Am I the only person who thinks a couple of NRL players (Jayden Okunbor and Corey Harawira-Naera) who are young men of 23 and 24 hooking up with a couple of 17 year old schoolgirls is grubby, but hardly the sensational scandal the media is making of it or a career ending act for the players or indeed anyone else's business? Anyone who has been in bar with pro-rugby players out on the rantan can attest to the keen enthusiasm of shoals of young women to get *ahem* better acquainted.
The girls parents are probably (and justifiably) furious, although I doubt the players or the girls feel much regret at their bit of vigorous rutting. AFAIK, no one is suggesting anything non-consensual or illegal occurred (the age difference, after all, is only six years or seven years) and no one has suggested anyone has made a complaint to police.
The bottom IMHO is the thickets of rules around conduct for players who are often not the brightest candles in the chandelier and are definitely not playing in the NRL only because their application for a reflective life of abstemious silence got turned down by their monastery of choice are simply a disaster waiting to happen. They really about protecting the clubs income from the outrage of po faced middle class media moralisers, not protecting young players and young women who clearly don't feel they need much protecting from each other.
Surely it far past the time we accept these guys are not role models – just professional sportsmen who are part of a genetic freak show, a circus act put on for our entertainment, and what they get up to off the paddock is entirely their business as long as they don't break any actual laws?
– If the All Blacks pulled at Dio, which brands including the sponsors, would suffer more?
– If the Black Ferns whisked a 16 year old boy from Otago Boy's High, what would happen to the women's game?
– Why don't we just apply your principle to every high school on the country, and to every sports code, with the principle of: it's legal, they enjoyed it, woo hooo?
– Will the men be able to look after the resulting children?
– Would it make a difference if the men were in their 60s and playing for a Seniors club?
– What about if the men were in their 80s?
Honestly Sanctuary, call me all patriarchal, but I'd recommend you have a daughter and work that scenario through.
– If the All Blacks pulled at Dio, which brands including the sponsors, would suffer more?
Don't know and don't care.
– If the Black Ferns whisked a 16 year old boy from Otago Boy's High, what would happen to the women's game?
Who knows? Lizzie Marvelly would probably be upset.
– Why don't we just apply your principle to every high school on the country, and to every sports code, with the principle of: it's legal, they enjoyed it, woo hooo?
Well… Yes.
– Will the men be able to look after the resulting children?
What children? Are you a Catholic or something?
– Would it make a difference if the men were in their 60s and playing for a Seniors club?
Of course it would, power relationships, grooming etc etc.
– What about if the men were in their 80s?
If an 80 year old is a) still playing rugby and b) has the energy to be able to bag a willing 17 year old school girl I'd be more impressed than outraged.
Honestly Sanctuary, call me all patriarchal, but I'd recommend you have a daughter and work that scenario through.
If it was my daughter I'd be paternally furious at her and furious at them, but their is shite I could actually do about it beyond a scolding and outrage.
Heh, you are possibly the only person that will post such a view on the Standard blogsite Sanctuary, put it that way…
It is not a great spectacle to regularly see contrite, tearful, 99.9% male, sports people sorry for themselves on Monday mornings. Another meth/coke/booze fuelled mayhem session somewhere. “I let everyone down”. Not necessarily “maayte”, not everyone gives one about professional sport or the people that play it and then “play up”. It is part of popular culture regardless though–and it must be said–toxic male culture in NZ and Australia.
Consenting people of age is one thing. But why discourage the Sporting Bodies when they have at long last started doing something at least to encourage better attitudes and behaviour towards women and the issue of consent? Sometimes they cloak it in “code of conduct” type language but it is sure needed. Rugby and League players and associates have made the media so many times when young girls, drunken players and hotel accomodation coincide.
I agree it is great we've moved on from the club snickering and back slapping the players in the club rooms to "WTF were you two idiots thinking???" That is progress.
However, I get annoyed at the idea the young women have no agency in all this – they clearly gave out their numbers and went to some effort and ingenuity to get to their hotel rendezvous. If I was their parents, I'd be pretty pissed off that while I was vetting the suitors at the front door they were sneaking out the back to meet a couple of horny football players. As the saying goes, it takes two to tango. Sometimes I wonder if people remember when they were 23 and ridiculously fit. at that age, your dick tends rules your life. These four people don't sound like candidates for Mensa, and I doubt they've signed up to the puritanism that seems to be the flip side of so many middle class liberals.
Like I said, grubby and ill-advised but hardly the end of the world.
Not in the modern world. Everything to do with female sexual expression is embraced and celebrated as empowering and liberating by our media, while anything male, and especially if heterosexual, exists only on a spectrum between grubby and rapey.
This is why it's unwise for men to say anything public to do with sexuality these days. Like Folau, feel free to be bothered about it in private …
Indeed there are two sides on this playing field, but the ref is only allowed to penalise one team. Note that the young women involved face no consequences and remain anonymous, while the young men have been named, shamed and sanctioned by the NRL.
And you know what, I and a great many other people don't care a tinker's cuss (lovely old expression 🙂 ) about this story. And the fact these young women were apparently asking for it makes them no better than the young men.
The media, by highlighting the story, are giving credence to the behaviour and encouraging others to copy them.
Whereas Christine Keeler , a teenager when introduced to Stephen Ward , was portrayed as a slut and a no good prostitute, Virginia Guiffre is portrayed as an innocent victim, helplessly forced to accept quantities of money in return for sexual acts
Neither portrayals reflect the complexities of female experience and agency
Surely it far past the time we accept these guys are not role models – just professional sportsmen who are part of a genetic freak show, a circus act put on for our entertainment, and what they get up to off the paddock is entirely their business as long as they don't break any actual laws?
It never was the time for these entertainers to be portrayed as role models. It's an embarrassment to the country.
If they're not role models, they wouldn't be sent to visit schools in the first place.
It's alleged they brought the females back to their hotel after reportedly meeting them during an official club visit to the school, 9News reports.
So on the one hand, yeah, it's all ok between "adults", but on the other hand they're not there to get their end away. And then it becomes a commercial decision as to whether that behaviour is acceptable to the wider public who buy sponsors' products:
Adding to the club's woes, $2 million major sponsor, family restaurant chain Rashays, have reportedly pulled the plug on their deal with the club amid public outrage over the scandal.
It's not so much a "me, too" moment as a "just, ewww" moment, but today's professional athletes are brand promotion vehicles, the sport is incidental.
It's a bit like me and my job. My opinions here can conflict, or reflect badly upon, my employer. I figure there's a 30% chance that if I get outed, I'll have to find other work because if I hang around and some tory decided to get their knickers in a twist about me calling nats baby-killers (because some real-name commenters here in the past have indeed said that they employers had been contacted by tories with a grudge), we lose a contract and the oily rag is no longer smelly enough to do our work. Which would suck for the others and the job we do. But that's the situation, which I have to assess with my eyes open – including the idea that I out myself and nobody gives a shit, lol.
On Super Tuesday, Joe Biden broke the narrative that had defined the Democratic primary race. The surprise wasn’t that he won, though that was unexpected. It’s that he won new voters in a high-turnout election — almost every state saw a turnout surge, and a Washington Post analysis suggests Biden won 60 percent of voters who didn’t cast a ballot in 2016.
“We increased turnout,” Biden said in his victory speech. “The turnout turned out for us!”
This is a result that requires some rethinking. Before Super Tuesday, the conventional wisdom was simple. Bernie Sanders was the turnout candidate, and Biden the uninspiring generic Democrat. You could see this in Sanders’s packed rallies, his die-hard social media brigades, his army of individual donors — and in Biden’s inability to match those markers of enthusiasm. If new voters flooded the primary, it would be proof that Sanders’s political revolution was brewing. But if the political revolution failed and turnout stagnated, Biden might slip through. What virtually no one predicted was Biden winning a high-turnout contest. But he did.
Firstly
Biden’s speech patterns offend the media and political pundits. Voters don’t really care.
Secondly
Nonvoters aren’t as ideological as political obsessives
Thirdly
2020 is a referendum on Trump, not on the Democratic agenda
Finally
Democrats have settled on two risky choices
Democrats have a difficult task in 2020. Trump is the incumbent amid, for now, a growing economy. Presidents almost never lose under those conditions. Moreover, Trump has a significant advantage given the country’s electoral geography: It’s entirely possible the Democrat could once again win more votes and lose the Electoral College.
