Credit to Bernie for shifting the terms of debate on healthcare. But I've got my doubts that Medicare for all would have been enough to tip it to Bernie even had the pandemic happened a year earlier.
First, there's Bernie's approach to the topic. Half of Americans get their healthcare through employer subsidised insurance. It's a fact of human nature that people value keeping what they have more than taking a risk on getting something better. Given the degree of governmental malfunction in areas of governmental monopoly in the US, being forced into a government health health plan looks like a big risk.
Second, paying for M4A is a gnarly topic. Bernie didn't have a clear message on how workers would be better off financially. Most people just heard their taxes would go up to pay for it. Furthermore, relieving companies of their burden of subsidising their employee health insurance programs amounts to a massive windfall to the companies.
Third, the other candidates would have adjusted their messaging, so Bernie's stance would not have remained as large a differentiation as it was.
edit: then there’s this piece for a broader look at why Bernie fell short.
There is the practical matter that if he gets over 1/4 of the delegates (including superdelegates), he can force a vote at the convention on any policy platform proposals he wants to push. That means he would need around 1200. He's got about 900 now, with about 1600 still to be voted on, so it will be tight for clearing that hurdle.
The global death toll is horrendous, including the high NUMBER of deaths in the US. However, so far, the US does not have the highest death rate pre 1 million of their population. Their’s is 44. Many European countries and the UK have higher death rates so far.
The US and the UK are catching up Carolyn, though doubt if they will get near Spain and Italy which has a death rate of 292/m. Odd you missed it from your list.
Yes. I did say this is the current stats. My list wasn't comprehensive – just a selection to show some of the spread. Spain is the highest at the moment.
If the US gets a similar death rate to the current death rates in Italy and Spain, then they will have around 100K deaths. But they're still suffering high ongoing deaths in Italy etc.
Compared to Italy and Spain, the US has a younger population and a culture that is somewhat less up close and personal in terms of physical space. But the US went a lot later and softer on physical distancing and isolation, helping the contagion spread.
It's a horrifying but fascinating experiment to watch as it plays out in real time.
Thanks for that Carolyn, was wondering what that stat's were like re population. Much appreciated.
Andre, they were talking of 100,000 -200,000 expected deaths in the US last week at one of trumps pressers. Agree re horrifying but fascinating however twisted that sounds.
The stats don't tell everything. You probably know that we Kiwis have greater personal space than people in densely concentrated urban areas.
The last time I visited a big European city, I took two weeks to get used to the density of buildings and the number of people always close to me.. So different from my major-city NZ abode.
NZ has an advantage in that respect – the virus will naturally spread faster in those areas of greater population density.
And, condescending post of the day so far award goes to…it never failed to amaze, the number of spineless centrists and closet righties masquerading as leftists, disparaging the Sanders Campaign on The Standard. Not even luke warm support for Medicare for all and $15 min wage etc.
Bernie put up a great campaign–his analysis and policy were spot on–as subsequent tragic events have illustrated what happens with for profit healthcare and millions living week to week on low wages…
His strength–not running with the herd–was ultimately his weakness too. But he has certainly laid the platform for “the next Bernie”.
The big question is whether Trump's popularity bump holds for 4 weeks, 8 weeks or 10. That's the danger. Nothing either Biden or Sanders could have done about that,.
Or a coup installing Trump as dictator for the duration of the"temporary" emergency. Depends if his allies can convince enough of the USAn military and bureaucracy that he is a useful idiot.
But then, some people may actually take their oaths of office seriously. Maybe?
Florida has been a bit of a disaster with Covid 19…Trump in a bit of trouble there too though close…the average of the last two Florida polls has Biden 3.2% ahead of Trump.
The Sanders campaign no doubt made some tactical mistakes – I've said before that the branding of 'revolution' and "democratic socialism" was unsuited to that particular political market. The policy prescriptions (on the whole) were well received by a majority – and a rhetoric of returning to the sensible centre after 40 years of extremism, a return to proven solutions from America's own past and to core American values, would have been a better approach.
That said, history takes no prisoners as 'Pepe' Mujica remarked"And now I am the president. And tomorrow, like everyone, I will just be a pile of worms". The grace, historical awareness and humility of Sanders withdrawal speech yesterday, as is so often the case with defeated candidates, gives us a sense of what has been lost.
Bernie was out of the race when he failed to counter Warren's scurrilous lie about him being a sexist, and when he claimed, bizarrely, that that doddering old fool from Delaware could beat Trump.
All white males over a certain age are by definition misogynist. There was nothing Bernie could have said to 'defend' himself. Indeed the mere attempt at doing so would have only confirmed his guilt.
Defending the literacy programme of Castro was excellent for left sympathizers, but it lost him Florida. You can win neither a nomination nor a presidency without Florida.
But the Cuban literacy programme was, and is, excellent. As is the Cuban health system. Bernie lost not because he told the truth and angered a few elderly extreme right ideologues, but because the Democratic Party machine was determined not to let his "insurgent", i.e. authentically popular and truly democratic, campaign triumph. They'd rather have Trump than Bernie, that is clear.
And then of course there's the very serious question of Bernie's failure to stick up for himself in the face of a campaign of belittlement and abuse; very similar to Corbyn's failure.
Sanders was indeed correct about the Cuban literacy programs being a good thing. In a very narrow sense.
But arguing that statement is technically correct when you are trying to win an election in Florida is grossly negligent political malpractice, given the importance of the Cuban-American vote. The malpractice is further aggravated by the foregone opportunity to draw a contrast with the current nepotistic kakistocracy's habit of using the presidency to promote their personal private business interests in foreign countries.
The Democratic Party has a long and dishonorable history of compromising, indeed abandoning, basic commitments to human rights in order to get the votes of certain sectors. Before the Cuban right wing, the Florida constituency it bent over backwards to placate was the Ku Klux Klan.
What does that have to do with the dumbfuckery involved in Sanders blowing a perfect opportunity to go after Don Drumpfeone's corrupt foreign entanglements, just so he could show off the moral superiority of his progressive purity?
Thereby blowing any chance he may have had of winning the biggest swing state, for no conceivable gain anywhere else.
Stating an uncontestable truth is not to make a show of "purity", it's simply stating a fact. Telling a lie in order to curry favour with the extreme Cuban right wing would not make him a whit more electable, it would make him another Hillary Clinton.
But, anyway, they’re going to select someone who’s prepared to say anything, and does.
One of the most basic political skills needed to successfully run for a position as basic as a student council is how to use a question as an entry to talk about a subject that's favourable ground. There's no need to lie, he simply needed to make his answer about something that isn't awkward ground, while still "addressing the subject" in an innocuous way.
Sanders failed that basic test that's frankly at high-school politics level. And cost himself what could have been a significant prize in a completely unforced error.
Well said, sir. Yes, Mr Sanders could certainly have spoken more adroitly.
However, in the end, his opposition was the billionaire-backed DNC, and they were going to win their pyrhhic victory no matter what. I do not look forward with any relish to the gruesome spectacle of Biden being savaged and humiliated by Trump.
I just hope that this year we are spared the unedifying sight of unhinged Democratic Party supporters gnashing their teeth and melting down like this….
The World Trade Organisation makes it very clear why this impending global recession will be far worse than the 2008-9 GFC:
"The economic shock of the COVID-19 pandemic inevitably invites comparisons to the global financial crisis of 2008-09. These crises are similar in certain respects but very different in others. As in 2008-09, governments have again intervened with monetary and fiscal policy to counter the downturn and provide temporary income support to businesses and households.
But restrictions on movement and social distancing to slow the spread of the disease mean that labour supply, transport and travel are today directly affected in ways they were not during the financial crisis. Whole sectors of national economies have been shut down, including hotels, restaurants, non-essential retail trade, tourism and significant shares of manufacturing."
"A strong rebound is more likely if businesses and consumers view the pandemic as a temporary, one-time shock. In this case, spending on investment goods and consumer durables could resume at close to previous levels once the crisis abates. On the other hand, if the outbreak is prolonged and/or recurring uncertainty becomes pervasive, households and business are likely to spend more cautiously.
Under both scenarios, all regions will suffer double-digit declines in exports and imports in 2020…"
Ha! Radio NZ just had a piece on the news with National’s Campaign Chair Paula Bennett saying that the government must delay the election – “NZers won’t cope” she said.
Any guesses what National’s polling must be telling them?
I don’t know what she meant. Whatever it is it will be bullshit though, a delaying tactic to allow National time to get their dirty politics machinery back on track.
Interestingly I’ve been getting some of those National Party Border Closure petition posts on my Facebook in the last 24 hours. Given the party political nature of these posts you’d expect the comments to be mostly supportive. But they’re not really. National is getting chastised by their own supporters for electioneering at this time.
What's more, the deputy Oppn leader doesn't even understand the law:
"With New Zealand now in full lockdown for at least another two weeks and businesses and livelihoods in disarray, the opposition said an election in September just seemed too much.
National's deputy leader and campaign chair Paula Bennett said the government and opposition needed to discuss in the weeks ahead whether 19 September was a realistic date." (italics added)
Of course, the PM doesn't need to discuss the election date with National at all. PMs never do that with the opposition. Ardern could call an election tomorrow (if she lost her mind). September 19 is an intention, but has no meaning in law.You aren't relevant, Paula.
They would certainly need to discuss an extension of the term, which would need approval from Parliament. But there is no reason to do that when an election could be held as late as December, if the PM so decides.
"With New Zealand now in full lockdown for at least another two weeks and businesses and livelihoods in disarray, the opposition said an election in September just seemed too much."
I will be interested to see how that goes down. Can't see any kind of rationale there. The only challenge is how to vote in ways that don't spread coronavirus. Other than that, NZers are resilient enough to manage voting in five months time. It's not like it's next week. Daft (but haven't listened for the context).
If there was any kind of rationale, Bennett would be saying:
"Forget about going to watch sport in September. Forget about going to concerts and all those events that require more public interaction and health concerns than going to one location and putting paper in a ballot box."
That would be logical, and incredibly unpopular, so …
Actually, I'm not assuming we will be able to do public gatherings by September, and that the govt may have to make arrangements around that to ensure voting can happen.
Paula's not a deep thinker, but it should occur to her that the lockdown will be over well before Sept … unless things go badly wrong and we have a second wave – a rise in cases and back to Level 4.
If that happens, the government's support will take a hit. National would change their tune.
It depends what you mean by lockdown. I can't see the entire country being still at level 4 for the duration. But level 1 certainly, which prohibits mass gatherings (eg political rallies, demonstrations, or fundraising concerts). And some parts of the country may be level 2 or higher (over 70s encouraged to stay at home and as yet unspecified size smaller gatherings only).
But a virtual lockdown may linger on in people's heads. Being permitted to return to social proximity does not mean that we will overnight overcome the fear and distancing conditioning we will have spent months soaking up.
A society is an ongoing process not a fixed object.
I predict we will have stamped out but will still be quarantining and inbound travelers a measure that will start this week . (It better start this week)
The USA will be carnges Europe will be winning slowly . 3rf world countries dont know.
How will we know if we have stamped out Corona? Given that the antibody tests are far more likely to give a false negative (insufficient viral load at time,or sampling error), than a false positive (samples getting mixed up, testing equipment inadequately sterilized). Let alone the possibility of animal reservoirs (really hoping that we've avoided that nightmare scenario).
If any of the 10% or more people diagnosed with Covid who test as false negatives then proceed to infect others, we will be back in an exponential growth phase again very quickly.
Antibodies are a host response and made by the host and will stay in the host’s circulation (or not) long after the virus has gone from the host. Equipment sterilisation is to remove viable bugs and spores, not antibodies (although these should also be removed in the whole cleaning & sterilisation process).
Whoops! I meant that the current SARS-COV-2 RNA testing. Overly hopeful to announce the existence of an antibody test that would be able to tell who has previously been infected!
Sterilisation itself should get rid of contamination from previous tests, but only if done correctly. People get tired and mistakes get made, but my point was that a false negative is currently more likely than a false positive.
Almost all the materials used for the PCR-based test are disposable.
Yes, people do make mistakes and tired people make more mistakes but the decontamination & sterilisation processes are almost fully automated and done according to SOPs that stand the test of time, so to speak.
Yup, likelihood of false negative is much higher than false positive.
Yes ForgetNow, , and Jacinda will listen to the scientists.
You are right about the possible problem of animal transmission.
We have never eradicated bovine TB in possums, and spend billions testing and poisoning. Governments deal with Foot and Mouth by culling and burning all affected animals… that was a British nightmare at one stage.
We are learning more about this virus, some helpful, some terrifying.
I have never in my 78 years felt as I do now. Friends and family truly at risk and many learning how tenuous the threads of the "safety net" really are. Learning to value our humans and pets, and creating our own safety net, all the time being aware of the hidden mainly silent suffering of those whose lives have been damaged or at least impacted by this virus.
I am a survivor of the 1946/7 polio epidemic which closed schools and had 34 victims in a village of 326. I was six and did not have close contact with my parents while in the Waikato Crippled Children's Hospital for nearly six months. I saw them twice through the distorting glass of the hospital door.
This has made me feel for those in quarantine or hospital separated from loved ones. It is terrible and remains a fear for life. Also not being able to say goodbye takes comfort away from the bereaved.
Awful though this has been for some, most of us have been spared that through the decisions of a switched on Leader and cabinet, who have put well being at the centre of Government Policy.
Let us hope that they manage the swell of unemployed, streamline the mechanics of welfare, revamp training and retraining and build the support net needed 'till we weather this. May the goodwill last.
@wags: Can this thing lie dormant? Or if we have 4 weeks with no new cases is most likely it's gone.
My bigger concern is how long this lurgee can be infectious in asymptomatic/low symptom carriers. It could only need a chain of two or three asymptomatic carriers to go past that four weeks and then initiate a whole new infectious breakout.
National's deputy leader and campaign chair Paula Bennett said the government and opposition needed to discuss in the weeks ahead whether 19 September was a realistic date."
It's interesting how someone projects their own wants and needs onto someone else. She means the opposition wants to discuss. The government certainly does not need to. It sets the election date. It's about Paula's, and National's, desires. She really means, "I want to change the date." Needs and wants- too easily confused.
Listeners this morning were inflicted with another P.R. piece for Israel—this time a once-over-lightly piece about Passover/Easter in Jerusalem with one Barry Guy, who usually does the sports news, having a breezy chat with Liat Collins of the extreme right wing Jerusalem Post. He asked not one awkward question, of course.
