Brownlee, I'm afraid, is in for a huge disappointment. It's highly unlikely that the Natz will form the next government; Natz and Act fall short of a majority (thank God) and there is no way TPM will go within a barge pole of an agreement with Act.
So, at best, Brownlee faces another 3 years as a useless list MP.
A fitting epitaph for a less than stellar career serving the rich folks of Fendalton.
More likely he will retire and be replaced off the list than hang around 3 years. At least this would avoid potentially incurring the costs of a by-election.
The 66-year-old appeared to play down speculation about the Speaker's role when he was asked about it by media today, ahead of announcing his decision to run exclusively on the list.
"What, and suffer the barbs and arrows from people like yourself? My goodness, I'm not that much of a… what's the term?" Brownlee said.
Lol. Newshub as a reliable source of unbiassed news? The Fox News of NZ.
It's typical of the simplistic attitude of rwnj: a few payments go amiss – so what? But what about the 1.3 million or so payments that didn't, that have helped those struggling.
I'd much sooner that happened than we gift $11 million to a 'Saudi sheep farmer!' Or waste $26 million on a vanity flag referendum.
My reckons – it would have cost a shit load more and would have created major delays to have reduced the error rate. Which is why it was done this way.
I'm looking forward to his insistence that the public be provided with a list of those who received money in the bailout of South Canterbury finance, the date they invested their money and an explanation of why interest was paid out when it was only supposed to be the original deposit.
Who benefitted and by how much? Who knew interest was going to be paid out? Who invested late with maximum investments in each of their family members names?
With all due respect, my response to Sacha's post is pertinent.
The authors also state…
Such policies may lead to detrimental long-term impacts on uptake of future public health measures, including COVID-19 vaccines themselves as well as routine immunizations.
And just as the authors predicted…routine immunization rates have plummeted.
…our public health institutions need to address this and move heaven and earth to restore trust.
They’re not perfect, but I trust NZ public health institutions – always have, always will (touch wood).
Rosemary, could you outline what actions our public health institutions could take to restore your trust? Ideally these actions wouldn’t undermine my abiding trust – I could give you feedback in that regard.
Note that I'm all for increased funding of public health services, including any increase in general taxation needed to maintain and improve services.
What, in your opinion, should vaccine deniers do to restore trust and repair the damage they have caused, including many avoidable preventable deaths? This was the point of Sacha’s comment, but you insist on going off tangent and divert to your own hobby horse, as usual. Sacha’s comment did not mention anything about mandates or any of the other pet points you love to rant about here on TS.
As to your measles link, the answer(s) to your question is in there and it has nothing to do with Covid, at least not as you’d hope. In fact, they seem to think that the Covid-19 pandemic may actually help boost vaccination numbers. You didn’t read the article you linked to, did you? Because your premise has no basis in it!!
Immunisation expert: 'Anti vaxxers are not the problem, we knew a measles epidemic was likely'
"There's a lot of young to mid-life adults walking around who didn't get fully vaccinated when they were young… people weren't reminded," she says.
Anti-vaxxers are not the reason for Auckland's measles epidemic, an immunisation expert claims.
"The major problem is there's a lot of young to mid-life adults walking around who didn't get fully vaccinated when they were young," says Immunisation Advisory Centre head and GP Dr Nikki Turner.
Dr Turner's comments come as the number of confirmed cases of measles in New Zealand hits a new high of 937 – 804 of them in Auckland – and New Zealander of the Year Dr Lance O'Sullivan is calling for those who choose not to vaccinate to be penalised with a 'no jab, no pay' welfare system and tax policy.
But Dr Turner says Dr O'Sullivan is baying for the wrong blood, and that it's the health system that's at fault for not running a tighter national immunisation programme.
"Only a very small percentage of the New Zealand population is totally opposed to immunisation, and there's another three to four per cent who have a lot of fears. And to them, I'd say go and talk to a trusted health professional about what your fears are.
Well…O'Sullivan had his 'no jab no pay' wet dream come true…didn't he?
… and now we’ve brought back smallpox, tuberculosis and polio.
Where does it say anything about measles, in 2019???????
Your pathetic argument basically is that anti-vaxxers were not thought to have played a part in the measles epidemic in NZ in 2019 and therefore anti-vaxxers have not played a role in bringing back smallpox, tuberculosis and polio and New York State in 2022.
You really seem to have trouble focussing and staying on topic.
You really can’t avoid simplistic binaries and false dichotomies.
I am having a problem trying to find evidence that 'vaccine denialism' is the cause of outbreaks of polio, tuberculosis and smallpox (in the US?)….as per the expert whose tweet Sacha so kindly shared with us …for what purpose I am not sure.
UPDATE: In July 2022, CDC was notified of a case of polio caused by vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (VDPV2) in an unvaccinated individual from Rockland County, New York, and is consulting with the New York State Department of Health on their investigation. Public health experts are working to understand how and where the individual was infected and provide protective measures, such as vaccination services to the community to prevent the spread of polio to under- and unvaccinated individuals.
As you can possibly imagine…convincing people that it is necessary to have more polio vaccines to protect against vaccine derived polio would be a big ask.
Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) is a vaccine for tuberculosis (TB) disease. This vaccine is not widely used in the United States. However, it is often given to infants and small children in other countries where TB is common. BCG does not always protect people from getting TB.
After smallpox was eliminated from the world, routine vaccination against smallpox among the general public was stopped because it was no longer needed. However, because of concern that variola virus might be used as an agent of bioterrorism, the U.S. government has stockpiled enough smallpox vaccine to vaccinate everyone who would need it if a smallpox outbreak were to occur.
When there is NO smallpox outbreak, you should get the smallpox vaccine if you:
Are a lab worker who works with virus that causes smallpox or other viruses that are similar to it.
If you need long-term protection, you may need to get booster vaccinations regularly. To stay protected from smallpox, you should get booster vaccinations every 3 years.
When there IS a smallpox outbreak, you should get the smallpox vaccine if you:
Are directly exposed to smallpox virus. For example, if you had a prolonged face-to-face contact with someone who has smallpox.
If there is a smallpox outbreak, public health officials will say who else should get the vaccine. CDC works with federal, state, and local officials to prepare for a smallpox outbreak.
I'm guessing Sacha's expert is perhaps a little confused. It was, as we all know by now, the erroneous claim that there was an association between the measles component in the MMR vaccine and autism that led to some parents not having their kids vaccinated with the MMR shot. Had the authorities allowed the administration of separate measles, mumps and rubella vaccines, appropriately spaced out, the problem might have been mitigated.
Instead…the US has instituted some of the most stringent childhood vaccine mandates in the world. Silly tactic really. The more you screw people down, forcing them to do stuff to their children with minimally obvious positive returns….you're going to get pushback.
I am a patreon of Richard Seymour and his recent email seems relevant when I think about the absolute bovine glee of the media pile on over the cost of living payment in the last 48 hours and the denial by some of the right wing trolls here it represented a fundamentally right wing world view on the part of our MSM.
I'll post an excerpt here, I can't link obviously because, you know, patreon and if you want to read his stuff you should subscribe and support him:
"…Does this bring us back to my assertion – scarcely a claim now, more a statement-of-the-obvious – that there is a fascist potential lurking in modern liberal technoculture? Most of what I'm thinking of is just philistinism, commercial and political cynicism, and media stupidity, which certainly tends conservative. It is conservative in its incredulity toward critical thinking, militancy and change. It is conservative in its astonishment that anyone isn't philistine, cynical and stupid. It is conservative in its assimilation of the democratic public sphere as a universal PR exercise, in which no fundamental distinction can be found between fascists and democrats, pathological lying and honesty, accuracy and nonsense, because everything is a self-maximising strategy. It is conservative in its bottom-line aversion toward, and suppression of, accidental outbreaks of intelligence. It is conservative in its underlying nihilism and simultaneous passionate commitment to a status quo, and to the sentimental mores that uphold it, that it assumes to be hollow…"
There have been actual academic papers published about how some of the public health measures deployed over the past nearly three years might have had a negative effect…population wise.
This one has been around for a while, and I'm sure will command greater respect than others because it is, in part, funded by Big Pharma and their allies.
The Unintended Consequences of COVID-19 Vaccine Policy: Why Mandates, Passports, and Segregated Lockdowns May Cause more Harm than Good
While COVID-19 vaccines have had a profound impact on decreasing global morbidity and mortality burdens, we argue that current population-wide mandatory vaccine policies are scientifically questionable, ethically problematic, and misguided. Such policies may lead to detrimental long-term impacts on uptake of future public health measures, including COVID-19 vaccines themselves as well as routine immunizations. Restricting people’s access to work, education, public transport, and social life based on COVID-19 vaccination status impinges on human rights, promotes stigma and social polarization, and adversely affects health and wellbeing. Mandating vaccination is one of the most powerful interventions in public health and should be used sparingly and carefully to uphold ethical norms and trust in scientific institutions. We argue that current COVID-19 vaccine policies should be reevaluated in light of negative consequences that may outweigh benefits. Leveraging empowering strategies based on trust and public consultation represent a more sustainable approach for protecting those at highest risk of COVID-19 morbidity and mortality and the health and wellbeing of the public.
It might be worth downloading and reading the entire paper. Or not.
The thing is Sacha…some of us were following the uptake of the Pfizer and Moderna products as they were rolled out in late December 2020. Initially, there was great enthusiasm and providers could barely keep up with demand.
The demand for the second shot was markedly less…and before long 'incentives' (more like bribes) were deployed to encourage greater uptake. Mandates…which amount to force when a person's ability to financially support themselves and their family is threatened…were brought in and….
….public and political discourse has normalised
stigma against people who remain unvaccinated, often
woven into the tone and framing of media articles. 60
Political leaders singled out the unvaccinated, blaming
them for: the continuation of the pandemic; stress
on hospital capacity; the emergence of new variants;
driving transmission to vaccinated individuals; and the
necessity of ongoing lockdowns, masks, school closures
and other restrictive measures (see table 2). Political
rhetoric descended into moralising, scapegoating, and
blaming using pejorative terms and actively promoting
stigma and discrimination as tools to increase vaccina-
tion. This became socially acceptable among pro- vaccine
groups, the media and the public at large, who viewed
full vaccination as a moral obligation…
This paper does not focus on the injuries suffered by a small but obviously significant number of the mRNA 'vaccine' recipients which some of us believe is the reason for the marked drop off of uptake between the first and second shot and the second shot and the boosters. No one in officialdom will discuss this in other than dismissive terms. However…not the point of this very important paper.
