The invisible MP is re-selected. Usually parties and candidates make a big fanfare about this. He must be the only MP in Parliament (possibly in history) who doesn't want more media coverage. Presumably he has no ambitions beyond being an ATM for the National Party.
Sounds like the lady who was the second confirmed case of corona virus may have the fourth case in her family too being her husband which I guess is not surprising.
Robert asked me to look into the Jami-Lee Ross claims in Parliament yesterday that substantial donations ($150k) originating from China have been paid to the National Party.
Ross claims to have had no knowledge of this while he was a National MP, and said "I doubt the National Party knew at the time that the money was foreign", but called on them to pay the money back.
I think context here is important. Ross is currently being prosecuted by the SFO over donations so will have been careful protecting his defence in that case with what he said.
He acknowledges that the SFO information he received was through the current court proceedings, and was not able to table documents because of the sub judice rule.
Ironically Winston Peters tried to argue that the sub judice rule was being applied too rigidly – he uses the rule to avoid speaking about matters before the court involving himself.
Also of interest was that prior to Ross' speech he appeared to collude with Peters in asking questions touching on the topic of donations in questions to the Peters as the Minister of Finance,.
Both Ross and Peters have obvious grudges against National and want leader Simon Bridges dumped.
Both Ross and Peters are at real risk of failing in September's election, with National a major factor.
Both Ross and Peters have associations with Whale Oil, The BFD and Cameron Slater et al. The BFD appears to be a virtual campaign tool of NZ First and Ross, and daily dumps on National, Bridges and other National MPs (and will likely to be promoting Ross' allegations today),
So yesterday's revelations are unlikely to be solely done as moral whistle blowers.
This is designed to make connect National to China and the Chinese Communist Party, and has already achieved that to an extent, as would be the intent (the court case seems unlikely to be scheduled before the election).
It could get more embarrassing for National, who have already had bad press over donations.
But will it help Ross and Peters? We will have to wait a few months to find out.
Full transcripts from e Question Time and General Debate here:
Will it help National, or Ross, or Peters? Maybe, maybe not, but it's hardly the issue that matters, is it?
Our democracy is being eroded by an influx of money from a system where policies are not debated or voted on. They are merely purchased.
Note: system. Not nationality, or ethnicity. Being Chinese isn't the point. Being a dictatorship is. Simon Bridges should try being leader of the opposition in China. He'd have bigger problems than Trevor Mallard.
"Our democracy is being eroded by an influx of money from a system where policies are not debated or voted on. "
That's certainly an important issue for our democracy, but I'd prefer to see evidence on it, more than what self interested MPs trying to keep their political careers alive are dishing out.
I should add that Peters, Ross and Slater/WO/BFD et al all have histories of making big accusations and claiming to have evidence and then not producing it, or underwhelming with it.
We won't get all the details on this until Ross' prosecution ends up in court. He seems to be trying to rush the revelations, but that will be selectively.
You're trying make spurious links between JLR and Winston Peters without any evidence whatsoever. Winston Peters has a long history of talking about money matters related to politics. He was also part of National once and knows how they operate.
Think… the Winebox saga of the 1990s. The link to National did not equate to any involvement by National, but all the guilty parties in that affair were known to have close ties to them. I doubt there was any collusion between Peters and JLR over the topics they chose to speak on yesterday in the House.
And what pray tell me does Slater have to do with the price of fish apart from an attempt to link them both to the discredited fellow.
February last year, but it's well known that it was a little more than WO with a makeover with an attempt to distance themselves from legal and financial problems. Most of the same people seem to be involved, and using the same dirty methods.
We all know there was bad blood in the national party from when Michelle Boag et al tipped over Cameron Slater's dad for National Party president hence the Collins faction including Cameron Slater vs the Boag faction that's been antagonistic for a long time..
Slithering in and out were players such as Jason Ede out of John Key's office, Carrick Graham, Simon Lusk and quite a few others.
So when you say most of the same people seem to be involved you presumably are referring to these people.
So, the BFD has just celebrated its first birthday anniversary and you said it had been shilling for years. Would you call that sloppy or misleading journalism, Pete?
You're ignoring what I said. Your blogging is sloppy again.
The same people have done the same sort of shilling for NZF since 2017, using WO and now BFD.
It's well known that Whale Oil was switched to The BFD about this time last year. The same people own it and are running it, and the same dirty politics agendas are obvious. Some things have flipped, National was once using WO as a proxy for dirty politics and NZF and Peters were frequent targets, now National is the primary target and NZF the primary beneficiary. At about the same time as this flip Peters’ and NZ First’s lawyer started to represent Slater in defamation cases he was involved in.
But same people peddling dirty politics in a similar way.
If you read what journalists write you would know that it is common to refer to WO and BFD as virtually the same thing (with different names and a makeover). They sometimes inflate Slater's influence, that's diminished, but others continue with what they've done for a decade.
I'm not sure what you're trying to achieve by playing dumb on this. It looks like you're trying to defend BFD dirt mongering – do you think it's ok if parties you don't like are the target? Actually Labour and Jacinda are frequent targets of their dirty smears as well, that's just overshadowed by the anti-National agenda.
I take accusations of being sloppy seriously and will stand corrected if/when necessary. I screw up regularly, if you must know. OTOH, you don’t seem to care about your sloppiness and it has a negative effect on your credibility, which is why I’m ignoring the other stuff you said and stay focussed on the issue at hand, which is your sloppiness. You’re trying to divert my attention away and distract me with bolshie conspiracy stories and DP.
But same people peddling dirty politics in a similar way.
If you read what journalists write you would know that it is common to refer to WO and BFD as virtually the same thing (with different names and a makeover). [my italics]
You were sloppy, virtually speaking. Hiding behind others is no excuse, just admit it; it won’t hurt as much as you think it will.
I'm not sure what you're trying to achieve by playing dumb on this. It looks like you're trying to defend BFD dirt mongering …
"stay focussed on the issue at hand, which is your sloppiness"'
"You’re diverting attention away from the real issue…"
I understand that you seem to be obsessed with portraying my 'sloppiness', but you really don't know that this is classic diversion tactics?
You're the one who keeps trying to divert.
Check this out (Press editorial):
The photos of the journalists, who had both investigated NZ First and its donations, were then published by right-wing blog The BFD, the successor to the notorious Whale Oil blog that was at the heart of dirty politics in 2014.
Note "The BFD, the successor to the notorious Whale Oil blog"
The Whale Oil blog was alleged to have run campaigns on behalf of backers, sometimes using false bylines. Similarly, The BFD used an improbable byline in its expose of Espiner and Shand, making it impossible for the ordinary reader to know who or what the blog is acting for. Peters, who is also Deputy Prime Minister, has still not clarified what he meant by "we".
When the dirty politics scandal erupted in 2014, Labour and the Green Party were outraged and National moved to distance itself from Whale Oil. Labour's Grant Robertson wrote that "Key has serious questions to answer on Dirty Politics". Peters called for a commission of inquiry.
That was six long years ago. This time it is Labour's much-vaunted positive campaign that risks being tainted by dirty politics. Voters will look to Ardern to set a moral example and remind them, and NZ First, that there is no place for such practices in her Government.
Try make it about me if you like, but your diversions are very sloppy (in my opinion).
[The issue is not what you want it to be, Pete. The primary issue is the donations. It is not DP, WO, the BFD, or anything of that kind; these are a different issue and worth attention too but they are not the same. You were sloppy about the BFD. I’m fast losing patience with you and your next comments here will decide whether you keep your commenting privilege here in election year or whether you’ll be restricted to your own blog. I don’t care either way – Incognito]
[No Pete, it was you who conflated the two stories @ 3 (https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-06-03-2020/#comment-1689422). I have no interest in playing your diversion game about the SFO story and linking it to WO/BFD. If you pull this on me again I’ll ban you till after the election – Incognito]
I don't care either way either whether you want to hover a ban threat over me. I think it's a gutless reaction, and accept that's an opinion that you may use as an excuse, but so be it. It's quite funny but also sad you are pinging me for 'diversion' when that's what you've been targeting me with here for some time.
You can do what you like here, but do you realise you can't restrict me anywhere else (that I'm aware of)?
You can do what you like here, but do you realise you can’t restrict me anywhere else (that I’m aware of)?
Wrong! I cannot do what I like here in the sense that you seem to be implying. I’m bound by the Policy and Rules as much as anybody is.
Wrong! I’m not restricting you here. You can pretty much say what you like here, it is a free forum for robust debate, but you cannot divert or derail and make up stuff in lieu of hard evidence. If you want to speculate and/or opine, that’s fine too as long as you make it clear that this is what you’re doing. You can raise pretty much any issue or topic but you cannot conflate things and generally, you should start a new separate thread. Connect dots when appropriate but leave the fantasy stuff out or separate, at least. Expressing concern usually leads to a ‘debate’ about the concern per se and the one concerned, particularly if this commenter has form. This in itself is a distraction/diversion, intentional or not, but something that Moderators here have been trying to stamp out. If the ‘culprit’ refuses to budge (!), even when it has been pointed out to them and they have been asked to change their ways, then they’ll find themselves parked outside for a while, particularly in election year.
Correct! You can knock yourself out anywhere else and even link to it here, using sound judgement. Moderators on/of this site only concern themselves with happens on this site and what they can see happening on this site.
I don’t care either way either whether you want to hover a ban threat over me. I think it’s a gutless reaction, and accept that’s an opinion that you may use as an excuse, but so be it.
Don’t be a petulant martyr, Pete. Just as well, I have not banned you, but tried to engage with you so that you would engage your brain. If that’s gutless, so be it. It certainly has taken up a lot of my time with little impact, so far. As long as you follow the simple rules of commenting here (e.g. see above), I won’t have to do anything and that’s exactly how I want it to be, particularly in election year.
This gutless Moderator has just about a gut’s full of explaining these things to you, Pete. Make of that what you will; I don’t care either way.
" you cannot divert or derail and make up stuff in lieu of hard evidence"
I didn't make stuff up. You nit picked, and then as I supplied evidence you got upset about it, claiming grave transgressions.
I don't know how I can be done for diverting from my own comments, responding to someone (you) in Open Forum. But whatever.
You can raise pretty much any issue or topic but you cannot conflate things and generally, you should start a new separate thread. Connect dots when appropriate but leave the fantasy stuff out or separate, at least.
BFD and WO are closely linked, that's widely known (and acknowledged by others in this thread) and I have provided evidence of it.
Slater is linked to WO and BFD. He has also been associated with JLR. WO has shilled for Peters and NZ First for the last three years or so. Peters teamed with JLR in Parliament this week. This is all related to the first comment in this thread.
You can be pedantic about names (WO, BFD, Slater, Xavier), but it's all the same dirty operation with Peters/NZF and JLR as obvious intended beneficiaries over the last three years, spanning a name change of the blog.
I don't don't see the point in filling an old thread with evidence but there's a lot of it, and if you insist I can back up what I've posted here, the evidence already provided is only a small part.
If you prefer this is done on a fresh thread maybe I could do that on today's Open Forum, or spread it across a few days because there's a lot of material. Would that be better?
Somewhere midway in your comment to diverted from the issue to write about WO/ the BFD, etc. Subsequent comments continued that line. The issue got left behind, mainly because there’s not much (evidence) to go on.
You went on to picture JLR and WRP being ‘brothers in arms’ fighting a common enemy (National) but this is a different issue as is the role of WO/the BFD, etc. It is a nice picture, one that appeals to you, obviously (“Peters teamed with JLR in Parliament this week”).
You can be pedantic about names (WO, BFD, Slater, Xavier), but it’s all the same dirty operation with Peters/NZF and JLR as obvious intended beneficiaries over the last three years, spanning a name change of the blog. [my italics]
If you say so, Pete, I guess we’ll have to take your expert opinion for it. JLR resigned from National on 16 October 2018 but WO/the BFD have obviously been shilling for him for much longer, as you say.
It is all wonderful stuff, and you obviously love to write about it ad nauseam, here and on your own blog, but that was not the issue that Robert asked (you) about.
I recall you acting luke-warm on investigating political donations and obviously it does not have the same appeal for you as WO/the BFD, etc. There’s no shame in that and it’s worthy of your and our attention too, obviously. However, others here are considerably more interested in the issue as described by Robert and also Psycho Milt (https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-06-03-2020/#comment-1689522).
