Haha. Kim just said on Morning Report that general tenor of the comments coming through was that the only person listeners like less than Judith Collins was her!
One could speculate that extreme Nats might have been waiting for the PM’s announcement of further Covid in the community last night. What–no one would be that nasty? They might be that desperate though.
NZ National Party senior, and Board member, “Merv the perv’s” little talkback performance was just the latest illustration that dirty tricks and born to rule psychology run deep in National ranks.
Most people will hopefully take the news in stride however, and swing back into action, with a lot higher use of masks this time.
Pretty sad state of Democratic campaign that the most important thing they can announce is who the Vice Presidential nomination is.
And on the other side, seeing preparations for Republican voter suppression through mailing constraints that amounts to a nationwide version of Lyndon Johnson's team hijacking the boxes in his first Texas Senate result (h/t Anthony Caro).
Standby for the mail in vote backlash from judith the trump copycat.
Was listening to judith yesterday and dang she sure is a nasty nasty person. Like I knew she wasn't nice, but crikey I didn't realise how horrid she is.
Yeah, she's genuinely unpleasant. Probably the last person you'd want in charge of things during a global pandemic. (Well, her and Billy TK, who is borderline delusional.)
My first thoughts on hearing we had an outbreak was that national would make total mischief with it. It was inevitable as covid's still about as per govt/MOH warnings of vigilence etc
We've an important election, but with an owned media and an opposition full of dirty tricks and no moral compass I do hope kiwi's see them for what they are.
Lots of advance voting with socially distanced queues and masks, plus the usual votes at old folks homes, plus overseas. There were nearly 1.24 million advance votes in 2017 inside NZ.
BTW: This isn’t some third world state like the USA that insists on voting on work days without time off and where corrupt republican officials try to reduce voter turnout by making sure there aren’t enough voting places and allow lines that are kilometers long and take hours to get to vote.
You really should take more of an interest in our democracy – it will amaze you just how efficient the process is.
"Borders closed until 2022?" worries Pete George, who goes on to say,
"I don’t think anyone can predict how long our borders will be closed…",
despite just having had a punt at it himself.
Pete's rattled. So much so that he's happy to imply that the Prime Minister is a liar;
"Ardern says she was first notified at 4pm yesterday. The first positive test result at least must have been known well before then. So why was she only notified then (if she is being honest with us)?" (my bold).
Ardern says she was first notified at 4pm yesterday. The first positive test result at least must have been known well before then. So why was she only notified then…
FFS: She was notified after Bloomfield. He was notified after there was a second positive result. There is a reasonably high risk of a false positive in most medical tests. That is why they run confirmation tests.
This appears to be particularly the case with the covid-19 tests because they tend to get triggered by fragments of other corona viruses like the one in the common cold – that most people carry even when they aren't sick.
'There is a reasonably high risk of a false positive in most medical tests. That is why they run confirmation tests.'
No that is incorrect, the majority of medical tests have a very small risk of false positivity with most the risk is bordering on the insignificant.
There is certainly a risk of false positivity in PCR testing for COVID19 that is higher than the very low level of false positive testing in most other medical tests.
You must know the false positive rate of the PCR test used in NZ to detect Covid-19. Why don’t you share your knowledge with us here on TS and make a useful contribution?
Ah, I see the whataboutery false equivalence pathetic response being wheeled out again.
Why do some commenters feel it is too hard to make a useful contribution here, ever so small or brief, yet don’t blink an eyelid or raise an eyebrow posting innumerous vacuous comments?
Yep. That is an bug. They are loading in some places and not in others. I’ve disabled the desktop site caching for a while to see if that is part of the issue.
Rosemary – what has that item about jobs got to do with keeping people who can't do more than a brain-damaged baby alive? Who can't ever have a clear thought, feed themselves, understand anything, control themselves to do simple stuff, are destructive and sometimes violent.
You are afraid of the possibility of disabled people not being respected for what they are, and not receiving the support that enables and facilitates their lives. I am thinking about people being allowed to die when they have no existence or awareness left for them, if they have no volition or when they wish especially if there is no-one who will adequately look after them.
When the person is loved and cared for it is a different matter; they are bonded with that person. Hinewehi Mohi tells how she managed to raise her daughter with cerebral palsy in this news report from 2013:
With older people, a nurse who has spent time in a secure unit for dementia patients described it to me as awful and dangerous as you can be violently attacked. The patients sound like zombies, stumbling around clawing at the doorlock mechanism.
We have to face these unpleasant issues occurring in our own locations. We can't just ignore them as we do people suffering overseas – everywhere in the world is suffering from harsh and avoidable problems, and that continues with Covid-19 an addition.
Very damaged people and those decayed at the end of life are suffering from an unavoidable problem, when the brain and body are too far gone there is no life possible for them that can be lived and enjoyed. So Rosemary be glad that you live in a country that will do stuff for you, be grateful as we all should be. Don't spend all your time trying to villify anyone who speaks reality, and an ethical process for ending such lives.
Who can't ever have a clear thought, feed themselves, understand anything,
Thanks Greywarshark, you make this sooo easy!
How do you know they don't ever have a clear thought? They don't understand anything?
And as for feeding themselves…all human infants would be culled if that is your measure.
….control themselves to do simple stuff, are destructive and sometimes violent.
So…I'll repeat the question my partner just asked your mate DTB. What about recidivist offenders…the violent, those with seemingly no control?
Not so very long ago kids like Chloe would have spent their entire lives in an institution…often with little or no social interaction or mental stimulation. All your evaluations of Ryan would have been applied to many of these children. You have no idea, do you? As I said last night…luckily for you and your ilk most kids with Down Syndrome are terminated these days. The parents who choose to allow life most often treat the child like any other…and in many cases these kids thrive. No-one knows how these children are going to develop…and with the right interventions and supports most can do 'better'.
Sadly, here in NZ, people like you are in the majority and keep voting in wankery governments that fail term after term to fund proper supports.
a nurse who has spent time in a secure unit for dementia patients described it to me as awful and dangerous as you can be violently attacked.
I spent two years, and nine months of my second pregnancy working night shift in such a unit. And yes…can be a challenge, no doubt about that. One does try to remember that these are fellow humans who had real lives and families and fuck me…I'd hope when I'm sundowning and drooling in my soup some other low aid carer might remember that too.
But you won't have to worry about that will you? You'll get your EOLC Bill passed and all will be well.
Hi Rosemary, sorry about the belated tautoko for your reply to DTB and grey. I saw the original comment while on the phone, and was reassured to see your reply.
This abitrary judging of life is problematic and damaging.
The value of a life is not able to be quantified in physical or mental fitness. In fact, many of the more atrocious and appalling acts of humankind were most likely implemented by the "fittest" amongst us.
Such a limited way of thinking, that discards life and the values and gifts that can be provided in many forms.
I'm disappointed to read such ideas on this blog, and despair that financial quantifying is offered up as a reason.
I'm disappointed to read such ideas on this blog, and despair that financial quantifying is offered up as a reason.
Yes, the New Left. Gotta love 'em.
Probably the most heartbreaking aspect is that two commenters can explicitly call for the elimination of a particular class of human and it raises not a ripple of interest from the individuals here inclined to cry "Hate Speech!"
Sadly, last time I checked our Human Rights legislation omits disability as grounds for a claim of discrimination.
I support your comments and experience Rosemary. Amazing in my lifetime (I'm mid 40s) people who were paraplegic were put in those institutions where they'd lie on their backs in these large cubby holes, & look at the world through a mirror above them. For years! Lifetimes.
I hope all you people who are so strong that every baby lives, actually back up your principles by supporting those damaged people with such limited lives. Talk the talk and walk the walk or you are empty vessels.
Guessing it'll be significantly more than 3 days (indeed may have been a little white lie by the Govt to soften the blow).
Presumably a few Aucklanders have assumed the same … hence the brief Supermarket Panic-buying deja vu … wonder if we'll see another toilet paper frenzy with fist-fights breaking out in the Household Cleaners, Personal Hygiene & Toiletries isle?
And wondering if it's already spread elsewhere .. even if in dribs & drabs …
… 2 Christchurch retirement villages in partial lockdown after residents began displaying signs of respiratory illness (maybe COVID, maybe not)
So, Occam's Razor holding fast, although nobody in the family first identified worked at the airport, the localised outbreak might have been identified within a couple of degrees of infection.
But then there's the Rotorua trip to worry about. Sigh.
Postponement of the Election would not entirely surprise me.
It would surprise me. They have been planning on handling an election in a full lock down since April. And the electoral commission have to assume that the situation of community spread and lock downs could continue all of the way to November or very early December. Which is as late as they could have it without pulling heavily on reserve powers and declaring one of the states of emergency.
