The unbelievable level of incompetence on display from the MOH over the running of the border quarantine seems to be just another chapter of failure from government departments systematically wrecked by the last National government. Name me one agency – police bungling the self isolation checks, NZTA's inability to deliver even a core function like warrants of fitness, the housing debacle, ht list goes on – that has been able to meet the increased expectations that have been put on it?
Second, the border fiasco clearly represents a classic example of stakeholder capture of the MOH/MBIE – they've been far to it willing to bend to the demands of lobby groups and business. Hopefully the government now finally has the mandate to enforce the border restrictions as strictly and as entusiastically as the public has expected them to be enforced. One the big takes to me has been that the public has been in favour of far tougher borders than the government agencies enforcing them have been.
This is the one free pass the government will get on this, and that is only because their opponents have not a shred of credibility in their criticism. They need the military to act to get this right.
Also, I don’t know about anyone else but I am really not looking forward to weeks of middle class Karens telling us of how they think the system doesn’t work based on their one off experience that we are now going to get in the media.
I just hope that this sorry little episodes might make a few Labour politicians reflect on the fact that some of their 'officials' are not necessarily all that they seem. At the moment (due to various circumstances), I'm most familiar with MoBIE. People have been warning of its shortcomings for years – i.e. people at the coalface and even former employees. Its a bugger's muddle and the clue should probably have been in whose creation it was (Mr Fixit Joyce, being one of them). Failed restructures, high staff turnover, demographic spreadsheets and now the notional one, people having to be "managed" out because of overt racism while covert racists remain, Thompson and Clark, people trying to be a select little police force rather than actually trying to serve the public – it covers the entire spectrum. And probably the saddest thing is that many in the organisation probably think the culture is quite OK.
But as you say, there are the other departments.
Helen Clark ws being diplomatic when she said the public service doesn't have the capacity it once had. She's correct, but its not just capacity. And it actually predates the last gummint though nowhere near the extent of dysfunction that crept in during the gNats reign of bullshit where even ethical behaviour was reduced merely to a tradable commodity if and when affordable .
If this latest episode doesn't now convince Labour that there are departments/ministries/agencies that are not fit for purpose, nothing will.
I am really not looking forward to weeks of middle class Karens telling us of how they think the system doesn’t work based on their one off experience that we are now going to get in the media.
There will be a "human interest" story any day the media want to find one.
"Separated family denied by cruel officials" OR "Blundering officials" OR "Inconsistent officials".
Sometimes I think Ardern should just announce a vote in Parliament on Martial Law, but say the government will abstain, so the Opposition can have it if they vote for it. If they don't then we're staying with what we've got – officials trying to follow the law, and strike a balance, and inevitably somebody somewhere making a mistake.
I think that's better than armed soldiers on the streets but then I'm not some deranged Trump wannabe in opposition, who wants Tough Action alongside Total Freedom.
Guests can't figure out why there is a temporary ban?
Haven't they got half a brain to work it out?
"It is a temporary measure and guests' ability to purchase alcohol will be reinstated once all test results have been returned and the facility has been given the all-clear.”
Those inside the hotel said no reason was given for the ban, which came into force after the announcement on Tuesday afternoon of the new cases and their links to the facility.
Another man at the Novotel, who asked not to be named, also said no reason was given for the ban.
Compassionate exemptions: there's now been a big flurry of stories about people being granted release from quarantines and then abusing that enormous privilege they've been granted and indulging in behaviours that are a huge risk of creating infection hotspots.
There appears to be a common feature – they have been allowed to go after the pivotal person has died. To a funeral. A wake. To comfort a grieving relative. And so on.
None of the stories I've seen have been about someone allowed to go see a loved one their last days, in order to say their last goodbyes. Or to be with loved ones at a critical life event such as birth.
Something is very messed up here where condoning risk for the sake of dead bodies seems acceptable, but not for the sake of the living.
Something is very very wrong with our systems, and with the way those that have been given a privilege within the system then go on to behave after being granted that privilege.
Well the lockdown worked because the rules were brutally simple. it looks like we need a similar set of brutally simple rules for the quarantine system. Fourteen days in isolation, compulsory testing, no exceptions, no excuses. Ever. If you don’t like it, don’t come.
Perhaps we also need to completely close the border with the UK. These two women and their attitude are pure failed state insouiance. There is a reason 60,000 people have died in the UK and this behaviour is it – everyone living there seems to think they are an exception to the rules. We simply cannot trust anyone arriving from the UK to not treat our rules with a cavalier attitude up to and including outright lying to officials.
Michael Woodhouse, a nasty Nat if there ever was one, has just been perpetrating a major beat-up of the problems with the quarantine system just now on Morning Report.
While there appear to have been isolated cases where the system has failed (the 2 UK women especially) overall it seems to have been working well. There was always going to be the odd slip-the system has already been tightened to stop this.
Woodhouse’s claims that there was physical contact between the 2 UK women and their friends seems to be false.
Meanwhile Woodhouse admitted he would have opened the border to many thousands of overseas students some time ago. No matter how good the quarantine and testing system, this represents a much higher risk to NZ than the current regime.
Sure, Woodhouse and the other Nats with their advocacy for internally contradictory future actions are just making it ever clearer that they're simply unfit for government.
But that doesn't negate that they have brought to light very serious failings with the current system that are a lot more than just the inevitable occasional slip.
Agreed Andre-it was stupid to let the two UK people to sneak around the system without getting their test results-my guess is they argued long and hard and one of them hid symptoms. But I still think this is probably one of a few mistakes among many thousands of people that have come into NZ and overall the system has worked superbly well.
The Nats need to crack the Jacinda magic and will majorly beat-up anything they can use against her. The NZ public's mood is so "fortress NZ" at the moment that they tend to buy into the idea that the system is failing when shown the slightest crack.
NZ 2 cases in 25 days. Sweden 1,239 cases yesterday.
"Woodhouse’s claims that there was physical contact between the 2 UK women and their friends seems to be false."
Bloomfield said on radio this morning that a friend put an arm around one of the women after they got help with directions. So sadly… Woodhouse's claims are more correct than the MOH at this point. MOH stated yesterday that the women had no contact with anyone on their journey.
Let's assume 2 things: Woodhouse was both told the truth, and he then repeated the truth.
That doesn't make it better, it makes it worse. If you/I had info about the close contact with Covid-19 cases, what would we do? Or what should we do?
I don't think "tell Michael Woodhouse" comes near the top of the list. He's not in the public health system.
They witnessed this action on Saturday. It was raised in parliament on Wednesday, after they contacted him on Tuesday. What the hell were they doing in the meantime, and how many people were affected during the delay?
This is about winning public trust and confidence during a national crisis, like it or not Woodhouse has dented that confidence. You really think the public response is going to be aimed at Woody's actions over the MOH's??
It's all about public trust and by his actions Woodhouse showed he can't be trusted in the slightest to primarily do good for the country. It won't make the headlines and journos won't give him a hard time about it but every time you see him on TV know you are looking at someone who behaves like a total slimebag.
I'd kinda prefer to be a little more nuanced than that.
It seems that after a death, the risk of people not thinking straight and behaving irresponsibly is just unacceptably high. So yeah, no exemptions from quarantine.
But so far, we don't have evidence of that risky behaviour coming from those granted leave for critical moments with the living. It's not clear whether it's because in those cases leave has not been granted (in which case our system priorities are seriously fucked up), or whether people actually do behave more responsibly after being granted leave for these other life events.
As to the reports of lack of testing, and the idea that testing can be declined, and mingling of those near the start of quarantine and near the end – yeah, those are just fuckups that have to be fixed. No if, buts or maybes. Given the frequency of false negatives, I also question giving people the all clear on the basis of just one test – two clear tests 24 hours apart should be required. Don't agree to that, don't come.
