Open mike 04/08/2014
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6:30 am, August 4th, 2014 - 84 comments
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- New Zealanders in Peru to be assisted by Government charter flightThe New Zealand Government has made arrangements to charter a flight for New Zealanders stranded in Peru to depart the country, following agreement with the Chilean government to allow the necessary transit through Chile, Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters announced today. “Like many travellers around the world at the moment, ...3 days ago
- COVID-19 Hospital Preparation Well AdvancedHospital preparations for COVID-19 are well advanced says Health Minister David Clark. “Hospitals across New Zealand are repurposing buildings and training staff to get ready for COVID-19 patients. This gives me confidence that we are well prepared for any potential increase in COVID-19 patients needing hospital level care,” said David ...6 days ago
- Further measures to support businessesThe Government will be introducing legislation to make changes to the Companies Act to help companies facing insolvency due to COVID-19 to remain viable and keep New Zealanders in jobs. The temporary changes include: Giving directors of companies facing significant liquidity problems because of COVID-19 a ‘safe harbour’ from insolvency ...6 days ago
- Govt’s COVID plan, economic strength recognisedThe Government’s plan to cushion the blow of COVID-19 by supporting incomes, jobs and businesses, and position the economy to recover has been backed by another international report. International credit rating agency Moody’s today reaffirmed its highest Aaa credit rating on New Zealand, saying the economy is expected to remain ...6 days ago
- Funding certainty for sports through COVID-19National sports organisations have been given certainty of funding to ensure they can remain viable through the COVID-19 pandemic, Sport and Recreation Minister Grant Robertson announced today. “The global spread of COVID-19 has had a significant impact on sport and recreation in New Zealand, including the cancellation or postponement of ...6 days ago
- Butchers now allowed to process porkChanges have been made to allow butchers to process pork, only for supply to supermarkets or other processors or retailers that are open, Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor has announced. “We carefully weighed the risk of allowing butchers to open their shops for retail customers, but the risk of spreading COVID-19 ...7 days ago
- Essential workers leave scheme establishedEssential workers who take leave from work to comply with public health guidance are being supported with a leave scheme to ensure they will continue to receive income, say the Minister of Workplace Relations and Safety Iain Lees-Galloway and Minister for Social Development, Carmel Sepuloni. A number of essential businesses ...7 days ago
- Govt WhatsApp helps share COVID-19 informationA Government WhatsApp channel has been launched to help make information more easily accessible and shareable in the fight against COVID-19. Govt.NZ, which is free to use on any mobile device, will carry information and news for the public, businesses, healthcare providers, not for profits and local government. It can ...7 days ago
- Managed departure plan for stranded foreign nationals enables safe, orderly exitThe Government has announced a plan to enable the safe, orderly exit of tens of thousands of stranded foreign nationals from New Zealand during the current COVID-19 Alert Level 4 restrictions, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters has said. “When we moved into lockdown a week ago, the ...7 days ago
- Government delivers COVID-19 support to GPs and PharmaciesHealth Minister Dr David Clark says the Government is delivering on its commitment to support general practice doctors and nurses, and pharmacies on the front-line of our fight against COVID-19. "For us to overcome COVID-19, we need community health services such as general practice and community pharmacy to step up ...7 days ago
- Susan Thomas the new Chief High Court JudgeJustice Susan Thomas has been appointed Chief High Court Judge, Attorney-General David Parker announced today. She replaces Justice Geoffrey Venning who has resigned from the position. David Parker paid tribute to Justice Venning, who he said had stewarded the High Court very capably over the last five years. “On behalf ...7 days ago
- Business Finance Guarantee – applications openBusinesses can start applying to their banks for loans under the Business Finance Guarantee Scheme set up to support the New Zealand economy during the COVID-19 pandemic. “We’re moving quickly to protect New Zealand businesses, jobs and the economy during this unprecedented global economic shock,” Finance Minister Grant Robertson said. ...1 week ago
- Work starts on ways to fast-track consents to boost recovery from Covid-19 downturnWork is underway looking at measures to speed up consents for development and infrastructure projects during the recovery from COVID 19, to provide jobs and stimulate our economy. Environment Minister David Parker said the COVID-19 pandemic is a serious global crisis that will have a wide ranging and lasting impact ...1 week ago
- Advance payments to support contractorsAdvance payments will be made to transport construction industry contractors to retain the workforce and ensure it is ready to quickly gear up to build projects which will be vital to New Zealand’s COVID-19 economic recovery, Transport Minister Phil Twyford announced today. He said keeping the workforce required to build ...1 week ago
- Government seeks infrastructure projectsThe Government has tasked a group of industry leaders to seek out infrastructure projects that are ready to start as soon as the construction industry returns to normal to reduce the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Economic Development Minister Phil Twyford and Infrastructure Minister Shane Jones say. The Infrastructure ...1 week ago
- Health system scaled up to prepare for COVID-19Work to scale up the health system in preparation for COVID-19 was today outlined by Health Minister David Clark, as he reported back to the new Epidemic Response Committee. “We are well placed to contain the spread of COVID-19. We have taken early and decisive action at our borders, and ...1 week ago
- Essential media COVID-19 guidelines refinedThe Government is refining its COVID-19 essential business guidance to include the distribution of news publications for communities which are hard to reach. The Minister of Broadcasting, Communications and Digital Media, Kris Faafoi, said the move was in recognition of the importance for New Zealanders who might be harder to ...1 week ago
- Supermarkets able to open on Easter SundayThe Government is ensuring supermarkets can open on Easter Sunday so we can buy groceries, but stay closed on Good Friday allowing workers to take a break. This provides a balanced approach and ensures we avoid large queues that two days closure may cause. “Supermarkets will be able to open ...1 week ago
- New Zealand defence personnel conclude mission at TajiFollowing the successful conclusion of the Building Partner Capacity (BPC) mission at Taji, New Zealand defence personnel are returning to New Zealand from Iraq, in accordance with the Cabinet decision made in June 2019, Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Ron Mark announced today. “New Zealand is very ...1 week ago
- State of National Emergency extendedThe State of National Emergency to help stop the spread of COVID-19 has been extended for a further seven days, Minister of Civil Defence Peeni Henare said. The initial declaration on March 25 lasted seven days and can be extended as many times as necessary. “Since we went into isolation ...1 week ago
- Strong Govt books support ‘go hard, go early’ responseNew Zealand’s ability to go hard and go early in the fight against COVID-19 has been underpinned by strong Government finances and the growing economy heading into this global pandemic, Finance Minister Grant Robertson says. The Treasury today released the Crown financial statements for the eight months to the end ...1 week ago
