Here's a very good piece on health risks and how to interpret them, starting with the pause on the J&J and AstraZeneca vaccines due to the very very small but probably real slightly elevated risk of a of a rare type of blood clot after vaccination than the general background incidence of that very rare blood clot.
For AstraZeneca's vaccine, we know that of the 54 million doses administered in the EU and UK by early April, 223 cases of CVST blood clots were reported — an incidence of roughly 4 events per million doses. With background incidence of CVST ranging from 5-15 cases per million people per year, it is tempting to infer there is no significant elevation due to the vaccine. But emergent cases of post-vaccination CVST seem to coincide with low platelet count, an unusual combination potentially hinting at a deeper association.
Yet making a causal connection is a fraught affair. Both typical CVST and the vaccine-associated CVST are so vanishingly rare that even a handful of recorded events can skew interpretations, rendering estimates of their true incidence intrinsically uncertain. Incidence itself varies with age, sex, and other risk factors – the conceptive pill, for instance, is associated with a 7-fold increase in CVST risk for women aged 15-50. Available data is transient and subject to change: originally it was thought this condition might only affect females, a position which has evolved with growing evidence. Complicating things further, COVID-19 itself is associated with both increased risk of CVST and reduced platelet count. This in effect blurs the picture, making it less clear whether associations might be due to the vaccine or the pandemic itself.
It then goes on to touch on how other risks are misinterpreted and misused by misinformation artists, such as IARC classifications of potential cancer risks which specifically does not look at the magnitude of an increased risk but only at the strength of evidence for there actually being an increased risk.
The whole thing is really worth the read, it does a good job of clarifying some complex ideas.
edit: note that this is really just of background interest. The vaccine almost all of us will get in New Zealand is the Pfizer vaccine. The only serious risk I’m aware of so far is rare cases of allergic reactions, which are safely dealt with by staying at the vaccination site for fifteen minutes or so after vaccination. Other side effects include temporary swollen lymph nodes and temporary period changes for some women, as well as the expected effects of sore shoulder and generally feeling a bit off for a day or two.
If, after efforts to educate and inform individuals of the facts relating to the Covid vaccine, they are still falling on deaf ears because idiots are listening to quacks then… you're fired.
The case of the small group of people who suffer from conditions which make it unsafe for them only have to produce a certificate from their doctor (or whoever) and every effort can be made to re-establish them to non front-line activities.
These anti-vaxxers are currently demanding compensation because they have lost their jobs. Compensation? What for? Self-centred idiocy?
In the case of the Pfizer vaccine we're all about to be offered here in NZ, so far the only reports I've seen of serious medical concerns are the allergic reactions. So if someone with a history of allergic reactions wanted one of the other vaccines, I'd be quite sympathetic. Although even in the case of a reaction as severe as anaphylaxis, it seems that waiting in the doctor's office for half an hour gets past the danger period with staff on hand to safely deal with it if it does occur. I haven't noticed any reports of deaths from anaphylaxis due to the Pfizer jab, but it might have happened if they hadn't stayed for a while after getting jabbed.
It seems the usual groups of people with genuine medical reason to be wary of vaccines in general – the immunocompromised, those getting cancer treatment etc – can quite safely get the Pfizer vaccine. It just might not do them much good if their immune system isn't working well. So they will likely still be reliant on herd immunity for their protection.
Personally, I'm of the view that job loss should be just the start of potential consequences for being so fkn antisocial as to refuse free vaccination. If someone refuses vaccination then gets the disease, they should have to pay for their treatment rather than getting it for free, as well as paying for the treatment and other related losses of those they go on to infect.
But that report only covers what has been observed in New Zealand. The numbers involved are too small to be likely to pick up a very rare but serious harm caused by the vaccine, such as the blood clots that might be caused by the J&J and AZ vaccines (which we are not, repeat not, getting here).
On the other hand, those early vaccinations will include significant numbers of Maori and Pacifica (to whom we all owe thanks for taking on the risk of being on the frontline of keeping the rest of us safe). That may be helpful in producing data to reassure vaccine-hesitant Maori and Pacifica that are concerned there haven't been vaccine trials that have included people with similar genetics to theirs.
There are three reasons to look at local data even though the numbers are low: 1) obviously they are more relevant because of ‘demographics’; 2) they may be trusted more than some overseas sources; 3) they are on the only vaccine currently rolled out in NZ, AFAIK. Of course, because of the staged roll-out of the vaccine, the numbers cannot be taken as representative and thus not as predictive for the larger general NZ population.
Somewhere in NZ a group of lawyers are rubbing their hands together in glee. What a pointless and misinformed (in regards to employment law) move. I hope they pay through the nose for attempting to coerce "informed consent". Totally with the workers.
Fechney, who is advocating for several other Customs workers in a similar situation, said the Government should be paying the sacked workers compassionate compensation.
“If you're going to terminate, at least do it in a redundancy setting,” she said. “They gave up their own health and safety to protect the borders.”
The worker was also given the option of remaining employed for four weeks while Customs searched for suitable jobs at other government agencies, such as Corrections.
“None of my clients were interested in that,” Fechney said. “There's a big difference between working in Corrections and working in Customs.”
Fechney said her clients were also irked that their certificates of service said they had resigned from their roles.
“It makes it feel like it is their choice to leave, but it’s not their choice.”
As someone who advocates for people with disabilities I wonder how many of them have just been discriminated against to boot. The vaccine may not suit everyone, and with some types of medication or illness the reactions will vary. These workers are acting within their rights despite intense pressure to conform and I’m disappointed more people here aren’t behind them.
Is there a middle ground other than a redundancy payment?
Employment and not being vaccinated is going to come up in other jobs.
Working in customs and not being vaccinated is an employer issue when it comes to public safety. In saying this a person working in customs who has been vaccinated could still become infected and pass it on.
Covid is making a person's choice of job untenable if employment is dependent on vaccination.
Yep, plenty of situations in workplaces that require compliance with health and safety, e.g. wear a hardhat, use eye protection, drive the forklift safely etc. People who refuse to comply are often held to account and if necessary, terminated, for their and other's safety.
If I said wearing a hardhat causes brain cancer – with no reasonable evidence – probably wouldn't fly as an excuse.
These workers are acting within their rights despite intense pressure to conform and I’m disappointed more people here aren’t behind them.
So, you didn't read Andre @1.1.1 then? No, I suppose not. You might become better informed on the subject.
If the workers who refuse to conform simply because they can, or for reasons of a crackpot conspiracy they've fallen for, then they must face the consequences.
Why should they be allowed to potentially expose the other 80% of the working population to Covid infection out of self-centred intransigence.
These workers are acting within their rights despite intense pressure to conform and I’m disappointed more people here aren’t behind them.
Doing the extremely low risk and low cost action of getting vaccinated has a personal benefit, and fulfills a responsibility to the community of taking reasonable precautions against negligently causing harm to others. That community responsibility aspect of it is something that is generally associated with 'left' politics.
Whereas insisting on being free to negligently cause harm to others, in this case by potentially spreading disease, because rights, is something that's more associated with the likes of ACT and other uglier parts of 'right-wing' libertarian politics.
There's no need to be quite so obnoxious about it. Bodily integrity and the right to choose what is done to it is a core human value, and one that we should only traduce in the most extreme circumstances.
Enforced mass vaccination is one of those borderline cases that we should approach respectfully, acknowledging that there are important principles at stake on both sides of the argument.
Personally I'm going to queue up for my jab when the time comes, but I'm not going to go full-metal authoritarian about it either.
You have no idea how much effort I'm putting into holding back from saying what I really want to say on the topic of those that think they have some kind of right to negligently become disease spreaders.
Self centred shitbag youtubing asshats without a skerrick of sense, decency or honor demanding attention and special treatment because really, they are cunts.
Hope that helped Andre. I held back too.
[Take a week off to chill out. I find it curious that you did this given your comment on OM yesterday about your famous friend in the UK but perhaps I’m the only who finds this inconsistent behaviour – Incognito]
BTW, I've yet to see anyone arguing for enforced mass vaccination. So that's a strawman. There's just been arguments for accountability and for removing those who refuse to vaccinate from employment positions where they are an undue risk to the general public.
removing those who refuse to vaccinate from employment positions where they are an undue risk to the general public.
Well you need to draw that line clearly. What exactly constitutes 'undue risk' here? Front line MIQ workers clearly fall into that category. (And I'm not against this – for example when travelling to Latin America for work purposes Yellow Fever vaccination was mandatory, or I didn't go.)
But start casting the net wider and suddenly you start catching a lot of people with far less choice around their employment.
I suggest this because I note you’re in bed with people like WTB who seem broadly undiscriminating about who they’re calling out as cunts here.
I think that’s unfair on Andre; WTB is having a week off and Andre did not ask for WTB’s ‘help’. If he had, or if he had applauded it, he would be having a week off too.
It is up to you to accept an apology in good grace or just take it as given and leave it at that and move on. Be the change you want to see is one of my favourite mottos, but easier said than done 😉
RL Mass vaccination should be approached carefully, with questions about its safety, and answers given to the questions of informed people, with medical and scientific backgrounds, also advocates for the poor. I myself have read that some people in poor health are not able to deal with the vaccine properly and are more likely to fall ill. What consideration is given to this?
Apart from that all that grandstanding about one's individual rights don't stand up when there are invisible germs causing great swathes of sickness around, and people's living is at stake through economic recession because of it. The people refusing may have to live together on a distant farm till the matter comes under control. Then if they infect anyone, it will be one of their own kind.
Society has to strike a balance between both the rights and obligations of the individual – and similarly the state. This is one of the enduring, eternal themes of politics – exactly how do we strike the balance when the ground keeps shifting under us.
Keep in mind that it's very easy for a majority to insist we give up individual rights in the name of collective safety, while the reverse pattern is a distinctly uphill battle.
However in this instance I tend to agree there is a good case for as many people to be vaccinated as possible (all other things being equal) – but that the state should employ the least coercion necessary to achieve it. Overreach would be hugely counterproductive, and especially so if anything went wrong.
With that in mind I'm sticking to my original thought that if we're going to go down the path of mass vaccinating then we need to go about it as respectfully as possible. Abusing and demonising those who are not initially on board (and there always is a spread of people from early to late adopters for anything new) will only generate resentment and unnecessary resistance.
Assuming we reach a level of 70% of people vaccinated, there will be an awful lot of Kiwis who you’d isolate on “distant farms”. Don’t mind their children though, they’ll be fine. And don’t mind the economy, it’ll be fine too. I have no idea what “their own kind” of Kiwi is supposed to mean but I don’t like the sound of it one bit, as it elicits a strong vibe of othering with me.
edit
If there are two points of view and neither will or can afford to concede, then each side is the 'other' to the alternative side. Can't get past that. When things go rogue, times are very tough, if some will not change, are infected with illness or possible illness that can be passed on, those who want to defend against it and protect themselves and all citizens, must see those who won't as 'others'.
