade Mission, reinforcing New Zealand’s commitment to enhancing collaboration with India in the forestry sector. “Our relationship with India is a key priority for New Zealand, and this agreement reflects our ...
Agriculture and Trade Minister Todd McClay signed a new Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) today during the Prime Minister’s Indian Trade Mission, reinforcing New Zealand’s commitment to enhancing collaboration with India in the horticulture sector. “Our relationship with India is a key priority for New Zealand, and this agreement reflects our ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of two new Family Court Judges. The new Judges will take up their roles in April and May and fill Family Court vacancies at the Auckland and Manukau courts. Annette Gray Ms Gray completed her law degree at Victoria University before joining Phillips ...
Health Minister Simeon Brown has today officially opened Wellington Regional Hospital’s first High Dependency Unit (HDU). “This unit will boost critical care services in the lower North Island, providing extra capacity and relieving pressure on the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and emergency department. “Wellington Regional Hospital has previously relied ...
Namaskar, Sat Sri Akal, kia ora and good afternoon everyone. What an honour it is to stand on this stage - to inaugurate this august Dialogue - with none other than the Honourable Narendra Modi. My good friend, thank you for so generously welcoming me to India and for our ...
Ngāi Tahu’s senior lawyer was in full flight on the final day of an eight-week High Court hearing when the judge brought him to a screeching halt.Barrister Chris Finlayson KC led the case for Ngāi Tahu, the South Island iwi that said a wai māori (freshwater) crisis prompted it to ...
Madeleine Chapman reflects on a week of bleak reading. Nothing in life is free. Everyone knows that. But for a blissful eight months, my commute was. After closing Mount Eden station nearly a decade ago to redevelop it, Auckland Transport eventually opened a new, frequent bus route (64) to connect ...
Out of the little playground kiosk at Petone beach, Mariana’s Kitchen is serving up perfect, authentic empanadas. It was a perfect Wellington day: the sun was shining and the wind was blowing. In its gust the word “OPEN” flashed on a red and yellow banner on the Petone foreshore. From ...
As Daylight Saving comes to an end, let us remember the local naturalist who came up with the idea so he could spend more time searching for insects in the Karori Bush.Here in the south, the signs are everywhere. Beanies are creeping onto heads and people are starting to ...
Lyric Waiwiri-Smith chats to Marlon Williams about the six-year journey to releasing Te Whare Tīwekaweka, his first album entirely in te reo Māori.Singer-songwriter Marlon Williams (Ngāi Tahu, Ngāi Tai) remembers a childhood where speaking “household Māori” was as everyday as the waves which crash into the harbour of Ōhinehou. ...
The journalist and author takes us through her life in television, including her biggest live TV regret and the Succession moment she witnessed first hand. This week, journalist and broadcaster Ali Mau released No Words For This, a “gripping, generous, revelatory and layered” memoir that reveals shocking family secrets, explores ...
After ten rings Tracey hung up. She started the car; an orange petrol light appeared. It appeared yesterday on the way home, but Tracey decided to deal with it today. She opened her phone and first looked for specials on the BP app and then on Caltex, but there was ...
It has all the qualities of an aircraft but with its rocket engine, the Dawn Mk-II Aurora can fly faster and higher than any jet.“We have a real path to this being the first vehicle that flies to 100km altitude – the border of space – twice in a day,” ...
The agitated and perpetually frightened right wingBy spending a lot of time online while eating spaghetti on toast in small rooms and staying up all hours, illuminated by the ghostly white screen of the PC, and worrying about what could go wrong in the world if the left wing got ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Anthony Albanese has announced that the government will ensure the Port of Darwin, currently leased by the Chinese company Landbridge, is returned to Australian hands. “Australia needs to own the Port of Darwin,” the prime ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Anthony Albanese has announced that the government will ensure the Port of Darwin, currently leased by the Chinese company Landbridge, is returned to Australian hands. “Australia needs to own the Port of Darwin,” the prime ...
Now that Phil Goff has ended his term as New Zealand’s High Commissioner to the UK, he is officially free to speak his mind on the damage he believes the Trump Administration is doing to the world. He has started with these comments he made on the betrayal of Ukraine ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Draper, Professor, and Executive Director: Institute for International Trade, and Jean Monnet Chair of Trade and Environment, University of Adelaide On April 2, United States President Donald Trump unveiled a sweeping new “reciprocal tariff” regime he says will level the playing ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Toby Murray, Professor of Cybersecurity, School of Computing and Information Systems, The University of Melbourne Several of Australia’s biggest superannuation funds have suffered a suspected coordinated cyberattack, with scammers stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars of members’ retirement savings. Superannuation funds ...
Democracy Now! Jewish students at Columbia University chained themselves to a campus gate across from the graduate School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) this week, braving rain and cold to demand the school release information related to the targeting and ICE arrest of Mahmoud Khalil, a former SIPA student. ...
