Had an interesting long chat with a surgeon from one of our DHBs yesterday (not going to identify them).
Some interesting takeouts: Post code lottery in cancer outomes is indeed a thing, but not ion the way the media portrays it. Wait times for treatment are broadly the same. However, post treatment oncology services vary widely depending on where you live. In many DHBs your follow up care is on you – you've got to ring to get appointments, chase up the testing. In the big cities though the resources exist for the health system to follow you up. The issue isn't particularly money, but rather getting qualified oncology staff who want to work in out of the way DHBs.
The DHBs are, indeed, a complete nightrmare of petty fiefdoms and poor cooperation at the management level, although clinical staff mitigate a lot of that.
The last thing surprised me – this surgeon told me it should be an absolute priority to gain greater independence in the manufacturing of key vaccines, drugs and medications – insulin, basic paracetamol/NSAIDs and steroids, and generic asthma and blood pressure drugs – were specifically mentioned. Some capacity to manufacture these should be held domestically was the strongly held view.
Anyway, thought I share the observations of an extremely smart person who has been at the coal face for a while now….
Sanc….I've been in the UK recently (and wandering around Spain now) and the problems with nurses/junior doctors/the PUBLIC health service (private well off people are fine of course) seems to be not just in NZ but in many countries.
Coincidentally, I had a conversation with a friend yesterday who has been working in the Health Sector in Australia for over three decades now.
Her current role is in Nursing Management and Change Management Training.
We were talking about the retention and training of nurses in both Australia and NZ. We spoke about the reduction of training costs for RN's in Australia, which was not duplicated here (Covid training Fees Free was limited to Enrolled Nurses AFAIK). She also mentioned the disparity in training when accepting overseas trained staff. With countries where there were equivalent and close relationships, ie. Canada, England, NZ, US the staff were pretty much on a par, in terms of practice. Other countries were not as reliable in terms of consistency, which may be a cultural issue rather than training.
However, many UK nurses have an extra level of training after basic qualifications, when they specialise in a particular discipline – eg. oncology.
In Australia – this specialisation occurs by placement and practice on the ward, and is not usually accompanied by further theory or qualifications. UK nurses with these extra specialised qualifications are not recognised by Australia, leaving them on a par with basic RN nurse pay rates. In fact, they are equivalent to clinical practitioners in Australian heathcare (with a higher payrate), but have to fight to have this recognised. So far, the Australian government response has not been to make any changes, and so there is an attrition rate as those highly qualified nurses return back to the UK as job satisfaction is low, and they lose faith in the Australian system valuing them.
I'm not sure what occurs in NZ, as regards this issue.
To begin reforming the health system, the 20 DHBs were disestablished and their functions were merged into Te Whatu Ora, which now leads the day-to-day running of the system for the whole country.6/09/2022
According to the government the DHBs don't exist anymore.
They might still use hard/software until the full transition is completed, but as of the June 2022 there were no more DHBs. And whatever assets the DHBs had at the time they were dissolved these are now the assets of Te Whatu Ora.
And yes, the DHBs were underfunded, overworked and appreciated by none but they no longer set the rules or provide the budget nor plan anything, that is all now done by Te Whatu Ora. They were reformed away by Andrew Little, Minister of Health, Creator of Te Whatu Ora, under the Labour Party led by Jacinda Ardern. It is actually one of the things they are proud of.
What ever the short comings of todays Te Whatu Ora they are the shortcomings of Te Whatu Ora. To pretend that the DHBs are still doing anything today is misleading.
"The DHBs are, indeed, a complete nightrmare of petty fiefdoms and poor cooperation at the management level…"
That was plain for all to see and as far as I can tell is the basis for the reforms now underway. Andrew Little has explained the problems over and over again yet the Oppo parties – backed by a disingenuous bunch of media hacks – keep questioning his motivations as if he hasn't explained anything and is a complete idiot.
Its pathetic to watch the ignorant and foolish public fall for it, and does make me wonder about the poor cognitive abilities of so many voters. Is it an education failure or the results of hostile bombardment by right-wing media? Or is it both?
I offer up this over-the-holidays conversation with the son of a close family friend. He's just about to jet overseas to Oz – to further his career.
He's a doctor – 2 years out of med school who wants to specialize as an oncologist (he's interested in both research and treatment). You'd think that the NZ medical system would be falling over backwards to find a way to foster his career here…. but no.
He's missed out on the oncology residency (very limited numbers, I understand) at Auckland – no further communication, just a letter. And, given that he'd need to shift cities in any case (if there was, indeed, anything available in NZ), he looked over the ditch at what was on offer in Oz. He's ended up with a very attractive offer in Queensland, which will foster his career, and pay him considerably more. He's off at the end of the month – and I'd be surprised if he ever returns. A total loss of 7 years plus education and training to NZ.
Some capacity to manufacture these should be held domestically was the strongly held view.
Not neoliberal economics, in other words. We need to be prepared to pay the extra cost for that supply security – yet both our main parties are madly committed to keeping govt debt and taxes low by world standards.
The last thing surprised me – this surgeon told me it should be an absolute priority to gain greater independence in the manufacturing of key vaccines, drugs and medications – insulin, basic paracetamol/NSAIDs and steroids, and generic asthma and blood pressure drugs – were specifically mentioned. Some capacity to manufacture these should be held domestically was the strongly held view.
Did the surgeon say why? I completely agree, because the global supply of such things is no longer guaranteed, but am curious what his thinking was.
A short time ago, and I don't remember where exactly, Jenny, a commenter with whom i often find myself debating the Ukraine issue, pointed out that Putin in April had turned down an initiative for an interim ceasefire. I had not been aware of this and made some fairly non committal response. However, Malcolm Evens has very recently made a post to The Daily Blog which claimed, in passing, that a deal had been brokered between Kyiv and Moscow, but that Boris Johnson had talked Zelensky into backing away from it.
And the media also failed to publish the peace initiative brokered when Kiev and Moscow reached a negotiated interim settlement in early April, whereby Russia would withdraw to its pre-February 24 position, and Ukraine would promise not to seek NATO membership in return for security guarantees from a number of countries. However, at the very last minute, then-UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson reportedly flew to Kiev and demanded that Zelensky step away from the talks, a shocking fact that has barely been mentioned in English-language news media.
I mention this, not as a criticism of Jenny, but because I think that if this is true (Evens does not provide a link) then it is pretty shocking that Johnson would do such a thing; and shows the US and British motivations for their involvement involvement in the Ukraine conflict to be pretty venal.
And the media also failed to publish the peace initiative brokered when Kiev and Moscow reached a negotiated interim settlement in early April…. However, at the very last minute, then-UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson reportedly flew to Kiev and demanded that Zelensky step away from the talks
Firstly there are no details of any purported settlement to publish.
Secondly if it had happened (which seems unlikely to me) then it would have been in the peace talks on March 29th/30th. it was overtaken by events after the forced Russian withdrawal from Bucha a day later and the discovery of Russian atrocities against civilians a day later. Responsibility for actions against Russian perpetrators would have then been part of any peace settlement, something that Russia never seems to demand any accountability of their military or security forces. Plus the Russian line at the time was that it was all a manufactured incident by the Ukrreainians.
Thirdly, Johnson only visited Kyiv well after a speech by Zelensky to the UN demanding accountability of Russian actions that scuppered any hope of early peace agreement.
You should probably look at the actual history, rather than some manufactured time line for internal propaganda written by an fool apologist making up fairy tales.
According to a May report from Ukrainska Pravda, the Russian side was ready for a meeting between Zelenskyy and Putin, but it later came to a halt after the discovery of Russian war crimes in Ukraine, and the surprise visit on 9 April of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson who told Zelenskyy "Putin is a war criminal, he should be pressured, not negotiated with," and that "even if Ukraine is ready to sign some agreements on guarantees with Putin, they are not." Three days after Johnson left Kyiv, Putin stated publicly that talks with Ukraine "had turned into a dead end".
If you read the timelines, the barbaric behaviour of the Russian troops and FSB in places like Bucha after the forced withdrawal of Russian troops before the April 1st evidence of atrocities were what prevented any hope of a early peace settlement.
