There will be far more weird moral loops within the United States by the time the current President figures out which Republicans and Blue Dog Democrats are in play to get his ambitious programmes and budgets over the Senate 51 vote line.
You have to admit it is funny to have criticism of someone not dealing with the issues, the "conversation or substance."
Of course there is a new way of dealing with any conversation or issue which will become classic, a perfectly valid technique: simply state, "Fake news."
"Gates said he thought affiliating with Epstein would encourage the financier to commit money to global health initiatives, but that the money never materialised."
'Gates isn’t the only tech mogul with ties to Epstein – Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and Tesla CEO Elon Musk each met with Epstein at least once, years after after Epstein was convicted."
Eugenie Sage's article on seabed mining linked below.
Alan Eggers, from Trans-Tasman Resources (TTR), claimed in a recent opinion piece that the company has the marine and discharge consents it needs to start mining the seabed in the South Taranaki Bight. This is incorrect.
For the past seven years, Te Runanga o Ngati Ruanui Trust, Ngā Rauru , Kiwis Against Seabed Mining, Forest and Bird, Fisheries Inshore NZ, the NZ Federation of Commercial Fishers, Talley’s Group, LegaSea and many others have vigorously contested TTR’s proposals.
It's great to see so many large groups opposed and that we can hope the Supreme Court rules against TTR. Better yet is the member's bill which could end this nonsense once and for all:
Maori Party co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer has a member’s bill before Parliament which would prohibit seabed mining around Aotearoa/New Zealand. It deserves to go to select committee so public views can be canvassed.
Over the past 200 years, the oceans have absorbed a third of the carbon dioxide produced by human activities and 90 per cent of extra heat associated with global warming.
Oceans have a huge role in mitigating climate change.
Rather than allowing the large scale disturbance of seabed mining with long-lasting and potentially unforeseen consequences; oceans deserve our care and protection; because we depend on their good health.
Scientists are currently doing research on all aspects of Covid, the problem is that health workers and people rely on the research which scientists are doing.
Covid can be unpredictable, and people need reassurance now.
Currently authorized vaccines in the United States are highly effective at protecting vaccinated people against symptomatic and severe COVID-19. Additionally, a growing body of evidence suggests that fully vaccinated people are less likely to have asymptomatic infection or transmit SARS-CoV-2 to others. How long vaccine protection lasts and how much vaccines protect against emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants are still under investigation.
…
At this time, there are limited data on vaccine protection in people who are immunocompromised. People with immunocompromising conditions, including those taking immunosuppressive medications (for instance drugs, such as mycophenolate and rituximab, to suppress rejection of transplanted organs or to treat rheumatologic conditions), should discuss the need for personal protective measures with their healthcare provider after vaccination.
I know a guy who is immunocompromised (transplant recipient). His "normal" isn't the same as my "normal".
As for the fully-vaxxed being able to return to what they did pre-pandemic, it largely seems to be a reasonable call. The evidence might not be beyond all reasonbable doubt yet, but it seems to be going in a pretty solid direction. If 80-90% reduction isn't in one's personal safety zone for clubbing, nobody is forced to go out.
I would say that things like "turning up to work even though one has a cold" should be not just discouraged but actively punished as a workplace safety hazard, these days. Not because of the pandemic directly, but because it showed use how healthy we could be if we generally took basic precautions regarding infectious disease.
Notice they don't care what you are vaccinated with – an ineffective Chinese vaccine will be fine, so "comply" seems to be the message they want to get through.
My understanding which is a bit out of date (December last year) is that there isn't evidence that transmission will be prevented. In order to do that a vaccine must confer sterilized immunity, and there are three other criteria that also must be met but I can't recall them.
Their guidance will most likely be for those vaccinated in the US with a US-approved vaccine. At the moment, those are Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna, and Janssen/Johnson & Johnson.
This moment of scrambling to get out of the pandemic isn't yet the time to drill down to the fine details of what to do about those few that have come from overseas with less effective vaccines, or those that think it's clever to obtain falsified vaccine documentation.
And the CDC guidance says the risk of getting covid and transmitting it is greatly reduced (not eliminated) for the fully vaccinated.
Really? Because your previous quote suggests they don’t know. So this is about public health messaging, and thus far it looks like they taking a bet that it all works out fine. Imagine trying to get Americans to go back to hand washing, masks, social distancing if they’re wrong.
My guess is they’re weighing up the value of enticing people to fully vax against that risk. Or maybe they’re going fuck it, we’re not going to get herd immunity so may as well do the best we can at normalising.
And I don't get it how anyone might think they can come to an understanding of why an organisation might make a particular decision without doing even the bare minimum of reading what that organisation publishes about what went into that decision. Second and third and fourth hand interpretations from other people are more likely to lead to a bum steer than understanding.
Most people don’t read primary sources and rely on the reporting and interpretation of others. One of the reasons I ask questions on TS is because people here are relative well informed. We can’t all read everything.
I did, looking especially at transmission by vaccinated people.
Their introduction states "In addition, a growing body of evidence suggests that COVID-19 vaccines may also reduce asymptomatic infection, and potentially transmission."
Their growing body of evidence on transmission by infected but vaccinated people comprises just two studies: one listed in Table 1b (this table is not cited in the text) showing a 54% reduced risk, presumably of transmission; and one described in the text providing indirect evidence of reduced transmission based on reduced viral load in vaccinated people.
Their conclusion states "Vaccinated people could potentially still become infected and spread the virus to others. However, the benefits of avoiding disruptions such as unnecessary quarantine and social isolation may outweigh these potential residual risks."
With regards to transmission by vaccinated people, this sounds very much like public health messaging .
There was also a section about the relaxing of rules aiding in increasing the uptake of vaccination.
The Scottish study with 54% was the reduction in household members who got covid after their household member who was a healthcare worker got vaccinated. So it doesn't rule out other avenues of infection, just demonstrates that unvaccinated that healthcare workers are a vector into their households. It's a bit of a proxy for actual transmission, like post-vax viral loads.
So there are a combination of factors all leading to the general message that vaccination means you don't have to isolate at home and disinfect the mail-order deliveries every day.
For me, this whole Virus shit has provided a feast of public messaging grading and comparison. How those vital health messages have been constructed and delivered. More than once I have the distinct feeling that we have been 'worked', for want of a better word…massaged and gently manipulated.
But then, I'm just an old cynical conspiracy theorist.
I don’t have too much of a problem with using known messaging techniques to get public health messages out. So long as there is transparency. And people are free to disagree and critique 😉
in this instance, I don’t understand the CDC position and was hoping someone who did would explain.
from talking to friends in the US they don't understand either, so will continue to wear masks when out and about. Some have visited friends and relatives – all vaccinated of course – but that about it is. I guess its to get some commerce going again in the hospitality industry.
another friend who is a biostatistician in California expects cases to raise again and she believes that the vaccines can be considered effective if the death toll stays low. 🙂
Continuing to wear masks, physical distancing, hypervigilance around symptoms etc will still be good things for those willing to carry on with those practices. The will reduce transmission of all air-transmitted diseases such as flu, not just covid. Most of my rellies in the US have gotten used to doing all that and will continue.
