Open mike 18/03/2020
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7:00 am, March 18th, 2020 - 56 comments
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- Bernard’s pick ‘n’ mix 6 @ 6:06am on Sunday, May 19
TL;DR: Here’s six links that stood out to me in the last day in Aotearoa’s political economy to 6:06am on Sunday, May 19:Aotearoa-NZ is the seventh worst in the OECD’s homelessness rankings, just behind the United States and just ahead of Australia. BlackRock thinks rate hikes actually worsen inflation because ...3 hours ago - Lords of the flies
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David Farrar writes – The Herald reports: KiwiRail’s seemingly endless requests for more money is damning. At one point, KiwiRail assured Robertson when he was the Finance Minister that the worst-case scenario would be an extra $300 million before requesting $1.2 billion a few months later. Not what most people ...23 hours ago - Behind Blue Eyes.
No one knows what it's likeTo be the bad manTo be the sad manBehind blue eyesNo one knows what it's likeTo be hatedTo be fatedTo telling only liesHave you ever wondered what life must be like for Mike Hosking? Seeing things in black and white through blue tinted specs? In ...24 hours ago - Road food
Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past two week’s editions.Share More Than A FeildingBike bling, London Read more ...1 day ago - Some Reader Feedback For Your Weekend
Hi,I think we all made it through another week — congratulations. I’ve been digesting the new Arab Strap record, which is astonishing. In other news, I’m going to be doing a Webworm popup in Auckland, New Zealand on Saturday July 13. I’ll bring a bunch of merch, and some other ...1 day ago - Thinking About the Property Rights in Resource Decisions As Well As Transaction Costs.
The Fast-Track Approvals Bill enables cabinet ministers to circumvent key environmental planning and protection processes for infrastructure projects. Its difficulties have been well canvassed. This column suggests a different way of thinking about the proposal. I am going to explore the Bill from the perspective of its proponents with their ...2 days ago - Bryce Edwards: Can Shane Jones be trusted in making Fast-track decisions?
New Zealand First Cabinet Minister Shane Jones has become the best advertisement against the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill. In selling the radical new resource consenting processes, in which ministers can green light any mine, dam, or other major development, Jones seems to be shooting the proposal in the foot. ...2 days ago - Seymour appeals to PPTA to call off meetings on charter schools – but does he seriously believe he...
Buzz from the Beehive Associate Education Minister David Seymour is urging the PostPrimary Teachers Association to put learning ahead of ideology. He wants the union leaders to call off their teachers meetings around the country where they hope to muster the strength to undo the government’s plans to establish several ...2 days ago - Police don’t fight crime
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And it's a pleasure that I have knownAnd it's a treasure that I have gainedAotearoa’s coalition government is fragile. It’s held together by the obsequious sycophancy of Christopher Luxon, who willingly contorts his party into the fringe positions of his junior coalition partners and is unwilling to contradict them. The ...5 days ago - Our slow regional councilsThe Select Committee hearing submissions on the fast-track consenting legislation is starting to become a beat-up of regional councils. The inflexibility and slow workings of the Councils were prominent in two submissions yesterday. One, from the Coromandel Marine Farmers Association, simply said that the Waikato Regional Council’s planning decisions were ...5 days ago
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- Release: Chris Hipkins’ speech: New Zealand in 2040 – A vision worth fighting for
...14 hours ago - Release: 4,500 jobs lost – and countingMore than 4,500 jobs are set to go as the National Government continues its deep cuts to services to pay for irresponsible and ill-timed tax cuts. ...2 days ago
- No-cause evictions leave no hope for renters
The Government’s introduction of legislation that would enable landlords to end tenancies with no reason marks a dark day for the 1.4 million people who rent their home in Aotearoa. ...3 days ago - Release: National winding back mental health workThe Minister for Mental Health has found the Suicide Prevention Office and mental health support for 111 calls slipping through his fingers, says Labour spokesperson for Mental Health Ingrid Leary. ...4 days ago
- Government ignorant of evidence in neglect of tamarikiToday’s justification from the Minister for Children for scrapping protections for our tamariki was either a case of ignorance or deliberate deception. ...5 days ago
- Gang policy setting communities up for failureThe Green Party says the Government’s misguided policy on gangs will fail, following the announcement of the establishment of a national gang unit and district gang disruption units to target gang activities. ...5 days ago
- Statement from police spokesperson Ginny Andersen“With Police pay negotiations still unresolved after six months in Government, Mark Mitchell has today rolled the Commissioner out for a rebrand of their approach to gang crime,” Labour police spokesperson Ginny Andersen said. ...5 days ago
- Charter schools not a serious solutionWe need serious investment and solutions into our education system, not a vanity project from David Seymour. ...5 days ago
- Release: Ideological charter schools won’t increase achievementThe Government bringing back 50 charter schools will not increase achievement and is a distraction from the core mission of the education system, Labour education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...5 days ago
- Release: Visas needed for Palestinians with family in New ZealandThe Government must show some compassion and create a special visa to allow Palestinians with family in New Zealand to be reunited with them here. ...5 days ago
- Release: Govt’s stubbornness will harm Māori childrenGovernment has remained stubborn and is ramming its Bill into the House today, which the Waitangi Tribunal has said will hurt vulnerable children. ...6 days ago
- ‘Lucky dip’ process too casual for hearing critical submissions on Fast Track approvals billTe Pāti Māori is showing extreme concern over the Environment Select Committees adoption of a lucky dip draw to determine hearings for the Fast Track Approvals bill. Of the 27,000 submissions, 2,900 requested to present. All organisations will be heard; however, the remaining 2,350 submitters will be subject to a ...6 days ago
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- Greens welcome cross-party approach to climate adaptationThe Green Party is welcoming Climate Change Minister Simon Watts’ continuation of Hon. James Shaw’s cross-party work on climate adaptation, now in the form of a Finance and Expenditure Committee Inquiry. ...1 week ago
- Release: Sexual violence prevention among hundreds of job cuts at ACCThe National Government plans to cut 390 jobs at ACC, including roles in the areas of prevention of sexual violence, road safety and workplace safety. ...1 week ago
- Government shows allergy to evidence in benefits crackdownThe Government has been caught in opposition to evidence once again as it looks to usher in tried, tested and failed work seminar obligations for job-seeking beneficiaries. ...1 week ago
- Minister of Finance reheats austerity politicsThis morning’s pre-Budget speech from the Minister of Finance offered no “meaningful” news on the Government’s trickle-down economics based plans. ...1 week ago
