Open mike 07/03/2022

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, March 7th, 2022 - 114 comments
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For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose.

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Step up to the mike …

114 comments on “Open mike 07/03/2022 ”

  1. Ad 1

    Weird to see oil at US$120 a barrel. It's so 1979.

    Good to see Bill McKibben encouraging us all to see the moment for what it is.

    @billmckibben

    "The uncanny confluence of Putin's invasion and the IPCC report is a stark reminder: fossil fuel powers the worst crises facing our planet. If we use this moment to get off oil and gas, we have a fighting chance as a planet."

  2. Hongi Ika 2

    Poot’s wants to out do his mentor Stalin and to be remembered as one of the nastiest little barstard’s the Soviet Union has produced, the guy has severe mental health issues similar to Kim Jong Il from North Korea. All this shit is totally unnecessary.

  3. PsyclingLeft.Always 3

    Oligarchs, in the Russian context, are the ultrawealthy business elites with disproportionate political power. They emerged in two distinct waves.

    The first group emerged out of the privatization of the 1990s, particularly the all-cash sales of the largest state-owned enterprises after 1995.

    https://theconversation.com/meet-russias-oligarchs-a-group-of-men-who-wont-be-toppling-putin-anytime-soon-178474

    Yep. They are POS alright. But anyone see a …SIMILARITY with NZ ? Fay,Richwhite !,Myers,etc etc…..

    • Blazer 3.1

      There is a direct comparison.

      A high % of NZ's rich list are there compliments of cheap state assets.

      The list includes ACT funder Alan Gibbs,NZ's richest man-G.Hart,and the perennial bubble boys Fay/Richwhite.

    • Ad 3.2

      I think you mean Christopher Chandler – our own NZ billionaire who made bank on major Gazprom shares and property investments in Moscow.

      Do not ever accuse him of anything you can't prove in court.

      Note he was defended by a UK Conservative MP Steve Baker. You can look up his background for yourself.

      I'm not even going to mention what Legatum does.

      • Tiger Mountain 3.2.1

        And lets not forget one Roger Owen Douglas, who in 1992 gave a series of speeches on economics in Russia as part of a privatisation advisory committee organised by the World Bank.

        • Tricledrown 3.2.1.1

          Roger Douglas a lecturer in economics.The only business he ran went bankrupt.

          Poverty has remained endemic and grown in NZ since rogernomics

      • Tricledrown 3.2.2

        Chandler Russian oligarchs stole all his money and told him to fuck off.

      • PsyclingLeft.Always 3.2.3

        You think ? Ive NEVER heard of him. You've assumed something….. I hadnt even thought !

        My post was likening the RUSSIAN oligarchs to …..as I said. Fay, Richwhite, Myers, and all of their NZ ilk. Remember the Business Roundtable ? As every other person commenting on it noted.

        • Ad 3.2.3.1

          Yes it was apparent you hadn't thought and didn't know.

          So now you do.

          • PsyclingLeft.Always 3.2.3.1.1

            Do not ever accuse him of anything you can't prove in court.

            Yea…not really sure where youre coming from. Strange……………..

    • Stuart Munro 3.3

      Exactly – Roger Douglas was basically Chernomyrdin with the redeeming personal qualities.

  4. Jenny how to get there 4

    Justice needs to be seen to be done for the people of Syria

    The Ukrainian Security Services need to hand over the captured Russian Air Force Major to the ICC to be investigated for involvement in committing war crimes in Syria.

    The Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) reported that a Russian Air Force pilot who took part in the war in Syria and met with the country's president, Bashar al-Assad, has been captured.

    "For him, bombing civilian cities is nothing new. As the criminal himself tells it, he didn't think about concepts like 'residential blocks of flats or neighbourhoods': 'There are just targets with coordinates'".

    Ukrainian Security Service: Russian pilot who fought in Syria and met Assad captured

    Valentyna Romanenko Saturday, 5 March 2022, 17:32

    There can be little doubt that Major Krasnoyartsev was involved directly or knew of the multiple war crimes committed in Syria by the Russian air force.

    Syrians celebrate Ukraine capturing Russian pilot accused of Aleppo air strikes

    People who fled Moscow’s Middle East bombing campaign ‘avenged’ after plane flown by Major Krasnoyartsev was shot down north of Kyiv

    ByJamie Johnson and Josie Ensor, US CORRESPONDENT5 March 2022 • 6:37pm

    Major Krasnoyartsev

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2022/03/05/ukraine-pilot-shot-kyiv-syria-russia-invasion-aleppo/

  5. higherstandard 5

    This post certainly makes mickysavage's 'This is awkward' post from yesterday seem somewhat bombastic.

    [TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]

  6. Matiri 6

    An Ode to Andrew Coster by Victor Billot

    https://www.newsroom.co.nz/an-ode-to-andrew-coster

  7. Blazer 7

    A small …mercy..

    Covid cases declining rapidly.

    Ukraine

    68% of peak and falling

    388 infections per 100K people reported last 7 days

    Updated 11:08 PM NZDT

    Average number of new infections reported each day in Ukraine falls by more than 7,300 over the last 3 weeks, 21% of its previous peak

    COVID-19 infections are decreasing in Ukraine, with 24,623 new infections reported on average each day. That’s 68% of the peak — the highest daily average reported on February 10.

    • Tricledrown 7.1

      Those figures would be hard to substantiate as the countries infrastructure is under extreme pressure.

  8. Ad 8

    Sometimes you wonder why US firms continue to enable the United States to be the dominant economic power in the world, and then sometimes you don't need to wonder at all.

    This analysis showing how Tesla is simply slaying German car makers both now and into the future is a bracing read for sad bastard still aspiring to a luxury European marque.

    The Competitive Weakness of German Automakers Revealed – Fully Charged Show

    • alwyn 9.1

      What is it the Putin wants?

      It looks just the same as at my local supermarket yesterday where customers were only allowed to buy one pack of flour.

  9. Anker 10

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/about-stuff/complaints-and-corrections/127946397/media-council-upholds-professors-complaint

    media council uphold complaint from the Listener 7. Stuff alleged they had sent intimidating lawyers letters to junior staff. It wasn’t true

  10. Jester 11

    I wonder if Jacinda will decide to no longer appear on Ryan bridges show after this interview as she did with Hoskings show?

    'I totally reject that': PM denies Govt wasteful spending, pushes back on claim NZ in cost of living crisis (msn.com)

    • Barfly 11.1

      Jester as you very well know pandemic related inflation is a world wide problem please troll better

      • alwyn 11.1.1

        Really? So you are saying that our 5.9% is merely typical and all due to the pandemic of Covid 19?

        In that case, given that the apologists for our present Government like to claim we are less affected by Covid 19 than almost any other country why is our inflation rate so much higher than other countries?

        For 2021 Japan was 0.5%, China 0.9%, Saudi Arabia 1.2%, Switzerland 2.2%, Taiwan 2.8% and Norway 3.2%.

        Why are they doing so much better than we are? Those are just samples of course. A full list is at the reference below and we are a long way down the list.

        https://tradingeconomics.com/country-list/inflation-rate?continent=world

        • Macro 11.1.1.1

          That’s a bit naughty alwyn! Quoting nz’s current inflation rate and comparing it to the historical rates of other countries.
          For a real comparison here is a chart (from your source link of NZ’s inflation rate over the past 3 years:
          New Zealand Inflation Rate

          • alwyn 11.1.1.1.1

            "Quoting nz’s current inflation rate and comparing it to the historical rates of other countries" "is a bit naughty" you say? Try looking at the source of my results.

