A single plastic bag took out nearly half the operating theatres? Maybe a rubbish sack? You don't see many plastic bags around these days – though I guess synthetic thread fabric is common enough. I suspect the false economy of delaying maintenance may have played its part in creating this expensive mess. Not the first time it has rained inside the old Dunedin hospital anyway.
Dunedin Hospital was forced to postpone 10 surgical procedures yesterday after heavy rain caused flooding in several operating theatres and surrounding areas late on Thursday night…
‘‘Around 10pm, staff were alerted to flooding in the theatre complex from water coming through the ceiling.
‘‘This affected four out of nine operating theatres.’’
Dr Cochrane said the leak was believed to have been caused by a plastic bag, which had blown on to the hospital roof and covered a drainage duct.
Who remembers the classic Footrot Flats cartoon with the dog asking guess where Wal is during the first rain of the season or words to that effect? Behind him is a drenched Wal on a ladder cleaning an overflowing gutter of leaves.
John Pilger again proving why he will be remembered as one of the foremost journalist of our life time…unbelievably MSM media journalists have become so captured in this prevailing moment of 'manufacturing consent' in media that they intentionally ignore this symbolic public torture..fucking cowards..guess Pilger was right on the mark when he saw right through Kim Hill's bullshit liberal facade all those years ago and recognized her as nothing more than the defender of the status quo she is…..
JOHN PILGER: A Day in the Death of British Justice
"There is more: WikiLeaks disclosed the U.S. campaign to suppress wages in sweatshop countries like Haiti, India’s campaign of torture in Kashmir, the British government’s secret agreement to shield “U.S. interests” in its official Iraq inquiry and the British Foreign Office’s plan to create a fake “marine protection zone” in the Indian Ocean to cheat the Chagos islanders out of their right of return.
In other words, WikiLeaks has given us real news about those who govern us and take us to war, not the preordained, repetitive spin that fills newspapers and television screens. This is real journalism; and for the crime of real journalism, Assange has spent most of the past decade in one form of incarceration or another, including Belmarsh prison, a horrific place."
And if I could not, I’m a “defender of the status quo”, or an “imperialist”, or something else altogether? Please let me know what label I should don so that I can make up my mind before I click on the link and lose a few minutes of my life that I will never get back.
As a case study in histrionic propaganda, it's of mild interest. If you're into that kinda thing.
As for providing any new facts or insight, not so much. Finding those few little tidbits that might be relevant is kind of a 'where's Waldo' exercise. Which ends up kinda pointless given the certainty that Pilger will be presenting a wildly distorted one-eyed view of the situation.
Look, Brigid, in case you didn’t get my comment(s) in this thread, I was commenting on the ‘style’, not the ‘substance’. In my view, Adrian’s comment was not about engaging in a discussion. His prejudice was dripping off his comment, as usual, with the undertones of an aggressive and hostile attitude towards a few other commenters here. We’ve all seen it here before, which is why Adrian and I butt heads regularly and why I put (his pet) words in the Auto-Moderation filter that trigger shit fights.
His comment @ 3 was not inviting in the slightest; it was polarising, and I think he either can’t help himself because he’s stuck in a pattern or it is deliberate or a bit of both.
Perhaps I should not have used my reply to you as a way to communicate to and about Adrian and I apologise for that because you seem genuinely interested in conversation on the ‘substance’ of his comment. My bad.
Sadly, Kim Hill doesn't seem to have learned a lot from that encounter with John Pilger. There are many more recent examples of her engaging in and/or providing an uncritical forum for vicious and cynical attacks on progressive activists and political dissidents. In 2013 she let Alex Gibney pour rhetorical filth on Julian Assange [1] and in 2019 she allowed Simon Schama to unleash an equally spurious attack on Jeremy Corbyn. [2]
To be fair, she does occasionally display some intellectual courage and moral awareness, such as when she confronted the neoconservative war enthusiast William Shawcross in 2004. [3] She also drove one Jeffrey Archer into a paroxysm of fury on air one memorable afternoon in 1994.
Morrissey, my contraire confrere! Oh, how I missed you, but I had an inkling you’d appear here today; the trigger words must have set off the red alarm.
I think dogmatic lefties and intellectual snobs alike, they have better things to do than losing their rag over an ancient interview between a woman and a man about another man and a woman (or was it another man?). For example, where was your outrage about moving Churchill’s portrait?
Life is too short to hold on to the past and your grudges unless you’re Chris Trotter, of course, but he’s a ‘political historian’.
That interview was such a glorious victory in the struggle to smash the establishment that its memory shall be revered forever as a shining inspiration to all true lefties. Viva la revolucion!
Ah, I see. Unfortunately, I’m prone to misunderstanding because I’m obviously not a ‘true lefty’, as I don’t go into full beast-mode at the slightest discursion from ‘the manifest’.
@ Incognito. So when has Kim Hill had on anyone defending or even seriously discussing the Assange case in the past couple of years?, infact as far as I can see RNZ has had only two guests over the past three years to talk about Assange specifically.. Kim Hill and RNZ undermine serious "progressive change" in exactly the same way as the Guardian does….the only change that gets regular coverage on RNZ are the changes in the stock market, that they report on half a dozen times a day!
Hmmm, a slightly better comment than the one that was visible in the front-end for 6’52’’ before you trashed it
I’m not losing any sleep over the things that seem to bother others no end. We all pick our favourite battles, don’t we? That said, I do see an analogy, at least one, between moving a portrait of Churchill and the reporting by RNZ and Kim Hill on Assange.
What the fuck is up with you commenting on the contents of my comment before the ten minutes ‘editing’ time is up?
"I do see an analogy, at least one, between moving a portrait of Churchill and the reporting by RNZ and Kim Hill on Assange"…I don't.
Defending Assange takes moral and ethical courage of the type Kim Hill and RNZ have not displayed for so long I sometimes wonder if it was ever present?
Getting on the Churchill train does not…just some low hanging fruit of the type that suits RNZ liberal sensibilities perfectly.
Twice in two days you put up a comment that was visible to others before you edited/trashed it. I can give you a personal message that I think your edit was an improvement and you know why. Other than that, I did not comment on the actual contents of your trashed comment. So, please spare me your false accusations and stop playing the poor victim. BTW, somebody else also commented on your second edited/changed comment, which you also improved by your edit. Perhaps you’re as smart as I think you are.
I'm with you. There is a limit to how far supposedly good journalists will stray from acceptable norms. Hill's limit was exposed in the Pilger interview, and is repeated in regards to Assange.
That misses out the bits where he really ripped into Kim Hill. Pilger is a hero but so is Hill….on this very rare occasion she didn't handle it very well.
Stewing in hate and wallowing in his own blackpilled misery with a social life revolving around howling into social media. The only thing missing is the manifesto.
This about Black Pill Incels in relation to the killer was horribly fascinating. Though, given that they are not interested in any kind of relationship beyond emotionless rutting; Involuntarily Chaste seems a better description than; I Celibate, because they are not looking for marriage anyway.
The world is full of arseholes and most of them can be found in groups lecturing others on what to do. Scott Guthrie, bankrupted many times, self appointed serial justice campaigner, actually anywhere he can get his hands on dopey buggers donations and funnel them towards himself just excelled at stitching up Christine Rankin,was, and I love this, a stalwart of the Sensible Sentencing Trust. Ha fucking ha!
Its all in the Press this morning, sorry can’t do links because of IT stupidity.
Yeah, that Guthrie sounds like a right conman. Though it is hard to detect a deceiver who believes their own deceit – is it even lying then? Still certainly manipulative and destructive to workplace cohesion, and corrosive to trust.
Nickie O’Leary, also a former trustee of Transforming Justice, said she had been a friend of Guthrie for 15 years, but now considered him untrustworthy.
“He’s got the gift of the gab I tell you. This man needs stopping. He’s already manipulated $10,000 out of the lady in Fielding.
The writer makes the case that sexism plays a role in the evaluation and trials of medications in general.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), however, does not warn women who get the shots that they may experience a disrupted menstrual cycle.
Why is this? In part because even though menstruation is sometimes called the sixth vital sign and directly implicates fertility, and the fact that women on average suffer higher rates of adverse reaction to vaccines of all sorts and medication in general, the effects of Covid vaccines on women’s health specifically, including the menstrual cycle, were not studied as part of the Emergency Use Authorization process.
Impacts on menstrual cycles are, it turns out, very rarely studied in clinical vaccine trials. Stated another way, the quality of COVID-19 vaccine safety data is better for men than it is for women, yet across the country, vaccine mandates make no sex-distinction and in practicality, actually fall more heavily on majority-women industries. In this way, it could be argued, women are not being treated equally under U.S. law.
Thanks francesca, an excellent long form piece that collates six months of commentary on this particular side effect of the covid jabs.
I have been following how MSM has been reporting on this issue for months and the responses from the experts are so similar you'd be forgiven for thinking they were following a common script.
A widely quoted male gynecologist told the BBC that there was “no evidence to suggest that COVID-19 vaccines will affect fertility.” Alan Copperman, MD, of the Mt. Sinai Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Science, claims“the evidence shows that the vaccines will not affect anyone’s fertility.” Just yesterday, from the Boston Globe, we are told there is “conclusive evidence that the vaccine has no negative impacts on reproduction.”
One wonders who they are trying to convince.
