Hopefully the supply chain is good and can handle the extra demand so price doesn't increase and offset tax credit.
Only negative is there is also a surge in ute sales with people trying to get in before the price increase (especially Ford Rangers and Isuzu at the Field Days).
The subsidy means the retail price will increase. Increased demand means prices rise as for any product. My porridge goes up in price in winter , along with soups. Its the same business rules from the low end to the top end. Reports in media confirm the dealers are raising prices even ahead of any subsidy coming in.
That is great news. It highlights how the farming community are not being economically crushed by this Government despite all the "pretty Communist" attitudes from rural NZ. If they can still afford to be buying brand new Utes with gay abandon life must be pretty sweet. It also highlights the fact that there isn't a ban on buying Utes at this stage despite the rhetoric of Nat/Act and some of the commentators here who love to "foment mischief"
Hopefully the Car Manufacturers step up with the alternatives by the time these latest sales are passed their use-by date.
Utes are not being banned. Just being made more expensive once the tax is added on to them. Lets hope they are wrong about EV's also being increased in price due to the tax credit else it becomes a bit like the petrol stations advertising "petrol at 10c off a litre on Wednesday", when they have already increased the price to compensate.
I'm agreeing with you Jimmy.Quite a few people are talking as if they are being banned, that was my point, great that people will still have the choice and hopefully the naysayers like National Party Stalwart David Farrar, as one example, stop misrepresenting the situation. Re prices, they will only be as valuable as people are prepared to pay. If they try and charge too much, someone will come in with a cheaper option. That's how we are told Market Forces are supposed to work. They'll soon drop the prices if the vehicles stay on the shop floor.
Agree RBO how many of us can buy a new car let alone a overpriced ute? The floodgates will soon open pouring EV's and especially utes into this country just because Toyota is in denial about there overrated product doesn't mean the rest of the manufacturers will hold back. Car dealers live in the same shark pool as real estate agents and will do there utmost to rip us off.
One of New Zealand's most original artists and musicians passed away yesterday, my good mate Fane Flaws…Fane was always a willing comrade in any and all hair brained action or event I went to him with, he was one of the most beautiful, madly creative and generous humans I have ever meet…we are all really going to miss him and his extraordinary exuberant energy…so long pal.
He picked me up hitch hiking once, he was surprised I knew who he was, I was a fan of Jesus on a Stick and the RWP animation. Sorry to hear of his death and your and your friends loss.
It is the numbers that make the pest [paraphrasing Paracelsus].
It appears that the F&B report was released not so long ago. It would be so helpful if articles in MSM would provide a link to original documents and sources, for further reading if desired. It almost looks as if there is a policy of not linking off and away from the MSM website …
I'd have thought that it is an invitation to first of all be a hunter in helping reduce the number of pests and providing sport, recreation and food.
In the longer run, since these pests won't be totally eradicated, the result will be more challenging hunting; the reward being a sense of achievement rather than a quick slaughter of wild goats or whatever.
The other reward will be in the vegetative growth and beauty as the bush regenerates, for hunter, tramper, bush bathers alike, with carbon emissions decreased as a bonus.
My hunting cousin years ago welcomed deer culling as it provided a much better trophy as a result of lower numbers.
The other night I saw a video of a hunter at a British farm shooting rats with an air gun and killing them with clean headshots. It was for pest control, as poisoning kills the owls that help keeping the rat numbers down, but it made for remarkably good watching.
Your cousin is one of the very few hunters who see it that way. Most hunters see better hunting as easier hunting and want animal densities that allow them to crash through the scrub and get, or at least see, an animal within 2-300m from where they park their ute. Three day tramps into the bush aren’t part of the picture, that’s what helicopters are for.
With reduced densities giving better trophies, the species where this is most apparent is thar. That industry is built on the huge bulls that came through after the helicopter culls (absolute slaughter) in the early 80s. Prior to the cull numbers were high but heads poor, like now but today’s range is larger.
After yesterdays announcement regarding the roll out of Covid 19, and the age bands and timing. Why was there no comment that I can find as to why the roll out should not be on a geography basis, or at leats focused initially towards the Auckland region ? Auckland has experienced all the shutdowns due to outbreaks, so why not protect the entranceway to the country and fan out from there ? Just an alternative outlook
Setting up the resources needed (vaccinators, vaccination sites, logistics of vaccine supply) for each area then managing the throughput so get an even workflow seems to me to be a better way to do it than trying to do it region by region where everything would have to be moved for massive and disruptive vaccination surges in each region.
One could argue that vaccinating border-facing workers and their families was already Auckland-centric in effect, if not intent. So what you are suggesting has actually occurred but in a somewhat more targeted way?
And a different alternative idea on how the vaccine rollout should proceed popped up on Garner's show this morning. He suggested that young people should get done first rather than last because they ‘travel the world’. We don’t know whether vaccinated people can transmit the virus, but we do know that some will catch it. So his suggestion opens the possibility of young people coming home from overseas hotspots to infect their unvaccinated elders. His speculation provided an opening for Des Gorman to (as usual) piss all over the efforts of everyone who has done a good job of keeping us safe in the last 15 months. The bitter, catastrophising and consistently wrong Gorman augmented the disgracefulness of Garner's stupidity rather well.
Does Garner remember Climate Change? Gas guzzling planes polluting the sky and young people angry about it. Covid19 is rampant overseas and who would want to travel to those places. Young people are not as irresponsible as he thinks, in fact it's quite the reverse.
How many people does this guy have to kill before they stop him driving. So judge has banned him from driving until August 2022, what's the bet he's back behind the wheel next month?
Drink-drivers are just unfortunate individuals who cannot be leg-roped like the out of control animals they are; in fact all alcohol drinkers are well treated in law, compared to those committing the misdemeanour of growing cannabis.
Alcohol is great (and pollies and business leaders like it for their drug of choice and it brings in lots of taxes) – it is the enthusiastic, fun-loving members of the public who go OTT that are the problem.
A tiny number each year convicted , for ONLY a charge a growing/supply because they were dealers and suppliers.
Its in the 200 per year range from the police annual statistics , ie cannabis only numbers
The rest of the cannabis charges are because they were criminals often get all the charges possible when arrested for something else. Thats how police charging works, have all the possibilities as separate charges even though there may be only one primary charge for which they came to attention of police.
The classic case some years back, in a slightly different situation, a man was sent to jail for walking into a gallery and walking out with a valuable painting. Not mentioned his primary charge in the prison sentence was armed robber, and both were heard at the same time
and https://www.stuff.co.nz/timaru-herald/news/124810986/timaru-man-fined-200-for-cannabis-possession
‘Police found 13g of cannabis plant split between multiple jars, scales, and $800 in Humphris’ vehicle during the traffic stop.
McDonald said, when questioned by police, Humphris stated the cannabis was for personal use and the money was to purchase the drug for a friend.”
So a firearm presented to police at one place …hmmm
Another person in a traffic stop has scales , jars and lots of cash…hmmm
Theres been a lot of rain in South island but they think w came down in last shower when its ‘personal use’
Australia and Britain have signed a deal for trade that is mini in terms of $, but large in terms of acceptance of goods not complying with Brit environmental standards.
Australian farming allows the use of 71 highly hazardous substances and thousands more types of pesticides that are currently banned in the UK, including neonicotinoids, which harm the pollinators at the root of our food system, such as bees. The environmental standards of some foods produced in Australia are so far below the standards upheld by UK farmers that these products shouldn’t be sold in the UK at all, let alone given open access to UK markets with a zero tariff, zero quota trade deal. This isn’t simply about free trade versus protectionism. It is about delivering the best results and most sustainable approach for people and the planet….
The utter shambles that has developed under Labour’s Broadcasting and Media Minister Kris Faafoi, a former TVNZ political reporter, is revealed in correspondence between his office and the Ministry of Culture and Heritage obtained under the Official Information Act….
The aide-memoire, dated Wednesday 17 February, fulfils its function by reminding the minister of his plan to report to Cabinet on the viability of “a new public media entity” in October. It then reveals something new:
“Legislation to establish a new public media entity will also disestablish TVNZ and RNZ. This legislation will also include a Charter for the new entity.”
There had been a change of plan. What had begun as the development of a business case based on merging TVNZ and RNZ had morphed into something else. It had been assumed that a merger of the two broadcasters would extend only to their news rooms, management and governance and that public radio would retain its separate structure, purpose and operations governed by its charter, newly reviewed and good for another five years.
It does seem odd, to be ditching RNZ and retaining the hapless clowns of TVNZ. Like many here I've given up on TV – life's too short for unmitigated tripe larded with inane advertising.
RNZ still retains a few shreds of dignity and professionalism – if anything it should be them taking over and restructuring the useless tv arm.
