That was covered in Yesterday's Dom/Post as well. I couldn't help but laugh out loud.
What I particularly liked was that, after it was obvious that the patrol craft was taking on water, that "the cruise ship had remained in the vicinity of the incident for more than an hour and had offered assistance.. It's Captain alerted the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in Curacao which eventually advised him to continue his journey."
Go away! Stop looking at us! Let us sink in peace!
There are an enormous number of uploads on Youtube but all they are is just stock footage of both ships. None show the ramming attempt as far as I could discover.
Why does David Lange's comment come to mind?
'Shortly after the Mikhail Lermontov, the pride of the Soviet cruising fleet, ended her life at the bottom of the Marlborough Sounds, Lange declared that little old New Zealand was "the only nation to sink a Russian Ship since the Second World War."'.
To those that think we were too slow, and to those that think we went too severe, 1 death, so far. Look at the UK, nurses, Drs, Bus Drivers, a 5 year old yesterday! Each county numbering 100s of deaths. Big thanks to those working their arses off keeping us as safe as they can.
For a start the lockdown would have been delayed, "because of the cost to business".
Those on welfare would have been ignored.
Big businesses with lobbying clout would have all still been open and their employees forced to work.
There would be no uptick in demand from a minimum wage rise.
Help would have been directed at banks and corporates. Small business, sole traders,beneficiaries and wage earners would have been last on the list, if at all.
Lastly, communication from Bridges would have been abysmal, and even their own voters don't really trust National. Except for tax cuts and lining their own pockets.
You are letting your political bias blind you to political reality. As SM says there would have been virtually no difference in response (except minimum wage increase).
All the fiscal measures to support wages and salaries, to support small business survive would have been implemented.
How do I know this? Because what the govt has done is modelled on what National did in Christchurch. They have actually said as much.
Under National there would have been much tougher border surveillance and earlier. That has been and remains a major failure of the government.
KJT may be right. Wayne may be right. We'll never know. I lean towards KJT's point of view. National would have been likely followed Scumo's weaker response. But as I said, it's history, and words spoken now about what would have happened are worthless and meaningless.
I agree. Nice as it may sound, it’s rather pointless and not even an ‘academic’ exercise. It also carries the risk of polarising opinions, which we don’t really need in these times or in any time for that matter, IMHO.
The health system in NZ has hardly changed in the last two decades (apart from new technology). The health budget has increased under both governments at more or less the same rate.
The proliferation of administrators on high pay, often much higher than operational staff, has swallowed up a large proportion of funding increases for schools, universities and schools, for the last 3 decades.
So the idea that funding has increased may be true on the face of it.
But so much has gone in those salaries and payments to private providers, all those sectors have shown the effects of being run down, in reality.
If you want to read about a health system being privatised by stealth read this. How the likes of fun f**king loving Branson the one along with Stagecoach f**ked eastern region railways in the UK and expected compensation is now a big player "running" the NHS
Nationalise the lot, tell them all to F**k Off with no compensation. I think Bo-Jo has a bloody cheek putting on his podium "Save the NHS" when since the days of Thatcher the Tories have done their utmost to run it into the ground.
"Bridges as PM" is not the same as "National in government".
I would give Key/English the benefit of the doubt. But the "bonfire of red tape" (Simon Bridges' own plans, in his own words) was announced as a response to Covid-19.
"The arguments for these things just becomes stronger as a result of Covid-19 … Clearing away red tape means businesses are freer to get up in the morning to hire people and building houses, cutting hair, doing the things that need to be done without the unnecessary rules and regulations," he said.
That was in March 2020. Less than a month ago. Only days before the lockdown. It was pure fantasy.
"Clearing away red tape means businesses are freer to get up in the morning to hire people and building houses, cutting hair, doing the things that need to be done without the unnecessary rules and regulations," he said.
I would be fascinated to know what unnecessary rules and regulations there might be governing cutting hair.
Yep Bridges was completely out of touch. Almost like he continued to waffle on along prepared lines without any awareness of how serious things were becoming.
"Because what the govt has done is modelled on what National did in Christchurch."
What did National do for beneficiaries at that time? I don't remember an across the board benefit rise for Canterbury people. Nor an energy payment that winter. Can't remember what National's response was. Anyone?
it was extended by a few weeks but was further restricted from memory but as far as direct financial support went that was the extent if I recall correctly.
Its worth noting that the fact a business support package (wage subsidy) had been implemented before, albeit on a limited basis, would likely have promoted it as an option on this occasion.
Having said that I think KJT's assertion that Nationals response would have differed holds a considerable amount of water as with everything the emphasis, priorities and timing would have been different …the devil is always in the detail
Single issue lunacy from you KJT, surround by a huge amount of conjecture and what if’s’
I think the response has been over the top. If anyone thinks this thing isn’t coming back for round 2 at some point, they’re deluded. Will we just shut the economy down again? Or is it better to allow some deaths amongst the lower risk demographics and try and focus isolation and support on the high risk? Then at least we can build some immunity.
No economy in the world can meets the all of the health needs of citizens and prevent all disease related deaths. What economies can do is generate capital to support and resource health systems. The stronger the economy, the greater the resources governments can give to health systems. The issue as it always has been is about how to best allocate those resources. This requires careful judgement (not evident with the current Minister of Health).
For instance cancer patients have for years been competing with each other and with other medical conditions for resources. There is never enough resource to go round and so there will always be priorities and winners and losers.
No one is "happy" about "sacrificing"people. And it doesn't happen "for the economy". Your thinking on this doesn't make sense. Its emotive bullshit.
To reiterate, its the 'economy' that makes it possible to build better health systems.
The problem with these armchair alternatives is that they ignore the most basic question in a democracy. Does the government tell the people what it is doing?
If "No", then you're arguing for a cover-up. Which would inevitably leak out, and there would be uproar.
If "Yes", how do you propose that a NZ government (ANY government, forget the names and parties) announces to the people:
"We think it is better to allow some deaths, so we'll be doing that."
By and large the evidence strongly suggests that the young don't die at anywhere near the same rates as 'the old and infirm" as a result of Convid 19. So that sacrifice is not being asked of the young. And neither should it.
The same rate does not mean that there is no rate. They still get sick, they still die, and they still infect others. Therefore they are still sacrificing.
Moreover as they have to go off sick in large quantities, they will cause businesses to fail thereby eventually losing themselves and others their jobs.
What kind of moronic point are you trying to make? Simpleton aphorisms don’t make an argument – they merely define someone being an idiot.
I agree with your statements concerning the use of the concept, 'rates'.
My other point (which I should have made more clearly) is that I don't think we should be expecting the young to make unreasonable sacrifices for, say, boomers, for example.
I understand that you're probably been a little too lazy to read up on epidemics. But the issue in a epidemic without a vaccine or a effective treatment is that everyone almost without exception gets sick.
The more often that you get exposed and infected again before you develop any immunities, the more likely it is that you'll wind up with a dose of infecting agents that manage to overwhelm anyones immune system. Without adequete medical treatment you're more likely to die or have a downstream consequence – like a permanently compromised immune system.
So instead of whining about someone else based on a discussion about probabilities, perhaps you should look more closely at how you stop you, your family, your friends, and your workmates getting into a situation that they get into the worst possible epidemic case.
Try looking at New York where it appears the major demographic dying or severely distressed now are in their 30s and 40s because they have been swanning around in virus haze thinking that they're immune.
Meanwhile the boomers buttoned up weeks ago because they were told that they were at risk.
You can also look to OZ where the risk takers are the most affected ie 20's.
Dr McAnulty said that younger people are being affected.
"Young people need to be aware that they are not immune from getting severe disease.
"The older people and people with underlying health problems, cardiac or chest or immune problems, are most prone to getting severe disease and requiring intensive care and ventilation, but younger people are getting infected as well, and the biggest single age group is people in their 20s.
"In fact, we have seen also three people who were ventilated in intensive care in their 30s."
My other point (which I should have made more clearly) is that I don't think we should be expecting the young to make unreasonable sacrifices for, say, boomers, for example.
Why not? We're all in this together. Some of the at risk people will be younger people eg those with asthma or immune issues. Everyone is making sacrifices, not just young people, so why single them out as a group and pit them against others?
Further, why is the boomer generation not worthy of being helped? What about the elderly who will die if we all don't do our bit?
Are those young going to have there student loans remitted? As they face ruinous generational bills to pay for the privilege of extending the lives of those who benefited from a free education? Will the young get advantageous interest rates on their mortgages as they take lower paid roles in order to support the old and infirmary right to live where they are on a full government super? Will that same super be affordable for future generations as reward for sacrificing so much for the old and infirm who demanded the economy be shut down to protect them.
the same voices crying for there future generations to be protected from climate change are now sadly forgotten as those same voices revert to individualistic selfishness.
For the moment, I’m ignoring the rest of your comment, which is basking in ignorance, IMO.
Then at least we can build some immunity.
Nobody knows or is sure if exposure to (i.e. infection with) COVID-19 will induce immunity and, if so, how long this will last. This pandemic is too young to tell and it is highly risky to make predictions and extrapolate from the experience with other coronaviruses or research on animals.
Pretty weak excuse. It’s not wiping people out. It’s fatality rate amongst people without other morbidity factors is nearing .25%.
its the old and infirm and the occasionally unlucky other who then gets sensationalised. I’m not saying it’s not something to be afraid of, but when the theoretical cure is worse than the disease…
we don’t even know if isolation will actually break the transmission cycle. It’s a best guess based on an assumption. So no less valid than Sweden’s approach, which is what I think we should follow.
but hey, if you blindly accept MoH media reports and briefings, be my guest.
people are going to die regardless, do we want to lower everyone who survives quality of life for generations to come to potentially save a small portion of the population? And save them only the first time round?
its a tough choice, no one gets it right, but the draconian response is out of proportion.
Yes, we’re all going to die, one day. However, we don’t leave anyone behind in this country.
You seem to be suggesting that we “potentially” sacrifice “a small portion of the population” so that the survivors can have better quality of life.
You say that this is a tough choice. Well, no, for me it’s an easy choice and my QALYs would be lower because of my burdened conscience assuming I’ll be among the survivors. You don’t seem to have that problem!?
Getting sick is not the same as dying from Covid 19. Probably why we aren’t seeing lots of deaths relative to our infection rate.
so either your example about New Zealand’s young is designed to be misleading about the fatality impact of covid 19 or it supports my point that the at risk people (fat Americans, old people, underlying health conditions) should be isolated and have massively targeted support and the very low risk people should be allowed to live almost as normal, with some restrictions. As covid 19 isn’t fatally dangerous to them
When falling sick, you risk dying from it. This applies to all ages, but not equally, which nobody has disputed so this is a strawman.
When becoming a carrier, you risk spreading the virus and infecting others. This has nothing to do with your own ‘risk status’.
To prevent this from happening and to try to stamp out the virus, we’re in Alert Level 4. This is likely why we aren’t seeing lots of deaths relative to our infection rate.
You’re suggesting to let the virus go rampant among the population without knowing who are at risk and who aren’t; you don’t know whom it will be “fatally dangerous” to. You’re prepared to let people die so that others can live “almost as normal”. You believe that this is a price worth paying.
Who’s talking about “fat Americans” in our NZ society? Are you deliberately misleading?
You’re as ignorant about COVID-19 as you are about CC, which actually makes a lot of sense.
'…if you blindly accept MoH media reports and briefings, ..'
Hmm blindly following the actual experts advice or some pseudonymous commenter on a blog….. that's a tough one.
Have you ever seen any of the vaccination threads on this site.. lots of pseudonymous commenters thinking they know better than the experts and their science.
We encourage strong debate supported by sound arguments. We ask the ignorami to educate themselves and improve their arguments and debating skills. You’re starting to sound like a straight-up denier, as you did with CC. Keep it up and you’ll be booted off this site.
Who is denying CC? You’re getting confused. CC is happening, I think there are other ways to deal with it than jetting around hectoring people or organising wasteful marches.
3 people ventilated. It’s hardly reason enough to shut down society. Some will be unlucky enough to get it seriously or even fatally. It’s unfortunate, but not enough to wreck the futures of the rest of their generation.
