Open mike 05/11/2020
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6:00 am, November 5th, 2020 - 39 comments
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Returning to the model that was failing for most polytechnics and Institutes of Technology is not the answer. ...2 days ago
- Release: National buries 1019 planned homes
It’s been revealed that National has cancelled 60 percent of its housing projects planned before mid-2025 amidst housing woes. ...3 days ago
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The Government is quietly undertaking consultation on the dangerous Regulatory Standards Bill over the Christmas period to avoid too much attention. ...3 days ago
- Release: Why not both? Luxon shuns Waitangi celebrations
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The Government’s planned changes to the freedom of speech obligations of universities is little more than a front for stoking the political fires of disinformation and fear, placing teachers and students in the crosshairs. ...3 days ago - Release: Nicola Willis spirals country deeper into recession
The economy shrank 1% this quarter and New Zealand has tumbled into the depths of a recession of Nicola Willis’ making. ...3 days ago
- Release: Hikes for company directors but not ordinary Kiwis
Working people are going backwards while company directors are being given huge pay hikes. ...4 days ago
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The Ministry of Regulation’s report into Early Childhood Education (ECE) in Aotearoa raises serious concerns about the possibility of lowering qualification requirements, undermining quality and risking worse outcomes for tamariki, whānau, and kaiako. ...4 days ago
- Release: Strengthening Justice Services for New Zealanders
A Bill to modernise the role of Justices of the Peace (JP), ensuring they remain active in their communities and connected with other JPs, has been put into the ballot. ...4 days ago
- Release: Labour will continue fight against destructive projects
Labour will continue to fight unsustainable and destructive projects that are able to leap-frog environment protection under National’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. ...5 days ago
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The Green Party has warned that a Green Government will revoke the consents of companies who override environmental protections as part of Fast-Track legislation being passed today. ...5 days ago
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The Green Party says the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update shows how the Government is failing to address the massive social and infrastructure deficits our country faces. ...5 days ago
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The Government’s latest move to reduce the earnings of migrant workers will not only hurt migrants but it will drive down the wages of Kiwi workers. ...5 days ago
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With more debt and a larger deficit, Nicola Willis’ reputation is in tatters after her failure to return the Government’s books to surplus. ...5 days ago
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Te Pāti Māori has this morning issued a stern warning to Fast-Track applicants with interests in mining, pledging to hold them accountable through retrospective liability and to immediately revoke Fast-Track consents under a future Te Pāti Māori government. This warning comes ahead of today’s third reading of the Fast-Track Approvals ...5 days ago
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For the second year running, the government has effectively cut wages for the lowest paid workers in New Zealand. ...5 days ago
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The Government’s announcement today of a 1.5 per cent increase to minimum wage is another blow for workers, with inflation projected to exceed the increase, meaning it’s a real terms pay reduction for many. ...5 days ago
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All the Government has achieved from its announcement today is to continue to push responsibility back on councils for its own lack of action to help bring down skyrocketing rates. ...6 days ago
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The Government has used its final post-Cabinet press conference of the year to punch down on local government without offering any credible solutions to the issues our councils are facing. ...6 days ago
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The Government has failed to keep its promise to ‘super charge’ the EV network, delivering just 292 chargers - less than half of the 670 chargers needed to meet its target. ...6 days ago
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The Green Party is calling for the Government to stop subsidising the largest user of the country’s gas supplies, Methanex, following a report highlighting the multi-national’s disproportionate influence on energy prices in Aotearoa. ...6 days ago
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The Green Party is appalled with the Government’s new child poverty targets that are based on a new ‘persistent poverty’ measure that could be met even with an increase in child poverty. ...1 week ago
- Release: Four weeks annual leave under threat
The Government’s attack on workers continues with news it is scrapping work on the Holidays Act. ...1 week ago
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New independent analysis has revealed that the Government’s Emissions Reduction Plan (ERP) will reduce emissions by a measly 1 per cent by 2030, failing to set us up for the future and meeting upcoming targets. ...1 week ago
- Greens stand in solidarity with Whakaata Māori on sad day
The loss of 27 kaimahi at Whakaata Māori and the end of its daily news bulletin is a sad day for Māori media and another step backwards for Te Tiriti o Waitangi justice. ...1 week ago
- Sanctions regime to create more hardship for families
Yesterday the Government passed cruel legislation through first reading to establish a new beneficiary sanction regime that will ultimately mean more households cannot afford the basic essentials. ...1 week ago
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Today's passing of the Government's Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill–which allows landlords to end tenancies with no reason–ignores the voice of the people and leaves renters in limbo ahead of the festive season. ...1 week ago
