Well in a world gone mad, a world committed to an economic model – which has set to the world up for no more human habitation. Why wouldn't you vote green?
But then again, you could just support a rapist and a lunatic who support unfettered capitalism – which just keeps handing more and more power to corporations.
Good one, Adam. That man has been on the right track as long as me, and contributed a lot more. Problem is, green politics never really caught on in the USA. The movement there was big – but mostly too alienated to want to get active in representative politics.
Could that change now? Possibly, but Sanders voters will not be likely to support another socialist. Socialism is too tenuous a belief system to motivate them. Most will follow Sanders and vote Biden. Pragmatism defeats idealism usually.
The USA has the worlds largest joint social enterprise, their military.
Not intended for a social purpose, but that is what it does within the USA. It mops up unemployment, and keeps money in local parts of their economy. Without the economic stimulus, from maintaining a military for their endless wars, the US project would fail.
"Socialism is a political, social and economic philosophy encompassing a range of economic and social systems characterised by social ownership of the means of production and workers' self-management of enterprises." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socialism
Political ideology is the only belief system that is worth really examining if how the western world actually operates is your interest, all other belief systems are now well and truly subservient to it.
Of course this is not what Liberal thinkers (and believers) will tell you, they have been trying to tell (and teach) the world that liberalism is post ideology…or some such nonsense.
You could argue that, everything is a belief system.
A common climate denier argument. "It is just what you believe_.
I'm a seafarer. The sea doesn't care about beliefs.
I care about real world effects.
Despite claims from the USA, about being primarily capitalist, they, at the period of their greatest prosperity, had the largest State/people controlled, if they are a democracy as they claim, "means of production"/ infrastructure on earth.
More Socialist than the USSR, where the means of production were controlled, in reality, by a tiny, elite. The way the USA , has been heading for several decades, now. To their detriment.
It doesn't matter what "Philosophy" or beliefs, they call it. It is how countries work, in reality.
For an ocean sailor, the interaction between the internal belief system and environmental circumstances encountered determines survival. Polynesians were successful in returning home after discovering new lands because of their shared navigational gnosis. How to read star configurations, etc.
I agree re how societies operate in practice, but that is also consequent of the ruling paradigm (belief system) – currently neoliberalism.
Polynesian Navigation is an example of empirical science.
Direct observation. Wave patterns, celestial body positions, wildlife concentrations and direction of travel. (The same as Western navigation, we just had better materials for making instruments. A twig and shell star map is conceptually the same as an, almanack).
Beliefs, interfered with the progress of Navigation.
Neo-liberal economics, is a belief system. It has never been proven, by reality. Just as flat earthers and earth centric beliefs, interfered with progress in Navigation, economic belief systems, with no basis beyond theoretical fantasies, interfere with human progress.
In ideas about Pacific Navigation. Thor Heyerdahl was a theorist. David Lewis and Heke Busby were, sailors.
Empirical science established that belief system. The sailor sets a course for a particular star or constellation if there is a shared societal belief that it will get them to their destination. The sailor trains an apprentice both by showing how to do it and explaining the belief system to them. That's how the transmission of knowledge happens.
They know for a "fact", that is how they got to a destination previously.
It is, not, a matter of opinion, a belief. It is a fact, confirmed by observation and experience.
Just as they knew if land birds headed in a direction, then it is worth looking for land in that direction.
Just as Westerners knew since before Af Chapman, look him up, that ships built to a certain standard of stability and strength, nearly always completed their voyages, intact.
It is common for self appointed experts to dress things up in mysticism and beliefs, to give them more credibility, hence, economists! but you can be sure that Polynesian, or any other, Navigators, that haven’t a good grasp on reality, don’t last long.
Not according to my reading of history. Islanders passed on their traditions via verbal instruction of younger generations (just like our educators), but when you read their account of that they seem more anecdotal than fact.
Anyway, as a physics graduate I have a sceptical view of facts, so I ought to own my bias. It is a fact that some experiments prove the electron is a particle while others prove it is a wave. Since those facts were established a century ago, physics students have been obliged to replicate those experiments to validate the non-zero-sum conclusion. Both explanations are correct (both/and logic). So the belief system resulting from the empirical science authorises physicists to conclude that facts depend on how you view them…
Is that absence of facts, or absence of the knowledge, or instruments, to understand them?
We understand the world by what we observe. Though some understand it by making up their own personal, reality. Which makes them dangerous.
Newtonian physics is factual, in the terms of explaining what we could observe at the time. As we learn more, we find that they still work, I use it, and Galileo’s physics, every day, but not at the levels of observation, and scales we can now see, with more sensitive instruments.
The accuracy and repeatability of traditional Polynesian Navigation.
Finding small islands in the Pacific was difficult, very often, even when I started navigating with Western instruments.
The fact, Polynesians managed to repeatedly find small dots in a vast ocean, proves much more than anecdotal, navigation skills.
To much of history seems to be an attempt to prove that modern “civilised” people are superior. In fact, as I studied past technology, and navigation in particular, I’m in awe of the sophistication of thought and abilities of so called, “primitive” people with little resources.
Yep, I go along with all that. My focus on belief systems as operational entities coordinating large numbers of people was formed intuitively back at university long ago, but informed considerably further by mimetics & meme theory.
I've mentioned it before, but Mind Wars by Ian McFadyen articulated it well. When I read it I thought `all rather obvious really, no revelation' – but you know how sometimes there's a delayed reaction to gnosis? Around six months later I realised I was often reflecting on the thesis. It had considerable resonance in later years too. The gist is the colonising effect (via the mind/body interface).
Bit like a virus. The thing gets into your brain & takes over your thinking. That's the upside of postmodernism: you relativise beliefs, liberating yourself from control by any particular one. You then view them in terms of utility value, and apply them to suit a set of circumstances on the basis of merit: does this theory fit the facts better, or does this other one?
"Finding small islands in the Pacific was difficult, very often, even when I started navigating with Western instruments. "
That issue was you were a beginner .
Meanwhile starting in 1565 a twice yearly galleon would travel twice yearly between Manila and Acapulco and return. It lasted till 1815 when Mexico became independent
The route was established by Basque navigator Andrés de Urdaneta using both empirical methods and instruments
While the Polynesiam navigators could navigate between the islands something like this over the vast open spaces of the Northern Pacific was beyond them. The migration to Hawaii and NZ was an advanced form of island hopping. Being unable to reach Australia or South America showed the limitations of the navigation and the vessels they used.
Millennia spent carting mum, kids, livestock and the necessaries across the Polynesian triangle rates a little higher than island hopping.
How did the first inhabitants of Easter Island arrive? It is the most remote inhabited island on Earth. The coast of Chile lies 2,300 miles to the east, Tahiti 2,500 miles to the northwest, and the nearest island, with a total population of 54 people, is tiny Pitcairn, 1,400 miles to the west. The answer lies in the deeply rooted traditions of Polynesian culture.
The people who navigated around the Pacific were doing much more than an "advanced form of island hopping".
Like the Acapulco galleons they were able to repeat the same voyages consistently. Unlike the Acapulco galleons, who had their share of misses, btw, they had much smaller and lower targets to hit.
The people who think that are theorists, Not Navigators.
And, guilty of cultural arrogance.
It is manifestly false..
And. Not just beginners, which I was a long way from, had trouble with finding Pacific islands, pre GPS.
Ask Cook about trouble finding his way back to NZ with limited instruments.
I dont know what your navigation issues were , but centuries of exploration suggest you were a beginner…I bet you read a book or something and hoped your sailing skills would improve along the way.
The regular galleons, which you could buy tickets for show it worked for them. It worked for them.
Clearly Maori lost the empirical skills as here they were only coastal navigators , not to different to the Romans
So in those areas it will be a good reason to not vote Green or write in "Captain Kangaroo". And one would need to be pretty damned sure their vote wouldn't count in that area (in which case I'd probably stay home because covid19).
Not sure what your comment about MMP has to do with the US presidential election.
The general idea is that the only way to break the duopoly (and things like money in politics) is electoral reform, and the Greens are the ones that will do that. Somewhat possible in the UK, prob not in the US (because it's a shit show, and because the population is the way it is).
The reason to grow the Green vote despite them not being able to win, is to build an alternative politics. Then change can happen. Pretty much what happened here.
The Greens were part of the change to MMP, but they didn't get into parliament until the first MMP election.
In the US, the presidential elections a duopoly because the system is incredibly resource-intense with a win-or-complete-loss outcome. A third party won't break that up.
I suspect the only way to have a Green party president would be for the green party to largely supplant one of the mainstream parties in the mational legislature, providing both the permanent party inftrastructure and political credibility a presidential candidate needs.
The trouble with a US 3rd party candidate is that there's a long window where their popularity serves only to take electoral college members from their most closely-aligned main party but not have a chance of winning themselves.
The Greens were part of the change to MMP, but they didn't get into parliament until the first MMP election.
Right, and them standing before that and having people vote for them was part of the change to MMP (not least because it again showed how daft FPP was). Voting can effect change even where the person/party doesn't win at the time.
The point of voting Green in the US at the moment isn't to try and get a Green president, it's to raise the profile of green politics and thus change the culture. There are also the other elections that run alongside the presidential ones.
I always end up using the nukes as well. The secret is to foster good relations with your neighbours and building up a mighty first strike capacity before BAM! you slug them with the nukes and occupy all their key cities.
KJT, I thought the very same words when I wrote my comment, wrote them down and then deleted them before publishing the comment. I was thinking of Hué city in 1968 as being the subject of that quote but you are right, KJT.
Wikepedia said this of Hué. " In the end, although the Allies declared a military victory, the city of Huế was virtually destroyed, and more than 5,000 civilians were killed (2,800 of them executed by the PAVN and VC), while South Vietnamese forces killed a further 1,000–2,000 people after the battle. The PAVN-VC lost an estimated 5,133 killed, while Allied forces lost 668 dead and 3,707 wounded. The losses negatively affected the American public's perception of the war, and political support for the war began to wane."
As some are playing war games in lockdown, in the world soldiers are still fighting and civilians are dying along with them. It is as if we are afflicted with another covert virus deep within us that allows, as do some governments, massive casualties among innocent civilians.
A compassionate society with strong leadership pointing the correct way, using empathy and appeals to our better natures, making use of the best of scientific and bureaucratic practice, is far preferable to the divisive and selfish society that America has become far too much.
In essence, some people are saying that we need thousands of innocent citizens to risk severe illness and death in order to save the economy. Is there a parallel here?
The disregard for human life that characterised Vietnam. "Bombing them into Democracy", though they have found that economic warfare is more politically palatable, even if it kills more than bombing, continues today in Venezuela, Israel, Brazil and, probably soon, Iran.
And, as someone once said, "regimes that treat foreigners with callous disregard, eventually extend it to their own people".
I think our Government, faults and all, has proven better than that.
KJT quoted ""regimes that treat foreigners with callous disregard, eventually extend it to their own people".
No argument with that. It's in the nature of regimes to be callous, in the modern usage of the word 'regime' anyway. Finally, as Pastor Niemoller said, they come for us.
There are other victory conditions, I was very close to a Science victory by creating a Mars colony. You can also win a pinko victory by Cultural or Religious dominance, but that's boring.
PS: I played as the USA but found the Communist form of government to be most efficient 😛
"The NZ Outdoors Party seeks to empower New Zealanders and our communities to become more self-sufficient. Let’s grow community vegetable gardens and fruit trees. Let’s encourage people to stay physically, emotionally and spiritually well. Let’s reconnect people with each other and with nature. Let’s support local businesses. Let’s create a culture where small and local are beautiful. Let’s give power back to local communities."
Social Credit: "we would push for the first $20,000 of income to be tax free, for the cost of visits to doctors and dentists to be capped at $30, and for trips on urban public transport to be made free. All these measures could be paid for with direct funding from the Reserve Bank without incurring additional government debt. This would require a commensurate decrease in the amount of money creation by the commercial banks to ensure that there was no overall increase in the money supply and therefore no risk of inflation."
Sustainable NZ: "This week we are releasing an integrated suite of programmes to create a world-leading and enduring “Innovation Ecosystem”."
TOP: "A Universal Basic Income (UBI). $250 per week for all Kiwis, no questions asked. Covid-19 has shown us the future; a weak and disrupted job market. A UBI and 33% flat tax would put cash in everyone’s pockets, simplify the tax and welfare system, and stimulate the economy. A UBI also honours the unpaid work of parents, carers, and volunteers. Kiwis could retrain, start new businesses, or take time to care for whānau without going under. It means entrepreneurs can start new ventures to create more jobs. A UBI is our best shot at future-proofing our society."
Interesting how TOP – the vanity project of an old neo-liberal millionaire white guy – is the only party left proposing the Utopian neoliberal policies last championed by middle aged neoliberal millionaire white guys 25 years ago.
Both you and Sanctuary make the very common mistake of treating a UBI and a flat tax separately, and reaching false conclusions based on this.
You see the words 'flat tax' and leap to the conclusion that it's a right wing trojan horse. You see the term UBI and think of it as some kind of miserly targeted welfare.
It's the necessary combination of the two that changes everything. Because it's universal it's helpful to think of a UBI as a kind of negative tax, and that it's the sum of both the "positive PAYE (or other income source) tax' and the 'negative UBI tax' and the which is what actually matters.
When you do the arithmetic it's obvious that the total tax outcome is quite nicely progressive. Indeed it works out for most less than median incomes the total tax rate is either zero or very close to it.
UBI and flat tax are both libertarian/utopian right wing ideas. Because of the superficial attraction of free money for everyone leftists fail to grasp that UBI are originally a right wing idea. The individual gets a sum of money from the government. The quid pro quo is that money is meant to then absolve the state and society of all responsibility. You use your money as you see fit – but if you decide to go on a holiday and can't afford health care, then you die like a dog in the street and that is that. Bad choices, bro. The net effect of a UBI will eventually be those best at managing it – the advantaged middle class – will love it, and they’ll love working in jobs that separate all the fools from their UBI. people with bad money skills or mental health or addiction issues will end up dying in third world squalor.
Flat tax proposals are routinely peddled by the likes of ACT and other far right market parties.
UBI and flat tax are both libertarian/utopian right wing ideas.
Flat tax proposals are routinely peddled by the likes of ACT and other far right market parties.
The combination of a UBI and a flat tax is inherently progressive; the arithmetic absolutely makes it so; exactly how progressive depends on the settings. This is a common mistake people make when they treat each component separately.
You use your money as you see fit – but if you decide to go on a holiday and can't afford health care, then you die like a dog in the street and that is that.
Can you link to the TOP policy specifying this?
people with bad money skills or mental health or addiction issues will end up dying in third world squalor.
All the trials of a UBI so far have pointed in the exact opposite direction. Do you have any evidence to support this rather grim contention?
Trials of UBI have been conducted in the context of a welfare state. The idea that once a left wing party introduces a UBI the other lot will never win an election and then start tinkering with the provision of social, health and education services because people now have free money to buy their own is naive.
Can you link to TOP's policies to privatise our health, education and social services? Because I just did a quick check to see if I missed this the first time, and still didn’t spot it. Maybe it’s buried in some secret code I’m too stupid to understand.
But maybe you are correct, maybe I am naive and Geoff Simmons is secretly planning to sacrifice and eat all our first born,
Geoff Simmons has more chance of playing bass guitar for Kiss than he does of ever getting into parliament. In is the likes of Goldsmith and Seymour fucking us over once we have a UBI that worries me.
I just cannot see the causal connection, or even a historic correlation, between a UBI and the kind of neo-liberal privatisation you are using as a bogeyman here.
And first up you tell us that 'TOP is the only neo-liberal party left in Parliament', and now you've shifted to telling us ACT and National are the real threat. Now I'm not just naive, but confused as well.
And first up you tell us that 'TOP is the only neo-liberal party left in Parliament'
You may be able to point me to that counter-factual statement, but it's much more likely that you're just putting words in Sanctuary's comments. Why do you do this – stretched thin?
Interesting how TOP – the vanity project of an old neo-liberal millionaire white guy – is the only party left proposing the Utopian neoliberal policies
In fact their other policy goals, such as reducing house price inflation, which makes a liveable UBI, more affordable, are the opposite.
I think they have been too influenced by Gareth Morgan's, narrow conventionally educated economists, financial view of the world, but I think their aims are fine.
A UBI/negative income tax, combined with a flat tax, is progressive. As is their ideas on broadening the tax base, to wealth taxes on top.
I share sanctuaries concern, about what a right wing Government may do with a UBI, however.
"The letter went on to say that Bridges' claim that the Official Information Act had been "suspended" was wrong. "The Ministry of Health has not received any direction that the Official Information Act 1982 has been suspended and we continue to respond to OIA requests," it said." https://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=12331443
The Herald political reporter didn't investigate whether the OIA was suspended or not, apparently. Since Bridges asserted that it was a week ago, apart from TVNZ reporting his statement, the media seems to have ignored it. The truth is out there somewhere, but all our media professionals have apparently developed a consensus that it's too hard to find. People will assume Bloomfield is right, and the Leader of the Opposition wrong, but will we ever know who to believe really?? Perhaps there's has been a mass conversion to postmodernism, and the truth no longer matters…
Marlborough Express has an item headed "Bridges insists no questions Unanswered." Whatever that means??
"Bridges yesterday said he stood by his assertion saying it took two to two and a half weeks for the Ministry to respond to the committee."
" In fact of the eve of that committee, we received answers that I hadn't received through no fault, because they were literally on the eve. We had a right as Parliament to be getting timely answers, and that certainly did not happen.” (???)
The column writer makes no comment on Bloomfield's statement that the OIA was not "suspended."
Just thinking how much fuss there is on every word spoken by Jacinda where the rather wobbly words of Simon get a free pass.
Thanks Ian. Seems like a consistent pattern of evasion by the media. I wonder if they are so induced by his prior dodgy utterances that they automatically file everything he says into the `loopy' category as if fact-checking him is a waste of time.
However his assertion that the OIA had been suspended is classic fake news, and their consistent collective failure to identify it as such is clear evidence that journalism has become a joke (rather than a profession).
A report from the New Economics Foundation, on how the UK can offset the damage to renters/landlords/homeowners from Covid-19. (Muttonbird, given our previous conversations it may be of interest to you.)
I like the premise because it follows through the whole system in order to solve the issue, which is primarily about people losing their homes. As I have mentioned before, I would extend this solution to our government creating a NZ Housing loan that allowed current mortgage holders to switch to low or non-interest loans, that would both save homeowners and renters from loss of housing. Given that we are heading towards negative interest rates, this solution is not as unimaginable as it would have been even five years ago.
The money created by the government for this purpose, could then be reabsorbed as mortgage payments are received.
Good, sensible, practical, doable policy Molly. Thanks. Can everyone talk about it more until it gets loud enough to reach to the top level who get the message – everyone's talking about this.
If the masses want it, they should get it – that's nelib econ101 isn't it?
Rather than a "mortgage holiday" bank style, which simply makes more money for the bank, just later, as they charge the earlier forgone interest, and cumulative interest on that also.
A real mortgage/rent/interest holiday? which simply halts all payments for the period of the lockdown. Restarting on the same basis as before, at the end of it.
May have saved some otherwise viable small businesses, as well as tenancies.
And I find it unbelievable that she could not remember Ashley explaining on the April 21presser that the people transferred to hospital from nursing homes due to staffing shortages would not be counted in the hospitalisation statistics
Even I retained that info.How is it an experienced political editor could not?
"These signs of disconnection between what the elected Government wants to do and its ability to deliver on the ground suggest it is time to take a deep and serious look at two of the key pillars of the state sector reforms pushed in 1987………..":
Echoing what I've often said about the idea of "generic managers" parachuted in, with little knowledge or ability in the area they manage.
MNZ was/is a prime example, I’ve had dealings with..
Competent and knowledgeable people, within the organisation, having to keep their heads down so as not to embarrass barely competent “Managers”.
It usually fails in the private sector, so why the hell did we copy it for Government departments.
The MSD senior manager just below the CEO in charge of Service delivery..effectively the whole benefit system and public offices and call centres is …. Viv Rickard a deputy Commissioner of Police ( seconded)
Yep for a while there (months ago now) I wondered if it could possibly be the same guy – and it is. ffs!
But if it wasn't going to be him, it'd have been something similar – along the lines of what I described on OM on the 10th. (beginning at Sacha's '2' but specifically at 2.1.1.2 )
Echoing what I've often said about the idea of "generic managers" parachuted in, with little knowledge or ability in the area they manage.
Indeed, I think we've probably both expressed our dismay at this many times. Looking back over my working life, the really good managers were without exception also highly experienced in the industry.
Middle management is a shit of a job usually, caught between C-level managers or owners who are being driven by financial or political goals, and the realities on the ground floor. Lacking the authority to say no to their managers, and often lacking the skill and authority to make much difference on the work front … it's a stressful, lonely and thankless task many capable people don't want to do. (And here in Aus it's well known they have high suicide rate, known as 'middle management syndrome').
Treasury and gummint bought into USA methods and policies, because the leading managers were told to be change agents and business does it better was the mantra.
Policies were sold like a fictional screenplay that would be an exciting and new theme ie 'Nobody Does It Better' with Roger Moore etc. Public servants wear cardigans, new business-oriented types are sharp, sexy, and adorable!