- A win for Wellington – Greens welcome more housingThe Green Party is welcoming the announcement by the Minister Responsible for RMA Reform Chris Bishop to approve most of the Wellington City Council’s District Plan recommendations. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Backtrack on school lunches a win for Kiwi kidsDavid Seymour has failed to get the sweeping cuts he wanted to the free and healthy school lunch programme, Labour education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Hon Willie Jackson to debate at the Prestigious Oxford UnionHon Willie Jackson has been invited by the Oxford Union to debate the motion “This House Believes British Museums are not Very British’ on May 23rd. ...2 weeks ago
- Members Bill will prevent Māori land confiscationsGreen Party MP Hūhana Lyndon says her Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill is an opportunity to right some past wrongs around the alienation of Māori land. ...2 weeks ago
- TIKANGA IS NOT LAW. IT IS CULTURAL INDOCTRINATION.A senior, highly respected King’s Counsel with decades of experience in our law courts, Gary Judd KC, has filed a complaint about compulsory tikanga Māori studies for law students - highlighting the utter depths of absurdity this woke cultural madness has taken our society. The tikanga regulations will compel law ...2 weeks ago
- Release: National won’t commit to full Nelson Hospital upgradeThe Government needs to be clear with the people of the Nelson Marlborough region about the changes it is considering for the Nelson Hospital rebuild, Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Labour calls for fast track list to be releasedMinisters must front up about which projects it will push through under its Fast Track Approvals legislation, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: National gaslights women fighting for equal payNational has scrapped the pay equity taskforce that fights for equal pay for women and looks at ethnic pay gaps. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: More job cuts, fewer houses under NationalThe Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Children fall deeper through the cracks in Govt cutsWith Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Labour honours memory of Sir Robert MartinThe Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: 130,000 cattle saved from live exportLabour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...3 weeks ago
- Central Bank makes clear Government is pouring fuel on housing crisis fireToday’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...3 weeks ago
- New unemployment figures paint bleak pictureThe Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...3 weeks ago
- Release: National’s job cuts already starting to bite as unemployment risesUnemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...3 weeks ago
- Release: National hiking transport costs for families and young New ZealandersWeekly expenses will grow for more than 1.6 million New Zealanders as the Government ends free and half price public transport fares tomorrow. ...3 weeks ago
- Release: Labour welcomes EU free trade agreementThe New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...3 weeks ago
- Surprise: Landlord tax cuts don’t trickle downThe Green Party is renewing its call for rent controls following reports of rental prices hitting an all-time high. ...3 weeks ago
- Release: $1.7b for no increase in access to medicineThe National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...3 weeks ago
- Release: National should heed Tribunal warning and scrap coalition commitment with ACTThis afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...3 weeks ago
- Release: More accountability for preventable workplace deaths this Workers’ Memorial DayLabour is calling for more accountability for preventable workplace deaths because everybody who goes to work deserves to come home safely. ...3 weeks ago
- New measures to protect powerlines from trees
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced that the Government will make it easier for lines firms to take action to remove vegetation from obstructing local powerlines. The change will ensure greater security of electricity supply in local communities, particularly during severe weather events. “Trees or parts of trees falling on ...23 hours ago - Wairarapa Moana ki Pouakani win top Māori dairy farming awardWairarapa Moana ki Pouakani were the top winners at this year’s Ahuwhenua Trophy awards recognising the best in Māori dairy farming. Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka announced the winners and congratulated runners-up, Whakatōhea Māori Trust Board, at an awards celebration also attended by Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Finance Minister ...1 day ago
- DJ Fred Again – Assurance report received"On the 27th of March, I sought assurances from the Chief Executive, Department of Internal Affairs, that the Department’s correct processes and policies had been followed in regards to a passport application which received media attention,” says Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden. “I raised my concerns after being ...2 days ago
- District Court Judges appointedAttorney-General Judith Collins has announced the appointment of three new District Court Judges, to replace Judges who have recently retired. Peter James Davey of Auckland has been appointed a District Court Judge with a jury jurisdiction to be based at Whangarei. Mr Davey initially started work as a law clerk/solicitor with ...2 days ago
- Unions should put learning ahead of ideologyAssociate Education Minister David Seymour is calling on the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) to put ideology to the side and focus on students’ learning, in reaction to the union holding paid teacher meetings across New Zealand about charter schools. “The PPTA is disrupting schools up and down the ...2 days ago
- Craig Stobo appointed as chair of FMACommerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly today announced the appointment of Craig Stobo as the new chair of the Financial Markets Authority (FMA). Mr Stobo takes over from Mark Todd, whose term expired at the end of April. Mr Stobo’s appointment is for a five-year term. “The FMA plays ...2 days ago
- Budget 2024 invests in lifeguards and coastguardSurf Life Saving New Zealand and Coastguard New Zealand will continue to be able to keep people safe in, on, and around the water following a funding boost of $63.644 million over four years, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Associate Transport Minister Matt Doocey say. “Heading to the beach for ...2 days ago
- New Zealand and Tuvalu reaffirm close relationshipNew Zealand and Tuvalu have reaffirmed their close relationship, Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters says. “New Zealand is committed to working with Tuvalu on a shared vision of resilience, prosperity and security, in close concert with Australia,” says Mr Peters, who last visited Tuvalu in 2019. “It is my pleasure ...3 days ago
- New Zealand calls for calm, constructive dialogue in New CaledoniaNew Zealand is gravely concerned about the situation in New Caledonia, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The escalating situation and violent protests in Nouméa are of serious concern across the Pacific Islands region,” Mr Peters says. “The immediate priority must be for all sides to take steps to de-escalate the ...3 days ago
- New Zealand welcomes Samoa Head of StatePrime Minister Christopher Luxon met today with Samoa’s O le Ao o le Malo, Afioga Tuimalealiifano Vaaletoa Sualauvi II, who is making a State Visit to New Zealand. “His Highness and I reflected on our two countries’ extensive community links, with Samoan–New Zealanders contributing to all areas of our national ...3 days ago
- Island Direct eligible for SuperGold Card fundingTransport Minister Simeon Brown has announced that he has approved Waiheke Island ferry operator Island Direct to be eligible for SuperGold Card funding, paving the way for a commercial agreement to bring the operator into the scheme. “Island Direct started operating in November 2023, offering an additional option for people ...3 days ago