After all this effort, again, I don’t expect you to ‘get it’ or ‘play ball’. It merely functions as a record for future reference …
I prefer to have to do nothing about you in terms of Moderation as I have clearly stated, haven’t I?
Can’t ban people for a clearly expressed and well-articulated genuinely-held opinion. Moderators, Authors, and even the SYSOP have been called (much) worse. In all honesty, I don’t like to ban people although some bans give a sense of enormous relief.
"You went on to picture JLR and WRP being ‘brothers in arms’ fighting a common enemy.."
Your picture, not what I said (or close to it).
"I recall you acting luke-warm on investigating political donations…"
That's not how it happened. Robert DIVERTED FROM A COMMENT ABOUT A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT TOPIC (without being addressed by any moderator) asked me about a story that was breaking and I hadn't had time to look at it. I've written about donations previously, and once I had time I did address that story in some detail:
"…and obviously it does not have the same appeal for you as WO/the BFD, etc."
Obviously you are making up that up, you don't know what I think about various topics as they come up.
I think donations will continue to be an important issue this year and probably next, but there's a lot to come out on this yet, so I think it's difficult to jump to conclusions, particularly when someone like JLR who has already made big accusations that backfired on him big time (making a complaint and then being prosecuted himself).
WO/BFD are largely irrelevant in comparison, but I still occasionally expose what they're doing, and look at who appears to be involved. I'm not sure why you seem so bothered about that, because your reaction and persistence on this seem way out of proportion to something that is very common here – topics evolving as different people contribute.
Why deny it, Pete? I’ve quoted you verbatim, and that’s the picture you painted and that came across in your various comments. So sad that you have to deny (disown) your own words and for no obvious reason 🙁 Unless you wanted to paint a very different picture, in which case you missed the mark by a long shot IMHO.
I’ve written about donations previously, and once I had time I did address that story in some detail:
Robert asked you here, on this site. It was a clear and specific question. You went on to write about other stuff that indeed is “largely irrelevant in comparison”.
Obviously you are making up that up, you don’t know what I think about various topics as they come up.
I go by your voluminous writings about WO/the BFD, here and elsewhere, and I conclude, rightly or wrongly, that it has a certain appeal for you. It would go as far as to suggest that it might be one of your pet topics. It is basic psychology that people write about things that interest them and/or are close to their heart. We’re not in high school anymore and we are not given (the) topics to write about; we can write about anything we like here. Are you the exception to the rule, Pete? Your copious comments and overall oeuvre seem to suggest otherwise.
I agree with you about (the) donations and I also agree that both JLR and WRP tend to overpromise; they’re politicians after all.
I think it is great that you continue to expose WO/the BFD, etc. I’m not bothered by that at all. In fact, I’d encourage you to do so.
See, it is mostly a misunderstanding between you and me. So, happy blogging 🙂
PS I apologise for calling your journalistic credentials into question. You obviously pay attention to detail and put considerable effort into your writings. Just every now and then, your high standard is slipping somewhat IMHO. It was meant to be provocative challenge to you to maintain and possibly even lift your standard when commenting here but it got away from me and that was wrong of me, sorry.
The world is full of tar babies, many small and a few very large ones (and growing!). We can’t avoid them and we have to learn how to deal with them, effectively, decisively, and kindly.
I don’t give up, that’s how I tick. Pete’s a good guy and there’s nothing ‘personal’ between us so worth putting in the effort IMO. I’d do it for most commenters here, time allowing, and some think I’m ‘nuts’ for doing so (paraphrasing, of course).
Got it, thanks. Not all moderation warnings are equal. Not all arguing is the same. We keep a record of moderation and commenters can lose ‘credit’/grow ‘debt’ without incurring a ban straightaway (AKA when we refer to ‘having form’). Patience levels do fluctuate (sometimes considerably so). Sometimes the line is more blurred/fuzzy. Moderation is an ‘art’ and subjective and not a simple (!) binary decision between black & white (good or bad). We may or may not see a Post on Moderation in the (near?) future and that’s all I want to say about it right now 🙂
But while commenters are asked to adhere to the letter of forum policy and are routinely picked up on any departure from that policy, moderation is a fuzzy art, issuing credit and debt according to what the argument was about and how the moderator felt at the time.
I think you can see why people question decisions/non-decisions.
What's playing out mostly now is the JLR/WRP show, absent evidence and even if JLR had managed to table the SFO flow chart that would almost certainly be a cherry picked fragment. It is likely to be months if not next year before all the available evidence is tabled in court.
In the meantime, like clockwork the BFD part of the attack chimes on at 8 this morning. They're becoming very predictable.
It is mostly a ‘National must dump Bridges and Bennett’ repeat, but includes:
Jami-Lee Ross also outlined that Labour may well be complicit in laundering dirty Chinese cash from the patient zero of the Donorvirus, Zhang Yikun. They aren’t off the hook either.
Interesting to see that some of those who were all for the exposure of Dirty Politics now seem to give a pass to the latest phase of DP from the same players (now with WP).
Either you don't understand what is meant by the concept of DP as outlined in Hager's book, or you're actively trying to widen it to include pretty much any behaviour you don't agree with.
This is another case of political operatives laundering attacks via a blog run by unscrupulous scum, so it is closer to #dirtypolitics than the other things Pete has labelled thus. Missing a permanent staffer in the PM's office like Jason Ede but not that much different and certainly no more ethical.
It's you that doesn't understand. The book Dirty Politics was the the fourth in a series looking at various types for dirt mongering in politics and public relations. The others were Secrets and Lies, The Seeds of Distrust and The Hollow Men. National wasn't the sole target in those. The second was aimed at the Helen Clark government.
In Dirty Politics Hager had a fairly wide interpretation of dirty politics.
On the back cover:
Dirty Politics continues the story that began in Hager's best-selling book the Hollow Men, investigating the way that underhand and deceptive politics poisons the political environment for everyone. If you care about integrity and ethics in politics, then this book will be disturbing but essential reading.
There was a focus on dirty ops being run out of the Prime Minister's office, but there was evidence of much wider dirt mongering than that.
Have you actually read Dirty Politics?
And it went way beyond the scope of that one book. Slater versus Matthew Blomfield (there's another book on that, Whale Oil), Slater versus Colin Craig and three academics versus Carrick Graham are just examples that have been through the courts (and all are still incomplete, no judgment in the first yet, and Craig v Slater is in the Court of Appeal this month and the third hasn't been to trial yet).
The attempt to overturn the election of Len Brown as mayor of Auckland (that was after Dirty Politics was written) was very dirty politics.
Nottingham (and Slater) v lprent, myself, Allied Press and NZH also involved dirty politics – they tried to shut down my blog I presume because I criticised and exposed Slater and WO as well (and laughably tried to imprison me), they tried to hack The Standard, there's a long long list of dirt mongering.
For a couple of days now you’ve been conflating multiple issues when the main one is how national and foreign players buy political influence through political donations.
In this OM alone, you have mentioned the word “evidence” 5 times in the context of the SFO case that’s currently before the Court. While this is scant and we’re awaiting more, you concoct stories about JLR and WRP ‘colluding’ in Parliament; were they spotted in a café having a cup of tea together?
You may be a recognised expert on DP but this is different from the SFO case.
I know you love your own spin (AKA smoke your own dope), judging by your blogsite, but this doesn’t mean others here are enamoured with your conflations.
Have you heard of Wayang?
The term wayang is the Javanese word for “shadow”[11] or "imagination".
We probably won't know for some time whether National (or Labour) have received funds from the CCP, unless Ross does have compelling evidence and gets it out sooner. But he has failed to deliver on big claims in the past .
If there have been illegal foreign donations then I would trust the SFO to be on to that. Remember that it's Ross facing charges.
And, this might be a bit radical for you, it's possible there's more than one issue in the go here. You may not care if a (different this time) political party is using the old dirty politics crew to try to engineer political outcomes through dirty methods. I think that's also a concern for our democracy.
If the Greens get targeted (the way WO/BFD et al operate I wouldn't rule that out) you may have a different view on dirty methods.
petegeorge, there are three chinese business men and one ex nat MP before the courts, throw in a leaked recording of simon bridges discussing what to do with chinese donations and one dosen't have to be a genius to work it out. JS
On a side note, are you trying to drive traffic towards a dirty blog? Think I'll give it a miss least I catch something.
I'll continue to expose a dirty blog. That means having to identify it. If people go to see for themselves how dirty they still are I don't see a problem with that.
NZ lost out when Jeanette retired and now hopefully her impact will be recognised on reflection of her life : what she achieved and the manner in which she conducted herself. Our parliament needs people like her to champion the case of this planet.
Very sad – although also comforting listening from her family this morning on the radio that she was so active, happy and still fighting the good fight right up until passing.
Harry mentions Jeanette's determination to get arrested for protesting – I remember talking with her at a coal protest at the Mataura lignite briquette plant (Bill English's folly) where I believe she initially made the personal resolution and it was funny/poignant to hear that despite her best efforts to "cross the line", no one would arrest her!
Seems unthinkable that 20 years ago, she was the MP for Coromandel, the last MP for a rural area that didn't advocate handing it over to the extraction industry to rip up, like the mangrove hating Sandra Goudie.
Mmmm. A conversation we had at the time was how many of the Monied Classes had opted to vote in the electorate where they had built their "baches" rather in their (usually) Auckland domiciles in order to get and keep the electorate blue.
RIP Jeanette Fitzsimons. A highly principled woman who lived her life through her green convictions. She and the late Rod Donald were the ultimate green team leadership in Parliament, with Jeanette being the first and only so far Green MP to win an electorate seat. A sad loss for NZ.
Eugenie Sage posted this message and recent photo of Jeanette on Facebook:
"Heartbroken at the passing of Jeanette Fitzsimons- she has done so much to foster aroha for people and planet and to build the Green Party.
Harry and the wider whanau and your and Jeanette’s mokopuna – we share your grief.
Jeanette is a taonga of the green movement. She was rare and precious with warmth, wisdom, humility and strength which inspired so many.
Jeanette’s legacy is huge – in working alongside activists on climate, for nature, for economics where the planet matters, on sustainable energy and many other issues. She created change and brought those voices to Parliament with passion and combined them with her analysis and thinking.
This photo of Jeanette is on her farm 10 days ago. I am hugely grateful for all you have given Aotearoa Jeanette. Arohanui."
"Devastated by the sudden death of our much loved former co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons. So many memories of her over the years. She was an incredible woman – wise, staunch, principled and kind. She put her heart and soul into both the Green Party and the wider Green movement, carrying the weight of the Party on her shoulders after Rod’s untimely death. I will miss her so much. Massive aroha to Harry and her family."
Finally! A rebuke and the right messaging to the voters about Shane Jones, Winston Peters and their corrupt, racist, climate denying vehicle for their own egos from Jacinda.
true, and at the time of the mosque shootings she was also careful about language. I'm not sure what I think about this. Maybe it's a strategy of not getting into name calling?
Good on Adern indeed. I don’t care if she wasn’t guns blazing on it, but she’s correctly identified that NZ1 are a drag on her ability to govern and the electorate would be better off without them.
incognito has backed themselves into a corner in the defence of NZ1 just to stay in power. No better than the nats.
[“incognito has backed themselves into a corner in the defence of NZ1 just to stay in power.” Please link to where I said that and defended NZF – Incognito]
Imagine if they prosecuted everyone. There would be about 750,000 prosecutions. At $200 each Grant would have about $150 million to play with.
Do you think that might provide an effective Border Control system to pick up coronavirus sufferers? The present activities don't seem to be too effective do they?
Do you think that might provide an effective Border Control system to pick up coronavirus sufferers? The present activities don’t seem to be too effective do they?
I am not a virologist, or whatever the people who study these things are. I don't give opinions on things that I don't know a lot about so I would merely say I don't know.
I would possibly approach Singapore for assistance. They seem to have effective measures in place. They would seem to have learnt from the SARS epidemic and appear to be carrying out suitable Border Control measures and to be finding, and isolating, people who are being infected within the country. I can't see them not having detected the first NZ sufferer who arrived here already in the grip of the disease but who appears to have been allowed to travel home with no precautions being taken.
Finding sick (symptomatic) people is one thing, isolating them (at the border?) and testing and getting the test result is another. How do you find asymptomatic people (at the border or anywhere else for that matter)? It is balance of mass panic and paranoia and Draconian measures that severely limit/restrict people’s freedoms (for want of a better word) (cue: Wuhan).
