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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Hi,If you’ve been digging through the newly launched Webworm store (orders are being dispatched worldwide as I type!) you’ll have noticed the best model we had was Calvin.This is Calvin.Calvin.Calvin is 7, and is the son of my producer over on Flightless Bird, Rob — aka “Wobby Wob”. Rob also ...
This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Adam Levy. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). Climate change is everywhere. And when something's everywhere it can feel like it's nowhere. So how do we get our heads ...
Its a law like gravity: whenever a right-wing government is elected, they start attacking democracy. And now, after talking to their Republican and Tory and Fidesz chums at the International Democracy Union forum in Wellington, National is doing it here, announcing plans to remove election-day enrolment. Or, to put it ...
Yesterday Winston Peters focussed his attention on the important matter at hand. Tweeting. Like the former, and quite possibly next, orange POTUS, from whom he takes much of his political strategy, Winston is an avid X’er.His message didn’t resemble an historic address this time. In fact it was more reminiscent ...
Buzz from the Beehive A significant decline in natural gas production has given Resources Minister Shane Jones an opportunity to reiterate his enthusiasm for the mining and burning of coal. For good measure, he has praised an announcement from Genesis Energy that it will resume importing coal. He and Energy ...
“Follow the money” is the classic directive to journalists trying to understand where power and influence lie in society. In terms of uncovering who influences various New Zealand political parties and governments, it therefore pays to look at who is funding them. The political parties are legally obliged to make ...
Rob MacCullough writes – Here is my subjective ranking on a “most-left” to “most-right” scale of most of our major NZ Universities, with some anecdotal (and at times amusing) evidence to back up the claim.Extreme Left Auckland University of TechnologyEvidenceThe ...
Eric Crampton writes – I hadn’t thought about this one until a helpful email showed up in my inbox.It’s pretty obvious that income tax thresholds should automatically index with inflation – whether to anchor the thresholds in percentiles of the income distribution, or to anchor against a real ...
Jacqui Van Der Kaay writes – Parliament’s speaker had no option but to refer Green MP Julie Anne Genter to the Privileges Committee for her behaviour in the House last Wednesday evening. The incident, in which she crossed the floor to wave a book and yell at National ...
Gary Judd writes – The Dean of the law school at the Auckland University of Technology is someone called Khylee Quince. I have been sent her social media posting in which she has, over the LawNews headline “Senior King’s Counsel files complaint about compulsory tikanga Maori studies for ...
Cleo Paskal writes – WASHINGTON, D.C.: ‘Many of us have received phone calls from [the opposing camp] telling them if they join the camp they will be given projects for their wards and $300,000 [around US$35,000] each’, says former Malaita Premier Daniel Suidani. The elections in Solomon Islands aren’t ...
With hindsight, it was inevitable that (a) Hamas would agree to the ceasefire deal brokered by Egypt and Qatar and that ( b) Israel would then immediately launch attacks on Rafah, regardless. We might have hoped the concessions made by Hamas would cause Israel to desist from slaughtering thousands more ...
Placards and mourners outside the Kilbirnie Mosque following the Christchurch terror attack: MSD has terminated the Kaiwhakaoranga service, which has been used by 415 families since the attacks. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The Government’s pledge to only cut ‘back office’ staff rather than ‘frontline’ services is on increasingly shaky ground, with ...
There’s been a few smaller public transport announcements over the last week or so that I thought I’d cover in a single post. Fareshare I’ve long called for Auckland Transport to offer a way to enable employer-subsidised public transport options. The need for this took on even more importance ...
Parliament’s speaker had no option but to refer Green MP Julie Anne Genter to the Privileges Committee for her behaviour in the House last Wednesday evening. The incident, in which she crossed the floor to wave a book and yell at National Minister Matt Doocey, reflects poorly on Genter and ...
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 ...
Who likes being sneered at? Nobody. Worse yet, when the sneerer has their facts all wrong, and might well be an idiot.The sneer in question is The adults are in charge now, and it is a sneer offered in retort to criticism of this new Government, no matter how well ...
When in government, Labour pushed to extend the Parliamentary term to four years, to reduce accountability and our ability to vote out a bad government. And now, they're trying to do it through the member's ballot, with a Four-Year Parliamentary Term Legislation Bill. The bill at least requires a referendum ...
A ballot for a single Member's Bill was held today, and the following bill was drawn: Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill (Hūhana Lyndon) The bill would prevent the government from stealing Māori land in breach of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. It ...