And. If the hospitals are full of Coronavirus cases, a hell of a lot of other people are going to die of other conditions. Because there is no place or people to treat them.
But. They are just part of the "collateral damage" right.
One of my friends, a health worker, still cannot work because his constantly postponed hip replacement, has been postponed again due to coronavirus. Isn't that a cost, to?
The reason some of those Drs and nurses are dying is because they are getting reinfected, and each time it hits them stronger, then they die. You may end up like Boris Johnson, in denial, then sick.
Bridges was interviewed on Q+A this morning, and it was far the best I've seen him. Sensible, largely supportive of Government measures dealing with Covid, but pertinent questions about testing and quarantining of incoming travelers.
He seemed to be natural and informed.
This perhaps shows the benefits of being isolated from party strategists and media trainers.
All of them the bane of modern politics and the ruin of potential leaders. David Shearer suffered badly from it, as did Andrew Little (but as it turns out Ardern is a far better communicator anyway).
Ardern herself has been better when finding herself in times of crisis where she acts as she sees fit rather than being projected through a PR lens. Her interview on Seven Sharp on Friday wasn't one her best, it looked prepared and scripted, and laughing off the Clark question and pivoting to a lecture to the rest of us to not do what Clark had done was poor.
We to often forget that a Leader is still part of a group/party.
Who, may not even agree with the things they have to front.
Or, like Trump, is the figurehead for a large number of enablers behind him.
Then they have, in both Labour and National, to deal with a large number of chair polishers, and outright loons, their selection processes saddle them with.
Ardern's interview on 7 Sharp on Friday was simply propaganda and politicking. Its was straight out of the ex Women's Weekly playbook.
TVNZ need to be careful about providing a platform at prime time for political propaganda of this sort. Hillary Barry asking the tough questions is a joke. The programme was unbalanced and biased.
Jack Tane's Q & A programme provides the template for how these things should be done; especially in these times.
Bollocks. What you saw is Simon as he is. Politicians both left and right are not automatons and just puppets of polling. Yes, polling is done. But basically a politician has to use his/her judgement. And once before the camera they just say what they say. It is not nearly as scripted as you seem to think.
I wonder how the ACC levies are going with the loss of income.
Bearing in mind the markets, I suspect they’d be more worried about their reserves which are the buffer. The levies are probably gone down roughly in line with the claims.
We shall never know how Simon would have handled the crisis (thank God for that) but if we look overseas we can see numerous examples of how right wing governments have fared, Think Trump, think Johnson, think Morrison.
It would be fair to say Simon would not have been much better than any of them.
Add to that the Chinese ambassador's annoyance when we closed our borders to China and you can be sure the borders would have stayed open for longer – notwithstanding what Simon says now.
Australia is doing ok. Its current management of the problem is producing results similar to NZ.
Mostly because the various state governments like NSW, Vic and SA have been doing far closer what the NZ government has done. Closing borders. Forcing businesses to close. People to self-isolate early.
They are doing this despite the Federal government’s vacillating and inconsistent policies that seemed largely designed to reduce the call on federal funds at the unemployment.
However the federal government has now seemed to get on with the task at hand in recent days with what looks a lot like our stimulus programmes.
Very, very good. It explains why the Dems have singularly misunderstood Trump, underestimated him and miserably failed to compete against such an egregious goat of a man:
Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York seems to understand something that no other politician or political candidate up against President Trump has yet grasped. You can’t fight a Reality TV Presidency with an argument, you have to fight it with another reality show, a newer and better one.
And you have to fight it by showing a better way, not just promising it or arguing about it.
In essence, you undercut Trump by being the very opposite of him on television every single day when so many people are paying attention. You do not do this by attacking him or quarreling with him. It’s entertainment, stupid, fighting and offending is his specialty, it is most people’s weakness. You try to show what government, at its best, can do.
Reminder #23628 of why it's a really not a good idea for a political leader to own and control substantial business interests: the Dotard of Doltistan is looking for substantial debt relief from Deutsche Bank at the same time as the Department of Justice (which he is in charge of) is investigating Deutsche Bank for various crimes.
I think Morrissey is referring to the article he posted, Starmer intends to address anti-semitism in the party (which doesn't really exist, but was an invention of many "friends of Israel" and some other hidden forces), this will be a direct attack on all socialists in the party who support Palestinian's human rights.
Starmer has previously said he would take action to eliminate prejudice against Jews in his party “on day one” in order to demonstrate “the difference that new leadership will make on the issue.”
He has also said he would look to fully cooperate with the Equalities and Human Rights Commission’s report into anti-Semitism in the party, which is currently in the works, but that he had no intention of waiting for its results in order to take action.
Starmer deliberately mislabels opposition to the crimes of the Israeli regime as "anti-Semitism." That obviously sits well with the extreme right Times of Israel, which published this encomium, but it's another nail in the coffin for the future of the Labour Party.
So he hasn't "vowed to expel every Labour Party member who cares about human rights" then and you just made that up?
What caught my attention about that was that the other leader candidates signed a pledge to support the expulsion of gender critical feminists from the party. From memory Starmer didn't, or at least he was restrained in his handling of that rather than throwing a large number of Labour feminists under the bus.
So making shit up about expulsions carries more stupid weight than normal.
He joined in the campaign of defamation against Jeremy Corbyn, which descended into a purge of anyone who spoke out against Israeli crimes. I didn't make that up, it's an unpleasant fact.
Do you support the contention of the Blairite rump of that party that criticism of Israel is, per se, anti-Semitism?
'The so-called “friends of Israel”, who support Israel automatically and blindly: this has nothing to do with friendship. They are enemies of Israel—they corrupt us. The Jewish establishment in Australia kept saying to me: “Israel right or wrong.” Well, Israel is wrong and they need to stop supporting it. Continuous support by Western governments and by the Jewish establishment is anything BUT friendship.'
What it looks like is that you are back in your routine of feigned ignorance. I doubt that you are unaware of the brutal campaign of "anti-Semitism" allegations that was directed against Corbyn over the last four years. So why pretend you are?
I'm asking for evidence that the Labour party has purged members or intends to. You've made the claim twice, and both times refused to back it up, so I assume now you are lying.
In terms of your politics around Israel and Palestine and what Labour are doing re that, not interested in talking about that today.
I'm asking for evidence that the Labour party has purged members or intends to.
If you don't know that the Labour Party is purging human rights activists, you should not be commenting here. I expect to find displays of willful ignorance on Kiwiblog, but not on this normally excellent forum.
In terms of your politics around Israel and Palestine and what Labour are doing re that, not interested in talking about that today.
The false anti-Semitism smear and the witchhunt and the demand for apologies has everything to do with the "politics around Israel-Palestine." I don't believe, by the way, that you are ignorant about this matter.
Morrissey, you run your own blog, IIRC. You should know that many blogs, particularly TS, are not for little tête-à-têtes but for robust debate. Anybody can join in but many read this site without ever commenting. So, when somebody, particularly a Moderator, asks you for evidence to back up your allegations, then please oblige without sounding like a petulant little child. Thanks.
I'm not "alleging" that the right wing (Blairite) rump of the Labour Party, which has now manoeuvred itself back into control—a pyrrhic victory if ever there was one—has operated an unrelenting smear campaign against Corbyn and anyone who stands up for the rights of the Palestinians, any more than I would allege that the sun is coming up tomorrow morning or that today is Sunday. It's a fact.
You say there is "no evidence" of a purge of human rights activists from the Labour Party. This charming little encapsulation of Starmer's agenda comes from the article I provided for you in my original comment on this thread:
New opposition chief immediately apologizes to Jews for anti-Semitism in ranks, vows to ‘tear out this poison’….
When Starmer says "this poison" he doesn't mean anti-Semitism, he means criticism of the Israeli regime. What do you think he means when he says he's going to "tear out" these critics?
Morrissey, you could have saved yourself the trouble with those utterances that I personally am not interested in.
My concern is your behaviour here and how you respond, or not for that matter, to basic requests for evidence to support your allegations. This is a necessary element of good debate, which we treasure on this site.
You have been around here long enough to know how it works. Next time, please just provide the evidence and don’t argue. It is wasting our time and I find it tedious enough to get the ban-hammer out.
I thought it was kinda obvious. Robertson said that Clark was "always available" for interviews according to Jason Walls.
Also Stuff reported Robertson as saying “He’s available to front anytime".
But Jack Tame pointed out he reneged on a scheduled Q+A interview for today so wasn't always available as stated. RNZ Live referred to it as "a no show'.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was grilled by journalists as to why Health Minister David Clark has declined some interviews this weekend. She said others had fronted, he was at home at lockdown and he would continue to be available for interviews.
Dr Clark refused Newshub's repeated requests for an interview, instead sending a short statement.
So according to Robertson and Ardern, Clark is "available to front any time" and "would continue to be available for interviews", but according to journalists he isn't.
The Minister of Health, during the biggest health crisis for decades, is remote from the centre of Government and Ministry of Health activity and is not giving interviews despite the Prime Minister and Minister of Finance saying he is available (knowing he isn't doing interviews).
If he's not giving interviews to gossip columnists who want to rabbit on about him going for a bike ride, then good so. Why should someone in his position indulge such childish bullshit? If they were actually interested in asking him questions about the pandemic and NZ's response to it, it would be dereliction of duty for him to refuse the interviews – but they aren't, and it isn't.
Q+A is hardly a gossip column, it's not perfect but it's one of the best political media forums we have.
With Clark not fronting up Simon Bridges got a spot, and surprisingly he came across well, far different from his usual. Generally supportive of Government actions but with some reasonable questions and criticisms.
So at least something good came of Clark's no show. Bridges may be capable of rising to the occasion that the current situation requires of our politicians.
” it would be dereliction of duty for him to refuse the interviews – but they aren’t”
Do you have proof of this? I heard O’Brien saying she had specific and relevant (to the pandemic) sounding questions.
Good move by Clark imo, let's see how much media work he does in the coming week. Journos want to sensationalise a story that should have been over by now. Under normal circumstances that would just be tedious, but under these circumstances it's bizarre.
PM's press conference today: the first there-were-so-many-I-can't-recall-how-many questions were all about David Clark going for a bike ride. Nothing about Tova O'Brien's previous reporting suggests she'd operate to a higher standard than that, in fact for all I know it was her asking those questions (the questioners aren't identified in the video).
What is obvious is that your mind is not like mine, obviously.
Being available for interviews is not the same as being available for a game of pin the tail on the donkey, no matter how much it appeals to a certain audience and certain pundits who have made a hobby out of reporting on it.
When something smells a little off, it could be a ripening French cheese. Yum!
So how long do you think that Clark should refuse to do interviews (despite Ardern and Robertson saying he is always available) just in case someone asks him an awkward question that he would prefer not to answer?
Or do you think he should only do interviews with questions he allows in advance?
Or should Bloomfield, Robertson and Ardern just speak on his behalf. It's not as if he has a very important job, is it.
I never thought the bike ride was a big deal apart from being embarrassing for Ardern efforts to get people following her message of staying away from risky pastimes.
But what it has highlighted is a Minister of Health being shielded or hiding away at the most important time for any Minister of Health for decades. That's an important issue. Do we have a functional Minister of Health?
What’s more important: de we have a scandal that can bring down this Government? Will the PM call a snap election? What do the polls say? What’s for dinner tonight?
Do you really not see what Ardern did today? She knew exactly what was coming (our political journos are nothing if not predictable). She fed them a line: "idiots".
Then she took the (predictable) questions on Clark and quietly kicked him in the shins. She didn't repeat "idiot", because she didn't need to.
She also knew that while a minuscule minority of poli-tragics on blogs might still be getting worked up about Clark, the vast majority of the public are rolling their eyes at the journos (see the social media reaction in real time, which is unspun).
What do leaders usually say when one of their team lapses? "It was within the rules …" "I do not condone but …" "What about what about?" etc. Weasel words, which only make it worse.
She is smarter than that, and still many can't/won't see it.
