So with the Greens seemingly about to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory I wonder what the chances are of the Māori Party retaking one of their old seats? And maybe getting another MP in on the list? Should Labour end up in a narrow minority and needing a confidence and supply partner?
Yes ScottGN. My concerns are now centered around keeping National out, rather than hoping the Greens can get back in. The Maori Party is a possibility but I will be watching the polls closely over the next few weeks and will vote primarily to keep Judith out out out.
I think the Greens may dip in support, but should still get over the 5%. Nats best case scenario I reckon will be 35%, along with Act say 5% so I cant see a Nat govt anytime soon.
one green sign here in rotorua, no candidate name, just he generic vote for us sign, but heeps of signs for the Maori Party guy, the Tamaki Crowd, the new conservatives, national, labour.
The Greens, as a party, tend to go for the party vote rather than electorate vote. Pretty much the only reason why they stand electorate candidates at all is because it ups their allowed spend on electioneering.
To me, that's another reason to get rid of electorates and make all party electioneering funding the same.
That was a Roy Morgan poll. Which are usually unreasonably optimistic about the Greens. And the sampling period was likely to be mostly if not entirely before the crystals hit the fan.
It's an impressive collection of argument for authority, mistruths and outright bullshit they've put together.
Starting with an attempt to discredit our health authorities with a gross misrepresentation of the advice around masks. They portray it as a complete reversal of position over two weeks, whereas the advice has actually evolved over months in response to changing circumstances, resources, priorities and new evidence.
They whine about the cost of lockdowns and point to economics fantasies apparently comparing what happens under lockdown to some alternate universe where covid never happened.
They try to downplay the very serious risk of death from covid, indulging in the really ugly "it's only risky to the old and already diseased" argument, as well as totally misleading comparisons like cherry-picking the lowest reasonably plausible infection fatality rate of 0.65%, and then saying the risk of dying in a car accident in the US in 2018 was 1 in 108 (their link actually says that's the lifetime odds). Never mind that the risk of dying in a transport accident is incurred while doing stuff we want to do, while there are absolutely zero positives associated with the risk of covid.
Newsroom have also paired it with an argument for continuing the approach we have now:
100%. 'Plan B' psychopaths need to be shoved back into the crypt from whence they emerged. There isn't a plan B. There's simply competent management of a public health crisis – or eugenicist lunacy that produces worse outcomes on every indicator (health and economy). The non-existence of a Plan B becomes even more apparent as Plan A acquires superior tools (e,g, genomic testing, beefed up contact tracing) that allow the disruption to daily life to be reduced a little each time there is an outbreak.
It's clear that the origins of Plan B thinking are are a set of completely irrational and onanistically-derived ideas about personal 'freedumb' being impinged by collective action on public health.
Ooh AB you're a hero. You have managed to trounce those Plan B sods in well-chosen words. Which they won't absorb of course, being covered in teflon sort of flak bodysuits from which anything is repelled, and just runs down their legs into puddles on the ground. However to understand your enemy is a resource, and I consider them my enemy, and human society's enemy, now we recognise them for what they are.
Perhaps they are The Halfmen of O that Maurice Gee wrote about. The books written under the Young Adult aegis are often questing, beautiful and disturbing as the protagonists search for direction and meaning.
(Susan and Nick…are summoned to the beautiful land of O in a last-ditch attempt to save the planet from cruel Otis Claw and his followers, the evil Halfmen, who have lost every trace of human goodness and kindness.) https://www.penguin.co.nz/books/halfmen-of-o-9780143318347
It’s a pity that the ‘debate’ was highly polarised from the outset and turned into a dichotomy of Plan A and Plan B. The Plan B group did not help their cause whatsoever.
It's not clear to me what the "plan B" lot are actually trying to achieve. Polling makes it look pretty clear the NZ public is solidly behind the elimination strategy, and are ok with being patient about a vaccine potentially happening next year.
If the phase 3 trials that are already underway show all the current candidates to be abject failures, then it's likely there will be a strategy conversation to be had. But for now it just looks like "plan B" are merely trying to sow unhappiness. Their repetition of the "mumps vaccine took four years to develop" just adds to that impression. As a context-free fact, it's true enough, but it's also very relevant that that was over fifty years ago and our knowledge and manufacturing capabilities have improved by orders of magnitude since then.
Well, yes, that's the likely result. But my poor opinion of them doesn't quite extend to thinking that's the primary objective. Surely they've got something else less shitty they're actually trying to achieve.
Or maybe my view of other humans has taken to heart a bit too much of Jacinda's "kindness".
The WHO special envoy on Coronavirus said on radio that while New Zealand had done well, it should now follow Sweden’s model.
Scientist Michelle Dickinson said on radio that “we’re going with a different strategy now – our last strategy was elimination – now its almost learning to live with a virus.”
A third developing myocarditis perhaps, but based on experience with better known viral infections, only a minority will get a dilated cardiomyopathy.
"Viral infection of the heart is relatively common and usually of little consequence. It can, however, lead to substantial cardiac damage and severe acute heart failure. It can also evolve into the progressive syndrome of chronic heart failure."
Because Covid19 is a new disease there is limited experience and we will have to wait for further studies to see what proportion of people get myocarditis and in how many the inflammation resolves without the continuing damage that leads to cardiomyopathy.
So anyone who does develop myocarditis post C19 infection can wait for the possibility of spontaneous recovery while new treatments for viral heart disease are awaited.
It’s a moot point, really, because TINA. Nobody except some Opposition politicians seems to want having a conversation about anything but Plan A at the moment. High public support may be vital in the current context.
It certainly highlights that kind of thought is out there and active. As far as the euthanasia thing goes, I think the safeguards in the process are more than sufficient to stop that kind of abuse from actually happening. So I'll still be a yes vote. But maybe I don't have contact with the wrong circles where the risk is real.
Looking at the yanks, bojo, and our local tories (and one or two fringe parties), I am almost certainly a no. But it's always sat uneasily with me, anyway.
Possibly. But to me, the guaranteed benefit of giving people control of the end of their lives outweighs the hypothetical risk that is understood and appears to be adequately guarded against.
Making sure that Collins and National are as far away from the treasury benches as possible
If the Greens can help in that endeavour, then great. If not then Ardern either needs to do what no other PM has done since 1951 and win a plurality of the votes or hope there is another small party in the parliament who can give her minority government confidence and supply.
While that may be true, her influence on the character of the government is very apparent, and represents a positive for Labour that it has not been able to offer in a generation.
