Remember the chorus of "Should have been Level 1 weeks ago"? They spoke for just 12% (that's plenty for Winston, who only needs 5%, but it's a disaster for National).
Obviously it would be amazingly stupid for National MPs to keep complaining about Ardern and the Covid response. So that's what they're doing.
Winston is marching into National territory today.
"We won't pander to the woke brigade" said today by Winston Peters re BLM protests is music to the ears of conservative New Zealand.
Muller and Kaye are trying to distance themselves from that sentiment which is giving Winnie an opening.
I thought he was a gonner a month ago, but I am now thinking he will pick up some of National's conservative base and return in September. He's like a fucking cockroach
The drum beat of corporate media stories around opening the border has been a classic example of lobbyist with money who owned journalists like Fran O'Sullivan trying to manufacture consent.
Me watching: The build up to the rugby on Sunday…
Melanie Robinson: "We've seen outstanding leadership from the prime minister in recent months, I expect Beauden will bring outstanding leadership to the Blues"
Me thinking: "I hope Gerry isn't watching."
And the above is the least of it. (because the problem is now so big it can only focus on a couple of examples – e,g, the RSE workers
I L-G: Rhubarb rhubarb rhubarb dither dither dither. I have complete faith in my officials (even the ones that have bullshitted to me) Rhubarb rhubarb rhubarb
INZ: Rhubarb rhubarb rhubarb the commodity of people as a human resource all wrapped up in a risk-managed (unofficial) demographic spreadsheet.
Commentariat: Pearl clutch pearl clutch pearl clutch
This has been speculated to result from the 'joys' of coalition government, and the art of the possible. If so, there are less than one hundred days to hopefully fix that and have a consistently kinder government . . ..
Yep. It was those two noble savages Shane and Winston what dunnit.
Even though many/most of those affected by the policies have a closer affinity and understanding of lil 'ole NuZull that punches above its weight's first people.
S&W are us though eh? and those are them. And its not as though people were warning us all about what has now come to pass 4 years ago.
A possible solution, pay local marae (who often get utilised in emergency situations anyway) to provide board for those stranded, now that the Covid threat has been eliminated.
A double win. These migrants get provided with what they need, for the short term, and local marae get some income to help support them through these times.
A bloody good short term solution @ Molly – as you're more often than not prone to come up with.
In some places, relationships such as you suggest are already happening (without the payments), and long term friendships are in the making
Meanwhile back at the INZ ranch, officials are worrying about how such phenomenon could take hold – it could completely undermine their thinkings going forward (based on learnings from the past)
That would be good short term but air travel is slowly opening up again (Singapore airlines for one is reopening the Singapore hub ) so I do see a need to keep working with the various embassies and Airnz to put on some charter flights to assist some of the larger groups back to where they want to go, or to facilitate an onwards connection.
Charters or even scheduled flights can be one way flights only as we don't have the capacity to quarantine full return planes so would be a more expensive but not ridiculous prices. A lot of the extended one year visa's expire in Sept. Frankly I think I L-G needs to largely bypass his department and get MFAT, AirNZ and the embassies to advertise the charter flights (backed up by onwards travel agreements with maybe Singapore Air) so that we can give some certainty to travellers and move them towards Auckland airport.
Well if you don't like that link @ Anne, I have plenty of others. And as you will know, many of those officials don't have a vindictive bone in their bodies. (/sarc)
I happen to think both JA and H1 will probably go down in history as being two of NZ's best PMs. (Or should that be one of NZs best PMs?)
However IF JA really wants to be kind and transformative, she needs to get herself a decent H2 style shit kicker, otherwise the recent history of the Labour Party will be just one damn thing after another, and a waste of another bloody harsh virus (neo-liberalism being one of the others)
I start to question my sanity when I find myself agreeing with the Taxpayer's Union – (albeit knowing that they are just Government bashing as they do).
"The cost of SkyPath has already blown out multiple times, to $200 for every household in the country.
"Giving this project an RMA exemption doesn't turn it into a good investment. Funding would be better spent on infrastructure that improves productivity for the many, not just a subset of Takapuna-based lycra enthusiasts."
The Skypath proposal is one that could stay shovel-ready and not get done, until other investment in our infrastructure is complete – health and mental health investment for instance. They’ve been ready and waiting for investment for years.
While I disagree on the shape of the reforms to the RMA that they endorse, I do agree that shovel-ready projects, follows the BAU approach to infrastructure investment. And we should be requiring a new perspective before putting such money into "nice to haves" instead of "need to haves" or resilience projects.
The fact that they are "shovel ready" doesn't guarantee good investment outcomes that are shared as equitably as possible. It also doesn't prioritise spending wisely – just spending.
" Very few pt or cycling projects would survive a solid Treasury Value For Money review. "
For a start, including SROI (Social Return on Investment) or an environmental return on investment, should see this change. And if cycling projects still don't meet the value for money review – then they shouldn't happen at present. We have a lot of NZers looking for basic needs and support, look after them first. The Skypath is not a basic need.
Molly – the middle class have decided that cycling is their thing, suits their individualism and is healthy and clean-living,fit, modern people do it.; the very example of 'going forward'. And they tend to ride their bikes fast, and generally behave as they would in a car. But biking being an agreed benefit to all, ticking the above boxes of health etc., it has become a sacred icon for the said m/c.
It also allows them to trespass on public spaces for room to carry out its aggressive side, mountain biking, BMX racing and dirt jumping. There they throw themselves round knowing that they will be fixed by free hospital treatment and helped by ACC. Areas agreed for mountain bike tracks have cleared areas that are treed and were part of the environment enjoyable for walkers in Nelson. But that isn't enough for these bikers – they have cut and cleared illegally to make new tracks to suit themselves. Looked at dispassionately, they are just land clearers repeating the colonial measures of the past but with a greenwash, that of being a healthy sport in the outdoors.
The bike sport fraternity are often destructive and really just a different version of the petrolheads, demolition derby fans, mud plugs and racing car enthusiasts; though most of those are contained to agreed tracks. The advent of 4Wdrives, with tv ads showing them driving in the outdoors like real men, up rivers destroying and polluting them, if they want to go there, have further encouraged this idea of misuse of the countryside for the machine-mad male with no appreciation of nature or being a natural human either.
The problem with the SROI is that typically the cycling calculations assume a slow climb in usage compared to what actually happens. Quite unlike the NZTA or treasury approach to roads with always assumes a exponential car usage growth – that usually doesn’t happen.
If either used realistic analysis based on their continuous past failures, then most of the roads that have done recently it wouldn’t be funded. If they used the actual results from their previous screwups of estimating ROIs from PT or cycle lanes than almost all would be.
The growth in traffic on most installed cycle lanes and effective PT invariably climbs more rapidly than NZTA expectations. Just the same as what happens when the public transport is upgraded – which is why the northern busway now has continuous double decker buses at peak hours – and we don’t need a new uber expensive bridge or tunnel. Similarly the double tracking and electrification of the Auckland has exceeded expectations in almost every year since they were done. The only thing that seems to slow them down is the work being done on the next upgrade.
But it is a chicken and egg as can be easily seen when the cycle lanes are put in. You have to have cycle lanes before you get much cycle traffic on them. You find out the need after you put them in. But typically they are incredibly cheap.
In Auckland, all cyclists and scooter riders are scared shitless of the ignorant dangerous drivers and their parked cars. We’ve all had near death experiences from drivers inadvertently trying to kill us. Put in a cycle way and watch the cyclist traffic increase massively over several years. Try walking on the north western cycle way or even the grafton gully cycleway at 5pm and you’ll see what I mean. I’m looking forward to being able to actually ride down K Rd without the fear of imminent death or injury. Be nice if they did the same thing on Ponsonby Road.
Where there aren’t cycleways, many cyclists and virtually all scooter riders prefer to ride on pedestrian paths – thereby endangering pedestrians. Somehow this social saving isn’t anywhere in the SROI – along with most of the other real social benefits.
Nor a re most of the economic benefits because they are unknowable before the project is put into place. In the case of the SkyPath, it simply means that a whole area who currently have no ability to commute to the north shore by bike (in my case) or from the north shore can now start to do so. Trying to even figure out the effects of that are damn near impossible to figure out in advance. It is simply guesswork. About the only thing that is obvious is that it’d be way cheaper than any possible roading project in Auckland.
In short – your position is just spurious bullshit based on a selective unthinking analysis of how the SROI is currently calculated.
My family are cyclists, not so much commuter cyclists now because of commuting distances, so I agree we have some way to go regarding cyclist safety.
However, I disagree with the method currently used for identifying, prioritising and implementing projects.
This is my objection to this project, and the SROI needs to be applied to others areas of Auckland as well in order to help prioritise. This doesn't happen.
Cycle lanes are the classic example of "if you build it they will come" with the sum being greater than it's parts. Fully connected, separated cycleways that go to useful places see huge growth.
The problem is people see them as a cheap panacea for noisy MAMILs & a recreational frippery rather than an important piece of commuter infrastructure. Yet using an e-bike on a proper cycle way to commute in your work clothes is as different from weaving in and out of traffic, footpaths and bits of cycle way on a racing bike whilst clad in your full lycra panoply as taking a guided the great walk in summer is from hacking your way up to the tops on an unmaintained track in the Kawekas in winter.
Yes, and Parker was certainly emphatic when being interviewed on Natrad both last night and this morning. Seems happy to sudeline climate change issues, and I'm wondering if he is aware that in the Far North there are already rumblings from domestic water users (aka 'the people') that horticulture and agriculture (aka corporate interests)have more right to water.
And along with the water requirements is the very real potential for adverse effects of nutrient runoff and heavy agrochemical use.
As you say Molly, would have been nice to see spending on our tired and dysfunctional health infrastructure prioritised.
Your concern Molly is much appreciated by this resident who lives on a popular by-route which eventually leads to the harbour bridge and is sick and tired of lycra clad enthusiasts who assume they own the road and its up to the rest of us to get out of their way.
Any proposal that is going to increase their numbers in my neck of the woods will not be appreciated by locals trying to go about their daily business without cycling fashionistas strung across the road impeding progress for the rest of us.
That kind of investment warrants better scrutiny at this time, especially as it has been a continually growing budget. The reason it is shovel ready is because there has been a staunch group of supporters continually banging on about it for years. Not because it is an equitable and valuable use of government budget.
(I also note the inclusion of numbers in terms of the pitiful amount of jobs intended to be created, but nothing in terms of the actual spend being reported.)
I call them 'lycra louts'. That generally gets them going.
Not all cyclists belong to this genus. These ones, apart from the skin tight and unfaltering plumage are most often found in inner city Wellington on a Saturday morning crawling 2/3/4 abreast up Raroa Road presumably on a run out to Makara/Ohariu Valley/J'ville. They wiggle slowly up this steep street failing to pull over. On my way to work some times I have counted 14 cars behind me, some at stalling speed.
They are able to multi task, ie give the finger to anyone who wishes to go past them.
They mob cafes to the exclusion of others. Their cry is distinctive too with the sounds of entitlement being the top notes.
Got no problems with unproblematic riders who respect other road users just as I do.
The general way to deal with them is to put in some cheap cycle paths that separate cars from cycles. Or an even simpler method would be just get rid of parked cars on roads.
I know when I am commuting (usually in work jeans) I use the cycle lanes where they are available.
But if I have to cycle on the road, I leave at least a metre from the parked cars. That is because of the idiots who seem to try to open doors on me every day. That provides enough room to avoid the doors that get flung open in front of me by drivers who neither look in their wing mirror nor partially open the door and look back.
These self-entitled idiots are the primary reason why cyclists ride so far out into the lane.
That means that I take up a third of the usual car lane and means that cars going around me and passing at metre put at least half their body into the incoming lane (2/3rds for the SUV trucks).
So i went and googled skypath and ended up with this
"The Northern Pathway project will provide a seamless dedicated walking and cycling link between Auckland’s City Centre and the North Shore which will connect with existing local paths to extend the region’s walking and cycling network."
As far as i am concerned i dont care how much it costs it has to be done and should have been long ago!
To suggest that we should instead put the money into health and mental health shows a complete disconnect from reality
I've been following the Skypath discussion for years, and at no time, does it ever go into the realms of providing an equitable use of transport monies across the region, or seek to justify the spend in terms of social returns. It has always been a case of:
" As far as i am concerned i dont care how much it costs it has to be done and should have been long ago! "
Great justification…
This has been highlighted as shovel-ready projects to be invested in. There are other needs and projects that are awaiting funding, some in health and mental health.
"To suggest that we should instead put the money into health and mental health shows a complete disconnect from reality"
But if you are insistent on keeping the funding sector appropriate – we could instead invest the money into improving the pitiful service and access to public transport and alternative transport infrastructure in other areas of Auckland that exist without the vocal ranting brigade.
The continual rubber-band bounceback to BAU in terms of prioritising infrastructure, is going to continue the path of inequitable access that we were previously on.
10 years of moaning from the small minded objectors to SkyPath. It's painful how obvious the need is to expand the harbour crossing to active modes of transport. Public demand is driving the project, car addicts need to learn to share public space for a change.
The difference with the "Northern Pathway" is that the mode share over the harbour bridge is currently 0% ; you could do lots of other little projects all over Auckland with similar funding but there is still a fundamental disconnect with the North Shore. If it's fairness you're concerned about, the models indicate that the proposed pathway will get even more usage than the Northwestern cycleway. It's the cheapest possible alternative to a new harbour crossing.
