One group protests by setting up a camp at parliament and clogs up a few streets with cars because their freedoms have been restricted, and for some, their livelihoods have been destroyed through government mandates.
Another group, with a different form of protest, threatens to withdraw vital health resources during a dangerous pandemic.
''Their choice about their job as possibly infecting other people with a serious illness risk was too high for their employer or general public''
Maybe in the past, but debatably now there is little more infection risk than vaccinated people who can also infect others.
"'Those health strikes are usually minimally disruptive- deliberatly and dont involve abusing people for wearing masks or other vile threats''
Time will tell how disruptive if it goes ahead. But if resources are already stretched to the limit, then this action could be the straw that breaks the camels back.
Actually I support nurses and associated staff getting paid what they are worth. It is the only way to stop losing staff to Australia and other countries.
But, whatever you think, the threatened strike action has the potential to have a national impact compared to a very localised impact that the protesters at Wellington are having.
So, if people can support the health workers in their protest, how can they not also support the protesters when the protesters are having a much more localised impact.
"So, if people can support the health workers in their protest, how can they not also support the protesters when the protesters are having a much more localised impact."
Tribalism mainly. Once you have put a stake in the ground, it's hard to move it when the evidence changed.
We have come a long way since the wharfies did their thing in the '50's.
Twas before my time but there seemed to be a lot of deep divisions created or entrenched back then.
Another observation from the front lines of the last couple of nurses strikes. It was that the short-24 hour strikes were largely ineffective as management could reasonably easy cover the shortfalls. Bringing in some office folk, putting off procedures etc.
A longer, 72 hour, or indefinite period would be more effective as it hit the PTB in the balance sheet. The place where it has a noticeable effect, one of the metrics our neo-liberal managers and governance worship.
So, if people can support the health workers in their protest, how can they not also support the protesters when the protesters are having a much more localised impact.
They are having no effect on the government, which, after all, is the main purpose the protest. I suspect that the government will remain firm on this. The protesters might as well go home since all they are doing is disrupting Wellington traffic and businesses.
Apart from that they don't really have a legitimate cause. No-one is forcing the unvaccinated to accept the jab, while the "freedom" lovers are, in fact, denying the employer's freedom to refuse employment to an unvaccinated person in the interests of protecting his staff.
As a side issue Denmark is reporting 46,000 new cases per day. ( jan 31 2022) A country the TV1 News highlighted over its almost complete removal of covid restrictions.
Didnt think that number 46 k infections per day was mentioned, but TV1 story played to its brand by only talking to or about hospitality workers yet again.
In Australia rates of vaccination against COVID-19 are high, and the number of active cases in their Omicron wave peaked (at ~835,000) about one month ago. Going by the Australian response, imho it's unlikely that NZ vaccine mandates will be eased before we are well over our Omicron wave. Anti-mandate protest events and the associated travel will accelerate increase infection rates slightly.
Qld health chief upbeat but mandate wary [12 February]
Queensland’s health chief is “personally reluctant” to repeal a venue vaccine mandate before the end of winter and says it could in fact be the very last pandemic restriction ditched.
“The future of the vaccinated economy … is about balance,” he said on Thursday. “It’s about the proportional benefit that comes from it. It won’t be there forever.”
"There are circumstances when someone [who] is not vaccinated should be considered part of the community and can still be working, can still be treated, still be given that respect," he said.
"Australia has always had a position that it's preferable to have an educated community that does vaccines because they want to and see the benefits.
"I am comfortable to work with SAPOL, with the union, to say let's get people working, let's understand that, while they may not choose to have a vaccine — it may not be a position we necessarily support — wouldn't it be good if we could keep them productive, working safely."
…
Ms Williams said police had "an obligation" to provide a service to the community and "have people in the workplace able to do the job".
"At the moment, in terms of reducing transmission, their personal safety and the safety of the public and other officers, they're not able to come to work," she said.
Premier Steven Marshall said the state had "very few mandates" in place.
"Vaccination is our pathway to reduce restrictions in SA," he said.
They dont use random selection, instead have online panels and offer prizes to their subscribers/panellist for participating with the subject matter promoted in emails
put you in our next quarterly draw for $1,000 cash and the latest iPad Pro worth $1,199! Or you can take the lot in cash: $2,199!
Often their polls are sponsored by pressure groups as well
I pretty much ignore Horizon polls as being worthless these days.
They are completely worthless. That poll as report by gwwnz above would suffer from at least two major statistic errors namely selection bias and non-response bias. I would have given my students an F if they proposed such a sampling method as having any validity. You would think the media would have learnt by now – but they seem determined to repeat the errors of history. Notably the expensive error committed by the Literary Digest in 1936 – one of the most expensive polls ever conducted up until then and utterly wrong in its prediction of the outcome of the 1936 Presidential Election.
Arent the one of the worst DHBs in Palmy for not doing anything urgency even when money for upgraded or new facilities is secured for them
This is one a the main reasons the separate DHBs are being abolished as their have their own little silos and move at their own pace even on projects that have the go ahead
I had thought that too much earlier . The new Social Democrat led government is being railroaded into supporting the Nato nuclear carry weapons for its Luftwaffe.
And is it so recent that everyone has forgotten these predictions from all the US intell agencies. naturally then as now the 'consensus' supports the political view rather than reality on the ground.
'Four U.S. Intelligence Agencies Produced Extensive Reports on Afghanistan, but All Failed to Predict Kabul’s Rapid Collapse'
Or its about a number of things all relevant to irreversible loosening of the stranglehold that the US military has been able to apply to the economic structure of the world. Again we are faced with war hysteria of the same ilk as that from Collin Powell, Bush and Blair. Russia continues to assure that they have no invasion plans. So why the hysteria. Definitely German ability to gain access to cheap Russian gas is one thing but there is also a crisis in US politics as outlined by a past Russian Ambassador, Jack Matlock
Housing affordability in New Zealand has deteriorated to the worst level on record, with the average property worth 8.8 times the average income at the end of last year, a property analyst says.
That ratio was up from 8.3 just three months earlier, and from 7.0 in the last part of 2020, according to CoreLogic’s latest housing affordability report.
It was significantly higher than the long-term average of 5.9, and than previous cycle peaks of 6.1 in 2007 and 7.0 in 2016 to 2017.
The generally accepted definition of “affordable” was house prices of three times the median income.
“It is likely that without substantial changes in housing policy New Zealand will experience the equivalent of the intergenerational scarring, which resulted from the labour market reforms in the 1980s.”
"Amid a fast-widening Omicron outbreak, rates of Delta are holding steady – prompting concerns the nastier variant could keep causing hospitalisations here.
The latest data from ESR showed up to seven per cent of cases being genomically sequenced in New Zealand were Delta, which was still making up the majority of sequenced hospital cases.
…While researchers are still learning about what long-term problems Omicron infections might cause, successive studies have backed early predictions that a given case was typically less severe.
One pre-print study out of the Imperial College London suggested that, compared with Delta, Omicron cases carried an average 15 to 20 per cent lower risk of any hospitalisation – and a 40 to 45 per cent lower risk of actually being admitted.
…Otago University virologist Dr Jemma Geoghegan said contact tracing services should give any detected Delta cases priority – although that wouldn't be so easy with Omicron spreading our resources more thinly.
…In New Zealand, the Ministry of Health doesn't publish variant-specific hospitalisation data."
The mandates were put in primarily to target Delta because it has such a large impact on health resources. It is also the variant that will spreads in confined close spaces – like workplaces and entertainment venues.
So far there are no indications that Omicron is pushing Delta out of the initial communityinfections – which figures. Delta target the lungs first. Omicron targets the throat and nasal. It would not surprise me that people can catch both at the same time.
As your quote says, Delta is still in the NZ community, and is probably still being restricted largely by vaccines and mandates.