May as well do it as early as possible rather than run the risks of a possibly worsening situation. The use of reserve powers should be avoided if at all possible.
I seem to recall similar happening here when David Cunliffe was leader of NZ Labour. In both cases the grass roots voted in the leader that they wanted and many MPs and other leaders of the parties cut them down.
We actually see this across the world in representative democracies. The rich do not want the people to actually have power. Actual democracy would go against them and they know it. When a politician says that someone has to make the hard decisions what they really mean is that they're going to do something that will be bad for the majority of people, that the majority of people don't want them to do but that the rich want and so it will be done anyway.
You're making the mistake of thinking that "grass roots" party members are in any way representative of the general public. Or even the smallish segment of the general public that's vaguely interested in politics.
Political party members tend to skew towards obsessives with just a limited range of topics they have strong feelings about. Which makes them poor judges of what appeals to the general public. Particularly after they gather themselves into echo chambers.
You're making the mistake of thinking that "grass roots" party members are in any way representative of the general public.
No I'm not because it doesn't matter. The majority of the party wanted those people as their party's leader. People in power were frightened by this and so took actions to remove them.
Political party members tend to skew towards obsessives with just a limited range of topics they have strong feelings about. Which makes them poor judges of what appeals to the general public.
Again, it doesn't matter. The grass roots of the party were voting for who they wanted not whom was more acceptable to the general public in the eyes of some petty bourgeoise.
Nats also want thousands of international students here so those private education outfits and Auckland University can make money. Hope the more people hear and see Collins they will be even more appalled by her viciousness.
Think you are confusing make money, with going broke, and having to lay-off half their staff.
Maybe you should talk to Chippy about his expectations on them still having to make a profit or being taken over by him, which would be a very bad thing.
If the University of Auckland have "to lay off half their staff" because they can't access international students, then the university council has chosen a seriously unsustainable business model. The free market giveth, and Covid taketh away, but don't expect 'our' universities to change their neoliberal ways.
"The university’s press release on Tuesday packages the slashing of jobs and the reduction of courses as part of a vision, as astigmatic as it might have been. The point being made here is that such reductions were always on the table, factored and measured. There was a “redesign” of the university’s “course architecture”, one designed to “remove much of the complexity” of what was being offered. This is crude code for job cuts, staff losses and, as is the norm, the continued thriving of the vampiric handlers at the top end of the management spectrum. They won’t be offering their heads on the platter of accountability any time too soon." https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL2003/S00100/coronavirus-offerings-and-job-losses-university-reliance-on-china-bites.htm
$2 per disposable mask at Supermarket or chemist, and it is already impossible to find any that are longer lasting – How are families under financial pressure suppose to survive?And what should Friday be extended – both the cost and the availability of masks.
And then you have the environmental aspect to deal with.
Judith Collins is a bat out of hell. Huge headlines spitting venom. It’s ALL Jacindas fault for letting Covid back in through the borders. I thought the latest ones were community transmission? Anyway. Let’s politicise the hell out of this says Judith. Bet she’s hoping for a few more deaths to validate her claims of disarray and shambolic mismanagement.
And, she’s not only a thoroughly nasty person but she is also a FRUMP. Doesn’t matter how she dresses she still looks like a frumpy old bag lady.
She'd love nothing more than for this to explode because it's the only way she stands a chance of winning. People need to die, the plague needs to spread, and Judith will be cackling with malevolent glee throughout it all and snarling, "Yes! Everything's going according to plan!" Her strategy is essentially to stoke fear and apportion blame. "The country's falling sideways off a cliff, and it's all Ardern's fault!"
Keep calm and carry on, New Zealand. We did it once, we can do it again.
even were it to spread, will people really think Collins in the answer? She's sounding like someone totally out of control, she's not very reassuring at all.
Reverted to WordPress 5.4.2 which fixed the reply. Fixed some cache issues in the mobile version that were breaking CSS and Javascript.
The comment count is still outstanding (and really odd). I'll try for a reboot on the database – but I suspect I will have to fix that later in the day.
Fixed the comments count. I had a filter in to check for the number of trackbacks and ping backs to remove them from the count. It looks like there was a change to the field that it was discriminating on.
Fixed. It will now be slightly high if a trackback or pingback is in a post. But I will fix that later.
Dissolution of Parliament has been deferred it seems, going by the PM’s statement this morning. That decision may be regretted sooner rather than later, as the move is on from National to push back the General Election date.
The election will be delayed a month. There will be a month at Level 3 nationwide – they willl have no choice. Collins will have a month in the Bridges committee role.
Have they identified the source of community infection yet? The MoH contact tracing capabilities and capacity were improved and met the criteria after the scathing report of the audit by Dr Ayesha Verrall.
Have they identified the source of community infection yet?
Close but no cigar, expect the most likely source to be identified by Friday once the suspect source personnel are tested through today/tomorrow and results returned.
The most disappointing aspect is there appears to have been little testing amongst personnel involved in the return and isolation of inbound passengers at Auckland airport.
Suspicions from the MOH is that the leakage is from a quarantine facility,and testing of ALL staff at the facilities is to be undertaken.
As the extent of the spread is unknown,there are a number of other issues that need to be addressed such as immediate border closure (due to limitations in both quarantine facilities and the availability of ICU beds) and a north /south transport suspension of human cargo.
A longer stretch of pain listening to campaigns but may have it's plus side with Judith running out of "fake news". Incredibly irresponsible to public safety, how she's deemed herself an essential worker, flouted her level 3 travel ban to get in front of camera's in Wellington.
And this dick Bridges suffering from losing limelight too as a disgusting first response.
" Let’s be honest about how problematic a 19 Sept election in under 40 days is. I’ve just cancelled public meetings and a lot of volunteers doorknocking. Meanwhile, Labour, while suspending campaigning, continues with all machinery of Govt and thus the power of the airwaves." (Twitter Simon Bridges)
The media no less appaling in lack of resposibility in giving space to politicising other's fears.
Arguably, the Leader of the Labour Party is at more of a disadvantage than the quasi-Leader of the National Party. One is looking after a strong team of five million while the other one is herding a ragtag of fifty-odd MPs, give or take a few who jumped the sinking ship, and Merv.
Get the opposition to demand that the government doesn't face the voters. She can keep announcing new election dates, then … oh dear, another case.
It's rare – and bizarre – for a government to stay in power because the opposition desperately want them to, but that's what National have been reduced to.
I was just about to give your third strike warning and a short-sharp ban, which I’ve deleted (for now). What you consider as ‘humour against the prevailing narrative’, I see as stupid trolling and repeating your past behaviour. You may have to explain what you mean by “the prevailing narrative”. I was convinced I will save Moderators much time by banning you until after the election at least but you now you show your kind side; make it work!
my sense of prevailing narrative is that no one really wants to talk about government accountability here , more so how can we externalise failure here and project on the opposition
Joking I thought maybe a less harsh and in your face approach
If you frame it that way, it becomes a false dichotomy and not conducive to good faith discourse here. That’s what you’re doing and I think you’re doing it deliberately, as you were doing in the past.
For now, I’ve given you the benefit of a tiny amount of doubt. You can build up your ‘credit’ here, if you choose so.
Well one positive of this renewed outbreak is that customers are scanning the tracking code and sanitising as they come in the gallery. Since we opened after lockdown the compliance has been effectively zero, less than 1%.
Today, 100%. And it’s quite busy for a change. Everyone’s got their phones in hand and ready. Even noticing people turning away from shops that aren’t displaying codes
If the Government and helpers manage to quickly contain/identify the out break, this would shower praise for the efficiency on the Government and shower sparks from Judith, especially as she is the one who sets out to politicise the outbreak.
I agree if Government can close this down in a week, all kudos to them and election is over rover. I however don’t think virus will accomodate this chain of events I also think Government have really failed at the border. Tough I know but their planning, risk mitigation, resources etc has not being enough. Is this Jacinda direct fault, no, but the buck stops with her 250k of Aucklanders that where working yesterday, are not today, let alone the impact on business, both big and small. It’s simply not good enough and what aboutism and we are doing better than others does not cut it
Can you please make your point in a clearly articulated way that’s intelligible so that we can turn your monologue into a robust debate here? For example, how do we move forward from L2/3 into next week? What needs to be done to go down to L1 and when? Et cetera. As it stands, you sound like JC’s speech notes for the next meeting of the local Merv Fan Club.
very few new cases arise and it can be ring fenced as a cluster
This I suggest won’t happen , so it will be level 4 or level 4.1 ( ie a few more things open re learning from last lock down ) next week for 4 weeks at least
Above is assuming elimination remains the strategy, this should be contested at least
i won’t post any more, to many sensitive souls No hard feelings 😊
Yes, you’re making up things “only when it suits you”. There is no L4.1, there won’t be an L4.1, L4.1 would be more severe than L4, as it is not a version number but a grading number of severity (of health risk).
