Last night as part of my preparation for the Epidemic Response Committee, I provided the Prime Minister with a complete picture of my activity outside my home during Alert Level 4.
That included the fact that on the first weekend of the Alert Level 4 lockdown I drove my family approximately 20 kilometres from our house in Dunedin to Doctor’s Point Beach for a walk.
This trip was a clear breach of the lockdown principles of staying local and not driving long distances to reach recreation spots.
As the Health Minister it’s my responsibly to not only follow the rules but set an example to other New Zealanders.
At a time when we are asking New Zealanders to make historic sacrifices I’ve let the team down. I’ve been an idiot, and I understand why people will be angry with me.
I’ve apologised to the Prime Minister for my lack of judgement and offered her my resignation.
In the interest of full disclosure, since the lockdown began I have also driven my family to a walking track approximately 2 kilometres from our house for a walk and gone for occasional runs, all of which were local and within the rules, and one bike ride which is already in the public domain.
“Yesterday evening the Health Minister advised me of his trip to a beach during the lockdown and offered his resignation,” Jacinda Ardern said.
“Under normal conditions I would sack the Minister of Health. What he did was wrong, and there are no excuses.
“But right now, my priority is our collective fight against COVID-19. We cannot afford massive disruption in the health sector or to our response. For that reason, and that reason alone, Dr Clark will maintain his role.
“But he does need to pay a price. He broke the rules.
“While he maintains his Health portfolio, I am stripping him of his role as Associate Finance Minister and demoting him to the bottom of our Cabinet rankings.
“I expect better, and so does New Zealand,” Jacinda Ardern said.
Ardern must be furious. Not only did Clark blatantly breach Level 4 rules and Ardern's requests (of the public), he seems to have sat on this since last Thursday. If he only informed Ardern last night as he states that's just about as bad as breaching the lockdown rules.
As Clark says, he’s been an idiot and has let the team down.
Hey Pete, what are your thoughts on Simon Bridges driving up and down the country and his apparent attitude that he's entitled to and he's going to keep doing it?
Well yes, that particular activity is indeed more likely to spread around whatever it is he's ailing from.
But in this particular thread I'm interested in exploring the difference in attitudes between one party that says 'shit, I screwed up and I've learned from it' and another party that says "I'm entitled and I'm gonna keep doing it'.
'shit, I screwed up and I've learned from it' – four days after the story started to come out requiring the Minister of Finance and Prime Minister to cover for him and make misleading if not false statements about his availability.
It was a series of screwups. In an interview on RNZ this morning Clark was still fudging around, saying he made "an error of judgement” – he made a series of errors of judgements – and saying after the bike ride blew up he “went back and discovered something else”.
Four days later he discovered his voice and told Ardern. That's put Clark's party in an embarrassing situation at time they need to be working on some big stuff.
Clark's competence as Minister of Health remains questionable.
Why don't you awnser Andre's question @ 1.1 Pete G?
In case you missed it:
… what are your thoughts on Simon Bridges driving up and down the country and his apparent attitude that he's entitled to and he's going to keep doing it?
And might I add:
Organising a photo op. in the middle of a supermarket with the store owner and a staffer and standing less than a metre away from both of them.
Reckon that's good role modelling? Don't you think as leader of the National Party he should apologise and offer to step down?
Lets face it mate even if you and your fellow trolls can’t:
If you apply the rules strictly to one senior politician then you have to apply the rules equally as strictly to all senior politicians.
"Clark's competence as Minister of Health remains questionable."
Which is as it should be and remains unchanged for all Ministers. Any Minister is of course also a politician, and needs to set a good example – and in that Clark failed, but there is nothing to indicate that his competence in the role of Minister of Health has changed due to his breaches of guidelines relating to travel. One of the areas where I think the government as a whole has excelled is in accepting scientific advice; the political dimension was placing saving of life and providing support to get through necessary lockdown – other countries have given greater political weight to "business as usual" Clark's mistake was essentially that he did not act as a responsible and good example. For that he is being rightly vilified.
I think there's an argument for key people to front up in person dealing with the pandemic. Some are doing that in Wellington, including Ardern, Robertson and a number of officials and police.
And despite some questions here I think that Leader of the Opposition is a key role, especially at a time of substantially increased Government powers.
But travelling back and forward from Tauranga to Wellington by car is an obvious risk and sends bad signals.
I think if Bridges deems his job in Wellington is important enough then he should have based himself in Wellington for the duration of the lockdown. That may have required one trip to get there.
As per Clark, when so many restrictions are put on all our lives, politicians must be seen to doing similar and not making their own rules.
But this is largely a diversion from today's topic started here. Minister of Health is one of the most critical jobs in the country right now, or at least it should be. Bridges has made himself look bad, Clark has made the Government look bad.
Do you think Clark's dumbfuckery (beach trip much more than the drive'n'bike episode) and the subsequent fallout has actually damaged the response to the crisis?
Personally I kinda think the actual result from a high profile person breaking the rules in a way that is very unlikely to increase risk or cause actual harm and can legitimately be viewed as trivial, but nonetheless getting slapped pretty hard for it, will likely have the actual result of reinforcing the idea that the rules are to be taken seriously.
All I see is one death, hospitals not at peak, good communication from the Govt, a competent leader, people making an effort, and a few whiners on the sidelines. Just my view.
Really have no sympathy let the heard sort it out, he was quite willing to let the old and sick die. I know you will all jump on me for saying this but I hope the Tory bastard dies a slow lingering death.
[You knew what you were saying was bad but you did it anyway!? If you want to keep your commenting privileges here, I would not make these kinds of utterly wrong judgement calls again, if I were you. No more warnings – Incognito]
Oh yes must not say nasty things about the tory bastards how many disabled deaths do they say they are responsible for, from memory about 130,000. Thousands living on the streets, shit wages and god help you if you have mental health problems but no don't call a spade a spade. just sit back and have another glass of wine and go tut tut.
You cannot hold the current leader of a party responsible for the decisions which were made by other PMs of that party.
Johnson has not been the PM for that long and a lot of his leadership hours have gone into Brexit. He was democratically elected. Now he has a double whammy with Covid-19, politically and personally.
Everyone is going to be affected with the repercussions of Covid-19.
No one likes to see the disabled, the homeless, the unwell or those not earning enough struggling.
Johnson is in ICU and you need to pull your head in and not blame him directly and reflect on your vile words.
I intend to not reply to you again over this topic.
Wow. Has he got any co-morbidities? How old is Boris?
I read an account of COVID-19 from a UK based friend of mine of Facebook and it sounds freaking awful. He is a fit young guy in his late thirties and was badly hit. His wife also caught it and she was fine though, almost aymptomatic. He says his kids didn't catch it but IMHO they probably did, but were totally asymptomatic.
Co-morbidities aside, once on a ventilator there is only a 30% chance of getting off it alive (just heard that from Chris Martenson update for today).
If he is lucky he will be given Vit C/Chaga mushroom/zinc/quercetin, but due to the vicious response any request will be met with this is unlikely. Could be that he has some kind of advance medical directive that might turn this situation for him, but otherwise it looks bad.
It is my understanding that when a person's heart rate, blood pressure and breathing are an issue, these are reasons for an ICU admission in regard to Covid-19.
I read an old study done in 1984 that Vitamin C assists with water on the lungs and that 80% who have pneumonia recover if they have as little as 250 mg per day. Quercetin is a good antihistamine.
I think the high death rate is once they are intubated(?) as in have the tube put down their throat, as that requires all sorts of sedation and catheters and renal support etc etc
Is Genghis Can't setting up Dr Fauci to be the fall guy? The narrative certainly seems to be getting set to paint Fauci as the deep state operative trying to underhandedly undermine the MAGAmoron Glorious Leader.
Hey Andre. Some of us have long since realised the futility of criticizing those on the right…its kind of like blaming a dog for barking or a cat for hunting. It's just who they are and what they do and an integral part of their nature.
The last National MP who could legitimately claim a functioning moral compass was Waring.
Simon is a special case, really special, and his unfortunate deficits are for his party to manage.
Those on the left should, perhaps, show that we expect a higher standard from our elected representatives. Especially those who are at the forefront of a crisis.
While I'm of the view that Clark's drive'n'bike ride was in a broad grey area, his newly disclosed beach trip is clearly outside of guidelines. He has properly offered to resign, and the Prime Minister had made a measured response to that offer.
I get it that you want his head on a pike and are disappointed that hasn't happened, but it looks to me like your view is grossly distorted by your personal circumstances.
Go ahead and give up on the lot of them, if you sit down and honestly consider how things change under different governments in the circumstances and timeframes those different governments operate under and reach the conclusion that there genuinely is no difference.
