The ongoing massacres in Gaza are too shocking for words.
The world is demanding a ceasefire.
Someone needs to tell the US backers of Israel that ceasefire, means ceasefire.
Under the truce negotiated by the US, Israel reserved the right to continue their military offensive against the Palestinian tunnels.
This was a recipe for disaster.
As you would expect the Palestinian defenders resisted the destruction of the tunnels, exchanging fire with the Israeli attackers. To which the Israelis responded by restarting their shelling of civilian areas.
The Israeli military had no immediate comment but media reports said the shelling began after Hamas fighters exchanged fire with Israeli soldiers on a mission to destroy infiltration tunnels.
Under the terms of the partial truce, the fighting should have been restricted to the tunnels. But even though there were no reports of Israeli casualties in the ‘exchange of gunfire’. In revenge at the return gunfire, Israel resumed shelling of civilian areas, killing 40.
In response to this massacre, conducted outside the conditions of the partial truce, Palestinians resumed their rocket fire on Israel, launching 8 unguided projectiles at Israel, which as usual proved ineffective, seven landing in open areas and one being intercepted by Israel’s hi tech. ‘Iron Dome’ missile defence system.
As well as shelling and bombing civilian areas, the Israelis as they have done in past attacks and continue to do, have been targeting the territory’s infrastructure, and have destroyed the territory’s only power station leaving 1.5 million city dwellers without electricity. The destruction of Gaza’s infrastructure including farms, alongside the permanent blockade restricting the entry of food and medicine amounts to a slow motion genocide. UN reports are that the destruction of the water and waste water systems by Israel is causing sickness and death in the blockaded territory. And the UN also report that the amount of food available to the citizens of Gaza is approaching famine levels with over 61% facing severe food insecurity. And this was even before the latest hostilities erupted.
Israel must stop their brutal attacks on civilians and lift their illegal blockade, or be found guilty of conducting genocide against the Palestinians.
Our Government need to warn the Israelis that we will cut off all diplomatic ties.
And if the government won’t do it then the opposition parties should promise it.
Hamas fired at IDF forces in southern Gaza at 9:30 this morning in violation of the humanitarian ceasefire. IDF soldier suspected kidnapped.
The IDF were given the right to carry on military operations against the tunnels under the terms of the US arranged ceasefire. I understand that.
According to the IDF and the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, under the terms of this ceasefire agreement, the Palestinians defending these tunnels were also supposed to disarm themselves and allow themselves to be helplessly killed or taken into indefinite detention by the armed IDF attackers.
Now let’s get this straight, The IDF seem to think that under the terms of this ceasefire as well as having the right to carry out military attacks against the Palestinian tunnelers they also had a free pass to kill or capture the Palestinian defenders without them proffering any resistance. And because they faced armed resistance they had a right to resume shelling unarmed civilians.
According to the same website I also see that these military operations against the tunnels were carried out on Gazan territory.
In this case you would think that the Palestinians would have a fully justified and equal right to defend themselves from the Israeli attackers in their own territory. But it seems not.
UN special envoy Robert Serry issues statement: He was informed by Israel of “a serious incident this morning” during the truce involving “a tunnel behind IDF lines in the Rafah area of the Gaza Strip.” If confirmed “this would constitute a serious violation of the humanitarian ceasefire in place since 8 am this morning by Gazan militant factions, which should be condemned in the strongest terms.”
Israeli proganda tells us that their operations are to destroy infiltration tunnels into Israel.
Even the most ignorant of commentators know that Rafah is nowhere near Israel.
In fact Rafah is in the Sinai desert on the Egyptian border in the far south of Gaza, far removed from Israeli territory. Rafah is the site of the smuggling tunnels which have been Gaza’s only lifeline to the outside world since Egypt, Israel’s ally keeps the official Rafah surface crossing firmly closed except for the most basic of medical aid shipments.
So lets understand this: Fully armed IDF soldiers were allowed to use lethal force to destroy smuggling tunnels in the South of Gaza far removed from Israeli territory and kill or capture any Palestinians who resisted, but the Palestinians did not have equal rights to defend themselves from these attacks?
And for daring to defend themselves and because they captured one IDF soldier the IDF massacred 40 Palestinians with shell fire into a civilian area?
Hamas claim that the prisoner of war was captured before the ceasefire took effect. Their claim seems plausible. Why do the Zionists use the misleading term “kidnapping”? Kidnapping is more descriptive of what they do to young Palestinians on the West Bank. As for the care of the captured invader, he’ll probably be better looked after than many Arabs in Israeli interrogation centres.
+100 Jenny….good post…it really is shocking!…we are witness to crimes against humanity
‘A brief word on “We tortured some folks” ‘
By Martyn Bradbury / August 2, 2014
“We’ll just add these State sanctioned tortures alongside the state sanctioned drone assassinations and state sanctioned coups and invasions shall we?…
“Pressure needs to be brought to bear by the US, UN, European Union and Arab States on both sides to stop.
“That settlement must address the potential for future violence, but also the long term issues of the Gaza Strip.
“Gaza has 40% unemployment, a collapsed economy, food shortages and an infrequent electricity supply that sees untreated sewage piped into the sea.
“These conditions will inevitably sow the seeds for further conflict if they’re not resolved. Young people need hope, not a future of where fighting is considered normal,” says David Shearer
What is most noticeable about this statement from David Shearer is that like a lot of Labour Party press statements it does not put any demands on our government to do anything. Nor does it commit the Labour Party to do anything.
@Anonymous Bloke. Your weak defence of Labour’s fence sitting has no substance and does not address the point I was making.
I didn’t quote the first part of Shearer’s statement because it is self evident. And has been said many times by many people. I also didn’t give the full quote because the moderator generally frowns on people giving full quotes, and usually wants us to give the link to get the full quote. Which I did.
But just for you Anonymous Bloke, I will put in the full quote and let the readers judge if it adds or subtracts anything from my point that Labour is refusing to commit themselves to do anything to stop this appalling slaughter.
Unconditional Gaza ceasefire needed now
by David Shearer on July 30, 2014
The Israeli response in Gaza is disproportionate and with the firing of tanks and mortars into civilian areas, increasingly indiscriminate, says Labour’s Foreign Affairs spokesperson David Shearer.
“Eight children were killed in Gaza last night, they were playing in an area they believed to be safe.
“Israel says that no normal state would tolerate rockets being fired into their civilian areas. They are right, Hamas rockets are also indiscriminate.
“But it is also not normal for 1.6 million Palestinians to be blockaded into a narrow strip of land, a situation that aptly fits its description as the largest prison camp in the world.
“Around 1,100 Gazans have now been killed, the overwhelming majority of them civilians. Fifty Israelis have been killed, three civilians and the remainder, soldiers.
“There needs to be an immediate ceasefire, without conditions, to stop further unnecessary deaths. Both sides, without exception, need to stick to it. Only then can an ongoing settlement of the situation be arranged.
“Pressure needs to be brought to bear by the US, UN, European Union and Arab States on both sides to stop.
“That settlement must address the potential for future violence, but also the long term issues of the Gaza Strip.
“Gaza has 40% unemployment, a collapsed economy, food shortages and an infrequent electricity supply that sees untreated sewage piped into the sea.
“These conditions will inevitably sow the seeds for further conflict if they’re not resolved. Young people need hope, not a future of where fighting is considered normal,” says David Shearer.
I presume this is the quote you wanted me to look at?
The Question is Anonymous; Is it OK to identify something as appalling and call on others to do something about it but refuse to commit to do anything about it yourself?
In effect David Shearer’s statement is meaningless and insincere. David Shearer might as well have not bothered. Just like David Shearer nor any other Labour Party official has ever bothered to take up the invitation by the organisers to address the large peace rallies that have been held every Saturday for the last three weeks, just in case they wind up having to commit themselves to something.
The Greens are proposing that the Israeli ambassador be expelled, Mana are calling for a boycott and an end to special visa arrangements too.
What are you proposing?
One Anonymous Bloke
I thought that was obvious. I am proposing that Labour stop their insincere handwringing and take up these demands too.
You are moving the goalposts Jenny. Firstly you said:
“What is most noticeable about this statement from David Shearer is that like a lot of Labour Party press statements it does not put any demands on our government to do anything. Nor does it commit the Labour Party to do anything.”
Then when it was pointed out to you that you had weakened the intent of the Labour’s press release by cutting out the really grunt part you then demanded that Labour expel the Israeli diplomat.
National is not responsible for what is happening in Gaza. Demanding they do something is not going to achieve anything.
And expelling the Israeli diplomat? How would we then express our disgust at the innocent murder of women and children the next time it happens? Making Israel into an even more rogue state will not help.
Maybe some sanctions aka Russia ? Oh that’s right the old Israeli’s own the American poolitical system. Israel, just gets it’s rich poolitical backers to ring up the local senator and threaten to take away their funding. Sanctions what sanctions? And when you are up against that, then only the outrage of billions of people will get them to stop. But when?
I did email Key’s office early on in the Gaza offensive to ask if we’re following the US lead rather than using any influence we may otherwise have as an independent nation a, that could maybe soften the Israeli determination to bomb the smithereens out of Gaza.
No reply as yet…. he’s good at the hand-wringing for the press, but.
Again with the thin defence and quibbling over Labour’s fence sitting.
What “really grunt part” are you talking about? I have read this several times and can see no demand that Labour made on anyone that I left out in my first statement. The only demand that David Shearer made and I which I covered in the first line of my first quote of his words was this: ““Pressure needs to be brought to bear by the US, UN, European Union and Arab States on both sides to stop.”
In my opinion a completely hollow demand, because how can we hope to influence these big powers if we refuse to do anything ourselves?
What I have mentioned several times now and is the issue you still refuse to address is the point that Labour refuses to commit themselves to do anything or even demand that the current government do something. Instead you join open partisan bigots like grumpy attacking me with confused pedantic quibbles that don’t stack up.
I think you need to back up your quibbling by quoting exactly what “really grunt part” I left out.
“And expelling the Israeli diplomat? How would we then express our disgust at the innocent murder of women and children the next time it happens? Making Israel into an even more rogue state will not help.”
mickysavage
Come on Glen. Your argument doesn’t even make sense. The innocent murder of women and children is going on now!
Your argument is the same “building bridges” argument that the Rugby Union and the Muldoon government used to justify links to the Apartheid regime of South Africa. It flies in the face of calls for an international boycott of this vicious and racist apartheid regime.
Look Greg to turn your crazy logic around if we expel the Israeli ambassador and cut diplomatic ties we can always reinstate them if they change. Just as we did with South Africa when that country rejected apartheid,. And they will have an incentive to do so. Especially if more and more countries join the international boycott against them.
Labour and National Party activists and politicians must have a much higher tolerance level for genocide than most people.
And expelling the Israeli diplomat? How would we then express our disgust at the innocent murder of women and children the next time it happens?
mickysavage
Most people would reject the murder of innocent women and children on the first instance.
Come on Greg you can be better than this.
Stand up to the extreme Right pressure in your own party.
Do what ever it takes. Demand in the strongest terms possible (either privately or publicly), that your party leader David Cunliffe make a statement promising to suspend diplomatic relations with Israel.
Political life of late has been eventful, exciting and at times fraught. For some it will get more intense as campaigning moves up a gear.
It’s been a long time between weekend socials. It may be an ideal time for letting off steam or finding a tranquil place of relaxation (Tranquil may not be the most suitable word to describe a Standard post)
Any authors have a moment in their busy lives to put our old familiar “time out” post up?
Well worth a visit as the the tourist brochures say. Will look into that this arvo – interested to see what the line up is.
Part weekend social part open mike, my offering is a news flash for candidates: Cafes are not private places to hold campaign update and strategy meetings. (Tea tapes anyone?)
Old flappy ears here was intrigued and amused that the nat candidate for Ohariu sat down behind me at a cafe yesterday and proceeded to tell his coffee buddy all the news of the nat campaign. I only got one paltry piece of interesting stuff.
I was mostly frustrated because of two things: I have this social deafness thing going on where I can’t hear conversation where there is background noise such as other conversations and music and Mr R was trying to have a conversation with me, which I had to pay attention to.
Theres most likely an old war propaganda poster about keeping conversations private because you never know when your enemy might be listening.
Am going to be in town the same time as the Palestine solidarity rally today so will most likely attend that if the gales don’t put people off – but even so some “social” would definitely be welcome, along side the political.
I’m balancing the intensity with music, big blasts of it at the end of the day!
Rosie, i think ‘Weekend Social’ had so little patronage in the way of comments some weekends that a decision might have been made to ‘can’ it?,
‘Open Mike’ tho is for discussing ‘anything’ so i see no reason why, especially on the weekends, that stuff like the ‘gardening’, what we re reading, what we are eating, and, all the other bits and pieces that may have got an airing in ‘weekend social’ shouldn’t be discussed here,
(Lolz, even when the odd commenter objects to our discussions of our eating habits, ok, Bank’s eating habits might be a bit over the top)…
“Fuck me, that Sean Hannity and Fox News is unbelievable.”
John Key disagrees. He says Fox News is a source of education.
Rt Hon JOHN KEY: Well, for one thing, thank goodness David Parker is watching Fox News, because he might learn something, as opposed to that lefty stuff he seems to be embroiled in normally.
Armstrong, ever the National party toadie gives in His piece in today’s Granny Herald 101 reasons why NZFirst will opt for a coalition with National after the September election,
Just as easily read as 101 reasons why the self respecting left leaning voter should not vote for NZFirst at the fast approaching ballot to find the next Government, Armstrong has failed to address the two points that will queer the pitch that He makes in an effort at back of the envelope possible coalition permutations,
The first, election 2011 as the actual poll neared had the possibility talked up by the likes of Armstrong and the media polls of a National Party so fatted with votes it would have been able to form a Government in its own right,
Enter the ‘strategic voter’, after Slippery the Prime Minister had effectively made a vote for NZFirst ‘safe’ by ruling Peters and NZFirst out of inclusion in any coalition, such ‘strategic voters’ took the side of NZFirst and the % of votes which brought NZFirst back from political oblivion while being ‘unmeasurable’ will again be crucial at election 2014,
IF, we ascribe to NZFirst the 5% of the vote allocated by the recent Morgan poll as an accurate reading of the electorate, then subtract any old %, half a %, quarter of a %, however large or small the departing ‘tactical voters’ NZFirst enjoyed in 2011, and depart they will be en masse looking for that where their votes will ensure a Government of the left in September,
Then there is one inescapable conclusion to be drawn, NZFirst will not enjoy 5% of the vote in September,
Second, enter the Elephant in the room, admittedly a scrawny looking ‘beast’ with eyes best described as madly staring, the butt of everyone’s skeptical humor, who might, admittedly, albeit
accidently, just be the lefts best friend at election 2014, Colon and the Conservatives,
Busily campaigning in the heart of NZFirst’s turf, Grey-Power meetings, should, and this is said again using the latest Roy Morgan polling of NZFirst 5% as reference, should Colon’s Conservatives abscond with any small %, half %, quarter %, of the vote previously farmed from among the Grey-Power retiree demographic by Peters then NZFirst is i would suggest again, history,
Armstrong is today delivering the ‘soothie’ of a done and dusted 2014 election, a foregone conclusion of a National/NZFirst coalition being the result, i would say ”only in your dreams John”, NZFirst are facing the shaky ground of an election result which matches that of 2008,
InternetMana, the new kid on the block, an unknown electoral equation might just produce a 50% result for the left in September,
Labour 33%, Greens 12%, InternetMana 5%, read like that are not a huge ask, those numbers tho in September would add up to a Government of the left, lets do it…
Aha, any Left leaning voter who is also a supporter of NZFirst should read the Armstrong piece in the NZHerald today and ask themselves how having a third term National Government propped up by NZFirst will sit with their left leaning ideals,
According to Armstrong a vote for NZFirst is a definite vote for a National Government, there’s an easy fix to that…
Without kims illegal loot propping up the bar, not so much though.
