Ed Milibanf today visited Scotland to campaign with Jim Murphy and zed Balls for votes for Labour votes. They attacked the SNP as usual and repeated the old refrain that Scotland was too wee, too poor and too stupid to have a real say in Westminstet or to govern themselves.
Here is a post on that visit by a blogger in The Scotsman.
Karinish
10/04/2015 8:10 PM GDT
Yes, there they all were today: all these “proud Scots”, out and about in force, desperate to convince us that we are a beggar nation, entirely dependent on English subsidy, without which we would face doom and disaster on an epic scale: the same message we have had from them for over half a century.
No attempt to explain why 300 years of blessed Union, as they would have it, has left us in such a parlous state. No attempt to explain why Scotland, alone among European nations of similar size and, arguably, less gifted resource wise, should be unable to offer its citizens a decent standard of public service. No attempt to explain why the massive bonus of North Sea oil revenues has left us a beggar nation.
Current polling evidence, which one can only hope is maintained, suggests that Scots have had enough of this nonsense. If we are in a bad state, it can only mean that the Union is not, in fact, beneficial or that Scots suffer from some unexplained defect that prevents them from doing what other nations are able to. You won’t get any Unionist politician willing to tell us which it is.
It’s time to put a stop to this, once and for all. Only full fiscal autonomy and access to all our resources, without exception, will prove or disprove Unionist propaganda.
Even if the beggar nation message being put about were genuine, there is never any effort to map out a better future. Why not? They seem almost proud of our inadequacy. We can only assume that it is a situation that suits the Unionist parties and why wouldn’t it? The Tories and Labour are content with the buggins turn system and the Lib Dems don’t really want third party competition.
The sooner they get the shock of their lives, the better. If they don’t, Scotland can look forward to beggar nation status for evermore. What genuinely proud Scot would vote for that?
From the early 20th century apparently and means to promote or publicise.
Interesting how words have fashion cycles.
I am thrilled that the term “passionate” is almost out of use. It was word that was hijacked by the corporate world a few decades ago. They polluted it’s meaning. It may still be on some old, yet to be updated CV’s.
In the meantime, National’s favourite pollster and spinner David Farrar is spruiking a new poll of his own which purports to demonstrate that the newspapers, their columnists and editorial writers have turned on National.
Yesterday, politics lecturer Bryce Edwards — who really should add Statistics 101 to his arsenal — gave great credence to Farrar’s attempt to “measure the orientation of newspapers towards political parties and the Government”. Edwards claimed the results show political journalists have been overwhelmingly negative to National.
In fact, Farrar is simply playing from the Dirty Politics playbook.
@Adam
Not only morally bankrupt this mornings NZH article states:-
The Government’s interest bill was 7.9 per cent or $200 million higher than a year ago, reflecting a $4 billion increase in gross debt to $87.5 billion and a $3.5 billion increase to $63.5 billion in net debt which excludes the New Zealand Superannuation Fund, student loans and other advances.
Less than 5 million people owe $63.5 million ? amazing.
Genter was interviewed yesterday saying that the government had no economic management credibility after failing to get its books out of deficit.
This is a newsflash for all lefties: the main way this government can get out of deficit is by slashing social services and hiking up regressive taxes. In NZ’s position of being in a chronic current account deficit, our government MUST borrow billions every year back into the country, or NZ will nosedive into a severe recession.
Lefties who push for NZ govt books to go back into surplus, IMO, know not what they are asking for.
Any NZ government, so long as they are presiding over a significant current account deficit which is sending billions of NZD out of our local economy into offshore accounts.
By taking more money out of the NZ economy i.e. out of households, and out of businesses, than they spent into it. Hence the government runs a surplus – which they crow about – while the private sector (including households) runs a deficit.
Yes indeed – a right wing government is likely to achieve this surplus by cutting social spending and by increasing regressive taxation. A left wing government who believes in orthodox economic thinking also has got very little ideological space but to follow a similar prescription, albeit a bit more socially considerate and well balanced. But it still ends up being cuts to schools, universities and hospitals albeit not as deep as what a right wing government would do.
If we get the basic understandings right, we have a chance of getting the more complex stuff right too, otherwise we end up with Labour governments advocating for raising the Super age, keeping regressive GST high and other ridiculous right wing-like proposals.
I don’t see many lefties “pushing” for government surplus. What people like Julie Anne Genter are highlighting is that this National-led government explicitly campaigned on the idea that being “better economic managers” would mean getting out of deficit faster.
I’m usually against buying into rightwing framing on economic issues, but the simple fact is one of National’s easiest-to-point-out weaknesses is making economic promises they never fulfil.
We should be glad they don’t fulfil that promise. And the Greens shouldn’t be confirming that mistaken understanding of economics that public sector deficits are bad for the nation’s economy.
We should – though I think their spending could have been far better directed.
But the simple, terrible fact of political communication is that “National ran a decade of deficits which was actually a good idea given the global economic situation following the 2008 GFC” has nowhere near the same impact as “National promised surpluses and didn’t deliver. Ergo National aren’t the brilliant economic managers they pretend to be.”
The thing is, the impact of political PR is not my job and I don’t much care for it.
I do however care about Lefties realising that reinforcing the priorities of neoliberal economists amongst the general voting population is absolutely the wrong thing to do, increases economic ignorance, and will come back to bite us in the arse.
I don’t see many lefties “pushing” for government surplus.
Maybe not many on the Left but the Labour Party certainly has been and are quite proud of the fact that they ran so many years of surplus in the 2000s. This despite the fact that all private profit comes from the government running a deficit. It is this latter that makes it imperative that governments stop borrowing money and just create it as they need it.
“the simple fact is one of National’s easiest-to-point-out weaknesses is making economic promises they never fulfil.”
Yep. And the slightly more complex fact is that great care must be taken to make sure the message is clearly about the ethical failure of breaking the promise, without implying there would be an economic virtue in keeping the promise.
Absolutely. It’s difficult, but not impossible. And our current crop of MPs don’t always pull it off. At the same time, I think we on the sidelines could be more helpful by recognising the strategy in play instead of jumping straight to “Julie Anne Genter is an idiot who thinks surpluses are good.”
For Sans Cle information.
Using last Monday’s exchange rate the average weekly wage rate in Australia for the first quarter of 2015 was $A1130/week. The average in New Zealand, when converted to Australian dollars was $A1109/week. The difference hasn’t vanished, quite, but it is down to $21/week or just under 2%.
I’m not surprised the left have stopped talking about it. Not a very nice statistic for them to want to talk about is it?
The figures are those published by the Australian and New Zealand Governments. Google will find the information for you if you really want to check it. You will have to do a little bit to get them talking about the same time period as the timing of some of the published details varies a bit.
Short version: you’re not convinced you added everything up properly, so avoided providing your source links in the hope that people will believe what you say without checking it.
Short Version.
You don’t understand what you would need to do.
You are too lazy to bother checking it.
The explanation and referencing all the source numbers and the necessary calculations would take longer to detail than the results.
You would complain that it was to difficult for you to follow.
You wouldn’t accept the results anyway because they don’t tie in with your own doctrinaire beliefs do they?
I got the average income figures from two sources for New Zealand Income.
In June 2014 the average weekly income for private sector workers (including O/T) was given as being $1015/week at an hourly rate of $26.29. The average hourly rate was $28.23 so I estimated the overall average as being (1015/26.29)*28.23 or $1090/week.
Those number came from here, although they are sourced from the Stats Dept. http://www.enz.org/new-zealand-salaries.html
I then got the latest hourly rate I could find. This was for December 2014, and I have assumed that it hasn’t changed. That rate was $28.77 and comes from here. http://www.stats.govt.nz/browse_for_stats/income-and-work/employment_and_unemployment/LabourMarketStatistics_MRDec14qtr.aspx
Correcting for this increase gives an estimated average weekly income of (1090/28.23)*28.77 or $1111/week.
This converts to an Australian dollar amount of $A1109/week using the record Australian dollar exchange rate I quoted.
The Australian average weekly earnings was sourced from here. http://www.tradingeconomics.com/australia/wages
I rounded it to $1130. Again it is for the fourth quarter of 2014 and I have assumed it hasn’t changed.
There. It might not satisfy the strictest rules for econometric data collection but I don’t have months to spare and it won’t be too far out for a back of the envelope calculation.
It is, in a sense, something of a fake and I wouldn’t seriously try to argue for it being all good for people or that incomes are really the same in what they will buy.
Most of the improvement is due to the continued strengthening of the New Zealand dollar against the Australian one. In March 2011 the rate was 0.7269 and today it is 0.9813. I was putting a political argument and that is why I chose the highest value, that of the 4th April 2015 when it was 0.9977.
Now the Government is arguing, and I think justifiably, that the change vs the Australian dollar reflects the better economy we have compared to across the ditch.
However if you looked at the different incomes at PPP, rather than the market exchange rates, I don’t think they would look as close. At the market exchange rates I would guess that many locally produced goods are more expensive here than in OZ. Cars are one of the interesting exceptions. Cars still seem to cost much more over there than they do in New Zealand. It is because they still promote an indigenous car manufacturing sector. A lot of other locally produced things are cheaper though. They would cost similar amounts in both countries at a lower exchange rate than we have today.
Imported goods cost very similar amounts though so people’s money generally goes further at the current exchange rate level. Our unemployment rates, currently lower than Australia, don’t seem to be boosted by the supposed penalty to exporters of the exchange rate so I don’t think we would be any better by trying to force it down.
What I’m worried about is whether the dollar in particular is signifying that Aus and maybe China are “levelling down” compared with us, rather than NZ improving. And we rely on our exports. Because then there will be a lag and we’ll start getting even worse off with no reserves to get out of it again.
It would be nice to see the figuring you used – the relative income measures, what you estimated the exchange rate as, how each source was gathered (partial survey vs census). And that’s before we even start checking whether you
The explanation and referencing all the source numbers and the necessary calculations would take longer to detail than the results
protip: ctrl+c
The fact that you also said You will have to do a little bit to get them talking about the same time period as the timing of some of the published details varies a bit. strongly implies that the devil is in the details. I mean, I know that no national party supporter has ever cherry-picked data with the intention of misleading people, but with multiple data sources it can be a cow to replicate someone else’s methodology, even if you don’t have to google it.
In the US, the effect of large corporations manipulating the tax system to avoid paying their share by using off-shore tax havens, accelerated depreciation, single tax break — writing off the value of executive stock options for tax purposes is clearly illustrated
in the data in the Citizens For Justice article.
“This CTJ report illustrates how profitable Fortune 500 companies in a range of sectors of the U.S. economy have been remarkably successful in manipulating the tax system to avoid paying even a dime in tax on billions of dollars in U.S. profits. These 15 corporations’ tax situations shed light on the widespread nature of corporate tax avoidance. As a group, the 15 companies paid no federal income tax on $23 billion in profits in 2014, and they paid almost no federal income tax on $107 billion in profits over the past five years. All but two received federal tax rebates in 2014, and almost all paid exceedingly low rates over five years.
Just one of 15 big Co.s illustrates the trend:
2014 2010-14 Totals
$-millions US profit Fed Tax Rate US profit Fed Tax Rate
Time Warner 4,296 –26 –0.6% 21,069 3,09 14.7%
Not only that but he kept going on about a need for safe, non-addictive drug which we have several off already.
LSD, Ecstasy and cannabis all have extremely low health risks when used responsibly (and if it comes from a good, clean source and is unadulterated). It was a very strange interview.
Dunno, but it’s not an easy one to abuse like cannibus. If you have a full time job it is easy to smoke a joint every night but a lot tougher to abuse LSD or E nightly, or even weekly.
Not to mention that despite its illegality you can still quite easily obtain said substances. But the point I was making was more around Bowden insistence that he can make a non-addictive and non-harmful drug but we already have those so why would one be illegal and the other legal. And it was a fucking strange interview
There’s no such thing as a non-harmful drug, all drugs have side effects, the poison is in the dose etc.
I wouldn’t consider lsd easy to get, when compared to something like alcohol or cigarettes (prohibition is effective to an extent).
Abuse isn’t just how often you can take a drug, it’s also whether said drug is a good match for any individual. Lots of people shouldn’t take psychedelics, and those that do need to learn how to do so safely.
A lot would depend on how such a drug were decriminalised. I’ve been reading a bit about what’s happening in Colorado since cannabis was legal, lots of problems because dak is being marketed to expert users but is being used by newbies. Plus really stupid shit like selling cannabis in a candy bar and then kids eating them and ending up in a and e. Lots of overdosing. Main point being, there’s a lot of scope for the ignorance and stupidity of users, not to mention commerce, and that’s not even getting to the many people whose psyche’s aren’t suited to bring out of it.
I would never advocate for legalisation of LSD – just contrasting it with the unusual position we have in NZ of someone being able to bring a drug to market which has the same risk and addictive potential a LSD under this new law while LSD remains not just illegal but as illegal as Heroin and Cocaine.
Low risk as in zero physical harm potential (LSD is completely clean on the body) and non-addictive. As far mental health is concerned I think it is on par with cannabis…but don’t quote me on that.
I would be curious to know why anyone would consider LSD would be considered high risk to be honest.
The physiological impact of LSD is virtually nil. And books on illegal drugs of abuse regularly list its addictive potential as nil. The effect is entirely psychological. Accident or injury is certainly possible and has occurred, though that danger is nowhere near as bad as say, alcohol.
As far as psychological risk, those with pre-existing serious psychological conditions should steer clear. But even for them the danger of a psychotic episode is statistically less than cannabis or amphetamines. Otherwise a user who is well prepared should be fine.
Psychiatrists who specialized in LSD treatment in the first half of the 60s documented thousands of LSD sessions. They reported high success rates with alcoholism in particular, and found that in comfortable, friendly, supportive environments less than 1% had overly anxious or fearful reactions. Of that number, all were able to be calmed down, with supportive words. They declared it very safe. (The CIA scientists who at the same time were force-feeding it to unwitting subjects in an interrogation room while shining a light in their eyes and telling them they were going crazy and and that they were dying, came to very different conclusions.)
By any objective measure alcohol is a high risk drug, and LSD is a low risk drug. That is a statistical fact. So my question for you weka, is why would you doubt it?
I have met, and heard of people who used acid much too often in an addictive manner. But they are very rare, and usually have issues they are trying to hide from. For the vast majority, an acid trip is a heavy duty experience that requires some time to psychologically prepare for and to subsequently process – there’s no hurry to do it again. Terence McKenna, who was a well known high dose explorer, said that once or twice a year was enough for him. And also that for cannabis, more than once a week was overdoing it.
Plus the tolerance action is very different to other kinds of drugs. You would need to double the dose if you want to trip again within a few days.
Sadly, today the psychedelic drugs are lumped in with the dangerous narcotics as ‘intoxicants’. But that’s not how the shamanic cultures of old saw them. For them they were teachers, healers, sacred gifts from the gods. There was no ‘abuse’.
Unfortunately many young people do indeed take them as intoxicants, to get high and have a laugh. That is because of their ignorance based on received cultural stereotyping and misinformation regarding them. They are told it is an intoxicant, so that’s what they think it is. But when used responsibly, with respect, preparation, and proper intent, it can be a valuable, and very safe (but challenging), personal experience. As usual, the idiots ruin it for everyone. Legalization within the juvenile binge drinking mindset here in NZ for example, would be problematic I’m sure.