And Democrats are not, in my view, playing it safe. The field has winnowed down to a 77-year-old icon of the Democratic establishment who has trouble expressing himself and a 78-year-old democratic socialist who just had a heart attack. And both of them are crisscrossing the country holding public events amid the outbreak of a virus that’s particularly dangerous for older Americans. There were, in my view, a number of less risky choices in the Democratic field, but voters rejected them.
Of course, Trump is a risky choice for Republicans. Despite the strong economy, he has never broken 50 percent in polling averages. He lost the popular vote in 2016, led Republicans to electoral wipeout in 2018, and got himself impeached in 2019. His White House has been chaotic, he is more rhetorically reckless than Biden, and he is also a septuagenarian in middling physical health.
On Super Tuesday, Biden showed that a campaign that has been singularly uninspiring to the most engaged sliver of the electorate was able to turn out the most voters. Those of us who didn’t see it coming need to rethink our priors.
A 2018 paper by Andrew Hall and Daniel Thompson looked at US House elections between 2006 and 2014 and concluded that moderates performed better. The mechanism here is interesting: The study finds that more extreme candidates do drive turnout, but “extremists appear to activate the opposing party’s base more than their own.” In other words, they drive more countermobilization than mobilization.
So maybe us moderates aren't so despicable after all. While I still support Sander's overall goals, the method of his political implementation has been a failure. At the risk of going full CV, yes it is a lesson far left wing activists have proven very slow to learn.
For the establishment Dems and media this was all about stopping Sanders not beating Trump..nothing more or less.
I means seriously.." Biden’s speech patterns offend the media and political pundits. Voters don’t really care."..really? are you telling us that you seriously think that if Sanders displayed the same oblivious cognitive decline as Biden, that the so called liberal media wouldn't have torn him limb to limb?..
There is a reason why the sanders team ended up saying that Fox gave them a fairer time of it than liberal MSM.
The take away from this is that moderate centrist liberals would rather see the whole fucking planet burn than rock their safe little boats…which is of course unsurprising as their beloved ideology is anchored in selfishness and short termism
How Sanders shrunk his base rather than expanding it:
Running against the establishment is standard populism. But to win with that message, you have to define the enemy narrowly. The more people you denounce as part of the establishment, the more you scare politicians and voters. If you’re proposing single-payer health insurance, for example, the smart move is to stipulate that you’re just targeting insurance companies. Instead, Sanders has threatened the whole medical sector. “We will take on the health care industry,” he vowed at a rally last week. On Monday, he repeated that line to a crowd in St. Louis. On CNN, he blasted the industry for supporting Biden: “The health care industry that is taking out their checkbooks? That is the establishment. We are taking them on.”
Look pal, hasn't Coronavirus shown you that scaring people is the easiest thing in the world to do for media, they are the pro's at it, liberal MSM have been 'scaring' the population about Sanders and his policies from the git go..with inevitable results.
It's like all (and that is ALL liberal MSM, not just some) the media tip the scales in one direction, then when that inevitable result happens, they are like…well there you go folks the people have spoken and didn't want this or that, and strangely you and many on this site never acknowledge that fact what so ever?
I can guarantee you this, if Sanders or Corbyn had had just two main stream media outlets that were as biased towards them and their ideology as ALL of the liberal media has been at protecting it's own Liberal ideology and tearing the progressive movement and their ideas down, then we would have seen quite a different story unfold over the past few years.
It's appears quite clear now, as shown by the primary results so far, the majority of registered democrats are voting to keep the dems centre left. If that means the majority in the party are establishment, moderate centrist liberals, then it is what it is, and no crying over the lack of cut through by a minority fringe is going to change anything. The results in Michigan, Missouri, and Mississippi are bluntly telling in the working man has rejected Bernie’s democratic socialism.
And centralist weaklings that post on The Standard, fundamentally do not seem to support the Sanders Campaign policies anyway when it really comes down to it. They scarf down US media punditry like a dog returning to a regurgitated dinner.
Bernie Sanders displays more political courage in one day at 78 than most do for their whole lives. As for electability–he should stay in the contest as long as he likes–he owes the US Ruling Class of which the Democratic Party elites are members of–literally nothing, due to his working class funded campaign. The millions without healthcare and all the rest of it, will see NO change if Biden does somehow escape the Trump mangling machine. I saw a piece today, a Seattle clinic was charging $100-$500 for Corona virus screens for insured patients, $1600 for uninsured! Free in NZ and much of the ‘civilised’ world. That is what the Bernie Campaign is about.
Bernie would not of touched the Democrats with a 40 foot pole if not for the US system–not just FPP which typically leads to two only “official” parties but…State, Federal, Congress, Senate and Electoral College layers that all present unique barriers to a new vision or third and fourth parties trying to get representation for their supporters.
He should persist until substantial policy gains are made, or stand as an independent as a precursor to a full new party for 2024. So often the “real politik” views of what is “possible” posters are mere right opportunism.
People's politics are their own, and if they mainly come from the centre, which in the US (and here) the numbers suggest they do, then that's the actual state of the field in play. Attacking them won't change their minds, though I concede it's easier (even if counter productive) than trying to convince them an unpopular vision is the way forward.
As I've said before, I party vote for the most electable party furthest left from the middle, and Biden wouldn't have been in my top three presidential candidates, but neither of those things change the reality I listed above.
Calling people centrist weaklings because one's politics are fringe and hopes and dreams have died at the ballot box doesn't bother me, but like the momentum led labour party in the UK, you won't win too many battles with it.
And the dead dog that the Dems and liberal MSM have pushed is not only suffering for cognitive decline, when he does open his mouth he spews out about as much bullshit and lies as Trump….well done you stupid selfish centrists, hope you all got a good excuse lined up to tell your grandchildren when you try and explain why the planet is burning around them…..as I have said for years you liberals are more of a threat to any progressive project than the Right, and you all just proved it again…well done.
It was not my intention to put this specifically on you The Al1en. Various others deserve the centrist weakling accolade more.
Elections do not happen in a social vacuum–“righto chaps let the best man win eh what!” is not how it is structured under US billionaire Manufacturing Consent rules by the longest of stretches.
People vote against their own material interests regularly around the world, why? For subjective reasons. Fear. Neo liberal fostered hyper individualism. Hardwired loyalty to what was. Aspiration. Fear of the new. And scariest of all–100 million eligible Americans are so alienated and degraded by social conditions, and excluded by gerrymandering and voter suppression, that they don’t bloody vote at all.
So in recent decades a minority of a minority actually enables a candidate to get to the Electoral College stage even. Of course ultimately the vote is the vote–but it should not be viewed uncritically or without a full analysis.
Don't bother Adrian Thornton – Centrist never listen – it's their one true gift.
Take the positives that from nothing a left has arisen in the USA. That it is getting organised and it has started to move the debate – with what little it had. It's only going to get bigger.
The majority of the scum centerists who dominate the debate now will be dead within a few years, and the ideas taking hold now will be the new normal/centre.
Hi Adam, of course they don't listen, they are just as bound to their free market ideology as the rest of us to our own ideologies, the only difference is that our one is the only one that if implemented has at least a fighting chance at saving the planet and perhaps even making our societies and communities just a little bit nicer while we are at it…but as I have said a thousand times on this site, the Liberal ideology is an extremely selfish one, which guides all their policies and unfortunately for us, it is toward the inevitable cliff…
Looking at ABC news, I found the Edelman Trust Barometer. In its twentieth year, it has collated the results of 34,000 online survey respondents from late last year.
Although, I couldn't find any specific references in the data to NZ, there are quite a few interesting results coming out of the survey, including:
56% agreement with the statement: "Capitalism as it exists today does more harm than good in the world".
There are a number of different perspectives surveyed, including trust and ethics as they relate to business, media and government.
Have been keeping an eye out for that, but impression seems to be that there's maybe less than normal, and movements correspond to the usual short stay. ie The airplane comes in, and then leaves a couple of day later and departs the country.
If they were bunkering the airplane would depart pretty quickly to either overseas or parking in NZ. There's nowhere to park them in Queenstown.
