I believe the Labour Government have seriously misread the public mood with the decision to build a seperate cycle and walking bridge over rhe Waitemata.
GUEST BLOG: Bryan Bruce – My problem with the Auckland bike bridge
By The Daily Blog, June 9, 2021
Am I in favour of being able to cycle and walk across the bridge ?
Yes.
Would that be possible without building a new cycle and walk bridge?
I think the answer might also very well be Yes.
Of course you’d have to encourage more people to use public transport .
How would you do that?
Make bus travel free….
The cycling community and the fare free communty need to get their heads together.
If we are really serious about getting people to take up cycling for recreation and commuting, If we don't want to alienate the traveling public. Then we must integrate cyclling with public transport.
A bike lane will displace 21 thousand cars.
38% of people who cross the Auckland Harbour Bridge every working day do so on the bus.
The French city of Dunkirk introduced fare free public transport and saw public transport use grow by 70%
A similar 70% increase in public transport use across the Auckland Harbour bridge would free up the space needed for the bikeway.
Free Buses in Dunkirk a Success
FOCUS TRANSPORT, Monday, 16 September 2019
The decision to make public transport free in the French town of Dunkirk (Nord) has been hailed a success after a rise in passenger use, and “new dynamism” in the city centre….
Figures show bus use during the week rose by 70%, and by 140% during the weekends.
The free network has now been expanded, and more roads have bus-only lanes to encourage smoother transit. The town has also brought in 14 new buses, of which three are electric…..
If we are really serious about getting people to take up cycling for recreation and commuting. If we don't want to alienate the traveling public..Then we must fully integrate cycling with public transport.
Central to this must be fare free services to get people out of their cars, freeing up lanes for bikeways
But also bike friendly buses with a stowage feature for when the weather turns bad, or the distance is too far, (or too dangerous), to bike for the full length of the journey.
Imagine cycling to work, doing a full days work. At the end of the day finding that the weather had changed having to face cycling home through the wet and cold, you instead board a bus and stow your bike in the luggage compartment for a safe dry hassle free ride home.
i think i have been arguing for super cheap to free public transport for a few years now.
But as i was told repeatedly THIS CAN NOT BE DONE!, insert any reasons you can cook up real fast. Never mind that if public transport is still cheaper then public transport no one will use the fwiw as an ex user of public transport in Wellington and Auckland, piss poor quality, rude drivers who don't know much about their routes including Bus stops, late busses, dirty busses, and unsafe, unlit bus stops / train stops at night.
And besides its the poor that are using this services, so it needn't be better, cause if you make it too good, too many people would use it (yes that too was offered as an explanation as to why public transport in NZ is just the best sign of poor local / regional / state wide governance).
They rather pay for a bridge for their upper class peers then provide meaningful public transport service for all.
if only we had a government that had a single majority and could (even under urgency after all Climate Change!!) there for change the legal framework to make public transport more affordable to the people.
People have told you repeatedly that providing enough buses and drivers to make fares free during peak periods requires buying way more of them than are needed for the rest of the day. International research has shown that investing that extra foregone money into more frequent services gets more people using buses and trains.
Do some basic research or resist the urge to flap your gums on the daily.
Absolutely no point wasting effort on providing you with more information when you have so little competence at making sense of it. Do the work yourself.
Absolutely no point wasting effort on providing you with more information…
But Sacha it is not a matter of you providing me with more information Sacha, despite what you claim, you haven't provided us with any information at all. Just assertions.
You have not provided one single fact, or proof.
What am I to think of your argument if you can't do that?
With zero rational argument you are saying that I should 'stop flapping my gums'.
If you don't like what I have to say, tell us why.
If you have some rational argument to make, make it.
If you have some facts to provide, provide them.
Until you can do that, you have absolutely no moral point to to make telling me I should not be making comments on this issue.
It is not enough to tell me to stop flapping my gums thinking you have said something clever or convincing. Just making insults with nothing to back them up.
….You make a point, only for the sea lion to storm in asking for proof of what you said. Your expertise and knowledge are denied. It’s your job to go out of your way to convince them, even though they’re the one who questioned you in the first place.
— Jessica Lindsay, Metro UK, 5 July 2018
I made a point about fare free public transport, You stormed in with an unsubstantiated claim that free public transport doesn't work. I challenged you to provide some proof of your allegation, I was and still am genuinely interested in reading the proofs for this. Instead of anwering my request for this information, you accused me of something I had never heard of.
I have some questions.
Today in the news;
Act leader David Seymour faces challenge as he names 'white privilege' Whangārei school
15 Jun, 2021 03:00 AM
The name of the Whangārei school that Act leader David Seymour claims made a child speak of their "white privilege" has emerged – and it's absolute news to the principal.
The claim has filled talkback radio and served as a platform for Seymour to decry what he says is a race-based approach by the Labour Government.
Seymour has told the Northern Advocate the school where the incident took place was not a primary school – as originally reported and as he has tweeted – but was Whangarei Girls' High School.
"I'd love him to be able to put the facts to that," said Girls' High Principal Anne Cooper. "Iv'e certainly had no complaints about it"
She has heard nothing that sounds at all similar to Seymour's claim a child "was asked to what they had done to acknowledge their white privilege that day".
…."Kids talk and we encourage kids to talk. Parents are very good at coming forward. I'd certainly like to know if it is the case."
Pat Newman Hora Hora Primary school principal and president of Te Tai Tokerau Principals Association, said the initial allegation that it was a primary school had fellow principals looking at each other and finding no answers…..
….Seymour tweeted the story, saying: "Primary school kids are being forced to stand up in class and say what they'd done to acknowledge their white privilege." In subsequent interviews, the "primary school" was repeated to Seymour, which he did not correct….
Hi Sacha,
The cartoon you supplied to explain sealioning, depicts a European couple in Victorian dress being towered over by a dark indistinct hulking figure, (the sea lion). The sealion obviously is a metaphor for something else, something that this white Victorian couple fear or dislike.
No chance a sealion ever turned up in a 19th Century white couple's house or vehicle. (But a black person might have.)
Substitute the sentence I don't like sealions for, I don't like Black people, or I don't like Jews, or I don't like Asians
And then the sealion's question is valid and justified.
Why don't you like blacks? or Jews? or Asians?.
What has a black person ever done to you?
Let's fill in the missing blanks.
The European woman says "I don't mind most marine mammals. But SEALIONS?I could do without sealions. (read black people)
Her male companion says, "Don't say that out loud"
Voicing his fear that racist sentiments expressed in public, risks being challenged.
P.S. The indistinct and nightmarish hulking depiction of a a sealion in the cartoon looks more like a female walrus. (sealions are more streamlined).
Cycling is free per journey already. So you don't have any useful point…..
I would politely demure.
With a price tag of $785 million, the public sticker shock at the cost for a stand alone cycleway over the Waitemata Harbour presents a very real problem for the cycling community and the government to sell this project to the public.
The political blowback may be severe.
You are simply making a mistake confusing capex and opex.
You were explaining that all public transport on buses should be free. They are currently subsidised over 50% per trip.
Whereas per trip cycling has no need for subsidy.
But if you want to go down the road of CAPEX subsidy, the per passenger subsidy for everyone taking a bus or train is several hundred every ticket because you add in both the CAPEX of building all these motorways and busways, but also their hundreds of millions of maintenance per trip per year.
Again, you don't have a point when you are wanting to force everyone who wants to not use a car to go by bus, rather than giving them a cycling option if they choose it.
" Although free public transport at a first glance may seem attractive both from economic, social and environmental perspectives, the message learnt from a number of schemes is that free public transport offers poor goal achievement in all these respects, and at a high cost. The main effect is a huge growth in patronage, up to 13-fold increase is reported, of which the larger brunt is shifted from walk/cycle, or induced. The effects on car traffic levels are marginal and typically they are offset already after a few years’ traffic growth."
Bryan Bruce is one of NZs most respected documentary makers and public intellectuals who has tirelessly exposed NZs neoliberal economic settings as the main cause for social issues.
In my view, cycling absolutely has a place in alleviating Auckland's transport problems. However in many ways it has been set up to fail by the inept AT. As pointed out in this article, AT, in their obsession with forcing people out of cars, are turning the cycleway projects into “safety-and-streetscape-upgrade-and-stormwater-fix-and-traffic-calming-and-pedestrian-improvements-and-retaining-parking-and-cycling…" projects. And outcomes like this ("Auckland Transport has plans costing between $23 million and $35 million to fix a controversial cycleway through Grey Lynn and Westmere that hardly anyone uses.") just turn the public against cycling and cyclists, when the culprit is AT, not cycling or cyclists.
Have you seen what AT did to Grey Lynn? To Mt Albert? In fact pretty much any precinct they touch? Simon Wilson wrote this article four years ago now – if anything they've got worse.
We dont have a direct democracy as was used by the citizens of Athens.
We have a representative democracy.
Its like ‘Free Speech’ which is limited to what the government can stifle. Doesnt apply to private places ( venue hire !) or private platforms like Facebook or Twitter ( as Trump found out)
…..You toying with ideas is like Donald Trump playing with the two red buttons on his desk, one was for the Diet Coke Button the other one was for frying the world.
Just as I have been saying; sooner or later the Nurses will have to go for the nuclear option, That is, if they want to achieve their demands.
The NZNO have promised more strikes to come. If that doesn't work. If the government continues to ignore the nurses demands to put more money into the public health system. Then the nurses have two choices. Choose the diet coke, or go to the nuclear option.
The cycle protesters and the XL pipeline protesters have shown the way.
Within days of the cycling protesters' occupation of the Harbour Bridge, the government coughed up $785 million for a bike bridge across the Waitemata.
