Open mike 03/08/2022

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, August 3rd, 2022 - 84 comments
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84 comments on “Open mike 03/08/2022 ”

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  1. PsyclingLeft.Always 1
    3 August 2022 at 7:31 am

    National Party MP Jacqui Dean to retire at 2023 election

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/128704137/national-party-mp-jacqui-dean-to-retire-at-2023-election

    National MPs Ian McKelvie, David Bennett to stand down at 2023 election

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/471619/national-mps-ian-mckelvie-david-bennett-to-stand-down-at-2023-election

    Brownlee has stood in the Christchurch electorate of Ilam at each election since he entered Parliament in 1996

    https://www.odt.co.nz/news/national/brownlee-wont-contest-ilam-election-hints-speaker

    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

    • Tony Veitch (not etc.) 1.1
      3 August 2022 at 7:38 am

      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.

      • Craig H 1.1.1
        3 August 2022 at 5:45 pm

        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.

      • PsyclingLeft.Always 1.1.2
        4 August 2022 at 12:06 am

        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.

        https://www.odt.co.nz/news/national/brownlee-wont-contest-ilam-election-hints-speaker

        What’s the term? Loser.. and to Labours Sarah Pallett. Fuck that must have burnt. Awesome !

    • Mike the Lefty 1.2
      4 August 2022 at 7:30 am

      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.

    • Tony Veitch (not etc.) 2.1
      3 August 2022 at 8:16 am

      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.

      • Barfly 2.1.1
        3 August 2022 at 11:02 am

        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.

        • Descendant Of Smith 2.1.1.1
          3 August 2022 at 11:34 am

          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.

  3. Sacha 3
    3 August 2022 at 8:15 am

    Giving vaccine denialism a platform has a cost.

    https://twitter.com/scottdagostino/status/1554432947293458434

    • Rosemary McDonald 3.1
      3 August 2022 at 10:01 am

      Sacha…a reply to you at 5. The reply button didn't work.

      • Incognito 3.1.1
        3 August 2022 at 4:58 pm

        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:

        While COVID-19 vaccines have had a profound impact on decreasing global morbidity and mortality burdens, …

        Your reply is also redundant because “population-wide mandatory vaccine policies” have ended in NZ and are now obsolete for all intents and purposes.

        • Rosemary McDonald 3.1.1.1
          3 August 2022 at 6:33 pm

          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.

          • Drowsy M. Kram 3.1.1.1.1
            3 August 2022 at 6:57 pm

            …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.

          • Incognito 3.1.1.1.2
            3 August 2022 at 7:25 pm

            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!!

            • Rosemary McDonald 3.1.1.1.2.1
              4 August 2022 at 12:33 pm

              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.

              • Incognito …
                4 August 2022 at 9:29 pm

                As per the tweet in Sacha’s comment:

                … 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.

                • Rosemary McDonald …
                  5 August 2022 at 8:14 am

                  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:

                  • 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.

    • mauī 3.2
      3 August 2022 at 9:36 pm

      Vaccine denialism didn't start this… Vaccine propaganda did.

      https://twitter.com/MartinKulldorff/status/1516203614326472708

  4. Sanctuary 4
    3 August 2022 at 9:33 am

    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.

  5. Rosemary McDonald 5
    3 August 2022 at 10:00 am

    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.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjUskKTq_Qc&t=3s

    • Barfly 5.1
      3 August 2022 at 11:11 am

      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. smiley

      • Rosemary McDonald 5.1.1
        3 August 2022 at 11:29 am

        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?

        • Drowsy M. Kram 5.1.1.1
          3 August 2022 at 12:11 pm

          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.

          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.

          https://covid19.govt.nz/

        • Barfly 5.1.1.2
          3 August 2022 at 4:16 pm

          "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.

          • Rosemary McDonald 5.1.1.2.1
            3 August 2022 at 6:40 pm

            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.

            • RedLogix 5.1.1.2.1.1
              3 August 2022 at 9:23 pm

              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'.

              • swordfish …
                3 August 2022 at 10:48 pm

                Oh Shit, sorry to hear that, mate.

                • RedLogix …
                  3 August 2022 at 10:58 pm

                  Thanks.

                  It is what it is and it could be a lot worse. I just gained another reason not to be complacent about life yes

                  • Rosemary McDonald …
                    4 August 2022 at 12:15 pm

                    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.