The 1951 National government was the last government voted in with an outright majority of votes.
You're right, although in reality before MMP (and the 'party vote') the percentage vote achieved by a party didn't have any real meaning in NZ's electoral system. Really what it means is that in 1951 the votes won by all the National MPs standing in electorates added together came to 54% of the total votes. All that mattered under FPTP though was winning seats. Until 1990 NZ ballot papers didn't even list candidates' party affiliation.
Remarkably, in the last FPTP election (1993), National won 50 out of 99 seats with just 35% of the vote, to Labour's 34.6%. The combined c 27% won by the Alliance and NZ First earned them two seats each. FPTP really was an extremely unfair system.
The police teams that tooled up to terrorise the neighbourhood. According to the story it was Waikato, Counties Manakau and Canterbury selected. But I thought some where running around Palmerston North?
Plus the serious misjudgement that this would make people feel safer??
They are talking about Abbott. And he is good at trade, so despite a number of defects he's okay. And that is how we feel about Australia – has defects but serves a purpose so we can't be too staunch about those cobbers.
But Peters said a complete halt on cattle exports in the future was not the answer.
"If it was not for livestock exports, this country would have no farming industry at all.
Hahahahahahahahaha
Peters just proved that he doesn't understand economics as it pertains to the real world. These cattle were exported as breeding stock which means that, in the fullness of time, we won't be exporting cattle any more, or milk or any of the other by-products because China will be out-competing us (which I'm in favour of).
"I can't remember in all my years – I've been 40 years in the industry – hearing of a livestock ship sinking and claiming lives… it's quite exceptional."
No matter how big we build Gaia is always going to prove that she is still bigger and more powerful than we are.
Yes you don't hear that sort of fact coming up in discussion – the economics of it. We are exporting good breeding stock for a handful of beans! And unless we have a fearless, flight of foot Jack to do something amazing climbing the Beanstalk and running away with the giant's goodies, which would never be allowed, we won't find any high side to this. But who's looking after the country's interest.
And the usual amazement about any event, it never happened in my life before. Everything changes, but I'm still the same.
We didn't do anything when the kiwifruit was sold overseas, and it is a matter of discussion whether having it growing elsewhere ultimately introduced it to the world market better than we could have done. We could at least have tried for a royalty on the genetic material. Till it got pinched.
The winter energy payment ends two weeks before the election. Two weeks.
The amount of Beneficiaries who came out and voted for the first time in 2017 who are about to lose $40 and $60 should worry labour because theyll stay home and it's a couple % that labour will lose.
Labour have ruthlessly created a two tier welfare system at a time when people who were on welfare prior to covid can't get employed because people who lost their jobs cos of COVId will get preference than longer term unemployed people.
The families package doesn't do a damn thing for disabled , mentally unwell, or unemployed people on their own so when labour says they've done enough for Beneficiaries and quote the family package I wanna rip out my hair.
Give all solo Beneficiaries or atleast disabled and mentally unwell Beneficiaries the covid unemployment rate or extend the winter energy payment or you're going to see Beneficiaries stay home, or get angry and even more alienated with govt that they vote nzpp or you'll see unemployment demonstrations and protests.
Disgusting that so many people who support labour on my social media are now realizing they are about to lose a bunch of money in a couple weeks and are furious. There's no jobs for them and they can't afford and don't deserve to live in these conditions.
Some of that kindness please labour. It's gonna cost you electorally to have some of your biggest supporters lose a chunk of change two weeks out from the election
Give all solo Beneficiaries or atleast disabled and mentally unwell Beneficiaries the covid unemployment rate or extend the winter energy payment or you're going to see Beneficiaries stay home, or get angry and even more alienated with govt that they vote nzpp or you'll see unemployment demonstrations and protests.
Or they vote for the party that will actually be good for them and vote Green.
again, the 25 NZD in benefit increase that the Greens are so proud of is ONLY because of Covid.
Just think about that for a moment, let it marinate, and then again, both the increase in base benefit and the double heating payment did not come about because of the need for this money but because of Covid.
Labour, NZ First and the Greens just gave the very poor as much kindness and gentleness as they had too and not one bit more. And as the fullah above says, and even the governments own adviser group says, Not good enough.
And withoput the Greens we probably wouldn't have seen even that amount.
Having more Green say in government will help ensure that those increases are permanent and even higher. If you don't want that then vote Labour or NZFirst.
To get the transformation that we really need we need the Greens with more power.
Should the greens be returned with say with 5% vote or win central Auckland and achieve less than 5%, Shaw decides to “retire” how does any party cope with a co leader who is not in parliament ? As the next male is ranked 8th, as under my scenario 6 max get in so the next in line would be Golriz.
IMO NZ losses out everytime a political party is removed from parliament. We do need a variety of views there in Wellington.
With the in government but not in government thing going on, there may even be some optical benefit in having a co-leader that is not an MP for those occasions when the government does something that is not in line with Green policies and values.
It just happened that Norman was next on the list when Tanczos called it quits. Otherwise he would have had to wait until the election, or persuade those ahead of him to withdraw from the list.
Surveillance masquerading as Socialism; nationwide electronic Big data collection on babies ( instead of data with care providers ) and then profiling ( racially ) – aka as the resurrection of " social investment ".
A system that never addressed the deeper causes, offering psychological sweeteners to groom the gullible at election time.
Socialism is about addressing equality and justice for people. This ugly fairy delivering ' save the babies ' policy has its main objective entrenched in economics, saving money.
The social investment model is then privatised through contracting, see the small print -: $3000 is a credit ( for extras on top of free care already available eg. Parenting course) to government nominated and approved agents only.
Has Paula Bennett's legacy slipped from people's minds, did her Valedictory speech accidently mention the way forward was ' social investment' ? "
" ..under a more accurate definition, social investment reflects four characteristics of neo-liberalism: the de-politicisation of the economy and of welfare reform; the economic understanding of the state; the extension of economic rationale to non-economic domains; and the anthropology human capital. Taking this view, while social investment is preferable to welfare retrenchment, it promotes the same kind of citizenship as neo-liberalism, especially in terms of the marginalisation of the role of democracy in regulating the economy."
"Social investment: Diffusing ideas for redesigning citizenship after neo-liberalism? "
Francesco Laruffa
First Published December 31, 2017 Research Article Sage Publications.
