Review of Central Banks recent monetary policies. Mostly similar to NZ policies, but inflation many are now changing position as its recognised that inflation is falling faster than anticipated and their economy may be in a self inflicted recession.
In relation to a recent thread with @tsmithfield, as I said at the time the RBNZ wording already indicates they implicate spending (not money supply size) for inflation, but the description here fills out more of the details regarding why QE does not work by increasing the money supply either. Its also stated quite clearly "there is no link between QE and recent inflation outturns."
Seems YouTube is the place for ex CIA operatives. Either that, or leaving the agency and returning the next day with a new role as a private sector contractor on a huge pay increase.
In this clip a former CIA agent rates some of the world's intelligence agencies. Apparently Mossad are the most ruthless. Nothing is off the table. The French are world leaders regarding certain intelligence gathering capabilities (?). The CIA leads the world with technology and methodologies. And China… well, they have the most reach of any agency because every expat Chinese person is a potential Chinese state asset. China has one agency that is integrated with Chinese culture. As Andrew Bustamante says'' Chinese expats still see themselves as Chinese. Westerners see themselves as expats.'' We have seen examples of that in New Zealand. The New Citizen Party was at the time said to have pledged their allegiance to the mother land. In decades past New Zealanders were very suspicious of Asians. We treated some badly. Now that we need NZers to be more discerning regarding Chinese we have wokedom and a free trade deal standing in the way. The Chinese government must be laughing in private. They even have Western culture working as an asset.
So we the sheep, let blackrock take over kiwi saver by stealth, and sink it's teeth into other parts of our economy.
Whilst our comrades in France show how to have a spine.
You remember one of those, where you actually have principles you stand on like protecting the poor, and sick. But who needs economic freedom when we have identity politics right?
A spine for us all? In terms of retirement age and superannuation and what's happening in France?
Muldoon said "Reds under the bed" and we quailed. And our super was stuffed forever.
And from that time the spineless ones, who wallowed in the fear Muldoon spread and genuflected at his 'strength' told me they've got the answers to how super schemes should be.
Currently 60 for men to 65 (but slowly). The age for women (55 for while collar and 50 for blue collar is also set to rise but more quickly) to also to go to age 65 c2055.
We sort of do – we have all these migrant workers because of our demographics (domestic population growth not being sufficient), to afford our super scheme we need more working taxpayers.
(and of course age 60 to age 65 during the 1990’s).
Blackrock is more trustworthy than most governments. I know it's weird but they behave in far longer governance cycles than a mere 3 year term.
Personally I was more annoyed by Kiwibank selling off its own Kiwisaver fund to Fisher Funds.
New Zealand's private superannuation savings needs to have risk allocated by the private sector to actually make us want to save. We are really, really rubbish at it otherwise and have been for multiple decades.
Sorry Ad, The corporate scum are the problem, no matter what face they wear. Nash was a good little corporate lick spittle, The act party is full of them and the Tories are not far behind. You have to feel sorry for conservatives in this country.
Silly question Ad, do you have a love affair with liberalism as an economic system? As it reads you do, am I wrong in that?
''The great white hope is having a hard time convincing sensible people (ergo bottom feeders) that he has their interests at heart!''
No, he's having a hard time convincing people that the largesse of recent times can't continue, and that sooner rather than later, the economy will have to come before personal monetary handouts. I can't say I blame voters, especially if you rely on government handouts to live. The problem is the services that support these supposed ''bottom feeders'' will continue to decline.
Yes, Te Pāti Māori are making good progress. 70% of Māori are under 40 years of age according to co-leader Debbie Ngarewa Packer and it was the young voter turnout that saw Rawiri Waititi elected in the year of the Jacinda/COVID thank you landslide.
Baldrick will likely fall in the end, he does not seem much suited to Parliamentary politics.
Loosens my bowels. Yes, Labour will be held to ransom. TPM and the Greens will double team, making Labour a toothless tiger.
On the Right, a possible NZ1 and ACT team partnership would put National in a similar situation to Labour. Given Winston and Dave really don't get on, the fireworks would be a sight to behold.
TBH, Winston frightens me more than the GP, TPM or ACT. For all of those 3, we have a pretty solid idea of their policies and principles, and know what direction they are likely to take over any specific issue.
All of them have a strong party base, who would be significantly alienated over a mid-term switcheroo in policy direction [the GP may be about to find this out, with candidate ranking- over the elevation of gender politics above the ecological and social issues most important to their base]
Peters, however, has no principles apart from what's best for Winston (remember the baubles of office). His supporters are pro-Winston, rather than any policies he may espouse – and NZF has no existance without Peters. And, he'll quite happily reverse shift – if he gets a better offer, and weasel-word his way out of it.
He is entirely unpredictable – and therefore dangerous.
Holding to ransom is an exaggeration. Getting some traction, yes, as politics is about deals and compromise to obtain the best outcomes possible. Politics is the art of the possible.
If TPM tried the ransom approach, the extortioner might find themselves facing an outraged and retribution-seeking voting public in a snap election.
NZF tried too much on between 2017-20 and suffered total election defeat in 2020 since their hand in slowing and preventing reform was visible. The result instead was their three year demise and an absolute majority to Labour, because National and ACT were not trusted.
That isn't my reading of the reason for the NZF defeat in 2020.
I'd say it was largely to do with the vast public approval of Ardern in the handling of the pandemic up to that point.
National dropped support substantially, as did NZF; National had sufficient numbers of tribal-National voters to stave off electoral oblivion, NZF did not.
Really, you can't regard NZF's role as a handbrake on Labour as a factor; since those Labour policies were highly likely to be unpopular with the NZF (ultimately centrist, leaning to right) voter base; indeed, a substantial percentage would have been much happier with NZF in coalition with National.
Being a handbrake was no reason for a NZF voter to change – but Ardern's immense popularity was.
It was, IMO, an emotional election, rather than a policy-driven one.
"It was, IMO, an emotional election, rather than a policy-driven one."
I agree. Of course National's own problems contributed to the size of Labour's victory. I still believe National would have polled better in 2020 if they had stuck with Simon Bridges.
Maybe. Collins didn't help (deeply divisive and unlikable), nor did the flouncing off of key MPs before, during and after the Muller debacle (Bennett & Adams, in particular). But, I don't think any leader within the caucus would have done significantly better against Ardern in 2020.
Unprecedented levels of disinformation will only get worse this election, but systems set up to deal with it during the pandemic have all been shut down, Disinformation Project researcher Sanjana Hattotuwa has warned.
He says the levels of vitriol and conspiratorial discourse this past week or two are worse than anything he's seen during the past two years of the pandemic – including during the Parliament protest – but he's not aware of any public work to counteract it.
"There is no policy, there's no framework, there's no real regulatory mechanism, there's no best practice, and there's no legal oversight," Dr Hattotuwa told RNZ.
He says urgent action should be taken, and could include legislation, community-based initiatives, or a stronger focus on the recommendations of the March 15 mosque attacks inquiry.
Further downthe NewsHub thread, someone had posted a link to "Silenced" by Samantha Blanchard.
While it is about Covid and the institutional responses to questions or queries, it reveals our failure of protecting free speech, transparency and what is referred to as "uncomfortable science".
For those who are adamant on their current position of using anti-vaxxer as a whole argument, it will cost you an hour to consider whether you agree with our institutions and government using that technique as counter-argument.
For others in a less entrenched position, given the time elapse – it may provide a less adversarial look into the thinking and responses that created a fracture in families, community and society.
For those who are adamant on their current position of using anti-vaxxer as a whole argument, it will cost you an hour to consider whether you agree with our institutions and government using that technique as counter-argument.
I read that and nod my head, appreciating not only how well that expresses my feelings, but with a deep sense of irony and frustration.
About a year ago I made a couple of brief mentions of my own encounter with the vaccines – but given the moderation policy around here and the general inability of most people to countenance even the smallest amount of nuance on the topic – I have remained silent since.
The only mainstream specialist I consulted reluctantly admitted it was probably a vaccine response, but offered nothing positive, no hope and a bunch of drugs all of which have well known side effects, and long-term damage to health. Never went back.
The good news is that a diagnosis of a severe autoimmune condition (fully confirmed by a highly reliable antibody test) is for the moment in good remission thanks to a combination of access to an excellent Functional Medicine clinician, and hundreds of hours of my own study and effort to treat it.
A year ago I could barely walk 400m without needing to sit down, and on getting home needing to sleep for a few hours to recover. Yesterday I managed a 20km walk with a few intense climbs for the first time.
While my clinician and I both agree there is no way to definitively link cause and effect between vax and injury – by treating this condition as if it were a response to vaccination using the same broad principles being used by others we have gotten to a far better outcome than I ever hoped for. (I will likely have to remain aware of this condition for the rest of my life, and there is always the chance of a relapse.) In this I am aware of how very fortunate I am compared to uncountable others who continue to suffer with all manner of dreadful outcomes, and emphatically I am not claiming any kind of moral status as a victim here.
But I will say we had a social encounter with a woman we knew quite well last year, whose life is being completely fucked over with what is obviously a vaccine injury and I came away feeling angry and disillusioned in the rather raw moment of it. What really pisses me off is not so much that mistakes were made, but that the system does not want to acknowledge them, nor show any signs of learning. That and the unremitting 'safe and effective' gaslighting for three years now has firmed up my views on this topic.
I would much sooner have been completely wrong; and I am aware that the old "I told you so" is rarely welcome anywhere. So there is that.
Incidentally for anyone enjoying the coastal scenery shots in the clip Molly linked to above – much of it is located at the mouth of the Anatori River, south of Whanganui Inlet in the Golden Bay region.
"Incidentally for anyone enjoying the coastal scenery shots in the clip Molly linked to above – much of it is located at the mouth of the Anatori River, south of Whanganui Inlet in the Golden Bay region."
This is one of a series of articles relating to the medsafe assesment of the Pfizer vax. Very interesting and somewhat despressing at the same time in that the politcal messaging was at timds quite different to what medsafe actually said.
Glad to hear how much you have improved over the last year. It must be great to get back to a level of health that returns to you one of your loves of tramping and bushwalks.
I really hope that some reflection starts taking place amongst participants in public discussion and media, that improves our current stagnant complacency.
"What really pisses me off is not so much that mistakes were made, but that the system does not want to acknowledge them, nor show any signs of learning. "
Unfortunately, I think you have hit the nail on the head here. There appears to be a lack of any self-reflection or quality assessment in the media. Online reporting seems to have prioritised production of copy, rather than quality of copy. News cycles are shorter, but comments and actions in the past are forever.
No personal acknowledgement of error, or demonstration of growth is permitted when the focus is on dismissing information or perspective by writing off the messenger.
The lack of criticism from legacy media regarding the formation of a government funded "Disinformation Project" is an indication of how far we have to go.
I have great admiration for the fortitude and persistance of those who tried (and still try) to open up honest discussions about contentious issues. They may not make any shortlists for NZer of the year, but I believe there are many NZers that highly value their efforts.
It is my understanding that the "Disinformation Project" is government funded only to the extent that universities are government funded – it is not subject to government direction at all.
As far as assessment of vaccines is concerned, there was clearly very little information available about possible side effects when the decision was taken to use it – Red Logic's clinician may well be one of those in the front-line of working out strategies for dealing with abnormal effects; in broad terms the gamble that the vaccine would be largely effective was succesful – New Zealand had the best overall results of any country with respect to actual deaths compared with expected deaths based on pre-Covid mortality. NZ was not the first country to use the vaccine; we were lucky to be able to have a lock-down while options were considered before a decision was made. Since then work has been ongoing in examining effects and considering how to minimise negative experiences. The media lose track of timelines, and undervalue the work of medical and other academics in monitoring both statistically and of individual out of normal responses in advising government when to ease up restrictions etc.
It is my understanding that the "Disinformation Project" is government funded only to the extent that universities are government funded – it is not subject to government direction at all.
I agree. The attacks on this are disinformation by those with their own agendas to greenwash themselves as more trustworthy alternative news sources. It's just an adaption of the tactic used by private corporation media and right wingers against public media/public service journalism.
That then connects to alternative health grifters, anti-vaxxers (Kennedy USA) and anti-government libertarians exploiting the pandemic for their own reasons
That said there is also the practice of government to management emergency with an official narrative, which can be singular and slow to adapt to circumstance. Some people with a useful perspective feel shut down and have grievances.
Despite the supposed separation, a couple of points:
The sheer arrogance of creating a organisation led by three social scientists to act as a filtering system for the vast amount of data available;
Do you really believe funding does not lead to a form of self censorship?
