Open mike 09/08/2020

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, August 9th, 2020 - 200 comments
Categories: open mike - Tags:

Open mike is your post.

For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose.

The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy).

Step up to the mike …

200 comments on “Open mike 09/08/2020 ”

  1. Dennis!!??

    Where are you?

    • Sacha 1.1

      a fair question

      • lprent 1.1.1

        People can sleep in on Sundays. There is no requirement to be here. This is a voluntary participation.

        Quite why I am here is a question. I have code for work that isn't coming out and a partially written post.

        But my partner is about to do a international zoom next to me – and one sided conversations about writing are so tedious.

        I'm replaying Dungeon Siege 1 on steam on Ubuntu 20.04 when I have a spare half-hour. I think I might take a half hour with headphones and do some small group tactics rather than working.

        • Sacha 1.1.1.1

          Rust never sleeps 🙂

          • lprent 1.1.1.1.1

            Or just old age. I find I like some old games on newer machines. DS1 came out in 2002. Running it on wine in on a 16 core linux server with 64GB RAM and a AMD RX480 video may seem like overkill. Especially in 2560×1200 video mode (the original only went up to 1280px). But it is a pleasant change.

            Also way more stable on linux than playing it on windows XP.

    • millsy 1.2

      Having a life beyond this blog.

  2. The Chairman 2

    There seems to be a lot of talk about the use of face masks of late, hence I thought (being a Sunday an all) some here may want to have a look at this clip below.

    https://youtu.be/XFnUGSr3fw0

    [lprent: You have provided no explanation about why you think it is worth anyone expending time to watch this.

    If you can’t be bothered to expend time to write a few sentences or paragraphs explaining why you think that others should give up their time, then you’re not expressing your opinion – you’re merely astro-turfing without putting your own skin in the game.

    Most people who read on this site won’t watch link spam without a explanation. All you will get are barbed comments about how much of a dickhead you are being. I don’t consider that fosters ‘robust debate’ – perhaps you’d like to disagree? To do so, you’re going to have to carefully explain your opinion and the reasons why you think we should put up with this kind of gutless crap behaviour.

    But in the meantime I’d strongly suggest that you don’t waste moderator this way ever again. Weka gave you a pretty clear direction about it yesterday. Your choice and I going to insist that you make it immediately. ]

    • Robert Guyton 2.1

      The Chair's here instead, touting for a dodgy-looking guy in a mask.

    • Andre 2.2

      *sigh* More random blathering from random dude posted by another random dude on da webz.

      For those that prefer to get factual evidence-based information from actual experts that takes a lot less than 25 minutes to get across:

      https://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/diseases-and-conditions/covid-19-novel-coronavirus/covid-19-health-advice-general-public/covid-19-use-masks-community

      https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/cloth-face-cover-guidance.html

      • Matiri 2.2.1

        Thanks Andre – those Ministry of Health guidelines are excellent – succinct and clear.

        • Rosemary McDonald 2.2.1.1

          …those Ministry of Health guidelines are excellent – succinct and clear.

          No.

          If you've been following the MOH Guidelines since this shit kicked off, they have been anything but.

          But of course…previous versions of The Guidelines disappear from their site so it makes it difficult to call them out on their inconsistencies.

          But…if it makes y'all feel cumfy-cosy and well looked after by the Misery..all good.

          • Hanswurst 2.2.1.1.1

            Not living in NZ, I haven't had cause to look at the MoH website with respect to that, but conflicting/changing guidelines on CoVid 19 from people in authority are certainly not restricted to ministries of health, nor to NZ.

          • McFlock 2.2.1.1.2

            Altering guidelines according to latest best-available information is a good thing.

            • Rosemary McDonald 2.2.1.1.2.1

              Altering guidelines according to latest best-available information is a good thing.

              And I have no issue with the Misery of Health changing their guidelines. What I did, and still do have a problem with is them failing to adopt a precautionary approach from Day 1 when it came to the use of PPE for front line health workers. Despite some experts recommending this.

              What I did, and still do have a problem with is the Mystery assuming(despite no evidence) that Te Virus could only be transmitted by people with symptoms. Quite possibly a significant error considering 40% of infected people are asymptomatic. https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/08/08/asymptomatic-coronavirus-covid/

              I have no problem with the asymptomatic Covid 19 infected free -ranging, such is the way of communities acquiring natural herd immunity. What I do have a problem with is the unnecessary risk that was taken with the health and lives of our most vulnerable by our Government choosing to follow the 'experts' who most supported the reality of our own dismal pandemic preparedness. https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/nz-35th-pandemic-preparedness

              What they could have, should have done early on was to be honest and transparent with us and admit stocks of kit were dangerously low. Admit that they had no idea whether asymptomatic people could pass on infection and advise all front line health workers to take all possible precautions until the science had been done. We would have made our own fucking masks. Oh, that's right. Some of us did.

              But they didn't. Did they? There have been deaths of vulnerable people and there have been cases of front line workers becoming infected. I know the precautions I took, and still take, and I know the same applied to others in the disability community. We are a resilient bunch, we've had to be, and without actually having made an OIA request for the data I suspect that many disabled people requiring care turned in number to their family bubbles. Which is why we're now being paid…somewhat ironic after a twenty year battle… to have a virus get us over the line.

              We will remember though. Again, the Ministry of Health abandoned those at the coalface with near callous disregard and again they claim to have been acting according to 'best advice.'

              They were caught short. They had failed to prepare for the inevitable. They denied. They obfuscated. They behaved exactly how those of us who have been unfortunate enough to have to have dealt with them expected.

              Pisses me off somewhat that some folks sing their praises.

              • McFlock

                The advice I've seen from the ministry over this period has always been couched in terms of "available evidence" or "no significant evidence", and prioritisation of resources.

                As for singing their praises, 100+ days of zero community transmission is pretty much the best result in the world so far. If the MoH were a sports team, they'd have a goddamned parade down Queen St. And deserve it.

      • The Chairman 2.2.2

        *sigh* More random blathering from random dude posted by another random dude on da webz.

        Would you prefer we discuss the video exposing Labour that is doing the rounds on youtube?

        • Muttonbird 2.2.2.1

          Go on then.

        • weka 2.2.2.2

          Would you prefer we discuss the video exposing Labour that is doing the rounds on youtube?

          We went through this yesterday. I don't want to get into bold mode, so let me spell it out. If *you want to post videos at the top of OM, you will need to explain what the video is about. If you don't I will consider it spam and remove it.

          If *you want to make claims about serious or controversial things (eg yesterday it was covid treatments, today it's exposing Labour), then you have to link to something useful to the debate. I explained what useful means yesterday.

          You've been here long enough to get how things work here, and when I spend my Saturday taking the time to explain things and then see them ignored on Sunday it irritates me. The closer we get to the election the more likely I am to just ban people who have form.

          You're good a provoking discussion here, I'd just like to see you make it more constructive and less flamey. Links and explanations would go a long way.

        • Rapunzel 2.2.2.3

          You Tube? Are you serious? I'm sure anything verifiable & of importance &interest would make into media somewhere. I've recently had a conversation getting their "information" from Youtube & Facebook they were seriously on another planet

      • Rosemary McDonald 2.2.4

        …actual evidence-based information from actual experts…

        Dontcha actually mean today's actual evidence-based information from today's actual experts?

        Because, like, not so long ago we were told 'you don't need masks, or only if you have the symptoms of The Virus (because, like, only those with symptoms are infectious) or only if you have to get close to someone who has symptoms of the virus, and disabled people and their home based carers don't need masks..' et bleeding cetera…

        And then there was the 'wearing masks is DANGEROUS, because, like, non -scientists are too thick to don and doff them properly, and the latest…'we only said "NO MASKS!!!" because (despite claims to the contrary from the wonderfully efficient Ministry of Health) there were not enough of them in the country for everyone who needed them.