The biggest laugh is still at your expense. If kim was backing Banks or ultra right wingers like act, again, you’d be all over it as a disgrace and buying politicians for cash etc…
Your principles must cost less than hh’s, ’cause you won’t even see a penny of it. 😆
imagine? don’t have to because I’m dealing with reality not second hand right wing spin like you. Do you look but not see, do you listen but not hear, do you touch but not feel, do you allen, do you? – riddle me that bud.
Right, so no serious contribution, mars. Fair do’s mate, but if kim was rodder’s king maker you like most, if not all, would be over it like a rash as dodgy millionaire buying politicians and you know it, even if it’s not expedient for you to say so.
Alien, don’t let rational thought get in the way of your little playschool fantasies will you,
Kim DotCom ISN’T attempting to prop up ACT or any other right wing absurdity is He so you are in fact dribbling drivel,
If DotCom’s coin helps deliver a Government of the left, that delivers actual left wing policy and outcomes to the country all power to Him i say,
30 years of Neo-liberal dominance of politics both on the left and right of the spectrum has to be broken somehow, if it takes the large Germans money to do just that then so be it…
allen, regurgitating second hand right wing memes thinking they are original ‘serious’ ideas is so weak really. I just thought BG had it correct with IMP at 7% – get over it.
plus I agree with bad’s comment – we need to change the government and winnie is not the man for that job.
“regurgitating second hand right wing memes thinking they are original ‘serious’ ideas is so weak really.”
It’s not a right wing meme as far as I’m aware, but even if it is, it’s a valid point to the legitimacy of hh grabbing at kims loot and your credibility in not opposing it, but being openly supportive. Like I said, other way round and you’d be apoplectic.
The ‘serious’ bit is you deflecting, to which I am aware of and subsequently not giving a rats arse over.
I just thought BG had it correct with IMP at 7% – get over it.
” we need to change the government and winnie is not the man for that job.”
So says you, Bad and depending on which polls you read, 1 – 2.5% of kiwis.
But that’s the good thing about politics, kim buying influence aside, everyone, even minorities have a say.
Kim’s ‘illegal’ loot? Has that been proven? Do you know what ‘cloud’ storage is? Is cloud storage wide spread and is it illegal? Is so, tell that to thousands of such websites around the world, including YouTube.
KDC donated to Bank’s ‘mayoral’ election fund. Not to ACT. Banks wasn’t even in the ACT party at that time.
A vote for NZF is not a GUARANTEE that NZF will DEFINITELY go with Key/National.
Winston is a very astute, intelligent and crafty politician. He will grab votes from lots of his usual supporters, from lots of unhappy National supporters and from some soft Labour camp. Left, right and centre.
On the Nation today, he has taken a vote attracting strong stand against sale of Kiwi land and property, including the Lochinver Station, to foreigners, thus gazumping Colin Craig’s cunning bound to fail foray into Winston’s political territory.
Winston is one of the most masterly politician of this country. Don’t ever underestimate his ability and cleverness.
I think he is more IN than OUT on Sept 20.
But WHO he is in WITH is a 2c worth question, that no one really knows the answer to, including the high priest, Chief Matai Vaovasamanaia Winston !
[P.S as an aside re Chief Matai Vaovasamanaia Winston: From an old report through Google:
“It’s all a total surprise, I’ve been caught unawares here. I am totally unprepared for it,” Mr Peters told NZPA.
‘He was good humoured as local woman dressed him up to look more special for the occasion wrapping him in a woven mat skirt and adorning his head with a sequined band’.]
Yesterday I read a post in Standard by a writer who speculated that ACT might get 4%!
ACT on 4%?!…..THAT would be the biggest political miracle of this century!
Even Roger Douglas, Ruth Richardson and Don Brash would be turning in their graves!
Congratulations to Colin Craig for exposing the secretive sale of Lochinver Station.
“..Craig who was shunned this week by by National revealed…..” (ChCh Press-Saturday) and
He ..”took the fight to the National Party yesterday..”
One wonders if he had not been shunned by National as superfluous or even damaging to it’s needs, would he have been so keen to take the fight to National -or would he have kept quiet.
I think the latter. After all, what are friends for?
Colon ”i beg you to believe me, we are not loonies”, the Conservative channels Winston Peters flaming the land ownership question into a quisling racist query,
Not only is the ‘pinhead’ diving into Winston’s form of hate speech, He’s gone after NZFirst’s voter base with a series of addresses to Grey-Power,
Both parties are now locked into a dance of death election struggle, Colon knows deep down He cannot win and will now attempt to take Peters and NZFirst with Him,
National are standing on far shakier electoral ground then anyone is letting on to…
Who told cc about the secret land sale?
I’d bet it was on key’s say so, in the hope the conservatives pinch enough votes of NZ1st to snuff Winston out of post election talks with Labour and the Greens.
Alien, it is unlike you to sound like you live a delusion from prior to 2008, a vote for Winston Peters is as likely to be a vote for National, at best a 50/50 gamble,
As Peters will talk to National first it is obvious that should the numbers require it to, National will give Peters whatever large bauble He demands up to what i see as His opening demand, the Office of Prime Minister that is,
Peters may have gone silent on His Green hatred recently but that is only to fool the lightweight thinkers who have previously voted for NZFirst,
Is that you Alien, a lightweight thinker willing to gamble a vote for NZFirst isn’t a vote to prop up a third term National Govrnment…
Not on planet Earth Alien?, or just putting forward bullshit as a point of debate, Winston Peters has repeatedly said He will talk to the Party that gains the most votes First after the election,
Do i need provide a link that proves the above point???,
Rather than a 50/50 gamble on which side of the political divide Peters will opt for, and, even should He opt for supporting Labour you then have to ask ”what’s the point” another Government of ”Business as Usual”???,
The better 50/50 is to be rid of NZFirst, don’t worry Alien the ‘tactical voters’ and those who switch their votes from NZFirst to Colons Conservatives will do it for you without you even having to spend a moment of time in actual thought,
That better 50/50 will be the chance of Labour/Green/InternetMana to then gather between them the vote to enable a left leaning Government to be formed without the sea-anchor of NZFirst holding it firmly in the grasp of ”Business as Usual” which despite all the flourishing rhetoric is where NZFirst ‘in Government’ has proven to be…
That tactic from Key, if true, would be a double edged sword and quite stupid because it could enrage the general public sentiment against Key and Nats including from the Nats, which might actually take away more soft or patriotic votes from National towards Labour, Greens, NZF or the Cons.
So, no, I doubt they ‘fed’ or ‘asked Collin’ to make this huge sale an issue. some one disgruntled with Key or someone patriotic may have, though
He was unbelievable wasn’t he? Not content with talking over Grant Robertson’s every word and constantly sneering, he then proceeded to talk over the host Lisa Owen, who couldn’t even get him to shut up when she was announcing they were taking a break! What a boor and a bully, it was very like his behaviour every week on Newstalk ZB with Annette King! He is the personification of an uncouth bully! Bye-Bye to ever being National Party Leader, Mr Joyce!
I thought Robertson did well in what was a difficult interview (due to Mr Joyce’s complete lack of courtesy).
It was good to see Robertson fighting back.
That Act candidate from Epsom conducted himself in a similarly bulldozing ‘wall-of-words’ way a few weeks ago.
What is it with the right-wing and their complete lack of respect? These are not people who are capable of governing a country with a wide view to the interests of many. I really don’t know why anyone would vote for such boors.
Oh I don’t know… the Right like bullies. That’s why you’ve got two bullies vying for the Nat. leadership. They’re supporters equate bullying with strength.
He’ll need plastic surgery on his ball sak if he keeps it up (horrible thought I know and I’m not sure how many micro-surgeons are available), but obviously something had the squeeze on – he was damn near squealing.
I LIKED the way Joyce debated today, like in a street brawl, shouting, being stupid, arrogant, being a twit, like a drunken lousy lout and not letting the other smaller guy talk. All good, I say, because the rest of the audience in the country saw what I saw too !
Well, Robertson did interrupt quite a bit from the beginning of the discussion as well. Joyce, though, was arrogant and sneering and into the more personal type of insults, and he did go on with his spin a lot.
Maybe for other uncouth boors – women don’t like that kind of man however! People with good policies and good arguments don’t need to talk over others!
‘BLOG WATCH: Realising what Pundit Blog and Phil Quin are’
By Martyn Bradbury / August 2, 2014
“It was a recent farcical column by ‘Labour Party activist’ Phil Quin that suddenly helped me understood what Pundit Blog actually was – it’s the unofficial blog for the right wing of the Labour Party…
Does he mind this line of questioning? Not at all, he says. “I want to know who the person is that I’m voting for. People should identify who they are … the question is, where to draw the line.”
Where would he draw the line? “I’ll give you a perfectly good example. You can’t ask me about my sex life. You can’t ask me what I get up to in my bedroom. I don’t think that’s anyone’s business.”
Okay. What does he get up to in his bedroom? A pause. “Read books. Read philosophy books.”
and this was funny
Whether it’s stage-managing a picture in a bar or discussing philosophical stances on incest, he just can’t be properly honest any more, can he?
A long pause. “Ah, yeah. That is the worst aspect of it. That is the bit – that’s the most potentially painful aspect of it. And I need to find a way of handling that efficiently. So. Richard Prebble [now Act campaign manager] suggested that the right way to think about it was: you ask me an opinion as a philosopher, but I don’t have any opinions as a philosopher any more. I’m the leader of the Act Party. I may have those opinions, but they’re not coming out … I don’t think that’s completely corrupt.”
unplugged indeed – although this week i have felt some sympathy for him – he reminds me of blinkingDon in the headlights.
More, more, more weirdos into politics please – they make it interesting and sieve effectivelly plus we are all a bit weirder than we would like people to think imo
Tom Jackson , good call.
“NZ ought to cut off diplomatic relations with these racist animals.”
We ought to also cut off diplomatic relations with these racist animals in (Natz) National Party also.
Especially those scheming pundits, Joyce is the tall poppy here as campaigning for National that are using TVNZ as a pubic funded Nazi style (Goebbels circa 1933) propaganda whitewashing machine against opposition parties.
Did Joyce study Goebbels? They were similar lovers of media power.
The latest example is using the outspoken NATZ Mike Hoskings at a moderator during the TVNZ leaders debate, while Hoskings is yesterday on media putting the boot into David Cunliffe yet again.
There is something deeply ROTTEN with TVNZ. They are now no more than a tightly-integrated cog in the National Party
Evidence of National meddling in our press freedom has been raised on this blog before in 2012 and other times so we are now seeing the raw effect this election with Joyce’s fingers all over it.
Like Hitler did with Goebbels the Key/Joyce club is replicating the same model today.
Next we will loose all traces of democracy and free speech altogether, as they cuddle up with TPPA, five eyes global surveillance and Bilderberg also of course?
Key has been to the highly secretive Global elitist power hungry control group called “The Bilderberg Group”.
Key was once apparently in attendance already as he was on the 2012 invitation list, but refuses to acknowledge involvement with this fascist regime born by the NAZI Party in late 1943 when NAZI power was diminishing.
Why is our PM on this list? maybe Mike Moore could tell us eh? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Bilderberg_participants#New_ Zealand
Nasty friends the NATZ have eh!
My Son in Germany says the NAZI are on the rise again.
What have we got to loose say the Nat’s’?
I think its called “democracy” you know the thing we all went to war over time and time again, and many of our brave never came home?.
And now again it seems we are fighting a home battle, so why do these neo-liberals think they can take our liberty free press & free to air TVNZ voice away and democracy away without any law invoked as yet?
Perhaps that is the secret next law change if they get back in, make it a criminal offense to speak against the Government.
Didn’t they use force to close down the “Occupy wall street protest group” by enacting a law against them and using the police? Maybe we have lost democracy and freedom already now and just don’t realise it?
Yes Mike Hoskings post is over on the The Daily Blog. Critical of Cunliffe, but denies bias! FFS.
I am resurrecting this petition. We now have close to 5000 signatures, so that’s too good to waste. I know the issue has gone a bit quiet, but I think we need to keep going. Please sign and circulate. I know Cunliffe has said he has accepted Hoskings, which was the right call, I think we need to give TVNZ and the other msm who are bias, the clear message that we see through it and we will protest against it.
On the same note, I went to Parliament for the last session for the year. I admit, I didn’t stay for the full session, but I saw Claire Trevitt and co in the Press Gallery and when I read her commentary I was gobsmacked. The most notable omission of Meteria clearly and persistently challenging Bill English on child poverty and Bill giving disgraceful, non answers……….Shame on you Bill. To think you are a practicing Catholic.
The report from Civitas found that large-scale immigration will have a negative effect on standards of living as any economic benefits will be outweighed by pressures
The usual conflating of financials with economics. Basically, lots of people make it easier to have lots of money but the economic strain placed upon the countries resources make it economically negative.
Media Bias for Israel Masks Israeli Aggression against Palestinians
The comments by the vicious and ignorant hosts at CNN will be familiar to anyone who has endured the comments of Jim Mora and his befuddled Panelists over the last three weeks….
As for the thick American talkback host Mark Levin: I’m not sure if he reminds me more of Leighton Smith or Larry “Lackwit” Williams…..
The prime minister today called the NZ public liars today, and I quote, “there’s a perception amongst…ahhh…the public at large that politicians…ah…mislead people and akshully it’s not true”.
