I've been watching last night's TDB podcast on the economy of 2022, in which Bomber orchestrates a foursome with commentary from Bernard, a prominent entrepreneurial economist, Simon, the lawyer National is using as finance spokesperson due to having nobody in their caucus with financial expertise, and Damien, the libertarian Stuff columnist ex-criminal.
Bomber asked Bernard if the current Minister of Finance would get a knighthood for creating a new class of wealthy property speculators. Bernard started by saying that he'd probably get one anyway. Nice evasion there.
Labour would probably say "No no, you mustn't think that. It was all an unfortunate accident!" That the kiwi middle class transformed itself into a landlord class is best framed the way Labour views it: "Elephant in the room?? Where? Can't see one, don't be ridiculous!"
Thatcher preached the gospel of mum & dad investors 40 years ago and the political left and right have been locked into collusion ever since, implementing her vision.
Vital that Labour never tells the truth about doing this! No worries, pretence is something that Labour excels at – perhaps the only thing. Having operated as the Alternative National Party for so long now, the people who believed Labour was the exact opposite of National are now all dead. So Sir Grant will happen due to his resolute practice of Thatcherism.
Then Bernard said everyone believes their home values will continue to double every two years, so they make economic planning decisions on that basis. BAU. Then he said it was unsustainable, and there ought to be a govt agency created to implement a policy of zero house price inflation. Noticing that something intelligent was happening, Bomber immediately called for a commercial break.
But it does raise the question of how you rationalise their adherence to neoliberalism along with National's – and in particular their coproduction of the enlarged landlord class.
Dennis, Thatcher went to war, did not believe in community, practiced austerity and raising taxes. This Labour Government has had to battle housing as every country World wide is doing. Singapore's approach is thought provoking, but they are able to make dictates. To say this Government is the same as National would be is a real stretch. Remember we are a democracy so the middle way tends to rule. When revolutions occur they seldom favour the poor, rule of law agreements between parties cities countries is the best we have managed. We tie it to Trade so we are hogtied.
Dunno about the Thatcher raising taxes bit. Misprint?
I agree there are significant tonal differences between Labour & National but the economic ideology is shared. I agree the middle way works best but it also preserves inertia and our global situation makes that lethal.
Here's the evidence of the impact of 30 years of global talkfests:
The Copernicus Climate Change Service said 2021 was the fifth-warmest year… The Copernicus data comes from a constellation of Sentinel satellites that monitor the Earth from orbit, as well as measurements taken at ground level… The 2021 average temperature was 1.1-1.2C above the pre-industrial level around 150 years ago.
carbon dioxide concentrations reached 414.3 parts per million last year, growing at a similar rate to 2020. But scientists remarked that methane levels in the atmosphere increased to reach an unprecedented approximately 1,876 parts per billion. The growth rate of methane was also higher than in 2020 – Copernicus said both rates were very high compared to the past two decades of satellite data… The increasing concentrations of these gases showed no signs of slowing down, concluded Vincent-Henri Peuch, Director of the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service.
"These events are a stark reminder of the need to change our ways, take decisive and effective steps toward a sustainable society and work towards reducing net carbon emissions," Carlo Buontempo, director of the Copernicus Climate Change Service, explains.
Depends which game it's best to be playing, eh? Rules are made to be broken, some folks think. When global climate changes, it's a game-changer world we find ourselves shifting into. Old mental patterns make us part of the problem.
We need to flex to adapt to the times we're in. Default dependency on democracy locks us into failure. Therefore those intent on surviving will shift out of that mindset. Whatever works will do.
That said, rules can be retained on a utility basis in contexts where they can be seen to still work okay. I reckon the best way forward is to combine pragmatic usage of stable systems (like law) with innovative & inventive alterations to them.
It puzzles me that you'd jump to that conclusion. As if you'd never heard of improvisation. As if you'd never noticed how well it works in real life.
As if you've never deduced that it works because it's context-driven. As if you're unaware that our changing global climate context requires us to improvise. As if you've never actually thought about that.
Anyway, it was Winston Churchill. Different geopolitical context, get it? Humanity can't progress when people default to failed ways of thinking. Get that head out of the sand!
The problem is that your framing is so puzzling, Dennis.
Evidence that democracy works clocks in at exactly zero. Prediction: retards will ignore the evidence and continue to believe in democracy.
The fact is Democracy has worked very well in numerous countries for a century or more. As evidenced by the number of democracies. Has worked better than 2 of the 3 the classic examples of Facism (Franco’s fascist state lasted until his death), & both Soviet-style & Mao-style Communism, for example.
Re your response to pat’s challenge to identify a better system:
It puzzles me that you’d jump to that conclusion. As if you’d never heard of improvisation. As if you’d never noticed how well it works in real life.
Democracies – particularly those that have employed capitalism – have thrived on improvisation. That’s how so much scientific & technological progress has been made in Western democracies. And improvisation also works well in societies that foster a DIY culture, at the national & individual level.
As if you’ve never deduced that it [democracy?] works because it’s context-driven. As if you’re unaware that our changing global climate context requires us to improvise. As if you’ve never actually thought about that.
Humanity can’t progress when people default to failed ways of thinking. Get that head out of the sand!
You’re barking up the wrong tree, imo. Because international global talkfest consensus decisions haven’t done enough to solve the GHG global warming-induced Climate Crisis is not down to a failure of Democracy as a system of government. Many nations that aren’t democracies have participated. There is NO World Democracy.
So, pat’s question was perfectly valid. If you think democracie won’t work for solving the climate crisis – what other system of government – for either the World or individual nations – do you propose as the alternative system of government which will?
Although autocracies, if they really grasp the nettle, might perhaps be more likely to enforce the industrial, social & lifestyle changes needed to sharply head off global warming on their populations – I’m not sure any (like China) have actually done so yet.
In my view people living in democracies are more likely to come up with the alternative lifestyles & produce the technical innovations needed to address the problems of climate change than autocracies or any other form of government.
what other system of government – for either the World or individual nations – do you propose as the alternative system of government which will?
I think that's the pertinent bit to respond to. Gezza, I take the point that my brevity provided insufficient framing.
First, a serious global crisis requires a serious global solution. Democracy has never been implemented at the global level. Few still expect the UN to deliver it.
Lateral thinking is required. In social change, that usually takes the forms I pointed out to Pat: invention & innovation. A suitable model is the one deployed to bring the Cold War to a successful conclusion, which I've discussed on various occasions here during the past seven years.
It was based on reciprocity & mutual benefits just like capitalism (trading, deals) and used a ratchet design mechanism for arms reduction which Reagan made famous with the slogan https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trust,_but_verify
Nobody would think a computer game could end a war that had lasted decades, right? They proved it could, and did. Lateral thinking.
Now consider the zillions of dollars lying around doing nothing useful in a multitude of billionaire bank accounts. Gates & Buffet have been modelling philanthropy to target inequality etc – why not global warming? It's just a mental switch. When switched, seems obvious in retrospect & everyone wonders why it took so long to think of it.
Consider inventors as a reservoir of talent waiting to be used. Create a tournament for them to submit competing designs, use a panel of suitable political/economic/cultural experts to award prizes to winners by consensus. Design criteria to prioritise the best fixes most likely to work in practice would be essential…
Now you see what I have done here? I have reframed your question about types of governance into the relation of global problem to global solution. Such innovative mass psychology is the key.
consider the zillions of dollars lying around doing nothing useful in a multitude of billionaire bank accounts. Gates & Buffet have been modelling philanthropy to target inequality etc – why not global warming? It’s just a mental switch. When switched, seems obvious in retrospect & everyone wonders why it took so long to think of it.
Consider inventors as a reservoir of talent waiting to be used. Create a tournament for them to submit competing designs, use a panel of suitable political/economic/cultural experts to award prizes to winners by consensus. Design criteria to prioritise the best fixes most likely to work in practice would be essential…
Good idea. (How do you know Gates and Buffett aren’t already investing in climate change solutions, btw? I haven’t looked. Have you?)
Now you see what I have done here? I have reframed your question about types of governance into the relation of global problem to global solution. Such innovative mass psychology is the key.
What I see is that you have a good idea that you could simply have stated as such at the outset & not distracted yourself, pat, me, and possibly other readers, by a completely unnecessary peripatetic wandering around the completely irrelevant subject of democracy before you got there.
No, that's too likely to be a waste of time. Both mainstreamers!
the completely irrelevant subject of democracy
Had to do that due to it being the prevalent belief system. Only with continual focus on the mismatch between belief & reality can you hope to jolt them out of the habitual attachment. Einstein's dictum re insanity comes to mind: they keep doing global climate conferences in the hope that nations will implement output decisions in national policy. That continual policy implentation failure is rooted in democracy.
That’s got nothing to do with democracy & everything to do with international consensus decision-making which is not the same thing.
You should probably check out Gates & Buffett in case they are already doing something along the lines of what you suggest. How do they choose what projects to invest in?
But if not, having a good idea is fine, but getting it implemented is what counts. How do you propose to get it implemented? Who are you going to propose your idea to?
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates on Thursday said his climate investment fund would pledge $1.5 billion for joint projects with the federal government to combat climate change if Congress passes a bipartisan infrastructure plan that funds clean energy technologies.
Wtf has that got to do with your suggestion, or the point you were making about innovation & inventions being needed to help address climate change?