But, here’s what is confusing. The menstrual cycle – and please, someone do correct me if I’m wrong – is a fertility cycle, consisting of a follicular phase, the ovulation phase, the luteal phase, and then the passing of the menses itself. If a woman accepts a Covid-19 vaccine and begins to suddenly and hemorrhagically bleed, for weeks or months or end, this by no means necessarily suggests she is permanently sterilized, but nevertheless indicates her cycle has been thrown off track, which is a fertility-related side effect – one which is particularly salient to a woman trying to conceive.
And yes, basic biology…you'd think it would trump all the dismissive pontifications of the experts clearly spouting rubbish.
But no, Ms Parenti will most likely find herself on some FactcheckersRus shit list for daring to do such a deep dive into an issue that could affect near fifty percent of vaccine recipients.
And they wonder why vaccine hesitancy is an actual thing.
There are two ways to think about this pandemic – from the science perspective that in principle should embrace scrutiny, challenge and alternative hypothesis, OR from the public health perspective that is all about getting us to do the same thing.
One is about seeking the truth even when the path takes us through confusion and misinformation – the other is about the noble lie told in the interests holding our society together in a common purpose. These two motives could not be more different yet they're constantly muddled, conflated and are often in conflict with each other.
In an ideal world each would find a way to complement each other, each playing a role in evolving more intelligent and effective responses to this pandemic – yet here we are still taking sides when te virus doesn't care.
There are two ways to think about this pandemic – from the science perspective that in principle should embrace scrutiny, challenge and alternative hypothesis, OR from the public health perspective that is all about getting us to do the same thing.
Not sure about the principle of embracing alternative hypotheses. My "science perspective" is that scientific hypotheses should be testable, so I could embrace the testing of alternative hypotheses (educated guesses) in as far as that is possible.
In science, a hypothesis is an educated guess that can be tested with observations and falsified if it really is false.
You cannot prove conclusively that most hypotheses are true because it’s generally impossible to examine all possible cases for exceptions that would disprove them.
Existing data, however, strongly support the hypothesis that the benefits of the better Covid-19 vaccines to human life and limb greatly outweigh the risks.
Overall, the CDC said the report showed the estimated benefits outweigh the risks associated with vaccines.
“For example, per million doses of Janssen vaccine administered to males aged 50-64, 1,800 hospitalizations, 480 ICU admissions, and 140 deaths from COVID could be prevented compared with 14-17 cases of GBS and 1-2 TTS cases,” the CDC said.
Still, the CDC said the “balance of benefits and risks varied by age and sex because adverse events were primarily identified in specific subgroups of sex and age.”
Additionally, the CDC said it was important to tell everyone getting the COVID-19 vaccine about the benefits and risks, particularly in the age groups who might deal with GBS, thrombocytopenia, or myocarditis.
“Based on ACIP’s conclusion regarding the benefit-risk assessment on July 22, 2021, vaccination with any of the available COVID-19 vaccines licensed under the FDA EUAs continues to be recommended for all persons aged ≥18 years,” the CDC said. “With the Delta variant, this is more urgent than ever. In addition, the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine continues to be recommended for persons aged ≥12 years.”
To those who don't believe that the benefits of being vaccinated against Covid-19 outweigh the risks, and would prefer to be protected by their untrained immune system if/when the Delta variant arrives on our shores – I respect your right to choose and wish you, your whānau and friends the very best of luck.
Glad you've had your first AZ jab – some of my best friends are vaccinated.
I'm at a loss to understand what you don't understand about my reply, which was an attempt to provide evidence (or, as mauī calls it, "propaganda") consistent with expert consensus hypotheses about the benefits and risks of vaccination against Covid-19.
I chose to focus on evidence because, as you know and as evinced by some of the replies below, there are many alternative hypotheses about Covid-19, vaccines and vaccination floating around, including that:
NZ will "in short months be… fully vaccinated" [Ad @8:40 am]
'We' lack "full information and transparency" [francesca @8:54 am]
Vaccination of under-18s against Covid is unnecessary [mauī @9:58 am]
I embrace" expert consensus hypotheses (which are continually tested and, when necessary, revised) because imo they point the way forward more often than not. I'm less interested in false hopes ("fully vaccinated"), conspiracy theories ("transparency"), and promoting the odd "alternative hypothesis".
COVID-19 vaccine misinformation
There’s lots of information available about the COVID-19 vaccine, so it can be hard to know what is reliable.
Inaccurate information about the COVID-19 vaccine, whether intentional (disinformation) or accidental (misinformation), could work against us at a time when we need to work together to beat the virus.
Mis or disinformation can spread quickly and can have harmful effects. Mis and disinformation can be spread through a range of different channels including social media, traditional media (television, radio and print), pamphlets, posters and letterbox drops.
Report it
Stopping the spread of mis and disinformation about the COVID-19 vaccine will limit any potential confusion for New Zealanders and help them to make informed decisions about the vaccine.
Help us by reporting any inaccurate or misleading information you see about the vaccine through the link below.
If possible,
Send us a link to the website if the content is online.
If you see COVID-19 misinformation on social media, report it to the platform (for example, Facebook or Twitter).
If it is a physical item, such as a leaflet, email us a photograph and if possible details of where and how you received it.
If possible, include when you received the item and where it came from.
By emailing us this information, you consent to us sharing it with our partner and other government agencies for investigatory and statistical purposes. Your personal information will never be shared publically.
You've missed the point that there is no evidence that menstruation is affected by the MRNA jab because no studies have yet been done
That is not disinformation , in fact all those who cried down womens reports of menstrual disruption , saying that the evidence was that the Mrna jab has no effect on fertility, were guilty themselves of misinformation
Finally the CDC in the US is taking this seriously, and hopefully menstrual disruption will appear as one of the side effects so that younger women can make informed choices(perhaps delaying IV therapy until some time after the jab)
I hope you are not trying to characterise the link I provided as misinformation , that should be reported .If you had bothered to read the link you would have seen that she is no anti vaxxer.
When young women's concerns are so cavalierly brushed aside it's no wonder that trust is lost and vaccine hesitancy becomes a thing
Mind if you don't ask for it you wont know either and i guess that is the issue if the male body is the default body on which such things are 'studied'.
But then, men a women now, so i guess biology does not matter, or matters even less then before so we are all good.
Edwards says the clinical trials would have picked up any issues that were truly dangerous. For example, researchers were able to detect an extremely rare and dangerous side effect, known as "thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome," that sometimes caused incidental changes to menstruation. "If it were leading to hospitalizations and severe illness, we would capture that," she says.
But she acknowledges that relatively minor or unusually rare changes to menstruation might be missed. Participants in the clinical trials are handed a checklist asking about minor side effects such as headaches or arm soreness, but Edwards says there aren't any specific questions such as, "Are your menstrual periods irregular? Is your flow heavier?"
Nope. It is unethical to raise false flags until there is sufficient evidence that it is justified and then warranted. As the data mountain grows and experts have time to analyse all the data into meaningful and actionable information it may or may not become clear whether this constitutes a possible safety signal. However, some small studies may commence that are unlikely to provide conclusive results and more likely to fan the fire of doubt, fear, and hesitancy for the simple fact that it has not been a major blip on the radar until now, after billions of vaccine doses worldwide.
Generally, one irregular period is not cause for alarm. "We really only tell people to let us know if [an irregular period] happens several months in a row or it’s happening multiple times during a year," Dr. Gunter says. "A one-off isn’t medically concerning."
However, there is concern that stories of early or heavy periods might prevent women from getting the vaccine.
"I think we need to be really careful how we discuss it so we don't frighten women with a theoretical concern," Dr. Polaneczky says. "I'm not advising women anything differently based on these anecdotes." In other words, there's no reason not to get the vaccine.
Pregnancies, periods and COVID-19 vaccines: what you need to know [29 June]
Do COVID-19 vaccines change your menstrual cycle? This article is based on scientific evidence but is not medical advice. Please speak with your doctor for advice regarding your personal circumstances and vaccines for COVID-19.
Apologies francesca, I get antsy when critiques of the vaccine rollout include "transparency", as some might take it to imply a cover-up .
I agree that it's important to maintain public trust in the Covid-19 vaccine rollout, and that will require more impartial studies on vaccine and vaccination side effects, including side effects in various groups that were excluded (for precautionary reasons) during vaccine trials.
Imho it would be foolhardy for public health services to brush aside any potential negative health side effects of a global vaccination effort (4.66 billion doses so far). If we can agree that there has been no conspiracy to cover up possible side effects of the vaccine, then great.
I found this recent (balanced) article (by Stelin Paul) on the issue helpful.
The effects of COVID-19 vaccines on women and a rising vaccine hesitancy [27 July]
Similarly, women in the childbearing age also have major misgivings about infertility that has recently become another reason to turn down the vaccine. As women are delaying their motherhood plans, they are feeling more apprehensive about such information on infertility that indicate that vaccines may interfere with the female reproductive system and that the antibodies generated via the vaccine will start attacking the placenta as the COVID-19 spike protein has structural similarities to Syncytin-1—the protein assisting the development of the placenta. Such theories have been time and again proven wrong by several studies, however, the damage has been done. The situation is just as Raj Mathur, the Chair of the British Fertility Society, explains “The misinformation got there before the correct information.”