After numerous news stories on the National Party donation fraud case not guilty pleas in Feb, & other than a Parliamentary privileged comment by JLR in March that was reported on, there has been no mention of the case due to be in court last week on the 10th June. It's surprising there has been no mention in media of it whatsoever, whether the case has started as intended or not?
Media's very economical when it comes to any untoward news around brand national.
Watching Tova tell Clarke even labour voters don't trust him (another survey) and constantly bleating out the gotcha questions shows where they're heading.
For many years it has been apparent that the NZ Police need a major shakeup. Ever try dealing with them? Lazy and incompetent at best. Lying and deceitful at worst. From the idiot Commissioner Bush who thought the corrupt cops in the Arthur Allen Thomas case had 'integrity beyond reproach' to the blatantly corrupt Doone, the rot clearly starts at the top and trickles down.
The lazy p****s who approved this licence should be in court charged with vicarious liability. But we all know they won't. there will be an internal Police inquiry, which will drag on for two years or so and then be quietly buried.
Just to show that you can get recreational shooting, conservation, national parks, and foodbanks in the one sentence …
…. Fiordland Wapiti Foundation, Game Animal Council, and Department of Conservation (DOC) are partnering to provide 18,000kg of free-range wild Fiordland venison to New Zealand foodbanks and families in need. Each year the Fiordland Wapiti Foundation, working with DOC, conducts a deer cull in Fiordland National Park removing up to 1000 animals.
“Weather permitting, by the end of next month, we will have removed 600 deer from Fiordland National Park for processing into 18,000 1kg wild venison mince packets. These are being distributed by a charitable supply chain distributor to foodbanks throughout the country. This will feed thousands of New Zealand families in need,” says Roy Sloan, Fiordland Wapiti Foundation President.
Last time I stopped in Haast, there was a little hamburger stand selling the most awesomest, juiciest, sweetest venison steak hamburgers I've ever had, and they came straight out of the Fiordland culling programme.
Todd made National policy lurch to the left in his Te Puna speech. I do wonder what the likes of Collins and Goldsmith make of this. Should the next poll still show National in the low 30's and Muller below 15, will there be another coup?
Covid 19 would have been an absolute disaster had it not been stopped in its tracks.
National are largely to blame with its sinking lid policies and leaky buildings by way of defunding and wrecking the building codes.
After 9 years we were left with the worst health system in the OECD. National wanted a privatized health system given Woodhouse now a former private hospital middle manager and Coleman another private health hawk.
By running down the health system to push people into buying private health insurance.
Private health insurance is always a bridgehead from which the public system can be attacked. If you don't eradicate it, you will spend a lifetime fighting its incursions. Neither option is pleasant.
It isnt the shake up that it is made out to be. I read the 274 page report. It is bascially just changing a few letterheads and re-writing a few contracts.
It doesnt recommend reducing or scrapping co-payments, for a start, which is one of the big barriers of access to services.
Idiot/Savant is attacking the Greens, saying that they are "footstools", for supporting Labour's draconian 2-year ditching of RMA requirements for major projects, shutting the public out of the process (except for seldom heard submissions to the select committee). David Parker should hang his head in shame-he had a bit of a train-wreck interview on Morning Report trying to justify this today.
In fact the Greens have only supported this to the first reading. It is quite normal to support legislation to the first reading where the details can then be seen as to what is proposed.
I doubt very much they will give it support any further. At least I hope not. It will probably pass with the help of the Nats and NZF, which says it all.
Meanwhile submissions in opposition should be lodged (by those who care about democracy) at the select committee stage.
Palestine Bleeds: Execution of Autistic Man is the Norm, not an Exception
by RAMZY BAROUD, Counterpunch, 12 June 2020
A 32-year-old man with the mental age of an 8-year-old child was executed by Israeli soldiers on May 30, while crouching behind his teacher near his special needs school in the Old City of Jerusalem.
The cold-blooded murder of Iyad al-Hallaq might not have received much attention if it were not for the fact that it took place five days following the similarly heartbreaking murder of a 46-year-old black man, George Floyd, in Minneapolis, at the hands of American police.
The two crimes converge, not only in their repugnancy and the moral decadence of their perpetrators, but also because countless American police officers have been trained in Israel, by the very Israeli ‘security forces’ that killed al-Hallaq. The practice of killing civilians, with efficiency and callousness, is now a burgeoning market. Israel is the biggest contributor to this market; the US is the world’s largest client.
When thousands of people rushed to the streets in Palestine, including hundreds of Palestinian and Israeli Jewish activists in Jerusalem, chanting “Justice for Iyad, justice for George”, their cry for justice was a spontaneous and heartfelt reaction to injustice so great, so blatant.
Al-Hallaq’s story might appear particularly unique, as the ‘suspected terrorist’ was killed while merely walking in King Faisal Street in Jerusalem, on his way to take out the trash. He was afraid of soldiers and terrified of blood.
“He was also afraid of the armed police officers who stood along the route to the special needs center he went to, where he participated in a vocational training program,” the Israeli newspaper, Haaretz, reported.
Al-Hallaq’s many fears, which may have appeared exaggerated by his family, turned out to be true. Even an autistic person in Palestine is not safe from the vengeance of soldiers. ….
I wonder if they have considered maybe retraining some of the airline employees in the next couple of months. The cropping season is still a little way away so time to do some workforce planning maybe. Drive a Boeing – maybe they could drive these too
But it does look like we could do with some serious rural workforce planning. In the last few months we have had concerns about a workforce for vineyard machinery, calving and the flush of the dairy season, the harvesting machinery and general overall harvesting workforce. That way these could be end to end jobs and I know soem already do that in the horticultural field.
Also have any of these considered the jobs they are offering. I know that machinery needs to be worked dawn to dusk in season but running the workforce in 40 hour shifts may be more acceptable. Plus looking at providing some half time roles or encouraging more women/ older people into the rural workforce.
Training or retraining people costs more than importing some someone else has trained. If it takes two years to be ready, as they say, then train now and there will be no more problem in two years time. But this problem of 'cant find workers' has persisted for far longer than two years, hence it's safe to conclude that no permanent solution is desired. Just cost cutting.
Some how for this I seriously doubt that it takes two years of training if "some farmer friends can jump in and help". Being able to drive a tractor doubtless helps a lot but a HT licence, good spatial and motor skills and a few brains would go a very long way. A boeing pilot should be very retrainable.
And if it was so skilled then any contingent travelling from country to country would include a fair few NZer's who have been trained here plus a great deal higher wage.
Looks like they are over cooking the skills and training needed coupled with, as McFlock puts it lousy wages, to keep up the cost cutting. Perhaps they could solve their own problem by dealing with the upgraded government training courses and lend their machines for some practice runs
Inevitable I guess, but let's just hope the quarantine procedures are a lot better than was reported on TV1 news last week. Any system is only as good as its weakest link, and clearly the Hotel quarantine was the weak link.
Not sure how else to read that other than TVNZ understands they were given an exemption from isolation to go spread it around at a funeral here. Wait and see what Bloomfield says, I guess.
We had a funeral here yesterday an aussie family member was allowed in , hearsay is they were allowed down here from Auckland and got20 mins with family and to see the coffin closed. Not sure about ppe etc . Apparently the funeral had well in excess of 1000 attending.
Dr Ashley Bloomfield explained in the briefing this afto that people are not given exemptions to go to a funeral.
Dr Bloomfield said they had applied for an exemption on Friday 12 June to visit their dying parent and were allowed to travel to Wellington in a private vehicle to do so the following day, on 13 June. Their parent died that night.
"They were in a managed isolation hotel in Auckland and were permitted on compassionate grounds to leave managed isolation to travel to Wellington via private vehicle."
He said there one only one additional family member who may be at risk, and they were being tested and isolated. Other potential contacts included people on the same flight from Brisbane and people who were in or had been in the same managed isolation facility in Auckland, including staff.
"There was an agreed plan in place as a part of the approval process for the compassionate exemption and that included the travel arrangements."
He said the funeral for the parent would be delayed until family members had completed their next 14-day minimum isolation period.
From watching the briefing the parent died the evening the two arrived in Wellington. I had a similar experience with my mother. I got a call at work that my mum was dying, caught a plane from Auckland to Wellington that afternoon, and was with her for about half an hour before she died.
Hmm that puts a different spin on it. I'm not sure – having listened to Dr Bloomfield's briefing – that that is a fair representation. The RNZ report, I feel, is more accurate.
Dr Bloomfield said they had applied for an exemption on Friday 12 June to visit their dying parent and were allowed to travel to Wellington in a private vehicle to do so the following day, on 13 June. Their parent died that night.
Now it could be argued that the "that night" refers to 12 June, the day they applied for the exemption, to visit a dying parent. But the juxtaposition of the last sentence with the statement that they travelled to Wellington on the 13th strongly implies that the Parent died on the night of the 13th
The media are not above trying to stir up controversy for the sake of it. Especially Stuff.
Peter if you are referring to the Avatar team's arrival at the Quarantine hotel, it would be good to get your facts right. The mixing in the foyer was with an American family staying at the hotel.
The arriving Avatar team were bussed to the hotel. They were taken in small groups through a separate door each wearing face shields into a separate room for debriefing and instruction. They were then taken under escort one at a time in the lift to each individual's room where they stayed for 2 weeks, finishing yesterday. They did not even mix with their colleagues during the time in seclusion or allowed out for a walk anywhere.
Ianmac, how about YOU get YOUR facts right. Just Google it. Absolutely nothing to do with Avatar. It was Kiwis returning to NZ.
They mixed throughout their stay on crowded city streets on guided walks. Newly arrived returnees were mixing with those on their last day or days of quarantine.
Ianmac. All good! And thank you for addressing that, for which I respect you! I was surprised, as I always enjoy your posts which are well thought out. Cheers!
Since we reached zero the media have run various stories about the heartless government not making a quarantine exception (and another, and another exception, and so on). And of course the opposition demands for borders opening ASAP.
But don't worry, nothing bad could happen, job done, blah blah …
Peter Chch (15) … Disappointing to read this news of two new cases of Covid-19.
IMO our borders should be closed … full stop, no exceptions, no negotiation, until there is a means of controlling this paricular virus. These two new cases demonstrate the need for doing so.
Pull yourself together – there are legitimate grounds for compassion – in this case, the exemption conditions may very well have worked as designed – if not, I am sure it will be valuable grist for the mill in reviewing future procedures at our 'bo(a)rders'.
Yes happy to put my hand up on this one that I don't feel a lot of compassion. terrified with good reason about Covid getting a hold here and think everyone will/might have to make scarifices.
Given this situation and the situation with two teenagers given leave to go to a funeral and then absconding time to make it real simple. No exception to isolation.
A funeral is for a dead person. A stiff. Their metabolic processes are history. Shuffled off this mortal coil. 4 million volts isn't enough to create an interaction with them.
Giving people exemptions from isolation to go spread disease in order to go hang out with a corpse is NOT GOOD ENOUGH. To go say their last goodbyes while someone still lives – fair enough. But not once they've already passed.
Apologies Andre – I didn't intend to support your over reaction or wind you up. Nobody has a script for this, not even Jacinda and Ashley, who you appear to have put on a pedestal. This is an error at worst – a learning which will modify the border procedures and compassionate exemption policies.
I'm coming down slowly. Give me a couple days and I should be back on an even keel.
I think Ashley and Jacinda have done an absolutely outstanding job – but this was a really dumb unforced error. I hope the lesson and action taken is to assume everyone arriving is a raging hotbed of maximum infectiousness, until proven otherwise. The common good of 5 million people has to come ahead of compassion for situations that aren't absolutely time-critical. Someone in their last days is time-critical, after they've passed is not.
I have a nephew and sister-in-law in France that got COVID early on. They're still suffering severe aftereffects. I have a cousin in the US that's a doctor in respiratory intensive care, and her husband is a doctor in the emergency department. From what I've heard from them, mainstream reports about COVID seem somewhat sanitised and downplayed.
The elimination we had achieved is immensely valuable, risking it needs to only be done for something equally valuable.
Yes, the lockdown has cost NZ billions, and to throw it away so easily? Kiss of death for this government and Ashley NY honours list. And deservedly so.
Sad as PM did a great job with a hard task, but this is beyond stupidity.
9 days on the loose. How many are now infected? Nz was in the privileged position of having eliminated the virus and being able to control the entry or exclusion of the virus.
From way back in early March, we knew the borders were our vulnerable point, yet, from early March, time and time again we have learned, from th MSM, that what this government says about the borders and what is actually happening is vastly different.
Peter, take a breath. Watch the full press conference with Bloomfield, if you haven't already. Really detailed answers, with a whole range of safeguards in place.
It's not at all surprising that an individual case has happened. It's the policy that matters. Opening up our borders now would be stupid, and so we're not doing it.
I don't get it either. Apparently we have testing to burn so why were we not testing on arrival, 5 days later and then again at 10 days and 14 days. These people were in the managed quarantine between it appears the 5th and the 13th of June so surely they would have been symptomatic? Is quarantine being managed in pods or did they have contact with people between 5th-13th that have been released already? What about the family contact in wellington – who have they had contact with? What about border staff – and quarantine staff and airline staff. And it's taken 16 days to find this out when symptoms can be tested for in the 5-10 day range. And how do we "know" they followed all the rules when they didn't bother to report symptoms- big fail right there. As others say FFS – there are so many obvious gaps in the arrangements..
