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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Open access notables Glacial isostatic adjustment reduces past and future Arctic subsea permafrost, Creel et al., Nature Communications:Sea-level rise submerges terrestrial permafrost in the Arctic, turning it into subsea permafrost. Subsea permafrost underlies ~ 1.8 million km2 of Arctic continental shelf, with thicknesses in places exceeding 700 m. Sea-level variations over glacial-interglacial cycles control ...
The operating system (OS) is the heart and soul of a computer, orchestrating every action and interaction between hardware and software. But have you ever wondered where on a computer is the operating system generally stored? The answer lies in the intricate dance between hardware and software components, particularly within ...
Laptops have become essential tools for work, entertainment, and communication, offering portability and functionality. However, with rising energy costs and growing environmental concerns, understanding a laptop’s power consumption is more important than ever. So, how many watts does a laptop use? The answer, unfortunately, isn’t straightforward. It depends on several ...
Screen recording has become an essential tool for various purposes, such as creating tutorials, capturing gameplay footage, recording online meetings, or sharing information with others. Fortunately, Dell laptops offer several built-in and external options for screen recording, catering to different needs and preferences. This guide will explore various methods on ...
A cracked or damaged laptop screen can be a frustrating experience, impacting productivity and enjoyment. Fortunately, laptop screen repair is a common service offered by various repair shops and technicians. However, the cost of fixing a laptop screen can vary significantly depending on several factors. This article delves into the ...
Gaming laptops represent a significant investment for passionate gamers, offering portability and powerful performance for immersive gaming experiences. However, a common concern among potential buyers is their lifespan. Unlike desktop PCs, which allow for easier component upgrades, gaming laptops have inherent limitations due to their compact and integrated design. This ...
The annual inventory report of New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions has been released, showing that gross emissions have dropped for the third year in a row, to 78.4 million tons: All-told gross emissions have decreased by over 6 million tons since the Zero Carbon Act was passed in 2019. ...
Experiencing a locked computer can be frustrating, especially when you need access to your files and applications urgently. The methods to unlock your computer will vary depending on the specific situation and the type of lock you encounter. This guide will explore various scenarios and provide step-by-step instructions on how ...
While the world has largely transitioned to digital communication, faxing still holds relevance in certain industries and situations. Fortunately, gone are the days of bulky fax machines and dedicated phone lines. Today, you can easily send and receive faxes directly from your computer, offering a convenient and efficient way to ...
In our increasingly digital world, home computers have become essential tools for work, communication, entertainment, and more. However, this increased reliance on technology also exposes us to various cyber threats. Understanding these threats and taking proactive steps to protect your home computer is crucial for safeguarding your personal information, finances, ...
In the ever-evolving world of technology, server-based computing has emerged as a cornerstone of modern digital infrastructure. This article delves into the concept of server-based computing, exploring its various forms, benefits, challenges, and its impact on the way we work and interact with technology. Understanding Server-Based Computing: At its core, ...
The absolute brass neck of this guy.We want more medical doctors, not more spin doctors, Luxon was saying a couple of weeks ago, and now we’re told the guy has seven salaried adults on TikTok duty. Sorry, doing social media. The absolute brass neck of it. The irony that the ...
Buzz from the Beehive Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones relishes spatting and eagerly takes issue with environmentalists who criticise his enthusiasm for resource development. He relishes helping the fishing industry too. And so today, while the media are making much of the latest culling in the public service to ...
Having written, taught and worked for the US government on issues involving unconventional warfare and terrorism for 30-odd years, two things irritate me the most when the subject is discussed in public. The first is the Johnny-come-lately academics-turned-media commentators who … Continue reading → ...
Eric Crampton writes – Kainga Ora is the government’s house building agency. It’s been building a lot of social housing. Kainga Ora has its own (but independent) consenting authority, Consentium. It’s a neat idea. Rather than have to deal with building consents across each different territorial authority, Kainga Ora ...
Muriel Newman writes – The Coalition Government says it is moving with speed to deliver campaign promises and reverse the damage done by Labour. One of their key commitments is to “defend the principle that New Zealanders are equal before the law.” To achieve this, they have pledged they “will not advance ...