There is currently a new wave of research in these drugs regarding their value in treating amongst other things PTSD and drug addiction. There is healing here.
But hey, what would we want with a weirdo drug like that when we have something as awesomely toxic, dangerous, deadly, addictive and socially damaging as alcohol? Who else is getting drunk tonite?! Woo-hoo!
More to the point: is the question of whether or not the general public would use LSD responsibly a matter for the criminal justice system to deal with? I’ve yet to see a sensible argument for “Yes.”
@TheContrarian yes it was quite odd. Like how he kept talking about a totally safe non-addictive drug, but no comment about what kind of high it might produce. I.e., it sounded a lot like a ‘watch this space’ marketing ploy to me.
Anything that makes you feel good, and that’s surely the point of taking recreational drugs, can be addictive. Look at the countless hordes addicted to drooling on the couch watching endless hours of brainless TV. An activity now known to have an effect on the brain similar to narcotic sedation.
Any rehab worker knows that the physical part of a drug addiction, (tolerance/withdrawl), is nothing compared to the psychological part. So to claim the possibility of a drug can gets you high but cannot be addictive, is nonsensical.
“Psychophysiologist Thomas Mulholland found that after just 30 seconds of watching television the brain begins to produce alpha waves, which indicates torpid (almost comatose) rates of activity. Alpha brain waves are associated with unfocused, overly receptive states of consciousness. A high frequency alpha waves does not occur normally when the eyes are open. In fact, Mulholland’s research implies that watching television is neurologically analogous to staring at a blank wall.
I should note that the goal of hypnotists is to induce slow brain wave states. Alpha waves are present during the “light hypnotic” state used by hypno-therapists for suggestion therapy.”
Without going into the impressive sounding scientific complexities of the issue, I can confirm the existence of the sedative effects of TV. My dear old late Mum could only watch television for a period of 5 minutes without falling into a deep slumber. We would have been happy to leave her in this vegetative state except that her voluminous snoring distracted us from our viewing. A brother, who learnt to mimic this historical circumstance with total accuracy, had to be banned from doing so for fear one of us would die laughing.
Addiction that involves distinct physiological pathways and thus withdrawal is a useful concept though, and I think it’s too much of a generalisation to say psychological addiction is worse. How much of both is due to the stress of drugs being illegal and addicts bring treated like shit by society?
Presumably Bowden is looking at drugs that don’t have obvious addictive pathways like opiates or alcohol.
I thought he was interesting, had some good ideas, but was too youth culture for me. The whole we can set up free clinics with specialists to help those with a tendency to addiction or abuse was either incredibly naive or marketing spin (albeit with good intentions). Lisa Owen’s questions were too reactionary (and she looked really tired)
“Addiction that involves distinct physiological pathways and thus withdrawal is a useful concept though, and I think it’s too much of a generalisation to say psychological addiction is worse. How much of both is due to the stress of drugs being illegal and addicts bring treated like shit by society?”
What I meant is that the psychological aspect of an addiction is tougher to beat than the physical withdrawal aspect.
Recovering alcoholics and opiate addicts typically speak of a moment of epiphany, when a sudden shift in self-perspective towards their addiction motivated them to quit successfully where previously they had failed. Note too, that these people often call themselves recovering addicts even after being sober for years.
It’s true that a serious drug addiction will physically alter reward pathways in the brain itself, and those changes remain long after the more obvious withdrawal symptoms are gone. But fighting against the temptation to relapse is still a psychological battle, particularly in times of stress.
First you get sober. Then somehow make it through withdrawal. Then comes the hard part. Sure the withdrawal stage can be tough, but at all stages the battle is psychological. It’s about accepting your problem, accepting the solution, motivation, willpower, and determination.
along with the problems their addiction has caused, the ex-addict also has to face the issues that caused them to spiral out of control in the first place.
it’s damn tough but living like a sober human is better than living in an unreal state, enslaved by a demonic force.
matt’s comments echo those of russell brand. drug abuse shouldn’t be a criminal issue it should be a health issue. i don’t know what decriminalisation would look like but presumably class A drugs would still be tightly controlled..
Last week I reported on a great strike in Ireland, as 6,000 Dunnes Stores workers struck for more (and more secure) hours, job security, better pay and union recognition.
The strike was a big success.
The employer, however, has responded with harassment, victimisation, intimidation.
MR probably won’t be back soon by the sound of it, but at least he won’t be prevented from doing so if he chooses. I haven’t heard from PU, but imagine he will be back tomorrow. Thanks for your daily support of this action, though this week has been a bit lower key. I was actually surprised how long it took other commenters to just ignore this picket-line and wait us out.
The; blog-commenter union, proposal seems to have been a failure. It might have been better to have gone with my original analogy of moderators being; Judge, Jury & Executioner, in their banning decisions. So that it might be an improvement if commenters could volunteer for jury-duty somewhere in the process. However, I thought that came to close to the; “telling us how to run our site”, ban mine.
So, I’ll stop the vigil tomorrow and return to occasional commenting. The lack of resolution for underlying issues is a bit problematic though. There’s nothing to stop some similar situation occurring again, and while I’ll probably join any action that results, I am unlikely to take the lead in publicizing it again. It seems the right thing to have done; noisy protests draw more attention than silent nonparticipation. But slogans and analogies hinder conversations as much as they aid expression.
I think the action was worth taking. It certainly drew people’s attention to the issues and grievances…and the fact that certain important contributors to this site were not happy and prepared to go on a boycott.
However I agree with you that nothing definitive has come out of this for conflict resolution. I admire your cool headed attempts at discussing the issues and conflict resolution…and your picket stance….It was a pleasure to join you on this online …lol
“It might have been better to have gone with my original analogy of moderators being; Judge, Jury & Executioner, in their banning decisions. So that it might be an improvement if commenters could volunteer for jury-duty somewhere in the process. However, I thought that came to close to the; “telling us how to run our site”, ban mine.”
The problem I have is that you wanted collective action but appeared to not be listening to what many people were saying. I think you really have no idea what it is that you are proposing and how that would work for the standard’s operational structure and the people running the place, and consequentally how that would affect the site. I commented a number of times on this and you didn’t engage, so it looks like you had this personal idea that you thought everyone else should support. That’s not unionism or working collectively.
And another shock to the system of Bill English and other National supporters regarding housing:
Mr. Crook and his family might be the extreme, but they are the new model of modern Canadian life – urban, minimal and connected to their community. He doesn’t see their lifestyle as cramped, or as a temporary phase, or second best to living in a detached house. Although living small is not for everyone, Mr. Crook says he wouldn’t have it any other way. He’s so pleased with the arrangement that if someone gave him $1-million, he says he still wouldn’t buy a house. Instead, he would sock the money away.
That’s one thing. Not everyone wants to live in a detached house and I think most people would be more than happy to live in an apartment block.
Then there’s this:
The Center on Everyday Lives of Families at the University of California released a study that looked at the habits of 32 middle-class, double-income families. Over a four-year period, ethnographers studied how the families related to their living spaces during waking hours. They found that regardless of the size of house, the families spent nearly all their time in a space of around 400 sq. ft., almost exclusively in the kitchen, family room and dining room. The rest of the house was almost never used. The average backyard use by the children was only 40 minutes a week. Parents used the outdoor space 15 minutes a week. They discovered that while we crave abundant space, we rarely use it.
What’s the point of having all that space if you don’t use it?
Considering that they’re not making any more land and that we need to decrease the sprawl of our cities then we do need to consider the use of land and when it’s not used for anything or not. There’s also the idea that shared space would not only be used more but also improve community and socialisation to be considered.
Medium to high rise buildings with good parks are a better idea than everyone trying to have their own, barely used, bloody park.
Medium to high rise buildings with good parks are a better idea than everyone trying to have their own, barely used, bloody park.
In close proximity to city centres, yes. Auckland is one of the few places where people living near a city centre expect and demand to live in a house. Most of us don’t live in Auckland, however, and expect the downsides of living in small towns to have upsides in terms of square meterage.
Also: I’ve lived in apartments sans kids (no probs) and with kids (fucking royal pain in the arse). If you have kids, a house with garden wins hands-down every time.
Also: I’ve lived in apartments sans kids (no probs) and with kids (fucking royal pain in the arse). If you have kids, a house with garden wins hands-down every time.
That’s what the “good parks” are for and as they’ll be playing with more people than you get in a detached house they’ll get better socialisation as well. I’d say that the adults supervising the kids would also get better socialisation.
Detached housing has, IMO, helped increase the isolation and disengagement that we see nowadays.
Do you have kids Draco? Because believe me, as the father of a 18 month old daughter, living in an apartment would be fucking nightmare. It’s a hell of a lot easier and more efficient to open the door to the backyard instead of packing lunch, nappies, pram and associated paraphernalia for a quick trip to the park while spending the entire time running around after them in an open space.
Basically, if you don’t have a child you can’t speak dick on the subject.
And yet the article that started all this was about a family of 7 living in an apartment. Two adults and five children with the adults there claiming that it’s all wonderful and a lot easier.
@PM – agree. I fucking hate apartment living and use my outdoor space often for BBQ’s, gardening, lounging and reading etc.
I did the apartment thing once and hated it with a passion. I was also a bit of a menace to the neighbours with my loud techno and late night habits. I’m much more suited to stand-alone housing.
Yeah me too. In fact I hate socialising inside, especially in other peoples’ houses with all their shit everywhere and it’s always too warm. Fuck that.
I was also a bit of a menace to the neighbours with my loud techno and late night habits.
Considering the loud parties that I’ve been to and the neighbours have I don’t think that makes any difference. In other words, your loud techno music is irritating the neighbours anyway 😛
So when some Green leader candidates can’t asnwer some quetsions about exact inflation rates they are mocked for 2 days. When Groser offers a pre prepared answer that turns out to be wrong, it is a gaffe?
Now it might not have been a lie (not a proveable one) , but it was more than a gafee, it was completely wrong from the Minister who ought to know. Incompetent? Disinterested to find the right answer?
Had my new Tui billboard banner out on the street today at a VERY busy intersection:
Ak CCO$
= less rates
& more democracy yeah right
Auckland Council (CORPORATE) Controlled Organisations (CCOs) have been the mechanism for the corporate takeover of the Auckland region.
This John Key led National Coalition Government back in 2009 used the Rogernomic$ blitzkrieg technique of railroading through Parliament the underpinning Auckland $upercity (for the 1%) legislation, thus depriving citizens and ratepayers our lawful right to a BINDING poll.
However – do not ask me to have a frontal lobotomy.
The FACT is that it was arguably the most important recommendation of the LABOUR Government appointed Royal Commission on Auckland Regional Governance – that major infrastructure and trading functions be undertaken by Council Controlled Organisations (CCOs).
Although no CCO had ever been subjected to a ‘cost-benefit’ analysis.
FACT.
I know because I asked, and have the OIA replies to prove this.
Is Phil Goff going to campaign as a 2016 Auckland Mayoral candidate to abolish ALL CCOs?
(I am.)
If not – nothing will fundamentally change for the majority of Auckland citizens and ratepayers …..
It’s a sad case of them being completely unprotected. How we still have a law that lets people commercially fish for a threatened native eel I don’t know.. But there must be countless losses of longfins every week through fishing. There’s also the water quality problem now from farming too, so they’re up against it.
Mate that photo made me feel sick to my guts ffs this makes my blood boil. This species should be fully protected and treated as the taonga it is, end of story.
Abbott Govt to save millions of dollars in upcoming budget by cutting child benefit from people who opt not to vaccinate their children. The benefits are worth up to $2100 per child. Pretty low to use vaccination status to discriminate against children.
”Under changes that could save more than $50 million a year, Social Services Minister Scott Morrison is preparing to scrap a “conscientious objection” provision which allows anti-vaccination parents to still claim welfare benefits including childcare assistance and Family Tax Benefit A.
”Many pro-vaccination groups and doctors are expected to welcome the policy as a way of further encouraging people to vaccinate their children, but other immunisation policy experts argue it would not lift immunisation rates and would discourage discussions about vaccination with doctors.”
It’s always about exercising control and power over the disadvantaged. I suspect that we won’t hear admirers of the orthodox establishment complaining about Abbott’s move to hurt children.
I agree in general but get the feeling in this case it’s driven by cost cutting. I don’t follow Australian politics that closely, but the Govt had huge problems passing health measures (like GP charges) in the last budget, so it could be interesting to see what happens with this, especially if independents are needed to pass the budget.
Hmmm.
Many conditions on the vaccination schedule in NZ have increased transmission and harm in lower socioeconomic conditions (i.e. overcrowding and other detrimental conditions). So in order to punish parents who refuse to vaccinate (which, in principle, I lean towards favouring) Abbott will lower the socioeconimic conditions of unvaccinated children.
And I suspect the motive is purely to find an excuse to lower direct costs of welfare payments, and ignore the longer term increases in costs caused by both vaccine-preventable conditions and general poverty.
Thanks Murphey, I had heard this change had been mooted but wasn’t aware it had moved this far ahead. Dangerous stuff.
The Australian move seems like opportunistic leveraging off the recent vaccine debate but the Californian bill is a fundamental shift and removal of patient rights.
I would see the Australian situation being used as a ‘softening up’ exercise by attacking a small and vulnerable group and then seeking to widen the scope
Paula Bennett floated the same tactic in NZ a few years ago
Hungary has been a virtual dictatorship for a decade now, as Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has gradually eroded its democracy. But now, its official, with the passage of an indefinite emergency law allowing rule by decree:Hungary’s parliament has passed a new set of coronavirus measures that includes jail terms for ...
While the economy is on pause under lockdown, the government is beginning to plan how to cope with the post-lockdown, post-tourism, post-export education world we will eventually find ourselves in. They're planning a lot of infrastructure spending as economic stimulus, and have asked for proposals which can start the moment ...
It's my distraction, setting up tiny scenes to photograph. I've got stuck on the Babushka dolls for now. Something about their bubble shape. Something about their never changing, smiling features, suggesting persistent equanimity. Can we get through everything that is being thrown at us and keep at least a tiny ...
. . March 31: Day six of living in lock-down… This time I managed to sleep a little longer and the alarm woke me at the pre-set time: 6.55am. Then remembered I was working a later shift and could’ve slept in. Oh well, there are things to do at home. ...
Image credit:Diamond Harbour School Blogs I notice a few regulars no longer allow public access to the site counters. This may happen accidentally when the blog format is altered. If your blog is unexpectedly missing or ...
Yesterday's Horizon poll showing support for a "Yes" vote in this year's cannabis referendum sliding into the majority for the first time in a year looked like good news for reformers – and it probably is. But the result warrants some scrutiny.The poll is the fifth in a series commissioned ...
For almost a week now, every one of us who isn’t an essential worker has been confined to their bubble. We are allowed to go shopping for groceries, to visit the doctor, and to get a bit of exercise if we stay local. The reason we are doing this is ...
The Covid-19 saga will no doubt produce many twists and turns for us before it is finally brought to an end. But one thing it has shown us – and what comfort it should bring us – is that our country’s government is in good hands. I am not thinking ...
In the absence of a vaccine or a cure for a deadly disease, staying home in your bubble is what you do, the concept is not new. To the best of my knowledge last time we did this in NZ was for polio, in the years before a vaccine came ...
