Eric Crampton is a right wing stooge who once wrote a piece in support of child labouras a pure market solution, he is regularly trotted out as the “reasonable” face of free market extremism. It is interesting how the neolibs are racting with spluttering outrage at the end of the vice like grip of their failed ideology on the government. The whole purpose of a state owned bank is to give a tool to the government to enact policy.
You've got Richard Prebble in full supply side fanaticism mode in the Herald as well, though his nonsense is at least behind the paywall. The funny thing his, he ends by quoting some long dead supply side purist I'd never heard of and Ludwig von Mises, an extremist libertarian. Oh, for the Herald to publish a piece from a long retired Soviet state official that ended by approvingly quoting Marx! because that is how extreme Prebble. Amazing that such libertarian/Chicago school fanatics managed to get to be at the heart of our government.
I also see the MSM have switched from nit picking the MIQ response to nit picking the covid vaccination roll out. None of it matters. Like the opposition on covid they've long overstayed their welcome and the public no longer looks to the print media in particular for much.
Chicago school economics is designed to keep the poor poorerl and the rich richer.
It was an anti communist /Socialist propaganda unit of the CIA.
All of the economic theories pushed by Friedman have been proved not to work in the real world.
Every country and major trading block have resorted to protectionism,money printing,etc .From trade restrictions,subsidies,Corporate welfare etc.
Smaller countries have Bourne the brunt of the Chicago school monetarist ideology .Those countries who have adopted these policies have more poverty especially child poverty.
Started with getting civil servants and opposition (Labour) MPs. But one of the first moves in government was to remove any economic advice within ministries as they allegedly duplicated Treasury's role. Then when Treasury was coming out with the really insane shit later on, there was no internal ministry advice standing up for each sector.
“It is suicidal to create a society dependent on science and technology in which hardly anybody knows anything about the science and technology" Carl Sagan
Conspiracy theories are mainstream on Fox News Bill Gates being a target because of his philanthropy.
Listening to the above commentary millions of tonnes or tons of fine calcium carbonate particles would need to be dropped by planes into the upper atmosphere. .NASA has been researching similar ideas to slow global warming.its not a conspiracy but valid research that Carlson is demonizing gaslighting for his cult followers to divide the US for the benefit of Trump/Murdoch power grab.
Then Tucker Carlson's elongated character assassination of Bill Gates mimicking Qanon conspiracies.
Looking at Tucker Carlson's record he is pushing far right racism and Qanon conspiracies.
Ksayshi Michael Shellenberger and Nordhause founders of the Breakthrough institute funded by the natural gas ,shale oil,and the Nuclear power industry.Fox spews for trusted honest news when they are giving oxygen to conspiracy theories to divide people.
People who get sucked into conspiracy theories refuse to look outside their blinkered Silos
I just wonder at what point will the wider public react. These people who actually steal money from those who need it, be it children, health care, the elderly, infrastructure the list goes on, need to be prosecuted. Lets not forget tax money is not a free for all. It is essentially a levy that the citizen agrees to pay in exchange for civic development.
When you read these stories you get the increasing feeling that the society is divided in 2 section only, those who steal and those who will be affected all their lives by that theft. And there is no group excluded, none.
It comes down to the people that are using any system to enrich themselves at the detriment of others. To add insult to injury we are governed by people who are not so different from that crowd. Power hungry, image seeking, lust for more and more, blinded by greed. Why would they create systems of prevention. Its like an insurance, you take it out in case something hits you.
I actually have completely lost faith. National is bleeding everybody dry but does it open and without shame, the greens scream and have no plan for any transition – smash everything is their credo and the fault is with boomers, the current labor government has no real plan albeit having had a year to get cracking to present some kind of logical cohesive idea to their voters.
The core infrastructure up and down the country is so delipidated that we can all but wonder what the heck those city councils have done all those years. The health system is basically not available unless you can pay. Education facilities are not maintained and kids education is not competitive once you leave the shores. Meanwhile those tax heavens are being supported, education, church you name it. This is not just because of covid (becomes these days an excuse for everything) but has accumulated over years.
Yes, the Poverty action plan comes to mind but this creates a huge bureaucracy and a UBI will do the same without that.
I was a green voter but I haven't seen anything that has a logic, fairness and can be implemented in the real world where people actually do stuff. Not just sitting on a computer endless modelling as to what could be.
Addressing poverty takes chuzpah and lots of it. I can't see a single politician right now with any.
Also it seems that NZlanders just don't want to adopt concepts that have worked well in other countries. Mind you, skill will be needed on no small measure.
I hear your dismay. I do feel 'they' are like the rest of us writ large.
By that I mean devices like trust funds are used to avoid paying a fair share and are common.
For a few elections the party promising the biggest boost to the back pocket by way of tax cuts got elected, despite fiscal irresponsibility. That was us choosing that.
What is the answer? My reckons say collectivism in what ever form we can achieve. Unionism. Getting organised and acting collectively.
I would start with closing tax loopholes and tax havens. This should generate enough money to plug the hole that is created by crediting the GST part of rates back to council provided they use it for infrastructure only. A priority list needs to be made i.e. Water, wastewater maintenance and new access projects, the latter for new housing. Next up getting proposals for a transport network (complete only) by region. Not city, region and it has to be interconnected. None oft that patch work nonsense.
Electricity: The generation and distribution needs to be revisited to accommodate an incentive to have solar panels for basic needs installed. Even if its for the lights and warm water cylinder. Mind you, I am no expert in that field. Sounds most likely easy but isn't.
The work generated and with all that will create employment would be of real value to the community. It would be start……
I have expected labor to put out some tangible ideas that would help get a better and more equitable society. Obviously, the country is firmly in the hands of powers that we are not able to influence. Neither by voice or conviction, nor by voting.
I agree about the havens and tax loopholes. Also look at the common practice of personal use of company assets/resources eg the work ute and diesel used on holiday. There are enough rules, just a lack of will in enforcing them.
As to the electricity suggestions, renationalise the system as the first step to reform. The solar install is a 'shovel ready' investment and one, as you say, benefits the community immediately.
Rosemary the protestors are passing c19 around putting people's lives at risk.
They are directly responsible for their actions the protesters are deliberately breaking curfews which are there to protect the majority .Mainly young people who initially were not at risk of dying from the original C19 with new variants spreading widely in Europe affecting younger people.These protestors could have disbanded and not put others at risk including police who have to stop these people breaking the law.Many of these people will be getting there news from antvaxxer and other conspiracy web sites
Question – should the armed forces be in charge of organising the vaccination rollout? I am getting an uneasy sinking feeling about the ability of our DHB bureaucrats to orgainse this properly.
Seriously. I am having to rethink my position on the existence of a Higher Power…because there is clearly some supernatural influence protecting Godzone's Covid defences.
How we have not had a major breakout is one of the big mysteries in the past 12 months. From the contagious, but untested sisters driving around the country, to the failure to test border workers, the positive Northland couple in the community for days without spreading, and the Valentines Day cluster that somehow didn't spread.
Rosemary no records of being tested ,testing records shown not to be coordinated maybe he was tested and not reported to MIQ.
Mbie said there are gaps in record keeping.
This worker worked for a private security company who should have made sure he was not allowed near the border.
These private security companies workers are on Zero hours contracts on a minimum wage.So will be working part time here and there so maybe not being around when tests are conducted .
and the government could have made it a condition of the contract that only fulltime staff will be working the plaque hotels, and that once vaccinations are available they MUST get vaccinated. And that did not happen until this fellow got sick.
Oversight, the ultimate responsibility of government and yet, they don't seem to be interested in that job.
These private security companies workers are on Zero hours contracts on a minimum wage.So will be working part time here and there so maybe not being around when tests are conducted .
But, but….(and this just yesterday, coincidentally.)
This case could have been very serious as the person could have been a super spreader. To say you had been tested when you had not. The contact tracing may not have been reliable either. I am assuming that this is case C and that they only got a tested because of being a close contact with case B.
“The individual concerned was supplying information to their employer that they were being regularly tested, at this point that does appear not to be the case,” Hipkins said.
What's new? Some things have to be negotiated place by place, some can be banished and some given a little tolerance but women perhaps need to have self-consideration assertiveness classes as in 1970's feminist times. Women themselves can give mixed messages. If anyone wants to be respected and considered fairly, it has to be worked at.
Things have got a lot better over the years but women need to know how to practice assertiveness and when, and when to revert to aggressive, but keep that as a possibility.
Last time I checked, the male of the species also requires appropriate facilities for the management of calls of nature that may demand more privacy than a handy tree. All worksites should have toilets…for all workers… by law.
Kat Kaiwai has been in the construction industry for 12 years and is now a managing director at Tairāwhiti Contractors.
She started in admin and has tried her hand at just about everything including holding the Stop/Go sign at roadworks, driving heavy machinery and project management.
