Open mike 17/02/2021

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, February 17th, 2021 - 52 comments
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52 comments on “Open mike 17/02/2021 ”

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  3. RedLogix 3
    17 February 2021 at 10:08 am

    Can we please have some adults in the room pay attention to this?

    The Capital and Coast DHB confirms that of its roughly 61 full-time staff, 17 positions are vacant – nearly a third of its midwifery workforce.

    One midwife said not a single application was made for eight new graduate positions funded for the region.

    A serious shortage of midwives at Capital and Coast DHB has seen the maternity service go into "code black" three times recently – meaning it cannot look after any more women.

    An experienced midwife at the DHB said staff were at breaking point.

    Both my children were born at home and I have a deep respect for midwives as a profession. Their pay and resourcing in no way reflects their onerous, life critical responsibilities, and successive govts have ignored this slow burning issue.

    Time for a Labour govt – headed by a mother no less – to step up and make the difference.

    • Rosemary McDonald 3.1
      17 February 2021 at 12:09 pm

      These women will be treated in the same way as the nurses in MIQ.

      https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/covid-19-coronavirus-stressed-miq-nurses-warn-theyre-going-to-get-sloppy/LNDXBRMA65M2YMKOGSADOFVF3E/

      She said the working conditions weren't sustainable, and believed this could result in a breach of Covid-19 at the border.

      "The big concern is always that it's going to get out into the community, and that standards of infection control practices are going to slip, because everyone is exhausted. Really exhausted. We're going to get sloppy, because we're tired and stressed."

      She said nurses were leaving en masse, resulting in huge gaps in their rosters.

      "I've done two 24-hour shifts, where you work a day and there was nobody to cover the night, so I stayed on and worked through until the next morning. There's literally nobody, literally nobody.

      However, the Word from the Very Top is…

      In response, Hipkins said they had "no evidence" of these claims. He said extended shifts would be on an on-call basis only.

      Way to go Hipkins. Call your frontline medical staff liars.

      "There is a provision in the contract where you can work a shift and you can be 'on-call', so basically staying overnight. That's part of their collective contract agreement and there are people who have done that, but there's no evidence of anyone having worked a 24-hour shift."

      One nurse has provided a timesheet to RNZ showing that she was rostered on for a 21.5-hour shift.

      Another nurse said they worked three 24-hour shifts.

      They detailed an occasion where they were 'on-call', which involved actively working for 19 hours with a rest period of about five hours.

      • RedLogix 3.1.1
        17 February 2021 at 12:21 pm

        Yup. This is definitely a concern where a bit of basic activism and political pressure can and should make a difference.

        And Hipkins is making a fool of himself here blindly taking the word of his senior advisors without doing some checking.

      • Incognito 3.1.2
        17 February 2021 at 1:27 pm

        Way to go Hipkins. Call your frontline medical staff liars.

        No, he did not. Does this make you a liar too?

        • Rosemary McDonald 3.1.2.1
          17 February 2021 at 1:34 pm

          So. How are we to interpret "…they had no evidence of these claims."

          • Incognito 3.1.2.1.1
            17 February 2021 at 1:46 pm

            You are free to “interpret” it as you see fit, of course. Point is, Hipkins didn’t call them “liars”, did he now? You made that up.

            I read it as: I don’t know about this but I will look into it and if there’s a problem then I’ll make sure it gets dealt with ASAP.

            • Rosemary McDonald 3.1.2.1.1.1
              17 February 2021 at 2:07 pm

              I read it as: I don’t know about this but I will look into it and if there’s a problem then I’ll make sure it gets dealt with ASAP.

              But he didn't say that, did he?

              Some irony here as the nurses had (perhaps in anticipation of their honesty being called into question?) provided evidence of having worked ..

              One nurse has provided a timesheet to RNZ showing that she was rostered on for a 21.5-hour shift.

              …and to explain the three and a half hour shortfall…

              They detailed an occasion where they were 'on-call', which involved actively working for 19 hours with a rest period of about five hours.

              https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/covid-19/436079/no-evidence-of-nurses-working-24-hour-shifts-at-miq-facilities-hipkins

              And the latest plea from the sector…

              https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE2102/S00053/prime-minister-jacinda-ardern-must-hear-nurses-on-their-own-terms.htm

              The New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) is urging Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to invest time into hearing real stories from frontline MIQ nurses and other health workers.

              The Prime Minister has stated publicly that frontline MIQ workers are being prioritised, but NZNO believes the Government is not listening to nurses’ voices so there is little trust on the part of these health workers.

              Trust? Hmm…could that in any way be related to "truth", or its counterpart "lies"?