Combining the two will just drive up costs as , anyone on TV expects $50-$100k per year more .
The RNZ stories are usually of a longer format , a few minutes say , while TV is addicted to sound bites of 30 sec and an inane back and forth with the studio 'talent' along the lines 'what more can you tell us …..'
How long ago was that ? And its seen as bad management and cost cutting , not a lone extremist. Who would be the central character – in a movie sense- that awful Pike River Coal manager ?
Denise Roche doesn't hold back on her opinion of Nationals last shining light. He really did get away with some nasty stuff couched in his jokey blokey shallowness.
edit
John Key asked his thoughts on the above said airily 'Well I'm rich, so I must be right most of the time. What are you – just envious pricks?’
And he might be right – look at how Labour acted when there was opportunity – went for the money over principle or commitment to good conditions for all – shallow, not water-tight like the leaky homes we have as one of their modern-day legacies/
Winston has returned. It seems odd that he has been quiet for so long but he now seems to have found the thing he has been looking for.
The Vaccination campaign is well into the too little, too late category and the public are recognising it. Winston has an attack meme and he is going, in his inimitable style, to use it.
"the 76-year-old doyen of Kiwi politics has used it [an interview on Australian television] to slam the government's COVID-19 vaccine rollout, deriding as "too late" and leaving NZ open to potential tragedy."
"We're half way through the vaccine year and we've done about a tenth of the job. That's the problem," he said.
"It's months too late. A lot of the strands right now are real dangerous. If (an outbreak) would happen we could see a tragedy again."
NZ is ranked 120th in the world for vaccine doses administered per capita – last in the developed world."
He is right of course and people in New Zealand are beginning to realise it. The rubbish about being at the front of the queue is being widely seen by the New Zealand public as a lie. Instead we are "last in the developed world".
I wonder what coverage this will get in the New Zealand media? I see the ODT is covering it but will Stuff and the Herald try and pretend it doesn't exist?
The story seems to be headline news in the Australian papers.
Hint. We are way way done the list. I didn't bother to check whether we were precisely 120th because they include places that aren't really countries but I am prepared to believe the value of 120 may be near enough. We are in about 140th place on the percentage with at least 1 vaccination. Our latest date is more recent than most so that would tend to push us up the list.
According to that article, Our World in Data, an online research publication run by Oxford University researchers, ranked Australia "113th among the world's countries for total doses per 100 residents, falling behind Kazakhstan, Cambodia and Seychelles".
So we are about the same level as Australia?
One World data, is a bit rough and ready, as like Australia NZ is using Astra Zeneca which requires 2 does per person, while other vaccines are one dose.
As we have seen last week when the claim was orchestrated by |national and echoed by Hooton that we were 'running out of vaccines'… but 1 million more early next month
We are dependent on vaccine supply , and its politics over who does or doesnt get – Europe especially preventing does leaving for 'less deserving ststes'
Of course The Vaccination campaign is "NOT" well into the too little, too late category and the public are "NOT" recognizing it. It is on track, the new Vaccines are arriving on schedule, many of us have been lucky to be Vaccinated and everyone who wants to get Vaccinated will get their turn. Rather than your relentless negativity of every issue what the Majority of the Public see is the headlines like Stuff today, of how we continue to be safe with the real headlines …
One case in Managed Isolation, none in the Community.
…unlike the headlines you and Winston are offering "If (an outbreak) would…" "we could see a tragedy…"
Sure Winston, like you, is entitled to voice his opinion but life in NZ is not the Land of the Long Black Cloud. It's actually pretty darn good, and THAT is what people see. IMHO
Hint. The topic Winston was talking about, and that I commented on, was the failure of the vaccine campaign.
You may be right about what Stuff covers. They, like the Herald aren't news outlets. They are bought and paid for Jacindamania freaks.
I found it interesting though that the majority of the comments Morning Report broadcast this morning on the vaccination program were disapproving. I imagine the people producing that program will have had a blast from their superiors to keep to the story line that the PM is a Saint and has saved us.
Wouldn't it be nice if we could get vaccinations for at least the people who are most at risk from catching it. Which doesn't include healthy 40 year old people as far as I know.
We just have to hope the dangerous new variants – Delta, Vietnam & so on – don't take us by surprise in the way they have in a few other previously successful Countries where political elites complacently assumed that dodging the bullet in 2020 was the end of the matter.
The lesson that apparently still hasn't managed to penetrate among the political establishment here is that you don't play around, presume to 'control' or negotiate with this virus. You don't get to have your cake & eat it.
Bloody hell. Someone better tell Mike Hoskings that the Herald is a paid for Jacindamania freak. He won't have a Happy Day. Haha. Hint… Vaccine rollout I assume is part of a countries resilience of which NZ was voted number one a month ago.
Alwyn, do you actually read anything or just the stuff that fits with your narrative?
If you read the link provided by Red Blooded One, you’ll see a nice wee table in which NZ ranks at the top despite the relatively poor vaccination performance as shown in the right column of the table.
I think the entrance to Alwyn's mind requires a carefully cut Yale key with all angles sharply defined to ensure fit.
He talks like a relative of mine who is an alcoholic, and when away from the chateau cardboard can talk apparently lucidly criticising the useless politicians and how they can’t get anything right – ‘Projection’.
A couple of vaccinations would be nice. But I'm only in Group 3 and am being ignored. I should have been a Cabinet Minister. A bunch of them were vaccinated back in March.
And don't tell me not to worry. My sister was infected in the first outbreak.
I'm Group 3. I received my email invite to book a week ago. All good.
My understanding is the invites are still being rolled out so maybe yours is still in the pipeline. I'm in Auckland so maybe they gave us priority because we had the privilege of having more draconian lockdowns than the rest of the country.
Don't live in northland then do you anne? Ruakaka locals have to drive to kaitaia to get a jab any time in the next month. just the first one by the way.
Otherwise it's some time in august for Maori and over 50, september for non maori and over 50.
Supposedly a targeted area because of the deprivation. I'm sure a 200km+ round trip will help with the "Access" and will "alleviate" the deprivation
You're not being ignored, even if you feel it feels that way, the roll out is happening and while the country stays safe, thanks to a strict countries response we are at a position of it being very unlikely you could come into contact with someone affected. That first outbreak would have been frightening, I hope your sister has recovered fully. I am very greatful as an over 60 year old, living in the Far North to have been able to have my two jabs, but I truly believe those of you who haven't had it yet are quite safe until your jab arrives. Meantime keep scanning wherever you go, I still do, knowing that we will keep on top of this bloody Covid. This Government may not be your choice to run the country but they have kept us safe despite the criticisms. Best wishes to you Alwyn, I hope you can eventually see the silver lining that our Covid Response has given us.
Apparently there's a shortage of nurses. Apparently nurses are run off their feet. Tell you what, we'll get every nurse in the country to stop what they're doing and go into getting five million vaccinated. How would that go?
We bitched about lockdowns, we bitched about travel being off, we bitched about having to wear masks, we bitched about someone in MIQ stuffing up, we bitched about someone in MIQ being an idiot, we bitched about having to go into MIQ, we bitched that we didn't do what Taiwan did, or Sweden did, or Singapore did or Australia did, we bitched about there not being five million vaccines straight off, we're bitching about everyone not being vaccinated right now.
I remember the bitching about how terrible life was last year when the world was going to end because we were in lockdown. We were facing a life no others had faced, a suffering unimaginable and indescribable.
I wonder how our grandparents and great grandparents regarded the hellish lives we were forced to live? You know, the ones who went to the other side of the world and literally fought in the trenches in WW1. You know the ones who were in a World War for six bloody years.
Most of those finding anything they can to bitch about re vaccinations should look at themselves in the mirror and wonder that in the stuff-up, the oversight, the schemozzle, the disaster, at least one prick made it through.
There's a great line from a Randy Rainbow song , something like "I'll save the world by laying on the couch". I think some people are struggling to have a perspective.
Most of those finding anything they can to bitch about re vaccinations should look at themselves in the mirror and wonder that in the stuff-up, the oversight, the schemozzle, the disaster, at least one prick made it through.
All this moaning is why I have said, all along, that along with the Covid-19 virus we, in NZ, also have had to contend with the 'moaning Minnie or Matthew virus' that followed the virus in.
This is characterised by intense and unceasing moaning. nit picking, name-calling of those who are helping. Its after effects include a lack of gratitude, more intense moaning and, despite the anti-govt rants, is a hand permanently out for any Govt help.
Said in jest, perhaps, but sadly this moaning is fast becoming a NZ trait.
There seems to be no cure as the usual mixing around with others who might have said 'quit 'yer moaning' are closed as we huddle close to only those who agree with us.