Face the fact, holding hands and singing kumbyah doesn't cope with negative and spreading menace.
I believe vaccination was not going to be mandated by (this) Government. Your ‘policy’: lock up 30% of all Kiwis who are unvaccinated in distant camps farms until they submit and become like you!? All I can say is that totalitarianism is no stranger to the Left
'Auckland employment lawyer Catherine Stewart said employers of workers required to be vaccinated were likely to be able to substantively justify dismissing an unvaccinated employee.'
So no cigar or as you strangely think, some moneypot to be claimed. Even before the flu vaccines become common the death numbers from that in bad years would be horrendous by modern standards. ( In US could be 100k p.a in the 1950s)
If you are worried about co-governance as a principle, I suspect you will not be the last couple to leave.
I agree that there's a lot that's attractive about Australia. Just make sure you have enough to make you fully independent of the state until you can become citizens. Because otherwise life will get reasonably hard.
Off to the land of the pre-1960's "Abbo hunts" and blatant anti-indigenous racism which makes NZ look positively progressive.
Make sure you don't return as a 501 and enjoy using you investments to support you thorough unemployment, health scares etc. while getting nothing in return for your taxes. Far better than looking forward to the prospect of living in a society with a multi-stream form of governance that redresses its past eh?
Former National government press secretary Ben Thomas said Collins' strategy shows her leadership is clearly under pressure.
Whether there is an imminent threat to her leadership or not, it is clear that she feels under intense pressure about her performance and leadership.
"It looks as if she is casting around for any kind of temporary sugar hit she can get in terms of a brief bump in the polls to take that pressure off," Thomas said.
Collins' current strategy was not one which would win her an election, he said
"The racist separation card is always tempting for oppositions to play. Since Don Brash in Orewa … there has been this idea you can magically pull yourself up in the polls by talking about one-rule-for-all and racial equality.
"In fact, that's not a strategy which wins elections," Thomas said.
Te Tiriti is a founding document of this country, if someone is uncomfortable with this, then perhaps relocating is best for them.
How JC will handle this political opportunity is the question. So far, it seems it will not gain her much political capital and National might just be a through-passage to ACT and some fringe parties that will suck up disenfranchised voters. No wonder David Seymour can’t wipe the smile off his face.
Instead of leading a robust political debate, JC has reached into the depths of despair and for the Don Brash toolbox, which has only one gadget in it. How did it work out for Don?
The sad thing is that JC and Don advocate status quo that (already) is a separation between two peoples with divisive institutions with systems and processes that not only have resulted in inequity but also have propagated and worsened it. JC and Don are divisive, polarising, and populist.
The reviews of the shambolic National Party that led to National losing badly and ACT doing extremely well is crystal clear about what needs to change in the National Party to improve their chances at the next Election in 2023. It is also crystal clear that it doesn’t fit with JC’s desperate attempt to cling to power as Party Leader. JC will be the undoing of National and she’s already well down the track.
One cannot argue against a 7-year gap in average life expectance between Pākehā and Māori.
Wellll, Don of the Deadbrains got to 39.1%, well up from English's effort of 20.9% in 2002. That was enough to get within 1 seat of potentially being able to put together a governing coalition with fellow walking undeads WinnieFirst and the Hairdo from Ohariu. Oh, including sockpuppet Rodders too, of course.
I doubt that reactionary element within New Zealand has receded far enough to not be a threat if the right conditions come together.
Depending on which version, Don is a mere blot in and on NZ History books. As per usual, many refuse to learn from the (their) past and repeat it, because ‘this time it’s different’. Desperate, cynical or stupid, you be the judge. I agree with you on the growing socio-political influence of “reactionary element within New Zealand”; it is the Left that has been in retreat and for a while now, which seems unstoppable, liking melting glaciers in the SI.
As per usual, many refuse to learn from the (their) past and repeat it, because ‘this time it’s different’.
At the turn of the last century (1900) we had 2 acts of parliament passed to enable better health outcomes for the public of nz in general,and for Maori Authorities specifically to manage Maori health outcomes.
The health act 1900,and the Maori Councils act 1900.
WHEREAS reiterated applications have been made by the Maori inhabitants of those parts of the colony where the Maoris are more or less domiciled and settled, forming what is known as Maori· centres and surroundings, for the establishment within those districts of some simple machinery of local self-government, by means of which such Maori inhabitants may be enabled to frame for them-selves such rules and regulations on matters of local concernment or relating to their social economy as may appear best adapted to their own special wants:
EG 16. It shall be lawful for the Council of any Maori district constituted under this Act to make, and from time to time vary or revoke, by-laws respecting all or any of the matters following, that is to say,-(1.) For the providing for the health and personal convenience of the inhabitants of any Maori village, pa, or assemblage of houses. (2.) For enforcing the cleansing of houses and other buildings in a dirty and unwholesome state. (3.) For the suppression of common nuisances. (4.) Por the prevention of drunkenness and sly-grog selling. (5.) For regulating the proceedings of tohungas, and the punishment by fine of those (whether European or Maori) who practise upon the superstition or credulity of any Maori in connection with the treatment of any disease.
Fascinating, although a little before my time; I was thinking more of JC and Don. I’d love to read more about this legal history although I have no idea how relevant it is and there’s so much else to read (and write!). Any insights?
One cannot argue against a 7-year gap in average life expectance between Pākehā and Māori.
Indeed the data on this outcome is crystal clear and always has been. What is far less clear is that 'racism' must be the sole and only possible cause worth addressing.
Agreed. Like so many labels, “racism” has become an all-compassing term, which makes it almost useless and counterproductive even in public and political debate. The cynic in me says that this is the exact intent.
The question isn't whether racism is the only cause of sustained generational ethnic disparities in health outcomes such as life expectancy.
The question is whether those disparities are mostly or even merely significantly caused by systemic and individual racism in NZ. Nice straw man, though.
"Structural racism is usually something that sits within an organisation that has sat there since it was constructed with the original philosophy," Professor Larissa Behrendt said.
"A really good example is the Australian constitution, which has a structural racism, because when it was set up it was with the view that it should allow racial discrimination to facilitate a White Australia policy.
People come and go from the organisation, and unless they are addressing those underlying prejudices those biases still sit there.
And what's particularly difficult in terms of change is that people who suffer from the impact of those prejudices feel it really strongly, but people who don't — who are in the group that is protected, whose values are highlighted or prioritised — they don't see it."
Talking about racial inequality at work is difficult—here are tips to do it thoughtfully In order for a white person or non-black person of color to be an ally and thoughtfully engage in discussions about race, it’s crucial they do their own work to understand the privilege that shapes their world view, and educate themselves on the things they need to personally learn and unlearn in order to be a better advocate.
Stanford scholars examine systemic racism, how to advance racial justice in America A summer of protest following the tragic death of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and other Black Americans; white supremacy on full display during the riots on Capitol Hill; a raging pandemic disproportionately affecting communities of color – events over the past year have only underscored how prevalent systemic racism and bias is in America today.
Fair enough. There'll probably be others who want to go with you. That'll be those whose ancestors came here but didn't really want to fit in with the locals. Or maybe they wanted to fit in but their heirs and successors don't, can't or won't
Those pioneers scarpered from places they were unhappy, where things weren't as they wished. They wanted to make new lives. The successors, unhappy with things as they are have the same gene. Farewell.
Bon voyage lilman – very brave of you in these uncertain times, so best of luck.
And please say hi to the little Aussie battler (up Sunshine Coast way) for me – cheers.
The melancholic torturer: How Australia became a nation that tortures refugees
"Ghassan Hage (2003) captures this infantile moment by suggesting the worry and anxiety of White Australia circled the fear of being abandoned by the ‘motherland’. A situation that, along with the nation’s xenophobia, may have contributed to the nation’s willingness to believe that women and men were throwing their babies overboard. He argues only a people in fear of being thrown over by their own motherland could imagine such a reality. In The Gauche Intruder (2000), Rutherford interrogates the rise of One Nation and the defensive position maintained by many of its supporters to preserve the founding fantasy of a good White Australia."
One Nation’s fantasy of defending a beleaguered moral universe – a good nation peopled by a good and neighborly people – serves as camouflage for aggression. . .. What remains invisible, and yet essential, in the shared discourse of One Nation and its critics, is this belief in a good and fair nation.
Thankls for that suggestion. No doubt Japan's history, culture and social climate (a general preference to preserve homogeneity) have influenced the number of refugees in that country. And Japan does have a fairly high population density; approx. 100 times that of Australia.
Interestingly, Nauru ranks 6th in the world for refugees as a percentage (3.2%) of its population. "Don't have to live like a refugee"
While economic migrants are desperate to live and work in Japan, experts told Business Insider it’s not a desirable country for legitimate refugees, and some end up in Japan almost by accident.
“The number of refugees who wish to come to Japan is very small,” Takizawa said. “Many of them want to go to Canada, or France, but there are no direct ways there, there are no refugees visas, so some of them come to Japan and then attempt to take another flight to, say, Canada. And then they are not allowed to enter so they ended up staying in Japan.”
Other times, refugees have turned down opportunities to relocate.
In 2010, Japan launched a pilot refugee resettlement project with UNHCR to accept 30 Karen refugees a year from camps in Thailand, but the response was underwhelming.
“It was difficult to interest refugees to come to Japan. They were used to the resettlement call for the US and Canada, maybe Scandinavian countries are more well-known. But refugees are very careful when they decide. Because we don’t just ship them around,” Hebecker said.
Some of the barriers include the need to learn a new language, a six-to-nine-month mandatory orientation course, and a high cost of living that requires both parents to work. Past research by Australia’s parliament has also found that asylum-seekers who have a choice weigh up social networks, historical ties between the new country and their home, simple travel, and a common language.
“And Japan lacks all of them,” Takizawa said.
Amini has now been in Japan for a number of years, and despite being multilingual and passing the top level of language proficiency, he still feels like he has a “language problem” with Japanese.
He sees Japan as a “beautiful country, a peaceful country,” one full of opportunity and convenience, where education and transport work with ease, but the government does little to help the hundreds of people it grants humanitarian visas, rather than refugee visas, every year.
“It’s a homogeneous country. I felt my family and I were treated as different people. But that’s fine. What was very much shocking to me was we had very little means of surviving in Japan,” Amini recalled. “The Japanese government didn’t provide us with some sort of assistance to survive.”
He Puapua was produced by a working group under Te Puni Kokiri to 'implement the UN Declaration of Indigenous Rights'
NZ had never signed the UN declaration at the time it was adopted -2007
However under the Key government in 2010 Peter Sharples went to the UN to say NZ had reversed its previous stance and now was a signatory
"Labour strongly opposed the declaration, fearing it was too sweeping and labelling it incompatible with New Zealand's constitutional and legal arrangements and Treaty settlement policy."