What it does importantly highlight is the non- sterilizing nature of these products and the unreasonableness of population wide roll outs and the ensuing harm to people's confidence in public health authorities. The vaccine was going to provide herd immunity. It didn't. The vaccine was going to prevent infection and transmission and reduce viral load. It doesn't. Yet the mandates were rolled out and have persisted.
The paper also highlights the failure to recognize the value of naturally acquired immunity .
Despite clear evidence that infection- derived immu-
nity provides significant protection from severe disease
on par with vaccination, 18 31 prior infection status has
consistently been underplayed. Many individuals with
post- infection immunity have been suspended or fired
from their jobs (or pushed to leave) or been unable to
travel or participate in society 31 56–59 while transmission
continued among vaccinated individuals in the work-
place.
Some of us looked at the data from around the world, did our own risk/benefit analysis and chose not to partake of the Pfizer product. We have instituted immune supportive measures (which MSM label 'anti-vax'), had Covid, got better. According to the studies we can assume relatively good protection from serious illness when we encounter future coronaviruses. And we are contributing to herd immunity.
Sacha. You are, more than most around here, perfectly capable of reading extensively on a subject and gaining wider nuance than can be gleaned from a tweet.
You have a working knowledge of the power of messaging. But you also know the value of lived experience….that applies very much with this issue. Please take the time to read this…perhaps watch the zoom discussion between various experts. Not all are in total agreement…but it definitely marks an 'oh shit what have we done' moment.
Well tomorrow is 6 months since my booster – and I will be happily lining up for my 4th dose of vaccine and be bloody thankful for the government's and scientific community's efforts in creating and providing this vaccine to me.
The point of the paper…supported by very many well referenced sources…is saying that the way many countries managed Covid (including NZ) and the roll out of the 'vaccines' has been somewhat of a disaster.
With respect to ongoing confidence in Public Health institutions general and standard, routine immunisations in particular.
But hey…you're all fine and dandy, and that's all that matters. Eh?
67% of the world population has received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
12.35 billion doses have been administered globally, and 6.83 million are now administered each day.
Only 19.9% of people in low-income countries have received at least one dose.
At least our per capita COVID-19 death rate remains less than a fifth of many other wealthy countries (e.g. UK, USA, Belgium, Italy, Spain, France). Hopefully the factors contributing to the current rapid rise will all come out in the wash.
About four months ago I mentioned here that I had just has an emergency MRI scan for the sudden onset of a neurological problem. It has taken a while to discover what the formal diagnosis is. It is not a good one.
Today a specialist immunologist told me point blank that it was almost certainly the consequence of COVID vaccination.
A very close female friend, 30 years old and an early receiver of the Pfizer product….keen to be able to see parents overseas, and with contacts in the system…developed severe heart issues…typical myo/pericarditis with pain and tachycardia dizzines and shortness of breath. She was told it was anxiety. Eventually got to see a specialist privately and was Holter monitored. Nothing conclusive. Of course she did not get the SOP for myocarditis …blood test for troponins and an echocardiograph. This was April/May 2020. It took until December 2020 and the death of Rory Nairn for the PTB to issue a 'You'd better start taking this shit seriously' notice.
Anyhoo…I was set the task of finding out what it could be and what to do about it. Ms. Googler, that's me. I entered her symptoms into the google and this site was on the first page. If any one was actually writing a text book of what weird shit an happen after the Pfizer shot her would be in it. This site was on the first page…and there was a commnet from another Kiwi who had done exactly what I had done and found themselves on that page. I never commented…but read page after page of the most heartbreaking 'I wish the hell I'd never had the fucking shot' stories.
The first entry was January 2021. Many have neuro issues…on top of pre-existing vestibular dysfunction.
My girl is one of four people I know who had similar issues. None of them reported to CARM because they were told it was in their head. None of them will have another shot and none of them will willingly take another mRNA vaccine until the safety of same is proven.
At least one of them would kill before letting their mokos get 'vaccinated'.
I remember you telling us about your scare RL. Thanks for sharing…seriously. In the months ahead it is going to be vital for us to be willing to speak up about these issues, even in the face of derision and disbelief.
Australia has a vaccine injury program…no? Will you be able to make a claim?
Could you please link to the website of this specialist immunologist? It is hard to believe a medical professional would diagnose your neurological problem as a consequence of vaccine harm. Are specialist immunologists even qualified to read MRI scans?
Reason I ask is that for some years you have been undermining government responses to the pandemic by introducing unfounded and weak theories to the discussion for cowed, ultra conservative ideological purposes.
If you are going to claim personal experience to the antivax cause, surely you must back it up with believable references…
I sympathise with RL – had two MRI scans in NZ (and one in the UK) for a sudden-onset neurological problem – scary, but treated by our wonderful public health service (Wellington Hosp.) It's been more than 20 years since the corrective brain surgery, and I haven't needed a revision yet. Thanks to the surgical team, and consensus medical opinion then, and now.
Over the last year, however, I have been finding it difficult to lose weight. Is this a known side-effect of Comirnaty – do I have a case?
You're stepping over a line here. You can express scepticism, but please don't start probing people's personal health issues.
I don't have an opinion about the vax connection, I can think of a number of ways that an immunologist would be qualified to express such an opinion eg they're part of a team reviewing cases in a hospital, or the neurologist sent them the notes from the MRI and the neurology consult, and so on.
Me too Barfly, am about to go out to organise my second booster. I'm OK with the vaccine regime despite having a relatively mild dose of Covid back in late March, which agrivated my previously very mild atrial fibrillation with a rather unpleasant few hours with the usual effects of AF. I was roundly told off when my Health team phoned me the next day to see how I was faring and how I should have called an Ambulance. Who knows I may have had to wait until the AF had abated before said Ambulance arrived!! I now sport a Medic Alert bracelet and have added an anticoagulant to my daily list of meds and the AF is back under control again.
All good and nice but the majority of deaths occur with the main cause being a bacterial infection of any sort. When the body is weak on defences antibiotic medicines are used. This is a tricky field as most people know as resistance is build by those bacteria and science has worked to have more effective antibiotics developed. Except….they did not do that over the last 15 or more years. The reason: of cause money. Funny that. An industry as the likes of Pfizer etc are saying they have no money to develop a better variant. If nothing is done in the next few years we have to brace ourselves for many many deaths. Far more than covid ever has caused.
It looks like the logical, straight forward and sane conclusion as to how Covid 19 was passed on to humans was the correct one after all. Why am I not surprised?
Mind you, these are the words of the scientists and experts charged with the task of tracing the source of the virus, so some will have difficulty accepting their prognosis. (sarc)
Awesome if they have conclusively found The Source of All Our Ills…but such a screaming pity that the waters around finding the source of Te Virus have been well and truly muddied.
Perhaps beyond redemption.
The work of a task force commissioned by the Lancet into the origins of covid-19 has folded after concerns about the conflicts of interest of one its members and his ties through a non-profit organisation to the Wuhan Institute of Virology.
Task force chair Jeffrey Sachs, economics professor at Columbia University in New York, told the Wall Street Journal that he had shut down the scientist led investigation into how the covid-19 pandemic started because of concerns about its links to the EcoHealth Alliance, a non-profit organisation run by task force member Peter Daszak.1 “A lot is going on around the world that is not properly scrutinized or explained to the public,” Sachs told the newspaper, adding that the task force would broaden its scope to examine transparency and government regulation of risky laboratory research.
The decision came as evidence continued to accumulate that Daszak had not always been forthright about his research and his financial ties to the Wuhan Institute of Virology. Daszak now faces increased scrutiny from scientists, the media, and members of US Congress.
Shortly after the pandemic began Daszak led a February 2020 statement in the Lancet alleging that it was a “conspiracy theory” to argue that the pandemic could have started from a laboratory leak in Wuhan. “I have no conflicts of interest,” Daszak later told the Washington Post, regarding his collaboration with Shi Zhengli of the Wuhan Institute of Virology.4
But Daszak’s story began falling apart last November when the non-profit group US Right to Know published emails gathered through a freedom of information request that showed he had orchestrated the Lancet statement without disclosing that he was funding Shi Zhengli through grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Two of the world's leading medical Journals….shake their heads.
However…let's not forget that money talks.
When this groundbreaking research exonerating the Wuhan Lab is in part funded by the same institution that was funding the Wuhan lab to do research on coronaviruses…some understanding is due if not everyone wholeheartedly embraces their conclusion.
An ongoing controversy over what constitutes virology research that is too dangerous to conduct—and whether the U.S government funded studies in China that violated a policy barring funding for such risky research—has taken a new turn. While denying once again it had helped create the virus that sparked the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) revealed in a letter sent yesterday to Republicans in Congress that experiments it funded through a U.S.-based nonprofit in 2018 and 2019 at the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) in China had the “unexpected result” of creating a coronavirus that was more infectious in mice.
NIH says the organization holding the parent grant, the EcoHealth Alliance, failed to immediately report this result to the agency, as required. A newly released progress report on that grant also shows that EcoHealth and WIV conducted experiments changing the virus that causes Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), which is raising additional questions.
Totally agree. We are so lucky to have these exceedingly bright and talented people to guide us through things like pandemics and other health measures which collectively change our lives for the better.
My abiding memory of the parliament protest was a couple of middle aged women who were wearing hats they made out of tin foil. I thought I was hallucinating. 😮
But while you're engageingwith the topic…did you perhaps read the Science article I posted? The one that discusses the…'struggles with full disclosure'…between the NIH, Ecohealth Alliance and the Wuhan Virology Lab?
Gloating is all very well when your on absolutely solid ground.
To the supporters of the Russian Federation's bloody invasion of Ukraine.
Without naming names, some of you have had the nerve to claim that you are against war and for peace.
I would like to suggest that rather than the absorbing the pro-war propaganda of bought and paid for liars at RT and regurgitating it here. You need to hear the voice of the people of Ukraine.
“What does it mean to stop the war? How it should be stopped? There are questions which should be in the center if you want to give a political answer to the challenges Ukrainian society is facing,” Oksana Dutchak
Supporters of the Russian invasion, (echoing the demands of Russian Federation negotiators), say peace will come if Ukraine gives up and surrenders.
Putin's internal war against Russian civil society, would argue the opposite, that the war against Ukraine civil society will intensify under conditions of Russian Federation victory and occupation.
If Putin would do that to his own people what wouldn't he do to a conquered people?
Genuine anti-war activists know peace will come only with Russian withdrawal back to their internationally recognised legal borders.