This on who controls our country eventually, after certain procedures have been traversed. How can we get needed and thoughtful change when there is such a jiggery-pokery political system? (Allow 30 mins for reading and thinking!)
ACT up the game on division politicsEmmerson’s take on David Seymour’s claim Jesus would have supported ACTACT’s announcement it is moving into local politics is a logical next step for a party that is waging its battle on picking up the aggrieved.It’s a numbers game, and as long as the ...
1. What will be the slogan of the next butter ad campaign?a. You’re worth itb.Once it hits $20, we can do something about the riversc. I can’t believe it’s the price of butter d. None of the above Read more ...
It is said that economists know the price of everything and the value of nothing. That may be an exaggeration but an even better response is to point out economists do know the difference. They did not at first. Classical economics thought that the price of something reflected the objective ...
Political fighting in Taiwan is delaying some of an increase in defence spending and creating an appearance of lack of national resolve that can only damage the island’s relationship with the Trump administration. The main ...
The unclassified version of the 2024 Independent Intelligence Review (IIR) was released today. It’s a welcome and worthy sequel to its 2017 predecessor, with an ambitious set of recommendations for enhancements to Australia’s national intelligence ...
Yesterday outgoing Ombudsman Peter Boshier published a report, Reflections on the Official Information Act, on his way out the door. The report repeated his favoured mantra that the Act was "fundamentally sound", all problems were issues of culture, and that no legislative change was needed (and especially no changes to ...
The United States government is considering replacing USAID with a new agency, the US Agency for International Humanitarian Assistance (USIHA), according to documents published by POLITICO. Under the proposed design, the agency will fail its ...
Hi,Journalism was never the original plan. Back in the 90s, there was no career advisor in Bethlehem, New Zealand — just a computer that would ask you 50 questions before spitting out career options. Yes, I am in this photo. No, I was not good at basketball.The top three careers ...
Mōrena. Long stories shortest: Professional investors who are paid a lot of money to be careful about lending to the New Zealand Government think it is wonderful place to put their money. Yet the Government itself is so afraid of borrowing more that it is happy to kill its own ...
As space becomes more contested, Australia should play a key role with its partners in the Combined Space Operations (CSpO) initiative to safeguard the space domain. Australia, Britain, Canada and the United States signed the ...
Ooh you're a cool catComing on strong with all the chit chatOoh you're alrightHanging out and stealing all the limelightOoh messing with the beat of my heart yeah!Songwriters: Freddie Mercury / John Deacon.It would be a tad ironic; I can see it now. “Yeah, I didn’t unsubscribe when he said ...
The PSA are calling the Prime Minister a hypocrite for committing to increase defence spending while hundreds of more civilian New Zealand Defence Force jobs are set to be cut as part of a major restructure. The number of companies being investigated for people trafficking in New Zealand has skyrocketed ...
Another Friday, hope everyone’s enjoyed their week as we head toward the autumn equinox. Here’s another roundup of stories that caught our eye on the subject of cities and what makes them even better. This week in Greater Auckland On Monday, Connor took a look at how Auckland ...
The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts & talking with special guest author Michael Wolff, who has just published his fourth book about Donald Trump: ‘All or Nothing’.Here’s Peter’s writeup of the interview.The Kākā by Bernard Hickey Hoon: Trumpism ...
Wolff, who describes Trump as truly a ‘one of a kind’, at a book launch in Spain. Photo: GettyImagesIt may be a bumpy ride for the world but the era of Donald J. Trump will die with him if we can wait him out says the author of four best-sellers ...
Australia needs to radically reorganise its reserves system to create a latent military force that is much larger, better trained and equipped and deployable within days—not decades. Our current reserve system is not fit for ...
Here’s my selection1 of scoops, breaking news, news, analyses, deep-dives, features, interviews, Op-Eds, editorials and cartoons from around Aotearoa’s political economy on housing, climate and poverty from RNZ, 1News, The Post-$2, The Press−$, Newsroom/$3, NZ Herald/$, Stuff, BusinessDesk/$, Politik-$, NBR-$, Reuters, FT/$, WSJ/$, Bloomberg/$, New York Times/$, Washington Post/$, Wired/$, ...
I have argued before that one ought to be careful in retrospectively allocating texts into genres. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1818) only looks like science-fiction because a science-fiction genre subsequently developed. Without H.G. Wells, would Frankenstein be considered science-fiction? No, it probably wouldn’t. Viewed in the context of its time, Frankenstein ...
Elbridge Colby’s senate confirmation hearing in early March holds more important implications for US partners than most observers in Canberra, Wellington or Suva realise. As President Donald Trump’s nominee for under secretary of defence for ...
China’s defence budget is rising heftily yet again. The 2025 rise will be 7.2 percent, the same as in 2024, the government said on 5 March. But the allocation, officially US$245 billion, is just the ...
Concern is growing about wide-ranging local repercussions of the new Setting of Speed Limits rule, rewritten in 2024 by former transport minister Simeon Brown. In particular, there’s growing fears about what this means for children in particular. A key paradox of the new rule is that NZTA-controlled roads have the ...
Speilmeister:Christopher Luxon’s prime-ministerial pitches notwithstanding, are institutions with billions of dollars at their disposal really going to invest them in a country so obviously in a deep funk?HAVING WOOED THE WORLD’s investors, what, if anything, has New Zealand won? Did Christopher Luxon’s guests board their private jets fizzing with enthusiasm for ...
Christchurch City Council is one of 18 councils and three council-controlled organisations (CCOs) downgraded by ratings agency S&P. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories shortest:Standard & Poor’s has cut the credit ratings of 18 councils, blaming the new Government’s abrupt reversal of 3 Waters, cuts to capital ...
Figures released by Statistics New Zealand today showed that the economy grew by 0.7% ending the very deep recession seen over the past year, said NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi Economist Craig Renney. “Even though GDP grew in the three months to December, our economy is still 1.1% smaller than it ...
What is going on with the price of butter?, RNZ, 19 march 2025: If you have bought butter recently you might have noticed something - it is a lot more expensive. Stats NZ said last week that the price of butter was up 60 percent in February compared to ...
I agree with Will Leben, who wrote in The Strategist about his mistakes, that an important element of being a commentator is being accountable and taking responsibility for things you got wrong. In that spirit, ...
You’d beDrunk by noon, no one would knowJust like the pandemicWithout the sourdoughIf I were there, I’d find a wayTo get treated for hysteriaEvery dayLyrics Riki Lindhome.A varied selection today in Nick’s Kōrero:Thou shalt have no other gods - with Christopher Luxon.Doctors should be seen and not heard - with ...
Two recent foreign challenges suggest that Australia needs urgently to increase its level of defence self-reliance and to ensure that the increased funding that this would require is available. First, the circumnavigation of our continent ...
Here’s my selection1 of scoops, breaking news, news, analyses, deep-dives, features, interviews, Op-Eds, editorials and cartoons from around Aotearoa’s political economy on housing, climate and poverty from RNZ, 1News, The Post-$2, The Press−$, Newsroom/$3, NZ Herald/$, Stuff, BusinessDesk/$, Politik-$, NBR-$, Reuters, FT/$, WSJ/$, Bloomberg/$, New York Times/$, The Atlantic-$, The ...
According to RNZ’s embedded reporter, the importance of Winston Peters’ talks in Washington this week “cannot be overstated.” Right. “Exceptionally important.” said the maestro himself. This epic importance doesn’t seem to have culminated in anything more than us expressing our “concern” to the Americans about a series of issues that ...
Up until a few weeks ago, I had never heard of "Climate Fresk" and at a guess, this will also be the case for many of you. I stumbled upon it in the self-service training catalog for employees at the company I work at in Germany where it was announced ...
Japan and Australia talk of ‘collective deterrence,’ but they don’t seem to have specific objectives. The relationship needs a clearer direction. The two countries should identify how they complement each other. Each country has two ...
The NZCTU strongly supports the OPC’s decision to issue a code of practice for biometric processing. Our view is that the draft code currently being consulted on is stronger and will be more effective than the exposure code released in early 2024. We are pleased that some of the revisions ...
Australia’s export-oriented industries, particularly agriculture, need to diversify their markets, with a focus on Southeast Asia. This could strengthen economic security and resilience while deepening regional relationships. The Trump administration’s decision to impose tariffs on ...
Minister Shane Jones is introducing fastrack ‘reforms’ to the our fishing industry that will ensure the big players squeeze out the small fishers and entrench an already bankrupt quota system.Our fisheries are under severe stress: the recent decision by theHigh Court ruling that the ...
In what has become regular news, the quarterly ETS auction has failed, with nobody even bothering to bid. The immediate reason is that the carbon price has fallen to around $60, below the auction minimum of $68. And the cause of that is a government which has basically given up ...