No more rule breaking or you will experience Ban B4.1.
Yup, you’re making stuff up all the time. You also don’t know the difference between chronology and hierarchy. Placing bets on things getting worse is just sick, IMHO.
There are promising signs of finding the source. I think that the 50 year old male working in the Cool Store near Auckland Airport had been off sick for over a week. He worked in an office. That part would be trackable.
The woman visiting Rotorua was visiting tourist sites but not in close contact.
Don't trust my memory and maybe it is my friendly optimism writing.
Finding the source and neutralising the spread by isolating all close contacts ASAP. Then test, test, and test and wait keeping fingers, arms, legs, and toes crossed.
* Rote mantra classes to memorize
our "facts". Repeat after me,
'Jacinda's on my Shitlist'. Again!
* Using I.T. How to use secret
modes for dummies. Practical
sesh sending pics.
CLOSING ADDRESS from our hero.
"What you’re seeing and what you’re reading is not what’s happening."
" I think if this country gets any kinder or gentler, it's literally going to cease to exist." To be blunt, people would vote for me. They just would. Why? Maybe because I'm so ….the best at freaking everything!"
Dirty filthy Nats want Election shifted to next year! (J. Collins on Nat Radio just after 3pm).
This Govt. has made a significant tactical mistake by not dissolving Parliament right on schedule–and it may bite them and most of us ordinary citizens if they don’t get their act together immediately. Unecessary appeasement is one of the worst political crimes–particularly with another poll (UMR) out with Nats on 28%! and Labour still over 50%, again.
Seen some support for the infected family but apparently the Americold worker had been off work sick for 9 days prior to today. And a group of them trucked off to Rotorua on the weekend while one was symptomatic.
Sure, they got themselves tested in the end but far too late.
The idea was that if you were sick, you stay home and seek advice from your doctor or the health-line, not sit at home silent and otherwise take a road trip down country.
Thought about this. If I was sick, there's no way my work would allow me onsite. That's because that industry has very high safety protocols generally and did a lot of work on getting sign off from MoH about working post-covid.
If I showed any symptoms for more than a day I would be straight down to the doctor and would voluntarily isolate. It’s not about testing, it’s about getting advice from your doctor.
It’s not about testing, it’s about getting advice from your doctor.
Perhaps he believed that he couldn't afford to go to the doctor. I haven't seen anywhere saying that going to the doctor suddenly got free. I could have missed it but if so then so could he.
And what are the chances that your typical hetero, working class male volunteers to go to the doctor to see if they have a disease that appears to have disappeared.
Muttonbird @ 33
It seems that one of them went to a medical clinic in West Auckland about a week ago that were not able to test her for Covid so told her to go straight to the nearest Covid testing facility. She returned to the clinic a couple of days ago and they established she never went to be tested.
Now that centre has had to close in order to be deep cleaned.
I have to agree with Muttonbird… there does seem to have been a lack of responsibility in at least a couple of the four Covid victims in question.
Why is Paula Benefit, still a National Party MP and employee of the state, allowed to run anti-government propaganda in her position as radio host. Why even is she allowed to take up that role while still being paid by the taxpayer?
Oh yeah, working two jobs is a specialty of Paula Benefit's…
But central to this is the unauthorised campaigning she is doing for the National Party while still one of their MPs and drawing a salary from the hard working taxpayer.
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A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
“I’ve been internalising a really complicated situation in my head.”When they kept telling us we should wait until we get to know him, were they taking the piss? Was it a case of, if you think this is bad, wait till you get to know the real Christopher, after the ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
.“$10 and a target that bleeds” - Bleeding Targets for Under $10!.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.This government appears hell-bent on either scrapping life-saving legislation or reintroducing things that - frustrated critics insist - will be dangerous and likely ...
“It hardly strikes me as fair to criticise a government for doing exactly what it said it was going to do. For actually keeping its promises.”THUNDER WAS PLAYING TAG with lightning flashes amongst the distant peaks. Its rolling cadences interrupted by the here-I-come-here-I-go Doppler effect of the occasional passing car. ...
Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology – the Internet – is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
Bob Edlin writes – And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ HeraldThomas CoughlanSimeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
TL;DR:Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it: We want our country to be a ...
The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading → ...
Ele Ludemann writes – The government is omitting general Treaty references from legislation : The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last Government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty ...
What was that judge thinking?Peter Williams writes – That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop:Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
Buzz from the BeehiveThe text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary. It can be quickly analysed ...
For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
Questions need to be asked on both sides of the worldPeter Williams writes – The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop:The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
TL;DR:Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
Bob Edlin writes – The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
The New Zealand public voted for a change in direction at the 2023 general election and that is exactly what this coalition government has been delivering in its first 100 days. There was an immediate focus on the economy, easing the cost of living, cracking down on law and order ...
The Government has left the health system as an afterthought, announcing half-baked targets at the last minute of their 100-day plan, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
Kiwis are still waiting for their promised cost of living support after 100 days of a National Government that is taking us backwards, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
100 days of National taking NZ backwardsThe National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
The Government must commit to funding free and healthy school lunches, as thousands of people sign the petition to keep them, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti says. ...
If the Government was serious about moving families into public housing, they would build more houses so there is actually somewhere for people to go. ...
The free and healthy school lunches programme feeds our kids, helps them to learn, and saves families money – but it is at risk under this Government, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
The Government’s proposed changes to Firearms Prohibition Orders (FPO) add almost nothing new and are merely an attempt to distract from its plans to loosen gun laws, police spokesperson Ginny Andersen and justice spokesperson Dr Duncan Webb said. ...
The great Victorian era English politician Lord Macauley stood in the British House of Parliament and said, "The gallery in which the reporters sit has become a fourth estate of the realm".He understood and outlined even way back then, the significant role and influence media have in a democracy. ...
The government’s attack on Māori health this week is committing tangata-whenua to a premature death, says Te Pāti Māori. “The government have begun their onslaught on Māori health with the abolishment of the Māori Health Authority and smokefree laws in the same day” said health spokesperson and co-leader, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. ...
"The Government is moving quickly to realise an additional $46 million in tariff savings in the EU market this season for Kiwi exporters,” Minister for Trade and Agriculture, Todd McClay says. Parliament is set, this week, to complete the final legislative processes required to bring the New Zealand – European ...
New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April. ...
Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand. Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships. “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland Acknowledgements and opening Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says. “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024 Acknowledgements and opening Morena, Nga Mihi Nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country. “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week. “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee. “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today. “The Amendment Paper represents ...
Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level. “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024. “Lower fruit and vege ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction. Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
Recommendations from the Climate Change Commission for New Zealand on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction and unit limit settings for the next five years have been tabled in Parliament, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “The Commission provides advice on the ETS annually. This is the third time the ...
The coalition Government is beginning its fight to lower building costs and reduce red tape by exempting minor building work from paying the building levy, says Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. “Currently, any building project worth $20,444 including GST or more is subject to the building levy which is ...
Proposed changes to tax legislation to prevent the over-taxation of low-earning trusts are welcome, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The changes have been recommended by Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee following consideration of submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill. “One of the ...
Assalaamu alaikum. السَّلَام عليكم In light of the holy month of Ramadan, I want to extend my warmest wishes to our Muslim community in New Zealand. Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, renewed devotion, perseverance, generosity, and forgiveness. It’s a time to strengthen our bonds and appreciate the diversity ...
Former Transport Minister and CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber Hon Simon Bridges has been appointed as the new Board Chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) for a three-year term, Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced today. “Simon brings extensive experience and knowledge in transport policy and governance to the role. He will ...
Good morning all, it is a pleasure to be here as Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology. It is fantastic to see how connected and collaborative the life science and biotechnology industry is here in New Zealand. I would like to thank BioTechNZ and NZTech for the invitation to address ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says he is looking forward to the day when three key water projects in Northland are up and running, unlocking the full potential of land in the region. Mr Jones attended a community event at the site of the Otawere reservoir near Kerikeri on Friday. ...
Associate Finance Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government has agreed to restore deductibility for mortgage interest on residential investment properties. “Help is on the way for landlords and renters alike. The Government’s restoration of interest deductibility will ease pressure on rents and simplify the tax code,” says ...
Sport and Recreation Minister Chris Bishop will travel to Switzerland today to attend an Executive Committee meeting and Symposium of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Mr Bishop will then travel on to London where he will attend a series of meetings in his capacity as Infrastructure Minister. “New Zealanders believe ...