I have 'toyed' with the idea that the nurses should follow the cycle protesters example and occupy one lane of the Auckland Harbour Bridge until the governemt agrees to direct negotiations with the nurses.
What ideas the nurses come up with, is up to them.
Obviously strikes aren't working. So the next step is the nuclear option, either that, or give up their demands.
As the Nurses have made extremely clear, if they give up their demands, we will all suffer.
Striking nurse on staff shortages: 'It’s a matter of robbing Peter to pay Paul'
Cate Broughton 05:00, Jun 09 2021
“I think it’s important for the public to know what the situation is in public hospitals, how stressed the nurses are, what risk the public could be at."
[Karen Batchelor senior nurse at Burwood Hospital spinal unit]
"… I’ve seen colleagues in tears, looking up to see what allocation they have the next day.”
[Karen Batchelor senior nurse at Burwood Hospital spinal unit]
Talking to a senior nurse after the strike. The mention of more strikes came up.
The observation was made that next time, it needs to be a 24 or 48 hour strike. The DHBs can cover one 8 hour period with management and office staff no sweat. Covering 4-7 shifts is a whole different story.
Isnt $80,000 pa enough ?
The last pay round was it, 2 -3 years ago took about a year. That was quite generous as it involved a catch up from previous years .
So no catch up this time, so the reason is ….. or is it another $10k to make the ‘exhaustion’ go away.
……or is it another $10k to make the ‘exhaustion’ go away.
Understaffing is the issue most raised by nurses when asked why they are on strike.
The logic is that increasing the level of remuneration will attract more nurses and alleviate under-staffing. So yes $10 K may make the exhaustion go away.
Union struggles are complex, what may look like greedy workers to some, is often a consequence of the narrow legal constraints put on unions. Under the ERA all strikes for political demands are illegal. That makes raising political demands like increasing staff levels, problematic for unions to raise in a dispute, except in an oblique manner.
"While today represents a conclusion of bargaining it also marks the start of a long term programme to rebuild our public health system and the status of the nursing profession. "
Conservatives are always slow on the uptake. They should never be put in positions of leadership because they are by nature useless at moving forward into new territory. Conservative are only useful as the ballast in the hold of the ship, to stop it turning over in heavy weather – no other use.
I grew up for quite a few years in Waiheke island during the early 1970's…it has given me a life long suspicion of hippies….a pretty dodgy crew from what I observed.
Nick Smith having thousands of long term ACC claimaints thrown off weekly compo onto to nightmare of the benefit system seems to be forgotten amid all the rainbow washing,
The week ending June 6 New Zealand had 189,660 doses of vaccine available for distribution, down from 288,000 the previous week and 327,240 the week before that.
A senior clinician, speaking anonymously, told the ODT that vaccine supplies were low across New Zealand.
If the Prime Minister's words are to be believed, New Zealand will run out of Covid vaccines early next week.
On Tuesday, Jacinda Ardern and her Covid-19 Response Minister, Chris Hipkins, announced 1 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine would be delivered to New Zealand in July.
"These consignments," she said, "will double the total number of Pfizer doses we've received this year, taking the total to more than 1.9 million — enough to fully vaccinate almost one million Kiwis."
She warned that the majority of the new doses would be delivered in the second half of the month.
Ardern also announced that her Government was now administering 20,000 doses every day. The same day, the Ministry of Health reported that more than 775,000 doses have already been administered. With more than 5000 doses having been wasted, the Prime Minister's announcement suggested the Ministry had only 120,000 doses left in stock.
That would only be enough to take us through to the end of Monday. There would not even be enough for the 220,000 people waiting for their second dose.
This is no conspiracy. It's just maths based on the Prime Minister's words from the Beehive's "podium of truth".
The Beehive now suggests the Prime Minister didn't tell the full story. It says there's no chance we'll run out on Monday because there are supplies coming into New Zealand that she and Hipkins didn't mention on Tuesday, including 100,000 doses diverted from the Covax programme, that is meant to help the world's 92 poorest countries get vaccines.
That'll get us through another five more days. Latest data from the Ministry of Health suggests 190,000 doses now in stock.
But even if the Government manages to administer 1.9 million doses by the end of July, it will have vaccinated no more than 950,000 people. That's just 18 per cent of the total population or 23 per cent of the population aged 16 and above.
It doesn't even include the estimated 2.2 million people in priority groups 1, 2 and 3, which include border and MIQ workers and those they live with; high-risk frontline workers and people living in high-risk places; and people at risk of getting very sick from Covid-19, such as those who are aged 65 or over, obese, diabetic or pregnant, or with a heart condition. What hope for the rest of us?
Perhaps we shouldn't be so surprised, given reports that more than 25,000 people in the highest priority group — border workers and those they live with — have not yet had a single jab. And more than 1000 border workers still aren't even getting tested as required.
oh well, lets just hope we continue to be lucky, because many of use will not be getting any jabs any time soon.
From 5 June 2021 all work in MIQ facilities will be undertaken by fully vaccinated workers.
MIQ has about 4,500 people working in facilities from around 300 different employers. A handful of workers (less than 0.25%) have not yet had their second vaccination for good reasons, and we are actively following those up with employers. They won’t be working in MIQ facilities in the meantime.
My presumption is that the missing MIQ staff are because the net has been spread very wide in the definition of MIQ. Truck drivers who never get out of their truck and visit a wharf maybe only once or twice a month with all transactions done on an IPad, delivery drivers or couriers dropping off at the distribution site some way from the actual isolation facilities again with very little human contact. If you include the families of these people yes you do get big numbers but I'm certain there are not four and a half thousand staff in the actual hotels.
"People in some areas have reported not being able to get a vaccine because some sites have run out of doses, or are running low.This isn’t surprising, because every district health board outside of Auckland has gone above its target number of vaccinations. In three areas – Bay of Plenty, Whanganui and Nelson-Marlborough – they’ve done more than 50 per cent extra."
Which was my earlier point ….not recycled from reading a newspaper…that they are meant to be used up as soon as.
or as some wag on twitter put it, the tories have gone from complaining that the vax rollout is an abject failure because of low uptake to now complaining it's an abject failure because in several DHBs it's going quicker than planned.
I was just about to post that link Ghostwhowalksnz….
Also I am fortunate to be in Nelson-Marlborough where we have both had two jabs (early 60's, small rural community where 50% of our population has already been vaccinated). Our local medical centre has not wasted a single dose and another clinic is running again tomorrow.
The vaccine supply isnt like a savings bank to be stored up for emergency use. The supply is low because they are being USED.
|I had to laugh when I saw Hootons latest opinion column on this …unlike you I dont have a subscription- looks like hes getting his info from Bishop who is running the spin cycles of vaccine rollouts. I suppose for Hooton hes dumped Muller and now hitched his wagon to Bishop as the next great white hope
Maybe Sabine, your cottage industry on anti government concern trolling , often 1/3 of open mike all comments PER DAY , could check out a part time position with Exceltium ?
Maybe ghostwhowalksnz, you should get your head around the fact that criticism of the current government and having a commitment to holding them to account does not equate in any way to support for the Opposition.
Of course , but Sabine has made it a cottage industry with recycled Hooton claims as well. Its a fanatsy to think Sabine is holding anyone to account by reading & recycling the news of each day. It sort of buries what little nuggets can be mined. Yourself would be a good model with some areas where you have a particular interest and it makes worthwhile reading.
Like I said, I counted the other day and it was around 1/3 of all comments.
I hope Hooton is paying you to 'mirror his concerns' , is it a therapeutic relationship and he feels much better in getting it of his chest …. oh thats right HE gets paid for his column and you get nothing from achieveing nothing for the day.
I was a bit tough there…but let me create a word picture , after the election with 10 ACT Mps , they take on Policy Advisors galore , but some find they dont have much to do , so one, fresh out of university, uses the idea of concern trolling labour government , by reading the papers and putting it verbatim on social media… my crystal ball is getting cloudy, so no more details
Rosemary McD Maybe we should make higher demands on the Opposition to hold the government to account where it matters, as this is what they are paid by citizens to do. By us doing it for them, it removes their impetus to actually do some work and stop being gadflies or perhaps blowflies clustering around the latest tasty gossip spill.
Maybe we should make higher demands on the Opposition to hold the government to account where it matters, as this is what they are paid by citizens to do.
A laudable aspiration to be sure GWS, but we are talking about National and/or Act. To expect either one of these to do anything other than indulging in petty, sniping, political point scoring is simply not reasonable.
Can NZers concerned/anxious/fearful that our Govt doesn't have enough doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to meet demand engage in some constructive criticism?
There’re some noisy 'babies' crying about a lack of 'milk', but where are the adults making constructive comments about how to increase 'milk' supply, bearing in mind there's a global shortage, and more desperation/death elsewhere.
Has the NZ Govt looked at the feasibility of purchasing other COVID-19 vaccines – we did have pre-purchase agreements in place for other vaccines. Sure, these might be (slightly) less effective, and/or carry a (very slightly) greater risk of adverse side effects, but still – worth a look? Maybe NZ would have been further along its 'vaccine roll-out path' if the Govt hadn't hitched our whole wagon to one of the most effective (and safe) vaccines. But then, damned if they did, and damned if they didn't.
Should our Govt have foreseen this pandemic and funded the development of a large-scale vaccine production facility in NZ? Maybe they should still do that once we can draw a post-COVID breath – but would it be cost-effective?
I really don't understand the purpose of this continual 'bleating' about vaccine shortages and vaccination delays – the NZ Govt and public service, for all the resources at their disposal, don't have magic wands.
Maybe leave it to the free market to supply a 'solution' – never mind that 'vaccine' you're getting might just be a (hopefully sterile) saline solution.
The Attorney-General’s department admitted in its submission that “the risk of counterfeit vaccines, such as fake Pfizer vaccines, is potentially exacerbated by concerns about the AstraZeneca vaccine”.