But from my perspective, there is a clear difference in outcomes even while I'm disappointed in the glacial pace of progress. So my opinion is extremely low of those who do give up and then spend their time trying to undermine those who do have their hearts in the right place and are trying to do worthwhile things, however ineffectually.
No sympathy for Clark from me. Anyone can stuff up, but Politics 101 says you get in front of it, fess up, minimise the damage. The bike ride – mistake, minor story, finished. But that was the time to come clean about anything else. He didn't. That's incompetence.
So the PM has basically sacked him on a suspended sentence. Good.
"Clearly, New Zealand has gone quickly – but how early have we gone in comparison with other countries? Newsroom has compared New Zealand's response to that of six other countries that are similar in size, population, culture or region."
Yes Pat. A very interesting analysis. A must read. Seems to show NZ did the right thing and has the strongest case therefore for emerging post Level 4 into "normality."
Shame they didn't present the numbers in terms of per 1000 or some such. Raw numbers don't mean too much when populations and population density are so varied.
Yes, that's bizarre. All their graphs are raw numbers, so obviously NZ with its tiny population is going to be lower than everyone else, and obviously that doesn't mean anything other than that we have a small population. The cases and deaths per mil population in Pat's worldometer link is the relevant comparison figure.
not obvious at all…the tracking is from initial infection and its growth pattern….population size is only relevant in that analysis in the ultimate total numbers not r nought
That would be true if there were equal numbers of infection starting points in each country. But higher populations are generally correlated with higher numbers of travellers and therefore higher numbers of starting points brought in from outside.
the initial infection starts at one..or possibly a small cluster (flight or ship)…its path once identified is the critical factor…that may be impacted by pop density or lifestyle factors but not population size.
our initial detected infection was a single individual….as was the case in other countries. Now whether there were other undetected cases is likely however the data projects the pattern of growth from that point and it is the pattern that is key.
About half of our cases (I don’t have the exact numbers at hand) was brought into the country. The other half is close contacts. Only 2% appears to be community spread. With the number of travellers dropping off, the growth was highly likely to level off too.
true enough and also likely the case for other countries….but what measures countries put in place are the main differential factor, certainly in similar environments
Yeah that's fair. And Sweden and Aus have such different patterns that even dividing them by the relevant proportion would still have them significantly higher – and worsening – than NZ.
Especially if you take them as all charts should be taken – we're "roughly the same as" Singapore, rather than succumbing to the urge to read it as an actual scorecard that says "we're doing better than everyone". All things considered, we're handling it a bit better than most (touch wood). Good on the govt.
They do have a number per million so you can compare. Also some such as the uk and Sweden are only testing those in hospital. This means they are grossly under reporting. Looking at number of deaths gives a better comparison and idea of numbers.
The link Pat provided https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/ has a table that can sorted by population factor. It's an excellent resource – one I've been watching for a while now.
Shortages of ventilators get the publicity. But putting someone on a ventilator requires a hefty supply of some heavy-duty substances and those are running short too. But there's been less attention to boosting the supply and cranking up the production might be even more difficult.
A great summary Macro. Yet his recent approval rating of his handling of Covid is up at about 47% and disapproval about 37%. (Don't remember where I read that.)
Pretty sure that is an outlying poll ianmac. While there was a little softening in disapproval after he belatedly changed tack from complete denial to some acceptance of danger facing the country that is slowly wearing off as the daily mismanagement of the crisis continues. It probaly also coincided with the final approval of the $1T “rescue” package
I think the poll you might be remembering is this one
This was the IBD/TIPP poll which gave him a 48% approval as opposed to a 44% disapproval rating. However, if you have a look at the myriad of polls run across the US on that question you can see that in almost all cases his disapproval rating is higher than his approval.
The running average of approval/disapproval by fivethirtyeight has him still at around 50% disapproval – the most favourable of his "presidency" but there are signs of growing disapproval in recent days. The running average takes a few days to reflect this trend.
When the virus final hits the states with predominant MAGAT* support I think even the most fervent Trumpkin will begin to have doubts.
I did see a funny reply on Twitter, that Bridges has slow internet coz he asked for it to be split into smaller increments, to keep it under the threshold.
I also use some spray on shopping that arrives in my flat – usually in paper bags that have not been used before. I leave most of it untouched for several hours, or put things that need to go in the fridge in bags I already have.
The virus does weaken over time, and most of it dies after a few hours. It can last on plastic and stainless steel up to 2-3 days.
I wash my hands a lot and wipe down stuff that can easily be wiped – but I think leaving things untouched for several hours, overnight, or for days (depending on what it is) is probably the way to go.
In case anyone else was wondering why the proportion of probable to confirmed cases rose significantly in recent days, it's because they have changed definitions and testing criteria.
If you're in a bubble with someone that's infected and you start showing symptoms, you're now unlikely to be tested and you're automatically listed as probable and basically considered confirmed for the purposes of follow-up and treatment.
Let's acknowledge it. If the Democratic Party had decided to anoint Sanders as the 'electable' one after the Nevada caucus, he would now have just as commanding a lead in delegates as Biden currently enjoys. 'Electability', or otherwise, was never an inherent attribute of the candidates themselves, it was a narrative constructed about them by people with agendas. In the case of the establishment Democratic Party, that agenda was to protect their existing wealth and future income streams from corporate donors against the threat of the Sanders policy programme. And now it all unravels as Trump's approval ratings increase (like all 'wartime' leaders) and Biden's manifest unfitness for the job becomes clear. Average bloke Joe Rogan with an extremely popular podcast now says he can't support Biden and would vote for Trump.The Democratic Party responds by blaming everyone other than themselves. Krystal and Sagar discuss here. Can you ever trust affluent, socially liberal centrists to do the right thing?
1.) Could you provide some evidence to back up your contention that Joe Rogan is a "racist misogynist"?
2.) Quoting Bernie out of context like "Paulina" has done is to grotesquely misrepresent him. "Paulina" sounds very like another liar, Elizabeth Warren.
Joe Rogans not a racist or a misogynist. You just disagree with him so you label him as such. He actually pretty good and has destroyed far more conservatives than he has liberals and socialists.
I'm sick of politicals using out of context messages to label people things. The left is as bad as the right on this.
Jacinda’s Easter Bunny’s essential occupation status has made a number of overseas media outlets. The comments section in one of the US ones was so full of praise for her. How they envy our good fortune.
A touch of brilliance from her to have a little bit of humour at this time.
I note that the National Party is going to absolutely do their best/worst to get elected….I believe DPF's April fools "joke" wasn't – simply a trial run of blatant lying targeting identified groups as a trial run for the election. I believe "third rail" dirty politics will be active in the election – big time.
The National Party has lots of money to spend on the election ( CCP donations? ). I see two "fluff" articles in The Guardian one written by Bridges ans the other by what appears to be a fawning sycophant of the National Party where among other things we get told that Labour and National are both like the US Democrat Party among many other bizarre assertions . Now I do not believe this was at the The Guardian's initiative and I am disappointed the articles were not marked as paid advertorials. A National Party happy to throw money buying space in a nominally left publication to try sow confusion and disinformation is a measure of how far they will go.
Then you have the National Party's media boosters – the Tova's , Hosk's Garner's and all yodeling "gotcha" every few minutes while they pretend ignorance of and have no interest of the garbage that the National Party gets up to.
Despite the fact that the borders to NZ should have been closed weeks ago, if for no reason other than that this virus was extremely unusual and puzzling to virologists ,Jacinda is still "thinking" about implementing quarantine at the border.
On http://www.20min.ch today there is an article saying that a cat and a tiger in the Broncs zoo , New York , have become infected with Covid 19…
“Thinking” doesn’t mean flicking a coin ad nauseam but collecting information, considering options and consequences, making decisions that are evidence-based, planning & preparing, et cetera.
I mean, from my understanding of applying the precautionary principle, and especially given the apparent seriousness of covid, shouldn't that be the question?
Depends on what the “it” is. From where I’m sitting and from what I know, border control has to tighten if and when we go down to a lower Alert Level and attempt to some level of ‘normalisation’. Otherwise, it would be like mopping up water off the floor while the tap is still running. The Devil is in the detail, as always. Jumping up & down demanding “just DO IT!” is not helpful.
the logistics of housing, feeding and monitoring thousands of people, rolling numbers over time. Not saying it can't be done, but it's not a small thing either. eg if the police do the monitoring, they will have to be taken off other duties.
Last time I looked we were quarantining anyone coming in with symptoms. Non-symptomatic people with appropriate self-isolation plans were checked and allowed to self-isolate. From memory the ratio was something like 1500 to 4,000 (someone can check that).