Liat Collins has been used by the dupes at RNZ National before…..
Lin, why is this ignoramus allowed to post inflammatory nonsense?
[lprent: Because we mainly and almost entirely moderate on behaviour. Ideological differences can be aired provided that they don’t descend into hate speech and bigotry. And we’re pretty good at detecting undeclared pattern of behaviours and dealing with them. The same thing applies to paddington, as it does to you. ]
The data is taken from the Washington Post. These are simple facts. If you want to self promote your own blog, go for gold. But as I have posted earlier, the Israeli/Palestinian conflict is a complex mixture of historical, religious and cultural factors where there is no good guy/bad guy scenario. No matter how you try to paint it otherwise.
Nope – I’d describe them as being self-serving propaganda and simply not worth the media they are printed on.
Those figures are what are reported by the Israeli forces. Since the occupation troops are a pack of layabout draftees who have been known to lie every time they fuck up – I personally give them no credibility when they are reporting their live round kills.
Anyone who has spent time living on the west bank (and I know a few who have) knows the Israeli draftees are useless lazy young badly trained fuckwits with guns. They routinely block the checkpoints so that they can have a siesta. They like to provoke the palestinians going through checkpoints or when they are on patrol. And in my estimation at least half of their kills and injuries are directly due to their behaviour.
They are an occupying force of incompetent garritroopers. Which is why they also don’t let in outside observers to evaluate their reporting of the justification of their troops. It is also why the Israelis don’t even let their own courts look at the behaviour of their troops.
I can’t read the WP article – but I’d take a bet that they haven’t referenced a single Palestinian report.
So I’d say that your authoritative source could be described only as complete trash. About as credible as the lack of active Russian troop involvement in Eastern Ukraine – which is the classic example of fake PR.
Hi lprent. Thanks for your response. I'm not going to push this, because my point was not to defend Israeli activity but to try to communicate to Morrisey that the Israeli/Palestinian conflict is far more complicated than his rather simplistic commentary. From my own observation, this is a conflict between intractible parties whose focus on ancient historical and religious grievances is (close to) psycopathic.
Of course I could have just as easily argued the other way.
But on the balance, I think that the Palestinians have had the raw end of the stick both from the Israeli state (who in my view have no historical rights to Palestine – unless they wish to argue with the Romans) and from the Europeans of Europe and the US, who they could easily argue owe them for their complicity and actions in a recent genocide.
It sure as hell doesn't give the Israeli government any right to attempt genocide or ethnic cleansing on their fellow citizens of the land of Palestine.
Those absurd and dubious "statistics"—Palestinians are not just shot by IDF marksmen, they are always killed appropriately, as in "killed carrying out attacks against Israelis", "clashes", and "attempted stabbings"—are direct from the Israeli authorities, and are nearly always contested by human rights groups and witnesses of the killings. The Washington Post is notoriously biased on this issue, amongst many others.
It's a discussion of Passover. In Jerusalem. With an extreme right commentator who shamelessly defends Israeli actions and routinely pours opprobrium on the victims of Israel’s regime of repression.
There is every reason to object to that, but poor Barry Guy had not a clue.
None of which is in the piece. So listeners were not "inflicted" (your word) with anything.
Except an accurate description of a traditional Jewish festival, and that would not annoy any reasonable person. (Of course some might be triggered by it, but we despise those people, don't we?).
On Jessie Mulligan today a lovely intelligent Jewish restaurant lady was talking about the fact that because NZ Jews cannot meet some were going to have "Zoom Passover"….love that.
My problem is with credulous RNZ hosts being bamboozled by nasty zealots like Liat Collins. At the end of her four minute chat this morning, she told the the hapless Barry Guy; "It's kind of mindbending, I don't think there's EVER been anything like this." He didn't get the brutal irony of what she was saying.
Yesterday Mark Sommers QC, the extremely erudite and bookish second counsel for Julian Assange in his extradition hearing, trembled with anger in court. Magistrate Vanessa Baraitser had just made a ruling that the names of Julian Assange’s partner and young children could be published, which she stated was in the interests of “open justice”. His partner had submitted a letter in support of his Covid 19 related bail application (which Baraitser had summarily dismissed) to state he had a family to live with in London. Baraitser said that it was therefore in the interests of open justice that the family’s names be made public, and said that the defence had not convincingly shown this would cause any threat to their security or well-being. It was at this point Sommers barely kept control. He leapt to his feet and gave notice of an appeal to the High Court, asking for a 14 day stay. Baraitser granted four days, until 4pm on Friday.
I am in lockdown in Edinburgh, but received three separate eye witness reports. They are unanimous that yet again Baraitser entered the court carrying pre-written judgements before hearing oral argument; pre-written judgements she gave no appearance of amending.
There have been two Covid-19 deaths in Belmarsh prison so far. For obvious reasons the disease is ripping through the jail like wildfire. The Department of Justice is admitting to one death…
You laugh at the suffering of Julian Assange. I have no doubt that you would also have laughed at the suffering of other dissenters and journalists imprisoned by repressive and anti-democratic regimes.
You sneer at the suffering of a political dissenter in Great Britain and callously repeat state-sponsored lies about him. Ergo, you would probably have sneered at the suffering of political dissenters in other brutal regimes and you would have callously repeated state-sponsored lies about them. That’s a reasonable inference, assuming that your behaviour in this case is not bizarrely inconsistent with your normal behaviour.
Your comments on logic are as credible and as thorough as your disparagement of Julian Assange.
You can be sure that I'm not the only one who sees you have little or no credibility. Your lame "Mr Angry from Cheam" quip shows you have little or no SOH, either.
No the UK and US govts with the complete endorsement of vast numbers of total plonkers brainwashed by propaganda is what has put Assange in danger of his life
What do you mean when you put the word "torture" in scare quotes? Are you pretending that he is not being tortured? Is that another of your jokes?
I urge other Standard readers to bear in mind The Al1en's sneering contempt for Assange and compare his behaviour to that of the United Nations' Rapporteur on Torture….
I'm not making an argument, I'm replying to your continued usage of logical fallacies, which is easy to do as you're well practiced and predictable with it.
The actual guts of the matter are:
Good job he's in solitary. – Turns out he's not being isolation 'tortured' anymore.
The convicted bail jumper didn't get bail. – No answer.
Excerpts from a February 2020 report on the propaganda war against Assange. UN special rapporteur on torture Melzer "admits that he was himself initially taken in by the propaganda campaign."
"Four democratic countries joined forces – the U.S., Ecuador, Sweden and the UK – to leverage their power to portray one man as a monster so that he could later be burned at the stake without any outcry. The case is a huge scandal and represents the failure of Western rule of law. If Julian Assange is convicted, it will be a death sentence for freedom of the press."
"There is only a single explanation for everything – for the refusal to grant diplomatic assurances, for the refusal to question him in London: They wanted to apprehend him so they could extradite him to the U.S. The number of breaches of law that accumulated in Sweden within just a few weeks during the preliminary criminal investigation is simply grotesque."
You are probably wasting your time on these subservient citizens here Morrissey, they are obviously just a bunch of wannta be camp guards only waiting for the opportunity to prove their worth to their masters, quite disgusting and vile.
btw, Kenneth Williams used to refer to the regular voice he used in the Hancock shows as 'the Snide'. Doesn't remind me of anyone here at the Standard, of course.
Someone here needs to do a decent response to Trotter.
Hey Mr Trotter try this out:
1. New Zealand now has the most effective democratic socialist government in the entire fucking world Mr Trotter. Best led, best communicated, best response through the public health system, best deployment of policing and social enforcement. And it's not me saying it.
So fuck off with your "thoughts" on democratic socialism. We already have it.
2. This government has just embarked on the largest Keynsean expansion since the Depression, and is going to keep expanding through the May 8th 2020 budget, and through the campaign manifesto, and through the 2021 budget.
The state is going into tens of billions of debt on new projects, is propping up every single waged person with a business who asks for it, and we are now a month away from even more largesse in the budget.
So fuck off with your "… but not yet!"
3. There is a gobsmacking irony of a blogger begging for a lifeline for a physical print of the Listener, when his own personal blog is now the only place the Trotter's own writing is published anywhere. Trotter's own practise of publishing online from many years ago is the clearest evidence that he knew this day was coming and planned for the demise of printed commentary years ago.
If Trotter wanted to he could amass his analogue leftie comrades and buy the Listener masthead from the receivers. But that's won't happen because he's all mouth and no trousers.
And while we are at it, the government is already well underway to strengthen broadcasting under Fa'afoi's plan for RNZ and TVNZ. They are well and truly doing their part already.
So fuck off with your defence of The Listener.
4. Trotter needs to get it out of his head that the government reaction to this recession is going to look the same as the Labour response to the 1930s Depression. That he can't step out of his tragedian pyre and lead something practical in society other than perpetually interviewing his typewriter and adding poorly paralleled historical anecdote, shows how deeply stale his imagination really is.
5. This government is holding the whole of the political order, the whole of society, and the whole of the economy, together right now, through sheer will and debt. They are about to get us through the virus crisis in better health shape than any other developed nation on earth. Overseas commentators are already noticing.
So we can afford to give them a smidgen of a break as we await coherence on the plan to revive our economy.
"If Trotter wanted to he could amass his analogue leftie comrades and buy the Listener masthead from the receivers. But that's won't happen because he's all mouth and no trousers."
Funny you should suggest that, I was wondering why he hadnt proposed the staff purchasing it for the dollar (potential liabilities aside) and running it as a collective (or co operative)…the existing staff would be the best placed to judge its future viability an could potentially secure both their ongoing employment and maintain an independent voice but havnt seen anyone involved propose such.
He now seems to think that he can return here from his self-imposed exile with a blatant troll comment.
Sam is wrong about that.
Banned for a year so that we can all recover from the pandemic and prepare for the election without having to endure his inane troll comments that create more work for Moderators – Incognito]
It [The Listener] still had 30,00 subscribers apparently.
Subscribers really isn't that useful as a measure of utility. Certainly not a measure of how much it is valued by the public for whom it is purportedly doing good.
Consider this site as an alternative ‘risk free rate’ for taxpayers and look at the usage – which is our only measure of subscribers.
According to google analytics this site has had ~23k unique visitors in the last 30 days in ~89k sessions. This excludes almost all of the bots and because it is google has a fairly accurate idea about who is a person even when they jump machines (as I do all of the time)`.
~57k of those sessions were from users who entered the site with more than 15 times over 30 days – ie reading on average about every two days or better on average. ~31k sessions were from users who read the site more than 201 times over that 30 days.About ~26k of the sessions were from users who entered less than 5 times or less.
Average session duration is 6:32 and average pages per session is 3.84. Once you start figuring out the probable times that some people on here, then there is clearly a *lot* of utility.
The last 30 days was up about 1/6th above our recent median. Session times and page counts are slightly elevated.
That was done with a far more amateur level level of writing, no subscription to the site, we don't inflict advertising, and the commenters provide as much writing value as the authors.
Arguably even with all of the low rent comments and the provocative authors, that is a shit load of writing on here. I'd expect that it is of far more volume than The Listener.
The Listener really has to argue on the basis of the quality of its writing.
Quality – who knows? I personally haven't read one in some time – but it hasn't improved much beyond the mostly 'I reckons' writing that we do in blogs, or is common in the daily media, or even around reddit.
Sure there were always nuggets in the mix of waffle. But they weren't worth effort of finding the paper copy, paying for it, and reading it without the opportunity to comment. I certainly wouldn't want to pay for it as taxpayer even when I last read it.
It provided me with no value. If I want to subsidize writers then personally I'd prefer to pay for this ad-free venue – which is mostly what happens. I think that it is of more benefit to many of the people here.
I wouldn't mind being able to subsidizing journalists more. All they have to do is to have it all easily online, largely dump the advertising, separate the opinionists away from the journalism (the former is ideal as a filtered pay per read), and let me subscribe just to the journalism.
Problem is that is very hard to get in NZ media outside of a few mail feeds.
The writing here might be rough as (especially when I write), but in terms of the value that you pay for it is extremely valuable.
For me, I'm happy to spend money for reading material that is better than what we have here. But I didn't feel any sense of value in any of the Baur stable of magazines to outweigh the cost. A different editorial policy may have produced a better material. But they basically needed to change their business model even more – and showed no real signs of doing that.
Can't see a reasons to subsidize them more than any other business as there are others around that market place. The wage subsidy should have been enough to keep them viable if they’d had a business model that would work in the future – which they didn’t. That looks to have been the conclusion of Bauer.
I love it when I read a truly good piece written by a true professional. It’s the same with music, art, or science. When I need to dig too deep and too hard to find that rare gem, it’s not worth my money and even less so my time – actually, I have to work for my money so it all comes down to my time, which I don’t have as much of as I’d like 🙁
Indeed, a good editor is like a good conductor: worth their weight in gold; they can work miracles and turn things into gold but equally, they can fuck up things and turn things to custard.
My assessment of Fa’afoi is based on his hopeless performance when that rogue RNZ board suddenly announced that they planned to liquidate RNZ Concert. Fa'afoi, after guffawing that he did not listen to classical music, then went on to regurgitate their talking points. He clearly had no idea, and was blindsided by Jim Mather and his cronies.
Edit – this got shunted down the list while I was writing it.
I am replying to Ad at 8.2
As a reader of the Listener since the 1970s, I am not entirely convinced by you, Ad.
1) If our system is best in the world, the standard is not very high. Other countries with far greater population density (meaning far more infections) seem to have done better. And you may be counting chickens that have not yet hatched.
2) Partly true, but only in its infancy, and I hope that the Govt has the courage to continue in this vein. Especially if the Righties start criticising this policy, as they will.
3) That is not irony – I see it more as Trotter lamenting the Listener's earlier role. I also remember the Listener and the Auckland Star being the only printed vehicles of real criticism of the disastrous Vietnam War.. There is a lot to be lamented since the Listener got swallowed by the right-wing marketers.
4) Maybe Trotter still has a vision of real social reform, whereas you don't. Or you don't show it very often. Blairite?
5) Fully agree, but one out of five is far from convinced.
I suspect that Trotter is afraid that after we have succeeded in starting to look for coherence on the plan to revive our economy, it will be too late to do any serious social reform.
Ad – do you want any serious social reform?
I am struggling to understand why you are so hostile to Trotter.
