Welcome back to ‘The Standard’ we missed you yesterday after about 1’30pm when the site was cut, but now now up again thanks to the folks at The Standard.
Must have been some “house cleaning” that was gong on?
cleangreen
I read recently how in late WW2 the Allies were not sorry that Hitler was not killed in the attempted assassination by bomb. They knew him, understood his paranoia and obsessions, and were sure they could match any of his maneouvres, outthink him and eventually win over Germany. They didn’t want someone else with a clear head and new approach taking over and changing the style. Don’t wish Bridges gone,
He is the very model of a modern right-wing national
his intellect is vegetable, integrity ephemeral,
His caucus not dependable, their loyalties transferrable
and prone to many scandals that are publicly relational
[and prone to many scandals that are publicly relational]
[and prone to many scandals that are publicly relational]
[and prone to many scandals that are publicly relational]
their internecine fighting has been eminently recordable
their crises management is far from being laudable
their efforts to deflect reporters now become most laughable
and prone to many scandals that are publicly relational
[and prone to many scandals that are publicly relational]
[and prone to many scandals that are publicly relational]
[and prone to many scandals that are publicly relational]
Excellent McFlock – now write the rest of the soapy opera and you will have a hit. You will be as good as a rock star. It may produce a sellout from the Right, or not but one could hope.
I’m tempted to suggest that it was a test of what the Standard would look like if we ever instituted a paywall model, but I understand it was actually something to do with flies in the server and Lprent had to get out the RAID.
National should get radical and come out as a “champion strong advocate on climate change” .
They can easily argue and suggest that we must restore our rail system as another ‘Land transport option’ for freight and passenger with a” low emission carbon footprint safer transport service”. Last night on Newhub there was a senoir well respected scientist stating that ‘air passenger service’ is the highest carbon footprint service with every single passenger.
Figures shown by University of Wellington Professor James Renwick were showing that a single air passenger trip from Auckland to Wellington showed each passenger uses 145 kgs of carbon, where by rail it was 17kgs, and electric car was 11kgs, and by bus was 22kgs from memory,
Maybe we should each have a shrinking annual allocation of air miles. If you choose not to use them yourself you can sell them to someone else. If you don’t want anyone to use them you can sell them to the government who cancels them. Administrative nightmare of course. But a side benefit would be outraging the likes of wee Mikey Hoskie.
Also people too poor to travel get an extra income stream.
Good on ya, ankerawshark. I think it’s safe to say that the efforts of the team behind TS would mean nothing if we didn’t have contributors like yourself adding comments of real substance to the site. He aha te mea nui o te ao, he tangata he tangata he tangata!
Basically he is dropping the wrong half. Light rail to the west makes a lot of sense. It would be far better to do heavy rail to the airport. The whole Dominion Rd thing looks fraught.
The main problem NZ really has when it comes to transport issues, future proofing public, private and commercial transport is simply the total lack of guts and imagination.
Thus no glory. But for what its worth, non so gutless then National. In nine years in government your boys and girls in parliament have managed to get nothing done. And that is quite something.
A long time ago i watched a debate on TV between John Key – National, Helen Clark – Labour, Jeanette Fitzsimmons – Green. John Key waffled on how he was gonna bring NZ wages to parity with OZ and tax cuts, Helen Clark was protecting her last nine years, and Jeanette Fitzsimmons spoke about how we needed investment in public transport, needed trains, trams and buses to get us everywhere in this country, and the rest is history.
so the last ones to complain about any party doing anything about public transport is National. They have had nine years and literally only have a housing crisis, homelessness and record public debt to show for.
This from the linked NZHerald item: The Government may have to scale back its $6 billion light rail programme for Auckland by scrapping a line from the city centre to west Auckland, says Transport Minister Phil Twyford.
The MP for Te Atatu said it was his strong preference to see light rail built from the city centre to the west and to the airport, but if it is not possible to fund and finance both lines, then light rail to the airport will get priority.
National Party people would have been the ones preventing expenditure on public transport since the year dot. The year dot is when it was being officially talked about. The number of human bodies on the local bodies that could think further than their own pockets, and their next term in power was greater than the co-efficient of whatever. Simple mathematics and a long-term viewpoint were incompatible and me-first maths won.
Now it is important to get something signed up and started now. If National manage to weasel their way in to power we will get more and more simple mathematics. And never get close to coping with our complex problems which can never be actually solved, just understood and ameliorated.
Don’t forget the rundown public services, infrastructure shortages, privatization of assets (THEFT with 300 000 opposing signatures and public opinion polls ignored).
The bashing of poor people, dark people, green people through public media (They’re all wreckers and haters), through police, banks, spy services (who also turned out to be relatively f’n useless).
Don’t forget the war trajectory and you personally and your team dishing out Islamophobia.
Now you reckon you know about trains. You lot sell trains Wayne, you don’t build them so let’s get real.
If there’s no heavy rail to airport on the table right now (and there is not), the sensible move would indeed be to service the airport with already underway light rail first.
Wanye;
I have stated on 2.1 that National needs to show ‘environmental leadership’ on all rail services both freight and passenger services.
2.1 “National should get radical and come out as a “champion strong advocate on climate change” .
They can easily argue and suggest that we must restore our rail system as another ‘Land transport option’ for freight and passenger with a” low emission carbon footprint safer transport service”.
I didn’t talk about Cict rail link did I?
Auckland City is not NZ unless you are an Aucklander.
National were dragged reluctantly into the project what? something like a year later. I’d have to look it up.
Almost certainly because the transport projects that National funded (Roads of significance to National) had appalling business cases. They were so poor that National stopped showing them in public. At the same time the CRL was showing good returns.
Personally I think that the ONLY reason that the Key government approved it was because the hypocrisy levels were getting too high for even Nationals donors as Auckland traffic kept getting worse as National built empty highways.
The motorway projects have way better BCR’s than any public transport project.
It is possible to make any project look good if you don’t bother to include economic costs in the BCR.
For instance that is what appears to have happened with East-West Link, and as far as I can tell it was the case with almost all of the RoNS.
Of course if you over-estimate the economic costs as happened in the CRL assessments by NZLTA, then you get whatever number if deemed to be relevant. Of course it helps if you don’t provide the workings so that they can be criticized by others. There was a rather wide range between the ACC economic assessments and those from NZLTA.
It is possible to make any project look good if you over-estimate the changes in traffic. That appears to be the case with almost all of the RoNS projects that I looked at. For that matter if you look at the extensions to the SH1 motorways
Conversely, if you massively under-estimate the take up of a public transport system you can make public transport look extremely bad. NZLTA BCRs routinely do that.
It has happened with very NZLTA assessment in Auckland that subsequently got built. Including the Northern busway ( right the way through to not requiring a bridge replacement), double tracking and electrification of the Auckland heavy rail and the massive increases in use of PT (and the reduced need to try to increase capacity on our in-city motorways), changes in bus routes, etc…
Basically, unless the NZLTA starts to do public estimates with funding for some public checks on their analysis, I’d say that they’re just a tool of the roading construction companies. Because that is what they look like to me.
Forced on a very reluctant National after their favored business case from NZLTA proved to be completely flawed and after the BCRs for RoNS were lacerated by expert scrutiny.
In May 2011 the Government noted that after reviewing an initial business case for the project, it was unconvinced of the economic benefits of the tunnel. However, Minister of Transport Steven Joyce noted that he would not stand in the way of Auckland continuing planning and route designation work – if Auckland paid for it.[5] In June 2011 Auckland Council voted to approve $2 million for planning and route protection for the tunnel, with Auckland Transport, rather than KiwiRail, undertaking the process.[32]
In March 2012, Auckland Council decided to bring forward spending from the 2012–2013 budget, in order to continue progress protecting the eventual route. $6.3 million was spent on work including geotechnical surveys, utility and building assessments, contaminated site reports and rail operations modelling and $1.7m towards providing a revised business case, requested by the government.[33][34]
“the 1972 Rapid Transit Plan for Auckland. The history of this plan is eerily similar to our current situation in many ways. It was a revolutionary scheme championed by the charismatic mayor of Auckland Dove Myer Robinson (leading to the nickname ‘Robbie’s Rapid Rail’), despite the mayoralty and council not having the means to actually fund the thing independently. They began working on alternate funding solutions such as a targeted land tax but found them impossible to implement without support from Wellington. In the end by the Labour government reluctantly offered an election pledge to fund the proposal, but failed to deliver on that pledge. A wholly unsupportive National government were voted into power in 1975 and in 1976 the plan was cancelled completely.”
In the interim we got Britomart. Then we tried to connect stuff up…
“Further input was provided by Auckland Transport, which commissioned the study after the Government and the council had arrived at very different conclusions about the rail loop’s return on every dollar invested. Given all that, this study should be the definitive research, not yet another document destined to gather dust. Mr Brown’s task now is to convince Aucklanders that the study is robust and its conclusions are right. If he can, the Government should stand to one side.”
“On 27 January 2016, Prime Minister John Key announced in his state of the nation address that central government funding for main works construction of the CRL had been confirmed and this would allow Auckland Council to start to construct the main works from 2018, with central funds guaranteed to flow from 2020. Commentary at the time reflected an opinion that this was a belated agreement to central government funding of the project by the ruling National Party, while the main opposition parliamentary parties (Labour Party, Greens and NZ First) had all been promising immediate construction timetables which were more closely aligned to the plans of the council.”
Stalling, mucking about, fudging, and dragged kicking and screaming after a myriad of others plans were rejected outright, many of them good plans, that was what National did. Also tried to force the entire bill on Auckland as if transport was not in their portfolio.
Roads of National (party) significance, that was your thing.
i have lived for 20 years now here in NZ, so started under shipley. At that time you had to throw yourself in front of a bus – when one came, never on time – to get it too stop.
Claiming a tunnel being build as their own, while it was done under labour, also Nationals thing.
Auckland is at shambles because your Party did nothing. Absolutely nothing other then build roads that are clogged 24 hours.
Your rammed thousands of people in this city, and gave not one thought to the infrastructure. Cause that is hard work, and your lot is not known for working and certainly not hard work.
National, a Party as usefull as its leader Simon “NO Bridges for Northland’ Bridges.
And believe me, if National would have actually achieved just something of value to the public – and not business interest – we would know by now 🙂
Light Rail down Dominion Rd across the Mangere Bridge to the Airport will be an absolute shambles during the construction phase ?
The roads are already chock a block to the Airport from 6.00am to 6.00pm with 35,000 people currently working at the Airport projected to 55,000 in 5 years time ?
Light Rail down Dominion Rd across the Mangere Bridge to the Airport will be an absolute shambles during the construction phase ?
The roads are already chock a block to the Airport from 6.00am to 6.00pm with 35,000 people currently working at the Airport projected to 55,000 in 5 years time ?
Have a look to the french City of Nice.
Very similar to AKL, one side mountains, other side water, and a large and sprawling city wedged in.
Within three years the whole city got the Tram – light rail, dedicated bus lanes, (train already existed), and the cost of using public transport was initially 1 euro irrespective where you went in the Department Alpes Maritimes – Monaco to Marseille and up the mountains. Now the cost is at 1.50$ per ride.
A lot of people stopped driving the car.
but nice had a choice to make, either die in traffic and of smog or put up with some inconvenience and move to the future.
Really cool were the new archeological finds near la place Massena, the old part of Nice and at the old fish market. they were put under glass during construction and were made open to the public.
It can be done, a bit of guts, a bit of good will, above all political will and it can be done.
The question is has NZ got guts, good will and political good will, or is it just another thing that ‘we can’t do’ cause…………..?
It is hardly comparable with Auckland.
The population is about 340,000 or only about one fifth of Auckland.
It is even smaller than Wellington or Christchurch.
Absolute bollocks Wayne.
Light rail to the west is a total waste of money considering there already is a line to Whangarei via Helensville currrently used by the odd freight train.
A $50,000 fire suppression system fitted for use through the Waitakere tunnel, is all that’s required.
You obviously have no idea Wayne what the people of West Auckland need or want.
From the Trains to Huapai facebook page
“Residents of West Auckland have been calling out for commuter train shuttles to run from Swanson station through the currently unused Waitakere station to Huapai for a number of years. It is the number one most wanted public transport issue commented on in numerous Auckland Transport surveys and consultations. Yet prospects of Trains to Huapai to meet the needs of accelerating housing development now, have been stymied by the government’s unproven long term focus on light rail trams to Kumeu.”
“We are pleased the Government through NZTA is funding twice daily commuter trains from Hamilton to Papakura for around $60 million. However, for less than $4 million the people of Nor-West Auckland could have hourly rail shuttles operating seven days a week from Huapai and Waitakere to Swanson station”
“Twyford admits the promised light rail trams to Kumeu look like not happening for decades.
So why not get the Trains To Huapai? Fact is Phil Twyford (Labour) and Genter(Greens) listen to a self appointed group calling themselves “Greater Auckland” who designed the light rail trams for everywhere map. This small group successfully sold their dream to the Minister of Transport and Mayor Phil Goff.
We are frustrated that a small group of light rail enthusiasts with connections to the light rail industry have robbed Nor West Auckland of commuter trains.
