Open mike 08/04/2020
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- Writing the Rights: No Right Turn is Wrong
New Zealand’s extreme form of parliamentary sovereignty is something of an international oddity these days. Under the New Zealand system, an Act passed by Parliament (and hence signed by the Governor-General) is automatically law. And in the absence of a written constitution, Parliament can Do Anything. Literally. Our checks ...12 hours ago - Unemployment Insurance
Providing for the redundantly unemployed is admirable but difficult and expensive to implement.The 2021 Budget announced that the government was, at the urging of Business NZ and the Council of Trade Unions, committed to the development of a Social Unemployment Insurance scheme. It is likely to have two main components. ...13 hours ago - Losing The “Struggle-Session” Over Climate Change.
Blaming And Shaming: A "property owner" is humiliated before the masses during Mao Zedong's Cultural Revolution. Critical Race Theory may substitute "White Privilege" for "Class Privilege", but the inescapability of the offending group's responsibility for "oppression" is exactly the same. The self-abasement of School Strike For Climate Auckland for its ...18 hours ago - Cleaning up the fishing industry
The government is finally cleaning up the fishing industry, with cameras on boats and an end to high-grading, with an easier penalties regime to enforce it. Good. Because as we've seen over the years, the fishing industry is pervasively criminal, routinely violating the law on discarding fish and reporting bycatch. ...18 hours ago - PM’s critics should stick to the facts
There’s been a lot of grumbling lately amongst the right wing and certain mainstream media pundits who are looking to either score cheap political points or attract readers by attacking the Prime Minister.Of course some of the criticism is justified. After all no Government is perfect and there are always ...18 hours ago - Climate Change: Auckland fails IILast year, the Auckland Council passed a climate change plan, setting goals of halving emissions by 2030, and net-zero by 2050. So you'd expect their new transport plan to be consistent with that goal, right? Wrong: The 10-year transport plan for Auckland has emerged from consultation with small changes, ...19 hours ago
- Anti-fluoridation group tells porkies about NZ fluoridation review
FFNZ spreads misinformation about the NZ fluoridation review – yet again New Zealand opponents of community water fluoridation (CWF) are at it again. Their only response to the recently upgraded fluoridation review is to call it “propaganda” and to completely misrepresent it. But it’s interesting to look at their misrepresentation ...20 hours ago - Landmark decision in the sex and gender debate
On June 10, after two years of legal battles, Maya Forstater won a landmark legal ruling that looks set to change the direction of the sex and gender debates in the Britain, and provide legal protection for gender-critical people against discrimination and harassment. This ruling will be important in New Zealand. ...1 day ago - CSLDF and the Government Accountability Project Launch New Scientific Integrity Reporting Project
This is a guest post by the Climate Science Legal Defense Fund. Today, the Climate Science Legal Defense Fund and Government Accountability Project launched the Scientific Integrity Reporting Project: a confidential, anonymous way for scientists and others in science-adjacent roles to detail their experiences involving past and ongoing threats to scientific norms and scientific integrity. We ...2 days ago - Australia needs a Bill of Rights ActAustralia is one of the few western democracies not to have legal protection for fundamental human rights. The closest they come is recognising an implied right to freedom of political communication (but not other forms of freedom of expression) from the "representative government" clauses of their constitution. But some of ...2 days ago
- FalloutLast week I revealed how the Police had lied to the public over their "emissions-free fleet" strategy. Stuff's Henry Cooke has done the obvious followup of asking the Minister what she thinks about it, and it seems she is not happy: Police Minister Poto Williams says she is disappointed ...2 days ago
- Can we be born into the wrong body?by Don Franks Are some of us born into the wrong body? The possibility is sometimes offered as a clinching argument that some people need to, and are able to, change their sex. With one proviso, the answer has to be, yes, such a thing is possible. The only requirement ...2 days ago
- Moa’s Ark or flypaper of the Pacific – New Zealand’s place in the biology of the Pacific
It was the year 2002 and I was sitting in the shiny new office of our Biogeography Professor for my oral Diploma exam. It was going well, when I was asked to name an example of a Gondwanan distribution pattern, or in other words a species or group of species ...2 days ago - Auckland is the world’s ‘most liveable city’? Many Māori might disagreeElla Henry, Auckland University of Technology While I am always happy to celebrate any accolades my country and city might garner on the international stage, seeing Auckland/Tāmaki Makaurau awarded the top ranking in a recent “most liveable cities” survey left me somewhat flummoxed. In particular, I would argue that ...2 days ago
- Patrick Gower – Hero of the week2 days ago
- Juliet Moses – Arsehole of the Week3 days ago
- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #24, 2021A hot budget problem This week's standout article for highlighting is Satellite and Ocean Data Reveal Marked Increase in Earth's Heating Rate (open access). From the two very different perspectives of above the atmosphere and below it, a team of authors led by Norman Loeb (head of NASA's CERES program) and including Gregory Johnson (head ...3 days ago
- Let it dieThe fishing industry is complaining in the Herald about their "labour shortage" and lamenting the fact that Young People These Days for some reason don't want to work for six weeks at a time doing hard, dangerous work on a boat in the middle of nowhere, and never seeing their ...3 days ago
- More bigotry in HungaryLast year Hungary ended legal recognition of trans people and banned gay people from adopting children. Now, they've followed that up with a Russian-style "propaganda law", banning "promotion" of homosexuality in schools or on TV: Hungary’s parliament has passed a law banning gay people from featuring in school educational ...3 days ago
- Institutionally corruptOver thirty years ago private investigator Daniel Morgan was murdered in London. The UK police repeatedly fucked up the investigation so obviously and blatantly that the government was forced to call a public inquiry. Now, after years of obstruction, it has finally reported back, finding the police to be "institutionally ...3 days ago
- With seas rising, stalled research budgets must also riseThis is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Gary Yohe and Eric Rignot From 1900 to 2000, the ocean along the U.S. East Coast rose at twice the annual rate of the pace in the previous 19 centuries, according to a recent study from Rutgers University. From Miami to New York to ...3 days ago
- Geoffrey Miller: Worst could be yet to come for New Zealanders’ perceptions of China
New Zealanders’ hostility towards China is growing rapidly – but the worst may be still ahead. International analyst Geoffrey Miller examines the latest survey results on how this country feels about China. The latest “Perceptions of Asia” survey from the Asia New Zealand Foundation, released today, shows a sharp rise ...3 days ago - Bryce Edwards: Political Roundup – Cash for access to politicians continuesShould anyone have trust in politicians, given the manner in which they solicit money from the wealthy? Probably not, since virtually every party in Parliament in recent times has been found to be involved in flaunting the law or accepting dodgy donations from the rich. News reports of questionable donations ...4 days ago
- Proceed to your nearest (virtual) exit: gaming technology is teaching us how people respond to emer...Ruggiero Lovreglio, Massey University Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) aren’t just for gaming anymore, they’re also proving to be useful tools for disaster safety research. In fact, they could save lives. Around the world, natural and human-made disasters such as earthquakes, bushfires and terrorist attacks threaten substantial ...4 days ago
- Inaction speaks louder than wordsOne of the good things the government has done is implement a proactive release policy, requiring most cabinet papers to be published within 30 working days of a decision being made. Its not a perfect policy (note "most", but also they get to redact them however they want, without oversight), ...4 days ago
- Graham Adams: The dangers of putting media on the government’s payrollAccusations by a journalist that the Prime Minister leads an unusually secretive government don’t tell the whole story about its desire to control information. Graham Adams takes a closer look at the guidelines for the new $55 million journalism fund. Despite widespread cynicism about the Government’s ability to fulfil its ...4 days ago
- David Seymour caught telling liesAct Party Leader David SeymourIt really bothers me when the NZ Herald reports the claims of certain right wing politicians as the truth without any fact checking. Not only do they encourage dishonest politicians to continue to lie, they also degrade the standard of reporting we get in New Zealand.Of ...4 days ago
- To Speak, Or Not To Speak? That Is The Question.Speaking Rights: The spectacle of the nation’s prime minister being denied the right to speak to her fellow citizens, personally, on New Zealand’s national day would generate massive antagonism among Pakeha of both sexes. A refusal to be guided by the customs of Ngāpuhi, on the other hand, would be ...4 days ago
- We discovered what’s killing the world’s rarest penguin – and it could help us make a vaccineVartul Sangal, Northumbria University, Newcastle Yellow-eyed penguins are the most endangered penguin species in the world, with just 4,000 left in the wild. Found only in New Zealand and its outlying islands, these birds can grow up to 79cm tall and weigh 8.5kg, which is similar to a one-year-old ...4 days ago
- The COVID-19 lab leak theory highlights a glaring lack of global biosecurity regulationAlexander Gillespie, University of Waikato The revived debate over whether COVID-19 could be the result of an accidental release from the Wuhan Institute of Virology may never be adequately resolved. Either way, we risk not seeing the wood for the trees. While the World Health Organization (WHO) reported in ...4 days ago
- Opponents of fluoridation all at sea with new legislationImage credit: Why Ideology and Science Don’t Mix Opponents of community water fluoridation (CWF) should be supporting the proposed fluoridation legislation instead of organising opposition to it. Think about it. If Fluoride Free NZ (FFNZ) was honest in its claim that they are ...4 days ago
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This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Bob Henson Articles on U.S. wildfires don’t often show a photo of someone gasping in a hospital bed or felled by a heart attack. Yet an increasing body of evidence suggests that the biggest societal impacts of increasing wildland fire are happening ...4 days ago- Smokefree 2025
The Government’s proposed approach for achieving SmokeFree 2025 is a bit over-the-top. The proposals would restrict tobacco sales to a smaller number of to-be-licenced R18 outlets, which could then be subject to a sinking lid; impose an annual one-year increase in the purchase age for tobacco until full prohibition were ...4 days ago- Update on Long-COVID
Prof John D. Potter* This blog post updates an earlier post on Long-COVID and reports that estimates of prevalence are still wide at about 15 to 65% of those initially infected with the pandemic virus, SARS-CoV-2. As things stand now across the world, we do not yet have systems in ...4 days ago- A long-overdue apology
The New Zealand government is going to formally apologise for the "dawn raids" which targeted Pacific peoples in the 1970's. Good. Terrorising people on the basis of their race was wrong and something which should be a lasting shame to New Zealand. But there's another wrong they need to apologise ...5 days ago- Climate Change: The return of feebate
The government has resurrected its feebate policy to lower transport emissions, taxing dirty vehicles to subsidise clean ones. Good. We've known for a long time that passive measures such as fuel economy ratings and up-front labelling of lifetime costs weren't enough, and neither was the ETS (which adds just a ...5 days ago- National wants to convert farms into pine forests
It really hasn’t been a good time on the opposition benches lately. Not only have we had the various National Party scandals to ensure a decline in their public support, they’ve also entirely misread the room when it comes to the Climate Change Commission’s final report and the Government’s Clean ...5 days ago- Government for sale again
When the National Party ran a "Cabinet Club", selling personal access to Cabinet Ministers in exchange for large donations, I called it Government for Sale. Now the Labour party is doing the same thing: The Labour Party is selling tickets to a “business conference" featuring the prime minister and ...5 days ago- Nobody Owns The Christchurch Tragedy.
Mass Outpourings Of Love And Solidarity: In excess of 20,000 Wellingtonians gathered at the basin Reserve in mid-March 2019 to reaffirm Prime Minister Ardern's "They are Us" response to the Christchurch Mosque Shootings. The opponents of the "They Are Us" movie project would rather the world was not reminded of ...5 days ago- 2021 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #24
Listing of articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, June 7, 2021 through Sat, June 12, 2021 This week it was somewhat tricky to identify suitable articles for sharing which is why the list ended up shorter than it usually is. Articles Linked to ...5 days ago- Hoping For Divine Intervention.
By Any Chance, Are These Two Related? Climate Change Commission Chair, Rod Carr, and Michelangelo's Jehovah. Is that the message hidden in the CCC's report? That only divine intervention can save the planet from the effects of anthropogenic global warming?ROD CARR reminds me of God. Seriously, that beard. From a ...6 days ago- Re-Writing The Rules of the Game: Where Chile is Leading, Can Aotearoa-New Zealand Follow?
People Power: Ending neoliberalism requires massive and militant action on the ground. Between 2019 and 2020, the young and the poor made Chile ungovernable. Engaging in running battles with the Police and facing-down the army’s bullets, they rendered the political class and its mainstream media mouthpieces increasingly irrelevant to what ...6 days ago- National is falling apart
You’ve really got to wonder what possessed MP Simon Bridges to blatantly lie about gang violence he claimed to have witnessed yesterday.Perhaps he was just a bit desperate for some attention being that the headlines haven’t be very flattering for the National Party lately.His belief that misleading the public and ...6 days ago- How Are We Progressing with the War on Poverty?
Child Poverty Levels Are only Slowly Coming Down, What Next?Having settled on its macroeconomic settings, the Government then has to decide what to do with its revenue. In the 2021 Budget; it was largely committed to rolling forward existing spending, together with meeting some necessary commitments like dealing with covid ...7 days ago- They Are Us film should be made
Rose Byrne to play Jacinda Ardern in controversial movie ‘They Are Us’Framing is always an important aspect of media reports, especially when it comes to politics. In fact the way a story is framed can often determine whether a topic gains popular support or receives widespread public outrage.That’s been the ...1 week ago- The police lied to Parliament
Earlier today I blogged about the Ombudsman's final opinion on an OIA request for the police's "emissions-free fleet" strategy, in which the Ombudsman found that there never was such a strategy, and that the police repeatedly lied in an effort to hide that fact. But it turns out that I'm ...1 week ago- Spanish and Ukranian translations of The Debunking Handbook 2020
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Last month, I did a post about my efforts to excavate the Police's "emissions-free fleet" strategy, and how my OIA request had been extended "for consultations", whizzed past its extended deadline, then refused as it would "soon be publicly available". My complaint to the Ombudsman gained an attempted explanation from ...1 week ago- Friday essay: a rare bird — how Europeans got the black swan so wrong
David Haworth, Monash University The black swan is an Australian icon. The official emblem of Western Australia, depicted in the state flag and coat-of-arms, it decorates several public buildings. The bird is also the namesake for Perth’s Swan River, where the British established the Swan River Colony in 1829. ...1 week ago- As more climate migrants cross borders seeking refuge, laws will need to adapt
Katharine M. Donato, Georgetown University; Amanda Carrico, University of Colorado Boulder; and Jonathan M. Gilligan, Vanderbilt University Climate change is upending people’s lives around the world, but when droughts, floods or sea level rise force them to leave their countries, people often find closed borders and little assistance. Part ...1 week ago- Geoffrey Miller: New Zealand’s relationship with Saudi Arabia faces increasing scrutiny
While New Zealand’s problematic but lucrative relationship with China gets lots of attention, there’s another important and similar relationship with Saudi Arabia that gets less attention. International analyst Geoffrey Miller explains why Riyadh is too important for Wellington to ignore. New Zealand’s new ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Barney Riley, ...1 week ago- Research now backs routinely offering pregnant women the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine
Michelle Wise, University of Auckland New Zealand and Australia will now routinely offer the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to women at any stage of pregnancy, following an update of vaccination advice. This comes as research suggests the risk of severe outcomes from infection is significantly higher for pregnant women compared to ...1 week ago- The Irish lough that offers a window into the deep sea
James Bell, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington; Rob McAllen, University College Cork, and Valerio Micaroni, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Deeper than most scuba divers can safely work and above where most underwater robots are designed to descend lie some of the most ...1 week ago- The economics of killing Huntly
RNZ reports that Genesis Energy's use of coal has spiked over the past few years, as they use to burn it rather than pay for gas: New Zealand has significantly increased its use of coal in recent years, despite its status as the worst, most polluting fossil fuel on ...1 week ago- Media Link: “A View from Afar” on NZ security strategy and the end of neoliberalism in South Ame...
I have not had much time to blog in recent weeks but continue the weekly series of podcasts with Selwyn Manning. This week we discussed efforts to develop a comprehensive national security strategy for New Zealand that goes beyond Defense White Papers and annual reports from various security agencies, then ...1 week ago- Bryce Edwards: Political Roundup – Reforming the Official Information Act is a democratic test for...
In promising to be New Zealand’s most open and transparent government ever, Labour has one key challenge: reform the Official Information Act. This vital piece of machinery for democracy is in terrible disrepair, and the Government has promised to rewrite it for the modern age, but so far are stalling ...1 week ago- Hard Questions – Hard Answers.