Oh boy. CDC has informed states to be ready to distribute a Covid-19 vaccine by Nov. 1 (2 days before the US election) and to remove all impediments to doing so. Trump isn't going to roll over – he'll lie through his teeth about a vaccine and how he's saved millions of lives. Don't see how they can do proper tests of either efficacy or adverse events in that timeframe?
He's jealous his besties Poots and Xi can just order something to be approved and start jabbing soldiers and doctors. So he's trying to prove he can just order things to happen too, and blame "the Deep State" trying to sabotage him when it doesn't work out.
Just as well nobody's explained the concept of challenge trials to him or he would be ordering them to be done on troops. Or maybe somebody tried and he didn't pay attention.
I've learnt, after studying thousands of marine accident reports, that the causes are not always the obvious ones. And it is best to wait until you have all the facts.
Just a few observations.
TRS do not always follow the expected tracks. In places with limited sea room the options to avoid them are also limited.
The Captain has the responsibility, but little power these days. Especially from places with no labour law protection, like all "Flag of convenience" registries, and most countries that supply crews.
No vessel is hurricane proof. Luck, seamanship, construction, maintenance and design all play a part.
Wonder if it's occurred to him that even a generally solid Repug voting bloc like the military might have their limits when you repeatedly go out of your way to offensively insult them.
Ele Ludemann writes – The Reserve Bank is advertising for a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion advisor. The Bank has one mandate – to keep inflation between one and three percent. It has failed in that and is only slowly getting inflation back down to the upper limit. Will it ...
Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency Waka KotahiThe fact that a ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Gavin Jacobson talks to Thomas Piketty 10 years on from Capital in the 21st CenturyThe SalvoLocal scoop: Green MP’s business being investigated over migrant exploitation claims StuffSteve KilgallonLocal deep-dive: The commercial contractors making money from School ...
It’s a home - but Kāinga Ora tenants accused of “abusing the privilege” may lose it. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The Government announced a crackdown on Kāinga Ora tenants who were unruly and/or behind on their rent, with Housing Minister Chris Bishop saying a place in a state ...
This is a guest post by Connor Sharp of Surface Light Rail Light rail in Auckland: A way forward sooner than you think With the coup de grâce of Auckland Light Rail (ALR) earlier this year, and the shift of the government’s priorities to roads, roads, and more roads, it ...
Note: As a paid-up Webworm member, I’ve recorded this Webworm as a mini-podcast for you as well. Some of you said you liked this option - so I aim to provide it when I get a chance to record! Read more ...
TL;DR: In my ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Monday, March 18:IKEA is accused of planting big forests in New Zealand to green-wash; REDD-MonitorA City for People takes a well-deserved victory lap over Wellington’s pro-YIMBY District Plan votes; A City for PeopleSteven Anastasiou takes a close look at the sticky ...
Buzz from the Beehive Here’s hoping for a lively post-cabinet press conference when the PM and – perhaps – some of his ministers tell us what was discussed at their meeting today. Until then, Point of Order has precious little Beehive news to report after its latest monitoring of the ...
David Farrar writes – We now have almost all 2023 data in, which has allowed me to update my annual table of how labour went against its promises. This is basically their final report card. The promiseThe result Build 100,000 affordable homes over 10 ...
I’m a bit worried that I’ve started a previous newsletter with the words “just when you think they couldn’t get any worse…” Seems lately that I could begin pretty much every issue with that opening. Such is the nature of our coalition government that they seem to be outdoing each ...
Geoffrey Miller writes – Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. ...
Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture ...
Last week Transport Minster Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre. The new train control centre will see teams from KiwiRail, Auckland Transport and Auckland One Rail working more closely together to improve train services across the city. The Auckland Rail Operations Centre in ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson said in an exit interview with Q+A yesterday the Government can and should sustain more debt to invest in infrastructure for future generations. Elsewhere in the news in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 6:36am: Read more ...
Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. It is more than just a happy ...
TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to March 18 include:China’s Foreign Minister visiting Wellington today;A post-cabinet news conference this afternoon; the resumption of Parliament on Tuesday for two weeks before Easter;retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson gives his valedictory speech in Parliament; ...
New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters’s state-of-the-nation speech on Sunday was really a state-of-Winston-First speech. He barely mentioned any of the Government’s key policies and could not even wholly endorse its signature income tax cuts. Instead, he rehearsed all of his complaints about the Ardern Government, including an extraordinary claim ...
A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
“I’ve been internalising a really complicated situation in my head.”When they kept telling us we should wait until we get to know him, were they taking the piss? Was it a case of, if you think this is bad, wait till you get to know the real Christopher, after the ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
.“$10 and a target that bleeds” - Bleeding Targets for Under $10!.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.This government appears hell-bent on either scrapping life-saving legislation or reintroducing things that - frustrated critics insist - will be dangerous and likely ...
“It hardly strikes me as fair to criticise a government for doing exactly what it said it was going to do. For actually keeping its promises.”THUNDER WAS PLAYING TAG with lightning flashes amongst the distant peaks. Its rolling cadences interrupted by the here-I-come-here-I-go Doppler effect of the occasional passing car. ...
Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology – the Internet – is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
Bob Edlin writes – And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ HeraldThomas CoughlanSimeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
TL;DR:Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it: We want our country to be a ...
The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading → ...
Ele Ludemann writes – The government is omitting general Treaty references from legislation : The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last Government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty ...
What was that judge thinking?Peter Williams writes – That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop:Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
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It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
Buzz from the BeehiveThe text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary. It can be quickly analysed ...
For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
Questions need to be asked on both sides of the worldPeter Williams writes – The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
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Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop:The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
TL;DR:Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
Bob Edlin writes – The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
Every year, in the Budget, Parliament forks out money to government agencies to do certain things. And every year, as part of the annual review cycle, those agencies are meant to report on whether they have done the things Parliament gave them that money for. Agencies which consistently fail to ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – Recent events in American universities point to an underlying crisis of coherent thinking, an issue that increasingly affects the progressive left across the Western world. This of course is nothing new as anyone who can either remember or has read of the late ...
The thing about life’s little victories is that they can be followed by a defeat.Reader Darryl told me on Monday night:Test again Dave. My “head cold” last week became COVID within 24 hours, and is still with me. I hear the new variants take a bit longer to show up ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Angus Deaton on rethinking his economics IMFLocal scoop: The people behind Tamarind, the firm that left a $500m cleanup bill for taxpayers at Taranaki’s Tui oil well, are back operating in Taranaki under a different company name. Jonathan ...
