The NZ Herald's coverage of the pandemic is surely the final blow to its reputation as anything other than ill informed trash. Panicking mongering on a scale that will get them rightly censored in a state of emergency is not responsible. And having reliable geriatric Tories like Audrey Young whine the government isn't panicking like they think they should is hilarious.
The response when the inevitable boarder closure, in reality 14 quarantine for all arrivals, comes in next week, along with social distancing enforced by a state of emergency will be a sight to behold.
An alternate view is that the ground is being prepared for the above.
The only thing that would make her not a weak leader is to give money to rich people and call it a 'fiscal stimulus'. That would be heroic, novel/cutting edge, courageous, far-sighted, business-savvy, street smart, and (of course) make us want to have a beer with her. Fran would be giggly with dizzy delight and Audrey could keep insisting that we have always been at war with Eurasia.
Well, well, well. This evening, Jacinda Ardern, after correctly consulting the Ministry of Health, introduced strong moves that we all know about now. And what does the crappy Herald's Heather du Plessis-Allen have to say?? Well, apparently our PM has dithered on just about everything, but now rashly made an attempt to look strong, which could cost our beloved country dearly. (Had she read Audrey Young's column?)
This rabid right-wing propaganda is laughable. I suspect that if du Plessis-Allen had half a brain, it would die of loneliness.
The overnight explosion of Covid cases in Spain should cause NZ to close the boarder for passengers.
My current timeline =
Virus peaks May-June
July WHO finially admits it "may" be contagious when the patient is asymptomatic (something which was known by researchers back in Janurary). They will also discover research showing the virus remains active on stainless steel benches for 9 days and on other surfaces for much longer than "a few hours" (research done in February) contradicting statements made by both WHO and the CDC.
July/August governments worldwide declare quarantine, but this time all will be untied in imposing serious consequences for breaches including jail and extremely high fines
September/Oct virus is defeated due to the mass global quarantine, at this point millions will have suffered needlessly
But, but…on the upside, the economy has been allowed to tick over almost as per usual.
Whew.
When a news report about The Virus can conclude without mention of the impact on The Economy will be the day that we can be comforted that the human impact has claimed priority status.
Fuck The Economy I say….arguably, from the POV of most of us, it was pretty much fucked anyways.
Aged care providers should advise all visitors and staff to stay away from the facility if they are ill. If visitors have cold or flu symptoms, they should be symptom free for 48 hours before they visit.
Visitors should also stay away if they have been in Category 1a and 1b and 2 countries and territories or they have been in close contact with someone confirmed with COVID-19 in the last 14 days. We ask they stay away for 14 days from their date of departure or close contact.
During visits, aged care providers should advise people to stay one metre apart.
Always a good idea to check the info before you opine and criticise. Last time I checked, Chris Martenson doesn’t work for MoH but is or as a YouTuber.
Chris Martenson is more credible then our own health authorities imho which is why I mention his name. He's been ahead of this right from the start pointing out on his first caronavirus video on Jan 23 (US) that given the advice from WHO the chances of it not becoming a pandemic were zero.
It’s been clear that you hold Chris Martenson in high regard, which is your prerogative. As a YouTuber, he doesn’t he carry official responsibility nor is he accountable to anyone; he can say pretty much whatever he feels like. You might think he is an authority (on COVID-19?) but he has none.
If he cites research (not his own) that states that someone who is unwell with Cvd remains contagious for at least 10 days after they recover then this appears to be consistent with the advice that I quoted (stay away for 14 days). BTW, have you checked the cited research?
In any case, MoH isn’t WHO.
Your (rhetorical?) question whether they (MoH? NZ Government?) are trying “to kill off old people thus solving the pension crisis” is beyond absurd, IMHO.
Your (rhetorical?) question whether they (MoH? NZ Government?) are trying “to kill off old people thus solving the pension crisis” is beyond absurd, IMHO.
Anyone who makes such a ludicrous statement – even if it is rhetorical – is not deserving of serious consideration.
"are they trying to kill off old people thus solving the pension crisis?"
A, I too am not ok with this rhetoric, and think you can make your points here without it. We haven't seen it here yet, but there are apparent left wing people on social media running lines about covid being a boomer clear out. It's grossly anti-social, although not surprising given we've had a year of sustained ageism against older people. I know this is not what you are doing, but tensions are high and using language like that at all adds fuel to the fire.
Of those most at risk (those over 70), most are not boomers.
PS
1. I would not describe criticism of the boomer legacy as ageism, there are many critics who are boomers themselves (just as there are Jewish critics of Likud ultra-nationalist Zionism).
2. The idea that criticism of those in power (aging white men) is ageist, racist and sexist is one of the great deceits of our time.
Given that the vast majority of 'aging white men' are no more 'powerful' than any other person, it's one of the great deceits of our time to smear them as an identity group on that entirely bogus basis.
I suggest you travel to any other nation that is numerically dominated by some other ethnicity, and find out just how much 'white privilege' counts for fuck all.
"Of those most at risk (those over 70), most are not boomers."
Might want to tell the ageist, bye boomer fucks that. Not that it will make a difference, because prejudice doesn't care about facts.
1. I would not describe criticism of the boomer legacy as ageism, there are many critics who are boomers themselves (just as there are Jewish critics of Likud ultra-nationalist Zionism).
I wouldn't either. But that's not what I referred to. 'Ok Boomer' being used to dismiss people's arguments or thoughts based on perception of age and/or mentality was always going to intersect with the ageist strain in our society.
People thinking, and actively expressing, that it's ok for elderly people to die is just a more obvious extreme. We treat elderly people badly already, and it's no surprise that the Boomer Remover meme is inaccurate and arising fast.
Lefties defended Ok Boomer in a way that wouldn't have been tolerated for other groups, as if older people are only priviledged. We threw intersectionality out the windor. It's ridiculous, and utterly unnecessary. There's no good reason why we couldn't have coined a different terms that focuses on wealth instead of age/generation. But the reasons we didn't are related to ageism.
Even more a stupid characterisation when many of the advantages that they think boomers got, actually happened for the previous generation.
For example 80% of pre boomers retired owning their own home. It looks like it is heading towards 55% of boomers, the "lucky" generation that were restructured out of work, by Rogernomics, paid 60% top tax rate so Rob's mob could retire at 60, and the children of the rich could get, "free" university, and paid 22% interest rates.
Even the people that started the Neo-liberal, “unfortunate experiment” that caused the problems for young people, were not, “boomers”.
As always, blaming beneficiaries, the old, and anyone else they can think of is used to mask the real culprits, the lazy entitled children of the rich, of all generations.
Looking at those tweets, are they talking about removing someone from politics rather than covid deaths? Or both? I've just seen it as a meme re covid, but was it in use before that?
Did Amy Goodman ever call Timothy McVeigh a "U.S. Opposition leader"?
Reading out the "War and Peace Report" at the start of Democracy Now! the other night, Amy Goodman identified the absurd, incompetent and discredited putschist Juan Guaidó with the bland title "Venezuelan Opposition leader."
Quite right, AB. I am an admirer of Amy Goodman, but I was disturbed when she read that little propaganda nugget with about the same level of awareness that, say, Simon Dallow brings to his newsreading.
Saying it was the best way to ensure he didn’t contaminate the Australian population any further, authorities have ordered Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton to spend the next 5-8 years in isolation on Manus Island.
A health department spokesperson said he realised it was an inconvenience for Mr Dutton, but assured him that Australia’s processes were very efficient.
“This is actually a very quick and humane process and Mr Dutton can expect to be reunited with his family in 2025, maybe even later”.
The spokesperson said Mr Dutton would be free to move around the island. “I’m sure there will be plenty to keep him entertained over the next few years”.
Asked whether Mr Dutton would be allowed to be transferred temporarily to Australia for medical treatment if required, the spokesperson said ‘no’. “That would set an unrealistic precedent of compassion”.