A similar conversation has gone down in this household.
Apparently there are 2 hour tests available.
A baby with a sniffle, that had barely left it's home environment, no visitors, got swabbed in ED last night because Covid…
And yet…
From what has been said so far, the one that has tested positive, either fibbed when asked the ubiquitous screening questions or answered a different question to that which was asked.
Yes Peter Chch and Andre. It's what you get when you don't have black and white, hard and fast, delineated rules which are meticulously enforced.
When factors to do with 'humanity' and exemptions and judgements and assessments come into it you get problems.
Trouble is numbers in the population screamed about hard and fast rules mitigating against humanitarian factors over months.
If we had hard and fast rules mentality, no weighing up of factors involved, everyone doing 51kph would be fined heavily pro forma, cars would be permanently taken off those doing 10kph over the limit and so on according lists of rules.
The no exemptions thing for those coming into the country would go on at least until a vaccine is developed however long that is.
Of course this shocking turn of events wouldn't have happened under Simon Bridges' watch. (Remember him?)
Andre is right, a funeral is for a dead person, a stiff shuffled off this mortal coil. This situation shows though that it's not the dead that are the worry or whatever their loved ones do but the hysteria about that from deadshits.
The funeral was not for a parrot, but for a fellow human being. I'm not convinced the risk is worth it either, but in your anger, don't lose all your humanity.
During Level 4, people within New Zealand were prohibited from going to say their last goodbyes to loved ones. I count myself very fortunate my dad survived his medical emergency during that time that I was prohibited from travelling to go see him when he was on the edge. FFS, my mother was prohibited from going to see him in the hospital, in a region that had zero cases at that time.
To put us all at risk of having to go back to that for the sake of an already dead body – just plain unacceptable
Yes, you are right, but have faith in our capacities to learn from a mistake. I would far prefer that the error stemmed from having too much compassion than the opposite – otherwise we are no different to the right wingers.
Fair enough but they can’t attend the funeral now anyway so there was no point in releasing them. All it’s done is needlessly expose us. No exemptions from now on, people living here couldn’t get them during lockdown.
Dr Ashley Bloomfield showed why he is a doctor, not a politician or reporter or "commentator". And a good human being.
He calmly explained the details of the case, and refused to throw the two women under the bus. They will be feeling like sh*t right now, and Bloomfield understands that. They did not break the rules, they followed them. If there was a loophole it was in the NZ system. He takes responsibility for that (as he should).
I hope that the focus is now on highlighting the complacency of those who want open borders, not on hounding two victims of the virus, already bereaved.
Well, I won't be casting a stone. I'm sure that hypothetically we all would have acted differently. In reality … when you've crossed the world to see a dying loved one? When the system tells you it's all under control? When you look around and you're the only ones wearing face masks and you're still following the rules?
Observer. You are clearly a better person than me, and that i respect.
Ashley Bloomfield is, as you say, is a doctor and a compassionate person.but right now, maybe we need someone who is also a little bit of a dictator. Level 4 was a dictate. Now I feel what's the point?
The elite say one thing, we are coerced to do another. To say I am disappointed in our PM and Ashley would be an understatement.
I think the key point is that the women were not tested, and they should have been, and that is NZ's fault, not theirs. It is not their job to say to health professionals "hang on, your system isn't good enough". Especially when they are in emotional distress. Now Bloomfield is suggesting that the procedures have been / will be changed. Good.
A good doctor does not blame patients. Nor should we.
I suspect they watered the landscape as so many of us have done in past times. The trick is to check the sight lines – thought I had once – then along came the train.
There seems to be far more media interest in women's bladders at Level 1 than in Simon Bridges' bladder at Level 4. I don't know why he got a free piss – er, pass.
I have seen what it's like in Tamiki Makaru a lot of people were looking down on Maor.
Interesting but I have a good idea who has treated all tangata whenua the best and has the best interest for our Mokopuna futures That's who Eco Maori tau toko.
One of New Zealand’s biggest electricity generators, Genesis Energy, has given the go-ahead for a large solar farm near Lauriston on the Canterbury Plains, an hour’s drive south of Christchurch. It is part of Genesis’ strategy of replacing thermal baseload with renewable generation – a mix of wind and solar. ...
Buzz from the Beehive We found just one fresh announcement on the Beehive website this morning, when we made our first visit since 4 February. It was posted in the name of Nanaia Mahuta, our Minister of Foreign Affairs, and explained why she was not at Waitangi at the weekend. ...
Hipkins is doing the right thing for New Zealanders already living in Australia, but there’s now a growing risk of a fresh surge of net emigration of frustrated young Kiwis across the Tasman. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTLDR: Employers here in Aotearoa are desperate to keep their best-trained, most-productive ...
This post contains two guest posts from readers, both of which were sent to us after the flooding on Friday 27 January, both of which discuss how we handle our stormwater. This is a guest post from Ed Clayton, who’s written for us before about Auckland’s relationship with freshwater, ...
TLDR: For paying subscribers, here’s the key breaking news, scoops and links I’ve found since 4 am this morning, as of 7 am, including:A 7.8 magnitude earthquake killed more than 2,200 in Turkey near its border with Syria; ReutersMetService has warned a new cyclone is forming north of Aotearoa that ...
The politics of Waitangi and the Treaty evident over the weekend have moved into a new space. The politics of Waitangi and the Treaty evident over the weekend have moved into a new space. There is a new wave of Maori activism, which sees the Treaty as a living ...
Originally published by The Hill After decades of failure to pass major federal climate legislation, Congress finally broke through last year with the Inflation Reduction Act and its close to $400 billion in clean energy investments. Energy modeling experts estimated that these provisions would help the U.S. cut its carbon pollution ...
Apology Accepted? “I dropped the ball on Friday, I was too slow to be seen …The communications weren’t fast enough – including mine. I’m sorry for that.”–Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown.HOW OFTEN do politicians apologise? Sincerely apologise? Not offer voters the weasel words: “If my actions have offended anyone, then I ...
At first blush, Christopher Luxon’s comment at the parliamentary powhiri at Waitangi this year sounded tone deaf. The Leader of the Opposition in talking about the Treaty of Waitangi described New Zealand as “a little experiment”. It seemed to diminish the treaty and the very idea of our nation. Yet ...
THE (new) Prime Minister said nobody understands what co-governance means, later modified to that there were so many varying interpretations that there was no common understanding. BRIAN EASTON writes: Co-governance cannot be derived from the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. It does not use the word. It ...
A brief postscript to yesterday’s newsletter…Watching the predawn speeches just now, the reverence of those speaking and the respectful nature of those listening under umbrellas in the dark. I felt a great sadness at the words from Christopher Luxon last evening still in my head. The singing in the dark accompanied ...
by Don Franks While on holiday,I stayed a few days in Scotland with a friend who showed me one of the country’s great working-class achievements. It was a few miles out of central Edinburgh, a huge cantilever bridge across the river Forth. The Forth Bridge was the first major structure ...
Time To Call A Halt: Chris Hipkins knows that iwi leaders possess the means to make life very difficult for his government. Notwithstanding their objections, however, the Prime Minister’s direction of travel – already clearly signalled by his very public demotion of Nanaia Mahuta – must be confirmed by an emphatic and ...
A chronological listing of news articles posted on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Jan 29, 2023 thru Sat, Feb 4, 2023. Story of the Week Social change more important than physical tipping points1.5-degree Goal not plausible Photo: CLICCS / Universität Hamburg Limiting global ...
So Long - And Thanks For All The Fish: In the two-and-a-bit years since Jacinda Ardern’s electoral triumph of 2020, virtually every decision she made had gone politically awry. In the minds of many thousands of voters a chilling metamorphosis had taken place. The Faerie Queen had become the Wicked ...
Look at us here on our beautiful islands in the South Pacific at the start of 2023, we have come so far.Ten days ago we saw a Māori Governor General swearing in our new PM and our first Pasifika Deputy PM, ahead of this year’s parliament where they will be ...
The Herald’s headline writers are at it again! A sensible and balanced piece by Liam Dann on the battle against inflation carries a headline that suggests that NZ is doing worse than the rest of the world. Check it out and see for yourself if I am right. Is this ...
Photo by Anna Demianenko on UnsplashTLDR: Here’s my longer reads and listens for the weekend for sharing with The Kaka’s paying subscribers. I’ve opened this one up for all to give everyone a taste of the sorts of extras you get as a full paying subscriber.Subscribe nowDeeper reads and listens ...
Hello from the middle of a long weekend where I’m letting the last few days unspool, not ready, not yet, to give words to the hardest of what we heard.Instead, today, here are some good words from other people.Mother CourageWhen I wrote last year about Mum and Dad’s move to ...
Workers Now is a new slate of candidates contesting this year’s general election. James Robb and Don Franks are the people behind this initiative and they are hoping to put the spotlight on working people’s interests. Both are seasoned activists who have campaigned for workers’ rights over many decades. Here is ...
Buzz from the Beehive Politicians keen to curry favour with Māori tribal leaders have headed north for Waitangi weekend. More than a few million dollars of public funding are headed north, too. Not all of this money is being trumpeted on the Beehive website, the Government’s official website. ...
Insurers face claims of over $500 million for cars, homes and property damaged in the floods. They are already putting up premiums and pulling insurance from properties deemed at high risk of flooding. Photo: Lynn Grieveson/Getty ImagesTLDR: This week in the podcast of our weekly hoon webinar for paying subscribers, ...
Our Cranky Uncle Game can already be played in eight languages: English, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish and Swedish. About 15 more languages are in the works at various stages of completion or have been offered to be done. To kick off the new year, we checked with how ...
The (new) Prime Minister said nobody understands what co-governance means, later modified to that there were so many varying interpretations that there was no common understanding.Co-governance cannot be derived from the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. It does not use the word. It refers to ‘government’ on ...
It’s that time of the week again when and I co-host our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kaka. Jump on this link for our chat about the week’s news with special guests Auckland Central MP Chloe Swarbrick and Auckland City Councillor Julie Fairey, including:Auckland’s catastrophic floods, which ...
In March last year, in a panic over rising petrol prices caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the government made a poor decision, "temporarily" cutting fuel excise tax by 25 cents a litre. Of course, it turned out not to be temporary at all, having been extended in May, July, ...
This month’s open thread for climate related topics. Please be constructive, polite, and succinct. The post Unforced variations: Feb 2023 first appeared on RealClimate. ...
Buzz from the Beehive Two fresh press releases had been posted when we checked the Beehive website at noon, both of them posted yesterday. In one statement, in the runup to Waitangi Day, Maori Crown Relations Minister Kelvin Davis drew attention to happenings on a Northland battle site in 1845. ...
It’s that time of the week again when I’m on the site for an hour for a chat in an Ask Me Anything with paying subscribers to The Kaka. Jump in for a chat on anything, including:Auckland’s catastrophic floods, which are set to cost insurers and the Government well over ...
Australia’s Treasurer Jim Chalmers (left) has published a 6,000 word manifesto called ‘Capitalism after the Crises’ arguing for ‘values-based capitalism’. Yet here in NZ we hear the same stale old rhetoric unchanged from the 1990s and early 2000s. Photo: Getty ImagesTLDR: The rest of the world is talking about inflation ...
A couple of weeks ago, after NCEA results came out, my son’s enrolment at Auckland Uni for this year was confirmed - he is doing a BSc majoring in Statistics. Well that is the plan now, who knows what will take his interest once he starts.I spent a bit of ...
Kia ora. What a week! We hope you’ve all come through last weekend’s extreme weather event relatively dry and safe. Header image: stormwater ponds at Hobsonville Point. Image via Twitter. The week in Greater Auckland There’s been a storm of information and debate since the worst of the flooding ...
Hi,At 4.43pm yesterday it arrived — a cease and desist letter from the guy I mentioned in my last newsletter. I’d written an article about “WEWE”, a global multi-level marketing scam making in-roads into New Zealand. MLMs are terrible for many of the same reasons megachurches are terrible, and I ...
Time To Call A Halt: Chris Hipkins knows that iwi leaders possess the means to make life very difficult for his government. Notwithstanding their objections, however, the Prime Minister’s direction of travel – already clearly signalled by his very public demotion of Nanaia Mahuta – must be confirmed by an emphatic ...
Open access notables Via PNAS, Ceylan, Anderson & Wood present a paper squarely in the center of the Skeptical Science wheelhouse: Sharing of misinformation is habitual, not just lazy or biased. The signficance statement is obvious catnip: Misinformation is a worldwide concern carrying socioeconomic and political consequences. What drives ...
Mark White from the Left free speech organisation Plebity looks at the disturbing trend of ‘book burning’ on US campuses In the abstract, people mostly agree that book banning is a bad thing. The Nazis did us the favor of being very clear about it and literally burning books, but ...
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has undergone a stern baptisim of fire in his first week in his new job, but it doesn’t get any easier. Next week, he has a vital meeting in Canberra with his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese, where he has to establish ...
As PM Chris Hipkins says, it’s a “no brainer” to extend the fuel tax cut, half price public subsidy and the cut to the road user levy until mid-year. A no braoner if the prime purpose is to ease the burden on people struggling to cope with the cost of ...
Buzz from the Beehive Cost-of-living pressures loomed large in Beehive announcements over the past 24 hours. The PM was obviously keen to announce further measures to keep those costs in check and demonstrate he means business when he talks of focusing his government on bread-and-butter issues. His statement was headed ...