Often she was the only woman on site and that meant years working without access to a toilet.
"Even though people say keep hydrated and drink water all day, I never did it because if I drank water all day, I would need to go toilet all day."
Usually there wasn't even a toilet she could use.
"I'd just go on the side of the road. So just go into a bush or I'd open the two doors on a ute and stand between the two doors and squat in the middle of there."
It was even harder when she had her period.
"I'd change just before it was time for us to go and I'd have a super tampon and a overnight big super pad and I'll have two of them to last me for however long."
i think the women mentioned in the article showed enough assertiveness, maybe its just times for the bosses to supply toilets – for everyone, and the workers to just not be dicks when working with those that are different from them. That too would help.
if these are left overs to be given out after all appointments have been given their shot, why not? rather then waste it.
That was an excellent initiative from the nurse tbh. Well done!
A Christchurch nurse used social media to help save more than 1000 doses of the Covid-19 vaccine from going to waste after a mysterious over-supply of the precious commodity.
The nurse notified friends and family on a personal social media page about the sudden availability of Covid-19 vaccines at a vaccination clinic at Burwood Hospital on Sunday.
Templeton GP Peter Wilkinson* said a nurse from his practice went to the clinic with her partner, where they received their first dose of the vaccine.
Wilkinson said he believed the nurse turned to social media as there was no plan to manage the surplus doses.
I have no problem with unused vaccines being distributed amongst the wider community nor do I have a problem with the relevant staff making sensible decisions at the coal face.
However I do question the organisation of the DHB who issued an excess 1000 to the facility and when added to all the other recent issues to the vaccine roll-out (and MIQ oversight) if I were Minister I would be wondering why the various government agencies appear determined to provide endless ammunition for the opposition spokespeople and those who seek to privatise everything.
Makes you wonder how many vaccines are being discarded because the 5 days (??) has expired. Hopefully this nurse displaying great initiative will shock those in charge to have a plan for vaccines that have been delivered but are unused and about to expire. This should have been thought out as to what to do with these surplus vaccines.
"if I were Minister I would be wondering why the various government.." I wonder why the minister had not already asked the question about such an event. Its not as if anyone with half a brain could not have foreseen this 🤦🏼♀️
Why question the organisation of the DHBs when pretty much all of them are simply not functioning normally and have not for the longest time and that is known to all, heck there is an article about one such disfunctioning DHBs in the Herald..
So if I were Minister I would maybe insist in a plan b for what is to happen with left over vaccine, heck If I were minister i might come up with a plan and tell DHB to prepare accordingly.
And in absence of Leadership from above it is a lowly nurse who shows guts and determination. She should get a recommendation and a bonus!
Sadly it appears that even should the Minister (or even Director General) develop a plan (which i agree is somewhat foreign to the political class these days) the implementation appears beyond those further down the chain…. i despair.
They have been offered 1%, not that anyone would know.
The Sub Branch of the Labour Party Nurses Organisation have hardly been rowdy about it. I got a wee surprise when I was informed Mr Lees-Galloway has popped up as a local Union rep. Time will tell as to how effective an advocate he will be…
In the last round of wage negotiations with the nurses, after three or four very similar offers had been refused, the Union announced 500 extra workers were to be introduced. Thoroughly undermining it's members as they headed into strike action.
The relative silence from the NZNO during this round could be due to unhealed wounds from the internal fighting and squabbling the Board went through last year.
Leading a culturally diverse workforce must be a challenge, but I see a few career managers in the leadership and not enough voices from the 'coalface'.
"Firms that manufacture consumer electronics and household appliances, as well as respiratory and other medical equipment, may struggle post-Covid-19," Clark said. (Westpac industry economist Paul Clark) "If we look in the longer term, the demand for machinery equipment will settle into a more normal pattern, but it will also have some challenges and those challenges are going to be driven by changes in technology, increasing consumer awareness around environmental issues."
The report said the global machinery and equipment manufacturing sector had worldwide sales of manufactured mechanical machinery valued at $2.7 trillion in 2019, and electronic equipment sales around US$3.8tn.
In comparison, the net value of New Zealand machinery and equipment sectors' was about $31 billion. New Zealand's industry was made up of relatively small operators, with the largest firms involved in development and design of appliances, as well as the manufacture of medical and surgical equipment, Clark said.
The sector would benefit from digitisation,* however, competitive pressures from consumer demands, might result in some closing or being taken over, he said.
digitisation: the conversion of text, pictures, or sound into a digital form that can be processed by a computer.
"the digitization of the rare map collection at the library"
Note – digitalisation, is something allied but different and it is confusing to have two words looking so much alike. And if everything goes onto computer, then stored in the cloud etc., the firm will not have guaranteed access to its intellectual property, can suffer from hacking, and come to a close affected by energy or other shutdowns. Paper and print as additional resource, means easy and immediate access to information. Just saying.
Gordon Campbell: On Labour Refusing To Lead A Progressive Drugs Policy
Once again, Labour has chosen not to use (a) its parliamentary majority and (b) the huge mandate it was given at the last election in order to (c) bring about progressive social change. Once again, Labour seems to regard its main purpose for being in power as being to keep National and Act out of power. Will Labour for instance, overhaul our out-dated, unsafe, and unjust laws on drugs? No, it will not….
More than ever, this government looks like the dog that chased the car and having caught it, now has no idea what to do with it.
every time andrew little opens his gob about the cannabis laws he puts his foot in it. it is going to haunt him till the end. his albatross.old people must have the right to purchase and grow their own cannabis and no ifs and buts about it.
I ran across a recent essay from The Brothers Krynn, which attempts to map common horror monsters onto the Seven Deadly Sins: https://canadianculturecorner.substack.com/p/horror-monsters-and-vice My interest, however, is not in the meat of the piece, but rather the opening paragraph: It is an interesting fact that in recent decades, Vampires have ...
Buzz from the Beehive Transport Minister Simeon Brown dutifully issued advice to all road users to keep safe on our roads during the Easter weekend. He encouraged them to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. ...
Oliver Hartwich writes – New Zealanders recently learned about a new feature film. It will be about former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern – and taxpayers will subsidise it to the tune of NZ$800,000. Ardern had nothing personally to do with either the film or the subsidy. But her government’s ...
TL;DR: Here’s the top six news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above that was recorded yesterday afternoon above between and The Kākā’s climate correspondent : An independent review panel into the emergency response to Cyclone Gabrielle in Hawkes Bayconcluded “that ...
There are now only a few days left to give feedback on the Draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) on Land Transport 2024-34 (see our earlier post this week on GPS submission guides). As we’ve reported, the GPS is a disaster for Local Government, so we were particularly interested to hear ...
Willis has pledged to go ahead with the debt-funded tax cuts, despite growing opposition from her own supporters worried about appearing fiscally irresponsible. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for ...
Open access notables A survey of interventions to actively conserve the frozen North, van Wijngaarden et al., Climatic Change:The frozen elements of the high North are thawing as the region warms much faster than the global mean. The dangers of sea level rise due to melting glacier ice, increased ...
Bryce Edwards writes – New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure. The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On ...
In 2015, then-Prime Minister John Key announced plans for a huge ocean sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands, banning fishing and mining from 15% of Aotearoa's EEZ. It was bold, it was ambitious, and it suggested that National might actually care about the environment. Except they fucked it up: Key failed ...
1. Who has just been given the accolade New Zealander of the Year?a. The Kokakob. The Cook Strait Ferryc. Fair God. Dr Jim Salinger 2. Which of these is an affront to decent society?a. Dame Edna Everageb. Mrs Doubtfire c. Dr. Frank-N-Furterd. Brian 3. Who is Penny Simmonds?a. The aspiring actress in Big ...
New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure.The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On the face of it, the court found ...
Buzz from the Beehive Waves of rain are set to lash much of the North Island during Easter Weekend as a low-pressure system forms east of New Zealand, according to a weather forecast published in the past day or so. Niwa was warning of a “moisture-laden” long weekend, with rain expected ...
Look around us…Nicola Willis’ promises of balancing the books, of cutting spending without reducing services, and of delivering game changing tax cuts are disappearing before her eyes.Everyday we see stories of violent crime ending in horrific injuries, or worse. The cost of living worsens, whereas the PM claimed renters would ...
TL;DR: My top six news of note on the morning of Thursday, March 28 include:The Government will have to borrow between $10 billion to $15 billion more than previously expected in order to make up for a slowing economy and to pay for $14.9 billion of tax cuts, according to ...
This story by Naveena Sadasivam and Kate Yoder was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. The long-awaited jobs board for the American Climate Corps, promised early in the Biden administration, will open next month, according to details shared exclusively ...
Should landlords be able to deduct the interest on the loans they take out to bankroll their property speculation? The US Senate Budget Committee and Bloomberg News don’t think this is a good idea, for reasons set out below. Regardless, our coalition government has been burning through a ton of ...