As an alternative to this project, I would suggest employing scientists, graduate students in specific disciplines to look at the data that government bases their decision making on, and provide critiques or supports online with the original data.
Even better, take seriously some of the alternative perspectives and do the same with those.
Decisions will still have to be made, but transparency will ensure those decisions are both seen to be, and are based on available evidence.
I agree. The attacks on this are disinformation by those with their own agendas to greenwash themselves as more trustworthy alternative news sources. It's just an adaption of the tactic used by private corporation media and right wingers against public media/public service journalism.
True. And self-reflection seems in short supply – can't even trust myself
The psychological drivers of misinformation belief and its resistance to correction [12 January 2022]
Misinformation has been identified as a major contributor to various contentious contemporary events ranging from elections and referenda to the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Not only can belief in misinformation lead to poor judgements and decision-making, it also exerts a lingering influence on people’s reasoning after it has been corrected — an effect known as the continued influence effect. In this Review, we describe the cognitive, social and affective factors that lead people to form or endorse misinformed views, and the psychological barriers to knowledge revision after misinformation has been corrected, including theories of continued influence. We discuss the effectiveness of both pre-emptive (‘prebunking’) and reactive (‘debunking’) interventions to reduce the effects of misinformation, as well as implications for information consumers and practitioners in various areas including journalism, public health, policymaking and education.
Critical Ignoring as a Core Competence for Digital Citizens
[8 November 2022]
Low-quality and misleading information online can hijack people’s attention, often by evoking curiosity, outrage, or anger. Resisting certain types of information and actors online requires people to adopt new mental habits that help them avoid being tempted by attention-grabbing and potentially harmful content. We argue that digital information literacy must include the competence of critical ignoring—choosing what to ignore and where to invest one’s limited attentional capacities. We review three types of cognitive strategies for implementing critical ignoring: self-nudging, in which one ignores temptations by removing them from one’s digital environments; lateral reading, in which one vets information by leaving the source and verifying its credibility elsewhere online; and the do-not-feed-the-trolls heuristic, which advises one to not reward malicious actors with attention.
Red-while acknowledging that some people are adversely affected by the Covid vaccines, including probably yourself, the fact is that the science shows this is only a very tiny percentage of those vaccinated.
The science also shows that, overall, the vaccines are safe and have been highly successful in saving many lives and reducing the symptoms of Covid in hundreds of millions of people.
Would you have the world abandon these vaccines because you are one of the few unlucky ones that may have been adversely affected? Should we ignore the scientists and listen to you instead?
There's a lot of vaccine data coming out that is showing the cost/benefit analysis of universal rollout. For much of the population the costs are higher.
There also remains unanswered questions about the data used for government decision making.
I think you are wrong to assume that concern is only the result of personal experience. It may add a degree of insight, but RedLogix most often engages with facts and soundly based opinion (which I acknowledge even when I disagree).
Will this significant period ever be able to be openly discussed?
1. Lockdowns allowed an internal economy to operate. The alternative was the Swedish model of infection immunity (but they had a healthier population and better health system than us, so the outcomes would have been worse here).
2. Transition back to an internationally connected economy either required vaccination or an unlikely rapid improvement in our population health or health system capacity. The issue was then whether we had a mass vaccination (with mandates) or a targeted one (without mandates). The other matter was accepting infection as a form of vaccination. Judgment calls.
We made mistakes, the 2021 Auckland lockdown allowed us to bring people back into home isolation and free up Auckland managed quarantine for those from other regions (reducing the queue significantly). And we should have ended mandates once public vaccination targets were met (the impact on the reluctants would have been known to be temporary – negating the momentum behind the parliament protest).
The No Debate Factor.
There was a reluctance to allow debate that got in the way of government emergency management singularity. Nothing about reducing vaccination risk via "aspiration" (to prevent risk of vaccine getting into blood). No public health campaign – about nutrition to reduce risk, advice to get good sleep (better immunity), little Vitamin D (immunity) and zinc (cell health) testing as deficiencies would be risk factors. And no recognition that there was no harm from taking these and ivermectin or sweet wormwood (some countries did do that).
I think the pandemic response and impact is one of those wide ranging topics that deserves a really comprehensive, open public examination.
With the data currently available, I remain in support of the initial lockdown response of the government. They were dealing with unknown at that time, and the decision made gave breathing space.
However, once that simple message of elimination by isolation was unable to be sustained, both the decisions and messaging became disordered. Not just errors in implementation of quarantines, but also a lack of concern for affected individuals. The duplication of the failed traffic light system in the UK, seemed to be a deliberate replication of a known failure.
The vaccination issue is a big one. When people raised the issue of harms – normal for any medication – vs benefits, they were dismissed as anti-vaxxers, and given no voice or consideration at all.
Are you happy with the scope of the Royal Inquiry?
Do you have any concerns about the items that are outside the scope of the inquiry, because I do, as they are some of the most divisive aspects of what occurred.
The following matters are outside the scope of the inquiry:
particular clinical decisions made by clinicians or by public health authorities during the COVID-19 pandemic;
how and when the strategies and other measures devised in response to COVID-19 were implemented or applied in particular situations or in individual cases;
the specific epidemiology of the COVID-19 virus and its variants;
vaccine efficacy;
the recent reforms to New Zealand’s health system, including the organisational arrangements for public health services;
the judgments and decisions of courts and tribunals and independent agencies such as the Ombudsman, the Privacy Commissioner, or the Independent Police Conduct Authority relating to the COVID-19 pandemic;
the operation of the private sector, except where the private sector delivers services integral to a pandemic response;
particular decisions taken by the Reserve Bank’s independent monetary policy committee during the COVID-19 pandemic;
any adaptation of court procedures by the judiciary during the COVID-19 pandemic;
any adaptation of parliamentary processes during the COVID-19 pandemic;
the conduct of the general election during the COVID-19 pandemic.
There's a lot of vaccine data coming out that is showing the cost/benefit analysis of universal rollout. For much of the population the costs are higher.
Without wishing to minimise anecdotal evidence of possible vaccine-related harm, recent cost/benefit analyses of vaccination against COVID-19 indicate an overall benefit. I'm a five-times recipient of the Pfizer stuff (most recently the Pfizer BA.4/5 bivalent vaccine) and still kicking! Just lucky I guess.
Economic evaluation of COVID-19 vaccination: A systematic review [2023] Conclusions: Given the favorable cost-effectiveness profile of COVID-19 vaccines and disparities in affordability across countries, considering prioritization has become paramount. This review provides comprehensive insights into the economic evaluation of COVID-19 vaccination that will be useful to policymakers, particularly in highlighting preventive measures and preparedness plans for the next possible pandemic.
A Cost–Benefit Analysis of COVID-19 Vaccination in Catalonia [31 December 2021] Conclusions: The mass vaccination campaign against COVID is cost-saving. From a social perspective, most of these savings come from the monetization of the reduction in mortality and cases with sequelae, although the intervention is equally widely cost-effective from the health system perspective thanks to the reduction in the use of resources. It is concluded that, from an economic perspective, the vaccination campaign has high social returns.
Non-pharmacological interventions, including travel restrictions, masks, social distancing, public education on preventive measures, and school closures have also been used to prevent and control COVID-19. Three-years on, however, vaccination is the 'lesser evil' when it comes to government measures to limit pandemic harm to citizens – imho.
Also, no harm in trying some other stuff – vitamin D, zinc and other supplements to “support a healthy immune system” – whatever seems to work for you.
In conclusion, the authors wrote, “Despite inadequate evidence regarding dietary supplement use to prevent or treat COVID-19, sales for these supplements are projected to increase. The reliance on supplements may have short-term and long-term health consequences.” https://www.uspharmacist.com/article/supplement-use-increased-during-covid19
Just wondering when other perspectives and links will be able to be discussed and examined in full.
Afaik, there's nothing stopping this, although any discussion might fail to meet your "in full" criterion.
Spike in deaths in Australia from COVID illnesses, not vaccine
[18 March 2023]
THE FACTS: Social media users are blaming the coronavirus vaccine on a sharp rise in deaths in Australia last year. Many are sharing an article from a website known to run stories based on conspiracy theories.
In NZ, the MoH still offers two 'child doses' (at least 8 weeks apart) of the Pfizer vaccine for healthy children aged 5 – 11 years. Children aged 12 – 15 years are eligible for two full adult doses (also at least 8 weeks apart), while those aged 16 – 29 years are also eligible for a single booster dose.
Consensus expert medical opinion on the benefits/costs of vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 infection continue to evolve, as will the virus.
COVID’s ‘new normal’: 120,000 U.S. deaths per year?
[14 March 2023]
Many of today’s public health workers may not have been around for the smallpox, polio, and measles vaccination campaigns of the 20th century, so they may have forgotten the hidden superpower of vaccine rollouts — they get stronger and more effective as you vaccinate more people. The relief, joy, and finality of the campaign to vaccinate against polio were expressed best by historian Jill Lepore: “That’s the great blessing of a vaccination program,” she said. “We forget how bad the disease was.”
As a society, let’s ensure that we heed the warning implicit in this message, and not come full circle in how much we have forgotten.
Apologies weka, I tried (and failed) to keep the number of links under 9 – too full for some, not full enough for others.
In future, I will keep the number of links under 8, or split any comments with too many links to avoid the spam filter and work for you. Imho the links were pertinent to the topic under discussion – COVID-19 vaccination costs and benefits.
Some public perceptions of the costs and benefits of vaccinations and other public health interventions will change as the pandemic (hopefully) fades – into memory.
Would you have the world abandon these vaccines because you are one of the few unlucky ones that may have been adversely affected?
No. In brief it appears they had a positive benefit cost ratio for people over the age of 60. But given the rate of serious harms from the vaccine – which I understand is a lot higher than you seem to imagine – for all other age groups I predict that in a few years time it will be recognised these vaccines caused more harm than good.
At the same time it is also clear is the strong correlation between Vitamin D3 deficiency and bad COVID outcomes that would have had a far better cost-benefit ratio.
Human beings are almost unique among mammals in that we synthesis this essential hormone from sunlight, yet our modern indoor lifestyle prevents most people from achieving adequate levels for good health. In my view a blood level below 50 ng/ml (125 nmol/ml) is suboptimum. (For my own reasons I am maintaining my level a bit more than twice this.)
My close family have all been supplementing with VitD3 and K2 since at least the start of the pandemic and not one of us, despite minimal precautions, has caught COVID. And last year I was working in an office surrounded by people constantly taking time off work with it – despite them being vaxxed up the wazoo. This is of course medical proof of nothing, but it is our experience.
And before anyone leaps onto my case here – I am very aware the Vit D3 supplementation story is more complex than simply swallowing handfuls of capsules. There is an anomaly that arises between observational studies which reliably show a strong correlation between measured blood VitD levels and good COVID outcomes, yet when they run experimental studies that try and establish a causation between supplementing and good outcomes – the conclusions are a lot more ambiguous.
From a public health perspective this creates a bit of a problem because there is no simple 'one size fits all' recommendation they can push out to the population as a whole. On the other hand there is no good reason why general medical practice should not be paying a lot more attention to this on a per patient level.
From 2013 to 2018 I was living in Ballarat, VIC. The winters there are consistently cold and cloudy, and for three years running both my partner and I came down with recurring and severe bronchitis. If one of us got better for a few weeks the other would relapse. Then I had a project that took me to the Canadian Arctic for 8 months which effectively meant I would have to go through three winters in a row. I mentioned this to the travel doc we always had to see before any major trip and he suggested I take 400IU VitD3 daily, and I duly took half a dozen bottles with me.
Working on a remote site, every time the plane arrives it brings a whole new batch of bugs and everyone on site came down with something horrid at least once. Except me – the oldest person on site as it happened. Then I had to do an extra last rotation and I had run out of the tablets I had taken to Canada and thought nothing of it. All good until my last few days when a fresh operator I shared a workspace with, arrived on the Friday flight with a cough. Tuesday morning – the day of my trip home to Aus – I was ill. The next 40 hours was the utter pits. I was so crook I was nearly denied boarding at Hong Kong.
Based on that lesson when I got home I started both of us taking 400IU VitD on a semi-regular basis. Since then neither of us have had a single day of respiratory illness. Since early 2020 we upped this dose considerably and still no illness of any kind – other than this stupid autoimmune condition that occurred very shortly after my second AZ dose.
My takeaway message here is not that you should go out and randomly buy a bottle of VitD3 and start wolfing it down. Rather there is plenty of good information out there to consider and to choose what you do on an informed consent basis.
