When the transport security and the costs of fixing the rail and road network are considered, coastal shipping suddenly looks a lot more viable and efficient in the long run.
Following Cyclone Gabrielle, Northern line out for months with major repairs needed, ditto the Hawke's Bay one. The Napier-Wairoa line will be even longer (if, indeed, it's ever repaired) – major rail bridges down and really significant washouts.
I'd like to know what the engineers are saying. It seems like a decent chunk of our rail is built in vulnerable places, so are there better places to put new rail?
I can't find any discussion of changing the route for rail. Probably due to the major (as in trillions of dollars) cost involved.
The most recent (apart from Gabrielle) major rail repair was in the SI following the Kaikoura earthquake. And, IIRC, there was no discussion over re-routing it from the seashore route.
NZ is a mountainous country (in general), rail needs to follow, as much as possible, a level pathway (trains don't cope with significant grades), which pretty much means running alongside rivers through gorges (yes, there are exceptions – but it's the general rule); and through cuttings through the hills. So significant risk both from river rise/flooding/bridge washout, and from landslips down the neighbouring steep terrain.
There is no route from Wairoa to Napier (the one I'm most familiar with), which does not involve significant and rugged hills/mountains.
My understanding is that the northern route had more than 50 slips over the railway- this is through gentler terrain, but got hammered even harder by the weather.
I can't find any discussion of changing the route for rail. Probably due to the major (as in trillions of dollars) cost involved.
That wasn't quite what I meant. I meant were engineers talking about the vulnerability of each line and what that means for events that take out the line (quakes, tsunami?, floods, slips).
I expect transition engineers are talking about it, I'll have a look.
As for costs, what's the cost of losing a line for a year? (rebuild and disruption costs). Then what happens if that happens 4 times in a decade? At what point do we start designing and redesigning for the world we now live in.
Build back better is old world thinking. We need to be transitioning.
Kaikoura is a good example. I'm not suggesting moving the bits that can't easily be moved. I'm saying that if we centre physical reality as we know it now, it looks quite different than when that line was built. Because of our knowledge about quakes and because of climate.
Sustainability design wouldn't start with 'we have to have a rail line and there are no options but here because it's too expensive'. It would start with what are the specific needs that this line exists for. Freight, public transport. what else?
Then look at the best ways to meet those needs in terms of sustainability and resiliency. eg to what extent can rail freight be replaced or supplemented by shipping or road (EV)? How can we integrate those systems so that when there is a disaster, the surviving systems are robust?
There's a further aspect that, which is why transition (whole systems) rather then build back better needs to be the conceptual frame. How much of the goods and people we are moving are essential? Necessary? Unnecessary?
How much food is being moved along that rail line? How much by road or sea? What would happen if we relocalised food production and supply?
Likewise, if we shifted from a consumerist society to a regenerative one, do we need to be travelling as much? Do we need to by buying as much Stuff?
Your argument is usually no-one will want to do that. Well no-one wants to abandon their house to silt damage either. Looking at the broader options rather than just BAU helps people to see that life could change for the better in a lot of ways if we transition. Both by creating resiliency, but also by creating lives that have a different kind of meaning, are less stressful and more pleasurable and where our core values are centred (I'm still betting that most New Zealanders don't place consumerism at the centre if they felt like they had a choice).
It was closed in 2012 after significant storm damage, and re-opened (Wairoa to Napier only) in 2020 for logging transport only. [That's not to say other items couldn't be shipped, just that they weren't]
The line through to Gisborne was never re-opened, and probably won't ever be – just not enough transport need to justify it.
So your artificial fern would be available in Auckland (international shipping port), but not in Gisborne. Or are you suggesting that it would be denied import permission (so no one can have it)?
[I have to say, this is not something I would ever contemplate buying – regardless of availability – by clearly there is a market]
Moving to things which are luxuries – we're all familiar with the black market which arises when they're banned or restricted. When, indeed, only the wealthy can afford them.
Just transition seems to operate at a macro level (e.g. the funding which went into Taranaki after the oil and gas exploration ban) – rather than at an individual level.
In a disaster in NZ, the poor people get quite a bit of immediate support – it's the middle class (what there is left of it) who struggle.
As an illustration, ATM we have 2 staff at work who had red-stickered houses. The one renting, has simply rented a new place – yes, they've lost furniture and possessions and personally important mementoes – but they're moving on with their life. The one who owns (well, owes the bank) the house, has to manage renting, as well as all of the other costs, stress and worry associated with dealing with government and Council and insurance, etc. Their bills (mortgage, rates, etc.) continue, as well as the costs of renting. They are much worse off than the renter.
Banning isn't where I would start. I'd start with the conversation about values and what really matters.
You can see it with those people in the Muriwai meeting. It's like the Chch quakes never happened. They're going through exactly what happened a decade ago. I remember watching the process by which the rest of NZ switched off from Chch and just moved on. If someone wants to stand up and make an argument for the right to buy plastic ferns, they can have at it. But more will stand up and talk about the need for housing and food security.
Just Transition is the idea that when we decarbonise and move to a regenerative economy, we build in from the start processes that take into account socioeconomic disparities.
Your staff sound like two middle class households (or at least, your example isn't inherently class-based). A poor family would struggle to replace clothes, food staples, their car if they even owned one.
WINZ had a 90 minute wait on the call centre last week. Imagine being so poor that you don't have enough money to buy food and you have to spend 90 minutes on the phone just to *ask for a food grant (no guarantee you will get it). How do you even do that if you have a job?
Which isn't to say the house owner isn't going through a heap of major stress. They are.
Responding to this "Your staff sound like two middle class households "
That's a pretty whopping assumption, when the only information I'd given is that one family owned a house (with a huge mortgage) and the other was renting.
The family renting are certainly not middle class. Minimum wage employee. Very solidly in the (rather struggling in NZ) working-class.
Found a new rental (smaller than the previous one, but needs must) – and can just walk away from their previous tenancy because red-stickered. Have had new-to-them (but in good condition) appliances and furniture donated via charities; food and toiletry parcels from other charities (to get them back on their feet). Have lost family mementoes (which is sad), and there’s nothing that can make up for that.
They’ve had a shock, and lost some stuff – but aren’t materially in a much worse position than they were pre-floods.
NB: They tried talking to WINZ – but basically gave up – it was just too hard.
That’s a pretty whopping assumption, when the only information I’d given is that one family owned a house (with a huge mortgage) and the other was renting.
There was a bit more information
The one renting, has simply rented a new place – yes, they’ve lost furniture and possessions and personally important mementoes – but they’re moving on with their life
that and what you’ve just shared tells me they’re not on the bones of their arse. But fair enough, and I was expecting to be corrected.
I do think it’s worthwhile acknowledging the strata within the working and underclasses (and middle class). That they could give up on WINZ is a signifier of some degree of resources despite working class life having financial struggle.
They’ve had a shock, and lost some stuff – but aren’t materially in a much worse position than they were pre-floods.
We measure things in different ways. You’re comparing people who were not well off to begin with just getting on with it, with people who were well off and have lost significant materially.
I’m talking about people that are poor all the time and what happens to them during and after a disaster.
I think both are valid.
We started talking about that I think because I raised Just Transition and asked “What do you think happens to poor people during and after a disaster?”
I asked that because you seemed to think that in transition the rich can still travel and the poor can’t. That’s already the case. My line about poor people was a lazy point about we don’t have a just society now, that translates into emergencies, and it will translate with catastrophic climate only much, much worse. It doesn’t have to be that way. We can both prevent the worst of CC, and we can transition Justly.
Easy, the staff member with the mortgage gives the insurance payout to the bank and walks away. Then they are "simply" renters like the other staff member.
Your definition of 'poor' seems to be beneficiary-only. Not just ordinary working class.
I'm not arguing that WINZ (and many other Government departments) have done a good job – because I don't think they have. The waiting times on 'hold' are a shocking indictment – and even worse that this is the new 'normal'. I'd have a hell of a lot more respect for Sepuloni if she was sorting that out at WINZ, rather than swanning around emergency shelters.
But people who truly have nothing are in the emergency shelters, they are the ones being put into temporary accommodation (even though it may be not particularly desirable temporary accommodation), they're getting the food handouts – they're already in the 'system'.
The next step up the economic scale just get ignored.
Your definition of 'poor' seems to be beneficiary-only. Not just ordinary working class.
Not at all. The person who doesn't have time to spend 90mins on the phone just to get through has a minimum wage job. Probably several. My definition of poor/not poor doesn't hinge on whether one own's a home or rents. It's about whether one can afford the basics.
The next step up the economic scale just get ignored.
not sure exactly who you are referring to but anyone without sufficient income or savings can get an SNG for food, not just beneficiaries.
I would count people who can afford insurance as probably not poor, but maybe you are talking about the group of people who are about to drop down a class, possibly permanently, as they use up their small amount of savings while waiting for the house situation to be sorted out and then struggle to ever recover. I feel for these people, especially if they've not been there before. This is the story of many New Zealanders in past decades.
I'm less confident than you that the really poor are being looked after, but you have more local knowledge. Mostly I think that lots of people are suffering and struggling, some with support some without, and that as a country we're better at acute emergencies, but not so good with the long weeks and months after.
"Well no-one wants to abandon their house to silt damage either."
I certainly agree with this.
Take a look at Auckland's west coast beaches – Piha, Muriwai, Karekare. Inhabitants would have to be some of the 'greenest' of the Auckland population (on average) – but they'll be fighting tooth-and-nail against managed retreat – which is the obvious option for that area – unstable steep cliffs, housing either on the cliffs (landslides); or at sea level (storm surge damage and rising water levels).
They're already holding public meetings demanding to know when the Council/Government are going to let them back into their houses.
They like their lifestyle – and want to stay where they are.
As a city, Auckland would be better off rescinding all housing permission from the cliff edge down, and removing the roading infrastructure – retaining hiking tracks only.
Watched the video and read part of the article. The main thing that stands out is that there is a major comms issue. People are understandably stressed and council is giving clear enough rationales, but that's not enough in a situation like this, you have to meet people where they are.
eg residents want an ETA on getting back to their house. Council can't give that for the area that is too dangerous to inspect. But they could tell residents what the conditions are that need to change to do further inspections and when that might happen eg do they need a fortnight of dry weather? Not guarantees but information about the process.
The stuff about people not knowing if their pets are ok is just a complete fail, and bullshit. Humans that are traumatised need emotional safety in addition to physical safety. Helping resolve the pet issue is low hanging fruit.
Agree that building on cliffs (and down stream from cliffs) like that just has to stop. That we still build in so many stupid places is an indictment of just how much councils have been neoliberalised.
Fair enough if you consider "demonising" is too strong an adjective. Perhaps vilifying or blaming, but replacing the word with something milder doesn't affect the point I was making.
Why conclude an informative and thoughtful comment with that parting shot – to an industry not responsible for shipping at all?