It seems that after a death, the risk of people not thinking straight and behaving irresponsibly is just unacceptably high. So yeah, no exemptions from quarantine.
You would think that after a death, the value of life would actually be right to the forefront of your mind. If the person who had died could speak, they would probably say two things: 'I don't want to be here' and 'Don't do anything that may endanger the lives of others'
How you could be given an exemption to attend a funeral, and not have in mind your own position with respect to this pandemic which is taking a heavy toll of lives, completely escapes me.
I haven't heard one person from the right of politics suggest these people should have shown some personal responsibility.
They just don't seem to have any concept of responsibility to the community. If the gym story is true it boggles the mind. Why on earth would you even think about going there, given their position.
A good FTA with the UK would be bloody useful for reducing our strategic dependence on China, even if we just went back to 1972 levels of exports – that is, around 400,000 tons of butter and cheese and 250,000 tons of sheepmeat – along with our wine and other exports. Imagine if we could send them 500,000 tons of dairy productsd and 300,000 tons of lamb! Luckily, we actually have some leverage on the Brexit brigade currently in charge in the UK, who are very keen on getting some runs on the board outside the EU on trade and even more importantly, for NZ to not veto their attempts to join the Pacific free trade partnership.
Is this the agreement that has the investor state can sue the government clause?Last thing we need. Plus we need to be able to put in SROI clauses. And anyway who wants to be associated with Boris and EU exit at this point – I can't see that serving any long term interest. Better to keep negotiating with the EU not wind up being played off.
Some lax procedures, plus people who expect they be able to bend the rules, has resulted in what has happened. The two women driving to Wellington should have known better, given they had come from the UK. To blame the bureaucrats alone in this case and others, is overlooking the people who think rules don’t apply to them.
I was told yesterday by a person in charge of checking people visiting a rest home/hospital that some would refuse to give their tracing details. Also a cafe manager told me some would refuse to give their details. She simply told them to leave as her first priority was the welfare of her staff.
To blame the bureaucrats alone in this case and others, is overlooking the people who think rules don’t apply to them.
Some alternative headlines:
"Place requires contact tracing. Says it's now required. Plucky Kiwi fights for his freedoms, won't give his details. This is dictatorship! We've beaten the virus, so why the heavy-handed bureaucracy? Outraged Opposition MP joins us now …"
So naturally the AM show turns to Simon Thornley for his valuable insights on NZ's Covid challenges. We have 22 dead, it would be (per capita) 100 times more if the Sweden fans had their way.
I guess it's the old story: people have to take responsibility for what they do, but never for what they say and don't have to do.
22 dead and political uproar in NZ because two less-than-forthcoming (privileged?) UK people manage to talk and sneak their way around the system and end up testing positive.
Imagine if we had 1,239 new cases daily like Sweden did yesterday. That would be cause for the type of reaction Woodhouse and Muller have exhibited in the last 2 days.
Then there is RNZ's headline that that the tracing /test regime has "failed" when it achieved 79 and 74% in 2 days where it was aiming for 80%. That looks very close to the gold standard to me.
Still smarting over the quarantine/isolation issue.
it is a system failure of course. Nursing training possibly implicated where gaining consent patient rights etc is over emphasised. So how a nurse phrases the question about the test is highly influential in what happens. “Would you like a covid test? You don’t have to”. Versus, “I am here to give you your Covid test”. I say this because last night Lisa Owen interviewed a women who is isolating in the covid women’s hotel. This women said they were offered a test on day three, but she didn’t want to have it. But now of course that this women has been in the same facility with two women with covid she couldn’t wait to get the test (and had had it just before she talked to Lisa). I am so furious with this woman’s blatant self interest……..
but responsibility lies further up the chain. Who knew that people were absconding from funerals and didn’t alert the minister. Sounds like he genuinely didn’t know when asked about it by heather d p Allen. Someone somewhere in the chain knew and did nothing. They need to be sacked
it’s a f…g pandemic. Bring in the military.
btw my apologies for my angry posts over this. I can’t remember when I last felt this angry.
I too will not be happy until the person /persons directly responsible for managing/supervising the day to day quarantine procedures lose their jobs/s. So many people in NZ have lost jobs in NZ because of Covid and this lackadaisical implementation of quarantining proceedures is unforgivable. So relieved to hear the military /airforce is to control the situation now.
Actually as an health care worker I feel this Minister is far better than the previous few. He is not responsible for my f–k ups nor am I responsible for those I supervise f–k ups but I am responsible for fixing the f–k ups and preventing further f–k ups.There got that off my chest.
It's the nature of fast-changing news coverage that facts slip through the cracks, and people who rant without the facts don't bother re-visiting what they said. We all move on to the next episode.
So, for the record – everyone who said (with complete certainty and no evidence) the 2 women driving to Wellington MUST have stopped for petrol … was wrong. It was diesel. So they didn't.
It might be worth pausing before the next instant judgement, but hey, where's the fun in that?
I'm gobsmacked that whether they could go Orcland-Wellie on one tank ever got to be an issue. Anyone with just a bit more driving experience than needed for a restricted licence should be able to work out it depends on the car's fuel tank size, efficiency, driving style and skills, and how close the driver is willing to get to empty. Of the cars I've owned in the last thirty years, I'd be confident of doing it in roughly a third, could maybe eke it out in a third, and not a chance in a third of them.
Besides, there's plenty of zero-contact places to fill up. Most Gulls are unmanned, and the Gull at Atiamuri definitely is (it's usually the cheapest around). Pretty sure last couple of times I filled up anywhere near Wellie I paid at the pump.
Thanks. I wasn't attacking anyone in particular (I've got things wrong too), it just seems funny that some aspects of a story become the big Debating Point. The whole "could they or couldn't they?" question was all over social media, and the various talking heads on radio etc. Seemed like everyone had an opinion.
Thanks for documenting this Joe90. I can't bear to look – I am afraid of losing my mind watching the implosion and the toxic stuff emerging from the USA every day. There is no truth in the thinking that raising people's living standards (as regularly said about low-paid Asian workers) is sure to make life better. The USA is one of the richest countries, but getting money has only made them meaner and then the strugglers at the bottom are still relatively if not actually poorer. A concrete like conformist mindset creeps in to those with some improvements, and sets up waves of negative thinking about those whose lives aren't improving and who struggle still. Why can't we all get on.
Surely assisting business to comply with regs has been the leitmotif since neolib came in. Why should a plumber be dumped on who realised something was wrong on a big job, notified the management, but continued with his contractual work? If he doesn't do his work, he doesn't pay his rent or eat, and he might be avoided in future as a trouble-maker. How damn ignorant of the chap from the Plumbing Board to blame the bloke at the bottom, and make him (or her) the scapegoat for shoddy design and sector laxness and rule-breaking.
However, Plumbing Board investigator David Thomas said the certifying plumber had to do much more than just speak up."You couldn't keep installing them the way they were, because they weren't correct, they didn't comply.
"So it's no good saying, 'Oh these aren't right, but I'll just keep going'."Surely you've got to have that ability to say, 'This is where we stop', document it, then wait for a solution to come back," Thomas told the five-member panel in Wellington yesterday.
I think that this Thomas needs to stop working, while he waits for somebody with integrity to investigate his findings, and see whether his employer pays him. There needs to be protection for whistle-blowers that involves paying their costs for doing so. This Plumbing Board guy must be paid to keep authority off the backs of the builders and speculators; he doesn't seem concerned about the contractor. That poor guy, when looking for his next job, may end up in a job shelf-stacking at any hardware shop that remains open.
The opinion the Plumbing Board guy has espoused enables business to slope away from its responsibilities as has been its habit. Government imposes tight regulations and costs on the contractors, workers, micro businesses but the lead guys are virtual criminals allowed free rein. Government itself does not want to accept the responsibility that its power and finances require. The pollies are mates with lead business people who are 'wealth creators' (for themselves). We citizens scrape the pot, and they get the gravy.