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When the government asks the public to conserve electricity, its usually because we're on the edge of a supply crisis, and its necessary to ensure our own lights will stay on. And when it does that, people generally buy into it, because they can see the reason. But last month, ...1 week ago- A republic is demographicly irresistable
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Last night Norske Skog announced it will close the Tasman Mill at the end of the month, with the loss of 160 jobs. Good. This mill is a major source of emissions, and in 2019 we subsidised it to the tune of 238342 tons - meaning it was about 0.3% ...1 week ago- Speaker: Adventures In Gender Identity
It started during a recent visit to a gynaecologist. Don’t worry, I’m fine. I felt an intense discomfort as I picked up my prescription and I knew immediately that this was gender dysphoria. I’d experienced it many times before but my understanding of it in the past was so narrow and ...1 week ago- Why Indigenous knowledge should be an essential part of how we govern the world’s oceans
Meg Parsons, University of Auckland and Lara Taylor, Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research Our moana (ocean) is in a state of unprecedented ecological crisis. Multiple, cumulative impacts include pollution, sedimentation, overfishing, drilling and climate change. All affect the health of both marine life and coastal communities. To reverse the ...1 week ago- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #23, 2021
LIfe cycle analysis of "Dirk" Life cycle analysis (LCA) is a method used to evaluate the environmental impact of a product through its life cycle encompassing extraction and processing of the raw materials, manufacturing, distribution, use, recycling, and final disposal. From: Journal of Environmental Management, 2010. -- Science Direct Continuing with getting ...1 week ago- Climate Change: Scammed
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Tone Deaf? From a party-political point of view (and what other point of view should a National Party MP be taking?) Paul Goldsmith’s comments regarding the “benefits” of colonisation merely played into the fast-solidifying narrative of National being a stale white bread party that can’t get out of its own way ...1 week ago- How virus detectives trace the origins of an outbreak – and why it’s so tricky
Marilyn J. Roossinck, Penn State Every time there is a major disease outbreak, one of the first questions scientists and the public ask is: “Where did this come from?” In order to predict and prevent future pandemics like COVID-19, researchers need to find the origin of the viruses that ...2 weeks ago - Silent calamity: The health impacts of wildfire smoke
- Working in partnership with our primary sector
A few great days at Fieldays are done and dusted! We had a huge team of Labour MPs at Mystery Creek this year – and we were there because partnering with farmers, growers, and our rural communities matters to us. ...13 hours ago - Chlöe Swarbrick puts Bill aimed at minimising alcohol harm in Members’ ballot
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- Green MPs back calls for work to stop immediately in Pūtiki Bay following unnecessary police presen...Green MPs Dr Elizabeth Kerekere and Chlöe Swarbrick strongly support the calls by Ngāti Paoa for Auckland Council to immediately step in to stop works happening in Pūtiki Bay/Kennedy Point today. ...2 days ago
- Acting boldly to address the housing crisis so we all thriveTēnā koe Minister Woods, ...3 days ago
- Addressing period poverty in schoolsToday, we’re taking the next step in our work to support children and young people in poverty, starting to roll out free period products in more than 1,600 schools and kura across New Zealand. ...4 days ago
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- Making cleaner cars accessible to more KiwisToday, we’re taking action in line with the advice of the Climate Change Commission to reduce our carbon footprint, so future generations have a fair go. Our Clean Car package, announced this morning, delivers on our promise to cut transport emissions. It will make it easier to make the switch ...6 days ago
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- Dr Elizabeth Kerekere receives her COVID-19 vaccinationToday, Green Party MP Dr Elizabeth Kerekere received her COVID-19 vaccination from Tamaiti Whāngai COVID-19 vaccination centre, which had its official opening yesterday. ...1 week ago
- Our action on climate changeIn 2019, we established the Climate Change Commission to provide independent advice on climate change action and to hold this Government and future Governments to account. Today, the Commission's final advice was released. It sets out the total amount of global warming pollution Aotearoa must cut by 2035 to be ...1 week ago
- Our action on climate changeIn 2019, we established the Climate Change Commission to provide independent advice on climate change action and to hold this Government and future Governments to account. Today, the Commission's final advice was released. It sets out the total amount of global warming pollution Aotearoa must cut by 2035 to be ...1 week ago
- It’s time to get behind our nursesThe Green Party supports the 30,000 nurses striking today for better pay and safer working conditions. ...1 week ago
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- Caring for the land, caring for peopleHere in New Zealand, we have a remarkable natural environment, with unique ecosystems and native species. It’s taken millions of years for Aotearoa to develop this precious environment – and it’s up to us to protect it! In collaboration with communities across the country, we’re doing just that. ...2 weeks ago
- Caring for the land, caring for peopleHere in New Zealand, we have a remarkable natural environment, with unique ecosystems and native species. It’s taken millions of years for Aotearoa to develop this precious environment – and it’s up to us to protect it! In collaboration with communities across the country, we’re doing just that. ...2 weeks ago
- How much do you know about Aotearoa’s unique environment?Test your knowledge this World Environment Day! Think you’re a nature super-fan? Can’t tell a kauri from a kāmahi? To celebrate World Environment Day this week, we’ve put together a quiz to test how much you know about Te Taiao. Flex your nature muscles or learn something new about the ...2 weeks ago
- Green Party MP Golriz Ghahraman receives her COVID-19 vaccinationToday Green Party MP Golriz Ghahraman, who is immunocompromised, received her first COVID-19 vaccination at the Auckland CBD vaccination centre. ...2 weeks ago
- Greens welcome Auckland walking and cycling bridge, call for more climate focusThe Green Party is welcoming the Government’s renewed commitment to safe walking and cycling across the Waitematā Harbour, but warning that new highway investment puts our response to the climate change emergency at risk. ...2 weeks ago
- Greens call for Facebook to be held accountable for role in spreading disinformationThe Green Party is calling on the Government to hold Facebook accountable for its role in enabling behaviour which threatens democracy, by strongly regulating data privacy and the spread of dangerous disinformation. ...2 weeks ago
- Greens call for more protection of native whitebait species at risk of extinctionThe Green Party is pleased to see new whitebaiting measures, announced today, to establish a more consistent management regime across the country, but we must go further, faster, to protect our native taonga. ...2 weeks ago
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- Green Party launches petition for publicly-owned public transportThe Green Party is launching a petition calling on the Government to remove legislative barriers to public ownership of our public transport depots, vehicles and services. ...3 weeks ago
- Government taking action to protect albatross
New population figures for the critically endangered Antipodean albatross showing a 5 percent decline per year highlights the importance of reducing all threats to these very special birds, Acting Minister of Conservation Dr Ayesha Verrall says. The latest population modelling, carried out by Dragonfly Data Science, shows the Antipodean albatross ...14 hours ago - Adoption laws under reviewNew Zealand’s 66-year-old adoption laws are being reviewed, with public engagement beginning today. Justice Minister Kris Faafoi said the Government is seeking views on options for change to our adoption laws and system. “The Adoption Act has remained largely the same since 1955. We need our adoption laws to reflect ...21 hours ago
- Wider roll-out of cameras on boats to support sustainability and protect marine lifeUp to 300 inshore commercial fishing vessels will be fitted with on-board cameras by 2024 as part of the Government’s commitment to protect the natural marine environment for future generations. Minister for Oceans and Fisheries David Parker today announced the funding is now in place for the wider roll out ...2 days ago
- Plan for vaccine rollout for general population announcedNew Zealanders over 60 will be offered a vaccination from July 28 and those over 55 from August 11, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced today. The rollout of the vaccine to the general population will be done in age groups as is the approach commonly used overseas, with those over ...2 days ago
- New Zealand introduces Belarus travel bansNew Zealand has imposed travel bans on selected individuals associated with the Lukashenko regime, following ongoing concerns about election fraud and human rights abuses after the 2020 Belarus elections, Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta has announced. The ban covers more than fifty individuals, including the President and key members of ...2 days ago
- NZ economy grows driven by households, construction and business investmentThe Government’s efforts to secure the recovery have been reflected in the robust rebound of GDP figures released today which show the economy remains resilient despite the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Grant Robertson said. GDP increased 1.6 percent in the first three months of 2021. The Treasury had ...2 days ago
- Milestone 250th tower continues to improve rural connectivityThe Government has welcomed the completion of the 250th 4G mobile tower, as part of its push for better rural connectivity. Waikato’s Wiltsdown, which is roughly 80 kilometres south of Hamilton, is home to the new tower, deployed by the Rural Connectivity Group to enable improved service to 70 homes ...2 days ago
- Quarantine Free Travel pause with Victoria to lift on TuesdayFollowing a further public health assessment of the COVID-19 outbreak in greater Melbourne, New Zealand’s Quarantine Free Travel pause with Victoria has been extended to 11.59pm on Tuesday 22 June, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins says. It has been determined that the risk to public health in New Zealand continues ...2 days ago
- Prime Minister mourns passing of Dr Sir Ian HassallPrime Minister Jacinda Ardern is mourning the passing of Dr Sir Ian Hassall, New Zealand’s first Children’s Commissioner and lifelong champion for children and children’s health. As a paediatrician Sir Ian contributed to a major world-first cot death study that has been directly credited with reducing cot deaths in New ...3 days ago
- APEC structural reform meeting a successAPEC ministers have agreed working together will be crucial to ensure economies recover from the impact of COVID-19. Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs David Clark, chaired the virtual APEC Structural Reform Ministerial Meeting today which revolved around the overarching theme of promoting balanced, inclusive, sustainable, innovative and secure growth ...3 days ago
- Digital hub to boost investment in forestryA new website has been launched at Fieldays to support the forestry sector find the information it needs to plant, grow and manage trees, and to encourage investment across the wider industry. Forestry Minister Stuart Nash says the new Canopy website is tailored for farmers, iwi and other forestry interests, ...3 days ago
- Government continues support for rangatahi to get into employment, education and trainingOver 230 rangatahi are set to benefit from further funding through four new He Poutama Rangatahi programmes, Minister for Social Development and Employment Carmel Sepuloni announced today. “We’re continuing to secure our economic recovery from COVID by investing in opportunities for rangatahi to get into meaningful employment, education or training ...3 days ago
- NCEA subjects up for consultationThe education sector, students, their parents, whānau and communities are invited to share their thoughts on a list of proposed NCEA subjects released today, Education Minister Chris Hipkins says. This is a significant part of the Government’s NCEA Change Programme that commenced in 2020 and will be largely implemented by ...3 days ago
- Major investment in plantain forage programme aims to improve freshwater qualityThe Government is backing a major programme investigating plantain’s potential to help farmers protect waterways and improve freshwater quality, Acting Agriculture Minister Meka Whaitiri announced at Fieldays today. The Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures (SFFF) fund is contributing $8.98 million to the $22.23 million seven-year programme, which aims to deliver ...3 days ago
- America’s Cup decisionThe Minister responsible for the America’s Cup has confirmed the joint Crown-Auckland Council offer to host the next regatta has been declined by the Board of Team New Zealand. “The exclusive period of negotiation between the Crown, Auckland Council, and Team New Zealand ends tomorrow, 17 June,” said Stuart Nash. ...3 days ago
- Food and fibres sector making significant strides towards New Zealand’s economic recoveryThe Government is backing the food and fibres sector to lead New Zealand's economic recovery from COVID-19 with targeted investments as part of its Fit for a Better World roadmap, Forestry Minister Stuart Nash said. “To drive New Zealand’s recovery, we launched the Fit for a Better World – Accelerating ...3 days ago
- Speech to He Whenua Taurikura – New Zealand’s annual hui on countering terrorism and violent...Check against delivery Can I begin by acknowledging the 51 shuhada, their families and the Muslim community. It is because of the atrocious violent act that was done to them which has led ultimately to this, the start of a dialogue and a conversation about how we as a nation ...3 days ago
- Cost of Government Southern Response proactive package releasedThe Government has announced the proactive package for some Southern Response policyholders could cost $313 million if all those eligible apply. In December, the Minister Responsible for the Earthquake Commission, David Clark announced a proactive package for SRES claimants who settled their claims before October 2014. It trailed the judgment ...4 days ago
- New support to reduce emissions from public building and construction projectsGovernment agencies are getting new support to reduce carbon emissions generated by construction of new buildings, with the release of practical guidance to shape decisions on public projects. The Ministers for Building and Construction and for Economic Development say a new Procurement Guide will help government agencies, private sector suppliers, ...4 days ago
- He Whenua Taurikura: New Zealand’s first Hui on Countering Terrorism and Violent ExtremismThe Prime Minister has opened New Zealand’s first hui on Countering Terrorism and Violent Extremism, which is being held in Christchurch over the next two days. The hui delivers on one of the recommendations from the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the terrorist attack on Christchurch masjidain ...4 days ago
- Speech to inaugural Countering Terrorism HuiE aku nui, e aku rahi, Te whaka-kanohi mai o rātou mā, Ru-ruku-tia i runga i te ngākau whakapono, Ru-ruku-tia i runga i te ngākau aroha, Waitaha, Ngāti Mamoe, Ngai Tahu, nāu rā te reo pohiri. Tena tātou katoa. Ki te kotahi te kakaho ka whati, ki te kapuia, e ...4 days ago
- Campaign shines a light on elder abuseA new campaign is shining a spotlight on elder abuse, and urging people to protect older New Zealanders. Launched on World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, the Office for Seniors’ campaign encourages friends, whānau and neighbours to look for the signs of abuse, which is often hidden in plain sight. “Research suggests ...4 days ago
- Farewelling sports administrator and philanthropist Sir Eion EdgarSport and Recreation Minister Grant Robertson today expressed his sorrow at the passing of Sir Eion Edgar – a leading sports administrator and celebrated philanthropist who has made a significant impact both within and beyond the sport sector. “Sir Eion’s energy, drive and generosity has been truly immense. He leaves ...5 days ago
- Government to apologise for Dawn RaidsThe Government will make a formal apology for the wrongs committed during the Dawn Raids of the 1970’s. Between 1974 and 1976, a series of rigorous immigration enforcement policies were carried out that resulted in targeted raids on the homes of Pacific families. The raids to find, convict and deport overstayers ...5 days ago
- Humanitarian support for Bangladesh and MyanmarForeign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta today announced that New Zealand is providing NZ $8.25 million in humanitarian assistance to support refugees and their host populations in Bangladesh and to support humanitarian need of internally displaced and conflict affected people in Myanmar. “Nearly four years after 900,000 Rohingya crossed the border ...5 days ago
- Poroporoaki: Dame Georgina Kamiria KirbyE Te Kōkō Tangiwai, Te Tuhi Mareikura, Te Kākākura Pokai kua riro i a matou. He toka tū moana ākinga ā tai, ākinga ā hau, ākinga ā ngaru tūātea. Haere atu rā ki te mūrau a te tini, ki te wenerau a te mano. E tae koe ki ngā rire ...5 days ago
- Feedback sought on future of housing and urban developmentNew Zealanders are encouraged to have their say on a long-term vision for housing and urban development to guide future work, the Housing Minister Megan Woods has announced. Consultation starts today on a Government Policy Statement on Housing and Urban Development (GPS-HUD), which will support the long-term direction of Aotearoa ...5 days ago
- Clean car package to drive down emissionsNew rebates for electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles start July 1 with up to $8,625 for new vehicles and $3,450 for used. Electric vehicle chargers now available every 75km along most state highways to give Kiwis confidence. Low Emission Transport Fund will have nearly four times the funding by 2023 ...6 days ago
- Progress towards simpler process for changing sex on birth certificatesThe Government is taking the next step to support transgender, non-binary and intersex New Zealanders, by progressing the Births, Deaths, Marriages and Relationships Registration Bill, Minister of Internal Affairs, Jan Tinetti announced today. “This Government understands that self-identification is a significant issue for transgender, non-binary and intersex New Zealanders, and ...6 days ago
- Crown speeds up engagement with takutai moana applicantsThe Crown is taking a new approach to takutai moana applications to give all applicants an opportunity to engage with the Crown and better support the Māori-Crown relationship, Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Minister Andrew Little says. Following discussions with applicant groups, the Crown has reviewed the existing takutai moana application ...7 days ago
- Alcohol and Other Drug Treatment (AODT) Court opensThe Minister of Justice, Kris Faafoi, and the Minister for Courts, Aupito William Sio, have welcomed the opening of a new Alcohol and Other Drug Treatment (AODT) Court in Hamilton. The AODT Court (Te Whare Whakapiki Wairua) addresses situations where substance abuse and offending are intertwined. “New Zealanders have told ...7 days ago
- EU and UK FTAs top of list for first ministerial trip since COVID-19Trade and Export Growth Minister Damien O’Connor today announced details of his planned visit to the United Kingdom and European Union next week, where he will hold trade and agriculture discussions to further New Zealand’s economic recovery from COVID-19. The visit will add political weight to ongoing negotiations with both the EU ...7 days ago
- Arihia Bennett to chair Royal Commission Ministerial Advisory GroupTe Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu chief executive Arihia Bennett MNZM has been appointed chair of the newly appointed Ministerial Advisory Group on the Government’s Response to the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the terrorist attack on Christchurch mosques. “Twenty-eight people from diverse backgrounds across Aotearoa have been selected for the ...1 week ago
- Speech to the New Zealand Medical Association General Practitioners' Conference, RotoruaKi ngā pou maha o te whare hauora o Aotearoa, kei te mihiTo the pillars of our health system I acknowledge/thank you Ki te ope hapai hauora o roto o tēnei rūma, kei te mihi To our health force here in the room today, I acknowledge/thank you He taura tangata, ...1 week ago
- Karangahape Road upgrades are streets aheadThe upgrades to Karangahape Road makes the iconic street more pedestrian and cycle-friendly, attractive and environmentally sustainable, Transport Minister Michael Wood and Auckland Mayor Phil Goff said at the formal celebration of the completion of the Karangahape Road Enhancements project. The project included widening footpaths supporting a better outdoor dining ...1 week ago
- Speech to APEC business eventE ngā tumu herenga waka, ākina ā ngaru, ākina ā tai ka whakatere ngā waka ki te whakapapa pounamu, otirā, ki Tamaki o ngā waka Tena koutou katoa… To the great leaders assembled, who guided your waka through turbulent times, challenging waters and you continue to navigate your respective waka ...1 week ago
- Pause on Quarantine Free Travel with Victoria extendedFollowing an assessment of the COVID-19 outbreak in greater Melbourne, New Zealand’s Quarantine Free Travel pause with Victoria will continue for a further seven days, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins says. There are now 93 cases associated with the outbreak in greater Melbourne, spread over four clusters. Contact tracing efforts ...1 week ago
- Supplier Diversity Aotearoa Summit: Navigate 2021*** Check with delivery *** A mihi to all who have contributed to making today a success – starting with you! As you have explored and navigated government procurement today you will hopefully have reflected on the journey of our people so far – and how you can make a ...1 week ago