In the first set of storms that hit Auckland, for over 24 hours you could not get in or out by plane because the airport was smashed, by rail because there were multiple track stoppages, and or by State Highway since that had multiple floods. We were completely cut off.
That's supplies and exports cut for 33% of NZ's population and 45% of its economy.
We totally need coastal shipping now.
Three weeks ago from Gisborne through to Napier for 3 days we had no flights in or out, no rail because it was smashed, and no state highway access from any side. The final resort for Gisborne was to bring in the NZNavy's HMNZS Manawanui.
Just in case it needs stating, the NZDF are our last thread when the whole of civil society is shredded. For a solid week we were on the bones of our ass. Thankyou NZDF for your collective work.
That was in a city where the cyclone actually struck. The Cook Strait ferries, which are of course coastal shipping were also cancelled for the same time period. That was in places that weren't even directly hit by the cyclone.
Why do you expect coastal shipping to help in the future as it doesn't seem any more available than planes or trucks?
The 27 January event was the result of an "atmospheric river" which had developed from a former tropical depression in the Coral Sea area. It stretched south from New Caledonia through to the eastern ocean area of NZ. It was in this river of warm, moisture laden air that the big rains of late January and early February in Northland, Auckland and Bay of Plenty were sustained.
That river of moisture laden tropical air also provided the conduit for both Tropical Cyclones Hale and Gabrielle to hit us with the full force of their fury. Glad to say it has now dissipated and hopefully will not return.
Yes, the storm he was talking about was not during the cyclone. However the cyclone didn't hit Wellington and the weather on the day they cancelled all the ferries had weather which seems to have been very similar to the Auckland event a couple of week earlier when the planes were out.
The weather in Wellington wasn't very nice but it was exactly what we get half a dozen times a year. It is quite normal for the ferries to not sail and it merely illustrates that the ferries, which are coastal shipping, are quite routinely disrupted by our normal NZ storms. I don't think having coastal shipping available is really going to provide greater reliability than aircraft or roads do.
The biggest problem with the NZDF atm is the massive separation rate from NZDF which is over +30%
Army at +17.2%
Navy at +12.5%
The Regular Army is struggling to force generate manpower to deal with concurrent HADR Ops in NZ on top of not having a enough equipment or spares as capabilities have been allowed to run down over the last 30yrs & I including the Reserve Forces who have actually made up the bulk up of the Army's Response.
It's got that bad in the Army Engineers side of things, that they had call a upon QAMR to deploy a Cav Sabre Tp C/S V22 to do Route Reconnaissance which is QAMR/ RNZAC Wartime Role as the Engineers had no spare manpower.
The Navy isn't much chop either, some ships haven't deploy due to manning or for a lack of maintenance due to a manning.
The Airforce is lacking Fix & Rotary Wing Assets.
Only 6 of the 8 NH90's were flying, one has been waiting for a new gearbox since 2018 & additional funding has been denied by Robbo to get this fixed! The other one is in for deep level maintenance. The current 8 NH90's flying already have highest flying hrs for it's type in world for any user & yet RNZAF is still below the minimum required number for it to under sustain concurrent Operations which is 12 NH90's.
The A109's were meant to have taken up some of the slack & help reduce the amount flying hrs of the NH90's, but they proven to be so bloody useless as expected by RNZAF when the A109's was forced on by the Labour Alliance Coalition & NZ Treasury! That they are good for Training Pilots, Crewman & VIP Flights!
The scary thing about this, is Ron Mark forewarned the NZG that this was coming when he delivered his CC speech & what it might for the NZDF which also included his enhanced DCP.
But previous & this Stupid Labour Government kicked the bloody can down the Rd again like every other bastard NZG has done since the 90's.
NZ has dodge a bullet this time round & given the amount damage this time round! It won't be so lucky next time especially if the NZDF is busy elsewhere in NZ on a HADR or somewhere in the Sth Pacific or further afield on a Peacekeeping or HADR Op!
SHI south was open (so far as I recall) – it was only the route further north which was closed.
Whenuapai was open (indeed that's how Hipkins got to Auckland) – which perhaps should raise the question (again) of an airport north of Auckland – given the vulnerabilities of Auckland Airport which is virtually at sea level.
Apart from the areas badly affected by flooding and/or slips – which are relatively small, though tragic for those involved – Auckland was pretty much operating as usual 48 hours after the flooding. Our (as in the business I work for) imports and exports (national and international) were running as usual – though there were local delivery impacts across the country (we're still not delivering to Wairoa, for example).
The fragile nature of the infrastructure around Gisborne isn't new (only 2 roads in/out). The main SH are regularly closed for a day or so following major storms to clear slips.
Gisborne is a shipping port – mostly logs – but could easily accommodate other vessels – transport costs, timing and flexibility will be the limiting factors. According to family in Gisborne, the frustration now, is over limited water supplies – the water pipeline was damaged and will take months to repair), and over other flood repairs – not over transport.
Wairoa (which is still effectively cut off) is not really a suitable shipping destination – the bar at the river mouth is highly dangerous, and shifts frequently (not surprising in a major river) – dredging is only of limited use.
I'm not arguing against coastal shipping – but it is only one option in the mix following a disaster.
As Zeihan points out, there is now more official opinion that Covid was the result of an accidental lab leak rather than a jump between species.
But, as Zeihan points out, that is not really the main issue. The main issue is that China shut down its domestic flights when it realised there was an issue, but allowed international flights to continue. Thus, the virus was allowed to spread internationally.
That suggests a degree of intentionality on the part of Chinese authorities in that they appeared to realise there was a dangerous pathogen on the loose. They appeared to be prepared to try and protect their own population while at the same time enabling the spread of it worldwide.
It was blindingly obvious to me at the time that China knew it should shut down international travel by expat Chinese for the Lunar New Year. The virus spread to Italy from returning Chinese workers, for example.
The other immoral/agressive act was ordering Chinese companies around the world (all, not just medical) to buy up available PPE in the time before the pandemic became full-blown. I read in an article round that time, from abc I think, that Chinese firms had bought up and sent 8,000 tonnes of high quality PPE from Australia alone back to China. Then, of course, China kept the best, and resold what it didn't need at inflated prices back to the countries it had come from initially.
Pretty sure China stopped their citizens travelling internationally very early, the Chinese tourism market was the first sector to shut down here and that was before Chinese New Year. Americans and Brits on the other hand kept demanding to come here, then ignored isolation requirements, saying they had been here two weeks but unable to say where they had been for that two weeks.
By the time they were welding apartment doors shut in Wuhan the horse had well and truly bolted internationally. It's unfortunate that most of the world wasn't able to take the measures that China and a very few other countries, NZ is one of that few, were able to take and contain the virus in it's early forms.
I remember the Chinese government kicked up a stink, and officially complained to Jacinda Ardern's government when we closed our borders, saying it was an affront to China. So they were still happy to export their citizens round the world well into March.
From discussion with a Chinese businessman almost next door to us at the time the two actions were pretty much coincidental, his view was that China got in first but didn't say anything, people's passports just didn't arrive, then it was made official a bit later. There were some parts of the Chinese government doing very much the right thing, and other parts being stereotypical Chinese autocrats, but that happened in a lot of other countries too.
It was the WHO that dropped the ball with travel restrictions early on.
Before the lockdown, in January 2020 my son and I had already caught covid, based on the sweats, the body aches and dry bradykinin cough. We only worked it out afterwards. My son had ongoing chest and lung pains and fatigue for three months after. That was before any government diagnostic testing, and we didn't get sick enough to need medical help.
Where did we get it from? When my son went to the supermarket a few days before he got sick, an elderly Chinese man with blood-shot eyes was hacking and coughing his lungs out at the checkout. My son thought at the time that he looked too sick to be out and about, not to mention the anti-social behaviour of spreading whatever flu he had.
So, based on our (first) personal experience of covid, we reckon that Chinese NZ resident had either caught covid while coming back from China, or from his returning relatives. I'm pretty sure the government knew that there were already quite a few unreported cases across NZ at the time of lockdown, and that's why they 'went hard'. And no, we don't live in a main centre.
So why, if China knew it was letting overseas Chinese return to their countries with likely infections, did they pressure NZ to stay open?
You have no idea whether this 'Chinese seeming' elderly man was from China (or was a Kiwi of Chinese origin who'd been here for 4 generations); whether he was ethnically from China (or any of the other Asian countries Westerners often confuse with China); if he was from China, that he'd come from the very small area affected by Covid in January 2020; and, indeed, if he or members of his family had been travelling at all.
Your 'reckons' are pure racism.
If you did have Covid (which is highly unlikely at that date), then you actually have zero idea of the vector.
Did I call for this man's death on the basis of his race or threaten violence or retaliation? No. Did I or my son personally abuse him? No. I stated the facts.
An elderly, extremely ill, ethnic Chinese man tottered around a large supermarket, coughing and sputtering, We got sick, my son three days, and me five days later, with an illness so similar in symptoms to the covid we had again later, that gosh, it was covid. We didn't socialise elsewhere in that time.
Was there any judgemental comment about him that I made, except to say, as for any sick person, of ANY race to be so ill and to cough all over others in a public space is anti-social? Did I suggest he knew he had covid and was making us sick on purpose? No, because I don't believe he was.
And, no, I don't hate him personally for his behaviour, because, hey people get sick and don't think straight. Even if I did, it still wouldn't be racist, because it's an opinion about an INDIVIDUAL'S behaviour, not about a RACE'S perceived traits.
It is not racist to criticise a GOVERNMENT, which is what I have been doing. One poster put forward weak ANECDOTAL evidence that China slowed the egress of Chinese citizens informally. China didn't stop expat individuals, almost certainly some sick with covid, returning from China. Direct Shanghai-Auckland flights, for one, were still running at the time of lockdown.
I put forward plausible personal anecdotal evidence in response. Nothing I wrote was racist, so take that slur off the table, thanks. I infer from your behaviour that you would believe criticising the STATE of Israel for political choices that ghetto-ise West Bank Palestinians is an attack on Jews as a RACE, rather than valid criticism of extreme Zionist policies that are themselves racist.
And below is a link to valid, substantiated reports that the Chinese GOVERNMENT surreptitiously stockpiled and bought huge amounts of PPE internationally in late 2019 and early 2020, by commanding overseas Chinese companies of any sort to buy and ship PPE back.
NZ nurses wearing binliners comes to mind. Hmm. Surely, this GOVERNMENT action undeniably compromised other countries' health response to covid, and resulted in avoidable healthworker deaths in other parts of the world.
Chinese tourists with really bad flu wasn't that uncommon, and often they picked it up here. Got to bear in mind that China didn't have much of an idea what was going on either, combine that with the CCP administrative culture and Chinese bureaucracy right up the chain will be a bit resistant to anything that might rock the boat. Once they figured out what was going on the place got shut down pdq.