So make the logistics fit capacity? Limiting inbound flights would achieve that. With "half the world" in lock-down, why or how are people still flying anyway?
I would have stopped all incoming flights at the beginning and been done with it. Stuck in Azerbaijan? k.
Hmm I guess there are maybe some folks (quite a few) who are kinda glad I'm not NZs dictator in charge or some such 🙂
Arden just said there were tens of thousands of NZers travelling overseas at the time they started putting restrictions on the border.
The govt has an obligation to NZ citizens and residents, they can't just lock people out without a very good reason. A good reason might be an active epidemic that was killing lots of people here where there was no good way to prevent people coming in from not making that worse. Putting in a three tier system for Kiwis coming home seems entirely reasonable given the overall elimination strategy, and given they're increasing stringency over time as they are able to.
Bloomfield has just said that around half of the new cases are coming from existing clusters, and that not many are coming from new arrivals. Looks like the number of border cases has dropped a lot.
Bloomfield has just said that around half of the new cases are coming from existing clusters, and that not many are coming from new arrivals. Looks like the number of border cases has dropped a lot.
That’s good news. It is the community spread that we need to watch.
That's just silly. There are hundreds of thousands of people all around the world who were stuck because of the speed of developments overtoo their ability to move. They couldn't just jump on the nearest flight to getback 'home.' In NZ there were two hundred thousand foreign tourists, and another four hundred thousand temporary workers who weren't at 'home'. If their countries did what you suggested, they would be stuck here presenting an enormous potential health problem, let alone being exceptionally cruel. There aren't any easy answers.It's far better for all people 'stuck' in places like Azerbaijan or New Zealand to get back to their real 'homes' in a safe and humane way.
There are hundreds of thousands of people all around the world who were stuck because of the speed of developments overtoo their ability to move
uh-huh. And?
Sorry. But my sympathies wouldn't really have been lying with some tens of thousands of people from NZ who were able to hob nob around the world – many or most of whom would have had ways and means – I'm sure they'd have been fine. And if any needed consular assistance or whatever, then fine – such assistance could have been provided.
As for thousands here from other countries, they could have left or stayed according to their preference and their country's policy around inbound flights. (Don’t quite get your health problem angle.)
Meanwhile, tens of thousands of people with no ways or means were on the streets right here in NZ with no home to go to.
So…tens of thousands extending their stay abroad so that a virus (or further instances of) wasn't introduced into the country, versus tens of thousands right here in dire need of shelter and protection from a virus. Hmm. Hard one.
Those abroad could have come back in dribs and drabs (availability of seats means tested perhaps?) in line with border capabilities set around quarantine measures.
btw – Wonder how many PMC types took last minute flights out of NZ just to avoid lockdown? I bet there's a few. Which is fine. But quarantine rules "since forever" have been that you can leave a quarantined area whenever you want and at the drop of a hat. Re-entering? Not so willy-nilly on that front, aye?
Well Janet you might be cleverer than Jacinda but have a look on Newsroom where they chart NZ success compared to that of similar sized countries. Even so easy to read graphs.
If NZ brings in compulsory quarantining,it will have to be done more carefully than here in Australia, which brought in compulsory quarantining for all people flying in to international airports 10 days or so ago. (but not for Queensland residents driving acrossthe border from NSW where there is definite evidence of community transmission – just 'self-isolation for 2 weeks'. My partner and I are in the 4th day of a compulsory quarantining in a Brisbane hotel after flying in from Auckland last Friday with 20 others (half kiwis, half Aussies). Our 'home' is a nearby boat. We were crammed into a bus from the airport sitting close together within the 1.5m Aussie physical distancing rules. All OK since in the hotel, but it is not set up for self-contained living. That means that although we have been quarantined, we are still exposed to doubtful food and supplies from outside which is dropped outside our door. We clean what we can, but how do we know who has been handling it? We could be infected ourselves. Also, anecdotal reports about young quarantiners having parties in their hotel corridors and even waiters serving glasses of wine (in Sydney). None of these issues are insurmountable, but it does mean that just switching over to blanket quarantining isn't easy. Some proper planning has to go into it.
Some people are being put up in 5 star hotels at the expense of the Government. Most of these rooms will not have anything but a coffee maker/hot water jug.
If NZ does the same for international arrivals, they should put them up in serviced apartments that have a small kitchenette.
Very good point, Indiana. Seld-contained motels with kitchenettes are far better and a lot cheaper than the sort of useless 5 star swanky hotels like the one that we arein. The quarantining must go both ways if ALL incoming passenegrs are to be quarantined, not just those withsymptoms or do not have prope self-isoation plans as is the current policy in NZ. if you can cook yourself you can order stuff from Countdown or whoever and ake sure you can clean what you order and not get infected.Also, the quarantining must be policed (with kindness – we are not criminals!) otherwise it will be a farce.
Hotels are probably much easier to manage logistically, but the meals thing is really important, including for families with kids. Can't live on toast and coffee for very long.
3 meals a day provided. Pretty crappy, but we won't starve. The point is we don't know who is preparing it – looks like it has been contracted out to a 'cheap' caterer. If it wasn't for the circumstances, we wouldn't think about it, but as we can't see or talk to the caterers or trust them to be virus free, we are basically sitting ducks!
The hotels that are offering quarantine faciities for the different state governments are closed to other guests so everything is closed down including their own kitchens. We haven't seen anyone since we got into the room. Can't get out or open the window. The food is left in bags outside the door and we have to wait for 10 seconds before retrieving them. We are not complaining, just emphasising that these circumstances are exceptional and everyone around the world, especially those in charge, are on a steep learning curve, so a bit of tolerance needed if things aren't perfect from the start.
"…these circumstances are exceptional and everyone around the world, especially those in charge, are on a steep learning curve, so a bit of tolerance needed if things aren't perfect from the start."
Spain, which has the biggest cluster of COVID-19 infections outside the U.S., will introduce universal basic income “as soon as possible” as part of its efforts to combat the economic effects of coronavirus, Economy Minister Nadia Calvino said on Sunday. Critically, the scheme is expected to be rolled out indefinitely.
so if spain feels that this is what is needed, so its good. As in germany where the government is picking up large parts of pay cheque by letting companies put people on Kurzarbeit aka short work (20hr) so that they keep staff and have their staff ready for when the country goes back to normal.
Three National MPs physically travelled to Wellington for their committee meeting today. Shane Reti from Northland, Louise Upston from Taupo and Simon Bridges from Tauranga.
Jesus, if this isn't flat out abuse of the wage subsidy scheme. Imagine being one of the only businesses allowed to still operate and you pretend you're on hard times.
Talk about diversions, we have a contributor wishing someone would die. Now our PM didn't have the foresight to Ask her Min of Health if there were any other instances of poor decision making, our Min of Health kept from the PM that he went on another trip as it wasn't evident to him until he reviewed his actions (my words) and we get what some National MP's have done. Take ownership of flaws/screw ups.
What many here IMO don't understand. People Vote for our PM, NOT Labour, People Vote for National NOT Simon Bridges.
"Now our PM didn't have the foresight to Ask her Min of Health if there were any other instances of poor decision making …"
Pretty sure that's exactly what she asked him and why he fessed up. In these situations its normal to ask if there are any other similar instances and also to ask for the Ministerial diary to be checked.
When he was asked by the PM when the bike ride emerged (I take it he was questioned ) this didn't trigger any recollection of his actions over the last week. Not having any idea what an MP/Minister includes in their diary, but I wouldn't think that such a trip would be included into his diary (as it was family related). Most of us know what the rules are and I gather all (But a few idiots/privileged) when in doubt take the conservative (I know many here don't like this term 😱) approach. i.e. when in doubt … don't – The ramification are too great.
The trip to the beach wouldn't have been in the diary, H, but hours put aside for personal matters would have been noted. That is, it wouldn't say what he did, just that he was off the clock for x number of hours. My presumption is that he was asked to fill in the blanks and when he thought back through his movements he realised he'd done more than just go out on the bike. At least he had the guts to be honest, and to tender his resignation. Plenty would have tried to bluff it out.
The Supreme Court’s Republican majority, in a case that is literally titled Republican National Committee v. Democratic National Committee, handed down a decision that will effectively disenfranchise tens of thousands of Wisconsin voters. It did so at the urging of the GOP.
The case arises out of Wisconsin’s decision to hold its spring election during the coronavirus pandemic, even as nearly a dozen other states have chosen to postpone similar elections in order to protect the safety of voters. Democrats hoped to defend a lower court order that allowed absentee ballots to be counted so long as they arrived at the designated polling place by April 13, an extension granted by a judge to account for the brewing coronavirus-sparked chaos on Election Day, April 7. Republicans successfully asked the Court to require these ballots to be postmarked by April 7.