            They are all the latest figures available and in general they are a month or two later than the New Zealand one. New Zealand was the year to Dec 21. Japan, China, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan and Norway were the year ending Jan/22 and Switzerland was Feb 22.

            Current for New Zealand against historical for the other's? Rubbish. If you really got pedantic you would say it is the other way round, as the New Zealand numbers are a month older.

            I merely said, slightly loosely I admit, that they were all for the year 2021.

            • McFlock 11.1.1.1.1.1

              NZ seems to be about middle of that list (91/185), lower than USA on 7.2% and only slightly higher (<1%) than EU and UK.

              But hey, keep at it. Sooner or later you might actually find a genuine comparison that makes the govt look bad internationally.

              • alwyn

                The inflation is, in every case in my opinion, caused by the enormous deficits countries are running.

                If you prefer it just call it printing money. We aren't quite as bad as the USA but we are a great deal worse than countries we consider our peers.

                However our inflation is almost totally due to our own actions. It isn't Covid 19 causing it, as Barfly would like us to think. It is our "printing money" as it is termed. It is Robertson throwing money at anything he likes, regardless as to the effect it is having on inflation in New Zealand. Like many amateurs in the subject he likes the power of wasting our resources on rubbish.

                • pat

                  "However our inflation is almost totally due to our own actions."

                  Which inflation? Housing(asset), you may have a case…. but energy, shipping and commodity prices are all outside our control except in that we placed ourselves in the position to be vulnerable to those risks over previous decades,

                  Government borrowing is very low comparatively and most of that borrowing remains unspent and therefore cannot be inflationary….and wages have been running behind inflation for years so its difficult to attribute inflation to domestic wages.

                  Which all goes to make a nonsense of Nationals announcement… and it will likely get them the votes they want.

                • Nic the NZer

                  This is completely a ridiculous claim of course. Your essentially positing some kind of demand pull inflation, except we recorded the absence of massive incomes and spending needed to pull demand.

                  Meanwhile we have actually observed disruptions, delays and costs imposed on businesses by Covid-19 public health measures, and the direct impacts of infections (which are on going) and somehow you claim businesses are not responding in a supply side manner to this supply side shock.

                • McFlock

                  Well, billions of that money kept employees being paid during covid, so probably better for the country than unemployment going through the roof. Even kept the taxpayers' "union" going.

                  • alwyn

                    Yes. What was done in 2020 during the first lockdown made sense. The trouble is that the Government fell in love with the idea that they can just create money and run deficits without penalty for ever.

                    Well they can't and it is coming home to bite us. Unfortunately the RBNZ Governor has also caught the bug. Unfortunately Adrian isn't in the intellectual class of some of his predecessors.

                    • Blazer

                      Seems like Orr is just like his predecessors….new boss=same as old..boss.

                    • McFlock

                      All very nice rhetoric, but if they were as incompetent as all that then we'd be a bit higher up the inflation rate rankings than the middle.

                      So we're running a bit hot on one guage, while the other guages are doing better than many nations (most importantly, fatalities).

        • Barfly 11.1.1.2

          https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/world/461311/us-inflation-hits-7-point-5-percent-highest-since-1982

          https://www.bbc.com/news/business-12196322 inflation 7%

          In January 2022, Canadian inflation surpassed 5% for the first time since September 1991, rising 5.1% on a year-over-year basis

          In its Winter 2022 outlook, the EU projects an average Irish rate of inflation of 4.6% this year

          Alwyn somehow I doubt NZ government policies are creating inflation in USA, UK, Canada, Ireland et cetera.

          https://www.rbnz.govt.nz/news/2022/02/more-tightening-needed

          Statement from NZ reserve bank includes this

          "The level of global economic activity is generating rising inflation pressures, exacerbated by ongoing supply disruptions."

          and

          "The near-term rise in inflation is accentuated by higher oil prices, rising transport costs, and the impact of supply shortfalls."

          I am sure this is information you would prefer not to know as it does not follow Mr. Luxon's drivel about the NZ Government policies causing inflation.cheeky

          • alwyn 11.1.1.2.1

            The US Government deficit was $3.13 trillion in the 2020 fiscal year and $2.77 trillion in the 2021 year. In 2021 they collected about $4.05 trillion and spent around $6.82 trillion. The only amazing thing about it is that inflation has only reached 7.5%

            Thus the US policies were similar to our own, and had the same effect. Why did you expect us to follow the same policies as the US and not get the same results?

      • Poission 11.1.2

        The production of funny money had done more for inflation,and inequality then the pandemic.

        https://twitter.com/nntaleb/status/1469296635167526913?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1469296635167526913%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fpublish.twitter.com%2F%3Fquery%3Dhttps3A2F2Ftwitter.com2Fnntaleb2Fstatus2F1469296635167526913widget%3DTweet

        The substantive increases in food cost inflation ( fao 20.7% over last 12 months) is also a mixture of speculation and sustainable mandates ( biofuels)

        The FAO Food Price Index* (FFPI) averaged 140.7 points in February 2022, up 5.3 points (3.9 percent) from January and as much as 24.1 points (20.7 percent) above its level a year ago. This represents a new all-time high, exceeding the previous top of February 2011 by 3.1 points. The February rise was led by large increases in vegetable oil and dairy price sub-indices. Cereals and meat prices were also up, while the sugar price sub-index fell for the third consecutive month.

        https://www.fao.org/worldfoodsituation/foodpricesindex/en/

        https://twitter.com/A_Riley17/status/1499390386992652303?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1499390386992652303%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fpublish.twitter.com%2F%3Fquery%3Dhttps3A2F2Ftwitter.com2FA_Riley172Fstatus2F1499390386992652303widget%3DTweet

        • pat 11.1.2.1

          "Unless housing prices and stock prices crash inflation is not going away"

          ….or 'when' housing and stock prices crash inflation will end.

          Not long now I suspect.

  11. Siobhan 12

    "Foetal alcohol injuries in NZ 'could be five times higher' than some official figures suggest"

    Highly likely we live in a country with approximately 250,000 poor souls with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome…most of whom will be undiagnosed and unsupported, with a life long disability/"injury?" that they have no ability to deal with.

    And…with a Government that is clearly determined not to have the facts laid bare.

    A tragedy for not just these people, but for every person who has crossed paths with someone so afflicted, with no understanding of what the problem actually is let alone how they can help…or why the help they offer seems futile..

    and of course, and as usual, the irony of our Market worshiping Budget restrained Government actually ignoring the real cost of this feigned "ignorance"…

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/stuff-circuit/300532318/foetal-alcohol-injuries-in-nz-could-be-five-times-higher-than-some-official-figures-suggest

    • Molly 12.1

      Been close friends with a family where one member had this diagnosis.

      Devastating, and lacking understanding and support in services meant to assist.

  12. McFlock 13

    Shane Reti making a pig's breakfast of using charts.

    In an effort to make self-harm admissions look inflated over covid (and how inflated might they be if we'd had hundreds or thousands of covid dead in another question), Reti tweeted a chart that was multiple kinds of misleading. The thread is interesting.