This was the report on the 4th of April address of Zelenzky. Curiously Malcom Evans didn't mention this in his analysis. Possibly because they are in favour of atrocities by Russia in occupied territories – which would be my current working hypothesis in the absence of a denial and explanation of their moral stance.
Civilians shot inside their homes or crushed by tanks as they sat in their cars. People tortured and summarily executed, their hands sometimes tied behind their backs. Throats slashed and limbs cut off. Women raped and killed in front of their children.
These were just some of the nightmarish scenes that unfolded under Russian occupation in the Ukrainian city of Bucha, President Volodymyr Zelensky told the United Nations Security Council in a virtual address on Tuesday.
"There is not a single crime they would not commit there," Zelensky said, comparing Russian fighters to ISIS militants and Nazi war criminals.
Zelensky's speech came a day after he visited Bucha, a small suburban city northwest of Kyiv that Ukraine retook from Russians in the past week, to see the devastation for himself. He described what he saw as among the worst war crimes since World War II.
"Now the world can see what the Russian military did in Bucha," Zelensky told the Security Council. "The world has yet to see what they have done in other occupied cities and regions of our country."
After that address, the media had their own direct access to the Bucha and other atrocity sites to verify the atrocity claims well before Boris Johnson visited Kyiv. He didn't visit until the 9th of April.
Which is what made this particular bit of Russian propaganda a pile of limp bullshit for blind fools supporting documented military and FSB atrocities.
Thanks for that Iprent. I was aware of all this, but you have given a lot more detail, which is informative.
I think you have wasted your energy replying to Mike et al though. The bones of all this has already been pointed out to them previously by various of us. But it doesn't seem to sink in unfortunately.
Also, whatever Russia says about wanting to negotiate, its actions speak louder than words. Its recent actions in "annexing" parts of Ukraine, some of which it didn't even occupy at the time, really scuppered any prospect for negotiation.
Up until then, it was possible to envisage some sort of land-lease arrangement between Ukraine and Russia that would have given Russia legal access to Ukrainian territories such as Crimea or the Donbas, but would have ensured that sovereign ownership remained with Ukraine.
But, unfortunately, Russia has now made negotiated deals nigh on impossible, in the short term, anyway.
The main point of my comment was Boris Johnson's words:
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson who told Zelenskyy "Putin is a war criminal, he should be pressured, not negotiated with," and that "even if Ukraine is ready to sign some agreements on guarantees with Putin, they are not."
Russian atrocities in Bucha, egragious as they may have been, should not have been a reason for Zelensky to abandon peace talks – just the opposite in fact. Almost certainly it would have been Johnson's comments that decided him.
PS: Who are “they”, by the way? Presumably the British (and the Americans).
Before you can use this supposed statement as a basis for an argument you need to provide an authoritative source to prove that the statement was ever made in the first place, and also, the context for the statement so we can assess whether it actually has the spin you are trying to attach to it.
But, so far as peace negotiations go, it is a good idea to listen to someone who actually knows what they are talking about. Nielson is a military analyst at the Danish Defence Academy, and a captain on a Danish war ship.
Firstly, if the current dispute could have been resolved through negotiations, it would have been.
Secondly, war defines the parameters for the peace talks. At the moment, both sides think they can win, and that both sides have totally incompatible demands. Hence, there is little prospect for successful negotiations at the moment.
But if one side sees they are losing, or that they may lose any advantage they have, they will be more likely to enter peace talks. For instance, if Russia keeps getting driven back, or if the Ukrainian population tires of constant attacks on infrastructure etc, and puts pressure on Zelensky to settle.
Thirdly, premature peace talks can prolong a conflict. This is because if negotiations are premature, both sides will enter the negotiations with unrealistic demands that will not result in any resolution.
So, it appears there is still more fighting to happen before any peaceful resolution can occur. Russia is more likely to enter negotiations in good faith if it realises that Western support is unwavering, and that continuing the conflict will just mean things keep getting worse for Russia.
And, your complaint about media bias in your first comment is a bit silly.
It is similar to a rugby team complaining that the ref was biased because of awarding most penlaties against that team. However, during that game, the team had continually engaged in blatant professional fouls.
Hint: flattening Ukrainian cities, shelling schools and hospitals, and committing terrible war crimes isn't likely to get a lot of positive press.
The supposed source for that comment is extremely tenuous. Supposedly, an unnamed source from Zelensky's team.
I doubt very much it is possible to provide a link. A bit similar to the supposed promise never to expand Nato eastwards which is often stated but has little actual evidence to support the comment ever being made.
Russian atrocities in Bucha, egragious as they may have been, should not have been a reason for Zelensky to abandon peace talks – just the opposite in fact.
Wow – up is down and black is white. So you leave more of your territory and citizens in the hands of people who do that sort of crap….and think you can also trust them to keep to any deal. War crimes are an excellent reason to keep fighting.
The main point of my comment was Boris Johnson's words:
Your post at TDB said:
However, at the very last minute, then-UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson reportedly flew to Kiev and demanded that Zelensky step away from the talks, a shocking fact that has barely been mentioned in English-language news media.
I'd say that you have completely and probably deliberately misrepresented this as a 'demanded'. Your quote above makes that pretty clear. There is no evidence of there was a demand at all. It just looks to me like you do not understand the bounds of national sovereignty. Especially when you now say..
PS: Who are “they”, by the way? Presumably the British (and the Americans).
If you dig through your quoted section without your ridiculous ideological blinders on it, the answer is completely obvious.
"even if Ukraine is ready to sign some agreements on guarantees with Putin, they are not."
Assuming that quote is correct, then Boris Johnson was talking as a PM of the sovereign nation of the UK. The ‘they’ in that context can only be that of the UK.
The reason for this is obvious for anyone who'd reads anything about diplomacy, the legal positions that underlie it, and simply the authority limits of what nations allow other nations to do on their behalf (which invariably is – only if we explicitly say that you can and you state that).
If he had been giving the position of the US (a different sovereign nation) – then he would have explicitly said so having gotten permission to do so. Otherwise the US would have had Johnson's guts for garters while also repudiating his words.
What Johnson clearly said was that the UK (they) was not willing to give "guarantees with Putin" – presumably written about security or sanctions or NATO expansion as the most likely subjects. Your quote is not explicit or (as usual) sourced.
The UK position is probably because Putin has repeatably violated previous written guarantees about the Russia Federation protecting Ukraine security and borders with a succession of invasions and attempts to subvert the governing of the sovereign nation of Ukraine. If you don't know what I am talking about, then I'd suggest that you find out before your ignorance is exposed.
Similarly the UK cannot speak for NATO about guarantees about NATO expansion. NATO requires unanimity on any decisions about the decisions of NATO from all members. If the UK wasn't willing to provide a yes, then there would be no guarantees with Putin from NATO.
Both of those are decisions that the UK can make in the absence of any other nation.
And need I say it (but obviously yes based on your apparent lack of basic understanding).
The leaders of the UK cannot speak for Ukraine, nor can the leaders of Ukraine speak for the UK, US or anyone apart from their own nation. National sovereignty is a fundamental of international law and diplomacy. It is also enshrined in the UN charter and was quite specifically put in place to ensure the self-detirmation of nations after centuries of wars by imperial ambitions of other states.
I'd also be interested in you stating your position about national sovereignty and imperialism. Because almost everything I ever read from you reminds me of a grasping 19th century imperialist. Just as the official statements out of the Russian Federation also remind me of previous Russian imperialism in central Eurasia in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Russian atrocities in Bucha, egragious as they may have been, should not have been a reason for Zelensky to abandon peace talks – just the opposite in fact.
Which really begs the question about how your personal morality allows you to think like that. But leaving aside your casual approach to invasion, casual rape, arbitrary murder, systematic theft, and forced 'evacuations' by the Russian Federation invaders…
The report also found that Russia’s perspectives on the conflict were only considered or mentioned in 10% of news reports…
But they were mentioned. What was noticeable was that the main reason given for their support for invasion and deliberate subversion of parts of the Ukrainian nation from 2014 onwards was the purported atrocities against the civilian population of Russian speakers in the Crimea and Donetsk. The expansion of NATO was definitely a secondary consideration.