“We, feminists from Ukraine, call on feminists around the world to stand in solidarity with the resistance movement of the Ukrainian people against the predatory, imperialist war unleashed by the Russian Federation. War narratives often portray women as victims. However, in reality, women also play a key role in resistance movements, both at the frontline and on the home front: from Algeria to Vietnam, from Syria to Palestine, from Kurdistan to Ukraine.” Oksana Dutchak
Ukrainian Feminist: We Need Western Solidarity in Fighting Russian Imperialism
Democracy Now – July 28, 2022
….Western leftists and feminists who have misgivings about Western military support for Ukraine often overlook that Ukrainians are fighting for self-determination and against imperialism.
….military support, which, to my extent, is — should go on.
…..being a Ukrainian leftist and supporting Ukrainian resistance against imperial invasion and the Ukrainian resistance for self-determination of Ukrainian society, I of course find the support necessary.
…..we tried to get as much support as possible both from Ukrainian feminists but also from international feminist community. And basically, it was a reaction to some problematic, highly problematic, statements by various participants and groups of the mostly Western feminist movement. Explicitly, that was the reaction of one antiwar statement, signed, if I remember correctly, by 150 people, which is called “Against the War,” and it was published in spring, like when the war started. And we found it extremely problematic also in its content, but also by the very fact that it was not signed by a single Ukrainian person. So, we kind of felt that Ukrainian voices, voices of Ukrainian feminists, are basically not represented and not listened to.
….the position taken by many on the feminist movement globally, which is that, basically, Ukrainian society either should not resist or — they are using this general notion that war is — militarism and war, in general, is something extremely patriarchal, and we don’t have to do anything with it as feminists. But you can easily state it if you are sitting in some safe place and your life and life of your family and life of your communities is not affected by the war. But if it is affected by the war and if the very existence of these communities and people you relate to is threatened, of course, you cannot say, like, “OK, we just won’t do anything,” and, yeah, just call for stop the war, which doesn’t make sense. This is about an abstract call. What does it mean to stop the war? How it should be stopped?
…..Ukrainian feminists, Ukrainian left feminists and all the people concerned have the right to resist to the imperial aggression of Russian Federation.
As well as the above link to Democracy Now interview with Ukraine leftist feminist Oksana Dutchak, who left Ukraine to escape the war. I liked this article posted by Russian anarchist anti-fascists, who left Russia to go to Ukraine and joined in fighting for Ukraine against the Russian Federation invasion.
These courageous young Russian anarchists and anti-fascists all speak to the idea that peace will come when the Russian Federation learns to live within its own borders.
This would represent a fundamental change for Russian society and economics. For the Russian Federation, or any other predatory imperialist power to live within their own borders, the infinite growth model of economics would have to be ditched.
A lesson for all predatory imperialist powers, encroaching on other countries and the environment.
“If Putin is brought to heel in this war, it will be a moment of revelation for many” Ilya, anarchist from Russia
My name is Ilya. I’m an anarchist living in Ukraine. I left Russia a few years back because of the crackdown on the entire anarchist movement…..
…..Our platoon also has anti-fascist movement members who aren’t anarchists, so I’m going to speak for myself: Putin's invasion is not a war between two states. It’s a war between Putin’s regime and Ukrainian society. In my opinion, the Ukrainian state is corrupt, oligarchic, and neoliberal. I’m not too fond of it. However, Ukrainian society has a lot more freedom and pluralism than its Russian and Belarusian counterparts; than almost all of its neighbors. Turkey is no better than Putin’s Russia, while Poland and Hungary have swayed considerably towards conservatism lately. The Ukrainian state exerts considerably less control over its citizens’ private lives. Since Russia decided to export its authoritarian Mordor-style regime, Ukrainian society needs protection.
The Ukrainian state exerts considerably less control over its citizens’ private lives.
If the Ukranian state had exerted greater control over its military this war might have been avoided. When they were warned by Joe Biden that an invasion was immanent the army said "bring it on". No way were they going to allow the government to seek talks; they were going to teach those damned Russians a lesson by chasing them back to Russia with their tails between their legs (um … … with the help of Uncle Sam of course.)
….If the Ukranian state had exerted greater control over its military this war might have been avoided. When they were warned by Joe Biden that an invasion was immanent the army said "bring it on".
"Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence" Carl Sagan.
What I am getting thoroughly sick of, are supporters of Putin's bloody invasion and war, like yourself Mikesh, continually making bald statements without the slightest shred of evidence to back it up.
There's nothing wrong with me, Jenny. I don't support Russia particularly. I simply take an objective view of the situation, and its place in the broader scheme of things. The Ukraine war is a tragedy of course, but I think peace won't come to the Eurasian continent until until its various occupants come together and tell the imperialist, would-be hegemon "Yankee, go home".
.No way were they going to allow the government to seek talks; they were going to teach those damned Russians a lesson by chasing them back to Russia with their tails between their legs (um … … with the help of Uncle Sam of course.)
Negotiations on Donbas went on for more than seven years, with French and German participation, yet despite signed agreements and a cease-fire, the conflict was never resolved. And talks went on for several months after Russia's imperialist invasion. That didn't stop the war.
So Ukraine had no option but resist and now the Russian imperialists have their own Vietnam. And like Hồ Chí Minh's people's war*, Zelenskyy's war of corrosion will indeed, dog permit, teach those damned Russians a lesson by chasing them back to Russia with their tails between their legs
(um … … with the help of Uncle Sam the USSR of course.)*
“{Negotiations on Donbas} went on for more than seven years, with French and German participation, yet despite signed agreements and a cease-fire, the conflict was never resolved. And talks went on for several months after Russia's imperialist invasion. That didn't stop the war.”
That was probably because the aims of the two sides were at odds. I notice the USA did not participate in the negotiations. When Biden realised that an invasion was at foot he should have attempted to bring the parties to the negotiating table instead of just blathering on about it. But he preferred to egg the Ukranians on, promising US assistance if they resisted.
Just watched Luxon turn up, once again, with a knife for a gunfight! Predictably, he scored no shots. QT in the house.
The man simply cannot think on his feet. He reads his questions from a prepared list, and merely gives Jacinda a platform for shouting her government's achievements.
Witty, but possibly true for Joe Bennett on Andrew Littles attempt to recruit nurses using Shortland Street. (the nurses union and their members seem unimpressed).
TBH I hope it works. But lets hear how much the add/s cost. Bet the people who make them earn far more than our nurses.
Litlle does seem more and more out of touch. As Joe Bennet says young people are unlikely to watch SS.
It does show that their commitment to neoliberal norms is greater than their commitment to a robust public health system.
At the minimum, the mystery bonus paid to recruit offshore nurses should also be paid to those who take the trouble and expense to train locally. Unless a two-tier system replete with cultural cringe is somehow desirable.
Generally speaking, the concern of government is the welfare and prosperity of their own citizens – not that such a principle could be derived from the Brownian motions of opposed administrations and a Treasury staffed by Brash appointees = so far-right it's amazing they haven’t fallen off their flat earth.
Two different issues: 1) lower the threshold for overseas registrants; 2) make conditions better for all nurses registered in NZ. The idea is that many (?) overseas applicants will stay on and become residents and some possibly even citizens, eventually. Not as B&W as some seem to want to see it.
It's a continuation of what may fairly be characterized as the recolonization of New Zealand.
Little ought to know better – the job is to let our people succeed, not bring in uncle Tom Cobbly and all. We've had it taken to extremes over the last three decades, pumped our population up by close to a million (that's about 5x the per capita rate that drove the Brexit debacle in the UK) without so much as a by your leave. And these have included property speculators, slave ship operators, wage thieves and phone scammers, to name a few.
Black & white? What is Little on? Besides an undeserved salary & benefits?
Our people cannot succeed if they’re not healthy and not being nursed back to health. Our people would like to travel and gain overseas work experiences. AL’s salary & benefits are irrelevant.
Perhaps Shortland at could have a story how Little screwed the nurses and other health workers regarding pay rates and working conditions ? Union action to replicate reality as agreed conditions on pay equity from the 2017pay round has not been adhered to?
Shortland Street producers and writers certainly would not be afraid of pursuing this story line, if that's what you mean. It is quite topical, and what they are known for is sensitivity and response to contemporary societal drivers.
That is why it is so popular and that is why we need local content such as Shortland Street. If you vote for ACT that is a vote for destroying the local film and TV industry. ACT are anti-culture and would likely finish off all domestic screen entertainment.
Agree. No one in the 20-something age group (with whom I'm acquainted via family, work or social connections) watches channel TV at all. They watch, if at all, using on-demand services. And soaps are for the 40+ age group.
It probably won't do much harm – but is unlikely to do much good.
But Bennett is right on the money with this quote:
But it will all be meaningless and amount to zero, if nothing changes for the nurses themselves and if they still feel under-appreciated, under-valued and taken for granted by the Government and the health system.
Bet the people who make them earn far more than our nurses.
It's like any operational structure.
In the screen industry some executives; producers, creators, designers and directors, are well paid.
Some management; supervisors, gaffers, key grips, art directors, are reasonably well paid.
And some workers; make up, costume, grip, lighting, locations, and catering are paid averagely.
Entry level is paid poorly.
I suggest the screen industry is paid no better or worse than the health sector. I also think using Shorty to promote to locals nursing as a profession and using TVNZ's marketing arm (Blacksand) to do it is a great idea.
What if young people tend not to watch Shorty? Their parents might do and they are the ones directing them through early life.
The Ardern Government’s chickens came home to roost yesterday with the news that the country is short of natural gas. In 2018, Labour banned offshore petroleum exploration, and industry executives say that the attendant loss of confidence by the industry impacted overall investment in onshore gas fields. Energy Resources Minister ...
Hi,If you’ve been digging through the newly launched Webworm store (orders are being dispatched worldwide as I type!) you’ll have noticed the best model we had was Calvin.This is Calvin.Calvin.Calvin is 7, and is the son of my producer over on Flightless Bird, Rob — aka “Wobby Wob”. Rob also ...
This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Adam Levy. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). Climate change is everywhere. And when something's everywhere it can feel like it's nowhere. So how do we get our heads ...
Its a law like gravity: whenever a right-wing government is elected, they start attacking democracy. And now, after talking to their Republican and Tory and Fidesz chums at the International Democracy Union forum in Wellington, National is doing it here, announcing plans to remove election-day enrolment. Or, to put it ...
Yesterday Winston Peters focussed his attention on the important matter at hand. Tweeting. Like the former, and quite possibly next, orange POTUS, from whom he takes much of his political strategy, Winston is an avid X’er.His message didn’t resemble an historic address this time. In fact it was more reminiscent ...
Buzz from the Beehive A significant decline in natural gas production has given Resources Minister Shane Jones an opportunity to reiterate his enthusiasm for the mining and burning of coal. For good measure, he has praised an announcement from Genesis Energy that it will resume importing coal. He and Energy ...