- Further sanctions against RussiaForeign Minister Winston Peters today announced further sanctions on 28 individuals and 14 entities providing military and strategic support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “Russia is directly supported by its military-industrial complex in its illegal aggression against Ukraine, attacking its sovereignty and territorial integrity. New Zealand condemns all entities and ...3 days ago
- One year on from Loafers LodgeA year on from the tragedy at Loafers Lodge, the Government is working hard to improve building fire safety, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “I want to share my sincere condolences with the families and friends of the victims on the anniversary of the tragic fire at Loafers ...3 days ago
- Pre-Budget speech to Auckland Business ChamberKa nui te mihi kia koutou. Kia ora and good afternoon, everyone. Thank you so much for having me here in the lead up to my Government’s first Budget. Before I get started can I acknowledge: Simon Bridges – Auckland Business Chamber CEO. Steve Jurkovich – Kiwibank CEO. Kids born ...4 days ago
- New Zealand and Vanuatu to deepen collaborationNew Zealand and Vanuatu will enhance collaboration on issues of mutual interest, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “It is important to return to Port Vila this week with a broad, high-level political delegation which demonstrates our deep commitment to New Zealand’s relationship with Vanuatu,” Mr Peters says. “This ...4 days ago
- Penk travels to Peru for trade meetingsMinister for Land Information, Chris Penk will travel to Peru this week to represent New Zealand at a meeting of trade ministers from the Asia-Pacific region on behalf of Trade Minister Todd McClay. The annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministers Responsible for Trade meeting will be held on 17-18 May ...4 days ago
- Minister attends global education conferencesMinister of Education Erica Stanford will head to the United Kingdom this week to participate in the 22nd Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers (CCEM) and the 2024 Education World Forum (EWF). “I am looking forward to sharing this Government’s education priorities, such as introducing a knowledge-rich curriculum, implementing an evidence-based ...4 days ago
- Education Minister thanks outgoing NZQA ChairMinister of Education Erica Stanford has today thanked outgoing New Zealand Qualifications Authority Chair, Hon Tracey Martin. “Tracey Martin tendered her resignation late last month in order to take up a new role,” Ms Stanford says. Ms Martin will relinquish the role of Chair on 10 May and current Deputy ...4 days ago
- Joint statement of Christopher Luxon and Emmanuel Macron: Launch of the Christchurch Call FoundationNew Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and President Emmanuel Macron of France today announced a new non-governmental organisation, the Christchurch Call Foundation, to coordinate the Christchurch Call’s work to eliminate terrorist and violent extremist content online. This change gives effect to the outcomes of the November 2023 Call Leaders’ Summit, ...5 days ago
- Panel announced for review into disability servicesDistinguished public servant and former diplomat Sir Maarten Wevers will lead the independent review into the disability support services administered by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. The review was announced by Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston a fortnight ago to examine what could be done to strengthen the ...5 days ago
- Minister welcomes Police gang unitToday’s announcement by Police Commissioner Andrew Coster of a National Gang Unit and district Gang Disruption Units will help deliver on the coalition Government’s pledge to restore law and order and crack down on criminal gangs, Police Minister Mark Mitchell says. “The National Gang Unit and Gang Disruption Units will ...5 days ago
- New Zealand expresses regret at North Korea’s aggressive rhetoricForeign Minister Winston Peters has today expressed regret at North Korea’s aggressive rhetoric towards New Zealand and its international partners. “New Zealand proudly stands with the international community in upholding the rules-based order through its monitoring and surveillance deployments, which it has been regularly doing alongside partners since 2018,” Mr ...5 days ago
- New Chief of Defence Force appointedAir Vice-Marshal Tony Davies MNZM is the new Chief of Defence Force, Defence Minister Judith Collins announced today. The Chief of Defence Force commands the Navy, Army and Air Force and is the principal military advisor to the Defence Minister and other Ministers with relevant portfolio responsibilities in the defence ...5 days ago
- Government puts children first by repealing 7AALegislation to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act has been introduced to Parliament. The Bill’s introduction reaffirms the Coalition Government’s commitment to the safety of children in care, says Minister for Children, Karen Chhour. “While section 7AA was introduced with good intentions, it creates a conflict for Oranga ...5 days ago
- Defence Minister to meet counterparts in UK, ItalyDefence Minister Judith Collins will this week travel to the UK and Italy to meet with her defence counterparts, and to attend Battles of Cassino commemorations. “I am humbled to be able to represent the New Zealand Government in Italy at the commemorations for the 80th anniversary of what was ...5 days ago
- Charter schools to lift educational outcomesThe upcoming Budget will include funding for up to 50 charter schools to help lift declining educational performance, Associate Education Minister David Seymour announced today. $153 million in new funding will be provided over four years to establish and operate up to 15 new charter schools and convert 35 state ...5 days ago
- COVID-19 Inquiry terms of reference consultation results received“The results of the public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has now been received, with results indicating over 13,000 submissions were made from members of the public,” Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says. “We heard feedback about the extended lockdowns in ...5 days ago
- The Pacific family of nations – the changing security outlookForeign Minister, Defence Minister, other Members of Parliament Acting Chief of Defence Force, Secretary of Defence Distinguished Guests Defence and Diplomatic Colleagues Ladies and Gentlemen, Good afternoon, tēna koutou, apinun tru It’s a pleasure to be back in Port Moresby today, and to speak here at the Kumul Leadership ...6 days ago
- NZ and Papua New Guinea to work more closely togetherHealth, infrastructure, renewable energy, and stability are among the themes of the current visit to Papua New Guinea by a New Zealand political delegation, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “Papua New Guinea carries serious weight in the Pacific, and New Zealand deeply values our relationship with it,” Mr Peters ...6 days ago
- Driving ahead with Roads of Regional SignificanceThe coalition Government is launching Roads of Regional Significance to sit alongside Roads of National Significance as part of its plan to deliver priority roading projects across the country, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The Roads of National Significance (RoNS) built by the previous National Government are some of New Zealand’s ...6 days ago
- New Zealand congratulates new Solomon Islands governmentA high-level New Zealand political delegation in Honiara today congratulated the new Government of Solomon Islands, led by Jeremiah Manele, on taking office. “We are privileged to meet the new Prime Minister and members of his Cabinet during his government’s first ten days in office,” Deputy Prime Minister and ...7 days ago
- New Zealand supports UN Palestine resolutionNew Zealand voted in favour of a resolution broadening Palestine’s participation at the United Nations General Assembly overnight, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The resolution enhances the rights of Palestine to participate in the work of the UN General Assembly while stopping short of admitting Palestine as a full ...1 week ago
