A Christchurch man who is going through a terrifying extortion ordeal wonders how many others might have been caught up in it.
Newstalk ZB has seen text messages sent to the man from an 020 number, demanding money or threatening violence against him and his family.
He believes his phone number was taken from advertising he placed in a local paper.
The man has gone to police who said they have had multiple complaints about the phone number.
He received the first phone call earlier this week. The call lasted for five minutes, but the ordeal lasted for an hour with the man constantly calling back and texting.
“I originally got told this person was a member of a gang and that a debt had been passed on and I now owed him the money.
“I asked ‘what debt? I don’t owe any money to anyone’ and he said [he knew who I worked for].
“He said I couldn’t go to police. It was actually terrifying as he started to threaten my kids and family.”
…..snip….
One scam reported by Southern District Police uses an automated message in a Kiwi accent.
The message says, “This is the Police you owe money to Inland Revenue, if you don’t pay you will be arrested. Please call 04 889 0505”.
When rung a person asks for your name and IRD number.
Another scam is said to use an automated call in a Chinese accent claiming to be from DHL.
“The automated call tells the phone user that DHL has goods waiting for them and that they need to press 9 to talk to somebody to discuss, and if they press 9 the call then goes to a person who will ask for personal information,” Senior Sergeant Charles Ip said.
Since TS is embarking on a new beginning, could I ask a favour which will hopefully be backed up by others.
Psycho Milt and One Anonymous Bloke apparently copped lengthy bans some time ago. I know OAB can be a bit pithy at times but he is ultra smart and his one/two liners are insightful and valuable. Pyscho Milt is also a valuable contributor for similar reasons.
I don’t know if either are willing to return, but they have been ‘punished ‘ for long enough. Any chance the ban can now be reversed?
Regardless of which commenters a person may agree with – or not as the case may be – there seems to be an inconsistency in the time spans of some of the more lengthy bans. I hope the authors are still working on introducing a fairer system that is acceptable to everyone.
We need social blog sites that promote sensible thoughts, so we need all to stick together as the “fake news media are so rampant out there and we need urgent balance to their crap.
And we do need to put the spotlight on ‘where is the Minister of Broadcasting’?
She (Clare Curran) was promising us a commercial free ‘investigative Journalism’ type channel seven called RNZ-plus) to be in service by now!!!!! but still as of now we have nothing yet to “add some balance the right wing troll media” and worse we have seen or heard nothing from this Minister who appears to be just a total wasted space and an embarrassment to us all and the Labour lead Government.
if I was Jacinda I would replace her now and find a real active strong Minister who will give us a voice that we need so desperately now since the rest of the media is trying to destroy the government.
“And we do need to put the spotlight on ‘where is the Minister of Broadcasting’?”
….add to that the Ass. Minister for State Services (Open Government).
MIA she is, in a foggy cloud…
TS was missed and agree with the donation thing. We are blessed here not only with a well functioning website with excellent archive access and search facility but the lack of advertising is singularly delightful.
Yes i do have deep misgivings with the Minister here as in November we asked Clare Curran to help get a new RNZ reporter for HB/Gisborne and Minister Curran refused in her letter to us that she would not get involved then!!!!.
So she didn’t mind that we were left without a reporter (under two years of national)
Now we cant even get the reporter now (assigned) “finally” to cover our transport issues as the new reporter said to us she was to busy!!!!!!
So the Minister has made a mess of everything here now.
The project remains unfinished because local authorities are yet to sign-off regulatory permits for a state-of-the-art abattoir, despite repeat efforts by the New Zealand Ambassador to get things moving.
On December 6 last year the governance group held a teleconference, with the Mfat representative advising, “the Al Khalaf Group had located the legal documents required by the Mayor [redacted] and these documents had been delivered to the Mayor’s office”.
Apparently they lost the paper work for a couple of years
Duh
National are still spinning that it was “Labour’s fault …”. I read somewhere that the anger was not so much at the ban of live sheep exporting but a National promise to lift the ban that was reneged on. The FTA has stalled and would have no matter what National did. So throwing the scary “$4.5 Billion dollar problem” phrase around is more spinning (aka lying).
They must be worried that this huge waste of money makes their claims that “more doctor not diplomats” shows they are useless at running a country and their criticisms of the Coalition are hollow at best.
Oh i read the article, i meant that dan Bidiot (or what ever) didn’t really give an answer to the question at any stage, or said agreed to both sides of a debate, ignored actual facts, went on tangents.. I mean if I lived in Northcoate I would want a bit more coherence from my elected official than what that transcript suggested
I’d live to see the government’s Kiwibuild’s like Unitec site have cheap rental accomodation reserved for teachers, firefighters and police workers. Not only is it important to be able to have these important people’s skills kept in NZ cities that are increasingly becoming less affordable with less rental accomodation but it would also serve a valuable function for those who think that there are more ‘social’ issues in social housing.
I can’t see a policeman letting his neighbour cook P for example or beat their partner up. Likewise having teachers around in a community that should be serving the poorer members of society.
I just hope these government land from the tax payer does not just end up as speculative purchases onsold in a few years… which clearly will happen if the government does not get it’s act together in ensuring they have non repealable conditions as long term state housing.
That may not be so simple as it seems on the surface but… it’s also completely brilliant. What I and a lot of my peers lacked as young folk was decent role models. Absentee/abusive parents were very common.
A community where key community players were present, and actually part of the community (not visiting with big sticks), could go a long way towards restoring some sense of stability and safety for people who’ve known neither. It does put a lot of onus on the people of service however.
Stability is key to turning lives around. Most street people are PTSD via what they’ve endured at the hands of their caregivers, often the state. Just putting National in power is enough to see many slink back into addiction and despair. A mob that not only doesn’t care, but actively victimises you.
Last time Labor was in power many fringe types were empowered to try their hand at life. I personally saw several long term performing artists off the dole. Some are now in the international spotlight.
Try that with Nats in power. Fines, benefits cut off, fraud accusations – “we were just trying to start a business”… Great talents kicked till they stay down.
I remember getting hauled over the coals age 18 for not being on WINZ books – it’s true! “But how did you live, you must be lying to us” – I lived in the bush. I was 16 going on 17, and I’d already had a gutsful.
Got to wonder if there’s any relationship between managements. Sounds as if someone was pretty determined to shovel more money in the builders’ direction.
Construction, banking and cow corporate welfare is what this country has become. All the laws and red carpet to keep the often poorly run businesses, getting benefits at every turn and employing cheerleaders to keep the pressure on government for them to get more benefits with less regulation, chugging along.
“Did they get financial advice? This is a shambles.”
The minutes of the CMDHB meetings provided at the bottom of that page says it all.
“A shambles” is an understatement. One day someone…Hager, are you free?…will properly investigate shit like this. We’re talking billions of tax dollars being poured down the throats of vultures like these.
And no sanctions for gross fuckups….just more contracts.
“Hawkins built the Botany Downs Secondary College in Auckland.
A related company, H Construction North Island – formerly called Hawkins Construction North Island – was last week ordered by the High Court to pay $13.4 million for a raft of construction errors at the leaky, damp, and rotting college.
Orange H Group – H Construction’s shareholder – has now been put in receivership.
It will now be up to receiver McGrath Nicol to decide what happens to the millions of dollars the Ministry of Education is owed.
Hawkins also built the four worst leaking buildings at Middlemore Hospital less than 20 years ago.
H Construction has gone into receivership owing a total of $30m.
Orange H director David McConnell said they decided some time ago to exit the construction industry “principally because of the dramatic rise in the risk profile” borne by contractors.
This same rise in risks was cited by Fletcher when its building unit announced it was closing up gradually after suffering $1 billion of losses.
Mr McConnell said Orange H took the decision reluctantly to go into receivership.
“The process to secure final payments from the various customers has been complex and has taken a lot longer than anticipated and created a cash flow timing issue,” he said.
“We were also concerned that a number of parties were commencing legal action and we were mindful of our responsibility to exercise our fiduciary duties.”
There was “significant value” in Orange H with all but two of the legacy projects now completed and only minor work still outstanding on one of these, Mr McConnell said.
“The board’s focus is now to leave the company in the best possible position for the receivers to achieve substantial recoveries.”
The board of trustees at Botany Downs Secondary College said it had not yet heard about the company going into liquidiation.
The school was disappointed, but not entirely surprised to hear the news, chair Murray Goodman said.
The board would wait for more instructions from the Ministry of Education on the matter.
In March 2017, Downer purchased the Hawkins brand, some projects, assets and employees, and called it Hawkins 2017 Limited.
Previous projects and a number of ongoing projects done by Hawkins or related companies – such as the Botany Downs school and Middlemore Hospital buildings – were retained by Orange H Group, part of McConnell Limited. Orange H is distinct from Hawkins.”
Slimy, wriggly arsed, bottom-feeding scumsuckers are everywhere….
Test as two previous comments submitted without problems have not appeared.
OK – this one worked without problems. But two previous comments to the “Toby Manhire Owns Ms Bennett” post did not (the second a repeat of the first), Not important or presumably contentious comments and no loss. From Vodaphone ISP.
Just the tip of the ice berg. I’d like to see government audits every year to make sure all these “IT errors” on the banks and financial industry are found and not permanently ripping off people who have nobody anymore to check up on the big business in any real terms. Would also help the banks and the government, if they screw up over years that’s a large hole in their accounts for the future and they go bankrupt.
While they are about it, would help people feel better if their cash was actually insured like other normal countries so that people don’t lose all their savings if they stuff up aka all the financial crashes not so long ago. Had a family member lose all their savings in Hanover finance for a deposit on their first home. They had to start out again with nothing. The banks should pay for the insurance and bail outs not the government or tax payers.
ANZ credits customers $10m after loan payment mix-up
“…. selling about $11 million of medical equipment, mostly sterilisers, to a finance company, then leasing them back.
This was an “unusual” method to get around the fact that usual sources of capital spending would not have been available for such a non-priority building, she said.
“It’s a very bad deal….””
Accompanying photo has an unfortunately inanely grinning acting CEO…
Now you are suggesting that Willis’ older clone*, Judith Collins, should be the one to lead National back to the promised land. Make up your mind, man. LOL
I really laughed when I watched Jude’s performance the other day. The person in the House I would least call ‘petulant’ is Jacinda Ardern – and the one I would most call ‘petulant’ is none other than Judith Collins herself.
* As I said in one of my comments under your ‘Willis for PM’ post last week, Willis seems like a younger Collins; and she seems to already be forming a fan club around herself amongst the younger, newer Nat MPs.
Bridges in his reshuffle following his rise to the Nat leadership has already moved a number of the older Nats further to the retirement back benches (eg Maggie Barry) and younger ones (eg Sarah Dowie) well up the list and into spokesperson positions. Others, eg Collins, I suspect he is keeping on the front bench from the perspective of keep your friends close but your enemies even closer. Time will tell …
“But Puckish Rogue, only a week ago you were proclaiming that Nicola Willis would be the next PM of NZ!”
I hope she can forgive my momentary lapse of reason (she will of course because shes just so awesome like that)
“As I said in one of my comments under your ‘Willis for PM’ post last week, Willis seems like a younger Collins; and she seems to already be forming a fan club around herself amongst the younger, newer Nat MPs.”
The future is looking bright for NZ
“Bridges in his reshuffle following his rise to the Nat leadership has already moved a number of the older Nats further to the retirement back benches (eg Maggie Barry) and younger ones (eg Sarah Dowie) well up the list and into spokesperson positions. Others, eg Collins, I suspect he is keeping on the front bench from the perspective of keep your friends close but your enemies even closer. Time will tell …”
The sooner he moves Paula Bennett closer to retirement the better
Yes PR another strange thing occurred today see here;
The Greens have decided on a candidate to run in North cote against National and Labour, now we know why we decided to leave the Green Party 15 yrs ago, and now feel vindicated as the greens are handing National another pass card after giving the question time to national already so they are showing us some inside the greens want to go with National as a Blue/green combo i believe now.
The story appears over on TDB.today.
Northcote by-election: Greens select Rebekah Jaung as candidate – is it worth it?