Note he spread the load to all politicians instead of just himself which is what the question put to him was about.
That’s it, I’m not voting for this guy, he just called me a liar.
Back in February, the Marlborough District Council increased the mount it charges for LGOIMA requests. I used the LGOIMA to poke into this, and it seems the case for increased charges is unjustified: the supposed increase in request volumes it rests on is an artefact of the Council suddenly deciding ...
. . April 6: Day 12 of living in lock-down… Another day of a near-empty Park N Ride carpark; . . And another day of near-empty Wellington streets; . . . Light traffic on the motorway. No apparent increase in volume. Commercial vehicles sighted; a gravel-hauling truck; McAuley’s Transport; a ...
Imagination By-Pass: Had the Communications Minister, Kris Faafoi (above) taken a firm stand with Bauer, reminding them of their obligations to both their staff and the wider New Zealand public, then a much more favourable outcome may well have ensued. He should have made it clear to the Bauer board ...
We all know that Simon Bridges has, at the best of times, an intermittent relationship with the truth. However you would think that during a pandemic and economic crisis the current opposition leader would pull his head in and start to do the right thing.Obviously leading by example should be ...
Connett promotes Riddell et al (2019) as one of the only four studies one needs to read about fluoridation. But he misunderstands and misrepresents the findings of this study. Image credit: Fluoride Action ...
Last month I wrote my blog on covid-19 pointing out the in our pre Alert Level 4 days that a subject no one had heard here months ago was now dominating the media. An amazing feature of this crisis is how quickly it has swept every other issue aside worldwide. ...
Nick Wilson,1 Ayesha Verrall,1,2 Len Cook,3 Alistair Gray,3 Amanda Kvalsvig,1 Michael Baker,1 (1epidemiologists, 2infectious disease physician, 3statisticians)In this blog, we raise ideas for how New Zealand might optimise testing to both identify cases in the community as part of the COVID-19 elimination strategy, and to confirm when the virus ...
Maybe you’ve seen the graph that says those countries where everyone wears a mask are the ones that have managed to keep Covid-19 under control? The first thing to say about that claim is that those countries also did lots of other things, too – they acted fast, with intense ...
Story of the Week... Editorial of the Week... Toon of the Week... Coming Soon on SkS... Climate Feedback Claim Review... SkS Week in Review... Poster of the Week... Story of the Week... North Atlantic's capacity to absorb CO2 overestimated, study suggestsResearch into ocean’s plankton likely to lead to ...
The Treaty on Open Skies is one of the most effective mechanisms for preventing war curently in force. By letting countries make surveillance flights over each others' territory, it eliminates fears that they are secretly preparing for war. So naturally, the US is planning to withdraw from it: The Trump ...
. . April 5: Day eleven of living in lock-down… My one day of rest for the week, and an opportunity to mow my lawns – which I’d been delaying for about three weeks. (On the plus side, the damp micro-climate in my back yard yielded three lovely fresh mushrooms ...
As far as anyone can say, New Zeaand still has a general election scheduled for September 19 this year. The election will be accompanied by two referenda, one of which will ask voters:Do you support the proposed Cannabis Legalisation and Control Bill?The official campaign period for the cannabis referendum begins ...
The vast majority of tributes to the Listener hearken back to its glory days, with little reflection on the magazine as it was at its end.I wrote for it, for half the Listener’s life; I have known personally all the editors except the first (mythical) three. From 1978 to 2014 ...
As the world economy slides rapidly towards deep recession there are growing calls for a Universal Benefit coming from some leftists and rightists. Now Finance Minister Grant Robertson is saying it is on the table. This article by a French party Workers Struggle provides analysis of various forms of universal ...
This is the advice from the very top of the anti-fluoride movement – Paul Connett, director of the Fluoride Action Network (FAN). Don’t worry about reading up on all the scientific information “You only have ...
. . April 4: Day 10 of living in lock-down… I wake up to a fine Saturday morning which normally would be like an early Christmas. But it’s Day 10 of Level 4 Lock Down. What will my fellow New Zealanders be doing on a day like this – staying ...
Some time during the night we went over the 850,000 views mark. We might have had our millionth view by the end of this year – certainly by early next year. Most of the people involved in Redline spent years and years producing various small left-wing papers and selling them ...
Comfortably, in the very first round, with an impressive 56% of the votes.I wonder, did members of the Shadow Cabinet start tweeting their resignations during Starmer's victory speech, or is that only a trick the right pull?It is odd how all the talk of how the next leader "needs to ...
One of the key voices in this extraordinary time in which we live is that of University of Otago epidemiologist Professor Michael Baker. Philip Matthews did an an excellent job this weekend of capturing the way he became the man for this moment in a profile for The Press.But one ...
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern addressed the nation today about the decline in daylight New Zealand has been experiencing over the previous few months. She said “As many of you will notice, our attempts to stem the dwindling of the daylight over the last few months have been completely ...
Redline received this article from the KOE a Marxist party in Greece Our friends in the KOE describe here the mounting crisis in Greece and tensions on the Turkish border. As desperate people flee from their homelands which have been ruined after decades of imperialist wars and interventions the people ...
As the first week of Level Four lockdown unfolded, mounting questions grew as to just what was (and was not) allowed under its “rules”. Partly these were driven by some apparently contradictory messagesfrom different authority figures and explanations carried in the media. Partly they reflected a somewhat sketchy legal basis ...
. . April 3: Day 9 of living in lock-down… Another late-start to my work day. Everything is temporarily upended as clients are shuffled around so we can minimise our “bubble” by reducing the number of people we help. One of my colleagues has been removed from his clients; his ...
In order to meet our 2050 carbon target and do our bit to avoid making the Earth uninhabitable, New Zealand needs to decarbonise our economy, replacing fossil fuels with electricity in the energy, industrial and transport sectors. The good news is that it will mean cheaper power for all of ...
For those folk who find my other Lock-Down Diary versions too “negative” or otherwise unpalatable… Here’s a photo of a pretty flower, . . Better? Tomorrow’s Sanitised Version: a cute animal video. . . . =fs= ...
. . April 2: Day eight of living in lock-down… Today, my work day starts late. Our rosters and clients have been dramatically changed, lessening (theoretically) the number of people in our work “bubble”. If just one of us catches covid19 the impact could be considerable as Grey Base Hospital ...
As Aotearoa enters week two of lockdown, it’s clear we’re all still working out what our “bubbles” look like and how to stay in them to stop the spread of Covid-19. New to the government’s Covid-19 website is some good guidance for people living in apartment blocks. Recent decades have ...
“There are decades where nothing happens; and there are weeks where decades happen.” Lenin Don’t we all know that feeling now.
Prospect Magazine alerted me to this particularly apt quote. It is a much more evocative quote than Hemingway’s “gradually then suddenly” which is also doing ...
Yesterday was the day the consequences of the lockdown suddenly got very real for many. Firms have been closing and laying people off since the outset of the quarantine but this has mostly been happening out of the public eye. The mass closure of a number of iconic New Zealand ...
Brian Williamson1, Prof Nick Wilson2 (1Economic consultant, UK; 2University of Otago Wellington)In this blog, we outline how a win-win social contract could be forged to address the major dimensions of response to the COVID-19 pandemic when using a mitigation strategy: the particular need to protect older people from high ...
Resuming Normal Service: The Republican Party's nominee for in 1920, Warren Harding, promised the American people: “not heroics, but healing; not nostrums, but normalcy; not revolution, but restoration”. If she wishes to remain our prime minister, then Jacinda Ardern will offer New Zealanders the same.HOW EDUCATED AMERICA snickered when the ...
No Free Society Without A Free And Functioning News Media: If we are to surrender our civil rights to the broader cause of defeating Covid-19, then foreign corporations must, likewise, surrender their right to inflict immense economic and cultural harm on New Zealanders simply because it improves their bottom line.I’M ...
by Daphna Whitmore A third of the world is under lockdown and a clear assessment of this measure to curb the spread of COVID-19 is urgently needed. With any high-stakes decisions it has to be asked what are we dealing with here? Are the measures warranted? Will they achieve their ...
I haven’t done a huge amount in the last few days. I’m reading The Poppy War and I’ve sort of poked at a couple of games – I started SOMA but I’m a wimp and I quit while in the first room after the brain scan. I might try it ...
The swan politicians may be gliding on the water, occasionally snapping at one another. Meanwhile, as the Covid19 crisis illustrates, the officials are desperately paddling below providing the real locomotion. One of the most fatuous recent grandstanding comments (of about a week ago), adding to the public’s anxieties, was ...
Much has been written about the importance of discretion in an emergency situation, and the concerns raised by the potential for it to be exercised arbitrarily. Given the quality of the discussion, there seemed little point in adding to it at any length. In particular, I point to the evidence ...
Today has felt surreal. I was all set to touch base online with my science communication students when a colleague shared the news that Bauer Media would be shutting down its publications immediately. The first link I saw implied it was Woman’s Weekly affected, and even that shocked me. But ...
Bogeymen, Real And Imagined: Is the number of psychopathic and sociopathic individuals in any given society truly as vanishingly small as we like to tell ourselves? Isn’t it more likely that the mass-shooters and serial-killers filling the headlines represent only the tip of a much, much larger iceberg of frightfulness? ...
Outgoing Police Commissioner Mike Bush appeared before the Epidemic Response Committee today, who asked him for the rules police are using to enforce the lockdown. He refused:Police Commissioner Mike Bush has admitted the advice given to Kiwis about what they're able to do during the lockdown hasn't been clear enough. ...
For those folk who find my other Lock-Down Diary versions too “negative” or otherwise unpalatable… Here’s a photo of my cat, . . Better? Tomorrow’s Sanitised Version: a pretty flower. . . . =fs= ...
. . April 1: Day seven of living in lock-down… This morning I had a brief chat with one of my neighbours, “D” (social distance between us, a good three or four metres). I learned he had resigned from his previous job and had been hired by another company – ...
Funnily enough, my thought as I start this post is whether it will be well written enough. Or should that be well enough written? Because so much of what I know about good writing came from my two stints at The Listener, which this morning was shut down due to ...
With normal democratic procedures in abeyance, there were two ways to go. First, it was open for the government to dissolve itself and invite the National Party to join a ministry of national salvation. That would have lessened the democratic deficit of the times by having a team of rivals without ...
Dr Kirsty Ross Children and young people can respond differently in times of distress. This also varies by age and developmental stage, with younger children having more magical and imaginative thinking, and older children having more awareness and knowledge of the issues our communities are facing (which brings up ...
Hungary has been a virtual dictatorship for a decade now, as Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has gradually eroded its democracy. But now, its official, with the passage of an indefinite emergency law allowing rule by decree:Hungary’s parliament has passed a new set of coronavirus measures that includes jail terms for ...
While the economy is on pause under lockdown, the government is beginning to plan how to cope with the post-lockdown, post-tourism, post-export education world we will eventually find ourselves in. They're planning a lot of infrastructure spending as economic stimulus, and have asked for proposals which can start the moment ...
It's my distraction, setting up tiny scenes to photograph. I've got stuck on the Babushka dolls for now. Something about their bubble shape. Something about their never changing, smiling features, suggesting persistent equanimity. Can we get through everything that is being thrown at us and keep at least a tiny ...
. . March 31: Day six of living in lock-down… This time I managed to sleep a little longer and the alarm woke me at the pre-set time: 6.55am. Then remembered I was working a later shift and could’ve slept in. Oh well, there are things to do at home. ...
Image credit:Diamond Harbour School Blogs I notice a few regulars no longer allow public access to the site counters. This may happen accidentally when the blog format is altered. If your blog is unexpectedly missing or ...
Yesterday's Horizon poll showing support for a "Yes" vote in this year's cannabis referendum sliding into the majority for the first time in a year looked like good news for reformers – and it probably is. But the result warrants some scrutiny.The poll is the fifth in a series commissioned ...
For almost a week now, every one of us who isn’t an essential worker has been confined to their bubble. We are allowed to go shopping for groceries, to visit the doctor, and to get a bit of exercise if we stay local. The reason we are doing this is ...
The Covid-19 saga will no doubt produce many twists and turns for us before it is finally brought to an end. But one thing it has shown us – and what comfort it should bring us – is that our country’s government is in good hands. I am not thinking ...
In the absence of a vaccine or a cure for a deadly disease, staying home in your bubble is what you do, the concept is not new. To the best of my knowledge last time we did this in NZ was for polio, in the years before a vaccine came ...
The following statement was released on March 28 by the National Network on Cuba, a coalition of 40 groups, based in the United States. In recent weeks, Cuba has deployed hundreds of medical providers to over a dozen countries in Europe, Asia, as well as to their neighbors in Latin ...
This has been a terrible summer for Hector’s dolphins. The first indication was very low numbers of dolphin sightings during late spring and early summer. The Otago University Marine Mammal Research Team has carried out routine dolphin surveys at Banks Peninsula for more than 30 years. In all that time, ...
On March 17, Finance Minister Grant Robertson was quick out of the blocks with an economic rescue package to help businesses through the inevitable recession resulting from the coronavirus pandemic. Robertson had pulled together a scheme in short order that so far seems to have saved many jobs. In his ...
The purpose of the lockdown is to save lives, by reducing the spread of covid-19. We won't know if its really working for another week, but given the devastation that will result if it doesn't - 14,000 dead is the optimistic scenario - its definitely worth trying. But pausing the ...
. . March 30: Day five of living in lock-down… Woke up still in darkness. Alarm hadn’t gone off. Turn to radio clock; it’s a few minutes after 6am… I lie there in the dark, waiting to drift off to sleep… but it ain’t happening. Clock ticks over to 6.55 ...
The story of Les Gray, the public sector psychologist who told the truth about his use of cannabis and set off a storm, has a special place in the lore of cannabis reform in New Zealand.When Paul Shannon interviewed Gray for the 'Dope and Hope' issue of Planet magazine in ...
by Phil Duncan For Marxists, a key concern about social trends is their context – not just their causes, but why they happen when they do. Events and phenomena have causes, but they also are time or period-specific. While much of the left have capitulated recently to postmodernism, most notably ...
Since the lockdown began, we've all suddenly been reminded who the actually essential workers in our society are: not the people at the top who pay themselves the big bucks and rort the perks, but the people at the bottom they screw over and squeeze: cleaners, warehouse staff, truck drivers ...
Kia ora! As I've watched nearly all my remaining work vanish over the past couple of days, it has occured to me that one good way to keep me away from arguing with fools on Twitter all the time (in the knowledge that all we're really doing is processing our ...