Yes, she gave journalists an opening to infer Clark was an idiot, a notion she didn't do much to dispel.
If Ardern is smart she won't let this fester away, which is likely if left unaddressed and information is sought from the Minister of Health – he can't go to ground forever.
It isn't festering away. Nobody cares much, except journos who help to make sure nobody cares by going on about it some more. She has political capital in spades, they don't.
I don't think you would even recognize her smarts, TBH.
Good question. I don't know. I do know that he has seemed to struggle with interviews he has given over the last couple of weeks, he has sounded unsure and lacking in confidence. Perhaps that's why he has quietly been given a reduced role.
It's a bit superfluous for him to be doing interviews when the PM is fronting this issue. Journalists know that too, hence no squawking about lack of interviews until now. It's clear why they have a sudden interest in interviewing him, and also clear that the reason is "childish gotcha bullshit."
Virgin Australia has shut down its NZ operations. 600 jobs gone, more than twice as many as the Bauer debacle. No doubt the howls of outrage in the media are coming…?
The airline industry is going to be a very sad place for a long time. There's a lot of airlines that have been loosing serious money prior to the covid19 restrictions on travel. Virgin Australia was one.
This piece from ABC sums it up nicely. Bottom line, Virgin is an overseas owned business and the Australian government is very unlikely to bail them out. Unfortunately some / most of the overseas airlines that own Virgin are worse. Can't see them being around for long.
The global airline industry will probably resemble the airline industry of the late 60's by the end of this, a few national flag carriers serving their home states and a couple of larger international based ones. And a lot of surplus aluminium parked in the desert. And a lot of people out of work.
Virgin Australia were in big trouble 8 months ago….losses of $1.2 billion over the last 6 years. They would probably have folded without Covid-19. See:
"a lot of surplus aluminium parked in the desert. "
I wonder how that will affect the prospects of Rio Tinto at Tiwai? Their "best aluminium" claims revolve mainly around aircraft manufacture, I understand.
The high purity of the aluminium from Tiwai Point is more valuable for electronics purposes that directly use it in the pure state. The large portion of the output that goes to Japan is used for that.
High purity aluminium is useless for any kind of structural use, it's much too soft and weak. So it has to be alloyed with significant amounts of other elements, and the tiny quantities of impurities disappear into the tolerances of the alloying proportions. For instance, a common high-performance alloy is 7075 with a recipe that roughly includes 5.6–6.1% zinc, 2.1–2.5% magnesium, 1.2–1.6% copper, and less than a half percent of silicon, iron, manganese, titanium, chromium, and other metals.
"our high-purity aluminium is valuable for aerospace" makes for a good marketing story, though. It's useful to make locals feel special about what they produce, in order to add to their social license to operate. Even when it's bullshit.
Its likely, for the moment, that any subsidies paid to Tiwai will be cheaper than unemployment support for the numerous on and off site staff and losses to the wider community. But the plant owners could pull the plug anytime, which would be sad.
The real shame is that money, which could have been used to develop long term sustainable employment in Southland, has instead been wasted on bribes to Rio Tinto. It would have been cheaper to shut it down, and just continue paying the staff.
And we have all been paying higher power bills, for decades, for the same reason.
Other industries and infrastructure, such as electric rail, could have used that power.
a faster curve than expected, but we were always going to end up here and I'm relieved it's happening now rather than in 20 years when it's way too late.
My hope now is that we create sustainable jobs rather than rushing back to the pollution economy.
I notice the usual suspects gearing up for business as usual.
Including Federated farmers, trying to get out of ceasing to pollute waterways, and businesses which relied on cheap labour, tax payer support and capital gains, trying to use this an excuse for even more largess from their employees, and the rest of us.
I don’t have much hope. They are already trying to paint targets on anyone who is against de- regulation and subsidies for polluting businesses.
Once China has built it's strategic milk powder mountain a shock could be on the way. No markets, or severely fucked markets, will mean much less going off farm.
Add to that less containers coming into the country full of all the shit we buy from Briscoes et al, so we've got to import empty boxes, and NZ agriculture could be in for a squeeze like it's never seen before.
NZ agriculture could be in for a squeeze like it's never seen before.
Twaddle,demand in china for WMP is increasing due to the CCP expectation that everyone needs to drink 300ml of milk a day.Neither China or NZ can meet that cumulative demand.
There is also expected a global shortfall in whole foods such as apples,kiwifruit,oranges.and grain due to export restrictions from former CIS states.
Agriculture is resilient ie antifragile during recessions,whether NZ can sustain the harvest,due to staff shortages or government policy in horticulture (limited selling venues) is the open problem.
As few additional house sales will be transacted over the lockdown period,and those who do not seek mortgage holidays,repayment would also exceed bank household lending.
household sector savings provide protection from offshore impacts including exchange rate fluctuations is true enough…hence the RBNZ increased requirement in recent times…however there is another side to that ledger which somewhat negates your cheerleading…both household debt and total debt has increased more in the same period
The floating exchange rate could be expected to provide (some) protection in normal circumstances however we are looking at a prolonged reduction in worldwide economic activity which is it self deflationary as there will be reduced demand and ability to purchase our goods and our competitors are capable of increasing production at a scale (and will be looking to do so) we cannot cope with even if we had spare capacity , which we dont…and the non commodity imports required for our (now) high input model of ag will not deflate at the same rate.
Yes oil is low at the moment but that wont remain the case for long as the russians and saudis will agree to cut production soon enough especially in light of further reduced demand.
from your final comment it appears your horizon is around 3 months…..seriously???
and the fixed costs spread over a smaller pool will necessitate considerable fare increases…cheap travel is gone for the foreseeable (once the dust settles)
When walking I have noticed the increase of "Dog Mines" just off footpaths 🤬. When giving way to others: using the footpath as a 2m guide walk whilst passing using either side of the grass verge. Be careful watch out for dog poo being tramped thru the house. 😉
Only when I enter into our entrance or garage then leave shoes inside front or back door – there is the isolated occasion that there is a need rush inside 😉 – And that will be the one occasion that "stuff" is on the sole of the shoe.
A longish but very worthwhile piece on the idea of there being a trade-off between the economy and public health (spoiler: there isn't), with a focus on when and how to back off on restrictions.
That sort never thinks. He has no excuse except to apologise humbly for being a natural dork. He should go through a rigorous Army training program to strengthen his discipline muscle.
Funny how the corporate media have been avoiding talking about the Biden sexual assault allegations. And then it gets all mixed up in an attack on Alyssa Milano, ever get the feeling women mean nothing in politics, and are just props?
Please don't do the usual and throw in trump to dilute the debate. I know he's a absolute sexist arse, and anyone not living under a rock knows it too.
I actually did not consider my comment being linked to a virus.
I tried to get glasses recently and the only pair which suited that I really liked were in the children's section and had a superman on them so were not an option.
I am finding the styles of frames to be so variable from like thick window frames to looking like goggles.
The easiest solution is to keep the frames and update the lens.
Congratulations to Keir Starmer for taking out the labour leadership contest. Not my choice, who came in third, but thankfully the continuity candidate Wrong Daily fell well short, and with her, the momentum led ultra faction.
Not only did Starmer have the overwhelming backing of all three voting groups, he also took effective control of the NEC (executive council) after his supporters won in a series of separate elections.
Starmer describes himself as a socialist but not a Corbynite, and will keep key policies from the Corbyn era, such as nationalising rail, mail and water and repealing anti-union laws, but the hope is he won't be anywhere near as unpopular and unelectable as the biggest labour loser in living memory.
With 5 years until the next election, and though much needs to be done to shore up and rebuild the red wall, my advice to the new leader is the same I gave Cunliffe when he rose to the top – Don't invite the enemy into the camp, purge. He should also seek to redefine the bond between the party and the unions so the likes of McCluskey are sidelined as much as possible. If he doesn't like it, tough, he can always advise those who pay his large salary to vote tory, though I suspect he'd have a moan and succumb, realising what side his bread is richly buttered on.
… the hope is he won’t be anywhere near as unpopular and unelectable
That will depend on whether or not there’s a concerted defamation campaign against him as there was against Corbyn. Starmer was one of the foulest defamers, along with the likes of such intellectual luminaries as J.K. Rowling. Tom Watson, and Rachael Riley.
'E's not pinin'! 'E's passed on! This party is no more! He has ceased to be! 'E's expired and gone to meet 'is maker! 'E's a stiff! Bereft of life, 'e rests in peace! If you hadn't nailed 'im to the perch 'e'd be pushing up the daisies! 'Is metabolic processes are now 'istory! 'E's off the twig! 'E's kicked the bucket, 'e's shuffled off 'is mortal coil, run down the curtain and joined the bleedin' choir invisible!! He’s f*ckin’ snuffed it!…..THIS IS AN EX-PARTY!!
A sheep farming nieghbour of mine has yearly given himself a shot of drench at that time of year. He reckons that if it can't kill a lamb it will have its work cut out on him. It will get him one day, but it had better get a move on, he's 82 and still working.
What the actual fuck??? Just checked my replies tab and the replies to the mozzie's droning whines showed up, not replies to me. I'm struggling to not take it as a personal insult.
Dollars to be made so of course tRump and gHouliani are touting this shit.
A conservative business group founded by a prolific Republican political donor is pressuring the White House to greenlight an unproven COVID-19 treatment, saying in an online petition that the country has plants in the U.S. ready to produce a drug but can’t because of “red tape, regulation, and a dysfunctional healthcare supply chain.”
In recent days, Home Depot co-founder Bernard Marcus’ Job Creators Network has placed Facebook ads and texted supporters to sign a petition urging President Donald Trump to “CUT RED TAPE” and make an anti-malarial drug called hydroxychloroquine available for treating those sickened with the virus, one such message obtained by ProPublica reads.
All the nit picking, repetitive, sanctimonious Pete George comments seem to indicate he desperate to have a soapbox. Has his own blog closed down?
Most people have agreed David Clark made a mistake going for his bike ride. It was not at all appropriate at this time. He has apologised, and there now are more important issues to deal with. Yes, the media conferences are no doubt left to the PM and Grant Robertson as the best people to handle the media pack of wolves. Both are very ably doing this. Any crisis of this magnitude has to be tightly managed.
There are 2 American utube spokespeople attracting viewers in the millions for their daily press briefings at the moment. Trump and Cuomo.
Cuomo has Trump's measure, he is a better showman.
Trump had me chortling at his relentless superlatives, Cuomo had me in tears.
Cuomo doesn't attack Trump, Donald has nowhere to go but praise Cuomo's popular forthrightness. The guy's little brother is a CNN anchor and has just come down with the virus.
Is it too late for Cuomo to line up against Donald for the Hot Seat? Americans of all stripes are learning to love that guy.
My 79 year old Dad has just been taken to Waikato Hospital by Ambulance. He's normally very healthy, but started having breathing difficulties early Sunday morning. He had to go on his own because of the current rules. This is really scary stuff. I don't know what's happening.
There are lots of people still getting breathing difficulties that have nothing to do with 19.
It could be 19 but wait for something decent to worry about before you worry about it too much fireblade.
Put a call into Waikato Hospital and ask how you can be advised like you were phoning them every 5 minutes but without phoning them every 5 minutes. eg: Be advised of what's going on immediately.
Dad is home again now. The Hospital did an ECG, chest x-ray, Influenza test, Covid-19 test and blood tests. They gave him some medication and he can breath more easily now.
He water blasted the concrete area behind his house on Saturday afternoon and the Hospital thinks this irritated his lungs. Hopefully the tests will be normal/negative. St John Ambulance and the Waikato Hospital were both fantastic.
People are dying overseas because hospitals aren't able to provide artificial lungs until an aged person generates enough of an immune system to counter-act the mongrel.
Because Jacinda jumped early, we have all the ventilators we need for as long as the patients need them. Worst case scenario, you're still stuck with your grumpy old man.
Arundhati Roy writes about how Covid19 threatens India.
She concludes;
Whatever it is, coronavirus has made the mighty kneel and brought the world to a halt like nothing else could. Our minds are still racing back and forth, longing for a return to “normality”, trying to stitch our future to our past and refusing to acknowledge the rupture. But the rupture exists. And in the midst of this terrible despair, it offers us a chance to rethink the doomsday machine we have built for ourselves. Nothing could be worse than a return to normality.
