[It seems you are new here and started with spamming the site and spreading false information about the PM’s agenda on vaccination. You have one day to provide compelling and convincing evidence that Jacinda Ardern is interested in implementing ‘forced vaccination’ in NZ. If you fail to comply, you will be banned permanently from this site – Incognito]
It looks like quite the paranoid delusional stretch to go from what Ardern actually said to "Forced Vaccination Agenda?".
Nevertheless, when safe and effective vaccines are available but there are grossly antisocial individuals who refuse to be vaccinated without good medical reason, I'd be all for holding them accountable should they get the disease and spread it to others.
In the context of places like the US, that accountability might come in the form of lawsuits for damages. In NZ, as I understand it, there's precedent for prosecuting through the justice system those that spread disease such as HIV.
They either make it mandatory, or they don't – remains to be seen as currently we don't even have a scientific consensus as to what this virus actually is.. But unless they are making the vaccine for Covid 19 mandatory the Anti Vax People will not volunteer themselves or their children for a vaccine. No matter what the PM says or not.
Currently however we do nothing when un-vaccinated children / adults spread measels. I think it falls under "Meh", what can be done about it.
Currently, yeah, it seems to be "meh" about unvaccinated (without good medical reason) people spreading measles. I can't think of any other examples in our society where wilful gross negligence causing easily preventable harm to others is tolerated without incurring consequences.
It's time consequences were applied to those that end up spreading disease because they refused to take an extremely cheap, simple and safe precaution against spreading that disease.
It's time consequences were applied to those that end up spreading disease because they refused to take an extremely cheap, simple and safe precaution against spreading that disease.
Andre. Pray tell what exactly are the "consequences" you demand be brought down upon the heads of these willful disease spreaders?
Fines? Imprisonment? Forced vaccination? Termination of employment? Denial of benefits or publicly funded healthcare, expulsion from educational facilities?
"Extremely cheap, simple and safe precaution…" not so much for the approximately 91 poor souls per year so seriously injured by a vaccine that they qualify for ACC cover.
(I have an OIA list of successful claims per year for vaccine injury from ACC if anyone wishes to query this number. )
And every single time the experiences of these victims of vaccine harm are dismissed by the likes of the 60% of Kiwis (such as yourself) who wholeheartedly and without reservation accept the official narrative that 'all vaccines are safe and effective', the gulf betwixt the twain will widen.
The accepted claims related to vaccinations are associated with different injury groups; the most common accepted injury group is infections. The infection injury group accounts for 47% of the accepted claims. It is also worth noting that serious or fatal treatment injuries as a result of vaccinations are vanishingly rare; accounting for fewer than 0.2% of claims made in the 10-year period you mention. (my italics)
Note that at a rate of 0.2% for serious or fatal with an average of 91 claims per year – that works out to once every five or six years that someone thinks someone has suffered a serious or fatal injury from vaccination. And with the way a very active group of kooks are trying hard to falsely paint vaccines as dangerous, I suspect even that one incident every five or six years is more likely than not a misattribution. But sure Rosemary, carry on with trying to present a false argument that anti-vaxxers have any kind of reason or logic on their side.
As for consequences for disease spreaders – personally I think recovering the full cost of treating them and the unfortunates they passed it on to plus the consequential costs suffered by their unfortunate victims would be a good place to start.
Oh, Andre. I do so envy your sureness on this issue.
I guess you have never, ever spoken to someone who has experienced first hand an adverse reaction to a vaccine? A parent, perhaps, who 'lost' their previously milestone hitting child after a post- immunisation fever caused significant neurological damage?
A senior citizen, persuaded to have their very first flu vaccine, who ends up seriously ill with the flu for the first time in their lives?
No, I guess not.
How is it that while many of those who are vaccine hesitant acknowledge the overall benefits of some vaccines, it is almost unheard of for a proponent of vaccines to acknowledge that some people are harmed by vaccines and that not all vaccines are effective?
Surely respectful discussion with the 40% of the population who do not share your unquestioning belief in the safety and efficacy of vaccines would be more productive than the jackboot to the neck approach?
Because hey….in New Zealand we don't even hold those who willfully drink and drive responsible for the injuries they cause. And drink driving is illegal.
You're almost certainly falling for the correlation means causation fallacy.
Childhood vaccinations are frequent enough that the onset of any problems will likely occur *shortly after* a vaccination for significant numbers of children. But that association in time does not *prove* that the vaccine caused the problem. That proof can only come from careful examination of massive data sets. And that careful examination shows the opposite – that vaccines do not cause almost all of the ailments that have been attributed to them.
As just one example, here's a look at encephalopathies that have been falsely blamed on vaccines.
To be sure, there have been a very few instances of vaccines making it out into general public use and then failing to meet the extremely stringent safety performance expected of them. Invariably, those particular vaccines have been withdrawn extremely rapidly.
As to that idiot segment of the population that has deluded themselves into fearing vaccines through following their feels and ignoring facts, reason, knowledge – I dunno.
Education won't help those who refuse to be educated. Presenting facts and evidence won't help those who refuse to consider them. Coddling them with empathy about their feels doesn't seem a likely route to bring them into the world of reason and evidence.
That doesn't leave much else other than holding them accountable for the outcome of their stupidity, which so far they have been entirely insulated from.
If you bothered to try to understand what I actually wrote, you might have twigged to the idea that your brother-in-law falls into the category of people I think deserve the protection of widespread herd immunity from the diseases anti-vaxxers seem so determined to spread around. That herd immunity is created by widespread vaccination of the general public. Because he actually has a medically sound reason not to be vaccinated.
The risk of allergic reaction (with anaphylaxis at the extreme) is a significant part of questionnaires to be asked before administering a vaccine. Every single time I've received a vaccination, the provider has been particularly careful on that point, coming at it with questions from several different angles.
Rare as those reactions actually are, they are still the reason why you're expected to stay at the doctor's office for a waiting time after receiving the vaccination. It's also important to note that such reactions, when appropriately managed, are a temporary nuisance, not a long term problem.
Many news articles about a study of influenza vaccine and miscarriages raised good questions—but for questionable reasons, reports Rob Wipond.
(This article appeared in The BMJ (British Medical Journal), January 5, 2018.)
When reporting on medical studies, the popular press has a habit of sensationalising. So the muted response to a recent research paper reporting increased risk of miscarriage with influenza vaccines was at first sight surprising.
In any discussion of influenza epidemiology we should acknowledge the careful and steady (one could even say fearless) work of Danuta Skowronski and her Canadian public health colleagues. It was they who found that the 2008-9 flu shot doubled the risk of illness from the 2009 H1N1 pandemic flu. Their observations were considered important enough to alter Canadian vaccine recommendations for the 2009-10 season. However, for some reason, they had a good deal of difficulty getting their study finally published. (Skowronski, PLoS Med 2010;7(4):e1000258) This observational study was a revelation, even a shock, to many public health experts. US officials never publicly acknowledged the findings…..This is just one of a number of important papers published over the years by Skowronski and her colleagues, who have a reputation for high scientific and ethical standards.
I wondered if I could find an answer to the simple question of “Who is most likely to experience adverse effects of influenza vaccination?” Might it be related to age, gender, having the vaccine for the first time, having reactions in the past, being pregnant, a history of not having the flu, or other factors?
The first paper I found, from JAMA, seemed to conclude that there are no side effects; I had imagined them or, as my wife correctly pointed out, it might be coincidence that I had the vaccination and then symptoms from some other cause. That was hard for me to believe, but I knew that she could be right.
So I couldn’t find an answer to my simple question of who was most likely to get side effects from influenza vaccination despite hundreds of millions being vaccinated every year. I was also left with the conclusion that researchers are much more interested in efficacy than side effects, which fits with the observation that adverse effects are poorly collected and poorly reported in randomised trials. Indeed, I found two systematic reviews of multiple trials of effectiveness. It’s understandable that researchers, particularly those who develop vaccines, will be much more interested in efficacy than side effects, particularly in the context of antivaccinationists making a tremendous amount of noise about mostly false adverse effects of vaccines. The researchers, who will rightly believe in the great effectiveness of vaccines, will not want people to be put off from being vaccinated. But patients are interested in both efficacy and side effects, and if they are to give genuinely informed consent they need high quality evidence on both. The nurse who vaccinated gave me no information at all (perhaps because she knew I was a doctor, and I didn’t ask) and told my wife there were no side effects (perhaps she’d read the JAMA trial).
This discussion happened just over one year ago.
One year ago. And one of the planet's more reputable medical journals publishes and allows open discussion on the more than murky field of vaccine research.
The top image is hosted on a site selling massively expensive debunked cancer "treatments" (e.g. gcMAF – " Once proclaimed a ‘magic protein’ capable of curing cancer, GcMAF has been proven ineffective."). The site also features some 'unconventional' theories on the origins of cancer ( e.g. "cancer is NOT a genetic disease" )
Indeed. Then with a little more digging to find the names of people associated with that site selling massively expensive debunked cancer "treatment" … well… virtual chocolate fish to everyone who correctly guesses.
It is a question and a concern designed to promote healthy discussion on this matter. We have recently seen the “COVID-19 Public Health Response Act 2020” being rushed through parliament in a way that was deeply concerning to The Human Rights Commission. This act gives government the power to issue orders that require persons to take any specified action, or any specified measure, if the government believes it will help to prevent the spread of Covid-19. This overrides The Bill of Rights and deeply concerns me that the government may consider mandatory vaccinations when a vaccine comes along. This concern was heightened with another recent event when “The Covid-19 Public Health Response (Safeguard from forced vaccinations)” amendment bill, tabled by Jami-Lee Ross was rejected by other political parties and after viewing the video of Nationals Christopher Luxon responded “Yes I do” to the question “Do you support cutting benefits to solo parents who do not vaccinate their children?”