Aotearoa New Zealand has committed to trying to extirpate the virus that causes COVID-19 from its shores. To do that, as a society we’ve moved to “Level 4”. That means adapting to unprecedented restrictions on our personal freedoms, particularly to our rights to move freely and associate with friends and ...
When the Prime Minister declared a state of emergency last week, she handed the police powers to enforce it. And almost immediately, we started hearing about heavy-handed, arbitrary "enforcement" by police who (at best) cared more about order than law, or (more likely) had no idea what the rules were ...
. . Lock Down: Day 4 – A photo essay with observations . March 29: Usual wake up routine as RNZ snaps on my radio-clock. Jim Mora’s voice slowly enters my conciousness; there’s talk of a second wave of covid19 taking hold in South Korea; the week in Parliament – ...
Yesterday, New Zealand recorded its first Covid-19 related death on the West Coast. Unfortunately this is unlikely to be the only fatality, with the virus now being found in every region of the country.However despite the significant danger, people are still unfortunately breaching lockdown rules.There’s really only one main very ...
Story of the Week... Toon of the Week... Coming Soon on SkS... Climate Feedback Claim Review... SkS Week in Review... Poster of the Week... Story of the Week... ‘Misinformation kills’: The link between coronavirus conspiracies and climate denialGrist / Rob Kim / Stringer / CSA Images Scientific ...
The kids did surprisingly well today – meltdown count was about 3, and mostly fairly short ones. (And a fourth while I was writing.) Game-wise I had a go at Fell Seal: Arbiter’s Mark. It’s a fairly standard RPG with turn-based combat and what they call a “mature storyline” (it ...
by Don Franks Hi David, Nice hearing from you, I’m glad to hear you’re getting by okay in these grim times. You asked how’s it going for us back here in New Zealand. You would have heard that the whole country is locked down and with breaks for exercise and ...
. . Lock Down: Day 3 – A photo essay with observations . March 28: First day of the first weekend in Lock Down. It feels like it’s been weeks since only Level 3 was declared last Tuesday, only four days ago. Woke up this morning to RNZ; coffee; toast, ...
A chronological listing of news articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week, i.e., Sun, Mar 22, 2020 through Sat, Mar 28, 2020Articles Linked to on FacebookSun, Mar 22, 2020In Just 10 Years, Warming Has Increased the Odds of Disasters by Chelsea Harvey, ...
Rt. Hon. Winston Peters, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Foreign Affairs Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced that New Zealand will enter into transit arrangements with a range of countries to make it easier for each other’s citizens to get home. “There are millions of people around the world stranded ...
From the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, our Government has striven to provide calm, clear and consistent communication, including daily press conference updates from the Prime Minister. ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters says getting New Zealanders back home and other travellers out of the country is "a nightmare for our embassies, consuls, and staff around the world".Speaking to NewstalkZB's Mike Hosking, the Foreign Minister said that he gave a clear message to people travelling overseas that they ...
The domestic travel ban has been lifted for stranded foreign tourists trying to get to international airports to fly home, after the Coalition Government announced a plan to help the tens of thousands of foreigners stranded here. Foreign Minister Rt. Hon. Winston Peters spoke with RNZ's Susie Ferguson said foreign ...
Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters believes the country is rediscovering its resilience and self-reliance through its response to the COVID-19 pandemic.He says he is heartened that the mass majority of New Zealanders are following lockdown rules and that the government looking at the future, including paying to keep much ...
New Zealand can emulate the success of the US after the Great Depression by exploiting our own resources to turn the economy around quickly, Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters says. Mr. Peters told Magic Talk that New Zealand has an opportunity to come out of the COVID-19 pandemic a "superior, ...
All 45 New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) personnel are either on their way back to New Zealand, or already in the country, according to Defence Minister Ron Mark."Twenty-eight personnel arrived back in New Zealand last week and are in isolation at the Royal New Zealand Air Force base in ...
The COVID-19 situation in New Zealand is moving fast - and to avoid what we've seen overseas - the Government's response must be to move fast too. We're committed to keeping New Zealanders safe and well-informed every step of the way. ...
We know people are feeling anxious about COVID-19. While the situation is serious, New Zealand has a world-class health system and we’re well-prepared to keep New Zealanders safe. ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters is encouraging New Zealanders overseas to stay where they are amid the COVID-19 pandemic. "We are reaching a point where the best option for most New Zealanders offshore is to shelter in place, by preparing to safely stay where they are.” "This includes following the instructions ...
Rt. Hon. Winston Peters, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs Foreign Minister Winston Peters is encouraging the tens of thousands of New Zealanders travelling overseas to consider sheltering in place, in light of COVID-19. “Since 18 March, we have been warning New Zealanders offshore that the window for flying ...
The Provincial Development Unit is working through applications and projects to see where Provincial Growth Fund money can be repurposed for initiatives deemed more critical to fighting the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones says. “We need to be throwing everything we have at ...
The Government’s wage subsidy to protect jobs and keep workers and businesses connected during the lockdown has now supported over a million New Zealanders, with $6.6 billion already paid out. “We’re supporting businesses to pay wages, and stay connected with their workers so that we are all in a better ...
The Government is stepping up efforts to help protect New Zealand’s Pacific communities in the fight against COVID-19. Cabinet has agreed that $17 million will be allocated to support a COVID-19 Pacific Response Package, which will: Support Pacific health and disability services facing increased demand; Ramp up public health messaging ...
“Yesterday evening the Health Minister advised me of his trip to a beach during the lockdown and offered his resignation,” Jacinda Ardern said. “Under normal conditions I would sack the Minister of Health. What he did was wrong, and there are no excuses. “But right now, my priority is our ...
Last night as part of my preparation for the Epidemic Response Committee, I provided the Prime Minister with a complete picture of my activity outside my home during Alert Level 4. That included the fact that on the first weekend of the Alert Level 4 lockdown I drove my family ...
A range of support is being rolled out across New Zealand to help people look after their mental health during COVID-19 Health Minister David Clark said this morning. “COVID-19 has brought a lot of uncertainty into our lives and many of us will be feeling some level of distress or ...
The New Zealand Government has made arrangements to charter a flight for New Zealanders stranded in Peru to depart the country, following agreement with the Chilean government to allow the necessary transit through Chile, Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters announced today. “Like many travellers around the world at the moment, ...
Hospital preparations for COVID-19 are well advanced says Health Minister David Clark. “Hospitals across New Zealand are repurposing buildings and training staff to get ready for COVID-19 patients. This gives me confidence that we are well prepared for any potential increase in COVID-19 patients needing hospital level care,” said David ...
The Government will be introducing legislation to make changes to the Companies Act to help companies facing insolvency due to COVID-19 to remain viable and keep New Zealanders in jobs. The temporary changes include: Giving directors of companies facing significant liquidity problems because of COVID-19 a ‘safe harbour’ from insolvency ...
The Government’s plan to cushion the blow of COVID-19 by supporting incomes, jobs and businesses, and position the economy to recover has been backed by another international report. International credit rating agency Moody’s today reaffirmed its highest Aaa credit rating on New Zealand, saying the economy is expected to remain ...
National sports organisations have been given certainty of funding to ensure they can remain viable through the COVID-19 pandemic, Sport and Recreation Minister Grant Robertson announced today. “The global spread of COVID-19 has had a significant impact on sport and recreation in New Zealand, including the cancellation or postponement of ...
Changes have been made to allow butchers to process pork, only for supply to supermarkets or other processors or retailers that are open, Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor has announced. “We carefully weighed the risk of allowing butchers to open their shops for retail customers, but the risk of spreading COVID-19 ...
Essential workers who take leave from work to comply with public health guidance are being supported with a leave scheme to ensure they will continue to receive income, say the Minister of Workplace Relations and Safety Iain Lees-Galloway and Minister for Social Development, Carmel Sepuloni. A number of essential businesses ...
A Government WhatsApp channel has been launched to help make information more easily accessible and shareable in the fight against COVID-19. Govt.NZ, which is free to use on any mobile device, will carry information and news for the public, businesses, healthcare providers, not for profits and local government. It can ...
The Government has announced a plan to enable the safe, orderly exit of tens of thousands of stranded foreign nationals from New Zealand during the current COVID-19 Alert Level 4 restrictions, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters has said. “When we moved into lockdown a week ago, the ...
Health Minister Dr David Clark says the Government is delivering on its commitment to support general practice doctors and nurses, and pharmacies on the front-line of our fight against COVID-19. "For us to overcome COVID-19, we need community health services such as general practice and community pharmacy to step up ...
Justice Susan Thomas has been appointed Chief High Court Judge, Attorney-General David Parker announced today. She replaces Justice Geoffrey Venning who has resigned from the position. David Parker paid tribute to Justice Venning, who he said had stewarded the High Court very capably over the last five years. “On behalf ...
Businesses can start applying to their banks for loans under the Business Finance Guarantee Scheme set up to support the New Zealand economy during the COVID-19 pandemic. “We’re moving quickly to protect New Zealand businesses, jobs and the economy during this unprecedented global economic shock,” Finance Minister Grant Robertson said. ...
Work is underway looking at measures to speed up consents for development and infrastructure projects during the recovery from COVID 19, to provide jobs and stimulate our economy. Environment Minister David Parker said the COVID-19 pandemic is a serious global crisis that will have a wide ranging and lasting impact ...
Advance payments will be made to transport construction industry contractors to retain the workforce and ensure it is ready to quickly gear up to build projects which will be vital to New Zealand’s COVID-19 economic recovery, Transport Minister Phil Twyford announced today. He said keeping the workforce required to build ...
The Government has tasked a group of industry leaders to seek out infrastructure projects that are ready to start as soon as the construction industry returns to normal to reduce the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Economic Development Minister Phil Twyford and Infrastructure Minister Shane Jones say. The Infrastructure ...
Work to scale up the health system in preparation for COVID-19 was today outlined by Health Minister David Clark, as he reported back to the new Epidemic Response Committee. “We are well placed to contain the spread of COVID-19. We have taken early and decisive action at our borders, and ...
The Government is refining its COVID-19 essential business guidance to include the distribution of news publications for communities which are hard to reach. The Minister of Broadcasting, Communications and Digital Media, Kris Faafoi, said the move was in recognition of the importance for New Zealanders who might be harder to ...
The Government is ensuring supermarkets can open on Easter Sunday so we can buy groceries, but stay closed on Good Friday allowing workers to take a break. This provides a balanced approach and ensures we avoid large queues that two days closure may cause. “Supermarkets will be able to open ...
Following the successful conclusion of the Building Partner Capacity (BPC) mission at Taji, New Zealand defence personnel are returning to New Zealand from Iraq, in accordance with the Cabinet decision made in June 2019, Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Ron Mark announced today. “New Zealand is very ...
The State of National Emergency to help stop the spread of COVID-19 has been extended for a further seven days, Minister of Civil Defence Peeni Henare said. The initial declaration on March 25 lasted seven days and can be extended as many times as necessary. “Since we went into isolation ...
New Zealand’s ability to go hard and go early in the fight against COVID-19 has been underpinned by strong Government finances and the growing economy heading into this global pandemic, Finance Minister Grant Robertson says. The Treasury today released the Crown financial statements for the eight months to the end ...
Health Minister Dr David Clark says 36 new intensive care beds at Christchurch Hospital’s new Hagley building are being fast tracked so they are available for treatment of COVID-19 patients. The Ministry of Health is working with contractor CPB and Canterbury DHB to enable access to the hospital’s ICU, ...
The Government has fast-tracked up to $1 million to help Air New Zealand move urgent freight to and from New Zealand, with the first flight to Shanghai leaving tonight, Transport Minister Phil Twyford announced today. Phil Twyford says it’s crucial that trade in vital goods such as medical supplies and ...
New Zealand will temporarily remove tariffs on all medical and hygiene imports needed for the COVID-19 response. Trade and Export Growth Minister David Parker and Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Kris Faafoi said today that the New Zealand Customs Service will apply tariff concessions to all diagnostic reagents and testing ...
Minister of Finance Grant Robertson has clarified that the changes to the wage subsidy scheme announced yesterday mean that employers should be passing on the full subsidy to workers, except in the case where the person’s normal income is less than the level of the subsidy. “We still want employers ...
Medical face masks from the national reserve supply are now being distributed to District Health Boards, while at the same time local production is being ramped up. Yesterday more than 640,000 masks were sent to DHBS – that is an immediate two week supply, with more to follow in coming ...
The Government has made modifications to the wage subsidy scheme to ensure people don’t lose their jobs during the national lockdown. These changes will soften the impact of COVID-19 on workers, families and businesses, and position them to exit the lockdown and look to recovery, Finance Minister Grant Robertson says. ...
Farmers whose herds were culled in response to the outbreak of Mycoplasma bovis will be able to minimise the tax treatment of their income in some circumstances. Revenue Minister Stuart Nash says Cabinet has agreed to change the law. It means farmers may be eligible to spread their income over ...
A $27 million dollar package, effective immediately, is being provided to social sector services and community groups to ensure they can continue to provide essential support to communities as we stay at home as a nation to stop the spread of COVID-19, Minister for Social Development Carmel Sepuloni announced. “At ...
“The guilty plea today will provide some relief to the many people whose lives were shattered by what happened on March 15,” Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said. “These guilty pleas and conviction bring accountability for what happened and also save the families who lost loved ones, those who were injured, ...
The Prime Minister is holding daily press conferences to update New Zealanders on the Government's response to COVID-19. Links to videos and transcripts of these updates below. These transcripts also include All of Government press conferences led by Director Ministry of Health's Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield. 25 March: Live update from the Prime ...
Frontline Police numbers have broken through the 10,000 mark for the first time in history as officers step forward to keep the community safe during the COVID19 lockdown. “Two Police graduations in Auckland and Wellington in the past week have been conducted in unprecedented circumstances,” Police Minister Stuart Nash said. ...
Urgent legislation has been passed to support the package of economic and social measures needed to recover from the impact of the coronavirus outbreak. “The COVID-19 Response (Taxation and Social Assistance Urgent Measures) Bill will cushion New Zealanders from the worst economic impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak,” said Revenue Minister ...
From tomorrow, Government support for farmers and growers affected by drought will be expanded and extended across the country, with access to Rural Assistance Payments (RAPS) available throughout the North Island, parts of the South Island and the Chatham Islands, Social Development Minister Carmel Sepuloni announced. “These challenging conditions have ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Scott Morrison has made clear his view that any attempt to eliminate COVID-19 entirely in Australia would carry too high an economic cost, while Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy says such an aim would require ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stanley Shanapinda, Research Fellow, La Trobe University A conspiracy theory claiming 5G can spread the coronavirus is making the rounds on social media. The myth supposedly gained traction when a Belgian doctor linked the “dangers” of 5G technology to the virus during ...