The following statement was released on March 28 by the National Network on Cuba, a coalition of 40 groups, based in the United States. In recent weeks, Cuba has deployed hundreds of medical providers to over a dozen countries in Europe, Asia, as well as to their neighbors in Latin ...
This has been a terrible summer for Hector’s dolphins. The first indication was very low numbers of dolphin sightings during late spring and early summer. The Otago University Marine Mammal Research Team has carried out routine dolphin surveys at Banks Peninsula for more than 30 years. In all that time, ...
On March 17, Finance Minister Grant Robertson was quick out of the blocks with an economic rescue package to help businesses through the inevitable recession resulting from the coronavirus pandemic. Robertson had pulled together a scheme in short order that so far seems to have saved many jobs. In his ...
The purpose of the lockdown is to save lives, by reducing the spread of covid-19. We won't know if its really working for another week, but given the devastation that will result if it doesn't - 14,000 dead is the optimistic scenario - its definitely worth trying. But pausing the ...
. . March 30: Day five of living in lock-down… Woke up still in darkness. Alarm hadn’t gone off. Turn to radio clock; it’s a few minutes after 6am… I lie there in the dark, waiting to drift off to sleep… but it ain’t happening. Clock ticks over to 6.55 ...
The story of Les Gray, the public sector psychologist who told the truth about his use of cannabis and set off a storm, has a special place in the lore of cannabis reform in New Zealand.When Paul Shannon interviewed Gray for the 'Dope and Hope' issue of Planet magazine in ...
by Phil Duncan For Marxists, a key concern about social trends is their context – not just their causes, but why they happen when they do. Events and phenomena have causes, but they also are time or period-specific. While much of the left have capitulated recently to postmodernism, most notably ...
Since the lockdown began, we've all suddenly been reminded who the actually essential workers in our society are: not the people at the top who pay themselves the big bucks and rort the perks, but the people at the bottom they screw over and squeeze: cleaners, warehouse staff, truck drivers ...
Kia ora! As I've watched nearly all my remaining work vanish over the past couple of days, it has occured to me that one good way to keep me away from arguing with fools on Twitter all the time (in the knowledge that all we're really doing is processing our ...
Aotearoa New Zealand has committed to trying to extirpate the virus that causes COVID-19 from its shores. To do that, as a society we’ve moved to “Level 4”. That means adapting to unprecedented restrictions on our personal freedoms, particularly to our rights to move freely and associate with friends and ...
When the Prime Minister declared a state of emergency last week, she handed the police powers to enforce it. And almost immediately, we started hearing about heavy-handed, arbitrary "enforcement" by police who (at best) cared more about order than law, or (more likely) had no idea what the rules were ...
. . Lock Down: Day 4 – A photo essay with observations . March 29: Usual wake up routine as RNZ snaps on my radio-clock. Jim Mora’s voice slowly enters my conciousness; there’s talk of a second wave of covid19 taking hold in South Korea; the week in Parliament – ...
Yesterday, New Zealand recorded its first Covid-19 related death on the West Coast. Unfortunately this is unlikely to be the only fatality, with the virus now being found in every region of the country.However despite the significant danger, people are still unfortunately breaching lockdown rules.There’s really only one main very ...
Story of the Week... Toon of the Week... Coming Soon on SkS... Climate Feedback Claim Review... SkS Week in Review... Poster of the Week... Story of the Week... ‘Misinformation kills’: The link between coronavirus conspiracies and climate denialGrist / Rob Kim / Stringer / CSA Images Scientific ...
The kids did surprisingly well today – meltdown count was about 3, and mostly fairly short ones. (And a fourth while I was writing.) Game-wise I had a go at Fell Seal: Arbiter’s Mark. It’s a fairly standard RPG with turn-based combat and what they call a “mature storyline” (it ...
by Don Franks Hi David, Nice hearing from you, I’m glad to hear you’re getting by okay in these grim times. You asked how’s it going for us back here in New Zealand. You would have heard that the whole country is locked down and with breaks for exercise and ...
. . Lock Down: Day 3 – A photo essay with observations . March 28: First day of the first weekend in Lock Down. It feels like it’s been weeks since only Level 3 was declared last Tuesday, only four days ago. Woke up this morning to RNZ; coffee; toast, ...
A chronological listing of news articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week, i.e., Sun, Mar 22, 2020 through Sat, Mar 28, 2020Articles Linked to on FacebookSun, Mar 22, 2020In Just 10 Years, Warming Has Increased the Odds of Disasters by Chelsea Harvey, ...
I’m here in lockdown with my flatmate and her two girls (6 and 2) and it. is. a time. They’re usually really active so to start with the only boardgame in the house is the copy of Guess Who that the 6 year old got for her birthday. Flatmate commented ...
The CV-19 (COVID) pandemic has seen the imposition of a government ordered national quarantine and the promulgation of a series of measures designed to spread the burden of pain and soften the economic blow on the most strategically important and most vulnerable sectors of society. The national narrative is framed ...
. . Lock Down: Day 2 – A photo essay with observations . March 27 – Day 2 of our Strange New World. The Park and Ride near my suburb, usually filled with hundreds of vehicles, had just… four; . . Another drive into Wellington City on a highway nearly ...
Fortune's Children: Under extraordinary pressure, the leader of the Government and the leader of the Opposition will each show us what they are made of. Have they been blessed with intelligence, grace, wit, poise, toughness, empathy and humour – and in what measure? More importantly, to what extent have they ...
If you’ve ever had the misfortune of having to rent a property on the open market in New Zealand, which is one of the most expensive in the entire world, you’ll likely be keenly aware of just how arrogant and entitled landlords and their real estate agents can be.Unfortunately for ...
Society-wise, aside from the specific morbidity shall we say of the medically-oriented aspects of this COVID-19 crisis, what is unfolding before the world is in more than one way an instructive study of humanity and reactions to a high intensity, high stress environment in real time. Friends, we are at ...
Right now low waged and insecure workers are feeling the economic brunt of the looming #Covid19 Recession. In response legal advocate Toby Cooper* and hospitality and worker’s rights advocate Chloe Ann-King, are putting together a series of legal blogs about your employment rights:In this legal blog we outline some ...
by Equipo Jurídico Pueblos and Gearóid Ó Loingsigh (25/03/2020) An escape plan in question On the night of March 21st and the early morning of the 22nd, the forces of the Colombian state stormed into the Modelo prison in Bogotá, murdering 23 prisoners and injuring 83, in response to the ...
When the government banned semi-automatic weapons in response to a terrorist atrocity, gun-nuts were outraged. Mired in toxic American gun culture, they thought owning weapons whose sole purpose was killing people was some sort of "constitutional right", a necessity for "defending themselves" against the government. Now, the Court of Appeal ...
Just before midnight on Wednesday March 25, Aotearoa New Zealand entered a countrywide alert level four lockdown. For at least the next four weeks, everyone who isn’t an essential worker is confined to their bubble. We are doing this to stop the explosive growth in people contracting and dying from ...
. . Lock Down: Day 1 – A photo essay with observations . Day one of the Level 4 nationwide lock-down (or, DefCon 4 as I sometimes cheekily call it) started at 11.59PM on 25 March. For a moment, most of the nation held it’s collective breath. In that brief ...
Broad, Sunlit Uplands: How those words fired my young imagination! Or, perhaps, it is more accurate to say: how those words fused, in my young mind, with the image printed on every packet of Fielder’s Cornflour. Always fascinated by history, especially modern history, I cannot hear Churchill’s wonderfully evocative words, even ...
. . 24 March 2020 9.46AM Number of covid19 cases in Aotearoa New Zealand: 102 . As of 11.59 on Thursday, most of New Zealand will go into “lock down”. People will be expected not to travel to work; not to socialise; and to stay home. I will not be ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections A respected research group, Project Drawdown, finds that deploying solutions consistent with meeting the Paris climate targets would cost tens of trillions of dollars globally. But crucially, those outlays would also yield long-term savings many times larger than the up-front costs. The new 2020 Drawdown ...
It will pass. What happens next? Not immediately, but longer term. There are many opinions, fewer certainties. Will it “change everything!” as many confidently, and contradictorily predict? In this post I look at how foresight can help bound some of the uncertainties so you can more objectively consider the future. ...
We’ve been meaning t write something on Cuba and the coronavirus but have just discovered a very good article on the subject in the US left publication Jacobin. The article looks at how Cuba, a poor country but one where capitalism has been done away with, is leading the way ...
In 2018, El Shafee Elsheikh and Alexanda Kotey - two British citizens who had purportedly been stripped of their citizenship by the British government - were captured while fighting for Isis in Syria. The British government then conspired to hand them over to the US, and agreed to provide evidence ...
Transformers: The disaster of the Great Depression was transformed into a new and fairer society by the democratic socialism of the First Labour Government. The disaster of the Covid-19 Pandemic offers a similar transformative possibility to the Labour-NZ First-Green Government. Seize the time, Jacinda! You will never have a better ...
Tamper with The System? Well, we already are. But there's a difference between accidentally trickling sand into a precision gearbox versus formulating a plan to alter it on the fly with improvements in mind. One action is more or less innocently unscrupulous, the other amenable to earning an easy ...
Associate Prof George Thomson, Louise Delany, Prof Nick WilsonWhile it is possible that New Zealand can use intense public health controls to eradicate COVID-19 from the country – we must also plan for other scenarios where thousands of New Zealanders are sick – including many urgently hospitalised.1 Better resilience ...
Kia ora my name is Chloe Ann-King* and I am the founder of Raise the Bar, a campaign and non-profit that gives free legal aid, advocacy and tautoko to hospitality workers in Aotearoa. Right now all over our country hospo workers are being fired at will, having shifts cut or being ...
We're about to do something unprecedented as a nation. We hope that by taking this extraordinary action before a single life in New Zealand has been lost to the deadly novel virus we will save tens of thousands of lives. Our lives. We'll do it together, in households, in isolation ...
“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.”So writes the author of Ecclesiastes, a book in the Old Testament that’s counted as a ‘wisdom’ book and written as if by an unnamed king of Jerusalem. But who would have thought there would be a time ...
I was surprised when the prime minister described the Economic Response to Covid-19 package as the ‘largest peacetime government spend in New Zealand's history’. Reflecting – checking through history – I realised that the term ‘spend’ was crucial and the package had no income tax cuts. Even so, it has ...
Years ago the Argentine sociologist Carlos Weisman wrote a book titled “Living within our Means.” It was a critique of Argentine society that focused on the paradoxical question of why, in a land of plenty, there was so much economic instability, inequality, corruption and political turmoil. His conclusion was basically ...
Parliament will be leading by example and adjourning tomorrow after a special sitting to consider an epidemic notice and state of emergency. Day-to-day oversight of the government will be delegated to a select committee. But that's not the only overight mechanism. The OIA will still be law, and (so far) ...
Michael Baker, University of OtagoOverjoyed. That’s not a word epidemiologists normally use, but that’s how I felt after hearing Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s announcement about New Zealand’s COVID-19 shutdown of everything except essential services for at least four weeks from midnight on Wednesday. More than anything, I just ...
How much homelessness is caused by house hoarding? We're about to find out. The pandemic has destroyed tourism, which means that house hoarders who put their hoarded properties up as short-term tourist rentals are now offering them on the ordinary rental market:Property investors are pulling properties from Airbnb to offer ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Bruce Lieberman It seems like such a simple, straightforward, empowering idea: plant trees – a lot of trees – all over the world, and watch the planet’s temperature fall. Who doesn’t love a tree or two, even far more – the right ...
According to Newshub, Simon Bridges is open to joining a “grand coalition” with Labour as we hunker down to go into a month long lockdown. The idea is sound. Before now, the role of the opposition was to scrutinise and oppose. In the context of what almost amounts to a ...
Kia ora my name is Chloe Ann-King* and I am the founder of Raise the Bar, a campaign and non-profit that gives free legal aid, advocacy and tautoko to hospitality workers in Aotearoa. Right now all over our country hospo workers are being fired at will, having shifts cut or ...
We need to be lifting our game against COVID-19. You and I need to help those working to prevent the spread of COVID-19 while they’re trying to lift the testing and treatment efforts. We don’t want to be playing this game running backwards. Best to play it solidly forward, from ...
Prof Tony Blakely, Prof Michael Baker, and Prof Nick WilsonThe NZ Government must do more to clearly articulate its COVID-19 strategy: eradication or ‘flattening the curve’ mitigation. But to do so means understanding the maths and ethics of both these strategies. In this blog, we adapt our work for ...
A few days ago I was starting to write something about the pandemic, which now seems unconscionable. It took the form of a letter to an agony aunt:“Dear Deidre, I have an ugly confession. I am quite excited by Covid-19.”This is how the piece went:“I’m not a psychopath, honest. Although the ...
Story of the Week... Toon of the Week... Climate Feedback Article Review... Coming Soon on SkS... Climate Feedback Claim Reviews... SkS Week in Review... Poster of the Week... Story of the Week... In Just 10 Years, Warming Has Increased the Odds of DisastersThe likelihood of extreme events ...
Last week, the government announced a $12 billion initial package to support people during the pandemic. Today, the Reserve Bank is buying government bonds - effectively printing money - to keep up the money supply during the crisis. Normally such moves would have the right apoplectic. Instead, the National Party ...
I am a pundit, somebody who opines and comments on the news. There are no real qualifications to punditry though having a rudimentary way with words and good general knowledge helps. That is one reason there is a constant oversupply of would-be pundits and why it is quite hard to ...
I recently encountered the following prescription from a Faculty of Education at a leading New Zealand University. At first I wondered if it was another product of the postmodern generator (http://www.elsewhere.org/journal/pomo/), designed to create gibberish in the postmodern form, but I’m told it is real: The “schooled” society: Towards the ...
The coronavirus pandemic has of course had a major impact on individual lives and on societies as a whole. But, long after the crisis has passed (assuming it does), we will begin to realise that its real and lasting significance lies in the lessons it has taught us, if only ...
COVID-19 has plunged Aotearoa New Zealand (indeed, the world) into territory that, while maybe not totally unprecedented, certainly hasn’t been seen during the lifetimes of most of us here today. Our borders are closed to non-citizens, we’re being told not to gather in groups of more than 500 outside/100 inside, ...
For the last few weeks, I’ve been urging you to prepare yourself, your family, business, and community for Covid-19. Now it’s time for real action. Yesterday the director-general of health Dr Ashley Bloomfield announced another 13 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in New Zealand, bringing our total to date to 52. ...
A chronological listing of news articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week, i.e., Sun, Mar 15, 2020 through Sat, Mar 21, 2020 Editor's Pick Now Isn’t the Time to Forget About Our Climate Change EffortsTasha Tilberg, Lindsey Wixson, and Liu Wen photographed ...
by Jan Rivers The article has been corrected to show that it was Ewen MacAskill, former Guardian journalist and not Luke Harding who travelled to meet Edward Snowden with journalist Glenn Greenwald and filmmaker Laura Poitras. Some of the Guardian’s well-known journalists who did not sign the protest letter are ...
by Cultural Worker Late March 2020 amidst the virus. With gigs crashing and burning all around it was without much hope that I called a long standing rest home booking: “ Hi, I’m supposed to be entertaining at your place this afternoon – is it still on?” “”If you don’t ...