Chumbawamba have reportedly issued the deputy PM a cease-and-desist notice after he used their song 'Tubthumping' before his state of the nation speech. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Deborah Lupton, SHARP Professor, Vitalities Lab, Centre for Social Research in Health and Social Policy Centre, and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making and Society, UNSW Sydney kitzcorner/Shutterstock The assertion from Queensland’s chief health officer John Gerrard that ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Shutterstock Why are musicians so keen to get played on the radio? It can’t be because of the money. In Australia they are paid at rates so low they ...
"Farmers make a point not to tell our urban cousins how to live, yet Chlöe from central Auckland is hell-bent on having her say about farmers," says ACT Rural Communities spokesman Mark Cameron. “On her first day in the House as Green ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards – Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Curran, Associate Professor of Ecology, Lincoln University, New Zealand Getty Images/Gerald Corsi In the latest move to reform environmental laws in New Zealand, the coalition government has introduced a bill to fast-track consenting processes for projects deemed to ...
Uber has argued it does not have as much control over drivers as the unions suggest, and wants a judgment ruling that drivers are employees and not contractors set aside and sent back to the Employment Court. The 2022 ruling followed a three-week hearing in which four drivers sought to ...
What can and can’t be purchased by disabled people or their carers has been slashed in an effort by the Ministry of Disabled People Whaikaha to save money. The purchasing guidelines, a set of rules that sets out what can be purchased using the various streams of Government disability funding, ...
The Treasury has published today a new Analytical Note by Tod Wright and Hien Nguyen, Fiscal incidence in New Zealand: The effects of taxes and benefits on household incomes in tax year 2018/19 . Analyses of the distributional impact of taxation and government ...
The Treasury has published today a new Analytical Note by Cory Davis, Boston Hart and Benjamin Stubbing, Household cost-of-living impacts from the Emissions Trading Scheme and using transfers to mitigate regressive outcomes . This Analytical Note ...
A coalition of public transport and climate organisations, united as ‘Transport for All’, is actively opposing the government’s transport proposals. The draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) includes plans for higher fares for public transport, ...
Greater Wellington is inviting feedback on proposed changes to its Revenue and Financing Policy. The Revenue and Financing Policy covers the Council’s various sources of funding, and how the cost of services is shared across the region. This includes ...
Labour has conceded it could have done more to deal with disruptive state housing tenants while in government but says the current coalition is going too far. ...
The band has asked their record label to issue a cease and desist to stop the NZ First leader using their 1997 hit to support his ‘misguided political views’. “I get knocked down, but I get up again,” blared through the speakers on Sunday as Winston Peters took the stage ...
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist Food rationing is underway in remote areas in Papua New Guinea’s Highlands following torrential rain and flash flooding. More than 20 people have been reported dead in Chimbu Province. In nearby Enga Province, the centre of last month’s massacre, a 15-year-old boy has been ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Hughes, Lecturer, Research School of Management, Australian National University After months of debate and intrigue, the AFL’s 19th and newest team, the Tasmania Devils, finally launched its jumper, logo and colours in Devonport this week. The Devils will wear green, ...
Brannavan Gnanalingam reviews the debut novel by Saraid de Silva.One of the most baffling things for children who move to a new country is what their parents’ (or grandparents’) lives were like prior to moving – for kids in particular, they’re too busy trying to fit in in their ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Gaunson, Associate Professor in Cinema Studies, RMIT University Narelle Portanier/Binge “If you don’t know who your mob are, you don’t know who you are,” Detective Andrea “Andie” Whitford (played by Leah Purcell) is told early into the new crime ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elise Klein, Associate professor, Australian National University It’s commonly accepted that women do the vast majority of caregiving in Australian society. But less appreciated is that Indigenous women do larger amounts of unpaid care than any other group. Working with the Aboriginal ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne Joe Biden and Donald Trump have both secured their parties’ nominations for the November 5 United States general election by winning a ...
Comment: There has been a striking contrast in trans-Tasman interest about Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi’s visit to New Zealand and Australia. While the Australian press has been full of articles about the visit – including his curious decision to meet with former prime minister and China booster Paul Keating ...
After years of pressuring banks and other institutions to stop investing in fossil fuels, climate campaigners are making some progress. So how does divestment work?For years, climate activists have been pushing banks and other big institutions to divest from fossil fuels. New research from climate advocacy group 350 Aotearoa ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. The three young Polynesians are part of a K-pop fan community in Tāmaki Makaurau. It’s one of many that have sprung up worldwide as K-pop has gone ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. This one-off documentary presents three intimate portraits of young Polynesians who are pulled into a Korean cultural phenomenon. K-POLYS is directed by Litia Tuiburelevu, Produced by Hex ...
There’s ample evidence demonstrating free school lunch programmes provide wide benefits across schools, households and communities according to public health researchers. ACT Minister David Seymour wants to reduce the spending on Aotearoa New Zealand’s ...
By Wata Shaw in Suva Fiji is facing an exodus of Fijians as many are leaving for overseas seeking employment and education and others are migrating, says Opposition MP Viliame Naupoto. Speaking in Parliament, he said: “His Excellency’s speech (Ratu Wiliame Katonivere) comes after a little over one year of ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming comments from Christopher Luxon this morning recommitting to ‘no new taxes’ as part of Budget 2024. “Mr Luxon’s refusal at the Post-Cabinet press conference yesterday to repeat the ‘no new taxes’ promise ...
SAFE is urgently calling on the Environment Committee to reject the Government’s Fast-Track Approvals Bill, and is urging New Zealanders to rally behind the call. The proposed Bill, currently under consideration with the Environment select committee, ...
Teammates who spend all their time picking fights with spectators are only helpful for the other team, writes Madeleine Chapman. Anyone who has ever played a team sport competitively, particularly as a child and particularly, for some reason, basketball, will know that there’s a lot of politics involved. While there ...
The long-running Wellington music festival is too focused on the Jim Beam-ness and not enough on the Homegrown-ness.There is something about Homegrown that’s difficult to place. A barely perceptible-ness. Like feeling a ghost is watching you from the corner of the room but when you look, there’s nothing there. ...
The latest Ipsos New Zealand Issues Monitor reveals that fewer New Zealanders believe crime / law and order is one of the top issues facing our country. In 2018, Ipsos New Zealand started tracking the key issues facing New Zealand. In this wave ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Griffiths, Deputy Program Director, Budgets and Government, Grattan Institute Australia’s political donations rules are woefully inadequate, but donations reform is finally on the agenda. The federal government has signalled its interest in reform and will soon begin briefing MPs on its ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Patrick Taylor, Chief Environmental Scientist, EPA Victoria; Honorary Professor, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University Naiyana Somchitkaeo/Shutterstock A recent study published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine has linked microplastics with risk to human health. The study ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Albert Van Dijk, Professor, Water and Landscape Dynamics, Fenner School of Environment & Society, Australian National University Global climate records were shattered in 2023, from air and sea temperatures to sea-level rise and sea-ice extent. Scores of countries recorded their hottest year ...
As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, a teacher explains why he and his partner are in frugal mode – and how they’re making it work. Gender: Male Age: 35Ethnicity: Pākehā Role: I am an intermediate school teacher and my partner is ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Bendall, Senior Lecturer, Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences, Australian Catholic University Binge Mary & George, the new British television drama series, depicts the real-life story of Mary Villiers and her son George, and their social climbing at the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jason Nassios, Associate Professor, Centre of Policy Studies, Victoria University This article is part of The Conversation’s series examining the housing crisis. Read the other articles in the series here. Australian state and federal governments spend money in many ways to ...
The finance minister is denying that there’s a $5.6b shortfall in paying for the government’s campaign promises, including tax cuts. At his post-cabinet press conference yesterday, the PM refused to rule out new taxes to pay for the cuts, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s ...
Kāinga Ora tenants abused by their neighbours are doubting the government's crackdown on disruptive tenants will make a difference on their behaviour. ...
Kāinga Ora is New Zealand’s biggest residential landlord, housing more than 180,000 vulnerable people in more than 67,000 properties. Yesterday the government announced a crackdown on its tenants who fall behind on rent. One longtime Kāinga Ora tenant shares her experience.For 18 years I lived in a 1960s standalone ...
Why does this myth persist, and what’s the real reason our skin is suffering?It’s one of the biggest international grievances New Zealanders hold, up there with the sinking of the Rainbow Warrior and 1981’s underarm incident. We’re quick to tell international travellers that the world’s pollution led to the ...
Auckland Council is opposing a fast-track development backed by Sir John Kirwan and Spark NZ, because it doesn’t meet stringent new climate adaptation requirements The post Surf-data centre faces new 3.8C climate warming rules appeared first on Newsroom. ...