Trams to Kumeu 2049?
Trains to Huapai can be delivered 2019 if there’s political will.”
That’s really interesting. If the figure of $4M is true it’s a pittance for what it would achieve. But surely that doesn’t include the engines, rolling stock, staff…
Is there a business case the group could take to the business communities in these areas? With them on-side the group might have more clout, and maybe match some of the funds?
Great for business. More foot traffic. Better access to greater Auckland and for greater Auckland to get to them. Eases congestion for freight in/out and tradies.
Around $45 subsidy per passenger, 43 passengers per day, that’s nearly $2k a day subsidy. $700k a year subsidy. That was before electrification, there’s be a bit of a headache integrating services between the electrified and non-electrified bits.
They identified some of the issues in that trial (rail in disrepair, no broader connectivity to broader network), wonder if they’ve worked on how to fix them.
I guess as we get a network where population is dense first hopefully providing a feasible base, we have a chance of then hooking up more satellite services. And then that might do what one would hope transport spending does – better access to and from wider Auckland, and easing congestion.
The planet is of course a nice plug for rail too, but only if it is actually pulling vehicles off roads.
Their trial rail service served no one. That’s why is was not patronised. After only a year it was deemed a failure.
Of course it was designed exactly for that result.
The rail service from Helensville to Auckland that ran up until the early 70s was well patronised. I know, I used it. Why, when the population has quadrupled, should public rail transport be not viable in the west.
A perfectly satisfactory line exits FFS! Why should it not be used.
Oddly enough, if that 43 users per day is accurate, then I’m personally acquainted with nearly 5% of the total patronage. Wealthy lifestyle block types, both of them.
It wouldn’t surprise me if it was made to fail. Way back when Dad was an engineer they bought rolling stock that could only run half the pace of the engines to claim trucks were superior for freight.
Kind of as a ‘just as an aside’, I’m picking the whole thing is, and will be another example of short-medium term ‘thinkery’ with various lobbyists pushing their various, and differing barrows.
So far, I bet there are factions with a vushun of light rail options based on their partikyala oseas experiences, and other with opposing views.
ALL peshnit about what they do.
And as things stand, I’ll bet some of the options are already at the stage where they’ve ‘invisiged solutions [going forward’] and, come what may – that is all.
I’d also put money on their ‘solutions [going forward]’ come with minor little details such as their light rail coming with a different line gauge, such that things like train-trams can’t easily be implemented.
Quote; “If you fly the 496km between Auckland and Wellington, you emit around 150kg of carbon dioxide equivalent.
A medium-sized car making the same journey emits about a third less, while a bus, train and electric car all have significantly lower emissions – just under 55kg between all three of them.
This is a must watch for Government MP’s flying from Auckland today for parliament tomorrow in Wellington.
Hear this Phil Twyford, – ‘take a train passenger service to Wellington with Jacinda and lower your carbon footprint’s too.’.
A bloody good start in reducing the amount of flying our MPs do would be to require all the List MPs to move to Wellington when they get elected. Then we wouldn’t need to pay for them to have accommodation provided in Wellington either, or to have to move their families backward and forward at tax-payer expense.
This would not apply of course to the Electorate MPs. They actually need to travel to and from their electorates as they actually have work to do there.
Having the Green Party leader drop out of his position as the biggest single user of overseas travel would be nice as well.
Then he might have time to spend on the fiasco that is his Statistics Department.
As if child poverty and the growing working poor aren’t bad enough, NZ Capitalism Ltd is now delivering growing pensioner poverty. Given the falling rates of home ownership pensioner poverty is like to expand over the coming generation.
Labour are shackled by the -bean counters and the right wing roger douglas brigade side of their caucus sadly.
These right wingers will hold onto our public purse so very tightly even though they promised so much and never have delivered now.
So the clock countdown now begins to the election, – as they have less than half their term left now.
Transport minister is in hiding and needs to come out in the budget to explain why our rail has not been revived yet around all our provinces. The road toll is worse than when he took over so he needs to provide a safe regional rail freight and passenger service to save lives, and our health and wellbeing.
Labour are basically ideologically driven, getting the doing part going is the hard part, they talk a big game but do not have the skills to get things done as most of them have very little real world practical experience, National are not much better IMHO ?
It is all about getting re-elected most politican’s in all the Political Parties would not have a clue, as they have no real world experience, it is all about celebrity politics and who MSM want elected. There is very little difference between Labour & National ?
Instead of JAQing off, how about you do the research yourself.
But there’s one thing I’m confident you won’t find: outbreaks in highly vaccinated populations. To get outbreaks like the measles outbreaks bursting out all over the place at the moment, you need significant portions of the population to be unvaccinated.
If those outbreaks only affected the fuckwits that choose to refuse vaccinations for themselves, I’d take a Darwinian view of it. Sadly, the ones that bear the brunt of the outbreaks are those that shouldn’t be vaccinated for genuine medical reasons (such as the immunocompromised), the too young, those unfortunate few for whom the vaccination is ineffective … and the really really unfortunate ones whose fuckwit parents refused the vaccine and didn’t tell them.
Bring on the lawsuits to hold accountable those who refuse vaccines without genuine medical reason, that then go on to get sick and infect others.
Since there’s no actual content in all of that, it’s kinda hard to respond to.
But I gotta know; a while back you called me the very worst commenter on The Standard. Am I still number 1? If not, who do I hafta take down to get my crown back?
Ha not do fast young sir. I know I irritate the old one two a lot and often he is left in a quivering, slobbering, impotent rage after one of my comments. He can’t even reply coherently such is his distress just a mumble of words as if spilt from a very large soup bowl of alphabet soup. They appear to be words but, well, who can tell.
Andre, in a number of ways you are one of the ‘worst’…name calling, uninformed in the extreme…especially on this subject…
Yet, in other ways and on some subject matter, your comments are informative and knowledgeable…as you are aware…I appreciate that…as I let you know recently…
I do hold back on this particular subject and do not seek to reignite the discussion…but will always respond if it is started up…
There is a casm of misunderstanding on your part…there is also a plethora of scholarly articles readily available with a simple search regarding outbreaks in highly vaccinated populations…
By the way . Outbreak = 3 according to CDC…
Not just failing and waning measles (MMR) vaccine…but many others…in fact almost all vaccines…they fail..have failed and are failing…
Branch out..I’m certain you’re capable…perhaps you’re fearful of what you’ll find….
Start with the question I posed…it is root cause…starting point…
Everything which follows, stemming from and including pre-licensure…is a fraud..
As I’ve said before, I regard you as a supercilious spouter of arcane claptrap with an inflated sense of your own ability and I regard your woo-beliefs on vaccination as a malignant threat to public health.
I’ve been following the videos and life of a talented young Czechoslovakian man Adam Celadine …. he’s a world record holder and world champion in some aspects of knife throwing ….
in a large part thanks to his tutorial videos, I’ve taken up a new hobby.
Anyway this young man was struck down and made seriously ill with metastasizing cancer …. I know a little bit about cancer and was very concerned for him.
The good news is he has now tested clear …. and he has some good advice in his short Video announcing his path back to good health
Hell that looks dangerous and reminds me of a Roald Dahl story about being to light a ligher in 20 consecutive attempts …. or lose your finger … yikes ! :O
This young lady knows how to chuck a knife …. and she has good safety tips …. like wearing safety glasses etc .
The wind flutter in the video disappears shortly into it …..
lol at one job I could goof off and practise throwing a work knife (wrong knife for it – short, handle heavy lock knife). All good fun until the ricochet comes flying back at me point first lol. Good for one’s reflexes 🙂
Free speech “purists” say that we should let these racists be racist loudly and publicly, and then laugh or ridicule their ideas. Those people who say that are often white and male. Not always, but often. And they have the privilege to laugh and ridicule those ideas because they are usually ideas that don’t threaten their existence. However if you’re from an often oppressed group – Māori, Muslim, Rainbow, Jewish, or even female – those words that we’re told to laugh at and ridicule aren’t funny. They’re words that make your life uncomfortable and unpleasant to live through. They’re words that frighten and degrade you. They are words of hate.
And just as nice @ MM, the latest ‘Listening Post’ special on Aljazeera – especially when they cover all those ‘reality TV’ type “Border Force” programmes …. almost like the poor man’s pornography.
We’ll reserve a cameo spot for James Casson in the next series (as if he hasn’t already got his jollies from being a party to it all already).
it was 1-2 with a different avatar. Didn’t think much of it until my comment ended up at the bottom as a whole number, and the fool was back to the usual avatar.
A Mysterious Infection, Spanning the Globe in a Climate of Secrecy
The rise of Candida auris embodies a serious and growing public health threat: drug-resistant germs.
Pro tip for plonkers: if you want to reply to someone, hit the reply button in the box around the comment you want to reply to, not the next comment.
Why is there no vaccine against candida auris? Dunno, could be lots of reasons.
Might be because it’s a kind of organism that’s very difficult to develop a vaccine against. Off the top of my head I can’t think of any yeast diseases we actually do have a vaccine against. Most successful vaccines are against viral diseases. Organisms that are more complex are generally harder to develop vaccines against. Hence no effective vaccines against malaria or giardia or guinea worm or gonorrhea or syphilis or ….
Might be because it hasn’t been a big enough threat (and market) to get the attention of vaccine developers.
Might be because its emergence has been recent enough there just hasn’t been enough time.
Might be any combo or all of the above or other factors I haven’t mentioned. Asking why there isn’t a specific vaccine reminds of the CEO who once asked why we couldn’t develop something to spray on the outside of golf club shafts to tune the flex characteristics. I had to tell him the only unobtainium mine in the world had shut down cause there was an explosion. (Shortly thereafter I was seeking alternative employment)
Yeah, if I was only trying to respond to cleangreen I probably would have left it there. Or probably not bothered at all, the question was so self-evidently ridiculous. I’m well aware that many commenters here are neither persuadable nor educable.
But when I respond to nutters, it’s usually because there may be something in that topic of interest to a broader audience of silent but interested readers so a fuller answer might be worthwhile. Or sometimes I’ll respond just for the lolz.
I manually input my credentials into the name and email fields, as a simple security measure to not have sign in data cached on devices…
At times, due to the email address, which you can’t see , a character becomes inverted…leading to the creation of a new avatar…
At least two possibly three avatars are in the system…
Nothing in it, McFlock…keep throwing your childish comments …
What’s the failure rate of the flu shot you like to talk about getting?
Edit:
Were you able to understand the earlier question…if you read all available vaccine package inserts (FDA site) you can get the answer to the question…
lol okay, whatevs. You screwed up your ID because you’re paranoid that people will really give a crap about who you are.
You’re not that much of a threat to the system, neo.
As for vaccines, the proof is in the pudding. Maybe they guessed wrong this year, meaning the models were off and its the wrong strains in the shot. But frankly a sore arm with one in a million odds of a serious adverse reaction… hell, I’d take a 90% failure rate. No harm, no foul. But I seem to recall flu vaccines tend to be a few times that – nowhere near 90% like with some other conditions, but good enough to completely protect a lot of people and lessen the symptoms in others. It’s biggest advantage is to lower the burden on the health system from avoidable illness. I.e. fewer people plonked in ED hallways.
But I can’t be bothered doing your homework for you. Besides, I’d be surprised if they measured efficacy against placebo outright each and every time – the ethics of denying someone healthcare like that, even with consent, are long and debatable. They probably just compare with previous strains (and you might be able to follow that testing chain back to the original placebo trials), and do after-market evaluation of cases, prevalence, immunisation status, and of course any adverse events.
Yep weeze and poos has finally lost it. Really when analysed they had very little to add or offer anyway save insults puffed by rhetoric. Ah well onwards and upwards lol
Hang on, that’s very interesting. For it to appear and then get deleated (for my reply to end up on the floor), the comment must have had a wrong email, gone into moderation, and been released inside ten minutes, for onetwo to be able to then delete it and rewrite it with the correct email.
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Back in the 90's and early 2000's, the building industry was building leaky homes which should never have been granted consent. Now it turns out they've been building dodgy office blocks as well:New imaging technology has revealed hundreds of major buildings nationwide have defective or missing concrete or reinforcing steel. ...
Local body election results were released over the weekend, to joy or despair depending on where you live. In Auckland, Phil Goff trounced John Tamihere, who is muttering darkly about running for Parliament again (but which party would want him?) Wellington is now a wholly-owned subsidiary of Weta Workshop, except ...
Two years have now gone by since the Friday afternoon when my university-student son and I headed out of our Barcelona flat to a nearby primary school, designated as a polling station for the vote that was to be held the following Sunday: the referendum on Catalonia’s independence from Spain ...
Overruled: The joint decision of Finance Minister, Grant Robertson (Labour) and his Associate Minister, David Parker (Labour) arguably the two most powerful ministers in Jacinda Ardern’s government, to grant OceanaGold the consents which Land Information Minister, Eugenie Sage (Greens) had earlier denied them, offers bitter proof of how hard fighting ...
More than double the number of people who will vote in this year’s local body elections have tried marijuana or urinated somewhere they shouldn’t have. As local elections look set for the lowest turnout in decades, with many regions falling well short of 40%, the Government is exploring a number ...