“Changes during the rollout could be vulnerable to fraud as fraudsters take advantage of urgent time-frames,” the department said.
“Fake vaccines are like liquid gold,” said Raul Sapien, president of the National Council of Private Security, CNSP in Spanish, an association of private security companies that follows this problem closely.
Why anyone with even one working critical thinking brain cell still working within their cranium allows themselves to gets caught up this new anti-China frenzy, when it is so blatantly obvious it all so much bullshit I don't know… I mean seriously are people really that naïve that they actually think this is driven by any concern for the welfare of the Uighurs?
UK Hypes China ‘Threat’ While Selling Country Billions in Military-Related Equipment
"The U.K. government has authorized the sale of £2.6-billion worth of military and civilian equipment with potential military use to China in the past three years, government figures show.
Well, yea. One of the best ways to curtail genocidal practices and a lot of human rights abuses, is to halt the manufacturing and dealing of weapons, in short, any country who indulges or supports these practices is a major player in human rights abuse.
Oh for some distant future where weapons and money are from the distant past!
This Swedish entity seems likely to be reliable and objective in its report on weapons manufacture and sales and shows Australia seeking to increase its involvement. (Swedish Peace Research Institute)
Dec/20 https://www.sipri.org/media/press-release/2020/global-arms-industry-sales-top-25-companies-85-cent-big-players-active-global-south The report also looks at the international presence of the 15 largest arms companies in 2019. These companies are present in a total of 49 countries, through majority-owned subsidiaries, joint ventures and research facilities. With a global presence spanning 24 countries each, Thales and Airbus are the two most internationalized companies—followed closely by Boeing (21 countries), Leonardo (21 countries) and Lockheed Martin (19 countries).
The United Kingdom, Australia, the USA, Canada and Germany host the largest numbers of these foreign entities. Outside the arms industry hubs of North America and Western Europe, the largest numbers of entities of foreign companies are hosted by Australia (38), Saudi Arabia (24), India (13), Singapore (11), the UAE (11) and Brazil (10).
Alexandra Marksteiner of the SIPRI Arms and Military Expenditure Programme said: ‘There are many reasons why arms companies might want to establish themselves overseas, including better access to growing markets, collaborative weapon programmes, or policies in the host countries tying arms purchases to technology transfers.’
Of the 49 countries hosting foreign entities of the top 15 arms companies, 17 are in low- and middle-income countries. ‘Countries in the Global South seeking to jump-start their arms production programmes have welcomed foreign arms companies as a means to benefit from technology transfers,’ said Diego Lopes da Silva, Researcher at SIPRI.
Outside the arms industry hubs of North America and Western Europe, the largest numbers of entities of foreign companies are hosted by Australia (38), Saudi Arabia (24), Countries…welcomed foreign arms companies as a means to benefit from technology transfers
This could apply to NZ with the rockets program.
Interesting thought about evolution. When so many young men are regularly sacrificed on the altar of keeping 'these b…s under control' and also grabbing hold of their resurces which they unreasonably refuse to trade with us. There is a loss of their genes and their potential contribution to the country and the world. There was a saying in UK about losing 'the brightest and the best' of the young men in two world wars. What does that do to evolution? And what slant has it on increasing the influence of psychopathic people who remain behind the damage, directing operations and causing carnage? Is Israel completely brainwashed by the nasty thugs conducting assymetrical war against puny or low numbers of Palestinian weapons and stone throwing?
A flutter of eyelashes possibly. The UK and USA are a chancy lot, they would pack their weaponry in boxes with pictures of birthday cakes and toys, and notices 'Hold till Christmas' and send them to Israel; knowing that the Jewish peeps don't have Christmas – it would be a code. Very cunning and underhand they are.
A few thoughts and helpful links for those on the land who might not have seen these particular ones. And for the townies who know we rely on the farmers for much, but ned to update about the latest movers and shakers.
Provisioning services →Feed (pasture quantity, quality; tree foliage)→Wood →Shade and shelter to animals
Regulating services →Filtering of nutrients and contaminants→Flood mitigation→Recycling of wastes and detoxification→Carbon storage in soil and trees→Regulation of N2O and CH4 emissions→Biological control of pests and diseases.
Provisioning and regulating services (or benefits) have an economic value. Overall, erosion decreases these values, whereas soil conservation increases them
.
Poplar and willow have proved to be valuable species for erosion control and other use. But need maintenance so they don't grow too tall. And good for animals especially during droughts.
2013 One of the reasons that poplar and willow foliage can provide better feed value than poor or dried-up pasture is because they contain valuable compounds called condensed tannins and phenolic glycosides, such as aspirin, according to research by Associate Professor Peter Kemp of Massey University.
Willows and poplars for drought feed – NZ Farm Forestry https://www.nzffa.org.nz › resource-centre › august-2013
.
I wonder if pollarding the pasture trees would be good; grow till there are nice round branches for lopping, giving control and income stream all together.
Pollarding is carried out on younger trees, which regrow faster than older trees and are less susceptible to disease. The height is always left at at least six feet above ground level, so that animals don't eat the new growth. Some plants, for example, hazel, paulownia, hornbeam and beech, are more suited to coppicing.10/03/2021
And I recommend watching Mulloon Institute work in Australia – a farmer-led organisation that has brought a recalcitrant government alongside. https://themullooninstitute.org/newsletters
John Cleese being interviewed by someone who argues with his negative opinion about the UK media – a Europe wide survey has respondents putting the UK at the bottom No. 33 – least trusted – for four years. Interesting how self-satisfied and bullish apparently the UK operatives in the media are. This is at 3m it might get better in the rest to 10m.
There seems to be a little hiatus in commentators' enthusiasm for discussion. Perhaps all things have been said for the present situation.
You might like to listen to this discussion about Orwell v Aldous Huxley – don't know what they are to consider but listening to opinions from two 'elite' guys is interesting and all will be revealed in time.
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Treasury’s first report on the economy since the change of government presents a damning indictment of Labour’s economic management. The problem for National is that it is so damning that logically, coupled with a rapidly slowing economy, Finance Minister Nicola Willis should respond to it by postponing or even cancelling ...
Budget tensions are becoming evident within the Coalition Government. Winston Peters made numerous political points in his speech to the NZF annual conference. But the attack on his own government’s fiscal policies raised issues of substance. ‘Today in the Sunday Star Times, journalist and former advisor to the Labour ...
Buzz from the Beehive The media – sure enough – have been binging on Finance Minister Nicola Willis’ release of the Budget Policy Statement and a statement headed Government announces Budget priorities This assures us – or rather, this parrots the Luxon team mantra – that the Budget “will deliver ...
The Ides of March brought me COVID followed by a bereavement. No wonder they tell you to be careful of them.I’m home now and have resumed the interrupted recuperation. Very much looking forward to getting back to regular things. Meanwhile, some thoughts…OneThis new Prime Minister guy just keeps getting more dire. ...
News that the Chinese ATP 40 cyber-hacking unit penetrated parliamentary internet networks in 2021 has renewed concerns about the PRC’s malign intentions in Aotearoa. But is the hack that significant given the length of time that has passed since its … Continue reading → ...
When Parliament passed the Intelligence and security Act in 2017, they assured us all that it was full of safeguards. Any intrusive surveillance of New Zealanders would be subject to a "triple lock", requiring the approval of the Minister and (supposedly independent) Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants, as well as post-facto ...
Eric Crampton writes – Richard Harman’s Politik newsletter provides a bit of the context that ought to have been showing up in other media reports on potential reductions in public service staffing. Media has been reporting on staffing cuts on the order of about 7%. Is that ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – It’s becoming increasingly apparent that many perceive free speech to have become the preserve of the politically right wing, the religiously conservative, the libertarian fringe, the anti-trans, the anti-Māori and…. well, just fill in with whatever groups or individuals you don’t like and don’t ...
Don Brash writes – As everybody who is not blind and deaf is aware, there is a huge political preoccupation with climate change at the moment, a widespread (though by no means unanimous) belief that global temperatures are rising mainly as a result of the greenhouse gases created ...
TL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy on Wednesday, March 27 include:Chris Bishop laid out his vision for filling Aotearoa-NZ’s $100 billion infrastructure deficit in a speech yesterday, emphasising user pays and private funding, but failed to say how to achieve bipartisanship on population, public borrowing and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Former Finance Minister Grant Robertson and former Prime Minister Chris Hipkins have been conveying how unhappy they are with the tax system. Last week in his valedictory speech, Robertson called for the introduction of a wealth or capital gains tax. And this week Hipkins ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Buzz from the Beehive China has loomed large in Beehive considerations over the past 24 hours, largely because of that country’s mischief-making in the cyber espionage department. Two media statements emerged on that subject hard on the heels of the PM baulking at questions put to him on RNZ’s Morning ...
Chris Trotter writes – WHY IS THE NATIONAL PARTY doing so much for landlords, property developers, trucking, and construction companies, and so little for everybody who isn’t already pretty well-off? It’s as if protecting landlords’ investments and building apartments and roads now constitute the whole of National’s ...
Bryce Edwards writes – When she was campaigning to be Minister of Finance last year, Nicola Willis pledged that she would resign from the job if she failed to deliver tax cuts in her first Budget. Now, it’s that pledge, along with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s ...
Robert MacCulloch writes – The Reserve Bank has doubled staff numbers in five years to 510, with personnel costs rising to $80 million in 2023 from $32 million in 2018 – up by a whopping 150%. I guess when you print $50 billion and flood markets with liquidity, ...
The furore. In case you didn’t notice there was a controversy in the weekend involving dolphins in a little town off the South Island. Don’t panic, they haven’t declared independence and resumed whaling, this was simply a sailing event.The problem began when racing was cancelled on the opening day of ...