Treasury’s first report on the economy since the change of government presents a damning indictment of Labour’s economic management. The problem for National is that it is so damning that logically, coupled with a rapidly slowing economy, Finance Minister Nicola Willis should respond to it by postponing or even cancelling ...
Budget tensions are becoming evident within the Coalition Government. Winston Peters made numerous political points in his speech to the NZF annual conference. But the attack on his own government’s fiscal policies raised issues of substance. ‘Today in the Sunday Star Times, journalist and former advisor to the Labour ...
Buzz from the Beehive The media – sure enough – have been binging on Finance Minister Nicola Willis’ release of the Budget Policy Statement and a statement headed Government announces Budget priorities This assures us – or rather, this parrots the Luxon team mantra – that the Budget “will deliver ...
The Ides of March brought me COVID followed by a bereavement. No wonder they tell you to be careful of them.I’m home now and have resumed the interrupted recuperation. Very much looking forward to getting back to regular things. Meanwhile, some thoughts…OneThis new Prime Minister guy just keeps getting more dire. ...
News that the Chinese ATP 40 cyber-hacking unit penetrated parliamentary internet networks in 2021 has renewed concerns about the PRC’s malign intentions in Aotearoa. But is the hack that significant given the length of time that has passed since its … Continue reading → ...
When Parliament passed the Intelligence and security Act in 2017, they assured us all that it was full of safeguards. Any intrusive surveillance of New Zealanders would be subject to a "triple lock", requiring the approval of the Minister and (supposedly independent) Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants, as well as post-facto ...
Eric Crampton writes – Richard Harman’s Politik newsletter provides a bit of the context that ought to have been showing up in other media reports on potential reductions in public service staffing. Media has been reporting on staffing cuts on the order of about 7%. Is that ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – It’s becoming increasingly apparent that many perceive free speech to have become the preserve of the politically right wing, the religiously conservative, the libertarian fringe, the anti-trans, the anti-Māori and…. well, just fill in with whatever groups or individuals you don’t like and don’t ...
Don Brash writes – As everybody who is not blind and deaf is aware, there is a huge political preoccupation with climate change at the moment, a widespread (though by no means unanimous) belief that global temperatures are rising mainly as a result of the greenhouse gases created ...
TL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy on Wednesday, March 27 include:Chris Bishop laid out his vision for filling Aotearoa-NZ’s $100 billion infrastructure deficit in a speech yesterday, emphasising user pays and private funding, but failed to say how to achieve bipartisanship on population, public borrowing and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Former Finance Minister Grant Robertson and former Prime Minister Chris Hipkins have been conveying how unhappy they are with the tax system. Last week in his valedictory speech, Robertson called for the introduction of a wealth or capital gains tax. And this week Hipkins ...
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 ...
Buzz from the Beehive China has loomed large in Beehive considerations over the past 24 hours, largely because of that country’s mischief-making in the cyber espionage department. Two media statements emerged on that subject hard on the heels of the PM baulking at questions put to him on RNZ’s Morning ...
Chris Trotter writes – WHY IS THE NATIONAL PARTY doing so much for landlords, property developers, trucking, and construction companies, and so little for everybody who isn’t already pretty well-off? It’s as if protecting landlords’ investments and building apartments and roads now constitute the whole of National’s ...
Bryce Edwards writes – When she was campaigning to be Minister of Finance last year, Nicola Willis pledged that she would resign from the job if she failed to deliver tax cuts in her first Budget. Now, it’s that pledge, along with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s ...
Robert MacCulloch writes – The Reserve Bank has doubled staff numbers in five years to 510, with personnel costs rising to $80 million in 2023 from $32 million in 2018 – up by a whopping 150%. I guess when you print $50 billion and flood markets with liquidity, ...
The furore. In case you didn’t notice there was a controversy in the weekend involving dolphins in a little town off the South Island. Don’t panic, they haven’t declared independence and resumed whaling, this was simply a sailing event.The problem began when racing was cancelled on the opening day of ...
For 20 years or more, the case for a meaningful capital tax gains has been mulled over and analysed to death, including by the tax working group chaired by Sir Michael Cullen. More than once, the International Monetary Fund has said a CGT would be a good idea for New ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: The Public Health Communications Centre (PHCC) call for urgent preventive action and a risk assessment survey of long covid in this briefing noteLocal scoop: NZ road deaths surpass OECD rates, so why is the govt reversing safety plans? ...
This story was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. This story is part of a collaboration with Grist and WABE to demystify the Georgia Public Service Commission, the small but powerful state-elected board that makes critical decisions about everything from raising ...
This is a guest post from Robert McLachlan Global warming is accelerating; 2023 was off the charts. We need to stop burning fossil fuels. In New Zealand, transport accounts for half of all fossil fuels burnt. In the Emissions Reduction Plan, transport emissions fall 41% by 2035. As the ...
Labour productivity has been receding rapidly over the past two years, reversing a post-lockdown rise. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy as at 6:26am on Tuesday, March 26 include:Workers have been treading water in output per hour worked for 12 years, ...
TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 2 include:Today, Parliament resumes sitting at 2pm for the second week of a two-week session. Officials for SIS and GCSB report their annual reviews in public to the Intelligence and Security Select Committee from 5.10pm.Tomorrow, ...
Faced with a barrage of criticism over the promised tax cuts from usually supportive commentators, Finance Minister Nicola Willis yesterday reaffirmed her intention to include them in this year’s Budget. The Government is up against it over the cuts just about every way it turns. Commentators like Fran O’Sullivan, Matthew ...
Here’s my pick of today’s substack posts as of 6:26pm on Monday, March 25: writes via his substack that Market-rate housing will make your city cheaper writes via his substack about the problems talking to double-cab ute (truck) drivers about their vehicles. today about moments of radicalisation in ...
Buzz from the Beehive Just before Christmas, Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivered something that was pitched as a mini-budget and brayed about the decisive action being taken to repair the Government books and support income tax relief in Budget 2024. In a statement headed Fiscal repair job underway. she introduced ...
My sister Belinda asked Dad yesterday what one word would describe Mum best. He said: vivacious.If you only knew her from the photos on the slideshow we've made for today,you might wonder about that, because the camera tended to lie with Mum.If ever she saw a camera pointed at her, she ...
There are two major public consultations closing in the next week, Auckland Council’s Long Term Plan (LTP), and the draft Government Policy Statement on Land Transport (GPS). Closing dates and times: LTP closes Thursday 28 February, at 11.59pm – a minute to midnight! GPS closes Tuesday 2 April, at 12pm noon – note that’s ...
From Kiwiblog’s David Farrar – Bryce Wilkinson writes: Senior Fellow Bryce Wilkinson’s analysis reveals that since March 2009, New Zealand has spent $158 billion more overseas than it has earned, but its NIIP has only fallen by $32 billion.Statistics New Zealand shows that receipts from overseas reinsurers have ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition? Brian Easton writes – The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could ...
Dear Nicola Willis,Right now you’ve probably got lots of competing demands coming at you. Ministers who’ve inherited quite a mess, or so you’ve told us, looking for money in the budget to improve things. I imagine that’s why they came to parliament - to make things better.You’ll have to make ...
The Local Government, Transport and Auckland Minister hasthreatened councils with intervention if they don’t merge water assets to take them off balance sheet, just as the now-repealed Three Waters plan directed. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things of note this morning for Monday, March 25 include:Simeon ...
A listing of 36 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 17, 2024 thru Sat, March 23, 2024. Story of the week Thanks to John Mason having the stamina to sit down to watch "Climate - the Movie" ...
This morning the Q&A programme had Simeon Brown on to talk about National’s replacement for Three Waters. In case anyone’s forgotten the three are - drinking water, waste water, and sewerage. It’s quite important not to get them mixed up. In much the same way that you wouldn’t want to ...
Today’s newsletter comes with a mini-podcast conversation between me and my buddy Liv Tennet, talking about her time as a child actor in Lord of the Rings. It’s a conversation with a lot of giggles as she talks about falling off a horse, and becoming a meme. Read ...
The Desmog Climate Disinformation Database documents, "individuals and organisations that have helped to delay and distract the public and our elected leaders from taking needed action to reduce greenhouse gas pollution and fight global warming." It's a who's who of the organised climate change denial movement, in other words. In ...
Bob Edlin writes – A High Court judge has decided miscreants who have mana – or who claim to have mana – should be treated differently from miscreants who have none. It’s a ruling that suggests indigenous law-breakers have a better chance of securing a discharge without conviction ...
Welcome to the first, and possibly last, edition of Brickbats, Bouquets and Bull’s Wool. In which I’ll take a look at the events of the last week or so, and rate them.In such ratings the numbers usually have more to do with the opinions of the reviewer, than the actual ...