We came to Australia 8 yrs ago with the express intention of returning home to NZ. That intention is now wavering.
The resurgence of Maori sovereignty/separatism is one potential factor, although it's too soon to tell how that might work out.
Another factor I've never mentioned before is that we find the police a much more intrusive presence in NZ than here in Australia. In 2019 I spent much of the year in NZ, and recall on one drive between Auckland and Wellington seeing far more cops on the road rushing about, than the entire seven years in Australia prior. And we've noticed that the kind of petty crime and vandalism that's so rife in NZ, almost totally absent in most of Aus.
Then of course there is the much greater opportunity in Australia. If I'd stayed in NZ I would have remained gainfully employed, but moving across the ditch didn't so much increase my income dramatically – but expanded my scope for working at a much wider scale, on global sized projects.
Despite all the usual anti-Aussie bigotry so many kiwis are fond of indulging in (mainly I think to create a wholly unjustified sense of moral superiority) – most Australians of all backgrounds are welcoming and willing to give you a fair go. There are two big social differences however. One is that they much prefer direct and upfront communication – they don't respond to reserved or passive at all well; they want to know exactly where you stand. Secondly its a continent dedicated to giving each other shit, taking the piss and witty sarcasm. If an Aussie calls you a 'cunt' and you haven't done anything to piss him/her off recently, congratulations you've entered the matezone.
Also doing business here is a fair bit more complex, right from relatively simple things like opening a mobile phone account, doing tax, starting new jobs, renting property and through to buying property entails more steps and issues than we're used to. It takes time to build trusted relationships and if things go wrong it can go wrong quite badly. As Ad said above – make sure you're going into a firm situation and you're not dependent on the state. Depending on your age and income there is a path to permanent residency and citizenship for Kiwis, but it's not particularly easy or cheap. And while living here on the SCV444 visa has not proved difficult in the ordinary course of events – it offers no long-term security or tenure.
By chance is there an equivalent site to The Standard you are aware of in Australia?
Good question – honestly I haven't looked for one.
We found regional Victoria (and many other similar towns across the country) extremely liveable – some of the best places anywhere to live and work. Melbourne and Sydney cities are just too large for our tastes, but the greater Brisbane area (which extends really from the Gold Coast right up to Gympie) has one hell of a lot going for it.
I'm not trying to shit on NZ by comparison – it's still one of the top 10 nations on earth in my view – but honestly Australia is better.
As for the 'cultural proposition' I think you'd be able to find a like-minded social circle in all but the most remote places. Australians are every bit as diverse in their outlooks as are kiwis – they just express themselves more openly and directly that Kiwis are accustomed to. It's not a bad thing – you know where you stand right off the bat.
On "one drive between Auckland and Wellington seeing far more cops on the road rushing about, than the entire seven years in Australia prior."
Is that good or bad? Is it because New Zealand drivers are so bad they need policing? If there were no cops visible on the road what would the driving be like?
Obviously your view and perception are important. As a reason for highlighting that Australia is in that way better than NZ? I find it trite.
It might seem 'trite' to you, but the observation is real enough to us.
Perhaps the more important point I was trying to convey is that we've noticed how we both 'feel' safer in most Australian public settings than in NZ. I'm not trying to paint Aus as any kind of 'way better' utopia – it isn't. But this is one aspect where NZ is different and not in a good way.
The last time I was surrounded by a lot of armed militia was on site in Panama, to protect us from a rogue union that was rioting, burning and beating up any random people (one person was killed) that they could get their hands on. In that circumstance yes I felt 'safer' with lots of security around, although objectively I was probably more at risk of one of these guys having a gun accident than anything else.
Or the mining barge in Colombia that had a fully armed military platoon permanently stationed – again I understood as necessary when the bullet dents on the superstructure were pointed out to me. I was told not to worry much, the most recent attack was 'only 18 months ago'.
So yes in some circumstance a security presence is a very good idea – but the very need for it tells you that trouble is just around the corner. Why NZ should need so many cops racing around on our highways and Australia doesn't is an open question I'll leave to you to draw your own conclusions on.
And trust me Aussie drivers really are no better than Kiwis so that isn’t a strong explanation.
After I read this I couldn't stop giggling but couldn't figure out why for a while. Then the answer came to me! You might start a trend and peope thinking like you might move over there in droves meaning my whanau will have the chance to be safer and happier
Can we please leave the sewage in the sewage pond? I think lilman has nailed his colours to the mast quite clearly and we all wish him well in his endeavours.
It does appear that lilman only posted the comment to wind up a few here, and with some success, may I add. Even so, we don’t have to take the bait and sink to levels one is accustomed to on other blogs.
Don't let the door hit your ass on the way out. I had a mate with your nickname, he wasn't prejudice or paranoid, or prone to public tantrums so it can't be you.
Lucky you to have a job that has paid enough so you can live and save. You have done all right here, pity that you can't stay and have a go at being a bona fide citizen keen to help NZ stand tall and happy in the world, strong in principle and practice.
Hey fellow political junkies! The election over in Scotland is getting very strange; at least to my eyes. It's going to be a popcorn week there for sure.
I don't personally think much of Salmond, and those who claim he formed the Alba Party out of spite may not be too far off the mark (though he is really the second leader, but Flynn only lasted a few weeks). The party standing in the Regional (think; List, as NZ equivalent) seats only, is politically savvy. In a way, this seems to be the start of a indigenously Scots dual party system separate from the Scottish wings of the English Conservative and Labour parties.
Time will tell. I think their 6th (Thursday evening) will be our 7th of May (Friday morning).
The Scottish Conservatives used to be a separate party (1912-65) known as Unionist – as in Northern Ireland, and its MPs sat at Westminister under the Conservative whip. For the Scottish parliament it has own leadership and policy driven from Scotland. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unionist_Party_(Scotland)
Scotland has MMP just like NZ has, but with one major difference the country is divided into 8 regions with equal seats and the distribution for list seats is only done by region , not nationally. They way this works is that SNP which is strong throughout Scotland rather than only regionally like Labour, Conserv, Liberals, Greens and gets more seats than an MMP proportional result would allow.
The new Alba party ( its where the word Albany comes from) may do better than appears from a nationwide poll, as the list seats are allocated by the 8 regions and you only have to do well in a strong SNP region to pick up seats, thats how the Greens get their seats by overperforming in selected regions
I read somewhere that Alba was going with a split vote strategy (constituency vote SNP, Regional vote Alba – though don't have the link at hand), which may lead to an overhang. I haven't been able to see a formal threshold for a party to get an MSP seat, going by the last election it looks like maybe 5%? The modified D'Hondt methodology just made my eyes glaze over, but last election UKIP got 2% yet no regional seats, whereas the LibDems on 5.2% got one to go with their constiuency seats.
The thing where constituencies for Westminster and Holyrood MPs are geographically different sizes and shapes also baffles me. But thanks for the background on the SCP Ghostwwnz. Though my interest in them is mainly see if they sink below the SLP this time after the Johnson/ Cummings feud exploding so very publicly in the leadup to election day. What happens if Sturgeon needs Salmond to get the referendum numbers after Thursday is far more interesting at the moment. Hoping for a strong Scottish Green party showing! Though would need to be around 10% for that to be an option.
Closing down tabs for the night – this one helped me understand the Scots' Regional list a bit better I think. There's no absolute threshold, but there is a de facto one of about 1% of the list vote, so long as that is mainly concentrated in one region (above 7% of that region's Regional List vote). Then there's Independent List candidates! But way too late for that…
Latest in my Stuff paper is headline about Johnson attempting to 'buy' Scotland promising them additional medical help through the NHS – he is kidding isn't he? And better trains and roads through to the small population of north Scotland. ( I remember how once the Brazilian road was pushed through, all the grifters flooded in.) It always is wise to look carefully at the offer of lollies from a stranger.
'Nothing to see here': Boris Johnson claims flat funding row … https://www.theguardian.com › politics › live › apr › bori… 3 days ago — Boris Johnson attempts to brush off flat refurbishments row – video … Support for Scottish independence has fallen to 42%, its lowest level since just before the general … The election campaign has allowed the Tories and Labour to get much greater airtime, … But what we are doing is focusing on the stuff that really matters.
and
Boris Johnson is telling Scotland that the union is no longer … https://www.theguardian.com › commentisfree › apr 14/04/2021 — Guardian Pick. Johnson didn't get where he is today by not being a shape-shifting weasel. He won't refuse a referendum, …
The Scots can be sarky:. This relates to doing up his flat and some curtains?
Boris Johnson throws money away on decor while Grenfell … https://www.heraldscotland.com › news › 19269300.bo… 3 days ago — RIGHT to the heart of the issue we go. Will the prime minister tell this house the true nature of his feelings towards John Lewis?
A massive shoutout to the Rangitane people, who gifted back the 942 Hectare Pukaha Forest to the Crown after only getting it back in the Waitangi process four years ago.
Correct me if I'm wrong but this little patch of predator-controlled forest is now as south as the NZ Kokako actually get.
If anyone gets to the top of these ranges, they are really a little strip remnant from Wellington to Palmerston North of natural goodness where all else from the foothills to the ocean is now solid intensive farming.
Rangitane like most tribes were robbed. So giving this chunk back represents a major gift for them. In their shoes I probably wouldn't do the same.
Its unreadable… some obsession on health system using BMI ( along with age, smoking etc)to screen those who who have smaller chances of success. Oh well
Yeah, a stream of consciousness is not everybody’s cup of tea but to call it “unreadable” is a little harsh, IMO. Anybody who’s been on the IVF rollercoaster knows how emotionally draining it can be for both the ‘recipients’, as well as financially draining when you go ‘private’. Modern medicine can do an awful lot but it often comes at or with a cost that cannot be defined or expressed in dollar-terms only.
It is one thing to point out the problems (easy—we are all experts at this) and have great ideas about how to solve them (also relatively easy), but much harder for politicians to successfully get people on board, and then ensure solutions are successfully implemented!
The interface between medicine and politics; an imperative and opportunity that should be used responsibly
Simeon Brown’s Ideology BentSimeon Brown once told Kiwis he tries to represent his deep sense of faith by interacting “with integrity”.“It’s important that there’s Christians in Parliament…and from my perspective, it’s great to be a Christian in Parliament and to bring that perspective to [laws, conversations and policies].”And with ...
Severe geological and financial earthquakes are inevitable. We just don’t know how soon and how they will play out. Are we putting the right effort into preparing for them?Every decade or so the international economy has a major financial crisis. We cannot predict exactly when or exactly how it will ...