While the msm choose not to investigate or report on the problems with OPCW governance, the issue is not going to go away in a hurry.
A fourth OPCW whistleblower has emerged to defend the two veteran inspectors who challenged a cover-up of the chemical weapons probe in Douma, Syria. The new whistleblower lamented that other staffers have been “frightened into silence.”
"There is still no mechanism at the organisation to enable the calling out of irregular behaviour to protect the integrity of the organisation. It is quite unbelievable that valid scientific concerns are being brazenly ignored in favour of a predetermined narrative. "
Thanks for that, Brigid. Sadly, though, such rigorous and serious journalism holds no sway with broadcasters (and therefore shapers of middlebrow opinion) as Kim Hill, John Campbell, and Jesse Mulligan.
The essential is to ensure the health system is able to cope (safety gear for staff, enough pulmonary respirators) – which means the “lockdown” approach when threat to it emerges.
The problem when doing this when the number cases is still low, is that this number of low instances will recur and recur – so how often does one lockdown?
In China they have replaced societal lockdown with more targeted hyper activity to stop spread (which we are doing at the moment).
Do you think that we actually have a reliable value for the number of cases there are? You suggest that it is still low but how can we know that? After all there is a claim at the link below that the person showed all the symptoms of the disease but testing was refused.
Wouldn't it be better to test people a little more freely. If the symptoms reported match the ones we are supposed to look for carry out a test. Better to know real numbers rather than fool ourselves with false numbers that are too low.
Singapore, which seems to be doing very well at detecting and isolating victims seems to be doing very well in that regard.
I would presume as soon as we know of community spread there will be places people can go to be tested – containers or caravans in car-parks/drive by zones (and those who have no vehicle a van that goes to their houses).
It depends how many test kits are available. If they are a scarce resource then it's not worth using them on otherwise well people who can self-isolate and recover in their own home. It's best to keep them for people who need hospital care so that the hospital staff and other patients can be protected.
Wouldn't it be better to test people a little more freely. If the symptoms reported match the ones we are supposed to look for carry out a test. Better to know real numbers rather than fool ourselves with false numbers that are too low.
Absolutely … we're making the same mistake as the US & other Western Nations. If we're genuinely interested in containment, delay & quickly detecting any signs of community spread then we need to drop this ludicrously restrictive test criteria.
Again, we're in Don't Test / Don't Tell territory … setting ourselves up for a major fall.
Let's shut down all labwork except for covid-19 tests. If we have all the material resources for the tests, any lab techs not doing the actual tests are in training to learn the protocols.
Now people start dropping dead because none of those other tests are being done. So there's a line between the resources we allocate and (to use the economic term) the "opportunity cost" of allocating those resources to a particular condition.
Lady got sick. She's worried she infected immunosuppressed kids with covid-19, even though she doesn't meet the criteria for diagnostic (rather than screening) testing.
I'm worried she infected those kids with something else.
Sanders has called for Trump to be tested after his exposure to the Bolsonaro aide with Covid-19. Here is Trump's anticipated post-test announcement – a bit ahead of time:
I had the coronavirus test – it was a very strong test. I was totally exonerated, there was no sign of the virus. I have a very strong constitution, maybe the strongest ever, history will tell. The doctors said "Sir you have a very strong constitution, scientifically speaking". The virus was very weak when it came up against my constitution – very weak. The doctors thought it almost looked like fake virus – or at least very weak. Or fake. History will tell. If you have a strong constitution you won't get this foreign virus. It's a foreign virus from the outside and we won't let it take over our country. We've built the best economy ever to fight the foreign virus. We are cutting taxes to make the economy stronger, stronger than the virus. It's like a wall, an antivirus wall against foreign viruses and people bringing it in. If you haven't got a strong constitution it's not good, not good. We might lose some people to the foreign virus. We hope not but we're doing a great job. Maybe there's not much we can do if you haven't got a strong constitution, though we can make the economy stronger, much stronger, they say the best ever. We need people with strong constitutions to fight the virus, if you're weak maybe that's not what we need? We'll see, history will tell . Thank-you
And while he is untested everyone else at the White House is at risk (and those they meet) – and if they they want to be responsible will have to get tested. And presumably if any test positive the Donald will be angry at them if they make that result public.
But then given the age of those on Capitol Hill, this may be Trump finally acting on his promise to drain the swamp …
Personally i am not too worried about the illness itself, but the economic outfall from having the world shut down. How much of our medicine comes from overseas? Spare parts? Water treatment chemicals? and so on ….that is what i think will be long term a bigger issue then the 'flu' itself.
She lives rural and goes to town about once a month. We visited her a few days ago to speak about the virus and how we wanted to go about as a family. We live a bit all over and it does help to know where the others are at. And as we had tea and spoke about it she said the following: I could not find panadol anywhere in town, do you think it is because of it. She is old stock NZ she does not do panic buying.
There was a time Sabine, within the memory of some who comment here, that NZ imported sweet fuck all.
We made stuff….even tellyvisions and cars and clothing and machinery. We made socks.
We were not quite self-sufficient, but fairly close to it.
My bet is that we will do just fine…those that survive. We just need to try and make sure some of those really useful (but recently scorned) No.8 wire types keep kicking.
If this wee virus destroys The Economy, sinks the Good Ship Capitalism…that's fine by me.
If this wee virus destroys The Economy, sinks the Good Ship Capitalism…that's fine by me.
Reset time.
Hopefully.
Didn't take you for some who wished for the mass death of billions …
Incidentally the last great crisis we experienced in the Western world that killed a large fraction of the population was the Black Death, which is directly implicated in the end of feudalism and the beginnings of capitalism. So it's not obvious that the collapse you are hoping for will deliver the utopian outcome you dream of.
You don't think capitalism is going to cause "the mass death of billions"?
Forgotten about human caused global warming, already?
Which is already caused many more deaths than the virus is likely too.
Unless we find an alternative to the constant growth, necessitated by capitalisms, constant drive to find ever more elaborate ways of ripping other people off, and using ever more resources, we are fucked!
Yup, we made shit cars that cost a fortune (in my youth three times as many people/capita died on our roads than last year), a set of re-treaded tyres cost a months wages, a car battery cost three weeks wages, TV's were close to $5k in today's money, clothes were three times today's prices, shoes were shit and an affordable pair of NZ made socks barely lasted a school term.
The top,end of town got locally assembled complete knockdown kits. The rest of us had to settle for semi knocked down kits, assembled with locally made components.
Not correct 4 eyes. Car assembly was an import substitution regime. Hence CKD packs required glass, batteries, tyres, upholstery and wiring looms-all NZ manufactured. I spent 20 years in the industry and know a bit about it’s history.
Wages were in line with costs. So a high wage economy meant that production costs were high. But the overall effect was a more equitable economy. By the way not all locally produced items were crap. The NZ clothing industry, NZ carpets, The NZ made tyres were actually exported – large countries concentrated on standard sizes and the NZ tyre industry supplied many of the older but still in some demand tyre sizes. We had the moulds and the older machinery. The loss of the PYE factory from Waihi meant the town suffered a huge loss of high payed employment. Now despite having the largest gold mine in the country – the town has one of lowest socio-economic areas in NZ.
Then you'll know full well that the NZ of my youth was a staid, authoritarian shit hole that chopped down anyone who stood up or stood out. It was a racist, sexist, society, dominated and controlled by the whims and wants of a small, select group; boorish white men and their tradwives. Your averring that somehow my recollections of just how miserable and overpriced the place was are wrong reminds me of those boors.
Almost always from a position of intellectual arrogance, about how boring and expensive New Zealand was. In other words, working class people were too comfortable, and didn't appreciate the "specialness" of "superior" people.
The fact that, in that "boring shithole" almost all kids were fed, housed, could look forward to a decently paid job, where you could afford to spend holidays at the beach, and go tramping and sailing, and could get a good education, doesn't figure, because now, a few can get much richer, and we have cheap TV's.