A Statement on Abortion Law Reform by the Council of Disobedient Women On the eve of bringing an end to antiquated, anti-women abortion laws Green MP Jan Logie intends to write women out of the Bill. With a stroke of the pen, the woke are aiming for total erasure ...
Musings continue apace about “the experienced businessman!” soon to be taking up a National Party MP position. Or to be more accurate, being parachuted into a seat to shut down their former MP Jamie-Lee Ross, who despite his own shortcomings shed at least some more light on the inner workings ...
The Ugandan government wants to murder gay people:Uganda has announced plans to impose the death penalty on homosexuals. The bill, colloquially known as “Kill the Gays” in Uganda, was nullified five years ago on a technicality, but the government said on Thursday it plans to resurrect it within weeks. The ...
Freedom Of Speech? The Säuberung (cleansing by fire) was the work of the German Student Union which, on 10 May 1933, under the watchful eye of the Nazi Reichminister for Propaganda, Joseph Goebbels, consigned 25,000 books to the flames in a ritual exorcism of “un-German thought”. According to the logic of the ...
“There can be no such thing as kaupapa Māori political parties or politics in Aotearoa” (Willie Jackson, Labour Party (2017). Māori TV, General/List Election Special) I begin with that claim because at the time, I was confounded at first that it fell out of Willie Jackson’s mouth, and then ...
New Zealand’s media is doing its part in Japan, reassuring those in the path of the storm that they won’t miss any rugby while away from their flooded homes. New Zealand sports reporters stationed in Japan for the Rugby World Cup have had the rare and heartwarming opportunity to inform ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones is the only Cabinet member in favour of putting it all on green. As Finance Minister Grant Robertson finds himself with an enormous $7.5 billion surplus, the Government has begun intense, at times contentious conversations about whether to put the money on red or black at ...
by Susanne Kemp At the start of September close to 100,000 school teachers went on strike in Jordan. They demanded a 50% pay rise. A pay rise actually agreed to by the regime back in 2014. In early October, however, in the face of government repression and threats, the teachers’ ...
Back in 2011, journalist Nicky Hager published Other People's Wars, an expose on NZDF's activities over the previous decade of the "war on terror". NZDF didn't like this, and especially didn't like the fact that it was base don leaks from their own. So, they had the SIS investigate him ...
The Zero Carbon Bill is due back from select committee in two weeks, and will likely pass its final stages in November. So naturally, farmers are planning a hate-march against it. But they're not just demanding lower methane targets so they can keep on destroying the planet; they're also demanding ...
Last year, California burned. This year, to stop it happening again (or rather, to stop themselves from being found liable if it happens again), Pacific Gas and Electric is cutting power to half the state for a week:Schools are closed. Traffic lights down. Tunnels dark. Businesses unopened. Hospitals running on ...
The Best Way: Missing from the on-line voting debate is any reference to the voting system that produces turn-out figures ranging from 77 to 93 percent of registered voters. The voting system used to collect and count the votes cast in our parliamentary elections. The system that involves citizens making ...
Among the great new bunch of political friends we have been making recently is the excellent Australian-based Marxist gender-critical site, Freer Lives. So we asked the comrade who set up that blog to write something for Redline on the blog, himself, his analysis of the rise of gender politics and ...
by Don Franks The Auckland City Mission is struggling with a 40 percent increase in demand for food parcels this year. A total of 23,020 were needed by June. Last month Missioner Chris Farrelly told the Herald the “cupboards are bare” and without an emergency food drive, he can’t see ...
by The Council of Disobedient Women Massey Wellington Student Association had a sit-in today. Imagine a sit-in. On a campus. Against a women’s rights meeting. Did the ’60s really happen or did we fucking dream it? They gathered in the student square, an echo chamber. Sitting on soft pillows ...
For some reasons, my post about the mystery message from inside the Downing Street bunker seemed to catch people's attention. Quite a lot of hits from NZ (unsurprisingly) and the USA (a bit more puzzlingly, but hi there, USAians!!) and 76 views from the Ukraine.I've celebrated my Ukrainian readers in ...
First, almost a score of Labour MPs seem to have sent a letter to the EU basically begging them to accept a deal - any deal - just so Britain can get the Heck on with Brexiting instead of being trapped in limbo:
by Phil Duncan In 2016 the National-led government suspended the Parent Visa Category, through which migrants were able to bring their parents into New Zealand. Since then over 5,700 people have been in immigration limbo, stuck on the visa wait list. Labour is now bringing back the scheme. Well, sort ...
The following was released yesterday (Tues, October 8) by the women’s liberation organisation Speak Up for Women. On 23 September Speak Up For Women announced that we would be holding an event at the Massey University Theaterette in Wellington. The event is called Feminism 2020. The intention of the event ...
The government is currently consulting on plans to improve freshwater quality. So naturally, farmers oppose it:South Taranaki farmers are preparing to fight proposed national freshwater changes that some fear will bankrupt them. The Government's proposed National Environment Standard on Freshwater Management, released in September, rated the Waingongoro River as one ...
Yesterday was the last day for (reliably) posting your vote away in local body elections. Turnouts are mostly much lower than the equivalent time last year (Palmerston North is down 2.3%), and so naturally people are pushing their online-voting snake oil again. Because the online census worked so well, lets ...
This essay, on the political legacy of the eugenics movement, by Kenan Malik was originally published in the Observer on 6 October 2019, under the headline ‘The spirit of eugenics is still with us, as immigrants know to their cost’. Birth control. Intelligence tests. Town planning. Immigration controls. It’s striking how ...
Another year, and the government has announced another enormous government "surplus". And just like last year, its nothing of the sort. When we have people homeless and sick and hungry, when we have schools and hospitals still falling down, when we have underpaid public servants and infrastucture unmaintained or unbuilt, ...
James Forsyth at The Spectator (I know, I know) has tapped one of his contacts inside Number Ten for an insight into the Johnson administration's thinking and strategy.It is fascinating, unsettling and quite, quite mad. Some key points:Negotiations have stalled and the Johnson administration are keen to blame the EU: ...
Fatal Contact: With the arrival of captain James Cook in October 1769, the islands of what would become New Zealand ceased to be the preserve of Polynesian navigators and settlers and became a part of both the world’s map and the world’s history.THE MAORI NATIONALIST assault upon the historical meaning ...
Another round of tactical talks about forming a Government of National Unity have come to nothing with the Liberal Democrats still refusing countenance putting Jeremy Corbyn into Downing Street:Opposition talks on Monday made little headway over when to try and vote down Boris Johnson's government and who might succeed him as ...
by Nick Rogers The debate around the meaning of sex and gender made an appearance at this year’s British Labour Party conference in Brighton. Women’s Place UK – an organisation that questions the demand that biological males who self-identify as woman should have access to women’s spaces, to all-women shortlists, ...
Yesterday I went down to Wellington to participate in the Extinction Rebellion protest. Its part of the latest global wave of XR actions, with actions happening all over the world. Some of those protests are massively disruptive: in Canada, XR is blocking major bridges, stopping people from getting to work. ...
The Workshop is a charitable trust for public good. The Workshop undertake research to find ways of communicating that will build support for the solutions that work to solve complex social and environmental problems. See their Report on Talking about Poverty and Welfare Reform below. ...
Being and Being Bought (Spinifex Press, 2013) by Kajsa Ekis Ekman A synopsis and commentary of Chapters 1-2 by Daphna Whitmore Ekman, a Swedish journalist and critic, brings together a Marxist and feminist analysis of prostitution and surrogacy in this groundbreaking book She opens the discussion with a definition of ...
I make no claims to having much legal knowledge, so I defer to those trained in this area.I am very much enjoying this twitter stream from m'learned friend in Edinburgh, deciphering the legal arguments around the Scottish court challenge to Boris Johnson, based on the charmingly obscure principle of Nobile ...
Ivory Folly? The University of Auckland’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Stuart McCutcheon, upheld the right of the radical nationalist group, Action Zealandia to exercise their freedom of speech – not matter how distasteful that speech might be. A wiser community of students and scholars would have nodded their agreement and moved on. ...
If you are not convinced terrorist Organisation ‘Extinction Rebellion’ is very, very dangerous – watch this video at one of their recent meetings. Not only is this obviously mentally ill Woman begging the other terrorists to promote killing and “eating” babies and children, if you watch carefully other members nod ...
The Ombudsman has been surveying people about their knowledge of the OIA and the right to information. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem that widespread:The Chief Ombudsman says too many New Zealanders were in the dark over their right to access official information. Peter Boshier said an independent survey released yesterday on ...
In the wake of last Friday's climate strike, Peter McKenzie had an article in The Spinoff about protest strategies. The school strike movement is "polite" and cooperates with those in power because that's its kaupapa - its led by schoolkids who understandably don't want to risk arrest. But there's more ...
So, the latest ruminations on the gnews from Westminster (Again, sorry; I'll stop making that pun right now). This follows on from, and likely repeats bits of, my last post, on the suggestion that a Government of National Unity (GNU) should be set up and then oversee a referendum before ...
Several people have asked me whether a particular repeat litigant could be declared a vexatious litigant, in light of their recent decision to appeal an adverse High Court ruling. My nascent tweet thread was getting ridiculously long, so it became this blog post instead.The short answer is: no. The particular ...
New Zealand likes to think of itself as not a racist country (despite being founded on the racist dispossession and subjugation of Maori). But for years, we've had a racist refugee policy, which basicly excludes refugees from Africa and the Middle East unless they already have relatives here. Now, the ...
Appealing To The Past: Action Zealandia, like so many of the organisations springing up on the far-Right, across what they call the “Anglosphere”, is born out of the profound confusion over what a man is supposed to be in the twenty-first century and, more importantly, what he is supposed to do.THE STATUE OF ...
The attempts of anti-democratic transactivists to (often violently) disrupt women’s rights organising is largely ignored by those sections of the left most prone to misogyny and authoritarianism in New Zealand. In Britain, however, scores of trade union and left activists added their names to a letter in July, defending ...
The Justice Committee has reported back on the Criminal Cases Review Commission Bill. The Bill would establish an independent, quasi-judicial body to investigate and review potential miscarriages of justice, and refer them back to the Court of appeal if required. It would be a vital backstop to our judiciary, help ...
by The Spark On September 14, a total of 22 drones and cruise missiles struck two oil installations in Saudi Arabia, the Abqaiq processing facility and the Khurais oil field. Abqaiq is the largest oil production facility in the world. For a few days afterwards, Saudi Aramco, the Saudi national ...
How much will NeoLiberal irregulation of the building sector and subsequent leaky homes crisis cost us? $47 billion, according to a new book:The total cost to fix all of New Zealand's leaky homes would be $47 billion, probably. The estimate comes from a new book, Rottenomics written by journalist Peter ...
Below is the start of another excellent article on the Freer Lives blog. Click onto the link at the end of this extract to read the full article. The punch-a-terf, kill-a-terf message pervades social media, always righteously delivered, chin held high. By contrast, the dehumanised “terfs” themselves, that is gender-critical ...
The Reserve Bank is currently planning tighter banking regulation, requiring banks to hold enough local capital to survive a 1-in-200 year financial crisis in order to protect consumers. The big Aussies banks, those foreign leeches who suck $5 billion in profit out of our economy every year, don't like that, ...
Its the usual story: a police officer beats a handcuffed suspect so hard they break one of their own fingers. The IPCA investigates and concludes that the use of force was unlawful. And the police refuse to do anything about it:A man punched repeatedly in the face by a police ...
From time to time we add links to our blogroll. The latest blog we have added is Freer Lives. This is a Marxist gender-critical blog, based in Melbourne, Australia. On it you will find a bunch of excellent articles which use the tools of Marxist analysis to critique the rise ...
Last Friday say the largest protest in a generation, as 170,000 people joined the school strike and marched to demand real action on climate change. The demands of the school strike were simple and clear: declare a climate emergency, set a climate target of net-zero by 2040, impose a total ...
Labour is a rather middle of the road capitalist party and earlier this year we discussed how far from being ‘transformative’, Ardern’s government is. An article published this week in the Guardian, by Bryce Edwards (political scientist and commentator at Victoria University), looks at Ardern’s business as usual performance. Where ...
In the hours since my last interminable wittering about the possibility of a Government of National Unity (GNU) in Britain, there has been a slight maybe development:A Corbyn-led caretaker government could then sit for several months while it enacted and delivered a referendum with the support of smaller parties and ...
Jeremy Clarkson says much like Greta Thunberg, Anne Frank “didn’t like what was going on”, but “she didn’t have a tantrum about it.” Former Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson has offered praise to historical figure Anne Frank, comparing her favourably to 16-year-old climate activist Greta Thunberg, who he attacked in ...
Speaking at the Council of Trade Unions' (CTU) biennial conference, New Zealand First leader Winston Peters told unionists that any future attacks on the Government won't work. "Now, we are being attacked by the union movement in this country. You can have your views but I'm here to say standing ...
We want every New Zealander to be happy, safe, and healthy. To do this, we need to support strong, safe communities, and a robust and efficient health system. ...