Not to say there’s not some one way arrivals on commercial flights though. It’d probably be a while before immigration caught up with someone from US or Europe / UK who didn’t go home after their holiday.
He won 46% of delegates in the last cycle … running against an opponent with no penis.
There's still a lot to be learned from comparing 2016 to 2020, but one thing we can be sure of right now is that Bernie's 2016 near-success was not an indication of enthusiasm for Bernie's ideologies. Biden's positions and history are downright reactionary compared to Hillary's, which should push even more voters Bernie's way if his ideology were a major factor. But this year Bernie is running way behind where he was in 2016.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The White House has ordered federal health officials to treat top-level coronavirus meetings as classified, an unusual step that has restricted information and hampered the U.S. government’s response to the contagion, according to four Trump administration officials.
The officials said that dozens of classified discussions about such topics as the scope of infections, quarantines and travel restrictions have been held since mid-January in a high-security meeting room at the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS), a key player in the fight against the coronavirus.
Staffers without security clearances, including government experts, were excluded from the interagency meetings, which included video conference calls, the sources said.
“We had some very critical people who did not have security clearances who could not go,” one official said. “These should not be classified meetings. It was unnecessary.”
[…]
This came directly from the White House,” one official said.
Let me guess; Republicans are trying to give Kosovo back to Serbia. Or, Serbia is the tRump crime family’s preferred bolt-hole and following the despot’s playbook, they’ve been squirreling their looted billions there.
"Even the previously sluggish Auckland market has fired up again, median prices up 4.3 per cent from $851,000 a year ago to $888,000 last month. That was the highest Auckland price in more than four years."
I thought this government was doing something about getting rid of all the investors in the property market? Guess not….
I thought this government was doing something about getting rid of all the investors in the property market?
Can you provide a link in which the Government has stated this? I think that you are making it up and I get grumpy when people do this, particularly in election year.
"The bright line test – which requires tax to be paid on any gains made from a residential property sale – was first imposed by the National-led Government in 2015.
The Labour-led Government has argued the measures don’t go far enough and that extending the test to five years will help deter property speculators and “may” have of a dampening effect on the housing market."
Yeah…lets get into a real 'woke' online argument…"you stated 'X' so you must provide a link to prove your statement of 'X' exists"
[You made up shit, and you know it. Of course, you cannot provide a link of your BS attribution to the Government because it doesn’t exist, and you know it. You were shit-stirring in the hope that somebody would take the bait. Well, I did. If you had chosen your words differently and more carefully, we would not have this “real ‘woke’ online argument”. Analogy: ‘they tried to hit me’ becomes ‘they tried to kill me’. You can take your “real ‘woke’ online argument” and shit-stir somewhere else. Banned for two weeks – Incognito]
Give up indiana. Many of us already have. IMO at the rate things are going, there will no-one left here by the time of the election – just a hollow echo chamber.
No point in fighting battles ya can't win @veuts. Better to just sit back and snigger at shit you don't feel like pushing uphill. Martyrdom went out of fashion more than my lifetime ago – it was replaced by the 15 minutes of fame aspiration
And just be glad TS is around, and if we comment – we do so as guests.
Besides, Mr Incognito isn't a bad sort of bloke (if he watches his blood pressure and cholesterol levels)
Taji Camp was hit again by 18 rockets and there has a number deaths and wounded soldiers this time. From reports I’ve just read they include UK and US service personal deaths, with number of wounded from these two countries and it’s believed that no NZ or ADF have wounded or kill at this.
It’s time for this NZG to seriously call time on Iraq, as the odds of a NZDF being wounded or kill over in Taji are shorting everyday now and it only a matter of time now.
So, Trump has decided to heap all the blame for the spread of Covid 19 on Europe eh. Good way to cover up for ones own piss poor management of General Health services in the US:
Has the silly bastard thought of isolating the areas in his own country where the virus has reared its ugly head, or am I wrong in thinking that the stupid boofhead has just made a big move to make people think he is powerful and decisive (but far too late)?
It's quite easy to heap blame on the federal government but states have their own government and play the most important part in handling one of these crises. The federal government is there to tidy up the mess once a state is overwhelmed really.
Trump has stopped travellers from Europe. New Zealand is still letting them in, no questions asked, just handing them a pamphlet even if the country they're from has exponential spread of the virus.
Although we may (have to) close our borders too, comparing travellers from Europe to the USA with Europeans to NZ is flawed. This kind of reasoning sounds very much like a me-too kneejerk without taking into account numbers and types of travellers.
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Open access notables Glacial isostatic adjustment reduces past and future Arctic subsea permafrost, Creel et al., Nature Communications:Sea-level rise submerges terrestrial permafrost in the Arctic, turning it into subsea permafrost. Subsea permafrost underlies ~ 1.8 million km2 of Arctic continental shelf, with thicknesses in places exceeding 700 m. Sea-level variations over glacial-interglacial cycles control ...
The operating system (OS) is the heart and soul of a computer, orchestrating every action and interaction between hardware and software. But have you ever wondered where on a computer is the operating system generally stored? The answer lies in the intricate dance between hardware and software components, particularly within ...
Laptops have become essential tools for work, entertainment, and communication, offering portability and functionality. However, with rising energy costs and growing environmental concerns, understanding a laptop’s power consumption is more important than ever. So, how many watts does a laptop use? The answer, unfortunately, isn’t straightforward. It depends on several ...
Screen recording has become an essential tool for various purposes, such as creating tutorials, capturing gameplay footage, recording online meetings, or sharing information with others. Fortunately, Dell laptops offer several built-in and external options for screen recording, catering to different needs and preferences. This guide will explore various methods on ...
A cracked or damaged laptop screen can be a frustrating experience, impacting productivity and enjoyment. Fortunately, laptop screen repair is a common service offered by various repair shops and technicians. However, the cost of fixing a laptop screen can vary significantly depending on several factors. This article delves into the ...
Gaming laptops represent a significant investment for passionate gamers, offering portability and powerful performance for immersive gaming experiences. However, a common concern among potential buyers is their lifespan. Unlike desktop PCs, which allow for easier component upgrades, gaming laptops have inherent limitations due to their compact and integrated design. This ...
The annual inventory report of New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions has been released, showing that gross emissions have dropped for the third year in a row, to 78.4 million tons: All-told gross emissions have decreased by over 6 million tons since the Zero Carbon Act was passed in 2019. ...
Experiencing a locked computer can be frustrating, especially when you need access to your files and applications urgently. The methods to unlock your computer will vary depending on the specific situation and the type of lock you encounter. This guide will explore various scenarios and provide step-by-step instructions on how ...
While the world has largely transitioned to digital communication, faxing still holds relevance in certain industries and situations. Fortunately, gone are the days of bulky fax machines and dedicated phone lines. Today, you can easily send and receive faxes directly from your computer, offering a convenient and efficient way to ...
In our increasingly digital world, home computers have become essential tools for work, communication, entertainment, and more. However, this increased reliance on technology also exposes us to various cyber threats. Understanding these threats and taking proactive steps to protect your home computer is crucial for safeguarding your personal information, finances, ...
In the ever-evolving world of technology, server-based computing has emerged as a cornerstone of modern digital infrastructure. This article delves into the concept of server-based computing, exploring its various forms, benefits, challenges, and its impact on the way we work and interact with technology. Understanding Server-Based Computing: At its core, ...
The absolute brass neck of this guy.We want more medical doctors, not more spin doctors, Luxon was saying a couple of weeks ago, and now we’re told the guy has seven salaried adults on TikTok duty. Sorry, doing social media. The absolute brass neck of it. The irony that the ...
Buzz from the Beehive Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones relishes spatting and eagerly takes issue with environmentalists who criticise his enthusiasm for resource development. He relishes helping the fishing industry too. And so today, while the media are making much of the latest culling in the public service to ...
Having written, taught and worked for the US government on issues involving unconventional warfare and terrorism for 30-odd years, two things irritate me the most when the subject is discussed in public. The first is the Johnny-come-lately academics-turned-media commentators who … Continue reading → ...