- Pukemiro School to closePukemiro Primary School near Huntly will close following years of declining roll numbers, Education Minister Chris Hipkins announced today. “I’ve consulted with the School Commissioner, and this decision acknowledges the fact that the few remaining students from last term are now settled at other nearby schools. “I want to thank ...1 week ago
- Govt acts to protect NZers from harmful contentNew Zealanders will be better protected from harmful or illegal content as a result of work to design a modern, flexible and coherent regulatory framework, Minister of Internal Affairs Jan Tinetti announced today. New Zealand currently has a content regulatory system that is comprised of six different arrangements covering some ...1 week ago
- In pictures: Jacinda, Judith and our national show
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, a gaggle of ministers and Labour MPs, National leader Judith Collins and the largest fleet of utility vehicles ever assembled descend on the national agricultural Fieldays at Mystery Creek. So does the fog. They came in their utes and 4WDs in such numbers that by lunchtime ...24 mins ago - Short story: The camp, by Elspeth Sandys
"He couldn’t stop. No one hit a woman. No one": a campground story by Wellington writer Elspeth Sandys When Colin arrived at the holiday camp he had his story ready. Colin Lawson, widower, retired, seeking peace and quiet. Former manager of a small Invercargill Tyre Company. Wife died a year ...54 mins ago - Amnesty Calls For More On World Refugee Day
Caring organisations around Aotearoa New Zealand will be holding fundraisers and community hui this weekend to mark World Refugee Day 2021. As COVID-19 pushed pause on essential global refugee programmes, Amnesty International is calling for a re-prioritisation ...1 hour ago - High Court overturns Stuart Nash’s decision on tarakihi fishing limits
The ruling is being hailed as a win for sustainability that could set a precedent for how the government sets limits on commercial fishing The High Court has found that the former minister of fisheries, Stuart Nash, incorrectly set the catch limit on tarakihi by taking into account industry proposals over ...1 hour ago - Newsroom daily quiz, Saturday 19 June
Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions. ...1 hour ago - Newsroom daily crossword, Saturday 19 June
...1 hour ago - Basketball helps Suzie Bates' White Ferns comeback
LISTEN: Outstanding White Fern cricketer Suzie Bates has returned to her old passion, basketball, during her rehab from surgery, and has found another way to make a difference. Suzie Bates is on track to return to the White Ferns after shoulder surgery, but she may not return to the bowling crease ...1 hour ago - Newsroom's daily sudoku, Saturday 19 June
...1 hour ago - Anthonie Tonnon and the railway to Mars
Musician, romantic, civic activist – Anthonie Tonnon talks to Michelle Langstone about growing up in small town New Zealand, his uncommon inspirations and new album Leave Love Out of This.Portraits by Edith AmituanaiI meet Anthonie Tonnon at Motat, which is admittedly not the most original of places to meet a train ...6 hours ago - A force so powerful we may have learned to talk to be able to do itGossip Week: Gossip fosters important social bonds, and some experts believe humans developed language so we could gossip about one another. Danyl Mclauchlan explores the role gossip plays in our lives.All week, The Spinoff is taking a look at the role of gossip in Aotearoa’s past, present and future – ...7 hours ago
- The shape of Wellington’s future is about to be decidedA draft plan that increases by 50% the amount of inner Wellington shielded from new dense housing is set to face a tough week in council, writes Justin Giovannetti.There’s a contradiction at the heart of Wellington’s proposed plan to house tens of thousands of new arrivals over the coming decades, ...7 hours ago
- ‘The glamour is gone’: NZ’s greatest gossip on celebrities then and nowGossip Week: Sam Brooks meets legendary New Zealand gossip writer David Hartnell MNZM to talk celebrity friends, men in makeup, and the importance of reinvention. All week, The Spinoff is taking a look at the role of gossip in Aotearoa’s past, present and future – read more Gossip Week content here.“The two ...7 hours ago
- RSF condemns Hong Kong police storming of Apple Daily – 5 arrested
Hundreds of police officers search the Apple Daily group’s headquarters after five senior staff were arrested under the National Security Law, accused of “collusion with foreign forces”. Video: Al Jazeera Pacific Media Watch newsdesk Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has condemned yesterday’s police raid on Hong Kong media outlet Apple Daily’s ...10 hours ago - Vanuatu Supreme Court confirms 19 government MPs lose seatsRNZ Pacific Vanuatu Supreme Court judge Justice Oliver Saksak has upheld a decision by the former Speaker of Parliament to expel 19 government MPs from Parliament. The court ruling could trigger the collapse of Vanuatu’s government but a subsequent appeal is likely to grant a stay of execution for the ...10 hours ago
- Fiji reports another 115 covid cases – new hospital death investigatedBy Vijay Narayan in Suva Fiji health authorities have announced 115 new covid-19 cases for the 24 hour period ending at 8am today. Health Secretary Dr James Fong said 12 cases were from new clusters – 8 of them from Max Value Supermarket, Lami, and 4 from Public Rental Board. ...10 hours ago
- Auckland’s ‘most liveable’ city loses some gloss with Pacific criticismAsia Pacific Report newsdesk Days after being condemned by the largest Pacific Island capital — Port Moresby, the Economist’s Global Liveability Index has been criticised in Auckland by one of New Zealand’s most respected “green” columnists. The criticisms come from different ends of the spectrum — Port Moresby was third ...10 hours ago
- Samoan court declares Sagaga 2 seat void – 26-24 balance for FASTBy Soli Wilson in Apia A Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP) associate minister has had his seat of Sagaga 2 in the Samoa general election declared void by the Supreme Court following a legal challenge, triggering a byelection. This means previously elected Member of Parliament Seiuli Ueligitone Seiuli, a member ...10 hours ago
- Warnings to anti-vaxxers slowing rollout in Solomons and PNGBy Johnny Blades, Anti-vax misinformation is throwing a spanner in the works for covid-19 vaccination programmes in Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands, with the prime ministers of both countries firing warnings at those spreading it. PNG Prime Minister James Marape issued a blunt statement this week, ...10 hours ago
- Fishing vessel cameras aim to curb catch dumping
Fishing boats will now have to bring their entire catch back to port - as part of moves to ensure skippers report other wildlife that is accidentally caught. ...13 hours ago - Concerned about the latest AstraZeneca news? These 3 graphics help you make sense of the riskSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hassan Vally, Associate Professor, La Trobe University Yesterday’s announcement the AstraZeneca COVID vaccine would now only be recommended for the over 60s has highlighted the many ways we think about risk. The decision reflects a greater understanding of the real, but extremely ...14 hours ago
- The limits of advocacy: arts sector told to stop worrying and be happySource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Justin O’Connor, Professor of Cultural Economy, University of South Australia Most people with an interest in art and culture in Australia believe it is in deep crisis, and you’d be hard pressed to find someone who didn’t think the crisis predated the ...15 hours ago
- Three weeks without electricity? That’s the reality facing thousands of Victorians, and it will ha...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anthony Richardson, Researcher and Teacher, Centre for Urban Research, RMIT University James Ross/AAP Last week’s storm system wreaked havoc across Victoria. Some 220,000 households and businesses lost power, and residents in the hills on Melbourne’s fringe were warned yesterday it ...15 hours ago
- ‘A slow and painful journey’: why did it take over 20 years to approve the new Alzheimer’s dru...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ralph N. Martins, Professor and Chair in Ageing and Alzheimer’s Disease, Edith Cowan University Shutterstock A new drug to treat Alzheimer’s disease was last week given accelerated approval by the United States Food and Drug Administration. The drug is called ...15 hours ago
- VIDEO: Michelle Grattan on Scott Morrison’s return to Australia and a change in vaccine adviceSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Michelle Grattan discusses the week in politics with University of Canberra Associate Professor Caroline Fisher. This week the pair discuss the outcomes of Scott Morrison’s attendance at the G7 summit in Cornwall, including a face-to-face ...15 hours ago
- The Friday Poem: Millennium taffeta, by Laura VincentA new poem from poet and food writer Laura Vincent.Millennium taffeta all today’s ills point directlyto the paucity of purple taffeta shot through with bluesewn into bandeau and a-lineit moved with a conspicuous rustlewhat wouldn’t we have done for that fabricwhich launched a thousand reputations did you live through the unsparing dominance ...15 hours ago
- ANZASW Congratulates Hilary Weaver For Appointment As IFSW Indigenous Commissioner...16 hours ago
- Stolen wages: Northern Territory class action will hold the Commonwealth to accountSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Thalia Anthony, Professor of Law, University of Technology Sydney Alan Lambert, CC BY-SA This article contains names and images of people who have passed. On August 23 1966, Vincent Lingiari and his fellow Aboriginal stock workers walked off the Wave ...16 hours ago
- Health Ministry Push Flows Over To Improved Drinking-water, Boost In Compliance – ReportA push by the Ministry of Health to increase awareness among drinking-water suppliers of their responsibilities has led to tighter auditing and a boost in overall compliance, with standards up by 2.4% compared to last year. There was also a slight ...16 hours ago
- The latest ‘spasm’ of violence in Gaza is unlikely to be the lastSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tony Walker, Vice-chancellor’s fellow, La Trobe University The Israel-Palestine conflict has experienced its first violent spasm in the term of a new Israeli government. However, hostilities have since been contained, for the time being. Provocative demonstrations this week in Arab East Jerusalem ...16 hours ago
- Doc Edge: Seven documentaries to watch in this year’s festivalThis year’s Doc Edge film festival features 83 documentaries from New Zealand and around the world. And until July 11, most of them are available to watch online. Here are seven worth checking out.High Tide Don’t Hide Youth-led climate protests have brought hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders onto the streets ...17 hours ago
- Union Hosts Free Matariki Hui OnlineEducation union NZEI Te Riu Roa is set to host five online wāhanga this weekend ahead of Matariki - a follow up from its successful 2020 Matariki series on Matariki and tamariki. Saturday's programme features a range of incredible speakers - Stacey ...17 hours ago
- Belarus pays penalty for ignoring concerns about its electoral and human rights record – NZ bans ...
New Zealand has imposed travel bans on 50 individuals associated with the Lukashenko regime in Belarus elections. Among those in the naughty books are the President and key members of his Administration, the Electoral Commission, the police and other security forces. This will show ‘em we mean business, if they ...17 hours ago - The Unity Books bestseller chart for the week ending 18 JuneThe only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 The Neil Gaiman Reader: Selected Fiction by Neil Gaiman (Headline Publishing, $60)The ultimate feast, with nearly 50 ...17 hours ago
- Stealth speed bumps leave South Aucklanders fumingThe nationwide Innovating Streets programme promised to make streets safer, but as a group of Māngere East residents are discovering, if the work is only partially complete, their local roads can get even more dangerous.Recent weeks have seen mounds of asphalt rise on Māngere roads like swells in calm water. ...17 hours ago
- ‘Fix-it’ Notice Needed On Critical Health System UnderstaffingThe Association of Salaried Medical Specialists Toi Mata Hauora says an urgent ‘fix-it’ notice needs to be issued to address an understaffing crisis across the health system. According to Radio New Zealand, Worksafe has issued Wellington Free Ambulance with ...18 hours ago
- ‘We have filed a case under your name’: beware of tax scams — they’ll be everywhere this EOF...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paul Haskell-Dowland, Associate Dean (Computing and Security), Edith Cowan University Shutterstock The end of the financial year is near. So all of us — especially those scrambling at the last minute to get their receipts in order — should keep ...18 hours ago
- Celebrities reveal the best gossip they’ve heard about themselvesGossip Week: In this special episode of FIRST, we asked our celebrities to share their favourite pieces of completely unfounded gossip about themselves.All week, The Spinoff is taking a look at the role of gossip in Aotearoa’s past, present and future – read more Gossip Week content here.Newshub’s political editor ...19 hours ago
- Keith Rankin Analysis – Policies for Reducing the Environmental Costs of Urban TransportAnalysis by Keith Rankin. Environmental costs are a big deal, which need to be properly factored into our economic decision-making. Last week the Government announced a rebate scheme for electric and hybrid vehicles. Keith Rankin. These days we emphasise the very important greenhouse costs arising from the burning of fossil ...19 hours ago
- What Is The New Zealand Government Trying To Bury In Pike River Mine?Tom Peters, Socialist Equality Group 17 June 2021, original url: https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2021/06/17/pike-j17.html The New Zealand Labour Party government’s plan to abandon the underground investigation into the 2010 Pike River coal mine disaster has sparked significant opposition. Nearly ...19 hours ago
- Finally, Transparency At Sea – Cameras On BoatsForest & Bird is celebrating the Government’s announcement to put cameras on over 300 commercial fishing boats. “It’s been a long time coming, and has taken a ground swell of public pressure but we’ve finally achieved what will be ...19 hours ago
- Exclusive: We found out what nature is gossiping aboutGossip Week: The Spinoff’s gossip coverage so far this week has been dominated by people. It’s time to stop being so self-centred and see what’s abuzz in our native forests. All week, The Spinoff is taking a look at the role of gossip in Aotearoa’s past, present and future – read ...19 hours ago
- Look who’s singing the farm sector’s praises – none other than the Minister whose environmenta...
Labour ministers are beating the farming drum (as never before). On stage at the Fieldays at Mystery Creek, one of the first out of the block (given the absence of Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor negotiating free trade in London with the UK) was Oceans and Fisheries Minister David Parker. He ...21 hours ago - Covid-19: PM Jacinda Ardern pleased with vaccination programme as she prepares to get immunisedDespite about only 7.7 percent of the population being fully vaccinated against Covid-19, Jacinda Ardern is pleased with progress of the immunisation programme. ...21 hours ago
- This week's best-sellers
This week's biggest-selling New Zealand books, as recorded by the Nielsen BookScan New Zealand bestseller list and described by Steve Braunias FICTION 1 Bug Week by Airini Beautrais (Victoria University Press, $30) Number one for the fifth consecutive week - a miracle for a collection of short stories. 2 Auē ...22 hours ago - 50 Years On, Polynesian Panthers Share Their Story In Their Own Words“Long before risking our freedom as Polynesian Panthers, we were simply Polynesian. It was time to be heard. It was time to mobilise. It was time to fight back.” <img src="https://img.scoop.co.nz/stories/images/2106/770cea8fd63818f34f24.jpeg" ...22 hours ago
- Ministry Wrong To See Future In GE CigarettesThere is concern that The Ministry of Health has been hoodwinked into promoting Genetic Engineering of tobacco as a credible option towards a Smoke Free Aotearoa. Submissions on the Smoke Free 2025 consultation document have closed, and it is positive ...22 hours ago
- Approaching zero: super-chilled mirrors edge towards the borders of gravity and quantum physicsSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Ernest McClelland, Distinguised Professor and Director Centre for Gravitational Astrophysics, Australian National University Caltech / MIT / LIGO Lab, Author provided The LIGO gravitational wave observatory in the United States is so sensitive to vibrations it can detect the ...23 hours ago
- The Labor Party has long struggled over a position on Israel and Palestine. Here’s whySource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dennis Altman, Professorial Fellow in Human Security, La Trobe University After the brutal conflict in Gaza flared yet again in the past month, and the end of Benyamin Netanyahu’s 12 years as prime minister of Israel, attention is again focused on the ...23 hours ago
- New Zealand has one of the lowest numbers of refugees per capita in the world — there is room for ...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jay Marlowe, Associate Professor, Co-Director Centre for Asia Pacific Refugee Studies, University of Auckland Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern marks World Refugee Day 2020 at the Mangere Refugee Resettlement Centre in Auckland. GettyImages When COVID-19 forced New Zealand to shut its borders, it ...23 hours ago
- What if I can’t get in for my second Pfizer dose and the gap is longer than 3 weeks?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nathan Bartlett, Associate Professor, School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, University of Newcastle Jessica Hill/AP/AAP Bookings for the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine have been halted in Victoria this week, amid shortages of the vaccine. Some Victorians who’ve had ...23 hours ago
- Victoria’s wild storms show how easily disasters can threaten our water supplySource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Wright, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Science, Western Sydney University The wild storms that recently raged across eastern Victoria caused major property and environmental damage, and loss of lives. They’ve also triggered serious water contamination incidents. Yarra Valley Water issued an ...23 hours ago
- Why universities must act on the rise of a new kind of bullying: incivilitySource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lynn Bosetti, Professor in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, University of British Columbia Shutterstock Incivility is on the rise in university culture. If you are an academic you’ve likely seen or experienced instances of bullying, incivility or mobbing in department ...23 hours ago
- Australia needs construction waste recycling plants — but locals first need to be won overSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Salman Shooshtarian, Research Fellow, RMIT University Shutterstock Strong community opposition to a proposed waste facility in regional New South Wales made headlines earlier this year. The A$3.9 million facility would occupy 2.7 hectares of Gunnedah’s industrial estate. It’s intended to ...23 hours ago
- Vital Signs: Why has growth slowed globally? It has something to do with technologySource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Richard Holden, Professor of Economics, UNSW Even before COVID-19 hit, Australia was experiencing slow growth in GDP per capita and real wages. There has been a distinctly lower rate of both economic and real wages growth since the financial crisis of 2008-09. ...23 hours ago
- Friday essay: how our new archaeological research investigates Dark Emu’s idea of Aboriginal ‘ag...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Westaway, Australian Research Council Future Fellow, Archaeology, School of Social Science, The University of Queensland An aerial view of an Aboriginal stone arrangement in the Channel Country of Central Australia. Such arrangements may be associated with initiation ceremonies and exchange of ...23 hours ago
- How New Zealand plugged the leak on insider tradingGossip Week: Insider trading and the sharing of sensitive financial information is a big no-no in New Zealand. However, there was a time when it was all part of the game.All week, The Spinoff is taking a look at the role of gossip in Aotearoa’s past, present and future – ...23 hours ago
- Live updates, June 18: Worksafe concerned over paramedic fatigueWelcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for June 18, bringing you the latest news updated throughout the day. Get in touch at thebulletin@thespinoff.co.nz7.45am: Worksafe concerned over paramedic fatigueWorksafe is concerned about worker fatigue among Wellington Free Ambulance paramedics, and has issued instructions to fix it, reports Eva Corlett for Radio ...23 hours ago
- The Bulletin: Interest rate hike tipped after GDP figuresGood morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Interest rate hike tipped after GDP figures, major changes to rules for commercial fisheries, and Covid vaccine rollout timeline released.They’re probably not the sort of numbers you’d pop champagne over, but the NZ economy has avoided falling into a recession. The NZ ...24 hours ago
- Cook Islands businesses see uptick but labour shortages remain
Pacific island nation looks to NZ school holidays, and is in talks with Australia to expand its travel bubble, writes Adam Jacobson. Many Cook Islands businesses are experiencing a boom a month since the travel bubble with New Zealand opened, but major labour shortages are presenting a serious challenge to ...24 hours ago - Auckland Council Leads With Human Rights Standards For Goods And Service ProvidersUyghur Solidarity Aotearoa New Zealand are proud of Auckland City councillors for their unanimous vote yesterday at Auckland Council’s Finance & Performance Committee in amending the Group Procurement Policy, to ensure it requires all goods ...1 day ago
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The media has so let the country down during this pandemic. Yet again, we've got RNZ leading the news with a reckon from an articulate middle class person about testing. FFS, we are thirteen days into this thing and you are still running lazy anecdotes? WTF is Guyon Espiner doing, isn't he paid to be an onto it sleuthing roving reporter free to leap into any story? Or is it to hard when the material isn't handed to you on a plate in a Tauranga cafe?