When my blood tests returned an extremely low Vitamin D level, a lot of the advice said it took 6 to eight weeks to get sustained Vit D levels.
The Covid studies I looked at did not have long lead in times for supplementation, which made me wonder if despite Vitamin D levels the immune system was not yet fully primed.
I've just stayed with my mother for several days, while she had her first bout with Covid. She's been on VitD and K2 for the last two years, and recovered within the week even with delayed access to the antivirals.
I took basic precautions and tested negative all the way through. (Also on high-dose Vit D etc)
Yes. Being a fat soluble hormone (which is what it really is) – levels of VitD3 are relatively slow to change. More importantly the stored form – from either ingestion or sunlight synthesis – needs to go through two stages of metabolism in the liver and kidneys before it is available to the cells of the body in a usable form. This accounts for a least two weeks of delay. Also it seems there is considerable genetic variation in how efficiently individuals express these molecular pathways.
On balance it seems that taking up to 4000 IU daily is a dose that can be sustained safely by almost anyone. (This is perfectly reasonable if you consider that an hour of full body sunshine will synthesise something in the order of 20,000 IU.)
But if you are going to go beyond this, because VitD increases calcium absorption, it is essential to consider adding Vit K3 in order to ensure the extra blood calcium is stored in the bones rather than the tissues. And then ask your GP to include a blood test as often as is practical, say 2 -3 times a year, so as you can track what is going on. Here in Aus the test is free and just a tick box on the standard form.
This is just the basics – again a combination of being informed and taking responsibility for you own health is my takeaway here. If you do not like what I am saying, please feel free to ignore it.
I applaud Sarah Sparks, who has written an excellent opinion piece on Stuff, for including many (!) useful (embedded) links to primary sources instead of the usual and idiosyncratic Stuff self-referencing.
The first few seconds of this recording of Ardern's valedictory speech is revealing. Stop the video immediately after start and you will see not one ACT parliamentary member appears to have been present.
Puerile, distasteful and thoroughly disrespectful to the former Prime Minister. I doubt it has ever happened before that a political party – plus leader – has absented itself from a prime ministerial valedictory speech.
And how much media publicity was it given? Next to nothing by the looks of it.
Yet they pounced on a Green MP who made an admittedly silly call over a colleague. I venture to suggest the lack of respect and childishness from the ACT leader and his sycophants was a far more important story:
At the end of Ardern's speech, when they pan the camera around the chamber (36.25)
It's clear that Brooke Van Velden is in her assigned seat – and it looks as though she's invited another ACT member to sit in Seymour's one (think it may be Karen Chhour). Another 3 MPs in designated ACT seats behind them.
I agree that it's a lot easier to see at the end – when they pan around the chamber, than at the beginning – it's really difficult to identify someone from a view of the back of their head!
I think that most of those empty seats – are National Party back benchers.
FFS, you don’t think a civil service overwhelmed by managing covid, allied to exhaustion caused by the same thing, including a terrorist attack and a civil emergency had anything to do with it?
Since most prime ministers in the last 7 terms have faced country-altering crises and done at least as well in their own way, I just don't care.
Good on Ardern for working hard. She was paid for it.
Otherwise, her resignation shows she was obviously over-promoted, too young, no governance experience, not match fit, and got out when she needed a break.
I doubt that. Her polling was dropping like a stone, and Labour would have known they were in for a hiding come this years election. Hipkins 'pushing pause' on so many of her governments key policies, policies he himself had been part of, was a very carefully orchestrated plan.
My comment "Her polling was dropping like a stone" is easily verifiable, if you had bothered.
There is a graph here that shows the huge drop in her popularity between late 2020 and Jan 2023. Taking the OneNews/Kantar poll as an example, Arderns preferred PM number was 58% in Dec 2020, by Nov 2022 it was 29%.
Her net favourability paints an even bleaker picture. The graphs here show just how desperately unpopular she had become.
Lol kiwiblog. Fact is Ardern remained the country's most preferred PM. There is no way the numbers would remain at those stratospheric highs of 2020, it was inevitable that they would come down, particularly as life began to return to near normal from the pandemic. Polling has Labour consistently in the 30s, often times neck and neck with National, not exactly the catastrophe you are making out. Besides it's normal for incumbents to go through a mid term slump.
"Fact is Ardern remained the country's most preferred PM."
So? That's almost certainly due to incumbency. My comment was "Her polling was dropping like a stone". That is not even up for debate, unless you think a decline from 58% to 29% is somehow positive.
Already addressed in the previous post and my point is, for the umpteenth time, is that polling had Ardern as most preferred PM. It's irrelevant that you don't like that fact.
"Already addressed in the previous post and my point is, for the umpteenth time, is that polling had Ardern as most preferred PM."
Irrelevant. Her popularity had dropped by 50%, and her net favourables were negative. I'm not sure there is a precedent for such a fall. It was only a matter of time.
It's not about having better lines, it is normal for incumbents to go through a mid term slump. Don't know why you are twisting yourself into knots because Jacinda was still most preferred PM.
"It's not about having better lines, it is normal for incumbents to go through a mid term slump."
So you claim, but without any evidence. John Key's number were far above Jacinda Arderns at the same time of his premiership. The earliest poll I can find for Helen Clark (Opinion polling for the 2008 New Zealand general election – Wikipedia) had her on 43% after 6 years as PM. So basically you're making shit up.
"Don't know why you are twisting yourself into knots because Jacinda was still most preferred PM."
Don't know why you're repeating something irrelevant to my comment. Ardern's popularity had fallen by half. That is a big drop by any measure. Labour's own polling had dropped significantly between January 2021 and January 2023.
So her PPM numbers were far below Clark and Key at equivalent periods, her net favourables had collapsed, and Labour had to move her on to have any hope of victory.
I am not making shit up and you're being hypocritical, you cant handle the fact that polling had Ardern as the country's most preferred PM, despite a drop in the numbers, which I had already addressed in a previous post. If anyone is making shit up it's you, you're grasping at straws, Labour never 'moved her on' they wanted her to stay. So unless you're happy to go round and round in circles, we will have to agree to disagree.
Well yeah, you are. You said "Besides it's normal for incumbents to go through a mid term slump.", which the numbers show is wrong.
But parking that, the preferred PM numbers are far less relevant than the trend. At the beginning of 2008, Helen Clark as polling around 50% in the preferred PM data. Who won that election?
The trend for Ardern was horrible. Labour knew her brand had become tarnished and moved to replace her. How else do you explain the policy back tracking since?
I'm not the one making shit up, but you are though. Cherry picking a graph doesn't help you either. The trend still had Jacinda as most preferred PM. Hipkins followed through with a directive that PM Ardern had already made to her ministers last year, which was, to go through the legislative program where some polices would be cut or deferred for the upcoming general election in 2023.
"The trend still had Jacinda as most preferred PM."
There you go again. So was Helen Clark. Who won the 2008 election?
"Hipkins followed through with a directive that PM Ardern had already made to her ministers last year, which was, to go through the legislative program where some polices would be cut or deferred for the upcoming general election in 2023."
You're a comedian. If you seriously think the policy 'bonfire' had any intention other than to win an election that Ardern was going to lose, you'd believe anything. You'd even believe changing the name of 3Waters was anything other than a cynical political ploy to make a dog look less like a dog.
Well, you don't actually know what the outcome of the 2023 election will be, again, you're just making assumptions and it looks like you didn't know that it was Ardern, who still remained Most Preferred PM, that wanted the govt's work load trimmed for the election. NZ politics is cyclic, generally it's three terms, then there's a change of govt (under MMP). Nice deflection by changing the topic Liberty Belle, it's a lot more than just a title.
John key polled higher than Helen Clark for most preferred PM 2007 – 2008. Not the case for National's 5th and current leader, Chris Luxon, Jacinda out polled him.
"John key polled higher than Helen Clark for most preferred PM 2007"
You make a lot of stuff up without sourcing.
Fact check – at the start of the 2008 election year, Helen Clark was polling at 50%. Where was Ardern again, at the beginning of the 2023 election year?
And round and round we go. That's just your opinion. Cherry picking? Lol that's rich coming from you! You claimed I made stuff up, without sourcing. Proved you wrong.
Your question "Where was Ardern again, at the beginning of the 2023 election year"?
Polling ahead of Luxon as most preferred PM. Is fact, no matter how you want to spin it otherwise.
You did. You claimed "it's normal for incumbents to go through a mid term slump."
I showed you that both Key and Clark were polling better than Ardern at the same time of their premiership. In early January 2014, Key polled as high as 51%. So you're making stuff up.
Again that's hypocritical, you were proved wrong. It is normal for incumbents to have a slump in the polls mid term. That is a fact. Ardern remained most preferred PM until she resigned, banging on about 2008 doesn't change that fact. Unlike Key, Luxon is not cutting it and is losing more ground if the polls are anything to go by. The current National party are not polling as high as it did in 2007/2008 either. It was never a sure thing that National would win in 2023, (that's just wishful thinking), even if Ardern had stayed on. Jacinda would have annihilated Luxon in the debates. Have already said that I disagree with your opinions, (like you disagree with mine), and that we will have to agree to disagree. So, if you want to continue to go round in circles, expect the same replies in response.
No, it's an assertion you are making without any evidence. Conversely, at the equivalent time that Ardern resigned, Key and Clark were polling well above her numbers. Just accept it.
Just accept the fact that Jacinda was still most preferred PM. Key and Clark never faced the level of crises that Jacinda had. Different political landscape back then, also SM wasn't much of a thing either. Didn't realize that you were genuinely politically naive. Found the following for you. Mind you, you could have checked this for yourself.
"it is actually normal for a government to be behind in the polls mid-term"
"Helen Clark faced a similar slump in Labour’s polling in 2003-2004"
Meh, she was the magnet for the hate the woke/left in government crowd on social media worldwide (and Murdoch media and the Telegraph/Spectator Maddening Grunt crowd). The personal safety factor alone when out and about with family …
Not getting burnt out as PM new mother and COVID illness recovery would have been the surprise.
There was agreement to have the PGF.
– Trades training and apprenticeships all free. Already delivered for 250,000 people
– Free school lunches for 220,000 young people
– Made the first new public holiday in five decades
– Winter Energy Payment for over a million New Zealanders
The half price public transport, permanent for some.
– Minimum wage is now $22.70 per hour. Remember what it was under National?
And welfare has been improved (a real increase and improved rate determination)
– Sustained the entire economy by essentially subsidising every major business through the largest economic and social crisis we have faced since WW2
– Massively expanded Pharmac category and disease subsidy
– Handled the largest epidemic in a century and kept 99.9% of New Zealand cohesive
– Delivered more than 14,000 public and transitional houses
And ended the ability to claim mortgage interest against rent income for existing property – so as to encourage sale to first home buyers and direct investment to new property
– The Families Package is the biggest state boost in $$ for over a decade
– Secured Free Trade Agreement with the EU
– Paid parental leave expanded to 26 weeks ie from 4 months to 6 months
– Free doctors visits for all children under 14
– Doubled minimum sick leave
– Kept the country from breaking down into revenge and chaos after our worst ever massacre since the late 1800s.
– Delivered an economy with record low unemployment, which is larger than than pre-covid despite the worst economic shock since the Great Depression
– Required all rental houses to be warm and dry, and much higher renter security against landlords
Changed the perceptions of the wider world by appointing Mahuta as FM.
And of course the increase in nurse pay, and centralisation to end post code health services (because of scarce resources and HB's being in debt).
Then there was forcing the country to face its 21st century issues – water infrastructure, the signing of the UN Rights of Indigenous Peoples (the Oz consultative model seems OK) and related matter of the legal consequences of the sale of the power companies as to the Treaty (co-governance models).
With the rise in OCR and debt cost this needs to be built on for the longer term.
A windfall profits tax on banks would provide the funds (takes it out of the category of something to be afforded out of budget revenues).
1. an insurance scheme for the lending of money to business by banks/financial institutions.
Business loans are expensive (because of risk), and so people are limited to loans against their property or issuing shares (which have had poor take up). This causes business problems because of the swings between property speculation binges and high OCR/bank interest rates.
2. interest free loans to farmers to ensure improved farm environment standards without higher operating cost.
3. other loans for improvements to productivity…
Background
2023 changes to the Business Finance Guarantee Scheme
The right wing crowd on social media portrayed her as as leading a left wing woke government – they called the lock down and mandates anti-freedom. They attacked the effort to reduce hate on social media (and gun control) as a threat to "western civilisation" free speech etc. She was associated with "woke" globalist agendas – gender rights and green environment etc.
