Open mike 15/12/2020
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- Trans-Tasman travel window to close at midnight tomorrowA further 500 MIQ rooms released for managed returnees from NSW Further Government actions announced today are balanced to provide more certainty for Kiwis wanting to return from Australia, while continuing to protect New Zealand from COVID-19, acting Minister for COVID-19 Response Ayesha Verrall says. The actions were foreshadowed last ...5 days ago
- Govt investing millions in Hawke's Bay and Tairāwhiti schoolsNapier Boys’ and Girls’ High Schools are among those set to benefit from a $16.5 million investment in the Hawke's Bay and Tairāwhiti region, Economic and Regional Development Minister Stuart Nash announced today. The Government has set aside money in Budget 2021 to accelerate five projects in Napier, Hastings, Havelock North ...6 days ago
- Game changing Jobs for Nature investment for NorthlandConservation Minister Kiri Allan has announced Jobs for Nature funding for a portfolio of projects that will create ‘game changing’ gains for nature and communities across Northland/Te Tai Tokerau as part of the Government’s acceleration of the economic recovery from COVID. “This portfolio of 12 projects will see over $20 ...6 days ago
- Third COVID-19 vaccine receives provisional approvalNew Zealand’s regulatory authority Medsafe has granted provisional approval of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine for individuals 18 years of age and older, Acting Minister for COVID-19 Response Dr Ayesha Verrall announced today. New Zealand secured 7.6 million doses (enough for 3.8 million people) of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine through an ...6 days ago
- Bowel-cancer screening programme is saving livesMore than 1000 New Zealanders have had bowel cancer – New Zealand’s second-most-common cause of death from cancer - detected under the Government’s National Bowel Screening Programme, Health Minister Andrew Little said today. More than 1200 New Zealanders died from bowel cancer in 2017. The screening programme aims to save ...6 days ago
- Govt welcomes draft report on the retail grocery sectorThe Commerce Commission’s draft report into the retail grocery sector is being welcomed by Government as a major milestone. “I asked the Commerce Commission to look at whether this sector is as competitive as it could be and today it has released its draft report for consultation,” Commerce and Consumer ...6 days ago
- Christchurch’s Youth Hub ‘set to go’ thanks to further Government fundingConstruction of New Zealand’s first, purpose-built centre for youth well-being is ready to get underway thanks to an extra $2.5 million of COVID-19 response funding, Housing Minister and Associate Minister of Finance, Megan Woods announced today. “The Christchurch Youth Hub is about bringing together all the things young people need ...6 days ago
- Next step to protect Milford Sound PiopiotahiExpert group lays out plan to better protect iconic UNESCO World Heritage site Milford Sound Piopiotahi and its surrounds Funding confirmed for dedicated unit and Establishment Board to assess the recommendations and provide oversight of the process from here Milford Opportunities Project a test case for transformational change in tourism ...7 days ago
- Funding for projects to reduce waste from construction and demolitionThe Government has announced funding for projects in Auckland and the lower North Island to help reduce construction and demolition waste. “Construction is the main source of waste sent to landfill, and much of this could be reduced, reused and recovered,” Environment Minister David Parker said. “The Government is funding ...7 days ago
- Speech at the launch of the National Hepatitis C Action PlanTēnā koutou katoa. Thank you Anglesea Pharmacy and Te Manawa Taki for hosting this event. As a doctor, I saw first hand the impact of hepatitis C. I met Moana in 2019; she came to the infectious diseases outpatient clinic at Wellington Hospital having tested positive for hepatitis C. Like ...7 days ago
- Plan to eliminate hepatitis C as a major health threat by 2030A plan to eliminate hepatitis C in New Zealand, reducing liver cancer and the need for liver transplants, has been released today by Associate Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall. “Around 45,000 New Zealanders have hepatitis C, but only around half know they have it,” said Ayesha Verrall. “Symptoms often ...7 days ago
- School upgrades and new classrooms for West Coast, Tasman and CanterburyA funding injection from Budget 2021 to complete four shovel ready projects and new classrooms at six schools and kura will provide a real boost to local communities, Minister Dr Megan Woods announced today. “This Government has committed to providing quality fit for purpose learning environments and 100,000 new student ...7 days ago
- Warmer Kiwi Homes smashes annual targetThe Government's highly successful insulation and heating programme, Warmer Kiwi Homes, is celebrating a key milestone with the completion of more than 38,000 insulation and efficient heater installs in the year to the end of June, smashing its target of 25,000 installs for the year. “The Warmer Kiwi Homes scheme ...1 week ago
- Exemption granted for Wallabies to enter NZBledisloe Cup rugby will be played in New Zealand after the Australian rugby team received an economic exemption to enter New Zealand. Travel between Australia and New Zealand was suspended on Friday for at least eight weeks following the worsening of the COVID outbreak across the Tasman. New Zealanders have ...1 week ago
- Minister of Foreign Affairs makes three diplomatic appointmentsForeign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta today announced three New Zealand Head of Mission appointments. They are: Mike Walsh as Ambassador to Iran Michael Upton as Ambassador to Ethiopia and the African Union Kevin Burnett as Ambassador to Indonesia Iran “Aotearoa New Zealand has a long-standing and constructive relationship with Iran, despite a ...1 week ago
- Enhanced Task Force Green Approved for West Coast and MarlboroughThe Government has activated Enhanced Task Force Green (ETFG) in response to the West Coast and Marlborough floods, Social Development and Employment Minister Carmel Sepuloni announced today. “To assist with the clean-up, up to $500,000 will be made available to support the recovery in Buller and Marlborough which has experienced ...1 week ago
- Govt support for upgrade of Eden Park players facilitiesMinister for Sport and Recreation Hon Grant Robertson has announced funding to upgrade the players facilities at Eden Park ahead of upcoming Women’s World Cup events. Eden Park is a confirmed venue for the Rugby World Cup 2021, the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2022, and a proposed venue for matches of ...1 week ago