Normally when we talk about accessing public transport it’s about improving how easy it is to get to, such as how easy is it to cross roads in a station/stop’s walking catchment, is it possible to cycle to safely, do bus connections work, or even if are there new routes/connections ...
Politicians are not renowned for telling the truth. Some tell us things that are verifiably not true. They offer statements that omit critical pieces of information. Gloss over risks, preferring to offer the best case scenario.Some not truths are quite small, others amusing in their transparency. There are those repeated ...
The pressure is mounting on the Government as it finalises its Budget Policy Statement, but yet more predicted revenue ‘goes missing’. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The Climate Commission has delivered another funding blow to the National-ACT-NZ First coalition Government’s tax-cutting plans, potentially carving $1.4 billion off the ‘climate ...
The Government now faces the prospect of having to watch another tax raise the price of petrol when, only six days ago, it abolished the Auckland Regional Fuel tax. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon argued that the regional fuel tax imposed costs on lower-income people with less fuel-efficient vehicles and that ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
The New Zealand public voted for a change in direction at the 2023 general election and that is exactly what this coalition government has been delivering in its first 100 days. There was an immediate focus on the economy, easing the cost of living, cracking down on law and order ...
The Government has left the health system as an afterthought, announcing half-baked targets at the last minute of their 100-day plan, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
Kiwis are still waiting for their promised cost of living support after 100 days of a National Government that is taking us backwards, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
100 days of National taking NZ backwardsThe National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
The Government must commit to funding free and healthy school lunches, as thousands of people sign the petition to keep them, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti says. ...
If the Government was serious about moving families into public housing, they would build more houses so there is actually somewhere for people to go. ...
The free and healthy school lunches programme feeds our kids, helps them to learn, and saves families money – but it is at risk under this Government, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
The Government’s proposed changes to Firearms Prohibition Orders (FPO) add almost nothing new and are merely an attempt to distract from its plans to loosen gun laws, police spokesperson Ginny Andersen and justice spokesperson Dr Duncan Webb said. ...
The great Victorian era English politician Lord Macauley stood in the British House of Parliament and said, "The gallery in which the reporters sit has become a fourth estate of the realm".He understood and outlined even way back then, the significant role and influence media have in a democracy. ...
The government’s attack on Māori health this week is committing tangata-whenua to a premature death, says Te Pāti Māori. “The government have begun their onslaught on Māori health with the abolishment of the Māori Health Authority and smokefree laws in the same day” said health spokesperson and co-leader, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. ...
Today marks a tragic milestone for New Zealanders as the Coalition Government side with big tobacco to repeal the Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products (Smoked Tobacco) Amendment Act 2022, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins and Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said. ...
New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April. ...
Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand. Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships. “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland Acknowledgements and opening Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says. “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024 Acknowledgements and opening Morena, Nga Mihi Nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country. “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week. “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee. “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today. “The Amendment Paper represents ...
Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level. “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024. “Lower fruit and vege ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction. Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
Recommendations from the Climate Change Commission for New Zealand on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction and unit limit settings for the next five years have been tabled in Parliament, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “The Commission provides advice on the ETS annually. This is the third time the ...
The coalition Government is beginning its fight to lower building costs and reduce red tape by exempting minor building work from paying the building levy, says Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. “Currently, any building project worth $20,444 including GST or more is subject to the building levy which is ...
Proposed changes to tax legislation to prevent the over-taxation of low-earning trusts are welcome, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The changes have been recommended by Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee following consideration of submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill. “One of the ...
Assalaamu alaikum. السَّلَام عليكم In light of the holy month of Ramadan, I want to extend my warmest wishes to our Muslim community in New Zealand. Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, renewed devotion, perseverance, generosity, and forgiveness. It’s a time to strengthen our bonds and appreciate the diversity ...
Former Transport Minister and CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber Hon Simon Bridges has been appointed as the new Board Chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) for a three-year term, Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced today. “Simon brings extensive experience and knowledge in transport policy and governance to the role. He will ...
Good morning all, it is a pleasure to be here as Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology. It is fantastic to see how connected and collaborative the life science and biotechnology industry is here in New Zealand. I would like to thank BioTechNZ and NZTech for the invitation to address ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says he is looking forward to the day when three key water projects in Northland are up and running, unlocking the full potential of land in the region. Mr Jones attended a community event at the site of the Otawere reservoir near Kerikeri on Friday. ...
Associate Finance Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government has agreed to restore deductibility for mortgage interest on residential investment properties. “Help is on the way for landlords and renters alike. The Government’s restoration of interest deductibility will ease pressure on rents and simplify the tax code,” says ...
Sport and Recreation Minister Chris Bishop will travel to Switzerland today to attend an Executive Committee meeting and Symposium of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Mr Bishop will then travel on to London where he will attend a series of meetings in his capacity as Infrastructure Minister. “New Zealanders believe ...
This year’s Pacific Language Weeks celebrate regional unity and the contribution of Pacific communities to New Zealand culture, says Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti. Dr Reti announced dates for the 2024 Pacific Language Weeks during a visit to the Pasifika festival in Auckland today and says there’s so ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elise Klein, Associate professor, Australian National University It’s commonly accepted that women do the vast majority of caregiving in Australian society. But less appreciated is that Indigenous women do larger amounts of unpaid care than any other group. Working with the Aboriginal ...
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 Joe Biden and Donald Trump have both secured their parties’ nominations for the November 5 United States general election by winning a ...
Comment: There has been a striking contrast in trans-Tasman interest about Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi’s visit to New Zealand and Australia. While the Australian press has been full of articles about the visit – including his curious decision to meet with former prime minister and China booster Paul Keating ...
After years of pressuring banks and other institutions to stop investing in fossil fuels, climate campaigners are making some progress. So how does divestment work?For years, climate activists have been pushing banks and other big institutions to divest from fossil fuels. New research from climate advocacy group 350 Aotearoa ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. The three young Polynesians are part of a K-pop fan community in Tāmaki Makaurau. It’s one of many that have sprung up worldwide as K-pop has gone ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. This one-off documentary presents three intimate portraits of young Polynesians who are pulled into a Korean cultural phenomenon. K-POLYS is directed by Litia Tuiburelevu, Produced by Hex ...
There’s ample evidence demonstrating free school lunch programmes provide wide benefits across schools, households and communities according to public health researchers. ACT Minister David Seymour wants to reduce the spending on Aotearoa New Zealand’s ...