I heard Seymour had a speaking engagement in Whangarei that was booked months before Jacindas speech scheduled, but I guess that still might not be a good enough excuse
But sometimes a politician is missed. From David Lange's valedictory:
"I think Winston Peters is a person who brings his own particular
style to this House. He would have been with us today, would he not,
Tau, if he had not been detained by a full-length mirror!"
Great comment Mac1 and the future is not looking bright if the current social media saturated with falsehoods and disinformation is allowed to continue. That is where 90% of those living in the "alternative world" are getting their information.
Yesterday I learned that a close relative living in Australia has succumbed to the 'alternative' view points. He recently ranted aloud about Jacinda Ardern in the most vile of language and wished upon her an equally vile end. I would not dare repeat any of it here. Next time he chooses to visit NZ he would be very wise to keep his distance from me.
Reposting this video here because my comment on the article was a late addition to yesterday's Open Mike and may have been missed by those interested in climate change and industry initiatives:
I read the article yesterday in my partner's copy of NZ Trucking and it is a informative one about a company he has close ties to. I posted it as an example of what some in the transport industry are doing even before regulatory or directive legislation is enacted.
There are many decision makers in different industries making such decisions, and I believe they should not only be recognised, but utilised when talking with others in their industries.
(The four Quick reads from Test links are also worth the read to add further detail to an already informative article).
Nuance and numbers
“It’s not a science experiment or a greenwashing thing. The trucks are going to do the job the old ones did,” Mark says as we take a walk around the Wiri depot. “The trucks spend a lot of time stationary loading and unloading – we don’t need a big range.”
Grant opens the Daimler telematics app on his phone to illustrate the fleet benchmarks. “The 26 Euro-6 vehicles we can access data on are averaging 2.3km/l this week (between Sunday and Friday), over 31,000km, at an average speed of 22kph. The extremes are 1.8 and 3.3km/l.”
Mark explains the potential savings. “For diesel, we may look at 2kpl at $1.20. Fuelling an EV is four to 15 times cheaper, depending on how you source or produce your energy.”
He points to the array of solar panels on the roof of one of the buildings. On average, they produce 500kWh daily, enough to run three of the Scanias.
However, the setup is yet to be complete so, for now, the Scanias charge off a portable 40kW charger connected to the grid at Wiri and a 120kW charger (the maximum the trucks can handle) at Onehunga.
“There are all these little nuances,” Mark says. The megawatt charging standard coming in 2024 will revolutionise it, so we have to design our charging infrastructure for that. We can connect to the grid to trickle charge at night when the cost is low and have a 300kW solar setup and a 2mWh battery storage system to charge at a megawatt off- grid. That’s a couple of million dollars…
“But we’ve burnt a million litres of diesel a year for the past 15 years… so investing in the long term, we can drop energy to a fraction and fix that cost for decades with a microgrid.”
I haven't watched the video, but include it again, for those who prefer:
GC people, if you have links, esp the videos, to this mobbing of Riley Gaines, can you please drop them here. I will try and do a post. What I'm after is tweets, posts and video that clearly show what happened in real time (preferably without a lot of editorialising).
Again we have authorities refusing to take firm action against these terrorists. And the reason is probably threefold – they will get no support from liberal MSM. Any Trans who's injured will become an instant martyr. Police forces across the western world should hold their heads in shame. How did men in dresses, and women with beards, become a major political force in society?
Good question. Maybe this clip gives us ingress into their mindset. If this isn't bluster for the cameras, this dude(?) has a seriously fucked moral compass.
Benjamin Ferencz: I don't think I'm an idealist. I'm a realist. And I see the progress. The progress has been remarkable. Look at the emancipation of woman in my lifetime. You're sitting here as a female. Look what's happened to the same-sex marriages. To tell somebody a man can become a woman, a woman can become a man, and a man can marry a man, they would have said, "You're crazy." But it's a reality today. So the world is changing. And you shouldn't– you know– be despairing because it's never happened before. Nothing new ever happened before.
Lesley Stahl: Ben—
Benjamin Ferencz: We're on a roll.
Lesley Stahl: I can't—
Benjamin Ferencz: We're marching forward.
Lesley Stahl: Ben? I'm sitting here listening to you. And you're very wise. And you're full of energy and passion. And I can't believe you're 97 years old.
Benjamin Ferencz: Well, I'm still a young man.
Lesley Stahl: Clearly, clearly.
Benjamin Ferencz: And I'm still in there fighting. And you know what keeps me going? I know I'm right.
I had a little list of fixes and changes for the mobile site to use up some of my holiday time on…
However it appears that new(ish) owners of the WPTouch plugin have put their website on a recursive redirect and I can't read the guides that I need. So the only thing that I managed to change was the header and "related to" layout.
Grrrr… Might have to dump the plugin and look for a different way to do it.
I'll go play a game for a while, then I'll set up a staging site to look at how the current templates do responsive themes.
I could use Newsroom, which does everything I'd need, or Divi, which almost does it. But I haven't been that happy with their support while supporting people working with those.
I suspect that the current standard themes will happily do what I want, including the responsiveness on different form factors. The last couple of wordpress releases have been working hard on pushing the block-editor concepts into the site layouts.
Looks like there are changes afoot in the UK apropos of the Equality Act and its definition of sex.The EHRC says that sex should be defined as biological sex, and this would bring greater legal clarity .
Men in women's spaces – what could possibly go wrong?
"It’s scary to hear someone say that women subjected to rape who want a female-only space are bigots who need re-educating during therapy.
“Pushing a political view on to a woman at a time of profound trauma and crisis is not only inappropriate, unethical and unprofessional… It’s just selfish. That’s how it came across.”
People on twitter are complaining that it makes everyone a TOP supporter. I'm a "revolutionary socialist" (true) who should vote for Te Pati Māori, apparently
He has previously worked for National's Topham Guerin ad agency and more recently Jordan Williams' Campaign Company:
The Campaign Company is providing Groundswell the tools to handle that growth and streamline their effectiveness as rural advocates – including advice on how to turn 'noise' into policy wins.
I got liberal and mixed economy (and slightly more balanced and more moderate – closer to 50/50) and was rated a match for TOP at 94% and Labour at 90.3%.
I vote Green to keep NACT out (and to encourage some principle in Labour).
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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 ...
Sleep mode is a power-saving state that allows your computer to quickly resume operation without having to boot up from scratch. This can be useful if you need to step away from your computer for a short period of time but don’t want to shut it down completely. There are ...
Introduction Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) has revolutionized the field of translation by harnessing the power of technology to assist human translators in their work. This innovative approach combines specialized software with human expertise to improve the efficiency, accuracy, and consistency of translations. In this comprehensive article, we will delve into the ...
In today’s digital age, mobile devices have become an indispensable part of our daily lives. Among the vast array of portable computing options available, iPads and tablet computers stand out as two prominent contenders. While both offer similar functionalities, there are subtle yet significant differences between these two devices. This ...
A computer is an electronic device that can be programmed to carry out a set of instructions. The basic components of a computer are the processor, memory, storage, input devices, and output devices. The Processor The processor, also known as the central processing unit (CPU), is the brain of the ...
Voice Memos is a convenient app on your iPhone that allows you to quickly record and store audio snippets. These recordings can be useful for a variety of purposes, such as taking notes, capturing ideas, or recording interviews. While you can listen to your voice memos on your iPhone, you ...
Laptop screens are essential for interacting with our devices and accessing information. However, when lines appear on the screen, it can be frustrating and disrupt productivity. Understanding the underlying causes of these lines is crucial for finding effective solutions. Types of Screen Lines Horizontal lines: Also known as scan ...
Right-clicking is a common and essential computer operation that allows users to access additional options and settings. While most desktop computers have dedicated right-click buttons on their mice, laptops often do not have these buttons due to space limitations. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on how to right-click ...
Powering up and shutting down your ASUS laptop is an essential task for any laptop user. Locating the power button can sometimes be a hassle, especially if you’re new to ASUS laptops. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on where to find the power button on different ASUS laptop ...
Dell laptops are renowned for their reliability, performance, and versatility. Whether you’re a student, a professional, or just someone who needs a reliable computing device, a Dell laptop can meet your needs. However, if you’re new to Dell laptops, you may be wondering how to get started. In this comprehensive ...
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. ...
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 ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
I was initially resistant to the idea often suggested to me that the Government should deliver an arts strategy. The whole point of the arts and creativity is that people should do whatever the hell they want, unbound by the dictates of politicians in Wellington. Peter Jackson, Kiri Te Kanawa, Eleanor ...
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. ...
Nearly everyone has experienced the frustration of something you use breaking and being difficult or expensive to fix. Proposed legislation could change that. It’s been raining on and off all Sunday afternoon but people are lining up outside a building in a corner of Gribblehirst Park in Sandringham, Auckland. In ...
What does a forever relationship look like when you don’t believe in marriage? And how do you celebrate it? This essay is part of our Sunday Essay series, made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.I’m going to do it, right now. I’m going to say ...
The Prime Minister has committed to resuming direct flights to Thailand. But it’s not a promise he will be able to deliver on anytime soon. The post Prime Minister jumps the gun in Thailand appeared first on Newsroom. ...
It’s not that long ago Eliza McCartney was seriously wondering if the Paris Olympics would be her pole vaulting swansong. After years of being hounded by injury after injury, the Rio Olympics bronze medallist was still confident she would compete at her second Olympics in Paris in July, unless something ...
FICTION 1 Take Two by Danielle Hawkins (Allen & Unwin, $36.99) There’s commercial fiction, like this book, and then there’s quality fiction, quality writers, quality literature; the forthcoming Auckland Writers Festival is full of quality, and ReadingRoom has two tickets to give away to the following events: Paul Lynch (Dublin ...
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You can’t have missed the Gallipoli story as the movies, documentaries, essays and books capture what it was like for New Zealand troops in their eight-month campaign on the Peninsula. But this Anzac Day the Auckland War Memorial Museum has published a book that sheds light on a little-known aspect of the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra In the free-for-all between the Australian government and Big Tech boss Elon Musk this week, the government had to be on a winner. Most people would have little sympathy with Musk’s vociferous opposition to ...
Asia Pacific Report Chief Mandla Mandela, a member of the National Assembly of South Africa and Nelson Mandela’s grandson, has joined the Freedom Flotilla in istanbul as the ships prepare to sail for Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. Mandela is also the ambassador for the Global Campaign to Return to ...
Pacific Media Watch Journalists who report on environmental issues are encountering growing difficulties in many parts of the world, reports Reporters Without Borders. According to the tally kept by RSF, 200 journalists have been subjected to threats and physical violence, including murder, in the past 10 years because they were ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards, Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Senior Lecturer, Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society, University of Canberra BagzhanSadvakassov/Upsplash, CC BY-SA Australia’s inflation rate has fallen for the fifth successive quarter, and it’s now less than half of what it was back in late 2022. ...
ACT's Rural Communities and Veterans spokesman Mark Cameron responds to cancellations and protests of ANZAC Day commemorations in Wellington. He says, "These pitiful attempts to detract from ANZAC Day are not at all indicative of the feelings of mainstream ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Meighen McCrae, Associate Professor of Strategic & Defence Studies, Australian National University American and Australian stretcher bearers working together near the front line during the Battle of Hamel in 1918.Australian War Memorial While the AUKUS alliance is new, the Australian-American partnership ...
Pōneke based peace activists staged a silent protest at the ANZAC day service to highlight New Zealand’s complicity in war and genocide, and urge the government to take concrete steps to stop the genocide in Palestine. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Magdalena M.E. Bunbury, Postdoctoral Researcher, James Cook University Burial with a horse at the Rákóczifalva site, Hungary (8th century AD).Sándor Hegedűs, Hungarian National Museum, CC BY How do we understand past societies? For centuries, our main sources of information have been ...
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kathryn Willis, Postdoctoral Researcher, CSIRO Xavier Boulenger/Shutterstock In the two decades to 2019, global plastic production doubled. By 2040, plastic manufacturing and processing could consume as much as 20% of global oil production and use up 15% of the annual carbon ...
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Never mind the scoreboard – in the 2000 Bledisloe Cup decider, the real trans-Tasman battle was won before kickoff.First published in 2016. The dawn of the new millennium was a dark time for the All Blacks. Their final game pre-Y2K was a 22-18 loss to South Africa in the ...
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https://billmitchell.org/blog/?p=60756
Review of Central Banks recent monetary policies. Mostly similar to NZ policies, but inflation many are now changing position as its recognised that inflation is falling faster than anticipated and their economy may be in a self inflicted recession.