    Firstly, the chart was tweeted, then edited because whoever did the fabrication couldn't even get that right. As for the intended fabrication, it seems that the straight lines in the chart are simply drawn between two largely arbitrary datapoints in a sequence that has wide variability from month to month.

    And this dude is a doctor,I assume his twitter is in the hands of junior staffers: a medical doctor should be able to create better propaganda than that.

    Yes, self harm is a serious issue that has been affected in a number of ways by lockdowns, mandates, a fucking global pandemic that has killed millions, and all sorts of other issues well beyond the control of the NZ govt. Yes, the govt should resource mental health and the entire health system to a much higher level.

    There are ways to address this without resorting to cut-price tactics, if one wants to be an effective politician who improves the lives of citizens. This chicanery is more the purview of someone without any practical ideas.

    • Tricledrown 13.2

      We were one of the few countries that had a lower than normal mortality rate.

      Reti has caught National former health spokesperson disease imaginary people sneeking in an out of hospital.

      Look where that got him into the outhouse. Or as simple Simon would he fn useless.

    • McFlock 13.3

      Oh wow – apparently the tweets were done to promote an opinion piece Reti wrote for the Herald/Northern Advocate, which has been pulled.

      Reti reckons it's fine, as "He defended the article, nothing [sic: "noting"?McF] that he had said “further data analysis” was needed in the text of the piece."

      Further data analysis, like actually competent and honest analysis.

  13. Peter 14

    When I was a kid I loved comics. In light of the circumstances a relatively recent comic bears looking at again. Ukraine.

    "We hired 2 comic creators from the world of DC and Marvel to tell the full story of why Trump was impeached, and what he got away with."

    https://www.insider.com/trump-impeachment-graphic-feature-comic-2020-2

  14. weka 15

    Seeing increasing advice to take it easy with covid infect re exercise and exertion, including for some weeks after symptoms have gone. Even with mild covid. Prevent lint complications and long covid

    https://twitter.com/drannanz/status/1500557818621206528?s=21

    • Poission 15.1

      They do not link or say why,but the big news is overlooked.

      https://twitter.com/SethAbramson/status/1499953051251232769

      We show that, beyond the first 30 d after infection, individuals with COVID-19 are at increased risk of incident cardiovascular disease spanning several categories, including cerebrovascular disorders, dysrhythmias, ischemic and non-ischemic heart disease, pericarditis, myocarditis, heart failure and thromboembolic disease. These risks and burdens were evident even among individuals who were not hospitalized during the acute phase of the infection and increased in a graded fashion according to the care setting during the acute phase (non-hospitalized, hospitalized and admitted to intensive care). Our results provide evidence that the risk and 1-year burden of cardiovascular disease in survivors of acute COVID-19 are substantial

      Paper here.

      https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-022-01689-3

    • Barfly 15.2

      "could lead to worse disease" – well they are the professionals frankly I think over exertion with covid can lead to death quite easily.

  15. Adrian 16

    Reti was in Nat government when it slashed youth mental help funding and closed drug and alcohol treatment schemes. In Marlborough in the Key years 25 different health initiatives had funding cuts. Maybe Shane was in charge of stats and planning then.

  16. DB Brown 17

    A poster here recently (I'd attribute if I remembered name) said this war might actually help get clean energy over the line. Here's Jen Psaki (White House Press Secretary):

    'Psaki outlined a range of efforts from the Biden administration to increase production of natural gas and oil, but conceded that "domestic production has not insulated us from the price volatility of fossil fuels or the whims of those who control them, such as President Putin. Americans know that."

    "The only way to protect US over the long term is to become energy independent," she said, reiterating an administration priority. "That is why the President is so focused on deploying clean energy technologies that don't require fossil fuels bought and sold on the global market, which will always be vulnerable to bad actors." '

    Good call.

    https://edition.cnn.com/2022/03/06/politics/us-officials-action-ukraine/index.html

  17. ianmac 18

    Impressed by a line by Brian Turner in one of his essays.

    Then in his essay he turns and angles his vision on the ‘conspicuously wealthy.’ How many of those, he wonders, “know in their hearts that much of what they have acquired is not earned, has come at others’ expense.”

    Sad that Brian is fading away with Alzheimers. Jillian Sullivan is Brian's partner.

    https://www.newsroom.co.nz/portrait-brian-turner?utm_source=Friends+of+the+Newsroom&utm_campaign=d2bf48f08b-Daily+Briefing+07.03.2022&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_71de5c4b35-d2bf48f08b-95522477

    • Ad 18.1

      +100 outstanding article.

      If anyone gets to read his poetry/geography/photography/autobiography books you will get no more loving sense of that part of central Otago than anyone has ever done in the form of Brian Turner.

    • mac1 18.2

      Totally agree with Ad. +100 outstanding article.

      Beautiful writing, style and substance, insight and understanding. Prose and poetry together.

  18. Jenny how to get there 20

    I hope she gets well soon. And doesn't infect too many other people.

    • Hongi Ika 20.1

      Sounds like she has got the Covid similar to me locked up in my bedroom for 10 days now, very similar symptoms. Dry cough, tight chest, headaches etc and I wasn't even in Wellington.

      • Jenny how to get there 20.1.1

        I can't help wondering howLiz Gunn is getting on?

        Is she getting better, is she getting worse?

        Is she isolating or spreading it around?

        Has she sought medical attention?

        Has she tried Ivermectin?

        • Hongi Ika 20.1.1.1

          Definitely Covid IMO has she had a RAT Test or a proper Nasal Swab ?

        • Shanreagh 20.1.1.2

          Well if she is one of those who thinks she was infected with magnetic rays or radiation, unvaccinated and not seeking treatment then she may be in for a rough ride. There are still those who were at the protest who think Covid is a hoax, that the vaccines actually are infecting people with Covid and various other conspiracy theories.

          There are several US based websites pulling stories together from around the world about these deniers either of the existence of Covid or of the benefits of vaccination and their journeys in the hospitals.

          Breathing is often (usually) affected and the need to breathe is such an automatic and primeval human urge that when covid deniers or the unvaccinated face this inability they often do make tracks to get medical help very quickly.

          • Peter 20.1.1.2.1

            Reported comment from an American nurse:

            “None of the vaccine sceptics seem to be treatment sceptics.

            Every single one of my unvaccinated Covid patients blindly accepts being pumped full of various drugs when their own life is tangibly on the line.”

    • Nic the NZer 20.2

      When was this? Apparently she was lunching out during the weekend.

  19. Hongi Ika 21

    Red appears to lack Logic at times.

    [TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]

  20. Peter 22

    The Liz Gunn video.

    Wondering if she's got something from what was sprayed on the crowd.

    Presumably about Ardern:
    "Was it ever real? Did she actually get in legitimately into power? We will have to look at that one day, when we, when the people have taken back the country."

    “… one of the worst human beings New Zealand has ever given birth to…”

    I remember Amy Winehouse. When she died after the dramas of her life so many said things like, "We could see it happening before our eyes. Why didn't we do something about it."

    If you are a friend of Liz Gunn your chance is there.

    • Hongi Ika 22.1

      Is Liz saying there was political interference in the last Election, did Poots interfere in the NZ Election as well ? Interesting allegations hopefully someone can enlighten us on the Standard.