Heh. My only question is why is this guy homeless when he's got the skills to identify an opportunity and the initiative to jump on it when the moment is right?
On Monday Joe, Darwin in the NT hit its highest ever recorded June temp of 35.5 deg and has now push our average daily temp up to 30.7 degrees. We aren’t meant to see these temperatures until mid to late Jul. Soils moisture content in the Northern NT has also crashed to record lows for this time of the yr and again we shouldn’t be seeing this until at least August or September.
The BOM guys have said it going to get even worse during the Dry and a greatest likely hood of more running fires than last yr, btw running fires usually lead to crown fires. Last yrs fire season saw many people too see their first running and crown fires in the NT which were to the old hands a very rare event, but to have 3 such events last yr on the weekend was crazy a enough and very stressful for those on the fire line as well.
Anyway got to head and finish my jobs around the house, before head out bush again on Monday for fire duty.
Kind regards Scud – you seem to be on the front line – to this keyboard 'warrior.' Are the farmers up there connecting with the Mulloon Institute on how to contain water. What to do when you don't get any – the aborigines would probably know something about that.
I appreciate your details, above. But you're like a hyped up current events class.
I'm always out of sync on that account. Shouldn't we concentrate on the central things of the neediest and the fact this is the decade of 1939 for climate change? And we are already too late, 100s of millions will die now.
Papatuanuku albartross day great we need to care for the wildlife.
I say that our government has handled the economy quite well keeping people in jobs the alternative government would have sent all the subsidies straight to top and forgot about the common people next minute a big financial mess the trickle down lie never worked .
Its all your m8s in the system that are throwing a spanner in the works.
Its good to see %20 of people don't consume alcohol.
More Wai storage is needed in Aotearoa we also have to minimise our Wai usage and wastage of Wai with what our scientists have forcast for our Mokopuna weather and environment.
It would be good to see Maori business thriving in their exporting markets Maori we're one of the first to export Aotearoa products.
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ACT would like to dictate what universities can and can’t say. We knew it was coming. It was outlined in the coalition agreement and has become part of Seymour’s strategy of “emphasising public funding” to prevent people from opposing him and his views—something he also uses to try and de-platform ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park from the Gigafact team in collaboration with members from our team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Are we heading ...
So the Solstice has arrived – Summer in this part of the world, Winter for the Northern Hemisphere. And with it, the publication my new Norse dark-fantasy piece, As Our Power Lessens at Eternal Haunted Summer: https://eternalhauntedsummer.com/issues/winter-solstice-2024/as-our-power-lessens/ As previously noted, this one is very ‘wyrd’, and Northern Theory of Courage. ...
The Natural Choice: As a starter for ten percent of the Party Vote, “saving the planet” is a very respectable objective. Young voters, in particular, raised on the dire (if unheeded) warnings of climate scientists, and the irrefutable evidence of devastating weather events linked to global warming, vote Green. After ...
The Government cancelled 60% of Kāinga Ora’s new builds next year, even though the land for them was already bought, the consents were consented and there are builders unemployed all over the place. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political ...
Photo by CHUTTERSNAP on UnsplashEvery morning I get up at 3am to go around the traps of news sites in Aotearoa and globally. I pick out the top ones from my point of view and have been putting them into my Dawn Chorus email, which goes out with a podcast. ...
Over on Kikorangi Newsroom's Marc Daalder has published his annual OIA stats. So I thought I'd do mine: 82 OIA requests sent in 2024 7 posts based on those requests 20 average working days to receive a response Ministry of Justice was my most-requested entity, ...
Welcome to the December 2024 Economic Bulletin. We have two monthly features in this edition. In the first, we discuss what the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update from Treasury and the Budget Policy Statement from the Minister of Finance tell us about the fiscal position and what to ...
The NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi have submitted against the controversial Treaty Principles Bill, slamming the Bill as a breach of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and an attack on tino rangatiratanga and the collective rights of Tangata Whenua. “This Bill seeks to legislate for Te Tiriti o Waitangi principles that are ...
I don't knowHow to say what's got to be saidI don't know if it's black or whiteThere's others see it redI don't get the answers rightI'll leave that to youIs this love out of fashionOr is it the time of yearAre these words distraction?To the words you want to hearSongwriters: ...
Our economy has experienced its worst recession since 1991. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that matter in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Friday, December 20 in The Kākā’s Dawn Chorus podcast above and the daily Pick ‘n’ Mix below ...
Twas the Friday before Christmas and all through the week we’ve been collecting stories for our final roundup of the year. As we start to wind down for the year we hope you all have a safe and happy Christmas and new year. If you’re travelling please be safe on ...
The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts & talking about the year’s news with: on climate. Her book of the year was Tim Winton’s cli-fi novel Juice and she also mentioned Mike Joy’s memoir The Fight for Fresh Water. ...
The Government can head off to the holidays, entitled to assure itself that it has done more or less what it said it would do. The campaign last year promised to “get New Zealand back on track.” When you look at the basic promises—to trim back Government expenditure, toughen up ...
Open access notables An intensification of surface Earth’s energy imbalance since the late 20th century, Li et al., Communications Earth & Environment:Tracking the energy balance of the Earth system is a key method for studying the contribution of human activities to climate change. However, accurately estimating the surface energy balance ...
Photo by Mauricio Fanfa on UnsplashKia oraCome and join us for our weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm today.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream for our chat about the week’s news with myself , plus regular guests and , ...
“Like you said, I’m an unreconstructed socialist. Everybody deserves to get something for Christmas.”“ONE OF THOSE had better be for me!” Hannah grinned, fascinated, as Laurie made his way, gingerly, to the bar, his arms full of gift-wrapped packages.“Of course!”, beamed Laurie. Depositing his armful on the bar-top and selecting ...
Data released by Statistics New Zealand today showed a significant slowdown in the economy over the past six months, with GDP falling by 1% in September, and 1.1% in June said CTU Economist Craig Renney. “The data shows that the size of the economy in GDP terms is now smaller ...
One last thing before I quitI never wanted any moreThan I could fit into my headI still remember every single word you saidAnd all the shit that somehow came along with itStill, there's one thing that comforts meSince I was always caged and now I'm freeSongwriters: David Grohl / Georg ...
Sparse offerings outside a Te Kauwhata church. Meanwhile, the Government is cutting spending in ways that make thousands of hungry children even hungrier, while also cutting funding for the charities that help them. It’s also doing that while winding back new building of affordable housing that would allow parents to ...
It is difficult to make sense of the Luxon Coalition Government’s economic management.This end-of-year review about the state of economic management – the state of the economy was last week – is not going to cover the National Party contribution. Frankly, like every other careful observer, I cannot make up ...
This morning I awoke to the lovely news that we are firmly back on track, that is if the scale was reversed.NZ ranks low in global economic comparisonsNew Zealand's economy has been ranked 33rd out of 37 in an international comparison of which have done best in 2024.Economies were ranked ...
Remember those silent movies where the heroine is tied to the railway tracks or going over the waterfall in a barrel? Finance Minister Nicola Willis seems intent on portraying herself as that damsel in distress. According to Willis, this country’s current economic problems have all been caused by the spending ...
Similar to the cuts and the austerity drive imposed by Ruth Richardson in the 1990’s, an era which to all intents and purposes we’ve largely fiddled around the edges with fixing in the time since – over, to be fair, several administrations – whilst trying our best it seems to ...
String-Pulling in the Dark: For the democratic process to be meaningful it must also be public. WITH TRUST AND CONFIDENCE in New Zealand’s politicians and journalists steadily declining, restoring those virtues poses a daunting challenge. Just how daunting is made clear by comparing the way politicians and journalists treated New Zealanders ...