I say purported, because it is hard to nigh well impossible to locate actual substantive evidence that these atrocities existed. There is a lot of hearsay. All of the evidence that I have seen so far indicates armed militias and accidents in combat zones. This includes a number of official investigations from external nations looking for evidence of war crimes or crimes against humanity.
Whereas what happened in Bucha and many other sites were deliberate atrocities against civilians carried by invading Russian troops and security forces. These are all war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Anyway if that was cause enough for Russia to go from diplomatic to military invasion solutions in the Crimea and the Donensk. Then to me it appears to make your opinion (and possibly that of the Russian Federation) to say that the same alleged atrocities but with actual evidence is not a cause to bring war crimes and to continue military action is extremely hypocritical.
I'd have to troll back through your comments here to dig it out. But I seem to remember seeing you saying that purported atrocities in the Donenk as part of a your justification for the Russian invasion last year. Of course that could just be you mindlessly parroting propaganda without thinking it through.
An alternate explanation that I can see for your position and that of the Russian Federation position about not examining evidence of crimes against humanity is the same position 'subhuman' or 'uberman' position used by slavers, racists, and nazi death camp advocates.
Which again leads me to the question about your personal morality and political positions. Pwerhaps you should elucidate exactly what your personal positions on crimes against humanity and war crimes is.
BTW: please don't rabbit on about hearsay non-written guarantees about NATO to me. Hearsay guarantees simply aren't worth the paper they're not written on.
Basically Zelensky offered Russia an immediate ceasefire if Russian Forces would agree to return to the territories in the Donbas that Russia had occupied before Russia's full scale invasion of Ukraine in February. (With an agreement for further negotiations between Moscow and Kiev for a final peaceful settlement over these disputed territories). Sounded fair and more than generous to me.
Ukraine being a democracy, and without the power to rule by decree, Zelensky also offered to hold a binding nationwide referendum on full neutrality between the Nato allies and the Russian Federation. Again on the condition of a ceasefire to allow the referendum to proceed.
The Russian Federation negotiators, rejected all peace overtures by Kiev.
Making no progress in the negotiations with Moscow, Zelensky then went over the heads of the Russian delegation on Telegram, the messaging service favoured by Russians, to put the same peace offers to the Russian people directly.
As for the Bucha timeline, which as Lynne mentioned, acted to harden Ukraine's resolve to fight on. To try and find some common ground with the pro-Kremlin commenters, I try to avoid heated arguments over disputed atrocities, (no matter how well documented), claimed by either side, and instead concentrate on atrocities that can't be disputed. Like for instance video of Russian missiles slamming into civilian apartment buildings.
"Lauren Boebert said, as the metal detectors were removed behind her. “Today, they are being removed and we are turning Pelosi’s House back into the people’s House.”
She would say that. I suppose she's all for as many guns as possible when whoever it is decides to take over the House and really make it the people's house by doing what those she supports tried to do on Jan 6 2021.
Well that's about all they are likely to achieve over the next 2 years. Can't even get themselves sufficiently organised to elect a Speaker – and doesn't look like they will be able to any time soon. The Repugnants are such a fractured mob of malcontents now they are completely unfit to govern.
On Tuesday, as Republicans in the US House of Representatives convulse over electing one among them as speaker of the House, with Kevin McCarthy attempting to outmanoeuvre his hardcore Maga detractors, the civil war in the Republican party comes into the open.
But it’s not particularly civil and it’s not exactly a war. It’s the mindless hostility of a political party that’s lost any legitimate reason for being.
The so called Freedom Caucus (does not include Green, does include Boebert and Gaetz) have demands such as spending cuts (Social Security and Medicare) and the creation of a select committee modeled after the one that investigated the federal government after Watergate (they want license to go after people in government).
So, such people want to be able to be personally armed in the House? Why is that? Insecurity- I must be armed to protect myself? I don't trust the people who are employed to protect me, or trust their detection machines? I don't trust the society I live in enough not to be armed, that fear is my ever-present companion?
Or are they secretly hoping for some event to make their lives remarkable, Rapture seekers awaiting the-Second Coming to feel fulfilled?
I don't get the belief, the psychology, the motivation of it all.
hopefully simon dallow will do the right thing and resign and never come back to teevee ever. He is shallow biased and completely self serving and New Zealand deserves better.
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In recent months, I have garnered copious amusement playing Martin, chess.com’s infamously terrible Chess AI. Alas, it is not how it once was, when he would cheerfully ignore freely offered material. Martin has grown better since I first stumbled upon him. I still remain frustrated at his capture-happy determination to ...
Every time that I see ya,A lightning bolt fills the room,The underbelly of Paris,She sings her favourite tune,She'll drink you under the table,She'll show you a trick or two,But every time that I left her,I missed the things she would doSongwriters: Kelly JonesThis morning, I posted - Are you excited ...
Long stories shortest this week in our political economy:Standard & Poor’s judged the Government’s council finance reforms a failure. Professional investors showed the Government they want it to borrow more, not less. GDP bounced out of recession by more than forecast in the December quarter, but data for the ...
Each day at 4:30 my brother calls in at the rest home to see Dad. My visits can be months apart. Five minutes after you've left, he’ll have forgotten you were there, but every time, his face lights up and it’s a warm happy visit.Tim takes care of almost everything ...
On the 19th of March, ACT announced they would be running candidates in this year’s local government elections. Accompanying that call for “common-sense kiwis” was an anti-woke essay typifying the views they expect their candidates to hold. I have included that part of their mailer, Free Press, in its entirety. ...
Even when the darkest clouds are in the skyYou mustn't sigh and you mustn't crySpread a little happiness as you go byPlease tryWhat's the use of worrying and feeling blue?When days are long keep on smiling throughSpread a little happiness 'til dreams come trueSongwriters: Vivian Ellis / Clifford Grey / ...
Here’s my selection1 of scoops, breaking news, news, analyses, deep-dives, features, interviews, Op-Eds, editorials and cartoons from around Aotearoa’s political economy on housing, climate and poverty from RNZ, 1News, The Post-$2, The Press−$, Newsroom/$3, NZ Herald/$, Stuff, BusinessDesk/$, Politik-$, NBR-$, Reuters, FT/$, WSJ/$, Bloomberg/$, New York Times/$, Washington Post/$, Wired/$, ...
ACT up the game on division politicsEmmerson’s take on David Seymour’s claim Jesus would have supported ACTACT’s announcement it is moving into local politics is a logical next step for a party that is waging its battle on picking up the aggrieved.It’s a numbers game, and as long as the ...
1. What will be the slogan of the next butter ad campaign?a. You’re worth itb.Once it hits $20, we can do something about the riversc. I can’t believe it’s the price of butter d. None of the above Read more ...
It is said that economists know the price of everything and the value of nothing. That may be an exaggeration but an even better response is to point out economists do know the difference. They did not at first. Classical economics thought that the price of something reflected the objective ...
Political fighting in Taiwan is delaying some of an increase in defence spending and creating an appearance of lack of national resolve that can only damage the island’s relationship with the Trump administration. The main ...
The unclassified version of the 2024 Independent Intelligence Review (IIR) was released today. It’s a welcome and worthy sequel to its 2017 predecessor, with an ambitious set of recommendations for enhancements to Australia’s national intelligence ...
Yesterday outgoing Ombudsman Peter Boshier published a report, Reflections on the Official Information Act, on his way out the door. The report repeated his favoured mantra that the Act was "fundamentally sound", all problems were issues of culture, and that no legislative change was needed (and especially no changes to ...
The United States government is considering replacing USAID with a new agency, the US Agency for International Humanitarian Assistance (USIHA), according to documents published by POLITICO. Under the proposed design, the agency will fail its ...
Hi,Journalism was never the original plan. Back in the 90s, there was no career advisor in Bethlehem, New Zealand — just a computer that would ask you 50 questions before spitting out career options. Yes, I am in this photo. No, I was not good at basketball.The top three careers ...
Mōrena. Long stories shortest: Professional investors who are paid a lot of money to be careful about lending to the New Zealand Government think it is wonderful place to put their money. Yet the Government itself is so afraid of borrowing more that it is happy to kill its own ...