When the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act was introduced in 2009 it was firmly targeted at gangs and drugs. The legislation means police no longer need a conviction to seize assets that criminals can’t prove were paid for legitimately, as long as their alleged offences are punishable by more than a ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[quiz],DIV[quiz],A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Tuesday 19 March appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Bob’s relationship with certain members of Lincoln’s academic staff continued to deteriorate in the 1990s. Others supported him publicly, though articles such as Roland Clark’s 1993 piece in Growing Today cannot have pleased the university management. Clark wrote that Bob was selling onions from the Biological Husbandry Unit to a ...
SailGP’s races feature in-your-face action, with agile, hydro-foiling catamarans tacking and jibing for the title over several days. However, public comments ahead of the global series’ return to New Zealand have left this past year’s controversy in the shadows, as a key appointment attracts criticism from dolphin advocates. A year ...
Opinion: We are fast approaching a fundamental change in prisons. As the number of people on custodial remand looks set to overtake the number of sentenced prisoners, the main function of prisons in New Zealand may become incarcerating un-sentenced people who may not be guilty of offending. We have already ...
A huge seven months lies in store for the White Ferns, beginning this week with the visit of England and culminating with the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh in September and October. Starting on Tuesday in Dunedin, the world ranked No. 2 visitors will play five T20s and three ODIs, ...
Opinion: In a move that has shocked road safety advocates across the country, the new Minister of Transport, Simeon Brown, is poised to abandon the previous government’s speed limit reduction policy, particularly around schools. Even more alarmingly, he wants school speed limits to be variable rather than full-time, arguing ...
The letters, which were published last week, were addressed to Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) Chairperson Megawati Sukarnoputri, National Democrat Party (NasDem) Chairperson Surya Paloh, National Awakening Party (PKB) Chairperson Muhaimin Iskandar, Justice and Prosperity Party (PKS) President Ahmad Syaikhu and United Development Party (PPP) Chairperson Muhammad Mardiono. In ...
Evicting more people from state housing is ignorant to the consequences of poverty, the Greens say, but the Housing Minister says it's a privilege that can be taken away if abused. ...
Evicting more people from state housing is ignorant to the consequences of poverty, the Greens say, but the Housing Minister says it's a privilege that can be taken away if abused. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emerald L King, Lecturer in Humanities, University of Tasmania IMDB Between Netflix’s 2023 live-action version of One Piece, and its latest take on Avatar: The Last Airbender, fans are once again asking: why are live-action anime adaptations so tricky to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emerald L King, Lecturer in Humanities, University of Tasmania IMDB Between Netflix’s 2023 live-action version of One Piece, and its latest take on Avatar: The Last Airbender, fans are once again asking: why are live-action anime adaptations so tricky to ...
The government says it still intends to deliver tax cuts by July, but will not lock them in until they have got them past their coalition partners. ...
Kiingi Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII has hosted members of the Green Party Caucus at Tuurangawaewae Marae in Ngaaruawahia. The audience follows the King’s Hui-aa-Motu on 20 January, where more than 10,000 people gathered to discuss national ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dr Rachael Potter, Research Associate and Lecturer in Work and Organisational Psychology, University of South Australia Ground Picture/Shutterstock Pregnant women and workers with children are often unfairly treated by their bosses and colleagues, despite laws to protect against workplace discrimination ...
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Kim's quite rightly asking the question…"Why only three days?"
https://www.rnz.co.nz/radio
Chris Hipkin's standing up to the interrogation quite well.
Face masks likely to be mandatory or Aucklanders.
Oh, happy days!
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2018759053/covid-19-health-minister-on-auckland-lockdown
Haha. Kim just said on Morning Report that general tenor of the comments coming through was that the only person listeners like less than Judith Collins was her!
I got the impression she was pulling her punches a tad with the Minister this morning.
Like the professional she is, the aim was to extract vital information rather than fingernails.
One could speculate that extreme Nats might have been waiting for the PM’s announcement of further Covid in the community last night. What–no one would be that nasty? They might be that desperate though.
NZ National Party senior, and Board member, “Merv the perv’s” little talkback performance was just the latest illustration that dirty tricks and born to rule psychology run deep in National ranks.
Most people will hopefully take the news in stride however, and swing back into action, with a lot higher use of masks this time.
Pretty sad state of Democratic campaign that the most important thing they can announce is who the Vice Presidential nomination is.
And on the other side, seeing preparations for Republican voter suppression through mailing constraints that amounts to a nationwide version of Lyndon Johnson's team hijacking the boxes in his first Texas Senate result (h/t Anthony Caro).
Forget about the Yankee Circus, its pretty boring.
The Nats have been pretty quick to raise the “delay the election” scenario again. I wonder why?
Standby for the mail in vote backlash from judith the trump copycat.
Was listening to judith yesterday and dang she sure is a nasty nasty person. Like I knew she wasn't nice, but crikey I didn't realise how horrid she is.
Yeah, she's genuinely unpleasant. Probably the last person you'd want in charge of things during a global pandemic. (Well, her and Billy TK, who is borderline delusional.)
My first thoughts on hearing we had an outbreak was that national would make total mischief with it. It was inevitable as covid's still about as per govt/MOH warnings of vigilence etc
We've an important election, but with an owned media and an opposition full of dirty tricks and no moral compass I do hope kiwi's see them for what they are.
Would imagine that you can't vote at level 3
Lots of advance voting with socially distanced queues and masks, plus the usual votes at old folks homes, plus overseas. There were nearly 1.24 million advance votes in 2017 inside NZ.
BTW: This isn’t some third world state like the USA that insists on voting on work days without time off and where corrupt republican officials try to reduce voter turnout by making sure there aren’t enough voting places and allow lines that are kilometers long and take hours to get to vote.
You really should take more of an interest in our democracy – it will amaze you just how efficient the process is.
jeez if RWs want Labour to govern for longer just vote for them.
I am not the one comparing it to the US and I don't want a govt decided by 1.24 mill votes.
It was bad enough last time when it was just one.
The electoral commission has been planning for it, as one would expect.
Wasn't the contingency planning around the election one of the things that pissed the nats off a while back?
"Borders closed until 2022?" worries Pete George, who goes on to say,
"I don’t think anyone can predict how long our borders will be closed…",
despite just having had a punt at it himself.
Pete's rattled. So much so that he's happy to imply that the Prime Minister is a liar;
"Ardern says she was first notified at 4pm yesterday. The first positive test result at least must have been known well before then. So why was she only notified then (if she is being honest with us)?" (my bold).
Pete’s channelling his inner Gerry.
There's a woodwork teacher inside of each and every one of us?
I just hope there isn't an arch-eyebrowed Judith as well! It'd be like a Fellini movie in there!
I don’t think you’d like to hear the answer to that 😉
Shabby Pete. Keep your snippy reckons for the ears of your own fellow travellers.
FFS: She was notified after Bloomfield. He was notified after there was a second positive result. There is a reasonably high risk of a false positive in most medical tests. That is why they run confirmation tests.
This appears to be particularly the case with the covid-19 tests because they tend to get triggered by fragments of other corona viruses like the one in the common cold – that most people carry even when they aren't sick.
'There is a reasonably high risk of a false positive in most medical tests. That is why they run confirmation tests.'
No that is incorrect, the majority of medical tests have a very small risk of false positivity with most the risk is bordering on the insignificant.
There is certainly a risk of false positivity in PCR testing for COVID19 that is higher than the very low level of false positive testing in most other medical tests.
You must know the false positive rate of the PCR test used in NZ to detect Covid-19. Why don’t you share your knowledge with us here on TS and make a useful contribution?
Use google incognito, I'm sure you have requisite computer skills.
You offered your personal knowledge but forgot to include the info. Helpful as ever 🙁
Just like lprent ……….guess your opprobrium doesn't extend to him.
Ah, I see the whataboutery false equivalence pathetic response being wheeled out again.
Why do some commenters feel it is too hard to make a useful contribution here, ever so small or brief, yet don’t blink an eyelid or raise an eyebrow posting innumerous vacuous comments?
I see you do a lovely sideline in irony in your spare time.
That was cynicism and I don’t have spare time; I’m actually working while I’m keeping an eye on you.
…and here's me thinking boys were unable to multitask.
You’re assuming too much.
Forgive the intrusion, but this link gives false negative rates (between 2 & 29%), and might address the issue to some extent.
Stunned Mullet what a load of Trump tosh.
Biden has picked Kamala Harris.
The mobile version is not working and the desktop version (on my mobile) shows zero comments.
Yep … “No Comments” for every post.
That one is just odd. I reverted back from WordPress 5.5 to 5.4.2 – which should have fixed it. But it hasn't.
Mutter… mutter.. Might have to live with that for the day.
Mobile version should now be back to normal. The CDN broke the CSS.