        A little white lie…no harm done. Right?

        So hard for we mere mortals to keep up.

    • Gabby 2.3

      I for one appreciate your public spiritedness and eagerness to share crucial information. Do you have views on the efficacy of prayer in the fighting of viral infection?

      • Robert Guyton 2.3.1

        Or any on the correct pronunciation of the modern-day name for Old Siam?

      • Andre 2.3.2

        Gabby, I think you're being a bit neglectful of the potential efficacy of thoughts as well as prayers.

        • Ad 2.3.2.1

          Thoughts and prayers, Andre, thoughts and prayers…

          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TGhgzZ8JG8

          • UncookedSelachimorpha 2.3.2.1.1

            That is a stunningly powerful ad!!

            • AB 2.3.2.1.1.1

              Yes. But remember the Lincoln Project are Republicans. And they know that intellectually, and in policy terms, Joe Biden is an empty vessel waiting to be filled. I imagine they will be right in the queue ready to do that filling via positions in his administration.

              • Ad

                Biden's team have cooperated very closely with the Sanders team and adopted a number of their positions.

                Biden has outsourced some policy formation to the Sanders' team – our own Labour party has done this even more strongly from the Greens.

                And you shouldn't expect a Biden victory to mean a cabinet full of Democrats. He will be seeking to isolate the extremes of Trump's Senate support, by including moderate Republicans.

                You get that sense easily here:

                https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GzdrNsSLBU

                The depth of the decay and disorder in Washington from the Trump regime will require a Biden team to focus on a few core areas for the first year. Spreading too thin is a recipe for major embarassment. Biden needs a very steady course in 2021 (should he win), in order that he sets up a smooth transition to the VP for the second term.

                • AB

                  We'll see. Or at least I hope we will. It seems that Biden will be open to influence, but to an extent that is constrained by what his donors will permit.

              • UncookedSelachimorpha

                Absolutely – I've been following the Lincoln project crowd and Biden. I would disagree with them on many things and am no fan of either, but I agree with them on the efficacy of the orange loon.

    • Incognito 2.4

      I prefer The Mask of Zorro.

    • lprent 2.5

      Please check my note on your comment about your behaviour.

    • The Chairman 2.6

      You have provided no explanation about why you think it is worth anyone expending time to watch this.

      But I did. As I stated, there has been a lot of talk about the use of face masks of late. And the clip is about the use of face masks.

      Whether people want to watch it is up to them. It's no big deal to me if they don't.

      It seems those that don't want to watch it, yet want to come on here and make barbed comments are the problem your attention should be focused on opposed to the person that put up a relevant and interesting clip. Don't you think?

      [6 month ban. For wasting moderator time after multiple warnings and basically ignoring what we are saying, also previous bans. You’re probably lucky I haven’t gone and looked up your ban history. The big thing for me here is that despite all your years here you still think you get to dictate how the site should operate instead of taking guidance from the mods including one of the people that owns the site. – weka]

      • Incognito 2.6.1

        FFS! Your opinion is this: ‘I post this 25-min video because in my opinion some people might be interested in watching it’.

        Whether people want to watch it is up to them. It's no big deal to me if they don't.

        In other words, you have no interest in debate and/or other opinions. In my opinion, that’s describes the behaviour of a cowardly astroturfing troll.

        So, here we are again, ‘discussing’ the same old same old behaviour of you here and you have now attracted the attention of three Moderators 🙁

        I think I have a solution for this 🙂

        • Pete George 2.6.1.1

          It's quite common in social media for people to post links to things they think may be of interest to others. I do it a lot to provide a variety of information and to promote discussion on various things.

          You can obviously demand what you like here, but it seems odd to me, unless perhaps you don't like the content at the link.

          O see that others have posted links with little or no comment without reprimand.

          • weka 2.6.1.1.1

            it's been a longstanding premise here to not spam the site. Not a hard guideline to follow. If you want to post youtubes at the top of OM esp, then introduce the vid. Likewise other content. You will notice that it's the people that post spam a lot and ignore what people are saying about it that get moderator attention.

            • weka 2.6.1.1.1.1

              and you know, I have no idea what the content of the video is. Seriously, none. We went through this yesterday and with some prompting TC provided some useful links that explained things (introduce the vid, back up claims of fact). If he'd done that today he wouldn't be on a six month ban now. In other words, it's zero to do with the content.

            • Pete George 2.6.1.1.1.2

              Posts of possible interest to others and conservation starters are spam?

              "irrelevant or unsolicited messages sent over the Internet, typically to a large number of users, for the purposes of advertising, phishing, spreading malware"

              https://www.lexico.com/en/definition/spam

              • weka

                no, on this site, videos with no explanation of what they are about are spam when posted regularly by the same person who has been asked to provide explanations.

              • Sacha

                Posts of possible interest to others and conservation starters are spam?

                See the comment just below yours @ 2.6.2

                That's something you could have easily put in a sentence or two if you wanted to start an informative discussion.

                Trolling is probably a better description than spam: not behaving in ways that match intent to have an actual discussion. Destructive to any conversation space. Brings out the worst in others.

          • Robert Guyton 2.6.1.1.2

            Pete flies in, like an enraged hen, feathers flying, scaly legs akimbo, to defend The Chairman!

          • Incognito 2.6.1.1.3

            You can obviously demand what you like here …

            No Pete, I cannot, and you should know this. So, please stop making BS assertions about Moderation and particularly my Moderation here. FYI, Moderation is rarely about contents, rather lack of content/opinion and behaviour are the most common triggers.

      • Andre 2.6.2

        Right now, there's already around 30 comments in the thread and no-one's the wiser as to whether video dude argues for masks being a good thing or a hoax, nor any of the reasons why.

        That's something you could have easily put in a sentence or two if you wanted to start an informative discussion. And may have given people a reason to actually watch the video. Maybe.

    • JohnSelway 2.7

      God you’re a self involved, pompous, arrogant dick LPrent. Why are you such a wanker all the time? A little self reflection might do you some good.

      [lprent: I do that all of the time. It is part of doing the work of a moderator. And I’d get hell at the back end from the other moderators if I do it in such a way that made their lives harder.

      But from your comment, I have no idea what exactly you’re getting wound up about unless it is The Chairman ignoring previous warnings.

      However I don’t really need a fool incoherently trying to advise me of my responsibilities and especially when they manage to

      1. Not tell me what they are indignant about.
      2. Not saying why they are indignant about it.
      3. Not say what course of action that they’d prefer instead.
      4. And therefore are clearly only interested in simple abuse rather than any real desire to change anything.
      5. And are clearly just too damn lazy to do the work to change anything.

      Perhaps you should reflect on the fact that you read like a complete self-entitled dimwit who couldn’t put together anything apart from a spluttering and completely meaningless indignation. Perhaps you should model yourself on Pete George. I might disagree with his indignation, but at least he is capable of framing an objection that is coherent. Clearly you’ve never been personally reflective enough to even achieve that. ]

      • JohnSelway 2.7.1

        Heh. A cock to the end you are

        [lprent: As I implied above – you really are a stupid lazy and bumbling idiot – you somehow neglected to make the effort to deal with any of the points that I listed. I’m presuming that you’re just trying for the troll equivalent of death by cop. But so far all you’re managing to do is to look as stupid as the machines that service you. ]

        • JohnSelway 2.7.1.1

          You’re so utterly up your own ass. Tell us again about your MBA, earth sciences degree And how great you are at coding.

          Just a pompous old git dripping with self importance.

          • Muttonbird 2.7.1.1.1

            John, you seem desperate for a holiday, but are being left hanging.

            Can't be comfortable.