As space becomes more contested, Australia should play a key role with its partners in the Combined Space Operations (CSpO) initiative to safeguard the space domain. Australia, Britain, Canada and the United States signed the ...
Ooh you're a cool catComing on strong with all the chit chatOoh you're alrightHanging out and stealing all the limelightOoh messing with the beat of my heart yeah!Songwriters: Freddie Mercury / John Deacon.It would be a tad ironic; I can see it now. “Yeah, I didn’t unsubscribe when he said ...
The PSA are calling the Prime Minister a hypocrite for committing to increase defence spending while hundreds of more civilian New Zealand Defence Force jobs are set to be cut as part of a major restructure. The number of companies being investigated for people trafficking in New Zealand has skyrocketed ...
Another Friday, hope everyone’s enjoyed their week as we head toward the autumn equinox. Here’s another roundup of stories that caught our eye on the subject of cities and what makes them even better. This week in Greater Auckland On Monday, Connor took a look at how Auckland ...
The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts & talking with special guest author Michael Wolff, who has just published his fourth book about Donald Trump: ‘All or Nothing’.Here’s Peter’s writeup of the interview.The Kākā by Bernard Hickey Hoon: Trumpism ...
Wolff, who describes Trump as truly a ‘one of a kind’, at a book launch in Spain. Photo: GettyImagesIt may be a bumpy ride for the world but the era of Donald J. Trump will die with him if we can wait him out says the author of four best-sellers ...
Australia needs to radically reorganise its reserves system to create a latent military force that is much larger, better trained and equipped and deployable within days—not decades. Our current reserve system is not fit for ...
Here’s my selection1 of scoops, breaking news, news, analyses, deep-dives, features, interviews, Op-Eds, editorials and cartoons from around Aotearoa’s political economy on housing, climate and poverty from RNZ, 1News, The Post-$2, The Press−$, Newsroom/$3, NZ Herald/$, Stuff, BusinessDesk/$, Politik-$, NBR-$, Reuters, FT/$, WSJ/$, Bloomberg/$, New York Times/$, Washington Post/$, Wired/$, ...
I have argued before that one ought to be careful in retrospectively allocating texts into genres. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1818) only looks like science-fiction because a science-fiction genre subsequently developed. Without H.G. Wells, would Frankenstein be considered science-fiction? No, it probably wouldn’t. Viewed in the context of its time, Frankenstein ...
Elbridge Colby’s senate confirmation hearing in early March holds more important implications for US partners than most observers in Canberra, Wellington or Suva realise. As President Donald Trump’s nominee for under secretary of defence for ...
China’s defence budget is rising heftily yet again. The 2025 rise will be 7.2 percent, the same as in 2024, the government said on 5 March. But the allocation, officially US$245 billion, is just the ...
Concern is growing about wide-ranging local repercussions of the new Setting of Speed Limits rule, rewritten in 2024 by former transport minister Simeon Brown. In particular, there’s growing fears about what this means for children in particular. A key paradox of the new rule is that NZTA-controlled roads have the ...
Speilmeister:Christopher Luxon’s prime-ministerial pitches notwithstanding, are institutions with billions of dollars at their disposal really going to invest them in a country so obviously in a deep funk?HAVING WOOED THE WORLD’s investors, what, if anything, has New Zealand won? Did Christopher Luxon’s guests board their private jets fizzing with enthusiasm for ...
Christchurch City Council is one of 18 councils and three council-controlled organisations (CCOs) downgraded by ratings agency S&P. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories shortest:Standard & Poor’s has cut the credit ratings of 18 councils, blaming the new Government’s abrupt reversal of 3 Waters, cuts to capital ...
Figures released by Statistics New Zealand today showed that the economy grew by 0.7% ending the very deep recession seen over the past year, said NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi Economist Craig Renney. “Even though GDP grew in the three months to December, our economy is still 1.1% smaller than it ...
What is going on with the price of butter?, RNZ, 19 march 2025: If you have bought butter recently you might have noticed something - it is a lot more expensive. Stats NZ said last week that the price of butter was up 60 percent in February compared to ...
I agree with Will Leben, who wrote in The Strategist about his mistakes, that an important element of being a commentator is being accountable and taking responsibility for things you got wrong. In that spirit, ...
You’d beDrunk by noon, no one would knowJust like the pandemicWithout the sourdoughIf I were there, I’d find a wayTo get treated for hysteriaEvery dayLyrics Riki Lindhome.A varied selection today in Nick’s Kōrero:Thou shalt have no other gods - with Christopher Luxon.Doctors should be seen and not heard - with ...
Confidence in the job market has continued to drop to its lowest level in five years as more New Zealanders feel uncertain about finding work, keeping their jobs, and getting decent pay, according to the latest Westpac-McDermott Miller Employment Confidence Index. ...
The Greens are calling on the Government to follow through on their vague promises of environmental protection in their Resource Management Act (RMA) reform. ...
“Make New Zealand First Again” Ladies and gentlemen, First of all, thank you for being here today. We know your lives are busy and you are working harder and longer than you ever have, and there are many calls on your time, so thank you for the chance to speak ...
Hundreds more Palestinians have died in recent days as Israel’s assault on Gaza continues and humanitarian aid, including food and medicine, is blocked. ...
National is looking to cut hundreds of jobs at New Zealand’s Defence Force, while at the same time it talks up plans to increase focus and spending in Defence. ...
It’s been revealed that the Government is secretly trying to bring back a ‘one-size fits all’ standardised test – a decision that has shocked school principals. ...
The Green Party is calling for the compassionate release of Dean Wickliffe, a 77-year-old kaumātua on hunger strike at the Spring Hill Corrections Facility, after visiting him at the prison. ...
The Green Party is calling on Government MPs to support Chlöe Swarbrick’s Member’s Bill to sanction Israel for its unlawful presence and illegal actions in Palestine, following another day of appalling violence against civilians in Gaza. ...
The Green Party stands in support of volunteer firefighters petitioning the Government to step up and change legislation to provide volunteers the same ACC coverage and benefits as their paid counterparts. ...
At 2.30am local time, Israel launched a treacherous attack on Gaza killing more than 300 defenceless civilians while they slept. Many of them were children. This followed a more than 2 week-long blockade by Israel on the entry of all goods and aid into Gaza. Israel deliberately targeted densely populated ...
Living Strong, Aging Well There is much discussion around the health of our older New Zealanders and how we can age well. In reality, the delivery of health services accounts for only a relatively small percentage of health outcomes as we age. Significantly, dry warm housing, nutrition, exercise, social connection, ...
Shane Jones’ display on Q&A showed how out of touch he and this Government are with our communities and how in sync they are with companies with little concern for people and planet. ...
Labour does not support the private ownership of core infrastructure like schools, hospitals and prisons, which will only see worse outcomes for Kiwis. ...
The Green Party is disappointed the Government voted down Hūhana Lyndon’s member’s Bill, which would have prevented further alienation of Māori land through the Public Works Act. ...
The Labour Party will support Chloe Swarbrick’s member’s bill which would allow sanctions against Israel for its illegal occupation of the Palestinian Territories. ...
The Government’s new procurement rules are a blatant attack on workers and the environment, showing once again that National’s priorities are completely out of touch with everyday Kiwis. ...
With Labour and Te Pāti Māori’s official support, Opposition parties are officially aligned to progress Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick’s Member’s Bill to sanction Israel for its unlawful presence in Palestine. ...
Te Pāti Māori extends our deepest aroha to the 500 plus Whānau Ora workers who have been advised today that the govt will be dismantling their contracts. For twenty years , Whānau Ora has been helping families, delivering life-changing support through a kaupapa Māori approach. It has built trust where ...
Labour welcomes Simeon Brown’s move to reinstate a board at Health New Zealand, bringing the destructive and secretive tenure of commissioner Lester Levy to an end. ...
This morning’s announcement by the Health Minister regarding a major overhaul of the public health sector levels yet another blow to the country’s essential services. ...
New Zealand First has introduced a Member’s Bill that will ensure employment decisions in the public service are based on merit and not on forced woke ‘Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion’ targets. “This Bill would put an end to the woke left-wing social engineering and diversity targets in the public sector. ...