              Do you perhaps think that there is any relationship between Hipkins stating there was no evidence and the NZNO going over his head and appealing to the PM?

              Of course not. I'm just making shit up.

              • Incognito …
                17 February 2021 at 2:09 pm

                I’d like to think that the first four words gave it away but you’re so wedded to your own narrative that all I can say is: SSDD.

                Bye

  4. Adrian Thornton 4
    17 February 2021 at 10:15 am

    I urge anyone who has an opinion about rampant 'cancel culture' that is dividing the Left, to read this piece by Chris Hedges.

    Chris Hedges: Cancel Culture, Where Liberalism Goes to Die

    "Elites and their courtiers who trumpet their moral superiority by damning and silencing those who do not linguistically conform to politically correct speech are the new Jacobins."

    I like this bit…
    “When the town Campbell lived in decided the Klan should not be permitted to have a float in the Fourth of July parade Campbell did not object, as long as the gas and electric company was also barred. It was not only white racists who inflicted suffering on the innocent and the vulnerable, but institutions that place the sanctity of profit before human life.

    “People can’t pay their gas and electric bills, the heat gets turned off and they freeze and sometimes die, especially if they are elderly,” he said. “This, too, is an act of terrorism.”

    • Stephen D 4.1
      17 February 2021 at 1:49 pm

      Jonathan Pie gets it.

      https://youtu.be/e5TVLEaqqdI

    • Nic the NZer 4.2
      17 February 2021 at 5:45 pm

      An amazing and pertinent story. I don't know how the US will back down from its political polarization.

      • Adrian Thornton 4.2.1
        17 February 2021 at 9:44 pm

        I don't know, but I do know that NZ Labour will have spent all it's credibility and good will with New Zealand's workers, students and disenfranchised by the time Adern's time is up..the Centrist ponzi scheme that they try and pass off for an economic ideology has quite plainly run it's course, and they have nothing else left to offer that I can see…tough times ahead for a large percentage of us, that much you can take for granted.

        Turn Labour Left!

    • Sabine 5.1
      17 February 2021 at 11:19 am

      When we start funding mental healthcare to the needs of the country rather then the needs of the book keepers.

    • Peter 6.1
      17 February 2021 at 6:28 pm

      It's just Mitchell saying stuff and taking a punt. It's just stuff said and soon forgotten .

      BUT if the worst happens and there is a community outbreak of significance he will loud and long be in, "I told you so, I was right" mode. Hosking will be all, "Why didn't we listen to the genius? He could be National's new leader."

  7. Sabine 7
    17 February 2021 at 11:48 am

    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/christchurch-quake-victim-gets-236k-in-backdated-acc-more-than-half-taken-to-repay-benefits-she-needed-to-survive/3AYOPS7C44YDQRXCWOGGOQPIDI/

    love the headline

    Christchurch quake victim gets $236K in backdated ACC – more than half taken to 'repay' benefits she needed to survive

    She said repaying MSD out of Singh's back payment was "punishing her on punishing her".

    "If there was no error in the decision of April 2013 to say Bonnie could work fulltime, then why is ACC back paying to the same exact date?

    "The fact that ACC wants her to pay the debt, which they created by placing her there, is obscene.

    "ACC placed Bonnie in this position and then does not wish to rectify the problem.

    "It is a regrettable decision for ACC to continue with its abuse of power."

    Radford said she had also complained to ACC Minister Carmel Sepuloni and Associate Minister Willie Jackson about Singh's case.

    "They have never responded to complaints directly to them in 2020," she said.

    "Bonnie has had to fight every single step of the way – from the rubble of an earthquake to this.

    "It's disgusting."

    • Rosemary McDonald 7.1
      17 February 2021 at 12:20 pm

      Not just ACC. Likewise with settlements after successful claims on other government departments. All payments from MSD during the period of the claim are deducted.

      Be interested to hear if there is a way of finding out if the $$$ are actually paid back to MSD hence leaving a null balance on a claimant's MSD record for that time.

      Considering the benefit is set at subsistence levels, the losing Government department in a claim should be paying an extra 30% (the averaged amount the WEAG suggested benefits should be raised by. https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO2001/S00009/weag-benefit-increases-urgently-needed-budgeting-expert.htm ) as a way of acknowledging the harm.

    • RedBaronCV 7.2
      17 February 2021 at 2:12 pm

      I can't through to the paywalled article but I would like to think that the ACC settlement is for eligible wages (net or gross ? looks like around $30k p.a) plus interest plus any other costs ACC would have paid medical etc plus legal fees if any plus some thing for the general mucking around.