Eric Crampton writes – Kainga Ora is the government’s house building agency. It’s been building a lot of social housing. Kainga Ora has its own (but independent) consenting authority, Consentium. It’s a neat idea. Rather than have to deal with building consents across each different territorial authority, Kainga Ora ...
Muriel Newman writes – The Coalition Government says it is moving with speed to deliver campaign promises and reverse the damage done by Labour. One of their key commitments is to “defend the principle that New Zealanders are equal before the law.” To achieve this, they have pledged they “will not advance ...
Chris Trotter writes – The absence of anything resembling a fightback from the public servants currently losing their jobs is interesting. State-sector workers’ collective fatalism in the face of Coalition cutbacks indicates a surprisingly broad acceptance of impermanence in the workplace. Fifty years ago, lay-offs in the thousands ...
Mariupol, on the Azov Sea coast, was one of the first cities to suffer almost complete destruction after the start of the Ukraine War started in late February 2022. We remember the scenes of absolute destruction of the houses and city structures. The deaths of innocent civilians – many of ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – Ten years ago, I wrote the following in a Listener column: Every year around one in five new-born babies will be reliant on their caregivers benefit by Christmas. This pattern has persisted from at least 1993. For Maori the number jumps to over one in three. ...
Climate change is expected to generate more and more extreme events, delivering a sort of structural shock to inflation that central banks will have to react to as if they were short-term cyclical issues. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s ...
It’s a simple deal. We pay taxes in order to finance the social services we want and need. The carnage now occurring across the public sector though, is breaking that contract. Over 3,000 jobs have been lost so far. Many are in crucial areas like Education where the impact of ...
Hi,A friend had their 40th over the weekend and decided to theme it after Curb Your Enthusiasm fashion icon Susie Greene. Captured in my tiny kitchen before I left the house, I ending up evoking a mix of old lesbian and Hillary Clinton — both unintentional.Me vs Hillary ClintonIf you’re ...
This is a re-post from Andrew Dessler at the Climate Brink blogIn 2023, the Earth reached temperature levels unprecedented in modern times. Given that, it’s reasonable to ask: What’s going on? There’s been lots of discussions by scientists about whether this is just the normal progression of global warming or if something ...
The schools are on holiday and the sun is shining in the seaside village and all day long I have been seeing bunches of bikes; Mums, Dads, teens and toddlers chattering, laughing, happy, having a bloody great time together. Cheers, AT, for the bits of lane you’ve added lately around the ...
Today in our National-led authoritarian nightmare: Shane Jones thinks Ministers should be above the law: New Zealand First MP Shane Jones is accusing the Waitangi Tribunal of over-stepping its mandate by subpoenaing a minister for its urgent hearing on the Oranga Tamariki claim. The tribunal is looking into the ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. ...
Citizen Science writes – Last week saw two significant developments in the debate over the treatment of trans-identifying children and young people – the release in Britain of the final report of Dr Hilary Cass’s review into gender healthcare, and here in New Zealand, the news that the ...
One night while sleeping in my bed I had a beautiful dreamThat all the people of the world got together on the same wavelengthAnd began helping one anotherNow in this dream, universal love was the theme of the dayPeace and understanding and it happened this wayAfter such an eventful day ...
This is a guest post by Oscar Simms who is a housing activist, volunteer for the Coalition for More Homes, and was the Labour Party candidate for Auckland Central at the last election. ...
Turning what Labour called the “holiday highway” into a four-lane expressway from Auckland to Whangarei could bring at least an economic benefit of nearly two billion a year for Northland each year. And it could help bring an end to poverty in one of New Zealand’s most deprived regions. The ...
Tonight’s six-stack includes: launching his substack with a bunch of his previous documentaries, including this 1992 interview with Dame Whina Cooper. and here crew give climate activists plenty to do, including this call to submit against the Fast Track Approvals bill. writes brilliantly here on his substack ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
You're in the mall when you hear it: some kind of popping sound in the distance, kids with fireworks, maybe. But then a moment of eerie stillness is followed by more of the fireworks sound and there’s also screaming and shrieking and now here come people running for their lives.Does ...
Karl du Fresne writes – There’s a crisis in the news media and the media are blaming it on everyone except themselves. Culpability is being deflected elsewhere – mainly to the hapless Minister of Communications, Melissa Lee, and the big social media platforms that are accused of hoovering ...
I don’t normally send out two newsletters in a day but I figured I’d say something about… the news. If two newsletters is a bit much then maybe just skip one, I don’t want to overload people. Alternatively if you’d be interested in sometimes receiving multiple, smaller updates from me, ...
Buzz from the Beehive David Seymour and Winston Peters today signalled that at least two ministers of the Crown might be in Wellington today. Seymour (as Associate Minister of Education) announced the removal of more red tape, this time to make it easier for new early learning services to be ...
Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. Our political system is suffering from the ...
David Farrar writes – The Broadcasting Standards Authority ruled: Comments by radio host Kate Hawkesby suggesting Māori and Pacific patients were being prioritised for surgery due to their ethnicity were misleading and discriminatory, the Broadcasting Standards Authority has found. It is a fact such patients are prioritised. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
The Government’s newly announced review of methane emissions reduction targets hints at its desire to delay Aotearoa New Zealand’s urgent transition to a climate safe future, the Green Party said. ...
The Government must commit to the Maitai School building project for students with high and complex needs, to ensure disabled students from the top of the South Island have somewhere to learn. ...
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey and his Government colleagues have made a meal of their mental health commitments, showing how flimsy their efforts to champion the issue truly are, says Labour Mental Health spokesperson Ingrid Leary. ...
Māori are yet to see anything from this Government except cuts, reversals and taking our people backwards, Māori Development spokesperson Willie Jackson said. ...
The Coalition Government’s refusal to commit to ongoing funding for social housing is seeing the sector pull back on developments and families watch their dreams of securing a home fade away, says Labour Housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty. ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector. "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today paid tribute to Singapore’s outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Meeting in Singapore today immediately before Prime Minister Lee announced he was stepping down, Prime Minister Luxon warmly acknowledged his counterpart’s almost twenty years as leader, and the enduring legacy he has left for Singapore and South East ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. While in Singapore as part of his visit to South East Asia this week, Prime Minister Luxon also met with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and will meet with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has made further appointments to the Board of Antarctica New Zealand as part of a continued effort to ensure the Scott Base Redevelopment project is delivered in a cost-effective and efficient manner. The Minister has appointed Neville Harris as a new member of the Board. Mr ...
Finance Minister Nicola Willis will travel to the United States on Tuesday to attend a meeting of the Five Finance Ministers group, with counterparts from Australia, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. “I am looking forward to meeting with our Five Finance partners on how we can work ...
The coalition Government has today announced purrfect and pawsitive changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to give tenants with pets greater choice when looking for a rental property, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Pets are important members of many Kiwi families. It’s estimated that around 64 per cent of New ...
State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the Government has also asked NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) to consider and provide advice on a Long Tunnel option, Transport Minister Simeon Brown ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters have condemned Iran’s shocking and illegal strikes against Israel. “These attacks are a major challenge to peace and stability in a region already under enormous pressure," Mr Luxon says. "We are deeply concerned that miscalculation on any side could ...
Hundreds of people in little over a week have turned out in Northland to hear Regional Development Minister Shane Jones speak about plans for boosting the regional economy through infrastructure. About 200 people from the infrastructure and associated sectors attended an event headlined by Mr Jones in Whangarei today. Last ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti has today thanked outgoing Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora Chair Dame Karen Poutasi for her service on the Board. “Dame Karen tendered her resignation as Chair and as a member of the Board today,” says Dr Reti. “I have asked her to ...
The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has signalled their proposed delivery approach for the Government’s 15 Roads of National Significance (RoNS), with the release of the State Highway Investment Proposal (SHIP) today, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Boosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Government’s plan to ...
New Zealand is renewing its connections with a world facing urgent challenges by pursuing an active, energetic foreign policy, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “Our country faces the most unstable global environment in decades,” Mr Peters says at the conclusion of two weeks of engagements in Egypt, Europe and the United States. “We cannot afford to sit back in splendid ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced the Australian Governor-General, His Excellency General The Honourable David Hurley and his wife Her Excellency Mrs Linda Hurley, will make a State visit to New Zealand from Tuesday 16 April to Thursday 18 April. The visit reciprocates the State visit of former Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced that Medsafe has approved 11 cold and flu medicines containing pseudoephedrine. Pharmaceutical suppliers have indicated they may be able to supply the first products in June. “This is much earlier than the original expectation of medicines being available by 2025. The Government recognised ...