- More jobs and quicker public transport motoring towards West AucklandWork to improve public transport for West Aucklanders and support the region’s economic recovery by creating hundreds of jobs has officially kicked off, Transport Minister Michael Wood announced today. Michael Wood and Auckland Mayor Phil Goff this morning marked the start of construction on the Northwestern Bus Improvements project. It ...1 week ago
- Government backs critical health researchResearch into some of New Zealanders’ biggest health concerns including cancer, diabetes, and heart disease is getting crucial support in the latest round of health research funding, Health Minister Andrew Little announced today. The funding, awarded through the Health Research Council of New Zealand, covers 31 General Project grants ($36.64 ...1 week ago
- New Bay of Islands hospital facilities to bring services closer to homePrime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Health Minister Andrew Little have joined a ceremony to bless the site and workers for Phase Two of the redevelopment of the Bay of Islands Hospital in Kawakawa today. The new building will house outpatients and primary care facilities, as well as expanded renal care ...1 week ago
- Raukokore re-imagined with ‘smart’ relocatable rent to own housingIwi, Crown Partnership Relocatable, fully insulated housing, connected to a new solar plant Provides a pathway to home ownership New housing in the remote eastern Bay of Plenty community of Raukokore shows how iwi and Crown agencies can work together effectively to provide warm, dry, energy efficient homes in a ...1 week ago
- Cabinet accepts Turkish authorities’ request for the managed return of three NZ citizensCabinet has agreed to the managed return of a New Zealand citizen and her two young children from Turkey, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced today. The three have been in immigration detention in Turkey since crossing the border from Syria earlier this year. Turkey has requested that New Zealand repatriate ...1 week ago
- Govt delivers more classrooms so children can focus on learningExtra Government investment in classrooms and school building projects will enable students and teachers to focus on education rather than overcrowding as school rolls grow across the country, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Associate Education Minister Kelvin Davis say. The pair visited Ruakākā School in Whangārei today to announce $100 ...1 week ago
- Open season again for Indonesian military trolls and ‘fake news’ campaign on West Papua
SPECIAL REPORT: By David Robie It is open season again for Indonesian trolls targeting Asia Pacific Report and other media with fake news and disinformation dispatches in a crude attempt to gloss over human rights violations. Just three months ago I wrote about this issue in my “Dear editor” article ...5 hours ago - Accelerated jabs for younger people after Doherty modelling shows it’s vital to vaccinate them qui...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The government is set to tweak its vaccination timetable to accelerate jabs for those aged 30 to 39, after Doherty Institute modelling showing it is vital to get younger adults quickly vaccinated, because they are ...6 hours ago
- Can Lisa Carrington become our Olympic GOAT?
Can we mere mortals, watching on in awe, fathom how gigantic and taxing Lisa Carrington’s triumph was on the Sea Forest Waterway on Tuesday? The phenomenal Kiwi paddler won four Olympic canoe sprint races within four hours. And they weren't just any races: two Olympic semifinals and two finals, and in ...8 hours ago - Podcast with Michelle Grattan: a four-stage plan and a $300 payment to get vaccinatedSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra As well as her interviews with politicians and experts, Politics with Michelle Grattan now includes “Word from The Hill”, where she discusses the news with members of The Conversations’s politics team. In this ...8 hours ago
- NZ sends 100,000 vaccine doses to Fiji as covid deaths top 250RNZ Pacific New Zealand is sending 100,000 vaccine doses and additional financial support to Fiji for nursing staff as the country’s covid-19 death toll passed 250. Fiji reported 1100 new cases and 13 more deaths today, bringing the total death toll to 254. Of the deaths, 252 of them have ...9 hours ago
- Keith Rankin Essay – Territorial Fundamentalism in our Post-Globalisation EraAnalysis by Keith Rankin. Keith Rankin. We have this pretty fiction that the world is made up of approximately 200 politically autonomous nation-states. This in the entrenched ‘Wilsonian’ view of the political world that, in particular, was sort-of realised after World War One; a view that rendered the national empires ...9 hours ago
- ACT, National warn of conversion therapy bill 'risk'
ACT leader David Seymour says it is highly unlikely his party would continue to support the government's bill banning conversion therapy, while National is refusing to support it without changes. ...9 hours ago - Why Jack Dorsey’s Square paid a record $39 billion for AfterpaySource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lien Duong, Senior Lecturer in School Accounting of Accounting, Economics and Finance, Curtin University The A$39 billion (US$29 billion) that Twitter founder Jack Dorsey’s digital payments company Square is paying to acquire Australian upstart payments outfit Afterpay is the biggest takeover deal ...9 hours ago
- Vitamins and minerals aren’t risk-free. Here are 6 ways they can cause harmSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Geraldine Moses, Adjunct Associate Professor, School of Pharmacy, The University of Queensland Shutterstock One reason dietary supplements are so popular is the perception they’re harmless. But like all drugs, there are many potential dangers from taking vitamins and minerals. The ...10 hours ago
- Dunedin Council looks at new plan to increase housing capacityDunedin is expected to need more than 11,000 new homes to cater for its growth by 2050 but the local council predicts it will fall significantly short if changes aren't made. ...10 hours ago
- Helen Clark didn't influence Fiji medevac decision, Foreign Affairs minister saysThe Foreign Affairs minister says she spoke to former Prime Minister Helen Clark about the evacuation of a United Nations official infected with Covid-19 from Fiji to New Zealand. ...10 hours ago
- National's call for Aotearoa referendum 'absurd' and 'ridiculous'All other parties in Parliament have now rubbished National's suggestion that a referendum should be held on whether New Zealand should be called Aotearoa. ...11 hours ago
- The attacks on seven eminent professors over a Listener letter in which they championed science have...