AFAIK Democracies AND autocracies both domestically legislate to give effect to their signups to international agreements that require this to happen. (Whether they employ/enforce & honour that legislation might be another matter.)
Are you proposing to get democracies to legislate to make your suggestion, & inovation & invention compulsory?
Sorry, but I’m not wasting any more time & energy on your convoluted & hopelessly philosophically muddled approach to this topic Dennis. You’ve gone down a rabbit hole, imo.
Democracy doesn't work. We need decisiveness and positive action.
For that it is best to have one person in charge at the top of the pyramid and they rule and instigate action by those further down. Who carry out the dictates not of themselves but of those atop them. Carry out without deviation or variation based on personal interpretation.
For our first such sortie into getting rid of talkfests and prevarication and establishing firm, unequivocal, certain parameters for the society to operate under, I would suggest the first person to be our leader should be Kiwi Jong-un. I'm sure there is someone out there to fill that bill.
it is best to have one person in charge at the top of the pyramid and they rule and instigate action by those further down. Who carry out the dictates not of themselves but of those atop them. Carry out without deviation or variation based on personal interpretation.
Otherwise known as the Führerprinzip. The problem with this system is that absolute power often corrupts absolutely. And if the Führer is wrong or goes insane no one can do anything about it unless & until they kill them, or they kill themselves.
You mean that guy with the swishback & dark glasses. Christian. Good at telling people what to do. They even reward him with money. God's will be done!
One of the pitfalls National are going to have to avoid is being branded as Labour Lite. Their usual mantra of less spending = tax cuts is off the agenda given the Covid situation. If they propose more housing, more hospitals, schools and general infrastructure, Labour Lite. If they try do lift the poverty stats via Working for Families, Labour Lite. Climate change, Labour Lite.
National can never be branded Labour lite as long as the pandemic lasts.
National may pose as Labour lite for all they like, but history shows that voters would be making a big mistake to trust them to follow through.
Jim Bolger played the Labour lite card to win the 1990 election, promising to reverse a lot of the unpopular right wing neo-liberal policies of the Lange/Douglas administration. Bolger promised to stop the privatisations of state assets, promised to repeal the Superannuation Surcharge, promised students to cut student debt and user pays in tertiary education brought in by the Lange/Douglas administration.
All these reversals gave birth to the populist NZ First Party. Formed in revolt against National's reversals, NZ First acted to keep the Bolger administration in power as a support party. Despite their leader promising to never work with that man.
Luxton might try to promise the electorate that a National Party led administration, backed by NZ First and Act will handle the pandemic better than a Labour led administration. But no one would believe him.
The one place that shows that National stays true to their profit before people ethos and does not, can not, play the Labour Lite card is around the pandemic.
Despite the cost in deaths and sickness, private profit will always be prioritised over public health by National.
And this is the one defining issue of our time that separates National from Labour where there can be no hiding.
Agree Jenny, Nats constant "open up" cries show where their values lie. Like Scotty from Marketing, "Let it rip" Our family over in Oz are truly affected by that.
On a far more serious matter, I suspect Latham will enforce the follow on.
The bowlers’ workload yesterday wasn’t that great. BD’s batters will be a little shellshocked, and you want to take the weather out of the equation altogether.
Most test match captains do not enforce the follow on these days. But in this situation, with the NZ bowlers able to start fresh again this morning, and with such a massive lead, it makes sense to enforce it.
Follow on must be enforced. 300 plus run lead, fresh bowlers (less overs bowled than 50 over match) and the possibility of some inclement weather as it's NZ).
Interesting graph and an important one for NZ, thanks.
Makes sense given the Imperial College London study that shows the reduction in omicron severity is much greater in the vaccinated, compared to the unvaccinated.
So some of his commenters jump into playing at the competing graphs game. Then we got Ethan Woke:
No reputable medical professional in the world is now claiming Omicron is a threat to public health. It just seems to be a rag tag bunch of cheerleaders, sycophants, pseudoscientists and those suffering from mass psychosis who seem to be fretting over this benign disease (actually just a laboratory artefact) and praying for another lockdown, while providing cover for the likes of prime ministers and dictators.
I wonder if his surname signifies he's an aspirational leader for the wokester tribe?
NSW having a terrible time hospitals are struggling health professionals burning out.
Because mainly the unvaxxed overloading the health system.
Can't link but govt stats show 63% of covid infected hospitalizations are unvaccinated yet only make up less than20% of the population.Partially vaccinated 18% fully vaccinated only 1.8% yet they make up nearly 80% of the population.
Yeah, have already noticed that pattern. Belief systems are inertial & when they are incompatible with reality then adherents deny reality. They deny evidence such as statistics.
Neuroscience has documented how this works – emotions prevail over logic. Emotional attachments to what people already think they know prevail over new info that conflicts with their knowledge.
Yes, yes, this all well-known & has been exploited by advertisers & propagandists for a century or more. But it doesn’t always apply to everything for everbody (Most Germans realised they were losing the war while the rabid Nazis were still choosing to believe Dr Goebels).
And it often doesn’t apply to those who are aware of their emotional responses but prefer to employ research, analysis, logic & reasoning to their decision-making. Which many females seem innately good at when shopping (think I’ll wait for the sales).
Not denying Covid impact on the health system with this.
I can reliably inform you, about the NZ system, that under staffing, under resourcing, poor planning and neo liberal, market driven politics have done way more damage to our hospitals.
Both National and Labour are responsible for this.
Until recently, I could read the vaccination status of those hospitalised in Stuff articles. Around New Year, it was approx. 50/50 Unvaxxed and not eligible/started their vax regime and fully vaxxed. I have not seen this since New Year.
Bradburys graph looks to show the unvaccinated hospitalization rate increasing 3 or 4 times.
That doesn't make much sense from what I can figure out. As many high risk people should be reduced in the unvaccinated group by having moved over into the vaccinated group by now.
New Yorkers should have plenty of antibodies in the population from previous waves – greater chance of immunity in population.
Omicron is a significantly weaker virus, causing less hospitalizations.
Are you suggesting that graph is fabricated? The Omicron variant has caused a large surge in N.Y. state active COVID-19 cases, currently ~1.7 million (and rising), which is nearly double the previous maximum of ~0.9 million active cases, in Feb. 2021.
Even with protection from vaccination, and/or prior infection (not relevant in NZ), plus improved treatments, a small spike in deaths is inevitable – more than 100 deaths per day (7-day moving average) over the last 6 days for N.Y. state alone .
Well goodness me would you look at those vaccination rates. 'D'ya thunk that might have something to do with it?'
Without the /s hat on I like the naming of the category Covid@home. Hopefully this refers to a programme of nursing in the community ie with GP/Nurse support.
We need Rogan to start yapping about this and perhaps the angry alt-covid choads will be convinced that that yet another miraculous off-label therapy, sculling your own piddle, is being suppressed.
From the article: On Saturday night, when asked about the guns and if he intends to bring them along when conducting the planned arrests, Key told The Daily Beast he is “never about violence.” “I will do it [the citizen arrests] lawfully, and the sheriffs will be with me,” he added.
The guy sounds like a bullshit artist to me. If he seriously plans to pull those guns out on state legislature premises or at governor’s residences this could get very amusing for everybody but him. But one suspects, from what he said above, that he won’t use his guns if nobody from law enforcement is interested in doing the same. And they won’t be.
He sounds like he’s a one man band though, joe. If he turns up alone, at State Capitols, or governors’ official residences, waving his guns (or flamethrower?) around, what do you think is likely to happen? I reckon he’ll find himself staring straight up the barrels of multiple law enforcement firearms & if he’s lucky he’ll be told to drop his firearms & get face down on the ground immediately. If he’s unlucky, he’ll get shot.
In China there is a Urine Therapy Association which claims thousand of members… Though urine has been believed useful for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes in several traditional systems, and mentioned in some medical texts, auto-urine therapy as a system of alternative medicine was popularized by British naturopath John W. Armstrong in the early 20th century.
Armstrong was inspired by his family's practice of using urine to treat minor stings and toothaches, by a metaphorical reading of the Biblical Proverb 5:15 "Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well", and his own experience with ill-health that he treated with a 45-day fast "on nothing but urine and tap water".
Starting in 1918, Armstrong prescribed urine-therapy regimens that he devised to many thousands of patients, and in 1944 he published The Water of Life: A treatise on urine therapy, which became a founding document of the field.
Does anyone have a link to a graph of NZ daily case numbers? Community cases mostly, but would be interested to see MiQ cases too. Want the trend over time.
The Christchurch City Council has sent The Freedom and Rights Coalition group, founded by Destiny Church leader Brian Tamaki, a $14,117.47 invoice for costs it incurred during three protests in Cranmer Square and elsewhere in the city in November and early December. Another invoice will be sent to cover costs associated with Saturday’s protest in Hagley Park and on Riccarton Rd.
The council is also taking action to prevent the coalition and church from holding protests and weekly church services in Cranmer Square. The events, which include staging, portaloos and sound systems, are in breach of a council bylaw and possibly its District Plan too.
Good luck to the Christchurch City Council getting those paid. Apostle Tamaki will probably argue he didn’t personally organise the protests & he didn’t request the services the Council is trying to charge him for.
Will be interesting to see how this pans out though. Hope Stuff follows up the story with updates.