Until it is medically known to have been swept aside by omicron, it'd be as foolish as a NSW liberal politician to remove mandates. Having two local epidemics running at the same time is a known route to medical hell.
Just reporting on the article, as I couldn't find data re the strains currently present on the Ministry site.
My partner's co-workers are being contacted after fairly long delays (up to five days after exposure) to go and get tested. It makes me think, as suggested in the article that they may be prioritising getting in contact with Delta infections as they are currently still a significant portion of our daily positives. I'm all good with that approach, it makes sense to me.
I couldn't find data re the strains currently present on the Ministry site.
There won't be much at present. M0H announced back in late Jan (from memory – I didn't take a link) that they would stop looking at variants during routine community testing. I think they're still doing it at the MIQ and for hospitalisations.
The PCR testing is enough to determine that there is covid-19, but takes much more resources to determine variants. Resources that can't be spared as the amount of tests increase.
Where can you get Ukraine news from an unbiased perspective? All the usual suspects, our media, Politico, Guardian, anything from USA, all have a bias.
If you don't at least take in the Russian perspective you cant get balance. Antiwar.com can be a good place to start to find some alternative US voices.
Considering a comment from weston a couple of days ago, questioning the impact of gender ideology on lesbians, I thought about how disconnected we all are – myself included – from other peoples experiences.
Happy heterosexual that I am, when all's said and done I can't help but love the lesbians. When they see a need, they organise, and do it well.
An academic from the US, describes her journey in academia and the pushback and obstacles put in place for researching and speaking about homosexuality and lesbianism in that sphere (Substack article):
I spent years telling myself that academia could change, that my dream career as a research-focused, evidence-collecting, logic-loving professor could still be possible. I’ll be frank: giving up on that dream was the most painful thing I’ve ever done. But I had to do it, to make way for something new.
The concept for Lesbians United began when I left the ivory tower and sat down with a fairly new group of friends to kick ideas around. What could we do to get our community back? What could we do to help fellow lesbians who are suffering, and to prevent future generations from suffering the same?
Our answer was to create an organization diametrically opposed to the postmodernist institutions that have done so much damage to the lesbian community. They revel in ignorance; we have reams of research. They refuse to define their terms; we use clear language. They lie; we tell unmistakable truths. They play purity politics to keep the public distracted; we’re a laser-focused, single-issue organization that takes lesbians of all stripes.
Here in NZ, LAVA formed in 1988, publishes research and writes on issues to do with the impact of gender perspectives on lesbian women, and offers support to female detransitioners.
They are at least attempting to fill the gaps left by other organisations, such as Rainbow Youth in the wider community, that either ignore or superficially mention detransition. (Actually a Rainbow Youth site search for either 'detransition' or 'lesbian' comes up with no results. Apparently, no lesbians in our Rainbow Youth.)
LAVA is a large group of lesbians¹ in their 20s to their 80s. We come in all shapes and sizes and from very different backgrounds. What we have in common is a commitment to working towards lesbian¹ visibility and sex-based women’s rights.
LAVA is decidedly partisan, unashamedly biased in favour of lesbians¹, and fiercely protective of women’s rights.
We don’t IDENTIFY as lesbians¹ – we ARE lesbians¹.
Lesbians¹ are women = adult human females. We are not “queer” or any of the +variations. We reject the word “cis” as derogatory.
We make no apologies for being an exclusive space for lesbians¹.
If you like statements without equivocation, then this will appeal, whether or not you subscribe to their content. You know where they stand.
There's good information there looking at the impact of the updated 'queer' movement.
Oh dear. I came back to The Standard after a long time away to see what content was on it and whether the comments section had improved from the bigoted cesspool it was.
And straight away we see transphobic terf shit. I guess The Standard is still a shitty cesspool.
[if I see you using terf as a slur again on this site I will ban you. Only warning. Reread the Policy and ask if you don’t understand – weka]
I thought this was supposed to be a left-wing progressive website. But here we have an openly bigoted transphobic far right mod. I guess the standard has been captured by the same far right shit as has infected other purportedly left wing blogs.
In short, you're a fucking disgrace, the whole lot of you terfs who go around pretending like you have the remotest conception of how to be progressive or left wing. Sort out your fucking bigotry, and stop pretending to be left wing.
[thanks for making my job easier. I already warned you of a ban, and now you are also attacking an author and mod as well as thinking the site is a person (the site Policy is clear on this). Permanent ban because I see little room for respecting this place and contributing to it – weka]
I will however stop and address the accusations of being right wing. This is a gender identity activism trope, designed to undermine gender critical feminists and is tied to No Debate. You are either too stupid to think beyond the talking points you have been given, or you know full well what the trope is and still chose to use it.
The cutting edge of gender critical feminism is in the UK, it's primarily a movement of left wing women. This is abundantly clear to anyone paying attention and who isn't trying to obscure what is happening. Most left and centre left women want trans people to be ok and to be allowed their right to take full part in society just like everyone else. The beef is with where there is a conflict of rights, and that's not a rw position, it's just bog standard feminism. Women get to have our own politics. That's progressive.
Terf is a weapon used by ideologues and has very clear connections to misogynistic behaviour towards women.
not as the term 'woke' is generally applied here on TS.
'Terf' on the other hand is associated with extreme misogyny, rape threats, death threats, threats of other violence, lesbophobia, targeted and generalised abuse and harassment, dehumanisation of women especially gender critical feminists, sexism, female ageism and body shaming.
This is why when Twitter got called to front up at a Human Rights Committee session of the UK government, the word 'terf' was part of questioning why twitter was so bad at safeguarding women on the platform from harassment, threat, and hate. Twitter acknowledged this and since then it has in fact upheld complaints against the kind of tweets you can see in my link above.
Anyone aware of that and using the term 'terf' is imo well outside the TS policy, and anyone not aware of that needs to educate themselves (and still can't use the term as a slur on TS). At this point in the war, I consider it a wilful ignorance from people that are aware enough to use the word like it was used above.
Sigh. You disagree with someone, so you label them with ignorant insults. Perhaps if you tried engaging with Molly like an adult, you might learn something.
I listened to an interview where the point was made that all sorts of prejudice was not condoned eg racism, ageism, religious intolerance etc.
Who you were attracted to, or more accurately, not attracted to, was an acceptable and legitimate prejudice. The latter part of the last century till now, it would appear some want that to change.
Yes. However, it's not a small movement. Indicative of how far this message has penetrated I return to Stonewall's CEO, Nancy Kelley:
Yet now it has emerged that months before the article appeared Stonewall’s chief executive Nancy Kelley wrote to the editorial director of BBC News to denounce Lowbridge’s work in an apparent attempt to get her piece stopped.
In her email, Kelley suggested that the BBC article would end up being ‘transphobic’ because it represented trans women as ‘sexual predators’, which was a ‘central anti-trans argument’.
She further complained that the ‘highly toxic’ cotton ceiling issue was ‘analogous to issues like sexual racism’.
…
And although she acknowledged that in sexual relationships ‘consent is paramount and we all want who we want’, she added that ‘structural oppression can influence who we want’.
Which is to say that social bias, in this case against those who say they are trans, can affect even our most private thoughts.
It is understood that it took many months of editorial discussions before the article was published on October 26.
Stonewall has appeared to confirm that changes were made to the original piece, although it remains unclear whether this was as a direct result of the leaked email, sent in September 2020.
This email exchange between Stonewall and the BBC was an attempt to stop publication of this article by Caroline Lowbridge:
So, if you gain a knighthood that makes you a highly respected person.
Apparently one such person is about to join the anti-mandate protest next week (hedging his bets there hoping that it might not be necessary for him to attend). And apparently he wants to stretch it to a protest for freedom – (we have become more and more limited in our freedoms).