I can't see that Chris has 'melted down' with this statement though:
"According to Andrew Little’s former Chief-of-Staff, Neale Jones:
“I cannot think of a worse time to implement a UBI than in the middle of this economic crisis. Some of us are doing fine. Others need unprecedented government support just to stay afloat. UBI would spread that support thinner, or quickly spend 10s of billions we may need later."
Meaning Neale has no grasp at all of Keynesian economics. No understanding of the crucial importance of keeping up the level of aggregate demand. No historical grasp of the crucial role spending plays in lifting a nation out of an economic slump. Nor does he understand the practical and moral efficiency of universal, as opposed to means-tested, state support. The massively positive effect of telling every Kiwi: ‘You are important in your own right, not because you’re in need of charity but because you are a citizen of New Zealand.’ Everyone keeps telling us that “we’re all in this together” – a UBI would prove it."
" How did dreary pragmatism become Labour’s default-setting? A full explanation would require a book-length answer. Suffice to say that once a party embraces the fundamental tenets of neoliberalism, anything other than orthodox and cautious policy responses will be treated as the political equivalent of upending a can of petrol over your head and striking a match."
It seems to me that someone (the janitor – it's always the janitor) changed Labour's label to 'socialist' while everyone was at morning tea and no one has the courage to change it back, while the majority of them has no courage either to enact real socialism.
I wonder if Jacinda is banging her head against her desk at the 'dreary pragmatism' that pervades the party. I wonder.
Although perhaps it is the fact that since the 1980s Labour has become a centrist party with neo liberal leanings and that's all there is to it.
Collective is implicitly shared agreement. When it is mandated by those for whom it is convenient it just becomes coercion.
Problem is that I fail to see a point in subsiding a stable of publications that with massive cost-cutting producing what looked like a inaccessible mediocre product and barely managing to hold a subscriber base or a profit level is worth trying to save.
In an economic sense you could easily argue that their mere presence in the marketplace was actually constraining innovation in a failing area. They were holding on to audiences and thereby preventing development of a more viable economic model. As a government, you’d be better off using resources to provide technical infrastructure for writers to try to find a more useful model to build a viable and accessible product in. There are examples around like Newsroom, Spinoff, Evening Report, and even Scoop as well as the online mass media.
Because in the end, unless they figured out a different way to operate, then all of those magazines had been on a ventilator ready to die of technical obsolescence in the market for about a decade. Removing their Bauer DNR wouldn’t have made them last for many more years even if there wasn’t a pandemic at the same time.
no i dont imagine they do…and it would be interesting to be a fly on the wall should the staff ever attempt it….I could imagine it wouldnt go smoothly.
Trotter doesn't understand economics, or pretends not to. Buying these magazines for a dollar sounds cheap until the losses start to mount. I think he is emotionally attached to the titles and can't bear to see them go.
If there is a profitable market for a right-wing (but pretending not to be) glossy like the Listener, a new magazine will be set-up by somebody using their own money.
It's not the government's job to invest in/take over the media-accusations of manipulation for political ends would follow like night follows day.
Speaking to relatives in Aussie last night , one of whom works for a large retailer (who shall remain unnamed) and the relating of how the social distancing and 'lockdown' is being handled there is an object lesson in why we are correct to minimise the number of retailers that are able to trade.
The complete disregard for the guidelines from both the company and the general public makes a mockery of the process.
Couldn't believe it at pak n save today, waiting in the queue at the checkout, using the marked lines as a distancing guide, and people were pushing their trolleys between the gaps left behind me, completely ruining the purpose of having the lines in the first place. I told a floor supervisor that I realised it's not up to her to police it, but that particular part of the system was broken.
Didn't help that the customer in front of me took out a wad of notes and proceeded to lick his fingers, twice, whilst thumbing through them, and then again before touching the eftpos card he part paid with. Had to warn the checkout kid before she touched this idiot's cash, and patiently waited until she had decontaminated it and the terminal before I could check out, contemplating survival of the fittest v stupid by association.
and pales in comparison in both scale and actions related to me about Victoria last night….Im very pleased our Gov appears to be holding the line as staunchly as it is in the face of considerable pressure
Generally I've been impressed with the supermarkets down here, but then I've been able to time my runs really well, to have shopped at the slowest of times. Today, I had to risk the one day closed hoarders, so maybe the mentality of customers and staff were a bit less focused than of late, especially with the drop off in new cases. Let's hope complacency doesn't creep in and ruin all the good work thus far.
I thought you generally made sure you were better informed RedLogix. 'A' has reeled off an out of date hit-job and stupidly highlighted China which is not on the Council. Besides, the representatives on the Council are not appointed to represent their countries or any political viewpoint, unlike the Cato Institute or Quartz.
Two weeks till Business as Usual reconvenes, woohoo!
Government sanctioned "mental illness" will be forgotten, and Cognitive Dissonance in all things will be the name of the game. Project your fears onto anyone weaker than you and aim to take it all!
Hot Tip: don't get caught on the line when the starter pistol fires, not unless you are ready to slash your way through anyone you meet.
I'm feeling lucky to be the recipient of good fortune in several ways. These are: NZ's isolation, a generally competent government that aims to serve the interests of all its citizens not just some, and enough social cohesion to voluntarily observe a lock-down with high levels of compliance. (There are a few peripheral sociopaths like Mike Hosking but that is to be expected)
Therefore I'm not really faced with the fear and rage that clearly prompted this piece from the fabulously civilised RJ Eskow a couple of weeks ago – No – I will not die for this damned economy. He used the word 'damned' advisedly – not as a mere expletive, but in the Biblical sense "this damned economy…and we, the damned who live within it." What we need to emerge from this crisis is an economy that does not damn so many – the odds are we will get one which damns more.
FFS! David Seymour is asking, at the Epidemic committee, why employers including sole traders in receipt of wage subsidies get named publicly, but sole parents etc in receipt of benefits are not publicly named! At about 1hr 15 minutes into the committee today.
I think Sepuloni also said there is a box to tick asking if employer agrees to be named publicly when applying for a subsidy.
The Government is extending expired or expiring licenses and Warrants of Fitness to enable essential travel.
Transport Minister Phil Twyford said all driver licences, WoFs, CoFs, and some vehicle certifications, that expired on or after January 1, 2020 would now be valid for up to six months from April 10, 2020.
You can order a rego online, doesn't need to be at a Post Shop. Post is still being delivered as far as I can tell. I was just curious if that part of NZTA was still operational or not.
It also looks like there is some vehicle WOF renewals for essential business vehicles.
Where can I go to renew my WoF/CoF if I am providing an essential service and it is expiring during Alert Level 4?Back to top
You can renew your WoF/CoF at several vehicle inspection sites around the country (see links below) or check with your local provider if they are available on an appointment only basis.
Please note that at all locations, there are requirements you need to follow for an essential vehicle inspection to be carried out
I don’t work for an essential service, my vehicle WoF/CoF is due for renewal and I need to get groceries. Can I keep using my vehicle since testing stations and garages are shut?Back to top
To help smooth the transition back to compliance, if your WoF/CoF expired on or after 1 January 2020, it is temporarily extended.
The Stuff article I linked to in my previous comment says:
It'll still be up to drivers to keep their vehicles safe and I urge owners to follow the NZ Transport Agency's advice and regularly self-check their vehicle." The Government was allowing for essential repairs, like sorting out punctured tyres or damaged windscreens. Previously only essential service workers' vehicles could access repairs and certification services. Other people are only able to get critical repairs done for the purpose of accessing essential services. "If anything looks out of order, please go get it fixed as soon as you can," Twyford said.
Seems the ICs applied the precautionary principle as well….
"As a result, many insurers added exclusions to standard commercial policies for losses caused by viruses or bacteria. Now, the added policy language will potentially allow insurance companies to avoid hundreds of billions of dollars in business-interruption claims because of the covid-19 pandemic."
Insurers in the US respond to cv with refunds and discounts.
With less traffic on the road, there have been fewer accidents and fewer car insurance claims. And the prospect of paying claims is what auto insurance base their rates on. Several car insurance companies have now stepped up to offer their customers refunds. More will likely follow.
Some have been published on media for not hearing the result of their tests for many days afterwards. The explanation includes the fact that results are fed back to whoever authorised the test such as the doctor.
If the test is positive the victim is informed straight away and followup action taken.
If the result is negative then the lesser urgency will be in the hands of the doctor to inform. Maybe too busy but must be anxious wait for the victim though the longer the wait the more likely all is well.
Heh, just like when you get tested for STDs, if you all clear you usually don't get notified (check your online hub thing), only if you positive will they be in touch (& not a call you want, obviously).
So closing down flights from China didn’t save thousands of lives.
Coronavirus in New York came mainly from Europe, studies show.
New research indicates that the coronavirus began to circulate in the New York area by mid-February, weeks before the first confirmed case, and that it was brought to the region mainly by travelers from Europe, not Asia.
“The majority is clearly European,” said Harm van Bakel, a geneticist at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, who co-wrote a study awaiting peer review.
A separate team at N.Y.U. Grossman School of Medicine came to strikingly similar conclusions, despite studying a different group of cases. Both teams analyzed genomes from coronaviruses taken from New Yorkers starting in mid-March.
There could have been hundreds more cases of Covid-19 in New Zealand already if a lockdown had not gone ahead, new modelling shows.
Instead, the country now has a high chance of eliminating the virus, the research says – but only if the level 4 restrictions are extended.
Te Pūnaha Matatini, a cluster of researchers from Landcare Research and the Universities of Auckland and Canterbury, has been working for more than a month on modelling the spread of the virus here.
The total number of active Covid-19 cases in New Zealand has stalled over the past four days, hovering between 920 and 930 cases.
Additionally, the Ministry of Health reported 29 new cases of Covid-19 today – the lowest number of new cases over a 24-hour period in a fortnight.
The paper published by Te Pūnaha Matatini today showed that had the government not gone into a level four lockdown, the number of new cases each day would exceed 150 by now, rising to 350 a day by the middle of next week.
"Coronavirus: Greenkeepers granted exemption for maintenance work after Easter"
And about bloody time. Golf Greens and Bowling Greens can be destroyed and take years to recreate if they aren't very carefully maintained. Why did it need Grant Robertson to do the bloody obvious. You don't need to allow people to play but a green keeper can work in isolation and preserve the painstakingly cared for lawns.
They are far more fragile and harder to repair than most Council owned parks and sports grounds. Mowing of those seems to have been allowed throughout.
The membership of the average golf club is quite typical of the whole New Zealand population. And New Zealand is one of the cheapest places to play golf in the world. A full playing membership at Inglewood, which is a pretty little course near New Plymouth is only about $500/year. The Waitara Golf Club, also near New Plymouth is even cheaper at $350/year.
Royal Wellington and Royal Auckland and Grange excluded of course.
Tut tut, alwyn. I sail, and my yearly sub is only $120. I probably spend less on my boat (which I bought with trailer for $2,500 in 1987) than you spend on clubs and lost golf balls (sorry to be rude.)
Your altruistic concern for the well-being of golfing greens is rather amusing.
But there we are. I get mad when stupid but well-meaning people plant trees near the lake I sail on, and ruin the wind after the tree has grown.
$2,500! For a boat? It sounds as if you bought one of Paul Allen's cast offs.
I am, I admit, an unusual golfer (or should I say a former golfer). I played for about 48 years and only ever owned two sets of clubs. I bought the first set in the late 60's for the grand sum of $100. The second set was purchased in about 1996 for rather more, but I would still be under the cost of your boat. Golf balls are quite cheap. You can get perfectly suitable golf balls for about $2.00 each.
Most people I know spent rather more. Almost every golfer lives with the dream that if they buy the latest driver they will be able to hit their drives out to about the 280 metre mark. I was always a realist. I might have admired the skills of Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods but I was never under the illusion that I could play like them.
Aye, and I am foolishly still trying to sail a teenager's one-man racing skiff, because when I get a few good rides, it beats being on every big expensive lead-swinging keelboat that ever sailed.
As a matter of interest, what were your average subs for belonging to a club?
I sailed a P class when I was very young. In my 20's we bought a Javelin. That was great fun, although we always thought we should fly the letter flag "D" when we were out. For those who don't sail it means "Keep clear of me; I am maneuvering with difficulty".
I had to give up playing 5 years ago so my knowledge of subs is a bit out of date..
When I was a child I had a dose of a much nastier virus than Cofid 19. It appeared I had fully recovered from it but it turns out you never do. About half the people like me get problems many years later and my walking was affected so I gave up playing. I believe a full playing membership at the last club I belonged to is about $1250/year. You can play all day, every day of the year for that. That would be typical of city clubs I should say.
I was thinking more of you bringing petty nitpicking shit here. The government was made aware there was a problem and rightly assessed that a green keeper can probably work alone safely.
My patience has run out with pathetic moaning morons .
Have any golf courses or bowling greens been destroyed thus far? If not, what's the problem? Lots of people are waiting to get their privileges back, it takes time for processes to be worked through.
Lol. I still like to lie on my lawn, and I can see the potential of permaculture cricket pitches and rugby fields. But holy shit, there's a reason there are no organic golf courses. I'm guessing bowling greens might be similar?
I understood that Singapore was initialy relying on phone apps and the internet to do a lot of the tracing work and they found out a bit too late that it wasn't very successful, as Dr Bloomfield said a few days ago a phone can't do the job that a thorough face to face ( at 2 metres I presume ) interview can. Just exactly how many crimes would be solved with a little chat on line or a few texts. Sweet fuck all.
I think Singapore tried to move too quickly and were reliant on the phone technology. Furthermore being an island about the size of Lake Taupo and with over 5m people isolating is far more difficult. I'm not sure just what restrictions they have in place wrt new arrivals, but a large proportion of their workforce in terms of amah, and construction workers are from the Philippines, India, and Malaysia.
The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) will only allow the entry / return of work pass holders, including their dependents, for those providing essential services, such as in healthcare and transport.
yep – and I see that a good proportion of the new cases are in those worker dormitories. Mind you a lot of the wealthy families have live in house maids etc _ I can't see them giving up their amahs so easily
Well this is interesting. Overseas buyer’s interest in the Pacifica apartment building is up 200% because of favourable reaction to the government’s Covid-19 response. Both expats and foreign buyers (this development has an exemption for foreign buyers) have registered an interest.
It appears that there is some appetite to change the paradigm….Kate Raworth style
"The port of Amsterdam is the world’s single largest importer of cocoa beans, mostly from west Africa, where the labour is often highly exploitative.