Social Media has provided fodder for newer conspiracy theories that suggest that vaccines are another tactic by the state to enroll a population control programme. It found fertile soil to sow the fear of infertility as it used the initial reservations that people had to propagate such unfound theories. These theories when accepted by health workers who have refused vaccines on the same grounds, has made it exponentially more difficult to convince the local population. Misinformation has made it twice as hard to achieve herd immunity, as we live in a time where people have more faith in Google than on the government. This behaviour not only affects personal decisions but also extends to the decisions made by family and close friends.
Even though there has been no concrete study conducted on this,
I don't know how many times this has to be said.
There has been no concrete study into the effect on women's menstrual cycles from the Covid vaccines. None.
So please…. produce an actual specific study into this or concede that these women reporting these symptoms should be taken seriously.
Because it just looks plain fucking dodgy ( and very possibly yet another example of the rise and rise of misogyny) that there has been no concrete study.
Q: Do you think that the lack of research on menstrual cycles during the COVID-19 pandemic is an indicator of a wider issue in health research?
A: Women’s health is an overlooked and underfunded area. So much research has been published on COVID-19 over the past 18 months, but none of the big COVID-19 studies or the vaccine trials have collected data on menstrual cycles.
Even the article you referenced, the one based on research findings that are yet to be peer-reviewed , agrees that there have been no major studies on either Te Virus or the vaccines that has studied the effects on women's menstrual cycles.
Of course, the article agrees, that was my point of linking to it!!
You’re are so antagonistic here – is that a better word for your constant tedious negative emotive commentary here? – that you cannot tell the difference between friend or foe.
Happy to "concede that these women reporting these symptoms should be taken seriously" – why you seem to think I believe otherwise is a mystery.
Similarly, I don't understand why you believe that the lack of a "concrete study" is evidence of something "plain fucking dodgy".
I'm disappointed at the monotonous negativity you dump on the public heath system and health experts, and have as much respect for your opinions on these matters as you have for mine.
The CDC, too, is finally searching its vaccine safety database for reports of menstrual changes to try and identify how the vaccine might impact one’s period. Finding a link and sharing the information with women who are getting the vaccine would help prepare them for a potentially unpleasant side effect, and prevent unnecessary concerns.
The CDC response has been tardy, but hopefully they will study the VAERS data( which will be skewed by under reporting) address the concerns and add to the list of side effects so that young women can be prepared
Your first link is a letter to the BMJ, not a study
Your second link says there is no hard data …still no studies
the third says could be short lived
None of these are studies
"Significantly, in June, the National Institute of Health (NIH) announced it would spend around $1 million to support three to four studies looking into the potential link between Covid vaccines and menstruation disruption. A call for proposals was issued, but so far, no awards have been granted. Consequently, no research has commenced, much less concluded with helpful insights.
I'm not talking about coverups, I'm talking about real studies addressing young women's concerns
If women are not listened to they lose trust and become vulnerable to misinformation
Another balanced article (imho), this one looking at the possibility of cause-and-effect between Covid vaccinations and menstrual changes, and how to study same. Hopefully health experts can design studies and learn from these once the pandemic is better controlled.
Why Reports Of Menstrual Changes After COVID Vaccine Are Tough To Study [9 August]
But even if the question can't be answered for COVID-19 vaccines, Riley says she believes issues such as the effects on menstruation need to be addressed in future clinical trials of drugs and vaccines: "Because when you can't answer those questions, you're asking people just to believe."
In the absence of (instant) answers, I believe that the benefits of being vaccinated against Covid-19 outweigh the risks, but that's just me – who/what to trust is a personal choice.
We will in short months be in a largely or fully vaccinated percentage population.
Our policy argument is no longer about vaccination but about protecting the vulnerable from more outbreaks, mitigating its damage, and mashing that effort with the broader public health programmes that we already have.
Like life pre-covid, we will give all of ourselves better outcomes if we are well connected with people, exercise a lot, are overall healthy, don't smoke, aren't in an isolated community nowhere from healthcare, don't have other major morbidity risks, and act quickly when we do fall ill.
Thank you for saying this out loud. The logical consequence of co-morbidities featuring so highly as a risk factor has been largely left out of the public narrative.
In principle one of the most potentially effective tools against COVID – improving the overall health of the entire population – has been left lying on the table untouched.
The faster the Ministry of Health and all those stupid District Health Boards have the load of COVID vaccinations and border controls lifted off them, the better off we will all be.
MoH have not covered themselves in glory here.
Government have been given consistent advice that MoH weren't up to it and it needed a separate dedicated agency.
To those who don't believe that the benefits of being vaccinated against Covid-19 outweigh the risks, and would prefer to be protected by their untrained immune system if/when the Delta variant arrives on our shores
To me your comment displays a mixture of propaganda and fear.
It would be nice to know for example how this "untrained immune system" you speak of has managed to protect millions of children under the age of 18 in the UK over the past year, with an estimated death rate of only 0.000002%
It would be nice to know for example how this "untrained immune system" you speak of has managed to protect millions of children under the age of 18 in the UK over the past year, with an estimated death rate of only 0.000002%
An annual "death rate of only 0.000002%" for under-18s in the UK is fanciful, since that's a death rate of 1 per 50 million under-18s.
In your link it's stated that there were 2 Covid-19 deaths per million ("25 children and young people have died as a result of Covid-19"), so the actual annual death rate is 100 times your estimate, i.e. 0.0002%, not "0.000002%".
Propaganda, or a simple 'miscalculation'? Who knows
Many thanks Francesca. I have been reading and hearing about this for a while now. This is a well presented look at what we know and what we don't. Again, thank you.
Cause & effect, not merely a correlation. If it gets on the list of actually causing bad things, it is a bad thing, which is not a good thing for a vaccine in a pandemic. In other words, I hope (!) the vaccines are as safe as realistically possible and as effective as realistically possible. But it is what it is and time will tell.
No quibble with that, as long as the information is correct and accurate, correctly interpreted, and not extrapolated and taken out of context. There are too many self-taught dilettantes ‘experts’ out there who twist and turn facts into ignorant word salads with an emotive dressing. They should be ashamed of themselves.
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This year, we've seen a radical, white supremacist government ignoring its Tiriti obligations, refusing to consult with Māori, and even trying to legislatively abrogate te Tiriti o Waitangi. When it was criticised by the Waitangi Tribunal, the government sabotaged that body, replacing its legal and historical experts with corporate shills, ...
Poor old democracy, it really is in a sorry state. It would be easy to put all the blame on the vandals and tyrants presently trashing the White House, but this has been years in the making. It begins with Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan and the spirit of Gordon ...
The new school lunches came in this week, and they were absolutely scrumptious.I had some, and even though Connor said his tasted like “stodge” and gave him a sore tummy, I myself loved it!Look at the photos - I knew Mr Seymour wouldn’t lie when he told us last year:"It ...
The tighter sanctions are modelled on ones used in Britain, which did push people off ‘the dole’, but didn’t increase the number of workers, and which evidence has repeatedly shown don’t work. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, ...
Catching you up on the morning’s global news and a quick look at the parallels -GLOBALTariffs are backSharemarkets in the US, UK and Europe have “plunged” in response to Trump’s tariffs. And while Mexico has won a one month reprieve, Canada and China will see their respective 25% and 10% ...
This post by Nicolas Reid was originally published on Linked in. It is republished here with permission. Gondolas are often in the news, with manufacturers of ropeway systems proposing them as a modern option for mass transit systems in New Zealand. However, like every next big thing in transport, it’s hard ...
This is a re-post from The Climate BrinkBoth 2023 and 2024 were exceptionally warm years, at just below and above 1.5C relative to preindustrial in the WMO composite of surface temperature records, respectively. While we are still working to assess the full set of drivers of this warmth, it is clear that ...
Hi,I woke up feeling nervous this morning, realising that this weekend Flightless Bird is going to do it’s first ever live show. We’re heading to a sold out (!) show in Seattle to test the format out in front of an audience. If it works, we’ll do more. I want ...
From the United-For-Now States of America comes the thrilling news that a New Zealander may be at the very heart of the current coup. Punching above our weight on the world stage once more! Wait, you may be asking, what New Zealander? I speak of Peter Thiel, made street legal ...
Even Stevens: Over the 33 years between 1990 and 2023 (and allowing for the aberrant 2020 result) the average level of support enjoyed by the Left and Right blocs, at roughly 44.5 percent each, turns out to be, as near as dammit, identical.WORLDWIDE, THE PARTIES of the Left are presented ...
Back in 2023, a "prominent political figure" went on trial for historic sex offences. But we weren't allowed to know who they were or what political party they were "prominent" in, because it might affect the way we voted. At the time, I said that this was untenable; it was ...
I'm going, I'm goingWhere the water tastes like wineI'm going where the water tastes like wineWe can jump in the waterStay drunk all the timeI'm gonna leave this city, got to get awayI'm gonna leave this city, got to get awayAll this fussing and fighting, man, you know I sure ...
Waitangi Day is a time to honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi and stand together for a just and fair Aotearoa. Across the motu, communities are gathering to reflect, kōrero, and take action for a future built on equity and tino rangatiratanga. From dawn ceremonies to whānau-friendly events, there are ...
Subscribe to Mountain Tūī ! Where you too can learn about exciting things from a flying bird! Tweet.Yes - I absolutely suck at marketing. It’s a fact.But first -My question to all readers is:How should I set up the Substack model?It’s been something I’ve been meaning to ask since November ...