This from one who benefitted from sucking on the tax-payers nipple on several occasions – one verging on using blackmail "or we'll take our America's cup challenge overseas", and then having milked the Kiwi good will for all it was worth, eventually jumped ship and sailed for the opposition.
Is the destabilisation on the Ukraine border possibly linked to the occupations in world capitals?. There are known links to the primary background agitators, QAnon, Bannon and Trump associates even, amongst others to the Russians, this type of agitation is very similar to Moseley and the Brownshirts in Britain and Il Duce and Blackshirts in Italy as well as right wing movements in other European countries in the late 30s. Asymmetrical warfare and the splintering of effort in opposing countries is very common in the lead up to aggressive invasions. Wouldn’t put it past the Kleputinomaniac- in- Chief.
Yes, she no doubt will spout some obligatory words like she did regarding school kids being discriminated against for not being vaccinated.
This from the OGH website:
''Vision statement
Otago Girls' High School is committed to quality education for all girls in a safe, caring and inclusive environment.
Inspire ~ Empower ~ Challenge~ Dream''
Also there's woke diversity imagery fronting their website. That obviously is bs, too.
You can find this crap on most school sites. And you can bet when it comes to bullying most schools suffer from the Cuddles Costa syndrome.
This type of stuff infuriates me because as someone who has a real problem with Islamic culture in western society, we just get clobbered with this. No one is interested in a reasoned debate.
The only good( I'm hoping) to come out of this situation is I'm ASSUMING, OGH, has a predominately European roll, therefore the chances favour the perpetrators not being Maori…for a change.
Contact zero in a bubble at my SO's work was notified along with more the 100 others as being a close contact of a case who attended a happy clappy devil dodging super-spreader event while symptomatic.
That sounds like a quite irresponsible god-botherer. Probably thought that happy-clapping pheromones would keep the virus at bay.
It is a pity that viruses just look at such events as being a good breeding site.
/sarc
BTW: for anyone who is interested, I am devout agnostic. Don’t know, don’t care, and find the idea of gods being interested in my bowel movements to be somewhat offensive.
''BTW: for anyone who is interested, I am a devout agnostic. Don’t know, don’t care.''
Maybe you should take the plunge and become a material fundamentalist – also known as an atheist? That way, should you ever have to face the big boss, after writing your last post, you can save time on having to explain yourself and reviewing your life.
The big fella can then send you straight on to your second death to join the likes of Johnny Lennon and other non god botherers.
A King Country father and his three young children remain missing more than two months after they were last seen.
Police today confirmed that enquiries were still ongoing to track down Ōtorohanga man Tom Phillips and his two primary-age daughters and son.
Earlier last month, 34-year-old Phillips did not show up for a court date to face a charge connected to an earlier disappearance, with a judge subsequently issuing a warrant for his arrest.
…
Last month, Phillips' ex-wife appealed for the public to help find her missing children once more.
At that stage she told Newshub the father and children hadn't been seen since December 10.
"My babies are missing and there's no trace of them, this time it's been way longer and it's more of a worry. His truck hasn't even been sighted," she said.
"I want people to keep an eye out, you know, they've been missing 34 days. Any pig hunters out there, anyone, if they see any sign of them please let us know."
She added they could be anywhere in New Zealand, including the South Island.
In December, police confirmed they were making inquiries to establish the location of a 34-year-old man and three children "following reports that the male has breached court-ordered conditions".
"There are no immediate concerns for their safety at this time," police said.
It's a funny old world and coincidences can be surprising
496 days since I drank alcohol and well things have been getting me down a little – the parliament protest, the right wingers here gleefully claiming to support the protesters (they support anything that can cause problems for the Labour Government) the anxiety and uncertainty over the covid pandemic because I have multiple co-morbidities et cetera.
So as I was walking to the supermarket and very likely to be breaking my sobriety – a young scruffy unwashed bloke beckons me over on the footpath – I am mentally sighing as this is always followed with(it seems) "can you spare some change please?" I am reaching to my back pocket to get whatever change I had to give to him and he's "nah nah I got something for you" and he gives me three small nice buds!
So I will not be breaking my no alcohol journey just yet
There are good people out there. Kia Kaha Barfly. it is a life long journey. Grant lost his sense of smell and taste with covid. He said it was ultra strange to mix his strawberry metamucil see it, but have no smell or taste. It is coming back a little now.
We're asking people to put comments about the protest under one of the dedicated posts. Would you mind reposting this and then I will delete this one? It keeps OM free for other discussions.
Anyhoo, seems you might be over-egging it when you talk "big hit" for the PM. Sure, he wants a change of mindset, but he's nowhere close to the parliament lawn jerks. For example he reiterates the govt lines on not testing if you're asymptomatic and vaccination. I still have issues with using sweden, uk and aus as justifications for cutting isolation times. Or anything covid-related, frankly.
Not sure he even covered "mandates", might have missed it.
You read like some idiot from aussie where that kind of dimwitted political stupidity is rife. Let just assume that you are as thick as Queensland National party supporter who votes Pauline Hanson and has about the same awareness of actual civics as Trump supporter.
We have had 3 snap elections. 1951, 1984, and 2002.
The first one was purely political after the 1951 waterfront strike. That worked. It was also the last purely political one we had.
The second was probably legit because National couldn’t stop their MPs from crossing the floor and voting with Labour. The questions about it being booze induced may have been simple jealousy by the press gallery at the time. Felt more like desperation, and was rewarded as such.
The third was after a government coalition partner Alliance unallied itself like the Warsaw Pact and the USSR a few years later earlier There were questions about being able to pass legislation due to the multiplicity factions of one remaining in the aftermath. This resulted in a landslide to Labour.
Basically we don’t have many early elections because kiwis aren’t that stupid. It is bad enough having to have one every 3 years. Why would we want to speed it up?
Aussie has a snap election virtually every election. I believe that this has something to do with the infighting of the crimelords and corruption cartels who pay for the campaigns..
But hey, we are aware that aussies like underarm bowling. So I can see how snap elections for corrupt motives appeals to aussies. But please try to learn some actual NZ history.
''You read like some idiot from aussie where that kind of dimwitted political stupidity is rife.''
Yes, many people have told me that. I don't worry about such nastiness. I just keep proving them wrong.
The difference between you and me is you deal with dry facts and political history.
I deal with emotions and undercurrents of power. I'm try to talk things into existence.
See, the New Zealand political landscape is becoming as bone dry as the aussie outback during a drought.
And during this political drought people are becoming more confused, more fractionised and more discontented. Even politicians are acting like headless chooks. Law and order is breaking down.
It will only take one vacuous liberal reporter to innocently ask some politician if an early election is on the cards, and WHOOSH, we have a meme in the publics mind… a possible way out of the morass we are currently enduring. Something to make the pain go away.
Can I guarantee this, no I can't. But I believe anyone who thinks it's not a solid possibility is living in an alternate universe.
Just my musings.
ps- just imagine if ONE protester with a loud hailer stood in front of parliament building and called for an election? A opportunity goes begging.
ONE protester with a loud hailer stood in front of parliament building and called for an election
They'd just be ignored. There is simply nothing in it for the PM, and she is the only person who can call it.
Convincing the GG to allow it without asking the opposition parties would be a big ask as well. It isn't like Labour has a a problem getting a majority on passing legislation or votes of confidence.
I don't even think that the opposition parties would be interested. Maybe Act would because their vote is siphoning away back to National at present. But who listens to them anyway.
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This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Sarah SpengemanPeople wait to board an electric bus in Pune, India. (Image credit: courtesy of ITDP) Public transportation riders in Pune, India, love the city’s new electric buses so much they will actually skip an older diesel bus that ...
The infrastructure industry yesterday issued a “hurry up” message to the Government, telling it to get cracking on developing a pipeline of infrastructure projects.The hiatus around the change of Government has seen some major projects cancelled and others delayed, and there is uncertainty about what will happen with the new ...