Working in tourism I was watching this unfold and contradictory statements by most governments, often on a daily basis, were common. We look back on it now and think politicians and bureaucrats were being duplicitous, but in reality they were doing their best in an unknown environment. We also have the disadvantage of viewing it from the position of a very effective and co-ordinated response, in a lot of countries it was complete chaos in February 2020.
Credit to the Chinese government that they were able to shut it down once they figured out what was going on and how to deal with it. That Chinese bureaucratic machine is a huge beast, turning it from maintaining social cohesion and status quo to responding to a novel pandemic is going to be a bit inconsistent, I'm impressed how effectively they responded. If USA and EU, and WHO, had been as emphatic and effective the world might be in a much better place right now.
Well, Old…. self proclaimed "tough guy" Mitchell has had previous. And there was this of course.
When private security contractor Mark Mitchell returned cashed-up from Iraq with an interest in politics, he engaged the one operative in New Zealand whose tactics were as militant: Simon Lusk.
And was Old… Mark "head injury" Mitchell hiding this?
Mitchell revealed he suffered a similar injury, which needed surgery at Waikato Hospital to plate and pin his face back together and months of medication to control tremors.
"With great medical support and advice I was back on the job within weeks but fatigue and blinding headaches are unwelcome guests that have been hard to get rid of.
Are the Organisers aware of this? Pretty sure he shouldnt be allowed in any ring let alone a Charity event…or to boast shit in the media about his …readiness to fight.
Mitchell's challenge raises some serious questions for National's leadership to answer. 1. Was it ok'd by Luxon? 2. What is National's and Luxon's view on boxing for fundraising?
For me this challenge demonstrates (again) an unhealthy macho aspect to Mitchell's character; does National condone and maybe even encourage this trait.
Perhaps the mods on this site need to have a rethink of their policy. Couple of days ago I was reprimanded for offering to give "ghost who walks" a smack in the mouth. I accept that. But,
We have this discussion about "fight for life" and the violence that ensues.
Interesting that Mitchell has suffered brain damage, which explains to me a lot of his attitudes. Should he be heading into a violent situation again.
And, given this sites anti violent policy should it even be a subject
[You were moderated for your comment and I am still waiting for you to comply with your moderation (https://thestandard.org.nz/daily-review-01-03-2023/#comment-1937312). It will decide whether you receive a one-month ban or not. You’ll have until Sunday night to finish your task or cop the ban – Incognito]
Looks like "Take Your Paraphilia to Work Day" is finally over. This is what happens when you add the "means what I say it means" terms like "Gender Expression" to your anti discrimination laws.
I tend to think this was a long game, played by the teacher for personal benefit, but highlighting the contortions people in positions of authority will do in order to meet gender ideology demands.
After being incapable of addressing his use of fetish wear in the classroom – because it was deemed an expression of his gender identity – this man has essentially been stood down for what he wears at home.
Either way, it was a guaranteed road to a discrimination case.
Good thread here:
"Teacher Suspended For Not Wearing Fake Boobs Out of School" is hands down the most 21st headline yet https://t.co/wVMVJvZHEW
The only reason I saw that it could be a piss take was the fact that he wore comfortable shoes. Usually, the standard autogynephiliac wardrobe includes stripper high heels.
So Mr Luxon is to present his much practised "State of the Nation" speech tomorrow Sunday at 11am, after church. He will give it to a selected bunch of friends who I suppose includes Jessica MM and Mr Coughlin. No doubt we will get a medicated/sanitised version.
They could start by using the modern term for what used to called "Intersex". These days they are differences or variations of sex development. There are about 40 known syndromes which fall under this category. They are actually variations on male (Klinefelter's syndrome), or female (Turner's syndrome) for example. This is shown by the fact that those that are fertile (and many are not) produce either sperm or eggs.
Unfortunately, these medical conditions have been weaponised by the Gender Ideology pushers to try and show that sex is some sort of spectrum, which it is not.
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Buzz from the Beehive We haven’t exhaustively put this proposition to the test, but we suspect there’s just one thing Nanaia Mahuta has mentioned more often than “sanctions” in her press statements. That would be “three waters”. Mahuta has popped up in the latest batch of Beehive press statements to ...
The UK activist has changed the election-year dynamic. Graham Adams writes – Chris Hipkins’ initial success as Labour’s fresh Messiah after Jacinda Ardern’s resignation in January has largely rested on the promise that his party’s focus henceforth would be on “bread-and-butter” issues such as the cost of ...
As the Stuart Nash email brouhaha has unfolded this week, and we’ve learnt more about how an email to donors was withheld from public view, I’ve kept being reminded of the classic example of faulty logic. You know the one: "All dogs have four legs, all dogs are animals, therefore ...
This week Simplicity CEO Sam Stubbs joined us to talk about Simplicity Living’s big house building plans, starting in Auckland, and banks receiving billions of subsidies from the Government. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTLDR: This week’s news in geopolitics and Aotearoa’s political economy covered on The Kākā for paying ...
The NZ Herald reports: Leaked emails between senior officials at Auckland Light Rail, Waka Kotahi and Auckland Transport have revealed a surprising twist in the long-running saga of the Auckland Light Rail project. A stack of emails between Auckland Light Rail and an unnamed senior official at Waka Kotahi, who ...
Hi,I go between excitement about AI — and absolute terror. I’m terrified it will take our jobs — and also kill us. Not kill us on purpose… more in a gray-goo kinda way.And as I wrote about over two years ago, I’m excited it might be the only thing to ...
Completed reads for March: The Monk, by Matthew Lewis Till We Have Faces, by C.S. Lewis The Golden Ass, by Lucius Apuleius The Castle, by Franz Kafka A Slip of the Tongue in Salutation, by Lucian of Samosata The Necrophiliac, by Gabrielle Wittkop The Song of Hiawatha (poem), ...
Photo by Aziz Acharki on UnsplashIt’s that time of the week again when and I co-host our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm. Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream for our chat about the week’s news with special guests: from ...
Image Credit: Nord Stream operator decries ‘unprecedented’ damage to three pipelines The recent vote on the draft Security Council resolution seeking to establish an independent UN inquiry into the sabotage of the Russian-European-owned natural gas line, Nord Stream I and II, disappointed many observers. ...
Buzz from the Beehive The big bread-and-butter issue of pay packets and weekly incomes was at the core of three ministerial statements since Point of Order’s previous monitoring of the Beehive website. Andrew Little was earning his keep, meanwhile, by delivering a speech in which he discussed co-governance. He was ...
After yesterday's news that Stuart Nash deliberately and knowingly breached the OIA to cover up his corrupt disclosure of Cabinet information to his donors, the media now is focusing on the wider point: Nash's behaviour isn't isolated, but a symptom of the rot which has eaten away at transparency under ...
There was great disappointment following the just released poverty figures for the year ended to June 2022. Whatever your take, we are not facing up to the real child poverty problems.Some say the poverty figures show no significant change, some say there was a small improvement. Some say that the ...
Quiz1. Which is the most pleasing comment so far regarding this man’s indictment?a. He finally won a popular vote! b. “You can’t indicate me, I quit”c. Is this joy? It’s been so long since I’ve felt anything.2. “The boxset scandal that is Stuart Nash.”Who wrote this fine description? a. ...
It’s truly astonishing the way that the Government has been able to suppress evidence of business donors gaining special access to Cabinet information. Now that Stuart Nash has been fired from Cabinet for leaking sensitive information to individuals who funded his election campaign, the focus has shifted to why this ...
Ele Ludemann writes – Have you noticed the media’s propensity to label people and groups in a way that shows negative bias? People speaking up for women’s right to their own spaces and fairness in sport aren’t feminists or women’s rights activists, they’re anti-trans or transphobic. The Taxpayers’ Union is often prefaced with the label right ...
Photo by Magdalena Kula Manchee on UnsplashIt’s that time of the week for an ‘Ask Me Anything’ session for paying subscribers about the week that was for an hour (I’ll be online for an hour from 12.30 so pile them up), including:The Government’s latest climate back-tracks on diesel cars and ...
All of the Government’s five options for improving Auckland’s links include or prioritise tunnels and bridges for cars, double-cab utes and trucks ahead of walking, cycling and rail. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The Labour Government has brought forward plans to start building and/or drilling a second Waitematā harbour ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes: Green’s co-leader Marama Davidson just keeps digging the hole she is in deeper. First she showed her bitter antipathy towards white CIS (same gender as birth) men. Then she walked it back to all men. On Tuesday night on TV1 News she said, “…overwhelmingly it ...
as Auckland’s cantankerous mayor stumbles from one crisis to the next, the hope is not that Wayne Brown will learn on the job – that’s almost certainly a lost cause – but that Aucklanders will manage to come together and limit the damage that he threatens to inflict on the ...
Wow, it’s the end of March already. Here are a few of the smaller items that caught our attention over the last week. We need better trucks Newsroom reported on a Ministry of Transport report showing just how dirty our current truck fleet is. A heavy diesel truck costs ...
Listening to RNZ yesterday, I heard that the government was making a major announcement about a second crossing of the Waitematā. I was fairly surprised.I’d have thought with it being election year the last thing the government would want to be talking about was a massive Auckland transport project. Especially ...
I cracked open a fortune cookie with a family group after dinner. My loved ones got warm, inspiring messages such as my son’s: ‘You will be successful in business and society’. Nice. I got this one: “Friends come and go, but enemies accumulate.” By coincidence, I had already drafted a ...
THOMAS CRANWELL: When ideology turns violent – the political and media backing behind the Posie Parker mob Thomas Cranwell writes – ——————————– Similar to other countries, the transgender movement in New Zealand is not a grassroots organisation but instead is an increasingly ...
It is a lovely autumn morning.The sun is shining. The birds in Kōwhai park are twittering.There is music playing on Today FM.You can hardly tell that the children at Kia Kaha primary school are being greenhouse gassed.It is not just happening at Kia Kaha Primary School.It is happening to all ...
Poor old Mike Hosking! In today’s Herald, such is his visceral antipathy to our current government, that he is reduced to wrestling with himself in trying to understand how it is that despite its many failings – in his eyes at least – the Labour government is somehow ahead in ...
Air pollution kills, and dirty diesel vehicles are a major source of it. Cleaning them up has enormous social benefits in avoided deaths and hospitalisations. How much? Billions of dollars: A report quietly released by the Ministry of Transport in July shows tighter regulation of vehicle imports for air ...
Via one of my lovely Twitter sources, the sardonic and interesting @johubris … the following ‘poll question’ has been recently distributed: “Thinking about your life and your country now, what is the most important issue that you want to see the New Zealand Government addressing?” This qualifies as push-polling, which ...
On Tuesday night, former Forestry Minister Stuart Nash was sacked for corruption, after the Prime Minister discovered he had disclosed confidential cabinet discussions to his donors. Its since emerged that Jacinda Ardern's office knew of this disclosure, but didn't act on the obvious breach of the Cabinet manual, and didn't ...