Poor Mike Hosking. He has revealed himself in his most recent diatribe to be one of those public figures who is defined, not by who he is, but by who he isn’t, or at least not by what he is for, but by what he is against. Jacinda’s departure has ...
New Zealand is the second least corrupt country on earth according to the latest Corruption Perception Index published yesterday by Transparency International. But how much does this reflect reality? The problem with being continually feted for world-leading political integrity – which the Beehive and government departments love to boast about ...
TLDR: Including my pick of the news and other links in my checks around the news sites since 4am. Paying subscribers can see them all below the fold.In Aotearoa’s political economyBrown vs Fish Read more ...
TLDR: Including my pick of the news and other links in my checks around the news sites since 4am. Paying subscribers can see them all below the fold.In Aotearoa’s political economyBrown vs Fish Read more ...
In other countries, the target-rich cohorts of swinging voters are given labels such as ‘Mondeo Man’, ‘White Van Man,’ ‘Soccer Moms’ and ‘Little Aussie Battlers.’ Here, the easiest shorthand is ‘Ford Ranger Man’ – as seen here parked outside a Herne Bay restaurant, inbetween two SUVs. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / ...
In other countries, the target-rich cohorts of swinging voters are given labels such as ‘Mondeo Man’, ‘White Van Man,’ ‘Soccer Moms’ and ‘Little Aussie Battlers.’ Here, the easiest shorthand is ‘Ford Ranger Man’ – as seen here parked outside a Herne Bay restaurant, inbetween two SUVs. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / ...
Transport Minister and now also Minister for Auckland, Michael Wood has confirmed that the light rail project is part of the government’s policy refocus. Wood said the light rail project was under review as part of a ministerial refocus on key Government projects. “We are undertaking a stocktake about how ...
Sometime before the new Prime Minister Chris Hipkins announced that this year would be about “bread and butter issues”, National’s finance spokesperson Nicola Willis decided to move from Wellington Central and stand for Ohariu, which spreads across north Wellington from the central city to Johnsonville and Tawa. It’s an ...
They say a week is a long time in politics. For Mayor Wayne Brown, turns out 24 hours was long enough for many of us to see, quite obviously, “something isn’t right here…”. That in fact, a lot was going wrong. Very wrong indeed.Mainly because it turns ...
One of the most effective, and successful, graphics developed by Skeptical Science is the escalator. The escalator shows how global surface temperature anomalies vary with time, and illustrates how "contrarians" tend to cherry-pick short time intervals so as to argue that there has been no recent warming, while "realists" recognise ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTLDR: Here’s a quick roundup of the news today for paying subscribers on a slightly frantic, very wet, and then very warm day. In Aotearoa’s political economy today Read more ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTLDR: Here’s a quick roundup of the news today for paying subscribers on a slightly frantic, very wet, and then very warm day. In Aotearoa’s political economy today Read more ...
Tomorrow we have a funeral, and thank you all of you for your very kind words and thoughts — flowers, even.Our friend Michèle messaged: we never get to feel one thing at a time, us grownups, and oh boy is that ever the truth. Tomorrow we have the funeral, and ...
Lynn and I have just returned from a news conference where Hipkins, fresh from visiting a relief centre in Mangere, was repeatedly challenged to justify the extension of subsidies to create more climate emissions when the effects of climate change had just proved so disastrous. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The ...
Lynn and I have just returned from a news conference where Hipkins, fresh from visiting a relief centre in Mangere, was repeatedly challenged to justify the extension of subsidies to create more climate emissions when the effects of climate change had just proved so disastrous. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The ...
A new Prime Minister, a revitalised Cabinet, and possibly revised priorities – but is the political and, importantly, economic landscape much different? Certainly some within the news media were excited by the changes which Chris Hipkins announced yesterday or – before the announcement – by the prospect of changes in ...
Currently the government's strategy for reducing transport emissions hinges on boosting vehicle fuel-efficiency, via the clean car standard and clean car discount, and some improvements to public transport. The former has been hugely successful, and has clearly set us on the right path, but its also not enough, and will ...
Buzz from the Beehive Before he announced his Cabinet yesterday, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins announced he would be flying to Australia next week to meet that country’s Prime Minister. And before Kieran McAnulty had time to say “Three Waters” after his promotion to the Local Government portfolio, he was dishing ...
The quarterly labour market statistics were released this morning, showing that unemployment has risen slightly to 3.4%. There are now 99,000 people unemployed - 24,000 fewer than when Labour took office. So, I guess the Reserve Bank's plan to throw people out of work to stop wage rises "inflation", and ...
Another night of heavy rain, flooding, damage to homes, and people worried about where the hell all this water is going to go as we enter day twenty two of rain this year.Honestly if the government can’t sell Three Waters on the back of what has happened with storm water ...
* Dr Bryce Edwards writes – Prime Minister Chris Hipkins continues to be the new broom in Government, re-setting his Government away from its problem areas in his Cabinet reshuffle yesterday, and trying to convince voters that Labour is focused on “bread and butter” issues. The ministers responsible for unpopular ...
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins continues to be the new broom in Government, re-setting his Government away from its problem areas in his Cabinet reshuffle yesterday, and trying to convince voters that Labour is focused on “bread and butter” issues. The ministers responsible for unpopular reforms in water and DHB centralisation ...
Hi,It’s weird to me that in 2023 we still have people falling for multi-level marketing schemes (MLMs for short). There are Netflix documentaries about them, countless articles, and last year we did an Armchaired and Dangerous episode on them.Then you check a ticketing website like EventBrite and see this shit ...
Nanaia Mahuta fell the furthest in the Cabinet reshuffle. Photo: Lynn Grieveson/Getty ImagesTLDR: PM Chris Hipkins unveiled a Cabinet this afternoon he hopes will show wavering voters that a refreshed Labour Government is focused on ‘bread and butter cost of living’ issues, rather than the unpopular, unwieldy and massively centralising ...
Nanaia Mahuta fell the furthest in the Cabinet reshuffle. Photo: Lynn Grieveson/Getty ImagesTLDR: PM Chris Hipkins unveiled a Cabinet this afternoon he hopes will show wavering voters that a refreshed Labour Government is focused on ‘bread and butter cost of living’ issues, rather than the unpopular, unwieldy and massively centralising ...
Shortly, the absolute state of Wayne Brown. But before that, something I wrote four years ago for the council’s own media machine. It was a day-in-the-life profile of their many and varied and quite possibly unnoticed vital services. We went all over Auckland in 48 hours for the story, the ...
Completed reads for January Lilith, by George MacDonald The Rime of the Ancient Mariner (poem), by Samuel Taylor Coleridge Christabel (poem), by Samuel Taylor Coleridge The Saga of Ragnar Lodbrok, by Anonymous The Lay of Kraka (poem), by Anonymous 1066 and All That, by W.C. Sellar and R.J. ...
Pity the poor Brits. They just can’t catch a break. After years of reporting of lying Boris Johnson, a change to a less colourful PM in Rishi Sunak has resulted in a smooth media pivot to an end-of-empire narrative. The New York Times, no less, amplifies suggestions that Blighty ...
On that day all the springs of the great deep burst forth, and the floodgates of the heavens were opened. And rain fell on the earth.Genesis 6:11-12THE TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS that dumped a record-breaking amount of rain on Auckland this anniversary weekend will reoccur with ever-increasing frequency. The planet’s atmosphere is ...
Buzz from the Beehive There has been plenty to keep the relevant Ministers busy in flood-stricken Auckland over the past day or two. But New Zealand, last time we looked, extends north of Auckland into Northland and south of the Bombay Hills all the way to the bottom of the ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Jeff Masters When early settlers came to the confluence of the Sacramento and American Rivers before the California Gold Rush, Indigenous people warned them that the Sacramento Valley could become an inland sea when great winter rains came. The storytellers described water filling the ...
Wayne Brown managed a smile when meeting with Remuera residents, but he was grumpy about having to deal with “media drongos”. Photo: Lynn Grieveson/Getty ImagesTLDR: In my pick of the news links found in my rounds since 4am for paying subscribers below the paywall:Wayne Brown moans about the media and ...
Kia ora e te whānau. Today, we mark the anniversary of the signing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi - and our commitment to working in partnership with Māori to deliver better outcomes and tackle the big issues, together. ...
We’ve just announced a massive infrastructure investment to kick-start new housing developments across New Zealand. Through our Infrastructure Acceleration Fund, we’re making sure that critical infrastructure - like pipes, roads and wastewater connections - is in place, so thousands more homes can be built. ...
The Green Party is joining more than 20 community organisations to call for an immediate rent freeze in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, after reports of landlords intending to hike rents after flooding. ...
When Chris Hipkins took on the job of Prime Minister, he said bread and butter issues like the cost of living would be the Government’s top priority – and this week, we’ve set out extra support for families and businesses. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to provide direct support to low-income households and to stop subsidising fossil fuels during a climate crisis. ...
The tools exist to help families with surging costs – and as costs continue to rise it is more urgent than ever that we use them, the Green Party says. ...
New Zealand will immediately provide humanitarian support to those affected by the earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria, Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta announced today. “Aotearoa New Zealand is deeply saddened by the loss of life and devastation caused by these earthquakes. Our thoughts are with the families and loved ones affected,” ...
An historic Northland pā site with links to Ngāpuhi chief Hongi Hika is to be handed back to iwi, after collaboration by government, private landowners and local hapū. “It is fitting that the ceremony for the return of the Pākinga Pā site is during Waitangi weekend,” said Regional Development Minister ...
The Government is investing in a suite of initiatives to unlock Māori and Pacific resources, talent and knowledge across the science and research sector, Research, Science and Innovation Minister Dr Ayesha Verrall announced today. Two new funds – He tipu ka hua and He aka ka toro – set to ...
Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta departs for India tomorrow as she continues to reconnect Aotearoa New Zealand to the world. The visit will begin in New Delhi where the Foreign Minister will meet with the Vice President Hon Jagdeep Dhankar and her Indian Government counterparts, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and ...
Over $10 million infrastructure funding to unlock housing in Whangārei The purchase of a 3.279 hectare site in Kerikeri to enable 56 new homes Northland becomes eligible for $100 million scheme for affordable rentals Multiple Northland communities will benefit from multiple Government housing investments, delivering thousands of new homes for ...
The Government is supporting one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s most significant historic sites, the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, as it continues to recover from the impacts of COVID-19. “The Waitangi Treaty Grounds are a taonga that we should protect and look after. This additional support will mean people can continue to ...
A memorial event at a key battle site in the New Zealand land wars is an important event to mark the progress in relations between Māori and the Crown as we head towards Waitangi Day, Minister for Te Arawhiti Kelvin Davis said. The Battle of Ohaeawai in June 1845 saw ...
More Police officers are being deployed to the frontline with the graduation of 54 new constables from the Royal New Zealand Police College today. The graduation ceremony for Recruit Wing 362 at Te Rauparaha Arena in Porirua was the first official event for Stuart Nash since his reappointment as Police ...
The Government is unlocking an additional $700,000 in support for regions that have been badly hit by the recent flooding and storm damage in the upper North Island. “We’re supporting the response and recovery of Auckland, Waikato, Coromandel, Northland, and Bay of Plenty regions, through activating Enhanced Taskforce Green to ...
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has welcomed the announcement that Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal, Princess Anne, will visit New Zealand this month. “Princess Anne is travelling to Aotearoa at the request of the NZ Army’s Royal New Zealand Corps of Signals, of which she is Colonel in Chief, to ...
A new Government and industry strategy launched today has its sights on growing the value of New Zealand’s horticultural production to $12 billion by 2035, Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor said. “Our food and fibre exports are vital to New Zealand’s economic security. We’re focussed on long-term strategies that build on ...
25 cents per litre petrol excise duty cut extended to 30 June 2023 – reducing an average 60 litre tank of petrol by $17.25 Road User Charge discount will be re-introduced and continue through until 30 June Half price public transport fares extended to the end of June 2023 saving ...
The strong economy has attracted more people into the workforce, with a record number of New Zealanders in paid work and wages rising to help with cost of living pressures. “The Government’s economic plan is delivering on more better-paid jobs, growing wages and creating more opportunities for more New Zealanders,” ...
The Government is providing a further $1 million to the Mayoral Relief Fund to help communities in Auckland following flooding, Minister for Emergency Management Kieran McAnulty announced today. “Cabinet today agreed that, given the severity of the event, a further $1 million contribution be made. Cabinet wishes to be proactive ...
The new Cabinet will be focused on core bread and butter issues like the cost of living, education, health, housing and keeping communities and businesses safe, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has announced. “We need a greater focus on what’s in front of New Zealanders right now. The new Cabinet line ...
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins will travel to Canberra next week for an in person meeting with Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese. “The trans-Tasman relationship is New Zealand’s closest and most important, and it was crucial to me that my first overseas trip as Prime Minister was to Australia,” Chris Hipkins ...
The Government is providing establishment funding of $100,000 to the Mayoral Relief Fund to help communities in Auckland following flooding, Minister for Emergency Management Kieran McAnulty announced. “We moved quickly to make available this funding to support Aucklanders while the full extent of the damage is being assessed,” Kieran McAnulty ...
As the Mayor of Auckland has announced a state of emergency, the Government, through NEMA, is able to step up support for those affected by flooding in Auckland. “I’d urge people to follow the advice of authorities and check Auckland Emergency Management for the latest information. As always, the Government ...