As of 5 March, Singapore had 110 confirmed cases through local transmission.
Just more over-confident ignorant reckons, I'd say, putting:
The present activities don't seem to be too effective do they?
With
I am not a virologist, or whatever the people who study these things are. I don't give opinions on things that I don't know a lot about so I would merely say I don't know.
I'll offer you a simple example that you might understand.
My car won't start. The starter turns but the engine won't fire. I can see that there is fuel in the tank. That's it though. I know there is something wrong but I don't know how to fix it.
I cal in an expert. I get a good mechanic to fix the problem. Would you do the same or are you what used to be called an A grade motor mechanic?
Or would you just pretend that you are?
That is just the same with the conovavirus victim who arrived from Iran. He was already suffering from the symptoms on the flight and at the Airport. I certainly know enough to be able to say that he should have had some medical check at the Airport. Instead nothing was done.
I don't however know enough to be able to say exactly what the procedures should be. Are you any different? Or are you perchance a fully qualified expert Epidemiologist and know not only that something went wrong but exactly how to solve it?
Or do you just think you are such a skilled person that you can fix any problem you can see?
I certainly know enough to be able to say that he should have had some medical check at the Airport. Instead nothing was done.
Really, you know that much? What "medical check"? How would this "medical check" affect what we ask these travellers to do (hint: it doesn't. Either way, it's voluntary self-isolation because he the travellers were entering after visiting countries that we want self-isolation for, anyway).
You want to spend money and waste medical staff doing thousands of "some medical check" that won't actually change what happens to the passengers.
The government has freaking hundreds of trained "mechanics": engine specialists, tranny specialists, fuel management specialists, computer management techs, performance specialists. Every choice and step has been planned for years.There are trade-offs for every decision. The situation changes daily or even more often.
But Alwyn knows better, that "some check" would suddenly make NZ impervious to this pandemic.
I’m neither an A grade motor mechanic nor a virologist nor a fully qualified expert Epidemiologist. Nor am I such a skilled person that I can fix any (any?) problem I can see. Nor would I write/state “I certainly know enough to be able to say that he should have had some medical check at the Airport. Instead nothing was done”. You were there, at the Arrivals, were you? Nobody said anything, nobody did anything, least of all the unwell person. So many people, so little action!
Do you know what a fully qualified expert Epidemiologist is or does? Because I doubt it based on your claim that they “know not only that something went wrong but exactly how to solve it”!?
I would not judge nor give my opinion and simply state my utter ignorance and ask questions with an open and inquisitive mind. That’s what I’d do, if I were you. But you did not, did you?
The person was ill on the flight. They had come from Iran. The family were worried enough to take her to the Hospital.
"Passengers arriving into New Zealand are given information in both English and Mandarin about the virus and if they are identified as being unwell they would be assessed and transported to hospital.
The health assessments are not compulsory, and passengers can opt in if they feel ill. "
Are you happy that assessments are "voluntary"? They certainly aren't in Singapore I am told. Any sign of a fever and you are checked I am told. And No. I can't state that as something I have seen.
By the way the reply was meant to be to Sacha. By the time I realised I had replied to the wrong person the edit time had elaps
Take home message of the day: wash your hands thoroughly before and after sex and don’t touch anything during sex, least of all the T-zone. Even better precaution: cover yourself and your partner in two condoms (AKA diving suits) each, double wrapped. Enjoy!
The two condoms wrinkle and rub against each other and are more likely to break than a single condom. If one condom doesn't make you feel safe enough against pregnancy or STIs from that particular person, don't do anything where you'd need a condom.
I'm mildly suprised all these public health messages have sunk in. I'm no doctor, but sometimes I'd really like them to shut up so the meeting can wind up 🙂
Yes, very good point and thanks for setting the record straight.
Regarding the self-reporting and showing self-responsibility, at airports, for example, and self-isolating, I think there’s the usual self-denial at work. For similar ‘reasons’, people don’t see their GP when something isn’t quite right. For similar (but different, sometimes quite different) ‘reasons’, people don’t disclose that they have had unprotected sex with another and/or multiple partners. This is one reason STDs are on the rise. But people don’t hold themselves accountable and blame the other(s) and the authorities. Shame, guild, and (perceived) inconvenience come into it and are strong drivers of human behaviour, be it about sexual practices or not feeling well due to a possible infection with COVID-19.
Oh dear. Having to contemplate the fact that the New Zealand border security actions for the coronavirus epidemic may not be the best has proved to much for McFlock and incognito.
Their poor little brains have exploded. Just lie down fellows, take a couple of paracetamol (if you can find any) and have a long rest.
The people who study these things are the ones informing, directing, and often running the government's approach.
And you might not have noticed the global cooperation in dealing with this outbreak – everything from identifying common risk factors, isolating cases, sharing pcr and antigen test protocols, vaccine development, and running treatment trials.
We have an effective border control system. It just doesn't involve things that probably don't work or don't actually exist yet.
Stats NZ are prosecuting those who did not fill in the census but who were also rude and obstructive in their dealings with officials.
I note that the little 19 year old twerp who got caught by the police for his obstructive activities after being searched for his behaviour outside the Mosque had previous form for being rude and obstructive. He'd been in court before for hate speech and pleaded being drunk and he said in a letter he never would be doing this sort of thing again…… He also accused the police then of being fascist thugs, and two years later he has become a fascist thug himself.
People do seem to forget that most enforcement folk have a fair degree of discretion when it comes to prioritising their activities, and being a jerk is a prime way of getting their attention lol.
He belongs to a fascist group and acts in a thuggish manner, threatening assassination and violence to people of Islam. He dared to call the police themselves "right wing fascists'.
He may well become a 'fascist thug' given the right (or wrong) circumstances….I would suggest that at this stage he is a rather immature, disturbed and not too bright teenager.
For everyone not completely fed up with discussion of the US Democratic Party Primary – this is an excellent and fair analysis of Joe Biden – both the source of his popularity and his current limitations. Contains some surprising and impressive footage of Biden speaking in 2016. Worth listening from this point (11m15s) through to about 17m50s
Older than the clip @13mins in your video, bit tired at points (as you'd expect for a politician mid-campaign), but still delivering complex points in a similar style to the clip in your link.
Well, yeah, but that's the same style he had in the 2016 clip, too. He has that thing of almost finishing a sentence and then moving onto a related thought.
Interview a few days ago with veteran British Palestine solidarity activist Tony Greenstein on the current situation in Israel/Palestine, the 'deal of the century', the Zionist campaign to get rid of Corbyn, and much more. . .
Well, it would appear we are not anything like as thorough a country as others at checking entry.
This of course, is not a surprise to those of us who see New Zealand as an extreme evangelist of laissez-faire economics. We leave everything to the power of the cult of the free market.
Personally, I’d much prefer a more interventionist government. The market cannot solve such problems.
We have much to learn from the response of South Korea and Singapore…and China, after a slow start.
We already do contact tracing, which is a big chart of China's efforts.
And we now have better case definitions than Italy had three weeks ago when they thought one of the earliest Lombardy cluster cases was suffering from influenza.
What exactly do you want NZ to be doing? Pointless temperature tests in airports, or maybe spraying disinfectant around outdoors with big fog machines?
The only things NZ are not doing, by and large, are photo-op activities with little real impact.
I think the facts that India and China have both limited the export of pharmaceuticals is a real concern.
This is potentially life threatening and an existential threat. Time for us as a country to develop our own self- sustainable pharmaceutical industry – wherever possible.
Europe survived 30% of its population being killed by the black death. That is the worsty worsty worstest scenario, and it wasn't an "existential threat".
You want to lay off tens of thousands of tourism and hospo staff just before winter? How many people do you think that will kill?
And what will the fucking army do on the streets?
Here's the thing, our problem at the moment is imported cases. There's no point in testing everyone across the country just because 4 people have it in Auckland.
When it gets to the point that we have cases which cannot be linked to imported cases a couple of degrees separated, that's when any more aggressive community interventions might be implemented. We need to preserve our resources (like testing kits) until they are needed. A negative result from someone at low risk of having it it a wasted test.
But we're not dealing with the Black Death. We're dealing with something that will overload the health system and slow down the economy so people die from other things, like basic respiratory infections.
There's no point in replicating the effects of this pandemic in our efforts to defeat it. We have a small population with only a few large population centres. There are communities for whom it will be more dangerous than others, and each needs to be managed in the way that matches its strengths and weaknesses.
We have much to learn from the response of South Korea and Singapore…and China, after a slow start.
Absolutely. Very brief window of opportunity to contain the virus with tight border security, & stringent / exhaustive contact-tracing right at the start. We were too lax so it looks to me like we're now going to be forced into the fallback position of slow down & delay. The response of the West in general has lacked foresight, decisiveness, honesty & transperancy. Very, very casual. Reactive rather than proactive.
Socialism puts the needs of society above individual 'freedoms.'
It focuses on our responsibilities as part of a society.
In 2020 New Zealand we live in the cult of the individual, people having drunk the Kool-Aid propagated by Ayn Rand and her cultish followers.
Shutting airports protects the many from the selfish luxuries of individual travellers.
Rationing food allows everyone a fair amount of food – not just the rich, the greedy and the hoarders.
And in a socialist state, the army is the protector of the citizens. It is a citizens' army, defending them from the reach of international capital. A socialist citizens' army would protect people from criminals, gangsters and others seeking to exploit the Coronavirus crisis.
Ah, so if we already had a socialist state we could do those things. Until then I'd rather not shut down all our borders or let the army onto the streets thanks. Too much potential for real people to get hurt.
Shutting down airports stops tourist money coming into the economy. It stops services coming into the economy. It even stops time-sensitive goods coming into the economy.
Even a socialist economy needs that stuff coming in.
Twitter Feb 21, 2020.
"A deal is closing for the Crown to buy Ihumatao right now. It’s to be announced next week when the PM & DPM are offshore so they don’t have to answer questions".
You can't trust the National Party. They will tell lies and mislead anyone stupid enough to believe them.
Asking questions or clarification is not arguing. Some commenters don’t read the signs very well and don’t know when to stop or draw the line. Commenters don’t know what goes on behind the scenes; they only see the tip of the iceberg and think they know it all (and better!). They also tend to think only about themselves, which is understandable to a point. Moderators don’t think about themselves but about this site, in the first instance, about the commenting flows (AKA threads), the quality of debate, whether some (try to) exclude others, etc.
Completed reads for April: The Difference Engine, by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling Carnival of Saints, by George Herman The Snow Spider, by Jenny Nimmo Emlyn’s Moon, by Jenny Nimmo The Chestnut Soldier, by Jenny Nimmo Death Comes As the End, by Agatha Christie Lord of the Flies, by ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Have a story to share about St Paul’s, but today just picturesPopular novels written at this desk by a young man who managed to bootstrap himself out of father’s imprisonment and his own young life in a workhouse Read more ...
The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill English, Simon Bridges, Steven Joyce, Roger Sowry, ...
Newsroom has a story today about National's (fortunately failed) effort to disestablish the newly-created Inspector-General of Defence. The creation of this agency was the key recommendation of the Inquiry into Operation Burnham, and a vital means of restoring credibility and social licence to an agency which had been caught lying ...
Holding On To The Present:The moment a political movement arises that attacks the whole idea of social progress, and announces its intention to wind back the hands of History’s clock, then democracy, along with its unwritten rules, is in mortal danger.IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in ...
Stuck In The Middle With You:As Christopher Luxon feels the hot breath of Act’s and NZ First’s extremists on the back of his neck and, as he reckons with the damage their policies are already inflicting upon a country he’s described as “fragile”, is there not some merit in reaching out ...
The unpopular coalition government is currently rushing to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act. The clause is Oranga Tamariki's Treaty clause, and was inserted after its systematic stealing of Māori children became a public scandal and resulted in physical resistance to further abductions. The clause created clear obligations ...
Buzz from the Beehive The government’s official website – which Point of Order monitors daily – not for the first time has nothing much to say today about political happenings that are grabbing media headlines. It makes no mention of the latest 1News-Verian poll, for example. This shows National down ...
It Takes A Train To Cry:Surely, there is nothing lonelier in all this world than the long wail of a distant steam locomotive on a cold Winter’s night.AS A CHILD, I would lie awake in my grandfather’s house and listen to the traffic. The big wooden house was only a ...