The fact that many, even in a full time job, now cannot afford food or a house, means that NZ for most, is way more "expensive" than back then.
We were never comfortable. We were never able to spend holidays at the beach, and go tramping and sailing. My education stopped at the 5th form and I was never able pursue such a formidable array of middle-class pastimes as yourself and then list them as interests.
But thanks for the reminder that many of today's righteous
pontificators from the left are supercilious twats.
Writing on The Conversation, Griffith University’s Professor Mark Pearson offered some tips for balancing our need to know what’s happening with taking care of our mental health, including:
Avoiding 24/7 news channels,
Seeking out informative, long-form journalism, and
Using primary sources where possible, such as the WHO or Ministry of Health.
It’s also essential that we interrogate where information is coming from. This is the time to tune into your inner sceptic and think before you share.
The UK's chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance previously said that shutting down mass events would not have a "big effect" on transmission rates, but he did not rule out such a move going forward. Whitehall sources said the government's approach has not changed but there are concerns about the burden that large events might put on health services and the police.
The Welsh RU has admitted the reason why they cancelled the 6 Nations game with Scotland was because everything else had been called off (following the herd).
The Tory government leading from behind on this one.
But as their adviser has noted this (outdoor events) will make little difference to transmission rates (schools/universities and bars/restaurants/clubs/theatres and retail/workplaces will ensure spread).
Now sure I will always slag this lot off for weak domestic policy, but we have such a sensible and resolute Prime Minister in a crisis. Here's her key points from this afternoon:
Effective from midnight Sunday, all travellers, except for those coming from the Pacific islands, will have to self-isolate for 14 days on their arrival to New Zealand
The PM says the rules are the toughest in the world
She told New Zealanders not to travel overseas if they don't have to and issued stark advice: no hugs, hongi or handshakes
All cruise ships have been asked to not come to NZ until June 30
There will also be further announcements on mass gatherings
Shocking admission by Simon Bridges today: the National Party are not New Zealanders!
He tweeted:
"It’s good to see coronavirus being treated with more seriousness and urgency for the good of our country after a lot of pressure from National and New Zealanders."
We are looking forward to more detail about exactly how self isolation will work and be enforced. This is critically important. (2/3)
I smell Law & Order and a potential for electioneering.
Self-isolation guidance
…
We are asking people to take simple, common-sense steps to avoid close contact with other people as much as possible, like you would with the seasonal flu virus. We know it is a stressful time, but taking these measures will help protect you, your family, and all of New Zealand from COVID-19 and other common infectious diseases. [my italics]
Update:
Iraqi military says 33 rockets used in Taji base attack.
3 U.S. and 2 Iraqi soldiers have critical injuries.
Reuters reports:
The Iraqi military said the U.S. or other foreign forces should not use the attack as pretext to take military action without Iraq's approval. It called on all foreign troops to quickly implement a parliamentary resolution calling for their withdrawal.
Taji whack again folks, two US Air Defence personal (US Army Ground Base Air Defence) have received serious life threatening injuries.
The odds are shorting for a NZ & Australian casualties in the near future if the Iranian back militias keep this steady rate of rocket attacks.
If they want to stop these attacks on Taji someone needs to be actively patrolling on foot 24/7 right up to the rocket line the furthest limit of where a rocket can be successfully launched and be guaranteed a hit.
"Let’s imagine as total a shutdown of Britain as it is possible to manage. Schools closed, offices empty, shops shut – save those selling food. Minimal public transport. Airports closed. Older people deliberately isolated."
"At this point, Boris Johnson and his advisers argue, they would run slap bang into the waiting Coronavirus. There would be health service carnage."
<snip>
"In that way, the population will acquire “herd immunity”. This will beat the virus in the medium term, and flatten its peak in the short – staggering out those hospital admissions over time, and thus preventing the NHS from being over-run completely. This is the core of the case argued this week by Patrick Vallance.
That it is made by the Government’s Chief Scientific Officer doesn’t mean that it represents “the science”. For strictly speaking, there is no such thing.
Rather, Johnson is being guided by a plan partly based on a certain scientific reading of events. Some scientists agree with it; others don’t. That’s in the nature of the beast. Probably because, as ConservativeHome keeps repeating, the decisions that the Government must make are not scientific, but political."
The show looks a bit worse for wear with the extra early wake up.
Twins.
What a rude person you are Duncan talking over the top of our Prime Minister. Use are just upset that our government is handling this virus situation well.
You want some more tissue for use and your m8s.
Earthquake in Christchurch this morning.???.
The Reserve Bank of New Zealand's dropped the official cash rate to 0.25.%.
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Looking at the headlines this morning it’s hard to feel anything other than pessimistic about the future of humanity.Note that I’m not speaking about the future of mankind, but the survival of our humanity. The values that we believe in seem to be ebbing away, by the day.Perhaps every generation ...
Swabbing mixed breed baby chicks to test for avian influenzaUh oh. Bird flu – often deadly to humans – is not only being transmitted from infected birds to dairy cows, but is now travelling between dairy cows. As of last Friday, Bloomberg News reports, there were 32 American dairy herds ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
What is it with the mining industry? Its not enough for them to pillage the earth - they apparently can't even be bothered getting resource consent to do so: The proponent behind a major mine near the Clutha River had already been undertaking activity in the area without a ...
Photo # 1 I am a huge fan of Singapore’s approach to housing, as described here two years ago by copying and pasting from The ConversationWhat Singapore has that Australia does not is a public housing developer, the Housing Development Board, which puts new dwellings on public and reclaimed land, ...
Buzz from the Beehive Reactions to news of the government’s readiness to make urgent changes to “the resource management system” through a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) suggest a balanced approach is being taken. The Taxpayers’ Union says the proposed changes don’t go far enough. Greenpeace says ...
I’m starting to wonder if Anna Burns-Francis might be the best political interviewer we’ve got. That might sound unlikely to you, it came as a bit of a surprise to me.Jack Tame can be excellent, but has some pretty average days. I like Rebecca Wright on Newshub, she asks good ...
Chris Trotter writes – Willie Jackson is said to be planning a “media summit” to discuss “the state of the media and how to protect Fourth Estate Journalism”. Not only does the Editor of The Daily Blog, Martyn Bradbury, think this is a good idea, but he has also ...
Graeme Edgeler writes – This morning [April 21], the Wellington High Court is hearing a judicial review brought by Hon. Karen Chhour, the Minister for Children, against a decision of the Waitangi Tribunal. This is unusual, judicial reviews are much more likely to brought against ministers, rather than ...
Both of Parliament’s watchdogs have now ripped into the Government’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s political economy and beyond on the morning of Tuesday, April 23 are:The Lead: The Auditor General,John Ryan, has joined the ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Sarah SpengemanPeople wait to board an electric bus in Pune, India. (Image credit: courtesy of ITDP) Public transportation riders in Pune, India, love the city’s new electric buses so much they will actually skip an older diesel bus that ...
The infrastructure industry yesterday issued a “hurry up” message to the Government, telling it to get cracking on developing a pipeline of infrastructure projects.The hiatus around the change of Government has seen some major projects cancelled and others delayed, and there is uncertainty about what will happen with the new ...
Hi,Over the weekend I revisited a podcast I really adore, Dead Eyes. It’s about a guy who got fired from Band of Brothers over two decades ago because Tom Hanks said he had “dead eyes”.If you don’t recall — 2001’s Band of Brothers was part of the emerging trend of ...
Buzz from the Beehive The 180 or so recipients of letters from the Government telling them how to submit infrastructure projects for “fast track” consideration includes some whose project applications previously have been rejected by the courts. News media were quick to feature these in their reports after RMA Reform Minister Chris ...
It would not be a desirable way to start your holiday by breaking your back, your head, or your wrist, but on our first hour in Singapore I gave it a try.We were chatting, last week, before we started a meeting of Hazel’s Enviro Trust, about the things that can ...
