Open mike 15/04/2020

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, April 15th, 2020 - 91 comments
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91 comments on “Open mike 15/04/2020 ”

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  1. KJT 1
    15 April 2020 at 7:03 am

    Caught a Bridges interview this morning.

    We really dodged a bullet, avoiding having that degree of cognitive ignorance, in charge.

    Sickening, watching the interveiwer treating him with deference and agreement, rather than the hostile way interviewers treat Government MP's.

    We really do have a biased media.

    • I Feel Love 1.1
      15 April 2020 at 8:31 am

      Imagine if Bridges/ Nats were leading this, lockdown, then lift early, then lockdown, lift early etc … would have been chaos.

    • Morrissey 1.2
      15 April 2020 at 1:30 pm

      One of his henchmen, Paul Goldsmith, was on Kathryn Ryan's show this morning. Embarrassingly bad.

  2. I Feel Love 2
    15 April 2020 at 8:17 am

    This ain't no "standard seasonal flu", they also may find the high death rate is because hospitals have been underfunded, as simple as that. And considering the UK aren't counting the residential home deaths, unlike us here. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/14/we-are-all-resigned-to-getting-it-nhs-staff-reveal-fears-from-the-frontlines-of-covid-19

  3. Janet 3
    15 April 2020 at 9:09 am

    The basic math goes like this: If NZ could attract 2000 people to invest $50m, that would raise $100b.

    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=12324752

    NO THANKYOU.!

    Lets start again the way modern NZ started in the beginning – with honest hard working people looking for opportunity to succeed that was no longer reachable in Britian in the 1800,s.

    • BArely Here, or There 3.1
      15 April 2020 at 11:12 am

      Make NZ Great Again!

      I well remember all those swindled English and German migrants sold land that wasn't owned, having to live in tents for years on end, sometimes as solo mums, as their children died. It was great. Not too many turned up with the equivalent of $50m in their pocket, and most towns were violent hell holes. Maori might have something to say about being shot at again, and having anything stolen off them. But your basic maths is right, if it weren't for the reality of how much it would cost to get that money here.

      Can I get a hip hooray for the capitalists?

      • Janet 3.1.1
        15 April 2020 at 2:41 pm

        You must be very old to remember all that!. My pioneering ancestors didn,t mention that they met such horror in 1842 and 1852. They arrived to basic ( but expected ) primitive beginnings ( Nelson ) and successfully worked steadily to comfortable old ages.

    • Ad 3.2
      15 April 2020 at 11:20 am

      It's a good idea – so long as this is their only citizenship and they renounce all others. And that $50m+ needs to be domiciled here.

      We are about to lose the shirts off our backs economically, and we don't have enough millionaires either absolutely or proportionately to start up this country again.

      I'm sure it goes against the egalitarian spirit of the left – but without some serious fresh injection of capital, the workers of New Zealand could toil away for decades and still have to rely on the state for most things in their lives.

      • RedLogix 3.2.1
        15 April 2020 at 12:06 pm

        Don't fret, it will happen anyway.

        Europe is in for a very unsettling decade or two, there will be many well qualified people with both money and talent looking to escape.

      • Janet 3.2.2
        15 April 2020 at 2:24 pm

        "the workers of New Zealand could toil away for decades and still have to rely on the state for most things in their lives."

        So UBI might as well start now and their toil and initiative over the next decades will quickly be constructive .

  4. Koff 4
    15 April 2020 at 9:10 am

    The international (English language) media have been lauding the NZ response to the COVID-19 crisis, but looking at the worldometer stats (must admit I’ve been alternatively mesmerised and horrified over the last few weeks by the figures), there are some standout countries that have hardly been mentioned: Taiwan, Vietnam and Hong Kong, in particular.

    It’s hard to make sense of all thefigures and not easy to make easy comparisons because of so many different variables that you don’t know about: size of population, testing rate, amountof contact tracing, quarantining strategy etc., but it’s also hard to ignore Vietnam with no deaths and hardly any cases yet it’s right next to China. Taiwan similar with only 6 deaths and a population similar to Australia, Hong Kong with only 4 deaths and again hardly any cases. All 3 countries were badly affected by the SARS epidemic in 2003 and seemed to have learned from the experience. All shut down their borders in early January, 2 months before NZ, and had well thought out pandemic strategies already in place just in case another nasty zoonotic virus (one that jumps from another species) turned up, which of course it did.

    Lessons to be learned by the rest of the world. Links below to articles about Taiwan and Vietnam.

    https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/world/asia/population-the-same-as-australia-s-but-a-fraction-of-the-coronavirus-cases-20200412-p54j67.html

    https://www.dailysabah.com/world/with-no-deaths-reported-vietnams-response-to-coronavirus-pandemic-earns-praise/news

      • Peter chch 4.1.1
        15 April 2020 at 11:42 am

        For those who flunked Chinese 101, this basically says that Taiwan is part of China, and we are all ignorant and no doubt racist if we think otherwise as there is one and only one China.

        Hmm, wonder how they reconcile their empire including Xinjiang and Xizang (Tibet) then. Hardly comprised of Han Tzu or historically part of China.

        2021 is a dangerous year, and Xi has already stated repeatedly that within one year China will seize Taiwan back.

        I just wish more Kiwis would read the local Chinese press. Racist and imperialist in the extreme. I honestly think many of our Chinese immigrants consider NZ to be just an overseas outpost of the Chinese Empire.

        • RedLogix 4.1.1.1
          15 April 2020 at 12:03 pm

          I just wish more Kiwis would read the local Chinese press. Racist and imperialist in the extreme.

          Agreed. I cannot read the language, but I have trusted sources who do. And they tell me much the same things.

          If people here think I'm stridently anti-CCP it's mainly for this reason.

          I honestly think many of our Chinese immigrants consider NZ to be just an overseas outpost of the Chinese Empire.

          The reality is a lot more nuanced. The overseas Chinese diaspora is deeply divided on the CCP. Many of those who oppose them fear a backlash in the West that would could scarcely help but to fail to discriminate between the various groups.