Packing A Punch: The election of the present government, including in its ranks politicians dedicated to reasserting the rights of the legislature in shaping and determining the future of Māori and Pakeha in New Zealand, should have alerted the judiciary – including its anomalous appendage, the Waitangi Tribunal – that its ...
Dead Woman Walking: New Zealand’s media industry had been moving steadily towards disaster for all the years Melissa Lee had been National’s media and communications policy spokesperson, and yet, when the crisis finally broke, on her watch, she had nothing intelligent to offer. Christopher Luxon is a patient man - but he’s not ...
Chris Trotter writes – New Zealand politics is remarkably easy-going: dangerously so, one might even say. With the notable exception of John Key’s flat ruling-out of the NZ First Party in 2008, all parties capable of clearing MMP’s five-percent threshold, or winning one or more electorate seats, tend ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is ...
Luxon will no doubt put a brave face on it, but there is no escaping the pressure this latest poll will put on him and the government. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political ...
This is a re-post from The Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler In the wake of any unusual weather event, someone inevitably asks, “Did climate change cause this?” In the most literal sense, that answer is almost always no. Climate change is never the sole cause of hurricanes, heat waves, droughts, or ...
Something odd happened yesterday, and I’d love to know if there’s more to it. If there was something which preempted what happened, or if it was simply a throwaway line in response to a journalist.Yesterday David Seymour was asked at a press conference what the process would be if the ...
Hi,From time to time, I want to bring Webworm into the real world. We did it last year with the Jurassic Park event in New Zealand — which was a lot of fun!And so on Saturday May 11th, in Los Angeles, I am hosting a lil’ Webworm pop-up! I’ve been ...
Education Minister Erica Standford yesterday unveiled a fundamental reform of the way our school pupils are taught. She would not exactly say so, but she is all but dismantling the so-called “inquiry” “feel good” method of teaching, which has ruled in our classrooms since a major review of the New ...
Exactly where are we seriously going with this government and its policies? That is, apart from following what may as well be a Truss-Lite approach on the purported economic “plan“, and Victorian-era regression when it comes to social policy.Oh it’ll work this time of course, we’re basically assured, “the ...
Hey Uncle Dave, When the Poms joined the EEC, I wasn't one of those defeatists who said, Well, that’s it for the dairy job. And I was right, eh? The Chinese can’t get enough of our milk powder and eventually, the Poms came to their senses and backed up the ute ...
Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is higher than for any other mayor ...
Buzz from the Beehive Pharmac has been given a financial transfusion and a new chair to oversee its spending in the pharmaceutical business. Associate Health Minister David Seymour described the funding for Pharmac as “its largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff”. ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its ...
TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:10am on Monday, April 29:Scoop: The children's ward at Rotorua Hospital will be missing a third of its beds as winter hits because Te Whatu Ora halted an upgrade partway through to ...
span class=”dropcap”>As hideous as David Seymour can be, it is worth keeping in mind occasionally that there are even worse political figures (and regimes) out there. Iran for instance, is about to execute the country’s leading hip hop musician Toomaj Salehi, for writing and performing raps that “corrupt” the nation’s ...
Yesterday marked 10 years since the first electric train carried passengers in Auckland so it’s a good time to look back at it and the impact it has had. A brief history The first proposals for rail electrification in Auckland came in the 1920’s alongside the plans for earlier ...
Right now, in Aotearoa-NZ, our ‘animal spirits’ are darkening towards a winter of discontent, thanks at least partly to a chorus of negative comments and actions from the Government Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on ...
You make people evil to punish the paststuck inside a sequel with a rotating castThe following photos haven’t been generated with AI, or modified in any way. They are flesh and blood, human beings. On the left is Galatea Young, a young mum, and her daughter Fiadh who has Angelman ...
April has been a quiet month at A Phuulish Fellow. I have had an exceptionally good reading month, and a decently productive writing month – for original fiction, anyway – but not much has caught my eye that suggested a blog article. It has been vaguely frustrating, to be honest. ...
A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 21, 2024 thru Sat, April 27, 2024. Story of the week Anthropogenic climate change may be the ultimate shaggy dog story— but with a twist, because here ...
Hi,I spent about a year on Webworm reporting on an abusive megachurch called Arise, and it made me want to stab my eyes out with a fork.I don’t regret that reporting in 2022 and 2023 — I am proud of it — but it made me angry.Over three main stories ...
The new Victoria University Vice-Chancellor decided to have a forum at the university about free speech and academic freedom as it is obviously a topical issue, and the Government is looking at legislating some carrots or sticks for universities to uphold their obligations under the Education and Training Act. They ...
Do you remember when Melania Trump got caught out using a speech that sounded awfully like one Michelle Obama had given? Uncannily so.Well it turns out that Abraham Lincoln is to Winston Peters as Michelle was to Melania. With the ANZAC speech Uncle Winston gave at Gallipoli having much in ...
She was born 25 years ago today in North Shore hospital. Her eyes were closed tightly shut, her mouth was silently moving. The whole theatre was all quiet intensity as they marked her a 2 on the APGAR test. A one-minute eternity later, she was an 8. The universe was ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park in collaboration with members from our Skeptical Science team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is Antarctica gaining land ice? ...
Images of US students (and others) protesting and setting up tent cities on US university campuses have been broadcast world wide and clearly demonstrate the growing rifts in US society caused by US policy toward Israel and Israel’s prosecution of … Continue reading → ...
Barrie Saunders writes – Dear Paul As the new Minister of Media and Communications, you will be inundated with heaps of free advice and special pleading, all in the national interest of course. For what it’s worth here is my assessment: Traditional broadcasting free to air content through ...
Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its arguments for such a bold reform. ...
Peter Dunne writes – The great nineteenth British Prime Minister, William Gladstone, once observed that “the first essential for a Prime Minister is to be a good butcher.” When a later British Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, sacked a third of his Cabinet in July 1962, in what became ...
Ele Ludemann writes – New Zealanders had the OECD’s second highest tax increase last year: New Zealanders faced the second-biggest tax raises in the developed world last year, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) says. The intergovernmental agency said the average change in personal income tax ...
We all know something’s not right with our elections. The spread of misinformation, people being targeted with soundbites and emotional triggers that ignore the facts, even the truth, and influence their votes.The use of technology to produce deep fakes. How can you tell if something is real or not? Can ...
This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Simon Clark. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). This year you will be lied to! Simon Clark helps prebunk some misleading statements you'll hear about climate. The video includes ...
It is all very well cutting the backrooms of public agencies but it may compromise the frontlines. One of the frustrations of the Productivity Commission’s 2017 review of universities is that while it observed that their non-academic staff were increasing faster than their academic staff, it did not bother to ...
Buzz from the Beehive Two speeches delivered by Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters at Anzac Day ceremonies in Turkey are the only new posts on the government’s official website since the PM announced his Cabinet shake-up. In one of the speeches, Peters stated the obvious: we live in a troubled ...
1. Which of these would you not expect to read in The Waikato Invader?a. Luxon is here to do business, don’t you worry about thatb. Mr KPI expects results, and you better believe itc. This decisive man of action is getting me all hot and excitedd. Melissa Lee is how ...
…it has a restricted jurisdiction which must not be abused: it is not an inquisitionNOTE – this article was published before the High Court ruled that Karen Chhour does not have to appear before the Waitangi Tribunal Gary Judd writes – The High Court ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – One of reasons Oranga Tamariki exists is to prevent child neglect. But could the organisation itself be guilty of the same?Oranga Tamariki’s statistics show a decrease in the number and age of children in care. “There are less children ...
David Farrar writes: Graeme Edgeler wrote in 2017: In the first five years after three strikes came into effect 5248 offenders received a ‘first strike’ (that is, a “stage-1 conviction” under the three strikes sentencing regime), and 68 offenders received a ‘second strike’. In the five years prior to ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in politics. That’s refreshing and will be extremely ...
TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the two days to 6:06am on Thursday, April 25:Politics: PM Christopher Luxon has set up a dual standard for ministerial competence by demoting two National Cabinet ministers while leaving also-struggling ...
Hi,Today I mainly want to share some of your thoughts about the recent piece I wrote about success and failure, and the forces that seemingly guide our lives. But first, a quick bit of housekeeping: I am doing a Webworm popup in Los Angeles on Saturday May 11 at 2pm. ...
It is hard to see what Melissa Lee might have done to “save” the media. National went into the election with no public media policy and appears not to have developed one subsequently. Lee claimed that she had prepared a policy paper before the election but it had been decided ...
Open access notablesIce acceleration and rotation in the Greenland Ice Sheet interior in recent decades, Løkkegaard et al., Communications Earth & Environment:In the past two decades, mass loss from the Greenland ice sheet has accelerated, partly due to the speedup of glaciers. However, uncertainty in speed derived from satellite products ...
Buzz from the Beehive A statement from Children’s Minister Karen Chhour – yet to be posted on the Government’s official website – arrived in Point of Order’s email in-tray last night. It welcomes the High Court ruling on whether the Waitangi Tribunal can demand she appear before it. It does ...
Mr Bombastic:Ironically, the media the academic experts wanted is, in many ways, the media they got. In place of the tyrannical editors of yesteryear, advancing without fear or favour the interests of the ruling class; the New Zealand news media of today boasts a troop of enlightened journalists dedicated to ...
It's hard times try to make a livingYou wake up every morning in the unforgivingOut there somewhere in the cityThere's people living lives without mercy or pityI feel good, yeah I'm feeling fineI feel better then I have for the longest timeI think these pills have been good for meI ...
In 1974, the US Supreme Court issued its decision in United States v. Nixon, finding that the President was not a King, but was subject to the law and was required to turn over the evidence of his wrongdoing to the courts. It was a landmark decision for the rule ...
Every day now just seems to bring in more fresh meat for the grinder.In their relentlessly ideological drive to cut back on the “excessive bloat” (as they see it) of the previous Labour-led government, on the mountains of evidence accumulated in such a short period of time do not ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Megan Valére SosouMarket gardening site of the Itchèléré de Itagui agricultural cooperative in Dassa-Zoumè (Image credit: Megan Valère Sossou) For the residents of Dassa-Zoumè, a city in the West African country of Benin, choosing between drinking water and having enough ...
Buzz from the Beehive Melissa Lee – as may be discerned from the screenshot above – has not been demoted for doing something seriously wrong as Minister of ...
Morning in London Mother hugs beloved daughter outside the converted shoe factory in which she is living.Afternoon in London Travelling writer takes himself and his wrist down to A&E, just to be sure. Read more ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – The recent announcement of the University Advisory Group, chaired by Sir Peter Gluckman, makes very clear where the Government’s focus and priorities lie. The remit of the Advisory Group is that Group members will consider challenges and opportunities for improvement in the university sector including: ...
Eric Crampton writes – The Reserve Bank of New Zealand desperately wants to find reasons to have workstreams in climate change. It makes little sense. They’ve run another stress test on the banks looking to see if they could find a prudential regulation case. They couldn’t. They ...
Rob MacCullough writes – Pundits from the left and the right are arguing that National’s Fast Track Bill that is designed to speed up infrastructure decisions could end up becoming mired in a cesspool of corruption. Political commentator ...
Looking at the headlines this morning it’s hard to feel anything other than pessimistic about the future of humanity.Note that I’m not speaking about the future of mankind, but the survival of our humanity. The values that we believe in seem to be ebbing away, by the day.Perhaps every generation ...
Swabbing mixed breed baby chicks to test for avian influenzaUh oh. Bird flu – often deadly to humans – is not only being transmitted from infected birds to dairy cows, but is now travelling between dairy cows. As of last Friday, Bloomberg News reports, there were 32 American dairy herds ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
What is it with the mining industry? Its not enough for them to pillage the earth - they apparently can't even be bothered getting resource consent to do so: The proponent behind a major mine near the Clutha River had already been undertaking activity in the area without a ...
Photo # 1 I am a huge fan of Singapore’s approach to housing, as described here two years ago by copying and pasting from The ConversationWhat Singapore has that Australia does not is a public housing developer, the Housing Development Board, which puts new dwellings on public and reclaimed land, ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure. The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say. “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
Whānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...
Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced Pharmac’s largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff. “Access to medicines is a crucial part of many Kiwis’ lives. We’ve committed to a budget allocation of $1.774 billion over four years so Kiwis are ...
Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
A Waitangi Tribunal inquiry report has warned government that a repeal of Section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act could cause harm to children in care. ...