We stand in solidarity with all communities impacted by Islamophobia, racism, and discrimination. We call for genuine accountability, not empty apologies. It is imperative that the government takes decisive action to restore integrity to the Human Rights ...
"This is a broken promise to the public. People demand the right to choose and want products from gene editing to be labelled,” said Jon Carapiet, spokesman for GE-Free New Zealand (in Food and Environment). ...
Public submissions potentially ignored and unrecorded were a focus this week. We background how the process usually works and what will happen now. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Trembath, Professor of Speech Pathology, Griffith University Lukas/Pexels If your child is struggling with certain everyday activities – such as playing with other kids, getting dressed or paying attention – you might want to get them assessed to see if ...
By Caleb Fotheringham, RNZ Pacific journalist Norfolk Island sees its United States tariff as an acknowledgment of independence from Australia. Norfolk Island, despite being an Australian territory, has been included on Trump’s tariff list. The territory has been given a 29 percent tariff, despite Australia getting only 10 percent. It ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Agriculture, Food and Ecosystem Sciences, The University of Melbourne alybaba/Shutterstock Street trees usually grow in appalling soils, have little space for their roots, are rarely watered and often get aggressively trimmed by road authorities ...
A new poem by Amanda Faye Martin. reluctant heterosexual one time i got snowed in with a guy i thought i didn’t want to sleep with but then he said something that felt true like clarity could be simple like things could be known like picking fruit in warm weather ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins (Scholastic, $30) More of that good Hunger Games stuff: ...
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne The federal election will be held in four weeks. A national YouGov poll, conducted March 28 to April 3 from a sample ...
The Commission makes 149 reform recommendations to the Government. They include a new Act to replace the current law governing preventive detention, extended supervision orders and public protection orders. ...
"Labour leftwingers have been frustrated at the party’s refusal to seize on the crisis as a moment to propose a radical overhaul of the economy and society. Jon Trickett, now relegated to the backbenches from his position of shadow cabinet office minister, says: “The country’s crying out for a longer-term vision. We need to map out a great vision for the kind of new normal that can exist after this pandemic."" https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/may/01/labour-keir-starmer-coronavirus-covid-19-new-era
I agree with the UK leftists. Which hardly ever happens. I get that the new Labour leader prefers a cautious approach, and it is indeed understandable that in these fraught times Sir Keir would rather not hit the ground running. Problem is, the opposition is there to provide a viable alternative to the govt. There's a real danger the public will get irritated by the lack thereof. Timidity is a prescription for failure.
"These meetings, and polling seen by Labour strategists, are telling them the public don’t want to hear knee-jerk criticism of the government. “The approach we’re getting from the public is, ‘All of us need to be together, getting through this,’” said a party source."
Yeah, folks hate partisans. Being reasonable is the right way to go, but there are better ways to do that. You can actually be respectful and helpful while signalling the path to the future. I'm puzzled UK Labour is failing to comprehend this. Seems elementary.
I get that the new Labour leader prefers a cautious approach….
???? Caving in to ceaseless bullying by the most brutal and implacable pressure group on earth is not "cautious". There are other "c" words to describe such a person: careerist, cynical, compromised….
https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/asa-winstanley/keir-starmer-tilts-labour-sharply-towards-israel
https://www.politicshome.com/news/article/union-demands-keir-starmer-clamps-down-on-anticorbyn-wreckers-after-leaked-report-sparks-major-party-row-73838
https://twitter.com/Jackiew80333500/status/1256134369955188736
So he's a zionist, eh? Well, that does change my view of him for the worse. A lot. But I presume Trump will thump the table with glee when he discovers it, and acclaim him as a sensible leftist.
The idea that the Israel lobby slaughtered Corbyn is a joke. He got done by the electorate in the usual Shakespearean fashion (character flaws). His own worst enemy. Like Sanders, his inner narcissist prevailed over his political acumen. How many times did I express my wish here that they would realise socialism will only fly with younger generations if it is reframed to suit the new millennium? I lost count. Their intellectual laziness doomed them.
So he's a zionist, eh?
No, he's a supporter—however reluctantly, under a horrendous amount of pressure—of the state of Israel. The distinction is important.
The idea that the Israel lobby slaughtered Corbyn is a joke.
???? Your assessment is at odds with the facts. The initial attempts to ridicule and marginalize Corbyn—"Traingate", the sneering at his riding a bicycle, the scoffing his dress sense, and the attempts to portray him as a "traitor"—all failed to gain any traction.
Then the fantastical denunciations really started. Jamie Stern-Weiner sums it up:
Yeah, I did read Finkelstein's analysis a while back and found no reason to dispute it. However while the Israel lobby played the divide within Labour effectively, I don't agree that they defeated Corbyn in the public mind. I do agree he was not sufficiently adept to control the narrative. I just see it as a side-issue in the minds of most voters.