Dear Nicola Willis, thank you for letting us know in so many words that the swingeing austerity hasn't worked.By in so many words I mean the bit where you said, Here is a sea of red ink in which we are drowning after twelve months of savage cost cutting and ...
National has only been in power for a year, but everywhere you look, its choices are taking New Zealand a long way backwards. In no particular order, here are the National Government's Top 50 Greatest Misses of its first year in power. ...
The Government is quietly undertaking consultation on the dangerous Regulatory Standards Bill over the Christmas period to avoid too much attention. ...
The Government’s planned changes to the freedom of speech obligations of universities is little more than a front for stoking the political fires of disinformation and fear, placing teachers and students in the crosshairs. ...
The Ministry of Regulation’s report into Early Childhood Education (ECE) in Aotearoa raises serious concerns about the possibility of lowering qualification requirements, undermining quality and risking worse outcomes for tamariki, whānau, and kaiako. ...
A Bill to modernise the role of Justices of the Peace (JP), ensuring they remain active in their communities and connected with other JPs, has been put into the ballot. ...
Labour will continue to fight unsustainable and destructive projects that are able to leap-frog environment protection under National’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. ...
The Green Party has warned that a Green Government will revoke the consents of companies who override environmental protections as part of Fast-Track legislation being passed today. ...
The Green Party says the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update shows how the Government is failing to address the massive social and infrastructure deficits our country faces. ...
The Government’s latest move to reduce the earnings of migrant workers will not only hurt migrants but it will drive down the wages of Kiwi workers. ...
Te Pāti Māori has this morning issued a stern warning to Fast-Track applicants with interests in mining, pledging to hold them accountable through retrospective liability and to immediately revoke Fast-Track consents under a future Te Pāti Māori government. This warning comes ahead of today’s third reading of the Fast-Track Approvals ...
The Government’s announcement today of a 1.5 per cent increase to minimum wage is another blow for workers, with inflation projected to exceed the increase, meaning it’s a real terms pay reduction for many. ...
All the Government has achieved from its announcement today is to continue to push responsibility back on councils for its own lack of action to help bring down skyrocketing rates. ...
Uia te pō, rangahaua te pō, whakamāramatia mai he aha tō tango, he aha tō kāwhaki? Whitirere ki te ao, tirotiro kau au, kei hea taku rātā whakamarumaru i te au o te pakanga mo te mana motuhake? Au te pō, ngū te pō, ue hā! E te kahurangi māreikura, ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says people with diabetes and other painful conditions will benefit from a significant new qualification to boost training in foot care. “It sounds simple, but quality and regular foot and nail care is vital in preventing potentially serious complications from diabetes, like blisters or sores, which can take a long time to heal ...
Associate Health Minister with responsibility for Pharmac David Seymour is pleased to see Pharmac continue to increase availability of medicines for Kiwis with the government’s largest ever investment in Pharmac. “Pharmac operates independently, but it must work within the budget constraints set by the government,” says Mr Seymour. “When this government assumed ...
Mā mua ka kite a muri, mā muri ka ora e mua - Those who lead give sight to those who follow, those who follow give life to those who lead. Māori recipients in the New Year 2025 Honours list show comprehensive dedication to improving communities across the motu that ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden is wishing all New Zealanders a great holiday season as Kiwis prepare for gatherings with friends and families to see in the New Year. It is a great time of year to remind everyone to stay fire safe over the summer. “I know ...
From 1 January 2025, first-time tertiary learners will have access to a new Fees Free entitlement of up to $12,000 for their final year of provider-based study or final two years of work-based learning, Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds says. “Targeting funding to the final year of study ...
“As we head into one of the busiest times of the year for Police, and family violence and sexual violence response services, it’s a good time to remind everyone what to do if they experience violence or are worried about others,” Minister for the Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence ...
Kiwis planning a swim or heading out on a boat this summer should remember to stop and think about water safety, Sport & Recreation Minister Chris Bishop and ACC and Associate Transport Minister Matt Doocey say. “New Zealand’s beaches, lakes and rivers are some of the most beautiful in the ...
The Government is urging Kiwis to drive safely this summer and reminding motorists that Police will be out in force to enforce the road rules, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“This time of year can be stressful and result in poor decision-making on our roads. Whether you are travelling to see ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says Health New Zealand will move swiftly to support dozens of internationally-trained doctors already in New Zealand on their journey to employment here, after a tripling of sought-after examination places. “The Medical Council has delivered great news for hardworking overseas doctors who want to contribute ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has appointed Sarah Ottrey to the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC). “At my first APEC Summit in Lima, I experienced firsthand the role that ABAC plays in guaranteeing political leaders hear the voice of business,” Mr Luxon says. “New Zealand’s ABAC representatives are very well respected and ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced four appointments to New Zealand’s intelligence oversight functions. The Honourable Robert Dobson KC has been appointed Chief Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants, and the Honourable Brendan Brown KC has been appointed as a Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants. The appointments of Hon Robert Dobson and Hon ...
Improvements in the average time it takes to process survey and title applications means housing developments can progress more quickly, Minister for Land Information Chris Penk says. “The government is resolutely focused on improving the building and construction pipeline,” Mr Penk says. “Applications to issue titles and subdivide land are ...
The Government’s measures to reduce airport wait times, and better transparency around flight disruptions is delivering encouraging early results for passengers ahead of the busy summer period, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Improving the efficiency of air travel is a priority for the Government to give passengers a smoother, more reliable ...
The Government today announced the intended closure of the Apollo Hotel as Contracted Emergency Housing (CEH) in Rotorua, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. This follows a 30 per cent reduction in the number of households in CEH in Rotorua since National came into Government. “Our focus is on ending CEH in the Whakarewarewa area starting ...
The Government will reshape vocational education and training to return decision making to regions and enable greater industry input into work-based learning Tertiary Education and Skills Minister, Penny Simmonds says. “The redesigned system will better meet the needs of learners, industry, and the economy. It includes re-establishing regional polytechnics that ...
The Government is taking action to better manage synthetic refrigerants and reduce emissions caused by greenhouse gases found in heating and cooling products, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds says. “Regulations will be drafted to support a product stewardship scheme for synthetic refrigerants, Ms. Simmonds says. “Synthetic refrigerants are found in a ...
People travelling on State Highway 1 north of Hamilton will be relieved that remedial works and safety improvements on the Ngāruawāhia section of the Waikato Expressway were finished today, with all lanes now open to traffic, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“I would like to acknowledge the patience of road users ...
Tertiary Education and Skills Minister, Penny Simmonds, has announced a new appointment to the board of Education New Zealand (ENZ). Dr Erik Lithander has been appointed as a new member of the ENZ board for a three-year term until 30 January 2028. “I would like to welcome Dr Erik Lithander to the ...
The Government will have senior representatives at Waitangi Day events around the country, including at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, but next year Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has chosen to take part in celebrations elsewhere. “It has always been my intention to celebrate Waitangi Day around the country with different ...
Two more criminal gangs will be subject to the raft of laws passed by the Coalition Government that give Police more powers to disrupt gang activity, and the intimidation they impose in our communities, Police Minister Mark Mitchell says. Following an Order passed by Cabinet, from 3 February 2025 the ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Justice Christian Whata as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Whata’s appointment as a Judge of the Court of Appeal will take effect on 1 August 2025 and fill a vacancy created by the retirement of Hon Justice David Goddard on ...
The latest economic figures highlight the importance of the steps the Government has taken to restore respect for taxpayers’ money and drive economic growth, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Data released today by Stats NZ shows Gross Domestic Product fell 1 per cent in the September quarter. “Treasury and most ...
Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds and Associate Minister of Education David Seymour today announced legislation changes to strengthen freedom of speech obligations on universities. “Freedom of speech is fundamental to the concept of academic freedom and there is concern that universities seem to be taking a more risk-averse ...