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Labour is urging the Prime Minister to walk the talk and support legislation combating modern slavery. ...2 weeks ago
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The Speaker of the New Zealand Parliament made an unprecedented decision on the government amendment to the Fast Track Approvals Bill last night. ...2 weeks ago
- One year on, still no progress on new ferries
Today’s announcement from the Government on its plan for new ferries throws more uncertainty on the future of the country’s rail network. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Nicola Willis’ smaller ferries will cost more
After wasting a year, Nicola Willis has delivered a worse deal for the Cook Strait ferries that will end up being more expensive and take longer to arrive. ...2 weeks ago
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Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick has today launched a Member’s Bill to sanction Israel for its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, as the All Out For Gaza rally reaches Parliament. ...2 weeks ago
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The Government has done the right thing in moving to ban greyhound racing. ...2 weeks ago
- Greyhound racing industry ban marks new era for animal welfare
After years of advocacy, the Green Party is very happy to hear the Government has listened to our collective voices and announced the closure of the greyhound racing industry, by 1 August 2026. ...2 weeks ago
- Rangatahi voices must be centred in Government’s Relationship and Sexuality Education refresh
In response to a new report from ERO, the Government has acknowledged the urgent need for consistency across the curriculum for Relationship and Sexuality Education (RSE) in schools. ...2 weeks ago
- Govt introduces archaic anti-worker legislation
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- Winston Peters – Kinleith Mill Speech
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- Internationally-trained doctors jump at chance to boost health workforce
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- New intelligence oversight appointments
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- Reducing the environmental impact of synthetic refrigerants
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- Wide ranging legislation to make justice system more efficient
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- Diverse skills in community trust appointments
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- Torture redress for survivors of the Lake Alice Unit
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- Consultation opens on working with engineered stone
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- Greater reporting on Treaty settlement commitments
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- New appointments to the Charities Registration Board
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- Building consent processing times improve
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- Faster access to support through Innovation Fund
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- New Zealand to assist Vanuatu on earthquake response
New Zealand is providing Vanuatu assistance following yesterday's devastating earthquake, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. "Vanuatu is a member of our Pacific family and we are supporting it in this time of acute need," Mr Peters says. "Our thoughts are with the people of Vanuatu, and we will be ...5 days ago
- Government takes steps to reduce card fees for Kiwis
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- Review recommends ECE regulation shakeup
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- Offshore Renewable Energy Bill passes first reading
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- Gene Technology Bill passes first reading
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"Climate change: US formally withdraws from Paris agreement"
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/world/429881/climate-change-us-formally-withdraws-from-paris-agreement
Bad news. For Our Earth…. NZ step up !
Any other country than NZ have a climate act anywhere near as comprehensive as ours?
We are well stepped up.
Oh really…doesnt matter how "comprehensive"…the Climate Act needs ACTION.
So Step Up NZ Govt. Show the World. You mean it.
Getting people to force a cough might turn out to be a better screening tool for covid than temperature checking. (That's a low bar, temperature testing is just about useless for covid screening)
https://spectrum.ieee.org/the-human-os/artificial-intelligence/medical-ai/ai-recognizes-covid-19-in-the-sound-of-a-cough
That's run under an advertisement notice.
In June, a team at the University of Oklahoma showed it was possible to distinguish a COVID-19 cough from coughs due to other infections, and now a paper out of MIT, using the largest cough dataset yet, identifies asymptomatic people with a remarkable 100 percent detection rate.
I remember an old joke, 'It's not the cough that carries you off, It's the coffin they carry you off in.' Macabre and tasteless eh. Laughing in the face of death and mayhem is the only way to live these days, especially after the USA election and its aaaftermath.
Ahem! The advertisement refers to summat else.
The article also confirmed my thought that covid-19 is no longer capable of having asymptomatic sufferers if there is a signature covid cough. They become symptomatic automatically………
Its certainly an interesting concept. Even in NZ where we have 0 cases in the community, we still can't be sure as the situation might have changed in a short time. So when I cough I wonder if I'm okay, is it a 'pollen' cough or what. If it can be tested then good.
People in the UK must be at their wit's end. They might like to have something life this from the USA. Is the Uni of Oklahoma a good one? I see in the paper that our mental stress went up and the helping agency was much busier than usual. How much worse in the UK and they have Boris to put up with and the changes that Brexit will bring, and who will suffer most under them. I saw the other day that Farage is agitating to not have lockdowns. They are like lambs to the slaughter over there.
Certainly the shepherds are useless. A relative likened their leadership to the Fuhrer bunkered in Berlin waiting to be saved by the wonder weapons of vaccines and non-existent armies……
Yes you get drawn to examples like that as the times get more extreme.