All five of the Court’s Republicans voted for the Republican Party’s position. All four of the Court’s Democrats voted for the Democratic Party’s position.
This decision has far reaching implications for the forthcoming Election in November which could well be held under similar conditions as the current State Election in Wisconsin. Furthermore the current election includes election of a State Supreme Court appointment. The importance of this is further explained in the article here:
It’s also worth noting that, if Wisconsin had free and fair elections to choose its state lawmakers, Evers would most likely have been able to work with a Democratic legislature to ensure that Tuesday’s election would be conducted fairly. In 2018, 54 percent of voters chose a Democratic candidate for the state Assembly. But Republicans have so completely gerrymandered the state that they prevailed in 63 of the state’s 99 Assembly races.
There is far more at stake in Wisconsin, moreover, than one state Supreme Court seat. Wisconsin could be the pivotal swing state that decides the 2020 presidential election. The question of whether Donald Trump or Joe Biden occupies the White House next year could easily be determined by which man receives Wisconsin’s electoral votes.
I had been thinking that cleaning grocery items with bleach was going too far with shopping caution. It's enough of a juggling act getting it all from the trolley to car and home without the frozen or chilled stuff overheating and getting a weird consistency. Really rethinking that tonight.
Kids (finally) settled down, I wasn't up to much thinking so went on YouTube. A new episode of an old favourite: WTFIWWY. Which does mock people for clicks; yes, but they often fully deserve the derision, and there is a rule against covering stupidity that results in injury to others. But it didn't prove much respite against the pecking of the Crow this time.
The show's a week out of date by the time it gets out of Patron exclusivity, but not often addressing serious current issues, so that doesn't matter much to me. The toilet-seat lickers were bad enough, but this guy!
Warning – you may feel a strong desire to claw your own eyes out rather than view this:
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, ...
Buzz from the Beehive Reactions to news of the government’s readiness to make urgent changes to “the resource management system” through a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) suggest a balanced approach is being taken. The Taxpayers’ Union says the proposed changes don’t go far enough. Greenpeace says ...
I’m starting to wonder if Anna Burns-Francis might be the best political interviewer we’ve got. That might sound unlikely to you, it came as a bit of a surprise to me.Jack Tame can be excellent, but has some pretty average days. I like Rebecca Wright on Newshub, she asks good ...
Chris Trotter writes – Willie Jackson is said to be planning a “media summit” to discuss “the state of the media and how to protect Fourth Estate Journalism”. Not only does the Editor of The Daily Blog, Martyn Bradbury, think this is a good idea, but he has also ...
Graeme Edgeler writes – This morning [April 21], the Wellington High Court is hearing a judicial review brought by Hon. Karen Chhour, the Minister for Children, against a decision of the Waitangi Tribunal. This is unusual, judicial reviews are much more likely to brought against ministers, rather than ...
Both of Parliament’s watchdogs have now ripped into the Government’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s political economy and beyond on the morning of Tuesday, April 23 are:The Lead: The Auditor General,John Ryan, has joined the ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Sarah SpengemanPeople wait to board an electric bus in Pune, India. (Image credit: courtesy of ITDP) Public transportation riders in Pune, India, love the city’s new electric buses so much they will actually skip an older diesel bus that ...
The infrastructure industry yesterday issued a “hurry up” message to the Government, telling it to get cracking on developing a pipeline of infrastructure projects.The hiatus around the change of Government has seen some major projects cancelled and others delayed, and there is uncertainty about what will happen with the new ...
Hi,Over the weekend I revisited a podcast I really adore, Dead Eyes. It’s about a guy who got fired from Band of Brothers over two decades ago because Tom Hanks said he had “dead eyes”.If you don’t recall — 2001’s Band of Brothers was part of the emerging trend of ...
Buzz from the Beehive The 180 or so recipients of letters from the Government telling them how to submit infrastructure projects for “fast track” consideration includes some whose project applications previously have been rejected by the courts. News media were quick to feature these in their reports after RMA Reform Minister Chris ...
It would not be a desirable way to start your holiday by breaking your back, your head, or your wrist, but on our first hour in Singapore I gave it a try.We were chatting, last week, before we started a meeting of Hazel’s Enviro Trust, about the things that can ...
Calling all journalists, academics, planners, lawyers, political activists, environmentalists, and other members of the public who believe that the relationships between vested interests and politicians need to be scrutinised. We need to work together to make sure that the new Fast-Track Approvals Bill – currently being pushed through by the ...
Feel worried. Shane Jones and a couple of his Cabinet colleagues are about to be granted the power to override any and all objections to projects like dams, mines, roads etc even if: said projects will harm biodiversity, increase global warming and cause other environmental harms, and even if ...
Bryce Edwards writes- The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. ...
Michael Bassett writes – If you think there is a move afoot by the radical Maori fringe of New Zealand society to create a parallel system of government to the one that we elect at our triennial elections, you aren’t wrong. Over the last few days we have ...
Without a corresponding drop in interest rates, it’s doubtful any changes to the CCCFA will unleash a massive rush of home buyers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate on Monday, April 22 included:The Government making a ...
Sunday was a lazy day. I started watching Jack Tame on Q&A, the interviews are usually good for something to write about. Saying the things that the politicians won’t, but are quite possibly thinking. Things that are true and need to be extracted from between the lines.As you might know ...
In our Weekly Roundup last week we covered news from Auckland Transport that the WX1 Western Express is going to get an upgrade next year with double decker electric buses. As part of the announcement, AT also said “Since we introduced the WX1 Western Express last November we have seen ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 29 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Stats NZ releases its statutory report on Census 2023 tomorrow.Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivers a pre-Budget speech at ...
A listing of 29 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 14, 2024 thru Sat, April 20, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week hinges on these words from the abstract of a fresh academic ...
The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. The Government says this will ...
This is a column to say thank you. So many of have been in touch since Mum died to say so many kind and thoughtful things. You’re wonderful, all of you. You’ve asked how we’re doing, how Dad’s doing. A little more realisation each day, of the irretrievable finality of ...
Identifying the engine type in your car is crucial for various reasons, including maintenance, repairs, and performance upgrades. Knowing the specific engine model allows you to access detailed technical information, locate compatible parts, and make informed decisions about modifications. This comprehensive guide will provide you with a step-by-step approach to ...
Introduction: The allure of racing is undeniable. The thrill of speed, the roar of engines, and the exhilaration of competition all contribute to the allure of this adrenaline-driven sport. For those who yearn to experience the pinnacle of racing, becoming a race car driver is the ultimate dream. However, the ...
Introduction Automobiles have become ubiquitous in modern society, serving as a primary mode of transportation and a symbol of economic growth and personal mobility. With countless vehicles traversing roads and highways worldwide, it begs the question: how many cars are there in the world? Determining the precise number is a ...
Maintaining a safe and reliable vehicle requires regular inspections. Whether it’s a routine maintenance checkup or a safety inspection, knowing how long the process will take can help you plan your day accordingly. This article delves into the factors that influence the duration of a car inspection and provides an ...
Mazda Motor Corporation, commonly known as Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The company was founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd., and began producing vehicles in 1931. Mazda is primarily known for its production of passenger cars, but ...
Your car battery is an essential component that provides power to start your engine, operate your electrical systems, and store energy. Over time, batteries can weaken and lose their ability to hold a charge, which can lead to starting problems, power failures, and other issues. Replacing your battery before it ...
In most states, you cannot register a car without a valid driver’s license. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. Exceptions to the RuleIf you are under 18 years old: In some states, you can register a car in your name even if you do not ...
Mazda, a Japanese automotive manufacturer with a rich history of innovation and engineering excellence, has emerged as a formidable player in the global car market. Known for its reputation of producing high-quality, fuel-efficient, and driver-oriented vehicles, Mazda has consistently garnered praise from industry experts and consumers alike. In this article, ...
Struts are an essential part of a car’s suspension system. They are responsible for supporting the weight of the car and damping the oscillations of the springs. Struts are typically made of steel or aluminum and are filled with hydraulic fluid. How Do Struts Work? Struts work by transferring the ...
Car registration is a mandatory process that all vehicle owners must complete annually. This process involves registering your car with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and paying an associated fee. The registration process ensures that your vehicle is properly licensed and insured, and helps law enforcement and other authorities ...
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. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
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 ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
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Statement from David Clark
Statement from the Prime Minister on Dr David Clark
Ardern must be furious. Not only did Clark blatantly breach Level 4 rules and Ardern's requests (of the public), he seems to have sat on this since last Thursday. If he only informed Ardern last night as he states that's just about as bad as breaching the lockdown rules.