Questions1. How did Old Mate Grabaseat describe his soon-to-be-Deputy-PM’s letter to police advocating for Philip Polkinghorne?a.Ill-advisedb.A perfect letterc.A letter that will live in infamyd.He had me at hello2. What did Seymour say in response?a.What’s ill-advised is commenting when you don’t know all the facts and ...
NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi President Richard Wagstaff has called on OJI Fibre Solutions to work with the government, unions, and the community before closing the Kinleith Paper Mill. “OJI has today announced 230 job losses in what will be a devastating blow for the community. OJI needs to work with ...
NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi President Richard Wagstaff is sounding the alarm about the latest attack on workers from Minister of Workplace Relations and Safety Brooke van Velden, who is ignoring her own officials to pursue reckless changes that would completely undermine the personal grievance system. “Brooke van Velden’s changes will ...
Hi,When I started writing Webworm in 2020, I wrote a lot about the conspiracy theories that were suddenly invading our Twitter timelines and Facebook feeds. Four years ago a reader, John, left this feedback under one of my essays:It’s a never ending labyrinth of lunacy which, as you have pointed ...
And if you said this life ain't good enoughI would give my world to lift you upI could change my life to better suit your moodBecause you're so smoothAnd it's just like the ocean under the moonOh, it's the same as the emotion that I get from youYou got the ...
Aotearoa remains the minority’s birthright, New Zealand the majority’s possession. WAITANGI DAY commentary see-saws manically between the warmly positive and the coldly negative. Many New Zealanders consider this a good thing. They point to the unexamined patriotism of July Fourth and Bastille Day celebrations, and applaud the fact that the ...
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 on the week in geopolitics, including the latest from Donald Trump’s administration over Gaza and Ukraine; on the ...
Up until now, the prevailing coalition view of public servants was that there were simply too many of them. But yesterday the new Public Service Commissioner, handpicked by the Luxon Government, said it was not so much numbers but what they did and the value they produced that mattered. Sir ...
In a moment we explore the question: What is Andrew Bayly wanting to tell ACC, and will it involve enjoying a small wine tasting and then telling someone to fuck off? But first, for context, a broader one: What do we look for in a government?Imagine for a moment, you ...
As expected, Donald Trump just threw Ukraine under the bus, demanding that it accept Russia's illegal theft of land, while ruling out any future membership of NATO. Its a colossal betrayal, which effectively legitimises Russia's invasion, while laying the groundwork for the next one. But Trump is apparently fine with ...
This is a guest post by George Weeks, reviewing a book called ‘How to Fly a Horse’ by Kevin AshtonBook review: ‘How to Fly a Horse’ by Kevin Ashton (2015) – and what it means for Auckland. The title of this article might unnerve any Greater Auckland ...
This story was originally published by Capital & Main and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. Within just a week, the sheer devastation of the Los Angeles wildfires has pushed to the fore fundamental questions about the impact of the climate crisis that have been ...
In this world, it's just usYou know it's not the same as it wasSongwriters: Harry Edward Styles / Thomas Edward Percy Hull / Tyler Sam JohnsonYesterday, I received a lovely message from Caty, a reader of Nick’s Kōrero, that got me thinking. So I thought I’d share it with you, ...
In past times a person was considered “unserious” or “not a serious” person if they failed to grasp, behave and speak according to the solemnity of the context in which they were located. For example a serious person does not audibly pass gas at Church, or yell “gun” at a ...
Long stories short, the top six things in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Thursday, February 13 are:The coalition Government’s early 2024 ‘fiscal emergency’ freeze on funding, planning and building houses, schools, local roads and hospitals helped extend and deepen the economic and jobs recession through calendar ...
For obvious reasons, people feel uneasy when the right to be a citizen is sold off to wealthy foreigners. Even selling the right to residency seems a bit dubious, when so many migrants who are not millionaires get turned away or are made to jump through innumerable hoops – simply ...
A new season of White Lotus is nearly upon us: more murder mystery, more sumptuous surroundings, more rich people behaving badly.Once more we get to identify with the experience of the pampered tourist or perhaps the poorly paid help; there's something in White Lotus for all New Zealanders.And unlike the ...
In 2016, Aotearoa shockingly plunged to fourth place in the Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index. Nine years later, and we're back there again: New Zealand has seen a further slip in its global ranking in the latest Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI). [...] In the latest CPI New Zealand's score ...
1. You’ve started ranking your politicians on how much they respect the rule of law2. You’ve stopped paying attention to those news publications3. You’ve developed a sudden interest in a particular period of history4. More and more people are sounding like your racist, conspiracist uncle.5. Someone just pulled a Nazi ...
Transforming New Zealand: Brian EastonBrian Easton will discuss the above topic at 2/57 Willis Street, Wellington at 5:30pm on Tuesday 26 February at 2/57 Willis Street, WellingtonThe sub-title to the above is "Why is the Left failing?" Brian Easton's analysis is based on his view that while the ...
Salvation Army’s State of the Nation 2025 report highlights falling living standards, the highest unemployment rates since the 1990s and half of all Pacific children going without food. There are reports of hundreds if not thousands of people are applying for the same jobs in the wake of last year’s ...
Mountain Tui is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Correction: On the article The Condundrum of David Seymour, Luke Malpass conducted joint reviews with Bryce Wilkinson, the architect of the Regulatory Standards Bill - not Bryce Edwards. The article ...
Tomorrow the council’s Transport, Resilience and Infrastructure Committee meet and agenda has a few interesting papers. Council’s Letter of Expectation to Auckland Transport Every year the council provide a Letter of Expectation to Auckland Transport which is part of the process for informing AT of the council’s priorities and ...
All around in my home townThey're trying to track me down, yeahThey say they want to bring me in guiltyFor the killing of a deputyFor the life of a deputySongwriter: Robert Nesta Marley.Support Nick’s Kōrero today with a 20% discount on a paid subscription to receive all my newsletters directly ...
Hi,I think all of us have probably experienced the power of music — that strange, transformative thing that gets under our skin and helps us experience this whole life thing with some kind of sanity.Listening and experiencing music has always been such a huge part of my life, and has ...
Business frustration over the stalled economy is growing, and only 34% of voters are confidentNicola Willis can deliver. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Wednesday, February 12 are:Business frustration is growing about a ...
I have now lived long enough to see a cabinet minister go both barrels on their Prime Minister and not get sacked.It used to be that the PM would have a drawer full of resignations signed by ministers on the day of their appointment, ready for such an occasion. But ...
This session will feature Simon McCallum, Senior Lecturer in Engineering and Computer Science (VUW) and recent Labour Party candidate in the Southland Electorate talking about some of the issues around AI and how this should inform Labour Party policy. Simon is an excellent speaker with a comprehensive command of AI ...
The proposed Waimate garbage incinerator is dead: The company behind a highly-controversial proposal to build a waste-to-energy plant in the Waimate District no longer has the land. [...] However, SIRRL director Paul Taylor said the sales and purchase agreement to purchase land from Murphy Farms, near Glenavy, lapsed at ...
The US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act has been a vital tool in combatting international corruption. It forbids US companies and citizens from bribing foreign public officials anywhere in the world. And its actually enforced: some of the world's biggest companies - Siemens, Hewlett Packard, and Bristol Myers Squibb - have ...
December 2024 photo - with UK Tory Boris Johnson (Source: Facebook)Those PollsFor hours, political poll results have resounded across political hallways and commentary.According to the 1News Verizon poll, 50% of the country believe we are heading in the “wrong direction”, while 39% believe we are “on the right track”.The left ...
A Tai Rāwhiti mill that ran for 30 years before it was shut down in late 2023 is set to re-open in the coming months, which will eventually see nearly 300 new jobs in the region. A new report from Massey University shows that pensioners are struggling with rising costs. ...
As support continues to fall, Luxon also now faces his biggest internal ructions within the coalition since the election, with David Seymour reacting badly to being criticised by the PM. File photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate ...
Not since 1988 when Richard Prebble openly criticised David Lange have we seen such a challenge to a Prime Minister as that of David Seymour to Christopher Luxon last night. Prebble suggested Lange had mental health issues during a TV interview and was almost immediately fired. Seymour hasn’t gone quite ...
Three weeks in, and the 24/7 news cycle is not helping anyone feel calm and informed about the second Trump presidency. One day, the US is threatening 25% trade tariffs on its friends and neighbours. The reasons offered by the White House are absurd, such as stopping fentanyl coming in ...
This video includes personal musings and conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Adam Levy. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). Wherever you look, you'll hear headlines claiming we've passed 1.5 degrees of global warming. And while 2024 saw ...
Photo by Heather M. Edwards on UnsplashHere’s the key news, commentary, reports and debate around Aotearoa’s politics and economy in the week to Feb 10 below. That’s ahead of live chats on the Substack App and The Kākā’s front page on Substack at 5pm with: on his column in The ...
Is there anyone in the world the National Party loves more than a campaign donor? Why yes, there is! They will always have the warmest hello and would you like to slip into something more comfortable for that great god of our age, the High Net Worth Individual.The words the ...
Waste and fraud certainly exist in foreign aid programs, but rightwing celebration of USAID’s dismantling shows profound ignorance of the value of soft power (as opposed to hard power) in projecting US influence and interests abroad by non-military/coercive means (think of “hearts and minds,” “hugs, not bullets,” “honey versus vinegar,” ...
Health New Zealand is proposing to cut almost half of its data and digital positions – more than 1000 of them. The PSA has called on the Privacy Commissioner to urgently investigate the cuts due to the potential for serious consequences for patients. NZNO is calling for an urgent increase ...
We may see a few more luxury cars on Queen Street, but a loosening of rules to entice rich foreigners to invest more here is unlikely to “turbocharge our economic growth”. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate ...
Let us not dance daintily around the elephant in the room. Our politicians who serve us in the present are not honest, certainly not as honest as they should be, and while the right are taking out most of the trophies for warping narratives and literally redefining “facts”, the kiwi ...
A few weeks ago I took a look at public transport ridership in 2024. In today’s post I’m going to be looking a bit deeper at bus ridership. Buses make up the vast majority of ridership in Auckland with 70 million boardings last year out of a total of 89.4 ...
Oh, you know I did itIt's over and I feel fineNothing you could say is gonna change my mindWaited and I waited the longest nightNothing like the taste of sweet declineSongwriters: Chris Shiflett / David Eric Grohl / Nate Mendel / Taylor Hawkins.Hindsight is good, eh?The clarity when the pieces ...
Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on UnsplashHere’s what we’re watching in the week to February 16 and beyond in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty:Monday, February 10The Kākā’s weekly wrap-up of news about politics and the economy is due at midday, followed by webinar for paying subscribers in Substack’s ...
A listing of 23 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, February 2, 2025 thru Sat, February 8, 2025. This week's roundup is again published soleley by category. We are still interested in feedback to hone the categorization, so if ...