The Government’s new planning legislation to replace the Resource Management Act will make it easier to get things done while protecting the environment, say Minister Responsible for RMA Reform Chris Bishop and Under-Secretary Simon Court. “The RMA is broken and everyone knows it. It makes it too hard to build ...
Trade and Investment Minister Todd McClay has today launched a public consultation on New Zealand and India’s negotiations of a formal comprehensive Free Trade Agreement. “Negotiations are getting underway, and the Public’s views will better inform us in the early parts of this important negotiation,” Mr McClay says. We are ...
More than 900 thousand superannuitants and almost five thousand veterans are among the New Zealanders set to receive a significant financial boost from next week, an uplift Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says will help support them through cost-of-living challenges. “I am pleased to confirm that from 1 ...
Progressing a holistic strategy to unlock the potential of New Zealand’s geothermal resources, possibly in applications beyond energy generation, is at the centre of discussions with mana whenua at a hui in Rotorua today, Resources and Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is in the early stages ...
New annual data has exposed the staggering cost of delays previously hidden in the building consent system, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “I directed Building Consent Authorities to begin providing quarterly data last year to improve transparency, following repeated complaints from tradespeople waiting far longer than the statutory ...
Increases in water charges for Auckland consumers this year will be halved under the Watercare Charter which has now been passed into law, Local Government Minister Simon Watts and Auckland Minister Simeon Brown say. The charter is part of the financial arrangement for Watercare developed last year by Auckland Council ...
There is wide public support for the Government’s work to strengthen New Zealand’s biosecurity protections, says Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard. “The Ministry for Primary Industries recently completed public consultation on proposed amendments to the Biosecurity Act and the submissions show that people understand the importance of having a strong biosecurity ...
A new independent review function will enable individuals and organisations to seek an expert independent review of specified civil aviation regulatory decisions made by, or on behalf of, the Director of Civil Aviation, Acting Transport Minister James Meager has announced today. “Today we are making it easier and more affordable ...
The Government will invest in an enhanced overnight urgent care service for the Napier community as part of our focus on ensuring access to timely, quality healthcare, Health Minister Simeon Brown has today confirmed. “I am delighted that a solution has been found to ensure Napier residents will continue to ...
Health Minister Simeon Brown and Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey attended a sod turning today to officially mark the start of construction on a new mental health facility at Hillmorton Campus. “This represents a significant step in modernising mental health services in Canterbury,” Mr Brown says. “Improving health infrastructure is ...
Finance Minister Nicola Willis has welcomed confirmation the economy has turned the corner. Stats NZ reported today that gross domestic product grew 0.7 per cent in the three months to December following falls in the June and September quarters. “We know many families and businesses are still suffering the after-effects ...
The sealing of a 12-kilometre stretch of State Highway 43 (SH43) through the Tangarakau Gorge – one of the last remaining sections of unsealed state highway in the country – has been completed this week as part of a wider programme of work aimed at improving the safety and resilience ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters says relations between New Zealand and the United States are on a strong footing, as he concludes a week-long visit to New York and Washington DC today. “We came to the United States to ask the new Administration what it wants from ...
Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee has welcomed changes to international anti-money laundering standards which closely align with the Government’s reforms. “The Financial Action Taskforce (FATF) last month adopted revised standards for tackling money laundering and the financing of terrorism to allow for simplified regulatory measures for businesses, organisations and sectors ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour says he welcomes Medsafe’s decision to approve an electronic controlled drug register for use in New Zealand pharmacies, allowing pharmacies to replace their physical paper-based register. “The register, developed by Kiwi brand Toniq Limited, is the first of its kind to be approved in New ...
The Coalition Government’s drive for regional economic growth through the $1.2 billion Regional Infrastructure Fund is on track with more than $550 million in funding so far committed to key infrastructure projects, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. “To date, the Regional Infrastructure Fund (RIF) has received more than 250 ...
[Comments following the bilateral meeting with United States Secretary of State, Marco Rubio; United States State Department, Washington D.C.] * We’re very pleased with our meeting with Secretary of State Marco Rubio this afternoon. * We came here to listen to the new Administration and to be clear about what ...
The intersection of State Highway 2 (SH2) and Wainui Road in the Eastern Bay of Plenty will be made safer and more efficient for vehicles and freight with the construction of a new and long-awaited roundabout, says Transport Minister Chris Bishop. “The current intersection of SH2 and Wainui Road is ...
The Ocean Race will return to the City of Sails in 2027 following the Government’s decision to invest up to $4 million from the Major Events Fund into the international event, Auckland Minister Simeon Brown says. “New Zealand is a proud sailing nation, and Auckland is well-known internationally as the ...
Improving access to mental health and addiction support took a significant step forward today with Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey announcing that the University of Canterbury have been the first to be selected to develop the Government’s new associate psychologist training programme. “I am thrilled that the University of Canterbury ...
Health Minister Simeon Brown has today officially opened the new East Building expansion at Manukau Health Park. “This is a significant milestone and the first stage of the Grow Manukau programme, which will double the footprint of the Manukau Health Park to around 30,000m2 once complete,” Mr Brown says. “Home ...
The Government will boost anti-crime measures across central Auckland with $1.3 million of funding as a result of the Proceeds of Crime Fund, Auckland Minister Simeon Brown and Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee say. “In recent years there has been increased antisocial and criminal behaviour in our CBD. The Government ...
The Government is moving to strengthen rules for feeding food waste to pigs to protect New Zealand from exotic animal diseases like foot and mouth disease (FMD), says Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard. ‘Feeding untreated meat waste, often known as "swill", to pigs could introduce serious animal diseases like FMD and ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held productive talks in New Delhi today. Fresh off announcing that New Zealand and India would commence negotiations towards a Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement, the two Prime Ministers released a joint statement detailing plans for further cooperation between the two countries across ...
Agriculture and Trade Minister Todd McClay signed a new Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) today during the Prime Minister’s Indian Trade Mission, reinforcing New Zealand’s commitment to enhancing collaboration with India in the forestry sector. “Our relationship with India is a key priority for New Zealand, and this agreement reflects our ...
Agriculture and Trade Minister Todd McClay signed a new Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) today during the Prime Minister’s Indian Trade Mission, reinforcing New Zealand’s commitment to enhancing collaboration with India in the horticulture sector. “Our relationship with India is a key priority for New Zealand, and this agreement reflects our ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of two new Family Court Judges. The new Judges will take up their roles in April and May and fill Family Court vacancies at the Auckland and Manukau courts. Annette Gray Ms Gray completed her law degree at Victoria University before joining Phillips ...
Health Minister Simeon Brown has today officially opened Wellington Regional Hospital’s first High Dependency Unit (HDU). “This unit will boost critical care services in the lower North Island, providing extra capacity and relieving pressure on the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and emergency department. “Wellington Regional Hospital has previously relied ...
Namaskar, Sat Sri Akal, kia ora and good afternoon everyone. What an honour it is to stand on this stage - to inaugurate this august Dialogue - with none other than the Honourable Narendra Modi. My good friend, thank you for so generously welcoming me to India and for our ...
Check against delivery.Kia ora koutou katoa It’s a real pleasure to join you at the inaugural New Zealand infrastructure investment summit. I’d like to welcome our overseas guests, as well as our local partners, organisations, and others.I’d also like to acknowledge: The Prime Minister, Minister of Finance, and other Ministers from the Coalition ...
Concerns about an increased likelihood of bird-strike at Queenstown Airport were raised directly with the district’s mayor and chief executive last week.At a media briefing yesterday, Queenstown’s council confirmed it was considering using emergency powers to discharge “highly treated wastewater” into the Shotover River, after the failure of its land ...
Analysis - Can New Zealand and other Five Eyes members trust the US any longer, after top Trump officials accidentally shared military plans on a messaging app that included a journalist? ...
The IPCA’s call for new legislation to govern how police handle protest could have an unwelcome and serious impact on a fundamental right, argues Trevor Richards, an early leader of the anti-apartheid movement in Aotearoa. Come with me on a journey back to my childhood. The decade of the 1960s ...