US President Donald Trump’s tariff threats have dominated headlines in India in recent weeks. Earlier this month, Trump announced that his reciprocal tariffs—matching other countries’ tariffs on American goods—will go into effect on 2 April, ...
Hi,Back in June of 2021, James Gardner-Hopkins — a former partner at law firm Russell McVeagh — was found guilty of misconduct over sexually inappropriate behaviour with interns.The events all related to law students working as summer interns at Russell McVeagh:As well as intimate touching with a student at his ...
Climate sceptic MP Mark Cameron has slammed National for being ‘out of touch’ by sticking to our climate commitments. Photo: Lynn GrievesonMōrena. Long stories shortest:ACT’s renowned climate sceptic MP Mark Cameron has accused National of being 'out of touch' with farmers by sticking with New Zealand’s Paris accord pledges ...
Now I've heard there was a secret chordThat David played, and it pleased the LordBut you don't really care for music, do you?It goes like this, the fourth, the fifthThe minor falls, the major liftsThe baffled king composing HallelujahSongwriter: Leonard CohenI always thought the lyrics of that great song by ...
People are getting carried away with the virtues of small warship crews. We need to remember the great vice of having few people to run a ship: they’ll quickly tire. Yes, the navy is struggling ...
Mōrena. Here’s my selection1 of scoops, breaking news, news, analyses, deep-dives, features, interviews, Op-Eds, editorials and cartoons from around Aotearoa’s political economy on housing, climate and poverty from RNZ, 1News, The Post-$2, The Press−$, Newsroom/$3, NZ Herald/$, Stuff, BusinessDesk/$, Politik-$, NBR-$, Reuters, FT/$, WSJ/$, Bloomberg/$, New York Times/$, The Atlantic-$, ...
US President Donald Trump’s hostile regime has finally forced Europe to wake up. With US officials calling into question the transatlantic alliance, Germany’s incoming chancellor, Friedrich Merz, recently persuaded lawmakers to revise the country’s debt ...
We need to establish clearer political boundaries around national security to avoid politicising ongoing security issues and to better manage secondary effects. The Australian Federal Police (AFP) revealed on 10 March that the Dural caravan ...
The NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi have reiterated their call for Government to protect workers by banning engineered stone in a submission on MBIE’s silica dust consultation. “If Brooke van Velden is genuine when she calls for an evidence-based approach to this issue, then she must support a full ban on ...
The Labour Inspectorate could soon be knocking on the door of hundreds of businesses nation-wide, as it launches a major crackdown on those not abiding by the law. NorthTec staff are on edge as Northland’s leading polytechnic proposes to stop 11 programmes across primary industries, forestry, and construction. Union coverage ...
It’s one thing for military personnel to hone skills with first-person view (FPV) drones in racing competitions. It’s quite another for them to transition to the complexities of the battlefield. Drone racing has become a ...
Seymour says there will be no other exemptions granted to schools wanting to opt out of the Compass contract. Photo: Lynn GrievesonLong stories shortest:David Seymour has denied a request from a Christchurch school and any other schools to be exempted from the Compass school lunch programme, saying the contract ...
Russian President Boris Yeltsin, U.S. President Bill Clinton, Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma, and British Prime Minister John Major signed the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty in ...
Edit: The original story said “Palette Cleanser” in both the story, and the headline. I am never, ever going to live this down. Chain me up, throw me into the pit.Hi,With the world burning — literally and figuratively — I felt like Webworm needed a little palate cleanser at the ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Sarah Wesseler(Image credit: Antonio Huerta) Growing up in suburban Ohio, I was used to seeing farmland and woods disappear to make room for new subdivisions, strip malls, and big box stores. I didn’t usually welcome the changes, but I assumed others ...
Myanmar was a key global site for criminal activity well before the 2021 military coup. Today, illicit industry, especially heroin and methamphetamine production, still defines much of the economy. Nowhere, not even the leafiest districts ...
What've I gotta do to make you love me?What've I gotta do to make you care?What do I do when lightning strikes me?And I wake up and find that you're not thereWhat've I gotta do to make you want me?Mmm hmm, what've I gotta do to be heard?What do I ...
Here’s my selection1 of scoops, breaking news, news, analyses, deep-dives, features, interviews, Op-Eds, editorials and cartoons from around Aotearoa’s political economy on housing, climate and poverty from RNZ, 1News, The Post-$2, The Press−$, Newsroom3, NZ Herald, Stuff, BusinessDesk-$, NBR-$, Reuters, FT-$, WSJ-$, Bloomberg-$, New York Times-$, The Atlantic-$, The Economist-$ ...
Whenever Christopher Luxon drops a classically fatuous clanger or whenever the government has a bad poll – i.e. every week – the talk resumes that he is about to be rolled. This is unlikely for several reasons. For starters, there is no successor. Nicola Willis? Chris Bishop? Simeon Brown? Mark ...
Australia, Britain and European countries should loosen budget rules to allow borrowing to fund higher defence spending, a new study by the Kiel Institute suggests. Currently, budget debt rules are forcing governments to finance increases ...
The NZCTU remains strongly committed to banning engineered stone in New Zealand and implementing better occupational health protections for all workers working with silica-containing materials. In this submission to MBIE, the NZCTU outlines that we have an opportunity to learn from Australia’s experience by implementing a full ban of engineered ...
The Prime Minister has announced a big win in trade negotiations with India.It’s huge, he told reporters. We didn't get everything we came for but we were able to agree on free trade in clothing, fabrics, car components, software, IT consulting, spices, tea, rice, and leather goods.He said that for ...
I have been trying to figure out the logic of Trump’s tariff policies and apparent desire for a global trade war. Although he does not appear to comprehend that tariffs are a tax on consumers in the country doing the tariffing, I can (sort of) understand that he may think ...
As Syria and international partners negotiate the country’s future, France has sought to be a convening power. While France has a history of influence in the Middle East, it will have to balance competing Syrian ...
One of the eternal truths about Aotearoa's economy is that we are "capital poor": there's not enough money sloshing around here to fund the expansion of local businesses, or to build the things we want to. Which gets used as an excuse for all sorts of things, like setting up ...
National held its ground until late 2023 Verion, Talbot Mills & Curia Polls (Red = Labour, Blue = National)If we remove outlier results from Curia (National Party November 2023) National started trending down in October 2024.Verion Polls (Red = Labour, Blue = National)Verian alone shows a clearer deterioration in early ...
In a recent presentation, I recommended, quite unoriginally, that governments should have a greater focus on higher-impact, lower-probability climate risks. My reasoning was that current climate model projections have blind spots, meaning we are betting ...
Daddy, are you out there?Daddy, won't you come and play?Daddy, do you not care?Is there nothing that you want to say?Songwriters: Mark Batson / Beyonce Giselle Knowles.This morning, a look at the much-maligned NZ Herald. Despised by many on the left as little more than a mouthpiece for the National ...
Employers, unions and health and safety advocates are calling for engineered stone to be banned, a day before consultation on regulations closes. On Friday the PSA lodged a pay equity claim for library assistants with the Employment Relations Authority, after the stalling of a claim lodged with six councils in ...
Long stories shortest in Aotearoa’s political economy:Christopher Luxon surprises by announcing trade deal talks with India will start next month, and include beef and dairy. Napier is set to join Whakatane, Dunedin and Westport in staging a protest march against health spending restraints hitting their hospital services. Winston Peters ...
At a time of rising geopolitical tensions and deepening global fragmentation, the Ukraine war has proved particularly divisive. From the start, the battle lines were clearly drawn: Russia on one side, Ukraine and the West ...
Here’s my selection1 of scoops, breaking news, news, analyses, deep-dives, features, interviews, Op-Eds, editorials and cartoons from around Aotearoa’s political economy on housing, climate and poverty from RNZ, 1News, The Post-$2, The Press−$, Newsroom3, NZ Herald, Stuff, BusinessDesk-$, Newsroom-$, Politik-$, NBR-$, Reuters, FT-$, WSJ-$, Bloomberg-$, New York Times-$, The Atlantic-$, ...
A listing of 26 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 9, 2025 thru Sat, March 15, 2025. This week's roundup is again published by category and sorted by number of articles included in each. We are still interested ...
Max Harris and Max Rashbrooke discuss how we turn around the right wing slogans like nanny state, woke identity politics, and the inefficiency of the public sector – and how we build a progressive agenda. From Donald Trump to David Seymour, from Peter Dutton to Christopher Luxon, we are subject to a ...
The Government dominated the political agenda this week with its two-day conference pitching all manner of public infrastructure projects for Public Private Partnerships (PPPs). Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories shortest in our political economy this week: The Government ploughed ahead with offers of PPPs to pension fund managers ...