It took an aside in this puff piece from the Washington Post – https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/new-zealand-isnt-just-flattening-the-curve-its-squashing-it/2020/04/07/6cab3a4a-7822-11ea-a311-adb1344719a9_story.html#comments-wrapper – to reveal something new about the decision to go into lockdown:
"…A group of influential leaders got on the phone with her the following day to urge moving to Level 4.
“We were hugely worried about what was happening in Italy and Spain,” said one of them, Stephen Tindall, founder of the Warehouse, New Zealand’s largest retailer…"
Now, that is news. A glimpse into how the decision was made that informs us a little of the power structures of our country and how they work.
Some Mum giving just her side of the story and bitching about how the system failed her expert epidemiology is not a story.
On Twitter, Tova O'Brien has responded to the pile on of almost unrelieved criticism with the usual thin skinned response you get from our journalists – playing the victim, refusing to engage with even the sincere and reasoned critics and blocking people left right and centre. presumably when Mediaworks collapses and she is unemployed she will be genuinely puzzled that nobody really cares.
I just thought this morning that during the Dirty Politics era many of our journalists were aware (a majority I'd wager), yet none revealed what was going on, except Hager.
I agree that RNZ is focusing on negative hearsay. This morning’s woman who didn’t get a test, I am sorry for that, but did people expect all systems and people running them to be up to speed immediately in this new era that nobody has been in before. The other morning, they had some self-entitled woman complaining about being unable to get her appointment for fertility treatment. It is getting beyond stupid. The more negative anecdotes they run, the more moaning people they will get contacting them. Let's have some proper news please, we may as well listen to talkback.
One take away I have from the David Clark story is that the press gallery are not intellectually equipped to deal with complex news stories. They want conflict, gotchas and a horse race where they play a role as arbiters and manufacturers of public opinion.
They fell upon the Clark story with the ravenous appetite of people who have been starved of the diet they know best and who have felt diminished by the reign of experts and good decision making. Demanding Clark’s head on a platter has been as much about re-assuring the egos of the press gallery journalists they are still important as anything else, IMHO.
I’ve not heard anyone who doesn’t have a partisan axe to grind outside the press bubble giving a big shit about the 20km drive to the beach – a lot of people just pulled a guilty face at the news.
Frankly, a lot of press gallery have come across as determined but also a bit dim. And stubborn stupidity doesn’t much to recommend it, really.
I’ve not heard anyone who doesn’t have a partisan axe to grind outside the press bubble giving a big shit about the 20km drive to the beach – a lot of people just pulled a guilty face at the news.
?
Yep. The 20km drive was a failure by Clark. Mostly because he was acting like a dumbarse – who should have known better. Personally I’d count that as a first strike – it heightens my attention to him as a possible successor to such tone deaf political luminaries as Shane Jones or David Shearer.
Talk back is terrible. My radio headphones yesterday got knocked from RNZ to talkback by mistake, and I heard some shock jock defending himself from a young woman who had taken him to task for his criticising what the PM was wearing on the daily press conference.
I despair for our media at times. Bring back Aunt Daisy, I say. At least her recipes were useful.
Ah, Mac1, Aunt Daisy – who reportedly said on national radio "It's a lovely day and the sun is shining up my back passage!"
You have to be a certain vintage to even know who Aunt Daisy was. Yes, her recipes and general good sense were legendary.
Her husband was one of my grand-uncles Fred Basham. My mum was very fond of them both. A lost era …
Heh. I thought that was what people who have their heads in the sand say.
"Some Mum giving just her side of the story…bitching…”
Misogyny, much?
Snowflake alert!
Are you lost, Sanctuary?
That's the kind of response I'd expect to read from Farrar's Ferals.
Did "influential leaders" really do that or are they just trying to grab the credit?
Yeah. And what is the evidence that their phone call prompted to make her decision on lock down? other than say, all the medical, behavioural and economic modelling they have been doing for over a month?
The odious Radio Neo Ziberal.
Take comfort Maui from the fact that Natrad is hated equally on the right.
They call it 'RedRadio'.
It is reasonably safe to assume that they are somewhere in the middle.
And of course exercise one's own judgement.
We can't expect to be spoon fed
The 'Truth".
RNZ National is still far superior to anything on the commercial channels. It does have some excellent reporters. However, it has for many years inflicted third-rate opinionistas—glib and superficial at best, brutal and reactionary at worst—on the New Zealand public.
https://morrisseybreen.blogspot.com/2018/02/bradley-manning-show-trial-begins-in.html
https://morrisseybreen.blogspot.com/2019/07/nz-liberals-highly-amused-by-assanges.html
https://morrisseybreen.blogspot.com/2019/01/shooting-protestors-will-lead-to.html
[lprent: fixed your handle on this comment – could you fix on your side please. ]
I presume you mean the "r" that appears after my name ever since I have been automatically put into "moderation." Will fix it in future if I see it!
Thanks, Lin.
I've removed the "r" THIS time.
While this is going on everyone is looking to the news for answers.
Media have the opportunity to lift peoples spirits or spread unrest and anxiety, some, (especially the talk back hosts) appear to be doing the later.
This in short has the ability to genuinely affect peoples mental health, and the media outlets responsible should be held directly accountable for it.
Health professionals are now advising people to switch off the news, as it is having such an ill effect on mental wellbeing.
Anyone expecting quality journalism from Tova O'Brien has probably suffered some sort of catastrophic brain injury.
Thanks for that article. I wrote a post around it..
Ok, now the lockdown is starting to bite.
Yesterday I could feel my arteries going soft and squidgy, and my usual remedy to firm them back up is eight slices of pepperoni, tomato sauce and cheese awesomeness on a thin and crispy base. Not allowed right now.
I could make one myself, but the home efforts lack the oversalted, sugared, grease-dripping, negative-nutritional-value gloriousness of the real thing.
So the desperation move is buying a frozen one from the supermarket, and since I needed other stuff, off I went. Disaster. Frozen pizzas were all sold out, except for the vegan ones. Not even any plain vegetarian ones with real cheese that I could put my own pepperoni onto. Just fukn vegan.
It's going to be a long two or three or six weeks.
I have two apartment dwelling friends who despite losing access to the gym have lost weight during this lockdown, simply because they have had to cook at home instead of takeways/eating out for dinner four times a week.
Yeah. I'm guessing a lot of people are breathing a bit easier too because of reduced air pollution.
And the near silence. Sipping a home brew and listening to the country side on the other side of the river and thinking that this must have been what it was like in the days before motorised traffic. The sound of ducks wings striking the water as they took off, the magpie in the distance, fantails flitting for flies, and the neighbours' cats moaning in the asparagus fern.
Stay away from those cats Mac ,…they might have The Virus !
I don't think they were passing viruses in there, Adrian. Copying fleas, more like, as one cat had another cat upon its back to bite 'em……
It's just occurred to me – I can't hear dogs barking. Except every now and then playing on the beach when the tide is lower. I guess with their owners home they're not getting bored. Normally on a weekday there's some just making noise for the sake of it every few minutes.
Andre, I think you're right. The working couple next door are at home and their two dogs were a barking nuisance. Now they just watch me walk past in the ROW and no territorial defence from them. And the neighbourhood is bark free.
Hehehe 🙂 Our cat has joined us two nights in a row for a walk around the block, it's super amusing for the girls and I.
We are loving the fantails at home too, they are absolutely gorgeous social birds.
The views from the mountains in Auckland have been spectacular with the clean air.
"reduced air pollution.".
That is hardly surprising given that you are currently unable to make pizzas like the one you describe at 2 above.
What something like that must do to your stomach! No wonder there is dreadful air pollution in your vicinity during normal times. Please tell me that 2.1.1 is not an accident and you meant to bring a little humour into our day.
If it was an accident it is as bad as the quote from Aunt Daisy at 1.2.2.1.
Whatever it was the Radio NZ thought Guyon Espiner was going to achieve for them in his new role as roving reporter a la Bernstein and Woodward it hasn’t worked. Maybe he’s just a news anchor after all?
He has been doing a stand-up job of running lines of the big-pharma lobby group Medicines NZ in undermining Pharmac.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/programmes/the-detail/story/2018709503/how-big-pharma-operates-in-new-zealand
He does seem to like his "scoops" delivered in nice cellophane and with a big ribbon around them.
As an amateur cynic, I suspect that the Big Pharma is behind those big heart stringing causes used to convince us that Pharmac is a disaster. I wonder if those individuals who were used for the publicity program wake up one morning and discover that they were used in the same way that family members of murder victims were/are used to bolster the SSTrust. Tragic and unscrupulous.
They obfuscate but with a little sleuthing you can find Medicines NZ's connection to most of these stories.
Yeah those deaths and side effects during the lamotrigine switch all just fake news … fluoxetine shortages …fake news…. delays in funding new medicines…. fake news
Clearly all an industry plot.
You may want to re-read ianmac’s comment because that’s not what he said.
My reading is fine thanks.
Your comprehension is the problem. Either that or you are trolling.
🙄
Seems to me yesterday's COVID-19 update included a hopeful marker.
For the first time time since the crisis started, more victims were moved to "recovered" than were added to "probable and confirmed". In other words, yesterday there were fewer known active infections (918) than there were the day before (924).
To be sure, it's noisy data and it's not a definite sign of a turning point, but it's a hopeful signal nonetheless.
https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/#countries
That would mean R0 has dropped below 1 (i.e each infected person is infecting less than one other person) – which is the entire point of the lockdown. Great news if it pans out.
I think I read they got R0 down to 0.4 in Wuhan.
That's not the entire point of the lockdowns:
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/apr/07/air-pollution-linked-to-far-higher-covid-19-death-rates-study-finds
Can't find a link to a quote on this, but I thought Bloomfield said the percentage of Covid-19 cases directly related to overseas contact was in the 40s, while the majority of "community transmission" was related to the clusters they are monitoring
– though they are also looking to see if there have been other outbreaks that they have so far missed with their testing.
I'd be really interested to see that kind of data in even more detail.
Like how many of the new cases are recently repatriated kiwis that showed symptoms and were put in quarantine on arrival, how many were recently repatriated and released to self-isolation that developed symptoms, how many were in the bubble of a recently repatriated kiwi that never showed symptoms etc.
Even if it's just to see if there's any basis at all to the idea of mandatory quarantines for all arrivals, or if that push is just a mindless kneejerk.
The government's Covid site has some relevant stats.
As of yesterday confirmed and probable cases
for those who have done recent overseas travel: 42%
from contact with known case: 41%
Community transmission: 2%
under investigation: 16%
And stats on the clusters.
In the 24 hours before 7 April – 28 new probable and confirmed cases related to clusters.
In the same period, total number of confirmed and probable cases: 82
So those related to clusters are about 33% of cases, which is indeed the majority of the 41% of cases related to someone already known to have the virus.
Yes, yes yes we've all heard about the alien invasion and frankly the gallery are bored at our efficient military response and the imminent victory of the earth over our erstwhile genocidal opponents from across the galaxy.
What the Press gallery says the people REALLY want to know is a) Is it true the defense minister went out during an alien air raid to rescue his pet bunnies in direct contravention of the take cover rules and b) what is your response to this nice middle class person claiming they saw the aliens last November using their home made telescope and were not taken seriously when they rang and left a message on their local MPs electorate telephone number?
Hey I went to a lot of trouble to make a really good telescope there …
BTW when will the police stop Simon from his weekly family escape to Wellington on the basis that he is entitled as the leader of the opposition?
Has he got a letter from his employer?
His answer was hard to hear, when Bridges was asked that question this morning on RNZ. He is asked @ 5.50.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2018741941/coronavirus-simon-bridges-defends-commute
Bridges goes to Wellington to have access to the press gallery.
Is the press gallery allowed to meet with Bridges in person?
Only when they are deemed worthy of meeting the Mighty Leader of the Opposition and Formidable Chair of the Epidemic Response Committee and keeping a safe distance of 2 m below him. They are not allowed to kiss his ring.
I would keep a 3 m distance as when people are worked up they tend to spray more.
Reply for 6.1.1.2 as well.
Doublebubbleboy said, huff puff but splutter essential above the law me me do what want so there.
But Janice @ (6) … Simon says his internet connection in Tauranga isn't good, so for that reason he commutes to Wellington, where the internet is better. If that is the case then he should contact his local MP for his internet to be improved … oh wait …
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/israel-health-minister-who-claims-coronavirus-is-divine-punishment-for-homosexuality-tests-positive-for-covid-19/ar-BB12goRL?ocid=st
Aren’t we lucky to have David Clark!
Oh Christ, Israel just keeps getting better and better.
Worth mentioning as well, they stopped teaching evolution in their schools.
Makes me even more angrier that Corbyn was forced out, he was the only mainstream western politician that wouldn't toe the line on that country.
Corbyn (and his brand of Labour) was 'forced out' by the voters of the UK who saw them as poison. It's great to see Labour pull the rug from under this piece of work https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/apr/07/derbyshire-mayor-apologises-for-saying-johnson-deserves-coronavirus.
???!!??
Yeah, well your mate Blair said he was fine and dandy with creationism being taught in the schools he privatised. Corbyn would have had creationism thrown out of every school in the UK by lunchtime had Labour won. He is the only major party leader in the country who accepts Darwin's findings as truth.
He was also the only party leader who admires Marxism. Whoop de doo.
It must stick in your craw, the UK, USA, New Zealand, and most of the world are coping with the virus, and the economic effects, using, "socialism".
And. It is working.
Pity Britain that they elected an arrogant prat, instead of Corbyn.
No, they aren't using socialism. They are using government funds raised through taxation from a mixed market economy. Now that must stick in your craw!
Actually. They are "printing money".
To keep those failing businesses, going.
So. When it is over the people who do the work of keeping everything going, can go back to doing it.
Do you actually know what socialism is? It's easy to look it up in a dictionary. Remeber the bit about " collective or governmental ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods ".
Depends on your dictionary.
You mean like we have in the Nordic countries?
All countries are mixed economies. The successful ones have a State collective share of the economy of 50 to 60%.
As a pragmatic “Capitalist” myself I know which ones are “best for business”.