I am not against vaccines, but I support The Bill of Rights and the freedom of individuals to choose.
[You do not seem to understand the Moderation request. You have been asked to put up evidence for an agenda by Jacinda Ardern to implement forced vaccination in NZ. It follows directly from your first comment @ 1 and its content and presentation. The onus is on you to comply with the Moderation request, not to argue your agenda and detract with BORA, et cetera. NB Christopher Luxon is not even in Parliament yet and you have created another strawman.
I find your opening gambit highly disingenuous. There are other ways to design and promote discussion on the matter of COVID-19 vaccination.
By associating your ‘discussion’ with Jacinda Ardern, and with 100 days until the Election, you politicised the issue from the outset.
I suspect that you have an agenda and ulterior motives, and my suspicion is further raised by the company website you are associated with.
Are there currently any examples of forced vaccination in NZ?
Are there currently any examples of mandatory vaccination in NZ?
Being deeply concerned is no reason to deliberately spread disinformation to stoke fear.
Did you know that it is not mandatory to tell your partner that you are HIV-positive before having sex as long as you use a condom for protection (of your partner)?
Did you know that currently there is no vaccine against HIV?
If your comment @ 1 was merely based on your speculation and concern, you can provide a clarification as such that leaves no doubt whatsoever that you made it up and that Jacinda Ardern has no such plans for forced vaccination.
You have until tomorrow or face a permanent ban – Incognito]
[As I suspected, you’re not interested to “promote healthy discussion”. You deliberately started off in a highly politicised manner and together with your website this immediately gave away your agenda. I’ve given you an opportunity to take your contribution to where we can trust you and respect you for your opinions and engage with you in good faith, but you decided not to take it. I take this as another sign of your disingenuous agenda. Long story short, you were warned and you are now banned permanently from this site – Incognito]
We all live in a society. The cost of the huge benefits we receive from that is that our freedoms can never be absolute.
Individuals cannot have absolute freedom if that freedom takes away the freedom of others. In this case, a poor uptake of a covid 19 vaccine places all in danger. Some measure of coercion is unfortunately necessary for the good if the majority (and the fruitcake anti vaxxer minority themselves).
Not true. No vaccine is ever 100% effective, and most do not give lifetime immunity. So the anti vaxxers keep the virus alive in the community and it will spread to the vulnerable, especially new immigrants to NZ that arrive from countries where prenventative healthcare is less prevalent.
And those who because of legitimate medical reasons and not their own selfishness, have no option but to rely on the herd sharing the risks of vaccination.
And you have a duty to report accurately and factually, not flout garbage touted by the very people with whom you say you disagree.
The rights of people always carry responsibilities as well. The right to an opinion does demand the responsibility to be as informed, accurate and factual as possible.
Otherwise, you are badly informed, stupid, a quack or a nutter, vapid, vacuous and vacant.
English has a wide vocabulary for people who offer crazy notions as bona fide opinions.
It's a pretty good clue when someone says something like "I am not against vaccines, but …" in the midst of raising all kinds of spurious concerns. Then when you do a search on them and find their handle on another forum linking approvingly to a notorious anti-vaxxer …
And personally, I respect you for using your full name, and for your posts. Absolutely opposed to your views, but you and others hold them and it is important they be aired and refuted.
Are you or are you not the Michael Kelly that commented on the No Punches Pulled blog linking to a video featuring Judy Mikovits PLANDEMIC?
(not linking because that site and its comments are nuttier than the buffet at a squirrel convention)
As for handles here, the culture is that most commenters use a pseudonym. Including almost all authors, even those whose real life identities are openly disclosed. When I started commenting here, it frankly felt weird not using my full name, but that's what this forum is.
In the USA the MAGA crowd believe that covid tests are a way of collecting a person's DNA, and they are dead against taking a vaccine. Yes it's a crazy way of thinking, but that's how the trump supporters roll.
Freedom of choice is one matter but spreading MAGA propaganda narratives is another. JS
I am not against a healthy discussion about vaccination per se. I regard this though as a strawman argument because
1 there is currently no vaccine against Covid-19
2 It is not the way of NZ to enforce vaccination on those who do not wish to have it as long as those doing so have a knowledge of what they are doing
3 The best example is for the vaccination given to teenage girls where there is an ability for them to opt for or not personally, despite what their guardians may or may not believe.
4 A specific regime of vaccination unless you/guardian specifically opt out will catch the 'can't be bothered' parents of which there are many.
5 Despite no compulsory vaccination those who do not vaccinate or arrange to have their children vaccinated may find that some avenues may be closed for them and their children eg
-Travel some countries may not allow unvaccinated travellers from NZ to visit their countries in much the same way as earlier generations of travellers up to the 1990s at least could not visit places unless we could show up to date vaccination certificates for yellow fever & malaria in 1996 in Mauritius and Kenya.
-Private NZ places such as rest homes, early childhood orgs etc may legitimately ask that people wishing to avail themselves of services offered may be required to produce vaccination certificates so that the resthome, ECE is able to keep residents/children safe. I do not regard this as punitive but of a responsible owner of an enterprise. There is no Bill of Rights provisions to say that a private owner is not able to take reasonable steps and must admit those who do not abide by these reasonable steps. Just as despite some of our greatest social advance/freedoms there are still some will not admit LGBT to their private homes or home based businesses.
So while interesting the post is in response to 'screamers' in the media doing a beat-up.
We obviously will have to regard all threats to our individual liberty seriously just as we accept many provisions for the greater good, harking back really to King John and the Robber barons when I lost my ability to raise a private army!
I had thought that the strength of this legislation COVID-19 Public Health Response Act 2020 was diluted that it was time bound just as the Declarations of Emergency etc under the Health and Civil Defence Acts all the way through the pandemic were time bound.
It quotes junk science. This is one of my my biggest objections. Advancing an argument should be done without recourse to dubious websites/science.
"COVID-19 is really two different diseases. In the first few days, it is like a very bad cold. In some people, it then morphs into pneumonia which can be life-threatening. What I found is that treatments for the cold don’t work well for the pneumonia, and vice versa. Most of the published studies have looked at treatments for the cold but used for the pneumonia. I just looked at how well the treatments for the cold worked for the cold. There are five studies done this way, four of hydroxychloroquine plus azithromycin and one with hydroxychloroquine plus doxycycline, and they all show that treating the cold part of COVID-19—the early part—works very well."
I guess the minute WHO came out against it, it was pretty obvious that there was at least some value in the drugs. They seem to specialise in disinformation and promoting confusion.
A relevant article in the Herald in regard to the conversations about statues and public monuments that have been discussed in the last few days:
"George Floyd protests: New Zealand's controversial statues and the calls to bring them down – Micheal Neilson"
One of the statues discussed was Captain Cook –
But it was not until last year, for the 250th commemorations of Cook's arrival in the country, that it was removed.
Today new sculptures stand in its place, produced by Tupara – one of his tupuna Te Maro, and "Crook Cook" is about to be erected in the grounds of Tairāwhiti Museum.
Rather than it being pulled down in dramatic fashion, as has been seen overseas, Tupara said it was good to see the community come to a consensus over a two-year consultation period, even if it had taken nearly 50 years for Māori to be listened to.
"Not everybody was happy, many wanted the statue completely destroyed, but we were keen to continue a cordial relationship.
"It started conversations about our true history. Half the population is Māori here, but there was almost no imagery to reflect that.
"Cook had also only ever been depicted as this heroic figure, and selectively taught about in the curriculum, editing out things like the diseases and abuse and killings his crew brought through the Pacific. His connections with slavery are also rarely discussed."
However, the sense of achievement from that success was overshadowed very quickly,
But in recent weeks the Gisborne District Council once again come under fire after failing to consult iwi over its decision to install two new Endeavour replica models in the town centre.
Protests today, led by youth, took place, as the council under pressure reversed its decision.
"A lot of people are pretty disappointed," Tupara said.
"It really ran counter to everything we've just been through, like no lessons have been learned."
For those that remain unaware – there are almost always those, who despite setbacks, have persisted to right wrongs. The example above shows how unless the change is genuine, it is one battle after another to get real systematic and institutional change.
“Talk to us — that's the whole point,” said a protester at this morning's extraordinary meeting of Gisborne district councillors as they voted unanimously to revoke their earlier decision to instal models of James Cook's Endeavour ship in Gisborne city without community consultation.
Because the face is not readily recognisable as a likeness of Cook, and the uniform is incorrect, it was thought for many years to not be a statue of Cook at all. A plaque was installed in October 1998 with the words ‘‘Who is he? We have no idea?” based on this erroneous conclusion.
[…]
Is the uniform correct?
No. Cook is not wearing the uniform of a British naval officer, nor does his uniform resemble that of any other European naval uniforms.(6) The uniform has been described as ‘Italian’ in style.
The sculptor has him wearing a coat with collar down and buttoned across the chest – a late-eighteenth/early nineteenth century style, dating from after Cook’s death. He wears a Lieutenant’s coat, with Captain’s epaulettes.
On his head he wears a Captain’s bicorne (a style which replaced the tricorne in the 1790s) worn in the ‘athwart’ (side-to-side) style as it would have commonly been worn in the 1790s. Cook’s uniform would have included a tricorne hat and an open coat with a low collar and no epaulettes (as shown in the Webber portrait).
We shouldn't waste money on one for helen clark because it'll just get smashed up.
Although if one does get made I suppose we could put its remnants in Te Papa.
The description on the piece could read:
"helen clark's statue was destroyed amidst protests against celebrating a leader who oversaw widespread right-wing reform of our social welfare system, who thought she could get away with further dispossession of Maori in the 21st century, who reached agreement with the Australian government to wreck thousands of peoples' lives by removing all rights from New Zealanders living there and who continued to uphold the raison d'être of the previous government which spent nine years destroying the cultural fabric of our nation through blind adherence to neo-liberal principles displaying almost complete disdain for the welfare of citizens."