- Christchurch Hospital Hagley ICU to open to support COVID-19 responseHealth Minister Dr David Clark says 36 new intensive care beds at Christchurch Hospital’s new Hagley building are being fast tracked so they are available for treatment of COVID-19 patients. The Ministry of Health is working with contractor CPB and Canterbury DHB to enable access to the hospital’s ICU, ...1 week ago
- Government supports Air NZ freight flightsThe Government has fast-tracked up to $1 million to help Air New Zealand move urgent freight to and from New Zealand, with the first flight to Shanghai leaving tonight, Transport Minister Phil Twyford announced today. Phil Twyford says it’s crucial that trade in vital goods such as medical supplies and ...1 week ago
- Tariff concessions on COVID-19 related productsNew Zealand will temporarily remove tariffs on all medical and hygiene imports needed for the COVID-19 response. Trade and Export Growth Minister David Parker and Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Kris Faafoi said today that the New Zealand Customs Service will apply tariff concessions to all diagnostic reagents and testing ...2 weeks ago
- Clarification of modification to wage subsidy schemeMinister of Finance Grant Robertson has clarified that the changes to the wage subsidy scheme announced yesterday mean that employers should be passing on the full subsidy to workers, except in the case where the person’s normal income is less than the level of the subsidy. “We still want employers ...2 weeks ago
- Face masks flowing to DHBsMedical face masks from the national reserve supply are now being distributed to District Health Boards, while at the same time local production is being ramped up. Yesterday more than 640,000 masks were sent to DHBS – that is an immediate two week supply, with more to follow in coming ...2 weeks ago
- The Bulletin: Quarantine announcement imminent, according to reports
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Quarantine announcement expected today for arrivals, John Tamihere accused of test-seeking dishonesty, and Cyclone Harold smashes Pacific.An announcement is expected today on mandatory 14-day quarantine for all arrivals at the border, in an effort to prevent outbreaks of Covid-19. That comes ...41 mins ago - Elliot Ikilei Will Stand For Flat Bush
Auckland’s new electorate of Flat Bush* will be given the opportunity to have New Conservative’s Deputy Leader fight for their needs and wants. Elliot Ikilei has both lived and worked in or around the electorate for over a decade, with close ...43 mins ago - Covid-19: An election in lockdown? Politicians, officials weigh options
The lockdown may be set to end in two weeks but region-based restrictions are still likely to be in place by the time of the general election, Justice Minister Andrew Little says. ...1 hour ago - Investors flock to Hatch and into global market
Kiwi Wealth's online share and fund trading platform Hatch has never been so busy. GM Kristen Lunman talks to Bernard Hickey about why tens of thousands of New Zealanders are now trading stocks in US markets. General Manager and Co-Founder of Hatch Kristen Lunmen has never been busier helping ...1 hour ago - Covid-19 live updates, April 9: Cyclone Harold smashes locked down PacificFor all The Spinoff’s latest coverage of Covid-19 see here. Read Siouxsie Wiles’s work here. New Zealand is currently in alert level four. The country is shut down, apart from essential services. For updated official government advice, see here.The Spinoff’s coverage of the Covid-19 outbreak is funded by The Spinoff Members. To support this work, join The ...1 hour ago
- Book of the Week: Jacinda Ardern by Madeleine Chapman
Steve Braunias reviews Madeleine Chapman's new biography of Jacinda Ardern on Kindle (available in all good bookstores when all good bookstores reopen after the lockdown.) And then there was the time I popped in to see Jacinda Ardern for a cup of tea during those strange, dreamy weeks when New ...1 hour ago - Options for the slow road back
When and how to start loosening anti-virus controls is a vexed question in countries around the world, writes Rod Oram Fighting Covid-19 remains the absolute priority for governments and citizens. But pressure is building to allow more social movement and economic activity along the way. Once again China is ...2 hours ago - A guide to cyber security in lockdown
As many transition to unfamiliar systems as part of working from home, being vigilant about cyber security has never been more important, writes Victoria University of Wellington's Val Hooper The past few weeks have been tumultuous as the majority of us have scampered and scrabbled to get organised for, and come ...2 hours ago - How ready is NZ for online education?
As schools move their teaching online, we must be cautious of the risk of amplifying our shameful record of inequalities across the education system, writes Victoria University of Wellington's Louise Starkey When schools begin teaching again it will be through a distance mode. New Zealand has a long history of distance ...2 hours ago - After the crisis: Cities are the future
There is a great deal of anxiety about Covid-19 but in many ways we're much better off than we would be after a natural disaster: the water will keep flowing, the power will stay on, the sewers will keep working. The University of Auckland's Bill McKay makes a case for city ...2 hours ago - MediaRoom: Throw out the lifeline
MediaRoom: Inside the pressure building on the Government to step in and save news media businesses before it's too late. For months, some parts of the news media have been sending out SOS messages publicly and in intense lobbying in the shadows of bureaucracy for urgent Government financial and regulatory ...2 hours ago - Grant Schofield: Why we need a Plan B
Professor of Public Health Grant Schofield asks what happens if the lockdown doesn't work, and argues it's time to be looking at a mitigation strategy Yesterday morning my teenage boys Sam and Jackson were out riding their bikes. The police pulled them over to question them about what they were doing and where ...2 hours ago - Don’t try to be a Black Fern on day one of fitness kick
If you think the lockdown is the perfect time to start an exercise regime, LockerRoom writer Ashley Stanley has a warning for you. It was the fifth day after I decided to exercise, and my body was still a painful reminder of my ridiculous thinking, yet again. I had ...2 hours ago - The secret to rapidly increasing Covid-19 tests? The poolBulk testing of samples could be the way forward for coronavirus surveillance in New Zealand, reports Mirjam Guesgen.With the number of completed coronavirus tests in New Zealand breaking 4,000 in a day on Tuesday, scientists are looking at more efficient tests to push that number even higher.By testing samples from ...2 hours ago
- NZ lockdown – day 14: Pacific groups at risk over social media ‘fake info’
By RNZ News Social media misinformation about Covid-19 is putting Pacific communities in New Zealand at particular risk, government advisers say. The government announced a $17 million package toward building an awareness campaign in Pacific languages, as well as support for health providers. Associate Health Minister Jenny Salesa identified ...11 hours ago - Pell decision: why sexual offence trials often result in acquittal, even with credible witnessesSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marilyn McMahon, Deputy Dean, School of Law, Deakin University A distinctive feature of the prosecution of Cardinal George Pell is that the former choirboy who accused him of sexual abuse (known in the High Court as Complainant “A”) was regarded as a ...12 hours ago
- Epidemic Response Committee faces more focus on essential businessBusiness leaders are scrutinising the government's decision to only let essential businesses and those with essential goods operate. ...12 hours ago
- Pandemic policing needs to be done with the public’s trust, not confusionSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Darren Palmer, Associate professor, Deakin University The law on what we can and can’t do during the coronavirus outbreak is changing on an almost hourly basis. Some of what is written now might be overtaken by the shifts in the pandemic powers ...13 hours ago