And could be done through a smart phone app.
Headline in today's Herald;
Mike Hosking: Two weeks in and new Govt is missing in action.
Three more years, and hopefully more, of this twerps ravings.
Good grief, Cabinet hasn't even been sworn in yet.
Perhaps we should club together and offer him a one way ticket to Trump's America.
A headline has it:
"So where is the evidence of urgency from this new Government?
Earlier on there was line on there about sitting around having teas and biscuits.
I like how regularly that in the shallows of any intellectual and rationality paddle pool Hosking continually shows he is out of his depth.
Wouldn't it be good if when the new govt is sworn in, Hoskings would be sworn out. We could help with that process for the good of the mental health of the country.
Amen to that.
If you don't read The Herald or listen to Newstalk ZB, or TV3 in the morning, Hoskins, Garner, Richardson, Soper et al don't exist.
Simple remedy really.
(Stopped reading the Herald when it went behind the paywall.) In fact the list goes on, O'Sullivan, Young…) Haven't missed them at all.
totally agree logie97. morning tv, dorktalk radio and grainy harold dont feature in my world. the first two rely on shockjocks for clicks i.e. lowest form of life. harold wants to sell you biased bullshit, not a good business plan, would like to know how few are sucked into paying, harold wont say, so it must be embarrassing.
As I say, outright lying such as this needs to come with an at least $1 million dollar fine for the publisher.
The More Hoskings opens his narcissistic mouth the more right wingers turn to Labour .Trump like tactics have the opposite effect in NZ.
Hooton has found out he is now up their with Boag constrictor despised even within the National Party.
I say let him keep his job he is sabotaging the right with out realizing it,sycophantic narcissism does not go well in NZ.
Hysterical Trump supporter being interviewed on rnz..madder than a sack of ferrets..!…heh..!
I am pretty cranky about RNZ being totally taken over by this farce. It's been all the same speculation and hot air repeated over and over. More heat than light. For goodness sake – can we just have the result and some rational, intelligent analysis when it happens.
And we all know what repeated bursts of hot air are called.
edit
RadioNZ is focussed on the USA, been so for ages. All the new residents that have come to this country, they hardly hear anything about their areas, from our national radio. If it’s outside the 5 eyes and English speaking, then its Too Hard.
And the USA has such lovely dramatic news about shootings, mass shootings, school shootings, street drug bust shootings, and protest shootings. Also a panorama of the winding back of modern societal culture to that similar to the late medieval period to the 1800’s.
Also the USA is trying to buy us up, they've tied us up with egregious trade agreements that have resulted in a decimated local enterprise economy, and replaced some with funds for rocket launchings, and a planned robotic airplane etc. We can moan but the evil empire is siphoning money in and we have opened our gates and invited in anybody with money at top gate, and anyone who is trying to escape poverty or depredations from fighting of some sort through the bottom gate.
Agree 200%
RNZ are still doing good work RosieLee (though I am more likely to listen to Concert, and even that is rare):
“It lists more than a dozen investigative tech tools, including drones that can send live footage to patrols, a superfast system to spot suspects in CCTV feeds and a cellphone scourer with facial recognition capability.
“The stocktake has been released under the Official Information Act. Police tried and failed at the last minute to have it deleted… The police released the stocktake to former RNZ reporter Mackenzie Smith, who had lodged the OIA.
“They then asked him two days ago to delete it. He refused.”
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/429896/audit-reveals-new-tech-tools-in-police-s-digital-armoury
Also love the way the cops were exploring everything and anything, except for deciding to stop looking into body cameras…
Will be nothing compared to the epic meltdown from Trump.
Love the description Phillip. Having heard the representative of Women for Trump in full cry, it is very apt.
To me, this is the best day and night of the year. Guy Fawkes night
Really looking forward to our lovely animals being petrified AGAIN. Fortunately, we have safe hiding places for them
After tonight, we can look forward to weeks of every little creep letting fireworks off in the evening until they get bored and go and do some wheelies somewhere.
Why are we are celebrating this medieval religious shit down here in NZ? I suspect very few people know the significance of Guy Fawkes and as Ardern is all for embracing all cultures, what about a bit of thought for our Catholic friends who despise this so-called celebration
BAN THE BLOODY. SHIT. Hang on can't do that there's a dollar to be made.
The fact that government can't bring themselves to ban private fireworks and private sales is an indication of how gutless they have become. Let them prove me wrong and I'll eat my chocolate fish. I'd love that. We would still have fireworks quite often every year at special venues.