As Clark says, he’s been an idiot and has let the team down.
Hey Pete, what are your thoughts on Simon Bridges driving up and down the country and his apparent attitude that he's entitled to and he's going to keep doing it?
For me his obvious electioneering in supermarkets is of more concern.
Well yes, that particular activity is indeed more likely to spread around whatever it is he's ailing from.
But in this particular thread I'm interested in exploring the difference in attitudes between one party that says 'shit, I screwed up and I've learned from it' and another party that says "I'm entitled and I'm gonna keep doing it'.
'shit, I screwed up and I've learned from it' – four days after the story started to come out requiring the Minister of Finance and Prime Minister to cover for him and make misleading if not false statements about his availability.
It was a series of screwups. In an interview on RNZ this morning Clark was still fudging around, saying he made "an error of judgement” – he made a series of errors of judgements – and saying after the bike ride blew up he “went back and discovered something else”.
Four days later he discovered his voice and told Ardern. That's put Clark's party in an embarrassing situation at time they need to be working on some big stuff.
Clark's competence as Minister of Health remains questionable.
I was meh about the bike ride but the 20 kms to the beach . Dumb fucker needs sacking when it's over.
“..fudging around..”
If you think that was fudge then I’m not asking you to do any baking for me.
Why don't you awnser Andre's question @ 1.1 Pete G?
In case you missed it:
And might I add:
Reckon that's good role modelling? Don't you think as leader of the National Party he should apologise and offer to step down?
Lets face it mate even if you and your fellow trolls can’t:
If you apply the rules strictly to one senior politician then you have to apply the rules equally as strictly to all senior politicians.
Before you pile in with troll accusations I suggest you read down the thread.
"Clark's competence as Minister of Health remains questionable."
Which is as it should be and remains unchanged for all Ministers. Any Minister is of course also a politician, and needs to set a good example – and in that Clark failed, but there is nothing to indicate that his competence in the role of Minister of Health has changed due to his breaches of guidelines relating to travel. One of the areas where I think the government as a whole has excelled is in accepting scientific advice; the political dimension was placing saving of life and providing support to get through necessary lockdown – other countries have given greater political weight to "business as usual" Clark's mistake was essentially that he did not act as a responsible and good example. For that he is being rightly vilified.
Is he in breach of his own Ministries advice?
Like this announcement from the National Party?
That's been covered here: Two Bubbles Bridges’ Big Day Out
I think there's an argument for key people to front up in person dealing with the pandemic. Some are doing that in Wellington, including Ardern, Robertson and a number of officials and police.
And despite some questions here I think that Leader of the Opposition is a key role, especially at a time of substantially increased Government powers.
But travelling back and forward from Tauranga to Wellington by car is an obvious risk and sends bad signals.
I think if Bridges deems his job in Wellington is important enough then he should have based himself in Wellington for the duration of the lockdown. That may have required one trip to get there.
As per Clark, when so many restrictions are put on all our lives, politicians must be seen to doing similar and not making their own rules.
But this is largely a diversion from today's topic started here. Minister of Health is one of the most critical jobs in the country right now, or at least it should be. Bridges has made himself look bad, Clark has made the Government look bad.
Do you think Clark's dumbfuckery (beach trip much more than the drive'n'bike episode) and the subsequent fallout has actually damaged the response to the crisis?
Personally I kinda think the actual result from a high profile person breaking the rules in a way that is very unlikely to increase risk or cause actual harm and can legitimately be viewed as trivial, but nonetheless getting slapped pretty hard for it, will likely have the actual result of reinforcing the idea that the rules are to be taken seriously.
Nice to see Pete George and the MSM finally got something at their level of comprehension.
Not nice to see it took Clark 4 days to comprehend what he has done and front up to the PM.
All I see is one death, hospitals not at peak, good communication from the Govt, a competent leader, people making an effort, and a few whiners on the sidelines. Just my view.
And a very reasonable and fact-based view it is, I Feel Love.
Just heard on RNZ Boris Johnson moved to ICU.
The awful thing with Covid-19 is that day 7-10 it can seriously affect the lungs.
Really have no sympathy let the heard sort it out, he was quite willing to let the old and sick die. I know you will all jump on me for saying this but I hope the Tory bastard dies a slow lingering death.
[You knew what you were saying was bad but you did it anyway!? If you want to keep your commenting privileges here, I would not make these kinds of utterly wrong judgement calls again, if I were you. No more warnings – Incognito]
I find your comment to be unacceptable and the last sentence to be inappropriate.
Herd and not heard. I am not the greatest speller either.
What an horrible thing to hope for. One of the more disgusting comments I have ever read on here.
Here is hoping you and your family never are on the receiving end of what you are so happy to hope happens to others.
Not others just HIM.
Your comments say far more about you than anything else.
Oh yes must not say nasty things about the tory bastards how many disabled deaths do they say they are responsible for, from memory about 130,000. Thousands living on the streets, shit wages and god help you if you have mental health problems but no don't call a spade a spade. just sit back and have another glass of wine and go tut tut.
Refer to my comment above..
What you said was personal and disgusting. Not just nasty or calling a ‘spade a spade’.
from your reply it seems you are still quiet ok with your comment. Perhaps you should reflex on that – because in no way was it acceptable.
You cannot hold the current leader of a party responsible for the decisions which were made by other PMs of that party.
Johnson has not been the PM for that long and a lot of his leadership hours have gone into Brexit. He was democratically elected. Now he has a double whammy with Covid-19, politically and personally.
Everyone is going to be affected with the repercussions of Covid-19.
No one likes to see the disabled, the homeless, the unwell or those not earning enough struggling.
Johnson is in ICU and you need to pull your head in and not blame him directly and reflect on your vile words.
I intend to not reply to you again over this topic.
See my Moderation note @ 12:19 PM.
I hope he recovers, learns from the experience and becomes less of a prick.
Boris Johnson has been moved to ICU.
Link please
Edit: Don’t worry I have it
https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2020/apr/06/coronavirus-live-news-boris-johnson-admitted-to-hospital-as-trump-again-touts-hydroxychloroquine
Boris Johnson moved to ICU, – The Independent
Wow. Has he got any co-morbidities? How old is Boris?
I read an account of COVID-19 from a UK based friend of mine of Facebook and it sounds freaking awful. He is a fit young guy in his late thirties and was badly hit. His wife also caught it and she was fine though, almost aymptomatic. He says his kids didn't catch it but IMHO they probably did, but were totally asymptomatic.
His mental age or his real age?
Co-morbidities aside, once on a ventilator there is only a 30% chance of getting off it alive (just heard that from Chris Martenson update for today).
If he is lucky he will be given Vit C/Chaga mushroom/zinc/quercetin, but due to the vicious response any request will be met with this is unlikely. Could be that he has some kind of advance medical directive that might turn this situation for him, but otherwise it looks bad.
Hes 55…and ICU dosnt necessarily mean ventilator as I understand it.
"BBC political correspondent Chris Mason said the prime minister was given oxygen late on Monday afternoon, before being taken to intensive care.
However, he has not been put on a ventilator."
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-52192604
yes just read that…though is 2 hours old….cant see anything newer
Yep, also latest news I found, too.
It is my understanding that when a person's heart rate, blood pressure and breathing are an issue, these are reasons for an ICU admission in regard to Covid-19.
I read an old study done in 1984 that Vitamin C assists with water on the lungs and that 80% who have pneumonia recover if they have as little as 250 mg per day. Quercetin is a good antihistamine.
RNZ just reported that he was conscious but on a ventilator.
I think the high death rate is once they are intubated(?) as in have the tube put down their throat, as that requires all sorts of sedation and catheters and renal support etc etc
Wow. Being on a ventilator is no small thing. It's literally 50/50 stuff for him right now if that's the case.
Apparently Dominic Raab looked white as a ghost when addressing the media. He of course will know more than us.
Can't help thinking Johnson has always underestimated this thing. Now he's got first hand experience of what it can do.
Is Genghis Can't setting up Dr Fauci to be the fall guy? The narrative certainly seems to be getting set to paint Fauci as the deep state operative trying to underhandedly undermine the MAGAmoron Glorious Leader.
https://www.salon.com/2020/04/06/are-trump-and-his-allies-setting-up-dr-fauci-as-the-pandemic-scapegoat/
When will Trump learn to work with people associated with the White House who know so much more than he does?
I saw what you raise in the link on Aljazeera TV on Sunday.
Fat chance of that!
What, and break a continuous 73 years of unrestrained narcissism reinforced by being encapsulated in a protective cocoon of paid suckups?
Hey Andre. Some of us have long since realised the futility of criticizing those on the right…its kind of like blaming a dog for barking or a cat for hunting. It's just who they are and what they do and an integral part of their nature.