            • JohnSelway 2.7.1.1.1.1

              I’m just amazed at what little insight LPrent into himself. And I’m fine with copping a ban. I have great insight into my failings and success. LPrent struts around with such and unearned self importance – throwing his belief into his own masterful intellect as if he were the first person in the world to get an MBA.

              its really pathetic

              • Muttonbird

                Ok, then. But rather than being fine with a ban you seem hell-bent on one.

                It is churlish and ignorant for you to claim LPrent has 'unearned' anything regarding this forum. As far as I can tell he funds and operates the entire show for our benefit with little or no recompense for time and hardware.

                For a long time I have thought you are a complete and utter toss-pot. You apparently agree.

              • Incognito

                Well, he does run this site quite successfully and has done so for years and it comes with certain bragging rights that only small troll egos cannot handle. I’ve a little more insight in what goes on behind the scenes and I’m impressed and grateful for his efforts.

                Many people read this site for free and those who like to comment or even write Guest Posts get support from Lprent and other volunteers. Yet there are a few who seem to think that because this is a free platform they have a natural right to whinge and whine about how things are done here and criticise the people who (help) run this site with indemnity. Their attitude is wrong at so many levels and it is extremely frustrating having to listen to and deal with those misguided self-entitled and ungrateful small minds.

                John, I’m sure you’re a decent kind of bloke, but if you cannot stand this site and/or its SYSOP, I’d suggest you leave and don’t come back.

                • JohnSelway

                  I’m a very decent person. But I can’t stand arrogance of which LPrent is dripping it. He injects his “expertise” into nearly every post and comment. “Oh, I code”, “something something my MBA”, “earth science degree”. Well done you’ve succeeded…. like many many other people.

                  then the constant use of the term “dick heads”. Jesus man, get the fuck over yourself. I know I’m a nobody but I’ve carved a happy life for myself and wanks like Prent hey no truck from me. I can’t believe no one else sees it

                  • Andre

                    I can’t believe no one else sees it

                    Perhaps it's more a case of seeing merit in not pissing on the shoes of one of the people, actually the person most responsible for providing this playground that the rest of us get to use for free.

                  • Incognito

                    Of the thousands of comments and Posts, you tend to focus on Lprent’s knowing full well that it winds you up and it shows. Please get a grip and if you cannot get over it, please leave; you’re spoiling it for others and only thinking about your own feelings and even asking (for) others to ‘see it’. Please stop it now and please don’t do this ever again, thank you.

                  • lprent

                    If you're concerned about language, then I am sure that I can find a few other languages to say the same thing in – octal perhaps. But frankly if you don't like the way that I express myself, then perhaps you should look at the way that you use it. A couple of your comments further up for instance.

                    Most people on the site simply don't care that much. They're interested in debate rather than paragraph punctuation.

                    I, like most people here, talk about things we have experience with, that includes family, work experience, education, dealings with WINZ, the material read, and sometimes things that we research. Most will usually state how confident they are with whatever they're saying and provide a reason for that or a link or a source.

                    I realise that you don't do that kind of typically just make bald assertions of usually challenged 'fact'. I can understand that the comparison between makes you uncomfortable. But I really don't care.

                    Personally I'm writing for the people whose opinion I actually care about – those who can tell me that I'm wrong, why they think that, and where they got that piece of shit idea from. This is robust debate – ideas get challenged. Assertions get destroyed. And long held beliefs may need a bit of quiet adjustment.

                    Robust debate is what the site was started for. It is in the first paragraph of our policy. Defending that basic principle for the site is the most common reason for moderation. If you want to have something different, then I suggest that you follow the advise in the last part of the About. Find another site or start your own

                    But you've been bitching about the same thing for most of a decade under one name or another. Perhaps you should get off the fence again and try it.

                    • Anne

                      Ok, I'm going to put my spoke in too.

                      So, John Selway – the fellow who claims he's decent – has been commenting here for years under different names? That's enough to ring alarm bells for me. If you're a decent person you don't use different names. You stick with the same name and people can get to know you and choose to trust you or otherwise.

                      And I might add it is only the trolls, trouble makers and the really stupid who feel the lash of the lprent tongue. He's remarkably kind to the rest of us. 😎

                    • JohnSelway

                      It's cute you think what you do is 'robust debate'.

                      You don't debate, you use this forum as your fiefdom to show how much better than everyone you think you are.

                      People with different opinions or politics to you are dick heads (jesus man, get a better insult – it's always dick heads), you like to feel better and more important than other people and have no problem making sure everyone knows what an amazingly smart and well educated person you are compared to everyone else.

                      Fuck sake man, get some perspective.

            • Incognito 2.7.1.1.1.2

              I think John needs self-isolation more than anything.

              • McFlock

                Or has had a bit much, and wants to receive a virtual spanking just for the variation in sensation.

          • xanthe 2.7.1.1.2

            sad

  3. ScottGN 3

    Not for the first time a politic journo assumes that what they want is what we all want.

    “At some point we could all use a little less triangulation and bit more of an ideological clash.“

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/300077606/election-2020-labour-launch-an-extremely-centrist-campaign

    • Cooke has an agenda. He asked a loaded question during the stand up. Jacinda said she knew where that was going and answered briefly. He was plainly miffed.

  4. Pat 4

    “There is only one logical conclusion given where we are now: we have no alternative but to commit to more radical political action. To get as many people as possible involved in campaigning activities just as often as possible. To bring such pressure to bear on our political systems, while we still have time, to shift from today’s wholly inadequate incrementalism to full-on emergency response. The case for civil disobedience is now overwhelming.”

    https://www.newsroom.co.nz/oram-how-we-can-confront-the-climate-crisis

    Is anyone listening?…..it appears that perhaps 5 or 6% of kiwis may have half an ear attuned.

    • Robert Guyton 4.1

      This local body politician is and I've emailed the article to my fellow regional councillors. Yesterday, I did a video-interview on the topic of climate change that will be broadcast somewhere later this year. Some of the questions were around the issue of conservative thinking and the response from the agricultural sector.

      • Pat 4.1.1

        It astounds me that although there is quite some amount of coverage via media, public speaking events, academic research/statements the apparent impact on public opinion when it comes time for political action is just not there. Labour (or any broadly supported political party) will not move on meaningful action on CC policy until such time as they see their support disappearing to the likes of the Greens.

        Homo Sapiens my arse.

        • Incognito 4.1.1.1

          Agreed. They will cherry-pick suitable policies and massage and water them down to make them more palatable for the not-so-radical middle. In doing this, they will remove the vital oxygen and lifeline from other minor parties. Labour is just window dressing CC because of: Covid now, something else next. In the near future, we’re likely to experience more natural disasters and pandemics and they’re going to become more and more costly to our society and economy. Short-termism kills in the long-term, just look at smoking, poor diet, or alcohol and other substance abuse: a slow wearing and grinding down of one’s health and immune system till the body (and mind) can no longer cope and shit hits the fan, literally.

          • Sacha 4.1.1.1.1

            The real shame is seeing way too many politicians and party officials across the spectrum prepared to squander decades of future funding right now propping up yesterdays' priorities in the face of increasing threats (the 2022 global financial crash, 2023 foot and mouth outbreak, 2024 drought, Covid-25, the 2027 algal bloom..) – rather than on the fundamental changes to reduce the harm of climate change and severe economic and social dislocation.

            Representing cowardly voters and lobbyists can't be a satisfying career. Yet here we are.

        • Draco T Bastard 4.1.1.2

          It astounds me that although there is quite some amount of coverage via media, public speaking events, academic research/statements the apparent impact on public opinion when it comes time for political action is just not there.

          “It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends on his not understanding it.”

          Upton Sinclair

          Why do you think that politicians, from both National and Labour, are always going on about jobs?

          People don't have the time or energy to get riled up about the damage the present system is causing and they're dependent upon the system continuing to 'work'.