Calling all journalists, academics, planners, lawyers, political activists, environmentalists, and other members of the public who believe that the relationships between vested interests and politicians need to be scrutinised. We need to work together to make sure that the new Fast-Track Approvals Bill – currently being pushed through by the ...
Feel worried. Shane Jones and a couple of his Cabinet colleagues are about to be granted the power to override any and all objections to projects like dams, mines, roads etc even if: said projects will harm biodiversity, increase global warming and cause other environmental harms, and even if ...
Bryce Edwards writes- The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. ...
Michael Bassett writes – If you think there is a move afoot by the radical Maori fringe of New Zealand society to create a parallel system of government to the one that we elect at our triennial elections, you aren’t wrong. Over the last few days we have ...
Without a corresponding drop in interest rates, it’s doubtful any changes to the CCCFA will unleash a massive rush of home buyers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate on Monday, April 22 included:The Government making a ...
Sunday was a lazy day. I started watching Jack Tame on Q&A, the interviews are usually good for something to write about. Saying the things that the politicians won’t, but are quite possibly thinking. Things that are true and need to be extracted from between the lines.As you might know ...
In our Weekly Roundup last week we covered news from Auckland Transport that the WX1 Western Express is going to get an upgrade next year with double decker electric buses. As part of the announcement, AT also said “Since we introduced the WX1 Western Express last November we have seen ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 29 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Stats NZ releases its statutory report on Census 2023 tomorrow.Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivers a pre-Budget speech at ...
A listing of 29 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 14, 2024 thru Sat, April 20, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week hinges on these words from the abstract of a fresh academic ...
The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. The Government says this will ...
This is a column to say thank you. So many of have been in touch since Mum died to say so many kind and thoughtful things. You’re wonderful, all of you. You’ve asked how we’re doing, how Dad’s doing. A little more realisation each day, of the irretrievable finality of ...
Identifying the engine type in your car is crucial for various reasons, including maintenance, repairs, and performance upgrades. Knowing the specific engine model allows you to access detailed technical information, locate compatible parts, and make informed decisions about modifications. This comprehensive guide will provide you with a step-by-step approach to ...
Introduction: The allure of racing is undeniable. The thrill of speed, the roar of engines, and the exhilaration of competition all contribute to the allure of this adrenaline-driven sport. For those who yearn to experience the pinnacle of racing, becoming a race car driver is the ultimate dream. However, the ...
Introduction Automobiles have become ubiquitous in modern society, serving as a primary mode of transportation and a symbol of economic growth and personal mobility. With countless vehicles traversing roads and highways worldwide, it begs the question: how many cars are there in the world? Determining the precise number is a ...
Maintaining a safe and reliable vehicle requires regular inspections. Whether it’s a routine maintenance checkup or a safety inspection, knowing how long the process will take can help you plan your day accordingly. This article delves into the factors that influence the duration of a car inspection and provides an ...
Mazda Motor Corporation, commonly known as Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The company was founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd., and began producing vehicles in 1931. Mazda is primarily known for its production of passenger cars, but ...
Your car battery is an essential component that provides power to start your engine, operate your electrical systems, and store energy. Over time, batteries can weaken and lose their ability to hold a charge, which can lead to starting problems, power failures, and other issues. Replacing your battery before it ...
In most states, you cannot register a car without a valid driver’s license. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. Exceptions to the RuleIf you are under 18 years old: In some states, you can register a car in your name even if you do not ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
The protest outside the White House correspondents’ dinner hotel. Image: Anatolu video screenshot APR More than two dozen Palestinian journalists had called for a boycott of the dinner, writing an open letter urging their American colleagues not to attend. “You have a unique responsibility to speak truth to power and ...
“Our exporters should, therefore, be deeply concerned that the Fast-track Approvals Bill was not assessed for consistency with any of our free trade commitments prior to being introduced to the House,” says Gary Taylor, Chief Executive of the Environmental ...
NZCTU President Richard Wagstaff is calling on all political parties to support the new Member’s Bill from Labour’s workplace relations and safety spokesperson Camilla Belich MP that would ensure negligent companies are held accountable when their employees ...
A historian with an uncanny track record of predicting US election winners tells RNZ's Sunday Morning that President Biden looks to be on track for another term, but things could still go very wrong for him. ...
A historian with a track record of predicting US election winners tells RNZ's Sunday Morning that President Biden looks to be on track for another term, but things could still go wrong for him. ...
Ngaio Marsh House is one of Christchurch’s best kept secrets – and contains more than a few mysteries of its own.Trust Ngaio Marsh to leave more than a few mysteries scattered through her house long after her departure. For a start, there’s the curious concrete portal in the garden, ...
Appointment viewing has been lost to the mists of time, but memories of Montana Sunday Theatre can still be conjured by hitting play on a particular piece of classical music. “You’re not going to be able to sell it.” Over 30 years on, Karen Bieleski still recalls how the task ...
Performance Review King Luxon sat behind His massive polished oak desk. It is Performance Review time. There is a knock on the door. “Enter!” says the King. In steps Minister of Disabilities and Carer Pedicures, Penny Simmonds. “I can explain everything …” she begins. “Fine,” says King Luxon, pressing the ...
The pair opened their first fully collaborative exhibition, Nina for Flowers, last Saturday. Gabi Lardies visited their studio to find out who Nina is and what working together was like.‘It didn’t start out like, ‘This is a show about Nina,’” says Josephine Jelicich, gripping a thermos of peppermint tea. ...
Thank you, Dr Maximilian Oskar Bircher-Benner, for your brilliant invention. I’m another mid-20s Kiwi who had an OE last year. I hopped on my bicycle where France meets the Atlantic and cycled east. I pedalled through the Loire Valley, down rivers lined with willows and ancient wisteria-draped chateaus. I relished ...
Asia Pacific Report From France to Australia, university pro-Palestine protests in the United States have now spread to several countries with students pitching on-campus camps. And students at Columbia and other US universities remain defiant as campuses have witnessed the biggest protests since the anti-Vietnam war and anti-apartheid eras in ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards, Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)New Zealand Government’s Fast Track legislation. Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government ...
Tara Ward talks to presenter Naomi Toilalo about the new TV show that turns food waste into a three course feast. Naomi Toilalo is standing in the warehouse at Good Neighbour Tauranga, helping unpack the two-and-a-half tonnes of rejected food that will arrive at the community support hub that day. ...
Scout is our latest Dog of the Month. This feature was offered as a reward during our What’s Eating Aotearoa PledgeMe campaign. Thank you to Scout’s human, Avril, for her support. Dog name: Scout (named after the little girl in To Kill a Mockingbird – she inherited the independent spirit ...
Megan Alatini takes us through her life in TV, including ‘terrible’ daytime TV, the class of Carol Hirschfeld and her most embarrassing TrueBliss moment. When she responded to a vague newspaper ad asking “do you have what it takes to be a popstar?” 25 years ago, Megan Alatini never guessed ...
A new exhibition in Wellington showcases the faces behind your local goods and services. Back in 1977, when I was a fine arts student at the University of Canterbury, I took a series of photographs of Christchurch shopkeepers. The photos were for a calendar – a project for my end ...
Toomaj and his resistance to tyranny through his songs have become an icon for the youth of Iran, so his sentence has hit the nation hard. Toomaj Salehi is not the first artist to pay the price for standing with the people. ...
My cousin Dylan and I spotted these big eels under the bridge that summer. We watched them lounging under the dark weed, facing into the flow of water, their mouths frozen open. Dylan and I couldn’t stop thinking about those eels. The night we went down to the creek, we ...
Newsroom, home of satire. My long-running weekly satirical series The Secret Diary has moved to Newsroom and will appear every Saturday, with Victor Billot’s wildly popular satirical Odes continuing to appear every Sunday. Diaries, Odes – while serious political columnists toil at meaningful opinions and stroke their chins to an ...