******** A letter in defence of science, published in The Listener last month, was signed by seven professors from the University of Auckland – Kendall Clements, Garth Cooper, Emeritus Professor Michael Corballis, Douglas Elliffe, Elizabeth Rata, Emeritus Professor Robert Nola, and Emeritus Professor John Werry. Prominent scientists were among the ...12 hours ago - Complicated, costly and downright frustrating: Aussies keen to cut emissions with clean energy at ho...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hugo Temby, Doctoral Researcher, Battery Storage and Grid Integration Program, Australian National University Even after A$4,000 in repairs, Heather’s $18,000 rooftop solar and battery system is still not working. Heather worked as a nurse until a workplace accident caused her to ...12 hours ago
- Paying Australians $300 to get fully vaccinated would be value for moneySource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Dimitris Barletis/Shutterstock I reckon Albo’s on the right track. The opposition leader wants to pay A$300 to every Australian who is fully vaccinated by December 1. The Grattan ...12 hours ago
- Collins defends 'bottle' comments about Police Minister Poto WilliamsPolice Minister Poto Williams' daughter has expressed fears for her mother's safety after National Party leader Judith Collins' remark. Collins says she meant Williams should be put in a bottle like a genie. ...12 hours ago
- Jacinda Ardern tests negative for Covid-19 after getting cold from daughterPrime Minister Jacinda Ardern has tested negative for Covid-19. ...12 hours ago
- Psychiatrists Welcome Government’s Dawn Raids Apology
The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP) welcomes the New Zealand Government’s apology for the Dawn Raids. The Dawn Raids carried out in the 1970s were a racist targeting of our Pasifika communities – ...13 hours ago - Sports Minister fields dozens of letters about Laurel Hubbard's Olympics selectionThe Sport and Recreation Minister Grant Robertson was deluged with emails about Laurel Hubbard's Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games selection over the past few months. ...13 hours ago
- Reserve Bank gets green light to tighten lending rules for housing (hopefully without impeding first...
The Reserve Bank has been given the government’s go-ahead to tighten mortgage lending rules to try to take some heat out of the housing market. An updated Memorandum of Understanding between the Minister of Finance and the Reserve Bank will enable it to implement its proposal to reduce the amount ...14 hours ago - National MP floats ban on public sector using 'Aotearoa'
National MP Stuart Smith has found himself advocating a crackdown on public sector use of te reo in a war on a phantom name change, Marc Daalder writes Analysis: New Zealand's sleek black passports could undergo a revamp to remove the prominent placement of the word 'Aotearoa' - if National Party MP ...14 hours ago - Here are all the levers the government isn’t pulling to fix our housing catastrophe
In response to claims successive governments have enabled a massive human rights failure, the prime minister says hers is doing all it can to fix the housing crisis. Bernard Hickey disagrees. This column was first published on Bernard Hickey’s newsletter, The Kākā.PM Jacinda Ardern defended her government against the Human Rights Commission’s ...14 hours ago - Grant Robertson: Taxpayer Hero? Union Urges U-turn On SkyPathResponding to reports that the Finance Minister is considering scrapping the planned $785 million cycle bridge, New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union spokesman Louis Houlbrooke says: “Grant Robertson has clearly paid close attention to the Curia poll commissioned ...15 hours ago
- Young Australians are supposedly ‘turning their backs’ on democracy, but are they any different ...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Intifar Chowdhury, PhD Candidate/Data Archivist, Australian National University Joel Carrett/AAP The 2019 federal election saw the lowest voter turnout since compulsory voting was introduced in 1924. Only 91% of Australians voted, amid reports young people “turned their back on democracy”. ...15 hours ago
- The pain and poetry of online beauty reviewsAlix Higby was just looking for a new cleanser. What she found was something much more powerful. It is a truth universally acknowledged that no one skincare or makeup routine fits all. Particularly if you have sensitive skin and the kind of allergies that, in Jane Austen’s world, would see you ...15 hours ago
- Fiji police warn public against violence and ‘fake profiles’ after two firesAsia Pacific Report newsdesk Fiji police have warned that any attempts to destabilise and cause instability will be investigated and dealt with, reports The Fiji Times. The warning came from Acting Commissioner Police Rusiate Tudravu yesterday in the wake of two major fires in Ba and Raiwai at the weekend. ...18 hours ago
- BSA Finds Comments On COVID-19 Vaccine Safety And ‘anti-vaxxers’ Did Not Breach StandardsThe Broadcasting Standards Authority (BSA) has not upheld a complaint about an item on Seven Sharp in which co-host Hilary Barry made comments about the safety of the COVID-19 Pfizer vaccine and “anti-vaxxers”. The comments included a suggestion ...18 hours ago
- Police Encounter With Christian Preachers A Startling Omen Of Things To ComeResponding to the video posted on TikTok by jesuspreachingNZ, the Free Speech Union says the video shows everything that is wrong with the Government’s vague and dangerous hate speech proposals. “New hate speech laws haven’t even been written yet but ...18 hours ago
- Anti-vax group’s ‘free speech’ billboards pulled from RNZ buildingVoices for Freedom just launched an advertising campaign against the government’s hate speech laws, but the digital billboards were gone within a day.The anti-vaccination group Voices for Freedom has had advertisements removed from digital billboards, including the side of Radio New Zealand’s Auckland office, after boasting about them online.Posts shared ...18 hours ago
- Revealed: Andrew Little's “former” Gang Member Claim Was WrongA new interview with Hard2Reach director Harry Tam confirms that he is a lifetime patched member of Mongrel Mob Notorious. New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union spokesman Jordan Williams says: “This revelation means Andrew Little has some explaining ...18 hours ago
- Govt and Reserve Bank agree on new moves to tighten mortgage lending
*This article first appeared on RNZ and is republished with permission. The government and Reserve Bank have agreed on new moves to tighten mortgage lending, including tougher loan to value ratios and debt to income ratios, to cool the housing market. In a statement, Finance Minister Grant Robertson said ...19 hours ago - Newsletter: New Zealand Politics Daily – August 3 2021Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage. Click here to subscribe to Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup and New Zealand Politics Daily. Today’s content Opinion polls, government, political parties Claire Trevett (Herald): Poll should be death knell for ...20 hours ago