It wasn't a side issue, it was a non-issue. The charges were ludicrous, fantastical from the beginning. I agree with you about Corbyn's ineptness: would you or anyone else here try to placate people accusing you of imaginary crimes the way Corbyn tried to placate his accusers? His passivity in the face of those mobs astonished Max Blumenthal when he visited Britain in 2015.
"The idea that the Israel lobby slaughtered Corbyn is a joke".
No it's not Dennis. I suggest you take a look at some of the investigative journalism thecanary.co has done on this issue. Accepting that this site has a left wing bias (how terrible) it has demonstrated that there is a mass of proof that Israel has lobbied long and hard against Corbyn.
But much worse, and probably much more damaging to Corbyn, is spelt out in the Labour Party report recently leaked. This shows that there were high-up Labour Party members who were willing to sabotage Corbyn winning the last election because they hated him and his somewhat radical left-wing policies.
They were willing to put an extreme right-wing idiot into power for 5 years and sabotage the (majority) anti-Brexit campaign simply to satisfy this Corbyn hatred.
Starmer's reaction-trying to shoot the messenger (the leaker(s))-rather than listen to the message says it all about him.
I tried but couldn't see any. Their front page features contained no current stuff. Strange. I did find this, which is a reasonable analysis: https://www.thecanary.co/opinion/2020/04/25/as-the-dust-settles-over-the-corbyn-and-sanders-era-we-must-remember-one-crucial-reality/
You have to look through their historical stuff.
Corbyn and Sanders had heart. The right idea about the people when everyone else had lost themselves. They are heroes and will be looked to as such for ever.
They are also object lessons for any of us here who're ever tempted to imagine the task of a serious political leader is either easy or one that any of us could do better.
These meetings, and polling seen by Labour strategists, are telling them the public don’t want to hear knee-jerk criticism of the government.
And that precludes promoting vision and ideas that would contribute to "a radical overhaul of the economy and society"….how?
No need to debate the merits and demerits of the play being acted out by government – change the script in a way that captures the moment. Maybe that's a 'step beyond' for myopic tribalists who are lacking in imagination and only concerned with 'getting a turn' at playing boss?
Yeah, you put your finger on the problem alright. Those who get to have a political career as servants of the status quo while pretending to be progressive. Democracy keeps promoting the pretenders – because most voters are easily suckered.
Yeah, folks hate partisans. Being reasonable is the right way to go, but there are better ways to do that. You can actually be respectful and helpful while signalling the path to the future. I'm puzzled UK Labour is failing to comprehend this. Seems elementary.
Everything you are saying on this theme resonates with me strongly. In the current atmosphere reasonableness seems an quixotic, suicidal ask, but that will only make the small victories along the way, all the sweeter.
Australias mobile tracing app doesn't work on Australias largest network plus other problems especially with I phones.
Do you have a link for that? I downloaded the app on to my Telstra only phone the other day. Telstra is Austalia's biggest network. The only problem is that I didn't have a working SIM on it and my older Samsung smartphone won't accept the app. Just over 3 million Aussies have downloaded the app so far, but no idea how many actually use it. Seems a bit fiddly and annoying. Can imagine that many won't bother or may give up if there are technological problems. Seems easier just keeping away from everybody and remembering who you have been close to. Rules are 1.5m distancing here, not 2 m like NZ. Wonder if Aussie coronaviruses can't jump as far?
The heat slows em down.
Horeskin will be demanding we adopt it immediately.
"Behavioural economics looks at how people make decisions in the real world – warts, irrational biases and all – and applies this to public policy. Its signature policy is set out in the 2008 book Nudge, by Cass Sunstein and Richard Thaler. The central insight is that changing the way choices are presented to people can have a huge impact."
Haven't read it but I suspect nudges work via framing. The frame you create can focus the attention of others on whatever you want.
"Coming just as the financial crisis hit, Nudge was perfectly timed to achieve maximum traction by offering politicians the chance to reap savings through low-cost policy. Sunstein was quickly appointed to a senior job in the Obama administration, while David Cameron set up the behavioural insights team, dubbed the “nudge unit”, led by psychologist turned policy wonk David Halpern."
"The nudge unit has since had a mixed track record: there have been some real successes on pensions and tax payments but in other areas it’s been a bit of a damp squib. So I was surprised when Halpern popped up to talk about the government’s pandemic strategy in the press in early March. It was he who first publicly mentioned the idea of “herd immunity” as part of an effective response to Covid-19 (the government has since denied this was ever the strategy)." https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/apr/26/nudge-theory-is-a-poor-substitute-for-science-in-matters-of-life-or-death-coronavirus
"Halpern is reportedly on Sage, the government’s scientific advisory committee for emergencies, and he is also the government’s What Works national adviser, responsible for helping it apply evidence to public policy. So one might expect there to be something substantial behind the idea of behavioural fatigue."