“Follow the money” is the classic directive to journalists trying to understand where power and influence lie in society. In terms of uncovering who influences various New Zealand political parties and governments, it therefore pays to look at who is funding them. The political parties are legally obliged to make ...
Rob MacCullough writes – Here is my subjective ranking on a “most-left” to “most-right” scale of most of our major NZ Universities, with some anecdotal (and at times amusing) evidence to back up the claim.Extreme Left Auckland University of TechnologyEvidenceThe ...
Eric Crampton writes – I hadn’t thought about this one until a helpful email showed up in my inbox.It’s pretty obvious that income tax thresholds should automatically index with inflation – whether to anchor the thresholds in percentiles of the income distribution, or to anchor against a real ...
Jacqui Van Der Kaay writes – Parliament’s speaker had no option but to refer Green MP Julie Anne Genter to the Privileges Committee for her behaviour in the House last Wednesday evening. The incident, in which she crossed the floor to wave a book and yell at National ...
Gary Judd writes – The Dean of the law school at the Auckland University of Technology is someone called Khylee Quince. I have been sent her social media posting in which she has, over the LawNews headline “Senior King’s Counsel files complaint about compulsory tikanga Maori studies for ...
Cleo Paskal writes – WASHINGTON, D.C.: ‘Many of us have received phone calls from [the opposing camp] telling them if they join the camp they will be given projects for their wards and $300,000 [around US$35,000] each’, says former Malaita Premier Daniel Suidani. The elections in Solomon Islands aren’t ...
With hindsight, it was inevitable that (a) Hamas would agree to the ceasefire deal brokered by Egypt and Qatar and that ( b) Israel would then immediately launch attacks on Rafah, regardless. We might have hoped the concessions made by Hamas would cause Israel to desist from slaughtering thousands more ...
Placards and mourners outside the Kilbirnie Mosque following the Christchurch terror attack: MSD has terminated the Kaiwhakaoranga service, which has been used by 415 families since the attacks. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The Government’s pledge to only cut ‘back office’ staff rather than ‘frontline’ services is on increasingly shaky ground, with ...
There’s been a few smaller public transport announcements over the last week or so that I thought I’d cover in a single post. Fareshare I’ve long called for Auckland Transport to offer a way to enable employer-subsidised public transport options. The need for this took on even more importance ...
Parliament’s speaker had no option but to refer Green MP Julie Anne Genter to the Privileges Committee for her behaviour in the House last Wednesday evening. The incident, in which she crossed the floor to wave a book and yell at National Minister Matt Doocey, reflects poorly on Genter and ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Who likes being sneered at? Nobody. Worse yet, when the sneerer has their facts all wrong, and might well be an idiot.The sneer in question is The adults are in charge now, and it is a sneer offered in retort to criticism of this new Government, no matter how well ...
When in government, Labour pushed to extend the Parliamentary term to four years, to reduce accountability and our ability to vote out a bad government. And now, they're trying to do it through the member's ballot, with a Four-Year Parliamentary Term Legislation Bill. The bill at least requires a referendum ...
A ballot for a single Member's Bill was held today, and the following bill was drawn: Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill (Hūhana Lyndon) The bill would prevent the government from stealing Māori land in breach of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. It ...
Simeon Brown, alongside Wayne Brown, is favouring a political figleaf now in exchange for loading up tens of millions in extra interest costs on Auckland ratepayers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Ratings agency Standard & Poor’s is pushing back hard at suggestions from Local Government Minister Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown ...
Buzz from the Beehive One headline-grabber from the Beehive yesterday was the OECD’s advice that the government must bring the Budget deficit under control or face higher interest rates. Another was the announcement of a $1.9 billion “investment” in Corrections over the next four years. In the best interests of ...
Chris Trotter writes – Had Zheng He’s fleet sailed east, not west, in the early Fifteenth Century, how different our world would be. There is little reason to suppose that the sea-going junks of the Ming Dynasty, among the largest and most sophisticated sailing vessels ever constructed, would have failed ...
David Farrar writes – Two articles give a useful contrast in balance. Both seek to be neutral explainer articles. This one in the Herald on Social Investment covers the pros and cons nicely. It links to critical pieces and talks about aspects that failed and aspects that are more ...
The tikanga regulations will compel law students to be taught that a system which does not conform with the rule of law is nevertheless law which should be observed and applied…Gary Judd KC writes – I have made a complaint to Parliament’s Regulation ...
The future of Te Huia, the train between Hamilton and Auckland, has been getting a lot of attention recently as current funding for it is only in place till the end of June. The government initially agreed to a five year trial, through to April 2026, but that was subject ...
TL;DR: Hamas has just agreed to Israel’s ceasefire plan. Nelson hospital’s rebuild has been cut back to save money. The OECD suggests New Zealand break up network monopolies, including in electricity. PM Christopher Luxon’s news conference on a prison expansion announcement last night was his messiest yet.Here’s my top six ...
A homicide in Ponsonby, a manhunt with a killer on the run. The nation’s leader stands before a press conference reassuring a frightened nation that he’ll sort it out, he’ll keep them safe, he’ll build some new prison spaces.Sorry what? There’s a scary dude on the run with a gun ...
Hi,I know it’s been awhile since there’s been any Webworm merch — and today that all changes!Over the last four months, I’ve been working with New Zealand artist Jess Johnson to create a series of t-shirts, caps and stickers that are infused with Webworm DNA — and as of right ...
The OECD’s chief economist yesterday laid it on the line for the new Government: bring the deficit under control or face higher Reserve Bank interest rates for longer. And to bring the deficit under control, she meant not borrowing for tax cuts. But there was more. Without policy changes—introducing a ...
After a hiatus of over four months Selwyn Manning and I finally got it together to re-start the “A View from Afar” podcast series. We shall see how we go but aim to do 2 episodes per month if possible. … Continue reading → ...
In 2008, the UK Parliament passed the Climate Change Act 2008. The law established a system of targets, budgets, and plans, with inbuilt accountability mechanisms; the aim was to break the cycle of empty promises and replace it with actual progress towards emissions reduction. The law was passed with near-universal ...
Buzz from the Beehive Local Water Done Well – let’s be blunt – is a silly name, but the first big initiative to put it into practice has gone done well. This success is reflected in the headline on an RNZ report:District mayors welcome Auckland’s new water deal with ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate ConnectionsA farmworker cleans the solar panels of a solar water pump in the village of Jagadhri, Haryana Country, India. (Photo credit: Prashanth Vishwanathan/ IWMI) Decisions made in India over the next few years will play a key role in global ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – The Children’s Minister, Karen Chhour, intends to repeal Section 7AA from the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 because it creates conflict between claimed Crown Treaty obligations and the child’s best interests. In her words, “Oranga Tamariki’s governing principles and its act should be colour ...
Geoffrey Miller writes – The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. ...
Brian Easton writes – This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be (I will report on them ...
TL;DR:Winston Peters is reported to have won a budget increase for MFAT. David Seymour wanted his Ministry of Regulation to be three times bigger than the Productivity Commission. Simeon Brown is appointing a Crown Monitor to Watercare to protect the Claytons Crown Guarantee he had to give ratings agencies ...
The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. Carr had made highly ...
I could be a florist'Round the corner from Rye LaneI'll be giving daisies to craziesBut, baby, I'll wrap you up real safe Oh, I can give you flowers At the end of every dayFor the center of your table, a rainbowIn case you have people 'round to stay Depending on ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to May 12 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Finance Minister Nicola Willis will give a pre-budget speech on Thursday.Parliament sits from Question Time at 2pm on ...
The price of the foreign affairs “reset” is now becoming apparent, with Defence set to get a funding boost in the Budget. Finance Minister Nicola Willis has confirmed that it will be one of the few votes, apart from Health and Education and possibly Police, which will get an increase ...
A listing of 26 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 28, 2024 thru Sat, May 4, 2024. Story of the week "It’s straight out of Big Tobacco’s playbook. In fact, research by John Cook and his colleagues ...
Yesterday I received come lovely feedback following my Star Wars themed newsletter. A few people mentioned they’d enjoyed reading the personal part at the beginning.I often begin newsletters with some memories, or general thoughts, before commencing the main topic. This hopefully sets the mood and provides some context in which ...
April 30 was going to be the day we’d be calling Mum from London to wish her a happy birthday. Then it became the day we would be going to St. Paul's at Evensong to remember her. The aim of the cathedral builders was to find a way to make their ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – Can’t remember the last book by a Kiwi author you read? Think the NZ government should spend less on the arts in favor of helping the homeless? If so, as far as Newsroom is concerned, you probably deserve to be called a cultural ignoramus ...
Eric Crampton writes – Grudges are bad. Better to move on. But it can be fun to keep a couple of really trivial ones, so you’re not tempted to have other ones. For example, because of the rootkit fiasco of 2005, no Sony products in our household. ...
A new report warns an estimated third of the adult population have unmet need for health care.Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāHere’s the six key things I learned about Aotaroa’s political economy this week around housing, climate and poverty:Politics - Three opinion polls confirmed support for PM Christopher Luxon ...
Today is May the fourth. Which was just a regular day when my mother took me to see the newly released Star Wars at the Odeon in Rotorua. The queue was right around the corner. Some years later this day became known as Star Wars Day, the date being a ...
Buzz from the Beehive Much more media attention is being paid to something Winston Peters said about former Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr than to a speech he delivered to the New Zealand China Council. One word is missing from the speech: AUKUS. But AUKUS loomed large in his considerations ...
Is the economy in another long stagnation? If so, why?This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be ...
The annual list of who's been bribing our politicians is out, and journalists will no doubt be poring over it to find the juiciest and dirtiest bribes. The government's fast-track invite list is likely to be a particular focus, and we already know of one company on the list which ...
In the weeks after the October 7 Hamas attacks on Southern Israel I wrote about the possible 2nd, 3rd and even 4th order effects of the conflict. These included new fronts being opened in the West Bank (with Hamas), Golan … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – It is one of the oldest truisms that there is never a good time for MPs to get a pay rise. This week’s announcement of pay raises of around 2.8% backdated to last October could hardly have come at a worse time, with the ...
David Farrar writes – Newshub reports: Newshub can reveal a fresh allegation of intimidation against Green MP Julie-Anne Genter. Genter is subject to a disciplinary process for aggressively waving a book in the face of National Minister Matt Doocey in the House – but it’s not the first time ...
The Treasury has published a paper today on the global productivity slowdown and how it is playing out in New Zealand: The productivity slowdown: implications for the Treasury’s forecasts and projections. The Treasury Paper examines recent trends in productivity and the potential drivers of the slowdown. Productivity for the whole economy ...
