And finally, a way to get those 'vaccine hesitant' types racing in to get jabbed: free dope.
Washington State's Liquor and Cannabis Board (LCB) on Monday announced licensed marijuana dealers are now allowed to give one free pre-rolled joint to customers 21 years or older who receive their first or second dose of COVID19 vaccine at an on-site vaccination clinic.
Great new initiative for my hydrochoroquine believer relatives in the Far North.
Thousands of nurses to walk off the job today in strike action nationwide
1 NEWS
About 30,000 nurses at all public hospitals and DHB facilities will be walking off the job from 11am to 7pm today, warning that it could be the first of many strikes if an agreement with their employers isn’t reached…..
……“Burnout, exhaustion, considering working overseas. All of those things are very real and I see myself and my colleagues going through [that] on a daily basis.” Deena Cardon, a surgical nurse at North Shore Hospital
“At the moment, their [NZNO’s] ask is 17 per cent [annualised increases]; we're just not in the position to be able to fund that at this point in time,” Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern
The Prime MInister claims that the government is able to fund the nurses claims.
$785 million for a cycleway says otherwise
As part of their protest Nurses will march up Queen Street.
Nurses know a lot about blocked arteries, if they are serious they should continue their march down Fanshaw Street and block the motorway entrance, until Michael Wood or Grant Robertson agree to negotiate.
Let us refresh the memory of those that have forgotten what the two dudes named above do in government
Woods:
Transport – Minister
Workplace Relations and Safety
Deputy Leader of the House
Robertson
Minister of Finance
Minister for Infrastructure
Minister for Racing
Minister of Sport and Recreation
edit: but then we can see why cycling bridges are the winner when one is also transport minister and the other is minister of racing and sport and recreation. Priorities this government has them, and they are outdoing John Key on his cycleway of historic importance.
As for the nurse vs the bridge, lol. Yeah, that is making the rounds in all places that are not labour loyalists by hook n crook.
But then some rather have solidarity with cycling bridges for the 10% then the wellbeing for nurses and other medical frontline staff. So very 'labour' of them. So very 'kind' so very 'gentle'.
nurses being offered ' 4000 NZD backpay!!!! – as part of their wage agreement
nurses being offered 1.38% (under inflation)
Nurses Striking today.
and just for clarity : “At the moment, their [NZNO’s] ask is 17 per cent [annualised increases]; we're just not in the position to be able to fund that at this point in time,” Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern
As i suggested yesterday, all he white nurses (only the white ones please it would be to dangerous for people of color) should loan some 2 – 4 grand bikes and run over a police barricade, illegally enter a motorway, cause traffic issues and then …..then the PM would say, lols, sure here have your 870 million.
well there is the much vaunted new tax rate from the Finance Minsiter
that will raise about 500 million per year, so would pay in its first year for one half of a bridge for cyclists. And then would need probaly another three years of that to account for the 'overspending' on the bridge for the very well looked after very rich Aucklanders.
Maybe someone should tell the Prime Minister that she could use these 500 millions raised by the 'rich tax' on the Nurses, and the very white lawbreaking cyclists of rich Auckland can hold a bake sale for the bridge? I mean that is what we do for Ambulances, Firestations and schools in this country.
the foreigner don't get cookies from the get go – its called Kiwi experience and thus they can work real cheap,
the worker only gets cookie when he does as he is told,
and the suits- Jacinda, Grant, Andrew etc and the white well to do people from Herne Bay and Ponsnobby – who can break laws without consequeses- are in the meantime eating all the cookies,
And then they turn around and tell the nurses there ain't any money left in the kitty, and that if they expect a decent pay for a decent day of work, and if the Nurses expect toilet breaks and lunch breaks and enough collegues to cover these breaks they need to move to OZ, the US, or England or elsewhere, cause here in NZ they are not valued neither by the government nor the public.
‘ “Pray tell, what do Michael Wood or Grant Robertson have to do with the negotiations?” Incognito
I thought it would be a bit presumptious to ask the Prime Minister to take part in the negotiations. Though if you think that is better. Sure, why not.
After all it is the Prime Minister who has said that the government hasn't got the money. Maybe the Prime Minister coulc convince the nurses of that.
Why I chose Grant Robertson; Grant Robertson is the Deputy PM and also the Minister of Finance, an obvious choice. He holds the purse strings.
Why I chose Michael Wood, for several reasons; Michael Wood is an Auckland based MP, it wouldn;t be too far out of his comfort zone.
I have met with Michael several times and am convinced of his basic decency and humanitarianism.
Because of this, I toyed with the idea of just asking Michael to come and negotiate with the nurses on behalf of the government.
The other and more obvious reason is Michael could agree to forgo the $785 million he got for the cycleway and ask the Minister of Finance to give it to the nurses instead.
I would expect the negotiations to last 30 minutes. Auckland motorists could then get back on their way.
“You seem to spend a lot of effort not understanding how government works, nor even how it could in an ideal world.”Sacha
Hi Sacha,
We live in a far from ideal world. Sometimes you just have to cut through the Gordian Knot.
Government steps into Ihumātao land dispute, halts building activity
JUL 26, 2019 • SOURCE: 1 NEWS
…Police this week have made a number of arrests and have maintained a heavy presence after an eviction notice had been served against occupiers.
But tonight the Prime Minister stepped into the debate, following a meeting today between Government representatives, mana whenua, Fletchers, Auckland mayor Phil Goff and other members of Auckland council…..
Ihumātao: Deal struck between government and Fletcher Building to buy disputed land
Jane Patterson 16/12/2020
A deal has been struck between the government and Fletcher Building to buy the disputed Ihumātao land for just under $30 million, the first step in breaking the long-running deadlock…..
Judith Collins hits out at Jacinda Ardern's 'foolish' involvement in Ihumātao
Zane Small 20/07/2020
National leader Judith Collins has hit out at Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's involvement in the Ihumātao land dispute, describing it as "foolish" and "a total nonsense"…..
……Collins, who became the National Party's new leader last week following the resignation of Todd Muller, said Ardern should never have got involved, and that if she becomes Prime Minister, Fletcher Building will be allowed to continue with its plans.
"It's their land, they can do what they like within the rules," she told Magic Talk. "The Government, under me will never put a cent into Ihumātao. This is private land. This is a total nonsense and the Prime Minister was foolish to go and get herself involved in it in the first place."
Collins' predecessor Muller has also said Ardern should not have got involved.
"Our position with Ihumātao has been consistent all the way through: this was an issue, from our perspective, between the iwi owners and Fletchers," he said in June.
If Grant can't make it at short notice. Michael could take a smart phone and Bring in Grant Robertson by skype, or facebook messenger, or zoom or whatever platform suits best.
The PM could even cut in for 5 minutes if she wanted to. To berate the nurses for being wrong headed, ‘There is no money, you should call off your strike’.
Good faith, and actually wanting to resolve the dispute. I can't see non of that happening at the moment;.
I mean offering an advance to owed backpay as part of a wage negotiation is not good faith, nor does it show a will to resolve a pay dispute, but it is very much an insult to injury.
"I mean offering an advance to owed backpay as part of a wage negotiation is not good faith, nor does it show a will to resolve a pay dispute, but it is very much an insult to injury."
Too true. A bit like criticism of Vance's article, the $4000 is there for lazy minds to cling to.
The chosen ones will be delighted and over Mars the Moon with their elevation, which comes as a revelation. Will you make them knights or just anoint them?
You toying with ideas is like Donald Trump playing with the two red buttons on his desk, one was for the Diet Coke Button the other one was for frying the world.
Nurses are sure going to have to campaign smarter than a boring old strike (which the system is coping with easily) if they are going to be out-competed by a few old lycra-waddling duffers.
You can pop over to the Nurses Union and tell them how their industrial relations efforts are so weak and then show them HowToGetThere.
ah, but then you are ok with foreign workers, and then it should be ok for the horticulturist, the Orchadists, the farmers, the booze shops, the universities and all the others that don't want to pay a decent wage in NZ, lead by the government. i
As always with government in NZ, Labour as well as National it is a case of do as we say not as we do. Non of them want 'living wages' or 'decent wages'.
hahahahaha, i am so gonna enjoy the next National / Act government and their 'surplus' tax cuts, for the rich, of whom Robertson, Ardern, and the rest of the dull knights and dames are members of. hahahahahahahah
The inference we're getting here is that Judith lied to Nick Smith about the breaking scandal to get him to resign. Knowing full well there was no breaking story. So she could get Harete Hipango into the House.
Well no…as soon as the first cases appeared in court the light bulb would have gone on and phones would be heading for the skip smartly.
"ANoM could only be found on phones bought through the black market, which had been stripped of the capability to make calls or send emails, according to the AFP. The phones could only send messages to another device that had the app and criminals needed to know another criminal to get a device.
"The devices organically circulated and grew in popularity among criminals, who were confident of the legitimacy of the app because high-profile organized crime figures vouched for its integrity," the AFP statement said."
If this was a one of, and it was known (or suspicion arose among those targeted) …..then yes pull the plug and only to see if the news would make some more crawl out from under the rocks in order to hide under another.
But the cover appeared to be blown in March 2021 when a blogger detailed ANOM security flaws and claimed it was a scam linked to Australia, the United States and other members of the Five Eyes intelligence sharing network. The post was later deleted.
I'm surprised the internet policing app was used for as long as it got used and no one discovered they were being monitored. Possibly the cops cover would have been blowen as the app would be used as evidence.
seriously for this alone they should stay on strike for the rest of the week.
The DHBs revised their offer with changes to sick leave entitlement and there was a $4,000 lump sum in advance on the anticipated Pay Equity settlement.
that 4 grand has nothing to do with the current wage dispute. Here really the government and DHB are saying that we owe you back pay, but we could advance that for you now, so please dear Nurses *(male/female/others as some seem to think that nursing is a 'female' profession ) stay on strike until the Managarial Goons learn some shame, humility and grow a brain.