Well, yes. Obviously the hundreds of breaches of the lockdown here, and consequent prosecutions, suggest there's behavioural fatigue out there in Aotearoa. "Goddam, I've been doing this isolation shit too long already, I'm tired of it."
"But evidence presented to government by the Sage behavioural subcommittee on 4 March, representing the views of a wider group of experts, was non-committal on the behavioural impact of a lockdown, noting that the empirical evidence on behavioural interventions in a pandemic is limited. Shortly after Halpern’s interviews, more than 600 behavioural economists wrote a letter questioning the evidence base for behavioural fatigue."
Clever buggers. The evidence is out there, but if nobody collects & collates it, then you can dismiss it as anecdotal. Social science 1.01 – and who wants to pay for the research? No govt would do that while mired in lockdown admin.
"“Behavioural fatigue is a nebulous concept,” the review’s authors later concluded in the Irish Times." Ah, smart move. Nobody does nebulous better than the Irish. Readers would resonate with the critique big-time.
The writer suggests "you understand that the Behavioural Insights Team is a multimillion-pound profitable company, which pays Halpern, who owns 7.5% of its shares, a bigger salary than the prime minister." You should. Psychologists with that much leverage in commerce and politics are extremely rare.
Global reserve currency?
"The Washington Post, citing two people with knowledge of internal discussions, reported on Thursday that some officials had discussed the idea of canceling some of the massive U.S. debt held by China as a way to strike at Beijing for perceived shortfalls in its candidness on the COVID-19 pandemic."
https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2020/05/01/business/01reuters-health-coronavirus-usa-china.html
the criminally insane running the asylum have stopped taking their medication.
That would involve risk of higher cost of debt when issuing future boinds – it also implies USA QE is open-ended.
would involve more risk than that….it would collapse all markets.
If the US decided to arbitrarily not honour its bonds they become worthless and consequently who would wish to hold them?
It implies (should they do so) that the US is going full autarky…no trade with outside world.
An alternative would eventually be found but the damage meantime would make covid look like a stroll in the park.
But possibly even more concerning is grand scale defaults such as that would be, precede and provoke wars.
It would appear that Boris Johnson and his motley crew are tinkering with the numbers again.
First, they did not count COVID deaths in rest homes and at home. Now they are creating magical figures for testing.
Donald Trump's U.S is the pits.
And Boris Johnson's U.K. is chasing it hard as a rogue nation.
Government counts mailouts to hit 100,000 testing target
Is self-testing even legitimate? If it's the same test used here I can't imagine people are going to do that to themselves with any degree of accuracy.
I doubt it is Muttonbird, but just an easy way for the govt to do "something".
Justin Trudeau: "There is no use and no place for such weapons in Canada."
He was talking, slowly and solemnly and not in blackface on this occasion, about assault weapons. The place to use them is, of course, Venezuela.
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/article-canada-announces-53-million-in-aid-for-venezuela-and-refugees/
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-02-04/trudeau-backs-guaido-and-pledges-aid-for-venezuelan-transition
I love that Stuff headline, "Simon Bridges wants lockdown to end now.", he comes across as an unreasonable toddler.
"Bridges has also drawn attention for repeatedly saying the confusing phrase “the medicine is worse than the cure”.
Advertising works if you keep repeating the message. He gets that part. The part he doesn't get is that the message is meant to sell something. The Leader of the Opposition is expected to sell the idea that the Opposition would make a better govt than the current one to the public. I don't see how telling them that the medicine is worse than the cure is gonna achieve that.
Kids learn that you endure the medicine to get the cure. Adults are supposed to have moved on from that phase. Wrestle with more complex problems. Politicians are meant to solve the difficult commonly-experienced problems. Perhaps his minders forgot to take off his training wheels?
He's just showing how ineffective he is by his shouting, "liberate Tauranga" & no one is listening.
Israel lobbyist funded Labour’s new leader
by ASA WINSTANLEY, 22 April 2020
A multi-millionaire pro-Israel lobbyist donated $62,000 to help Keir Starmer win the UK Labour Party’s leadership election, it was revealed last week.
The official register of lawmakers’ financial interests shows that Trevor Chinn donated the sum as part of Starmer’s leadership campaign.
During the campaign Starmer said “I support Zionism without qualification.” Since his election he hastilted the party sharply towards Israel.
Starmer came under criticism for not disclosing all his donors during the campaign itself, when Labour members were deciding who should replace Jeremy Corbyn.
The donation from Chinn was not registered until five days after Starmer won the election, although it was received in February.
Although there is no suggestion of illegality, Labour members may consider this a violation of their trust.
Trevor Chinn
A retired auto industry mogul, Chinn has in the past funded both Labour Friends of Israel andConservative Friends of Israel.
He also plays a leading role in the Israel lobby groups BICOM and the Jewish Leadership Council.
In 2018, Chinn co-hosted a high-profile celebration of the life of late Israeli president Chaim Herzog, attended by Israeli ambassador Mark Regev. Published photos show that Tony Blair also attended.