New Zealand and the United States have recommitted to their strategic partnership in Washington DC today, pledging to work ever more closely together in support of shared values and interests, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The strategic environment that New Zealand and the United States face is considerably more ...
April 11, 2024 Joint Declaration by United States Secretary of State the Honorable Antony J. Blinken and New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs the Right Honourable Winston Peters We met today in Washington, D.C. to recommit to the historic partnership between our two countries and the principles that underpin it—rule ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Duckett, Honorary Enterprise Professor, School of Population and Global Health, and Department of General Practice and Primary Care, The University of Melbourne iamharin/Shutterstock For many people, the term “bulk billed” refers to a GP visit they don’t have to pay ...
Emmas Hislop, Sidnam and Wehipeihana discuss what’s in a name. Emma Sidnam: Hello Emmas! Thank you so much for agreeing to do this with me. My first question for you is related to what’s been on my mind for a while. It’s very important. You see we’ve recently had some ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Sievers, Research Fellow, Global Wetlands Project, Australia Rivers Institute, Griffith University Chris Brown Humans love the coast. But we love it to death, so much so we’ve destroyed valuable coastal habitat – in the case of some types of habitat, ...
Josh Thomson on the 80s milk ad jingle he can’t stop singing, the beauty of The Simpsons, why Jersey Shore is as good as Shakespeare and more. For someone who spends a lot of time on our screens, popping up in everything from 7 Days to Taskmaster, Educators to Good ...
In apparent defiance of the Biden administration, the Netanyahu government has now initiated missile strikes against Iran. Last Saturday night (Sunday morning in New Zealand) Iran launched more than 300 drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles against Israeli military targets. With the assistance of US, UK and possibly French forces, ...
Māori representation brings a perspective that encompasses not only the interests of Māori communities but also a broader, holistic approach to environmental stewardship and community well-being, principles deeply embedded in Te Ao Māori (the Māori ...
This week in Auckland, a group of young people took over the microphone at a ministerial press conference, to explain why they oppose the Fast-Track Approvals Bill. One young woman said, ‘We’re here because we love Aotearoa New Zealand. We want to raise our children in an environment that’s thriving, ...
The summer was wonderful. Evie was wonderful, too; finally a teenager, finally worthy of long, hot days. She shaved her legs for the first time and bought cut-off shorts from the op-shop that made them look long. She got a Warehouse singlet so tight on her new shape that her ...
When Thomas James was on his solo camp as part of Outward Bound, the keen outdoorsman didn’t find it too challenging, as others often do. In what might just be the perfect illustration of his character, he saw it as a great opportunity to solve a few problems. “I thought, ...
From the unstable and drippy to the hi-tech and pretty, here’s our ranking of all the tunnels you can drive through in this country. The first tunnel seems to have been built in 2200BC in Babylonia, kicking off a global phenomenon for digging holes in order to get places more ...
Lucinda Bennett on the art of being greedy but resourceful. This is an excerpt from our weekly food newsletter, The Boil Up. When I picture the market, it is always this time of year. Crisp air, dripping nose, counting coins with cold fingers. Sunlight pale, filtered through specks of dew still ...
Zoë Colling’s favourite piece in the ‘That’s So Last Century’ collection is a lubrication chart for a sewing machine from the ’60s. It’s about the size of a postcard, and carefully maintained. “I like it that this piece of ephemera highlights that manual and technical side of the skill involved ...
Kia Ora Gaza A passionate haka reverberated through Auckland International Airport as a medical team of three New Zealand doctors received an emotional farewell from a big crowd of supporters before flying to Turkey to join the international Freedom Flotilla to Gaza. The doctors, who left Auckland yesterday, hope to ...
With submissions closing today, Macassey-Pickard says groups around the country have been supporting a huge range of people to make their submissions. ...
Our response to the new legislation is informed by targeted conversations with practitioners working in the system and through an implementation lens. ...
The new ‘Fast-track Approvals Bill’ would give just three Ministers the power to approve or deny development projects. They would avoid the usual checks and balances that are in place to protect rivers, land, the ocean, and communities. ...
COMMENTARY:By Eugene Doyle Helen Clark, how I miss you. The former New Zealand Prime Minister — the safest pair of hands this country has had in living memory — gave a masterclass on the importance of maintaining an independent foreign policy when she spoke at an AUKUS symposium held ...
The government's released the list of organisations provided with information on how to apply - just hours before public submissions on the bill close. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Milton Speer, Visiting Fellow, School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, University of Technology Sydney Before climate change really got going, eastern Australia’s flash floods tended to concentrate on our coastal regions, east of the Great Dividing Range. But that’s changing. Now ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elizabeth Finkel, Vice-Chancellor’s Fellow, La Trobe University Sia Duff / South Australian Museum In February, the South Australian Museum “re-imagined” itself. In the face of rising costs and inadequate government funds, CEO David Gaimster, who took the reins last June, declared ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alan Pearce, Professor, School of Allied Heath, Human Services & Sport, La Trobe University, La Trobe University This week, Collingwood AFL player Nathan Murphy announced his retirement, brought on by his concussion history and ongoing issues. The 24-year-old’s seemingly sudden retirement, ...
The Mental Health Foundation provides support and resources for those facing the loss of their job, so it’s wrong in the very week the Government adds another 1000 jobs to its tally of cuts, that this is happening. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexander Howard, Senior Lecturer, Discipline of English and Writing, University of Sydney Daniel Boud/Sydney Theatre Company Decay, terror, revulsion. These are three of the central themes of Thomas Bernhard’s rarely performed play The President. The Austrian is one of the greatest ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ye In (Jane) Hwang, Postdoctoral Research Associate at School of Population Health, UNSW Sydney Shutterstock You’d be hard pressed to find any aspect of daily life that doesn’t require some form of digital literacy. We need only to look back ten ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says threats by ministers Shane Jones and David Seymour to reform or close down the Waitangi Tribunal were “ill-considered”, as legal experts say the ministers may have breached Cabinet Manual conventions. “I think those comments are ill-considered and we expect all ministers to actually exercise good ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rob Newton, Professor of Exercise Medicine, Edith Cowan University Pexels/RDNE stock project You’re not in your 20s or 30s anymore and you know regular health checks are important. So you go to your GP. During the appointment they measure your waist. ...
A new poem by Evangeline Riddiford Graham. Mitochondrial Problem I. It was long drive to Kansas for the man and his dog but you have to understand he said She doesn’t fly. Which calls to mind not carsick shitting barking or whining but a dog who chooses not to as ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Hemingway’s Goblet by Dermot Ross (Mary Egan Publishing, $38)Hot off the press, this debut ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Laura Wajnryb McDonald, PhD candidate in Criminology, University of Sydney Less than 24 hours after Ashlee Good was murdered in Bondi Junction, her family released a statement requesting the media take down photographs they had reproduced of Ashlee and her family without ...
Chief executive Shaun Robinson said it has not had any government funding cut, but government-funded contracts have not kept pace with rising costs. ...
The Ministry of Health has delayed the release of its evidence brief on the safety, reversibility and mental health and wellbeing outcomes for puberty blockers. While we wait, Julia de Bres speaks to those with firsthand experience. Best practice gender-affirming healthcare is based on trans people’s self-determination and agency. The ...
Barcelona’s city streets have gone from traffic-clogged to pedestrian-friendly. How? Superblocks. Ellen Rykers explains. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week I read a great interview with renowned urbanist Janette Sadik-Khan by The Spinoff’s Wellington editor Joel MacManus: “You can reimagine streets, ...
Student groups ‘Climate Action VUW’, Schools Strike 4 Climate and VUWSA will be on the street in Wellington today, the last day for submissions on the Fast-track Approvals Bill, with a message that the fight against the Government’s ‘War on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sofia Ammassari, Research Fellow, Griffith University Since 2014, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popularity has grown exponentially – and so has the formidable organisational machine of his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). These two factors will be key to delivering the BJP a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brendon Hyndman, Associate Professor of Education (Adjunct) & Senior Manager (BCE), Charles Sturt University During COVID almost all Australian students and their families experienced online learning. But while schools have long since gone back to in-person teaching, online learning has not gone ...