You know that it's a snake eat snake worldWe slither and serpentine throughWe all took a bite, and six thousand years laterThese apples getting harder to chewSongwriters: Shawn Mavrides.“Please be Jack Tame”, I thought when I saw it was Seymour appearing on Q&A. I’d had a guts full of the ...
Hundreds more Palestinians have died in recent days as Israel’s assault on Gaza continues and humanitarian aid, including food and medicine, is blocked. ...
National is looking to cut hundreds of jobs at New Zealand’s Defence Force, while at the same time it talks up plans to increase focus and spending in Defence. ...
It’s been revealed that the Government is secretly trying to bring back a ‘one-size fits all’ standardised test – a decision that has shocked school principals. ...
The Green Party is calling for the compassionate release of Dean Wickliffe, a 77-year-old kaumātua on hunger strike at the Spring Hill Corrections Facility, after visiting him at the prison. ...
The Green Party is calling on Government MPs to support Chlöe Swarbrick’s Member’s Bill to sanction Israel for its unlawful presence and illegal actions in Palestine, following another day of appalling violence against civilians in Gaza. ...
The Green Party stands in support of volunteer firefighters petitioning the Government to step up and change legislation to provide volunteers the same ACC coverage and benefits as their paid counterparts. ...
At 2.30am local time, Israel launched a treacherous attack on Gaza killing more than 300 defenceless civilians while they slept. Many of them were children. This followed a more than 2 week-long blockade by Israel on the entry of all goods and aid into Gaza. Israel deliberately targeted densely populated ...
Living Strong, Aging Well There is much discussion around the health of our older New Zealanders and how we can age well. In reality, the delivery of health services accounts for only a relatively small percentage of health outcomes as we age. Significantly, dry warm housing, nutrition, exercise, social connection, ...
Shane Jones’ display on Q&A showed how out of touch he and this Government are with our communities and how in sync they are with companies with little concern for people and planet. ...
Labour does not support the private ownership of core infrastructure like schools, hospitals and prisons, which will only see worse outcomes for Kiwis. ...
The Green Party is disappointed the Government voted down Hūhana Lyndon’s member’s Bill, which would have prevented further alienation of Māori land through the Public Works Act. ...
The Labour Party will support Chloe Swarbrick’s member’s bill which would allow sanctions against Israel for its illegal occupation of the Palestinian Territories. ...
The Government’s new procurement rules are a blatant attack on workers and the environment, showing once again that National’s priorities are completely out of touch with everyday Kiwis. ...
With Labour and Te Pāti Māori’s official support, Opposition parties are officially aligned to progress Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick’s Member’s Bill to sanction Israel for its unlawful presence in Palestine. ...
Te Pāti Māori extends our deepest aroha to the 500 plus Whānau Ora workers who have been advised today that the govt will be dismantling their contracts. For twenty years , Whānau Ora has been helping families, delivering life-changing support through a kaupapa Māori approach. It has built trust where ...
Labour welcomes Simeon Brown’s move to reinstate a board at Health New Zealand, bringing the destructive and secretive tenure of commissioner Lester Levy to an end. ...
This morning’s announcement by the Health Minister regarding a major overhaul of the public health sector levels yet another blow to the country’s essential services. ...
New Zealand First has introduced a Member’s Bill that will ensure employment decisions in the public service are based on merit and not on forced woke ‘Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion’ targets. “This Bill would put an end to the woke left-wing social engineering and diversity targets in the public sector. ...
Police have referred 20 offenders to Destiny Church-affiliated programmes Man Up and Legacy as ‘wellness providers’ in the last year, raising concerns that those seeking help are being recruited into a harmful organisation. ...
Te Pāti Māori welcomes the resignation of Richard Prebble from the Waitangi Tribunal. His appointment in October 2024 was a disgrace- another example of this government undermining Te Tiriti o Waitangi by appointing a former ACT leader who has spent his career attacking Māori rights. “Regardless of the reason for ...
Police Minister Mark Mitchell is avoiding accountability by refusing to answer key questions in the House as his Government faces criticism over their dangerous citizen’s arrest policy, firearm reform, and broken promises to recruit more police. ...
The number of building consents issued under this Government continues to spiral, taking a toll on the infrastructure sector, tradies, and future generations of Kiwi homeowners. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Prime Minister to rule out joining the AUKUS military pact in any capacity following the scenes in the White House over the weekend. ...
Asia Pacific Report A joint operation between the Fiji Police Force, Republic of Fiji Military Force (RFMF), Territorial Force Brigade, Fiji Navy and National Fire Authority was staged this week to “modernise” responses to emergencies. Called “Exercise Genesis”, the joint operation is believed to be the first of its kind ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rob Nicholls, Senior Research Associate in Media and Communications, University of Sydney As the United States recalibrates its trade policies to combat what the Trump administration sees as “unfair” treatment by other countries, two significant industries have complained to US regulators about ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alan Renwick, Professor of Agricultural Economics, Lincoln University, New Zealand Since the return to power of US President Donald Trump, tariffs have barely left the front pages. While the on-off-on tariff sagas have dominated the headlines, a paper released this week ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Richard Baka, Honorary Professor, School of Kinesiology, Western University, London, Canada; Adjunct Fellow, Olympic Scholar and Co-Director of the Olympic and Paralympic Research Centre, Institute for Health and Sport, Victoria University In a surprisingly emphatic result, 41-year-old Kirsty Coventry, Zimbabwe’s Sport Minister, ...
More than 12,000 cubic metres of treated wastewater a day could be discharged directly into the Shotover River in the country’s premiere tourist resort, according to a whistle-blowing councillor. That’s almost enough liquid to fill five Olympic-sized swimming pools.The plan, prompted by Queenstown’s failing sewage treatment plant, would use emergency ...
Winston Peters has repeatedly failed to express any concern for the Palestinians killed by Israel since Israel ended the ceasefire and condemn Israel for this industrial-scale carnage, which the International Court of Justice found more than a year ago to be ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gary Mortimer, Professor of Marketing and Consumer Behaviour, Queensland University of Technology Daria Nipot/Shutterstock Australia’s supermarket sector has endured a long, uncomfortable moment in the spotlight. There have been six comprehensive inquiries into its conduct, pricing practices, and specifically claims of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gail Wilson, Adjunct Associate Professor, Office of the PVC (Academic Innovation), Southern Cross University Roman Samborskyi/Shutterstock In 2023, an academic journal, the Annals of Operations Research, retracted an entire special isssue because the peer review process for it was compromised. The ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lauren Breen, Professor of Psychology, Curtin University Photo by Daria Kruchkova/Pexels Grief can hit us in powerful and unanticipated ways. You might expect to grieve a person, a pet or even a former version of yourself – but many people are ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stefan B. Williams, Professor of Marine Robotics, Australian Centre for Robotics, University of Sydney Armada 7805, similar to the 7806 vessel that will support the new MH370 search.Ocean Infinity More than 11 years after the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins (Scholastic, $30) A Hunger Games prequel starring young Haymitch, ...
Two poems from the new collection Clay Eaters by Gregory Kan, launched this week at Unity Books Wellington.(Editors note: The poems are untitled but can be found on pages 3 and 19 of Clay Eaters, published by Auckland University Press.)From Clay Eaters Satellite view of the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sam Egger, Senior Biostatistician at the Daffodil Centre, Cancer Council NSW, University of Sydney Getty Images E-cigarette companies, including giants such as British American Tobacco, have actively lobbied governments in New Zealand and Australia to weaken existing vape regulations while preventing ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Coleman, Post-doctoral Researcher in Plant Ecology, Macquarie University Jakub Maculewicz/Shutterstock More than 8,000 continental islands sit just off the coast of Australia, many of them uninhabited and unspoiled. For thousands of species, these patches of habitat offer refuge from the ...
By Alex Willemyns for Radio Free Asia The Trump administration might let hundreds of millions of dollars in aid pledged to Pacific island nations during former President Joe Biden’s time in office stand, says New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters. The Biden administration pledged about $1 billion in aid to the Pacific ...
Delhi Diary Day 1Christopher Luxon walks down the stairs of the Airforce Boeing 757 at Palam Airbase towards the tarmac and greets the waiting Professor Singh Baghel, minister of state of fisheries, animal husbandry and dairying. Luxon squints against the heat. Baghel keeps his aviators on; he’s done this before. The ...
Netflix’s new British crime drama asks the hard questions about growing up in a digital world. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here.Even before a single episode of Adolescence went up on Netflix, the five star reviews started rolling in. The ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anna Sergi, Professor in Criminology, University of Essex In June 1988, the Reagan administration launched the most important United States labour case of the past half century. The government alleged the Italian-American mafia – La Cosa Nostra – had effectively taken ...