Read more….
https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/asa-winstanley/israel-lobbyist-funded-labours-new-leader
He can call himself Keir as much as he likes but this is the end for me. Just describing yourself as a Zionist, which is the same as being in favour of the conquest of India, is too much.
Kim Jong Un is up and about, apparently.
https://twitter.com/nytimes/status/1256347431240900611
North Korea is an easy source of shock horror stories to generate clickbate and feed gullible minds on junk
https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2020-04-28/a-look-at-past-disappearances-of-nkorean-leaders-officials
North Korea, and (up until Mueller's disastrous showing at those farcical Congressional hearings) the Russiagate conspiracy.
Something for the Dear Leader to read as he recuperates. In fact, everyone should read this, or at least marvel at the beauty of the artwork….
https://archive.org/details/LittleNemo1905-1914ByWinsorMccay/page/n5/mode/2up
Apparently this is the Best the Democratic party can offer the world…although I guess it does illustrate just how shallow their pool of talent has become…what a joke.
Biden’s Touching Behavior
https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/joe-bidens-history-touching-women/
Here are all the times Joe Biden has been accused of acting inappropriately toward women and girls
https://www.businessinsider.com.au/joe-biden-allegations-women-2020-campaign-2019-6?r=US&IR=T
John Stewart Calls Out Joe Biden For Groping in 2015
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-uGBRDcJESQ
(Creepy) joe Biden accuser Tara Reade speaks out….
I'm curious what you think you'll achieve by spamming the site with the same March 26 clip over and over again after others had also spammed us multiple previous times with it.
Nevertheless, if anyone's curious about the bigger picture but not enough to actually go looking, here's a piece that looks into the background of the allegations.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2020/04/29/joe-biden-sexual-assault-allegation-tara-reade-column/3046962001/
The author of your link is a shameless Democratic Party careerist and, not surprisingly, a Russiagate truther. He recently praised that empty bag of wind Pete Buttigieg: "Pete's intellect, empathy and ability to articulate his sound policies place him a cut above decades of politicians on both sides of the aisle."
No doubt this smear against Tara Reade will advance his own career.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/voices/2020/03/02/pete-buttigieg-exits-presidential-race-lgbt-yes-you-can-column/4928399002/
So?
Even if that were a fair assessment of the author, how does that affect the facts he's pointed to that raise red flags around the credibility of Reade's allegations?
Also, what purpose do you think is achieved by spamming this site over and over again with the same month-old clip?
He doesn't raise any red flags. All he does is try to smear her. I guess you have to admire his dogged persistence, given that he wrote his hit piece after the tape of her mother ringing up Larry King came to light.
The yankers will end up with a bigmoney guy as prez no matter how much you fulminate.
Where have I "fulminated", Baggers? The only fulmination in this discussion, other than that by our friend Andre, is by Michael Stern, that former prosecutor-cum-Democratic Party careerist and conspiracy theorist.
Christ Andre! The guy starts off with a false sub-header. (Only rabid idiots have ever said we must blindly accept every allegation of sexual assault)
And in case you missed it, the #metoo movement has hardly covered itself in glory when it's come to Tara Reade. For example, see this piece on Time's Up.
The NYT took weeks to report on the story at all even though there is far more corroborating evidence for her allegation that there was for Christine Blasey Ford – and allowed the Biden team to edit their piece when they finally did run something.
Biden could put the entire thing to rest by having the seal broken on the University of Delaware files of his senatorial papers. (He has publicly refused to do that)
Trotting out nonsense about Russia in an attempt to discredit her is straight up fucking woeful.
It's not as if there are have not been other concerns raised about Biden's behaviour around women, right? And it's not as if the only time women claiming sexual harassment are to be taken seriously is when the allegation is against a perceived 'bad guy', right?
Anyway. I'm not a US voter, but the idea that a nation gets to choose between two alleged sexual predators for their president is …actually, I'm at a loss for words.
I think that anyone who is actually serious in examining these allegations ( unlike our Biden or bust boy here Andre) would do themselves more a service in reading the links provided below from from some serious jurno's instead of the Dem hack that speaks to and confirms Andres well known bias…
Ryan Grim
https://theintercept.com/2020/03/24/joe-biden-metoo-times-up/
https://theintercept.com/2020/04/24/new-evidence-tara-reade-joe-biden/
Rich McHugh
https://www.businessinsider.com.au/former-neighbor-corroborates-joe-bidens-accuser-2020-4?r=US&IR=T
Of course what is really the problem here is Andre, just like many of his centrerist cohorts on this site are just to dishonest and spinless to come out and say what we all know they are thinking, yeah Biden could well be a rapist, but I still think he's is better than Trump…but then again after the way they all lost their shit over the kavanaugh rape allegations or the way they went feral on Assange allegations I guess they can't..LOL!!!…man talk about the chickens coming home to roost…it's fucking hilarious.