The last National MP who could legitimately claim a functioning moral compass was Waring.
Simon is a special case, really special, and his unfortunate deficits are for his party to manage.
Those on the left should, perhaps, show that we expect a higher standard from our elected representatives. Especially those who are at the forefront of a crisis.
Or do we give up on the sorry lot of them?
While I'm of the view that Clark's drive'n'bike ride was in a broad grey area, his newly disclosed beach trip is clearly outside of guidelines. He has properly offered to resign, and the Prime Minister had made a measured response to that offer.
I get it that you want his head on a pike and are disappointed that hasn't happened, but it looks to me like your view is grossly distorted by your personal circumstances.
Go ahead and give up on the lot of them, if you sit down and honestly consider how things change under different governments in the circumstances and timeframes those different governments operate under and reach the conclusion that there genuinely is no difference.
But from my perspective, there is a clear difference in outcomes even while I'm disappointed in the glacial pace of progress. So my opinion is extremely low of those who do give up and then spend their time trying to undermine those who do have their hearts in the right place and are trying to do worthwhile things, however ineffectually.
No sympathy for Clark from me. Anyone can stuff up, but Politics 101 says you get in front of it, fess up, minimise the damage. The bike ride – mistake, minor story, finished. But that was the time to come clean about anything else. He didn't. That's incompetence.
So the PM has basically sacked him on a suspended sentence. Good.
So the PM has basically sacked him on a suspended sentence. Good.
No third time.
Maybe some MPs need to be electronically monitored. Then the full extent of the overstepping will be known. This could be done randomly.
"Clearly, New Zealand has gone quickly – but how early have we gone in comparison with other countries? Newsroom has compared New Zealand's response to that of six other countries that are similar in size, population, culture or region."
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2020/04/06/1117839/how-does-nzs-covid-19-response-stack-up-to-overseas
Forget the politicking
Yes Pat. A very interesting analysis. A must read. Seems to show NZ did the right thing and has the strongest case therefore for emerging post Level 4 into "normality."
Shame they didn't present the numbers in terms of per 1000 or some such. Raw numbers don't mean too much when populations and population density are so varied.
that info available here…
https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/
We can criticise the minutiae of our response but I know where Id rather be right now
Yes, that's bizarre. All their graphs are raw numbers, so obviously NZ with its tiny population is going to be lower than everyone else, and obviously that doesn't mean anything other than that we have a small population. The cases and deaths per mil population in Pat's worldometer link is the relevant comparison figure.
They're not all way out of line.
Ireland is 4.9 million
We're roughly 5.0 million.
Norway is 5.4 million
Singapore is 5.7 million
Denmark is 5.8 million
But yeah, Israel (9.2M), Sweden (10.3M) and Australia (25.7M) really need to be scaled otherwise the comparisons are kinda useless.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_and_dependencies_by_population
not obvious at all…the tracking is from initial infection and its growth pattern….population size is only relevant in that analysis in the ultimate total numbers not r nought
That would be true if there were equal numbers of infection starting points in each country. But higher populations are generally correlated with higher numbers of travellers and therefore higher numbers of starting points brought in from outside.
the initial infection starts at one..or possibly a small cluster (flight or ship)…its path once identified is the critical factor…that may be impacted by pop density or lifestyle factors but not population size.
Our initial infections did not start with one. There are multiple clusters with independent initiating infections.
our initial detected infection was a single individual….as was the case in other countries. Now whether there were other undetected cases is likely however the data projects the pattern of growth from that point and it is the pattern that is key.
About half of our cases (I don’t have the exact numbers at hand) was brought into the country. The other half is close contacts. Only 2% appears to be community spread. With the number of travellers dropping off, the growth was highly likely to level off too.
true enough and also likely the case for other countries….but what measures countries put in place are the main differential factor, certainly in similar environments
oh…and timing…we went earlier than most
Yeah that's fair. And Sweden and Aus have such different patterns that even dividing them by the relevant proportion would still have them significantly higher – and worsening – than NZ.
Especially if you take them as all charts should be taken – we're "roughly the same as" Singapore, rather than succumbing to the urge to read it as an actual scorecard that says "we're doing better than everyone". All things considered, we're handling it a bit better than most (touch wood). Good on the govt.
I’d say luck comes into it too, and our geographical isolation.
True true.
They do have a number per million so you can compare. Also some such as the uk and Sweden are only testing those in hospital. This means they are grossly under reporting. Looking at number of deaths gives a better comparison and idea of numbers.
The link Pat provided https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/ has a table that can sorted by population factor. It's an excellent resource – one I've been watching for a while now.
Be careful going down that track…
This is one of the funniest political interviews ever.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2018741784/coronavirus-health-minister-admits-second-lockdown-breach
Not sure it's so funny when he's the Minister of Health. But I take your point.
Strange times indeed….Winston in the best interaction with the media possibly in his long career….
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2018741786/coronavirus-government-charters-flight-for-kiwis-in-peru
The impossible can happen
Shortages of ventilators get the publicity. But putting someone on a ventilator requires a hefty supply of some heavy-duty substances and those are running short too. But there's been less attention to boosting the supply and cranking up the production might be even more difficult.
https://www.vox.com/2020/4/6/21209589/coronavirus-medicine-ventilators-drug-shortage-sedatives-covid-19
A great summary Macro. Yet his recent approval rating of his handling of Covid is up at about 47% and disapproval about 37%. (Don't remember where I read that.)
Pretty sure that is an outlying poll ianmac. While there was a little softening in disapproval after he belatedly changed tack from complete denial to some acceptance of danger facing the country that is slowly wearing off as the daily mismanagement of the crisis continues. It probaly also coincided with the final approval of the $1T “rescue” package
I think the poll you might be remembering is this one
https://www.investors.com/politics/americans-back-president-trump-on-coronavirus-crisis/
This was the IBD/TIPP poll which gave him a 48% approval as opposed to a 44% disapproval rating. However, if you have a look at the myriad of polls run across the US on that question you can see that in almost all cases his disapproval rating is higher than his approval.
https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/trump-approval-ratings/?ex_cid=rrpromo
The running average of approval/disapproval by fivethirtyeight has him still at around 50% disapproval – the most favourable of his "presidency" but there are signs of growing disapproval in recent days. The running average takes a few days to reflect this trend.
When the virus final hits the states with predominant MAGAT* support I think even the most fervent Trumpkin will begin to have doubts.
*MAGA Trumpkin
Perhaps this could also apply to David Clark.
🙄
I think the horse has died Pete but you keep flogging it anyway.
Are you on a retainer Pete?
although not an essential service he can work from home.
Pete is a retainer.
And Simon Bridges and the Lady from Taupo.
I did see a funny reply on Twitter, that Bridges has slow internet coz he asked for it to be split into smaller increments, to keep it under the threshold.
A rough timeline from The Guardian of events leading up to Johnson’s admission to hospital.
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/apr/06/the-strange-lead-up-to-boris-johnsons-admission-to-hospital
I don't know that Demonic anticipated the virus moving through this part of the herd.
I see NW is now banning reusable bags in store, personally we haven't been using them during the lockdown.
Instead I've been taking the washing basket to the supermarket, leaving it in the car, but packing the groceries in it.
A washing basket can handle quite a bit of weight and it's easy to wash or wipe down after use.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/120836693/new-world-shoppers-asked-to-leave-reusable-bags-in-the-car-during-lockdown
Edit, I also spray all the groceries with anti bac spray before returning home, call me paranoid, but it makes me feel safe 🙂
What are people supposed to do when they don't have a car?
Been wiping all shopping with soapy water, unsure if that's reasonable or paranoid…
You are not alone in having had to change your shopping habits.
A record for me changing any habit, (supermarket shopping).
People have stopped bumping into each other.
I also use some spray on shopping that arrives in my flat – usually in paper bags that have not been used before. I leave most of it untouched for several hours, or put things that need to go in the fridge in bags I already have.
The virus does weaken over time, and most of it dies after a few hours. It can last on plastic and stainless steel up to 2-3 days.
I wash my hands a lot and wipe down stuff that can easily be wiped – but I think leaving things untouched for several hours, overnight, or for days (depending on what it is) is probably the way to go.
In case anyone else was wondering why the proportion of probable to confirmed cases rose significantly in recent days, it's because they have changed definitions and testing criteria.
If you're in a bubble with someone that's infected and you start showing symptoms, you're now unlikely to be tested and you're automatically listed as probable and basically considered confirmed for the purposes of follow-up and treatment.
https://www.msn.com/en-nz/news/national/what-are-probable-cases-and-why-are-they-rising/ar-BB12emuK?li=BBqdg4K&ocid=mailsignout
Very sensible. It saves wasting a test.