Ka papā te whatitiri, Hikohiko ana te uira, wāhi rua mai ana rā runga mai o Huruiki maunga Kua hinga te māreikura o te Nota, a Titewhai Harawira Nā reira, e te kahurangi, takoto, e moe Ka mōwai koa a Whakapara, kua uhia te Tai Tokerau e te kapua pōuri ...
Carmel Sepuloni, Minister for Social Development and Employment, has activated Enhanced Taskforce Green (ETFG) in response to flooding and damaged caused by Cyclone Hale in the Tairāwhiti region. Up to $500,000 will be made available to employ job seekers to support the clean-up. We are still investigating whether other parts ...
The 2023 General Election will be held on Saturday 14 October 2023, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced today. “Announcing the election date early in the year provides New Zealanders with certainty and has become the practice of this Government and the previous one, and I believe is best practice,” Jacinda ...
Jacinda Ardern has announced she will step down as Prime Minister and Leader of the Labour Party. Her resignation will take effect on the appointment of a new Prime Minister. A caucus vote to elect a new Party Leader will occur in 3 days’ time on Sunday the 22nd of ...
A potential cyclone that could bring more severe wet weather to the upper North Island is now forecast to form a day earlier, Stuff reports. Due to ideal cyclone-formation conditions over the Coral Sea, a low south of the Solomon Islands has a high chance of turning into a cyclone ...
Author I.S. Belle reveals the top five influences on her debut LGBT horror/paranormal YA novel, Zombabe.Zombabe is a LGBT found family horror/paranormal YA about a group of friends putting down an ancient evil inextricably linked to their sleepy town of Bulldeen, Maine. Does all of that bring anything to ...
New Zealand prime minister Chris Hipkins and his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese are holding a joint press conference in Canberra. Watch live here. ...
The New Zealand government is providing $1.5 million in humanitarian support to those affected by destructive earthquakes in Turkey and Syria last night, foreign minister Nanaia Mahuta has announced. The contribution of $1m to Turkey and $500,000 to Syria will be made via the International Federation of Red Cross and ...
In a state-of-the-nation-style lunchtime speech in Auckland today, the leader of the Act Party has taken aim at both major party leaders. “Throughout this speech,” David Seymour told supporters at the Maritime Museum, “I will do my best to differentiate between the Chrisses, but it may not be easy.” Seymour ...
In Canberra Chris Hipkins has met with Australia’s Anthony Albanese in Canberra, exchanging a few brief words to gathered reporters before heading inside for a closed doors meeting. Hipkins was driven into the courtyard of Parliament House, where he was greeted by Albanese in person. “Welcome prime minister,” said Albanese. A beaming ...
The acclaimed fashion designer has been crowned the ‘undisputed king of the frock’ – but with identical dresses widely available on fast fashion outlets, questions are being asked about his design practices.This story was first published on Stuff. He has been described as the “knight of New Zealand fashion”, his ...
In Canberra New Zealand’s media pack has arrived at Australia’s parliament ahead of this afternoon’s visit from prime minister Chris Hipkins. The PM will be met by his counterpart Anthony Albanese in the courtyard of parliament house, before heading inside for a closed doors meeting. Following the 45 minute meeting, ...
Two new funding initiatives, totalling $22 million, have been approved by Cabinet today to help ensure the cultural sector has the “certainty and support to thrive”, announced Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage. $10 million of Covid-19 recovery funding will support established arts, cultural and diversity festivals, while $12 ...
New Zealand Politics Daily is a collation of the most prominent issues being discussed in New Zealand. It is edited by Dr Bryce Edwards of The Democracy Project. Items of interest and importance todayWAITANGI, CO-GOVERNANCE, THREE WATERS Thomas Cranmer: Waitangi Day and the quiet revolution Glenn McConnell (Stuff): Waitangi in 2023: Plenty ...
ACT leader David Seymour has delivered a speech painting National and Labour as two sides of the same coin, and calling co-governance a "culture war". ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Quigley, Associate Professor of Earthquake Science, The University of Melbourne Mustafa Karali / AP A pair of huge earthquakes have struck in Turkey, leaving more than 3,000 people dead and unknown numbers injured or displaced. The first quake, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kalinda Griffiths, Scientia lecturer, UNSW Sydney Getty/Marianne Purdie Cancer figures provide stark evidence of the gap between the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and non-Indigenous people in Australia. The difference is confronting – and it’s increasing over ...
NZ Prime Minister Chris Hipkins and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese have used a joint media conference to affirm the nations' relationship is that of "family". ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Alcohol bans are being reimposed on Northern Territory Indigenous communities, as the federal and territory governments grapple with intractable problems in Alice Springs and elsewhere in the NT. The situation in Alice Springs and the ...
I was told to avoid gluten. I was told it was all in my head. When 10% of women experience endometriosis, why does it take so long for its classic symptoms to be recognised? It was 2011 when I had my first period. It felt like a very exciting moment ...
In Canberra Chris Hipkins has touched down in Australia’s capital – his first overseas visit since becoming prime minister just three weeks ago. After disembarking from the Airforce Boeing, Hipkins was greeted by his former caucus colleague and current high commissioner to Australia, Dame Annette King. The pair hugged on ...
The rise of TikTok-inspired ‘algospeak’ is making online communication even more of a nightmare, writes SYSCA‘s Lucy Blakiston.This is an excerpt from the Shit You Should Care About daily newsletter – sign up here.Content warning: sexual assault The other day I was chatting with a friend about algospeak – ...
School, finally, is back this week in the nation’s largest city to howls of relief from many parents and (one hopes) some students also. Yet the resumption of normal service shouldn’t obscure a curious inconsistency. The past few weeks have shown ...
MediaRoom column: On the eve of a Cabinet decision on the fate of the proposed public broadcasting merger, questions emerge over the engagement by the TVNZ chief executive of two former National government aides to change the narrative and push TVNZ's view on the Government's plan Within weeks of taking over ...
Olivia Sisson performs a good old-fashioned cost comparison – and it might change the way you buy your veges.The price of food in New Zealand is shocking. So, how to cope? The recommendations are starting to feel like the avo-toast-flat-white trope. Cut those items out and there it is, ...
An early morning fire at an egg-laying farm in Orini, Waikato yesterday has claimed the lives of at least 50,000 hens. The farm is operated by New Zealand’s largest egg producer Zeagold, the country’s biggest egg producer, whose eggs are sold under ...
The Natural and Built Environment Bill and Spatial Planning Bill will make resource management issues worse and should be withdrawn, Federated Farmers has told the Environment Select Committee. "Farmers agree the costly, slow and unpredictable processes ...
New police minister Stuart Nash has met with new health minister Ayesha Verrall to talk about the issue with the aim of preventing ram raids. Nash wants to speed up the scheduled reduction of dairies that can sell cigarettes. Nash made the comments at a police graduation ceremony in Porirua last ...
It’s Tuesday, February 7 and welcome to a special edition of The Spinoff’s live updates. Stewart Sowman-Lund will be on the ground in Canberra today as PM Chris Hipkins meets with his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese. What you need to know Chris Hipkins will meet Australian PM ...
Politicking by politicians was less overt but whether there was less politics probably depends on your definition of the word and what lay beneath the optics, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...
Why is it becoming harder to achieve debt-free status? Money Sweetspot is a new company that uses compassion and incentives to help people pay off their debts. Co-founder Sasha Lockley talks to Simon about using gamification to increase financial literacy, breaking the cycle of poverty, and how she intends to ...
Prime minister Chris Hipkins is heading to Australia today for his first face-to-face meeting with an international leader. He’ll be meeting with Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese during his single-day visit to Canberra. The Spinoff live updates will be on the ground in Australia as the meeting takes place and ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By C Raina MacIntyre, Professor of Global Biosecurity, NHMRC Principal Research Fellow, Head, Biosecurity Program, Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney Pexels/Uriel Mont The question of whether and to what extent face masks work to prevent respiratory infections such as COVID and influenza ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Mackinnon, Professor and Director, Centre for Clean Energy Technologies and Practices, Queensland University of Technology Superconducting cables transmit electicity without lossesShutterstock For most of us, transmitting power is an invisible part of modern life. You flick the switch and the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Munro, Professor, Faculty of Education and Arts, Australian Catholic University Shutterstock Many students are returning to school this year face a renewed focus on grammar. Just before Christmas, the NSW curriculum was overhauled to include the “explicit teaching of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Debra Dudek, Associate professor, School of Arts and Humanities, Edith Cowan University Universal Life is full of surprises – some pleasant and some painful – but there can be no surprises without expectations. We expect the sun to come up ...
News stories have honed in on the fact Wayne Brown and his staff were left off a ‘vital’ email distribution list on the night of the Auckland floods. But internal emails from the mayor’s chief of staff show he was getting regular briefings from officials.Internal council emails obtained by ...
In a reality shaped by climate crisis, how do you think and feel about the changed present – and the changing future – without spiralling into despair?In the midst of a flood there’s not much time to think about the future. But when the water recedes, the reality of ...
06 Feb The news today of the death of 75,000 chickens at an egg farm in Waikato is yet another outrageous and avoidable tragedy. “The fact that so many hens died in this fire in the Waikato is a testament to the systemic neglect and disregard ...
Lawmakers are being urged to bridge the legal and scientific divide over braided rivers. David Williams reports What is a river? More particularly, what is a braided river? An expert group known as The Land The Law Forgot is urging politicians considering the Natural and Built Environment Bill – one ...
Someone left the Swift out in the rain - insurance agents are overloaded with calls about flood-damaged vehicles It’s been a big week for testing the submarining abilities of the family station wagon. Thousands of cars around the upper North Island have been written off following the devastating floods of ...
The first of the air force's new Poseidon aircraft has landed in New Zealand. But is this the sort of workhorse the military needs? Our old heroes of the Air Force, the P-3 Orions, have retired after 56 years of service - and the first of the flash new Poseidon ...
Chris Hipkins’ first overseas trip as Prime Minister comes on relatively friendly territory. But while there have been marked improvements in the trans-Tasman relationship since a change in Canberra, there is still plenty to discuss, as Sam Sachdeva writes In many ways, it is fitting Chris Hipkins should make Australia the ...
Fiordland National Park is the crowning jewel of our national parks and arguably our greatest tourist magnet. But conservationists warn that marine life has been put at risk because the park’s waters are unprotected. Heidi Bendikson’s investigation shows they are right. Tourists on the 'M.V Sinbad' clamber to the bow to ...
As Auckland copes with unprecedented flooding, Mairi Jay points to lessons from extreme weather events in British Columbia that could be vitally important for policy-makers and administrators here “Expect extreme weather events” the climate scientists tell us. But sometimes the extreme is beyond our imagining. On Thursday January 26, New Zealand’s Met Service predicted ...
UK and US deals for NZ novels Three of the best New Zealand novels of recent years are about to be published in the UK and the US. All three books – She's a Killer by Kirsten McDougall, Greta and Valdin by Rebecca K Reilly, and The New Animals ...
Confidence from US Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell kept markets buoyant. But mortgage payments and job losses could dampen consumer spending in NZ ...
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RNZ News New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has described today’s Waitangi Day dawn service as moving and says he welcomes the shift away from a focus on politics. Hundreds of people gathered before dawn to commemorate 183 years since Te Tiriti o Waitangi was signed. Hipkins said the national ...
By Hilaire Bule, RNZ Pacific Vanuatu correspondent in Port Vila Vanuatu’s prime minister has stressed any future employment within the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) Secretariat must be from MSG member countries. Prime Minister Ishmael Kalsakau, who is also chair of the MSG Secretariat, made the statement following the recruitment of ...
SPECIAL REPORT:By Yamin Kogoya On Friday 10 February 2023, it will be one month since the Papua Governor Lukas Enembe was “kidnapped” at a local restaurant during his lunch hour by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) and security forces. The crisis began in September 2022, when Governor Enembe was ...
By Kālino Lātū, editor of Kaniva News Dr Sitiveni Halapua, former deputy leader of Tonga’s Democratic Movement, has died aged 74. Born on February 13, 1949, he was a respected academic, a pioneer of Tonga’s democratic reforms and pioneer of a conflict resolution system based on traditional practices. Halapua earned ...
COMMENTARY:By Richard Naidu in Suva Five weeks on from Christmas Eve, I think most of us are still a bit stunned at what has happened in Fiji. A new government came to power in dramatic circumstances. It took not one but two Sodelpa management board meetings to change it, ...
By Red Tsounga Another house done, and onto the next . . . Volunteers working in Mount Roskill community over the past few days helping those suffering from Auckland’s flash flood devastation have done us proud. Tremendous work by everybody. Here are some random photos of our volunteer teams on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne Mick Tsikas/AAP Senator Lidia Thorpe announced on Monday that she would be leaving the Greens. Thorpe had split with the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dennis B. Desmond, Lecturer, Cyberintelligence and Cybercrime Investigations, University of the Sunshine Coast The news of a so-called “Chinese spy balloon” being shot down over the US has reignited interest in how nation-states spy on one another. It’s not confirmed that the ...
Today, at a Waitangi ki Waititi concert hosted by Te Whānau o Waipareira at Hoani Waititi Marae, West Auckland; Takutai Moana Natasha Kemp was officially announced as Te Pāti Māori Candidate for Tāmaki Makaurau for the 2023 Election. Hailing ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Daniel Pockett/AAP Victorian Indigenous Senator Lidia Thorpe has defected from the Greens to sit on the crossbench, declaring she wants to fully represent the “Blak Sovereign Movement” in parliament. The announcement by ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Daniel Pockett/AAP Victorian Indigenous Senator Lidia Thorpe has defected from the Greens to sit on the crossbench, declaring she wants to fully represent the “Blak Sovereign Movement” in parliament. The announcement by ...