Whenever people demand real change from their politicians, we're told that "politics is the art of the possible". The implication is that change isn't possible, so we'd better just get used to the sucky status quo. But now that there's a pandemic, a lot of things we were previously told ...
Together: In leading New Zealand through the Covid-19 Pandemic, the Prime Minister could do a lot worse than allow herself to be guided by the spirit of collective sacrifice and co-operation that animated the New Zealanders of 80 years ago. Most Kiwis alive today have had no opportunity to prove their ...
New Zealand can emulate the success of the US after the Great Depression by exploiting our own resources to turn the economy around quickly, Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters says. Mr. Peters told Magic Talk that New Zealand has an opportunity to come out of the COVID-19 pandemic a "superior, ...
All 45 New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) personnel are either on their way back to New Zealand, or already in the country, according to Defence Minister Ron Mark."Twenty-eight personnel arrived back in New Zealand last week and are in isolation at the Royal New Zealand Air Force base in ...
The COVID-19 situation in New Zealand is moving fast - and to avoid what we've seen overseas - the Government's response must be to move fast too. We're committed to keeping New Zealanders safe and well-informed every step of the way. ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters is encouraging New Zealanders overseas to stay where they are amid the COVID-19 pandemic. "We are reaching a point where the best option for most New Zealanders offshore is to shelter in place, by preparing to safely stay where they are.” "This includes following the instructions ...
Rt. Hon. Winston Peters, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs Foreign Minister Winston Peters is encouraging the tens of thousands of New Zealanders travelling overseas to consider sheltering in place, in light of COVID-19. “Since 18 March, we have been warning New Zealanders offshore that the window for flying ...
Ground-breaking law has passed that will decriminalise abortion and ensure women and pregnant people seeking abortions have compassionate healthcare. ...
The Green Party says that the measures announced by the Government today will help families and businesses to prioritise our collective health and wellbeing in the response to COVID-19. ...
As New Zealanders brace for a global downturn due to Covid-19, Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters says his Coalition Government’s rescue package "more significant" than any other he's seen around the world. The Coalition is to reveal a multi-billion-dollar stimulus plan on Tuesday afternoon designed to cushion the economic blow ...
We know some people are feeling anxious about COVID-19. While the situation is serious, New Zealand has a world-class health system and we’re well-prepared to keep New Zealanders safe. ...
Businesses can start applying to their banks for loans under the Business Finance Guarantee Scheme set up to support the New Zealand economy during the COVID-19 pandemic. “We’re moving quickly to protect New Zealand businesses, jobs and the economy during this unprecedented global economic shock,” Finance Minister Grant Robertson said. ...
Work is underway looking at measures to speed up consents for development and infrastructure projects during the recovery from COVID 19, to provide jobs and stimulate our economy. Environment Minister David Parker said the COVID-19 pandemic is a serious global crisis that will have a wide ranging and lasting impact ...
Advance payments will be made to transport construction industry contractors to retain the workforce and ensure it is ready to quickly gear up to build projects which will be vital to New Zealand’s COVID-19 economic recovery, Transport Minister Phil Twyford announced today. He said keeping the workforce required to build ...
The Government has tasked a group of industry leaders to seek out infrastructure projects that are ready to start as soon as the construction industry returns to normal to reduce the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Economic Development Minister Phil Twyford and Infrastructure Minister Shane Jones say. The Infrastructure ...
Work to scale up the health system in preparation for COVID-19 was today outlined by Health Minister David Clark, as he reported back to the new Epidemic Response Committee. “We are well placed to contain the spread of COVID-19. We have taken early and decisive action at our borders, and ...
The Government is refining its COVID-19 essential business guidance to include the distribution of news publications for communities which are hard to reach. The Minister of Broadcasting, Communications and Digital Media, Kris Faafoi, said the move was in recognition of the importance for New Zealanders who might be harder to ...
Following the successful conclusion of the Building Partner Capacity (BPC) mission at Taji, New Zealand defence personnel are returning to New Zealand from Iraq, in accordance with the Cabinet decision made in June 2019, Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Ron Mark announced today. “New Zealand is very ...
The State of National Emergency to help stop the spread of COVID-19 has been extended for a further seven days, Minister of Civil Defence Peeni Henare said. The initial declaration on March 25 lasted seven days and can be extended as many times as necessary. “Since we went into isolation ...
New Zealand’s ability to go hard and go early in the fight against COVID-19 has been underpinned by strong Government finances and the growing economy heading into this global pandemic, Finance Minister Grant Robertson says. The Treasury today released the Crown financial statements for the eight months to the end ...
Health Minister Dr David Clark says 36 new intensive care beds at Christchurch Hospital’s new Hagley building are being fast tracked so they are available for treatment of COVID-19 patients. The Ministry of Health is working with contractor CPB and Canterbury DHB to enable access to the hospital’s ICU, ...
The Government has fast-tracked up to $1 million to help Air New Zealand move urgent freight to and from New Zealand, with the first flight to Shanghai leaving tonight, Transport Minister Phil Twyford announced today. Phil Twyford says it’s crucial that trade in vital goods such as medical supplies and ...
New Zealand will temporarily remove tariffs on all medical and hygiene imports needed for the COVID-19 response. Trade and Export Growth Minister David Parker and Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Kris Faafoi said today that the New Zealand Customs Service will apply tariff concessions to all diagnostic reagents and testing ...
Minister of Finance Grant Robertson has clarified that the changes to the wage subsidy scheme announced yesterday mean that employers should be passing on the full subsidy to workers, except in the case where the person’s normal income is less than the level of the subsidy. “We still want employers ...
Medical face masks from the national reserve supply are now being distributed to District Health Boards, while at the same time local production is being ramped up. Yesterday more than 640,000 masks were sent to DHBS – that is an immediate two week supply, with more to follow in coming ...
The Government has made modifications to the wage subsidy scheme to ensure people don’t lose their jobs during the national lockdown. These changes will soften the impact of COVID-19 on workers, families and businesses, and position them to exit the lockdown and look to recovery, Finance Minister Grant Robertson says. ...
Farmers whose herds were culled in response to the outbreak of Mycoplasma bovis will be able to minimise the tax treatment of their income in some circumstances. Revenue Minister Stuart Nash says Cabinet has agreed to change the law. It means farmers may be eligible to spread their income over ...
A $27 million dollar package, effective immediately, is being provided to social sector services and community groups to ensure they can continue to provide essential support to communities as we stay at home as a nation to stop the spread of COVID-19, Minister for Social Development Carmel Sepuloni announced. “At ...
“The guilty plea today will provide some relief to the many people whose lives were shattered by what happened on March 15,” Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said. “These guilty pleas and conviction bring accountability for what happened and also save the families who lost loved ones, those who were injured, ...
The Prime Minister is holding daily press conferences to update New Zealanders on the Government's response to COVID-19. Links to videos and transcripts of these updates below. These transcripts also include All of Government press conferences led by Director Ministry of Health's Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield. 25 March: Live update from the Prime ...
Frontline Police numbers have broken through the 10,000 mark for the first time in history as officers step forward to keep the community safe during the COVID19 lockdown. “Two Police graduations in Auckland and Wellington in the past week have been conducted in unprecedented circumstances,” Police Minister Stuart Nash said. ...
Urgent legislation has been passed to support the package of economic and social measures needed to recover from the impact of the coronavirus outbreak. “The COVID-19 Response (Taxation and Social Assistance Urgent Measures) Bill will cushion New Zealanders from the worst economic impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak,” said Revenue Minister ...
From tomorrow, Government support for farmers and growers affected by drought will be expanded and extended across the country, with access to Rural Assistance Payments (RAPS) available throughout the North Island, parts of the South Island and the Chatham Islands, Social Development Minister Carmel Sepuloni announced. “These challenging conditions have ...
Parliament has passed amendments to legislation that give the Secretary of Education stronger powers to act in the fight to limit the spread of COVID-19, Education Minister Chris Hipkins said today. “They are part of a suite of changes passed under the COVID-19 Response (Urgent Management Measures) Legislation Bill,” Chris ...
Canada, Australia, Chile, Brunei and Myanmar have joined forces with New Zealand and Singapore by committing to keep supply chains open and remove any existing trade restrictive measures on essential goods, especially medical supplies, in the face of the Covid-19 crisis. Trade and Export Growth Minister David Parker today welcomed ...
Immediate freeze on rent increases Tenancies will not be terminated during the lock-down period, unless the parties agree, or in limited circumstances Tenants who had previously given notice can stay in their if they need to stay in the tenancy during the lock-down period Tenants will still be able to ...
As New Zealand unites to lock-down in the fight against COVID-19, the Finance Minister is urging all businesses and workers to stay connected over the next four weeks. “We understand the extreme pressure many businesses are under right now. I know most business owners think of their workers as family ...
A State of National Emergency has been declared across the country as the Government pulls out all the stops to curtail the spread of COVID-19. “Today we put in place our country’s second ever State of National Emergency as we fight a global pandemic, save New Zealanders’ lives and prevent ...
Mr Speaker I wish to make a Ministerial Statement under Standing Order 347 in relation to the recent declaration of a State of National Emergency. Having considered the advice of the Director Civil Defence Emergency Management, the Minister of Civil Defence declared a State of National Emergency for the whole of ...
People needing to travel on domestic flights, trains and Cook Strait ferries to get home before the country moves into level 4 lock-down tomorrow night will be able to continue using the passenger services until midnight on Friday, Transport Minister Phil Twyford said today. Domestic passenger services, particularly ferries, have ...
The Government, retail banks and the Reserve Bank are today announcing a major financial support package for home owners and businesses affected by the economic impacts of COVID-19. The package will include a six month principal and interest payment holiday for mortgage holders and SME customers whose incomes have been ...
Minister of Transport Phil Twyford has today announced details of the Government’s support package to keep key air freight moving and ensure New Zealanders retain access to essential goods during the four-week level 4 lockdown. “The Government is working with airlines and air freight operators to ensure New Zealand’s key ...
New Zealand moved up to COVID-19 Alert Level 3 – Restrict New Zealand to move up to COVID-19 Alert Level 4 – Eliminate, in 48 hours Two-staged approach to give people and businesses time to prepare Level 3, from tomorrow Non-essential businesses must close All events and gatherings must be ...
Good afternoon The Cabinet met this morning to discuss our next actions in the fight against COVID-19. Like the rest of the world, we are facing the potential for devastating impacts from this virus. But, through decisive action, and through working together, do we have a small window to get ...
The Government is announcing significant further support for the economy, workers and businesses as the country unites to prepare for Alert Level 4 in the fight against COVID-19. Cabinet today agreed to remove the cap on the Government’s wage subsidy scheme, which will inject a further $4 billion into the ...
The Government is backing the Reserve Bank’s latest action to support the economy by reducing longer-term interest rates, meaning lower costs for businesses and mortgage holders, and a lower currency to help our exporters. The Minister of Finance has signed a memorandum of understanding and a letter of indemnity with ...
The Government has asked the Commerce Commission to take account of the exceptional circumstances created by COVID-19 when monitoring business behaviour in coming weeks. “The purpose of my request to the Commerce Commission is to make sure businesses can work together in ways that will allow them to provide ...
The New Zealand Government has temporarily closed its High Commission in Bridgetown, Barbados and its Embassy in Yangon, Myanmar due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “Due to the increasing scarcity of air links in and out of Bridgetown and Yangon, and the pressure COVID-19 is placing ...
Associate Health and Whānau Ora Minister Peeni Henare has today announced the Government’s plan to support Māori communities and businesses in the face of COVID-19. “Our Government’s $12.1 billion economic package will help many Māori whānau, workers and businesses, whether it’s through wage subsidies, income support and worker redeployment, or ...
The Government and the hospitality industry have worked together to produce guidelines to assist with managing and reducing transmission of COVID-19, Health Minister David Clark announced today. The guidelines developed between the Government, Hospitality New Zealand and SkyCity Entertainment Group, set out how the new restrictions on physical distancing and ...
Four stage Alert System for COVID-19 announced New Zealand moved up to COVID-19 Alert Level 2 – Reduce Contact New Zealanders over 70 and those with certain medical conditions told to stay at home as much as they can to reduce risk of contact with the virus Workplaces to implement ...
Helping Low Income Families cope in this time of crisis is critical to their survival says Peter Malcolm Spokesperson for Income Equality Aotearoa NZ Inc—“Closing the Gap” Families on low incomes need and deserve all the financial help they can ...
With neither a bang nor barely a whimper, barely one week ago New Zealand put being a long established and respected Parliamentary democracy on hold to become a virtual Police state in the ongoing fight against Covid-19, writes Peter Dunne We have settled into a life regime more restrictive ...
Almost a week into the level four lockdown and people are probably starting to feel a little cooped up. To help with this, some subscription services and brands have begun to make their products temporarily free. Here are just some of the things currently on offer.For those with the privilege ...
Life and health insurers are trimming their policy offerings in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, because some risks linked to the virus are deemed too great. Partners Life founder and risk expert Naomi Ballantyne said it was important consumers knew what they were covered for, particularly if they were ...
The housing market continued to perform well through the pre-lockdown period, with properties in all 16 major centres growing in value for the fourth consecutive month. The QV House Price Index data rose 6.1 percent in the year to March, with the average house price rising to $728,276. However, last ...
The District Court continues to operate during the AlertLevel 4 period to deal with priority proceedings as the need arises. For this purpose, there will be District Court Judges and Ministry of Justice staff available. The Chief District Court Judge ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert Breunig, Professor of Economics and Director, Tax and Transfer Policy Institute, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University How would you feel if you were having a Zoom meeting with your accountant and they asked “how would you like to ...
Kathmandu has moved to strengthen its finances to counter the impact of the Covid-19 virus. The outdoors clothing retailer will raise $207 million through a sale of new shares, some of which will go to large investment funds, with the balance offered to existing shareholders. Group chief executive Xavier Simonet ...
The country's banks are likely to take a significant hit to their profits from the Covid-19 virus, according to a new report. Business advisory firm KPMG's latest quarterly Financial Institutions Performance Survey for the final three months of last year showed bank profits had already fallen nearly 7 percent, $1.1 ...
Child Poverty Action Group applauds the Prime Minister's move to go hard and early to curb the spread of Covid-19. And we believe the Government needs to take the same approach when it comes to supporting those doing it tough during this ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By C Raina MacIntyre, Professor of Global Biosecurity, NHMRC Principal Research Fellow, Head, Biosecurity Program, Kirby Institute, UNSW Editor’s note: this is an edited version of a paper written in late March to outline the rationale for a short, sharp lockdown. The full ...
Anna Rawhiti-Connell's ode to Director-General Ashley Bloomfield - the balm for our furrowed brows When children ask me what I did during the great pandemic of the 2020s, I will tell them I participated in idolatry so egregious that the Golden Calf would’ve blushed a dusky shade of metallic rose. Every ...
The Single Object is a series exploring our material culture, examining the meaning and influence of objects that surround us in everyday life. Artist Bronwyn Holloway-Smith shares her obsession with the 30,000km long Southern Cross Cable that connects New Zealand to the internet and the rest of the world, and ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephanie Collins, Associate Professor of Philosophy, Australian Catholic University To the young and healthy, our new “social distancing” rules may look unnecessarily draconian. If you’re in a demographic that’s low risk for coronavirus, it may be difficult to see the benefit of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dr Mette Hotker, Lecturer in Social Planning, RMIT University Most Australians know you never end up winning on the pokies. What Australians might not know is that the odds of winning a case against a poker-machine proposal in their local neighbourhood are ...