Defence Minister Ron Mark has used his powers to overrule a noise complaint ruling against Whenuapai airbase on the grounds of "national security". The Environment Court last month released a ruling in favour of a private developer, declaring the Auckland airbase had to comply with noise restrictions when it performs ...
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters has opened fire against "unreconstructed morons" after NZ First MP Shane Jones was photographed on holiday holding an AR-15 rifle. Mr Peters is defending Mr Jones, telling Magic Talk host Peter Williams that his MP was just having fun "like most people do". "The ...
New Zealand First Deputy Leader and Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau was in attendance during the morning blessing of the Rotorua Lakefront development project. Around 60 people gathered on the shores of Lake Rotorua, including city mayor Steve Chadwick and deputy Dave Donaldson. The Lakefront development is a ...
Forestry Minister Shane Jones is considering reining in on conversions of farmland to forestry, and also issued a warning to foreign-owned forestry companies that make up nearly 75 per cent of the industry. He said too many foreign companies had not provided enough access for domestic processors to get timber. ...
Speaking to Radio NZ, New Zealand First leader Winston Peters said the tightening of the parental category visa is a direct result of the Party’s coalition negotiations with the Labour Party. He said the new changes switch the financial onus from the parent moving to New Zealand to the child ...
The Coalition Government is set to cut red tape in the building and construction sector in an effort to allow more houses to be built, including prefabricated houses. The changes will enable the mass factory production of "high quality" buildings, slash the likely number of building inspections for factory produced ...
Since coming into Government, we’ve worked hard to tackle homelessness and make sure everyone has a warm, dry home. And today, on World Homeless Day, we want to report back and update you on our progress so far. ...
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters has hit back at National Party leader Simon Bridges who criticized the Coalition Government’s approach to crime, and said that the latter isn't credible in his attack on the Government over gang recruitment. "We've got as massive drug problem in this country. It is ...
New Zealand Mānuka honey exporters have welcomed an initiative by the Coalition Government to help secure the term “mānuka honey” to be used exclusively by Kiwi exporters, ensuring that our multimillion-dollar industry is protected. Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones had recently announced that a Provincial Growth Funding of $5.7 ...
Political commentator Mike Hosking has labelled New Zealand First leader Winston Peters as “the voice of reason in a government soft on drugs”, for the Party’s stance on drug testing at music festivals. “If common sense is worth a vote, Winston Peters is quids in,” Mr Hosking said. The Labour ...
Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau has announced Provincial Growth Funding to ensure work opportunities in Turangi and Whanganui, through its skills and employment programme, Te Ara Mahi. A fund of $500,000 will go to Rafting NZ in Turangi for a 16-week river guide training course to train ...
Treasury has shown that the Coalition Government has a $7.5 billion surplus, which is $4 billion higher than what was expected in the 2019 Budget unveiled last May. It is also $2 billion higher than the actual surplus unveiled this time last year, and at a size that has not ...
Official Information Act figures released to NZME show there were 350 assaults on officers in the year to the end of June, 79 more than the year before. The increase in attacks have sparked calls for more legal protection for first responders to be enacted. The assaults included officers being ...
“Nobody wants to see babies uplifted”, this was the pronouncement of Minister for Children Hon. Tracey Martin as her department, Oranga Tamariki, faces multiple inquiries into the number of babies being taken from their families. “But a baby can die with a single punch, “the Minister continued. “So sometimes, Oranga ...
We're making progress on tackling the long-term challenges: from homelessness, to strengthening border security, to bringing banking back New Zealand's small towns. ...
Associate Transport Minister Shane Jones has backed the ambitious plan to move Auckland’s port to Northport, at Whangarei harbour, which he says will be the “King Kong of infrastructure”. The plan is part of the recommendations of a six-person independent working group, which has recommended the Ports of Auckland be ...
A six-member independent working group selected the option of moving Auckland’s port to Northport, in Whangarei, ahead of other options. In what could be New Zealand’s most ambitious infrastructure project yet, a major expansion of the Marsden Point port could happen within 15 years. The project, officially called the “Upper ...
The final Electricity Price Review recommended prohibiting prompt payment discounts but allowing “reasonable” late fees. The findings of this review was welcomed by the Coalition Government, but they hope companies will follow through with its recommendations without regulations needed to be passed. Meridian Energy had already stopped prompt payment discounts, ...
Fletcher Tabuteau, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development The Provincial Growth Fund (PGF)through its skills and employment programme, Te Ara Mahi,will invest nearly $600,000 to ensure work opportunities for locals in Turangia and Whanganui, Parliamentary Under Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau announced today. “I’m pleased to announce the PGF ...
An export-led economy is one of New Zealand First’s key principles, and our commitment to achieving this is shown by the continuing skyrocketing demand for our beef and sheep meat exports. Beef + Lamb New Zealand's New Season Outlook 2019-20 report forecasts beef, lamb and mutton prices to lift from ...
Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones announced today in Gisborne an investment of $17.27m into bringing “world-leading” food-growing technology and the creation of more than 100 new jobs in the East Coast city. The funding comes from the Provincial Growth Fund, and included a $15 million loan to LeaderBrand, a ...
Hon Shane Jones, Minister for Regional Economic Development More than 100 people in Tairāwhiti’s Tolaga Bay will benefit from two employment initiatives supported by the Provincial Growth Fund, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones and Employment Minister Willie Jackson announced today. “Tolaga Bay is an incredibly tight-knit community, but one in ...
Hon Shane Jones, Minister for Regional Economic Development The Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) is supporting Gisborne business Leaderbrand to produce salad vegetables year round and create more jobs in the Tairāwhiti region, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones announced today. “Our support for Leaderbrand will help them build large greenhouses ...
“Nobody wants to see babies uplifted”, this was the pronouncement of Minister for Children Hon. Tracey Martin as her department, Oranga Tamariki, faces multiple inquiries into the number of babies being taken from their families. “But a baby can die with a single punch, “the Minister continued. “So sometimes, Oranga ...
Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones has praised the promise by New Zealand’s biggest banks not to close any provincial branches while the Coalition Government trials regional banking hubs across the country. The Minister said the announce was the “first sign of hope for regional communities”, many of which have ...
Rt Hon Winston Peters, New Zealand First Leader New Zealand First is proud to have delivered an upgrade of the SuperGold Card website and a new smartphone app, which will help unlock the full benefits of the SuperGold Card for 750,000 New Zealand seniors.Party Leader Rt Hon Winston Peters, ...
Delivering a key election campaign promise, New Zealand First is proud to have accomplished a long overdue upgrade of the SuperGold Card today. At an event in Auckland, New Zealand First leader Winston Peters joined Minister for Seniors Hon. Tracey Martin in unveiling the new website and smartphone app which ...
Another busy week, from speaking with world leaders on the world stage about climate change, to equipping our school leavers with everything they need to get ahead in life. ...
New Zealand First MP Shane Jones says Air New Zealand has "an obligation to look after Kiwis", and urged the national carrier not to hike up their prices after Jetstar airline announced their withdrawal from regional flights this week. The Provincial Champion also expressed his disappointment at Jetstar’s decision on ...
New Zealand’s economic strength and resilience has been recognised in a major update on the state of the global economy. The IMF’s latest World Economic Outlook released overnight shows a reduced global growth forecast over the next two years as issues like the US-China trade war and Brexit take hold. ...
Justice Minister Andrew Little has today introduced a new Bill to prevent terrorism and support the de-radicalisation of New Zealanders returning from overseas. The Terrorism Suppression (Control Orders) Bill gives the New Zealand Police the ability to apply to the High Court to impose control orders on New Zealanders who ...
A Bill that proposes targeted changes to simplify the processes for Māori land owners when engaging with the Māori Land Court has had its First Reading today. “The approach taken by the Government is to ensure that the protection of Māori land remains a priority as we seek to improve ...
Let me first thank all the new unionists and members in the room. There is nothing more important to improving people’s working lives than people making the decision to care, to get on board and help, to take up the reins and get involved. Congratulations to you. You bring the ...
Minister of Defence Ron Mark has signed a certificate exempting the activity of engine testing at Whenuapai Airbase from the Resource Management Act 1991. The Act gives the Minister of Defence the power to exempt activities for the purposes of national security. The certificate will mean the recent Environment Court ...
Finance Minister Grant Robertson has announced New Zealand will join the Coalition of Finance Ministers for Climate Action while attending APEC meetings in Chile. The objective of the 39 member Coalition is to share information and promote action to tackle climate change. It was formed in April this year, in ...
Ladies and gentlemen, NZCTU President Richard Wagstaff, members of respective unions – thank you for the invitation to speak to you today. This might be preaching to the choir, but the importance of trade unions in New Zealand’s historical arch is difficult to understate. And it is my belief that ...
"Let’s start by acknowledging that it has been a huge year. " Police Association Annual Conference James Cook Grand Chancellor Hotel Wellington Nau mai, haere mai. Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, ka nui te mihi, ki a koutou katoa. President of the Police Association, Chris Cahill; Members of the Association and ...
Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters and Minister of Defence Ron Mark have announced the New Zealand Government’s decision to again deploy a Royal New Zealand Air Force P-3K2 (P-3) maritime patrol aircraft to support the implementation of United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions imposing sanctions against North Korea. New ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters says New Zealand continues to have serious concerns for peace and stability in north-east Syria. “Recent reports that hundreds of ISIS-affiliated families have fled from a camp are deeply concerning from a humanitarian and security perspective”, Mr Peters says. “While we acknowledge Turkey’s domestic security ...
Biosecurity Minister Damien O’Connor is warning travelling Kiwis to be vigilant as the high-season for the crop-eating brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) is under way. “We’re on high alert to stop BMSB arriving in NZ. The high season runs until April 30 and we’ve strengthened our measures to stop stink ...
The Government is moving swiftly to change the law to improve the welfare and pastoral care of students living in university halls of residence and other tertiary hostels. Cabinet has agreed to several changes, including creating a new mandatory Code of Practice that sets out the duty of pastoral care ...
The Minister for Conservation Eugenie Sage has launched a new comprehensive trapping guide for community trappers to help them protect our native birds, plants and other wildlife, at Zealandia in Wellington today. ‘A practical guide to trapping’, has been developed by the Department of Conservation (DOC), and was launched during ...
Associate Health Minister Julie Anne Genter welcomes PHARMAC’s move to improve access to long-acting reversible contraception (LARCs). PHARMAC has today announced it will fund the full cost of Mirena and Jaydess for anyone seeking long term contraception, lifting previous restrictions on access to Mirena. “I welcome women having greater choices ...
The Government has approved the next stage of a major redevelopment of Taranaki Base Hospital, which will deliver new and improved facilities for patients. Health Minister Dr David Clark has announced details of a $300 million dollar project to build a new East Wing at the New Plymouth hospital. It ...
Extra funding will allow Rural Support Trusts to help farming families, says Minister for Rural Communities and Agriculture Damien O’Connor. “I know that rural families are worried about some of the challenges facing them, including the ongoing uncertainty created by the Mycoplasma bovis outbreak. “Those concerns sit alongside ongoing worries ...
Thank you for the opportunity to be here to present certificates to the 16 graduates who have completed a beekeeping course delivered by the Howard League. Let us start by acknowledging Auckland Prison’s Deputy Prison Director Tom Sherlock, and Acting Assistant Regional Commissioner of Corrections Northern Region Scott Walker - ...
Finance Minister Grant Robertson leaves this weekend to attend the APEC Finance Ministers meeting in Santiago, Chile. Discussions between APEC Finance Ministers at the meeting will include the effects of the current global economic uncertainty, risks for APEC economies and sustainable development of the region. While at APEC Grant Robertson ...
The Minister for Pacific Peoples Aupito William Sio says for Pacific people, language can be a source of strength. It can help ground us and give us confidence. When we speak them, our languages provide us with an immediate and intimate access to our identity and our story - and ...
The Coalition Government has announced an action plan to improve the wellbeing of disabled New Zealanders by addressing inequalities in play, active recreation and sport. The initiative includes training to develop a workforce that understands the needs of children and young people with a range of impairments, advocacy for fit ...
The construction sector is being freed up to allow more homes to be built more quickly as the Government cuts through some of the red tape of the Building Act. “Every New Zealander deserves a warm, dry, safe home and old inefficiencies in the Building Act make building slow and ...
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has welcomed further details on the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall’s visit to New Zealand next month. Their Royal Highnesses will visit New Zealand from 17-23 November – their third joint visit to New Zealand and first in four years. They arrive in Auckland ...
Minister of State for Trade and Export Growth and Minister of Agriculture, Damien O’Connor, heads to Thailand today to attend the final Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Ministerial meeting, as negotiations enter their final stages. “The RCEP Agreement would anchor New Zealand in a regional agreement that covers 16 countries, ...
Pacific young people living in the Hawke’s Bay, Southland and Otago regions will have access to support services that have proved successful in helping young people find new earning and learning opportunities. “Tupu Aotearoa is about changing Pacific young peoples’ lives. Our young people are talented, they are smart, they ...
Introduction As the Minister for ACC I thank you all for the work that you do supporting New Zealanders in their literally most vulnerable moments. From those who hold people’s lives in their hands, to the people who research technique, technology and trends, your work is highly valued. A special ...