      • Peter 22.1.1

        Interesting allegations? No. They're in the strategies in Chapter One of "Starting Conspiracy Theories to Sink Someone."

        Part of the chapter is about how to appeal to simpletons to gently get them to spread rumours.

        I hope you feel enlightened.

    • Shanreagh 22.2

      If you are a friend of Liz Gunn your chance is there.

      I am sure many friends and family not infected by her conspiracy theories and concerned since October last year about her collapsing mental state, will have tried their very best to get her help. This inability to stop a train wreck occurring in front of one is a very sad part of addictive thinking and being trapped in a cult.

      Hopefully if she does get much worse a real person concerned about her health will intervene.

      Her fiends interviewing her from Counterspin not so much.

  21. DB Brown 23

    Nice work. Anonymous has hacked at least two streaming sites and several government television stations to broadcast the Ukranian war to Russian people. Putin's war of disinformation is being lost.

  22. Ad 24

    Good to see Justice Francis Cooke hearing this case about vaccine mandates affecting teachers and medical specialists.

    Zero tolerance for unvaccinated doctors and teachers necessary to prevent transmission, Crown tells judge | Stuff.co.nz

    This is the same judge that made the rulings on the NZPolice and NZDF mandates and found them wanting.

    I suspect he's going to have to weigh severity and spread of Omicron, as well as access to essential medical services.

    Hopefully with the same judge we get more and more precedent that is very consistent in its framing and language.

  23. Patricia Bremner 25

    Please if you get Omicron, no matter how lightly, REST please or you will have real problems. The Covid Ward Dr on the Gold Coast told Grant " 10 min activity 2hrs rest" '
    Omicron is deceptively mild.

    • Jenny how to get there 25.1

      heart

    • Barfly 25.2

      Absolutely – one of the big problems with Covid affecting the lungs is the blood oxygen saturation rate

      "A healthy oxygen saturation level ranges between 95% and 100%"

      I have read of Covid patients with levels as low as 60%. Oxygen deficit from exertion with Covid is easy to do and likely to kill you.

    • Herodotus 25.3

      Pity our government doesn’t see it that way. As someone who is now in their 4th week another member in their 3rd and still also struggling. Went to doctors with infections and major fatigue and struggling for breath was told as I had past my 10th day and been passed as clear, the cost was unable to be subsided by the govt and had to pay $100 for the visit. Fortunately I can cope financially but had to ring 5 surgeries including my own and was told on 4 instances that they would only do on line, no contact. How do you then diagnose infections then. Feel for the health workers but the system is not appropriate for purpose.

      • Barfly 25.3.1

        If you are struggling for breath I recommend looking at buying an oximeter

        https://www.chemistwarehouse.co.nz/search?searchtext=oximeter

        They stock 2 brands look around for reviews and other suppliers to choose between

        If your oxygen saturation is below 92% you very likely have a problem

        • Herodotus 25.3.1.1

          Already have 1 and recoding the trends heart and o2.

          and to you muttonbird why just isolate the right I have heard our dir of health, ministers and PM make the same comments, so open your eyes and ears you maybe surprised at what you see/hear., or are you so simple that you have been captured by the pr spin ??

          • Muttonbird 25.3.1.1.1

            Director of Health and PM are jointly responsible for for continued health measures, mandates, and border controls in order to slow the spread of this variant.

            All these policies have been criticised by anti-vax protestors and the right wing alike. Some might say these are the same people.

            The spin is yours in trying to claim Bloomfield and Ardern aren't taking this seriously.

      • Muttonbird 25.3.2

        This can't be true because we are told by pandemic sceptics and other forms of right wing people that Omicron is mild.

  24. McFlock 26

    Luxon tests positive for covid.

    Shoulda learned to wear his damned mask properly.

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  • Managed Democracy: Letting The People Decide, But Only When They Can Be Relied Upon To Give the Righ...

    Uh-uh! Not So Fast, Citizens! The power to initiate systemic change remains where it has always been in New Zealand’s representative democracy – in Parliament. To order a binding referendum, the House of Representatives must first to be persuaded that, on the question proposed, sharing its decision-making power with the people ...
    1 day ago
  • Looking For Labour’s Vital Signs.

    Flatlining: With no evidence of a genuine policy disruptor at work in Labour’s ranks, New Zealand’s wealthiest citizens can sleep easy.PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN has walked a picket-line. Presidential candidate Kamala Harris has threatened “price-gauging” grocery retailers with price control. The Democratic Party’s 2024 platform situates it well to the left of Sir ...
    1 day ago
  • Forty Years Of Remembering To Forget.

    The Beginning of the End: Rogernomics became the short-hand descriptor for all the radical changes that swept away New Zealand’s social-democratic economy and society between 1984 and 1990. In the bitterest of ironies, those changes were introduced by the very same party which had entrenched New Zealand social-democracy 50 years earlier. ...
    1 day ago
  • Kōrero Mai – Speak to Me.

    Good morning all you lovely people. 🙂I woke up this morning, and it felt a bit like the last day of school. You might recall from earlier in the week that I’m heading home to Rotorua to see an old friend who doesn’t have much time. A sad journey, but ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 day ago
  • Winning ways

    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on anything you may have missed. Street architecture adjustment, KolkataShare Read more ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 day ago
  • 48 seconds on a plan that would reverberate for a million years

    Despite fears that Trump presidency would be disastrous for progress on climate change, the topic barely rated a mention in the Presidential debate. Photo: Getty ImagesLong stories short, here’s the top six news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above between Bernard Hickey ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Using blunt instruments and magical thinking to ignore evidence of harm

    The abrupt cancellations and suspensions of Government spending also caused private sector hiring, spending, and investment to freeze up for the first six months of the year. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāThis week we learned:The new National/ACT/NZ First Coalition Government ignored advice from Treasury that it didn’t have to ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Is This A Dagger Which I See Before Me: A Review and Analysis of The Rings of Power Episode 5 (Seaso...

    Another week of The Rings of Power, season two, and another confirmation that things are definitely coming together for the show. The fifth Episode of season one represented the nadir of the series. Now? Amid the firmer footing of 2024, Episode Five represents further a further step towards excellent Tolkien ...
    2 days ago
  • In Open Seas; A Book

    The background to In Open Seas: How the New Zealand Labour Government Went Wrong:2017-2023Not in Narrow Seas: The Economic History of Aotearoa New Zealand, published in 2020, proved more successful than either I or the publisher (VUP, now Te Herenga Waka University Press) expected. I had expected that it would ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    2 days ago
  • The Hoon around the week to Sept 13

    The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts and talking about the week’s news with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on the latest climate science on rising temperatures and the climate implications of the US Presidential elections; and special guests Janet ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Do or do not. There is no try

    1. Upon receiving evidence that school lunches were doing a marvellous job of improving outcomes for students, David Seymour did what?a. Declared we need much more of this sort of good news and poured extra resources and funding into them b. Emailed Atlas network to ask what to do next c. Cut ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • Dangerous ground

    The Waitangi Tribunal has reported back on National's proposed changes to gut the Marine and Coastal Area Act and steal the foreshore and seabed for its greedy fishing-industry donors, and declared it to be another huge violation of ti Tiriti: The Waitangi Tribunal has found government changes to the ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago
  • Climate Change: National wants to cheat on Paris

    In 2016, the then-National government signed the Paris Agreement, committing Aotearoa to a 30 (later 50) percent reduction in emissions by 2030. When questioned about how they intended to meet that target with their complete absence of effective climate policy, they made a lot of noise about how it was ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago
  • Treasury warned Govt lower debt limits meant less ‘productivity-enhancing investment’

    Treasury’s advice to Cabinet was that the new Government could actually prudently carry net core Crown debt of up to 50% of GDP. But Luxon and Willis instead chose to portray the Government’s finances as in such a mess they had no choice but to carve 6.5% to 7.5% off ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Is the Media Complicit?