          Even when politicians do go on about transformation they're not talking about changing the system. They're there to keep the same failed system in place for the rich.

  5. dv 5

    Oops NZF

    Jones on 15%!!!

    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12354862

    A 1 News Colmar Brunton poll has Jones on just 15 per cent support, with National's Matt King, the incumbent, on 46 per cent and Labour candidate Willow Jean-Prime on 31 per cent.

    And Peters wants the elderly to get out and work
    https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/300077570/your-country-needs-you–winston-peters-pitch-to-baby-boomers-and-older-kiwis

    That sounds like a winner!!!

    • Muttonbird 5.1

      Massive vote splitting:

      King 46% National 35%

      Prime 31% Labour 41%

      You could assume this will be repeated in safe blue seats all over the country.

    • Treetop 5.2

      I thought I heard the figure on Q&A that approx 400 people were called on a landline.

  6. Peter 6

    So a Stuff political journalist thinks voters deserve a contest of ideas.

    Well, a Stuff journalist thinks the people deserve something substantial to challenge their minds and promote considered discussion?

    Excuse me? This is 2020, this is New Zealand. They've moved us on to other ways of operating. We don't do that any more. They want to turn on the 'serious' tap when they took out all the plumbing for it years ago.

    • Muttonbird 6.1

      Nice analogy. The media made politics about personality over policy. Bit late for them to be crying foul now.

    • McFlock 7.1

      What I love is that the repugs are acting like the shitgibbon habitually uses Australian-English pronunciations, rather than Jersey Thuggese.

    • Draco T Bastard 8.1

      Considering the reports of their abuse of others we should probably be jailing them.

    • RedBaronCV 8.2

      That's pretty scary. I assume this is a civil case and to issue a no notice warrant ( instead of discovery?) or in the case of reputation concerns – external evidence – I would have though the potential financial losses would have to be pretty high and pretty certain because reputation damage loss relies on external spread so can be otherwise proved.

      To go further and run it over a dwelling which may contain other people who may be absolutely unrelated to the issue in question is appalling. I see the court appointed a lawyer so at some level they were not happy but still – at that level it's treating it more like a criminal offence. Would be interesting to hear from a few lawyers on this.

      I mean could you see say whaleoil or kiwi blog or here being issued with a no notice warrant.

      • lprent 8.2.1

        I mean could you see say whaleoil or kiwi blog or here being issued with a no notice warrant.

        It has been requested for here at least once (by Dermot aka Dimwit Nottingham in 2015) on what was technically a criminal charge. He’d run a private prosecution against APN NZ, ODT, Pete George and me. His claim was that ODT had reprinted, and that PG and myself had quoted from a court report article by the NZ Herald. He claimed that the original NZH article had caused contempt of court by violating the court orders on identity suppression (they hadn’t in my view).

        The judge turned down the search warrant request and I only found that it’d be requested with a published judicial decision made against Dimwit complaining about the judge turning it down amongst other matters.

        Needless to say, Dimwit lost the case because he managed a number of days in court as a private prosecution without establishing that APN NZ owned the NZ Herald (they didn’t directly – it is directly owned by NZME). He also managed to somehow not establish that I had anything to do with this site. I subsequently helped bankrupt him for unpaid court ordered costs from both the original trial and the appeal.

        However since 2009, this site has always encrypted the entirety of the site including its logs and backups. While I could eventually be forced to divulge access in a criminal trial, I’d really need to establish in a court that I’d actually need to as well – since it’d also open up access to other confidential information.

        • RedBaronCV 8.2.1.1

          Not good for you.

          I'd have thought judges would be pretty careful about issuing warrants without notice when it may be no more than civilian vigilantism. It also is likely to involve the party being ambushed having to pay legal fees which can multiply at the rate of … without any opportunity to answer in a less expensive situation or to get their costs and damages. It would be really interesting to see the judicial reasoning- otherwise they are facilitating some pretty extreme bullying

  7. joe90 9

    Mask V No Mask.

    The 15 counties where masks are mandatory have had new infections drop by 40%; the 90 counties where masks are optional had no fall.

    https://www.ottawaherald.com/news/20200805/norman-kansas-has-become-natural-experiment-in-mask-mandate-battle

    • dv 9.1

      That is a telling graph.

    • Incognito 9.2

      Deceiving graph. Mask-wearing counties (n=15) have cases drop from ca. 20 to 16 cases per 100,000 and in non-mask-wearing counties (n=90) cases stay around 9 per 100,000.

      “The no mask counties are flat,” Norman said. “There’s no activities that are going on — masks or otherwise — that account for or causing any improvement.”

      • Andre 9.2.1

        Incognito, any chance you could edit the image ref so that the second y-axis scale on the right for the blue line shows up?

        It's also worth noting the mask-mandate counties are the high-population counties, so the higher population density could well account for the higher initial infection rate:

        “The 15 counties that have mask mandates represent two-thirds of the population of the state of Kansas,” he said. “So yes, there’s 90 counties that account for the no mask mandate that reflect the other one-third.”

        • Incognito 9.2.1.1

          I’ve adjusted the image size; it did show up fine in the back-end, you see, and I rarely visit the front-end.

          I think the graph is tantalising but without knowing anything about confounding factors, I would not take it at face value. It reminds me of early comparisons between lock-down and non-lock-down regions/states/countries. The non-lock-down places looked they were doing quite well but this was largely because people were self-isolating at home. Mask-wearing may be an easy metric but it is likely to be a surrogate of a whole raft of behavioural differences and changes. That said, Dr Norman might genuinely believe that data.

          • Andre 9.2.1.1.1

            Thank you.

            Yeah, taken alone that data is just a whisper of a hint. But it is still something that's useful to help fill in a bigger picture.

      • joe90 9.2.2

        Urban V rural; the denser the population, the higher the transmission rate.

        “The 15 counties that have mask mandates represent two-thirds of the population of the state of Kansas,” he said. “So yes, there’s 90 counties that account for the no mask mandate that reflect the other one-third.”

        It shouldn’t take much convincing that the slope of the red line represents an improvement of the per capita COVID-19 cases over a four-week period, Norman said.

        “The no mask counties are flat,” Norman said. “There’s no activities that are going on — masks or otherwise — that account for or causing any improvement.”

        The 90 counties representing the blue line could see a dramatic downward slope in their case numbers if they required masks, Norman said.

  8. Cinny 10

    yes An excellent episode of The Listening Post last night. enlightened

    Murdoch's misinformation: COVID-19, China and climate change

    Manipulation via murdoch's media outlets in Aussie (Sky News etc) and the USA (FOX etc).

    But what's really interesting is Richard Gizbert's interview with Malcolm Turnball. The ex Aussie PM is now condemning the Murdoch's, even though malcolm was happy to rise to power on the coat tails of murdochs narratives. True to form turnball attempts to turn it around at the end and blame the murdochs control on Labour

    Opinions drive media sales far more than facts. Murdoch's so called news outlets should be labeled as opinion outlets.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCxXP3R4uM8

  9. ScottGN 11

    Victoria’s Chief Medical Officer has reported today that the state’s Reproduction Rate of the virus has dropped below 1 for the first time since June, signs that the lockdown and mask wearing is working.

  10. Byd0nz 12

    I have been wonderin', especially after seeing plum in the mouth Bolger on Q +A, just when are they going to dig up the bones of (another plum in the mouth) Holyoake, wire them together and put him on TV to lend a hand to the National cause.

  11. Burying themselves in plums?
    At least Bolger wasn’t insisting on opening the borders. He seemed to disagree with Key and co.

  12. Sacha 14

    Louisa Wall profiled by Andrea Vance: https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/122339382/why-labour-mp-louisa-wall-refuses-to-know-her-place

    “I'm definitely aware that people don't like me. But I don't care about being liked. I just want to be respected.