For 20 years or more, the case for a meaningful capital tax gains has been mulled over and analysed to death, including by the tax working group chaired by Sir Michael Cullen. More than once, the International Monetary Fund has said a CGT would be a good idea for New ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: The Public Health Communications Centre (PHCC) call for urgent preventive action and a risk assessment survey of long covid in this briefing noteLocal scoop: NZ road deaths surpass OECD rates, so why is the govt reversing safety plans? ...
This story was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. This story is part of a collaboration with Grist and WABE to demystify the Georgia Public Service Commission, the small but powerful state-elected board that makes critical decisions about everything from raising ...
This is a guest post from Robert McLachlan Global warming is accelerating; 2023 was off the charts. We need to stop burning fossil fuels. In New Zealand, transport accounts for half of all fossil fuels burnt. In the Emissions Reduction Plan, transport emissions fall 41% by 2035. As the ...
Labour productivity has been receding rapidly over the past two years, reversing a post-lockdown rise. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy as at 6:26am on Tuesday, March 26 include:Workers have been treading water in output per hour worked for 12 years, ...
TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 2 include:Today, Parliament resumes sitting at 2pm for the second week of a two-week session. Officials for SIS and GCSB report their annual reviews in public to the Intelligence and Security Select Committee from 5.10pm.Tomorrow, ...
Faced with a barrage of criticism over the promised tax cuts from usually supportive commentators, Finance Minister Nicola Willis yesterday reaffirmed her intention to include them in this year’s Budget. The Government is up against it over the cuts just about every way it turns. Commentators like Fran O’Sullivan, Matthew ...
Here’s my pick of today’s substack posts as of 6:26pm on Monday, March 25: writes via his substack that Market-rate housing will make your city cheaper writes via his substack about the problems talking to double-cab ute (truck) drivers about their vehicles. today about moments of radicalisation in ...
Buzz from the Beehive Just before Christmas, Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivered something that was pitched as a mini-budget and brayed about the decisive action being taken to repair the Government books and support income tax relief in Budget 2024. In a statement headed Fiscal repair job underway. she introduced ...
My sister Belinda asked Dad yesterday what one word would describe Mum best. He said: vivacious.If you only knew her from the photos on the slideshow we've made for today,you might wonder about that, because the camera tended to lie with Mum.If ever she saw a camera pointed at her, she ...
There are two major public consultations closing in the next week, Auckland Council’s Long Term Plan (LTP), and the draft Government Policy Statement on Land Transport (GPS). Closing dates and times: LTP closes Thursday 28 February, at 11.59pm – a minute to midnight! GPS closes Tuesday 2 April, at 12pm noon – note that’s ...
From Kiwiblog’s David Farrar – Bryce Wilkinson writes: Senior Fellow Bryce Wilkinson’s analysis reveals that since March 2009, New Zealand has spent $158 billion more overseas than it has earned, but its NIIP has only fallen by $32 billion.Statistics New Zealand shows that receipts from overseas reinsurers have ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition? Brian Easton writes – The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could ...
Dear Nicola Willis,Right now you’ve probably got lots of competing demands coming at you. Ministers who’ve inherited quite a mess, or so you’ve told us, looking for money in the budget to improve things. I imagine that’s why they came to parliament - to make things better.You’ll have to make ...
The Local Government, Transport and Auckland Minister hasthreatened councils with intervention if they don’t merge water assets to take them off balance sheet, just as the now-repealed Three Waters plan directed. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things of note this morning for Monday, March 25 include:Simeon ...
A listing of 36 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 17, 2024 thru Sat, March 23, 2024. Story of the week Thanks to John Mason having the stamina to sit down to watch "Climate - the Movie" ...
This morning the Q&A programme had Simeon Brown on to talk about National’s replacement for Three Waters. In case anyone’s forgotten the three are - drinking water, waste water, and sewerage. It’s quite important not to get them mixed up. In much the same way that you wouldn’t want to ...
Today’s newsletter comes with a mini-podcast conversation between me and my buddy Liv Tennet, talking about her time as a child actor in Lord of the Rings. It’s a conversation with a lot of giggles as she talks about falling off a horse, and becoming a meme. Read ...
The Desmog Climate Disinformation Database documents, "individuals and organisations that have helped to delay and distract the public and our elected leaders from taking needed action to reduce greenhouse gas pollution and fight global warming." It's a who's who of the organised climate change denial movement, in other words. In ...
Bob Edlin writes – A High Court judge has decided miscreants who have mana – or who claim to have mana – should be treated differently from miscreants who have none. It’s a ruling that suggests indigenous law-breakers have a better chance of securing a discharge without conviction ...
Welcome to the first, and possibly last, edition of Brickbats, Bouquets and Bull’s Wool. In which I’ll take a look at the events of the last week or so, and rate them.In such ratings the numbers usually have more to do with the opinions of the reviewer, than the actual ...
Roger Partridge writes – My earlier column this month, New Zealand’s highest court could be facing a turning point, prompted a flood of feedback from business readers and lawyers alike. A common query was what Parliament can do to restrain an overreaching judiciary. This week I discuss two steps Parliament ...
TL;DR: In today’s ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.16pm on Friday, March 22: writes about New Zealand's Building Boom—And What the World Must Learn From It over at his substack. challenges the Auckland Council’s use of a 3.8 degrees of warming forecast to oppose a wave-park and data centre project ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition?The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could deliver her promised income tax cuts. Appointed minister, she ...
Buzz from the Beehive Ministers of the Crown have drawn attention to one sector of the science sector which is unlikely to be subjected to heavy spending cuts, a state-funded broadcaster which is doing nicely, thank you, and a sporting event that had $5.4 million from the public purse puffed ...
Abbott’s Freestyle Libre sensors allow continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). The sensor is applied to the back of the patient’s arm, with a thin filament under the skin measuring glucose levels constantly. But it costs around $100 per sensor and must be replaced once every 14 days. Photo by BSIP/Universal Images ...
The Inspector General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS) recently released a report in which he exposes the existence of a foreign intelligence partner-controlled technological “capability” inside the headquarters of the GCSB, NZ’s 5 Eyes-affiliated signals intelligence collection and analysis agency. … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – Nearly three decades after the introduction of MMP and multiparty governments there should be a greater level of understanding about their finer points than often appears to be the case. The reaction to the despicable outburst from the Deputy Prime Minister at the weekend highlights ...
The sweet kisses from fruit of summerHave slowly been turning dullerYou say, "those times"And "remember the daysWhen we went outside and there still was the shade?"Taking no reason into play…Autumn. Clear, blue days shortening to longer nights, growing colder. Aotearoa.That’s us. The temperature dropping, the looming car crash - so ...
Bryce Edwards writes – “It is often said that behind every great man is a great woman”. This is the pitch by the National Party Botany electorate branch to attend their “Ladies Afternoon Tea with Amanda Luxon”. For $110 including GST, you can turn up on Saturday 20 April ...
David Farrar writes – The Electoral Commission has published the expense returns for political parties for the 2023 election. I’ve put them in a table with how many votes a party got so we can see the spend per vote. National only spent $3.34 for every vote they got, almost ...
Winston Peters’ headline-making actions over the past week may have been a show of political power intended to strengthen his hand in Budget negotiations. It was no accident that his State of the Nation speech was as it was. He made it as New Zealand First Leader, not as Deputy ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:Former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson bowed out of politics this week, giving a series of exit ...
Graham Adams writes — If you love the law or sausages, as the saying goes, best not to look too closely at how they are made. And after watching the orgy of self-pity when Newshub’s closure was announced on February 28, television journalism should definitely be added to the list of those ...
Venerable New Zealand political commentator, Chris Trotter (https://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/), is a sad creature these days. Once one of the most reliable Leftist writers out there – Economic Left at that – Trotter seems to have absorbed the worldview of Auckland culture-war obsessives. It is not for me to categorise what he ...
The cruelty of short-term memory loss is that each time you ask where she is, you get the fresh shock and grief of the news. That was Dad's day yesterday.Comfortingly, it seems to be less so today. Last night he looked crumpled, today he seems more settled. There's a card ...
Photo by Alvan Nee on UnsplashIt’s that new day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when and I co-host our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm. Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream for our chat about the week’s news ...
Buzz from the Beehive One minister is talking tough while a colleague – whose ministry had acted tough and drawn a barrage of flak – has shown an official softening. Some ministers are doing what Labour was good at, which is distributing public funds to causes regarded as worthy or ...
A ballot for 4 Member's Bills was held today, and the following bills were drawn: Insurance Contracts Bill (Duncan Webb) Income Tax (Clean Transport FBT Exclusion) Amendment Bill (Julie Anne Genter) Crimes (Increased Penalties for Slavery Offences) Amendment Bill (Greg Fleming) Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) ...
The Coalition Government’s plan to ‘get Auckland moving’ is a cuts cover-up that will ultimately cost Aucklanders more to move around the city, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Slashing the Ministry of Pacific Peoples by 40% will have a devastating impact on pacific communities and further highlights how little this government cares about anything other than cutting taxes for the wealthiest few. ...
Labour has proposed an urgent inquiry to investigate the ever-increasing profits of supermarkets, aiming to lower costs for shoppers and food producers alike, says Labour Spokesperson for Commerce and Consumer Affairs Arena Williams and Primary Production Spokesperson Cushla Tangaere-Manuel. ...
With 14% of jobs on the line at the Ministry for Ethnic Communities, the responsible Minister Melissa Lee is failing to stand up for the very communities she’s meant to be representing. ...
COURT OF APPEAL: TRIFECTA OF VICTORY FOR NZ FIRST, TRIFECTA OF FAILURE FOR OPPONENTS For the third time since April 2020, New Zealand First has defeated the Serious Fraud Office and all those complicit in a malicious attack against a political party going about its lawful business in a lawful ...