But there's a large segment of the population that finds all that onerous. So relieving the restrictions when conditions have reduced remaining risks down to a reasonable level, and they've done their bit by getting vaccinated, is a reasonable balance.
This contains some excellent graphic maps breaking down land ownership across Australia, including massive increases in Aboriginal land title, foreign ownership, state ownership, and pastoral leases.
Be good to have a lot more detail on what these proposed investments are likely to be. There has been at least one study that shows wealthy investors do little to benefit NZ. Where are the factories employing locals. I'm with the stuff commentators who don't think they should be able to
buy passports ( and I'd include moving here to live as residents – make it investment only)
buy land buildings or existing businesses. lease only.
Import more people to work in their businesses.
Be good to see greenfields investment that benefits local workers with high wages. Why do I think that is unlikely to happen.
If they are going to invest to improve sustainability in NZ , like replace all the imported pet food and pet litter products with NZ developed and made product, YES. If it is about more tourism , space stuff and unnecessary technology NO. If it is buying up more of our land and property, NO. New Zealanders really do have the right to know in detail what is going on here before it goes on.
This comment sums up the response by the West in recent decades:
I know there's an outcry around the world to de-escalate but I have not seen any determined effort, so, unfortunately, we cannot see de-escalation unless somebody steps and actually has a plan for peace."
Determined effort is what is missing.
And of the cause of violence this time? Look no further than our friend Trump:
There had always been tensions in the region, but a major trigger this time was the former US president Donald Trump’s Abraham Accords which “created a lot of tension and that tension and anxiety hasn’t been resolved because President Biden doesn’t take it back so it’s still on the plan and that’s quite significantly problematic for Palestinians”.
Nothing to do with Palestinians – it was a normalisation between Israel and UAE ( who werent even combatant state). More important normalisation, including diplomatic recognition were with Jordan and Egypt previously.
That this minor event could 'create a lot of tension and anxiety' is vastly overblown in the context of the daily life of Palestinians compared to rich Arabs in Dubai.
The situation could be resolved by the US in next to no time. All it would need is for the $3.8 billion p.a spent on Israel for weapons to have humanitarian conditions attached. Will they do it? Nah.
The neighbouring property is owned by C94 Development and the company is now taking legal action against Lal over the boundary stoush. It wants him to move the house or pay $315,000 in damages.
“It’s a nightmare for me. I wake up in the middle of the night and think 'how am I going to solve this?'” Lal said.
Pinnacle Homes had hired Hamilton-based company HQ Designs to come up with the plans and file the building consent for the house.
Lal said HQ Designs architect Nitin Kumar filed the building consent and Auckland Council approved it. The council is ultimately responsible, he said.
“The council checked everything and approved the building consent. But the council didn’t cross-check that it was supposed to be one metre within the boundary.”
Lal said he just wants to find someway out of the whole mess.
“Everyone seems to be blaming someone else.”
He said moving the house would be the cheapest option, but that’s money he does not have.
“I’m already paying $1000 a week for the mortgage on this house and the rent for the other place where I’m living.”
Auckland Council was contacted for comment, but did not respond by deadline.
the people signing off on building consents, do they know what they do? Or do they get paid for attendance and fees collected?
nope reading hte article it seems the Council missed something, signed up and the build got build.
The council checked everything and approved the building consent. But the council didn’t cross-check that it was supposed to be one metre within the boundary.”
Dunno the legal nuances of it, but the designer's being a bit precious about his role in the stuff up IMO.
HQ Designs Nitin Kumar said when he filed the building consent he asked the council to cross-check it against the resource consent for the site.
“I clearly noted it in the building consent and said they needed to read it in conjunction with the resource consent. It’s the council’s responsibility to check it.”
Even if he's not legally responsible at the end of the day, checking his plans against the resource consent himself would have been a bit of professionalism that prevented all this. He knew enough point it out to the council, after all.
It's true that Council staff make mistakes when there's massive demand in Consents as there has been through 2020.
It's pretty important that you understand Sabine that the pressures they face actually mount up to be insurmountable.
Auckland Council have had 2 suicide instances recently. That gives an indicator of the culture that many face of public abuse, internal bullying, and job insecurity.
Non of that negates the fact that the fellow has a house where it should not be, and that he does not have several hundred thousands of dollars to make up for someone elses mistakes. Money he not has, and money he should not be responsible to spend.
This is the failure of the Council to a. hire enough people to do the job, b. pay the people enough to do the job, and c. to ensure that the council is a non toxic work place..
And just imagen if that work place is so toxic how bad it must be for someone who just wants a consent correctly signed of so that he can build his house and not be saddled with debt due to an incompetent or overworked council staff.
council dont lay out foundations, or do the job of the surveyors. maybe you should think about that before running off at the mouth. council inspectors are there to make sure the building code is complied with, NOT to hold the hands of incompetent contractors. IF, there is a toxic work place at the council, I would suggest much of the blame could be layed at the feet of experts like you, who are very quick to apportion blame, but very slow to suggest how to improve things.
In this article it is quite clear that the blame lies within the council. Someone has got to be responsible, and generally it is the one who signs off on the job. Or else we do away with council and build as we want with the same result.
But i get it, its all the poor fellows fault, for trusting the developer, the builder, and the council and still got fudge all worth a dime or two.
"the article is quite clear. " yes, of course it is. its also bollocks. the builder, surveyor and developer will be quickly closing ranks,leaky home saga all over again. but ,if you get out from behind your p.c. and spend time on a site, council inspectors are there to make sure the building act is being followed, got nothing to do with building inspector where the house is situated. building inspectors checking that out would quickly be told by subbies to butt out and stick to their knitting. the fault lies equally with surveyor, builder and developer.
yes, you are correct pat, but as low men on site totem pole, subbies try to flex their muscles. as you say, lead contractor is god. should also know how to read the comic(plans) and know where house should be located. interesting to read the article and imagine the deals being done to shovel liability away.
"council inspectors are there to make sure the building act is being followed, got nothing to do with building inspector"
The requirement to site a house within a metre of the boundary pre-dates the 1990 Building Act.
Of course it's the inspectors job to check that it has been sited properly and if this had been done it would have been discovered at the first inspection of the foundations.
TL;DR: Here’s the top six news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above that was recorded yesterday afternoon above between and The Kākā’s climate correspondent : An independent review panel into the emergency response to Cyclone Gabrielle in Hawkes Bayconcluded “that ...
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Buzz from the Beehive Waves of rain are set to lash much of the North Island during Easter Weekend as a low-pressure system forms east of New Zealand, according to a weather forecast published in the past day or so. Niwa was warning of a “moisture-laden” long weekend, with rain expected ...