Sports journalist Jim Kayes was a weekend host for the canned Radio Sport channel - and reckons its demise and cuts to sports reporting nationally can in part be put down to snobbery and neglect. It was never my plan to cover sport but a busted knee saw it happen. ...
The number of Māori academic staff remains disproportionately low at New Zealand universities. Simon Day spoke to three newly appointed Māori professors at the University of Otago about why putting te ao Māori at the centre of their work is so important. Māori participation in tertiary education is steadily increasing. According ...
Wellington, 1 April - Rushing to deal with new vaping legislation during an unprecedented economic lockdown is not just folly, it is anti-democratic, according to a public submission by the New Zealand Initiative. While most businesses and public services ...
As the Covid-19 pandemic takes its toll on the New Zealand economy, Greenpeace is pushing back on industry lobbyists and politicians arguing for weakening and delaying environmental protections. The environment group says that now more than ever, we ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Craig Jeffrey, Director and CEO of the Australia India Institute; Professor of Development Geography, University of Melbourne Last week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a 21-day lockdown for India’s 1.3 billion people. With just four hours’ notice, the government instructed everyone to ...
In the new series Final Mix, music journalist Yadana Saw chats with local musicians and listens to their latest tracks in the ultimate testing ground: the car. The first episode is with cross-Atlantic country maven Tami Neilson.“There’s before, and then there’s after.”It’s a prophetic lyric on Tami Neilson’s new album ...
With broader testing criteria coming into place, the Government is expecting to discover more Covid-19 cases within the community, Marc Daalder reports The Ministry of Health admitted on Wednesday afternoon that it was likely missing cases of Covid-19 spreading within the community because testing criteria were too narrow. "We still ...
The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union is slamming today’s announcement of $25 million — $10 million for local iwi groups and $15 million for Whānau Ora providers — and says that funding based on skin colour at a time when the nation needs to come ...
How is Covid-19 spreading within the country? Newsroom is collating information as it's available to paint a picture of what's happening. There were 61 new cases of Covid-19 in New Zealand today, up from the previous day's 58 new cases. Details of how many tests have been completed are now being ...
A non-profit group is signing up qualified health professionals - retired, out of the workforce or part-time - to join a kind-of Home Guard to fill areas of need in the health system during the pandemic. As we enter week two of the Level 4 Covid-19 alert, we need to preserve ...
Join Leonie Hayden as she works through the first four weeks of Scotty Morrison’s Māori Made Easy.Rāapa/WednesdayToday we’re practising our pronunciation of the letter ‘r’ and in order to do that, we’re going to practise Māori place names. These are probably the words we’ve been taught to pronounce incorrectly the most, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Matthew Kearnes, Professor, Environment & Society, School of Humanities and Languages, UNSW Public health messages about COVID-19 have been inconsistent and changed rapidly. Many have called for a unified source of expertise to guide responses to the crisis. However, with the federal, ...
Tim Pankhurst, chief executive of Seafood NZ and former leading newspaper editor, retires this week after 48 years in the workforce. He looks back on a final week like no other. A week ago before the world changed we were fishing at dawn on the shore of the Rangaunu Harbour ...
MPs and economists are calling for greater transparency on the use of welfare and business subsidies, as the Finance Minister outlines the economic challenge ahead for New Zealand.The financial fallout from the coronavirus pandemic is set to be markedly worse for New Zealand than that from the global financial ...
OPINION:By Laurens Ikinia A sad story has taken place again in the PT Freeport Indonesia gold and copper mine area near Timika in West Papua on Monday with one New Zealander shot dead and seven other workers being severely wounded as reported by Asia Pacific Report yesterday. As ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming the comments from Finance Minister Grant Robertson, and National Party MP Gerry Brownlee, calling on councils across New Zealand to look at their books and see what is possible to reduce the rates burden on New Zealanders. ...
What are you going to be watching in April? The Spinoff rounds up everything that’s coming to streaming services this month, including Netflix, Lightbox, Amazon Prime, Disney+, Apple TV+, Neon and TVNZ OnDemand.Click here to read our listings from March.The BiggiesRun (Season 1 on Neon weekly from April 13)I’m calling it: ...
As millions of Kiwis stay home, power companies say Covid-19 hasn't factored into their annual power price changes, the majority of which kick in on April 1. ...
In these testing times, we’re all spending a fair amount of time on our phones and computers. Here are some simple ways to make that time safer for yourself.As if we weren’t all indoors on our phones enough already, Covid-19 is ensuring that our screen time is going to be ...
As the new season of Kirstie and Phil’s Love It or List It drops, Tara Ward investigates how the gurus can help us with our own interpersonal property dilemmas.We’re approaching the second week of national lockdown, and it’s about now that many of us will begin to have the “love ...
The outside is telling us, ‘I could do that again whenever I wanted. You think about that.’ Read more Lockdown letters here.‘When I’m being a badger I live in a hole and eat earthworms,” the nature writer Charles Foster wrote. “When I’m being an otter I try to catch fish ...
The government is doubling the amount it plans to borrow for the current financial year to pay for its various Covid-19 rescue and support packages. ...
Across the United States the concert halls and theatres are silent. Broadway has shut down. The mighty 3800-seat Metropolitan Opera House is in lock-down. Actors, opera stars and choruses, musicians are on furlough if they are lucky. But the best shows in town remain: the midday news conference by News ...
The Sensible Sentencing Trust (SST) are in absolute shock at the early release of multi-millionaire child sex offender Martin Lawes, after only a mere 18 months into his 4 year and 6 month jail term. SST National spokesperson Jess McVicar said the ...
Our Covid-19 gifs are now available in te reo Māori. Spread the word (while staying at home).The suite of excellent illustrations and gifs created by microbiologist Siouxsie Wiles and illustrator Toby Morris have had an undeniable impact during the Covid-19 crisis. They offer clear communication of sometimes complex concepts, and ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is calling on the Wellington City and Wellington Regional Councils to freeze the funding of their economic and tourism promotion agency after its ill-judged “We Wellington” campaign - wasting tens of thousands in ratepayer ...
Lotta Dann reflects on staying sober in the midst of a global crisis, and shares some advice for those who are looking to cut back. If you’ve seen the endless news reports and social media posts about alcohol, you’d be forgiven for thinking all New Zealanders are drinking away their days ...
Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage.New Zealand Parliament Buildings, Wellington, New Zealand.Today’s contentPublic health strategy Derek Cheng (Herald): Lockdown ‘not enough’, top professor tells Govt video conference Derek Cheng (Herald): Just when you ...
Spending through Paymark dropped more than 70 per cent on the first day of lockdown, and remained at record low levels through the week to Sunday, March 29. ...
Trump sees 100k US deaths as "very good job" as better than initial forecast of 2.2m; US deaths overtake 9/11; Eight percent of over 50s need hospitalisation. Peter Bale wraps the Covid-19 news overnight.The "deathalyser" keeps climbing: The evil mathematical simplicity of the exponential nature of the novel coronavirus plays out ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amanda Gearing, Journalist, author, broadcaster, Queensland University of Technology I’m trying to work out what to do before I end up in a body bag but that seems unavoidable right now. This was one of the first replies this month ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marissa Parrott, Reproductive Biologist, Wildlife Conservation & Science, Zoos Victoria, and Honorary Research Associate, BioSciences, University of Melbourne Tree kangaroos are so unusual that when Europeans first encountered them in Australia in 1872, they were sceptical. Who would believe a kangaroo could ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Luke Zaphir, Researcher for the University of Queensland Critical Thinking Project, The University of Queensland With the COVID-19 pandemic causing a great deal of anxiety, we might come to think people are irrational, selfish or downright crazy. We see people showing up ...
Since late 2019, the world has been fighting the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). In response to the pandemic, governments around the world have been using data and technology in their efforts to contain the spread of the virus. Access Now puts forward ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Warwick Smith, Research economist, University of Melbourne Understandably, given we are in a crisis, the government has baulked at including superannuation contributions in the A$140 billion worth of $1,500 per fortnight wage top-ups it will be directing to six million Australians. As ...
Business confidence and retail sales collapse as lockdown begins; Infrastructure NZ sees 30 percent of jobs lost in 6 months; Kathmandu shares haltedSurvival mode:ANZ’s latest business confidence survey made for grim reading. The bank said there was very little that was positive in the survey as businesses switch ...
Good morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Government approach to testing faces serious scrutiny, second Queenstown nurse tests positive, and PM rejects curfew call.The government’s approach to fighting the Covid-19 outbreak has faced a robust bout of scrutiny, both from MPs and experts. It only took one sitting ...
Government could enter the construction market in a way not seen in several generations, Dileepa Fonseka reports Ministers are rushing to prevent the country's construction sector hollowing out under lockdown. However, they've also admitted the state's role in construction will massively expand in a way unheard of in several generations. That could include turning Crown Infrastructure ...
Jacinda Ardern says New Zealand is willing to help thousands of people from overseas get back to their own countries, but doing it under lockdown may take a bit longer. ...
Auckland GP Himali McInnes makes a plea for anyone needing medical care to call their doctor.Last week, I wrote of the Covid-induced frenzy in our general practise waiting roomin Three Kings, Auckland. Anxiety flurried in and out, bringing on its coat-tails the marginally unwell. Patients avoided eye contact ...
For all The Spinoff’s latest coverage of Covid-19 see here. Read Siouxsie Wiles’s work here. New Zealand is currently in alert level four. The country is shut down, apart from essential services. For updated official government advice, see here.The Spinoff’s coverage of the Covid-19 outbreak is funded by The Spinoff Members. To support this work, join The ...
Only a small minority of tourists to Milford Sound and its stunning surrounds are from New Zealand, but that will have to change if the region is to recover when the lockdown ends, reports Jim Kayes.Nonu’s had plenty of walks.The retriever-collie cross is just back from ...
The University of Auckland's Nicholas Rowe draws some parallels between the restrictions in West Bank and Gaza Strip during the second intifada and the current lockdown in New Zealand Covid-19 and New Zealand’s national lockdown means online teaching has become the new ‘normal’ at the University of Auckland. The process ...
As the ripple effects of Covid-19 continue to put livelihoods on the line and a recession seems inevitable, the fate of organisations that largely survive on donations and volunteers is precarious. Current severe restrictions on movement mean the tasks normally done by volunteers face-to-face just won’t be possible, and while ...
The Cook Islands has quarantined itself from the world, and collapsed its vital tourism industry in the process. With no Covid-19 cases so far, it’s now a nervous wait to see if the lockdown will work, reports Emmanuel Samoglou. It’s quiet in Rarotonga. Much quieter than usual for this tiny ...
To prevent hospital overload from the Covid-19 crisis and beyond, alcohol sales hours should be cut and prices raised, argue Louise Delany and George Thomson of the University of Otago. This is a time to immediately reduce the stresses for the health system. We must plan for scenarios where thousands ...
We’re only just beginning to understand the vast political ramifications of the coronavirus, both here and around the world, writes Colin James.What comes after Covid-19? Not business as usual. The global virus is a disjunctive shock and such a shock sets up a chain reaction that changes the order of ...
Striking scenes from the first week of alert level four restrictions in our biggest city. As New Zealand adjusted to alert level four Covid-19 restrictions, the usually bustling streets of Tāmaki Makaurau were all but deserted. We captured this surreal, strangely beautiful footage during the first week of ...
The tool is targeted at people who want to expose those who are exploiting the options for reporting misbehaviour amid Covid-19 alert level four. It is said to be the ‘new normal’.A new online tool for reporting people who take advantage of mechanisms designed to keep the peace in lockdown ...
A quick reminder why we need to hold firm, and resist any temptation to bend the rules.For almost a week now, every one of us who isn’t an essential worker has been confined to their bubble. We are allowed to go shopping for groceries, to visit the doctor, and to ...
The Real Pod assembles one more time to dissect the final week of The Bachelorette NZ, with special thanks to Nando’s.We’ve reached the end of our love journey in more ways than one, as this season of The Bachelorette NZ coincides with end of The Real Pod in its current ...
We can be justifiably proud of our Government’s approach to the Covid 19 virus crisis. It has acted quickly recognising the WHO recommendations. The country “lock-down’ will do much to stop the spread of the virus and the Government support for people ...
Frontline health workers in aged care, home care, and community support are relieved by the Ministry of Health announcement that proper PPE will now be made available to them through DHBs. E tū member Pam King, a support worker in Invercargill, congratulated ...
The second in our new series of charts, graphics and data-visualisations by Chris McDowall, covering the Covid-19 epidemic within New Zealand. We’ll publish the latest set each day on The Spinoff.This work is entirely funded by the generosity of The Spinoff MembersInformation about confirmed and probable cases of Covid-19 in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Larisa Labzin, Research Fellow, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland With much of society now effectively in lockdown, how will we know when it’s safe to resume something like normality? It will largely depend on being able to say who ...
Open mike 11/04/2015 
Open mike is your post.