Historically, pandemics have forced humans to break with the past and imagine their world anew. This one is no different. It is a portal, a gateway between one world and the next.
We can choose to walk through it, dragging the carcasses of our prejudice and hatred, our avarice, our data banks and dead ideas, our dead rivers and smoky skies behind us. Or we can walk through lightly, with little luggage, ready to imagine another world. And ready to fight for it.
Nothing could be worse than a return to normality.
The historical normality of India,is pestilence and famine.The former is here and the later will follow almost surely.
India – the world’s second-most populous country, where a majority of the population is involved in agriculture – is among the most vulnerable nations to the disruptions.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi imposed a 21-day lockdown with just a few hours notice on March 25, leaving many of its 120 million migrant laborers struggling to get home and with no money for rent, food or transport.
The country’s northern grain bowl relies on labor from eastern parts of the country, but workers have left the farms because of the lockdown. [L4N2BO25E]
“Who is going to fill the grain bags and bring the produce to market, and transport it to mills?” asked Jadish Lal, a merchant in Punjab’s Khanna grain market, the country’s largest.
Wow, Cuoro is brilliant, he is giving Donald an awful time while leaving no target.
In his live conference he talks about having no choice but go cap in hand to China and beg for ventilators and masks.
He just needs to drop the tiniest of 'I wish we could sort this out in our homeland' hints and it hits like a sledge hammer.
Cuoro is a master story teller. A good story teller doesn't tell, they show, they give us room to create our own narrative. I think Donald has met his match.
The PM’s comments this evening seemed out of her recent character. Her suggestion that we should be grateful we have only 1000 cases instead of the 4000 predicted by some model has drawn cheers from the cheap seats
On reflection tho, hearing her fishing for praise for her performance to date smacks of a commander briefing her troops for a battle she knows we are about to loose. “Remember me lads! I did my best; honest!” Trying to score political points at this early stage is somewhat worrying.
It’d pretty much be relief. This is an epidemic exponential growth curve where the infected rate is expected to double every 2-3 days. That means if it was 4000 now, then we could expect it to be somewhere over 16,000 at the end of next week and somewhere over 64,000 the week after.
Getting the rate down to 1000 after a week and half in lockdown means that the bet that the executive council made in requesting a state of emergency and a epidemic order, plus the steps being taken are actually working. Provided some idiots like those I have fun disparaging here don’t affect progress, we’re more likely to control the epidemic over coming months than we are to lose control.
You really don’t have to work up a dumb conspiracy theory. Simple relief is sufficient. Now maybe she’ll eat better and get some damn sleep with a reduce stress level.
With a grain but it sure looks like the Generals are getting antsy.
Jair Bolsonaro’s irresponsibility in the face of the SARS-CoV-2 virus crisis may have irritated the Armed Forces into choosing Chief Minister of the Civil House, Walter Braga Netto, as the new operational president of Brazil, it was reported today.
Brasil 247 portal quoted Argentine investigative journalist Horacio Verbitsky, saying that a high-ranking officer in the Brazilian Army told a peer from Argentina in a telephone conversation, that Bolsonaro is not heard by authorities when making decisions.
‘The Brazilian party reported they had made the decision to ignore President Bolsonaro in all important decisions,’ said the communicator on the program. ‘There will be consequences’, says the quote by Radio El Destape.
Verbitsky stated that Bolsonaro acts as ‘a monarch without effective power’ and that General Walter Braga Netto of the Civil House is now in charge of the country.
Military website defesanet.com.br, considered the most important news page in the areas of defense, strategy, intelligence and security in Latin America, also confirmed that Braga Neto will be in charge of directing and centralizing all government administration, at least while the crisis lasts due to the Covid-19.
Buzz from the Beehive Housing Minister Chris Bishop delivered news – packed with the ingredients to enflame political passions – worthy of supplanting Winston Peters in headline writers’ priorities. He popped up at the post-Cabinet press conference to promise a crackdown on unruly and antisocial state housing tenants. His ...
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 ...
Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
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 ...
I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
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 ...
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 ...
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist Food rationing is underway in remote areas in Papua New Guinea’s Highlands following torrential rain and flash flooding. More than 20 people have been reported dead in Chimbu Province. In nearby Enga Province, the centre of last month’s massacre, a 15-year-old boy has been ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Hughes, Lecturer, Research School of Management, Australian National University After months of debate and intrigue, the AFL’s 19th and newest team, the Tasmania Devils, finally launched its jumper, logo and colours in Devonport this week. The Devils will wear green, ...
Brannavan Gnanalingam reviews the debut novel by Saraid de Silva.One of the most baffling things for children who move to a new country is what their parents’ (or grandparents’) lives were like prior to moving – for kids in particular, they’re too busy trying to fit in in their ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Gaunson, Associate Professor in Cinema Studies, RMIT University Narelle Portanier/Binge “If you don’t know who your mob are, you don’t know who you are,” Detective Andrea “Andie” Whitford (played by Leah Purcell) is told early into the new crime ...
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 ...
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, ...
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 ...
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 ...
The Papua New Guinea Supreme Court has stopped a byelection for the Madang Open seat being held until an appeal filed by former MP Bryan Kramer is concluded. Kramer had appealed to the Supreme Court over a National Court decision not to review his application of the Leadership Tribunal decision ...
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A wee piece of real-life comedy for you this morning.
Naval boat repeatedly rams a cruise liner for no reason other than testosterone poisoning.
https://edition.cnn.com/2020/04/03/americas/venezuela-navy-cruise-liner-incident-intl/index.html
Naval ship didn't realise – after ramming the cruise liner multiple times – that the cruise liner prow was reinforced to withstand antarctic ice.
Whoops.
Naval boat crumples and sinks.
Cruise liner: 1
Venezuelan navy: 0
That was covered in Yesterday's Dom/Post as well. I couldn't help but laugh out loud.
What I particularly liked was that, after it was obvious that the patrol craft was taking on water, that "the cruise ship had remained in the vicinity of the incident for more than an hour and had offered assistance.. It's Captain alerted the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in Curacao which eventually advised him to continue his journey."
Go away! Stop looking at us! Let us sink in peace!
I'm just disappointed there's no video of the whole thing.
There are an enormous number of uploads on Youtube but all they are is just stock footage of both ships. None show the ramming attempt as far as I could discover.
Why does David Lange's comment come to mind?
'Shortly after the Mikhail Lermontov, the pride of the Soviet cruising fleet, ended her life at the bottom of the Marlborough Sounds, Lange declared that little old New Zealand was "the only nation to sink a Russian Ship since the Second World War."'.
To those that think we were too slow, and to those that think we went too severe, 1 death, so far. Look at the UK, nurses, Drs, Bus Drivers, a 5 year old yesterday! Each county numbering 100s of deaths. Big thanks to those working their arses off keeping us as safe as they can.
And the US 28k new cases to day!!
This is a short tic toc using trump statements on various days.
It is tragic
https://www.tiktok.com/@butdidiask17/video/6806022464519310598?region=JP&mid=6806013252699540230&u_code=d99c7j1c2cic98&preview_pb=0&language=en×tamp=1585986518&utm_source=line&app=tiktok&iid=6802162459673511682&utm_campaign=client_share&utm_medium=ios&tt_from=line&user_id=6758790832193111041&source=h5_t
+ 100% Well said, I feel love.
We are extremely lucky we don't have fools, in power like the USA.
Imagine if Bridges was PM?
'Imagine if Bridges was PM?'
OK …
I doubt that very much.
For a start the lockdown would have been delayed, "because of the cost to business".
Those on welfare would have been ignored.
Big businesses with lobbying clout would have all still been open and their employees forced to work.
There would be no uptick in demand from a minimum wage rise.
Help would have been directed at banks and corporates. Small business, sole traders,beneficiaries and wage earners would have been last on the list, if at all.
Lastly, communication from Bridges would have been abysmal, and even their own voters don't really trust National. Except for tax cuts and lining their own pockets.
KJT,
You are letting your political bias blind you to political reality. As SM says there would have been virtually no difference in response (except minimum wage increase).
All the fiscal measures to support wages and salaries, to support small business survive would have been implemented.
How do I know this? Because what the govt has done is modelled on what National did in Christchurch. They have actually said as much.
Under National there would have been much tougher border surveillance and earlier. That has been and remains a major failure of the government.
My reply is not from my political bias.
It is from what first hand knowledge of what National, really did, in Christchurch.
Not the PR spin version.
Tougher border surveillance could, and I think also, should, have been done sooner.
In fact I consider the border shutdown could have been sooner.
But. Don’t tell me that National wouldn’t have been prevaricating about, costs! long after the co-alition acted.
Bridges was still going on about costs to business not long ago. FFS..
KJT may be right. Wayne may be right. We'll never know. I lean towards KJT's point of view. National would have been likely followed Scumo's weaker response. But as I said, it's history, and words spoken now about what would have happened are worthless and meaningless.
I agree. Nice as it may sound, it’s rather pointless and not even an ‘academic’ exercise. It also carries the risk of polarising opinions, which we don’t really need in these times or in any time for that matter, IMHO.
You still haven't answered my question.
Who restocked our National pandemic supplies in 2017.
And another. Which Government was engaged in privatising by stealth, our health system? Which is going to severely limit our response.
What privatising of health by stealth?
The health system in NZ has hardly changed in the last two decades (apart from new technology). The health budget has increased under both governments at more or less the same rate.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/news/90153732/medical-laboratory-union-frustrated-at-wait-for-information-from-health-board
Two minutes on Google.
Many other examples.
And Labour wasn't guiltless, either.
The Neo-liberal disease.
The proliferation of administrators on high pay, often much higher than operational staff, has swallowed up a large proportion of funding increases for schools, universities and schools, for the last 3 decades.
So the idea that funding has increased may be true on the face of it.
But so much has gone in those salaries and payments to private providers, all those sectors have shown the effects of being run down, in reality.
Hospitals, universities and schools.
If you want to read about a health system being privatised by stealth read this. How the likes of fun f**king loving Branson the one along with Stagecoach f**ked eastern region railways in the UK and expected compensation is now a big player "running" the NHS
Nationalise the lot, tell them all to F**k Off with no compensation. I think Bo-Jo has a bloody cheek putting on his podium "Save the NHS" when since the days of Thatcher the Tories have done their utmost to run it into the ground.
https://consortiumnews.com/2020/03/30/covid-19-contending-with-a-dual-pathology-in-britain/
"Bridges as PM" is not the same as "National in government".
I would give Key/English the benefit of the doubt. But the "bonfire of red tape" (Simon Bridges' own plans, in his own words) was announced as a response to Covid-19.
"The arguments for these things just becomes stronger as a result of Covid-19 … Clearing away red tape means businesses are freer to get up in the morning to hire people and building houses, cutting hair, doing the things that need to be done without the unnecessary rules and regulations," he said.
That was in March 2020. Less than a month ago. Only days before the lockdown. It was pure fantasy.
Simon Bridges would have cost lives.
link to Simon Bridges' speech
Cutting hair? Was this before or after scomofo conferred essentialness upon the coiffeurs?
I would be fascinated to know what unnecessary rules and regulations there might be governing cutting hair.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/coronavirus/120824045/coronavirus-police-modify-guidelines-for-frontline-officers
Yep Bridges was completely out of touch. Almost like he continued to waffle on along prepared lines without any awareness of how serious things were becoming.
I gave Key credit at the time when he raised welfare payments.
And for not going full austerity after the GFC, like so many of the Clowns, overseas.
"Because what the govt has done is modelled on what National did in Christchurch."
What did National do for beneficiaries at that time? I don't remember an across the board benefit rise for Canterbury people. Nor an energy payment that winter. Can't remember what National's response was. Anyone?
https://iknow.cch.co.nz/document/zntxtnewsUio1805910sl278464566/christchurch-earthquake-support-package
Is that the total of what they did or part?
it was extended by a few weeks but was further restricted from memory but as far as direct financial support went that was the extent if I recall correctly.