Chris Trotter writes – The absence of anything resembling a fightback from the public servants currently losing their jobs is interesting. State-sector workers’ collective fatalism in the face of Coalition cutbacks indicates a surprisingly broad acceptance of impermanence in the workplace. Fifty years ago, lay-offs in the thousands ...
Mariupol, on the Azov Sea coast, was one of the first cities to suffer almost complete destruction after the start of the Ukraine War started in late February 2022. We remember the scenes of absolute destruction of the houses and city structures. The deaths of innocent civilians – many of ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – Ten years ago, I wrote the following in a Listener column: Every year around one in five new-born babies will be reliant on their caregivers benefit by Christmas. This pattern has persisted from at least 1993. For Maori the number jumps to over one in three. ...
Climate change is expected to generate more and more extreme events, delivering a sort of structural shock to inflation that central banks will have to react to as if they were short-term cyclical issues. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s ...
It’s a simple deal. We pay taxes in order to finance the social services we want and need. The carnage now occurring across the public sector though, is breaking that contract. Over 3,000 jobs have been lost so far. Many are in crucial areas like Education where the impact of ...
Hi,A friend had their 40th over the weekend and decided to theme it after Curb Your Enthusiasm fashion icon Susie Greene. Captured in my tiny kitchen before I left the house, I ending up evoking a mix of old lesbian and Hillary Clinton — both unintentional.Me vs Hillary ClintonIf you’re ...
This is a re-post from Andrew Dessler at the Climate Brink blogIn 2023, the Earth reached temperature levels unprecedented in modern times. Given that, it’s reasonable to ask: What’s going on? There’s been lots of discussions by scientists about whether this is just the normal progression of global warming or if something ...
The schools are on holiday and the sun is shining in the seaside village and all day long I have been seeing bunches of bikes; Mums, Dads, teens and toddlers chattering, laughing, happy, having a bloody great time together. Cheers, AT, for the bits of lane you’ve added lately around the ...
Today in our National-led authoritarian nightmare: Shane Jones thinks Ministers should be above the law: New Zealand First MP Shane Jones is accusing the Waitangi Tribunal of over-stepping its mandate by subpoenaing a minister for its urgent hearing on the Oranga Tamariki claim. The tribunal is looking into the ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. ...
Citizen Science writes – Last week saw two significant developments in the debate over the treatment of trans-identifying children and young people – the release in Britain of the final report of Dr Hilary Cass’s review into gender healthcare, and here in New Zealand, the news that the ...
One night while sleeping in my bed I had a beautiful dreamThat all the people of the world got together on the same wavelengthAnd began helping one anotherNow in this dream, universal love was the theme of the dayPeace and understanding and it happened this wayAfter such an eventful day ...
This is a guest post by Oscar Simms who is a housing activist, volunteer for the Coalition for More Homes, and was the Labour Party candidate for Auckland Central at the last election. ...
Turning what Labour called the “holiday highway” into a four-lane expressway from Auckland to Whangarei could bring at least an economic benefit of nearly two billion a year for Northland each year. And it could help bring an end to poverty in one of New Zealand’s most deprived regions. The ...
Tonight’s six-stack includes: launching his substack with a bunch of his previous documentaries, including this 1992 interview with Dame Whina Cooper. and here crew give climate activists plenty to do, including this call to submit against the Fast Track Approvals bill. writes brilliantly here on his substack ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
You're in the mall when you hear it: some kind of popping sound in the distance, kids with fireworks, maybe. But then a moment of eerie stillness is followed by more of the fireworks sound and there’s also screaming and shrieking and now here come people running for their lives.Does ...
Karl du Fresne writes – There’s a crisis in the news media and the media are blaming it on everyone except themselves. Culpability is being deflected elsewhere – mainly to the hapless Minister of Communications, Melissa Lee, and the big social media platforms that are accused of hoovering ...
I don’t normally send out two newsletters in a day but I figured I’d say something about… the news. If two newsletters is a bit much then maybe just skip one, I don’t want to overload people. Alternatively if you’d be interested in sometimes receiving multiple, smaller updates from me, ...