By Martyn Bradbury / May 11, 2018 /
The Greens are sick of being seen as a puppet for Labour and are desperate to show some independence, but was this by-election the best way to do that?
Actually i agree with it, the Greens will have looked at the Maori Party and Act and would know the danger of being seen to be lap dogs plus they also get to campaign for more party votes
@ cleangreen (10.1.1.1) … Not a good move at all from the Greens.
Seems to me Greens are putting up a challenge to the very coalition government they are part of, through selecting a candidate to contest the Northcote byelection! Strange!
I too have a feeling they are edging closer to going over to the Natz dark side eventually.
If they continue with these anti coalition tactics, then Greens can kiss my vote goodbye for good at the next election.
BTW where is Marama Davidson? I supported her being co leader. But she seems not to be making any impact at all so far!
Just watched the first minute and yes Ms Collins socking it…………She would have been a better choice for Nats. Do you see blood on the floor before 2020?
Also what are your thoughts about Ms Collins detour to have dinner with officials of Oravida and a Chinese boarder official when her husbands company were having difficulty getting their product into China after the baby infant formula isssue. She was paid to go there on Govt business. Just interested to hear your take on that.
It was investigated I believe and no wrong doing found. If you think there was wrong doing then perhaps you should lobby the current government to re-open the investigation.
No I don’t think the current govt will or should re-open that enquiry. To much other stuff to fix that impacts on kiwis lives…..although a fuller enquiry into dirty politics would be worthy. Have you read the book?
Gosman it was a massive conflict of interest. And some would say corrupt. Would you disagree with that? I didn’t read the report but my understanding was the terms of reference were kept very narrow.
I am just so happy we have this coalition govt who are fixing up years of neglect….yah
“Just watched the first minute and yes Ms Collins socking it…………She would have been a better choice for Nats. Do you see blood on the floor before 2020?”
I can’t answer because I’m biased so any answer i give would be less my head and more my heart but i will say I would like to see Jude take the leadership before the 2020 election
“Also what are your thoughts about Ms Collins detour to have dinner with officials of Oravida and a Chinese boarder official when her husbands company were having difficulty getting their product into China after the baby infant formula isssue. She was paid to go there on Govt business. Just interested to hear your take on that.”
My thoughts is that situation was wonderfully muddied (and well done to Labour)
Ok that’s cool puckish. I hope Jude doesn’t get the leadership as she is a bigger threat to us I think. I thought Simon would do better, and I thought David cunliffe and Andrew little would swing things for the left. I completely under estimated jacinda, who I think is outstanding…….so I wouldn’t trust my own judgement about leadership. I am pleased with the coalition. Extremely pleased. I want Middlemore fixed, I want child poverty reduced. I want a significantly improved mental health service (it deteriorated badly under national, trust me it’s my field)…..I want someone to at least attempt to fix the housing crisis and Auckland’s transport woes”……….theses things inspire me. On and throw climate change into that.
Tell me what is it about National that inspires you? Aside from Jude that is
Please make her leader – her vicious sociopathy and questionable past (smirkingly condoning prison rape for example) will turn normal people off in droves.
“So, the Ombudsman, who is meant to be the defender of transparency and the public participation it enables, thinks the public shouldn’t be able to have a say on policy until the government has already decided what’s going to happen. To put things back into his metaphor, in his view we don’t get to decide where we’re going to go, how we’re going to get there, or even if we’re going to go on a trip at all. But we might get to choose the music we listen to or which cafe we stop at along the way, if the government hasn’t already made up its mind about these things.
No matter which way you look at it, this is a deeply impoverished view of public participation. Pretty obviously, it reflects central government’s view of this – where they make the decisions, and public “consultation” is simply a rubberstamp designed to build legitimacy rather than give us a real say. But public participation is supposed to serve the interests of the people, not the government, and the Ombudsman is supposed to protect it. How the fuck is this supposed to be guarding the mana of the people?”
That’s exactly the impression I got from a quick skim of the paper.
I will give the paper better scrutiny later…always wise to better learn the ways of the enemy.
On this very important issue I am not in any way optimistic that this government has any greater interest in transparency and accountability than the Last Lot.
Yes Rosemary;
The trouble with new governments is that they rely to much on their In-house ‘advisers’ and stray off course so this appears to be just another example of the same result being contrary to what they promised us all at the election.
I’m sure one day, one of the pre-election promises will be met. Perhaps someone can raise an OIA on their modelling from 2 years ago…but best expect a redacted blank page to be returned.
Indiana visit labour’s website or go back through Gordon Campbell’s articles. There is a list of everything the coalition has done to date and it’s an impressive list. They will honour their election promises on for exampl e free drs, it will just be a little delayed. In my o wn life I would find that acceptable and it happens frequently every people saying they will deliver things by a certain date and then usually for 7nderstandable reasons the date is pushed back. Most of us are flexible enough to accept this
The ‘Capital Charge’……..probably one of the early initiatives in neo-lib thinking that is now coming into question. It was a feature of the new corporatised public service (during that era when greed became good, and John Travolta and an Olivia neutron bomb were wobbling their arses as though they were more special than the next person)…… that fishint n fektiv n de-pliticoised civil service that was designed to do us all proud.
While they’re busy reviewing the fishinsy n fektivness and worth of that ‘Capital Charge, they might consider applying the same criteria to a good many of the complete fucking Muppetry heading our ‘officlaldom’.
Sometimes I’ve had cause to reference the early pages of the telephone directory.
I find it difficult to find many of the bits that are listed in the government section one could genuinely describe as fully functioning (fishint n fektiv n apolitical) entities.
And let’s be clear, it’s NOT generally down to the plebs at the front line of these entities …. it IS the leadership (the senior and muddle management) – and the culture they instill in their plebs (often ambitious little units anxious to climb the ladder and end up as the next generation of muppetry if only in pursuit of a higher salary and prestigious job title going forward)
First up in the directory is ….. ACC. Then we have Ray Smith’s Corrections.
Next,, nothing too Earth shattering, but a bit of a fuckup if you’re an artist …. Creative NuZull….then Keating’s Defence Force…..then EQC (just check out tonight’s news and all its implications)…then Education Ministry Of.
I’m too scared to travel further, because we’re getting close to Health, and Transport/ Infrastructure, and WINZ , and Primary Industries and perhaps the biggest bugger’s muddle of all which is Mr Smol’s Joyce/Coleman Ministry of Everything.
Whilst I’l hold the ladder steady for Shane Shane – because sure as shit I’m not coming down into his arms, he does have a point in that some serious review is necessary in the muddle and senior management, and that is probbly long overdue.
I heard on Radionz about a good action of The Warehouse helping a woman who needed to escape an obssessed and violent partner, she was given time off and was relocated. One small step for womankind, one great step for one woman and her family.
Now if women can choose to not involve a partner from the first if there is likely to be violence or very erratic behaviour, it would be better. It is only the contempt of the politicians who consider sex moral corruption and illegitimacy the road to hell, that has forced women to be glued to the father often to the detriment of the child and the mother. If she refuses to be involved, she has benefit withheld as a sanction.
Look at all the synonyms relating to the adjective ‘immoral’. It is obviously
something that highly angers people, more than other bad activities that are not connected to simply being loving but when humanness and fertility unfortunately combine.
What a mouthful of dislike:
not conforming to accepted standards of morality.
“unseemly and immoral behaviour”
synonyms: unethical, bad, morally wrong, wrongful, wicked, evil, unprincipled, unscrupulous, dishonourable, dishonest, unconscionable, iniquitous, disreputable, fraudulent, corrupt, depraved, vile, villainous, nefarious, base, unfair, underhand, devious; sinful, impure, unchaste, unvirtuous, shameless, degenerate, debauched, abandoned, dissolute, reprobate, perverted, indecent, lewd, licentious, wanton, bawdy, lustful, promiscuous, whorish;
informal shady, low-down;
informal dodgy, crooked, not cricket;
archaic miscreant
“they deplored immoral behaviour among the upper classes”
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Prof Tony Blakely, Prof Michael Baker, and Prof Nick WilsonThe NZ Government must do more to clearly articulate its COVID-19 strategy: eradication or ‘flattening the curve’ mitigation. But to do so means understanding the maths and ethics of both these strategies. In this blog, we adapt our work for ...
A few days ago I was starting to write something about the pandemic, which now seems unconscionable. It took the form of a letter to an agony aunt:“Dear Deidre, I have an ugly confession. I am quite excited by Covid-19.”This is how the piece went:“I’m not a psychopath, honest. Although the ...
Story of the Week... Toon of the Week... Climate Feedback Article Review... Coming Soon on SkS... Climate Feedback Claim Reviews... SkS Week in Review... Poster of the Week... Story of the Week... In Just 10 Years, Warming Has Increased the Odds of DisastersThe likelihood of extreme events ...
Last week, the government announced a $12 billion initial package to support people during the pandemic. Today, the Reserve Bank is buying government bonds - effectively printing money - to keep up the money supply during the crisis. Normally such moves would have the right apoplectic. Instead, the National Party ...
I am a pundit, somebody who opines and comments on the news. There are no real qualifications to punditry though having a rudimentary way with words and good general knowledge helps. That is one reason there is a constant oversupply of would-be pundits and why it is quite hard to ...
I recently encountered the following prescription from a Faculty of Education at a leading New Zealand University. At first I wondered if it was another product of the postmodern generator (http://www.elsewhere.org/journal/pomo/), designed to create gibberish in the postmodern form, but I’m told it is real: The “schooled” society: Towards the ...
The coronavirus pandemic has of course had a major impact on individual lives and on societies as a whole. But, long after the crisis has passed (assuming it does), we will begin to realise that its real and lasting significance lies in the lessons it has taught us, if only ...
COVID-19 has plunged Aotearoa New Zealand (indeed, the world) into territory that, while maybe not totally unprecedented, certainly hasn’t been seen during the lifetimes of most of us here today. Our borders are closed to non-citizens, we’re being told not to gather in groups of more than 500 outside/100 inside, ...
For the last few weeks, I’ve been urging you to prepare yourself, your family, business, and community for Covid-19. Now it’s time for real action. Yesterday the director-general of health Dr Ashley Bloomfield announced another 13 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in New Zealand, bringing our total to date to 52. ...
A chronological listing of news articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week, i.e., Sun, Mar 15, 2020 through Sat, Mar 21, 2020 Editor's Pick Now Isn’t the Time to Forget About Our Climate Change EffortsTasha Tilberg, Lindsey Wixson, and Liu Wen photographed ...
by Jan Rivers The article has been corrected to show that it was Ewen MacAskill, former Guardian journalist and not Luke Harding who travelled to meet Edward Snowden with journalist Glenn Greenwald and filmmaker Laura Poitras. Some of the Guardian’s well-known journalists who did not sign the protest letter are ...
by Cultural Worker Late March 2020 amidst the virus. With gigs crashing and burning all around it was without much hope that I called a long standing rest home booking: “ Hi, I’m supposed to be entertaining at your place this afternoon – is it still on?” “”If you don’t ...
Whenever people demand real change from their politicians, we're told that "politics is the art of the possible". The implication is that change isn't possible, so we'd better just get used to the sucky status quo. But now that there's a pandemic, a lot of things we were previously told ...
Together: In leading New Zealand through the Covid-19 Pandemic, the Prime Minister could do a lot worse than allow herself to be guided by the spirit of collective sacrifice and co-operation that animated the New Zealanders of 80 years ago. Most Kiwis alive today have had no opportunity to prove their ...
It is said that generals fight the last war. In the case of the early stages of the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) they had learned from the Great Depression of the 1930s and they fought intelligently and successfully. Later their advice would be ignored in favour of the Austerians who ...
Solidarity Forever: All over the world, the arrival of the Covid-19 virus has exposed the fragility of the walls we erect around ourselves and our loved ones. It has shattered our illusions of autonomy and revealed to us how utterly dependent we all are on other human-beings. Finally, we see ...