Frequently senior managers who have never been outside their own personal socio-economic bubble or even out of Auckland for that matter. The private sector is awash with this. I have sat listening to presentations where you can just hear everyone thinking"they don't even have broadband out there so this won't work". More seriously though there is pressure , a lot of it, in a deniable way to skip over the rules and laws that govern business so that someone further up can earn the bonus.
So yes the public service does need some serious repurposing but the trick will be to keep it repurposed (& state assets in state hands) when the next RW government turns up. Otherwise everything will be sold and the proceeds distributed in high end tax cuts. Nobody really wanted the power companies sold but sold they were. We need to be able to put brakes on this. Perhaps by having state owned companies holding the assets with company rules that designate every one of us as shareholders so there needs to be a nationwide vote (referendum) for this type of sale to occur- to line it up with the corporate provisions for non state companies
When Dr Geoff Bertram says there are signs of disconnection – deliberate or otherwise- between what the elected Government wants to do and its ability to deliver, I have to agree. Some government departments seem quite incestuous to deal with now, no doubt the networking system and the high number of "academically qualified "that fill those departments now.. or as KIT says jobs for the boys.
Having family members who have received very unfair and unresolved outcomes with ACC and the education department in recent years, I fully understand that :1/ the buck no longer stops somewhere these days 2/ politicians have less influence than in the past and in fact seem to be held at arms-length by government departments unless they are parroting government department policy perfectly eg Eugenie Sage is a good example with her repetitive echoing of DOC,s “there is no alternative to aerial 1080”, when in fact there is,:enviroMate 100TM for all areas man can walk.
There are more serious problems with things the way they are too – such as the complete contempt for the OIA, and some of these senior PS and CEO's thinking it OK to use T & C for various little 'projects'. Really that should disqualify them from ever holding a PS position again.
But there's another thing too. While JA and CO have handled the COVID19 situation spectacularly, I doubt it would have gone nearly so smoothly had we not been in a state of national emergency.
Again, PS reform should have been one of the first things the coalition should have AT LEAST made a start on
Did you know that all the pest control tenders that DOC placed on GETS since 2017 require an aerial 1080 capability ( whether or not it would be needed) It is their way of effectively cutting out all ground operators. So highhanded and unfair and not ensuring the NZ tax payer gets the best deal for their money. Heads must roll .
Having a robust no cost review process and legal advice can make a difference. Also I feel it is up to the government to take note of review decisions and to amended the law so a person does not need to take on a huge government ministry to win their case.
He's delivering a talk sponsored by the PSA on this theme shortly.
First for the chopping block should be eradicating DHB's completely. They have been nothing but an accountability nightmare, and a stumbling block during this crisis.
Anyway. Yes. Get the market out of the health system and be done with business orientated fiefdoms.
Adrian Thornton posted a lengthy interview with Corbyn the other day on the steady privatisation of the NHS. Many parallels with NZ with regards outcomes from what I can grasp.
That no private hospitals or providers do A&E because "profit"…I'm guessing that's the same here. Get rid of the fucks.
I broke my arm in Northland earlier this year, needed surgery to screw the bone back together. Couldn't even book an *appointment* with orthopaedics at Whangarei hospital. Came back home to Auckland, got an appointment to see orth surgeon in a few days. He took one look at the X-rays and said "oops why wasn't this done days ago!?" and I got surgery the next day.
That was 11 days of fucking around with different DHBs & fighting bureaucracy while my arm was smashed in 5 places, before finally getting surgery
we can rebuild him! many thanks to the surgeons and nurses at Auckland Hospital for repairing my shattered arm and giving me the good painkillers! all free on ACC pic.twitter.com/Y5yOArHeEa
Aye well, before NZ, I'd never been to a doctor and been asked "Do you have insurance?"
Then – I recall some minor 'scandal' over a surgeon leveraging the DHB down this way for an exorbitant salary – I can't remember the exact details, but essentially it was a surgeon playing one DHB off against another in an environment of supply and demand.
And my back's unneccesarily and permanently fucked, meaning I won't have a job again, because the fragmented health service in NZ doesn't know its arse from its elbow.
And teeth. The USA aside – is there another so-called developed nation in the world where poor people can be identified by their teeth?
So much to unpack… the likelihood of some implication of lack of deservingness from "self inflicted", equating an undeserving injury with a hidden disability, the hope that maybe a visible disability would be viewed as deserving, and the idea that if that comment is indicative of GG's current go-to state of mind, maybe they currently have depression, which is often a hidden disability.
Maybe that butcher had a "hidden disability", ie depression, stress, ptsd who knows, but it's comments like GGs which add to that pressure. But we've also seen the Tax Payers Union ask for some public relief, so if needed I'm sure GG will also be lining up for welfare too. Hypocrite.
1. To run the article in the first place, although many people have lost friends and family in the last month.
2. To put it in prominent homepage position.
3. "Butcher's death after lockdown struggles…" is the (current) tagline on the homepage, click through and the article is titled "Covid 19 coronavirus: Family of Mad Butcher store owner Roy Green make heartfelt plea to allow them to attend his funeral", allowing the initial tagline to be changed – usual practice – when enough people have seen the tagline and absorbed the implied criticism.
4. The first line promotes the idea that the liquidation is the most important factor in his death. Other factors are reported, but as an addition to a reiteration of the business line. Someone well versed in grammar, could perhaps explain the paragraphing here.
"Roy Green, 38, died at the weekend after his business went into liquidation a week ago.
The father-of-two owned the store in Pukekohe, South Auckland, and had run it for about five years. The Herald understands Green had also been struggling with other personal issues not related to the business."
5. The tagline strongly implies the lockdown struggles are the reason for the butcher's death.
6. The tagline also reduces the restrictions on Level 2 to a whim or arbitrary decision on the part of the PM, not a nationwide protocol.
7. The article itself is completely unvetted. Quoting someone who while saying there should be no exceptions, seems to think they warrant it. There is also a bit of a sedgway in there, regarding the negative impact to business in general.
8. All of which allows a statement be inserted in:
"..the National Party says the limits are not only unkind, but "inhumane"."
The National Party going anywhere near a discussion about humanity, is a novel experience.
The reality is: a funeral is a time when physical expressions of sympathy, love and support are a fundamental part of the process. Social distancing during this time, will be harder to adhere to than any other gathering. This article is a good example of ill-considered and malignant editorial decision making, that will influence the goodwill of the Herald reading public unfortunately, and gives prominence to the Exceptional Me school of thought.
I understand the need for social distancing. I think most people do.
but to reconcile the need for no more then 10 people at a funeral while at the same time allowing Malls to re-open, cafes to accept parties of no more then ten people but several there of makes no sense to me.
We are debating how to go into level two atm and to be honest it is confusing. I have to have a registar for every person staying longer then 15 min, but everyone else can come into the shop? Lol. So if someone comes in – asymptomatic but infected – and stays less then 15 min its all good, no tracing required.
It is confusing, and it makes little sense.
But to pretend that the Heralds writers – many whom are in a class to profit of a National No Mates Party government – would not write National No Mates Party positive is also a bit naive. The Herald writers with the nice income know where their tax cuts and tax deductions come from, and it ain’t the Labur Party.editorial.
However, the question stands, why can Malls be open with potentially hundreds of people showing up to get in, while a Tangi can only have ten people.
And to be honest, butchers should have been considered essential services, as bakers and green grocers. Standing in line for several hours at a Supermarket can also a bea detriment to ones health.
I think you will find Sabine that attendance at a tangi is a way more emotional experience with a great deal of kissing and hugging and tender closeness than you would ever find at the average mall
I'm glad however after all your angst that you have survived and are opening the shop again
As a person how has lost both parents and a good amount of friends believe me, I have been at a Tangi and also at other funerals, and generally yes, they are emotional and generally they are also full of people. But thanks for educating me in the ways of the humans.
As for your concern for my well being, thanks. But there is not one small business owner that has survived this, some just have an option of getting out earlier and hopefully with less damage then the butcher from Pukekohe. RIP.
And if you think that at a Mall, jam packed with consumers, or people who just come to browse, eat, drink, kids running around playing etc are not emotional i must conclude that you have not been in a Mall for a while. And above all you have very little idea about humans in general.
And lastly, maybe you care to actually address the points that i raised in good faith, rather then just go and be snarky with very little to say.
Because by tomorrow, Cafes can allow groups of max 10 people each to come for emotional gathering, drinking and eating,
But you can not have several groups of 10 people attend a tangi at the same time. And that is the difference that makes no fucking sense.
And you can get the illness in a line at the supermarket (of which there have been many) but you can't online order and have a no contact pick up or delivery with your local butcher/green grocer/bakery, and that too makes no sense.
You dont seem to understand the details of the rules nor the obvious differences between a mall and a funeral/tangi
At level 2 before lockdown they were largely empty., not jam packed and as with supermarkets now numbers are still restricted.
Wild claims like "And you can get the illness in a line at the supermarket (of which there have been many)" show the inherent implausibility of all your arguments.
All Mad Butcher shops struggled before the Coronavirus and there seems to be other pre-existing personal issues for this person
Supermarkets (food) were an essential, dairies are all there are in some areas. And in person shopping – not enough on-line ordering let alone delivery capacity, was required.
For their competitors, any expanded risk of infection beyond minimalist operation of a food service.
One issue was safe entry.
By their nature some shops – butchers and greengrocers keep doors closed (unlike dairies) and flies out – and unlike supermarkets do not have electronic doors. This requires door handle entry, hands and all that.
While I supported these shops being open, I (now realising the risk) would have required the retailer to open and close doors for one in and one out customers.
Method of Payment – eftpos cards
Supermarkets and dairies either have paywave, or they do not.
For others the capacity to provide contactless service – on-line payment and delivery or contactless collect.
They could have allowed butchers and greengrocers to operate if they had paywave instore, not just on-line payment delivery or collect – as many did at level 3.
The positive for many butchers and greengrocers is that they will now be using the on-line order and delivery serivce to expand their customer base.
And for the rest of us – paywave will become commonplace and thus community infection spread will reduce for more than just coronavirus.
I agree with francesca, and the the rules are quite rational. It's because of these apparent contradictions that it becomes easy to pick holes. But if you look at the overall intent of the rules, and apply them to every situation, then they become quite reasonable.
Another story in today’s newspaper repeated that churches are only allow congregations of 10. That is incorrect, up to 100 with social distancing.
Someone needs to ask Bridges and other national MP's a simple yes/no question. If health advice was to limit the attendance at funerals to 10, would they have ignored it. Yes or no. Quite simple.
Didn't expect the Herald to be pro-Labour, but at present have been in close proximity to people who loudly, and aggressively have resisted any restrictions on their behaviour, even during Alert 4. I do think the consequences of this kind of reporting have real world impacts on individuals, and those they interact with in the community.
Regarding the opening of malls, etc. That is going to be an interesting study in the behaviour patterns of people. Given the mobile and dynamic nature of shopping in malls, there is quite a bit of movement. Maintaining social distancing is going to be a ballet performance, with a few incidents of two left feet I would think. It will also be interesting to see if people do flock back to the malls, just because they can, or whether those that feel vulnerable, or have concerns still about transmission reduce the patronage numbers. (Along with the large number of people who may have lost any disposable income).
I hope it will be easier for you in your cafe. With seated patrons, protocols are easier to define and implement. Our local bakery has marked positions on the pavement outside, and customers go in one at a time to order and purchase. My partner has spent quite a lot of time in the last few weeks writing up new SoP's and induction processes for his workplace to go back to work.
I don't think the restriction on funerals – at this stage – is onerous, although I do feel for those who have lost loved ones, or will lose loved ones – at this time. I agree with francesca that the ability to social distance from others who are grieving, is a much harder task than to distance yourself from strangers in a shopping environment.
My point about the article about butcher from Pukekohe, is that the article was framed that it was the loss of business that caused his death. It is apparent, however, that no-one knows what it was. Regarding your comment about butchers being essential, AFAIK, butchers have been able to operate on-line and contactless delivery in Alert 3. Our regular butcher has been able to do so. It also contained a lot of expectation for exceptionalism, which is in contradiction to what is needed.
Perhaps it is also because funerals and weddings are more likely to draw in people from far and wide, making tracking and containment of any spread more difficult.
The father-of-two owned the store in Pukekohe, South Auckland, and had run it for about five years. The Herald understands Green had also been struggling with other personal issues not related to the business."
That should have been the main idea because one might guess it was the main reason for his death. But it should not have been published it at all as it is written should have been a compassionate decision. Must be very trying for Mr Green's family.
" But it should not have been published it at all as it is written should have been a compassionate decision. ". I agree, my long-winded meandering comment corrected down to the most salient point. Thanks, ianmac.
The headline about the family's call to lift the lockdown rule was about the funeral, not the operation of the business under levels 4 and 3.
The Herald first reported last Friday about the liquidation of the buisness a week earlier. (the story noted how many other Mad Butcher franchises had closed in the past year – pre pandemic. Some during the term of the franchiose some when these ended. Because the franchise model had low profits pre pandemic). He died on the Sunday – the story was about the funeral.
Inter city bus/rail travel around a nation should a NECESSARY part of the infrastructure, not a 'nice to have'. Just another example of the mass privatisations of the 1990s catching up with us. Hopefully the government will realise that a subsidy for the duration to keep this vital service running is necessary.
New Zealand exports over 800 Million dollars of goods to Indonesia, while our "kindness" govt remain silent over the genocide of the indigenous people of West Papua….I guess this kindness is only valid if it doesn't get in the way of their free trade ideology…as I keep banging on about, no morals or ethics can be found in the Liberal ideology.
The battle for West Papuan independence from Indonesia has intensified with deadly results
He says “powerful shocks like pandemics, wars or financial crashes have an impact on society, but the nature of that impact depends on the theories people hold about history, society, the balance of power – in a word, ideology – which varies from place to place. It always takes major social and political mobilisation to move societies in the direction of equality.”
So belief systems determine the outcome of those shocks: particularly those bonding the largest social groups.
Well – the largest social group has been taught there is no alternative, capitalism is natural, the clowns in charge know what they're doing and that everything must be paid for.
Meanwhile, those in charge in the US have gifted corporations $US4 Trillion for a buying spree in an unfolding global depression.
So between what people believe and the balance of power they perceive…
I'm thinking that the idea is to eat the US. Y'know, America can die, but the US corporation can rise triumphant and spread across the globe.
There has been precious little for small businesses over there, and a single $1200 cheque for those who qualified.
Meanwhile, the US has been leaning on the UK to allow it to veto any trade arrangements with China it may negotiate.
Does Robertson and the other clowns think they can get NZ a slice of that $US 4+ Trillion US corporations have? Do they think it will come by way of neutral investment? Is that why the bullshit from the US songbook that Peter's splurted about Taiwan and the WHO?
You saying "our" clowns want to keep playing the game? They've got a golden opportunity to lead the world, pivot and allow the laws of physics to determine sets of rules and strategies…
I think our "clowns" (who in this instance I believe are not) are between a rock and a hard place and what Ive seen to date dosnt lead me to be so certain they want to keep the game being played the way it has been….whether that leads to the necessary (and gutsy) changes required is yet to be seen…im still hopeful but also mindful how easy it will be for any change to be unwound
Morena folks, I am seeking tips and tactics for dealing with a reasonably serious complaint about a landline service provider.
How I see it, the company has changed its policy and doesn't accept cheques. My in-laws have paid their last two bills by cheque. The company disconnected them three days ago.
They are elderly, diabetic (one with serious other health issues), no cell phone, no internet/computer. We were assured yesty morn the phone would be back on "in a few minutes".
Later that arvo, still no phone. Another call and we find out that as the line is disconnected, it may take up to 5days to reconnect!
Who is best to contact both in the company and perhaps outside of company?
gsays This will be interesting. I have been wondering about this cheque business. I hope someone can suggest something, cheques should still be legal tender and a refusal to accept them should put that business in the wrong. What does the Reserve Bank do about this? Hasn't it got any teeth to deal with our money system's wrongdoings and desires of businesses to make up their own rules?
My bank SBS says it is not stopping having cheques because we customers want them to hold on to the system. Yet Kiwibank, supposedly close to the people has decided to cut them out. It shows the distance that the need to be seen as 'businesslike' by SOEs makes between their real purpose to serve the people, and shows in the mind that they are efficient according to the current mantra from technocrats etc.
I'm not knocking your in-laws gsays because I'm an older person and had difficulty paying bills during lockdown. I don't do online banking due to an experience years ago and I tried communicating with the providers but with no success. In the end a relative paid the bills and I reimbursed by way of cash.
And therein I think lies the source of the problem. None of these organisations are operating as per normal. Staff are working from home and many services have been seriously affected. I also recall major service organisations announcing they would no longer accept cheques – last year I think it was.
With the start of level 2 tomorrow, they will be up and running close to normal again but it could take a day or two to happen. Your in-laws won't be the only ones adversely affected so there may eventually be an element of compensation but I wouldn't hazard a guess what form it would take.
In the meantime, I don't think there's much you can do but keep trying to get through to them.
I get that companies are in a bit of turmoil at the moment. Not too busty to arrange a disconnect though. Their messaging has been inconsistent at best.
The company has not communicated with the account holder about 'non-payment, although they claim to have sent a text!
Part of the problem too is dealing with the person who answers the phone rather than, say, their team leader (or whatever they are called nowadays.
One blessing is that they were unaware they had been cut off, otherwise they would have worried themselves sick.
gsays – we had huge problems with Vodafone last year with our Broadband package. Despite many assurances they would fix it after we called them a heap of times nothing was ever done. The only way we got it resolved was by posting on Vodafone's Facebook page saying how useless they were with customer service, if they didn't respond we kept posting again saying how many days they had dragged it on for. This eventually made them pull finger & get it sorted.
That might be a help if you are willing to do that ?
Nowdays nobody wants to talk to you – just useless chatbots
There should of been no disconnections during lockdown and for another week after lockdown level 2 starts.
During lock down level 4 and 3 the person's bank needed to provide a service to set up a automatic payment. The wait time to get through was long and I opted to be called back. A separate number for high needs and those on NZ Super or a transfer would have helped. Also an option for do not disconnect would have helped.
I am anti Internet banking. I find phone banking to be enough. I also will not use a personal teller ATM in a bank to deposit money.
The level of control a bank has over me in what I am required to do to deposit money into a bank has gone too far.
These are fucking creepy. Imagine going for a walk with these on patrol telling you what to do. Singapore has them, Australia is considering getting them "for public safety" to help enforce social distancing.
Won’t be long before authorities find other uses for those dogs. Taxation, parking, policing…who knows.
I was walking behind someone with a really large dog a few days ago…unfortunately for her it was a triple bag day. I thought on the last stop she had run out but she was prepared.
That's right Efficiency NZ – remove controls and precautionary measures on something else that the neolib lean, efficient bunch of clots have prevailed on you turning you into their lapdogs, you in leadership positions! Now the agency running the airport controls.
Oh man, I broke the second most important rule after not getting involved in a land war in Asia – I got into an argument with an anti-vaxer on FB, who it turns out thinks 5G also causes autism and Jacinda Ardern is part of a Freemason plot.
I told her the reason the government was passing legislation to support going to level 2 under urgency was because it wanted to round up all the anti-vaxxers and inject them with a vaccine that give them autism when/if they are exposed to 5G radiation.
I then posted a youtube video of a fairground merry-go-round and left the FB conversation and turned off notifications…
These nut-bars need to be banned from social media. Either that or agree to be treated for their bat-shit crazy notions. They are dangerous and they prey on vulnerable people.
Before you consider experimenting on and with yourself through self-medicating, especially if it is suggested somewhere on-line by a non-authoritative or non-authorised source without a disclaimer and without any mention of potential risks to your health, you should always consult your GP or other health professional first – Incognito]
Testing is flawed and the issue is not as bad as it is represented as. – Thank God.
Aside from bad testing Covid 19 is a blood clotting issue, people aren't being treated properly so it's not surprising people are having a shit time with it. Current best evidence suggests additional vit C, zinc, quercetin, and vit D3/K2 will reduce symptoms and duration. Supplements work best taken early on. Anecdotal evidence suggests taking 3x 500 mg aspirins dissolved in lemon juice boiled with honey, taken hot will be a quick fix and sort of makes sense if dealing with a clotting issue – who knows? Worth a try.
[You are free to believe your beliefs but when you post dangerous claptrap from some conspiracy nutter with a commercial interest in selling snake oil, I will push back hard and fast.
None of what is in your comment is covered in the YouTube clip!?
Current best evidence suggests additional vit C, zinc, quercetin, and vit D3/K2 will reduce symptoms and duration. Supplements work best taken early on.
If this is “current best evidence” then you will have no trouble providing three links to independent, reputable, and verifiable sources.
The “anecdotal evidence” looks right-out dangerous to me. One link to a reputable source will do.
AFAIK, a dose of 3× 500 mg aspirin is much higher than any prophylactic dose, for adults! Nobody should take this without advice from a qualified health provider!
… will be a quick fix and sort of makes sense if dealing with a clotting issue – who knows? Worth a try.