Police Minister, Mark Mitchell, and Internal Affairs Minister, Brooke van Velden, today launched a further Public Safety Network cellular service that alongside last year’s Cellular Roaming roll-out, puts globally-leading cellular communications capability into the hands of our emergency responders. The Public Safety Network’s new Cellular Priority service means Police, Wellington ...
State Highway 1 through the Mangamuka Gorge has officially reopened today, providing a critical link for Northlanders and offering much-needed relief ahead of the busy summer period, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“The Mangamuka Gorge is a vital route for Northland, carrying around 1,300 vehicles per day and connecting the Far ...
The Government has welcomed decisions by the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) and Ashburton District Council confirming funding to boost resilience in the Canterbury region, with construction on a second Ashburton Bridge expected to begin in 2026, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Delivering a second Ashburton Bridge to improve resilience and ...
The Government is backing the response into high pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in Otago, Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard says. “Cabinet has approved new funding of $20 million to enable MPI to meet unbudgeted ongoing expenses associated with the H7N6 response including rigorous scientific testing of samples at the enhanced PC3 ...
Legislation that will repeal all advertising restrictions for broadcasters on Sundays and public holidays has passed through first reading in Parliament today, Media Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “As a growing share of audiences get their news and entertainment from streaming services, these restrictions have become increasingly redundant. New Zealand on ...
Today the House agreed to Brendan Horsley being appointed Inspector-General of Defence, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “Mr Horsley’s experience will be invaluable in overseeing the establishment of the new office and its support networks. “He is currently Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security, having held that role since June 2020. ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government has agreed to the final regulations for the levy on insurance contracts that will fund Fire and Emergency New Zealand from July 2026. “Earlier this year the Government agreed to a 2.2 percent increase to the rate of levy. Fire ...
The Government is delivering regulatory relief for New Zealand businesses through changes to the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Act. “The Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Amendment Bill, which was introduced today, is the second Bill – the other being the Statutes Amendment Bill - that ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed further progress on the Hawke’s Bay Expressway Road of National Significance (RoNS), with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) Board approving funding for the detailed design of Stage 1, paving the way for main works construction to begin in late 2025.“The Government is moving at ...
The Government today released a request for information (RFI) to seeking interest in partnerships to plant trees on Crown-owned land with low farming and conservation value (excluding National Parks) Forestry Minister Todd McClay announced. “Planting trees on Crown-owned land will drive economic growth by creating more forestry jobs in our regions, providing more wood ...
Court timeliness, access to justice, and improving the quality of existing regulation are the focus of a series of law changes introduced to Parliament today by Associate Minister of Justice Nicole McKee. The three Bills in the Regulatory Systems (Justice) Amendment Bill package each improve a different part of the ...
A total of 41 appointments and reappointments have been made to the 12 community trusts around New Zealand that serve their regions, Associate Finance Minister Shane Jones says. “These trusts, and the communities they serve from the Far North to the deep south, will benefit from the rich experience, knowledge, ...
The Government has confirmed how it will provide redress to survivors who were tortured at the Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital Child and Adolescent Unit (the Lake Alice Unit). “The Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care found that many of the 362 children who went through the Lake Alice Unit between 1972 and ...
It has been a busy, productive year in the House as the coalition Government works hard to get New Zealand back on track, Leader of the House Chris Bishop says. “This Government promised to rebuild the economy, restore law and order and reduce the cost of living. Our record this ...
“Accelerated silicosis is an emerging occupational disease caused by unsafe work such as engineered stone benchtops. I am running a standalone consultation on engineered stone to understand what the industry is currently doing to manage the risks, and whether further regulatory intervention is needed,” says Workplace Relations and Safety Minister ...
Mehemea he pai mō te tangata, mahia – if it’s good for the people, get on with it. Enhanced reporting on the public sector’s delivery of Treaty settlement commitments will help improve outcomes for Māori and all New Zealanders, Māori Crown Relations Minister Tama Potaka says. Compiled together for the ...
Visitors and dignitaries from around the motu have been welcomed onto Whangaehu Marae, near Whanganui, as the tangihanga for the co-founder of Te Pāti Māori enters its second day. ...
We know that the impact of this kind of legislation is to silence legitimate political activity. In particular this is likely to be the case where people are advocating for policies that are contrary to the position of the current government. ...
Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor The fate of Palestinian Dr Hussam Abu Safiya, director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, who was “arrested” by Israeli forces last month after defiantly staying with his patients when his hospital was being attacked, featured strongly at yesterday’s medical professionals solidarity rally in Auckland. ...
Ripeka Lessels (Tūhoe, Ngāti Awa, Te Arawa, and Ngāti Tūwharetoa)Ripeka Lessels had been an educator for 20 years before she decided to become involved in NZEI Te Riu Roa’s Māori governance body, Te Reo Areare. It’s here she believed she could do the most good for tamariki Māori.As someone who had ...
Opinion: Why is it that whenever we meet someone new, we default to asking about their job?We could ask almost any question about their interests, background, or values, but still we ask “So, what do you do?”It turns out, this common, seemingly innocuous phrasing carries much deeper undertones of perceived ...
Summer reissue: Flat and surrounded by hills and rising tides, it’s no surprise that South Dunedin is at risk of flooding. But nine years of preparation meant last week’s deluge wasn’t as bad as it could have been – and a future here still seems possible. The Spinoff needs to ...
Summer reissue: You don’t have to live a haunting life of unparalleled grief and sorrow to be a great children’s author, but it helps. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign ...
Summer reissue: Alex Casey meets the Southland principal who wrote and directed a feature length fantasy epic starring the whole school.The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be ...
Summer reissue: Madeleine Holden writes about her agonising first year of motherhood. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be a member today.This essay contains descriptions of violence ...
Summer reissue: Increasing numbers of Māori are affiliating with tribal groups of under 1,000 members. What does it mean for Māoridom? The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be ...
Fijivillage News A man has been charged with the rape and sexual assault of one of the Virgin Australia crew members in the early hours of New Year’s Day, near a nightclub in Martintar, Nadi. Police confirm he has been charged with one count of sexual assault and one count ...
Asia Pacific Report Israel is forcing two hospitals in northern Gaza to evacuate under threat of attack as its ethnic cleansing campaign continues. Israeli forces have surrounded the Indonesian Hospital, where many staff and patients sought shelter after nearby Kamal Adwan Hospital was destroyed in an Israeli raid last week, ...
Navigating the shared challenges of climate change, geostrategic tensions, political upheaval, disaster recovery and decolonisation plus a 50th birthday party, reports a BenarNews contributor’s analysis.COMMENTARY:By Tess Newton Cain Vanuatu’s devastating earthquake and dramatic political developments in Tonga and New Caledonia at the end of 2024 set the tone ...
Summer reissue: Former All Black and recent Celebrity Treasure Island castaway Christian Cullen looks back on his life in TV. First published October 12, 2024. Every season of Celebrity Treasure Island brings with it a surprise breakout star, and often it’s the person you know the least about or have ...
“People comment a lot on how emotional I am.”The children’s minister says she’s always been an emotional person. It’s her way of coping with trauma.“Because if you bottle that up it turns into something quite nasty, right? It turns into anger, it turns into frustration, and you start to look ...
Comment: There are times when fiction anticipates life, and dystopian nightmares become real.Who would have thought that in New Zealand, a relatively wealthy country that was once proudly egalitarian, a version of The Hunger Games would play out?That a government would cut thousands of jobs, deny desperate families emergency food ...
Christopher LuxonWell, what I’d say to you about my New Year’s resolutions is that this year is going to be better than the last, probably, I mean I should think there’s a good chance of that happening, an even chance, there’s a narrow window, the odds are against us but ...