As governments around the world prepare to spend billions of dollars to stimulate their economies, climate activists see these investments as the last chance for big spending on climate change, Marc Daalder reports "We're out of time." That's the alarm that Climate Change Minister James Shaw has been raising for anyone ...
Analysis by Keith Rankin. Even regional distribution, though South Island is worse. Chart by Keith Rankin. New Zealand now has sufficient case data to get a sense of its regional distribution of Covid19. Surprisingly, Auckland is not dominant, unlike the main business cities in other countries such as London, ...
Analysis by Bryce Edwards.Minister of Health, David Clark. Is David Clark the best possible Minister of Health to be leading New Zealand through the Coronavirus crisis? Confidence in Clark has plummeted with today’s revelation that the Health minister made another recreational trip during the lockdown that appears to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rick Sarre, Adjunct Professor of Law and Criminal Justice, University of South Australia The High Court today quashed the conviction of Cardinal George Pell, who had originally been found guilty on a number of charges by a jury of 12 people. His ...
NZNO urgently needs the Government and all health employers to commit to a comprehensive ‘He Kete Tapuhi Ora response package’ to assist all nurses, midwives, health care assistants and kai mahi hauora in this exceptional fight against the COVID-19 ...
The government is exploring taking legal action regarding the Ruby Princess cruise ship which has proven to be a hotbed of Covid-19 infection in Australia. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rachel Climie, Exercise Physiologist and Research Fellow, Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute Fitbit recently released data showing a global decrease in physical activity levels among users of its activity trackers compared to the same time last year. As we navigate the coronavirus ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Indigo Holcombe-James, Sessional academic, School of Media and Communications, RMIT University Museums, galleries and artist collectives around the world are shutting their doors and moving online in response to coronavirus. But engaging with audiences online requires access, skills and investment. My research ...
Two hundred merchants are trialling an online contactless payment method in store, using just mobile phones and no EFTPOS terminal. The technology - devised by Paymark - has been designed in response to Covid-19, allowing customers to purchase items without having to physically touch the terminal. The transaction uses the ...
A report on the NZ Farmer segment of Stuff caught the eye of Point of Order. It led off with a quote from respected economist Cameron Bagrie. “Thank God for farmers….They’ve felt beaten up over the past couple of years, well, thank God agriculture is still the backbone of NZ.The story ...
The introduction of a Universal Basic Income (UBI) now is totally unaffordable and wrong says Peter Malcolm spokesperson for Income Equality Aotearoa NZ Inc. A UBI or Universal Basic Income is a Government payout to all adults and some say for children ...
Unite Union says SkyCity has broken the law by sacking 200 salaried workers without consultation or discussion. It said SkyCity's letter of notice stated that the decision had already been made and it was not seeking the employees' views to the extent that it would do under normal circumstances. Unite ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Steven Hamilton, Visiting Fellow, Tax and Transfer Policy Institute, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University No Australian government has ever spent A$130 billion so quickly. Last Tuesday, when the Prime Minister announced the government would subsidise six million jobs for ...
By Anita Roberts in Port Vila While the Vanuatu government is investing its resources in tackling the coronavirus pandemic threat, it is now stretching its resources to tackle other natural disasters posing threats to the lives of the people – Cyclone Harold still moving over the country after lashing ...
New Zealand has 54 new confirmed and probable cases of Covid-19, bringing the total number of cases to 1160, the Health Ministry has confirmed. Today’s new figure is down from the 67 new cases reported yesterday. With 65 people recovering in the past day, today is also the first ...
The latest in our new series of charts, graphics and data visualisations by Chris McDowall.This work is entirely funded by the generosity of The Spinoff MembersThese posts collate the most recent statistics and present them as charts and maps. The Ministry of Health typically publishes data updates in the early ...
Misinformation about adrenochrome and its supposed links to Covid-19 has gone into overdrive. But what is it? We separate the substance’s literary history from its real-world functions.If you’ve spent much time online lately, like everyone else in lockdown, you’ve probably fallen down some strange Covid-19 rabbit holes. One word you ...
ANALYSIS:By Sally Young of the University of Melbourne Many newspapers betrayed their readers during the Great Depression and now some are doing so again during the coronavirus pandemic. During the Depression, Australia’s major daily newspapers loudly resisted calls for economic stimulus to revive the economy. Even the tabloids ...
The locked-down residents of a Wellington rest home – including her mum – are treated to a live gig courtesy of historian and author Rachel Buchanan (Taranaki, Te Ātiawa).Ever since I was Dorothy in the New Plymouth Operatic Society’s production of The Wizard of Oz, I have wanted an international ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephanie Perkiss, Senior Lecturer, University of Wollongong The coronavirus might make Easter celebrations a little subdued this year, but that doesn’t mean going without chocolate eggs. In fact, South Australia’s chief public health officer Nicola Spurrier reportedly said people should partake in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joo-Cheong Tham, Professor, Melbourne Law School, University of Melbourne The centerpiece of the Commonwealth government’s COVID-19 economic stimulus program is JobKeeper. Priced at A$130 billion, it will pay eligible employers $1,500 per fortnight for each eligible employee for up to six months. ...
Bernard Hickey talks to Kiwibank chief economist Jarrod Kerr about the latest weak business confidence figures and they hear from Oliver Hartwich about the Euro's dire prospects Bernard Hickey talks with Jarrod Kerr about the latest Covid-19 figures showing New Zealand's hard and early lockdown appears to be controlling ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ben Mathews, Professor, School of Law, Queensland University of Technology The High Court today granted Cardinal George Pell special leave to appeal, and unanimously allowed the appeal. In other words, Pell won. His convictions were quashed and he will be released from ...
The number of new Covid-19 cases reported on Tuesday was the lowest it has been in two weeks, Marc Daalder reports There were just 54 new cases of Covid-19 in New Zealand as of Tuesday morning, Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield said. This is the lowest figure in two weeks, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ilana Finefter-Rosenbluh, Lecturer, Faculty of Education, Monash University The unfolding COVID-19 situation has brought many changes to school education. NAPLAN tests have been cancelled for 2020 and most children are learning online. Education minister Dan Tehan is meeting with the states on ...
The way we buy our food has changed hugely since the lockdown began. Small New Zealand producers have taken a massive hit, closing stores and struggling with online demand. Here are some ways shoppers can help these businesses.In the first week of lockdown, shoppers panicked. It was a perfectly natural ...
Wellington, 7 April - The Government’s current wage subsidy scheme may insufficiently protect Kiwis from the worst effects of the Covid-19 crisis, according to a new report from the New Zealand Initiative. Comparing New Zealand with Australia and Canada, ...
How is Covid-19 spreading within the country? Newsroom is collating information as it's available to paint a picture of what's happening.The following charts are based on numbers shared at the daily press conference. These may vary from the full day's numbers released in the Ministry of Health's spreadsheet ...
New Zealand is seeking reciprocal transit arrangements with other nations after a decision to allow foreign nationals to use country's airports to get home. ...
After a second revelation of a lockdown breach in as many weeks, David Clark's political career is on life support. But in truth he has never really seemed a good fit as health minister, Sam Sachdeva writes. Appearing before Parliament’s epidemic response committee hours after his latest public shaming, Health ...
Powerplay - Health Minister David Clark stays in Cabinet after he breaches lockdown rules, but this could compromise the government's Covid-19 response and cause distractions for the prime minister at a crucial time, writes Jane Patterson. ...
After offering up his resignation, Health Minister David Clark answered questions along with Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield and Otago University Professor and epidemiologist Sir David Skegg. ...
The Sensible Sentencing Trust is calling on the Government to postpone the report due date for Minister Andrew Little’s Electoral (Registration of Sentenced Prisoners) Amendment Bill. This Bill would allow prisoners with a sentence of three years or ...
Reverend Scottie Reeve on the meaning of Easter during the Covid-19 pandemic, and why we need to embark on a journey of collective repentance. On Wednesday while I was going for a walk, I came across a friend on the Wellington waterfront. We’ll call him David. David had no idea what ...
Our essential workers deserve more than a round of applause, but danger pay is not the answer, writes Kerry Davies from the Public Service Association.Did you shower this morning? Is the kitchen clean? Have you changed your sheets since we went into lockdown? Have you vacuumed? Are you taking that ...
The local government sector has banded together to open a helpline for all council drinking and waste water technicians, providing an accessible source of advice for small suppliers across New Zealand to lean on. While drinking and waste water infrastructure ...
This story first appeared in The Mercury Bay Informer and is republished here with permission. Roadblocks could be in place at entry points to the Coromandel this week as the local Civil Defence Controller moves to prevent unlawful travel to the Peninsula during the Covid-19 lockdown. Speaking to The Informer last ...
He Waka Eke Noa – We are all in this together, according to the Prime Minister. Except that we’re not…………………….. After pressure from employees, Fletcher Building executives have shown the way with their decision to take a 30 ...
New Zealanders in need during the COVID-19 lockdown are set to further benefit from a food charity’s distribution programme. KiwiHarvest, a national food rescue charity which collects food from retailers before it goes to waste and distributes it to ...
The Auckland Ratepayers’ Alliance is slamming ATEED as completely out of touch with the economic reality of Aucklanders after the agency posted a job advertisement for a newly created role: a “Digital Content Specialist” . “ATEED should be ...
Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage.New Zealand Parliament Buildings, Wellington, New Zealand. Today’s contentHealth minister demoted, Bridges defends commute 1News: ‘I got it wrong’ – David Clark says he’ll continue as Health ...
The Aotearoa Vapers Community Advocacy (AVCA) will challenge Parliament’s Health Select Committee tomorrow morning, saying the Government’s vaping bill in its current form runs the risk of protecting Big Tobacco. Director of AVCA, Nancy Loucas, says ...
How quickly the political landscape can change. A month ago, Deputy PM Winston Peters, along with PM Jacinda Ardern, was deep into a trans-Tasman sledging match after Ardern attacked Australia’s hardline deportation. But as the coronavirus crisis broadened, it was Peters on the line to Canberra seeking Australia’s assistance in ...
Today New Zealand Air Line Pilots’ Association (NZALPA) President Captain Andrew Ridling said: “Yesterday NZALPA met several times with Air New Zealand CEO Mr Greg Foran and his executive team to continue our discussions on cost-cutting measures ...
Mr Davis, AWUNZ spokesman, said; “The Provincial Growth Fund needs a Union heart not only a commercial mind. Shane Jones needs to accept that work creation is the only goal. I don't mean generously-paid jobs either for the Wellington insiders" ...
BSA has today released a guidance note which it has prepared with a working group of broadcasters to guide broadcasters when reporting on terrorism, violent extremism and crisis events. The guidance note follows the issue of decisions by the BSA last ...
‘Paint is peeling from the old truck workshop walls. Some days you can taste rust on the autumn wind, like swallowing iron and blood and pollen.’Read more Lockdown Letters hereIT’S GONE BELLY UP FOR THE WORLD.I bet the doomsday preppers are feeling smug right now, locking down in their DIY ...
The National Iwi Chairs Forum welcomes the further clarity and guidance on Alert Level 4 rules during lockdown, issued by Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield over the weekend. Speaking from the Wellington base of the National Iwi Chairs Forums ...
After offering up his resignation, Health Minister David Clark will be answering questions along with Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield and Otago University Professor and epidemiologist Sir David Skegg. ...
There’s a desperate scramble to stop more major media companies failing. Duncan Greive explains what’s going on – and how it might play out.The most recent edition of the reigning newspaper of the year, the Sunday Star-Times, was a pearler. It opened with a substantial analysis from political editor Luke ...
CEAC again reviewed the NZTA National Land Transport Programme “2021–24 NLTP development” plan and CEAC is shocked that NZTA has assumed itself as “Transport Agency” - but is only a Gov’t designated “Road controlling authority” (RTA) ...
By RNZ News New Zealand’s Health Minister David Clark has revealed that he took a trip to the beach during the alert level 4 lockdown and has offered to resign. Dr Clark said he drove his family 20km from his house in Dunedin to Doctor’s Point Beach for a ...
As people across New Zealand and the Commonwealth are experiencing unprecedented changes to their lives, concerns for family and friends, and financial uncertainty, you are in my thoughts and prayers. I send my enduring thanks to those who continue ...
As New Zealanders lockdown in their bubbles, Neighbourhood Support New Zealand is launching the Good Neighbour Awards, recognising those who are helping others while staying safe. Launching today, the weekly Good Neighbour Award is about celebrating ...
Thousands of children and their families living in poverty in towns and rural communities across New Zealand will soon be receiving emergency food relief packages from KidsCan. The charity usually supplies food to 787 schools and 55 early childhood centres across ...
UK PM put into intensive care; US death toll over 10k; Trump tweets about 'fake news' as New York buries dead in parks; Germany and Israel tighten lockdownsBoris in intensive care: Shortly after Downing Street reported him to be in "good spirits", BBC political editor Laura Kuensberg tweeted that Prime ...
The Government is working on a way to get home the 79 New Zealanders in Vanuatu. Cyclone Harold, a powerful category 5 made landfall on Vanuatu island of Santo yesterday with destructive winds. ...
Today (Tuesday 07 April) Inland Revenue’s Working for Families customers receive their first payment for the new tax year and for some the amount they get may be different. The amount may have changed from what they received last month, based ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Sanderson, Professor of Information Retrieval, RMIT University Wrapping your head around the scale of a global pandemic is not easy, and the volume of stats and data can be bewildering. What, for instance, are we to make of the fact Australia ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexander Saeri, Research Fellow, BehaviourWorks Australia, Monash Sustainable Development Institute, Monash University More Australians are worried about the longer-lasting, societal effects of the COVID-19 pandemic – specifically that the health system could be overburdened and the country could enter a recession – ...
Auckland Airport launches a $1.2b capital raising, but Auckland Council pulls out; Marsden Point cuts production again as Covid-19 hits fuel demand; Kiwi Property cancels dividend tooDown day: The NZ sharemarket lost ground yesterday following the announcement of a second major capital raising in as many days and the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Meekan, Senior Principal Research Scientist, Australian Institute of Marine Science It might surprise you to learn that nuclear bomb tests during the Cold War are now helping conserve whale sharks, the largest living fish. Growing up to 18 metres – longer ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Terry Hughes, Distinguished Professor, James Cook University The Australian summer just gone will be remembered as the moment when human-caused climate change struck hard. First came drought, then deadly bushfires, and now a bout of coral bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Whiteford, Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Many temporary Australian residents will be excluded from the JobSeeker Payment and Coronavirus Supplement to be provided to permanent residents. In this open letter to the prime minister, 40 leading Australian ...