- As use of digital platforms surges, we’ll need stronger global efforts to protect human rights onl...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cassandra Mudgway, Senior Lecturer in Law, Auckland University of Technology As millions of people are moving work and social interactions online to protect themselves from COVID-19, existing online safety measures may not be enough to deal with a surge in harassment and ...13 hours ago
- O’Connor recognises how pandemic has affected the economy and its primary players
Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor says the primary sector will play a critical role in NZ’s economic recovery once the country emerges from the Covid-19 lockdown. It is the first time (at least within Point of Order’s close surveillance of the issue) that a coalition minister has acknowledged how the pandemic ...13 hours ago - Without international students, Australia’s universities will downsize – and some might collapse...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Doughney, Emeritus professor, Victoria University The loss of international students due to COVID-19 restrictions, and predicted second semester declines, will see universities lose between A$3 and 4.5 billion, according to Universities Australia. The higher education sector was dealt another blow this ...13 hours ago
- Does JK Rowling’s breathing technique cure the coronavirus? No, it could help spread itSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brian Oliver, Research Leader in Respiratory cellular and molecular biology at the Woolcock Institute of Medical Research and Professor, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney Harry Potter author JK Rowling says a breathing technique has helped her coronavirus-like respiratory symptoms, a ...14 hours ago
- Chief Justice: Update On Operation Of The Courts Under COVID-19 Alert Levels8 April 2020 This media release summarises changes to the operation of the courts entering week of COVID-19 alert level 4. It also looks ahead to how the courts will operate in the short and medium term under alert restrictions. Courts to function ...14 hours ago
- Should everyone be wearing face masks? It’s complicatedSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paul Glasziou, Professor of Medicine, Bond University Should members of the public be wearing face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic? It’s a controversial question, with different countries and authorities giving different advice. We have reviewed the results of more than a dozen ...14 hours ago
- Covid-19: Ministry of Education reveals support plans for distance learningSchools around the country will be given help to make sure students can still learn at home under lockdown, when term two officially starts. ...15 hours ago
- The Devil In The Detail Of Debt HibernationThe Government is moving to safeguard businesses from insolvency with 'safe harbour' legislation for directors’ liabilities and a business debt hibernation regime. Practically, the business debt hibernation regime will see company directors seeking ...15 hours ago
- A very different kind of Passover, in lockdown New ZealandThis Passover, we won’t be attending synagogue, we won’t be participating in large raucous dinners and sharing our food with our extended family and friends, we won’t be welcoming strangers into our homes, as Jewish people are instructed to do, writes Juliet Moses.Tonight, on what is hopefully the halfway point ...15 hours ago
- Time well spent, not wasted: video games are boosting well-being during the coronavirus lockdownSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brad Elphinstone, Lecturer in psychology., Swinburne University of Technology The same week social distancing measures were announced in Australia (March 16 – March 22), sales of game consoles leaped 285.6%. Prior to this, sales were declining month on month. We’ve also seen ...15 hours ago
- The coronavirus ban on elective surgeries might show us many people can avoid going under the knifeSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Harris, Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, UNSW As part of the government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, all elective surgeries across Australia have been temporarily cancelled. Elective surgery is non-urgent surgery people choose (elect) to have: things like cataract surgery, joint replacement, ...15 hours ago
- Infratil and Wellington eye loan to airport
Infratil and Wellington Council are preparing to lend Wellington Airport funds to help it cope with a traffic collapse because of Covid-19 restrictions, DIleepa Fonseka reports from Infratil's update to investors Wellington City Council and listed investment firm Infratil are preparing a loan to support Wellington Airport, which has seen ...15 hours ago - Covid-19: New Zealand cases mapped and charted, April 8The latest in our new series of charts, graphics and data visualisations by Chris McDowall.This work is entirely funded by the generosity of The Spinoff MembersThese posts collate the most recent statistics and present them as charts and maps. The Ministry of Health typically publishes data updates in the early ...15 hours ago
- Police crack down on non-compliance
After two weeks of lockdown, police are no longer taking "I didn't know the rules" as a valid excuse, Marc Daalder reports Two weeks into the nationwide lockdown, the police are starting to take non-compliance seriously. The number of prosecutions nearly tripled in 24 hours and 76 new breaches of ...16 hours ago - InternetNZ: Response To Ministry Of Education Announcement...16 hours ago
- Let’s change NZ’s welfare system nowAs the Ministry of Social Development struggles to cope with unprecedented inquiries due to Covid-19, Child Poverty Action Group is calling for the Government to fix our broken welfare system and redesign it so all New Zealanders, but particularly ...16 hours ago
- Cyclone Harold swamps Fiji
Fijian authorities are scrambling to ensure Cyclone Harold doesn’t make the country’s Covid-19 crisis worse, Teuila Fuatai reports. As Cyclone Harold hits Fiji, authorities have issued physical distancing and sanitation guidelines for evacuation centres. Lashing rain and strong winds caused widespread flooding, power outages and damage to homes and buildings ...16 hours ago - Digital devices rolled out as ‘virtual’ school term set to start
The Government has announced a $88 million package to help students adjust to the new normal of learning from home Thousands of modems and internet-ready devices are being sent to households around the country, in a bid to bridge the digital divide before children resume their studies at home next ...16 hours ago - I’m an asthmatic: what should I do during the coronavirus pandemic?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christine Jenkins, Professor, Respiratory Medicine, UNSW Sydney and Clinical Professor at the University of Sydney, George Institute for Global Health The new respiratory coronavirus COVID-19 is particularly worrying for the 2.7 million Australians who already suffer from asthma. That’s roughly one in ...16 hours ago
- Restricted movement on Viti Levu as TC Harold hammers FijiBy Maggie Boyle of FBC News Fiji disaster authorities have put the whole of Viti Levu island on restricted movement due to TC Harold. Director for National Disaster Management Vasiti Soko confirmed the step had been taken as a precautionary measure. Soko said everyone except emergency services were to ...16 hours ago
- Latest Fiji coronavirus case – taking total to 15 – ‘expected’, says PMBy Wansolwara staff Fiji now has 15 coronavirus cases after a single new case has been confirmed by Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama. The new case was one of 25 samples that were tested at the molecular lab and is the husband of an existing patient from Lautoka – the Zumba ...16 hours ago
- The effects of the Covid-19 recession will hit Māori hardestMāori will likely make up the worst unemployment figures in the forthcoming economic recession. Things can’t go back to the way they were, writes Joshua Hitchcock.Our world has changed. While it is too early to know with any certainty what the full impact of this crisis will be on Māori, ...16 hours ago