Notes prepared for speeches in Christchurch – Wednesday 9 October 2019 Today’s topic, “trends and opportunities for the New Zealand economy,” is certainly one getting a great deal of commentary at the moment. Looking across the media landscape lately you’ll notice we aren’t the only ones having this discussion. There ...
Minister of Health Dr David Clark and Associate Minister of Health Peeni Henare say this year’s World Mental Health Day theme is a reminder of why the Government’s work on mental health is so important. “This year the World Federation for Mental Health has made suicide prevention the main theme ...
Associate Arts, Culture and Heritage Minister Carmel Sepuloni will represent the government at Australia’s Meeting of Cultural Ministers in Adelaide this week. “This year’s meeting is special because New Zealand is expected to become an International Member of the Meeting of Cultural Ministers at this Australian forum,” Carmel Sepuloni said. “The meeting is an opportunity to ...
The Greater Christchurch Claims Resolution Service has resolved 608 insurance and EQC claims in its first year in operation, Minister Megan Woods has announced. The government service, which celebrates its first birthday today, provides a one stop shop to help Cantabrians still battling to get their homes repaired or rebuilt ...
Today’s topic, “trends and opportunities for the New Zealand economy,” is certainly one getting a great deal of commentary at the moment. Looking across the media landscape lately you’ll notice we aren’t the only ones having this discussion. There has been an increasing amount of attention paid to the outlook ...
The Government is acting swiftly to strengthen NZTA’s regulatory role following a review into the Transport Agency, and Ministry of Transport’s performance as its monitor, Transport Minister Phil Twyford said today. An independent review by Martin Jenkins has found NZTA failed to properly regulate the transport sector under the previous ...
The Netherlands and New Zealand have a long-standing and close relationship based on many shared interests and values. We value the rule of law, our democracies, and multilateralism. And we value our environment – at home and globally. Right now there are major global challenges in all of these areas – ...
The Government is putting right a decade’s worth of underpayment to nurses, doctors and other health workers, says Health Minister Dr David Clark. Initial sampling of District Health Boards payroll records has found that around $550-$650 million is owed to DHB staff to comply with the Holidays Act. It’s expected ...
A strong surplus and low debt show the economy is performing well, and means the Government is in a good position to meet the challenges of global economic uncertainty. “The surplus and low levels of debt show the economy is in good shape. This allows the Government to spend more ...
New applications from mining company OceanaGold to purchase land in Waihi for new tailings ponds associated with its gold mines have been approved. Minister of Finance Grant Robertson and Associate Minister of Finance David Parker considered the applications under the Overseas Investment Act. Earlier this year, applications from OceanaGold to ...
New Zealanders in Tūranganui-a-Kiwa / Poverty Bay will witness Māori, Pākehā and Pacific voyaging traditions come together today as the Tuia 250 Voyage flotilla assembles for the first time, Māori Crown Relations: Te Arawhiti Minister Kelvin Davis says. “Tuia 250 is a national commemoration and an opportunity for honest conversations ...
Minister for Trade and Export Growth David Parker leaves tomorrow for Dubai, London and Berlin for a series of meetings to advance New Zealand’s trade interests. In Dubai he will visit New Zealand’s Pavilion at Expo 2020 where construction is underway. There he will meet Minister of State for International Cooperation, Her ...
Confirmation that PHARMAC will fund two new cancer drugs is further evidence of the good progress the Government is making to improve the treatment of New Zealand’s leading cause of death, Health Minister David Clark says. From 1 December PHARMAC will fund alectinib (Alecensa) for ALK positive advanced non-small cell ...
An additional $2.7 million has been announced for the Government Strategy for Women and Girls in Sport and Active Recreation on the first anniversary of the strategy’s launch. Sport and Recreation Minister Grant Robertson gave the opening address to the first Sport NZ Women + Girls Summit in Wellington today, ...
As part of its work to ensure businesses can get the skilled workers they need, the Coalition Government is re-opening and re-setting the Parent Category visa programme, Immigration Minister Iain Lees-Galloway says. The move will: support skilled migrants who help fill New Zealand’s skills gaps by providing a pathway for ...
We review the entire country and culture of New Zealand, one thing at a time. Today, a new hole-in-the-wall eatery in Auckland dedicated to New Zealand’s favourite snack.Cheese On Toast has unsavoury connotations for a lot of New Zealand music fans, but now you can wash that bad taste out ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Md Arif Hasan, PhD candidate, Victoria University of Wellington CC BY-NDClimate Explained is a collaboration between The Conversation, Stuff and the New Zealand Science Media Centre to answer your questions about climate change.If you have a question you’d like an expert ...
There’s an innovation renaissance brewing in post-earthquake Christchurch as multicultural entrepreneurship replaces the old boys’ network. This required a new name, writes Steven Moe.An unusual name that evokes images from Harry Potter is fine by the Ministry of Awesome, because it immediately sets it apart. Founded in the aftermath of ...
Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) and Ngā Tāngata Microfinance endorse the Salvation Army’s call for tougher regulations on debt collectors and mechanisms to provide forgiveness or waivers for debts to private lenders and Government that are "effectively ...
Cotton On members are currently negotiating a new Collective Agreement with their employer, but despite the company’s repeated claims that they will provide “a pathway to the living wage”, a “people first focus” and a “commitment to ...
Today the Wellington Howard League releases the results of its fourth annual Wellington Howard League prison survey. The survey suggests a variation in the conditions experienced across prisons in New Zealand and an overall decline in most aspects surveyed. This ...
Some people go for a run to let off steam after work, while others try their hand at ballroom dancing or hit up a pub quiz. And some, as Greta Yeoman discovers, throw sharp objects at walls. She gives it a go.An uncoordinated, anxious journalist with terrible aim is probably ...
A move by Australia's financial regulator could be enough to turn the big banks' threat to ditch New Zealand into a reality - or at least see them charge customers more. ...
A staffing survey carried out by the senior doctors’ union, the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists, has found a gaping shortfall of hospital specialists at the Northland DHB. ...
Iain Lees-Galloway has defended granting residency to a man with multiple drink-driving convictions saying the person had been in the country for 20 years and had kept out of trouble for a long time. ...
Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage.New Zealand Parliament Buildings, Wellington, New Zealand.Today’s content by Dr Bryce Edwards.Industrial relations Luke Malpass (Stuff): Winston Peters holds the keys to new union laws. Will ...
Yes we fully support Minister of transport plan to use special speed cameras finally catching all speeding trucks, and other vehicles on our narrow single lane roads that are not fit to use as a speedway by any vehicle. ...
This afternoon Fish & Game posted a public statement responding to my email to supporters this morning – specifically rejecting our claim that steel shot is now deemed "enhanced penetration ammunition" and therefore possession of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mandie Shean, Lecturer, School of Education, Edith Cowan University Two-thirds of young people experience levels of exam stress that mental health organisation ReachOut describes as “worrying”. Research shows high levels of exam stress can interfere with attention and reduce working memory, leading ...
The National Party's outrage that the Immigration Minister granted residency to a protected person and recidivist drink driver, entitling them to the same benefits as New Zealanders, has backfired. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jennifer Beckett, Lecturer in Media and Communications, University of Melbourne Reports of Facebook moderators’ appalling working conditions have been making headlines worldwide. Workers say they are burning out as they moderate vast flows of violent content under pressure, with vague, ever-changing guidelines. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Lycett, Senior Research Officer, Deakin University; Honorary Fellow, The University of Melbourne, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute Three simple factors can predict whether a child is likely to be overweight or obese by the time they reach adolescence: the child’s body mass ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Marshall, Lecturer, Landscape Architecture and Urban Ecology, University of Melbourne You may mock the national anthem by singing “Our land abounds in nature strips” but what you might not know is how true that is. In Melbourne, for example, more than ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Keith Rathbone, Lecturer, Modern European History and Sports History, Macquarie University It’s unlikely Daryl Morey, general manager of the Houston Rockets basketball team, realised he’d be sparking an international diplomatic incident when, on October 4, he tweeted the following Stand with Hong ...
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Pressure on government from unions, mosque attack victim widows turned down for residency, and another Nat eyes safe Botany seat nomination.Pressure is being put on the government to deliver on one of their major promises to the union movement, reports the NZ ...
It’s the end of an era at Three as MAFS NZ and Guy Williams’ new show canceled and 7 Days cut to bone, writes Duncan Greive.A trio of shows which have been amongst Three’s most important local productions are either being canceled or severely cut back, as the channel’s agonising ...
'Joker' expects viewers not only to understand its cruelty, but to understand the justified violence of a white man when the protests of black men and women in the US are regularly met with condemnation, vilification and exclusion. ...
She runs the women's Aussie Rules and netball programmes at one of Australia's oldest sports clubs, so why is Jane Woodlands-Thompson sitting on the Silver Ferns bench? ...
As someone with a severe chronic illness, Hannah McGowan has a vested interest in getting to the bottom of what cannabis can and can’t do for her health. The reality, she discovers, is complicated.Woo [colloq.]: Mystical, supernatural or pseudo-scientific beliefs not backed up by evidence. I crave a well informed, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The last PM shock jock Alan Jones slapped down was Jacinda Ardern. His language was particularly offensive, advertisers deserted his program and he apologised to New Zealand’s leader. But at least Ardern didn’t have to ...
By Michael Andrew and Sri Krishnamurthi The true story of one of the Pacific’s great waka builders and sailor has been captured in a stirring and visually gripping documentary. Loimata: The Sweetest Tears follows the final years of Ema Siope, a Samoan born kiwi who endured a tumultuous past ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Benjamin Cowie, Director, WHO Collaborating Centre for Viral Hepatitis, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity Around one-third of Australians living with hepatitis C have been cured in the last four years. Hepatitis means inflammation of the liver. Hepatitis C is ...
New Zealand Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern. Image AsiaPacificReport.nz/RNZ.Commentators across the political spectrum seem to agree – the Labour-led Government’s popularity is being damaged by its failure to deliver in Jacinda Ardern’s self-proclaimed “Year of Delivery”. Instead, the delivery of bad news to Labour and the Government has come in ...
Internet Service Providers have cautiously greeted the news that the Government is exploring an internet filter for violent extremist and terrorist content. ...
Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage.New Zealand Parliament Buildings, Wellington, New Zealand.Today’s content by Dr Bryce Edwards.Polls Richard Harman (Politik): Ardern now dependent on Peters Sam Sachdeva (Newsroom): Ardern still standing, but ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Greg Austin, Professor UNSW Canberra Cyber, UNSW This is part of a new series looking at the national security challenges facing Australia, how our leaders are responding to them and how these measures are impacting society. Read other stories in the series ...
Researchers from Lincoln University are investigating how to use nanotechnology in agriculture to increase productivity and reduce environmental impact. ...
The increased presence of anti-trans and white supremacist stickers around the University of Auckland campus is proof that inaction is enabling hate groups, write Anisha Sankar and Max Whitehurst.Anisha Sankar is a Chennai-born, Te Awakairangi-raised, South Indian Tamil studying at the University of Auckland. Max Whitehurst is a transgender Pākehā ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexander Gillespie, Professor of Law, University of Waikato Following the Christchurch mosque shootings, the New Zealand government’s first response was to ban the firearms the alleged gunman had used to murder 51 people. Seven months later, the second tranche of this process ...
The nine members for the next three year term of the Independent Māori Statutory Board (IMSB) for Auckland have been appointed by the statutory Selection Body. Their appointments begin on 1 November 2019 and continue to 31 October 2022. Mana Whenua ...
“If we are truly to solve the challenge of poverty within the Te Ao Maori world we must lift our people from the low wage and low skills growth side of the economy. At the same time we must continue to ensure our people, no matter where they are, ...
Alex Casey asks Rose Stewart from Family Planning every single question she can think of about New Zealand’s new free IUDs. Listen up, womb-owners who love free shit and long-term contraceptive options: Pharmac announced that they will be fully funding two new long-lasting, reversible contraceptives in New Zealand from November 1, ...
Patients are increasingly being turned away for treatment and there can be no more excuses from the Government over properly funding district health boards to boost specialist numbers in public hospitals, says Ian Powell, Executive Director of the ...
Today’s Council of Trade Unions’ report, Fair Pay Agreements: A Framework for Fairness , provides a much-needed pathway to fair wages and conditions across several major industries, and the Government must deliver on its promise to introduce FPAs ...
The Speaker has limited the number of questions Simon Bridges can ask in the House as a punishment for the National Party defying Trevor Mallard by not pulling down their attack ads. ...
Sunshine capital? Check. Rich artisan tradition? Check. Incredible sausages? That’s a big check. We’ve put together a list of all you need to know before you explore the truly gorgeous Nelson region this summer. If you’ve got friends or relatives visiting Aotearoa, top of their list should be sorting out their ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Frank Jotzo, Director, Centre for Climate and Energy Policy, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University In the four years since the Paris climate agreement was adopted, countries have debated the fine print of how emissions reduction should be tracked and ...
The flight drink company 1Above, partly-owned by the high profile, venture capital fund Movac and businessman Gareth Morgan, is in liquidation owing almost $10 million. ...