Hungary has been a virtual dictatorship for a decade now, as Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has gradually eroded its democracy. But now, its official, with the passage of an indefinite emergency law allowing rule by decree:Hungary’s parliament has passed a new set of coronavirus measures that includes jail terms for ...1 hour ago
It's my distraction, setting up tiny scenes to photograph. I've got stuck on the Babushka dolls for now. Something about their bubble shape. Something about their never changing, smiling features, suggesting persistent equanimity. Can we get through everything that is being thrown at us and keep at least a tiny ...5 hours ago
. . March 31: Day six of living in lock-down… This time I managed to sleep a little longer and the alarm woke me at the pre-set time: 6.55am. Then remembered I was working a later shift and could’ve slept in. Oh well, there are things to do at home. ...6 hours ago
Image credit: Diamond Harbour School Blogs I notice a few regulars no longer allow public access to the site counters. This may happen accidentally when the blog format is altered. If your blog is unexpectedly missing or ... 7 hours ago
For almost a week now, every one of us who isn’t an essential worker has been confined to their bubble. We are allowed to go shopping for groceries, to visit the doctor, and to get a bit of exercise if we stay local. The reason we are doing this is ...8 hours ago
The Covid-19 saga will no doubt produce many twists and turns for us before it is finally brought to an end. But one thing it has shown us – and what comfort it should bring us – is that our country’s government is in good hands. I am not thinking ...9 hours ago
The following statement was released on March 28 by the National Network on Cuba, a coalition of 40 groups, based in the United States. In recent weeks, Cuba has deployed hundreds of medical providers to over a dozen countries in Europe, Asia, as well as to their neighbors in Latin ...20 hours ago
On March 17, Finance Minister Grant Robertson was quick out of the blocks with an economic rescue package to help businesses through the inevitable recession resulting from the coronavirus pandemic. Robertson had pulled together a scheme in short order that so far seems to have saved many jobs. In his ...1 day ago
Yesterday, New Zealand recorded its first Covid-19 related death on the West Coast. Unfortunately this is unlikely to be the only fatality, with the virus now being found in every region of the country.However despite the significant danger, people are still unfortunately breaching lockdown rules.There’s really only one main very ...2 days ago
Story of the Week... Toon of the Week... Coming Soon on SkS... Climate Feedback Claim Review... SkS Week in Review... Poster of the Week... Story of the Week... ‘Misinformation kills’: The link between coronavirus conspiracies and climate denial Grist / Rob Kim / Stringer / CSA Images Scientific ...2 days ago
The kids did surprisingly well today – meltdown count was about 3, and mostly fairly short ones. (And a fourth while I was writing.) Game-wise I had a go at Fell Seal: Arbiter’s Mark. It’s a fairly standard RPG with turn-based combat and what they call a “mature storyline” (it ...3 days ago
by Don Franks Hi David, Nice hearing from you, I’m glad to hear you’re getting by okay in these grim times. You asked how’s it going for us back here in New Zealand. You would have heard that the whole country is locked down and with breaks for exercise and ...3 days ago
The CV-19 (COVID) pandemic has seen the imposition of a government ordered national quarantine and the promulgation of a series of measures designed to spread the burden of pain and soften the economic blow on the most strategically important and most vulnerable sectors of society. The national narrative is framed ...4 days ago
Fortune's Children: Under extraordinary pressure, the leader of the Government and the leader of the Opposition will each show us what they are made of. Have they been blessed with intelligence, grace, wit, poise, toughness, empathy and humour – and in what measure? More importantly, to what extent have they ...4 days ago
Society-wise, aside from the specific morbidity shall we say of the medically-oriented aspects of this COVID-19 crisis, what is unfolding before the world is in more than one way an instructive study of humanity and reactions to a high intensity, high stress environment in real time. Friends, we are at ...5 days ago
Right now low waged and insecure workers are feeling the economic brunt of the looming #Covid19 Recession. In response legal advocate Toby Cooper* and hospitality and worker’s rights advocate Chloe Ann-King, are putting together a series of legal blogs about your employment rights: In this legal blog we outline some ...5 days ago
Kia ora my name is Chloe Ann-King* and I am the founder of Raise the Bar, a campaign and non-profit that gives free legal aid, advocacy and tautoko to hospitality workers in Aotearoa. Right now all over our country hospo workers are being fired at will, having shifts cut or being ...1 week ago
According to Newshub, Simon Bridges is open to joining a “grand coalition” with Labour as we hunker down to go into a month long lockdown. The idea is sound. Before now, the role of the opposition was to scrutinise and oppose. In the context of what almost amounts to a ...1 week ago
Kia ora my name is Chloe Ann-King* and I am the founder of Raise the Bar, a campaign and non-profit that gives free legal aid, advocacy and tautoko to hospitality workers in Aotearoa. Right now all over our country hospo workers are being fired at will, having shifts cut or ...1 week ago
A few days ago I was starting to write something about the pandemic, which now seems unconscionable. It took the form of a letter to an agony aunt:“Dear Deidre, I have an ugly confession. I am quite excited by Covid-19.”This is how the piece went:“I’m not a psychopath, honest. Although the ...1 week ago
I am a pundit, somebody who opines and comments on the news. There are no real qualifications to punditry though having a rudimentary way with words and good general knowledge helps. That is one reason there is a constant oversupply of would-be pundits and why it is quite hard to ...1 week ago
COVID-19 has plunged Aotearoa New Zealand (indeed, the world) into territory that, while maybe not totally unprecedented, certainly hasn’t been seen during the lifetimes of most of us here today. Our borders are closed to non-citizens, we’re being told not to gather in groups of more than 500 outside/100 inside, ...1 week ago
New Zealand can emulate the success of the US after the Great Depression by exploiting our own resources to turn the economy around quickly, Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters says. Mr. Peters told Magic Talk that New Zealand has an opportunity to come out of the COVID-19 pandemic a "superior, ...1 day ago
The COVID-19 situation in New Zealand is moving fast - and to avoid what we've seen overseas - the Government's response must be to move fast too. We're committed to keeping New Zealanders safe and well-informed every step of the way. ...4 days ago
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The scale of what we face right now is unlike anything we have ever seen before. Overcoming it is our common purpose. ...1 week ago
Businesses can start applying to their banks for loans under the Business Finance Guarantee Scheme set up to support the New Zealand economy during the COVID-19 pandemic. “We’re moving quickly to protect New Zealand businesses, jobs and the economy during this unprecedented global economic shock,” Finance Minister Grant Robertson said. ...36 mins ago
Helping Low Income Families cope in this time of crisis is critical to their survival says Peter Malcolm Spokesperson for Income Equality Aotearoa NZ Inc—“Closing the Gap” Families on low incomes need and deserve all the financial help they can ...21 mins ago
With neither a bang nor barely a whimper, barely one week ago New Zealand put being a long established and respected Parliamentary democracy on hold to become a virtual Police state in the ongoing fight against Covid-19, writes Peter Dunne We have settled into a life regime more restrictive ...39 mins ago
Almost a week into the level four lockdown and people are probably starting to feel a little cooped up. To help with this, some subscription services and brands have begun to make their products temporarily free. Here are just some of the things currently on offer.For those with the privilege ...1 hour ago
Life and health insurers are trimming their policy offerings in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, because some risks linked to the virus are deemed too great. Partners Life founder and risk expert Naomi Ballantyne said it was important consumers knew what they were covered for, particularly if they were ...1 hour ago
The housing market continued to perform well through the pre-lockdown period, with properties in all 16 major centres growing in value for the fourth consecutive month. The QV House Price Index data rose 6.1 percent in the year to March, with the average house price rising to $728,276. However, last ...1 hour ago
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert Breunig, Professor of Economics and Director, Tax and Transfer Policy Institute, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University How would you feel if you were having a Zoom meeting with your accountant and they asked “how would you like to ...1 hour ago
Kathmandu has moved to strengthen its finances to counter the impact of the Covid-19 virus. The outdoors clothing retailer will raise $207 million through a sale of new shares, some of which will go to large investment funds, with the balance offered to existing shareholders. Group chief executive Xavier Simonet ...2 hours ago
The country's banks are likely to take a significant hit to their profits from the Covid-19 virus, according to a new report. Business advisory firm KPMG's latest quarterly Financial Institutions Performance Survey for the final three months of last year showed bank profits had already fallen nearly 7 percent, $1.1 ...2 hours ago
Anna Rawhiti-Connell's ode to Director-General Ashley Bloomfield - the balm for our furrowed brows When children ask me what I did during the great pandemic of the 2020s, I will tell them I participated in idolatry so egregious that the Golden Calf would’ve blushed a dusky shade of metallic rose. Every ...2 hours ago
Sports journalist Jim Kayes was a weekend host for the canned Radio Sport channel - and reckons its demise and cuts to sports reporting nationally can in part be put down to snobbery and neglect. It was never my plan to cover sport but a busted knee saw it happen. ...3 hours ago
With broader testing criteria coming into place, the Government is expecting to discover more Covid-19 cases within the community, Marc Daalder reports The Ministry of Health admitted on Wednesday afternoon that it was likely missing cases of Covid-19 spreading within the community because testing criteria were too narrow. "We still ...4 hours ago
How is Covid-19 spreading within the country? Newsroom is collating information as it's available to paint a picture of what's happening. There were 61 new cases of Covid-19 in New Zealand today, up from the previous day's 58 new cases. Details of how many tests have been completed are now being ...4 hours ago
The Minister for Infrastructure Shane Jones, says building new roads could help address the looming unemployment crisis. ...5 hours ago
More questions were fired at top government officials in the second Epidemic Response Committee meeting. ...5 hours ago
A non-profit group is signing up qualified health professionals - retired, out of the workforce or part-time - to join a kind-of Home Guard to fill areas of need in the health system during the pandemic. As we enter week two of the Level 4 Covid-19 alert, we need to preserve ...5 hours ago
Tim Pankhurst, chief executive of Seafood NZ and former leading newspaper editor, retires this week after 48 years in the workforce. He looks back on a final week like no other. A week ago before the world changed we were fishing at dawn on the shore of the Rangaunu Harbour ...5 hours ago
MPs and economists are calling for greater transparency on the use of welfare and business subsidies, as the Finance Minister outlines the economic challenge ahead for New Zealand. The financial fallout from the coronavirus pandemic is set to be markedly worse for New Zealand than that from the global financial ...5 hours ago
As millions of Kiwis stay home, power companies say Covid-19 hasn't factored into their annual power price changes, the majority of which kick in on April 1. ...6 hours ago
Across the United States the concert halls and theatres are silent. Broadway has shut down. The mighty 3800-seat Metropolitan Opera House is in lock-down. Actors, opera stars and choruses, musicians are on furlough if they are lucky. But the best shows in town remain: the midday news conference by News ...7 hours ago
The National Party leader Simon Bridges, says quarantine and more testing are needed to eliminate Covid-19. ...9 hours ago
Spending through Paymark dropped more than 70 per cent on the first day of lockdown, and remained at record low levels through the week to Sunday, March 29. ...9 hours ago
Trump sees 100k US deaths as "very good job" as better than initial forecast of 2.2m; US deaths overtake 9/11; Eight percent of over 50s need hospitalisation. Peter Bale wraps the Covid-19 news overnight. The "deathalyser" keeps climbing: The evil mathematical simplicity of the exponential nature of the novel coronavirus plays out ...9 hours ago
Business confidence and retail sales collapse as lockdown begins; Infrastructure NZ sees 30 percent of jobs lost in 6 months; Kathmandu shares halted Survival mode: ANZ’s latest business confidence survey made for grim reading. The bank said there was very little that was positive in the survey as businesses switch ...10 hours ago
Government could enter the construction market in a way not seen in several generations, Dileepa Fonseka reports Ministers are rushing to prevent the country's construction sector hollowing out under lockdown. However, they've also admitted the state's role in construction will massively expand in a way unheard of in several generations. That could include turning Crown Infrastructure ...11 hours ago
Auckland GP Himali McInnes makes a plea for anyone needing medical care to call their doctor. Last week, I wrote of the Covid-induced frenzy in our general practise waiting room in Three Kings, Auckland. Anxiety flurried in and out, bringing on its coat-tails the marginally unwell. Patients avoided eye contact ...12 hours ago
Only a small minority of tourists to Milford Sound and its stunning surrounds are from New Zealand, but that will have to change if the region is to recover when the lockdown ends, reports Jim Kayes. Nonu’s had plenty of walks. The retriever-collie cross is just back from ...12 hours ago
The University of Auckland's Nicholas Rowe draws some parallels between the restrictions in West Bank and Gaza Strip during the second intifada and the current lockdown in New Zealand Covid-19 and New Zealand’s national lockdown means online teaching has become the new ‘normal’ at the University of Auckland. The process ...12 hours ago
As the ripple effects of Covid-19 continue to put livelihoods on the line and a recession seems inevitable, the fate of organisations that largely survive on donations and volunteers is precarious. Current severe restrictions on movement mean the tasks normally done by volunteers face-to-face just won’t be possible, and while ...12 hours ago
The Cook Islands has quarantined itself from the world, and collapsed its vital tourism industry in the process. With no Covid-19 cases so far, it’s now a nervous wait to see if the lockdown will work, reports Emmanuel Samoglou. It’s quiet in Rarotonga. Much quieter than usual for this tiny ...12 hours ago
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Sheesh!
Must be doing something right to get mentioned two mornings in a row on the Paul Henry show?
Sometimes your worst enemy can be your best friend?
(Sort of thing …)
Pity about the factual accuracy on yesterday’s piece regarding my rates case with Auckland Council.
Picking on the WRONG woman Paul Henry ….
Penny Bright
http://www.pennybright4mayor.org.nz
He is very repetitive Penny
Ed Milibanf today visited Scotland to campaign with Jim Murphy and zed Balls for votes for Labour votes. They attacked the SNP as usual and repeated the old refrain that Scotland was too wee, too poor and too stupid to have a real say in Westminstet or to govern themselves.
Here is a post on that visit by a blogger in The Scotsman.
Karinish
10/04/2015 8:10 PM GDT
Yes, there they all were today: all these “proud Scots”, out and about in force, desperate to convince us that we are a beggar nation, entirely dependent on English subsidy, without which we would face doom and disaster on an epic scale: the same message we have had from them for over half a century.
No attempt to explain why 300 years of blessed Union, as they would have it, has left us in such a parlous state. No attempt to explain why Scotland, alone among European nations of similar size and, arguably, less gifted resource wise, should be unable to offer its citizens a decent standard of public service. No attempt to explain why the massive bonus of North Sea oil revenues has left us a beggar nation.
Current polling evidence, which one can only hope is maintained, suggests that Scots have had enough of this nonsense. If we are in a bad state, it can only mean that the Union is not, in fact, beneficial or that Scots suffer from some unexplained defect that prevents them from doing what other nations are able to. You won’t get any Unionist politician willing to tell us which it is.
It’s time to put a stop to this, once and for all. Only full fiscal autonomy and access to all our resources, without exception, will prove or disprove Unionist propaganda.
Even if the beggar nation message being put about were genuine, there is never any effort to map out a better future. Why not? They seem almost proud of our inadequacy. We can only assume that it is a situation that suits the Unionist parties and why wouldn’t it? The Tories and Labour are content with the buggins turn system and the Lib Dems don’t really want third party competition.
The sooner they get the shock of their lives, the better. If they don’t, Scotland can look forward to beggar nation status for evermore. What genuinely proud Scot would vote for that?
Fran O’Sullivan practically confirms that CampbellLive demotion is indeed politically motivated http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11430860
That’s a good article.
(Is spruiking the current verb du jour?)
That word is suddenly everywhere. I don’t what it means so had to look it up:
http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/spruik
From the early 20th century apparently and means to promote or publicise.
Interesting how words have fashion cycles.
I am thrilled that the term “passionate” is almost out of use. It was word that was hijacked by the corporate world a few decades ago. They polluted it’s meaning. It may still be on some old, yet to be updated CV’s.
Then they came for John Campbell. And what did you say?
Next, they go for ….
Quoting article:
My bold.
The word “mortgage” comes from the old French which means “death pledge”
So that explains this government – A death pledge for the next generation. Morally bankrupt, the Key government.
@Adam
Not only morally bankrupt this mornings NZH article states:-
The Government’s interest bill was 7.9 per cent or $200 million higher than a year ago, reflecting a $4 billion increase in gross debt to $87.5 billion and a $3.5 billion increase to $63.5 billion in net debt which excludes the New Zealand Superannuation Fund, student loans and other advances.
Less than 5 million people owe $63.5 million ? amazing.
Don’t worry about that. It’s small change. Instead, worry about private sector and household debt. Which in 2010 was several times higher at $315B.
http://www.treasury.govt.nz/publications/reviews-consultation/savingsworkinggroup/finalreport/19.htm
Genter was interviewed yesterday saying that the government had no economic management credibility after failing to get its books out of deficit.
This is a newsflash for all lefties: the main way this government can get out of deficit is by slashing social services and hiking up regressive taxes. In NZ’s position of being in a chronic current account deficit, our government MUST borrow billions every year back into the country, or NZ will nosedive into a severe recession.
Lefties who push for NZ govt books to go back into surplus, IMO, know not what they are asking for.
Do you mean this govt, or any NZ govt?
Any NZ government, so long as they are presiding over a significant current account deficit which is sending billions of NZD out of our local economy into offshore accounts.