Looking across the various arguments for/against the leading candidates to take the Democratic Nomination, you might honestly be very hard pressed to tell. There are a number of things that have now started happening since Amy Klobuchar and “Mayor Pete” Buttigieg both threw the towel in and immediately (and ...
by Daphna Whitmore Abortion is no longer in the Crimes Act in New Zealand. The law reform passed yesterday and now abortion is a medical matter between a woman and her doctor. Many women’s groups and progressive people have campaigned for reform for decades. The women’s liberation movement and some ...
Doug Specht, University of Westminster and Julio Gimenez, University of Westminster When fake news, misreporting and alternative facts are everywhere, reading the news can be a challenge. Not only is there plenty of misinformation about the coronavirus pandemic, climate change and other scientific topics floating around social media, you also ...
Michael Baker, University of Otago and Nick Wilson, University of OtagoWith some of the toughest border restrictions and a newly-announced NZ$500 million boost to health services, New Zealand is among a small number of countries with a strategy to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. New Zealand is also fortunate in ...
As expected, the government has introduced a sessional order to allow Parliament to operate during the pandemic. You can read it on the Order Paper here, but the short version is that questions and motions can be filed electronicly, select committees can work remotely, and the the Business Committee can ...
Axel Bruns, Queensland University of Technology; Daniel Angus, Queensland University of Technology; Timothy Graham, Queensland University of Technology, and Tobias R. Keller, Queensland University of Technology News and views about coronavirus has spread via social media in a way that no health emergency has done before. Platforms like Twitter, Facebook, ...
So you’ve recently returned from overseas, come into contact with someone who tested positive, got a bit of a dry cough yourself or perhaps just want to self isolate for 14 days to avoid other people who might have COVID-19. Here are a few tips and tricks to help get ...
Our Good Fortune: Precisely because she has never been an ideologue (she calls herself a “pragmatic idealist”) Jacinda Ardern has a political nimbleness and spontaneity which, when infused with her exceptional emotional intelligence, produces spectacular demonstrations of leadership. Jacinda's empathic political personality contrasts sharply with the less-than-sunny ways of her ...
The Abortion Legislation Bill has just passed its third reading, 68-51. NZ First MPs bailed because their referendum amendment didn't pass, but there were plenty of MPs to provide a majority without them. The bill is a long way from perfect - most significantly, it subjects pregnant people who need ...
As most of the world tries to suppress the coronavirus spread, some countries are going it alone – trying to manage the pandemic through so-called “herd immunity”. Herd immunity means letting a large number of people catch a disease, and hence develop immunity to it, to stop the virus spreading. ...
So, as I sit at home with a very, very slight headache (i.e. not at work when I would otherwise be so), the now familiar figure of Ashley Bloomfield reports eight new confirmed cases of COVID-19 including two in Waikato. A surprise, given that we had just twelve yesterday? No. ...
Many who advocated for, and voted for, the current Coalition – particularly those who voted Labour and the Green Party – expected to see a sea change in the reality of social services. A real, deep change of attitude, approach of process through which the system negotiates the difficult and ...
New Zealand’s border restrictions will come with significant job and business losses in the tourism sector, both at home and in the Pacific. But the new travel rules are absolutely necessary to protect the health of New Zealanders and people right across Pacific Islands, because New Zealand is a gateway ...
Professor Philip Hill and Associate Professor James UssherMost infectious diseases have an Achilles heel, the secret is to find it. The question is if we don’t have a drug or a vaccine for COVID-19, is there something else we can do to beat it? Some people estimate that, without ...
The Coalition Governments $12.1 billion economic package to help combat the financial effects of COVID-19 was generally well received across the board, even amongst many business leaders who would normally be critical of a Labour led Government.However there was one glaringly obvious exception, Simon Bridges. The so-called leader of the ...
With confirmed cases of Covid-19 in New Zealand up to 12, many influential people are writing open letters and opinion pieces and doing press conferences asking why we aren’t pulling out all the stops and testing thousands of people a day like they are in South Korea. The thing is, ...
by Daphna Whitmore The willingness to put human life before business shows that sometimes capitalism is capable of suspending its relentless drive for profit. For a short time it can behave differently. Flatten the curve is the public health message since COVID-19 suddenly overwhelmed the hospital system in northern Italy. ...
Worldwide, the 1918 influenza epidemic – wrongly called ‘Spanish’ flu – lasted about two years. However, it lasted about six weeks in New Zealand (remembered as ‘Black November’, because the dead turned a purplish-black). It is thought about 7000 Pakeha died and 2,500 Maori. The population mortality rate was about ...
In a world and a time when the worst off and most vulnerable have been asked, time and again, to foot the bill for the complete subjugating to the will of the 1% thanks to the GFC, at a point where the world as a whole is now seeing quite ...
With the economy already reeling from a crisis that’s barely begun, the Government today sought to provide reassurance to workers and businesses in the form of a massive phallic pun to insert much-needed cash into the private sector and help fight the looming pandemic. Here are the key components: $5.1 ...
I am a member of the working poor and so still need state welfare to make rent. So I had booked an appointment for yesterday with my caseworker at Work and Income New Zealand (WINZ) to apply for a transition to work grant. However the current health advice in New ...
The COVID-19 situation in New Zealand is moving fast - and to avoid what we've seen overseas - the Government's response must be to move fast too. We're committed to keeping New Zealanders safe and well-informed every step of the way. ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters is encouraging New Zealanders overseas to stay where they are amid the COVID-19 pandemic. "We are reaching a point where the best option for most New Zealanders offshore is to shelter in place, by preparing to safely stay where they are.” "This includes following the instructions ...
Rt. Hon. Winston Peters, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs Foreign Minister Winston Peters is encouraging the tens of thousands of New Zealanders travelling overseas to consider sheltering in place, in light of COVID-19. “Since 18 March, we have been warning New Zealanders offshore that the window for flying ...
Ground-breaking law has passed that will decriminalise abortion and ensure women and pregnant people seeking abortions have compassionate healthcare. ...
The Green Party says that the measures announced by the Government today will help families and businesses to prioritise our collective health and wellbeing in the response to COVID-19. ...
As New Zealanders brace for a global downturn due to Covid-19, Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters says his Coalition Government’s rescue package "more significant" than any other he's seen around the world. The Coalition is to reveal a multi-billion-dollar stimulus plan on Tuesday afternoon designed to cushion the economic blow ...
We know some people are feeling anxious about COVID-19. While the situation is serious, New Zealand has a world-class health system and we’re well-prepared to keep New Zealanders safe. ...
Darroch Ball MP, Spokesperson for Law and Order A New Zealand First member’s bill drawn from the ballot today seeks to overhaul the youth justice system by instigating a system of demerit points for offences committed by young offenders. “The ‘Youth Justice Demerit Point System’ will put an end to ...
Hon. Shane Jones, Minister for Regional Economic DevelopmentThe Provincial Growth Fund is investing $6 million in a land-based aquaculture pilot to see whether yellowtail kingfish can be commercially farmed in Northland, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones announced today.A recirculating land-based aquaculture system will be built and operated ...
Hon. Shane Jones, Minister for ForestryForestry Minister Shane Jones has announced two One Billion Trees programme grants of more than $1.18 million to help hapu and iwi in Northland restore whenua and moana.“Many communities around Aotearoa have benefited from One Billion Trees funding since the programme was launched ...
Rt. Hon. Winston Peters, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign AffairsAhead of the start of the criminal trial in the Netherlands on 9 March, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has reaffirmed the need to establish truth, accountability and justice for the downing of Flight MH17 ...
Rt. Hon. Winston Peters, Deputy Prime MinisterThe Government is investing $19.9 million through the Provincial Growth Fund in a game-changing hydrogen energy facility in South Taranaki, Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters announced today.“The development of alternative energy initiatives like this one is vital for the Taranaki region’s economy. ...
Rt. Hon. Winston Peters, Minister for Foreign AffairsForeign Affairs Minister Winston Peters says New Zealand is partnering with countries in the Pacific to ensure they are prepared for, and able to respond to the global threat of Coronavirus (COVID-19).“There are currently no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the ...
New Zealand will temporarily remove tariffs on all medical and hygiene imports needed for the COVID-19 response. Trade and Export Growth Minister David Parker and Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Kris Faafoi said today that the New Zealand Customs Service will apply tariff concessions to all diagnostic reagents and testing ...
Minister of Finance Grant Robertson has clarified that the changes to the wage subsidy scheme announced yesterday mean that employers should be passing on the full subsidy to workers, except in the case where the person’s normal income is less than the level of the subsidy. “We still want employers ...
Medical face masks from the national reserve supply are now being distributed to District Health Boards, while at the same time local production is being ramped up. Yesterday more than 640,000 masks were sent to DHBS – that is an immediate two week supply, with more to follow in coming ...
The Government has made modifications to the wage subsidy scheme to ensure people don’t lose their jobs during the national lockdown. These changes will soften the impact of COVID-19 on workers, families and businesses, and position them to exit the lockdown and look to recovery, Finance Minister Grant Robertson says. ...
Farmers whose herds were culled in response to the outbreak of Mycoplasma bovis will be able to minimise the tax treatment of their income in some circumstances. Revenue Minister Stuart Nash says Cabinet has agreed to change the law. It means farmers may be eligible to spread their income over ...
A $27 million dollar package, effective immediately, is being provided to social sector services and community groups to ensure they can continue to provide essential support to communities as we stay at home as a nation to stop the spread of COVID-19, Minister for Social Development Carmel Sepuloni announced. “At ...
“The guilty plea today will provide some relief to the many people whose lives were shattered by what happened on March 15,” Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said. “These guilty pleas and conviction bring accountability for what happened and also save the families who lost loved ones, those who were injured, ...
The Prime Minister is holding daily press conferences to update New Zealanders on the Government's response to COVID-19. Links to videos and transcripts of these updates below. These transcripts also include All of Government press conferences led by Director Ministry of Health's Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield. 25 March: Live update from the Prime ...
Frontline Police numbers have broken through the 10,000 mark for the first time in history as officers step forward to keep the community safe during the COVID19 lockdown. “Two Police graduations in Auckland and Wellington in the past week have been conducted in unprecedented circumstances,” Police Minister Stuart Nash said. ...
Urgent legislation has been passed to support the package of economic and social measures needed to recover from the impact of the coronavirus outbreak. “The COVID-19 Response (Taxation and Social Assistance Urgent Measures) Bill will cushion New Zealanders from the worst economic impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak,” said Revenue Minister ...
From tomorrow, Government support for farmers and growers affected by drought will be expanded and extended across the country, with access to Rural Assistance Payments (RAPS) available throughout the North Island, parts of the South Island and the Chatham Islands, Social Development Minister Carmel Sepuloni announced. “These challenging conditions have ...
Parliament has passed amendments to legislation that give the Secretary of Education stronger powers to act in the fight to limit the spread of COVID-19, Education Minister Chris Hipkins said today. “They are part of a suite of changes passed under the COVID-19 Response (Urgent Management Measures) Legislation Bill,” Chris ...
Canada, Australia, Chile, Brunei and Myanmar have joined forces with New Zealand and Singapore by committing to keep supply chains open and remove any existing trade restrictive measures on essential goods, especially medical supplies, in the face of the Covid-19 crisis. Trade and Export Growth Minister David Parker today welcomed ...
Immediate freeze on rent increases Tenancies will not be terminated during the lock-down period, unless the parties agree, or in limited circumstances Tenants who had previously given notice can stay in their if they need to stay in the tenancy during the lock-down period Tenants will still be able to ...
As New Zealand unites to lock-down in the fight against COVID-19, the Finance Minister is urging all businesses and workers to stay connected over the next four weeks. “We understand the extreme pressure many businesses are under right now. I know most business owners think of their workers as family ...
A State of National Emergency has been declared across the country as the Government pulls out all the stops to curtail the spread of COVID-19. “Today we put in place our country’s second ever State of National Emergency as we fight a global pandemic, save New Zealanders’ lives and prevent ...
Mr Speaker I wish to make a Ministerial Statement under Standing Order 347 in relation to the recent declaration of a State of National Emergency. Having considered the advice of the Director Civil Defence Emergency Management, the Minister of Civil Defence declared a State of National Emergency for the whole of ...