Look around us…Nicola Willis’ promises of balancing the books, of cutting spending without reducing services, and of delivering game changing tax cuts are disappearing before her eyes.Everyday we see stories of violent crime ending in horrific injuries, or worse. The cost of living worsens, whereas the PM claimed renters would ...
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Treasury’s first report on the economy since the change of government presents a damning indictment of Labour’s economic management. The problem for National is that it is so damning that logically, coupled with a rapidly slowing economy, Finance Minister Nicola Willis should respond to it by postponing or even cancelling ...
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Buzz from the Beehive The media – sure enough – have been binging on Finance Minister Nicola Willis’ release of the Budget Policy Statement and a statement headed Government announces Budget priorities This assures us – or rather, this parrots the Luxon team mantra – that the Budget “will deliver ...
The Ides of March brought me COVID followed by a bereavement. No wonder they tell you to be careful of them.I’m home now and have resumed the interrupted recuperation. Very much looking forward to getting back to regular things. Meanwhile, some thoughts…OneThis new Prime Minister guy just keeps getting more dire. ...
News that the Chinese ATP 40 cyber-hacking unit penetrated parliamentary internet networks in 2021 has renewed concerns about the PRC’s malign intentions in Aotearoa. But is the hack that significant given the length of time that has passed since its … Continue reading → ...
When Parliament passed the Intelligence and security Act in 2017, they assured us all that it was full of safeguards. Any intrusive surveillance of New Zealanders would be subject to a "triple lock", requiring the approval of the Minister and (supposedly independent) Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants, as well as post-facto ...
Eric Crampton writes – Richard Harman’s Politik newsletter provides a bit of the context that ought to have been showing up in other media reports on potential reductions in public service staffing. Media has been reporting on staffing cuts on the order of about 7%. Is that ...
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Robert MacCulloch writes – The Reserve Bank has doubled staff numbers in five years to 510, with personnel costs rising to $80 million in 2023 from $32 million in 2018 – up by a whopping 150%. I guess when you print $50 billion and flood markets with liquidity, ...
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Bryce Edwards writes – “It is often said that behind every great man is a great woman”. This is the pitch by the National Party Botany electorate branch to attend their “Ladies Afternoon Tea with Amanda Luxon”. For $110 including GST, you can turn up on Saturday 20 April ...
David Farrar writes – The Electoral Commission has published the expense returns for political parties for the 2023 election. I’ve put them in a table with how many votes a party got so we can see the spend per vote. National only spent $3.34 for every vote they got, almost ...
Winston Peters’ headline-making actions over the past week may have been a show of political power intended to strengthen his hand in Budget negotiations. It was no accident that his State of the Nation speech was as it was. He made it as New Zealand First Leader, not as Deputy ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:Former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson bowed out of politics this week, giving a series of exit ...
Graham Adams writes — If you love the law or sausages, as the saying goes, best not to look too closely at how they are made. And after watching the orgy of self-pity when Newshub’s closure was announced on February 28, television journalism should definitely be added to the list of those ...
Venerable New Zealand political commentator, Chris Trotter (https://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/), is a sad creature these days. Once one of the most reliable Leftist writers out there – Economic Left at that – Trotter seems to have absorbed the worldview of Auckland culture-war obsessives. It is not for me to categorise what he ...
The cruelty of short-term memory loss is that each time you ask where she is, you get the fresh shock and grief of the news. That was Dad's day yesterday.Comfortingly, it seems to be less so today. Last night he looked crumpled, today he seems more settled. There's a card ...
Photo by Alvan Nee on UnsplashIt’s that new day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when and I co-host our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm. Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream for our chat about the week’s news ...
Buzz from the Beehive One minister is talking tough while a colleague – whose ministry had acted tough and drawn a barrage of flak – has shown an official softening. Some ministers are doing what Labour was good at, which is distributing public funds to causes regarded as worthy or ...
The Coalition Government’s plan to ‘get Auckland moving’ is a cuts cover-up that will ultimately cost Aucklanders more to move around the city, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Slashing the Ministry of Pacific Peoples by 40% will have a devastating impact on pacific communities and further highlights how little this government cares about anything other than cutting taxes for the wealthiest few. ...
Labour has proposed an urgent inquiry to investigate the ever-increasing profits of supermarkets, aiming to lower costs for shoppers and food producers alike, says Labour Spokesperson for Commerce and Consumer Affairs Arena Williams and Primary Production Spokesperson Cushla Tangaere-Manuel. ...
With 14% of jobs on the line at the Ministry for Ethnic Communities, the responsible Minister Melissa Lee is failing to stand up for the very communities she’s meant to be representing. ...
COURT OF APPEAL: TRIFECTA OF VICTORY FOR NZ FIRST, TRIFECTA OF FAILURE FOR OPPONENTS For the third time since April 2020, New Zealand First has defeated the Serious Fraud Office and all those complicit in a malicious attack against a political party going about its lawful business in a lawful ...
The Green Party stands with people who live in public housing, people in dire housing need, experts and advocates in demanding better than the Government’s archaic approach to housing those who need our support the most. ...
New Zealand has recently lost the hosting rights of some major international sporting events including the America’s Cup, the Rugby Championship, Netball World Cup, and the Wellington Sevens. We are now at a huge risk of losing SailGP as well. And it won’t stop there. The recent issues with SailGP ...
A Member’s Bill drawn this week would modernise insurance law and make things fairer and more transparent for consumers, Christchurch Central MP Duncan Webb said. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues has confirmed she was aware of funding issues in mid-December and did nothing to stop it. On 14 March, she signed off on changes that were announced and implemented on 18 March without any consultation with disability communities. ...
Green Party MP Julie Anne Genter says her members' bill is an opportunity for the coalition government to plug the gap in electric vehicle incentives. ...
The National Government continues to talk about irresponsible tax cuts that will only drive up inflation, despite the country entering a technical recession. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues must act urgently to reinstate flexibility around the funding for disability support and apologise to disabled carers. ...
This story has been initiated by a leftie shill reporter who proactively sought to call a member of a former band, which disbanded twelve years ago, give their biased appraisal of what was said in my speech, and concocted a ham-fisted attempt at a story that does nothing but show ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Many in the mainstream media have taken what was said in New Zealand First’s State of the Nation Speech in Palmerston North on Sunday and deliberately, deceitfully, and ignorantly misrepresented what I said and why I said it. The headlines and commentary on the news stated that I compared ‘co-governance ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
Good afternoon. Thank you for, in your very busy lives, turning up to this meeting today. On October 14th last year New Zealanders overwhelmingly voted for change. That is exactly what this new government is bringing. New Zealand First campaigned to ‘take back our country’ and stop the disastrous economic ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the passing of legislation to move light electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) into the road user charges system from 1 April. “It was always intended that EVs and PHEVs would be exempt from road user charges until they reached two ...