Sure, Scotty Morrison’s Māori At Work is a wonderful resource for Aotearoa’s collective te reo Māori journey. But is it judgemental enough for the modern office environment?First published September 12 2019 The growing strength of te reo is palpable across Aotearoa, with record numbers of people participating in Mahuru ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jane Mills, Professor and Dean La Trobe Rural Health School, La Trobe University Shutterstock It can be tough to access front-line health care outside the cities and suburbs. For the seven million Australians living in rural communities there are significant ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Donald Rothwell, Professor of International Law, Australian National University Chad Fish/AP Was the balloon that suddenly appeared over the US last week undertaking surveillance? Or was it engaging in research, as China has claimed? While the answers to these ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brendan Walker-Munro, Senior Research Fellow, The University of Queensland Shutterstock The generative AI industry will be worth about A$22 trillion by 2030, according to the CSIRO. These systems – of which ChatGPT is currently the best known – can write ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Doug Drury, Professor/Head of Aviation, CQUniversity Australia Shutterstock When booking a flight, do you ever think about which seat will protect you the most in an emergency? Probably not. Most people book seats for comfort, such as leg room, ...
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has described this morning's Waitangi dawn service as moving and says he welcomes the shift away from a focus on politics. ...
Screenwriter Dana Leaming’s debut comedy series Not Even is out now on Prime and Neon. This is the out the gate story of how it got there.Kia ora, Hi, What up? Up to? U up? …I’m Dana. I wrote and co-directed (with Ainsley Gardiner) the TV show Not Even ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne Mick Tsikas/AAP A federal Newspoll, conducted February 1-4 from a sample of 1,512, gave Labor a 55-45 lead, unchanged on ...
The Human Rights Commission, Te Kāhui Tika Tangata, last week released two reports on racism and the impact of colonialism in Aotearoa. Among their many insights was the necessity of a wider understanding of how racism manifests itself. I was honoured to accept an invitation by Te Kāhui Tika Tangata ...
Vincent O’Malley reviews a history of the battle of Gate Pā.First published February 5, 2019 Head up Cameron Road, one of Tauranga’s main arterial routes, a few kilometres out of the city centre and you drive over one of New Zealand’s most important historical sites. The road, named after ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Murray Goot, Emeritus Professor of Politics and International Relations, Macquarie University Support for embedding an Indigenous Voice to parliament in the Constitution has fallen. The polls provide good evidence once you work out how to find it. However, the voters who have ...
Since March, public support for the government's response to Covid19 has been 80%, 83%, 86%, 84% and today, 84% according to the latest survey (SpinOff site).
We can add to that the TV1 and TV3 polls at 91%.
Remember the chorus of "Should have been Level 1 weeks ago"? They spoke for just 12% (that's plenty for Winston, who only needs 5%, but it's a disaster for National).
Obviously it would be amazingly stupid for National MPs to keep complaining about Ardern and the Covid response. So that's what they're doing.
Winston is marching into National territory today.
"We won't pander to the woke brigade" said today by Winston Peters re BLM protests is music to the ears of conservative New Zealand.
Muller and Kaye are trying to distance themselves from that sentiment which is giving Winnie an opening.
I thought he was a gonner a month ago, but I am now thinking he will pick up some of National's conservative base and return in September. He's like a fucking cockroach
Yet Ron Mark is happy to go soft on Violent gun toting gangs by disarming police.
I am happy with that too.
I reckon there are more than two of us.
The drum beat of corporate media stories around opening the border has been a classic example of lobbyist with money who owned journalists like Fran O'Sullivan trying to manufacture consent.
Me watching: The build up to the rugby on Sunday…
Melanie Robinson: "We've seen outstanding leadership from the prime minister in recent months, I expect Beauden will bring outstanding leadership to the Blues"
Me thinking: "I hope Gerry isn't watching."
Was Rio Tinto really sorry about blowing up a 46,000 year old Aboriginal heritage site to get at a few bucks worth of iron ore? Yeah, nah.
https://www.gizmodo.com.au/2020/06/mining-company-not-sorry-for-destroying-46000-year-old-aboriginal-site-report/
The sooner these malicious orcs fuck off from Tiwai Point, the happier I'll be.
With aircraft sales dead in the water Aluminium sales will plummet.
Shameful! :
https://www.rnz.co.nz/programmes/the-detail/story/2018750729/trapped-migrant-workers-nz-s-new-underclass
And the above is the least of it. (because the problem is now so big it can only focus on a couple of examples – e,g, the RSE workers
I L-G: Rhubarb rhubarb rhubarb dither dither dither. I have complete faith in my officials (even the ones that have bullshitted to me) Rhubarb rhubarb rhubarb
INZ: Rhubarb rhubarb rhubarb the commodity of people as a human resource all wrapped up in a risk-managed (unofficial) demographic spreadsheet.
Commentariat: Pearl clutch pearl clutch pearl clutch
This has been speculated to result from the 'joys' of coalition government, and the art of the possible. If so, there are less than one hundred days to hopefully fix that and have a consistently kinder government . . ..
Yep. It was those two noble savages Shane and Winston what dunnit.
Even though many/most of those affected by the policies have a closer affinity and understanding of lil 'ole NuZull that punches above its weight's first people.
S&W are us though eh? and those are them. And its not as though people were warning us all about what has now come to pass 4 years ago.
A possible solution, pay local marae (who often get utilised in emergency situations anyway) to provide board for those stranded, now that the Covid threat has been eliminated.
A double win. These migrants get provided with what they need, for the short term, and local marae get some income to help support them through these times.
A bloody good short term solution @ Molly – as you're more often than not prone to come up with.
In some places, relationships such as you suggest are already happening (without the payments), and long term friendships are in the making
Meanwhile back at the INZ ranch, officials are worrying about how such phenomenon could take hold – it could completely undermine their thinkings going forward (based on learnings from the past)
That would be good short term but air travel is slowly opening up again (Singapore airlines for one is reopening the Singapore hub ) so I do see a need to keep working with the various embassies and Airnz to put on some charter flights to assist some of the larger groups back to where they want to go, or to facilitate an onwards connection.
Charters or even scheduled flights can be one way flights only as we don't have the capacity to quarantine full return planes so would be a more expensive but not ridiculous prices. A lot of the extended one year visa's expire in Sept. Frankly I think I L-G needs to largely bypass his department and get MFAT, AirNZ and the embassies to advertise the charter flights (backed up by onwards travel agreements with maybe Singapore Air) so that we can give some certainty to travellers and move them towards Auckland airport.
I must say OWT your overall description of the situation came through more succinctly than the link you provided.
Well if you don't like that link @ Anne, I have plenty of others. And as you will know, many of those officials don't have a vindictive bone in their bodies. (/sarc)
I happen to think both JA and H1 will probably go down in history as being two of NZ's best PMs. (Or should that be one of NZs best PMs?)
However IF JA really wants to be kind and transformative, she needs to get herself a decent H2 style shit kicker, otherwise the recent history of the Labour Party will be just one damn thing after another, and a waste of another bloody harsh virus (neo-liberalism being one of the others)
Move those workers to where they are needed ie tourist workers to vineyards and orchards give them a campervan most are sitting idle.
I start to question my sanity when I find myself agreeing with the Taxpayer's Union – (albeit knowing that they are just Government bashing as they do).
Shovel-ready projects get the green light to go ahead under new infrastructure law
The Skypath proposal is one that could stay shovel-ready and not get done, until other investment in our infrastructure is complete – health and mental health investment for instance. They’ve been ready and waiting for investment for years.
While I disagree on the shape of the reforms to the RMA that they endorse, I do agree that shovel-ready projects, follows the BAU approach to infrastructure investment. And we should be requiring a new perspective before putting such money into "nice to haves" instead of "need to haves" or resilience projects.
The fact that they are "shovel ready" doesn't guarantee good investment outcomes that are shared as equitably as possible. It also doesn't prioritise spending wisely – just spending.
What's an investment outcome supposed to look like for a cycling project?
Very few pt or cycling projects would survive a solid Treasury Value For Money review.
" Very few pt or cycling projects would survive a solid Treasury Value For Money review. "
For a start, including SROI (Social Return on Investment) or an environmental return on investment, should see this change. And if cycling projects still don't meet the value for money review – then they shouldn't happen at present. We have a lot of NZers looking for basic needs and support, look after them first. The Skypath is not a basic need.
Molly – the middle class have decided that cycling is their thing, suits their individualism and is healthy and clean-living,fit, modern people do it.; the very example of 'going forward'. And they tend to ride their bikes fast, and generally behave as they would in a car. But biking being an agreed benefit to all, ticking the above boxes of health etc., it has become a sacred icon for the said m/c.
It also allows them to trespass on public spaces for room to carry out its aggressive side, mountain biking, BMX racing and dirt jumping. There they throw themselves round knowing that they will be fixed by free hospital treatment and helped by ACC. Areas agreed for mountain bike tracks have cleared areas that are treed and were part of the environment enjoyable for walkers in Nelson. But that isn't enough for these bikers – they have cut and cleared illegally to make new tracks to suit themselves. Looked at dispassionately, they are just land clearers repeating the colonial measures of the past but with a greenwash, that of being a healthy sport in the outdoors.
The bike sport fraternity are often destructive and really just a different version of the petrolheads, demolition derby fans, mud plugs and racing car enthusiasts; though most of those are contained to agreed tracks. The advent of 4Wdrives, with tv ads showing them driving in the outdoors like real men, up rivers destroying and polluting them, if they want to go there, have further encouraged this idea of misuse of the countryside for the machine-mad male with no appreciation of nature or being a natural human either.
The problem with the SROI is that typically the cycling calculations assume a slow climb in usage compared to what actually happens. Quite unlike the NZTA or treasury approach to roads with always assumes a exponential car usage growth – that usually doesn’t happen.
If either used realistic analysis based on their continuous past failures, then most of the roads that have done recently it wouldn’t be funded. If they used the actual results from their previous screwups of estimating ROIs from PT or cycle lanes than almost all would be.
The growth in traffic on most installed cycle lanes and effective PT invariably climbs more rapidly than NZTA expectations. Just the same as what happens when the public transport is upgraded – which is why the northern busway now has continuous double decker buses at peak hours – and we don’t need a new uber expensive bridge or tunnel. Similarly the double tracking and electrification of the Auckland has exceeded expectations in almost every year since they were done. The only thing that seems to slow them down is the work being done on the next upgrade.
But it is a chicken and egg as can be easily seen when the cycle lanes are put in. You have to have cycle lanes before you get much cycle traffic on them. You find out the need after you put them in. But typically they are incredibly cheap.
In Auckland, all cyclists and scooter riders are scared shitless of the ignorant dangerous drivers and their parked cars. We’ve all had near death experiences from drivers inadvertently trying to kill us. Put in a cycle way and watch the cyclist traffic increase massively over several years. Try walking on the north western cycle way or even the grafton gully cycleway at 5pm and you’ll see what I mean. I’m looking forward to being able to actually ride down K Rd without the fear of imminent death or injury. Be nice if they did the same thing on Ponsonby Road.
Where there aren’t cycleways, many cyclists and virtually all scooter riders prefer to ride on pedestrian paths – thereby endangering pedestrians. Somehow this social saving isn’t anywhere in the SROI – along with most of the other real social benefits.
Nor a re most of the economic benefits because they are unknowable before the project is put into place. In the case of the SkyPath, it simply means that a whole area who currently have no ability to commute to the north shore by bike (in my case) or from the north shore can now start to do so. Trying to even figure out the effects of that are damn near impossible to figure out in advance. It is simply guesswork. About the only thing that is obvious is that it’d be way cheaper than any possible roading project in Auckland.
In short – your position is just spurious bullshit based on a selective unthinking analysis of how the SROI is currently calculated.
My family are cyclists, not so much commuter cyclists now because of commuting distances, so I agree we have some way to go regarding cyclist safety.
However, I disagree with the method currently used for identifying, prioritising and implementing projects.
This is my objection to this project, and the SROI needs to be applied to others areas of Auckland as well in order to help prioritise. This doesn't happen.
Cycle lanes are the classic example of "if you build it they will come" with the sum being greater than it's parts. Fully connected, separated cycleways that go to useful places see huge growth.
The problem is people see them as a cheap panacea for noisy MAMILs & a recreational frippery rather than an important piece of commuter infrastructure. Yet using an e-bike on a proper cycle way to commute in your work clothes is as different from weaving in and out of traffic, footpaths and bits of cycle way on a racing bike whilst clad in your full lycra panoply as taking a guided the great walk in summer is from hacking your way up to the tops on an unmaintained track in the Kawekas in winter.
Yes, and Parker was certainly emphatic when being interviewed on Natrad both last night and this morning. Seems happy to sudeline climate change issues, and I'm wondering if he is aware that in the Far North there are already rumblings from domestic water users (aka 'the people') that horticulture and agriculture (aka corporate interests)have more right to water.
And along with the water requirements is the very real potential for adverse effects of nutrient runoff and heavy agrochemical use.
As you say Molly, would have been nice to see spending on our tired and dysfunctional health infrastructure prioritised.
Your concern Molly is much appreciated by this resident who lives on a popular by-route which eventually leads to the harbour bridge and is sick and tired of lycra clad enthusiasts who assume they own the road and its up to the rest of us to get out of their way.