The Green Party stands with people who live in public housing, people in dire housing need, experts and advocates in demanding better than the Government’s archaic approach to housing those who need our support the most. ...
New Zealand has recently lost the hosting rights of some major international sporting events including the America’s Cup, the Rugby Championship, Netball World Cup, and the Wellington Sevens. We are now at a huge risk of losing SailGP as well. And it won’t stop there. The recent issues with SailGP ...
A Member’s Bill drawn this week would modernise insurance law and make things fairer and more transparent for consumers, Christchurch Central MP Duncan Webb said. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues has confirmed she was aware of funding issues in mid-December and did nothing to stop it. On 14 March, she signed off on changes that were announced and implemented on 18 March without any consultation with disability communities. ...
Green Party MP Julie Anne Genter says her members' bill is an opportunity for the coalition government to plug the gap in electric vehicle incentives. ...
The National Government continues to talk about irresponsible tax cuts that will only drive up inflation, despite the country entering a technical recession. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues must act urgently to reinstate flexibility around the funding for disability support and apologise to disabled carers. ...
This story has been initiated by a leftie shill reporter who proactively sought to call a member of a former band, which disbanded twelve years ago, give their biased appraisal of what was said in my speech, and concocted a ham-fisted attempt at a story that does nothing but show ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Many in the mainstream media have taken what was said in New Zealand First’s State of the Nation Speech in Palmerston North on Sunday and deliberately, deceitfully, and ignorantly misrepresented what I said and why I said it. The headlines and commentary on the news stated that I compared ‘co-governance ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
Good afternoon. Thank you for, in your very busy lives, turning up to this meeting today. On October 14th last year New Zealanders overwhelmingly voted for change. That is exactly what this new government is bringing. New Zealand First campaigned to ‘take back our country’ and stop the disastrous economic ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the passing of legislation to move light electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) into the road user charges system from 1 April. “It was always intended that EVs and PHEVs would be exempt from road user charges until they reached two ...
New Zealand is strengthening its ability to combat illegal fishing outside its domestic waters and beef up regulation for its own commercial fishers in international waters through a Bill which had its first reading in Parliament today. The Fisheries (International Fishing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2023 sets out stronger ...
Economists Carl Hansen and Professor Prasanna Gai have been appointed to the Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced today. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is the independent decision-making body that sets the Official Cash Rate which determines interest rates. Carl Hansen, the executive director of Capital ...
Apartment owners and buyers will soon have greater protections as further changes to the law on unit titles come into effect, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Act had already introduced some changes in December 2022 and May 2023, and ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Egypt and Europe from this weekend. “This travel will focus on a range of New Zealand’s traditional diplomatic and security partnerships while enabling broad engagement on the urgent situation in Gaza,” Mr Peters says. Mr Peters will attend the NATO Foreign ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown is encouraging all road users to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. “Road safety is a responsibility we all share, and with increased traffic on our roads expected this Easter we ...
About 1.4 million New Zealanders will receive cost of living relief through increased government assistance from April 1 909,000 pensioners get a boost to Superannuation, including 5000 veterans 371,000 working-age beneficiaries will get higher payments 45,000 students will see an increase in their allowance Over a quarter of New Zealanders ...
Ensuring social housing is being provided to those with the greatest needs is front of mind as the Government restarts social housing tenancy reviews, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. “Our relentless focus on building a strong economy is to ensure we can deliver better public services such as social ...
The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will not go ahead, with Cabinet deciding to stop work on the proposed reserve and remove the Bill that would have established it from Parliament’s order paper. “The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill would have created a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
Dam safety regulations are being amended so that smaller dams won’t be subject to excessive compliance costs, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on reducing costs and removing unnecessary red tape so we can get the economy back on track. “Dam safety regulations ...
The coalition Government is expanding the medium-scale adverse event classification to parts of the North Island as dry weather conditions persist, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “I have made the decision to expand the medium-scale adverse event classification already in place for parts of the South Island to also cover the ...
The passing of legislation giving effect to coalition Government tax commitments has been welcomed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill will help place New Zealand on a more secure economic footing, improve outcomes for New Zealanders, and make our tax system ...
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds today announced plans to transform our science and university sectors to boost the economy. Two advisory groups, chaired by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, will advise the Government on how these sectors can play a greater ...
The Budget will deliver urgently-needed tax relief to hard-working New Zealanders while putting the government’s finances back on a sustainable track, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The Finance Minister made the comments at the release of the Budget Policy Statement setting out the Government’s Budget objectives. “The coalition Government intends ...
The coalition Government will look at options to address a zoning issue that limits how much financial support Queenstown residents can get for accommodation. Cabinet has agreed on a response to the Petitions Committee, which had recommended the geographic information MSD uses to determine how much accommodation supplement can be ...
Cabinet has agreed to a short extension to the final reporting timeframe for the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from 28 March 2024 to 26 June 2024, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says. “The Royal Commission wrote to me on 16 February 2024, requesting that I consider an ...
The coalition Government is delivering an $18 million boost to New Zealanders needing to travel for specialist health treatment, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says. “These changes are long overdue – the National Travel Assistance (NTA) scheme saw its last increase to mileage and accommodation rates way back in 2009. ...
The Government is recognising the innovative and rising talent in New Zealand’s growing space sector, with the Prime Minister and Space Minister Judith Collins announcing the new Prime Minister’s Prizes for Space today. “New Zealand has a growing reputation as a high-value partner for space missions and research. I am ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity, attributed to groups sponsored by the Chinese Government, targeting democratic institutions in both New ...
Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced the appointment of three independent reviewers to lead the Ministerial Inquiry into the Ministry of Education’s School Property Function. The Inquiry will be led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully. “There is a clear need ...
State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns will be open for Easter weekend, with work currently underway to ensure the resilience of this critical route being paused for Easter Weekend to allow holiday makers to travel north, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Today I visited the Brynderwyn Hills construction site, where ...
Introduction Good morning to you all, and thanks for having me bright and early today. I am absolutely delighted to be the Minister for Infrastructure alongside the Minister of Housing and Resource Management Reform. I know the Prime Minister sees the three roles as closely connected and he wants me ...
New Zealand stands with the United Kingdom in its condemnation of People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-backed malicious cyber activity impacting its Electoral Commission and targeting Members of the UK Parliament. “The use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is unacceptable,” Minister Responsible for ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced New Zealand will provide logistics support for the upcoming Solomon Islands election. “We’re sending a team of New Zealand Defence Force personnel and two NH90 helicopters to provide logistics support for the election on 17 April, at the request ...
The European Union Free Trade Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill received Royal Assent today, completing the process for New Zealand’s ratification of its free trade agreement with the European Union. “I am pleased to announce that today, in a small ceremony at the Beehive, New Zealand notified the European Union ...
Public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has concluded, Internal Affairs Minister Hon Brooke van Velden says. “I have been advised that there were over 11,000 submissions made through the Royal Commission’s online consultation portal.” Expanding the scope of the Royal Commission of ...
Hardworking families are set to benefit from a new credit to help them meet their early childcare education (ECE) costs, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. From 1 July, parents and caregivers of young children will be supported to manage the rising cost of living with a partial reimbursement of their ...
A specialised Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) tasked with preparing and publishing independent non-binding advice on the design of a "green" (sustainable finance) taxonomy rulebook is being established, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “Comprising experts and market participants, the ITAG's primary goal is to deliver comprehensive recommendations to the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins has thanked the Chief of Army, Major General John Boswell, DSD, for his service as he leaves the Army after 40 years. “I would like to thank Major General Boswell for his contribution to the Army and the wider New Zealand Defence Force, undertaking many different ...
25 March 2024 Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders Small Business, Manufacturing, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly will travel to Australia for a series of bi-lateral meetings and manufacturing visits. During the visit, Minister Bayly will meet with his Australian counterparts, Senator Tim Ayres, Ed ...
Government commits almost $3 million for period products in schools The Coalition Government has committed $2.9 million to ensure intermediate and secondary schools continue providing period products to those who need them, Minister of Education Erica Stanford announced today. “This is an issue of dignity and ensuring young women don’t ...
Good morning, it’s great to be here. First, I would like to acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors and thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning. I would like to use this opportunity to outline the Government’s ambitious plan and what we hope to ...
Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti has announced the Government’s commitment to the Auckland Secondary Schools Māori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival, more commonly known as Polyfest. “The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is a longtime supporter of Polyfest and, as it celebrates 49 years in 2024, I’m proud to ...
Before moving onto the substance of today’s address, I want to recognise the very significant and ongoing contribution the Breast Cancer Foundation makes to support the lives of New Zealand women and their families living with breast cancer. I very much enjoy working with you. I also want to recognise ...
New Zealand has notched up a first with the launch of University of Canterbury research to the International Space Station, Science, Innovation and Technology and Space Minister Judith Collins says. The hardware, developed by Dr Sarah Kessans, is designed to operate autonomously in orbit, allowing scientists on Earth to study ...
Introduction Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today and I’m sorry I can’t be there in person. Yesterday I started in Wellington for Breakfast TV, spoke to a property conference in Auckland, and finished the day speaking to local government in Christchurch, so it would have been ...
The Coalition Government is contributing more than $1 million to support the establishment of an emergency multi-agency coordination centre in Northland. Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced the contribution today during a visit of the Whangārei site where the facility will be constructed. “Northland has faced a number ...
New Zealanders have enjoyed a broader range of voices telling the story of Aotearoa thanks to the creation of Whakaata Māori 20 years ago, says Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka. The minister spoke at a celebration marking the national indigenous media organisation’s 20th anniversary at their studio in Auckland on ...