Simeon Brown, alongside Wayne Brown, is favouring a political figleaf now in exchange for loading up tens of millions in extra interest costs on Auckland ratepayers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Ratings agency Standard & Poor’s is pushing back hard at suggestions from Local Government Minister Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown ...
Buzz from the Beehive One headline-grabber from the Beehive yesterday was the OECD’s advice that the government must bring the Budget deficit under control or face higher interest rates. Another was the announcement of a $1.9 billion “investment” in Corrections over the next four years. In the best interests of ...
Chris Trotter writes – Had Zheng He’s fleet sailed east, not west, in the early Fifteenth Century, how different our world would be. There is little reason to suppose that the sea-going junks of the Ming Dynasty, among the largest and most sophisticated sailing vessels ever constructed, would have failed ...
David Farrar writes – Two articles give a useful contrast in balance. Both seek to be neutral explainer articles. This one in the Herald on Social Investment covers the pros and cons nicely. It links to critical pieces and talks about aspects that failed and aspects that are more ...
The tikanga regulations will compel law students to be taught that a system which does not conform with the rule of law is nevertheless law which should be observed and applied…Gary Judd KC writes – I have made a complaint to Parliament’s Regulation ...
The future of Te Huia, the train between Hamilton and Auckland, has been getting a lot of attention recently as current funding for it is only in place till the end of June. The government initially agreed to a five year trial, through to April 2026, but that was subject ...
TL;DR: Hamas has just agreed to Israel’s ceasefire plan. Nelson hospital’s rebuild has been cut back to save money. The OECD suggests New Zealand break up network monopolies, including in electricity. PM Christopher Luxon’s news conference on a prison expansion announcement last night was his messiest yet.Here’s my top six ...
A homicide in Ponsonby, a manhunt with a killer on the run. The nation’s leader stands before a press conference reassuring a frightened nation that he’ll sort it out, he’ll keep them safe, he’ll build some new prison spaces.Sorry what? There’s a scary dude on the run with a gun ...
Hi,I know it’s been awhile since there’s been any Webworm merch — and today that all changes!Over the last four months, I’ve been working with New Zealand artist Jess Johnson to create a series of t-shirts, caps and stickers that are infused with Webworm DNA — and as of right ...
The OECD’s chief economist yesterday laid it on the line for the new Government: bring the deficit under control or face higher Reserve Bank interest rates for longer. And to bring the deficit under control, she meant not borrowing for tax cuts. But there was more. Without policy changes—introducing a ...
After a hiatus of over four months Selwyn Manning and I finally got it together to re-start the “A View from Afar” podcast series. We shall see how we go but aim to do 2 episodes per month if possible. … Continue reading → ...
In 2008, the UK Parliament passed the Climate Change Act 2008. The law established a system of targets, budgets, and plans, with inbuilt accountability mechanisms; the aim was to break the cycle of empty promises and replace it with actual progress towards emissions reduction. The law was passed with near-universal ...
Buzz from the Beehive Local Water Done Well – let’s be blunt – is a silly name, but the first big initiative to put it into practice has gone done well. This success is reflected in the headline on an RNZ report:District mayors welcome Auckland’s new water deal with ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate ConnectionsA farmworker cleans the solar panels of a solar water pump in the village of Jagadhri, Haryana Country, India. (Photo credit: Prashanth Vishwanathan/ IWMI) Decisions made in India over the next few years will play a key role in global ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – The Children’s Minister, Karen Chhour, intends to repeal Section 7AA from the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 because it creates conflict between claimed Crown Treaty obligations and the child’s best interests. In her words, “Oranga Tamariki’s governing principles and its act should be colour ...
Geoffrey Miller writes – The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. ...
Brian Easton writes – This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be (I will report on them ...
Te Pāti Māori is showing extreme concern over the Environment Select Committees adoption of a lucky dip draw to determine hearings for the Fast Track Approvals bill. Of the 27,000 submissions, 2,900 requested to present. All organisations will be heard; however, the remaining 2,350 submitters will be subject to a ...
Today New Zealand First will introduce a Member’s Bill that will protect women’s spaces. The ‘Fair Access to Bathrooms Bill’ will require, primarily in the interest and safety of women and girls, that all new non-domestic publicly accessible buildings provide separate, clearly demarcated, unisex and single sex bathrooms. This Bill ...
The Green Party is welcoming Climate Change Minister Simon Watts’ continuation of Hon. James Shaw’s cross-party work on climate adaptation, now in the form of a Finance and Expenditure Committee Inquiry. ...
The National Government plans to cut 390 jobs at ACC, including roles in the areas of prevention of sexual violence, road safety and workplace safety. ...