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Tenbensel, Associate Professor, Health Policy, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Getty Images Since coming into power, the coalition government has adopted a simple but shrewd see-how-fast-we-can-move political strategy. However, in the health sector this need for speed entails ...
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Am I the only person who thinks a couple of NRL players (Jayden Okunbor and Corey Harawira-Naera) who are young men of 23 and 24 hooking up with a couple of 17 year old schoolgirls is grubby, but hardly the sensational scandal the media is making of it or a career ending act for the players or indeed anyone else's business? Anyone who has been in bar with pro-rugby players out on the rantan can attest to the keen enthusiasm of shoals of young women to get *ahem* better acquainted.
The girls parents are probably (and justifiably) furious, although I doubt the players or the girls feel much regret at their bit of vigorous rutting. AFAIK, no one is suggesting anything non-consensual or illegal occurred (the age difference, after all, is only six years or seven years) and no one has suggested anyone has made a complaint to police.
The bottom IMHO is the thickets of rules around conduct for players who are often not the brightest candles in the chandelier and are definitely not playing in the NRL only because their application for a reflective life of abstemious silence got turned down by their monastery of choice are simply a disaster waiting to happen. They really about protecting the clubs income from the outrage of po faced middle class media moralisers, not protecting young players and young women who clearly don't feel they need much protecting from each other.
Surely it far past the time we accept these guys are not role models – just professional sportsmen who are part of a genetic freak show, a circus act put on for our entertainment, and what they get up to off the paddock is entirely their business as long as they don't break any actual laws?
A few minor rhetorical questions:
– Which school would invite that team back again?
– If the All Blacks pulled at Dio, which brands including the sponsors, would suffer more?
– If the Black Ferns whisked a 16 year old boy from Otago Boy's High, what would happen to the women's game?
– Why don't we just apply your principle to every high school on the country, and to every sports code, with the principle of: it's legal, they enjoyed it, woo hooo?
– Will the men be able to look after the resulting children?
– Would it make a difference if the men were in their 60s and playing for a Seniors club?
– What about if the men were in their 80s?
Honestly Sanctuary, call me all patriarchal, but I'd recommend you have a daughter and work that scenario through.
Well the answer to your questions are:
Which school would invite that team back again?
Depends if it got into the media I guess.
– If the All Blacks pulled at Dio, which brands including the sponsors, would suffer more?
Don't know and don't care.
– If the Black Ferns whisked a 16 year old boy from Otago Boy's High, what would happen to the women's game?
Who knows? Lizzie Marvelly would probably be upset.
– Why don't we just apply your principle to every high school on the country, and to every sports code, with the principle of: it's legal, they enjoyed it, woo hooo?
Well… Yes.
– Will the men be able to look after the resulting children?
What children? Are you a Catholic or something?
– Would it make a difference if the men were in their 60s and playing for a Seniors club?
Of course it would, power relationships, grooming etc etc.
– What about if the men were in their 80s?
If an 80 year old is a) still playing rugby and b) has the energy to be able to bag a willing 17 year old school girl I'd be more impressed than outraged.
Honestly Sanctuary, call me all patriarchal, but I'd recommend you have a daughter and work that scenario through.
If it was my daughter I'd be paternally furious at her and furious at them, but their is shite I could actually do about it beyond a scolding and outrage.
Think of Folau x 1000
There's plenty you could and should do.
Folau's biggest problem was/is he doesn't know when to shut up in public. He can God bother all he likes in private.
Heh, you are possibly the only person that will post such a view on the Standard blogsite Sanctuary, put it that way…
It is not a great spectacle to regularly see contrite, tearful, 99.9% male, sports people sorry for themselves on Monday mornings. Another meth/coke/booze fuelled mayhem session somewhere. “I let everyone down”. Not necessarily “maayte”, not everyone gives one about professional sport or the people that play it and then “play up”. It is part of popular culture regardless though–and it must be said–toxic male culture in NZ and Australia.
Consenting people of age is one thing. But why discourage the Sporting Bodies when they have at long last started doing something at least to encourage better attitudes and behaviour towards women and the issue of consent? Sometimes they cloak it in “code of conduct” type language but it is sure needed. Rugby and League players and associates have made the media so many times when young girls, drunken players and hotel accomodation coincide.
I agree it is great we've moved on from the club snickering and back slapping the players in the club rooms to "WTF were you two idiots thinking???" That is progress.
However, I get annoyed at the idea the young women have no agency in all this – they clearly gave out their numbers and went to some effort and ingenuity to get to their hotel rendezvous. If I was their parents, I'd be pretty pissed off that while I was vetting the suitors at the front door they were sneaking out the back to meet a couple of horny football players. As the saying goes, it takes two to tango. Sometimes I wonder if people remember when they were 23 and ridiculously fit. at that age, your dick tends rules your life. These four people don't sound like candidates for Mensa, and I doubt they've signed up to the puritanism that seems to be the flip side of so many middle class liberals.
Like I said, grubby and ill-advised but hardly the end of the world.
As the saying goes, it takes two to tango.
Not in the modern world. Everything to do with female sexual expression is embraced and celebrated as empowering and liberating by our media, while anything male, and especially if heterosexual, exists only on a spectrum between grubby and rapey.
This is why it's unwise for men to say anything public to do with sexuality these days. Like Folau, feel free to be bothered about it in private …
A great discussion with valid points raised by all who comprehend the playing field from both sides and I think reality was a clear winner.
Indeed there are two sides on this playing field, but the ref is only allowed to penalise one team. Note that the young women involved face no consequences and remain anonymous, while the young men have been named, shamed and sanctioned by the NRL.
And you know what, I and a great many other people don't care a tinker's cuss (lovely old expression 🙂 ) about this story. And the fact these young women were apparently asking for it makes them no better than the young men.
The media, by highlighting the story, are giving credence to the behaviour and encouraging others to copy them.
" these young women were apparently asking for it "
Fuksake. Really Anne?
It sounds like you very much do care about this story in that you can from your high horse declare the women were asking for it.
I expect you aren't going to be looking for sympathy next time you're asking for it
Oh bullshit Brigid. Those young women were there asking for sex with the "horny football players" (Sanctuary at 1.2.1).
It was Sanctuary's take on the story we were responding to. You didn't read the background comments and jumped to the wrong conclusion eh.
Well Red
Social mores change
Whereas Christine Keeler , a teenager when introduced to Stephen Ward , was portrayed as a slut and a no good prostitute, Virginia Guiffre is portrayed as an innocent victim, helplessly forced to accept quantities of money in return for sexual acts
Neither portrayals reflect the complexities of female experience and agency
Perfectly put.
The difference is pretty obvious.
Why do players go to a bar? (as opposed to …) Why do players go to a school?
Surely it far past the time we accept these guys are not role models – just professional sportsmen who are part of a genetic freak show, a circus act put on for our entertainment, and what they get up to off the paddock is entirely their business as long as they don't break any actual laws?
It never was the time for these entertainers to be portrayed as role models. It's an embarrassment to the country.
If they're not role models, they wouldn't be sent to visit schools in the first place.
So on the one hand, yeah, it's all ok between "adults", but on the other hand they're not there to get their end away. And then it becomes a commercial decision as to whether that behaviour is acceptable to the wider public who buy sponsors' products:
It's not so much a "me, too" moment as a "just, ewww" moment, but today's professional athletes are brand promotion vehicles, the sport is incidental.
It's a bit like me and my job. My opinions here can conflict, or reflect badly upon, my employer. I figure there's a 30% chance that if I get outed, I'll have to find other work because if I hang around and some tory decided to get their knickers in a twist about me calling nats baby-killers (because some real-name commenters here in the past have indeed said that they employers had been contacted by tories with a grudge), we lose a contract and the oily rag is no longer smelly enough to do our work. Which would suck for the others and the job we do. But that's the situation, which I have to assess with my eyes open – including the idea that I out myself and nobody gives a shit, lol.