    “Life is all about priorities… a lot of the areas that I choose to involve myself in I'm a disrupter. And at the end of the day, are people going to find me hard or not like what I say? Are they going to be oppositional to what I think?

    “Well, I'm very clear about the things I believe in, I'm principled. I'm not very political, to be honest.”

    • Goodgrief 14.1

      None of Louisa Wall's beliefs match any of mine so I won't be voting for her or, I suspect, any Party that has her in their fold.

    • Dennis Frank 14.2

      I wonder why you chose not to quote her abuse story? Inasmuch as it reflects negatively on Labour's credibility, it is more relevant to the election campaign.

      He burst into my room… he'd heard me on the radio, talking about marriage, equality, my role, and the fact that the party had endorsed it. For me, who the f… do you think you are, said I haven't got any authority, don't know my place. It’s quite layered, a senior male MP, and that is what he chose to do.

      As the chair of Labour's rainbow caucus… that was my responsibility. We'd said this was a priority for us. It was my actual job.”

      She took her complaint straight to the top. “My reaction was that I formally went to the leadership. I said that was unacceptable, I don't have to put up with us. I want it noted.

      “Nothing happened.” She now believes Parliament should appoint an independent commissioner to investigate bullying and harassment complaints against MPs, going against the grain of many of her colleagues.

      “There needs to be some accountability. We have to have something that protects those who don't have the power over those who do. Let’s put it to the vote, like we do legislation.”

      Goff would have been the leader when it happened. Perhaps the Labour patriarchs were in a post-Helen resurgent phase? Anyway, the moral of the story is that senior Labour male parliamentarians swearing at junior Labour female parliamentarians was okay nine years ago.

      • Sacha 14.2.1

        I found her comment about not being 'political' more revealing about why she may have run into trouble with her career choice. Someone else was bound to find allegations of abuse more appealing and here we are.

        • Dennis Frank 14.2.1.1

          Fair enough. Must be a generational perspective – it would never have occurred to me to use political in the narrow sense she apparently used it.

          I see her stance as admirable, moral and political in the wider sense. Someone who acts politically on the basis of principle is actually the ideal politician!

    • Red 16.1

      This Jacinda worship is getting a bit childish, scary and ridiculous. I doubt whoever was in charge would really have responded differently, likewise who ever wins I doubt Covid strategy will be much different going forward, hence an election on Covid only does nz a disservice

      • Andre 16.1.1

        Soimun was going to cut taxes and have a bonfire of regulations as the response. Don't you remember that?

        Since then we've had all kinds of stories about opening the border sooner and quicker for students and other various and sundries. So yeah, nah, National have persuaded me their Covid strategy would be quite different to the current strategy.

        • Red 16.1.1.1

          What one does and says in opposition and what one does in power are 2 different things. Labour are surly an example of that over the last 3 years Ignoring who would have done Covid better, I hope this election is not just a contest and swinging purses at 20 paces on Covid

          • Andre 16.1.1.1.1

            What one does and says in opposition and what one does in power are 2 different things.

            Well, yeah, but the usual pattern of that is to promise really difficult stuff that most people want, and then actually do at best half-assed renditions of something not quite what was promised that hardly anyone is happy with.

            The Nats went straight into promising half-assed renditions of obvious fuckups that hardly anyone wants right from the get-go.

          • Patricia Bremner 16.1.1.1.2

            surly is right!! Surely!!

      • Grafton Gully 16.1.2

        Jacinda worship gives power to Jacinda and if Labour wins the election her power will continue until something in the media that worshipers believe undermines it. As for what she will do with the power apart from controlling caucus and drugging the populace with kindness and compassion who knows ? I hope I live to see the corruption her power is leading to, as in the days of Muldoon and Lange. And the sequel.

      • Fireblade 16.1.3

        The National Party would have implemented limited restrictions instead of a full lockdown. They would have put business and wealth creation above everything else. Yes those things are important, but not at the expense of sickness and death. If National had power when Covid-19 hit, NZ would now be like Melbourne or worse. National were pushing for travel bubbles and the return of international students months ago and that would have been a total disaster. Looking to the future, I simply don't trust the National Party to manage the borders and keep NZ safe from Covid-19.

        The Labour-led government has worked through the complex issues of managed isolation and reacted quickly to address problems. Now is not the time to give that crucial responsibility to an inexperienced National/ACT government. The majority of voters understand this.

        The MOH and WHO give advice and recommendations, but the government makes the decisions and implements the heath response. Our PM and government made the correct decisions, protected people from Covid-19 and saved lives. They continue to do so. I trust Jacinda Ardern to keep us safe.

      • McFlock 16.1.4

        I mean, the proportion of world leadership that went hard at it from the get-go is close to fuckall, so good on you for assuming that NZ had not one but two main political parties prepared to do the hard yards early on and go for elimination.

        We need more optimists in the world.

        • observer 16.1.4.1

          It was stated National policy to bring in international students and open a bubble to Australia, months ago. National called for level 4 to be less strict, to move to level 3 earlier, and level 2 earlier. All well documented. It was even – crazy, but it's true – the view of National's current front bench that we should be out panic buying (see David Bennett). So … if we’re going to pretend they would have done the same, let's not rewrite history so soon, give it a year or two before we play that game.

          • McFlock 16.1.4.1.1

            Yup. But I like Red's optimism that they was only politicking, and that if the nats had been in government the NZ covid response would have been as good as what we actually did. No shortcuts on lockdown, no loosening of the borders, none of that.

            lol the world needs naive dreamers sometimes 🙂

      • Try Trump's USA. Bridges?
        You don’t mention Bloomfield’s admiration group?

    • mauī 16.2

      The wonderful, wonderful Elizabeth Ardern.

  13. Muttonbird 17

    Blimey, might have to vote Green this time. There's some great stuff in here targeting what I believe is the most fixable part of the intergenerational inequality spiral. It will reduce crime and increase NZ’s productivity.

    • deliver enough affordable rental homes to clear the social housing waiting list within five years
    • stimulate a sustainable non-profit rental sector by offering Crown financial guarantees for community providers to build new rental properties
    • remove funding and regulatory barriers to encourage community housing projects
    • expand the current Progressive Home Ownership and Warmer Kiwi Homes programmes
    • make renting fairer through regulating property managers, and introducing a rental Warrant of Fitness
    • overhaul the building code.

    You'd never see Twyford doing this sort of work for low-income and vulnerable communities.

    https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2020/08/nz-election-2020-green-party-reveals-homes-for-all-plan.html

    • Sacha 17.1

      Impressive stuff. Well thought out and totally achievable.

      https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/423110/green-party-plans-to-clear-record-high-social-housing-list-in-five-years

      The goal is to clear the social housing list – currently about 18,000 – within five years.

      The party wants to create a non-profit rental sector by offering Crown guarantees for Community Housing Providers, including iwi, to build new properties which can be rented out long-term.

      That would include $250 million in seed funding for "newly built community non-profit rental homes".

      The waiting list for social housing is at a record high, and in response, the Greens want government agencies to gear up and for Kāinga Ora's borrowing limit to be increased from $7.1 billion to $12b over the next five years "to allow it to scale up the Crown build programme to 5000 new homes a year".

      "This funding will be available to support Kāinga Ora to build homes directly, and to contract building to community housing providers."

      • Muttonbird 17.1.1

        Do you think Labour are deliberately allowing the Greens to fill this policy space?

        Both for the benefit of the Greens vote, and because any housing policy by Labour runs the risk of being laughed at?

        • Sacha 17.1.1.1

          Don't know but that does make sense. Also keeps Lab focused on middle-class priorities for their new Nat voters; easier to communicate in campaign.

          • weka 17.1.1.1.1

            it's certainly a more attractive theory than Labour deciding to run centrist policy of its own sake.