      Unlike ACC weekly payments to compensate for wages I assume this settlement is free of income tax.

      I expect the benefits claw back should have been net of any thing like accommodation supplement that can be claimed by earners or anyone on earners compensation.

      But beyond that I don't get the level of outrage. The MSD benefits ( even though they are inadequate – a separate but important issue) are the fall back we have as a society and unless the criteria is met they cannot be claimed whilst earning other income.

      So I don't see the outrage at double dipping being fixed even if retrospective. Others cannot do it.

      • Sabine 7.2.1
        17 February 2021 at 3:01 pm

        this is not outrage at having to refund winz – we are way past that.

        this is an outrage at ACC forcing someone back to work who had 8 vertrebrae broken during the earthquake and was declared fit to work while clearly not.

        this is an outrage because she found it easier to deal with Winz in her situation, despite having a valid claim with ACC.

        this is an outrage because ACC while paying her 230.000 NZD in lost payments declares it has done nothing wrong, when clearly they did, see the payment of 230.000 NZD.

        this is an outrage because now WINZ wants to claim and successfully has claimed 130.000 of the settlement.

        Nevermindd that in order to get anything in NZ via WINZ one has to put up with a lot of bullshit and emotional abuse – kinder and gentler only applies to the WINZ Drones and other Government 'servants', never to those that need help.

        It is an outrage because if she would have received was she was entitled to – medical care, accident compensation so as to be able to heal fully, she might have found a way back to employment much earlier.

        But its ok that you don't see the outrage that someone who by virtue of luck survived a bloody earthquake and was fucked about by healthy wealthy people in government employment for shits n giggles and gets to pay for it too.

    • Chris 7.3
      17 February 2021 at 2:38 pm

      Even if you believe that weekly compensation for lost earnings is akin to a social security benefit (unlike other income a beneficiary may receive, weekly compensation reduces benefits dollar-for-dollar instead of the gradual abatement brought by other income) there are two further inequities that everyone should be outraged by.

      The first is that the level of backdated weekly compensation the person receives is reduced by the gross amount of benefit received, not the net, even though the person has only received the net rate of benefit. So what's repaid is in fact more than what was received.

      The second is that the backdated weekly compensation is taxed in the single year it's received, therefore is more likely to include a higher tax rate. So again, the amount received is less than what would've been received had the weekly compensation been assessed and paid correctly in the first place.

      These problems are compounded by the fact that the Court of Appeal has said in no uncertain terms that this is what the legislation says, regardless of how unfair it might be. The heinousness of this is that the problems have been with us for years including the conclusions reached by the CA, yet no government, national or labour, has had the balls to do anything about it. Lees-Galloway put his head in the sand whenever these issues arose. Total piece of work. Thank goodness he's fucked off.

      • Sabine 7.3.1
        17 February 2021 at 2:52 pm

        Carmel Sepuloni is nothing more then a big fat waste of taxpayers funds. But then i guess she is simply Paula Benefit but in red. Owes her life to decent social assistance – in more then one aspect – but now that they could do something to help those that are being screwed over by the dear civil servants of the country, they are too busy collecting a pay check and lecturing people about the 'value of work'.

      • RedBaronCV 7.3.2
        17 February 2021 at 3:41 pm

        I don't believe that weekly compensation for lost earnings is akin to a social security benefit but it is there to provide wages compensation after the right to sue was removed.

        So it basically should prevent people having to use the social welfare net of last resort.

        I take your point about the tax and timing effects and have absolutely no issue with taking aim at ACC and the government over that where law changes are needed.

        Yes ACC does appear to misuse its power around complainants but the story headline ( It's paywalled so I can't read the rest) focuses on the benefit repayment. The story must be at variance to this.

        As to the way ACC uses it powers – I don't know who the board are or when they where appointed but the Nact government spent time revamping ACC in little slices.

        Maybe labour need to take better control of the board members and the rules they are using – it looks like it may be well overdue.

        I actually think Labour has been slow to appoint new people to a lot of entities. My pet beef is the privacy commissioner where they reappointed the incumbent who is rather too business friendly for my taste.

        • Chris 7.3.2.1
          17 February 2021 at 4:36 pm

          "I don't believe that weekly compensation for lost earnings is akin to a social security benefit but it is there to provide wages compensation after the right to sue was removed.

          "So it basically should prevent people having to use the social welfare net of last resort."

          I'm not saying that you or anyone else believes this. The fact is that the legislation is based on that assumption by requiring a main benefit to be reduced by weekly compensation dollar-for-dollar. Most other income a person receives affects the benefit rate by way of gradual abatement. From 1 April, for example, a person receiving the unemployment benefit will be able earn up to $160 a week without affecting the benefit.