For those keen to avoid the long and awkward queues at supermarkets, there may be a new technological solution.Long supermarket lines have become the bane of the lockdown era, with many people worried that the overcrowding and long wait times may burst their bubbles. Those concerns have prompted a Dunedin-based ...
David Clark has disclosed he took a trip to the beach with his family during lockdown and offered his resignation. The Prime Minister keeps him as Health Minister, but demotes him. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has demoted Health Minister David Clark to the bottom of the Cabinet and stripped him ...
Good morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Health minister David Clark suffers major demotion, government launches mental health tools, and more outline given on decision to leave lockdown.In breaking news, health minister David Clark has been severely demoted by the Prime Minister. Last week, a story came out ...
Open mike 02/08/2014 
Open mike is your post.
Back in February, the Marlborough District Council increased the mount it charges for LGOIMA requests. I used the LGOIMA to poke into this, and it seems the case for increased charges is unjustified: the supposed increase in request volumes it rests on is an artefact of the Council suddenly deciding ...10 hours ago
. . April 6: Day 12 of living in lock-down… Another day of a near-empty Park N Ride carpark; . . And another day of near-empty Wellington streets; . . . Light traffic on the motorway. No apparent increase in volume. Commercial vehicles sighted; a gravel-hauling truck; McAuley’s Transport; a ...14 hours ago
Imagination By-Pass: Had the Communications Minister, Kris Faafoi (above) taken a firm stand with Bauer, reminding them of their obligations to both their staff and the wider New Zealand public, then a much more favourable outcome may well have ensued. He should have made it clear to the Bauer board ...14 hours ago
We all know that Simon Bridges has, at the best of times, an intermittent relationship with the truth. However you would think that during a pandemic and economic crisis the current opposition leader would pull his head in and start to do the right thing.Obviously leading by example should be ...15 hours ago
Connett promotes Riddell et al (2019) as one of the only four studies one needs to read about fluoridation. But he misunderstands and misrepresents the findings of this study. Image credit: Fluoride Action ... 17 hours ago
Last month I wrote my blog on covid-19 pointing out the in our pre Alert Level 4 days that a subject no one had heard here months ago was now dominating the media. An amazing feature of this crisis is how quickly it has swept every other issue aside worldwide. ...1 day ago
Nick Wilson,1 Ayesha Verrall,1,2 Len Cook,3 Alistair Gray,3 Amanda Kvalsvig,1 Michael Baker,1 (1epidemiologists, 2infectious disease physician, 3statisticians) In this blog, we raise ideas for how New Zealand might optimise testing to both identify cases in the community as part of the COVID-19 elimination strategy, and to confirm when the virus ...1 day ago
Story of the Week... Editorial of the Week... Toon of the Week... Coming Soon on SkS... Climate Feedback Claim Review... SkS Week in Review... Poster of the Week... Story of the Week... North Atlantic's capacity to absorb CO2 overestimated, study suggests Research into ocean’s plankton likely to lead to ...2 days ago
As far as anyone can say, New Zeaand still has a general election scheduled for September 19 this year. The election will be accompanied by two referenda, one of which will ask voters:Do you support the proposed Cannabis Legalisation and Control Bill?The official campaign period for the cannabis referendum begins ...2 days ago
As the world economy slides rapidly towards deep recession there are growing calls for a Universal Benefit coming from some leftists and rightists. Now Finance Minister Grant Robertson is saying it is on the table. This article by a French party Workers Struggle provides analysis of various forms of universal ...2 days ago
This is the advice from the very top of the anti-fluoride movement – Paul Connett, director of the Fluoride Action Network (FAN). Don’t worry about reading up on all the scientific information “You only have ... 2 days ago
Comfortably, in the very first round, with an impressive 56% of the votes.I wonder, did members of the Shadow Cabinet start tweeting their resignations during Starmer's victory speech, or is that only a trick the right pull?It is odd how all the talk of how the next leader "needs to ...3 days ago
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern addressed the nation today about the decline in daylight New Zealand has been experiencing over the previous few months. She said “As many of you will notice, our attempts to stem the dwindling of the daylight over the last few months have been completely ...3 days ago
We must root out the traitors among us! ...4 days ago
I haven’t done a huge amount in the last few days. I’m reading The Poppy War and I’ve sort of poked at a couple of games – I started SOMA but I’m a wimp and I quit while in the first room after the brain scan. I might try it ...5 days ago
Image credit: Diamond Harbour School Blogs I notice a few regulars no longer allow public access to the site counters. This may happen accidentally when the blog format is altered. If your blog is unexpectedly missing or ... 7 days ago
The Covid-19 saga will no doubt produce many twists and turns for us before it is finally brought to an end. But one thing it has shown us – and what comfort it should bring us – is that our country’s government is in good hands. I am not thinking ...7 days ago
The following statement was released on March 28 by the National Network on Cuba, a coalition of 40 groups, based in the United States. In recent weeks, Cuba has deployed hundreds of medical providers to over a dozen countries in Europe, Asia, as well as to their neighbors in Latin ...1 week ago
Rt. Hon. Winston Peters, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Foreign Affairs Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced that New Zealand will enter into transit arrangements with a range of countries to make it easier for each other’s citizens to get home. “There are millions of people around the world stranded ...12 hours ago
From the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, our Government has striven to provide calm, clear and consistent communication, including daily press conference updates from the Prime Minister. ...2 days ago
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The scale of what we face right now is unlike anything we have ever seen before. Overcoming it is our common purpose. ...2 weeks ago
The Provincial Development Unit is working through applications and projects to see where Provincial Growth Fund money can be repurposed for initiatives deemed more critical to fighting the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones says. “We need to be throwing everything we have at ...11 hours ago
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Scott Morrison has made clear his view that any attempt to eliminate COVID-19 entirely in Australia would carry too high an economic cost, while Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy says such an aim would require ...2 hours ago
As governments around the world prepare to spend billions of dollars to stimulate their economies, climate activists see these investments as the last chance for big spending on climate change, Marc Daalder reports "We're out of time." That's the alarm that Climate Change Minister James Shaw has been raising for anyone ...7 hours ago
NZNO urgently needs the Government and all health employers to commit to a comprehensive ‘He Kete Tapuhi Ora response package’ to assist all nurses, midwives, health care assistants and kai mahi hauora in this exceptional fight against the COVID-19 ...8 hours ago
The government is exploring taking legal action regarding the Ruby Princess cruise ship which has proven to be a hotbed of Covid-19 infection in Australia. ...8 hours ago
Two hundred merchants are trialling an online contactless payment method in store, using just mobile phones and no EFTPOS terminal. The technology - devised by Paymark - has been designed in response to Covid-19, allowing customers to purchase items without having to physically touch the terminal. The transaction uses the ...9 hours ago
A report on the NZ Farmer segment of Stuff caught the eye of Point of Order. It led off with a quote from respected economist Cameron Bagrie. “Thank God for farmers….They’ve felt beaten up over the past couple of years, well, thank God agriculture is still the backbone of NZ.The story ...9 hours ago
Unite Union says SkyCity has broken the law by sacking 200 salaried workers without consultation or discussion. It said SkyCity's letter of notice stated that the decision had already been made and it was not seeking the employees' views to the extent that it would do under normal circumstances. Unite ...9 hours ago
The latest in our new series of charts, graphics and data visualisations by Chris McDowall.This work is entirely funded by the generosity of The Spinoff MembersThese posts collate the most recent statistics and present them as charts and maps. The Ministry of Health typically publishes data updates in the early ...10 hours ago
Bernard Hickey talks to Kiwibank chief economist Jarrod Kerr about the latest weak business confidence figures and they hear from Oliver Hartwich about the Euro's dire prospects Bernard Hickey talks with Jarrod Kerr about the latest Covid-19 figures showing New Zealand's hard and early lockdown appears to be controlling ...11 hours ago
The number of new Covid-19 cases reported on Tuesday was the lowest it has been in two weeks, Marc Daalder reports There were just 54 new cases of Covid-19 in New Zealand as of Tuesday morning, Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield said. This is the lowest figure in two weeks, ...11 hours ago
How is Covid-19 spreading within the country? Newsroom is collating information as it's available to paint a picture of what's happening. The following charts are based on numbers shared at the daily press conference. These may vary from the full day's numbers released in the Ministry of Health's spreadsheet ...12 hours ago
After a second revelation of a lockdown breach in as many weeks, David Clark's political career is on life support. But in truth he has never really seemed a good fit as health minister, Sam Sachdeva writes. Appearing before Parliament’s epidemic response committee hours after his latest public shaming, Health ...13 hours ago
Up to 400 Air New Zealand pilots look set to lose their jobs as part of the airline's plan to slash one third of its workforce. ...13 hours ago
This story first appeared in The Mercury Bay Informer and is republished here with permission. Roadblocks could be in place at entry points to the Coromandel this week as the local Civil Defence Controller moves to prevent unlawful travel to the Peninsula during the Covid-19 lockdown. Speaking to The Informer last ...14 hours ago
UK PM put into intensive care; US death toll over 10k; Trump tweets about 'fake news' as New York buries dead in parks; Germany and Israel tighten lockdowns Boris in intensive care: Shortly after Downing Street reported him to be in "good spirits", BBC political editor Laura Kuensberg tweeted that Prime ...17 hours ago
The Government is working on a way to get home the 79 New Zealanders in Vanuatu. Cyclone Harold, a powerful category 5 made landfall on Vanuatu island of Santo yesterday with destructive winds. ...17 hours ago
Auckland Airport launches a $1.2b capital raising, but Auckland Council pulls out; Marsden Point cuts production again as Covid-19 hits fuel demand; Kiwi Property cancels dividend too Down day: The NZ sharemarket lost ground yesterday following the announcement of a second major capital raising in as many days and the ...17 hours ago
David Clark has disclosed he took a trip to the beach with his family during lockdown and offered his resignation. The Prime Minister keeps him as Health Minister, but demotes him. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has demoted Health Minister David Clark to the bottom of the Cabinet and stripped him ...18 hours ago
Covid 19 coronavirus lockdown: Health Minister David Clark demoted after driving 20km to beach, breaking lockdown rules; and Coronavirus. ...18 hours ago
Genocide in Gaza.
The ongoing massacres in Gaza are too shocking for words.
The world is demanding a ceasefire.
Someone needs to tell the US backers of Israel that ceasefire, means ceasefire.
Under the truce negotiated by the US, Israel reserved the right to continue their military offensive against the Palestinian tunnels.
This was a recipe for disaster.
As you would expect the Palestinian defenders resisted the destruction of the tunnels, exchanging fire with the Israeli attackers. To which the Israelis responded by restarting their shelling of civilian areas.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/timaru-herald/news/world/10336166/Gaza-ceasefire-over-within-hours
Under the terms of the partial truce, the fighting should have been restricted to the tunnels. But even though there were no reports of Israeli casualties in the ‘exchange of gunfire’. In revenge at the return gunfire, Israel resumed shelling of civilian areas, killing 40.
In response to this massacre, conducted outside the conditions of the partial truce, Palestinians resumed their rocket fire on Israel, launching 8 unguided projectiles at Israel, which as usual proved ineffective, seven landing in open areas and one being intercepted by Israel’s hi tech. ‘Iron Dome’ missile defence system.
As well as shelling and bombing civilian areas, the Israelis as they have done in past attacks and continue to do, have been targeting the territory’s infrastructure, and have destroyed the territory’s only power station leaving 1.5 million city dwellers without electricity. The destruction of Gaza’s infrastructure including farms, alongside the permanent blockade restricting the entry of food and medicine amounts to a slow motion genocide. UN reports are that the destruction of the water and waste water systems by Israel is causing sickness and death in the blockaded territory. And the UN also report that the amount of food available to the citizens of Gaza is approaching famine levels with over 61% facing severe food insecurity. And this was even before the latest hostilities erupted.
Israel must stop their brutal attacks on civilians and lift their illegal blockade, or be found guilty of conducting genocide against the Palestinians.
Our Government need to warn the Israelis that we will cut off all diplomatic ties.
And if the government won’t do it then the opposition parties should promise it.
So Hamas break the ceasefire after only 3 hours, firing rockets, killing and kidnapping an Iraeli soldier.
http://mfa.gov.il/MFA/ForeignPolicy/Terrorism/Pages/Rise-in-rocket-fire-from-Gaza-3-Jul-2014.aspx
Who would have thought. Bet all these nice peaceful Palestinian terrorists are taking good care of him…..yeah, right.
Let’s quote the article in the link to the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs website that Grumpy gives us:
http://mfa.gov.il/MFA/ForeignPolicy/Terrorism/Pages/Rise-in-rocket-fire-from-Gaza-3-Jul-2014.aspx
The IDF were given the right to carry on military operations against the tunnels under the terms of the US arranged ceasefire. I understand that.
According to the IDF and the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, under the terms of this ceasefire agreement, the Palestinians defending these tunnels were also supposed to disarm themselves and allow themselves to be helplessly killed or taken into indefinite detention by the armed IDF attackers.
Now let’s get this straight, The IDF seem to think that under the terms of this ceasefire as well as having the right to carry out military attacks against the Palestinian tunnelers they also had a free pass to kill or capture the Palestinian defenders without them proffering any resistance. And because they faced armed resistance they had a right to resume shelling unarmed civilians.
According to the same website I also see that these military operations against the tunnels were carried out on Gazan territory.
In this case you would think that the Palestinians would have a fully justified and equal right to defend themselves from the Israeli attackers in their own territory. But it seems not.
Israeli proganda tells us that their operations are to destroy infiltration tunnels into Israel.
Even the most ignorant of commentators know that Rafah is nowhere near Israel.
In fact Rafah is in the Sinai desert on the Egyptian border in the far south of Gaza, far removed from Israeli territory. Rafah is the site of the smuggling tunnels which have been Gaza’s only lifeline to the outside world since Egypt, Israel’s ally keeps the official Rafah surface crossing firmly closed except for the most basic of medical aid shipments.
So lets understand this: Fully armed IDF soldiers were allowed to use lethal force to destroy smuggling tunnels in the South of Gaza far removed from Israeli territory and kill or capture any Palestinians who resisted, but the Palestinians did not have equal rights to defend themselves from these attacks?
And for daring to defend themselves and because they captured one IDF soldier the IDF massacred 40 Palestinians with shell fire into a civilian area?
And the world is supposed to accept this?
They should offer to give him up in return for your beloved IDF stopping the slaughter of innocent civilians.
I bet you approved of the 1968 My Lai Massacre.
Hamas claim that the prisoner of war was captured before the ceasefire took effect. Their claim seems plausible. Why do the Zionists use the misleading term “kidnapping”? Kidnapping is more descriptive of what they do to young Palestinians on the West Bank. As for the care of the captured invader, he’ll probably be better looked after than many Arabs in Israeli interrogation centres.