Yes, okay then. A statue for helen clark would be good.
There are many better ways to acknowledge people than statues. Might as well put up a sign saying "Here's your symbol, protesters gather here". Helen Clark would be getting vandalised every pissed-up Saturday night.
They also feed the false notion of progress being achieved by a lone Superhero. That's Hollywood history.
Paula Southgate's got the right idea. Take it away. Put it somewhere where you have to go to to see it, a museum perhaps. Put a description up that tells the truth: 'Hamilton was a murderer who…' etc.
The EU accuses China of misinformation fudging its Corona virus infection rates showing a sudden jump in numbers then an immediate flat line no other outbreak has followed that pattern ,the guardian.
This is the outbreak on Chinas border with Russia I believe.
Could just hokey up some completely fake numbers like that McLaughlin does. Though I s'pose it's a bit harder to pull it off when you've got to mollify 50-odd caucus members than when you just have to pacify an Individual-1.
'Could' just hokey up some completely fake numbers? Chuckle, chuckle.
Washington Post May 23rd:
“Every once in a while, President Trump tweets something like this:
“96% Approval Rating in the Republican Party. Thank you!”
He doesn’t offer a source for the purported poll number because there is literally no evidence that a source exists. For more than a year, Trump’s just occasionally shared random assessments of his popularity within his party, never offering any explanation for where the figure came from.
In fact, he’s painting himself into a corner, as we reported last month. In January 2019, he started claiming that his approval with Republicans was 93 percent. Last summer, he cranked it up to 94 percent. Then, as impeachment loomed and he sought to keep Republicans in line, it climbed to 95 percent. A month ago, under fire for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, he decided he’d hit 96 percent.”
The demand for an apology is a stunt, its ridiculous, he told them to do it, they'd be sacked if they didn't humour him and the gesture in his little mind is slamming the hoax media. In itself it's a lovely little of picture of someone who's lost it.
In Incognito’s reference above at #5, Trump wrote "which I felt were FAKE based on the incredible enthusiasm we are receiving".
I was going to point out that the self-proclaimed genius President does not understand what the word 'incredible' actually means.
Then I examined the language of the tweet. It sums up his approach to science, to evidence, to fact-based logic.
He wrote "which I felt".
Feelings- not thought, not logic, not understood- "felt".
This is of course what informs his supporters.
It also informs many voters in NZ.
Fortunately, Ardern (and Robertson whom I saw recently at a budget presentation to the local Chamber of Commerce) are both empathetic and genuine individuals who connect at the levels of both feelings and intellect.
But, as Andre says below, there are other opinions……….
Sadly true. All these posers pulling down statues in England of historic slave traders, yet blissfully ignoring the millions of slaves in the world today, particularly in West Africa, and even within England itself of Eastern European sex slaves.
But the issue here is removing old statues put up by historical people living in a different era. Removing a new statue put up in the current era is a very different idea.
The Moutoa memorial is one example, the English inscription reads:
"To the memory of those brave men who fell at Moutoa 14 May 1864 in defence of law and order, against fanaticism and barbarism. This monument is erected by the Province of Wellington."
At first glance one might assume this inscription is a bit racist. But it's actually a memorial to Maori warriors who fought a contemporary 'insurgency' (for want of a better term). A blog comment doesn't do justice to the history of this statue; but this piece from the Whanganui Chronicle is pretty good.
Samuel Clemmens (Mark Twain) had this to say about the Whanganui memorial to the Kūpapa (Queenites) who fought alongside colonials.
The other monument cannot be rectified. Except with dynamite. It is a mistake all through, and a strangely thoughtless one. It is a monument erected by white men to Maoris who fell fighting with the whites and against their own people, in the Maori war. “Sacred to the memory of the brave men who fell on the 14th of May, 1864,” etc. On one side are the names of about twenty Maoris. It is not a fancy of mine; the monument exists. I saw it. It is an object-lesson to the rising generation. It invites to treachery, disloyalty, unpatriotism. Its lesson, in frank terms is, “Desert your flag, slay your people, burn their homes, shame your nationality—we honor such.”
The Whanganui Chronicle piece I linked explains the history in detail of that difficult time, and why Twain's tourist impression is misguided. I don’t think destroying a piece of history is going to solve anything
I mean, its like why don't Black Live Matters don't acknowledge white victims of police brutality, or why don't female survivors of sexual assault don't acknowledge male victims of sexual assault and and and……….
and yeah, funny that you mention Mao and Hitler – now i think in China – where Mao did all his killing – he is somewhat a hero, and one day there might be a generation that will knock over his edifices but Hitler, you will be hard pressed to find anything re Hitler in public places in Germany, you will however find many cast bronze, or carved sculptures that were lifted to the memory of his victims. Heck, whole Concentration Camps were kept in order to show the plight of the victims of the Nazis.
And yeah, the audacity of US American Protesters – many whom are people of color, and their white allies, to protest the shit that is going on in their own country and their own communities rather then some stuff in Thailand or elsewhere. Must be hypocrisy.
And in the meantime, some other cop somewhere in the US is gonna kill someone cause he / she can. For no other reason. Mind if i were inclined to be a serial killer in the US i would join the coppers…..so as long as i was afraid and scared for my life i can kill someone life on telly over 8 min and 48 seconds.
Your main point is absolutely correct. Slavery is very much with us today. Not just in the economic sense of poorly-paid wage slaves, but literal, imprisoned, abused slaves. Millions of them.
A great story from Australia, one I had not known but which brought a tear to my eye. Five year old article about an event in 1968 but very topical today about one man's ethical stand and its aftermath.
They were friends. They carried his coffin after his early death in 2006. The long link is a good read but I think you've got most of it already. He was Salvation Army so had a good background for developing a social conscience.
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Do you believe New Zealand runs its general elections fairly and competently? As a voter, can you be confident that the votes on your ballot will be counted towards the final result? As a political scientist, I’ve been asked these questions many times and always answered “yes”, with very few ...
Thus far May has followed on from a quiet April in the blogging department, but in fairness, it has been another case of doing what I am supposed to be doing, namely writing original fiction. Plus reading. So don’t worry – I have been productive. But in order to reassure ...
Buzz from the Beehive A new government agency will open for business on July 1 – the Social Investment Agency. As a new standalone central agency effective from 1 July, it will lead the development of social investment across Government, helping ministers understand who they need to invest in, what ...
Bryce Edwards writes – “Follow the money” is the classic directive to journalists trying to understand where power and influence lie in society. In terms of uncovering who influences various New Zealand political parties and governments, it therefore pays to look at who is funding them. The ...
Alwyn Poole writes – After being elected to Parliament in 2008 the maiden speech of Hipkins was substantially around education policy. He was Labour’s spokesperson for education 2011 – 2017. He was Minister for Education from 2017 until February 2023. This is approximately 88% of the time Labour ...
Eric Crampton writes – A fashion industry group is lobbying for protections. They make the usual arguments and a newer one. None of it makes sense. An industry group says it pumped $7.8 billion into the economy last year – that’s 1.9 percent of New Zealand’s GDP. ...
In December 2006, Fiji's military leader Voreqe Bainimarama overthrew the elected government in a coup. He ruled Fiji for the next 16 years, first as dictator, then as "elected" Prime Minister. But now, he's finally been sent to jail where he belongs. Sadly, this isn't for his real crime of ...
Don't like National's corrupt Muldoonist "fast-track" law? Aotearoa's environmental NGO's - Greenpeace, Forest & Bird, WWF, Coromandel Watchdog, Coal Action Network Aotearoa, Kiwis Against Seabed Mining, and others - have announced a joint march against it in Auckland in June: When: 13:00, 8 June, 2024 Where: Aotea Square, Auckland You ...
Seymour describes sushi as too woke for school meals. There are no fish sushi meals recommended by the School Lunches programme. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / Getty ImagesTL;DR: The Government will swap out hot meals for packaged sandwiches to save $107 million on school lunches for poor kids. MSD has pulled ...
I don't mind stealin' bread from the mouths of decadenceBut I can't feed on the powerless when my cup's already overfilled, yeahBut it's on the table, the fire's cookin'And they're farmin' babies, while slaves are workin'The blood is on the table and the mouths are chokin'But I'm goin' hungry, yeahSome ...
The Ardern Government’s chickens came home to roost yesterday with the news that the country is short of natural gas. In 2018, Labour banned offshore petroleum exploration, and industry executives say that the attendant loss of confidence by the industry impacted overall investment in onshore gas fields. Energy Resources Minister ...
Hi,If you’ve been digging through the newly launched Webworm store (orders are being dispatched worldwide as I type!) you’ll have noticed the best model we had was Calvin.This is Calvin.Calvin.Calvin is 7, and is the son of my producer over on Flightless Bird, Rob — aka “Wobby Wob”. Rob also ...
This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Adam Levy. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). Climate change is everywhere. And when something's everywhere it can feel like it's nowhere. So how do we get our heads ...
Its a law like gravity: whenever a right-wing government is elected, they start attacking democracy. And now, after talking to their Republican and Tory and Fidesz chums at the International Democracy Union forum in Wellington, National is doing it here, announcing plans to remove election-day enrolment. Or, to put it ...
Yesterday Winston Peters focussed his attention on the important matter at hand. Tweeting. Like the former, and quite possibly next, orange POTUS, from whom he takes much of his political strategy, Winston is an avid X’er.His message didn’t resemble an historic address this time. In fact it was more reminiscent ...
Buzz from the Beehive A significant decline in natural gas production has given Resources Minister Shane Jones an opportunity to reiterate his enthusiasm for the mining and burning of coal. For good measure, he has praised an announcement from Genesis Energy that it will resume importing coal. He and Energy ...
“Follow the money” is the classic directive to journalists trying to understand where power and influence lie in society. In terms of uncovering who influences various New Zealand political parties and governments, it therefore pays to look at who is funding them. The political parties are legally obliged to make ...