Tara Ward unravels the many nuanced layers of a cartoon about talking dogs.This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. It’s not often an episode of a children’s cartoon has adults sobbing into their sleeves, but that’s exactly what happened this week when ...
Working as a doctor in developing countries to help communities achieve better health outcomes is nothing short of a life goal for Jessica Tater. The University of Otago medical student has her sights firmly set on joining the international humanitarian organisation Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) when she qualifies ...
There’s an island in the far reaches of Auckland’s territory, sitting off the tip of the Coromandel Peninsula, 30 minutes by air from the city or four hours on the slow boat. Aotea Great Barrier is off-grid, it has a population of fewer than a thousand people … and most ...
Asia Pacific Report An Australian author and advocate, Jim Aubrey, today led a national symbolic one minute’s silence to mark the “blood debt” owed to Papuan allies during the Second World War indigenous resistance against the invading Japanese forces. “A promise to most people is a promise,” Aubrey said in ...
Asia Pacific Report The Freedom Flotilla is ready to sail to Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. All the required paperwork has been submitted to the port authority, and the cargo has been loaded and prepared for the humanitarian trip to the besieged enclave. However, organisers received word of an “administrative ...
Pacific Media Watch Palestine solidarity protesters today demonstrated at the Auckland headquarters of Television New Zealand, accusing the country’s major TV network of broadcasting “propaganda” backing Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. About 50 protesters targeted the main entrance to the TVNZ building near Sky Tower and also picketed a side ...
Opinion by Lynley Hood. Forty years on from my 1985 Fulbright Grant, my disquiet over the war in Gaza evoked some troubling questions. The answer to my first question – What is the primary purpose of the Fulbright Programme? – was on the Fulbright NZ website. It says: US Senator, ...
The ministers responsible for green-lighting major projects need to be open about potential conflicts of interest, says Transparency International. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Powell, Professor, Family and Sexual Violence, RMIT University It has been a particularly distressing start to the year. There is little that can ease the current grief of individuals, families and communities who have needlessly lost a loved one to men’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Lichen, the first described example of symbiosis.AdeJ Artventure/Shutterstock Once known only to those studying biology, the word symbiosis is now widely used. Symbiosis is the intimate ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim Hemsley, Head, Childhood Dementia Research Group, Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University Olena Ivanova/Shutterstock “Childhood” and “dementia” are two words we wish we didn’t have to use together. But sadly, around 1,400 ...
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A new Caste system?
A fascinating (and potentially disturbing) interview.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/2018738292/does-free-will-truly-exist
and a worrying observation for 'the left' at around the 25 minute mark
The NZ Herald's coverage of the pandemic is surely the final blow to its reputation as anything other than ill informed trash. Panicking mongering on a scale that will get them rightly censored in a state of emergency is not responsible. And having reliable geriatric Tories like Audrey Young whine the government isn't panicking like they think they should is hilarious.
What a shit show of a paper.
They appear to be painting the PM as a weak leader…making me picture the alternative and it's not good
The response when the inevitable boarder closure, in reality 14 quarantine for all arrivals, comes in next week, along with social distancing enforced by a state of emergency will be a sight to behold.
An alternate view is that the ground is being prepared for the above.
Audrey has always been an obedient servant of the party.
The only thing that would make her not a weak leader is to give money to rich people and call it a 'fiscal stimulus'. That would be heroic, novel/cutting edge, courageous, far-sighted, business-savvy, street smart, and (of course) make us want to have a beer with her. Fran would be giggly with dizzy delight and Audrey could keep insisting that we have always been at war with Eurasia.
😀
Which will, of course, "trickle down".
Latest predictions from Australia, 60% of Australia will catch coronavirus. Mortality rate of 2%
thats 300,000 Australians.
its not about panicking, it’s about putting in place drastic measures to prevent a catastrophic event.
but blame the paper and the 4th estate. Who else does the government listen too?
Well, well, well. This evening, Jacinda Ardern, after correctly consulting the Ministry of Health, introduced strong moves that we all know about now. And what does the crappy Herald's Heather du Plessis-Allen have to say?? Well, apparently our PM has dithered on just about everything, but now rashly made an attempt to look strong, which could cost our beloved country dearly. (Had she read Audrey Young's column?)
This rabid right-wing propaganda is laughable. I suspect that if du Plessis-Allen had half a brain, it would die of loneliness.
If the Government had acted sooner, National's fan boys would have been screaming about "economic sabotage".
And trying to figure out a way their cronies could make money out of it.
yes 100%
The overnight explosion of Covid cases in Spain should cause NZ to close the boarder for passengers.
My current timeline =
Virus peaks May-June
July WHO finially admits it "may" be contagious when the patient is asymptomatic (something which was known by researchers back in Janurary). They will also discover research showing the virus remains active on stainless steel benches for 9 days and on other surfaces for much longer than "a few hours" (research done in February) contradicting statements made by both WHO and the CDC.
July/August governments worldwide declare quarantine, but this time all will be untied in imposing serious consequences for breaches including jail and extremely high fines
September/Oct virus is defeated due to the mass global quarantine, at this point millions will have suffered needlessly
But, but…on the upside, the economy has been allowed to tick over almost as per usual.
Whew.
When a news report about The Virus can conclude without mention of the impact on The Economy will be the day that we can be comforted that the human impact has claimed priority status.
Fuck The Economy I say….arguably, from the POV of most of us, it was pretty much fucked anyways.
This is downright offensive…are they trying to kill off old people thus solving the pension crisis?
Ministry of Health says people who are unwell must stay away from rest homes for 48 hrs. If someone is unwell with Cvd then they remain contagious for at least 10 days after they recover according to research cited by Chris Martenson during one of the Peak Prosperity YT updates.
https://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/diseases-and-conditions/covid-19-novel-coronavirus/covid-19-novel-coronavirus-information-specific-audiences/covid-19-information-aged-care-providers
Always a good idea to check the info before you opine and criticise. Last time I checked, Chris Martenson doesn’t work for MoH but is or as a YouTuber.
Chris Martenson is more credible then our own health authorities imho which is why I mention his name. He's been ahead of this right from the start pointing out on his first caronavirus video on Jan 23 (US) that given the advice from WHO the chances of it not becoming a pandemic were zero.
Because gold buggers and parasitic property speculators will be our saviours.
//
https://twitter.com/kylegriffin1/status/1238469881294721024
It’s been clear that you hold Chris Martenson in high regard, which is your prerogative. As a YouTuber, he doesn’t he carry official responsibility nor is he accountable to anyone; he can say pretty much whatever he feels like. You might think he is an authority (on COVID-19?) but he has none.
If he cites research (not his own) that states that someone who is unwell with Cvd remains contagious for at least 10 days after they recover then this appears to be consistent with the advice that I quoted (stay away for 14 days). BTW, have you checked the cited research?
In any case, MoH isn’t WHO.
Your (rhetorical?) question whether they (MoH? NZ Government?) are trying “to kill off old people thus solving the pension crisis” is beyond absurd, IMHO.
Anyone who makes such a ludicrous statement – even if it is rhetorical – is not deserving of serious consideration.
"are they trying to kill off old people thus solving the pension crisis?"
A, I too am not ok with this rhetoric, and think you can make your points here without it. We haven't seen it here yet, but there are apparent left wing people on social media running lines about covid being a boomer clear out. It's grossly anti-social, although not surprising given we've had a year of sustained ageism against older people. I know this is not what you are doing, but tensions are high and using language like that at all adds fuel to the fire.
Of those most at risk (those over 70), most are not boomers.
PS
1. I would not describe criticism of the boomer legacy as ageism, there are many critics who are boomers themselves (just as there are Jewish critics of Likud ultra-nationalist Zionism).
2. The idea that criticism of those in power (aging white men) is ageist, racist and sexist is one of the great deceits of our time.