This is dangerous lunacy layered over more lunacy, stupidity, and obvious ignorance!
You are in Pre-Moderation until you provide those four links, with a decent commentary and explanation from you. If you fail to comply, you can withdraw your comment in full, but failing that, you will receive a ban – Incognito]
Now, what evidence is more trustworthy? "Anecdotal evidence" or the best evidence that scientists and medical experts using best scientific method produces? Anecdotal evidence that "sort of makes sense"?
Thank you. In situations like this, we need (more) input and guidance from commenters who know what they’re talking about.
We generally don’t delete anything and leave it for educational purposes so that others can read & learn, but I’ll add a strong warning at the top of the comment.
In summary, the early use of aspirin in covid-19 patients, which has the effects of inhibiting virus replication, anti-platelet aggregation, anti-inflammatory and anti-lung injury, is expected to reduce the incidence of severe and critical patients, shorten the length of hospital duration and reduce the incidence of cardiovascular complications.
Given these lines of evidence, the purpose of the proposed multi-center, prospective, randomized controlled trial is to test the hypothesis that low-risk, early treatment with aspirin and vitamin D in COVID-19 (The LEAD COVID-19 Trial) can mitigate the prothrombotic state and reduce hospitalization rates.
I'm not endorsing the high dose of aspirin, and it's clear there are contraindications in young people … who are not likely to become seriously ill anyway. But neither does it seem a crazy dangerous notion either given the serious medical trials underway.
Eastern Virginia Medical School's recommended approach to COVID-19 based on "the best (and most recent) literature" (May 11)
Covers Prophylaxis, Symptomatic patients (at home), mildly symptomatic patients (in hospital), … through to … severely symptomatic patients (hospital).
Emphasis on immune-boosters, anti-virals, antioxidants early on: Vitamin C & D3, Zinc, Quercetin, Melatonin & possibly Aspirin, Hydroxychloroquine Ivermectin to prevent infection or at early symptomatic stage … then adding anti-inflammatories & immune suppressive treatments as the disease progresses in hospital.
And the MATH+ Treatment Protocol recommended by Front Line COVID-19 Critical Care Working Group
Thank you, but your comment highlights the hidden danger with health-related suggestions that sound innocuous and like ‘common sense’.
You link to two clinical trials with aspirin that address the same medical problem of blood clots.
There are a number of important differences between these trials, for example, and the crazy stuff dispensed by the snake oil salesman in the video clip @ 19, which had no bearing on the dangerous suggestions made in the comment @ 19.
There is no evidence presented @ 19 that this “[c]urrent best evidence” and there is, of course, nothing to back-up the so-called “[a]necdotal evidence”.
These two trials use much lower doses of aspirin of 100 and 81 mg, respectively, compared to 1,500 mg in the comment @ 19! When “dissolved in lemon juice boiled with honey” it might actually taste quite nice and why not have second one later in the day? “Worth a try.” Yeah, nah!
The patients participating in these trials are tested beforehand for known contraindications and selected based on the inclusion criteria, which you can find in these links. You will also find the exclusion criteria in these links and you should have a read.
The patients are carefully and regularly monitored for any side effects and adverse events caused by aspirin.
This is very different from experimenting on yourself at home without any (prior) knowledge of the health risks and without any guidance or advice from a health professional whilst using a much higher dose of aspirin.
The comment @ 19 gave no link to check, no warnings of any potential dangerous side effects, and was a concoction of dangerous quackery and harmful ignorance. In my view, it is as bad as Trump’s suggestion to inject disinfectant, which has led to poisoning cases in the US, I believe. In fact, I think it is worse because it sounds so harmless and reasonable to take aspirin. Doesn’t it just?
I'm fully aware of how difficult moderation can be Incognito; in no sense is my comment above intended to attack or discourage in any fashion. I'm 100% certain you were moderating A's post in good faith.
Latest death in NSW is an 80 year old plus woman, a passenger on the Ruby Princess who first showed symptoms in mid-March and has been fighting Covid for 2 months. Poor woman, what an awful outcome.
South Korea's covid containment strategy in action.
They're received a list of 10,905 people who were in the Itaewon area based on cell tower information and another 494 who used credit cards, and sent them text messages urging them to get tested, @Seoul_gov says. "The battle against an epidemic is all about speed," mayor says.
Tova should go and work for Fox News. She’s a shocker. Always first up and always with the personal questions/attacks on Jacinda and Ashley. They have my utmost admiration for staying so calm and reasonable with her even though they know she’s not going to listen to a word they say. She’s like a bleedin dag that won’t drop off no matter how much the sheep rattles them. A political reporter she ain’t. Attack dog maybe. Chihuahua!?
I have no problem with journos asking tough Qs (and I don't like seeing them abused on social media). But a minimum professional requirement is to ask those Qs in good faith.
Tova O'Brien fails that test. It is certainly fair to ask if the max 10 limit is justified. But not to accuse people of being heartless, as if that was the real motivation for the decision.
In fact, she's doing the opposite of holding to account. She's so gratuitously offensive that people switch off – literally or metaphorically. So any serious raising of the issue is lost.
I agree that Ardern and Bloomfield handle this very well. I know I wouldn't.
What is the government to do if in 1 year time we are fully clear of covid but no vaccine is coming and this bastard bug is still roaming the planet, can we survive being a little fortress and the bottom of the planet or will we have to open at some point?
Simon Bridges in a number of utterances he's made in recent days, including today, shows he doesn't want future generations to pay for debts arising out of the Covid-19 situation.
When I've got more freedom in the next short while I'm going to go to the local cemetery to ask generations gone by if they want to pay for them. I'm not confident of their support for the notion.
This campaign ad is breathtaking. Its power comes from Trump’s own words. His false assurances made America’s health care crisis and economic collapse worse. Donald Trump cannot outrun his lies.pic.twitter.com/ETmSx87lT4
Here is the news. Today, yesterday and tomorrow. Every day.
"In a post that has since been deleted, Idiot X has ranted at Jacinda Ardern …"
Today it's Leo Molloy, other times it's a Nat MP, or some other Angry Man (sic).
Happens every single time. It's not just the rants, it's that they are so stupid they try and undo what can't be undone.
Just put the phone down, lads. Breathe before Send. Share your hate with a pillow, not the world. So much easier than trying to make a time machine that never works.
Mark Davies is used to flying around the world, typically visiting Geneva and Monaco every month in his work as a tax adviser for the super-wealthy.
Now he’s sequestered at home in southwest London because of the coronavirus pandemic, which is wreaking havoc on his business and the tax plans of his clients similarly accustomed to globetrotting.
“The pandemic means we’ve now got people stuck in the U.K. who didn’t intend to be here, and people who did want to be here that couldn’t,” he said. “It’s gone both ways.”
As nations have closed borders, some individuals are confronting unexpectedly complex tax situations. These include the prospect of higher levies from spending too many days in a foreign locale, or having to shelve plans to obtain tax breaks by moving abroad.
It’s not just international travel that poses tax risks. The question of tax complications also looms for the thousands of people in the U.S. who’ve crossed state lines to hunker down in vacation homes or with in-laws.
No one needs to be concerned … We have a Labour/Green/NZ1 government, and what powers is parliament pushing thru currently regarding increasing police powers. And only a wee peep by one Left leaning organisation/blogs etc. UNBELIEVABLE
The powers in the bill passed today are limited to 90 days currency. The government would have to return for an extension to the House if it felt the situation then warranted it.
A month after that, we have an election!
Not really the modus operandi of an aspiring authoritarian régime.
Not so concerned about this Government, at present.
The police, on the whole, have taken the direction to , “be kind” on board, and seem to have taken a common sense approach.
At some stage though, we will return to a National Government, that turns a blind eye or even encourages abuse of police and spy agency powers. Tacitly supporting police overreach. They don't need any precedents for that.
It is hypocritical that National criticises this bill, after their previous extensions to legislation, giving police, spooks and customs powers we associate with police States.
Sorry, KJT, my comment was directed at Herodotus' fears. I do like what you write, though. 🙂
I have noticed for many years a fear expressed by some, as laws are enacted, that although the present government might be OK, the legislation they are introducing may be misused by some future bunch of rogues.
Many years have passed……. Smith's Dream is still just that.
Rogues will either act ultra vires if they need to, or will enact their own legislation to give themselves a fiat. Eternal vigilance is the price of freedom. (Having referred to that quote, I have just realised that it could be taken to mean that eternal vigilance by the state over its citizens is the price of freedom, rather than the vigilance of the citizen to prevent that.) Some further investigation found some great examples in US history of the power of eternal vigilance. https://conversableeconomist.blogspot.com/2017/07/notes-on-eternal-vigilance-is-price-of.html
This includes an action to oppose and eventually have repealed a land grab in Georgia by speculators who bribed their way to the enactment of a law to allow the alienation to their speculative companies of millions of acres of public land in the 1790s. Fascinating stuff and a testimony to one man who saw the wrong and brought about its repeal.
Media too busy stalking David Clark or looking for suicides. When we first went into lockdown I was terrified the cops were gonna be over the top, but they weren't. In the UK & Aus they have been, so it's a credible fear (but the Herald suddenly concerned about police going onto marae? Pfft.)
When we first went into lockdown I was terrified the cops were gonna be over the top, but they weren't.
Yep. I did too. Pleasantly surprised they acted with common sense and discretion. Whether it has anything to do with the new Commissioner of Police (whose name currently escapes me but that’s normal for me 🙁 ), I don’t know.
I have had good reason to be cynical of the NZ Police in the past but maybe things have changed.
Thanks, not having a twitter account I just searched for it and linked the site that came up after checking that there was no commentary by "the Greens" on this matter over the last few days. Even That Blog that we cannot name has nothing on this. Is this something that those within Wellington don't care about and the rest of us are in the dark ??
I think it’s just that everything has happened very fast. A couple of Green MPs were talking on twitter before about what's been happening but I haven't seen anything formal yet. I'll link below.
Relying on a bloke who usually deals in wedding gowns to import life-saving equipment from a CCP member didn't work out too well.
But the shipment arriving that night in late March wasn’t going to solve the problem. An Associated Press investigation has found those masks were counterfeits — as are millions of medical masks, gloves, gowns and other supplies being used in hospitals across the country, putting lives at risk.
[…]
Florida-based importer Mark Kwoka said he believes the Shanghai Dasheng masks with ear loops that he obtained came from their factory, based on information he received from his partners in China.
“This is kind of getting out of control,” said Kwoka, who made a career in bridal gown design and manufacturing in China but turned to masks earlier this year.
This young butcher who died is being turned to a martyr by the National Party, #nzpol, ACT and business sector.
While it is said that he was under a lot of stress, it wasn't like he was going to end up sleeping in his car. Had he waited a bit longer, an interest free IRD loan would have tied him over, with no repayments for 3 years. Repayments would probably have been at $20 a week even.
A few years ago, I read about an older couple who had been bounced around motels for 6 months after being evicted by Housing NZ on trumped up meth charges. Their daughter, a mother of 6, had killed herself because WINZ had told her that they wouldn't be paying for her motel rooms anymore. So they had to take their 6 kids with them as they were trapped in motel room purgatory.
Unfortunately that woman didn't get made into a glorious martyr for the National Party cause. Nope, her belongings got tossed and 2 pensioners are working out how the hell they are going to bring up 6 kids in a world where some Boomer's return matters more than giving people a roof over their head.
The problem was the Mad Butcher franchise system was/is going under – little profit. The number have halved in the past year (pre-pandemic) – franchises ending with the term or during term.
There was a liquidator appointed. Franchise models complicate getting bank support. Especially with that franchises recent record.
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by The Spark “The system is broken”—the words of a young black man in Minneapolis watching flames destroy a police precinct demonstrators had torched. Broken? Yes, it is! What else could you say about a system whose police for nine minutes casually knelt on a black man’s neck, watching until ...
The latest opinion poll is out, and it’s more bad news for the National Party, with Roy Morgan putting them on only 26.5% support, against Labour’s 56.5%. You can see the details here: Roy Morgan May opinion poll. Roy Morgan is regarded as less accurate than other polling companies, and the ...
When miners pillage conservation land, they are typically required to "rehabilitate" it afterwards. Its not much compared to the damage they do, but its something. But apparently even that is now too much to expect. NZG Limited, a company owned by Oravida directors James Blackwell, Julia Jiyan Xu, Stone Shi, ...
Like everyone else, I've spent too much of the weekend watching the protests in America, and the increasingly brutal response to them. The overwhelming impression is of a nationwide police riot, as people speaking out against a murder and demanding change are beaten, gassed and shot by racist, militarised thugs ...
In mid-April, as New Zealand entered its fourth week of alert level 4, the Prime Minister warned us not to make comparisons with other countries over our Covid-19 pandemic response. This extraordinary advice came after Simon Bridges had urged the government to adopt a less-stringent lockdown similar to those in ...
Wales has lowered the voting age to 16: 16 and 17 year olds can now officially vote in Wales for Senedd elections. Votes at 16 & 17 come into force on Monday, as part of the Senedd and Elections (Wales) Act 2020. Next year’s Senedd elections will ...
The government announced more changes to the ETS today, including to the emissions budget for 2021 - 2025. The overall budget for that period will stay at 354 million tons of CO2-equivalent. But the ETS component of that - stockpile reduction, free allocation, and credits to be auctioned - budget ...
The new National Party leader, Todd Muller, had been at pains to portray himself as a solid, serious, safe pair of hands, in contrast to the increasingly Trumpian leanings of Simon Bridges, who Muller deposed in a leadership coup last Friday. But after an uneventful, if uninspiring, first press conference, ...
Minneapolis Police StationIf you’ve been keeping an eye on recent events in the United States, you’ll likely understand why there’s so much anger on the streets at the moment. Not only did police officers murder another black man; it is patently obvious that authorities initially attempted to cover up George ...
Becoming the leader of a political party is a bit like having a baby. Not so much the screaming and sleepless nights, as the fact that you’ve waited and hope and planned for something and it’s finally here. And when that wonderful gift finally arrives, you want to be ready, ...
The US appears to be headed towards what Antonio Gramsci and other Italian political theorists call an “organic crisis of the State.” It involves the simultaneous and compounded fractures of economy, society and politics, which together constitute a tipping point in a nation’s history. Social contradictions are exacerbated, class and ...
Like the rest of the world, I have been aghast at what I have seen of, and read and heard about, what is happening currently in the United States. It seems incredible that a once great country should be suffering the worst effects and the highest number of deaths worldwide ...
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Climate concerns as Siberia experiences record-breaking heatHeat wave sparks concerns about devastating wildfire season and melting permafrost.Satellite ...
A chronological listing of news articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, May 24 through Sat, May 30, 2020Editor's ChoiceAntarctic Ocean Reveals New Signs of Rapid Melt of Ancient Ice, Clues About Future Sea Level RiseA study of seafloor ripples ...
It’s almost painful to watch. Let’s be honest, maybe a pleasure too, in some quarters, but painful nonetheless. Because the fact is, for a democracy to function properly, any sitting Government does need honest and proper Opposition so that it doesn’t get ahead of itself. That’s what we should ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Karin Kirk A banner on the International Energy Agency website spells it out in bold font: “The global oil industry is experiencing a shock like no other in its history.” As the response to the coronavirus pandemic upends the lives of billions of ...
The ownership of newspapers and televison channels is in turmoil, and they want to redisorganise public broadcasting. *Three years ago, I expressed concern in a column about the future of the (traditional) media. Nothing has happened since to reduce the concern. It was based on an earlier column which ...
Australia's High Court has ruled that the "palace letters" between the queen and then-Governor-General John Kerr are public records rather than private papers: Historian Jenny Hocking has won her High Court bid to access the letters exchanged between then governor-general Sir John Kerr and the Queen around the time of ...
SATURDAY MAY 30Six60: Live at Western Springs 2020 (TVNZ 1, 8.45pm). Remember live concerts? The day will come again, friends, when we will be able to stand shoulder-to-shoulder in an uncomfortable sweaty venue with people we don’t know. It will happen. Sometimes the sound of concerts drifts over to the ...
New Zealand and its prime minister Jacinda Ardern have received international attention and praise, rightly so, for decisive leadership, clear communication and scientific management of the coronavirus pandemic. Observers point out that the nation has been through multiple crises under Ardern’s leadership – such as the Christchurch terrorist attack and ...
…a lot of things unrelated to the pandemic were happening. Relatively little attention was given to some major events on the global stage, so I thought I would do a quick recap of some of the high (or low) -lights, starting with something familiar. The common theme throughout is human ...
Labour's talk of gutting the RMA to push through "shovel ready" projects to boost employment after the pandemic predictably has every half-arsed pipe-dream crawling out of the woodwork demanding special treatment. Today, it's the West Coast inbreds, who are demanding a host of laws be rescinded so they can dig ...
"I can't breathe, Mama. I'm dying." - Last words of George Floyd.LOOK HARD at this image. Think about what it depicts. Ask yourself how one human-being could behave so brutally when so many eye-witnesses – and very soon millions of people online around the world – were there to watch ...
Since the government announced its pandemic wage subsidy, there have been regular stories about companies taking it and then sacking or refusing to pay their workers - essentially committing fraud. But how often does this happen? The Minister just doesn't want to know: Government ministers are not receiving up to ...
"You call that a conservative?Nah, this is a conservative!" New Zealanders are in the market for a quiet and reassuring small-c conservative political centrist. The critical question, however, is which politician is currently playing that role? Who has mastered the art of relaxed, informal and intimate political communication? Who ...
I’VE OFTEN WONDERED if South African immigrants passing through towns like Kerikeri and Kaikohe ever wonder how we do it. In their homeland, through the bitter years of Apartheid, keeping the races segregated required pass laws, Alsatian dogs, tear gas, rubber bullets and, all-too-often, live rounds. Not here. Not in ...
Below is the list of gender-critical material which appeared on Redline from July 31, 2019 to September 30, 2019. Sports categories must be by sex, not gender identity Queer theory glossary Woke misogyny and homophobia: a gay critique of trans ideology Another unfortunate experiment? New Zealand’s transgender health policy and ...
Smart Energy Europe: A Plan to provide 100% of ALL ENERGY using Renewable Energy to EuropeIntroductionAll Energy renewable energy systems are often commented on here at Skeptical Science. Many comments suggest that it will be difficult, expensive or impossible to use renewable energy to power the world. To ...
The government released its Action for Healthy Waterways package today, ostensibly with the goal of cleaning up our rivers and making them swimmable within a generation. Doing that, of course, requires confronting the cow in the room: the dairy industry which causes most of the pollution. But while they've imposed ...
Climate Explained is a collaboration between The Conversation, Stuff and the New Zealand Science Media Centre to answer your questions about climate change.If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, please send it to climate.change@stuff.co.nzI would like to know if New Zealand’s carbon emissions ...
Simon Lamb, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington and Timothy Stern, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of WellingtonBack in the 1970s, scientists came up with a revolutionary idea about how Earth’s deep interior works. They proposed it is slowly churning like a lava lamp, with buoyant ...
Remember KiwiBuild? Previously the government's flagship policy, it was supposed to build thousands of new homes every year for kiwi families. But instead of flooding the market, we've got a pathetic dribble: The Government's former flagship housing policy is so far behind schedule it will take more than 400 years ...
Don Franks Now Covid-19 restrictions allow gatherings of a hundred, an urgent hui needs calling. A special conference of the Council of Trade Unions. Today, workers face the greatest attack on employment, pay and conditions since the depression, we need a strong united union voice. As it stands now, organised ...
George Henderson New Zealand schools have introduced a climate change resource that suggests children “eat less meat and dairy”, even though teachers will not know how much meat or dairy any child in their care has eaten. Opinion pieces in the papers have called for the reduction of meat and ...
Questioning the number of district health boards in New Zealand has got to the extent that “too many DHBs” has become a perceived truth requiring no further elaboration. It is rarely challenged by policy advisers, academics, and journalists. But when one drills down further it becomes clear that the number ...
The emergence of a new National party leader, seemingly out of nowhere, has – not surprisingly – raised a number of questions as to who Todd Mulller actually is and what makes him tick. He has been an MP for some time but seems to have hidden his light under ...
Costa Rica has become the first country in Central America to recognise same-sex marriage: The first same-sex weddings have taken place in Costa Rica, the first Central American country to equalise its marriage legislation. A lesbian couple became the first to tie the knot in a ceremony that took ...
There's a new twist in the Winston Peters secret donation story. It appears that a significant chunk of NZ First's secret laundered donations goes straight into the pockets of the people administering the scheme: Tens of thousands in donor's funds given to the New Zealand First Foundation were spent paying ...
Is Todd Muller the Ned Flanders of the National Party? This is how he’s been characterised by political commentator Gordon Campbell, who suggests the change in leadership is, in Simpsons terms, akin to swapping the scary and cruel Monty Burns for Homer Simpson’s compassionate but conservative neighbour. There’s almost a ...
We all know that many so-called journalists and political commentators in New Zealand work directly or indirectly for political parties or for certain political factions. This was obviously the case when pundit for hire Matthew Hooton launched a campaign against then National Party leader, Simon Bridges, over their numerous polling ...