Hi,Over the weekend I revisited a podcast I really adore, Dead Eyes. It’s about a guy who got fired from Band of Brothers over two decades ago because Tom Hanks said he had “dead eyes”.If you don’t recall — 2001’s Band of Brothers was part of the emerging trend of ...
Buzz from the Beehive The 180 or so recipients of letters from the Government telling them how to submit infrastructure projects for “fast track” consideration includes some whose project applications previously have been rejected by the courts. News media were quick to feature these in their reports after RMA Reform Minister Chris ...
It would not be a desirable way to start your holiday by breaking your back, your head, or your wrist, but on our first hour in Singapore I gave it a try.We were chatting, last week, before we started a meeting of Hazel’s Enviro Trust, about the things that can ...
Calling all journalists, academics, planners, lawyers, political activists, environmentalists, and other members of the public who believe that the relationships between vested interests and politicians need to be scrutinised. We need to work together to make sure that the new Fast-Track Approvals Bill – currently being pushed through by the ...
Feel worried. Shane Jones and a couple of his Cabinet colleagues are about to be granted the power to override any and all objections to projects like dams, mines, roads etc even if: said projects will harm biodiversity, increase global warming and cause other environmental harms, and even if ...
Bryce Edwards writes- The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. ...
Michael Bassett writes – If you think there is a move afoot by the radical Maori fringe of New Zealand society to create a parallel system of government to the one that we elect at our triennial elections, you aren’t wrong. Over the last few days we have ...
Without a corresponding drop in interest rates, it’s doubtful any changes to the CCCFA will unleash a massive rush of home buyers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate on Monday, April 22 included:The Government making a ...
Sunday was a lazy day. I started watching Jack Tame on Q&A, the interviews are usually good for something to write about. Saying the things that the politicians won’t, but are quite possibly thinking. Things that are true and need to be extracted from between the lines.As you might know ...
In our Weekly Roundup last week we covered news from Auckland Transport that the WX1 Western Express is going to get an upgrade next year with double decker electric buses. As part of the announcement, AT also said “Since we introduced the WX1 Western Express last November we have seen ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 29 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Stats NZ releases its statutory report on Census 2023 tomorrow.Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivers a pre-Budget speech at ...
A listing of 29 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 14, 2024 thru Sat, April 20, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week hinges on these words from the abstract of a fresh academic ...
The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. The Government says this will ...
This is a column to say thank you. So many of have been in touch since Mum died to say so many kind and thoughtful things. You’re wonderful, all of you. You’ve asked how we’re doing, how Dad’s doing. A little more realisation each day, of the irretrievable finality of ...
Identifying the engine type in your car is crucial for various reasons, including maintenance, repairs, and performance upgrades. Knowing the specific engine model allows you to access detailed technical information, locate compatible parts, and make informed decisions about modifications. This comprehensive guide will provide you with a step-by-step approach to ...
Introduction: The allure of racing is undeniable. The thrill of speed, the roar of engines, and the exhilaration of competition all contribute to the allure of this adrenaline-driven sport. For those who yearn to experience the pinnacle of racing, becoming a race car driver is the ultimate dream. However, the ...
Introduction Automobiles have become ubiquitous in modern society, serving as a primary mode of transportation and a symbol of economic growth and personal mobility. With countless vehicles traversing roads and highways worldwide, it begs the question: how many cars are there in the world? Determining the precise number is a ...
Maintaining a safe and reliable vehicle requires regular inspections. Whether it’s a routine maintenance checkup or a safety inspection, knowing how long the process will take can help you plan your day accordingly. This article delves into the factors that influence the duration of a car inspection and provides an ...
Mazda Motor Corporation, commonly known as Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The company was founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd., and began producing vehicles in 1931. Mazda is primarily known for its production of passenger cars, but ...
Your car battery is an essential component that provides power to start your engine, operate your electrical systems, and store energy. Over time, batteries can weaken and lose their ability to hold a charge, which can lead to starting problems, power failures, and other issues. Replacing your battery before it ...
In most states, you cannot register a car without a valid driver’s license. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. Exceptions to the RuleIf you are under 18 years old: In some states, you can register a car in your name even if you do not ...
Mazda, a Japanese automotive manufacturer with a rich history of innovation and engineering excellence, has emerged as a formidable player in the global car market. Known for its reputation of producing high-quality, fuel-efficient, and driver-oriented vehicles, Mazda has consistently garnered praise from industry experts and consumers alike. In this article, ...
Struts are an essential part of a car’s suspension system. They are responsible for supporting the weight of the car and damping the oscillations of the springs. Struts are typically made of steel or aluminum and are filled with hydraulic fluid. How Do Struts Work? Struts work by transferring the ...
Car registration is a mandatory process that all vehicle owners must complete annually. This process involves registering your car with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and paying an associated fee. The registration process ensures that your vehicle is properly licensed and insured, and helps law enforcement and other authorities ...
Zoom is a video conferencing service that allows you to share your screen, webcam, and audio with other participants. In addition to sharing your own audio, you can also share the audio from your computer with other participants. This can be useful for playing music, sharing presentations with audio, or ...
Building your own computer can be a rewarding and cost-effective way to get a high-performance machine tailored to your specific needs. However, it also requires careful planning and execution, and one of the most important factors to consider is the time it will take. The exact time it takes to ...
Sleep mode is a power-saving state that allows your computer to quickly resume operation without having to boot up from scratch. This can be useful if you need to step away from your computer for a short period of time but don’t want to shut it down completely. There are ...
Introduction Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) has revolutionized the field of translation by harnessing the power of technology to assist human translators in their work. This innovative approach combines specialized software with human expertise to improve the efficiency, accuracy, and consistency of translations. In this comprehensive article, we will delve into the ...
In today’s digital age, mobile devices have become an indispensable part of our daily lives. Among the vast array of portable computing options available, iPads and tablet computers stand out as two prominent contenders. While both offer similar functionalities, there are subtle yet significant differences between these two devices. This ...
A computer is an electronic device that can be programmed to carry out a set of instructions. The basic components of a computer are the processor, memory, storage, input devices, and output devices. The Processor The processor, also known as the central processing unit (CPU), is the brain of the ...
Voice Memos is a convenient app on your iPhone that allows you to quickly record and store audio snippets. These recordings can be useful for a variety of purposes, such as taking notes, capturing ideas, or recording interviews. While you can listen to your voice memos on your iPhone, you ...
Laptop screens are essential for interacting with our devices and accessing information. However, when lines appear on the screen, it can be frustrating and disrupt productivity. Understanding the underlying causes of these lines is crucial for finding effective solutions. Types of Screen Lines Horizontal lines: Also known as scan ...
Right-clicking is a common and essential computer operation that allows users to access additional options and settings. While most desktop computers have dedicated right-click buttons on their mice, laptops often do not have these buttons due to space limitations. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on how to right-click ...
Powering up and shutting down your ASUS laptop is an essential task for any laptop user. Locating the power button can sometimes be a hassle, especially if you’re new to ASUS laptops. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on where to find the power button on different ASUS laptop ...
Dell laptops are renowned for their reliability, performance, and versatility. Whether you’re a student, a professional, or just someone who needs a reliable computing device, a Dell laptop can meet your needs. However, if you’re new to Dell laptops, you may be wondering how to get started. In this comprehensive ...
Two-thirds of the country think that “New Zealand’s economy is rigged to advantage the rich and powerful”. They also believe that “New Zealand needs a strong leader to take the country back from the rich and powerful”. These are just two of a handful of stunning new survey results released ...
In today’s digital world, screenshots have become an indispensable tool for communication and documentation. Whether you need to capture an important email, preserve a website page, or share an error message, screenshots allow you to quickly and easily preserve digital information. If you’re an Asus laptop user, there are several ...