Here’s the key news, commentary, reports and debate around Aotearoa’s political economy on politics and in the week to Feb 3:PM Christopher Luxon began 2025’s first day of Parliament last Tuesday by carrying on where left off in 2024, letting National’s junior coalition partner set the political agenda and dragging ...
The PSA have released a survey of 4000 public service workers showing that budget cuts are taking a toll on the wellbeing of public servants and risking the delivery of essential services to New Zealanders. Economists predict that figures released this week will show continued increases in unemployment, potentially reaching ...
The Prime Minister’s speech 10 days or so ago kicked off a flurry of commentary. No one much anywhere near the mainstream (ie excluding Greens supporters) questioned the rhetoric. New Zealand has done woefully poorly on productivity for a long time and we really need better outcomes, and the sorts ...
President Trump on the day he announced tariffs against Mexico, Canada and China, unleashing a shock to supply chains globally that is expected to slow economic growth and increase inflation for most large economies. Photo: Getty ImagesLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, climate ...
Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on UnsplashHere’s what we’re watching in the week to February 9 and beyond in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty:Monday, February 3Politics: New Zealand Government cabinet meeting usually held early afternoon with post-cabinet news conference possible at 4 pm, although they have not been ...
Trump being Trump, it won’t come as a shock to find that he regards a strong US currency (bolstered by high tariffs on everything made by foreigners) as a sign of America’s virility, and its ability to kick sand in the face of the world. Reality is a tad more ...
A listing of 24 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, January 26, 2025 thru Sat, February 1, 2025. This week's roundup is again published soleley by category. We are still interested in feedback to hone the categorization, so if ...
What seems to be the common theme in the US, NZ, Argentina and places like Italy under their respective rightwing governments is what I think of as “the politics of cruelty.” Hate-mongering, callous indifference in social policy-making, corporate toadying, political bullying, intimidation and punching down on the most vulnerable with ...
If you are confused, check with the sunCarry a compass to help you alongYour feet are going to be on the groundYour head is there to move you aroundSo, stand in the place where you liveSongwriters: Bill Berry / Michael Mills / Michael Stipe / Peter Buck.Hot in the CityYesterday, ...
Shane Jones announced today he would be contracting out his thinking to a smarter younger person.Reclining on his chaise longue with a mouth full of oysters and Kina he told reporters:Clearly I have become a has-been, a palimpsest, an epigone, a bloviating fossil. I find myself saying such things as: ...
Warning: This post contains references to sexual assaultOn Saturday, I spent far too long editing a video on Tim Jago, the ACT Party President and criminal, who has given up his fight for name suppression after 2 years. He voluntarily gave up just in time for what will be a ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park from the Gigafact team in collaboration with members from our team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is global warming ...
Our low-investment, low-wage, migration-led and housing-market-driven political economy has delivered poorer productivity growth than the rest of the OECD, and our performance since Covid has been particularly poor. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, climate and poverty this ...
..Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.As far as major government announcements go, a Three Ministers Event is Big. It can signify a major policy development or something has gone Very Well, or an absolute Clusterf**k. When Three Ministers assemble ...
One of those blasts from the past. Peter Dunne – originally neoliberal Labour, then leader of various parties that sought to work with both big parties (generally National) – has taken to calling ...
Completed reads for January: I Am Legend, by Richard Matheson The Black Spider, by Jeremias Gotthelf The Spider and the Fly (poem), by Mary Howitt A Noiseless Patient Spider (poem), by Walt Whitman August Heat, by W.F. Harvey Charlotte’s Web, by E.B. White The Shrinking Man, by Richard Matheson ...
Do its Property Right Provisions Make Sense?Last week I pointed out that it is uninformed to argue that the New Zealand’s apparently poor economic performance can be traced only to poor regulations. Even were there evidence they had some impact, there are other factors. Of course, we should seek to ...
Richard Wagstaff It was incredibly jarring to hear the hubris from the Prime Minister during his recent state of the nation address. I had just spent close to a week working though the stories and thoughts shared with us by nearly 2000 working people as part of our annual Mood ...
Odd fact about the Broadcasting Standards Authority: for the last few years, they’ve only been upholding about 5% of complaints. Why? I think there’s a range of reasons. Generally responsible broadcasters. Dumb complaints. Complaints brought under the wrong standard. Greater adherence to broadcasters’ rights to freedom of expression in the ...
And I said, "Mama, mama, mama, why am I so alone"'Cause I can't go outside, I'm scared I might not make it homeWell I'm alive, I'm alive, but I'm sinking inIf there's anyone at home at your place, darlingWhy don't you invite me in?Don't try to feed me'Cause I've been ...
Climate Change Minister Simon Watts’ star is on the rise, having just added the Energy, Local Government and Revenue portfolios to his responsibilities - but there is nothing ambitious about the Government’s new climate targets. Photo: SuppliedLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, climate ...
It may have been a short week but there’s been no shortage of things that caught our attention. Here is some of the most interesting. This week in Greater Auckland On Tuesday Matt took a look at public transport ridership in 2024 On Thursday Connor asked some questions ...
The East Is Red: Journalists and commentators are referring to the sudden and disruptive arrival of DeepSeek as a second “Sputnik moment”. (Sputnik being the name given by the godless communists of the Soviet Union to the world’s first artificial satellite which, to the consternation and dismay of the Americans, ...
Hi,Back on inauguration day we launched a ridiculous RFK Jr. “brain worms” tee on the Webworm store, and I told you I’d be throwing my profits over to Mutual Aid LA and Rainbow Youth New Zealand. Just to show I am not full of shit, here are the receipts. I ...
The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts & talking about the week’s news with regular and special guests, including: on the week in geopolitics, including the latest from Donald Trump over Gaza and Ukraine.Health expert and author David Galler ...
In an uncompromising paper Treasury has basically told the Government that its plan for a third medical school at Waikato University is a waste of money. Furthermore, the country cannot afford it. That advice was released this week by the Treasury under the Official Information Act. And it comes as ...
Back in November, He Pou a Rangi provided the government with formal advice on the domestic contribution to our next Paris target. Not what the target should be, but what we could realistically achieve, by domestic action alone, without resorting to offshore mitigation. Their answer was startling: depending on exactly ...
Photo by Mauricio Fanfa on UnsplashKia oraCome and join us for our weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm today.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream for our chat about the week’s news with myself , plus regular guest David Patman and ...
I don't like to spend all my time complaining about our government, so let me complain about the media first.Senior journalistic Herald person Thomas Coughlan reported that Treasury replied yeah nah, wrong bro to Luxon's claim that our benighted little country has been in recession for three years.His excitement rose ...
Back in 2022, when the government was consulting internally about proactive release of cabinet papers, the SIS opposed it. The basis of their opposition was the "mosaic effect" - people being able to piece together individual pieces of innocuous public information in a way which supposedly harms "national security" (effectively: ...
With The Stroke Of A Pen:Populism, especially right-wing populism, invests all the power of an electoral/parliamentary majority in a single political leader because it no longer trusts the bona fides of the sprawling political class among whom power is traditionally dispersed. Populism eschews traditional politics, because, among populists, traditional politics ...
I’ve spent the last week writing a fairly substantial review of a recent book (“Australia’s Pandemic Exceptionalism: How we crushed the curve but lost the race”) by a couple of Australian academic economists on Australia’s pandemic policies and experiences. For all its limitations, there isn’t anything similar in New Zealand. ...
Mr Mojo Rising: Economic growth is possible, Christopher Luxon reassures us, but only under a government that is willing to get out of the way and let those with drive and ambition get on with it.ABOUT TWELVE KILOMETRES from the farm on the North Otago coast where I grew up stands ...
You're nearly a good laughAlmost a jokerWith your head down in the pig binSaying, 'Keep on digging.'Pig stain on your fat chinWhat do you hope to findDown in the pig mine?You're nearly a laughYou're nearly a laughBut you're really a crySongwriter: Roger Waters.NZ First - Kiwi Battlers.Say what you like ...
This is a re-post from the Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler Climate denial is dead. Renewable energy denial is here. As “alternative facts” become the norm, it’s worth looking at what actual facts tell us about how renewable energy sources like solar and wind are lowering the price of electricity. As ...
SIR GEOFFREY PALMER is worried about democracy. In his Newsroom website post of 27 January 2025 he asserts that “the future of democracy across the world now seems to be in question.” Following a year of important electoral contests across the world, culminating in Donald Trump’s emphatic recapture of the ...
The Government hasn’t stopped talking about growth since the Prime Minister made his “yes” speech at the Auckland Chamber of Commerce last week. But so far, the measures announced would seem hardly likely to suddenly pitch New Zealand into the fast-growth East Asian league. The digital nomad announcement hardly deserved ...
Our originating document, theTreaty of Waitangi, was signed on February 6, 1840. An agreement between Māori and the British Crown. Initially inked by Ngā Puhi in Waitangi, further signatures were added as it travelled south. The intention was to establish a colony with the cession of sovereignty to the Crown, ...
Te Whatu Ora Chief Executive Margie Apa leaving her job four months early is another symptom of this government’s failure to deliver healthcare for New Zealanders. ...