An insightful examination of Joe Biden's electability, and why even though he stumbles in his speech his appeal is far wider than many give him credit
Firstly
Biden’s speech patterns offend the media and political pundits. Voters don’t really care.
Secondly
Nonvoters aren’t as ideological as political obsessives
Thirdly
2020 is a referendum on Trump, not on the Democratic agenda
Finally
hoo boy
https://twitter.com/reilyseanconn/status/1237713163270979584
https://twitter.com/politico/status/1237743855342161922
If it were not the US we would call winning every single county clear evidence of rigging.
Nothing to see here, move on.
Also from your link:
So maybe us moderates aren't so despicable after all. While I still support Sander's overall goals, the method of his political implementation has been a failure. At the risk of going full CV, yes it is a lesson far left wing activists have proven very slow to learn.
This is an interesting piece remarking on the consequences of the "safe" choice
Biden/Sanders
https://theintercept.com/2020/03/11/joe-biden-democratic-primary-voters-nomination/?comments=1#comments
'
You will give the beige badger a soft-on with talk like that, RL.
That's a very depressing conclusion.
For the establishment Dems and media this was all about stopping Sanders not beating Trump..nothing more or less.
I means seriously.." Biden’s speech patterns offend the media and political pundits. Voters don’t really care."..really? are you telling us that you seriously think that if Sanders displayed the same oblivious cognitive decline as Biden, that the so called liberal media wouldn't have torn him limb to limb?..
There is a reason why the sanders team ended up saying that Fox gave them a fairer time of it than liberal MSM.
The take away from this is that moderate centrist liberals would rather see the whole fucking planet burn than rock their safe little boats…which is of course unsurprising as their beloved ideology is anchored in selfishness and short termism
How Sanders shrunk his base rather than expanding it:
Look pal, hasn't Coronavirus shown you that scaring people is the easiest thing in the world to do for media, they are the pro's at it, liberal MSM have been 'scaring' the population about Sanders and his policies from the git go..with inevitable results.
It's like all (and that is ALL liberal MSM, not just some) the media tip the scales in one direction, then when that inevitable result happens, they are like…well there you go folks the people have spoken and didn't want this or that, and strangely you and many on this site never acknowledge that fact what so ever?
I can guarantee you this, if Sanders or Corbyn had had just two main stream media outlets that were as biased towards them and their ideology as ALL of the liberal media has been at protecting it's own Liberal ideology and tearing the progressive movement and their ideas down, then we would have seen quite a different story unfold over the past few years.
It's appears quite clear now, as shown by the primary results so far, the majority of registered democrats are voting to keep the dems centre left. If that means the majority in the party are establishment, moderate centrist liberals, then it is what it is, and no crying over the lack of cut through by a minority fringe is going to change anything. The results in Michigan, Missouri, and Mississippi are bluntly telling in the working man has rejected Bernie’s democratic socialism.
The message thus reads: Don’t turn the dems left.
And centralist weaklings that post on The Standard, fundamentally do not seem to support the Sanders Campaign policies anyway when it really comes down to it. They scarf down US media punditry like a dog returning to a regurgitated dinner.
Bernie Sanders displays more political courage in one day at 78 than most do for their whole lives. As for electability–he should stay in the contest as long as he likes–he owes the US Ruling Class of which the Democratic Party elites are members of–literally nothing, due to his working class funded campaign. The millions without healthcare and all the rest of it, will see NO change if Biden does somehow escape the Trump mangling machine. I saw a piece today, a Seattle clinic was charging $100-$500 for Corona virus screens for insured patients, $1600 for uninsured! Free in NZ and much of the ‘civilised’ world. That is what the Bernie Campaign is about.
Bernie would not of touched the Democrats with a 40 foot pole if not for the US system–not just FPP which typically leads to two only “official” parties but…State, Federal, Congress, Senate and Electoral College layers that all present unique barriers to a new vision or third and fourth parties trying to get representation for their supporters.
He should persist until substantial policy gains are made, or stand as an independent as a precursor to a full new party for 2024. So often the “real politik” views of what is “possible” posters are mere right opportunism.
People's politics are their own, and if they mainly come from the centre, which in the US (and here) the numbers suggest they do, then that's the actual state of the field in play. Attacking them won't change their minds, though I concede it's easier (even if counter productive) than trying to convince them an unpopular vision is the way forward.
As I've said before, I party vote for the most electable party furthest left from the middle, and Biden wouldn't have been in my top three presidential candidates, but neither of those things change the reality I listed above.
Calling people centrist weaklings because one's politics are fringe and hopes and dreams have died at the ballot box doesn't bother me, but like the momentum led labour party in the UK, you won't win too many battles with it.
And the dead dog that the Dems and liberal MSM have pushed is not only suffering for cognitive decline, when he does open his mouth he spews out about as much bullshit and lies as Trump….well done you stupid selfish centrists, hope you all got a good excuse lined up to tell your grandchildren when you try and explain why the planet is burning around them…..as I have said for years you liberals are more of a threat to any progressive project than the Right, and you all just proved it again…well done.
Ultimately "the dead dog that the Dems and liberal MSM have pushed is" the one the voters seem to have chosen.
If only you had the numbers to match your rhetoric.
It was not my intention to put this specifically on you The Al1en. Various others deserve the centrist weakling accolade more.
Elections do not happen in a social vacuum–“righto chaps let the best man win eh what!” is not how it is structured under US billionaire Manufacturing Consent rules by the longest of stretches.
People vote against their own material interests regularly around the world, why? For subjective reasons. Fear. Neo liberal fostered hyper individualism. Hardwired loyalty to what was. Aspiration. Fear of the new. And scariest of all–100 million eligible Americans are so alienated and degraded by social conditions, and excluded by gerrymandering and voter suppression, that they don’t bloody vote at all.
So in recent decades a minority of a minority actually enables a candidate to get to the Electoral College stage even. Of course ultimately the vote is the vote–but it should not be viewed uncritically or without a full analysis.
Don't bother Adrian Thornton – Centrist never listen – it's their one true gift.
Take the positives that from nothing a left has arisen in the USA. That it is getting organised and it has started to move the debate – with what little it had. It's only going to get bigger.
The majority of the
scumcenterists who dominate the debate now will be dead within a few years, and the ideas taking hold now will be the new normal/centre.Hi Adam, of course they don't listen, they are just as bound to their free market ideology as the rest of us to our own ideologies, the only difference is that our one is the only one that if implemented has at least a fighting chance at saving the planet and perhaps even making our societies and communities just a little bit nicer while we are at it…but as I have said a thousand times on this site, the Liberal ideology is an extremely selfish one, which guides all their policies and unfortunately for us, it is toward the inevitable cliff…
So the liberal MSM have an agenda, but Fox (does it still have like 80% of the us news audience) does not?
Let me apply your cynical lens to Fox: there's a reason Fox preferred dolt45 to face Sanders than a moderate Dem.
Looking at ABC news, I found the Edelman Trust Barometer. In its twentieth year, it has collated the results of 34,000 online survey respondents from late last year.
Although, I couldn't find any specific references in the data to NZ, there are quite a few interesting results coming out of the survey, including:
56% agreement with the statement: "Capitalism as it exists today does more harm than good in the world".
There are a number of different perspectives surveyed, including trust and ethics as they relate to business, media and government.
The World Health Organization has officially declared that dogs cannot get the coronavirus, freeing them from quarantine.
We can now all breathe easy knowing that WHO let the dogs out.
🤣🤣🤣
Earned me a barrage of abuse in the office.
From those poor people ( probably woman)that just cant see the quality of a masterful dad joke when they here it .
Brilliant !
lol…snap
brilliant!
More private jets than usual spotted at Queenstown airport?
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/11/disease-dodging-worried-wealthy-jet-off-to-disaster-bunkers
Have been keeping an eye out for that, but impression seems to be that there's maybe less than normal, and movements correspond to the usual short stay. ie The airplane comes in, and then leaves a couple of day later and departs the country.
If they were bunkering the airplane would depart pretty quickly to either overseas or parking in NZ. There's nowhere to park them in Queenstown.
Not to say there’s not some one way arrivals on commercial flights though. It’d probably be a while before immigration caught up with someone from US or Europe / UK who didn’t go home after their holiday.
Completing the circle and going full CV.