          The two further issues I outlined, which no government has ever shown an interest in fixing, involves situations where weekly compensation is initially refused, but then granted later on following review or appeal of that initial refusal. It's how back-dated weekly compensation affects benefit payments that’s the problem, not so much the payments themselves (although there's still the dollar-for-dollar issue). So when you say that social security benefits should act as a safety net of last resort, well, that's not the issue here because the need for the social welfare benefit has come about because of ACC's initial refusal to grant weekly compensation.

          You also say that the government needs to take more control of who is appointed to the ACC board. Yes, it does – there have been three recent appointments made: a lawyer from Russell McVeigh, an accountant and an insurance boffin. (It needs to be noted, also, that ACC uses Russell McVeigh to defend its decisions in the courts when they’re appealed.) Wider representation is needed, for claimants, advocates etc. But the source of the problems here is the legislation. Better representation on the board may help with putting pressure on government to fix the legislation, but ultimately it's government, or more precisely Parliament, that has the responsibility to sort this complete and utter shambles out.

        • Chris 7.3.2.2
          17 February 2021 at 8:15 pm

          Anyway, the reality is, like most issues affecting the poor, very few people give a fuck, until it affects them, of course. So you can bet your house on nothing changing on this front any time soon.

    • Patricia 2 7.4
      17 February 2021 at 9:23 pm

      I have had clients in a similar situation and a large pay out calculated ; MSD payments were deducted before the final payment to client. One client even received a large extra payment of interest on the pay out. It seems there is no consistency in their decision making.

  8. greywarshark 8
    17 February 2021 at 12:03 pm

    Be wary of this man. I think a study has been done that shows that people who will carry out cruel practices on animals will be likely to have little moral consideration when it comes to treating vulnerable humans compassionately. This man is 59 and likely to have behaved in this manner before in his life.

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/436574/morrinsville-farmer-fined-after-starving-26-cows

    The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) was tipped off to the abuse by a member of the public in July last year, investigated, and told 59-year-old Alastair Robert Kane Hughes to feed his cattle double what he had been giving them.

    MPI animal welfare and NAIT compliance regional manager Brendon Mikkelsen said charges were laid after Hughes was non-compliant with the order.

    "After the first visit, Mr Hughes continued to underfeed his cattle, providing them approximately half of their daily feed requirements resulting in the cattle continuing to lose weight.

    "Four of those cattle required urgent attention to improve their body condition."

    • Jimmy 8.1
      17 February 2021 at 1:04 pm

      They should have fined him a lot more than that! He has to pay less than $5k! Talk about the wet bus ticket.

  9. Ad 9
    17 February 2021 at 12:31 pm

    In a little announcement from Joe Biden, he committed to changing the entire Federal vehicle fleet to electric. That's 645,000 vehicles, with 225,000 of those being owned by the independent US Postal Service.

    https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/biden-replace-entire-federal-fleet-electric-vehicles/story?id=75488441

    No timetable, but promised that they would be made in the US.

    Nice little challenge for James Shaw there while he's got those draft Commission recommendations in front of him A lot of our Postal Service neighbourhood deliveries are electric already, but their courier vans aren't. Would be a neat addition to the Transport GPS though.

  10. Peter chch 10
    17 February 2021 at 12:55 pm

    Yet another attempt by China to provoke a military reaction and play the victim card and so rally the people behind the CCP:

    https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/02/16/national/china-senkakus-armed-ship/

    Xi plays it straight from the Nazi play book. Step by step towards war.

    • Scud 10.1
      17 February 2021 at 5:05 pm

      Yep, China has changed it’s Rules of Engagement (ROE) and it’s Orders For Opening Fire (OFOF) for its Coastguard a few weeks ago and I believe it may also include it Military as well.

      Weather China has a crack at Taiwan, the Senkakus Islands or in the SCS it will be the Asia- Pacific Region’s Rhineland Moment. At how we respond to that will telling as it was when Hitler cross into the Rhineland and the world did SFA which lit the slow burning fuse off for WW2.

      [Fixed error with user name]

  11. Gabby 11
    17 February 2021 at 2:01 pm

    Many thanks for providing the opportunity to subscribe. Are there any more subscriber-only pages you could direct me to?

  13. Anker 13
    17 February 2021 at 2:43 pm
    • Random thought for today…. what has become of the plan B group who, ya know wanted us to go down the path of Sweden. Hmm
  14. Stuart Munro 14
    17 February 2021 at 6:05 pm

    There is a class action proceeding against slaving chocolate companies. Mars, Nestlé and Hershey to face child slavery lawsuit in US | Global development | The Guardian Roll on the day NZ fishing companies are in the dock for their similar crimes.