              • Muttonbird …
                3 August 2022 at 11:43 pm

                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…

                • Drowsy M. Kram …
                  3 August 2022 at 11:59 pm

                  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?

                • weka …
                  4 August 2022 at 10:27 am

                  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.

              • Ad …
                4 August 2022 at 5:11 pm

                I missed this apologies Red.

                You are a legend and I wish you all strength and power.

      • Patricia Bremner 5.1.2
        3 August 2022 at 1:29 pm

        Yes Barfly, and wear a mask smiley

      • Jilly Bee 5.1.3
        3 August 2022 at 2:27 pm

        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.

    • foreign waka 5.2
      3 August 2022 at 2:52 pm

      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/

  6. Anne 6
    3 August 2022 at 10:37 am

    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

    • Rosemary McDonald 6.1
      3 August 2022 at 11:21 am

      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.

      • Anne 6.1.1
        3 August 2022 at 1:40 pm

        "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.

    • Muttonbird 6.2
      3 August 2022 at 10:28 pm

      The conspiracy theorists will be disappointed, Anne.

      Perhaps drowning their sorrows with horse-paste and Vitamin D cocktails under tin foil umbrellas.

  7. Barfly 7
    3 August 2022 at 11:05 am

    OMG ! Unemployment is up! To 3.3%

    Cue "the sky is falling " from the RWNJ's

  8. Jenny how to get there 8
    3 August 2022 at 12:48 pm

    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.

    https://www.democracynow.org/2022/7/28/dutchak_western_solidarity_fight_russian_imperialism?fbclid=IwAR0PnVttmYubn6h7PuHw6cmp9sXd13WUTOq3iChq5yC5PZo8CWUq7UXQ3HM

    • Jenny how to get there 8.1
      3 August 2022 at 1:28 pm

      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.

      https://theins.ru/en/politics/251492?fbclid=IwAR2t8ivPpZw0cxZLJFZsUEKvJIuxG6Joo3qr0zq0bEApIfjxGvt8BW3fq8M

      • mikesh 8.1.1
        3 August 2022 at 3:17 pm

        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.)

        • Jenny how to get there 8.1.1.1
          3 August 2022 at 5:59 pm

          mikesh

          3 August 2022 at 3:17 pm

          ….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.

          What's wrong with you?

          • mikesh 8.1.1.1.1
            4 August 2022 at 9:49 am

            “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".

        • joe90 8.1.1.2
          3 August 2022 at 7:28 pm

          .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.)*

          • mikesh 8.1.1.2.1
            4 August 2022 at 10:04 am

            “{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.

            • joe90 8.1.1.2.1.1
              4 August 2022 at 10:19 am

              .No way were they going to allow the government to seek talks

              I notice the USA did not participate in the negotiations.

              //

  9. Tony Veitch (not etc.) 9
    3 August 2022 at 2:15 pm

    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.

  10. Anker 10
    3 August 2022 at 3:09 pm

    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.

    • Rosemary McDonald 10.1
      3 August 2022 at 3:29 pm

      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.

      • Stuart Munro 10.1.1
        3 August 2022 at 3:41 pm

        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.

        • Belladonna 10.1.1.1
          3 August 2022 at 3:48 pm

          Yep. It would make a nice graduation bonus for locally trained talent.

        • Incognito 10.1.1.2
          3 August 2022 at 4:04 pm

          What ‘mystery bonus’ are you talking about?

          https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/government-plan-boost-health-workers

          • Stuart Munro 10.1.1.2.1
            3 August 2022 at 5:37 pm

            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.

            • Incognito 10.1.1.2.1.1
              3 August 2022 at 7:54 pm

              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.

              • Stuart Munro …
                3 August 2022 at 8:37 pm

                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?

                • Incognito …
                  3 August 2022 at 8:58 pm

                  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.

                  • Stuart Munro …
                    3 August 2022 at 10:09 pm

                    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.

    • Incognito 10.2
      3 August 2022 at 3:29 pm

      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.

      • Herodotus 10.2.1
        3 August 2022 at 5:19 pm

        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?

        • gsays 10.2.1.1
          3 August 2022 at 6:39 pm

          Dr DooLittle is becoming a common refrain in the staffrooms.

        • Incognito 10.2.1.2
          3 August 2022 at 7:55 pm

          Start your crowd funding now!