Today, I stumbled across a Twitter Meme: the ending of The Lord of the Rings as a Chess scenario: https://x.com/mellon_heads/status/1887983845917564991 It gets across the basic gist. Aragorn and Gandalf offering up ‘material’ at the Morannon allows Frodo and Samwise to catch Sauron unawares – fair enough. But there are a ...
Last week, Kieran McAnulty called out Chris Bishop and Nicola Willis for their claims that Kāinga Ora’s costs were too high.They had claimed Kāinga Ora’s cost were 12% higher than market i.e. private devlopersBut Kāinga Ora’s Chair had already explained why last year:"We're not building to sell, so we'll be ...
Stuff’s Political Editor Luke Malpass - A Fellow at New Zealand IniativeLast week I half-joked that Stuff / The Post’s Luke Malpass1 always sounded like he was auditioning for a job at the New Zealand Initiative.Mountain Tui is a reader-supported publication. For a limited time, subscriptions are 20% off. Thanks ...
At a funeral on Friday, there were A4-sized photos covering every wall of the Dil’s reception lounge. There must have been 200 of them, telling the story in the usual way of the video reel but also, by enlargement, making it more possible to linger and step in.Our friend Nicky ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park from the Gigafact team in collaboration with members from our team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is methane the ...
The Government’s idea is that the private sector and Community Housing Providers will fund, build and operate new affordable housing to address our housing crisis. Meanwhile, the Government does not know where almost half of the 1,700 children who left emergency housing actually went. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong ...
Oh, home, let me come homeHome is wherever I'm with youOh, home, let me come homeHome is wherever I'm with youSongwriters: Alexander Ebert / Jade Allyson CastrinosMorena,I’m on a tight time frame this morning. In about an hour and a half, I’ll need to pack up and hit the road ...
This is a post about the Mountain Tui substack, and small tweaks - further to the poll and request post the other day. Please don’t read if you aren’t interested in my personal matters. Thank you all.After oohing-and-aahing about how to structure the Substack model since November, including obtaining ...
This transcript of a recent conversation between the Prime Minister and his chief economic adviser has not been verified.We’ve announced we are the ‘Yes Government’. Do you like it?Yes, Prime Minister.Dreamed up by the PR team. It’s about being committed to growth. Not that the PR team know anything about ...
The other day, Australian Senator Nick McKim issued a warning in the Australian Parliement about the US’s descent into fascim.And of course it’s true, but I lament - that was true as soon as Trump won.What we see is now simply the reification of the intention, planning, and forces behind ...
Among the many other problems associated with Musk/DOGE sending a fleet of teenage and twenty-something cultists to remove, copy and appropriate federal records like social security, medicaid and other supposedly protected data is the fact that the youngsters doing the data-removal, copying and security protocol and filter code over-writing have ...
Jokerman dance to the nightingale tuneBird fly high by the light of the moonOh, oh, oh, JokermanSong by Bob Dylan.Morena folks, I hope this fine morning of the 7th of February finds you well. We're still close to Paihia, just a short drive out of town. Below is the view ...
It’s been an eventful week as always, so here’s a few things that we have found interesting. We also hope everyone had a happy and relaxing Waitangi Day! This week in Greater Auckland We’re still running on summer time, but provided two chewy posts: On Tuesday, a guest ...
Queuing on Queen St: the Government is set to announce another apparently splashy growth policy on Sunday of offering residence visas to wealthy migrants. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Friday, February 7:PM Christopher ...
The fact that Waitangi ended up being such a low-key affair may mark it out as one of the most significant Waitangi Days in recent years. A group of women draped in “Toitu Te Tiriti” banners who turned their backs on the politicians’ powhiri was about as rough as it ...
Hi,This week’s Flightless Bird episode was about “fake seizure guy” — a Melbourne man who fakes seizures in order to get members of the public to sit on him.The audio documentary (which I have included in this newsletter in case you don’t listen to Flightless Bird) built on reporting first ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Karin Kirk The 119th Congress comes with a price tag. The oil and gas industry gave about $24 million in campaign contributions to the members of the U.S. House and Senate expected to be sworn in January 3, 2025, according to a ...
Early morning, the shadows still long, but you can already feel the warmth building. Our motel was across the road from the historic homestead where Henry Williams' family lived. The evening before, we wandered around the gardens, reading the plaques and enjoying the close proximity to the history of the ...
Thanks folks for your feedback, votes and comments this week. I’ll be making the changes soon. Appreciate all your emails, comments and subscriptions too. I know your time is valuable - muchas gracias.A lot is happening both here and around the world - so I want to provide a snippets ...
Data released today by Statistics NZ shows that unemployment rose to 5.1%, with 33,000 more people out of work than last year said NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi Economist Craig Renney. “The latest data shows that employment fell in Aotearoa at its fastest rate since the GFC. Unemployment rose in 8 ...
National’s cuts to disability support funding and freezing of new residential placements has resulted in significant mental health decline for intellectually disabled people. ...
The hundreds of jobs lost needlessly as a result of the Kinleith Mill paper production closure will have a devastating impact on the Tokoroa community - something that could have easily been avoided. ...
Today Te Pāti Māori MP for Te Tai Tokerau, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi, released her members bill that will see the return of tamariki and mokopuna Māori from state care back to te iwi Māori. This bill will establish an independent authority that asserts and protects the rights promised in He Whakaputanga ...
The Whangarei District Council being forced to fluoridate their local water supply is facing a despotic Soviet-era disgrace. This is not a matter of being pro-fluoride or anti-fluoride. It is a matter of what New Zealanders see and value as democracy in our country. Individual democratically elected Councillors are not ...
Nicola Willis’ latest supermarket announcement is painfully weak with no new ideas, no real plan, and no relief for Kiwis struggling with rising grocery costs. ...
Half of Pacific children sometimes going without food is just one of many heartbreaking lowlights in the Salvation Army’s annual State of the Nation report. ...
The Salvation Army’s State of the Nation report is a bleak indictment on the failure of Government to take steps to end poverty, with those on benefits, including their children, hit hardest. ...
New Zealand First has today introduced a Member’s Bill which would restore decision-making power to local communities regarding the fluoridation of drinking water. The ‘Fluoridation (Referendum) Legislation Bill’ seeks to repeal the Health (Fluoridation of Drinking Water) Amendment Act 2021 that granted centralised authority to the Direct General of Health ...
New Zealand First has introduced a Member’s Bill aimed at preventing banks from refusing their services to businesses because of the current “Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Framework”. “This Bill ensures fairness and prevents ESG standards from perpetuating woke ideology in the banking sector being driven by unelected, globalist, climate ...
Erica Stanford has reached peak shortsightedness if today’s announcement is anything to go by, picking apart immigration settings piece by piece to the detriment of the New Zealand economy. ...
Our originating document, theTreaty of Waitangi, was signed on February 6, 1840. An agreement between Māori and the British Crown. Initially inked by Ngā Puhi in Waitangi, further signatures were added as it travelled south. The intention was to establish a colony with the cession of sovereignty to the Crown, ...
Te Whatu Ora Chief Executive Margie Apa leaving her job four months early is another symptom of this government’s failure to deliver healthcare for New Zealanders. ...
The Green Party is calling for the Prime Minister to show leadership and be unequivocal about Aotearoa New Zealand’s opposition to a proposal by the US President to remove Palestinians from Gaza. ...
The latest unemployment figures reveal that job losses are hitting Māori and Pacific people especially hard, with Māori unemployment reaching a staggering 9.7% for the December 2024 quarter and Pasifika unemployment reaching 10.5%. ...
Waitangi 2025: Waitangi Day must be community and not politically driven - Shane Jones Our originating document, theTreaty of Waitangi, was signed on February 6, 1840. An agreement between Māori and the British Crown. Initially inked by Ngā Puhi in Waitangi, further signatures were added as it travelled south. ...
Despite being confronted every day with people in genuine need being stopped from accessing emergency housing – National still won’t commit to building more public houses. ...
The Green Party says the Government is giving up on growing the country’s public housing stock, despite overwhelming evidence that we need more affordable houses to solve the housing crisis. ...
Before any thoughts of the New Year and what lies ahead could even be contemplated, New Zealand reeled with the tragedy of Senior Sergeant Lyn Fleming losing her life. For over 38 years she had faithfully served as a front-line Police officer. Working alongside her was Senior Sergeant Adam Ramsay ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson will return to politics at Waitangi on Monday the 3rd of February where she will hold a stand up with fellow co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick. ...
Te Pāti Māori is appalled by the government's blatant mishandling of the school lunch programme. David Seymour’s ‘cost-saving’ measures have left tamariki across Aotearoa with unidentifiable meals, causing distress and outrage among parents and communities alike. “What’s the difference between providing inedible food, and providing no food at all?” Said ...
The Government is doubling down on outdated and volatile fossil fuels, showing how shortsighted and destructive their policies are for working New Zealanders. ...
Green Party MP Steve Abel this morning joined Coromandel locals in Waihi to condemn new mining plans announced by Shane Jones in the pit of the town’s Australian-owned Gold mine. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to strengthen its just-announced 2030-2035 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement and address its woeful lack of commitment to climate security. ...
Today marks a historic moment for Taranaki iwi with the passing of the Te Pire Whakatupua mō Te Kāhui Tupua/Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill in Parliament. "Today, we stand together as descendants of Taranaki, and our tūpuna, Taranaki Maunga, is now formally acknowledged by the law as a living tūpuna. ...
Labour is relieved to see Children’s Minister Karen Chhour has woken up to reality and reversed her government’s terrible decisions to cut funding from frontline service providers – temporarily. ...
It is the first week of David Seymour’s school lunch programme and already social media reports are circulating of revolting meals, late deliveries, and mislabelled packaging. ...
The Green Party says that with no-cause evictions returning from today, the move to allow landlords to end tenancies without reason plunges renters, and particularly families who rent, into insecurity and stress. ...
The Government’s commitment to get New Zealand’s roads back on track is delivering strong results, with around 98 per cent of potholes on state highways repaired within 24 hours of identification every month since targets were introduced, Transport Minister Chris Bishop says. “Increasing productivity to help rebuild our economy is ...
The former Cadbury factory will be the site of the Inpatient Building for the new Dunedin Hospital and Health Minister Simeon Brown says actions have been taken to get the cost overruns under control. “Today I am giving the people of Dunedin certainty that we will build the new Dunedin ...
From today, Plunket in Whāngarei will be offering childhood immunisations – the first of up to 27 sites nationwide, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. The investment of $1 million into the pilot, announced in October 2024, was made possible due to the Government’s record $16.68 billion investment in health. It ...
New Zealand’s strong commitment to the rights of disabled people has continued with the response to an important United Nations report, Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston has announced. Of the 63 concluding observations of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), 47 will be progressed ...