For what its worth all of us have needed nurses and medical staff in our lifes, non of us has needed any of the overpaid goons that pretend that 1.38% (below inflation) is a 'pay increase'.
Why? She still in politics? or is there just something in the waters of some left leaning people that they rather discuss the National wanabes of yesteryears rather tehn just the regular businesses of strikes, homelessness, violence and crime?
She was always only an attack dog, she knew her role and she fulfilled it to the finest. And now she sells real estate for big bucks, laughing all the way to the bank.
i did not answer to someone writing a post, i answered to someone who should have posted a link. So nah, i missed nothing. And i don't waste my time with has beens such as the like of Paula Benefit.
in the early days of the internet..when everybody had shit/expensive internet-coverage..providing links was crucial…
it was one of the reasons I started/did my proto-aggregation website whoar.co.nz..to provide that service…and I always included the link to every story I posted..
that was then…this is now…when everyone has fast/efficient internet..and in the above case of my made-up tabloid headline..typing bennett into google will bring up all coverage of 'what I am talking about'..namely bennetts' vomiting all over her tory party..and how they dun her wrong…
and I would contend that just providing one link (as you continue to demand) is/can be a negative..is an involuntary controlling of the message..by only giving the reader one perspective..whereby they have to Google to find out more ..(!)
It is for these reasons I feel the arc of importance of 'the link'..has reached it's natural conclusion..
and is increasingly irrelevant/a block on the full picture..
largely..the link is yesterday's imperative..
and should be left just to wither..
and certainly not be demanded of anyone posting anything..
[I did not demand, I asked, nicely and politely. You must have attended the same school as Jenny for not understanding the difference between these two verbs.
Indeed, this is here and now, you’re commenting on TS, not on your proto-site. You take heed of Moderation notes, here and now.
It is good manners to post a link. Don’t expect others to do the digging and Googling; they’re not mind readers.
When I Google “bennett”, I get all sorts of results, including Naftali Bennett, the next PM of Israel.
Please don’t act like an obstinate pillock and include links in your comments, especially when asked by a Moderator, thanks. This is your final warning – Incognito]
in the above case of my made-up tabloid headline..typing bennett into google will bring up all coverage of 'what I am talking about'
You must have an awful lot of time on your hands if that seems like a viable tactic. If you google the word 'tactic' you will find what I'm talking about..
So you totally dismiss the case I made re arc of link…?
and choose to again threaten to ban ..?
After the several days of my being back here you following me around sneering insults/trolling at virtually everything I say..?
go read them..!
your abuses of power/harassment of me is over the top..
other people..including yrslf..regularly say things without linking..I read whole threads like that..while I was'nt commenting here..and not a word from you..or any other moderator..
I repeat…why do you single me out for such special treatment..
Reform for retirees has been a long time coming. It would be a popular move if the government follows the advice and takes the rights of older folk as seriously as younger tenants.
Her [Retirement Com.] report said submissions revealed 99 per cent support for a complete review of the legislative framework and that included support from organisations like the Law Society, and professionals in the sector like trustees and statutory supervisors, as well as hundreds of residents’ submissions.
Wrightson told said the only group that thought a full review was a bad idea was the operators.
Village residents did not have many of the consumer protections provided to tenants here. A review should eliminate unfair terms in contracts and better protect the rights of consumers.
also from the link as to why nothing will change until this government is shamed into action – from Poto Williams herself
"Asked what plans, if any, she has to move on the commission and Consumer reports to strengthen the Retirement Villages Act, Williams said: "At this stage there are no immediate plans to review the Act, although I acknowledge that the Act is due for review and will work towards this when we can."
Over their four years at the Auckland hospital, the Kiwi nurse dealt with an "under-resourced, understaffed department", and sometimes experienced unsafe situations.
"Over my time working at the hospital I can’t count the number of verbal and physical assaults that have happened to health care workers," they say.
"I’ve seen co-workers punched in the face, oxygen cylinders thrown through medication rooms, people pulling out knives, family members getting up in our faces."
The nurse told Newshub of a particular incident when two nurses were attacked with a baseball bat when leaving the hospital after a night shift.
"One ended up with a head injury and the other a broken clavicle. It can sometimes be scary to think about," they say.
The Auckland hospital where the Kiwi nurse worked confirmed the incident to Newshub, stating that emergency departments are "emotionally charged, stressful environments".
"Nurses can sometimes be subjected to verbal abuse, they can experience people encroaching on their personal space, and occasionally experience low-levels of physical abuse," the hospital said in a statement.
Back in the day, last century, long service was acknowledged at 25 years and the good old gold watch was the gift.
Nowadays it occurs at 10 years.
Also since the rise of DHB CEOs, carparks were privatized. A fairly significant change in working conditions for many hospital staff.
Not a skerrick of renumeration and often decreased safety as the person in the booth wasn't paid to provide security or folk would park off hospital grounds.
At the same time, the number of complex complaints about commercial building structural design is rising, according to the Structural Engineering Society. It says the problem with substandard designs is "unacceptable".
"We've been campaigning for change to prevent quality issues," Structural Engineering Society president, Michelle Grant said. "We've … strongly voiced our recommendations for greater scrutiny and tighter assessment of structural engineers."
Such is the increase in complex investigations landing at Engineering New Zealand (ENZ) that it has had to hire more engineers and lawyers to tackle the backlog. The body receives between 45-50 complaints each year.
Give over the bridge discussion. Get behind this one now, about buildings which affects us all every day of the week.
In Australia the rule about agreement to sex or whether it was rape would be laughable if it was in a satirical performance. If it said that previous agreed sex within the period the participants were together should be considered in exoneration, (which I believe was the case for Julian Assange) that would fit the Oz idea of rationality, but not just the sheer force of the man's lust or want.)
However, the court also cited the “high hurdle” it faced on the issue of consent. Under the archaic legal definition of “consent” in place in Australia at the time the incidents had occurred, any belief by the perpetrator that the complainant was consenting – not matter how irrational that belief was – had to be counted as grounds for acquittal. The court cited McLachlan’s “egocentric” personality as an exonerating factor, in that he simply may not have been able to comprehend that his advances would not be reciprocated
Meanwhile in NZ, we seem terrified of taxing wealth but are happy to go hammer and tongs with nurses to suppress their pay. To me, these two things are linked.
Why would the wealthy people in government raise taxes on the wealthy or the wealthy companies? heck, we give millions of dollars to come here and make some dumb arse movies.
Please try and limit the number of short sharp irrationalities that you put up Sabine.
Dumb arse movies are common, and watched by many similar people. If made here they provide jobs and a change of business, a bit of diversity from dairy and housing and building war tech for the USA. It will be a good change from selling our stock of houses from under the feet of the NZs who we hope will make some wages from the movie-making.
In the agreement with the New Zealand Government, obtained by Stuff under the Official Information Act, the company committed to partnering with local firms to invest in research and development in sectors as diverse as drones, costume design and healthcare.
The deal could also see the company establishing offshoots of its other businesses here.
It is unconfirmed whether Amazon will open a local distribution centre for its famous online shop, which would likely upend the local retail sector. The company isn't obliged to start new businesses in New Zealand, but as a minimum it is required to partner with local research houses
MSD cannot do this. Help with emergency accommodation is governed by legislation which means if a person is entitled to the help they must receive it. Nobody can stop anyone applying for help under the Act, but when it comes to emergency accommodation MSD do it all the time.
When challenged MSD will of course agree they cannot blacklist anyone, but the fact is that very few people do challenge their decisions so what has become a widespread problem is left to continue because it suits MSD for it to continue even though they know it's wrong.
The money you are trying to raise to pay for the nurses would have to come from …the nurses. They are well paid ,but not as well paid as the Aussies. I’m not being a smart are’s, my wife is a nurse and she is currently on the street protesting, and I agree with her but there aren’t enough rich to tax to get enough money to pay the nurses without taxing the nurses. The point being missed by most is not the 17% increase to the nurses, almost certainly affordable, but the ongoing parity that would then be required for all other govt employees, a huge sum no doubt, well beyond my capacity to calculate and the governments to afford in the short term.. That huge sum can only come from bankrupting the so-called rich which would include ..the nurses.
Adrian, I am minded of the parable that Christ taught about the farmer who got a problem with weeds in his crops. Of course, his listeners were the poor farmers high up the hills whose land was too poor to grow the particular weeds and who never knew the threat to their huge crops complained of by the wealthy farmers on the valley floor.
A bit like a poorly paid worker being told that they would have to pay more tax if they got paid a decent wage commensurate with their hours, skills and social worth.
What is the average pay for a nurse? The start at about 55 before tax and after a few years should be at about mid 70? that is not rich, not before tax not after tax. And certainly not when one factors in GST. And certainly not when we consider that these women and men are the ones that will intubate us should we need it, and in case of Covid might be the last people to actually care about the patient more then them just being a dying bag of bones and flesh.
They could however establish a Capital Gains Tax to finance these fancy people called Nurses. Maybe a Land tax? Maybe a luxury tax on certain cars for the very rich? Maybe an 'empty room' tax for those that own houses but keep them empty? I am sure if these people were to put that thinking hat on they would come up with something.
Anyway, i hope she and her collegues will achieve and receive not only bread but also Roses, and maybe some respect. So she has my support.
The wealth of NZ's richest person, Graeme Hart, increased (!) by $3.4b since the covid pandemic started. So a 10% pay rise for every nurse in NZ is only 12% of this wealth increase (ignoring his existing enormous wealth). So this single person could easily pay for a 10% increase for every nurse in NZ, for the next 8 years, without losing a cent of his underlying wealth, just his recent increase.
There’s no bottom to the depths these fuckers will sink to.
Three groups opposed to Covid restrictions, masks, and vaccines are hosting conspiracy theorist Naomi Wolf for a fundraiser entitled "Liberate Our Five Freedoms."