I'll have a look at that next time I have some time.
That conspiracy nutjob Billy TK (NZPP) is off his rocker, trying to plan a big protest.
And it looks like the New Conservative party is trying to join the fuckwittery
https://twitter.com/publicaddress/status/1293144374579060736?s=20
https://twitter.com/byroncclark/status/1293269331434827776?s=20
"Our leader, Leighton Baker, on the latest lockdown replete with undemocratic process.”
"This is crazy stuff. It's ridiculous!".
Yep.
Best question from Mike Will:
"What goes through the minds of these people when there is a total eclipse?"
"We have displeased the Horned God! He demands a sacrifice! Gather the children!"
formatting on mobile screwed up
There have been several updates over the last day (most recent was the wordpress 5.5 update this morning). It hasn’t shown up in the remote tests.
I’d suggest that you try force a couple of reloads first to get the css and javascript loaded again.
I’m ok on my Androids. Tell me what OS version and browser so I can try the combo.
The comments numbers aren't loading on either Chrome or Firefox (desktop) and on Android, the page is not fully loading.
Yep. That is an bug. They are loading in some places and not in others. I’ve disabled the desktop site caching for a while to see if that is part of the issue.
Fixed now
Nice work, LP.
Cheers, lookin' good!
Ok – looks like a problem on iPhone – my partners one shows it with safari and chrome.
Should be back and working again on the mobiles.
While Draco T Bastard and Greywarshark are plotting the the cull… https://thestandard.org.nz/daily-review-11-08-2020/#comment-1739987
top journalist celebrates…
https://twitter.com/kirsty_johnston/status/1293094085054488576
I’m tempted to pay Stuff some $$$.
Rosemary – what has that item about jobs got to do with keeping people who can't do more than a brain-damaged baby alive? Who can't ever have a clear thought, feed themselves, understand anything, control themselves to do simple stuff, are destructive and sometimes violent.
You are afraid of the possibility of disabled people not being respected for what they are, and not receiving the support that enables and facilitates their lives. I am thinking about people being allowed to die when they have no existence or awareness left for them, if they have no volition or when they wish especially if there is no-one who will adequately look after them.
When the person is loved and cared for it is a different matter; they are bonded with that person. Hinewehi Mohi tells how she managed to raise her daughter with cerebral palsy in this news report from 2013:
Twelve Questions: Hinewehi Mohi – https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11112205
And this is about her music therapy for disabled and an award ceremony which her now adult daughter was able to attend (in the video clip). https://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503462&objectid=12267202
This is one philosopher's thoughts on what should be possible for parents of disabled babies which have been rejected by the disabled community. 2020 https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/feb/19/peter-singer-event-cancelled-in-new-zealand-after-outcry-over-disability-stance
With older people, a nurse who has spent time in a secure unit for dementia patients described it to me as awful and dangerous as you can be violently attacked. The patients sound like zombies, stumbling around clawing at the doorlock mechanism.
We have to face these unpleasant issues occurring in our own locations. We can't just ignore them as we do people suffering overseas – everywhere in the world is suffering from harsh and avoidable problems, and that continues with Covid-19 an addition.
Very damaged people and those decayed at the end of life are suffering from an unavoidable problem, when the brain and body are too far gone there is no life possible for them that can be lived and enjoyed. So Rosemary be glad that you live in a country that will do stuff for you, be grateful as we all should be. Don't spend all your time trying to villify anyone who speaks reality, and an ethical process for ending such lives.
Who can't ever have a clear thought, feed themselves, understand anything,
Thanks Greywarshark, you make this sooo easy!
How do you know they don't ever have a clear thought? They don't understand anything?
And as for feeding themselves…all human infants would be culled if that is your measure.
….control themselves to do simple stuff, are destructive and sometimes violent.
So…I'll repeat the question my partner just asked your mate DTB. What about recidivist offenders…the violent, those with seemingly no control?
Not so very long ago kids like Chloe would have spent their entire lives in an institution…often with little or no social interaction or mental stimulation. All your evaluations of Ryan would have been applied to many of these children. You have no idea, do you? As I said last night…luckily for you and your ilk most kids with Down Syndrome are terminated these days. The parents who choose to allow life most often treat the child like any other…and in many cases these kids thrive. No-one knows how these children are going to develop…and with the right interventions and supports most can do 'better'.
Sadly, here in NZ, people like you are in the majority and keep voting in wankery governments that fail term after term to fund proper supports.
a nurse who has spent time in a secure unit for dementia patients described it to me as awful and dangerous as you can be violently attacked.
I spent two years, and nine months of my second pregnancy working night shift in such a unit. And yes…can be a challenge, no doubt about that. One does try to remember that these are fellow humans who had real lives and families and fuck me…I'd hope when I'm sundowning and drooling in my soup some other low aid carer might remember that too.
But you won't have to worry about that will you? You'll get your EOLC Bill passed and all will be well.
Hi Rosemary, sorry about the belated tautoko for your reply to DTB and grey. I saw the original comment while on the phone, and was reassured to see your reply.
This abitrary judging of life is problematic and damaging.
The value of a life is not able to be quantified in physical or mental fitness. In fact, many of the more atrocious and appalling acts of humankind were most likely implemented by the "fittest" amongst us.
Such a limited way of thinking, that discards life and the values and gifts that can be provided in many forms.
I'm disappointed to read such ideas on this blog, and despair that financial quantifying is offered up as a reason.
Kei te pai, Molly. Appreciated…
I'm disappointed to read such ideas on this blog, and despair that financial quantifying is offered up as a reason.
Yes, the New Left. Gotta love 'em.
Probably the most heartbreaking aspect is that two commenters can explicitly call for the elimination of a particular class of human and it raises not a ripple of interest from the individuals here inclined to cry "Hate Speech!"
Sadly, last time I checked our Human Rights legislation omits disability as grounds for a claim of discrimination.
Well done from me too, Rosemary.
I would not be too sure about the ELOC passing in the referendum.
I support your comments and experience Rosemary. Amazing in my lifetime (I'm mid 40s) people who were paraplegic were put in those institutions where they'd lie on their backs in these large cubby holes, & look at the world through a mirror above them. For years! Lifetimes.
I hope all you people who are so strong that every baby lives, actually back up your principles by supporting those damaged people with such limited lives. Talk the talk and walk the walk or you are empty vessels.
Who said life had to be enjoyed?
John Calvin
.
A Few Random Reckons
Guessing it'll be significantly more than 3 days (indeed may have been a little white lie by the Govt to soften the blow).
Presumably a few Aucklanders have assumed the same … hence the brief Supermarket Panic-buying deja vu … wonder if we'll see another toilet paper frenzy with fist-fights breaking out in the Household Cleaners, Personal Hygiene & Toiletries isle?
And wondering if it's already spread elsewhere .. even if in dribs & drabs …
… 2 Christchurch retirement villages in partial lockdown after residents began displaying signs of respiratory illness (maybe COVID, maybe not)
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/300079635/two-christchurch-retirement-villages-in-partial-lockdown-after-residents-swabbed-for-covid19
Postponement of the Election would not entirely surprise me.
https://twitter.com/publicaddress/status/1293291404525936640
So, Occam's Razor holding fast, although nobody in the family first identified worked at the airport, the localised outbreak might have been identified within a couple of degrees of infection.
But then there's the Rotorua trip to worry about. Sigh.
It would surprise me. They have been planning on handling an election in a full lock down since April. And the electoral commission have to assume that the situation of community spread and lock downs could continue all of the way to November or very early December. Which is as late as they could have it without pulling heavily on reserve powers and declaring one of the states of emergency.
May as well do it as early as possible rather than run the risks of a possibly worsening situation. The use of reserve powers should be avoided if at all possible.
This was an 12/8 3 min report from Radionz Corin Dann and Mai Chen.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2018759071/can-parliament-dissolution-be-delayed
Lets not forget the Natz solutions to the pandemic
Tax cuts
Burn the redulations
Open border with Australia
you forgot "ban gang patches" & to have stickers on our cars to let others know if we're insured or not.
How The Guardian Betrayed Corbyn and the Vestiges of British Democracy
https://consortiumnews.com/2020/08/11/how-the-guardian-betrayed-corbyn-and-the-vestiges-of-british-democracy/
The clue is British Democrasy. There is none. Money systems dont do it.
I seem to recall similar happening here when David Cunliffe was leader of NZ Labour. In both cases the grass roots voted in the leader that they wanted and many MPs and other leaders of the parties cut them down.
We actually see this across the world in representative democracies. The rich do not want the people to actually have power. Actual democracy would go against them and they know it. When a politician says that someone has to make the hard decisions what they really mean is that they're going to do something that will be bad for the majority of people, that the majority of people don't want them to do but that the rich want and so it will be done anyway.