          • I Feel Love 4.1.1.1.1
            15 April 2020 at 12:12 pm

            A good doco American Factory, about a Chinese business man buying a factory in USA, the way they describe the Americans is quite revealing, some quite truthful, but clearly quite racist.

        • Bruce 4.1.1.2
          15 April 2020 at 12:31 pm

          Sorry I should have pointed out ,scroll down for English.

    • Gabby 4.2
      15 April 2020 at 2:46 pm

      Well 3 guesses why Taiwan might not get mentioned.

  5. Cinny 5
    15 April 2020 at 9:32 am

    Trumps presser yesterday was the most bizarre yet. Let's dim the lights, says trump as a little film starts up lamenting agent orange. It was weird. I've never seen him so defensive, he was off the hook raging at journalists who tried their best to hold him to account yesterday.

    Today it looks like the presser is in the rose garden, thank goodness, can't dim the lights there, so no promotional film from POTUS.

    • Anne 5.1
      15 April 2020 at 10:14 am

      Can you supply a link Cinny? I have trouble finding them – lack of knowledge and know how.

      I saw part of yesterday's presser and it was like something out of A in Wonderland. Un…. believable!

      • Cinny 5.1.2
        15 April 2020 at 9:49 pm

        Anne, I'll post a live link for tomorrow.

        Today's was even more unreal, he spent the longest time reading out names of big corporations. Can't even remember why now lololz, because he went on for so long. But he deliberately didn't mention microsoft, he must have beef with them.

        He also spent most of the time blaming other people. It's all China's fault and the WHO because they didn't tell trump to take action and weren't transparent. It's got nothing to do with trump calling the virus a hoax or his lack of listening ability, nope, apparently everything is someone elses fault.

        As well he talked up how the USA has more ICU rooms than Italy or France etc. Love to fact check on that. And he spent ages bragging about how many ventilators the USA has. Because it's a competition lolz.

        Fauci was MIA, I hope he's ok.

        Here's a link for a replay of today's bizarre presser in the Rose Garden.

        • Anne 5.1.2.1
          15 April 2020 at 10:38 pm

          Thanks Cinny. I got it through the Guardian link but couldn't stomach all of it. It was like listening to a drug addled nut-bar. Just awful.

          Yes, I heard the latest installment of the blame game. The lies are so blatant that his followers must have the lowest IQ in the entire country to not know he is the fake.

          Did you see the clip of Dr Fauci yesterday explaining what he meant by his comments the previous day concerning Trump 's original denial of the virus? He was in front of the microphone looking so small and vulnerable while two stony faced thugs stood over him just to his left. Trump and Pence. Poor man. Not surprised he didn't turn up today. He is being bullied behind the scenes. That is obvious.

          • Drowsy M. Kram 5.1.2.1.1
            15 April 2020 at 10:58 pm

            Dr Fauci turns 80 this year – he has been a senior figure in US public health for a loooong time. Not sure how susceptible he is to bullying – at some point he may be forced to ‘stand down’, but I'm guessing he won’t be keen to go as long as he believes that continuing to advise Trump can do some public health good.

            "He has turned down several offers to lead his agency's parent, the NIH [National Institutes of Health], and has been at the forefront of US efforts to contend with viral diseases like HIV, SARS, the 2009 swine flu pandemic, MERS, Ebola and COVID-19."
            https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Fauci

            • Anne 5.1.2.1.1.1
              16 April 2020 at 10:05 am

              Hi DMK, I didn't mean to infer Fauci was 'afraid' of Trump but rather he was being undermined behind the scenes – a better word than bullying.

              Its a measure of the a*****e that – despite his [false] words to the contrary – Trump thinks he can push around an 80 year old with knowledge and experience he is incapable of ever attaining, and without any empathy or respect for the age of the gentleman.

              Lets not forget he tweeted only a few days ago he wanted to fire Fauci because he said something Trump did not like.

              • Drowsy M. Kram …
                16 April 2020 at 2:21 pm

                Agree with all you've written Anne, just thought that Dr Fauci's age, medical expertise and record of public service were interesting. Being in their seventies would seem to be about the only thing Fauci and Trump have in common.

  6. Peter 6
    15 April 2020 at 10:14 am

    The media highlight of the day? When such a beauty comes up early you know Trump or anyone else is going to have to go really hard to compete.

    Man on radio talking about Obama endorsing Biden. (That's news? You're so bereft that it's the only thing in the world to talk about? etc, etc.)

    Obama's thing is a 10 minute speech, well, 'monologue' and according to the guru "There's a man who likes the sound of his own voice." !!!!!!

    Mirror, mirror on the wall ….

    • Bearded Git 6.1
      15 April 2020 at 12:44 pm

      If Michelle Obama goes around publicly endorsing Biden his lead (already good) will stretch into the far distance.

    • The Al1en 7.1
      15 April 2020 at 11:00 am

      Identify, and if any of them catch covid and/or pass it on, hold them liable for treatment costs and consider criminal negligence or wilful endangerment charges.

      • Peter 7.1.1
        15 April 2020 at 11:11 am

        Vancouver is a good size bigger than Auckland. The guy in the clip said there was a massive crowd. I think he is exaggerating.

        • Koff 7.1.1.1
          15 April 2020 at 11:50 am

          Accordingto B.C. media it was a small group of about 20, mostly anti-vaxxers and other local right wing nut jobs.

      • Sabine 7.1.2
        15 April 2020 at 2:30 pm

        Germany has drive by testing and done fairly well so far as a transit country to boot,

        and in the US if you don't work you starve – and also right wing, and Donald wants a march and the Trumpists march.

        Maybe the idiots are the ones pretending that they can stay home for month on end with the government sending care packages until the virus is eradicated and then they go back to live as it was before.
        maybe the actual solution is somewhere inbetween.