The event is going to be held on Juneteenth, the holiday celebrating the end of chattel slavery in the US. Event organizer Kathryn Levin told me that in her view, it's appropriate.
"The 19th is a day of emancipation, and it's a day when we claim our freedom," said Levin. "It's when we see that we are not slaves to mandate. It's when we take our power back."
I asked Levin how she analogized American chattel slavery—where slaves were whipped, beaten, raped, and murdered by their white masters for centuries—to the temporary restrictions over the last 15 months due to the pandemic.
"We have been enslaved by our government," she replied.
Ironically, these people are perfectly fine with a police state as long as it is them not being policed. They all would have thought George Floyd deserved to die.
Like these 3 people who I used to work with, all through COVID was a plot to impose a police state, but supported Trump.
2035 – 14 years away. So what are we doing in the meantime?
The Climate Change Commission has released its final report laying out the roadmap for the country to slash emissions and become carbon neutral by 2050…
By end of 2022 set targets to get more people walking, cycling and using public transport
Renewable energy target of 50 by the end of 2035
(Plus a lot more. Doesn't say anything about hybrid vehicles in the meantime, which would be helpful while we up the electricity supply.)
Climate Change Minister James Shaw said this government had done more to fight the climate crisis in the last three-and-a-half years than the combined efforts of governments over the last three-and-a-half decades.
"However, we are yet to see a sustained decline in the pollution we put into the atmosphere," Shaw said.
You know what, that was said consistently under John Key too, and i bet you a dollar that no one asked those that can't afford rent, are on a benefit in a town that costs per week (without utilities, food, and all other jazz of nice things)
Market rent in Avondale (Auckland) 01 Nov 2020 – 30 Apr 2021
BONDS 2160
LOWER ($)490
MEDIAN ($)580
UPPER ($)650
If however you are one of the really lucky ones that live in a nice part of town, with a nice wage, and an affordable mortgage, or inherited housing then truly Auckland is a very livable city.
That's an extremely limited alibi and exoneration.
Those articles only provide evidence for an argument against the idea that a jump to humans from bats or pangolins occurred at that specific market. It in no way excludes the possibility that patient zero got it from bats or pangolins (or any other species for that matter) somewhere else, then spread it to other humans at the market. Nor does it even exclude the possibility that the jump to humans happened from some other species at the market.
Never mind the myriad other possibilities for zoonotic transfer some other place and time, and that Wuhan maybe just happened to be where the first superspreading event occurred.
Bats and pangolins just happened to have drawn suspicion because they are known to host viruses similar to SARS-CoV-2, to the extent that they commonly have antibodies already circulating that neutralise SARS-CoV-2.. That doesn't mean there aren't other species also hosting similar coronaviruses that we aren't aware of. The original SARS intermediary was likely palm civets, for example, or camels for MERS.
One of the stranger things about moderating TS is seeing how many people make comments and then don't check to see who has replied to them next time the come back. Mods see this when someone's comments are held in the back end until someone responds to a moderation request.
I'd like to know how many people either don't use the Replies list function, or can't see it on their device. What are you all doing?
Tricledrown, if you are reading this, you need to go back to my last reply to you. All your other comments are landing in Trash until this gets sorted out.
Gelberger's body was found the next day, missing his lower left leg, and entire right leg.
Ports of Auckland was fined more than $420,000 in the Auckland District Court following Gelberger's death.
It admitted it had put people's lives at risk because its pilot boats consistently breached speed limits because, it said, they believed they were exempt.
The limits dictate vessels should not exceed five knots when closer than 200m to shore, and must keep to a 12-knot limit between the Harbour Bridge and North Head.
There is an exemption for Ports of Auckland vessels to breach limits if they are unable to carry out duties, but this applies only in limited circumstances.
In court, the company was found to have breached the rules on about 99 percent of its trips.
This seems the way things are in NZ. Power tends to corrupt etc. Why does someone have to be killed before the value of the precautionary policy is recognised? It was too fast, and not allowed at that time anyway.
As reported the proposed pay rates by DHBs for the nursing sector
Healthcare Assistants $40,382 a year, through to $48,003. This will range of $45,310 to $53,359. That is a total pay increase of between 4.6 per cent for those on step two of the pay scale, and 11.7 per cent for those at the top.
Enrolled nurses are currently paid between $48,632 and $57,047. The new agreement would take that to $53,998 to $59,447, or a total increase of 11 per cent for the step one nurses through to 4.2 per cent for step four
Senior midwives would see their pay increase from $79,760 for grade two through to $130,653 for grade eight, to $83,157 to $133,486.
Registered Nurses total pay increase between 3.1 per cent and 4.4 per cent, to reach a band of $56,434 to $79,786.
Most NZNO members are in the RN category and on the top scale ( after 7 years) of $80 k per year
My neighbour was on top scale and I would see her each morning waiting for Uber instead of the bus just around the corner
Up to 30 people are in handcuffs and being questioned by police after a hit-and-run crash which left one person dead in Auckland this morning.
A witness at the scene in Māngere said 20-30 people had been restrained across two scenes, while they were questioned amid a heavy police presence of about 15-20 officers.
"The vehicle involved fled the area immediately afterwards. Emergency services attended the scene but sadly the man died shortly after."
Early reports suggested a firearm may have been involved in the incident and as a precaution, armed staff responded to the area.
Police had not located a firearm.
Or is that selective over policing in certain areas of town? Have a good look at this picture and ask yourself if that is a normal action to a 'hit and run'. Also who suggested firearms had been involved and when that weapon failed to materialized why was the present police force not told to put their weapons away?
It wasnt a hit and run ! First reports arent always accurate
Why does this concern you now , Im sure you can wait till tomorrow when more will be released. A person is dead after an some sort of violence in a house , a car was attacked in the street and some masked people drove off … and thats what neighbors have said at around 5 PM reports
Is that your alter ego , a TV reporter for those real life crime shows ?
I just asked because i read the article and i could not quite get it sorted. It seems there were at least two if not three incidents. And having the cops stand there with what look like assault weapons in suburbia should concern all of us, unless of course we think that cops with assault weapons in the street is Kiwi as.
Note: this blog post has been put together over the course of the week I followed the happenings at the conference virtually. Should recordings of the Great Debates and possibly Union Symposia mentioned below, be released sometime after the conference ends, I'll include links to the ones I participated in. ...
The following was my submission made on the “Fast Track Approvals Bill”. This potential law will give three Ministers unchecked powers, un-paralled since the days of Robert Muldoon’s “Think Big” projects.The submission is written a bit tongue-in-cheek. But it’s irreverent because the FTAB is in itself not worthy of respect. ...
One Could Reduce Child Poverty At No Fiscal CostFollowing the Richardson/Shipley 1990 ‘redesign of the welfare state’ – which eliminated the universal Family Benefit and doubled the rate of child poverty – various income supplements for families have been added, the best known being ‘Working for Families’, introduced in 2005. ...
Buzz from the Beehive A few days ago, Point of Order suggested the media must be musing “on why Melissa is mute”. Our article reported that people working in the beleaguered media industry have cause to yearn for a minister as busy as Melissa Lee’s ministerial colleagues and we drew ...
1. What was The Curse of Jim Bolger?a. Winston Peters b. Soon after shaking his hand, world leaders would mysteriously lose office or shuffle off this mortal coilc. Could never shake off the Mother of All Budgetsd. Dandruff2. True or false? The Chairman of a Kiwi export business has asked the ...
Jack Vowles writes – New Zealand is said to be suffering from ‘serious populist discontent’. An IPSOS MORI survey has reported that we have an increasing preference for strong leaders, think that the economy is rigged toward the rich and powerful, and political elites are ignoring ‘hard-working people’. ...
Chris Trotter writes – MELISSA LEE should be deprived of her ministerial warrant. Her handling – or non-handling – of the crisis engulfing the New Zealand news media has been woeful. The fate of New Zealand’s two linear television networks, a question which the Minister of Broadcasting, Communications ...
TL;DR: The podcast above features co-hosts and , along with regular guests Robert Patman on Gaza and AUKUS II, and on climate change.The six things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the ...
Policymakers rarely wish to make plain or visible their desire to dismantle environmental policy, least of all to the young. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s the top five news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above between Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent ...
I like to keep an eye on what’s happening in places like the UK, the US, and over the ditch with our good mates the Aussies. Let’s call them AUKUS, for want of a better collective term. More on that in a bit.It used to be, not long ago, that ...
TL;DR: The global economy will be one fifth smaller than it would have otherwise been in 2050 as a result of climate damage, according to a new study by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and published in the journal Nature. (See more detail and analysis below, and ...
New Zealand is said to be suffering from ‘serious populist discontent’. An IPSOS MORI survey has reported that we have an increasing preference for strong leaders, think that the economy is rigged toward the rich and powerful, and political elites are ignoring ‘hard-working people’. The data is from February this ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters is understood to be planning a major speech within the next fortnight to clear up the confusion over whether or not New Zealand might join the AUKUS submarine project. So far, there have been conflicting signals from the Government. RNZ reported the Prime Minister yesterday in ...
Life throws curveballs, and sometimes, those curveballs necessitate wiping your iPhone clean and starting anew. Whether you’re facing persistent software glitches, preparing to sell your device, or simply wanting a fresh start, knowing how to factory reset iPhone without a computer is a valuable skill. While using a computer with ...
Gone are the days when communication was limited to landline phones and physical proximity. Today, computers have become powerful tools for connecting with people across the globe through voice and video calls. But with a plethora of applications and methods available, how to call someone on a computer might seem ...
Open access notables Glacial isostatic adjustment reduces past and future Arctic subsea permafrost, Creel et al., Nature Communications:Sea-level rise submerges terrestrial permafrost in the Arctic, turning it into subsea permafrost. Subsea permafrost underlies ~ 1.8 million km2 of Arctic continental shelf, with thicknesses in places exceeding 700 m. Sea-level variations over glacial-interglacial cycles control ...