People needing to travel on domestic flights, trains and Cook Strait ferries to get home before the country moves into level 4 lock-down tomorrow night will be able to continue using the passenger services until midnight on Friday, Transport Minister Phil Twyford said today. Domestic passenger services, particularly ferries, have ...
The Government, retail banks and the Reserve Bank are today announcing a major financial support package for home owners and businesses affected by the economic impacts of COVID-19. The package will include a six month principal and interest payment holiday for mortgage holders and SME customers whose incomes have been ...
Minister of Transport Phil Twyford has today announced details of the Government’s support package to keep key air freight moving and ensure New Zealanders retain access to essential goods during the four-week level 4 lockdown. “The Government is working with airlines and air freight operators to ensure New Zealand’s key ...
New Zealand moved up to COVID-19 Alert Level 3 – Restrict New Zealand to move up to COVID-19 Alert Level 4 – Eliminate, in 48 hours Two-staged approach to give people and businesses time to prepare Level 3, from tomorrow Non-essential businesses must close All events and gatherings must be ...
Good afternoon The Cabinet met this morning to discuss our next actions in the fight against COVID-19. Like the rest of the world, we are facing the potential for devastating impacts from this virus. But, through decisive action, and through working together, do we have a small window to get ...
The Government is announcing significant further support for the economy, workers and businesses as the country unites to prepare for Alert Level 4 in the fight against COVID-19. Cabinet today agreed to remove the cap on the Government’s wage subsidy scheme, which will inject a further $4 billion into the ...
The Government is backing the Reserve Bank’s latest action to support the economy by reducing longer-term interest rates, meaning lower costs for businesses and mortgage holders, and a lower currency to help our exporters. The Minister of Finance has signed a memorandum of understanding and a letter of indemnity with ...
The Government has asked the Commerce Commission to take account of the exceptional circumstances created by COVID-19 when monitoring business behaviour in coming weeks. “The purpose of my request to the Commerce Commission is to make sure businesses can work together in ways that will allow them to provide ...
The New Zealand Government has temporarily closed its High Commission in Bridgetown, Barbados and its Embassy in Yangon, Myanmar due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “Due to the increasing scarcity of air links in and out of Bridgetown and Yangon, and the pressure COVID-19 is placing ...
Associate Health and Whānau Ora Minister Peeni Henare has today announced the Government’s plan to support Māori communities and businesses in the face of COVID-19. “Our Government’s $12.1 billion economic package will help many Māori whānau, workers and businesses, whether it’s through wage subsidies, income support and worker redeployment, or ...
The Government and the hospitality industry have worked together to produce guidelines to assist with managing and reducing transmission of COVID-19, Health Minister David Clark announced today. The guidelines developed between the Government, Hospitality New Zealand and SkyCity Entertainment Group, set out how the new restrictions on physical distancing and ...
Four stage Alert System for COVID-19 announced New Zealand moved up to COVID-19 Alert Level 2 – Reduce Contact New Zealanders over 70 and those with certain medical conditions told to stay at home as much as they can to reduce risk of contact with the virus Workplaces to implement ...
Kia ora koutou katoa I’m speaking directly to all New Zealanders today to give you as much certainty and clarity as we can as we fight Covid-19. Over the past few weeks, the world has changed. And it has changed very quickly. In February it would have seemed unimaginable to ...
New Zealand and Singapore have jointly committed to keep supply chains open and to remove any existing trade restrictive measures on essential goods, especially medical supplies, in the face of the Covid-19 crisis. Trade and Export Growth Minister David Parker welcomed the commitment. “This is an important collective response, and ...
JOINT MINISTERIAL STATEMENT BY SINGAPORE AND NEW ZEALAND AFFIRMING COMMITMENT TO ENSURING SUPPLY CHAIN CONNECTIVITY AMIDST THE COVID-19 SITUATION The COVID-19 pandemic is a serious global crisis. As part of our collective response to combat COVID-19, Singapore and New Zealand are committed to maintaining open and connected supply chains. We ...
Travel restrictions, closing our border to almost all travelers came into force from 23:59 on Thursday 19 March 2020 (NZDT). All airlines were informed of these restrictions before they came into force. Immigration Minister Iain Lees-Galloway says “The transit of passengers between Australia and New Zealand has been agreed upon and ...
The Government has allocated $100 million to help redeploy workers affected by the economic impact of COVID-19, with the hard-hit region of Gisborne-Tairāwhiti to be the first helped, Economic Development Minister Phil Twyford, Forestry and Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones and Employment Minister Willie Jackson announced today. Phil Twyford ...
The Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) is ramping up support for Tairāwhiti’s wood processing sector to bolster the region’s economy at a time of heightened uncertainty, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones announced today. Following earlier announcements today of a regional support package for Tairāwhiti, Minister Jones has also announced a ...
The Coalition Government has stepped in to protect Air New Zealand with a significant financial deal that protects essential routes and allows the company to keep operating. The Government and Air New Zealand have agreed a debt funding agreement through commercial 24-month loan facilities of up to $900 million*. The ...
The Government has taken further measures to protect New Zealanders from the COVID-19 virus, effectively stopping all people from boarding a plane to New Zealand from 11:59pm today, except for returning New Zealanders, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced today. New Zealanders’ partners, legal guardians or any dependent children travelling with ...
The Government has reinforced its commitment to protecting the health of New Zealanders from COVID-19 through the cancellation of indoor events with more than 100 people. “Protecting the health of New Zealanders is our number one priority, and that means we need to reduce the risks associated with large gatherings,” ...
The New Zealand Government is advising New Zealanders not to travel overseas due to COVID-19, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced. “We are raising our travel advice to the highest level: do not travel,” Mr Peters said. “This is the first time the New Zealand Government has advised New Zealanders ...
Transport Minister Phil Twyford today outlined the first tranche of the $600 million aviation sector relief package announced earlier this week as part of the Government’s $12.1 billion COVID-19 economic response. The initial part of the aviation package aims to secure the operators of New Zealand’s aviation security system, and ...
It’s time to lower traffic speeds to reduce crashes and free up hospital beds, say cycling advocates. "This will reduce harm and ease the burden on our health workers and emergency services," says Patrick Morgan from Cycling Action Network. ...
By RNZ Pacific The number of people testing positive for Covid-19 in French Polynesia has risen by four to 34. The update from the government said the hospitalisation rate is unchanged with one person in care. Last night a curfew was declared for the first time, forcing residents across ...
It’s a town where people often feel the rest of the country has given up on them, in the middle of a region where every place feels isolated. So how did Ohura become an unlikely centre of Medieval Combat sports in New Zealand? Alex Braae spent three days there finding ...
If you want to understand some of the thinking behind the policy response to the spread of coronavirus, you might want to read the paper from the Imperial College COVID-19 Response Team, which is credited with accelerating the introduction of the current lockdown measures in the UK.The paper builds ...
‘It seems like someone else’s dream of my past.’ For Emma Neale, the painting ‘Wanderlust’ by Dunedin artist Sharon Singer stirs memories of her childhood, and new understandings of guilt and forgiveness.There were gifts from my father when he came home from overseas trips. Love offerings; a bit like those ...
Westpac is forecasting 200,000 jobs will be lost in NZ as a result of the response to the coronavirus pandemic. Chief economist Dominick Stephens estimates economic activity during the four week lock-down would decline by a third, despite the government and the Reserve Bank having “done a lot to calm ...
In our new series The Lockdown Letters, some of New Zealand’s best writers tell us what they’ve been up to in the days of Covid-19 alert level four. Today, Ōtaki author Renée.I have a wild tomato flopping all over the path down the back of the veg garden. I picked a ...
For all The Spinoff’s latest coverage of Covid-19 see here. Read Siouxsie Wiles’s work here. New Zealand is currently in alert level four. The country is shut down, apart from essential services. For updated official government advice, see here. The Spinoff’s coverage of the Covid-19 outbreak is funded by The Spinoff Members. To support this ...
Online criminals have been making the most of Covid-19 by preying on people’s fear and doubt. Here are some of the calling cards of these con artists.With most New Zealanders tucked up at home, digital devices are proving to be critical tools for staying connected with each other, making good ...
Author and illustrator Sarah Laing draws a rite of passage in The Lockdown.Reprinted with the permission of the author from Let Me Be Frank, Sarah Laing's blog devoted to "Reading. Writing. Parenting. Angsting." Let Me Be Frank is also the ...
As New Zealand adjusts to a month of lockdown, many pet owners have questions about their furry friends. Alex Casey had a chat with the SPCA – here’s what she learned.AC: My cat had a disgusting abscess on his tail and now has to get his stitches out. ...
Books editor Catherine Woulfe takes an energising walk around the lockdown block of New Zealand books. When the bubbles settled over us they settled over the books too. Libraries were the first to shut down, then the physical bookstores and finally, the hammer blow: online sales and indeed any notion of ...
Convincing its citizens to take lockdown seriously will be a major challenge for Fiji’s government, writes Mandy De Vries. My husband, Howie, and I are lucky enough to live on the beautiful Coral Coast in Fiji. We started a tourism operation here two years ago which was, until recently, booming. ...
New Zealand’s businesses and government are far better prepared for the rapidly escalating global health and economic crisis than they were for the Global Financial Crisis in 2008-09 or the stock market crash in 1987, says Rob Campbell, one of the country’s most experienced corporate leaders. “Executive teams and boards ...
Journalism commentator and former editor Gavin Ellis says media organisations play a vital role in keeping the community informed and, if possible, safe. They also have a crucial part to play in the maintenance of public order and morale, just as they did in the 1940s. With the country in ...
The country has millions of protective gowns, gloves and eyewear – midwives ask: Where are they? David Williams reports Two days into a national lockdown some midwives didn’t have any protective equipment, adding to concerns about safeguards for frontline health workers. On Friday, announcements were made by the Health Ministry ...
Covid-19 lockdown provides valuable time for planning a new business, as Dr Mary-Ellen Gordon explains You have a great idea for a business. You’ve been working to get it up and going. Then, just as you were starting to gain traction, the entire country and much of the rest of ...
Low-income workers whose jobs have disappeared thanks to Covid-19 will increasingly need to access benefit income. When this happens, however, they lose a tax credit for their children. As a direct result of the Covid-19 crisis, the Government has improved its rescue policies for business. We now need to see urgent ...
The strange energy of preparing for level four is over, now the dystopian reality has kicked in. Danyl Mclauchlan writes an essay about home life during a ‘cosy catastrophe’.We start by setting up our home workspaces, covering the kitchen table with such a thick mass of black cables and USB ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Scott Morrison will unvieil on Sunday a $1.1 billion set of measures to make Medicare telehealth services generally available during the coronavirus pandemic and to support mental health, domestic violence and community services. The “Medicare ...
How is Covid-19 spreading within the country? Newsroom is collating information as it's available to paint a picture of what's happening. There were 83 new cases of Covid-19 in New Zealand, down from the previous day's 85 new cases. Details of how many tests have been completed are now bing released ...
By RNZ News New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern spoke to her followers on Facebook today from her office in Premier House. Her chat lasted about 15 minutes and garnered more than 310,000 views. She discussed wage subsidies for full-time and part-time workers, personal protection equipment (PPE) supplies for ...
COMMENTARY:By Bob Howarth (self-isolating in Australia after his latest trip to Timor-Leste) After days of web surfing for Covid-19 coronavirus news around the Asia-Pacific, two areas that appear to need improving in some countries are official communication and fact checking. So here’s my two cents, rupiah, kina or ...
Whether it’s a robot uprising, a woman catfishing into the publishing world or a bunch of lovestruck islanders, NEON has you covered. Here’s what we’re bingeing on NEON for the foreseeable future.WestworldJust in time for lockdown, there’s a buzz-worthy show with endless discussion points coming out on a weekly basis. ...
There’s been a lot of talk about PPE of late – do we have enough, is it getting to the right people, and who exactly are the right people, anyway? Here’s the latest official advice.The Ministry of Health has now circulated updated advice on the appropriate use of PPE (personal ...
A month ago, not many had heard of Ashley Bloomfield. But as the Covid-19 response has ramped up, the director-general of health has become a calm, reassuring presence in a time of uncertainty and fear. Rachel Thomas profiles him, in a piece first published on RNZ.Today, Saturday, director-general of health ...