- Almost 90% of New Zealanders back Ardern government on Covid-19 – poll‘New Zealand leads world in public perception of Covid-19 response,’ says pollster Colmar Brunton.Public support for the official New Zealand response to the Covid-19 outbreak remains high, and well ahead of the world’s richest coutries, new polling suggests.The numbers show New Zealanders’ backing for measures “far outstrips the response in ...16 hours ago
- Continued testing delays prompt anxiety
People waiting a week or longer for the results of their Covid-19 tests say the delays are making them anxious, even as the Government says they're nothing to worry about, Marc Daalder reports Anand Rama says the worst part wasn't the waiting, it was that he had no idea how ...17 hours ago - Don’t derail Ardern as we take the next steps
In any crisis, large or small, people usually rally round those in control so long as they convey a sense of knowing what they are doing. If those in charge lose that sense, start to waver, or are otherwise deflected, then their authority quickly starts to erode, warns Peter Dunne ...17 hours ago - What governments can do about the increase in family violence due to coronavirusSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Melissa O’Donnell, Senior Research Fellow, University of Western Australia Tackling a health crisis such as COVID-19, with society in lockdown can’t help but place families under strain. It’s been reported family violence notifications to police nearly tripled in some areas of China’s ...17 hours ago
- New Zealand Leads World In Public Perception Of COVID-19 ResponseA new study released today by Colmar Brunton shows the public’s response to Government measures to tackle COVID-19 far outstrips the response in any of the G7 nations. The Colmar Brunton COVID Times is a study of over 600 New Zealanders surveyed from ...17 hours ago
- Siouxsie Wiles: Is it OK to meet up with your neighbours down the driveway?Launching a new series, 60 Seconds with Siouxsie, the inimitable Dr Wiles has a few sharp words for anyone thinking they might catch up with neighbours for a drink or a chat, even at a couple of metres apart.In our first video, made possible by the support of Spinoff members, ...17 hours ago
- Where the wild things are: how nature might respond as coronavirus keeps humans indoorsSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Bekessy, Professor in Sustainability and Urban Planning, Leader, Interdisciplinary Conservation Science Research Group (ICON Science), RMIT University Intriguing things sometimes happen in places deserted by people. Plants creep back, animals return, and slowly, birdsong fills the air. The coronavirus pandemic means ...17 hours ago
- Rents can and should be reduced or suspended for the coronavirus pandemicSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Chris Martin, Senior Research Fellow, City Futures Research Centre, UNSW The National Cabinet announced a moratorium on evictions just over a week ago in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. As government ministers and commentators have tried to make clear, it’s intended only ...17 hours ago
- Glory be, a choccy fave is resurrected: So can this new Snifter egg save Easter?What’s an Ōamaru sweet maker doing giving away a product remarkably similar to the late, lamented Snifter? Amanda Thompson searches for the truth behind a minty mystery.I’m not in this for laughs, people. I’m not playing. At the time of writing, things are bad, they don’t seem to be getting ...17 hours ago
- Tūpuna Maunga Authority Sick Of Watching Auckland Burn; Ban Fireworks SalesThe Tūpuna Maunga Authority is calling for a total ban on the private sale of fireworks following the latest fire at Maungarei / Mt Wellington on Tuesday 7 April. Fire and Emergency crew in attendance advised Authority management they received reports of ...17 hours ago
- We’re not all in this together. Messages about social distancing need the right cultural fitSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Geetanjali Saluja, Lecturer, University of Technology Sydney Governments everywhere face the challenge of getting people to stay home so they can limit the spread of coronavirus. In order to make their messages more effective, governments must ensure these appeals resonate with the ...17 hours ago
- Ardern firm on lockdown in face of good numbers
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says the Government has no plans to end New Zealand’s four-week lockdown ahead of schedule, despite acknowledging there are signs the country is “starting to turn a corner” in its fight against coronavirus. Ardern’s comments came as Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield reported there had been ...18 hours ago - Yes, we’re flattening the coronavirus curve but modelling needs to inform how we start easing rest...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tony Blakely, Professor of Epidemiology, University of Melbourne Australia is on track to flatten the curve of coronavirus cases, which will allow our health system to cope with increasing demand for intensive care unit (ICU) beds, recently released modelling confirms. The modelling, ...18 hours ago
- Peace Groups Call On Prime Minister To Withdraw From RIMPACToday, dozens of peace groups, academics and human rights campaigners are calling on Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to withdraw from RIMPAC, the world’s largest, US-led military exercise due to begin in June. The text of the ...18 hours ago
- Courts are moving to video during coronavirus, but research shows it’s hard to get a fair trial re...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Meredith Rossner, Professor of Criminology, Australian National University In the past, the courts were ideal breeding grounds for spreading disease. In what became known as the “Black Assize”, a deadly fever that swept through prisons and courts in England in 1586, 11 ...18 hours ago
- Mayor Goff’s Excuses Don’t Add Up...18 hours ago
- Composting isn’t a trend, it’s a way of lifeReturning nutrients to the soil was once part of every culture, and now, more than ever, it’s time we restore its valuable role in everyday life.Like keep cups, organic cotton tote bags and eco-friendly cleaning products, composting can at times seem like a new trend latched on to by sustainability-obsessed ...18 hours ago
- Covid-19 in NZ – Wednesday’s numbers charted
How is Covid-19 spreading within the country? Newsroom is collating information as it's available to paint a picture of what's happening. The following charts are based on numbers shared at the daily press conference. These may vary from the full day's numbers released in the Ministry of Health's spreadsheet ...18 hours ago - What’s on RNZ News at midday – Apr 8
The Prime Minister’s chief science adviser Juliet Gerrard says the next few days will be key to determining when the country can come out of lockdown at the end of four weeks. ...19 hours ago - Epidemic Response Committee hears from industry leadersThe government has been urged to take measures to boost the cash flow of small businesses at today's hearing of the Epidemic Response Committee. ...19 hours ago
- Now we’re in lockdown, how can we get out? 4 scenarios to prevent a second waveSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Trauer, Senior Research Fellow, Monash University Australia is effectively in lockdown. Public gatherings of more than two people are banned and people are only permitted to leave home for a limited set of reasons. The recent tough measures appear to be ...19 hours ago
- Do Māori Made Easy with me: Week two, day threeShe’s not a teacher or a fluent speaker – she just wants to practise with you. Join Leonie Hayden as she works through the first four weeks of Scotty Morrison’s Māori Made Easy.Today we’re asking and answering: how many?E hia te roa o te rāhui e toe ana? How long have ...19 hours ago
- Businesses urge clarity on lockdown lift plans
Jacinda Ardern has pushed back on calls to lift New Zealand out of lockdown early - but businesses say we need a roadmap for how and when we come out the other side Business leaders have urged the Government to provide greater clarity about how New Zealand will move out ...19 hours ago - Choose your NZ author quarantine house
