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Open mike 20/03/2020

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, March 20th, 2020 - 128 comments
Categories: open mike - Tags:

Open mike is your post.

For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose.

The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy).

Step up to the mike …

128 comments on “Open mike 20/03/2020”

  1. Phil 1
    19 March 2020 at 12:54 pm

    Hey Bill

    In a previous US election post, you suggested voter fraud in Super Tuesday results. You relied on TDMS research for evidence. Turns out TDMS was being "misleading at best and corrosive at worst."

    https://www.factcheck.org/2020/03/no-huge-red-flag-that-fraud-occurred-in-mass-primary/

    [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.]

    • bill 1.1
      19 March 2020 at 7:55 pm

      Hey Phil. Here's the bit that matters.

      Importantly, it used exit poll numbers from 8 p.m. on the day of the primary, according to the table. Those numbers were updated two hours later, though, according to CNN, the outlet cited in the table.

      What does "updated" mean? My understanding is that as published results come in, the exit poll numbers are shifted or altered to better accord with the published count. You see the problem there, right?

      If votes have been flipped, then the exit poll numbers will be shifted, and guess what?… "Nothing to See Here". That's why the initial exit poll numbers are used.

      Besides, you'd reasonably expect inaccurate exit polls to shift this way and that way in relation to the published count, yes? But when they only shift on favour of "establishment" candidates and against "non- establishment" candidates in state after state, well….

      And you also might want to reflect on the leanings of Facebook's "fact checking" orgs. and not just uncritically accept what they say.

      edit. Almost forgot. The same methodology was used for the 2016 primaries, and as mentioned in my original post, the Republican Primaries were almost all within the margins of error while Democratic ones (with polling taken at the same time for each party’s primary) were out of whack in favour of Clinton.

      • Phil 1.1.1
        20 March 2020 at 5:02 pm

        "Updated" in this context means that Edison Research adjust their exit polling data to account for sample bias in the exit poll.

        Even with the best practices, there is no way an exit poll can guarantee that its raw sample of exit interviews is genuinely representative of people voting over the course of a day in a particular precinct.

        To put it in the broadest possible terms, they're sort of working backwards in comparison to a traditional poll – instead of applying an assumed turnout model to a raw poll sample, they're applying a poll model to a raw turnout sample.

        • Bill 1.1.1.1
          20 March 2020 at 5:15 pm

          No. They already know the various bias in the exit poll, and any "updating" of the exit poll after polling booths have closed is in reaction to numbers coming from the published count ie, shifting exit poll numbers to better correlate with the numbers coming from the count.

          In relation to the Massachusetts results, as explained on the TDMS site (my emphasis) – As this first published exit poll was subsequently adjusted towards conformity with the final computerized vote count, the currently published exit poll [on CNN] differs from the results above.

          I've no idea why the international gold standard used for suggesting something may be awry in an election is suddenly to be thrown aside when the election results in question are Democratic Primary ones, but hey…

          • Phil 1.1.1.1.1
            20 March 2020 at 5:57 pm

             They already know the various bias in the exit poll,

            That's just a plain old dumb statement. An exit poll is a sample and, by definition, you cannot know the bias in the sample until the actual results of the fucking election are in front of you. If you cannot understand how that leads to adjustment as real results start to roll in… that's entirely on you, kid.  

            I've no idea why the international gold standard used for suggesting something may be awry in an election is suddenly to be thrown aside

            Quit making shit up. Exit polling is not "the gold standard" for monitoring potential election fraud in the slightest. You're being ridiculous.  

            • Bill 1.1.1.1.1.1
              20 March 2020 at 6:53 pm

              Your first paragraph (if true) would mean that exit polls could not and would not be used for the detection of possible election fraud.

              But, as written in the actual post on all of this, exit polling is precisely what is used to detect possible fraud.

              Now, you can wave your arms around the place all that you like on that front, and you can even assert I'm making stuff up and that I'm ridiculous…but it won't alter the fact of the matter.

               

  2. Tony Veitch (not etc.) 2
    20 March 2020 at 7:10 am

    I want to stress I’m not trying to start a rumour, but just curious, or as they say on twitter – asking for a friend.

    With many commentators suggesting this coronavirus crisis could last six months or longer and causing immense damage to our society and (I feel like I want to use a smaller font) the economy, what is the constitutional situation around voting in the middle of a pandemic?