            • Sacha 17.1.1.1.1.1

              Oh I'd say that's going on as well, along with careful positioning statements by the PM so as not to scare off the Nat voters who have come across seeking stability and continuity.

              • weka

                they seem contradictory, Labour wanting a centrist position because they value it, Labour wanting the Greens to pull NZ left.

                • lprent

                  It is a low risk strategy for Labour.

                • Muttonbird

                  It doesn't seem accidental to me.

                  If co-ordinated, Labour and the Greens are together wanting to span the space between full left and the dreaded centre or swing vote. A truely broad church of appeal.

                  If deliberate this marks a very sophisticated and powerful collaboration and use of the MMP environment.

                  • Anne

                    Don't forget James Shaw and Jacinda Ardern have a personal friendship that goes back a long way. They will be talking privately.

          • lprent 17.1.1.1.2

            I'd say that you're right overall.

            The core of getting a persistent re-electable vote in NZ is to occupy the centre. Centre-left or centre-right. It means that you have in a MMP environment, enough mass in the house to push policies through. It is hard to do that if you're (say) the Alliance or Act. All that happens is that the people voting against you.

            But National is pretty clearly moving further right and away from the centre and was all the way through the Key years. That was why they allowed social issues with low investment like housing and immigration related issues of infrastructure to pile up using the GFC as an excuse.

            However it has become more explicit now with Bridges, Collins, and shortly Luxton. More of a property owners party as the actual number of property owners diminish and housing becomes more affordable. The number of economic 'liberals' identifiable in the party are diminishing as their MPs resign and the conservative side are steadily gaining influence.

            But Labour get creamed when they start trying to do anything that is too different or too experimental. More radical change has to come from the coalition parties who can cop the blame if it all turns to custard. The Centre party will concentrate on pushing through policy that deals with extant problems like finishing the CRL, fixing the court system, shifting immigration policies, fixing hospitals, and paying for super.

            I suspect that if we lose NZF (populist and centrist) then that will become the pattern.

          • I Feel Love 17.1.1.1.3

            Yes yes yes yes, that is exactly what is happening, Labour = "extreme centrist" (according to the media, ha!!) & Greens get to be "left", ironically it's only the anti Greens who so far have seen this, everyone else is hassling Labour for being 'meh', the RW are voting Labour to oust Greens, & Green supporters (Like me!) are quite happy with it all. I've never seen Labour as Left, I've said before, they are the only 'centrist' party.

    • Red 17.2

      I actually want the Green Party to stay in parliament, albeit without any real influence. My reasoning more so for democracy, just as the rwnj need some where to go and deserve representation as do the lwnj to keep them off the streets. One day however I would like to see a new real Green Party ( not watermelons) unhindered by square dancing and SJWs go into coalition with a national government as mused by county Jim is his latest book

      • weka 17.2.1

        how insulting, it was Morris Dancing no Square Dancing.

      • Muttonbird 17.2.2

        Quite what value single issue parties are to government I will never understand. You and the other blue-greens seem to want a green party having absolutely no position on anything other than the environment.

        • Red 17.2.2.1

          Not at all, our beef is the high jacking of the green label to mean you must be a socialist and overly woke This does more harm than good as it keeps the green agenda at the margins

          • Muttonbird 17.2.2.1.1

            Not that I've been that close to the Green party since the start but I can't remember them without a social conscience alongside their environmental conscience. They say the two are not separable.

            Also, you said 'woke' which immediately raises alarm bells with me as to your agenda.

            • Red 17.2.2.1.1.1

              That’s the issue the argument that to have social conscience you must be a socialist and similarly to be green you must be socialist as though it is some self evident truth or axiom

              • I Feel Love

                Greens will never hook up with the Nats, forget about it. Labour are more likely to. For the Greens to hook up with Nats, they'd have to get their supporters support, & basically be a patsy party like what happened to MP & ACT. Nats still don't get MMP, & long may that continue. (Look at Bergen, their Green Party leader became PM, with the equivelants of Labour & National (the 2 biggest parties) negotiating portfolios (the RW take finance, the LW social stuff, & all co operate). Hard work of course! But maybe we will mature in time. & fuck your 'woke' bullshit, look where it's got Shane Jones, hyuck!!!

            • xanthe 17.2.2.1.1.2

              "Not that I've been that close to the Green party since the start"

              Well I have and red is correct IMHO. What the greens attempt to ram thru as social justice is along way away from just and is not founded on environmental wisdom. They have poisoned the brand and we all are paying the price of not having a coherent voice for the environment.

              I do not see a way forward for the Greens at this time

              • Muttonbird

                That's fine xanthe, social issues are not a priority for you, but they are for the Green Party and have been for some time.

                They are a stronger voice in parliament because of this.

                You view social issues as "poison". I have to say that is a real shame and it makes me wonder what this forum offers you if that is truely the case.

                • xanthe

                  dont be a wanker mutts

                  No where do i say or imply that social issues are not a priority to me!

                  Social issues are in fact very important to me. I am deeply offended when i see them leveraged in ignorance in a polarizing manner for political gain.

                  Anyone who goes into this area needs to do so in a careful, informed manner.

                  Your bullying response to me founded on misrepresentation fairly sums up where the greens went off the rails.

          • observer 17.2.2.1.2

            There is a non-left "green" party to vote for. They got a whole heap of publicity when they were launched. Their leader was all over the media. Remember?

            The only problem is that absolutely nobody wants to vote for them. They register zero in the polls. Not 1%. Absolute zero.

            So where are these mystery "green" voters?

            • Red 17.2.2.1.2.1

              They are in the centre , National and Labour, but can’t say they are green The Green Party should be ashamed of itself they have appropriated the word green with a hard left agenda, a big no no in this day and age. As a result green issue are pushed to the margin

              [Fixed another typo in your e-mail address. Please be more careful next time, thanks]

              • Incognito

                [Fixed another typo in your e-mail address. Please be more careful next time, thanks]

                • I Feel Love

                  "Hard Left", ha!!! Extreme Centre, eye roll. The RW may have a social conscience, they just don't wanna pay for it. Whereas the LW (hard or soft), want to socialise the cost, because we all pay in the long run. Nothing wrong with a bit of Morris Dancing or photos with unicorns, BFD.

              • observer

                That is completely false. National MPs have been rushing to call themselves "Blue-Green", and they signed up to the zero carbon bill. Now, they are nowhere near green enough for me personally, but that's beside the point: they claim to be green.

                https://www.politik.co.nz/2019/11/11/how-bridges-letthe-blue-greens-redefine-national/

              • Stuart Munro

                I don't think I'd describe the Greens as hard anything, except perhaps hardworking – certainly not hard Left – perhaps Te Papa must run a sample gulag exhibit so that the ignorant may learn to distinguish truth from rhetorical excess.

          • solkta 17.2.2.1.3

            People are part of the environment. It is your idiotic reductionist thinking that is the problem here.

            • Incognito 17.2.2.1.3.1

              Nah, Red is just angling for another long/permanent ban; it didn’t take long at all.

      • Draco T Bastard 17.2.3

        I actually want the Green Party to stay in parliament, albeit without any real influence.

        While I want the Greens in parliament with power hence being a member.

        My reasoning more so for democracy

        No, its a denial of democracy. Having people without power is, ipso facto, preventing those people being able to engage in the democratic process.

        One day however I would like to see a new real Green Party

        No you don't. You want a Green Party that does as its told.

        We have a real green Party – one that's willing to stand on its principles. And a party that stands on its principles will never go into coalition with National because they have none.

      • Sacha 17.2.4

        I look forward to a party of the right that is worthy of a coalition with the Greens. Maybe liberal remnants of the Nats after they shed the rural rump.

    • mikesh 17.3

      With solar panels, perhaps?