The Government has been caught in opposition to evidence once again as it looks to usher in tried, tested and failed work seminar obligations for job-seeking beneficiaries. ...
The Green Party is welcoming the announcement by the Minister Responsible for RMA Reform Chris Bishop to approve most of the Wellington City Council’s District Plan recommendations. ...
David Seymour has failed to get the sweeping cuts he wanted to the free and healthy school lunch programme, Labour education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
Hon Willie Jackson has been invited by the Oxford Union to debate the motion “This House Believes British Museums are not Very British’ on May 23rd. ...
Green Party MP Hūhana Lyndon says her Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill is an opportunity to right some past wrongs around the alienation of Māori land. ...
A senior, highly respected King’s Counsel with decades of experience in our law courts, Gary Judd KC, has filed a complaint about compulsory tikanga Māori studies for law students - highlighting the utter depths of absurdity this woke cultural madness has taken our society. The tikanga regulations will compel law ...
The Government needs to be clear with the people of the Nelson Marlborough region about the changes it is considering for the Nelson Hospital rebuild, Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said. ...
Ministers must front up about which projects it will push through under its Fast Track Approvals legislation, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
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. ...
A high-level New Zealand political delegation in Honiara today congratulated the new Government of Solomon Islands, led by Jeremiah Manele, on taking office. “We are privileged to meet the new Prime Minister and members of his Cabinet during his government’s first ten days in office,” Deputy Prime Minister and ...
New Zealand voted in favour of a resolution broadening Palestine’s participation at the United Nations General Assembly overnight, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The resolution enhances the rights of Palestine to participate in the work of the UN General Assembly while stopping short of admitting Palestine as a full ...
Introduction Good morning. It’s a great privilege to be here at the 2024 Infrastructure Symposium. I was extremely happy when the Prime Minister asked me to be his Minister for Infrastructure. It is one of the great barriers holding the New Zealand economy back from achieving its potential. Building high ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced the upcoming Budget will include new funding of $571 million for Defence Force pay and projects. “Our servicemen and women do New Zealand proud throughout the world and this funding will help ensure we retain their services and expertise as we navigate an increasingly ...
New Zealand’s ability to cope with climate change will be strengthened as part of the Government’s focus to build resilience as we rebuild the economy, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “An enduring and long-term approach is needed to provide New Zealanders and the economy with certainty as the climate ...
Jobseeker beneficiaries who have work obligations must now meet with MSD within two weeks of their benefit starting to determine their next step towards finding a job, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “A key part of the coalition Government’s plan to have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker ...
A new standalone Social Investment Agency will power-up the social investment approach, driving positive change for our most vulnerable New Zealanders, Social Investment Minister Nicola Willis says. “Despite the Government currently investing more than $70 billion every year into social services, we are not seeing the outcomes we want for ...
Check against delivery Good morning. It is a pleasure to be with you to outline the Coalition Government’s approach to our first Budget. Thank you Mark Skelly, President of the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce, together with your Board and team, for hosting me. I’d like to acknowledge His Worship ...
Your Excellency Ambassador Meredith, Members of the Diplomatic Corps and Ambassadors from European Union Member States, Ministerial colleagues, Members of Parliament, and other distinguished guests, Thank you everyone for joining us. Ladies and gentlemen - In diplomacy, we often speak of ‘close’ and ‘long-standing’ relations. ...
The Therapeutic Products Act (TPA) will be repealed this year so that a better regime can be put in place to provide New Zealanders safe and timely access to medicines, medical devices and health products, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello announced today. “The medicines and products we are talking about ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop, today released his decision on twenty recommendations referred to him by the Wellington City Council relating to its Intensification Planning Instrument, after the Council rejected those recommendations of the Independent Hearings Panel and made alternative recommendations. “Wellington notified its District Plan on ...
Rape Awareness Week (6-10 May) is an important opportunity to acknowledge the continued effort required by government and communities to ensure that all New Zealanders can live free from violence, say Ministers Karen Chhour and Louise Upston. “With 1 in 3 women and 1 in 8 men experiencing sexual violence ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government will be delivering a more efficient Healthy School Lunches Programme, saving taxpayers approximately $107 million a year compared to how Labour funded it, by embracing innovation and commercial expertise. “We are delivering on our commitment to treat taxpayers’ money ...
New research on the impacts of extreme weather on coastal marine habitats in Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay will help fishery managers plan for and respond to any future events, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. A report released today on research by Niwa on behalf of Fisheries New Zealand ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters will lead a broad political delegation on a five-stop Pacific tour next week to strengthen New Zealand’s engagement with the region. The delegation will visit Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and Tuvalu. “New Zealand has deep and ...