        • Muttonbird 10.2.1.3
          3 August 2022 at 10:36 pm

          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.

    • Belladonna 10.3
      3 August 2022 at 3:34 pm

      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.

    • gsays 10.4
      3 August 2022 at 6:49 pm

      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.

    • Muttonbird 10.5
      3 August 2022 at 10:19 pm

      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.

      • Anne 10.5.1
        3 August 2022 at 11:08 pm

        Muttonbird you must stop being a lateral thinker. It doesn't go down too well with some on this site.

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    Eric Crampton writes – Kainga Ora is the government’s house building agency. It’s been building a lot of social housing. Kainga Ora has its own (but independent) consenting authority, Consentium. It’s a neat idea. Rather than have to deal with building consents across each different territorial authority, Kainga Ora ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    24 hours ago

  • Coalition promises – will the Govt keep the commitment to keep Kiwis equal before the law?
    Muriel Newman writes – The Coalition Government says it is moving with speed to deliver campaign promises and reverse the damage done by Labour. One of their key commitments is to “defend the principle that New Zealanders are equal before the law.” To achieve this, they have pledged they “will not advance ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago

  • An impermanent public service is a guarantee of very little else but failure
    Chris Trotter writes –  The absence of anything resembling a fightback from the public servants currently losing their jobs is interesting. State-sector workers’ collective fatalism in the face of Coalition cutbacks indicates a surprisingly broad acceptance of impermanence in the workplace. Fifty years ago, lay-offs in the thousands ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago

  • What happens after the war – Mariupol
    Mariupol, on the Azov Sea coast, was one of the first cities to suffer almost complete destruction after the start of the Ukraine War started in late February 2022. We remember the scenes of absolute destruction of the houses and city structures. The deaths of innocent civilians – many of ...
    Open ParachuteBy Ken
    1 day ago

  • Babies and benefits – no good news
    Lindsay Mitchell writes – Ten years ago, I wrote the following in a Listener column: Every year around one in five new-born babies will be reliant on their caregivers benefit by Christmas. This pattern has persisted from at least 1993. For Maori the number jumps to over one in three.  ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago

  • Should the RBNZ be looking through climate inflation?
    Climate change is expected to generate more and more extreme events, delivering a sort of structural shock to inflation that central banks will have to react to as if they were short-term cyclical issues. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago

  • Bernard's pick 'n' mix of the news links
    The top six news links I’ve seen elsewhere in the last 24 hours, as of 9:16 am on Thursday, April 18 are:Housing: Tauranga residents living in boats, vans RNZ Checkpoint Louise TernouthHousing: Waikato councillor says wastewater plant issues could hold up Sleepyhead building a massive company town Waikato Times Stephen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago

  • Gordon Campbell on the public sector carnage, and misogyny as terrorism
    It’s a simple deal. We pay taxes in order to finance the social services we want and need. The carnage now occurring across the public sector though, is breaking that contract. Over 3,000 jobs have been lost so far. Many are in crucial areas like Education where the impact of ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    1 day ago

  • Meeting the Master Baiters
    Hi,A friend had their 40th over the weekend and decided to theme it after Curb Your Enthusiasm fashion icon Susie Greene. Captured in my tiny kitchen before I left the house, I ending up evoking a mix of old lesbian and Hillary Clinton — both unintentional.Me vs Hillary ClintonIf you’re ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    1 day ago

  • How extreme was the Earth's temperature in 2023
    This is a re-post from Andrew Dessler at the Climate Brink blog In 2023, the Earth reached temperature levels unprecedented in modern times. Given that, it’s reasonable to ask: What’s going on? There’s been lots of discussions by scientists about whether this is just the normal progression of global warming or if something ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 day ago

  • Backbone, revisited
    The schools are on holiday and the sun is shining in the seaside village and all day long I have been seeing bunches of bikes; Mums, Dads, teens and toddlers chattering, laughing, happy, having a bloody great time together. Cheers, AT, for the bits of lane you’ve added lately around the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago

  • Ministers are not above the law
    Today in our National-led authoritarian nightmare: Shane Jones thinks Ministers should be above the law: New Zealand First MP Shane Jones is accusing the Waitangi Tribunal of over-stepping its mandate by subpoenaing a minister for its urgent hearing on the Oranga Tamariki claim. The tribunal is looking into the ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago

  • What’s the outfit you can hear going down the gurgler? Probably it’s David Parker’s Oceans Sec...
    Buzz from the Beehive Point  of Order first heard of the Oceans Secretariat in June 2021, when David Parker (remember him?) announced a multi-agency approach to protecting New Zealand’s marine ecosystems and fisheries. Parker (holding the Environment, and Oceans and Fisheries portfolios) broke the news at the annual Forest & ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    2 days ago

  • Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?
    Bryce Edwards writes  – Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • Matt Doocey doubles down on trans “healthcare”
    Citizen Science writes –  Last week saw two significant developments in the debate over the treatment of trans-identifying children and young people – the release in Britain of the final report of Dr Hilary Cass’s review into gender healthcare, and here in New Zealand, the news that the ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • A TikTok Prime Minister.
    One night while sleeping in my bed I had a beautiful dreamThat all the people of the world got together on the same wavelengthAnd began helping one anotherNow in this dream, universal love was the theme of the dayPeace and understanding and it happened this wayAfter such an eventful day ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago

  • Texas Lessons
    This is a guest post by Oscar Simms who is a housing activist, volunteer for the Coalition for More Homes, and was the Labour Party candidate for Auckland Central at the last election. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    2 days ago

  • Bernard's pick 'n' mix of the news links at 6:06 am
    The top six news links I’ve seen elsewhere in the last 24 hours as of 6:06 am on Wednesday, April 17 are:Must read: Secrecy shrouds which projects might be fast-tracked RNZ Farah HancockScoop: Revealed: Luxon has seven staffers working on social media content - partly paid for by taxpayer Newshub ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago

  • Fighting poverty on the holiday highway
    Turning what Labour called the “holiday highway” into a four-lane expressway from Auckland to Whangarei could bring at least an economic benefit of nearly two billion a year for Northland each year. And it could help bring an end to poverty in one of New Zealand’s most deprived regions. The ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago

  • Bernard's six-stack of substacks at 6:26 pm
    Tonight’s six-stack includes: launching his substack with a bunch of his previous documentaries, including this 1992 interview with Dame Whina Cooper. and here crew give climate activists plenty to do, including this call to submit against the Fast Track Approvals bill. writes brilliantly here on his substack ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • At a glance – Is the science settled?
    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 ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago

  • Apposite Quotations.
    How Long Is Long Enough? Gaza under Israeli bombardment, July 2014. This posting is exclusive to Bowalley Road. ...
    Bowalley Road
    3 days ago

  • What’s a life worth now?
    You're in the mall when you hear it: some kind of popping sound in the distance, kids with fireworks, maybe. But then a moment of eerie stillness is followed by more of the fireworks sound and there’s also screaming and shrieking and now here come people running for their lives.Does ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago

  • Howling at the Moon
    Karl du Fresne writes –  There’s a crisis in the news media and the media are blaming it on everyone except themselves. Culpability is being deflected elsewhere – mainly to the hapless Minister of Communications, Melissa Lee, and the big social media platforms that are accused of hoovering ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Newshub is Dead.
    I don’t normally send out two newsletters in a day but I figured I’d say something about… the news. If two newsletters is a bit much then maybe just skip one, I don’t want to overload people. Alternatively if you’d be interested in sometimes receiving multiple, smaller updates from me, ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago

  • Seymour is chuffed about cutting early-learning red tape – but we hear, too, that Jones has loose...
    Buzz from the Beehive David Seymour and Winston Peters today signalled that at least two ministers of the Crown might be in Wellington today. Seymour (as Associate Minister of Education) announced the removal of more red tape, this time to make it easier for new early learning services to be ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?
    Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. Our political system is suffering from the ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    3 days ago

  • Was Hawkesby entirely wrong?
    David Farrar  writes –  The Broadcasting Standards Authority ruled: Comments by radio host Kate Hawkesby suggesting Māori and Pacific patients were being prioritised for surgery due to their ethnicity were misleading and discriminatory, the Broadcasting Standards Authority has found. It is a fact such patients are prioritised. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • PRC shadow looms as the Solomons head for election
    PRC and its proxies in Solomons have been preparing for these elections for a long time. A lot of money, effort and intelligence have gone into ensuring an outcome that won’t compromise Beijing’s plans. Cleo Paskall writes – On April 17th the Solomon Islands, a country of ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Climate Change: Criminal ecocide
    We are in the middle of a climate crisis. Last year was (again) the hottest year on record. NOAA has just announced another global coral bleaching event. Floods are threatening UK food security. So naturally, Shane Jones wants to make it easier to mine coal: Resources Minister Shane Jones ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago

  • Is saving one minute of a politician's time worth nearly $1 billion?
    Is speeding up the trip to and from Wellington airport by 12 minutes worth spending up more than $10 billion? Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me in the last day to 8:26 am today are:The Lead: Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • Long Tunnel or Long Con?
    Yesterday it was revealed that Transport Minister had asked Waka Kotahi to look at the options for a long tunnel through Wellington. State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    3 days ago

  • Smoke And Mirrors.
    You're a fraud, and you know itBut it's too good to throw it all awayAnyone would do the sameYou've got 'em goingAnd you're careful not to show itSometimes you even fool yourself a bitIt's like magicBut it's always been a smoke and mirrors gameAnyone would do the sameForty six billion ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago

  • What is Mexico doing about climate change?
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections The June general election in Mexico could mark a turning point in ensuring that the country’s climate policies better reflect the desire of its citizens to address the climate crisis, with both leading presidential candidates expressing support for renewable energy. Mexico is the ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago

  • State of humanity, 2024
    2024, it feels, keeps presenting us with ever more challenges, ever more dismay.Do you give up yet? It seems to ask.No? How about this? Or this?How about this?When I say 2024 I really mean the state of humanity in 2024.Saturday night, we watched Civil War because that is one terrifying cliff we've ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago

  • Govt’s Wellington tunnel vision aims to ease the way to the airport (but zealous promoters of cycl...
    Buzz from the Beehive A pet project and governmental tunnel vision jump out from the latest batch of ministerial announcements. The government is keen to assure us of its concern for the wellbeing of our pets. It will be introducing pet bonds in a change to the Residential Tenancies Act ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago

  • The case for cultural connectedness
    A recent report generated from a Growing Up in New Zealand (GUiNZ) survey of 1,224 rangatahi Māori aged 11-12 found: Cultural connectedness was associated with fewer depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms and better quality of life. That sounds cut and dry. But further into the report the following appears: Cultural connectedness is ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Useful context on public sector job cuts
    David Farrar writes –    The Herald reports: From the gory details of job-cuts news, you’d think the public service was being eviscerated.   While the media’s view of the cuts is incomplete, it’s also true that departments have been leaking the particulars faster than a Wellington ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell On When Racism Comes Disguised As Anti-racism
    Remember the good old days, back when New Zealand had a PM who could think and speak calmly and intelligently in whole sentences without blustering? Even while Iran’s drones and missiles were still being launched, Helen Clark was live on TVNZ expertly summing up the latest crisis in the Middle ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    4 days ago

  • Govt ignored economic analysis of smokefree reversal
    Costello did not pass on analysis of the benefits of the smokefree reforms to Cabinet, emphasising instead the extra tax revenues of repealing them. Photo: Hagen Hopkins, Getty Images TL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me at 7:26 am today are:The Lead: Casey Costello never passed on ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago

  • True Blue.
    True loveYou're the one I'm dreaming ofYour heart fits me like a gloveAnd I'm gonna be true blueBaby, I love youI’ve written about the job cuts in our news media last week. The impact on individuals, and the loss to Aotearoa of voices covering our news from different angles.That by ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago

  • Who is running New Zealand’s foreign policy?
    While commentators, including former Prime Minister Helen Clark, are noting a subtle shift in New Zealand’s foreign policy, which now places more emphasis on the United States, many have missed a key element of the shift. What National said before the election is not what the government is doing now. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago

  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #15
    A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 7, 2024 thru Sat, April 13, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week is about adults in the room setting terms and conditions of ...
    Skeptical Science
    5 days ago

  • Feline Friends and Fragile Fauna The Complexities of Cats in New Zealand’s Conservation Efforts

    Cats, with their independent spirit and beguiling purrs, have captured the hearts of humans for millennia. In New Zealand, felines are no exception, boasting the highest national cat ownership rate globally [definition cat nz cat foundation]. An estimated 1.134 million pet cats grace Kiwi households, compared to 683,000 dogs ...

