It rained heavily the night before this clip was taken. The stream was still running high & it was quite deep at the Eel Spot when Elvira turned up for a feed. It's fun when it's this deep because she stands up on her tail.
It sounds like, from what I just heard Ardern say to Kim Hill on RNZ, the Covid positive Auckland woman who wrongly visited Northland FAKED her exemption document, If that’s true, then the question of why checks weren’t made before the exemption letter was issued doesn’t arise.
I didn’t catch all the discussion, but Kim Hill is challenging Ardern a lot more than Corin Dann or Suzy Fergusson do.
Will listen to the full audio clip when it’s available later.
Hill is harder on everyone – which is generally a good thing. Like the others though, she does occasionally and unwittingly reveal how little (or zero) experience she has of trying to actually implement anything technically or procedurally complex, or even anything less complex on a very large scale. If you have the notion in your head of an unattainable perfection, then every discussion soon degenerates into petty arguments about 'competence'. Original sin is a harsh and unpleasant doctrine, but it is a salutary corrective for excessively high expectations.
That's good, since she's asking on behalf of the rest of us. If she was in the loop she'd be basically siding with the smug mandarins who resist change on principle.
Yep. Though a better line of questioning when something hasn't worked, is to ask those responsible what options they see for improving it – rather than outraged shock and horror that it has happened at all.
Not everyone. I'd really like business people to be asked about the pandemic planning that was done 10 years (roughly) ago and about what action they took to prepare for such an eventuality.
Chamber of Commerce heads would be a good start. My gut feeling is, is that they just ignored the possibility. I'd really, really like to know if there was even one business or CEO that took it seriously.
"“We are about to go through the most profound shift in the climate debate in 20 years,” Gilding wrote in an essay he published on his website on August 24. “The result will be the end of the gas industry’s hope of being a transition fuel, a brutal market disruption to the agriculture and livestock industries and the arrival of the climate emergency into public consciousness. This will all be driven by the acceptance of methane as the critical response to the climate emergency.”
"This reality is fast-shifting the climate debate, Gilding wrote. “The brutal market, political and economic logic suggests the brunt of the impact will be felt by two sectors. It will be the final nail in the coffin for fossil fuels, including gas. Already in terminal decline, the industry will now need to be largely gone – at least in its twilight years – within a decade. Secondly, livestock within agriculture will face transformation and/or disruption through a perfect storm of public and consumer pressure, policy action and new technologies. Beef and dairy in particular will have to radically transform, or shrink to a small fraction of their current size. This is all predictable.””
"Three years ago, Fonterra established a Sustainability Advisory Panel. One of its founding, and current, members is Paul Gilding, an Australian. He was a former executive director of Greenpeace International and is a long-time fellow at the University of Cambridge's Institute for Sustainability Leadership."
If you burn the gas and not allow spill,as the Helen Clark Gov did for instant (Taranaki)as an for exsample It's only then as bad as CO2,as for your animals theirs always been large amount of ruminating creatures on earth after the ice ages give an take.
just a thought.
Note for proprietor,Spell check is a common courtesy on the F..ken internet.
I think it was Murupara over the past weekend or Friday? when JUJU wanted to talk to her about 'things' and she wasn't there to berate…oops sorry talk to.
New World and Pak'nSave are to remove most of NZ fishing company Sealord's range from their freezers as the supermarkets flex their muscles in the face of the Commerce Commission.
Jobs at Sealord's Nelson plant are understood to be on the line, after Foodstuffs North Island's decision to "delete" most of the New Zealand fishing company's frozen products.
Foodstuffs wouldn't comment last night on the decision; head of corporate affairs Antoinette Laird said her comms teams did not work weekends unless there was a business-critical issue.
But Food and Grocery Council chief executive Katherine Rich said the decision would shrink Sealord's 80 percent local market share to less than 20 percent, turning it into a market minnow and making more space in the supermarket freezers for less sustainable products like Alaskan pollock instead.
The range of foodstuffs being removed is based entirely on profit margin – not consumer demand, affordability, sustainability or anything else and will take effect from Nov 15.
Yeah, I copied out the important bits on this issue, but should have bracketed that it's paywalled.
It's Sealord (half iwi-owned) that is affected by this decision (one of many decisions on stocking for profit that Foodstuffs have made). The decision comes ahead the Commerce Commission investigations into supermarket pressure on pricing that includes pressure on suppliers.
Not much the government can do. Price-controlled cheese slices? Food-inflation-adjusted food stamps? Suppliers of 12-pack of jam-filled donuts awarded Supplementary Minimum Prices?
The Food and Grocery council thinks this behaviour from Foodstuffs needs rectifying – from the same article [paywalled]
Our industry has never experienced such an extreme margin grab. It's quite extraordinary at the time they are in the Commerce Commission spotlight. They're snubbing their nose at the commission and government’s process."
While in this instance it appears Sealord's product is being ditched for overseas suppliers [from Newsroom again]
Foodstuffs also owns its own New Zealand fishing company. Two years ago, the supermarket chain purchased Leigh Fisheries and the Lee Fish brand.
The government could do something about vertical integration.
1. Introduce a mandatory code of conduct that has legislative backing, must contain fair conduct obligations, and sets out penalties for non-compliance
2. Appoint a Supermarket Commissioner
3. Allow collective bargaining on behalf of suppliers toredress the imbalance of power between suppliers and supermarkets
4. Require supermarkets to supply other retailers with groceries at competitive wholesale prices
Prevent supermarkets placing restrictive covenants on land use that prevent competitors starting up
And:
The option to break up the supermarkets must remain on the table. If there’s no change in the market within two to three years, the next step would be to look at breaking up the big chains – including requiring that supermarkets sell off some stores.
They also note:
The commission is recommending a mandatory code to govern dealings between suppliers and supermarkets, and redress the imbalance in power between suppliers and the big chains.
Similar codes are already in place in Australia and the UK.
To be effective, a code here would need to have legal backing and include penalties for bad behaviour.