In relation to a recent thread with @tsmithfield, as I said at the time the RBNZ wording already indicates they implicate spending (not money supply size) for inflation, but the description here fills out more of the details regarding why QE does not work by increasing the money supply either. Its also stated quite clearly "there is no link between QE and recent inflation outturns."
Goodness me.That supernatural Putin has even managed to compel the Bank of America
to adopt his talking points.
https://www-ft-com.ezp.lib.cam.ac.uk/content/119a620c-bf47-4b2f-90a7-5473828c8b16
Seems YouTube is the place for ex CIA operatives. Either that, or leaving the agency and returning the next day with a new role as a private sector contractor on a huge pay increase.
In this clip a former CIA agent rates some of the world's intelligence agencies. Apparently Mossad are the most ruthless. Nothing is off the table. The French are world leaders regarding certain intelligence gathering capabilities (?). The CIA leads the world with technology and methodologies. And China… well, they have the most reach of any agency because every expat Chinese person is a potential Chinese state asset. China has one agency that is integrated with Chinese culture. As Andrew Bustamante says'' Chinese expats still see themselves as Chinese. Westerners see themselves as expats.'' We have seen examples of that in New Zealand. The New Citizen Party was at the time said to have pledged their allegiance to the mother land. In decades past New Zealanders were very suspicious of Asians. We treated some badly. Now that we need NZers to be more discerning regarding Chinese we have wokedom and a free trade deal standing in the way. The Chinese government must be laughing in private. They even have Western culture working as an asset.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Citizen_Party
Meanwhile, China continues their efforts to sideline the US dollar.
https://schiffgold.com/key-gold-news/china-brazil-trade-deal-ditches-the-dollar/#:~:text=Last%20week%2C%20China%20and%20Brazil,of%20first%20converting%20to%20dollars.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1NKdOvo97k
So we the sheep, let blackrock take over kiwi saver by stealth, and sink it's teeth into other parts of our economy.
Whilst our comrades in France show how to have a spine.
You remember one of those, where you actually have principles you stand on like protecting the poor, and sick. But who needs economic freedom when we have identity politics right?
Go the French – a spine for us all.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqki_HI1ZRY
A spine for us all? In terms of retirement age and superannuation and what's happening in France?
Muldoon said "Reds under the bed" and we quailed. And our super was stuffed forever.
And from that time the spineless ones, who wallowed in the fear Muldoon spread and genuflected at his 'strength' told me they've got the answers to how super schemes should be.
The Chinese are set to raise their retirement age
Currently 60 for men to 65 (but slowly). The age for women (55 for while collar and 50 for blue collar is also set to rise but more quickly) to also to go to age 65 c2055.
https://www.sixthtone.com/news/1012217
ASB hiring BlackRock to manage some fund money is just outsourcing jobs (the exec version of offshore call centres).
We don't have the same demographic problems as China, SPC. So that would be a false equivalence? Apples to lemons.
Mansplaining the liberal economics of it all, how very droll.
We sort of do – we have all these migrant workers because of our demographics (domestic population growth not being sufficient), to afford our super scheme we need more working taxpayers.
(and of course age 60 to age 65 during the 1990’s).
Blackrock is more trustworthy than most governments. I know it's weird but they behave in far longer governance cycles than a mere 3 year term.
Personally I was more annoyed by Kiwibank selling off its own Kiwisaver fund to Fisher Funds.
New Zealand's private superannuation savings needs to have risk allocated by the private sector to actually make us want to save. We are really, really rubbish at it otherwise and have been for multiple decades.
Sorry Ad, The corporate scum are the problem, no matter what face they wear. Nash was a good little corporate lick spittle, The act party is full of them and the Tories are not far behind. You have to feel sorry for conservatives in this country.
Silly question Ad, do you have a love affair with liberalism as an economic system? As it reads you do, am I wrong in that?
I have a love hate relationship with our form of capitalism.
In my first decade of existence New Zealand had exceptionally strong redistributive government with a very strong state.
By the time I was 20 it was already pretty clear that capitalism didn't need democracy at all.
At my most optimistic the Clark-Cullen government was best we could get to a stronger form of social democracy like we used to.
But then … a succession of crises and little more than crisis response.
So now, like most people, I just cope best I can.
Latest Curia poll shows Labour & National neck and neck.
Centre-right (National/ACT) are at 59% – so can't form a majority.
TPM would hold the balance of power.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/maori-party-hold-balance-of-power-in-new-poll-national-continues-to-close-in-on-labour/FBWY4I6XEJDDFKWK5QERET56CI/
Lol. Luxon on negative 6%
The great white hope is having a hard time convincing sensible people (ergo bottom feeders) that he has their interests at heart!
Go Te Paarti Maori!
''The great white hope is having a hard time convincing sensible people (ergo bottom feeders) that he has their interests at heart!''
No, he's having a hard time convincing people that the largesse of recent times can't continue, and that sooner rather than later, the economy will have to come before personal monetary handouts. I can't say I blame voters, especially if you rely on government handouts to live. The problem is the services that support these supposed ''bottom feeders'' will continue to decline.
Yes, Te Pāti Māori are making good progress. 70% of Māori are under 40 years of age according to co-leader Debbie Ngarewa Packer and it was the young voter turnout that saw Rawiri Waititi elected in the year of the Jacinda/COVID thank you landslide.
Baldrick will likely fall in the end, he does not seem much suited to Parliamentary politics.
Don't get too excited, 6 months of tough economic times to endure before the election.
The idea of TPM holding Labour to ransom (TPM will never go with National) in order to form a government is frightening.
Loosens my bowels. Yes, Labour will be held to ransom. TPM and the Greens will double team, making Labour a toothless tiger.
On the Right, a possible NZ1 and ACT team partnership would put National in a similar situation to Labour. Given Winston and Dave really don't get on, the fireworks would be a sight to behold.
TBH, Winston frightens me more than the GP, TPM or ACT. For all of those 3, we have a pretty solid idea of their policies and principles, and know what direction they are likely to take over any specific issue.
All of them have a strong party base, who would be significantly alienated over a mid-term switcheroo in policy direction [the GP may be about to find this out, with candidate ranking- over the elevation of gender politics above the ecological and social issues most important to their base]
Peters, however, has no principles apart from what's best for Winston (remember the baubles of office). His supporters are pro-Winston, rather than any policies he may espouse – and NZF has no existance without Peters. And, he'll quite happily reverse shift – if he gets a better offer, and weasel-word his way out of it.
He is entirely unpredictable – and therefore dangerous.
IMHO either of the left or right blocks you mention wouldn't last one term. The involvement of Peters would make them unmanageable.
Holding to ransom is an exaggeration. Getting some traction, yes, as politics is about deals and compromise to obtain the best outcomes possible. Politics is the art of the possible.
If TPM tried the ransom approach, the extortioner might find themselves facing an outraged and retribution-seeking voting public in a snap election.
NZF tried too much on between 2017-20 and suffered total election defeat in 2020 since their hand in slowing and preventing reform was visible. The result instead was their three year demise and an absolute majority to Labour, because National and ACT were not trusted.
That isn't my reading of the reason for the NZF defeat in 2020.
I'd say it was largely to do with the vast public approval of Ardern in the handling of the pandemic up to that point.
National dropped support substantially, as did NZF; National had sufficient numbers of tribal-National voters to stave off electoral oblivion, NZF did not.
Really, you can't regard NZF's role as a handbrake on Labour as a factor; since those Labour policies were highly likely to be unpopular with the NZF (ultimately centrist, leaning to right) voter base; indeed, a substantial percentage would have been much happier with NZF in coalition with National.
Being a handbrake was no reason for a NZF voter to change – but Ardern's immense popularity was.
It was, IMO, an emotional election, rather than a policy-driven one.
"It was, IMO, an emotional election, rather than a policy-driven one."
I agree. Of course National's own problems contributed to the size of Labour's victory. I still believe National would have polled better in 2020 if they had stuck with Simon Bridges.
Maybe. Collins didn't help (deeply divisive and unlikable), nor did the flouncing off of key MPs before, during and after the Muller debacle (Bennett & Adams, in particular). But, I don't think any leader within the caucus would have done significantly better against Ardern in 2020.
I read Newshub's article, which quotes from our version of The Ministry of Truth:
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2023/04/rise-in-disinformation-conspiracy-theories-prompts-calls-for-urgent-election-protection.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
Further downthe NewsHub thread, someone had posted a link to "Silenced" by Samantha Blanchard.
While it is about Covid and the institutional responses to questions or queries, it reveals our failure of protecting free speech, transparency and what is referred to as "uncomfortable science".
For those who are adamant on their current position of using anti-vaxxer as a whole argument, it will cost you an hour to consider whether you agree with our institutions and government using that technique as counter-argument.
For others in a less entrenched position, given the time elapse – it may provide a less adversarial look into the thinking and responses that created a fracture in families, community and society.
https://vimeo.com/silencednz/full
I read that and nod my head, appreciating not only how well that expresses my feelings, but with a deep sense of irony and frustration.
About a year ago I made a couple of brief mentions of my own encounter with the vaccines – but given the moderation policy around here and the general inability of most people to countenance even the smallest amount of nuance on the topic – I have remained silent since.
The only mainstream specialist I consulted reluctantly admitted it was probably a vaccine response, but offered nothing positive, no hope and a bunch of drugs all of which have well known side effects, and long-term damage to health. Never went back.
The good news is that a diagnosis of a severe autoimmune condition (fully confirmed by a highly reliable antibody test) is for the moment in good remission thanks to a combination of access to an excellent Functional Medicine clinician, and hundreds of hours of my own study and effort to treat it.
A year ago I could barely walk 400m without needing to sit down, and on getting home needing to sleep for a few hours to recover. Yesterday I managed a 20km walk with a few intense climbs for the first time.
While my clinician and I both agree there is no way to definitively link cause and effect between vax and injury – by treating this condition as if it were a response to vaccination using the same broad principles being used by others we have gotten to a far better outcome than I ever hoped for. (I will likely have to remain aware of this condition for the rest of my life, and there is always the chance of a relapse.) In this I am aware of how very fortunate I am compared to uncountable others who continue to suffer with all manner of dreadful outcomes, and emphatically I am not claiming any kind of moral status as a victim here.
But I will say we had a social encounter with a woman we knew quite well last year, whose life is being completely fucked over with what is obviously a vaccine injury and I came away feeling angry and disillusioned in the rather raw moment of it. What really pisses me off is not so much that mistakes were made, but that the system does not want to acknowledge them, nor show any signs of learning. That and the unremitting 'safe and effective' gaslighting for three years now has firmed up my views on this topic.
Yup Red you were right.
Pretty damn cruel vindication.
Great to hear a vaccine reaction called an injury.
Nek minnit group civil action, like asbestos.
I would much sooner have been completely wrong; and I am aware that the old "I told you so" is rarely welcome anywhere. So there is that.
Incidentally for anyone enjoying the coastal scenery shots in the clip Molly linked to above – much of it is located at the mouth of the Anatori River, south of Whanganui Inlet in the Golden Bay region.
"Incidentally for anyone enjoying the coastal scenery shots in the clip Molly linked to above – much of it is located at the mouth of the Anatori River, south of Whanganui Inlet in the Golden Bay region."
I did actually wonder where it was…
The vaccine makers have more immunity (and for longer) than the vaccine provided …
Glad your on the mend Red.
Much credit goes to my clinician and the paradigm she works with which creates the space and time to understand underlying patterns and causes.
And a fair dollop of good luck I think.
This is one of a series of articles relating to the medsafe assesment of the Pfizer vax. Very interesting and somewhat despressing at the same time in that the politcal messaging was at timds quite different to what medsafe actually said.
https://www.bassettbrashandhide.com/post/thomas-cranmer-revealed-nz-medsafe-s-safety-assessment-of-the-pfizer-vaccine-for-pregnant-women
Good on you Red
And yes , beautiful Golden Bay with its incredibly varied landscapes, and its welcoming approach to divergent thinkers of all stripes
Glad to hear you are in remission Red L
Thanks.
Glad to hear how much you have improved over the last year. It must be great to get back to a level of health that returns to you one of your loves of tramping and bushwalks.
I really hope that some reflection starts taking place amongst participants in public discussion and media, that improves our current stagnant complacency.
"What really pisses me off is not so much that mistakes were made, but that the system does not want to acknowledge them, nor show any signs of learning. "
Unfortunately, I think you have hit the nail on the head here. There appears to be a lack of any self-reflection or quality assessment in the media. Online reporting seems to have prioritised production of copy, rather than quality of copy. News cycles are shorter, but comments and actions in the past are forever.