    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    5 days ago

  • Or is that just they want us to think?
    Nice guy, that Peter Williams. Amiable, a calm air of no-nonsense capability, a winning smile. Everything you look for in a TV presenter and newsreader.I used to see him sometimes when I went to TVNZ to be a talking head or a panellist and we would yarn. Nice guy, that ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago

  • Fact Brief – Did global warming stop in 1998?
    Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park in collaboration with members from our Skeptical Science team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Did global warming stop in ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago

  • Arguing over a moot point.
    I have been following recent debates in the corporate and social media about whether it is a good idea for NZ to join what is known as “AUKUS Pillar Two.” AUKUS is the Australian-UK-US nuclear submarine building agreement in which … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    6 days ago

  • No Longer Trusted: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.
    Turning Point: “What has turned me away from the mainstream news media is the very strong message that its been sending out for the last few years.” “And what message might that be?” “That the people who own it, the people who run it, and the people who provide its content, really don’t ...
    Bowalley Road
    6 days ago

  • Mortgage rates at 10% anyone?
    No – nothing about that in PM Luxon’s nine-point plan to improve the lives of New Zealanders. But beyond our shores Jamie Dimon, the long-serving head of global bank J.P. Morgan Chase, reckons that the chances of a goldilocks soft landing for the economy are “a lot lower” than the ...
    Point of OrderBy xtrdnry
    6 days ago

  • Sad tales from the left
    Michael Bassett writes –  Have you noticed the odd way in which the media are handling the government’s crackdown on surplus employees in the Public Service? Very few reporters mention the crazy way in which State Service numbers rocketed ahead by more than 16,000 during Labour’s six years, ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • Minister to Europe for OECD meeting, Anzac Day
    Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 hours ago

  • Comprehensive Partnership the goal for NZ and the Philippines
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr.  The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    14 hours ago

  • Government commits $20m to Westport flood protection
    The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    20 hours ago

  • Taupō takes pole position
    The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    21 hours ago

  • Cost of living support for low-income homeowners
    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners.  “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    23 hours ago

  • Government backing mussel spat project
    The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    23 hours ago