Consumer's draft submission to the Commerce Commission's investigation into the retail grocery sector also calls for:
…restrictions on the use of private label brands, preventing their use in a way that is likely to harm suppliers, this could include prohibiting supermarkets from:
• discriminating in favour of their own-brand products in ranging and space allocation decisions
• infringing suppliers’ intellectual property through the use of own brands
The Commerce Commission draft report into the retail grocery sector recognises that the 2 major supermarkets are effectively a duopoly with too much power over suppliers and prices. It states that [from the press release]:
“many suppliers have few alternatives but to supply the major retailers. This allows [the major retailers] to exercise their buyer power to push excess risks, costs and uncertainty onto suppliers. Suppliers report agreeing to these terms because they fear that otherwise their products may not be stocked. This conduct can reduce suppliers’ ability and incentives to invest and innovate, ultimately leading to less choice, lower quality, and potentially higher priced goods for consumers.”
Options to strengthen suppliers’ bargaining power with retailers include introducing a mandatory industry Code of Conduct and allowing suppliers to bargain collectively.
The commission’s final report is due on 23 November 2021 – but by then, many Sealord's employees may already be out of their jobs, with Foodstuffs intending to remove of most of Sealord’s frozen products from New World and Pak'nSave by November 15. The timing of this action by Foodstuffs avoids any consequences that arise from the Commerce Commision's final report. Pretty swish.
If the Commerce Commission really want to have a crack at it they will need the support of a Minister who is ready to go toe to toe with not only the supermarket powers but also their already-aggregated suppliers in the likes of Dole, Fonterra, Zespri, BayWa T&G, CocaColaAmatil, and the rest. Don't be fooled into a romantic David and Goliath frame.
Also the Commerce Commission would find it hard to argue in the High Court that there are extra reasons to go for cartel behaviour when they've allowed it for decades.
And the results are too often unintended. After locals got near-controlling stakes in Z Energy following the Shell spinoff, it's now in the hands of Australia's Ampol. Anyone remember any price movement after the last government "review"? Neither restructure nor review gave us better service or prices.
The haute-bourgeoise at Huckleberry, Nosh and MooreWilson – which is where Crown Law and MPs and PCO staff shop – will feel little need to be moved. Across Cabinet I don't see a Minister with the commercial chops to support the Commerce Commission, even if they wanted to really have a run at it.
What remedies are available? These are our NZ businesses not supporting local producers and products? Bringing 'competitive price points" with no sustainability and extra food miles. WOW.!! Countdown, Australian owned stock 24 items from Sealord NZ, and from 14 Nov our NZ supermarkets won’t? Not good at all.
Surely on the sustainability and foodmiles this swap should be blocked?
I appear to have two entries .. not sure how that happened.
Believing nothing will happen is a bit different from “Not much the government can do”.
“Don't be fooled into a romantic David and Goliath frame.”
I’m absolutely not. I do believe people should be informed about the machinations of price and profit of what they consume. As does the Commerce Commission in their report. It’s not lost on me that this is a ‘yeah right’ moment given they gave permission that led to the development of this duopoly. I also believe it’s time for them to fix this earlier mistake. Whether rectify it, is another matter – I agree.
“After locals got near-controlling stakes in Z Energy following the Shell spinoff, it's now in the hands of Australia's Ampol”
Not quite in Ampol’s hands yet – and it will be very interesting how the Commerce Commission rules on this. – they may see this sale as the competition the existing grocery retailers need (I don’t see it the same way btw). Fuel & fuel retailers have been merging in other countries we like to compare ourselves with for sometime now and Ampol could do something huge here.
But at this stage I’m not quite sure which food suppliers Z would be pressuring right now? And pressuring suppliers was the gist of my concerns in the comment I made this morning.
“… aggregated suppliers in the likes of Dole, Fonterra, Zespri, BayWa T&G, CocaColaAmatil, and the rest”
A different issue I think, but yes, if a Minister is willing to look at grocery & food retailers, they should be of the mindset to taking major suppliers to task if their practices are based on exploitation and price gouging.
I imagine if the Commerce Commission was brave enough to legislate to improve food & grocery suppliers’ negotiating position (and foolish enough to approve the sale of Z), then the new (large? – they have the land that hasn’t been banked) Ampol/Z food retail outlets would be subject to the new laws and regulations.
Disclaimer: I don’t drive to a supermarket so have no personal wish to see fuel sales increasing in supermarket parking lots. Instead, I have a nice walk to my local grocery store – Moore Wilson.
I just wish Foodstuffs had banned Talleys products back when their dirty tactics both on and off the water were revealed. Though of course Foodsuffs only worry about money, not morals.
What remedies are available? These are our NZ businesses not supporting local producers and products? Bringing 'competitive price points" with no sustainability and extra food miles. WOW.!! Countdown, Australian owned stock 24 items from Sealord NZ.
I don't think; freaking out in a major way, is common jargon amongst epidemiologist, though maybe it's become so in the past year? Baker still pushing for South Island borders (coincidentally lives in Te Waipounamu?):
University of Auckland epidemiologist Prof Rod Jackson said there was no chance of Auckland being allowed loosened restrictions today.
"I'm freaking out in a major way," he said of the possible spread of Covid-19 into Northland.
"Those people hardest to reach by the vaccine are going to be easiest for the virus to reach."
My thoughts are with the nurses and other staff at the front face of our ramshackle public health system. They're going to do all they can and more, despite the working conditions and ongoing pay disputes (strike action on hold for the duration). But some will eventually breakdown and not be able to carry on as hospitals become swamped by preventable deaths.
From that perspective, having the staff serving the million Aotearoans in the southwest in reserve may be invaluable. If you think of it in terms of trench warfare, that is more sustainable if you can rotate the shell-shocked into the back lines for light duty while fresh troops take their place. Te Waipounamu staff may not volunteer to head northwards to help DHBs that seem to treat them with contempt, but they might to relieve coworkers who need respite from the impending horrors.