How did various Labour govts get out of deficit?
By taking more money out of the NZ economy i.e. out of households, and out of businesses, than they spent into it. Hence the government runs a surplus – which they crow about – while the private sector (including households) runs a deficit.
was that by taxation and cutting social spending?
btw, thanks for answering what probably seem like very basic questions. I’m finding this pretty helpful.
Yes indeed – a right wing government is likely to achieve this surplus by cutting social spending and by increasing regressive taxation. A left wing government who believes in orthodox economic thinking also has got very little ideological space but to follow a similar prescription, albeit a bit more socially considerate and well balanced. But it still ends up being cuts to schools, universities and hospitals albeit not as deep as what a right wing government would do.
If we get the basic understandings right, we have a chance of getting the more complex stuff right too, otherwise we end up with Labour governments advocating for raising the Super age, keeping regressive GST high and other ridiculous right wing-like proposals.
+1
Lefties do not push for government books to go into surplus. Only righties do this but some righties pretend to be leftie when it suits them.
+1
orthodox financial indoctrination has seeped in everywhere
I don’t see many lefties “pushing” for government surplus. What people like Julie Anne Genter are highlighting is that this National-led government explicitly campaigned on the idea that being “better economic managers” would mean getting out of deficit faster.
I’m usually against buying into rightwing framing on economic issues, but the simple fact is one of National’s easiest-to-point-out weaknesses is making economic promises they never fulfil.
We should be glad they don’t fulfil that promise. And the Greens shouldn’t be confirming that mistaken understanding of economics that public sector deficits are bad for the nation’s economy.
We should be glad they don’t fulfil that promise.
We should – though I think their spending could have been far better directed.
But the simple, terrible fact of political communication is that “National ran a decade of deficits which was actually a good idea given the global economic situation following the 2008 GFC” has nowhere near the same impact as “National promised surpluses and didn’t deliver. Ergo National aren’t the brilliant economic managers they pretend to be.”
The thing is, the impact of political PR is not my job and I don’t much care for it.
I do however care about Lefties realising that reinforcing the priorities of neoliberal economists amongst the general voting population is absolutely the wrong thing to do, increases economic ignorance, and will come back to bite us in the arse.
Maybe not many on the Left but the Labour Party certainly has been and are quite proud of the fact that they ran so many years of surplus in the 2000s. This despite the fact that all private profit comes from the government running a deficit. It is this latter that makes it imperative that governments stop borrowing money and just create it as they need it.
Perhaps that is why they say nothing about this.
“the simple fact is one of National’s easiest-to-point-out weaknesses is making economic promises they never fulfil.”
Yep. And the slightly more complex fact is that great care must be taken to make sure the message is clearly about the ethical failure of breaking the promise, without implying there would be an economic virtue in keeping the promise.
Indeed, felix. That is very intelligent advice.
Absolutely. It’s difficult, but not impossible. And our current crop of MPs don’t always pull it off. At the same time, I think we on the sidelines could be more helpful by recognising the strategy in play instead of jumping straight to “Julie Anne Genter is an idiot who thinks surpluses are good.”
Agree. She and Meteria are pointing out the hypocrisy in National’s claim, the dishonesty not the integrity of the goal.
Yep totes. I definitely don’t mean to imply anything like that about Genter, she’s awesome.
No, that was more a response to CR’s comments about Genter “reinforcing neoliberal ideas”.
Agreed, and remember the rhetoric about catching up to Australian income standards (or was it living standards?). All abuzz a few years ago.
For Sans Cle information.
Using last Monday’s exchange rate the average weekly wage rate in Australia for the first quarter of 2015 was $A1130/week. The average in New Zealand, when converted to Australian dollars was $A1109/week. The difference hasn’t vanished, quite, but it is down to $21/week or just under 2%.
I’m not surprised the left have stopped talking about it. Not a very nice statistic for them to want to talk about is it?
The figures are those published by the Australian and New Zealand Governments. Google will find the information for you if you really want to check it. You will have to do a little bit to get them talking about the same time period as the timing of some of the published details varies a bit.
Short version: you’re not convinced you added everything up properly, so avoided providing your source links in the hope that people will believe what you say without checking it.
Good luck with that.
Short Version.
You don’t understand what you would need to do.
You are too lazy to bother checking it.
The explanation and referencing all the source numbers and the necessary calculations would take longer to detail than the results.
You would complain that it was to difficult for you to follow.
You wouldn’t accept the results anyway because they don’t tie in with your own doctrinaire beliefs do they?
I think I’d just like to see them, thanks. So far all you’ve shown is that you know how to type.
Alright, just for you I will sketch out the reasoning.
The exchange rate used was 0.9978. It is reported here
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11428614
I got the average income figures from two sources for New Zealand Income.
In June 2014 the average weekly income for private sector workers (including O/T) was given as being $1015/week at an hourly rate of $26.29. The average hourly rate was $28.23 so I estimated the overall average as being (1015/26.29)*28.23 or $1090/week.
Those number came from here, although they are sourced from the Stats Dept.
http://www.enz.org/new-zealand-salaries.html
I then got the latest hourly rate I could find. This was for December 2014, and I have assumed that it hasn’t changed. That rate was $28.77 and comes from here.
http://www.stats.govt.nz/browse_for_stats/income-and-work/employment_and_unemployment/LabourMarketStatistics_MRDec14qtr.aspx
Correcting for this increase gives an estimated average weekly income of (1090/28.23)*28.77 or $1111/week.
This converts to an Australian dollar amount of $A1109/week using the record Australian dollar exchange rate I quoted.
The Australian average weekly earnings was sourced from here.
http://www.tradingeconomics.com/australia/wages
I rounded it to $1130. Again it is for the fourth quarter of 2014 and I have assumed it hasn’t changed.
There. It might not satisfy the strictest rules for econometric data collection but I don’t have months to spare and it won’t be too far out for a back of the envelope calculation.
well, it all depends on the average hours worked to get that average weekly income, doesn’t it.
Seriously, if you’re correct, why isn’t national braying from the rooftops that they’ve actually done something key promised?
It is, in a sense, something of a fake and I wouldn’t seriously try to argue for it being all good for people or that incomes are really the same in what they will buy.
Most of the improvement is due to the continued strengthening of the New Zealand dollar against the Australian one. In March 2011 the rate was 0.7269 and today it is 0.9813. I was putting a political argument and that is why I chose the highest value, that of the 4th April 2015 when it was 0.9977.
Now the Government is arguing, and I think justifiably, that the change vs the Australian dollar reflects the better economy we have compared to across the ditch.
However if you looked at the different incomes at PPP, rather than the market exchange rates, I don’t think they would look as close. At the market exchange rates I would guess that many locally produced goods are more expensive here than in OZ. Cars are one of the interesting exceptions. Cars still seem to cost much more over there than they do in New Zealand. It is because they still promote an indigenous car manufacturing sector. A lot of other locally produced things are cheaper though. They would cost similar amounts in both countries at a lower exchange rate than we have today.
Imported goods cost very similar amounts though so people’s money generally goes further at the current exchange rate level. Our unemployment rates, currently lower than Australia, don’t seem to be boosted by the supposed penalty to exporters of the exchange rate so I don’t think we would be any better by trying to force it down.
What I’m worried about is whether the dollar in particular is signifying that Aus and maybe China are “levelling down” compared with us, rather than NZ improving. And we rely on our exports. Because then there will be a lag and we’ll start getting even worse off with no reserves to get out of it again.
It would be nice to see the figuring you used – the relative income measures, what you estimated the exchange rate as, how each source was gathered (partial survey vs census). And that’s before we even start checking whether you
The explanation and referencing all the source numbers and the necessary calculations would take longer to detail than the results
protip: ctrl+c
The fact that you also said You will have to do a little bit to get them talking about the same time period as the timing of some of the published details varies a bit. strongly implies that the devil is in the details. I mean, I know that no national party supporter has ever cherry-picked data with the intention of misleading people, but with multiple data sources it can be a cow to replicate someone else’s methodology, even if you don’t have to google it.
In the US, the effect of large corporations manipulating the tax system to avoid paying their share by using off-shore tax havens, accelerated depreciation, single tax break — writing off the value of executive stock options for tax purposes is clearly illustrated
in the data in the Citizens For Justice article.
“This CTJ report illustrates how profitable Fortune 500 companies in a range of sectors of the U.S. economy have been remarkably successful in manipulating the tax system to avoid paying even a dime in tax on billions of dollars in U.S. profits. These 15 corporations’ tax situations shed light on the widespread nature of corporate tax avoidance. As a group, the 15 companies paid no federal income tax on $23 billion in profits in 2014, and they paid almost no federal income tax on $107 billion in profits over the past five years. All but two received federal tax rebates in 2014, and almost all paid exceedingly low rates over five years.
Just one of 15 big Co.s illustrates the trend:
2014 2010-14 Totals
$-millions US profit Fed Tax Rate US profit Fed Tax Rate
Time Warner 4,296 –26 –0.6% 21,069 3,09 14.7%
http://ctj.org/pdf/15corporations0315.pdf
No wonder the public service, schools, etc are struggling.
Anyone else watching Matt Bowden on The Nation? What a fucking mess – talking complete shit
Wouldn’t need shit like that going near the market if cannabis was decriminalised.
Not only that but he kept going on about a need for safe, non-addictive drug which we have several off already.
LSD, Ecstasy and cannabis all have extremely low health risks when used responsibly (and if it comes from a good, clean source and is unadulterated). It was a very strange interview.
Are you suggesting that the general public would use LSD responsibly if it were decriminalised?
Dunno, but it’s not an easy one to abuse like cannibus. If you have a full time job it is easy to smoke a joint every night but a lot tougher to abuse LSD or E nightly, or even weekly.
Not to mention that despite its illegality you can still quite easily obtain said substances. But the point I was making was more around Bowden insistence that he can make a non-addictive and non-harmful drug but we already have those so why would one be illegal and the other legal. And it was a fucking strange interview
Interesting to think through making lsd legal.
There’s no such thing as a non-harmful drug, all drugs have side effects, the poison is in the dose etc.
I wouldn’t consider lsd easy to get, when compared to something like alcohol or cigarettes (prohibition is effective to an extent).
Abuse isn’t just how often you can take a drug, it’s also whether said drug is a good match for any individual. Lots of people shouldn’t take psychedelics, and those that do need to learn how to do so safely.
A lot would depend on how such a drug were decriminalised. I’ve been reading a bit about what’s happening in Colorado since cannabis was legal, lots of problems because dak is being marketed to expert users but is being used by newbies. Plus really stupid shit like selling cannabis in a candy bar and then kids eating them and ending up in a and e. Lots of overdosing. Main point being, there’s a lot of scope for the ignorance and stupidity of users, not to mention commerce, and that’s not even getting to the many people whose psyche’s aren’t suited to bring out of it.
Haven’t seen the interview though 🙂
i bet phils head is exploding right now that he cant comment…
I know I shouldn’t but I was thinking the same thing 😉
I would never advocate for legalisation of LSD – just contrasting it with the unusual position we have in NZ of someone being able to bring a drug to market which has the same risk and addictive potential a LSD under this new law while LSD remains not just illegal but as illegal as Heroin and Cocaine.
Sure, although I’m not sure why you consider LSD to be a low risk drug.
We don’t know what kind of drug Bowden wants to make do we? (didn’t listen all the way to the end).
But yeah, there’s all sorts of weird anomalies in drug laws.
Low risk as in zero physical harm potential (LSD is completely clean on the body) and non-addictive. As far mental health is concerned I think it is on par with cannabis…but don’t quote me on that.
I would be curious to know why anyone would consider LSD would be considered high risk to be honest.
I cannot help but draw your attention to the weird story of Tusko the elephant that overdosed on LSD http://scienceblogs.com/retrospectacle/2007/05/30/science-vault-how-much-lsd-doe-1/
The physiological impact of LSD is virtually nil. And books on illegal drugs of abuse regularly list its addictive potential as nil. The effect is entirely psychological. Accident or injury is certainly possible and has occurred, though that danger is nowhere near as bad as say, alcohol.
As far as psychological risk, those with pre-existing serious psychological conditions should steer clear. But even for them the danger of a psychotic episode is statistically less than cannabis or amphetamines. Otherwise a user who is well prepared should be fine.
Psychiatrists who specialized in LSD treatment in the first half of the 60s documented thousands of LSD sessions. They reported high success rates with alcoholism in particular, and found that in comfortable, friendly, supportive environments less than 1% had overly anxious or fearful reactions. Of that number, all were able to be calmed down, with supportive words. They declared it very safe. (The CIA scientists who at the same time were force-feeding it to unwitting subjects in an interrogation room while shining a light in their eyes and telling them they were going crazy and and that they were dying, came to very different conclusions.)
By any objective measure alcohol is a high risk drug, and LSD is a low risk drug. That is a statistical fact. So my question for you weka, is why would you doubt it?
I have met, and heard of people who used acid much too often in an addictive manner. But they are very rare, and usually have issues they are trying to hide from. For the vast majority, an acid trip is a heavy duty experience that requires some time to psychologically prepare for and to subsequently process – there’s no hurry to do it again. Terence McKenna, who was a well known high dose explorer, said that once or twice a year was enough for him. And also that for cannabis, more than once a week was overdoing it.
Plus the tolerance action is very different to other kinds of drugs. You would need to double the dose if you want to trip again within a few days.
Sadly, today the psychedelic drugs are lumped in with the dangerous narcotics as ‘intoxicants’. But that’s not how the shamanic cultures of old saw them. For them they were teachers, healers, sacred gifts from the gods. There was no ‘abuse’.
Unfortunately many young people do indeed take them as intoxicants, to get high and have a laugh. That is because of their ignorance based on received cultural stereotyping and misinformation regarding them. They are told it is an intoxicant, so that’s what they think it is. But when used responsibly, with respect, preparation, and proper intent, it can be a valuable, and very safe (but challenging), personal experience. As usual, the idiots ruin it for everyone. Legalization within the juvenile binge drinking mindset here in NZ for example, would be problematic I’m sure.
There is currently a new wave of research in these drugs regarding their value in treating amongst other things PTSD and drug addiction. There is healing here.
But hey, what would we want with a weirdo drug like that when we have something as awesomely toxic, dangerous, deadly, addictive and socially damaging as alcohol? Who else is getting drunk tonite?! Woo-hoo!
More to the point: is the question of whether or not the general public would use LSD responsibly a matter for the criminal justice system to deal with? I’ve yet to see a sensible argument for “Yes.”
@TheContrarian yes it was quite odd. Like how he kept talking about a totally safe non-addictive drug, but no comment about what kind of high it might produce. I.e., it sounded a lot like a ‘watch this space’ marketing ploy to me.
Anything that makes you feel good, and that’s surely the point of taking recreational drugs, can be addictive. Look at the countless hordes addicted to drooling on the couch watching endless hours of brainless TV. An activity now known to have an effect on the brain similar to narcotic sedation.
Any rehab worker knows that the physical part of a drug addiction, (tolerance/withdrawl), is nothing compared to the psychological part. So to claim the possibility of a drug can gets you high but cannot be addictive, is nonsensical.
e mike. would love to read about the sedation impact of tv… got any links saved?
Here’s one. And here.