  • Government focused on getting people into work
    Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Clean energy key driver to reducing emissions
    The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Earthquake-prone buildings review brought forward
    The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Thailand and NZ to agree to Strategic Partnership
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Government consults on extending coastal permits for ports
    RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Inflation coming down, but more work to do
    Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • School attendance restored as a priority in health advice
    Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Unnecessary bureaucracy cut in oceans sector
    Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Patterson promoting NZ’s wool sector at International Congress
    Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector.    "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Removing red tape to help early learners thrive
    The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • RMA changes to cut coal mining consent red tape
    Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • McClay reaffirms strong NZ-China trade relationship
    Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Prime Minister Luxon acknowledges legacy of Singapore Prime Minister Lee
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today paid tribute to Singapore’s outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.   Meeting in Singapore today immediately before Prime Minister Lee announced he was stepping down, Prime Minister Luxon warmly acknowledged his counterpart’s almost twenty years as leader, and the enduring legacy he has left for Singapore and South East ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • PMs Luxon and Lee deepen Singapore-NZ ties
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. While in Singapore as part of his visit to South East Asia this week, Prime Minister Luxon also met with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and will meet with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.  During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Antarctica New Zealand Board appointments
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has made further appointments to the Board of Antarctica New Zealand as part of a continued effort to ensure the Scott Base Redevelopment project is delivered in a cost-effective and efficient manner.  The Minister has appointed Neville Harris as a new member of the Board. Mr ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Finance Minister travels to Washington DC
    Finance Minister Nicola Willis will travel to the United States on Tuesday to attend a meeting of the Five Finance Ministers group, with counterparts from Australia, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.  “I am looking forward to meeting with our Five Finance partners on how we can work ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Pet bonds a win/win for renters and landlords
    The coalition Government has today announced purrfect and pawsitive changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to give tenants with pets greater choice when looking for a rental property, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Pets are important members of many Kiwi families. It’s estimated that around 64 per cent of New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Long Tunnel for SH1 Wellington being considered
    State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the Government has also asked NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) to consider and provide advice on a Long Tunnel option, Transport Minister Simeon Brown ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • New Zealand condemns Iranian strikes
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters have condemned Iran’s shocking and illegal strikes against Israel.    “These attacks are a major challenge to peace and stability in a region already under enormous pressure," Mr Luxon says.    "We are deeply concerned that miscalculation on any side could ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Huge interest in Government’s infrastructure plans
    Hundreds of people in little over a week have turned out in Northland to hear Regional Development Minister Shane Jones speak about plans for boosting the regional economy through infrastructure. About 200 people from the infrastructure and associated sectors attended an event headlined by Mr Jones in Whangarei today. Last ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Health Minister thanks outgoing Health New Zealand Chair
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti has today thanked outgoing Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora Chair Dame Karen Poutasi for her service on the Board.   “Dame Karen tendered her resignation as Chair and as a member of the Board today,” says Dr Reti.  “I have asked her to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Roads of National Significance planning underway
    The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has signalled their proposed delivery approach for the Government’s 15 Roads of National Significance (RoNS), with the release of the State Highway Investment Proposal (SHIP) today, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “Boosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Government’s plan to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Navigating an unstable global environment
    New Zealand is renewing its connections with a world facing urgent challenges by pursuing an active, energetic foreign policy, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.   “Our country faces the most unstable global environment in decades,” Mr Peters says at the conclusion of two weeks of engagements in Egypt, Europe and the United States.    “We cannot afford to sit back in splendid ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • NZ welcomes Australian Governor-General
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced the Australian Governor-General, His Excellency General The Honourable David Hurley and his wife Her Excellency Mrs Linda Hurley, will make a State visit to New Zealand from Tuesday 16 April to Thursday 18 April. The visit reciprocates the State visit of former Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Pseudoephedrine back on shelves for Winter
    Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced that Medsafe has approved 11 cold and flu medicines containing pseudoephedrine. Pharmaceutical suppliers have indicated they may be able to supply the first products in June. “This is much earlier than the original expectation of medicines being available by 2025. The Government recognised ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • NZ and the US: an ever closer partnership
    New Zealand and the United States have recommitted to their strategic partnership in Washington DC today, pledging to work ever more closely together in support of shared values and interests, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.    “The strategic environment that New Zealand and the United States face is considerably more ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Joint US and NZ declaration
    April 11, 2024 Joint Declaration by United States Secretary of State the Honorable Antony J. Blinken and New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs the Right Honourable Winston Peters We met today in Washington, D.C. to recommit to the historic partnership between our two countries and the principles that underpin it—rule ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • NZ and US to undertake further practical Pacific cooperation
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced further New Zealand cooperation with the United States in the Pacific Islands region through $16.4 million in funding for initiatives in digital connectivity and oceans and fisheries research.   “New Zealand can achieve more in the Pacific if we work together more urgently and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Government redress for Te Korowai o Wainuiārua
    The Government is continuing the bipartisan effort to restore its relationship with iwi as the Te Korowai o Wainuiārua Claims Settlement Bill passed its first reading in Parliament today, says Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith. “Historical grievances of Te Korowai o Wainuiārua relate to 19th century warfare, land purchased or taken ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Focus on outstanding minerals permit applications
    New Zealand Petroleum and Minerals is working to resolve almost 150 outstanding minerals permit applications by the end of the financial year, enabling valuable mining activity and signalling to the sector that New Zealand is open for business, Resources Minister Shane Jones says.  “While there are no set timeframes for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Applications open for NZ-Ireland Research Call
    The New Zealand and Irish governments have today announced that applications for the 2024 New Zealand-Ireland Joint Research Call on Agriculture and Climate Change are now open. This is the third research call in the three-year Joint Research Initiative pilot launched in 2022 by the Ministry for Primary Industries and Ireland’s ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Tenancy rules changes to improve rental market
    The coalition Government has today announced changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to encourage landlords back to the rental property market, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “The previous Government waged a war on landlords. Many landlords told us this caused them to exit the rental market altogether. It caused worse ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Boosting NZ’s trade and agricultural relationship with China
    Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay will visit China next week, to strengthen relationships, support Kiwi exporters and promote New Zealand businesses on the world stage. “China is one of New Zealand’s most significant trade and economic relationships and remains an important destination for New Zealand’s products, accounting for nearly 22 per cent of our good and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Freshwater farm plan systems to be improved
    The coalition Government intends to improve freshwater farm plans so that they are more cost-effective and practical for farmers, Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay have announced. “A fit-for-purpose freshwater farm plan system will enable farmers and growers to find the right solutions for their farm ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

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