New Zealand is strengthening its ability to combat illegal fishing outside its domestic waters and beef up regulation for its own commercial fishers in international waters through a Bill which had its first reading in Parliament today. The Fisheries (International Fishing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2023 sets out stronger ...
Economists Carl Hansen and Professor Prasanna Gai have been appointed to the Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced today. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is the independent decision-making body that sets the Official Cash Rate which determines interest rates. Carl Hansen, the executive director of Capital ...
Apartment owners and buyers will soon have greater protections as further changes to the law on unit titles come into effect, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Act had already introduced some changes in December 2022 and May 2023, and ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Egypt and Europe from this weekend. “This travel will focus on a range of New Zealand’s traditional diplomatic and security partnerships while enabling broad engagement on the urgent situation in Gaza,” Mr Peters says. Mr Peters will attend the NATO Foreign ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown is encouraging all road users to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. “Road safety is a responsibility we all share, and with increased traffic on our roads expected this Easter we ...
About 1.4 million New Zealanders will receive cost of living relief through increased government assistance from April 1 909,000 pensioners get a boost to Superannuation, including 5000 veterans 371,000 working-age beneficiaries will get higher payments 45,000 students will see an increase in their allowance Over a quarter of New Zealanders ...
Ensuring social housing is being provided to those with the greatest needs is front of mind as the Government restarts social housing tenancy reviews, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. “Our relentless focus on building a strong economy is to ensure we can deliver better public services such as social ...
The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will not go ahead, with Cabinet deciding to stop work on the proposed reserve and remove the Bill that would have established it from Parliament’s order paper. “The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill would have created a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
Dam safety regulations are being amended so that smaller dams won’t be subject to excessive compliance costs, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on reducing costs and removing unnecessary red tape so we can get the economy back on track. “Dam safety regulations ...
The coalition Government is expanding the medium-scale adverse event classification to parts of the North Island as dry weather conditions persist, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “I have made the decision to expand the medium-scale adverse event classification already in place for parts of the South Island to also cover the ...
The passing of legislation giving effect to coalition Government tax commitments has been welcomed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill will help place New Zealand on a more secure economic footing, improve outcomes for New Zealanders, and make our tax system ...
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds today announced plans to transform our science and university sectors to boost the economy. Two advisory groups, chaired by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, will advise the Government on how these sectors can play a greater ...
The Budget will deliver urgently-needed tax relief to hard-working New Zealanders while putting the government’s finances back on a sustainable track, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The Finance Minister made the comments at the release of the Budget Policy Statement setting out the Government’s Budget objectives. “The coalition Government intends ...
The coalition Government will look at options to address a zoning issue that limits how much financial support Queenstown residents can get for accommodation. Cabinet has agreed on a response to the Petitions Committee, which had recommended the geographic information MSD uses to determine how much accommodation supplement can be ...
Cabinet has agreed to a short extension to the final reporting timeframe for the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from 28 March 2024 to 26 June 2024, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says. “The Royal Commission wrote to me on 16 February 2024, requesting that I consider an ...
The coalition Government is delivering an $18 million boost to New Zealanders needing to travel for specialist health treatment, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says. “These changes are long overdue – the National Travel Assistance (NTA) scheme saw its last increase to mileage and accommodation rates way back in 2009. ...
The Government is recognising the innovative and rising talent in New Zealand’s growing space sector, with the Prime Minister and Space Minister Judith Collins announcing the new Prime Minister’s Prizes for Space today. “New Zealand has a growing reputation as a high-value partner for space missions and research. I am ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity, attributed to groups sponsored by the Chinese Government, targeting democratic institutions in both New ...
Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced the appointment of three independent reviewers to lead the Ministerial Inquiry into the Ministry of Education’s School Property Function. The Inquiry will be led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully. “There is a clear need ...
State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns will be open for Easter weekend, with work currently underway to ensure the resilience of this critical route being paused for Easter Weekend to allow holiday makers to travel north, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Today I visited the Brynderwyn Hills construction site, where ...
Introduction Good morning to you all, and thanks for having me bright and early today. I am absolutely delighted to be the Minister for Infrastructure alongside the Minister of Housing and Resource Management Reform. I know the Prime Minister sees the three roles as closely connected and he wants me ...
New Zealand stands with the United Kingdom in its condemnation of People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-backed malicious cyber activity impacting its Electoral Commission and targeting Members of the UK Parliament. “The use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is unacceptable,” Minister Responsible for ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced New Zealand will provide logistics support for the upcoming Solomon Islands election. “We’re sending a team of New Zealand Defence Force personnel and two NH90 helicopters to provide logistics support for the election on 17 April, at the request ...
The European Union Free Trade Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill received Royal Assent today, completing the process for New Zealand’s ratification of its free trade agreement with the European Union. “I am pleased to announce that today, in a small ceremony at the Beehive, New Zealand notified the European Union ...
Public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has concluded, Internal Affairs Minister Hon Brooke van Velden says. “I have been advised that there were over 11,000 submissions made through the Royal Commission’s online consultation portal.” Expanding the scope of the Royal Commission of ...
Hardworking families are set to benefit from a new credit to help them meet their early childcare education (ECE) costs, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. From 1 July, parents and caregivers of young children will be supported to manage the rising cost of living with a partial reimbursement of their ...
A specialised Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) tasked with preparing and publishing independent non-binding advice on the design of a "green" (sustainable finance) taxonomy rulebook is being established, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “Comprising experts and market participants, the ITAG's primary goal is to deliver comprehensive recommendations to the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins has thanked the Chief of Army, Major General John Boswell, DSD, for his service as he leaves the Army after 40 years. “I would like to thank Major General Boswell for his contribution to the Army and the wider New Zealand Defence Force, undertaking many different ...
25 March 2024 Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders Small Business, Manufacturing, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly will travel to Australia for a series of bi-lateral meetings and manufacturing visits. During the visit, Minister Bayly will meet with his Australian counterparts, Senator Tim Ayres, Ed ...
Government commits almost $3 million for period products in schools The Coalition Government has committed $2.9 million to ensure intermediate and secondary schools continue providing period products to those who need them, Minister of Education Erica Stanford announced today. “This is an issue of dignity and ensuring young women don’t ...
Good morning, it’s great to be here. First, I would like to acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors and thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning. I would like to use this opportunity to outline the Government’s ambitious plan and what we hope to ...
Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti has announced the Government’s commitment to the Auckland Secondary Schools Māori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival, more commonly known as Polyfest. “The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is a longtime supporter of Polyfest and, as it celebrates 49 years in 2024, I’m proud to ...
Before moving onto the substance of today’s address, I want to recognise the very significant and ongoing contribution the Breast Cancer Foundation makes to support the lives of New Zealand women and their families living with breast cancer. I very much enjoy working with you. I also want to recognise ...