- Pork and Poll Taxes: Reclaiming New Zealand’s forgotten history on stageJihee Junn talks to the writer/director of a new play about the earliest Chinese New Zealanders – and the families they left behind.The first time Talia Pua learnt about the Chinese poll tax was as a teenager researching for a high school drama assessment. While the rest of her classmates ...20 hours ago
- Instagram’s privacy updates for kids are positive. But plans for an under-13s app means profits st...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tama Leaver, Professor of Internet Studies, Curtin University Shutterstock Facebook recently announced significant changes to Instagram for users aged under 16. New accounts will be private by default, and advertisers will be limited in how they can reach young people. ...21 hours ago
- Secret history: the release of the Mountbatten archives and the fight to access royal diariesSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jenny Hocking, Emeritus Professor, Monash University Lord Mountbatten, Ghandi and Lady Mountbatten in New Delhi in 1947. AP/AAP An immense trove of the most important royal historical material for decades has quietly been released in the United Kingdom. These are the diaries ...21 hours ago
- Dodgy tree loppers are scamming elderly homeowners and hacking up healthy trees. Here’s what you n...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Doctor of Botany, The University of Melbourne Shutterstock Have you had a knock on the door or perhaps a card in your letterbox telling you the trees in your garden are dangerous and need urgent work? Maybe you’ve ...21 hours ago
- Equality and fairness: vaccines against this pandemic of mistrustSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tony Ward, Fellow in Historical Studies, The University of Melbourne The COVID crisis has laid bare a crisis of trust. In many Western nations there’s a small but significant minority refusing to follow distancing guidelines, wear masks or get a vaccination. ...21 hours ago
- If I could go anywhere: India’s Varanasi — a sacred site on a river of rituals and altered state...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cherine Fahd, Associate Professor, School of Design, University of Technology Sydney In this series we pay tribute to the art we wish could visit — and hope to see once travel restrictions are lifted. Varanasi, or Banaras as the locals call it, ...21 hours ago
- Live updates, August 3: Winston Peters claims success despite losing latest court battleWelcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for August 3, bringing you the latest news updated throughout the day. Get in touch at stewart@thespinoff.co.nz8.00am: Peters claims success despite losing latest court battleWinston Peters has made a rare post-politics media appearance after losing a court battle over the leaking of details about ...21 hours ago
- All thoroughbred horses in the southern hemisphere had a birthday on SundayBreak out the carrot cake. Thoroughbred race horses in this half of the world all just turned a year older. That’s right. All thoroughbreds have the same birthday. Mirjam Guesgen explains why.Some get a deep tissue massage, some eat cake, others just chill out and take a break from racing ...21 hours ago
- The Bulletin: Seasonal workforce to swell this summerGood morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Seasonal workforce to swell this summer, government sets date to present post-Covid roadmap, and tens of thousands facing hospital delays.The seasonal workforce is expected to be significantly larger next summer, with the announcement of a one-way bubble from several Pacific ...22 hours ago
- Why Hubbard was overwhelmed at the Games
After global attention in the buildup to her event, transgender Kiwi weightlifter Laurel Hubbard's performance at the Tokyo Games was bettered by all seven other women. It’s been contentious, divisive and trailblazing, provoking a global debate around inclusion that’s transcended sport. But with the world's eyes on her, Laurel Hubbard’s long-awaited ...22 hours ago - Subsidies not soft drinks: The brave new world of Kiwishop
A state-sponsored grocery chain could offer supplier subsidies and healthy eating credits for beneficiaries ...23 hours ago - Newsroom daily quiz, Tuesday 3 August
Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions. ...23 hours ago - Newsroom daily crossword, Tuesday 3 August
...23 hours ago - Sir Roger Douglas: Fund human healthcare like veterinary care
Gone to the dogs? A senior vet thinks Sir Roger Douglas' proposal is barking ...24 hours ago - Three big questions as Ardern prepares to unfurl the road map to a post-Covid NZMark August 12 in your calendar because it could be one of the most important discussions the country has this year: What does the end of Covid look like? Justin Giovannetti reports.The big questions around the future of New Zealand’s Covid-19 response will take centre stage next Thursday when Jacinda ...24 hours ago
- It’s time to put car yard sexism in the rearview mirrorTwo decades into the 20th century, too many car salesmen still think it’s OK to make sexist jokes that should have been left in the 1970s. But a handful of car saleswomen around Auckland are offering refuges from such outdated attitudes, reports Chris Schulz. On a sunny Sunday at an ...24 hours ago
- 'A criminal law in name only': NZ's ban on prison labour imports
Work on a review of prison labour prohibition is on ice, despite some concerns. ...24 hours ago - Cookbooks and out-and-out classic, dirty old sexism
An appreciation of the nation's most-loved books - cookbooks Our appetite for cookbooks is insatiable. The biggest-selling book in New Zealand of all time is, of course, that perennial classic, The Edmonds Cookbook. As well, the three biggest-selling books in New Zealand in 2010, 2014 and last year were all ...24 hours ago - Online grocer faces 'bully tactics' from big supermarkets
Fresh food start-up gets a taste of what Costco and other new grocery stores can expect to face. ...24 hours ago - Sir Peter Gluckman: Covid-19's ticking clock
Societal cohesion, mental health, wellbeing, and even democracy may all be at stake if lessons are not learned quickly from this pandemic, writes Sir Peter Gluckman The rapid development of multiple Covid vaccines has been a triumph of science. But the entire Covid story is certainly not a triumph for ...24 hours ago - Electricity regulator seeks more info on gas sector
The Electricity Authority found its lack of access to the gas sector hampered its ability to respond to dry year risk this winter. ...24 hours ago - When the government stirs the waters
Crumbling pipes, polluted beaches, bugs in drinking water ... something has to be done about the nation's ageing water infrastructure. But is Three Waters the right solution? There's something in the water. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern made sure to nail that point home at the Local Government New Zealand conference ...24 hours ago - The problem with Australia’s opening plan is that it closes things