Summer reissue: The meltdown in the relationship between the key players in the fourth Labour government can be charted in an extraordinary exchange of correspondence. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and ...
Summer reissue: I read yet another study about toddlers, screen time and language development, and it sent me off the deep end. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to ...
Summer reissue: This year Tori Peeters competed at the Paris Olympics in the javelin. Ten years ago, Madeleine Chapman thought she might be in the same position. She talks to Peeters about what it takes to go all the way – and mulls her own life decisions in the process. ...
Summer reissue: He earned 5c for his first cut in 1955, and $35 for his last in March. Duncan Greive recalls the life of his late barber, ‘Young’ George Dyas, who never stopped snipping. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these ...
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Asia Pacific Report The UN’s Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in the occupied Palestinian territory, Francesca Albanese, has called on “medical professionals worldwide” to suspend ties with Israel in an act of solidarity with the more than “1000 colleagues of yours” killed in Gaza over the past 14 months. Countless ...
The co-founder of Te Pāti Māori and architect of Whānau Ora will be remembered as a skilled political tactician who dedicated her life to the wellbeing of Māori, writes Miriama Aoake. Part of the hesitation of entering politics for any sane person is surely compromise. Compromise is essential in the ...
A stern but loving auntie, a woman of unshakeable principle, the very definition of a wāhine toa - those are just a few of the tributes flooding in for Dame Tariana Turia. ...
By Maram Humaid in Deir el-Balah, Gaza Journalists gathered at Gaza’s Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Hospital expressed outrage and confusion about the Palestinian Authority’s (PA) decision to shut down Al Jazeera’s office in the occupied West Bank. “Shutting down a major outlet like Al Jazeera is a crime against journalism,” said freelance ...
Report by Dr David Robie – Café Pacific. – COMMENTARY: By Katrina Mitchell-Kouttab As 2024 came to a close and we have stepped into a new year overshadowed by ongoing atrocities, have you stopped to consider how these events are reshaping your world? Did you notice how your future ...
By Talaia Mika of the Cook Islands News The Cook Islands will not pursue membership in the United Nations and the Commonwealth due to its inability to meet the criteria for UN membership and existing relationship with New Zealand, which fulfils Commonwealth membership requirements. Prime Minister Mark Brown has clarified ...
The unbelievable level of incompetence on display from the MOH over the running of the border quarantine seems to be just another chapter of failure from government departments systematically wrecked by the last National government. Name me one agency – police bungling the self isolation checks, NZTA's inability to deliver even a core function like warrants of fitness, the housing debacle, ht list goes on – that has been able to meet the increased expectations that have been put on it?
Second, the border fiasco clearly represents a classic example of stakeholder capture of the MOH/MBIE – they've been far to it willing to bend to the demands of lobby groups and business. Hopefully the government now finally has the mandate to enforce the border restrictions as strictly and as entusiastically as the public has expected them to be enforced. One the big takes to me has been that the public has been in favour of far tougher borders than the government agencies enforcing them have been.
This is the one free pass the government will get on this, and that is only because their opponents have not a shred of credibility in their criticism. They need the military to act to get this right.
Also, I don’t know about anyone else but I am really not looking forward to weeks of middle class Karens telling us of how they think the system doesn’t work based on their one off experience that we are now going to get in the media.
I just hope that this sorry little episodes might make a few Labour politicians reflect on the fact that some of their 'officials' are not necessarily all that they seem. At the moment (due to various circumstances), I'm most familiar with MoBIE. People have been warning of its shortcomings for years – i.e. people at the coalface and even former employees. Its a bugger's muddle and the clue should probably have been in whose creation it was (Mr Fixit Joyce, being one of them). Failed restructures, high staff turnover, demographic spreadsheets and now the notional one, people having to be "managed" out because of overt racism while covert racists remain, Thompson and Clark, people trying to be a select little police force rather than actually trying to serve the public – it covers the entire spectrum. And probably the saddest thing is that many in the organisation probably think the culture is quite OK.
But as you say, there are the other departments.
Helen Clark ws being diplomatic when she said the public service doesn't have the capacity it once had. She's correct, but its not just capacity. And it actually predates the last gummint though nowhere near the extent of dysfunction that crept in during the gNats reign of bullshit where even ethical behaviour was reduced merely to a tradable commodity if and when affordable .
If this latest episode doesn't now convince Labour that there are departments/ministries/agencies that are not fit for purpose, nothing will.
I am really not looking forward to weeks of middle class Karens telling us of how they think the system doesn’t work based on their one off experience that we are now going to get in the media.
There will be a "human interest" story any day the media want to find one.
"Separated family denied by cruel officials" OR "Blundering officials" OR "Inconsistent officials".
Sometimes I think Ardern should just announce a vote in Parliament on Martial Law, but say the government will abstain, so the Opposition can have it if they vote for it. If they don't then we're staying with what we've got – officials trying to follow the law, and strike a balance, and inevitably somebody somewhere making a mistake.
I think that's better than armed soldiers on the streets but then I'm not some deranged Trump wannabe in opposition, who wants Tough Action alongside Total Freedom.
And right on cue …
Booze ban in quarantine hotel
We demand all our rights, and we also demand the government do whatever it takes.
observer 1.2.1
Guests can't figure out why there is a temporary ban?
Haven't they got half a brain to work it out?
Compassionate exemptions: there's now been a big flurry of stories about people being granted release from quarantines and then abusing that enormous privilege they've been granted and indulging in behaviours that are a huge risk of creating infection hotspots.
There appears to be a common feature – they have been allowed to go after the pivotal person has died. To a funeral. A wake. To comfort a grieving relative. And so on.
None of the stories I've seen have been about someone allowed to go see a loved one their last days, in order to say their last goodbyes. Or to be with loved ones at a critical life event such as birth.
Something is very messed up here where condoning risk for the sake of dead bodies seems acceptable, but not for the sake of the living.
Something is very very wrong with our systems, and with the way those that have been given a privilege within the system then go on to behave after being granted that privilege.
Well the lockdown worked because the rules were brutally simple. it looks like we need a similar set of brutally simple rules for the quarantine system. Fourteen days in isolation, compulsory testing, no exceptions, no excuses. Ever. If you don’t like it, don’t come.
Perhaps we also need to completely close the border with the UK. These two women and their attitude are pure failed state insouiance. There is a reason 60,000 people have died in the UK and this behaviour is it – everyone living there seems to think they are an exception to the rules. We simply cannot trust anyone arriving from the UK to not treat our rules with a cavalier attitude up to and including outright lying to officials.
Michael Woodhouse, a nasty Nat if there ever was one, has just been perpetrating a major beat-up of the problems with the quarantine system just now on Morning Report.
While there appear to have been isolated cases where the system has failed (the 2 UK women especially) overall it seems to have been working well. There was always going to be the odd slip-the system has already been tightened to stop this.
Woodhouse’s claims that there was physical contact between the 2 UK women and their friends seems to be false.
Meanwhile Woodhouse admitted he would have opened the border to many thousands of overseas students some time ago. No matter how good the quarantine and testing system, this represents a much higher risk to NZ than the current regime.
Sure, Woodhouse and the other Nats with their advocacy for internally contradictory future actions are just making it ever clearer that they're simply unfit for government.
But that doesn't negate that they have brought to light very serious failings with the current system that are a lot more than just the inevitable occasional slip.
Agreed Andre-it was stupid to let the two UK people to sneak around the system without getting their test results-my guess is they argued long and hard and one of them hid symptoms. But I still think this is probably one of a few mistakes among many thousands of people that have come into NZ and overall the system has worked superbly well.
The Nats need to crack the Jacinda magic and will majorly beat-up anything they can use against her. The NZ public's mood is so "fortress NZ" at the moment that they tend to buy into the idea that the system is failing when shown the slightest crack.
NZ 2 cases in 25 days. Sweden 1,239 cases yesterday.