I have been fairly reliably informed that since the election of Daniels to presidency of the NZNO (after her abrupt departure in 2020), that nurses in general no longer regard the union; that supposedly represents their interests, as much the enemy as; the DHBs that supposedly provide a professional environment in which to practice their vocation. More than that I am not willing to say; except that; (it is my impression that) Andrew Little has burned through any good will that may be remaining in the nursing profession with his two faced bullshit back in August.
Though it is always instructive to have context (from April 2020):
To NZNO members.
Yesterday, we, Anne, Katrina and Sela, resigned from the board of directors Toputanga Taphuhi Kaitiaki O Aotearoa New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO). We felt left with no other option as the values we campaigned on, Transparency, Unity, and Action, and our personal and professional values were constantly compromised. To remain would be condoning behaviour we know does not meet the members standards.
We believe NZNO and the board should be a safe place to be. However right from the start, we were required to sign a confidentiality agreement before our first meeting. We understand now that this was a relatively new requirement for the board.
Unfortunately, unresolved issues, not of our making, and the continuation of these issues, hampered our ability to focus on the members. With the recent resignation of both the President and the Vice President we urge all members to ask questions and demand answers. This is, after all, our union.
We will continue to work for nurses and nursing in different ways, as colleagues, delegates and activists.
Anne, Katrina and Sela.”
Additional information: This group comprised the three top polling candidates in the last NZNO election.
Radio New Zealand spoke to University of Auckland professor of epidemiology Rod Jackson. They were expecting him to praise the recent decision made by the Singaporean government to open itself up again to the outside world.
He disappointed them.
Jackson explained to Kim Hill how Singapore forgot to include people who got immunity by the actual disease in Europe.
Interestingly, the introductory part of the conversation has not been included in this excerpt. In this section the events in Singapore were praised by Radio New Zealand. Maybe this section will be available later.
The two photos above are brilliant contrasts of how people react to two very different women.
On my IPad I cannot press the Reply button to comment immediately under the post. I have to come down to the last post. Any techie experts know why? Thanks.
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A listing of 26 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 28, 2024 thru Sat, May 4, 2024. Story of the week "It’s straight out of Big Tobacco’s playbook. In fact, research by John Cook and his colleagues ...
Yesterday I received come lovely feedback following my Star Wars themed newsletter. A few people mentioned they’d enjoyed reading the personal part at the beginning.I often begin newsletters with some memories, or general thoughts, before commencing the main topic. This hopefully sets the mood and provides some context in which ...
April 30 was going to be the day we’d be calling Mum from London to wish her a happy birthday. Then it became the day we would be going to St. Paul's at Evensong to remember her. The aim of the cathedral builders was to find a way to make their ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – Can’t remember the last book by a Kiwi author you read? Think the NZ government should spend less on the arts in favor of helping the homeless? If so, as far as Newsroom is concerned, you probably deserve to be called a cultural ignoramus ...
Today New Zealand First will introduce a Member’s Bill that will protect women’s spaces. The ‘Fair Access to Bathrooms Bill’ will require, primarily in the interest and safety of women and girls, that all new non-domestic publicly accessible buildings provide separate, clearly demarcated, unisex and single sex bathrooms. This Bill ...
The Green Party is welcoming Climate Change Minister Simon Watts’ continuation of Hon. James Shaw’s cross-party work on climate adaptation, now in the form of a Finance and Expenditure Committee Inquiry. ...
The National Government plans to cut 390 jobs at ACC, including roles in the areas of prevention of sexual violence, road safety and workplace safety. ...
The Government has been caught in opposition to evidence once again as it looks to usher in tried, tested and failed work seminar obligations for job-seeking beneficiaries. ...
The Green Party is welcoming the announcement by the Minister Responsible for RMA Reform Chris Bishop to approve most of the Wellington City Council’s District Plan recommendations. ...
David Seymour has failed to get the sweeping cuts he wanted to the free and healthy school lunch programme, Labour education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
Hon Willie Jackson has been invited by the Oxford Union to debate the motion “This House Believes British Museums are not Very British’ on May 23rd. ...
Green Party MP Hūhana Lyndon says her Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill is an opportunity to right some past wrongs around the alienation of Māori land. ...
A senior, highly respected King’s Counsel with decades of experience in our law courts, Gary Judd KC, has filed a complaint about compulsory tikanga Māori studies for law students - highlighting the utter depths of absurdity this woke cultural madness has taken our society. The tikanga regulations will compel law ...
The Government needs to be clear with the people of the Nelson Marlborough region about the changes it is considering for the Nelson Hospital rebuild, Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said. ...
Ministers must front up about which projects it will push through under its Fast Track Approvals legislation, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
New Zealand voted in favour of a resolution broadening Palestine’s participation at the United Nations General Assembly overnight, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The resolution enhances the rights of Palestine to participate in the work of the UN General Assembly while stopping short of admitting Palestine as a full ...
Introduction Good morning. It’s a great privilege to be here at the 2024 Infrastructure Symposium. I was extremely happy when the Prime Minister asked me to be his Minister for Infrastructure. It is one of the great barriers holding the New Zealand economy back from achieving its potential. Building high ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced the upcoming Budget will include new funding of $571 million for Defence Force pay and projects. “Our servicemen and women do New Zealand proud throughout the world and this funding will help ensure we retain their services and expertise as we navigate an increasingly ...
New Zealand’s ability to cope with climate change will be strengthened as part of the Government’s focus to build resilience as we rebuild the economy, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “An enduring and long-term approach is needed to provide New Zealanders and the economy with certainty as the climate ...
Jobseeker beneficiaries who have work obligations must now meet with MSD within two weeks of their benefit starting to determine their next step towards finding a job, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “A key part of the coalition Government’s plan to have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker ...
A new standalone Social Investment Agency will power-up the social investment approach, driving positive change for our most vulnerable New Zealanders, Social Investment Minister Nicola Willis says. “Despite the Government currently investing more than $70 billion every year into social services, we are not seeing the outcomes we want for ...