Having now read the story it seems Derek Tait a senior pastor at Destiny Church in Christchurch organised the protests. I expect the Freedom & Rights Coalition will still argue it didn’t request the traffic management & services provided. The police did. They’ll possibly suggest the council bills the police! 😀
That Christchurch City Council has fined Apostle Tamaki AND billed his coalition for traffic management services got a mention on 1ewes at 6 tonight. It also mentioned that Tamaki has denied attending a protest last Saturday & that he says he was attending a “family picnic”. 🙄 I’m sure his invitation was expressed that way. Slippery blighter.
My understanding is the loophole that Djok has used-a positive Covid test within 6 months of needing to be vaccinated-does not exist; this has been explicitly stated by the federal government. It was just the Victorian government and the tennis authorities who decided that this loophole worked and so granted the visa because they were both desperate for him to play in the Oz.
But ScoMo is so pathetic that he may do another u-turn (having already executed one in the Djok case) and allow Djok to play.
I hope this is the case because this is a sure-fire vote loser for him in the upcoming federal elections. Meanwhile Djok has become an icon of the extreme right and anti-vaxxers according to the Guardian today. He is going to get a lovely reception in Melbourne.
They can't really still ban or send Djokovic away can they? Regardless of what transgressions or wrong things they find they can't expel him. Why? Because there'd be riots against that.
But now there is another twist in the saga. Apparently he undertook not to travel for 14 days before travelling to Australia. But there now appear to be social media posts showing him in Belgrade on 26 Dec!
In his Australian traveller declaration, filed on 1 January, Djokovic declared “no” when asked: “Have you travelled or will you travel in the 14 days prior to your flight to Australia?”
The declaration is accompanied with a warning that giving false or misleading information is a “serious offence”, also punishable by civil penalties.
In documents filed to the federal circuit court, Djokovic said that on 1 January he authorised his agent to submit this declaration, before travelling to Melbourne from Spain via Dubai on 4 January.
In his interview with border force officials on 6 January, Djokovic confirmed the declaration was completed by his agent, “based on” his Tennis Australia-approved medical exemption, but was not asked in the interview about travel in the fortnight before arrival.
A Twitter post by a Portuguese tennis reporter, Jose Morgado, appears to show Djokovic was in Belgrade at Christmas, posing with the handball star Petar Djordjic.
And it is alleged he travelled from Belgrade to Spain during the period in question where he practiced before leaving for Australia. There was an item on Stuff (I think) yesterday about it but can't find it now.
Yes he traveled from Spain to Australia – it says so in the Guardian link. Frankly he is playing fast and loose with the rules, and one wonders just how valid that positive test was when we see him supposedly the next day unmasked and in public obviously in good health.
…the vast majority of Australians would cheer to the rafters if he was thrown out…
I think they would too. It must stick in the craw of so many of them seeing a “maskhole” gain entry when their partners/spouses, mums. dads, siblings, cousins and friends can't get back and they are fully vaccinated.
Geez, if I was an Aussie I would be literally smoking from head to feet with anger.
Yes. Judging by this ABC item, it looks like Aussies are pissed off. Setting aside the controversies swirling around him, its the fact he is unvaccinated which is bothering most:
brilliant documentary by Chinese-American director Jessica Kingdon, which slyly observes China’s transition from the world’s factory to a massive consumer society. It’s a film in the tradition of Koyaanisqatsi or Nikolaus Geyrhalter’s Our Daily Bread.
Shot in more than 50 locations in China, it splits more or less into three sections: factory workers, China’s growing middle class and the filthy-rich elite. There’s no voiceover or obvious narrative, just a stream of vignettes – at times an almost surreal compilation of images strung together… There’s a lot of humour in the sections on China’s middle class and super-wealthy. In one semi-excruciating scene pupils at a butler school are instructed in how to take crap from a boss: “No matter how he humiliates you, pretend to be obedient.”
Sports journalist Todd Balym tweeted: "Court documents show Novak Djokovic got his positive Covid test results shortly after 8pm on Dec 16 — so he knew he was Covid positive visiting kids & others the next 2 days. Court might've cleared him today, but public opinion will judge him as a selfish maskhole."
I smiled at the finish in Mark Reason's piece about Djokovic. He'd praised the attitude of Nick Kyrgios who'd said of the Serb , “At the end of the day, he is human. Do better.”
Then Reason finishes: "Let’s remember, in the name of Arthur Ashe, that the world and the tennis world can be a better place if we really put our hearts and minds to it. Let’s start by giving the person close to you a hug."
The day after you find you've got the virus and you're hugging kids at some event?
You are attempting to re-write history here. The right did not choose to go after Turei personally. She attempted to use her past personal circumstances for political purposes and she was found to have exaggerated her situation and in the process she denigrated the family of the father of her daughter. That is why she resigned from politics not because of anything others did to her. It was largely her own doing.
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
Pre-empting your usual derail Gosman. Feel free to hash this one out in OM. But I’m keeping an eye on unfounded assertions about Turei, so mind your manners (and use links to back up).
None of my comments about Turei are unfounded and my comment goes to the heart of your post as you were trying to imply Turei's policy proposals were the cause of her demise. In fact the media were generally supportive of her position and the right wing was no more aggressive in opposing them than any other set of Green party policy they disagreed with. The Greens got a massive boost in popularity as a result and it led directly to Ardern becoming the leader of the Labour party as they went even further behind National as they lost support to The Greens. It was only after her personal story unraveled as a result of people on the left (e.g. the family of the father of the daughter and the two Green party MP’s who resigned in protest at her actions) coming forward that she resigned.
One other commenter talked about Turei, and one responded to that. I've asked them to focus on the post and the GP in 2022//2023. I didn't bother asking you to do that because I knew you would just argue with me.
What element of the Turei situation that I have described do you disagree with? She misrepresented her position and the support she received from her daughters fathers family.
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Treasury’s first report on the economy since the change of government presents a damning indictment of Labour’s economic management. The problem for National is that it is so damning that logically, coupled with a rapidly slowing economy, Finance Minister Nicola Willis should respond to it by postponing or even cancelling ...
Budget tensions are becoming evident within the Coalition Government. Winston Peters made numerous political points in his speech to the NZF annual conference. But the attack on his own government’s fiscal policies raised issues of substance. ‘Today in the Sunday Star Times, journalist and former advisor to the Labour ...
Buzz from the Beehive The media – sure enough – have been binging on Finance Minister Nicola Willis’ release of the Budget Policy Statement and a statement headed Government announces Budget priorities This assures us – or rather, this parrots the Luxon team mantra – that the Budget “will deliver ...
The Ides of March brought me COVID followed by a bereavement. No wonder they tell you to be careful of them.I’m home now and have resumed the interrupted recuperation. Very much looking forward to getting back to regular things. Meanwhile, some thoughts…OneThis new Prime Minister guy just keeps getting more dire. ...
News that the Chinese ATP 40 cyber-hacking unit penetrated parliamentary internet networks in 2021 has renewed concerns about the PRC’s malign intentions in Aotearoa. But is the hack that significant given the length of time that has passed since its … Continue reading → ...
When Parliament passed the Intelligence and security Act in 2017, they assured us all that it was full of safeguards. Any intrusive surveillance of New Zealanders would be subject to a "triple lock", requiring the approval of the Minister and (supposedly independent) Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants, as well as post-facto ...
Eric Crampton writes – Richard Harman’s Politik newsletter provides a bit of the context that ought to have been showing up in other media reports on potential reductions in public service staffing. Media has been reporting on staffing cuts on the order of about 7%. Is that ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – It’s becoming increasingly apparent that many perceive free speech to have become the preserve of the politically right wing, the religiously conservative, the libertarian fringe, the anti-trans, the anti-Māori and…. well, just fill in with whatever groups or individuals you don’t like and don’t ...
Don Brash writes – As everybody who is not blind and deaf is aware, there is a huge political preoccupation with climate change at the moment, a widespread (though by no means unanimous) belief that global temperatures are rising mainly as a result of the greenhouse gases created ...
TL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy on Wednesday, March 27 include:Chris Bishop laid out his vision for filling Aotearoa-NZ’s $100 billion infrastructure deficit in a speech yesterday, emphasising user pays and private funding, but failed to say how to achieve bipartisanship on population, public borrowing and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Former Finance Minister Grant Robertson and former Prime Minister Chris Hipkins have been conveying how unhappy they are with the tax system. Last week in his valedictory speech, Robertson called for the introduction of a wealth or capital gains tax. And this week Hipkins ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Buzz from the Beehive China has loomed large in Beehive considerations over the past 24 hours, largely because of that country’s mischief-making in the cyber espionage department. Two media statements emerged on that subject hard on the heels of the PM baulking at questions put to him on RNZ’s Morning ...
Chris Trotter writes – WHY IS THE NATIONAL PARTY doing so much for landlords, property developers, trucking, and construction companies, and so little for everybody who isn’t already pretty well-off? It’s as if protecting landlords’ investments and building apartments and roads now constitute the whole of National’s ...
Bryce Edwards writes – When she was campaigning to be Minister of Finance last year, Nicola Willis pledged that she would resign from the job if she failed to deliver tax cuts in her first Budget. Now, it’s that pledge, along with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s ...
Robert MacCulloch writes – The Reserve Bank has doubled staff numbers in five years to 510, with personnel costs rising to $80 million in 2023 from $32 million in 2018 – up by a whopping 150%. I guess when you print $50 billion and flood markets with liquidity, ...
The furore. In case you didn’t notice there was a controversy in the weekend involving dolphins in a little town off the South Island. Don’t panic, they haven’t declared independence and resumed whaling, this was simply a sailing event.The problem began when racing was cancelled on the opening day of ...