Roger Partridge writes – My earlier column this month, New Zealand’s highest court could be facing a turning point, prompted a flood of feedback from business readers and lawyers alike. A common query was what Parliament can do to restrain an overreaching judiciary. This week I discuss two steps Parliament ...
TL;DR: In today’s ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.16pm on Friday, March 22: writes about New Zealand's Building Boom—And What the World Must Learn From It over at his substack. challenges the Auckland Council’s use of a 3.8 degrees of warming forecast to oppose a wave-park and data centre project ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition?The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could deliver her promised income tax cuts. Appointed minister, she ...
Buzz from the Beehive Ministers of the Crown have drawn attention to one sector of the science sector which is unlikely to be subjected to heavy spending cuts, a state-funded broadcaster which is doing nicely, thank you, and a sporting event that had $5.4 million from the public purse puffed ...
Abbott’s Freestyle Libre sensors allow continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). The sensor is applied to the back of the patient’s arm, with a thin filament under the skin measuring glucose levels constantly. But it costs around $100 per sensor and must be replaced once every 14 days. Photo by BSIP/Universal Images ...
The Inspector General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS) recently released a report in which he exposes the existence of a foreign intelligence partner-controlled technological “capability” inside the headquarters of the GCSB, NZ’s 5 Eyes-affiliated signals intelligence collection and analysis agency. … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – Nearly three decades after the introduction of MMP and multiparty governments there should be a greater level of understanding about their finer points than often appears to be the case. The reaction to the despicable outburst from the Deputy Prime Minister at the weekend highlights ...
The sweet kisses from fruit of summerHave slowly been turning dullerYou say, "those times"And "remember the daysWhen we went outside and there still was the shade?"Taking no reason into play…Autumn. Clear, blue days shortening to longer nights, growing colder. Aotearoa.That’s us. The temperature dropping, the looming car crash - so ...
Bryce Edwards writes – “It is often said that behind every great man is a great woman”. This is the pitch by the National Party Botany electorate branch to attend their “Ladies Afternoon Tea with Amanda Luxon”. For $110 including GST, you can turn up on Saturday 20 April ...
David Farrar writes – The Electoral Commission has published the expense returns for political parties for the 2023 election. I’ve put them in a table with how many votes a party got so we can see the spend per vote. National only spent $3.34 for every vote they got, almost ...
Winston Peters’ headline-making actions over the past week may have been a show of political power intended to strengthen his hand in Budget negotiations. It was no accident that his State of the Nation speech was as it was. He made it as New Zealand First Leader, not as Deputy ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:Former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson bowed out of politics this week, giving a series of exit ...
Graham Adams writes — If you love the law or sausages, as the saying goes, best not to look too closely at how they are made. And after watching the orgy of self-pity when Newshub’s closure was announced on February 28, television journalism should definitely be added to the list of those ...
Venerable New Zealand political commentator, Chris Trotter (https://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/), is a sad creature these days. Once one of the most reliable Leftist writers out there – Economic Left at that – Trotter seems to have absorbed the worldview of Auckland culture-war obsessives. It is not for me to categorise what he ...
The Coalition Government’s plan to ‘get Auckland moving’ is a cuts cover-up that will ultimately cost Aucklanders more to move around the city, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Slashing the Ministry of Pacific Peoples by 40% will have a devastating impact on pacific communities and further highlights how little this government cares about anything other than cutting taxes for the wealthiest few. ...
Labour has proposed an urgent inquiry to investigate the ever-increasing profits of supermarkets, aiming to lower costs for shoppers and food producers alike, says Labour Spokesperson for Commerce and Consumer Affairs Arena Williams and Primary Production Spokesperson Cushla Tangaere-Manuel. ...
With 14% of jobs on the line at the Ministry for Ethnic Communities, the responsible Minister Melissa Lee is failing to stand up for the very communities she’s meant to be representing. ...
COURT OF APPEAL: TRIFECTA OF VICTORY FOR NZ FIRST, TRIFECTA OF FAILURE FOR OPPONENTS For the third time since April 2020, New Zealand First has defeated the Serious Fraud Office and all those complicit in a malicious attack against a political party going about its lawful business in a lawful ...
The Green Party stands with people who live in public housing, people in dire housing need, experts and advocates in demanding better than the Government’s archaic approach to housing those who need our support the most. ...
New Zealand has recently lost the hosting rights of some major international sporting events including the America’s Cup, the Rugby Championship, Netball World Cup, and the Wellington Sevens. We are now at a huge risk of losing SailGP as well. And it won’t stop there. The recent issues with SailGP ...
A Member’s Bill drawn this week would modernise insurance law and make things fairer and more transparent for consumers, Christchurch Central MP Duncan Webb said. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues has confirmed she was aware of funding issues in mid-December and did nothing to stop it. On 14 March, she signed off on changes that were announced and implemented on 18 March without any consultation with disability communities. ...
Green Party MP Julie Anne Genter says her members' bill is an opportunity for the coalition government to plug the gap in electric vehicle incentives. ...
The National Government continues to talk about irresponsible tax cuts that will only drive up inflation, despite the country entering a technical recession. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues must act urgently to reinstate flexibility around the funding for disability support and apologise to disabled carers. ...
This story has been initiated by a leftie shill reporter who proactively sought to call a member of a former band, which disbanded twelve years ago, give their biased appraisal of what was said in my speech, and concocted a ham-fisted attempt at a story that does nothing but show ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Many in the mainstream media have taken what was said in New Zealand First’s State of the Nation Speech in Palmerston North on Sunday and deliberately, deceitfully, and ignorantly misrepresented what I said and why I said it. The headlines and commentary on the news stated that I compared ‘co-governance ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
Good afternoon. Thank you for, in your very busy lives, turning up to this meeting today. On October 14th last year New Zealanders overwhelmingly voted for change. That is exactly what this new government is bringing. New Zealand First campaigned to ‘take back our country’ and stop the disastrous economic ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the passing of legislation to move light electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) into the road user charges system from 1 April. “It was always intended that EVs and PHEVs would be exempt from road user charges until they reached two ...
New Zealand is strengthening its ability to combat illegal fishing outside its domestic waters and beef up regulation for its own commercial fishers in international waters through a Bill which had its first reading in Parliament today. The Fisheries (International Fishing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2023 sets out stronger ...
Economists Carl Hansen and Professor Prasanna Gai have been appointed to the Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced today. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is the independent decision-making body that sets the Official Cash Rate which determines interest rates. Carl Hansen, the executive director of Capital ...
Apartment owners and buyers will soon have greater protections as further changes to the law on unit titles come into effect, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Act had already introduced some changes in December 2022 and May 2023, and ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Egypt and Europe from this weekend. “This travel will focus on a range of New Zealand’s traditional diplomatic and security partnerships while enabling broad engagement on the urgent situation in Gaza,” Mr Peters says. Mr Peters will attend the NATO Foreign ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown is encouraging all road users to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. “Road safety is a responsibility we all share, and with increased traffic on our roads expected this Easter we ...
About 1.4 million New Zealanders will receive cost of living relief through increased government assistance from April 1 909,000 pensioners get a boost to Superannuation, including 5000 veterans 371,000 working-age beneficiaries will get higher payments 45,000 students will see an increase in their allowance Over a quarter of New Zealanders ...
Ensuring social housing is being provided to those with the greatest needs is front of mind as the Government restarts social housing tenancy reviews, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. “Our relentless focus on building a strong economy is to ensure we can deliver better public services such as social ...
The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will not go ahead, with Cabinet deciding to stop work on the proposed reserve and remove the Bill that would have established it from Parliament’s order paper. “The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill would have created a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
Dam safety regulations are being amended so that smaller dams won’t be subject to excessive compliance costs, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on reducing costs and removing unnecessary red tape so we can get the economy back on track. “Dam safety regulations ...
The coalition Government is expanding the medium-scale adverse event classification to parts of the North Island as dry weather conditions persist, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “I have made the decision to expand the medium-scale adverse event classification already in place for parts of the South Island to also cover the ...
The passing of legislation giving effect to coalition Government tax commitments has been welcomed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill will help place New Zealand on a more secure economic footing, improve outcomes for New Zealanders, and make our tax system ...
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds today announced plans to transform our science and university sectors to boost the economy. Two advisory groups, chaired by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, will advise the Government on how these sectors can play a greater ...
The Budget will deliver urgently-needed tax relief to hard-working New Zealanders while putting the government’s finances back on a sustainable track, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The Finance Minister made the comments at the release of the Budget Policy Statement setting out the Government’s Budget objectives. “The coalition Government intends ...
The coalition Government will look at options to address a zoning issue that limits how much financial support Queenstown residents can get for accommodation. Cabinet has agreed on a response to the Petitions Committee, which had recommended the geographic information MSD uses to determine how much accommodation supplement can be ...