Check against delivery Good morning. It is a pleasure to be with you to outline the Coalition Government’s approach to our first Budget. Thank you Mark Skelly, President of the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce, together with your Board and team, for hosting me. I’d like to acknowledge His Worship ...
Your Excellency Ambassador Meredith, Members of the Diplomatic Corps and Ambassadors from European Union Member States, Ministerial colleagues, Members of Parliament, and other distinguished guests, Thank you everyone for joining us. Ladies and gentlemen - In diplomacy, we often speak of ‘close’ and ‘long-standing’ relations. ...
The Therapeutic Products Act (TPA) will be repealed this year so that a better regime can be put in place to provide New Zealanders safe and timely access to medicines, medical devices and health products, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello announced today. “The medicines and products we are talking about ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop, today released his decision on twenty recommendations referred to him by the Wellington City Council relating to its Intensification Planning Instrument, after the Council rejected those recommendations of the Independent Hearings Panel and made alternative recommendations. “Wellington notified its District Plan on ...
Rape Awareness Week (6-10 May) is an important opportunity to acknowledge the continued effort required by government and communities to ensure that all New Zealanders can live free from violence, say Ministers Karen Chhour and Louise Upston. “With 1 in 3 women and 1 in 8 men experiencing sexual violence ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government will be delivering a more efficient Healthy School Lunches Programme, saving taxpayers approximately $107 million a year compared to how Labour funded it, by embracing innovation and commercial expertise. “We are delivering on our commitment to treat taxpayers’ money ...
New research on the impacts of extreme weather on coastal marine habitats in Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay will help fishery managers plan for and respond to any future events, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. A report released today on research by Niwa on behalf of Fisheries New Zealand ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters will lead a broad political delegation on a five-stop Pacific tour next week to strengthen New Zealand’s engagement with the region. The delegation will visit Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and Tuvalu. “New Zealand has deep and ...
There has been a material decline in gas production according to figures released today by the Gas Industry Co. Figures released by the Gas Industry Company show that there was a 12.5 per cent reduction in gas production during 2023, and a 27.8 per cent reduction in gas production in the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins tonight announced the recipients of the Minister of Defence Awards of Excellence for Industry, saying they all contribute to New Zealanders’ security and wellbeing. “Congratulations to this year’s recipients, whose innovative products and services play a critical role in the delivery of New Zealand’s defence capabilities, ...
Welcome to you all - it is a pleasure to be here this evening.I would like to start by thanking Greg Lowe, Chair of the New Zealand Defence Industry Advisory Council, for co-hosting this reception with me. This evening is about recognising businesses from across New Zealand and overseas who in ...
It is a pleasure to be speaking to you as the Minister for Digitising Government. I would like to thank Akolade for the invitation to address this Summit, and to acknowledge the great effort you are making to grow New Zealand’s digital future. Today, we stand at the cusp of ...
New Zealand is urging both Israel and Hamas to agree to an immediate ceasefire to avoid the further humanitarian catastrophe that military action in Rafah would unleash, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The immense suffering in Gaza cannot be allowed to worsen further. Both sides have a responsibility to ...
A new online data dashboard released today as part of the Government’s school attendance action plan makes more timely daily attendance data available to the public and parents, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. The interactive dashboard will be updated once a week to show a national average of how ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced Rosemary Banks will be New Zealand’s next Ambassador to the United States of America. “Our relationship with the United States is crucial for New Zealand in strategic, security and economic terms,” Mr Peters says. “New Zealand and the United States have a ...
The Government is considering creating a new tier of minerals permitting that will make it easier for hobby miners to prospect for gold. “New Zealand was built on gold, it’s in our DNA. Our gold deposits, particularly in regions such as Otago and the West Coast have always attracted fortune-hunters. ...
Minister for Trade Todd McClay today announced that New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will commence negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA). Minister McClay met with his counterpart UAE Trade Minister Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi in Dubai, where they announced the launch of negotiations on a ...
New Zealand Sign Language Week is an excellent opportunity for all Kiwis to give the language a go, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. This week (May 6 to 12) is New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) Week. The theme is “an Aotearoa where anyone can sign anywhere” and aims to ...
Six tertiary students have been selected to work on NASA projects in the US through a New Zealand Space Scholarship, Space Minister Judith Collins announced today. “This is a fantastic opportunity for these talented students. They will undertake internships at NASA’s Ames Research Center or its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), where ...
New Zealanders will be safer because of a $1.9 billion investment in more frontline Corrections officers, more support for offenders to turn away from crime, and more prison capacity, Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell says. “Our Government said we would crack down on crime. We promised to restore law and order, ...
The OECD’s latest report on New Zealand reinforces the importance of bringing Government spending under control, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The OECD conducts country surveys every two years to review its members’ economic policies. The 2024 New Zealand survey was presented in Wellington today by OECD Chief Economist Clare Lombardelli. ...
The Government has delivered on its election promise to provide a financially sustainable model for Auckland under its Local Water Done Well plan. The plan, which has been unanimously endorsed by Auckland Council’s Governing Body, will see Aucklanders avoid the previously projected 25.8 per cent water rates increases while retaining ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today. "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
A banner notification alerts me to the fact that I’ve received an Instagram message from @felicity.loves. She always comments on my posts. I shouldn’t have opened the message, but clicked on the notification before rationalising this. OMG! Are you in Wellys? X I debate not replying, but Instagram will inform ...
In Melbourne’s hardscrabble western suburbs where AFL – Aussie rules football – is a state religion, Callum Donaldson has been quietly grafting away, four months into an odyssey that he hopes will take him to another promised land: the NRL. It was a solid 2023 for the softly spoken 20-year-old ...
Pacific Media Watch Television New Zealand Pacific correspondent Barbara Dreaver has been made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to investigative journalism and Pacific communities in a ceremony at Government House, reports 1News. She has been the Pacific correspondent for 1News since 2002, breaking many ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Tuesday’s budget will respond to the deepening public agitation over Australia’s housing shortages by pouring new money into crisis accommodation for women and children, social housing and infrastructure. A specially-convened national cabinet late Friday ticked ...