The Green Party is calling for the Prime Minister to show leadership and be unequivocal about Aotearoa New Zealand’s opposition to a proposal by the US President to remove Palestinians from Gaza. ...
The latest unemployment figures reveal that job losses are hitting Māori and Pacific people especially hard, with Māori unemployment reaching a staggering 9.7% for the December 2024 quarter and Pasifika unemployment reaching 10.5%. ...
Waitangi 2025: Waitangi Day must be community and not politically driven - Shane Jones Our originating document, theTreaty of Waitangi, was signed on February 6, 1840. An agreement between Māori and the British Crown. Initially inked by Ngā Puhi in Waitangi, further signatures were added as it travelled south. ...
Despite being confronted every day with people in genuine need being stopped from accessing emergency housing – National still won’t commit to building more public houses. ...
The Green Party says the Government is giving up on growing the country’s public housing stock, despite overwhelming evidence that we need more affordable houses to solve the housing crisis. ...
Before any thoughts of the New Year and what lies ahead could even be contemplated, New Zealand reeled with the tragedy of Senior Sergeant Lyn Fleming losing her life. For over 38 years she had faithfully served as a front-line Police officer. Working alongside her was Senior Sergeant Adam Ramsay ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson will return to politics at Waitangi on Monday the 3rd of February where she will hold a stand up with fellow co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick. ...
Te Pāti Māori is appalled by the government's blatant mishandling of the school lunch programme. David Seymour’s ‘cost-saving’ measures have left tamariki across Aotearoa with unidentifiable meals, causing distress and outrage among parents and communities alike. “What’s the difference between providing inedible food, and providing no food at all?” Said ...
The Government is doubling down on outdated and volatile fossil fuels, showing how shortsighted and destructive their policies are for working New Zealanders. ...
Green Party MP Steve Abel this morning joined Coromandel locals in Waihi to condemn new mining plans announced by Shane Jones in the pit of the town’s Australian-owned Gold mine. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to strengthen its just-announced 2030-2035 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement and address its woeful lack of commitment to climate security. ...
Today marks a historic moment for Taranaki iwi with the passing of the Te Pire Whakatupua mō Te Kāhui Tupua/Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill in Parliament. "Today, we stand together as descendants of Taranaki, and our tūpuna, Taranaki Maunga, is now formally acknowledged by the law as a living tūpuna. ...
Labour is relieved to see Children’s Minister Karen Chhour has woken up to reality and reversed her government’s terrible decisions to cut funding from frontline service providers – temporarily. ...
It is the first week of David Seymour’s school lunch programme and already social media reports are circulating of revolting meals, late deliveries, and mislabelled packaging. ...
The Green Party says that with no-cause evictions returning from today, the move to allow landlords to end tenancies without reason plunges renters, and particularly families who rent, into insecurity and stress. ...
The Government’s move to increase speed limits substantially on dozens of stretches of rural and often undivided highways will result in more serious harm. ...
In her first announcement as Economic Growth Minister, Nicola Willis chose to loosen restrictions for digital nomads from other countries, rather than focus on everyday Kiwis. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to stand firm and work with allies to progress climate action as Donald Trump signals his intent to pull out of the Paris Climate Accords once again. ...
The Government’s commitment to get New Zealand’s roads back on track is delivering strong results, with around 98 per cent of potholes on state highways repaired within 24 hours of identification every month since targets were introduced, Transport Minister Chris Bishop says. “Increasing productivity to help rebuild our economy is ...
The former Cadbury factory will be the site of the Inpatient Building for the new Dunedin Hospital and Health Minister Simeon Brown says actions have been taken to get the cost overruns under control. “Today I am giving the people of Dunedin certainty that we will build the new Dunedin ...
From today, Plunket in Whāngarei will be offering childhood immunisations – the first of up to 27 sites nationwide, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. The investment of $1 million into the pilot, announced in October 2024, was made possible due to the Government’s record $16.68 billion investment in health. It ...
New Zealand’s strong commitment to the rights of disabled people has continued with the response to an important United Nations report, Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston has announced. Of the 63 concluding observations of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), 47 will be progressed ...
Resources Minister Shane Jones has launched New Zealand’s national Minerals Strategy and Critical Minerals List, documents that lay a strategic and enduring path for the mineral sector, with the aim of doubling exports to $3 billion by 2035. Mr Jones released the documents, which present the Coalition Government’s transformative vision ...
Firstly I want to thank OceanaGold for hosting our event today. Your operation at Waihi is impressive. I want to acknowledge local MP Scott Simpson, local government dignitaries, community stakeholders and all of you who have gathered here today. It’s a privilege to welcome you to the launch of the ...
Racing Minister, Winston Peters has announced the Government is preparing public consultation on GST policy proposals which would make the New Zealand racing industry more competitive. “The racing industry makes an important economic contribution. New Zealand thoroughbreds are in demand overseas as racehorses and for breeding. The domestic thoroughbred industry ...
Business confidence remains very high and shows the economy is on track to improve, Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis says. “The latest ANZ Business Outlook survey, released yesterday, shows business confidence and expected own activity are ‘still both very high’.” The survey reports business confidence fell eight points to +54 ...
Enabling works have begun this week on an expanded radiology unit at Hawke’s Bay Fallen Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital which will double CT scanning capacity in Hawke’s Bay to ensure more locals can benefit from access to timely, quality healthcare, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. This investment of $29.3m in the ...
The Government has today announced New Zealand’s second international climate target under the Paris Agreement, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand will reduce emissions by 51 to 55 per cent compared to 2005 levels, by 2035. “We have worked hard to set a target that is both ambitious ...
Nine years of negotiations between the Crown and iwi of Taranaki have concluded following Te Pire Whakatupua mō Te Kāhui Tupua/the Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill passing its third reading in Parliament today, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “This Bill addresses the historical grievances endured by the eight iwi ...
As schools start back for 2025, there will be a relentless focus on teaching the basics brilliantly so all Kiwi kids grow up with the knowledge, skills and competencies needed to grow the New Zealand of the future, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “A world-leading education system is a key ...
Housing Minister Chris Bishop and Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson have welcomed Kāinga Ora’s decision to re-open its tender for carpets to allow wool carpet suppliers to bid. “In 2024 Kāinga Ora issued requests for tender (RFTs) seeking bids from suppliers to carpet their properties,” Mr Bishop says. “As part ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today visited Otahuhu College where the new school lunch programme has served up healthy lunches to students in the first days of the school year. “As schools open in 2025, the programme will deliver nutritious meals to around 242,000 students, every school day. On ...
Minister for Children Karen Chhour has intervened in Oranga Tamariki’s review of social service provider contracts to ensure Barnardos can continue to deliver its 0800 What’s Up hotline. “When I found out about the potential impact to this service, I asked Oranga Tamariki for an explanation. Based on the information ...
A bill to make revenue collection on imported and exported goods fairer and more effective had its first reading in Parliament, Customs Minister Casey Costello said today. “The Customs (Levies and Other Matters) Amendment Bill modernises the way in which Customs can recover the costs of services that are needed ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Department of Internal Affairs [the Department] has achieved significant progress in completing applications for New Zealand citizenship. “December 2024 saw the Department complete 5,661 citizenship applications, the most for any month in 2024. This is a 54 per cent increase compared ...
Reversals to Labour’s blanket speed limit reductions begin tonight and will be in place by 1 July, says Minister of Transport Chris Bishop. “The previous government was obsessed with slowing New Zealanders down by imposing illogical and untargeted speed limit reductions on state highways and local roads. “National campaigned on ...
Finance Minister Nicola Willis has announced Budget 2025 – the Growth Budget - will be delivered on Thursday 22 May. “This year’s Budget will drive forward the Government’s plan to grow our economy to improve the incomes of New Zealanders now and in the years ahead. “Budget 2025 will build ...
For the Government, 2025 will bring a relentless focus on unleashing the growth we need to lift incomes, strengthen local businesses and create opportunity. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today laid out the Government’s growth agenda in his Statement to Parliament. “Just over a year ago this Government was elected by ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour welcomes students back to school with a call to raise attendance from last year. “The Government encourages all students to attend school every day because there is a clear connection between being present at school and setting yourself up for a bright future,” says Mr ...
The Government is relaxing visitor visa requirements to allow tourists to work remotely while visiting New Zealand, Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis, Immigration Minister Erica Stanford and Tourism Minister Louise Upston say. “The change is part of the Government’s plan to unlock New Zealand’s potential by shifting the country onto ...
The opening of Kāinga Ora’s development of 134 homes in Epuni, Lower Hutt will provide much-needed social housing for Hutt families, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I’ve been a strong advocate for social housing on Kāinga Ora’s Epuni site ever since the old earthquake-prone housing was demolished in 2015. I ...
Trade and Investment Minister Todd McClay will travel to Australia today for meetings with Australian Trade Minister, Senator Don Farrell, and the Australia New Zealand Leadership Forum (ANZLF). Mr McClay recently hosted Minister Farrell in Rotorua for the annual Closer Economic Relations (CER) Trade Ministers’ meeting, where ANZLF presented on ...
A new monthly podiatry clinic has been launched today in Wairoa and will bring a much-needed service closer to home for the Wairoa community, Health Minister Simeon Brown says.“Health New Zealand has been successful in securing a podiatrist until the end of June this year to meet the needs of ...