Cabinet has agreed to a short extension to the final reporting timeframe for the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from 28 March 2024 to 26 June 2024, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says. “The Royal Commission wrote to me on 16 February 2024, requesting that I consider an ...
The coalition Government is delivering an $18 million boost to New Zealanders needing to travel for specialist health treatment, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says. “These changes are long overdue – the National Travel Assistance (NTA) scheme saw its last increase to mileage and accommodation rates way back in 2009. ...
The Government is recognising the innovative and rising talent in New Zealand’s growing space sector, with the Prime Minister and Space Minister Judith Collins announcing the new Prime Minister’s Prizes for Space today. “New Zealand has a growing reputation as a high-value partner for space missions and research. I am ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity, attributed to groups sponsored by the Chinese Government, targeting democratic institutions in both New ...
Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced the appointment of three independent reviewers to lead the Ministerial Inquiry into the Ministry of Education’s School Property Function. The Inquiry will be led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully. “There is a clear need ...
State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns will be open for Easter weekend, with work currently underway to ensure the resilience of this critical route being paused for Easter Weekend to allow holiday makers to travel north, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Today I visited the Brynderwyn Hills construction site, where ...
Introduction Good morning to you all, and thanks for having me bright and early today. I am absolutely delighted to be the Minister for Infrastructure alongside the Minister of Housing and Resource Management Reform. I know the Prime Minister sees the three roles as closely connected and he wants me ...
New Zealand stands with the United Kingdom in its condemnation of People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-backed malicious cyber activity impacting its Electoral Commission and targeting Members of the UK Parliament. “The use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is unacceptable,” Minister Responsible for ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced New Zealand will provide logistics support for the upcoming Solomon Islands election. “We’re sending a team of New Zealand Defence Force personnel and two NH90 helicopters to provide logistics support for the election on 17 April, at the request ...
The European Union Free Trade Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill received Royal Assent today, completing the process for New Zealand’s ratification of its free trade agreement with the European Union. “I am pleased to announce that today, in a small ceremony at the Beehive, New Zealand notified the European Union ...
Public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has concluded, Internal Affairs Minister Hon Brooke van Velden says. “I have been advised that there were over 11,000 submissions made through the Royal Commission’s online consultation portal.” Expanding the scope of the Royal Commission of ...
Hardworking families are set to benefit from a new credit to help them meet their early childcare education (ECE) costs, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. From 1 July, parents and caregivers of young children will be supported to manage the rising cost of living with a partial reimbursement of their ...
A specialised Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) tasked with preparing and publishing independent non-binding advice on the design of a "green" (sustainable finance) taxonomy rulebook is being established, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “Comprising experts and market participants, the ITAG's primary goal is to deliver comprehensive recommendations to the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins has thanked the Chief of Army, Major General John Boswell, DSD, for his service as he leaves the Army after 40 years. “I would like to thank Major General Boswell for his contribution to the Army and the wider New Zealand Defence Force, undertaking many different ...
25 March 2024 Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders Small Business, Manufacturing, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly will travel to Australia for a series of bi-lateral meetings and manufacturing visits. During the visit, Minister Bayly will meet with his Australian counterparts, Senator Tim Ayres, Ed ...
Government commits almost $3 million for period products in schools The Coalition Government has committed $2.9 million to ensure intermediate and secondary schools continue providing period products to those who need them, Minister of Education Erica Stanford announced today. “This is an issue of dignity and ensuring young women don’t ...
Good morning, it’s great to be here. First, I would like to acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors and thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning. I would like to use this opportunity to outline the Government’s ambitious plan and what we hope to ...
Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti has announced the Government’s commitment to the Auckland Secondary Schools Māori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival, more commonly known as Polyfest. “The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is a longtime supporter of Polyfest and, as it celebrates 49 years in 2024, I’m proud to ...
Before moving onto the substance of today’s address, I want to recognise the very significant and ongoing contribution the Breast Cancer Foundation makes to support the lives of New Zealand women and their families living with breast cancer. I very much enjoy working with you. I also want to recognise ...
New Zealand has notched up a first with the launch of University of Canterbury research to the International Space Station, Science, Innovation and Technology and Space Minister Judith Collins says. The hardware, developed by Dr Sarah Kessans, is designed to operate autonomously in orbit, allowing scientists on Earth to study ...
Introduction Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today and I’m sorry I can’t be there in person. Yesterday I started in Wellington for Breakfast TV, spoke to a property conference in Auckland, and finished the day speaking to local government in Christchurch, so it would have been ...
The Coalition Government is contributing more than $1 million to support the establishment of an emergency multi-agency coordination centre in Northland. Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced the contribution today during a visit of the Whangārei site where the facility will be constructed. “Northland has faced a number ...
New Zealanders have enjoyed a broader range of voices telling the story of Aotearoa thanks to the creation of Whakaata Māori 20 years ago, says Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka. The minister spoke at a celebration marking the national indigenous media organisation’s 20th anniversary at their studio in Auckland on ...
Commercial catch limits for some fisheries have been increased following a review showing stocks are healthy and abundant, Ocean and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The changes, along with some other catch limit changes and management settings, begin coming into effect from 1 April 2024. "Regular biannual reviews of fish ...
COMMENTARY:By Ronny Kareni Since the atrocious footage of the suffering of an indigenous Papuan man reverberates in the heart of Puncak by the brute force of Indonesia’s army in early February, shocking tactics deployed by those in power to silence critics has been unfolding. Nowhere is this more evident ...
Analysis - Nicola Willis is holding firm on tax cuts despite the economic outlook being worse than forecast and critics urging her to wait, writes Peter Wilson for The Week In Politics. ...
Opposition MPs and unions are criticising a proposal by New Zealand’s Ministry of Pacific Peoples to cut staff by 40 percent. The country’s largest trade union — The Public Service Association — says the ministry has informed staff that it is looking to shed 63 of 156 positions. Opposition MPs ...
A poem by Poetry Aotearoa Yearbook 2024 featured poet Carin Smeaton. Daughtr of the 90s when she gets promoted to usherette a baby blu eel carries her all the way up to mothership she’s hovering high she lets the underaged in to see keanu reeves she lets the only lonely ...
Analysis by Keith Rankin. Keith Rankin, trained as an economic historian, is a retired lecturer in Economics and Statistics. He lives in Auckland, New Zealand. My earlier article – Can ‘Good’ be the Greater Evil? – looked at the issue of how wars should end, and how Good versus Evil ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 AMMA by Saraid de Silva (Moa Press, $38)A stunning debut novel reviewed by Brannavan ...
From Steve Martin to Ricky Stanicky, a pick’n’mix of things worth watching and listening to this long weekend. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. If you’re at a loss for something to occupy yourself with this Easter, don’t panic: The Spinoff’s got ...
Jesus had dinner with his 12 disciples right before he died. Noted historian Madeleine Chapman finds out who really deserved to be there.First published in 2018 but let’s be honest, the subject is timeless. As you sit on your couch this Easter Sunday, eating a chocolate egg you know ...
The newly-promoted Northern League club is on a mission to return to the National League for the first time in two decades. Plenty about domestic football in New Zealand has changed in that time – but the sense that this amateur competition is not an entirely level playing field remains. ...
Auckland Council has put a deadline on new weather-impacted property owners applying for categorisation as government funding looks set to run out. Councillors have voted to support a deadline of September 30 for property owners who haven’t accessed support to come forward and engage with the council’s recovery office. It ...
NONFICTION 1 BBQ Economics by Liam Dann (Penguin Random House, $40) “It’s official,” wrote Dann nine days ago in the Herald, where he works as business editor at large, “we’re in recession.” Yeah, great. He delivered the bad stats: “GDP fell 0.1 percent in the December 2023 quarter, compared with ...
Comment: Every year on February 2, a dozen men in tuxedos and top hats approach the burrow of a groundhog in Gobbler’s Knob, Pennsylvania and entice the beaver-like rodent to emerge and predict the weather. If the groundhog, named Punxsutawney Phil, sees its own shadow when it is summoned, legend ...
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By Anneke Smith, RNZ News political reporter A petition urging the New Zealand government to provide urgent humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people has been tabled in the House. More than 200 people gathered on Parliament’s forecourt today and they were met by MPs from Labour, the Greens and Te ...
Pacific Media Watch The Paris-based global media freedom watchdog RSF (Reporters Without Borders) has appealed for information about the “disappearance” of Palestinian journalist Bayan Abusultan. She was reportedly last seen on March 19 among people “sequestered” in this week’s raid and siege of Al Shifa hospital by Israeli troops in ...