No personal acknowledgement of error, or demonstration of growth is permitted when the focus is on dismissing information or perspective by writing off the messenger.
The lack of criticism from legacy media regarding the formation of a government funded "Disinformation Project" is an indication of how far we have to go.
I have great admiration for the fortitude and persistance of those who tried (and still try) to open up honest discussions about contentious issues. They may not make any shortlists for NZer of the year, but I believe there are many NZers that highly value their efforts.
What concerns me, far more, is the apparent lack of self-reflection or quality assessment in either the senior levels of the MoH or in the government.
True.
It is my understanding that the "Disinformation Project" is government funded only to the extent that universities are government funded – it is not subject to government direction at all.
See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Disinformation_Project
As far as assessment of vaccines is concerned, there was clearly very little information available about possible side effects when the decision was taken to use it – Red Logic's clinician may well be one of those in the front-line of working out strategies for dealing with abnormal effects; in broad terms the gamble that the vaccine would be largely effective was succesful – New Zealand had the best overall results of any country with respect to actual deaths compared with expected deaths based on pre-Covid mortality. NZ was not the first country to use the vaccine; we were lucky to be able to have a lock-down while options were considered before a decision was made. Since then work has been ongoing in examining effects and considering how to minimise negative experiences. The media lose track of timelines, and undervalue the work of medical and other academics in monitoring both statistically and of individual out of normal responses in advising government when to ease up restrictions etc.
Did you watch the video?
I agree. The attacks on this are disinformation by those with their own agendas to greenwash themselves as more trustworthy alternative news sources. It's just an adaption of the tactic used by private corporation media and right wingers against public media/public service journalism.
That then connects to alternative health grifters, anti-vaxxers (Kennedy USA) and anti-government libertarians exploiting the pandemic for their own reasons
That said there is also the practice of government to management emergency with an official narrative, which can be singular and slow to adapt to circumstance. Some people with a useful perspective feel shut down and have grievances.
Despite the supposed separation, a couple of points:
As an alternative to this project, I would suggest employing scientists, graduate students in specific disciplines to look at the data that government bases their decision making on, and provide critiques or supports online with the original data.
Even better, take seriously some of the alternative perspectives and do the same with those.
Decisions will still have to be made, but transparency will ensure those decisions are both seen to be, and are based on available evidence.
True. And self-reflection seems in short supply – can't even trust myself
Red-while acknowledging that some people are adversely affected by the Covid vaccines, including probably yourself, the fact is that the science shows this is only a very tiny percentage of those vaccinated.
The science also shows that, overall, the vaccines are safe and have been highly successful in saving many lives and reducing the symptoms of Covid in hundreds of millions of people.
Would you have the world abandon these vaccines because you are one of the few unlucky ones that may have been adversely affected? Should we ignore the scientists and listen to you instead?
There's a lot of vaccine data coming out that is showing the cost/benefit analysis of universal rollout. For much of the population the costs are higher.
There also remains unanswered questions about the data used for government decision making.
I think you are wrong to assume that concern is only the result of personal experience. It may add a degree of insight, but RedLogix most often engages with facts and soundly based opinion (which I acknowledge even when I disagree).
Will this significant period ever be able to be openly discussed?
At the aggregate level
1. Lockdowns allowed an internal economy to operate. The alternative was the Swedish model of infection immunity (but they had a healthier population and better health system than us, so the outcomes would have been worse here).
2. Transition back to an internationally connected economy either required vaccination or an unlikely rapid improvement in our population health or health system capacity. The issue was then whether we had a mass vaccination (with mandates) or a targeted one (without mandates). The other matter was accepting infection as a form of vaccination. Judgment calls.
We made mistakes, the 2021 Auckland lockdown allowed us to bring people back into home isolation and free up Auckland managed quarantine for those from other regions (reducing the queue significantly). And we should have ended mandates once public vaccination targets were met (the impact on the reluctants would have been known to be temporary – negating the momentum behind the parliament protest).
The No Debate Factor.
There was a reluctance to allow debate that got in the way of government emergency management singularity. Nothing about reducing vaccination risk via "aspiration" (to prevent risk of vaccine getting into blood). No public health campaign – about nutrition to reduce risk, advice to get good sleep (better immunity), little Vitamin D (immunity) and zinc (cell health) testing as deficiencies would be risk factors. And no recognition that there was no harm from taking these and ivermectin or sweet wormwood (some countries did do that).
Thanks, SPC.
I think the pandemic response and impact is one of those wide ranging topics that deserves a really comprehensive, open public examination.
With the data currently available, I remain in support of the initial lockdown response of the government. They were dealing with unknown at that time, and the decision made gave breathing space.
However, once that simple message of elimination by isolation was unable to be sustained, both the decisions and messaging became disordered. Not just errors in implementation of quarantines, but also a lack of concern for affected individuals. The duplication of the failed traffic light system in the UK, seemed to be a deliberate replication of a known failure.
The vaccination issue is a big one. When people raised the issue of harms – normal for any medication – vs benefits, they were dismissed as anti-vaxxers, and given no voice or consideration at all.
Are you happy with the scope of the Royal Inquiry?
Do you have any concerns about the items that are outside the scope of the inquiry, because I do, as they are some of the most divisive aspects of what occurred.
https://www.beehive.govt.nz/sites/default/files/2022-12/Summary%20of%20ToR%20for%20Royal%20Commission%20into%20COVID%20and%20any%20future%20pandemic.pdf
please fix your username
Sorry, noticed on subsequent comment and corrected.
Without wishing to minimise anecdotal evidence of possible vaccine-related harm, recent cost/benefit analyses of vaccination against COVID-19 indicate an overall benefit. I'm a five-times recipient of the Pfizer stuff (most recently the Pfizer BA.4/5 bivalent vaccine) and still kicking! Just lucky I guess.
https://covid19.govt.nz/covid-19-vaccines/get-your-covid-19-vaccination/
Non-pharmacological interventions, including travel restrictions, masks, social distancing, public education on preventive measures, and school closures have also been used to prevent and control COVID-19. Three-years on, however, vaccination is the 'lesser evil' when it comes to government measures to limit pandemic harm to citizens – imho.
Also, no harm in trying some other stuff – vitamin D, zinc and other supplements to “support a healthy immune system” – whatever seems to work for you.
Role of Supplements in the Management of COVID-19 – A Comprehensive Review [10 March 2023; abstract only]
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36896901/
Thanks for the plethora of links to familiar justifications.
Just wondering when other perspectives and links will be able to be discussed and examined in full.
You're welcome; there is indeed plenty of evidence that being vaccinated against COVID-19 is good for me, as per consensus expert medical opinion.
Afaik, there's nothing stopping this, although any discussion might fail to meet your "in full" criterion.
Whereas Prof. Benn opines "COVID-19 vaccines should not be used in healthy children", which also seems credible – Benn believes vaccines are "the largest untapped resource for improving health globally."
In NZ, the MoH still offers two 'child doses' (at least 8 weeks apart) of the Pfizer vaccine for healthy children aged 5 – 11 years. Children aged 12 – 15 years are eligible for two full adult doses (also at least 8 weeks apart), while those aged 16 – 29 years are also eligible for a single booster dose.
https://www.immunise.health.nz/about-immunisation/nz-immunisations/covid-19-vaccines/#when
Consensus expert medical opinion on the benefits/costs of vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 infection continue to evolve, as will the virus.
Three million deaths prevented! But at what cost?
you got caught in the spam filter. either there is a typo in your name or email, or too many links.
Too many links
did you read my last reply to you? Now you are in premod. Check for typos and stop putting up so many links, it’s not looking like spam.
Apologies weka, I tried (and failed) to keep the number of links under 9 – too full for some, not full enough for others.
In future, I will keep the number of links under 8, or split any comments with too many links to avoid the spam filter and work for you. Imho the links were pertinent to the topic under discussion – COVID-19 vaccination costs and benefits.
Some public perceptions of the costs and benefits of vaccinations and other public health interventions will change as the pandemic (hopefully) fades – into memory.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/jan/09/pandemic-fading-collective-memory
https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2023/03/13/brain-memory-pandemic-covid-forgetting/
I suggest limiting to 5 links. Or use your own words.
Molly-by "other perspectives" I assume you mean the loony anti-science perspectives?
I assume from your comment they may be from what you may call " loony anti-science perspectives" – So…Yes.
We have been over this ground many times, and it always ends in an unwanted and unwinnable confrontation with moderation.
It does?
Sounds like a fob off and cop out.
You have a huge chip or two on your shoulder about moderation. Deal with it and/or let it go, for your own sake.
I carefully said that any confrontation with the moderators was entirely unwanted on my part. For reasons you have just made clear.
I have made clear, to you, that it is your personal problem, IMO.
Where you see a “confrontation” with a Mod, I see an observational and honest opinion of another commenter.
Take it or leave it.
No. In brief it appears they had a positive benefit cost ratio for people over the age of 60. But given the rate of serious harms from the vaccine – which I understand is a lot higher than you seem to imagine – for all other age groups I predict that in a few years time it will be recognised these vaccines caused more harm than good.
At the same time it is also clear is the strong correlation between Vitamin D3 deficiency and bad COVID outcomes that would have had a far better cost-benefit ratio.
Human beings are almost unique among mammals in that we synthesis this essential hormone from sunlight, yet our modern indoor lifestyle prevents most people from achieving adequate levels for good health. In my view a blood level below 50 ng/ml (125 nmol/ml) is suboptimum. (For my own reasons I am maintaining my level a bit more than twice this.)
My close family have all been supplementing with VitD3 and K2 since at least the start of the pandemic and not one of us, despite minimal precautions, has caught COVID. And last year I was working in an office surrounded by people constantly taking time off work with it – despite them being vaxxed up the wazoo. This is of course medical proof of nothing, but it is our experience.
And before anyone leaps onto my case here – I am very aware the Vit D3 supplementation story is more complex than simply swallowing handfuls of capsules. There is an anomaly that arises between observational studies which reliably show a strong correlation between measured blood VitD levels and good COVID outcomes, yet when they run experimental studies that try and establish a causation between supplementing and good outcomes – the conclusions are a lot more ambiguous.
From a public health perspective this creates a bit of a problem because there is no simple 'one size fits all' recommendation they can push out to the population as a whole. On the other hand there is no good reason why general medical practice should not be paying a lot more attention to this on a per patient level.
From 2013 to 2018 I was living in Ballarat, VIC. The winters there are consistently cold and cloudy, and for three years running both my partner and I came down with recurring and severe bronchitis. If one of us got better for a few weeks the other would relapse. Then I had a project that took me to the Canadian Arctic for 8 months which effectively meant I would have to go through three winters in a row. I mentioned this to the travel doc we always had to see before any major trip and he suggested I take 400IU VitD3 daily, and I duly took half a dozen bottles with me.
Working on a remote site, every time the plane arrives it brings a whole new batch of bugs and everyone on site came down with something horrid at least once. Except me – the oldest person on site as it happened. Then I had to do an extra last rotation and I had run out of the tablets I had taken to Canada and thought nothing of it. All good until my last few days when a fresh operator I shared a workspace with, arrived on the Friday flight with a cough. Tuesday morning – the day of my trip home to Aus – I was ill. The next 40 hours was the utter pits. I was so crook I was nearly denied boarding at Hong Kong.
Based on that lesson when I got home I started both of us taking 400IU VitD on a semi-regular basis. Since then neither of us have had a single day of respiratory illness. Since early 2020 we upped this dose considerably and still no illness of any kind – other than this stupid autoimmune condition that occurred very shortly after my second AZ dose.
My takeaway message here is not that you should go out and randomly buy a bottle of VitD3 and start wolfing it down. Rather there is plenty of good information out there to consider and to choose what you do on an informed consent basis.
When my blood tests returned an extremely low Vitamin D level, a lot of the advice said it took 6 to eight weeks to get sustained Vit D levels.
The Covid studies I looked at did not have long lead in times for supplementation, which made me wonder if despite Vitamin D levels the immune system was not yet fully primed.
I've just stayed with my mother for several days, while she had her first bout with Covid. She's been on VitD and K2 for the last two years, and recovered within the week even with delayed access to the antivirals.
I took basic precautions and tested negative all the way through. (Also on high-dose Vit D etc)
Yes. Being a fat soluble hormone (which is what it really is) – levels of VitD3 are relatively slow to change. More importantly the stored form – from either ingestion or sunlight synthesis – needs to go through two stages of metabolism in the liver and kidneys before it is available to the cells of the body in a usable form. This accounts for a least two weeks of delay. Also it seems there is considerable genetic variation in how efficiently individuals express these molecular pathways.