Let's Roll! The easy victory over a Bridges-led National Party which the Left had every cause to anticipate just a few days ago is no longer in the offing. Our enemy’s position has changed. His numbers are swelling. A rapid thrust to the left, followed by an audacious outflanking manoeuvre ...
New National Party leader Todd Muller has been interviewed about his policies, and has promised to restart offshore fossil fuel exploration if elected: The Bay of Plenty MP rolled former leader Simon Bridges last week, but says the party has not changed its stance on previous promises. "That is ...
Anyone who keeps an eye on evidence around cannabis and public health will be familiar with the Christchurch Health and Development Study. It's one of two local longitudinal studies frequently cited with respect to cannabis and youth development. But in a new article in the New Zealand Medical Journal, it is ...
In the age of covid we are Jacinda’s team of five million, except for some. There has rarely been a more blatant case of discrimination against beneficiaries than Grant Robertson’s announcement yesterday that people who have lost their jobs because of the coronavirus will receive weekly payments of $490 per week for 12 weeks and $250 per week for part time ...
It was 75 years ago this month that Germany surrendered and the Allies celebrated VE (Victory in Europe) Day. Millions of people around the world had been killed and many more injured or captured. It was an end to war not just for Europeans, but their allies too, in countries across Africa. But its impact is ...
Well, we are out of lockdown, essentially. I did end up getting the wage subsidy while we were on levels 3 and 4 but I would have been fine if we didn’t. The first day of level 2, the Thursday, the office opened again for the people who weren’t able ...
Watching Todd Muller make his first speech as the newly minted Leader of the Opposition after Simon Bridges’ defenestration on Friday brought to mind a headmaster addressing a school assembly. He showed no particular desire to ingratiate himself with his audience although the occasional flash of self-deprecating humour indicated a ...
The government has announced another income support scheme for people affected by the economic aftershocks of the pandemic: a $490 a week tax-free payment for the newly unemployed, which you can get even if you have a working partner. Which is great, because its supporting people who need help, but ...
The Greens have released their party list, and it contains a few surprises. The one that's getting all the news is that the membership are clearly fans of Chlöe Swarbrick, and she has worked hard to earn that. But they've also favoured incumbent protection over new blood, and in the ...
age credit:Science and Politics – Skeptically.org It seems impossible to keep politics out of science. It’s a pity because politics can end up forcing science to produce the results desired by ...
Prof Nick Wilson, Dr Matthew Parry, Dr Ayesha Verrall, Prof Michael Baker, Prof Martin Eichner (author details*)This blog details a recent modelling study we conducted. In it we estimated that it would take between 27 and 33 days of no new detected cases of COVID-19 for there to be ...
The 2015 Schol Bio paper included a question about a group of birds known as honeycreepers, specifically, the 56 species endemic to the Hawaiian islands. (Or, were endemic: 18, or perhaps 19, are still living; the others are extinct.) Students who’ve already had a look at this paper as part of ...
Story of the Week... Toon of the Week... Climate Feedback Article Review... Coming Soon on SkS... Climate Feedback Claim Review... SkS Week in Review... Poster of the Week... Story of the Week... What a Week’s Disasters Tell Us About Climate and the PandemicExtreme weather presents an even bigger threat ...
Todd Muller has made a good start to his leadership, though it would obviously be pretty stupid to extrapolate too much from the first couple of days. Nevertheless, as a matter of speculation, it is interesting to think what success on his part might say about the preferences of the ...
A guest post by Hamish Price.“A leader is a dealer in hope.”— Napoléon BonaparteCatholics have a name for potential successors to a dead pope. Papabile. The small coterie of distinguished cardinals who have what it takes to step up. Todd Muller has always been one.I first met Muller at a National ...
A chronological listing of news articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, May 17 through Sat, May 23, 2020Editor's ChoiceMore than 80 killed in India and Bangladesh as Cyclone Amphan heaps misery on coronavirus-hit areasA man salvages items from ...
Two poor political polls within the same week had seen National for the first time in over a decade dropping major support in the face of a competent and assured COVID-19 health response from the Coalition government. Step forward the relatively unknown Todd Muller, who by Friday afternoon had secured ...
SUNDAY MAY 24The Luminaries (TVNZ 1, 8.30pm). There are an awful lot of indeterminate accents in The Luminaries; even lead Eve Hewson seems undecided about being Irish, and she is Irish. Fair play, accents can go badly wrong, so perhaps not over-egging was a consideration. Marton Csokas, always impeccable, and Himesh Patel ...
SUNDAY MAY 24The Luminaries (TVNZ 1, 8.30pm). There are an awful lot of indeterminate accents in The Luminaries; even lead Eve Hewson seems undecided about being Irish, and she is Irish. Fair play, accents can go badly wrong, so perhaps not over-egging was a consideration. Marton Csokas, always impeccable, and Himesh Patel ...
Let’s be honest; Simon Bridges was a disaster of a political leader. If he wasn’t attempting to criticise the Government’s perfectly good policy initiatives that the public generally supported, he was fudging his lines after getting caught out in yet another lie. When Jami-Lee Ross said Bridges “is a flawed individual ...
The media treat budgets as bit of a circus: lots of theatre and soon forgotten. For a serious economist they show how a team of economists is thinking about the wider economy. The 2020 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) was the most difficult forecasting exercise in the history of ...
Rt Hon Winston Peters, Leader of New Zealand First New Zealand First is disappointed that the removal of the spousal deductions has had to be delayed by the Ministry fo Social Development, due to COVID19 workload pressures. “New Zealand First has always stood for fairness when it comes to superannuation ...
Rt Hon Winston Peters, Leader of New Zealand First On the steps of Parliament today the Leader of New Zealand First, Rt Hon Winston Peters received a petition from registered nurse Anna Maria Coervers, requesting an amendment to the Protection for First Responders Bill which will ensure the legislation also include registered ...
It's been a busy seven days as we start to rebuild New Zealand together. From delivering extra support for small businesses, to investing in our artists and arts organisations, to cutting red tape on home DIY projects, we're rolling out our plan to get the economy and New Zealand moving ...
Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters says alert level 2 restrictions have to be discussed during today's Cabinet meeting. Thousands gathered across the country, including at Parliament, yesterday forBlack Lives Matter marcheswhere social distancing and mass gathering rules were flouted. Mr Peters said the breaching of Alert Level 2 rules at ...
Rt Hon Winston Peters, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of State Owned Enterprises KiwiRail’s Northland rail upgrade steps up another gear today and will help Northland recover from the impacts of COVID-19, State Owned Enterprises Minister Winston Peters says. The Government is investing $204.5 million through the Provincial Growth Fund to ...
“Today and every day we stand in solidarity with George Floyd’s family, friends and community who feel pain and fear about his untimely death at the hands of Minneapolis police”, said Green Party Co-leader and Māori Development spokesperson Marama Davidson. ...
Fletcher Tabuteau, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development Hon Eugenie Sage, Minister of Conservation The West Coast forests of Mount Te Kinga at Kotuku Whakaoho/Lake Brunner are the latest predator free project to receive Government funding, announced Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage and Under Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher ...
The Green Party says major freshwater reforms announced today provide the strongest ever protections of our waterways, to help ensure the next generation can swim in the rivers of Aotearoa. ...
The Green Party has begun the process for a Select Committee inquiry into student accommodation, which has been exposed during COVID-19 as an under-regulated sector that straddles students with unfair debt. ...
Rt Hon Winston Peters, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs Hon Megan Woods, Minister of Research, Science and Innovation Hon Dr David Clark, Minister of Health Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters, Research, Science and Innovation Minister Megan Woods, and Health Minister David Clark today announced a COVID-19 vaccine strategy, ...
Budget 2020 is about rebuilding together, supporting jobs, getting business moving and the books back into the black. It’s an integral part of our COVID-19 economic response, and our plan to grow our economy and get New Zealand moving again.Here’s a quick look at the five top things you ...
The Coalition Government has approved $206 million in essential upgrades at Ōhakea Air Base. Defence Minister Ron Mark said the money would be spent on improving old infrastructure. He said safety issues would be addressed, as well as upgrades to taxiways, accommodation and fresh, storm and waste water systems. "This ...
Rt Hon Winston Peters, Leader of New Zealand First “I am not persisting with this case just for myself, but for all people who have had their privacy breached. Privacy of information is a cornerstone of our country’s democracy. Without it our society truly faces a bleak future. We now ...
Forestry Minister Shane Jones has introduced a Bill to Parliament that he says will "force more transparency, integrity and respect" for the domestic wood-processing sector through the registration of log traders and practice standards. The Forests (Regulation of Log Traders and Forestry Advisers) Amendment Bill had its first reading in ...
Green MP Golriz Ghahraman is joining over 300 lawmakers from around the world in calling on the big banks and the IMF to forgive the debt of developing countries, in the wake of the COVID crisis. ...
Forestry Minister Shane Jones says concerns that carbon foresters are planting pine trees that will never be harvested are the result of "misinformation". "The billion tree strategy is an excellent idea, unfortunately from time to time it's tainted by misinformation spread by the National Party or their grandees, hiding in scattered ...
The Green Party welcomes funding in the budget to reunite more refugees with their families, ensuring they have the best chance at a new life in Aotearoa New Zealand. ...
This year’s Budget is about rebuilding New Zealand together in the face of COVID-19. Jobs are central to how we’re going to do that.There’s a lot of targeted investment for employment in this year’s Budget, with announcements on creating new jobs, training people for the jobs we have, and supporting ...
Young people in Waikato will be the first to have free access to period products in schools in another step to support children and young people in poverty,” Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said. During term 3, the Ministry of Education will begin providing free period products to schools following the ...
The Minister of Police Stuart Nash has issued the following statement in response to charges filed against three Police officers this morning in the New Plymouth District Court. “Any incident involving a loss of life in Police custody is taken very seriously. The charges today reflect the gravity of the ...
Further temporary changes to NCEA and University Entrance (UE) will support senior secondary school students whose teaching and learning have been disrupted by COVID-19. “The wellbeing of students and teachers is a priority. As we are all aware, COVID-19 has created massive disruption to the school system, and the Government ...
Minister for Racing Winston Peters today announced that the terms for the directors of the Racing Industry Transition Agency (RITA) have been extended to 30 June 2021. Due to the COVID-19 crisis the transition period has been extended to ensure that the Racing Industry Bill can complete its progress through ...
The deadline for landlords to include detailed information in their tenancy agreements about how their property meets the Healthy Homes Standards, so tenants can see the home they are renting is compliant, has been extended from 1 July 2020 to 1 December 2020. The Healthy Homes Standards became law on 1 July 2019. The Standards are ...
Justice Minister Andrew Little today announced details of further appointments to the Criminal Cases Review Commission. “I am pleased to announce Paula Rose QSO OStJ as Deputy Chief Commissioner for a term of five years commencing on 15 June 2020,” said Andrew Little. “I am also pleased to announce the ...
The Targeted Training and Apprenticeships Fund (TTAF) will pay costs of learners of all ages to undertake vocational education and training The fund will target support for areas of study and training that will give learners better employment prospects as New Zealand recovers from COVID-19 Apprentices working in all industries ...
The Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) will finally start to cut New Zealand’s greenhouse gas pollution as it was originally intended to, because of changes announced today by the Minister for Climate Change, James Shaw. The changes include a limit on the total emissions allowed within the ETS, rules to ensure ...
Minister for Pacific Peoples Aupito William Sio says the Queen’s Birthday 2020 Honours List provides an abundance of examples that Pacific people’s leadership capability is unquestionable in Aotearoa. “The work and the individuals we acknowledge this year highlights the kind of visionary examples and dedicated community leadership that we need ...
The Government is backing a new $27 million project aimed at boosting sustainable horticulture production and New Zealand’s COVID-19 recovery efforts, says Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor. “Our horticulture sector has long been one of New Zealand’s export star performers, contributing around $6 billion a year to our economy. During and ...
Applications have opened for 2021 Ngā Karahipi Uru Rākau – Forestry Scholarships, which will support more Māori and women to pursue careers in forestry science, says Forestry Minister Shane Jones. “I’m delighted Te Uru Rākau is offering Ngā Karahipi Uru Rākau – Forestry Scholarships for the third year running. These ...
The Queen’s Birthday 2020 Honours List once again highlights the dedication by many to looking after our native plants and wildlife, including incredible work to restore the populations of critically endangered birds says Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage. Anne Richardson of Hororata has been made an Officer of the New ...
The Government will invest $10 million from the One Billion Trees Fund for large-scale planting to provide jobs in communities and improve the environment, Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor and Forestry Minister Shane Jones have announced. New, more flexible funding criteria for applications will help up to 10 catchment groups plant ...
Organisations that support women are invited to apply to a new $1,000,000 fund as part of the Government’s COVID-19 response. “We know women, and organisations that support women, have been affected by COVID-19. This new money will ensure funding for groups that support women and women’s rights,” said Minister for ...
Healthier waterways are front and centre in a new project involving more than 300 King Country sheep, beef and dairy farmers. The Government is investing $844,000 in King Country River Care, a group that helps farmers to lift freshwater quality and farming practice, Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor announced today. “Yesterday ...
A major funding package for libraries will allow them to play a far greater role in supporting their communities and people seeking jobs as part of the economic recovery from COVID-19. “Budget 2020 contains over $60 million of funding to protect library services and to protect jobs,” says Internal Affairs ...
A jobseekers programme for the creative sector and four new funds have been set up by the Government to help our arts and music industry recover from the blow of COVID-19. Thousands of jobs will be supported through today’s $175 million package in a crucial economic boost to support the ...
Minister for Veterans Ron Mark has welcomed the First Reading of a Bill that will make legislative changes to further improve the veterans’ support system. The Veterans’ Support Amendment Bill No 2, which will amend the Veterans’ Support Act 2014, passed First Reading today. The bill addresses a number of ...
Views sought on Order in Council to help fast track the reinstatement of the Christ Church Cathedral The Associate Minister for Greater Christchurch Regeneration, Hon Poto Williams, will be seeking public written comment, following Cabinet approving the drafting of an Order in Council aimed at fast-tracking the reinstatement of the ...
The law setting out New Zealanders’ basic civil and human rights is today one step towards being strengthened following the first reading of a Bill that requires Parliament to take action if a court says a statute undermines those rights. At present, a senior court can issue a ‘declaration of ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters today reiterated the deep concern of the New Zealand Government following confirmation by China’s National People’s Congress of national security legislation relating to Hong Kong. “New Zealand shares the international community’s significant and long-standing stake in Hong Kong’s prosperity and stability,” Mr Peters said. “New Zealand ...
Thousands of artists and creatives at hundreds of cultural and heritage organisations have been given much-needed support to recover from the impact of COVID-19, Prime Minister and Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Jacinda Ardern announced today. “The cultural sector was amongst the worst hit by the global pandemic,” Jacinda ...
Key New Zealand assets will be better protected from being sold to overseas owners in a way contrary to the national interest, with the passage of the Overseas Investment (Urgent Measures) Bill. The Bill, which passed its third reading in Parliament today, also cuts unnecessary red tape to help attract ...
Setting higher health standards at swimming spots Requiring urban waterways to be cleaned up and new protections for urban streams Putting controls on higher-risk farm practices such as winter grazing and feed lots Setting stricter controls on nitrogen pollution and new bottom lines on other measures of waterway health Ensuring ...
The Government is on the verge of reaching its target of state sector boards and committees made up of at least 50 percent women, says Minister for Women Julie Anne Genter and Minister for Ethnic Communities Jenny Salesa. For the first time, the Government stocktake measures the number of Māori, ...
The Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister and Broadcasting, Communications and Digital Media Minister, Kris Faafoi, has today announced the appointment of Tristan Gilbertson as the new Telecommunications Commissioner and member of the Commerce Commission. “Mr Gilbertson has considerable experience in the telecommunications industry and a strong reputation amongst his peers,” ...
The Ministry of Education and NZEI Te Riu Roa have agreed to settle the pay equity claim for teacher aides, Education Minister Chris Hipkins announced today. This will see more than 22,000 teacher aides, mostly women, being valued and paid fairly for the work they do. “Teacher aides are frontline ...
Subcontractors will have greater certainty, more cashflow support and job security with new changes to retention payments under the Construction Contracts Act says Minister for Building and Construction, Jenny Salesa. A recent review of the retentions money regime showed that most of the building and construction sector is complying with ...
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong have marked the first anniversary of the New Zealand-Singapore Enhanced Partnership with a virtual Leaders’ Meeting today. The Enhanced Partnership, signed on 17 May 2019, provides the framework for cooperation across the four main areas of trade, defence and ...
On 17 May 2019, New Zealand and Singapore established an Enhanced Partnership to elevate our relations. The Enhanced Partnership – based on the four pillars of trade and economics, security and defence, science, technology and innovation, and people-to-people links – has seen the long-standing relationship between our countries strengthen over the ...
State-Owned Enterprises Minister Winston Peters has welcomed KiwiRail’s announcement that it is seeking a preferred shipyard to build two new rail-enabled ferries for the Cook Strait crossing. “This Government is committed to restoring rail to its rightful place in New Zealand. Bigger, better ships, with new technology are yet another ...
Better protection for seabirds is being put in place with a new National Plan of Action to reduce fishing-related captures, Fisheries Minister Stuart Nash and Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage announced today. The National Plan of Action for Seabirds 2020 outlines our commitment to reduce fishing-related captures and associated seabird ...
Almost $1 billion in interest-free loans for small businesses More than 55,000 businesses have applied; 95% approved Average loan approx. $17,300 90% of applications from firms with ten or fewer staff A wide cross-section of businesses have applied, the most common are the construction industry, accommodation providers, professional firms, and ...
Thousands of children will have healthier lungs after the Government’s ban on smoking in cars with kids becomes law, says Associate Minister of Health Jenny Salesa. This comes after the third reading of Smoke-free Environments (Prohibiting Smoking in Motor Vehicles Carrying Children) Amendment Bill earlier today. “This law makes it ...
The special Epidemic Response Committee (ERC) has successfully concluded its role, Leader of the House Chris Hipkins said today. The committee was set up on 25 March by the agreement of Parliament to scrutinise the Government and its actions while keeping people safe during levels 4 and 3 of lockdown. ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters today announced four diplomatic appointments: New Zealand’s Ambassador to Belgium, High Commissioners to Nauru and Niue, and Ambassador for Counter-Terrorism. “As the world seeks to manage and then recover from COVID-19, our diplomatic and trade networks are more important than ever,” Mr Peters said. “The ...
New Zealanders will be better protected from online harm through a Bill introduced to Parliament today, says Internal Affairs Minister Tracey Martin. “The internet brings many benefits to society but can also be used as a weapon to spread harmful and illegal content and that is what this legislation targets,” ...
New Zealand’s world-first plan to eradicate the cattle disease Mycoplasma bovis is on track the latest technical data shows, says Agriculture and Biosecurity Minister Damien O’Connor. “Two years ago the Government, DairyNZ and Beef + Lamb New Zealand and industry partners made a bold decision to go hard and commit ...
Further support for New Zealanders affected by 1-in-100 year global economic shock 12-week payment will support people searching for new work or retraining Work programme on employment insurance to support workers and businesses The Government today announced a new temporary payment to support New Zealanders who lose their jobs due ...
The Provincial Growth Fund will play a vital role in New Zealand’s post-COVID-19 recovery by creating jobs in shorter timeframes through at least $600 million being refocused on projects with more immediate economic benefits, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones has announced. The funding is comprised of repurposed Provincial Growth ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The government will provide eligible owner-occupiers with a grant of $25,000 to build a new home or extensively renovate an existing one. The scheme – estimated to cost up to $688 million – will not ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Purnendra Jain, Adjunct Professor, Asian Studies, University of Adelaide Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will finally hold a virtual summit this week after efforts to meet in person were scuttled by the bushfires and coronavirus. The meeting ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anna-Sophie Jürgens, Lecturer (Assistant Professor) in Popular Entertainment Studies and Science in Fiction Studies, Australian National University Bloodsucker, leech, tick – few things have a reputation worse than parasites. But these biological hangers-on also have a comic cultural history. In biology, a ...
By RNZ News The organisers of Black Lives Matter protests in several main centres will not be prosecuted. On Monday, thousands gathered at several events around the country for Black Lives Matter marches in solidarity with protesters in the United States after the police killing of George Floyd. The protests ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Fletcher, Senior Research Fellow, Institute for Governance and Policy Studies, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington One of New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s favourite exhortations is that we all “be kind” to one another. It’s part of the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University A go-slow on spending sent the economy backwards 0.3% in the first three months of this year, only the fourth such decline since Australia was last in recession in the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Heidi Zimmer, Research associate, Southern Cross University As bushfires blackened forests last summer, one tree species was protected by a specialist team of firefighters: the Wollemi pine. These trees have a deeply ancient lineage dating back to when dinosaurs walked Gondwana 100 ...
Children's Minister Tracey Martin says she was never officially asked to do anything about the Māori-led inquiry into Oranga Tamariki commissioned by Whanau Ora. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alison Whittaker, Research Fellow, University of Technology Sydney You probably know the details of the death of George Floyd. He was a doting father and musician. He was killed when a police officer, Derek Chauvin, knelt on his neck for nearly nine ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Greste, Professor of Journalism and Communications, The University of Queensland Here is a line from the latest safety advisory for reporters issued by the US-based Committee for the Protection of Journalists (CPJ): Taking into account the increased levels of violence ...