From emergency housing to employment dispute resolution, the government’s cutbacks are a misguided attempt to shrink our sense of what constitutes the public good – and it’s not an issue that solely affects the poor and the weak.When even employers are complaining about public service cuts in the National ...
The mass production of pamphlets espousing religious and political doctrines have always proselytised the ‘truth’ about whatever subject or mission their authors espouse. Roimata Smail’s booklet Understanding Tiriti lies squarely in this grand tradition with its sub-title, A handbook of basic facts about Te Tiriti o Waitangi. No need to ...
Softer vaccine mandates, no harsh lockdowns – but our borders would be closed sooner.That’s one scenario for the next big pandemic if the Government goes ahead with recommendations from the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Covid 19 Lessons Learned.“We would only use those mandatory measures if we really needed to ...
Comment: Ōhāriu’s long-serving former MP says new bigger electorates will make it more difficult for local members to advocate for their communities The post A sad goodbye to a seat that changed governments appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Opposition leader Peter Dutton will promise in his Thursday budget reply that a Coalition government would immediately halve the fuel excise on petrol and diesel. The cut, which would take the excise from 50.8 cents ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra As the election starter’s gun is about to be fired, Tuesday’s budget announced modest income tax cuts as the government’s latest cost-of-living measure. The Coalition has opposed the tax relief, with Peter Dutton’s Thursday budget ...
The Governor-General Cindy Kiro is on her first official tour of her home region, Northland - including visiting arts and community centres, marae, and taking her turn paddling on a waka. ...
The widow of late Green Party MP Fa'anānā Efeso Collins is calling for an inquest into his death, accusing the organisers of the charity event he was attending at the time of failing him. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By William van Caenegem, Professor of Law, Bond University Zivica Kerkez/Shutterstock The Labor government used this week’s budget to announce it plans to ban non-compete agreements for employees on less than A$175,000 per year, a move that will affect about 3 million ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy Neal, Senior lecturer in Economics / Institute for Climate Risk and Response, UNSW Sydney Commentators have branded last night’s federal budget as an attempt to win over typical Australian voters concerned about the cost of living, ahead of what is expected ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Candice Harris, Professor of Management, Auckland University of Technology Black Salmon/Shutterstock For decades, researchers examined work and home life as separate domains. If they were taken together it was usually to study so-called work-life balance. But these days, the reality is ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Candice Harris, Professor of Management, Auckland University of Technology Black Salmon/Shutterstock For decades, researchers examined work and home life as separate domains. If they were taken together it was usually to study so-called work-life balance. But these days, the reality is ...
Clear vegan and vegetarian food labelling should be put into legislation so consumers can be confident that what they are buying really meets their dietary requirements, say NZ's vegetarian and vegan societies. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Simon Coghlan, Senior Lecturer in Digital Ethics, Centre for AI and Digital Ethics, School of Computing and Information Systems, The University of Melbourne beast01/Shutterstock Every day, users ask search engines millions of questions. The information we receive can shape our opinions ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Toby Murray, Professor of Cybersecurity, School of Computing and Information Systems, The University of Melbourne Yesterday, The Atlantic magazine revealed an extraordinary national security blunder in the United States. Top US government officials had discussed plans for a bombing campaign in Yemen ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Melissa Conley Tyler, Honorary Fellow, Asia Institute, The University of Melbourne This week’s budget will come as a relief to Australia’s neighbours in the Indo-Pacific that rely on development assistance. The Albanese government did not follow the lead of US President Donald ...
Asia Pacific Report A national Palestinian advocacy group has called on the Aotearoa New Zealand government to immediately condemn Israel for its resumption today of “genocidal attacks” on the almost 2 million Palestinians trapped in the besieged Gaza enclave. Media reports said that more than 320 people had been killed ...
Welcome to The Spinoff Books Confessional, in which we get to know the reading habits of Aotearoa writers, and guests. This week: Mairātea Mohi (Te Arawa, Te Whānau-ā-Apanui), publishing associate te reo Māori at Auckland University Press.The book I wish I’d writtenAs a publisher, I know writing a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kristin Diemer, Associate Professor of Sociology, The University of Melbourne Journalist and activist Jess Hill’s Quarterly Essay argues Australia’s primary prevention framework to end violence against women isn’t working. Hill says the framework focuses too much on addressing gender inequality and ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Henry Cutler, Professor and Director, Macquarie University Centre for the Health Economy, Macquarie University Less than two months from an election, the Albanese government last night presented a budget that aims to swing the voting pendulum its way. Headline health expenditure ...
Had an interesting long chat with a surgeon from one of our DHBs yesterday (not going to identify them).
Some interesting takeouts: Post code lottery in cancer outomes is indeed a thing, but not ion the way the media portrays it. Wait times for treatment are broadly the same. However, post treatment oncology services vary widely depending on where you live. In many DHBs your follow up care is on you – you've got to ring to get appointments, chase up the testing. In the big cities though the resources exist for the health system to follow you up. The issue isn't particularly money, but rather getting qualified oncology staff who want to work in out of the way DHBs.
The DHBs are, indeed, a complete nightrmare of petty fiefdoms and poor cooperation at the management level, although clinical staff mitigate a lot of that.
The last thing surprised me – this surgeon told me it should be an absolute priority to gain greater independence in the manufacturing of key vaccines, drugs and medications – insulin, basic paracetamol/NSAIDs and steroids, and generic asthma and blood pressure drugs – were specifically mentioned. Some capacity to manufacture these should be held domestically was the strongly held view.
Anyway, thought I share the observations of an extremely smart person who has been at the coal face for a while now….
Sanc….I've been in the UK recently (and wandering around Spain now) and the problems with nurses/junior doctors/the PUBLIC health service (private well off people are fine of course) seems to be not just in NZ but in many countries.
Coincidentally, I had a conversation with a friend yesterday who has been working in the Health Sector in Australia for over three decades now.
Her current role is in Nursing Management and Change Management Training.
We were talking about the retention and training of nurses in both Australia and NZ. We spoke about the reduction of training costs for RN's in Australia, which was not duplicated here (Covid training Fees Free was limited to Enrolled Nurses AFAIK). She also mentioned the disparity in training when accepting overseas trained staff. With countries where there were equivalent and close relationships, ie. Canada, England, NZ, US the staff were pretty much on a par, in terms of practice. Other countries were not as reliable in terms of consistency, which may be a cultural issue rather than training.
However, many UK nurses have an extra level of training after basic qualifications, when they specialise in a particular discipline – eg. oncology.
In Australia – this specialisation occurs by placement and practice on the ward, and is not usually accompanied by further theory or qualifications. UK nurses with these extra specialised qualifications are not recognised by Australia, leaving them on a par with basic RN nurse pay rates. In fact, they are equivalent to clinical practitioners in Australian heathcare (with a higher payrate), but have to fight to have this recognised. So far, the Australian government response has not been to make any changes, and so there is an attrition rate as those highly qualified nurses return back to the UK as job satisfaction is low, and they lose faith in the Australian system valuing them.
I'm not sure what occurs in NZ, as regards this issue.
Surely you mean Whatu Ora?
cause
To begin reforming the health system, the 20 DHBs were disestablished and their functions were merged into Te Whatu Ora, which now leads the day-to-day running of the system for the whole country.6/09/2022
https://www.futureofhealth.govt.nz/health-nz/#:~:text=To%20begin%20reforming%20the%20health,system%20for%20the%20whole%20country.
Covid cases are still being reported by DHB/Region – see map here:
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/in-depth/450874/covid-19-data-visualisations-nz-in-numbers
I guess changes would disrupt continuity of data comparison.
According to the government the DHBs don't exist anymore.
They might still use hard/software until the full transition is completed, but as of the June 2022 there were no more DHBs. And whatever assets the DHBs had at the time they were dissolved these are now the assets of Te Whatu Ora.
And yes, the DHBs were underfunded, overworked and appreciated by none but they no longer set the rules or provide the budget nor plan anything, that is all now done by Te Whatu Ora. They were reformed away by Andrew Little, Minister of Health, Creator of Te Whatu Ora, under the Labour Party led by Jacinda Ardern. It is actually one of the things they are proud of.