New Zealand State share, has dropped to 30% and it was showing in our collapsing infrastructure, disappearing high added value industries and dropping, wages, with only immigration and runaway asset speculation showing any rises.
" All countries are mixed economies. "
I don't know about all, but there are certainly some who have implemented predominantly socialist policies (https://economics21.org/how-socialism-destroyed-venezuela), whereas most, and certainly the most successful, having implemented predominantly market policies.
The 'Nordic' countries are certainly not socialist (https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffreydorfman/2018/07/08/sorry-bernie-bros-but-nordic-countries-are-not-socialist/#30021dcb74ad). They are on the same paradigm as NZ, a strong social welfare system funded by market economics.
By your own definition , "collective control of production etc", the Nordic countries are more than twice as Socialist as Venezuala, and more socialist than China, where the State owns 31% of businesses!
Claiming they are not "Socialist" is as accurate as saying the USA, doesn't have State intervention.
Venezuela, like many other countries, has been destroyed by US sanctions designed to “make their economy bleed”. Fuck all to do with socialism.
Nothing wrong with Marxism.
Might be worth pointing out that there was no homelessesness in the USSR.
https://www.csmonitor.com/1988/0519/ehome.html
" The official fiction that there are no homeless people in the USSR has fallen victim to glasnost. "
https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-04-20-me-1111-story.html
"Under the impetus of Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev’s policy of glasnost, or greater openness, the Soviet press has made some intriguing revelations.
It seems that brodyagi (tramps) and bomzhi (persons of no fixed address) are to be found living in coal bins, garbage dumps, railroad stations, abandoned houses–and in special detention centers run by the police."
You were saying?
Even though a large number were housed in the Gulags.
But then, if you look at the imprisonment rate, for being poor and black, in the USA.
Mind you the USSR, was democratic and socialist, (Marxist version) for all of two weeks after the revolution.
Having said that, I know a few Russians, that have emigrated here, that reckon the Soviets were a lot better than the current, kleptocracy. At least under the Soviets they had, food, jobs and housing.
The USSR declared homelessness 'illegal' in order to try to end it. It was a dishonest, evil regime that manipulated statistics until their economy collapsed and the truth was revealed. Sure they housed and fed some people, like the elites. But for huge numbers of russians, soviet life became a living hell.
And you don’t seriously think the gulags compared to US prisons today?
The old. " It's Ok, because someone else did worse".
Don't you have anything better to support your position?
Where did I argue that? Socialism is not the 'worst of a bad bunch'. It is, to plagiarise Sam Harris, the motherlode of bad ideas.
"The only thing wrong with Socialism, is that it allows fools to survive to adulthood, to claim that it doesn't work".
"The only thing wrong with Socialism, is that it allows fools to survive to adulthood, to claim that it doesn't work".
There are some great quotes around, granted. But I submit to you that there were none funnier than Reagan. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mN3z3eSVG7A
"Sanitary and living conditions for an estimated 2,000 homeless people along Los Angeles’ Skid Row are so severe that the United Nations recently compared them to Syrian refugee camps".
Are you still saying this didn't happen in the USSR?
Never said anything of the sort.
I'm not a supporter of totalitarian Governments, whatever ideology they pretend to support.
I mentioned some observations, from people who lived under the Soviet regime, who I now work with.
"I'm not a supporter of totalitarian Governments, whatever ideology they pretend to support."
All good. Me neither.
Having said that, I know a few Russians, that have emigrated here, that reckon the Soviets were a lot better than the current, kleptocracy. At least under the Soviets they had, food, jobs and housing.
Survivor bias.
Incidentally having actually lived and worked in Russia for a period I can first hand inform you that the food was largely terrible, the jobs were allocated often regardless of interest, talent or capacity, and the housing uniformly dull. I lived in a standard 13 story Soviet apartment block; the grim novelty was interesting for a while, but truly nothing you or I would choose.
Yes in one sense they had 'safe' lives, but in every other sense they had traded their freedom to make their own lives, to risk triumph and failure, to become truly human. Most of us do not truly value this until it is taken from us; then we find that getting it back is much harder than losing it.
You've certainly got around haven't you.
"I lived in a standard 13 story Soviet apartment block; the grim novelty was interesting for a while, but truly nothing you or I would choose. "
I tell you what RL, there are a lot of people in boarding houses, motels, cars and bus shelters in this country who would gladly move into the 13 story Soviet apartment blocks that you hated. And I bet the rent would be way cheaper than what you charge.
" the jobs were allocated often regardless of interest, talent or capacity,"
A lot better than having people trudge round applying for jobs they would never get because they had a shoplifting conviction when they were 16. No unemployment and people could just walk into a job when they finished school.
"food was largely terrible"
Same deal here.
The best description of the Soviet system was probably
"They pretend to pay us and we pretend to work.".
The worst thing about the place was the amount of their production that went to the military. Estimates were that it was around 50% of their total production. Ultimately the whole thing collapsed.
The USA is a system where about 3% goes to the military. That is less than Russia today but more than the 2% or so of China.
http://www.sjsu.edu/faculty/watkins/sovietcollapse.htm
That saying originated in the UK.
He was also the only party leader who admires Marxism.
What do you mean by that? What evidence do you have that Jeremy Corbyn is anything other than a moderate, mildly reformist mainstream thinker who is no more radical than Jacinda Ardern or any other democratic politician?
No, on second thoughts, don't even try. Looking back at other things you've written on this otherwise decent forum, you really don't have a clue.
Your quoting of Sam Harris confirms the general impression of haplessness.
Corbyn described Marx as a "Great Economist".
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_positions_of_Jeremy_Corbyn
I take your other comments comparing Corbyn to Ardern as satire.
Marx was a great economist. You really are clueless.
No, he wasn't.
More the point, we’re discussing Corbyn. And there are reams of refernces to his marxist leanings. Google it.
So what was he? A great cricketer or something?
A word to the wise: someone who quotes Sam Harris as an authority should not be attempting to participate in political/philosophical discussions.
I see that you’ve quoted Ronald Reagan as a humorist as well.
Not looking good for your reputation, my friend.
lol … Sam Harris is a million times better known than any of us. Like Paddington I disagree with many of his positions, but I can listen to his reasoning without wanting to puke. Unlike Marx who seems to have been a vile human being in every sense of the word.
" Like Paddington I disagree with many of his positions, but I can listen to his reasoning without wanting to puke. "
Indeed. I'm a theist, and yet two of my favourite thinkers are/were Sam Harris and Christopher Hitchens. Both atheists.
lol … Sam Harris is a million times better known than any of us.
So is Donald Trump. So is the Christchurch shooter. What legitimacy does that confer on him?
Like Paddington I disagree with many of his positions, but I can listen to his reasoning without wanting to puke.
You have an extraordinarily tough constitution then. How do you feel about his rabid advocacy for Israel's depradations in the Occupied Territories?
Unlike Marx who seems to have been a vile human being in every sense of the word.
Really? Perhaps you could you expand on that statement, which is remarkably light on evidence.
….two of my favourite thinkers are/were Sam Harris and Christopher Hitchens. Both atheists.
Why are you even mentioning their atheism? That has nothing to do with why you support their views on other matters.
I didn't quote Sam Harris as an authority. I plagiarised a wonderful expression he coined.
Now to Marx.
" A GOOD subtitle for a biography of Karl Marx would be “a study in failure”. Marx claimed that the point of philosophy was not just to understand the world but to improve it. Yet his philosophy changed it largely for the worst: the 40% of humanity who lived under Marxist regimes for much of the 20th century endured famines, gulags and party dictatorships. Marx thought his new dialectical science would allow him to predict the future as well as understand the present. Yet he failed to anticipate two of the biggest developments of the 20th century—the rise of fascism and the welfare state—and wrongly believed communism would take root in the most advanced economies. Today’s only successful self-styled Marxist regime is an enthusiastic practitioner of capitalism (or “socialism with Chinese characteristics”). "
https://www.economist.com/books-and-arts/2018/05/03/rulers-of-the-world-read-karl-marx
I would describe Marx as a great thinker, but he was possibly more a Philsopher than an economist. Perhaps he should have stuck to that.
In his letters to Engels it's crystal clear that Marx fully anticipated the constant need for the 'violent overthrow' of the middle classes. The genocidal impulse was baked in at the very beginning, as with all totalitarian revolutionaries, the ends always justifies the means.
Setting aside some of the more vituperative accounts of Marx's personal life isn't straightforward, but it's clear from even those trying to present an even-handed version, that Marx was pretty much a failure at everything he touched. And unpleasantly so at that.
"…that Marx was pretty much a failure at everything he touched. And unpleasantly so at that. "
Agreed.
Morrisey, Reagan's humour was reknowned. Just for you:
A terrific collection of Reagan humour https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgPmFTZyAY0.
And for one of the best political speeches ever delivered https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXBswFfh6AY. That will be the best 29 minutes you’ll have spent in a while.
Morrisey [sic], Reagan's humour was reknowned [sic].
No it was not. He cracked a few jokes, but he never said a thing that could pass for wit. Clinton was sharper, funnier than Reagan. So was George H.W. Bush and his son. So was Obama. So is Trump.
Maybe you thought his Trumpian joke that "We begin bombing Russia in five minutes" was funny?
"How do you feel about his rabid advocacy for Israel's depradations in the Occupied Territories? "
I know that was directed at RedLogix, but unless you can understand the historical, religious and cultural nuances of the Isareli/Palestinian conflict, it is better not going there.
Good Lord, you have a nerve. It's clear from your comments you know less about "the historical, religious and cultural nuances of the Isareli [sic]/Palestinian conflict" than probably anyone else on this forum.
Enough of the prim and inappropriate lectures from you.
"Why are you even mentioning their atheism? "
It's responding to the "I disagree with many of his positions, but I can listen to his reasoning without wanting to puke" comment from RedLogix.
"No it was not."
Yes, it was.
http://sfppr.org/2016/08/president-ronald-reagans-use-of-humor/
http://www.onstage.goodmantheatre.org/2018/01/22/ronald-reagan-the-great-communicator-and-comedian/
https://www.nytimes.com/1984/03/31/us/the-reagan-jokebook-a-sampler.html
" A GOOD subtitle for a biography of Karl Marx would be “a study in failure”.
No, he wasn't. His ideas have pushed millions of people into authoritarian regimes blackened by starvation and state sanctioned murder.
What about the millions of Americans who die each year because they dont have health insurance?
Or is it 'the market' in action?
Always funny when people talk about economists, or philosophers, they have never read.
The ones who quote one sentence, from Adam Smith's two main books, are the funniest.
Especially when they follow Friedman, Von Mises, and Hayek's delusions. Even if they don't fully understand them.
Which have led to poverty, death and blighted lives, for millions, in right wing States.
And. Are currently killing people in so many Western countries.
"Or is it 'the market' in action?"
Not having health insurance is nothing to do with the market, any more than not having vehicle insurance.
"Which have led to poverty, death and blighted lives, for millions, in right wing States. "
'Right wing' is far more than an economic proscription. In fact it is not, in and of itself, an economic system at all.
"It's clear from your comments you know less about "the historical, religious and cultural nuances of the Isareli [sic]/Palestinian conflict" than probably anyone else on this forum. "
You don’t know anything about my knowledge of the subject. I have a very jaundiced view to the actions of both the Israeli's and Palestinians over time, but I understand the context’s at play. I sense you are an apologist for terrorism.
'There have been reports of extreme and homophobic statements from some hardline religious leaders of different faiths concerning coronavirus.
Rabbi Litzman, however, is not among them. What’s more, had Israel’s health minister made such a statement, it would have caused an uproar within Israel, an overwhelmingly liberal and gay-friendly society. A story of this nature would certainly have made headlines in the Israeli press, including the many professional English-language news sites that are easily accessed by journalists the world over.
So where did this story come from? A Pakistan-based website and a progressive secular humanist site that got it from… the Pakistani site.
This is an unfortunate demonstration of how easy it is for fake news to spread from illegitimate sources.'
https://honestreporting.com/hr-prompts-correction-to-false-charge-against-israeli-health-minister/
And the violation of the rules set by his own government?
https://www.haaretz.com/opinion/.premium-netanyahu-must-fire-health-minister-now-1.8742959
God's chosen people!
Yep pretty odd from a health minister….and highlights the dangers of cobbling together coalitions with fringe (or religious) parties.
I have FIVE CRISP NZ DOLLARS for the reporter who asks him if this means he is homosexual, then runs a story under the headline Health Minister Denies Homosexuality.
(Notthattheresanythingwrongwththat)
That's all right Gabby. I have it on very good authority that Ronald Reagan was far worse than that. He wasn't a homosexual. He was a practicing thespian!
And here we go. David Clarke being roasted by NZR yet again. How long can they keep this going?
And what about Simon? Why is he not attracting the media’s attention? People are missing the point about his reasons for being able to just take to the road whenever he wants under the guise of HOLDING THE GOVERNMENT TO ACCOUNT! What if he has an accident which requires the assistance of ambulances,police,tow trucks? Or the requirement of a hospital bed, nurses,doctors, hospital equipment like ventilators and he obviously would insist on his family visiting.
And does he have staff coming in to do his LOO bidding? So many questions to be asked. Go on Tova. Have at it. TOVA….. where are you when the hard questions need to be asked. NZ needs to know the truth behind SS’s road trips.
Poor old Simon. I almost felt sorry him on Morning Report this morning. He started off playing so nice. Didn’t have a bad word to say about David Clark, sympathised with the PM and the rock and the hard place he assumed she was stuck between even in the face of Susie’s unrelenting efforts to get him to be, even just a little bit, snarly. Clearly the Opposition has got the memo from the country about the mood we’re all in even if the Press Gallery hasn’t.
Things went a bit pear-shaped though when the interview turned to the necessity of his marathon commute from Tauranga to Wellington. His work was vital he said, so vital in fact that the very foundations of our democracy depended on Simon doing his work. Work we’re told, may well be even more vital and important than the work of the PM herself. And no, he wasn’t driving to Wellington because of the dodgy internet that bedevils Tauranga. In fact he never said that Tauranga was a shithole with useless wi-fi, not even with his mates on Newstalk ZB.
What a pity Suzie couldn't ask questions about the other two, Dr Reti driving from Northland or the other one driving from Taupo to Wellington, to be on the Select Committee.
Were they like Simon far too important to have to follow the rules that peasants have to?
Is there any evidence that others are also travelling?
So vital, but only a couple of hours three days a week. The other days, it is much less vital for Simon to be in Wellington 24/7, apparently.
https://www.parliament.nz/en/calendar/committee/59188
Simon Bridges is doing NZ politics no favours. It is all about him and his 'vitality'. Once he starts looking like he needs some sleep like Ashley and Jacinda, I’ll might start to take him serious.
PTOL (Part Time Opposition Leader).
Part time leader of the opposition?
Edit: snap
Susie Ferguson has been substandard since she first arrived here…..
https://morrisseybreen.blogspot.com/2018/01/come-back-kim-hill-urgently-oct-19-2013.html
What baffles me is how come China is reporting zero new CV19 cases when epidemiologists in the rest of the world tell us the we are going to have to live with this virus until we either have a vaccine or we get to 60% 'herd immunity'.
China has been reporting zero new indigenous cases since last Friday. If they keep this up for another 10 days or so this means they will have effectively eradicated the virus from within their borders. They haven't got a vaccine, they haven't reached herd immunity, and we're told that everything the CCP says is gospel truth, so exactly what are they doing that the rest of the world doesn't know about?
Extreme lockdown measures red logix. That is what China has been doing. Closing down a city of 11 million people, it’s province and the whole country.
this seems to be the only way to do it
Extreme lockdown measures red logix. That is what China has been doing.
From my link above:
Extreme lockdown is clearly a critically useful measure at the outset of a pandemic, but it's not a viable measure to end one.
My guess is that because the virus can not live outside a host body it will eventually die out under the strict conditions we have now. Hopefully.
The question becomes how do we manage things in the event that we successfully eliminate the virus here in NZ, but it is still present and circulating at low levels in the rest of the world.
Or not low levels but continues to have waves with peaks of large outbreaks that kill people.
Does anyone have a good read on the 60% thing? Is the theory that this would eradicate CV?
SARS-CoV-2 is infectious enough and has already spread far enough that global eradication is very unlikely to happen until there is a vaccine that can be given worldwide, and a concerted worldwide effort to stamp it out. Like with smallpox, or where we're almost at with polio.
The most common pattern of disease that doesn't have a vaccine is most of the time enough people are immune that there are just a few isolated pockets that aren't really very visible that keep the virus circulating until the non-immune population builds back up high enough to sustain an outbreak. Which duly happens. Then the immune population becomes high enough to damp the outbreak down and things calm down until the non-immune population builds back up again. Rinse and repeat. Check out the pre-vaccine history of diseases such as measles.
That assumes a vaccine will be effective at the level of measles or small pox, rather than say influenza. Do we have any sense of that yet?
I'm one of the last generations to have had measles as a child. It was routine for kids to get measles, mumps, chicken pox and rubella. That's not a situation of a few isolated pockets flaring up, that's a situation where presence of those viruses is normal. Flu would be the more serious end of that spectrum in terms of covid.
We may find that over time corona virus becomes less contagious, and there are less serious cases of covid.