Let's acknowledge it. If the Democratic Party had decided to anoint Sanders as the 'electable' one after the Nevada caucus, he would now have just as commanding a lead in delegates as Biden currently enjoys. 'Electability', or otherwise, was never an inherent attribute of the candidates themselves, it was a narrative constructed about them by people with agendas. In the case of the establishment Democratic Party, that agenda was to protect their existing wealth and future income streams from corporate donors against the threat of the Sanders policy programme. And now it all unravels as Trump's approval ratings increase (like all 'wartime' leaders) and Biden's manifest unfitness for the job becomes clear. Average bloke Joe Rogan with an extremely popular podcast now says he can't support Biden and would vote for Trump.The Democratic Party responds by blaming everyone other than themselves. Krystal and Sagar discuss here. Can you ever trust affluent, socially liberal centrists to do the right thing?
A racist misogynist is just an average bloke?
https://twitter.com/TrefaultPaulina/status/1220779595110109184
1.) Could you provide some evidence to back up your contention that Joe Rogan is a "racist misogynist"?
2.) Quoting Bernie out of context like "Paulina" has done is to grotesquely misrepresent him. "Paulina" sounds very like another liar, Elizabeth Warren.
Joe Rogans not a racist or a misogynist. You just disagree with him so you label him as such. He actually pretty good and has destroyed far more conservatives than he has liberals and socialists.
I'm sick of politicals using out of context messages to label people things. The left is as bad as the right on this.
Jacinda’s Easter Bunny’s essential occupation status has made a number of overseas media outlets. The comments section in one of the US ones was so full of praise for her. How they envy our good fortune.
A touch of brilliance from her to have a little bit of humour at this time.
Be Warned
I note that the National Party is going to absolutely do their best/worst to get elected….I believe DPF's April fools "joke" wasn't – simply a trial run of blatant lying targeting identified groups as a trial run for the election. I believe "third rail" dirty politics will be active in the election – big time.
The National Party has lots of money to spend on the election ( CCP donations? ). I see two "fluff" articles in The Guardian one written by Bridges ans the other by what appears to be a fawning sycophant of the National Party where among other things we get told that Labour and National are both like the US Democrat Party among many other bizarre assertions . Now I do not believe this was at the The Guardian's initiative and I am disappointed the articles were not marked as paid advertorials. A National Party happy to throw money buying space in a nominally left publication to try sow confusion and disinformation is a measure of how far they will go.
Then you have the National Party's media boosters – the Tova's , Hosk's Garner's and all yodeling "gotcha" every few minutes while they pretend ignorance of and have no interest of the garbage that the National Party gets up to.
He was sucking up large to farmers in the farmers weekly this week . 1st time of ever seen wandering bridges in that paper.
Thought he was not going electioneering during the crisis!!?
Despite the fact that the borders to NZ should have been closed weeks ago, if for no reason other than that this virus was extremely unusual and puzzling to virologists ,Jacinda is still "thinking" about implementing quarantine at the border.
On http://www.20min.ch today there is an article saying that a cat and a tiger in the Broncs zoo , New York , have become infected with Covid 19…
https://www.20min.ch/wissen/news/story/Haustiere-koennen-sich-doch-mit-Corona-infizieren-17059973
Stop thinking Jacinda . just DO IT!
“Thinking” doesn’t mean flicking a coin ad nauseam but collecting information, considering options and consequences, making decisions that are evidence-based, planning & preparing, et cetera.
Is there a good reason not to do it?
I mean, from my understanding of applying the precautionary principle, and especially given the apparent seriousness of covid, shouldn't that be the question?
Depends on what the “it” is. From where I’m sitting and from what I know, border control has to tighten if and when we go down to a lower Alert Level and attempt to some level of ‘normalisation’. Otherwise, it would be like mopping up water off the floor while the tap is still running. The Devil is in the detail, as always. Jumping up & down demanding “just DO IT!” is not helpful.
the logistics of housing, feeding and monitoring thousands of people, rolling numbers over time. Not saying it can't be done, but it's not a small thing either. eg if the police do the monitoring, they will have to be taken off other duties.
Last time I looked we were quarantining anyone coming in with symptoms. Non-symptomatic people with appropriate self-isolation plans were checked and allowed to self-isolate. From memory the ratio was something like 1500 to 4,000 (someone can check that).
Numbers from five days ago
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12321689
See Koff's comment below about logistics.
So make the logistics fit capacity? Limiting inbound flights would achieve that. With "half the world" in lock-down, why or how are people still flying anyway?
I would have stopped all incoming flights at the beginning and been done with it. Stuck in Azerbaijan? k.
Hmm I guess there are maybe some folks (quite a few) who are kinda glad I'm not NZs dictator in charge or some such 🙂
Yes , especially the self-indulgent ones that chose not to hurry home but have the expensive holiday they paid for some time ago !
Arden just said there were tens of thousands of NZers travelling overseas at the time they started putting restrictions on the border.
The govt has an obligation to NZ citizens and residents, they can't just lock people out without a very good reason. A good reason might be an active epidemic that was killing lots of people here where there was no good way to prevent people coming in from not making that worse. Putting in a three tier system for Kiwis coming home seems entirely reasonable given the overall elimination strategy, and given they're increasing stringency over time as they are able to.
Bloomfield has just said that around half of the new cases are coming from existing clusters, and that not many are coming from new arrivals. Looks like the number of border cases has dropped a lot.
Good comment!
That’s good news. It is the community spread that we need to watch.
Thanks for the commonsense answer weka.
That's just silly. There are hundreds of thousands of people all around the world who were stuck because of the speed of developments overtoo their ability to move. They couldn't just jump on the nearest flight to getback 'home.' In NZ there were two hundred thousand foreign tourists, and another four hundred thousand temporary workers who weren't at 'home'. If their countries did what you suggested, they would be stuck here presenting an enormous potential health problem, let alone being exceptionally cruel. There aren't any easy answers.It's far better for all people 'stuck' in places like Azerbaijan or New Zealand to get back to their real 'homes' in a safe and humane way.
There are hundreds of thousands of people all around the world who were stuck because of the speed of developments overtoo their ability to move
uh-huh. And?
Sorry. But my sympathies wouldn't really have been lying with some tens of thousands of people from NZ who were able to hob nob around the world – many or most of whom would have had ways and means – I'm sure they'd have been fine. And if any needed consular assistance or whatever, then fine – such assistance could have been provided.
As for thousands here from other countries, they could have left or stayed according to their preference and their country's policy around inbound flights. (Don’t quite get your health problem angle.)
Meanwhile, tens of thousands of people with no ways or means were on the streets right here in NZ with no home to go to.
So…tens of thousands extending their stay abroad so that a virus (or further instances of) wasn't introduced into the country, versus tens of thousands right here in dire need of shelter and protection from a virus. Hmm. Hard one.
Those abroad could have come back in dribs and drabs (availability of seats means tested perhaps?) in line with border capabilities set around quarantine measures.
btw – Wonder how many PMC types took last minute flights out of NZ just to avoid lockdown? I bet there's a few. Which is fine. But quarantine rules "since forever" have been that you can leave a quarantined area whenever you want and at the drop of a hat. Re-entering? Not so willy-nilly on that front, aye?
Well Janet you might be cleverer than Jacinda but have a look on Newsroom where they chart NZ success compared to that of similar sized countries. Even so easy to read graphs.
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2020/04/06/1117839/how-does-nzs-covid-19-response-stack-up-to-overseas?utm_source=Friends+of+the+Newsroom&utm_campaign=fe1d7d9b0c-Daily+Briefing+03.4.20_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_71de5c4b35-fe1d7d9b0c-95522477
If NZ brings in compulsory quarantining,it will have to be done more carefully than here in Australia, which brought in compulsory quarantining for all people flying in to international airports 10 days or so ago. (but not for Queensland residents driving acrossthe border from NSW where there is definite evidence of community transmission – just 'self-isolation for 2 weeks'. My partner and I are in the 4th day of a compulsory quarantining in a Brisbane hotel after flying in from Auckland last Friday with 20 others (half kiwis, half Aussies). Our 'home' is a nearby boat. We were crammed into a bus from the airport sitting close together within the 1.5m Aussie physical distancing rules. All OK since in the hotel, but it is not set up for self-contained living. That means that although we have been quarantined, we are still exposed to doubtful food and supplies from outside which is dropped outside our door. We clean what we can, but how do we know who has been handling it? We could be infected ourselves. Also, anecdotal reports about young quarantiners having parties in their hotel corridors and even waiters serving glasses of wine (in Sydney). None of these issues are insurmountable, but it does mean that just switching over to blanket quarantining isn't easy. Some proper planning has to go into it.
yep, this.