    This is a long read. Open to all.SYNOPSIS: Traditional media is at a cross roads. There is a need for those in the media landscape, as it stands, to earn enough to stay afloat, but also come across as balanced and neutral to keep its audiences.In America, NYT’s liberal leaning ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    2 days ago
  • Black Friday

    It's Black Friday, the end of the weekYou take my hand and hold it gently up against your cheekIt's all in my head, it's all in my mindI see the darkness where you see the lightSong by Tom OdellFriday the 13th, don’t be afraid.No, really, don’t. Everything has felt a ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Weekly Roundup 13-September-2024

    Ooh, Friday the thirteenth. Spooky! Is that why certain zombie ideas have been stalking the landscape this week, like the Mayor’s brainwave for a motorway bridge from Kauri Point to Point Chev? Read on and find out. This roundup, like all our coverage, is brought to you by the Greater ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    2 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #37 2024

    Open access notables Early knowledge but delays in climate actions: An ecocide case against both transnational oil corporations and national governments, Hauser et al., Environmental Science & Policy: Cast within the wide context of investigating the collusion at play between powerful political-economic actors and decision-makers as monopolists and debates about ‘the modern ...
    3 days ago
  • What it is

    I liked what Kieran McAnulty had to say about the Treaty Principles bill this morning so much I've written it down and copied it out for you. He was saying that rather than let this piece of ordure spend six months in Select Committee, the Prime Minister could stop making such ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • A government-funded hate campaign

    Cabinet discussed National's constitutionally and historically illiterate "Treaty Principles Bill" this week, and decided to push on with it. The bill will apparently receive a full six month select committee process - unlike practically every other policy this government has pushed, and despite the fact that if the government is ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago
  • How Substack works to take (some) craziness out of America’s elections

    I spoke with Substack co-founder yesterday, just before the Trump-Harris debate, about how Substack is doing its thing during the US elections. He talks in particular about how Substack’s focus on paid subscriptions rather than ads has made political debate on the platform calmer, simpler, deeper and more satisfying ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Kamala Harris Did Something Unthinkable

    Hi,Yesterday me and a bunch of friends gathered in front of the TV, ate tortillas, drank wine, and watched the debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.Some of you may have joined in on the live Webworm chat where we shared thoughts, jokes and memes — and a basic glee ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    3 days ago
  • Kamala Harris Did Something Unthinkable

    Hi,Yesterday me and a bunch of friends gathered in front of the TV, ate tortillas, drank wine, and watched the debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.Some of you may have joined in on the live Webworm chat where we shared thoughts, jokes and memes — and a basic glee ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    3 days ago
  • Kamala Harris Did Something Unthinkable

    Hi,Yesterday me and a bunch of friends gathered in front of the TV, ate tortillas, drank wine, and watched the debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.Some of you may have joined in on the live Webworm chat where we shared thoughts, jokes and memes — and a basic glee ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    3 days ago
  • David Seymour is such a loser

    For paid subscribersNot content with siphoning off $230,000,000 of taxpayers money for his hobby projects - and telling everyone his passion is education and early childcare - an intersection painfully coincidental to the interests of wealthy private families like Sean Plunkett’s1 backers, the Wright Family, Seymour is back in the ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    3 days ago
  • Cross-party consensus: there’s no pipeline without good faith

    There’s been a lot of talk recently about a cross-party agreement to develop a pipeline for infrastructure, including transport. Last month, outgoing CRL boss Sean Sweeney talked about the importance of securing an enduring infrastructure programme. He outlined the high costs of the relentless political flip-flopping of priorities, which drives ...
    Greater AucklandBy Connor Sharp
    3 days ago
  • Voters love this climate policy they’ve never heard of

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Karin Kirk The Inflation Reduction Act is the Biden administration’s signature climate law and the largest U.S. government investment in reducing climate pollution to date. Among climate advocates, the policy is well-known and celebrated, but beyond that, only a minority of Americans ...
    3 days ago
  • ACC wants to administer inflation at more than double the RBNZ’s target rate

    ACC levies are set to rise at more than double the inflation rate targeted by the RBNZ. Photo: Lynn GrievesonKia ora. Long stories short, here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Thursday, September 12:The state-owned monopoly for accident insurance wants ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Harris vs Trump

    We’ve been selected to rock your asses 'til midnightThis is my term, I've shaved off my perm, but it's alrightI solemnly swear to uphold the ConstitutionGot a rock 'n' roll problem? Well we got a solutionLet us be who we am, and let us kick out the jams, yeahKick out ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • Treaty Bill “a political stunt”

    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon appears to have given ACT Leader David Seymour more than he has been admitting in the proposals to go forward with a Treaty Principles Bill.All along, Luxon has maintained that the Government is proceeding with the Bill to honour the coalition agreement.But that is quite specific.It ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago
  • An average 219 NZers migrated each day in July

    Kia ora. Long stories short, here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Wednesday, September 11:Annual migration of New Zealanders rose to a record-high 80,963 in the year to the end of July, which is more than double its pre-Covid levels.Two ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • What you’re wanting to win more than anything is The Narrative

    Hubris is sitting down on election day 2016 to watch that pig Trump get his ass handed to him, and watching the New York Times needle hover for a while over Hillary and then move across to Trump where it remains all night to your gathering horror and dismay. You're ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago
  • National’s automated lie machine

    The government has a problem: lots of people want information from it all the time. Information about benefits, about superannuation, ACC coverage and healthcare, taxes, jury service, immigration - and that's just the routine stuff. Responding to all of those queries takes a lot of time and costs a lot ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Christopher Luxon: A Man of “Faith” and “Compassion” Speaks on the Treaty Pr...

    Synopsis: Today - we explore two different realities. One where National lost. And another - which is the one we are living with here. Note: the footnote on increased fees/taxes may be of interest to some readers.Article open.Subscribe nowIt’s an alternate timeline.Yesterday as news broke that the central North Island ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    4 days ago
  • Member’s Day

    Today is a Member's Day. First up is the third reading of Dan Bidois' Fair Trading (Gift Card Expiry) Amendment Bill, which will be followed by the committee stage of Deborah Russell's Family Proceedings (Dissolution for Family Violence) Amendment Bill. This will be followed by the second readings of Katie ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Northern Expressway Boondoggle

    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has been soaring high with his hubris of getting on and building motorways but some uncomfortable realities are starting to creep in. Back in July he announced that the government was pushing on with a Northland Expressway using an “accelerated delivery strategy” The Coalition Government is ...
    4 days ago
  • Never Enough

    However much I'm falling downNever enoughHowever much I'm falling outNever, never enough!Whatever smile I smile the mostNever enoughHowever I smile I smile the mostSongwriters: Robert James Smith / Simon Gallup / Boris Williams / Porl ThompsonToday in Nick’s Kōrero:A death in the Emergency Department at Rotorua Hospital.A sad homecoming and ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Question Two of The Kākā Project of 2026 for 2050 (TKP 26/50)

    Kia ora.Last month I proposed restarting The Kākā Project work done before the 2023 election as The Kākā Project of 2026 for 2050 (TKP 26/50), aiming to be up and running before the 2025 Local Government elections, and then in a finalised form by the 2026 General Elections.A couple of ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Why is God Obsessed with Spanking?