The operating system (OS) is the heart and soul of a computer, orchestrating every action and interaction between hardware and software. But have you ever wondered where on a computer is the operating system generally stored? The answer lies in the intricate dance between hardware and software components, particularly within ...
Laptops have become essential tools for work, entertainment, and communication, offering portability and functionality. However, with rising energy costs and growing environmental concerns, understanding a laptop’s power consumption is more important than ever. So, how many watts does a laptop use? The answer, unfortunately, isn’t straightforward. It depends on several ...
Screen recording has become an essential tool for various purposes, such as creating tutorials, capturing gameplay footage, recording online meetings, or sharing information with others. Fortunately, Dell laptops offer several built-in and external options for screen recording, catering to different needs and preferences. This guide will explore various methods on ...
A cracked or damaged laptop screen can be a frustrating experience, impacting productivity and enjoyment. Fortunately, laptop screen repair is a common service offered by various repair shops and technicians. However, the cost of fixing a laptop screen can vary significantly depending on several factors. This article delves into the ...
Gaming laptops represent a significant investment for passionate gamers, offering portability and powerful performance for immersive gaming experiences. However, a common concern among potential buyers is their lifespan. Unlike desktop PCs, which allow for easier component upgrades, gaming laptops have inherent limitations due to their compact and integrated design. This ...
The annual inventory report of New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions has been released, showing that gross emissions have dropped for the third year in a row, to 78.4 million tons: All-told gross emissions have decreased by over 6 million tons since the Zero Carbon Act was passed in 2019. ...
Experiencing a locked computer can be frustrating, especially when you need access to your files and applications urgently. The methods to unlock your computer will vary depending on the specific situation and the type of lock you encounter. This guide will explore various scenarios and provide step-by-step instructions on how ...
While the world has largely transitioned to digital communication, faxing still holds relevance in certain industries and situations. Fortunately, gone are the days of bulky fax machines and dedicated phone lines. Today, you can easily send and receive faxes directly from your computer, offering a convenient and efficient way to ...
In our increasingly digital world, home computers have become essential tools for work, communication, entertainment, and more. However, this increased reliance on technology also exposes us to various cyber threats. Understanding these threats and taking proactive steps to protect your home computer is crucial for safeguarding your personal information, finances, ...
In the ever-evolving world of technology, server-based computing has emerged as a cornerstone of modern digital infrastructure. This article delves into the concept of server-based computing, exploring its various forms, benefits, challenges, and its impact on the way we work and interact with technology. Understanding Server-Based Computing: At its core, ...
The absolute brass neck of this guy.We want more medical doctors, not more spin doctors, Luxon was saying a couple of weeks ago, and now we’re told the guy has seven salaried adults on TikTok duty. Sorry, doing social media. The absolute brass neck of it. The irony that the ...
Buzz from the Beehive Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones relishes spatting and eagerly takes issue with environmentalists who criticise his enthusiasm for resource development. He relishes helping the fishing industry too. And so today, while the media are making much of the latest culling in the public service to ...
Having written, taught and worked for the US government on issues involving unconventional warfare and terrorism for 30-odd years, two things irritate me the most when the subject is discussed in public. The first is the Johnny-come-lately academics-turned-media commentators who … Continue reading → ...
Eric Crampton writes – Kainga Ora is the government’s house building agency. It’s been building a lot of social housing. Kainga Ora has its own (but independent) consenting authority, Consentium. It’s a neat idea. Rather than have to deal with building consents across each different territorial authority, Kainga Ora ...
Muriel Newman writes – The Coalition Government says it is moving with speed to deliver campaign promises and reverse the damage done by Labour. One of their key commitments is to “defend the principle that New Zealanders are equal before the law.” To achieve this, they have pledged they “will not advance ...
Chris Trotter writes – The absence of anything resembling a fightback from the public servants currently losing their jobs is interesting. State-sector workers’ collective fatalism in the face of Coalition cutbacks indicates a surprisingly broad acceptance of impermanence in the workplace. Fifty years ago, lay-offs in the thousands ...
Mariupol, on the Azov Sea coast, was one of the first cities to suffer almost complete destruction after the start of the Ukraine War started in late February 2022. We remember the scenes of absolute destruction of the houses and city structures. The deaths of innocent civilians – many of ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – Ten years ago, I wrote the following in a Listener column: Every year around one in five new-born babies will be reliant on their caregivers benefit by Christmas. This pattern has persisted from at least 1993. For Maori the number jumps to over one in three. ...
Climate change is expected to generate more and more extreme events, delivering a sort of structural shock to inflation that central banks will have to react to as if they were short-term cyclical issues. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s ...
It’s a simple deal. We pay taxes in order to finance the social services we want and need. The carnage now occurring across the public sector though, is breaking that contract. Over 3,000 jobs have been lost so far. Many are in crucial areas like Education where the impact of ...
Hi,A friend had their 40th over the weekend and decided to theme it after Curb Your Enthusiasm fashion icon Susie Greene. Captured in my tiny kitchen before I left the house, I ending up evoking a mix of old lesbian and Hillary Clinton — both unintentional.Me vs Hillary ClintonIf you’re ...
This is a re-post from Andrew Dessler at the Climate Brink blogIn 2023, the Earth reached temperature levels unprecedented in modern times. Given that, it’s reasonable to ask: What’s going on? There’s been lots of discussions by scientists about whether this is just the normal progression of global warming or if something ...
The schools are on holiday and the sun is shining in the seaside village and all day long I have been seeing bunches of bikes; Mums, Dads, teens and toddlers chattering, laughing, happy, having a bloody great time together. Cheers, AT, for the bits of lane you’ve added lately around the ...
Today in our National-led authoritarian nightmare: Shane Jones thinks Ministers should be above the law: New Zealand First MP Shane Jones is accusing the Waitangi Tribunal of over-stepping its mandate by subpoenaing a minister for its urgent hearing on the Oranga Tamariki claim. The tribunal is looking into the ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. ...
Citizen Science writes – Last week saw two significant developments in the debate over the treatment of trans-identifying children and young people – the release in Britain of the final report of Dr Hilary Cass’s review into gender healthcare, and here in New Zealand, the news that the ...
One night while sleeping in my bed I had a beautiful dreamThat all the people of the world got together on the same wavelengthAnd began helping one anotherNow in this dream, universal love was the theme of the dayPeace and understanding and it happened this wayAfter such an eventful day ...
This is a guest post by Oscar Simms who is a housing activist, volunteer for the Coalition for More Homes, and was the Labour Party candidate for Auckland Central at the last election. ...
Turning what Labour called the “holiday highway” into a four-lane expressway from Auckland to Whangarei could bring at least an economic benefit of nearly two billion a year for Northland each year. And it could help bring an end to poverty in one of New Zealand’s most deprived regions. The ...
Tonight’s six-stack includes: launching his substack with a bunch of his previous documentaries, including this 1992 interview with Dame Whina Cooper. and here crew give climate activists plenty to do, including this call to submit against the Fast Track Approvals bill. writes brilliantly here on his substack ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
You're in the mall when you hear it: some kind of popping sound in the distance, kids with fireworks, maybe. But then a moment of eerie stillness is followed by more of the fireworks sound and there’s also screaming and shrieking and now here come people running for their lives.Does ...
Karl du Fresne writes – There’s a crisis in the news media and the media are blaming it on everyone except themselves. Culpability is being deflected elsewhere – mainly to the hapless Minister of Communications, Melissa Lee, and the big social media platforms that are accused of hoovering ...
I don’t normally send out two newsletters in a day but I figured I’d say something about… the news. If two newsletters is a bit much then maybe just skip one, I don’t want to overload people. Alternatively if you’d be interested in sometimes receiving multiple, smaller updates from me, ...
Buzz from the Beehive David Seymour and Winston Peters today signalled that at least two ministers of the Crown might be in Wellington today. Seymour (as Associate Minister of Education) announced the removal of more red tape, this time to make it easier for new early learning services to be ...
Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. Our political system is suffering from the ...
David Farrar writes – The Broadcasting Standards Authority ruled: Comments by radio host Kate Hawkesby suggesting Māori and Pacific patients were being prioritised for surgery due to their ethnicity were misleading and discriminatory, the Broadcasting Standards Authority has found. It is a fact such patients are prioritised. ...
PRC and its proxies in Solomons have been preparing for these elections for a long time.A lot of money, effort and intelligence have gone into ensuring an outcome that won’t compromise Beijing’s plans. Cleo Paskall writes – On April 17th the Solomon Islands, a country of ...
Is speeding up the trip to and from Wellington airport by 12 minutes worth spending up more than $10 billion? Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me in the last day to 8:26 am today are:The Lead: Transport Minister Simeon Brownannounced ...
You're a fraud, and you know itBut it's too good to throw it all awayAnyone would do the sameYou've got 'em goingAnd you're careful not to show itSometimes you even fool yourself a bitIt's like magicBut it's always been a smoke and mirrors gameAnyone would do the sameForty six billion ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections The June general election in Mexico could mark a turning point in ensuring that the country’s climate policies better reflect the desire of its citizens to address the climate crisis, with both leading presidential candidates expressing support for renewable energy. Mexico is the ...
2024, it feels, keeps presenting us with ever more challenges, ever more dismay.Do you give up yet? It seems to ask.No? How about this? Or this?How about this?When I say 2024 I really mean the state of humanity in 2024.Saturday night, we watched Civil War because that is one terrifying cliff we've ...
Buzz from the Beehive A pet project and governmental tunnel vision jump out from the latest batch of ministerial announcements. The government is keen to assure us of its concern for the wellbeing of our pets. It will be introducing pet bonds in a change to the Residential Tenancies Act ...
A recent report generated from a Growing Up in New Zealand (GUiNZ) survey of 1,224 rangatahi Māori aged 11-12 found: Cultural connectedness was associated with fewer depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms and better quality of life. That sounds cut and dry. But further into the report the following appears: Cultural connectedness is ...