Jim Kayes tests the waters of social media to see how people are coping with being told to avoid their favourite pastime.“There is something ridiculously exhilarating about catching a fish. The thrill might have faded for the salty angler, but for this rookie, the novice still snagging fish hooks ...
The Government yesterday reassured us there are plenty of masks for front line staff dealing with the public. Yet it seems home care workers, who provide up-close personal care for tens of thousands of people every day, won’t be given them. Yesterday two documents hit my inbox. One was a ...
Hobson’s Choice spokesman Don Brash (a former leader of the National and ACT Parties) is not alone in challenging the justification for tribes claiming to have closed roads to protect their people against Covid. Deputy Prime Minister and New Zealand First leader Winston Peters – his remarks apparently ignored by ...
Preliminary results from a survey investigating how well-equipped Māori whānau in the South Island are to stay at home for extended periods show that the majority are prepared to manage their short-term needs, but have increasing anxiety about ...
"The risk of fraud and corruption is compounded during crises like the COVID-19 pandemic. When quick decisions are necessary to move vast amounts of resources, bribery, fraud and corruption abound," says Suzanne Snively, Chair of Transparency International ...
By RNZ Pacific Guam remains the Pacific pandemic hot spot with the number of Covid-19 coronavirus cases climbing above 50. On Friday six people tested positive for the coronavirus, bringing the total to 51. Thirteen of the cases are currently in hospital. READ MORE: Al Jazeera live updates – ...
By Mong Palatino Many Indonesian internet users have expressed anger over the decision of the House of Representatives (DPR) to test its 575 members for Covid-19. Indonesia has a population of more than 260 million. As of today, the country has 913 Covid-19 positive cases with 87 deaths. But ...
New Zealand has 78 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 and five probable cases, the Government has announced today, taking the total to 451. Civil Defence Emergency Management director Sarah Stuart-Black said 12 people are in hospital and two are in intensive care, including one on a ventilator. Twelve are in ...
New Zealand has 78 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 and five probable cases, the Government has announced today, taking the total to 451. Civil Defence Emergency Management director Sarah Stuart-Black said 12 people are in hospital and two are in intensive care, including one on a ventilator. Twelve are in ...
By Michelle Steven in Port MoresbyPacific New Guinea’s National Capital City Covid-19 Task Force team is preparing ahead should there be a possible coronavirus case during the 14-day lockdown. NCD Governor Powes Parkop told a media conference that the capital city would be in total lockdown with no public ...
Leading immigration lawyer Aaron Martin assesses the impact of the announcement of the epidemic notice for migrants. Immigration New Zealand announced that the government epidemic management notice relating to immigration matters comes into effect on 2 ...
Just a tiny handful of print publications will continue through the lockdown, with only daily newspapers specifically identified as being able to continue. Duncan Greive spoke to publishers of magazines and community newspapers about the impact on them and their communities.Publishers of magazines and community newspapers are reeling, after a ...
Just a tiny handful of print publications will continue through the lockdown, with only daily newspapers specifically identified as being able to continue. Duncan Greive spoke to publishers of magazines and community newspapers about the impact on them and their communities.Publishers of magazines and community newspapers are reeling, after a ...
Jacinda Ardern has pleaded with the Australian Prime Minister to make an exception to the rule that bars many of the 650,000 New Zealanders there from receiving a benefit. ...
In our new series The Lockdown Letters, some of New Zealand’s best writers tell us what they’ve been up to in the days of Covid-19 alert level four. Today, political commentator and essayist Morgan Godfery.I’M TWEETING AT 2AM.The responsible part of my brain is sending sleep signals. Inconvenient yawns. The ...
Take a vicarious roadie via Attraction, the novel by Ruby Porter that was longlisted for the country’s biggest fiction prize. Released last year, it’s now a slightly eerie snapshot of Aotearoa as we were. Attraction is a New Zealand road trip novel with a heavy dose of postcolonial guilt. Whitewashing, cultural ...
Iwi everywhere put support plans into action, focusing on their kaumātua, writes Kayne Ngātokowhā Peters. Iwi are ramping up support services to assist their people in need following the closure of Ministry of Social Development offices and the move to online and phone assistance from Work and Income. Central North Island ...
It’s been 10 years since the release of Dane Rumble’s solo album The Experiment. Josie Adams looks back on why New Zealand fell so hard and fast.At The Experiment’s launch, a decade ago yesterday, Dane Rumble had only one wish: “I just want to write the best album that I ...
"She blindfolded each of the children with a scarf, saying, ‘There’s going to be a surprise!'": a horror story set at a children's birthday party, by Dunedin writer Emma Neale. As soon as the last child arrived at Bevan’s ninth birthday party, the bashing began. Allan walloped Bevan with a ...
As New Zealand adjusts to our new normal, one thing from the old world remains – commercial breakfast radio. We tuned into the first morning of lockdown on the airwaves. In a time when the world seems completely upside-down, you can thankfully still count on commercial breakfast radio to be there ...
Dynamic Silver Ferns defender Jane Watson shares her heartrending and brave story in the final episode of the Pure As documentary series. The fading scar just below Jane Watson's left shoulder is the only clue to her until-now untold story, of the challenges that have tormented the netball world champion. The dynamic, tenacious ...
By now, everybody should know about staying in their bubble and leaving the house only for essential services and exercise, provided social distancing rules are followed. Does this mean people can still take the boat out, or go surfing? “Staying at home will save lives,” said Jacinda Ardern in a question ...
For all The Spinoff’s latest coverage of Covid-19 see here. Read Siouxsie Wiles’s work here.New Zealand is currently in alert level four. The country is shut down, apart from essential services. For updated official government advice, see here.The Spinoff’s coverage of the Covid-19 outbreak is funded by The Spinoff Members. To support this work, join The ...
Donald Trump and Boris Johnson's response to coronavirus has revealed some disturbing attitudes towards segments of the population As New Zealand enters a period of indeterminate lockdown in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, we (and I mean us as a global population) have learned a lot about the importance of ...
As New Zealand entered national lockdown, The Spinoff commissioned social media polling company Stickybeak to measure the mood of the nation. Stickybeak co-founder David Brain reveals what the poll results show.As soon as the PM made her Monday afternoon announcement that the country was going to alert level three and ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra All Australians arriving from overseas will be quarantined in hotels or other facilities under strict supervision for a fortnight, under the latest crackdown in the battle against the coronavirus. Announcing the measure after Friday’s meeting ...
By RNZ News As the number of Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic cases in New Zealand increases, daily demand for protective clothing for medical workers has come under pressure. On the second day of the country’s lockdown, the number of New Zealand’s Covid-19 cases has jumped by 85, with a man ...
Kiwibank Chief Economist Jarrod Kerr and Bernard Hickey 'Zoom' out to talk about the once-in-a-lifetime shock to the global economy this week and what it means for businesses and investors. Just as many other businesses are adjusting to the lockdown, so too are Kiwibank and Newsroom. Chief ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jon MacKay, Lecturer, Business Analytics, University of Auckland New Zealand and much of the world is now under an unprecedented lockdown. Public health experts say this is the best way to suppress the spread of the virus. But how long will such ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Allen Cheng, Professor in Infectious Diseases Epidemiology, Monash University According to Google Trends, the top globally trending topic this week is “orthohantavirus”, as spurious sites claim it’s the next pandemic on the horizon. Take it from me: it’s not. This baseless claim ...
As soon as the Prime Minister announced that the country had moved to a Level Three alert and would then move to a full Level Four lockdown, the only thing on most people's minds in downtown Wellington was how to prepare for living and working from home for at least ...
Two Cents' Worth hosts Bernard Hickey, Nikki Mandow and Gyles Beckford reflect on the most turbulent week in New Zealand’s economic history. They look at two new tools for business and online working advice that were built over a weekend to help deal with the Covid-19 crisis. They also talk ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Erica Mealy, Lecturer in Computer Science, University of the Sunshine Coast These past few weeks have shown the brittleness of Australia’s online systems. It’s not surprising the federal government’s traditionally slow-moving IT systems are buckling under the pressure. On Sunday, the federal ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Arindam Basu, Associate Professor, Epidemiology and Environmental Health, University of Canterbury The number of New Zealanders testing positive for COVID-19 will continue to rise despite the strict conditions of the four-week lockdown that began this week. As of today, there are 368 ...
Advocates say they’re drowning in complaints of exploitation brought on by the lockdown, Dileepa Fonseka reports Migrant associations and unions have been swamped with allegations that some employers have abused the Government’s wage subsidy scheme or skirted their obligations. Indian Workers Association spokesman Mandeep Bela said he had been “flooded” ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Fiona MacDonald, Senior Research Fellow, Victoria University For children, school is about more than just learning. This is even more the case for children living in disadvantage as many schools also provide vital food and a welcoming environment. As the COVID-19 pandemic ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tony Walker, Adjunct Professor, School of Communications, La Trobe University Leaders of the world’s largest economies came together at a virtual G20 this week to “do whatever it takes to overcome the coronavirus pandemic”. But the reality is that global capacity to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julie Sonnemann, Fellow, Grattan Institute Australian schools and teachers are preparing to shift classes online – some independent schools already have. Remote learning is likely to be the norm in the second term and possibly longer. Even if done well, there are ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dilan Thampapillai, Senior Lecturer, ANU College of Law, Australian National University The coronavirus and its attendant emergency measures are set to deliver a profound shock to the residential tenancy market. How it will work out is anybody’s guess, but it is looking ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katherine Gibney, NHMRC early career fellow, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity In three short months, more than half a million cases of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, have been reported worldwide. The US now has the highest number of COVID-19 ...
By Johnny Blades, RNZ Pacific journalist A 43-year-old woman has reportedly died due to the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic in Indonesian-administered West Papua province. It is the first recorded death from Covid-19 in the Papua region, and adds to fears that a looming surge in cases could overwhelm the health ...
By JC Gotinga in Manila Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief-of-staff General Felimon Santos Jr has tested positive for the Covid-19 novel coronavirus. Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana shared the information today with reporters covering defence issues. General Santos said yesterday that he was on home quarantine after coming ...
The Fold podcast returns for March into a media world transformed by the impact of Covid-19. Host Duncan Greive records a monopod to assess its impact.In last month’s edition of this podcast, The Spinoff editor Toby Manhire and I discussed RNZ’s Concert debacle. At the time, it was the biggest ...
As New Zealand faces the most brutal recession in living memory, the battle to preserve the core of the economy deepens. Companies are cancelling dividends to protect what cash they have, others are reaching for financial aid from their banks or the government. Yet for some businesses, notably the big ...
Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage.New Zealand Parliament Buildings, Wellington, New Zealand.Today’s contentPublic health strategy Henry Cooke (Stuff): New model shows coronavirus could kill 80,000 Kiwis without lockdown Kate Newton (RNZ): Modelling shows ...
Shoppers are ignoring physical distancing rules, while rule-flouters face jail time in Sāmoa and the Cook Islands, writes Teuila Fuatai. Scenes from one of Fiji’s best-known fresh produce markets illustrate the difficulties of clamping down on Covid-19. Footage captured at the Sigatoka markets on Viti Levu on Thursday March 26 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Terry Goldsworthy, Associate Professor in Criminology, Bond University As coronavirus continues to affect all aspects of life, law enforcement agencies are playing a more pivotal role in enforcing new health and social regulations while ensuring society continues to function in a civil ...