In recent weeks Responsible Campers Association Incorporated (RCAi) has become involved in some high level discussions about our right to camp. This began out of discussion about the disabled who which to participate in Sport and Recreation activities. ...
In their quest for a cashless society the Japanese have beaten New Zealand to its own next-gen shopping experience.New Zealanders are missing out to the Japanese on a Kiwi technology that is set to eliminate supermarket queues.The first store to implement the SmartCart cashierless shopping system will be in Osaka, ...
If you don’t like Shortland Street, or you’re unconvinced that Michael Galvin actually is a doctor, does that mean all New Zealand television is rubbish? Some say yes. Tara Ward says an emphatic no. The world is our TV oyster, but lately it seems not everyone in Godzone is feeling the ...
The National Party is accusing the Immigration Minister of a "Sroubek 2.0" after revelations he granted residence to a man with multiple drink-driving convictions. ...
Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu urges the Crown to ensure that the Establishment Board of the newly formed Institute of Skills and Technology meets its Treaty obligations and addresses the statutory role of iwi as Treaty partners in redesigning the education ...
The top-selling food magazine in New Zealand is closing its print operation. Niki Bezzant, Healthy Food Guide‘s former editor, reflects on the challenges the title faced.The news that after 14 years and 176 issues Healthy Food Guide magazine is closing its print operation came as a shock to some. It ...
A unique deal saw Sky buy the rugby rights and sell some of itself to NZ Rugby. Trevor McKewen breaks down what it all means.The news came thick and fast over a remarkable five-day corporate slugfest, starting last Thursday. First, Spark Sport struck, gobbling up New Zealand Cricket’s domestic broadcasting ...
In what’s thought to be the last piece of writing Peter Wells completed before he died, he wonders about his great-grandfather, and the locket he wore all his life. ‘The Story of a Locket’ is published in part here, and features in the extraordinary collection of essays Queer Objects, released this ...
Relationship expert Holly Dixon explains why the entire Married at First Sight franchise is based on bunk science.As the third MAFS NZ season has come to an end, I thought it relevant to answer the question upon which the entire MAFS enterprise is built: Is it possible to predict attraction and ...
SkyCity Casino workers will be on strike and picketing today as Rob Campbell, the Chair of SkyCity Casino talks to other employers about making pay fair at a “Wellbeing at Work” conference today. ...
He was the prototypical high school nerd, hanging on Don Brash’s every word. Then the financial world turned upside down. This is the story of how Kiwibank’s Jarrod Kerr became a most unconventional economist.In 2008, Jarrod Kerr was working at the Commonwealth Bank of Australia when the global financial crisis ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gabriela D’Souza, Affiliate, Monash department of business statistics and econometrics, Monash University For most people the second week in October probably doesn’t hold much promise. Longer days for some, perhaps. But for those is us in the economics profession, come the second ...
One of the important parameters of the agreement’s aims was to ensure there was no threat to food production from the ability to adapt to the adverse impacts of climate change. ...
Open mike 08/04/2019 
So, Judith Collins has done a Facebook rant about climate change, peddling the same shit National has been shovelling for the past twenty years: the impacts are overstated, there's no need to do anything about it, and its too hard anyway (oh, and its so unfair that people who peddle ...1 hour ago
I came across this song quite by accident. If it isn't one of Greta Thunberg's favourites - it should be.Video courtesy of YouTube.This post is exclusive to Bowalley Road. ...2 hours ago
Thanks to a report from the Acting Inspector General of Intelligence and Security following a complaint by Nicky Hager, we have come to find out that the SIS illegally spied on Mr. Hager on behalf of the NZDF after publication of Hager’s 2011 book, Other People’s Wars. The NZDF justified ...20 hours ago
The Royal Commission on abuse in care is very significant for the disability community. For many decades last century, thousands of disabled children, and adults who managed to survive, were locked away from families and communities. This was not for anything they had done, but for the perceived threat their ...1 day ago
More than double the number of people who will vote in this year’s local body elections have tried marijuana or urinated somewhere they shouldn’t have. As local elections look set for the lowest turnout in decades, with many regions falling well short of 40%, the Government is exploring a number ...5 days ago
“There can be no such thing as kaupapa Māori political parties or politics in Aotearoa” (Willie Jackson, Labour Party (2017). Māori TV, General/List Election Special) I begin with that claim because at the time, I was confounded at first that it fell out of Willie Jackson’s mouth, and then ...6 days ago
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For some reasons, my post about the mystery message from inside the Downing Street bunker seemed to catch people's attention. Quite a lot of hits from NZ (unsurprisingly) and the USA (a bit more puzzlingly, but hi there, USAians!!) and 76 views from the Ukraine.I've celebrated my Ukrainian readers in ...7 days ago
Speaking at the Council of Trade Unions' (CTU) biennial conference, New Zealand First leader Winston Peters told unionists that any future attacks on the Government won't work. "Now, we are being attacked by the union movement in this country. You can have your views but I'm here to say standing ...2 hours ago
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Principals nervously wait for the final outcomes of the biggest education system review in 30 years. ...2 mins ago
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Welcome back to ‘The Standard’ we missed you yesterday after about 1’30pm when the site was cut, but now now up again thanks to the folks at The Standard.
Must have been some “house cleaning” that was gong on?
Over on “the AM show’ I see that the last death throws coming from ‘dead man walking’ – ‘Simon Bridges’
As he is beating his gums on the AM show today, complaining about the ‘Statistician not releasing the latest stats on our ‘happiness’.
If he retired from politics we all perhaps then be far more full of ‘happiness’.
cleangreen
I read recently how in late WW2 the Allies were not sorry that Hitler was not killed in the attempted assassination by bomb. They knew him, understood his paranoia and obsessions, and were sure they could match any of his maneouvres, outthink him and eventually win over Germany. They didn’t want someone else with a clear head and new approach taking over and changing the style. Don’t wish Bridges gone,
greywarshark.
Good call there,
Best keep Bridges in front of National as the ‘village idiot’ eh?
Pardon me! He is not an idiot – he is a perfect example of a modern Right Wing Major-National.
Ha ha.
He is the very model of a modern right-wing national
his intellect is vegetable, integrity ephemeral,
His caucus not dependable, their loyalties transferrable
and prone to many scandals that are publicly relational
[and prone to many scandals that are publicly relational]
[and prone to many scandals that are publicly relational]
[and prone to many scandals that are publicly relational]
their internecine fighting has been eminently recordable
their crises management is far from being laudable
their efforts to deflect reporters now become most laughable
and prone to many scandals that are publicly relational
[and prone to many scandals that are publicly relational]
[and prone to many scandals that are publicly relational]
[and prone to many scandals that are publicly relational]
Excellent McFlock – now write the rest of the soapy opera and you will have a hit. You will be as good as a rock star. It may produce a sellout from the Right, or not but one could hope.
I’m tempted to suggest that it was a test of what the Standard would look like if we ever instituted a paywall model, but I understand it was actually something to do with flies in the server and Lprent had to get out the RAID.
It wasn’t that naughty black cat pushing the red button then?
Nope.
However I must post a photo of the cat proofing protection that the servers now have.
Perhaps we could enlarge the system, design it to control for rats instead, and put it round the Labour Coalition.
Bridges is a bit like a lost sheep these days, or a dog barking at car tyres, I am not sure which ?
The Natzi’s appear to be vision less these days especially after the resignation of their fearless leader Hone Shonkey ?
National should get radical and come out as a “champion strong advocate on climate change” .
They can easily argue and suggest that we must restore our rail system as another ‘Land transport option’ for freight and passenger with a” low emission carbon footprint safer transport service”. Last night on Newhub there was a senoir well respected scientist stating that ‘air passenger service’ is the highest carbon footprint service with every single passenger.
Figures shown by University of Wellington Professor James Renwick were showing that a single air passenger trip from Auckland to Wellington showed each passenger uses 145 kgs of carbon, where by rail it was 17kgs, and electric car was 11kgs, and by bus was 22kgs from memory,
Staggering result that was.
https://www.icao.int/environmental-protection/CarbonOffset/Pages/default.aspx
Maybe we should each have a shrinking annual allocation of air miles. If you choose not to use them yourself you can sell them to someone else. If you don’t want anyone to use them you can sell them to the government who cancels them. Administrative nightmare of course. But a side benefit would be outraging the likes of wee Mikey Hoskie.
Also people too poor to travel get an extra income stream.
I’ve just spotted that TS has posted 1.5 million approved comments.
Congrats and a digital chocolate fish to …. drum roll … ankerawshark, who crossed the line here
Shit.. That came around fast.
mmm Looks like the last half million comments averaged 399.36 comments per day
or
Te Reo Putake! Being the 1.5 millionth person to post gave me a real thrill! Wow.
Thanks to you, Iprent and all who make it possible!
Good on ya, ankerawshark. I think it’s safe to say that the efforts of the team behind TS would mean nothing if we didn’t have contributors like yourself adding comments of real substance to the site. He aha te mea nui o te ao, he tangata he tangata he tangata!
Talibangelicals say the darnedest things.
Reich wing christianity.
just call them Christo Fascist or American Taliban. That way you don’t have to try to make a German English hybrid that does not mean anything.
just my inner germans two cents.
Evungelicals?
Americans must be so used to the normalising of killing by drone that this would pass with little concern.
“Thou shalt not kill!”
I believe someone important said that once, but I can’t for the life of me remember who…
I suspect Pat’s memory has degraded over time too, along with his morals and sanity.
“I’m old enough to remember when this guy was the craziest guy on earth. Now he’s not even in the top 100.”
Twyford’s first start at a tourniquet of the massively injured Auckland light rail project: dump the whole western Auckland half of it:
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12220122
Basically he is dropping the wrong half. Light rail to the west makes a lot of sense. It would be far better to do heavy rail to the airport. The whole Dominion Rd thing looks fraught.
The main problem NZ really has when it comes to transport issues, future proofing public, private and commercial transport is simply the total lack of guts and imagination.
Thus no glory. But for what its worth, non so gutless then National. In nine years in government your boys and girls in parliament have managed to get nothing done. And that is quite something.
A long time ago i watched a debate on TV between John Key – National, Helen Clark – Labour, Jeanette Fitzsimmons – Green. John Key waffled on how he was gonna bring NZ wages to parity with OZ and tax cuts, Helen Clark was protecting her last nine years, and Jeanette Fitzsimmons spoke about how we needed investment in public transport, needed trains, trams and buses to get us everywhere in this country, and the rest is history.
so the last ones to complain about any party doing anything about public transport is National. They have had nine years and literally only have a housing crisis, homelessness and record public debt to show for.
So true Sabine.
This from the linked NZHerald item:
The Government may have to scale back its $6 billion light rail programme for Auckland by scrapping a line from the city centre to west Auckland, says Transport Minister Phil Twyford.
The MP for Te Atatu said it was his strong preference to see light rail built from the city centre to the west and to the airport, but if it is not possible to fund and finance both lines, then light rail to the airport will get priority.
National Party people would have been the ones preventing expenditure on public transport since the year dot. The year dot is when it was being officially talked about. The number of human bodies on the local bodies that could think further than their own pockets, and their next term in power was greater than the co-efficient of whatever. Simple mathematics and a long-term viewpoint were incompatible and me-first maths won.
Now it is important to get something signed up and started now. If National manage to weasel their way in to power we will get more and more simple mathematics. And never get close to coping with our complex problems which can never be actually solved, just understood and ameliorated.
Accurately well said Sabine.
Don’t forget the rundown public services, infrastructure shortages, privatization of assets (THEFT with 300 000 opposing signatures and public opinion polls ignored).
The bashing of poor people, dark people, green people through public media (They’re all wreckers and haters), through police, banks, spy services (who also turned out to be relatively f’n useless).
Don’t forget the war trajectory and you personally and your team dishing out Islamophobia.
Now you reckon you know about trains. You lot sell trains Wayne, you don’t build them so let’s get real.
If there’s no heavy rail to airport on the table right now (and there is not), the sensible move would indeed be to service the airport with already underway light rail first.
But if your job is to:
Do nothing AND whinge about what others do
Job well done. Carry on.
WTB
Yes I would agree with that too.
Sabine, cleangreen and greywarshark,
You all seem to have completely forgotten that the largest single construction project in New Zealand, the CRL, was started by National.
Wanye;
I have stated on 2.1 that National needs to show ‘environmental leadership’ on all rail services both freight and passenger services.
2.1 “National should get radical and come out as a “champion strong advocate on climate change” .
They can easily argue and suggest that we must restore our rail system as another ‘Land transport option’ for freight and passenger with a” low emission carbon footprint safer transport service”.
I didn’t talk about Cict rail link did I?
Auckland City is not NZ unless you are an Aucklander.
https://www.cityraillink.co.nz/
Bullshit.
Started by Auckland Council.
National were dragged reluctantly into the project what? something like a year later. I’d have to look it up.
Almost certainly because the transport projects that National funded (Roads of significance to National) had appalling business cases. They were so poor that National stopped showing them in public. At the same time the CRL was showing good returns.