By Kaneta Naimatu in Suva Journalists in the Pacific region play an important role as the “eyes and ears on the ground” when it comes to reporting the climate crisis, says the European Union’s Pacific Ambassador Barbara Plinkert. Speaking at The University of the South Pacific (USP) on World Press ...
Aldora Itunu is back in the Black Ferns squad after a three-year absence. The last of her 24 internationals was an underwhelming loss to France (7-29) in Castres to conclude the disastrous 2021 Northern Tour. The powerhouse prop won a Rugby World Cup in 2017 and thought she was done. ...
The fight to control major transport policy and projects in Auckland has burst into the open again, with councillors rejecting Mayor Wayne Brown’s latest attempt to steer things more under his influence. Councillors from the left and right broke ranks on the mayor’s bid to control Auckland Transport more directly ...
Exhausted by the general election campaign, horrified by the twilight zone of coalition negotiations, distracted by the silly season and waiting for the honeymoon to begin, Raw Politics has been in hibernation since October. From today, we’re back. Our weekly political video show and podcast returns for ...
By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk Authorities in the small town of Boulouparis have commemorated Armistice Day on May 8 with a new memorial honouring New Zealand soldiers who were stationed in New Caledonia during World War II. The ceremony took place in the township on the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sara Dehm, Senior lecturer, international migration and refugee law, University of Technology Sydney The High Court unanimously ruled today that the Australian government can keep asylum seekers in immigration detention indefinitely in cases where they do not “voluntarily” cooperate with their own ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim Munro, Lecturer, Creative Industries and Digital Media, University of South Australia Twenty-four hours after the release of Macklemore’s pro-Palestine protest song Hind’s Hall on social media on May 7, the video had already notched up over 24 million views. In ...
Failing to anticipate the complexity of the consenting system is being cited as the the current builder's shortcomings, an Infrastructure Commission review says. ...
350 Aotearoa is calling the Environment Select Committee’s decision to allow oral submissions from just 40% of individual, unique submitters who asked to speak to the committee ‘a disgraceful blight to democracy’. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Helal, Assistant Dean (Sustainability), The University of Melbourne Dubai skylineAleksandarPasaric/Pexels Since ancient times, people have built structures that reach for the skies – from the steep spires of medieval towers to the grand domes of ancient cathedrals and mosques. Today ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Edward Musole, PhD Law Student, University of New England Girts Ragelis/ShutterstockRecent trends show Australians are increasingly buying wearables such as smartwatches and fitness trackers. These electronics track our body movements or vital signs to provide data throughout the day, with ...
Papua New Guinea experienced a significant earthquake on 24 March in East Sepik and there has also been recent flooding there and in surrounding provinces. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yousuf Mohammed, Dermatology researcher, The University of Queensland Maridav/Shutterstock You wake up, stagger to the bathroom and gaze into the mirror. No, you’re not imagining it. You’ve developed face wrinkles overnight. They’re sleep wrinkles. Sleep wrinkles are temporary. But as your ...
The Environment Select Committee has just announced that 60 percent of individuals who asked to speak at the hearings will not be heard. This equates to almost 700 people who made individual submissions and more than 1000 more who made a form submission. ...
The Royal New Zealand Ballet is performing Swan Lake around the country. What kind of dream does the ballet sell?Before going to see the Royal New Zealand Ballet perform Swan Lake, I had about as much familiarity with the plot of this ballet as could be expected from having ...
A new poem by Auckland poet Eamonn Tee. High Tide at Local Maxima It is only going to get worse. The streams will be narrow and fickle. The week will bend and buckle like a pot-bellied waist. You will make it to the weekend with one ...
The New Zealand entrepreneur behind beauty business Ethique is gearing up to launch a new eco-venture. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Our thirst for a tasty bevvy is insatiable, but it comes with a hefty plastic price for the planet: 580 billion ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 James by Percival Everett (Mantle, $38) A retelling of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from ...
By Kamna Kumar in Suva Pacific Islands Forum Secretary-General Henry Puna stressed the importance of media freedom and its link to the climate and environmental crisis at the 2024 World Press Freedom Day event organised by the University of the South Pacific’s journalism programme. Under the theme “A Planet for ...
Tara Ward previews a new local TV series offering alternative visions of motherhood. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. A woman is clambering up the side of her two-story house, clinging desperately to a drainpipe. Nearby, her child is perched on the ...
Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) is supportive of the cross-party approach to climate adaptation announced by the Minister of Climate Change today. ...
The Sustainable Business Council (SBC) and Climate Leaders Coalition (CLC) welcome today’s announcement from Government around a bipartisan inquiry into an enduring climate adaptation framework for New Zealand. ...
The Free Speech Union welcomes the decision by the Department of Internal Affairs, and Minister Brooke Van Velden, to abandon proposals to further regulate online speech. ...
Its new building in Wellington will not be nearly big enough for all its records, and it has also run out of money to build its new storage facility in Levin. ...
BusinessNZ is congratulating the Minister of Climate Change for his work in achieving cross-party consensus for a way forward on climate adaptation. ...
Recent research reveals the repeal of smokefree measures is not only bad for our health, but also the economy. The Government has repealed various smokefree measures to ensure it keeps collecting $1.2 billion a year in tobacco taxes, in order to pay for tax cuts already being delivered to ...
The club’s surprisingly good season is built on the desire to prove a random A-League YouTuber wrong… and a few other factors.“There’s no way that Wellington Phoenix play finals this year. I can’t see it happening at all.” Those are the words of Lachlan Raeside, an Australian football content ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By César Albarrán-Torres, Senior Lecturer, Department of Media and Communication, Swinburne University of Technology Apple TV+ As one of billions of bilingual individuals in the world, it disappoints me when a film or TV show with characters of a non-English-speaking background is ...