Open Mike 11/05/2018 
. . Lock Down: Day 3 – A photo essay with observations . March 28: First day of the first weekend in Lock Down. It feels like it’s been weeks since only Level 3 was declared last Tuesday, only four days ago. Woke up this morning to RNZ; coffee; toast, ...1 hour ago
I’m here in lockdown with my flatmate and her two girls (6 and 2) and it. is. a time. They’re usually really active so to start with the only boardgame in the house is the copy of Guess Who that the 6 year old got for her birthday. Flatmate commented ...17 hours ago
The CV-19 (COVID) pandemic has seen the imposition of a government ordered national quarantine and the promulgation of a series of measures designed to spread the burden of pain and soften the economic blow on the most strategically important and most vulnerable sectors of society. The national narrative is framed ...22 hours ago
Fortune's Children: Under extraordinary pressure, the leader of the Government and the leader of the Opposition will each show us what they are made of. Have they been blessed with intelligence, grace, wit, poise, toughness, empathy and humour – and in what measure? More importantly, to what extent have they ...1 day ago
1 day ago
Society-wise, aside from the specific morbidity shall we say of the medically-oriented aspects of this COVID-19 crisis, what is unfolding before the world is in more than one way an instructive study of humanity and reactions to a high intensity, high stress environment in real time. Friends, we are at ...2 days ago
Right now low waged and insecure workers are feeling the economic brunt of the looming #Covid19 Recession. In response legal advocate Toby Cooper* and hospitality and worker’s rights advocate Chloe Ann-King, are putting together a series of legal blogs about your employment rights: In this legal blog we outline some ...2 days ago
by Equipo Jurídico Pueblos and Gearóid Ó Loingsigh (25/03/2020) An escape plan in question On the night of March 21st and the early morning of the 22nd, the forces of the Colombian state stormed into the Modelo prison in Bogotá, murdering 23 prisoners and injuring 83, in response to the ...2 days ago
When the government banned semi-automatic weapons in response to a terrorist atrocity, gun-nuts were outraged. Mired in toxic American gun culture, they thought owning weapons whose sole purpose was killing people was some sort of "constitutional right", a necessity for "defending themselves" against the government. Now, the Court of Appeal ...2 days ago
Just before midnight on Wednesday March 25, Aotearoa New Zealand entered a countrywide alert level four lockdown. For at least the next four weeks, everyone who isn’t an essential worker is confined to their bubble. We are doing this to stop the explosive growth in people contracting and dying from ...2 days ago
Tamper with The System? Well, we already are. But there's a difference between accidentally trickling sand into a precision gearbox versus formulating a plan to alter it on the fly with improvements in mind. One action is more or less innocently unscrupulous, the other amenable to earning an easy ...3 days ago
Kia ora my name is Chloe Ann-King* and I am the founder of Raise the Bar, a campaign and non-profit that gives free legal aid, advocacy and tautoko to hospitality workers in Aotearoa. Right now all over our country hospo workers are being fired at will, having shifts cut or being ...4 days ago
We're about to do something unprecedented as a nation. We hope that by taking this extraordinary action before a single life in New Zealand has been lost to the deadly novel virus we will save tens of thousands of lives. Our lives. We'll do it together, in households, in isolation ...4 days ago
“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.”So writes the author of Ecclesiastes, a book in the Old Testament that’s counted as a ‘wisdom’ book and written as if by an unnamed king of Jerusalem. But who would have thought there would be a time ...4 days ago
According to Newshub, Simon Bridges is open to joining a “grand coalition” with Labour as we hunker down to go into a month long lockdown. The idea is sound. Before now, the role of the opposition was to scrutinise and oppose. In the context of what almost amounts to a ...6 days ago
Kia ora my name is Chloe Ann-King* and I am the founder of Raise the Bar, a campaign and non-profit that gives free legal aid, advocacy and tautoko to hospitality workers in Aotearoa. Right now all over our country hospo workers are being fired at will, having shifts cut or ...6 days ago
A few days ago I was starting to write something about the pandemic, which now seems unconscionable. It took the form of a letter to an agony aunt:“Dear Deidre, I have an ugly confession. I am quite excited by Covid-19.”This is how the piece went:“I’m not a psychopath, honest. Although the ...6 days ago
I am a pundit, somebody who opines and comments on the news. There are no real qualifications to punditry though having a rudimentary way with words and good general knowledge helps. That is one reason there is a constant oversupply of would-be pundits and why it is quite hard to ...7 days ago
The coronavirus pandemic has of course had a major impact on individual lives and on societies as a whole. But, long after the crisis has passed (assuming it does), we will begin to realise that its real and lasting significance lies in the lessons it has taught us, if only ...1 week ago
COVID-19 has plunged Aotearoa New Zealand (indeed, the world) into territory that, while maybe not totally unprecedented, certainly hasn’t been seen during the lifetimes of most of us here today. Our borders are closed to non-citizens, we’re being told not to gather in groups of more than 500 outside/100 inside, ...1 week ago
by Jan Rivers The article has been corrected to show that it was Ewen MacAskill, former Guardian journalist and not Luke Harding who travelled to meet Edward Snowden with journalist Glenn Greenwald and filmmaker Laura Poitras. Some of the Guardian’s well-known journalists who did not sign the protest letter are ...1 week ago
Looking across the various arguments for/against the leading candidates to take the Democratic Nomination, you might honestly be very hard pressed to tell. There are a number of things that have now started happening since Amy Klobuchar and “Mayor Pete” Buttigieg both threw the towel in and immediately (and ...1 week ago
Some fave speeches: ...1 week ago
Many who advocated for, and voted for, the current Coalition – particularly those who voted Labour and the Green Party – expected to see a sea change in the reality of social services. A real, deep change of attitude, approach of process through which the system negotiates the difficult and ...2 weeks ago
In a world and a time when the worst off and most vulnerable have been asked, time and again, to foot the bill for the complete subjugating to the will of the 1% thanks to the GFC, at a point where the world as a whole is now seeing quite ...2 weeks ago
With the economy already reeling from a crisis that’s barely begun, the Government today sought to provide reassurance to workers and businesses in the form of a massive phallic pun to insert much-needed cash into the private sector and help fight the looming pandemic. Here are the key components: $5.1 ...2 weeks ago
I am a member of the working poor and so still need state welfare to make rent. So I had booked an appointment for yesterday with my caseworker at Work and Income New Zealand (WINZ) to apply for a transition to work grant. However the current health advice in New ...2 weeks ago
The COVID-19 situation in New Zealand is moving fast - and to avoid what we've seen overseas - the Government's response must be to move fast too. We're committed to keeping New Zealanders safe and well-informed every step of the way. ...23 hours ago
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The scale of what we face right now is unlike anything we have ever seen before. Overcoming it is our common purpose. ...4 days ago
Foreign Minister Winston Peters is encouraging New Zealanders overseas to stay where they are amid the COVID-19 pandemic. "We are reaching a point where the best option for most New Zealanders offshore is to shelter in place, by preparing to safely stay where they are.” "This includes following the instructions ...5 days ago
New Zealand will temporarily remove tariffs on all medical and hygiene imports needed for the COVID-19 response. Trade and Export Growth Minister David Parker and Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Kris Faafoi said today that the New Zealand Customs Service will apply tariff concessions to all diagnostic reagents and testing ...23 hours ago
It’s time to lower traffic speeds to reduce crashes and free up hospital beds, say cycling advocates. "This will reduce harm and ease the burden on our health workers and emergency services," says Patrick Morgan from Cycling Action Network. ...16 mins ago
By RNZ Pacific The number of people testing positive for Covid-19 in French Polynesia has risen by four to 34. The update from the government said the hospitalisation rate is unchanged with one person in care. Last night a curfew was declared for the first time, forcing residents across ...1 hour ago
It’s a town where people often feel the rest of the country has given up on them, in the middle of a region where every place feels isolated. So how did Ohura become an unlikely centre of Medieval Combat sports in New Zealand? Alex Braae spent three days there finding ...2 hours ago
If you want to understand some of the thinking behind the policy response to the spread of coronavirus, you might want to read the paper from the Imperial College COVID-19 Response Team, which is credited with accelerating the introduction of the current lockdown measures in the UK. The paper builds ...2 hours ago
The Māori Party is delaying the launch of its new-look party to fight Covid-19 in Māori communities. ...3 hours ago
Westpac is forecasting 200,000 jobs will be lost in NZ as a result of the response to the coronavirus pandemic. Chief economist Dominick Stephens estimates economic activity during the four week lock-down would decline by a third, despite the government and the Reserve Bank having “done a lot to calm ...4 hours ago
Author and illustrator Sarah Laing draws a rite of passage in The Lockdown. Reprinted with the permission of the author from Let Me Be Frank, Sarah Laing's blog devoted to "Reading. Writing. Parenting. Angsting." Let Me Be Frank is also the ...6 hours ago
Convincing its citizens to take lockdown seriously will be a major challenge for Fiji’s government, writes Mandy De Vries. My husband, Howie, and I are lucky enough to live on the beautiful Coral Coast in Fiji. We started a tourism operation here two years ago which was, until recently, booming. ...7 hours ago
New Zealand’s businesses and government are far better prepared for the rapidly escalating global health and economic crisis than they were for the Global Financial Crisis in 2008-09 or the stock market crash in 1987, says Rob Campbell, one of the country’s most experienced corporate leaders. “Executive teams and boards ...7 hours ago
Journalism commentator and former editor Gavin Ellis says media organisations play a vital role in keeping the community informed and, if possible, safe. They also have a crucial part to play in the maintenance of public order and morale, just as they did in the 1940s. With the country in ...7 hours ago
The country has millions of protective gowns, gloves and eyewear – midwives ask: Where are they? David Williams reports Two days into a national lockdown some midwives didn’t have any protective equipment, adding to concerns about safeguards for frontline health workers. On Friday, announcements were made by the Health Ministry ...7 hours ago
Covid-19 lockdown provides valuable time for planning a new business, as Dr Mary-Ellen Gordon explains You have a great idea for a business. You’ve been working to get it up and going. Then, just as you were starting to gain traction, the entire country and much of the rest of ...8 hours ago
Low-income workers whose jobs have disappeared thanks to Covid-19 will increasingly need to access benefit income. When this happens, however, they lose a tax credit for their children. As a direct result of the Covid-19 crisis, the Government has improved its rescue policies for business. We now need to see urgent ...8 hours ago
How is Covid-19 spreading within the country? Newsroom is collating information as it's available to paint a picture of what's happening. There were 83 new cases of Covid-19 in New Zealand, down from the previous day's 85 new cases. Details of how many tests have been completed are now bing released ...16 hours ago
Jim Kayes tests the waters of social media to see how people are coping with being told to avoid their favourite pastime. “There is something ridiculously exhilarating about catching a fish. The thrill might have faded for the salty angler, but for this rookie, the novice still snagging fish hooks ...21 hours ago
The Government yesterday reassured us there are plenty of masks for front line staff dealing with the public. Yet it seems home care workers, who provide up-close personal care for tens of thousands of people every day, won’t be given them. Yesterday two documents hit my inbox. One was a ...22 hours ago
Hobson’s Choice spokesman Don Brash (a former leader of the National and ACT Parties) is not alone in challenging the justification for tribes claiming to have closed roads to protect their people against Covid. Deputy Prime Minister and New Zealand First leader Winston Peters – his remarks apparently ignored by ...22 hours ago
New Zealand has 78 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 and five probable cases, the Government has announced today, taking the total to 451. Civil Defence Emergency Management director Sarah Stuart-Black said 12 people are in hospital and two are in intensive care, including one on a ventilator. Twelve are in ...1 day ago
Iwi everywhere put support plans into action, focusing on their kaumātua, writes Kayne Ngātokowhā Peters. Iwi are ramping up support services to assist their people in need following the closure of Ministry of Social Development offices and the move to online and phone assistance from Work and Income. Central North Island ...1 day ago
"She blindfolded each of the children with a scarf, saying, ‘There’s going to be a surprise!'": a horror story set at a children's birthday party, by Dunedin writer Emma Neale. As soon as the last child arrived at Bevan’s ninth birthday party, the bashing began. Allan walloped Bevan with a ...1 day ago
Dynamic Silver Ferns defender Jane Watson shares her heartrending and brave story in the final episode of the Pure As documentary series. The fading scar just below Jane Watson's left shoulder is the only clue to her until-now untold story, of the challenges that have tormented the netball world champion. The dynamic, tenacious ...1 day ago
Donald Trump and Boris Johnson's response to coronavirus has revealed some disturbing attitudes towards segments of the population As New Zealand enters a period of indeterminate lockdown in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, we (and I mean us as a global population) have learned a lot about the importance of ...1 day ago
Kiwibank Chief Economist Jarrod Kerr and Bernard Hickey 'Zoom' out to talk about the once-in-a-lifetime shock to the global economy this week and what it means for businesses and investors. Just as many other businesses are adjusting to the lockdown, so too are Kiwibank and Newsroom. Chief ...2 days ago
As soon as the Prime Minister announced that the country had moved to a Level Three alert and would then move to a full Level Four lockdown, the only thing on most people's minds in downtown Wellington was how to prepare for living and working from home for at least ...2 days ago
Two Cents' Worth hosts Bernard Hickey, Nikki Mandow and Gyles Beckford reflect on the most turbulent week in New Zealand’s economic history. They look at two new tools for business and online working advice that were built over a weekend to help deal with the Covid-19 crisis. They also talk ...2 days ago
Advocates say they’re drowning in complaints of exploitation brought on by the lockdown, Dileepa Fonseka reports Migrant associations and unions have been swamped with allegations that some employers have abused the Government’s wage subsidy scheme or skirted their obligations. Indian Workers Association spokesman Mandeep Bela said he had been “flooded” ...2 days ago
Shoppers are ignoring physical distancing rules, while rule-flouters face jail time in Sāmoa and the Cook Islands, writes Teuila Fuatai. Scenes from one of Fiji’s best-known fresh produce markets illustrate the difficulties of clamping down on Covid-19. Footage captured at the Sigatoka markets on Viti Levu on Thursday March 26 ...2 days ago
And we’re back up!