In which we gaily rip-off the fun quarantine-house thing on the internet and adapt it to NZ authors ...20 hours ago - Covid-19’s economic consequences trigger a reconsideration of PGF queue priorities
It looks like troughers should go back to the drawing board before submitting – or re-submitting – their claim to a serving from the Provincial Growth Fund. Shane Jones, the Minister of Munificence, has announced that the Provincial Development Unit is working through applications and projects ” … to see ...20 hours ago - E Tū Members At Fletchers: “We’ll Be ScrewedE tū members at Fletcher Building Ltd are opening up about how they expect their pay cut to affect them and their families. The company has announced that most workers are in line for a wage cut of up to 70%, while the top executives on millions of ...20 hours ago
- Potential Covid-19 shortages highlight our homophobic blood bank policyA simple, long overdue change in New Zealand’s policy for blood donations would benefit everyone, writes Dr. Oliver Armstrong-Scott. The New Zealand Blood Service recently pleaded for Kiwis to continue donating blood during the Covid-19 lockdown to ensure supplies do not run out. As a medical doctor, I have seen ...20 hours ago
- How – and when – will New Zealand come out of lockdown?Tonight New Zealand marks the halfway point of alert level four. Assuming, that is, it ends on schedule. What will determine the decision to lift the strictest restrictions, and what comes next? Kate Newton of RNZ asks the experts.Covid-19 researchers in New Zealand are optimistic that the level four restrictions ...20 hours ago
- Maori Say Government Did Not Consult Them On TangihangaIf crisis point was met, there is little doubt that the Bay of Plenty regions District Health Boards and hospitals could not cope with a severe outbreak of COVID-19. Medical staff would be stretched to their limits, resulting in deaths, and iwi and hapu in ...20 hours ago
- ‘Emergency’ rental payments clause helping tenants and landlords
The creators of a commercial property clause that may exempt tenants from paying all or some of their rent say it is working as intended. Clause 27 of the Auckland District Law Society (ADLS) Deed of Lease includes a "no access in emergency clause", which the Property Councilwarned could lead ...20 hours ago - Covid-19: Govt announces plans to transform tourism industryThe government has announced plans to reimagine the way tourism is governed, how it is marketed and how visitors are managed. ...21 hours ago
- What’s in the newspapers – Apr 8
As New Zealand enters day 14 of a scheduled four-week lockdown, director general of health Ashley Bloomfield says New Zealand can be ‘increasingly confident’ . ...21 hours ago - On the Rag: Some cool tips on how to cope with the chaosThe On the Rag team meet one more time to talk about how the Covid-19 crisis affects women and what you can do to cope. It’s our last podcast for a little while so crack open a bottle of something fizzy and join us as we undergo what is basically a ...21 hours ago
- Former PNG chief justice explains state role after second Covid-19 caseFormer Chief Justice Sir Arnold Amet … emergency powers up to controller alone. Video: EMTV News By Martha Louis in Madang Papua New Guinea’s former Chief Justice Sir Arnold Amet says the state of emergency (SoE) in the country means that no other authority has any ability or powers ...21 hours ago
- ‘I lost my trust in her’, Timor PM says of health minister sackingBy Florencio Miranda Ximenes and Antónia Gusmão in Dili Timor-Leste’s Prime Minister Taur Matan Ruak has explained the decision to dismiss the vice-health minister, saying he lost trust in her to do the job. The President dismissed Élia António de Araújo dos Reis Amaral from her post on Friday, following ...21 hours ago
Some music to brighten up your day/ From Wellington’s wonderful bluesman Darren Watson, who’s a friend of Labour. The song is called Planet Key, and the video, by Jeremy Jones, is such fantastic.
Oh I did like the Slug n Smug. A very very good song and video.
Try it for a 🙂 today
Brilliant riffer-just shared on Facebook.
Its BRILLIANT, so cutting! It doesn’t miss it’s targets!! And its really catchy!!
that’s just the best
WOW!!!! Awesome track and amazing video. That is a stunner.
It needs to get ALOT of airplay
Great track. A sure vote winner for Key. The left don’t get humour. The smugness is all on the Left who genuinely think this resonates with voters. All real people see is John Key the success.
He’s an idiot, that Fisiani.
Every day on http://archiedarival.blogspot.co.nz/ I’m putting up a new John Key Lie of the Day, with links where you can hear and see Key doing the lying.
Much of the raw material I got from this site, thank you.
Great tune Darren. Lovely stuff.
Great tune and video. It will win hundreds of votes for John Key. The Left don’t get how to do humour obviously from the comments above.
Which comment are you referring to, srylands?
Fishyanal you haven’t come up with one funny thing since you have been posting on this site nor have you come up with one original idea..
In the whole World their are no right wing comedians funny that!
Fishy plenty of clowns like yourself though you should be made to watch good morning Vietnam for a week nonstop fitianal you and the right remind me of the jerk that Robin Williams opposed in that movie.
the right are to anally retentive to be funny fishy to busy trying to play monopoly to be team players!
Have a chuckle and make your own billboard…
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Im-relaxed/906405082708477
More lols. Excellent!
There’s no satire these days so we to go down the home made road if we are to turn the mirrors back on those in power.
does this remind anyone of anyone..?..
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/03/bill-maher-internet-political-correctness_n_5645586.html?ref=topbar
(you know who you are..!..)
“after lamenting the PC culture of the internet where people “lay in wait” to attack someone for saying something they don’t agree with.”
Do you think he includes making passive aggressive attack posts in his piece?
If not, he should, he would have knocked it out of the park.
Being introspective is good for the soul, well done phil
i wonder if this will have the desired effect..?
…(my five cents/tinnys? worth on that med-pot show that screened on sunday last nite..)
http://whoar.co.nz/2014/the-segment-on-medical-marijuana-that-screened-on-sunday-last-nite/
Pretty noisy from the baidu spiders this morning.
Hopefully I have quelled them now.
Could Christine Rankin be just the ‘tool’ needed to chisel Epsom from the grasp of ACT, every little bit helps,
Rankin, if She drags in more of the ACT vote than that She takes off of National will make the electorate a much easier ask for Labour and Green supporters in Epsom to use their electorate votes ‘tactically”,
We can only hope that both Parties, Green and Labour, spend plenty of energy in the Epsom electorate this election identifying and convincing their supporters how crucial ‘tactical voting’ could be in September,
Rankin,likely to only be able to scrape a couple of thousand votes from Epsom may like the whole Conservative % of the party vote be a ‘gift’ for the left this election un-thought of a couple of weeks ago…
Not likely, Epsom will go with Act
Don’t cross Cray-Cray. He’ll send Rankin to spoil your party 😆
Hell hath no fury apparently, a Colon scorned is said to be extremely upsetting to the bowels of some, Slippery the Prime Minister might live to regret passing that particular prune in favor of the more ‘known’ quantity of Winston Peters,
Colons Conservatives seem to take votes from across the spectrum, National/Labour/NZFirst, for National and Labour the effect is pretty much neutral, for NZFirst tho, especially if the latest Roy Morgan is anywhere near accurate, the deliberate targeting of the ‘waiting for God vote’ by Craig might well see Winston pushed into enforced retirement…
‘Spankin’ Rankin” has no show but will annoy the Nats one way or another. Lets give Goldsmith the win he so desperately doesn’t want.