"Woodhouse’s claims that there was physical contact between the 2 UK women and their friends seems to be false."
Bloomfield said on radio this morning that a friend put an arm around one of the women after they got help with directions. So sadly… Woodhouse's claims are more correct than the MOH at this point. MOH stated yesterday that the women had no contact with anyone on their journey.
Woodhouse said he didn't inform the MOH he only came out with information after the story was 'verified.'
What's verified? When you hear what you wanted to hear? Did the stories come from those who wanted to embarrass the government?
Let's assume 2 things: Woodhouse was both told the truth, and he then repeated the truth.
That doesn't make it better, it makes it worse. If you/I had info about the close contact with Covid-19 cases, what would we do? Or what should we do?
I don't think "tell Michael Woodhouse" comes near the top of the list. He's not in the public health system.
They witnessed this action on Saturday. It was raised in parliament on Wednesday, after they contacted him on Tuesday. What the hell were they doing in the meantime, and how many people were affected during the delay?
This is about winning public trust and confidence during a national crisis, like it or not Woodhouse has dented that confidence. You really think the public response is going to be aimed at Woody's actions over the MOH's??
Of course not. But if instant public opinion led by headlines was our guide, we would have the death penalty for beneficiaries who eat takeaways.
That doesn't change the moral responsibility of those who have important information about the virus in the community.
eating takeaways is a death penalty
False dichotomy.
It's all about public trust and by his actions Woodhouse showed he can't be trusted in the slightest to primarily do good for the country. It won't make the headlines and journos won't give him a hard time about it but every time you see him on TV know you are looking at someone who behaves like a total slimebag.
I'd kinda prefer to be a little more nuanced than that.
It seems that after a death, the risk of people not thinking straight and behaving irresponsibly is just unacceptably high. So yeah, no exemptions from quarantine.
But so far, we don't have evidence of that risky behaviour coming from those granted leave for critical moments with the living. It's not clear whether it's because in those cases leave has not been granted (in which case our system priorities are seriously fucked up), or whether people actually do behave more responsibly after being granted leave for these other life events.
As to the reports of lack of testing, and the idea that testing can be declined, and mingling of those near the start of quarantine and near the end – yeah, those are just fuckups that have to be fixed. No if, buts or maybes. Given the frequency of false negatives, I also question giving people the all clear on the basis of just one test – two clear tests 24 hours apart should be required. Don't agree to that, don't come.
I see no problem with people in quarantine being required to were tracking braclets especially if we return to letting them out on occasion.
Hell, I'd even go as far as assigning a minder to every single one of them.
Ankle bracelets. They'd be cheaper and wearers would think twice about being seen wearing one in public.
The neighbour's cat has just dropped by for a visit wearing his cone of shame.
You would think that after a death, the value of life would actually be right to the forefront of your mind. If the person who had died could speak, they would probably say two things: 'I don't want to be here' and 'Don't do anything that may endanger the lives of others'
How you could be given an exemption to attend a funeral, and not have in mind your own position with respect to this pandemic which is taking a heavy toll of lives, completely escapes me.
I haven't heard one person from the right of politics suggest these people should have shown some personal responsibility.
+100
They just don't seem to have any concept of responsibility to the community. If the gym story is true it boggles the mind. Why on earth would you even think about going there, given their position.
They went In the morning found out in the afternoon that there was a positive test for the pair in Wellington.
"failed state insouciance"
Phrase of the week! So good I barely care if it's true or not
Got to wonder what connexions the exemptees might have had. A group of 10 getting to pop off to a funeral suggests someone had a bit of influence.
A good FTA with the UK would be bloody useful for reducing our strategic dependence on China, even if we just went back to 1972 levels of exports – that is, around 400,000 tons of butter and cheese and 250,000 tons of sheepmeat – along with our wine and other exports. Imagine if we could send them 500,000 tons of dairy productsd and 300,000 tons of lamb! Luckily, we actually have some leverage on the Brexit brigade currently in charge in the UK, who are very keen on getting some runs on the board outside the EU on trade and even more importantly, for NZ to not veto their attempts to join the Pacific free trade partnership.
Is this the agreement that has the investor state can sue the government clause?Last thing we need. Plus we need to be able to put in SROI clauses. And anyway who wants to be associated with Boris and EU exit at this point – I can't see that serving any long term interest. Better to keep negotiating with the EU not wind up being played off.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/419278/cptpp-to-be-used-as-leverage-in-free-trade-negotiations-david-parker
Some lax procedures, plus people who expect they be able to bend the rules, has resulted in what has happened. The two women driving to Wellington should have known better, given they had come from the UK. To blame the bureaucrats alone in this case and others, is overlooking the people who think rules don’t apply to them.
I was told yesterday by a person in charge of checking people visiting a rest home/hospital that some would refuse to give their tracing details. Also a cafe manager told me some would refuse to give their details. She simply told them to leave as her first priority was the welfare of her staff.
To blame the bureaucrats alone in this case and others, is overlooking the people who think rules don’t apply to them.
Some alternative headlines:
"Place requires contact tracing. Says it's now required. Plucky Kiwi fights for his freedoms, won't give his details. This is dictatorship! We've beaten the virus, so why the heavy-handed bureaucracy? Outraged Opposition MP joins us now …"
Sweden: over 5,000 dead now.
So naturally the AM show turns to Simon Thornley for his valuable insights on NZ's Covid challenges. We have 22 dead, it would be (per capita) 100 times more if the Sweden fans had their way.
I guess it's the old story: people have to take responsibility for what they do, but never for what they say and don't have to do.
22 dead and political uproar in NZ because two less-than-forthcoming (privileged?) UK people manage to talk and sneak their way around the system and end up testing positive.
Imagine if we had 1,239 new cases daily like Sweden did yesterday. That would be cause for the type of reaction Woodhouse and Muller have exhibited in the last 2 days.
Then there is RNZ's headline that that the tracing /test regime has "failed" when it achieved 79 and 74% in 2 days where it was aiming for 80%. That looks very close to the gold standard to me.
Still smarting over the quarantine/isolation issue.
but responsibility lies further up the chain. Who knew that people were absconding from funerals and didn’t alert the minister. Sounds like he genuinely didn’t know when asked about it by heather d p Allen. Someone somewhere in the chain knew and did nothing. They need to be sacked
it’s a f…g pandemic. Bring in the military.
btw my apologies for my angry posts over this. I can’t remember when I last felt this angry.
I too will not be happy until the person /persons directly responsible for managing/supervising the day to day quarantine procedures lose their jobs/s. So many people in NZ have lost jobs in NZ because of Covid and this lackadaisical implementation of quarantining proceedures is unforgivable. So relieved to hear the military /airforce is to control the situation now.
I sympathise, bit it's hard to justify them losing their jobs when a dead set useless Minister of Health retains his.
Actually as an health care worker I feel this Minister is far better than the previous few. He is not responsible for my f–k ups nor am I responsible for those I supervise f–k ups but I am responsible for fixing the f–k ups and preventing further f–k ups.There got that off my chest.
He is accountable for the way the health system functions. And he is responsible for his own actions. On both counts, he should be gone.
You need to lower your bile Paddinton, and put some honey on your tongue.
"Dead set useless Minister of Health"
That is an opinion. Not everyone agrees with you.
Great advice – honey's so good for your health; in moderation, of course.
It's not a difficult case to make. He didn't start well (https://www.nzherald.co.nz/index.cfm?objectid=12040202&ref=twitter), but more recently he is the Minister of Health who twice breached lockdown rules – in a health crisis. He is the Minister of health who was absent during the crisis. He is the Minister who scrapped health targets (https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/105016474/editorial-trust-me-i-know-what-im-doing), and then has sat back and watched a health system that is delivering less in key outcomes, despite spending more money. But then you could just watch these:
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/video.cfm?c_id=1&gal_cid=1&gallery_id=221095
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=642014136528186
It's the nature of fast-changing news coverage that facts slip through the cracks, and people who rant without the facts don't bother re-visiting what they said. We all move on to the next episode.