The Pacific profiles series shines a light on Pacific people in Aotearoa doing interesting and important work in their communities, as nominated by members of the public. Today, Danielle Puiri-Tuia who founded a South Auckland-based running and walking club.All photos by Geoffery Matautia.Runners High 09 is a free ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nathan Kilah, Senior Lecturer in Chemistry, University of Tasmania Karynf/Shutterstock There is something special about sharing baked goods with family, friends and colleagues. But I’ll never forget the disappointment of serving my colleagues rhubarb muffins that had failed to rise. They ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rebecca Kaiser, PhD Candidate, School of Social Sciences, University of Tasmania The South African National Antarctic Expedition research base, SANAE IV, at Vesleskarvet, Queen Maud Land, Antarctica. Dr Ross Hofmeyr/Wikimedia, CC BY-SA Earlier this week, reports emerged that a scientist at ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Intifar Chowdhury, Lecturer in Government, Flinders University Every generation thinks they had it tough, but evidence suggests young Australians today might have a case for saying they’ve drawn the short straw. Compared with young adults two or three decades ago, today’s 18–35-year-olds ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joshua Black, Visitor, School of History, Australian National University Fifty years ago, Liberal MPs chose Malcolm Fraser as their leader. Eight months later, he led them into power in extraordinary – some might say reprehensible – circumstances. He governed for seven and ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andy G Howe, Research Fellow (Entomology), University of the Sunshine Coast Andy Howe, CC BY Playgrounds can host a variety of natural wonders – and, of course, kids! Now some students are not just learning about insects and spiders at school ...
From mockery and snobbery to mainstream appeal – the University of Auckland Anime and Manga Club has seen it all. As one of Japan’s biggest exports, anime has taken over almost every corner of planet Earth. If you have ever watched an episode of Beyblade or Yu-Gi-Oh after school, you ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rebecca Willis, PhD Candidate, Classics and Ancient History, University of Newcastle djkett/Shutterstock You wake up at night sensing a weight on your legs that you thought was your pet dog – only to remember they died years ago. Or perhaps you ...
New Zealand is officially out of recession, but the chaos of Trump’s tariff policy remains a threat to medium-term growth, writes Catherine McGregor in today’s extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here.We’re officially out of recession You might not have known it ...
The ship is thought to be carrying "furnace oil", described as dark thick, and when spilled, pernicious - but the government has rejected advice to carry out a survey. ...
This is good news that the government incentives are encouraging more to look at EV's.
'Mad rush' as EV sales surge in Auckland, but limited stock could hike prices | Stuff.co.nz
Hopefully the supply chain is good and can handle the extra demand so price doesn't increase and offset tax credit.
Only negative is there is also a surge in ute sales with people trying to get in before the price increase (especially Ford Rangers and Isuzu at the Field Days).
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/farming/125470270/farmers-flock-to-buy-utes-before-clean-car-feebate-scheme-begins
The ute surge will continue as business fleets push to renew before the tax changes.
Dead Cummins bounce.
The subsidy means the retail price will increase. Increased demand means prices rise as for any product. My porridge goes up in price in winter , along with soups. Its the same business rules from the low end to the top end. Reports in media confirm the dealers are raising prices even ahead of any subsidy coming in.
That is great news. It highlights how the farming community are not being economically crushed by this Government despite all the "pretty Communist" attitudes from rural NZ. If they can still afford to be buying brand new Utes with gay abandon life must be pretty sweet. It also highlights the fact that there isn't a ban on buying Utes at this stage despite the rhetoric of Nat/Act and some of the commentators here who love to "foment mischief"
Hopefully the Car Manufacturers step up with the alternatives by the time these latest sales are passed their use-by date.
Utes are not being banned. Just being made more expensive once the tax is added on to them. Lets hope they are wrong about EV's also being increased in price due to the tax credit else it becomes a bit like the petrol stations advertising "petrol at 10c off a litre on Wednesday", when they have already increased the price to compensate.
I'm agreeing with you Jimmy.Quite a few people are talking as if they are being banned, that was my point, great that people will still have the choice and hopefully the naysayers like National Party Stalwart David Farrar, as one example, stop misrepresenting the situation. Re prices, they will only be as valuable as people are prepared to pay. If they try and charge too much, someone will come in with a cheaper option. That's how we are told Market Forces are supposed to work. They'll soon drop the prices if the vehicles stay on the shop floor.
Agree RBO how many of us can buy a new car let alone a overpriced ute? The floodgates will soon open pouring EV's and especially utes into this country just because Toyota is in denial about there overrated product doesn't mean the rest of the manufacturers will hold back. Car dealers live in the same shark pool as real estate agents and will do there utmost to rip us off.
One of New Zealand's most original artists and musicians passed away yesterday, my good mate Fane Flaws…Fane was always a willing comrade in any and all hair brained action or event I went to him with, he was one of the most beautiful, madly creative and generous humans I have ever meet…we are all really going to miss him and his extraordinary exuberant energy…so long pal.
He picked me up hitch hiking once, he was surprised I knew who he was, I was a fan of Jesus on a Stick and the RWP animation. Sorry to hear of his death and your and your friends loss.
Thanks,luckily he left us all with a huge amount of great songs and art to remember him by which helps soften the blow somewhat.
An interesting alleged link between pests and carbon sequestration of native ecosystems.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/444985/pests-destroying-native-ecosystems-ability-to-store-carbon-forest-and-bird
It is the numbers that make the pest [paraphrasing Paracelsus].
It appears that the F&B report was released not so long ago. It would be so helpful if articles in MSM would provide a link to original documents and sources, for further reading if desired. It almost looks as if there is a policy of not linking off and away from the MSM website …
https://www.forestandbird.org.nz/resources/climate-change-and-introduced-browsers
Will be interesting to see farmer’s response to this.
On one hand it’s presenting an opportunity to decrease emissions without having to make large reductions in stock numbers.
On the other it’s taking away their toys, since most farmers are keen hunters, or aspire to be
I'd have thought that it is an invitation to first of all be a hunter in helping reduce the number of pests and providing sport, recreation and food.
In the longer run, since these pests won't be totally eradicated, the result will be more challenging hunting; the reward being a sense of achievement rather than a quick slaughter of wild goats or whatever.
The other reward will be in the vegetative growth and beauty as the bush regenerates, for hunter, tramper, bush bathers alike, with carbon emissions decreased as a bonus.
My hunting cousin years ago welcomed deer culling as it provided a much better trophy as a result of lower numbers.
The other night I saw a video of a hunter at a British farm shooting rats with an air gun and killing them with clean headshots. It was for pest control, as poisoning kills the owls that help keeping the rat numbers down, but it made for remarkably good watching.
Wekas keep the mouse population under control.
Among other things.
https://twitter.com/PredatorFreeNZ/status/1203923424835276805
https://www.nzgeo.com/audio/understanding-how-weka-could-help-with-pest-control-by-eating-rodents/
Spotlighting rats in the sheds with an air rifle…. remarkably good fun
Save the owls
Build a better mouse trap.
Your cousin is one of the very few hunters who see it that way. Most hunters see better hunting as easier hunting and want animal densities that allow them to crash through the scrub and get, or at least see, an animal within 2-300m from where they park their ute. Three day tramps into the bush aren’t part of the picture, that’s what helicopters are for.
With reduced densities giving better trophies, the species where this is most apparent is thar. That industry is built on the huge bulls that came through after the helicopter culls (absolute slaughter) in the early 80s. Prior to the cull numbers were high but heads poor, like now but today’s range is larger.
After yesterdays announcement regarding the roll out of Covid 19, and the age bands and timing. Why was there no comment that I can find as to why the roll out should not be on a geography basis, or at leats focused initially towards the Auckland region ? Auckland has experienced all the shutdowns due to outbreaks, so why not protect the entranceway to the country and fan out from there ? Just an alternative outlook
Setting up the resources needed (vaccinators, vaccination sites, logistics of vaccine supply) for each area then managing the throughput so get an even workflow seems to me to be a better way to do it than trying to do it region by region where everything would have to be moved for massive and disruptive vaccination surges in each region.
One could argue that vaccinating border-facing workers and their families was already Auckland-centric in effect, if not intent. So what you are suggesting has actually occurred but in a somewhat more targeted way?
And a different alternative idea on how the vaccine rollout should proceed popped up on Garner's show this morning. He suggested that young people should get done first rather than last because they ‘travel the world’. We don’t know whether vaccinated people can transmit the virus, but we do know that some will catch it. So his suggestion opens the possibility of young people coming home from overseas hotspots to infect their unvaccinated elders. His speculation provided an opening for Des Gorman to (as usual) piss all over the efforts of everyone who has done a good job of keeping us safe in the last 15 months. The bitter, catastrophising and consistently wrong Gorman augmented the disgracefulness of Garner's stupidity rather well.
