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).
After a hiatus of over four months Selwyn Manning and I finally got it together to re-start the “A View from Afar” podcast series. We shall see how we go but aim to do 2 episodes per month if possible. … Continue reading → ...
In 2008, the UK Parliament passed the Climate Change Act 2008. The law established a system of targets, budgets, and plans, with inbuilt accountability mechanisms; the aim was to break the cycle of empty promises and replace it with actual progress towards emissions reduction. The law was passed with near-universal ...
Buzz from the Beehive Local Water Done Well – let’s be blunt – is a silly name, but the first big initiative to put it into practice has gone done well. This success is reflected in the headline on an RNZ report:District mayors welcome Auckland’s new water deal with ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate ConnectionsA farmworker cleans the solar panels of a solar water pump in the village of Jagadhri, Haryana Country, India. (Photo credit: Prashanth Vishwanathan/ IWMI) Decisions made in India over the next few years will play a key role in global ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – The Children’s Minister, Karen Chhour, intends to repeal Section 7AA from the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 because it creates conflict between claimed Crown Treaty obligations and the child’s best interests. In her words, “Oranga Tamariki’s governing principles and its act should be colour ...
Geoffrey Miller writes – The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. ...
Brian Easton writes – This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be (I will report on them ...
TL;DR:Winston Peters is reported to have won a budget increase for MFAT. David Seymour wanted his Ministry of Regulation to be three times bigger than the Productivity Commission. Simeon Brown is appointing a Crown Monitor to Watercare to protect the Claytons Crown Guarantee he had to give ratings agencies ...
The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. Carr had made highly ...
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TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to May 12 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Finance Minister Nicola Willis will give a pre-budget speech on Thursday.Parliament sits from Question Time at 2pm on ...
The price of the foreign affairs “reset” is now becoming apparent, with Defence set to get a funding boost in the Budget. Finance Minister Nicola Willis has confirmed that it will be one of the few votes, apart from Health and Education and possibly Police, which will get an increase ...
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April 30 was going to be the day we’d be calling Mum from London to wish her a happy birthday. Then it became the day we would be going to St. Paul's at Evensong to remember her. The aim of the cathedral builders was to find a way to make their ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – Can’t remember the last book by a Kiwi author you read? Think the NZ government should spend less on the arts in favor of helping the homeless? If so, as far as Newsroom is concerned, you probably deserve to be called a cultural ignoramus ...
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The annual list of who's been bribing our politicians is out, and journalists will no doubt be poring over it to find the juiciest and dirtiest bribes. The government's fast-track invite list is likely to be a particular focus, and we already know of one company on the list which ...
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Peter Dunne writes – It is one of the oldest truisms that there is never a good time for MPs to get a pay rise. This week’s announcement of pay raises of around 2.8% backdated to last October could hardly have come at a worse time, with the ...
David Farrar writes – Newshub reports: Newshub can reveal a fresh allegation of intimidation against Green MP Julie-Anne Genter. Genter is subject to a disciplinary process for aggressively waving a book in the face of National Minister Matt Doocey in the House – but it’s not the first time ...
The Treasury has published a paper today on the global productivity slowdown and how it is playing out in New Zealand: The productivity slowdown: implications for the Treasury’s forecasts and projections. The Treasury Paper examines recent trends in productivity and the potential drivers of the slowdown. Productivity for the whole economy ...
Winston Peters’ comments about former Australian foreign minister look set to be an ongoing headache for both him and Luxon. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for subscribers features co-hosts and , along with regular guests on Gaza and ...
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Buzz from the Beehive Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters was bound to win headlines when he set out his thinking about AUKUS in his speech to the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. The headlines became bigger when – during an interview on RNZ’s Morning Report today – he criticised ...
The Post reports on how the government is refusing to release its advice on its corrupt Muldoonist fast-track law, instead using the "soon to be publicly available" refusal ground to hide it until after select committee submissions on the bill have closed. Fast-track Minister Chris Bishop's excuse? “It's not ...