Australian PM Scott Morrison is under pressure from a Delta Covid outbreak that just won’t go away and a vaccination programme which – what shall we say – lacks urgency. So it’s the right time to bring out a bold long-term plan for re-integrating Australia into the modern world. ...1 day ago - Albanese calls for $300 vaccination incentive, as rollout extended to vulnerable childrenSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The opposition has urged the government to provide a $300 incentive payment to everyone who is fully vaccinated by December 1, to accelerate the rollout. This payment should include those already vaccinated, the opposition says. ...1 day ago
- Tail whips and flairs: the jaw-dropping, high-flying tricks that won BMX freestyler Logan Martin the...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Eva Ellmer, The University of Queensland KYDPL KYODO/AP BMX freestyle has had its debut in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and Logan Martin just made history by winning the first gold medal for Australia in the sport. The fresh, ...1 day ago
- Should we vaccinate children against COVID-19? We asked 5 expertsSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Phoebe Roth, Deputy Editor, Health+Medicine Shutterstock Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) recently announced provisional approval for the Pfizer vaccine to be used in 12-15-year-olds. We learned on Monday that the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) has advised that ...1 day ago
- The Tokyo Lowdown: Day 10
Following in our rowers' wake, the Kiwi paddlers had a fruitful first day on the water in Tokyo. Our daily wrap, looking at the fortunes of our NZ sportswomen, continues. Performances of the day Day one of six straight days of Olympic paddling for Lisa Carrington done, and three boxes ...1 day ago - The Tokyo Lowdown: Day 11
Lisa Carrington cemented her place as one of NZ's greatest Olympians, reaping two gold medals with the help of another powerhouse Kiwi paddler. Our daily wrap, looking at the fortunes of our NZ sportswomen, continues. Performances of the day Can we mere mortals, watching on in awe, fathom how gigantic ...1 day ago - If I’ve already had COVID, do I need a vaccine? And how does the immune system respond? An expert ...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sunit K. Singh, Professor of Molecular Immunology and Virology, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University Andre Coelho/EPA/AAP Over a year into the pandemic, questions around immune responses after COVID continue to confound. One question many people are asking ...1 day ago
- Muscles are important, but stiff tendons are the secret ingredient for high-speed performanceSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anthony Blazevich, Professor of Biomechanics, Edith Cowan University The fastest sprinter is the world right now is Lamont Marcell Jacobs, who won Olympic gold in the men’s 100-metre sprint with a time of 9.80 seconds. You might be surprised to learn that ...1 day ago
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- Thinking of taking a language in year 11 and 12? Here’s what you need to knowSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mairin Hennebry-Leung, Lecturer in Languages and TESOL, University of Tasmania Shutterstock This article is part of a series providing school students with evidence-based advice for choosing subjects in their senior years. Some students elect to study languages in their senior ...1 day ago
- Tuila’epa supporters demonstrate over ‘disintegration’ of Samoa constitutionBy Soli Wilson in Apia Heavy rain early today failed to deter more than 1000 Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP) supporters who gathered in front of the Government building in Apia — some travelling hours to get there — to protest against what they claim to be the “disintegration” of ...1 day ago
- Michael Field: On saying sorry – who next? The Banabans?COMMENT: By Michael Field of The Pacific Newsroom Apologies are, more or less by custom, the end of things. Say sorry, and don’t mention it again. As warm and moving as New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s apology was over the immigration Dawn Raids of the 1970s, it will mostly ...1 day ago
- Samoa confirms China-backed Vaiusu Bay port project shelvedRNZ Pacific Samoa’s new prime minister has opted not to proceed with a China-backed port development project championed by her predecessor. Fiame Naomi Mata’afa said the US$100 million (NZ$139m) project would have significantly added to the country’s exposure to China which already accounts for 40 percent of its external debt. ...1 day ago
- Fiji police, fire agency jointly probe two separate urban firesBy Talebula Kate in Suva The Fiji Police Force and the National Fire Authority are currently investigating two separate fires that broke out last night — at the Central Arcade in Ba and at Tappoos warehouse in Raiwai. Police say the first report of fire was received at the Ba ...1 day ago
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- Live: PM Jacinda Ardern speaks to media after Cabinet meetingPrime Minister Jacinda Ardern is speaking to media in the first regular post-Cabinet briefing in two weeks. Watch live. ...2 days ago
- Dawn raids ceremony explained: Why Jacinda Ardern sat under a woven matApulu Reece Autagavaia was among those who yesterday packed into Auckland Town Hall to witness the formal apology for the dawn raids. He explains the significance of the ifoga custom and what he hopes will follow this landmark event.Last night, we witnessed the prime minister Jacinda Ardern perform the ifoga, ...2 days ago
- Appeal court throws out Peters' last claims over leak
After four years of ever-changing legal fighting, Winston Peters fails again to pin blame and win damages from government officials over a leak about his seven year overpayment of superannuation Former deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters has lost again in his spray of allegations against a government department, senior mandarins, ...2 days ago - The Mana Wāhine inquiry isn’t over yetClaimants to the Mana Wāhine inquiry tell Liam Rātana how the Waitangi Tribunal can start to address the damage done to Māori women by colonisation.I descend from a wāhine toa. She was a fearless leader of our people and held great mana in the area I’m from. Growing up, I ...2 days ago
- Gamers know the power of ‘flow’ — what if learners could harness it too?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Simon McCallum, Senior Lecturer in Software Engineering, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington www.shutterstock.com One of the constant challenges in education is keeping the learner engaged, motivated and connected in a world increasingly filled with distractions. Social media, ...2 days ago
- Landmark Coal Case For Future GenerationsForest & Bird is acting on behalf of future generations in taking the Southland District Council to court over coal exploration expansion, says Chief Executive Kevin Hague. Papers were served this week on the Southland District Council, ...2 days ago
Thought experiment .