- Speech to the 2024 Infrastructure SymposiumIntroduction Good morning. It’s a great privilege to be here at the 2024 Infrastructure Symposium. I was extremely happy when the Prime Minister asked me to be his Minister for Infrastructure. It is one of the great barriers holding the New Zealand economy back from achieving its potential. Building high ...1 week ago
- $571 million for Defence pay and projectsDefence Minister Judith Collins today announced the upcoming Budget will include new funding of $571 million for Defence Force pay and projects. “Our servicemen and women do New Zealand proud throughout the world and this funding will help ensure we retain their services and expertise as we navigate an increasingly ...1 week ago
- Climate change – mitigating the risks and costsNew Zealand’s ability to cope with climate change will be strengthened as part of the Government’s focus to build resilience as we rebuild the economy, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “An enduring and long-term approach is needed to provide New Zealanders and the economy with certainty as the climate ...1 week ago
- Getting new job seekers on the pathway to workJobseeker beneficiaries who have work obligations must now meet with MSD within two weeks of their benefit starting to determine their next step towards finding a job, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “A key part of the coalition Government’s plan to have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker ...1 week ago
- Accelerating Social InvestmentA new standalone Social Investment Agency will power-up the social investment approach, driving positive change for our most vulnerable New Zealanders, Social Investment Minister Nicola Willis says. “Despite the Government currently investing more than $70 billion every year into social services, we are not seeing the outcomes we want for ...1 week ago
- Getting Back on TrackCheck against delivery Good morning. It is a pleasure to be with you to outline the Coalition Government’s approach to our first Budget. Thank you Mark Skelly, President of the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce, together with your Board and team, for hosting me. I’d like to acknowledge His Worship ...1 week ago
- NZ – European Union ties more critical than everYour Excellency Ambassador Meredith, Members of the Diplomatic Corps and Ambassadors from European Union Member States, Ministerial colleagues, Members of Parliament, and other distinguished guests, Thank you everyone for joining us. Ladies and gentlemen - In diplomacy, we often speak of ‘close’ and ‘long-standing’ relations. ...2 weeks ago
- Therapeutic Products Act to be repealedThe Therapeutic Products Act (TPA) will be repealed this year so that a better regime can be put in place to provide New Zealanders safe and timely access to medicines, medical devices and health products, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello announced today. “The medicines and products we are talking about ...2 weeks ago
- Iwi Leaders Group united against Oranga Tamariki scrapping Treaty obligations
If the government really wants Oranga Tamariki to continue working with Māori groups, it should leave the law as it is, leader says. ...2 hours ago - Government IT Systems Need A $800 Million Overhaul
The government is facing a bill of more than $800 million to overhaul back-office IT systems, and attempts to lessen its impact have hit delays. ...3 hours ago - Bolstering support for Asian personnel in the NZ Defence ForceThe founder of a Pan-Asian network in the New Zealand Defence Force hopes to support Asian personnel in their defence careers. ...3 hours ago
- 'Increasingly Activist' Waitangi Tribunal Faces Its Future Under Renewed Attack From Senio...David Seymour has renewed attacks on what he says is an 'increasingly activist' Tribunal as it faces questions about its future. ...3 hours ago
- An Ode to .. Shane Jones
Arawata Shane Arawata Shane had wandered long In the wild tangled hills of the West Coast. He came to a stop on the mighty range And looked down at the wide river flats. He breathed in the clean air, And he took in the shadows playing across The face of ...3 hours ago - Fiji’s Jo Nata reflects on the 2000 coup: ‘We let the racism genie out of the bottle’
SPECIAL REPORT: Islands Business in Suva Today is the 24th anniversary of renegade and failed businessman George Speight’s coup in 2000 Fiji. The elected coalition government headed by Mahendra Chaudhry, the first and only Indo-Fijian prime minister of Fiji, was held hostage at gunpoint for 56 days in the country’s ...8 hours ago - Rule change to protect powerlines from being hit by treesEnergy Minister Simeon Brown wants a 'clear to the sky' zone to prevent vegetation hanging over lines. ...14 hours ago
- New Caledonia riots: Tear gas, stun grenades used as protesters swarm airport runwayBy Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist and Kelvin Anthony, RNZ Pacific digital journalist Police have used tear gas and stun grenades on rioters at an airport near Nouméa as the chaos in New Caledonia stretched into its sixth day. Five people, including two police officers, have died and hundreds of ...15 hours ago
- Government faces further legal action over Māori Health Authority axingIt is the second High Court action into the government's policies affecting Māori. ...18 hours ago
- Kanaky New Caledonia: Amnesty calls on France to ‘uphold rights’ of indigenous peopleAsia Pacific ReportThe global human rights watchdog Amnesty International has called on France to not “misuse” a crackdown in the ongoing unrest in the non-self-governing French Pacific territory of Kanaky New Caledonia in the wake of a controversial vote by the French Parliament to adopt a bill changing the territory’s ...20 hours ago
- Revamped school lunches may be less healthy – principalA major provider of school lunches fears the government's new $3 limit for most students will see them eating more pre-packaged and processed food. ...23 hours ago
- ‘Stop laughing, I’m trying to kill someone’: Cohen Holloway on playing a serial murderer
The star of Dark City: The Cleaner takes us through his life in TV, including the VHS revolution and the John Campbell impression that started it all. Best known for his comedic roles, Cohen Holloway says he struggled at times to maintain the stone cold facade of serial killer on ...1 day ago - A life storyDavid Hill remembers an old friend, who you’ve probably never heard of. My friend Doug never travelled; he had little interest in the world beyond his own tiny rural town. I’ve rarely known anyone who radiated such contentment. Doug (I’ll call him that) died in March. You won’t know him. ...1 day ago
- Do you recognise anybody in these 150-year-old photographs?Some of the earliest photos of life in Aotearoa are on display at Auckland Museum right now – but the identities of some of the people in them are a mystery. What was it like to be one of the first people in New Zealand to have their photo taken? ...1 day ago
- The indie books fest bringing big ideas to small town WairarapaSince its founding almost a decade ago, Featherston Booktown has grown into one of the country’s most interesting and idiosyncratic literary events. Erin Banks reports from the audience. “Come in, have you had lunch? I’m about to make a cheese toastie.” Mary Biggs, operations manager of Featherston Booktown Karukatea Festival, ...1 day ago
- Enduring the voyage of the tatauAfter 33 years abroad, Loveni Enari recently returned to Aotearoa and Samoa in what a friend joked was an “existential crisis”. He learnt and re-learnt so much about his family, friends and both countries. Almost as an afterthought, he got a Samoan tatau. This is his story. (Accompanying it are ...1 day ago
- Bearing witness to a confession of murderNearly 30 years ago, two people told me they’d killed a woman they knew. I thought the truth would come out, that others would tell it. In the end, I had to. The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand. Fact: in 1995, Angela Blackmoore ...1 day ago