The Judicial Conduct Commissioner has recommended a Judicial Conduct Panel be established to inquire into and report on the alleged conduct of acting District Court Judge Ema Aitken in an incident last November, Attorney-General Judith Collins said today. “I referred the matter of Judge Aitken’s alleged conduct during an incident ...
Students who need extra help with maths are set to benefit from a targeted acceleration programme that will give them more confidence in the classroom, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Last year, significant numbers of students did not meet the foundational literacy and numeracy level required to gain NCEA. To ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has announced three new diplomatic appointments. “Our diplomats play an important role in ensuring New Zealand’s interests are maintained and enhanced across the world,” Mr Peters says. “It is a pleasure to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and ...
Ki te kahore he whakakitenga, ka ngaro te Iwi – without a vision, the people will perish. The Government has achieved its target to reduce the number of households in emergency housing motels by 75 per cent five years early, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. The number of households ...
The opening of Palmerston North’s biggest social housing development will have a significant impact for whānau in need of safe, warm, dry housing, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. The minister visited the development today at North Street where a total of 50 two, three, and four-bedroom homes plus a ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced the new membership of the Public Advisory Committee on Disarmament and Arms Control (PACDAC), who will serve for a three-year term. “The Committee brings together wide-ranging expertise relevant to disarmament. We have made six new appointments to the Committee and reappointed two existing members ...
Ka nui te mihi kia koutou. Kia ora, good morning, talofa, malo e lelei, bula vinaka, da jia hao, namaste, sat sri akal, assalamu alaikum. It’s so great to be here and I’m ready and pumped for 2025. Can I start by acknowledging: Simon Bridges – CEO of the Auckland ...
The Government has unveiled a bold new initiative to position New Zealand as a premier destination for foreign direct investment (FDI) that will create higher paying jobs and grow the economy. “Invest New Zealand will streamline the investment process and provide tailored support to foreign investors, to increase capital investment ...
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins today announced the largest reset of the New Zealand science system in more than 30 years with reforms which will boost the economy and benefit the sector. “The reforms will maximise the value of the $1.2 billion in government funding that goes into ...
Turbocharging New Zealand’s economic growth is the key to brighter days ahead for all Kiwis, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says. In the Prime Minister’s State of the Nation Speech in Auckland today, Christopher Luxon laid out the path to the prosperity that will affect all aspects of New Zealanders’ lives. ...
The latest set of accounts show the Government has successfully checked the runaway growth of public spending, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. “In the previous government’s final five months in office, public spending was almost 10 per cent higher than for the same period the previous year. “That is completely ...
The Government’s welfare reforms are delivering results with the number of people moving off benefits into work increasing year-on-year for six straight months. “There are positive signs that our welfare reset and the return consequences for job seekers who don't fulfil their obligations to prepare for or find a job ...
Jon Kroll and Aimee McCammon have been appointed to the New Zealand Film Commission Board, Arts Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “I am delighted to appoint these two new board members who will bring a wealth of industry, governance, and commercial experience to the Film Commission. “Jon Kroll has been an ...
Finance Minister Nicola Willis has hailed a drop in the domestic component of inflation, saying it increases the prospect of mortgage rate reductions and a lower cost of living for Kiwi households. Stats NZ reported today that inflation was 2.2 per cent in the year to December, the second consecutive ...
Two new appointed members and one reappointed member of the Employment Relations Authority have been announced by Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden today. “I’m pleased to announce the new appointed members Helen van Druten and Matthew Piper to the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) and welcome them to ...
Health NZ's CEO has resigned, but frontline healthworkers are sceptical that installing new leadership will make any difference to a system grappling with problems. ...
Gail Duncan, Chairperson of the St Peter’s on Willis Social Justice Group, one of the organisations invited to submit on the Bill, says the Government’s actions are unprecedented. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amani Kasherwa, School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work, The University of Queensland In late January, a rebel group that has long caused mayhem in the sprawling African nation of Democratic Republic of Congo took control of Goma, a major city of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yee-Fui Ng, Associate Professor, Faculty of Law, Monash University An ad falsely depicting independent candidate Alex Dyson as a Greens member.ABC News/Supplied The highly pertinent case of a little-known independent candidate in the Victorian seat of Wannon has exposed a gaping ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lauren Ball, Professor of Community Health and Wellbeing, The University of Queensland Nik/Unsplash You might have heard that eating too many eggs will cause high cholesterol levels, leading to poor health. Researchers have examined the science behind this myth again, and ...
Everything you missed from the third day of the Treaty principles bill hearings, when the Justice Committee heard four hours of oral submission. Read our recaps of day one of the hearings here, and day two here. Parliament was quiet on Friday for the third day of hearings on the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Thomas Jeffries, Senior Lecturer in Microbiology, Western Sydney University Tijana Simic/Shutterstock The news last week that three people in Sydney were hospitalised with botulism after receiving botox injections has raised questions about the regulation of the cosmetic injectables industry. The ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jens Blotevogel, Principal Research Scientist and Team Leader for Remediation Technologies, CSIRO Mino Surkala, Shutterstock Lithium-ion batteries are part of everyday life. They power small rechargeable devices such as mobile phones and laptops. They enable electric vehicles. And larger versions store ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Edith Jennifer Hill, Associate Lecturer, Learning & Teaching Innovation, Flinders University Netflix Netflix’s new limited series, Apple Cider Vinegar, tells the story of the elaborate cancer con orchestrated by Australian blogger Annabelle (Belle) Gibson. The first episode opens with Gibson’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dee Ninis, Earthquake Scientist, Monash University Greece’s government has just declared a state of emergency on the island of Santorini, as earthquakes shake the island multiple times a day and sometimes only minutes apart. The “earthquake swarm” is also affecting other ...
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 The Western Australian state election will be held on March 8. A Newspoll, conducted January 29 to February 4 from a sample ...
She’s back behind the wheel, and this time, she wants to find out what it is that makes us tick. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. After a prolific career on stage and screen, 83-year-old Miriam Margolyes is on the road again. ...
A new poem by Jordan Hamel. Real Poet Every word earned its place and so did he, so should you. Real poet lives in the capital but writes himself into the Mackenzie country golden hour, man of the paper land, he neglects to mention his pollen ...
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 Understanding Te Tiriti by Roimata Smail (Wai Ako Press, $25) No better time to get ...
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Looking forward to getting back into the air when the borders open?
You might be in for a rough ride.
Have you considered tele-commuting?
https://interactives.stuff.co.nz/the-forever-project/hot-air-sucks-animation-video/
A single plastic bag took out nearly half the operating theatres? Maybe a rubbish sack? You don't see many plastic bags around these days – though I guess synthetic thread fabric is common enough. I suspect the false economy of delaying maintenance may have played its part in creating this expensive mess. Not the first time it has rained inside the old Dunedin hospital anyway.
https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/surgeries-cancelled-due-flooding
And gutter guard mesh costs $5-6 for 8 metres!
"For the want of a nail…."
Who remembers the classic Footrot Flats cartoon with the dog asking guess where Wal is during the first rain of the season or words to that effect? Behind him is a drenched Wal on a ladder cleaning an overflowing gutter of leaves.
Yep, the old; "she'll be right" kiwi attitude, doesn't mix too well with sterile operating theaters.
The SDHB is both underfunded and underfunding. Which ends up costing more; money, in the long term, and; human suffering, in the short.
John Pilger again proving why he will be remembered as one of the foremost journalist of our life time…unbelievably MSM media journalists have become so captured in this prevailing moment of 'manufacturing consent' in media that they intentionally ignore this symbolic public torture..fucking cowards..guess Pilger was right on the mark when he saw right through Kim Hill's bullshit liberal facade all those years ago and recognized her as nothing more than the defender of the status quo she is…..
JOHN PILGER: A Day in the Death of British Justice
"There is more: WikiLeaks disclosed the U.S. campaign to suppress wages in sweatshop countries like Haiti, India’s campaign of torture in Kashmir, the British government’s secret agreement to shield “U.S. interests” in its official Iraq inquiry and the British Foreign Office’s plan to create a fake “marine protection zone” in the Indian Ocean to cheat the Chagos islanders out of their right of return.
In other words, WikiLeaks has given us real news about those who govern us and take us to war, not the preordained, repetitive spin that fills newspapers and television screens. This is real journalism; and for the crime of real journalism, Assange has spent most of the past decade in one form of incarceration or another, including Belmarsh prison, a horrific place."
https://consortiumnews.com/2021/08/12/john-pilger-a-day-in-the-death-of-british-justice/
John Pilger dismantling Kim Hill…..
That interview that you and some others here love mentioning so much was in 2003.
Some people are truly stuck in the past and let the past define them in ways that lock in the past and block progressive change.
But did you read the consortium article? Because that's what happening now.
So perhaps you could.
And if I could not, I’m a “defender of the status quo”, or an “imperialist”, or something else altogether? Please let me know what label I should don so that I can make up my mind before I click on the link and lose a few minutes of my life that I will never get back.
Anyway, back to work now.
As a case study in histrionic propaganda, it's of mild interest. If you're into that kinda thing.
As for providing any new facts or insight, not so much. Finding those few little tidbits that might be relevant is kind of a 'where's Waldo' exercise. Which ends up kinda pointless given the certainty that Pilger will be presenting a wildly distorted one-eyed view of the situation.
"And if I could not, I’m a “defender of the status quo” …."
Good grief.