Resources Minister Shane Jones has launched New Zealand’s national Minerals Strategy and Critical Minerals List, documents that lay a strategic and enduring path for the mineral sector, with the aim of doubling exports to $3 billion by 2035. Mr Jones released the documents, which present the Coalition Government’s transformative vision ...
Firstly I want to thank OceanaGold for hosting our event today. Your operation at Waihi is impressive. I want to acknowledge local MP Scott Simpson, local government dignitaries, community stakeholders and all of you who have gathered here today. It’s a privilege to welcome you to the launch of the ...
Racing Minister, Winston Peters has announced the Government is preparing public consultation on GST policy proposals which would make the New Zealand racing industry more competitive. “The racing industry makes an important economic contribution. New Zealand thoroughbreds are in demand overseas as racehorses and for breeding. The domestic thoroughbred industry ...
Business confidence remains very high and shows the economy is on track to improve, Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis says. “The latest ANZ Business Outlook survey, released yesterday, shows business confidence and expected own activity are ‘still both very high’.” The survey reports business confidence fell eight points to +54 ...
Enabling works have begun this week on an expanded radiology unit at Hawke’s Bay Fallen Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital which will double CT scanning capacity in Hawke’s Bay to ensure more locals can benefit from access to timely, quality healthcare, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. This investment of $29.3m in the ...
The Government has today announced New Zealand’s second international climate target under the Paris Agreement, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand will reduce emissions by 51 to 55 per cent compared to 2005 levels, by 2035. “We have worked hard to set a target that is both ambitious ...
Nine years of negotiations between the Crown and iwi of Taranaki have concluded following Te Pire Whakatupua mō Te Kāhui Tupua/the Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill passing its third reading in Parliament today, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “This Bill addresses the historical grievances endured by the eight iwi ...
As schools start back for 2025, there will be a relentless focus on teaching the basics brilliantly so all Kiwi kids grow up with the knowledge, skills and competencies needed to grow the New Zealand of the future, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “A world-leading education system is a key ...
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Here's a very good piece on health risks and how to interpret them, starting with the pause on the J&J and AstraZeneca vaccines due to the very very small but probably real slightly elevated risk of a of a rare type of blood clot after vaccination than the general background incidence of that very rare blood clot.
It then goes on to touch on how other risks are misinterpreted and misused by misinformation artists, such as IARC classifications of potential cancer risks which specifically does not look at the magnitude of an increased risk but only at the strength of evidence for there actually being an increased risk.
The whole thing is really worth the read, it does a good job of clarifying some complex ideas.
edit: note that this is really just of background interest. The vaccine almost all of us will get in New Zealand is the Pfizer vaccine. The only serious risk I’m aware of so far is rare cases of allergic reactions, which are safely dealt with by staying at the vaccination site for fifteen minutes or so after vaccination. Other side effects include temporary swollen lymph nodes and temporary period changes for some women, as well as the expected effects of sore shoulder and generally feeling a bit off for a day or two.
Totally with Customs on this one.
If, after efforts to educate and inform individuals of the facts relating to the Covid vaccine, they are still falling on deaf ears because idiots are listening to quacks then… you're fired.
The case of the small group of people who suffer from conditions which make it unsafe for them only have to produce a certificate from their doctor (or whoever) and every effort can be made to re-establish them to non front-line activities.
These anti-vaxxers are currently demanding compensation because they have lost their jobs. Compensation? What for? Self-centred idiocy?
https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/health/coronavirus/300290121/covid19-nine-customs-border-workers-fired-after-refusing-jab
In the case of the Pfizer vaccine we're all about to be offered here in NZ, so far the only reports I've seen of serious medical concerns are the allergic reactions. So if someone with a history of allergic reactions wanted one of the other vaccines, I'd be quite sympathetic. Although even in the case of a reaction as severe as anaphylaxis, it seems that waiting in the doctor's office for half an hour gets past the danger period with staff on hand to safely deal with it if it does occur. I haven't noticed any reports of deaths from anaphylaxis due to the Pfizer jab, but it might have happened if they hadn't stayed for a while after getting jabbed.
It seems the usual groups of people with genuine medical reason to be wary of vaccines in general – the immunocompromised, those getting cancer treatment etc – can quite safely get the Pfizer vaccine. It just might not do them much good if their immune system isn't working well. So they will likely still be reliant on herd immunity for their protection.
Personally, I'm of the view that job loss should be just the start of potential consequences for being so fkn antisocial as to refuse free vaccination. If someone refuses vaccination then gets the disease, they should have to pay for their treatment rather than getting it for free, as well as paying for the treatment and other related losses of those they go on to infect.
https://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/diseases-and-conditions/covid-19-novel-coronavirus/covid-19-vaccines/covid-19-vaccine-safety-and-approval/covid-19-vaccine-side-effects-and-reactions
Thanks for that.
But that report only covers what has been observed in New Zealand. The numbers involved are too small to be likely to pick up a very rare but serious harm caused by the vaccine, such as the blood clots that might be caused by the J&J and AZ vaccines (which we are not, repeat not, getting here).
On the other hand, those early vaccinations will include significant numbers of Maori and Pacifica (to whom we all owe thanks for taking on the risk of being on the frontline of keeping the rest of us safe). That may be helpful in producing data to reassure vaccine-hesitant Maori and Pacifica that are concerned there haven't been vaccine trials that have included people with similar genetics to theirs.
There are three reasons to look at local data even though the numbers are low: 1) obviously they are more relevant because of ‘demographics’; 2) they may be trusted more than some overseas sources; 3) they are on the only vaccine currently rolled out in NZ, AFAIK. Of course, because of the staged roll-out of the vaccine, the numbers cannot be taken as representative and thus not as predictive for the larger general NZ population.
Somewhere in NZ a group of lawyers are rubbing their hands together in glee. What a pointless and misinformed (in regards to employment law) move. I hope they pay through the nose for attempting to coerce "informed consent". Totally with the workers.
As someone who advocates for people with disabilities I wonder how many of them have just been discriminated against to boot. The vaccine may not suit everyone, and with some types of medication or illness the reactions will vary. These workers are acting within their rights despite intense pressure to conform and I’m disappointed more people here aren’t behind them.
I am comfortable that their rights are being fairly balanced against everyone else's. There is no 'right' to cause death or injury to other people.
Is there a middle ground other than a redundancy payment?
Employment and not being vaccinated is going to come up in other jobs.
Working in customs and not being vaccinated is an employer issue when it comes to public safety. In saying this a person working in customs who has been vaccinated could still become infected and pass it on.
Covid is making a person's choice of job untenable if employment is dependent on vaccination.
Can an employer disestablish a position due to a requirement not being met to fulfill public safety?
Yep, plenty of situations in workplaces that require compliance with health and safety, e.g. wear a hardhat, use eye protection, drive the forklift safely etc. People who refuse to comply are often held to account and if necessary, terminated, for their and other's safety.
If I said wearing a hardhat causes brain cancer – with no reasonable evidence – probably wouldn't fly as an excuse.
So, you didn't read Andre @1.1.1 then? No, I suppose not. You might become better informed on the subject.
If the workers who refuse to conform simply because they can, or for reasons of a crackpot conspiracy they've fallen for, then they must face the consequences.
Why should they be allowed to potentially expose the other 80% of the working population to Covid infection out of self-centred intransigence.
These workers are acting within their rights despite intense pressure to conform and I’m disappointed more people here aren’t behind them.
Doing the extremely low risk and low cost action of getting vaccinated has a personal benefit, and fulfills a responsibility to the community of taking reasonable precautions against negligently causing harm to others. That community responsibility aspect of it is something that is generally associated with 'left' politics.
Whereas insisting on being free to negligently cause harm to others, in this case by potentially spreading disease, because rights, is something that's more associated with the likes of ACT and other uglier parts of 'right-wing' libertarian politics.
There's no need to be quite so obnoxious about it. Bodily integrity and the right to choose what is done to it is a core human value, and one that we should only traduce in the most extreme circumstances.
Enforced mass vaccination is one of those borderline cases that we should approach respectfully, acknowledging that there are important principles at stake on both sides of the argument.
Personally I'm going to queue up for my jab when the time comes, but I'm not going to go full-metal authoritarian about it either.
You have no idea how much effort I'm putting into holding back from saying what I really want to say on the topic of those that think they have some kind of right to negligently become disease spreaders.
Good effort 😉
Self centred shitbag youtubing asshats without a skerrick of sense, decency or honor demanding attention and special treatment because really, they are cunts.
Hope that helped Andre. I held back too.
[Take a week off to chill out. I find it curious that you did this given your comment on OM yesterday about your famous friend in the UK but perhaps I’m the only who finds this inconsistent behaviour – Incognito]
See my Moderation note @ 6:48 pm.
BTW, I've yet to see anyone arguing for enforced mass vaccination. So that's a strawman. There's just been arguments for accountability and for removing those who refuse to vaccinate from employment positions where they are an undue risk to the general public.
removing those who refuse to vaccinate from employment positions where they are an undue risk to the general public.
Well you need to draw that line clearly. What exactly constitutes 'undue risk' here? Front line MIQ workers clearly fall into that category. (And I'm not against this – for example when travelling to Latin America for work purposes Yellow Fever vaccination was mandatory, or I didn't go.)
But start casting the net wider and suddenly you start catching a lot of people with far less choice around their employment.
I suggest this because I note you’re in bed with people like WTB who seem broadly undiscriminating about who they’re calling out as cunts here.
I think that’s unfair on Andre; WTB is having a week off and Andre did not ask for WTB’s ‘help’. If he had, or if he had applauded it, he would be having a week off too.
Yup. Fair cop – I posted before I saw your moderation. I withdraw the offending para and apologise.
Ta
I kinda viewed that as just part of the rough and tumble of robust debate. No offense taken and no apology needed, to me anyways.
Given that, is it still the done thing to accept the apology, to the extent that it applies to me?
It is up to you to accept an apology in good grace or just take it as given and leave it at that and move on. Be the change you want to see is one of my favourite mottos, but easier said than done 😉
RL Mass vaccination should be approached carefully, with questions about its safety, and answers given to the questions of informed people, with medical and scientific backgrounds, also advocates for the poor. I myself have read that some people in poor health are not able to deal with the vaccine properly and are more likely to fall ill. What consideration is given to this?
Apart from that all that grandstanding about one's individual rights don't stand up when there are invisible germs causing great swathes of sickness around, and people's living is at stake through economic recession because of it. The people refusing may have to live together on a distant farm till the matter comes under control. Then if they infect anyone, it will be one of their own kind.
Society has to strike a balance between both the rights and obligations of the individual – and similarly the state. This is one of the enduring, eternal themes of politics – exactly how do we strike the balance when the ground keeps shifting under us.
Keep in mind that it's very easy for a majority to insist we give up individual rights in the name of collective safety, while the reverse pattern is a distinctly uphill battle.