A factory reset restores your Gateway laptop to its original factory settings, erasing all data, apps, and personalizations. This can be necessary to resolve software issues, remove viruses, or prepare your laptop for sale or transfer. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to factory reset your Gateway laptop: Method 1: ...
“You talking about me?”The neoliberal denigration of the past was nowhere more unrelenting than in its depiction of the public service. The Post Office and the Railways were held up as being both irremediably inefficient and scandalously over-manned. Playwright Roger Hall’s “Glide Time” caricatures were presented as accurate depictions of ...
Roger Partridge writes – When the Coalition Government took office last October, it inherited a country on a precipice. With persistent inflation, decades of insipid productivity growth and crises in healthcare, education, housing and law and order, it is no exaggeration to suggest New Zealand’s first-world status was ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – In 2022, the Curriculum Centre at the Ministry of Education employed 308 staff, according to an Official Information Request. Earlier this week it was announced 202 of those staff were being cut. When you look up “The New Zealand Curriculum” on the Ministry of ...
Chris Bishop’s bill has stirred up a hornets nest of opposition. Photo: Lynn Grieveson for The KākāTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate from the last day included:A crescendo of opposition to the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill is ...
Monday left me brokenTuesday, I was through with hopingWednesday, my empty arms were openThursday, waiting for love, waiting for loveThe end of another week that left many of us asking WTF? What on earth has NZ gotten itself into and how on earth could people have voluntarily signed up for ...
Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.State of humanity, 20242024, it feels, keeps presenting us with ever more challenges, ever more dismay.Do you give up yet? It seems to ask.No? How about this? Or this?How about this?Full story Share ...
Determining the hardest sport in the world is a subjective matter, as the difficulty level can vary depending on individual abilities, physical attributes, and experience. However, based on various factors including physical demands, technical skills, mental fortitude, and overall accomplishment, here is an exploration of some of the most challenging ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
The Government’s newly announced review of methane emissions reduction targets hints at its desire to delay Aotearoa New Zealand’s urgent transition to a climate safe future, the Green Party said. ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector. "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra In the free-for-all between the Australian government and Big Tech boss Elon Musk this week, the government had to be on a winner. Most people would have little sympathy with Musk’s vociferous opposition to ...
Asia Pacific Report Chief Mandla Mandela, a member of the National Assembly of South Africa and Nelson Mandela’s grandson, has joined the Freedom Flotilla in istanbul as the ships prepare to sail for Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. Mandela is also the ambassador for the Global Campaign to Return to ...
Pacific Media Watch Journalists who report on environmental issues are encountering growing difficulties in many parts of the world, reports Reporters Without Borders. According to the tally kept by RSF, 200 journalists have been subjected to threats and physical violence, including murder, in the past 10 years because they were ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards, Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. 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 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Senior Lecturer, Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society, University of Canberra BagzhanSadvakassov/Upsplash, CC BY-SA Australia’s inflation rate has fallen for the fifth successive quarter, and it’s now less than half of what it was back in late 2022. ...
ACT's Rural Communities and Veterans spokesman Mark Cameron responds to cancellations and protests of ANZAC Day commemorations in Wellington. He says, "These pitiful attempts to detract from ANZAC Day are not at all indicative of the feelings of mainstream ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Meighen McCrae, Associate Professor of Strategic & Defence Studies, Australian National University American and Australian stretcher bearers working together near the front line during the Battle of Hamel in 1918.Australian War Memorial While the AUKUS alliance is new, the Australian-American partnership ...
Pōneke based peace activists staged a silent protest at the ANZAC day service to highlight New Zealand’s complicity in war and genocide, and urge the government to take concrete steps to stop the genocide in Palestine. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Magdalena M.E. Bunbury, Postdoctoral Researcher, James Cook University Burial with a horse at the Rákóczifalva site, Hungary (8th century AD).Sándor Hegedűs, Hungarian National Museum, CC BY How do we understand past societies? For centuries, our main sources of information have been ...
Amanda Thompson doesn’t really do Anzac Day. But what she does do is remember the people she knew who had a lifetime to remember stuff they didn’t really want to, because of a war they didn’t ask for. And she does make Anzac biscuits.First published in 2021.All my ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kathryn Willis, Postdoctoral Researcher, CSIRO Xavier Boulenger/Shutterstock In the two decades to 2019, global plastic production doubled. By 2040, plastic manufacturing and processing could consume as much as 20% of global oil production and use up 15% of the annual carbon ...
With our collective remembrance, and steadfast belief in our common humanity, we strengthen our hope and resolve to do what we can to foster dialogue and understanding, and to heal divisions in our pursuit of peace. ...
Principal reasons for the opposition is the loss of the public’s democratic right to have “a fair say” and the vital need for a government free from corruption, said Casey Cravens of Dunedin, president of the New Zealand Federation of Freshwater ...
Never mind the scoreboard – in the 2000 Bledisloe Cup decider, the real trans-Tasman battle was won before kickoff.First published in 2016. The dawn of the new millennium was a dark time for the All Blacks. Their final game pre-Y2K was a 22-18 loss to South Africa in the ...
I’m on the wrong side of 40, I never pursued creative work and now my job is killing my soul. Help! Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nzDear Hera,May I start with the least original conversation opener you’re likely to hear around the motu at the moment, particularly in Wellington: ...
“Never again - No AUKUS” was the message of the wreath laid at this morning’s national ANZAC Day commemorative service at Pukeahu National War Memorial Park this morning by the Stop AUKUS group. ...
Until this month, Auckland swimmer Hazel Ouwehand had never met a qualifying time in an Olympic event for a New Zealand team, even as a junior. Now she’s very likely off to the Paris Olympics after swimming well under the qualifying standard in the 100m butterfly twice – both in ...
While Anzac Day has experienced a resurgence in recent years, our other day of remembrance has slowly faded from view.The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand. Original illustrations by Hope McConnell.First published in 2022.The high school’s head girl and ...
Australian and New Zealand volunteers fought together in the Waikato War, yet still its place in the Anzac tradition is unacknowledged by our defence forces or Returned Services Association.First published in 2018.When I was a boy cub I attended Anzac Day services in the South Auckland suburb of ...
A poem by Wellington writer Tayi Tibble.Hoki Mai She kisses him goodbye with her eyes still wet and alight from their last swim in the Awatere river. At the train station celebration, she leads the Kapa Haka but her voice keeps breaking under and over itself like waves. ...
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Which is worse here?
One group protests by setting up a camp at parliament and clogs up a few streets with cars because their freedoms have been restricted, and for some, their livelihoods have been destroyed through government mandates.
Another group, with a different form of protest, threatens to withdraw vital health resources during a dangerous pandemic.
https://www.1news.co.nz/2022/02/17/10000-health-workers-vote-to-strike-as-omicron-wave-hits/
Their choice about their job as possibly infecting other people with a serious illness risk was too high for their employer or general public
Those health strikes are usually minimally disruptive- deliberatly and dont involve abusing people for wearing masks or other vile threats
''Their choice about their job as possibly infecting other people with a serious illness risk was too high for their employer or general public''
Maybe in the past, but debatably now there is little more infection risk than vaccinated people who can also infect others.
"'Those health strikes are usually minimally disruptive- deliberatly and dont involve abusing people for wearing masks or other vile threats''
Time will tell how disruptive if it goes ahead. But if resources are already stretched to the limit, then this action could be the straw that breaks the camels back.
Actually I support nurses and associated staff getting paid what they are worth. It is the only way to stop losing staff to Australia and other countries.
But, whatever you think, the threatened strike action has the potential to have a national impact compared to a very localised impact that the protesters at Wellington are having.
So, if people can support the health workers in their protest, how can they not also support the protesters when the protesters are having a much more localised impact.
"So, if people can support the health workers in their protest, how can they not also support the protesters when the protesters are having a much more localised impact."