Can you cook in your room?
Some people are being put up in 5 star hotels at the expense of the Government. Most of these rooms will not have anything but a coffee maker/hot water jug.
If NZ does the same for international arrivals, they should put them up in serviced apartments that have a small kitchenette.
Very good point, Indiana. Seld-contained motels with kitchenettes are far better and a lot cheaper than the sort of useless 5 star swanky hotels like the one that we arein. The quarantining must go both ways if ALL incoming passenegrs are to be quarantined, not just those withsymptoms or do not have prope self-isoation plans as is the current policy in NZ. if you can cook yourself you can order stuff from Countdown or whoever and ake sure you can clean what you order and not get infected.Also, the quarantining must be policed (with kindness – we are not criminals!) otherwise it will be a farce.
How are you managing food atm then?
Hotels are probably much easier to manage logistically, but the meals thing is really important, including for families with kids. Can't live on toast and coffee for very long.
3 meals a day provided. Pretty crappy, but we won't starve. The point is we don't know who is preparing it – looks like it has been contracted out to a 'cheap' caterer. If it wasn't for the circumstances, we wouldn't think about it, but as we can't see or talk to the caterers or trust them to be virus free, we are basically sitting ducks!
ooh, that's not good. You think it's not the normal hotel kitchen staff?
The hotels that are offering quarantine faciities for the different state governments are closed to other guests so everything is closed down including their own kitchens. We haven't seen anyone since we got into the room. Can't get out or open the window. The food is left in bags outside the door and we have to wait for 10 seconds before retrieving them. We are not complaining, just emphasising that these circumstances are exceptional and everyone around the world, especially those in charge, are on a steep learning curve, so a bit of tolerance needed if things aren't perfect from the start.
"…these circumstances are exceptional and everyone around the world, especially those in charge, are on a steep learning curve, so a bit of tolerance needed if things aren't perfect from the start."
thread
https://twitter.com/DavidVidecette/status/1246785553900724224
The Aussie High Court has just quashed George Pell's sex abuse convictions. No reasoning given yet.
boys will be boys?
'Murica
https://twitter.com/zellieimani/status/1246952030855364614
No sew face mask.
https://archive.li/leYFe/acf2b4c2270a644d63c8fe69d4b0b8e1fc9635a7/scr.png
Saw on 1 News Cardinal Pell has had his conviction quashed.
My thoughts go out to the person who tried to seek justice for having been offended against and that they have been second guessed.
Another consequence of sexual offending is that a conviction can be appealed. There needs to be stringent checks and balances for such appeals.
Now's the time.
Spain, which has the biggest cluster of COVID-19 infections outside the U.S., will introduce universal basic income “as soon as possible” as part of its efforts to combat the economic effects of coronavirus, Economy Minister Nadia Calvino said on Sunday. Critically, the scheme is expected to be rolled out indefinitely.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/isabeltogoh/2020/04/06/spain-to-roll-out-permanent-universal-basic-income-soon/#1df26d05316f
I wonder if that fits within the current EU framework?….I suspect it cannot
The EU pretty much said ' Do what you must to keep your people safe'. so yes, it can.
https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/french-foreign-policy/europe/news/article/european-solidarity-in-the-face-of-covid-19
so if spain feels that this is what is needed, so its good. As in germany where the government is picking up large parts of pay cheque by letting companies put people on Kurzarbeit aka short work (20hr) so that they keep staff and have their staff ready for when the country goes back to normal.
Thats a good point
Ardern explains the three phases.
around -24m mark of the livestream
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/413652/watch-live-number-of-new-covid-19-cases-drops-to-54
Three National MPs physically travelled to Wellington for their committee meeting today. Shane Reti from Northland, Louise Upston from Taupo and Simon Bridges from Tauranga.
What's Shane Reti's excuse? The pidgeons take too long to fly?
Maybe the broadband National claim to have delivered for us wasn't so hot. Even in National seats.
Steven Joyce must resign.
Hope Reti runs into Hone's roadblock.
Waiting for the week long chorus from the media,.
Arrogant fuckwits.
And that explains why none of them were terribly keen to have a go at Clark about the issue at Committee today.
Probably treating it like a party caucus thing. Leader has to do the disciplining.
Who will discipline Bridges?
This is one aspect of being in the opposition where you can ride it out.
So Reti and the Taupo person drive all the way to Wellington to go to a Zoom meeting???
I see you do not mean zoom to Wellington, you mean zoom in Wellington.
I cannot see anyone from Taupo on the Epidemic Response Committee.
Louise Upston is the MP for Taupo.
tracking spread.
https://twitter.com/comingupcharlie/status/1247330309525274624
Jesus, if this isn't flat out abuse of the wage subsidy scheme. Imagine being one of the only businesses allowed to still operate and you pretend you're on hard times.
Shame on these operators.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/120876197/new-world-stores-will-withdraw-claims-for-wage-subsidies
the city ones are taking the piss. Some of those small town four squares probably need it though, the drop in tourism will be hitting them hard.
Talk about diversions, we have a contributor wishing someone would die. Now our PM didn't have the foresight to Ask her Min of Health if there were any other instances of poor decision making, our Min of Health kept from the PM that he went on another trip as it wasn't evident to him until he reviewed his actions (my words) and we get what some National MP's have done. Take ownership of flaws/screw ups.
What many here IMO don't understand. People Vote for our PM, NOT Labour, People Vote for National NOT Simon Bridges.
"Now our PM didn't have the foresight to Ask her Min of Health if there were any other instances of poor decision making …"
Pretty sure that's exactly what she asked him and why he fessed up. In these situations its normal to ask if there are any other similar instances and also to ask for the Ministerial diary to be checked.
When he was asked by the PM when the bike ride emerged (I take it he was questioned ) this didn't trigger any recollection of his actions over the last week. Not having any idea what an MP/Minister includes in their diary, but I wouldn't think that such a trip would be included into his diary (as it was family related). Most of us know what the rules are and I gather all (But a few idiots/privileged) when in doubt take the conservative (I know many here don't like this term 😱) approach. i.e. when in doubt … don't – The ramification are too great.
The trip to the beach wouldn't have been in the diary, H, but hours put aside for personal matters would have been noted. That is, it wouldn't say what he did, just that he was off the clock for x number of hours. My presumption is that he was asked to fill in the blanks and when he thought back through his movements he realised he'd done more than just go out on the bike. At least he had the guts to be honest, and to tender his resignation. Plenty would have tried to bluff it out.
"Plenty would have tried to bluff it out."
Like, for four days?
No, like Simon.
and the fullah from Northland and the Dame from Taupo.
The horse is still dead and you still can't stop flogging it can you Pete?
To assist those who don't understand the concept of keeping within your bubble
ps Hope the EPL has completed (Liverpool win BUT more important another team escapes relegation)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRNzn1lBZt0
West Ham, Villa and Norwich.
heh
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EU9ilqOX0AE_VVa?format=jpg&name=small
Thanks for being awesome, Honor Blackman.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IADBMkC0Cw
Just lost the reply buttons again. Tried shift+F5 as advised the other day, and nothing changed.
Edit: Posting this brought them back.
American democracy is in deep trouble .
https://www.vox.com/2020/4/6/21211378/supreme-court-coronavirus-voting-rights-disenfranchise-rnc-dnc
This decision has far reaching implications for the forthcoming Election in November which could well be held under similar conditions as the current State Election in Wisconsin. Furthermore the current election includes election of a State Supreme Court appointment. The importance of this is further explained in the article here:
Judith offers advice to Bubbles Bridges and the National Party road rebels gang.
https://www.twitter.com/JudithCollinsMP/status/1247442485338460160
I had been thinking that cleaning grocery items with bleach was going too far with shopping caution. It's enough of a juggling act getting it all from the trolley to car and home without the frozen or chilled stuff overheating and getting a weird consistency. Really rethinking that tonight.
Kids (finally) settled down, I wasn't up to much thinking so went on YouTube. A new episode of an old favourite: WTFIWWY. Which does mock people for clicks; yes, but they often fully deserve the derision, and there is a rule against covering stupidity that results in injury to others. But it didn't prove much respite against the pecking of the Crow this time.
The show's a week out of date by the time it gets out of Patron exclusivity, but not often addressing serious current issues, so that doesn't matter much to me. The toilet-seat lickers were bad enough, but this guy!
Warning – you may feel a strong desire to claw your own eyes out rather than view this:
https://www.google.com/amp/s/metro.co.uk/2020/03/23/man-licks-toiletries-supermarket-asking-scared-coronavirus-12441271/amp/