New Zealand has notched up a first with the launch of University of Canterbury research to the International Space Station, Science, Innovation and Technology and Space Minister Judith Collins says. The hardware, developed by Dr Sarah Kessans, is designed to operate autonomously in orbit, allowing scientists on Earth to study ...
Introduction Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today and I’m sorry I can’t be there in person. Yesterday I started in Wellington for Breakfast TV, spoke to a property conference in Auckland, and finished the day speaking to local government in Christchurch, so it would have been ...
The Coalition Government is contributing more than $1 million to support the establishment of an emergency multi-agency coordination centre in Northland. Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced the contribution today during a visit of the Whangārei site where the facility will be constructed. “Northland has faced a number ...
New Zealanders have enjoyed a broader range of voices telling the story of Aotearoa thanks to the creation of Whakaata Māori 20 years ago, says Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka. The minister spoke at a celebration marking the national indigenous media organisation’s 20th anniversary at their studio in Auckland on ...
Commercial catch limits for some fisheries have been increased following a review showing stocks are healthy and abundant, Ocean and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The changes, along with some other catch limit changes and management settings, begin coming into effect from 1 April 2024. "Regular biannual reviews of fish ...
Analysis by Keith Rankin. Keith Rankin, trained as an economic historian, is a retired lecturer in Economics and Statistics. He lives in Auckland, New Zealand. My earlier article – Can ‘Good’ be the Greater Evil? – looked at the issue of how wars should end, and how Good versus Evil ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 AMMA by Saraid de Silva (Moa Press, $38)A stunning debut novel reviewed by Brannavan ...
From Steve Martin to Ricky Stanicky, a pick’n’mix of things worth watching and listening to this long weekend. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. If you’re at a loss for something to occupy yourself with this Easter, don’t panic: The Spinoff’s got ...
Jesus had dinner with his 12 disciples right before he died. Noted historian Madeleine Chapman finds out who really deserved to be there.First published in 2018 but let’s be honest, the subject is timeless. As you sit on your couch this Easter Sunday, eating a chocolate egg you know ...
The newly-promoted Northern League club is on a mission to return to the National League for the first time in two decades. Plenty about domestic football in New Zealand has changed in that time – but the sense that this amateur competition is not an entirely level playing field remains. ...
Comment: Every year on February 2, a dozen men in tuxedos and top hats approach the burrow of a groundhog in Gobbler’s Knob, Pennsylvania and entice the beaver-like rodent to emerge and predict the weather. If the groundhog, named Punxsutawney Phil, sees its own shadow when it is summoned, legend ...
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Auckland Council has put a deadline on new weather-impacted property owners applying for categorisation as government funding looks set to run out. Councillors have voted to support a deadline of September 30 for property owners who haven’t accessed support to come forward and engage with the council’s recovery office. It ...
NONFICTION 1 BBQ Economics by Liam Dann (Penguin Random House, $40) “It’s official,” wrote Dann nine days ago in the Herald, where he works as business editor at large, “we’re in recession.” Yeah, great. He delivered the bad stats: “GDP fell 0.1 percent in the December 2023 quarter, compared with ...
By Anneke Smith, RNZ News political reporter A petition urging the New Zealand government to provide urgent humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people has been tabled in the House. More than 200 people gathered on Parliament’s forecourt today and they were met by MPs from Labour, the Greens and Te ...
Pacific Media Watch The Paris-based global media freedom watchdog RSF (Reporters Without Borders) has appealed for information about the “disappearance” of Palestinian journalist Bayan Abusultan. She was reportedly last seen on March 19 among people “sequestered” in this week’s raid and siege of Al Shifa hospital by Israeli troops in ...
EDITORIAL:The Jakarta Post It happens again and again; indigenous Papuans fall victim to Indonesian soldiers. This time, we have photographic evidence for the brutality, with videos on social media showing a Papuan man being tortured by a group of plainclothes men alleged to be the Indonesian Military (TNI) members. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robyn J. Whitaker, Director of the Wesley Centre for Theology, Ethics, and Public Policy & Associate Professor, New Testament, Pilgrim Theological College, University of Divinity A strange and eclectic range of activities takes place across these few weeks of the year. Some ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Panizza Allmark, Professor Visual & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University It’s Easter weekend, which means many of us will be kicking back with the greatest hits on repeat. But whether you’re a boomer, or an ‘80s or ’90s kid, you might be ...
RNZ Pacific Fiji’s Acting Public Prosecutor has filed an appeal against the sentences of former prime minister Voreqe Bainimarama and suspended police chief Sitiveni Qiliho in their corruption case. Bainimarama was granted an absolute discharge for attempting to pervert the course of justice while Qiliho received a conditional discharge with ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Arosha Weerakoon, Senior Lecturer and General Dentist, School of Dentistry, The University of Queensland Casezy idea/Shutterstock How does toothpaste work? What did people use before toothpaste was invented? – Amelia, age 7, Meanjin (Brisbane) Thanks for your ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brett Hallam, Associate professor, UNSW Sydney IM Imagery/Shutterstock Solar SunShot is well named. The Australian government announced today it would plough A$1 billion into bringing back solar manufacturing to Australia, boosting energy security, swapping coal and gas jobs for those ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Dix, Research Fellow in Nutrition & Dietetics, The University of Queensland Easter is the time for chocolate. The shops are full of fantastically packaged and shiny chocolates in all shapes and sizes, making trips to the supermarket with children more challenging ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emma Felton, Adjunct Senior Researcher, University of South Australia Even in a stubborn cost-of-living crisis, it seems there’s one luxury most Australians won’t sacrifice – their daily cup of coffee. Coffee sales have largely remained stable, even as financial pressures have ...
Mining company Trans-Tasman Resources has unexpectedly withdrawn its application for a consent to suck the valuable metals vanadium and titanium from the Taranaki seafloor, as it apparently wagers on the Government’s new fast-track process. It had spent two-and-a-half days putting its case to the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision-making committee, at ...
Contrary to the Associate Minister of Education’s claims, analysis of Healthy School Lunches Programme - Ka Ora, Ka Ako assessments has revealed it provides excellent value for the taxpayer dollar, as a groundswell of public opposition to Government ...
Greenpeace says wannabe Taranaki seabed miner Trans-Tasman Resources is likely banking on Christopher Luxon’s fast-track process to side-step proper scrutiny of its Taranaki seabed mining proposal by bailing out of the Environmental Protection Agency hearing ...
Kiwis Against Seabed mining today slammed Australian owned would-be seabed miner Trans Tasman Resources (TTR) for abandoning its application to the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to mine the seabed of the South Taranaki Bight. The company ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katie Attwell, Associate Professor, School of Social Sciences, The University of Western Australia Ground Picture/Shutterstock Months after COVID vaccines were introduced in 2021, governments and private organisations mandated them for various groups. Health and aged care workers were among the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Dzurak, Scientia Professor Andrew Dzurak, CEO and Founder of Diraq, UNSW Sydney Diraq For decades, the pursuit of quantum computing has struggled with the need for extremely low temperatures, mere fractions of a degree above absolute zero (0 Kelvin or ...