If money wasnt an issue, what actions would you implement right now to improve NZ?
Immediate large scale State house building and a complete restoration and revamp of our public health system. Obliterate the neoliberal elements in both.
Obliterate the neoliberal elements in both.
What kind of society allows, nay, encourages profiteering from illness and disability?
When folks are living in cars, garages, or in mouldy homes while thousands are on the list for state housing, how come The Kindness can't deploy an iron fist and operate a state run non profit building and infrastructure team? It could be run by a brand new Ministry…perhaps "Ministry of Works"?
Unfortunately change requires true commitment from Government and this Current Mob simply aren't there for those in need.
How come indeed
Ressurect our regional rail network, electrify it and move people as well as freight around the country with it.
+1
The People's Democratic Republic of New Zealand. A full market state socialist system in which the commanding heights of the economy are controlled by the State.
There.
Splitter!
The Democratic People's Republic of Aotearoa is the one and only true path.
Liking the sound of that…"The People's Democratic Republic of New Zealand"..yeah it's got a nice ring to it.
it does have tinges of north korea…
Indeed. We must free ourselves from outdated imperialist dogma which perpetuates the social and economical differences in our society .
Free nurseries for riparian planting trees and native trees.
Return universities to fully publicly funded model and rebuild their eroded reputations. International students admitted on merit, or as aid to Pacific neighbours. Develop reciprocal agreements with any high standard free universities for exchange students.
Restore rail and coastal shipping – saves carbon and roading costs.
Mass produce decent relocatable tiny homes for fruit/horticultural areas for pickers to live rent free during seasonal work – Queenstown should provide a few to workers too.
Remedial oxygenators (solar pump & fountain or jets) for all degraded rivers so the microfauna can process excess nitrates and organic matter.
Free return to workforce training for former National MPs and criminals.
Proper pest control programs using frequently checked traps or bait stations – no more aerial 1080.
Grant for all households eschewing fossil fueled vehicles and mowers.
Fishery restoration project replants the kina barrens and reseeds scallops in all the heavily fished areas, restores grasses and small wetlands for inanga, supports snapper recruitment and other key species.
Startup capital available for recirculating aquaculture or aquaponics and half a dozen preferred species imported and bred to stock startups. (Macquaria ambigua, Lates calcarifer, Huso huso, etc. ) (also Helix pomatia – not a fish but suitable for culture).
Transition planning for hotter and drier climate – crops and animals and varieties developed and stocked to anticipate what's coming.
Volunteer firefighting reserve of a couple of thousand trained to help in Oz or Pacific cyclone aftermath.
Improved waste program with proper incineration of non-recyclables to reduce need for landfills.
yes..!..to eschewing mowing bloody lawns..
the two most effective moves an individual can make/do..
..is to stop eating animals and their bye-products ..
..and stop insisting on number one cuts for bloody lawns…!
..the lawnmower is weight for weight one of the dirtiest pieces of machinery on the planet..
Not my new lawnmower.
Enough with the generalisations. They weaken your grasp on credibility.
goodonya..!
putting the 'mug' in 'smug'..eh..?
A simple "yeah, I was wrong" would have sufficed lol
"Proper pest control programs using frequently checked traps or bait stations – no more aerial 1080."
EnviroMate100TM is leading the way with this …… but the guys at the top are fixated on aerial 1080 at the moment.
Thats a big list…do we have the capacity?
If money were no object…start a serious main stream left media organization, because a we have seen quite clearly in the UK and the USA without one the Left will never get back into power it is as simple a that.
This left/right binary projection in media IMO is an issue in itself
Truth, facts and proper 4th estate practices insulated by editorial management doesn't have an agenda. We need to go back to that which is a sea change for celebrity commercially focused TVNZ, less so for RNZ but work required there also.
Look across the ditch as ABC Chair Ita Buttrose is serving it back to the comm's minister and the liberals over political interference.
There is no Left media perspective in NZ…only centre (neoliberal) and centre right (the other neoliberals)…
increase the benefits of everyone to min wage level.
And what should the minimum wage be increased to?
would a jobs guarantee do the same thing?
Shut the door on immigration.-in all its nebulous forms.
all immigration?
Most immigration and especially this one:
ex NZ Herald "An official agency has floated the possibility of letting 500 overseas students into New Zealand every month from January."
Politicians really tricked NZ,ers with quietly allowing students after completing their courses . to then flow on to get work then residency in NZ , then bring in their immediate families, whether their English standard was up to the mark or not ……. Most NZers had no idea that this was going on and is still going on. You really don,t need to wonder about how Auckland got in such an infrastructure mess.
So if I was partitioning the government on policy it would be to implement a job guarantee paying the living wage. But thats obviously affordable so…
Lets nationalise home ownership. The government will buy every residential property in the country (for about the RV). At the same time they will perpetually rent them back to present occupants at rates normalized against a reasonable fraction of incomes across the country. They will also pay councils the equivalent of rates. At the same time they will eliminate residential property titles as privately owned assets. Voila housing crisis permanently fixed.
The government may well end up buying a significant number of private residences….I doubt however all….and yes they have the capacity to solve the housing crisis should they so choose…permanently? thats an unknown.
The housing crisis would be permanently fixed, as in housing now costs a well regulated fraction of incomes.
On the other hand its clearly a pretty dodgy idea. I don't know how your going to get people either swapping dwellings or contributing to housing improvements under such a system. I also expect some odd injustices to be inflicted by the transition as some rent and some owners have high equity. You would also expect some pretty screwy changes in other prices, and a few professions would disappear.
Dont know you could say permanently….its a political decision and they can change.
There would be substantial pushback to total nationalisation….limited however may be acceptable…and I dont think many would lament the loss of real estate agencies or property managers, but i may be wrong.
so because a medical service is too popular it is to close, leaving Middlemore as the only option from11:00pm to 7:00 am. I feel for the staff who have been burnt out – as 1/3 of the area has been serviced by this service what now for those staff at Middlemore? So more pressure is now transferred to them.
https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/health/300183549/auckland-medical-centre-ends-247-service-over-safety-issues-staff-burnout
This cannot go ahead due to demand and people will be at risk of delaying medical treatment. People require transport to get to Middlemore.