Ryan Grim: Dems Will Back Biden As Long As They Think He’ll Beat Trump
https://therealnews.com/stories/ryan-grim-democrats-back-biden-trump-hillary-clinton-endorse
… the way they went feral on Assange allegations…
The allegations against Kavanaugh, Trump, Biden, and Clinton were all backed up with credible evidence. The ludicrous "allegations" against Assange were concocted by British and U.S. black ops.
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/01/22/brazils-greenwald-prosecution-evokes-assanges-continued-imprisonment-uk-say
Yes I agree with you (Assange was probably the wrong example) what I was getting at is that liberal MSM and their supporters like Andre have, and without even the slightest hint of embarrassment or even a blush, used one set of standards in reporting on the allegations against Kavanaugh, Trump etc than they have with these allegations against Biden, the blatant hypocrisy is just jaw dropping..
Na, the allegations against Assange were genuine enough – but the prosecution side of it in Sweden became political. The claim that requiring a guy to use a condom each time, or get consent each time, was part of a political entrapment is conspiracy theory and based on nothing more than the now ironic and embarrasing word association of wiki leak to lack of use of a condom.
You really need to do some reading, my friend. And thinking.
Just a few months ago, you were posting humane and thoughtful views on this outrage. Why the change?
https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-28-11-2019/#comment-1669458
your first post
The claims against your hero are non existent but others are all credible – yeah sure. Right. Got it.
Your edited second post
And the old, we who are better read and who do more thinking are right – so there. An all time classic.
Your edited third post
My opine has not changed. My politiical support for Assange is not influenced by the events in Sweden.
No you haven't "got it", at all. Your representation of my views is as devoid of merit as your NewstalkZB level comments on the case.
A wikileak now refers to condom malfunction or absence?
*checks Urban Dictionary*
Well, waddaya know, indeed it does.
In the real world, as opposed to the world of “Never Trump” Republican factionalists, Russiagate conspiracy theorists and Twitter trolls that you inhabit, WikiLeaks refers to the site that angered the U.S. and many other rogue states by revealing their crimes to the public.
RIP wikileaks the site for holding shitty governments to account. Such a promising youth with massive potential for brilliance, brought low by narcissism and power intoxication. Now a mere empty husk of what could have been.
Wikileaks hasn't faded because of any personal defects Assange may or may not have. Wikileaks has faded because corporate/liberal outlets and their journalists jumped on board with states and went all out to discredit and marginalise it as a credible source for news.
The idea that Assange is solely responsible for his own downfall, and the 'husking' of WikiLeaks, is convenient, but feeble.
'Narcissism' and 'power intoxication' descriptors are better directed at the leader of the country seeking to extradite Assange for his 'crimes'.
'Narcissism' and 'power intoxication' descriptors are better directed at the leader of the country seeking to extradite Assange for his 'crimes'.
Also directed. Not necessarily better directed. Which just adds to the irony of his actions to help boost the Douche ex Machina into the Oval Office.
Since Hillary and whomever she appointed to Attorney General would have been much more likely to agree with Holder and Obama's 2013 conclusion that the "New York Times problem" meant it would be against the interests of the US as a whole to go after him.
The establishment would never forgive Assange for showing up the true nature of imperialism.
https://nypost.com/2020/05/01/julian-assanges-life-is-in-danger-in-london-prison-partner-says/
So their legal action was in the service of humanity – so there …
As to the consequences for women in Afghanistan (US support for the mujahadeen takeover) and Iraq (US invasion) since secular regimes were deposed ….
I'm sure if they all whinge just a few more days, Biden will pull out and only Sanders will reactivate his campaign and walk into the convention upon a path of rosepetals as the sole candidate for the dem nom. It is destiny.
@ McFlock, what the fuck are you talking about? what has this got to do with Sanders?…look if you think it's OK voting for an alleged rapist because he is a better sort of alleged rapist than the guy from the other party then just say so and stop beating round the damn bush..and don't blame us that your people are usually seriously dodgy in some way shape or form…it is just the natural result of selling out your principles and values for power…in case you hadn't noticed.
I've said repeatedly that it's not okay. Even less than 24hrs ago. But it is the situation: vote for Biden, or do nothing to get rid of Trump. Clear enough for you?
What you guys have never answered is "what do you you expect a US voter to do?" They have three options: vote Biden, vote Trump, or abstain/3rdparty (same diff: only helps the incumbent). No option is ideal, or even "okay". But whatever they do in November will be one of those three.
So please do me the courtesy of answering me as clearly as I answered you.
Perhaps you should read this:
The filed allegation would be in the sealed files of the University of Delaware, not the National Archives.
Amazing how easily some were convinced of the allegations of rape against Assange, yet find the allegations of known creep Biden so difficult to believe
Are these the same people who cried rape apologist! Women dont lie?