Last I heard the IDF dropped a 1000kg munition on his last known location, probably killing him and the Hamas fighters with him.
Of course, the official story is that the IDF were only aiming for the Hamas fighters…
Serves him right for using Hamas as human shields.
+100 Jenny….good post…it really is shocking!…we are witness to crimes against humanity
‘A brief word on “We tortured some folks” ‘
By Martyn Bradbury / August 2, 2014
“We’ll just add these State sanctioned tortures alongside the state sanctioned drone assassinations and state sanctioned coups and invasions shall we?…
Well said. This is a truly appalling situation.
What have Labour got to say about Gaza?
Did you check their press release feed on the right hand side of this page? Or is someone else to do it for you?
You mean this one?
http://campaign.labour.org.nz/unconditional_gaza_ceasefire_needed_now
What is most noticeable about this statement from David Shearer is that like a lot of Labour Party press statements it does not put any demands on our government to do anything. Nor does it commit the Labour Party to do anything.
What is most noticeable about your comment is the way you don’t quote the beginning of the press release at all.
I guess it doesn’t suit your agenda.
The Greens are proposing that the Israeli ambassador be expelled, Mana are calling for a boycott and an end to special visa arrangements too.
What are you proposing?
NZ ought to cut off diplomatic relations with these racist animals.
@Anonymous Bloke. Your weak defence of Labour’s fence sitting has no substance and does not address the point I was making.
I didn’t quote the first part of Shearer’s statement because it is self evident. And has been said many times by many people. I also didn’t give the full quote because the moderator generally frowns on people giving full quotes, and usually wants us to give the link to get the full quote. Which I did.
But just for you Anonymous Bloke, I will put in the full quote and let the readers judge if it adds or subtracts anything from my point that Labour is refusing to commit themselves to do anything to stop this appalling slaughter.
I presume this is the quote you wanted me to look at?
The Question is Anonymous; Is it OK to identify something as appalling and call on others to do something about it but refuse to commit to do anything about it yourself?
In effect David Shearer’s statement is meaningless and insincere. David Shearer might as well have not bothered. Just like David Shearer nor any other Labour Party official has ever bothered to take up the invitation by the organisers to address the large peace rallies that have been held every Saturday for the last three weeks, just in case they wind up having to commit themselves to something.
I thought that was obvious. I am proposing that Labour stop their insincere handwringing and take up these demands too.
You are moving the goalposts Jenny. Firstly you said:
“What is most noticeable about this statement from David Shearer is that like a lot of Labour Party press statements it does not put any demands on our government to do anything. Nor does it commit the Labour Party to do anything.”
Then when it was pointed out to you that you had weakened the intent of the Labour’s press release by cutting out the really grunt part you then demanded that Labour expel the Israeli diplomat.
National is not responsible for what is happening in Gaza. Demanding they do something is not going to achieve anything.
And expelling the Israeli diplomat? How would we then express our disgust at the innocent murder of women and children the next time it happens? Making Israel into an even more rogue state will not help.
Maybe some sanctions aka Russia ? Oh that’s right the old Israeli’s own the American poolitical system. Israel, just gets it’s rich poolitical backers to ring up the local senator and threaten to take away their funding. Sanctions what sanctions? And when you are up against that, then only the outrage of billions of people will get them to stop. But when?
+1 David H
I did email Key’s office early on in the Gaza offensive to ask if we’re following the US lead rather than using any influence we may otherwise have as an independent nation a, that could maybe soften the Israeli determination to bomb the smithereens out of Gaza.
No reply as yet…. he’s good at the hand-wringing for the press, but.
@mickysavage:
Again with the thin defence and quibbling over Labour’s fence sitting.
What “really grunt part” are you talking about? I have read this several times and can see no demand that Labour made on anyone that I left out in my first statement. The only demand that David Shearer made and I which I covered in the first line of my first quote of his words was this: ““Pressure needs to be brought to bear by the US, UN, European Union and Arab States on both sides to stop.”
In my opinion a completely hollow demand, because how can we hope to influence these big powers if we refuse to do anything ourselves?
What I have mentioned several times now and is the issue you still refuse to address is the point that Labour refuses to commit themselves to do anything or even demand that the current government do something. Instead you join open partisan bigots like grumpy attacking me with confused pedantic quibbles that don’t stack up.
I think you need to back up your quibbling by quoting exactly what “really grunt part” I left out.
Come on Glen. Your argument doesn’t even make sense. The innocent murder of women and children is going on now!
Your argument is the same “building bridges” argument that the Rugby Union and the Muldoon government used to justify links to the Apartheid regime of South Africa. It flies in the face of calls for an international boycott of this vicious and racist apartheid regime.
oops sorry Greg typo
Look Greg to turn your crazy logic around if we expel the Israeli ambassador and cut diplomatic ties we can always reinstate them if they change. Just as we did with South Africa when that country rejected apartheid,. And they will have an incentive to do so. Especially if more and more countries join the international boycott against them.
‘
Labour and National Party activists and politicians must have a much higher tolerance level for genocide than most people.
Most people would reject the murder of innocent women and children on the first instance.
Come on Greg you can be better than this.
Stand up to the extreme Right pressure in your own party.
Do what ever it takes. Demand in the strongest terms possible (either privately or publicly), that your party leader David Cunliffe make a statement promising to suspend diplomatic relations with Israel.
Political life of late has been eventful, exciting and at times fraught. For some it will get more intense as campaigning moves up a gear.
It’s been a long time between weekend socials. It may be an ideal time for letting off steam or finding a tranquil place of relaxation (Tranquil may not be the most suitable word to describe a Standard post)
Any authors have a moment in their busy lives to put our old familiar “time out” post up?
here ya go rosie..
..i’ll kick it off..
..how about a live-stream of lollapalooza..happening now..?
..and over the next three days..?
http://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/aug/01/lollapalooza-livestream-arctic-monkeys-outkast-kings-of-leon
Good heads up phil.
Well worth a visit as the the tourist brochures say. Will look into that this arvo – interested to see what the line up is.
Part weekend social part open mike, my offering is a news flash for candidates: Cafes are not private places to hold campaign update and strategy meetings. (Tea tapes anyone?)
Old flappy ears here was intrigued and amused that the nat candidate for Ohariu sat down behind me at a cafe yesterday and proceeded to tell his coffee buddy all the news of the nat campaign. I only got one paltry piece of interesting stuff.
I was mostly frustrated because of two things: I have this social deafness thing going on where I can’t hear conversation where there is background noise such as other conversations and music and Mr R was trying to have a conversation with me, which I had to pay attention to.
Theres most likely an old war propaganda poster about keeping conversations private because you never know when your enemy might be listening.
Oh, here’s one:
http://anglotopia.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/carlesstalk.jpg
and if you need a wknd-laff…this will do the trick..
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/aug/01/sinner-top-10-guide-happiness-pope-francis
or zip it sweetie
http://static6.businessinsider.com/image/4fdb4ccaeab8ea1425000008-1200/zipp-it.jpg
Quite agree Rosie, some weekend respite from war and elections would be relaxing. Maybe one of the mods would put the Weekend Social back.
Am going to be in town the same time as the Palestine solidarity rally today so will most likely attend that if the gales don’t put people off – but even so some “social” would definitely be welcome, along side the political.
I’m balancing the intensity with music, big blasts of it at the end of the day!
Rosie, i think ‘Weekend Social’ had so little patronage in the way of comments some weekends that a decision might have been made to ‘can’ it?,
‘Open Mike’ tho is for discussing ‘anything’ so i see no reason why, especially on the weekends, that stuff like the ‘gardening’, what we re reading, what we are eating, and, all the other bits and pieces that may have got an airing in ‘weekend social’ shouldn’t be discussed here,
(Lolz, even when the odd commenter objects to our discussions of our eating habits, ok, Bank’s eating habits might be a bit over the top)…
Russell Brand has been putting out some rather witty dissections of the media on his Youtube channel.
https://www.youtube.com/user/russellbrand
One episode where he hilariously Fisked Fox news (w)anchor Sean Hannity has lead to a cross Atlantic tit for tat: http://www.theguardian.com/culture/2014/aug/01/russell-brand-takes-on-sean-hannity-in-gaza-spat.
They’re all rather good (and hat tip to Sable, who spotted them a couple of days ago).
@ trp..
..ahem..!..@ whoar ‘a couple of days ago’..
..http://whoar.co.nz/2014/russell-brand-takes-down-sean-hannity-video/
..so often first with the best..that whoar..eh..?
In solidarity with the English language, I’m currently boycotting Whoar, Phil,
may the glow of ignorance envelop you..
..back to the herald..eh..?
..heh..!..
..that’s some thin gruel there…
“may the glow of ignorance envelop you..”
Irony roflmao
Fuck me, that Sean Hannity and Fox News is unbelievable.
Next those extreme Americans will be holding Nuremberg type rallies
Mad americans.
Idiot americans
Bastard americans
You want to try relinquishing American (i.e. U.S.) citizenship! The Land of the Free just can’t cope nor understand why anyone would want to.
“Fuck me, that Sean Hannity and Fox News is unbelievable.”
John Key disagrees. He says Fox News is a source of education.
(Question 1, Wednesday November 14 2012)
Armstrong, ever the National party toadie gives in His piece in today’s Granny Herald 101 reasons why NZFirst will opt for a coalition with National after the September election,
Just as easily read as 101 reasons why the self respecting left leaning voter should not vote for NZFirst at the fast approaching ballot to find the next Government, Armstrong has failed to address the two points that will queer the pitch that He makes in an effort at back of the envelope possible coalition permutations,
The first, election 2011 as the actual poll neared had the possibility talked up by the likes of Armstrong and the media polls of a National Party so fatted with votes it would have been able to form a Government in its own right,
Enter the ‘strategic voter’, after Slippery the Prime Minister had effectively made a vote for NZFirst ‘safe’ by ruling Peters and NZFirst out of inclusion in any coalition, such ‘strategic voters’ took the side of NZFirst and the % of votes which brought NZFirst back from political oblivion while being ‘unmeasurable’ will again be crucial at election 2014,
IF, we ascribe to NZFirst the 5% of the vote allocated by the recent Morgan poll as an accurate reading of the electorate, then subtract any old %, half a %, quarter of a %, however large or small the departing ‘tactical voters’ NZFirst enjoyed in 2011, and depart they will be en masse looking for that where their votes will ensure a Government of the left in September,
Then there is one inescapable conclusion to be drawn, NZFirst will not enjoy 5% of the vote in September,
Second, enter the Elephant in the room, admittedly a scrawny looking ‘beast’ with eyes best described as madly staring, the butt of everyone’s skeptical humor, who might, admittedly, albeit
accidently, just be the lefts best friend at election 2014, Colon and the Conservatives,
Busily campaigning in the heart of NZFirst’s turf, Grey-Power meetings, should, and this is said again using the latest Roy Morgan polling of NZFirst 5% as reference, should Colon’s Conservatives abscond with any small %, half %, quarter %, of the vote previously farmed from among the Grey-Power retiree demographic by Peters then NZFirst is i would suggest again, history,
Armstrong is today delivering the ‘soothie’ of a done and dusted 2014 election, a foregone conclusion of a National/NZFirst coalition being the result, i would say ”only in your dreams John”, NZFirst are facing the shaky ground of an election result which matches that of 2008,
InternetMana, the new kid on the block, an unknown electoral equation might just produce a 50% result for the left in September,
Labour 33%, Greens 12%, InternetMana 5%, read like that are not a huge ask, those numbers tho in September would add up to a Government of the left, lets do it…
What Armstrong is arguing a vote for NZ1 is a vote for nats
Aha, any Left leaning voter who is also a supporter of NZFirst should read the Armstrong piece in the NZHerald today and ask themselves how having a third term National Government propped up by NZFirst will sit with their left leaning ideals,
According to Armstrong a vote for NZFirst is a definite vote for a National Government, there’s an easy fix to that…
Since when do any of us listen to and take seriously what Armstrong has to say?
Since when???, Armstrong tho isn’t addressing commenters here at the Standard is He…
Point being that Armstrong is a tory schill and what ever he writes, the opposite should probably be believed.
Labour’s vote crumbling says Armstrong twice-23.5%, 24.9%, 26.5%, 26.7%, 28%, 30% has been Labour in the last 6 polls-spot a trend?
My prediction remains 31/11/7=Cunliffe.
But if necessary IMP and Greens can support Lab/NZF on confidence and supply.
I think Labour and the Greens will score a bit higher and NZ1st won’t quite reach 7%
Allen-the 7% is IMP
Not in my scenario 😉
Allen I think you may mean scarenario
Nice one BG 🙂
Quelle surprise 😆
consistent riser – just like IMP and the polls
Without kims illegal loot propping up the bar, not so much though.
The biggest laugh is still at your expense. If kim was backing Banks or ultra right wingers like act, again, you’d be all over it as a disgrace and buying politicians for cash etc…
Your principles must cost less than hh’s, ’cause you won’t even see a penny of it. 😆
🙄
So imagine kdc setting up Rodney Hide in a new party to take down Cunliffe’s government – What do you do and say?
Yeah, you roll ’em, I’ll poke ’em. 😉
imagine? don’t have to because I’m dealing with reality not second hand right wing spin like you. Do you look but not see, do you listen but not hear, do you touch but not feel, do you allen, do you? – riddle me that bud.
Right, so no serious contribution, mars. Fair do’s mate, but if kim was rodder’s king maker you like most, if not all, would be over it like a rash as dodgy millionaire buying politicians and you know it, even if it’s not expedient for you to say so.
Principled, oh yeah.
Alien, don’t let rational thought get in the way of your little playschool fantasies will you,
Kim DotCom ISN’T attempting to prop up ACT or any other right wing absurdity is He so you are in fact dribbling drivel,
If DotCom’s coin helps deliver a Government of the left, that delivers actual left wing policy and outcomes to the country all power to Him i say,
30 years of Neo-liberal dominance of politics both on the left and right of the spectrum has to be broken somehow, if it takes the large Germans money to do just that then so be it…
allen, regurgitating second hand right wing memes thinking they are original ‘serious’ ideas is so weak really. I just thought BG had it correct with IMP at 7% – get over it.
plus I agree with bad’s comment – we need to change the government and winnie is not the man for that job.
“Kim DotCom ISN’T attempting to prop up ACT or any other right wing absurdity is He so you are in fact dribbling drivel,”
“So imagine” was the lead in to the point.
“regurgitating second hand right wing memes thinking they are original ‘serious’ ideas is so weak really.”