Given that the vast majority of 'aging white men' are no more 'powerful' than any other person, it's one of the great deceits of our time to smear them as an identity group on that entirely bogus basis.
Yeah I get it, liberals and lefties calling out privilege get in the way of … those with capital who own and decide the natural order of things….
I suggest you travel to any other nation that is numerically dominated by some other ethnicity, and find out just how much 'white privilege' counts for fuck all.
Who set the WTO rules, the Bretton Woods system etc?
"Of those most at risk (those over 70), most are not boomers."
Might want to tell the ageist, bye boomer fucks that. Not that it will make a difference, because prejudice doesn't care about facts.
I wouldn't either. But that's not what I referred to. 'Ok Boomer' being used to dismiss people's arguments or thoughts based on perception of age and/or mentality was always going to intersect with the ageist strain in our society.
People thinking, and actively expressing, that it's ok for elderly people to die is just a more obvious extreme. We treat elderly people badly already, and it's no surprise that the Boomer Remover meme is inaccurate and arising fast.
Lefties defended Ok Boomer in a way that wouldn't have been tolerated for other groups, as if older people are only priviledged. We threw intersectionality out the windor. It's ridiculous, and utterly unnecessary. There's no good reason why we couldn't have coined a different terms that focuses on wealth instead of age/generation. But the reasons we didn't are related to ageism.
I was quite ok with Michael Cullen’s “rich prick” 😉
So was I.
Not all rich are "pricks" and not all "pricks" are rich, so "rich pricks" is descriptive of a certain subset of wealthy people.
Even more a stupid characterisation when many of the advantages that they think boomers got, actually happened for the previous generation.
For example 80% of pre boomers retired owning their own home. It looks like it is heading towards 55% of boomers, the "lucky" generation that were restructured out of work, by Rogernomics, paid 60% top tax rate so Rob's mob could retire at 60, and the children of the rich could get, "free" university, and paid 22% interest rates.
Even the people that started the Neo-liberal, “unfortunate experiment” that caused the problems for young people, were not, “boomers”.
As always, blaming beneficiaries, the old, and anyone else they can think of is used to mask the real culprits, the lazy entitled children of the rich, of all generations.
thank-you so much for this analysis.
Berners and co are loving it
#BoomerRemover
Probably because Sanders (and Biden) is too old to be a boomer.
But what they overlook most of those vulnerable (over 70) are not boomers.
"Berners and co are loving it"
Are you sure? Or is it shitposters and trolls?
Looking at those tweets, are they talking about removing someone from politics rather than covid deaths? Or both? I've just seen it as a meme re covid, but was it in use before that?
More than a few among the profiles.
yeah, but did you check the accounts to see if they are genuine?
Did Amy Goodman ever call Timothy McVeigh a "U.S. Opposition leader"?
Reading out the "War and Peace Report" at the start of Democracy Now! the other night, Amy Goodman identified the absurd, incompetent and discredited putschist Juan Guaidó with the bland title "Venezuelan Opposition leader."
Amy is a gem – she's allowed some carelessly-chosen words at times (assuming she even wrote the bulletin)
Quite right, AB. I am an admirer of Amy Goodman, but I was disturbed when she read that little propaganda nugget with about the same level of awareness that, say, Simon Dallow brings to his newsreading.
Yeah – let's hope it's a one-off.
Peter Dutton ordered to self-isolate on Manus Island for 5 – 8 years.
Thanks – a good laugh; sometimes schadenfreude really is the best medicine.
Quite a gathering.
https://twitter.com/AusintheUS/status/1235997767476097026
Now here is an advert one can relate to:
https://twitter.com/thejuicemedia/status/1238667841655541760
If only that were an actual news report…
That is clever
Brilliant.
While the msm choose not to investigate or report on the problems with OPCW governance, the issue is not going to go away in a hurry.
A fourth OPCW whistleblower has emerged to defend the two veteran inspectors who challenged a cover-up of the chemical weapons probe in Douma, Syria. The new whistleblower lamented that other staffers have been “frightened into silence.”
"There is still no mechanism at the organisation to enable the calling out of irregular behaviour to protect the integrity of the organisation. It is quite unbelievable that valid scientific concerns are being brazenly ignored in favour of a predetermined narrative. "
https://thegrayzone.com/2020/03/12/opcw-whistleblower-mistreatment-douma-investigators/
Sunday's remembrance service for the Christchurch mosque attacks has been cancelled.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2020/03/christchurch-mosque-attack-memorial-cancelled.html
Thanks for that, Brigid. Sadly, though, such rigorous and serious journalism holds no sway with broadcasters (and therefore shapers of middlebrow opinion) as Kim Hill, John Campbell, and Jesse Mulligan.
Why every minute counts with coronavirus response. An easily readable post with graphs, the author keeps things moving along rather compellingly…
https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmedium.com%2F%40tomaspueyo%2Fcoronavirus-act-today-or-people-will-die-f4d3d9cd99ca%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR118RhKss6bdYlulF7sonGM3rQkaL249Z5e2WE3v_75KSOWQFb7We0-1Cs&h=AT2YT2pH7IfLK7bqRxYqtUdNkRmtcltr3B1RatEMbu6IoZe–EiVCe0FpGNlvn5iqQf93T8wBvz8_fQAGrdckBS9nCAKU9PuLhckCQpWaQpLX7dZr22gJlb3Wgjzs828zJqLXsJPTXW0E1jn9lbdd6737NG3vzdGjHDykWM
The essential is to ensure the health system is able to cope (safety gear for staff, enough pulmonary respirators) – which means the “lockdown” approach when threat to it emerges.
The problem when doing this when the number cases is still low, is that this number of low instances will recur and recur – so how often does one lockdown?
In China they have replaced societal lockdown with more targeted hyper activity to stop spread (which we are doing at the moment).
Do you think that we actually have a reliable value for the number of cases there are? You suggest that it is still low but how can we know that? After all there is a claim at the link below that the person showed all the symptoms of the disease but testing was refused.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/coronavirus/120277695/coronavirus-auckland-mums-request-to-be-tested-for-virus-rejected
Wouldn't it be better to test people a little more freely. If the symptoms reported match the ones we are supposed to look for carry out a test. Better to know real numbers rather than fool ourselves with false numbers that are too low.
Singapore, which seems to be doing very well at detecting and isolating victims seems to be doing very well in that regard.
Short answer no, not really.
I would presume as soon as we know of community spread there will be places people can go to be tested – containers or caravans in car-parks/drive by zones (and those who have no vehicle a van that goes to their houses).
It depends how many test kits are available. If they are a scarce resource then it's not worth using them on otherwise well people who can self-isolate and recover in their own home. It's best to keep them for people who need hospital care so that the hospital staff and other patients can be protected.
Absolutely … we're making the same mistake as the US & other Western Nations. If we're genuinely interested in containment, delay & quickly detecting any signs of community spread then we need to drop this ludicrously restrictive test criteria.
Again, we're in Don't Test / Don't Tell territory … setting ourselves up for a major fall.
Okey dokey then.
Let's shut down all labwork except for covid-19 tests. If we have all the material resources for the tests, any lab techs not doing the actual tests are in training to learn the protocols.
Now people start dropping dead because none of those other tests are being done. So there's a line between the resources we allocate and (to use the economic term) the "opportunity cost" of allocating those resources to a particular condition.
Lady got sick. She's worried she infected immunosuppressed kids with covid-19, even though she doesn't meet the criteria for diagnostic (rather than screening) testing.
I'm worried she infected those kids with something else.
Case number 6, a person returning from the USA (attended a church service here before symptoms).
Time to add to the list of nations where returnees go into 14 day isolation.
argh shit.
That one's a worry.