As an independent private company it could reject such products and take the economic hit, but at the same time almost one in five households in Amsterdam qualify for social benefits due to low incomes and savings.
Van Doorninck says the port is looking at how it moves on from dependence on fossil fuels as part of the city’s new vision, and she expects that to naturally evolve into a wider debate over other pressing dilemmas brought to the forefront by the doughnut model.
“It gives space to talk about whether you want to be the place where products are being stored that are produced by child labour or by other forms of labour exploitation,” she says."
WASHINGTON — Although President Donald Trump has directed states and hospitals to secure what supplies they can, the federal government is quietly seizing orders, leaving medical providers across the country in the dark about where the material is going and how they can get what they need to deal with the coronavirus pandemic.
Hospital and clinic officials in seven states described the seizures in interviews over the past week. The Federal Emergency Management Agency is not publicly reporting the acquisitions, despite the outlay of millions of dollars of taxpayer money, nor has the administration detailed how it decides which supplies to seize and where to reroute them.
Officials who've had materials seized also say they've received no guidance from the government about how or if they will get access to the supplies they ordered. That has stoked concerns about how public funds are being spent and whether the Trump administration is fairly distributing scarce medical supplies
It's based on unpublished data, so has to be taken with a chunk of salt. But, if; the IL6 cytokine is predominantly involved in SARS-COV-2 pneumonia, then an IL6 receptor blocker being of use in preventing that, does make a certain amount of sense on the face of it.
After all, it doesn't really matter if people are infected with the Crow, just so long as you can stop them suffocating on their own body!
Except that the more replications of a virus, the more chances for mutations. DNA is more stable than RNA.
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In our Weekly Roundup last week we covered news from Auckland Transport that the WX1 Western Express is going to get an upgrade next year with double decker electric buses. As part of the announcement, AT also said “Since we introduced the WX1 Western Express last November we have seen ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 29 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Stats NZ releases its statutory report on Census 2023 tomorrow.Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivers a pre-Budget speech at ...
A listing of 29 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 14, 2024 thru Sat, April 20, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week hinges on these words from the abstract of a fresh academic ...
The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. The Government says this will ...
This is a column to say thank you. So many of have been in touch since Mum died to say so many kind and thoughtful things. You’re wonderful, all of you. You’ve asked how we’re doing, how Dad’s doing. A little more realisation each day, of the irretrievable finality of ...
Identifying the engine type in your car is crucial for various reasons, including maintenance, repairs, and performance upgrades. Knowing the specific engine model allows you to access detailed technical information, locate compatible parts, and make informed decisions about modifications. This comprehensive guide will provide you with a step-by-step approach to ...
Introduction: The allure of racing is undeniable. The thrill of speed, the roar of engines, and the exhilaration of competition all contribute to the allure of this adrenaline-driven sport. For those who yearn to experience the pinnacle of racing, becoming a race car driver is the ultimate dream. However, the ...
Introduction Automobiles have become ubiquitous in modern society, serving as a primary mode of transportation and a symbol of economic growth and personal mobility. With countless vehicles traversing roads and highways worldwide, it begs the question: how many cars are there in the world? Determining the precise number is a ...
Maintaining a safe and reliable vehicle requires regular inspections. Whether it’s a routine maintenance checkup or a safety inspection, knowing how long the process will take can help you plan your day accordingly. This article delves into the factors that influence the duration of a car inspection and provides an ...
Mazda Motor Corporation, commonly known as Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The company was founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd., and began producing vehicles in 1931. Mazda is primarily known for its production of passenger cars, but ...
Your car battery is an essential component that provides power to start your engine, operate your electrical systems, and store energy. Over time, batteries can weaken and lose their ability to hold a charge, which can lead to starting problems, power failures, and other issues. Replacing your battery before it ...
In most states, you cannot register a car without a valid driver’s license. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. Exceptions to the RuleIf you are under 18 years old: In some states, you can register a car in your name even if you do not ...
Mazda, a Japanese automotive manufacturer with a rich history of innovation and engineering excellence, has emerged as a formidable player in the global car market. Known for its reputation of producing high-quality, fuel-efficient, and driver-oriented vehicles, Mazda has consistently garnered praise from industry experts and consumers alike. In this article, ...
Struts are an essential part of a car’s suspension system. They are responsible for supporting the weight of the car and damping the oscillations of the springs. Struts are typically made of steel or aluminum and are filled with hydraulic fluid. How Do Struts Work? Struts work by transferring the ...
Car registration is a mandatory process that all vehicle owners must complete annually. This process involves registering your car with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and paying an associated fee. The registration process ensures that your vehicle is properly licensed and insured, and helps law enforcement and other authorities ...
Zoom is a video conferencing service that allows you to share your screen, webcam, and audio with other participants. In addition to sharing your own audio, you can also share the audio from your computer with other participants. This can be useful for playing music, sharing presentations with audio, or ...
Building your own computer can be a rewarding and cost-effective way to get a high-performance machine tailored to your specific needs. However, it also requires careful planning and execution, and one of the most important factors to consider is the time it will take. The exact time it takes to ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Asia Pacific Report From France to Australia, university pro-Palestine protests in the United States have now spread to several countries with students pitching on-campus camps. And students at Columbia and other US universities remain defiant as campuses have witnessed the biggest protests since the anti-Vietnam war and anti-apartheid eras in ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards, Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)New Zealand Government’s Fast Track legislation. Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government ...
Tara Ward talks to presenter Naomi Toilalo about the new TV show that turns food waste into a three course feast. Naomi Toilalo is standing in the warehouse at Good Neighbour Tauranga, helping unpack the two-and-a-half tonnes of rejected food that will arrive at the community support hub that day. ...
Scout is our latest Dog of the Month. This feature was offered as a reward during our What’s Eating Aotearoa PledgeMe campaign. Thank you to Scout’s human, Avril, for her support. Dog name: Scout (named after the little girl in To Kill a Mockingbird – she inherited the independent spirit ...
Megan Alatini takes us through her life in TV, including ‘terrible’ daytime TV, the class of Carol Hirschfeld and her most embarrassing TrueBliss moment. When she responded to a vague newspaper ad asking “do you have what it takes to be a popstar?” 25 years ago, Megan Alatini never guessed ...
A new exhibition in Wellington showcases the faces behind your local goods and services. Back in 1977, when I was a fine arts student at the University of Canterbury, I took a series of photographs of Christchurch shopkeepers. The photos were for a calendar – a project for my end ...
Toomaj and his resistance to tyranny through his songs have become an icon for the youth of Iran, so his sentence has hit the nation hard. Toomaj Salehi is not the first artist to pay the price for standing with the people. ...
My cousin Dylan and I spotted these big eels under the bridge that summer. We watched them lounging under the dark weed, facing into the flow of water, their mouths frozen open. Dylan and I couldn’t stop thinking about those eels. The night we went down to the creek, we ...
Newsroom, home of satire. My long-running weekly satirical series The Secret Diary has moved to Newsroom and will appear every Saturday, with Victor Billot’s wildly popular satirical Odes continuing to appear every Sunday. Diaries, Odes – while serious political columnists toil at meaningful opinions and stroke their chins to an ...
Tara Ward unravels the many nuanced layers of a cartoon about talking dogs.This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. It’s not often an episode of a children’s cartoon has adults sobbing into their sleeves, but that’s exactly what happened this week when ...
Working as a doctor in developing countries to help communities achieve better health outcomes is nothing short of a life goal for Jessica Tater. The University of Otago medical student has her sights firmly set on joining the international humanitarian organisation Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) when she qualifies ...
There’s an island in the far reaches of Auckland’s territory, sitting off the tip of the Coromandel Peninsula, 30 minutes by air from the city or four hours on the slow boat. Aotea Great Barrier is off-grid, it has a population of fewer than a thousand people … and most ...
Asia Pacific Report An Australian author and advocate, Jim Aubrey, today led a national symbolic one minute’s silence to mark the “blood debt” owed to Papuan allies during the Second World War indigenous resistance against the invading Japanese forces. “A promise to most people is a promise,” Aubrey said in ...
Asia Pacific Report The Freedom Flotilla is ready to sail to Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. All the required paperwork has been submitted to the port authority, and the cargo has been loaded and prepared for the humanitarian trip to the besieged enclave. However, organisers received word of an “administrative ...
Pacific Media Watch Palestine solidarity protesters today demonstrated at the Auckland headquarters of Television New Zealand, accusing the country’s major TV network of broadcasting “propaganda” backing Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. About 50 protesters targeted the main entrance to the TVNZ building near Sky Tower and also picketed a side ...
Opinion by Lynley Hood. Forty years on from my 1985 Fulbright Grant, my disquiet over the war in Gaza evoked some troubling questions. The answer to my first question – What is the primary purpose of the Fulbright Programme? – was on the Fulbright NZ website. It says: US Senator, ...
The ministers responsible for green-lighting major projects need to be open about potential conflicts of interest, says Transparency International. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Powell, Professor, Family and Sexual Violence, RMIT University It has been a particularly distressing start to the year. There is little that can ease the current grief of individuals, families and communities who have needlessly lost a loved one to men’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Lichen, the first described example of symbiosis.AdeJ Artventure/Shutterstock Once known only to those studying biology, the word symbiosis is now widely used. Symbiosis is the intimate ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim Hemsley, Head, Childhood Dementia Research Group, Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University Olena Ivanova/Shutterstock “Childhood” and “dementia” are two words we wish we didn’t have to use together. But sadly, around 1,400 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Whiteford, Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University The government’s Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee has just published its second report. It was set up by Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth in 2022 to provide: ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne The Queensland state election will be held in October. A YouGov poll for The Courier Mail, conducted April 9–17 from a sample ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Naeni, PhD candidate at Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University There’s been much talk in recent months about what a possible second Donald Trump presidency in the United States could mean for Europe, Russia’s war in Ukraine, the ...
A brief round-up of submissions on the controversial proposed law. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week, submissions on the controversial Fast-track Approvals Bill closed just hours after the government released a list of stakeholder organisations who were sent letters advising how they could ...
A poem from Robin Peace’s new collection Detritus of Empire: feather / grass / rock. Cereal giving I see a woman’s hands, see her curious hands break a stalk as she walks through the tall prairie, the savannah, the steppe, wherever it was. See her idly bite the grass that ...
The 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 Hemingway’s Goblet by Dermot Ross (Mary Egan Publishing, $38)A handsomely produced (debossed cover, lovely ...
The Commissioner's decision validates the longstanding efforts of the local community and ensures that Awataha Marae will be managed to serve the needs of the local community, particularly for hosting tangihanga. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tristan Salles, Associate professor, University of Sydney Examples of Australian landscapes.Unsplash Seventy thousand years ago, the sea level was much lower than today. Australia, along with New Guinea and Tasmania, formed a connected landmass known as Sahul. Around this time – ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Felicity Castagna, Lecturer, Creative Writing, Western Sydney University Day Day Market, ParramattaPhoto: Garry Trinh I live on the edge of Parramatta, Australia’s fastest-growing city, on the kind of old-fashioned suburban street that has 1950s fibros constructed in the post-war housing boom, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Ryan, Teaching Fellow in Economics, University of Waikato GettyImagesfatido/Getty Images There is an ongoing global debate over whether the high inflation seen in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic can be lowered without a recession. New Zealand is not ...
The ‘Wicked Game’ heartthrob is in his late 60s now. That didn’t stop him putting on a lively, goofy and very sparkly show. Apart from ‘Wicked Game’, which graces a sultry playlist of mine simply called 💋, my last sustained Chris Isaak listening session took place when I was about ...
Analysis - Two ministers were stripped of portfolios in a warning to Cabinet, drama broke out at the Waitangi Tribunal, and the gang patch ban bill ran into opposition. ...
Tara Ward makes an impassioned plea for some vital pop culture merch. In April 1999, I became obsessed with a new reality television show called Popstars. Every Tuesday night, five strangers transformed into music royalty before my very eyes as Joe, Keri, Carly, Erika and Megan were chosen to form ...
PNG Post-Courier In the early hours of ANZAC Day, aerial photographs captured an impressive gathering of Australians and Papua New Guineans at Isurava in the Northern (Oro) Province. The solemn dawn service yesterday was held at a site steeped in history, where some of the fiercest battles of World War ...
The PSA is shocked that Oranga Tamariki has used the cost cutting drive to downgrade its commitment to Te Ao Māori and remove many specialist Māori roles. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Kemish, Adjunct Professor, School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry, The University of Queensland There can be no more powerful symbol of the relationship between Australia and Papua New Guinea than the prime ministers of these neighbouring countries walking together on the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sharon Robinson, Distinguished Professor and Deputy Director of ARC Securing Antarctica’s Environmental Future (SAEF), University of Wollongong, University of Wollongong Andrew Netherwood Over the last 25 years, the ozone hole which forming over Antarctica each spring has started to shrink. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Viktoria Kahui, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Economics, University of Otago Getty Images/Amy Toensing Biodiversity is declining at rates unprecedented in human history. This suggests the ways we currently use to manage our natural environment are failing. One emerging concept focuses on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy Colin Bednall, Associate Professor in Management, Swinburne University of Technology marvent/Shutterstock Finding the best person to fill a position can be tough, from drafting a job ad to producing a shortlist of top interview candidates. Employers typically consider information from ...
Wondering where to host your next BYO? Whether its a small gathering or a massive party, we’ve got some recommendations. I was first introduced to the concept of BYOs at Dunedin’s India Gardens, a legendary but sadly defunct establishment, which purveyed enormous quantities of mango chicken to Aotearoa’s drunkest future ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julien Cooper, Honorary Lecturer, Department of History and Archaeology, Macquarie University Julien Cooper The hyper-arid desert of Eastern Sudan, the Atbai Desert, seems like an unlikely place to find evidence of ancient cattle herders. But in this dry environment, my new ...
The sector says it’s hopeful her replacement Paul Goldsmith will be able to throw it a lifeline, after six months with a minister deemed missing in action, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign ...
The government can't just rely on axing public sector jobs and has to do more to cut spending, says the chief economist at a free market think tank. ...
Rock The Vote NZ, known for its advocacy for minor party unity and its role within the Freedoms NZ Coalition during the 2023 General Election, celebrates this merger as a strategic enhancement of its operational strength and outreach. ...
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Bernie Sanders is out of the race.
If this pandemic had happened a year earlier, the need for nationwide healthcare reform would have been his saving.
It's a cruel fate this 2020 election.