David Farrar writes – The Herald reports: From the gory details of job-cuts news, you’d think the public service was being eviscerated. While the media’s view of the cuts is incomplete, it’s also true that departments have been leaking the particulars faster than a Wellington ...
Remember the good old days, back when New Zealand had a PM who could think and speak calmly and intelligently in whole sentences without blustering? Even while Iran’s drones and missiles were still being launched, Helen Clark was live on TVNZ expertly summing up the latest crisis in the Middle ...
Costello did not pass on analysis of the benefits of the smokefree reforms to Cabinet, emphasising instead the extra tax revenues of repealing them. Photo: Hagen Hopkins, Getty Images TL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me at 7:26 am today are:The Lead: Casey Costello never passed on ...
True loveYou're the one I'm dreaming ofYour heart fits me like a gloveAnd I'm gonna be true blueBaby, I love youI’ve written about the job cuts in our news media last week. The impact on individuals, and the loss to Aotearoa of voices covering our news from different angles.That by ...
While commentators, including former Prime Minister Helen Clark, are noting a subtle shift in New Zealand’s foreign policy, which now places more emphasis on the United States, many have missed a key element of the shift. What National said before the election is not what the government is doing now. ...
A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 7, 2024 thru Sat, April 13, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week is about adults in the room setting terms and conditions of ...
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. ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
The Government’s newly announced review of methane emissions reduction targets hints at its desire to delay Aotearoa New Zealand’s urgent transition to a climate safe future, the Green Party said. ...
The Government must commit to the Maitai School building project for students with high and complex needs, to ensure disabled students from the top of the South Island have somewhere to learn. ...
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey and his Government colleagues have made a meal of their mental health commitments, showing how flimsy their efforts to champion the issue truly are, says Labour Mental Health spokesperson Ingrid Leary. ...
Māori are yet to see anything from this Government except cuts, reversals and taking our people backwards, Māori Development spokesperson Willie Jackson said. ...
The Coalition Government’s refusal to commit to ongoing funding for social housing is seeing the sector pull back on developments and families watch their dreams of securing a home fade away, says Labour Housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty. ...
Changes to minimum wage and benefit indexation means many New Zealanders will get less this year, as the Government gives a big tax break to landlords instead. ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector. "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today paid tribute to Singapore’s outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Meeting in Singapore today immediately before Prime Minister Lee announced he was stepping down, Prime Minister Luxon warmly acknowledged his counterpart’s almost twenty years as leader, and the enduring legacy he has left for Singapore and South East ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. While in Singapore as part of his visit to South East Asia this week, Prime Minister Luxon also met with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and will meet with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has made further appointments to the Board of Antarctica New Zealand as part of a continued effort to ensure the Scott Base Redevelopment project is delivered in a cost-effective and efficient manner. The Minister has appointed Neville Harris as a new member of the Board. Mr ...
Finance Minister Nicola Willis will travel to the United States on Tuesday to attend a meeting of the Five Finance Ministers group, with counterparts from Australia, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. “I am looking forward to meeting with our Five Finance partners on how we can work ...
The coalition Government has today announced purrfect and pawsitive changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to give tenants with pets greater choice when looking for a rental property, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Pets are important members of many Kiwi families. It’s estimated that around 64 per cent of New ...
State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the Government has also asked NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) to consider and provide advice on a Long Tunnel option, Transport Minister Simeon Brown ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters have condemned Iran’s shocking and illegal strikes against Israel. “These attacks are a major challenge to peace and stability in a region already under enormous pressure," Mr Luxon says. "We are deeply concerned that miscalculation on any side could ...
Hundreds of people in little over a week have turned out in Northland to hear Regional Development Minister Shane Jones speak about plans for boosting the regional economy through infrastructure. About 200 people from the infrastructure and associated sectors attended an event headlined by Mr Jones in Whangarei today. Last ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti has today thanked outgoing Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora Chair Dame Karen Poutasi for her service on the Board. “Dame Karen tendered her resignation as Chair and as a member of the Board today,” says Dr Reti. “I have asked her to ...
The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has signalled their proposed delivery approach for the Government’s 15 Roads of National Significance (RoNS), with the release of the State Highway Investment Proposal (SHIP) today, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Boosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Government’s plan to ...
New Zealand is renewing its connections with a world facing urgent challenges by pursuing an active, energetic foreign policy, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “Our country faces the most unstable global environment in decades,” Mr Peters says at the conclusion of two weeks of engagements in Egypt, Europe and the United States. “We cannot afford to sit back in splendid ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced the Australian Governor-General, His Excellency General The Honourable David Hurley and his wife Her Excellency Mrs Linda Hurley, will make a State visit to New Zealand from Tuesday 16 April to Thursday 18 April. The visit reciprocates the State visit of former Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced that Medsafe has approved 11 cold and flu medicines containing pseudoephedrine. Pharmaceutical suppliers have indicated they may be able to supply the first products in June. “This is much earlier than the original expectation of medicines being available by 2025. The Government recognised ...
New Zealand and the United States have recommitted to their strategic partnership in Washington DC today, pledging to work ever more closely together in support of shared values and interests, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The strategic environment that New Zealand and the United States face is considerably more ...
April 11, 2024 Joint Declaration by United States Secretary of State the Honorable Antony J. Blinken and New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs the Right Honourable Winston Peters We met today in Washington, D.C. to recommit to the historic partnership between our two countries and the principles that underpin it—rule ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced further New Zealand cooperation with the United States in the Pacific Islands region through $16.4 million in funding for initiatives in digital connectivity and oceans and fisheries research. “New Zealand can achieve more in the Pacific if we work together more urgently and ...
COMMENTARY:By Eugene Doyle Helen Clark, how I miss you. The former New Zealand Prime Minister — the safest pair of hands this country has had in living memory — gave a masterclass on the importance of maintaining an independent foreign policy when she spoke at an AUKUS symposium held ...
The government's released the list of organisations provided with information on how to apply - just hours before public submissions on the bill close. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Milton Speer, Visiting Fellow, School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, University of Technology Sydney Before climate change really got going, eastern Australia’s flash floods tended to concentrate on our coastal regions, east of the Great Dividing Range. But that’s changing. Now ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elizabeth Finkel, Vice-Chancellor’s Fellow, La Trobe University Sia Duff / South Australian Museum In February, the South Australian Museum “re-imagined” itself. In the face of rising costs and inadequate government funds, CEO David Gaimster, who took the reins last June, declared ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alan Pearce, Professor, School of Allied Heath, Human Services & Sport, La Trobe University, La Trobe University This week, Collingwood AFL player Nathan Murphy announced his retirement, brought on by his concussion history and ongoing issues. The 24-year-old’s seemingly sudden retirement, ...
The Mental Health Foundation provides support and resources for those facing the loss of their job, so it’s wrong in the very week the Government adds another 1000 jobs to its tally of cuts, that this is happening. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexander Howard, Senior Lecturer, Discipline of English and Writing, University of Sydney Daniel Boud/Sydney Theatre Company Decay, terror, revulsion. These are three of the central themes of Thomas Bernhard’s rarely performed play The President. The Austrian is one of the greatest ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ye In (Jane) Hwang, Postdoctoral Research Associate at School of Population Health, UNSW Sydney Shutterstock You’d be hard pressed to find any aspect of daily life that doesn’t require some form of digital literacy. We need only to look back ten ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says threats by ministers Shane Jones and David Seymour to reform or close down the Waitangi Tribunal were “ill-considered”, as legal experts say the ministers may have breached Cabinet Manual conventions. “I think those comments are ill-considered and we expect all ministers to actually exercise good ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rob Newton, Professor of Exercise Medicine, Edith Cowan University Pexels/RDNE stock project You’re not in your 20s or 30s anymore and you know regular health checks are important. So you go to your GP. During the appointment they measure your waist. ...
A new poem by Evangeline Riddiford Graham. Mitochondrial Problem I. It was long drive to Kansas for the man and his dog but you have to understand he said She doesn’t fly. Which calls to mind not carsick shitting barking or whining but a dog who chooses not to as ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Hemingway’s Goblet by Dermot Ross (Mary Egan Publishing, $38)Hot off the press, this debut ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Laura Wajnryb McDonald, PhD candidate in Criminology, University of Sydney Less than 24 hours after Ashlee Good was murdered in Bondi Junction, her family released a statement requesting the media take down photographs they had reproduced of Ashlee and her family without ...
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Great new initiative for my hydrochoroquine believer relatives in the Far North.
The new age hippy fascists will be queueing around the block.
https://gen.medium.com/nazi-hippies-when-the-new-age-and-far-right-overlap-d1a6ddcd7be4
that link is an interesting read..
kinda unsure tho' of the validity/connection of yr 'queueing around the block' sneer…
and thereby surely setting a new benchmark in lateral thinking..?
Lateral comment directed @ ad..
Don't know how effective that would be in Northland ATM. The harvest is in, the curing has happened and should be plentiful.
Lol ova here it,d have to be at least an oz
The Prime MInister claims that the government is able to fund the nurses claims.
$785 million for a cycleway says otherwise
As part of their protest Nurses will march up Queen Street.
Nurses know a lot about blocked arteries, if they are serious they should continue their march down Fanshaw Street and block the motorway entrance, until Michael Wood or Grant Robertson agree to negotiate.
Oops typo.
Should read:
The Prime MInister claims that the government is not able to fund the nurses claims.
$785 million for a cycleway says otherwise
A textbook example of a Freudian slip
mummy?
The smell of custard pudding.
I see, you’re still tilting at the cycling & walking bridge, which doesn’t surprise me.
And you’re still barking up the wrong tree, it seems.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/444225/nurse-fears-for-exhausted-profession-as-colleagues-gear-up-for-strike [from yesterday, i.e. before the strike]
Pray tell, what do Michael Wood or Grant Robertson have to do with the negotiations?
One trick pony.