- The Weekend: A landmark case for trans rights in AotearoaEditor Madeleine Chapman looks back at the week and shines a light on some increasingly rare longform journalism. Mōrena and welcome to The Weekend where there will sadly be no aurora to see. After a busy week last week of short, sharp pieces, this week we swung the other way, ...1 day ago
- Tourists trapped by New Caledonia unrest feel ‘abandoned’ by NZBy Lauren Crimp , RNZ News reporter New Zealanders stuck among riots and civil unrest in New Caledonia’s capital say they feel abandoned by their own country, having received little help from the government. Nouméa descended into chaos on Monday, with clashes between indigenous Kanak pro-independence protesters and French security ...1 day ago
- Kanaky in flames: Five takeaways from the New Caledonia independence riotsANALYSIS: By David Robie, editor of Asia Pacific Report Jean-Marie Tjibaou, a revered Kanak visionary, was inspirational to indigenous Pacific political activists across Oceania, just like Tongan anthropologist and writer Epeli Hao’ofa was to cultural advocates. Tragically, he was assassinated in 1989 by an opponent within the independence movement during ...1 day ago
- When body positivity becomes problematicForget thin is in, apparently now bigger is better … or is it? After over a decade of body positivity, girls, teens and women are even more confused about what body positivity actually is. The movement began with women confronting unrealistic expectations of how their bodies should look. But sub-strands ...1 day ago
- Short story: Ruin, by Ockham winner Emma HislopGrace always sat at the bar at the back of The Cambridge, where she could watch who came in. A huge mirror ran the length of the pub, so you could sometimes watch people without them knowing. The mirror made the place seem a lot bigger than it really was. ...1 day ago
- The Secret Diary of .. Sheriff Mark MitchellMONDAY Sheriff Mark Mitchell rose at dawn. He had a long day’s ride ahead of him. He was headed for Waikeria. Waikeria! Even the name itself stirred his blood, and set root in his imagination. There was nothing and no one in Waikeria. But he would bend it to his ...1 day ago
- The Boy in the Water: A forensic examination, at lastThe first phase of the inquest into the death of Gore toddler Lachlan Jones finished this week, turning up plenty of revelations and few answers. But through all the confusion, heartbreak and antipathy on display, the simple fact at the heart of this case remains: if little Lachie’s body had ...1 day ago
- How Many Public Sector Roles Are Going, And From Where?Public servants' jobs are on the chopping block as the sector scrambles to meet the Finance Minister's cost-cutting targets. ...2 days ago
- Can you control your image? Gina Rinehart, King Charles and ‘moral portraits’Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Roger Benjamin, Professor in Art History, University of Sydney “She’s no oil painting”. Those were the unkind words of a colleague commenting on the subject of Vincent Namatjira’s acrylic painting, Gina. Every one of the prominent Australians and cultural heroes in Namatjira’s ...2 days ago
- Government plans for Māori wards breach The Treaty of Waitangi -TribunalGovernment plans to require local councils hold a referendum on whether to have Māori wards breaches the Treaty of Waitangi, a Waitangi Tribunal report has found. ...2 days ago
- Threatened species have declined 2% a year since 2000. Nature positive? Far from it.Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Megan C Evans, Senior Lecturer, Public Sector Management, School of Business, UNSW Sydney Martin Tobias Aakesson/Shutterstock Our government has great aspirations. It has committed to end extinctions and expand our protected areas to cover 30% of every Australian ecosystem by 2030. ...2 days ago
- Rugby league in Perth and Papua New Guinea? Here’s what could be next for the NRLSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Harcourt, Industry Professor and Chief Economist, University of Technology Sydney This year the National Rugby League (NRL) opened its season in Las Vegas. It was an audacious move by the league’s ambitious head honcho Peter V’Landys to showcase the game in ...2 days ago
- The budget has earmarked $8.6 million for live music. Is it enough to save the flailing industry?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Catherine Strong, Associate Professor, Music Industry, RMIT University Leading music organisations have praised the federal budget for its investment in the live music sector. The budget includes A$8.6 million for a program called Revive Live: to provide essential support to ...2 days ago
- The Week in Politics: Charter schools, special police units and a tricky problem for the governmentThe Week in Politics: ACT brings back a signature policy, while NZ First mulls how to fulfil a promise. ...2 days ago
- There’s $110 million for Indigenous education in the budget. But where’s the evidence it will wo...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marnee Shay, Associate Professor, Principal Research Fellow, The University of Queensland The 2024 federal budget contains A$110 million for Indigenous education. This includes funding for various different organisations to represent and help Indigenous people as well as scholarships in a bid to ...2 days ago
- New Caledonia’s Nouméa airport closed until Tuesday, says Air New ZealandAir New Zealand has confirmed Nouméa’s Tontouta International airport in New Caledonia is closed until Tuesday. The airline earlier told RNZ it would update customers as soon as it could. Earlier today, Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters told RNZ Morning Report government officials had been working on an “hourly basis” ...2 days ago
- Cameras reveal wombat burrows can be safe havens after fire and waterholes after rainSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Grant Linley, PhD Candidate in Ecology, Charles Sturt University Grant Linley Australia’s unprecedented Black Summer bushfires in 2019–20 created ideal conditions for misinformation to spread, from the insidious to the absurd. It was within this context that a bizarre story ...2 days ago
- ChatGPT is now better than ever at faking human emotion and behaviourSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marcel Scharth, Lecturer in Business Analytics, University of Sydney OpenAI executive Mira Murati launching GPT-4o. OpenAI Earlier this week OpenAI launched GPT-4o (“o” for “omni”), a new version of the artificial intelligence (AI) system powering the popular ChatGPT chatbot. GPT-4o is promoted ...2 days ago
- Menopause can bring increased cholesterol levels and other heart risks. Here’s why and what to do ...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Treasure McGuire, Assistant Director of Pharmacy, Mater Health SEQ in conjoint appointment as Associate Professor of Pharmacology, Bond University and as Associate Professor (Clinical), The University of Queensland Speedkingz/Shutterstock Menopause is a natural biological process that marks the end of a ...2 days ago
- The Friday Poem: ‘Xiāng’ by Hannah PattersonA new poem by Hannah Patterson. Xiāng There’s a pear tree in our backyard And Xiāng tells me She can’t eat them anymore Not after some things that have happened in her life. She tells me, in Mandarin The word for pear sounds the same as the word for disassociation ...2 days ago
- Cycle lanes are good for business, actually‘Cycling Works’ aims to show business support for citywide cycle infrastructure. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week, supermarket giant Foodstuffs lost its attempt to block the construction of a cycle lane outside Thorndon New World in Wellington. The Spinoff’s Wellington editor ...2 days ago
- The Unity Books bestseller chart for the week ending May 17The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington. AUCKLAND 1 Slow Productivity by Cal Newport (Penguin, $40) Taking out the top spot in Auckland this ...2 days ago
- Nuclear subs are coming to Australia. Now the Coalition wants reactors, too. We’re not ready for i...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Lowe, Emeritus Professor, School of Environment and Science, Griffith University For decades, Australia has exported uranium – but not used it, other than in the Lucas Heights research reactor. But change is coming. We now face a rapidly deepening commitment to ...2 days ago