By Wata Shaw in Suva Fiji is facing an exodus of Fijians as many are leaving for overseas seeking employment and education and others are migrating, says Opposition MP Viliame Naupoto. Speaking in Parliament, he said: “His Excellency’s speech (Ratu Wiliame Katonivere) comes after a little over one year of ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming comments from Christopher Luxon this morning recommitting to ‘no new taxes’ as part of Budget 2024. “Mr Luxon’s refusal at the Post-Cabinet press conference yesterday to repeat the ‘no new taxes’ promise ...
SAFE is urgently calling on the Environment Committee to reject the Government’s Fast-Track Approvals Bill, and is urging New Zealanders to rally behind the call. The proposed Bill, currently under consideration with the Environment select committee, ...
Teammates who spend all their time picking fights with spectators are only helpful for the other team, writes Madeleine Chapman. Anyone who has ever played a team sport competitively, particularly as a child and particularly, for some reason, basketball, will know that there’s a lot of politics involved. While there ...
The long-running Wellington music festival is too focused on the Jim Beam-ness and not enough on the Homegrown-ness.There is something about Homegrown that’s difficult to place. A barely perceptible-ness. Like feeling a ghost is watching you from the corner of the room but when you look, there’s nothing there. ...
The latest Ipsos New Zealand Issues Monitor reveals that fewer New Zealanders believe crime / law and order is one of the top issues facing our country. In 2018, Ipsos New Zealand started tracking the key issues facing New Zealand. In this wave ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Griffiths, Deputy Program Director, Budgets and Government, Grattan Institute Australia’s political donations rules are woefully inadequate, but donations reform is finally on the agenda. The federal government has signalled its interest in reform and will soon begin briefing MPs on its ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Patrick Taylor, Chief Environmental Scientist, EPA Victoria; Honorary Professor, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University Naiyana Somchitkaeo/Shutterstock A recent study published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine has linked microplastics with risk to human health. The study ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Albert Van Dijk, Professor, Water and Landscape Dynamics, Fenner School of Environment & Society, Australian National University Global climate records were shattered in 2023, from air and sea temperatures to sea-level rise and sea-ice extent. Scores of countries recorded their hottest year ...
As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, a teacher explains why he and his partner are in frugal mode – and how they’re making it work. Gender: Male Age: 35Ethnicity: Pākehā Role: I am an intermediate school teacher and my partner is ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Bendall, Senior Lecturer, Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences, Australian Catholic University Binge Mary & George, the new British television drama series, depicts the real-life story of Mary Villiers and her son George, and their social climbing at the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jason Nassios, Associate Professor, Centre of Policy Studies, Victoria University This article is part of The Conversation’s series examining the housing crisis. Read the other articles in the series here. Australian state and federal governments spend money in many ways to ...
The finance minister is denying that there’s a $5.6b shortfall in paying for the government’s campaign promises, including tax cuts. At his post-cabinet press conference yesterday, the PM refused to rule out new taxes to pay for the cuts, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s ...
Kāinga Ora tenants abused by their neighbours are doubting the government's crackdown on disruptive tenants will make a difference on their behaviour. ...
Kāinga Ora is New Zealand’s biggest residential landlord, housing more than 180,000 vulnerable people in more than 67,000 properties. Yesterday the government announced a crackdown on its tenants who fall behind on rent. One longtime Kāinga Ora tenant shares her experience.For 18 years I lived in a 1960s standalone ...
Why does this myth persist, and what’s the real reason our skin is suffering?It’s one of the biggest international grievances New Zealanders hold, up there with the sinking of the Rainbow Warrior and 1981’s underarm incident. We’re quick to tell international travellers that the world’s pollution led to the ...
Opinion: In a move that has shocked road safety advocates across the country, the new Minister of Transport, Simeon Brown, is poised to abandon the previous government’s speed limit reduction policy, particularly around schools. Even more alarmingly, he wants school speed limits to be variable rather than full-time, arguing ...
Auckland Council is opposing a fast-track development backed by Sir John Kirwan and Spark NZ, because it doesn’t meet stringent new climate adaptation requirements The post Surf-data centre faces new 3.8C climate warming rules appeared first on Newsroom. ...
When the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act was introduced in 2009 it was firmly targeted at gangs and drugs. The legislation means police no longer need a conviction to seize assets that criminals can’t prove were paid for legitimately, as long as their alleged offences are punishable by more than a ...
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Bob’s relationship with certain members of Lincoln’s academic staff continued to deteriorate in the 1990s. Others supported him publicly, though articles such as Roland Clark’s 1993 piece in Growing Today cannot have pleased the university management. Clark wrote that Bob was selling onions from the Biological Husbandry Unit to a ...
SailGP’s races feature in-your-face action, with agile, hydro-foiling catamarans tacking and jibing for the title over several days. However, public comments ahead of the global series’ return to New Zealand have left this past year’s controversy in the shadows, as a key appointment attracts criticism from dolphin advocates. A year ...
Opinion: We are fast approaching a fundamental change in prisons. As the number of people on custodial remand looks set to overtake the number of sentenced prisoners, the main function of prisons in New Zealand may become incarcerating un-sentenced people who may not be guilty of offending. We have already ...
A huge seven months lies in store for the White Ferns, beginning this week with the visit of England and culminating with the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh in September and October. Starting on Tuesday in Dunedin, the world ranked No. 2 visitors will play five T20s and three ODIs, ...
The letters, which were published last week, were addressed to Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) Chairperson Megawati Sukarnoputri, National Democrat Party (NasDem) Chairperson Surya Paloh, National Awakening Party (PKB) Chairperson Muhaimin Iskandar, Justice and Prosperity Party (PKS) President Ahmad Syaikhu and United Development Party (PPP) Chairperson Muhammad Mardiono. In ...
Evicting more people from state housing is ignorant to the consequences of poverty, the Greens say, but the Housing Minister says it's a privilege that can be taken away if abused. ...
Evicting more people from state housing is ignorant to the consequences of poverty, the Greens say, but the Housing Minister says it's a privilege that can be taken away if abused. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emerald L King, Lecturer in Humanities, University of Tasmania IMDB Between Netflix’s 2023 live-action version of One Piece, and its latest take on Avatar: The Last Airbender, fans are once again asking: why are live-action anime adaptations so tricky to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emerald L King, Lecturer in Humanities, University of Tasmania IMDB Between Netflix’s 2023 live-action version of One Piece, and its latest take on Avatar: The Last Airbender, fans are once again asking: why are live-action anime adaptations so tricky to ...