However in this instance I tend to agree there is a good case for as many people to be vaccinated as possible (all other things being equal) – but that the state should employ the least coercion necessary to achieve it. Overreach would be hugely counterproductive, and especially so if anything went wrong.
With that in mind I'm sticking to my original thought that if we're going to go down the path of mass vaccinating then we need to go about it as respectfully as possible. Abusing and demonising those who are not initially on board (and there always is a spread of people from early to late adopters for anything new) will only generate resentment and unnecessary resistance.
Assuming we reach a level of 70% of people vaccinated, there will be an awful lot of Kiwis who you’d isolate on “distant farms”. Don’t mind their children though, they’ll be fine. And don’t mind the economy, it’ll be fine too. I have no idea what “their own kind” of Kiwi is supposed to mean but I don’t like the sound of it one bit, as it elicits a strong vibe of othering with me.
edit
If there are two points of view and neither will or can afford to concede, then each side is the 'other' to the alternative side. Can't get past that. When things go rogue, times are very tough, if some will not change, are infected with illness or possible illness that can be passed on, those who want to defend against it and protect themselves and all citizens, must see those who won't as 'others'.
Face the fact, holding hands and singing kumbyah doesn't cope with negative and spreading menace.
I believe vaccination was not going to be mandated by (this) Government. Your ‘policy’: lock up 30% of all Kiwis who are unvaccinated in distant
campsfarms until they submit and become like you!? All I can say is that totalitarianism is no stranger to the LeftNot so fast Ksays
the story also quotes an employment lawyer
'Auckland employment lawyer Catherine Stewart said employers of workers required to be vaccinated were likely to be able to substantively justify dismissing an unvaccinated employee.'
So no cigar or as you strangely think, some moneypot to be claimed. Even before the flu vaccines become common the death numbers from that in bad years would be horrendous by modern standards. ( In US could be 100k p.a in the 1950s)
Well after reading the Government driven He Puapua document I find I shall be moving to Australia,my wife and I decided last night.
As from Monday we shall actively be seeking a shift to Queensland and shall leave this country after 57 years of hard work.
We shall take with our investments and attitude,we are done.
Would you mind citing what you are talking about?
Is it this one?
https://iwichairs.maori.nz/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/He-Puapua-for-OIA-release.pdf
If you are worried about co-governance as a principle, I suspect you will not be the last couple to leave.
I agree that there's a lot that's attractive about Australia. Just make sure you have enough to make you fully independent of the state until you can become citizens. Because otherwise life will get reasonably hard.
Off to the land of the pre-1960's "Abbo hunts" and blatant anti-indigenous racism which makes NZ look positively progressive.
Make sure you don't return as a 501 and enjoy using you investments to support you thorough unemployment, health scares etc. while getting nothing in return for your taxes. Far better than looking forward to the prospect of living in a society with a multi-stream form of governance that redresses its past eh?
Good riddance.
+100
You’re taking all your property in a suitcase? Just asking.
Oh, before I forget, say Hi to Pauline.
Well, just note that He Puapua delivers the leader of the National Party a mighty and timely gift.
She is fully on record opposing the Maori health entity. So you don't do that without testing it with your constituency.
The Orewa speech as over a decade ago, but we are by no means all woke yet.
Ben Thomas disagrees:
Te Tiriti is a founding document of this country, if someone is uncomfortable with this, then perhaps relocating is best for them.
Let's check after the next poll.
A poll bump is not really the gift you may think it is, even if it takes pressure off Collins’ leadership as Thomas says.
The only poll that matters is in 2023.
How JC will handle this political opportunity is the question. So far, it seems it will not gain her much political capital and National might just be a through-passage to ACT and some fringe parties that will suck up disenfranchised voters. No wonder David Seymour can’t wipe the smile off his face.
Instead of leading a robust political debate, JC has reached into the depths of despair and for the Don Brash toolbox, which has only one gadget in it. How did it work out for Don?
The sad thing is that JC and Don advocate status quo that (already) is a separation between two peoples with divisive institutions with systems and processes that not only have resulted in inequity but also have propagated and worsened it. JC and Don are divisive, polarising, and populist.
The reviews of the shambolic National Party that led to National losing badly and ACT doing extremely well is crystal clear about what needs to change in the National Party to improve their chances at the next Election in 2023. It is also crystal clear that it doesn’t fit with JC’s desperate attempt to cling to power as Party Leader. JC will be the undoing of National and she’s already well down the track.
One cannot argue against a 7-year gap in average life expectance between Pākehā and Māori.
How did it work out for Don?
Wellll, Don of the Deadbrains got to 39.1%, well up from English's effort of 20.9% in 2002. That was enough to get within 1 seat of potentially being able to put together a governing coalition with fellow walking undeads WinnieFirst and the Hairdo from Ohariu. Oh, including sockpuppet Rodders too, of course.
I doubt that reactionary element within New Zealand has receded far enough to not be a threat if the right conditions come together.
Depending on which version, Don is a mere blot in and on NZ History books. As per usual, many refuse to learn from the (their) past and repeat it, because ‘this time it’s different’. Desperate, cynical or stupid, you be the judge. I agree with you on the growing socio-political influence of “reactionary element within New Zealand”; it is the Left that has been in retreat and for a while now, which seems unstoppable, liking melting glaciers in the SI.
As per usual, many refuse to learn from the (their) past and repeat it, because ‘this time it’s different’.
At the turn of the last century (1900) we had 2 acts of parliament passed to enable better health outcomes for the public of nz in general,and for Maori Authorities specifically to manage Maori health outcomes.
The health act 1900,and the Maori Councils act 1900.
http://www.nzlii.org/nz/legis/hist_act/mca190064v1900n48237/
Fascinating, although a little before my time; I was thinking more of JC and Don. I’d love to read more about this legal history although I have no idea how relevant it is and there’s so much else to read (and write!). Any insights?
One cannot argue against a 7-year gap in average life expectance between Pākehā and Māori.
Indeed the data on this outcome is crystal clear and always has been. What is far less clear is that 'racism' must be the sole and only possible cause worth addressing.
Agreed. Like so many labels, “racism” has become an all-compassing term, which makes it almost useless and counterproductive even in public and political debate. The cynic in me says that this is the exact intent.
The question isn't whether racism is the only cause of sustained generational ethnic disparities in health outcomes such as life expectancy.
The question is whether those disparities are mostly or even merely significantly caused by systemic and individual racism in NZ. Nice straw man, though.
There you go – I just knew that any other explanation than 'systemic racism' wasn't allowed to be talked about.
You actually mentioned a cause other than racism?
In Hell I'll be in Good Company
guess not then. 🙄
You can have a beer with lilman while you're there! Queensland, that is.
But it's clearly a (complex) cause of long standing, wouldn't you agree? So why not address it, along with other causes? Too tough? Not a priority?
Well now, hopefully the IQ of both countries will be raised. Here Ra.
As is your right. Please convince any like-minded friends to do the same. Haere ra.
Fair enough. There'll probably be others who want to go with you. That'll be those whose ancestors came here but didn't really want to fit in with the locals. Or maybe they wanted to fit in but their heirs and successors don't, can't or won't
Those pioneers scarpered from places they were unhappy, where things weren't as they wished. They wanted to make new lives. The successors, unhappy with things as they are have the same gene. Farewell.
Baby boomers overboard?
Bon voyage lilman – very brave of you in these uncertain times, so best of luck.
And please say hi to the little Aussie battler (up Sunshine Coast way) for me – cheers.
The melancholic torturer: How Australia became a nation that tortures refugees
"Ghassan Hage (2003) captures this infantile moment by suggesting the worry and anxiety of White Australia circled the fear of being abandoned by the ‘motherland’. A situation that, along with the nation’s xenophobia, may have contributed to the nation’s willingness to believe that women and men were throwing their babies overboard. He argues only a people in fear of being thrown over by their own motherland could imagine such a reality. In The Gauche Intruder (2000), Rutherford interrogates the rise of One Nation and the defensive position maintained by many of its supporters to preserve the founding fantasy of a good White Australia."
Australia
The refugee intake in 2019 was 18,500 ( which includes family)
The migration program was in addition 180-190,000 per year
Australia's per capita refugee quota puts NZ to shame, but they are a wealthier country and a popular destination.
Ask Japan about being wealthy and refugee intakes
Thankls for that suggestion. No doubt Japan's history, culture and social climate (a general preference to preserve homogeneity) have influenced the number of refugees in that country. And Japan does have a fairly high population density; approx. 100 times that of Australia.
Interestingly, Nauru ranks 6th in the world for refugees as a percentage (3.2%) of its population. "Don't have to live like a refugee"
https://www.unhcr.org/en-au/figures-at-a-glance.html
He Puapua was produced by a working group under Te Puni Kokiri to 'implement the UN Declaration of Indigenous Rights'
NZ had never signed the UN declaration at the time it was adopted -2007
However under the Key government in 2010 Peter Sharples went to the UN to say NZ had reversed its previous stance and now was a signatory
"Labour strongly opposed the declaration, fearing it was too sweeping and labelling it incompatible with New Zealand's constitutional and legal arrangements and Treaty settlement policy."
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/3599153/NZ-does-U-turn-on-rights-charter
We came to Australia 8 yrs ago with the express intention of returning home to NZ. That intention is now wavering.
The resurgence of Maori sovereignty/separatism is one potential factor, although it's too soon to tell how that might work out.
Another factor I've never mentioned before is that we find the police a much more intrusive presence in NZ than here in Australia. In 2019 I spent much of the year in NZ, and recall on one drive between Auckland and Wellington seeing far more cops on the road rushing about, than the entire seven years in Australia prior. And we've noticed that the kind of petty crime and vandalism that's so rife in NZ, almost totally absent in most of Aus.
Then of course there is the much greater opportunity in Australia. If I'd stayed in NZ I would have remained gainfully employed, but moving across the ditch didn't so much increase my income dramatically – but expanded my scope for working at a much wider scale, on global sized projects.
Despite all the usual anti-Aussie bigotry so many kiwis are fond of indulging in (mainly I think to create a wholly unjustified sense of moral superiority) – most Australians of all backgrounds are welcoming and willing to give you a fair go. There are two big social differences however. One is that they much prefer direct and upfront communication – they don't respond to reserved or passive at all well; they want to know exactly where you stand. Secondly its a continent dedicated to giving each other shit, taking the piss and witty sarcasm. If an Aussie calls you a 'cunt' and you haven't done anything to piss him/her off recently, congratulations you've entered the matezone.
Also doing business here is a fair bit more complex, right from relatively simple things like opening a mobile phone account, doing tax, starting new jobs, renting property and through to buying property entails more steps and issues than we're used to. It takes time to build trusted relationships and if things go wrong it can go wrong quite badly. As Ad said above – make sure you're going into a firm situation and you're not dependent on the state. Depending on your age and income there is a path to permanent residency and citizenship for Kiwis, but it's not particularly easy or cheap. And while living here on the SCV444 visa has not proved difficult in the ordinary course of events – it offers no long-term security or tenure.