Winston Peters’ comments about former Australian foreign minister look set to be an ongoing headache for both him and Luxon. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for subscribers features co-hosts and , along with regular guests on Gaza and ...
These puppet strings don't pull themselvesYou're thinking thoughts from someone elseHow much time do you think you have?Are you prepared for what comes next?The debating chamber can be a trying place for an opposition MP. What with the person in charge, the speaker, typically being an MP from the governing ...
The land around Lyme Regis, where Meryl Streep once stood, in a hood, on the Cobb, is falling into the sea.MerylThe land around Lyme Regis, around the Cobb that made it rich, has always been falling slowly but surely into the sea. Read more ...
Photo by Jari Hytönen on UnsplashIt’s that new day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when and I co-host our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm. Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream for our chat about the week’s news ...
Buzz from the Beehive Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters was bound to win headlines when he set out his thinking about AUKUS in his speech to the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. The headlines became bigger when – during an interview on RNZ’s Morning Report today – he criticised ...
The Post reports on how the government is refusing to release its advice on its corrupt Muldoonist fast-track law, instead using the "soon to be publicly available" refusal ground to hide it until after select committee submissions on the bill have closed. Fast-track Minister Chris Bishop's excuse? “It's not ...
As pressure on it grows, the livestock industry’s approach to the transition to Net Zero is increasingly being compared to that of fossil fuel interests. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / Getty ImagesTL;DR: Here’s the top five news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above ...
The New Zealand Herald reports – Stats NZ has offered a voluntary redundancy scheme to all of its workers as a way to give staff some control over their “future” amidst widespread job losses in the public sector. In an update to staff this morning, seen by the Herald, Statistics New Zealand ...
On Werewolf/Scoop, I usually do two long form political columns a week. From now on, there will be an extra column each week about music and movies. But first, some late-breaking political events:The rise in unemployment numbers for the March quarter was bigger than expected – and especially sharp ...
The Green Party is welcoming the announcement by the Minister Responsible for RMA Reform Chris Bishop to approve most of the Wellington City Council’s District Plan recommendations. ...
David Seymour has failed to get the sweeping cuts he wanted to the free and healthy school lunch programme, Labour education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
Hon Willie Jackson has been invited by the Oxford Union to debate the motion “This House Believes British Museums are not Very British’ on May 23rd. ...
Green Party MP Hūhana Lyndon says her Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill is an opportunity to right some past wrongs around the alienation of Māori land. ...
A senior, highly respected King’s Counsel with decades of experience in our law courts, Gary Judd KC, has filed a complaint about compulsory tikanga Māori studies for law students - highlighting the utter depths of absurdity this woke cultural madness has taken our society. The tikanga regulations will compel law ...
The Government needs to be clear with the people of the Nelson Marlborough region about the changes it is considering for the Nelson Hospital rebuild, Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said. ...
Ministers must front up about which projects it will push through under its Fast Track Approvals legislation, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
Your Excellency Ambassador Meredith, Members of the Diplomatic Corps and Ambassadors from European Union Member States, Ministerial colleagues, Members of Parliament, and other distinguished guests, Thank you everyone for joining us. Ladies and gentlemen - In diplomacy, we often speak of ‘close’ and ‘long-standing’ relations. ...
The Therapeutic Products Act (TPA) will be repealed this year so that a better regime can be put in place to provide New Zealanders safe and timely access to medicines, medical devices and health products, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello announced today. “The medicines and products we are talking about ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop, today released his decision on twenty recommendations referred to him by the Wellington City Council relating to its Intensification Planning Instrument, after the Council rejected those recommendations of the Independent Hearings Panel and made alternative recommendations. “Wellington notified its District Plan on ...
Rape Awareness Week (6-10 May) is an important opportunity to acknowledge the continued effort required by government and communities to ensure that all New Zealanders can live free from violence, say Ministers Karen Chhour and Louise Upston. “With 1 in 3 women and 1 in 8 men experiencing sexual violence ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government will be delivering a more efficient Healthy School Lunches Programme, saving taxpayers approximately $107 million a year compared to how Labour funded it, by embracing innovation and commercial expertise. “We are delivering on our commitment to treat taxpayers’ money ...
New research on the impacts of extreme weather on coastal marine habitats in Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay will help fishery managers plan for and respond to any future events, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. A report released today on research by Niwa on behalf of Fisheries New Zealand ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters will lead a broad political delegation on a five-stop Pacific tour next week to strengthen New Zealand’s engagement with the region. The delegation will visit Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and Tuvalu. “New Zealand has deep and ...
There has been a material decline in gas production according to figures released today by the Gas Industry Co. Figures released by the Gas Industry Company show that there was a 12.5 per cent reduction in gas production during 2023, and a 27.8 per cent reduction in gas production in the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins tonight announced the recipients of the Minister of Defence Awards of Excellence for Industry, saying they all contribute to New Zealanders’ security and wellbeing. “Congratulations to this year’s recipients, whose innovative products and services play a critical role in the delivery of New Zealand’s defence capabilities, ...
Welcome to you all - it is a pleasure to be here this evening.I would like to start by thanking Greg Lowe, Chair of the New Zealand Defence Industry Advisory Council, for co-hosting this reception with me. This evening is about recognising businesses from across New Zealand and overseas who in ...
It is a pleasure to be speaking to you as the Minister for Digitising Government. I would like to thank Akolade for the invitation to address this Summit, and to acknowledge the great effort you are making to grow New Zealand’s digital future. Today, we stand at the cusp of ...
New Zealand is urging both Israel and Hamas to agree to an immediate ceasefire to avoid the further humanitarian catastrophe that military action in Rafah would unleash, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The immense suffering in Gaza cannot be allowed to worsen further. Both sides have a responsibility to ...
A new online data dashboard released today as part of the Government’s school attendance action plan makes more timely daily attendance data available to the public and parents, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. The interactive dashboard will be updated once a week to show a national average of how ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced Rosemary Banks will be New Zealand’s next Ambassador to the United States of America. “Our relationship with the United States is crucial for New Zealand in strategic, security and economic terms,” Mr Peters says. “New Zealand and the United States have a ...
The Government is considering creating a new tier of minerals permitting that will make it easier for hobby miners to prospect for gold. “New Zealand was built on gold, it’s in our DNA. Our gold deposits, particularly in regions such as Otago and the West Coast have always attracted fortune-hunters. ...
Minister for Trade Todd McClay today announced that New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will commence negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA). Minister McClay met with his counterpart UAE Trade Minister Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi in Dubai, where they announced the launch of negotiations on a ...
New Zealand Sign Language Week is an excellent opportunity for all Kiwis to give the language a go, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. This week (May 6 to 12) is New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) Week. The theme is “an Aotearoa where anyone can sign anywhere” and aims to ...
Six tertiary students have been selected to work on NASA projects in the US through a New Zealand Space Scholarship, Space Minister Judith Collins announced today. “This is a fantastic opportunity for these talented students. They will undertake internships at NASA’s Ames Research Center or its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), where ...
New Zealanders will be safer because of a $1.9 billion investment in more frontline Corrections officers, more support for offenders to turn away from crime, and more prison capacity, Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell says. “Our Government said we would crack down on crime. We promised to restore law and order, ...
The OECD’s latest report on New Zealand reinforces the importance of bringing Government spending under control, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The OECD conducts country surveys every two years to review its members’ economic policies. The 2024 New Zealand survey was presented in Wellington today by OECD Chief Economist Clare Lombardelli. ...
The Government has delivered on its election promise to provide a financially sustainable model for Auckland under its Local Water Done Well plan. The plan, which has been unanimously endorsed by Auckland Council’s Governing Body, will see Aucklanders avoid the previously projected 25.8 per cent water rates increases while retaining ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today. "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
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Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
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In announcing changes to the school lunches programme, David Seymour said kids would no longer be served ‘woke’ foods. To clear up any confusion, The Spinoff has compiled a guide to the wokeness levels of some common food items. Apple = NOT WOKE Avocado = WOKE Avocado, smashed = EVEN ...
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The rats (ratfuckers ? : ) leaving the sinking ship.
As an aside,when I read Brownlee..I saw : Ilam since 18…..96. Bully Boofy Brownlee since Ages
Brownlee, I'm afraid, is in for a huge disappointment. It's highly unlikely that the Natz will form the next government; Natz and Act fall short of a majority (thank God) and there is no way TPM will go within a barge pole of an agreement with Act.
So, at best, Brownlee faces another 3 years as a useless list MP.
A fitting epitaph for a less than stellar career serving the rich folks of Fendalton.
More likely he will retire and be replaced off the list than hang around 3 years. At least this would avoid potentially incurring the costs of a by-election.
What’s the term? Loser.. and to Labours Sarah Pallett. Fuck that must have burnt. Awesome !
Bennett and McKelvie are two examples of National MPs that are not interested in any issue that doesn't involve something mooing or baaing.
Bennett can't seem to speak for a minute in parliament without railing on about the evils of socialism, like a vinyl record on repeat.
Ah yea…I did remember something about that…and here the shithead in full mindless froth.
Super confident Aloha is brought down to earth, poor Bernie lol
http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2022/08/christopher-luxon-says-government-has-lost-the-plot-lashes-out-over-cost-of-living-payment-issues.html
Lol. Newshub as a reliable source of unbiassed news? The Fox News of NZ.
It's typical of the simplistic attitude of rwnj: a few payments go amiss – so what? But what about the 1.3 million or so payments that didn't, that have helped those struggling.
I'd much sooner that happened than we gift $11 million to a 'Saudi sheep farmer!' Or waste $26 million on a vanity flag referendum.
My reckons – it would have cost a shit load more and would have created major delays to have reduced the error rate. Which is why it was done this way.
I'm looking forward to his insistence that the public be provided with a list of those who received money in the bailout of South Canterbury finance, the date they invested their money and an explanation of why interest was paid out when it was only supposed to be the original deposit.
Who benefitted and by how much? Who knew interest was going to be paid out? Who invested late with maximum investments in each of their family members names?
The hard working tax payers should know who.
Giving vaccine denialism a platform has a cost.
https://twitter.com/scottdagostino/status/1554432947293458434
Sacha…a reply to you at 5. The reply button didn't work.
Your reply @ 5 is irrelevant to Sacha’s about vaccine denialism. The authors don’t question let alone deny the important positive role vaccines have:
Your reply is also redundant because “population-wide mandatory vaccine policies” have ended in NZ and are now obsolete for all intents and purposes.
With all due respect, my response to Sacha's post is pertinent.