As pressure on it grows, the livestock industry’s approach to the transition to Net Zero is increasingly being compared to that of fossil fuel interests. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / Getty ImagesTL;DR: Here’s the top five news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above ...
The New Zealand Herald reports – Stats NZ has offered a voluntary redundancy scheme to all of its workers as a way to give staff some control over their “future” amidst widespread job losses in the public sector. In an update to staff this morning, seen by the Herald, Statistics New Zealand ...
On Werewolf/Scoop, I usually do two long form political columns a week. From now on, there will be an extra column each week about music and movies. But first, some late-breaking political events:The rise in unemployment numbers for the March quarter was bigger than expected – and especially sharp ...
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Muriel Newman writes – When Meridian Energy was seeking resource consents for a West Coast hydro dam proposal in 2010, local Maori “strenuously” objected, claiming their mana was inextricably linked to ‘their’ river and could be damaged. After receiving a financial payment from the company, however, the Ngai Tahu ...
Alwyn Poole writes – “An SEP,’ he said, ‘is something that we can’t see, or don’t see, or our brain doesn’t let us see, because we think that it’s somebody else’s problem. That’s what SEP means. Somebody Else’s Problem. The brain just edits it out, it’s like a ...
Our trust in our political institutions is fast eroding, according to a Maxim Institute discussion paper, Shaky Foundations: Why our democracy needs trust. The paper – released today – raises concerns about declining trust in New Zealand’s political institutions and democratic processes, and the role that the overuse of Parliamentary urgency ...
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New Zealand now has the fourth most depressed construction sector in the world behind China, Qatar and Hong Kong. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 8:46am on Thursday, May 2:The Lead: ...
Hi,I am just going to state something very obvious: American police are fucking crazy.That was a photo gracing the New York Times this morning, showing New York City police “entering Columbia University last night after receiving a request from the school.”Apparently in America, protesting the deaths of tens of thousands ...
Winston Peters’ much anticipated foreign policy speech last night was a work of two halves. Much of it was a standard “boilerplate” Foreign Ministry overview of the state of the world. There was some hardening up of rhetoric with talk of “benign” becoming “malign” and old truths giving way to ...
Graham Adams assesses the fallout of the Cass Review — The press release last Thursday from the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls didn’t make the mainstream news in New Zealand but it really should have. The startling title of Reem Alsalem’s statement — “Implementation of ‘Cass ...
This open-for-business, under-new-management cliché-pockmarked government of Christopher Luxon is not the thing of beauty he imagines it to be. It is not the powerful expression of the will of the people that he asserts it to be. It is not a soaring eagle, it is a malodorous vulture. This newest poll should make ...
The latest labour market statistics, showing a rise in unemployment. There are now 134,000 unemployed - 14,000 more than when the National government took office. Which is I guess what happens when the Reserve Bank causes a recession in an effort to Keep Wages Low. The previous government saw a ...
Three opinion polls have been released in the last two days, all showing that the new government is failing to hold their popular support. The usual honeymoon experienced during the first year of a first term government is entirely absent. The political mood is still gloomy and discontented, mainly due ...
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Chris Trotter writes – IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in acknowledgement of electoral victory: “We’ll govern for all New Zealanders.” On the face of it, the pledge is a strange one. Why would any political leader govern in ways that advantaged the huge ...
Bryce Edwards writes – The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill ...
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Over the past 36 hours, Christopher Luxon has been dong his best to portray the centre-right’s plummeting poll numbers as a mark of virtue. Allegedly, the negative verdicts are the result of hard economic times, and of a government bravely set out on a perilous rescue mission from which not ...
Auckland Transport have started rolling out new HOP card readers around the network and over the next three months, all of them on buses, at train stations and ferry wharves will be replaced. The change itself is not that remarkable, with the new readers looking similar to what is already ...