Buzz from the Beehive Whoa, there – we can’t keep up! Suddenly, the PM’s ministerial team has unleashed a slew of press statements. Sixteen announcements have been posted on the Beehive website since our last check. This burst of activity (we wondered) might be the result of them responding positively ...
Big transport news today with the government beginning public engagement on options for the Waitemata Harbour Connections project. This project has had an incredibly long history, with previous versions somehow managing to be incredibly expensive, detrimental to most of the transport outcomes we are trying to achieve in Auckland, and ...
If ever there was an example of complacency about corruption and integrity in New Zealand politics it’s the fact that the Prime Minister’s Office knew back in 2021 that Cabinet Minister Stuart Nash was feeding privileged Cabinet information to business donors but did nothing about it. This is one of ...
Open access notables "Despite the potential for positive methane–climate feedbacks from global wetlands, most Earth System Models (ESMs) and Integrated Assessment Models (IAMs) that informed the last Assessment Report of the IPCC do not directly incorporate this process."Publishing in Nature Climate Change, Zheng et al. unpack the implications of this ...
Among its ‘go slow’ on climate measures, the Government chose to delay tighter regulation of vehicle imports for air pollution for six years because it would have increased vehicle purchase costs. Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The Government continues to backtrack on moves to reduce emissions, with three news items ...
Stuart Nash’s downfall appears to have had its beginnings with one of the players from the “Dirty Politics” scandals of 2014. Simon Lusk, a close associate of Cameron “Whaleoil” Slater, one of the key figures in Nicky Hagar’s “Dirty Politics” expose, has been associated with Stuart Nash. Lusk has ...
Worried if this election will be shellacked by “the culture war”? That arrived ages ago. And, one side is definitely in panic mode, even if that’s not being admitted right now. Because of that, they’re reverting yet again to straight up… culture wars. Yes, fellow traveler, the Party who ...
All About Climate is a Youtube channel dedicated to communicating climate science and combating misinformation about global warming. It is run by Roshan Salgado D'Arcy - or 'Rosh' for short. He is a geology graduate with an MSc in climate change and is currently reading for a PhD in the communication of ...
ChatGPT is an interesting little beastie. I have only really started experimenting with it recently – not because I have any interest in using it for my own writing projects, but because I enjoy pushing and prodding the AI in strange directions. I have spent an inordinate amount of ...
The science of climate change is clear: we need to stop burning fossil fuels as quickly as possible, and we cannot burn even a fraction of those already discovered. So naturally, Labour is offering oil companies more exploration permits: The Government is offering companies another opportunity to search for ...
There are two keyboards in my office. I hammer at one a lot more than the other.But some days — today, for instance, after a few days of steeping myself in toxicity —that other keyboard can really come into its own.I learned to play the piano as a kid, went ...
Is the government imploding? Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has had to sack one of his more effective (and likeable) ministers, while another (from the Green Party) has insulted many of the adult population. For his part, Hipkins had appeared to be shaping up well since he took over the ...
Mobbed! As Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull’s (Posie Parker’s) opponents surged forward, her only protecters were a handful of burly security guards who surrounded their client and began forcing a path through what was now a howling mob. At least one video recording shows the diminutive Keen-Minshull, a terrified rag-doll, eyes dulled by ...
Buzz from the Beehive It looks like Marama Davidson must revile white sis males – or some other group of our population – three more times before she gets the heave-ho as one of Chris Hipkins’ ministers. That’s the conclusion to be drawn from the PM’s treatment of Stuart Nash, ...
For a serial offender like Stuart Nash, it was inevitable that another skeleton would emerge from his closet, and end his ministerial career. This one though, was a whopper. Previously, Nash had tried to tell the Police how to do their job. He had also tried to tell the courts ...
Cabinet Minister Stuart Nash was sacked last night for violating Cabinet Collective Responsibility rules, when it was revealed he disclosed sensitive Government information to business supporters who had donated money to him. The breach of the Cabinet Manual was enough to land him in trouble, but the fact that it ...
Some good news last week with the Council confirming that Te Hā Noa – Victoria St Linear Park will go ahead and with construction starting on 11 April – though with a few fishhooks. Te Hā Noa, a renewed Victoria Street, is the next big project in Auckland Council’s Midtown ...
Stuart Nash’s assurances to Prime Minister Chris Hipkins that there were no further examples of him breaching the Cabinet Manual became meaningless with the release of emails from Nash sharing Cabinet discussions with business people. The Prime Minister had no choice but to sack Nash as a Minister with immediate ...
Hi,Just a quick online-only update after yesterday’s newsletter, How Michael Organ Weaponised the Family Court... and Sean Plunket. First up — wow. Thanks for all the support, and to all those who shared their own personal stories in the comments. And welcome to any new Webworm readers.I just wanted ...
Let that sink in for a moment - Christopher Luxon, who has spent the last year demonising Māori, wants Marama Davidson to apologise to white men.You will likely have seen the video, or read about it. Marama Davidson rushing along Princes St on Saturday evening, the road that runs between ...
Stuart Nash, the great-grandson of former Prime Minister Sir Walter Nash, has lost his political career. File Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Stuart Nash was sacked for telling donors what happened in Cabinet. Wellington’s City and Regional Councils are going cold on light rail plans. Wayne Brown is under ...
NZ First Leader Winston Peters is sympathising with Stuart Nash and defending him but dodging questions on whether he would be welcome in New Zealand First. Prime Minister Chris Hipkins last night sacked Nash from the Cabinet after an email he had sent to two of his campaign donors ...
So, after interfering with the police, and then interfering with immigration decisions, Stuart Nash has finally been sacked: Stuart Nash has been sacked as a minister, after Stuff revealed he had emailed business figures, including donors, detailing private Cabinet discussions. Prime Minister Chris Hipkins confirmed the people Nash emailed ...
Nearly 25% of mortgages in Auckland are deemed at risk in a 1-in-100 year flood event. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Once a year, every year, from now on, in our not-so-slow-cooking climate crisis, there will be a moment when the most important number in Aotearoa’s own personal, national ...
Item One: About a confected crisis Please bear with me for a moment, readers outside Auckland, I wish to sound the klaxon. Auckland, we have until 11pm today to have our say. About what? About this, as copied and pasted from Pippa Coom’s Facebook page:The "austerity" budget is built on ...
Buzz from the Beehive Yet again, the statement we were looking for could not be found on the Beehive website. Nor was it on the Scoop or Green Party websites. But – come to think of it – we are probably wasting our time by searching. Our quest is for the ...
The following is from a speech given by Arundhati Roy at the Swedish Academy on March 22, 2023, at a conference called Thought and Truth Under Pressure and reprinted from Literary Hub. I thank the Swedish Academy for inviting me to speak at this conference and for affording me the privilege ...
After almost two decades of racism, Australia is finally getting off its "stop the boats" bullshit. But don't worry, racists - Michael Wood has your back!The Government wants to increase the time it can detain without a warrant people seeking asylum en masse from four days to 28 ...
Last year, the Education and Workforce Committee recommended that the government legislate for pay transparency to prevent employers from secretly discriminating. This ought to be a bread and butter issue for Labour - discrimination sees women (and particularly Māori and Pasifika women) paid significantly less than men. But since then ...
Thomas Cranmer writes – ———— An unruly mob in Albert Park has catapulted New Zealand into the global headlines with ugly images that may become iconic in the debate about the dangers of transgenderism. ———— Bravo Kellie-Jay Keen. She did the job that needed to be done. For all the ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Global warming is melting the Arctic ice cap, and that’s having unforeseen effects on the world’s weather — even thousands of miles away from the North Pole. Some climate scientists have begun to link increasingly common heat waves in Europe to what is ...
Hot on the heels of the demotion of former police Minister Stuart Nash for breaching the Cabinet Manual, Radio New Zealand has revealed the close links between lobbyists and politicians- an area of New Zealand politics that is completely unregulated. The evidence in Guyon Espiner’s series Mate, Comrade, Brother, the ...
Over a million New Zealanders will receive a little extra to help with the cost of living as a result of our 1 April changes. Around the world, inflation is causing costs to rise and we’re feeling it here at home. In tough times, we need to support those who ...
With benefit changes coming into effect tomorrow, the Green Party is calling on the Government to lift benefits to liveable levels to make sure everyone has what they need to thrive. ...
Following decades of work by the Green Party alongside the organics sector, people will finally be able to be confident that products labelled organic have met standards. ...
The Green Party supports immediate Government action to close the pay gap as called for in an open letter released today by the Human Rights Commission and 50 other organisations. ...
The Green Party is today welcoming the release of the Government’s waste strategy, but says it has a big gap without action on the container return scheme for beverage containers. ...
The Government’s decision to introduce ‘mass arrivals’ legislation goes against the values we all share of Aotearoa as a place where all people are treated fairly, the Green Party says. ...
MINISTER DAVIDSON MUST RESIGN AFTER 'VIOLENCE' COMMENTS Marama Davidson should stand down as ‘Minister for the Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence’ for the clear and outrageous statement she made at the Posie Parker protest that ‘white straight men’ are the cause of violence. Her offensive, racist, and sexist remarks ...
In response to Newshub and Amelia Wade’s obvious and ham-fisted attempt at a typical and predicted political hit job. As any politically aware reporter would know, any Cabinet subcommittee has a duty and obligation as a part of any government to respond to any UN declaration, in this case ...
Good afternoon. Thank you for the invitation to speak with you today and in your busy lives turning up to this meeting. Forty five years ago, in Howick, often described as racist, and where few Maori lived because it had been a ‘Fencible’ settlement at the time of the Anglo-Maori ...
The Green Party has marked the National Party’s new education policy and given it a fail, especially for its failure to address the underlying drivers of school performance. ...
“This is it; 2023 will be the last opportunity New Zealand has to get a government that will confront the climate emergency with the urgency it demands,” says the Green Party’s co-leader and climate change spokesperson, James Shaw. ...
Political parties that want to negotiate with the Green Party must come to the table with much faster, bolder climate action, co-leaders James Shaw and Marama Davidson emphasised in their State of the Planet speech today. ...
Political parties that want to negotiate with the Green Party after the election must come to the table with much faster, bolder climate action, co-leaders James Shaw and Marama Davidson emphasised today. ...
You will never truly understand, from the pictures you’ve seen in the newspapers or on the six o-clock news, the sheer scale of the devastation wrought by Cyclone Gabrielle. ...
We’re boosting incomes and helping ease cost of living pressures on Kiwis through a range of bread and butter support measures that will see pensioners, students, families, and those on main benefits better off from the start of next month. ...
The error Labour Ministers made by stopping work on a beverage container return scheme will be reversed by the Greens at the earliest opportunity as part of the next Government. ...