Aaron Ironside is the new spokesperson for the Say Nope To Dope campaign. Aaron Ironside rose to prominence in the 1990’s as the anchor of Radio Hauraki’s popular Morning Pirates breakfast show. The young rock DJ fully embraced the Sex, Drugs and ...
AgResearch chairman Dr Paul Reynolds said the Government’s capital contribution of $45 million towards a new education, science and innovation precinct in Lincoln is a huge boost for New Zealand’s COVID 19 recovery plan and the contribution to ...
Dunedin writer Victor Billot on America's "President Cheezel". Go Big or Go Home Prezident Cheezel deletes lockdown, deletes the World Health Organization, deletes the memory of George Floyd, then hunkers in his hunker bunker, hunkers with freedom fries at midnight, a lights out party at the House of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Patrick Locke, Research Associate, LCT Centre for Knowledge-Building, Department of Sociology and Social Policy, University of Sydney Prime Scott Morrison last week outlined a plan to create jobs and revitalise the economy post COVID-19. Part of this so-called Jobmaker plan includes an ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nicola Willand, Lecturer, School of Property, Construction and Project Management, RMIT University Stay-at-home orders and the economic crisis have increased the burden of energy costs on lower-income Australians. Poor housing quality and unequal access to home energy efficiency are hurting our most ...
Jacinda Ardern has unveiled details of the changes New Zealanders can expect when we move from level two to level one. What will it mean for businesses, hospitality and day-to-day life? Level one! At last, life is finally back to normal.Not so fast. We’re still in level two, and will be ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kantha Dayaram, Associate Professor, Curtin University The number of Australians working from home has soared during the COVID-19 crisis. Latest data from the Australian Bureau of Stastistics shows 46% of the workforce worked from home in late April and early May. By ...
Analysis by Keith Rankin. Economic Life, Economics and EconomismKeith Rankin. When things go wrong with economic life, it’s easy to blame economics; that is, the academic discipline called ‘economics’. We all live economic lives, and use metaphors to give meaning to that amorphous thing we call ‘the economy’ ...
National survey asks New Zealanders If They Support Recognition For the Contribution of Our Service Personnel and their Families The Royal New Zealand Returned and Services Association (RSA) said today that it supports the proposal for a Kawenata which is ...
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says there will still be strict controls on the border, but all current rules and restrictions on businesses and services will be "essentially lifted" under alert level 1. ...
ANALYSIS:By Philip Russo of Monash University The death of African-American man George Floyd at the hands of police has sparked protests across the United States and inspired many people to reflect on our own history of police violence against Indigenous people in Australia and New Zealand. After thousands marched ...
The New Zealand Police Association is supporting the three officers who are now facing manslaughter charges in relation to the death of a man in the Hawera Police Station cells in June last year. Association President Chris Cahill says the officers ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Powell, Associate Professor, Criminology and Justice Studies, RMIT University As we have been cooped up at home during coronavirus lockdown, reports of image-based abuse have skyrocketed. According to Australia’s eSafety Commissioner, it received more than 1,000 reports of image-based abuse between ...
In the third part of our series with Kiwibank answering your questions about Covid-19’s impact on New Zealanders’ finances, two readers at different ends of their saving journeys ask what to do with their KiwiSaver account. Melissa Vasta, Kiwi Wealth GM retail and product, responds.Hi Melissa, My KiwiSaver ‘growth’ fund has ...
Landlords have been given a break – well, a bit of a break – according to the latest bunch of Beehive pronouncements. Other announcements by the Beehive Bugle Brigade tell us: People wanting to train for employment– or retrain – will be given a helping hand. But funding “will ...
“The Government’s bill to regulate vaping won’t bring New Zealand any closer to its smokefree ambition, unless MPs now get in behind the many submitters and intervene to drive down the country’s smoking rates,” says Jonathan Devery, spokesperson ...
Covid-19 has not stopped a North Island Iwi from continuing to ready itself for a vote this year, that if ratified will be one of the largest Treaty settlement to date. Whakatōhea is located in the eastern Bay of Plenty region centred around ...
New Zealand ranks first in a new global food security index produced by multinational real estate company Savills. The company has compiled its Food Security Index as part of its latest global Impacts research, which looks at the factors shaping the ...
“A huge opportunity has been missed to make risk-reduced vaping products more accessible to smokers in order to reach the SmokeFree 2025 goal set by government,” says Nancy Loucas, Director of the Aotearoa Vapers Community Advocacy (AVCA). Her ...
Noel Edmonds is a British TV legend with a 50 year career in broadcasting. So why did he move to Matakana and launch a radio station? Like an over-excited Mr Blobby, Tara Ward gave him a call to find out. When Noel Edmonds answers the phone from his home north ...
New statistics released by the New Zealand Police show Māori were disproportionately subject to police proceedings - including court proceedings and receiving warnings - during March and April, Marc Daalder reports As a debate heats up over racial bias in New Zealand policing, new statistics show that Māori were more ...
The Matariki and Puanga stars are due to rise this month, signalling the Māori New Year. Rehua will set in the west at the exact time Puanga rises. So how do we see them and what are the best dates? With thanks to Matua Rereata Mākiha for We often hear about Matariki ...
Here’s The Spinoff’s weekly round-up of data tracking the effects and response of Covid-19 around the world – and how New Zealand stacks up.Our weekly summaries of data and visualisations use Our World in Data’s work on the Covid-19 pandemic, which is freely available for re-use. Not all data is ...
Pacific Media Centre The Vanuatu Council of Ministers has agreed at its meeting held in Luganville, Santo, to postpone the hosting of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Leaders Meeting due in August 2020, reports the Vanuatu Daily Post. The decision followed the recommendations of the National Task Force based on ...
The National Party leader says the Black Lives Matter protests were a mockery of Covid-19 alert levels, but thinks the country should move to alert level 1 now. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Wayne Hope, Professor of Communication Studies, Auckland University of Technology How many media analysts predicted it? In 2018 Australia’s Nine Entertainment absorbed Fairfax Media and its New Zealand subsidiary Stuff. Just under two years later chief executive Sinead Boucher bought Stuff from ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Abby Mellick Lopes, Associate Professor, Design Studies, Faculty of Design, Architecture and Building, University of Technology Sydney Home cooks have been trying out their skills during isolation. But the way food tastes depends on more than your ability to follow a recipe. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jeremy Moss, Professor of Political Philosophy, UNSW Queensland Nationals Senator Matt Canavan on Monday night denied suggestions the government subsidises Australia’s fossil fuel industry. The comments prompted a swift response from some social media users, who cited evidence to the contrary. Canavan ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ralph Sims, Professor, School of Engineering and Advanced Technology, Massey University CC BY-NDClimate Explained is a collaboration between The Conversation, Stuff and the New Zealand Science Media Centre to answer your questions about climate change.If you have a question you’d ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Marshman, Honorary Principal Fellow, Melbourne Centre for the Study of Higher Education, University of Melbourne Most of Australia’s universities have adequate cash and investment reserves to deal with the immediate impact of a downturn in international student revenue in 2020. But ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sameer Hasija, Associate Professor of Technology and Operations Management, INSEAD “This virus may become just another endemic virus in our communities and this virus may never go away.”– WHO executive director Mike Ryan, May 13 Vaccine or not, we have to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Assistant Professor, School of Politics, Economics and Society, University of Canberra Later today we’ll know what the bushfires and the coronavirus did to the economy in the three months to March: whether gross domestic product grew (as is usual) or ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Dawson, Professor and Chair of Anthropology, University of Melbourne June, 1980, Laibach was formed. Soon, they became the musical wing of the Slovenian arts collective Neue Slowenische Kunst (NSK), or New Slovenian Art. Comprising visual artists, theatre companies and a unit ...
"George Floyd was not the first, nor will he be the last, to have been denied his human rights as the police officers murdered him. Their names, overseas and in New Zealand are so many, over so many years, and their stories are all so different ...
The National Party is surprised New Zealand immigration officials didn't consult their Australian counterparts before granting a visa to refugee author Behrouz Boochani. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Luke Strotz, Professor, Northwest University, Xi’an The COVID-19 outbreak has put into stark relief the disruption parasites can cause, both in human society and ecosystems. Researchers have long sought to better understand the evolutionary importance of parasites, to help lessen their impact. ...
More than half of a $30 million emergency welfare fund has been spent in just over a month, and many of those in need are foreigners and migrant workers who can't get a home. ...
For all The Spinoff’s latest coverage of Covid-19 see here. Read Siouxsie Wiles’s work here. New Zealand is currently in alert level two – read The Spinoff’s giant explainer about what that means here. For official government advice, see here.The Spinoff’s coverage of the Covid-19 outbreak is made possible thanks to donations from Spinoff Members. ...
Good morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Significant new support announced for trainees and apprenticeships, more level one detail coming, and long-delayed changes made to ETS.Significant new support has been announced for trainees and apprentices, with thousands of dollars worth of costs being removed for each student. The ...
A Government okay for foreign crews to come here to train is likely shortly, Auckland's Mayor says America's Cup teams' hopes of winning border exemptions to get their crews to Auckland to prepare for next summer's big event should be met soon - with applications under consideration by officials and ...
Can anything stave off 'highly undesirable' cuts to services and projects in Auckland caused by the economic crisis? Will Wellington step in? Tim Murphy reports. For the second time in a year, Auckland Council needs to find half a billion dollars in a hurry to meet its financial commitments. After ...
Sewage fungus, bad smells and insinuations of ignored good faith clauses swirl in a dairy processing wastewater consent application heard in Hamilton last week New Zealand’s second largest dairy processor wants to discharge wastewater into the polluted Waitoa River, including during summer when flows are low. Open Country Dairy’s application for ...
Bubbles, tails, embers, mountains: The PM's deft use of metaphors has helped guide us in the battle to eradicate Covid-19 New Zealand’s success at containing the coronavirus has benefitted from Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s clear communication during her daily media briefings. One aspect of what made this effective was her ...
Medical scientist Anona Pak won't let coronavirus wipe out her chances of playing badminton at the Tokyo Olympics, and an innovative national league will keep her on her toes. Two years ago, Anona Pak was playing badminton purely for the love of the game. The thought of representing New Zealand at ...
Former Woman’s Weekly editor Jenny Lynch on the Bauer-exterminated magazine that may yet rise again. It was born in 1932 at the height of the Depression and laid to rest in 2020 the middle of a global pandemic. In the intervening years the New Zealand Woman’s Weekly became a national ...
The country’s coronavirus restrictions might be coming to an end sooner than you think. Justin Giovannetti looks at what level one rules mean for you.Crowded stadiums and restaurants filled to capacity could be reality in New Zealand as soon as next Wednesday as the government eyes an early move to ...
Waitomo is a town built on tourism. But as overseas visitors, who have been flocking to its spectacular network of glow-worm caves for over a century, dry up, the future looks uncertain.More than 130 years ago, the eruption of Mount Tarawera killed an estimated 153 people and buried Te Otukapuarangi ...
Our Prime Minister is lauded overseas for her compassion, but her Cabinet is refusing to properly support tens of thousands of jobless migrants and beneficiaries struggling through the Covid-19 crisis, Bernard Hickey argues Over the last year since the March 15 attacks, our Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has become a paragon of virtue for many ...
There's the law; then there's what's right. Our national carrier has been battered with complaints that it's hanging on to customer cash for flights it grounded. Jon Duffy's first week as head of Consumer New Zealand is a memorable one - the consumer watchdog was swamped with complaints from Air ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards The latest opinion poll is out, and it’s more bad news for the National Party, with Roy Morgan putting them on only 26.5% support, against Labour’s 56.5%. You can see the details here: Roy Morgan May opinion poll. Roy Morgan is regarded as less accurate than ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Philip Russo, Associate Professor, Director Cabrini Monash University Department of Nursing Research, Monash University The death of African-American man George Floyd at the hands of police has sparked protests across the United States and inspired many people to reflect on our own ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Thalia Anthony, Professor of Law, University of Technology Sydney I can’t breathe, please! Let me up, please! I can’t breathe! I can’t breathe! These words are not the words of George Floyd or Eric Garner. They weren’t uttered on the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Roberto Musotto, Cyber Security Cooperative Research Centre Postdoctoral Fellow, Edith Cowan University Alongside growing concerns over a possible resurgence of the coronavirus during winter, the pandemic is now creating even more victims as cybercriminals aim to capitalise on the economic upheaval. According ...
Open mike 13/05/2020 
Last month I noted that the public policy debate was all about how we deal with covid-19. That’s changing now, and will change more over the next couple of months as the buffering impact of the wage subsidy disappears and we see starkly the economic hole out of which we ...5 hours ago
The mission of the New Zealand Police is to make this country the safest nation in the world. To achieve that aim, there is one important step the police need to take at the end of this month. When the evaluation of the Armed Response Teams’ trial is completed, the ...6 hours ago
Bernard Hickey is one of New Zealand’s leading financial journalists. His latest article, published by Newsroom, lays bare the cruel treatment of hundreds of thousands of workers stranded since the lockdown. Our Prime Minister is lauded overseas for her compassion, but her Cabinet is refusing to properly support tens of ...11 hours ago
For a good part of my adult life I have studied civil-military relations. I have studied authoritarian and democratic variants, and I have studied them across countries and regions. I have also worked in and with several US security agencies and have lectured on the theme at a number of ...13 hours ago
The CTU is planning to mount a campaign to double sick leave, from 5 to 10 days a year. Good. We've all just had an extremely strong reminder of the need to stay at home when sick, and of the effectiveness of doing so (the lockdown, social distancing, and responsible ...15 hours ago
Climate Explained is a collaboration between The Conversation, Stuff and the New Zealand Science Media Centre to answer your questions about climate change. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, please send it to climate.change@stuff.co.nz If we stopped oil, gas and coal extraction immediately – ...18 hours ago
by The Spark “The system is broken”—the words of a young black man in Minneapolis watching flames destroy a police precinct demonstrators had torched. Broken? Yes, it is! What else could you say about a system whose police for nine minutes casually knelt on a black man’s neck, watching until ...1 day ago
Minneapolis Police StationIf you’ve been keeping an eye on recent events in the United States, you’ll likely understand why there’s so much anger on the streets at the moment. Not only did police officers murder another black man; it is patently obvious that authorities initially attempted to cover up George ...2 days ago
Like the rest of the world, I have been aghast at what I have seen of, and read and heard about, what is happening currently in the United States. It seems incredible that a once great country should be suffering the worst effects and the highest number of deaths worldwide ...3 days ago
Story of the Week... Toon of the Week... Coming Soon on SkS... Climate Feedback Claim Review... SkS Week in Review... Poster of the Week... Story of the Week...
Image credit: Writing an Article vs. Writing a Blog Post: What’s the Difference? I notice a few regulars no longer allow public access to the site counters. This may happen accidentally when the blog format is ... 3 days ago
It’s almost painful to watch. Let’s be honest, maybe a pleasure too, in some quarters, but painful nonetheless. Because the fact is, for a democracy to function properly, any sitting Government does need honest and proper Opposition so that it doesn’t get ahead of itself. That’s what we should ...4 days ago
SATURDAY MAY 30Six60: Live at Western Springs 2020 (TVNZ 1, 8.45pm). Remember live concerts? The day will come again, friends, when we will be able to stand shoulder-to-shoulder in an uncomfortable sweaty venue with people we don’t know. It will happen. Sometimes the sound of concerts drifts over to the ...6 days ago
6 days ago
Well, we are out of lockdown, essentially. I did end up getting the wage subsidy while we were on levels 3 and 4 but I would have been fine if we didn’t. The first day of level 2, the Thursday, the office opened again for the people who weren’t able ...1 week ago
age credit: Science and Politics – Skeptically.org It seems impossible to keep politics out of science. It’s a pity because politics can end up forcing science to produce the results desired by ... 1 week ago
Rt Hon Winston Peters, Leader of New Zealand First New Zealand First is disappointed that the removal of the spousal deductions has had to be delayed by the Ministry fo Social Development, due to COVID19 workload pressures. “New Zealand First has always stood for fairness when it comes to superannuation ...2 days ago
It's been a busy seven days as we start to rebuild New Zealand together. From delivering extra support for small businesses, to investing in our artists and arts organisations, to cutting red tape on home DIY projects, we're rolling out our plan to get the economy and New Zealand moving ...2 days ago
“Today and every day we stand in solidarity with George Floyd’s family, friends and community who feel pain and fear about his untimely death at the hands of Minneapolis police”, said Green Party Co-leader and Māori Development spokesperson Marama Davidson. ...3 days ago
Young people in Waikato will be the first to have free access to period products in schools in another step to support children and young people in poverty,” Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said. During term 3, the Ministry of Education will begin providing free period products to schools following the ...12 hours ago
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The government will provide eligible owner-occupiers with a grant of $25,000 to build a new home or extensively renovate an existing one. The scheme – estimated to cost up to $688 million – will not ...3 hours ago
A new bill has forest owners fuming, but it could be the tip of the iceberg for them if NZ First are re-elected to Government ...7 hours ago
Children's Minister Tracey Martin says she was never officially asked to do anything about the Māori-led inquiry into Oranga Tamariki commissioned by Whanau Ora. ...9 hours ago
...11 hours ago
The mantra for economic and social change in the wake of Covid-19 is strong, but it is not yet clear whether it will amount to much ...12 hours ago
Dunedin writer Victor Billot on America's "President Cheezel". Go Big or Go Home Prezident Cheezel deletes lockdown, deletes the World Health Organization, deletes the memory of George Floyd, then hunkers in his hunker bunker, hunkers with freedom fries at midnight, a lights out party at the House of ...12 hours ago
Jacinda Ardern has unveiled details of the changes New Zealanders can expect when we move from level two to level one. What will it mean for businesses, hospitality and day-to-day life? Level one! At last, life is finally back to normal.Not so fast. We’re still in level two, and will be ...13 hours ago
Landlords have been given a break – well, a bit of a break – according to the latest bunch of Beehive pronouncements. Other announcements by the Beehive Bugle Brigade tell us: People wanting to train for employment– or retrain – will be given a helping hand. But funding “will ...15 hours ago
New statistics released by the New Zealand Police show Māori were disproportionately subject to police proceedings - including court proceedings and receiving warnings - during March and April, Marc Daalder reports As a debate heats up over racial bias in New Zealand policing, new statistics show that Māori were more ...17 hours ago
After dodging HNA's bullet from China thanks to an OIO block, ANZ finally sells UDC for $762m to Japan's BBB+-rated Shinsei Bank ...21 hours ago
A Government okay for foreign crews to come here to train is likely shortly, Auckland's Mayor says America's Cup teams' hopes of winning border exemptions to get their crews to Auckland to prepare for next summer's big event should be met soon - with applications under consideration by officials and ...21 hours ago
Can anything stave off 'highly undesirable' cuts to services and projects in Auckland caused by the economic crisis? Will Wellington step in? Tim Murphy reports. For the second time in a year, Auckland Council needs to find half a billion dollars in a hurry to meet its financial commitments. After ...21 hours ago
Sewage fungus, bad smells and insinuations of ignored good faith clauses swirl in a dairy processing wastewater consent application heard in Hamilton last week New Zealand’s second largest dairy processor wants to discharge wastewater into the polluted Waitoa River, including during summer when flows are low. Open Country Dairy’s application for ...22 hours ago
Bubbles, tails, embers, mountains: The PM's deft use of metaphors has helped guide us in the battle to eradicate Covid-19 New Zealand’s success at containing the coronavirus has benefitted from Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s clear communication during her daily media briefings. One aspect of what made this effective was her ...22 hours ago
Medical scientist Anona Pak won't let coronavirus wipe out her chances of playing badminton at the Tokyo Olympics, and an innovative national league will keep her on her toes. Two years ago, Anona Pak was playing badminton purely for the love of the game. The thought of representing New Zealand at ...22 hours ago
Former Woman’s Weekly editor Jenny Lynch on the Bauer-exterminated magazine that may yet rise again. It was born in 1932 at the height of the Depression and laid to rest in 2020 the middle of a global pandemic. In the intervening years the New Zealand Woman’s Weekly became a national ...22 hours ago
Our Prime Minister is lauded overseas for her compassion, but her Cabinet is refusing to properly support tens of thousands of jobless migrants and beneficiaries struggling through the Covid-19 crisis, Bernard Hickey argues Over the last year since the March 15 attacks, our Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has become a paragon of virtue for many ...22 hours ago
There's the law; then there's what's right. Our national carrier has been battered with complaints that it's hanging on to customer cash for flights it grounded. Jon Duffy's first week as head of Consumer New Zealand is a memorable one - the consumer watchdog was swamped with complaints from Air ...22 hours ago
Well in a world gone mad, a world committed to an economic model – which has set to the world up for no more human habitation. Why wouldn't you vote green?
https://howiehawkins.us/about-angela-walker/
https://howiehawkins.us/about-howie/
But then again, you could just support a rapist and a lunatic who support unfettered capitalism – which just keeps handing more and more power to corporations.
The choice is yours.