        • The Al1en 7.1.2.1
          15 April 2020 at 4:30 pm

          Without knowing if any of those protesters aren't spreading covid, they're just being sour krauts and maple strops, and should heed the advice on social distancing and mass gatherings. I mean it would be really stupid to end a lock down as they want, only to have thousands more catch it because money and bau.

          Though their self righteous reaction is a bit of an ah, now I get it moment.

        • weka 7.1.2.2
          15 April 2020 at 4:54 pm

          Maybe the idiots are the ones pretending that they can stay home for month on end with the government sending care packages until the virus is eradicated and then they go back to live as it was before.

          Who thinks that? Most people I'm seeing who understand the need for lock down also understand we're not going back to BAU.

      • weka 7.1.3
        15 April 2020 at 4:32 pm

        unfortunately it would be hard to establish who caught cv from who, so presumably endangerment or manslaughter wouldn't be a go.

        Am curious what penalties Canada (or NZ) has for such behaviour in a pandemic or under a civil emergency.

        • The Al1en 7.1.3.1
          15 April 2020 at 4:38 pm

          Sure, though wilful breaching lock down orders are not only frustrating but ultimately dangerous to a lot of people. I hope none of them bought a surprise home to their bubbles.

          • weka 7.1.3.1.1
            15 April 2020 at 4:52 pm

            I totally think the state should deal to that. If it were NZ I would expect arrests.

            • The Al1en 7.1.3.1.1.1
              15 April 2020 at 4:58 pm

              Which would be tough as protesting is a right and all, and historically, most on the left would view the police on a spectrum of suspicion, but it's a deadly pandemic, and I would also expect a minimum warning of go home or be arrested would end a pointless protest like these above.

              • weka …
                15 April 2020 at 5:26 pm

                It's not the gathering to protest that bothers me, it's the blatant ignoring of the 2m distancing, and I'm guessing they're not bothering with hand washing, no face touching etc too.

                • The Al1en …
                  15 April 2020 at 5:36 pm

                  I do agree, they can't really protest observing 2m spacing rules, so just like anyone too close in a queue at the moment, they'll cause some suspicion concerning their observance skills/understanding/compliance.

  8. Adrian Thornton 8
    15 April 2020 at 11:32 am

    The liberal media show us that Chompsky's 'manufacturing concent' model is operating perfectly in it's job of protecting Biden…even here in little ol' NZ, RNZ doesn't touch this story either…

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63yeQ1GCzIY

    • AB 8.1
      15 April 2020 at 3:03 pm

      The Democratic Party seem to realise that they have coalesced around the worst possible anti-Sanders candidate. Biden is an incredibly 'target-rich environment' for Republican attack ads. There's the corruption allegations against his son (Hunter) and brother (James) – both suspected of using access to Joe as bargaining chips. There's his support for the Iraq war, for cutting social security, and for stripping people of bankruptcy protection. There's his support for NAFTA and TPPA. And now the glossed over and uninvestigated sexual abuse allegations. Not to mention an increasing tendency to flub his lines. It's going to be bloody. I guess the Democratic Party would have preferred to coalesce around Buttigieg or Klobuchar or Harris or even Bloomberg – but they weren't options after South Carolina.

      What's also clear is that Sanders doesn't own his own movement. Despite endorsing Biden he can't command their obedience. To some extent, his movement will shuck him off and find a new leader – true to their likely belief in the Tolstoyan maxim that a leader is the wave pushed ahead by the ship. The age divide – Sanders winning under 45's decisively and Biden over 45's equally decisively – suggests many younger voters may simply not vote (which they are prone not to do anyway)

      And Trump is going to claim victory over the 'Chinese virus' – irrespective of how many C-19 deaths there finally are. He's going to lie through his teeth about the whole thing, make a case for his own foresight and competence – and stand a good chance of being believed.

      Unhappy days.

  9. Treetop 9
    15 April 2020 at 12:30 pm

    Cuomo Governor of New York, "Donald Trump has declared himself as King Trump."

    Midday news on 1.

  11. Barfly 11
    15 April 2020 at 2:31 pm

    NZ Herald utterly gobsmacking incompetent…it's dammed obvious that proof reading is considered unnecessary

    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=12324961

    States repeatedly it's 20% cut in salaries yet multiple examples given in $ terms are all 10% .

    Oh and I’m waiting for reporters to ask Bridges and Rimmer if they will be taking cuts as well.

    • RedBaronCV 11.1
      15 April 2020 at 2:40 pm

      20% annually so 10% for 6 months I assume. Personally I'd have also taken a hatchet to the police commissioner and the head of the defence force who I believe earn way above the prime minister and given it to the director general of health

    • Chris T 11.2
      15 April 2020 at 2:47 pm

      Heard on the news Bridge's is.

      If you a going to make a pointless token gesture, then they will all do it.

      Assuming Rimmer is Seymour, imagine he will jump on the pointless PR band wagon.

      Not sure about Winston given "The super annuation thing". Will probably say he will, which doesn't mean much.

    • observer 11.3
      15 April 2020 at 3:25 pm

      Ardern is smarter than that.

      She could have played it like the old game, get one up on Bridges, for a moment in the news. But she informed him beforehand, gave him a chance to match her.

      Taking the high ground is what works for her. It's good politics. Kicking him in the goolies plays well to the base, like some on here, but that's exactly what Bridges would do, and that's why he loses. Big picture classy versus small picture petty.

      Sometimes I think that her political skills are as much underestimated by her supporters as her detractors.

  12. Sabine 12
    15 April 2020 at 2:36 pm

    Resumé

    BY DOROTHY PARKER

    Razors pain you;

    Rivers are damp;

    Acids stain you;

    And drugs cause cramp.

    Guns aren’t lawful;

    Nooses give;

    Gas smells awful;

    You might as well live.

    • Forget now 12.1
      15 April 2020 at 10:00 pm

      Portrait of the Artist

      By Dorothy Parker

      Lead me to a quiet cell

      Where never footfall rankles

      With steel chains go bind me well

      Make fast my wrists and ankles

      O wrap my limbs with linen fair

      With hempen cord go bind me

      And of your mercy leave me there

      Nor tell them where to find me

      Bar the door there as you go

      And see its bolts be double

      Come back in half an hour or so

      And I will be in trouble.