“Psychophysiologist Thomas Mulholland found that after just 30 seconds of watching television the brain begins to produce alpha waves, which indicates torpid (almost comatose) rates of activity. Alpha brain waves are associated with unfocused, overly receptive states of consciousness. A high frequency alpha waves does not occur normally when the eyes are open. In fact, Mulholland’s research implies that watching television is neurologically analogous to staring at a blank wall.
I should note that the goal of hypnotists is to induce slow brain wave states. Alpha waves are present during the “light hypnotic” state used by hypno-therapists for suggestion therapy.”
Thanks e mike.
Without going into the impressive sounding scientific complexities of the issue, I can confirm the existence of the sedative effects of TV. My dear old late Mum could only watch television for a period of 5 minutes without falling into a deep slumber. We would have been happy to leave her in this vegetative state except that her voluminous snoring distracted us from our viewing. A brother, who learnt to mimic this historical circumstance with total accuracy, had to be banned from doing so for fear one of us would die laughing.
Addiction that involves distinct physiological pathways and thus withdrawal is a useful concept though, and I think it’s too much of a generalisation to say psychological addiction is worse. How much of both is due to the stress of drugs being illegal and addicts bring treated like shit by society?
Presumably Bowden is looking at drugs that don’t have obvious addictive pathways like opiates or alcohol.
I thought he was interesting, had some good ideas, but was too youth culture for me. The whole we can set up free clinics with specialists to help those with a tendency to addiction or abuse was either incredibly naive or marketing spin (albeit with good intentions). Lisa Owen’s questions were too reactionary (and she looked really tired)
“Addiction that involves distinct physiological pathways and thus withdrawal is a useful concept though, and I think it’s too much of a generalisation to say psychological addiction is worse. How much of both is due to the stress of drugs being illegal and addicts bring treated like shit by society?”
What I meant is that the psychological aspect of an addiction is tougher to beat than the physical withdrawal aspect.
Nicotine is considered the most addictive drug of all. Yet the physical withdrawal symptoms of going cold turkey last less than a week, and are not half as bad as a decent cold. “The most important component for full nicotine cessation is willpower.” Not patches.
Recovering alcoholics and opiate addicts typically speak of a moment of epiphany, when a sudden shift in self-perspective towards their addiction motivated them to quit successfully where previously they had failed. Note too, that these people often call themselves recovering addicts even after being sober for years.
It’s true that a serious drug addiction will physically alter reward pathways in the brain itself, and those changes remain long after the more obvious withdrawal symptoms are gone. But fighting against the temptation to relapse is still a psychological battle, particularly in times of stress.
First you get sober. Then somehow make it through withdrawal. Then comes the hard part. Sure the withdrawal stage can be tough, but at all stages the battle is psychological. It’s about accepting your problem, accepting the solution, motivation, willpower, and determination.
good comments.
along with the problems their addiction has caused, the ex-addict also has to face the issues that caused them to spiral out of control in the first place.
it’s damn tough but living like a sober human is better than living in an unreal state, enslaved by a demonic force.
matt’s comments echo those of russell brand. drug abuse shouldn’t be a criminal issue it should be a health issue. i don’t know what decriminalisation would look like but presumably class A drugs would still be tightly controlled..
you know that morphine = heroin right? the difference as to whether someone becomes addicted, is the social world in which the user lives.
Cheers ropata. The criminal status of drug use is one of the clearest examples of our collective irrationality and myth based policy.
Last week I reported on a great strike in Ireland, as 6,000 Dunnes Stores workers struck for more (and more secure) hours, job security, better pay and union recognition.
The strike was a big success.
The employer, however, has responded with harassment, victimisation, intimidation.
Here’s my update: https://rdln.wordpress.com/2015/04/10/after-the-strike-dunnes-stores-tries-punishing-and-victimising-workers/
ireland: a right wing paradise. burt and fisiani would love it
1 final day remaining until the scheduled return of; the last of the Rawsharkans.
You mean Phil?
yeah the place is not the same without Philip Ure and Murray the Rawshark…some of the best commentators
+100 Parsupial…look forward to Murray Rawshark returning and Philip Ure
Chooky
MR probably won’t be back soon by the sound of it, but at least he won’t be prevented from doing so if he chooses. I haven’t heard from PU, but imagine he will be back tomorrow. Thanks for your daily support of this action, though this week has been a bit lower key. I was actually surprised how long it took other commenters to just ignore this picket-line and wait us out.
The; blog-commenter union, proposal seems to have been a failure. It might have been better to have gone with my original analogy of moderators being; Judge, Jury & Executioner, in their banning decisions. So that it might be an improvement if commenters could volunteer for jury-duty somewhere in the process. However, I thought that came to close to the; “telling us how to run our site”, ban mine.
So, I’ll stop the vigil tomorrow and return to occasional commenting. The lack of resolution for underlying issues is a bit problematic though. There’s nothing to stop some similar situation occurring again, and while I’ll probably join any action that results, I am unlikely to take the lead in publicizing it again. It seems the right thing to have done; noisy protests draw more attention than silent nonparticipation. But slogans and analogies hinder conversations as much as they aid expression.
Hi Parsupial
I think the action was worth taking. It certainly drew people’s attention to the issues and grievances…and the fact that certain important contributors to this site were not happy and prepared to go on a boycott.
However I agree with you that nothing definitive has come out of this for conflict resolution. I admire your cool headed attempts at discussing the issues and conflict resolution…and your picket stance….It was a pleasure to join you on this online …lol
I too will return to occasional commenting
Kia ora, best wishes, haere pai, go well,
Cheers Chookster
Does silence = disinterest? I think not.
People will have refined their views and strategies and next time it might play out better.
Not sure there was ever a suggestion he would be “prevented” from returning after the 2 week ban ended? That phrasing is a little mischievous.
“It might have been better to have gone with my original analogy of moderators being; Judge, Jury & Executioner, in their banning decisions. So that it might be an improvement if commenters could volunteer for jury-duty somewhere in the process. However, I thought that came to close to the; “telling us how to run our site”, ban mine.”
The problem I have is that you wanted collective action but appeared to not be listening to what many people were saying. I think you really have no idea what it is that you are proposing and how that would work for the standard’s operational structure and the people running the place, and consequentally how that would affect the site. I commented a number of times on this and you didn’t engage, so it looks like you had this personal idea that you thought everyone else should support. That’s not unionism or working collectively.
And another shock to the system of Bill English and other National supporters regarding housing:
That’s one thing. Not everyone wants to live in a detached house and I think most people would be more than happy to live in an apartment block.
Then there’s this:
What’s the point of having all that space if you don’t use it?
You do use it. You just don’t use it as often as some twats at UCal think is justified. Fuck ’em.
Considering that they’re not making any more land and that we need to decrease the sprawl of our cities then we do need to consider the use of land and when it’s not used for anything or not. There’s also the idea that shared space would not only be used more but also improve community and socialisation to be considered.
Medium to high rise buildings with good parks are a better idea than everyone trying to have their own, barely used, bloody park.
The Chinese are making more land in the South China Sea 🙂
Medium to high rise buildings with good parks are a better idea than everyone trying to have their own, barely used, bloody park.
In close proximity to city centres, yes. Auckland is one of the few places where people living near a city centre expect and demand to live in a house. Most of us don’t live in Auckland, however, and expect the downsides of living in small towns to have upsides in terms of square meterage.
Also: I’ve lived in apartments sans kids (no probs) and with kids (fucking royal pain in the arse). If you have kids, a house with garden wins hands-down every time.
That’s what the “good parks” are for and as they’ll be playing with more people than you get in a detached house they’ll get better socialisation as well. I’d say that the adults supervising the kids would also get better socialisation.
Detached housing has, IMO, helped increase the isolation and disengagement that we see nowadays.
Do you have kids Draco? Because believe me, as the father of a 18 month old daughter, living in an apartment would be fucking nightmare. It’s a hell of a lot easier and more efficient to open the door to the backyard instead of packing lunch, nappies, pram and associated paraphernalia for a quick trip to the park while spending the entire time running around after them in an open space.
Basically, if you don’t have a child you can’t speak dick on the subject.
And yet the article that started all this was about a family of 7 living in an apartment. Two adults and five children with the adults there claiming that it’s all wonderful and a lot easier.
Good for them.
@PM – agree. I fucking hate apartment living and use my outdoor space often for BBQ’s, gardening, lounging and reading etc.
I did the apartment thing once and hated it with a passion. I was also a bit of a menace to the neighbours with my loud techno and late night habits. I’m much more suited to stand-alone housing.
Yeah me too. In fact I hate socialising inside, especially in other peoples’ houses with all their shit everywhere and it’s always too warm. Fuck that.
Considering the loud parties that I’ve been to and the neighbours have I don’t think that makes any difference. In other words, your loud techno music is irritating the neighbours anyway 😛
Probably. Artists like Drumcell and Jeff Mills are not to everyone’s taste…but fuck those people
Your neighbours should think themselves lucky. Mine are liable to get dosed with The Residents and Pere Ubu when they least expect it.
edit: They might be getting a bit of Drumcell for brekkie though…
Drumcell is my hands down favourite currently. Nice vicious techno – not fast mind you, just dark.
good point. I mean how long in the toilet? 30-60 secs on average? Doesnt mean it is irrelevant
In the old days you didn’t waste housing space on it, though. That’s what the out house was for 😛
And each household only needed one.
the romans and greeks had flushing toilets and long drops… shitting in company equalises everyone in the end…
as it were…
There’s an excellent reason why nobody builds outhouses any more – it’s because no bastard likes them. Such things are aptly described as “progress.”
Don’t know why you think an outhouse uses less space (or materials) than a loo in the house.
Eight years and these pricks haven’t been punished.
http://bigstory.ap.org/article/2ecb0b94550640c68bb85bd11c182a1e/ex-blackwater-guards-seek-sentencing-delay-cite-new-info
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackwater_Baghdad_shootings
Tim Groser caught our telling porkies.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11430894
RNZ reports it as just a gaffe.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/270925/minister's-tree-planting-gaffe
So when some Green leader candidates can’t asnwer some quetsions about exact inflation rates they are mocked for 2 days. When Groser offers a pre prepared answer that turns out to be wrong, it is a gaffe?
Now it might not have been a lie (not a proveable one) , but it was more than a gafee, it was completely wrong from the Minister who ought to know. Incompetent? Disinterested to find the right answer?
Climate Change
In California
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11430042
In Canada
http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/many-of-the-vast-glaciers-in-western-canada-could-almost-disappear-by-end-of-the-century-10158511.html
And in New Zealand, we fiddle while Rome burns….
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/environment/news/article.cfm?c_id=39&objectid=11430894
Had my new Tui billboard banner out on the street today at a VERY busy intersection:
Ak CCO$
= less rates
& more democracy yeah right
Auckland Council (CORPORATE) Controlled Organisations (CCOs) have been the mechanism for the corporate takeover of the Auckland region.
This John Key led National Coalition Government back in 2009 used the Rogernomic$ blitzkrieg technique of railroading through Parliament the underpinning Auckland $upercity (for the 1%) legislation, thus depriving citizens and ratepayers our lawful right to a BINDING poll.
However – do not ask me to have a frontal lobotomy.
The FACT is that it was arguably the most important recommendation of the LABOUR Government appointed Royal Commission on Auckland Regional Governance – that major infrastructure and trading functions be undertaken by Council Controlled Organisations (CCOs).
Although no CCO had ever been subjected to a ‘cost-benefit’ analysis.
FACT.
I know because I asked, and have the OIA replies to prove this.
Is Phil Goff going to campaign as a 2016 Auckland Mayoral candidate to abolish ALL CCOs?
(I am.)
If not – nothing will fundamentally change for the majority of Auckland citizens and ratepayers …..
Penny Bright
http://www.pennybright4mayor.org.nz
Looks like the first big cold blast of the season is on its way. Snow on Monday I think.
http://earth.nullschool.net/#current/wind/surface/level/orthographic=171.32,-37.51,512
Going incandescent over the actions of these fools.
Te Runanga o Arowhenua chairman John Henry said hearing the pair had killed the 1.4-metre eel with two spears was “a very sad occasion”.
“We would prefer they left them alone.”
Henry believed the eel was likely a breeding female and might have been about 90 years old.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/timaru-herald/news/67633815/eeler-apologises-for-killing-14m-longfin-eel-in-opihi-lagoon
http://www.longfineel.co.nz/
It’s a sad case of them being completely unprotected. How we still have a law that lets people commercially fish for a threatened native eel I don’t know.. But there must be countless losses of longfins every week through fishing. There’s also the water quality problem now from farming too, so they’re up against it.
Mate that photo made me feel sick to my guts ffs this makes my blood boil. This species should be fully protected and treated as the taonga it is, end of story.
Abbott Govt to save millions of dollars in upcoming budget by cutting child benefit from people who opt not to vaccinate their children. The benefits are worth up to $2100 per child. Pretty low to use vaccination status to discriminate against children.
http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/abbott-government-to-announce-antivaccination-parents-will-lose-benefits-20150411-1mie6x.html
”Under changes that could save more than $50 million a year, Social Services Minister Scott Morrison is preparing to scrap a “conscientious objection” provision which allows anti-vaccination parents to still claim welfare benefits including childcare assistance and Family Tax Benefit A.
”Many pro-vaccination groups and doctors are expected to welcome the policy as a way of further encouraging people to vaccinate their children, but other immunisation policy experts argue it would not lift immunisation rates and would discourage discussions about vaccination with doctors.”
It’s always about exercising control and power over the disadvantaged. I suspect that we won’t hear admirers of the orthodox establishment complaining about Abbott’s move to hurt children.
I agree in general but get the feeling in this case it’s driven by cost cutting. I don’t follow Australian politics that closely, but the Govt had huge problems passing health measures (like GP charges) in the last budget, so it could be interesting to see what happens with this, especially if independents are needed to pass the budget.
Australia recently announced that it is investing $1B plus in two additional US made military C-17 Globemasters.
Imperial vassal states have clear spending priorities, and its not on the poor.
Hmmm.
Many conditions on the vaccination schedule in NZ have increased transmission and harm in lower socioeconomic conditions (i.e. overcrowding and other detrimental conditions). So in order to punish parents who refuse to vaccinate (which, in principle, I lean towards favouring) Abbott will lower the socioeconimic conditions of unvaccinated children.
And I suspect the motive is purely to find an excuse to lower direct costs of welfare payments, and ignore the longer term increases in costs caused by both vaccine-preventable conditions and general poverty.
Seems a bit fucked in the head, really.
Appears to fit with efforts in the USA
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/09/us-usa-california-vaccine-idUSKBN0N00A420150409?feedType=RSS&feedName=scienceNews
“The personal belief exemption is now putting other school children and people in our community in danger.”
Thanks Murphey, I had heard this change had been mooted but wasn’t aware it had moved this far ahead. Dangerous stuff.
The Australian move seems like opportunistic leveraging off the recent vaccine debate but the Californian bill is a fundamental shift and removal of patient rights.
I would see the Australian situation being used as a ‘softening up’ exercise by attacking a small and vulnerable group and then seeking to widen the scope
Paula Bennett floated the same tactic in NZ a few years ago
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10805358
It was then taken off the table
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/8470697/Compulsory-beneficiary-jabs-axed
I would anticipate the ‘debate’ being reintroduced in NZ again in a very near time frame