“Cabinet needs to do better - and today has shown exactly why we need Green Ministers in cabinet, so we can prioritise action to cut climate pollution and support people to make ends meet,” says Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson. ...
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nanaia Mahuta, departs for Europe today, where she will attend a session of the NATO Foreign Ministers Meeting in Brussels and make a short bilateral visit to Sweden. “NATO is a long-standing and likeminded partner for Aotearoa New Zealand. It is valuable to join a session of ...
A secure facility that will house protected information for a broad range of government agencies is being constructed at RNZAF Base Auckland (Whenuapai), Public Service, Defence and GCSB Minister Andrew Little says. The facility will consolidate and expand the government’s current secure storage capacity and capability for at least another ...
From today, 1.8 million flu vaccines are available to help protect New Zealanders from winter illness, Minister of Health Ayesha Verrall has announced. “Vaccination against flu is safe and will be a first line of defence against severe illness this winter,” Dr Verrall said. “We can all play a part ...
Associate Minister of Arts, Culture and Heritage Willow-Jean Prime has congratulated Professor Rangi Mātāmua (Ngāi Tūhoe) who was last night named the prestigious Te Pou Whakarae o Aotearoa New Zealander of the Year. Professor Mātāmua, who is the government's Chief Adviser Mātauranga Matariki, was the winner of the New Zealander ...
The Minister of Foreign Affairs Nanaia Mahuta has announced further sanctions on political and military figures from Russia and Belarus as part of the ongoing response to the war in Ukraine. The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued an arrest warrant for Russia’s Commissioner for Children’s Rights Maria Alekseevna Lvova-Belova ...
A new public housing development planned for Whangārei will provide 95 warm and dry, modern homes for people in need, Housing Minister Megan Woods says. The Kauika Road development will replace a motel complex in the Avenues with 89 three-level walk up apartments, alongside six homes. “Whangārei has a rapidly ...
New Zealand welcomes the substantial conclusion of negotiations on the United Kingdom’s accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), Trade and Export Growth Minister Damien O’Connor announced today. “Continuing to grow our export returns is a priority for the Government and part of our plan to ...
Ngā Iwi o Taranaki and the Crown initial Taranaki Maunga collective redress deed Ngā Iwi o Taranaki and the Crown have today initialled the Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Deed, named Te Ruruku Pūtakerongo, Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Andrew Little says. “I am pleased to be here for this ...
Minister for Pacific Peoples Barbara Edmonds has announced the 2023 Pacific Language week series, highlighting the need to revitalise and sustain languages for future generations. “Pacific languages are a cornerstone of our health, wellbeing and identity as Pacific peoples. When our languages are spoken, heard and celebrated, our communities thrive,” ...
880,000 pensioners to get a boost to Super, including 5000 veterans 52,000 students to see a bump in allowance or loan living costs Approximately 223,000 workers to receive a wage rise as a result of the minimum wage increasing to $22.70 8,000 community nurses to receive pay increase of up ...
Over 8000 community nurses will start receiving well-deserved pay rises of up to 15 percent over the next month as a Government initiative worth $200 million a year kicks in, says Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall. “The Government is committed to ensuring nurses are paid fairly and will receive ...
Tākiri mai ana te ata Ki runga o ngākau mārohirohi Kōrihi ana te manu kaupapa Ka ao, ka ao, ka awatea Tihei mauri ora Let the dawn break On the hearts and minds of those who stand resolute As the bird of action sings, it welcomes the dawn of a ...
The Government is introducing a scheme which will lift incomes for artists, support them beyond the current spike in cost of living and ensure they are properly recognised for their contribution to New Zealand’s economy and culture. “In line with New Zealand’s Free Trade Agreement with the UK, last ...
New Zealand is welcoming a decision by the United Nations General Assembly to ask the International Court of Justice to consider countries’ international legal obligations on climate change. The United Nations has voted unanimously to adopt a resolution led by Vanuatu to ask the ICJ for an advisory opinion on ...
More Police officers are being deployed to the frontline with the graduation of 59 new constables from the Royal New Zealand Police College today. “The graduation for recruit wing 364 was my first since becoming Police Minister last week,” Ginny Andersen said. “It was a real honour. I want to ...
Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta met with Vanuatu Foreign Minister Jotham Napat in Port Vila, today, signing a new Statement of Partnership — Aotearoa New Zealand’s first with Vanuatu. “The Mauri Statement of Partnership is a joint expression of the values, priorities and principles that will guide the Aotearoa New Zealand–Vanuatu relationship into ...
The Government has passed new legislation amending the Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) levy regime, ensuring the best balance between a fair and cost effective funding model. The Fire and Emergency New Zealand (Levy) Amendment Bill makes changes to the existing law to: charge the levy on contracts of ...
The Government has passed the Organic Products and Production Bill through its third reading today in Parliament helping New Zealand’s organic sector to grow and lift export revenue. “The Organic Products and Production Bill will introduce robust and practical regulation to give businesses the certainty they need to continue to ...
The Digital Identity Services Trust Framework Bill, which will make it easier for New Zealanders to safely prove who they are digitally has passed its third and final reading today. “We know New Zealanders want control over their identity information and how it’s used by the companies and services they ...
The full Cyclone Gabrielle Recovery Taskforce has met formally for the first time as work continues to help the regions recover and rebuild from Cyclone Gabrielle. The Taskforce, which includes representatives from business, local government, iwi and unions, covers all regions affected by the January and February floods and cyclone. ...
Changes have been made to legislation to give subcontractors the confidence they will be paid the retention money they are owed should the head contractor’s business fail, Minister for Building and Construction Megan Woods announced today. “These changes passed in the Construction Contracts (Retention Money) Amendment Act safeguard subcontractors who ...
Transport Minister Michael Wood has unveiled five scenarios for one of the most significant city-shaping projects for Tāmaki Makaurau in coming decades, the additional Waitematā Harbour crossing. “Aucklanders and businesses have made it clear that the biggest barriers to the success of Auckland is persistent congestion and after years of ...
The Government has passed new legislation that ensures New Zealand’s civil aviation rules are fit for purpose in the 21st century, Associate Transport Minister Kiri Allan says. The Civil Aviation Bill repeals and replaces the Civil Aviation Act 1990 and the Airport Authorities Act 1966 with a single modern law ...
A Bill aimed at helping to reduce delays in the coronial jurisdiction passed its third reading today. The Coroners Amendment Bill, amongst other things, will establish new coronial positions, known as Associate Coroners, who will be able to perform most of the functions, powers, and duties of Coroners. The new ...
The Prime Minister has asked the Cabinet Secretary to conduct a review into communications between Stuart Nash and his donors. The review will take place over the next two months. The review will look at whether there have been any other breaches of cabinet collective responsibility or confidentiality, or whether ...
The new Recovery Visa to help bring in additional migrant workers to support cyclone and flooding recovery has attracted over 600 successful applicants within its first month. “The Government is moving quickly to support businesses bring in the workers needed to recover from Cyclone Gabrielle and the Auckland floods,” Michael ...
Bills to ensure non-teaching employees and contractors at schools, and unlicensed childcare services like mall crèches are vetted by police, and provide safeguards for school board appointments have passed their first reading today. The Education and Training Amendment Bill (No. 3) and the Regulatory Systems (Education) Amendment Bill have now ...
Wānanga will gain increased flexibility and autonomy that recognises the unique role they fill in the tertiary education sector, Associate Minister of Education Kelvin Davis has announced. The Education and Training Amendment Bill (No.3), that had its first reading today, proposes a new Wānanga enabling framework for the three current ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta will travel to Vanuatu today, announcing that Aotearoa New Zealand will provide further relief and recovery assistance there, following the recent destruction caused by Cyclones Judy and Kevin. While in Vanuatu, Minister Mahuta will meet with Vanuatu Acting Prime Minister Sato Kilman, Foreign Minister Jotham ...
The Government is backing Police and making communities safer with the roll-out of state-of-the-art tools and training to frontline staff, Police Minister Ginny Andersen said today. “Frontline staff face high-risk situations daily as they increasingly respond to sophisticated organised crime, gang-violence and the availability of illegal firearms,” Ginny Andersen said. ...
The Government has provided Police with more tools to crack down on gang offending with the passing of new legislation today which will further improve public safety, Justice Minister Kiri Allan says. The Criminal Activity Intervention Legislation Bill amends existing law to: create new targeted warrant and additional search powers ...
The Government today announced far-reaching changes to the way we make, use, recycle and dispose of waste, ushering in a new era for New Zealand’s waste system. The changes will ensure that where waste is recycled, for instance by households at the kerbside, it is less likely to be contaminated ...
New legislation passed by the Government today will make it harder for gangs and their leaders to benefit financially from crime that causes considerable harm in our communities, Minister of Justice Kiri Allan says. Since the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act 2009 came into effect police have been highly successful in ...
This evening I have advised the Governor-General to dismiss Stuart Nash from all his ministerial portfolios. Late this afternoon I was made aware by a news outlet of an email Stuart Nash sent in March 2020 to two contacts regarding a commercial rent relief package that Cabinet had considered. In ...
Legislation to enable more build-to-rent developments has passed its third reading in Parliament, so this type of rental will be able to claim interest deductibility in perpetuity where it meets the requirements. Housing Minister Dr Megan Woods, says the changes will help unlock the potential of the build-to-rent sector and ...
A law passed by Parliament today exempts employers from paying fringe benefit tax on certain low emission commuting options they provide or subsidise for their staff. “Many employers already subsidise the commuting costs of their staff, for instance by providing car parks,” Environment Minister David Parker said. “This move supports ...
Today marks the 40th anniversary of Closer Economic Relations (CER), our gold standard free trade agreement between New Zealand and Australia. “CER was a world-leading agreement in 1983, is still world-renowned today and is emblematic of both our countries’ commitment to free trade. The WTO has called it the world’s ...
The Government is making procedural changes to the Immigration Act to ensure that 2013 amendments operate as Parliament intended. The Government is also introducing a new community management approach for asylum seekers. “While it’s unlikely we’ll experience a mass arrival due to our remote positioning, there is no doubt New ...
The Government welcomes progress on public sector pay adjustment (PSPA) agreements, and the release of the updated public service pay guidance by the Public Service Commission today, Minister for the Public Service Andrew Little says. “More than a dozen collective agreements are now settled in the public service, Crown Agents, ...
The Government has introduced the Severe Weather Emergency Recovery Legislation Bill to further support the recovery and rebuild from the recent severe weather events in the North Island. “We know from our experiences following the Canterbury and Kaikōura earthquakes that it will take some time before we completely understand the ...
Tea drinkers of Aotearoa, your new favourite dunking bikkie is here. There are several things I love about this recipe. The first is that they make a delicious dunking biscuit, the perfect accompaniment to a cup of tea shared with friends. The second is that the recipe is ...