Rob MacCullough writes – Here is my subjective ranking on a “most-left” to “most-right” scale of most of our major NZ Universities, with some anecdotal (and at times amusing) evidence to back up the claim.Extreme Left Auckland University of TechnologyEvidenceThe ...
Eric Crampton writes – I hadn’t thought about this one until a helpful email showed up in my inbox.It’s pretty obvious that income tax thresholds should automatically index with inflation – whether to anchor the thresholds in percentiles of the income distribution, or to anchor against a real ...
Jacqui Van Der Kaay writes – Parliament’s speaker had no option but to refer Green MP Julie Anne Genter to the Privileges Committee for her behaviour in the House last Wednesday evening. The incident, in which she crossed the floor to wave a book and yell at National ...
Gary Judd writes – The Dean of the law school at the Auckland University of Technology is someone called Khylee Quince. I have been sent her social media posting in which she has, over the LawNews headline “Senior King’s Counsel files complaint about compulsory tikanga Maori studies for ...
Cleo Paskal writes – WASHINGTON, D.C.: ‘Many of us have received phone calls from [the opposing camp] telling them if they join the camp they will be given projects for their wards and $300,000 [around US$35,000] each’, says former Malaita Premier Daniel Suidani. The elections in Solomon Islands aren’t ...
With hindsight, it was inevitable that (a) Hamas would agree to the ceasefire deal brokered by Egypt and Qatar and that ( b) Israel would then immediately launch attacks on Rafah, regardless. We might have hoped the concessions made by Hamas would cause Israel to desist from slaughtering thousands more ...
Placards and mourners outside the Kilbirnie Mosque following the Christchurch terror attack: MSD has terminated the Kaiwhakaoranga service, which has been used by 415 families since the attacks. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The Government’s pledge to only cut ‘back office’ staff rather than ‘frontline’ services is on increasingly shaky ground, with ...
There’s been a few smaller public transport announcements over the last week or so that I thought I’d cover in a single post. Fareshare I’ve long called for Auckland Transport to offer a way to enable employer-subsidised public transport options. The need for this took on even more importance ...
Parliament’s speaker had no option but to refer Green MP Julie Anne Genter to the Privileges Committee for her behaviour in the House last Wednesday evening. The incident, in which she crossed the floor to wave a book and yell at National Minister Matt Doocey, reflects poorly on Genter and ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Who likes being sneered at? Nobody. Worse yet, when the sneerer has their facts all wrong, and might well be an idiot.The sneer in question is The adults are in charge now, and it is a sneer offered in retort to criticism of this new Government, no matter how well ...
When in government, Labour pushed to extend the Parliamentary term to four years, to reduce accountability and our ability to vote out a bad government. And now, they're trying to do it through the member's ballot, with a Four-Year Parliamentary Term Legislation Bill. The bill at least requires a referendum ...
A ballot for a single Member's Bill was held today, and the following bill was drawn: Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill (Hūhana Lyndon) The bill would prevent the government from stealing Māori land in breach of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. It ...
Simeon Brown, alongside Wayne Brown, is favouring a political figleaf now in exchange for loading up tens of millions in extra interest costs on Auckland ratepayers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Ratings agency Standard & Poor’s is pushing back hard at suggestions from Local Government Minister Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown ...
Buzz from the Beehive One headline-grabber from the Beehive yesterday was the OECD’s advice that the government must bring the Budget deficit under control or face higher interest rates. Another was the announcement of a $1.9 billion “investment” in Corrections over the next four years. In the best interests of ...
Chris Trotter writes – Had Zheng He’s fleet sailed east, not west, in the early Fifteenth Century, how different our world would be. There is little reason to suppose that the sea-going junks of the Ming Dynasty, among the largest and most sophisticated sailing vessels ever constructed, would have failed ...
David Farrar writes – Two articles give a useful contrast in balance. Both seek to be neutral explainer articles. This one in the Herald on Social Investment covers the pros and cons nicely. It links to critical pieces and talks about aspects that failed and aspects that are more ...
The tikanga regulations will compel law students to be taught that a system which does not conform with the rule of law is nevertheless law which should be observed and applied…Gary Judd KC writes – I have made a complaint to Parliament’s Regulation ...
The future of Te Huia, the train between Hamilton and Auckland, has been getting a lot of attention recently as current funding for it is only in place till the end of June. The government initially agreed to a five year trial, through to April 2026, but that was subject ...
TL;DR: Hamas has just agreed to Israel’s ceasefire plan. Nelson hospital’s rebuild has been cut back to save money. The OECD suggests New Zealand break up network monopolies, including in electricity. PM Christopher Luxon’s news conference on a prison expansion announcement last night was his messiest yet.Here’s my top six ...
A homicide in Ponsonby, a manhunt with a killer on the run. The nation’s leader stands before a press conference reassuring a frightened nation that he’ll sort it out, he’ll keep them safe, he’ll build some new prison spaces.Sorry what? There’s a scary dude on the run with a gun ...
Hi,I know it’s been awhile since there’s been any Webworm merch — and today that all changes!Over the last four months, I’ve been working with New Zealand artist Jess Johnson to create a series of t-shirts, caps and stickers that are infused with Webworm DNA — and as of right ...
The OECD’s chief economist yesterday laid it on the line for the new Government: bring the deficit under control or face higher Reserve Bank interest rates for longer. And to bring the deficit under control, she meant not borrowing for tax cuts. But there was more. Without policy changes—introducing a ...
After a hiatus of over four months Selwyn Manning and I finally got it together to re-start the “A View from Afar” podcast series. We shall see how we go but aim to do 2 episodes per month if possible. … Continue reading → ...
In 2008, the UK Parliament passed the Climate Change Act 2008. The law established a system of targets, budgets, and plans, with inbuilt accountability mechanisms; the aim was to break the cycle of empty promises and replace it with actual progress towards emissions reduction. The law was passed with near-universal ...
Buzz from the Beehive Local Water Done Well – let’s be blunt – is a silly name, but the first big initiative to put it into practice has gone done well. This success is reflected in the headline on an RNZ report:District mayors welcome Auckland’s new water deal with ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate ConnectionsA farmworker cleans the solar panels of a solar water pump in the village of Jagadhri, Haryana Country, India. (Photo credit: Prashanth Vishwanathan/ IWMI) Decisions made in India over the next few years will play a key role in global ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – The Children’s Minister, Karen Chhour, intends to repeal Section 7AA from the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 because it creates conflict between claimed Crown Treaty obligations and the child’s best interests. In her words, “Oranga Tamariki’s governing principles and its act should be colour ...
Geoffrey Miller writes – The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. ...
Brian Easton writes – This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be (I will report on them ...
TL;DR:Winston Peters is reported to have won a budget increase for MFAT. David Seymour wanted his Ministry of Regulation to be three times bigger than the Productivity Commission. Simeon Brown is appointing a Crown Monitor to Watercare to protect the Claytons Crown Guarantee he had to give ratings agencies ...
The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. Carr had made highly ...
I could be a florist'Round the corner from Rye LaneI'll be giving daisies to craziesBut, baby, I'll wrap you up real safe Oh, I can give you flowers At the end of every dayFor the center of your table, a rainbowIn case you have people 'round to stay Depending on ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to May 12 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Finance Minister Nicola Willis will give a pre-budget speech on Thursday.Parliament sits from Question Time at 2pm on ...
The price of the foreign affairs “reset” is now becoming apparent, with Defence set to get a funding boost in the Budget. Finance Minister Nicola Willis has confirmed that it will be one of the few votes, apart from Health and Education and possibly Police, which will get an increase ...
Today New Zealand First will introduce a Member’s Bill that will protect women’s spaces. The ‘Fair Access to Bathrooms Bill’ will require, primarily in the interest and safety of women and girls, that all new non-domestic publicly accessible buildings provide separate, clearly demarcated, unisex and single sex bathrooms. This Bill ...
The Green Party is welcoming Climate Change Minister Simon Watts’ continuation of Hon. James Shaw’s cross-party work on climate adaptation, now in the form of a Finance and Expenditure Committee Inquiry. ...
The National Government plans to cut 390 jobs at ACC, including roles in the areas of prevention of sexual violence, road safety and workplace safety. ...
The Government has been caught in opposition to evidence once again as it looks to usher in tried, tested and failed work seminar obligations for job-seeking beneficiaries. ...
The Green Party is welcoming the announcement by the Minister Responsible for RMA Reform Chris Bishop to approve most of the Wellington City Council’s District Plan recommendations. ...
David Seymour has failed to get the sweeping cuts he wanted to the free and healthy school lunch programme, Labour education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
Hon Willie Jackson has been invited by the Oxford Union to debate the motion “This House Believes British Museums are not Very British’ on May 23rd. ...
Green Party MP Hūhana Lyndon says her Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill is an opportunity to right some past wrongs around the alienation of Māori land. ...
A senior, highly respected King’s Counsel with decades of experience in our law courts, Gary Judd KC, has filed a complaint about compulsory tikanga Māori studies for law students - highlighting the utter depths of absurdity this woke cultural madness has taken our society. The tikanga regulations will compel law ...
The Government needs to be clear with the people of the Nelson Marlborough region about the changes it is considering for the Nelson Hospital rebuild, Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said. ...
Ministers must front up about which projects it will push through under its Fast Track Approvals legislation, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
New Zealand voted in favour of a resolution broadening Palestine’s participation at the United Nations General Assembly overnight, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The resolution enhances the rights of Palestine to participate in the work of the UN General Assembly while stopping short of admitting Palestine as a full ...