Credit to Bernie for shifting the terms of debate on healthcare. But I've got my doubts that Medicare for all would have been enough to tip it to Bernie even had the pandemic happened a year earlier.
First, there's Bernie's approach to the topic. Half of Americans get their healthcare through employer subsidised insurance. It's a fact of human nature that people value keeping what they have more than taking a risk on getting something better. Given the degree of governmental malfunction in areas of governmental monopoly in the US, being forced into a government health health plan looks like a big risk.
Second, paying for M4A is a gnarly topic. Bernie didn't have a clear message on how workers would be better off financially. Most people just heard their taxes would go up to pay for it. Furthermore, relieving companies of their burden of subsidising their employee health insurance programs amounts to a massive windfall to the companies.
Third, the other candidates would have adjusted their messaging, so Bernie's stance would not have remained as large a differentiation as it was.
edit: then there’s this piece for a broader look at why Bernie fell short.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/bernie-sanders-campaign-retrospective-2020-democratic-primary_n_5e837ecfc5b603fbdf4a8782
Andre I just threw that line about healthcare in to be kind to the Bernie supporters.
Be nice to them today and don't bayonet the wounded.
Sorrreeee.
🙂
🙂
Gutted for the USA, beginning to think they have been cursed, the death toll coming out of there is horrendous. Those poor people.
At least Bernie is staying on the ballot, even if he has pulled out of the presidential race.
There is the practical matter that if he gets over 1/4 of the delegates (including superdelegates), he can force a vote at the convention on any policy platform proposals he wants to push. That means he would need around 1200. He's got about 900 now, with about 1600 still to be voted on, so it will be tight for clearing that hurdle.
Wow, that's interesting, wonder how it will play out in the end.
The global death toll is horrendous, including the high NUMBER of deaths in the US. However, so far, the US does not have the highest death rate pre 1 million of their population. Their’s is 44. Many European countries and the UK have higher death rates so far.
US: 44
UK: 105
France: 167
Netherlands: 131
Belgium: 193
Spain: 316
Switzerland: 103
Sweden: 68
Ireland: 48
The US and the UK are catching up Carolyn, though doubt if they will get near Spain and Italy which has a death rate of 292/m. Odd you missed it from your list.
Yes. I did say this is the current stats. My list wasn't comprehensive – just a selection to show some of the spread. Spain is the highest at the moment.
I linked to the full list in my opening sentence.
If the US gets a similar death rate to the current death rates in Italy and Spain, then they will have around 100K deaths. But they're still suffering high ongoing deaths in Italy etc.
Compared to Italy and Spain, the US has a younger population and a culture that is somewhat less up close and personal in terms of physical space. But the US went a lot later and softer on physical distancing and isolation, helping the contagion spread.
It's a horrifying but fascinating experiment to watch as it plays out in real time.
Thanks for that Carolyn, was wondering what that stat's were like re population. Much appreciated.
Andre, they were talking of 100,000 -200,000 expected deaths in the US last week at one of trumps pressers. Agree re horrifying but fascinating however twisted that sounds.
The stats don't tell everything. You probably know that we Kiwis have greater personal space than people in densely concentrated urban areas.
The last time I visited a big European city, I took two weeks to get used to the density of buildings and the number of people always close to me.. So different from my major-city NZ abode.
NZ has an advantage in that respect – the virus will naturally spread faster in those areas of greater population density.
And, condescending post of the day so far award goes to…it never failed to amaze, the number of spineless centrists and closet righties masquerading as leftists, disparaging the Sanders Campaign on The Standard. Not even luke warm support for Medicare for all and $15 min wage etc.
Bernie put up a great campaign–his analysis and policy were spot on–as subsequent tragic events have illustrated what happens with for profit healthcare and millions living week to week on low wages…
His strength–not running with the herd–was ultimately his weakness too. But he has certainly laid the platform for “the next Bernie”.
Sanders and Warren have already shunted Biden leftwards on many policy areas.
Everyone will be looking to see what Biden's revised healthcare plan looks like.
Straight out of the blocks the big progressive activist groups have told Biden what they are wanting out of him
https://nextgenamerica.org/Biden-letter/
The big question is whether Trump's popularity bump holds for 4 weeks, 8 weeks or 10. That's the danger. Nothing either Biden or Sanders could have done about that,.
Realclearpolitics has Biden 49.7 Trump 43.4 on 7 April.
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2020/president/us/general_election_trump_vs_biden-6247.html
Trump is history.
Well I'm just unwilling to hope yet.
Thanks for the poll, it's slightly cheering.
Presumably it all comes down to which way Florida goes, again.
Or a coup installing Trump as dictator for the duration of the"temporary" emergency. Depends if his allies can convince enough of the USAn military and bureaucracy that he is a useful idiot.
But then, some people may actually take their oaths of office seriously. Maybe?
I don't think the military are Genrl Bonespur's number 1 fans.
Florida has been a bit of a disaster with Covid 19…Trump in a bit of trouble there too though close…the average of the last two Florida polls has Biden 3.2% ahead of Trump.
Did he sell it to employers as saving them a buttload of money?
The Sanders campaign no doubt made some tactical mistakes – I've said before that the branding of 'revolution' and "democratic socialism" was unsuited to that particular political market. The policy prescriptions (on the whole) were well received by a majority – and a rhetoric of returning to the sensible centre after 40 years of extremism, a return to proven solutions from America's own past and to core American values, would have been a better approach.
That said, history takes no prisoners as 'Pepe' Mujica remarked"And now I am the president. And tomorrow, like everyone, I will just be a pile of worms". The grace, historical awareness and humility of Sanders withdrawal speech yesterday, as is so often the case with defeated candidates, gives us a sense of what has been lost.
Bernie was out of the race when he failed to counter Warren's scurrilous lie about him being a sexist, and when he claimed, bizarrely, that that doddering old fool from Delaware could beat Trump.
All white males over a certain age are by definition misogynist. There was nothing Bernie could have said to 'defend' himself. Indeed the mere attempt at doing so would have only confirmed his guilt.
All white males over a certain age are by definition misogynist.
What perfect balderdash that statement is.
Well yes.
It has the ring of truth about it…
Defending the literacy programme of Castro was excellent for left sympathizers, but it lost him Florida. You can win neither a nomination nor a presidency without Florida.
But the Cuban literacy programme was, and is, excellent. As is the Cuban health system. Bernie lost not because he told the truth and angered a few elderly extreme right ideologues, but because the Democratic Party machine was determined not to let his "insurgent", i.e. authentically popular and truly democratic, campaign triumph. They'd rather have Trump than Bernie, that is clear.
And then of course there's the very serious question of Bernie's failure to stick up for himself in the face of a campaign of belittlement and abuse; very similar to Corbyn's failure.
Sanders was indeed correct about the Cuban literacy programs being a good thing. In a very narrow sense.
But arguing that statement is technically correct when you are trying to win an election in Florida is grossly negligent political malpractice, given the importance of the Cuban-American vote. The malpractice is further aggravated by the foregone opportunity to draw a contrast with the current nepotistic kakistocracy's habit of using the presidency to promote their personal private business interests in foreign countries.
The Democratic Party has a long and dishonorable history of compromising, indeed abandoning, basic commitments to human rights in order to get the votes of certain sectors. Before the Cuban right wing, the Florida constituency it bent over backwards to placate was the Ku Klux Klan.
What does that have to do with the dumbfuckery involved in Sanders blowing a perfect opportunity to go after Don Drumpfeone's corrupt foreign entanglements, just so he could show off the moral superiority of his progressive purity?
Thereby blowing any chance he may have had of winning the biggest swing state, for no conceivable gain anywhere else.
Stating an uncontestable truth is not to make a show of "purity", it's simply stating a fact. Telling a lie in order to curry favour with the extreme Cuban right wing would not make him a whit more electable, it would make him another Hillary Clinton.
But, anyway, they’re going to select someone who’s prepared to say anything, and does.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAUOurZIVfI
One of the most basic political skills needed to successfully run for a position as basic as a student council is how to use a question as an entry to talk about a subject that's favourable ground. There's no need to lie, he simply needed to make his answer about something that isn't awkward ground, while still "addressing the subject" in an innocuous way.
Sanders failed that basic test that's frankly at high-school politics level. And cost himself what could have been a significant prize in a completely unforced error.
Well said, sir. Yes, Mr Sanders could certainly have spoken more adroitly.
However, in the end, his opposition was the billionaire-backed DNC, and they were going to win their pyrhhic victory no matter what. I do not look forward with any relish to the gruesome spectacle of Biden being savaged and humiliated by Trump.
I just hope that this year we are spared the unedifying sight of unhinged Democratic Party supporters gnashing their teeth and melting down like this….
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WrKKPGhh-ZU
The World Trade Organisation makes it very clear why this impending global recession will be far worse than the 2008-9 GFC:
"The economic shock of the COVID-19 pandemic inevitably invites comparisons to the global financial crisis of 2008-09. These crises are similar in certain respects but very different in others. As in 2008-09, governments have again intervened with monetary and fiscal policy to counter the downturn and provide temporary income support to businesses and households.
But restrictions on movement and social distancing to slow the spread of the disease mean that labour supply, transport and travel are today directly affected in ways they were not during the financial crisis. Whole sectors of national economies have been shut down, including hotels, restaurants, non-essential retail trade, tourism and significant shares of manufacturing."
"A strong rebound is more likely if businesses and consumers view the pandemic as a temporary, one-time shock. In this case, spending on investment goods and consumer durables could resume at close to previous levels once the crisis abates. On the other hand, if the outbreak is prolonged and/or recurring uncertainty becomes pervasive, households and business are likely to spend more cautiously.
Under both scenarios, all regions will suffer double-digit declines in exports and imports in 2020…"
https://www.wto.org/english/news_e/pres20_e/pr855_e.htm
This to me show how distinct the New Zealand response to the health crisis of the virus is to the economic response to the shutdown.
I have a suspicion we will be as different a country coming out of this one as we were before and after the Great Depression.
Ha! Radio NZ just had a piece on the news with National’s Campaign Chair Paula Bennett saying that the government must delay the election – “NZers won’t cope” she said.
Any guesses what National’s polling must be telling them?
Lol.
What does she mean "can't cope"?
I don’t know what she meant. Whatever it is it will be bullshit though, a delaying tactic to allow National time to get their dirty politics machinery back on track.
She means that National knows they don't have a shit Show of getting back into power this year.
So. They need extra time for a manipulative propaganda offensive.
She means NZ "can't cope" with anything other than a National government.
Yesterday colmar brunton put out a poll saying 90% of people trust the government's handling of covid
Interestingly I’ve been getting some of those National Party Border Closure petition posts on my Facebook in the last 24 hours. Given the party political nature of these posts you’d expect the comments to be mostly supportive. But they’re not really. National is getting chastised by their own supporters for electioneering at this time.
My good she popped up on my fb this morning.
My eyes my eyes .
Swinging voters likely on board then and why not when you look at Bridges arrogance.
I thought Scott must have misheard (hey, it's early) but no …
RNZ news report
What's more, the deputy Oppn leader doesn't even understand the law:
"With New Zealand now in full lockdown for at least another two weeks and businesses and livelihoods in disarray, the opposition said an election in September just seemed too much.
National's deputy leader and campaign chair Paula Bennett said the government and opposition needed to discuss in the weeks ahead whether 19 September was a realistic date." (italics added)
Of course, the PM doesn't need to discuss the election date with National at all. PMs never do that with the opposition. Ardern could call an election tomorrow (if she lost her mind). September 19 is an intention, but has no meaning in law.You aren't relevant, Paula.
They would certainly need to discuss an extension of the term, which would need approval from Parliament. But there is no reason to do that when an election could be held as late as December, if the PM so decides.
Wondered how long before they'd bring that up.
Shows where the real concern is…..getting decimated. Bridges would’ve floored them.
"With New Zealand now in full lockdown for at least another two weeks and businesses and livelihoods in disarray, the opposition said an election in September just seemed too much."
I will be interested to see how that goes down. Can't see any kind of rationale there. The only challenge is how to vote in ways that don't spread coronavirus. Other than that, NZers are resilient enough to manage voting in five months time. It's not like it's next week. Daft (but haven't listened for the context).
If there was any kind of rationale, Bennett would be saying:
"Forget about going to watch sport in September. Forget about going to concerts and all those events that require more public interaction and health concerns than going to one location and putting paper in a ballot box."
That would be logical, and incredibly unpopular, so …
Actually, I'm not assuming we will be able to do public gatherings by September, and that the govt may have to make arrangements around that to ensure voting can happen.
Assuming the lockdown is over by Sept!!!
Paula's not a deep thinker, but it should occur to her that the lockdown will be over well before Sept … unless things go badly wrong and we have a second wave – a rise in cases and back to Level 4.
If that happens, the government's support will take a hit. National would change their tune.
We wont be in lock down in September. It just wouldn't be possible.
It would destroy nz financially.
People wouldn't handle it or accept it .
Bw very likely you are right
BUT can you predict especially what will happen with the virus, AND what will happen overseas eg USA, Europe.
It depends what you mean by lockdown. I can't see the entire country being still at level 4 for the duration. But level 1 certainly, which prohibits mass gatherings (eg political rallies, demonstrations, or fundraising concerts). And some parts of the country may be level 2 or higher (over 70s encouraged to stay at home and as yet unspecified size smaller gatherings only).
But a virtual lockdown may linger on in people's heads. Being permitted to return to social proximity does not mean that we will overnight overcome the fear and distancing conditioning we will have spent months soaking up.
A society is an ongoing process not a fixed object.
I predict we will have stamped out but will still be quarantining and inbound travelers a measure that will start this week . (It better start this week)
The USA will be carnges Europe will be winning slowly . 3rf world countries dont know.
How will we know if we have stamped out Corona? Given that the antibody tests are far more likely to give a false negative (insufficient viral load at time,or sampling error), than a false positive (samples getting mixed up, testing equipment inadequately sterilized). Let alone the possibility of animal reservoirs (really hoping that we've avoided that nightmare scenario).
If any of the 10% or more people diagnosed with Covid who test as false negatives then proceed to infect others, we will be back in an exponential growth phase again very quickly.
Antibodies are a host response and made by the host and will stay in the host’s circulation (or not) long after the virus has gone from the host. Equipment sterilisation is to remove viable bugs and spores, not antibodies (although these should also be removed in the whole cleaning & sterilisation process).
Whoops! I meant that the current SARS-COV-2 RNA testing. Overly hopeful to announce the existence of an antibody test that would be able to tell who has previously been infected!