- After 180 years, new clues are revealing just how general anaesthesia works in the brainSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adam D Hines, Research fellow, Queensland University of Technology Sergey Mironov/Shutterstock Over 350 million surgeries are performed globally each year. For most of us, it’s likely at some point in our lives we’ll have to undergo a procedure that needs general ...2 days ago
- 'I can do much better': Green MP Julie Anne Genter promises to improve conduct"In future I should walk away," Green MP Julie Anne Genter says after complaints over an exchange in Parliament and from two members of the public. ...2 days ago
- Call to protect asylum seekers who may arrive in New Zealand by boatA group of more than 40 refugees, charities and advocates want better protections for asylum seekers arriving by boat. ...2 days ago
- Homo Pentecostus: on queer intimacies, religion, ancestry and the human need for connectionSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonathan Graffam, PhD Candidate in Theatre, Monash University Gianna Rizzo/Malthouse Music pumps; lights pulsate; two sweaty bodies sway together, touching, breathing in each other’s scent. A male body framed by downlight restlessly shifts between stances and gestures. He undresses. The intensity ...2 days ago
- Want to be buried on your own land, at sea or in a forest? A guide to unconventional send-offsSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sandra van der Laan, Professor of Accounting, University of Sydney Mtaya/Shutterstock At some point, you or someone else will need to make a decision about your “send-off”. Most Australians die in an institution, such as a hospital or aged care facility. ...2 days ago
- Vanuatu, MSG chief reaffirms support for FLNKS, blames France over unrestAsia Pacific Report Vanuatu Prime Minister Charlot Salwai — who is also Chairman of the Melanesian Spearhead Group — has reaffirmed MSG’s support of the pro-independence umbrella group Kanak and Socialist National Liberation Front (FLNKS) stance opposing the French government’s constitutional bill “unfreezing” the New Caledonia Electoral Roll. It is ...2 days ago
- Blazing a trail: the Leonard family legacy in Māori televisionProducer Susan Leonard remembers her father Ernie, a pioneer of Māori television, and how his legacy lives on in Pathfinders. My father was a fabulous man. His name was Ernie Leonard and he started in TV in the 1970s when it was still glamorous – when TVNZ made behind the ...2 days ago
- Home detention for New Caledonia’s unrest ringleaders, Tiktok bannedBy Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk, and Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist The suspected ringleaders of the unrest in New Caledonia have been placed in home detention and the social network TikTok has been banned as French security forces struggle to restore law and order. The French ...2 days ago
- Review finds big increase in multi-year government spends, use not always justifiedMulti-year appropriations - which give the government authority to spend money without reapplying annually - are loosening Parliament's control of the public purse, auditor-general says. ...2 days ago
- $63.6m for Surf Life Saving and Coastguard in Budget 2024"New Zealand has a tragically high drowning toll," Transport Minister Simeon Brown said at the announcement. ...2 days ago
- Dr. Eric Chuah Standing For Mayor Of TaurangaDr. Eric Chuah who stood for a centrist NZ political party in the October 2023 NZ Elections for Maungakiekie Auckland will stand as a candidate for Tauranga City Council Ward of Matua-=Otumoetai and Mayor of Tauranga. ...2 days ago
- How to enjoy a comedy festival in your own loungeIf you can’t get to the comedy fest, let us bring the comedy fest to you. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. The New Zealand International Comedy Festival is in full swing at the moment, with a veritable smorgasboard of comedy treats ...2 days ago
- Poll Shows Three Quarters Of Wellingtonians Oppose Airport SaleA new poll commissioned by Unions Wellington shows an overwhelming majority of Wellingtonians oppose the Council’s plan to sell the 34% public stake in Wellington Airport. ...2 days ago
- $63.6m boost for Surf Life Saving and Coastguard in Budget 2024"New Zealand has a tragically high drowning toll," Transport Minister Simeon Brown said at the announcement. ...2 days ago
- Nearly 1300 homes on hold amid government reviewNewly released documents show building has been paused on 690 KiwiBuild homes and 593 market homes. ...2 days ago
- At the heart of the budget is the sad truth the economy is weak. That’s one reason inflation will ...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Aruna Sathanapally, Chief Executive, Grattan Institute, Grattan Institute A central focus of this week’s budget is the treasury’s forecast for inflation. By this time next year, inflation is projected to be back within the Reserve Bank’s 2-3% target range. Inflation has ...2 days ago
- Denser housing can be greener too – here’s how NZ can build better for biodiversitySource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yolanda van Heezik, Professor of Ecology, University of Otago Getty Images Cities across Aotearoa New Zealand are trying to solve a housing crisis, with increasing residential density a key solution. But not everyone is happy about the resulting loss of natural ...2 days ago
- Clean energy slump – why Australia’s renewables revolution is behind schedule, and how to fix itSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alison Reeve, Deputy Program Director, Energy and Climate Change, Grattan Institute WDG Photo/Shutterstock For years, the electricity sector has been the poster child for emissions cuts in Australia. The sector achieved a stunning 26% drop in emissions over the past 15 ...2 days ago
- It’s OK to ask a loved one if they’re feeling suicidalIt’s often the last thing people want to do, but asking someone if they’re having suicidal thoughts is a critical first step to helping them. Content warning: this story discusses suicide and suicidal ideation. For a list of resources that can help if you or someone you know is feeling ...2 days ago
- Watch live: Transport Minister makes pre-Budget announcementSimeon Brown and Matt Doocey are set to reveal another bit of next week's budget. ...2 days ago
- We mapped a lost branch of the Nile River – which may be the key to a longstanding mystery of the ...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy J. Ralph, Associate Professor, Macquarie University The pyramids at Giza, like dozens of others, are located several kilometres west of the current path of the Nile. Alex Cimbal / Shutterstock The largest field of pyramids in Egypt – consisting of 31 ...2 days ago
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Pull through headline on TV3 breakfast show this morning.
KIWIFRUIT FARMERS MAY EMPLOY UNEMPLOYED LOCALS AS TOURIST NUMBERS DWINDLE
I'm a bit confused as to how I feel about that "Gee, that's no good?" or "Won't that stimulate spending in that community?" or "Shouldn't we already be talking with local unemployed before we're bankrolling German 20 something scenic tours of NZ?"
Ahh I get it, people who find themselves unemployed in coming weeks will be able to find temp work picking kiwifruit, Yep, cool.
So the kiwi workers are no longer 'too lazy' to pick fruit?
Looks like the kickbacks will be drying up for a few contractors.
Joltin' Joe…
https://www.baseball-almanac.com/poetry/joltinjoedimaggio.shtml
Revoltin' Joe….
http://normanfinkelstein.com/2020/03/13/how-covid-19-became-a-pandemic/
Can someone explain this. We are meant to sneeze into the elbow area, then greet people by bumping elbows?!?
Instant transmission of the virus from one persons garments to another, touch your elbow with your hands (e.g. folding arms) then touch your face and bingo! you are infected.