The under-utilised course is a waste of space, and with a little political will, it could be turned into something better. For the duration of her stay in Wellington, my long-suffering cousin listened to me rant about golf courses. They’re bad for the environment: water intensive and pesticide heavy. They ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Leah Ruppanner, Professor of Sociology and Founding Director of The Future of Work Lab, Podcast at MissPerceived, The University of Melbourne Shutterstock A recent report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows US fertility rates dropped 2% in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amy Corderoy, Medical doctor and PhD candidate studying involuntary psychiatric treatment, School of Psychiatry, UNSW Sydney shop_py/Shutterstock Picture two people, both suffering from a serious mental illness requiring hospital admission. One was born in Australia, the other in Asia. Hopefully, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Treby, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, RMIT University P.j.Hickox, Shutterstock Peatlands store more carbon per square metre than any other ecosystem on Earth. These waterlogged, mossy bogs beat even dense rainforests for their ability to act as carbon reservoirs. Under the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Goss, Adjunct Associate Professor, Health Research Institute, University of Canberra Government spending on health has been growing so rapidly that a decade ago the then health minister Peter Dutton called it “unmanageable” and “unsustainable”. Health spending grew in real terms by ...
New Zealand's largest electricity distributor is warning the country to hurry up with controls around charging electric vehicles or face unnecessary bills running into the billions. ...
New Zealanders have been asked to conserve energy this morning to combat a possible electricity shortfall, writes Stewart Sowman-Lund in this extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. A call to conserve power New Zealand is facing a possible electricity shortfall, with people up ...
Writer Rebecca K Reilly breaks down the national book awards. What are the Ockhams?The Ockham New Zealand Book Awards are our annual national awards for books published for adults, and have existed in this form since 2016. There are four categories: Fiction, Poetry, General Non-fiction and Illustrated Non-fiction. There ...
Wellington City Council should keep its 34% ownership share in Wellington International Airport, argue Unions Wellington spokespeople Finn Cordwell and Ashok Jacob. Insanity, as the saying goes, is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Wellington City Council (WCC) is yet again proposing to dispose ...
New Zealand’s largest book publisher has undergone drastic changes this week, leaving its future role in local publishing uncertain. Two of the most recognisable local publishers in New Zealand are among those restructured out of Penguin Random House, it was announced this week. Head of publishing Claire Murdoch will leave ...
Successive governments have tried, and failed, to count Māori. But with the return of social investment, it’s more important than ever to get good data. The post Government looks for a better way to count Māori appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Experts in financing social investment initiatives say New Zealand is in a prime position to tackle social issues via a social investment approach The post What will Willis’ social investment fund look like? appeared first on Newsroom. ...
In 2021 the Public Interest Journalism Fund launched the Te Rito Journalism project, a $2.4 million initiative to boost diversity in New Zealand’s newsrooms. The initiative was in response to the decades-long shortage of Māori and Pacific journalists in the media industry. It was billed as New Zealand’s ...
The Black Ferns Sevens appeared to be a mile behind Australia at the halfway point of the 2023-24 SVNS international circuit. Winless in three tournaments, a cup quarter-final exit in Perth was one of their worst results. To add insult to injury, talismanic skipper Sarah Hirini had been ruled out ...
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By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist A former Tuvalu prime minister says while the New Zealand government’s oil and gas plans show it is concerned about its economy, he is more concerned about the livelihoods and survival of the Tuvalu people. Enele Sopoaga — who still serves as an MP ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Many people who follow federal budgets know about the magnificent “budget tree” in a parliamentary courtyard, which turns a glorious red in time for the May event. This week Treasurer Jim Chalmers posed by ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Samantha Bennett, Professor of Music, Australian National University Richard P J Lambert/flickr, CC BY The future belongs to the analogue loyalists. Fuck digital. As a tsunami of CDs, DAT tapes and samplers swept the recording industry in the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Catherine Strong, Associate professor, Music Industry, RMIT University This week American rapper Macklemore released a new track, Hind’s Hall, which has gained a lot of attention because of its explicitly political nature. The track is unapologetically pro-Palestine. It declares the artist’s ...
Explainer - The government from 2025 is mandating how state schools teach children to read. But what is structured literacy and how does it compare to other teaching methods? ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Danica Jenkins, Lecturer in European Studies, University of Sydney On a freezing spring night in March, Georgia’s national soccer team beat Greece in a nail-biter penalty shootout to qualify for the Euro 2024 championships. The atmosphere on the streets of the capital ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adam G. Arian, Lecturer (Accounting & Finance), Australian Catholic University Loic Manegarium/Pexels Imagine every ton of carbon dioxide a company emits is slowly inflating its costs — not just in terms of potential fines or fees but in the capital it ...
It rained heavily the night before this clip was taken. The stream was still running high & it was quite deep at the Eel Spot when Elvira turned up for a feed. It's fun when it's this deep because she stands up on her tail.
https://i.imgur.com/zWyKzTo.gif
She seems to understand that being gently stroked on the side with the feed stick 3 times is how I say goodbye & tell her feed time's over.
It sounds like, from what I just heard Ardern say to Kim Hill on RNZ, the Covid positive Auckland woman who wrongly visited Northland FAKED her exemption document, If that’s true, then the question of why checks weren’t made before the exemption letter was issued doesn’t arise.
I didn’t catch all the discussion, but Kim Hill is challenging Ardern a lot more than Corin Dann or Suzy Fergusson do.
Will listen to the full audio clip when it’s available later.
They should get 'agencies' thoroughly checking all applications before they're approved. Face to face of course at each step of the way.
The media would love that. People would be lining up to be the story de jour, "It took a week to get my exemption."
I don't think there's a lot of understanding about how rapidly an application system like that would bog down.
Hill is harder on everyone – which is generally a good thing. Like the others though, she does occasionally and unwittingly reveal how little (or zero) experience she has of trying to actually implement anything technically or procedurally complex, or even anything less complex on a very large scale. If you have the notion in your head of an unattainable perfection, then every discussion soon degenerates into petty arguments about 'competence'. Original sin is a harsh and unpleasant doctrine, but it is a salutary corrective for excessively high expectations.
That's good, since she's asking on behalf of the rest of us. If she was in the loop she'd be basically siding with the smug mandarins who resist change on principle.