The authors also state…
Such policies may lead to detrimental long-term impacts on uptake of future public health measures, including COVID-19 vaccines themselves as well as routine immunizations.
And just as the authors predicted…routine immunization rates have plummeted.
ttps://www.rnz.co.nz/news/te-manu-korihi/471798/low-vaccination-rates-prompt-fears-of-severe-measles-outbreak
Why do you think this is?
“population-wide mandatory vaccine policies” have ended in NZ and are now obsolete for all intents and purposes.
The damage done persists…and our public health institutions need to address this and move heaven and earth to restore trust.
They’re not perfect, but I trust NZ public health institutions – always have, always will (touch wood).
Rosemary, could you outline what actions our public health institutions could take to restore your trust? Ideally these actions wouldn’t undermine my abiding trust – I could give you feedback in that regard.
Note that I'm all for increased funding of public health services, including any increase in general taxation needed to maintain and improve services.
What, in your opinion, should vaccine deniers do to restore trust and repair the damage they have caused, including many avoidable preventable deaths? This was the point of Sacha’s comment, but you insist on going off tangent and divert to your own hobby horse, as usual. Sacha’s comment did not mention anything about mandates or any of the other pet points you love to rant about here on TS.
As to your measles link, the answer(s) to your question is in there and it has nothing to do with Covid, at least not as you’d hope. In fact, they seem to think that the Covid-19 pandemic may actually help boost vaccination numbers. You didn’t read the article you linked to, did you? Because your premise has no basis in it!!
What, in your opinion, should vaccine deniers do to restore trust and repair the damage they have caused, including many avoidable preventable deaths?
For heaven's sake. Get a grip on reality. I'm pretty sure we did this back in the Beforetimes when we had a measles out break here and in Samoa.
https://www.nowtolove.co.nz/health/body/anti-vaxxers-immunisation-measles-epidemic-likely-nikki-turner-42195
Immunisation expert: 'Anti vaxxers are not the problem, we knew a measles epidemic was likely'
"There's a lot of young to mid-life adults walking around who didn't get fully vaccinated when they were young… people weren't reminded," she says.
Anti-vaxxers are not the reason for Auckland's measles epidemic, an immunisation expert claims.
"The major problem is there's a lot of young to mid-life adults walking around who didn't get fully vaccinated when they were young," says Immunisation Advisory Centre head and GP Dr Nikki Turner.
Dr Turner's comments come as the number of confirmed cases of measles in New Zealand hits a new high of 937 – 804 of them in Auckland – and New Zealander of the Year Dr Lance O'Sullivan is calling for those who choose not to vaccinate to be penalised with a 'no jab, no pay' welfare system and tax policy.
But Dr Turner says Dr O'Sullivan is baying for the wrong blood, and that it's the health system that's at fault for not running a tighter national immunisation programme.
"Only a very small percentage of the New Zealand population is totally opposed to immunisation, and there's another three to four per cent who have a lot of fears. And to them, I'd say go and talk to a trusted health professional about what your fears are.
Well…O'Sullivan had his 'no jab no pay' wet dream come true…didn't he?
And you must remember…or not… this…
https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/391340/baby-deaths-caused-by-incorrect-vaccination-procedure-samoa-health-ministry-confirms … and the resultant moratorium placed on further vaccines by the Samoan government until the shit was sorted ?
No ?
As you were then, with the lazy slurs. Do the work ffs…its not as simple as 'Anti vaxers kill people!!!".
And while you focus on just the one 'cause', the real issues compound.
As per the tweet in Sacha’s comment:
Where does it say anything about measles, in 2019???????
Your pathetic argument basically is that anti-vaxxers were not thought to have played a part in the measles epidemic in NZ in 2019 and therefore anti-vaxxers have not played a role in bringing back smallpox, tuberculosis and polio and New York State in 2022.
You really seem to have trouble focussing and staying on topic.
You really can’t avoid simplistic binaries and false dichotomies.
I am having a problem trying to find evidence that 'vaccine denialism' is the cause of outbreaks of polio, tuberculosis and smallpox (in the US?)….as per the expert whose tweet Sacha so kindly shared with us …for what purpose I am not sure.
https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/polio/hcp/vaccine-derived-poliovirus-faq.html
UPDATE: In July 2022, CDC was notified of a case of polio caused by vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (VDPV2) in an unvaccinated individual from Rockland County, New York, and is consulting with the New York State Department of Health on their investigation. Public health experts are working to understand how and where the individual was infected and provide protective measures, such as vaccination services to the community to prevent the spread of polio to under- and unvaccinated individuals.
As you can possibly imagine…convincing people that it is necessary to have more polio vaccines to protect against vaccine derived polio would be a big ask.
https://www.cdc.gov/tb/topic/basics/vaccines.html
TB Vaccine (BCG)
Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) is a vaccine for tuberculosis (TB) disease. This vaccine is not widely used in the United States. However, it is often given to infants and small children in other countries where TB is common. BCG does not always protect people from getting TB.
https://www.cdc.gov/smallpox/vaccine-basics/who-gets-vaccination.html
Who Should Get Vaccination
After smallpox was eliminated from the world, routine vaccination against smallpox among the general public was stopped because it was no longer needed. However, because of concern that variola virus might be used as an agent of bioterrorism, the U.S. government has stockpiled enough smallpox vaccine to vaccinate everyone who would need it if a smallpox outbreak were to occur.
When there is NO smallpox outbreak, you should get the smallpox vaccine if you:
If you need long-term protection, you may need to get booster vaccinations regularly. To stay protected from smallpox, you should get booster vaccinations every 3 years.
When there IS a smallpox outbreak, you should get the smallpox vaccine if you:
If there is a smallpox outbreak, public health officials will say who else should get the vaccine. CDC works with federal, state, and local officials to prepare for a smallpox outbreak.
I'm guessing Sacha's expert is perhaps a little confused. It was, as we all know by now, the erroneous claim that there was an association between the measles component in the MMR vaccine and autism that led to some parents not having their kids vaccinated with the MMR shot. Had the authorities allowed the administration of separate measles, mumps and rubella vaccines, appropriately spaced out, the problem might have been mitigated.
Instead…the US has instituted some of the most stringent childhood vaccine mandates in the world. Silly tactic really. The more you screw people down, forcing them to do stuff to their children with minimally obvious positive returns….you're going to get pushback.
Vaccine denialism didn't start this… Vaccine propaganda did.
https://twitter.com/MartinKulldorff/status/1516203614326472708
Ardern stated back in April 2021 that the Pfizer product would not stop you catching Te Virus.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/covid-19-coronavirus-prime-minister-jacinda-ardern-says-vaccinated-covid-19-case-was-cleaning-high-risk-planes/FXR42ITOBP4HKSAXT7LYH2A3GM/
But it is not about "stopping the spread", "flattening the curve" or "reaching herd immunity" or "elimination."
It's about "confidence"…. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdMSRolWCyQ
As usual, you’re conflating a number of things. For example, anti-mask ≠ anti-vax, although you might be an exception, I’m guessing.
I am a patreon of Richard Seymour and his recent email seems relevant when I think about the absolute bovine glee of the media pile on over the cost of living payment in the last 48 hours and the denial by some of the right wing trolls here it represented a fundamentally right wing world view on the part of our MSM.
I'll post an excerpt here, I can't link obviously because, you know, patreon and if you want to read his stuff you should subscribe and support him:
"…Does this bring us back to my assertion – scarcely a claim now, more a statement-of-the-obvious – that there is a fascist potential lurking in modern liberal technoculture? Most of what I'm thinking of is just philistinism, commercial and political cynicism, and media stupidity, which certainly tends conservative. It is conservative in its incredulity toward critical thinking, militancy and change. It is conservative in its astonishment that anyone isn't philistine, cynical and stupid. It is conservative in its assimilation of the democratic public sphere as a universal PR exercise, in which no fundamental distinction can be found between fascists and democrats, pathological lying and honesty, accuracy and nonsense, because everything is a self-maximising strategy. It is conservative in its bottom-line aversion toward, and suppression of, accidental outbreaks of intelligence. It is conservative in its underlying nihilism and simultaneous passionate commitment to a status quo, and to the sentimental mores that uphold it, that it assumes to be hollow…"
Well said, Mr. Seymour.
There have been actual academic papers published about how some of the public health measures deployed over the past nearly three years might have had a negative effect…population wise.
This one has been around for a while, and I'm sure will command greater respect than others because it is, in part, funded by Big Pharma and their allies.
https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4022798
The Unintended Consequences of COVID-19 Vaccine Policy: Why Mandates, Passports, and Segregated Lockdowns May Cause more Harm than Good
While COVID-19 vaccines have had a profound impact on decreasing global morbidity and mortality burdens, we argue that current population-wide mandatory vaccine policies are scientifically questionable, ethically problematic, and misguided. Such policies may lead to detrimental long-term impacts on uptake of future public health measures, including COVID-19 vaccines themselves as well as routine immunizations. Restricting people’s access to work, education, public transport, and social life based on COVID-19 vaccination status impinges on human rights, promotes stigma and social polarization, and adversely affects health and wellbeing. Mandating vaccination is one of the most powerful interventions in public health and should be used sparingly and carefully to uphold ethical norms and trust in scientific institutions. We argue that current COVID-19 vaccine policies should be reevaluated in light of negative consequences that may outweigh benefits. Leveraging empowering strategies based on trust and public consultation represent a more sustainable approach for protecting those at highest risk of COVID-19 morbidity and mortality and the health and wellbeing of the public.
It might be worth downloading and reading the entire paper. Or not.
The thing is Sacha…some of us were following the uptake of the Pfizer and Moderna products as they were rolled out in late December 2020. Initially, there was great enthusiasm and providers could barely keep up with demand.
The demand for the second shot was markedly less…and before long 'incentives' (more like bribes) were deployed to encourage greater uptake. Mandates…which amount to force when a person's ability to financially support themselves and their family is threatened…were brought in and….
….public and political discourse has normalised
stigma against people who remain unvaccinated, often
woven into the tone and framing of media articles. 60
Political leaders singled out the unvaccinated, blaming
them for: the continuation of the pandemic; stress
on hospital capacity; the emergence of new variants;
driving transmission to vaccinated individuals; and the
necessity of ongoing lockdowns, masks, school closures
and other restrictive measures (see table 2). Political
rhetoric descended into moralising, scapegoating, and
blaming using pejorative terms and actively promoting
stigma and discrimination as tools to increase vaccina-
tion. This became socially acceptable among pro- vaccine
groups, the media and the public at large, who viewed
full vaccination as a moral obligation…
This paper does not focus on the injuries suffered by a small but obviously significant number of the mRNA 'vaccine' recipients which some of us believe is the reason for the marked drop off of uptake between the first and second shot and the second shot and the boosters. No one in officialdom will discuss this in other than dismissive terms. However…not the point of this very important paper.