Part two of writer Marty Smith’s reporting from her flood-damaged home.Read part one here. Sunday 12 March, 21 days after the floods.Google Maps shows a pale blue line for the flat-lined bridge between Taradale and Waiohiki and sends you instead over the Expressway to Merge Like A Zip, ...
Bard Billot on the booted out broadcasterSpartans, prepare for glory! The hardy army of Today FM Spartans Camps out on the harsh lands of talk radio. The long months of the campaign Have worn down their resolve, For though they have loyally broadcast Their snappy banter and hot ...
The danger of National's policy is that it undoes much of an informal pact with Labour to depoliticise education at a time of real struggleOpinion: The National Party’s recently released education policy narrowly channels nearly every tired and cliched right-wing approach to schooling. If you have been in education for ...
A refurbished, expanded and more earthquake-proof building is a still few years away. Can it live up to the impeccable postmodernist vibes of its predecessor?A long time ago, my non-Wellington then-boyfriend was visiting the windy city and asked the barber what he recommended in town. “Dunno mate,” the barber ...
Doing the cryptic crossword isn’t simply a hobby. It’s a way of life, a love affair – even a full-blown obsession. The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.Illustrations by Asia Martusia King. Clue: Mafia boss consumed first dish free of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The rout of the Liberals in Aston is a disaster for Peter Dutton. The party has defied history – in the worst possible way. This is the first time in more than a century ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne Morgan Hancock/AAP With 44% of enrolled voters counted in today’s Aston federal byelection, the ABC has Labor expected to win ...
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Far North Mayor Moko Tepania
And ..absolutely ! NZ NEEDS Coastal Shipping. It is essential. The Kaikoura earthquake highlighted this.
Other Standardistas have also pointed our need for Coastal Shipping.
I have linked this previously..its a PDF so I'll just give link.
We need to get past NZ's unsustainable truck/trailer obsession. Driven of course by the large and loud lobby group of truckers. And supporters.
Coastal Shipping. Now.
Kaikoura earthquake 2016…
Following Cyclone Gabrielle, Northern line out for months with major repairs needed, ditto the Hawke's Bay one. The Napier-Wairoa line will be even longer (if, indeed, it's ever repaired) – major rail bridges down and really significant washouts.
https://www.1news.co.nz/2023/02/23/photos-northland-rail-line-cut-off-from-auckland/
Rail just doesn't seem to be a resilient transport solution.
I'd like to know what the engineers are saying. It seems like a decent chunk of our rail is built in vulnerable places, so are there better places to put new rail?
I can't find any discussion of changing the route for rail. Probably due to the major (as in trillions of dollars) cost involved.
The most recent (apart from Gabrielle) major rail repair was in the SI following the Kaikoura earthquake. And, IIRC, there was no discussion over re-routing it from the seashore route.
NZ is a mountainous country (in general), rail needs to follow, as much as possible, a level pathway (trains don't cope with significant grades), which pretty much means running alongside rivers through gorges (yes, there are exceptions – but it's the general rule); and through cuttings through the hills. So significant risk both from river rise/flooding/bridge washout, and from landslips down the neighbouring steep terrain.
There is no route from Wairoa to Napier (the one I'm most familiar with), which does not involve significant and rugged hills/mountains.
My understanding is that the northern route had more than 50 slips over the railway- this is through gentler terrain, but got hammered even harder by the weather.
That wasn't quite what I meant. I meant were engineers talking about the vulnerability of each line and what that means for events that take out the line (quakes, tsunami?, floods, slips).
I expect transition engineers are talking about it, I'll have a look.
As for costs, what's the cost of losing a line for a year? (rebuild and disruption costs). Then what happens if that happens 4 times in a decade? At what point do we start designing and redesigning for the world we now live in.
Build back better is old world thinking. We need to be transitioning.
Kaikoura is a good example. I'm not suggesting moving the bits that can't easily be moved. I'm saying that if we centre physical reality as we know it now, it looks quite different than when that line was built. Because of our knowledge about quakes and because of climate.
Sustainability design wouldn't start with 'we have to have a rail line and there are no options but here because it's too expensive'. It would start with what are the specific needs that this line exists for. Freight, public transport. what else?
Then look at the best ways to meet those needs in terms of sustainability and resiliency. eg to what extent can rail freight be replaced or supplemented by shipping or road (EV)? How can we integrate those systems so that when there is a disaster, the surviving systems are robust?
There's a further aspect that, which is why transition (whole systems) rather then build back better needs to be the conceptual frame. How much of the goods and people we are moving are essential? Necessary? Unnecessary?
How much food is being moved along that rail line? How much by road or sea? What would happen if we relocalised food production and supply?
Likewise, if we shifted from a consumerist society to a regenerative one, do we need to be travelling as much? Do we need to by buying as much Stuff?
Your argument is usually no-one will want to do that. Well no-one wants to abandon their house to silt damage either. Looking at the broader options rather than just BAU helps people to see that life could change for the better in a lot of ways if we transition. Both by creating resiliency, but also by creating lives that have a different kind of meaning, are less stressful and more pleasurable and where our core values are centred (I'm still betting that most New Zealanders don't place consumerism at the centre if they felt like they had a choice).
Largely the cost of losing a railway line for a year isn't great – transport shifts to trucks (almost never to shipping), and just continues.
The cost to repair is also far greater than roads – and the ability to divert around breakages is less.
In NZ rail lines are not a trivial engineering challenge. See this about the original Napier to Gisborne line.
https://www.engineeringnz.org/programmes/heritage/heritage-records/napier-gisborne-railway/
It was closed in 2012 after significant storm damage, and re-opened (Wairoa to Napier only) in 2020 for logging transport only. [That's not to say other items couldn't be shipped, just that they weren't]
The line through to Gisborne was never re-opened, and probably won't ever be – just not enough transport need to justify it.
none of that is using a sustainability lens and some of it is anti-sustainability 🤷♀️
"How much of the goods and people we are moving are essential? Necessary? Unnecessary? "
Who decides what's necessary or unnecessary?
Does it simply become a cost factor (the rich can travel, the poor can't)?
take the easy stuff first. Staple foods are essential. Things like this aren't,
https://www.thewarehouse.co.nz/p/living-co-artificial-fern-foliage-spray-60cm-green-mid-60cm/R2779371.html
Are you familiar with the concept of Just Transition?
What do you think happens to poor people during and after a disaster?
So your artificial fern would be available in Auckland (international shipping port), but not in Gisborne. Or are you suggesting that it would be denied import permission (so no one can have it)?
[I have to say, this is not something I would ever contemplate buying – regardless of availability – by clearly there is a market]
Moving to things which are luxuries – we're all familiar with the black market which arises when they're banned or restricted. When, indeed, only the wealthy can afford them.
Just transition seems to operate at a macro level (e.g. the funding which went into Taranaki after the oil and gas exploration ban) – rather than at an individual level.
In a disaster in NZ, the poor people get quite a bit of immediate support – it's the middle class (what there is left of it) who struggle.
As an illustration, ATM we have 2 staff at work who had red-stickered houses. The one renting, has simply rented a new place – yes, they've lost furniture and possessions and personally important mementoes – but they're moving on with their life. The one who owns (well, owes the bank) the house, has to manage renting, as well as all of the other costs, stress and worry associated with dealing with government and Council and insurance, etc. Their bills (mortgage, rates, etc.) continue, as well as the costs of renting. They are much worse off than the renter.
Banning isn't where I would start. I'd start with the conversation about values and what really matters.
You can see it with those people in the Muriwai meeting. It's like the Chch quakes never happened. They're going through exactly what happened a decade ago. I remember watching the process by which the rest of NZ switched off from Chch and just moved on. If someone wants to stand up and make an argument for the right to buy plastic ferns, they can have at it. But more will stand up and talk about the need for housing and food security.
Just Transition is the idea that when we decarbonise and move to a regenerative economy, we build in from the start processes that take into account socioeconomic disparities.
Your staff sound like two middle class households (or at least, your example isn't inherently class-based). A poor family would struggle to replace clothes, food staples, their car if they even owned one.
WINZ had a 90 minute wait on the call centre last week. Imagine being so poor that you don't have enough money to buy food and you have to spend 90 minutes on the phone just to *ask for a food grant (no guarantee you will get it). How do you even do that if you have a job?
Which isn't to say the house owner isn't going through a heap of major stress. They are.
Responding to this "Your staff sound like two middle class households "
That's a pretty whopping assumption, when the only information I'd given is that one family owned a house (with a huge mortgage) and the other was renting.
The family renting are certainly not middle class. Minimum wage employee. Very solidly in the (rather struggling in NZ) working-class.
Found a new rental (smaller than the previous one, but needs must) – and can just walk away from their previous tenancy because red-stickered. Have had new-to-them (but in good condition) appliances and furniture donated via charities; food and toiletry parcels from other charities (to get them back on their feet). Have lost family mementoes (which is sad), and there’s nothing that can make up for that.
They’ve had a shock, and lost some stuff – but aren’t materially in a much worse position than they were pre-floods.
NB: They tried talking to WINZ – but basically gave up – it was just too hard.
There was a bit more information
that and what you’ve just shared tells me they’re not on the bones of their arse. But fair enough, and I was expecting to be corrected.
I do think it’s worthwhile acknowledging the strata within the working and underclasses (and middle class). That they could give up on WINZ is a signifier of some degree of resources despite working class life having financial struggle.
We measure things in different ways. You’re comparing people who were not well off to begin with just getting on with it, with people who were well off and have lost significant materially.
I’m talking about people that are poor all the time and what happens to them during and after a disaster.
I think both are valid.
We started talking about that I think because I raised Just Transition and asked “What do you think happens to poor people during and after a disaster?”
I asked that because you seemed to think that in transition the rich can still travel and the poor can’t. That’s already the case. My line about poor people was a lazy point about we don’t have a just society now, that translates into emergencies, and it will translate with catastrophic climate only much, much worse. It doesn’t have to be that way. We can both prevent the worst of CC, and we can transition Justly.
Easy, the staff member with the mortgage gives the insurance payout to the bank and walks away. Then they are "simply" renters like the other staff member.
Problem solved.
Your definition of 'poor' seems to be beneficiary-only. Not just ordinary working class.
I'm not arguing that WINZ (and many other Government departments) have done a good job – because I don't think they have. The waiting times on 'hold' are a shocking indictment – and even worse that this is the new 'normal'. I'd have a hell of a lot more respect for Sepuloni if she was sorting that out at WINZ, rather than swanning around emergency shelters.
But people who truly have nothing are in the emergency shelters, they are the ones being put into temporary accommodation (even though it may be not particularly desirable temporary accommodation), they're getting the food handouts – they're already in the 'system'.
The next step up the economic scale just get ignored.