Tribalism mainly. Once you have put a stake in the ground, it's hard to move it when the evidence changed.
That, and 'nazis'. /sarc
The health workers' strikes are timetabled to last 24 hours, then cease.
The "plague campers" occupation "will continue till we get what we want!!"
That's why someone might support the former, not the latter.
That is another take.
We have come a long way since the wharfies did their thing in the '50's.
Twas before my time but there seemed to be a lot of deep divisions created or entrenched back then.
Another observation from the front lines of the last couple of nurses strikes. It was that the short-24 hour strikes were largely ineffective as management could reasonably easy cover the shortfalls. Bringing in some office folk, putting off procedures etc.
A longer, 72 hour, or indefinite period would be more effective as it hit the PTB in the balance sheet. The place where it has a noticeable effect, one of the metrics our neo-liberal managers and governance worship.
So, if people can support the health workers in their protest, how can they not also support the protesters when the protesters are having a much more localised impact.
They are having no effect on the government, which, after all, is the main purpose the protest. I suspect that the government will remain firm on this. The protesters might as well go home since all they are doing is disrupting Wellington traffic and businesses.
Apart from that they don't really have a legitimate cause. No-one is forcing the unvaccinated to accept the jab, while the "freedom" lovers are, in fact, denying the employer's freedom to refuse employment to an unvaccinated person in the interests of protecting his staff.
Infection risk of vaccinated compared to non vaccinated
https://www.cnbc.com/2022/01/31/the-new-omicron-subvariant-is-more-contagious-but-vaccinated-people-are-less-likely-to-spread-it-study-finds.htmlc
Also mandates apply to super spreader type jobs
As a side issue Denmark is reporting 46,000 new cases per day. ( jan 31 2022) A country the TV1 News highlighted over its almost complete removal of covid restrictions.
Didnt think that number 46 k infections per day was mentioned, but TV1 story played to its brand by only talking to or about hospitality workers yet again.
In Australia rates of vaccination against COVID-19 are high, and the number of active cases in their Omicron wave peaked (at ~835,000) about one month ago. Going by the Australian response, imho it's unlikely that NZ vaccine mandates will be eased before we are well over our Omicron wave. Anti-mandate protest events and the associated travel will accelerate increase infection rates slightly.
I'll tell you what isn't good…when the Minister of Health finds out from the media about the strike.
I notice Stuff is reporting an unreliable poll from Horizon
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/127808790/parliament-protest-new-poll-shows-30-per-cent-of-kiwis-support-antimandate-protest
They dont use random selection, instead have online panels and offer prizes to their subscribers/panellist for participating with the subject matter promoted in emails
Often their polls are sponsored by pressure groups as well
I pretty much ignore Horizon polls as being worthless these days.
They are completely worthless. That poll as report by gwwnz above would suffer from at least two major statistic errors namely selection bias and non-response bias. I would have given my students an F if they proposed such a sampling method as having any validity. You would think the media would have learnt by now – but they seem determined to repeat the errors of history. Notably the expensive error committed by the Literary Digest in 1936 – one of the most expensive polls ever conducted up until then and utterly wrong in its prediction of the outcome of the 1936 Presidential Election.
C'mon Andy, get angry about this family's plight.
The extensions talked about will not make a difference, the beds in MAPU are used by people who have to go through ED. The EDOA beds are similar.
The hospital is too small and the staffing levels and experience are dire in the ED.
https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/health/127796196/24hour-wait-for-hospital-bed-highlights-urgency-for-ed-upgrade
Arent the one of the worst DHBs in Palmy for not doing anything urgency even when money for upgraded or new facilities is secured for them
This is one a the main reasons the separate DHBs are being abolished as their have their own little silos and move at their own pace even on projects that have the go ahead
I thought it was suspect, 30 per cent is way too low.
We can't have that many elderly and 'work from home class.
what?
Yeah. Sorry, I meant it as a reply to comment 2.
Too fast on the quick-draw and shot myself in the foot.
Not for the first time…
A very plausible analysis of the U.S-Russia-Ukraine situation and the motives driving it.
The Crisis in Ukraine is not about Ukraine. It's about Germany, by Mike Whitney – The Unz Review
I had thought that too much earlier . The new Social Democrat led government is being railroaded into supporting the Nato nuclear carry weapons for its Luftwaffe.
And is it so recent that everyone has forgotten these predictions from all the US intell agencies. naturally then as now the 'consensus' supports the political view rather than reality on the ground.
'Four U.S. Intelligence Agencies Produced Extensive Reports on Afghanistan, but All Failed to Predict Kabul’s Rapid Collapse'
https://www.wsj.com/articles/four-u-s-intelligence-agencies-produced-extensive-reports-on-afghanistan-but-all-failed-to-predict-kabuls-rapid-collapse-11635415201
Or its about a number of things all relevant to irreversible loosening of the stranglehold that the US military has been able to apply to the economic structure of the world. Again we are faced with war hysteria of the same ilk as that from Collin Powell, Bush and Blair. Russia continues to assure that they have no invasion plans. So why the hysteria. Definitely German ability to gain access to cheap Russian gas is one thing but there is also a crisis in US politics as outlined by a past Russian Ambassador, Jack Matlock
Another record …broken!
Housing affordability in New Zealand has deteriorated to the worst level on record, with the average property worth 8.8 times the average income at the end of last year, a property analyst says.
That ratio was up from 8.3 just three months earlier, and from 7.0 in the last part of 2020, according to CoreLogic’s latest housing affordability report.
It was significantly higher than the long-term average of 5.9, and than previous cycle peaks of 6.1 in 2007 and 7.0 in 2016 to 2017.
The generally accepted definition of “affordable” was house prices of three times the median income.
'Drastic fall' in NZ housing affordability takes it to worst level on record | Stuff.co.nz
In 1980 bought our first home for 45k
salary abt 10k
Had 20k from home ownership
And 10k from state advances at 2%ish
But had to get 2nd mort of 14k at 20%
So different balance of affordability cause of the high 2nd mort rate.
Looks like the Salvation Army were more on to it.
“It is likely that without substantial changes in housing policy New Zealand will experience the equivalent of the intergenerational scarring, which resulted from the labour market reforms in the 1980s.”
"Sustained moderation" was never going to cut it.
The Sallies aren't seeking reelection though.
https://www.interest.co.nz/property/108301/pm-jacinda-ardern-says-sustained-moderation-remains-governments-goal-when-it-comes
Of interest to those that were wondering (Herald):
The mandates were put in primarily to target Delta because it has such a large impact on health resources. It is also the variant that will spreads in confined close spaces – like workplaces and entertainment venues.
So far there are no indications that Omicron is pushing Delta out of the initial communityinfections – which figures. Delta target the lungs first. Omicron targets the throat and nasal. It would not surprise me that people can catch both at the same time.
As your quote says, Delta is still in the NZ community, and is probably still being restricted largely by vaccines and mandates.
Until it is medically known to have been swept aside by omicron, it'd be as foolish as a NSW liberal politician to remove mandates. Having two local epidemics running at the same time is a known route to medical hell.
Just reporting on the article, as I couldn't find data re the strains currently present on the Ministry site.
My partner's co-workers are being contacted after fairly long delays (up to five days after exposure) to go and get tested. It makes me think, as suggested in the article that they may be prioritising getting in contact with Delta infections as they are currently still a significant portion of our daily positives. I'm all good with that approach, it makes sense to me.
(Copied to dedicated post to move discussion).
There won't be much at present. M0H announced back in late Jan (from memory – I didn't take a link) that they would stop looking at variants during routine community testing. I think they're still doing it at the MIQ and for hospitalisations.
The PCR testing is enough to determine that there is covid-19, but takes much more resources to determine variants. Resources that can't be spared as the amount of tests increase.