      • Forget now 12.1.1
        15 April 2020 at 10:10 pm

        Yes I flubbed a few lines. But; apart from the title, that was from memory (as I used my one editing chance on fixing that)! Surprised I did that well myself, after so many years.

  13. Fireblade 13
    15 April 2020 at 3:07 pm

    Trump Rocks Bohemian Rhapsody.

    • Cinny 13.1
      15 April 2020 at 9:57 pm

      Oh dang! Must show Miss 15, she loves that song and loathes trump. Putin on the piano is a beautiful touch loololz.

      Funny as.

  14. gsays 14
    15 April 2020 at 3:11 pm

    Unintended Consequences:

    If it is any consolation, anecdotally speaking, there seems to be a dramatic drop-off in numbers seeking hospital help for self-harm and suicide attempts.

    I have been pondering possible reasons for this: limited or restricted access to alcohol, stronger ties to others by being connected to a bubble, a greater closeness and/or appreciation of those nearest and dearest….

    Some of these may be an explanation for the drop in family harm notifications.

  15. Andre 15
    15 April 2020 at 3:38 pm

    Biff fake-Tannin' is delaying the stimulus payments going out to Americans made unemployed by COVID-19. So they can have his shaky sharpie scrawl on them. Could be worse I s'pose, they could have been delayed further so that Dim Dotardashian got his ugly mug printed on them as well.

    https://www.huffpost.com/entry/donald-trumps-name-on-stimulus-check-irs-coronavirus_n_5e965be0c5b6ead140045899

    • Sabine 15.1
      15 April 2020 at 3:40 pm

      today they declared that the money will be accessible to debt collectors.

      Many people will get it via direct bank deposit 🙂 and never see a cent.

      But King Trump of Trumplandia will feel all great again, having his name on a 'cheque'.

  17. weka 17
    15 April 2020 at 4:32 pm

    Not a fan generally, but this is a really good move by TOP.

    https://twitter.com/top_nz/status/1250267758211653633

  19. Herodotus 19
    15 April 2020 at 7:05 pm

    Suggestion that I put into practice today both at Work and Socially

    Didn't email or txt, all interaction was by phone. Good also to just talk not just the functional txt/email.

  20. Incognito 20
    15 April 2020 at 7:46 pm

    Australia is flattening the coronavirus curve. But should we try to squash it like New Zealand?

    https://www.abc.net.au/news/health/2020-04-15/coronavirus-elimination-australia-new-zealand/12150302

    New Zealand is now "the envy of the world", according to the Grattan Institute, which said the country had a "realistic chance" of eliminating COVID-19 within the next couple of months.

  21. Forget now 21
    15 April 2020 at 8:30 pm

    So, it's been a strange day – apologies if I have seemed like a bear with a sore tooth at times,.. but that's pretty much accurate. I had a kernel from lunch caught in between my teeth – so I flossed it out, along with much of the tooth! Dental school (over the phone) gave me a choice between meds or extraction. Went with meds (painkillers and antibiotics until level 3 at least).

    Anyway, on the way to the chemist there is this oldish crusty bloke reeling from side to side of the footpath. Shouting at the woman (normal street clothes) in front of me to get out of his way – even though it was clearly him lurching towards her. So then it's my turn…

    I am wearing a zipped-up hoody, facial bandana and jeans (really not skirt weather today!). In retrospect, I may have looked a bit Islamic? He sneers at me: "If I had a gun, I'd shoot the lot of you!". That was surprising, maybe what Muslims in Dunedin put up with all the time? So I bellow back "Forget you – currant!", which he may have misheard, because he got out of my face really quickly after that.

    The strange thing was that he didn't seem drunk or otherwise intoxicated. Guess it's just the stress of lockdown.. and him being an arsehole too, of course.

  22. pat 22
    15 April 2020 at 11:16 pm

    food for thought.

    Wage subsidy spend to date 9 billion….

    IMF projection 25 billion contraction NZ GDP next 12 months….

    12 months interest (only) on residential mortgages NZ 13 billion…

    12 months interest (only) on personal lending NZ 1.2 billion…

  24. weston 24
    16 April 2020 at 12:19 am

    I heard stephen mills saying on kathrine ryans program the other day that he thought jeremey corbyn was the worst leader the uk labour party had ever had funny i thought mills was supposed to represent the lefts view on the program he was taking part in an hooten the right ??but on yer steve may as well put the boot in everyone else has .Would have thought you couldve cut corbyn a tiny bit of slack tho steve it cant have been easy for example trying to be effective in ahighly corrosive poisonous snake pit that is the uk labour party .Even going home to put your feet up must have been something of an ordeal for jc given the daily onslaught of hit pieces in maybe all of the papers by hostile corporate presstittutes taking their orders from on high by powerfull figures determined to stop you getting any traction .IM petty sure that if a labour leader in this country managed to increase membership of the party by the numbers that jeremy corbyn did over there it would be have to be regarded equally with jesus's trick of walking on water !!Supprizes me that so many people both here and there cant decide weather they are left right or in between or how low they can go to keep their noses in the trough .The uk labour part it seems is no different to the democratic party in the states in that they will even go to the extream of deliberately losing an election to maintain the status quo .Rotten to the core would be an understatement in both cases imo.

    • I Feel Love 24.1
      16 April 2020 at 8:11 am

      Bridges is doing a better job of opposition than the UK Labour right now, & the UK actually have problems, urgent ones, that should be called out, but UK Labour? Not a squeak…

  25. Eco Maori 25
    16 April 2020 at 6:30 pm

    Kia Ora Newshub.

    That's is correct we can't jump to soon out of isolation.

    Ka kite Ano

  26. Eco Maori 26
    16 April 2020 at 6:54 pm

    Kia Ora Te Ao Maori News.