The point of reading the article is to inform you. If you choose not to, I couldn't care less.
Look, Brigid, in case you didn’t get my comment(s) in this thread, I was commenting on the ‘style’, not the ‘substance’. In my view, Adrian’s comment was not about engaging in a discussion. His prejudice was dripping off his comment, as usual, with the undertones of an aggressive and hostile attitude towards a few other commenters here. We’ve all seen it here before, which is why Adrian and I butt heads regularly and why I put (his pet) words in the Auto-Moderation filter that trigger shit fights.
His comment @ 3 was not inviting in the slightest; it was polarising, and I think he either can’t help himself because he’s stuck in a pattern or it is deliberate or a bit of both.
Perhaps I should not have used my reply to you as a way to communicate to and about Adrian and I apologise for that because you seem genuinely interested in conversation on the ‘substance’ of his comment. My bad.
HTH and have a nice day.
Sadly, Kim Hill doesn't seem to have learned a lot from that encounter with John Pilger. There are many more recent examples of her engaging in and/or providing an uncritical forum for vicious and cynical attacks on progressive activists and political dissidents. In 2013 she let Alex Gibney pour rhetorical filth on Julian Assange [1] and in 2019 she allowed Simon Schama to unleash an equally spurious attack on Jeremy Corbyn. [2]
To be fair, she does occasionally display some intellectual courage and moral awareness, such as when she confronted the neoconservative war enthusiast William Shawcross in 2004. [3] She also drove one Jeffrey Archer into a paroxysm of fury on air one memorable afternoon in 1994.
[1] https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-13072013/#comment-662336
[2] https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-06-07-2019/#comment-1634687
[3] https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-01082011/#comment-359152
Morrissey, my contraire confrere! Oh, how I missed you, but I had an inkling you’d appear here today; the trigger words must have set off the red alarm.
I think dogmatic lefties and intellectual snobs alike, they have better things to do than losing their rag over an ancient interview between a woman and a man about another man and a woman (or was it another man?). For example, where was your outrage about moving Churchill’s portrait?
Life is too short to hold on to the past and your grudges unless you’re Chris Trotter, of course, but he’s a ‘political historian’.
Work calls, again.
Nice to see you again, mon ami.
You misunderstand.
That interview was such a glorious victory in the struggle to smash the establishment that its memory shall be revered forever as a shining inspiration to all true lefties. Viva la revolucion!
Or something.
Ah, I see. Unfortunately, I’m prone to misunderstanding because I’m obviously not a ‘true lefty’, as I don’t go into full beast-mode at the slightest discursion from ‘the manifest’.
@ Incognito. So when has Kim Hill had on anyone defending or even seriously discussing the Assange case in the past couple of years?, infact as far as I can see RNZ has had only two guests over the past three years to talk about Assange specifically.. Kim Hill and RNZ undermine serious "progressive change" in exactly the same way as the Guardian does….the only change that gets regular coverage on RNZ are the changes in the stock market, that they report on half a dozen times a day!
Hmmm, a slightly better comment than the one that was visible in the front-end for 6’52’’ before you trashed it
I’m not losing any sleep over the things that seem to bother others no end. We all pick our favourite battles, don’t we? That said, I do see an analogy, at least one, between moving a portrait of Churchill and the reporting by RNZ and Kim Hill on Assange.
What the fuck is up with you commenting on the contents of my comment before the ten minutes ‘editing’ time is up?
"I do see an analogy, at least one, between moving a portrait of Churchill and the reporting by RNZ and Kim Hill on Assange"…I don't.
Defending Assange takes moral and ethical courage of the type Kim Hill and RNZ have not displayed for so long I sometimes wonder if it was ever present?
Getting on the Churchill train does not…just some low hanging fruit of the type that suits RNZ liberal sensibilities perfectly.
Twice in two days you put up a comment that was visible to others before you edited/trashed it. I can give you a personal message that I think your edit was an improvement and you know why. Other than that, I did not comment on the actual contents of your trashed comment. So, please spare me your false accusations and stop playing the poor victim. BTW, somebody else also commented on your second edited/changed comment, which you also improved by your edit. Perhaps you’re as smart as I think you are.
You don’t see an analogy, yet you do!?
I'm with you. There is a limit to how far supposedly good journalists will stray from acceptable norms. Hill's limit was exposed in the Pilger interview, and is repeated in regards to Assange.
It's worthwhile to acknowledge that.
That misses out the bits where he really ripped into Kim Hill. Pilger is a hero but so is Hill….on this very rare occasion she didn't handle it very well.
Yes, that was my impression – I thought they'd have hit it off.
Agreed
Stewing in hate and wallowing in his own blackpilled misery with a social life revolving around howling into social media. The only thing missing is the manifesto.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/world/europe/300382597/very-young-girl-among-five-victims-of-britains-first-mass-shooting-in-more-than-a-decade
And the profile was so obvious. Clearly not a victim, just an entitled shit.
This about Black Pill Incels in relation to the killer was horribly fascinating. Though, given that they are not interested in any kind of relationship beyond emotionless rutting; Involuntarily Chaste seems a better description than; I Celibate, because they are not looking for marriage anyway.
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/aug/13/plymouth-shootings-may-be-a-sign-the-incel-culture-is-spreading
An ordinary, self entitled young man unable to deal with the boredom and disappointments that are part and parcel of being an ordinary young man.
The joys of an affluent, comfortable society./
The world is full of arseholes and most of them can be found in groups lecturing others on what to do. Scott Guthrie, bankrupted many times, self appointed serial justice campaigner, actually anywhere he can get his hands on dopey buggers donations and funnel them towards himself just excelled at stitching up Christine Rankin,was, and I love this, a stalwart of the Sensible Sentencing Trust. Ha fucking ha!
Its all in the Press this morning, sorry can’t do links because of IT stupidity.
Here we go
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/126062061/selfstyled-justice-advocate-bankrupted-twice-now-sacked-twice
This is from Stuff, who I think still do the Press – so it's probably the same as the print version.
https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/126062061/selfstyled-justice-advocate-bankrupted-twice-now-sacked-twice
Yeah, that Guthrie sounds like a right conman. Though it is hard to detect a deceiver who believes their own deceit – is it even lying then? Still certainly manipulative and destructive to workplace cohesion, and corrosive to trust.
{Edit – snap DBB}
Another angle to vaccine hesitancy?
The writer makes the case that sexism plays a role in the evaluation and trials of medications in general.
Thanks francesca, an excellent long form piece that collates six months of commentary on this particular side effect of the covid jabs.
I have been following how MSM has been reporting on this issue for months and the responses from the experts are so similar you'd be forgiven for thinking they were following a common script.
A widely quoted male gynecologist told the BBC that there was “no evidence to suggest that COVID-19 vaccines will affect fertility.” Alan Copperman, MD, of the Mt. Sinai Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Science, claims “the evidence shows that the vaccines will not affect anyone’s fertility.” Just yesterday, from the Boston Globe, we are told there is “conclusive evidence that the vaccine has no negative impacts on reproduction.”
One wonders who they are trying to convince.
But, here’s what is confusing. The menstrual cycle – and please, someone do correct me if I’m wrong – is a fertility cycle, consisting of a follicular phase, the ovulation phase, the luteal phase, and then the passing of the menses itself. If a woman accepts a Covid-19 vaccine and begins to suddenly and hemorrhagically bleed, for weeks or months or end, this by no means necessarily suggests she is permanently sterilized, but nevertheless indicates her cycle has been thrown off track, which is a fertility-related side effect – one which is particularly salient to a woman trying to conceive.
And yes, basic biology…you'd think it would trump all the dismissive pontifications of the experts clearly spouting rubbish.
But no, Ms Parenti will most likely find herself on some FactcheckersRus shit list for daring to do such a deep dive into an issue that could affect near fifty percent of vaccine recipients.
And they wonder why vaccine hesitancy is an actual thing.
(Surprise fact from the article….about one third of all American women will undergo fertility treatment at some point.)
There are two ways to think about this pandemic – from the science perspective that in principle should embrace scrutiny, challenge and alternative hypothesis, OR from the public health perspective that is all about getting us to do the same thing.
One is about seeking the truth even when the path takes us through confusion and misinformation – the other is about the noble lie told in the interests holding our society together in a common purpose. These two motives could not be more different yet they're constantly muddled, conflated and are often in conflict with each other.
In an ideal world each would find a way to complement each other, each playing a role in evolving more intelligent and effective responses to this pandemic – yet here we are still taking sides when te virus doesn't care.
Not sure about the principle of embracing alternative hypotheses. My "science perspective" is that scientific hypotheses should be testable, so I could embrace the testing of alternative hypotheses (educated guesses) in as far as that is possible.
Existing data, however, strongly support the hypothesis that the benefits of the better Covid-19 vaccines to human life and limb greatly outweigh the risks.
To those who don't believe that the benefits of being vaccinated against Covid-19 outweigh the risks, and would prefer to be protected by their untrained immune system if/when the Delta variant arrives on our shores – I respect your right to choose and wish you, your whānau and friends the very best of luck.
Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) weekly COVID-19 meeting on 11 August 2021 update
Do the Benefits of COVID Vaccine Outweigh the Risks? [9 minute watch]
Given that I've already had my first AZ shot two weeks ago – I'm at a loss to understand your reply.
Glad you've had your first AZ jab – some of my best friends are vaccinated.