2011 Election Results – Epsom Electorate
Candidate Valid Votes Share (%)
BANKS, John (ACT) 15,835 44.10
GOLDSMITH, Paul (NAT) 13,574 37.80
PARKER, David (LAB) 3,751 10.45
HAY, David (GP) 2,160 6.01
KAN, Simon (CNSP) 342 0.95
BRIGHT, Penny (IND) 124 0.35
O’DEA, Pat (MANA) 66 0.18
GOODE, Matthew (IND) 59 0.16
Interestingly ACT came in 5th on the party vote after Nat. Lab., Green and NZ First at just 2.55%.
Hope this works
Just proves that Mike Hosking is an absolute pratt to putt it mildly. Is his misspelling of David Cunliffe’s surname a typo or deliberate? It appears that the actual graphics haven’t appeared, but it’s a tweet from him.
Shame.
The solution is to stop collecting crime statistics, and tax cuts.
Ha ! SSLands nutting away on Open Mike yesterday about Jonah Lomu’s endorsing TheGodKey.
https://twitter.com/JONAHTALILOMU/status/495059431894155265
Poor Jonah. Off the field he was always a hapless, naive fool. Still remember the clinical way in which the narcissistic short man Holmes secured his griefing up over very personal, very private family matters on prime time TV. Duped again it would seem.
Still, there is that spare knighthood floating around somewhere…….the one ThreeHandKey offered to Richie McCaw (who declined bemusedly) and then mouthed off all over town that he’d offered it.
Political value in this latest stunt ? Not much I’d expect. Whom, now, is Jonah Lomu ? I’ll check back after the expected parading of one-time working class hero The Mad Butcher Leitch.
The National Party’s fascination with cheap celebrity what ?
Did the kidnapping of IDF soldier Hadar Goldin cause the breakdown within the hour of the most recent truce or were hostilities resumed to cover up the implementation of the Hannibal directive?.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hannibal_Directive
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hannibal_Directive#Incidents_where_the_directive_was_invoked
@ joe90 …it is more sinister than a simple case of retribution….Israels long term strategy …Crimes Against Humanity…Genocide?…there are gas and oil issues in the mix
‘Israel’s Military Strategy:”Obliterate Them Completely”. Overwhelming Evidence of Genocide, Precise Data on Death and Destruction in Gaza’
Death Toll Exceeds that of “Cast Lead”, 2008-2009
By Prof Michel Chossudovsky
“Genocide directed against Palestinians has become a “New Normal” according to the Times of Israel.
Under certain circumstances –according to the Times of Israel article–“Genocide is Permissible” because it is directed against Palestinians who are “terrorists” and who should be “obliterated…..
http://www.globalresearch.ca/israels-military-strategyobliterate-them-completely-overwhelming-evidence-of-genocide-precise-data-on-death-and-destruction-in-gaza/5394678
http://www.globalresearch.ca/turning-a-blind-eye-to-israeli-atrocities-middle-east-peace-envoy-tony-blair-parties-as-gaza-burns/5394625
http://www.rense.com/general84/guess.htm
http://washingtonexaminer.com/hamas-keeps-gazas-economic-future-bottled-up-by-blocking-natural-gas-development/article/2551529?custom_click=rss
Yep, the genocide by the jewish nation continues unabated.
Oh, and the infanticide.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/middle-east/10343523/Deadly-Israeli-strike-on-UN-school-condemned
Israel is evil.
The arrogant Netanyahu has no intention to make any sort of peace.
http://www.tabletmag.com/scroll/39692/fibi-netanyahu
Netanyahu may be a big man but he is certainly not wise is he….
Ghandi, Mandela, people like this are wise
Netanyahu, H1tler, people like this are fools
Can you blame him when Hamas keeps breaking it?
Breaking what, the truce the IDF broke when troops entered an Hamas tunnel where they met resistance and rather than let Hadar Goldin be kidnapped the Hannibal directive was enacted and he was murdered by his own comrades. That truce?.
Chomsky’s take on the Gaza situation.
Interestingly, he contrasts reaction to that situation to the official outrage voiced over the downing of the Malaysian airliner.
As ever his analysis is intense with a dry sarcasm that strips away the rhetorical veneer of pro-Israeli reactions and exposes all the bald inconsistencies inherent in maintaining that position.
It was interesting to watch Campbell Live on Friday evening (the only time I every watch TV when visiting the olds) and see John Campbell say that after so much bad news it was time for some happy news to end the week with – so far so good.
Then follows a story on a far north century old hotel that has closed down with the land and building now owned by the local iwi who have decided that they don’t want to allow one last drink up by the locals to mark the hotel’s closing as their elders feel alcohol has harmed Maori in the district for such a long time. At this point everyone in New Zealand is invited to give their opinion on whether the local iwi were right or or wrong in turning it down.
Interesting piece of positive news – start a divisive debate along racial lines.
Then it had a weird story about a country school that has gone to almost no students to about 90 in a year or tow, somehow inspired by someone donating some money. However, the amount of money is never disclosed and how this and anything else was done to achieve these results is quite unclear, including just where all these new pupils were coming from. Very odd storyt that seemed to be making some sort of point but delivers no useful information. It was described as a public school but whether it had anything to do with charter schools was kept completely in the dark.
And then, Fambo, there is the story in today’s Herald about marvellous happenings in Kawerau – turning around youth from life of crime etc etc – and comment that similar pilot funding has done the same things in other small towns such as Kaikohe.
Well – I’ve been told the Kaikohe township pilot started off with a coordinator new to the town, that its floundering, and although the local community put up a similar pilot scheme, the funding went to the stooges appointed by the Govt .
What is more, this story appears on the very day that Labour is due to announce its own scheme for turning youth unemployment into a future of hope, apprenticeships, jobs, etc etc.
Surprise, surprise !!
Stumbled onto one of my favourite quotes from Orwell. Thought it was a timely reminder of what happening in the here and now.
“Journalism is printing what someone else does not want printed: everything else is public relations.”
― George Orwell
I prefer:
“That rifle on the wall of the labourer’s cottage or working class flat is the symbol of democracy. It is our job to see that it stays there.”
Take note Greens
what? sounds all out of context and a bit useless
I think the point is that if ‘we’ (presumably the middle/upper classes) don’t run things to ensure democracy for all, then the working classes will rise in violent revolution, and that the GP should be scared of that because they’re so anti-democracy for poor/working people. So yeah, out of context, time wise, geographically, culturally and politically. Or perhaps PR could point to some specific anti-working class policies from the GP.
If wielding firearms = guaranteeing democracy, then the USA sure has one heck of a lot of democracy going on at the moment.
Yeah. Strange how a bunch of communists realized that to destroy capitalism all they had to do was get rich by denuding economics of any science. ACT are fifth column communists. Force the working classes to hold their guns close and also ramp up debt on them so they rise up and remove the capitalist system.
More that the Greens want to make semi-autos illegal and from there it’ll be a short step to making firearms available to only a select few and then removed completely
Rubbish.