This fucker should hang by his heels.
https://twitter.com/Acyn/status/1238563294073384965
edit:
https://twitter.com/chrislhayes/status/1238552960524668928
https://twitter.com/SenSherrodBrown/status/1238571872779935744
Sanders has called for Trump to be tested after his exposure to the Bolsonaro aide with Covid-19. Here is Trump's anticipated post-test announcement – a bit ahead of time:
I had the coronavirus test – it was a very strong test. I was totally exonerated, there was no sign of the virus. I have a very strong constitution, maybe the strongest ever, history will tell. The doctors said "Sir you have a very strong constitution, scientifically speaking". The virus was very weak when it came up against my constitution – very weak. The doctors thought it almost looked like fake virus – or at least very weak. Or fake. History will tell. If you have a strong constitution you won't get this foreign virus. It's a foreign virus from the outside and we won't let it take over our country. We've built the best economy ever to fight the foreign virus. We are cutting taxes to make the economy stronger, stronger than the virus. It's like a wall, an antivirus wall against foreign viruses and people bringing it in. If you haven't got a strong constitution it's not good, not good. We might lose some people to the foreign virus. We hope not but we're doing a great job. Maybe there's not much we can do if you haven't got a strong constitution, though we can make the economy stronger, much stronger, they say the best ever. We need people with strong constitutions to fight the virus, if you're weak maybe that's not what we need? We'll see, history will tell . Thank-you
Shit you're being ironic. I didn't spot that the first time through ….
This is the problem with trying to be funny these days.
Sorry – I'm just imaging how even Covid-19 could be turned into some creepy, disgusting reinforcement of MAGA.
And while he is untested everyone else at the White House is at risk (and those they meet) – and if they they want to be responsible will have to get tested. And presumably if any test positive the Donald will be angry at them if they make that result public.
But then given the age of those on Capitol Hill, this may be Trump finally acting on his promise to drain the swamp …
Mar-a-PLago
https://twitter.com/KrisKetzKMBC/status/1238586300447547393
Maybe tRump is a "Super Carrier "? aka asymptomatic carrier. He would like that!
The greatest carrier, let me tell you!
Lovely thread.
https://twitter.com/leonardocarella/status/1238511612270690305
All of our 'social housing builders' and crappy apartment builders should watch this and learn about the importance of balconies, no matter how small.
they are truly important things.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/411738/live-ardern-briefs-media-following-covid-19-cabinet-committee-meeting
this is good.
let's hope it will help.
Personally i am not too worried about the illness itself, but the economic outfall from having the world shut down. How much of our medicine comes from overseas? Spare parts? Water treatment chemicals? and so on ….that is what i think will be long term a bigger issue then the 'flu' itself.
How much of our medicine comes from overseas?
Close to 100%. No reason to think it won’t continue to be shipped to NZ.
Well, it will have to be produced first before it can be shipped.
My Mother in Law was trying to buy panadol in Whakatane can could not find any anywhere. So you might want to check up on that.
China hopefully can go back to work – even if only running a half shift, but if it does not, then we are going to have an issue.
Same as with spare parts – my local car fixer is getting worried, parts are not coming, it appears.
my own raw material supplier already announced price increases for may, i have been hording since January but it will only last so long.
Fuck it, but we are living in intersting times.
"My Mother in Law was trying to buy panadol in Whakatane can could not find any anywhere. So you might want to check up on that. "
Bit of panic buying maybe ? There's certainly a crap load of paracetamols registered and available in NZ from lots of different manufacturers.
https://medsafe.govt.nz/regulatory/DbSearch.asp
Supply issues aren't new.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/376495/national-paracetamol-shortage-leads-to-restrictions
She lives rural and goes to town about once a month. We visited her a few days ago to speak about the virus and how we wanted to go about as a family. We live a bit all over and it does help to know where the others are at. And as we had tea and spoke about it she said the following: I could not find panadol anywhere in town, do you think it is because of it. She is old stock NZ she does not do panic buying.
There are a few big local companies like Douglas Pharmaceuticals that do excellent cheap generics of some medicines.
good. good. 🙂
Yep – don't think they supply many in NZ anymore though, mostly just do vitamins and such like for NZ these days.
https://medsafe.govt.nz/regulatory/DbSearch.asp
Most of our pharmaceutical medicines come from other companies who manufacture in Asia and Europe.
https://douglas.co.nz/products/prescription-products
Indeed not many left compared to how many they used to provide in NZ and most of those on the page are manufactured offshore by other companies.
As I've pointed out the vast majority of pharmaceuticals supplied in NZ come from offshore.
Correct, most of our medicines are imported, just like many other things that we depend on.
Some countries e.g. India have stopped exporting medicines so there could be a shortage of medicines.
Possibly, I read this in the Guardian or heard on Dr John Campbell's daily update a few days ago.
I'm expecting shortages of things, god knows what though.
There was a time Sabine, within the memory of some who comment here, that NZ imported sweet fuck all.
We made stuff….even tellyvisions and cars and clothing and machinery. We made socks.
We were not quite self-sufficient, but fairly close to it.
My bet is that we will do just fine…those that survive. We just need to try and make sure some of those really useful (but recently scorned) No.8 wire types keep kicking.
If this wee virus destroys The Economy, sinks the Good Ship Capitalism…that's fine by me.
Reset time.
Hopefully.
😉
If this wee virus destroys The Economy, sinks the Good Ship Capitalism…that's fine by me.
Reset time.
Hopefully.
Didn't take you for some who wished for the mass death of billions …
Incidentally the last great crisis we experienced in the Western world that killed a large fraction of the population was the Black Death, which is directly implicated in the end of feudalism and the beginnings of capitalism. So it's not obvious that the collapse you are hoping for will deliver the utopian outcome you dream of.
"Incidentally the last great crisis we experienced in the Western world that killed a large fraction of the population was the Black Death, "
I'd nominate the first world war followed by the influenza pandemic.
Great presentation from the late Hans Rosling. (@1.48)
Good point; Hans Rosling really pioneered the current methods of visual data driven analysis and I really like him.
But still it was the Black Death that is on the timeline with the beginnings of capitalism.
You don't think capitalism is going to cause "the mass death of billions"?
Forgotten about human caused global warming, already?
Which is already caused many more deaths than the virus is likely too.
Unless we find an alternative to the constant growth, necessitated by capitalisms, constant drive to find ever more elaborate ways of ripping other people off, and using ever more resources, we are fucked!
Yup, we made shit cars that cost a fortune (in my youth three times as many people/capita died on our roads than last year), a set of re-treaded tyres cost a months wages, a car battery cost three weeks wages, TV's were close to $5k in today's money, clothes were three times today's prices, shoes were shit and an affordable pair of NZ made socks barely lasted a school term.
/
Trekkas!
We assembled the cars and televisions … we made tyres.
The top,end of town got locally assembled complete knockdown kits. The rest of us had to settle for semi knocked down kits, assembled with locally made components.
Not correct 4 eyes. Car assembly was an import substitution regime. Hence CKD packs required glass, batteries, tyres, upholstery and wiring looms-all NZ manufactured. I spent 20 years in the industry and know a bit about it’s history.
The top end of town had to put up with the same shit. Nice.
yeah and a house was 20k.
Going back to locally producing shitty, over priced goods will make houses more affordable?
Wages were in line with costs. So a high wage economy meant that production costs were high. But the overall effect was a more equitable economy. By the way not all locally produced items were crap. The NZ clothing industry, NZ carpets, The NZ made tyres were actually exported – large countries concentrated on standard sizes and the NZ tyre industry supplied many of the older but still in some demand tyre sizes. We had the moulds and the older machinery. The loss of the PYE factory from Waihi meant the town suffered a huge loss of high payed employment. Now despite having the largest gold mine in the country – the town has one of lowest socio-economic areas in NZ.
well the inverse situation suggests it.
Not convinced all local goods were shitty,either.
Made in Hong Kong was the default for…'shitty'.
For a start, we are now importing shitty overpriced goods that last 6 months, if you are lucky. The NZ made whitewear, lasted 20 years or more.