Let us refresh the memory of those that have forgotten what the two dudes named above do in government
Woods:
Transport – Minister
Workplace Relations and Safety
Deputy Leader of the House
Robertson
Minister of Finance
Minister for Infrastructure
Minister for Racing
Minister of Sport and Recreation
edit: but then we can see why cycling bridges are the winner when one is also transport minister and the other is minister of racing and sport and recreation. Priorities this government has them, and they are outdoing John Key on his cycleway of historic importance.
As for the nurse vs the bridge, lol. Yeah, that is making the rounds in all places that are not labour loyalists by hook n crook.
But then some rather have solidarity with cycling bridges for the 10% then the wellbeing for nurses and other medical frontline staff. So very 'labour' of them. So very 'kind' so very 'gentle'.
Who persuaded you it's one or the other?
https://twitter.com/roydanroy/status/1218197470695641098
dear leader yesterday saying
"There is NO money"
nurses striking today
nurses being offered ' 4000 NZD backpay!!!! – as part of their wage agreement
nurses being offered 1.38% (under inflation)
Nurses Striking today.
and just for clarity : “At the moment, their [NZNO’s] ask is 17 per cent [annualised increases]; we're just not in the position to be able to fund that at this point in time,”
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern
As i suggested yesterday, all he white nurses (only the white ones please it would be to dangerous for people of color) should loan some 2 – 4 grand bikes and run over a police barricade, illegally enter a motorway, cause traffic issues and then …..then the PM would say, lols, sure here have your 870 million.
In whose interests is it for you to believe that?
I don't believe anything,
I take them at their word.
And she said what she said, and she can't unsay it, and today the nurses are striking.
So in whose interest is it for her to say that kind of stuff?
Not that you're aware of, perhaps then. Must make life tricky.
It's a wonder we have any nurses left in this country.
Could say the same about teachers, cleaners, and any support staff in general.
verily
https://twitter.com/rg_jones/status/1402371259757826052
The problem is that 3 letter word is political poison
Used to be. Now would be a great time to push it, when other countries are.
tax the rich?
well there is the much vaunted new tax rate from the Finance Minsiter
that will raise about 500 million per year, so would pay in its first year for one half of a bridge for cyclists. And then would need probaly another three years of that to account for the 'overspending' on the bridge for the very well looked after very rich Aucklanders.
Lol. https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/election-2020-labour-ups-top-tax-rate-for-high-earners-grant-robertson/2Y4FYWV5GKIAEPPCI4J7PTREPY/
Maybe someone should tell the Prime Minister that she could use these 500 millions raised by the 'rich tax' on the Nurses, and the very white lawbreaking cyclists of rich Auckland can hold a bake sale for the bridge? I mean that is what we do for Ambulances, Firestations and schools in this country.
nah, that image is wrong,
the foreigner don't get cookies from the get go – its called Kiwi experience and thus they can work real cheap,
the worker only gets cookie when he does as he is told,
and the suits- Jacinda, Grant, Andrew etc and the white well to do people from Herne Bay and Ponsnobby – who can break laws without consequeses- are in the meantime eating all the cookies,
And then they turn around and tell the nurses there ain't any money left in the kitty, and that if they expect a decent pay for a decent day of work, and if the Nurses expect toilet breaks and lunch breaks and enough collegues to cover these breaks they need to move to OZ, the US, or England or elsewhere, cause here in NZ they are not valued neither by the government nor the public.
One step forward @ 8:22 am, two steps backward @ 8:41 am. It’s windy outside.
‘
“Pray tell, what do Michael Wood or Grant Robertson have to do with the negotiations?”
Incognito
I thought it would be a bit presumptious to ask the Prime Minister to take part in the negotiations. Though if you think that is better. Sure, why not.
After all it is the Prime Minister who has said that the government hasn't got the money. Maybe the Prime Minister coulc convince the nurses of that.
Why I chose Grant Robertson; Grant Robertson is the Deputy PM and also the Minister of Finance, an obvious choice. He holds the purse strings.
Why I chose Michael Wood, for several reasons; Michael Wood is an Auckland based MP, it wouldn;t be too far out of his comfort zone.
I have met with Michael several times and am convinced of his basic decency and humanitarianism.
Because of this, I toyed with the idea of just asking Michael to come and negotiate with the nurses on behalf of the government.
The other and more obvious reason is Michael could agree to forgo the $785 million he got for the cycleway and ask the Minister of Finance to give it to the nurses instead.
I would expect the negotiations to last 30 minutes. Auckland motorists could then get back on their way.
You seem to spend a lot of effort not understanding how government works, nor even how it could in an ideal world. Stuck in the middle somehow.
“You seem to spend a lot of effort not understanding how government works, nor even how it could in an ideal world.” Sacha
Hi Sacha,
We live in a far from ideal world. Sometimes you just have to cut through the Gordian Knot.
And;
The lesson is obvious.
It is a lesson not missed by the Right.
You seem to spend a lot of effort not understanding how government works, nor even how it could in an ideal world. Stuck in the middle somehow.
Or perhaps, bogged down. That quicksand is diabolically slow sometimes.
The other reason I chose Michael Wood, he is probably in town already and could get there without much delay.
If Grant can't make it at short notice. Michael could take a smart phone and Bring in Grant Robertson by skype, or facebook messenger, or zoom or whatever platform suits best.
The PM could even cut in for 5 minutes if she wanted to. To berate the nurses for being wrong headed, ‘There is no money, you should call off your strike’.
And all of that hinges on two things,
Good faith, and actually wanting to resolve the dispute. I can't see non of that happening at the moment;.
I mean offering an advance to owed backpay as part of a wage negotiation is not good faith, nor does it show a will to resolve a pay dispute, but it is very much an insult to injury.
"I mean offering an advance to owed backpay as part of a wage negotiation is not good faith, nor does it show a will to resolve a pay dispute, but it is very much an insult to injury."
Too true. A bit like criticism of Vance's article, the $4000 is there for lazy minds to cling to.
The chosen ones will be delighted and over
Marsthe Moon with their elevation, which comes as a revelation. Will you make them knights or just anoint them?You toying with ideas is like Donald Trump playing with the two red buttons on his desk, one was for the Diet Coke Button the other one was for frying the world.
Acutally we could choose the worlds governments, inclusive ours and ship them all to Mars to colonize the rock.
No one would be missed here on earth, and chances are life would go on as if these useless eaters had never existed.
Robertson popped his beak in a couple of days ago.
As Finance Minister, he controls the purse strings and gas been able to find monies for various reasons/projects
Like all things the amount is largely irrelevant, it is a will that is lacking.
Freudian slip there? (gas/has)
Nurses are sure going to have to campaign smarter than a boring old strike (which the system is coping with easily) if they are going to be out-competed by a few old lycra-waddling duffers.
You can pop over to the Nurses Union and tell them how their industrial relations efforts are so weak and then show them HowToGetThere.
nope they don't actually, they could just choose to move overseas to a government that pays them better.
It's a free country. Go for it. We'll just keep importing replacements.
ah, but then you are ok with foreign workers, and then it should be ok for the horticulturist, the Orchadists, the farmers, the booze shops, the universities and all the others that don't want to pay a decent wage in NZ, lead by the government. i
As always with government in NZ, Labour as well as National it is a case of do as we say not as we do. Non of them want 'living wages' or 'decent wages'.
hahahahaha, i am so gonna enjoy the next National / Act government and their 'surplus' tax cuts, for the rich, of whom Robertson, Ardern, and the rest of the dull knights and dames are members of. hahahahahahahah
Nope we should only import who we need. Each has their own category. As you are aware.
will this mean you will stop your endless incessant whingeing?
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/300327417/judith-collins-refuses-to-discuss-conversation-with-nick-smith-ahead-of-his-resignation
The inference we're getting here is that Judith lied to Nick Smith about the breaking scandal to get him to resign. Knowing full well there was no breaking story. So she could get Harete Hipango into the House.
Or am I reading this all wrong?
Kinda stoopid of those cops telling the world how they got their busts..
instead of hauling their informant out into the sunlight and pointing at them ..
you'd think it would have made more sense to just keep that gold mine of information ticking over ..
and occaisonally/selectively harvesting..?
and of course it will not make the slightest difference in the supply of meth etc..
to claim otherwise is a folly..
and of course it is a given…that the war on drugs is an ineffectual keystone cops farce…
and that all drugs should be decriminalised..and treatment etc. moved under the aegis of the health department..
that is the only solution that will work..
Careful where you get your phone.
The legal basis they used worldwide expired.
??..
See Eric Garland's thread of tweets below.
Well no…as soon as the first cases appeared in court the light bulb would have gone on and phones would be heading for the skip smartly.
"ANoM could only be found on phones bought through the black market, which had been stripped of the capability to make calls or send emails, according to the AFP. The phones could only send messages to another device that had the app and criminals needed to know another criminal to get a device.
"The devices organically circulated and grew in popularity among criminals, who were confident of the legitimacy of the app because high-profile organized crime figures vouched for its integrity," the AFP statement said."
well no…if you read the story you will see they have been doing that…using info gained to bust imports…back to 2019..
so I still don't understand why they blew the gaff..
and didn't just continue to milk it..
maybe it was already blewn and thus they explained what they did.
or they wanted the kudos/positive p.r..
I still can't see any 'policing' reason to pull the plug…
If this was a one of, and it was known (or suspicion arose among those targeted) …..then yes pull the plug and only to see if the news would make some more crawl out from under the rocks in order to hide under another.
Let me put it another way. All the arrests around the world were coordinated,
and the point you are trying to make..is..?
The gig was up.
But the cover appeared to be blown in March 2021 when a blogger detailed ANOM security flaws and claimed it was a scam linked to Australia, the United States and other members of the Five Eyes intelligence sharing network. The post was later deleted.
https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/anom-operation-trojan-shield-over-800-arrested-worldwide-in-staggering-global-crime-sting-2459534
Certainly showed the problem of networked crime,and its expansive reach.
https://twitter.com/FBISanDiego/status/1402350093781680138
As a psyop,the enhancement of paranoia,within acute paranoid gangsters will bring fear,and error.