Me and my Other Half would be fine in metro Melbourne, but outside of Brisbane I think Queensland would be a harder cultural proposition for us.
It's good that you have a proper alternative.
By chance is there an equivalent site to The Standard you are aware of in Australia?
By chance is there an equivalent site to The Standard you are aware of in Australia?
Good question – honestly I haven't looked for one.
We found regional Victoria (and many other similar towns across the country) extremely liveable – some of the best places anywhere to live and work. Melbourne and Sydney cities are just too large for our tastes, but the greater Brisbane area (which extends really from the Gold Coast right up to Gympie) has one hell of a lot going for it.
I'm not trying to shit on NZ by comparison – it's still one of the top 10 nations on earth in my view – but honestly Australia is better.
As for the 'cultural proposition' I think you'd be able to find a like-minded social circle in all but the most remote places. Australians are every bit as diverse in their outlooks as are kiwis – they just express themselves more openly and directly that Kiwis are accustomed to. It's not a bad thing – you know where you stand right off the bat.
Fair enough and cheers for that generous explanation.
Thanks. Incidentally I've just arrived in Perth this week – the local economy is very buoyant.
At first glance it's very different to Brisbane and will take a bit of getting used to, but the quantity of heavy industry here is quite remarkable.
On "one drive between Auckland and Wellington seeing far more cops on the road rushing about, than the entire seven years in Australia prior."
Is that good or bad? Is it because New Zealand drivers are so bad they need policing? If there were no cops visible on the road what would the driving be like?
Obviously your view and perception are important. As a reason for highlighting that Australia is in that way better than NZ? I find it trite.
It might seem 'trite' to you, but the observation is real enough to us.
Perhaps the more important point I was trying to convey is that we've noticed how we both 'feel' safer in most Australian public settings than in NZ. I'm not trying to paint Aus as any kind of 'way better' utopia – it isn't. But this is one aspect where NZ is different and not in a good way.
Once again, you feel safer on the road between Wellington and Auckland if you see no cops. Others would feel totally differently.
The last time I was surrounded by a lot of armed militia was on site in Panama, to protect us from a rogue union that was rioting, burning and beating up any random people (one person was killed) that they could get their hands on. In that circumstance yes I felt 'safer' with lots of security around, although objectively I was probably more at risk of one of these guys having a gun accident than anything else.
Or the mining barge in Colombia that had a fully armed military platoon permanently stationed – again I understood as necessary when the bullet dents on the superstructure were pointed out to me. I was told not to worry much, the most recent attack was 'only 18 months ago'.
So yes in some circumstance a security presence is a very good idea – but the very need for it tells you that trouble is just around the corner. Why NZ should need so many cops racing around on our highways and Australia doesn't is an open question I'll leave to you to draw your own conclusions on.
And trust me Aussie drivers really are no better than Kiwis so that isn’t a strong explanation.
Good luck .. you will need it. 5.9% unemployment. Your attitude to indigenous people will not be missed.
Bye.
After I read this I couldn't stop giggling but couldn't figure out why for a while. Then the answer came to me! You might start a trend and peope thinking like you might move over there in droves meaning my whanau will have the chance to be safer and happier
I said elsewhere on this subject:
Also happy to quote a comment from lilman at the same place on the same topic regarding Debbie Ngarewa-Packer:
– lilman
I think his moving to Queensland is a perfect fit. Not sure why he didn't do it earlier.
Can we please leave the sewage in the sewage pond? I think lilman has nailed his colours to the mast quite clearly and we all wish him well in his endeavours.
Fair enough. I didn't have time to read this entire conversation. I did think it was relevant to show lilman's true nature though.
It does appear that lilman only posted the comment to wind up a few here, and with some success, may I add. Even so, we don’t have to take the bait and sink to levels one is accustomed to on other blogs.
Don't let the door hit your ass on the way out. I had a mate with your nickname, he wasn't prejudice or paranoid, or prone to public tantrums so it can't be you.
Lucky you to have a job that has paid enough so you can live and save. You have done all right here, pity that you can't stay and have a go at being a bona fide citizen keen to help NZ stand tall and happy in the world, strong in principle and practice.
Hey fellow political junkies! The election over in Scotland is getting very strange; at least to my eyes. It's going to be a popcorn week there for sure.
https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/scottish-election-polls-what-are-the-latest-opinion-polls-for-the-2021-election-and-what-happened-in-2016-3217223
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opinion_polling_for_the_2021_Scottish_Parliament_election
I don't personally think much of Salmond, and those who claim he formed the Alba Party out of spite may not be too far off the mark (though he is really the second leader, but Flynn only lasted a few weeks). The party standing in the Regional (think; List, as NZ equivalent) seats only, is politically savvy. In a way, this seems to be the start of a indigenously Scots dual party system separate from the Scottish wings of the English Conservative and Labour parties.
Time will tell. I think their 6th (Thursday evening) will be our 7th of May (Friday morning).
The Scottish Conservatives used to be a separate party (1912-65) known as Unionist – as in Northern Ireland, and its MPs sat at Westminister under the Conservative whip. For the Scottish parliament it has own leadership and policy driven from Scotland.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unionist_Party_(Scotland)
Scotland has MMP just like NZ has, but with one major difference the country is divided into 8 regions with equal seats and the distribution for list seats is only done by region , not nationally. They way this works is that SNP which is strong throughout Scotland rather than only regionally like Labour, Conserv, Liberals, Greens and gets more seats than an MMP proportional result would allow.
The new Alba party ( its where the word Albany comes from) may do better than appears from a nationwide poll, as the list seats are allocated by the 8 regions and you only have to do well in a strong SNP region to pick up seats, thats how the Greens get their seats by overperforming in selected regions
All very interesting about Scotland. Can we be kept informed by you who know more about it than average kiwi?
I read somewhere that Alba was going with a split vote strategy (constituency vote SNP, Regional vote Alba – though don't have the link at hand), which may lead to an overhang. I haven't been able to see a formal threshold for a party to get an MSP seat, going by the last election it looks like maybe 5%? The modified D'Hondt methodology just made my eyes glaze over, but last election UKIP got 2% yet no regional seats, whereas the LibDems on 5.2% got one to go with their constiuency seats.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2016_Scottish_Parliament_election
The thing where constituencies for Westminster and Holyrood MPs are geographically different sizes and shapes also baffles me. But thanks for the background on the SCP Ghostwwnz. Though my interest in them is mainly see if they sink below the SLP this time after the Johnson/ Cummings feud exploding so very publicly in the leadup to election day. What happens if Sturgeon needs Salmond to get the referendum numbers after Thursday is far more interesting at the moment. Hoping for a strong Scottish Green party showing! Though would need to be around 10% for that to be an option.
Closing down tabs for the night – this one helped me understand the Scots' Regional list a bit better I think. There's no absolute threshold, but there is a de facto one of about 1% of the list vote, so long as that is mainly concentrated in one region (above 7% of that region's Regional List vote). Then there's Independent List candidates! But way too late for that…
https://archive2021.parliament.scot/Research%20briefings%20and%20fact%20sheets/Scottish_Parliament_Electoral_System.pdf
Latest in my Stuff paper is headline about Johnson attempting to 'buy' Scotland promising them additional medical help through the NHS – he is kidding isn't he? And better trains and roads through to the small population of north Scotland. ( I remember how once the Brazilian road was pushed through, all the grifters flooded in.) It always is wise to look carefully at the offer of lollies from a stranger.
https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/scottish-election-2021-boris-johnson-to-unveil-sweeteners-for-scottish-voters-ahead-of-election-3222234
https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/scottish-election-2021-nicola-sturgeon-says-thursday-is-not-an-independence-referendum-3222149
This caught my attention on Google:
'Nothing to see here': Boris Johnson claims flat funding row …
https://www.theguardian.com › politics › live › apr › bori…
3 days ago — Boris Johnson attempts to brush off flat refurbishments row – video … Support for Scottish independence has fallen to 42%, its lowest level since just before the general … The election campaign has allowed the Tories and Labour to get much greater airtime, … But what we are doing is focusing on the stuff that really matters.
and
Boris Johnson is telling Scotland that the union is no longer …
https://www.theguardian.com › commentisfree › apr
14/04/2021 — Guardian Pick. Johnson didn't get where he is today by not being a shape-shifting weasel. He won't refuse a referendum, …
The Scots can be sarky:. This relates to doing up his flat and some curtains?
Boris Johnson throws money away on decor while Grenfell …
https://www.heraldscotland.com › news › 19269300.bo…
3 days ago — RIGHT to the heart of the issue we go. Will the prime minister tell this house the true nature of his feelings towards John Lewis?
A massive shoutout to the Rangitane people, who gifted back the 942 Hectare Pukaha Forest to the Crown after only getting it back in the Waitangi process four years ago.
https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK2104/S00223/pukaha-forest-to-be-gifted-to-the-nation.htm
Correct me if I'm wrong but this little patch of predator-controlled forest is now as south as the NZ Kokako actually get.
If anyone gets to the top of these ranges, they are really a little strip remnant from Wellington to Palmerston North of natural goodness where all else from the foothills to the ocean is now solid intensive farming.
Rangitane like most tribes were robbed. So giving this chunk back represents a major gift for them. In their shoes I probably wouldn't do the same.
The PM was on hand to mark the occasion.
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/incredibly-generous-wairarapa-iwi-gifts-p-kaha-forest-back-state
It's going to be a great challenge to all th eneighbouring farmers to expand the predator-free zone into a proper halo effect.
Too bad other iwi cannot follow their lead…..
Heh! Stephanie Rodgers is back, kinda, and she makes for a great Sunday afternoon read: https://bootstheory.nz/2021/05/02/a-year-ago-today/
Its unreadable… some obsession on health system using BMI ( along with age, smoking etc)to screen those who who have smaller chances of success. Oh well
https://nationalwomenshealth.adhb.govt.nz/our-services/fertility/public-funding/
Yeah, a stream of consciousness is not everybody’s cup of tea but to call it “unreadable” is a little harsh, IMO. Anybody who’s been on the IVF rollercoaster knows how emotionally draining it can be for both the ‘recipients’, as well as financially draining when you go ‘private’. Modern medicine can do an awful lot but it often comes at or with a cost that cannot be defined or expressed in dollar-terms only.
The interface between medicine and politics; an imperative and opportunity that should be used responsibly
A guest editorial by Ashley Bloomfield
https://nzmsj.scholasticahq.com/article/22250-the-interface-between-medicine-and-politics-an-imperative-and-opportunity-that-should-be-used-responsibly