Any proposal that is going to increase their numbers in my neck of the woods will not be appreciated by locals trying to go about their daily business without cycling fashionistas strung across the road impeding progress for the rest of us.
That concern should be increased by the knowledge the current budget is $360 million to provide it.
That kind of investment warrants better scrutiny at this time, especially as it has been a continually growing budget. The reason it is shovel ready is because there has been a staunch group of supporters continually banging on about it for years. Not because it is an equitable and valuable use of government budget.
(I also note the inclusion of numbers in terms of the pitiful amount of jobs intended to be created, but nothing in terms of the actual spend being reported.)
You got my attention with lycra clad.
I think I am old now, as some 'trends' get me all curmudgeonly.
Active wear does it. Especially on waiting staff. I have no desire for a camel-toe with my lasagne nor a broccoli stalk with my coffee.
I call them 'lycra louts'. That generally gets them going.
Not all cyclists belong to this genus. These ones, apart from the skin tight and unfaltering plumage are most often found in inner city Wellington on a Saturday morning crawling 2/3/4 abreast up Raroa Road presumably on a run out to Makara/Ohariu Valley/J'ville. They wiggle slowly up this steep street failing to pull over. On my way to work some times I have counted 14 cars behind me, some at stalling speed.
They are able to multi task, ie give the finger to anyone who wishes to go past them.
They mob cafes to the exclusion of others. Their cry is distinctive too with the sounds of entitlement being the top notes.
Got no problems with unproblematic riders who respect other road users just as I do.
God forbid that you have to share the road.
I do. That is how I know that cyclists riding 4 abreast is not on and is being a menace to other road users.
The general way to deal with them is to put in some cheap cycle paths that separate cars from cycles. Or an even simpler method would be just get rid of parked cars on roads.
I know when I am commuting (usually in work jeans) I use the cycle lanes where they are available.
But if I have to cycle on the road, I leave at least a metre from the parked cars. That is because of the idiots who seem to try to open doors on me every day. That provides enough room to avoid the doors that get flung open in front of me by drivers who neither look in their wing mirror nor partially open the door and look back.
These self-entitled idiots are the primary reason why cyclists ride so far out into the lane.
That means that I take up a third of the usual car lane and means that cars going around me and passing at metre put at least half their body into the incoming lane (2/3rds for the SUV trucks).
So i went and googled skypath and ended up with this
"The Northern Pathway project will provide a seamless dedicated walking and cycling link between Auckland’s City Centre and the North Shore which will connect with existing local paths to extend the region’s walking and cycling network."
As far as i am concerned i dont care how much it costs it has to be done and should have been long ago!
To suggest that we should instead put the money into health and mental health shows a complete disconnect from reality
Oh, you googled Skypath and came up with …. what?
I've been following the Skypath discussion for years, and at no time, does it ever go into the realms of providing an equitable use of transport monies across the region, or seek to justify the spend in terms of social returns. It has always been a case of:
" As far as i am concerned i dont care how much it costs it has to be done and should have been long ago! "
Great justification…
This has been highlighted as shovel-ready projects to be invested in. There are other needs and projects that are awaiting funding, some in health and mental health.
"To suggest that we should instead put the money into health and mental health shows a complete disconnect from reality"
But if you are insistent on keeping the funding sector appropriate – we could instead invest the money into improving the pitiful service and access to public transport and alternative transport infrastructure in other areas of Auckland that exist without the vocal ranting brigade.
The continual rubber-band bounceback to BAU in terms of prioritising infrastructure, is going to continue the path of inequitable access that we were previously on.
I think this should change.
10 years of moaning from the small minded objectors to SkyPath. It's painful how obvious the need is to expand the harbour crossing to active modes of transport. Public demand is driving the project, car addicts need to learn to share public space for a change.
Vocal demand is driving the project.
Equitable access for prioritisation, funding and implementation is not.
That is my primary objection, and remains so.
The difference with the "Northern Pathway" is that the mode share over the harbour bridge is currently 0% ; you could do lots of other little projects all over Auckland with similar funding but there is still a fundamental disconnect with the North Shore. If it's fairness you're concerned about, the models indicate that the proposed pathway will get even more usage than the Northwestern cycleway. It's the cheapest possible alternative to a new harbour crossing.
After numerous news stories on the National Party donation fraud case not guilty pleas in Feb, & other than a Parliamentary privileged comment by JLR in March that was reported on, there has been no mention of the case due to be in court last week on the 10th June. It's surprising there has been no mention in media of it whatsoever, whether the case has started as intended or not?
Media's very economical when it comes to any untoward news around brand national.
Watching Tova tell Clarke even labour voters don't trust him (another survey) and constantly bleating out the gotcha questions shows where they're heading.
TV 3 is a goner $28 million loss no Stephen Joyce to bail them out.
'Mosque gunman wrongly granted firearms licence'.
For many years it has been apparent that the NZ Police need a major shakeup. Ever try dealing with them? Lazy and incompetent at best. Lying and deceitful at worst. From the idiot Commissioner Bush who thought the corrupt cops in the Arthur Allen Thomas case had 'integrity beyond reproach' to the blatantly corrupt Doone, the rot clearly starts at the top and trickles down.
The lazy p****s who approved this licence should be in court charged with vicarious liability. But we all know they won't. there will be an internal Police inquiry, which will drag on for two years or so and then be quietly buried.
https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/christchurch-shooting/120285768/mosque-terrorist-was-wrongly-granted-firearms-licence-due-to-police-mistakes-sources-say
I heard on the tranny that the Police Commissioner wants gun licensing to be sub-contracted out.
Possibly making accountability less likely.
[Fixed typo in user handle]
Just to show that you can get recreational shooting, conservation, national parks, and foodbanks in the one sentence …
…. Fiordland Wapiti Foundation, Game Animal Council, and Department of Conservation (DOC) are partnering to provide 18,000kg of free-range wild Fiordland venison to New Zealand foodbanks and families in need. Each year the Fiordland Wapiti Foundation, working with DOC, conducts a deer cull in Fiordland National Park removing up to 1000 animals.
“Weather permitting, by the end of next month, we will have removed 600 deer from Fiordland National Park for processing into 18,000 1kg wild venison mince packets. These are being distributed by a charitable supply chain distributor to foodbanks throughout the country. This will feed thousands of New Zealand families in need,” says Roy Sloan, Fiordland Wapiti Foundation President.
Last time I stopped in Haast, there was a little hamburger stand selling the most awesomest, juiciest, sweetest venison steak hamburgers I've ever had, and they came straight out of the Fiordland culling programme.
Take them all out team.
barbaric.
Better that than 1080ing them out of existence, at least the protein gets recycled.
So what would your alternative solution be?
Good stuff. Wild venison is massive blind spot in nz at present.
The choppers are shooting and leaving them down the rd from home at this very moment to protect the young manuka
Had a guy telling me just recently they shot 40 plus deer to protect their feed crops in the autumn
Almost plaque proportions at work and at home around here
The decimate native regeneration, and must surely be a risk of spreading TB again .
If only idiots in positions of influence with public platforms for their inane mutterings WERE a minority…
'I am a minority': David Seymour criticises Andrew Little's response to Black Lives Matter protesters
Just not quite a small enough minority.
Didn't that moron Jacqui Dean say she was an "ethnic minority" … (because she is a woman).
As for David, he seems to be going after the white supremacist and sympathizers vote.
Todd made National policy lurch to the left in his Te Puna speech. I do wonder what the likes of Collins and Goldsmith make of this. Should the next poll still show National in the low 30's and Muller below 15, will there be another coup?
Health system in for massive shake up.
Long overdue.
Covid 19 would have been an absolute disaster had it not been stopped in its tracks.
National are largely to blame with its sinking lid policies and leaky buildings by way of defunding and wrecking the building codes.
After 9 years we were left with the worst health system in the OECD. National wanted a privatized health system given Woodhouse now a former private hospital middle manager and Coleman another private health hawk.
By running down the health system to push people into buying private health insurance.
Private health insurance is always a bridgehead from which the public system can be attacked. If you don't eradicate it, you will spend a lifetime fighting its incursions. Neither option is pleasant.
It isnt the shake up that it is made out to be. I read the 274 page report. It is bascially just changing a few letterheads and re-writing a few contracts.
It doesnt recommend reducing or scrapping co-payments, for a start, which is one of the big barriers of access to services.
Idiot/Savant is attacking the Greens, saying that they are "footstools", for supporting Labour's draconian 2-year ditching of RMA requirements for major projects, shutting the public out of the process (except for seldom heard submissions to the select committee). David Parker should hang his head in shame-he had a bit of a train-wreck interview on Morning Report trying to justify this today.
http://norightturn.blogspot.com/2020/06/steamrolling-democracy.html
In fact the Greens have only supported this to the first reading. It is quite normal to support legislation to the first reading where the details can then be seen as to what is proposed.
I doubt very much they will give it support any further. At least I hope not. It will probably pass with the help of the Nats and NZF, which says it all.
Meanwhile submissions in opposition should be lodged (by those who care about democracy) at the select committee stage.
One of the fast track projects appears to be housing in Queenstown – not sure why?
Low hanging fruit.
Palestine Bleeds: Execution of Autistic Man is the Norm, not an Exception
by RAMZY BAROUD, Counterpunch, 12 June 2020
A 32-year-old man with the mental age of an 8-year-old child was executed by Israeli soldiers on May 30, while crouching behind his teacher near his special needs school in the Old City of Jerusalem.
The cold-blooded murder of Iyad al-Hallaq might not have received much attention if it were not for the fact that it took place five days following the similarly heartbreaking murder of a 46-year-old black man, George Floyd, in Minneapolis, at the hands of American police.
The two crimes converge, not only in their repugnancy and the moral decadence of their perpetrators, but also because countless American police officers have been trained in Israel, by the very Israeli ‘security forces’ that killed al-Hallaq. The practice of killing civilians, with efficiency and callousness, is now a burgeoning market. Israel is the biggest contributor to this market; the US is the world’s largest client.
When thousands of people rushed to the streets in Palestine, including hundreds of Palestinian and Israeli Jewish activists in Jerusalem, chanting “Justice for Iyad, justice for George”, their cry for justice was a spontaneous and heartfelt reaction to injustice so great, so blatant.
Al-Hallaq’s story might appear particularly unique, as the ‘suspected terrorist’ was killed while merely walking in King Faisal Street in Jerusalem, on his way to take out the trash. He was afraid of soldiers and terrified of blood.
“He was also afraid of the armed police officers who stood along the route to the special needs center he went to, where he participated in a vocational training program,” the Israeli newspaper, Haaretz, reported.
Al-Hallaq’s many fears, which may have appeared exaggerated by his family, turned out to be true. Even an autistic person in Palestine is not safe from the vengeance of soldiers. ….
Read more….
https://www.counterpunch.org/2020/06/12/palestine-bleeds-execution-of-autistic-man-is-not-an-exception-but-the-norm/
I wonder if they have considered maybe retraining some of the airline employees in the next couple of months. The cropping season is still a little way away so time to do some workforce planning maybe. Drive a Boeing – maybe they could drive these too
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/farming/121833517/contractors-fear-lack-of-local-workers-to-fill-hundreds-of-harvest-roles
But it does look like we could do with some serious rural workforce planning. In the last few months we have had concerns about a workforce for vineyard machinery, calving and the flush of the dairy season, the harvesting machinery and general overall harvesting workforce. That way these could be end to end jobs and I know soem already do that in the horticultural field.
Also have any of these considered the jobs they are offering. I know that machinery needs to be worked dawn to dusk in season but running the workforce in 40 hour shifts may be more acceptable. Plus looking at providing some half time roles or encouraging more women/ older people into the rural workforce.
Paying a decent wage might help, too.
Training or retraining people costs more than importing some someone else has trained. If it takes two years to be ready, as they say, then train now and there will be no more problem in two years time. But this problem of 'cant find workers' has persisted for far longer than two years, hence it's safe to conclude that no permanent solution is desired. Just cost cutting.
Some how for this I seriously doubt that it takes two years of training if "some farmer friends can jump in and help". Being able to drive a tractor doubtless helps a lot but a HT licence, good spatial and motor skills and a few brains would go a very long way. A boeing pilot should be very retrainable.
And if it was so skilled then any contingent travelling from country to country would include a fair few NZer's who have been trained here plus a great deal higher wage.
Looks like they are over cooking the skills and training needed coupled with, as McFlock puts it lousy wages, to keep up the cost cutting. Perhaps they could solve their own problem by dealing with the upgraded government training courses and lend their machines for some practice runs
Two new covid 19 cases in NZ.
Inevitable I guess, but let's just hope the quarantine procedures are a lot better than was reported on TV1 news last week. Any system is only as good as its weakest link, and clearly the Hotel quarantine was the weak link.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12340250
I'm going to be particularly interested in what Bloomfield has to say at 3:00 today about this little wrinkle:
If they were let out before their two weeks to spread it in public here, Imma gonna be pissed.
[headdesk]
what the fuck is the point of isolation if there are exemptions.
ah, misread – thought they'd been given an exemption from isolation – that is so far not addressed.
What TVNZ says is:
Not sure how else to read that other than TVNZ understands they were given an exemption from isolation to go spread it around at a funeral here. Wait and see what Bloomfield says, I guess.