What ever the short comings of todays Te Whatu Ora they are the shortcomings of Te Whatu Ora. To pretend that the DHBs are still doing anything today is misleading.
"The DHBs are, indeed, a complete nightrmare of petty fiefdoms and poor cooperation at the management level…"
That was plain for all to see and as far as I can tell is the basis for the reforms now underway. Andrew Little has explained the problems over and over again yet the Oppo parties – backed by a disingenuous bunch of media hacks – keep questioning his motivations as if he hasn't explained anything and is a complete idiot.
Its pathetic to watch the ignorant and foolish public fall for it, and does make me wonder about the poor cognitive abilities of so many voters. Is it an education failure or the results of hostile bombardment by right-wing media? Or is it both?
In my opinion, the problems with our health system go all the way back 3 decades to the Birch health reforms.
I offer up this over-the-holidays conversation with the son of a close family friend. He's just about to jet overseas to Oz – to further his career.
He's a doctor – 2 years out of med school who wants to specialize as an oncologist (he's interested in both research and treatment). You'd think that the NZ medical system would be falling over backwards to find a way to foster his career here…. but no.
He's missed out on the oncology residency (very limited numbers, I understand) at Auckland – no further communication, just a letter. And, given that he'd need to shift cities in any case (if there was, indeed, anything available in NZ), he looked over the ditch at what was on offer in Oz. He's ended up with a very attractive offer in Queensland, which will foster his career, and pay him considerably more. He's off at the end of the month – and I'd be surprised if he ever returns. A total loss of 7 years plus education and training to NZ.
Not neoliberal economics, in other words. We need to be prepared to pay the extra cost for that supply security – yet both our main parties are madly committed to keeping govt debt and taxes low by world standards.
Did the surgeon say why? I completely agree, because the global supply of such things is no longer guaranteed, but am curious what his thinking was.
He sounds very sensible and alert to the issues.
A short time ago, and I don't remember where exactly, Jenny, a commenter with whom i often find myself debating the Ukraine issue, pointed out that Putin in April had turned down an initiative for an interim ceasefire. I had not been aware of this and made some fairly non committal response. However, Malcolm Evens has very recently made a post to The Daily Blog which claimed, in passing, that a deal had been brokered between Kyiv and Moscow, but that Boris Johnson had talked Zelensky into backing away from it.
And the media also failed to publish the peace initiative brokered when Kiev and Moscow reached a negotiated interim settlement in early April, whereby Russia would withdraw to its pre-February 24 position, and Ukraine would promise not to seek NATO membership in return for security guarantees from a number of countries. However, at the very last minute, then-UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson reportedly flew to Kiev and demanded that Zelensky step away from the talks, a shocking fact that has barely been mentioned in English-language news media.
https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2022/12/31/new-study-exposes-the-medias-role-in-the-war-on-truth-in-ukraine/
I mention this, not as a criticism of Jenny, but because I think that if this is true (Evens does not provide a link) then it is pretty shocking that Johnson would do such a thing; and shows the US and British motivations for their involvement involvement in the Ukraine conflict to be pretty venal.
Firstly there are no details of any purported settlement to publish.
Secondly if it had happened (which seems unlikely to me) then it would have been in the peace talks on March 29th/30th. it was overtaken by events after the forced Russian withdrawal from Bucha a day later and the discovery of Russian atrocities against civilians a day later. Responsibility for actions against Russian perpetrators would have then been part of any peace settlement, something that Russia never seems to demand any accountability of their military or security forces. Plus the Russian line at the time was that it was all a manufactured incident by the Ukrreainians.
Thirdly, Johnson only visited Kyiv well after a speech by Zelensky to the UN demanding accountability of Russian actions that scuppered any hope of early peace agreement.
You should probably look at the actual history, rather than some manufactured time line for internal propaganda written by an fool apologist making up fairy tales.
Wikipedia has a pretty good timeline of the known peace negotiations.
If you read the timelines, the barbaric behaviour of the Russian troops and FSB in places like Bucha after the forced withdrawal of Russian troops before the April 1st evidence of atrocities were what prevented any hope of a early peace settlement.
This was the report on the 4th of April address of Zelenzky. Curiously Malcom Evans didn't mention this in his analysis. Possibly because they are in favour of atrocities by Russia in occupied territories – which would be my current working hypothesis in the absence of a denial and explanation of their moral stance.
Ukraine's President Described Nightmarish War Crimes By Russian Forces In Bucha
After that address, the media had their own direct access to the Bucha and other atrocity sites to verify the atrocity claims well before Boris Johnson visited Kyiv. He didn't visit until the 9th of April.
Which is what made this particular bit of Russian propaganda a pile of limp bullshit for blind fools supporting documented military and FSB atrocities.
Thanks for that Iprent. I was aware of all this, but you have given a lot more detail, which is informative.
I think you have wasted your energy replying to Mike et al though. The bones of all this has already been pointed out to them previously by various of us. But it doesn't seem to sink in unfortunately.
Also, whatever Russia says about wanting to negotiate, its actions speak louder than words. Its recent actions in "annexing" parts of Ukraine, some of which it didn't even occupy at the time, really scuppered any prospect for negotiation.
Up until then, it was possible to envisage some sort of land-lease arrangement between Ukraine and Russia that would have given Russia legal access to Ukrainian territories such as Crimea or the Donbas, but would have ensured that sovereign ownership remained with Ukraine.
But, unfortunately, Russia has now made negotiated deals nigh on impossible, in the short term, anyway.
The main point of my comment was Boris Johnson's words:
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson who told Zelenskyy "Putin is a war criminal, he should be pressured, not negotiated with," and that "even if Ukraine is ready to sign some agreements on guarantees with Putin, they are not."
Russian atrocities in Bucha, egragious as they may have been, should not have been a reason for Zelensky to abandon peace talks – just the opposite in fact. Almost certainly it would have been Johnson's comments that decided him.
PS: Who are “they”, by the way? Presumably the British (and the Americans).
Before you can use this supposed statement as a basis for an argument you need to provide an authoritative source to prove that the statement was ever made in the first place, and also, the context for the statement so we can assess whether it actually has the spin you are trying to attach to it.
But, so far as peace negotiations go, it is a good idea to listen to someone who actually knows what they are talking about. Nielson is a military analyst at the Danish Defence Academy, and a captain on a Danish war ship.
Nielson makes several points:
Firstly, if the current dispute could have been resolved through negotiations, it would have been.
Secondly, war defines the parameters for the peace talks. At the moment, both sides think they can win, and that both sides have totally incompatible demands. Hence, there is little prospect for successful negotiations at the moment.
But if one side sees they are losing, or that they may lose any advantage they have, they will be more likely to enter peace talks. For instance, if Russia keeps getting driven back, or if the Ukrainian population tires of constant attacks on infrastructure etc, and puts pressure on Zelensky to settle.
Thirdly, premature peace talks can prolong a conflict. This is because if negotiations are premature, both sides will enter the negotiations with unrealistic demands that will not result in any resolution.
So, it appears there is still more fighting to happen before any peaceful resolution can occur. Russia is more likely to enter negotiations in good faith if it realises that Western support is unwavering, and that continuing the conflict will just mean things keep getting worse for Russia.
Thirdly, that premature peace talks
And, your complaint about media bias in your first comment is a bit silly.
It is similar to a rugby team complaining that the ref was biased because of awarding most penlaties against that team. However, during that game, the team had continually engaged in blatant professional fouls.
Hint: flattening Ukrainian cities, shelling schools and hospitals, and committing terrible war crimes isn't likely to get a lot of positive press.
Link?
The supposed source for that comment is extremely tenuous. Supposedly, an unnamed source from Zelensky's team.
I doubt very much it is possible to provide a link. A bit similar to the supposed promise never to expand Nato eastwards which is often stated but has little actual evidence to support the comment ever being made.
Wow – up is down and black is white. So you leave more of your territory and citizens in the hands of people who do that sort of crap….and think you can also trust them to keep to any deal. War crimes are an excellent reason to keep fighting.
Your post at TDB said:
I'd say that you have completely and probably deliberately misrepresented this as a 'demanded'. Your quote above makes that pretty clear. There is no evidence of there was a demand at all. It just looks to me like you do not understand the bounds of national sovereignty. Especially when you now say..