Yeah na we should just go for the good old kiwi raise of the eyebrows are up tilt of the head and chur bro .
Easy to sort. Keep one elbow for polite greetings and the other elbow for sneezing into. The trick will be to remember which is which.
Blow nose with inside elbow, touch with outside. I can't touch my nose with my outside elbow anyway. I'm not made of rubber.
It's a cough or sneeze, uncontrolled, and particles are still likely to fly anywhere around the elbow.
However – each to their own. If people are doing this, even though I don't think it's perfect, they are probably trying to be safe in other areas as well.
Carry tissues. Say hello and smile. Keep hands in pocketses.
Social distancing requires no body touching with someone who is coughing or sneezing. I don't know who is suggesting elbow bumping but please don't. The recommended distance is 2m. I think it's prudent to keep that distance for all interactions at the moment, unless closer is absolutely necessary. We should be doing 2m whether we have symptoms or not.
I think it was WHO back in SARS came up with elbow bumbing, because so many cultures greet with some manner of handshake or touching or kissing.
Every outbreak, high-level bureaucrats make it popular as only high level bureaucrats unused to photo-ops can make something popular, lol
Bloody stupid idea, frankly. Should've gone Vulcan from the start.
Not me, I hate those Vulcans. As we say on the home world – better molten than Vulcan.
I'm giving the reverse Agincourt salute, or just keeping my head down and avoiding eye contact.
Hate is illogical. Live long, and prosper.
Maybe you should try a Rimmer salute instead.
That is most illogical.
Illogical if you didn't at least have a smile on your face after watching it.
Smeghead.
"reverse Agincourt salute"
Just make sure no one behind you can see it, they might get the wrong idea…
It's a risk they'll have to take.
This virus will be a test of our national values
(Dame Anne Salmond)
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/coronavirus/120335043/this-virus-will-be-a-test-of-our-national-values
Soimun has certainly shown us what his values are over the past 24 hours
"Abortion referendum scrapped – public won't decide on law change."
That is good if the Bill passes in the House as seems likely.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12317689
Good.
Good decision by MPs on this. 50% of the population should have legislated control over their own bodies and reproductive health, without “tyranny of the majority” type interventions such as NZ First’s proposed referendum. Much of society has moved on with this issue from the 70s, simple as that.
Yes. Requiring lies about mental health is not on (especially given NZ's generally crap attitude to mental health issues)
I'd like to think that the government doesn't wind up borrowing to support the well paid in the workforce. I see the business pages are starting to talk redundancy. Just looked at one company that pays it's 12 or so senior people around $20 million. These are all the employees over $1million – There is another significant bunch between $0.5 mill and $1 mill. Chop this down and 800 people could have $25k for 6 months – instead of redundancy and being pushed onto the dole and borrowings the taxpayer has to repay. Okay this is a company that has a lot of wider issues but it won't be alone.
Time to put in place some rules around redundancies having to be signed off by the labour department (any rules around redundancy now are largely ignored) – which can only happen if the upper level has taken the big hit. Maybe also look at hefty tax increases for the well paid. And don't be sucked by the "we are earning it in a crisis" – the implication is that they don't really earn it the rest of the time?
Lower level staff are going to get hammered as are a lot of investors through their kiwisavers etc – I can see any reason why some who are drawing large salaries can't share the pain.
Time for a maximum wage perhaps.
Say no more than 12 times the lowest paid in the company.
Classic Black Swan event eh! In accord with Parkinson's Law, those earning $1 mill will probably have mortgage and loan repayments of $900,000 and they will collapse just as fast, if not faster, than a household earning $60,000 a year paying $20k pa on their house. Almost everybody lives up to their means. It won't be pretty.
In Feb they announced borrowing $12billion for infrastructure projects.
All those engineers and design teams are suitably recompensed. There's tens of thousands of subbies kept going from it as well.
Coronavirus: Eight new cases in New Zealand.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2020/03/coronavirus-eight-new-cases-in-new-zealand.html
Don't Panic!
All recently returned from overseas.
When the reverse-diaspora gets tallied, we'll see what happens. Got a colleague flying back into iso in a few days, actually.
As expected, Biden wins Florida in a blowout and wins Illinois solidly. Arizona results expected to start coming in after 4pm out time.
A special ray of sunshine in the safe Dem Illinois 3rd Congressional District, where solidly progressive Marie Newman appears to have successfully primaried the incumbent anti-abortion centrist Dan Lipinski.
However, even in this safe Dem district, Biden is beating Sanders 3:2. Looks like progressive ideas are popular there but Sanders personally is not.
Looks like progressive ideas are popular there but Sanders personally is not.
The power of homogenised propaganda coming in at people from all angles, no matter which way they turn, aye?
Sanders was the most popular member of congress by far in polls over these past few years, no?
You might remember how corporate media blanked him when they weren't discounting him before they got on to maligning him and back to blanking him (haven't seen much of him on msm of late being interviewed about topics of the day).
It works.
And when powerful corporate interests (that includes msm) have symbiotic relations with politicians then, y'know, it's pretty easy to bolster an anti-Sanders message by getting a slew of those politicians to say Biden is "the man", and have msm ignore the fact those self same politicians voiced very serious reservations about Biden's capabilities only a few months back.
Shame Sanders doesn't have any "fuck you" attitude and, like Corbyn, seems to suffer from the middle class malaise of "reasonableness". He could have done far worse than photocopy a page from Trump's book when it comes to confronting vested interests. But no.
"Let me tell you, Joe is a good friend of mine" 🙄
"Sanders was the most popular member of congress".
How do you come to that conclusion. What Polls are you relying on?
With voters in his own state.
Sen. Bernie Sanders maintained his position as America’s most popular senator, with 64 percent of voters in his state approving of him. As he considers a second run for the presidency, the Vermont independent tops the list for the 11th quarter in a row
https://morningconsult.com/2019/01/10/americas-most-and-least-popular-senators-q4-2018/
I wondered if that might have been the Poll that was being used. Bill hasn't confirmed it of course but replies to requests like mine for confirmation of claims are often ignored. Moderators sometimes miss people who don't attempt to justify there claims.
The poll you quote seems an awfully thin reed to justify a claim that Sanders is "The most popular member of Congress" wouldn't you think? It covers only Senators. The majority of members of Congress are of course the members of the House of Representatives, who outnumber the Senators by 435 to 100. Do you know how popular the most liked of them are?
It also assumes that only the single number of approvals being considered. Would you not think a number for net approvals might be more rational? Approval minus disapproval say?
That would show that Bernie is the least popular Senator in his own State wouldn't it? Leahy on a net +39% is ahead of Bernie on +36%.