Introduction Good morning. It’s a great privilege to be here at the 2024 Infrastructure Symposium. I was extremely happy when the Prime Minister asked me to be his Minister for Infrastructure. It is one of the great barriers holding the New Zealand economy back from achieving its potential. Building high ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced the upcoming Budget will include new funding of $571 million for Defence Force pay and projects. “Our servicemen and women do New Zealand proud throughout the world and this funding will help ensure we retain their services and expertise as we navigate an increasingly ...
New Zealand’s ability to cope with climate change will be strengthened as part of the Government’s focus to build resilience as we rebuild the economy, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “An enduring and long-term approach is needed to provide New Zealanders and the economy with certainty as the climate ...
Jobseeker beneficiaries who have work obligations must now meet with MSD within two weeks of their benefit starting to determine their next step towards finding a job, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “A key part of the coalition Government’s plan to have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker ...
A new standalone Social Investment Agency will power-up the social investment approach, driving positive change for our most vulnerable New Zealanders, Social Investment Minister Nicola Willis says. “Despite the Government currently investing more than $70 billion every year into social services, we are not seeing the outcomes we want for ...
Check against delivery Good morning. It is a pleasure to be with you to outline the Coalition Government’s approach to our first Budget. Thank you Mark Skelly, President of the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce, together with your Board and team, for hosting me. I’d like to acknowledge His Worship ...
Your Excellency Ambassador Meredith, Members of the Diplomatic Corps and Ambassadors from European Union Member States, Ministerial colleagues, Members of Parliament, and other distinguished guests, Thank you everyone for joining us. Ladies and gentlemen - In diplomacy, we often speak of ‘close’ and ‘long-standing’ relations. ...
The Therapeutic Products Act (TPA) will be repealed this year so that a better regime can be put in place to provide New Zealanders safe and timely access to medicines, medical devices and health products, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello announced today. “The medicines and products we are talking about ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop, today released his decision on twenty recommendations referred to him by the Wellington City Council relating to its Intensification Planning Instrument, after the Council rejected those recommendations of the Independent Hearings Panel and made alternative recommendations. “Wellington notified its District Plan on ...
Rape Awareness Week (6-10 May) is an important opportunity to acknowledge the continued effort required by government and communities to ensure that all New Zealanders can live free from violence, say Ministers Karen Chhour and Louise Upston. “With 1 in 3 women and 1 in 8 men experiencing sexual violence ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government will be delivering a more efficient Healthy School Lunches Programme, saving taxpayers approximately $107 million a year compared to how Labour funded it, by embracing innovation and commercial expertise. “We are delivering on our commitment to treat taxpayers’ money ...
New research on the impacts of extreme weather on coastal marine habitats in Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay will help fishery managers plan for and respond to any future events, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. A report released today on research by Niwa on behalf of Fisheries New Zealand ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters will lead a broad political delegation on a five-stop Pacific tour next week to strengthen New Zealand’s engagement with the region. The delegation will visit Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and Tuvalu. “New Zealand has deep and ...
There has been a material decline in gas production according to figures released today by the Gas Industry Co. Figures released by the Gas Industry Company show that there was a 12.5 per cent reduction in gas production during 2023, and a 27.8 per cent reduction in gas production in the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins tonight announced the recipients of the Minister of Defence Awards of Excellence for Industry, saying they all contribute to New Zealanders’ security and wellbeing. “Congratulations to this year’s recipients, whose innovative products and services play a critical role in the delivery of New Zealand’s defence capabilities, ...
Welcome to you all - it is a pleasure to be here this evening.I would like to start by thanking Greg Lowe, Chair of the New Zealand Defence Industry Advisory Council, for co-hosting this reception with me. This evening is about recognising businesses from across New Zealand and overseas who in ...
It is a pleasure to be speaking to you as the Minister for Digitising Government. I would like to thank Akolade for the invitation to address this Summit, and to acknowledge the great effort you are making to grow New Zealand’s digital future. Today, we stand at the cusp of ...
New Zealand is urging both Israel and Hamas to agree to an immediate ceasefire to avoid the further humanitarian catastrophe that military action in Rafah would unleash, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The immense suffering in Gaza cannot be allowed to worsen further. Both sides have a responsibility to ...
A new online data dashboard released today as part of the Government’s school attendance action plan makes more timely daily attendance data available to the public and parents, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. The interactive dashboard will be updated once a week to show a national average of how ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced Rosemary Banks will be New Zealand’s next Ambassador to the United States of America. “Our relationship with the United States is crucial for New Zealand in strategic, security and economic terms,” Mr Peters says. “New Zealand and the United States have a ...
The Government is considering creating a new tier of minerals permitting that will make it easier for hobby miners to prospect for gold. “New Zealand was built on gold, it’s in our DNA. Our gold deposits, particularly in regions such as Otago and the West Coast have always attracted fortune-hunters. ...
Minister for Trade Todd McClay today announced that New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will commence negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA). Minister McClay met with his counterpart UAE Trade Minister Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi in Dubai, where they announced the launch of negotiations on a ...
New Zealand Sign Language Week is an excellent opportunity for all Kiwis to give the language a go, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. This week (May 6 to 12) is New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) Week. The theme is “an Aotearoa where anyone can sign anywhere” and aims to ...
Six tertiary students have been selected to work on NASA projects in the US through a New Zealand Space Scholarship, Space Minister Judith Collins announced today. “This is a fantastic opportunity for these talented students. They will undertake internships at NASA’s Ames Research Center or its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), where ...
New Zealanders will be safer because of a $1.9 billion investment in more frontline Corrections officers, more support for offenders to turn away from crime, and more prison capacity, Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell says. “Our Government said we would crack down on crime. We promised to restore law and order, ...
The OECD’s latest report on New Zealand reinforces the importance of bringing Government spending under control, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The OECD conducts country surveys every two years to review its members’ economic policies. The 2024 New Zealand survey was presented in Wellington today by OECD Chief Economist Clare Lombardelli. ...
The Government has delivered on its election promise to provide a financially sustainable model for Auckland under its Local Water Done Well plan. The plan, which has been unanimously endorsed by Auckland Council’s Governing Body, will see Aucklanders avoid the previously projected 25.8 per cent water rates increases while retaining ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today. "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
Asia Pacific Report Barangay New Zealand’s Rene Molina has interviewed the country’s first Filipino Green MP Francisco Hernandez who was sworn into Parliament yesterday as the party’s latest member. This is the first interview with Hernandez who replaces former Green Party co-leader James Shaw after his retirement from politics to ...
An Australian Strategic Policy Institute report says Pillar Two could raise the industry to state of the art capability - or "crush" it "under the weight of the globe's biggest player". ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marlene Longbottom, Associate Professor, Indigenous Education & Research Centre, James Cook University ShutterstockThis article contains information on deaths in custody and the violence experienced by First Nations people in encounters with the Australian carceral system. It also contains references to ...
“Instead of following along countries that are investing in death and better ways of killing people faster, we need to invest in life and in making Aotearoa a fair, just and equitable place where everyone has what they need for a dignified life.” ...
MARIAMENO KAPA-KINGI, TPM MP FOR TAI TOKERAU This Government will not waver in its mission to exterminate Māori. CHRISTOPHER LUXON Oh well look you know I don’t think that hard-working Kiwis want to hear language like that. It’s just really unhelpful rhetoric. My Government is genuinely committed to advancing outcomes ...
The body positivity movement started with women confronting the unrealistic expectations and unrepresentative portrayals of them in media and advertising. Men weren’t part of it … their bodies hadn’t been sexualised to the same extremes and they didn’t really need it. But now that’s changed. And in a warped sort ...
The New Zealand comedy legend takes us through her life in television, including the time she hugged Elton John and the unshakeable legacy of a girl named Lyn. In 1981, Ginette McDonald stood on the stage of Auckland’s St James Theatre and directly addressed Queen Elizabeth II. It was a ...
An essay by Lily Duval from the just-released anthology Otherhood: Essays on being childless, childfree and child adjacent.I was 22 when my friend Alice gave birth in the living room of our pokey Addington flat. She laboured in the blow-up pool for hours. Garish fish swam along the inflated ...
Ella Borrie on the best books about motherhood she’s come across so far. Over the past few years I’ve been drawn to books about motherhood. I’m fascinated by the joys and horrors of becoming a parent. The question of children also feels more pressing than it used to. It’s like ...
Out of gift ideas for mum? You can’t go wrong with a bottle of toilet cleaner and a new squeegee. Emily Writes is the writer and editor of Emily Writes Weekly. This week marks five years since I published a post on The Spinoff about Mother’s Day marketing titled ‘A ...
My husband is posted overseas for 12 months and I’m armed with an expensive, newfangled vibrator. Will I miss him? The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.A few days after my husband leaves, a new sex toy arrives at the front door. Nestled ...
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https://youtu.be/ST595CNN_6U
[It seems you are new here and started with spamming the site and spreading false information about the PM’s agenda on vaccination. You have one day to provide compelling and convincing evidence that Jacinda Ardern is interested in implementing ‘forced vaccination’ in NZ. If you fail to comply, you will be banned permanently from this site – Incognito]
It looks like quite the paranoid delusional stretch to go from what Ardern actually said to "Forced Vaccination Agenda?".
Nevertheless, when safe and effective vaccines are available but there are grossly antisocial individuals who refuse to be vaccinated without good medical reason, I'd be all for holding them accountable should they get the disease and spread it to others.
In the context of places like the US, that accountability might come in the form of lawsuits for damages. In NZ, as I understand it, there's precedent for prosecuting through the justice system those that spread disease such as HIV.
.
They either make it mandatory, or they don't – remains to be seen as currently we don't even have a scientific consensus as to what this virus actually is.. But unless they are making the vaccine for Covid 19 mandatory the Anti Vax People will not volunteer themselves or their children for a vaccine. No matter what the PM says or not.
Currently however we do nothing when un-vaccinated children / adults spread measels. I think it falls under "Meh", what can be done about it.
I cant see it being mandatory, but if you don't get it you will probably face travel restrictions outside of NZ.
yeah, like we do now with people who don't vaccinate. Right?