Does Garner remember Climate Change? Gas guzzling planes polluting the sky and young people angry about it. Covid19 is rampant overseas and who would want to travel to those places. Young people are not as irresponsible as he thinks, in fact it's quite the reverse.
The virus finds the missing link if you erect barriers elsewhere, but its a good point.
How many people does this guy have to kill before they stop him driving. So judge has banned him from driving until August 2022, what's the bet he's back behind the wheel next month?
Dunedin court gives repeat drink-driver home detention for latest offence – NZ Herald
Drink-drivers are just unfortunate individuals who cannot be leg-roped like the out of control animals they are; in fact all alcohol drinkers are well treated in law, compared to those committing the misdemeanour of growing cannabis.
Alcohol is great (and pollies and business leaders like it for their drug of choice and it brings in lots of taxes) – it is the enthusiastic, fun-loving members of the public who go OTT that are the problem.
"misdemeanour of growing cannabis."
A tiny number each year convicted , for ONLY a charge a growing/supply because they were dealers and suppliers.
Its in the 200 per year range from the police annual statistics , ie cannabis only numbers
The rest of the cannabis charges are because they were criminals often get all the charges possible when arrested for something else. Thats how police charging works, have all the possibilities as separate charges even though there may be only one primary charge for which they came to attention of police.
The classic case some years back, in a slightly different situation, a man was sent to jail for walking into a gallery and walking out with a valuable painting. Not mentioned his primary charge in the prison sentence was armed robber, and both were heard at the same time
examples
https://www.stuff.co.nz/timaru-herald/news/125311399/timaru-woman-gets-discharge-and-conviction-for-cultivating-cannabis
‘According to the summary of facts, police went to Laurie’s address in Albury on January 10, 2021, for a welfare check.
“When police arrived at the address, they were threatened with the use of a firearm by an unknown occupant,” the summary says..
and
https://www.stuff.co.nz/timaru-herald/news/124810986/timaru-man-fined-200-for-cannabis-possession
‘Police found 13g of cannabis plant split between multiple jars, scales, and $800 in Humphris’ vehicle during the traffic stop.
McDonald said, when questioned by police, Humphris stated the cannabis was for personal use and the money was to purchase the drug for a friend.”
So a firearm presented to police at one place …hmmm
Another person in a traffic stop has scales , jars and lots of cash…hmmm
Theres been a lot of rain in South island but they think w came down in last shower when its ‘personal use’
Story after story , just in Stuff, covers small scale but none the less 'dealers and suppliers'
meanwhile this is the big stuff https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/124277051/four-men-jailed-for-24-millionayear-cannabis-operation-in-northland
'Five glasshouses filled with cannabis plants, including one more than 60m wide,'
Yet its view of the cannabis supporters that its a 'misdemenour' – which doesnt exist in NZ, but suggest that its little thing
A screwed up system, gets more screwed up encouraging corruption and 'double dealing' eh ghost.
Australia and Britain have signed a deal for trade that is mini in terms of $, but large in terms of acceptance of goods not complying with Brit environmental standards.
Australian farming allows the use of 71 highly hazardous substances and thousands more types of pesticides that are currently banned in the UK, including neonicotinoids, which harm the pollinators at the root of our food system, such as bees. The environmental standards of some foods produced in Australia are so far below the standards upheld by UK farmers that these products shouldn’t be sold in the UK at all, let alone given open access to UK markets with a zero tariff, zero quota trade deal. This isn’t simply about free trade versus protectionism. It is about delivering the best results and most sustainable approach for people and the planet….
https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL2106/S00050/on-britains-pathetic-trade-deal-with-australia.htm
What's going on down with our public radio committed to faction-free reporting of truth and facts.
https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL2106/S00052/rnzs-magna-charter-part-3.htm
The utter shambles that has developed under Labour’s Broadcasting and Media Minister Kris Faafoi, a former TVNZ political reporter, is revealed in correspondence between his office and the Ministry of Culture and Heritage obtained under the Official Information Act….
The aide-memoire, dated Wednesday 17 February, fulfils its function by reminding the minister of his plan to report to Cabinet on the viability of “a new public media entity” in October. It then reveals something new:
“Legislation to establish a new public media entity will also disestablish TVNZ and RNZ. This legislation will also include a Charter for the new entity.”
There had been a change of plan. What had begun as the development of a business case based on merging TVNZ and RNZ had morphed into something else. It had been assumed that a merger of the two broadcasters would extend only to their news rooms, management and governance and that public radio would retain its separate structure, purpose and operations governed by its charter, newly reviewed and good for another five years.
It does seem odd, to be ditching RNZ and retaining the hapless clowns of TVNZ. Like many here I've given up on TV – life's too short for unmitigated tripe larded with inane advertising.
RNZ still retains a few shreds of dignity and professionalism – if anything it should be them taking over and restructuring the useless tv arm.
+100 Stuart
Combining the two will just drive up costs as , anyone on TV expects $50-$100k per year more .
The RNZ stories are usually of a longer format , a few minutes say , while TV is addicted to sound bites of 30 sec and an inane back and forth with the studio 'talent' along the lines 'what more can you tell us …..'
MCH simply lost this initiative in the 2021/22 budget round, and decide to do a scold of their Minister.
What kids they are.
They should instead ask why they got rolled by Treasury in the bid process, again.
Would there be as much out rage if they decided to make a film about the Pike River mine?
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
How long ago was that ? And its seen as bad management and cost cutting , not a lone extremist. Who would be the central character – in a movie sense- that awful Pike River Coal manager ?
Could cast Andrew Little as Lyle Lanley
https://www.classhook.com/resources/1816-the-simpsons-monorail-salesman
https://www.rnz.co.nz/programmes/matangireia/story/2018791588/series-2-episode-6-denise-roche-matangireia
Denise Roche doesn't hold back on her opinion of Nationals last shining light. He really did get away with some nasty stuff couched in his jokey blokey shallowness.
When asked to sum up John Key in one word, she replied 'Prick!'
Well said!
edit
John Key asked his thoughts on the above said airily 'Well I'm rich, so I must be right most of the time. What are you – just envious pricks?’
And he might be right – look at how Labour acted when there was opportunity – went for the money over principle or commitment to good conditions for all – shallow, not water-tight like the leaky homes we have as one of their modern-day legacies/
Winston has returned. It seems odd that he has been quiet for so long but he now seems to have found the thing he has been looking for.
The Vaccination campaign is well into the too little, too late category and the public are recognising it. Winston has an attack meme and he is going, in his inimitable style, to use it.
"the 76-year-old doyen of Kiwi politics has used it [an interview on Australian television] to slam the government's COVID-19 vaccine rollout, deriding as "too late" and leaving NZ open to potential tragedy."
"We're half way through the vaccine year and we've done about a tenth of the job. That's the problem," he said.
"It's months too late. A lot of the strands right now are real dangerous. If (an outbreak) would happen we could see a tragedy again."
NZ is ranked 120th in the world for vaccine doses administered per capita – last in the developed world."
He is right of course and people in New Zealand are beginning to realise it. The rubbish about being at the front of the queue is being widely seen by the New Zealand public as a lie. Instead we are "last in the developed world".
I wonder what coverage this will get in the New Zealand media? I see the ODT is covering it but will Stuff and the Herald try and pretend it doesn't exist?
The story seems to be headline news in the Australian papers.
https://au.news.yahoo.com/peters-slams-arderns-nz-vaccine-010146638.html
Says who (apart from Peters)? Are we last on a per capita basis?
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/charting-new-zealands-vaccine-rollout
Any suggestions as to how? Placebo vaccinations?
I suggest you can check the claim here.
Hint. We are way way done the list. I didn't bother to check whether we were precisely 120th because they include places that aren't really countries but I am prepared to believe the value of 120 may be near enough. We are in about 140th place on the percentage with at least 1 vaccination. Our latest date is more recent than most so that would tend to push us up the list.
https://ourworldindata.org/covid-vaccinations
But wait theres more
According to that article, Our World in Data, an online research publication run by Oxford University researchers, ranked Australia "113th among the world's countries for total doses per 100 residents, falling behind Kazakhstan, Cambodia and Seychelles".
So we are about the same level as Australia?
One World data, is a bit rough and ready, as like Australia NZ is using Astra Zeneca which requires 2 does per person, while other vaccines are one dose.