The shitty knocked down cars were because we had to accept shitty, made for the colonies, crap from UK.
TV's were new technology back then. They were expensive, everywhere.
I was there. You?
Definitely.
Then you'll know full well that the NZ of my youth was a staid, authoritarian shit hole that chopped down anyone who stood up or stood out. It was a racist, sexist, society, dominated and controlled by the whims and wants of a small, select group; boorish white men and their tradwives. Your averring that somehow my recollections of just how miserable and overpriced the place was are wrong reminds me of those boors.
You must have lived in a different country.
Certainly not the one I grew up in.
/
https://www.blogger.com/profile/13583435107822078614
I heard statements like yours before.
Almost always from a position of intellectual arrogance, about how boring and expensive New Zealand was. In other words, working class people were too comfortable, and didn't appreciate the "specialness" of "superior" people.
The fact that, in that "boring shithole" almost all kids were fed, housed, could look forward to a decently paid job, where you could afford to spend holidays at the beach, and go tramping and sailing, and could get a good education, doesn't figure, because now, a few can get much richer, and we have cheap TV's.
The fact that many, even in a full time job, now cannot afford food or a house, means that NZ for most, is way more "expensive" than back then.
But it is more interesting now for you? Yay.
We were never comfortable. We were never able to spend holidays at the beach, and go tramping and sailing. My education stopped at the 5th form and I was never able pursue such a formidable array of middle-class pastimes as yourself and then list them as interests.
But thanks for the reminder that many of today's righteous
pontificators from the left are supercilious twats.
So far it's just a blip to the Kiwisaver.
Maybe for my industry we use up a bit of that Sick Leave accrual.
https://sciblogs.co.nz/lately-in-science/2020/03/14/news-coverage-drove-zika-interest/ [recommended reading]
From the Feeds on the RH side of The Standard homepage.
The UK is set to ban mass gatherings next week
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-51882897
The Welsh RU has admitted the reason why they cancelled the 6 Nations game with Scotland was because everything else had been called off (following the herd).
The Tory government leading from behind on this one.
But as their adviser has noted this (outdoor events) will make little difference to transmission rates (schools/universities and bars/restaurants/clubs/theatres and retail/workplaces will ensure spread).
Now sure I will always slag this lot off for weak domestic policy, but we have such a sensible and resolute Prime Minister in a crisis. Here's her key points from this afternoon:
https://www.odt.co.nz/news/national/cruise-ships-banned-all-overseas-arrivals-self-isolate
There have been some wonderful parodies on this site recently but you take first prize.
"we have such a sensible and resolute Prime Minister in a crisis".
In just a dozen words you have, with a straight face, come out with the funniest statement of the day.
Macro came up with a lovely opinion on Peter Dutton. It takes second place
https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-14-03-2020/#comment-1691295
Did fine with Christchurch massacre.
Pretty good on climate change response internationally.
Also good response on the Northland droughts.
And doing great on this one.
There's no leader in the country comes close.
your entertainment remains a priority, Alwyn
Covid 19 infection more serious in the elderly and in certain geographic areas. Antibody Dependent Enhancement a possible explanation.
sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1286457920300344
ADE has been shown to increase the severity of Dengue after previous infection.
science.sciencemag.org/content/358/6365/929
heh
https://twitter.com/west_on/status/1238552107147505664
The NHL was cancelled.
https://www.narcity.com/news/ca/sk/coronavirus-vaccine-made-in-saskatchewan-is-now-in-the-testing-stages
Shocking admission by Simon Bridges today: the National Party are not New Zealanders!
He tweeted:
"It’s good to see coronavirus being treated with more seriousness and urgency for the good of our country after a lot of pressure from National and New Zealanders."
https://twitter.com/simonjbridges/status/1238692711831502848
I smell Law & Order and a potential for electioneering.
https://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/diseases-and-conditions/covid-19-novel-coronavirus/covid-19-novel-coronavirus-health-advice-general-public/covid-19-novel-coronavirus-self-isolation [This page was last updated 14 March 2020.]
Dawn raids on old people?
Can't see that backfiring at all …
The responses to Simon’s tweets are brutal
No wonder the junior staffers who run his accounts get so emotional..
It did bring tears to my eyes …
Dammit ! We need a constructive opposition or we will become a matriarchy !
Camp Tagi in Iraq has just been attacked again.
https://www.twitter.com/SaadAbedine/status/1238743685115895808
Update:
Iraqi military says 33 rockets used in Taji base attack.
3 U.S. and 2 Iraqi soldiers have critical injuries.
Reuters reports:
The Iraqi military said the U.S. or other foreign forces should not use the attack as pretext to take military action without Iraq's approval. It called on all foreign troops to quickly implement a parliamentary resolution calling for their withdrawal.
https://mobile.reuters.com/article/amp/idUSKBN2110L4?__twitter_impression=true
Taji whack again folks, two US Air Defence personal (US Army Ground Base Air Defence) have received serious life threatening injuries.
The odds are shorting for a NZ & Australian casualties in the near future if the Iranian back militias keep this steady rate of rocket attacks.
If they want to stop these attacks on Taji someone needs to be actively patrolling on foot 24/7 right up to the rocket line the furthest limit of where a rocket can be successfully launched and be guaranteed a hit.
Could you remind me why our troops are still there ?
The Iraqi government responded to the attack by asking foreign forces to leave and to not fight back against those firing rockets at them.
"Let’s imagine as total a shutdown of Britain as it is possible to manage. Schools closed, offices empty, shops shut – save those selling food. Minimal public transport. Airports closed. Older people deliberately isolated."
"At this point, Boris Johnson and his advisers argue, they would run slap bang into the waiting Coronavirus. There would be health service carnage."
<snip>
"In that way, the population will acquire “herd immunity”. This will beat the virus in the medium term, and flatten its peak in the short – staggering out those hospital admissions over time, and thus preventing the NHS from being over-run completely. This is the core of the case argued this week by Patrick Vallance.
That it is made by the Government’s Chief Scientific Officer doesn’t mean that it represents “the science”. For strictly speaking, there is no such thing.
Rather, Johnson is being guided by a plan partly based on a certain scientific reading of events. Some scientists agree with it; others don’t. That’s in the nature of the beast. Probably because, as ConservativeHome keeps repeating, the decisions that the Government must make are not scientific, but political."
<snip>
https://www.conservativehome.com/thetorydiary/2020/03/johnsons-extra-virus-mission-to-help-save-the-world.html
Kia Ora The Am Show.
The show looks a bit worse for wear with the extra early wake up.
Twins.
What a rude person you are Duncan talking over the top of our Prime Minister. Use are just upset that our government is handling this virus situation well.
You want some more tissue for use and your m8s.
Earthquake in Christchurch this morning.???.
The Reserve Bank of New Zealand's dropped the official cash rate to 0.25.%.
Ka kite Ano
Kia Ora Newshub.
Shady move good on the defense move against him trying to get exclusive rights to a – – -.
Everyone has to be calm and careful and look for the positive phenomenon of this virus.
Ka kite Ano.
Kia Ora Te Ao Maori News.
Tangi should be able to continue you will just have to keep hygienic practices up and use the East Coast wave.
Yes most of the 100.000 students with out Internet will be Maori in rual places.
That panel found in Turanginui A Kiwa will be interesting.
Ka kite Ano
Kia Ora The Am Show.
EdTV
100.000 tamariki with out devices that could be used to educate them if our schools are closed because of the virus.
You should have seen the way your m8s reacted when I made that dig yesterday wow.
We will have to go back to the days of old one parent working and one at home there would need to be a few changes to the systems to make that work.
Its good to see a big company doing some thing for free to help it's tangata.
Going to the Auckland Islands watch out for the Great White Sharks there are a few of those in Aotearoa to.
If our country was ran fairly in the past there would be low unemployment in the regions.
Ka kite Ano.