    Hopefully we can step down to level 3 in good time.

    Ka pai giving the Kaumatua flue vaxcernation at their Marae.

    The Raukumara need a lot of mahi to minimise the pest in it I still champion A bounty on pest.

    The new Te reo teaching programs are good.

    Ka kite Ano

  27. Eco Maori 27
    17 April 2020 at 8:48 am

    Kia Ora The Am Show.

    Good to hear that our farmers are still working.

    I remember that person pushing for lock down next minute he wants Aotearoa to come out early.

    I say the government has done a good job with the virus it's impossible to keep everyone happy.

    There are a few things from the old days that could create mahi.

    Ka kite Ano.

  28. Eco Maori 28
    17 April 2020 at 6:29 pm

    Kia Ora Newshub.

    You would think that property owners will give their business tenants rent reduction in times like this.

    That's good Aotearoa being involved in a international research project for the virus.

    Its awesome the mahi Doc is doing in Aotearoa.

    Ka kite Ano.

  29. Eco Maori 29
    17 April 2020 at 6:48 pm

    Kia Ora Te Ao Maori News.

    I think it's good to use online service to help tangi with the virus isolation.

    That's what it used to be like people helping people Ka pai to the guy who put out the fire.

    Cool that forestry workers can go back to mahi in level 3lock down.

    Awsome that tangata are protecting Te Kauri Tane Mahuta.

    Ka kite Ano.

  30. Eco Maori 30
    18 April 2020 at 6:29 pm

    Kia Ora Newshub.

    Cool those people importanting PPE gear.

    Extreme weather events is going to be the new normal.

    Counterfeiters of virus cures are low flogging off crap that is just a money spinner.

    Ka kite Ano

  31. Eco Maori 31
    18 April 2020 at 6:47 pm

    Kia Ora Te Ao Maori News.

    Kia Kaha Whanau Aotearoa is in a great place.

    Ka kite Ano.

  33. Eco Maori 33
    19 April 2020 at 6:30 pm

    Kia Ora Newshub.

    You will always find some people who have a different opinion.

    What fools go and dump rubbish in a cemetery.

    I think ACC needs a cleanup.

    That's is cool the 21st century commutation devices to make movies and waiata during the virus isolation.

    Ka kite Ano

  34. Eco Maori 34
    19 April 2020 at 6:52 pm

    Kia Ora Te Ao Maori News.

    Cool that their is going to be virus testing in our remote rual regions

    In good time the lock down levels will lift.

    Good the people getting donations and send out period products to unfortunate Wahine.

    Ka kite Ano.

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    New Zealand is again having to reconcile conflicting pressures from its military and its trade interests. Should we join Pillar Two of AUKUS and risk compromising our markets in China? For a century after New Zealand was founded in 1840, its external security arrangements and external economics arrangements were aligned. ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    19 hours ago
  • Weekly Climate Wrap: The unravelling of the offsets

    The ‘50 Shades of Green’ farmers’ protest in 2019 was heavy on climate change denial, but five years on, scepticism and criticism about the idea that pine forests can save us is growing across the board. File photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s the top six news items of note in climate ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    23 hours ago
  • What makes us tick

    This morning the sky was bright.The birds, in their usual joyous bliss. Nature doesn’t seem to feel the heat of what might angst humans.Their calls are clear and beautiful.Just some random thoughts:MāoriPaul Goldsmith has announced his government will roll back the judiciary’s rulings on Māori Customary Marine Title, which recognises ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 day ago
  • Foreshore and seabed 2.0

    In 2003, the Court of Appeal delivered its decision in Ngati Apa v Attorney-General, ruling that Māori customary title over the foreshore and seabed had not been universally extinguished, and that the Māori Land Court could determine claims and confirm title if the facts supported it. This kicked off the ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 day ago
  • Gordon Campbell on the Royal Commission report into abuse in care

    Earlier this week at Parliament, Labour leader Chris Hipkins was applauded for saying that the response to the final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care had to be “bigger than politics.” True, but the fine words, apologies and “we hear you” messages will soon ring ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    1 day ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Friday, July 26

    TL;DR: In news breaking this morning:The Ministry of Education is cutting $2 billion from its school building programme so the National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government has enough money to deliver tax cuts; The Government has quietly lowered its child poverty reduction targets to make them easier to achieve;Te Whatu Ora-Health NZ’s ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Weekly Roundup 26-July-2024

    Kia ora. These are some stories that caught our eye this week – as always, feel free to share yours in the comments. Our header image this week (via Eke Panuku) shows the planned upgrade for the Karanga Plaza Tidal Swimming Steps. The week in Greater Auckland On ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    1 day ago
  • God what a relief

    1. What's not to love about the way the Harris campaign is turning things around?a. Nothingb. Love all of itc. God what a reliefd. Not that it will be by any means easye. All of the above 2. Documents released by the Ministry of Health show Associate Health Minister Casey ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 day ago
  • Trust In Me

    Trust in me in all you doHave the faith I have in youLove will see us through, if only you trust in meWhy don't you, you trust me?In a week that saw the release of the 3,000 page Abuse in Care report Christopher Luxon was being asked about Boot Camps. ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 day ago
  • The Hoon around the week to July 26

    TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking about the Royal Commission Inquiry into Abuse in Care report released this week, and with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on a UN push to not recognise carbon offset markets and ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Friday, July 26

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 26, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Transport: Simeon Brown announced $802.9 million in funding for 18 new trains on the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines, which ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Radical law changes needed to build road

    The northern expressway extension from Warkworth to Whangarei is likely to require radical changes to legislation if it is going to be built within the foreseeable future. The Government’s powers to purchase land, the planning process and current restrictions on road tolling are all going to need to be changed ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    1 day ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #30 2024

    Open access notables Could an extremely cold central European winter such as 1963 happen again despite climate change?, Sippel et al., Weather and Climate Dynamics: Here, we first show based on multiple attribution methods that a winter of similar circulation conditions to 1963 would still lead to an extreme seasonal ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago
  • First they came for the Māori

    Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedFirst they came for the doctors But I was confused by the numbers and costs So I didn't speak up Then they came for our police and nurses And I didn't think we could afford those costs anyway So I ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    2 days ago
  • Join us for the weekly Hoon on YouTube Live

    Photo by Joshua J. Cotten on UnsplashWe’re back again after our mid-winter break. We’re still with the ‘new’ day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when we have our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Will the real PM Luxon please stand up?