I put up a post.
Where can you get Ukraine news from an unbiased perspective? All the usual suspects, our media, Politico, Guardian, anything from USA, all have a bias.
Al Jazeera?
Look at my earlier post…up the thread.
If you don't at least take in the Russian perspective you cant get balance. Antiwar.com can be a good place to start to find some alternative US voices.
Considering a comment from weston a couple of days ago, questioning the impact of gender ideology on lesbians, I thought about how disconnected we all are – myself included – from other peoples experiences.
Happy heterosexual that I am, when all's said and done I can't help but love the lesbians. When they see a need, they organise, and do it well.
An academic from the US, describes her journey in academia and the pushback and obstacles put in place for researching and speaking about homosexuality and lesbianism in that sphere (Substack article):
Here in NZ, LAVA formed in 1988, publishes research and writes on issues to do with the impact of gender perspectives on lesbian women, and offers support to female detransitioners.
They are at least attempting to fill the gaps left by other organisations, such as Rainbow Youth in the wider community, that either ignore or superficially mention detransition. (Actually a Rainbow Youth site search for either 'detransition' or 'lesbian' comes up with no results. Apparently, no lesbians in our Rainbow Youth.)
If you like statements without equivocation, then this will appeal, whether or not you subscribe to their content. You know where they stand.
There's good information there looking at the impact of the updated 'queer' movement.
Oh dear. I came back to The Standard after a long time away to see what content was on it and whether the comments section had improved from the bigoted cesspool it was.
And straight away we see transphobic terf shit. I guess The Standard is still a shitty cesspool.
[if I see you using terf as a slur again on this site I will ban you. Only warning. Reread the Policy and ask if you don’t understand – weka]
mod note.
I thought this was supposed to be a left-wing progressive website. But here we have an openly bigoted transphobic far right mod. I guess the standard has been captured by the same far right shit as has infected other purportedly left wing blogs.
In short, you're a fucking disgrace, the whole lot of you terfs who go around pretending like you have the remotest conception of how to be progressive or left wing. Sort out your fucking bigotry, and stop pretending to be left wing.
[thanks for making my job easier. I already warned you of a ban, and now you are also attacking an author and mod as well as thinking the site is a person (the site Policy is clear on this). Permanent ban because I see little room for respecting this place and contributing to it – weka]
I will however stop and address the accusations of being right wing. This is a gender identity activism trope, designed to undermine gender critical feminists and is tied to No Debate. You are either too stupid to think beyond the talking points you have been given, or you know full well what the trope is and still chose to use it.
The cutting edge of gender critical feminism is in the UK, it's primarily a movement of left wing women. This is abundantly clear to anyone paying attention and who isn't trying to obscure what is happening. Most left and centre left women want trans people to be ok and to be allowed their right to take full part in society just like everyone else. The beef is with where there is a conflict of rights, and that's not a rw position, it's just bog standard feminism. Women get to have our own politics. That's progressive.
Terf is a weapon used by ideologues and has very clear connections to misogynistic behaviour towards women.
https://terfisaslur.com/
mod note for you.
Hey, Horace.
I understand perhaps Twiitter use may inhibit ability for discourse, but did you have a discussion point?
Can that also apply to 'Woke' as a slur too?
not as the term 'woke' is generally applied here on TS.
'Terf' on the other hand is associated with extreme misogyny, rape threats, death threats, threats of other violence, lesbophobia, targeted and generalised abuse and harassment, dehumanisation of women especially gender critical feminists, sexism, female ageism and body shaming.
https://terfisaslur.com/
This is why when Twitter got called to front up at a Human Rights Committee session of the UK government, the word 'terf' was part of questioning why twitter was so bad at safeguarding women on the platform from harassment, threat, and hate. Twitter acknowledged this and since then it has in fact upheld complaints against the kind of tweets you can see in my link above.
Anyone aware of that and using the term 'terf' is imo well outside the TS policy, and anyone not aware of that needs to educate themselves (and still can't use the term as a slur on TS). At this point in the war, I consider it a wilful ignorance from people that are aware enough to use the word like it was used above.
Sigh. You disagree with someone, so you label them with ignorant insults. Perhaps if you tried engaging with Molly like an adult, you might learn something.
I listened to an interview where the point was made that all sorts of prejudice was not condoned eg racism, ageism, religious intolerance etc.
Who you were attracted to, or more accurately, not attracted to, was an acceptable and legitimate prejudice. The latter part of the last century till now, it would appear some want that to change.
"…it would appear some want that to change."
Yes. However, it's not a small movement. Indicative of how far this message has penetrated I return to Stonewall's CEO, Nancy Kelley:
This email exchange between Stonewall and the BBC was an attempt to stop publication of this article by Caroline Lowbridge:
'We're being pressured into sex by some trans women'
I can only view this perspective of sexual attraction, promoted by Kelley, as regressive. Particularly harmful for homosexuals and lesbians.
So, if you gain a knighthood that makes you a highly respected person.
Apparently one such person is about to join the anti-mandate protest next week (hedging his bets there hoping that it might not be necessary for him to attend). And apparently he wants to stretch it to a protest for freedom – (we have become more and more limited in our freedoms).
This from one who benefitted from sucking on the tax-payers nipple on several occasions – one verging on using blackmail "or we'll take our America's cup challenge overseas", and then having milked the Kiwi good will for all it was worth, eventually jumped ship and sailed for the opposition.
I can so I will … https://www.odt.co.nz/news/national/coutts-mansion-wall-causing-controversy
And this, because I'm free … I can do what I want.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/sir-russell-coutts-multi-million-dollar-beach-pad-upsets-neighbours-it-looks-like-a-hospital-or-boarding-house/5SLDC23NIPVH576J7OABJJGAWQ/
And there's also the Crown Terrace Water War
This one has the potential to get quite messy, and not reflect well on Coutts or Otago Regional Council.
Is the destabilisation on the Ukraine border possibly linked to the occupations in world capitals?. There are known links to the primary background agitators, QAnon, Bannon and Trump associates even, amongst others to the Russians, this type of agitation is very similar to Moseley and the Brownshirts in Britain and Il Duce and Blackshirts in Italy as well as right wing movements in other European countries in the late 30s. Asymmetrical warfare and the splintering of effort in opposing countries is very common in the lead up to aggressive invasions. Wouldn’t put it past the Kleputinomaniac- in- Chief.
Bella Hadid just dropped an atomic publicity bomb of 49 million viewers onto those who attacked the Muslim girl at Otago Girls High School.
US supermodel Bella Hadid shares support of Otago High School girl after attack – NZ Herald
Very interesting to see how our PM reacts.
Yes, she no doubt will spout some obligatory words like she did regarding school kids being discriminated against for not being vaccinated.
This from the OGH website:
''Vision statement
Otago Girls' High School is committed to quality education for all girls in a safe, caring and inclusive environment.
Inspire ~ Empower ~ Challenge~ Dream''
Also there's woke diversity imagery fronting their website. That obviously is bs, too.
You can find this crap on most school sites. And you can bet when it comes to bullying most schools suffer from the Cuddles Costa syndrome.
This type of stuff infuriates me because as someone who has a real problem with Islamic culture in western society, we just get clobbered with this. No one is interested in a reasoned debate.
The only good( I'm hoping) to come out of this situation is I'm ASSUMING, OGH, has a predominately European roll, therefore the chances favour the perpetrators not being Maori…for a change.
And so it begins.
Contact zero in a bubble at my SO's work was notified along with more the 100 others as being a close contact of a case who attended a happy clappy devil dodging super-spreader event while symptomatic.
That sounds like a quite irresponsible god-botherer. Probably thought that happy-clapping pheromones would keep the virus at bay.
It is a pity that viruses just look at such events as being a good breeding site.