As we have seen last week when the claim was orchestrated by |national and echoed by Hooton that we were 'running out of vaccines'… but 1 million more early next month
We are dependent on vaccine supply , and its politics over who does or doesnt get – Europe especially preventing does leaving for 'less deserving ststes'
Of course The Vaccination campaign is "NOT" well into the too little, too late category and the public are "NOT" recognizing it. It is on track, the new Vaccines are arriving on schedule, many of us have been lucky to be Vaccinated and everyone who wants to get Vaccinated will get their turn. Rather than your relentless negativity of every issue what the Majority of the Public see is the headlines like Stuff today, of how we continue to be safe with the real headlines …
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/coronavirus/300336505/covid19-one-new-case-in-managed-isolation-stewart-island-test-results-due-back
One case in Managed Isolation, none in the Community.
…unlike the headlines you and Winston are offering "If (an outbreak) would…" "we could see a tragedy…"
Sure Winston, like you, is entitled to voice his opinion but life in NZ is not the Land of the Long Black Cloud. It's actually pretty darn good, and THAT is what people see. IMHO
https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/covid-resilience-ranking/
Hint… NZ is at the top.
Hint. The topic Winston was talking about, and that I commented on, was the failure of the vaccine campaign.
You may be right about what Stuff covers. They, like the Herald aren't news outlets. They are bought and paid for Jacindamania freaks.
I found it interesting though that the majority of the comments Morning Report broadcast this morning on the vaccination program were disapproving. I imagine the people producing that program will have had a blast from their superiors to keep to the story line that the PM is a Saint and has saved us.
Well. I can see another reason why the PM wanted to get vaccinated.
Not even a bloody test for the Air New Zealand crews. How long would you give it before we have another outbreak?
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/coronavirus/300336892/covid19-all-vaccinated-air-nz-crew-now-exempt-from-isolation
Another 111 days, at least.
Sydney had been doing quite well for a decent length of time hadn't it?
And then this happened.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/covid-19-coronavirus-new-restrictions-in-sydney-new-community-case/543PA4ADYNBWEHAH57H4YUGLZ4/
Wouldn't it be nice if we could get vaccinations for at least the people who are most at risk from catching it. Which doesn't include healthy 40 year old people as far as I know.
You’re a tough negotiator. I’ll take 11 days off my earlier offer, so it’ll be 100 days, at least
Jacinda will (have to) save us again from our lack of compliance and vigilance
100 days is OK Incog. I will have had both my shots by then.
Elderly have been badly let down.
We just have to hope the dangerous new variants – Delta, Vietnam & so on – don't take us by surprise in the way they have in a few other previously successful Countries where political elites complacently assumed that dodging the bullet in 2020 was the end of the matter.
The lesson that apparently still hasn't managed to penetrate among the political establishment here is that you don't play around, presume to 'control' or negotiate with this virus. You don't get to have your cake & eat it.
Travel Bubble with Oz was always too early IMO.
lol
just keep reaching for that rainbow, eh.
Bloody hell. Someone better tell Mike Hoskings that the Herald is a paid for Jacindamania freak. He won't have a Happy Day. Haha. Hint… Vaccine rollout I assume is part of a countries resilience of which NZ was voted number one a month ago.
Alwyn, do you actually read anything or just the stuff that fits with your narrative?
If you read the link provided by Red Blooded One, you’ll see a nice wee table in which NZ ranks at the top despite the relatively poor vaccination performance as shown in the right column of the table.
Of course I saw it. So what? Winston was talking about, and I was commenting on, the vaccination performance. It isn't just "relatively poor".
It is IMHO bloody terrible.
Of course, you did
If NZ is “bloody terrible”, what are the words to describe all the lower ranked countries, the rest of the World, in fact? Bloody shambolic?
I think the entrance to Alwyn's mind requires a carefully cut Yale key with all angles sharply defined to ensure fit.
He talks like a relative of mine who is an alcoholic, and when away from the chateau cardboard can talk apparently lucidly criticising the useless politicians and how they can’t get anything right – ‘Projection’.
Any suggestions as to how? Placebo vaccinations? Maybe ask Bishop, Bridges, and Collins? She might have a few contacts. Sinovac anyone – alwyn?
Are you personally scared you might catch Covid Alwyn, can we help you ease your fears in some way?
A couple of vaccinations would be nice. But I'm only in Group 3 and am being ignored. I should have been a Cabinet Minister. A bunch of them were vaccinated back in March.
And don't tell me not to worry. My sister was infected in the first outbreak.
I think it is ok to worry a little but some attacks on the Government are utterly irrational, IMHO.
As long as the MIQ barrier holds and prevents community outbreaks it’ll be steady as she goes.
Even Taiwan’s success ended abruptly. So, yes, some fears are justified.
"My sister was infected in the first outbreak."
Fair enough mate.
I'm Group 3. I received my email invite to book a week ago. All good.
My understanding is the invites are still being rolled out so maybe yours is still in the pipeline. I'm in Auckland so maybe they gave us priority because we had the privilege of having more draconian lockdowns than the rest of the country.
Don't live in northland then do you anne? Ruakaka locals have to drive to kaitaia to get a jab any time in the next month. just the first one by the way.
Otherwise it's some time in august for Maori and over 50, september for non maori and over 50.
Supposedly a targeted area because of the deprivation. I'm sure a 200km+ round trip will help with the "Access" and will "alleviate" the deprivation
Ruakaka locals have to drive to kaitaia to get a jab any time in the next month.
You can pop into town on the weekend.
Whangārei
Northland Event Centre
51 Okara Drive, Whangārei
(Please wear warm clothes and
bring an umbrella in case it is raining)
Saturday 19 June, 9am-2pm
Tuesday 22 June, 8am-7.30pm
Wednesday 23 June, 10am-5pm
Thursday 24 June, 8am-7.30pm
Saturday 26 June, 9am-2pm
https://www.northlanddhb.org.nz/home/covid-19/covid-19-northland-hub/vaccine-programme-information/
You may want to get in touch with these people:
https://www.anxiety.org.nz/
You're not being ignored, even if you feel it feels that way, the roll out is happening and while the country stays safe, thanks to a strict countries response we are at a position of it being very unlikely you could come into contact with someone affected. That first outbreak would have been frightening, I hope your sister has recovered fully. I am very greatful as an over 60 year old, living in the Far North to have been able to have my two jabs, but I truly believe those of you who haven't had it yet are quite safe until your jab arrives. Meantime keep scanning wherever you go, I still do, knowing that we will keep on top of this bloody Covid. This Government may not be your choice to run the country but they have kept us safe despite the criticisms. Best wishes to you Alwyn, I hope you can eventually see the silver lining that our Covid Response has given us.
Apparently there's a shortage of nurses. Apparently nurses are run off their feet. Tell you what, we'll get every nurse in the country to stop what they're doing and go into getting five million vaccinated. How would that go?
We bitched about lockdowns, we bitched about travel being off, we bitched about having to wear masks, we bitched about someone in MIQ stuffing up, we bitched about someone in MIQ being an idiot, we bitched about having to go into MIQ, we bitched that we didn't do what Taiwan did, or Sweden did, or Singapore did or Australia did, we bitched about there not being five million vaccines straight off, we're bitching about everyone not being vaccinated right now.
I remember the bitching about how terrible life was last year when the world was going to end because we were in lockdown. We were facing a life no others had faced, a suffering unimaginable and indescribable.
I wonder how our grandparents and great grandparents regarded the hellish lives we were forced to live? You know, the ones who went to the other side of the world and literally fought in the trenches in WW1. You know the ones who were in a World War for six bloody years.
Most of those finding anything they can to bitch about re vaccinations should look at themselves in the mirror and wonder that in the stuff-up, the oversight, the schemozzle, the disaster, at least one prick made it through.
There's a great line from a Randy Rainbow song , something like "I'll save the world by laying on the couch". I think some people are struggling to have a perspective.
https://www.edexlive.com/news/2021/may/19/living-a-little-in-the-times-of-coronahere-are-11-tips-to-keep-calm-and-carry-on-during-covid-20830.html
All this moaning is why I have said, all along, that along with the Covid-19 virus we, in NZ, also have had to contend with the 'moaning Minnie or Matthew virus' that followed the virus in.
This is characterised by intense and unceasing moaning. nit picking, name-calling of those who are helping. Its after effects include a lack of gratitude, more intense moaning and, despite the anti-govt rants, is a hand permanently out for any Govt help.
Said in jest, perhaps, but sadly this moaning is fast becoming a NZ trait.
There seems to be no cure as the usual mixing around with others who might have said 'quit 'yer moaning' are closed as we huddle close to only those who agree with us.
Time for, again……
Fred Dagg.
This on who controls our country eventually, after certain procedures have been traversed. How can we get needed and thoughtful change when there is such a jiggery-pokery political system? (Allow 30 mins for reading and thinking!)
https://phuulishfellow.wordpress.com/2021/06/18/writing-the-rights-no-right-turn-is-wrong/