Clinical safety could have been worked through and funding made available through the Ministry of Health.
this is the most important line in the whole article.
next
“We took the attitude that our patients need us, so we had to keep sucking it up,” Armstrong said.
It is a private clinic that can open and do what it wants in order to achieve safety for patients and staff.
The issue you have with Middlemore not being equipped and staffed to pick up the slack is the governments inactions, and obvious lack of public medical care in Auckland – all of the previous and the current ones – that for reasons unknown still believe in the Market please fix it Fairy.
If only we had a government that had a such a mandate that they could actually get shit done, but sadly the government is Labour led and getting more hospital capacity or funding for more staff will eat into that all important surplus that the Leader of the government needs on her CV for her next job somewhere else.
What I said.
Sabine, you should write professionally.
Alternative view, if there are no services then there is no need 😉
If only we had a caring, kinder, gentler and 'social' Government with 50% plus of the vote and a single majority. If only.
oh well……..
it really is fucking up my head that we have that 'left' govt…
..who seem to be doing s.f.a. to fix what ails us..
if not them..?..fucken who..?
@Philllp ure.."it really is fucking up my head that we have that 'left' govt…" no we have a free market liberal…sometimes referred to as centrist…recently being labelled correctly as the 'extreme centre'….the Left are nowhere in sight that I can see in NZ..David Graeber on the Extreme 'Centre'
yeah..my problem there is that i believed those promises made by j.ardern back in 2016..
and tho’ it is now year four of her rule..and fuck all has been done..I am still deluding myself that she wasn't just bullshitting..
Yeah, I don't think you are alone there pal, sounds a lot like what many Americans feel about Obama now…disappointment and frustration…which is of course fully justified.
The '84 Labour govt cured me of any political illusions I had and turned me into the cynical bastard I am today..which is just as well as nothing has really come along in NZ politics to make me feel all that positive about it..except a few glimmers here and there I suppose..Helen Kelly and Sue Bradford being high among those glimmers of hope.
I'd focus on the clusterf*k that is the DHB structures and all the NGO's fiefdoms and clubs across the health system that do sfa toward improving clinical effectiveness.
Pretty clear from reading it they're disadvantaged by DHB funding.
Treetop is correct that it should have been worked through and funding made available through the Ministry of Health but that's not how it works, DHB's appear to do as they please.
When those who supply health are not supplying it or rationing the supply, it is going to cost more in the end.
We pay now through a DHB system which is begging for rationalisation/ flattening in a country of less than 10mil
This US electoral college vote is taking an eternity.
Wonder what Trump and his supporters will do today. Something with guns probably.
Patience. It's not yet 11:00 am in California, the Electors probably aren't even out of bed yet.
We just need Kellyalien to tell all the MAGAmorons that the Electoral College vote wasn't a loss for their yam Voldedolt, it was an "alternative win" that they can celebrate.
It would be nice for the farce to be over and the Trump camp to concede. A break could then be made instead of pursuing something which cannot be reversed.
Cry about it on Twitter.
Like this?
https://www.dailydot.com/debug/proud-boys-message-to-antifa-butts/
join the giant orange toddler…
he’s sobbing..
Patience. Only 38 days.
So funny and so clever! Thanks Macro.
Last I heard he had locked himself in his White House bedroom and wouldn't come out. 🙂
Reply to Ad @ 3.
Something with guns probably.
I doubt it. So far 70 plus million pissed off Trump voters and no burning cities.
https://www.npr.org/2020/12/13/945989928/protests-grow-violent-after-trump-supporters-gather-again-in-d-c
In Leaked Audio, Biden SHOCKINGLY Similar To Trump
Inside Biden’s Meeting With Civil Rights Leaders
https://theintercept.com/2020/12/10/biden-audio-meeting-civil-rights-leaders/
my expectations are so low re biden..
..he won't have to do much to pleasantly surprise..
I found this unsurprising but still very discouraging.
Some people just aren't happy until they're whining about something. And others are happy to feed and stoke that grievance addiction. Looks like it’s easy to grift a good living from the addicts.
https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2020/12/12/trump-grievance-addiction-444570
Some people…like yourself there Andre, are just so pleased to accept the crumbs and/or happily lay down and be gently sprinkled on as the powers that be trickle down something on to you, it's embarrassing to watch….
My goodness your posting is a repetitive bore. How many Biden fans are here? It's as painful as those vague and earnest twats who approach me at parties to inform me climate change is real.
Here's a challenge, find something positive to think about, every day. Rant for the rest of it if you must but just try get a grip.
Well if I am a twat and a bore for ranting about liberalism, an ideology that Biden is the figurehead of and Ardern governs with in New Zealand then so be it.
I guess it's everyday when I ride or drive to work and see all the fellow citizens living in their vehicles, see all the motels booked out with fellow citizens and their children who also have no home…talk to my own children who are keep poor from paying outrageous rents and crippling student debts…or after spending quite a period of time in the local hospital last year and seeing that is crumbling and unkept like some late period Soviet satellite state…then hear just yesterday that there are 151 Landrover Discoverys on back order around here, I guess it is that sort of repetitive shit that keeps me repetitive, if that's boring to you.. well sorry but I guess then I just don't give a fuck what you think….but hey you just get on with your life, and don't read my posts…I am sure you are all good, cosy, warm and secure.
BTW, maybe it is you who should get a grip, maybe it is because good people like you are not seething with righteous outrage and indignation at the moral and ethical black hole that we have allowed to become normalized in this country, maybe that is a big part of the problem….not me ranting..but you not ranting.
bleeple be bleeped..
Fuck him and the rest of the Chardonnay Socialist, you keep ranting
say what you believe.