However the point I would make is that a measure like this, looking only at the numbers for Senators in their home state is hardly relevant is it? We could make equally wide extrapolations to make claims like the following.
"Jacinda Ardern is the least popular Prime Minister in New Zealand"
"Donald Trump is the most popular President in the US"
Just as true aren't they, and the supporting evidence is just as flimsy?
A great man of democracy.
There is no reason to believe that Sanders is personally unpopular. The fact is that the 'electability' propaganda from the Democratic Party has been very successful. Paradoxically, Trump's awfulness has made it harder for Sanders to win – Democratic party voters have been persuaded to vote against the person who best represents their interests and opinons (Sanders) in order to get rid of Trump.
God knows whether it will pan out that way. How bad do the effects of Covid-19 need to be before Trump loses? If the pandemic is still biting in November – whose voters won't turn up out of fear? Maybe the ones who know they'll have to queue for 5 hours due to Republican voter suppression tactics in poor neighbourhoods? Can Trump outflank Biden on the left with issues like NAFTA and the Iraq war, and win the mid-west swing states again? We have no idea.
From here it looks like a terrible lost opportunity. It matters because the only global institution capable of stamping on corporate power and delivering a green new deal is the US federal government. And now the best we can hope for is Sleepy Joe – a very conservative democrat with a record of serving his corporate masters. Bad days for humanity and the planet.
Maybe popular wasn't the best word. Maybe "think Biden would do a better job as president to advance the things they want" might be a bit closer.
I'm kinda relieved I voted for Warren before the choice narrowed to Biden or Sanders. I really don't know which way I'd choose. I really prefer the space where Bernie centres his ideas, but his record of actually achieving anything significant from his decades in Congress is negligible. Then when it comes to being a politician with a chance of winning the Electoral College, he frequently self-sabotages.
Such as the way he torpedoed any chance of he may have had of winning Florida by doubling down on his "Castro done good" comments, rather than grab the opportunity to go after Trump for his cosying up to dictators for his personal benefit. Or when asked about responding to coronavirus, he defaulted to replaying his exact same message he's been playing for forty years with zero tailoring to the specific circumstances at hand. It comes across as old man yelling at the sky, rather than someone that can read a novel situation and has the cognitive adaptability to come up with an appropriate customised response.
btw, for any mods with itchy ban-hammers, the quote marks in the comment above indicate paraphrasing rather than literal direct quotes.
Hmm. Medicare for All is very popular and something people want advanced, yes? But your argument is that people will vote for the guy who says he'll veto Medicare for All if he's President, because he's the guy who will advance their interests.
I kinda suspect a similar story would unfold for other popular "wants" of Americans.
And maybe that's why, in spite of an unprecedented boost in the polls he got off the back of all the 'heavy wieght' brouhaha after he won S. Carolina, his poll numbers are already heading south. And maybe…just maybe…that soft support for Biden is why Perez stuck it to Democratic voters and ignored public health advice in order to get another three states under Biden's belt while the spell of Biden's "electability" lasts…just maybe.
This line of defence for Sanders tanking is wafer thin. If you haven't fallen for it, why should the actual democrat voters?
I'm at the advantage of not actually living in the place where the thing is going on. I'm not subject to the same direct anxieties about Trump. I am absolutely not suggesting that my judgement is any better than theirs – though your seem to be insinuating that I am. And it isn't a 'defence', it's an observation, offered without the same snide absolutism of your response.
I do agree with your overall sentiment, but it's tempered by events today in the USA where the Trump administration has stepped up to the crisis in a dramatic fashion. Trump is the master of exploiting a crisis to his own benefit and I recall Ad writing a good post to that effect about a month ago.
Too soon to tell which way it may go.
Dylan Ratigan was shitting on the irony of Trump getting a landslide campaigning on Medicare for All and a UBI 🙂
What we do know is that his rhetoric will curve to Biden's left, just as it did with Clinton.
Exactly. A major part of his political genius is that he’s the least ideological POTUS I can ever recall and he’ll take whatever cards he’s dealt and play them win, whatever it takes.
Here's another irony; the left loves bemoaning how the system has thrown up three old white guys, yet if you want to find out about the last woman standing in the race you will only hear about it from Tucker Carlson.
The difference is now the bilious fake-bronze baboon has a record of actual actions. Which are mostly incompetent renditions of bog-standard Repug priorities.
It's not like 2016 where he could spout nonsense all over the entire ideological spectrum and fantasists would cherry-pick the one thing he said that met their desires and kid themselves that that was what he would do.
Do me a favour and stop wasting the rabid rants on me. I know he's a total goat of a man, I personally can't stand even listening to him dribble on. But there is no question he's also done at least a dozen 'impossible things' from winning the 2016 nomination onward; it's worth understanding why.
You know like the left is supposed to be bigly on social context.
Anyone else's workplace going ridiculously HUT HUT HUT! over this whole thing?
It just feels like a bunch of meaningless and largely pointless risk plans to make up and keep busy with.
Fuck me if I have to lead another workshop on messaging and risk.
The Stephen Mills Labour Party is over. An interventionist Govt for the people is needed. No more transferring power to the strong like what Labour believes since 1984. This activist govt is the model for climate change where 95 % can die unlike the small percent for this flu.
Dominance over the powerful or they will impose their interests to the 95 %'s detriment.
The best thing about Labour is the rich were never an ideal, just a stoppage they believed couldn't be passed. I'm sure Clark believes in the full recovery of the benefits Shipley cut.
Kia Ora Newshub.
Doctors using Skype to advise cancer patients who are most vulnerable to the virus is Ka pai.
Ka kite Ano
Kia Ora Te Ao Maori News.
One of the New virus cases is in Rotorua.
Our government redeployment program was needed.
Gardening and self sestanable living is the way to go.
Ka kite Ano
Kia Ora The Am Show.
The traffic jams are gone for now the road workers will be able to get more mahi achieved.
I still seem to have a few cars around me.????. There is even a silver van with black windows that parks in front of me when I'm walking my dog and takes off when I get close to it been seeing it on the road constantly.?????
Yes the Rangatahi need to take this virus seriously and do thing to minimise them selves from catching it and spreading it.
That's is good the endangered Black Rinos population is rising.
I have confidence that Aotearoa can control the virus.
The difference between Climate change and the virus is the virus is short term deaster Climate change is long term.
Ka kite Ano
Kia Ora Newshub.
Air New Zealand getting a government bailout.
One would think the police would go and talk to a person who didn't obey the law.???. about the virus.
Ka kite Ano
Kia Ora Te Ao Maori News.
That's good that Te Tairawhiti is getting 28 million to keep tangata in mahi. One doesn't sell the whare to keep a business going.
Its good to see all the health packs being delivered to Tangata Whenua.
Ka kite Ano