The government says it still intends to deliver tax cuts by July, but will not lock them in until they have got them past their coalition partners. ...
Kiingi Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII has hosted members of the Green Party Caucus at Tuurangawaewae Marae in Ngaaruawahia. The audience follows the King’s Hui-aa-Motu on 20 January, where more than 10,000 people gathered to discuss national ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dr Rachael Potter, Research Associate and Lecturer in Work and Organisational Psychology, University of South Australia Ground Picture/Shutterstock Pregnant women and workers with children are often unfairly treated by their bosses and colleagues, despite laws to protect against workplace discrimination ...
Reacting to Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s refusal to rule out introducing new taxes at the budget, Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns Manager, Connor Molloy, said: “Today’s refusal to rule out new taxes suggests the Government is nothing more ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Duckett, Honorary Enterprise Professor, School of Population and Global Health, and Department of General Practice and Primary Care, The University of Melbourne Aila Images/Shutterstock Aged-care workers will receive a significant pay increase after the Fair Work Commission ruled they ...
He’s bringing ‘Sophie’ back, yeah. Goodshirt’s ‘Sophie’ music video is one of the most instantly recognisable New Zealand music videos of all time. Featuring a woman listening to the song on headphones while her entire house is burgled behind her, the video won the New Zealand music award for Best ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Blaxland, Professor, Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, Australian National University A year ago, the AUKUS agreement was formally announced between Australian and UK Prime Ministers Anthony Albanese and Rishi Sunak and US President Joe Biden. The agreement mapped out the “optimal ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andreas Helwig, Associate Professor, Electro-Mechanical Engineering, University of Southern Queensland SmartS/Shutterstock Steam locomotives clattering along railway tracks. Paddle steamers churning down the Murray. Dreadnought battleships powered by steam engines. Many of us think the age of steam has ended. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Carrie Leonetti, Associate Professor of Law, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Victims who experience family violence in Aotearoa New Zealand are treated differently, depending on which part of the justice system they turn to for help. But a new member’s bill ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Tesch, Visiting Fellow at the ANU Centre for European Studies, Australian National University In perhaps the least surprising news of the year, Vladimir Putin has triumphed at the Russian ballot box and been enthroned for the fifth time as president. He ...
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So with the Greens seemingly about to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory I wonder what the chances are of the Māori Party retaking one of their old seats? And maybe getting another MP in on the list? Should Labour end up in a narrow minority and needing a confidence and supply partner?
Yes ScottGN. My concerns are now centered around keeping National out, rather than hoping the Greens can get back in. The Maori Party is a possibility but I will be watching the polls closely over the next few weeks and will vote primarily to keep Judith out out out.
I think the Greens may dip in support, but should still get over the 5%. Nats best case scenario I reckon will be 35%, along with Act say 5% so I cant see a Nat govt anytime soon.
Can not see NATS /ACT more than 35% between them LAB/GREENS 58%
Gariboldi and Jester-the way to keep National out is for the Greens to get 5%+.
Lab 44 Nats 39 Greens 4.9 NZF 4 Act 6 other wasted 2.1=PM Collins
Jester-it is a small leap from 35% to 39%. Wait until the Nats DP campaign really kicks in. The attacks on Shaw will seem like a picnic in the woods.
one green sign here in rotorua, no candidate name, just he generic vote for us sign, but heeps of signs for the Maori Party guy, the Tamaki Crowd, the new conservatives, national, labour.
Not that this is any indication of anything.
The Greens, as a party, tend to go for the party vote rather than electorate vote. Pretty much the only reason why they stand electorate candidates at all is because it ups their allowed spend on electioneering.
To me, that's another reason to get rid of electorates and make all party electioneering funding the same.
dude, what?
11% in the latest poll. I don't think the school is the gut punch pundits are salivating over.
That was a Roy Morgan poll. Which are usually unreasonably optimistic about the Greens. And the sampling period was likely to be mostly if not entirely before the crystals hit the fan.
The Greens are fine, thank you for your concern.
Plan B arseholes are still trying to kill and disable New Zealanders by deliberately allowing disease to spread.
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/ananish-plan-b-oped
It's an impressive collection of argument for authority, mistruths and outright bullshit they've put together.
Starting with an attempt to discredit our health authorities with a gross misrepresentation of the advice around masks. They portray it as a complete reversal of position over two weeks, whereas the advice has actually evolved over months in response to changing circumstances, resources, priorities and new evidence.
They whine about the cost of lockdowns and point to economics fantasies apparently comparing what happens under lockdown to some alternate universe where covid never happened.
They try to downplay the very serious risk of death from covid, indulging in the really ugly "it's only risky to the old and already diseased" argument, as well as totally misleading comparisons like cherry-picking the lowest reasonably plausible infection fatality rate of 0.65%, and then saying the risk of dying in a car accident in the US in 2018 was 1 in 108 (their link actually says that's the lifetime odds). Never mind that the risk of dying in a transport accident is incurred while doing stuff we want to do, while there are absolutely zero positives associated with the risk of covid.
Newsroom have also paired it with an argument for continuing the approach we have now:
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/why-a-plan-b-when-plan-a-is-working-so-well
100%. 'Plan B' psychopaths need to be shoved back into the crypt from whence they emerged. There isn't a plan B. There's simply competent management of a public health crisis – or eugenicist lunacy that produces worse outcomes on every indicator (health and economy). The non-existence of a Plan B becomes even more apparent as Plan A acquires superior tools (e,g, genomic testing, beefed up contact tracing) that allow the disruption to daily life to be reduced a little each time there is an outbreak.
It's clear that the origins of Plan B thinking are are a set of completely irrational and onanistically-derived ideas about personal 'freedumb' being impinged by collective action on public health.
Ooh AB you're a hero. You have managed to trounce those Plan B sods in well-chosen words. Which they won't absorb of course, being covered in teflon sort of flak bodysuits from which anything is repelled, and just runs down their legs into puddles on the ground. However to understand your enemy is a resource, and I consider them my enemy, and human society's enemy, now we recognise them for what they are.
Perhaps they are The Halfmen of O that Maurice Gee wrote about. The books written under the Young Adult aegis are often questing, beautiful and disturbing as the protagonists search for direction and meaning.