Actually, I called out your posts, not you. I'm sure you have more to say than fuck you to everyone who isn't as permanently outraged as you, martyr that you are, are.
My post are me, they usually express exactly what I believe to be true or right with the information I have, though I can sometimes be convinced otherwise by a sound argument (but not about liberal capitalism) which is why I have no problem using my real name.
Fair enough. It is merely my opinion you'd have more to offer, and more engagement, with more balance. I've been wrong before, and I've spoken out of turn plenty.
And I bet I sound repetitive at times too.
Have a great day, and if you must, stick it to em.
If this does what I think it does then whoopee!
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/anz-wants-40pc-deposit-from-property-investors/3GGS3U7YFACKVJP4BXJPJMEH7I/
good on anz for doing that…
..all lefties should switch to anz…
..and tell them why you are doing it..
..show them some love…
and how fucked is this govt…?
..banksters having to do their job for them..
..bah..!
Phillip, please! Lefties switch to ANZ…
How about holding the door open for them and the other three, so it doesn't hit their backside on the way out?
Switch to Kiwibank or one of the other NZ owned Building Societies.
don't tell them I said so..
..but I would nationalise the whole bloody lot of them…
..and reconfigure them to work in the interests of this country..and it's people ..
..and providing financial support for housing for all..
..would be high on the list of to-do's..
..we used to do it before..where young people could capitalise on the child support for their deposit…
..we need to get back there again..(as just one example..)
It's banking greed and insatiable desire to enslave people in debt that got us where we are.
I'm so confused.
It was only a year or two ago that lefties were supposed to boycott ANZ because of the outrageous pay packets of their head honchos and the atrocious way they treated their frontline staff. And the featherbed they installed for Slur John, of course.
But now they're heroes?
Snort, hardly. It's bloody interesting to see the captains of capitalism saying it's time to drop house prices though. Also bloody interesting that Labour are leaving it up to them to sort out the housing crisis.
no..they are not 'heros'…
any good they do is involuntary…as they are acting out of self-interest..
as the biggest lender in that area they are most exposed of all the banks to a chaotic market ending in a crash ..
.they can see that they have to act…
'cos the gummint sure isn't gonna do the job..are they..?
Yeah, good job. Even better than I expected (since ASB and …was it BNZ? increased their deposit requirement to 30% a couple of weeks back).
The action is driven out of self interest, but whatever works.
It needs to be 80% IMO so it washes through and rebalances the market.
Banks are probably doing this as a hedge for a hot market, reducing their exposure, rather than helping first home buyers.
understandable…it doesn't take a genius to work out that what is happening now is utter madness..
..that if left to continue..will blow up/back on those banks .i.e..a crash..
(the government is just helplessly flapping it's hands ..
..a study in ineffectuality..)
..so they decided to damp it down..
..to save their own skins..
(and I agree re 80%..)
I would like to see 75% for the next year and then to stay at 50% deposit for home investors not a first home.
Sir Bob Jones is apparently still awaiting Ricardos apology for his "alternative facts" in his maiden speech https://nopunchespulled.com/2020/12/14/a-horrible-green-party-little-turd/
While I'm still waiting for you to post something that isn't hateful ignorance.
whatever you do…don't read the comments..
I did..they are kinda even worse..
Ricardo is the definition of hateful ignorance.
I think that is more jones..
and the vile pond-scum chorus in his comments thread…
more 'hateful ignorance' there than you can poke a stick at…
Very interesting to see MBIE pop our smug reverie about climate change responsiveness, and the cost of our lack of action over the last decade:
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/432886/climate-change-new-zealand-not-on-track-to-meet-paris-obligations-mbie
MBIE thinks this government will have to spend more on international carbon trading while also saying any delay in action will result in more abrupt and costly interventions.
Very interesting to see transport officials have delivered a scathing rebuke to current government transport policies to reduce emissions:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/300184111/government-policy-not-enough-to-curb-rising-transport-emissions-officials-say
Officials said that current policies would “stem some growth in transport emissions”.
“However, stopping the growth, and starting decarbonisation, is likely to depend on placing a higher priority on investment, policies and innovation that allow New Zealanders to make sustainable transport choices,”
Very interesting to see the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet pop our smug reverie about meeting our child poverty targets, highlighting that rates of children in material hardship should be expected to rise strongly, and then Jacinda Arden had to plead ignorance:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/123709248/jacinda-ardern-warned-child-poverty-will-rise-due-to-covid19-in-government-briefing
This government sure could do with more pressure to do something about material hardship:
Childrens' Commissioner makes a point:
+1000
"We can choose not to let Covid-19 drive more children into poverty"….well I would really loved to be proved wrong, but as usual Labour and Ardern are going to do sweet FA on this one..I mean how can they stop children (and their parents I presume) being driven into poverty when they have no intention of bringing house values and therefore rents down?…in fact Adren thinks they should keep rising.."in moderation" FFS!!!
Jacinda Ardern says 'sustained moderation' remains the Government's goal when it comes to house prices, as people 'expect' the value of their most valuable asset to keep rising
https://www.interest.co.nz/property/108301/pm-jacinda-ardern-says-sustained-moderation-remains-governments-goal-when-it-comes
Perhaps the government will listen to the commercial banks
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/business/432899/new-anz-report-says-continuing-house-price-rises-doesn-t-add-up
Maybe they will, I guess that when even banks ( whose sole job is to create debt) are starting to freak out about the debt to income ratio's these idiots might actually be moved to act…would have been nice to see them act because some more deeply held altruistic motive….ha just kidding…it's all talk with these guys when it comes to fighting inequality as they have proved time and again by their own policies and actions.
'the panel'…on rnz…is boredom on a stick..
the host is the issue…not the format..
he is pretty much anti-intellectual..
A look at Labour's terrible election result on the West Coast:
Don't Take Me Home, Country Roads: Labour's 2020 West Coast Problem
Which really begs the question… what the hell caused this?