Sterilisation itself should get rid of contamination from previous tests, but only if done correctly. People get tired and mistakes get made, but my point was that a false negative is currently more likely than a false positive.
Almost all the materials used for the PCR-based test are disposable.
Yes, people do make mistakes and tired people make more mistakes but the decontamination & sterilisation processes are almost fully automated and done according to SOPs that stand the test of time, so to speak.
Yup, likelihood of false negative is much higher than false positive.
Yes ForgetNow, , and Jacinda will listen to the scientists.
You are right about the possible problem of animal transmission.
We have never eradicated bovine TB in possums, and spend billions testing and poisoning. Governments deal with Foot and Mouth by culling and burning all affected animals… that was a British nightmare at one stage.
We are learning more about this virus, some helpful, some terrifying.
I have never in my 78 years felt as I do now. Friends and family truly at risk and many learning how tenuous the threads of the "safety net" really are. Learning to value our humans and pets, and creating our own safety net, all the time being aware of the hidden mainly silent suffering of those whose lives have been damaged or at least impacted by this virus.
I am a survivor of the 1946/7 polio epidemic which closed schools and had 34 victims in a village of 326. I was six and did not have close contact with my parents while in the Waikato Crippled Children's Hospital for nearly six months. I saw them twice through the distorting glass of the hospital door.
This has made me feel for those in quarantine or hospital separated from loved ones. It is terrible and remains a fear for life. Also not being able to say goodbye takes comfort away from the bereaved.
Awful though this has been for some, most of us have been spared that through the decisions of a switched on Leader and cabinet, who have put well being at the centre of Government Policy.
Let us hope that they manage the swell of unemployed, streamline the mechanics of welfare, revamp training and retraining and build the support net needed 'till we weather this. May the goodwill last.
Can this thing lie dormant? Or if we have 4 weeks with no new cases is most likely it's gone.
bwaghorn, "quarantining"Starting midnight tonight 9/4/20
@wags: Can this thing lie dormant? Or if we have 4 weeks with no new cases is most likely it's gone.
My bigger concern is how long this lurgee can be infectious in asymptomatic/low symptom carriers. It could only need a chain of two or three asymptomatic carriers to go past that four weeks and then initiate a whole new infectious breakout.
Not only that. Lockdown would have been a proven failure by September.
Nope, we should still be able to vote even from lock down.
And the other aspect is that some big businesses are struggling to survive for 4 week and need tax payers support
Do they not have ANY planning for major problems?
National's deputy leader and campaign chair Paula Bennett said the government and opposition needed to discuss in the weeks ahead whether 19 September was a realistic date."
It's interesting how someone projects their own wants and needs onto someone else. She means the opposition wants to discuss. The government certainly does not need to. It sets the election date. It's about Paula's, and National's, desires. She really means, "I want to change the date." Needs and wants- too easily confused.
Who can't cope paula? Maybe she's run out of oregano?
She needs a haircut and a real job.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbAoXw_DqvM
But I haven't got a brother Bob? 🙁
He ain't heavy …
They'll be glad of a day out by September.
A puff piece on Passover in Jerusalem
RNZ National, Thursday 9 April 2020, 8:50 a.m.
Listeners this morning were inflicted with another P.R. piece for Israel—this time a once-over-lightly piece about Passover/Easter in Jerusalem with one Barry Guy, who usually does the sports news, having a breezy chat with Liat Collins of the extreme right wing Jerusalem Post. He asked not one awkward question, of course.
Liat Collins has been used by the dupes at RNZ National before…..
https://morrisseybreen.blogspot.com/2018/01/another-israeli-propagandist-takes.html
You're on that again? Ok, I can argue this either way, because there are madmen on both sides. But just for you:
Attacked by Palestinians on Israeli's since October 1st:
Stabbings = 84
Attempted Stabbings = 57
Car Attacks = 31
Shootings = 20
Bombings = 4
Death Toll:
Palestinians killed carrying out attacks against Israelis = 149
Palestinians shot by Israeli forces during clashes = 59
Israelis killed in attacks by Palestinians = 35
Citizens of other countries killed = 5
https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/world/israel-palestine-deaths/
MEMO: Editors/Moderators of The Standard
Lin, why is this ignoramus allowed to post inflammatory nonsense?
[lprent: Because we mainly and almost entirely moderate on behaviour. Ideological differences can be aired provided that they don’t descend into hate speech and bigotry. And we’re pretty good at detecting undeclared pattern of behaviours and dealing with them. The same thing applies to paddington, as it does to you. ]
The data is taken from the Washington Post. These are simple facts. If you want to self promote your own blog, go for gold. But as I have posted earlier, the Israeli/Palestinian conflict is a complex mixture of historical, religious and cultural factors where there is no good guy/bad guy scenario. No matter how you try to paint it otherwise.
Nope – I’d describe them as being self-serving propaganda and simply not worth the media they are printed on.
Those figures are what are reported by the Israeli forces. Since the occupation troops are a pack of layabout draftees who have been known to lie every time they fuck up – I personally give them no credibility when they are reporting their live round kills.
Anyone who has spent time living on the west bank (and I know a few who have) knows the Israeli draftees are useless lazy young badly trained fuckwits with guns. They routinely block the checkpoints so that they can have a siesta. They like to provoke the palestinians going through checkpoints or when they are on patrol. And in my estimation at least half of their kills and injuries are directly due to their behaviour.
They are an occupying force of incompetent garritroopers. Which is why they also don’t let in outside observers to evaluate their reporting of the justification of their troops. It is also why the Israelis don’t even let their own courts look at the behaviour of their troops.
I can’t read the WP article – but I’d take a bet that they haven’t referenced a single Palestinian report.
So I’d say that your authoritative source could be described only as complete trash. About as credible as the lack of active Russian troop involvement in Eastern Ukraine – which is the classic example of fake PR.
Thanks, Lin. Here's some reading for our friend Paddington….
https://mondoweiss.net/2019/01/newspapers-palestinians-headlines/
Hi lprent. Thanks for your response. I'm not going to push this, because my point was not to defend Israeli activity but to try to communicate to Morrisey that the Israeli/Palestinian conflict is far more complicated than his rather simplistic commentary. From my own observation, this is a conflict between intractible parties whose focus on ancient historical and religious grievances is (close to) psycopathic.
Of course I could have just as easily argued the other way.
But on the balance, I think that the Palestinians have had the raw end of the stick both from the Israeli state (who in my view have no historical rights to Palestine – unless they wish to argue with the Romans) and from the Europeans of Europe and the US, who they could easily argue owe them for their complicity and actions in a recent genocide.
It sure as hell doesn't give the Israeli government any right to attempt genocide or ethnic cleansing on their fellow citizens of the land of Palestine.
The data is [sic] taken from the Washington Post.
Those absurd and dubious "statistics"—Palestinians are not just shot by IDF marksmen, they are always killed appropriately, as in "killed carrying out attacks against Israelis", "clashes", and "attempted stabbings"—are direct from the Israeli authorities, and are nearly always contested by human rights groups and witnesses of the killings. The Washington Post is notoriously biased on this issue, amongst many others.
It's a discussion of Passover. At Passover.
There is no possible reason to object to that.
It's a discussion of Passover. In Jerusalem. With an extreme right commentator who shamelessly defends Israeli actions and routinely pours opprobrium on the victims of Israel’s regime of repression.
There is every reason to object to that, but poor Barry Guy had not a clue.
None of which is in the piece. So listeners were not "inflicted" (your word) with anything.
Except an accurate description of a traditional Jewish festival, and that would not annoy any reasonable person. (Of course some might be triggered by it, but we despise those people, don't we?).
????
This person is either disoriented or utterly cynical.
On Jessie Mulligan today a lovely intelligent Jewish restaurant lady was talking about the fact that because NZ Jews cannot meet some were going to have "Zoom Passover"….love that.
Yes, she was cool. If I lived in Auckland, I would be joining a queue to book in.
Zoom powered Passover Seder.
Jeez Morry, what's your problem with passover?
?????
My problem is with credulous RNZ hosts being bamboozled by nasty zealots like Liat Collins. At the end of her four minute chat this morning, she told the the hapless Barry Guy; "It's kind of mindbending, I don't think there's EVER been anything like this." He didn't get the brutal irony of what she was saying.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2018742132/coronavirus-jerusalem-marks-easter-with-restricted-movement
Here is the news, the sad new about the lockdown.
We have 'gotten' nasty in 14 days with online bitching. Exactly that.
Mike Hosking said it; " … and nasty, and my word we have gotten nasty in 14 days with online bitching."
He is upset because in 14 days we have got nasty and bitchy? 14 days? Is it 14 years he's been like that?
Lmao !!!!!! Bruised ego hosking after kiwi's slayed him on social media for being an egg.
Maybe he could start a support group 🙂
Start a Give A Little for Mike's ego I say! I'll put in the first cent (or do they allow half-cent donations?)
Next MikieHoskings will be calling for kindness….
seriously though, can’t we get rid of him. Please
twenty years. He was bitchy and nasty while on morning TV in 1998 with his then lover, now wife.
The guy and his now missus were never anything else but nasty and bitchy.
He’s gone behind the paywall on the Herald. Maybe they no longer think he’s quite the crowd-puller they thought?
Mike's so formulaic that it's easy to imagine what his reckons are based on the headline.
Wonder if he writes his own columns these days or just uses the Mike Hosking Bot?
What kind of 'puller' was that?
Did the wind change on Horeskin and he got his own back?
Ah, such a subtle shrinking violet you are, Gabby. (Please don't stop.)
From the Independent Media Institute:
Truth and Propaganda About Coronavirus
"In the early weeks when the virus emerged in Wuhan, the Chinese government neither suppressed evidence nor did their warning systems fail"
Beyond Words
by CRAIG MURRAY, 8 April 2020
Yesterday Mark Sommers QC, the extremely erudite and bookish second counsel for Julian Assange in his extradition hearing, trembled with anger in court. Magistrate Vanessa Baraitser had just made a ruling that the names of Julian Assange’s partner and young children could be published, which she stated was in the interests of “open justice”. His partner had submitted a letter in support of his Covid 19 related bail application (which Baraitser had summarily dismissed) to state he had a family to live with in London. Baraitser said that it was therefore in the interests of open justice that the family’s names be made public, and said that the defence had not convincingly shown this would cause any threat to their security or well-being. It was at this point Sommers barely kept control. He leapt to his feet and gave notice of an appeal to the High Court, asking for a 14 day stay. Baraitser granted four days, until 4pm on Friday.
I am in lockdown in Edinburgh, but received three separate eye witness reports. They are unanimous that yet again Baraitser entered the court carrying pre-written judgements before hearing oral argument; pre-written judgements she gave no appearance of amending.
There have been two Covid-19 deaths in Belmarsh prison so far. For obvious reasons the disease is ripping through the jail like wildfire. The Department of Justice is admitting to one death…
Read more….
https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2020/04/beyond-words/
Good job he's in solitary confinement, then, and not general population.
People like you sneered at the people locked away in Stalin's and Mao's crackdowns on dissenters.
Will you laugh if he dies?
Only people like you could associate assange with the victims of Mao and Stalin.
Only people like you would laugh at the victims of Mao and Stalin.
Except I don't.
You laugh at the suffering of Julian Assange. I have no doubt that you would also have laughed at the suffering of other dissenters and journalists imprisoned by repressive and anti-democratic regimes.
Or is this contempt for Assange just a one-off?
Logical fallacies
I think you used every single fallacy in this chart during this exchange.
You sneer at the suffering of a political dissenter in Great Britain and callously repeat state-sponsored lies about him. Ergo, you would probably have sneered at the suffering of political dissenters in other brutal regimes and you would have callously repeated state-sponsored lies about them. That’s a reasonable inference, assuming that your behaviour in this case is not bizarrely inconsistent with your normal behaviour.
Your comments on logic are as credible and as thorough as your disparagement of Julian Assange.
Losing credibility in your eyes is a right of passage on the standard and should be taken as a compliment rather than a curse.
Being shamed by Mr Angry from Cheam isn't as bad as you may believe it to be.
But that aside, do carry on with how outrageous it is that a convicted bail jumper didn’t get bail.
You can be sure that I'm not the only one who sees you have little or no credibility. Your lame "Mr Angry from Cheam" quip shows you have little or no SOH, either.
Moz, a few people here agree with you. A few people here agree with The Al1en. That's how a forum works.
I would suggest you get over yourself, but that would be futility exemplified.
You could be right there, McFlock.
Except he's not
That ended some weeks if not months ago
So the campaign to end the isolation 'torture' has put him in more danger. Well done.
No the UK and US govts with the complete endorsement of vast numbers of total plonkers brainwashed by propaganda is what has put Assange in danger of his life
So the covid excuse to get out of jail was just a ruse. Looks like the magistrate called it.
What do you mean when you put the word "torture" in scare quotes? Are you pretending that he is not being tortured? Is that another of your jokes?
I urge other Standard readers to bear in mind The Al1en's sneering contempt for Assange and compare his behaviour to that of the United Nations' Rapporteur on Torture….
https://www.republik.ch/2020/01/31/nils-melzer-about-wikileaks-founder-julian-assange
The Standard readers are free to bear in mind whatever they want about me, be that my alleged sneering contempt, or whatever else takes their fancy.
It's all good.
No, it's not "all good." Your sneering contempt for this suffering dissident is not "alleged", it's there for posterity.
You've condemned yourself, and your flippant words now can't make it go away.
Yep, it's still all good, as am I.
You're gasping. It's embarrassing.
Logical fallacies
Bingo. lol
You keep saying that, but you have no ability to develop an argument. Why don't you cut your losses and go read a book or something?
I'm not making an argument, I'm replying to your continued usage of logical fallacies, which is easy to do as you're well practiced and predictable with it.
The actual guts of the matter are:
Good job he's in solitary. – Turns out he's not being isolation 'tortured' anymore.
The convicted bail jumper didn't get bail. – No answer.
Excerpts from a February 2020 report on the propaganda war against Assange. UN special rapporteur on torture Melzer "admits that he was himself initially taken in by the propaganda campaign."
You are probably wasting your time on these subservient citizens here Morrissey, they are obviously just a bunch of wannta be camp guards only waiting for the opportunity to prove their worth to their masters, quite disgusting and vile.
Thanks for those kind words, Adrian. Much appreciated.
They're not "kind words", Moz. Far from it, actually.