Phone extortion scam (incl businesses)
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12049362
A Christchurch man who is going through a terrifying extortion ordeal wonders how many others might have been caught up in it.
Newstalk ZB has seen text messages sent to the man from an 020 number, demanding money or threatening violence against him and his family.
He believes his phone number was taken from advertising he placed in a local paper.
The man has gone to police who said they have had multiple complaints about the phone number.
He received the first phone call earlier this week. The call lasted for five minutes, but the ordeal lasted for an hour with the man constantly calling back and texting.
“I originally got told this person was a member of a gang and that a debt had been passed on and I now owed him the money.
“I asked ‘what debt? I don’t owe any money to anyone’ and he said [he knew who I worked for].
“He said I couldn’t go to police. It was actually terrifying as he started to threaten my kids and family.”
…..snip….
One scam reported by Southern District Police uses an automated message in a Kiwi accent.
The message says, “This is the Police you owe money to Inland Revenue, if you don’t pay you will be arrested. Please call 04 889 0505”.
When rung a person asks for your name and IRD number.
Another scam is said to use an automated call in a Chinese accent claiming to be from DHL.
“The automated call tells the phone user that DHL has goods waiting for them and that they need to press 9 to talk to somebody to discuss, and if they press 9 the call then goes to a person who will ask for personal information,” Senior Sergeant Charles Ip said.
Good morning good morning good morning. Well that was a long sleep.
Welcome back to the Standard.
Such an exciting countdown…..
Thanks to lprent yet again. Time for a wee donation. 🙂
Since TS is embarking on a new beginning, could I ask a favour which will hopefully be backed up by others.
Psycho Milt and One Anonymous Bloke apparently copped lengthy bans some time ago. I know OAB can be a bit pithy at times but he is ultra smart and his one/two liners are insightful and valuable. Pyscho Milt is also a valuable contributor for similar reasons.
I don’t know if either are willing to return, but they have been ‘punished ‘ for long enough. Any chance the ban can now be reversed?
I missed most of that post. Thanks Bill.
Redlogix has put it in a nutshell:
Regardless of which commenters a person may agree with – or not as the case may be – there seems to be an inconsistency in the time spans of some of the more lengthy bans. I hope the authors are still working on introducing a fairer system that is acceptable to everyone.
Yes it is good to see TS back.
Great work Iprent thanks.
We will donate also as Anne suggests.
We need social blog sites that promote sensible thoughts, so we need all to stick together as the “fake news media are so rampant out there and we need urgent balance to their crap.
And we do need to put the spotlight on ‘where is the Minister of Broadcasting’?
She (Clare Curran) was promising us a commercial free ‘investigative Journalism’ type channel seven called RNZ-plus) to be in service by now!!!!! but still as of now we have nothing yet to “add some balance the right wing troll media” and worse we have seen or heard nothing from this Minister who appears to be just a total wasted space and an embarrassment to us all and the Labour lead Government.
if I was Jacinda I would replace her now and find a real active strong Minister who will give us a voice that we need so desperately now since the rest of the media is trying to destroy the government.
Long live freedom of speech.
“And we do need to put the spotlight on ‘where is the Minister of Broadcasting’?”
….add to that the Ass. Minister for State Services (Open Government).
MIA she is, in a foggy cloud…
TS was missed and agree with the donation thing. We are blessed here not only with a well functioning website with excellent archive access and search facility but the lack of advertising is singularly delightful.
+1 Rosemary McDonald
Rosemary; 100%
Yes i do have deep misgivings with the Minister here as in November we asked Clare Curran to help get a new RNZ reporter for HB/Gisborne and Minister Curran refused in her letter to us that she would not get involved then!!!!.
So she didn’t mind that we were left without a reporter (under two years of national)
Now we cant even get the reporter now (assigned) “finally” to cover our transport issues as the new reporter said to us she was to busy!!!!!!
So the Minister has made a mess of everything here now.
+1 Anne
yes, thank you lprent. Your hard work enables this great forum.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=12048890
Bidiot sounds all over the place to me.
He seems genuine and knowledgeable at the start of the article but by the end of it he seems neither.
National are still spinning that it was “Labour’s fault …”. I read somewhere that the anger was not so much at the ban of live sheep exporting but a National promise to lift the ban that was reneged on. The FTA has stalled and would have no matter what National did. So throwing the scary “$4.5 Billion dollar problem” phrase around is more spinning (aka lying).
They must be worried that this huge waste of money makes their claims that “more doctor not diplomats” shows they are useless at running a country and their criticisms of the Coalition are hollow at best.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12049120
This worth a full read
Is it just me or does that conversation make no sense, like rambling and disconnected…
It does appear to be a transcript.
Read the stuff about the bus lanes and transport for more weirdness.
Oh i read the article, i meant that dan Bidiot (or what ever) didn’t really give an answer to the question at any stage, or said agreed to both sides of a debate, ignored actual facts, went on tangents.. I mean if I lived in Northcoate I would want a bit more coherence from my elected official than what that transcript suggested
YES. YF.
He’s an economist so well schooled in the art of talking without making sense, reaching any conclusions or displaying a grasp of the real issue.
I’d live to see the government’s Kiwibuild’s like Unitec site have cheap rental accomodation reserved for teachers, firefighters and police workers. Not only is it important to be able to have these important people’s skills kept in NZ cities that are increasingly becoming less affordable with less rental accomodation but it would also serve a valuable function for those who think that there are more ‘social’ issues in social housing.
I can’t see a policeman letting his neighbour cook P for example or beat their partner up. Likewise having teachers around in a community that should be serving the poorer members of society.
I just hope these government land from the tax payer does not just end up as speculative purchases onsold in a few years… which clearly will happen if the government does not get it’s act together in ensuring they have non repealable conditions as long term state housing.
That may not be so simple as it seems on the surface but… it’s also completely brilliant. What I and a lot of my peers lacked as young folk was decent role models. Absentee/abusive parents were very common.
A community where key community players were present, and actually part of the community (not visiting with big sticks), could go a long way towards restoring some sense of stability and safety for people who’ve known neither. It does put a lot of onus on the people of service however.
Stability is key to turning lives around. Most street people are PTSD via what they’ve endured at the hands of their caregivers, often the state. Just putting National in power is enough to see many slink back into addiction and despair. A mob that not only doesn’t care, but actively victimises you.
Last time Labor was in power many fringe types were empowered to try their hand at life. I personally saw several long term performing artists off the dole. Some are now in the international spotlight.
Try that with Nats in power. Fines, benefits cut off, fraud accusations – “we were just trying to start a business”… Great talents kicked till they stay down.
I remember getting hauled over the coals age 18 for not being on WINZ books – it’s true! “But how did you live, you must be lying to us” – I lived in the bush. I was 16 going on 17, and I’d already had a gutsful.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
He’s in National that, as John Banks hinted at, must lie so as to get elected at all.
Yes I thought that that was particularly ironic after the comments during the conversation.
Is that a script for Yes Minister?
Could be, but sadly not.
Good work from Natrad.
https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/357100/middlemore-board-was-pressured-to-settle-for-3m
Be buggered if I can fathom why there are still “Hawkins” signs all over the show at Waikato Hospital still.
The bullying bastards should have been run out of the country….
Got to wonder if there’s any relationship between managements. Sounds as if someone was pretty determined to shovel more money in the builders’ direction.
Construction, banking and cow corporate welfare is what this country has become. All the laws and red carpet to keep the often poorly run businesses, getting benefits at every turn and employing cheerleaders to keep the pressure on government for them to get more benefits with less regulation, chugging along.
Did they get financial advice? This is a shambles.
“Did they get financial advice? This is a shambles.”
The minutes of the CMDHB meetings provided at the bottom of that page says it all.
“A shambles” is an understatement. One day someone…Hager, are you free?…will properly investigate shit like this. We’re talking billions of tax dollars being poured down the throats of vultures like these.
And no sanctions for gross fuckups….just more contracts.
Shakes head in despair.
+23,000,000 (dollars of course)
The plot sickens….https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/357152/firm-behind-leaky-buildings-goes-into-receivership
“Hawkins built the Botany Downs Secondary College in Auckland.
A related company, H Construction North Island – formerly called Hawkins Construction North Island – was last week ordered by the High Court to pay $13.4 million for a raft of construction errors at the leaky, damp, and rotting college.
Orange H Group – H Construction’s shareholder – has now been put in receivership.
It will now be up to receiver McGrath Nicol to decide what happens to the millions of dollars the Ministry of Education is owed.
Hawkins also built the four worst leaking buildings at Middlemore Hospital less than 20 years ago.
H Construction has gone into receivership owing a total of $30m.
Orange H director David McConnell said they decided some time ago to exit the construction industry “principally because of the dramatic rise in the risk profile” borne by contractors.
This same rise in risks was cited by Fletcher when its building unit announced it was closing up gradually after suffering $1 billion of losses.
Mr McConnell said Orange H took the decision reluctantly to go into receivership.
“The process to secure final payments from the various customers has been complex and has taken a lot longer than anticipated and created a cash flow timing issue,” he said.
“We were also concerned that a number of parties were commencing legal action and we were mindful of our responsibility to exercise our fiduciary duties.”
There was “significant value” in Orange H with all but two of the legacy projects now completed and only minor work still outstanding on one of these, Mr McConnell said.
“The board’s focus is now to leave the company in the best possible position for the receivers to achieve substantial recoveries.”
The board of trustees at Botany Downs Secondary College said it had not yet heard about the company going into liquidiation.
The school was disappointed, but not entirely surprised to hear the news, chair Murray Goodman said.
The board would wait for more instructions from the Ministry of Education on the matter.
In March 2017, Downer purchased the Hawkins brand, some projects, assets and employees, and called it Hawkins 2017 Limited.
Previous projects and a number of ongoing projects done by Hawkins or related companies – such as the Botany Downs school and Middlemore Hospital buildings – were retained by Orange H Group, part of McConnell Limited. Orange H is distinct from Hawkins.”
Slimy, wriggly arsed, bottom-feeding scumsuckers are everywhere….
Test as two previous comments submitted without problems have not appeared.
OK – this one worked without problems. But two previous comments to the “Toby Manhire Owns Ms Bennett” post did not (the second a repeat of the first), Not important or presumably contentious comments and no loss. From Vodaphone ISP.
And a big thanks lprent for all your hard work.
Just the tip of the ice berg. I’d like to see government audits every year to make sure all these “IT errors” on the banks and financial industry are found and not permanently ripping off people who have nobody anymore to check up on the big business in any real terms. Would also help the banks and the government, if they screw up over years that’s a large hole in their accounts for the future and they go bankrupt.