Buzz from the Beehive David Seymour and Winston Peters today signalled that at least two ministers of the Crown might be in Wellington today. Seymour (as Associate Minister of Education) announced the removal of more red tape, this time to make it easier for new early learning services to be ...
Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. Our political system is suffering from the ...
David Farrar writes – The Broadcasting Standards Authority ruled: Comments by radio host Kate Hawkesby suggesting Māori and Pacific patients were being prioritised for surgery due to their ethnicity were misleading and discriminatory, the Broadcasting Standards Authority has found. It is a fact such patients are prioritised. ...
PRC and its proxies in Solomons have been preparing for these elections for a long time.A lot of money, effort and intelligence have gone into ensuring an outcome that won’t compromise Beijing’s plans. Cleo Paskall writes – On April 17th the Solomon Islands, a country of ...
Is speeding up the trip to and from Wellington airport by 12 minutes worth spending up more than $10 billion? Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me in the last day to 8:26 am today are:The Lead: Transport Minister Simeon Brownannounced ...
You're a fraud, and you know itBut it's too good to throw it all awayAnyone would do the sameYou've got 'em goingAnd you're careful not to show itSometimes you even fool yourself a bitIt's like magicBut it's always been a smoke and mirrors gameAnyone would do the sameForty six billion ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections The June general election in Mexico could mark a turning point in ensuring that the country’s climate policies better reflect the desire of its citizens to address the climate crisis, with both leading presidential candidates expressing support for renewable energy. Mexico is the ...
2024, it feels, keeps presenting us with ever more challenges, ever more dismay.Do you give up yet? It seems to ask.No? How about this? Or this?How about this?When I say 2024 I really mean the state of humanity in 2024.Saturday night, we watched Civil War because that is one terrifying cliff we've ...
Buzz from the Beehive A pet project and governmental tunnel vision jump out from the latest batch of ministerial announcements. The government is keen to assure us of its concern for the wellbeing of our pets. It will be introducing pet bonds in a change to the Residential Tenancies Act ...
A recent report generated from a Growing Up in New Zealand (GUiNZ) survey of 1,224 rangatahi Māori aged 11-12 found: Cultural connectedness was associated with fewer depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms and better quality of life. That sounds cut and dry. But further into the report the following appears: Cultural connectedness is ...
David Farrar writes – The Herald reports: From the gory details of job-cuts news, you’d think the public service was being eviscerated. While the media’s view of the cuts is incomplete, it’s also true that departments have been leaking the particulars faster than a Wellington ...
Remember the good old days, back when New Zealand had a PM who could think and speak calmly and intelligently in whole sentences without blustering? Even while Iran’s drones and missiles were still being launched, Helen Clark was live on TVNZ expertly summing up the latest crisis in the Middle ...
Costello did not pass on analysis of the benefits of the smokefree reforms to Cabinet, emphasising instead the extra tax revenues of repealing them. Photo: Hagen Hopkins, Getty Images TL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me at 7:26 am today are:The Lead: Casey Costello never passed on ...
True loveYou're the one I'm dreaming ofYour heart fits me like a gloveAnd I'm gonna be true blueBaby, I love youI’ve written about the job cuts in our news media last week. The impact on individuals, and the loss to Aotearoa of voices covering our news from different angles.That by ...
While commentators, including former Prime Minister Helen Clark, are noting a subtle shift in New Zealand’s foreign policy, which now places more emphasis on the United States, many have missed a key element of the shift. What National said before the election is not what the government is doing now. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
The Government’s newly announced review of methane emissions reduction targets hints at its desire to delay Aotearoa New Zealand’s urgent transition to a climate safe future, the Green Party said. ...
The Government must commit to the Maitai School building project for students with high and complex needs, to ensure disabled students from the top of the South Island have somewhere to learn. ...
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey and his Government colleagues have made a meal of their mental health commitments, showing how flimsy their efforts to champion the issue truly are, says Labour Mental Health spokesperson Ingrid Leary. ...
Māori are yet to see anything from this Government except cuts, reversals and taking our people backwards, Māori Development spokesperson Willie Jackson said. ...
The Coalition Government’s refusal to commit to ongoing funding for social housing is seeing the sector pull back on developments and families watch their dreams of securing a home fade away, says Labour Housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty. ...