We had a funeral here yesterday an aussie family member was allowed in , hearsay is they were allowed down here from Auckland and got20 mins with family and to see the coffin closed. Not sure about ppe etc . Apparently the funeral had well in excess of 1000 attending.
I guess the next funeral cluster will sort out the "exemptions".
Dr Ashley Bloomfield explained in the briefing this afto that people are not given exemptions to go to a funeral.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/419134/two-new-covid-19-cases-in-nz-visited-dying-parent-bloomfield
Ah, ok – fair call then. Not ideal, but human.
The wording is a little ambiguous as to when they traveled and when their parent died.
If they left to drive to Wellington before their parent died, then I withdraw and apologise for my comments today.
If their parent died before they started their drive, I stand by my comments because the exemption should have been withdrawn.
From watching the briefing the parent died the evening the two arrived in Wellington. I had a similar experience with my mother. I got a call at work that my mum was dying, caught a plane from Auckland to Wellington that afternoon, and was with her for about half an hour before she died.
Stuff is reporting a different timeline:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/coronavirus/121851190/coronavirus-our-expectations-have-not-been-met-says-pm
Hmm that puts a different spin on it. I'm not sure – having listened to Dr Bloomfield's briefing – that that is a fair representation. The RNZ report, I feel, is more accurate.
Now it could be argued that the "that night" refers to 12 June, the day they applied for the exemption, to visit a dying parent. But the juxtaposition of the last sentence with the statement that they travelled to Wellington on the 13th strongly implies that the Parent died on the night of the 13th
The media are not above trying to stir up controversy for the sake of it. Especially Stuff.
I really really hope that the rumour is not true.
Peter if you are referring to the Avatar team's arrival at the Quarantine hotel, it would be good to get your facts right. The mixing in the foyer was with an American family staying at the hotel.
The arriving Avatar team were bussed to the hotel. They were taken in small groups through a separate door each wearing face shields into a separate room for debriefing and instruction. They were then taken under escort one at a time in the lift to each individual's room where they stayed for 2 weeks, finishing yesterday. They did not even mix with their colleagues during the time in seclusion or allowed out for a walk anywhere.
Read the linked article. It's not paywalled. Stuff says the same things. Doesn't look like anything to do with Avatar.
The TV1 news report Peter refers to showed how loose the quarantine was.
That was the initial story.
Apparently, though, they fucked it up and there was indeed a <2M contact.
Ianmac, how about YOU get YOUR facts right. Just Google it. Absolutely nothing to do with Avatar. It was Kiwis returning to NZ.
They mixed throughout their stay on crowded city streets on guided walks. Newly arrived returnees were mixing with those on their last day or days of quarantine.
OK Peter. I assumed wrongly though the Avatar story was published wrongly. Sorry.
Seems as though they were taking all the precautions in today's pair. Hope so.
Ianmac. All good! And thank you for addressing that, for which I respect you! I was surprised, as I always enjoy your posts which are well thought out. Cheers!
Since we reached zero the media have run various stories about the heartless government not making a quarantine exception (and another, and another exception, and so on). And of course the opposition demands for borders opening ASAP.
But don't worry, nothing bad could happen, job done, blah blah …
Idiots.
+100 – hopefully that bleating will stop now.
And given the clusterfuck the UK and USA is, lets just throw into the sea anyone who arrive from there.
Watch all the various 'giants' of the NZ media swing from previously saying the restrictions were too harsh, to now saying they are too loose.
Peter Chch (15) … Disappointing to read this news of two new cases of Covid-19.
IMO our borders should be closed … full stop, no exceptions, no negotiation, until there is a means of controlling this paricular virus. These two new cases demonstrate the need for doing so.
Agree mary about the boarders.
during lockdown so furious with selfish people who bleated on about attending funerals or visiting sick and dying loved ones. And now this
"bleated on…" – not very compassionate Anker.
Pull yourself together – there are legitimate grounds for compassion – in this case, the exemption conditions may very well have worked as designed – if not, I am sure it will be valuable grist for the mill in reviewing future procedures at our 'bo(a)rders'.
Yes happy to put my hand up on this one that I don't feel a lot of compassion. terrified with good reason about Covid getting a hold here and think everyone will/might have to make scarifices.
Given this situation and the situation with two teenagers given leave to go to a funeral and then absconding time to make it real simple. No exception to isolation.
One of the new C19 patients said that in retrospect, they displayed symptoms. But they're allowed to self isolate.
FFS.
What the ACTUAL FUCK, Jacinda and Ashley??!!???
A funeral is for a dead person. A stiff. Their metabolic processes are history. Shuffled off this mortal coil. 4 million volts isn't enough to create an interaction with them.
Giving people exemptions from isolation to go spread disease in order to go hang out with a corpse is NOT GOOD ENOUGH. To go say their last goodbyes while someone still lives – fair enough. But not once they've already passed.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/coronavirus/300036071/covid19-directorgeneral-of-health-gives-detail-on-two-new-cases
Not very impressed, I must say.
I'm fkn furious. Just as well I'm not voting today or tomorrow.
What you would vote for National? They would have gotten these difficult calls right wouldn't they!
You're not helping.
Apologies Andre – I didn't intend to support your over reaction or wind you up. Nobody has a script for this, not even Jacinda and Ashley, who you appear to have put on a pedestal. This is an error at worst – a learning which will modify the border procedures and compassionate exemption policies.
I'm coming down slowly. Give me a couple days and I should be back on an even keel.
I think Ashley and Jacinda have done an absolutely outstanding job – but this was a really dumb unforced error. I hope the lesson and action taken is to assume everyone arriving is a raging hotbed of maximum infectiousness, until proven otherwise. The common good of 5 million people has to come ahead of compassion for situations that aren't absolutely time-critical. Someone in their last days is time-critical, after they've passed is not.
I have a nephew and sister-in-law in France that got COVID early on. They're still suffering severe aftereffects. I have a cousin in the US that's a doctor in respiratory intensive care, and her husband is a doctor in the emergency department. From what I've heard from them, mainstream reports about COVID seem somewhat sanitised and downplayed.
The elimination we had achieved is immensely valuable, risking it needs to only be done for something equally valuable.
Yes, the lockdown has cost NZ billions, and to throw it away so easily? Kiss of death for this government and Ashley NY honours list. And deservedly so.
Sad as PM did a great job with a hard task, but this is beyond stupidity.
9 days on the loose. How many are now infected? Nz was in the privileged position of having eliminated the virus and being able to control the entry or exclusion of the virus.
From way back in early March, we knew the borders were our vulnerable point, yet, from early March, time and time again we have learned, from th MSM, that what this government says about the borders and what is actually happening is vastly different.
Move over Jacinda, your time is up.
Peter, take a breath. Watch the full press conference with Bloomfield, if you haven't already. Really detailed answers, with a whole range of safeguards in place.
It's not at all surprising that an individual case has happened. It's the policy that matters. Opening up our borders now would be stupid, and so we're not doing it.
Observer. Will do. I not in a position to do that at moment, but, in face value, I am angry. But will watch an hope safeguards are all good!
But yes, expected more cases, just hope process is good.
I don't get it either. Apparently we have testing to burn so why were we not testing on arrival, 5 days later and then again at 10 days and 14 days. These people were in the managed quarantine between it appears the 5th and the 13th of June so surely they would have been symptomatic? Is quarantine being managed in pods or did they have contact with people between 5th-13th that have been released already? What about the family contact in wellington – who have they had contact with? What about border staff – and quarantine staff and airline staff. And it's taken 16 days to find this out when symptoms can be tested for in the 5-10 day range. And how do we "know" they followed all the rules when they didn't bother to report symptoms- big fail right there. As others say FFS – there are so many obvious gaps in the arrangements..
A similar conversation has gone down in this household.
Apparently there are 2 hour tests available.
A baby with a sniffle, that had barely left it's home environment, no visitors, got swabbed in ED last night because Covid…
And yet…
From what has been said so far, the one that has tested positive, either fibbed when asked the ubiquitous screening questions or answered a different question to that which was asked.
Yes Peter Chch and Andre. It's what you get when you don't have black and white, hard and fast, delineated rules which are meticulously enforced.
When factors to do with 'humanity' and exemptions and judgements and assessments come into it you get problems.
Trouble is numbers in the population screamed about hard and fast rules mitigating against humanitarian factors over months.
If we had hard and fast rules mentality, no weighing up of factors involved, everyone doing 51kph would be fined heavily pro forma, cars would be permanently taken off those doing 10kph over the limit and so on according lists of rules.
The no exemptions thing for those coming into the country would go on at least until a vaccine is developed however long that is.
Of course this shocking turn of events wouldn't have happened under Simon Bridges' watch. (Remember him?)
Andre is right, a funeral is for a dead person, a stiff shuffled off this mortal coil. This situation shows though that it's not the dead that are the worry or whatever their loved ones do but the hysteria about that from deadshits.
The funeral was not for a parrot, but for a fellow human being. I'm not convinced the risk is worth it either, but in your anger, don't lose all your humanity.
During Level 4, people within New Zealand were prohibited from going to say their last goodbyes to loved ones. I count myself very fortunate my dad survived his medical emergency during that time that I was prohibited from travelling to go see him when he was on the edge. FFS, my mother was prohibited from going to see him in the hospital, in a region that had zero cases at that time.
To put us all at risk of having to go back to that for the sake of an already dead body – just plain unacceptable
Yes, you are right, but have faith in our capacities to learn from a mistake. I would far prefer that the error stemmed from having too much compassion than the opposite – otherwise we are no different to the right wingers.
Being absolutely filthy because someone's feelz about a piece of dead meat likely put multiple lives at risk isn't losing losing your humanity.
Cheers Joe – referring to a human corpse as dead meat is indeed akin to losing your humanity.
Odious comment from Joe there.
Hilarity from someone with a boner for murderous, totalitarian thugs.
Fair enough but they can’t attend the funeral now anyway so there was no point in releasing them. All it’s done is needlessly expose us. No exemptions from now on, people living here couldn’t get them during lockdown.
Dr Ashley Bloomfield showed why he is a doctor, not a politician or reporter or "commentator". And a good human being.
He calmly explained the details of the case, and refused to throw the two women under the bus. They will be feeling like sh*t right now, and Bloomfield understands that. They did not break the rules, they followed them. If there was a loophole it was in the NZ system. He takes responsibility for that (as he should).
I hope that the focus is now on highlighting the complacency of those who want open borders, not on hounding two victims of the virus, already bereaved.
One patient admitted to in retrospect feeling symptoms, yet decided to wing it.
They're to blame.
Well, I won't be casting a stone. I'm sure that hypothetically we all would have acted differently. In reality … when you've crossed the world to see a dying loved one? When the system tells you it's all under control? When you look around and you're the only ones wearing face masks and you're still following the rules?
Let's hope none of us ever find out what we do.
They knew they were symptomatic. Bury them.
Bury them?
In quarantine.
Observer. You are clearly a better person than me, and that i respect.
Ashley Bloomfield is, as you say, is a doctor and a compassionate person.but right now, maybe we need someone who is also a little bit of a dictator. Level 4 was a dictate. Now I feel what's the point?
The elite say one thing, we are coerced to do another. To say I am disappointed in our PM and Ashley would be an understatement.
I think the key point is that the women were not tested, and they should have been, and that is NZ's fault, not theirs. It is not their job to say to health professionals "hang on, your system isn't good enough". Especially when they are in emotional distress. Now Bloomfield is suggesting that the procedures have been / will be changed. Good.
A good doctor does not blame patients. Nor should we.
Here is the Ministry of Health media release about the two new cases reported today.
https://www.health.govt.nz/news-media/media-releases/two-new-cases-covid-19-0
Strange visitors from another country, who came to Aoteoroa with powers and abilities far beyond those of mere mortals!
Akl – Well on a single tank! Cast iron bladders!
They are women.. of course they have cast iron bladders.
I suspect they watered the landscape as so many of us have done in past times. The trick is to check the sight lines – thought I had once – then along came the train.
There seems to be far more media interest in women's bladders at Level 1 than in Simon Bridges' bladder at Level 4. I don't know why he got a free piss – er, pass.
I honestly thought this was an "Onion"-type satire.
National MP defends Confederate Flag
What is wrong with these people?
Kia Ora
Newshub.
The apprentice program is good Aotearoa needs to keep training our youth to have a bright future.
That's the way using the Internet for new mahi.
It is quite warm for this time of the year and location
Ka kite Ano.
Kia Ora
Te Ao Maori Marama.
You see what I have previously said about the system$ .
The positive thing about the tiki tour Wahine with the virus is there will better management off the virus quarantine facility's.
The hinaki sound like a good place for the person who let that happen.
Aroha is the correct way for the future.
PEE destroys tangata Mana.
Ka kite Ano
Kia Ora
The Am Show.
Its good to see more plastic being made biodegradable
Volunteers do good work in Aotearoa.
Wow 4 baby's at once looks like she has it sorted.
The in Australian dinosaur shows that humanity is a mire minute in time and we are making a huge mess of our environment.
Ka kite Ano.
Kia Ora
Newshub.
With some of the problems being flushed out for virus isolation I think that they will get it correct.
That's is cool video games helping Rangatahi with ADHD
Ka kite Ano
Kia Ora
Te Ao Maori Marama.
I have seen what it's like in Tamiki Makaru a lot of people were looking down on Maor.
Interesting but I have a good idea who has treated all tangata whenua the best and has the best interest for our Mokopuna futures That's who Eco Maori tau toko.
Ka kite Ano