It’s not a right wing meme as far as I’m aware, but even if it is, it’s a valid point to the legitimacy of hh grabbing at kims loot and your credibility in not opposing it, but being openly supportive. Like I said, other way round and you’d be apoplectic.
The ‘serious’ bit is you deflecting, to which I am aware of and subsequently not giving a rats arse over.
I just thought BG had it correct with IMP at 7% – get over it.
” we need to change the government and winnie is not the man for that job.”
So says you, Bad and depending on which polls you read, 1 – 2.5% of kiwis.
But that’s the good thing about politics, kim buying influence aside, everyone, even minorities have a say.
”And don’t let rational thought get in the way of your playschool fantasies” was the lead into the part of my comment you reproduce Alien,
i do not need to ‘imagine’ DotCom backing ACT because it is glaringly obvious that He is not,
So debating your fantasies is pointless in the context of the election campaign, a deliberate attempt to derail what is being discussed Alien???…
Kim’s ‘illegal’ loot? Has that been proven? Do you know what ‘cloud’ storage is? Is cloud storage wide spread and is it illegal? Is so, tell that to thousands of such websites around the world, including YouTube.
KDC donated to Bank’s ‘mayoral’ election fund. Not to ACT. Banks wasn’t even in the ACT party at that time.
Go on, just for you – kim’s alleged illegal loot.
And Banks, that paragon of left wing politics. He bought what he paid for.
In my opinion NZF will cross the 5% threshold.
A vote for NZF is not a GUARANTEE that NZF will DEFINITELY go with Key/National.
Winston is a very astute, intelligent and crafty politician. He will grab votes from lots of his usual supporters, from lots of unhappy National supporters and from some soft Labour camp. Left, right and centre.
On the Nation today, he has taken a vote attracting strong stand against sale of Kiwi land and property, including the Lochinver Station, to foreigners, thus gazumping Colin Craig’s cunning bound to fail foray into Winston’s political territory.
Winston is one of the most masterly politician of this country. Don’t ever underestimate his ability and cleverness.
I think he is more IN than OUT on Sept 20.
But WHO he is in WITH is a 2c worth question, that no one really knows the answer to, including the high priest, Chief Matai Vaovasamanaia Winston !
Watch what Winston says here:
http://www.3news.co.nz/Govt-under-fire-over-Chinese-farm-bid/tabid/1607/articleID/355126/Default.aspx
[P.S as an aside re Chief Matai Vaovasamanaia Winston: From an old report through Google:
“It’s all a total surprise, I’ve been caught unawares here. I am totally unprepared for it,” Mr Peters told NZPA.
‘He was good humoured as local woman dressed him up to look more special for the occasion wrapping him in a woven mat skirt and adorning his head with a sequined band’.]
Yesterday I read a post in Standard by a writer who speculated that ACT might get 4%!
ACT on 4%?!…..THAT would be the biggest political miracle of this century!
Even Roger Douglas, Ruth Richardson and Don Brash would be turning in their graves!
Congratulations to Colin Craig for exposing the secretive sale of Lochinver Station.
“..Craig who was shunned this week by by National revealed…..” (ChCh Press-Saturday) and
He ..”took the fight to the National Party yesterday..”
One wonders if he had not been shunned by National as superfluous or even damaging to it’s needs, would he have been so keen to take the fight to National -or would he have kept quiet.
I think the latter. After all, what are friends for?
Colon ”i beg you to believe me, we are not loonies”, the Conservative channels Winston Peters flaming the land ownership question into a quisling racist query,
Not only is the ‘pinhead’ diving into Winston’s form of hate speech, He’s gone after NZFirst’s voter base with a series of addresses to Grey-Power,
Both parties are now locked into a dance of death election struggle, Colon knows deep down He cannot win and will now attempt to take Peters and NZFirst with Him,
National are standing on far shakier electoral ground then anyone is letting on to…
+1 bad. Colon was severely piss-taken on 7-Days last night. Worth a watch.
Who told cc about the secret land sale?
I’d bet it was on key’s say so, in the hope the conservatives pinch enough votes of NZ1st to snuff Winston out of post election talks with Labour and the Greens.
Alien, it is unlike you to sound like you live a delusion from prior to 2008, a vote for Winston Peters is as likely to be a vote for National, at best a 50/50 gamble,
As Peters will talk to National first it is obvious that should the numbers require it to, National will give Peters whatever large bauble He demands up to what i see as His opening demand, the Office of Prime Minister that is,
Peters may have gone silent on His Green hatred recently but that is only to fool the lightweight thinkers who have previously voted for NZFirst,
Is that you Alien, a lightweight thinker willing to gamble a vote for NZFirst isn’t a vote to prop up a third term National Govrnment…
“As Peters will talk to National first”
No indication of that Bad. Not saying it won’t happen, but it’s not been flagged thus far in this campaign.
“National will give Peters whatever large bauble He demands”
And DC, MT and RN won’t?
“Is that you Alien, a lightweight thinker”
I’d never be so modest or bold to confirm or deny.
“willing to gamble a vote for NZFirst isn’t a vote to prop up a third term National Govrnment”
I’m not voting NZ1st, and wouldn’t, and I can’t believe there are many Winston voters on here.
Not on planet Earth Alien?, or just putting forward bullshit as a point of debate, Winston Peters has repeatedly said He will talk to the Party that gains the most votes First after the election,
Do i need provide a link that proves the above point???,
Rather than a 50/50 gamble on which side of the political divide Peters will opt for, and, even should He opt for supporting Labour you then have to ask ”what’s the point” another Government of ”Business as Usual”???,
The better 50/50 is to be rid of NZFirst, don’t worry Alien the ‘tactical voters’ and those who switch their votes from NZFirst to Colons Conservatives will do it for you without you even having to spend a moment of time in actual thought,
That better 50/50 will be the chance of Labour/Green/InternetMana to then gather between them the vote to enable a left leaning Government to be formed without the sea-anchor of NZFirst holding it firmly in the grasp of ”Business as Usual” which despite all the flourishing rhetoric is where NZFirst ‘in Government’ has proven to be…
That tactic from Key, if true, would be a double edged sword and quite stupid because it could enrage the general public sentiment against Key and Nats including from the Nats, which might actually take away more soft or patriotic votes from National towards Labour, Greens, NZF or the Cons.
So, no, I doubt they ‘fed’ or ‘asked Collin’ to make this huge sale an issue. some one disgruntled with Key or someone patriotic may have, though
steven joyce channeled muldoon..again…on the nation..
..he should go to thailand..and get some plastic-surgery..
..a dimple/chin-implant..
..that..and a bit of voice-coaching..
..and he will become muldoon…
..and he is likely the next leader of the tories..(!)
..arrogance on a stick…
..the perception of this govt being arrogant and out of touch..and uncaring..
..and now that the asset-stripping has been completed..
..an idea-free zone..
..is all further embedded in..
..thank you mr joyce..
He was unbelievable wasn’t he? Not content with talking over Grant Robertson’s every word and constantly sneering, he then proceeded to talk over the host Lisa Owen, who couldn’t even get him to shut up when she was announcing they were taking a break! What a boor and a bully, it was very like his behaviour every week on Newstalk ZB with Annette King! He is the personification of an uncouth bully! Bye-Bye to ever being National Party Leader, Mr Joyce!
Seems that they need to start turning their microphone off.
I thought that too!…But then the public will miss seeing what sort of lying crooks and idiots these rich prick Nat RWNjobs actually are!
@ dv..
..nah..!..i wd rather their hubris hangs out in the open…for all to see…
and his bullying of/ignoring of/talking over of/mansplaining all over..lisa owen…
..wouldn’t have done a lot to shore-up support for national amongst women..
..you’d think..?
+1 Hami Shearlie
I thought Robertson did well in what was a difficult interview (due to Mr Joyce’s complete lack of courtesy).
It was good to see Robertson fighting back.
That Act candidate from Epsom conducted himself in a similarly bulldozing ‘wall-of-words’ way a few weeks ago.
What is it with the right-wing and their complete lack of respect? These are not people who are capable of governing a country with a wide view to the interests of many. I really don’t know why anyone would vote for such boors.
Right-Wing means Tory and as the old but true saying goes “There is only one good Tory ”
I will leave al mthe elderly Lefties to finish it off.
Oh I don’t know… the Right like bullies. That’s why you’ve got two bullies vying for the Nat. leadership. They’re supporters equate bullying with strength.
He’ll need plastic surgery on his ball sak if he keeps it up (horrible thought I know and I’m not sure how many micro-surgeons are available), but obviously something had the squeeze on – he was damn near squealing.
I LIKED the way Joyce debated today, like in a street brawl, shouting, being stupid, arrogant, being a twit, like a drunken lousy lout and not letting the other smaller guy talk. All good, I say, because the rest of the audience in the country saw what I saw too !
For those who did not see The Nation programme today,
Watch
the Jabbering Joker Joyce, here!
http://www.3news.co.nz/Debate-Grant-Robertson-and-Steven-Joyce-on-the-wealth-of-the-nation/tabid/1348/articleID/355158/Default.aspx
Enjoy! You are welcome!
Well, Robertson did interrupt quite a bit from the beginning of the discussion as well. Joyce, though, was arrogant and sneering and into the more personal type of insults, and he did go on with his spin a lot.
Joyce will never win a charm offensive.
Sounds like he has the perfect qualifications Hami
Maybe for other uncouth boors – women don’t like that kind of man however! People with good policies and good arguments don’t need to talk over others!
Sorry Hami-it was meant to be sarcasm
‘BLOG WATCH: Realising what Pundit Blog and Phil Quin are’
By Martyn Bradbury / August 2, 2014
“It was a recent farcical column by ‘Labour Party activist’ Phil Quin that suddenly helped me understood what Pundit Blog actually was – it’s the unofficial blog for the right wing of the Labour Party…
Witty article on whyte – toby is good at this
and this was funny
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/election-2014/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503581&objectid=11302751
unplugged indeed – although this week i have felt some sympathy for him – he reminds me of blinkingDon in the headlights.
More, more, more weirdos into politics please – they make it interesting and sieve effectivelly plus we are all a bit weirder than we would like people to think imo
I see the Russians are planning to train and arm the Cuban and Mexican defence forces.
And the yanks aren’t going to do anything about it.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/10341050/US-to-train-and-arm-Ukraine-army
What about Canada?
A couple of outstanding comments on current global chaos
Michael Roberts Blog on a 1937 redux (i.e. forget 1914). http://thenextrecession.wordpress.com/2014/08/01/the-risk-of-another-1937/
and
James Petras on the global Chaos and where it leads (socialism or death).
http://t.co/S42GjR1AOT
Tom Jackson , good call.
“NZ ought to cut off diplomatic relations with these racist animals.”
We ought to also cut off diplomatic relations with these racist animals in (Natz) National Party also.
Especially those scheming pundits, Joyce is the tall poppy here as campaigning for National that are using TVNZ as a pubic funded Nazi style (Goebbels circa 1933) propaganda whitewashing machine against opposition parties.
Did Joyce study Goebbels? They were similar lovers of media power.
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/…locaust/goebbels.html
The latest example is using the outspoken NATZ Mike Hoskings at a moderator during the TVNZ leaders debate, while Hoskings is yesterday on media putting the boot into David Cunliffe yet again.
There is something deeply ROTTEN with TVNZ. They are now no more than a tightly-integrated cog in the National Party
Evidence of National meddling in our press freedom has been raised on this blog before in 2012 and other times so we are now seeing the raw effect this election with Joyce’s fingers all over it.
Like Hitler did with Goebbels the Key/Joyce club is replicating the same model today.
Next we will loose all traces of democracy and free speech altogether, as they cuddle up with TPPA, five eyes global surveillance and Bilderberg also of course?
Key has been to the highly secretive Global elitist power hungry control group called “The Bilderberg Group”.
Key was once apparently in attendance already as he was on the 2012 invitation list, but refuses to acknowledge involvement with this fascist regime born by the NAZI Party in late 1943 when NAZI power was diminishing.
Why is our PM on this list? maybe Mike Moore could tell us eh?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Bilderberg_participants#New_ Zealand
Nasty friends the NATZ have eh!
My Son in Germany says the NAZI are on the rise again.
What have we got to loose say the Nat’s’?
I think its called “democracy” you know the thing we all went to war over time and time again, and many of our brave never came home?.
And now again it seems we are fighting a home battle, so why do these neo-liberals think they can take our liberty free press & free to air TVNZ voice away and democracy away without any law invoked as yet?
Perhaps that is the secret next law change if they get back in, make it a criminal offense to speak against the Government.
Didn’t they use force to close down the “Occupy wall street protest group” by enacting a law against them and using the police? Maybe we have lost democracy and freedom already now and just don’t realise it?
http://www.change.org/en-CA/petitions/television-new-zealand-calling-to-have-mike-hosking-dropped-from-moderatingthe-political-debates#share
Yes Mike Hoskings post is over on the The Daily Blog. Critical of Cunliffe, but denies bias! FFS.
I am resurrecting this petition. We now have close to 5000 signatures, so that’s too good to waste. I know the issue has gone a bit quiet, but I think we need to keep going. Please sign and circulate. I know Cunliffe has said he has accepted Hoskings, which was the right call, I think we need to give TVNZ and the other msm who are bias, the clear message that we see through it and we will protest against it.
On the same note, I went to Parliament for the last session for the year. I admit, I didn’t stay for the full session, but I saw Claire Trevitt and co in the Press Gallery and when I read her commentary I was gobsmacked. The most notable omission of Meteria clearly and persistently challenging Bill English on child poverty and Bill giving disgraceful, non answers……….Shame on you Bill. To think you are a practicing Catholic.
http://thedailyblog.co.nz/2014/08/01/you-wont-believe-mike-hoskings-latest-column/
This is the post I referred to in my comment above urging people to sign the petition.
Mass immigration could see water shortages, failing hospitals – and we won’t feel richer, says Civitas
The usual conflating of financials with economics. Basically, lots of people make it easier to have lots of money but the economic strain placed upon the countries resources make it economically negative.
Media Bias for Israel Masks Israeli Aggression against Palestinians
The comments by the vicious and ignorant hosts at CNN will be familiar to anyone who has endured the comments of Jim Mora and his befuddled Panelists over the last three weeks….
As for the thick American talkback host Mark Levin: I’m not sure if he reminds me more of Leighton Smith or Larry “Lackwit” Williams…..
The prime minister today called the NZ public liars today, and I quote, “there’s a perception amongst…ahhh…the public at large that politicians…ah…mislead people and akshully it’s not true”.
Note he spread the load to all politicians instead of just himself which is what the question put to him was about.
That’s it, I’m not voting for this guy, he just called me a liar.