Yep. Though a better line of questioning when something hasn't worked, is to ask those responsible what options they see for improving it – rather than outraged shock and horror that it has happened at all.
Not everyone. I'd really like business people to be asked about the pandemic planning that was done 10 years (roughly) ago and about what action they took to prepare for such an eventuality.
Chamber of Commerce heads would be a good start. My gut feeling is, is that they just ignored the possibility. I'd really, really like to know if there was even one business or CEO that took it seriously.
Rod Oram: The harsh climate truth about methane
"“We are about to go through the most profound shift in the climate debate in 20 years,” Gilding wrote in an essay he published on his website on August 24. “The result will be the end of the gas industry’s hope of being a transition fuel, a brutal market disruption to the agriculture and livestock industries and the arrival of the climate emergency into public consciousness. This will all be driven by the acceptance of methane as the critical response to the climate emergency.”
"This reality is fast-shifting the climate debate, Gilding wrote. “The brutal market, political and economic logic suggests the brunt of the impact will be felt by two sectors. It will be the final nail in the coffin for fossil fuels, including gas. Already in terminal decline, the industry will now need to be largely gone – at least in its twilight years – within a decade. Secondly, livestock within agriculture will face transformation and/or disruption through a perfect storm of public and consumer pressure, policy action and new technologies. Beef and dairy in particular will have to radically transform, or shrink to a small fraction of their current size. This is all predictable.””
"Three years ago, Fonterra established a Sustainability Advisory Panel. One of its founding, and current, members is Paul Gilding, an Australian. He was a former executive director of Greenpeace International and is a long-time fellow at the University of Cambridge's Institute for Sustainability Leadership."
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/the-harsh-climate-truth-on-methane
Rod Oram's article is as bracing as ever.
If you burn the gas and not allow spill,as the Helen Clark Gov did for instant (Taranaki)as an for exsample It's only then as bad as CO2,as for your animals theirs always been large amount of ruminating creatures on earth after the ice ages give an take.
just a thought.
Note for proprietor,Spell check is a common courtesy on the F..ken internet.
Love it.
What is so revealing: Collins obviously ignored those women and they are responding by way of their expressions.
Those women are not fooled.
@ Jo90 (4) … spot the difference.
Those three women’s faces say it all!
Collins is in what Looks like a episode of wentworth.
Where was the Judith Collins photo taken?
I think it was Murupara over the past weekend or Friday? when JUJU wanted to talk to her about 'things' and she wasn't there to berate…oops sorry talk to.
At the Tait coms Christchurch factory during last year's election campaign.
Thanks. That is a pearl.
Foodstuffs needs reining in.
According to a report in Newsroom
The range of foodstuffs being removed is based entirely on profit margin – not consumer demand, affordability, sustainability or anything else and will take effect from Nov 15.
Unfortunately this is paywalled. But no surprise that Talleys are in the mix.
Yeah, I copied out the important bits on this issue, but should have bracketed that it's paywalled.
It's Sealord (half iwi-owned) that is affected by this decision (one of many decisions on stocking for profit that Foodstuffs have made). The decision comes ahead the Commerce Commission investigations into supermarket pressure on pricing that includes pressure on suppliers.
Talleys is not involved in this afaik
Not much the government can do. Price-controlled cheese slices? Food-inflation-adjusted food stamps? Suppliers of 12-pack of jam-filled donuts awarded Supplementary Minimum Prices?
That's a bit defeatist don't you think Ad?
The Food and Grocery council thinks this behaviour from Foodstuffs needs rectifying – from the same article [paywalled]
While in this instance it appears Sealord's product is being ditched for overseas suppliers [from Newsroom again]
The government could do something about vertical integration.
Consumer NZ believes the government can do something at the wholesale level. For starters:
1. Introduce a mandatory code of conduct that has legislative backing, must contain fair conduct obligations, and sets out penalties for non-compliance
2. Appoint a Supermarket Commissioner
3. Allow collective bargaining on behalf of suppliers to redress the imbalance of power between suppliers and supermarkets
4. Require supermarkets to supply other retailers with groceries at competitive wholesale prices
And:
They also note:
Consumer's draft submission to the Commerce Commission's investigation into the retail grocery sector also calls for:
The Commerce Commission draft report into the retail grocery sector recognises that the 2 major supermarkets are effectively a duopoly with too much power over suppliers and prices. It states that [from the press release]:
The commission’s final report is due on 23 November 2021 – but by then, many Sealord's employees may already be out of their jobs, with Foodstuffs intending to remove of most of Sealord’s frozen products from New World and Pak'nSave by November 15. The timing of this action by Foodstuffs avoids any consequences that arise from the Commerce Commision's final report. Pretty swish.
If the Commerce Commission really want to have a crack at it they will need the support of a Minister who is ready to go toe to toe with not only the supermarket powers but also their already-aggregated suppliers in the likes of Dole, Fonterra, Zespri, BayWa T&G, CocaColaAmatil, and the rest. Don't be fooled into a romantic David and Goliath frame.
Also the Commerce Commission would find it hard to argue in the High Court that there are extra reasons to go for cartel behaviour when they've allowed it for decades.
And the results are too often unintended. After locals got near-controlling stakes in Z Energy following the Shell spinoff, it's now in the hands of Australia's Ampol. Anyone remember any price movement after the last government "review"? Neither restructure nor review gave us better service or prices.
The haute-bourgeoise at Huckleberry, Nosh and MooreWilson – which is where Crown Law and MPs and PCO staff shop – will feel little need to be moved. Across Cabinet I don't see a Minister with the commercial chops to support the Commerce Commission, even if they wanted to really have a run at it.
So yes I believe nothing at all will happen.
What remedies are available? These are our NZ businesses not supporting local producers and products? Bringing 'competitive price points" with no sustainability and extra food miles. WOW.!! Countdown, Australian owned stock 24 items from Sealord NZ, and from 14 Nov our NZ supermarkets won’t? Not good at all.