Currently, yeah, it seems to be "meh" about unvaccinated (without good medical reason) people spreading measles. I can't think of any other examples in our society where wilful gross negligence causing easily preventable harm to others is tolerated without incurring consequences.
It's time consequences were applied to those that end up spreading disease because they refused to take an extremely cheap, simple and safe precaution against spreading that disease.
It's time consequences were applied to those that end up spreading disease because they refused to take an extremely cheap, simple and safe precaution against spreading that disease.
Andre. Pray tell what exactly are the "consequences" you demand be brought down upon the heads of these willful disease spreaders?
Fines? Imprisonment? Forced vaccination? Termination of employment? Denial of benefits or publicly funded healthcare, expulsion from educational facilities?
"Extremely cheap, simple and safe precaution…" not so much for the approximately 91 poor souls per year so seriously injured by a vaccine that they qualify for ACC cover.
(I have an OIA list of successful claims per year for vaccine injury from ACC if anyone wishes to query this number. )
And every single time the experiences of these victims of vaccine harm are dismissed by the likes of the 60% of Kiwis (such as yourself) who wholeheartedly and without reservation accept the official narrative that 'all vaccines are safe and effective', the gulf betwixt the twain will widen.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12338534
Your OIA info that you're ominously making out as showing vaccinations are dangerous – is it the response to Kayla French that includes this?
Note that at a rate of 0.2% for serious or fatal with an average of 91 claims per year – that works out to once every five or six years that someone thinks someone has suffered a serious or fatal injury from vaccination. And with the way a very active group of kooks are trying hard to falsely paint vaccines as dangerous, I suspect even that one incident every five or six years is more likely than not a misattribution. But sure Rosemary, carry on with trying to present a false argument that anti-vaxxers have any kind of reason or logic on their side.
As for consequences for disease spreaders – personally I think recovering the full cost of treating them and the unfortunates they passed it on to plus the consequential costs suffered by their unfortunate victims would be a good place to start.
Oh, Andre. I do so envy your sureness on this issue.
I guess you have never, ever spoken to someone who has experienced first hand an adverse reaction to a vaccine? A parent, perhaps, who 'lost' their previously milestone hitting child after a post- immunisation fever caused significant neurological damage?
A senior citizen, persuaded to have their very first flu vaccine, who ends up seriously ill with the flu for the first time in their lives?
No, I guess not.
How is it that while many of those who are vaccine hesitant acknowledge the overall benefits of some vaccines, it is almost unheard of for a proponent of vaccines to acknowledge that some people are harmed by vaccines and that not all vaccines are effective?
Surely respectful discussion with the 40% of the population who do not share your unquestioning belief in the safety and efficacy of vaccines would be more productive than the jackboot to the neck approach?
Because hey….in New Zealand we don't even hold those who willfully drink and drive responsible for the injuries they cause. And drink driving is illegal.
You're almost certainly falling for the correlation means causation fallacy.
Childhood vaccinations are frequent enough that the onset of any problems will likely occur *shortly after* a vaccination for significant numbers of children. But that association in time does not *prove* that the vaccine caused the problem. That proof can only come from careful examination of massive data sets. And that careful examination shows the opposite – that vaccines do not cause almost all of the ailments that have been attributed to them.
As just one example, here's a look at encephalopathies that have been falsely blamed on vaccines.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2603512/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4718347/
To be sure, there have been a very few instances of vaccines making it out into general public use and then failing to meet the extremely stringent safety performance expected of them. Invariably, those particular vaccines have been withdrawn extremely rapidly.
As to that idiot segment of the population that has deluded themselves into fearing vaccines through following their feels and ignoring facts, reason, knowledge – I dunno.
Education won't help those who refuse to be educated. Presenting facts and evidence won't help those who refuse to consider them. Coddling them with empathy about their feels doesn't seem a likely route to bring them into the world of reason and evidence.
That doesn't leave much else other than holding them accountable for the outcome of their stupidity, which so far they have been entirely insulated from.
My brother-in-law, a retired cardiologist was unlucky enough to suffer anaphylactic shock from a flu shot, and now refuses to take the flu vaccine.
Andre would have him strung up
If you bothered to try to understand what I actually wrote, you might have twigged to the idea that your brother-in-law falls into the category of people I think deserve the protection of widespread herd immunity from the diseases anti-vaxxers seem so determined to spread around. That herd immunity is created by widespread vaccination of the general public. Because he actually has a medically sound reason not to be vaccinated.
The risk of allergic reaction (with anaphylaxis at the extreme) is a significant part of questionnaires to be asked before administering a vaccine. Every single time I've received a vaccination, the provider has been particularly careful on that point, coming at it with questions from several different angles.
Rare as those reactions actually are, they are still the reason why you're expected to stay at the doctor's office for a waiting time after receiving the vaccination. It's also important to note that such reactions, when appropriately managed, are a temporary nuisance, not a long term problem.
https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/hcp/acip-recs/general-recs/adverse-reactions.html
Heh!
Andre might need a break from noose tying (those hanging ropes are hard and heavy) and have a read…
https://robwipond.com/archives/1758
Many news articles about a study of influenza vaccine and miscarriages raised good questions—but for questionable reasons, reports Rob Wipond.
(This article appeared in The BMJ (British Medical Journal), January 5, 2018.)
When reporting on medical studies, the popular press has a habit of sensationalising. So the muted response to a recent research paper reporting increased risk of miscarriage with influenza vaccines was at first sight surprising.
…and just one response from a BMJ reader.
https://www.bmj.com/content/360/bmj.k15/rr
In any discussion of influenza epidemiology we should acknowledge the careful and steady (one could even say fearless) work of Danuta Skowronski and her Canadian public health colleagues. It was they who found that the 2008-9 flu shot doubled the risk of illness from the 2009 H1N1 pandemic flu. Their observations were considered important enough to alter Canadian vaccine recommendations for the 2009-10 season. However, for some reason, they had a good deal of difficulty getting their study finally published. (Skowronski, PLoS Med 2010;7(4):e1000258) This observational study was a revelation, even a shock, to many public health experts. US officials never publicly acknowledged the findings…..This is just one of a number of important papers published over the years by Skowronski and her colleagues, who have a reputation for high scientific and ethical standards.
And further from a former BMJ editor….
https://blogs.bmj.com/bmj/2019/03/13/richard-smith-who-is-most-likely-to-have-side-effects-to-flu-vaccination/
I wondered if I could find an answer to the simple question of “Who is most likely to experience adverse effects of influenza vaccination?” Might it be related to age, gender, having the vaccine for the first time, having reactions in the past, being pregnant, a history of not having the flu, or other factors?
The first paper I found, from JAMA, seemed to conclude that there are no side effects; I had imagined them or, as my wife correctly pointed out, it might be coincidence that I had the vaccination and then symptoms from some other cause. That was hard for me to believe, but I knew that she could be right.
So I couldn’t find an answer to my simple question of who was most likely to get side effects from influenza vaccination despite hundreds of millions being vaccinated every year. I was also left with the conclusion that researchers are much more interested in efficacy than side effects, which fits with the observation that adverse effects are poorly collected and poorly reported in randomised trials. Indeed, I found two systematic reviews of multiple trials of effectiveness. It’s understandable that researchers, particularly those who develop vaccines, will be much more interested in efficacy than side effects, particularly in the context of antivaccinationists making a tremendous amount of noise about mostly false adverse effects of vaccines. The researchers, who will rightly believe in the great effectiveness of vaccines, will not want people to be put off from being vaccinated. But patients are interested in both efficacy and side effects, and if they are to give genuinely informed consent they need high quality evidence on both. The nurse who vaccinated gave me no information at all (perhaps because she knew I was a doctor, and I didn’t ask) and told my wife there were no side effects (perhaps she’d read the JAMA trial).
This discussion happened just over one year ago.
One year ago. And one of the planet's more reputable medical journals publishes and allows open discussion on the more than murky field of vaccine research.
Beware Andre….your head just might explode…
The top image is hosted on a site selling massively expensive debunked cancer "treatments" (e.g. gcMAF – " Once proclaimed a ‘magic protein’ capable of curing cancer, GcMAF has been proven ineffective."). The site also features some 'unconventional' theories on the origins of cancer ( e.g. "cancer is NOT a genetic disease" )
No surprises there.
Indeed. Then with a little more digging to find the names of people associated with that site selling massively expensive debunked cancer "treatment" … well… virtual chocolate fish to everyone who correctly guesses.
Paleo Pete?
No chocolate fish for you! (I had to look up who Paleo Pete is – I can see why he might fit)
Mrs Kelly's young fulla?
We have a winner!
https://opencorporates.com/companies/nz/565346
See my Moderation note @ 7:08 AM.
It is a question and a concern designed to promote healthy discussion on this matter. We have recently seen the “COVID-19 Public Health Response Act 2020” being rushed through parliament in a way that was deeply concerning to The Human Rights Commission. This act gives government the power to issue orders that require persons to take any specified action, or any specified measure, if the government believes it will help to prevent the spread of Covid-19. This overrides The Bill of Rights and deeply concerns me that the government may consider mandatory vaccinations when a vaccine comes along. This concern was heightened with another recent event when “The Covid-19 Public Health Response (Safeguard from forced vaccinations)” amendment bill, tabled by Jami-Lee Ross was rejected by other political parties and after viewing the video of Nationals Christopher Luxon responded “Yes I do” to the question “Do you support cutting benefits to solo parents who do not vaccinate their children?”
I am not against vaccines, but I support The Bill of Rights and the freedom of individuals to choose.
[You do not seem to understand the Moderation request. You have been asked to put up evidence for an agenda by Jacinda Ardern to implement forced vaccination in NZ. It follows directly from your first comment @ 1 and its content and presentation. The onus is on you to comply with the Moderation request, not to argue your agenda and detract with BORA, et cetera. NB Christopher Luxon is not even in Parliament yet and you have created another strawman.