I don't know enough about the other SARS-COVs to know where SARS-COV2 sits in relation to all that.
There haven't been any previous vaccines against human coronaviruses. Either they aren't a serious enough problem to bother, such as the small proportion of colds caused by a coronavirus, or have apparently been eradicated prior to a vaccine being developed (SARS and MERS) so the vaccine efforts were dropped.
So there isn't much history around about vaccines against coronaviruses in general to make guesses about efficacy, how long immunity lasts etc. Nor is there much history to go on for how the viruses are likely to evolve. Although I've got tickling is the back of my head that there is a vaccine against an animal coronavirus.
so we're basically in wait and see territory.
Yup. Very much so.
By managing our borders effectively.
How to move from lock down after "eliminating" the virus nationally, or holding it to a very low level, to lower alert levels has always bothered me.
A vaccine or ways of medicating or "curing” Covid-19 seem a couple of years away. For Skegg, and presumably the NZ government, the plan seems to be to keep some very strict controls in place: strict border controls and quarantines for anyone (re)entering the country; continued rigorous surveillance testing so any new outbreaks can be responded to with increased (localised?) alert levels; etc.
So, returning to anything like pre-Covid life is a very long way off… if ever.
Will those countries that develop a fairly high level of herd immunity come out of it earlier?
Or, are we now on our way to a new normal where there will always be a risk of a pandemic from yet another new virus? If so, a certain amount of restriction on or monitoring of international movements will need to be maintained. Plus we would need to maintain a well-prepared health system, and extensive testing, track and trace systems.
Plus as much as possible, a whole new focus on contactless social and work engagements.
Eventually it will die out, within months, if it cannot spread to more hosts.
However the US foolishness, will ensure there is a source of recurrent infection for months, if not years.
However the US foolishness, will ensure there is a source of recurrent infection for months, if not years.
So far only your beloved China has eradicated the virus.
You are funny. I've already made it perfectly clear that I have no regard for the Chinese Government either.
Repeating the US's delusional view of their "exceptionalism" is just fantasy talking.
A country that runs a Navy that is larger than the rest of the world combined (not to mention any of the rest of their capacity) is pretty much by definition 'exceptional'.
That the left in this country has made a fetish of shitting on everything US for at least the last 40 years doesn't change some simple undeniable facts. Since WW2 we have suffered no great power war and unprecedented growth in human development almost everywhere. Facts that most lefties cannot even bring themselves to say without bile rising from their twisted guts.
This post-WW2 US initiated and led order is now coming to an end. It was never an ideal system, and had many moments of madness. The Yanks did their level best to screw it up many times, yet here we are the ungrateful beneficiaries of a system that is about to crumble around our ears.
Good luck with that.
It's the yankistanis who are ripping the world order apart in order to reshape it for their convenience. The size of their navy has nothing to do with their aholeness.
Try imagining a world without the USA. Go on tell us how much better it would be; I'll make it easy, start with the outbreak of WW2 …
Meh. That just delays the Soviet victory and, sure, results in Soviet domination of continental Europe, but the Nazis still lose.
Without the Soviets, the Nazis win.
Unless you want to go further back, and make Mexico a much larger and more dominant nation, and have the Eastern Seaboard still under British constitutional control, in which case Britain wins and the empire lives on, because their American territories got into WW1 in 1914 not 1917 (1918 proper).
Or maybe you meant literally without a land mass in the current US borders? Well then, Hawaii is an independent kingdom and an important trade hub for ships that pass through the great Canadian/Mexican sea. And the currents will be different.
That's the trouble with yankophiliacs: most arguments aren't thought through.
I love the ideals in a lot of the founding documents, but the USA is not "exceptional" in the foreign policy sense of the word ("American Exceptionalism" is shorthand for "we'll do whatever we want without diplomatic constraint, because we're awesome"). Its founders were hypocrites, and its leadership is traditionally corrupt (some more than others).
Like 1775 you mean? That wasn't hard.
Yes. The Russian army essentially defeated the Nazi's at Stalingrad, perhaps the single most insanely brutal battle of all time. Without the US the Soviets would have had zero resistance to occupying a devastated Europe and UK.
The Middle East would have carried on with it's genocidal wars as usual, the rest of the world wouldn't dare ship oil out of the Staits of Hormuz.
The Maoists would have by sheer dint of numbers (and assuming an alliance with the Soviets) eventually annihilated the Japanese and then by marxist revolutionary logic would have expanded their empire over the whole of Asia Pacific.
Assuming the USA did not exist as a united entity, but as a group of loosely affiliated nations, was pretty much just a bystander in all of these events, their natural default position of collective isolationism would have only been reinforced.
This is the truly odd thing most people don’t get about the USA, just how economically and geographically self-sufficient it is. They really don’t need and often don’t give a fuck about the rest of the world, a place they hold in quite dim regard.
Alternative histories are all well and good, but it's impossible to logically posit the modern world absent the singular entity we call the USA. If nothing else the world you and I grew up in would have been very, very different places indeed. Whether better or worse is hard to tell … but as I've asked a few times, with no good answers, if you had to pick an empire to be enslaved under right now … USA or CCP?
Dude, you're the one who said we should try imagining a world without the US. Job done.
Some alternatives are better than today, others not.
But yes, the USA is a fact of life. Like piles and foot corns, but on occasion like roses. At the moment, it is a fact of life like a cesspit dangerously close to the local water source: it will infect everyone.
edit: In answer to your final question, I would point out that without the USA, north american resources would have been deployed in 1914, the war might have been over by 1916, the relative brevity would have made the ToV less punitive (no Nazis, stronger Weimar Republic), and the Russian Revolution might never have taken place. So my choice is “Rule, Britannia”.
Further edit: also, no Great Depression. And without a unified entity, no Revolutionary War because no single alliance with France.
The Middle East wars, are a result of meddling from the West.
Without the USA, with support from Britain, France and Germany, they would have fizzled out long ago, if they ever occurred.
It is the USA which is blockading Iran. Preventing "freedom of the seas".
Up until WW2 Rule Britannia was the ultimate expression of empire; start with merchantile dominance, then the necessity of providing protection to shipping lanes and/or routes compels a military evolution, then expansion of empire to justify paying for it all, and finally cultural hegemony of a character varying between benign and brutal. Empire is always a one to many network, everything goes back to the centre, everything is taxed, levied and regulated by the centre. This has been the repeated pattern for thousands of years.
What so many lefties here have failed dismally to understand is that the US led post WW2 order was never an empire. It was legitimately a hegemony, it dominated many conversations, but in essence it was not interested in occupying territory, imposing taxes and subjugating millions of people. The reason is simple, unlike all empires that came before, the Americans could develop perfectly well without one. Apart from some oil and some materials, the USA simply didn't need to go to the bother of conquering the world in order to grow. Today if you subtract off NAFTA, their trade with the rest of the world is probably <5% of their GDP.
The only thing the USA really asked of it's global alliance is that you be on their side against communism. And from time to time they'd intervene if they perceived you were cheating on the deal.
The problem with this deal is that they won. Once the Cold War was over they now had a global system they didn't really need anymore. And from Clinton onward they've been quietly running it into the ground. Trump merely made it obvious, COVID19 has brought it into sharp relief. The Americans are going home, from their pov they no longer want to be exposed to an unstable, unreliable world that shits on them at every turn. They want out … think Brexit on a global scale.
This of course leaves the rest of the world hanging, Australia and NZ especially, in a very exposed position. Too small to matter much, too far away for the logistics to work, and entirely expendable. We need to think through what this will mean to us. Sooner than we imagine.
Without the USA, with support from Britain, France and Germany, they would have fizzled out long ago, if they ever occurred
Your ignorance of ME history and culture is impressive. It has been perhaps the most unstable, dangerous part of the world since we invented agriculture. (Europe and China being the other two main contenders for the prize).
Just because they're shit at empire doesn't mean that they aren't one. The semantic difference between "empire" and "hegemony" is simply the degree to which they openly express control.
The Soviets and Americans in Afghanistan were just playing the same "Great Game" as the Russians, Ottomans, and British.
Anjd Aus and NZ are in the same boat as every other small power when empires struggle.Try and take a middle ground so you're not a target, and don't jump on the winner's team too late.
Gordon Brown has pointed to the need to eliminate the virus globally, not just country by country. eg there should be an end to bidding wars for PPEs etc.
He is correct in that the virus will not be eliminated or die out, if poor countries don't have the resources to control or eradicate it.
'Never mind' the bidding wars on masks, introducing or increasing sanctions on countries like Iran, Nicaragua and Venezuela isn't the flashest of things to be doing right now (and never was).
Apparently Afghanistan has 3 ICUs. I guess that's par for countries that have been impoverished.
Shall we move on to contemplate the lack of running water for millions of people who are advised to repeatedly wash their hands?
Gordon Brown is being a disingenuous twat. UN bodies like the WHO already exist to operate at the global level. That he wants an even more overtly 'western' world body to police and monitor the world says all we need to know on his thoughts around internationalism and cooperation.
edit Sorry, but lol.
His last line – “Nothing should prevent what is mass produced in and for one country, being also mass produced for other countries.”
Yeah. If only there was a place called China and an ideology that promoted globalisation.
I'm assuming new normal and we won't be able to go back to what we had before. I think this is a good thing, there's a big opportunity here to mesh this with designing systems to address CC and the ecological crises.
If we eliminate covid, then our relationship with travelers from overseas will have to change drastically. Personally I hope it's the death of mass tourism, which is a highly vulnerable industry that was going to fail under climate change anyway and which has been causing major problems in terms of overdevelopment.
Mandatory quarantines at the border could become a business opportunity but I hope this is for essential travel only.
I also understand that the NZ strategy is to get to a point where we can manage small outbreaks that happen from time to time. I'm not yet convinced of the eradication idea, but would be interested in the science on that.
OK. So the PM, in response to questions today in her stand up, gave advice to businesses on how to prepare for a drop to alert level 3.
How will they be able to implement social/physical distancing among staff and customers? What systems will they have in place to enable contact-tracing of anyone who enters their premises?
She said they are preparing more advice to businesses about preparation for an end to level 4.
thanks, that's very helpful.
I also would like to see the end of (pointless) environment degrading, mass tourism.
It also is a drain on local resources, and degrading of public life. In Auckland I have found those big cruise ships to be a blight on the physical and commercial landscape. It makes for a degraded experience for locals trying to get about, and just trying to enjoy being outdoors.
We always were at (and repeatedly warned that there was) "a risk of a pandemic from yet another new virus". The new normal is that people may actually take some notice of that now. My greatest corona fear is the more infections there are, the greater the likelihood of a new more lethal varient evolving!
thread
https://twitter.com/PeterKolchinsky/status/1242654632305995778+-
https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1242654632305995778.html
Joe90
That Twitter link is broken for some reason. The other piece was a bit light on details, but linked to a WaPo article I read some time ago; good to find that again for reference:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/the-coronavirus-isnt-mutating-quickly-suggesting-a-vaccine-would-offer-lasting-protection/2020/03/24/406522d6-6dfd-11ea-b148-e4ce3fbd85b5_story.html
Where importantly, despite the calming tone of the piece; it is clearly stated that the virus has already mutated between China and the USA. Even if that is not yet functionally significant; the more times a virus replicates, the greater the cumulative likelihood that a viable mutation will occur, despite that mutation being very low probability in any specific individual instance.
This seems a huge drawback to the herd immunity approach (even beyond the immediate deaths).
The usual evolutionary trajectory is for less lethality, not more. The earlier and likelier it is to kill its host, the less opportunity it has to spread.
The problem with this little bugger is that it spreads very effectively well before the host even shows any symptoms. It's under very little selection pressure to become less lethal.
Another problem is that mutations are random, selection; for or against, happens later.
Crossing species can speed that up, and so far mammals seem generally susceptible (humans, bats, pangolins, dogs, ferrets, cats and tigers all confirmed so far). Sheep and cattle coming down with Covid would be disastrous for the country (I am not saying cows aren't already a disaster for the country, but their abrupt eradication with no planned transition period would not be easy).
Or imagine if New York had a virus variant that was readily transmissible from rats to humans!
Does China rely on anyone for anything other than food imports?
Well there are the tech inventions they steal.
Intellectual property rights is a big issue.
One of the reasons for the rise of the US economy, after independence, is they refused to recognise and pay for, any UK, property rights, including intellectual "property".
"Do as I say, not as I do".
They are, even now reluctant to recognise other countries patents, while their own "Patent trolls" pinch innovations from all around the world.
Mekkinexcepshism.
I remember they got the patent for asprin from the Versailles Treaty
Minerals and fossil fuels I expect.
China is exceedingly dependent on materials imports. While they import relatively few goods and services, their manufacturing sector is highly dependent on energy, ore and food imports to survive. Many of the source nations are located in unstable regions, or demand the creation of neo-colonial structures to ensure local compliance.
Worse still many of these materials have to be shipped through exceedingly vulnerable shipping lanes and choke points like the Strait of Malacca they do not have the capacity to defend.
Then there are the demographics, a rapidly ageing society that cannot depend on young people to drive domestic consumption and a govt that derives it's legitimacy solely on the proposition that the people will tolerate their authoritarian thuggery as long as the CCP delivers growth. Well that calculus is all coming under a lot of examination.
Yes the CCP has delusions of celebrating the 100th year of the revolution as triumphant masters of the world, with the Middle Kingdom firmly back at the centre of all things … but it remains to be seen quite whether things will work out this way.
Haha. Simon ‘my work is so vitally important I’ll start a petition’ Bridges.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2020/04/coronavirus-national-s-petition-for-mandatory-quarantining-received-unprecedented-response-simon-bridges.html
"Fast-forward to now. We see international travel almost at a standstill, global trade shrinking fast, and barriers to movement rising everywhere. This time, it’s for health reasons rather than economic or political ones, but the effects are the same.
But this is more than trade war. It’s trade war on steroids… and it is going to get worse."
https://www.interest.co.nz/opinion/104452/patrick-watson-mauldin-economics-warns-if-you-think-you-have-already-seen-trade-war
A new autarky?….think its safe to assume at least a move in that direction.
A new autarky?….think its safe to assume at least a move in that direction.
That way lies a reversion to the era before globalisation got underway in the mid-1800's. In a word … empire …. in all it's naked brutality.
Not safe at all.
There are degrees of autarky….but whether you view it as a positive or a negative is irrelevant…the point is it is happening and as the article notes is increasing.
Yes it's happening alright, and well before CV19. The US for instance has been slowly but surely retreating into it's default isolationism since the end of the Cold War. Trump's MAGA slogan was the last hurrah, CV19 is just the nail in the coffin of US internationalism.
How you can claim that a view on the matter must be 'irrelevant', strikes me as weird. Of course there are degrees of autarky, but in the general rush to the exits from the present global order … no-one seems interested in discussing what must logically replace it.
Broadly we have two options, a reversion to merchantile/militaristic empire … or a refreshed, reset and re-invigorated global order. Imagining that life will just more or less carry on as it did before is delusional.
Its irrelevant in our ability to affect its progress….the paradigm isnt set in the minnow economies…we simply react.
And see something of a self contradiction in the acknowledgement of degree and the switch to a binary position.
Its irrelevant in our ability to affect its progress….the paradigm isnt set in the minnow economies…we simply react.
Right there. You've implicitly agreed that the decision will be made by the great powers … empire.
Now pick which one … the CCP or the USA?
gotcha!!…lol
tell me a time when the dominant powers didnt write the rules?
Do they always have to? After all the rest of the world outnumbers the USA and China combined … maybe we should just gang up on them 🙂
thats the same argument about democracy…all we need to do is get the numbers to vote in the policies we want…and yet here we are.
No it's the same argument used to excuse small nations like NZ not having to bother about climate change because nothing we could do would make any difference ….
Its a similar problem….you can call it an excuse if you like….the reality is climate change will require international co-operation for an effective response just as international trade requires international co-operation but the fact remains both problems require a set of rules/guidelines that are agreed and those countries (or industries/vested interest) with more power have more influence in what those guidelines will be….consider if the US determined that CC was its most important issue and decided that they were going to require carbon accounting from every country wishing to do business with them what the result would be worldwide.
…and then consider the impact if NZ did the same thing
Yes … the great powers exercise an outsized influence because they have scale, they're more connected and central to the decision making process.
Now imagine what we could do if we went to the next big leap in scale … if we really did create a global federation of nations that had real authority, and real democratic accountability … just imagine what that could get done.
Keep in mind that for 10,000 years or more everyone thought slavery while an undesirable thing, was inevitable and normal. Until suddenly it wasn't.
Some heroic assumptions there
That's the point of my last para.
10,000 yrs ago no human on earth could have imagined our modern nation state and this high tech, intensely connected global world of 7.5b people. Anyone even faintly suggesting such a thing would have been accused of 'heroic assumptions' … at best.
So my question to you is simply this; is there any fundamental reason why the vision I have outlined above is not possible? Is where we are at now the apex of all human political evolution? That we can never devise a system with a broader and more capable scope than the nation state?
I wouldnt argue its not possible but I would argue it is so exceedingly unlikely it is unwise to ignore other more realistic options in its pursuit
Every thing of human invention was 'exceedingly unlikely' until it suddenly was. Then it was regarded as obvious.