Personally I think that the ONLY reason that the Key government approved it was because the hypocrisy levels were getting too high for even Nationals donors as Auckland traffic kept getting worse as National built empty highways.
Well, you would say that, but you would also be wrong. The motorway projects have way better BCR’s than any public transport project.
Just to remind you (yet again), the CRL is almost twice as large as any motorway project. Not started by Labour, started by National in 2014.
If you want the government wants to pay a bigger share to the Council, then the government can. Labour/Green are after all the government.
It is possible to make any project look good if you don’t bother to include economic costs in the BCR.
For instance that is what appears to have happened with East-West Link, and as far as I can tell it was the case with almost all of the RoNS.
Of course if you over-estimate the economic costs as happened in the CRL assessments by NZLTA, then you get whatever number if deemed to be relevant. Of course it helps if you don’t provide the workings so that they can be criticized by others. There was a rather wide range between the ACC economic assessments and those from NZLTA.
It is possible to make any project look good if you over-estimate the changes in traffic. That appears to be the case with almost all of the RoNS projects that I looked at. For that matter if you look at the extensions to the SH1 motorways
Conversely, if you massively under-estimate the take up of a public transport system you can make public transport look extremely bad. NZLTA BCRs routinely do that.
It has happened with very NZLTA assessment in Auckland that subsequently got built. Including the Northern busway ( right the way through to not requiring a bridge replacement), double tracking and electrification of the Auckland heavy rail and the massive increases in use of PT (and the reduced need to try to increase capacity on our in-city motorways), changes in bus routes, etc…
Basically, unless the NZLTA starts to do public estimates with funding for some public checks on their analysis, I’d say that they’re just a tool of the roading construction companies. Because that is what they look like to me.
FFS: Not started by National. Started by the Auckland council.
Forced on a very reluctant National after their favored business case from NZLTA proved to be completely flawed and after the BCRs for RoNS were lacerated by expert scrutiny.
Lprent yes thanks for that.
So National didnt even plan for the CRL at all, – but tried too take the credit for it;$%^&OP{}|!!!!!
Well isn’t that just like National making false claims again.
National = have no credibility.
Some origin story:
“the 1972 Rapid Transit Plan for Auckland. The history of this plan is eerily similar to our current situation in many ways. It was a revolutionary scheme championed by the charismatic mayor of Auckland Dove Myer Robinson (leading to the nickname ‘Robbie’s Rapid Rail’), despite the mayoralty and council not having the means to actually fund the thing independently. They began working on alternate funding solutions such as a targeted land tax but found them impossible to implement without support from Wellington. In the end by the Labour government reluctantly offered an election pledge to fund the proposal, but failed to deliver on that pledge. A wholly unsupportive National government were voted into power in 1975 and in 1976 the plan was cancelled completely.”
https://www.greaterauckland.org.nz/2011/12/02/an-auckland-that-could-have-been-the-1972-auckland-rapid-rail-transit-plan/
In the interim we got Britomart. Then we tried to connect stuff up…
“Further input was provided by Auckland Transport, which commissioned the study after the Government and the council had arrived at very different conclusions about the rail loop’s return on every dollar invested. Given all that, this study should be the definitive research, not yet another document destined to gather dust. Mr Brown’s task now is to convince Aucklanders that the study is robust and its conclusions are right. If he can, the Government should stand to one side.”
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10855434
“On 27 January 2016, Prime Minister John Key announced in his state of the nation address that central government funding for main works construction of the CRL had been confirmed and this would allow Auckland Council to start to construct the main works from 2018, with central funds guaranteed to flow from 2020. Commentary at the time reflected an opinion that this was a belated agreement to central government funding of the project by the ruling National Party, while the main opposition parliamentary parties (Labour Party, Greens and NZ First) had all been promising immediate construction timetables which were more closely aligned to the plans of the council.”
https://www.beehive.govt.nz/speech/speech-auckland-chamber-commerce-0
Stalling, mucking about, fudging, and dragged kicking and screaming after a myriad of others plans were rejected outright, many of them good plans, that was what National did. Also tried to force the entire bill on Auckland as if transport was not in their portfolio.
Roads of National (party) significance, that was your thing.
i have lived for 20 years now here in NZ, so started under shipley. At that time you had to throw yourself in front of a bus – when one came, never on time – to get it too stop.
Claiming a tunnel being build as their own, while it was done under labour, also Nationals thing.
Auckland is at shambles because your Party did nothing. Absolutely nothing other then build roads that are clogged 24 hours.
Your rammed thousands of people in this city, and gave not one thought to the infrastructure. Cause that is hard work, and your lot is not known for working and certainly not hard work.
National, a Party as usefull as its leader Simon “NO Bridges for Northland’ Bridges.
And believe me, if National would have actually achieved just something of value to the public – and not business interest – we would know by now 🙂
National was as reluctant to start this project as a teenage boy responding to a Paternity Order after he gets his teenage girlfriend pregnant.
Light Rail down Dominion Rd across the Mangere Bridge to the Airport will be an absolute shambles during the construction phase ?
The roads are already chock a block to the Airport from 6.00am to 6.00pm with 35,000 people currently working at the Airport projected to 55,000 in 5 years time ?
This will be a Monumental F%#K UP IMHO ?
Shit here’s me agreeing with Wayne Mapp.
Better go and wash my mouth out with carbolic soap.
All rail should be ‘multi-purpose for passenger and freight and that means heavy rail.
‘ Light rail’ is dumb, -and is just throwing ‘good money after bad’.
Light Rail down Dominion Rd across the Mangere Bridge to the Airport will be an absolute shambles during the construction phase ?
The roads are already chock a block to the Airport from 6.00am to 6.00pm with 35,000 people currently working at the Airport projected to 55,000 in 5 years time ?
This will be a Monumental F%#K UP IMHO ?
Have a look to the french City of Nice.
Very similar to AKL, one side mountains, other side water, and a large and sprawling city wedged in.
Within three years the whole city got the Tram – light rail, dedicated bus lanes, (train already existed), and the cost of using public transport was initially 1 euro irrespective where you went in the Department Alpes Maritimes – Monaco to Marseille and up the mountains. Now the cost is at 1.50$ per ride.
A lot of people stopped driving the car.
but nice had a choice to make, either die in traffic and of smog or put up with some inconvenience and move to the future.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nice_tramway
Really cool were the new archeological finds near la place Massena, the old part of Nice and at the old fish market. they were put under glass during construction and were made open to the public.
It can be done, a bit of guts, a bit of good will, above all political will and it can be done.
The question is has NZ got guts, good will and political good will, or is it just another thing that ‘we can’t do’ cause…………..?
It is hardly comparable with Auckland.
The population is about 340,000 or only about one fifth of Auckland.
It is even smaller than Wellington or Christchurch.
Absolute bollocks Wayne.
Light rail to the west is a total waste of money considering there already is a line to Whangarei via Helensville currrently used by the odd freight train.
A $50,000 fire suppression system fitted for use through the Waitakere tunnel, is all that’s required.
You obviously have no idea Wayne what the people of West Auckland need or want.
From the Trains to Huapai facebook page
“Residents of West Auckland have been calling out for commuter train shuttles to run from Swanson station through the currently unused Waitakere station to Huapai for a number of years. It is the number one most wanted public transport issue commented on in numerous Auckland Transport surveys and consultations. Yet prospects of Trains to Huapai to meet the needs of accelerating housing development now, have been stymied by the government’s unproven long term focus on light rail trams to Kumeu.”
“We are pleased the Government through NZTA is funding twice daily commuter trains from Hamilton to Papakura for around $60 million. However, for less than $4 million the people of Nor-West Auckland could have hourly rail shuttles operating seven days a week from Huapai and Waitakere to Swanson station”
“Twyford admits the promised light rail trams to Kumeu look like not happening for decades.
So why not get the Trains To Huapai? Fact is Phil Twyford (Labour) and Genter(Greens) listen to a self appointed group calling themselves “Greater Auckland” who designed the light rail trams for everywhere map. This small group successfully sold their dream to the Minister of Transport and Mayor Phil Goff.
We are frustrated that a small group of light rail enthusiasts with connections to the light rail industry have robbed Nor West Auckland of commuter trains.
Trams to Kumeu 2049?
Trains to Huapai can be delivered 2019 if there’s political will.”
Twitford needs to start engaging his brain IMHO ?
That’s really interesting. If the figure of $4M is true it’s a pittance for what it would achieve. But surely that doesn’t include the engines, rolling stock, staff…
Is there a business case the group could take to the business communities in these areas? With them on-side the group might have more clout, and maybe match some of the funds?
Great for business. More foot traffic. Better access to greater Auckland and for greater Auckland to get to them. Eases congestion for freight in/out and tradies.
They trialled a Helensville service in 08 -09. It was discontinued end of December 09.
https://www.greaterauckland.org.nz/2009/11/10/goodbye-helensville-train-service/
Around $45 subsidy per passenger, 43 passengers per day, that’s nearly $2k a day subsidy. $700k a year subsidy. That was before electrification, there’s be a bit of a headache integrating services between the electrified and non-electrified bits.
Thanks.
They identified some of the issues in that trial (rail in disrepair, no broader connectivity to broader network), wonder if they’ve worked on how to fix them.
I guess as we get a network where population is dense first hopefully providing a feasible base, we have a chance of then hooking up more satellite services. And then that might do what one would hope transport spending does – better access to and from wider Auckland, and easing congestion.
The planet is of course a nice plug for rail too, but only if it is actually pulling vehicles off roads.
Their trial rail service served no one. That’s why is was not patronised. After only a year it was deemed a failure.
Of course it was designed exactly for that result.
The rail service from Helensville to Auckland that ran up until the early 70s was well patronised. I know, I used it. Why, when the population has quadrupled, should public rail transport be not viable in the west.
A perfectly satisfactory line exits FFS! Why should it not be used.
Oddly enough, if that 43 users per day is accurate, then I’m personally acquainted with nearly 5% of the total patronage. Wealthy lifestyle block types, both of them.
And?
Just a random observation.
It wouldn’t surprise me if it was made to fail. Way back when Dad was an engineer they bought rolling stock that could only run half the pace of the engines to claim trucks were superior for freight.
If they’re on the oil teat, lies will arise.
Like + 100%
Fixing the Rail to Kumeu is a No Brainer and must be done immediately it is commonsense IMHO, can someone suggest it to Twitford perhaps ?
Ah
I do believe it has been suggested to Twyford numerous times, via every media imaginable, perhaps even in multiple languages.
Kind of as a ‘just as an aside’, I’m picking the whole thing is, and will be another example of short-medium term ‘thinkery’ with various lobbyists pushing their various, and differing barrows.
So far, I bet there are factions with a vushun of light rail options based on their partikyala oseas experiences, and other with opposing views.
ALL peshnit about what they do.
And as things stand, I’ll bet some of the options are already at the stage where they’ve ‘invisiged solutions [going forward’] and, come what may – that is all.
I’d also put money on their ‘solutions [going forward]’ come with minor little details such as their light rail coming with a different line gauge, such that things like train-trams can’t easily be implemented.
Lower carbon footprint Labour please.
Auckland professor says Kiwis should quit air travel to protect the environment
07/04/2019
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/travel/2019/04/auckland-professor-says-kiwis-should-quit-air-travel-to-protect-the-environment.html
Quote; “If you fly the 496km between Auckland and Wellington, you emit around 150kg of carbon dioxide equivalent.
A medium-sized car making the same journey emits about a third less, while a bus, train and electric car all have significantly lower emissions – just under 55kg between all three of them.
This is a must watch for Government MP’s flying from Auckland today for parliament tomorrow in Wellington.
Hear this Phil Twyford, – ‘take a train passenger service to Wellington with Jacinda and lower your carbon footprint’s too.’.
A bloody good start in reducing the amount of flying our MPs do would be to require all the List MPs to move to Wellington when they get elected. Then we wouldn’t need to pay for them to have accommodation provided in Wellington either, or to have to move their families backward and forward at tax-payer expense.
This would not apply of course to the Electorate MPs. They actually need to travel to and from their electorates as they actually have work to do there.
Having the Green Party leader drop out of his position as the biggest single user of overseas travel would be nice as well.
Then he might have time to spend on the fiasco that is his Statistics Department.
As if child poverty and the growing working poor aren’t bad enough, NZ Capitalism Ltd is now delivering growing pensioner poverty. Given the falling rates of home ownership pensioner poverty is like to expand over the coming generation.
https://rdln.wordpress.com/2019/04/04/pensioner-poverty/
Phillip.
Labour are shackled by the -bean counters and the right wing roger douglas brigade side of their caucus sadly.
These right wingers will hold onto our public purse so very tightly even though they promised so much and never have delivered now.
So the clock countdown now begins to the election, – as they have less than half their term left now.
Transport minister is in hiding and needs to come out in the budget to explain why our rail has not been revived yet around all our provinces. The road toll is worse than when he took over so he needs to provide a safe regional rail freight and passenger service to save lives, and our health and wellbeing.
“The proof is in the pudding” Mr Twyford!!!!!
Labour are basically ideologically driven, getting the doing part going is the hard part, they talk a big game but do not have the skills to get things done as most of them have very little real world practical experience, National are not much better IMHO ?