(Susan and Nick…are summoned to the beautiful land of O in a last-ditch attempt to save the planet from cruel Otis Claw and his followers, the evil Halfmen, who have lost every trace of human goodness and kindness.) https://www.penguin.co.nz/books/halfmen-of-o-9780143318347
The O trilogy – https://www.goodreads.com/series/57343
It’s a pity that the ‘debate’ was highly polarised from the outset and turned into a dichotomy of Plan A and Plan B. The Plan B group did not help their cause whatsoever.
It's not clear to me what the "plan B" lot are actually trying to achieve. Polling makes it look pretty clear the NZ public is solidly behind the elimination strategy, and are ok with being patient about a vaccine potentially happening next year.
If the phase 3 trials that are already underway show all the current candidates to be abject failures, then it's likely there will be a strategy conversation to be had. But for now it just looks like "plan B" are merely trying to sow unhappiness. Their repetition of the "mumps vaccine took four years to develop" just adds to that impression. As a context-free fact, it's true enough, but it's also very relevant that that was over fifty years ago and our knowledge and manufacturing capabilities have improved by orders of magnitude since then.
They want around 45k* infected Kiwis with a third> developing cardiomyopathy. Sweet.
(going by Sweden's numbers)*
https://twitter.com/pupadhyaya_/status/1301544819731451904
Well, yes, that's the likely result. But my poor opinion of them doesn't quite extend to thinking that's the primary objective. Surely they've got something else less shitty they're actually trying to achieve.
Or maybe my view of other humans has taken to heart a bit too much of Jacinda's "kindness".
I'd like to know who's funding them.
https://twitter.com/medickinson/status/1301682314099875840
The WHO special envoy on Coronavirus said on radio that while New Zealand had done well, it should now follow Sweden’s model.
Scientist Michelle Dickinson said on radio that “we’re going with a different strategy now – our last strategy was elimination – now its almost learning to live with a virus.”
https://www.covidplanb.co.nz/category/news-and-videos/
Nope – they just seem to be trying to maintain the
bludgingprofits of the rich."with a third> developing cardiomyopathy."
A third developing myocarditis perhaps, but based on experience with better known viral infections, only a minority will get a dilated cardiomyopathy.
"Viral infection of the heart is relatively common and usually of little consequence. It can, however, lead to substantial cardiac damage and severe acute heart failure. It can also evolve into the progressive syndrome of chronic heart failure."
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11123385/
Because Covid19 is a new disease there is limited experience and we will have to wait for further studies to see what proportion of people get myocarditis and in how many the inflammation resolves without the continuing damage that leads to cardiomyopathy.
So anyone who does develop myocarditis post C19 infection can wait for the possibility of spontaneous recovery while new treatments for viral heart disease are awaited.
Cool.
/
It’s a moot point, really, because TINA. Nobody except some Opposition politicians seems to want having a conversation about anything but Plan A at the moment. High public support may be vital in the current context.
The ease with that argument has emerged/resurfaced has definitely given me much to think about in the euthenasia referendum.
It certainly highlights that kind of thought is out there and active. As far as the euthanasia thing goes, I think the safeguards in the process are more than sufficient to stop that kind of abuse from actually happening. So I'll still be a yes vote. But maybe I don't have contact with the wrong circles where the risk is real.
Looking at the yanks, bojo, and our local tories (and one or two fringe parties), I am almost certainly a no. But it's always sat uneasily with me, anyway.
It's a foot in the door.
Possibly. But to me, the guaranteed benefit of giving people control of the end of their lives outweighs the hypothetical risk that is understood and appears to be adequately guarded against.
@garibaldi 1.1
Me too.
My priorities for the election are
If the Greens can help in that endeavour, then great. If not then Ardern either needs to do what no other PM has done since 1951 and win a plurality of the votes or hope there is another small party in the parliament who can give her minority government confidence and supply.
That’s it.
"
My priorities for the election are
No offence intended, but is is quite funny how almost presidential politics has turned for some people.
Ardern herself has said everything is decided by Caucus vote.
While that may be true, her influence on the character of the government is very apparent, and represents a positive for Labour that it has not been able to offer in a generation.
Which is what we should expect of a president – if we had one.
The 1951 National government was the last government voted in with an outright majority of votes. All others since have only had a plurality.
You're right, although in reality before MMP (and the 'party vote') the percentage vote achieved by a party didn't have any real meaning in NZ's electoral system. Really what it means is that in 1951 the votes won by all the National MPs standing in electorates added together came to 54% of the total votes. All that mattered under FPTP though was winning seats. Until 1990 NZ ballot papers didn't even list candidates' party affiliation.
Remarkably, in the last FPTP election (1993), National won 50 out of 99 seats with just 35% of the vote, to Labour's 34.6%. The combined c 27% won by the Alliance and NZ First earned them two seats each. FPTP really was an extremely unfair system.
The police teams that tooled up to terrorise the neighbourhood. According to the story it was Waikato, Counties Manakau and Canterbury selected. But I thought some where running around Palmerston North?
Plus the serious misjudgement that this would make people feel safer??
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/300094225/police-armed-response-teams-dumped-because-they-created-fear-documents-show
Filleted.
https://twitter.com/aljwhite/status/1301423616479944704
They are talking about Abbott. And he is good at trade, so despite a number of defects he's okay. And that is how we feel about Australia – has defects but serves a purpose so we can't be too staunch about those cobbers.
Is that Dutton's long lost twin?
Or did the lizard people replicator glitch and run the same recipe twice?
I have made a comment twice in the reds under the beds thread and it has disappeared once i get back to the homepage both times.
Well that one stuck.
They are pending approval by the Author who has opted to moderate all comments under their Post.
The ship, the people and the cows in the typhoon.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/425193/missing-cattle-export-ship-second-survivor-found-unconscious-in-sea
Two people found, one face down, one first officer seemingly okay. Dozens of cows. The engines went down, and then the seas turned them over.
Yep. Fucking tragic.
Hahahahahahahahaha
Peters just proved that he doesn't understand economics as it pertains to the real world. These cattle were exported as breeding stock which means that, in the fullness of time, we won't be exporting cattle any more, or milk or any of the other by-products because China will be out-competing us (which I'm in favour of).
No matter how big we build Gaia is always going to prove that she is still bigger and more powerful than we are.
Yes you don't hear that sort of fact coming up in discussion – the economics of it. We are exporting good breeding stock for a handful of beans! And unless we have a fearless, flight of foot Jack to do something amazing climbing the Beanstalk and running away with the giant's goodies, which would never be allowed, we won't find any high side to this. But who's looking after the country's interest.