  14. kester macfarlane 18

    To

    Leighton Baker, New Conservative Leader

    © New Conservative, Authorised by Kevin Stitt, 35 Lenore Rd, Mangere

    During the early morning of Saturday 8th August 2020, two political billboards for your political party, New Conservative were illegally attached on our properties roadside fence.

    The fence is more than two metres inside our surveyed boundary.

    Landowner permission to display your election signage was not requested.

    You or your agents not only erected your party’s billboards illegally on our private property, you/they interfered with and then actually relocated existing signage on our fence to maximise your party billboards visibility and field of vision.

    We are taking legal action against the New Conservative Party on the following counts:

    New Conservative Party trespassed onto our property.

    New Conservative Party illegally attached two political billboards onto our fence.

    New Conservative Party by illegally attaching two political billboards onto our fence have insinuated by association that we are supportive of your Party’s philosophy.

    New Conservative Party by illegally attaching two political billboards onto our fence have embarrassed, tarnished and diminished our reputation and standing in our community.

    Your promotional material states that the New Conservative Party believes in personal responsibility, limited government, free markets, individual liberty, traditional family values and a strong national identity.

    By trespassing, erecting obnoxious political billboards, interfering and rearranging existing signage, insinuating our beliefs are similar to your party’s and embarrassing and blemishing our standing and reputation in our community hardly adheres to your claimed beliefs.

    In the last 24 hour period since the New Conservative Party illegally attached the two political billboards onto our fence, we have had numerous people who have aggressively enquired about our political and moral beliefs.

    We have a full range of photographic evidence which we will be supplying our legal council.

    We are taking legal action and will be suing New Conservative accordingly.

    170-174 Stafford Drive

    Ruby Bay, Mapua

    Nelson 7005

    [lprent: I’m letting this comment through despite our usual policy on open contact via the page. At least it doesn’t have any email addresses of phone numbers in it. If someone knows the the New Conservatives, I’d suggest letting them know this ASAP because the Electoral Commission will appreciate this about as much as the fence owners do. ]

    • Red 18.1

      I am on the fence on this one

      • Muttonbird 18.1.1

        The NCs billboards ask a question, then answer, "No Thanks". I'm looking for a way to easily change it to read:

        New Conservative?

        No Thanks!

      • bwaghorn 18.1.2

        New conservative, ain't that an oxymoron

    • Draco T Bastard 18.2

      Your promotional material states that the New Conservative Party believes in personal responsibility, limited government, free markets, individual liberty, traditional family values and a strong national identity.

      And the reason why conservatives like those things is because what they really don't like are rules that hold them to account, rules that prevent them doing whatever they like no matter how much damage it does to anything or anyone else.

      And the proof of that lies in their illegal and immoral actions as stated above.

  15. ScottGN 20

    Newshub is reporting that Brownlee claims the Nats are on ‘about’ 40%. Nothing to back the claim up of course. He also says he doesn’t trust polls anymore and then goes on to say that TVNZ’s poll in Northland is really bad news for NZFirst. You couldn’t make it up!

    https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2020/08/nz-election-2020-gerry-brownlee-claims-national-is-on-about-40-percent.html

    • Robert Guyton 20.1

      Gerry spreads himself like lard across the bread political.

    • McFlock 20.2

      He started using "about" with that level of error as a teenage boy because he thought the six inch ruler was way too long.

    • Pingao 21.1

      … well if the unthinkable happened and the Nats got back in I guess it wouldn't be long before we'd need those masks …

    • lprent 21.2

      Evidently Gerry only looks at the local news and ignores the news from the outside of NZ. How else could you explain this…

      As New Zealand marks 100 days without community transmission of Covid-19, National Party deputy leader Gerry Brownlee says the Government’s warning of an approaching second wave is “very puzzling”.

      There are about 3 other statements he made just in that one article (several of which appeared to be repeats) that tend to indicate that he knows nothing about Auckland politics and has a possible symptoms of a disease of age.

      • ScottGN 21.2.1

        He certainly repeated Judith’s assertion that Ngaro will beat Twyford in Te Atatu. But along with that came a tacit admission that they are unlikely to get enough of a party vote to get their 30th ranked candidate into parliament?

  16. Stuart Munro 22

    From time to time the Atlantic has rather good long form articles – this one's on policing in America – though the observation on incremental change is not without merit. Where change is needed, it is often urgent for somebody.

  17. I Feel Love 23

    I been seeing little bits of this story popping up, protests in Labanon, call for early elections, pissed off people sick of inept leadership, a developing story I'd imagine

    http://www.aljazeera.com/amp/news/2020/08/hundreds-protesters-injured-anger-simmers-beirut-live-200808234355971.html