You're making the mistake of thinking that "grass roots" party members are in any way representative of the general public. Or even the smallish segment of the general public that's vaguely interested in politics.
Political party members tend to skew towards obsessives with just a limited range of topics they have strong feelings about. Which makes them poor judges of what appeals to the general public. Particularly after they gather themselves into echo chambers.
No I'm not because it doesn't matter. The majority of the party wanted those people as their party's leader. People in power were frightened by this and so took actions to remove them.
Again, it doesn't matter. The grass roots of the party were voting for who they wanted not whom was more acceptable to the general public in the eyes of some petty bourgeoise.
Former CEO of guardian group now Premier league CEO. The club's working nicely.
Nats also want thousands of international students here so those private education outfits and Auckland University can make money. Hope the more people hear and see Collins they will be even more appalled by her viciousness.
Think you are confusing make money, with going broke, and having to lay-off half their staff.
Maybe you should talk to Chippy about his expectations on them still having to make a profit or being taken over by him, which would be a very bad thing.
If the University of Auckland have "to lay off half their staff" because they can't access international students, then the university council has chosen a seriously unsustainable business model. The free market giveth, and Covid taketh away, but don't expect 'our' universities to change their neoliberal ways.
Guardians not been that flash over Oz covid either throwing their quarantine regime under the bus.
Community transmission (6 suburbs) that ozzy don't give a F, I'm all right Jack and an ineffective lockdown seem much bigger issues.
“The people we represent don’t give a fuck if we are crude or brutal. In fact, they rather expect it!”
https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2020/08/12/the-childish-brutality-of-the-national-party/
Say no more
Lynn, replies not working for me in this thread either. MacOS Catalina, Firefox.
Working on it…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WB8XDk3sQBc
heh. That might be for some Aucklanders right now.
Replies should be working again now.
nor Safari MacOS
"No Comments" on all posts and unable to reply. Firefox 68.11.0esr on Windows 10.
Broken on Firefox 79.0 (64bit) running on Windows as well.
And I can't do replies either.
$2 per disposable mask at Supermarket or chemist, and it is already impossible to find any that are longer lasting – How are families under financial pressure suppose to survive?And what should Friday be extended – both the cost and the availability of masks.
And then you have the environmental aspect to deal with.
Judith Collins is a bat out of hell. Huge headlines spitting venom. It’s ALL Jacindas fault for letting Covid back in through the borders. I thought the latest ones were community transmission? Anyway. Let’s politicise the hell out of this says Judith. Bet she’s hoping for a few more deaths to validate her claims of disarray and shambolic mismanagement.
And, she’s not only a thoroughly nasty person but she is also a FRUMP. Doesn’t matter how she dresses she still looks like a frumpy old bag lady.
Those billboards with punch n judy looks like a vote for the bowling club party tbh.
you dishonour frumpy old bag ladies, who could probably teach Collins a thing or two about being human.
Juuu Dith!
Juuu Dith!!
She'd love nothing more than for this to explode because it's the only way she stands a chance of winning. People need to die, the plague needs to spread, and Judith will be cackling with malevolent glee throughout it all and snarling, "Yes! Everything's going according to plan!" Her strategy is essentially to stoke fear and apportion blame. "The country's falling sideways off a cliff, and it's all Ardern's fault!"
Keep calm and carry on, New Zealand. We did it once, we can do it again.
even were it to spread, will people really think Collins in the answer? She's sounding like someone totally out of control, she's not very reassuring at all.
Reverted to WordPress 5.4.2 which fixed the reply. Fixed some cache issues in the mobile version that were breaking CSS and Javascript.
The comment count is still outstanding (and really odd). I'll try for a reboot on the database – but I suspect I will have to fix that later in the day.
ATM, I got yesterday's daily review showing One Comment, today's Open Mike showing 12 (there's at least 24) and Biden Harris now showing three.
Seems it may have started counting again after the revert.
Should be good now. You must have caught it while the cache update was running.
Fixed the comments count. I had a filter in to check for the number of trackbacks and ping backs to remove them from the count. It looks like there was a change to the field that it was discriminating on.
Fixed. It will now be slightly high if a trackback or pingback is in a post. But I will fix that later.
Something a little less heavy !! to enjoy especially if you agree with SNL and the "More Cow Bell" sketch. Love the guitar solo, Great Canadian band.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jo_2-bLGY5k
Dissolution of Parliament has been deferred it seems, going by the PM’s statement this morning. That decision may be regretted sooner rather than later, as the move is on from National to push back the General Election date.
Deferred to next Monday .
The election will be delayed a month. There will be a month at Level 3 nationwide – they willl have no choice. Collins will have a month in the Bridges committee role.
Unless the outbreak is quickly contained.
To ascertain that takes time, about 14 days.
Not if the MoH has contact tracing capabilities in place that they should have.
Have they identified the source of community infection yet? The MoH contact tracing capabilities and capacity were improved and met the criteria after the scathing report of the audit by Dr Ayesha Verrall.
Have they identified the source of community infection yet?
Close but no cigar, expect the most likely source to be identified by Friday once the suspect source personnel are tested through today/tomorrow and results returned.
The most disappointing aspect is there appears to have been little testing amongst personnel involved in the return and isolation of inbound passengers at Auckland airport.
We are assuming that it was brought in recently – That may not be the case
What if the covid 19 has been present but spread by asymptomtic- Then we could be in for an extended lock down and over a wider area of the country.
https://www.advisory.com/daily-briefing/2020/08/10/asymptomatic
Suspicions from the MOH is that the leakage is from a quarantine facility,and testing of ALL staff at the facilities is to be undertaken.
As the extent of the spread is unknown,there are a number of other issues that need to be addressed such as immediate border closure (due to limitations in both quarantine facilities and the availability of ICU beds) and a north /south transport suspension of human cargo.
A longer stretch of pain listening to campaigns but may have it's plus side with Judith running out of "fake news". Incredibly irresponsible to public safety, how she's deemed herself an essential worker, flouted her level 3 travel ban to get in front of camera's in Wellington.
And this dick Bridges suffering from losing limelight too as a disgusting first response.
" Let’s be honest about how problematic a 19 Sept election in under 40 days is. I’ve just cancelled public meetings and a lot of volunteers doorknocking. Meanwhile, Labour, while suspending campaigning, continues with all machinery of Govt and thus the power of the airwaves." (Twitter Simon Bridges)
The media no less appaling in lack of resposibility in giving space to politicising other's fears.
Arguably, the Leader of the Labour Party is at more of a disadvantage than the quasi-Leader of the National Party. One is looking after a strong team of five million while the other one is herding a ragtag of fifty-odd MPs, give or take a few who jumped the sinking ship, and Merv.
It's all brilliant chess from Ardern.
Get the opposition to demand that the government doesn't face the voters. She can keep announcing new election dates, then … oh dear, another case.
It's rare – and bizarre – for a government to stay in power because the opposition desperately want them to, but that's what National have been reduced to.
Yes, there's a huge call out from RWs all over to extend the current govts term, crazy times. Utter panic.
I now understand labour’s election slogan
”let’s get moving” back into lockdown
[Still trolling? This is your second warning – Incognito]
With such sparkling wit, you must be descended from Oscar Wilde and Dorothy Parker.
See my Moderation note @ 12:59 PM.
Having a bit of fun, not trying to start a flame war, is it trolling to go against the prevailing narrative with a bit of humour
will stop if upsetting
"will stop if upsetting"
Appreciated, thanks.
I was just about to give your third strike warning and a short-sharp ban, which I’ve deleted (for now). What you consider as ‘humour against the prevailing narrative’, I see as stupid trolling and repeating your past behaviour. You may have to explain what you mean by “the prevailing narrative”. I was convinced I will save Moderators much time by banning you until after the election at least but you now you show your kind side; make it work!
Red is trolling, no question. Plus, boring. Red might be kind, until you're off-duty…
The Moderator’s motto is: Eternal Vigilance! And there are retrospective audits 😉
Oh yeah!
Done,
my sense of prevailing narrative is that no one really wants to talk about government accountability here , more so how can we externalise failure here and project on the opposition
Joking I thought maybe a less harsh and in your face approach
If you frame it that way, it becomes a false dichotomy and not conducive to good faith discourse here. That’s what you’re doing and I think you’re doing it deliberately, as you were doing in the past.
For now, I’ve given you the benefit of a tiny amount of doubt. You can build up your ‘credit’ here, if you choose so.
Don't hold your breath, Incognito! My expectations of Red are … low.
You are obviously too thick to even quote their election slogan correctly.