Good one, Adam. That man has been on the right track as long as me, and contributed a lot more. Problem is, green politics never really caught on in the USA. The movement there was big – but mostly too alienated to want to get active in representative politics.
Could that change now? Possibly, but Sanders voters will not be likely to support another socialist. Socialism is too tenuous a belief system to motivate them. Most will follow Sanders and vote Biden. Pragmatism defeats idealism usually.
Socialism is not a belief system.
It is how functional countries work.
The USA has the worlds largest joint social enterprise, their military.
Not intended for a social purpose, but that is what it does within the USA. It mops up unemployment, and keeps money in local parts of their economy. Without the economic stimulus, from maintaining a military for their endless wars, the US project would fail.
Socialism is not a belief system.
"Socialism is a political, social and economic philosophy encompassing a range of economic and social systems characterised by social ownership of the means of production and workers' self-management of enterprises." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socialism
Next question: is a philosophy a belief system? 🤔
No.
Next question: is a philosophy a belief system?
Political ideology is the only belief system that is worth really examining if how the western world actually operates is your interest, all other belief systems are now well and truly subservient to it.
Of course this is not what Liberal thinkers (and believers) will tell you, they have been trying to tell (and teach) the world that liberalism is post ideology…or some such nonsense.
You could argue that, everything is a belief system.
A common climate denier argument. "It is just what you believe_.
I'm a seafarer. The sea doesn't care about beliefs.
I care about real world effects.
Despite claims from the USA, about being primarily capitalist, they, at the period of their greatest prosperity, had the largest State/people controlled, if they are a democracy as they claim, "means of production"/ infrastructure on earth.
More Socialist than the USSR, where the means of production were controlled, in reality, by a tiny, elite. The way the USA , has been heading for several decades, now. To their detriment.
It doesn't matter what "Philosophy" or beliefs, they call it. It is how countries work, in reality.
For an ocean sailor, the interaction between the internal belief system and environmental circumstances encountered determines survival. Polynesians were successful in returning home after discovering new lands because of their shared navigational gnosis. How to read star configurations, etc.
I agree re how societies operate in practice, but that is also consequent of the ruling paradigm (belief system) – currently neoliberalism.
Polynesian Navigation is an example of empirical science.
Direct observation. Wave patterns, celestial body positions, wildlife concentrations and direction of travel. (The same as Western navigation, we just had better materials for making instruments. A twig and shell star map is conceptually the same as an, almanack).
Beliefs, interfered with the progress of Navigation.
Neo-liberal economics, is a belief system. It has never been proven, by reality. Just as flat earthers and earth centric beliefs, interfered with progress in Navigation, economic belief systems, with no basis beyond theoretical fantasies, interfere with human progress.
In ideas about Pacific Navigation. Thor Heyerdahl was a theorist. David Lewis and Heke Busby were, sailors.
Empirical science established that belief system. The sailor sets a course for a particular star or constellation if there is a shared societal belief that it will get them to their destination. The sailor trains an apprentice both by showing how to do it and explaining the belief system to them. That's how the transmission of knowledge happens.
It is not a "belief".
They know for a "fact", that is how they got to a destination previously.
It is, not, a matter of opinion, a belief. It is a fact, confirmed by observation and experience.
Just as they knew if land birds headed in a direction, then it is worth looking for land in that direction.
Just as Westerners knew since before Af Chapman, look him up, that ships built to a certain standard of stability and strength, nearly always completed their voyages, intact.
It is common for self appointed experts to dress things up in mysticism and beliefs, to give them more credibility, hence, economists! but you can be sure that Polynesian, or any other, Navigators, that haven’t a good grasp on reality, don’t last long.
Not according to my reading of history. Islanders passed on their traditions via verbal instruction of younger generations (just like our educators), but when you read their account of that they seem more anecdotal than fact.
Anyway, as a physics graduate I have a sceptical view of facts, so I ought to own my bias. It is a fact that some experiments prove the electron is a particle while others prove it is a wave. Since those facts were established a century ago, physics students have been obliged to replicate those experiments to validate the non-zero-sum conclusion. Both explanations are correct (both/and logic). So the belief system resulting from the empirical science authorises physicists to conclude that facts depend on how you view them…
Is that absence of facts, or absence of the knowledge, or instruments, to understand them?
We understand the world by what we observe. Though some understand it by making up their own personal, reality. Which makes them dangerous.
Newtonian physics is factual, in the terms of explaining what we could observe at the time. As we learn more, we find that they still work, I use it, and Galileo’s physics, every day, but not at the levels of observation, and scales we can now see, with more sensitive instruments.
The accuracy and repeatability of traditional Polynesian Navigation.
Finding small islands in the Pacific was difficult, very often, even when I started navigating with Western instruments.
The fact, Polynesians managed to repeatedly find small dots in a vast ocean, proves much more than anecdotal, navigation skills.
To much of history seems to be an attempt to prove that modern “civilised” people are superior. In fact, as I studied past technology, and navigation in particular, I’m in awe of the sophistication of thought and abilities of so called, “primitive” people with little resources.
Yep, I go along with all that. My focus on belief systems as operational entities coordinating large numbers of people was formed intuitively back at university long ago, but informed considerably further by mimetics & meme theory.
I've mentioned it before, but Mind Wars by Ian McFadyen articulated it well. When I read it I thought `all rather obvious really, no revelation' – but you know how sometimes there's a delayed reaction to gnosis? Around six months later I realised I was often reflecting on the thesis. It had considerable resonance in later years too. The gist is the colonising effect (via the mind/body interface).
Bit like a virus. The thing gets into your brain & takes over your thinking. That's the upside of postmodernism: you relativise beliefs, liberating yourself from control by any particular one. You then view them in terms of utility value, and apply them to suit a set of circumstances on the basis of merit: does this theory fit the facts better, or does this other one?
"Finding small islands in the Pacific was difficult, very often, even when I started navigating with Western instruments. "
That issue was you were a beginner .
Meanwhile starting in 1565 a twice yearly galleon would travel twice yearly between Manila and Acapulco and return. It lasted till 1815 when Mexico became independent
The route was established by Basque navigator Andrés de Urdaneta using both empirical methods and instruments
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andr%C3%A9s_de_Urdaneta
While the Polynesiam navigators could navigate between the islands something like this over the vast open spaces of the Northern Pacific was beyond them. The migration to Hawaii and NZ was an advanced form of island hopping. Being unable to reach Australia or South America showed the limitations of the navigation and the vessels they used.
Polynesians definitely reached South America – study
https://www.newshub.co.nz/world/polynesians-definitely-reached-south-america—study-2014102406
Did early Polynesians sail to the Americas?
A mounting body of evidence suggests that Polynesian voyagers sailed to the distant shores of South America – but the idea remains controversial.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/ourchangingworld/audio/201827415/did-early-polynesians-sail-to-the-americas
Millennia spent carting mum, kids, livestock and the necessaries across the Polynesian triangle rates a little higher than island hopping.
How did the first inhabitants of Easter Island arrive? It is the most remote inhabited island on Earth. The coast of Chile lies 2,300 miles to the east, Tahiti 2,500 miles to the northwest, and the nearest island, with a total population of 54 people, is tiny Pitcairn, 1,400 miles to the west. The answer lies in the deeply rooted traditions of Polynesian culture.
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/article/polynesia-genius-navigators/
Map of expansion of Austronesian languages. Numbers represent approximate years when migrations occurred. Negative numbers are BCE, positive are CE.
http://nautil.us/blog/dragons-memory–navigating-the-globe-using-only-your-wits
The people who navigated around the Pacific were doing much more than an "advanced form of island hopping".
Like the Acapulco galleons they were able to repeat the same voyages consistently. Unlike the Acapulco galleons, who had their share of misses, btw, they had much smaller and lower targets to hit.
The people who think that are theorists, Not Navigators.
And, guilty of cultural arrogance.
It is manifestly false..
And. Not just beginners, which I was a long way from, had trouble with finding Pacific islands, pre GPS.
Ask Cook about trouble finding his way back to NZ with limited instruments.
I dont know what your navigation issues were , but centuries of exploration suggest you were a beginner…I bet you read a book or something and hoped your sailing skills would improve along the way.
The regular galleons, which you could buy tickets for show it worked for them. It worked for them.
Clearly Maori lost the empirical skills as here they were only coastal navigators , not to different to the Romans
Bollocks. Dukefurl.
As I was getting paid for my Navigation skills, I can assure you they were a long way from, amateur.
And. There has been a lot of culturally dismissive crap written about Polynesian Navigation skills.
Which can easily be proven wrong. You don't find islands in the Pacific, over and over again, by blind luck, or island hopping.
Because the green candidate isn't going to get anywhere, so it's essentially a vote for dolt45?
Only in areas where voting Dem makes a difference. In areas where it doesn't, voting Green is really good tactics.
It’s the Greens in NZ that changed the electoral system to MMP.
So in those areas it will be a good reason to not vote Green or write in "Captain Kangaroo". And one would need to be pretty damned sure their vote wouldn't count in that area (in which case I'd probably stay home because covid19).
Not sure what your comment about MMP has to do with the US presidential election.
The general idea is that the only way to break the duopoly (and things like money in politics) is electoral reform, and the Greens are the ones that will do that. Somewhat possible in the UK, prob not in the US (because it's a shit show, and because the population is the way it is).
The reason to grow the Green vote despite them not being able to win, is to build an alternative politics. Then change can happen. Pretty much what happened here.
The Greens were part of the change to MMP, but they didn't get into parliament until the first MMP election.
In the US, the presidential elections a duopoly because the system is incredibly resource-intense with a win-or-complete-loss outcome. A third party won't break that up.
I suspect the only way to have a Green party president would be for the green party to largely supplant one of the mainstream parties in the mational legislature, providing both the permanent party inftrastructure and political credibility a presidential candidate needs.
The trouble with a US 3rd party candidate is that there's a long window where their popularity serves only to take electoral college members from their most closely-aligned main party but not have a chance of winning themselves.
Right, and them standing before that and having people vote for them was part of the change to MMP (not least because it again showed how daft FPP was). Voting can effect change even where the person/party doesn't win at the time.
The point of voting Green in the US at the moment isn't to try and get a Green president, it's to raise the profile of green politics and thus change the culture. There are also the other elections that run alongside the presidential ones.
Well, there are lots of reasons to vote Green for potus. A reason not to is if there is a tiny chance one's vote might actually matter.
Adam asked why one wouldn't vote Green. That's a reason why.
Good morning, I am just going to sleep now as I've been playing Civilization VI all night. Finally conquered the world by nuking my enemies!
Losing the meta-game however, by making poor life choices 😛
I always end up using the nukes as well. The secret is to foster good relations with your neighbours and building up a mighty first strike capacity before BAM! you slug them with the nukes and occupy all their key cities.
The game is called "Civilisation"?
Tacitus comes to mind. "They created desolation and called it peace."
"We napalmed the village, to save it".
KJT, I thought the very same words when I wrote my comment, wrote them down and then deleted them before publishing the comment. I was thinking of Hué city in 1968 as being the subject of that quote but you are right, KJT.
Wikepedia said this of Hué. " In the end, although the Allies declared a military victory, the city of Huế was virtually destroyed, and more than 5,000 civilians were killed (2,800 of them executed by the PAVN and VC), while South Vietnamese forces killed a further 1,000–2,000 people after the battle. The PAVN-VC lost an estimated 5,133 killed, while Allied forces lost 668 dead and 3,707 wounded. The losses negatively affected the American public's perception of the war, and political support for the war began to wane."
As some are playing war games in lockdown, in the world soldiers are still fighting and civilians are dying along with them. It is as if we are afflicted with another covert virus deep within us that allows, as do some governments, massive casualties among innocent civilians.
A compassionate society with strong leadership pointing the correct way, using empathy and appeals to our better natures, making use of the best of scientific and bureaucratic practice, is far preferable to the divisive and selfish society that America has become far too much.
In essence, some people are saying that we need thousands of innocent citizens to risk severe illness and death in order to save the economy. Is there a parallel here?
I think there is.
The disregard for human life that characterised Vietnam. "Bombing them into Democracy", though they have found that economic warfare is more politically palatable, even if it kills more than bombing, continues today in Venezuela, Israel, Brazil and, probably soon, Iran.
And, as someone once said, "regimes that treat foreigners with callous disregard, eventually extend it to their own people".
I think our Government, faults and all, has proven better than that.
KJT quoted ""regimes that treat foreigners with callous disregard, eventually extend it to their own people".
No argument with that. It's in the nature of regimes to be callous, in the modern usage of the word 'regime' anyway. Finally, as Pastor Niemoller said, they come for us.
There are other victory conditions, I was very close to a Science victory by creating a Mars colony. You can also win a pinko victory by Cultural or Religious dominance, but that's boring.
PS: I played as the USA but found the Communist form of government to be most efficient 😛
Spinoff gives platform to minor parties: https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/13-05-2020/the-minor-parties-on-how-they-would-have-responded-to-the-covid-19-crisis/
"The NZ Outdoors Party seeks to empower New Zealanders and our communities to become more self-sufficient. Let’s grow community vegetable gardens and fruit trees. Let’s encourage people to stay physically, emotionally and spiritually well. Let’s reconnect people with each other and with nature. Let’s support local businesses. Let’s create a culture where small and local are beautiful. Let’s give power back to local communities."
Social Credit: "we would push for the first $20,000 of income to be tax free, for the cost of visits to doctors and dentists to be capped at $30, and for trips on urban public transport to be made free. All these measures could be paid for with direct funding from the Reserve Bank without incurring additional government debt. This would require a commensurate decrease in the amount of money creation by the commercial banks to ensure that there was no overall increase in the money supply and therefore no risk of inflation."
Sustainable NZ: "This week we are releasing an integrated suite of programmes to create a world-leading and enduring “Innovation Ecosystem”."
TOP: "A Universal Basic Income (UBI). $250 per week for all Kiwis, no questions asked. Covid-19 has shown us the future; a weak and disrupted job market. A UBI and 33% flat tax would put cash in everyone’s pockets, simplify the tax and welfare system, and stimulate the economy. A UBI also honours the unpaid work of parents, carers, and volunteers. Kiwis could retrain, start new businesses, or take time to care for whānau without going under. It means entrepreneurs can start new ventures to create more jobs. A UBI is our best shot at future-proofing our society."
Interesting how TOP – the vanity project of an old neo-liberal millionaire white guy – is the only party left proposing the Utopian neoliberal policies last championed by middle aged neoliberal millionaire white guys 25 years ago.
Sheep in wolfs clothing….. did you not notice the flat tax proposal.. Roger Douglas still pushes that
Trump talked up the working class before the election and in office gave the 1% the biggest benefits
Both you and Sanctuary make the very common mistake of treating a UBI and a flat tax separately, and reaching false conclusions based on this.
You see the words 'flat tax' and leap to the conclusion that it's a right wing trojan horse. You see the term UBI and think of it as some kind of miserly targeted welfare.
It's the necessary combination of the two that changes everything. Because it's universal it's helpful to think of a UBI as a kind of negative tax, and that it's the sum of both the "positive PAYE (or other income source) tax' and the 'negative UBI tax' and the which is what actually matters.
When you do the arithmetic it's obvious that the total tax outcome is quite nicely progressive. Indeed it works out for most less than median incomes the total tax rate is either zero or very close to it.
the only party left proposing the Utopian neoliberal policies
Any chance you care to back that assertion with facts?
UBI and flat tax are both libertarian/utopian right wing ideas. Because of the superficial attraction of free money for everyone leftists fail to grasp that UBI are originally a right wing idea. The individual gets a sum of money from the government. The quid pro quo is that money is meant to then absolve the state and society of all responsibility. You use your money as you see fit – but if you decide to go on a holiday and can't afford health care, then you die like a dog in the street and that is that. Bad choices, bro. The net effect of a UBI will eventually be those best at managing it – the advantaged middle class – will love it, and they’ll love working in jobs that separate all the fools from their UBI. people with bad money skills or mental health or addiction issues will end up dying in third world squalor.
Flat tax proposals are routinely peddled by the likes of ACT and other far right market parties.
UBI and flat tax are both libertarian/utopian right wing ideas.
Flat tax proposals are routinely peddled by the likes of ACT and other far right market parties.
The combination of a UBI and a flat tax is inherently progressive; the arithmetic absolutely makes it so; exactly how progressive depends on the settings. This is a common mistake people make when they treat each component separately.
You use your money as you see fit – but if you decide to go on a holiday and can't afford health care, then you die like a dog in the street and that is that.
Can you link to the TOP policy specifying this?
people with bad money skills or mental health or addiction issues will end up dying in third world squalor.
All the trials of a UBI so far have pointed in the exact opposite direction. Do you have any evidence to support this rather grim contention?
Trials of UBI have been conducted in the context of a welfare state. The idea that once a left wing party introduces a UBI the other lot will never win an election and then start tinkering with the provision of social, health and education services because people now have free money to buy their own is naive.
Can you link to TOP's policies to privatise our health, education and social services? Because I just did a quick check to see if I missed this the first time, and still didn’t spot it. Maybe it’s buried in some secret code I’m too stupid to understand.
But maybe you are correct, maybe I am naive and Geoff Simmons is secretly planning to sacrifice and eat all our first born,
Geoff Simmons has more chance of playing bass guitar for Kiss than he does of ever getting into parliament. In is the likes of Goldsmith and Seymour fucking us over once we have a UBI that worries me.
I just cannot see the causal connection, or even a historic correlation, between a UBI and the kind of neo-liberal privatisation you are using as a bogeyman here.
And first up you tell us that 'TOP is the only neo-liberal party left in Parliament', and now you've shifted to telling us ACT and National are the real threat. Now I'm not just naive, but confused as well.
RL, you're not the only one that's confused.
You may be able to point me to that counter-factual statement, but it's much more likely that you're just putting words in Sanctuary's comments. Why do you do this – stretched thin?
Maybe it was back at 7:13am where Sanctuary wrote this:
Interesting how TOP – the vanity project of an old neo-liberal millionaire white guy – is the only party left proposing the Utopian neoliberal policies
OK so I'm guilty of paraphrasing a bit. Bite me.
Guilty of questioning whether that Logix comment @11:50 am was factual – bite me!
Don't think TOP, is inherently Neo-liberal.
In fact their other policy goals, such as reducing house price inflation, which makes a liveable UBI, more affordable, are the opposite.
I think they have been too influenced by Gareth Morgan's, narrow conventionally educated economists, financial view of the world, but I think their aims are fine.
A UBI/negative income tax, combined with a flat tax, is progressive. As is their ideas on broadening the tax base, to wealth taxes on top.
I share sanctuaries concern, about what a right wing Government may do with a UBI, however.
TOP's UBI , is too little, to have the effects intended.
Though, I agree with the intention.
"The letter went on to say that Bridges' claim that the Official Information Act had been "suspended" was wrong. "The Ministry of Health has not received any direction that the Official Information Act 1982 has been suspended and we continue to respond to OIA requests," it said." https://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=12331443
The Herald political reporter didn't investigate whether the OIA was suspended or not, apparently. Since Bridges asserted that it was a week ago, apart from TVNZ reporting his statement, the media seems to have ignored it. The truth is out there somewhere, but all our media professionals have apparently developed a consensus that it's too hard to find. People will assume Bloomfield is right, and the Leader of the Opposition wrong, but will we ever know who to believe really?? Perhaps there's has been a mass conversion to postmodernism, and the truth no longer matters…
With that in mind.. grab a first-aid kit and the transistor, The Tauranga Express is about to derail on RNZ.
I heard it repeated by two political commentators on ZB while in the car on Sunday Afternoon… not something I would normally listen too
Weekend Collective was the show.
Do you really think Bridges will let it go if he is right? Not a snowflake's chance in hell.
Marlborough Express has an item headed "Bridges insists no questions Unanswered." Whatever that means??
"Bridges yesterday said he stood by his assertion saying it took two to two and a half weeks for the Ministry to respond to the committee."
" In fact of the eve of that committee, we received answers that I hadn't received through no fault, because they were literally on the eve. We had a right as Parliament to be getting timely answers, and that certainly did not happen.” (???)
The column writer makes no comment on Bloomfield's statement that the OIA was not "suspended."
Just thinking how much fuss there is on every word spoken by Jacinda where the rather wobbly words of Simon get a free pass.
Can't find this item online. No by-line
Thanks Ian. Seems like a consistent pattern of evasion by the media. I wonder if they are so induced by his prior dodgy utterances that they automatically file everything he says into the `loopy' category as if fact-checking him is a waste of time.
However his assertion that the OIA had been suspended is classic fake news, and their consistent collective failure to identify it as such is clear evidence that journalism has become a joke (rather than a profession).
pressreader app seems to have a similar article bottom page three of Taranaki Daily news.
It's not Bloomfield's fault that Bridges can't check his own emails in the morning.
A report from the New Economics Foundation, on how the UK can offset the damage to renters/landlords/homeowners from Covid-19. (Muttonbird, given our previous conversations it may be of interest to you.)
I like the premise because it follows through the whole system in order to solve the issue, which is primarily about people losing their homes. As I have mentioned before, I would extend this solution to our government creating a NZ Housing loan that allowed current mortgage holders to switch to low or non-interest loans, that would both save homeowners and renters from loss of housing. Given that we are heading towards negative interest rates, this solution is not as unimaginable as it would have been even five years ago.