For 20 years or more, the case for a meaningful capital tax gains has been mulled over and analysed to death, including by the tax working group chaired by Sir Michael Cullen. More than once, the International Monetary Fund has said a CGT would be a good idea for New ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: The Public Health Communications Centre (PHCC) call for urgent preventive action and a risk assessment survey of long covid in this briefing noteLocal scoop: NZ road deaths surpass OECD rates, so why is the govt reversing safety plans? ...
This story was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. This story is part of a collaboration with Grist and WABE to demystify the Georgia Public Service Commission, the small but powerful state-elected board that makes critical decisions about everything from raising ...
This is a guest post from Robert McLachlan Global warming is accelerating; 2023 was off the charts. We need to stop burning fossil fuels. In New Zealand, transport accounts for half of all fossil fuels burnt. In the Emissions Reduction Plan, transport emissions fall 41% by 2035. As the ...
Labour productivity has been receding rapidly over the past two years, reversing a post-lockdown rise. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy as at 6:26am on Tuesday, March 26 include:Workers have been treading water in output per hour worked for 12 years, ...
TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 2 include:Today, Parliament resumes sitting at 2pm for the second week of a two-week session. Officials for SIS and GCSB report their annual reviews in public to the Intelligence and Security Select Committee from 5.10pm.Tomorrow, ...
Faced with a barrage of criticism over the promised tax cuts from usually supportive commentators, Finance Minister Nicola Willis yesterday reaffirmed her intention to include them in this year’s Budget. The Government is up against it over the cuts just about every way it turns. Commentators like Fran O’Sullivan, Matthew ...
Here’s my pick of today’s substack posts as of 6:26pm on Monday, March 25: writes via his substack that Market-rate housing will make your city cheaper writes via his substack about the problems talking to double-cab ute (truck) drivers about their vehicles. today about moments of radicalisation in ...
Buzz from the Beehive Just before Christmas, Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivered something that was pitched as a mini-budget and brayed about the decisive action being taken to repair the Government books and support income tax relief in Budget 2024. In a statement headed Fiscal repair job underway. she introduced ...
My sister Belinda asked Dad yesterday what one word would describe Mum best. He said: vivacious.If you only knew her from the photos on the slideshow we've made for today,you might wonder about that, because the camera tended to lie with Mum.If ever she saw a camera pointed at her, she ...
There are two major public consultations closing in the next week, Auckland Council’s Long Term Plan (LTP), and the draft Government Policy Statement on Land Transport (GPS). Closing dates and times: LTP closes Thursday 28 February, at 11.59pm – a minute to midnight! GPS closes Tuesday 2 April, at 12pm noon – note that’s ...
From Kiwiblog’s David Farrar – Bryce Wilkinson writes: Senior Fellow Bryce Wilkinson’s analysis reveals that since March 2009, New Zealand has spent $158 billion more overseas than it has earned, but its NIIP has only fallen by $32 billion.Statistics New Zealand shows that receipts from overseas reinsurers have ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition? Brian Easton writes – The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could ...
Dear Nicola Willis,Right now you’ve probably got lots of competing demands coming at you. Ministers who’ve inherited quite a mess, or so you’ve told us, looking for money in the budget to improve things. I imagine that’s why they came to parliament - to make things better.You’ll have to make ...
The Local Government, Transport and Auckland Minister hasthreatened councils with intervention if they don’t merge water assets to take them off balance sheet, just as the now-repealed Three Waters plan directed. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things of note this morning for Monday, March 25 include:Simeon ...
A listing of 36 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 17, 2024 thru Sat, March 23, 2024. Story of the week Thanks to John Mason having the stamina to sit down to watch "Climate - the Movie" ...
This morning the Q&A programme had Simeon Brown on to talk about National’s replacement for Three Waters. In case anyone’s forgotten the three are - drinking water, waste water, and sewerage. It’s quite important not to get them mixed up. In much the same way that you wouldn’t want to ...
Today’s newsletter comes with a mini-podcast conversation between me and my buddy Liv Tennet, talking about her time as a child actor in Lord of the Rings. It’s a conversation with a lot of giggles as she talks about falling off a horse, and becoming a meme. Read ...
The Desmog Climate Disinformation Database documents, "individuals and organisations that have helped to delay and distract the public and our elected leaders from taking needed action to reduce greenhouse gas pollution and fight global warming." It's a who's who of the organised climate change denial movement, in other words. In ...
Bob Edlin writes – A High Court judge has decided miscreants who have mana – or who claim to have mana – should be treated differently from miscreants who have none. It’s a ruling that suggests indigenous law-breakers have a better chance of securing a discharge without conviction ...
Welcome to the first, and possibly last, edition of Brickbats, Bouquets and Bull’s Wool. In which I’ll take a look at the events of the last week or so, and rate them.In such ratings the numbers usually have more to do with the opinions of the reviewer, than the actual ...
Roger Partridge writes – My earlier column this month, New Zealand’s highest court could be facing a turning point, prompted a flood of feedback from business readers and lawyers alike. A common query was what Parliament can do to restrain an overreaching judiciary. This week I discuss two steps Parliament ...
TL;DR: In today’s ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.16pm on Friday, March 22: writes about New Zealand's Building Boom—And What the World Must Learn From It over at his substack. challenges the Auckland Council’s use of a 3.8 degrees of warming forecast to oppose a wave-park and data centre project ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition?The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could deliver her promised income tax cuts. Appointed minister, she ...
Buzz from the Beehive Ministers of the Crown have drawn attention to one sector of the science sector which is unlikely to be subjected to heavy spending cuts, a state-funded broadcaster which is doing nicely, thank you, and a sporting event that had $5.4 million from the public purse puffed ...
Abbott’s Freestyle Libre sensors allow continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). The sensor is applied to the back of the patient’s arm, with a thin filament under the skin measuring glucose levels constantly. But it costs around $100 per sensor and must be replaced once every 14 days. Photo by BSIP/Universal Images ...
The Inspector General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS) recently released a report in which he exposes the existence of a foreign intelligence partner-controlled technological “capability” inside the headquarters of the GCSB, NZ’s 5 Eyes-affiliated signals intelligence collection and analysis agency. … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – Nearly three decades after the introduction of MMP and multiparty governments there should be a greater level of understanding about their finer points than often appears to be the case. The reaction to the despicable outburst from the Deputy Prime Minister at the weekend highlights ...
The sweet kisses from fruit of summerHave slowly been turning dullerYou say, "those times"And "remember the daysWhen we went outside and there still was the shade?"Taking no reason into play…Autumn. Clear, blue days shortening to longer nights, growing colder. Aotearoa.That’s us. The temperature dropping, the looming car crash - so ...
Bryce Edwards writes – “It is often said that behind every great man is a great woman”. This is the pitch by the National Party Botany electorate branch to attend their “Ladies Afternoon Tea with Amanda Luxon”. For $110 including GST, you can turn up on Saturday 20 April ...
David Farrar writes – The Electoral Commission has published the expense returns for political parties for the 2023 election. I’ve put them in a table with how many votes a party got so we can see the spend per vote. National only spent $3.34 for every vote they got, almost ...
Winston Peters’ headline-making actions over the past week may have been a show of political power intended to strengthen his hand in Budget negotiations. It was no accident that his State of the Nation speech was as it was. He made it as New Zealand First Leader, not as Deputy ...
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:Former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson bowed out of politics this week, giving a series of exit ...
Graham Adams writes — If you love the law or sausages, as the saying goes, best not to look too closely at how they are made. And after watching the orgy of self-pity when Newshub’s closure was announced on February 28, television journalism should definitely be added to the list of those ...
Venerable New Zealand political commentator, Chris Trotter (https://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/), is a sad creature these days. Once one of the most reliable Leftist writers out there – Economic Left at that – Trotter seems to have absorbed the worldview of Auckland culture-war obsessives. It is not for me to categorise what he ...
The Coalition Government’s plan to ‘get Auckland moving’ is a cuts cover-up that will ultimately cost Aucklanders more to move around the city, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Slashing the Ministry of Pacific Peoples by 40% will have a devastating impact on pacific communities and further highlights how little this government cares about anything other than cutting taxes for the wealthiest few. ...
Labour has proposed an urgent inquiry to investigate the ever-increasing profits of supermarkets, aiming to lower costs for shoppers and food producers alike, says Labour Spokesperson for Commerce and Consumer Affairs Arena Williams and Primary Production Spokesperson Cushla Tangaere-Manuel. ...
With 14% of jobs on the line at the Ministry for Ethnic Communities, the responsible Minister Melissa Lee is failing to stand up for the very communities she’s meant to be representing. ...
COURT OF APPEAL: TRIFECTA OF VICTORY FOR NZ FIRST, TRIFECTA OF FAILURE FOR OPPONENTS For the third time since April 2020, New Zealand First has defeated the Serious Fraud Office and all those complicit in a malicious attack against a political party going about its lawful business in a lawful ...
The Green Party stands with people who live in public housing, people in dire housing need, experts and advocates in demanding better than the Government’s archaic approach to housing those who need our support the most. ...
New Zealand has recently lost the hosting rights of some major international sporting events including the America’s Cup, the Rugby Championship, Netball World Cup, and the Wellington Sevens. We are now at a huge risk of losing SailGP as well. And it won’t stop there. The recent issues with SailGP ...