And the usual amazement about any event, it never happened in my life before. Everything changes, but I'm still the same.
(Joe Walsh Life's been good to me so far https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8ocviQ3ux0)
We didn't do anything when the kiwifruit was sold overseas, and it is a matter of discussion whether having it growing elsewhere ultimately introduced it to the world market better than we could have done. We could at least have tried for a royalty on the genetic material. Till it got pinched.
The winter energy payment ends two weeks before the election. Two weeks.
The amount of Beneficiaries who came out and voted for the first time in 2017 who are about to lose $40 and $60 should worry labour because theyll stay home and it's a couple % that labour will lose.
Labour have ruthlessly created a two tier welfare system at a time when people who were on welfare prior to covid can't get employed because people who lost their jobs cos of COVId will get preference than longer term unemployed people.
The families package doesn't do a damn thing for disabled , mentally unwell, or unemployed people on their own so when labour says they've done enough for Beneficiaries and quote the family package I wanna rip out my hair.
Give all solo Beneficiaries or atleast disabled and mentally unwell Beneficiaries the covid unemployment rate or extend the winter energy payment or you're going to see Beneficiaries stay home, or get angry and even more alienated with govt that they vote nzpp or you'll see unemployment demonstrations and protests.
Disgusting that so many people who support labour on my social media are now realizing they are about to lose a bunch of money in a couple weeks and are furious. There's no jobs for them and they can't afford and don't deserve to live in these conditions.
Some of that kindness please labour. It's gonna cost you electorally to have some of your biggest supporters lose a chunk of change two weeks out from the election
Or they vote for the party that will actually be good for them and vote Green.
yeah, right. Tui.
again, the 25 NZD in benefit increase that the Greens are so proud of is ONLY because of Covid.
Just think about that for a moment, let it marinate, and then again, both the increase in base benefit and the double heating payment did not come about because of the need for this money but because of Covid.
Labour, NZ First and the Greens just gave the very poor as much kindness and gentleness as they had too and not one bit more. And as the fullah above says, and even the governments own adviser group says, Not good enough.
And withoput the Greens we probably wouldn't have seen even that amount.
Having more Green say in government will help ensure that those increases are permanent and even higher. If you don't want that then vote Labour or NZFirst.
To get the transformation that we really need we need the Greens with more power.
Should the greens be returned with say with 5% vote or win central Auckland and achieve less than 5%, Shaw decides to “retire” how does any party cope with a co leader who is not in parliament ? As the next male is ranked 8th, as under my scenario 6 max get in so the next in line would be Golriz.
IMO NZ losses out everytime a political party is removed from parliament. We do need a variety of views there in Wellington.
Russel Norman was co-leader for a couple of years before he went into parliament.
I didn’t know that
not ideal there are parties that have had the next person stand down to enable the one that is desired to be there to make it into parliament
With the in government but not in government thing going on, there may even be some optical benefit in having a co-leader that is not an MP for those occasions when the government does something that is not in line with Green policies and values.
It just happened that Norman was next on the list when Tanczos called it quits. Otherwise he would have had to wait until the election, or persuade those ahead of him to withdraw from the list.
Must be an election coming up. National being socialist, again. https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2020/09/nz-election-2020-national-promises-3000-for-parents-to-spend-on-baby-services-paid-parental-leave-choices.html
Surveillance masquerading as Socialism; nationwide electronic Big data collection on babies ( instead of data with care providers ) and then profiling ( racially ) – aka as the resurrection of " social investment ".
A system that never addressed the deeper causes, offering psychological sweeteners to groom the gullible at election time.
Socialism is about addressing equality and justice for people. This ugly fairy delivering ' save the babies ' policy has its main objective entrenched in economics, saving money.
The social investment model is then privatised through contracting, see the small print -: $3000 is a credit ( for extras on top of free care already available eg. Parenting course) to government nominated and approved agents only.
Has Paula Bennett's legacy slipped from people's minds, did her Valedictory speech accidently mention the way forward was ' social investment' ? "
" ..under a more accurate definition, social investment reflects four characteristics of neo-liberalism: the de-politicisation of the economy and of welfare reform; the economic understanding of the state; the extension of economic rationale to non-economic domains; and the anthropology human capital. Taking this view, while social investment is preferable to welfare retrenchment, it promotes the same kind of citizenship as neo-liberalism, especially in terms of the marginalisation of the role of democracy in regulating the economy."
"Social investment: Diffusing ideas for redesigning citizenship after neo-liberalism? "
Francesco Laruffa
First Published December 31, 2017 Research Article Sage Publications.
Why don’t you provide the link? Easy enough for you when you copy & paste.
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0261018317749438
Oh boy. CDC has informed states to be ready to distribute a Covid-19 vaccine by Nov. 1 (2 days before the US election) and to remove all impediments to doing so. Trump isn't going to roll over – he'll lie through his teeth about a vaccine and how he's saved millions of lives. Don't see how they can do proper tests of either efficacy or adverse events in that timeframe?
He's jealous his besties Poots and Xi can just order something to be approved and start jabbing soldiers and doctors. So he's trying to prove he can just order things to happen too, and blame "the Deep State" trying to sabotage him when it doesn't work out.
Just as well nobody's explained the concept of challenge trials to him or he would be ordering them to be done on troops. Or maybe somebody tried and he didn't pay attention.
I've learnt, after studying thousands of marine accident reports, that the causes are not always the obvious ones. And it is best to wait until you have all the facts.
Just a few observations.
TRS do not always follow the expected tracks. In places with limited sea room the options to avoid them are also limited.
The Captain has the responsibility, but little power these days. Especially from places with no labour law protection, like all "Flag of convenience" registries, and most countries that supply crews.
No vessel is hurricane proof. Luck, seamanship, construction, maintenance and design all play a part.
Oh shit. A new death from COVID. Condolences to his family, friends and all others affected.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/coronavirus/300100073/coronavirus-auckland-man-dies-in-icu-the-first-death-of-the-cluster
They should have all got themselves bonespurs deferments and been winners at their own personal Vietnams like he was.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/world/americas/300100019/donald-trump-disparaged-us-war-dead-as-losers-suckers–report
Wonder if it's occurred to him that even a generally solid Repug voting bloc like the military might have their limits when you repeatedly go out of your way to offensively insult them.
https://www.militarytimes.com/news/pentagon-congress/2020/08/31/as-trumps-popularity-slips-in-latest-military-times-poll-more-troops-say-theyll-vote-for-biden/