What it does importantly highlight is the non- sterilizing nature of these products and the unreasonableness of population wide roll outs and the ensuing harm to people's confidence in public health authorities. The vaccine was going to provide herd immunity. It didn't. The vaccine was going to prevent infection and transmission and reduce viral load. It doesn't. Yet the mandates were rolled out and have persisted.
The paper also highlights the failure to recognize the value of naturally acquired immunity .
Despite clear evidence that infection- derived immu-
nity provides significant protection from severe disease
on par with vaccination, 18 31 prior infection status has
consistently been underplayed. Many individuals with
post- infection immunity have been suspended or fired
from their jobs (or pushed to leave) or been unable to
travel or participate in society 31 56–59 while transmission
continued among vaccinated individuals in the work-
place.
Some of us looked at the data from around the world, did our own risk/benefit analysis and chose not to partake of the Pfizer product. We have instituted immune supportive measures (which MSM label 'anti-vax'), had Covid, got better. According to the studies we can assume relatively good protection from serious illness when we encounter future coronaviruses. And we are contributing to herd immunity.
Sacha. You are, more than most around here, perfectly capable of reading extensively on a subject and gaining wider nuance than can be gleaned from a tweet.
You have a working knowledge of the power of messaging. But you also know the value of lived experience….that applies very much with this issue. Please take the time to read this…perhaps watch the zoom discussion between various experts. Not all are in total agreement…but it definitely marks an 'oh shit what have we done' moment.
Well tomorrow is 6 months since my booster – and I will be happily lining up for my 4th dose of vaccine and be bloody thankful for the government's and scientific community's efforts in creating and providing this vaccine to me.
Well done Barfly!
But that is not the point of the paper.
The point of the paper…supported by very many well referenced sources…is saying that the way many countries managed Covid (including NZ) and the roll out of the 'vaccines' has been somewhat of a disaster.
With respect to ongoing confidence in Public Health institutions general and standard, routine immunisations in particular.
But hey…you're all fine and dandy, and that's all that matters. Eh?
Imho it is regrettable that NZ (449) is poised to overtake Australia (458) in the 'Deaths/1M pop' metric, but then we do have a slightly lower vaccination rate.
At least our per capita COVID-19 death rate remains less than a fifth of many other wealthy countries (e.g. UK, USA, Belgium, Italy, Spain, France). Hopefully the factors contributing to the current rapid rise will all come out in the wash.
https://covid19.govt.nz/
"But hey…you're all fine and dandy, and that's all that matters. Eh?"
Sigh sarcasm huh?
63, diabetes, severe hypertension and a genetic lung condition
Yes I am bloody thankful for the government's and scientific community's efforts in creating and providing this vaccine to me.
I hope you aren't suggesting someone such as I shouldn't get vaccinated.
I hope you aren't suggesting someone such as I shouldn't get vaccinated.
Of course not.
But I am being told that I have to take the vaccine whether I want it or need it.
And as the paper states…it doesn't stop transmission so the mandates are not justifiable.
And bullying the entire population to take the shots is resulting in people losing trust in Public health institutions.
About four months ago I mentioned here that I had just has an emergency MRI scan for the sudden onset of a neurological problem. It has taken a while to discover what the formal diagnosis is. It is not a good one.
Today a specialist immunologist told me point blank that it was almost certainly the consequence of COVID vaccination.
Fuck 'safe and effective'.
Oh Shit, sorry to hear that, mate.
Thanks.
It is what it is and it could be a lot worse. I just gained another reason not to be complacent about life
A very close female friend, 30 years old and an early receiver of the Pfizer product….keen to be able to see parents overseas, and with contacts in the system…developed severe heart issues…typical myo/pericarditis with pain and tachycardia dizzines and shortness of breath. She was told it was anxiety. Eventually got to see a specialist privately and was Holter monitored. Nothing conclusive. Of course she did not get the SOP for myocarditis …blood test for troponins and an echocardiograph. This was April/May 2020. It took until December 2020 and the death of Rory Nairn for the PTB to issue a 'You'd better start taking this shit seriously' notice.
Anyhoo…I was set the task of finding out what it could be and what to do about it. Ms. Googler, that's me. I entered her symptoms into the google and this site was on the first page. If any one was actually writing a text book of what weird shit an happen after the Pfizer shot her would be in it. This site was on the first page…and there was a commnet from another Kiwi who had done exactly what I had done and found themselves on that page. I never commented…but read page after page of the most heartbreaking 'I wish the hell I'd never had the fucking shot' stories.
https://vestibular.org/forum/dizziness/covid-19-vaccine-side-effects/
The first entry was January 2021. Many have neuro issues…on top of pre-existing vestibular dysfunction.
My girl is one of four people I know who had similar issues. None of them reported to CARM because they were told it was in their head. None of them will have another shot and none of them will willingly take another mRNA vaccine until the safety of same is proven.
At least one of them would kill before letting their mokos get 'vaccinated'.
I remember you telling us about your scare RL. Thanks for sharing…seriously. In the months ahead it is going to be vital for us to be willing to speak up about these issues, even in the face of derision and disbelief.
Australia has a vaccine injury program…no? Will you be able to make a claim?
All the best.
Could you please link to the website of this specialist immunologist? It is hard to believe a medical professional would diagnose your neurological problem as a consequence of vaccine harm. Are specialist immunologists even qualified to read MRI scans?
Reason I ask is that for some years you have been undermining government responses to the pandemic by introducing unfounded and weak theories to the discussion for cowed, ultra conservative ideological purposes.
If you are going to claim personal experience to the antivax cause, surely you must back it up with believable references…
I sympathise with RL – had two MRI scans in NZ (and one in the UK) for a sudden-onset neurological problem – scary, but treated by our wonderful public health service (Wellington Hosp.) It's been more than 20 years since the corrective brain surgery, and I haven't needed a revision yet. Thanks to the surgical team, and consensus medical opinion then, and now.
Over the last year, however, I have been finding it difficult to lose weight. Is this a known side-effect of Comirnaty – do I have a case?
Or it could be – you know what…
You're stepping over a line here. You can express scepticism, but please don't start probing people's personal health issues.
I don't have an opinion about the vax connection, I can think of a number of ways that an immunologist would be qualified to express such an opinion eg they're part of a team reviewing cases in a hospital, or the neurologist sent them the notes from the MRI and the neurology consult, and so on.
Copy that.
I missed this apologies Red.
You are a legend and I wish you all strength and power.
Yes Barfly, and wear a mask
Me too Barfly, am about to go out to organise my second booster. I'm OK with the vaccine regime despite having a relatively mild dose of Covid back in late March, which agrivated my previously very mild atrial fibrillation with a rather unpleasant few hours with the usual effects of AF. I was roundly told off when my Health team phoned me the next day to see how I was faring and how I should have called an Ambulance. Who knows I may have had to wait until the AF had abated before said Ambulance arrived!! I now sport a Medic Alert bracelet and have added an anticoagulant to my daily list of meds and the AF is back under control again.
All good and nice but the majority of deaths occur with the main cause being a bacterial infection of any sort. When the body is weak on defences antibiotic medicines are used. This is a tricky field as most people know as resistance is build by those bacteria and science has worked to have more effective antibiotics developed. Except….they did not do that over the last 15 or more years. The reason: of cause money. Funny that. An industry as the likes of Pfizer etc are saying they have no money to develop a better variant. If nothing is done in the next few years we have to brace ourselves for many many deaths. Far more than covid ever has caused.
https://pharmaceutical-journal.com/article/news/urgent-need-for-new-antibiotics-to-tackle-antimicrobial-resistance-says-who
https://www.reactgroup.org/news-and-views/news-and-opinions/year-2021/the-world-needs-new-antibiotics-so-why-arent-they-developed/
It looks like the logical, straight forward and sane conclusion as to how Covid 19 was passed on to humans was the correct one after all. Why am I not surprised?
Mind you, these are the words of the scientists and experts charged with the task of tracing the source of the virus, so some will have difficulty accepting their prognosis. (sarc)
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/explained/300652718/the-siren-has-sounded-scientists-pinpoint-covid19s-origin
Well done those scientists!
Awesome if they have conclusively found The Source of All Our Ills…but such a screaming pity that the waters around finding the source of Te Virus have been well and truly muddied.
Perhaps beyond redemption.
The work of a task force commissioned by the Lancet into the origins of covid-19 has folded after concerns about the conflicts of interest of one its members and his ties through a non-profit organisation to the Wuhan Institute of Virology.
Task force chair Jeffrey Sachs, economics professor at Columbia University in New York, told the Wall Street Journal that he had shut down the scientist led investigation into how the covid-19 pandemic started because of concerns about its links to the EcoHealth Alliance, a non-profit organisation run by task force member Peter Daszak.1 “A lot is going on around the world that is not properly scrutinized or explained to the public,” Sachs told the newspaper, adding that the task force would broaden its scope to examine transparency and government regulation of risky laboratory research.
The decision came as evidence continued to accumulate that Daszak had not always been forthright about his research and his financial ties to the Wuhan Institute of Virology. Daszak now faces increased scrutiny from scientists, the media, and members of US Congress.
Shortly after the pandemic began Daszak led a February 2020 statement in the Lancet alleging that it was a “conspiracy theory” to argue that the pandemic could have started from a laboratory leak in Wuhan. “I have no conflicts of interest,” Daszak later told the Washington Post, regarding his collaboration with Shi Zhengli of the Wuhan Institute of Virology.4
But Daszak’s story began falling apart last November when the non-profit group US Right to Know published emails gathered through a freedom of information request that showed he had orchestrated the Lancet statement without disclosing that he was funding Shi Zhengli through grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
https://www.bmj.com/content/375/bmj.n2414
Two of the world's leading medical Journals….shake their heads.
However…let's not forget that money talks.
When this groundbreaking research exonerating the Wuhan Lab is in part funded by the same institution that was funding the Wuhan lab to do research on coronaviruses…some understanding is due if not everyone wholeheartedly embraces their conclusion.
https://www.science.org/content/article/nih-says-grantee-failed-report-experiment-wuhan-created-bat-virus-made-mice-sicker
An ongoing controversy over what constitutes virology research that is too dangerous to conduct—and whether the U.S government funded studies in China that violated a policy barring funding for such risky research—has taken a new turn. While denying once again it had helped create the virus that sparked the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) revealed in a letter sent yesterday to Republicans in Congress that experiments it funded through a U.S.-based nonprofit in 2018 and 2019 at the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) in China had the “unexpected result” of creating a coronavirus that was more infectious in mice.