//
https://twitter.com/mtracey/status/1236493831622791175
https://twitter.com/mtracey/status/1237557622301011968
He won 46% of delegates in the last cycle … running against an opponent with no penis.
There's still a lot to be learned from comparing 2016 to 2020, but one thing we can be sure of right now is that Bernie's 2016 near-success was not an indication of enthusiasm for Bernie's ideologies. Biden's positions and history are downright reactionary compared to Hillary's, which should push even more voters Bernie's way if his ideology were a major factor. But this year Bernie is running way behind where he was in 2016.
https://www.salon.com/2020/03/11/why-is-bernie-losing-because-hes-not-running-against-a-woman/
They botched it, and now the cover-up.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The White House has ordered federal health officials to treat top-level coronavirus meetings as classified, an unusual step that has restricted information and hampered the U.S. government’s response to the contagion, according to four Trump administration officials.
The officials said that dozens of classified discussions about such topics as the scope of infections, quarantines and travel restrictions have been held since mid-January in a high-security meeting room at the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS), a key player in the fight against the coronavirus.
Staffers without security clearances, including government experts, were excluded from the interagency meetings, which included video conference calls, the sources said.
“We had some very critical people who did not have security clearances who could not go,” one official said. “These should not be classified meetings. It was unnecessary.”
[…]
This came directly from the White House,” one official said.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-secrecy-exclusive/exclusive-white-house-told-federal-health-agency-to-classify-coronavirus-deliberations-sources-idUSKBN20Y2LM
[headdesk]
1: they're not bringing in critical experts because security;
2: the White House is the biggest security problem they have.
Let me guess; Republicans are trying to give Kosovo back to Serbia. Or, Serbia is the tRump crime family’s preferred bolt-hole and following the despot’s playbook, they’ve been squirreling their looted billions there.
(thread)
https://twitter.com/cjcmichel/status/1237484725264056329
Curiouser and curiouser…
https://twitter.com/AmoneyResists/status/1237229165352493056
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=12315950
"Even the previously sluggish Auckland market has fired up again, median prices up 4.3 per cent from $851,000 a year ago to $888,000 last month. That was the highest Auckland price in more than four years."
I thought this government was doing something about getting rid of all the investors in the property market? Guess not….
Can you provide a link in which the Government has stated this? I think that you are making it up and I get grumpy when people do this, particularly in election year.
"The bright line test – which requires tax to be paid on any gains made from a residential property sale – was first imposed by the National-led Government in 2015.
The Labour-led Government has argued the measures don’t go far enough and that extending the test to five years will help deter property speculators and “may” have of a dampening effect on the housing market."
https://www.interest.co.nz/property/92868/tuesday-night-bill-which-will-see-bright-lines-test-extended-two-years-five-passed
Close, but no cigar. It doesn’t state what you asserted. It still looks like you were making it up.
Try again.
Yeah…lets get into a real 'woke' online argument…"you stated 'X' so you must provide a link to prove your statement of 'X' exists"
[You made up shit, and you know it. Of course, you cannot provide a link of your BS attribution to the Government because it doesn’t exist, and you know it. You were shit-stirring in the hope that somebody would take the bait. Well, I did. If you had chosen your words differently and more carefully, we would not have this “real ‘woke’ online argument”. Analogy: ‘they tried to hit me’ becomes ‘they tried to kill me’. You can take your “real ‘woke’ online argument” and shit-stir somewhere else. Banned for two weeks – Incognito]
Give up indiana. Many of us already have. IMO at the rate things are going, there will no-one left here by the time of the election – just a hollow echo chamber.
Look on the bright side, Weinstein just got 23 years.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/11/nyregion/harvey-weinstein-sentencing.html?fbclid=IwAR3mEgf0NUXhXPcNCHiwHe98mrH5_uiqTDX5JEYAZUsm1VxGoDipDBCSRa8
That is a bright side. He might do real time after all.
I love how every time the court announces against him he has to go straight to hospital.
Straight to a private hospital, for Igotcaughtbeingaprapistits.
lol
🙂
No point in fighting battles ya can't win @veuts. Better to just sit back and snigger at shit you don't feel like pushing uphill. Martyrdom went out of fashion more than my lifetime ago – it was replaced by the 15 minutes of fame aspiration
And just be glad TS is around, and if we comment – we do so as guests.
Besides, Mr Incognito isn't a bad sort of bloke (if he watches his blood pressure and cholesterol levels)
See my Moderation note @ 12:50 PM.
Taji Camp was hit again by 18 rockets and there has a number deaths and wounded soldiers this time. From reports I’ve just read they include UK and US service personal deaths, with number of wounded from these two countries and it’s believed that no NZ or ADF have wounded or kill at this.
It’s time for this NZG to seriously call time on Iraq, as the odds of a NZDF being wounded or kill over in Taji are shorting everyday now and it only a matter of time now.
https://twitter.com/MidEastWitness/status/1237871621647392771?s=20
But, but ISIS.
Oh wait, we beat ISIS and trump ordered the pull out of US troops. But, wait no ISIS just had thousands released with the Turkish invasion of Syria.
But, but, they wouldn't attack western troops sneak attacks would they.
Oh wait, sorry the russians did it.
I'd say we may need all our armed forces back here to help with essential services in a matter of weeks.
"weeks" is a fuzzy word that could mean before the end of March or sometime in 2021.
Given no new cases in 4 or 5 days, if we shut travel with the US in time we could be good for at least the first bit of that range.
So, Trump has decided to heap all the blame for the spread of Covid 19 on Europe eh. Good way to cover up for ones own piss poor management of General Health services in the US:
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/world/411566/all-travel-from-europe-to-us-suspended-for-30-days
UK excluded, but they’re not a part of Europe any longer, obviously.
All about the trade, and Chumpy's own interests.
Has the silly bastard thought of isolating the areas in his own country where the virus has reared its ugly head, or am I wrong in thinking that the stupid boofhead has just made a big move to make people think he is powerful and decisive (but far too late)?
no…you are quite correct
ditto
Not surprising, yet still depressing.
Apparently all Trump owned golf courses, being so exclusive, are immune from Covid 19. Maybe that is why he spent all last week-end at Mar-a-Lago
It's quite easy to heap blame on the federal government but states have their own government and play the most important part in handling one of these crises. The federal government is there to tidy up the mess once a state is overwhelmed really.
Trump has stopped travellers from Europe. New Zealand is still letting them in, no questions asked, just handing them a pamphlet even if the country they're from has exponential spread of the virus.
You know how many tests the CDC has done over the past 2 days?
https://twitter.com/KagroX/status/1237930627699224578?s=20
Although we may (have to) close our borders too, comparing travellers from Europe to the USA with Europeans to NZ is flawed. This kind of reasoning sounds very much like a me-too kneejerk without taking into account numbers and types of travellers.
Oh the irony.
https://www.thecanary.co/us/us-analysis/2020/03/11/us-activists-call-for-election-monitors-as-elitist-joe-biden-keeps-advancing/
Kia Ora Newshub.
Paddy the Christchurch desaster is 12 months ago it seems like yesterday. The haters are fools.
Ka kite Ano.
Kia Ora Te Ao Maori News.
Its good to see more putea invested in the regions 36 million.
Turanginui A Kiwa has got Awsome beaches.
Makatu beaches are good to.
Ka kite Ano
Kia Ora Newshub.
Its good to see China helping Italy.
Mite be time to plan online voting.
White supremecy has no place in the Papatuanuku.
Ka kite Ano.
Kia Ora Te Ao Maori News.
The effects of the virus are wide reaching.
The Kapa Haka comp in Tu Whare Toa looks good.
Chess is a good game to learn how to learn strategies of life.
Ka kite Ano
https://youtu.be/qQfetkoGrpU
Kia Ora Newshub.
Skypeing will become the new norm for business meetings.
It looks like good weather in Hamilton today 27 degrees.
I know exactly what I was doing 12 months ago at first I thought it was a hokes Aotearoa is still a awesome country.
Ka kite Ano.
Kia Ora Te Ao Maori News.
Yes religion does not teach hate.
Aohai is a great healer for tamariki.
Having fishing competition that all the tamariki can be involved in is cool on the Rangatiki Awa
Ka kite Ano