Commercial catch limits for some fisheries have been increased following a review showing stocks are healthy and abundant, Ocean and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The changes, along with some other catch limit changes and management settings, begin coming into effect from 1 April 2024. "Regular biannual reviews of fish ...
Jesus had dinner with his 12 disciples right before he died. Noted historian Madeleine Chapman finds out who really deserved to be there.First published in 2018 but let’s be honest, the subject is timeless. As you sit on your couch this Easter Sunday, eating a chocolate egg you know ...
The newly-promoted Northern League club is on a mission to return to the National League for the first time in two decades. Plenty about domestic football in New Zealand has changed in that time – but the sense that this amateur competition is not an entirely level playing field remains. ...
Auckland Council has put a deadline on new weather-impacted property owners applying for categorisation as government funding looks set to run out. Councillors have voted to support a deadline of September 30 for property owners who haven’t accessed support to come forward and engage with the council’s recovery office. It ...
NONFICTION 1 BBQ Economics by Liam Dann (Penguin Random House, $40) “It’s official,” wrote Dann nine days ago in the Herald, where he works as business editor at large, “we’re in recession.” Yeah, great. He delivered the bad stats: “GDP fell 0.1 percent in the December 2023 quarter, compared with ...
Comment: Every year on February 2, a dozen men in tuxedos and top hats approach the burrow of a groundhog in Gobbler’s Knob, Pennsylvania and entice the beaver-like rodent to emerge and predict the weather. If the groundhog, named Punxsutawney Phil, sees its own shadow when it is summoned, legend ...
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I believe the Labour Government have seriously misread the public mood with the decision to build a seperate cycle and walking bridge over rhe Waitemata.
The cycling community and the fare free communty need to get their heads together.
If we are really serious about getting people to take up cycling for recreation and commuting, If we don't want to alienate the traveling public. Then we must integrate cyclling with public transport.
A bike lane will displace 21 thousand cars.
38% of people who cross the Auckland Harbour Bridge every working day do so on the bus.
The French city of Dunkirk introduced fare free public transport and saw public transport use grow by 70%
A similar 70% increase in public transport use across the Auckland Harbour bridge would free up the space needed for the bikeway.
If we are really serious about getting people to take up cycling for recreation and commuting. If we don't want to alienate the traveling public..Then we must fully integrate cycling with public transport.
Central to this must be fare free services to get people out of their cars, freeing up lanes for bikeways
But also bike friendly buses with a stowage feature for when the weather turns bad, or the distance is too far, (or too dangerous), to bike for the full length of the journey.
Imagine cycling to work, doing a full days work. At the end of the day finding that the weather had changed having to face cycling home through the wet and cold, you instead board a bus and stow your bike in the luggage compartment for a safe dry hassle free ride home.
i think i have been arguing for super cheap to free public transport for a few years now.
But as i was told repeatedly THIS CAN NOT BE DONE!, insert any reasons you can cook up real fast. Never mind that if public transport is still cheaper then public transport no one will use the fwiw as an ex user of public transport in Wellington and Auckland, piss poor quality, rude drivers who don't know much about their routes including Bus stops, late busses, dirty busses, and unsafe, unlit bus stops / train stops at night.
And besides its the poor that are using this services, so it needn't be better, cause if you make it too good, too many people would use it (yes that too was offered as an explanation as to why public transport in NZ is just the best sign of poor local / regional / state wide governance).
They rather pay for a bridge for their upper class peers then provide meaningful public transport service for all.
Not legal under the current bus funding law.
if only we had a government that had a single majority and could (even under urgency after all Climate Change!!) there for change the legal framework to make public transport more affordable to the people.
If only we had such a government.
It's not even in the new Climate Commission recommendations.
I can't see full free public transport extending below the 65-year limit that already exists within the Gold Cards.
I think you're out of luck, unless the Greens somehow persuade Labour to change the law.
People have told you repeatedly that providing enough buses and drivers to make fares free during peak periods requires buying way more of them than are needed for the rest of the day. International research has shown that investing that extra foregone money into more frequent services gets more people using buses and trains.
Do some basic research or resist the urge to flap your gums on the daily.
Hi Sacha, Some links or notated quotes to back up your assertions would be good.
You may notice Sacha that I use links to actual case studies, and take out selected quotes with actual figures and facts.
How about it Sacha?
Surely it couldn't be too much to ask for you to do the same.
Let us all see some of this 'basic research' only you seem to be privy to.
And not just a dump of some enormous word file attachment, and tell us that it is in there somewhere.
A few succinct quotes with some actual real world facts, would be best.
Since you seem to be claiming you have done this ‘basic research’ it should be easy for you.
Until you can do that, I will be flapping my fact filled gums as much as I like, in spite of your weak attempts to get me to self censor.
Absolutely no point wasting effort on providing you with more information when you have so little competence at making sense of it. Do the work yourself.
What about the rest of us who are as to why free buses can't be done?
Sacha
11 June 2021 at 9:42 pm
Absolutely no point wasting effort on providing you with more information…
But Sacha it is not a matter of you providing me with more information Sacha, despite what you claim, you haven't provided us with any information at all. Just assertions.
You have not provided one single fact, or proof.
What am I to think of your argument if you can't do that?
With zero rational argument you are saying that I should 'stop flapping my gums'.
If you don't like what I have to say, tell us why.
If you have some rational argument to make, make it.
If you have some facts to provide, provide them.
Until you can do that, you have absolutely no moral point to to make telling me I should not be making comments on this issue.
It is not enough to tell me to stop flapping my gums thinking you have said something clever or convincing. Just making insults with nothing to back them up.
https://twitter.com/username_Dizzy/status/1401946559948939268
I had never heard of this term.
So I googled it, (as you do).
I made a point about fare free public transport, You stormed in with an unsubstantiated claim that free public transport doesn't work. I challenged you to provide some proof of your allegation, I was and still am genuinely interested in reading the proofs for this. Instead of anwering my request for this information, you accused me of something I had never heard of.
I have some questions.
Today in the news;
My question for you Sacha is this;
Are Anne Cooper and the other Te Tai Tokeau school principals 'sealioning' David Seymour by challenging him to provide proof of his allegations?
And if not, why not?
What is Sealioning?
"Would you mind showing me evidence of any negative thing any sealion has ever done to you?"
The Sealion
Is Daryl Davis a Sealion?
“how could you hate me when you don’t even know me?”
Daryl Davis
https://www.rt.com/viral/371340-meet-black-man-kkk/
Hi Sacha,
The cartoon you supplied to explain sealioning, depicts a European couple in Victorian dress being towered over by a dark indistinct hulking figure, (the sea lion). The sealion obviously is a metaphor for something else, something that this white Victorian couple fear or dislike.
No chance a sealion ever turned up in a 19th Century white couple's house or vehicle. (But a black person might have.)
Substitute the sentence I don't like sealions for, I don't like Black people, or I don't like Jews, or I don't like Asians
And then the sealion's question is valid and justified.
Why don't you like blacks? or Jews? or Asians?.
What has a black person ever done to you?
Let's fill in the missing blanks.
The European woman says "I don't mind most marine mammals. But SEALIONS? I could do without sealions. (read black people)
Her male companion says, "Don't say that out loud"
Voicing his fear that racist sentiments expressed in public, risks being challenged.
P.S. The indistinct and nightmarish hulking depiction of a a sealion in the cartoon looks more like a female walrus. (sealions are more streamlined).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=Tjhb5gkw4No&feature=emb_logo
That is Irony 😀
We shall resume in an hour
When I say repeatedly, I also mean previously. Find your own fish meal.
Cycling is free per journey already. So you don't have any useful point.
It's just unsafe in too many parts of the network.
I would politely demure.
With a price tag of $785 million, the public sticker shock at the cost for a stand alone cycleway over the Waitemata Harbour presents a very real problem for the cycling community and the government to sell this project to the public.
The political blowback may be severe.
You are simply making a mistake confusing capex and opex.
You were explaining that all public transport on buses should be free. They are currently subsidised over 50% per trip.
Whereas per trip cycling has no need for subsidy.
But if you want to go down the road of CAPEX subsidy, the per passenger subsidy for everyone taking a bus or train is several hundred every ticket because you add in both the CAPEX of building all these motorways and busways, but also their hundreds of millions of maintenance per trip per year.
Again, you don't have a point when you are wanting to force everyone who wants to not use a car to go by bus, rather than giving them a cycling option if they choose it.
Cos only buses use roads right?
Take away the fare and buses are free??????????????
Love this.
" Although free public transport at a first glance may seem attractive both from economic, social and environmental perspectives, the message learnt from a number of schemes is that free public transport offers poor goal achievement in all these respects, and at a high cost. The main effect is a huge growth in patronage, up to 13-fold increase is reported, of which the larger brunt is shifted from walk/cycle, or induced. The effects on car traffic levels are marginal and typically they are offset already after a few years’ traffic growth."
Linky-thinky please!
'
Oops! I forgot to put the link in.
https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2021/06/09/guest-blog-bryan-bruce-my-problem-with-the-auckland-bike-bridge/<
GUEST BLOG: Bryan Bruce – My problem with the Auckland bike bridge
By The Daily Blog June 9, 2021
Bryan Bruce is one of NZs most respected documentary makers and public intellectuals who has tirelessly exposed NZs neoliberal economic settings as the main cause for social issues.
That blog is an uninformed waste of time.
In my view, cycling absolutely has a place in alleviating Auckland's transport problems. However in many ways it has been set up to fail by the inept AT. As pointed out in this article, AT, in their obsession with forcing people out of cars, are turning the cycleway projects into “safety-and-streetscape-upgrade-and-stormwater-fix-and-traffic-calming-and-pedestrian-improvements-and-retaining-parking-and-cycling…" projects. And outcomes like this ("Auckland Transport has plans costing between $23 million and $35 million to fix a controversial cycleway through Grey Lynn and Westmere that hardly anyone uses.") just turn the public against cycling and cyclists, when the culprit is AT, not cycling or cyclists.