    Notes: This is a free article. Abuse in Care themes are mentioned. Video is at the bottom.BackgroundYesterday’s report into Abuse in Care revealed that at least 1 in 3 of all who went through state and faith based care were abused - often horrifically. At least, because not all survivors ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    2 days ago
  • Will debt reduction trump abuse in care redress?

    Luxon speaks in Parliament yesterday about the Abuse in Care report. Photo: Hagen Hopkins/Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:PM Christopher Luxon said yesterday in tabling the Abuse in Care report in Parliament he wanted to ‘do the ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Olywhites and Time Bandits

    About a decade ago I worked with a bloke called Steve. He was the grizzled veteran coder, a few years older than me, who knew where the bodies were buried - code wise. Despite his best efforts to be approachable and friendly he could be kind of gruff, through to ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Why were the 1930s so hot in North America?

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Jeff Masters and Bob Henson Those who’ve trawled social media during heat waves have likely encountered a tidbit frequently used to brush aside human-caused climate change: Many U.S. states and cities had their single hottest temperature on record during the 1930s, setting incredible heat marks ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago
  • Throwback Thursday – Thinking about Expressways

    Some of the recent announcements from the government have reminded us of posts we’ve written in the past. Here’s one from early 2020. There were plenty of reactions to the government’s infrastructure announcement a few weeks ago which saw them fund a bunch of big roading projects. One of ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    2 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Thursday, July 25

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Thursday, July 25 are:News: Why Electric Kiwi is closing to new customers - and why it matters RNZ’s Susan EdmundsScoop: Government drops ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • The Possum: Demon or Friend?

    Hi,I felt a small wet tongue snaking through one of the holes in my Crocs. It explored my big toe, darting down one side, then the other. “He’s looking for some toe cheese,” said the woman next to me, words that still haunt me to this day.Growing up in New ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago
  • Not a story

    Yesterday I happily quoted the Prime Minister without fact-checking him and sure enough, it turns out his numbers were all to hell. It’s not four kg of Royal Commission report, it’s fourteen.My friend and one-time colleague-in-comms Hazel Phillips gently alerted me to my error almost as soon as I’d hit ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Thursday, July 25

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Thursday, July 25, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day were:The Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry published its final report yesterday.PM Christopher Luxon and The Minister responsible for ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • A tougher line on “proactive release”?

    The Official Information Act has always been a battle between requesters seeking information, and governments seeking to control it. Information is power, so Ministers and government agencies want to manage what is released and when, for their own convenience, and legality and democracy be damned. Their most recent tactic for ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago
  • 'Let's build a motorway costing $100 million per km, before emissions costs'

    TL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:Transport and Energy Minister Simeon Brown is accelerating plans to spend at least $10 billion through Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) to extend State Highway One as a four-lane ‘Expressway’ from Warkworth to Whangarei ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Lester's Prescription – Positive Bleeding.

    I live my life (woo-ooh-ooh)With no control in my destinyYea-yeah, yea-yeah (woo-ooh-ooh)I can bleed when I want to bleedSo come on, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)You can bleed when you want to bleedYea-yeah, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)Everybody bleed when they want to bleedCome on and bleedGovernments face tough challenges. Selling unpopular decisions to ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • Casey Costello gaslights Labour in the House

    Please note:To skip directly to the- parliamentary footage in the video, scroll to 1:21 To skip to audio please click on the headphone icon on the left hand side of the screenThis video / audio section is under development. ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    3 days ago
  • Why is the Texas grid in such bad shape?

    This is a re-post from the Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler Headline from 2021 The Texas grid, run by ERCOT, has had a rough few years. In 2021, winter storm Uri blacked out much of the state for several days. About a week ago, Hurricane Beryl knocked out ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on a textbook case of spending waste by the Luxon government

    Given the crackdown on wasteful government spending, it behooves me to point to a high profile example of spending by the Luxon government that looks like a big, fat waste of time and money. I’m talking about the deployment of NZDF personnel to support the US-led coalition in the Red ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    3 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Wednesday, July 24

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:40 am on Wednesday, July 24 are:Deep Dive: Chipping away at the housing crisis, including my comments RNZ/Newsroom’s The DetailNews: Government softens on asset sales, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • LXR Takaanini

    As I reported about the city centre, Auckland’s rail network is also going through a difficult and disruptive period which is rapidly approaching a culmination, this will result in a significant upgrade to the whole network. Hallelujah. Also like the city centre this is an upgrade predicated on the City ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    3 days ago
  • Four kilograms of pain

    Today, a 4 kilogram report will be delivered to Parliament. We know this is what the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care weighs, because our Prime Minister told us so.Some reporter had blindsided him by asking a question about something done by ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Wednesday, July 24

    TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Wednesday, July 24, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Beehive: Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced plans to use PPPs to fund, build and run a four-lane expressway between Auckland ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Luxon gets caught out

    NewstalkZB host Mike Hosking, who can usually be relied on to give Prime Minister Christopher Luxon an easy run, did not do so yesterday when he interviewed him about the HealthNZ deficit. Luxon is trying to use a deficit reported last year by HealthNZ as yet another example of the ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago
  • A worrying sign

    Back in January a StatsNZ employee gave a speech at Rātana on behalf of tangata whenua in which he insulted and criticised the government. The speech clearly violated the principle of a neutral public service, and StatsNZ started an investigation. Part of that was getting an external consultant to examine ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Are we fine with 47.9% home-ownership by 2048?