The Treasury has published today three new papers covering government consumption multipliers, automatic stabilisers and the impacts of global shocks on New Zealand’s economy. ...
Asia Pacific Report The Pacific state of Hawai’i’s House of Representatives has joined the state’s Senate in calling for a ceasefire in Israel’s war on Gaza, becoming the first state to pass such a resolution, reports Hawaii News Now. In March, the Senate passed a ceasefire resolution with a 24–1 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Ferrie, A/Prof, UTS Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Research and ARC DECRA Fellow, University of Technology Sydney PsiQuantum The Australian government has announced a pledge of approximately A$940 million (US$617 million) to PsiQuantum, a quantum computing start-up company based in Silicon Valley. Half ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hunter Bennett, Lecturer in Exercise Science, University of South Australia Cameron Prins/Shutterstock If you spend a lot of time exploring fitness content online, you might have come across the concept of heart rate zones. Heart rate zone training has become more ...
SPECIAL REPORT:By Eugene Doyle He is the most popular Palestinian leader alive today — and yet few people in the West even know his name. Absolutely no one in Gaza or the West Bank does not know him. That difference speaks volumes about who dominates the media narrative that ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Will McCallum, PhD Candidate – School of Communication and Creative Arts, Deakin University Earlier this year, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton accused Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of not supporting Operation Sovereign Borders – the military-led border security operation that has “closed Australia’s borders ...
By Melyne Baroi in Port Moresby A Papua New Guinea MP, Peter Isoaimo, who had been ousted by the National Court in an alleged bribery case, has been reinstated by the Supreme Court on appeal. A three-member Supreme Court bench found that the National Court had erred in finding that ...
Publisher Chris Holdaway reflects on the unique project of collecting the work of the late, terrific poet Schaeffer Lemalu. One of the nice things you can do as a truly independent publisher is to make the books that writers want to make, whatever they happen to be. That’s how I’ve ...
Those profiled in the stamp series served on overseas deployments from 1995 onwards, and all have been awarded theNew Zealand Operational Service Medal. ...
Last night’s dismal poll result for the coalition government shows the limits of trying to govern as an opposition, argues Joel MacManus. There’s a quote from the American political activist Barbara Deming: “Vengeance is not the point; change is. But the trouble is that in most people’s minds, the thought ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Shireen Morris, Associate Professor and Director of the Radical Centre Reform Lab at Macquarie University Law School, Macquarie University Leonid Andronov/Shutterstock Foreign interference in Australian democracy poses a growing risk to our national sovereignty. It refers to coercive, corrupt or ...
A defendant charged by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has pleaded guilty to four charges of obtaining by deception in relation to a mortgage fraud scheme. Sentencing has been scheduled for 14 August 2024. ...
What to say when pesky journalists ask gotcha questions like ‘can you name a single book you’ve ever read?’ and ‘did you read it, or did you just see the movie?’This week, Act Party arts spokesperson Todd Stephenson foolishly agreed to an interview with Newsroom’s Steve Braunias regarding his ...
Explainer - What will a ban on cellphones in schools achieve? Can students use them during lunch breaks? And what happens if you need to contact your child? ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jodi Rowley, Curator, Amphibian & Reptile Conservation Biology, Australian Museum, UNSW Sydney Jodi Rowley, CC BY-NC-ND In winter 2021, Australia’s frogs started dropping dead. People began posting images of dead frogs on social media. Unable to travel to investigate the deaths ...
In the year ended March 2024, 0.4 percent of home transfers were to people who didn’t hold New Zealand citizenship or a resident visa, according to figures released by Stats NZ today. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Wasay Majid, Research Assistant , University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau New Zealand’s accommodation supplement scheme is facing scrutiny, with Social Development Minister Louise Upston recently saying “there is merit in considering whether the current settings are fair and sustainable long-term”. The ...
By Koroi Hawkins, RNZ Pacific editor The first prime ministerial candidate has been announced in Solomon Islands and it is not Manasseh Sogavare. The man of the hour is Jeremiah Manele, the MP for Hograno/Kia/Havulei constituency in Isabel Province, who served as minister of foreign affairs in the last government. ...
Protesting the removal of bins by leaving piles of your dog’s shit for others to deal with doesn’t make you a hero – it’s precious and entitled behaviour. You haven’t truly lived until you’ve stood on the shoreline of Auckland’s Cheltenham beach, desperately trying to scoop increasingly liquid dog shit ...
Analysis - Christopher Luxon will be alert to the factors driving the dire polling, but won't be waving the white flag just yet, RNZ political editor Jo Moir writes. ...
Writer, teacher and academic Vincent O’Sullivan died on Sunday 28 April. Here we gather tributes from friends, colleagues, and students who remember his extraordinary contributions. I went down to the garage tonight. There was a bird shrieking out in the bush, in the dark, maybe a kākā. Miraculously, through the ...
As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, a burnt-out corporate escapee explains how she gets by ‘working as little as possible’. Want to be part of The Cost of Being? Fill out the questionnaire here.Gender: Female Age: 31 Ethnicity: Pākehā Role: Contractor in ...
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Asher Flynn, Associate Professor of Criminology, Monash University Shutterstock Sexual harassment is often considered to be a person-to-person act, but new research shows Australians are also experiencing and perpetrating workplace harassment in large numbers through technology. Our latest study shows one ...
A petition signed by more than 16,500 people, demanding the government take stronger action to halt the genocide of Palestinians by the State of Israel, is being presented to the House of Representatives today by Hon Phil Twyford. ...
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The age of criminal responsibility was one of numerous human rights issues raised during Aotearoa New Zealand’s UPR. Other key themes were racism and discrimination, the disproportionate representation of Māori in prison, and to uphold the UN Declaration ...
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Above the Fold: On Monday, the biggest Māori screen production company faced down the biggest funder of Māori content at the High Court. It was an incredibly tense moment – then, just as quickly, it resolved. Duncan Greive breaks down a strange day in the screen sector.Yesterday morning, Māori ...
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It’s a ride that’s lasted almost 30 years for mother and daughter BMX riders Nancy and Toni James, and the next stop is the World Championships in Rock Hill, South Carolina. Almost 27 years ago, Nancy and her husband Gerrard took their oldest child, Daniel, to the Waitākere BMX Club. ...
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The invisible MP is re-selected. Usually parties and candidates make a big fanfare about this. He must be the only MP in Parliament (possibly in history) who doesn't want more media coverage. Presumably he has no ambitions beyond being an ATM for the National Party.
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2020/03/03/1066244/controversial-mp-jian-yang-reselected-by-national
Sounds like the lady who was the second confirmed case of corona virus may have the fourth case in her family too being her husband which I guess is not surprising.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/120049083/coronavirus-mum-with-virus-says-her-husband-is-nzs-fourth-diagnosed-case
Robert asked me to look into the Jami-Lee Ross claims in Parliament yesterday that substantial donations ($150k) originating from China have been paid to the National Party.
Ross claims to have had no knowledge of this while he was a National MP, and said "I doubt the National Party knew at the time that the money was foreign", but called on them to pay the money back.
I think context here is important. Ross is currently being prosecuted by the SFO over donations so will have been careful protecting his defence in that case with what he said.
He acknowledges that the SFO information he received was through the current court proceedings, and was not able to table documents because of the sub judice rule.
Ironically Winston Peters tried to argue that the sub judice rule was being applied too rigidly – he uses the rule to avoid speaking about matters before the court involving himself.
Also of interest was that prior to Ross' speech he appeared to collude with Peters in asking questions touching on the topic of donations in questions to the Peters as the Minister of Finance,.
Both Ross and Peters have obvious grudges against National and want leader Simon Bridges dumped.
Both Ross and Peters are at real risk of failing in September's election, with National a major factor.
Both Ross and Peters have associations with Whale Oil, The BFD and Cameron Slater et al. The BFD appears to be a virtual campaign tool of NZ First and Ross, and daily dumps on National, Bridges and other National MPs (and will likely to be promoting Ross' allegations today),
So yesterday's revelations are unlikely to be solely done as moral whistle blowers.
This is designed to make connect National to China and the Chinese Communist Party, and has already achieved that to an extent, as would be the intent (the court case seems unlikely to be scheduled before the election).
It could get more embarrassing for National, who have already had bad press over donations.
But will it help Ross and Peters? We will have to wait a few months to find out.
Full transcripts from e Question Time and General Debate here:
https://yournz.org/2020/03/06/jami-lee-ross-claims-national-received-foreign-donations/
Surely National did that all by themselves. They are still doing it.
Sheesh. Game commentary.
Will it help National, or Ross, or Peters? Maybe, maybe not, but it's hardly the issue that matters, is it?
Our democracy is being eroded by an influx of money from a system where policies are not debated or voted on. They are merely purchased.
Note: system. Not nationality, or ethnicity. Being Chinese isn't the point. Being a dictatorship is. Simon Bridges should try being leader of the opposition in China. He'd have bigger problems than Trevor Mallard.
"Our democracy is being eroded by an influx of money from a system where policies are not debated or voted on. "
That's certainly an important issue for our democracy, but I'd prefer to see evidence on it, more than what self interested MPs trying to keep their political careers alive are dishing out.
I should add that Peters, Ross and Slater/WO/BFD et al all have histories of making big accusations and claiming to have evidence and then not producing it, or underwhelming with it.
We won't get all the details on this until Ross' prosecution ends up in court. He seems to be trying to rush the revelations, but that will be selectively.
You're trying make spurious links between JLR and Winston Peters without any evidence whatsoever. Winston Peters has a long history of talking about money matters related to politics. He was also part of National once and knows how they operate.
Think… the Winebox saga of the 1990s. The link to National did not equate to any involvement by National, but all the guilty parties in that affair were known to have close ties to them. I doubt there was any collusion between Peters and JLR over the topics they chose to speak on yesterday in the House.
And what pray tell me does Slater have to do with the price of fish apart from an attempt to link them both to the discredited fellow.
WP and JLR working together in QT yesterday:
https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/hansard-debates/rhr/document/HansS_20200305_051450000/4-question-no-4-foreign-affairs
WP trying to assist JLR in Debate on Prime Minister's Statement:
https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/hansard-debates/rhr/document/HansS_20200305_054225000/ross-jami-lee
The BFD have been shilling for both Ross and Peters for years and continue full bore today.
When did the BFD launch?
February last year, but it's well known that it was a little more than WO with a makeover with an attempt to distance themselves from legal and financial problems. Most of the same people seem to be involved, and using the same dirty methods.
So you're saying Judith Collins is involved?
We all know there was bad blood in the national party from when Michelle Boag et al tipped over Cameron Slater's dad for National Party president hence the Collins faction including Cameron Slater vs the Boag faction that's been antagonistic for a long time..
Slithering in and out were players such as Jason Ede out of John Key's office, Carrick Graham, Simon Lusk and quite a few others.
So when you say most of the same people seem to be involved you presumably are referring to these people.
Same people at the blog end.
As far as I've seen Collins has distanced herself and kept her distance.
I haven't hear of Ede since 2014.
Graham seems to have learnt from getting burnt, he's got his own legal problems as result, and seems to have distanced himself.
But the same core seems to be still trying to progress their agendas and still promoting nasty and dirty as essentials in politics.
So, the BFD has just celebrated its first birthday anniversary and you said it had been shilling for years. Would you call that sloppy or misleading journalism, Pete?
You're ignoring what I said. Your blogging is sloppy again.
The same people have done the same sort of shilling for NZF since 2017, using WO and now BFD.
It's well known that Whale Oil was switched to The BFD about this time last year. The same people own it and are running it, and the same dirty politics agendas are obvious. Some things have flipped, National was once using WO as a proxy for dirty politics and NZF and Peters were frequent targets, now National is the primary target and NZF the primary beneficiary. At about the same time as this flip Peters’ and NZ First’s lawyer started to represent Slater in defamation cases he was involved in.
But same people peddling dirty politics in a similar way.
If you read what journalists write you would know that it is common to refer to WO and BFD as virtually the same thing (with different names and a makeover). They sometimes inflate Slater's influence, that's diminished, but others continue with what they've done for a decade.
I'm not sure what you're trying to achieve by playing dumb on this. It looks like you're trying to defend BFD dirt mongering – do you think it's ok if parties you don't like are the target? Actually Labour and Jacinda are frequent targets of their dirty smears as well, that's just overshadowed by the anti-National agenda.
They are guns for hire. The dirt is supplied.