Make what you will of the author but he certainly tells a ripping yarn.
https://twitter.com/ericgarland/status/1402100449013125123
Two for one.
"The erosion of trust in these networks was a primary goal, along with gathering invaluable investigative information."
I'm surprised the internet policing app was used for as long as it got used and no one discovered they were being monitored. Possibly the cops cover would have been blowen as the app would be used as evidence.
for anyone at all interested in hip-hop..the guardian website has a very tidy piece on the history/arc of hip-hop lyrics..
with the appropriate vid-links…
All I need is here:
https://www.thetempleofhiphop.org/
this one is my current favorite.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFU0PTsykeU
very clever people.
Good on them. Hope they strike until the DHB (and Government) pull their heads in.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/125372284/nurses-speak-out-before-nationwide-strike
seriously for this alone they should stay on strike for the rest of the week.
that 4 grand has nothing to do with the current wage dispute. Here really the government and DHB are saying that we owe you back pay, but we could advance that for you now, so please dear Nurses *(male/female/others as some seem to think that nursing is a 'female' profession ) stay on strike until the Managarial Goons learn some shame, humility and grow a brain.
For what its worth all of us have needed nurses and medical staff in our lifes, non of us has needed any of the overpaid goons that pretend that 1.38% (below inflation) is a 'pay increase'.
Strike!
Strike!
Strike!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94mSln34ZwA
(should have been headline ..)
'bennett blacklisted by tories..!'..)
[time to flex my (blue-pencil) muscles 😀
Please add a link to your comments so that others may get a clue what you’re on about, thanks – Incognito]
Why? She still in politics? or is there just something in the waters of some left leaning people that they rather discuss the National wanabes of yesteryears rather tehn just the regular businesses of strikes, homelessness, violence and crime?
She was always only an attack dog, she knew her role and she fulfilled it to the finest. And now she sells real estate for big bucks, laughing all the way to the bank.
lol
You seem to have missed the post by Mike Smith: https://thestandard.org.nz/nz-nuclear-free-day/.
i did not answer to someone writing a post, i answered to someone who should have posted a link. So nah, i missed nothing. And i don't waste my time with has beens such as the like of Paula Benefit.
heh..!….luv yr long reason why you wouldn't link to the link you demanded from me…
tho' there is anti-tory schadenfreude to burn there..
I'm sure you would find something to please you there ..
(hint:. just Google bennett..and it will all be @ yr fingertips..wallow away..!..)
i just think it is polite to link. Nothing more nothing less. And no i see no reason to google anything National, I have no care for them.
Links are even more important than ever.
So called Journalists should provide them for one.
Helps stop the all to common practice of interviewing their own empty heads.
As shown by Vance’s recent, unsupported by evidence fluff piece.
See my Moderation note @ 8:35 am.
(a short history/arc of the link..)
in the early days of the internet..when everybody had shit/expensive internet-coverage..providing links was crucial…
it was one of the reasons I started/did my proto-aggregation website whoar.co.nz..to provide that service…and I always included the link to every story I posted..
that was then…this is now…when everyone has fast/efficient internet..and in the above case of my made-up tabloid headline..typing bennett into google will bring up all coverage of 'what I am talking about'..namely bennetts' vomiting all over her tory party..and how they dun her wrong…
and I would contend that just providing one link (as you continue to demand) is/can be a negative..is an involuntary controlling of the message..by only giving the reader one perspective..whereby they have to Google to find out more ..(!)
It is for these reasons I feel the arc of importance of 'the link'..has reached it's natural conclusion..
and is increasingly irrelevant/a block on the full picture..
largely..the link is yesterday's imperative..
and should be left just to wither..
and certainly not be demanded of anyone posting anything..
[I did not demand, I asked, nicely and politely. You must have attended the same school as Jenny for not understanding the difference between these two verbs.
Indeed, this is here and now, you’re commenting on TS, not on your proto-site. You take heed of Moderation notes, here and now.
It is good manners to post a link. Don’t expect others to do the digging and Googling; they’re not mind readers.
When I Google “bennett”, I get all sorts of results, including Naftali Bennett, the next PM of Israel.
Please don’t act like an obstinate pillock and include links in your comments, especially when asked by a Moderator, thanks. This is your final warning – Incognito]
You must have an awful lot of time on your hands if that seems like a viable tactic. If you google the word 'tactic' you will find what I'm talking about..
See my Moderation note @ 9:54 am.
So you totally dismiss the case I made re arc of link…?
and choose to again threaten to ban ..?
After the several days of my being back here you following me around sneering insults/trolling at virtually everything I say..?
go read them..!
your abuses of power/harassment of me is over the top..
other people..including yrslf..regularly say things without linking..I read whole threads like that..while I was'nt commenting here..and not a word from you..or any other moderator..
I repeat…why do you single me out for such special treatment..
So you don't like my arguments…esp re animal flesh..eh..?..
So you cancel me…?
'final warning'..?
not very over the top…eh..?
injustice does my fucken head in..
how about telling me what I got wrong in my depiction of the arc/increasing irrelevance/need of the link…
I thought I made quite a relevant case..
would be interested to hear your dismissal…
all I have heard so far is 'polite'..and 'because I said so'
lol
my screen/font settings gave a convenient word wrap:
For me, that's filed under "don't ask questions you don't wanna know the answer to".
Reform for retirees has been a long time coming. It would be a popular move if the government follows the advice and takes the rights of older folk as seriously as younger tenants.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/125371030/retirement-village-residents-have-less-protection-than-tenants–retirement-commissioner-calls-for-urgent-law-reform
From the link above
also from the link as to why nothing will change until this government is shamed into action – from Poto Williams herself
"Asked what plans, if any, she has to move on the commission and Consumer reports to strengthen the Retirement Villages Act, Williams said: "At this stage there are no immediate plans to review the Act, although I acknowledge that the Act is due for review and will work towards this when we can."
Lol. This fucking government.
Seriously the government should be ashamed of itself. All of the goons.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2021/06/kiwi-nurse-exposes-hospital-conditions-that-prompted-her-move-to-australia.html
as the nurse who know lives and work in OZ says: "We want to be recognised for all we do, and unfortunately a pen on international nurses’ day doesn’t cut it."
Back in the day, last century, long service was acknowledged at 25 years and the good old gold watch was the gift.
Nowadays it occurs at 10 years.
Also since the rise of DHB CEOs, carparks were privatized. A fairly significant change in working conditions for many hospital staff.
Not a skerrick of renumeration and often decreased safety as the person in the booth wasn't paid to provide security or folk would park off hospital grounds.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/444325/inquiries-into-unsafe-building-designs-not-published-as-complaints-rise
Two crucial initiatives to clamp down on unsafe building designs are yet to see the light of day, five years after the Kaikōura earthquake.
At the same time, the number of complex complaints about commercial building structural design is rising, according to the Structural Engineering Society.
It says the problem with substandard designs is "unacceptable".
"We've been campaigning for change to prevent quality issues," Structural Engineering Society president, Michelle Grant said.
"We've … strongly voiced our recommendations for greater scrutiny and tighter assessment of structural engineers."
Such is the increase in complex investigations landing at Engineering New Zealand (ENZ) that it has had to hire more engineers and lawyers to tackle the backlog. The body receives between 45-50 complaints each year.
Give over the bridge discussion. Get behind this one now, about buildings which affects us all every day of the week.
but are there votes in that?
Here is something to bite into.
In Australia the rule about agreement to sex or whether it was rape would be laughable if it was in a satirical performance. If it said that previous agreed sex within the period the participants were together should be considered in exoneration, (which I believe was the case for Julian Assange) that would fit the Oz idea of rationality, but not just the sheer force of the man's lust or want.)
However, the court also cited the “high hurdle” it faced on the issue of consent. Under the archaic legal definition of “consent” in place in Australia at the time the incidents had occurred, any belief by the perpetrator that the complainant was consenting – not matter how irrational that belief was – had to be counted as grounds for acquittal. The court cited McLachlan’s “egocentric” personality as an exonerating factor, in that he simply may not have been able to comprehend that his advances would not be reciprocated
Gordon Campbell in Scoop – https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL2106/S00022/on-the-mclachlan-interview-and-the-g-7-global-corporate-tax.htm
Not a surprise, but leaked info from the US IRS confirms billionaires pay very low tax rates compared to ordinary people
https://www.propublica.org/article/the-secret-irs-files-trove-of-never-before-seen-records-reveal-how-the-wealthiest-avoid-income-tax
Meanwhile in NZ, we seem terrified of taxing wealth but are happy to go hammer and tongs with nurses to suppress their pay. To me, these two things are linked.
Why would the wealthy people in government raise taxes on the wealthy or the wealthy companies? heck, we give millions of dollars to come here and make some dumb arse movies.
Please try and limit the number of short sharp irrationalities that you put up Sabine.
Dumb arse movies are common, and watched by many similar people. If made here they provide jobs and a change of business, a bit of diversity from dairy and housing and building war tech for the USA. It will be a good change from selling our stock of houses from under the feet of the NZs who we hope will make some wages from the movie-making.
so the Amazon dude did not get some hundered million and a bit for a movie? 🙂 lol.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/300278243/amazon-may-be-on-the-way-to-new-zealand-as-government-signs-subsidy-deal
but but but
Says here MSD has "blacklisted" the person from receiving help with emergency accommodation.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/news/125336479/eco-lodge-owner-taken-to-tenancy-tribunal-over-bond-money
MSD cannot do this. Help with emergency accommodation is governed by legislation which means if a person is entitled to the help they must receive it. Nobody can stop anyone applying for help under the Act, but when it comes to emergency accommodation MSD do it all the time.