I'm at a loss to understand what you don't understand about my reply, which was an attempt to provide evidence (or, as mauī calls it, "propaganda") consistent with expert consensus hypotheses about the benefits and risks of vaccination against Covid-19.
I chose to focus on evidence because, as you know and as evinced by some of the replies below, there are many alternative hypotheses about Covid-19, vaccines and vaccination floating around, including that:
I embrace" expert consensus hypotheses (which are continually tested and, when necessary, revised) because imo they point the way forward more often than not. I'm less interested in false hopes ("fully vaccinated"), conspiracy theories ("transparency"), and promoting the odd "alternative hypothesis".
You've missed the point that there is no evidence that menstruation is affected by the MRNA jab because no studies have yet been done
That is not disinformation , in fact all those who cried down womens reports of menstrual disruption , saying that the evidence was that the Mrna jab has no effect on fertility, were guilty themselves of misinformation
Finally the CDC in the US is taking this seriously, and hopefully menstrual disruption will appear as one of the side effects so that younger women can make informed choices(perhaps delaying IV therapy until some time after the jab)
I hope you are not trying to characterise the link I provided as misinformation , that should be reported .If you had bothered to read the link you would have seen that she is no anti vaxxer.
When young women's concerns are so cavalierly brushed aside it's no wonder that trust is lost and vaccine hesitancy becomes a thing
Mind if you don't ask for it you wont know either and i guess that is the issue if the male body is the default body on which such things are 'studied'.
But then, men a women now, so i guess biology does not matter, or matters even less then before so we are all good.
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2021/08/09/1024190379/covid-vaccine-period-menstrual-cycle-research
disclaimer, i am fully vaccinated and i am past menstruating. 🙂
I realise this might be inconvenient to your narrative but you seem misinformed: https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-14-08-2021/#comment-1808944.
What CARM does is not in any way shape or form a "study". (Not what we have come to expect a "study" to comprise of. )
There are no studies…and it is very weird that this was not something that was specifically monitored in the initial Pfizer trials.
Even weirder that despite thousands of women reporting significant menstrual issues there has been no studies published.
Tardy, to say the least.
Nope. It is unethical to raise false flags until there is sufficient evidence that it is justified and then warranted. As the data mountain grows and experts have time to analyse all the data into meaningful and actionable information it may or may not become clear whether this constitutes a possible safety signal. However, some small studies may commence that are unlikely to provide conclusive results and more likely to fan the fire of doubt, fear, and hesitancy for the simple fact that it has not been a major blip on the radar until now, after billions of vaccine doses worldwide.
Where the US goes we go , and the CDC has finally started to take womens concerns seriously
Hopefully menstrual disruption will make it on to the list of side effects
FIFY
I hope it doesn’t.
"Bushed aside" like this?
Apologies francesca, I get antsy when critiques of the vaccine rollout include "transparency", as some might take it to imply a cover-up .
I agree that it's important to maintain public trust in the Covid-19 vaccine rollout, and that will require more impartial studies on vaccine and vaccination side effects, including side effects in various groups that were excluded (for precautionary reasons) during vaccine trials.
Imho it would be foolhardy for public health services to brush aside any potential negative health side effects of a global vaccination effort (4.66 billion doses so far). If we can agree that there has been no conspiracy to cover up possible side effects of the vaccine, then great.
I found this recent (balanced) article (by Stelin Paul) on the issue helpful.
From the Stelin Paul article…
Side effects on menstrual cycle
Even though there has been no concrete study conducted on this,
I don't know how many times this has to be said.
There has been no concrete study into the effect on women's menstrual cycles from the Covid vaccines. None.
So please…. produce an actual specific study into this or concede that these women reporting these symptoms should be taken seriously.
Because it just looks plain fucking dodgy ( and very possibly yet another example of the rise and rise of misogyny) that there has been no concrete study.
Thats what I'm coming round to Rosemary
Good old fashioned sexism that's inclined to trivialise women's concerns as hysteria
The current state without the emotive hype that we come across on this site: https://www.technologynetworks.com/biopharma/articles/the-global-pandemic-and-menstrual-cycles-what-do-we-know-351436
@Incognito
https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-14-08-2021/#comment-1809098
The current state without the emotive hype that we come across on this site: https://www.technologynetworks.com/biopharma/articles/the-global-pandemic-and-menstrual-cycles-what-do-we-know-351436
Even the article you referenced, the one based on research findings that are yet to be peer-reviewed , agrees that there have been no major studies on either Te Virus or the vaccines that has studied the effects on women's menstrual cycles.
As for 'emotive hype'… yet more "Good old fashioned sexism that's inclined to trivialise women's concerns as hysteria".
You should be ashamed of yourself.
Oh, get lost!
Of course, the article agrees, that was my point of linking to it!!
You’re are so antagonistic here – is that a better word for your constant tedious negative emotive commentary here? – that you cannot tell the difference between friend or foe.
@Rosemary (4:58 pm): Yes, a helpful article imho.
Happy to "concede that these women reporting these symptoms should be taken seriously" – why you seem to think I believe otherwise is a mystery.
Similarly, I don't understand why you believe that the lack of a "concrete study" is evidence of something "plain fucking dodgy".
I'm disappointed at the monotonous negativity you dump on the public heath system and health experts, and have as much respect for your opinions on these matters as you have for mine.
The CDC response has been tardy, but hopefully they will study the VAERS data( which will be skewed by under reporting) address the concerns and add to the list of side effects so that young women can be prepared
Your first link is a letter to the BMJ, not a study
Your second link says there is no hard data …still no studies
the third says could be short lived
None of these are studies
"Significantly, in June, the National Institute of Health (NIH) announced it would spend around $1 million to support three to four studies looking into the potential link between Covid vaccines and menstruation disruption. A call for proposals was issued, but so far, no awards have been granted. Consequently, no research has commenced, much less concluded with helpful insights.
I'm not talking about coverups, I'm talking about real studies addressing young women's concerns
If women are not listened to they lose trust and become vulnerable to misinformation
That was for Drowsy
Another balanced article (imho), this one looking at the possibility of cause-and-effect between Covid vaccinations and menstrual changes, and how to study same. Hopefully health experts can design studies and learn from these once the pandemic is better controlled.
In the absence of (instant) answers, I believe that the benefits of being vaccinated against Covid-19 outweigh the risks, but that's just me – who/what to trust is a personal choice.
We will in short months be in a largely or fully vaccinated percentage population.
Our policy argument is no longer about vaccination but about protecting the vulnerable from more outbreaks, mitigating its damage, and mashing that effort with the broader public health programmes that we already have.
Like life pre-covid, we will give all of ourselves better outcomes if we are well connected with people, exercise a lot, are overall healthy, don't smoke, aren't in an isolated community nowhere from healthcare, don't have other major morbidity risks, and act quickly when we do fall ill.
Thank you for saying this out loud. The logical consequence of co-morbidities featuring so highly as a risk factor has been largely left out of the public narrative.
In principle one of the most potentially effective tools against COVID – improving the overall health of the entire population – has been left lying on the table untouched.
The faster the Ministry of Health and all those stupid District Health Boards have the load of COVID vaccinations and border controls lifted off them, the better off we will all be.
MoH have not covered themselves in glory here.
Government have been given consistent advice that MoH weren't up to it and it needed a separate dedicated agency.
Drowsy M K
Be good sweet maid and let those who will be clever
Informed consent relies on full information and transparency
To me your comment displays a mixture of propaganda and fear.
It would be nice to know for example how this "untrained immune system" you speak of has managed to protect millions of children under the age of 18 in the UK over the past year, with an estimated death rate of only 0.000002%
"Covid: Children's extremely low risk confirmed by study" https://www.bbc.com/news/health-57766717
An annual "death rate of only 0.000002%" for under-18s in the UK is fanciful, since that's a death rate of 1 per 50 million under-18s.
In your link it's stated that there were 2 Covid-19 deaths per million ("25 children and young people have died as a result of Covid-19"), so the actual annual death rate is 100 times your estimate, i.e. 0.0002%, not "0.000002%".
Propaganda, or a simple 'miscalculation'? Who knows
Many thanks Francesca. I have been reading and hearing about this for a while now. This is a well presented look at what we know and what we don't. Again, thank you.
Medsafe is monitoring menstrual disorders after vaccination with the Pfizer vaccine as a possible safety signal.
https://www.medsafe.govt.nz/COVID-19/safety-report-21.asp
Incognito
Why on earth would you hope menstrual disruption doesn't make it on to the list of side effects for the MRNA vaccine?
Do you have similar feelings about the other side effects listed like itch, localised soreness, headache, tiredness, rash?
Cause & effect, not merely a correlation. If it gets on the list of actually causing bad things, it is a bad thing, which is not a good thing for a vaccine in a pandemic. In other words, I hope (!) the vaccines are as safe as realistically possible and as effective as realistically possible. But it is what it is and time will tell.
I would always prefer to be armed with information , no matter how "bad" those "bad things" may be
All drugs have "bad" side effects, with varying degrees of severity, not much point denying it
No quibble with that, as long as the information is correct and accurate, correctly interpreted, and not extrapolated and taken out of context. There are too many self-taught
dilettantes‘experts’ out there who twist and turn facts into ignorant word salads with an emotive dressing. They should be ashamed of themselves.