So, for the record – everyone who said (with complete certainty and no evidence) the 2 women driving to Wellington MUST have stopped for petrol … was wrong. It was diesel. So they didn't.
It might be worth pausing before the next instant judgement, but hey, where's the fun in that?
I'm gobsmacked that whether they could go Orcland-Wellie on one tank ever got to be an issue. Anyone with just a bit more driving experience than needed for a restricted licence should be able to work out it depends on the car's fuel tank size, efficiency, driving style and skills, and how close the driver is willing to get to empty. Of the cars I've owned in the last thirty years, I'd be confident of doing it in roughly a third, could maybe eke it out in a third, and not a chance in a third of them.
Besides, there's plenty of zero-contact places to fill up. Most Gulls are unmanned, and the Gull at Atiamuri definitely is (it's usually the cheapest around). Pretty sure last couple of times I filled up anywhere near Wellie I paid at the pump.
Observer, I have been appreciating your comments on this issue.
Realize some of mine are generated in anger, although didn't accuse women of not being able to drive from Ak to Wellington. Knew that was possible.
Thanks. I wasn't attacking anyone in particular (I've got things wrong too), it just seems funny that some aspects of a story become the big Debating Point. The whole "could they or couldn't they?" question was all over social media, and the various talking heads on radio etc. Seemed like everyone had an opinion.
Turns out it didn't matter at all.
It seems to me that the process for visas is arse backwards at the moment. Surely the process should be
1 how many people have we the capacity to hold in isolation/ quarantine
2 how many people presently in quarantine
if 2 >= 1 no visa.
it looks like there is an essential feedback path missing here
Sixth in the past fortnight. Looks like something awful is going on.
https://twitter.com/thedailybeast/status/1273128251972599809
Thanks for documenting this Joe90. I can't bear to look – I am afraid of losing my mind watching the implosion and the toxic stuff emerging from the USA every day. There is no truth in the thinking that raising people's living standards (as regularly said about low-paid Asian workers) is sure to make life better. The USA is one of the richest countries, but getting money has only made them meaner and then the strugglers at the bottom are still relatively if not actually poorer. A concrete like conformist mindset creeps in to those with some improvements, and sets up waves of negative thinking about those whose lives aren't improving and who struggle still. Why can't we all get on.
It is a school area and they don't have cameras? Yeah, right Tui.
Surely assisting business to comply with regs has been the leitmotif since neolib came in. Why should a plumber be dumped on who realised something was wrong on a big job, notified the management, but continued with his contractual work? If he doesn't do his work, he doesn't pay his rent or eat, and he might be avoided in future as a trouble-maker. How damn ignorant of the chap from the Plumbing Board to blame the bloke at the bottom, and make him (or her) the scapegoat for shoddy design and sector laxness and rule-breaking.
However, Plumbing Board investigator David Thomas said the certifying plumber had to do much more than just speak up."You couldn't keep installing them the way they were, because they weren't correct, they didn't comply.
"So it's no good saying, 'Oh these aren't right, but I'll just keep going'."Surely you've got to have that ability to say, 'This is where we stop', document it, then wait for a solution to come back," Thomas told the five-member panel in Wellington yesterday.
I think that this Thomas needs to stop working, while he waits for somebody with integrity to investigate his findings, and see whether his employer pays him. There needs to be protection for whistle-blowers that involves paying their costs for doing so. This Plumbing Board guy must be paid to keep authority off the backs of the builders and speculators; he doesn't seem concerned about the contractor. That poor guy, when looking for his next job, may end up in a job shelf-stacking at any hardware shop that remains open.
The opinion the Plumbing Board guy has espoused enables business to slope away from its responsibilities as has been its habit. Government imposes tight regulations and costs on the contractors, workers, micro businesses but the lead guys are virtual criminals allowed free rein. Government itself does not want to accept the responsibility that its power and finances require. The pollies are mates with lead business people who are 'wealth creators' (for themselves). We citizens scrape the pot, and they get the gravy.
Ooooh, Walrus-mo might be delivering the goods after all.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/john-bolton-book-trump-china_n_5eea670ac5b6f4a696b35d21
Fucker did more than ask Xi to help him win reelection.
And Trump told Xi that Americans were clamoring for him to change constitutional rules to serve more than two terms, according to the book.
http://archive.li/jPEcJ#selection-1661.357-1661.496
You might like this one then:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhMAt3BluAU
It sounds like your normal conspiracy theory about China – but it does have published sources.
Heh. My only question is why is this guy homeless when he's got the skills to identify an opportunity and the initiative to jump on it when the moment is right?
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12340918
i guess the same reason he swindled his stay at hotel, no money honey.
Sounds a bit dodgy, all most all homeless were housed during and after lockdown. Maybe Chris bishop vouched for him.
Just following up on the warmest May on record.
https://twitter.com/bbcweather/status/1270386079250735105
https://www.discovermagazine.com/environment/nasa-last-month-was-earths-warmest-may-on-record
On Monday Joe, Darwin in the NT hit its highest ever recorded June temp of 35.5 deg and has now push our average daily temp up to 30.7 degrees. We aren’t meant to see these temperatures until mid to late Jul. Soils moisture content in the Northern NT has also crashed to record lows for this time of the yr and again we shouldn’t be seeing this until at least August or September.
The BOM guys have said it going to get even worse during the Dry and a greatest likely hood of more running fires than last yr, btw running fires usually lead to crown fires. Last yrs fire season saw many people too see their first running and crown fires in the NT which were to the old hands a very rare event, but to have 3 such events last yr on the weekend was crazy a enough and very stressful for those on the fire line as well.
Anyway got to head and finish my jobs around the house, before head out bush again on Monday for fire duty.
Kind regards Scud – you seem to be on the front line – to this keyboard 'warrior.' Are the farmers up there connecting with the Mulloon Institute on how to contain water. What to do when you don't get any – the aborigines would probably know something about that.
who can't leave the novatel hotel drive 50 metre turn left and keep going
Savant/Idiot
I appreciate your details, above. But you're like a hyped up current events class.
I'm always out of sync on that account. Shouldn't we concentrate on the central things of the neediest and the fact this is the decade of 1939 for climate change? And we are already too late, 100s of millions will die now.
Kia Ora
The Am Show.
Papatuanuku albartross day great we need to care for the wildlife.
I say that our government has handled the economy quite well keeping people in jobs the alternative government would have sent all the subsidies straight to top and forgot about the common people next minute a big financial mess the trickle down lie never worked .
Its all your m8s in the system that are throwing a spanner in the works.
Its good to see %20 of people don't consume alcohol.
Ka kite Ano
Kia Ora
Te Ao Maori Marama.
More Wai storage is needed in Aotearoa we also have to minimise our Wai usage and wastage of Wai with what our scientists have forcast for our Mokopuna weather and environment.
It would be good to see Maori business thriving in their exporting markets Maori we're one of the first to export Aotearoa products.
The art wall is a great project.
Ka kite Ano
Kia Ora Newshub.
That's is great Iwi investing in water storage and horticultural.
Mclarn the supercar with A Aotearoa connection.
Matariki starts today we had some Thunder and lightning last night to.
Ka kite Ano
https://youtu.be/qQfetkoGrpU
Kia Ora
Newshub.
The trees need to be planted in steep farm land its all about a ballance.
Anti virus masks and clothing cool new tech clothing.
Ka kite Ano.
Kia Ora
The Am Show.
Aotearoa is lucky we are in a better situation than most.
Asia is important to Aotearoa.
We do need to protect the wildlife.
Ka kite Ano.