EDITORIAL:The Jakarta Post It happens again and again; indigenous Papuans fall victim to Indonesian soldiers. This time, we have photographic evidence for the brutality, with videos on social media showing a Papuan man being tortured by a group of plainclothes men alleged to be the Indonesian Military (TNI) members. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robyn J. Whitaker, Director of the Wesley Centre for Theology, Ethics, and Public Policy & Associate Professor, New Testament, Pilgrim Theological College, University of Divinity A strange and eclectic range of activities takes place across these few weeks of the year. Some ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Panizza Allmark, Professor Visual & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University It’s Easter weekend, which means many of us will be kicking back with the greatest hits on repeat. But whether you’re a boomer, or an ‘80s or ’90s kid, you might be ...
RNZ Pacific Fiji’s Acting Public Prosecutor has filed an appeal against the sentences of former prime minister Voreqe Bainimarama and suspended police chief Sitiveni Qiliho in their corruption case. Bainimarama was granted an absolute discharge for attempting to pervert the course of justice while Qiliho received a conditional discharge with ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Arosha Weerakoon, Senior Lecturer and General Dentist, School of Dentistry, The University of Queensland Casezy idea/Shutterstock How does toothpaste work? What did people use before toothpaste was invented? – Amelia, age 7, Meanjin (Brisbane) Thanks for your ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brett Hallam, Associate professor, UNSW Sydney IM Imagery/Shutterstock Solar SunShot is well named. The Australian government announced today it would plough A$1 billion into bringing back solar manufacturing to Australia, boosting energy security, swapping coal and gas jobs for those ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Dix, Research Fellow in Nutrition & Dietetics, The University of Queensland Easter is the time for chocolate. The shops are full of fantastically packaged and shiny chocolates in all shapes and sizes, making trips to the supermarket with children more challenging ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emma Felton, Adjunct Senior Researcher, University of South Australia Even in a stubborn cost-of-living crisis, it seems there’s one luxury most Australians won’t sacrifice – their daily cup of coffee. Coffee sales have largely remained stable, even as financial pressures have ...
Mining company Trans-Tasman Resources has unexpectedly withdrawn its application for a consent to suck the valuable metals vanadium and titanium from the Taranaki seafloor, as it apparently wagers on the Government’s new fast-track process. It had spent two-and-a-half days putting its case to the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision-making committee, at ...
Contrary to the Associate Minister of Education’s claims, analysis of Healthy School Lunches Programme - Ka Ora, Ka Ako assessments has revealed it provides excellent value for the taxpayer dollar, as a groundswell of public opposition to Government ...
Greenpeace says wannabe Taranaki seabed miner Trans-Tasman Resources is likely banking on Christopher Luxon’s fast-track process to side-step proper scrutiny of its Taranaki seabed mining proposal by bailing out of the Environmental Protection Agency hearing ...
Kiwis Against Seabed mining today slammed Australian owned would-be seabed miner Trans Tasman Resources (TTR) for abandoning its application to the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to mine the seabed of the South Taranaki Bight. The company ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katie Attwell, Associate Professor, School of Social Sciences, The University of Western Australia Ground Picture/Shutterstock Months after COVID vaccines were introduced in 2021, governments and private organisations mandated them for various groups. Health and aged care workers were among the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Dzurak, Scientia Professor Andrew Dzurak, CEO and Founder of Diraq, UNSW Sydney Diraq For decades, the pursuit of quantum computing has struggled with the need for extremely low temperatures, mere fractions of a degree above absolute zero (0 Kelvin or ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne A national Essential poll, conducted March 20–24 from a sample of 1,150, gave the Coalition a 50–44 lead including undecided, a reversal ...
The Taxpayers’ Union has today made a formal request under the Regulations of the People’s Republic of China on Open Government Information () for information held about how New Zealand Members of Parliament are spending taxpayer ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert Nelson, Honorary Principal Fellow, The University of Melbourne A Byzantine depiction of the Eucharist in Saint Sophia Cathedral, Kyiv.Jacek555/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA A nasty quarrel arose in the 11th century over what kind of bread should be used in holy ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Patrick Hesp, Professor, Flinders University Patrick Hesp In some parts of Australia, coastal dunes are retreating from the ocean at an alarming rate, as waves carve up the beach and wind blows the sand inland. But coastal communities are largely ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Luke Heemsbergen, Senior Lecturer, Digital, Political, Media, Deakin University With an impressive 60% of the US smartphone market, Apple is undeniably big, but not a clear monopoly. Yet, years of innovation by Apple have effectively given the company its own exclusive ...
Whether you’re facing layoffs or are just an emotional junior staffer, it’s always a good idea to scout out a good crying place before you need it. It’s an incredibly hard time for Wellington. Across the city, thousands of public servants are hearing tough news about redundancies and layoffs. Government ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Miller-Jones, Professor, Curtin University Nuclear explosions on a neutron star feed its jets. Danielle Futselaar and Nathalie Degenaar, Anton Pannekoek Institute, University of Amsterdam, CC BY-SA How fast can a neutron star drive powerful jets into space? The answer, it ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daryl Adair, Associate Professor of Sport Management, University of Technology Sydney Earlier this week, independent MP Andrew Wilkie accused the AFL of conducting “off the books” illicit drug testing to identify players using substances of abuse, then inappropriately withdrawing them from matches ...
The Government’s announcement that it will scrap plans for a vast marine sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands is ‘shameful’ and will make it impossible for Aotearoa New Zealand to meet its international commitments, says the World Wide Fund for Nature ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Quiggin, Professor, School of Economics, The University of Queensland Shutterstock The federal government has bowed to pressure from the car industry, announcing it will relax proposed emissions rules for utes and vans and delay enforcement of the new standards ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Suzanne Rutland, Professor Emerita, University of Sydney In his latest book, Jewish Life in Medieval Spain, Jonathan Ray focuses on the tumult of the 14th century in Spain – a time of the plague, civil strife and war between the two largest ...
While creating a slate of world-class shows, Whakaata Māori also developed a generation of world-class creatives. Television is an odd word. It mixes the Ancient Greek and Latin languages, and its most literal meaning is “far-off sight”. In the contemporary and living language of te reo Māori, “whakaata” as a ...
Yesterday the UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Israel’s war on Gaza. This significant step and the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza prompted an urgent debate in the New Zealand Parliament. Leader ...
The Government’s decision to reduce access to continuous glucose monitors (CGM) not only threatens the lives of children with type 1 diabetes and increases the potential for ‘Dead in Bed’ syndrome, but also threatens the health of their parents an ...
Apples are available year-round, but the wide variety on offer involves intensive scientific research – and large-scale commercialisation. What’s beautiful, red, sweet and crunchy? Tony Martin’s favourite kind of apple: Sassy. The CEO of apple and pear breeding organisation Prevar, Martin’s fondness for Sassy represents professional success as well as ...
Family violence specialist service Shine is calling on employers to stop asking for proof of domestic violence in order for employees to access domestic violence leave. The call comes five years after the introduction of the Domestic Violence ...
The Deputy Chairperson of the Finance and Expenditure Committee is calling for public submissions on the Budget Policy Statement 2024. The Budget Policy Statement 2024 (BPS) sets out the Government's priorities for the 2024 Budget. It explains the approach ...
Brutal government spending cuts that will see the size of the Ministry for Pacific Peoples slashed by 40% will hit Pasifika communities hard, the PSA says. The Ministry has told staff that it is seeking voluntary redundancies, and to redeploy and reassign ...
I live with five people I mostly love, but our different ideas about generosity are starting to really irk me.Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nzDear Hera,This is a bit of a random one but here goes. I’m 22 and work an OK job (OK meaning I get paid ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Maria Nicholas, Senior Lecturer in Language and Literacy Education, Deakin University Earlier this month, the New South Wales government announced it would roll out programs for gifted students in every public school in the state. This comes amid concerns gifted school ...
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The market purists are out in force today,,,,Newsroom leading the charge.
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/doing-business-in-nz-getting-riskier
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/unprecedented-attack-on-independence
Eric Crampton is a right wing stooge who once wrote a piece in support of child labouras a pure market solution, he is regularly trotted out as the “reasonable” face of free market extremism. It is interesting how the neolibs are racting with spluttering outrage at the end of the vice like grip of their failed ideology on the government. The whole purpose of a state owned bank is to give a tool to the government to enact policy.
You've got Richard Prebble in full supply side fanaticism mode in the Herald as well, though his nonsense is at least behind the paywall. The funny thing his, he ends by quoting some long dead supply side purist I'd never heard of and Ludwig von Mises, an extremist libertarian. Oh, for the Herald to publish a piece from a long retired Soviet state official that ended by approvingly quoting Marx! because that is how extreme Prebble. Amazing that such libertarian/Chicago school fanatics managed to get to be at the heart of our government.
I also see the MSM have switched from nit picking the MIQ response to nit picking the covid vaccination roll out. None of it matters. Like the opposition on covid they've long overstayed their welcome and the public no longer looks to the print media in particular for much.
Amazing that such libertarian/Chicago school fanatics managed to get to be at the heart of our government.