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Have a story to share about St Paul’s, but today just picturesPopular novels written at this desk by a young man who managed to bootstrap himself out of father’s imprisonment and his own young life in a workhouse Read more ...
The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill English, Simon Bridges, Steven Joyce, Roger Sowry, ...
Newsroom has a story today about National's (fortunately failed) effort to disestablish the newly-created Inspector-General of Defence. The creation of this agency was the key recommendation of the Inquiry into Operation Burnham, and a vital means of restoring credibility and social licence to an agency which had been caught lying ...
Holding On To The Present:The moment a political movement arises that attacks the whole idea of social progress, and announces its intention to wind back the hands of History’s clock, then democracy, along with its unwritten rules, is in mortal danger.IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in ...
Stuck In The Middle With You:As Christopher Luxon feels the hot breath of Act’s and NZ First’s extremists on the back of his neck and, as he reckons with the damage their policies are already inflicting upon a country he’s described as “fragile”, is there not some merit in reaching out ...
The unpopular coalition government is currently rushing to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act. The clause is Oranga Tamariki's Treaty clause, and was inserted after its systematic stealing of Māori children became a public scandal and resulted in physical resistance to further abductions. The clause created clear obligations ...
Buzz from the Beehive The government’s official website – which Point of Order monitors daily – not for the first time has nothing much to say today about political happenings that are grabbing media headlines. It makes no mention of the latest 1News-Verian poll, for example. This shows National down ...
It Takes A Train To Cry:Surely, there is nothing lonelier in all this world than the long wail of a distant steam locomotive on a cold Winter’s night.AS A CHILD, I would lie awake in my grandfather’s house and listen to the traffic. The big wooden house was only a ...
Packing A Punch: The election of the present government, including in its ranks politicians dedicated to reasserting the rights of the legislature in shaping and determining the future of Māori and Pakeha in New Zealand, should have alerted the judiciary – including its anomalous appendage, the Waitangi Tribunal – that its ...
Dead Woman Walking: New Zealand’s media industry had been moving steadily towards disaster for all the years Melissa Lee had been National’s media and communications policy spokesperson, and yet, when the crisis finally broke, on her watch, she had nothing intelligent to offer. Christopher Luxon is a patient man - but he’s not ...
Chris Trotter writes – New Zealand politics is remarkably easy-going: dangerously so, one might even say. With the notable exception of John Key’s flat ruling-out of the NZ First Party in 2008, all parties capable of clearing MMP’s five-percent threshold, or winning one or more electorate seats, tend ...
Ministers must front up about which projects it will push through under its Fast Track Approvals legislation, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
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 ...
New Zealand Sign Language Week is an excellent opportunity for all Kiwis to give the language a go, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. This week (May 6 to 12) is New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) Week. The theme is “an Aotearoa where anyone can sign anywhere” and aims to ...
Six tertiary students have been selected to work on NASA projects in the US through a New Zealand Space Scholarship, Space Minister Judith Collins announced today. “This is a fantastic opportunity for these talented students. They will undertake internships at NASA’s Ames Research Center or its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), where ...
New Zealanders will be safer because of a $1.9 billion investment in more frontline Corrections officers, more support for offenders to turn away from crime, and more prison capacity, Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell says. “Our Government said we would crack down on crime. We promised to restore law and order, ...
The OECD’s latest report on New Zealand reinforces the importance of bringing Government spending under control, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The OECD conducts country surveys every two years to review its members’ economic policies. The 2024 New Zealand survey was presented in Wellington today by OECD Chief Economist Clare Lombardelli. ...
The Government has delivered on its election promise to provide a financially sustainable model for Auckland under its Local Water Done Well plan. The plan, which has been unanimously endorsed by Auckland Council’s Governing Body, will see Aucklanders avoid the previously projected 25.8 per cent water rates increases while retaining ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today. "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure. The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say. “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
Whānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...
Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced Pharmac’s largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff. “Access to medicines is a crucial part of many Kiwis’ lives. We’ve committed to a budget allocation of $1.774 billion over four years so Kiwis are ...
Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Eric Stokan, Assistant Professor of Political Science, University of Maryland, Baltimore County If you live in one of the most economically deprived neighborhoods in your city, you might think the government is directing a smaller share of public funds to your community. ...
Wansolwara The news media’s crucial role in climate change and environment journalism was the focus of The University of the South Pacific’s Journalism Programme 2024 World Press Freedom Day celebrations. The European Union Ambassador to the Pacific, Barbara Plinkert, and Pacific Islands Forum Secretary General Henry Puna were the chief ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Adams, Professor of Corporate Law & Academic Director of UNE Sydney campus, University of New England Last August, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) launched legal proceedings against Qantas. The consumer watchdog accused the airline of selling thousands of tickets ...
This episode of A View From Afar was recorded LIVE on May 6, 2024 (NZST) which is Sunday evening, May 5, 2024 at 8:30pm (USEST). In an analytical essay titled ‘A moment of friction’ political scientist Dr Paul Buchanan wrote how we are living within a decisive moment ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alison Taylor, Assistant Professor, Bond University Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures At the crux of the critical response to Luca Guadagnino’s new movie Challengers is one word: “sexy”. The film charts a love triangle between three up-and-coming tennis players: Tashi (Zendaya), ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jenny Stewart, Professor of Public Policy, ADFA Canberra, UNSW Sydney For years, First Nations people have been telling governments they want to be listened to. In particular, they want more ownership of the programs and services that are supposed to help them. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Why do trees have bark? Julien, age 6, Melbourne. This is a great question, Julien. We are so familiar with bark on trees, that most of us ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anthony Nasser, Senior Lecturer in Physiotherapy, University of Technology Sydney PeopleImages.com – Yuri A/Shutterstock The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is an important ligament in the knee. It runs from the thigh bone (femur) to the shin bone (tibia) and helps stabilise ...
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 I covered the May 2 United Kingdom local government elections for The Poll Bludger. The Blackpool South parliamentary byelection was also held, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Deanna Grant-Smith, Professor of Management, University of the Sunshine Coast The federal government has announced a “Commonwealth Prac Payment” to support selected groups of students doing mandatory work placements. Those who are studying to be a teacher, nurse, midwife or social ...
We round up everything coming to streaming services this week, including Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+, Apple TV+, ThreeNow, Neon and TVNZ+. If you love a dark comedy: Bodkin (Netflix, May 9)An English podcaster, an Irish podcaster and American podcaster walk into a pub and…make a TV show? ...
By Eleisha Foon, RNZ Pacific senior journalist A Pacific regionalism academic has called out New Zealand’s Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters for withholding information from the public on AUKUS and says the security deal “raises serious questions for the Pacific region”. Auckland University of Technology academic Dr Marco de Jong ...
How worried should we be about the cloud? This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. I currently have a few thousand unread emails languishing in my inbox, mostly old marketing newsletters and piles of unread science journal press releases. I have a similar number ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nuurrianti Jalli, Assistant Professor of Communication Studies College of Arts and Sciences Department of Languages, Literature, and Communication Studies, Northern State University Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Southeast Asian governments not only have to deal with the virus but also with the false ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Murakami Wood, Professor of Critical Surveillance and Securities Studies, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa The skyline of Riyadh, the capital and largest city of the Kingdom of Saudia Arabia.(Shutterstock) There is a long history of planned city building by both governments ...
The LIVE Recording of A View from Afar podcast will begin today at 12:45pm May 6, 2024 (NZST) which is Sunday evening, 8:30pm (USEST). In an analytical essay titled ‘A moment of friction’ political scientist Dr Paul Buchanan wrote how we are living within a decisive moment of ...