    Renting for life: Shared ownership initiatives are unlikely to slow the slide in home ownership by much. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:A Deloitte report for Westpac has projected Aotearoa’s home-ownership rate will ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Let's Win This

    You're broken down and tiredOf living life on a merry go roundAnd you can't find the fighterBut I see it in you so we gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsWe gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsAnd I'll rise upI'll rise like the dayI'll rise upI'll rise unafraidI'll rise upAnd I'll ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Waimahara: The Singing Spirit of Water

    There’s been a change in Myers Park. Down the steps from St. Kevin’s Arcade, past the grassy slopes, the children’s playground, the benches and that goat statue, there has been a transformation. The underpass for Mayoral Drive has gone from a barren, grey, concrete tunnel, to a place that thrums ...
    Greater AucklandBy Connor Sharp
    4 days ago
  • A major milestone: Global climate pollution may have just peaked

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Global society may have finally slammed on the brakes for climate-warming pollution released by human fossil fuel combustion. According to the Carbon Monitor Project, the total global climate pollution released between February and May 2024 declined slightly from the amount released during the same ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Tuesday, July 23

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Tuesday, July 23 are:Deep Dive: Penlink: where tolling rhetoric meets reality BusinessDesk-$$$’s Oliver LewisScoop: Te Pūkenga plans for regional polytechs leak out ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Tuesday, July 23

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Tuesday, July 23, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Health: Shane Reti announced the Board of Te Whatu Ora- Health New Zealand was being replaced with Commissioner Lester Levy ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • HealthNZ and Luxon at cross purposes over budget blowout

    Health NZ warned the Government at the end of March that it was running over Budget. But the reasons it gave were very different to those offered by the Prime Minister yesterday. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon blamed the “botched merger” of the 20 District Health Boards (DHBs) to create Health ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago
  • 2500-3000 more healthcare staff expected to be fired, as Shane Reti blames Labour for a budget defic...

    Long ReadKey Summary: Although National increased the health budget by $1.4 billion in May, they used an old funding model to project health system costs, and never bothered to update their pre-election numbers. They were told during the Health Select Committees earlier in the year their budget amount was deficient, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    4 days ago
  • Might Kamala Harris be about to get a 'stardust' moment like Jacinda Ardern?

    As a momentous, historic weekend in US politics unfolded, analysts and commentators grasped for precedents and comparisons to help explain the significance and power of the choice Joe Biden had made. The 46th president had swept the Democratic party’s primaries but just over 100 days from the election had chosen ...
    PunditBy Tim Watkin
    5 days ago
  • Solutions Interview: Steven Hail on MMT & ecological economics

    TL;DR: I’m casting around for new ideas and ways of thinking about Aotearoa’s political economy to find a few solutions to our cascading and self-reinforcing housing, poverty and climate crises.Associate Professor runs an online masters degree in the economics of sustainability at Torrens University in Australia and is organising ...
    The KakaBy Steven Hail
    5 days ago
  • Reported back

    The Finance and Expenditure Committee has reported back on National's Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Bill. The bill sets up water for privatisation, and was introduced under urgency, then rammed through select committee with no time even for local councils to make a proper submission. Naturally, national's select committee ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Vandrad the Viking, Christopher Coombes, and Literary Archaeology

    Some years ago, I bought a book at Dunedin’s Regent Booksale for $1.50. As one does. Vandrad the Viking (1898), by J. Storer Clouston, is an obscure book these days – I cannot find a proper online review – but soon it was sitting on my shelf, gathering dust alongside ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell On The Biden Withdrawal

    History is not on the side of the centre-left, when Democratic presidents fall behind in the polls and choose not to run for re-election. On both previous occasions in the past 75 years (Harry Truman in 1952, Lyndon Johnson in 1968) the Democrats proceeded to then lose the White House ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    5 days ago
  • Joe Biden's withdrawal puts the spotlight back on Kamala and the USA's complicated relatio...

    This is a free articleCoverageThis morning, US President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the Presidential race. And that is genuinely newsworthy. Thanks for your service, President Biden, and all the best to you and yours.However, the media in New Zealand, particularly the 1News nightly bulletin, has been breathlessly covering ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    5 days ago
  • Why we have to challenge our national fiscal assumptions

    A homeless person’s camp beside a blocked-off slipped damage walkway in Freeman’s Bay: we are chasing our tail on our worsening and inter-related housing, poverty and climate crises. Photo: Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Existential Crisis and Damaged Brains

    What has happened to it all?Crazy, some'd sayWhere is the life that I recognise?(Gone away)But I won't cry for yesterdayThere's an ordinary worldSomehow I have to findAnd as I try to make my wayTo the ordinary worldYesterday morning began as many others - what to write about today? I began ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • A speed limit is not a target, and yet…

    This is a guest post from longtime supporter Mr Plod, whose previous contributions include a proposal that Hamilton become New Zealand’s capital city, and that we should switch which side of the road we drive on. A recent Newsroom article, “Back to school for the Govt’s new speed limit policy“, ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    5 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Monday, July 22

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Monday, July 22 are:Today’s Must Read: Father and son live in a tent, and have done for four years, in a million ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Monday, July 22

    TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Monday, July 22, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:US President Joe Biden announced via X this morning he would not stand for a second term.Multinational professional services firm ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #29

    A listing of 32 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, July 14, 2024 thru Sat, July 20, 2024. Story of the week As reflected by preponderance of coverage, our Story of the Week is Project 2025. Until now traveling ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago
  • I'd like to share what I did this weekend

    This weekend, a friend pointed out someone who said they’d like to read my posts, but didn’t want to pay. And my first reaction was sympathy.I’ve already told folks that if they can’t comfortably subscribe, and would like to read, I’d be happy to offer free subscriptions. I don’t want ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • For the children – Why mere sentiment can be a misleading force in our lives, and lead to unex...