    Are there any rules around delaying an election, or cancelling one altogether?

    On a lighter note, last night in bed my wife and I indulged in a little intimate elbow bumping.

    To be frank, I don’t think it’ll ever replace ‘the real thing,’ but at my age, the real thing is becoming a distant memory, so intimate elbow bumping will have to do!

    It amused us, which is as much as the real thing ever did, I suppose.

     

  3. joe90 3
    20 March 2020 at 8:13 am

    Gabbard is dropping out and endorsing Biden.

  4. joe90 4
    20 March 2020 at 8:22 am

    Some news.

    https://www.technologyreview.com/s/615379/antibody-test-how-widespread-coronavirus-covid-19-really-is/?

  5. Sanctuary 5
    20 March 2020 at 8:51 am

    Governments are building hospitals in weeks, rapidly training medical aides, mobilising resources and opening the cheque books to prop up economies. It is impressive to see the nation state in action in the interests of their people, especially after decades of being told it is an out of date concept. 

    • alwyn 5.1
      20 March 2020 at 9:48 am

      "Governments are building hospitals in weeks, rapidly training medical aides,".

      Is this true of our Government? The most energetic thing I have seen from our Health Minister, and one of his Associate Ministers, was to see them on TV watching someone get a flu jab.

      I would far rather have seen them trying to speed up the supply of ventilators or ICU beds in our hospitals.

      [second comment from this mod. There’s very little leeway here for comments that look like they intend to undermine the govt in such a serious crisis. Genuine critique of policy and actions that prompts constructive debate is good. This kind of smeary trolling has a pretty limited lifespan. If you haven’t seen it already I suggest you also read my comment to you from yesterday – weka]

      • Sanctuary 5.1.1
        20 March 2020 at 9:57 am

        I doubt you reflect the mood of the nation.

        I just overheard in my local cafe getting coffee:

        The persona dramatis: Middle aged white guy, clearly a self-employed tradie of some sort. The core of John Key's base.

        He said to the lady working behind the counter: "Even as a National supporter I have got to admit she (I assume he means the PM) is handling it reasonably well" followed by "Simon Bridges doesn't seem to understand that the essence of being a New Zealander is getting on with doing the job and not complaining all the time." BTW i am not necessarily agreeing with that last statement… But it shows widespread satisfaction with tje handling of the crisis by the government. 

        Simon, Jacinda is eating your lunch big time.

        • I Feel Love 5.1.1.1
          20 March 2020 at 10:24 am

          I think so too, most people I know and hear from are not even thinking politics, just getting on with their own lives and keeping themselves and their families safe. 

        • alwyn 5.1.1.2
          20 March 2020 at 10:55 am

          "I doubt you reflect the mood of the nation.".

          I'm sure I don't. The public will be, at least for a while, totally enamoured with her approach. She does that part of politics superbly. Actual implementation of policy doesn't turn out as well, as KiwiBuild demonstrated.

          Personally I expect there to be a snap election. Announce lots of plans for handling the virus and then declare that full support for the Government must be seen to be assured and call a snap election. My pick would be for 30 May or 6 June. I think they would probably get back with Labour and NZF though I don't think the Green Party will survive. Ms Ardern has completely overshadowed them.

          On the other hand hanging on until September won't cut it. People will have had enough long before six more months are up and the virus hasn't gone away and deaths are occurring. It won't be deserved but the Government will cop the flack for the restrictions still going on.

          That is what I can see as being the way for Labour to get another term. Shame it will mean that Winstone will still be there though.

          And yes, I have seen the mod comments and understand where you are coming from.

          • In Vino 5.1.1.2.1
            20 March 2020 at 3:51 pm

            Trying to be clever as usual, alwyn? I don't think you are aware of the environmental concerns of the base of Green Party support. You never demonstrate such concern yourself, and may be a covert denialist?

            Whatever happens, and however bad the Greens are made to look by righties, I think there is an enlightened 5+% of our electorate who will always vote Green,  simply because all other parties are far worse for the long term.

            • alwyn 5.1.1.2.1.1
              20 March 2020 at 5:56 pm

              You think there is 5+% who will always vote Green. I don't. That is really the only difference between us.

              No doubt we will see when the election comes around who is right. In the meantime I'm sure you won't let it upset you if their Poll numbers were to droop.