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 A national Essential poll, conducted March 20–24 from a sample of 1,150, gave the Coalition a 50–44 lead including undecided, a reversal ...
The Taxpayers’ Union has today made a formal request under the Regulations of the People’s Republic of China on Open Government Information () for information held about how New Zealand Members of Parliament are spending taxpayer ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert Nelson, Honorary Principal Fellow, The University of Melbourne A Byzantine depiction of the Eucharist in Saint Sophia Cathedral, Kyiv.Jacek555/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA A nasty quarrel arose in the 11th century over what kind of bread should be used in holy ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Patrick Hesp, Professor, Flinders University Patrick Hesp In some parts of Australia, coastal dunes are retreating from the ocean at an alarming rate, as waves carve up the beach and wind blows the sand inland. But coastal communities are largely ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Luke Heemsbergen, Senior Lecturer, Digital, Political, Media, Deakin University With an impressive 60% of the US smartphone market, Apple is undeniably big, but not a clear monopoly. Yet, years of innovation by Apple have effectively given the company its own exclusive ...
Whether you’re facing layoffs or are just an emotional junior staffer, it’s always a good idea to scout out a good crying place before you need it. It’s an incredibly hard time for Wellington. Across the city, thousands of public servants are hearing tough news about redundancies and layoffs. Government ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Miller-Jones, Professor, Curtin University Nuclear explosions on a neutron star feed its jets. Danielle Futselaar and Nathalie Degenaar, Anton Pannekoek Institute, University of Amsterdam, CC BY-SA How fast can a neutron star drive powerful jets into space? The answer, it ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daryl Adair, Associate Professor of Sport Management, University of Technology Sydney Earlier this week, independent MP Andrew Wilkie accused the AFL of conducting “off the books” illicit drug testing to identify players using substances of abuse, then inappropriately withdrawing them from matches ...
The Government’s announcement that it will scrap plans for a vast marine sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands is ‘shameful’ and will make it impossible for Aotearoa New Zealand to meet its international commitments, says the World Wide Fund for Nature ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Quiggin, Professor, School of Economics, The University of Queensland Shutterstock The federal government has bowed to pressure from the car industry, announcing it will relax proposed emissions rules for utes and vans and delay enforcement of the new standards ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Suzanne Rutland, Professor Emerita, University of Sydney In his latest book, Jewish Life in Medieval Spain, Jonathan Ray focuses on the tumult of the 14th century in Spain – a time of the plague, civil strife and war between the two largest ...
While creating a slate of world-class shows, Whakaata Māori also developed a generation of world-class creatives. Television is an odd word. It mixes the Ancient Greek and Latin languages, and its most literal meaning is “far-off sight”. In the contemporary and living language of te reo Māori, “whakaata” as a ...
Yesterday the UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Israel’s war on Gaza. This significant step and the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza prompted an urgent debate in the New Zealand Parliament. Leader ...
The Government’s decision to reduce access to continuous glucose monitors (CGM) not only threatens the lives of children with type 1 diabetes and increases the potential for ‘Dead in Bed’ syndrome, but also threatens the health of their parents an ...
Apples are available year-round, but the wide variety on offer involves intensive scientific research – and large-scale commercialisation. What’s beautiful, red, sweet and crunchy? Tony Martin’s favourite kind of apple: Sassy. The CEO of apple and pear breeding organisation Prevar, Martin’s fondness for Sassy represents professional success as well as ...
Family violence specialist service Shine is calling on employers to stop asking for proof of domestic violence in order for employees to access domestic violence leave. The call comes five years after the introduction of the Domestic Violence ...
The Deputy Chairperson of the Finance and Expenditure Committee is calling for public submissions on the Budget Policy Statement 2024. The Budget Policy Statement 2024 (BPS) sets out the Government's priorities for the 2024 Budget. It explains the approach ...
Brutal government spending cuts that will see the size of the Ministry for Pacific Peoples slashed by 40% will hit Pasifika communities hard, the PSA says. The Ministry has told staff that it is seeking voluntary redundancies, and to redeploy and reassign ...
I live with five people I mostly love, but our different ideas about generosity are starting to really irk me.Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nzDear Hera,This is a bit of a random one but here goes. I’m 22 and work an OK job (OK meaning I get paid ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Maria Nicholas, Senior Lecturer in Language and Literacy Education, Deakin University Earlier this month, the New South Wales government announced it would roll out programs for gifted students in every public school in the state. This comes amid concerns gifted school ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Rudge, Law lecturer, University of Sydney Massachusetts General Hospital In a world first, we heard last week that US surgeons had transplanted a kidney from a gene-edited pig into a living human. News reports said the procedure was a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Tombs, Howard Paterson Chair of Theology and Public Issues, University of Otago The 5th-century Maskell panel showing Jesus in a loincloth.British Museum, CC BY-NC-SA When Jesus is shown on the cross, he is almost always depicted wearing a loincloth around ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Panizza Allmark, Professor Visual & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University Shutterstock When you think about a red object, you might picture a red carpet, or the massive ruby in the Queen’s crown. Indeed, Western monarchies and marketing from brands such ...
COMMENTARY:Jewish Voice for Peace The UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza on Monday — and for the first time since the beginning of the Israeli military’s genocide of Palestinians, the United States abstained rather than vetoing it. Security Council resolutions are legally binding, ...
Asia Pacific Report A New Zealand investigative journalist and author says the US spy system hosted by the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) appears to be a controversial intelligence system used in global capture-kill operations. Writing a commentary for RNZ News today, Nicky Hager, author of Secret Power, a 1996 ...
While Nicola Willis wouldn’t give any details on its size, she said a package of tax cuts is definitely still coming in this year’s budget, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming the investigation into the Department of Internal Affairs after it was revealed that the Department’s Chief Executive personally reached out to expedite a DJs passport application. Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns ...
Finance minister Nicola Willis delivers her first budget statement, and unwittingly helps Joel MacManus save his relationship. Nicola Willis strode into the Beehive Theatrette. Around me, on the green foldout seats, were the country’s top business and political journalists. They were all here to see her announce the Budget Policy ...
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This is not good.
Taiwan Covid cases: Country hit with worst outbreak since pandemic – NZ Herald
David Seymour: We should be more like Taiwan.
NZ and Australia could be Taiwan by the end of the week.
Ain't that the truth Treetop! Hold on tight I say.
The convenient Covid host which humans are is the problem.
Hopefully not if we keep our border controls tight. Hopefully all front line people are now vaccinated (they should be).