Well one positive of this renewed outbreak is that customers are scanning the tracking code and sanitising as they come in the gallery. Since we opened after lockdown the compliance has been effectively zero, less than 1%.
Today, 100%. And it’s quite busy for a change. Everyone’s got their phones in hand and ready. Even noticing people turning away from shops that aren’t displaying codes
If the Government and helpers manage to quickly contain/identify the out break, this would shower praise for the efficiency on the Government and shower sparks from Judith, especially as she is the one who sets out to politicise the outbreak.
I agree if Government can close this down in a week, all kudos to them and election is over rover. I however don’t think virus will accomodate this chain of events I also think Government have really failed at the border. Tough I know but their planning, risk mitigation, resources etc has not being enough. Is this Jacinda direct fault, no, but the buck stops with her 250k of Aucklanders that where working yesterday, are not today, let alone the impact on business, both big and small. It’s simply not good enough and what aboutism and we are doing better than others does not cut it
"Is this Jacinda (sic) direct fault, no, but the buck stops with her "
There ya go, Incognito. Red's resigned.
Can you please make your point in a clearly articulated way that’s intelligible so that we can turn your monologue into a robust debate here? For example, how do we move forward from L2/3 into next week? What needs to be done to go down to L1 and when? Et cetera. As it stands, you sound like JC’s speech notes for the next meeting of the local Merv Fan Club.
The only way we move down alert levels is if
source of infection is found next 3 days
very few new cases arise and it can be ring fenced as a cluster
This I suggest won’t happen , so it will be level 4 or level 4.1 ( ie a few more things open re learning from last lock down ) next week for 4 weeks at least
Above is assuming elimination remains the strategy, this should be contested at least
i won’t post any more, to many sensitive souls No hard feelings 😊
You seem confused about what triggers L4 (whatever L4.1 is?).
Just as well that you “won’t post any more” for the next 3 days and “next week for 4 weeks at least”.
breaking my rule Incognito but just to answer your question
L4, is Alert level 4, 4.1 is simply if we go to 4 I think they will fine tune the rules based on the last lock down
Was that really that difficult to interpret and a need for me to spell it out, especially In context of the discussion
Yes, you’re making up things “only when it suits you”. There is no L4.1, there won’t be an L4.1, L4.1 would be more severe than L4, as it is not a version number but a grading number of severity (of health risk).
No more rule breaking or you will experience Ban B4.1.
Ok where splitting hairs
A lotto ticket that if we go to alert level 4 the rules under as such will be slightly different than when we where previously in alert level 4
using 4.1 is like Web 2.0, It doesn’t really exist but helps to highlight a point I think you are being overly harsh here re “making stuff up”
you're betting that government requirements have changed due to new information analysed in the last few months?
Obviously the nats aren't in power. They'd just announce more roads.
Red backwards spells der.
Yup, you’re making stuff up all the time. You also don’t know the difference between chronology and hierarchy. Placing bets on things getting worse is just sick, IMHO.
There are promising signs of finding the source. I think that the 50 year old male working in the Cool Store near Auckland Airport had been off sick for over a week. He worked in an office. That part would be trackable.
The woman visiting Rotorua was visiting tourist sites but not in close contact.
Don't trust my memory and maybe it is my friendly optimism writing.
Ta
Finding the source and neutralising the spread by isolating all close contacts ASAP. Then test, test, and test and wait keeping fingers, arms, legs, and toes crossed.
Sparks? Derision, more likely.
You lost me their cryptic Rob
Speak plainly me old cobber
National party campaign launch conference agenda -:
THEME :- NATZ- A BEING IN SEARCH OF MEANING.( sorry Plato)
* Apologies: None, we didn't do
anything !
* Debate sesh: "My superiority
complex is better than yours. "
*Guest Speaker. Merv on " The
silence of wearing slippers for
an ambush."
* Economy protection and Covid
response . More Property buying
sesh.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2019/05/the-number-of-properties-owned-by-mps-revealed.html
* Tin foil hat making so the
Academics can't scan your brain.
(personal preference for the 2nd model )
https://youtu.be/PS8dNzRhMgk
* Learning sign language
https://www.adl.org/hate-symbols?cat_id%5B153%5D=153*
* Rote mantra classes to memorize
our "facts". Repeat after me,
'Jacinda's on my Shitlist'. Again!
* Using I.T. How to use secret
modes for dummies. Practical
sesh sending pics.
CLOSING ADDRESS from our hero.
"What you’re seeing and what you’re reading is not what’s happening."
" I think if this country gets any kinder or gentler, it's literally going to cease to exist." To be blunt, people would vote for me. They just would. Why? Maybe because I'm so ….the best at freaking everything!"
PARTY ANTHEM SING ALONG.
https://youtu.be/_MLBfwblps8
Hoochie Coochie Chuck Berry , "I want you to play with My Ding a ling."
( sick bags needed for the sketch artist in video)
Dirty filthy Nats want Election shifted to next year! (J. Collins on Nat Radio just after 3pm).
This Govt. has made a significant tactical mistake by not dissolving Parliament right on schedule–and it may bite them and most of us ordinary citizens if they don’t get their act together immediately. Unecessary appeasement is one of the worst political crimes–particularly with another poll (UMR) out with Nats on 28%! and Labour still over 50%, again.
30 minutes to make a 1 point press conference
'Transparency , you're so into transparency Judith.
Masks?
Social distancing yes, but after Judith spat her venom, Jerry upped and put his hands on the podium.
Poor Redunant Reti , GP sad Ashley didn't talk to him.
Anyone got the latest umm poll results? It’s on the heralds website, but paywalled
Post up now, Anker.
https://thestandard.org.nz/umr-poll-august-2020/
Seen some support for the infected family but apparently the Americold worker had been off work sick for 9 days prior to today. And a group of them trucked off to Rotorua on the weekend while one was symptomatic.
Sure, they got themselves tested in the end but far too late.
The idea was that if you were sick, you stay home and seek advice from your doctor or the health-line, not sit at home silent and otherwise take a road trip down country.
Easy to say in hindsight, but with no community transmission around, and no links to a known case, I doubt many kiwis would go in for testing.
Thought about this. If I was sick, there's no way my work would allow me onsite. That's because that industry has very high safety protocols generally and did a lot of work on getting sign off from MoH about working post-covid.
If I showed any symptoms for more than a day I would be straight down to the doctor and would voluntarily isolate. It’s not about testing, it’s about getting advice from your doctor.
Perhaps he believed that he couldn't afford to go to the doctor. I haven't seen anywhere saying that going to the doctor suddenly got free. I could have missed it but if so then so could he.
And what are the chances that your typical hetero, working class male volunteers to go to the doctor to see if they have a disease that appears to have disappeared.
Not much chance at all. A shame some men are letting us down.
Muttonbird @ 33
It seems that one of them went to a medical clinic in West Auckland about a week ago that were not able to test her for Covid so told her to go straight to the nearest Covid testing facility. She returned to the clinic a couple of days ago and they established she never went to be tested.
Now that centre has had to close in order to be deep cleaned.
I have to agree with Muttonbird… there does seem to have been a lack of responsibility in at least a couple of the four Covid victims in question.
That's what I'm reading, Anne.
Person felt sick, went to the doctor, so far so good, was referred for a Covid test, DIDN'T DO IT.
This person has probably cost New Zealand several billion dollars. Kids’ sport, and maybe even school, for the rest of the year? Forget it.
Why is Paula Benefit, still a National Party MP and employee of the state, allowed to run anti-government propaganda in her position as radio host. Why even is she allowed to take up that role while still being paid by the taxpayer?
Because there's no law against it and we don't live in a dictatorship ?
There should be a law against it. What's to stop any and all politicians having their own radio show?
Benefit is still a National Party MP and her statements on her radio show should be considered campaigning for the party and authorised as such.
Ahhhh, if it's legal it's ethical, gotcha.
Or even pretty legal.
I don't get it either, where is the Electoral Commission on this?
Do they only act when someone complains?
Pretty much.
Same goes for pretty much all crime.
..
Speak up!
It actually surprises me you don't think beneficiaries should be allowed to earn a bit extra because they are paid by the tax payer.
I don't care if she's getting paid by Mediaworks or not. I do care about unauthorised election campaigning.
Because people are allowed to take side jobs, as long as they pay the extra tax.
Not that you have shown she is being paid for it.
Oh yeah, working two jobs is a specialty of Paula Benefit's…
But central to this is the unauthorised campaigning she is doing for the National Party while still one of their MPs and drawing a salary from the hard working taxpayer.
A clue, it isn't always about money.
Darren Watson was doing his main job but that was deemed inappropriate.
I like the idea of taking a pic wherever you go if your phone isn't app capable.
As an introvert, I think a better idea is just not going anywhere.
Yep.