How depressingly partisan the whole thing is, no real underlying empathy, just point scoring
… some were convinced of the allegations of rape against Assange …
They weren't convinced of the allegations, francesca. Nobody who looks at that shameful business believes a word of those fantasies. As you rightly point out, it’s partisanship, and involves as much regard for the truth as supporting a sports team.
How depressingly partisan the whole thing is, no real underlying empathy, just point scoring
I think that's about all that needs saying. Thank you.
Is that independently verifiable fact, opinion, unsubstantiated assertion, or something else?
Mate you would make the most awesome camp guard…no training needed for this guy, he's perfect right out of the box!.
So, pointing to an article that discusses some relevant facts that were conveniently ignored in the one-sided story-making by hard-core Berners, and asking for clarification on the status of an unsourced assertion makes me a "camp guard"?
Cool bananas.
I'm still curious what you think will be achieved by spamming us with the same month-old clip over and over again.
"hard-core berners" – that right wing smear again.
But have you actually got anything but your usual slurs?
If I was motivated, I could come up with a lot more slurs than just that. But you're not worth it.
I'm use to right wing trolls attempts at wit falling flat, but man that was sad.
My point was simple – argue the point, which is a case of sexual assault has been leveled at Biden. A pretty serious case, which you have been hell bent to undermine at every turn. Mostly with slurs and personal attacks, I'll give you it's a normal response for this sort of thing.
Rich McHugh (one of the journalists who has reported on Tara Reade's allegations) claims he has spoken to the National Archive, and they say they would not hold any such record.
That's at the 11min 20sec mark in this Democracy Now interview.
Add that to the fact others have previously pointed out (before Biden's little diversion tactic), that the University of Delaware has Biden's congressional papers under seal, and that is where a filed report of sexual harassment would be held.
Biden or the University of Delaware could unseal the records, but seem hell bent on keeping them sealed until two years after Biden exits public life or some such.
So, a second-hand assertion that they would not be in the National Archives, one of the three places suggested so far where such a record, if one existed, might be stored. Not a refutation of the possibility that it might be stored within the Senate's own administrative system, as suggested by the letter Macro posted.
All journalism is second hand assertion now is it?
And when the National Archives say they have no such record, are you going to argue the University of Delaware lift the seal on their records, or run around forums like this one proclaiming Biden's innocence and Tara Reade's malevolence?
Andre, the Left that requires the approval of the powerful, isn't.
Well we shall await the advice back from the Secretary of the Senate with interest wont we.
Even if she was an intern, the employing authority would still be the Senate, and the immediate office for reporting such an occurrence would be the The Office of Fair Employment Practices
I've added the bold for those who are experiencing problems digesting pretty basic info….
And @UDelaware — which houses the collection of Joe Biden's senatorial papers — just confirmed to me that the papers "will remain closed to the public until two years after Mr. Biden retires from public life."
I've never worked for the US Senate, but everywhere I have worked in the US, personnel records have been kept very distinct from the records generated by my actual work.
To the extent that when the division I worked for was sold off to another company, my personnel records stayed with the original parent company, while all my engineering calc sheets, drawings, test reports etc went to the new owner.
So it's entirely plausible, probable even, that the personnel records for the staff in Biden's office are stored separately to the intellectual information generated by his work duties as a senator.
Which sounds plausible, until one considers whether the only copy of his senatorial paycheques are in his papers at Delaware. Is it more likely that HR stuff will kept by the senate, too? Including complaints?
Maybe parents are right to fear sending their children back to school or early learning centres. In the US a small number of children and other under 20s have died from C-19. There are also a minority of children with serious symptoms linked to C-19.
The problem is complicated because those under 20yrs in the US are not being tested. Some of the children with serious conditions are maybe being misdiagnosed with other conditions that have similar symptoms. Latino children are a significant proportion of children diagnosed with C-19.
Intercept article:
80% or C-19 recorded deaths in the US are for people over 65yrs. At least 20 people under 20 yrs have died from C-19. In New York state by end April 30 C-19 positive children died and 56 were admitted to pediatric ICUs.
Doctors in several countries are reporting inflammatory syndromes in children linked to C-19. Symptoms include diarrhea, cough, fever, sore throats, vomiting, and can look like aseptic meningitis or Kawasaki disease.
The Guardian have picked up on this story as well.
In an article entitled 'European schools get ready to reopen despite concern about pupils spreading Covid-19, the writer points to Christian Drosten, 'a virologist and Germany’s leading coronavirus expert', has conducted research which 'found that the viral loads in children differed little from those in adults.'
'Drosten’s study, which was released this week, examined the viral loads in the throats of 3,721 people, including more than 100 children, who tested positive for coronavirus in Berlin between January and April.'
“The end result is as clear as glass,” Drosten said “Children do not have significantly different concentrations of the virus in their respiratory passages compared to adults.”
I wonder if our health experts are investigating this.
Link to Guardian article is here.