Now the Russiagaters are holding up LIZ CHENEY as a defender of the rule of law
Saagar Enjeti sums it up perfectly: "This is Lincoln Project-level idiocy."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7W2XlcuO9Q
There will be far more weird moral loops within the United States by the time the current President figures out which Republicans and Blue Dog Democrats are in play to get his ambitious programmes and budgets over the Senate 51 vote line.
You have to admit it is funny to have criticism of someone not dealing with the issues, the "conversation or substance."
Of course there is a new way of dealing with any conversation or issue which will become classic, a perfectly valid technique: simply state, "Fake news."
"Gates said he thought affiliating with Epstein would encourage the financier to commit money to global health initiatives, but that the money never materialised."
'Gates isn’t the only tech mogul with ties to Epstein – Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and Tesla CEO Elon Musk each met with Epstein at least once, years after after Epstein was convicted."
Bill Gates re Jeffrey Epstein: "I wish I'd never met him."
When Gates "stayed late" at Epstein's house, who else was there? Bill Clinton? Rudy Giuliani? Donald Trump? Alan Dershowitz?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4lqt_JLrGU
Eugenie Sage's article on seabed mining linked below.
It's great to see so many large groups opposed and that we can hope the Supreme Court rules against TTR. Better yet is the member's bill which could end this nonsense once and for all:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/news/300307775/oceans-need-our-care-and-protection-not-seabed-mining
Can someone please explain this public messaging? What’s the science saying on transmission via vaccinated people?
“ CDC Dir. Walensky: “If you are fully vaccinated, you can start doing the things that you had stopped doing because of the pandemic.”
https://twitter.com/abc/status/1392911721782710278?s=21
Scientists are currently doing research on all aspects of Covid, the problem is that health workers and people rely on the research which scientists are doing.
Covid can be unpredictable, and people need reassurance now.
This appears to be the latest CDC guidance for fully vaccinated people:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/fully-vaccinated-guidance.html
Weird then that they are saying go back to normal life if you’re fully vaxxed. Or is this poor MSM reporting?
I know a guy who is immunocompromised (transplant recipient). His "normal" isn't the same as my "normal".
As for the fully-vaxxed being able to return to what they did pre-pandemic, it largely seems to be a reasonable call. The evidence might not be beyond all reasonbable doubt yet, but it seems to be going in a pretty solid direction. If 80-90% reduction isn't in one's personal safety zone for clubbing, nobody is forced to go out.
I would say that things like "turning up to work even though one has a cold" should be not just discouraged but actively punished as a workplace safety hazard, these days. Not because of the pandemic directly, but because it showed use how healthy we could be if we generally took basic precautions regarding infectious disease.
yeah, I'm hoping that one will stick too. We'll see.
bloody jinxed it, I did. Colleague came to work sniffling and coughing after having yesterday off sick.
We sent him home, but there shouldn't have been any need to tell him.
Counting his paid sick leave days?
only started a couple of months ago. Just too new and keen lol.
… and doesn't get sick leave until he's been there six months …
nope, agreement says ten days sick leave available "upon appointment".
Good union.
Notice they don't care what you are vaccinated with – an ineffective Chinese vaccine will be fine, so "comply" seems to be the message they want to get through.
My understanding which is a bit out of date (December last year) is that there isn't evidence that transmission will be prevented. In order to do that a vaccine must confer sterilized immunity, and there are three other criteria that also must be met but I can't recall them.
Their guidance will most likely be for those vaccinated in the US with a US-approved vaccine. At the moment, those are Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna, and Janssen/Johnson & Johnson.
https://www.fda.gov/emergency-preparedness-and-response/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19/covid-19-vaccines
This moment of scrambling to get out of the pandemic isn't yet the time to drill down to the fine details of what to do about those few that have come from overseas with less effective vaccines, or those that think it's clever to obtain falsified vaccine documentation.
And the CDC guidance says the risk of getting covid and transmitting it is greatly reduced (not eliminated) for the fully vaccinated.
Really? Because your previous quote suggests they don’t know. So this is about public health messaging, and thus far it looks like they taking a bet that it all works out fine. Imagine trying to get Americans to go back to hand washing, masks, social distancing if they’re wrong.
My guess is they’re weighing up the value of enticing people to fully vax against that risk. Or maybe they’re going fuck it, we’re not going to get herd immunity so may as well do the best we can at normalising.
Have you fully read the CDC guidance for fully vaccinated people and the background info in the "growing body of evidence" link?
No. Have you?
Yes, I have read them.
And I don't get it how anyone might think they can come to an understanding of why an organisation might make a particular decision without doing even the bare minimum of reading what that organisation publishes about what went into that decision. Second and third and fourth hand interpretations from other people are more likely to lead to a bum steer than understanding.
Most people don’t read primary sources and rely on the reporting and interpretation of others. One of the reasons I ask questions on TS is because people here are relative well informed. We can’t all read everything.
I did, looking especially at transmission by vaccinated people.
Their introduction states "In addition, a growing body of evidence suggests that COVID-19 vaccines may also reduce asymptomatic infection, and potentially transmission."
Their growing body of evidence on transmission by infected but vaccinated people comprises just two studies: one listed in Table 1b (this table is not cited in the text) showing a 54% reduced risk, presumably of transmission; and one described in the text providing indirect evidence of reduced transmission based on reduced viral load in vaccinated people.
Their conclusion states "Vaccinated people could potentially still become infected and spread the virus to others. However, the benefits of avoiding disruptions such as unnecessary quarantine and social isolation may outweigh these potential residual risks."
With regards to transmission by vaccinated people, this sounds very much like public health messaging .
There was also a section about the relaxing of rules aiding in increasing the uptake of vaccination.
The Scottish study with 54% was the reduction in household members who got covid after their household member who was a healthcare worker got vaccinated. So it doesn't rule out other avenues of infection, just demonstrates that unvaccinated that healthcare workers are a vector into their households. It's a bit of a proxy for actual transmission, like post-vax viral loads.
So there are a combination of factors all leading to the general message that vaccination means you don't have to isolate at home and disinfect the mail-order deliveries every day.
Thanks. They’re caught between a rock and a hard place, and another rock given low uptake rates.
Going back to normal in th US is a powerful incentive to get vaccinated. I feel for the people that can’t though. Is anyone advising or helping them?
Ah I see McFlock addressed that too.
Can someone please explain this public messaging?
For me, this whole Virus shit has provided a feast of public messaging grading and comparison. How those vital health messages have been constructed and delivered. More than once I have the distinct feeling that we have been 'worked', for want of a better word…massaged and gently manipulated.