Changes to minimum wage and benefit indexation means many New Zealanders will get less this year, as the Government gives a big tax break to landlords instead. ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector. "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today paid tribute to Singapore’s outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Meeting in Singapore today immediately before Prime Minister Lee announced he was stepping down, Prime Minister Luxon warmly acknowledged his counterpart’s almost twenty years as leader, and the enduring legacy he has left for Singapore and South East ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. While in Singapore as part of his visit to South East Asia this week, Prime Minister Luxon also met with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and will meet with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has made further appointments to the Board of Antarctica New Zealand as part of a continued effort to ensure the Scott Base Redevelopment project is delivered in a cost-effective and efficient manner. The Minister has appointed Neville Harris as a new member of the Board. Mr ...
Finance Minister Nicola Willis will travel to the United States on Tuesday to attend a meeting of the Five Finance Ministers group, with counterparts from Australia, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. “I am looking forward to meeting with our Five Finance partners on how we can work ...
The coalition Government has today announced purrfect and pawsitive changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to give tenants with pets greater choice when looking for a rental property, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Pets are important members of many Kiwi families. It’s estimated that around 64 per cent of New ...
State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the Government has also asked NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) to consider and provide advice on a Long Tunnel option, Transport Minister Simeon Brown ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters have condemned Iran’s shocking and illegal strikes against Israel. “These attacks are a major challenge to peace and stability in a region already under enormous pressure," Mr Luxon says. "We are deeply concerned that miscalculation on any side could ...
Hundreds of people in little over a week have turned out in Northland to hear Regional Development Minister Shane Jones speak about plans for boosting the regional economy through infrastructure. About 200 people from the infrastructure and associated sectors attended an event headlined by Mr Jones in Whangarei today. Last ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti has today thanked outgoing Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora Chair Dame Karen Poutasi for her service on the Board. “Dame Karen tendered her resignation as Chair and as a member of the Board today,” says Dr Reti. “I have asked her to ...
The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has signalled their proposed delivery approach for the Government’s 15 Roads of National Significance (RoNS), with the release of the State Highway Investment Proposal (SHIP) today, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Boosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Government’s plan to ...
New Zealand is renewing its connections with a world facing urgent challenges by pursuing an active, energetic foreign policy, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “Our country faces the most unstable global environment in decades,” Mr Peters says at the conclusion of two weeks of engagements in Egypt, Europe and the United States. “We cannot afford to sit back in splendid ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced the Australian Governor-General, His Excellency General The Honourable David Hurley and his wife Her Excellency Mrs Linda Hurley, will make a State visit to New Zealand from Tuesday 16 April to Thursday 18 April. The visit reciprocates the State visit of former Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced that Medsafe has approved 11 cold and flu medicines containing pseudoephedrine. Pharmaceutical suppliers have indicated they may be able to supply the first products in June. “This is much earlier than the original expectation of medicines being available by 2025. The Government recognised ...
New Zealand and the United States have recommitted to their strategic partnership in Washington DC today, pledging to work ever more closely together in support of shared values and interests, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The strategic environment that New Zealand and the United States face is considerably more ...
April 11, 2024 Joint Declaration by United States Secretary of State the Honorable Antony J. Blinken and New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs the Right Honourable Winston Peters We met today in Washington, D.C. to recommit to the historic partnership between our two countries and the principles that underpin it—rule ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced further New Zealand cooperation with the United States in the Pacific Islands region through $16.4 million in funding for initiatives in digital connectivity and oceans and fisheries research. “New Zealand can achieve more in the Pacific if we work together more urgently and ...
Kia Ora Gaza A passionate haka reverberated through Auckland International Airport as a medical team of three New Zealand doctors received an emotional farewell from a big crowd of supporters before flying to Turkey to join the international Freedom Flotilla to Gaza. The doctors, who left Auckland yesterday, hope to ...
With submissions closing today, Macassey-Pickard says groups around the country have been supporting a huge range of people to make their submissions. ...
Our response to the new legislation is informed by targeted conversations with practitioners working in the system and through an implementation lens. ...