  15. DukeEll 15
    17 February 2021 at 7:24 pm

    Didn’t see you supporting the protest against Mike Smiths sinophile blog post. Is the disallowance of a single enemy of the west a tragedy while the genocide of a whole minority muslim Population a statistic to you?

    [TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]

  16. Treetop 16
    17 February 2021 at 7:28 pm

    I am not optimistic about the level changes going down. More contact tracing and retesting required at this stage.

    The UK B.1.1.7 strain seems to have a long incubation period.

  17. Anker 17
    17 February 2021 at 7:47 pm
    • Treetop interested to hear you say the new UK variant has a longer incubation period.

    genuine question, where did you read this?

    • Sabine 17.1
      17 February 2021 at 9:25 pm

      This might be of interest to you.

      https://theconversation.com/yes-a-16-day-incubation-period-for-covid-is-possible-but-its-extremely-rare-155027

      The ‘day 16’ test

      For the small minority of people who incubate the virus beyond 14 days, this can be related to underlying conditions, especially those that weaken a person’s immune response.

      Over the weekend, NSW began testing returned travellers on day 16 — that is, two days after they finish hotel quarantine. This is how the latest case in NSW was detected.

      The test is not compulsory and if the person doesn’t have symptoms, they don’t need to isolate until receiving their result.

      This day 16 test is designed to pick up infections that may develop after the expected maximum 14-day incubation period on which Australia’s quarantine period is based.

      Other states are reported to be considering implementing this measure too. This is a good safety net because, not only could it pick up the very rare case where a person might incubate the virus for longer, it could also catch missed cases of the virus being contracted in quarantine.

    • Treetop 17.2
      17 February 2021 at 9:49 pm

      This is not based on anything I have read. Perhaps using the words appears to would have been better. I wanted MIQ to be extended to 21 days as I felt 14 days was not enough for more infectious variants.

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    Stuck In The Middle With You: As Christopher Luxon feels the hot breath of Act’s and NZ First’s extremists on the back of his neck and, as he reckons with the damage their policies are already inflicting upon a country he’s described as “fragile”, is there not some merit in reaching out ...
    Bowalley Road
    2 days ago

  • A clear warning
    The unpopular coalition government is currently rushing to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act. The clause is Oranga Tamariki's Treaty clause, and was inserted after its systematic stealing of Māori children became a public scandal and resulted in physical resistance to further abductions. The clause created clear obligations ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago

  • Poll results and Waitangi Tribunal report go unmentioned on the Beehive website – where racing tru...
    Buzz  from the Beehive The government’s official website – which Point of Order monitors daily – not for the first time has nothing much to say today about political happenings that are grabbing media headlines. It makes no mention of the latest 1News-Verian poll, for example.  This shows National down ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    2 days ago

  • Listening To The Traffic.
    It Takes A Train To Cry: Surely, there is nothing lonelier in all this world than the long wail of a distant steam locomotive on a cold Winter’s night.AS A CHILD, I would lie awake in my grandfather’s house and listen to the traffic. The big wooden house was only a ...
    Bowalley Road
    2 days ago

  • Comity Be Damned! The State’s Legislative Arm Is Flexing Its Constitutional Muscles.
    Packing A Punch: The election of the present government, including in its ranks politicians dedicated to reasserting the rights of the legislature in shaping and determining the future of Māori and Pakeha in New Zealand, should have alerted the judiciary – including its anomalous appendage, the Waitangi Tribunal – that its ...
    Bowalley Road
    2 days ago

  • Ending The Quest.
    Dead Woman Walking: New Zealand’s media industry had been moving steadily towards disaster for all the years Melissa Lee had been National’s media and communications policy spokesperson, and yet, when the crisis finally broke, on her watch, she had nothing intelligent to offer. Christopher Luxon is a patient man - but he’s not ...
    Bowalley Road
    2 days ago

  • Will political polarisation intensify to the point where ‘normal’ government becomes impossible,...
    Chris Trotter writes –  New Zealand politics is remarkably easy-going: dangerously so, one might even say. With the notable exception of John Key’s flat ruling-out of the NZ First Party in 2008, all parties capable of clearing MMP’s five-percent threshold, or winning one or more electorate seats, tend ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • Bernard’s pick 'n' mix for Tuesday, April 30
    TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:30am on Tuesday, May 30:Scoop: NZ 'close to the tipping point' of measles epidemic, health experts warn NZ Herald Benjamin PlummerHealth: 'Absurd and totally unacceptable': Man has to wait a year for ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago

  • Why Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating in the country
    Bryce Edwards writes – Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • Worst poll result for a new Government in MMP history
    Luxon will no doubt put a brave face on it, but there is no escaping the pressure this latest poll will put on him and the government. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago

  • Pinning down climate change's role in extreme weather
    This is a re-post from The Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler In the wake of any unusual weather event, someone inevitably asks, “Did climate change cause this?” In the most literal sense, that answer is almost always no. Climate change is never the sole cause of hurricanes, heat waves, droughts, or ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago

  • Serving at Seymour's pleasure.
    Something odd happened yesterday, and I’d love to know if there’s more to it. If there was something which preempted what happened, or if it was simply a throwaway line in response to a journalist.Yesterday David Seymour was asked at a press conference what the process would be if the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago

  • Webworm LA Pop-Up
    Hi,From time to time, I want to bring Webworm into the real world. We did it last year with the Jurassic Park event in New Zealand — which was a lot of fun!And so on Saturday May 11th, in Los Angeles, I am hosting a lil’ Webworm pop-up! I’ve been ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago

  • “Feel good” school is out
    Education Minister Erica Standford yesterday unveiled a fundamental reform of the way our school pupils are taught. She would not exactly say so, but she is all but dismantling the so-called “inquiry” “feel good” method of teaching, which has ruled in our classrooms since a major review of the New ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago

  • 6 Months in, surely our Report Card is “Ignored all warnings: recommend dismissal ASAP”?
    Exactly where are we seriously going with this government and its policies? That is, apart from following what may as well be a Truss-Lite approach on the purported economic “plan“, and Victorian-era regression when it comes to social policy. Oh it’ll work this time of course, we’re basically assured, “the ...
    exhALANtBy exhalantblog
    3 days ago

  • Bread, and how it gets buttered
    Hey Uncle Dave, When the Poms joined the EEC, I wasn't one of those defeatists who said, Well, that’s it for the dairy job. And I was right, eh? The Chinese can’t get enough of our milk powder and eventually, the Poms came to their senses and backed up the ute ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: Why Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating in the country
    Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is higher than for any other mayor ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    3 days ago

  • Justice for Gaza?
    The New York Times reports that the International Criminal Court is about to issue arrest warrants for Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, over their genocide in Gaza: Israeli officials increasingly believe that the International Criminal Court is preparing to issue arrest warrants for senior government officials on ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago

  • If there has been any fiddling with Pharmac’s funding, we can count on Paula to figure out the fis...
    Buzz from the Beehive Pharmac has been given a financial transfusion and a new chair to oversee its spending in the pharmaceutical business. Associate Health Minister David Seymour described the funding for Pharmac as “its largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff”. ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago

  • FastTrackWatch – The case for the Government’s Fast Track Bill
    Bryce Edwards writes – Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Bernard’s pick 'n' mix for Monday, April 29
    TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:10am on Monday, April 29:Scoop: The children's ward at Rotorua Hospital will be missing a third of its beds as winter hits because Te Whatu Ora halted an upgrade partway through to ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell on Iran killing its rappers, and searching for the invisible Dr. Reti
    span class=”dropcap”>As hideous as David Seymour can be, it is worth keeping in mind occasionally that there are even worse political figures (and regimes) out there. Iran for instance, is about to execute the country’s leading hip hop musician Toomaj Salehi, for writing and performing raps that “corrupt” the nation’s ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    3 days ago

  • Auckland Rail Electrification 10 years old
    Yesterday marked 10 years since the first electric train carried passengers in Auckland so it’s a good time to look back at it and the impact it has had. A brief history The first proposals for rail electrification in Auckland came in the 1920’s alongside the plans for earlier ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    3 days ago

  • Coalition's dirge of austerity and uncertainty is driving the economy into a deeper recession
    Right now, in Aotearoa-NZ, our ‘animal spirits’ are darkening towards a winter of discontent, thanks at least partly to a chorus of negative comments and actions from the Government Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • Disability Funding or Tax Cuts.
    You make people evil to punish the paststuck inside a sequel with a rotating castThe following photos haven’t been generated with AI, or modified in any way. They are flesh and blood, human beings. On the left is Galatea Young, a young mum, and her daughter Fiadh who has Angelman ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago

  • Of the Goodness of Tolkien’s Eru
    April has been a quiet month at A Phuulish Fellow. I have had an exceptionally good reading month, and a decently productive writing month – for original fiction, anyway – but not much has caught my eye that suggested a blog article. It has been vaguely frustrating, to be honest. ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    3 days ago