I take accusations of being sloppy seriously and will stand corrected if/when necessary. I screw up regularly, if you must know. OTOH, you don’t seem to care about your sloppiness and it has a negative effect on your credibility, which is why I’m ignoring the other stuff you said and stay focussed on the issue at hand, which is your sloppiness. You’re trying to divert my attention away and distract me with bolshie conspiracy stories and DP.
You were sloppy, virtually speaking. Hiding behind others is no excuse, just admit it; it won’t hurt as much as you think it will.
Just as well, I’m neither dumb nor sloppy then, in this instance, at least. You’re diverting attention away from the real issue: https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-06-03-2020/#comment-1689522
"stay focussed on the issue at hand, which is your sloppiness"'
"You’re diverting attention away from the real issue…"
I understand that you seem to be obsessed with portraying my 'sloppiness', but you really don't know that this is classic diversion tactics?
You're the one who keeps trying to divert.
Check this out (Press editorial):
Note "The BFD, the successor to the notorious Whale Oil blog"
https://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/opinion/119530211/neutralising-peters-was-a-smart-move
Try make it about me if you like, but your diversions are very sloppy (in my opinion).
[The issue is not what you want it to be, Pete. The primary issue is the donations. It is not DP, WO, the BFD, or anything of that kind; these are a different issue and worth attention too but they are not the same. You were sloppy about the BFD. I’m fast losing patience with you and your next comments here will decide whether you keep your commenting privilege here in election year or whether you’ll be restricted to your own blog. I don’t care either way – Incognito]
See my Moderation note @ 4:58 PM.
You're the one who started the WO/BFD diversion.
If you want to see how close WO and BFD are, this explains some of the many connections.
https://yournz.org/2019/08/12/the-bfd-nothing-to-do-with-whaleoil-except/
[No Pete, it was you who conflated the two stories @ 3 (https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-06-03-2020/#comment-1689422). I have no interest in playing your diversion game about the SFO story and linking it to WO/BFD. If you pull this on me again I’ll ban you till after the election – Incognito]
See my Moderation note @ 5:13 PM.
I don't care either way either whether you want to hover a ban threat over me. I think it's a gutless reaction, and accept that's an opinion that you may use as an excuse, but so be it. It's quite funny but also sad you are pinging me for 'diversion' when that's what you've been targeting me with here for some time.
You can do what you like here, but do you realise you can't restrict me anywhere else (that I'm aware of)?
For the record, Pete:
Wrong! I cannot do what I like here in the sense that you seem to be implying. I’m bound by the Policy and Rules as much as anybody is.
Wrong! I’m not restricting you here. You can pretty much say what you like here, it is a free forum for robust debate, but you cannot divert or derail and make up stuff in lieu of hard evidence. If you want to speculate and/or opine, that’s fine too as long as you make it clear that this is what you’re doing. You can raise pretty much any issue or topic but you cannot conflate things and generally, you should start a new separate thread. Connect dots when appropriate but leave the fantasy stuff out or separate, at least. Expressing concern usually leads to a ‘debate’ about the concern per se and the one concerned, particularly if this commenter has form. This in itself is a distraction/diversion, intentional or not, but something that Moderators here have been trying to stamp out. If the ‘culprit’ refuses to budge (!), even when it has been pointed out to them and they have been asked to change their ways, then they’ll find themselves parked outside for a while, particularly in election year.
Correct! You can knock yourself out anywhere else and even link to it here, using sound judgement. Moderators on/of this site only concern themselves with happens on this site and what they can see happening on this site.
Don’t be a petulant martyr, Pete. Just as well, I have not banned you, but tried to engage with you so that you would engage your brain. If that’s gutless, so be it. It certainly has taken up a lot of my time with little impact, so far. As long as you follow the simple rules of commenting here (e.g. see above), I won’t have to do anything and that’s exactly how I want it to be, particularly in election year.
This gutless Moderator has just about a gut’s full of explaining these things to you, Pete. Make of that what you will; I don’t care either way.
" you cannot divert or derail and make up stuff in lieu of hard evidence"
I didn't make stuff up. You nit picked, and then as I supplied evidence you got upset about it, claiming grave transgressions.
I don't know how I can be done for diverting from my own comments, responding to someone (you) in Open Forum. But whatever.
BFD and WO are closely linked, that's widely known (and acknowledged by others in this thread) and I have provided evidence of it.
Slater is linked to WO and BFD. He has also been associated with JLR. WO has shilled for Peters and NZ First for the last three years or so. Peters teamed with JLR in Parliament this week. This is all related to the first comment in this thread.
You can be pedantic about names (WO, BFD, Slater, Xavier), but it's all the same dirty operation with Peters/NZF and JLR as obvious intended beneficiaries over the last three years, spanning a name change of the blog.
I don't don't see the point in filling an old thread with evidence but there's a lot of it, and if you insist I can back up what I've posted here, the evidence already provided is only a small part.
If you prefer this is done on a fresh thread maybe I could do that on today's Open Forum, or spread it across a few days because there's a lot of material. Would that be better?
Let me spell it out for you and give you one example, Pete, because you seem unable to work it out for yourself.
In Daily review 05/03/2020 Robert (Guyton) asked you several times about the issue.
You responded:
You also mentioned several times (mainly in Open mike 06/03/2020) the lack of evidence.
However, you decided to address the issue after all, despite having virtually no evidence and nothing much to base a story upon (https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-06-03-2020/#comment-1689422).
Somewhere midway in your comment to diverted from the issue to write about WO/ the BFD, etc. Subsequent comments continued that line. The issue got left behind, mainly because there’s not much (evidence) to go on.
You went on to picture JLR and WRP being ‘brothers in arms’ fighting a common enemy (National) but this is a different issue as is the role of WO/the BFD, etc. It is a nice picture, one that appeals to you, obviously (“Peters teamed with JLR in Parliament this week”).
If you say so, Pete, I guess we’ll have to take your expert opinion for it. JLR resigned from National on 16 October 2018 but WO/the BFD have obviously been shilling for him for much longer, as you say.
It is all wonderful stuff, and you obviously love to write about it ad nauseam, here and on your own blog, but that was not the issue that Robert asked (you) about.
I recall you acting luke-warm on investigating political donations and obviously it does not have the same appeal for you as WO/the BFD, etc. There’s no shame in that and it’s worthy of your and our attention too, obviously. However, others here are considerably more interested in the issue as described by Robert and also Psycho Milt (https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-06-03-2020/#comment-1689522).
After all this effort, again, I don’t expect you to ‘get it’ or ‘play ball’. It merely functions as a record for future reference …
I prefer to have to do nothing about you in terms of Moderation as I have clearly stated, haven’t I?
I'd ban him for calling a moderator, "sloppy".
So rude
Can’t ban people for a clearly expressed and well-articulated genuinely-held opinion. Moderators, Authors, and even the SYSOP have been called (much) worse. In all honesty, I don’t like to ban people although some bans give a sense of enormous relief.
"You went on to picture JLR and WRP being ‘brothers in arms’ fighting a common enemy.."
Your picture, not what I said (or close to it).
"I recall you acting luke-warm on investigating political donations…"
That's not how it happened. Robert DIVERTED FROM A COMMENT ABOUT A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT TOPIC (without being addressed by any moderator) asked me about a story that was breaking and I hadn't had time to look at it. I've written about donations previously, and once I had time I did address that story in some detail:
https://yournz.org/2020/03/06/jami-lee-ross-claims-national-received-foreign-donations/
"…and obviously it does not have the same appeal for you as WO/the BFD, etc."
Obviously you are making up that up, you don't know what I think about various topics as they come up.
I think donations will continue to be an important issue this year and probably next, but there's a lot to come out on this yet, so I think it's difficult to jump to conclusions, particularly when someone like JLR who has already made big accusations that backfired on him big time (making a complaint and then being prosecuted himself).
WO/BFD are largely irrelevant in comparison, but I still occasionally expose what they're doing, and look at who appears to be involved. I'm not sure why you seem so bothered about that, because your reaction and persistence on this seem way out of proportion to something that is very common here – topics evolving as different people contribute.
Why deny it, Pete? I’ve quoted you verbatim, and that’s the picture you painted and that came across in your various comments. So sad that you have to deny (disown) your own words and for no obvious reason 🙁 Unless you wanted to paint a very different picture, in which case you missed the mark by a long shot IMHO.
Robert asked you here, on this site. It was a clear and specific question. You went on to write about other stuff that indeed is “largely irrelevant in comparison”.
I go by your voluminous writings about WO/the BFD, here and elsewhere, and I conclude, rightly or wrongly, that it has a certain appeal for you. It would go as far as to suggest that it might be one of your pet topics. It is basic psychology that people write about things that interest them and/or are close to their heart. We’re not in high school anymore and we are not given (the) topics to write about; we can write about anything we like here. Are you the exception to the rule, Pete? Your copious comments and overall oeuvre seem to suggest otherwise.
I agree with you about (the) donations and I also agree that both JLR and WRP tend to overpromise; they’re politicians after all.
I think it is great that you continue to expose WO/the BFD, etc. I’m not bothered by that at all. In fact, I’d encourage you to do so.
See, it is mostly a misunderstanding between you and me. So, happy blogging 🙂
PS I apologise for calling your journalistic credentials into question. You obviously pay attention to detail and put considerable effort into your writings. Just every now and then, your high standard is slipping somewhat IMHO. It was meant to be provocative challenge to you to maintain and possibly even lift your standard when commenting here but it got away from me and that was wrong of me, sorry.
Pete's a tar-baby, that's for sure!
The world is full of tar babies, many small and a few very large ones (and growing!). We can’t avoid them and we have to learn how to deal with them, effectively, decisively, and kindly.
Far out. Pretty sure I'd have been gone several comments ago.
Pete sure does get a long rope.
I don’t give up, that’s how I tick. Pete’s a good guy and there’s nothing ‘personal’ between us so worth putting in the effort IMO. I’d do it for most commenters here, time allowing, and some think I’m ‘nuts’ for doing so (paraphrasing, of course).
Sure. But consistency of moderation is a thing too.
I’m not sure what your point is …
My point is I have been told that arguing with a moderator, particularly after being warned not to is a big no-no.
I've been blacklisted because of it and that's fine, but it doesn't sit well when Pete does it with no penalty whatsoever.
Got it, thanks. Not all moderation warnings are equal. Not all arguing is the same. We keep a record of moderation and commenters can lose ‘credit’/grow ‘debt’ without incurring a ban straightaway (AKA when we refer to ‘having form’). Patience levels do fluctuate (sometimes considerably so). Sometimes the line is more blurred/fuzzy. Moderation is an ‘art’ and subjective and not a simple (!) binary decision between black & white (good or bad). We may or may not see a Post on Moderation in the (near?) future and that’s all I want to say about it right now 🙂
Thanks.
But while commenters are asked to adhere to the letter of forum policy and are routinely picked up on any departure from that policy, moderation is a fuzzy art, issuing credit and debt according to what the argument was about and how the moderator felt at the time.
I think you can see why people question decisions/non-decisions.
You’re doing a great job, by the way!
for those of us with a life, what is bfd? out in the real world , it means big fucking deal….
bilious floppy doofuses
Not bad but why do you prefer to focus on the Wayang show behind the scenes instead of the primary issue?
JLR and WRP both like pinstripe suits too.
What's playing out mostly now is the JLR/WRP show, absent evidence and even if JLR had managed to table the SFO flow chart that would almost certainly be a cherry picked fragment. It is likely to be months if not next year before all the available evidence is tabled in court.
In the meantime, like clockwork the BFD part of the attack chimes on at 8 this morning. They're becoming very predictable.
It is mostly a ‘National must dump Bridges and Bennett’ repeat, but includes:
Interesting to see that some of those who were all for the exposure of Dirty Politics now seem to give a pass to the latest phase of DP from the same players (now with WP).
Either you don't understand what is meant by the concept of DP as outlined in Hager's book, or you're actively trying to widen it to include pretty much any behaviour you don't agree with.
This is another case of political operatives laundering attacks via a blog run by unscrupulous scum, so it is closer to #dirtypolitics than the other things Pete has labelled thus. Missing a permanent staffer in the PM's office like Jason Ede but not that much different and certainly no more ethical.
It's you that doesn't understand. The book Dirty Politics was the the fourth in a series looking at various types for dirt mongering in politics and public relations. The others were Secrets and Lies, The Seeds of Distrust and The Hollow Men. National wasn't the sole target in those. The second was aimed at the Helen Clark government.