"Every thing of human invention was 'exceedingly unlikely' until it suddenly was."
ah well there we differ again for as Newton said "we stand upon the shoulders of giants"
A family stands on the shoulders of it's members, a nation on it's citizens. So exactly what is so hard about the idea of a united humanity standing on the shoulders of it's nations?
To me it's logical and inevitable; I'm just waiting for everyone else's imagination to catch up with the 'exceedingly unlikely'.
"To me it's logical and inevitable; I'm just waiting for everyone else's imagination to catch up with the 'exceedingly unlikely'."
"Logical and inevitable", or fanciful? Hope you're a patient soul RL.
US Debt approaches 24..is that trillion. Here is Mike Maloney discussing the last 30 years of recession, Fed buying shares in public companies now. Makes me think that Harry Dent who predicted US treasuries were the safest place to be right now and gold is not the future might be right when he says the sharemarket will return to highs, perhaps even the highest yet in a couple of months. And then of course the USD will die, possibly dragging us with it…maybe we will be able to limit the effect.
Plenty of charts as usual. Calls this the Zombified: USA. That's been the case for awhile now, as Maloney says 30 years.
The US dollar remains the core reserve currency of the world. (The last month has of course seen a rush back to US dollars for safety, demolishing arguments that the era of the dollar is over).
What this means is that total US dollar debt should not be solely compared to US GDP. Because it is the nearest thing (and an imperfect thing at that) we have to a global currency, it needs to be seen in that light as well. This of course is not an easy thing to quantify …. Keynes bancor would have been a far more elegant scheme.
The idiot who fired Captain Crozier has resigned after recordings of him berating sailors on the USS Theodore Roosevelt were leaked to media.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52209105
Really? Trump's gone?
Oh, I see. You mean that the patsy he used to get underlings to toe the line has been discarded once they became an inconvenience. So; business as usual then.
And the supreme court in the US just forced people in Wisconsin to go vote in person. The democratic Governer tried to block voting in person. But then, the republican and moral conservative majority decided that going to vote in person is the godly thing to do.
Can't make this shit up. The US is a failed state. https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2020/4/7/1935293/-These-images-from-Wisconsin-should-be-a-red-hot-warning-for-the-rest-of-us-about-November-s-election?utm_campaign=trending
The GOP knows many of their voters are likely to disbelieve in C19, and will turn out to vote when Dem voters won’t. Of course some will die, bit it's a small price to pay to keep the GOP in power.
btw, the five conservative justices who voted to disallow remote voting voted remotely
The main thing that is at stake right now is a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Most of the other things being voted on are primaries.
As I posted last evening on yesterdays Open Mike, Democracy is severely under threat in the US. There are markedly less voting places in areas of largely democrat influence, compared with numerous voting place in the Reg areas. The gerrymandering by the Wisconsin Reps ensured that despite a 54% vote for the Democrat candidate in the 2018 election the Repugs took 63 of the state's 99 assembly races.
Voting queues in Democrat areas:
Joe Biden was also encouraging people to get out and vote in Wisconsin…just as he did in the lead up to the Illinois, Florida and Arizona primaries.
The Ohio Governor, Dewine (Republican) pulled that state's primary on "health and safety" grounds after judges ruled against postponement.
Maybe there's a reason why the Democratic Governor in Wisconsin can't follow that lead?
The Democratic governor of Wisconsin tried several things to postpone the election and extend the deadline for postal voting, and was overruled by Repug majorities in the Wisconsin legislature, the Repug majorities in the Wasconsin courts, and finally by the Repug majority in the US Supreme Court.
https://www.vox.com/2020/4/7/21212240/wisconsin-election-primary-coronavirus-voting
https://www.vox.com/2020/4/6/21209670/wisconsin-governor-delays-election-tony-evers-republicans-state-supreme-court
Why didn't he just throw "health and safety" (ie – public emergency or whatevs) at it?
That worked for DeWine in Ohio. What's so different about Wisconsin?
Different states have different laws.
In particular, after Evers was elected but before he was sworn in the Wisconsin Repug majority legislature and Scott Walker (the previous Repug governor) stripped a lot of powers from the governor. With a particular focus on removing governor's powers over regulations affecting worker's rights, health and safety, and voting rights. Though I'm not sure if that affected anything Evers could conceivably have done in this particular situation.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/dec/14/wisconsin-scott-walker-strip-power-democrats-signs-legislation
In Ohio, DeWine got the Director of the state's Department of Health to close all polling stations. In other words, the governors own powers aren't a question – just their smarts?
Governor's powers and the powers of the various state governmental departments all vary widely from state to state. They all have their own, different constitutions and structures. For instance, Nebraska's state legislature has only one chamber while all the rest have a lower and upper chamber of some description.
That one governor and state government department has the power to make a particular order or perform an action says nothing whatsoever about whether the governor of a different state could do something similar.
Yup. I get that Andre. But we're talking about the power of a state's department of health – not the power of a governor or whatnot.
As per the link (above or below), Andrea Palm was at the very least signalling an openess to "shutting it all down". I could guess (just a guess mind) that she'd have to be requested to put shut down orders in place because "jurisdiction" and "boundaries"or whatever.
Of course, it might be the case that public health holds no sway in Wisconsin and that the DoH has no power and their orders no effect. But that would be an incredibly odd state of affairs, no?
Mayors sent a letter asking that she exercise the emergency powers delegated to you under section 252.02 of the Wisconsin State Statutes.
Evers was also copied into the communication.
As noted in that Common Dreams link (citing a Politico piece) – The plea from the mayors could mirror a move that took place in Ohio. After a court declined to postpone Ohio's primaries, which were originally scheduled for March 17, Gov. Mike DeWine's top health official shuttered polling places. The move did not formally postpone Ohio's primary but effectively did as much…
All in all, it looks to a neutral observer that Evers may have been making a show of things and actively avoiding doing anything substantive.
Evers wasn't sufficiently authoritarian dictatorial for your taste? Got it.
Never mind what laws might have been in the way of taking the actions that those mayors may have ignored or not considered.
Or maybe there were other considerations not discussed in the various links thrown around so far.
From April 6
"In-person voting, by definition, inhibits our ability to physically distance. The recent consolidation of polling locations in many parts of Wisconsin would result in mass gatherings. In-person voting would, without questions, accelerate the transmission of COVID-19," Wisconsin Health Secretary Andrea Palm said Monday. "And an increase in the number of cases in Wisconsin would result in more deaths."
And yet…
bill this went all the way to the Supreme Court. It is a very contentious ruling by the 5 Republican appointed Supreme Court Justices over the 4 dissenting Democrat appointed Justices – the ruling which now becomes Federal Case Law will now apply across all states. It is an appalling decision and has effectively undermined any pretence of democratic process existing in the US.
A very good analysis is here:
https://www.vox.com/2020/4/6/21211378/supreme-court-coronavirus-voting-rights-disenfranchise-rnc-dnc
Yeah, but Macro, that's all about extending postal votes and such like. It's not about postponing the elections. As the Gov of Ohio found out, a way (the only way?) to do that is sidestep all the procedural/legal nonsense and have the Dept of Health slap "shut down" notices on polling stations.
Evers didn't do that in spite of the state's Health Sec signalling a willingness to act.
As an aside, tribal Democrat good/Republican bad crap doesn't help matters . Neither party has an exclusive claim to goodness or cuntiness.
Biden wanted the in person vote to go ahead. As did others from both the Democratic and Republican camps. I see no reason to believe that Evers wasn't just indulging in a bit of showmanship and bullshit, and a fair bit of circumstantial evidence by way of the Mayors letter and the statements by the Health Sec to suggest that he was.
I think you misunderstand just how serious the current threat to Justice (the 3rd wing of Government) in the US is right now .Yes you can witter on about bad republican just as bad democrat, but to do so is to seriously miss the point. The villain in the piece is McConnell, and the right of the GOP who essential have been using the past 6 years of GOP Senate majority, to first restrict the appointment of progressive minded Justices, and in the past 3 years, to openly rush through many young unqualified right wing conservative judges to senior positions in the Judicial system thereby ensuring that any hope of progressive action is doomed from the start.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_federal_judges_appointed_by_Donald_Trump
This is why the Republicans support Trump – and in particular the religious right wing because of their hatred of abortion, human rights, LGBTQ and anything pertaining to a progressive agenda.
With the Courts now heavily stacked with right wing conservatives for the next 3 decades any real hope for progress in the US has been effectively stamped out. This will be the Legacy of Trump and McConnell.
See https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/12/9/20962980/trump-supreme-court-federal-judges
That's a whole other conversation and entirely beside the point I was making – that a Health and Safety order could have by-passed all the judicial nonsense just as happened in Ohio.
The Governor didn't explore that avenue in spite of several mayors copying him into a letter they sent to the state's Health Secretary asking that be done – a Health Sec. who seems to have signaled an openess to taking such action.
Maybe he had good reason for not going down that route. And maybe the Health Sec has a good reason for not making a unilateral decision.
Or maybe it's just all just so much politics from actors of both camps who view voters as expendable widgets.
Wisconsin is gerrymandered AF and holding on to the state supreme court is crucial to the GOP maintaining control.
Tuesday’s mess of an election in Wisconsin is the culmination of a decade of efforts by state Republicans to make voting harder, redraw legislative boundaries and dilute the power of voters in the state’s urban centers.
The Republican-dominated state legislature, which has held a majority since 2011, due in part to gerrymandered maps, refused to entertain the Democratic governor’s request to mail absentee ballots to all voters or move the primary. Then the State Supreme Court, which is controlled by conservative justices, overturned the governor’s ruling to postpone the election until June.
Now Wisconsin is conducting an election that the state’s largest newspaper — which previously endorsed Republican leaders including former Gov. Scott Walker — called “the most undemocratic in the state’s history.”
Here’s a look at how it came to this point.
http://archive.li/oWrwb (NYT)
Exactly!
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/apr/07/wisconsin-votes-controversial-election-coronavirus-us-election-2020
The state assembly speaker is a contemptible POS, too.
Madison is even more strongly Dem than Milwaukee. It's about the only island of sanity between Lake Michigan and the Rockies.
That disparity likely more reflects Madison being a young wealthy student town, while polling resources in Milwaukee are stretched much thinner by poverty and just general racism.
Aint this the truth!
to be honest i have no fucking idea what he says.
But the reason these guys are voting in person, in 5 places only rather then 180 as usual, is because the conservative supreme court manned by Roberts and Beerboy Kavanough (who btw are not in person hearings atm casue VIRUS) thought it was aok for the people to stand in line, in rain, hail, to vote in person. Reason? A conservative Judge needs to be re-elected by hook n by crook.
frankly i don't give a flying fuck about Biden – i would hold my nose, use a barge pole, full body hazmat suit and vote, but this is bullshit.
Oh and these are not queues in Democratic areas, these are the queues in ALL areas, as 175 polling / voting locations have been shut down bar 5.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/06/us/politics/supreme-court-voting-wisconsin-virus.html
https://nypost.com/2020/04/07/ruth-bader-ginsburg-slams-supreme-court-decision-on-wisconsin-voting/
https://edition.cnn.com/2020/04/06/politics/supreme-court-coronavirus-ginsburg-wisconsin/index.html
Fuck me but this is getting dumb.
Nearly 2000 deaths in one day in the US. Trump's doing well, isn't he?
Yup. More Americans have died from COVID-19 than died from 9/11 and the subsequent Afghanistan and Iraq wars added together
well as he stated, if 'only' 100.000 – 240.000 die he did a good job, also he is not responsible for anything, is not a shipping clerk and WHO is at fault.
next question? And please make it not a nasty question asked by a women of colour.
Right now that 'nasty millenial woman of colour' that everyone likes to hate, Tulsi Gabbard, would probably be the best person to be in the White House.
Do you think she'd put up with the bullshit for more than 300msec?
she would swallow it. 🙂
good grief, dude, is that all you got?
because the lady from hawaii is nowhere to be seen and the women of colour who are told they are nasty and not loyal enough are African American journalists who do their job, while their white male counterpart do fuck all.
bye felicia.
Suddenly Gabbard isn't a woman of colour enough it seems. Just nasty …
Just in case that you don't know, and it seems you don't:
Gabbard was a wanna be presidential runner to nowhere whose best job options now are either with Fox or RT. And once she has that job she will be a women of color who might ask nasty question of the puddle of runny shit seriously, why don't you go back to extort the goodness of landlords like you, you might make more sense.
It really does not behoove you well to pretend to be dumb, racist and dense.
Plus deaths not recorded as due to Covid 19.
It was a smidgen early for the Washington Post piece IMHO.
We are going to get inevitable comparisons between ourselves and Australia's own economic and social impact responses. Their social lockdown not as strong, their economic hit not as hard. What's the measurable difference?
The sentiment is awesome – let's just wait until we're clearer that the curve is stabilising.
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
WTF: Where in the hell did that response come from? Diversion city?
Of course she wasn’t comparing our responses to aussie. She was writing an article for publication in the US.
I didn’t mention aussie apart from using an ABC article for an example on maths.
But if we’re going to diverge into a completely separate topic to my post I’ll push this to OpenMike…
The responses have also pretty damn variable across the Aussie states which means that a cross-analysis is going to be somewhat hard – even between Aussie states. Not to mention the large differences in the economies between NZ and aussie.
The structure of your article was to compare an international media response from a reporter who had covered a number of countries, to the responses of our local politicians. So no, not a diversion.
From today onward we are going to get a lot more of these comparisons – whether they are fair, or comparable, or reasonable, or not. Australia is the one we will be compared to the most, in particular because their media already actively compares their leadership to ours.
We locals of course have optimism bias, and the reporter I believe shared the same optimism bias as a local – but it was too early to make the judgement she made. She should have waited until the curve was clear.
The daily new case rate per million is about the same between NZ and Oz but Oz has a much higher daily death rate. Part of that is because we made the oldies go into isolation earlier – my father was being told to stay home about a week or more before we went into level 3 – so in NZ it is the young 20-29 who are over represented amongst those catching it.
Yes the hard comparisons will arrive once both New Zealand and Australia are released – area by area – from the highest restrictions.
From that point on we get to see whether New Zealand's deeper recession and slower recovery was worth the health benefits of lockdown, or whether Australia's less uniform and less extreme lockdown measures provided for lower health outcomes in the next months but a shallower recession and a faster recovery.
All the comparisons are odious, but they are going to start coming in thick and fast..
The new case rate is now about the same betwen Oz and NZ, but the new case rate per million population is 5 times larger in NZ now than Oz,although both seem to be declining. This may be because Australia started the infection curve before NZ or because the testing rate was far higher in Oz than NZ initially (NZ getting much better now). The deaths in Australia are more because of the particularly high numbers of older Aussies on cruise ships that incubated the disease and then returned already infected. There have been some spectacular blunders like the Ruby Princess after sailing to NZ returned to Sydney and NSW authoriites and the ABF allowed everyone to leave willy nilly despite evidence that passengers had COVID-19. Now a subject of a criminal investigation in NSW.
Australia has 6,000 cases and 50 dead (figures are rounded up). That is a lot of deaths for Covid-19.
That's correct, but the comparison emphasises just how hard it is to compare different countries properly. The death rate in Australia reflects the number of older people who have been on disease ridden cruise ships. Australia's new case numbers are now lower than NZ's and declining, despite the higher fatality rate. Each state and territory is now virtually shut off from the rest. Rules on physical distancing and staying at home, restrictions on movements are comparable to NZs everywhere, although not quite as strict. Scomo and state and territory premiers are constantly reminding Australians that their version of the lockdown won't be eased any time soon. Like NZ, Australia has benefited from the fact that the vast majority of infections came from overseas and from a younger cohort (apart from the cruise ships). There have been more blunders and more confusion at times compared to NZ, but generally the governments seem to be more on top of it now.
And will he claim travel expenses for his trips to Wellington and back? How big will his travel bill be during lockdown? All MPs should have to lodge claims for their travel over this period. Then we'd see…..
Or we’d save some money from the lying bastards’ false claims…..
Hehehehehe
Damn. John Prine, another victim of Covid 19.
OMG! Thanks for the heads up.
I was a great fan, back in the day.
May he be in Paradise. RIP, John Prine. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEy6EuZp9IY
Fist pump moment from this parent. WOOO HOOOOO Thanks Mr Hipkins:)
Yeah !!!! Dedicated TV channel for educating the kids during the lock down.
Awesomesauce, because some in our local rural communities struggle with the net, this is such good news for them 🙂
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/education/120897089/coronavirus-government-reveals-88m-learning-from-home-package-for-all-students
Excellent
A educational TV service has been proposed in one form or another for about 50 years. I read somewhere that the Kirk government were even going to have TV2 as an educational channel, but I think Roger Douglas chopped the idea (no suprises there).
Glad to see it finally got off the ground.
I don't think it will be a permanent thing. They are planning to use Maori TV for the Te Reo home schooling, plus I suspect they'll use TVNZ's pop-up channel – the one they use on occasion for international sporting events.
This really excellent news and long overdue – I might even watch it myself 🙂
Devil in the detail. Channels will run 9 to 3pm according to Min of Ed..