  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #17
    A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 21, 2024 thru Sat, April 27, 2024. Story of the week Anthropogenic climate change may be the ultimate shaggy dog story— but with a twist, because here ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago

  • Pastor Who Abused People, Blames People
    Hi,I spent about a year on Webworm reporting on an abusive megachurch called Arise, and it made me want to stab my eyes out with a fork.I don’t regret that reporting in 2022 and 2023 — I am proud of it — but it made me angry.Over three main stories ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    4 days ago

  • Vic Uni shows how under threat free speech is
    The new Victoria University Vice-Chancellor decided to have a forum at the university about free speech and academic freedom as it is obviously a topical issue, and the Government is looking at legislating some carrots or sticks for universities to uphold their obligations under the Education and Training Act. They ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Winston remembers Gettysburg.
    Do you remember when Melania Trump got caught out using a speech that sounded awfully like one Michelle Obama had given? Uncannily so.Well it turns out that Abraham Lincoln is to Winston Peters as Michelle was to Melania. With the ANZAC speech Uncle Winston gave at Gallipoli having much in ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago

  • 25
    She was born 25 years ago today in North Shore hospital. Her eyes were closed tightly shut, her mouth was silently moving. The whole theatre was all quiet intensity as they marked her a 2 on the APGAR test. A one-minute eternity later, she was an 8.  The universe was ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago

  • Fact Brief – Is Antarctica gaining land ice?
    Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park in collaboration with members from our Skeptical Science team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is Antarctica gaining land ice? ...
    Skeptical Science
    5 days ago

  • Policing protests.
    Images of US students (and others) protesting and setting up tent cities on US university campuses have been broadcast world wide and clearly demonstrate the growing rifts in US society caused by US policy toward Israel and Israel’s prosecution of … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    5 days ago

  • Open letter to Hon Paul Goldsmith
    Barrie Saunders writes – Dear Paul As the new Minister of Media and Communications, you will be inundated with heaps of free advice and special pleading, all in the national interest of course. For what it’s worth here is my assessment: Traditional broadcasting free to air content through ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: FastTrackWatch – The Case for the Government’s Fast Track Bill
    Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its arguments for such a bold reform. ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    5 days ago

  • Luxon gets out his butcher’s knife – briefly
    Peter Dunne writes –  The great nineteenth British Prime Minister, William Gladstone, once observed that “the first essential for a Prime Minister is to be a good butcher.” When a later British Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, sacked a third of his Cabinet in July 1962, in what became ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • More tax for less
    Ele Ludemann writes – New Zealanders had the OECD’s second highest tax increase last year: New Zealanders faced the second-biggest tax raises in the developed world last year, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) says. The intergovernmental agency said the average change in personal income tax ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • Real News vs Fake News.
    We all know something’s not right with our elections. The spread of misinformation, people being targeted with soundbites and emotional triggers that ignore the facts, even the truth, and influence their votes.The use of technology to produce deep fakes. How can you tell if something is real or not? Can ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago

  • Another way to roll
    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.Share ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago

  • Simon Clark: The climate lies you'll hear this year
    This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Simon Clark. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). This year you will be lied to! Simon Clark helps prebunk some misleading statements you'll hear about climate. The video includes ...
    Skeptical Science
    5 days ago

  • Cutting the Public Service
    It is all very well cutting the backrooms of public agencies but it may compromise the frontlines. One of the frustrations of the Productivity Commission’s 2017 review of universities is that while it observed that their non-academic staff were increasing faster than their academic staff, it did not bother to ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    6 days ago

  • Luxon’s demoted ministers might take comfort from the British politician who bounced back after th...
    Buzz from the Beehive Two speeches delivered by Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters at Anzac Day ceremonies in Turkey are the only new posts on the government’s official website since the PM announced his Cabinet shake-up. In one of the speeches, Peters stated the obvious:  we live in a troubled ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • This is how I roll over
    1. Which of these would you not expect to read in The Waikato Invader?a. Luxon is here to do business, don’t you worry about thatb. Mr KPI expects results, and you better believe itc. This decisive man of action is getting me all hot and excitedd. Melissa Lee is how ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago

  • The Waitangi Tribunal is not “a roving Commission”…
    …it has a restricted jurisdiction which must not be abused: it is not an inquisition   NOTE – this article was published before the High Court ruled that Karen Chhour does not have to appear before the Waitangi Tribunal Gary Judd writes –  The High Court ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • Is Oranga Tamariki guilty of neglect?
    Lindsay Mitchell writes – One of reasons Oranga Tamariki exists is to prevent child neglect. But could the organisation itself be guilty of the same? Oranga Tamariki’s statistics show a decrease in the number and age of children in care. “There are less children ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • Three Strikes saw lower reoffending
    David Farrar writes: Graeme Edgeler wrote in 2017: In the first five years after three strikes came into effect 5248 offenders received a ‘first strike’ (that is, a “stage-1 conviction” under the three strikes sentencing regime), and 68 offenders received a ‘second strike’. In the five years prior to ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • Luxon’s ruthless show of strength is perfect for our angry era
    Bryce Edwards writes – Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in politics. That’s refreshing and will be extremely ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • 'Lacks attention to detail and is creating double-standards.'
    TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the two days to 6:06am on Thursday, April 25:Politics: PM Christopher Luxon has set up a dual standard for ministerial competence by demoting two National Cabinet ministers while leaving also-struggling ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago

  • One Night Only!
    Hi,Today I mainly want to share some of your thoughts about the recent piece I wrote about success and failure, and the forces that seemingly guide our lives. But first, a quick bit of housekeeping: I am doing a Webworm popup in Los Angeles on Saturday May 11 at 2pm. ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago

  • What did Melissa Lee do?
    It is hard to see what Melissa Lee might have done to “save” the media. National went into the election with no public media policy and appears not to have developed one subsequently. Lee claimed that she had prepared a policy paper before the election but it had been decided ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    6 days ago

  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #17 2024
    Open access notables Ice acceleration and rotation in the Greenland Ice Sheet interior in recent decades, Løkkegaard et al., Communications Earth & Environment: In the past two decades, mass loss from the Greenland ice sheet has accelerated, partly due to the speedup of glaciers. However, uncertainty in speed derived from satellite products ...
    Skeptical Science
    7 days ago

  • Maori Party (with “disgust”) draws attention to Chhour’s race after the High Court rules on Wa...
    Buzz from the Beehive A statement from Children’s Minister Karen Chhour – yet to be posted on the Government’s official website – arrived in Point of Order’s email in-tray last night. It welcomes the High Court ruling on whether the Waitangi Tribunal can demand she appear before it. It does ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    7 days ago

  • Who’s Going Up The Media Mountain?
    Mr Bombastic: Ironically, the media the academic experts wanted is, in many ways, the media they got. In place of the tyrannical editors of yesteryear, advancing without fear or favour the interests of the ruling class; the New Zealand news media of today boasts a troop of enlightened journalists dedicated to ...
    Bowalley Road
    7 days ago

  • “That's how I roll”
    It's hard times try to make a livingYou wake up every morning in the unforgivingOut there somewhere in the cityThere's people living lives without mercy or pityI feel good, yeah I'm feeling fineI feel better then I have for the longest timeI think these pills have been good for meI ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago

  • “Comity” versus the rule of law
    In 1974, the US Supreme Court issued its decision in United States v. Nixon, finding that the President was not a King, but was subject to the law and was required to turn over the evidence of his wrongdoing to the courts. It was a landmark decision for the rule ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 week ago

  • Streamlining Building Consent Changes
    The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says.      “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 hours ago

  • Minister acknowledges passing of Sir Robert Martin (KNZM)
    New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    16 hours ago

  • Speech to New Zealand Institute of International Affairs, Parliament – Annual Lecture: Challenges ...
    Good evening –   Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    16 hours ago

  • Accelerating airport security lines
    From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    18 hours ago

  • Community hui to talk about kina barrens
    People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    24 hours ago

  • Kiwi exporters win as NZ-EU FTA enters into force
    Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    24 hours ago

  • Mining resurgence a welcome sign
    There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill passes first reading
    The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Government to boost public EV charging network
    Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure.  The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Residential Property Managers Bill to not progress
    The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Independent review into disability support services
    The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Justice Minister updates UN on law & order plan
    Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Ending emergency housing motels in Rotorua
    The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Trade Minister travels to Riyadh, OECD, and Dubai
    Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Education priorities focused on lifting achievement
    Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • NZTA App first step towards digital driver licence
    The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say.  “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Supporting whānau out of emergency housing
    Whānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Tribute to Dave O'Sullivan
    Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Speech – Eid al-Fitr
    Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Government saves access to medicines
    Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced Pharmac’s largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff.    “Access to medicines is a crucial part of many Kiwis’ lives. We’ve committed to a budget allocation of $1.774 billion over four years so Kiwis are ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Pharmac Chair appointed
    Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Taking action on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
    Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says.  “Every day, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • New sports complex opens in Kaikohe
    Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Diplomacy needed more than ever
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges.    “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Anzac Commemorative Address, Buttes New British Cemetery Belgium
    Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service.  It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Anzac Commemorative Address – NZ National Service, Chunuk Bair
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