Have you used the new Tamaki Drive cycleway that was opened last year?
Or the one down Quay Street opened early this year?
Are you aware of the big one opening at the end of this year?
Or the huge ones being built right now through Orakei?
I don't feel the need to defend AT, but they are delivering cycleways.
Have you seen what AT did to Grey Lynn? To Mt Albert? In fact pretty much any precinct they touch? Simon Wilson wrote this article four years ago now – if anything they've got worse.
'
This is what democracy looks like
This is what democracy looks like.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/443667/cyclists-close-lanes-on-auckland-harbour-bridge
We dont have a direct democracy as was used by the citizens of Athens.
We have a representative democracy.
Its like ‘Free Speech’ which is limited to what the government can stifle. Doesnt apply to private places ( venue hire !) or private platforms like Facebook or Twitter ( as Trump found out)
We have a bit of both, of course, but we need more and better.
‘
“We dont have a direct democracy as was used by the citizens of Athens. We have a representative democracy.” ghostwhowalksnz
“We have a bit of both, of course, but we need more and better.” Incognito
We certainly do, need more and better democracy. Absolutely
We also need to fight very hard to defend what democracy we have.
The best way to ‘fight for it’ is to use it as best as we can and then use it even better.
This is indeed what democracy looks like.
Hi Incognito, you are right, the cycle protesters, (and the XL pipeline protesters), have shown the way.
Just as you say; This is what democracy looks like.
Discussing the nuclear option for nurses:
Incognito, thanks for the compliment.*
Just as I have been saying; sooner or later the Nurses will have to go for the nuclear option, That is, if they want to achieve their demands.
The NZNO have promised more strikes to come. If that doesn't work. If the government continues to ignore the nurses demands to put more money into the public health system. Then the nurses have two choices. Choose the diet coke, or go to the nuclear option.
The cycle protesters and the XL pipeline protesters have shown the way.
Within days of the cycling protesters' occupation of the Harbour Bridge, the government coughed up $785 million for a bike bridge across the Waitemata.
I have 'toyed' with the idea that the nurses should follow the cycle protesters example and occupy one lane of the Auckland Harbour Bridge until the governemt agrees to direct negotiations with the nurses.
What ideas the nurses come up with, is up to them.
Obviously strikes aren't working. So the next step is the nuclear option, either that, or give up their demands.
As the Nurses have made extremely clear, if they give up their demands, we will all suffer.
*(it's not often I get compared to the leader of the free world, even a bad one).
Talking to a senior nurse after the strike. The mention of more strikes came up.
The observation was made that next time, it needs to be a 24 or 48 hour strike. The DHBs can cover one 8 hour period with management and office staff no sweat. Covering 4-7 shifts is a whole different story.
Isnt $80,000 pa enough ?
The last pay round was it, 2 -3 years ago took about a year. That was quite generous as it involved a catch up from previous years .
So no catch up this time, so the reason is ….. or is it another $10k to make the ‘exhaustion’ go away.
Understaffing is the issue most raised by nurses when asked why they are on strike.
The logic is that increasing the level of remuneration will attract more nurses and alleviate under-staffing. So yes $10 K may make the exhaustion go away.
Union struggles are complex, what may look like greedy workers to some, is often a consequence of the narrow legal constraints put on unions. Under the ERA all strikes for political demands are illegal. That makes raising political demands like increasing staff levels, problematic for unions to raise in a dispute, except in an oblique manner.
"So no catch up this time, so the reason is ….."
Prime Minister Ardern 2018:
"While today represents a conclusion of bargaining it also marks the start of a long term programme to rebuild our public health system and the status of the nursing profession. "
healthCARE .
Its not a salary race for the highly paid members.
The offers for the healthcare assistants and EN were up to 11% higher
next year the junior doctors will be back …. 'exhausted' again, we need much more money to stop the exhaustion.
Conservatives are always slow on the uptake. They should never be put in positions of leadership because they are by nature useless at moving forward into new territory. Conservative are only useful as the ballast in the hold of the ship, to stop it turning over in heavy weather – no other use.
This is all perfectly exemplified by Nick Smith and his belated apology to the gay community over same-sex marriage opposition. https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/125396043/retiring-mp-nick-smith-apologises-for-voting-against-samesex-marriage
This also highlights that other great truth "always follow the hippies". Where the "hippies" are is where society will be in the near-future.
Conservatives should wake up to their place in the world. We would all be much better off.
always always
A very frightening prospect.
https://gen.medium.com/nazi-hippies-when-the-new-age-and-far-right-overlap-d1a6ddcd7be4
There are hippies and there are ‘hippies’. Hippies are not Nazis by any stretch of the mind …
You’re diverting vto’s comment to your own narrative, again.
Charles Manson was a hippy
Ever read that book Helter Skelter?
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/us-news/charles-mansons-chilling-explanation-swastika-18839001
No, he was not. He was a sick cult leader.
Sadly there are not 'hippies' in government.
and has any of these hippies taken a stance on their "NO" vote?
these are the ones from the Labour Party that voted no too.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Same-sex_marriage_in_New_Zealand
The not-so-hippy Kiwis also need representation in Parliament: https://thestandard.org.nz/daily-review-10-06-2021/#comment-1797574.
I grew up for quite a few years in Waiheke island during the early 1970's…it has given me a life long suspicion of hippies….a pretty dodgy crew from what I observed.
Charles Manson, Bert Potter, both counter culture hippies. Pretty dodgy alright.
Don’t forget Hitler another new age vegetarian who loved animals. He was pretty dodgy too.
I mean these lot were at the extreme end of the spectrum. But it’s not true that hippies can’t be fascists.
What about that new age shaman who invaded The Capitol building?
Didn’t see too much peace and love there.
Love is hate, life is death, peace is war. Post-modern wisdom in Jenny-style.
Nick Smith having thousands of long term ACC claimaints thrown off weekly compo onto to nightmare of the benefit system seems to be forgotten amid all the rainbow washing,
so how many vaccines are left in the country, and could Hooton be correct in his math?
Maybe dear Spokesperson for the Government (or what ever he is) maybe it ain't July that will be bumpy, maybe your bumpy ride starts next week?
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/covid-19-coronavirus-vaccine-stocks-running-low-across-new-zealand/KJULNJBK4ZRIAEFIMMT5CBH7ZQ/
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/covid-19-coronavirus-matthew-hooton-vaccine-supply-about-to-run-out-according-to-government-data/SYV3QVBGOYWQ7NSVIU5XIK7QRM/
oh well, lets just hope we continue to be lucky, because many of use will not be getting any jabs any time soon.
https://www.miq.govt.nz/about/media-centre/common-topics-for-media-questions/staff-vaccination/
Hooton can’t help himself; you’ll need to fact-check everything he says.
My presumption is that the missing MIQ staff are because the net has been spread very wide in the definition of MIQ. Truck drivers who never get out of their truck and visit a wharf maybe only once or twice a month with all transactions done on an IPad, delivery drivers or couriers dropping off at the distribution site some way from the actual isolation facilities again with very little human contact. If you include the families of these people yes you do get big numbers but I'm certain there are not four and a half thousand staff in the actual hotels.
All these facilities operate 24/7 shift work. Could easily add up to 4500 including facility staff, health staff, security staff.
It must be those blimmin spin doctors working for MIQ. I bet they got their shitty shots.
Yes , theres more
https://interactives.stuff.co.nz/2021/the-whole-truth-covid-19-vaccine/#/1201336979/no-we-haven-t-run-out-of-vaccine
"People in some areas have reported not being able to get a vaccine because some sites have run out of doses, or are running low.This isn’t surprising, because every district health board outside of Auckland has gone above its target number of vaccinations. In three areas – Bay of Plenty, Whanganui and Nelson-Marlborough – they’ve done more than 50 per cent extra."
Which was my earlier point ….not recycled from reading a newspaper…that they are meant to be used up as soon as.
or as some wag on twitter put it, the tories have gone from complaining that the vax rollout is an abject failure because of low uptake to now complaining it's an abject failure because in several DHBs it's going quicker than planned.
I was just about to post that link Ghostwhowalksnz….
Also I am fortunate to be in Nelson-Marlborough where we have both had two jabs (early 60's, small rural community where 50% of our population has already been vaccinated). Our local medical centre has not wasted a single dose and another clinic is running again tomorrow.
The vaccine supply isnt like a savings bank to be stored up for emergency use. The supply is low because they are being USED.
|I had to laugh when I saw Hootons latest opinion column on this …unlike you I dont have a subscription- looks like hes getting his info from Bishop who is running the spin cycles of vaccine rollouts. I suppose for Hooton hes dumped Muller and now hitched his wagon to Bishop as the next great white hope
Maybe Sabine, your cottage industry on anti government concern trolling , often 1/3 of open mike all comments PER DAY , could check out a part time position with Exceltium ?
Maybe ghostwhowalksnz, you should get your head around the fact that criticism of the current government and having a commitment to holding them to account does not equate in any way to support for the Opposition.
Of course , but Sabine has made it a cottage industry with recycled Hooton claims as well. Its a fanatsy to think Sabine is holding anyone to account by reading & recycling the news of each day. It sort of buries what little nuggets can be mined. Yourself would be a good model with some areas where you have a particular interest and it makes worthwhile reading.
Like I said, I counted the other day and it was around 1/3 of all comments.
hahahahahahahahahahaha oh boy, you are a sweet one, arent' you?
I hope Hooton is paying you to 'mirror his concerns' , is it a therapeutic relationship and he feels much better in getting it of his chest …. oh thats right HE gets paid for his column and you get nothing from achieveing nothing for the day.