But then, I'm just an old cynical conspiracy theorist.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ANOVSjDUd4&t=8s
I don’t have too much of a problem with using known messaging techniques to get public health messages out. So long as there is transparency. And people are free to disagree and critique 😉
in this instance, I don’t understand the CDC position and was hoping someone who did would explain.
from talking to friends in the US they don't understand either, so will continue to wear masks when out and about. Some have visited friends and relatives – all vaccinated of course – but that about it is. I guess its to get some commerce going again in the hospitality industry.
another friend who is a biostatistician in California expects cases to raise again and she believes that the vaccines can be considered effective if the death toll stays low. 🙂
Continuing to wear masks, physical distancing, hypervigilance around symptoms etc will still be good things for those willing to carry on with those practices. The will reduce transmission of all air-transmitted diseases such as flu, not just covid. Most of my rellies in the US have gotten used to doing all that and will continue.
But there's a large segment of the population that finds all that onerous. So relieving the restrictions when conditions have reduced remaining risks down to a reasonable level, and they've done their bit by getting vaccinated, is a reasonable balance.
We will see within a few weeks i guess. Bill Maher is one of those who has got covid even though he got vaccinated. https://www.forbes.com/sites/brucelee/2021/05/15/bill-maher-tests-positive-for-covid-19-coronavirus-and-is-fully-vaccinated/?sh=7bae7e757ebf
So it will be interesting to see how it will hold up in someone who is wealthy, with access to good healthcare etc.
This contains some excellent graphic maps breaking down land ownership across Australia, including massive increases in Aboriginal land title, foreign ownership, state ownership, and pastoral leases.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/ng-interactive/2021/may/17/who-owns-australia
Anyone know if Landcare or OIC done something similar?
Be good to have a lot more detail on what these proposed investments are likely to be. There has been at least one study that shows wealthy investors do little to benefit NZ. Where are the factories employing locals. I'm with the stuff commentators who don't think they should be able to
buy passports ( and I'd include moving here to live as residents – make it investment only)
buy land buildings or existing businesses. lease only.
Import more people to work in their businesses.
Be good to see greenfields investment that benefits local workers with high wages. Why do I think that is unlikely to happen.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/300309160/wealthy-investors-due-to-arrive-on-new-border-exemption
And how is any of this going to help our young people buy a first home? Or increase social housing.
If they are going to invest to improve sustainability in NZ , like replace all the imported pet food and pet litter products with NZ developed and made product, YES. If it is about more tourism , space stuff and unnecessary technology NO. If it is buying up more of our land and property, NO. New Zealanders really do have the right to know in detail what is going on here before it goes on.
Very poor response by our PM in regard to the Israeli/Palastinion situation.
Nothing short of condeming Israel for it's illegal occupation which is the root cause of the troubles woud suffice.
As it ever was.
This comment sums up the response by the West in recent decades:
Determined effort is what is missing.
And of the cause of violence this time? Look no further than our friend Trump:
Biden seems paralysed too.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/442722/israel-gaza-conflict-call-for-legal-intervention
"Donald Trump’s Abraham Accords"
Nothing to do with Palestinians – it was a normalisation between Israel and UAE ( who werent even combatant state). More important normalisation, including diplomatic recognition were with Jordan and Egypt previously.
That this minor event could 'create a lot of tension and anxiety' is vastly overblown in the context of the daily life of Palestinians compared to rich Arabs in Dubai.
Indeed. Perhaps that is why they are so pissed off about it.
The situation could be resolved by the US in next to no time. All it would need is for the $3.8 billion p.a spent on Israel for weapons to have humanitarian conditions attached. Will they do it? Nah.
oh boy,
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/local-democracy-reporting/300308100/auckland-man-facing-315000-bill-after-house-built-in-wrong-place
the people signing off on building consents, do they know what they do? Or do they get paid for attendance and fees collected?
Was the house built too close to the boundary, or was there unclarity on where the boundary is?
nope reading hte article it seems the Council missed something, signed up and the build got build.
Dunno the legal nuances of it, but the designer's being a bit precious about his role in the stuff up IMO.
Even if he's not legally responsible at the end of the day, checking his plans against the resource consent himself would have been a bit of professionalism that prevented all this. He knew enough point it out to the council, after all.
It's true that Council staff make mistakes when there's massive demand in Consents as there has been through 2020.
It's pretty important that you understand Sabine that the pressures they face actually mount up to be insurmountable.
Auckland Council have had 2 suicide instances recently. That gives an indicator of the culture that many face of public abuse, internal bullying, and job insecurity.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/two-tragic-deaths-at-auckland-council-bring-a-call-to-improve-staff-mental-wellbeing/OQDWW4L54NZJODKXZ3BZUXLKCE/
The least they can do is pay to move the house by 1 metre.
Non of that negates the fact that the fellow has a house where it should not be, and that he does not have several hundred thousands of dollars to make up for someone elses mistakes. Money he not has, and money he should not be responsible to spend.
This is the failure of the Council to a. hire enough people to do the job, b. pay the people enough to do the job, and c. to ensure that the council is a non toxic work place..
And just imagen if that work place is so toxic how bad it must be for someone who just wants a consent correctly signed of so that he can build his house and not be saddled with debt due to an incompetent or overworked council staff.
council dont lay out foundations, or do the job of the surveyors. maybe you should think about that before running off at the mouth. council inspectors are there to make sure the building code is complied with, NOT to hold the hands of incompetent contractors. IF, there is a toxic work place at the council, I would suggest much of the blame could be layed at the feet of experts like you, who are very quick to apportion blame, but very slow to suggest how to improve things.
In this article it is quite clear that the blame lies within the council. Someone has got to be responsible, and generally it is the one who signs off on the job. Or else we do away with council and build as we want with the same result.
But i get it, its all the poor fellows fault, for trusting the developer, the builder, and the council and still got fudge all worth a dime or two.
"the article is quite clear. " yes, of course it is. its also bollocks. the builder, surveyor and developer will be quickly closing ranks,leaky home saga all over again. but ,if you get out from behind your p.c. and spend time on a site, council inspectors are there to make sure the building act is being followed, got nothing to do with building inspector where the house is situated. building inspectors checking that out would quickly be told by subbies to butt out and stick to their knitting. the fault lies equally with surveyor, builder and developer.
lol….in my experience that would be a bloody stupid thing to do and the lead contractor would quickly tell the subbie to fuck up or fuck off.
yes, you are correct pat, but as low men on site totem pole, subbies try to flex their muscles. as you say, lead contractor is god. should also know how to read the comic(plans) and know where house should be located. interesting to read the article and imagine the deals being done to shovel liability away.
1). A media story and people are quick to jump to conclusions and make judgements with the bits of information which have made it into print.
2). People make mistakes. Well other people, not us residing on keyboards.
3). Being on keyboards affords us the luxury of knowing who should've done what and when and why.
"council inspectors are there to make sure the building act is being followed, got nothing to do with building inspector"
The requirement to site a house within a metre of the boundary pre-dates the 1990 Building Act.
Of course it's the inspectors job to check that it has been sited properly and if this had been done it would have been discovered at the first inspection of the foundations.
I don't think you are very well informed at all.