The money created by the government for this purpose, could then be reabsorbed as mortgage payments are received.
Good, sensible, practical, doable policy Molly. Thanks. Can everyone talk about it more until it gets loud enough to reach to the top level who get the message – everyone's talking about this.
If the masses want it, they should get it – that's nelib econ101 isn't it?
Rather than a "mortgage holiday" bank style, which simply makes more money for the bank, just later, as they charge the earlier forgone interest, and cumulative interest on that also.
A real mortgage/rent/interest holiday? which simply halts all payments for the period of the lockdown. Restarting on the same basis as before, at the end of it.
May have saved some otherwise viable small businesses, as well as tenancies.
Anyone know the most direct route to complain to Newshub about misleading and factually incorrect reporting?
I'm referring Tova O'Brien's allegation that the MOH has been lying about the number of hospitalisations due to Covid
She could have asked that question in a different way and not insulted the MoH at all.
"How can we reconcile the difference between numbers you are telling us and number published in other areas?" (gives example.)
But no, I think it was deliberately framed to be confrontational and feed into the right wing agenda.
And I find it unbelievable that she could not remember Ashley explaining on the April 21presser that the people transferred to hospital from nursing homes due to staffing shortages would not be counted in the hospitalisation statistics
Even I retained that info.How is it an experienced political editor could not?
Broadcasting Standards Authority
https://www.bsa.govt.nz/
Thanks Scott
I've just registered my complaint with Newshub and will also go the BSA way, though my experience with it in the past was pretty frustrating
I tend to think Tova is hanging herself with her own rope
Here's a wise old owl (Dr Geoff Bertram)
"These signs of disconnection between what the elected Government wants to do and its ability to deliver on the ground suggest it is time to take a deep and serious look at two of the key pillars of the state sector reforms pushed in 1987………..":
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2020/05/13/1167622/the-future-of-the-new-zealand-state-sector
Transformation and kindness might have been an easier task had state sector reform been high on the agenda too.
Echoing what I've often said about the idea of "generic managers" parachuted in, with little knowledge or ability in the area they manage.
MNZ was/is a prime example, I’ve had dealings with..
Competent and knowledgeable people, within the organisation, having to keep their heads down so as not to embarrass barely competent “Managers”.
It usually fails in the private sector, so why the hell did we copy it for Government departments.
“Jobs for the boys”??
The MSD senior manager just below the CEO in charge of Service delivery..effectively the whole benefit system and public offices and call centres is …. Viv Rickard a deputy Commissioner of Police ( seconded)
Yep for a while there (months ago now) I wondered if it could possibly be the same guy – and it is. ffs!
But if it wasn't going to be him, it'd have been something similar – along the lines of what I described on OM on the 10th. (beginning at Sacha's '2' but specifically at 2.1.1.2 )
Echoing what I've often said about the idea of "generic managers" parachuted in, with little knowledge or ability in the area they manage.
Indeed, I think we've probably both expressed our dismay at this many times. Looking back over my working life, the really good managers were without exception also highly experienced in the industry.
Middle management is a shit of a job usually, caught between C-level managers or owners who are being driven by financial or political goals, and the realities on the ground floor. Lacking the authority to say no to their managers, and often lacking the skill and authority to make much difference on the work front … it's a stressful, lonely and thankless task many capable people don't want to do. (And here in Aus it's well known they have high suicide rate, known as 'middle management syndrome').
Yes.
Treasury and gummint bought into USA methods and policies, because the leading managers were told to be change agents and business does it better was the mantra.
Policies were sold like a fictional screenplay that would be an exciting and new theme ie 'Nobody Does It Better' with Roger Moore etc. Public servants wear cardigans, new business-oriented types are sharp, sexy, and adorable!
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7__rt0hRm8s
Frequently senior managers who have never been outside their own personal socio-economic bubble or even out of Auckland for that matter. The private sector is awash with this. I have sat listening to presentations where you can just hear everyone thinking"they don't even have broadband out there so this won't work". More seriously though there is pressure , a lot of it, in a deniable way to skip over the rules and laws that govern business so that someone further up can earn the bonus.
So yes the public service does need some serious repurposing but the trick will be to keep it repurposed (& state assets in state hands) when the next RW government turns up. Otherwise everything will be sold and the proceeds distributed in high end tax cuts. Nobody really wanted the power companies sold but sold they were. We need to be able to put brakes on this. Perhaps by having state owned companies holding the assets with company rules that designate every one of us as shareholders so there needs to be a nationwide vote (referendum) for this type of sale to occur- to line it up with the corporate provisions for non state companies
When Dr Geoff Bertram says there are signs of disconnection – deliberate or otherwise- between what the elected Government wants to do and its ability to deliver, I have to agree. Some government departments seem quite incestuous to deal with now, no doubt the networking system and the high number of "academically qualified "that fill those departments now.. or as KIT says jobs for the boys.
Having family members who have received very unfair and unresolved outcomes with ACC and the education department in recent years, I fully understand that :1/ the buck no longer stops somewhere these days 2/ politicians have less influence than in the past and in fact seem to be held at arms-length by government departments unless they are parroting government department policy perfectly eg Eugenie Sage is a good example with her repetitive echoing of DOC,s “there is no alternative to aerial 1080”, when in fact there is,:enviroMate 100TM for all areas man can walk.
Yep. Good responses above following '8'
There are more serious problems with things the way they are too – such as the complete contempt for the OIA, and some of these senior PS and CEO's thinking it OK to use T & C for various little 'projects'. Really that should disqualify them from ever holding a PS position again.
But there's another thing too. While JA and CO have handled the COVID19 situation spectacularly, I doubt it would have gone nearly so smoothly had we not been in a state of national emergency.
Again, PS reform should have been one of the first things the coalition should have AT LEAST made a start on
Did you know that all the pest control tenders that DOC placed on GETS since 2017 require an aerial 1080 capability ( whether or not it would be needed) It is their way of effectively cutting out all ground operators. So highhanded and unfair and not ensuring the NZ tax payer gets the best deal for their money. Heads must roll .
Having a robust no cost review process and legal advice can make a difference. Also I feel it is up to the government to take note of review decisions and to amended the law so a person does not need to take on a huge government ministry to win their case.
He's delivering a talk sponsored by the PSA on this theme shortly.
First for the chopping block should be eradicating DHB's completely. They have been nothing but an accountability nightmare, and a stumbling block during this crisis.
Was that meant to be a reply to OnceWasTim?
Anyway. Yes. Get the market out of the health system and be done with business orientated fiefdoms.
Adrian Thornton posted a lengthy interview with Corbyn the other day on the steady privatisation of the NHS. Many parallels with NZ with regards outcomes from what I can grasp.
That no private hospitals or providers do A&E because "profit"…I'm guessing that's the same here. Get rid of the fucks.
I broke my arm in Northland earlier this year, needed surgery to screw the bone back together. Couldn't even book an *appointment* with orthopaedics at Whangarei hospital. Came back home to Auckland, got an appointment to see orth surgeon in a few days. He took one look at the X-rays and said "oops why wasn't this done days ago!?" and I got surgery the next day.
That was 11 days of fucking around with different DHBs & fighting bureaucracy while my arm was smashed in 5 places, before finally getting surgery
Aye well, before NZ, I'd never been to a doctor and been asked "Do you have insurance?"
Then – I recall some minor 'scandal' over a surgeon leveraging the DHB down this way for an exorbitant salary – I can't remember the exact details, but essentially it was a surgeon playing one DHB off against another in an environment of supply and demand.
And my back's unneccesarily and permanently fucked, meaning I won't have a job again, because the fragmented health service in NZ doesn't know its arse from its elbow.
And teeth. The USA aside – is there another so-called developed nation in the world where poor people can be identified by their teeth?
I could go on (as I'm sure most people could).
I could go on
Side effect of getting older is a collection of dramas. Every day above ground is a good day 👍🏼
Every day above ground for me is being taxed to pay people with self inflicted injuries and hidden disabilities to stay out of the workforce.
All I heard GG was "wah wah wah".
So much to unpack… the likelihood of some implication of lack of deservingness from "self inflicted", equating an undeserving injury with a hidden disability, the hope that maybe a visible disability would be viewed as deserving, and the idea that if that comment is indicative of GG's current go-to state of mind, maybe they currently have depression, which is often a hidden disability.
Bless.
GG you can't be earning enough money to worry so much.Without ACC you would have many lawsuits bankrupting employers US style.
Good evening.
Would you please be so kind to acknowledge that you have seen and understood your recent moderation?
If yes, I will release you from Pre-Moderation.
If no or nothing, you will be banned for a while.
Thank you in advance for your cooperation.
Yes
Thank you 🙂
Maybe that butcher had a "hidden disability", ie depression, stress, ptsd who knows, but it's comments like GGs which add to that pressure. But we've also seen the Tax Payers Union ask for some public relief, so if needed I'm sure GG will also be lining up for welfare too. Hypocrite.
How to Obama
gatehate.She's soo hilarious. I couldn't work out where she was at the end. She's standing in the wardrobe!!
Kind of appalling to make this the lead article on the online Herald: Butcher's death after lockdown struggles: Family's plea to PM to lift lockdown rule.
Series of editorial decisions made here:
1. To run the article in the first place, although many people have lost friends and family in the last month.
2. To put it in prominent homepage position.
3. "Butcher's death after lockdown struggles…" is the (current) tagline on the homepage, click through and the article is titled "Covid 19 coronavirus: Family of Mad Butcher store owner Roy Green make heartfelt plea to allow them to attend his funeral", allowing the initial tagline to be changed – usual practice – when enough people have seen the tagline and absorbed the implied criticism.
4. The first line promotes the idea that the liquidation is the most important factor in his death. Other factors are reported, but as an addition to a reiteration of the business line. Someone well versed in grammar, could perhaps explain the paragraphing here.
5. The tagline strongly implies the lockdown struggles are the reason for the butcher's death.
6. The tagline also reduces the restrictions on Level 2 to a whim or arbitrary decision on the part of the PM, not a nationwide protocol.
7. The article itself is completely unvetted. Quoting someone who while saying there should be no exceptions, seems to think they warrant it. There is also a bit of a sedgway in there, regarding the negative impact to business in general.
8. All of which allows a statement be inserted in:
"..the National Party says the limits are not only unkind, but "inhumane"."
The National Party going anywhere near a discussion about humanity, is a novel experience.
The reality is: a funeral is a time when physical expressions of sympathy, love and support are a fundamental part of the process. Social distancing during this time, will be harder to adhere to than any other gathering. This article is a good example of ill-considered and malignant editorial decision making, that will influence the goodwill of the Herald reading public unfortunately, and gives prominence to the Exceptional Me school of thought.
I understand the need for social distancing. I think most people do.
but to reconcile the need for no more then 10 people at a funeral while at the same time allowing Malls to re-open, cafes to accept parties of no more then ten people but several there of makes no sense to me.
We are debating how to go into level two atm and to be honest it is confusing. I have to have a registar for every person staying longer then 15 min, but everyone else can come into the shop? Lol. So if someone comes in – asymptomatic but infected – and stays less then 15 min its all good, no tracing required.
It is confusing, and it makes little sense.
But to pretend that the Heralds writers – many whom are in a class to profit of a National No Mates Party government – would not write National No Mates Party positive is also a bit naive. The Herald writers with the nice income know where their tax cuts and tax deductions come from, and it ain’t the Labur Party.editorial.
However, the question stands, why can Malls be open with potentially hundreds of people showing up to get in, while a Tangi can only have ten people.
And to be honest, butchers should have been considered essential services, as bakers and green grocers. Standing in line for several hours at a Supermarket can also a bea detriment to ones health.
Meh, is all i got to say.
I think you will find Sabine that attendance at a tangi is a way more emotional experience with a great deal of kissing and hugging and tender closeness than you would ever find at the average mall
I'm glad however after all your angst that you have survived and are opening the shop again
All the best
As a person how has lost both parents and a good amount of friends believe me, I have been at a Tangi and also at other funerals, and generally yes, they are emotional and generally they are also full of people. But thanks for educating me in the ways of the humans.
As for your concern for my well being, thanks. But there is not one small business owner that has survived this, some just have an option of getting out earlier and hopefully with less damage then the butcher from Pukekohe. RIP.
And if you think that at a Mall, jam packed with consumers, or people who just come to browse, eat, drink, kids running around playing etc are not emotional i must conclude that you have not been in a Mall for a while. And above all you have very little idea about humans in general.
And lastly, maybe you care to actually address the points that i raised in good faith, rather then just go and be snarky with very little to say.
Because by tomorrow, Cafes can allow groups of max 10 people each to come for emotional gathering, drinking and eating,
But you can not have several groups of 10 people attend a tangi at the same time. And that is the difference that makes no fucking sense.
And you can get the illness in a line at the supermarket (of which there have been many) but you can't online order and have a no contact pick up or delivery with your local butcher/green grocer/bakery, and that too makes no sense.
bye now. 🙂
You dont seem to understand the details of the rules nor the obvious differences between a mall and a funeral/tangi
At level 2 before lockdown they were largely empty., not jam packed and as with supermarkets now numbers are still restricted.
Wild claims like "And you can get the illness in a line at the supermarket (of which there have been many)" show the inherent implausibility of all your arguments.
All Mad Butcher shops struggled before the Coronavirus and there seems to be other pre-existing personal issues for this person
Supermarkets (food) were an essential, dairies are all there are in some areas. And in person shopping – not enough on-line ordering let alone delivery capacity, was required.
For their competitors, any expanded risk of infection beyond minimalist operation of a food service.
One issue was safe entry.
By their nature some shops – butchers and greengrocers keep doors closed (unlike dairies) and flies out – and unlike supermarkets do not have electronic doors. This requires door handle entry, hands and all that.
While I supported these shops being open, I (now realising the risk) would have required the retailer to open and close doors for one in and one out customers.
Method of Payment – eftpos cards
Supermarkets and dairies either have paywave, or they do not.
For others the capacity to provide contactless service – on-line payment and delivery or contactless collect.
They could have allowed butchers and greengrocers to operate if they had paywave instore, not just on-line payment delivery or collect – as many did at level 3.
The positive for many butchers and greengrocers is that they will now be using the on-line order and delivery serivce to expand their customer base.
And for the rest of us – paywave will become commonplace and thus community infection spread will reduce for more than just coronavirus.
I agree with francesca, and the the rules are quite rational. It's because of these apparent contradictions that it becomes easy to pick holes. But if you look at the overall intent of the rules, and apply them to every situation, then they become quite reasonable.
Another story in today’s newspaper repeated that churches are only allow congregations of 10. That is incorrect, up to 100 with social distancing.
Just seeing a whole lot of Facebook posts from PI and Māori agreeing with the Government about Tangi.
Saying "hard as it is, we don't want more people dying after a Tangi".
And, that it is impossible to attend a Tangi, and "distance".
Someone needs to ask Bridges and other national MP's a simple yes/no question. If health advice was to limit the attendance at funerals to 10, would they have ignored it. Yes or no. Quite simple.
Didn't expect the Herald to be pro-Labour, but at present have been in close proximity to people who loudly, and aggressively have resisted any restrictions on their behaviour, even during Alert 4. I do think the consequences of this kind of reporting have real world impacts on individuals, and those they interact with in the community.
Regarding the opening of malls, etc. That is going to be an interesting study in the behaviour patterns of people. Given the mobile and dynamic nature of shopping in malls, there is quite a bit of movement. Maintaining social distancing is going to be a ballet performance, with a few incidents of two left feet I would think. It will also be interesting to see if people do flock back to the malls, just because they can, or whether those that feel vulnerable, or have concerns still about transmission reduce the patronage numbers. (Along with the large number of people who may have lost any disposable income).
I hope it will be easier for you in your cafe. With seated patrons, protocols are easier to define and implement. Our local bakery has marked positions on the pavement outside, and customers go in one at a time to order and purchase. My partner has spent quite a lot of time in the last few weeks writing up new SoP's and induction processes for his workplace to go back to work.
I don't think the restriction on funerals – at this stage – is onerous, although I do feel for those who have lost loved ones, or will lose loved ones – at this time. I agree with francesca that the ability to social distance from others who are grieving, is a much harder task than to distance yourself from strangers in a shopping environment.
My point about the article about butcher from Pukekohe, is that the article was framed that it was the loss of business that caused his death. It is apparent, however, that no-one knows what it was. Regarding your comment about butchers being essential, AFAIK, butchers have been able to operate on-line and contactless delivery in Alert 3. Our regular butcher has been able to do so. It also contained a lot of expectation for exceptionalism, which is in contradiction to what is needed.
Perhaps it is also because funerals and weddings are more likely to draw in people from far and wide, making tracking and containment of any spread more difficult.
Stuff still running the headline. So now the mans story is made public, a weapon for the opposition and gutter press.
It is important for the media to not add to the families distress.
Have the media set up a give a little page?
Words are cheap sincere action is not.
That should have been the main idea because one might guess it was the main reason for his death. But it should not have been published it at all as it is written should have been a compassionate decision. Must be very trying for Mr Green's family.
" But it should not have been published it at all as it is written should have been a compassionate decision. ". I agree, my long-winded meandering comment corrected down to the most salient point. Thanks, ianmac.
The headline about the family's call to lift the lockdown rule was about the funeral, not the operation of the business under levels 4 and 3.
The Herald first reported last Friday about the liquidation of the buisness a week earlier. (the story noted how many other Mad Butcher franchises had closed in the past year – pre pandemic. Some during the term of the franchiose some when these ended. Because the franchise model had low profits pre pandemic). He died on the Sunday – the story was about the funeral.
Inter city bus/rail travel around a nation should a NECESSARY part of the infrastructure, not a 'nice to have'. Just another example of the mass privatisations of the 1990s catching up with us. Hopefully the government will realise that a subsidy for the duration to keep this vital service running is necessary.
https://www.intercity.co.nz/travel-info/network-status/level-2
+100
New Zealand exports over 800 Million dollars of goods to Indonesia, while our "kindness" govt remain silent over the genocide of the indigenous people of West Papua….I guess this kindness is only valid if it doesn't get in the way of their free trade ideology…as I keep banging on about, no morals or ethics can be found in the Liberal ideology.
The battle for West Papuan independence from Indonesia has intensified with deadly results
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-05-12/west-papua-secret-war-with-indonesia-for-independence/12227966
Lloyd Jones' Mister Pip was a beautiful and tragic novel highlighting PNG, recommended reading
"The French economist Thomas Piketty is the bestselling author of Capital in the Twenty-First Century (2013) and its follow-up, Capital and Ideology (2019), a sweep through 1,000 years of the history of inequality. Speaking to the Guardian, he said he had been thinking about the opportunities this pandemic may present to build fairer, more equal societies." https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/12/will-coronavirus-lead-to-fairer-societies-thomas-piketty-explores-the-prospect
He says “powerful shocks like pandemics, wars or financial crashes have an impact on society, but the nature of that impact depends on the theories people hold about history, society, the balance of power – in a word, ideology – which varies from place to place. It always takes major social and political mobilisation to move societies in the direction of equality.”
So belief systems determine the outcome of those shocks: particularly those bonding the largest social groups.
Well – the largest social group has been taught there is no alternative, capitalism is natural, the clowns in charge know what they're doing and that everything must be paid for.
Meanwhile, those in charge in the US have gifted corporations $US4 Trillion for a buying spree in an unfolding global depression.
So between what people believe and the balance of power they perceive…
We've still a way to run .
Can you see attempts at reinstating business as usual being successful .We may have to wait a bit longer for that to be seen as futile
I'm thinking that the idea is to eat the US. Y'know, America can die, but the US corporation can rise triumphant and spread across the globe.
There has been precious little for small businesses over there, and a single $1200 cheque for those who qualified.
Meanwhile, the US has been leaning on the UK to allow it to veto any trade arrangements with China it may negotiate.
Does Robertson and the other clowns think they can get NZ a slice of that $US 4+ Trillion US corporations have? Do they think it will come by way of neutral investment? Is that why the bullshit from the US songbook that Peter's splurted about Taiwan and the WHO?
Think what our 'clowns' are more concerned with is maintaining access to the ability to purchase offshore in a world where others determine the rules.
Like us they dont necessarily like or agree with the environment we find ourselves in but nevertheless must do the best they can within it.
Peters playing his own games off to the side.
You saying "our" clowns want to keep playing the game? They've got a golden opportunity to lead the world, pivot and allow the laws of physics to determine sets of rules and strategies…
I'm not suggesting that would be easy, but hey….
I think our "clowns" (who in this instance I believe are not) are between a rock and a hard place and what Ive seen to date dosnt lead me to be so certain they want to keep the game being played the way it has been….whether that leads to the necessary (and gutsy) changes required is yet to be seen…im still hopeful but also mindful how easy it will be for any change to be unwound
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/300011920/overseas-investment-national-interest-test-law-expanded-during-covid19
Morena folks, I am seeking tips and tactics for dealing with a reasonably serious complaint about a landline service provider.
How I see it, the company has changed its policy and doesn't accept cheques. My in-laws have paid their last two bills by cheque. The company disconnected them three days ago.