They are a health and safety obvious target. Do you know that you can't dry dishes in a public venue, with even a fresh and clean teatowel for fear of spreading bugs. They must be left to air-dry, the air being sterile of course! Hah. Yet you can burn, injure,hurt someone, some animal with fireworks – yet they are a weapon. They can start fires in vegetation, burn houses, cause fire crew call outs. Time to act Labour, you're the man (or woman) here – ACT will never ban loutish behaviour.
I've wondered how poor refugees from war-torn countries feel about the very loud bangs that erupt throughout the year when the young males like to indulge themselves. Loud bangs are such fun, you never grow out of enjoying loud bangs! In fireworks place I suggest the old D-i-y method of blowing into a brown bag, twisting the top hard and bashing it. Very satisfactory.
Agreed. Been banned in Oz for decades, grow a pair govt.
The whining goes away, people move on. Leadership required.
What Oz banned it? That's one in the eye for us, a great big mud pie.
Catholics tend to think, better luck next time.
I agree that there has to be some control over speech when broadcast in a public forum. How can anyone expect their opinion to be respected when such negative slang language is used as here. When thinking about how to deal with OTT speech that is on its way to hate speech, it would be helpful to have some examples of how flexible rules should be while still imposing strictures.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/te-manu-korihi/429901/veteran-nurse-who-complained-of-racism-it-exists-it-s-rampant
The woman who blew the whistle on a New Plymouth nurse for making comments online about her Māori colleagues, including that they 'sit on their fat asses all day', were thieves, and lazy is urging others to be brave and speak out….
After a two-day hearing in Taranaki, the case was closed, and the nurse received a penalty of suspension for two years and set conditions, including undertaking training in cultural competency, if she ever wants to work in the sector again.
That person has denied that they are racist and that they were just telling it like it is considering the words were giving a factual account and I suppose claimed that it was fair comment. Learning restraint and consideration for others when speaking should be things that schools teach as part of anti-bullying programs. If parents are so rough in their ways that they can't pass on important human values to their children, schools will have to step up, as they have with breakfasts and lunches. There needs to be good food for the mind as well as the body.
Further about the above case, an important point to note, is that such behaviours and attitudes are entrenched. How can this sort of bitchy put-down from females or males come to be definitely seen as mean behaviour by the perpetrator? This had happened before with this nurse, who was able to continue working when ordered to be suspended!
...The New Plymouth nurse was stood down for similar offences in 2018, but continued working against the rules of her suspension…
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/429896/audit-reveals-new-tech-tools-in-police-s-digital-armoury
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/world/429877/wall-street-frets-as-us-election-too-close-to-call
The item says that US sharemarkets are fretting as they are wondering whether Trump will throw a spanner in the works.
I was wondering if some business people there will consider the election being held for the people's choice of pollie as a nuisance and a restraint to trade as housing rentiers here blame people wanting a first house as a nuisance and a barrier to them conducting their regular business.
Ahh no, markets priced in a biden win and months of gridlock till a stimulus in 2021.
Rnz copy paste should dig deeper. Volatility is expected as normal as the dow isn’t the economy just a selected group of companies.
Eucalypts – this article seems to be extolling them. Yet what about fire resistant trees for the future? Eucs don't seem to fill the bill. I just noticed this and thought I'd put it here for possible future discussion when Trump is not dominating the scene.
https://www.nzgeo.com/stories/eucalypts-trees-of-the-future/
Eucalypts have an interesting history. Prior to humans arriving in Australia they were relatively uncommon, with a fairly limited range. However once people started using fire to clear the landscape, the eucalypt had a distinct evolutionary advantage and now totally dominants the continent.
Indeed once they reach a certain density they completely suppress all competitors because they literally burn them out on a regular basis.
Here is an example of how the Brits did it Mr Biden – addressing the peeps. Perhaps you could use it and the anglo-lovers would be so bowled over that they would regard you as the best thing since sliced bacon and eggs.
Peter Sellers with 'the' parliamentary speech:
.
Final Vote Prediction (New Zealand … not the Failed State south of Canada):
I'll almost certainly regret this … but my prediction (which is a little more Lab-friendly than most):
–Lab: …… 50.4%
–Nat: …… 25.2%
–Green: … 8.0%
–ACT: ……. 7.9%
–NZF: ……. 2.5%
–Other: …. 6.0%
–
Meanwhile, my Cannabis Referendum prediction is a little more conservative than most … I suspect the swing towards Yes from the Specials will be milder than many are predicting … but could well fall flat on my face (as with the Party-Vote prediction above … still, nil desperandum … in for a penny in for a pound … damn those freaking torpedoes):
Cannabis Referendum
(excluding Informals)
NO: 52.6%
YES: 47.4%
(including Informals)
NO: 52.2%
YES: 47.0%
Informal: 0.8%
.