If that is for one cohort it would be crazy for kids to be watching the screen for 5 hours daily. So I guess it must mean a couple of hours for each cohort. An interesting challenge to make that seem relevant to a wide range of kids. Not against it at all but await the details
As the number of new Covid-19 cases drops, there's more and more talk of coming out of lockdown. Partly genuine optimism, partly cabin fever, and partly unhelpful media noise.
This is a problem, because the options are not "lockdown" versus "no lockdown". It's about whether we move from Level 4 to 3. That's all. Not a VE-day party on the street.
Level 3 includes:
– mass gatherings cancelled
– public venues closed (eg libraries, museums, cinemas, food courts, gyms, pools, amusement parks)
– alternative ways of working required and some non-essential businesses should close
So next time you hear somebody say "Only X days until I can go to the gym / get my dumplings" … might want to set them straight. (This advice applies especially to all uninformed talkback hosts, which is all talkback hosts).
Yep.
What do you think the main differences are between L4 and L3?
The line "some non-essential businesses should close" is the one that will need to be firmed up. It suggests that local shopping centres will start to see some activity – fruit and veg, butchers, maybe cafes (although hospo is a tricky one). And more travel to/from those areas
There's going to be a lot of disappointment, any way it's done. (Haircut? Non-essential I'd say, and a real close contact … but you can see how many arguments there will be).
As I recall, the PM today in her press conference said there will be more details in future about what is allowed when we go down to level 3: eg some schools may be allowed to be open, but not be allowed to have assemblies, and seating [robably would need to be arranged to enable social distancing, etc.
I certainly hope the bakeries are open under L3 again; I'm baking bread as we speak here. While I'm relatively good at baking and cooking – thanks Mum – the German / French / Italian bakeries here in Wellington produce a little bit nicer bread and I see them as essential, support-worthy services all year round (incl. times of pandemics).
As from a couple of days ago:
The article mentions it applies to bakeries as well. So maybe check if any of your favourite bakeries sell online & do home deliveries?
In Spain – Ms Calvino, who is also deputy prime minister, said the government’s ambition was that UBI could become something that “stays forever, that becomes a structural instrument, a permanent instrument”.
And I didn't know that Iran already had a UBI.
I'm not convinced that UBI would be the best way to ensure that we don't go back to those pre-covid days, but for while the economic impacts of the virus continue….
To restart the economy, we need to ensure money to circulate, gets in the hands of those who will spend it.
A UBI, is a good way of doing it.
As you know I support the idea in principle.
Long term, unless we change our current settings, especially housing and taxation, it will either be too little to make a difference, the TOP, version, or too expensive and will end up mostly in the hands of landlords.
Why UBI instead of mended welfare?
I will be pleased, if we even get the welfare working group recommendations, actioned, at this stage.
Though a lot of middle class now becoming the "Bludging benes" , they despised, and finding out how truly miserly it is, we will see a lot of pressure to raise welfare.
It will also, as even the US republicans have figured out, fill the need to put a lot of money in the hands of people that will spend it, to get trade moving again.
I suppose I am asking hypothetically, in an ideal world, a good UBI vs good welfare, why we might want a UBI. What if the dole was made freely available to those that need it? No stand downs, no bullshit from WINZ, no abatement rate. Essentially a UBI but instead of paying it to everyone, pay it to those that need it.
need it?…or want it?
either? Make the criteria loose enough that we don't have to squabble over who gets it, but it won't automatically be given to Gareth Morgan or even my upper middle class siblings who have very secure jobs and careers.
well if its need then we already have it …whether its sufficient is another argument
the rate of benefits aside, currently we don't have a needs based system. We have a system that puts barriers in the way of people all the time. A needs based system would look at people's actual needs and address them.
that wouldnt be a UBI then, or even a limited or targeted UBI (like National Super)…a UBI dosnt personalise to needs.
Indeed a UBI on its own would have less ability than the current welfare system to address personalised needs…and thats saying something
depends on whether the U is universal or unconditional. I'm suggesting the latter. Rather than paying everyone, make the payment available to those that need it and make that unconditional.
We can make it what ever we want.
whether its unconditional or universal its still a set payment that is not individualised….to meet those requirements would require an additional process/system and then already we are moving away from one of the main suggested advantages of simplicity and low bureaucracy and therefore administrative cost.
not sure what you mean there Pat. The dole is a set rate, it's not adjust to individual situations. In that sense it's universal across those that get it. I'm suggesting we make it unconditional (remove all the bullshit around thinking people are lazy and have to be forced to work).
But any UBI will always need welfare bolted on, the system of additional payments that are individual needs based. This is because not everyone will be able to work to make up the shortfall in income. Any UBI without welfare bolted on will immediately put vulnerable people in worse poverty and will create and even worse neoliberal hellscape than we have now. A UBI that gets rid of welfare is the right's best dream.
"But any UBI will always need welfare bolted on, the system of additional payments that are individual needs based"
And seldom is that considered when UBI is promoted. It is one of several weaknesses I see in the whole UBI proposition and struggle to see why so many think its a cure all
yep, me too. I'm tending now to look more at whether mending welfare is a better proposition, or the hybrid of the two.
I can see what you mean.
If we could accurately target welfare to only those in need?
But we already know targeting is expensive, inefficient and often gets to the noisiest, rather than the neediest.
If we don't have an abatement rate, then it becomes a UBI.
We should get rid of steep abatement rates that mean someone earning just above the welfare rates, effectively, has a higher marginal tax rate, than a millionaire.
Maybe not *only those that need it, but more those that apply. Instead of giving it to everyone including those that don't need it.
"But we already know targeting is expensive, inefficient and often gets to the noisiest, rather than the neediest."
Do we? How much of that is logistic? Poor system design? WINZ punitive culture?
I think I'm suggesting a UBI/welfare hybrid. There are good things about our welfare system, we often lose sight of them because of the neoliberalisation of the system.
Part of that hybrid must surely be individual entitlement i.e. no relationship status for benefit purposes.
The concept of relationship status is inescapably fraught. It's near impossible to administer the legal test properly and all over the country peoples' lives are needlessly turned upside down on a daily basis, all because the state has the power to tell people that because of the so-called "nature" of their relationship with someone else, that someone else should be providing financial support as well, so there's no entitlement to a benefit. Families are ripped apart, people end up with huge debt or are thrown in prison. It's crazy. If benefits were individualised none of this would happen.
Individual entitlement should be seen as a first step towards fixing the current mess.
When you say no abatement rate are you meaning no income test? This would mean entitlement regardless of income, which is getting pretty close to a UBI. I guess that could still leave an asset test but even main benefits aren't asset-tested.
I meant the abatement on additional income. But yes, the asset test also needs to be addressed. Too many beneficiaries have been asset stripped by WINZ.
I wholly agree that the thinking needs to go beyond the confines of a welfare v UBI model, for all of the reasons you've already raised here and elsewhere. This isn't as easy as it sounds, though, because as soon as we start talking about a needs-based system without the complexity, judgementalism, administrative cost etc, the question becomes one of how to determine need. This in turn brings back the idea of assessing a person's income and means testing generally. The income test in our current welfare system is the machinery that in a general sense defines its targeted nature, as opposed to a universal approach which is the basis of a UBI.
An important practical and achievable way forward in the short term I think is getting rid of relationship status. Individual benefit entitlement is very relevant to the targeted/universal/welfare/UBI question. Whilst it wouldn't create a fully universal arrangement straight away (if indeed that ends up being something we want) it's necessary for beginning to address the problem. What it would also do of course is straight away dispense with the impossible task of determining who should be financially responsible for another person based on an examination of the "nature" of a relationship between two people, the establishment of large debt, prosecution, imprisonment and so on. But it's also very relevant to making sure that efforts made to fix the welfare mess head in the right direction.
or too expensive and will end up mostly in the hands of landlords.
If you really hate your landlord that much, go to the bank and buy a house. And don't come whining at me that it's 'too expensive'. Do you imagine anyone gave free houses to your landlord?
I have a house.
I decided to be "part of the solution, rather than the problem," and started a real business, a while ago now, building houses!
And. If houses are too expensive for landlords, it is their own fucking fault. Speculating in house price rises.
KJT, RedLogix chose to believe that your comment @24.1 impugned the integrity of landLORDs, so by his ‘logic’ you must be a tenant.
His 'lordly' response @24.1.2 (“buy a house“; “don’t come whining at me“) was both funny and sad.
The really sad part about Redlogix statement, is that in many cases, the tenants are, giving free houses to their landlord.
With almost no investment by the landlord, the rent is paying all the loan and capital costs for the house. Leaving the landlord with a substantial asset, debt free, after a few years, which, until now, has appreciated in value, nicely.
So many of them are the same people who rail against giving "free money" to those that need it, such as their tenants.
And in many small towns where there's high unemployment people can't get loans to buy houses so are paying more in rent than what mortgage repayments would be. House prices are relatively lower than in other areas so mortgages repayments are often easily manageable, but rents are high because rental property demand is high which is caused by the fact the unemployed can't get a mortgage. Landlords in those situations are increasingly out-of-towners, from the larger cities.
For me, the biggest difference between level 3 and 4 is that I will be able to again socially spend time with people, and then not spend time with people. The; all the same crew, all the time, bubble is getting a bit stale…
And babysitting!
[Supposed to be reply to weka at 23.1]
More Bauer Media shenanigans, this time in Australia.
https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/pacific-magazines-to-sue-bauer-media-over-40m-takeover-deal-20200408-p54i4q.html
A question
Why isn't there a list of the employers receiving the subsidy. The search function can either be too broad so employers can't be identified or they may have used a name they are not usually known by.
And looks like another bunch getting the subsidy rather than chopping high end wages,
New Zealand Rugby 2018 reports suggests 6 executives share $3.6 mill , 2019 not yet published and the cut is apparently 20%. So give or take a few hundred thousand 6 people getting around $2.9 million. Hard to say what the subsidy is as there is no listing for New Zealand Rugby on the site.
Decent of them to insist us taxpayers raise a loan to protect their salary.
"However, subsequently NZR has clarified that the cuts are in fact by 20 per cent. "NZR staff (including All Blacks management) and the board have had a 20 per cent cut, which was able to be kept to 20 per cent thanks to the Government wage subsidy," it said in a statement on Thursday."
https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/120737427/coronavirus-nz-rugby-announces-a-20-per-cent-cut-across-the-board
He's good.
"We’re talking to all the great faith leaders… the pope… Joel Osteen…"
A survey commissioned by Kantar, the parent company of Colmar Brunton, showed that 88% of New Zealanders trust the government to make the correct decisions around the response to Covid-19. Results also showed that public trust in the New Zealand government is 83%.
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/poll-88-kiwis-trust-governments-coronavirus-response-vastly-higher-than-other-nations
Note: The survey was taken between April 3-5, so before the David Clark story broke.
Are you surprised?
That is pretty well normal for polls after such events. Did you know that in polls by Gallup in the US George W Bush got a 90% approval rating in a poll done about 10 days after the 9/11 attack?
It bettered the 89% that his father received a week or so after the finish of the destruction of the Iraq Army in Kuwait in 1991. Of course about 15 months later George HW was down to 29%.
This is what I expected and why I think she will go for an early election, probably in early June. It'll wipe out the Greens and NZF but I think it is her best chance of winning.
https://news.gallup.com/poll/4924/bush-job-approval-highest-gallup-history.aspx
I don’t think many of us in here are the least bit surprised alwyn.
And as for Dubya he got a second term of course, which had seemed improbable before 9/11.
I should have added one. Just after the Bay of Pigs, which was probably the greatest stuff up ever by a President in my lifetime Kennedy got his highest ever approval rating of 83%. Go figure.
Yeah but the stuff up wasn’t apparent at the time, at least not to the wider American public. You’re looking back with the benefit of hindsight of course.
Anyway, like it or not, I think there will be a more enduring element to the support the PM us getting from us all now. The times are extraordinary and the course she has charted is extraordinary, these events alone will likely see her elevated to that (miserably) small club of our very best prime ministers.
'Murica
Pompeo has the style and modus operandi of one of Tony Soprano's thugs. His brutal and cynical policies are supported by a coup-supporting ‘human rights’ group funded by a billionaire cold warrior.
https://thegrayzone.com/2020/04/08/billionaire-human-rights-watch-sanctions-nicaragua-venezuela/
"What's remarkable about the lockdown isn't the hue and cry about the economic damage–it's the absence of any critical curiosity as to how our economy became so fragile that only the wealthiest contingent can survive a few weeks on savings or rainy-day funds.
A healthy, resilient economy would be able to survive a few weeks of lockdown without a multi-trillion dollar bailout of every racket in the land. A society that wasn't threadbare financially and socially would be able to function and accept individual sacrifices for the common good"
Finally found someone saying the thing that has been confusing me this week. Not that I agree with everything in this piece by CH Smith – he's American and therefore rabidly anti-statist. But his core point is important – will the crisis make us circle back to the question of what an economy is for? I guess not.
Exactly.Apart from a small piece in Scoop by Gordon Campbell & Shane Jones having a crack at Fletchers the media seem to have given this the big swerve. No attempt whatsoever to investigate whose trotters are too deep into the trough and why. They just print the corporate press releases verbatum.
This.
Ugandan policeman loses it over people breaking covid 19 curfew.
(nsfw language)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dU0LtAN-e6A&feature=youtu.be
With a rant like that, I'd be worried about him "speaking moistly".
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/justin-trudeau-speaking-moistly-coronavirus_n_5e8d2b05c5b62459a930ab0a
Assorted neo-Nazis/facists ensconced in a Thiel-backed mass-surveillance venture with access to invasive data and inside info on law enforcement and national security operations. What could possibly go wrong.
Advanced facial recognition technology poses a mortal threat to privacy. It could grant the government, corporations and even average citizens the ability to capture a photo of anybody and, with a few keystrokes, uncover all kinds of personal details. So when The New York Times published an exposé about a shadowy facial recognition firm called Clearview AI in January, it seemed like the worst nightmare of privacy advocates had arrived.
Clearview is the most powerful form of facial recognition technology ever created, according to the Times. With more than 3 billion photos scraped surreptitiously from social media profiles and websites, its image database is almost seven times the size of the FBI’s. Its mobile app can match names to faces with a tap of a touchscreen. The technology is already being integrated into augmented reality glasses so people can identify almost anyone they look at.
Clearview has contracts with Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, BuzzFeed reported earlier this year, and FBI agents, members of Customs and Border Protection, and hundreds of police officers at departments nationwide are among its users.
[…]
Big Brother, it turned out, was wearing a MAGA cap.
A Mysterious Hacker
Little is known about Ton-That, a 31-year-old Australian hacker who moved to San Francisco in 2007. He made a name for himself two years later by unleashing a computer worm that phished the login credentials of Gmail users. Ton-That showed no remorse after journalists traced the worm to him— he simply set up another phishing site.
By 2015, he had joined forces with far-right subversives working to install Trump as president. They included Mike Cernovich, a Trump-affiliated propagandist who spearheaded the near-deadly Pizzagate disinformation campaign; Andrew “weev” Auernheimer, a neo-Nazi hacker and the webmaster for The Daily Stormer; and Pax Dickinson, the racist former chief technology officer of Business Insider who went on to march with neo-Nazis in Charlottesville, Virginia.
In this far-right clique, two of Ton-That’s associates loomed larger than most thanks to their close connection to billionaire Peter Thiel, a Facebook board member and Trump adviser: Jeff Giesea, a Thiel protégé and secret funder of alt-right causes, and Charles “Chuck” Johnson, a former Breitbart writer and far-right extremist who reportedly coordinated lawfare against media organizations with Thiel. And according to new documents obtained by HuffPost, Johnson appears to have received funding from Thiel for a startup that the Southern Poverty Law Center would label a “white nationalist hate group.” (Johnson has filed suit against HuffPost in Texas over a January 2019 article about his visits to members of Congress to discuss “DNA sequencing.”)
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/clearview-ai-facial-recognition-alt-right_n_5e7d028bc5b6cb08a92a5c48?6p8
Well it's good to see the government working with industry on a plan for the future of the New Zealand tourism industry.
https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA2004/S00040/planning-for-the-future-of-tourism.htm
It will I hope be a pretty dramatic plan.
We were so lucky to have the launch of the entire Lord of the Rings series nearly 20 years ago, which just happened to fit hand in glove with our 100% Pure branding.
We need equally amazing luck and imaginative genius if we are to get a further wave of a different kind of tourism in 2021 and beyond.
There goes the herd immunity theory.
At least 51 patients diagnosed as having fully recovered from the coronavirus in South Korea have tested positive a second time after leaving quarantine, according to officials.
The patients from Daegu all tested positive in a “relatively short time” after they were given the all-clear from their initial infections, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said, according to the government-funded Yonhap News Agency.
https://nypost.com/2020/04/07/51-recovered-coronavirus-patients-test-positive-again-in-south-korea/
Researchers in Shanghai hope to determine whether some recovered coronavirus patients have a higher risk of reinfection after finding surprisingly low levels of Covid-19 antibodies in a number of people discharged from hospital.
A team from Fudan University analysed blood samples from 175 patients discharged from the Shanghai Public Health Clinical Centre and found that nearly a third had unexpectedly low levels of antibodies.
In some cases, antibodies could not be detected at all.
https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3078840/coronavirus-low-antibody-levels-raise-questions-about