  18. Public and shared transport is the future. So glad this money isn’t going to More Lanes™️

    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12355143

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    Inspirational: The Family of Man is a glorious hymn to human equality, but, more than that, it is a clarion call to human freedom. Because equality, unleavened by liberty, is a broken piano, an unstrung harp; upon which the songs of fraternity will never be played. “Somebody must have been telling lies about ...
    5 hours ago
  • Don’t run your business like a criminal enterprise
    The Detail this morning highlights the police's asset forfeiture case against convicted business criminal Ron Salter, who stands to have his business confiscated for systemic violations of health and safety law. Business are crying foul - but not for the reason you'd think. Instead of opposing the post-conviction punishment and ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 hours ago
  • Misremembering Justinian’s Taxes.
    Tax Lawyer Barbara Edmonds vs Emperor Justinian I - Nolo Contendere: False historical explanations of pivotal events are very far from being inconsequential.WHEN BARBARA EDMONDS made reference to the Roman Empire, my ears pricked up. It is, lamentably, very rare to hear a politician admit to any kind of familiarity ...
    6 hours ago
  • Bryce Edwards: Scoring 4.6 out of 10, the new Government is struggling in the polls
    It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just show a minimal amount of flux in public support for the various parties in ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    6 hours ago
  • Bishop scores headlines with crackdown on unwelcome tenants – but Peters scores, too, as tub-thump...
    Buzz from the Beehive Housing Minister Chris Bishop delivered news – packed with the ingredients to enflame political passions – worthy of supplanting Winston Peters in headline writers’ priorities. He popped up at the post-Cabinet press conference to promise a crackdown on unruly and antisocial state housing tenants. His ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    7 hours ago
  • Will it make the boat go faster?
    Ele Ludemann writes – The Reserve Bank is advertising for a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion advisor. The Bank has one mandate – to keep inflation between one and three percent. It has failed in that and is only slowly getting inflation back down to the upper limit. Will it ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    10 hours ago
  • Bryce Edwards: Is Simon Bridges’ NZTA appointment a conflict of interest?
    Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi The fact that a ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    11 hours ago
  • Is Simon Bridges’ NZTA appointment a conflict of interest?
    Bryce Edwards writes – Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    11 hours ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' at 10:10am on Tuesday, March 19
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Gavin Jacobson talks to Thomas Piketty 10 years on from Capital in the 21st Century The SalvoLocal scoop: Green MP’s business being investigated over migrant exploitation claims Stuff Steve KilgallonLocal deep-dive: The commercial contractors making money from School ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    11 hours ago
  • Bernard's six newsy things on Tuesday, March 19
    It’s a home - but Kāinga Ora tenants accused of “abusing the privilege” may lose it. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The Government announced a crackdown on Kāinga Ora tenants who were unruly and/or behind on their rent, with Housing Minister Chris Bishop saying a place in a state ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    12 hours ago
  • New Life for Light Rail
    This is a guest post by Connor Sharp of Surface Light Rail  Light rail in Auckland: A way forward sooner than you think With the coup de grâce of Auckland Light Rail (ALR) earlier this year, and the shift of the government’s priorities to roads, roads, and more roads, it ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    13 hours ago
  • Why Are Bosses Nearly All Buffoons?
    Note: As a paid-up Webworm member, I’ve recorded this Webworm as a mini-podcast for you as well. Some of you said you liked this option - so I aim to provide it when I get a chance to record! Read more ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    15 hours ago
  • Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6.06 pm on March 18
    TL;DR: In my ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Monday, March 18:IKEA is accused of planting big forests in New Zealand to green-wash; REDD-MonitorA City for People takes a well-deserved victory lap over Wellington’s pro-YIMBY District Plan votes; A City for PeopleSteven Anastasiou takes a close look at the sticky ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Peters holds his ground on co-governance, but Willis wriggles on those tax cuts and SNA suspension l...
    Buzz from the Beehive Here’s hoping for a lively post-cabinet press conference when the PM and – perhaps – some of his ministers tell us what was discussed at their meeting today. Until then, Point of Order has precious little Beehive news to report after its latest monitoring of the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 day ago
  • Labour’s final report card
    David Farrar writes –  We now have almost all 2023 data in, which has allowed me to update my annual table of how  went against its promises. This is basically their final report card. The promise The result Build 100,000 affordable homes over 10 ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago
  • “Drunk Uncle at a Wedding”
    I’m a bit worried that I’ve started a previous newsletter with the words “just when you think they couldn’t get any worse…” Seems lately that I could begin pretty much every issue with that opening. Such is the nature of our coalition government that they seem to be outdoing each ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 day ago
  • Wang Yi’s perfectly-timed, Aukus-themed visit to New Zealand
    Geoffrey Miller writes – Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago
  • Gordon Campbell on Dune 2, and images of Islam
    Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture ...
    1 day ago
  • New Rail Operations Centre Promises Better Train Services
    Last week Transport Minster Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre. The new train control centre will see teams from KiwiRail, Auckland Transport and Auckland One Rail working more closely together to improve train services across the city. The Auckland Rail Operations Centre in ...
    2 days ago
  • Bernard's six newsy things at 6.36am on Monday, March 18
    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson said in an exit interview with Q+A yesterday the Government can and should sustain more debt to invest in infrastructure for future generations. Elsewhere in the news in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 6:36am: Read more ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: Wang Yi’s perfectly-timed, Aukus-themed visit to New Zealand
    Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. It is more than just a happy ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    2 days ago
  • The Kaka’s diary for the week to March 25 and beyond
    TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to March 18 include:China’s Foreign Minister visiting Wellington today;A post-cabinet news conference this afternoon; the resumption of Parliament on Tuesday for two weeks before Easter;retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson gives his valedictory speech in Parliament; ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Bitter and angry; Winston First
    New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters’s state-of-the-nation speech on Sunday was really a state-of-Winston-First speech. He barely mentioned any of the Government’s key policies and could not even wholly endorse its signature income tax cuts. Instead, he rehearsed all of his complaints about the Ardern Government, including an extraordinary claim ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #11
    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
    2 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #11
    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
    2 days ago
  • Out of Touch.
    “I’ve been internalising a really complicated situation in my head.”When they kept telling us we should wait until we get to know him, were they taking the piss? Was it a case of, if you think this is bad, wait till you get to know the real Christopher, after the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • The bewildering world of Chris Luxon – Guns for all, not no lunch for kids
    .“$10 and a target that bleeds” - Bleeding Targets for Under $10!.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.This government appears hell-bent on either scrapping life-saving legislation or reintroducing things that - frustrated critics insist - will be dangerous and likely ...
    Frankly SpeakingBy Frank Macskasy
    3 days ago
  • Expert Opinion: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.
    It hardly strikes me as fair to criticise a government for doing exactly what it said it was going to do. For actually keeping its promises.”THUNDER WAS PLAYING TAG with lightning flashes amongst the distant peaks. Its rolling cadences interrupted by the here-I-come-here-I-go Doppler effect of the occasional passing car. ...
    3 days ago
  • Manufacturing The Truth.
    Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology – the Internet –  is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
    3 days ago
  • A Powerful Sensation of Déjà Vu.
    Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
    3 days ago
  • Can you guess where world attention is focussed (according to Greenpeace)? It’s focussed on an EPA...
    Bob Edlin writes –  And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago
  • Further integrity problems for the Greens in suspending MP Darleen Tana
    Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Jacqui Van Der Kaay: Greens’ transparency missing in action
    For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    4 days ago
  • Bernard’s Dawn Chorus with six newsey things at 6:46am for Saturday, March 16
    TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ Herald Thomas Coughlan Simeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • How Did FTX Crash?
    What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    4 days ago
  • Elections in Russia and Ukraine
    Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
    4 days ago
  • Bernard’s six stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15
    TL;DR: Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it:  We want our country to be a ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago
  • National’s clean car tax advances
    The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Government funding bailouts
    Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Two offenders, different treatments.
    See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    4 days ago
  • Treaty references omitted
    Ele Ludemann writes  – The government is omitting general Treaty references from legislation : The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last Government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • The Ghahraman Conflict
    What was that judge thinking? Peter Williams writes –  That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 15
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop: Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • The day Wellington up-zoned its future
    Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Weekly Roundup 15-March-2024
    It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    5 days ago
  • That Word.
    Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • The Hoon around the week to March 15
    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Labour’s policy gap
    It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #11 2024
    Open access notables A Glimpse into the Future: The 2023 Ocean Temperature and Sea Ice Extremes in the Context of Longer-Term Climate Change, Kuhlbrodt et al., Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society: In the year 2023, we have seen extraordinary extrema in high sea surface temperature (SST) in the North Atlantic and in ...
    5 days ago
  • Melissa remains mute on media matters but has something to say (at a sporting event) about economic ...
     Buzz from the Beehive   The text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary.  It can be quickly analysed ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago
  • The return of Muldoon
    For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Will the rental tax cut improve life for renters or landlords?
    Bryce Edwards writes –  Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: What Saudi Arabia’s rapid changes mean for New Zealand
    Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    5 days ago
  • Racism’s double standards
    Questions need to be asked on both sides of the world Peter Williams writes –   The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • It’s not a tax break
    Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • The Plastic Pig Collective and Chris' Imaginary Friends.
    I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • Who is responsible for young offenders?
    Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on National’s fantasy trip to La La Landlord Land
    How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
    5 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 14
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop: The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • No, Prime Minister, rents don’t rise or fall with landlords’ costs
    TL;DR: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Cartoons: ‘At least I didn’t make things awkward’
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
    6 days ago
  • Solving traffic congestion with Richard Prebble
    The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    6 days ago
  • I Think I'm Done Flying Boeing
    Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago
  • Invoking Aristotle: Of Rings of Power, Stones, and Ships
    The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
    6 days ago
  • Van Velden brings free-market approach to changing labour laws – but her colleagues stick to distr...
    Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • Why Newshub failed
    Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Māori Party on the warpath against landlords and seabed miners – let’s see if mystical creature...
    Bob Edlin writes  –  The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they  follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • Government moves to quickly ratify the NZ-EU FTA
    "The Government is moving quickly to realise an additional $46 million in tariff savings in the EU market this season for Kiwi exporters,” Minister for Trade and Agriculture, Todd McClay says. Parliament is set, this week, to complete the final legislative processes required to bring the New Zealand – European ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 hours ago
  • Positive progress for social worker workforce
    New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    9 hours ago
  • Minister confirms reduced RUC rate for PHEVs
    Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    11 hours ago
  • Trade access to overseas markets creates jobs
    Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand.  Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    11 hours ago
  • NZ and Chinese Foreign Ministers hold official talks
    Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Kāinga Ora instructed to end Sustaining Tenancies
    Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber: Growth is the answer
    Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Singapore rounds out regional trip
    Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships.      “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Minister van Velden represents New Zealand at International Democracy Summit
    Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
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  • Insurance Council of NZ Speech, 7 March 2024, Auckland
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