The managed it because we had no mechanism to prevent them usurping the system.
Chicago school economics is designed to keep the poor poorerl and the rich richer.
It was an anti communist /Socialist propaganda unit of the CIA.
All of the economic theories pushed by Friedman have been proved not to work in the real world.
Every country and major trading block have resorted to protectionism,money printing,etc .From trade restrictions,subsidies,Corporate welfare etc.
Smaller countries have Bourne the brunt of the Chicago school monetarist ideology .Those countries who have adopted these policies have more poverty especially child poverty.
Very interesting how they did it. ISTR.
Started with getting civil servants and opposition (Labour) MPs. But one of the first moves in government was to remove any economic advice within ministries as they allegedly duplicated Treasury's role. Then when Treasury was coming out with the really insane shit later on, there was no internal ministry advice standing up for each sector.
I'd quite like to see us adopt the Chilean reform process – they sent the 'Chicago Boys' to jail – where they belong. Just like any other fraudsters.
Joke for the day.
Journalist: You are a scientist, what are you studying?
Scientist: I am studying quantum physics.
Journalist: So you are studying and simultaneously not studying quantum physics?
Scientist: Quantum physics is a bit more complicated than that.
Journalist: Quantum physics, is it complicated and simultaneously not complicated?
Scientist: Can we stop this joke now?
Journalist: Yes. But also simultaneously, No.
Yeah, nah.
Gates has finally gone off the deep end, his crazy out there on display.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wwIBUCBrF8
Someone quoted Sagan in the comments
already done by the Mr. Burns
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3LbxDZRgA4
I doubt it's Gates displaying his crazy.
/
https://twitter.com/NikkiMcR/status/1380309798957285376
The dems have caught onto jonkys vote buying process.
Conspiracy theories are mainstream on Fox News Bill Gates being a target because of his philanthropy.
Listening to the above commentary millions of tonnes or tons of fine calcium carbonate particles would need to be dropped by planes into the upper atmosphere. .NASA has been researching similar ideas to slow global warming.its not a conspiracy but valid research that Carlson is demonizing gaslighting for his cult followers to divide the US for the benefit of Trump/Murdoch power grab.
Then Tucker Carlson's elongated character assassination of Bill Gates mimicking Qanon conspiracies.
Looking at Tucker Carlson's record he is pushing far right racism and Qanon conspiracies.
Ksayshi Michael Shellenberger and Nordhause founders of the Breakthrough institute funded by the natural gas ,shale oil,and the Nuclear power industry.Fox spews for trusted honest news when they are giving oxygen to conspiracy theories to divide people.
People who get sucked into conspiracy theories refuse to look outside their blinkered Silos
Gates' crazy is on display? I couldn't get past minute one.
Tucker Carlson is one of the reasons carbon control is lost as an option independently sufficient for mitigating climate change. Screw that guy.
i urge everyone to read this, just for a little laugh and remember that charity always beings with oneself first.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/childcare-giant-best-start-audit-triggers-7m-tax-bill/6LVTVMSAXLYDWHGA3LINHAESLY/
down the rabbit hole
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/kidicorps-metamorphosis-to-best-start-educare-raises-tax-questions/BB7ASNZMMJU46KRTO2EFQ43WQE/
At the end of the day its all legal, and what is a seven million dollar tax bill when you get nearly 200 million a year from the government.
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/6959074-19-WFF-Signed-Financials#document/p14/a569933
it seems to be another good day to stand barefeet in the grass.
Top two links behind a granny paywall (thank God!)
But in general, ripping off the system in the name of education at the most vulnerable age in a child's development!
I just wonder at what point will the wider public react. These people who actually steal money from those who need it, be it children, health care, the elderly, infrastructure the list goes on, need to be prosecuted. Lets not forget tax money is not a free for all. It is essentially a levy that the citizen agrees to pay in exchange for civic development.
When you read these stories you get the increasing feeling that the society is divided in 2 section only, those who steal and those who will be affected all their lives by that theft. And there is no group excluded, none.
This will continue while society keeps sub-contracting it's love.
From early childcare to the elderly shipped off to a 'home'.
It comes down to the people that are using any system to enrich themselves at the detriment of others. To add insult to injury we are governed by people who are not so different from that crowd. Power hungry, image seeking, lust for more and more, blinded by greed. Why would they create systems of prevention. Its like an insurance, you take it out in case something hits you.
I actually have completely lost faith. National is bleeding everybody dry but does it open and without shame, the greens scream and have no plan for any transition – smash everything is their credo and the fault is with boomers, the current labor government has no real plan albeit having had a year to get cracking to present some kind of logical cohesive idea to their voters.
The core infrastructure up and down the country is so delipidated that we can all but wonder what the heck those city councils have done all those years. The health system is basically not available unless you can pay. Education facilities are not maintained and kids education is not competitive once you leave the shores. Meanwhile those tax heavens are being supported, education, church you name it. This is not just because of covid (becomes these days an excuse for everything) but has accumulated over years.
well said Foreign Waka, it is a scam and it is aided and abetted by our dear "lawmakers".
Don't be ridiculous. They are the only party who has published such plans.
Yes, the Poverty action plan comes to mind but this creates a huge bureaucracy and a UBI will do the same without that.
I was a green voter but I haven't seen anything that has a logic, fairness and can be implemented in the real world where people actually do stuff. Not just sitting on a computer endless modelling as to what could be.
Addressing poverty takes chuzpah and lots of it. I can't see a single politician right now with any.
Also it seems that NZlanders just don't want to adopt concepts that have worked well in other countries. Mind you, skill will be needed on no small measure.
https://www.npr.org/local/305/2020/02/25/809315455/how-european-style-public-housing-could-help-solve-the-affordability-crisis
I am not sure where you are forming your impressions. Best of luck finding a party who matches them.
Its NZ that needs the luck, don't worry about me.
I hear your dismay. I do feel 'they' are like the rest of us writ large.
By that I mean devices like trust funds are used to avoid paying a fair share and are common.
For a few elections the party promising the biggest boost to the back pocket by way of tax cuts got elected, despite fiscal irresponsibility. That was us choosing that.
What is the answer? My reckons say collectivism in what ever form we can achieve. Unionism. Getting organised and acting collectively.
I would start with closing tax loopholes and tax havens. This should generate enough money to plug the hole that is created by crediting the GST part of rates back to council provided they use it for infrastructure only. A priority list needs to be made i.e. Water, wastewater maintenance and new access projects, the latter for new housing. Next up getting proposals for a transport network (complete only) by region. Not city, region and it has to be interconnected. None oft that patch work nonsense.
Electricity: The generation and distribution needs to be revisited to accommodate an incentive to have solar panels for basic needs installed. Even if its for the lights and warm water cylinder. Mind you, I am no expert in that field. Sounds most likely easy but isn't.
The work generated and with all that will create employment would be of real value to the community. It would be start……
I have expected labor to put out some tangible ideas that would help get a better and more equitable society. Obviously, the country is firmly in the hands of powers that we are not able to influence. Neither by voice or conviction, nor by voting.
As long as no one is asking me to be kind…
I agree about the havens and tax loopholes. Also look at the common practice of personal use of company assets/resources eg the work ute and diesel used on holiday. There are enough rules, just a lack of will in enforcing them.
As to the electricity suggestions, renationalise the system as the first step to reform. The solar install is a 'shovel ready' investment and one, as you say, benefits the community immediately.
Omni Consumer Products debuts.
https://twitter.com/1800SPOILED/status/1381755654164074498
don't you feel safer already.
put me into camp: pelt these abominations on sight with rotten tomatoes and eggs.
Is that new bit of kit tooled up? Have they actually armed that thing?
Creepy…and how long before one of these new gadgets is deployed by the 'protect and serve' brigade for crowd control?
Might save the current police 'devices' from potential injury when having to deal with dangerous criminals.
https://twitter.com/i/status/1377732469743620099
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KflgJhcusaA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PCFvUGfsa0
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/police-dog-puts-innocent-man-in-hospital/EH44VJLHZQ4I2R5IRVIVUQOUGQ/
Rosemary the protestors are passing c19 around putting people's lives at risk.
They are directly responsible for their actions the protesters are deliberately breaking curfews which are there to protect the majority .Mainly young people who initially were not at risk of dying from the original C19 with new variants spreading widely in Europe affecting younger people.These protestors could have disbanded and not put others at risk including police who have to stop these people breaking the law.Many of these people will be getting there news from antvaxxer and other conspiracy web sites
Question – should the armed forces be in charge of organising the vaccination rollout? I am getting an uneasy sinking feeling about the ability of our DHB bureaucrats to orgainse this properly.
Probably not if you read 7
Question – should the armed forces be in charge of organising the vaccination rollout?
Oh yes! Because, like, they're doing such an awesome job with MIQ.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/124830853/covid19-infected-miq-worker-hadnt-been-tested-since-november
Seriously. I am having to rethink my position on the existence of a Higher Power…because there is clearly some supernatural influence protecting Godzone's Covid defences.