I'm devastated that your normally astute and utterly reliable analysis of the written word has deserted you on this occasion.
I blame The Al1en for making you angry 😉
ps, Cheam is a very pleasant London suburb, particularly the Eastern portion around the railway cutting.
Hancock's half hour. lol
Stop messing about!
btw, Kenneth Williams used to refer to the regular voice he used in the Hancock shows as 'the Snide'. Doesn't remind me of anyone here at the Standard, of course.
“He's right you know”
How the hell did I miss that reference?!!??!?
Al1en & te reo 1-0 Breen.
It's only half time, Morrissey. I expect you'll give yourself a good talking to in the changing sheds and come out fighting in the second half.
No, you two have got me beat, my friend. Unless I can find a Craig Joubert type to bribe, I haven't got a show.
We've had python and Tony Hancock, so next time we should try Frankie Howard.
Plenty of time for homework, Lurcio.
… next time we should try Frankie Howard. [sic]
Frankie Howerd.
There you go, back in the game, though pointing out a spelling mistake is the football equivalent of getting a corner kick against the run of play.
Mr Trotter having something of a meltdown?
http://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/2020/04/lord-give-us-democratic-socialism-but.html
Yes it's a beauty isn't it? I think he's in mourning lol
or one of the stages of grief
Someone here needs to do a decent response to Trotter.
Hey Mr Trotter try this out:
1. New Zealand now has the most effective democratic socialist government in the entire fucking world Mr Trotter. Best led, best communicated, best response through the public health system, best deployment of policing and social enforcement. And it's not me saying it.
So fuck off with your "thoughts" on democratic socialism. We already have it.
2. This government has just embarked on the largest Keynsean expansion since the Depression, and is going to keep expanding through the May 8th 2020 budget, and through the campaign manifesto, and through the 2021 budget.
The state is going into tens of billions of debt on new projects, is propping up every single waged person with a business who asks for it, and we are now a month away from even more largesse in the budget.
So fuck off with your "… but not yet!"
3. There is a gobsmacking irony of a blogger begging for a lifeline for a physical print of the Listener, when his own personal blog is now the only place the Trotter's own writing is published anywhere. Trotter's own practise of publishing online from many years ago is the clearest evidence that he knew this day was coming and planned for the demise of printed commentary years ago.
If Trotter wanted to he could amass his analogue leftie comrades and buy the Listener masthead from the receivers. But that's won't happen because he's all mouth and no trousers.
And while we are at it, the government is already well underway to strengthen broadcasting under Fa'afoi's plan for RNZ and TVNZ. They are well and truly doing their part already.
So fuck off with your defence of The Listener.
4. Trotter needs to get it out of his head that the government reaction to this recession is going to look the same as the Labour response to the 1930s Depression. That he can't step out of his tragedian pyre and lead something practical in society other than perpetually interviewing his typewriter and adding poorly paralleled historical anecdote, shows how deeply stale his imagination really is.
5. This government is holding the whole of the political order, the whole of society, and the whole of the economy, together right now, through sheer will and debt. They are about to get us through the virus crisis in better health shape than any other developed nation on earth. Overseas commentators are already noticing.
So we can afford to give them a smidgen of a break as we await coherence on the plan to revive our economy.
"If Trotter wanted to he could amass his analogue leftie comrades and buy the Listener masthead from the receivers. But that's won't happen because he's all mouth and no trousers."
Funny you should suggest that, I was wondering why he hadnt proposed the staff purchasing it for the dollar (potential liabilities aside) and running it as a collective (or co operative)…the existing staff would be the best placed to judge its future viability an could potentially secure both their ongoing employment and maintain an independent voice but havnt seen anyone involved propose such.
It still had 30,00 subscribers apparently.
[lprent: 32,000 from memory. ]
If the staff and management dont see a future path to sustainability why would anyone else
thats why command dosnt suit you
[On 26 July 2019, Sam wrote these memorable words:
Link: https://thestandard.org.nz/protect-ihumatao/#comment-1640435.
He now seems to think that he can return here from his self-imposed exile with a blatant troll comment.
Sam is wrong about that.
Banned for a year so that we can all recover from the pandemic and prepare for the election without having to endure his inane troll comments that create more work for Moderators – Incognito]
good grief…its Sam , youre still alive!
See my Moderation note @ 1:42 PM.
does us all a favour. Never come back.
FYI, I’m not on the pay-roll; we’re all volunteers here.
Subscribers really isn't that useful as a measure of utility. Certainly not a measure of how much it is valued by the public for whom it is purportedly doing good.
Consider this site as an alternative ‘risk free rate’ for taxpayers and look at the usage – which is our only measure of subscribers.
According to google analytics this site has had ~23k unique visitors in the last 30 days in ~89k sessions. This excludes almost all of the bots and because it is google has a fairly accurate idea about who is a person even when they jump machines (as I do all of the time)`.
~57k of those sessions were from users who entered the site with more than 15 times over 30 days – ie reading on average about every two days or better on average. ~31k sessions were from users who read the site more than 201 times over that 30 days.About ~26k of the sessions were from users who entered less than 5 times or less.
Average session duration is 6:32 and average pages per session is 3.84. Once you start figuring out the probable times that some people on here, then there is clearly a *lot* of utility.
The last 30 days was up about 1/6th above our recent median. Session times and page counts are slightly elevated.
That was done with a far more amateur level level of writing, no subscription to the site, we don't inflict advertising, and the commenters provide as much writing value as the authors.
Arguably even with all of the low rent comments and the provocative authors, that is a shit load of writing on here. I'd expect that it is of far more volume than The Listener.
The Listener really has to argue on the basis of the quality of its writing.
Quality – who knows? I personally haven't read one in some time – but it hasn't improved much beyond the mostly 'I reckons' writing that we do in blogs, or is common in the daily media, or even around reddit.
Sure there were always nuggets in the mix of waffle. But they weren't worth effort of finding the paper copy, paying for it, and reading it without the opportunity to comment. I certainly wouldn't want to pay for it as taxpayer even when I last read it.
It provided me with no value. If I want to subsidize writers then personally I'd prefer to pay for this ad-free venue – which is mostly what happens. I think that it is of more benefit to many of the people here.
I wouldn't mind being able to subsidizing journalists more. All they have to do is to have it all easily online, largely dump the advertising, separate the opinionists away from the journalism (the former is ideal as a filtered pay per read), and let me subscribe just to the journalism.
Problem is that is very hard to get in NZ media outside of a few mail feeds.
My summary: we’re doing ok but there’s always room for improvement here on TS 😉
And IMHO the Listener was not.
The writing here might be rough as (especially when I write), but in terms of the value that you pay for it is extremely valuable.
For me, I'm happy to spend money for reading material that is better than what we have here. But I didn't feel any sense of value in any of the Baur stable of magazines to outweigh the cost. A different editorial policy may have produced a better material. But they basically needed to change their business model even more – and showed no real signs of doing that.
Can't see a reasons to subsidize them more than any other business as there are others around that market place. The wage subsidy should have been enough to keep them viable if they’d had a business model that would work in the future – which they didn’t. That looks to have been the conclusion of Bauer.
I love it when I read a truly good piece written by a true professional. It’s the same with music, art, or science. When I need to dig too deep and too hard to find that rare gem, it’s not worth my money and even less so my time – actually, I have to work for my money so it all comes down to my time, which I don’t have as much of as I’d like 🙁
Indeed, a good editor is like a good conductor: worth their weight in gold; they can work miracles and turn things into gold but equally, they can fuck up things and turn things to custard.
Good reply to the insufferable Trotter—except for the confidence expressed in Chris Fa'afoi. He's an incompetent minister, if ever there was one.
Morrisey, reasons for your attack on Chris Fafoi?
My assessment of Fa’afoi is based on his hopeless performance when that rogue RNZ board suddenly announced that they planned to liquidate RNZ Concert. Fa'afoi, after guffawing that he did not listen to classical music, then went on to regurgitate their talking points. He clearly had no idea, and was blindsided by Jim Mather and his cronies.
http://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/2020/03/integrating-seamlessly-with-lowest.html
Edit – this got shunted down the list while I was writing it.
I am replying to Ad at 8.2
As a reader of the Listener since the 1970s, I am not entirely convinced by you, Ad.
1) If our system is best in the world, the standard is not very high. Other countries with far greater population density (meaning far more infections) seem to have done better. And you may be counting chickens that have not yet hatched.
2) Partly true, but only in its infancy, and I hope that the Govt has the courage to continue in this vein. Especially if the Righties start criticising this policy, as they will.
3) That is not irony – I see it more as Trotter lamenting the Listener's earlier role. I also remember the Listener and the Auckland Star being the only printed vehicles of real criticism of the disastrous Vietnam War.. There is a lot to be lamented since the Listener got swallowed by the right-wing marketers.
4) Maybe Trotter still has a vision of real social reform, whereas you don't. Or you don't show it very often. Blairite?
5) Fully agree, but one out of five is far from convinced.
I suspect that Trotter is afraid that after we have succeeded in starting to look for coherence on the plan to revive our economy, it will be too late to do any serious social reform.
Ad – do you want any serious social reform?
I am struggling to understand why you are so hostile to Trotter.
I second every single word of your comment, Ad
I can't see that Chris has 'melted down' with this statement though:
"According to Andrew Little’s former Chief-of-Staff, Neale Jones:
“I cannot think of a worse time to implement a UBI than in the middle of this economic crisis. Some of us are doing fine. Others need unprecedented government support just to stay afloat. UBI would spread that support thinner, or quickly spend 10s of billions we may need later."
Meaning Neale has no grasp at all of Keynesian economics. No understanding of the crucial importance of keeping up the level of aggregate demand. No historical grasp of the crucial role spending plays in lifting a nation out of an economic slump. Nor does he understand the practical and moral efficiency of universal, as opposed to means-tested, state support. The massively positive effect of telling every Kiwi: ‘You are important in your own right, not because you’re in need of charity but because you are a citizen of New Zealand.’ Everyone keeps telling us that “we’re all in this together” – a UBI would prove it."
" How did dreary pragmatism become Labour’s default-setting? A full explanation would require a book-length answer. Suffice to say that once a party embraces the fundamental tenets of neoliberalism, anything other than orthodox and cautious policy responses will be treated as the political equivalent of upending a can of petrol over your head and striking a match."
It seems to me that someone (the janitor – it's always the janitor) changed Labour's label to 'socialist' while everyone was at morning tea and no one has the courage to change it back, while the majority of them has no courage either to enact real socialism.
I wonder if Jacinda is banging her head against her desk at the 'dreary pragmatism' that pervades the party. I wonder.
Although perhaps it is the fact that since the 1980s Labour has become a centrist party with neo liberal leanings and that's all there is to it.
Oh well.
isnt a collective real socialism?
Collective is implicitly shared agreement. When it is mandated by those for whom it is convenient it just becomes coercion.
Problem is that I fail to see a point in subsiding a stable of publications that with massive cost-cutting producing what looked like a inaccessible mediocre product and barely managing to hold a subscriber base or a profit level is worth trying to save.
In an economic sense you could easily argue that their mere presence in the marketplace was actually constraining innovation in a failing area. They were holding on to audiences and thereby preventing development of a more viable economic model. As a government, you’d be better off using resources to provide technical infrastructure for writers to try to find a more useful model to build a viable and accessible product in. There are examples around like Newsroom, Spinoff, Evening Report, and even Scoop as well as the online mass media.
Because in the end, unless they figured out a different way to operate, then all of those magazines had been on a ventilator ready to die of technical obsolescence in the market for about a decade. Removing their Bauer DNR wouldn’t have made them last for many more years even if there wasn’t a pandemic at the same time.
dont disagree with that but my point was Mr Trotter was bemoaning a lack of socialism and ignored the most socialist response
Yeah – there are number of fully or semi cooperatives already in that space (as I pointed to). They just don't pay much.
no i dont imagine they do…and it would be interesting to be a fly on the wall should the staff ever attempt it….I could imagine it wouldnt go smoothly.
Trotter doesn't understand economics, or pretends not to. Buying these magazines for a dollar sounds cheap until the losses start to mount. I think he is emotionally attached to the titles and can't bear to see them go.
If there is a profitable market for a right-wing (but pretending not to be) glossy like the Listener, a new magazine will be set-up by somebody using their own money.
It's not the government's job to invest in/take over the media-accusations of manipulation for political ends would follow like night follows day.
Speaking to relatives in Aussie last night , one of whom works for a large retailer (who shall remain unnamed) and the relating of how the social distancing and 'lockdown' is being handled there is an object lesson in why we are correct to minimise the number of retailers that are able to trade.
The complete disregard for the guidelines from both the company and the general public makes a mockery of the process.
Couldn't believe it at pak n save today, waiting in the queue at the checkout, using the marked lines as a distancing guide, and people were pushing their trolleys between the gaps left behind me, completely ruining the purpose of having the lines in the first place. I told a floor supervisor that I realised it's not up to her to police it, but that particular part of the system was broken.
Didn't help that the customer in front of me took out a wad of notes and proceeded to lick his fingers, twice, whilst thumbing through them, and then again before touching the eftpos card he part paid with. Had to warn the checkout kid before she touched this idiot's cash, and patiently waited until she had decontaminated it and the terminal before I could check out, contemplating survival of the fittest v stupid by association.
and pales in comparison in both scale and actions related to me about Victoria last night….Im very pleased our Gov appears to be holding the line as staunchly as it is in the face of considerable pressure
Generally I've been impressed with the supermarkets down here, but then I've been able to time my runs really well, to have shopped at the slowest of times. Today, I had to risk the one day closed hoarders, so maybe the mentality of customers and staff were a bit less focused than of late, especially with the drop off in new cases. Let's hope complacency doesn't creep in and ruin all the good work thus far.
+1
UN Council for Human Rights – China now on the council.
Unbelievable.
Countries with a seat on the council get to oversee and appoint representatives who in turn investigate + report on human rights abuses.
Other council members with this influence include Somalia, Saudi Arabia, Cuba, Egypt, Nigeria, Venezula, Lybia…more here https://qz.com/1418293/what-countries-are-on-the-un-human-rights-council/
A den of thieves put in charge of the bank. This is the problem when you select for 'equitable representation' than competency.
I thought you generally made sure you were better informed RedLogix. 'A' has reeled off an out of date hit-job and stupidly highlighted China which is not on the Council. Besides, the representatives on the Council are not appointed to represent their countries or any political viewpoint, unlike the Cato Institute or Quartz.