    Hi,If you’ve read Webworm for a while, you’ll be aware that I’ve spent a lot of time writing about horrific, corrupt megachurches and the shitty men who lead them.And in all of this writing, I think some people have this idea that I hate Christians or Christianity. As I explain ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    4 days ago
  • Inside the public service

    In 2023, there were 63,117 full-time public servants earning, on average, $97,200 a year each. All up, that is a cost to the Government of $6.1 billion a year. It’s little wonder, then, that the public service has become a political whipping boy castigated by the Prime Minister and members ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago
  • New Models Show Stronger Atlantic Hurricanes, and More of Them

    This is a re-post from This is Not Cool Here’s an example of some of the best kind of climate reporting, especially in that it relates to impacts that will directly affect the audience. WFLA in Tampa conducted a study in collaboration with the Department of Energy, analyzing trends in ...
    5 days ago
  • Where ever do they find these people?

    A riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma, is how Winston Churchill described the Soviet Union in 1939.  How might the great man have described the 2024 government of New Zealand, do we think? I can't imagine he would have thought them all that mysterious or enigmatic. I think ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago
  • Motorway madness

    How mad is National's obsession with roads? One of their pet projects - a truck highway to Whangārei - is going to eat 10% of our total infrastructure budget for the next 25 years: Official advice from the Infrastructure Commission shows the government could be set to spend 10 ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Our transport planning system is fundamentally broken

    Ever since Wayne Brown became mayor (nearly two years ago now) he’s been wanting to progress an “integrated transport plan” with the government – which sounded a lot like the previous Auckland Transport Alignment Project (ATAP) with just a different name. It seems like a fair bit of work progressed ...
    5 days ago
  • Thou Shalt Not Steal

    And they taught usWhoa-oh, black woman, thou shalt not stealI said, hey, yeah, black man, thou shalt not stealWe're gonna civilise your black barbaric livesAnd we teach you how to kneelBut your history couldn't hide the genocideThe hypocrisy to us was realFor your Jesus said you're supposed to giveThe oppressed ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • How mismanagement, not wind and solar energy, causes blackouts

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections In February 2021, several severe storms swept across the United States, culminating with one that the Weather Channel unofficially named Winter Storm Uri. In Texas, Uri knocked out power to over 4.5 million homes and 10 million people. Hundreds of Texans died as a ...
    5 days ago
  • The ‘Infra Boys’ Highway to Budget Hell

    Chris Bishop has enthusiastically dubbed himself and Simeon Brown “the Infra Boys”, but they need to take note of the sums around their roading dreams. Photo: Lynn GrievesonMōrena. Long stories short, here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Tuesday, September ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Media Link: “AVFA” on the politics of desperation.

    In this podcast Selwyn Manning and I talk about what appears to be a particular type of end-game in the long transition to systemic realignment in international affairs, in which the move to a new multipolar order with different characteristics … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    6 days ago
  • The cost of flying blind

    Just over two years ago, when worries about immediate mass-death from covid had waned, and people started to talk about covid becoming "endemic", I asked various government agencies what work they'd done on the costs of that - and particularly, on the cost of Long Covid. The answer was that ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago
  • Seymour vs The Clergy

    For paid subscribers“Aotearoa is not as malleable as they think,” Lynette wrote last week on Homage to Simeon Brown:In my heart/mind, that phrase ricocheted over the next days, translating out to “We are not so malleable.”It gave me comfort. I always felt that we were given an advantage in New ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • Unstoppable Minister McKee

    All smiles, I know what it takes to fool this townI'll do it 'til the sun goes downAnd all through the nighttimeOh, yeahOh, yeah, I'll tell you what you wanna hearLeave my sunglasses on while I shed a tearIt's never the right timeYeah, yeahSong by SiaLast night there was a ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago
  • Could outdoor dining revitalise Queen Street?

    This is a guest post by Ben van Bruggen of The Urban Room,.An earlier version of this post appeared on LinkedIn. All images are by Ben. Have you noticed that there’s almost nowhere on Queen Street that invites you to stop, sit outside and enjoy a coffee, let alone ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    6 days ago
  • Hipkins challenges long-held Labour view Government must stay below 30% of GDP

    Hipkins says when considering tax settings and the size of government, the big question mark is over what happens with the balance between the size of the working-age population and the growing number of Kiwis over the age of 65. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short; here’s ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • Your invite to Webworm Chat (a bit like Reddit)

    Hi,One of the things I love the most about Webworm is, well, you. The community that’s gathered around this lil’ newsletter isn’t something I ever expected when I started writing it four years ago — now the comments section is one of my favourite places on the internet. The comments ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago
  • Seymour’s Treaty bill making Nats nervous

    A delay in reappointing a top civil servant may indicate a growing nervousness within the National Party about the potential consequences of David Seymour’s Treaty Principles Bill. Dave Samuels is waiting for reappointment as the Chief Executive of Te Puni Kokiri, but POLITIK understands that what should have been a ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    6 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #36

    A listing of 34 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, September 1, 2024 thru Sat, September 7, 2024. Story of the week Our Story of the Week is about how peopele are not born stupid but can be fooled ...
    7 days ago
  • Time for a Change

    You act as thoughYou are a blind manWho's crying, crying 'boutAll the virgins that are dyingIn your habitual dreams, you knowSeems you need more sleepBut like a parrot in a flaming treeI know it's pretty hard to seeI'm beginning to wonderIf it's time for a changeSong: Phil JuddThe next line ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies: Excerpt Six.

    The “double shocks” in post Cold War international affairs. The end of the Cold War fundamentally altered the global geostrategic context. In particular, the end of the nuclear “balance of terror” between the USA and USSR, coupled with the relaxation … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    1 week ago
  • Buried deep

    Here's a bike on Manchester St, Feilding. I took this photo on Friday night after a very nice dinner at the very nice Vietnamese restaurant, Saigon, on Manchester Street.I thought to myself, Manchester Street? Bicycle? This could be the very spot.To recap from an earlier edition: on a February night ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 week ago
  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies, Excerpt Five.

    Military politics as a distinct “partial regime.” Notwithstanding their peripheral status, national defense offers the raison d’être of the combat function, which their relative vulnerability makes apparent, so military forces in small peripheral democracies must be very conscious of events … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    1 week ago
  • Leadership for Dummies

    If you’re going somewhere, do you maybe take a bit of an interest in the place? Read up a bit on the history, current events, places to see - that sort of thing? Presumably, if you’re taking a trip somewhere, it’s for a reason. But what if you’re going somewhere ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Home again

    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on anything you may have missed. Share Read more ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 week ago
  • Dead even tie for hottest August ever

    Long stories short, here’s the top six news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above between Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer:The month of August was 1.49˚C warmer than pre-industrial levels, tying with 2023 for the warmest August ever, according ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • The Hoon around the week to Sept 7

    The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts and talking about the week’s news with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on the latest climate science on rising temperatures and the debate about how to responde to climate disinformation; and special guest ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Have We an Infrastructure Deficit?