Whys it rubbish? They want to get rid of our defence force and make it some sort of “peace keeping” malarky so disarming the entire population isn’t that strange
We need to completely re-purpose our Defence Forces away from imperial interventions to a homeland/Pacific self protection and civil works role.
“They want to get rid of our defence force and make it some sort of “peace keeping” malarky so disarming the entire population isn’t that strange”
Link to actual policy please.
Actual GP policy on gun control:
Gun Control
In order to reduce risks associated with guns and their use in crime, the Green Party will:
Make private ownership of fully functional semi-automatic weapons illegal.Investigate the benefits and costs of a low fee, centralised gun registration system and database.
Reduce the licensing period from ten years to five, in line with practices in the UK, Australia, and Canada.
Review the vetting procedures in the firearms acquisition certificate, to ensure that they are in line with best practice.</i>
https://www.greens.org.nz/policy/justice#P12
“That rifle on the wall of the labourer’s cottage or working class flat is the symbol of democracy. It is our job to see that it stays there.”
from my cold dead hands eh…..
I don’t agree with everything the NRA says or does (assuming you’re referring to former head of the NRA Charlton Heston) In fact if the USa followed what NZ does they’d be a much better place but as I understand it gun laws are set at State level
There no reason other than ideological for semi-autos to be banned in NZ
Do you have something planned because killing lots of things quickly is the only reason one would need a semi-automatic firearm.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aramoana_massacre
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_Arthur_massacre_%28Australia%29
Sure do, shooting semi-autos is fun and are not in any way the major firearm used in crime and simply because you don’t like them is no reason to impede on my legal right to do the hobby I enjoy
The firearms laws were changed after Aramoana (which happened over 2 decades ago) which is why the laws don’t need to be changed because they’re working
The Greens want to protect people then they can go and sort out that which kills people more than guns do: health, disease, cars etc etc
Well I’ll be damned …. we have a real live NRA nutter amongst us in puckish rogue, parading all the useless one-liners he can muster in order to “have fun” doing something which only NRA nutters get their rocks off on …. and that is something to be very very afraid of.
“Sure do, shooting semi-autos is fun and are not in any way the major firearm used in crime and simply because you don’t like them is no reason to impede on my legal right to do the hobby I enjoy”
Am curious now. Where do you shoot your semi-automatic rifle? Any reason it can’t be done in a controlled setting like a gun club?
“The Greens want to protect people then they can go and sort out that which kills people more than guns do: health, disease, cars etc etc”
Funnily enough the Greens have lots of policy to sort out cars, but you lot scream like babies every time they’re mentioned.
Aramoana. – and other overseas massacres. You want the the time delay of people having to stop and reload. And why would you average citizen need a semiautomatic- you’d hardly go hunting with it.
I’ve been away for a while… is this a known bug? The standard keeps dropping my name and email from the comment fields. Seems to hold them for a period of time, then they’re blank. Blank multiple times over a day so they’re not being held very long. Or is it Firefox?
[lprent: Probably time that cookies are told to remain. I will check after work. ]
My name and email has been dropping out that way for 3-4 weeks, and it seems to have affected others as well.
Hi Weka,
Oops, filled out my email field incorrectly and went into moderation; yes, have had the fields blanking for 3-4 weeks, and it seems to be affecting other commenters too.
thanks ER. Has anyone said anything to Lynn?
Hi weka. Same, for the last few weeks. I did mention it to Lynn but got distracted for a few days and didn’t go back and check if there was a reply from him.
I have been toying with the idea of having a zany new handle every time.
Not meant to be happening. Will look at after I get home.
Ta 🙂
Move on, nothing to see..
/
In 2006, manufacturing was the biggest employment sector in New Zealand with 11.6 per cent of people employed in the sector. The 2013 Census revealed that this figure had dropped to 9.8 per cent of the population, with 29,472 fewer people employed in the sector since 2006.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11303447
National party slogans:
“Facts don’t count”
“Analysis of the facts doesn’t count”
“We are the ones that get to say what reality is”
“There are no problems in NZ if we shut our eyes”
“It is all good here because we say so.”
“Don’t listen to the truth – buy our unique brand of fiction”
“Ban education for all”
“Sweet lies are preferable than having a grasp on reality”
“Vote for Sweet Lies”
“Go back to sleep”
Breaking News:
The World Changes!
That could only be breaking news to a typically poorly informed Nat supporter.
Those who are curious about the world and have an interest in history and what others’ think know that people have known about the ever-changing nature of the world for well over two millennium.
FYI
There is a US Chamber of Commerce briefing at the MFAT office on Quay St at which Minister of Trade, Tim Groser will be speaking.
TOMORROW: Tuesday 5 August
5pm
139 Quay St Auckland City.
Where’s the ‘People’s Briefing’?
Where’s the ‘open, transparent and democratic accountability’ with these Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) negotiations?
What sort of ‘PARTNERSHIP’ excludes the public?
After 30 years of neo-liberal ‘Rogernomic$’ – haven’t the public learned that what’s good for big business isn’t usually good for the the public majority?
How come over 600 corporate ‘trade advisors’ get to see the TPPA text – but the public don’t?
http://www.citizen.org/TPP
Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP): Job Loss, Lower Wages and Higher Drug Prices
Have you heard? The TPP is a massive, controversial “free trade” agreement currently being pushed by big corporations and negotiated behind closed doors by officials from the United States and 11 other countries – Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, and Vietnam. In one fell swoop, this secretive deal could:
offshore millions of American jobs,
roll back Wall Street reforms,
sneak in SOPA-like threats to Internet freedom,
ban Buy American policies needed to create green jobs,
jack up the cost of medicines,
expose the U.S. to unsafe food and products,
and empower corporations to attack our environmental and health safeguards.
Although it is called a “free trade” agreement, the TPP is not mainly about trade.
Of TPP’s 29 draft chapters, only five deal with traditional trade issues.
One chapter would provide incentives to offshore jobs to low-wage countries.
Many would impose limits on government policies that we rely on in our daily lives for safe food, a clean environment, and more.
Our domestic federal, state and local policies would be required to comply with TPP rules.
The TPP would even elevate individual foreign firms to equal status with sovereign nations, empowering them to privately enforce new rights and privileges, provided by the pact, by dragging governments to foreign tribunals to demand taxpayer compensation over policies that they claim undermine their expected future profits.
We only know about the TPP’s threats thanks to leaks – the public is not allowed to see the draft TPP text.
Even members of Congress, after being denied the text for years, are now only provided limited access.
Meanwhile, more than 600 official corporate “trade advisors” have special access.
The TPP has been under negotiation for five years, and the Obama administration wants to sign the deal by early 2014.
Opposition to the TPP is growing at home and in many of the other countries involved.
Whose interests are being served by the TPPA?
Follow the dollar ……..