I was a bit tough there…but let me create a word picture , after the election with 10 ACT Mps , they take on Policy Advisors galore , but some find they dont have much to do , so one, fresh out of university, uses the idea of concern trolling labour government , by reading the papers and putting it verbatim on social media… my crystal ball is getting cloudy, so no more details
Rosemary McD Maybe we should make higher demands on the Opposition to hold the government to account where it matters, as this is what they are paid by citizens to do. By us doing it for them, it removes their impetus to actually do some work and stop being gadflies or perhaps blowflies clustering around the latest tasty gossip spill.
Maybe we should make higher demands on the Opposition to hold the government to account where it matters, as this is what they are paid by citizens to do.
A laudable aspiration to be sure GWS, but we are talking about National and/or Act. To expect either one of these to do anything other than indulging in petty, sniping, political point scoring is simply not reasonable.
Can NZers concerned/anxious/fearful that our Govt doesn't have enough doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to meet demand engage in some constructive criticism?
There’re some noisy 'babies' crying about a lack of 'milk', but where are the adults making constructive comments about how to increase 'milk' supply, bearing in mind there's a global shortage, and more desperation/death elsewhere.
Has the NZ Govt looked at the feasibility of purchasing other COVID-19 vaccines – we did have pre-purchase agreements in place for other vaccines. Sure, these might be (slightly) less effective, and/or carry a (very slightly) greater risk of adverse side effects, but still – worth a look? Maybe NZ would have been further along its 'vaccine roll-out path' if the Govt hadn't hitched our whole wagon to one of the most effective (and safe) vaccines. But then, damned if they did, and damned if they didn't.
Should our Govt have foreseen this pandemic and funded the development of a large-scale vaccine production facility in NZ? Maybe they should still do that once we can draw a post-COVID breath – but would it be cost-effective?
I really don't understand the purpose of this continual 'bleating' about vaccine shortages and vaccination delays – the NZ Govt and public service, for all the resources at their disposal, don't have magic wands.
Maybe leave it to the free market to supply a 'solution' – never mind that 'vaccine' you're getting might just be a (hopefully sterile) saline solution.
Like "liquid gold" people!
https://covid19.govt.nz/covid-19-vaccines
Hoots is full of shit. That's not holding the government to account.
Why anyone with even one working critical thinking brain cell still working within their cranium allows themselves to gets caught up this new anti-China frenzy, when it is so blatantly obvious it all so much bullshit I don't know… I mean seriously are people really that naïve that they actually think this is driven by any concern for the welfare of the Uighurs?
UK Hypes China ‘Threat’ While Selling Country Billions in Military-Related Equipment
"The U.K. government has authorized the sale of £2.6-billion worth of military and civilian equipment with potential military use to China in the past three years, government figures show.
Last year saw a tripling in exports to China of “dual use” items defined as “civilian goods with a military purpose.” Some £1.6-billion worth were authorised in 2020, compared to £526-million in 2019."
https://consortiumnews.com/2021/06/09/uk-hypes-china-threat-while-selling-country-billions-in-military-related-equipment/
Well, yea. One of the best ways to curtail genocidal practices and a lot of human rights abuses, is to halt the manufacturing and dealing of weapons, in short, any country who indulges or supports these practices is a major player in human rights abuse.
Oh for some distant future where weapons and money are from the distant past!
This Swedish entity seems likely to be reliable and objective in its report on weapons manufacture and sales and shows Australia seeking to increase its involvement. (Swedish Peace Research Institute)
Dec/20 https://www.sipri.org/media/press-release/2020/global-arms-industry-sales-top-25-companies-85-cent-big-players-active-global-south
The report also looks at the international presence of the 15 largest arms companies in 2019. These companies are present in a total of 49 countries, through majority-owned subsidiaries, joint ventures and research facilities.
With a global presence spanning 24 countries each, Thales and Airbus are the two most internationalized companies—followed closely by Boeing (21 countries), Leonardo (21 countries) and Lockheed Martin (19 countries).
The United Kingdom, Australia, the USA, Canada and Germany host the largest numbers of these foreign entities. Outside the arms industry hubs of North America and Western Europe, the largest numbers of entities of foreign companies are hosted by Australia (38), Saudi Arabia (24), India (13), Singapore (11), the UAE (11) and Brazil (10).
Alexandra Marksteiner of the SIPRI Arms and Military Expenditure Programme said: ‘There are many reasons why arms companies might want to establish themselves overseas, including better access to growing markets, collaborative weapon programmes, or policies in the host countries tying arms purchases to technology transfers.’
Of the 49 countries hosting foreign entities of the top 15 arms companies, 17 are in low- and middle-income countries. ‘Countries in the Global South seeking to jump-start their arms production programmes have welcomed foreign arms companies as a means to benefit from technology transfers,’ said Diego Lopes da Silva, Researcher at SIPRI.
Outside the arms industry hubs of North America and Western Europe, the largest numbers of entities of foreign companies are hosted by Australia (38), Saudi Arabia (24),
Countries…welcomed foreign arms companies as a means to benefit from technology transfers
This could apply to NZ with the rockets program.
And the UK? Where does it stand?
Oct/20 https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/oct/06/uk-remains-second-biggest-arms-exporter-with-11bn-of-orders
UK exports also exceeded those of Russia and France for the second year in a row, according to official figures released by the Department for International Trade (DIT), placing Britain number two in the global rankings behind the US.
Now Biden and Johnson are publicly embracing really-good relations between the two countries it is probably 'bombs away' maties.
Yes, and it's all disgusting and contributing to further human rights abuse and depletion of resources.
Evolution needs to fast forward to end this primitive era.
Interesting thought about evolution. When so many young men are regularly sacrificed on the altar of keeping 'these b…s under control' and also grabbing hold of their resurces which they unreasonably refuse to trade with us. There is a loss of their genes and their potential contribution to the country and the world. There was a saying in UK about losing 'the brightest and the best' of the young men in two world wars. What does that do to evolution? And what slant has it on increasing the influence of psychopathic people who remain behind the damage, directing operations and causing carnage? Is Israel completely brainwashed by the nasty thugs conducting assymetrical war against puny or low numbers of Palestinian weapons and stone throwing?
What are the odds on Biden mentioning this to Blobby Jobby? Might be worth a flutter.
A flutter of eyelashes possibly. The UK and USA are a chancy lot, they would pack their weaponry in boxes with pictures of birthday cakes and toys, and notices 'Hold till Christmas' and send them to Israel; knowing that the Jewish peeps don't have Christmas – it would be a code. Very cunning and underhand they are.
A few thoughts and helpful links for those on the land who might not have seen these particular ones. And for the townies who know we rely on the farmers for much, but ned to update about the latest movers and shakers.
2013 https://beeflambnz.com/knowledge-hub/PDF/trees-farm
Trees on pasture land used for grazing. Seems a good idea. Plant and Food Research says:
BENEFITS OF SERVICES FROM WIDE-SPACED TREES
Provisioning services →Feed (pasture quantity, quality; tree foliage)→Wood →Shade and shelter to animals
Regulating services →Filtering of nutrients and contaminants→Flood mitigation→Recycling of wastes and detoxification→Carbon storage in soil and trees→Regulation of N2O and CH4 emissions→Biological control of pests and diseases.
Provisioning and regulating services (or benefits) have an economic value. Overall, erosion decreases these values, whereas soil conservation increases them
.
Poplar and willow have proved to be valuable species for erosion control and other use. But need maintenance so they don't grow too tall. And good for animals especially during droughts.
2013 One of the reasons that poplar and willow foliage can provide better feed value than poor or dried-up pasture is because they contain valuable compounds called condensed tannins and phenolic glycosides, such as aspirin, according to research by Associate Professor Peter Kemp of Massey University.
Willows and poplars for drought feed – NZ Farm Forestry
https://www.nzffa.org.nz › resource-centre › august-2013
.
I wonder if pollarding the pasture trees would be good; grow till there are nice round branches for lopping, giving control and income stream all together.
Pollarding is carried out on younger trees, which regrow faster than older trees and are less susceptible to disease. The height is always left at at least six feet above ground level, so that animals don't eat the new growth. Some plants, for example, hazel, paulownia, hornbeam and beech, are more suited to coppicing.10/03/2021
Pollarding Vs Coppicing | Howe2 Trees | North West Tree …https://howe2trees.co.uk/pollarding-vs-coppicing
Other links:
https://smallfarms.cornell.edu/2018/06/six-key-principles-for-a-successful-silvopasture/
https://www.nationalsheep.org.uk/workspace/pdfs/nsa-sheep-and-trees-for-website.pdf
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/dec/27/turning-farming-upside-down-mob-grazing-on-a-cumbrian-hill-farm
And I recommend watching Mulloon Institute work in Australia – a farmer-led organisation that has brought a recalcitrant government alongside. https://themullooninstitute.org/newsletters
Then there is deferred grazing, which is a sort of lying-fallow system and done as recomended provides cost-saving feed at vital times of the year.
https://www.agresearch.co.nz/assets/Uploads/Deferred-Grazing-Handbook-e-version-Dec-2020.pdf
John Cleese being interviewed by someone who argues with his negative opinion about the UK media – a Europe wide survey has respondents putting the UK at the bottom No. 33 – least trusted – for four years. Interesting how self-satisfied and bullish apparently the UK operatives in the media are. This is at 3m it might get better in the rest to 10m.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULfqhCNHQPA
There seems to be a little hiatus in commentators' enthusiasm for discussion. Perhaps all things have been said for the present situation.
You might like to listen to this discussion about Orwell v Aldous Huxley – don't know what they are to consider but listening to opinions from two 'elite' guys is interesting and all will be revealed in time.
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31CcclqEiZw&t=357s