In Dirty Politics Hager had a fairly wide interpretation of dirty politics.
On the back cover:
There was a focus on dirty ops being run out of the Prime Minister's office, but there was evidence of much wider dirt mongering than that.
Have you actually read Dirty Politics?
And it went way beyond the scope of that one book. Slater versus Matthew Blomfield (there's another book on that, Whale Oil), Slater versus Colin Craig and three academics versus Carrick Graham are just examples that have been through the courts (and all are still incomplete, no judgment in the first yet, and Craig v Slater is in the Court of Appeal this month and the third hasn't been to trial yet).
The attempt to overturn the election of Len Brown as mayor of Auckland (that was after Dirty Politics was written) was very dirty politics.
Nottingham (and Slater) v lprent, myself, Allied Press and NZH also involved dirty politics – they tried to shut down my blog I presume because I criticised and exposed Slater and WO as well (and laughably tried to imprison me), they tried to hack The Standard, there's a long long list of dirt mongering.
How would you define 'dirty politics'?
For a couple of days now you’ve been conflating multiple issues when the main one is how national and foreign players buy political influence through political donations.
In this OM alone, you have mentioned the word “evidence” 5 times in the context of the SFO case that’s currently before the Court. While this is scant and we’re awaiting more, you concoct stories about JLR and WRP ‘colluding’ in Parliament; were they spotted in a café having a cup of tea together?
You may be a recognised expert on DP but this is different from the SFO case.
I know you love your own spin (AKA smoke your own dope), judging by your blogsite, but this doesn’t mean others here are enamoured with your conflations.
Have you heard of Wayang?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wayang
So yesterday's revelations are unlikely to be solely done as moral whistle blowers.
Irrelevant. This isn't about who's a good person and who isn't, it's about whether National is being funded by the CCP or not.
Bingo!
Nailed it.
We probably won't know for some time whether National (or Labour) have received funds from the CCP, unless Ross does have compelling evidence and gets it out sooner. But he has failed to deliver on big claims in the past .
If there have been illegal foreign donations then I would trust the SFO to be on to that. Remember that it's Ross facing charges.
And, this might be a bit radical for you, it's possible there's more than one issue in the go here. You may not care if a (different this time) political party is using the old dirty politics crew to try to engineer political outcomes through dirty methods. I think that's also a concern for our democracy.
If the Greens get targeted (the way WO/BFD et al operate I wouldn't rule that out) you may have a different view on dirty methods.
The Greens would have to do something smearable. Good luck with that.
That hasn't stopped them trying to smear.
Pete, you should go for a record in the Guinness Book of Records: the most crackers spread with one jar of Our Mate.
petegeorge, there are three chinese business men and one ex nat MP before the courts, throw in a leaked recording of simon bridges discussing what to do with chinese donations and one dosen't have to be a genius to work it out. JS
On a side note, are you trying to drive traffic towards a dirty blog? Think I'll give it a miss least I catch something.
I'll continue to expose a dirty blog. That means having to identify it. If people go to see for themselves how dirty they still are I don't see a problem with that.
Wow that is a sad shock. Jeannette has died!
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/120057878/former-green-party-coleader-jeanette-fitzsimons-has-reportedly-died
Very sad news.
NZ lost out when Jeanette retired and now hopefully her impact will be recognised on reflection of her life : what she achieved and the manner in which she conducted herself. Our parliament needs people like her to champion the case of this planet.
Dont quite figure why this is hitting me hard.
A lighthouse.
Very sad – although also comforting listening from her family this morning on the radio that she was so active, happy and still fighting the good fight right up until passing.
RNZ interview with husband Harry (7 mins) https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2018737242/former-green-party-co-leader-jeannette-fitzsimons-has-died
Harry mentions Jeanette's determination to get arrested for protesting – I remember talking with her at a coal protest at the Mataura lignite briquette plant (Bill English's folly) where I believe she initially made the personal resolution and it was funny/poignant to hear that despite her best efforts to "cross the line", no one would arrest her!
…and followed by Catherine Delahunty on Nine To Noon.
Appropriate that her nearest and dearest speak first and at length.
I'm not looking forward to the Current Crop of sitting MPs delivering their eulogies.
I'm struggling to think of any who are worthy….perhaps Logie?
Principle.
A word which will be much used over the next few days.
Perhaps we should provide a definition for those who will presume to bandy it?
Very sad day….
Seems unthinkable that 20 years ago, she was the MP for Coromandel, the last MP for a rural area that didn't advocate handing it over to the extraction industry to rip up, like the mangrove hating Sandra Goudie.
"… MP for Coromandel…"
Mmmm. A conversation we had at the time was how many of the Monied Classes had opted to vote in the electorate where they had built their "baches" rather in their (usually) Auckland domiciles in order to get and keep the electorate blue.
RIP Jeanette Fitzsimons. A highly principled woman who lived her life through her green convictions. She and the late Rod Donald were the ultimate green team leadership in Parliament, with Jeanette being the first and only so far Green MP to win an electorate seat. A sad loss for NZ.
Go well Jeanette.
Oh no!
Weka. Can you do a post for Jeanette?
Eugenie Sage posted this message and recent photo of Jeanette on Facebook:
"Heartbroken at the passing of Jeanette Fitzsimons- she has done so much to foster aroha for people and planet and to build the Green Party.
Harry and the wider whanau and your and Jeanette’s mokopuna – we share your grief.
Jeanette is a taonga of the green movement. She was rare and precious with warmth, wisdom, humility and strength which inspired so many.
Jeanette’s legacy is huge – in working alongside activists on climate, for nature, for economics where the planet matters, on sustainable energy and many other issues. She created change and brought those voices to Parliament with passion and combined them with her analysis and thinking.
This photo of Jeanette is on her farm 10 days ago. I am hugely grateful for all you have given Aotearoa Jeanette. Arohanui."
https://www.facebook.com/EugenieSageMP/photos/a.1277789895582726/3233041046724258/?type=3&theater
Mojo Mathers wrote:
"Devastated by the sudden death of our much loved former co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons. So many memories of her over the years. She was an incredible woman – wise, staunch, principled and kind. She put her heart and soul into both the Green Party and the wider Green movement, carrying the weight of the Party on her shoulders after Rod’s untimely death. I will miss her so much. Massive aroha to Harry and her family."
https://www.facebook.com/mojo.mathers.7?__tn__=%2CdC-R-R&eid=ARBklWzkn2wKuLz0FqSH3hWOsMFHyx4b1cmeg8oWkQMDtilwR0e5oOdypMH2jHSUrg7QLS5Qu6iVL_z6&hc_ref=ARRtR3frL3grZZHZ9Tht_PUwZq4goGYMm601SAfilnM3EPDdz_UckHG0spnsRJu8CjU&fref=nf
Micky has a post up for Jeanette Fitzsimons now. Please repost comments there if you feel inclined to, it would be lovely to have them in one place.
https://thestandard.org.nz/rip-jeanette-fitzsimons/
Finally! A rebuke and the right messaging to the voters about Shane Jones, Winston Peters and their corrupt, racist, climate denying vehicle for their own egos from Jacinda.
well done, if a tad late
Link?
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12314407
She's burning Peters there too, and basically telling voters to vote Labour not NZF. Good for her.
She still won't call it racist though.
true, and at the time of the mosque shootings she was also careful about language. I'm not sure what I think about this. Maybe it's a strategy of not getting into name calling?
Good on Adern indeed. I don’t care if she wasn’t guns blazing on it, but she’s correctly identified that NZ1 are a drag on her ability to govern and the electorate would be better off without them.
incognito has backed themselves into a corner in the defence of NZ1 just to stay in power. No better than the nats.
[“incognito has backed themselves into a corner in the defence of NZ1 just to stay in power.” Please link to where I said that and defended NZF – Incognito]
See my Moderation note @ 2:20 PM.
Sorry, rushing to eat and type on my phone. I retract.
Your defence of our PM’s inaction on NZ1 up until this point.
Touching an electronic device and eating is a bad combination under the current circumstances unless you use utensils. Spread the word, not the virus.
Jacinda being interviewed by Indian Weekender
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2020/03/jacinda-ardern-asks-voters-not-to-punish-her-for-shane-jones-comments-on-indian-students.html
Full transcript from PM's interview that the other stories are based on: https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/06-03-2020/dont-punish-me-for-the-opinions-of-others-jacinda-ardern-talks-to-the-indian-weekender/
https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/120065822/confused-man-fined-200-for-not-filling-in-2018-census-form
Finally succeed in posting a link from my phone….appropriately in relation to this bit of judicial madness.
Seriously, your honour?
Imagine if they prosecuted everyone. There would be about 750,000 prosecutions. At $200 each Grant would have about $150 million to play with.
Do you think that might provide an effective Border Control system to pick up coronavirus sufferers? The present activities don't seem to be too effective do they?
What would you do?
I am not a virologist, or whatever the people who study these things are. I don't give opinions on things that I don't know a lot about so I would merely say I don't know.
I would possibly approach Singapore for assistance. They seem to have effective measures in place. They would seem to have learnt from the SARS epidemic and appear to be carrying out suitable Border Control measures and to be finding, and isolating, people who are being infected within the country. I can't see them not having detected the first NZ sufferer who arrived here already in the grip of the disease but who appears to have been allowed to travel home with no precautions being taken.
Finding sick (symptomatic) people is one thing, isolating them (at the border?) and testing and getting the test result is another. How do you find asymptomatic people (at the border or anywhere else for that matter)? It is balance of mass panic and paranoia and Draconian measures that severely limit/restrict people’s freedoms (for want of a better word) (cue: Wuhan).
As of 5 March, Singapore had 110 confirmed cases through local transmission.
https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/situation-reports
I thought your questions @ 11.1 were leadings ones but they may have been genuine; I can never tell with you.
Just more over-confident ignorant reckons, I'd say, putting:
With
I'll offer you a simple example that you might understand.
My car won't start. The starter turns but the engine won't fire. I can see that there is fuel in the tank. That's it though. I know there is something wrong but I don't know how to fix it.
I cal in an expert. I get a good mechanic to fix the problem. Would you do the same or are you what used to be called an A grade motor mechanic?
Or would you just pretend that you are?
That is just the same with the conovavirus victim who arrived from Iran. He was already suffering from the symptoms on the flight and at the Airport. I certainly know enough to be able to say that he should have had some medical check at the Airport. Instead nothing was done.
I don't however know enough to be able to say exactly what the procedures should be. Are you any different? Or are you perchance a fully qualified expert Epidemiologist and know not only that something went wrong but exactly how to solve it?
Or do you just think you are such a skilled person that you can fix any problem you can see?
Really, you know that much? What "medical check"? How would this "medical check" affect what we ask these travellers to do (hint: it doesn't. Either way, it's voluntary self-isolation because he the travellers were entering after visiting countries that we want self-isolation for, anyway).
You want to spend money and waste medical staff doing thousands of "some medical check" that won't actually change what happens to the passengers.
The government has freaking hundreds of trained "mechanics": engine specialists, tranny specialists, fuel management specialists, computer management techs, performance specialists. Every choice and step has been planned for years.There are trade-offs for every decision. The situation changes daily or even more often.
But Alwyn knows better, that "some check" would suddenly make NZ impervious to this pandemic.
Just make 'the check' out to his favourite foundation, ok.
I’m neither an A grade motor mechanic nor a virologist nor a fully qualified expert Epidemiologist. Nor am I such a skilled person that I can fix any (any?) problem I can see. Nor would I write/state “I certainly know enough to be able to say that he should have had some medical check at the Airport. Instead nothing was done”. You were there, at the Arrivals, were you? Nobody said anything, nobody did anything, least of all the unwell person. So many people, so little action!
Do you know what a fully qualified expert Epidemiologist is or does? Because I doubt it based on your claim that they “know not only that something went wrong but exactly how to solve it”!?
I would not judge nor give my opinion and simply state my utter ignorance and ask questions with an open and inquisitive mind. That’s what I’d do, if I were you. But you did not, did you?
https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-06-03-2020/#comment-1689524
I suggest you read this story and then decide whether you are happy with the way things at the airport were handled.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/119913458/coronavirus-new-zealand-patient-not-subject-to-health-checks-upon-landing-at-auckland-airport
The person was ill on the flight. They had come from Iran. The family were worried enough to take her to the Hospital.