A Member’s Bill drawn this week would modernise insurance law and make things fairer and more transparent for consumers, Christchurch Central MP Duncan Webb said. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues has confirmed she was aware of funding issues in mid-December and did nothing to stop it. On 14 March, she signed off on changes that were announced and implemented on 18 March without any consultation with disability communities. ...
Green Party MP Julie Anne Genter says her members' bill is an opportunity for the coalition government to plug the gap in electric vehicle incentives. ...
The National Government continues to talk about irresponsible tax cuts that will only drive up inflation, despite the country entering a technical recession. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues must act urgently to reinstate flexibility around the funding for disability support and apologise to disabled carers. ...
This story has been initiated by a leftie shill reporter who proactively sought to call a member of a former band, which disbanded twelve years ago, give their biased appraisal of what was said in my speech, and concocted a ham-fisted attempt at a story that does nothing but show ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Many in the mainstream media have taken what was said in New Zealand First’s State of the Nation Speech in Palmerston North on Sunday and deliberately, deceitfully, and ignorantly misrepresented what I said and why I said it. The headlines and commentary on the news stated that I compared ‘co-governance ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
Good afternoon. Thank you for, in your very busy lives, turning up to this meeting today. On October 14th last year New Zealanders overwhelmingly voted for change. That is exactly what this new government is bringing. New Zealand First campaigned to ‘take back our country’ and stop the disastrous economic ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track 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 publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
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 publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the passing of legislation to move light electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) into the road user charges system from 1 April. “It was always intended that EVs and PHEVs would be exempt from road user charges until they reached two ...
New Zealand is strengthening its ability to combat illegal fishing outside its domestic waters and beef up regulation for its own commercial fishers in international waters through a Bill which had its first reading in Parliament today. The Fisheries (International Fishing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2023 sets out stronger ...
Economists Carl Hansen and Professor Prasanna Gai have been appointed to the Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced today. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is the independent decision-making body that sets the Official Cash Rate which determines interest rates. Carl Hansen, the executive director of Capital ...
Apartment owners and buyers will soon have greater protections as further changes to the law on unit titles come into effect, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Act had already introduced some changes in December 2022 and May 2023, and ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Egypt and Europe from this weekend. “This travel will focus on a range of New Zealand’s traditional diplomatic and security partnerships while enabling broad engagement on the urgent situation in Gaza,” Mr Peters says. Mr Peters will attend the NATO Foreign ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown is encouraging all road users to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. “Road safety is a responsibility we all share, and with increased traffic on our roads expected this Easter we ...
About 1.4 million New Zealanders will receive cost of living relief through increased government assistance from April 1 909,000 pensioners get a boost to Superannuation, including 5000 veterans 371,000 working-age beneficiaries will get higher payments 45,000 students will see an increase in their allowance Over a quarter of New Zealanders ...
Ensuring social housing is being provided to those with the greatest needs is front of mind as the Government restarts social housing tenancy reviews, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. “Our relentless focus on building a strong economy is to ensure we can deliver better public services such as social ...
The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will not go ahead, with Cabinet deciding to stop work on the proposed reserve and remove the Bill that would have established it from Parliament’s order paper. “The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill would have created a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
Dam safety regulations are being amended so that smaller dams won’t be subject to excessive compliance costs, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on reducing costs and removing unnecessary red tape so we can get the economy back on track. “Dam safety regulations ...
The coalition Government is expanding the medium-scale adverse event classification to parts of the North Island as dry weather conditions persist, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “I have made the decision to expand the medium-scale adverse event classification already in place for parts of the South Island to also cover the ...
The passing of legislation giving effect to coalition Government tax commitments has been welcomed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill will help place New Zealand on a more secure economic footing, improve outcomes for New Zealanders, and make our tax system ...
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds today announced plans to transform our science and university sectors to boost the economy. Two advisory groups, chaired by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, will advise the Government on how these sectors can play a greater ...
The Budget will deliver urgently-needed tax relief to hard-working New Zealanders while putting the government’s finances back on a sustainable track, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The Finance Minister made the comments at the release of the Budget Policy Statement setting out the Government’s Budget objectives. “The coalition Government intends ...
The coalition Government will look at options to address a zoning issue that limits how much financial support Queenstown residents can get for accommodation. Cabinet has agreed on a response to the Petitions Committee, which had recommended the geographic information MSD uses to determine how much accommodation supplement can be ...
Cabinet has agreed to a short extension to the final reporting timeframe for the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from 28 March 2024 to 26 June 2024, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says. “The Royal Commission wrote to me on 16 February 2024, requesting that I consider an ...
The coalition Government is delivering an $18 million boost to New Zealanders needing to travel for specialist health treatment, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says. “These changes are long overdue – the National Travel Assistance (NTA) scheme saw its last increase to mileage and accommodation rates way back in 2009. ...
The Government is recognising the innovative and rising talent in New Zealand’s growing space sector, with the Prime Minister and Space Minister Judith Collins announcing the new Prime Minister’s Prizes for Space today. “New Zealand has a growing reputation as a high-value partner for space missions and research. I am ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity, attributed to groups sponsored by the Chinese Government, targeting democratic institutions in both New ...
Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced the appointment of three independent reviewers to lead the Ministerial Inquiry into the Ministry of Education’s School Property Function. The Inquiry will be led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully. “There is a clear need ...
State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns will be open for Easter weekend, with work currently underway to ensure the resilience of this critical route being paused for Easter Weekend to allow holiday makers to travel north, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Today I visited the Brynderwyn Hills construction site, where ...
Introduction Good morning to you all, and thanks for having me bright and early today. I am absolutely delighted to be the Minister for Infrastructure alongside the Minister of Housing and Resource Management Reform. I know the Prime Minister sees the three roles as closely connected and he wants me ...
New Zealand stands with the United Kingdom in its condemnation of People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-backed malicious cyber activity impacting its Electoral Commission and targeting Members of the UK Parliament. “The use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is unacceptable,” Minister Responsible for ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced New Zealand will provide logistics support for the upcoming Solomon Islands election. “We’re sending a team of New Zealand Defence Force personnel and two NH90 helicopters to provide logistics support for the election on 17 April, at the request ...
The European Union Free Trade Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill received Royal Assent today, completing the process for New Zealand’s ratification of its free trade agreement with the European Union. “I am pleased to announce that today, in a small ceremony at the Beehive, New Zealand notified the European Union ...
Public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has concluded, Internal Affairs Minister Hon Brooke van Velden says. “I have been advised that there were over 11,000 submissions made through the Royal Commission’s online consultation portal.” Expanding the scope of the Royal Commission of ...
Hardworking families are set to benefit from a new credit to help them meet their early childcare education (ECE) costs, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. From 1 July, parents and caregivers of young children will be supported to manage the rising cost of living with a partial reimbursement of their ...
A specialised Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) tasked with preparing and publishing independent non-binding advice on the design of a "green" (sustainable finance) taxonomy rulebook is being established, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “Comprising experts and market participants, the ITAG's primary goal is to deliver comprehensive recommendations to the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins has thanked the Chief of Army, Major General John Boswell, DSD, for his service as he leaves the Army after 40 years. “I would like to thank Major General Boswell for his contribution to the Army and the wider New Zealand Defence Force, undertaking many different ...
25 March 2024 Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders Small Business, Manufacturing, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly will travel to Australia for a series of bi-lateral meetings and manufacturing visits. During the visit, Minister Bayly will meet with his Australian counterparts, Senator Tim Ayres, Ed ...
Government commits almost $3 million for period products in schools The Coalition Government has committed $2.9 million to ensure intermediate and secondary schools continue providing period products to those who need them, Minister of Education Erica Stanford announced today. “This is an issue of dignity and ensuring young women don’t ...
Good morning, it’s great to be here. First, I would like to acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors and thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning. I would like to use this opportunity to outline the Government’s ambitious plan and what we hope to ...
Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti has announced the Government’s commitment to the Auckland Secondary Schools Māori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival, more commonly known as Polyfest. “The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is a longtime supporter of Polyfest and, as it celebrates 49 years in 2024, I’m proud to ...
Before moving onto the substance of today’s address, I want to recognise the very significant and ongoing contribution the Breast Cancer Foundation makes to support the lives of New Zealand women and their families living with breast cancer. I very much enjoy working with you. I also want to recognise ...
New Zealand has notched up a first with the launch of University of Canterbury research to the International Space Station, Science, Innovation and Technology and Space Minister Judith Collins says. The hardware, developed by Dr Sarah Kessans, is designed to operate autonomously in orbit, allowing scientists on Earth to study ...
Introduction Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today and I’m sorry I can’t be there in person. Yesterday I started in Wellington for Breakfast TV, spoke to a property conference in Auckland, and finished the day speaking to local government in Christchurch, so it would have been ...
The Coalition Government is contributing more than $1 million to support the establishment of an emergency multi-agency coordination centre in Northland. Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced the contribution today during a visit of the Whangārei site where the facility will be constructed. “Northland has faced a number ...
New Zealanders have enjoyed a broader range of voices telling the story of Aotearoa thanks to the creation of Whakaata Māori 20 years ago, says Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka. The minister spoke at a celebration marking the national indigenous media organisation’s 20th anniversary at their studio in Auckland on ...