I find your opening gambit highly disingenuous. There are other ways to design and promote discussion on the matter of COVID-19 vaccination.
By associating your ‘discussion’ with Jacinda Ardern, and with 100 days until the Election, you politicised the issue from the outset.
I suspect that you have an agenda and ulterior motives, and my suspicion is further raised by the company website you are associated with.
Are there currently any examples of forced vaccination in NZ?
Are there currently any examples of mandatory vaccination in NZ?
Being deeply concerned is no reason to deliberately spread disinformation to stoke fear.
Did you know that it is not mandatory to tell your partner that you are HIV-positive before having sex as long as you use a condom for protection (of your partner)?
Did you know that currently there is no vaccine against HIV?
If your comment @ 1 was merely based on your speculation and concern, you can provide a clarification as such that leaves no doubt whatsoever that you made it up and that Jacinda Ardern has no such plans for forced vaccination.
You have until tomorrow or face a permanent ban – Incognito]
[As I suspected, you’re not interested to “promote healthy discussion”. You deliberately started off in a highly politicised manner and together with your website this immediately gave away your agenda. I’ve given you an opportunity to take your contribution to where we can trust you and respect you for your opinions and engage with you in good faith, but you decided not to take it. I take this as another sign of your disingenuous agenda. Long story short, you were warned and you are now banned permanently from this site – Incognito]
We all live in a society. The cost of the huge benefits we receive from that is that our freedoms can never be absolute.
Individuals cannot have absolute freedom if that freedom takes away the freedom of others. In this case, a poor uptake of a covid 19 vaccine places all in danger. Some measure of coercion is unfortunately necessary for the good if the majority (and the fruitcake anti vaxxer minority themselves).
I disagree that a poor uptake of a covid-19 vaccine places us all in danger. Surely it only places in danger those who do not take the vaccine?
Not true. No vaccine is ever 100% effective, and most do not give lifetime immunity. So the anti vaxxers keep the virus alive in the community and it will spread to the vulnerable, especially new immigrants to NZ that arrive from countries where prenventative healthcare is less prevalent.
Just Google the topic, but to get you started:
https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/apr/27/us-warning-pandemic-anti-vaxxers
https://www.who.int/vaccine_safety/initiative/detection/immunization_misconceptions/en/index2.html
And those who because of legitimate medical reasons and not their own selfishness, have no option but to rely on the herd sharing the risks of vaccination.
And you have a duty to report accurately and factually, not flout garbage touted by the very people with whom you say you disagree.
The rights of people always carry responsibilities as well. The right to an opinion does demand the responsibility to be as informed, accurate and factual as possible.
Otherwise, you are badly informed, stupid, a quack or a nutter, vapid, vacuous and vacant.
English has a wide vocabulary for people who offer crazy notions as bona fide opinions.
Boorish, biased, bigoted, prejudiced, potty, pillock, contrary, conspiratorial, clot, foolish, fanciful, flibbertigibbet.
Mac1. And you are certainly using that wide vocabulary with all the words starting with p, v, b. I am impressed! Great stuff.
You left out "fucking idiots " Mac, but then I know that's not your style.
People who cling "RIGHTS "always disregard the corresponding "RESPONSIBILITIES."
You left out "fucking idiots " Mac, but then I know that's not your style.
People who cling to "RIGHTS "always disregard the corresponding "RESPONSIBILITIES."
How can you tell if someone is an anti-vaxxer?
It's a pretty good clue when someone says something like "I am not against vaccines, but …" in the midst of raising all kinds of spurious concerns. Then when you do a search on them and find their handle on another forum linking approvingly to a notorious anti-vaxxer …
I do not hide behind any handle or first name only. I have never written on any blog against vaccines.
And personally, I respect you for using your full name, and for your posts. Absolutely opposed to your views, but you and others hold them and it is important they be aired and refuted.
Are you or are you not the Michael Kelly that commented on the No Punches Pulled blog linking to a video featuring Judy Mikovits PLANDEMIC?
(not linking because that site and its comments are nuttier than the buffet at a squirrel convention)
As for handles here, the culture is that most commenters use a pseudonym. Including almost all authors, even those whose real life identities are openly disclosed. When I started commenting here, it frankly felt weird not using my full name, but that's what this forum is.
“…nuttier than the buffet at a squirrel convention” – ha, very good.
Hi Michael
In the USA the MAGA crowd believe that covid tests are a way of collecting a person's DNA, and they are dead against taking a vaccine. Yes it's a crazy way of thinking, but that's how the trump supporters roll.
Freedom of choice is one matter but spreading MAGA propaganda narratives is another. JS
I am not against a healthy discussion about vaccination per se. I regard this though as a strawman argument because
1 there is currently no vaccine against Covid-19
2 It is not the way of NZ to enforce vaccination on those who do not wish to have it as long as those doing so have a knowledge of what they are doing
3 The best example is for the vaccination given to teenage girls where there is an ability for them to opt for or not personally, despite what their guardians may or may not believe.
4 A specific regime of vaccination unless you/guardian specifically opt out will catch the 'can't be bothered' parents of which there are many.
5 Despite no compulsory vaccination those who do not vaccinate or arrange to have their children vaccinated may find that some avenues may be closed for them and their children eg
-Travel some countries may not allow unvaccinated travellers from NZ to visit their countries in much the same way as earlier generations of travellers up to the 1990s at least could not visit places unless we could show up to date vaccination certificates for yellow fever & malaria in 1996 in Mauritius and Kenya.
-Private NZ places such as rest homes, early childhood orgs etc may legitimately ask that people wishing to avail themselves of services offered may be required to produce vaccination certificates so that the resthome, ECE is able to keep residents/children safe. I do not regard this as punitive but of a responsible owner of an enterprise. There is no Bill of Rights provisions to say that a private owner is not able to take reasonable steps and must admit those who do not abide by these reasonable steps. Just as despite some of our greatest social advance/freedoms there are still some will not admit LGBT to their private homes or home based businesses.
So while interesting the post is in response to 'screamers' in the media doing a beat-up.
We obviously will have to regard all threats to our individual liberty seriously just as we accept many provisions for the greater good, harking back really to King John and the Robber barons when I lost my ability to raise a private army!
I had thought that the strength of this legislation COVID-19 Public Health Response Act 2020 was diluted that it was time bound just as the Declarations of Emergency etc under the Health and Civil Defence Acts all the way through the pandemic were time bound.
It quotes junk science. This is one of my my biggest objections. Advancing an argument should be done without recourse to dubious websites/science.
See my Moderation note @ 11:03 AM.
See my second Moderation note @ 11:03 AM.
It should be "opt out only", just like teenage MMR.
And opt out means can't go to school.
Maybe a social welfare file flag that they deliberately made themselves a public menace.
Perhaps a nice Lima line.
It appears someone does not appreciate the distinction between available to all and compulsory for all.
Hydroxychloroquine just won't lie down and die
from Yale
https://medicine.yale.edu/yigh/news-article/25085/
https://academic.oup.com/aje/advance-article/doi/10.1093/aje/kwaa093/5847586
an excerpt
"COVID-19 is really two different diseases. In the first few days, it is like a very bad cold. In some people, it then morphs into pneumonia which can be life-threatening. What I found is that treatments for the cold don’t work well for the pneumonia, and vice versa. Most of the published studies have looked at treatments for the cold but used for the pneumonia. I just looked at how well the treatments for the cold worked for the cold. There are five studies done this way, four of hydroxychloroquine plus azithromycin and one with hydroxychloroquine plus doxycycline, and they all show that treating the cold part of COVID-19—the early part—works very well."
I guess the minute WHO came out against it, it was pretty obvious that there was at least some value in the drugs. They seem to specialise in disinformation and promoting confusion.
A relevant article in the Herald in regard to the conversations about statues and public monuments that have been discussed in the last few days:
"George Floyd protests: New Zealand's controversial statues and the calls to bring them down – Micheal Neilson"
One of the statues discussed was Captain Cook –
However, the sense of achievement from that success was overshadowed very quickly,
For those that remain unaware – there are almost always those, who despite setbacks, have persisted to right wrongs. The example above shows how unless the change is genuine, it is one battle after another to get real systematic and institutional change.
Please add links to the source if you are quoting.
Gisborne councillors are fortunately seeing the error of their ways: http://www.gisborneherald.co.nz/local-news/20200610/decision-revoked/
Sorry, Sacha I thought I had on the name of the article and author, but obviously didn't.
Thanks for the reminder.
George Floyd protests: New Zealand's controversial statues and the calls to bring them down
(Missed link on 3. Had to change devices to provide link.)
Crook Cook.
Because the face is not readily recognisable as a likeness of Cook, and the uniform is incorrect, it was thought for many years to not be a statue of Cook at all. A plaque was installed in October 1998 with the words ‘‘Who is he? We have no idea?” based on this erroneous conclusion.
[…]
Is the uniform correct?
No. Cook is not wearing the uniform of a British naval officer, nor does his uniform resemble that of any other European naval uniforms.(6) The uniform has been described as ‘Italian’ in style.
The sculptor has him wearing a coat with collar down and buttoned across the chest – a late-eighteenth/early nineteenth century style, dating from after Cook’s death. He wears a Lieutenant’s coat, with Captain’s epaulettes.
On his head he wears a Captain’s bicorne (a style which replaced the tricorne in the 1790s) worn in the ‘athwart’ (side-to-side) style as it would have commonly been worn in the 1790s. Cook’s uniform would have included a tricorne hat and an open coat with a low collar and no epaulettes (as shown in the Webber portrait).
https://tairawhitimuseum.org.nz/2019/03/26/the-crook-cook-the-story-of-the-statue-2/
It's great the councillors have seen the error of their ways… again.