Not at all. The person who doesn't have time to spend 90mins on the phone just to get through has a minimum wage job. Probably several. My definition of poor/not poor doesn't hinge on whether one own's a home or rents. It's about whether one can afford the basics.
not sure exactly who you are referring to but anyone without sufficient income or savings can get an SNG for food, not just beneficiaries.
I would count people who can afford insurance as probably not poor, but maybe you are talking about the group of people who are about to drop down a class, possibly permanently, as they use up their small amount of savings while waiting for the house situation to be sorted out and then struggle to ever recover. I feel for these people, especially if they've not been there before. This is the story of many New Zealanders in past decades.
I'm less confident than you that the really poor are being looked after, but you have more local knowledge. Mostly I think that lots of people are suffering and struggling, some with support some without, and that as a country we're better at acute emergencies, but not so good with the long weeks and months after.
"Well no-one wants to abandon their house to silt damage either."
I certainly agree with this.
Take a look at Auckland's west coast beaches – Piha, Muriwai, Karekare. Inhabitants would have to be some of the 'greenest' of the Auckland population (on average) – but they'll be fighting tooth-and-nail against managed retreat – which is the obvious option for that area – unstable steep cliffs, housing either on the cliffs (landslides); or at sea level (storm surge damage and rising water levels).
They're already holding public meetings demanding to know when the Council/Government are going to let them back into their houses.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/485187/muriwai-residents-vent-anger-at-auckland-council-staff-on-future-of-slip-hit-houses
They like their lifestyle – and want to stay where they are.
As a city, Auckland would be better off rescinding all housing permission from the cliff edge down, and removing the roading infrastructure – retaining hiking tracks only.
Watched the video and read part of the article. The main thing that stands out is that there is a major comms issue. People are understandably stressed and council is giving clear enough rationales, but that's not enough in a situation like this, you have to meet people where they are.
eg residents want an ETA on getting back to their house. Council can't give that for the area that is too dangerous to inspect. But they could tell residents what the conditions are that need to change to do further inspections and when that might happen eg do they need a fortnight of dry weather? Not guarantees but information about the process.
The stuff about people not knowing if their pets are ok is just a complete fail, and bullshit. Humans that are traumatised need emotional safety in addition to physical safety. Helping resolve the pet issue is low hanging fruit.
Agree that building on cliffs (and down stream from cliffs) like that just has to stop. That we still build in so many stupid places is an indictment of just how much councils have been neoliberalised.
Ports can act as hubs, but it needs to be planned, and the service both reliable and cost-effective.
Rail needs to improve connectivity, capacity and price.
Then local deliveries can then be the bulk of road freight. But the first two are not currently in place.
Transition discussions should be able to identify the obstacles without resorting to demonising handy political targets.
Ah, where was that?
"We need to get past NZ's unsustainable truck/trailer obsession. Driven of course by the large and loud lobby group of truckers. And supporters."
lol….you are maybe hunting for something if you think thats demonising ! And..I gave plenty of Links supporting Coastal Shipping. Have a Nice Day : )
Fair enough if you consider "demonising" is too strong an adjective. Perhaps vilifying or blaming, but replacing the word with something milder doesn't affect the point I was making.
Why conclude an informative and thoughtful comment with that parting shot – to an industry not responsible for shipping at all?
In the first set of storms that hit Auckland, for over 24 hours you could not get in or out by plane because the airport was smashed, by rail because there were multiple track stoppages, and or by State Highway since that had multiple floods. We were completely cut off.
That's supplies and exports cut for 33% of NZ's population and 45% of its economy.
We totally need coastal shipping now.
Three weeks ago from Gisborne through to Napier for 3 days we had no flights in or out, no rail because it was smashed, and no state highway access from any side. The final resort for Gisborne was to bring in the NZNavy's HMNZS Manawanui.
Just in case it needs stating, the NZDF are our last thread when the whole of civil society is shredded. For a solid week we were on the bones of our ass. Thankyou NZDF for your collective work.
https://www.nzdf.mil.nz/nzdf/significant-projects-and-issues/cyclone-gabrielle/
By the way congratulations to Commander Fiona Jameson, taking command of frigate HMNZS Te Kaha today from Commander Kane Sutherland.
In case it needs saying again, we need more coastal shipping to prepare for deep crisis, and the natural team to run it would by the NZNavy.
"for over 24 hours you could not get in or out"
That was in a city where the cyclone actually struck. The Cook Strait ferries, which are of course coastal shipping were also cancelled for the same time period. That was in places that weren't even directly hit by the cyclone.
Why do you expect coastal shipping to help in the future as it doesn't seem any more available than planes or trucks?
https://www.stuff.co.nz/marlborough-express/news/300805601/widespread-travel-disruptions-expected-as-cook-strait-ferries-to-be-cancelled-in-wake-of-cyclone-gabrielle
Nope, that was on 27 January when there was no cyclone anywhere in sight; Gabrielle came 2 weeks later in mid-February.
27 January was Cyclone Hale.
That’s not correct.
It was not a cyclone that took out Auckland Airport on 27 January.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2022%E2%80%9323_South_Pacific_cyclone_season#Tropical_Depression_06F
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2023_North_Island_floods#Auckland_Airport
Cyclone Hale was an earlier weather event.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2022%E2%80%9323_South_Pacific_cyclone_season#Tropical_Cyclone_Hale
The 27 January event was the result of an "atmospheric river" which had developed from a former tropical depression in the Coral Sea area. It stretched south from New Caledonia through to the eastern ocean area of NZ. It was in this river of warm, moisture laden air that the big rains of late January and early February in Northland, Auckland and Bay of Plenty were sustained.
That river of moisture laden tropical air also provided the conduit for both Tropical Cyclones Hale and Gabrielle to hit us with the full force of their fury. Glad to say it has now dissipated and hopefully will not return.
Oops… that was a reply to Shanreagh.
At the same time the rest of our coastal shipping was running fine.
Apart from congestion caused by lack of port infrastructure, which has been ongoing for some time.
"At the same time the rest of our coastal shipping was running fine."
Coastal shipping reliability has been compromised for a while now.
Bookings are changed or cancelled at late notice, while costs have increased significantly.
International shipping is notably unreliable, but there's issues domestically as well.
Yes, the storm he was talking about was not during the cyclone. However the cyclone didn't hit Wellington and the weather on the day they cancelled all the ferries had weather which seems to have been very similar to the Auckland event a couple of week earlier when the planes were out.
The weather in Wellington wasn't very nice but it was exactly what we get half a dozen times a year. It is quite normal for the ferries to not sail and it merely illustrates that the ferries, which are coastal shipping, are quite routinely disrupted by our normal NZ storms. I don't think having coastal shipping available is really going to provide greater reliability than aircraft or roads do.
The biggest problem with the NZDF atm is the massive separation rate from NZDF which is over +30%
Army at +17.2%
Navy at +12.5%
The Regular Army is struggling to force generate manpower to deal with concurrent HADR Ops in NZ on top of not having a enough equipment or spares as capabilities have been allowed to run down over the last 30yrs & I including the Reserve Forces who have actually made up the bulk up of the Army's Response.
It's got that bad in the Army Engineers side of things, that they had call a upon QAMR to deploy a Cav Sabre Tp C/S V22 to do Route Reconnaissance which is QAMR/ RNZAC Wartime Role as the Engineers had no spare manpower.
The Navy isn't much chop either, some ships haven't deploy due to manning or for a lack of maintenance due to a manning.
The Airforce is lacking Fix & Rotary Wing Assets.
Only 6 of the 8 NH90's were flying, one has been waiting for a new gearbox since 2018 & additional funding has been denied by Robbo to get this fixed! The other one is in for deep level maintenance. The current 8 NH90's flying already have highest flying hrs for it's type in world for any user & yet RNZAF is still below the minimum required number for it to under sustain concurrent Operations which is 12 NH90's.
The A109's were meant to have taken up some of the slack & help reduce the amount flying hrs of the NH90's, but they proven to be so bloody useless as expected by RNZAF when the A109's was forced on by the Labour Alliance Coalition & NZ Treasury! That they are good for Training Pilots, Crewman & VIP Flights!
The scary thing about this, is Ron Mark forewarned the NZG that this was coming when he delivered his CC speech & what it might for the NZDF which also included his enhanced DCP.
But previous & this Stupid Labour Government kicked the bloody can down the Rd again like every other bastard NZG has done since the 90's.
NZ has dodge a bullet this time round & given the amount damage this time round! It won't be so lucky next time especially if the NZDF is busy elsewhere in NZ on a HADR or somewhere in the Sth Pacific or further afield on a Peacekeeping or HADR Op!
Good old Navy (well, not so old really : ) and all our NZ Services. Respect !
24 hours is not really a significant period.
SHI south was open (so far as I recall) – it was only the route further north which was closed.
Whenuapai was open (indeed that's how Hipkins got to Auckland) – which perhaps should raise the question (again) of an airport north of Auckland – given the vulnerabilities of Auckland Airport which is virtually at sea level.
Apart from the areas badly affected by flooding and/or slips – which are relatively small, though tragic for those involved – Auckland was pretty much operating as usual 48 hours after the flooding. Our (as in the business I work for) imports and exports (national and international) were running as usual – though there were local delivery impacts across the country (we're still not delivering to Wairoa, for example).
The fragile nature of the infrastructure around Gisborne isn't new (only 2 roads in/out). The main SH are regularly closed for a day or so following major storms to clear slips.
Gisborne is a shipping port – mostly logs – but could easily accommodate other vessels – transport costs, timing and flexibility will be the limiting factors. According to family in Gisborne, the frustration now, is over limited water supplies – the water pipeline was damaged and will take months to repair), and over other flood repairs – not over transport.
Wairoa (which is still effectively cut off) is not really a suitable shipping destination – the bar at the river mouth is highly dangerous, and shifts frequently (not surprising in a major river) – dredging is only of limited use.
I'm not arguing against coastal shipping – but it is only one option in the mix following a disaster.
An interesting short video on the early days of covid from Peter Zeihan.
As Zeihan points out, there is now more official opinion that Covid was the result of an accidental lab leak rather than a jump between species.
But, as Zeihan points out, that is not really the main issue. The main issue is that China shut down its domestic flights when it realised there was an issue, but allowed international flights to continue. Thus, the virus was allowed to spread internationally.
That suggests a degree of intentionality on the part of Chinese authorities in that they appeared to realise there was a dangerous pathogen on the loose. They appeared to be prepared to try and protect their own population while at the same time enabling the spread of it worldwide.
It was blindingly obvious to me at the time that China knew it should shut down international travel by expat Chinese for the Lunar New Year. The virus spread to Italy from returning Chinese workers, for example.
The other immoral/agressive act was ordering Chinese companies around the world (all, not just medical) to buy up available PPE in the time before the pandemic became full-blown. I read in an article round that time, from abc I think, that Chinese firms had bought up and sent 8,000 tonnes of high quality PPE from Australia alone back to China. Then, of course, China kept the best, and resold what it didn't need at inflated prices back to the countries it had come from initially.