Commercial catch limits for some fisheries have been increased following a review showing stocks are healthy and abundant, Ocean and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The changes, along with some other catch limit changes and management settings, begin coming into effect from 1 April 2024. "Regular biannual reviews of fish ...
COMMENTARY:By Ronny Kareni Since the atrocious footage of the suffering of an indigenous Papuan man reverberates in the heart of Puncak by the brute force of Indonesia’s army in early February, shocking tactics deployed by those in power to silence critics has been unfolding. Nowhere is this more evident ...
Analysis - Nicola Willis is holding firm on tax cuts despite the economic outlook being worse than forecast and critics urging her to wait, writes Peter Wilson for The Week In Politics. ...
Opposition MPs and unions are criticising a proposal by New Zealand’s Ministry of Pacific Peoples to cut staff by 40 percent. The country’s largest trade union — The Public Service Association — says the ministry has informed staff that it is looking to shed 63 of 156 positions. Opposition MPs ...
A poem by Poetry Aotearoa Yearbook 2024 featured poet Carin Smeaton. Daughtr of the 90s when she gets promoted to usherette a baby blu eel carries her all the way up to mothership she’s hovering high she lets the underaged in to see keanu reeves she lets the only lonely ...
Analysis by Keith Rankin. Keith Rankin, trained as an economic historian, is a retired lecturer in Economics and Statistics. He lives in Auckland, New Zealand. My earlier article – Can ‘Good’ be the Greater Evil? – looked at the issue of how wars should end, and how Good versus Evil ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 AMMA by Saraid de Silva (Moa Press, $38)A stunning debut novel reviewed by Brannavan ...
From Steve Martin to Ricky Stanicky, a pick’n’mix of things worth watching and listening to this long weekend. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. If you’re at a loss for something to occupy yourself with this Easter, don’t panic: The Spinoff’s got ...
Jesus had dinner with his 12 disciples right before he died. Noted historian Madeleine Chapman finds out who really deserved to be there.First published in 2018 but let’s be honest, the subject is timeless. As you sit on your couch this Easter Sunday, eating a chocolate egg you know ...
The newly-promoted Northern League club is on a mission to return to the National League for the first time in two decades. Plenty about domestic football in New Zealand has changed in that time – but the sense that this amateur competition is not an entirely level playing field remains. ...
Auckland Council has put a deadline on new weather-impacted property owners applying for categorisation as government funding looks set to run out. Councillors have voted to support a deadline of September 30 for property owners who haven’t accessed support to come forward and engage with the council’s recovery office. It ...
NONFICTION 1 BBQ Economics by Liam Dann (Penguin Random House, $40) “It’s official,” wrote Dann nine days ago in the Herald, where he works as business editor at large, “we’re in recession.” Yeah, great. He delivered the bad stats: “GDP fell 0.1 percent in the December 2023 quarter, compared with ...
Comment: Every year on February 2, a dozen men in tuxedos and top hats approach the burrow of a groundhog in Gobbler’s Knob, Pennsylvania and entice the beaver-like rodent to emerge and predict the weather. If the groundhog, named Punxsutawney Phil, sees its own shadow when it is summoned, legend ...
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I've been watching last night's TDB podcast on the economy of 2022, in which Bomber orchestrates a foursome with commentary from Bernard, a prominent entrepreneurial economist, Simon, the lawyer National is using as finance spokesperson due to having nobody in their caucus with financial expertise, and Damien, the libertarian Stuff columnist ex-criminal.
Bomber asked Bernard if the current Minister of Finance would get a knighthood for creating a new class of wealthy property speculators. Bernard started by saying that he'd probably get one anyway. Nice evasion there.
Labour would probably say "No no, you mustn't think that. It was all an unfortunate accident!" That the kiwi middle class transformed itself into a landlord class is best framed the way Labour views it: "Elephant in the room?? Where? Can't see one, don't be ridiculous!"
Thatcher preached the gospel of mum & dad investors 40 years ago and the political left and right have been locked into collusion ever since, implementing her vision.
Vital that Labour never tells the truth about doing this! No worries, pretence is something that Labour excels at – perhaps the only thing. Having operated as the Alternative National Party for so long now, the people who believed Labour was the exact opposite of National are now all dead. So Sir Grant will happen due to his resolute practice of Thatcherism.
Then Bernard said everyone believes their home values will continue to double every two years, so they make economic planning decisions on that basis. BAU. Then he said it was unsustainable, and there ought to be a govt agency created to implement a policy of zero house price inflation. Noticing that something intelligent was happening, Bomber immediately called for a commercial break.
If interested, watch at 43 mins in: https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2022/01/10/7-30pm-tonight-the-working-group-1-hour-economy-special-with-bernard-hickey-simon-bridges-damien-grant/
We are all dead? Lol Not yet!! Might be true in another 10 years.
Okay. Sorry.
But it does raise the question of how you rationalise their adherence to neoliberalism along with National's – and in particular their coproduction of the enlarged landlord class.
Dennis, Thatcher went to war, did not believe in community, practiced austerity and raising taxes. This Labour Government has had to battle housing as every country World wide is doing. Singapore's approach is thought provoking, but they are able to make dictates. To say this Government is the same as National would be is a real stretch. Remember we are a democracy so the middle way tends to rule. When revolutions occur they seldom favour the poor, rule of law agreements between parties cities countries is the best we have managed. We tie it to Trade so we are hogtied.
Dunno about the Thatcher raising taxes bit. Misprint?
I agree there are significant tonal differences between Labour & National but the economic ideology is shared. I agree the middle way works best but it also preserves inertia and our global situation makes that lethal.
Here's the evidence of the impact of 30 years of global talkfests:
Evidence that democracy works clocks in at exactly zero. Prediction: retards will ignore the evidence and continue to believe in democracy.
Democracy dosn't work?….who should make the rules we live by?
God (which version)?…
Some foreign power?…
Alphabet Inc?…
Or perhaps we should forget about rules altogether?
forget about rules
Depends which game it's best to be playing, eh? Rules are made to be broken, some folks think. When global climate changes, it's a game-changer world we find ourselves shifting into. Old mental patterns make us part of the problem.
We need to flex to adapt to the times we're in. Default dependency on democracy locks us into failure. Therefore those intent on surviving will shift out of that mindset. Whatever works will do.
That said, rules can be retained on a utility basis in contexts where they can be seen to still work okay. I reckon the best way forward is to combine pragmatic usage of stable systems (like law) with innovative & inventive alterations to them.
Lol….so no idea then.
Democracy is crap but all the alternatives are worse….so somebody once said.
so no idea then
It puzzles me that you'd jump to that conclusion. As if you'd never heard of improvisation. As if you'd never noticed how well it works in real life.
As if you've never deduced that it works because it's context-driven. As if you're unaware that our changing global climate context requires us to improvise. As if you've never actually thought about that.
Anyway, it was Winston Churchill. Different geopolitical context, get it? Humanity can't progress when people default to failed ways of thinking. Get that head out of the sand!
The problem is that your framing is so puzzling, Dennis.
Evidence that democracy works clocks in at exactly zero. Prediction: retards will ignore the evidence and continue to believe in democracy.
The fact is Democracy has worked very well in numerous countries for a century or more. As evidenced by the number of democracies. Has worked better than 2 of the 3 the classic examples of Facism (Franco’s fascist state lasted until his death), & both Soviet-style & Mao-style Communism, for example.
Re your response to pat’s challenge to identify a better system:
It puzzles me that you’d jump to that conclusion. As if you’d never heard of improvisation. As if you’d never noticed how well it works in real life.
Democracies – particularly those that have employed capitalism – have thrived on improvisation. That’s how so much scientific & technological progress has been made in Western democracies. And improvisation also works well in societies that foster a DIY culture, at the national & individual level.
As if you’ve never deduced that it [democracy?] works because it’s context-driven. As if you’re unaware that our changing global climate context requires us to improvise. As if you’ve never actually thought about that.
Humanity can’t progress when people default to failed ways of thinking. Get that head out of the sand!
You’re barking up the wrong tree, imo. Because international global talkfest consensus decisions haven’t done enough to solve the GHG global warming-induced Climate Crisis is not down to a failure of Democracy as a system of government. Many nations that aren’t democracies have participated. There is NO World Democracy.
So, pat’s question was perfectly valid. If you think democracie won’t work for solving the climate crisis – what other system of government – for either the World or individual nations – do you propose as the alternative system of government which will?
Although autocracies, if they really grasp the nettle, might perhaps be more likely to enforce the industrial, social & lifestyle changes needed to sharply head off global warming on their populations – I’m not sure any (like China) have actually done so yet.
In my view people living in democracies are more likely to come up with the alternative lifestyles & produce the technical innovations needed to address the problems of climate change than autocracies or any other form of government.
what other system of government – for either the World or individual nations – do you propose as the alternative system of government which will?
I think that's the pertinent bit to respond to. Gezza, I take the point that my brevity provided insufficient framing.
First, a serious global crisis requires a serious global solution. Democracy has never been implemented at the global level. Few still expect the UN to deliver it.
Lateral thinking is required. In social change, that usually takes the forms I pointed out to Pat: invention & innovation. A suitable model is the one deployed to bring the Cold War to a successful conclusion, which I've discussed on various occasions here during the past seven years.
It was based on reciprocity & mutual benefits just like capitalism (trading, deals) and used a ratchet design mechanism for arms reduction which Reagan made famous with the slogan https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trust,_but_verify
But the strategy was derived from a famous computer tournament in the early 1980s, [see here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Evolution_of_Cooperation%5D and that's the inventive bit.