The Boil Up’s Lucinda Bennett considers the oyster – from freshness to pearls to the joy of shucking your own. This is an excerpt from our weekly food newsletter, The Boil Up. In Carmen Maria Machado’s short story ‘Eight Bites’, a woman begins her last supper before bariatric surgery with “a cavalcade ...
Asia Pacific Report A group of 65 Auckland University academics have written an open letter to vice-chancellor Dawn Freshwater criticising the institution’s stance over students protesting in solidarity with Palestine. They have called on her administration to “support” the students who were denied permission to establish an “overnight encampment” by ...
The Student Volunteer Army is on the march, generating approximately 1.6 million hours of volunteering from roughly 35,000 secondary school students in just five years. For Rebekah Brown, the pathway to volunteering started with her singing coach. With a passion for the arts, the suggestion to volunteer at Acting Antics, ...
Keeping up with online communication can be exhausting, so Fran Barclay enlisted the help of Meta’s new ‘intelligent assistant’ to respond to all her messages. Could her mates tell the difference? For centuries, technology has ruled the ways in which we communicate. From the dawn of written language, to the ...
Jamie Arbuckle, a councillor who has become an member of parliament, says he has settled into having two roles so comfortably he's going to keep both pay cheques. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Luis Gómez Romero, Senior Lecturer in Human Rights, Constitutional Law and Legal Theory, University of Wollongong Fifty years ago, Australian feminist Anne Summers denounced “the ideology of sexism” governing over so many women’s lives. Unfortunately, sexism is as lethal today as it ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jose Antonio Lara-Hernandez, Senior Researcher in Architecture, Auckland University of Technology Getty Images The COVID-19 pandemic and the hybrid work patterns it fostered have changed the way we think about office space, and central business districts in general. While fears ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dale Boccabella, Associate Professor of Taxation Law, UNSW Sydney There’s a good reason your local volunteer-run netball club doesn’t pay tax. In Australia, various nonprofit organisations are exempt from paying income tax, including those that do charitable work, such as churches. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marina Deller, Casual Academic, Creative Writing and English Literature, Flinders University NetflixComedy is opening up spaces for silences to be broken and trauma stories to be told. In 2018, Hannah Gadsby started a revolution with Nanette, asking audiences to rethink ...
The workplace can be a minefield of bad comms and passive aggression. Kinksters can help you navigate it. A friend and colleague recently gave me a compliment I loved. They told me I’d always been good at emotional communication and making people feel comfortable. “But I feel like it’s really ...
Even if some students are now just texting on their laptops. Stewart Sowman-Lund writes in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...
Councils from Horowhenua, Kāpiti, Wairarapa, the Hutt Valley, Porirua and Wellington City will meet this Friday to work together on a plan for a Greater Wellington region water deal. ...
Renowned musician, advocate, and proud born and raised daughter of Tauranga, Ria Hall, is announcing her candidacy for Mayor of Tauranga and Pāpāmoa Ward for the upcoming election on July 20th. ...
The new Aotearoa histories curriculum is rich with potential. There’s still work to be done, but the education minister’s criticisms about ‘balance’ miss the mark, argues primary school teacher Jessie Moss. In 2015, Ōtorohanga College students presented to parliament a petition signed by more than 10,000 people calling for a ...
For too long our so-called national bird has maintained its stranglehold on the economy of regional New Zealand. Thanks to the fast track legislation, we will have our revenge. Theories abound on what ails New Zealand’s economy. National leader Chris Luxon has posited that we’re negative, wet, whiny, and inward-looking; ...
Late one afternoon in March 1860 a man in a thin green velveteen jacket and a wide-awake hat arrived on foot at a sheep station named Glenmark, about 65 kilometres north of Christchurch. The man was in his mid-fifties but he looked older. Several people who met him that day ...
If building one of Auckland’s possible waterfront stadiums was funded privately, it would need to hold a sold-out Ed Sherran concert every weekday for 25 years. That’s Rob Hamlin’s finding – he’s a senior marketing lecturer at the University of Otago. “It’s not going to happen; forget about it,” he ...