How many under 5?
The research report referred to in Ed's Guardian article doesn't break it down by age specifically, but uses the term Kindergarten age youngest age group. It seems to be a German-based research, and in Germany, the kindergarten age is 3-6 years.
In that age group, 1749 children were tested, with 37 testing positive ie 2.10% of the group. This compares with 2.25% of 1-10 year olds. Compares with 6-11% approx of over 60s.
The Intercept article I linked to above, refers to the Covid research project in the US. It breaks the 1-10 ages down to 0-2 & 2-11yrs.
They have a chart showing the estimated numbers of under 2s positive for C-19 (83,333), and the numbers in a critical condition in ICUs (35); 2-11 year olds = estimated 11667 positive & 49 in ICUs
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Which should lead to younger teachers overseeing the primary school age children during the on-line phase and pre schools using younger teachers only while the numbers are still small.
My fear with kids is somewhat more basic. This is an almost unknown disease that we're just starting to get information on. Like all unknown diseases or for that matter unknown drug or any unknown environmental change, it isn't just the obvious effects that you need to worry about. It is also the ones that haven't been picked up yet.
For instance blood clots with covid-19. In the hospitals on lifer supports. In the lungs. In young adults. And even in 'covid toes' of children.
These are all relatively immediate symptoms. But as a species we have no idea of where this disease is getting to or its full range of behaviours – especially over the longer term. After all we’ve only known about it for (at most) 4 and half months.
I was reading about an autopsy reports of residual covid-19 RNA in the lungs of a recovered patient (who died of something else). There wasn't anything about if it was active or not.
One of the things I've been worried about is if covid-19 is one of the stealth viruses. After all this damn thing has 30,000 base pairs – which for a virus is one hell of a lot of code, and presumably very little of it is unused because virus evolution tends to be ruthless about ‘junk’.. The host species, bats, are well known for how ferocious their immune systems are. As they'd have to be given their communal nesting habits.
You have to wonder about what the longer-term effects of having the virus are, and especially in a child that has 60+ years of life ahead of them.
Thank you lprent. I am but a simple teacher of languages, yet (or maybe because of that) I find your comment above most compelling evidence as to why we should wait, and not follow the short-sighted advice of those concerned mainly with commerce – eg, dear young Simon Bridges and his supporting cortège…. (Not sure whether I got the right French word there. Time will tell.)
So if schools remain closed when we move to the next level – what do those families who have all adults working do ?
Unfortunately when we reach level 2 – a consequence will be schools and ECE centres opening – due to necessity. An unfortunate consequence of our economic system that requires multi incomes to sustain a family.
Extend lock down and Labour replicates the 2013 team NZ sailing: losing what is "Not Losable".
Paul Goldsmith now making a Dick of himself by saying cash should be given to failing businesses only
Since When have National ever supported this strategy.Canterbury Earthquakes No.Droughts No.GFC No.
Never before desperation setting in for National !
Perhaps Goldsmith is thinking the National Party is a"business"?
Barfly he would complain if the Coalition put forward such a Stupid Policy.Goldsmith would be saying why should viable non subsidized businesses tax be going to failing businesses.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/121386102/coronavirus-cargo-flights-could-be-used-to-repatriate-kiwis-stuck-overseas
I don't quite get this one – does anybody know anything more? Is the NZ government subsidising overseas airlines ( some state owned with no profit incentives)? Are these markets that Airnz is unable to fly to for some reason? Yes we need to get the goods home and away but use our own carrier first?
Cargo orientated planes I would imagine are limited in number
This has been doing the rounds…
The headline doesn't really match the story. Looks like 380 complaints out of total of 991 are still active.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/business/415651/few-level-3-business-breaches-despite-almost-1000-complaints-this-week-association
Gotta say, Radio NZ is a national treasure. "Music 101" is such a cool programme. Today they're playing a Breaks Co-op concert from Leigh in 2007(ish)
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national
A comparison – German efficiency and the UK in Sars Cov2 testing.
https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/magazine/germany-covid-19-masterclass-testing-tracing-uk
Pablo’s always an interesting read.
http://www.kiwipolitico.com/2020/05/thinking-of-a-post-pandemic-future/
Good read, it's encouraging how many people are rediscovering geopolitics.
Thanks for the link, I read a few of his essays.
Good food for thought.
For those who are interested, here is a list of some countries and their Covid-19 tests per one million population. New Zealand's testing rate is quite impressive.
Israel 42,108
Italy 33,962
Spain 32,699
Ireland 31,179
Germany 30,400
New Zealand 30,191
Russia 25,354
Singapore 24,600
Australia 23,770
Canada 22,050
USA 20,241
UK 15,082
South Korea 12,153
Sweden 11,833
Saudi Arabia 9,392
Iran 5,656
South Africa 3,668
Taiwan 2,659
Pakistan 878
India 708
The complete list of countries and their stats are on the worldometer website.