On balance it seems that taking up to 4000 IU daily is a dose that can be sustained safely by almost anyone. (This is perfectly reasonable if you consider that an hour of full body sunshine will synthesise something in the order of 20,000 IU.)
But if you are going to go beyond this, because VitD increases calcium absorption, it is essential to consider adding Vit K3 in order to ensure the extra blood calcium is stored in the bones rather than the tissues. And then ask your GP to include a blood test as often as is practical, say 2 -3 times a year, so as you can track what is going on. Here in Aus the test is free and just a tick box on the standard form.
This is just the basics – again a combination of being informed and taking responsibility for you own health is my takeaway here. If you do not like what I am saying, please feel free to ignore it.
The first paragraph triggered off past research, so thanks for the reminder info.
The rest has informed my supplement use. Which for other reasons to do with bone health, are pertinent to me.
Do you know what your specific monitoring tests are in Oz?
I'm not sure how to answer this question. As I mentioned, the standard blood test forms just have a tick box to order it.
On the Lab report the result is under a Section called: Cumulative Serum Vitamin D reported in units of nmol/L.
For what it is worth we also track Serum Calcium and Magnesium.
I applaud Sarah Sparks, who has written an excellent opinion piece on Stuff, for including many (!) useful (embedded) links to primary sources instead of the usual and idiosyncratic Stuff self-referencing.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/opinion/300838350/as-trust-in-government-declines-its-time-to-get-back-to-basics
There was only one paragraph towards the end with four links all referring to Stuff pieces. Probably an (emotional junior) Editor’s doing
The first few seconds of this recording of Ardern's valedictory speech is revealing. Stop the video immediately after start and you will see not one ACT parliamentary member appears to have been present.
Puerile, distasteful and thoroughly disrespectful to the former Prime Minister. I doubt it has ever happened before that a political party – plus leader – has absented itself from a prime ministerial valedictory speech.
And how much media publicity was it given? Next to nothing by the looks of it.
Yet they pounced on a Green MP who made an admittedly silly call over a colleague. I venture to suggest the lack of respect and childishness from the ACT leader and his sycophants was a far more important story:
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/487408/watch-jacinda-ardern-gives-valedictory-speech-as-she-leaves-politics
Some of the Act members were there.
Name them Peter.
If the parliamentary seating plan given here is correct:
https://www.parliament.nz/en/mps-and-electorates/house-seating-plan/
and MPs are sitting in their allocated seats, it appears Peter is correct just by comparing screenshots of the video, to the seating plan.
At the end of Ardern's speech, when they pan the camera around the chamber (36.25)
It's clear that Brooke Van Velden is in her assigned seat – and it looks as though she's invited another ACT member to sit in Seymour's one (think it may be Karen Chhour). Another 3 MPs in designated ACT seats behind them.
Yes, there are ACT seats with people in them. Only a few by the looks of it. They looked empty to me. Time to upgrade my prescription glasses.
I agree that it's a lot easier to see at the end – when they pan around the chamber, than at the beginning – it's really difficult to identify someone from a view of the back of their head!
I think that most of those empty seats – are National Party back benchers.
When I saw it said that Act members were not there I went searching because I was going to put the boot into them.
I used screen shots of two angles from the coverage and the seating plan to check before I attacked them. I saw what you saw.
About 1/3 of the speech is Ardern self-aggrandising about having a baby.
Another 1/3 is thanking her staff.
Ardern didn't generate the policy outcomes of Jim Anderton, let alone Helen Clark, David Lange or Michael Cullen.
Ardern is about the same as Key: she just managed.
FFS, you don’t think a civil service overwhelmed by managing covid, allied to exhaustion caused by the same thing, including a terrorist attack and a civil emergency had anything to do with it?
Since most prime ministers in the last 7 terms have faced country-altering crises and done at least as well in their own way, I just don't care.
Good on Ardern for working hard. She was paid for it.
Otherwise, her resignation shows she was obviously over-promoted, too young, no governance experience, not match fit, and got out when she needed a break.
Yep. Or before she was pushed.
Ardern wasn't pushed, they wanted her stay.
I doubt that. Her polling was dropping like a stone, and Labour would have known they were in for a hiding come this years election. Hipkins 'pushing pause' on so many of her governments key policies, policies he himself had been part of, was a very carefully orchestrated plan.
Rubbish, that's just your opinion. Ardern was still most preferred PM.
My comment "Her polling was dropping like a stone" is easily verifiable, if you had bothered.
There is a graph here that shows the huge drop in her popularity between late 2020 and Jan 2023. Taking the OneNews/Kantar poll as an example, Arderns preferred PM number was 58% in Dec 2020, by Nov 2022 it was 29%.
Her net favourability paints an even bleaker picture. The graphs here show just how desperately unpopular she had become.
Lol kiwiblog. Fact is Ardern remained the country's most preferred PM. There is no way the numbers would remain at those stratospheric highs of 2020, it was inevitable that they would come down, particularly as life began to return to near normal from the pandemic. Polling has Labour consistently in the 30s, often times neck and neck with National, not exactly the catastrophe you are making out. Besides it's normal for incumbents to go through a mid term slump.
"Fact is Ardern remained the country's most preferred PM."
So? That's almost certainly due to incumbency. My comment was "Her polling was dropping like a stone". That is not even up for debate, unless you think a decline from 58% to 29% is somehow positive.
Already addressed in the previous post and my point is, for the umpteenth time, is that polling had Ardern as most preferred PM. It's irrelevant that you don't like that fact.
"Already addressed in the previous post and my point is, for the umpteenth time, is that polling had Ardern as most preferred PM."
Irrelevant. Her popularity had dropped by 50%, and her net favourables were negative. I'm not sure there is a precedent for such a fall. It was only a matter of time.
Your opinion is irrelevant. Polling had Ardern as most preferred PM.
"Besides it's normal for incumbents to go through a mid term slump."
You need to get better lines.
Jacinda Ardern 'resigned' at the beginning of her 6th year in office.
At the same time of his tenure (in early 2014), John Key polled (in the same One News poll – to be consistent) 42%. Not 29%, 42%.
It's not about having better lines, it is normal for incumbents to go through a mid term slump. Don't know why you are twisting yourself into knots because Jacinda was still most preferred PM.
"It's not about having better lines, it is normal for incumbents to go through a mid term slump."
So you claim, but without any evidence. John Key's number were far above Jacinda Arderns at the same time of his premiership. The earliest poll I can find for Helen Clark (Opinion polling for the 2008 New Zealand general election – Wikipedia) had her on 43% after 6 years as PM. So basically you're making shit up.
"Don't know why you are twisting yourself into knots because Jacinda was still most preferred PM."
Don't know why you're repeating something irrelevant to my comment. Ardern's popularity had fallen by half. That is a big drop by any measure. Labour's own polling had dropped significantly between January 2021 and January 2023.
So her PPM numbers were far below Clark and Key at equivalent periods, her net favourables had collapsed, and Labour had to move her on to have any hope of victory.
Which part of this is unclear to you?
I am not making shit up and you're being hypocritical, you cant handle the fact that polling had Ardern as the country's most preferred PM, despite a drop in the numbers, which I had already addressed in a previous post. If anyone is making shit up it's you, you're grasping at straws, Labour never 'moved her on' they wanted her to stay. So unless you're happy to go round and round in circles, we will have to agree to disagree.
"I am not making shit up…"
Well yeah, you are. You said "Besides it's normal for incumbents to go through a mid term slump.", which the numbers show is wrong.
But parking that, the preferred PM numbers are far less relevant than the trend. At the beginning of 2008, Helen Clark as polling around 50% in the preferred PM data. Who won that election?
The trend for Ardern was horrible. Labour knew her brand had become tarnished and moved to replace her. How else do you explain the policy back tracking since?
I'm not the one making shit up, but you are though. Cherry picking a graph doesn't help you either. The trend still had Jacinda as most preferred PM. Hipkins followed through with a directive that PM Ardern had already made to her ministers last year, which was, to go through the legislative program where some polices would be cut or deferred for the upcoming general election in 2023.
"The trend still had Jacinda as most preferred PM."
There you go again. So was Helen Clark. Who won the 2008 election?
"Hipkins followed through with a directive that PM Ardern had already made to her ministers last year, which was, to go through the legislative program where some polices would be cut or deferred for the upcoming general election in 2023."
You're a comedian. If you seriously think the policy 'bonfire' had any intention other than to win an election that Ardern was going to lose, you'd believe anything. You'd even believe changing the name of 3Waters was anything other than a cynical political ploy to make a dog look less like a dog.
Well, you don't actually know what the outcome of the 2023 election will be, again, you're just making assumptions and it looks like you didn't know that it was Ardern, who still remained Most Preferred PM, that wanted the govt's work load trimmed for the election. NZ politics is cyclic, generally it's three terms, then there's a change of govt (under MMP). Nice deflection by changing the topic Liberty Belle, it's a lot more than just a title.
"Well, you don't actually know what the outcome of the 2023 election will be…"
Yes, but we know the outcome of the 2008 election…did you miss the point?
BTW – you're doing an outstanding job of defending the biggest policy dump in christendom
Rubbish, you're being overly dramatic Liberty Belle. 2008, Labour had already done three terms, remember? which proves my point.
"2008, Labour had already done three terms, remember?"
Yes, and yet Clark's preferred PM numbers were far far higher than Arderns after less than 2.
John key polled higher than Helen Clark for most preferred PM 2007 – 2008. Not the case for National's 5th and current leader, Chris Luxon, Jacinda out polled him.
"John key polled higher than Helen Clark for most preferred PM 2007"
You make a lot of stuff up without sourcing.
Fact check – at the start of the 2008 election year, Helen Clark was polling at 50%. Where was Ardern again, at the beginning of the 2023 election year?
2007 Key ends Clark's 8-year reign as preferred PM
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/key-ends-clarks-8-year-reign-as-preferred-pm/GOC5SWMF5EFYNITBNKUIPVZK6M/
2008 Key overtakes Clark in latest Herald poll
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/key-overtakes-clark-in-latest-herald-poll-video/43N2GRRMMP73PINLW2CT7BCYVY/
Where was Ardern again, at the beginning of the 2023 election year?
Polling ahead of Luxon as most preferred PM.
The second link is from March, not the beginning of the year, so you're cherry picking, which is hardly surprising.
At the equivalent time of the election year that Ardern resigned (19 January 2023), meaning January 2008, Clark was on 50%, Key on 39%.
Ardern was toast, and she knew it.
And round and round we go. That's just your opinion. Cherry picking? Lol that's rich coming from you! You claimed I made stuff up, without sourcing. Proved you wrong.
Your question "Where was Ardern again, at the beginning of the 2023 election year"?
Polling ahead of Luxon as most preferred PM. Is fact, no matter how you want to spin it otherwise.
Another deflection away to the boundary.
Hypocritical, that's what you're doing.
"You claimed I made stuff up, "
You did. You claimed "it's normal for incumbents to go through a mid term slump."
I showed you that both Key and Clark were polling better than Ardern at the same time of their premiership. In early January 2014, Key polled as high as 51%. So you're making stuff up.
Again that's hypocritical, you were proved wrong. It is normal for incumbents to have a slump in the polls mid term. That is a fact. Ardern remained most preferred PM until she resigned, banging on about 2008 doesn't change that fact. Unlike Key, Luxon is not cutting it and is losing more ground if the polls are anything to go by. The current National party are not polling as high as it did in 2007/2008 either. It was never a sure thing that National would win in 2023, (that's just wishful thinking), even if Ardern had stayed on. Jacinda would have annihilated Luxon in the debates. Have already said that I disagree with your opinions, (like you disagree with mine), and that we will have to agree to disagree. So, if you want to continue to go round in circles, expect the same replies in response.
"That is a fact."
No, it's an assertion you are making without any evidence. Conversely, at the equivalent time that Ardern resigned, Key and Clark were polling well above her numbers. Just accept it.
Just accept the fact that Jacinda was still most preferred PM. Key and Clark never faced the level of crises that Jacinda had. Different political landscape back then, also SM wasn't much of a thing either. Didn't realize that you were genuinely politically naive. Found the following for you. Mind you, you could have checked this for yourself.