Comment: The debate over the future relationship between news and social media is bringing us closer to a long-overdue reckoning. Social media isn’t trying to kill journalism, because social media has never really cared about journalism. Social media is resolutely in the attention business. News propels some attention — perhaps ...
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For the past 12 years, Georgia-Rose Brown has balanced on the brink of making an Olympic Games – but always landed gracefully on the wrong side. Reaching the Olympics is a dream the gymnast has harboured since she was a six-year-old; a dream that would dwindle every four years, yet ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra A new Commonwealth Prac Payment will provide students with $319.50 a week when they are on clinical and professional placements. The payment will be means tested and start from July 1 next year, which ...
Asia Pacific Report About 500 people honoured Palestinian journalists in the heart of the New Zealand city of Auckland today for their brave coverage of Israel’s War on Gaza, now in its seventh month with almost 35,000 people killed, mostly women and children. Marking the annual May 3 World Press ...
The Government Communications Security Bureau denies hosting a foreign spying capability flagged by the watchdog, differentiating it from the system recently criticised. ...
RNZ News A group of academic staff at New Zealand’s largest university have expressed concern at the administration’s move to block a protest encampment that was planned to take place on campus calling for support for the rights of Palestinians. This week, the University of Auckland warned that while it ...
Genterwocky After a hard days marching, Sir Doocey calls in at the Village Tavern For a pint of ale and a pork pie. The grim villagers stare at him. “Do not be travelling on the forest road,” warns a crusty old beak. “And why is that, antique peasant?” Grins Sir ...
Political conferences after a party returns to power are usually a chance for some healthy, even unhealthy backslapping. Yet National Party president Sylvia Wood’s address to its mainland representatives on Saturday hardly contained the unalloyed delight that one might have expected following National’s escape from the wilderness of opposition. Yes, ...
Comment: Almost half the world is voting in national elections this year and artificial intelligence is the elephant in the room. There are genuine fears AI-generated or AI-edited deepfakes will potentially manipulate election outcomes not just in the US and UK, but critically in countries such as India. For that ...
Ahead of the reality franchise’s return to New Zealand, allow us to introduce the eight brides and grooms. Chuck on a veil and tie back your man bun, because it’s time to say “I do” to a new season of Married at First Sight NZ. The reality TV “social experiment” ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Norton, Professor in the Practice of Higher Education Policy, Australian National University Every year on June 1, student debt in Australia is indexed to inflation. In 2023, high inflation pushed the indexation rate to 7.1%, the highest since 1990. This ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Changes in the May 14 budget will cut the student debt of more than three million people, wiping more than $3 billion from what people owe. The government will cap the HELP indexation rate ...
Asia Pacific Report The prosecutor’s office at the International Criminal Court (ICC) has appealed for an end to what it calls intimidation of its staff, saying such threats could constitute an offence against the “administration of justice” by the world’s permanent war crimes court. The Hague-based office of ICC Prosecutor ...
By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk A women’s union in New Caledonia has staged a sit-in protest this week to support senior Kanak indigenous journalist Thérèse Waia, who works for public broadcaster Nouvelle-Calédonie la Première, after a smear attack by critics. The peaceful demonstration was held on ...
New Zealand Food Safety is monitoring overseas recalls of Indian packaged spice products manufactured by MDH and Everest due to concerns over a cancer-causing pesticide. ...
By Stephen Wright and Stefan Armbruster of BenarNews Fiji’s ranking in a global press freedom index has jumped into the top tier of countries with free or mostly free media after its government last year repealed a draconian law that threatened journalists with prison for doing their jobs. Fiji’s improvement ...
We might be in Invercargill but all anyone can talk about is Gore. Specifically, Salford Street. That’s where three-year-old Lachlan Jones lived, south of the centre of town, between the A&P Showgrounds and the Mataura River. Roughly 1.2 km away from the single level home he lived in with his ...
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.
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.
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).