/sarc
BTW: for anyone who is interested, I am devout agnostic. Don’t know, don’t care, and find the idea of gods being interested in my bowel movements to be somewhat offensive.
''BTW: for anyone who is interested, I am a devout agnostic. Don’t know, don’t care.''
Maybe you should take the plunge and become a material fundamentalist – also known as an atheist? That way, should you ever have to face the big boss, after writing your last post, you can save time on having to explain yourself and reviewing your life.
The big fella can then send you straight on to your second death to join the likes of Johnny Lennon and other non god botherers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dq1z1rkjw-E
If you are a Christian what do you need to do to get into the Lennon gig?
I wouldn't have a clue. I'm not a Christian.
It's hard to see this as anything other than emotional abuse – of other family and friends – and most likely, his ex-wife (Herald article: Missing since December: Ōtorohanga dad Tom Phillips still on run with three children)
It's a funny old world and coincidences can be surprising
496 days since I drank alcohol and well things have been getting me down a little – the parliament protest, the right wingers here gleefully claiming to support the protesters (they support anything that can cause problems for the Labour Government) the anxiety and uncertainty over the covid pandemic because I have multiple co-morbidities et cetera.
So as I was walking to the supermarket and very likely to be breaking my sobriety – a young scruffy unwashed bloke beckons me over on the footpath – I am mentally sighing as this is always followed with(it seems) "can you spare some change please?" I am reaching to my back pocket to get whatever change I had to give to him and he's "nah nah I got something for you" and he gives me three small nice buds!
So I will not be breaking my no alcohol journey just yet
Bloody well don't Barfly
Stay strong !
3 small Budweisers?
There are good people out there. Kia Kaha Barfly. it is a life long journey. Grant lost his sense of smell and taste with covid. He said it was ultra strange to mix his strawberry metamucil see it, but have no smell or taste. It is coming back a little now.
Keep going you are doing great. G is 5 yrs.
We're asking people to put comments about the protest under one of the dedicated posts. Would you mind reposting this and then I will delete this one? It keeps OM free for other discussions.
https://thestandard.org.nz/convoy-protest-18-2-22/
What a nice thing to do. Very generous of Graeme Hart.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/127796079/new-zealands-richest-person-donates-fishing-boats-tractors-and-food-to-tonga
Yes those are very worthy actions.
Brian Beattie, from the Royal College of Physicians (?) has BASICLY said we need to stop scaremongering about Covid, and learn to live with it.
This is a big big hit for Jacinda.
If things continue down this line, Labour's time in power is limited.
Wot?
Some bloke in the UK ?
"This is a big big hit for Jacinda."
Eh? Nah – Your dreaming mate
"Labour's time in power is limited."
Did anyone ever think that it would be infinite?
No, Noo Zealand I think. Didn't quite get the name.
Sounds like you have had your first roach?
RACP.
There are 30,000 doctors in NZ. None of them seem to be called "Brian Beattie". Maybe he's Australian?
I suspect the rest of your recollection is similarly reliable.
I had 150 kgs on the bar during a bench press. So excuse me for having a faulty memory.
But, thanks to some help….I have a name. Dr Bryan Betty. No link.
150? Oooo, you're ever so butch.
So not even RACP, but RNZCGP.
Anyhoo, seems you might be over-egging it when you talk "big hit" for the PM. Sure, he wants a change of mindset, but he's nowhere close to the parliament lawn jerks. For example he reiterates the govt lines on not testing if you're asymptomatic and vaccination. I still have issues with using sweden, uk and aus as justifications for cutting isolation times. Or anything covid-related, frankly.
Not sure he even covered "mandates", might have missed it.
I forgot I'm on a blog of effete liberals. I didn't mean to offend.
My spotter can lift 210 kgs. And germane to this topic – Clint Rickards could lift over 200 kgs.
Any guesses what that woke Cuddles Costa could lift.
You can spin it anyway you want and pick holes in my argument like:
''So not even RACP, but RNZCGP.'
The fact of the matter is it's a huge change in the medical mindset of this country.
Jacinda is losing control on a number of fronts.
Early election looming?
You read like some idiot from aussie where that kind of dimwitted political stupidity is rife. Let just assume that you are as thick as Queensland National party supporter who votes Pauline Hanson and has about the same awareness of actual civics as Trump supporter.
We have had 3 snap elections. 1951, 1984, and 2002.
The first one was purely political after the 1951 waterfront strike. That worked. It was also the last purely political one we had.
The second was probably legit because National couldn’t stop their MPs from crossing the floor and voting with Labour. The questions about it being booze induced may have been simple jealousy by the press gallery at the time. Felt more like desperation, and was rewarded as such.
The third was after a government coalition partner Alliance unallied itself like the Warsaw Pact and the USSR a few years
laterearlier There were questions about being able to pass legislation due to the multiplicity factions of one remaining in the aftermath. This resulted in a landslide to Labour.Basically we don’t have many early elections because kiwis aren’t that stupid. It is bad enough having to have one every 3 years. Why would we want to speed it up?
Aussie has a snap election virtually every election. I believe that this has something to do with the infighting of the crimelords and corruption cartels who pay for the campaigns..
But hey, we are aware that aussies like underarm bowling. So I can see how snap elections for corrupt motives appeals to aussies. But please try to learn some actual NZ history.
/sarc
''You read like some idiot from aussie where that kind of dimwitted political stupidity is rife.''
Yes, many people have told me that. I don't worry about such nastiness. I just keep proving them wrong.
The difference between you and me is you deal with dry facts and political history.
I deal with emotions and undercurrents of power. I'm try to talk things into existence.
See, the New Zealand political landscape is becoming as bone dry as the aussie outback during a drought.
And during this political drought people are becoming more confused, more fractionised and more discontented. Even politicians are acting like headless chooks. Law and order is breaking down.
It will only take one vacuous liberal reporter to innocently ask some politician if an early election is on the cards, and WHOOSH, we have a meme in the publics mind… a possible way out of the morass we are currently enduring. Something to make the pain go away.
Can I guarantee this, no I can't. But I believe anyone who thinks it's not a solid possibility is living in an alternate universe.
Just my musings.
ps- just imagine if ONE protester with a loud hailer stood in front of parliament building and called for an election? A opportunity goes begging.
They'd just be ignored. There is simply nothing in it for the PM, and she is the only person who can call it.
Convincing the GG to allow it without asking the opposition parties would be a big ask as well. It isn't like Labour has a a problem getting a majority on passing legislation or votes of confidence.
I don't even think that the opposition parties would be interested. Maybe Act would because their vote is siphoning away back to National at present. But who listens to them anyway.
Before or after you turned the shit cannon on yourself?
Hey Joe…where you goin with the sad argument in your hand:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAHGVK1AtnQ
When? got a link?
No, If you don't listen to talkback, you miss out. Sorry.
Some stories have no links.
lols.
Probably not missing out on anything then.
From your perspective- true.
UK did so well/sarc.
Meanwhile, away from the obsession with covid and protests, the government quietly goes about further making it harder to buy a house.
That is nonsense..the banks know it…and so does anyone with an objective view.
What is nonsense? Housing affordability being the worst in history, or the government making up rules without understanding the consequences?
Where's Luxon in all of this. Why isn't he calling for Costa's resignation?
When the liberal press turn on you, you know you have a problem.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/opinion/300521443/what-the-police-fail-to-understand-about-camp-freedom
In fact, the jobs of three people are on the line:
1- Jacinda
2- Costa
3- Mallard.
Later in the peace, MAYBE Luxon, James Shaw and the Maori guy with tats who loves grandstanding.
Are there any other government departments you think should primarily be run by opinion piece?
I don't know what you mean?
Figures. Some of us attribute meaning to the statements we make, but that's probably overly restrictive for a free form artist such as yourself.
Tell me concisely what you mean and I will give you an answer. It's not rocket science…is it?