Fair cop.
Two weeks till Business as Usual reconvenes, woohoo!
Government sanctioned "mental illness" will be forgotten, and Cognitive Dissonance in all things will be the name of the game. Project your fears onto anyone weaker than you and aim to take it all!
Hot Tip: don't get caught on the line when the starter pistol fires, not unless you are ready to slash your way through anyone you meet.
Totally – I'm devising a method to gouge the newly-unemployed. Awesome eh? Can't wait.
Domestic tourism = landlords and AirBnB are rubbing their hands with glee. Shame that many campsites have turned into mini- wannabe-Omahas.
I'm feeling lucky to be the recipient of good fortune in several ways. These are: NZ's isolation, a generally competent government that aims to serve the interests of all its citizens not just some, and enough social cohesion to voluntarily observe a lock-down with high levels of compliance. (There are a few peripheral sociopaths like Mike Hosking but that is to be expected)
Therefore I'm not really faced with the fear and rage that clearly prompted this piece from the fabulously civilised RJ Eskow a couple of weeks ago – No – I will not die for this damned economy. He used the word 'damned' advisedly – not as a mere expletive, but in the Biblical sense "this damned economy…and we, the damned who live within it." What we need to emerge from this crisis is an economy that does not damn so many – the odds are we will get one which damns more.
FFS! David Seymour is asking, at the Epidemic committee, why employers including sole traders in receipt of wage subsidies get named publicly, but sole parents etc in receipt of benefits are not publicly named! At about 1hr 15 minutes into the committee today.
I think Sepuloni also said there is a box to tick asking if employer agrees to be named publicly when applying for a subsidy.
The crisis is an opportunity for people to surface any sadistic fantasies they have been harbouring for years.
Seemore Coq doesn't require a crisis.
Why does Seymour get to be on the committee? How does this happen when you only get 1% of the vote?
He represents the only other party in Opposition.
We had some debate about this early on in level 4.
It has now been announced that WOF's, regos and licenses that expired after Jan 1st have been extended for essential travel.
so someone with an expired rego or wof can use their car to drive to the supermarket?
Has NZTA shut down?
No, their regulatory team just have more pressing things to attend to.
so we can still get a rego online and via NZPost?
Are NZPost places still open?
I wouldn't expect quick service, and as the Minister has pointed out, it's unnecessary.
You can order a rego online, doesn't need to be at a Post Shop. Post is still being delivered as far as I can tell. I was just curious if that part of NZTA was still operational or not.
in order to get a rego you need a wof.
in order to get a wof you need to go to a testing station.
so essentially to me it means if you can get a rego because your wof is still valid, go online, get it.
if you need a wof first, don't worry, you can still drive without getting a huge ticket.
Yes, regos still being issued:
Cheers.
Looks like it means private vehicles used by essential workers, or general members of the public using their cars to access essential services.
It also looks like there is some vehicle WOF renewals for essential business vehicles.
See also at ATA.
The Stuff article I linked to in my previous comment says:
Wimbledon and the precautionary principle.
https://twitter.com/darrenrovell/status/1247933676874334208
Seems the ICs applied the precautionary principle as well….
"As a result, many insurers added exclusions to standard commercial policies for losses caused by viruses or bacteria. Now, the added policy language will potentially allow insurance companies to avoid hundreds of billions of dollars in business-interruption claims because of the covid-19 pandemic."
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/04/02/insurers-knew-damage-viral-pandemic-could-wreak-businesses-so-they-excluded-coverage/
i wonder how well insurers are doing out of the lockdown,say fewer home burglaries,vehicle accidents etc.
true….imagine claims are very quiet…though they will be spending some time explaining the out clauses in business interruption policies I expect.
Insurers in the US respond to cv with refunds and discounts.
With less traffic on the road, there have been fewer accidents and fewer car insurance claims. And the prospect of paying claims is what auto insurance base their rates on. Several car insurance companies have now stepped up to offer their customers refunds. More will likely follow.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/advisor/2020/04/06/car-insurance-companies-start-offering-refunds-because-few-are-driving/#309b43c84350
I suspect these would be mutual insurers.
You know the world is in turmoil when insurance companies start giving money away
Over the past couple of weeks various voices have said "Let's be Sweden"!
Latest: Sweden 696 deaths. New Zealand 1.
That wouldn't deter 'various voices', but how's the Swedish stock exchange doing?
What'ye expect?
Now 793-1
Fuck, I love NZ.
Ministry of health tweet on exercise in isolation. Informative and funny.
I love that walking stick. A bit of fun poked at our walking fraternity and sorority. Prepared for anything…..
so good.
Some have been published on media for not hearing the result of their tests for many days afterwards. The explanation includes the fact that results are fed back to whoever authorised the test such as the doctor.
If the test is positive the victim is informed straight away and followup action taken.
If the result is negative then the lesser urgency will be in the hands of the doctor to inform. Maybe too busy but must be anxious wait for the victim though the longer the wait the more likely all is well.
Heh, just like when you get tested for STDs, if you all clear you usually don't get notified (check your online hub thing), only if you positive will they be in touch (& not a call you want, obviously).
So closing down flights from China didn’t save thousands of lives.
Coronavirus in New York came mainly from Europe, studies show.
New research indicates that the coronavirus began to circulate in the New York area by mid-February, weeks before the first confirmed case, and that it was brought to the region mainly by travelers from Europe, not Asia.
“The majority is clearly European,” said Harm van Bakel, a geneticist at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, who co-wrote a study awaiting peer review.
A separate team at N.Y.U. Grossman School of Medicine came to strikingly similar conclusions, despite studying a different group of cases. Both teams analyzed genomes from coronaviruses taken from New Yorkers starting in mid-March.
http://archive.li/Ek2U9 (nyt)
Latest graph of modelling for CV19 shows just what NZ has avoided:
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/covid-19/413885/lockdown-could-eliminate-covid-19-new-nz-research
Science, huh.
https://twitter.com/AshleyBurkeCBC/status/1247925285565145090
"Coronavirus: Greenkeepers granted exemption for maintenance work after Easter"
And about bloody time. Golf Greens and Bowling Greens can be destroyed and take years to recreate if they aren't very carefully maintained. Why did it need Grant Robertson to do the bloody obvious. You don't need to allow people to play but a green keeper can work in isolation and preserve the painstakingly cared for lawns.
They are far more fragile and harder to repair than most Council owned parks and sports grounds. Mowing of those seems to have been allowed throughout.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/golf/120948493/coronavirus-greenkeepers-fume-as-jacinda-ardern-defends-delay-in-exemption-request
You know the government is doing a great job when rich rightwing fuckwits can only find golf greens to attack them about.
Your KDS is showing. He plays golf doesn't he?
The membership of the average golf club is quite typical of the whole New Zealand population. And New Zealand is one of the cheapest places to play golf in the world. A full playing membership at Inglewood, which is a pretty little course near New Plymouth is only about $500/year. The Waitara Golf Club, also near New Plymouth is even cheaper at $350/year.
Royal Wellington and Royal Auckland and Grange excluded of course.
Do't be such a bigoted little prat.
Tut tut, alwyn. I sail, and my yearly sub is only $120. I probably spend less on my boat (which I bought with trailer for $2,500 in 1987) than you spend on clubs and lost golf balls (sorry to be rude.)
Your altruistic concern for the well-being of golfing greens is rather amusing.
But there we are. I get mad when stupid but well-meaning people plant trees near the lake I sail on, and ruin the wind after the tree has grown.
$2,500! For a boat? It sounds as if you bought one of Paul Allen's cast offs.
I am, I admit, an unusual golfer (or should I say a former golfer). I played for about 48 years and only ever owned two sets of clubs. I bought the first set in the late 60's for the grand sum of $100. The second set was purchased in about 1996 for rather more, but I would still be under the cost of your boat. Golf balls are quite cheap. You can get perfectly suitable golf balls for about $2.00 each.
https://www.golfwarehouse.nz/collections/golf-balls/products/srixonad333whitegolfballsv8-4dozen
Most people I know spent rather more. Almost every golfer lives with the dream that if they buy the latest driver they will be able to hit their drives out to about the 280 metre mark. I was always a realist. I might have admired the skills of Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods but I was never under the illusion that I could play like them.
Aye, and I am foolishly still trying to sail a teenager's one-man racing skiff, because when I get a few good rides, it beats being on every big expensive lead-swinging keelboat that ever sailed.
As a matter of interest, what were your average subs for belonging to a club?
I sailed a P class when I was very young. In my 20's we bought a Javelin. That was great fun, although we always thought we should fly the letter flag "D" when we were out. For those who don't sail it means "Keep clear of me; I am maneuvering with difficulty".
I had to give up playing 5 years ago so my knowledge of subs is a bit out of date..
When I was a child I had a dose of a much nastier virus than Cofid 19. It appeared I had fully recovered from it but it turns out you never do. About half the people like me get problems many years later and my walking was affected so I gave up playing. I believe a full playing membership at the last club I belonged to is about $1250/year. You can play all day, every day of the year for that. That would be typical of city clubs I should say.
I was thinking more of you bringing petty nitpicking shit here. The government was made aware there was a problem and rightly assessed that a green keeper can probably work alone safely.
My patience has run out with pathetic moaning morons .
Self loathing must be a terrible affliction. My sympathy for your suffering.
Aren't poor people allowed to play golf? Far canal.
Have any golf courses or bowling greens been destroyed thus far? If not, what's the problem? Lots of people are waiting to get their privileges back, it takes time for processes to be worked through.
Golf courses, bowling greens, rugby fields and other expanses of manicured lawn are ring-worm patches on the body of Mother Earth
Lol. I still like to lie on my lawn, and I can see the potential of permaculture cricket pitches and rugby fields. But holy shit, there's a reason there are no organic golf courses. I'm guessing bowling greens might be similar?
Thirty seconds in tRump says that he wants the US economy to collapse.
https://twitter.com/gaslitnation/status/1237785570815938560
'Murica
https://twitter.com/mbaram/status/1247597527987339269
He's jist plannin' to shoot some cans.
Mexicans. Puerto Ricans. Jamaicans …
Ginning up the poors.
https://twitter.com/KeriLeighMerrit/status/1030516134485925888.
Americans? Not sure if he can!
Undoubtedly he'd be delighted to if they're African ones.
Anglicans
Nope – none there!
The Episcopal Church, USA, is the official organization of the Anglican Communion in the United States.
If Singapore can't keep this under control then I doubt we'll be ending lockdown anytime soon.
https://twitter.com/ChorzempaMartin/status/1247893963639386117
ulp
I understood that Singapore was initialy relying on phone apps and the internet to do a lot of the tracing work and they found out a bit too late that it wasn't very successful, as Dr Bloomfield said a few days ago a phone can't do the job that a thorough face to face ( at 2 metres I presume ) interview can. Just exactly how many crimes would be solved with a little chat on line or a few texts. Sweet fuck all.
I think Singapore tried to move too quickly and were reliant on the phone technology. Furthermore being an island about the size of Lake Taupo and with over 5m people isolating is far more difficult. I'm not sure just what restrictions they have in place wrt new arrivals, but a large proportion of their workforce in terms of amah, and construction workers are from the Philippines, India, and Malaysia.
The place is as tight as a drum and aside from Malaysians, guest workers are required to live in licensed foreign worker dormitories. They've issued new guidelines for residents including guest workers, and shut the door on most returnees.
The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) will only allow the entry / return of work pass holders, including their dependents, for those providing essential services, such as in healthcare and transport.
https://www.gov.sg/article/covid-19-travel-restrictions-for-foreign-visitors-entering-singapore
yep – and I see that a good proportion of the new cases are in those worker dormitories. Mind you a lot of the wealthy families have live in house maids etc _ I can't see them giving up their amahs so easily
Well this is interesting. Overseas buyer’s interest in the Pacifica apartment building is up 200% because of favourable reaction to the government’s Covid-19 response. Both expats and foreign buyers (this development has an exemption for foreign buyers) have registered an interest.
https://www.oneroof.co.nz/news/37795
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqIbEHNqbPs&feature=youtu.be
It appears that there is some appetite to change the paradigm….Kate Raworth style
"The port of Amsterdam is the world’s single largest importer of cocoa beans, mostly from west Africa, where the labour is often highly exploitative.
As an independent private company it could reject such products and take the economic hit, but at the same time almost one in five households in Amsterdam qualify for social benefits due to low incomes and savings.
Van Doorninck says the port is looking at how it moves on from dependence on fossil fuels as part of the city’s new vision, and she expects that to naturally evolve into a wider debate over other pressing dilemmas brought to the forefront by the doughnut model.
“It gives space to talk about whether you want to be the place where products are being stored that are produced by child labour or by other forms of labour exploitation,” she says."
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/08/amsterdam-doughnut-model-mend-post-coronavirus-economy
This is outright malice.
https://twitter.com/npratc/status/1247988083376549888
WASHINGTON — Although President Donald Trump has directed states and hospitals to secure what supplies they can, the federal government is quietly seizing orders, leaving medical providers across the country in the dark about where the material is going and how they can get what they need to deal with the coronavirus pandemic.
Hospital and clinic officials in seven states described the seizures in interviews over the past week. The Federal Emergency Management Agency is not publicly reporting the acquisitions, despite the outlay of millions of dollars of taxpayer money, nor has the administration detailed how it decides which supplies to seize and where to reroute them.
Officials who've had materials seized also say they've received no guidance from the government about how or if they will get access to the supplies they ordered. That has stoked concerns about how public funds are being spent and whether the Trump administration is fairly distributing scarce medical supplies
https://www.adn.com/nation-world/2020/04/08/hospitals-across-us-say-feds-are-seizing-masks-and-other-coronavirus-supplies-without-a-word/
Feds are chucking in the towel and repugs are lemmings
https://twitter.com/weijia/status/1248062198922051584
https://twitter.com/kylegriffin1/status/1248060581107679243
This looks like good news (haven't typed that phrase in a while!):
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanrhe/article/PIIS2665-9913(20)30092-8/fulltext
It's based on unpublished data, so has to be taken with a chunk of salt. But, if; the IL6 cytokine is predominantly involved in SARS-COV-2 pneumonia, then an IL6 receptor blocker being of use in preventing that, does make a certain amount of sense on the face of it.
After all, it doesn't really matter if people are infected with the Crow, just so long as you can stop them suffocating on their own body!
Except that the more replications of a virus, the more chances for mutations. DNA is more stable than RNA.