Surely on the sustainability and foodmiles this swap should be blocked?
I appear to have two entries .. not sure how that happened.
“So yes I believe nothing at all will happen.”
Believing nothing will happen is a bit different from “Not much the government can do”.
“Don't be fooled into a romantic David and Goliath frame.”
I’m absolutely not. I do believe people should be informed about the machinations of price and profit of what they consume. As does the Commerce Commission in their report. It’s not lost on me that this is a ‘yeah right’ moment given they gave permission that led to the development of this duopoly. I also believe it’s time for them to fix this earlier mistake. Whether rectify it, is another matter – I agree.
“After locals got near-controlling stakes in Z Energy following the Shell spinoff, it's now in the hands of Australia's Ampol”
Not quite in Ampol’s hands yet – and it will be very interesting how the Commerce Commission rules on this. – they may see this sale as the competition the existing grocery retailers need (I don’t see it the same way btw). Fuel & fuel retailers have been merging in other countries we like to compare ourselves with for sometime now and Ampol could do something huge here.
But at this stage I’m not quite sure which food suppliers Z would be pressuring right now? And pressuring suppliers was the gist of my concerns in the comment I made this morning.
“… aggregated suppliers in the likes of Dole, Fonterra, Zespri, BayWa T&G, CocaColaAmatil, and the rest”
A different issue I think, but yes, if a Minister is willing to look at grocery & food retailers, they should be of the mindset to taking major suppliers to task if their practices are based on exploitation and price gouging.
I imagine if the Commerce Commission was brave enough to legislate to improve food & grocery suppliers’ negotiating position (and foolish enough to approve the sale of Z), then the new (large? – they have the land that hasn’t been banked) Ampol/Z food retail outlets would be subject to the new laws and regulations.
Disclaimer: I don’t drive to a supermarket so have no personal wish to see fuel sales increasing in supermarket parking lots. Instead, I have a nice walk to my local grocery store – Moore Wilson.
*Fuel & food retailers
Good suggestions.
I just wish Foodstuffs had banned Talleys products back when their dirty tactics both on and off the water were revealed. Though of course Foodsuffs only worry about money, not morals.
"Though of course Foodsuffs only worry about money, not morals"
This is what seems to be behind the decision. But in this instance Talleys is not the target of the Foodstuffs decision. It's Sealord.
According to Clarke foodstuffs in NZ have done ok compared to their overseas competition. Hope they did not take any help!!
What remedies are available? These are our NZ businesses not supporting local producers and products? Bringing 'competitive price points" with no sustainability and extra food miles. WOW.!! Countdown, Australian owned stock 24 items from Sealord NZ.
I don't think; freaking out in a major way, is common jargon amongst epidemiologist, though maybe it's become so in the past year? Baker still pushing for South Island borders (coincidentally lives in Te Waipounamu?):
https://www.odt.co.nz/news/national/call-stricter-border-controls
My thoughts are with the nurses and other staff at the front face of our ramshackle public health system. They're going to do all they can and more, despite the working conditions and ongoing pay disputes (strike action on hold for the duration). But some will eventually breakdown and not be able to carry on as hospitals become swamped by preventable deaths.
From that perspective, having the staff serving the million Aotearoans in the southwest in reserve may be invaluable. If you think of it in terms of trench warfare, that is more sustainable if you can rotate the shell-shocked into the back lines for light duty while fresh troops take their place. Te Waipounamu staff may not volunteer to head northwards to help DHBs that seem to treat them with contempt, but they might to relieve coworkers who need respite from the impending horrors.
I have been fairly reliably informed the offer from DHBs will be ratified by the nurses.
I have been fairly reliably informed that since the election of Daniels to presidency of the NZNO (after her abrupt departure in 2020), that nurses in general no longer regard the union; that supposedly represents their interests, as much the enemy as; the DHBs that supposedly provide a professional environment in which to practice their vocation. More than that I am not willing to say; except that; (it is my impression that) Andrew Little has burned through any good will that may be remaining in the nursing profession with his two faced bullshit back in August.
Though it is always instructive to have context (from April 2020):
https://unionnursegrant.org/2020/04/29/resignation-of-nzno-board-members-anne-daniels-katrina-hopkinson-and-sela-ikavuka/
That resignation letter raises more questions than it answers.
I have been critical of NZNO since before the last strike action 2018, when they seemed a LOT closer to DHBs than their membership.
The union has been very quiet during the pandemic, or if they have been making noises, I haven't heard them.
I thought a lot more of Little and was bitterly disappointed with his duplicitous utterances a couple of months ago.
Radio New Zealand spoke to University of Auckland professor of epidemiology Rod Jackson. They were expecting him to praise the recent decision made by the Singaporean government to open itself up again to the outside world.
He disappointed them.
Jackson explained to Kim Hill how Singapore forgot to include people who got immunity by the actual disease in Europe.
Interestingly, the introductory part of the conversation has not been included in this excerpt. In this section the events in Singapore were praised by Radio New Zealand. Maybe this section will be available later.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/audio/player?audio_id=2018815844
And they invited him back to discuss Singapore. How often does that happen?
Clearly he upset their narrative.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/audio/player?audio_id=2018815852
The two photos above are brilliant contrasts of how people react to two very different women.
On my IPad I cannot press the Reply button to comment immediately under the post. I have to come down to the last post. Any techie experts know why? Thanks.
Not a techie, but you could try changing from mobile to desktop (bottom of the page) or vice versa.
I have a 'good' neo solution for the MIQ crisis
Allow the spots to be auctioned. Going to the highest bidder.
Each successful bid also attracts 1 other spot for free.
cool, so you can make your money back by scalping the spare place…
Well you'd be a fool not to!!
(To be clear I’m just joining the fun, I’m far to unmotivated by cash unfortunately to try these things)
it's ok. Neoliberals would never offer two for the price of one when demand for the product is already far outstripping supply 🙂
One for the price of TWO!
Ya don't say.
/
https://twitter.com/hendysh/status/1447376151383445507
(2/13)
https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1447376151383445507.html