              You will, I presume, also accept the will of the people if the bulk of the Green vote is vacuumed up by the Labour Party?

              • In Vino …
                20 March 2020 at 6:16 pm

                Of course, but will you even remember that you asked me, if it turns out that you are writing rubbish?  And I think you meant 'drop' rather than 'droop'.

                 

                • alwyn …
                  20 March 2020 at 7:15 pm

                  You are a careful reader. I really did mean droop actually.

                  The current lot of MPs strike me as so dreadfully wet that "droop" seemed totally appropriate.

                  As far as being wrong goes I will admit that I may be wrong. I don't think describing the views as being "rubbish" is quite valid though. 

                  • In Vino …
                    20 March 2020 at 7:18 pm

                    Time will tell for both of us.  (If the virus does not take us out…)

                    • alwyn …
                      20 March 2020 at 8:43 pm

                      "

                      (If the virus does not take us out…)"

                      Ouch! Did you really need to remind me of my advancing years?

          • Peter 5.1.1.2.2
            20 March 2020 at 5:46 pm

            I'm wondering about politicians whose approaches the public may not have been  notably enamoured with. If they didn't do that part of politics superbly and were so incompetent they left their successor needing to come up with policies such as KiwiBuild, albeit them not 'turning out well', what does that say about them?

            Did they have sycophantic followers forcibly telling us how brilliant they were ?

            • alwyn 5.1.1.2.2.1
              20 March 2020 at 6:06 pm

              "Did they have sycophantic followers".

              Of course they did. Don't you remember people contributing to blogs who considered, in turn, that Helen Clark, Goff, Shearer, Cunliffe and Little were the greatest thing since sliced bread?

              Shearer was actually pretty good. If they hadn't rolled him and kept so many no-hopers around, we would have had a competent  option to the incumbents in the 2017 election. I would certainly have welcomed it.

              But he was the only one if you look at Clark from about 2004 onwards. Before that she was pretty capable. Then she got the same disease that Muldoon and Bolger caught in their third terms.

              • In Vino …
                20 March 2020 at 6:25 pm

                Rubbish, alwyn. Shearer had no idea, and murdered himself with that ridiculous photo of himself holding up a big, dead fish.  Without ever sounding convincing before or after.

                Cunliffe would have had a chance if he had not misunderestimated the simplistic nature of the not-to-bright Kiwi male, and had his apology for being a male misrepresented by the NZ media.

                Little still lacks charisma – maybe his only failing.

                And personally, I never warmed to Helen Clark.  But she did achieve the sliced bread thing.

              • McFlock …
                20 March 2020 at 6:41 pm

                I can remember some people who thought Shearer wasn't abysmal (me included), and some people who loved Cunliffe (while I wasn't overly impressed), and some people who liked Little (ISTR I did), but I don't recall any particular commenter here who loved each one "in turn".

                 

                • alwyn …
                  20 March 2020 at 7:19 pm

                  "who loved each one "in turn"".

                  I'll admit I would be very hard pressed to actually identify a single person who did take their opinions quite so far.

                  I do know some Labour Party members though who did think that way. The one the Party currently had as the leader was the only possible candidate for the greatest politician in the country.

                  Dead boring they mostly were to talk to though.

                  • In Vino …
                    20 March 2020 at 7:32 pm

                    And did you enjoy rewarding conversations with any of National's leaders?

                    • alwyn …
                      20 March 2020 at 8:21 pm

                      It was the party members who were boring, not the party leaders.

                      I can't think of more than a handful of people I have met who became MPs who were boring. That would be among at least a hundred, and possibly 200 people. People who make into the MPs ranks are usually interesting to talk to and appear to be genuinely interested in whoever it is they are talking to. They have to be like that or I am sure they would go mad.

                  • McFlock …
                    20 March 2020 at 7:47 pm

                    Well, even if that story is true, there's a fair chance that they were aware that any conversation with you would be quickly retransmitted as "I do know some Labour Party members who really dislike the current leader and much prefer [X]".

                     

                    • alwyn …
                      20 March 2020 at 8:29 pm

                      I find that comment offensive. I do not, ever, divulge the contents of personal conversations with people who aren't in the business professionally. I feel quite entitled to make derogatory remarks about people, MPs usually, who are claiming the right to set the rules for how I am allowed to behave. I don't claim the same right about people who don't want to decide what I am allowed to do.