But really how many times do they need to be reminded? How many times do tangata whenua have to be the ones reminding?
The rubber band that takes them back to the original non-consultative decision making process needs to be broken.
We have so little history commemorated here.
We need a lot more controversial public memorials, not fewer.
A statue to Mr Floyd is in order for starters.
Also one for
– Kate Shephard
– King Potatau
– Helen Clark
– Colin McCahon
– Mr Baxter the anti war activist
– Mr Upham VC and bar
– One at Mangere for Stonefields protest
– multiple for medical people who got us through COVID 19.
A dozen more. Stop being afraid.
Up and down the country. 1 a year for a decade. Go check out the one NZTA and Waikato did south of Meremere for the big battle there.
Proud, troubled, uneven, but more importantly, US.
We shouldn't waste money on one for helen clark because it'll just get smashed up.
Although if one does get made I suppose we could put its remnants in Te Papa.
The description on the piece could read:
"helen clark's statue was destroyed amidst protests against celebrating a leader who oversaw widespread right-wing reform of our social welfare system, who thought she could get away with further dispossession of Maori in the 21st century, who reached agreement with the Australian government to wreck thousands of peoples' lives by removing all rights from New Zealanders living there and who continued to uphold the raison d'être of the previous government which spent nine years destroying the cultural fabric of our nation through blind adherence to neo-liberal principles displaying almost complete disdain for the welfare of citizens."
Yes, okay then. A statue for helen clark would be good.
Upham VC has a statue already in Amberley since 1997.
https://www.hurunui.govt.nz/find/about-the-district/history/charles-upham-vc-and-bar
Archibald Baxter had a ‘guerilla statue’ in Wellington in 2016 for a short time.
I’d add, Ad, statues for Mother Suzanne Aubert, the CO and member of the NZ Legislative Council, Mark Briggs.
There are many better ways to acknowledge people than statues. Might as well put up a sign saying "Here's your symbol, protesters gather here". Helen Clark would be getting vandalised every pissed-up Saturday night.
They also feed the false notion of progress being achieved by a lone Superhero. That's Hollywood history.
"We need a lot more controversial public memorials, not fewer.
A statue to Mr Floyd is in order for starters."
Why on earth for?
And Helen Clark?
Ad, it is just so hard to tell how serious you are trying to be..
We have a statue for Keith Park in Thames – the town where was born. There is also a statue of Keith Park in London in Waterloo Place just off from Trafalgar Square.
For those who don't know who this NZer is,
Paula Southgate's got the right idea. Take it away. Put it somewhere where you have to go to to see it, a museum perhaps. Put a description up that tells the truth: 'Hamilton was a murderer who…' etc.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/121802338/man-vows-to-tear-captain-hamilton-statue-down
Gizzy should put up a statue of Kupe somewhere up the street from Cap Cook, But make Kupe bigger and riding a Polynesian double-hulled waka
The EU accuses China of misinformation fudging its Corona virus infection rates showing a sudden jump in numbers then an immediate flat line no other outbreak has followed that pattern ,the guardian.
This is the outbreak on Chinas border with Russia I believe.
[Link required]
Guardian disinformation article
Wow, didn't realise the amount of disinformation and cold war BS that Europe's had to deal with, on top of everything else
National could have saved itself a lot of agony by simply (!) demanding retraction of the poll results 😉
https://www.stuff.co.nz/world/americas/donald-trumps-america/300032157/donald-trump-demands-apology-retraction-of-cnn-poll-showing-joe-biden-leading
Simon and Paula would still be riding
high.Could just hokey up some completely fake numbers like that McLaughlin does. Though I s'pose it's a bit harder to pull it off when you've got to mollify 50-odd caucus members than when you just have to pacify an Individual-1.
I quite like the pragmatic approach. John Key was pretty good at it.
That's one opinion, I can find others.
'Could' just hokey up some completely fake numbers? Chuckle, chuckle.
Washington Post May 23rd:
“Every once in a while, President Trump tweets something like this:
“96% Approval Rating in the Republican Party. Thank you!”
He doesn’t offer a source for the purported poll number because there is literally no evidence that a source exists. For more than a year, Trump’s just occasionally shared random assessments of his popularity within his party, never offering any explanation for where the figure came from.
In fact, he’s painting himself into a corner, as we reported last month. In January 2019, he started claiming that his approval with Republicans was 93 percent. Last summer, he cranked it up to 94 percent. Then, as impeachment loomed and he sought to keep Republicans in line, it climbed to 95 percent. A month ago, under fire for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, he decided he’d hit 96 percent.”
The demand for an apology is a stunt, its ridiculous, he told them to do it, they'd be sacked if they didn't humour him and the gesture in his little mind is slamming the hoax media. In itself it's a lovely little of picture of someone who's lost it.
Oh, and it'll be 97% next month!
Wait till it reaches 105%
OANN is on the job.
https://twitter.com/RobHerring/status/1270745585075642368
He should be worried.
https://twitter.com/RachelBitecofer/status/1270733594592530433
In Incognito’s reference above at #5, Trump wrote "which I felt were FAKE based on the incredible enthusiasm we are receiving".
I was going to point out that the self-proclaimed genius President does not understand what the word 'incredible' actually means.
Then I examined the language of the tweet. It sums up his approach to science, to evidence, to fact-based logic.
He wrote "which I felt".
Feelings- not thought, not logic, not understood- "felt".
This is of course what informs his supporters.
It also informs many voters in NZ.
Fortunately, Ardern (and Robertson whom I saw recently at a budget presentation to the local Chamber of Commerce) are both empathetic and genuine individuals who connect at the levels of both feelings and intellect.
But, as Andre says below, there are other opinions……….
It seems some lives matter more than others or is we don't like to interfere in the affairs of others.
https://wkzo.com/news/articles/2020/jun/08/thai-exiles-kidnapping-sparks-protests-over-missing-critics/1026879/?refer-section=world
Sadly true. All these posers pulling down statues in England of historic slave traders, yet blissfully ignoring the millions of slaves in the world today, particularly in West Africa, and even within England itself of Eastern European sex slaves.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/time.com/longform/african-slave-trade/%3famp=true
And why on earth does NZ even accept the yuan bank notes, each one with the potrait of Mao, a far greater killer than Hitler ever was.
Sadly the world is a hypocritical place where coloured lives dont matter if they live in Africa or China.
I'm fairly sure that if a statue of a known and documented sex slaver was put up in England it would be torn down.
Yeah but a very English good mate of a sex slaver won't even answer questions to a court about him, but then He must be above that sort of thing.
lol, took me a moment to twig. Not sure how English he is though, aren't they a German family?
Half-German, but marrying into other Royal families was SOP back then.
But the issue here is removing old statues put up by historical people living in a different era. Removing a new statue put up in the current era is a very different idea.
The Moutoa memorial is one example, the English inscription reads:
At first glance one might assume this inscription is a bit racist. But it's actually a memorial to Maori warriors who fought a contemporary 'insurgency' (for want of a better term). A blog comment doesn't do justice to the history of this statue; but this piece from the Whanganui Chronicle is pretty good.
Samuel Clemmens (Mark Twain) had this to say about the Whanganui memorial to the Kūpapa (Queenites) who fought alongside colonials.
– Following the Equator
The Whanganui Chronicle piece I linked explains the history in detail of that difficult time, and why Twain's tourist impression is misguided. I don’t think destroying a piece of history is going to solve anything
And some say he was referring to the Kūpapa.
I mean, its like why don't Black Live Matters don't acknowledge white victims of police brutality, or why don't female survivors of sexual assault don't acknowledge male victims of sexual assault and and and……….
and yeah, funny that you mention Mao and Hitler – now i think in China – where Mao did all his killing – he is somewhat a hero, and one day there might be a generation that will knock over his edifices but Hitler, you will be hard pressed to find anything re Hitler in public places in Germany, you will however find many cast bronze, or carved sculptures that were lifted to the memory of his victims. Heck, whole Concentration Camps were kept in order to show the plight of the victims of the Nazis.
And yeah, the audacity of US American Protesters – many whom are people of color, and their white allies, to protest the shit that is going on in their own country and their own communities rather then some stuff in Thailand or elsewhere. Must be hypocrisy.
And in the meantime, some other cop somewhere in the US is gonna kill someone cause he / she can. For no other reason. Mind if i were inclined to be a serial killer in the US i would join the coppers…..so as long as i was afraid and scared for my life i can kill someone life on telly over 8 min and 48 seconds.
I guess my post was not too clear. I absolutely support Black Lives Matter. No question there.
It is just sad how the majority of victims in the world are ignored.
Your main point is absolutely correct. Slavery is very much with us today. Not just in the economic sense of poorly-paid wage slaves, but literal, imprisoned, abused slaves. Millions of them.
Obedience and loyalty to the cult trumps millennia of resistance.
https://twitter.com/AbbyChavaStein/status/1270739459781394433
'Murica.
https://twitter.com/BobbyPantuso/status/1270723122170224645
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abolitionism#/media/File:Official_medallion_of_the_British_Anti-Slavery_Society_(1795).jpg
A great story from Australia, one I had not known but which brought a tear to my eye. Five year old article about an event in 1968 but very topical today about one man's ethical stand and its aftermath.
https://www.filmsforaction.org/articles/the-white-man-in-that-photo/
Great story, RIP Peter Norman
Yes. A very cruel world for the very brave.
Read about this a few years ago.
Pretty inspiring stuff.
Think they were all friends for years (without reading the long link)
They were friends. They carried his coffin after his early death in 2006. The long link is a good read but I think you've got most of it already. He was Salvation Army so had a good background for developing a social conscience.
Imagine having Parliament apologise to you , even six years after your death in 2012. http://www.andrewleigh.com/3389
Something the Australian PM, John Howard, could not do for the stolen generation of aboriginals earlier……..
Thanks for the wonderful read.