Its worth noting that the fact a business support package (wage subsidy) had been implemented before, albeit on a limited basis, would likely have promoted it as an option on this occasion.
Having said that I think KJT's assertion that Nationals response would have differed holds a considerable amount of water as with everything the emphasis, priorities and timing would have been different …the devil is always in the detail
Single issue lunacy from you KJT, surround by a huge amount of conjecture and what if’s’
I think the response has been over the top. If anyone thinks this thing isn’t coming back for round 2 at some point, they’re deluded. Will we just shut the economy down again? Or is it better to allow some deaths amongst the lower risk demographics and try and focus isolation and support on the high risk? Then at least we can build some immunity.
Another happy to sacrifice "other people". For the "economy".
Where else are we hearing that from?
By the way, they are heading tens thousands of deaths, if not millions, and their economy, is still fucked.
KJT
No economy in the world can meets the all of the health needs of citizens and prevent all disease related deaths. What economies can do is generate capital to support and resource health systems. The stronger the economy, the greater the resources governments can give to health systems. The issue as it always has been is about how to best allocate those resources. This requires careful judgement (not evident with the current Minister of Health).
For instance cancer patients have for years been competing with each other and with other medical conditions for resources. There is never enough resource to go round and so there will always be priorities and winners and losers.
No one is "happy" about "sacrificing"people. And it doesn't happen "for the economy". Your thinking on this doesn't make sense. Its emotive bullshit.
To reiterate, its the 'economy' that makes it possible to build better health systems.
Not the point. And you know it.
The problem with these armchair alternatives is that they ignore the most basic question in a democracy. Does the government tell the people what it is doing?
If "No", then you're arguing for a cover-up. Which would inevitably leak out, and there would be uproar.
If "Yes", how do you propose that a NZ government (ANY government, forget the names and parties) announces to the people:
"We think it is better to allow some deaths, so we'll be doing that."
So the young should die to protect the old and the infirm?
By and large the evidence strongly suggests that the young don't die at anywhere near the same rates as 'the old and infirm" as a result of Convid 19. So that sacrifice is not being asked of the young. And neither should it.
The same rate does not mean that there is no rate. They still get sick, they still die, and they still infect others. Therefore they are still sacrificing.
Moreover as they have to go off sick in large quantities, they will cause businesses to fail thereby eventually losing themselves and others their jobs.
What kind of moronic point are you trying to make? Simpleton aphorisms don’t make an argument – they merely define someone being an idiot.
I agree with your statements concerning the use of the concept, 'rates'.
My other point (which I should have made more clearly) is that I don't think we should be expecting the young to make unreasonable sacrifices for, say, boomers, for example.
You know you are utterly unconvincing and lack a compelling argument when you use clichés like that.
I understand that you're probably been a little too lazy to read up on epidemics. But the issue in a epidemic without a vaccine or a effective treatment is that everyone almost without exception gets sick.
The more often that you get exposed and infected again before you develop any immunities, the more likely it is that you'll wind up with a dose of infecting agents that manage to overwhelm anyones immune system. Without adequete medical treatment you're more likely to die or have a downstream consequence – like a permanently compromised immune system.
So instead of whining about someone else based on a discussion about probabilities, perhaps you should look more closely at how you stop you, your family, your friends, and your workmates getting into a situation that they get into the worst possible epidemic case.
Try looking at New York where it appears the major demographic dying or severely distressed now are in their 30s and 40s because they have been swanning around in virus haze thinking that they're immune.
Meanwhile the boomers buttoned up weeks ago because they were told that they were at risk.
You can also look to OZ where the risk takers are the most affected ie 20's.
Dr McAnulty said that younger people are being affected.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-04-05/coronavirus-australia-live-blog-updates-covid-19-april-5/12122460
Why not? We're all in this together. Some of the at risk people will be younger people eg those with asthma or immune issues. Everyone is making sacrifices, not just young people, so why single them out as a group and pit them against others?
Further, why is the boomer generation not worthy of being helped? What about the elderly who will die if we all don't do our bit?
Are those young going to have there student loans remitted? As they face ruinous generational bills to pay for the privilege of extending the lives of those who benefited from a free education? Will the young get advantageous interest rates on their mortgages as they take lower paid roles in order to support the old and infirmary right to live where they are on a full government super? Will that same super be affordable for future generations as reward for sacrificing so much for the old and infirm who demanded the economy be shut down to protect them.
the same voices crying for there future generations to be protected from climate change are now sadly forgotten as those same voices revert to individualistic selfishness.
Still with the right wing, trying to set generations against each other, bollocks.
What a mighty spectacle of shadowboxing strawmen you paint there.
In case you missed it, we’re currently trying to protect and save (!) every vulnerable New Zealander irrespective of age and socio-economic status.
Go ahead and sacrifice yourself. Which business are you going to throw yourself under the covid bus for?
For the moment, I’m ignoring the rest of your comment, which is basking in ignorance, IMO.
Nobody knows or is sure if exposure to (i.e. infection with) COVID-19 will induce immunity and, if so, how long this will last. This pandemic is too young to tell and it is highly risky to make predictions and extrapolate from the experience with other coronaviruses or research on animals.
Pretty weak excuse. It’s not wiping people out. It’s fatality rate amongst people without other morbidity factors is nearing .25%.
its the old and infirm and the occasionally unlucky other who then gets sensationalised. I’m not saying it’s not something to be afraid of, but when the theoretical cure is worse than the disease…
we don’t even know if isolation will actually break the transmission cycle. It’s a best guess based on an assumption. So no less valid than Sweden’s approach, which is what I think we should follow.
but hey, if you blindly accept MoH media reports and briefings, be my guest.
The fatality rate from COVID-19 among people who don’t get infected with COVID-19 is 0.00%.
We don’t know all the morbidity factors and some people have undiagnosed factors.
Young healthy people without any conditions or morbidity factors have died and are still dying from COVID-19.
New Zealand’s approach is not Sweden’s one. Sweden currently has 373 deaths caused by COVID-19.
but hey, if you blindly display your ignorance, be my guest.
The fatality rate is incredibly low amongst young people. So your statement young are getting sick and dying is misleading.
https://www.cebm.net/covid-19/global-covid-19-case-fatality-rates/
people are going to die regardless, do we want to lower everyone who survives quality of life for generations to come to potentially save a small portion of the population? And save them only the first time round?
its a tough choice, no one gets it right, but the draconian response is out of proportion.
There is no misleading in my statement about young people dying from COVID-19, as your own link shows. You, OTOH, are displaying your ignorance again.
In New Zealand, the young are the single largest group of positive cases, which is why the PM singled them out in one of recent press conferences.
https://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/diseases-and-conditions/covid-19-novel-coronavirus/covid-19-current-situation/covid-19-current-cases#age
Yes, we’re all going to die, one day. However, we don’t leave anyone behind in this country.
You seem to be suggesting that we “potentially” sacrifice “a small portion of the population” so that the survivors can have better quality of life.
You say that this is a tough choice. Well, no, for me it’s an easy choice and my QALYs would be lower because of my burdened conscience assuming I’ll be among the survivors. You don’t seem to have that problem!?
Getting sick is not the same as dying from Covid 19. Probably why we aren’t seeing lots of deaths relative to our infection rate.
so either your example about New Zealand’s young is designed to be misleading about the fatality impact of covid 19 or it supports my point that the at risk people (fat Americans, old people, underlying health conditions) should be isolated and have massively targeted support and the very low risk people should be allowed to live almost as normal, with some restrictions. As covid 19 isn’t fatally dangerous to them
Ignorant still, but not a surprise.
When falling sick, you risk dying from it. This applies to all ages, but not equally, which nobody has disputed so this is a strawman.
When becoming a carrier, you risk spreading the virus and infecting others. This has nothing to do with your own ‘risk status’.
To prevent this from happening and to try to stamp out the virus, we’re in Alert Level 4. This is likely why we aren’t seeing lots of deaths relative to our infection rate.
You’re suggesting to let the virus go rampant among the population without knowing who are at risk and who aren’t; you don’t know whom it will be “fatally dangerous” to. You’re prepared to let people die so that others can live “almost as normal”. You believe that this is a price worth paying.
Who’s talking about “fat Americans” in our NZ society? Are you deliberately misleading?
You’re as ignorant about COVID-19 as you are about CC, which actually makes a lot of sense.
'…if you blindly accept MoH media reports and briefings, ..'
Hmm blindly following the actual experts advice or some pseudonymous commenter on a blog….. that's a tough one.
Have you ever seen any of the vaccination threads on this site.. lots of pseudonymous commenters thinking they know better than the experts and their science.
This guy knows what’s what. https://www.cebm.net/covid-19/global-covid-19-case-fatality-rates/
are people dying of or with covid-19?
They’re dying of COVID-19.
See also https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-05-04-2020/#comment-1698395
We encourage strong debate supported by sound arguments. We ask the ignorami to educate themselves and improve their arguments and debating skills. You’re starting to sound like a straight-up denier, as you did with CC. Keep it up and you’ll be booted off this site.
Who is denying CC? You’re getting confused. CC is happening, I think there are other ways to deal with it than jetting around hectoring people or organising wasteful marches.
3 people ventilated. It’s hardly reason enough to shut down society. Some will be unlucky enough to get it seriously or even fatally. It’s unfortunate, but not enough to wreck the futures of the rest of their generation.
FIFY
And only one fatality case so far. We’re so lucky, indeed!
And. If the hospitals are full of Coronavirus cases, a hell of a lot of other people are going to die of other conditions. Because there is no place or people to treat them.
But. They are just part of the "collateral damage" right.
One of my friends, a health worker, still cannot work because his constantly postponed hip replacement, has been postponed again due to coronavirus. Isn't that a cost, to?
Keen to volunteer your family as guinea pigs to see if your half arsed theory is correct.?
Yup. I am.
nothing half arsed about it. How else would a vaccine be effective if it wasn’t exposed to virus.
get back to FB Karen
The reason some of those Drs and nurses are dying is because they are getting reinfected, and each time it hits them stronger, then they die. You may end up like Boris Johnson, in denial, then sick.
Bridges was interviewed on Q+A this morning, and it was far the best I've seen him. Sensible, largely supportive of Government measures dealing with Covid, but pertinent questions about testing and quarantining of incoming travelers.
He seemed to be natural and informed.
This perhaps shows the benefits of being isolated from party strategists and media trainers.
And focus groups and polls.
All of them the bane of modern politics and the ruin of potential leaders. David Shearer suffered badly from it, as did Andrew Little (but as it turns out Ardern is a far better communicator anyway).
Ardern herself has been better when finding herself in times of crisis where she acts as she sees fit rather than being projected through a PR lens. Her interview on Seven Sharp on Friday wasn't one her best, it looked prepared and scripted, and laughing off the Clark question and pivoting to a lecture to the rest of us to not do what Clark had done was poor.
We to often forget that a Leader is still part of a group/party.
Who, may not even agree with the things they have to front.
Or, like Trump, is the figurehead for a large number of enablers behind him.
Then they have, in both Labour and National, to deal with a large number of chair polishers, and outright loons, their selection processes saddle them with.
Ardern's interview on 7 Sharp on Friday was simply propaganda and politicking. Its was straight out of the ex Women's Weekly playbook.
TVNZ need to be careful about providing a platform at prime time for political propaganda of this sort. Hillary Barry asking the tough questions is a joke. The programme was unbalanced and biased.
Jack Tane's Q & A programme provides the template for how these things should be done; especially in these times.
Bollocks. What you saw is Simon as he is. Politicians both left and right are not automatons and just puppets of polling. Yes, polling is done. But basically a politician has to use his/her judgement. And once before the camera they just say what they say. It is not nearly as scripted as you seem to think.
Yeah I ve seen Bridges in action -"Angry Simon implodes on Campbell Live"
very natural oh him wasn't it Wayne?
Yes. Saw it again yesterday. Bridges back to being a twit.
"Government should let more businesses open if it is safe for them to do so".
As if it isn't what they are doing already. FFS.