They are elderly, diabetic (one with serious other health issues), no cell phone, no internet/computer. We were assured yesty morn the phone would be back on "in a few minutes".
Later that arvo, still no phone. Another call and we find out that as the line is disconnected, it may take up to 5days to reconnect!
Who is best to contact both in the company and perhaps outside of company?
Any ideas on how to get things moving quicker?
Cheers.
gsays This will be interesting. I have been wondering about this cheque business. I hope someone can suggest something, cheques should still be legal tender and a refusal to accept them should put that business in the wrong. What does the Reserve Bank do about this? Hasn't it got any teeth to deal with our money system's wrongdoings and desires of businesses to make up their own rules?
My bank SBS says it is not stopping having cheques because we customers want them to hold on to the system. Yet Kiwibank, supposedly close to the people has decided to cut them out. It shows the distance that the need to be seen as 'businesslike' by SOEs makes between their real purpose to serve the people, and shows in the mind that they are efficient according to the current mantra from technocrats etc.
The IRD have stopped taking cheques, or are going to.
I'm not knocking your in-laws gsays because I'm an older person and had difficulty paying bills during lockdown. I don't do online banking due to an experience years ago and I tried communicating with the providers but with no success. In the end a relative paid the bills and I reimbursed by way of cash.
And therein I think lies the source of the problem. None of these organisations are operating as per normal. Staff are working from home and many services have been seriously affected. I also recall major service organisations announcing they would no longer accept cheques – last year I think it was.
With the start of level 2 tomorrow, they will be up and running close to normal again but it could take a day or two to happen. Your in-laws won't be the only ones adversely affected so there may eventually be an element of compensation but I wouldn't hazard a guess what form it would take.
In the meantime, I don't think there's much you can do but keep trying to get through to them.
Thanks Grey, Anne and Sabine.
I get that companies are in a bit of turmoil at the moment. Not too busty to arrange a disconnect though. Their messaging has been inconsistent at best.
The company has not communicated with the account holder about 'non-payment, although they claim to have sent a text!
Part of the problem too is dealing with the person who answers the phone rather than, say, their team leader (or whatever they are called nowadays.
One blessing is that they were unaware they had been cut off, otherwise they would have worried themselves sick.
Go to the news would be my best guess.
gsays – we had huge problems with Vodafone last year with our Broadband package. Despite many assurances they would fix it after we called them a heap of times nothing was ever done. The only way we got it resolved was by posting on Vodafone's Facebook page saying how useless they were with customer service, if they didn't respond we kept posting again saying how many days they had dragged it on for. This eventually made them pull finger & get it sorted.
That might be a help if you are willing to do that ?
Nowdays nobody wants to talk to you – just useless chatbots
Cheers Bazza, I don't have FB but I know someone who does…
There should of been no disconnections during lockdown and for another week after lockdown level 2 starts.
During lock down level 4 and 3 the person's bank needed to provide a service to set up a automatic payment. The wait time to get through was long and I opted to be called back. A separate number for high needs and those on NZ Super or a transfer would have helped. Also an option for do not disconnect would have helped.
I am anti Internet banking. I find phone banking to be enough. I also will not use a personal teller ATM in a bank to deposit money.
The level of control a bank has over me in what I am required to do to deposit money into a bank has gone too far.
I like yr healthy cynicism of the banksters.
We are starting a complaint process with Telecommunications Dispute Resolution.
They can investigate, advocate and, if it gets to it, make a judgement.
Fingers crossed.
Don't they have a credit/debit card they can make payments by landline phone with? Others can pay on their behalf by this method also.
Yes, all that is possible once it is known that the cheques are not being accepted.
Finding this out because you have been disconnected is a shitty way to do business, and a miserable way to treat long term customers. .
These are fucking creepy. Imagine going for a walk with these on patrol telling you what to do. Singapore has them, Australia is considering getting them "for public safety" to help enforce social distancing.
Won’t be long before authorities find other uses for those dogs. Taxation, parking, policing…who knows.
Following dog walkers to make sure they pick up their dogs poo…
I wish. And the buggers who leave broken glass where kids walk.
Actually that would be quite helpful (!)
I was walking behind someone with a really large dog a few days ago…unfortunately for her it was a triple bag day. I thought on the last stop she had run out but she was prepared.
but but ….robots are cool. 🙂 Creepy as fuck these things are.
The humans are dead….
I'd like to see it malfunction. As well it would not stop every few minutes for a squat.
That's right Efficiency NZ – remove controls and precautionary measures on something else that the neolib lean, efficient bunch of clots have prevailed on you turning you into their lapdogs, you in leadership positions! Now the agency running the airport controls.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/416493/proposal-to-remove-air-traffic-control-services-raises-safety-concerns-union
‘lapdogs’ and robot dogs above! Coincidence!
Oh man, I broke the second most important rule after not getting involved in a land war in Asia – I got into an argument with an anti-vaxer on FB, who it turns out thinks 5G also causes autism and Jacinda Ardern is part of a Freemason plot.
God almighty spare me.
Have you come round to their way of thinking then?
I told her the reason the government was passing legislation to support going to level 2 under urgency was because it wanted to round up all the anti-vaxxers and inject them with a vaccine that give them autism when/if they are exposed to 5G radiation.
I then posted a youtube video of a fairground merry-go-round and left the FB conversation and turned off notifications…
Love it !
Great Sanctuary. A sort of If you can't beat 'em join 'em but with a touch of malice.
Sanctuary mon hombre you will have entered the conspiracy hall of fame by now for that worthy effort…
Anyone taking bets on how soon this gets face book tagged for incorrect news – 1 day 2 days goes viral …
u
u
Look on the bright side – the British royal family are lizards from outer space theory wasn't included. 😵
These nut-bars need to be banned from social media. Either that or agree to be treated for their bat-shit crazy notions. They are dangerous and they prey on vulnerable people.
It's working.
Problem is, there really *is* a conspiracy to screw over everybody and wreck the Earth, it's called Capitalism
[WARNING
Before you consider experimenting on and with yourself through self-medicating, especially if it is suggested somewhere on-line by a non-authoritative or non-authorised source without a disclaimer and without any mention of potential risks to your health, you should always consult your GP or other health professional first – Incognito]
Testing is flawed and the issue is not as bad as it is represented as. – Thank God.
Aside from bad testing Covid 19 is a blood clotting issue, people aren't being treated properly so it's not surprising people are having a shit time with it. Current best evidence suggests additional vit C, zinc, quercetin, and vit D3/K2 will reduce symptoms and duration. Supplements work best taken early on. Anecdotal evidence suggests taking 3x 500 mg aspirins dissolved in lemon juice boiled with honey, taken hot will be a quick fix and sort of makes sense if dealing with a clotting issue – who knows? Worth a try.
[You are free to believe your beliefs but when you post dangerous claptrap from some conspiracy nutter with a commercial interest in selling snake oil, I will push back hard and fast.
None of what is in your comment is covered in the YouTube clip!?
If this is “current best evidence” then you will have no trouble providing three links to independent, reputable, and verifiable sources.
The “anecdotal evidence” looks right-out dangerous to me. One link to a reputable source will do.
AFAIK, a dose of 3× 500 mg aspirin is much higher than any prophylactic dose, for adults! Nobody should take this without advice from a qualified health provider!
This is dangerous lunacy layered over more lunacy, stupidity, and obvious ignorance!
You are in Pre-Moderation until you provide those four links, with a decent commentary and explanation from you. If you fail to comply, you can withdraw your comment in full, but failing that, you will receive a ban – Incognito]
Bizarre nonsense
"3x 500 mg aspirins dissolved in lemon juice boiled with honey, taken hot will be a quick fix..
Have you tried injecting it ?
Up the clacker works best.
That is only for the disco biscuits you fool.
I'll shelve the advice.
Its needs some 'gagging'
Health advice from a quack accused of flogging bleach to the desperate?
https://www.gazetteandherald.co.uk/news/14425047.marlborough-man-denies-selling-unregulated-drugs-to-families-with-autistic-children/
Now, what evidence is more trustworthy? "Anecdotal evidence" or the best evidence that scientists and medical experts using best scientific method produces? Anecdotal evidence that "sort of makes sense"?
I want better than that, A.
See my Moderation note @ 12:42 PM.
Although very few people are likely to take health advice from such a post could you please remove it from the site.
Apart from the quite large dose of an antiplatelet agent aspirin is contraindicated in children and teenagers due to risk of Reye's syndrome.
Thank you. In situations like this, we need (more) input and guidance from commenters who know what they’re talking about.
We generally don’t delete anything and leave it for educational purposes so that others can read & learn, but I’ll add a strong warning at the top of the comment.
https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04365309
https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04363840
I'm not endorsing the high dose of aspirin, and it's clear there are contraindications in young people … who are not likely to become seriously ill anyway. But neither does it seem a crazy dangerous notion either given the serious medical trials underway.
Also the Vitamin D connection is quite well understood.
And given I usually take a zinc supplement every day, I'm can't say I'm alarmed at that recommendation either.
EVMS Critical Care COVID-19 Management Protocol
Eastern Virginia Medical School's recommended approach to COVID-19 based on "the best (and most recent) literature" (May 11)
Covers Prophylaxis, Symptomatic patients (at home), mildly symptomatic patients (in hospital), … through to … severely symptomatic patients (hospital).
Emphasis on immune-boosters, anti-virals, antioxidants early on: Vitamin C & D3, Zinc, Quercetin, Melatonin & possibly Aspirin, Hydroxychloroquine Ivermectin to prevent infection or at early symptomatic stage … then adding anti-inflammatories & immune suppressive treatments as the disease progresses in hospital.
And the MATH+ Treatment Protocol recommended by Front Line COVID-19 Critical Care Working Group
Thank you, but your comment highlights the hidden danger with health-related suggestions that sound innocuous and like ‘common sense’.
You link to two clinical trials with aspirin that address the same medical problem of blood clots.
There are a number of important differences between these trials, for example, and the crazy stuff dispensed by the snake oil salesman in the video clip @ 19, which had no bearing on the dangerous suggestions made in the comment @ 19.
There is no evidence presented @ 19 that this “[c]urrent best evidence” and there is, of course, nothing to back-up the so-called “[a]necdotal evidence”.
These two trials use much lower doses of aspirin of 100 and 81 mg, respectively, compared to 1,500 mg in the comment @ 19! When “dissolved in lemon juice boiled with honey” it might actually taste quite nice and why not have second one later in the day? “Worth a try.” Yeah, nah!
The patients participating in these trials are tested beforehand for known contraindications and selected based on the inclusion criteria, which you can find in these links. You will also find the exclusion criteria in these links and you should have a read.
The patients are carefully and regularly monitored for any side effects and adverse events caused by aspirin.
This is very different from experimenting on yourself at home without any (prior) knowledge of the health risks and without any guidance or advice from a health professional whilst using a much higher dose of aspirin.
The comment @ 19 gave no link to check, no warnings of any potential dangerous side effects, and was a concoction of dangerous quackery and harmful ignorance. In my view, it is as bad as Trump’s suggestion to inject disinfectant, which has led to poisoning cases in the US, I believe. In fact, I think it is worse because it sounds so harmless and reasonable to take aspirin. Doesn’t it just?
I'm fully aware of how difficult moderation can be Incognito; in no sense is my comment above intended to attack or discourage in any fashion. I'm 100% certain you were moderating A's post in good faith.
Cheers
Latest death in NSW is an 80 year old plus woman, a passenger on the Ruby Princess who first showed symptoms in mid-March and has been fighting Covid for 2 months. Poor woman, what an awful outcome.
South Korea's covid containment strategy in action.
Tova should go and work for Fox News. She’s a shocker. Always first up and always with the personal questions/attacks on Jacinda and Ashley. They have my utmost admiration for staying so calm and reasonable with her even though they know she’s not going to listen to a word they say. She’s like a bleedin dag that won’t drop off no matter how much the sheep rattles them. A political reporter she ain’t. Attack dog maybe. Chihuahua!?
I have no problem with journos asking tough Qs (and I don't like seeing them abused on social media). But a minimum professional requirement is to ask those Qs in good faith.
Tova O'Brien fails that test. It is certainly fair to ask if the max 10 limit is justified. But not to accuse people of being heartless, as if that was the real motivation for the decision.
In fact, she's doing the opposite of holding to account. She's so gratuitously offensive that people switch off – literally or metaphorically. So any serious raising of the issue is lost.
I agree that Ardern and Bloomfield handle this very well. I know I wouldn't.
Her style of questioning is counter productive & easy to bat away, "are we being heartless? I don't think so, next."
Given up listening past the initial statements from Adern and Blomfield.
Anything past that, is mostly random noise.
Any other information, including business requirements, is available on Government Covid websites, and the remains of decent media online.
Zero cases again today!
Awesome .
What is the government to do if in 1 year time we are fully clear of covid but no vaccine is coming and this bastard bug is still roaming the planet, can we survive being a little fortress and the bottom of the planet or will we have to open at some point?
" can we survive being a little fortress at the bottom of the planet"
Yep
Simon Bridges in a number of utterances he's made in recent days, including today, shows he doesn't want future generations to pay for debts arising out of the Covid-19 situation.
When I've got more freedom in the next short while I'm going to go to the local cemetery to ask generations gone by if they want to pay for them. I'm not confident of their support for the notion.
NZ increases trade surplus since 1 Feb.
2.5b vs 1.1 B (2019)year on year.
https://www.stats.govt.nz/information-releases/effects-of-covid-19-on-trade-1-february-6-may-2020-provisional
we might be on track to reduce our current account deficit substantially for the first time in a generation.
Biden campaign lets rip
(via DailyKos)
Trump's approval drops amid mounting coronavirus deaths. Trump now trails Biden by 8 points. (Reuters/Ipsos poll)
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-poll/trump-approval-dips-amid-mounting-coronavirus-death-toll-trails-biden-by-8-points-reuters-ipsos-poll-idUSKBN22O3FG
Here is the news. Today, yesterday and tomorrow. Every day.
"In a post that has since been deleted, Idiot X has ranted at Jacinda Ardern …"
Today it's Leo Molloy, other times it's a Nat MP, or some other Angry Man (sic).
Happens every single time. It's not just the rants, it's that they are so stupid they try and undo what can't be undone.
Just put the phone down, lads. Breathe before Send. Share your hate with a pillow, not the world. So much easier than trying to make a time machine that never works.
Aww..
Mark Davies is used to flying around the world, typically visiting Geneva and Monaco every month in his work as a tax adviser for the super-wealthy.
Now he’s sequestered at home in southwest London because of the coronavirus pandemic, which is wreaking havoc on his business and the tax plans of his clients similarly accustomed to globetrotting.
“The pandemic means we’ve now got people stuck in the U.K. who didn’t intend to be here, and people who did want to be here that couldn’t,” he said. “It’s gone both ways.”
As nations have closed borders, some individuals are confronting unexpectedly complex tax situations. These include the prospect of higher levies from spending too many days in a foreign locale, or having to shelve plans to obtain tax breaks by moving abroad.
It’s not just international travel that poses tax risks. The question of tax complications also looms for the thousands of people in the U.S. who’ve crossed state lines to hunker down in vacation homes or with in-laws.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-05-12/stranded-super-rich-confront-tax-chaos-after-pandemic-lockdowns?
…..shucks
I wonder if we managed to trap any here that we can subsequently domesticate?
Just watch how quick HM Gov is to arrange exemptions for the paw widdle nondoms.
No one needs to be concerned … We have a Labour/Green/NZ1 government, and what powers is parliament pushing thru currently regarding increasing police powers. And only a wee peep by one Left leaning organisation/blogs etc. UNBELIEVABLE
🙈🙉🙊
https://twitter.com/NZGreens
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12331487
https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2020/05/13/why-on-earth-are-the-nz-police-trailing-mass-surveillance-face-recognition-tech-without-any-clearance/
http://norightturn.blogspot.com/2020/05/the-police-privacy-and-public-trust.html
The powers in the bill passed today are limited to 90 days currency. The government would have to return for an extension to the House if it felt the situation then warranted it.
A month after that, we have an election!
Not really the modus operandi of an aspiring authoritarian régime.
Not so concerned about this Government, at present.
The police, on the whole, have taken the direction to , “be kind” on board, and seem to have taken a common sense approach.
At some stage though, we will return to a National Government, that turns a blind eye or even encourages abuse of police and spy agency powers. Tacitly supporting police overreach. They don't need any precedents for that.
It is hypocritical that National criticises this bill, after their previous extensions to legislation, giving police, spooks and customs powers we associate with police States.
Sorry, KJT, my comment was directed at Herodotus' fears. I do like what you write, though. 🙂
I have noticed for many years a fear expressed by some, as laws are enacted, that although the present government might be OK, the legislation they are introducing may be misused by some future bunch of rogues.
Many years have passed……. Smith's Dream is still just that.
Rogues will either act ultra vires if they need to, or will enact their own legislation to give themselves a fiat. Eternal vigilance is the price of freedom. (Having referred to that quote, I have just realised that it could be taken to mean that eternal vigilance by the state over its citizens is the price of freedom, rather than the vigilance of the citizen to prevent that.) Some further investigation found some great examples in US history of the power of eternal vigilance. https://conversableeconomist.blogspot.com/2017/07/notes-on-eternal-vigilance-is-price-of.html
This includes an action to oppose and eventually have repealed a land grab in Georgia by speculators who bribed their way to the enactment of a law to allow the alienation to their speculative companies of millions of acres of public land in the 1790s. Fascinating stuff and a testimony to one man who saw the wrong and brought about its repeal.
Media too busy stalking David Clark or looking for suicides. When we first went into lockdown I was terrified the cops were gonna be over the top, but they weren't. In the UK & Aus they have been, so it's a credible fear (but the Herald suddenly concerned about police going onto marae? Pfft.)
Yep. I did too. Pleasantly surprised they acted with common sense and discretion. Whether it has anything to do with the new Commissioner of Police (whose name currently escapes me but that’s normal for me 🙁 ), I don’t know.
I have had good reason to be cynical of the NZ Police in the past but maybe things have changed.
" I have had good reason to be cynical of the NZ Police in the past but maybe things have changed. "
Not so fast there Anne. The coppers
implementingtrialing the face recognition spying stuff, didn't know the commissioner's name either.Good grief.
Not sure what your first link was meant to be to, but it went to the GP twitter account (I've fixed the visuals on the link).
Thanks, not having a twitter account I just searched for it and linked the site that came up after checking that there was no commentary by "the Greens" on this matter over the last few days. Even That Blog that we cannot name has nothing on this. Is this something that those within Wellington don't care about and the rest of us are in the dark ??
I think it’s just that everything has happened very fast. A couple of Green MPs were talking on twitter before about what's been happening but I haven't seen anything formal yet. I'll link below.
Chloe Swarbrick https://twitter.com/_chloeswarbrick/status/1260385309998514176
Chloe and then Julie Anne Genter https://twitter.com/_chloeswarbrick/status/1260388852180512768
Relying on a bloke who usually deals in wedding gowns to import life-saving equipment from a CCP member didn't work out too well.
But the shipment arriving that night in late March wasn’t going to solve the problem. An Associated Press investigation has found those masks were counterfeits — as are millions of medical masks, gloves, gowns and other supplies being used in hospitals across the country, putting lives at risk.
[…]
Florida-based importer Mark Kwoka said he believes the Shanghai Dasheng masks with ear loops that he obtained came from their factory, based on information he received from his partners in China.
“This is kind of getting out of control,” said Kwoka, who made a career in bridal gown design and manufacturing in China but turned to masks earlier this year.
https://apnews.com/850d9e6834fc71967af6d3dda65ad874?
This young butcher who died is being turned to a martyr by the National Party, #nzpol, ACT and business sector.
While it is said that he was under a lot of stress, it wasn't like he was going to end up sleeping in his car. Had he waited a bit longer, an interest free IRD loan would have tied him over, with no repayments for 3 years. Repayments would probably have been at $20 a week even.
A few years ago, I read about an older couple who had been bounced around motels for 6 months after being evicted by Housing NZ on trumped up meth charges. Their daughter, a mother of 6, had killed herself because WINZ had told her that they wouldn't be paying for her motel rooms anymore. So they had to take their 6 kids with them as they were trapped in motel room purgatory.
Unfortunately that woman didn't get made into a glorious martyr for the National Party cause. Nope, her belongings got tossed and 2 pensioners are working out how the hell they are going to bring up 6 kids in a world where some Boomer's return matters more than giving people a roof over their head.
The problem was the Mad Butcher franchise system was/is going under – little profit. The number have halved in the past year (pre-pandemic) – franchises ending with the term or during term.
There was a liquidator appointed. Franchise models complicate getting bank support. Especially with that franchises recent record.
Woodhouse knows that Muldoon was a National Party PM right? Not even the CCP denigrates Mao like that, even if they do accept his failings.
The Man.
Shockingly funny!
There’s a series of science lessons in that video!
Here we go https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/13/new-us-coronavirus-hotspots-republican-heartland-areas
Restaurants to open again.
One waiter/ress per table.
As there is to be monitoring of distance and non-contact, those with pony tails working in Parnell should feel fairly safe then.
do a Larry David, to keep people away from You wear a MAGA cap. Social distance device.