The moral instincts of conservatives tell them that people with insufficient money aren’t proper humans.
AB I think most politicians have low moral compass or fortitude.
Serried complex = One rotten apple in a barrel makes all apples rotten, dad told me often in the 1950’s.
It is all about getting re-elected most politican’s in all the Political Parties would not have a clue, as they have no real world experience, it is all about celebrity politics and who MSM want elected. There is very little difference between Labour & National ?
I now have to grudgingly agree with you now Skunk Weed.
Not much to cling onto believing that we are having a “transformative” government here sadly.
This piece from ThinkProgress has the best graphical illustration I’ve ever seen of just how astonishingly effective vaccinations are.
https://thinkprogress.org/measles-outbreaks-vaccines-exemptions-6dce41092040/
What about the graph of outbreaks in highly vaccinated populations, Andre…
You should stick to what you know about…like engineering…
This subject is not for you…the links you post illustrate it unequivocally…
So while you’re looking to start this up…again…try hang around longer than J90 did…he ran off…after a single response I made…simple question…Joe ran…
Edit. Simple question for you..
How many FDA approved and currently scheduled (CDC) vaccines, were tested against an inert placebo control in pre licensure testing?
Instead of JAQing off, how about you do the research yourself.
But there’s one thing I’m confident you won’t find: outbreaks in highly vaccinated populations. To get outbreaks like the measles outbreaks bursting out all over the place at the moment, you need significant portions of the population to be unvaccinated.
If those outbreaks only affected the fuckwits that choose to refuse vaccinations for themselves, I’d take a Darwinian view of it. Sadly, the ones that bear the brunt of the outbreaks are those that shouldn’t be vaccinated for genuine medical reasons (such as the immunocompromised), the too young, those unfortunate few for whom the vaccination is ineffective … and the really really unfortunate ones whose fuckwit parents refused the vaccine and didn’t tell them.
Bring on the lawsuits to hold accountable those who refuse vaccines without genuine medical reason, that then go on to get sick and infect others.
Andre, your comment is top to bottom logical fallacies, and an unbelievable low understanding of’vaccines’…
I responded to you because I already knew what your response was going to be…
That you have used the word ‘confident’ to describe your position, surrounded that with highly misinformed commentary…is unsurprising…
You, Andre…need to do some more reading…not at sources you link or comment from…
In repeat posting such uninformed and misinformed commentary on this subject…it is actually you who is j*ing off…
But you don’t understand…your commemts say you don’t…and you should stop now…
Since there’s no actual content in all of that, it’s kinda hard to respond to.
But I gotta know; a while back you called me the very worst commenter on The Standard. Am I still number 1? If not, who do I hafta take down to get my crown back?
Ha not do fast young sir. I know I irritate the old one two a lot and often he is left in a quivering, slobbering, impotent rage after one of my comments. He can’t even reply coherently such is his distress just a mumble of words as if spilt from a very large soup bowl of alphabet soup. They appear to be words but, well, who can tell.
Andre, in a number of ways you are one of the ‘worst’…name calling, uninformed in the extreme…especially on this subject…
Yet, in other ways and on some subject matter, your comments are informative and knowledgeable…as you are aware…I appreciate that…as I let you know recently…
I do hold back on this particular subject and do not seek to reignite the discussion…but will always respond if it is started up…
There is a casm of misunderstanding on your part…there is also a plethora of scholarly articles readily available with a simple search regarding outbreaks in highly vaccinated populations…
By the way . Outbreak = 3 according to CDC…
Not just failing and waning measles (MMR) vaccine…but many others…in fact almost all vaccines…they fail..have failed and are failing…
Branch out..I’m certain you’re capable…perhaps you’re fearful of what you’ll find….
Start with the question I posed…it is root cause…starting point…
Everything which follows, stemming from and including pre-licensure…is a fraud..
As I’ve said before, I regard you as a supercilious spouter of arcane claptrap with an inflated sense of your own ability and I regard your woo-beliefs on vaccination as a malignant threat to public health.
I am not concerned how you regard my comments Joe..if you had half a clue you might understand them…
So…answer the question I asked you about ‘scum’… Joe…
And while you’re at it..
How many FDA approved and currently scheduled (CDC) vaccines, were tested against an inert placebo control in pre licensure testing?
Then see if you can figure out the ramifications regarding claimed figures of efficacy and safety…
Go on…don’t run…
Poor Joe must be feeling absolutely crushed that a comments-thread blowhard has such a low opinion of him.
Death by a thousand dots …
lols
RCT of vaccinated vs placebo vs “homeopathic nosodes”.
And the winner is…
Vaccines work, placebos don’t, and homeopathy is as ineffective as a placebo.
This will revolutionise immunology lol
No, McFlock…
You’ve not even understood the question…
Can you read?
I don’t care about your question.
How about you answer it yourself and provide a source? And then everyone with a brain can laugh at you some more.
A good news story …..
I’ve been following the videos and life of a talented young Czechoslovakian man Adam Celadine …. he’s a world record holder and world champion in some aspects of knife throwing ….
in a large part thanks to his tutorial videos, I’ve taken up a new hobby.
Anyway this young man was struck down and made seriously ill with metastasizing cancer …. I know a little bit about cancer and was very concerned for him.
The good news is he has now tested clear …. and he has some good advice in his short Video announcing his path back to good health
🙂 🙂 🙂
That should have been Celadin ….. Adam Celadin
When is the mine re-entry going to happen??????
May third?
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL1903/S00079/pike-river-families-spokesperson-quits-group.htm
The minister responsible for Pike River re-entry, Andrew Little, announced earlier this week the re-entry is scheduled for 3 May.
Knife tricks, huh..
@thesamurider
Hell that looks dangerous and reminds me of a Roald Dahl story about being to light a ligher in 20 consecutive attempts …. or lose your finger … yikes ! :O
This young lady knows how to chuck a knife …. and she has good safety tips …. like wearing safety glasses etc .
The wind flutter in the video disappears shortly into it …..
lol at one job I could goof off and practise throwing a work knife (wrong knife for it – short, handle heavy lock knife). All good fun until the ricochet comes flying back at me point first lol. Good for one’s reflexes 🙂
As your replying to me cleangreen …. are you suggesting we throw knives at Peter Whittall or something 😉
https://thespinoff.co.nz/society/21-08-2018/some-things-pike-rivers-peter-whittall-could-feel-guilt-over/
Obviously I’m just kidding …. and this video is for the sword enthusiasts who were posting here the other day
Easy peasy everyone seems to be able to do that. Even a child of five could do it? – Send for a child of five. (Groucho Marx)
I’m an engineer – give me technology any day.
Ha ha ‘reason.
Thanks for the laugh; – I needed that on this gloomy dark sky day.
Whittle wasn’t worth consideration there,
Whittle should be sent down a mineshaft to live and shovel safety for the rest of his days now, as he needs to be made an example of.
Nice article
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12220366
And just as nice @ MM, the latest ‘Listening Post’ special on Aljazeera – especially when they cover all those ‘reality TV’ type “Border Force” programmes …. almost like the poor man’s pornography.
We’ll reserve a cameo spot for James Casson in the next series (as if he hasn’t already got his jollies from being a party to it all already).
lol comment this replied to got deleted because fool got his sockpuppet accounts confused.
You’re such a tease.
it was 1-2 with a different avatar. Didn’t think much of it until my comment ended up at the bottom as a whole number, and the fool was back to the usual avatar.
Bit of a laugh, really.
Andre; Hey where’s the ‘miracle’ vaccine for the new global disease known as ‘incurable’ Auris candida??????
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/06/health/drug-resistant-candida-auris.html?module=inline
DEADLY GERMS, LOST CURES
A Mysterious Infection, Spanning the Globe in a Climate of Secrecy
The rise of Candida auris embodies a serious and growing public health threat: drug-resistant germs.
I’m not andre, fool.
Where’s the “alternative therapy” for it?
Pro tip for plonkers: if you want to reply to someone, hit the reply button in the box around the comment you want to reply to, not the next comment.
Why is there no vaccine against candida auris? Dunno, could be lots of reasons.
Might be because it’s a kind of organism that’s very difficult to develop a vaccine against. Off the top of my head I can’t think of any yeast diseases we actually do have a vaccine against. Most successful vaccines are against viral diseases. Organisms that are more complex are generally harder to develop vaccines against. Hence no effective vaccines against malaria or giardia or guinea worm or gonorrhea or syphilis or ….
Might be because it hasn’t been a big enough threat (and market) to get the attention of vaccine developers.
Might be because its emergence has been recent enough there just hasn’t been enough time.
Might be any combo or all of the above or other factors I haven’t mentioned. Asking why there isn’t a specific vaccine reminds of the CEO who once asked why we couldn’t develop something to spray on the outside of golf club shafts to tune the flex characteristics. I had to tell him the only unobtainium mine in the world had shut down cause there was an explosion. (Shortly thereafter I was seeking alternative employment)
Most successful vaccines are against viral diseases.
That alone was enough to answer Cleangreen’s ridiculous question, which was on a par with “If you’re so smart, how come you haven’t cured cancer yet?”
Yeah, if I was only trying to respond to cleangreen I probably would have left it there. Or probably not bothered at all, the question was so self-evidently ridiculous. I’m well aware that many commenters here are neither persuadable nor educable.
But when I respond to nutters, it’s usually because there may be something in that topic of interest to a broader audience of silent but interested readers so a fuller answer might be worthwhile. Or sometimes I’ll respond just for the lolz.
1. It’s not incurable.
2. To the best of my knowledge no vaccines have been developed against fungal infections.
I manually input my credentials into the name and email fields, as a simple security measure to not have sign in data cached on devices…
At times, due to the email address, which you can’t see , a character becomes inverted…leading to the creation of a new avatar…
At least two possibly three avatars are in the system…
Nothing in it, McFlock…keep throwing your childish comments …
What’s the failure rate of the flu shot you like to talk about getting?
Edit:
Were you able to understand the earlier question…if you read all available vaccine package inserts (FDA site) you can get the answer to the question…
lol okay, whatevs. You screwed up your ID because you’re paranoid that people will really give a crap about who you are.
You’re not that much of a threat to the system, neo.
As for vaccines, the proof is in the pudding. Maybe they guessed wrong this year, meaning the models were off and its the wrong strains in the shot. But frankly a sore arm with one in a million odds of a serious adverse reaction… hell, I’d take a 90% failure rate. No harm, no foul. But I seem to recall flu vaccines tend to be a few times that – nowhere near 90% like with some other conditions, but good enough to completely protect a lot of people and lessen the symptoms in others. It’s biggest advantage is to lower the burden on the health system from avoidable illness. I.e. fewer people plonked in ED hallways.
But I can’t be bothered doing your homework for you. Besides, I’d be surprised if they measured efficacy against placebo outright each and every time – the ethics of denying someone healthcare like that, even with consent, are long and debatable. They probably just compare with previous strains (and you might be able to follow that testing chain back to the original placebo trials), and do after-market evaluation of cases, prevalence, immunisation status, and of course any adverse events.
You screwed up your ID because you’re paranoid that people will really give a crap about who you are
How would inverting email field characters give away who I am ?
You saw the handle name..no change…
And if you reckon I use an identifiable email address…well you don’t understand digital security…or vaccines…eh
Edit.
Keep replying and I’ll break down your uninformed comments one at a time…
Or run off…like Joe and Andre…
We live in your head, dude.
Yep weeze and poos has finally lost it. Really when analysed they had very little to add or offer anyway save insults puffed by rhetoric. Ah well onwards and upwards lol
Post the certs of your kids vaccinations…
Or just admit you were mouthing off…
You still are…
Got caught sockpuppeting but so useless can’t even front up – so surprising lol
Front up…for what, marty?
Explain how I am using sock puppet accounts…under thr same handle…
And admit that you’re full of shit…or post the certs…
Go on…
Wouldn’t an incorrectly entered email address result in the post going to moderation?
Correct…and that did happen the first time…and was released…I’d guess because the mods see the inverted characters..
So now if the same email field characters are inverted when I manually enter it…the other avatar appears…
Fair enough it seems like a mistake rather than deliberate. Sorry if you were offended by my comment.
Hang on, that’s very interesting. For it to appear and then get deleated (for my reply to end up on the floor), the comment must have had a wrong email, gone into moderation, and been released inside ten minutes, for onetwo to be able to then delete it and rewrite it with the correct email.
Gosh, how efficient the mods were that time.
Joe…you’re really lost…I’ll explain for you..
You ran away… I repeat that statement that you ran away…and you reply..again..
3rd time at least…avoiding the question…still..
I’m in your head…that’s why you keep coming back…
Such and angry and unhealthy little group…you guys are…
Thank you One Two.
Why are you worried about digital security at TS? Anyone tracking you IRL already knows you’re a fucking nutbar.
Digital security is not limited to a single instance or web-site…broaden your view …bro…
Lashing out as you do is base level, sandpit behaviour…childish really…
All highly toxic…abusive, innefective…failing…
Just like vaccines…eh!
“Just like vaccines” lols
you base that on what, el paranoico