"it is actually normal for a government to be behind in the polls mid-term"
"Helen Clark faced a similar slump in Labour’s polling in 2003-2004"
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/how-labour-fell-into-crisis-barely-two-years-after-its-historic-election-win
Meh, she was the magnet for the hate the woke/left in government crowd on social media worldwide (and Murdoch media and the Telegraph/Spectator Maddening Grunt crowd). The personal safety factor alone when out and about with family …
Not getting burnt out as PM new mother and COVID illness recovery would have been the surprise.
There was agreement to have the PGF.
– Trades training and apprenticeships all free. Already delivered for 250,000 people
– Free school lunches for 220,000 young people
– Made the first new public holiday in five decades
– Winter Energy Payment for over a million New Zealanders
The half price public transport, permanent for some.
– Minimum wage is now $22.70 per hour. Remember what it was under National?
And welfare has been improved (a real increase and improved rate determination)
– Sustained the entire economy by essentially subsidising every major business through the largest economic and social crisis we have faced since WW2
– Massively expanded Pharmac category and disease subsidy
– Handled the largest epidemic in a century and kept 99.9% of New Zealand cohesive
– Delivered more than 14,000 public and transitional houses
And ended the ability to claim mortgage interest against rent income for existing property – so as to encourage sale to first home buyers and direct investment to new property
– The Families Package is the biggest state boost in $$ for over a decade
– Secured Free Trade Agreement with the EU
– Paid parental leave expanded to 26 weeks ie from 4 months to 6 months
– Free doctors visits for all children under 14
– Doubled minimum sick leave
– Kept the country from breaking down into revenge and chaos after our worst ever massacre since the late 1800s.
– Delivered an economy with record low unemployment, which is larger than than pre-covid despite the worst economic shock since the Great Depression
– Required all rental houses to be warm and dry, and much higher renter security against landlords
Changed the perceptions of the wider world by appointing Mahuta as FM.
And of course the increase in nurse pay, and centralisation to end post code health services (because of scarce resources and HB's being in debt).
Then there was forcing the country to face its 21st century issues – water infrastructure, the signing of the UN Rights of Indigenous Peoples (the Oz consultative model seems OK) and related matter of the legal consequences of the sale of the power companies as to the Treaty (co-governance models).
Also the Business Finance Guarantee scheme.
With the rise in OCR and debt cost this needs to be built on for the longer term.
A windfall profits tax on banks would provide the funds (takes it out of the category of something to be afforded out of budget revenues).
1. an insurance scheme for the lending of money to business by banks/financial institutions.
Business loans are expensive (because of risk), and so people are limited to loans against their property or issuing shares (which have had poor take up). This causes business problems because of the swings between property speculation binges and high OCR/bank interest rates.
2. interest free loans to farmers to ensure improved farm environment standards without higher operating cost.
3. other loans for improvements to productivity…
Background
2023 changes to the Business Finance Guarantee Scheme
https://www.wk.co.nz/blog/new-zealand-government-announces-small-business-cashflow-scheme-and-business-finance-guarantee-scheme-bfgs/
https://www.wk.co.nz/blog/big-changes-to-the-new-zealand-business-finance-guarantee-scheme/
Original foundation in 2020 as part of the COVID response
https://www2.deloitte.com/nz/en/pages/tax/articles/business-finance-guarantee-scheme-launched.html
https://www.bdo.nz/en-nz/covid-19/business-finance-guarantee-scheme
Agree with the list, but “woke/left in government crowd”?
The right wing crowd on social media portrayed her as as leading a left wing woke government – they called the lock down and mandates anti-freedom. They attacked the effort to reduce hate on social media (and gun control) as a threat to "western civilisation" free speech etc. She was associated with "woke" globalist agendas – gender rights and green environment etc.
Spot on, thanks for the explanation SPC.
Great work SPC with that list. Update and repeat it close to the election.
Labour/Greens must counter the narrative Luxon is running that they haven't delivered.
Meh.
Everything with a – in front was first written by Ad on Go Well Jacinda. I am just handing him his cognitive dissonance head.
I heard Seymour had a speaking engagement in Whangarei that was booked months before Jacindas speech scheduled, but I guess that still might not be a good enough excuse
A very convenient excuse for him.
Yes probably Anne. I am not sure Jacinda would have missed his presence
But sometimes a politician is missed. From David Lange's valedictory:
"I think Winston Peters is a person who brings his own particular
style to this House. He would have been with us today, would he not,
Tau, if he had not been detained by a full-length mirror!"
Easter Sunday and a time for reflection.
Overhead old war planes deafen the skies and thirty thousand people come to see them, some flying in and out for the day.
In the fields labourers work all day and night to harvest the grapes, truck drivers and vintage workers as well.
Meanwhile young idiots play chicken with loaded grape trucks at roundabouts to see if they can cause a spillage or worse.
Meanwhile Luxon visits, Seymour is coming with his road show in a week and 200mm of rain is forecast again for the Sounds.
And parked on the side of the road is an ICE ute with a message on the back window- "F*ck the Taxman."
My philosophical friend on the hill walk this morning spoke of the multi dimensions we live in beyond the 3 +1 that we all acknowledge.
Some do live among us but in an alternative world……. you, dear reader, can choose which of the above.
Great comment Mac1 and the future is not looking bright if the current social media saturated with falsehoods and disinformation is allowed to continue. That is where 90% of those living in the "alternative world" are getting their information.
Yesterday I learned that a close relative living in Australia has succumbed to the 'alternative' view points. He recently ranted aloud about Jacinda Ardern in the most vile of language and wished upon her an equally vile end. I would not dare repeat any of it here. Next time he chooses to visit NZ he would be very wise to keep his distance from me.
Reposting this video here because my comment on the article was a late addition to yesterday's Open Mike and may have been missed by those interested in climate change and industry initiatives:
https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-08-04-2023/#comment-1944479
I read the article yesterday in my partner's copy of NZ Trucking and it is a informative one about a company he has close ties to. I posted it as an example of what some in the transport industry are doing even before regulatory or directive legislation is enacted.
There are many decision makers in different industries making such decisions, and I believe they should not only be recognised, but utilised when talking with others in their industries.
Online version of the article here:
https://www.nztrucking.co.nz/switch-on/
(The four Quick reads from Test links are also worth the read to add further detail to an already informative article).
I haven't watched the video, but include it again, for those who prefer:
https://youtu.be/Z1RpietQHr8
@joe90 also provided an update link on the swappable batteries project across the Tasman:
Comment link: https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-08-04-2023/#comment-1944503
https://youtu.be/9eYLtPSf7PY
GC people, if you have links, esp the videos, to this mobbing of Riley Gaines, can you please drop them here. I will try and do a post. What I'm after is tweets, posts and video that clearly show what happened in real time (preferably without a lot of editorialising).
https://twitter.com/aniobrien/status/1644879292160167936
Just the aftermath
https://twitter.com/davidllamas_/status/1644188996887777280
The swimmer is to be on Fox News Tucker Carlson. Boy Kirk is all over it.
Already historic – from 13 min
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/tucker-carlson-transgenderism-most-dangerous-extremist-movement-united-states
Tucker Carlson's interview with Riley Gaines:
https://youtu.be/d9_2VMImU7Q
Again we have authorities refusing to take firm action against these terrorists. And the reason is probably threefold – they will get no support from liberal MSM. Any Trans who's injured will become an instant martyr. Police forces across the western world should hold their heads in shame. How did men in dresses, and women with beards, become a major political force in society?
100% Blade
Good thread here, from before the scheduled event till when she left the campus.
Looks like it was tweeted as events unfolded, but has several video links etc, so much more tweet savvy than me:
https://twitter.com/GGXnews/status/1644145754037161985?s=20
Do you have the link to the mother of one of the swimmers in the swim team that was released last year?
I can try and find it, if it will be of use. It was quite a powerful statement of the impact on the other team members.
Reading about this case yesterday. Video in article.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11949057/Terrified-Riley-Gaines-ambushed-screaming-trans-activists-physically-attacked-her.html
Are these people incapable of sustaining an adult conversation about the issues, or are they just plain violent by default?
Good question. Maybe this clip gives us ingress into their mindset. If this isn't bluster for the cameras, this dude(?) has a seriously fucked moral compass.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Rn79GV4IF5I
TBH, that adult comes across as a wilful, spoiled (but desperately unhappy) child. With a child's propensity to unthinkingly inflict harm.
It was an easy comeback for Dr Phil, but that person's worldview is one that usually delivers misery.
This might sound trite, but there needs to be a biopic made of this man’s life.
One way of not forgetting the history, and keeping it alive.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/world/487615/last-surviving-nuremberg-prosecutor-dies-aged-103
Amazing man. The goings on over the past year would've been trying Benjamin Ferencz's courage not to be discouraged.
https://twitter.com/amanpour/status/1515017135373926404
Lesley Stahl: You are such an idealist.
Benjamin Ferencz: I don't think I'm an idealist. I'm a realist. And I see the progress. The progress has been remarkable. Look at the emancipation of woman in my lifetime. You're sitting here as a female. Look what's happened to the same-sex marriages. To tell somebody a man can become a woman, a woman can become a man, and a man can marry a man, they would have said, "You're crazy." But it's a reality today. So the world is changing. And you shouldn't– you know– be despairing because it's never happened before. Nothing new ever happened before.
Lesley Stahl: Ben—
Benjamin Ferencz: We're on a roll.
Lesley Stahl: I can't—
Benjamin Ferencz: We're marching forward.
Lesley Stahl: Ben? I'm sitting here listening to you. And you're very wise. And you're full of energy and passion. And I can't believe you're 97 years old.
Benjamin Ferencz: Well, I'm still a young man.
Lesley Stahl: Clearly, clearly.
Benjamin Ferencz: And I'm still in there fighting. And you know what keeps me going? I know I'm right.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/what-the-last-nuremberg-prosecutor-alive-wants-the-world-to-know/
I had a little list of fixes and changes for the mobile site to use up some of my holiday time on…
However it appears that new(ish) owners of the WPTouch plugin have put their website on a recursive redirect and I can't read the guides that I need. So the only thing that I managed to change was the header and "related to" layout.
Grrrr… Might have to dump the plugin and look for a different way to do it.
I'll go play a game for a while, then I'll set up a staging site to look at how the current templates do responsive themes.
I could use Newsroom, which does everything I'd need, or Divi, which almost does it. But I haven't been that happy with their support while supporting people working with those.
I suspect that the current standard themes will happily do what I want, including the responsiveness on different form factors. The last couple of wordpress releases have been working hard on pushing the block-editor concepts into the site layouts.
Creating staging site, this may slow down the site.
Enjoy yourself, and any time it becomes a drag go play more games. Were adults, will cope if it's not working perfectly.
Looks like there are changes afoot in the UK apropos of the Equality Act and its definition of sex.The EHRC says that sex should be defined as biological sex, and this would bring greater legal clarity .
https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/kemi-badenoch-is-right-to-review-the-definition-of-sex/
https://equalityhumanrights.com/en/our-work/news/clarifying-definition-%E2%80%98sex%E2%80%99-equality-act
Men in women's spaces – what could possibly go wrong?
"It’s scary to hear someone say that women subjected to rape who want a female-only space are bigots who need re-educating during therapy.
“Pushing a political view on to a woman at a time of profound trauma and crisis is not only inappropriate, unethical and unprofessional… It’s just selfish. That’s how it came across.”
https://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/19509343.outcry-plan-educate-bigoted-rape-survivors-trans-rights/?fbclid=IwAR3KDyskDM0L_-ZHgbtd3o5GSkbrUCn5UyJsBLyQ1tnEOvQUXY_NcjEilqA
Here's a bit of fun. https://politi.kiwi/values/
People on twitter are complaining that it makes everyone a TOP supporter. I'm a "revolutionary socialist" (true) who should vote for Te Pati Māori, apparently
I’m supposed to vote TOP, Labour, Green, in that order 🙄
I prefer the Political Compass – it has fewer unclear statements and appears to be more nuanced.
It was because of the lack of nuance that one gets herded into the not so sure answer category.
Interesting that there's no contact or affiliation details on the politi.kiwi site.
Whole thing reeks of a half arsed and immature push polling attempt by TOP.
Politi.kiwi was developed by Robert Calvert: https://calvert.co.nz/
He has previously worked for National's Topham Guerin ad agency and more recently Jordan Williams' Campaign Company:
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sponsored-stories/how-to-build-a-force-for-good/ENHBBPVCTFMFFCIKPUETCF3IZM/
Oh.
Whoa. Good find.
I got liberal and mixed economy (and slightly more balanced and more moderate – closer to 50/50) and was rated a match for TOP at 94% and Labour at 90.3%.
I vote Green to keep NACT out (and to encourage some principle in Labour).