If you dig through your quoted section without your ridiculous ideological blinders on it, the answer is completely obvious.
Assuming that quote is correct, then Boris Johnson was talking as a PM of the sovereign nation of the UK. The ‘they’ in that context can only be that of the UK.
The reason for this is obvious for anyone who'd reads anything about diplomacy, the legal positions that underlie it, and simply the authority limits of what nations allow other nations to do on their behalf (which invariably is – only if we explicitly say that you can and you state that).
If he had been giving the position of the US (a different sovereign nation) – then he would have explicitly said so having gotten permission to do so. Otherwise the US would have had Johnson's guts for garters while also repudiating his words.
What Johnson clearly said was that the UK (they) was not willing to give "guarantees with Putin" – presumably written about security or sanctions or NATO expansion as the most likely subjects. Your quote is not explicit or (as usual) sourced.
The UK position is probably because Putin has repeatably violated previous written guarantees about the Russia Federation protecting Ukraine security and borders with a succession of invasions and attempts to subvert the governing of the sovereign nation of Ukraine. If you don't know what I am talking about, then I'd suggest that you find out before your ignorance is exposed.
Similarly the UK cannot speak for NATO about guarantees about NATO expansion. NATO requires unanimity on any decisions about the decisions of NATO from all members. If the UK wasn't willing to provide a yes, then there would be no guarantees with Putin from NATO.
Both of those are decisions that the UK can make in the absence of any other nation.
And need I say it (but obviously yes based on your apparent lack of basic understanding).
The leaders of the UK cannot speak for Ukraine, nor can the leaders of Ukraine speak for the UK, US or anyone apart from their own nation. National sovereignty is a fundamental of international law and diplomacy. It is also enshrined in the UN charter and was quite specifically put in place to ensure the self-detirmation of nations after centuries of wars by imperial ambitions of other states.
I'd also be interested in you stating your position about national sovereignty and imperialism. Because almost everything I ever read from you reminds me of a grasping 19th century imperialist. Just as the official statements out of the Russian Federation also remind me of previous Russian imperialism in central Eurasia in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Which really begs the question about how your personal morality allows you to think like that. But leaving aside your casual approach to invasion, casual rape, arbitrary murder, systematic theft, and forced 'evacuations' by the Russian Federation invaders…
But they were mentioned. What was noticeable was that the main reason given for their support for invasion and deliberate subversion of parts of the Ukrainian nation from 2014 onwards was the purported atrocities against the civilian population of Russian speakers in the Crimea and Donetsk. The expansion of NATO was definitely a secondary consideration.
I say purported, because it is hard to nigh well impossible to locate actual substantive evidence that these atrocities existed. There is a lot of hearsay. All of the evidence that I have seen so far indicates armed militias and accidents in combat zones. This includes a number of official investigations from external nations looking for evidence of war crimes or crimes against humanity.
Whereas what happened in Bucha and many other sites were deliberate atrocities against civilians carried by invading Russian troops and security forces. These are all war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Anyway if that was cause enough for Russia to go from diplomatic to military invasion solutions in the Crimea and the Donensk. Then to me it appears to make your opinion (and possibly that of the Russian Federation) to say that the same alleged atrocities but with actual evidence is not a cause to bring war crimes and to continue military action is extremely hypocritical.
I'd have to troll back through your comments here to dig it out. But I seem to remember seeing you saying that purported atrocities in the Donenk as part of a your justification for the Russian invasion last year. Of course that could just be you mindlessly parroting propaganda without thinking it through.
An alternate explanation that I can see for your position and that of the Russian Federation position about not examining evidence of crimes against humanity is the same position 'subhuman' or 'uberman' position used by slavers, racists, and nazi death camp advocates.
Which again leads me to the question about your personal morality and political positions. Pwerhaps you should elucidate exactly what your personal positions on crimes against humanity and war crimes is.
BTW: please don't rabbit on about hearsay non-written guarantees about NATO to me. Hearsay guarantees simply aren't worth the paper they're not written on.
I commented on Ukraine and Russia making peace, once during the negotiations and twice afterward,
.https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-28-10-2022/#comment-1918232
.https://thestandard.org.nz/freedom-is-not-guaranteed-sometimes-you-must-fight/#comment-1910337
.https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-30-03-2022/#comment-1879756
Basically Zelensky offered Russia an immediate ceasefire if Russian Forces would agree to return to the territories in the Donbas that Russia had occupied before Russia's full scale invasion of Ukraine in February. (With an agreement for further negotiations between Moscow and Kiev for a final peaceful settlement over these disputed territories). Sounded fair and more than generous to me.
Ukraine being a democracy, and without the power to rule by decree, Zelensky also offered to hold a binding nationwide referendum on full neutrality between the Nato allies and the Russian Federation. Again on the condition of a ceasefire to allow the referendum to proceed.
The Russian Federation negotiators, rejected all peace overtures by Kiev.
Making no progress in the negotiations with Moscow, Zelensky then went over the heads of the Russian delegation on Telegram, the messaging service favoured by Russians, to put the same peace offers to the Russian people directly.
As for the Bucha timeline, which as Lynne mentioned, acted to harden Ukraine's resolve to fight on. To try and find some common ground with the pro-Kremlin commenters, I try to avoid heated arguments over disputed atrocities, (no matter how well documented), claimed by either side, and instead concentrate on atrocities that can't be disputed. Like for instance video of Russian missiles slamming into civilian apartment buildings.
There's something wrong with these people.
Metal detectors were removed from outside the House chamber with the start of the new Republican-controlled House on Tuesday.
The extra layer of security was ordered put in place by then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) in the wake of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.
https://thehill.com/homenews/house/3796927-metal-detectors-removed-from-outside-the-house-chamber/
"Lauren Boebert said, as the metal detectors were removed behind her. “Today, they are being removed and we are turning Pelosi’s House back into the people’s House.”
She would say that. I suppose she's all for as many guns as possible when whoever it is decides to take over the House and really make it the people's house by doing what those she supports tried to do on Jan 6 2021.
Well she would – She's attempted to carry guns into the House of Representatives before. And utter maniac.
Well that's about all they are likely to achieve over the next 2 years. Can't even get themselves sufficiently organised to elect a Speaker – and doesn't look like they will be able to any time soon. The Repugnants are such a fractured mob of malcontents now they are completely unfit to govern.
The so called Freedom Caucus (does not include Green, does include Boebert and Gaetz) have demands such as spending cuts (Social Security and Medicare) and the creation of a select committee modeled after the one that investigated the federal government after Watergate (they want license to go after people in government).
So, such people want to be able to be personally armed in the House? Why is that? Insecurity- I must be armed to protect myself? I don't trust the people who are employed to protect me, or trust their detection machines? I don't trust the society I live in enough not to be armed, that fear is my ever-present companion?
Or are they secretly hoping for some event to make their lives remarkable, Rapture seekers awaiting the-Second Coming to feel fulfilled?
I don't get the belief, the psychology, the motivation of it all.
To make it easier next time they arrange a 6 Jan coup. Not holding people accountable emboldens them.
hopefully simon dallow will do the right thing and resign and never come back to teevee ever. He is shallow biased and completely self serving and New Zealand deserves better.
What does this mean?
Link please?
"…New Zealand deserves better."
Yeah!
Coz!
Twitter outages in NZ & Aussie today. Website not loading, feed v slow, many unable to tweet
Twitter slow or completely down for New Zealand, Australian users – reports | Newshub
https://twitter.com/RyanSproull/status/1610399311959068673?s=20
just had a look at some TS embeds, and they're still visible.
eg https://thestandard.org.nz/twitter-as-slow-motion-trainwreck/
can't open them in twitter of course.
oh, twitter pages actually loading now. I couldn't get them to work at all earlier.
do you have a backup plan? I'm on mastodon periodically, but it's quite different from twitter.
yeah I set up a Mastodon account, but its not the same
we will still have TS for the politics 🙂 (it's not the same either).
testing to see how dysfunctional twitter is and I see that 'woke' is trending in NZ. Only it's tweets like this
😁
https://twitter.com/adamsonsonadam/status/1610566866371502081