When challenged MSD will of course agree they cannot blacklist anyone, but the fact is that very few people do challenge their decisions so what has become a widespread problem is left to continue because it suits MSD for it to continue even though they know it's wrong.
The money you are trying to raise to pay for the nurses would have to come from …the nurses. They are well paid ,but not as well paid as the Aussies. I’m not being a smart are’s, my wife is a nurse and she is currently on the street protesting, and I agree with her but there aren’t enough rich to tax to get enough money to pay the nurses without taxing the nurses. The point being missed by most is not the 17% increase to the nurses, almost certainly affordable, but the ongoing parity that would then be required for all other govt employees, a huge sum no doubt, well beyond my capacity to calculate and the governments to afford in the short term.. That huge sum can only come from bankrupting the so-called rich which would include ..the nurses.
Adrian, I am minded of the parable that Christ taught about the farmer who got a problem with weeds in his crops. Of course, his listeners were the poor farmers high up the hills whose land was too poor to grow the particular weeds and who never knew the threat to their huge crops complained of by the wealthy farmers on the valley floor.
A bit like a poorly paid worker being told that they would have to pay more tax if they got paid a decent wage commensurate with their hours, skills and social worth.
If only……….
What is the average pay for a nurse? The start at about 55 before tax and after a few years should be at about mid 70? that is not rich, not before tax not after tax. And certainly not when one factors in GST. And certainly not when we consider that these women and men are the ones that will intubate us should we need it, and in case of Covid might be the last people to actually care about the patient more then them just being a dying bag of bones and flesh.
They could however establish a Capital Gains Tax to finance these fancy people called Nurses. Maybe a Land tax? Maybe a luxury tax on certain cars for the very rich? Maybe an 'empty room' tax for those that own houses but keep them empty? I am sure if these people were to put that thinking hat on they would come up with something.
Anyway, i hope she and her collegues will achieve and receive not only bread but also Roses, and maybe some respect. So she has my support.
" The money you are trying to raise to pay for the nurses would have to come from …the nurses. "
Yeah right.
There are about 60,000 nurses working in NZ. Average pay is very roughly $70k. a 10% pay rise (compared to the 1.38% on offer) would cost roughly $420m p.a.
The wealth of NZ's richest person, Graeme Hart, increased (!) by $3.4b since the covid pandemic started. So a 10% pay rise for every nurse in NZ is only 12% of this wealth increase (ignoring his existing enormous wealth). So this single person could easily pay for a 10% increase for every nurse in NZ, for the next 8 years, without losing a cent of his underlying wealth, just his recent increase.
There’s no bottom to the depths these fuckers will sink to.
Three groups opposed to Covid restrictions, masks, and vaccines are hosting conspiracy theorist Naomi Wolf for a fundraiser entitled "Liberate Our Five Freedoms."
The event is going to be held on Juneteenth, the holiday celebrating the end of chattel slavery in the US. Event organizer Kathryn Levin told me that in her view, it's appropriate.
"The 19th is a day of emancipation, and it's a day when we claim our freedom," said Levin. "It's when we see that we are not slaves to mandate. It's when we take our power back."
I asked Levin how she analogized American chattel slavery—where slaves were whipped, beaten, raped, and murdered by their white masters for centuries—to the temporary restrictions over the last 15 months due to the pandemic.
"We have been enslaved by our government," she replied.
https://eoinhiggins.substack.com/p/fresh-off-twitter-ban-naomi-wolf
They think 'It's all about me, precious me, my inviolable rights. Others serve my purpose, and might get some advantage eventually.'
Ironically, these people are perfectly fine with a police state as long as it is them not being policed. They all would have thought George Floyd deserved to die.
Like these 3 people who I used to work with, all through COVID was a plot to impose a police state, but supported Trump.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/444341/climate-change-commission-releases-final-report-says-nearly-all-cars-imported-by-2035-must-be-electric
2035 – 14 years away. So what are we doing in the meantime?
The Climate Change Commission has released its final report laying out the roadmap for the country to slash emissions and become carbon neutral by 2050…
(Plus a lot more. Doesn't say anything about hybrid vehicles in the meantime, which would be helpful while we up the electricity supply.)
Climate Change Minister James Shaw said this government had done more to fight the climate crisis in the last three-and-a-half years than the combined efforts of governments over the last three-and-a-half decades.
"However, we are yet to see a sustained decline in the pollution we put into the atmosphere," Shaw said.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/444345/auckland-named-most-liveable-city-in-the-world
Well. It's time for The Hollies. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmzi0Rc3P8Q
'What more could I ask, There's nothing left to desire!'
Auckland the most liveable city in the world?
You know what, that was said consistently under John Key too, and i bet you a dollar that no one asked those that can't afford rent, are on a benefit in a town that costs per week (without utilities, food, and all other jazz of nice things)
https://www.tenancy.govt.nz/rent-bond-and-bills/market-rent/
Market rent in Avondale (Auckland) 01 Nov 2020 – 30 Apr 2021
If however you are one of the really lucky ones that live in a nice part of town, with a nice wage, and an affordable mortgage, or inherited housing then truly Auckland is a very livable city.
But then…….who was asked and who did the asking?
The wet markets of Wuhan,suspects exonerated Bats and Pangolin's have an alibi.
https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/science-blog/wet-market-sources-covid-19-bats-and-pangolins-have-alibi.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-91470-2
That's a damned useful bit of research.
That's an extremely limited alibi and exoneration.
Those articles only provide evidence for an argument against the idea that a jump to humans from bats or pangolins occurred at that specific market. It in no way excludes the possibility that patient zero got it from bats or pangolins (or any other species for that matter) somewhere else, then spread it to other humans at the market. Nor does it even exclude the possibility that the jump to humans happened from some other species at the market.
Never mind the myriad other possibilities for zoonotic transfer some other place and time, and that Wuhan maybe just happened to be where the first superspreading event occurred.
Bats and pangolins just happened to have drawn suspicion because they are known to host viruses similar to SARS-CoV-2, to the extent that they commonly have antibodies already circulating that neutralise SARS-CoV-2.. That doesn't mean there aren't other species also hosting similar coronaviruses that we aren't aware of. The original SARS intermediary was likely palm civets, for example, or camels for MERS.
The natural evolution theory gets stronger by the day!
One of the stranger things about moderating TS is seeing how many people make comments and then don't check to see who has replied to them next time the come back. Mods see this when someone's comments are held in the back end until someone responds to a moderation request.
I'd like to know how many people either don't use the Replies list function, or can't see it on their device. What are you all doing?
Tricledrown, if you are reading this, you need to go back to my last reply to you. All your other comments are landing in Trash until this gets sorted out.
I've been doing (tedious) "Find in This Page" searches of the (default) "Comments" tab, so thanks weka for highlighting the "Replies" tab – brilliant!
👍😎what device are you using?
I'm a slow adopter, tethered to my desktop and Firefox – no tablet or smartphone.
Hardly ever look at replies , maybe later in day or next day.
never heard of Replies list function, just found it now
It’s very handy
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/444364/coroner-calls-for-ocean-swimming-advice-after-swimmer-hit-by-boat
Gelberger's body was found the next day, missing his lower left leg, and entire right leg.
Ports of Auckland was fined more than $420,000 in the Auckland District Court following Gelberger's death.
It admitted it had put people's lives at risk because its pilot boats consistently breached speed limits because, it said, they believed they were exempt.
The limits dictate vessels should not exceed five knots when closer than 200m to shore, and must keep to a 12-knot limit between the Harbour Bridge and North Head.
There is an exemption for Ports of Auckland vessels to breach limits if they are unable to carry out duties, but this applies only in limited circumstances.
In court, the company was found to have breached the rules on about 99 percent of its trips.
This seems the way things are in NZ. Power tends to corrupt etc. Why does someone have to be killed before the value of the precautionary policy is recognised? It was too fast, and not allowed at that time anyway.
As reported the proposed pay rates by DHBs for the nursing sector
Healthcare Assistants $40,382 a year, through to $48,003. This will range of $45,310 to $53,359. That is a total pay increase of between 4.6 per cent for those on step two of the pay scale, and 11.7 per cent for those at the top.
Enrolled nurses are currently paid between $48,632 and $57,047. The new agreement would take that to $53,998 to $59,447, or a total increase of 11 per cent for the step one nurses through to 4.2 per cent for step four
Senior midwives would see their pay increase from $79,760 for grade two through to $130,653 for grade eight, to $83,157 to $133,486.
Registered Nurses total pay increase between 3.1 per cent and 4.4 per cent, to reach a band of $56,434 to $79,786.
Most NZNO members are in the RN category and on the top scale ( after 7 years) of $80 k per year
My neighbour was on top scale and I would see her each morning waiting for Uber instead of the bus just around the corner
she.took.an.uber!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrzMhU_4m-g
Can someone explain to me why 30 people would be in handcuffs for 'questioning' after a hit and run in Auckland?
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/south-auckland-fatal-hit-and-run-crash-up-to-30-people-handcuffed-in-mangere-heavy-police-presence/JDAHZGDRQRBKCVSCSIVTEXX3KY/
Or is that selective over policing in certain areas of town? Have a good look at this picture and ask yourself if that is a normal action to a 'hit and run'. Also who suggested firearms had been involved and when that weapon failed to materialized why was the present police force not told to put their weapons away?
It wasnt a hit and run ! First reports arent always accurate
Why does this concern you now , Im sure you can wait till tomorrow when more will be released. A person is dead after an some sort of violence in a house , a car was attacked in the street and some masked people drove off … and thats what neighbors have said at around 5 PM reports
Is that your alter ego , a TV reporter for those real life crime shows ?
I just asked because i read the article and i could not quite get it sorted. It seems there were at least two if not three incidents. And having the cops stand there with what look like assault weapons in suburbia should concern all of us, unless of course we think that cops with assault weapons in the street is Kiwi as.
Never mind, you were not answering. 🙂
If you want to take on a gang-related fatal street fight with a cheery smile and a whistle, be our guest.