"Passengers arriving into New Zealand are given information in both English and Mandarin about the virus and if they are identified as being unwell they would be assessed and transported to hospital.
The health assessments are not compulsory, and passengers can opt in if they feel ill. "
Are you happy that assessments are "voluntary"? They certainly aren't in Singapore I am told. Any sign of a fever and you are checked I am told. And No. I can't state that as something I have seen.
By the way the reply was meant to be to Sacha. By the time I realised I had replied to the wrong person the edit time had elaps
I get that some unscrupulous political actors are stirring up public distrust of our health system's response to the Covid-19 outbreak.
If it meshes with an existing general distrust of authority then there is little any of us can do to reassure a determined doubter.
Some specific questions though for those playing at home:
1) Which tests are available for detecting Covid-19?
2) What are the false positive/negative rates for available tests?
3) What implications would that have on the resources NZ would need to deal appropriately with people identified by the tests as potentially infected?
4) Which places were passengers screened for having visited, on the day that person arrived at Auckland airport? Was Iran on the list on 26 Feb?
5) Which group of people focus on answering those questions as their regular professionally-trained job? (Clue: neither hairdressers nor politicians).
And so I do not need to say anything more..
https://twitter.com/mrJeffHowell/status/1235825633340473349
For those of us wanting to copy Singapore's wishful temperature tests in airports, it took them 3 days to go from zero to four cases.
It took NZ a week.
There is zero evidence to demonstrate that the NZ response is anything less than appropriate to the risks we face.
People need to wash their hands, then wash their faces in cool water to calm the fuck down, and then wash their damned hands again.
Take home message of the day: wash your hands thoroughly before and after sex and don’t touch anything during sex, least of all the T-zone. Even better precaution: cover yourself and your partner in two condoms (AKA diving suits) each, double wrapped. Enjoy!
Don't double-wrap condoms!
The two condoms wrinkle and rub against each other and are more likely to break than a single condom. If one condom doesn't make you feel safe enough against pregnancy or STIs from that particular person, don't do anything where you'd need a condom.
I'm mildly suprised all these public health messages have sunk in. I'm no doctor, but sometimes I'd really like them to shut up so the meeting can wind up 🙂
Yes, very good point and thanks for setting the record straight.
Regarding the self-reporting and showing self-responsibility, at airports, for example, and self-isolating, I think there’s the usual self-denial at work. For similar ‘reasons’, people don’t see their GP when something isn’t quite right. For similar (but different, sometimes quite different) ‘reasons’, people don’t disclose that they have had unprotected sex with another and/or multiple partners. This is one reason STDs are on the rise. But people don’t hold themselves accountable and blame the other(s) and the authorities. Shame, guild, and (perceived) inconvenience come into it and are strong drivers of human behaviour, be it about sexual practices or not feeling well due to a possible infection with COVID-19.
Oh dear. Having to contemplate the fact that the New Zealand border security actions for the coronavirus epidemic may not be the best has proved to much for McFlock and incognito.
Their poor little brains have exploded. Just lie down fellows, take a couple of paracetamol (if you can find any) and have a long rest.
Ummm, no, having to contemplate your obvious ignorance on display and your continued brain implosions makes my head hurt.
The people who study these things are the ones informing, directing, and often running the government's approach.
And you might not have noticed the global cooperation in dealing with this outbreak – everything from identifying common risk factors, isolating cases, sharing pcr and antigen test protocols, vaccine development, and running treatment trials.
We have an effective border control system. It just doesn't involve things that probably don't work or don't actually exist yet.
This dude runs a company? I bet he claims back his GST without fail…
Stats NZ are prosecuting those who did not fill in the census but who were also rude and obstructive in their dealings with officials.
I note that the little 19 year old twerp who got caught by the police for his obstructive activities after being searched for his behaviour outside the Mosque had previous form for being rude and obstructive. He'd been in court before for hate speech and pleaded being drunk and he said in a letter he never would be doing this sort of thing again…… He also accused the police then of being fascist thugs, and two years later he has become a fascist thug himself.
Whew! Just as well I was impeccably polite to the census officials when refusing to participate in the last five censuses.
People do seem to forget that most enforcement folk have a fair degree of discretion when it comes to prioritising their activities, and being a jerk is a prime way of getting their attention lol.
a fascist thug??
He belongs to a fascist group and acts in a thuggish manner, threatening assassination and violence to people of Islam. He dared to call the police themselves "right wing fascists'.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/120027717/teen-arrested-after-al-noor-mosque-threat-a-member-of-white-nationalist-group?cid=edm:stuff:dailyheadlines&bid=1257116764
He is not reported as calling the police 'thugs'. That was my error.
He may well become a 'fascist thug' given the right (or wrong) circumstances….I would suggest that at this stage he is a rather immature, disturbed and not too bright teenager.
For everyone not completely fed up with discussion of the US Democratic Party Primary – this is an excellent and fair analysis of Joe Biden – both the source of his popularity and his current limitations. Contains some surprising and impressive footage of Biden speaking in 2016. Worth listening from this point (11m15s) through to about 17m50s
Here's an interview with Biden from a few days ago.
Older than the clip @13mins in your video, bit tired at points (as you'd expect for a politician mid-campaign), but still delivering complex points in a similar style to the clip in your link.
Oh dear….he's scattered.
Well, yeah, but that's the same style he had in the 2016 clip, too. He has that thing of almost finishing a sentence and then moving onto a related thought.
Dang,,, haven't watched the other clip yet.
Apparently he has a stutter and sometimes he doesn't finish a sentence if the word is one that he will have issues with.
He seems alot sharper in the 2016 clip.
I don't think he's avoiding stuttering triggers, rather he appears to be losing his train of thought on a regular basis, it's kinda sad really.
You reckon there's that much difference? I don't.
Either way, he can still focus on complex tasks, and not ask why they don't use the flu vaccine to fight c-19.
edit: btw, that last bit is not a diagnosis of dolt45. I just think he’s a fucking idiot, amongst many other things
Interview a few days ago with veteran British Palestine solidarity activist Tony Greenstein on the current situation in Israel/Palestine, the 'deal of the century', the Zionist campaign to get rid of Corbyn, and much more. . .
https://rdln.wordpress.com/2020/03/03/an-interview-with-palestine-campaigner-tony-greenstein/
Oops, no Daily Review so I’ll put it here:
https://i.stuff.co.nz/world/australia/120089301/australian-prankster-fills-arcade-game-with-toilet-paper-amid-coronavirus-panic-buying
Yes, its a sad day but just a bit of light-heartedness to ease the sorrow.
14 days ago Italy had 4 Coronavirus cases.
Now they have 3 858 cases.
Today we have 4 Coronavirus cases.
Are we 2 weeks from lock down, with school and Universities locked?
https://www.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6
Are we as disorganised as Italy?
Well, it would appear we are not anything like as thorough a country as others at checking entry.
This of course, is not a surprise to those of us who see New Zealand as an extreme evangelist of laissez-faire economics. We leave everything to the power of the cult of the free market.
Personally, I’d much prefer a more interventionist government. The market cannot solve such problems.
We have much to learn from the response of South Korea and Singapore…and China, after a slow start.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/120064444/new-zealand-must-learn-from-chinas-success-in-managing-covid19
We already do contact tracing, which is a big chart of China's efforts.
And we now have better case definitions than Italy had three weeks ago when they thought one of the earliest Lombardy cluster cases was suffering from influenza.
What exactly do you want NZ to be doing? Pointless temperature tests in airports, or maybe spraying disinfectant around outdoors with big fog machines?
The only things NZ are not doing, by and large, are photo-op activities with little real impact.
I agree with you about the pointless temperature tests at airports.
I would simply close down the airports for necessary time.
Also, as maui mentioned, we need the army out and about assisting.
Food supplies need to be taken over by the government and rationing imposed.
And then like South Korea we need to test intensively. 140 000 tested to date.
I think the facts that India and China have both limited the export of pharmaceuticals is a real concern.
This is potentially life threatening and an existential threat. Time for us as a country to develop our own self- sustainable pharmaceutical industry – wherever possible.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/if-coronavirus-stricken-china-cant-export-medicine-the-world-is-in-trouble-11583372431
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-51731719
Europe survived 30% of its population being killed by the black death. That is the worsty worsty worstest scenario, and it wasn't an "existential threat".
The Black Death was an existential threat to the feudal system in Western Europe.
Debatable, but if it were then the smart move for you would be to quietly wait for covid-19 to bring about a socialist revolution.
You want to lay off tens of thousands of tourism and hospo staff just before winter? How many people do you think that will kill?
And what will the fucking army do on the streets?
Here's the thing, our problem at the moment is imported cases. There's no point in testing everyone across the country just because 4 people have it in Auckland.
When it gets to the point that we have cases which cannot be linked to imported cases a couple of degrees separated, that's when any more aggressive community interventions might be implemented. We need to preserve our resources (like testing kits) until they are needed. A negative result from someone at low risk of having it it a wasted test.
But we're not dealing with the Black Death. We're dealing with something that will overload the health system and slow down the economy so people die from other things, like basic respiratory infections.
There's no point in replicating the effects of this pandemic in our efforts to defeat it. We have a small population with only a few large population centres. There are communities for whom it will be more dangerous than others, and each needs to be managed in the way that matches its strengths and weaknesses.
We are already too late.
Swordfish nails it below when she says
We did not do that.
We were beholden to the shareholders of capitalism.
The few, not the many.
Maybe, maybe not.
Absolutely. Very brief window of opportunity to contain the virus with tight border security, & stringent / exhaustive contact-tracing right at the start. We were too lax so it looks to me like we're now going to be forced into the fallback position of slow down & delay. The response of the West in general has lacked foresight, decisiveness, honesty & transperancy. Very, very casual. Reactive rather than proactive.
Totally agree.
We are unable to act the way we need to because of the straight jacket our economic model dictates we respond.
We desperately need a socialist response.
How is shutting airports, rationing food and mobilising the army a 'socialist response'?
Socialism puts the needs of society above individual 'freedoms.'
It focuses on our responsibilities as part of a society.
In 2020 New Zealand we live in the cult of the individual, people having drunk the Kool-Aid propagated by Ayn Rand and her cultish followers.
Shutting airports protects the many from the selfish luxuries of individual travellers.
Rationing food allows everyone a fair amount of food – not just the rich, the greedy and the hoarders.
And in a socialist state, the army is the protector of the citizens. It is a citizens' army, defending them from the reach of international capital. A socialist citizens' army would protect people from criminals, gangsters and others seeking to exploit the Coronavirus crisis.
Ah, so if we already had a socialist state we could do those things. Until then I'd rather not shut down all our borders or let the army onto the streets thanks. Too much potential for real people to get hurt.
Shutting down airports stops tourist money coming into the economy. It stops services coming into the economy. It even stops time-sensitive goods coming into the economy.
Even a socialist economy needs that stuff coming in.
How do we know that?
Simon Bridges is a liar.
Twitter Feb 21, 2020.
"A deal is closing for the Crown to buy Ihumatao right now. It’s to be announced next week when the PM & DPM are offshore so they don’t have to answer questions".
You can't trust the National Party. They will tell lies and mislead anyone stupid enough to believe them.
https://mobile.twitter.com/simonjbridges/status/1230615609815126016
Sadly many people are gullible.
And others have been inculcated into the selfish cult propagated by the policies of every government since the coup initiated by Douglas and his crew.
Many have no living memory of what a thriving society looks like.
It’s sad, so sad.
Sir Michael Cullen has lung cancer.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/120091814/sir-michael-cullen-announces-lung-cancer-diagnosis
Since my last appearance on the Standard, I have had the opportunity to discover some amazing independent voices.
Caitlin Johnstone is, in my humble opinion, the best of the lot.
Her unwavering questioning of the narrative we are drip fed, day by day, hour by hour, minute by minute is outstanding.
I recommend you add her to your daily reading, He recent writing on Assange, and the US Democratic Party is worth your time.
Many of her articles are worth posts in their own right.
Does anyone else read her articles?
https://caitlinjohnstone.com/
Asking questions or clarification is not arguing. Some commenters don’t read the signs very well and don’t know when to stop or draw the line. Commenters don’t know what goes on behind the scenes; they only see the tip of the iceberg and think they know it all (and better!). They also tend to think only about themselves, which is understandable to a point. Moderators don’t think about themselves but about this site, in the first instance, about the commenting flows (AKA threads), the quality of debate, whether some (try to) exclude others, etc.