Bridges will have his platform when it comes to the usual May budget. I do not envy Robertson one bit when it comes to this.
There was a mild earth quake in Christchurch this morning. We had the EQC for the earthquakes.
We had a surplus which helps with the current Covid-19.
We have ACC for injuries.
I wonder how the ACC levies are going with the loss of income.
Does anyone know?
Bearing in mind the markets, I suspect they’d be more worried about their reserves which are the buffer. The levies are probably gone down roughly in line with the claims.
It will be interesting to see what the claim number will be during the lockdown and the breakdown of them.
FFS, Pete, where is your link?
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/bridges-calls-more-businesses-safely-operate-during-lockdown
We shall never know how Simon would have handled the crisis (thank God for that) but if we look overseas we can see numerous examples of how right wing governments have fared, Think Trump, think Johnson, think Morrison.
It would be fair to say Simon would not have been much better than any of them.
Add to that the Chinese ambassador's annoyance when we closed our borders to China and you can be sure the borders would have stayed open for longer – notwithstanding what Simon says now.
Check the data Tony. Australia is doing ok. Its current management of the problem is producing results similar to NZ.
Mostly because the various state governments like NSW, Vic and SA have been doing far closer what the NZ government has done. Closing borders. Forcing businesses to close. People to self-isolate early.
They are doing this despite the Federal government’s vacillating and inconsistent policies that seemed largely designed to reduce the call on federal funds at the unemployment.
However the federal government has now seemed to get on with the task at hand in recent days with what looks a lot like our stimulus programmes.
Only because the states have responsibility for Health and NSW and Victoria went harder, faster than the Federal government was always proposing.
A grim read of the article on The Cut thanks KJT. I think?
A bit long and wordy but a great take on the Trump/Cuomo show.
https://www.bedlamfarm.com/2020/04/02/the-cuomo-brothers-versus-the-president-what-a-show/
Very, very good. It explains why the Dems have singularly misunderstood Trump, underestimated him and miserably failed to compete against such an egregious goat of a man:
Reminder #23628 of why it's a really not a good idea for a political leader to own and control substantial business interests: the Dotard of Doltistan is looking for substantial debt relief from Deutsche Bank at the same time as the Department of Justice (which he is in charge of) is investigating Deutsche Bank for various crimes.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/deutsche-bank-trump-debt-help-coronavirus-conflict-of-interest_n_5e87ee89c5b6cc1e47758499
Are these the loans guaranteed by Simeon Mogilivch the Russian mafia boss of bosses
Ruined party elects block of wood as "leader"
Tony Blair sans the charisma.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/world/413473/sir-keir-starmer-to-lead-uk-labour-party
I'll take the views of UK Labour people who work with Starmer every day over your sideline cynicism, thanks.
He's vowed to expel every Labour Party member who cares about human rights. You don't know much, or anything, about the UK Labour Party.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/keir-starmer-elected-uk-labour-chief-apologizes-to-jews-for-party-anti-semitism/
"He's vowed to expel every Labour Party member who cares about human rights"
Citation please (so we know what you are talking about).
I think Morrissey is referring to the article he posted, Starmer intends to address anti-semitism in the party (which doesn't really exist, but was an invention of many "friends of Israel" and some other hidden forces), this will be a direct attack on all socialists in the party who support Palestinian's human rights.
It's an attack not just on "socialists" but on all people who dare to speak out for the victims of injustice.
From the article I provided with my link:
Starmer deliberately mislabels opposition to the crimes of the Israeli regime as "anti-Semitism." That obviously sits well with the extreme right Times of Israel, which published this encomium, but it's another nail in the coffin for the future of the Labour Party.
So he hasn't "vowed to expel every Labour Party member who cares about human rights" then and you just made that up?
What caught my attention about that was that the other leader candidates signed a pledge to support the expulsion of gender critical feminists from the party. From memory Starmer didn't, or at least he was restrained in his handling of that rather than throwing a large number of Labour feminists under the bus.
So making shit up about expulsions carries more stupid weight than normal.
He joined in the campaign of defamation against Jeremy Corbyn, which descended into a purge of anyone who spoke out against Israeli crimes. I didn't make that up, it's an unpleasant fact.
Do you support the contention of the Blairite rump of that party that criticism of Israel is, per se, anti-Semitism?
'The so-called “friends of Israel”, who support Israel automatically and blindly: this has nothing to do with friendship. They are enemies of Israel—they corrupt us. The Jewish establishment in Australia kept saying to me: “Israel right or wrong.” Well, Israel is wrong and they need to stop supporting it. Continuous support by Western governments and by the Jewish establishment is anything BUT friendship.'
—Gideon Levy, speaking in Auckland, 3 Dec. 2017
https://morrisseybreen.blogspot.com/2017/12/unbelievable-brutality-day-after-day.html
Citation needed, because it looks like you are making shit up again.
What it looks like is that you are back in your routine of feigned ignorance. I doubt that you are unaware of the brutal campaign of "anti-Semitism" allegations that was directed against Corbyn over the last four years. So why pretend you are?
I'm asking for evidence that the Labour party has purged members or intends to. You've made the claim twice, and both times refused to back it up, so I assume now you are lying.
In terms of your politics around Israel and Palestine and what Labour are doing re that, not interested in talking about that today.
I'm asking for evidence that the Labour party has purged members or intends to.
If you don't know that the Labour Party is purging human rights activists, you should not be commenting here. I expect to find displays of willful ignorance on Kiwiblog, but not on this normally excellent forum.
In terms of your politics around Israel and Palestine and what Labour are doing re that, not interested in talking about that today.
The false anti-Semitism smear and the witchhunt and the demand for apologies has everything to do with the "politics around Israel-Palestine." I don't believe, by the way, that you are ignorant about this matter.
Morrissey, you run your own blog, IIRC. You should know that many blogs, particularly TS, are not for little tête-à-têtes but for robust debate. Anybody can join in but many read this site without ever commenting. So, when somebody, particularly a Moderator, asks you for evidence to back up your allegations, then please oblige without sounding like a petulant little child. Thanks.
A purging that everyone knows about but for which there is no evidence. Right.
Incognito:
I'm not "alleging" that the right wing (Blairite) rump of the Labour Party, which has now manoeuvred itself back into control—a pyrrhic victory if ever there was one—has operated an unrelenting smear campaign against Corbyn and anyone who stands up for the rights of the Palestinians, any more than I would allege that the sun is coming up tomorrow morning or that today is Sunday. It's a fact.
https://www.medialens.org/2019/reopening-auschwitz-the-conspiracy-to-stop-corbyn/
weka,
You say there is "no evidence" of a purge of human rights activists from the Labour Party. This charming little encapsulation of Starmer's agenda comes from the article I provided for you in my original comment on this thread:
When Starmer says "this poison" he doesn't mean anti-Semitism, he means criticism of the Israeli regime. What do you think he means when he says he's going to "tear out" these critics?
Morrissey, you could have saved yourself the trouble with those utterances that I personally am not interested in.
My concern is your behaviour here and how you respond, or not for that matter, to basic requests for evidence to support your allegations. This is a necessary element of good debate, which we treasure on this site.
You have been around here long enough to know how it works. Next time, please just provide the evidence and don’t argue. It is wasting our time and I find it tedious enough to get the ban-hammer out.
Over and out.
Well look where charisma gets us.
https://twitter.com/Jasonwalls92/status/1246543353438560256
Jack Tame?
https://morrisseybreen.blogspot.com/2018/01/jack-tame-emotes-after-newtown.html
https://morrisseybreen.blogspot.com/2018/04/jack-tames-interview-of-chris-liddell.html
https://morrisseybreen.blogspot.com/2019/02/jack-tame-chief-worshipper-of-hosk-dec.html
None of that looks relevant to the two tweets, it looks more like a shoot the messenger diversion.
Did you read what Tame wrote about a real shooting? "Solipsistic" is the most generous spin you could put on it.
https://morrisseybreen.blogspot.com/2018/01/jack-tame-emotes-after-newtown.html
I didn't read a link to something from two years ago – it's still irrelevant to the tweets.
I didn't read a link to something from two years ago…
Tame's horrible little meditation was from eight years ago.
What is your point, Pete? Are you playing ‘trick or treat’ with us here on TS?
I thought it was kinda obvious. Robertson said that Clark was "always available" for interviews according to Jason Walls.
Also Stuff reported Robertson as saying “He’s available to front anytime".
But Jack Tame pointed out he reneged on a scheduled Q+A interview for today so wasn't always available as stated. RNZ Live referred to it as "a no show'.
Also from RNZ Live:
Tova O'Brien reported:
So according to Robertson and Ardern, Clark is "available to front any time" and "would continue to be available for interviews", but according to journalists he isn't.
The Minister of Health, during the biggest health crisis for decades, is remote from the centre of Government and Ministry of Health activity and is not giving interviews despite the Prime Minister and Minister of Finance saying he is available (knowing he isn't doing interviews).
Something is obviously not right here.
If he's not giving interviews to gossip columnists who want to rabbit on about him going for a bike ride, then good so. Why should someone in his position indulge such childish bullshit? If they were actually interested in asking him questions about the pandemic and NZ's response to it, it would be dereliction of duty for him to refuse the interviews – but they aren't, and it isn't.
Q+A is hardly a gossip column, it's not perfect but it's one of the best political media forums we have.
With Clark not fronting up Simon Bridges got a spot, and surprisingly he came across well, far different from his usual. Generally supportive of Government actions but with some reasonable questions and criticisms.
So at least something good came of Clark's no show. Bridges may be capable of rising to the occasion that the current situation requires of our politicians.
” it would be dereliction of duty for him to refuse the interviews – but they aren’t”
Do you have proof of this? I heard O’Brien saying she had specific and relevant (to the pandemic) sounding questions.
You mean Tova Woodward?
https://twitter.com/nz_voter/status/1246623491492728832
Good move by Clark imo, let's see how much media work he does in the coming week. Journos want to sensationalise a story that should have been over by now. Under normal circumstances that would just be tedious, but under these circumstances it's bizarre.
PM's press conference today: the first there-were-so-many-I-can't-recall-how-many questions were all about David Clark going for a bike ride. Nothing about Tova O'Brien's previous reporting suggests she'd operate to a higher standard than that, in fact for all I know it was her asking those questions (the questioners aren't identified in the video).
"and is not giving interviews"
When was the last time Clark gave an interview then?
What is obvious is that your mind is not like mine, obviously.
Being available for interviews is not the same as being available for a game of pin the tail on the donkey, no matter how much it appeals to a certain audience and certain pundits who have made a hobby out of reporting on it.
When something smells a little off, it could be a ripening French cheese. Yum!
So how long do you think that Clark should refuse to do interviews (despite Ardern and Robertson saying he is always available) just in case someone asks him an awkward question that he would prefer not to answer?
Or do you think he should only do interviews with questions he allows in advance?
Or should Bloomfield, Robertson and Ardern just speak on his behalf. It's not as if he has a very important job, is it.
I thought it was kinda obvious. During Alert Level 4, he should only do interviews on how to repair punctures when mountain biking in the wild.
I think this tweet speaks for itself, adding to this thread.
https://twitter.com/oneforthedr/status/1246608668394549250
I don’t hear any voices, Pete, do you?
Yap! Yap! Yap!
Please Pete – Give it a bone.
There are way more important issues than someone going on a bike ride, even if they are the Minister of Health.
I never thought the bike ride was a big deal apart from being embarrassing for Ardern efforts to get people following her message of staying away from risky pastimes.
But what it has highlighted is a Minister of Health being shielded or hiding away at the most important time for any Minister of Health for decades. That's an important issue. Do we have a functional Minister of Health?
What’s more important: de we have a scandal that can bring down this Government? Will the PM call a snap election? What do the polls say? What’s for dinner tonight?
You attempt at flippancy is a pretty lame attempt at diversion, and I think stupid in the current situation of a pandemic.
Media have picked up on the MIA issue…
https://twitter.com/oneforthedr/status/1246617895829819392
…and that's a big deal for a Minister of Health during an unprecedented pandemic.