There has been a material decline in gas production according to figures released today by the Gas Industry Co. Figures released by the Gas Industry Company show that there was a 12.5 per cent reduction in gas production during 2023, and a 27.8 per cent reduction in gas production in the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins tonight announced the recipients of the Minister of Defence Awards of Excellence for Industry, saying they all contribute to New Zealanders’ security and wellbeing. “Congratulations to this year’s recipients, whose innovative products and services play a critical role in the delivery of New Zealand’s defence capabilities, ...
Welcome to you all - it is a pleasure to be here this evening.I would like to start by thanking Greg Lowe, Chair of the New Zealand Defence Industry Advisory Council, for co-hosting this reception with me. This evening is about recognising businesses from across New Zealand and overseas who in ...
It is a pleasure to be speaking to you as the Minister for Digitising Government. I would like to thank Akolade for the invitation to address this Summit, and to acknowledge the great effort you are making to grow New Zealand’s digital future. Today, we stand at the cusp of ...
New Zealand is urging both Israel and Hamas to agree to an immediate ceasefire to avoid the further humanitarian catastrophe that military action in Rafah would unleash, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The immense suffering in Gaza cannot be allowed to worsen further. Both sides have a responsibility to ...
A new online data dashboard released today as part of the Government’s school attendance action plan makes more timely daily attendance data available to the public and parents, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. The interactive dashboard will be updated once a week to show a national average of how ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced Rosemary Banks will be New Zealand’s next Ambassador to the United States of America. “Our relationship with the United States is crucial for New Zealand in strategic, security and economic terms,” Mr Peters says. “New Zealand and the United States have a ...
The Government is considering creating a new tier of minerals permitting that will make it easier for hobby miners to prospect for gold. “New Zealand was built on gold, it’s in our DNA. Our gold deposits, particularly in regions such as Otago and the West Coast have always attracted fortune-hunters. ...
Minister for Trade Todd McClay today announced that New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will commence negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA). Minister McClay met with his counterpart UAE Trade Minister Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi in Dubai, where they announced the launch of negotiations on a ...
New Zealand Sign Language Week is an excellent opportunity for all Kiwis to give the language a go, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. This week (May 6 to 12) is New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) Week. The theme is “an Aotearoa where anyone can sign anywhere” and aims to ...
Six tertiary students have been selected to work on NASA projects in the US through a New Zealand Space Scholarship, Space Minister Judith Collins announced today. “This is a fantastic opportunity for these talented students. They will undertake internships at NASA’s Ames Research Center or its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), where ...
New Zealanders will be safer because of a $1.9 billion investment in more frontline Corrections officers, more support for offenders to turn away from crime, and more prison capacity, Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell says. “Our Government said we would crack down on crime. We promised to restore law and order, ...
The OECD’s latest report on New Zealand reinforces the importance of bringing Government spending under control, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The OECD conducts country surveys every two years to review its members’ economic policies. The 2024 New Zealand survey was presented in Wellington today by OECD Chief Economist Clare Lombardelli. ...
The Government has delivered on its election promise to provide a financially sustainable model for Auckland under its Local Water Done Well plan. The plan, which has been unanimously endorsed by Auckland Council’s Governing Body, will see Aucklanders avoid the previously projected 25.8 per cent water rates increases while retaining ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today. "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tracey Clement, Lecturer in Visual Art and McGlade Gallery Director, Australian Catholic University Tracey Clement, Impossible Numbers.Tracey Clement I slip the needle through a small loop of black thread, pull it tight and snip. Done. I have just tied off the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jochen Kaempf, Associate Professor of Natural Sciences (Oceanography), Flinders University Gonzalo Buzonni/Shutterstock From around 1996 to 2010, Australia was gripped by the millennium drought. As water shortages bit hard, most of Australia’s capital cities built large seawater desalination plants – Sydney, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Maria O’Sullivan, Associate Professor of Law, Deakin Law School, Deakin University Students have been protesting on university campuses across Australia for several weeks now, calling on their institutions to cut ties with weapons manufacturers supplying arms to Israel. Some have noted their ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Steven Hail, Adjunct Associate Professor, Torrens University Australia Wolfilser/ShutterstockThis article is part one of The Conversation’s “Business Basics” series where we ask leading experts to discuss key concepts in business, economics and finance. For the most part, economists continue ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Erin O’Brien, Associate Professor, School of Government and International Relations, Griffith University University campuses around the world have become the site of tiny tent cities in recent weeks, with student activists protesting the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Though the protests on ...