Nobody would think a computer game could end a war that had lasted decades, right? They proved it could, and did. Lateral thinking.
Now consider the zillions of dollars lying around doing nothing useful in a multitude of billionaire bank accounts. Gates & Buffet have been modelling philanthropy to target inequality etc – why not global warming? It's just a mental switch. When switched, seems obvious in retrospect & everyone wonders why it took so long to think of it.
Consider inventors as a reservoir of talent waiting to be used. Create a tournament for them to submit competing designs, use a panel of suitable political/economic/cultural experts to award prizes to winners by consensus. Design criteria to prioritise the best fixes most likely to work in practice would be essential…
Now you see what I have done here? I have reframed your question about types of governance into the relation of global problem to global solution. Such innovative mass psychology is the key.
consider the zillions of dollars lying around doing nothing useful in a multitude of billionaire bank accounts. Gates & Buffet have been modelling philanthropy to target inequality etc – why not global warming? It’s just a mental switch. When switched, seems obvious in retrospect & everyone wonders why it took so long to think of it.
Consider inventors as a reservoir of talent waiting to be used. Create a tournament for them to submit competing designs, use a panel of suitable political/economic/cultural experts to award prizes to winners by consensus. Design criteria to prioritise the best fixes most likely to work in practice would be essential…
Good idea. (How do you know Gates and Buffett aren’t already investing in climate change solutions, btw? I haven’t looked. Have you?)
Now you see what I have done here? I have reframed your question about types of governance into the relation of global problem to global solution. Such innovative mass psychology is the key.
What I see is that you have a good idea that you could simply have stated as such at the outset & not distracted yourself, pat, me, and possibly other readers, by a completely unnecessary peripatetic wandering around the completely irrelevant subject of democracy before you got there.
I haven’t looked. Have you?
No, that's too likely to be a waste of time. Both mainstreamers!
the completely irrelevant subject of democracy
Had to do that due to it being the prevalent belief system. Only with continual focus on the mismatch between belief & reality can you hope to jolt them out of the habitual attachment. Einstein's dictum re insanity comes to mind: they keep doing global climate conferences in the hope that nations will implement output decisions in national policy. That continual policy implentation failure is rooted in democracy.
That’s got nothing to do with democracy & everything to do with international consensus decision-making which is not the same thing.
You should probably check out Gates & Buffett in case they are already doing something along the lines of what you suggest. How do they choose what projects to invest in?
But if not, having a good idea is fine, but getting it implemented is what counts. How do you propose to get it implemented? Who are you going to propose your idea to?
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates on Thursday said his climate investment fund would pledge $1.5 billion for joint projects with the federal government to combat climate change if Congress passes a bipartisan infrastructure plan that funds clean energy technologies.
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/08/12/bill-gates-pledges-1point5-billion-for-infrastructure-plans-climate-projects-.html
Huh?? You really don't believe that legislation to enact international agreements isn't part of democracy?? On what basis?
Wtf has that got to do with your suggestion, or the point you were making about innovation & inventions being needed to help address climate change?
AFAIK Democracies AND autocracies both domestically legislate to give effect to their signups to international agreements that require this to happen. (Whether they employ/enforce & honour that legislation might be another matter.)
Are you proposing to get democracies to legislate to make your suggestion, & inovation & invention compulsory?
Sorry, but I’m not wasting any more time & energy on your convoluted & hopelessly philosophically muddled approach to this topic Dennis. You’ve gone down a rabbit hole, imo.
Like the Ozzies? Ignore the "rule of law"?
Democracy doesn't work. We need decisiveness and positive action.
For that it is best to have one person in charge at the top of the pyramid and they rule and instigate action by those further down. Who carry out the dictates not of themselves but of those atop them. Carry out without deviation or variation based on personal interpretation.
For our first such sortie into getting rid of talkfests and prevarication and establishing firm, unequivocal, certain parameters for the society to operate under, I would suggest the first person to be our leader should be Kiwi Jong-un. I'm sure there is someone out there to fill that bill.
it is best to have one person in charge at the top of the pyramid and they rule and instigate action by those further down. Who carry out the dictates not of themselves but of those atop them. Carry out without deviation or variation based on personal interpretation.
Otherwise known as the Führerprinzip. The problem with this system is that absolute power often corrupts absolutely. And if the Führer is wrong or goes insane no one can do anything about it unless & until they kill them, or they kill themselves.
You mean that guy with the swishback & dark glasses. Christian. Good at telling people what to do. They even reward him with money. God's will be done!
One of the pitfalls National are going to have to avoid is being branded as Labour Lite. Their usual mantra of less spending = tax cuts is off the agenda given the Covid situation. If they propose more housing, more hospitals, schools and general infrastructure, Labour Lite. If they try do lift the poverty stats via Working for Families, Labour Lite. Climate change, Labour Lite.
Fascinating.
What a battle it will be…Labour lite vs National …lite!
National can never be branded Labour lite as long as the pandemic lasts.
National may pose as Labour lite for all they like, but history shows that voters would be making a big mistake to trust them to follow through.
Jim Bolger played the Labour lite card to win the 1990 election, promising to reverse a lot of the unpopular right wing neo-liberal policies of the Lange/Douglas administration. Bolger promised to stop the privatisations of state assets, promised to repeal the Superannuation Surcharge, promised students to cut student debt and user pays in tertiary education brought in by the Lange/Douglas administration.
All these reversals gave birth to the populist NZ First Party. Formed in revolt against National's reversals, NZ First acted to keep the Bolger administration in power as a support party. Despite their leader promising to never work with that man.
Luxton might try to promise the electorate that a National Party led administration, backed by NZ First and Act will handle the pandemic better than a Labour led administration. But no one would believe him.
The one place that shows that National stays true to their profit before people ethos and does not, can not, play the Labour Lite card is around the pandemic.
Despite the cost in deaths and sickness, private profit will always be prioritised over public health by National.
And this is the one defining issue of our time that separates National from Labour where there can be no hiding.
Agree Jenny, Nats constant "open up" cries show where their values lie. Like Scotty from Marketing, "Let it rip" Our family over in Oz are truly affected by that.
Wont matter what national says, itll be austerity and sewage in the hospital walls if national gets back in.
On a far more serious matter, I suspect Latham will enforce the follow on.
The bowlers’ workload yesterday wasn’t that great. BD’s batters will be a little shellshocked, and you want to take the weather out of the equation altogether.
Why wouldn't you enforce the follow on? Batting first and last is how to make the most use of the available playing time.
Most test match captains do not enforce the follow on these days. But in this situation, with the NZ bowlers able to start fresh again this morning, and with such a massive lead, it makes sense to enforce it.
Follow on must be enforced. 300 plus run lead, fresh bowlers (less overs bowled than 50 over match) and the possibility of some inclement weather as it's NZ).
Short and sweet.
In a sea of disinformation and longwinded paranoid far right conspiracy theories. Martyn Bradbury employs the Kiss Principle.
Excellent piece by bomber.
Interesting graph and an important one for NZ, thanks.
Makes sense given the Imperial College London study that shows the reduction in omicron severity is much greater in the vaccinated, compared to the unvaccinated.
So some of his commenters jump into playing at the competing graphs game. Then we got Ethan Woke:
I wonder if his surname signifies he's an aspirational leader for the wokester tribe?
NSW having a terrible time hospitals are struggling health professionals burning out.
Because mainly the unvaxxed overloading the health system.
Can't link but govt stats show 63% of covid infected hospitalizations are unvaccinated yet only make up less than20% of the population.Partially vaccinated 18% fully vaccinated only 1.8% yet they make up nearly 80% of the population.
Yeah, have already noticed that pattern. Belief systems are inertial & when they are incompatible with reality then adherents deny reality. They deny evidence such as statistics.
Neuroscience has documented how this works – emotions prevail over logic. Emotional attachments to what people already think they know prevail over new info that conflicts with their knowledge.
Yes, yes, this all well-known & has been exploited by advertisers & propagandists for a century or more. But it doesn’t always apply to everything for everbody (Most Germans realised they were losing the war while the rabid Nazis were still choosing to believe Dr Goebels).
And it often doesn’t apply to those who are aware of their emotional responses but prefer to employ research, analysis, logic & reasoning to their decision-making. Which many females seem innately good at when shopping (think I’ll wait for the sales).
Not denying Covid impact on the health system with this.
I can reliably inform you, about the NZ system, that under staffing, under resourcing, poor planning and neo liberal, market driven politics have done way more damage to our hospitals.
Both National and Labour are responsible for this.
Until recently, I could read the vaccination status of those hospitalised in Stuff articles. Around New Year, it was approx. 50/50 Unvaxxed and not eligible/started their vax regime and fully vaxxed. I have not seen this since New Year.
Bradburys graph looks to show the unvaccinated hospitalization rate increasing 3 or 4 times.
That doesn't make much sense from what I can figure out. As many high risk people should be reduced in the unvaccinated group by having moved over into the vaccinated group by now.
New Yorkers should have plenty of antibodies in the population from previous waves – greater chance of immunity in population.
Omicron is a significantly weaker virus, causing less hospitalizations.
Are you suggesting that graph is fabricated? The Omicron variant has caused a large surge in N.Y. state active COVID-19 cases, currently ~1.7 million (and rising), which is nearly double the previous maximum of ~0.9 million active cases, in Feb. 2021.