Irony not your strongest point, Pete, i.e. MIA?
Do you really not see what Ardern did today? She knew exactly what was coming (our political journos are nothing if not predictable). She fed them a line: "idiots".
Then she took the (predictable) questions on Clark and quietly kicked him in the shins. She didn't repeat "idiot", because she didn't need to.
She also knew that while a minuscule minority of poli-tragics on blogs might still be getting worked up about Clark, the vast majority of the public are rolling their eyes at the journos (see the social media reaction in real time, which is unspun).
What do leaders usually say when one of their team lapses? "It was within the rules …" "I do not condone but …" "What about what about?" etc. Weasel words, which only make it worse.
She is smarter than that, and still many can't/won't see it.
"Do you really not see what Ardern did today? "
Yes, she gave journalists an opening to infer Clark was an idiot, a notion she didn't do much to dispel.
If Ardern is smart she won't let this fester away, which is likely if left unaddressed and information is sought from the Minister of Health – he can't go to ground forever.
It isn't festering away. Nobody cares much, except journos who help to make sure nobody cares by going on about it some more. She has political capital in spades, they don't.
I don't think you would even recognize her smarts, TBH.
Have you and other journos [see what I did there?] called out Stuart Nash yet. I heard he’s been spotted in his home gym lifting weights.
And why didn't you bring this up before the bike ride?
when was the last time Clark gave an interview?
Good question. I don't know. I do know that he has seemed to struggle with interviews he has given over the last couple of weeks, he has sounded unsure and lacking in confidence. Perhaps that's why he has quietly been given a reduced role.
so you don't actually know if he is refusing to give interviews, other than he pulled out of one today?
As above, refusing interviews from Newshub.
And obviously other journalists are showing concerns about it.
Fair bet 90% of the interviews in the next few days would have revolved around bicycles, so why bother.
Probably with other pretexts but it woulod have come up for sure. But he's got to front up sooner or later and deal to that.
Or is he going to go full funkstille?
Gotcha issues have a short expiry date.
Non-performing ministers in critical portfolios in a crisis probably have a longer expiry date – like for as long as he refuses interviews.
how has he been non-performing other than refusing a couple of interviews?
*crickets*
This one?
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2018741008/coronavirus-health-minister-on-testing-ventilators
It's a bit superfluous for him to be doing interviews when the PM is fronting this issue. Journalists know that too, hence no squawking about lack of interviews until now. It's clear why they have a sudden interest in interviewing him, and also clear that the reason is "childish gotcha bullshit."
Not when he's cleaning his chain, obv. I mean come on.
Virgin Australia has shut down its NZ operations. 600 jobs gone, more than twice as many as the Bauer debacle. No doubt the howls of outrage in the media are coming…?
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/413455/loss-of-600-jobs-as-virgin-australia-shuts-its-nz-operations
3000 from Air New Zealand.
The airline industry is going to be a very sad place for a long time. There's a lot of airlines that have been loosing serious money prior to the covid19 restrictions on travel. Virgin Australia was one.
This piece from ABC sums it up nicely. Bottom line, Virgin is an overseas owned business and the Australian government is very unlikely to bail them out. Unfortunately some / most of the overseas airlines that own Virgin are worse. Can't see them being around for long.
The global airline industry will probably resemble the airline industry of the late 60's by the end of this, a few national flag carriers serving their home states and a couple of larger international based ones. And a lot of surplus aluminium parked in the desert. And a lot of people out of work.
Virgin is an overseas owned business and the Australian government is very unlikely to bail them out.
Taleb had a scathing response (and solution)
https://twitter.com/nntaleb/status/1243909550819942400
Virgin Australia were in big trouble 8 months ago….losses of $1.2 billion over the last 6 years. They would probably have folded without Covid-19. See:
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-virgin-australia-strategy-focus/turnaround-may-prove-tricky-for-new-virgin-australia-ceo-scurrah-idUSKCN1VG01O
"a lot of surplus aluminium parked in the desert. "
I wonder how that will affect the prospects of Rio Tinto at Tiwai? Their "best aluminium" claims revolve mainly around aircraft manufacture, I understand.
Wind turbines?
The high purity of the aluminium from Tiwai Point is more valuable for electronics purposes that directly use it in the pure state. The large portion of the output that goes to Japan is used for that.
High purity aluminium is useless for any kind of structural use, it's much too soft and weak. So it has to be alloyed with significant amounts of other elements, and the tiny quantities of impurities disappear into the tolerances of the alloying proportions. For instance, a common high-performance alloy is 7075 with a recipe that roughly includes 5.6–6.1% zinc, 2.1–2.5% magnesium, 1.2–1.6% copper, and less than a half percent of silicon, iron, manganese, titanium, chromium, and other metals.
"our high-purity aluminium is valuable for aerospace" makes for a good marketing story, though. It's useful to make locals feel special about what they produce, in order to add to their social license to operate. Even when it's bullshit.
Its likely, for the moment, that any subsidies paid to Tiwai will be cheaper than unemployment support for the numerous on and off site staff and losses to the wider community. But the plant owners could pull the plug anytime, which would be sad.
The real shame is that money, which could have been used to develop long term sustainable employment in Southland, has instead been wasted on bribes to Rio Tinto. It would have been cheaper to shut it down, and just continue paying the staff.
And we have all been paying higher power bills, for decades, for the same reason.
Other industries and infrastructure, such as electric rail, could have used that power.
A necessity to help stop man made global warming.
But. Still sad for the people out of work.
a faster curve than expected, but we were always going to end up here and I'm relieved it's happening now rather than in 20 years when it's way too late.
My hope now is that we create sustainable jobs rather than rushing back to the pollution economy.
I notice the usual suspects gearing up for business as usual.
Including Federated farmers, trying to get out of ceasing to pollute waterways, and businesses which relied on cheap labour, tax payer support and capital gains, trying to use this an excuse for even more largess from their employees, and the rest of us.
I don’t have much hope. They are already trying to paint targets on anyone who is against de- regulation and subsidies for polluting businesses.
Once China has built it's strategic milk powder mountain a shock could be on the way. No markets, or severely fucked markets, will mean much less going off farm.
Add to that less containers coming into the country full of all the shit we buy from Briscoes et al, so we've got to import empty boxes, and NZ agriculture could be in for a squeeze like it's never seen before.
I've too many family members in farming, to cheer on, it's reduction.
However commodity milk powder, was bound to run into a wall, at some stage.
Not to mention I expect the EU, and others to be trying to make up for lost trade at the same time as us.
No one who was around at the time, can forget the effects of "lakes of milk and mountains of butter" the EU, can produce, if they want to.
Expecting agriculture to pull us out of the hole, is not a given.
And. Our so called “free trade” agreements will prevent us from developing, replacement industry.
NZ agriculture could be in for a squeeze like it's never seen before.
Twaddle,demand in china for WMP is increasing due to the CCP expectation that everyone needs to drink 300ml of milk a day.Neither China or NZ can meet that cumulative demand.
There is also expected a global shortfall in whole foods such as apples,kiwifruit,oranges.and grain due to export restrictions from former CIS states.
Agriculture is resilient ie antifragile during recessions,whether NZ can sustain the harvest,due to staff shortages or government policy in horticulture (limited selling venues) is the open problem.
but at what price?…deflation is a feature of depressions
Deflation is across the entire economy,as people replace capex etc with the necessary and small treats.
During the GFC prices went up,before falling (due to increased supply)
http://www.fao.org/worldfoodsituation/foodpricesindex/en/
wishful thinking….you may wish to look a little further back than the GFC.
and you may also wish to consider the impact of deflation on debt loadings especially in an already highly leveraged sector
Think of the cash in the bank.yr on yr.(deposits)
Feb 2019. 345,571 (m$)
Feb 2020 365,691 (m$)
Households holding an extra 7.5 b$
As few additional house sales will be transacted over the lockdown period,and those who do not seek mortgage holidays,repayment would also exceed bank household lending.
https://www.rbnz.govt.nz/statistics/s40-banks-liabilities-deposits-by-sector
your point?….household sector savings have little to do with agricultural debt nor non performing loans.
Household and domestic savings provide stable liquidity for NZ
Agriculture (export) has an interesting built in safety valve,as ahve most commodity currencies.the fast 15% depreciation in the $nz
Fuel costs are down so internal transport costs reduce.Working capital interest costs have also been reduced.
Staffing for the harvest would be the biggest problem at present.
household sector savings provide protection from offshore impacts including exchange rate fluctuations is true enough…hence the RBNZ increased requirement in recent times…however there is another side to that ledger which somewhat negates your cheerleading…both household debt and total debt has increased more in the same period
https://www.rbnz.govt.nz/statistics/s30-banks-assets-loans-by-sector
The floating exchange rate could be expected to provide (some) protection in normal circumstances however we are looking at a prolonged reduction in worldwide economic activity which is it self deflationary as there will be reduced demand and ability to purchase our goods and our competitors are capable of increasing production at a scale (and will be looking to do so) we cannot cope with even if we had spare capacity , which we dont…and the non commodity imports required for our (now) high input model of ag will not deflate at the same rate.
Yes oil is low at the moment but that wont remain the case for long as the russians and saudis will agree to cut production soon enough especially in light of further reduced demand.
from your final comment it appears your horizon is around 3 months…..seriously???
from your final comment it appears your horizon is around 3 months…..seriously???
Thats when they make most of their income,ie from the harvest to sustain them over the year.
Nobody told the cows
That's what they said to me, the last time I said dairy prices were going to drop steeply.
Of course telling me it was "twaddle" didn't stop them going down.
There will be longships to row, no doubt.
and the fixed costs spread over a smaller pool will necessitate considerable fare increases…cheap travel is gone for the foreseeable (once the dust settles)
Like I said, back to the 60's. Not quite passenger lists in the social pages, but close.
1st World problems:
When walking I have noticed the increase of "Dog Mines" just off footpaths 🤬. When giving way to others: using the footpath as a 2m guide walk whilst passing using either side of the grass verge. Be careful watch out for dog poo being tramped thru the house. 😉
You wear shoes inside! How od
Only when I enter into our entrance or garage then leave shoes inside front or back door – there is the isolated occasion that there is a need rush inside 😉 – And that will be the one occasion that "stuff" is on the sole of the shoe.
As the great philosophy forest gump said .
Shit happens.
I thought you were a dairyman bwaghorn. Dog poo and cow poo are not in the same race.
Wash your mouth out I'm a shepherd.
Mind I was a dairy farmer but shit really did happen in that game in more ways than one.!
A longish but very worthwhile piece on the idea of there being a trade-off between the economy and public health (spoiler: there isn't), with a focus on when and how to back off on restrictions.
https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2020/04/02/coronavirus-economy-reopen-deaths-balance-analysis-159248
Coronavirus: Man arrested after filming himself coughing on fellow shoppers
WTF was he thinking? He's lucky no one decked him given how stressed out and on edge many are currently. Hopefully the prick didn't have the disease.
Apparently he had a bit too much to drink so wasn't thinking.
He has been charged.
I think he should be trespassed from all food shops.
So the virus does spread by arseole.
That sort never thinks. He has no excuse except to apologise humbly for being a natural dork. He should go through a rigorous Army training program to strengthen his discipline muscle.
He clearly has FITH disease.
It's an hereditary condition so there's likely more like him out there.
Good.
Funny how the corporate media have been avoiding talking about the Biden sexual assault allegations. And then it gets all mixed up in an attack on Alyssa Milano, ever get the feeling women mean nothing in politics, and are just props?
Please don't do the usual and throw in trump to dilute the debate. I know he's a absolute sexist arse, and anyone not living under a rock knows it too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DK-noZ2xsbk&ab_channel=TheYoungTurks
Please don't do the usual and throw in trump to dilute the debate. I know he's a [sic] absolute sexist arse…
So is Biden. And then there was Clinton. And this creep…
https://www.truthdig.com/articles/justin-trudeaus-blackface-is-far-from-the-worst-of-his-offenses-video/
I am watching The Nation. I am so fixated on Paul Goldsmith's goggles that I can not concentrate on what he is saying.
Has he got eye virus?