While they are about it, would help people feel better if their cash was actually insured like other normal countries so that people don’t lose all their savings if they stuff up aka all the financial crashes not so long ago. Had a family member lose all their savings in Hanover finance for a deposit on their first home. They had to start out again with nothing. The banks should pay for the insurance and bail outs not the government or tax payers.
ANZ credits customers $10m after loan payment mix-up
http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/money/2018/05/anz-credits-customers-10m-after-loan-payment-mix-up.html
And more even more (if that is possible) dodgy shit emerged from Middlemore while we were sleeping.
https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/357004/non-medical-facility-built-at-middlemore-without-approval
Flash new non medical buildings funded by…
“…. selling about $11 million of medical equipment, mostly sterilisers, to a finance company, then leasing them back.
This was an “unusual” method to get around the fact that usual sources of capital spending would not have been available for such a non-priority building, she said.
“It’s a very bad deal….””
Accompanying photo has an unfortunately inanely grinning acting CEO…
Was it the same ceo who urged getting hawkins to fix their mess at a blow out price?
Simon Bridges needs to do the right thing and resign and let this outstanding women lead National back to the promised land because she is on fire
Thats real Girl Power
Go Jude, cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war!
But Puckish Rogue, only a week ago you were proclaiming that Nicola Willis would be the next PM of NZ!
Now you are suggesting that Willis’ older clone*, Judith Collins, should be the one to lead National back to the promised land. Make up your mind, man. LOL
I really laughed when I watched Jude’s performance the other day. The person in the House I would least call ‘petulant’ is Jacinda Ardern – and the one I would most call ‘petulant’ is none other than Judith Collins herself.
* As I said in one of my comments under your ‘Willis for PM’ post last week, Willis seems like a younger Collins; and she seems to already be forming a fan club around herself amongst the younger, newer Nat MPs.
Bridges in his reshuffle following his rise to the Nat leadership has already moved a number of the older Nats further to the retirement back benches (eg Maggie Barry) and younger ones (eg Sarah Dowie) well up the list and into spokesperson positions. Others, eg Collins, I suspect he is keeping on the front bench from the perspective of keep your friends close but your enemies even closer. Time will tell …
“But Puckish Rogue, only a week ago you were proclaiming that Nicola Willis would be the next PM of NZ!”
I hope she can forgive my momentary lapse of reason (she will of course because shes just so awesome like that)
“As I said in one of my comments under your ‘Willis for PM’ post last week, Willis seems like a younger Collins; and she seems to already be forming a fan club around herself amongst the younger, newer Nat MPs.”
The future is looking bright for NZ
“Bridges in his reshuffle following his rise to the Nat leadership has already moved a number of the older Nats further to the retirement back benches (eg Maggie Barry) and younger ones (eg Sarah Dowie) well up the list and into spokesperson positions. Others, eg Collins, I suspect he is keeping on the front bench from the perspective of keep your friends close but your enemies even closer. Time will tell …”
The sooner he moves Paula Bennett closer to retirement the better
Yes PR another strange thing occurred today see here;
The Greens have decided on a candidate to run in North cote against National and Labour, now we know why we decided to leave the Green Party 15 yrs ago, and now feel vindicated as the greens are handing National another pass card after giving the question time to national already so they are showing us some inside the greens want to go with National as a Blue/green combo i believe now.
The story appears over on TDB.today.
Northcote by-election: Greens select Rebekah Jaung as candidate – is it worth it?
By Martyn Bradbury / May 11, 2018 /
The Greens are sick of being seen as a puppet for Labour and are desperate to show some independence, but was this by-election the best way to do that?
Actually i agree with it, the Greens will have looked at the Maori Party and Act and would know the danger of being seen to be lap dogs plus they also get to campaign for more party votes
@ cleangreen (10.1.1.1) … Not a good move at all from the Greens.
Seems to me Greens are putting up a challenge to the very coalition government they are part of, through selecting a candidate to contest the Northcote byelection! Strange!
I too have a feeling they are edging closer to going over to the Natz dark side eventually.
If they continue with these anti coalition tactics, then Greens can kiss my vote goodbye for good at the next election.
BTW where is Marama Davidson? I supported her being co leader. But she seems not to be making any impact at all so far!
Hi PR,
Just watched the first minute and yes Ms Collins socking it…………She would have been a better choice for Nats. Do you see blood on the floor before 2020?
Also what are your thoughts about Ms Collins detour to have dinner with officials of Oravida and a Chinese boarder official when her husbands company were having difficulty getting their product into China after the baby infant formula isssue. She was paid to go there on Govt business. Just interested to hear your take on that.
It was investigated I believe and no wrong doing found. If you think there was wrong doing then perhaps you should lobby the current government to re-open the investigation.
Gosman, Gosman. “Wrong” is a very relative term to the right.
And the word ‘build’, as opposed to ‘facilitate’, is a very relative term to the left.
Then get the current Government (no friend of Judith Collins) to reopen the investigation. Do you think they will?
No I don’t think the current govt will or should re-open that enquiry. To much other stuff to fix that impacts on kiwis lives…..although a fuller enquiry into dirty politics would be worthy. Have you read the book?
Gosman it was a massive conflict of interest. And some would say corrupt. Would you disagree with that? I didn’t read the report but my understanding was the terms of reference were kept very narrow.
I am just so happy we have this coalition govt who are fixing up years of neglect….yah
ankerawshark; 100%
Good question that is; How can Collins justify her political position over her business interests here???
She may prove more “loose”than John key was with the “truth”
Is that the way to run the country?
“Just watched the first minute and yes Ms Collins socking it…………She would have been a better choice for Nats. Do you see blood on the floor before 2020?”
I can’t answer because I’m biased so any answer i give would be less my head and more my heart but i will say I would like to see Jude take the leadership before the 2020 election
“Also what are your thoughts about Ms Collins detour to have dinner with officials of Oravida and a Chinese boarder official when her husbands company were having difficulty getting their product into China after the baby infant formula isssue. She was paid to go there on Govt business. Just interested to hear your take on that.”
My thoughts is that situation was wonderfully muddied (and well done to Labour)
Ok that’s cool puckish. I hope Jude doesn’t get the leadership as she is a bigger threat to us I think. I thought Simon would do better, and I thought David cunliffe and Andrew little would swing things for the left. I completely under estimated jacinda, who I think is outstanding…….so I wouldn’t trust my own judgement about leadership. I am pleased with the coalition. Extremely pleased. I want Middlemore fixed, I want child poverty reduced. I want a significantly improved mental health service (it deteriorated badly under national, trust me it’s my field)…..I want someone to at least attempt to fix the housing crisis and Auckland’s transport woes”……….theses things inspire me. On and throw climate change into that.
Tell me what is it about National that inspires you? Aside from Jude that is
And she’s been nailing Twyford day after day. Let her loose!
Please make her leader – her vicious sociopathy and questionable past (smirkingly condoning prison rape for example) will turn normal people off in droves.
You must be smoking something really good to think Collins is a sociopath…
Actually I was thinking you must be smoking something to NOT be able to see Collins is a sociopath.
Put up your argument. The label comes with very specific diagnosis.
Let’s start by taking GST off essential items, starting with food.
From the sidebar, Idiot Savant demonstrates his excellent hammer hand skills…
http://norightturn.blogspot.co.nz/2018/05/an-impoverished-idea-of-public.html
“So, the Ombudsman, who is meant to be the defender of transparency and the public participation it enables, thinks the public shouldn’t be able to have a say on policy until the government has already decided what’s going to happen. To put things back into his metaphor, in his view we don’t get to decide where we’re going to go, how we’re going to get there, or even if we’re going to go on a trip at all. But we might get to choose the music we listen to or which cafe we stop at along the way, if the government hasn’t already made up its mind about these things.
No matter which way you look at it, this is a deeply impoverished view of public participation. Pretty obviously, it reflects central government’s view of this – where they make the decisions, and public “consultation” is simply a rubberstamp designed to build legitimacy rather than give us a real say. But public participation is supposed to serve the interests of the people, not the government, and the Ombudsman is supposed to protect it. How the fuck is this supposed to be guarding the mana of the people?”
That’s exactly the impression I got from a quick skim of the paper.
I will give the paper better scrutiny later…always wise to better learn the ways of the enemy.
On this very important issue I am not in any way optimistic that this government has any greater interest in transparency and accountability than the Last Lot.
Yes Rosemary;
The trouble with new governments is that they rely to much on their In-house ‘advisers’ and stray off course so this appears to be just another example of the same result being contrary to what they promised us all at the election.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=12049605
I’m sure one day, one of the pre-election promises will be met. Perhaps someone can raise an OIA on their modelling from 2 years ago…but best expect a redacted blank page to be returned.
You can say whatever prices you like when you know you won’t be building them
Indiana visit labour’s website or go back through Gordon Campbell’s articles. There is a list of everything the coalition has done to date and it’s an impressive list. They will honour their election promises on for exampl e free drs, it will just be a little delayed. In my o wn life I would find that acceptable and it happens frequently every people saying they will deliver things by a certain date and then usually for 7nderstandable reasons the date is pushed back. Most of us are flexible enough to accept this
The ‘Capital Charge’……..probably one of the early initiatives in neo-lib thinking that is now coming into question. It was a feature of the new corporatised public service (during that era when greed became good, and John Travolta and an Olivia neutron bomb were wobbling their arses as though they were more special than the next person)…… that fishint n fektiv n de-pliticoised civil service that was designed to do us all proud.
While they’re busy reviewing the fishinsy n fektivness and worth of that ‘Capital Charge, they might consider applying the same criteria to a good many of the complete fucking Muppetry heading our ‘officlaldom’.
Sometimes I’ve had cause to reference the early pages of the telephone directory.
I find it difficult to find many of the bits that are listed in the government section one could genuinely describe as fully functioning (fishint n fektiv n apolitical) entities.
And let’s be clear, it’s NOT generally down to the plebs at the front line of these entities …. it IS the leadership (the senior and muddle management) – and the culture they instill in their plebs (often ambitious little units anxious to climb the ladder and end up as the next generation of muppetry if only in pursuit of a higher salary and prestigious job title going forward)
First up in the directory is ….. ACC. Then we have Ray Smith’s Corrections.
Next,, nothing too Earth shattering, but a bit of a fuckup if you’re an artist …. Creative NuZull….then Keating’s Defence Force…..then EQC (just check out tonight’s news and all its implications)…then Education Ministry Of.
I’m too scared to travel further, because we’re getting close to Health, and Transport/ Infrastructure, and WINZ , and Primary Industries and perhaps the biggest bugger’s muddle of all which is Mr Smol’s Joyce/Coleman Ministry of Everything.
Whilst I’l hold the ladder steady for Shane Shane – because sure as shit I’m not coming down into his arms, he does have a point in that some serious review is necessary in the muddle and senior management, and that is probbly long overdue.
I heard on Radionz about a good action of The Warehouse helping a woman who needed to escape an obssessed and violent partner, she was given time off and was relocated. One small step for womankind, one great step for one woman and her family.
Now if women can choose to not involve a partner from the first if there is likely to be violence or very erratic behaviour, it would be better. It is only the contempt of the politicians who consider sex moral corruption and illegitimacy the road to hell, that has forced women to be glued to the father often to the detriment of the child and the mother. If she refuses to be involved, she has benefit withheld as a sanction.
Look at all the synonyms relating to the adjective ‘immoral’. It is obviously
something that highly angers people, more than other bad activities that are not connected to simply being loving but when humanness and fertility unfortunately combine.
What a mouthful of dislike:
not conforming to accepted standards of morality.
“unseemly and immoral behaviour”
synonyms: unethical, bad, morally wrong, wrongful, wicked, evil, unprincipled, unscrupulous, dishonourable, dishonest, unconscionable, iniquitous, disreputable, fraudulent, corrupt, depraved, vile, villainous, nefarious, base, unfair, underhand, devious; sinful, impure, unchaste, unvirtuous, shameless, degenerate, debauched, abandoned, dissolute, reprobate, perverted, indecent, lewd, licentious, wanton, bawdy, lustful, promiscuous, whorish;
informal shady, low-down;
informal dodgy, crooked, not cricket;
archaic miscreant
“they deplored immoral behaviour among the upper classes”