What do you expect from this John Key led National Government, when this ex-Wall Street banker is STILL a shareholder in the Bank of America?
http://www.parliament.nz/resource/en-nz/00CLOOCMPPFinInterests20141/2e04287ad20ee5da12a308149e59bb16d7f47ce5
“Rt Hon John Key (National, Helensville)
2 Other companies and business entities
Little Nell – property investment, Aspen, Colorado
Bank of America – banking ”
“The will of the people is the basis of the authority of government”!
NO PUBLIC SAY – NO TPPA!
https://www.facebook.com/ItsOurFutureNZ
It’s time to ROLLBACK ‘Rogernomic$’ and corrupt corporate control – not extend it.
Open the books!
Cut out the private sector contractors and consultants!
Return essential public services back to direct democratic control, with
‘in-house’ employees, under the ‘public service’ – NOT commercialised or privatised model!
The neo-liberal mantra that ‘public is bad – private is good’ – has been proven over the last 30 years to be a complete and utter rort and fraud perpetrated on the public.
In my considered opinion, the only ones who have benefited from public services being run in a more ‘business-like’ (privatised) way – is those businesses who have secured the contracts.
It’s time for the public majority to benefit from our public monies at central and local government – not a corporate minority – helped by politicians who serve their interests.
The TPPA will extend this corrupt, powerful corporate control, both nationally and internationally.
ENOUGH!
My very clear position as a fiercely independent anti-corruption and anti-privatisation Public Watchdog, is that this NZ National-led Government must NOT sign the TPPA.
Penny Bright
2014 Independent Candidate for the Helensville electorate
2009 Attendee Australian Public Sector Anti-Corruption Conference
2010 Attendee Transparency International Anti-Corruption Conference
2013 Attendee Australian Public Sector Anti-Corruption Conference
2009 Attendee G20 Anti-Corruption Conference
2013 Auckland Mayoral Candidate (polled 4th with 11,723 votes)
If you are able to join the protest there at 5pm at 139 Quay St, Auckland then this would be fantastic.
It’s our future website has a good rundown on the positions taken on the TPPA by the political parties.
http://www.itsourfuture.org.nz/elections-2014-voting-against-the-tppa/
any chance of anyone leaving a mike in the room accidentally? or will an OIA get the speech
Looks like there is an issue with the cron picking up the feeds. Drat…
@ lprent 2.56
It’s not the end of the world to have to put name/mail in. In Firefox if I forget a get a good service with a notice and then can return and find my comment still there. And on Firefox I have name/mail saved and just have to put the first letter and up comes the details for me to click.
National has just Nationalised Novopay.
Steven Joyce deserves credit for biting this bullet.
Novopay is sold by Talent2, formerly known as Morgan & Banks.
Andrew Banks graduated from Australia’s National Institute of Dramatic Art, travelled globally, ran a Sydney restaurant, and moved into personnel management to form Morgan & Banks in Sydney.
It coincided with the early application of the internet to job search and competition with sites such as < http://www.seek.com.au > – Melbourne based but with significant investment and involvement by James Packer contributing pressure for M&B to expand beyond Australia.
Strangely, it is now difficult to find anything about this period on the net.
http://www.about-monster.com/content/tmp-worldwide-acquires-morgan-banks
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:9jT0btMJA7MJ:www.nida.edu.au
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Novopay#Talent2_background
Both major parties in NZ are implicated in one way or another.
Joyce has done the right thing, but it exposes the small pond of people and ideas that is NZ politics.
If ‘Talent2′ cannot get it right in NZ, what are their prospects to do this globally ?
We look forward to seeing Steven Joyce crossing the house on other matters of national importance.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/10344928/Questions-remain-about-Novopay-deal
You can’t blame labour for any of this mess as they were going to trial it for 6 months in Canterbury to see if it had any faults and if those faults could be fixed . Nationals Hekia Parata went ahead and fully implemented right across the country knowing full and well it needed trialling HEkia Parata has used Novapay to bully teachers!
I believe that the original contract via Labour was changed and scope extended when National took over. So Labour cannot be blamed as the later Novopay contract had nothing to do with them.
This is President Obama in the last day or so:
‘Obama said the United States “unequivocally condemned “barbaric” Hamas and the Palestinian factions that were responsible for killing two Israeli soldiers, and abducting a third almost minutes after a ceasefire had been announced”.’
WTF is this man on ? Do we hear him describe as “barbaric” the artillery shelling of a UN establishment offering refuge to 3,000 rendered homeless (15 including children killed) – when the IDF had been given the location co-ordinates of that establishment THIRTY THREE times, the last occasion being only a couple of hours before the hit.
I despise Obama frankly hearing that. Particularly when the US continues to fund the IDF to the tune of $US 3,000,000,000 (3 billion) ANNUALLY.
“Do we hear him describe as “barbaric” the artillery shelling of a UN establishment…”. We also didn’t hear him say anything about the UN envoy who was talking about the rockets found in the Gaza UN school compounds. Bastard isn’t he ? One eyed or what ?
Latest from Snowden- US implicated
Cash, Weapons and Surveillance: the U.S. is a Key Party to Every Israeli Attack
https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2014/08/04/cash-weapons-surveillance/
Heard Chris Finlayson on Radio Live tonight with Grant Robertson and Duncan Garner – it seems that Finlayson has decided to copy Steven Joyce’s method of being interviewed – tried to talk right over the top of Grant Robertson and got mighty nasty at times too, he kept on the “xenophobia” rant over the latest farm sale to the Chinese!! Crosby Textor must have had a master class for all the Nats on how to drown out all opposition to their short-sighted policies! No mention of it in the Herald that I saw, and certainly the media aren’t exploring the story of the Conservation Land that the Nats have given to the purchasers of the Crafar Farms!
From 4-5pm on newstalk Mr. Slater employed the same technique. Almost makes you want to switch over to listen to Jono playing this …
It is because they have no answer and nothing decent to say
So they begin to shout like drunks in a pub
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/personal-finance/news/article.cfm?c_id=12&objectid=11302589
Assuming these purchases are made in a company the profits are taxed at 43 per cent (being 15 per cent GST and 28 per cent company tax rate). – And Andrew Bruce is knowledgable in the area !!!!!
Well he may not know this but, the coy purchasing the property would be able to claim a refund of 15% of the purchase price from the IRD: reducing their cash cost and the required borrowings. Even if there is no GST applicable to the sale under 2nd Hand Goods GST would still be able to be claimed, and 100% of the income is the companies there is no GST attributable to the rent received. The truth has been lost in this article in its attempt to portray that landlords are paying more than their fair share, also given the $1.2b subsidy from Housing supplements from the govt
http://www.interest.co.nz/property/60426/govt-reviewing-accommodation-supplement-rent-subsidy-housing-minister-heatley-says-go
If these did not exist then IMO rents would be dramatically reduced as they allow for a greater rent to be paid that the current tenants would be unable to afford.
InternetMana roadshow in Wellington tonight, 4–500 people, a pretty full house, solid applause for all with especially strong support for both Annette Sykes and Lailla Harre,
More tomorrow when i have sorted the event through in my nut…