    An Infrastructure New Zealand report says we are keeping up with infrastructure better than we might have thought from the grumbling. But the challenge of providing for the future remains.I was astonished to learn that the quantity of our infrastructure has been keeping up with economic growth. Your paper almost ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    1 week ago
  • Councils reject racism

    Last month, National passed a racist law requiring local councils to remove their Māori wards, or hold a referendum on them at the 2025 local body election. The final councils voted today, and the verdict is in: an overwhelming rejection. Only two councils out of 45 supported National's racist agenda ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 week ago
  • Homage to Simeon Brown

    Open to all - happy weekend ahead, friends.Today I just want to be petty. It’s the way I imagine this chap is -Not only as a political persona. But his real-deal inner personality, in all its glory - appears to be pure pettiness & populist driven.Sometimes I wonder if Simeon ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week ago
  • Government of deceit

    When National cut health spending and imposed a commissioner on Te Whatu Ora, they claimed that it was necessary because the organisation was bloated and inefficient, with "14 layers of management between the CEO and the patient". But it turns out they were simply lying: Health Minister Shane Reti’s ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 week ago
  • The professionals actually think and act like our Government has no fiscal crisis at all

    Treasury staff at work: The demand for a new 12-year Government bond was so strong, Treasury decided to double the amount of bonds it sold. Photo: Lynn GrievesonMōrena. Long stories short; here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Friday, September ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Roundup 6-September-2024

    Welcome to another Friday and another roundup of stories that caught our eye this week. As always, this and every post is brought to you by the Greater Auckland crew. If you like our work and you’d like to see more of it, we invite you to join our regular ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    1 week ago

  • Draft critical minerals list released for consultation

    A draft list of minerals deemed essential to New Zealand’s economy and strengthening its mineral resilience has been released for consultation, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The draft Critical Minerals List identifies 35 minerals essential to economic functions, are in demand internationally, and face high risk of supply disruption domestically ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    39 mins ago
  • Government eliminates $190 million in trade barriers to boost the economy

    The Government has successfully removed trade barriers affecting nearly $190 million worth of exports to help grow the economy, Minister for Trade and Agriculture Todd McClay today announced.  “In the past year, we have resolved 14 Non Tariff Barriers (NTBs), returning significant value to kiwi exporters. These efforts directly boost our ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 hours ago
  • Reo Māori the ‘beating heart’ of Aotearoa New Zealand

    From private business to the Paris Olympics, reo Māori is growing with the success of New Zealanders, says Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka. “I’m joining New Zealanders across the country in celebrating this year’s Te Wiki o te Reo Māori – Māori Language Week, which has a big range ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Need and value at forefront of public service delivery

    New Cabinet policy directives will ensure public agencies prioritise public services on the basis of need and award Government contracts on the basis of public value, Minister for the Public Service Nicola Willis says. “Cabinet Office has today issued a circular to central government organisations setting out the Government’s expectations ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Minister to attend Police Ministers Council Meeting

    Police Minister Mark Mitchell will join with Australian Police Ministers and Commissioners at the Police Ministers Council meeting (PMC) today in Melbourne. “The council is an opportunity to come together to discuss a range of issues, gain valuable insights on areas of common interest, and different approaches towards law enforcement ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • New Bill to crack down on youth vaping

    The coalition Government has introduced legislation to tackle youth vaping, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello announced today. “The Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Amendment Bill (No 2) is aimed at preventing youth vaping.  “While vaping has contributed to a significant fall in our smoking rates, the rise in youth vaping ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Interest in agricultural and horticultural products regulatory review welcomed

    Regulation Minister David Seymour, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds, and Food Safety Minister Andrew Hoggard have welcomed interest in the agricultural and horticultural products regulatory review. The review by the Ministry for Regulation is looking at how to speed up the process to get farmers and growers access to the safe, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Bill to allow online charity lotteries passes first reading

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government is moving at pace to ensure lotteries for charitable purposes are allowed to operate online permanently. Charities fundraising online, such as those run by the Heart Foundation, Coastguard NZ, Auckland Rescue Helicopter Trust and local hospices will continue to do ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Tax exempt threshold changes to benefit startups

    Technology companies are among the startups which will benefit from increases to current thresholds of exempt employee share schemes, Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Revenue Minister Simon Watts say. Tax exempt thresholds for the schemes are increasing as part of the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2024-25, Emergency ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Getting the healthcare you need, when you need it

    The path to faster cancer treatment, an increase in immunisation rates, shorter stays in emergency departments and quick assessment and treatments when you are sick has been laid out today. Health Minister Dr Shane Reti has revealed details of how the ambitious health targets the Government has set will be ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Targeted supports to accelerate reading

    The coalition Government is delivering targeted and structured literacy supports to accelerate learning for struggling readers. From Term 1 2025, $33 million of funding for Reading Recovery and Early Literacy Support will be reprioritised to interventions which align with structured approaches to teaching. “Structured literacy will change the way children ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Survivors invited to Abuse in Care national apology

    With two months until the national apology to survivors of abuse in care, expressions of interest have opened for survivors wanting to attend. “The Prime Minister will deliver a national apology on Tuesday 12 November in Parliament. It will be a very significant day for survivors, their families, whānau and ...
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    3 days ago
  • Rangatahi inspire at Ngā Manu Kōrero final

    Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari he toa takitini kē - My success is not mine alone but is the from the strength of the many. Aotearoa New Zealand’s top young speakers are an inspiration for all New Zealanders to learn more about the depth and beauty conveyed ...
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    3 days ago
  • Driving structured literacy in schools

    The coalition Government is driving confidence in reading and writing in the first years of schooling. “From the first time children step into the classroom, we’re equipping them and teachers with the tools they need to be brilliant in literacy. “From 1 October, schools and kura with Years 0-3 will receive ...
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    4 days ago
  • Labour’s misleading information is disappointing

    Labour’s misinformation about firearms law is dangerous and disappointing, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee says.   “Labour and Ginny Andersen have repeatedly said over the past few days that the previous Labour Government completely banned semi-automatic firearms in 2019 and that the Coalition Government is planning to ‘reintroduce’ them.   ...
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    4 days ago
  • Govt takes action on mpox response, widens access to vaccine

    The Government is taking immediate action on a number of steps around New Zealand’s response to mpox, including improving access to vaccine availability so people who need it can do so more easily, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti and Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. “Mpox is obviously a ...
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    4 days ago
  • Next steps agreed for Treaty Principles Bill

    Associate Justice Minister David Seymour says Cabinet has agreed to the next steps for the Treaty Principles Bill. “The Treaty Principles Bill provides an opportunity for Parliament, rather than the courts, to define the principles of the Treaty, including establishing that every person is equal before the law,” says Mr Seymour. “Parliament ...
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    4 days ago
  • Government unlocking potential of AI

    Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins today announced a programme to drive Artificial Intelligence (AI) uptake among New Zealand businesses. “The AI Activator will unlock the potential of AI for New Zealand businesses through a range of support, including access to AI research experts, technical assistance, AI tools and resources, ...
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    4 days ago
  • Government releases Wairoa flood review findings

    The independent rapid review into the Wairoa flooding event on 26 June 2024 has been released, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds, Local Government Minister Simeon Brown and Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced today. “We welcome the review’s findings and recommendations to strengthen Wairoa's resilience against future events,” Ms ...
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    4 days ago
  • Promoting faster payment times for government

    The Government is sending a clear message to central government agencies that they must prioritise paying invoices in a timely manner, Small Business and Manufacturing Minister Andrew Bayly says. Data released today promotes transparency by publishing the payment times of each central government agency. This data will be published quarterly ...
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    4 days ago
  • Acknowledgement to Kīngi Tuheitia speech

    E te māngai o te Whare Pāremata, kua riro māku te whakaputa i te waka ki waho moana. E te Pirimia tēnā koe.Mr Speaker, it is my privilege to take this adjournment kōrero forward.  Prime Minister – thank you for your leadership. Taupiri te maunga Waikato te awa Te Wherowhero ...
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    5 days ago
  • Interim fix to GST adjustment rules to support businesses

    Inland Revenue can begin processing GST returns for businesses affected by a historic legislative drafting error, Revenue Minister Simon Watts says. “Inland Revenue has become aware of a legislative drafting error in the GST adjustment rules after changes were made in 2023 which were meant to simplify the process. This ...
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    5 days ago
  • Strong uptake for cervical screening self-test

    More than 80 per cent of New Zealand women being tested have opted for a world-leading self-test for cervical screening since it became available a year ago. Minister of Health Dr Shane Reti and Associate Minister Casey Costello, in her responsibility for Women’s Health, say it’s fantastic to have such ...
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    5 days ago
  • Ministry for Regulation’s first Strategic Intentions document sets ambitious direction

    Regulation Minister David Seymour welcomes the Ministry for Regulation’s first Strategic Intentions document, which sets out how the Ministry will carry out its work and deliver on its purpose. “I have set up the Ministry for Regulation with three tasks. One, to cut existing red tape with sector reviews. Two, ...
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    5 days ago
  • Māori Education Advisory Group established

    The Education Minister has established a Māori Education Ministerial Advisory Group made up of experienced practitioners to help improve outcomes for Māori learners. “This group will provide independent advice on all matters related to Māori education in both English medium and Māori medium settings. It will focus on the most impactful ways we can lift ...
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    5 days ago
  • Government welcomes findings of NZ Superannuation Fund review

    The Government has welcomed the findings of the recent statutory review into the Guardians of New Zealand Superannuation and the New Zealand Superannuation Fund, Minister of Finance Nicola Willis says. The 5-yearly review, conducted on behalf of Treasury and tabled in Parliament today, found the Guardians of New Zealand Superannuation ...
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    5 days ago
  • First of five new Hercules aircraft takes flight

    Defence Minister Judith Collins today welcomed the first of five new C-130J-30 Hercules to arrive in New Zealand at a ceremony at the Royal New Zealand Air Force’s Base Auckland, Whenuapai. “This is an historic day for our New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) and our nation. The new Hercules fleet ...
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    5 days ago
  • Have your say on suicide prevention

    Today, September 10 is World Suicide Prevention Day, a time to reflect on New Zealand’s confronting suicide statistics, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “Every death by suicide is a tragedy – a tragedy that affects far too many of our families and communities in New Zealand. We must do ...
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    5 days ago
  • Action to grow the rural health workforce

    Scholarships awarded to 27 health care students is another positive step forward to boost the future rural health workforce, Associate Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “All New Zealanders deserve timely access to quality health care and this Government is committed to improving health outcomes, particularly for the one in five ...
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    6 days ago
  • Pharmac delivering more for Kiwis following major funding boost

    Associate Health Minister with responsibility for Pharmac David Seymour has welcomed the increased availability of medicines for Kiwis resulting from the Government’s increased investment in Pharmac. “Pharmac operates independently, but it must work within the budget constraints set by the Government,” says Mr Seymour. “When our Government assumed office, New ...
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    6 days ago
  • Sport Minister congratulates NZ’s Paralympians

    Sport & Recreation Minister Chris Bishop has congratulated New Zealand's Paralympic Team at the conclusion of the Paralympic Games in Paris.  “The NZ Paralympic Team's success in Paris included fantastic performances, personal best times, New Zealand records and Oceania records all being smashed - and of course, many Kiwis on ...
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    6 days ago
  • Government progresses response to Abuse in Care recommendations

    A Crown Response Office is being established within the Public Service Commission to drive the Government’s response to the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care. “The creation of an Office within a central Government agency was a key recommendation by the Royal Commission’s final report.  “It will have the mandate ...
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    1 week ago
  • Passport wait times back on-track

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says passport processing has returned to normal, and the Department of Internal Affairs [Department] is now advising customers to allow up to two weeks to receive their passport. “I am pleased that passport processing is back at target service levels and the Department ...
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    1 week ago
  • New appointments to the FMA board

    Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister has today announced three new appointments and one reappointment to the Financial Markets Authority (FMA) board. Tracey Berry, Nicholas Hegan and Mariette van Ryn have been appointed for a five-year term ending in August 2029, while Chris Swasbrook, who has served as a board member ...
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    1 week ago
  • District Court judges appointed

    Attorney-General Hon Judith Collins today announced the appointment of two new District Court judges. The appointees, who will take up their roles at the Manukau Court and the Auckland Court in the Accident Compensation Appeal Jurisdiction, are: Jacqui Clark Judge Clark was admitted to the bar in 1988 after graduating ...
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    1 week ago
  • Government makes it faster and easier to invest in New Zealand

    Associate Minister of Finance David Seymour is encouraged by significant improvements to overseas investment decision timeframes, and the enhanced interest from investors as the Government continues to reform overseas investment. “There were about as many foreign direct investment applications in July and August as there was across the six months ...
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    1 week ago
  • New Zealand to join Operation Olympic Defender

    New Zealand has accepted an invitation to join US-led multi-national space initiative Operation Olympic Defender, Defence Minister Judith Collins announced today. Operation Olympic Defender is designed to coordinate the space capabilities of member nations, enhance the resilience of space-based systems, deter hostile actions in space and reduce the spread of ...
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    1 week ago
  • Government commits to ‘stamping out’ foot and mouth disease

    Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard says that a new economic impact analysis report reinforces this government’s commitment to ‘stamp out’ any New Zealand foot and mouth disease incursion. “The new analysis, produced by the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research, shows an incursion of the disease in New Zealand would have ...
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    1 week ago
  • Improving access to finance for Kiwis

    5 September 2024  The Government is progressing further reforms to financial services to make it easier for Kiwis to access finance when they need it, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says.  “Financial services are foundational for economic success and are woven throughout our lives. Without access to finance our ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Prime Minister pays tribute to Kiingi Tuheitia

    As Kiingi Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII is laid to rest today, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has paid tribute to a leader whose commitment to Kotahitanga will have a lasting impact on our country. “Kiingi Tuheitia was a humble leader who served his people with wisdom, mana and an unwavering ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

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