    National: The Party of ‘Law and Order’ IntroductionThis weekend, the Government formally kicked off one of their flagship policy programs: a military style boot camp that New Zealand has experimented with over the past 50 years. Cartoon credit: Guy BodyIt’s very popular with the National Party’s Law and Order image, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • A friend in uncertain times

    Day one of the solo leg of my long journey home begins with my favourite sound: footfalls in an empty street. 5.00 am and it’s already light and already too warm, almost.If I can make the train that leaves Budapest later this hour I could be in Belgrade by nightfall; ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • The Chaotic World of Male Diet Influencers

    Hi,We’ll get to the horrific world of male diet influencers (AKA Beefy Boys) shortly, but first you will be glad to know that since I sent out the Webworm explaining why the assassination attempt on Donald Trump was not a false flag operation, I’ve heard from a load of people ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago
  • It's Starting To Look A Lot Like… Y2K

    Do you remember Y2K, the threat that hung over humanity in the closing days of the twentieth century? Horror scenarios of planes falling from the sky, electronic payments failing and ATMs refusing to dispense cash. As for your VCR following instructions and recording your favourite show - forget about it.All ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Bernard’s Saturday Soliloquy for the week to July 20

    Climate Change Minister Simon Watts being questioned by The Kākā’s Bernard Hickey.TL;DR: My top six things to note around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the week to July 20 were:1. A strategy that fails Zero Carbon Act & Paris targetsThe National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government finally unveiled ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Pharmac Director, Climate Change Commissioner, Health NZ Directors – The latest to quit this m...

    Summary:As New Zealand loses at least 12 leaders in the public service space of health, climate, and pharmaceuticals, this month alone, directly in response to the Government’s policies and budget choices, what lies ahead may be darker than it appears. Tui examines some of those departures and draws a long ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week ago
  • Flooding Housing Policy

    The Minister of Housing’s ambition is to reduce markedly the ratio of house prices to household incomes. If his strategy works it would transform the housing market, dramatically changing the prospects of housing as an investment.Leaving aside the Minister’s metaphor of ‘flooding the market’ I do not see how the ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    1 week ago
  • A Voyage Among the Vandals: Accepted (Again!)

    As previously noted, my historical fantasy piece, set in the fifth-century Mediterranean, was accepted for a Pirate Horror anthology, only for the anthology to later fall through. But in a good bit of news, it turned out that the story could indeed be re-marketed as sword and sorcery. As of ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā's Chorus for Friday, July 19

    An employee of tobacco company Philip Morris International demonstrates a heated tobacco device. Photo: Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy on Friday, July 19 are:At a time when the Coalition Government is cutting spending on health, infrastructure, education, housing ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Friday, July 19

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 8:30 am on Friday, July 19 are:Scoop: NZ First Minister Casey Costello orders 50% cut to excise tax on heated tobacco products. The minister has ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Roundup 19-July-2024

    Kia ora, it’s time for another Friday roundup, in which we pull together some of the links and stories that caught our eye this week. Feel free to add more in the comments! Our header image this week shows a foggy day in Auckland town, captured by Patrick Reynolds. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Climate Wrap: A market-led plan for failure

    TL;DR : Here’s the top six items climate news for Aotearoa this week, as selected by Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer. A discussion recorded yesterday is in the video above and the audio of that sent onto the podcast feed.The Government released its draft Emissions Reduction ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Tobacco First

    Save some money, get rich and old, bring it back to Tobacco Road.Bring that dynamite and a crane, blow it up, start all over again.Roll up. Roll up. Or tailor made, if you prefer...Whether you’re selling ciggies, digging for gold, catching dolphins in your nets, or encouraging folks to flutter ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Trump’s Adopted Son.

    Waiting In The Wings: For truly, if Trump is America’s un-assassinated Caesar, then J.D. Vance is America’s Octavian, the Republic’s youthful undertaker – and its first Emperor.DONALD TRUMP’S SELECTION of James D. Vance as his running-mate bodes ill for the American republic. A fervent supporter of Viktor Orban, the “illiberal” prime ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Friday, July 19

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 19, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:The PSA announced the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) had ruled in the PSA’s favour in its case against the Ministry ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago

  • Joint statement from the Prime Ministers of Canada, Australia and New Zealand

    Australia, Canada and New Zealand today issued the following statement on the need for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza and the risk of expanded conflict between Hizballah and Israel. The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. The human suffering is unacceptable. It cannot continue.  We remain unequivocal in our condemnation of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    18 hours ago
  • AG reminds institutions of legal obligations

    Attorney-General Judith Collins today reminded all State and faith-based institutions of their legal obligation to preserve records relevant to the safety and wellbeing of those in its care. “The Abuse in Care Inquiry’s report has found cases where records of the most vulnerable people in State and faith‑based institutions were ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    21 hours ago
  • More young people learning about digital safety

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government’s online safety website for children and young people has reached one million page views.  “It is great to see so many young people and their families accessing the site Keep It Real Online to learn how to stay safe online, and manage ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    21 hours ago
  • Speech to the Conference for General Practice 2024

    Tēnā tātou katoa,  Ngā mihi te rangi, ngā mihi te whenua, ngā mihi ki a koutou, kia ora mai koutou. Thank you for the opportunity to be here and the invitation to speak at this 50th anniversary conference. I acknowledge all those who have gone before us and paved the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    23 hours ago
  • Employers and payroll providers ready for tax changes

    New Zealand’s payroll providers have successfully prepared to ensure 3.5 million individuals will, from Wednesday next week, be able to keep more of what they earn each pay, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Revenue Minister Simon Watts.  “The Government's tax policy changes are legally effective from Wednesday. Delivering this tax ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Experimental vineyard futureproofs wine industry

    An experimental vineyard which will help futureproof the wine sector has been opened in Blenheim by Associate Regional Development Minister Mark Patterson. The covered vineyard, based at the New Zealand Wine Centre – Te Pokapū Wāina o Aotearoa, enables controlled environmental conditions. “The research that will be produced at the Experimental ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Funding confirmed for regions affected by North Island Weather Events

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