I actually did not consider my comment being linked to a virus.
I tried to get glasses recently and the only pair which suited that I really liked were in the children's section and had a superman on them so were not an option.
I am finding the styles of frames to be so variable from like thick window frames to looking like goggles.
The easiest solution is to keep the frames and update the lens.
Congratulations to Keir Starmer for taking out the labour leadership contest. Not my choice, who came in third, but thankfully the continuity candidate Wrong Daily fell well short, and with her, the momentum led ultra faction.
Not only did Starmer have the overwhelming backing of all three voting groups, he also took effective control of the NEC (executive council) after his supporters won in a series of separate elections.
Starmer describes himself as a socialist but not a Corbynite, and will keep key policies from the Corbyn era, such as nationalising rail, mail and water and repealing anti-union laws, but the hope is he won't be anywhere near as unpopular and unelectable as the biggest labour loser in living memory.
With 5 years until the next election, and though much needs to be done to shore up and rebuild the red wall, my advice to the new leader is the same I gave Cunliffe when he rose to the top – Don't invite the enemy into the camp, purge. He should also seek to redefine the bond between the party and the unions so the likes of McCluskey are sidelined as much as possible. If he doesn't like it, tough, he can always advise those who pay his large salary to vote tory, though I suspect he'd have a moan and succumb, realising what side his bread is richly buttered on.
Better luck next time Lisa.
… the hope is he won’t be anywhere near as unpopular and unelectable
That will depend on whether or not there’s a concerted defamation campaign against him as there was against Corbyn. Starmer was one of the foulest defamers, along with the likes of such intellectual luminaries as J.K. Rowling. Tom Watson, and Rachael Riley.
The Labour Party in Britain is dead.
'E's not pinin'! 'E's passed on! This party is no more! He has ceased to be! 'E's expired and gone to meet 'is maker! 'E's a stiff! Bereft of life, 'e rests in peace! If you hadn't nailed 'im to the perch 'e'd be pushing up the daisies! 'Is metabolic processes are now 'istory! 'E's off the twig! 'E's kicked the bucket, 'e's shuffled off 'is mortal coil, run down the curtain and joined the bleedin' choir invisible!! He’s f*ckin’ snuffed it!…..THIS IS AN EX-PARTY!!
lol
Got it in one brilliant take, Al1en!
Keep up the good work, my man.
I know! You really wanted to be that
stenographerlumberjack. 😆I'll stick to being a "third-rate stenographer", as the boys at Kiwiblog* used to cruelly call me.
.
.
.
.
.
.
* I'm excluded from that site now.
I guess you can still wear high heels, suspendies and a bra.
They've insinuated that I'm into that kind of thing too. Bastards.
https://morrisseybreen.blogspot.com/2019/01/that-is-strike-one-breen-cops-formal.html
Did they quote Python?
Going on Kiwiblog is to step into Monty Python.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpAvcGcEc0k
Farmers, better lock up your sheep drench. The zombie hordes of the clueless reading about the latest miracle cure are no doubt on their way.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/coronavirus/120825594/coronavirus-australian-scientists-discover-head-lice-drug-kills-covid19-in-lab
A sheep farming nieghbour of mine has yearly given himself a shot of drench at that time of year. He reckons that if it can't kill a lamb it will have its work cut out on him. It will get him one day, but it had better get a move on, he's 82 and still working.
What the actual fuck??? Just checked my replies tab and the replies to the mozzie's droning whines showed up, not replies to me. I'm struggling to not take it as a personal insult.
Phew. Now it's pat's. That's not so bad.
Now it's Macro's. I can live with that.
😆
the mozzie's droning whines…
Assuming that "the mozzie" is this writer, i.e., moi, could you possibly explain how any of my posts constitute a "droning whine"?
Thanks in advance,
Morrissey.
https://www.ecomist.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/mosquito-biting-hand-feature.jpg
Recommended reading for weka
The lockdown gives you and nearly everyone else a chance to actually do some reading.
https://www.versobooks.com/books/3215-antisemitism-and-the-labour-party
The Economist on antibody testing.
http://archive.li/JXqnX
Good article. It does point towards a need to start looking for fly-by-night kits.
Dollars to be made so of course tRump and gHouliani are touting this shit.
A conservative business group founded by a prolific Republican political donor is pressuring the White House to greenlight an unproven COVID-19 treatment, saying in an online petition that the country has plants in the U.S. ready to produce a drug but can’t because of “red tape, regulation, and a dysfunctional healthcare supply chain.”
In recent days, Home Depot co-founder Bernard Marcus’ Job Creators Network has placed Facebook ads and texted supporters to sign a petition urging President Donald Trump to “CUT RED TAPE” and make an anti-malarial drug called hydroxychloroquine available for treating those sickened with the virus, one such message obtained by ProPublica reads.
https://www.propublica.org/article/republican-billionaire-group-pushes-unproven-covid-19-treatment-trump-promoted
All the nit picking, repetitive, sanctimonious Pete George comments seem to indicate he desperate to have a soapbox. Has his own blog closed down?
Most people have agreed David Clark made a mistake going for his bike ride. It was not at all appropriate at this time. He has apologised, and there now are more important issues to deal with. Yes, the media conferences are no doubt left to the PM and Grant Robertson as the best people to handle the media pack of wolves. Both are very ably doing this. Any crisis of this magnitude has to be tightly managed.
There are 2 American utube spokespeople attracting viewers in the millions for their daily press briefings at the moment. Trump and Cuomo.
Cuomo has Trump's measure, he is a better showman.
Trump had me chortling at his relentless superlatives, Cuomo had me in tears.
Cuomo doesn't attack Trump, Donald has nowhere to go but praise Cuomo's popular forthrightness. The guy's little brother is a CNN anchor and has just come down with the virus.
Is it too late for Cuomo to line up against Donald for the Hot Seat? Americans of all stripes are learning to love that guy.
My 79 year old Dad has just been taken to Waikato Hospital by Ambulance. He's normally very healthy, but started having breathing difficulties early Sunday morning. He had to go on his own because of the current rules. This is really scary stuff. I don't know what's happening.
There are lots of people still getting breathing difficulties that have nothing to do with 19.
It could be 19 but wait for something decent to worry about before you worry about it too much fireblade.
Put a call into Waikato Hospital and ask how you can be advised like you were phoning them every 5 minutes but without phoning them every 5 minutes. eg: Be advised of what's going on immediately.
Yep, thanks. Will phone Waikato Hospital.
Dad is home again now. The Hospital did an ECG, chest x-ray, Influenza test, Covid-19 test and blood tests. They gave him some medication and he can breath more easily now.
He water blasted the concrete area behind his house on Saturday afternoon and the Hospital thinks this irritated his lungs. Hopefully the tests will be normal/negative. St John Ambulance and the Waikato Hospital were both fantastic.
Excellent news!!
glad to hear
People are dying overseas because hospitals aren't able to provide artificial lungs until an aged person generates enough of an immune system to counter-act the mongrel.
Because Jacinda jumped early, we have all the ventilators we need for as long as the patients need them. Worst case scenario, you're still stuck with your grumpy old man.
The French are at it again.
https://twitter.com/johnnjenga/status/1246329223163371521
Experimentation? There is no doubt, Rugby, League, NFL, NBL, most sports, chances are you're gonna be better off with a brown person. Music?
Did you catch Tiki locked down with his family?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAZ60kfGD0c&t=746s
Arundhati Roy writes about how Covid19 threatens India.
She concludes;
Whatever it is, coronavirus has made the mighty kneel and brought the world to a halt like nothing else could. Our minds are still racing back and forth, longing for a return to “normality”, trying to stitch our future to our past and refusing to acknowledge the rupture. But the rupture exists. And in the midst of this terrible despair, it offers us a chance to rethink the doomsday machine we have built for ourselves. Nothing could be worse than a return to normality.
Historically, pandemics have forced humans to break with the past and imagine their world anew. This one is no different. It is a portal, a gateway between one world and the next.
We can choose to walk through it, dragging the carcasses of our prejudice and hatred, our avarice, our data banks and dead ideas, our dead rivers and smoky skies behind us. Or we can walk through lightly, with little luggage, ready to imagine another world. And ready to fight for it.
https://www.ft.com/content/10d8f5e8-74eb-11ea-95fe-fcd274e920ca
Nothing could be worse than a return to normality.
The historical normality of India,is pestilence and famine.The former is here and the later will follow almost surely.
India – the world’s second-most populous country, where a majority of the population is involved in agriculture – is among the most vulnerable nations to the disruptions.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi imposed a 21-day lockdown with just a few hours notice on March 25, leaving many of its 120 million migrant laborers struggling to get home and with no money for rent, food or transport.
The country’s northern grain bowl relies on labor from eastern parts of the country, but workers have left the farms because of the lockdown. [L4N2BO25E]
“Who is going to fill the grain bags and bring the produce to market, and transport it to mills?” asked Jadish Lal, a merchant in Punjab’s Khanna grain market, the country’s largest.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-food-supplies-insi/coronavirus-upends-global-food-supply-chains-in-latest-economic-shock-idUSKBN21L2V7
Wow, Cuoro is brilliant, he is giving Donald an awful time while leaving no target.
In his live conference he talks about having no choice but go cap in hand to China and beg for ventilators and masks.
He just needs to drop the tiniest of 'I wish we could sort this out in our homeland' hints and it hits like a sledge hammer.
Cuoro is a master story teller. A good story teller doesn't tell, they show, they give us room to create our own narrative. I think Donald has met his match.
The PM’s comments this evening seemed out of her recent character. Her suggestion that we should be grateful we have only 1000 cases instead of the 4000 predicted by some model has drawn cheers from the cheap seats
On reflection tho, hearing her fishing for praise for her performance to date smacks of a commander briefing her troops for a battle she knows we are about to loose. “Remember me lads! I did my best; honest!” Trying to score political points at this early stage is somewhat worrying.
What does she know that we don’t, yet?
It’d pretty much be relief. This is an epidemic exponential growth curve where the infected rate is expected to double every 2-3 days. That means if it was 4000 now, then we could expect it to be somewhere over 16,000 at the end of next week and somewhere over 64,000 the week after.
Getting the rate down to 1000 after a week and half in lockdown means that the bet that the executive council made in requesting a state of emergency and a epidemic order, plus the steps being taken are actually working. Provided some idiots like those I have fun disparaging here don’t affect progress, we’re more likely to control the epidemic over coming months than we are to lose control.
You really don’t have to work up a dumb conspiracy theory. Simple relief is sufficient. Now maybe she’ll eat better and get some damn sleep with a reduce stress level.
I think she was praising us, all of us, the nation, for our collective performance under testing circumstances.
Great story Andrew, and I'm sure you are a great man and father, but you should be back with your family in the Phillipines as far as as I can see.
Sorry, but why the hell is the wage subsidy going to migrant workers who then send it off-shore?
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12322066
With a grain but it sure looks like the Generals are getting antsy.
Jair Bolsonaro’s irresponsibility in the face of the SARS-CoV-2 virus crisis may have irritated the Armed Forces into choosing Chief Minister of the Civil House, Walter Braga Netto, as the new operational president of Brazil, it was reported today.
Brasil 247 portal quoted Argentine investigative journalist Horacio Verbitsky, saying that a high-ranking officer in the Brazilian Army told a peer from Argentina in a telephone conversation, that Bolsonaro is not heard by authorities when making decisions.
‘The Brazilian party reported they had made the decision to ignore President Bolsonaro in all important decisions,’ said the communicator on the program. ‘There will be consequences’, says the quote by Radio El Destape.
Verbitsky stated that Bolsonaro acts as ‘a monarch without effective power’ and that General Walter Braga Netto of the Civil House is now in charge of the country.
Military website defesanet.com.br, considered the most important news page in the areas of defense, strategy, intelligence and security in Latin America, also confirmed that Braga Neto will be in charge of directing and centralizing all government administration, at least while the crisis lasts due to the Covid-19.
https://www.plenglish.com/index.php?o=rn&id=54219&SEO=brazilian-media-reports-armed-forces-may-have-named-new-president