Needs to be on Ripley's Believe It or Not.
I completely agree.
How we have not had a major breakout is one of the big mysteries in the past 12 months. From the contagious, but untested sisters driving around the country, to the failure to test border workers, the positive Northland couple in the community for days without spreading, and the Valentines Day cluster that somehow didn't spread.
We truly are the lucky nation.
And the first tourist plane is about to touch down. Good luck to us all.
I just hope we are not going to pay 16 billion to the rich for this balls up.
The ultimate test. See how long the gamble lasts.
Rosemary no records of being tested ,testing records shown not to be coordinated maybe he was tested and not reported to MIQ.
Mbie said there are gaps in record keeping.
This worker worked for a private security company who should have made sure he was not allowed near the border.
These private security companies workers are on Zero hours contracts on a minimum wage.So will be working part time here and there so maybe not being around when tests are conducted .
and the government could have made it a condition of the contract that only fulltime staff will be working the plaque hotels, and that once vaccinations are available they MUST get vaccinated. And that did not happen until this fellow got sick.
Oversight, the ultimate responsibility of government and yet, they don't seem to be interested in that job.
These private security companies workers are on Zero hours contracts on a minimum wage.So will be working part time here and there so maybe not being around when tests are conducted .
But, but….(and this just yesterday, coincidentally.)
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/440404/miq-moving-to-in-house-security-eight-months-after-government-decision
This case could have been very serious as the person could have been a super spreader. To say you had been tested when you had not. The contact tracing may not have been reliable either. I am assuming that this is case C and that they only got a tested because of being a close contact with case B.
From Hipkins just now:
“The individual concerned was supplying information to their employer that they were being regularly tested, at this point that does appear not to be the case,” Hipkins said.
Someone needs their ass kicked if this is true and the tests are not being done regularly at MIQ facilities.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/124830853/covid19-infected-miq-worker-hadnt-been-tested-since-november
How many tests were missed?
No excuse even if a casual worker.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/business/440438/women-tradies-say-they-re-dealing-with-barriers-including-sexist-comments-toilet-access
What's new? Some things have to be negotiated place by place, some can be banished and some given a little tolerance but women perhaps need to have self-consideration assertiveness classes as in 1970's feminist times. Women themselves can give mixed messages. If anyone wants to be respected and considered fairly, it has to be worked at.
Things have got a lot better over the years but women need to know how to practice assertiveness and when, and when to revert to aggressive, but keep that as a possibility.
…women need to know how to practice assertiveness…
No need for fuss and bother…
Sorted
Last time I checked, the male of the species also requires appropriate facilities for the management of calls of nature that may demand more privacy than a handy tree. All worksites should have toilets…for all workers… by law.
from your link,
i think the women mentioned in the article showed enough assertiveness, maybe its just times for the bosses to supply toilets – for everyone, and the workers to just not be dicks when working with those that are different from them. That too would help.
This has been an open secret for quite a while hasn't it. Not just Northland though they may be most open about it.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/440423/northland-police-unlawfully-used-checkpoints-to-gather-information-for-years
The police watchdog has found the police illegally detained a woman and breached her privacy by photographing her and her partner at a checkpoint in Northland in 2019.
In November 2019, police set up checkpoints near a 'fight night' event in Ruakākā they knew would be attended by lots of gang members.
The Independent Police Conduct Authority said officers checked IDs, warrants and registrations, and breath-tested people.
NZ covid vaccination booking system is FB?
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/124819089/canterbury-nurse-turns-to-social-media-to-dodge-covid19-vaccine-waste
if these are left overs to be given out after all appointments have been given their shot, why not? rather then waste it.
That was an excellent initiative from the nurse tbh. Well done!
I have no problem with unused vaccines being distributed amongst the wider community nor do I have a problem with the relevant staff making sensible decisions at the coal face.
However I do question the organisation of the DHB who issued an excess 1000 to the facility and when added to all the other recent issues to the vaccine roll-out (and MIQ oversight) if I were Minister I would be wondering why the various government agencies appear determined to provide endless ammunition for the opposition spokespeople and those who seek to privatise everything.
Makes you wonder how many vaccines are being discarded because the 5 days (??) has expired. Hopefully this nurse displaying great initiative will shock those in charge to have a plan for vaccines that have been delivered but are unused and about to expire. This should have been thought out as to what to do with these surplus vaccines.
"if I were Minister I would be wondering why the various government.." I wonder why the minister had not already asked the question about such an event. Its not as if anyone with half a brain could not have foreseen this 🤦🏼♀️
Why question the organisation of the DHBs when pretty much all of them are simply not functioning normally and have not for the longest time and that is known to all, heck there is an article about one such disfunctioning DHBs in the Herald..
So if I were Minister I would maybe insist in a plan b for what is to happen with left over vaccine, heck If I were minister i might come up with a plan and tell DHB to prepare accordingly.
And in absence of Leadership from above it is a lowly nurse who shows guts and determination. She should get a recommendation and a bonus!
Sadly it appears that even should the Minister (or even Director General) develop a plan (which i agree is somewhat foreign to the political class these days) the implementation appears beyond those further down the chain…. i despair.
Well luckily for us the Nurse did what needed to be done and put the wastage to good use.
Someone should give her a pay rise.
lol…fat chance
true that.
They have been offered 1%, not that anyone would know.
The
Sub Branch of the Labour PartyNurses Organisation have hardly been rowdy about it. I got a wee surprise when I was informed Mr Lees-Galloway has popped up as a local Union rep. Time will tell as to how effective an advocate he will be…Public sector unions are all clearly not affiliated with any political parties, usually to the point of including it in the union rules.
From my view it isn't clear.
In the last round of wage negotiations with the nurses, after three or four very similar offers had been refused, the Union announced 500 extra workers were to be introduced. Thoroughly undermining it's members as they headed into strike action.
The relative silence from the NZNO during this round could be due to unhealed wounds from the internal fighting and squabbling the Board went through last year.
Leading a culturally diverse workforce must be a challenge, but I see a few career managers in the leadership and not enough voices from the 'coalface'.
well we will see how many nurses we are going to lose to OZ once our bubble is open for travel.
and you can't blame em for leaving if pay is better in OZ and houses cheaper.
heck if we only had a majority government representing the workers of this country…………..
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/business/440450/machinery-and-equipment-manufacturing-sector-needs-more-skilled-staff-in-order-to-compete-report
The outlook for the machinery and equipment manufacturing sector is positive, especially for firms about to adapt to future challenges….
"Firms that manufacture consumer electronics and household appliances, as well as respiratory and other medical equipment, may struggle post-Covid-19," Clark said. (Westpac industry economist Paul Clark)
"If we look in the longer term, the demand for machinery equipment will settle into a more normal pattern, but it will also have some challenges and those challenges are going to be driven by changes in technology, increasing consumer awareness around environmental issues."
The report said the global machinery and equipment manufacturing sector had worldwide sales of manufactured mechanical machinery valued at $2.7 trillion in 2019, and electronic equipment sales around US$3.8tn.
In comparison, the net value of New Zealand machinery and equipment sectors' was about $31 billion.
New Zealand's industry was made up of relatively small operators, with the largest firms involved in development and design of appliances, as well as the manufacture of medical and surgical equipment, Clark said.
The sector would benefit from digitisation,* however, competitive pressures from consumer demands, might result in some closing or being taken over, he said.
"the digitization of the rare map collection at the library"
Note – digitalisation, is something allied but different and it is confusing to have two words looking so much alike. And if everything goes onto computer, then stored in the cloud etc., the firm will not have guaranteed access to its intellectual property, can suffer from hacking, and come to a close affected by energy or other shutdowns. Paper and print as additional resource, means easy and immediate access to information. Just saying.
Gordon Campbell puts the sad story of the drug law advance that might have been but for …………..(put your own description there).
https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL2104/S00033/on-labour-refusing-to-lead-a-progressive-drugs-policy.htm
Gordon Campbell: On Labour Refusing To Lead A Progressive Drugs Policy
Once again, Labour has chosen not to use (a) its parliamentary majority and (b) the huge mandate it was given at the last election in order to (c) bring about progressive social change. Once again, Labour seems to regard its main purpose for being in power as being to keep National and Act out of power. Will Labour for instance, overhaul our out-dated, unsafe, and unjust laws on drugs? No, it will not….
More than ever, this government looks like the dog that chased the car and having caught it, now has no idea what to do with it.
every time andrew little opens his gob about the cannabis laws he puts his foot in it. it is going to haunt him till the end. his albatross.old people must have the right to purchase and grow their own cannabis and no ifs and buts about it.
Yep as if we haven't got really important issues to improve, organise.
Diagnosis – anal retentive – is cannabis good for that?