Pretty sure China stopped their citizens travelling internationally very early, the Chinese tourism market was the first sector to shut down here and that was before Chinese New Year. Americans and Brits on the other hand kept demanding to come here, then ignored isolation requirements, saying they had been here two weeks but unable to say where they had been for that two weeks.
By the time they were welding apartment doors shut in Wuhan the horse had well and truly bolted internationally. It's unfortunate that most of the world wasn't able to take the measures that China and a very few other countries, NZ is one of that few, were able to take and contain the virus in it's early forms.
I remember the Chinese government kicked up a stink, and officially complained to Jacinda Ardern's government when we closed our borders, saying it was an affront to China. So they were still happy to export their citizens round the world well into March.
We may have got in first closing the border on 3/2/20, but China also stopped issuing passports for overseas travel very early in the pandemic
From discussion with a Chinese businessman almost next door to us at the time the two actions were pretty much coincidental, his view was that China got in first but didn't say anything, people's passports just didn't arrive, then it was made official a bit later. There were some parts of the Chinese government doing very much the right thing, and other parts being stereotypical Chinese autocrats, but that happened in a lot of other countries too.
It was the WHO that dropped the ball with travel restrictions early on.
Yup, I got the lockdown dates wrong. Here's one article where China complained about NZ's lockdown.
https://www.newsweek.com/new-zealand-china-winston-peters-coronavirus-lockdown-1504016
Before the lockdown, in January 2020 my son and I had already caught covid, based on the sweats, the body aches and dry bradykinin cough. We only worked it out afterwards. My son had ongoing chest and lung pains and fatigue for three months after. That was before any government diagnostic testing, and we didn't get sick enough to need medical help.
Where did we get it from? When my son went to the supermarket a few days before he got sick, an elderly Chinese man with blood-shot eyes was hacking and coughing his lungs out at the checkout. My son thought at the time that he looked too sick to be out and about, not to mention the anti-social behaviour of spreading whatever flu he had.
So, based on our (first) personal experience of covid, we reckon that Chinese NZ resident had either caught covid while coming back from China, or from his returning relatives. I'm pretty sure the government knew that there were already quite a few unreported cases across NZ at the time of lockdown, and that's why they 'went hard'. And no, we don't live in a main centre.
So why, if China knew it was letting overseas Chinese return to their countries with likely infections, did they pressure NZ to stay open?
This is pure racist dogwhistling.
You have no idea whether this 'Chinese seeming' elderly man was from China (or was a Kiwi of Chinese origin who'd been here for 4 generations); whether he was ethnically from China (or any of the other Asian countries Westerners often confuse with China); if he was from China, that he'd come from the very small area affected by Covid in January 2020; and, indeed, if he or members of his family had been travelling at all.
Your 'reckons' are pure racism.
If you did have Covid (which is highly unlikely at that date), then you actually have zero idea of the vector.
Did I call for this man's death on the basis of his race or threaten violence or retaliation? No. Did I or my son personally abuse him? No. I stated the facts.
An elderly, extremely ill, ethnic Chinese man tottered around a large supermarket, coughing and sputtering, We got sick, my son three days, and me five days later, with an illness so similar in symptoms to the covid we had again later, that gosh, it was covid. We didn't socialise elsewhere in that time.
Was there any judgemental comment about him that I made, except to say, as for any sick person, of ANY race to be so ill and to cough all over others in a public space is anti-social? Did I suggest he knew he had covid and was making us sick on purpose? No, because I don't believe he was.
And, no, I don't hate him personally for his behaviour, because, hey people get sick and don't think straight. Even if I did, it still wouldn't be racist, because it's an opinion about an INDIVIDUAL'S behaviour, not about a RACE'S perceived traits.
It is not racist to criticise a GOVERNMENT, which is what I have been doing. One poster put forward weak ANECDOTAL evidence that China slowed the egress of Chinese citizens informally. China didn't stop expat individuals, almost certainly some sick with covid, returning from China. Direct Shanghai-Auckland flights, for one, were still running at the time of lockdown.
I put forward plausible personal anecdotal evidence in response. Nothing I wrote was racist, so take that slur off the table, thanks. I infer from your behaviour that you would believe criticising the STATE of Israel for political choices that ghetto-ise West Bank Palestinians is an attack on Jews as a RACE, rather than valid criticism of extreme Zionist policies that are themselves racist.
And below is a link to valid, substantiated reports that the Chinese GOVERNMENT surreptitiously stockpiled and bought huge amounts of PPE internationally in late 2019 and early 2020, by commanding overseas Chinese companies of any sort to buy and ship PPE back.
NZ nurses wearing binliners comes to mind. Hmm. Surely, this GOVERNMENT action undeniably compromised other countries' health response to covid, and resulted in avoidable healthworker deaths in other parts of the world.
news.com australia article on China stockpiling of PPE
Chinese tourists with really bad flu wasn't that uncommon, and often they picked it up here. Got to bear in mind that China didn't have much of an idea what was going on either, combine that with the CCP administrative culture and Chinese bureaucracy right up the chain will be a bit resistant to anything that might rock the boat. Once they figured out what was going on the place got shut down pdq.
Working in tourism I was watching this unfold and contradictory statements by most governments, often on a daily basis, were common. We look back on it now and think politicians and bureaucrats were being duplicitous, but in reality they were doing their best in an unknown environment. We also have the disadvantage of viewing it from the position of a very effective and co-ordinated response, in a lot of countries it was complete chaos in February 2020.
Credit to the Chinese government that they were able to shut it down once they figured out what was going on and how to deal with it. That Chinese bureaucratic machine is a huge beast, turning it from maintaining social cohesion and status quo to responding to a novel pandemic is going to be a bit inconsistent, I'm impressed how effectively they responded. If USA and EU, and WHO, had been as emphatic and effective the world might be in a much better place right now.
Let's give Mark Mitchell the publicity he so desperately craves. He's challenged Stuart Nash to meet him in the ring in a charity boxing match.
Mitchell said participating is a “no-brainer". If it's to be a no-brainer Mitchell won't need any opponent in with him.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/fight-for-life-national-mp-calls-on-minister-of-muscles-to-meet-him-in-the-ring/PGATMDBPANHUFB3Q4LGLWIJEJE/
Well, Old…. self proclaimed "tough guy" Mitchell has had previous. And there was this of course.
"If" it ever happened, the Ref would need to be on his toes watching for low blow Dirty Tricks
And was Old… Mark "head injury" Mitchell hiding this?
Are the Organisers aware of this? Pretty sure he shouldnt be allowed in any ring let alone a Charity event…or to boast shit in the media about his …readiness to fight.
Laughable….
Mitchell's challenge raises some serious questions for National's leadership to answer. 1. Was it ok'd by Luxon? 2. What is National's and Luxon's view on boxing for fundraising?
For me this challenge demonstrates (again) an unhealthy macho aspect to Mitchell's character; does National condone and maybe even encourage this trait.
I think this is ghastly. These are untrained wannabes. Mitchell should not be going anywhere near competitive sports where head injuries are common.
I hope Nash turns him down for something like gym endurance, bench pressing etc, rowing machine, etc. Even a day & a night relay team.
Perhaps the mods on this site need to have a rethink of their policy. Couple of days ago I was reprimanded for offering to give "ghost who walks" a smack in the mouth. I accept that. But,
We have this discussion about "fight for life" and the violence that ensues.
Interesting that Mitchell has suffered brain damage, which explains to me a lot of his attitudes. Should he be heading into a violent situation again.
And, given this sites anti violent policy should it even be a subject
[You were moderated for your comment and I am still waiting for you to comply with your moderation (https://thestandard.org.nz/daily-review-01-03-2023/#comment-1937312). It will decide whether you receive a one-month ban or not. You’ll have until Sunday night to finish your task or cop the ban – Incognito]
Mod note
No worries a months ban is fine with me
Okidoki, thanks for letting us know. See you in a month.
Mark Mitchell will have to hope it doesn't go the same way as the last Lusk protégée to try their hand a charity boxing, they got KOed in first round
[image resized]
Looks like "Take Your Paraphilia to Work Day" is finally over. This is what happens when you add the "means what I say it means" terms like "Gender Expression" to your anti discrimination laws.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11810349/Teacher-prosthetic-Z-cup-breast-FINALLY-leave.html
I tend to think this was a long game, played by the teacher for personal benefit, but highlighting the contortions people in positions of authority will do in order to meet gender ideology demands.
After being incapable of addressing his use of fetish wear in the classroom – because it was deemed an expression of his gender identity – this man has essentially been stood down for what he wears at home.
Either way, it was a guaranteed road to a discrimination case.
Good thread here:
what happens when a society rejects reality and embraces fantasy identities and magical thinking?
those who see through the illusions and use them for cynical means will take advantage
the truth will only be spoken in whispers
The only reason I saw that it could be a piss take was the fact that he wore comfortable shoes. Usually, the standard autogynephiliac wardrobe includes stripper high heels.
So Mr Luxon is to present his much practised "State of the Nation" speech tomorrow Sunday at 11am, after church. He will give it to a selected bunch of friends who I suppose includes Jessica MM and Mr Coughlin. No doubt we will get a medicated/sanitised version.
I expect the speech to be published in full, as is custom, so that we can judge for ourselves without the punditry and spin put on it by others.
https://www.national.org.nz/speech-state-of-the-nation-2022
When in doubt, ask ChatGPT to analyse the contents of the speech and prompt it with a few simple questions:
Yes ianmac, and quite a lot more of his devoted poodles will be in attendence too.
Surely a would-be PM would want to wow the public and even so called Journalists. If not why not? Can't hide forever.
Intrusive, informative, or imperative?
https://www.stuff.co.nz/pou-tiaki/131382320/census-2023-intersex-new-zealanders-encouraged-to-tick-the-box
I’ve already seen some here on TS getting hot under the collar about it.
If they are going to start asking medical questions they should include some of the more common disorders rather than glamourising gender pathology
Which question(s) is/are ‘glamourising gender pathology’ in your opinion and why?
Which ‘more common [medical] disorders’ are missing and should be included in your opinion and why?
https://www.census.govt.nz/what-questions-are-in-the-2023-census/
They could start by using the modern term for what used to called "Intersex". These days they are differences or variations of sex development. There are about 40 known syndromes which fall under this category. They are actually variations on male (Klinefelter's syndrome), or female (Turner's syndrome) for example. This is shown by the fact that those that are fertile (and many are not) produce either sperm or eggs.
Unfortunately, these medical conditions have been weaponised by the Gender Ideology pushers to try and show that sex is some sort of spectrum, which it is not.
https://mrkhvoice.com/index.php/2019/05/12/statistics-and-semantics-is-intersex-as-common-as-red-heads/
You would probably have more people with ingrowing toenails.