In this extract from The Bulletin, Stewart Sowman-Lund looks at the proposed law and the ongoing concern about it. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. Where we’re at with the fast-track ...
The revamped school lunch programme is budgeting $3 per lunch, rather than the current $8. But is it really so simple to cut costs? Shanti Mathias investigates. Last week, associate education minister and Act Party leader David Seymour announced the government’s revamped school lunch programme, which will provide food to ...
Exactly 100 years ago, on the eve of another Paris Olympics, young Kiwi Gwitha Shand was the talk of the swimming world. The 19-year-old from Christchurch had broken the world record in the 440-yard freestyle multiple times leading up to the 1924 Olympics, and was described in newspapers as one ...
The New Zealand book trade is still reeling after the shock news that Penguin has axed its head of publishing. The redundancy comes just as the biggest week of the year in New Zealand literature is set to take place. The winners of the Ockham national book awards are announced ...
A rest home with a concierge, iced tea fountain, hybrid Jaguars to drive, and caviar on the menu. That’s not imaginary or from some far-flung country – it’s reality here in Aotearoa. Oceania Healthcare just officially opened ‘The Helier’ – a retirement apartment and aged-care complex in the Auckland suburb ...
The USA and China are beefing, Winston Peters is getting sued by some Australian guy, and Helen Clark and Don Brash are friends now? Here’s everything you need to know about Aukus but were too afraid to ask. What is Aukus?Aukus, which stands for Australia, the United Kingdom, and ...
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Opinion: The cold weather and spikes in power demand have been well handled by the electricity system The post No need to shock with a fake crisis appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Asia Pacific Report About 1000 people in Aotearoa New Zealand gathered for a two-hour rally in central Auckland today and marched down Queen Street and returned to Aotea Square to mark the Nakba three days early — and protest over Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. They called for an immediate ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra As it looks to an election next year when holding up Labor’s female vote will be vital, Treasurer Jim Chalmers has declared Tuesday will bring “a budget for mums and middle Australia”. “The primary ...
By Repeka Nasiko in Suva “Justice has won,” says Fiji’s acting Director of Public Prosecutions John Rabuku following the sentencing of former prime minister Voreqe Bainimarama and former police commissioner Sitiveni Qiliho. Speaking to The Fiji Times, Rabuku said that while they welcomed the judgment by acting Chief Justice Salesi ...
The foreign affairs minister has landed in Solomon Islands for the first leg of his Pacific tour, and an audience with the newly elected Prime Minister. ...
On an unusually hot night in January 2019, a little boy’s lifeless body was found face up in a small town’s sewage oxidation pond. To the police, it was an open and shut case: three-year-old Lachlan Jones had run away from his home in the Southland town of Gore, climbed ...
PNG Post-Courier New Zealand High Commissioner Peter Zwart and PNG Defence Minister Dr Billy Joseph welcomed a C-130 Hercules to Port Moresby this week to support Papua New Guinea’s response to the March 24 earthquake and recent severe flooding. “Papua New Guinea has requested New Zealand’s assistance to transport emergency ...
Grub Street King Luxon rode through the streets Of King’s Landing, and was troubled By the sight of hungry urchins in the mud. “Who would be the best of my Lords To deal with this negative optic?” He pondered. The answer came to him instantly. “Seymour!” he said to himself. ...
“The Bill does not provide environmental protection, good quality decision making, certainty, public participation or speed. It should be withdrawn.” ...
RNZ News Television New Zealand has breached its collective agreement with the E tū union when deciding on discontinuing programmes, the Employment Relations Authority has ruled. It was announced in March that 68 staff members who work for news programmes Midday and Tonight, consumer justice programme Fair Go, current affairs ...
Asia Pacific Report Barangay New Zealand’s Rene Molina has interviewed the country’s first Filipino Green MP Francisco Hernandez who was sworn into Parliament yesterday as the party’s latest member. This is the first interview with Hernandez who replaces former Green Party co-leader James Shaw after his retirement from politics to ...
An Australian Strategic Policy Institute report says Pillar Two could raise the industry to state of the art capability - or "crush" it "under the weight of the globe's biggest player". ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marlene Longbottom, Associate Professor, Indigenous Education & Research Centre, James Cook University ShutterstockThis article contains information on deaths in custody and the violence experienced by First Nations people in encounters with the Australian carceral system. It also contains references to ...
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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.
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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.