Even with protection from vaccination, and/or prior infection (not relevant in NZ), plus improved treatments, a small spike in deaths is inevitable – more than 100 deaths per day (7-day moving average) over the last 6 days for N.Y. state alone .
Tasmania opened up 26 days ago with zero Covid cases.
Well goodness me would you look at those vaccination rates. 'D'ya thunk that might have something to do with it?'
Without the /s hat on I like the naming of the category Covid@home. Hopefully this refers to a programme of nursing in the community ie with GP/Nurse support.
We need Rogan to start yapping about this and perhaps the angry alt-covid choads will be convinced that that yet another miraculous off-label therapy, sculling your own piddle, is being suppressed.
https://twitter.com/JewishResister/status/1480407490034552832
Aha
So full of piss!!!
Or
A piss take???
Dude's got a car full of guns and a flamethrower and reckons he's off to all the blue states to see the governors.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/anti-vax-leader-traveling-country-with-guns-flamethrower-and-fake-badge-prepared-to-arrest-dem-governors
From the article:
On Saturday night, when asked about the guns and if he intends to bring them along when conducting the planned arrests, Key told The Daily Beast he is “never about violence.” “I will do it [the citizen arrests] lawfully, and the sheriffs will be with me,” he added.
The guy sounds like a bullshit artist to me. If he seriously plans to pull those guns out on state legislature premises or at governor’s residences this could get very amusing for everybody but him. But one suspects, from what he said above, that he won’t use his guns if nobody from law enforcement is interested in doing the same. And they won’t be.
Or not..
https://twitter.com/SenPolehanki/status/1255899318210314241
He sounds like he’s a one man band though, joe. If he turns up alone, at State Capitols, or governors’ official residences, waving his guns (or flamethrower?) around, what do you think is likely to happen? I reckon he’ll find himself staring straight up the barrels of multiple law enforcement firearms & if he’s lucky he’ll be told to drop his firearms & get face down on the ground immediately. If he’s unlucky, he’ll get shot.
Got trendy in the '90s – I saw a feature in Nexus. My reaction was ugh! Still is. Origin part-biblical: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urine_therapy
Pretty sure virgin boy eggs take the biscuit.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virgin_boy_egg
Blech! I don't even do insects. Leave that to the hillbillies in Westland.
Novak wins his appeal…
'I want to stay': Novak Djokovic heads straight to Australian Open courts after huge legal victory | Stuff.co.nz
Does anyone have a link to a graph of NZ daily case numbers? Community cases mostly, but would be interested to see MiQ cases too. Want the trend over time.
there's this but it doesn't separate out community from MiQ
https://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/diseases-and-conditions/covid-19-novel-coronavirus/covid-19-data-and-statistics/covid-19-current-cases
this one is better but still the combined numbers
https://ig.ft.com/coronavirus-chart/?areas=nzl&areasRegional=usny&areasRegional=usnh&areasRegional=uspr&areasRegional=usdc&areasRegional=usfl&areasRegional=usmi&cumulative=0&logScale=0&per100K=0&startDate=2021-06-01&values=cases
RNZ has a good dashboard everything you want.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/in-depth/450874/covid-19-data-visualisations-nz-in-numbers
perfect, thanks.
Thanks Poission-excellent. That has been bookmarked.
God will provide: https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/coronavirus/127463307/council-sends-14000-traffic-management-bill-to-antigovernment-protesters
Good luck to the Christchurch City Council getting those paid. Apostle Tamaki will probably argue he didn’t personally organise the protests & he didn’t request the services the Council is trying to charge him for.
Will be interesting to see how this pans out though. Hope Stuff follows up the story with updates.
Having now read the story it seems Derek Tait a senior pastor at Destiny Church in Christchurch organised the protests. I expect the Freedom & Rights Coalition will still argue it didn’t request the traffic management & services provided. The police did. They’ll possibly suggest the council bills the police! 😀
That Christchurch City Council has fined Apostle Tamaki AND billed his coalition for traffic management services got a mention on 1ewes at 6 tonight. It also mentioned that Tamaki has denied attending a protest last Saturday & that he says he was attending a “family picnic”. 🙄 I’m sure his invitation was expressed that way. Slippery blighter.
My understanding is the loophole that Djok has used-a positive Covid test within 6 months of needing to be vaccinated-does not exist; this has been explicitly stated by the federal government. It was just the Victorian government and the tennis authorities who decided that this loophole worked and so granted the visa because they were both desperate for him to play in the Oz.
But ScoMo is so pathetic that he may do another u-turn (having already executed one in the Djok case) and allow Djok to play.
I hope this is the case because this is a sure-fire vote loser for him in the upcoming federal elections. Meanwhile Djok has become an icon of the extreme right and anti-vaxxers according to the Guardian today. He is going to get a lovely reception in Melbourne.
They can't really still ban or send Djokovic away can they? Regardless of what transgressions or wrong things they find they can't expel him. Why? Because there'd be riots against that.
But now there is another twist in the saga. Apparently he undertook not to travel for 14 days before travelling to Australia. But there now appear to be social media posts showing him in Belgrade on 26 Dec!
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2022/jan/11/australian-border-force-investigating-whether-novak-djokovic-made-false-travel-claim
And it is alleged he travelled from Belgrade to Spain during the period in question where he practiced before leaving for Australia. There was an item on Stuff (I think) yesterday about it but can't find it now.
Yes he traveled from Spain to Australia – it says so in the Guardian link. Frankly he is playing fast and loose with the rules, and one wonders just how valid that positive test was when we see him supposedly the next day unmasked and in public obviously in good health.
Pete: IMHO the vast majority of Australians would cheer to the rafters if he was thrown out-it is a vote winner for ScoMo.
The federal government has the power to throw him out-they control the borders.
…the vast majority of Australians would cheer to the rafters if he was thrown out…
I think they would too. It must stick in the craw of so many of them seeing a “maskhole” gain entry when their partners/spouses, mums. dads, siblings, cousins and friends can't get back and they are fully vaccinated.
Geez, if I was an Aussie I would be literally smoking from head to feet with anger.
Yes. Judging by this ABC item, it looks like Aussies are pissed off. Setting aside the controversies swirling around him, its the fact he is unvaccinated which is bothering most:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-01-12/novak-djokovic-in-australian-open-visa-limbo/100750800
So there's a
East converging on west, huh? But more authentically 19th century than our feeble Nat/Lab simulation. Butler school!
11 January 2022 at 12:55 pm
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/world-reacts-to-novax-court-document-damning-photos-expose-novak-djokovic/4OG4MUVZY4BUABENXMRV3JDG3M/
Will he or won't he play in the Australian Open?
I smiled at the finish in Mark Reason's piece about Djokovic. He'd praised the attitude of Nick Kyrgios who'd said of the Serb , “At the end of the day, he is human. Do better.”
Then Reason finishes: "Let’s remember, in the name of Arthur Ashe, that the world and the tennis world can be a better place if we really put our hearts and minds to it. Let’s start by giving the person close to you a hug."
The day after you find you've got the virus and you're hugging kids at some event?
https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/opinion/127474497/mark-reason-the-crazy-trial-of-novak-djokovic-and-why-nick-kyrgios-has-a-point
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/world-reacts-to-novax-court-document-damning-photos-expose-novak-djokovic/4OG4MUVZY4BUABENXMRV3JDG3M/
You are attempting to re-write history here. The right did not choose to go after Turei personally. She attempted to use her past personal circumstances for political purposes and she was found to have exaggerated her situation and in the process she denigrated the family of the father of her daughter. That is why she resigned from politics not because of anything others did to her. It was largely her own doing.
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
Pre-empting your usual derail Gosman. Feel free to hash this one out in OM. But I’m keeping an eye on unfounded assertions about Turei, so mind your manners (and use links to back up).
None of my comments about Turei are unfounded and my comment goes to the heart of your post as you were trying to imply Turei's policy proposals were the cause of her demise. In fact the media were generally supportive of her position and the right wing was no more aggressive in opposing them than any other set of Green party policy they disagreed with. The Greens got a massive boost in popularity as a result and it led directly to Ardern becoming the leader of the Labour party as they went even further behind National as they lost support to The Greens. It was only after her personal story unraveled as a result of people on the left (e.g. the family of the father of the daughter and the two Green party MP’s who resigned in protest at her actions) coming forward that she resigned.
Next time, make your comment more relevant to the post. It's not about Turei and what happened, it's about how the GP are now.
What is interesting is a number of posters on that thread have essentially reiterated the comments I made (but gone in to more detail).
again, this here is why I pre-empted the derail.
One other commenter talked about Turei, and one responded to that. I've asked them to focus on the post and the GP in 2022//2023. I didn't bother asking you to do that because I knew you would just argue with me.
Yeah right Gosman mansplaining your way out again have you anything better to do maybe you could look up Paula Bennetts accuser on Facebook.
The compare that to how Materia Turei was treated.
You would never accept the truth a true born to rule Narcissisy
What element of the Turei situation that I have described do you disagree with? She misrepresented her position and the support she received from her daughters fathers family.
Imagine what Shaw COULD have done.
So many years wasted.
Except at 7-10% for a term their members and supporters are simply content.
The Greens alone hold the Greens back.
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
Oh please your self-flattery is absurd.
In 2022 you've finally admitted something is deeply wrong. Everyone saw it but you.
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
Stay out of the post for the rest of the day. Can’t be bothered with your trolling.