The new ‘Fast-track Approvals Bill’ would give just three Ministers the power to approve or deny development projects. They would avoid the usual checks and balances that are in place to protect rivers, land, the ocean, and communities. ...
COMMENTARY:By Eugene Doyle Helen Clark, how I miss you. The former New Zealand Prime Minister — the safest pair of hands this country has had in living memory — gave a masterclass on the importance of maintaining an independent foreign policy when she spoke at an AUKUS symposium held ...
The government's released the list of organisations provided with information on how to apply - just hours before public submissions on the bill close. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Milton Speer, Visiting Fellow, School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, University of Technology Sydney Before climate change really got going, eastern Australia’s flash floods tended to concentrate on our coastal regions, east of the Great Dividing Range. But that’s changing. Now ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elizabeth Finkel, Vice-Chancellor’s Fellow, La Trobe University Sia Duff / South Australian Museum In February, the South Australian Museum “re-imagined” itself. In the face of rising costs and inadequate government funds, CEO David Gaimster, who took the reins last June, declared ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alan Pearce, Professor, School of Allied Heath, Human Services & Sport, La Trobe University, La Trobe University This week, Collingwood AFL player Nathan Murphy announced his retirement, brought on by his concussion history and ongoing issues. The 24-year-old’s seemingly sudden retirement, ...
The Mental Health Foundation provides support and resources for those facing the loss of their job, so it’s wrong in the very week the Government adds another 1000 jobs to its tally of cuts, that this is happening. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexander Howard, Senior Lecturer, Discipline of English and Writing, University of Sydney Daniel Boud/Sydney Theatre Company Decay, terror, revulsion. These are three of the central themes of Thomas Bernhard’s rarely performed play The President. The Austrian is one of the greatest ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ye In (Jane) Hwang, Postdoctoral Research Associate at School of Population Health, UNSW Sydney Shutterstock You’d be hard pressed to find any aspect of daily life that doesn’t require some form of digital literacy. We need only to look back ten ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says threats by ministers Shane Jones and David Seymour to reform or close down the Waitangi Tribunal were “ill-considered”, as legal experts say the ministers may have breached Cabinet Manual conventions. “I think those comments are ill-considered and we expect all ministers to actually exercise good ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rob Newton, Professor of Exercise Medicine, Edith Cowan University Pexels/RDNE stock project You’re not in your 20s or 30s anymore and you know regular health checks are important. So you go to your GP. During the appointment they measure your waist. ...
A new poem by Evangeline Riddiford Graham. Mitochondrial Problem I. It was long drive to Kansas for the man and his dog but you have to understand he said She doesn’t fly. Which calls to mind not carsick shitting barking or whining but a dog who chooses not to as ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Hemingway’s Goblet by Dermot Ross (Mary Egan Publishing, $38)Hot off the press, this debut ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Laura Wajnryb McDonald, PhD candidate in Criminology, University of Sydney Less than 24 hours after Ashlee Good was murdered in Bondi Junction, her family released a statement requesting the media take down photographs they had reproduced of Ashlee and her family without ...
Chief executive Shaun Robinson said it has not had any government funding cut, but government-funded contracts have not kept pace with rising costs. ...
The Ministry of Health has delayed the release of its evidence brief on the safety, reversibility and mental health and wellbeing outcomes for puberty blockers. While we wait, Julia de Bres speaks to those with firsthand experience. Best practice gender-affirming healthcare is based on trans people’s self-determination and agency. The ...
Barcelona’s city streets have gone from traffic-clogged to pedestrian-friendly. How? Superblocks. Ellen Rykers explains. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week I read a great interview with renowned urbanist Janette Sadik-Khan by The Spinoff’s Wellington editor Joel MacManus: “You can reimagine streets, ...
Student groups ‘Climate Action VUW’, Schools Strike 4 Climate and VUWSA will be on the street in Wellington today, the last day for submissions on the Fast-track Approvals Bill, with a message that the fight against the Government’s ‘War on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sofia Ammassari, Research Fellow, Griffith University Since 2014, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popularity has grown exponentially – and so has the formidable organisational machine of his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). These two factors will be key to delivering the BJP a ...
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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.