NIH says the organization holding the parent grant, the EcoHealth Alliance, failed to immediately report this result to the agency, as required. A newly released progress report on that grant also shows that EcoHealth and WIV conducted experiments changing the virus that causes Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), which is raising additional questions.
"Well done those scientists!"
Totally agree. We are so lucky to have these exceedingly bright and talented people to guide us through things like pandemics and other health measures which collectively change our lives for the better.
The conspiracy theorists will be disappointed, Anne.
Perhaps drowning their sorrows with horse-paste and Vitamin D cocktails under tin foil umbrellas.
My abiding memory of the parliament protest was a couple of middle aged women who were wearing hats they made out of tin foil. I thought I was hallucinating. 😮
I thought I was hallucinating.
No. They were taking this piss. You know…a joke?
Also, perhaps, a gentle 'fuck you' when the word went around the cops had deployed their new toys.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/revealed-police-used-sound-cannons-against-parliament-protesters/PIBFZEHRIOEADS7SK4Y4SWM464/
https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/understanding-the-lrad-the-sound-cannon-police-are-using-at-protests-and-how-to-protect-yourself-from-it/
But while you're engageingwith the topic…did you perhaps read the Science article I posted? The one that discusses the…'struggles with full disclosure'…between the NIH, Ecohealth Alliance and the Wuhan Virology Lab?
Gloating is all very well when your on absolutely solid ground.
OMG ! Unemployment is up! To 3.3%
Cue "the sky is falling " from the RWNJ's
It usually goes up this quarter as seasonal work finishes.
RWNJs love high unemployment but the reasons mean they're not allowed to admit it.
True that.
On the plus side, underutilisation is down 0.1pp to 9.2%.
To the supporters of the Russian Federation's bloody invasion of Ukraine.
Without naming names, some of you have had the nerve to claim that you are against war and for peace.
I would like to suggest that rather than the absorbing the pro-war propaganda of bought and paid for liars at RT and regurgitating it here. You need to hear the voice of the people of Ukraine.
“What does it mean to stop the war? How it should be stopped? There are questions which should be in the center if you want to give a political answer to the challenges Ukrainian society is facing,” Oksana Dutchak
Supporters of the Russian invasion, (echoing the demands of Russian Federation negotiators), say peace will come if Ukraine gives up and surrenders.
Putin's internal war against Russian civil society, would argue the opposite, that the war against Ukraine civil society will intensify under conditions of Russian Federation victory and occupation.
If Putin would do that to his own people what wouldn't he do to a conquered people?
Genuine anti-war activists know peace will come only with Russian withdrawal back to their internationally recognised legal borders.
“We, feminists from Ukraine, call on feminists around the world to stand in solidarity with the resistance movement of the Ukrainian people against the predatory, imperialist war unleashed by the Russian Federation. War narratives often portray women as victims. However, in reality, women also play a key role in resistance movements, both at the frontline and on the home front: from Algeria to Vietnam, from Syria to Palestine, from Kurdistan to Ukraine.” Oksana Dutchak
As well as the above link to Democracy Now interview with Ukraine leftist feminist Oksana Dutchak, who left Ukraine to escape the war. I liked this article posted by Russian anarchist anti-fascists, who left Russia to go to Ukraine and joined in fighting for Ukraine against the Russian Federation invasion.
These courageous young Russian anarchists and anti-fascists all speak to the idea that peace will come when the Russian Federation learns to live within its own borders.
This would represent a fundamental change for Russian society and economics. For the Russian Federation, or any other predatory imperialist power to live within their own borders, the infinite growth model of economics would have to be ditched.
A lesson for all predatory imperialist powers, encroaching on other countries and the environment.
The Ukrainian state exerts considerably less control over its citizens’ private lives.
If the Ukranian state had exerted greater control over its military this war might have been avoided. When they were warned by Joe Biden that an invasion was immanent the army said "bring it on". No way were they going to allow the government to seek talks; they were going to teach those damned Russians a lesson by chasing them back to Russia with their tails between their legs (um … … with the help of Uncle Sam of course.)
"Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence" Carl Sagan.
What I am getting thoroughly sick of, are supporters of Putin's bloody invasion and war, like yourself Mikesh, continually making bald statements without the slightest shred of evidence to back it up.
What's wrong with you?
“What's wrong with you?”
There's nothing wrong with me, Jenny. I don't support Russia particularly. I simply take an objective view of the situation, and its place in the broader scheme of things. The Ukraine war is a tragedy of course, but I think peace won't come to the Eurasian continent until until its various occupants come together and tell the imperialist, would-be hegemon "Yankee, go home".
Negotiations on Donbas went on for more than seven years, with French and German participation, yet despite signed agreements and a cease-fire, the conflict was never resolved. And talks went on for several months after Russia's imperialist invasion. That didn't stop the war.
So Ukraine had no option but resist and now the Russian imperialists have their own Vietnam. And like Hồ Chí Minh's people's war*, Zelenskyy's war of corrosion will indeed, dog permit, teach those damned Russians a lesson by chasing them back to Russia with their tails between their legs
(um … … with the help of
Uncle Samthe USSR of course.)*“{Negotiations on Donbas} went on for more than seven years, with French and German participation, yet despite signed agreements and a cease-fire, the conflict was never resolved. And talks went on for several months after Russia's imperialist invasion. That didn't stop the war.”
That was probably because the aims of the two sides were at odds. I notice the USA did not participate in the negotiations. When Biden realised that an invasion was at foot he should have attempted to bring the parties to the negotiating table instead of just blathering on about it. But he preferred to egg the Ukranians on, promising US assistance if they resisted.
//
Just watched Luxon turn up, once again, with a knife for a gunfight! Predictably, he scored no shots. QT in the house.
The man simply cannot think on his feet. He reads his questions from a prepared list, and merely gives Jacinda a platform for shouting her government's achievements.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/opinion-youre-not-in-guatemala-now-minister-little/ZAV25HG7Z6IKZAYL4ZECZOSLWY/
Witty, but possibly true for Joe Bennett on Andrew Littles attempt to recruit nurses using Shortland Street. (the nurses union and their members seem unimpressed).
TBH I hope it works. But lets hear how much the add/s cost. Bet the people who make them earn far more than our nurses.
Litlle does seem more and more out of touch. As Joe Bennet says young people are unlikely to watch SS.
Costs?
https://www.odt.co.nz/news/national/shortland-st-nursing-campaign-funding-stay-secret
It'd be nice if they are too embarrassed to say how much this batshit craziness is going to cost us.
Labour has plumbed new depths with this one.
It does show that their commitment to neoliberal norms is greater than their commitment to a robust public health system.
At the minimum, the mystery bonus paid to recruit offshore nurses should also be paid to those who take the trouble and expense to train locally. Unless a two-tier system replete with cultural cringe is somehow desirable.
Yep. It would make a nice graduation bonus for locally trained talent.
What ‘mystery bonus’ are you talking about?
https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/government-plan-boost-health-workers
Yes, that one.
Locally qualified staff have costs too.
Generally speaking, the concern of government is the welfare and prosperity of their own citizens – not that such a principle could be derived from the Brownian motions of opposed administrations and a Treasury staffed by Brash appointees = so far-right it's amazing they haven’t fallen off their flat earth.
Two different issues: 1) lower the threshold for overseas registrants; 2) make conditions better for all nurses registered in NZ. The idea is that many (?) overseas applicants will stay on and become residents and some possibly even citizens, eventually. Not as B&W as some seem to want to see it.
It's a continuation of what may fairly be characterized as the recolonization of New Zealand.
Little ought to know better – the job is to let our people succeed, not bring in uncle Tom Cobbly and all. We've had it taken to extremes over the last three decades, pumped our population up by close to a million (that's about 5x the per capita rate that drove the Brexit debacle in the UK) without so much as a by your leave. And these have included property speculators, slave ship operators, wage thieves and phone scammers, to name a few.
Black & white? What is Little on? Besides an undeserved salary & benefits?
Our people cannot succeed if they’re not healthy and not being nursed back to health. Our people would like to travel and gain overseas work experiences. AL’s salary & benefits are irrelevant.
Pah!
Let's just rebuild a colonial economy because 'our' lords and masters are too lazy and frankly cowardly to do better.
Let's bring in yet another tranche of migrants as a short term fix as we have, without benefit to NZ at large, for the last thirty years.
This time it'll be different, right?
Little can go forth & multiply.
Hasn’t the NZ Taxpayer forked out hundreds of millions over the years on numerous film deals to promote NZ tourism? And it worked: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tolkien_tourism.
A bit of out-of-the-box thinking by our Government is fine with me as long as I don’t have to watch it on the box.
Perhaps Shortland at could have a story how Little screwed the nurses and other health workers regarding pay rates and working conditions ? Union action to replicate reality as agreed conditions on pay equity from the 2017pay round has not been adhered to?
Dr DooLittle is becoming a common refrain in the staffrooms.
Start your crowd funding now!
Shortland Street producers and writers certainly would not be afraid of pursuing this story line, if that's what you mean. It is quite topical, and what they are known for is sensitivity and response to contemporary societal drivers.
That is why it is so popular and that is why we need local content such as Shortland Street. If you vote for ACT that is a vote for destroying the local film and TV industry. ACT are anti-culture and would likely finish off all domestic screen entertainment.
Agree. No one in the 20-something age group (with whom I'm acquainted via family, work or social connections) watches channel TV at all. They watch, if at all, using on-demand services. And soaps are for the 40+ age group.
It probably won't do much harm – but is unlikely to do much good.
But Bennett is right on the money with this quote:
Shortland Street is on-demand.
I figure the SS idea it has worked well for them, it is a distraction from the relationship Dr Doolittle has with his workforce.
The good ole immigration tap, solves so many neo-liberal problems.
and creates at least the same amount
It's like any operational structure.
In the screen industry some executives; producers, creators, designers and directors, are well paid.
Some management; supervisors, gaffers, key grips, art directors, are reasonably well paid.
And some workers; make up, costume, grip, lighting, locations, and catering are paid averagely.
Entry level is paid poorly.
I suggest the screen industry is paid no better or worse than the health sector. I also think using Shorty to promote to locals nursing as a profession and using TVNZ's marketing arm (Blacksand) to do it is a great idea.
What if young people tend not to watch Shorty? Their parents might do and they are the ones directing them through early life.
Muttonbird you must stop being a lateral thinker. It doesn't go down too well with some on this site.