                      You will never find any such comment by me anywhere.

                      Incidentally I am not, and never have been, a member of a Political Party. I don't trust any professional Politician. I respect the competent ones, and certainly don't respect the idiots but I don't trust any of them.

                      They are all in it for themselves.

                    • McFlock …
                      20 March 2020 at 8:42 pm

                      I didn't mean you'd actually name the members.

                      Just that you'd gleefully report the lack of confidence in a Labour leader in the same way you just reported that they had confidence in every leader Labour had.

                    • alwyn …
                      21 March 2020 at 10:15 am

                      Oh dear. You really are in a unhappy mood, aren't you?

                      Now why on earth do you suggest I would do that? I haven't and I won't do any such thing.

                      Perhaps I should use Yodaish Star Wars Remarks to describe you? How about 'The bile is bitter in that one'?

                      Alternatively I could use variants on the, probably apocryphal, statement of Lise Meitner. "I think you are confusing me with Professor Hahn".

                      In your case I think you are confusing me with Cinny.

                      /daily-review-18-03-2020/#comment-1692574

                      /burning-bridges/#comment-1692769

                      [take the weekend off. As amusing as it is to see McFlock calmly countering your trolling here, I think you’ve now shifted from troll to flame-lite and I don’t want to have to keep track of it – weka]

      • weka 5.1.2
        20 March 2020 at 10:29 am

        mod note.

  6. Macro 6
    20 March 2020 at 10:16 am

    tRump being the racist dick he so thoroughly is…

    When he is supposed to be leading America though a pandemic, he is making hand edits to speeches to scapegoat China.

    image

  7. Andre 7
    20 March 2020 at 10:49 am

    I see things are still nutso at supermarkets.

    Wonder how long it will be until people realise this is going to go on for a while and there will be adequate food and it settles down. Then how much longer after that til it goes real quiet as people realise maybe they'd better start eating their massive stockpiles before it goes bad.

    • Bill 7.1
      20 March 2020 at 11:13 am

      Toilet roll sandwiches?

      I don't understand why supermarkets aren't setting aside specific hours for old and other vulnerable people to shop btw.

      And as for the monied middle classes wiping shelves clean in states of panic, meaning that "week to week" grocery shoppers can't get the shit they regularly buy – well, I hope the fuckers choke.

    • veutoviper 7.2
      20 March 2020 at 11:14 am

      I think I heard on RNZ National in the early hours of the morning that there had also be a major run of sales of freezers – but not about to try to find a link for this.  

      Some will be much more concerned about this innovative change in direction by a Martinborough gin distillery – what are they going to put with their 300 glasses of tonic water a day* to ward off COVID-19?  

      *   Oh wait – who was it here talking about this in the last few days? LOL  

      – https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2018739355/covid-19-gin-distillery-trialling-making-hand-sanitiser

       

      • Brigid 7.2.1
        20 March 2020 at 11:23 am

        Nobody needs fucking hand sanitizer. Soap and water is a better way to clean hands.

        Why are people so goddamned stupid.

        • veutoviper 7.2.1.1
          20 March 2020 at 12:08 pm

          "Nobody needs fucking hand sanitiser"  and "Why are people so goddamned stupid"

          I agree that soap and water – and proper washing and drying – is a better way to clean hands but there are situations where hand sanitiser is a convenient – dare I say it a necessary –  substitute for some people, including medicos such as ambulance staff etc.

          As I know from personal experience, people sometimes find themselves in situations where they have to carry out necessary medical procedures but there are no available hand washing facilities or these are not clean enough to use.

          In such situations hand sanitiser is a godsend for people such as those with diabetes who need to inject insulin regularly or urgently; or those with glaucoma who have to apply eye drops throughout the course of the day, as your hands have to be extremely clean for these types of procedures. 

          Personally I have found people with diabetes and/or glaucoma, for example, no more or less "goddamned stupid" that those who see things in such black and white terms as your comment suggests. 

          • veutoviper 7.2.1.1.1
            20 March 2020 at 12:20 pm

            Ooops – don't know how that double posting happened and its too late for me to delete one!

            • Incognito 7.2.1.1.1.1
              20 March 2020 at 12:31 pm

              Sorted 🙂

              • veutoviper …
                20 March 2020 at 2:47 pm

                Thanks.  FYI or lprent's, it just did it again with my reply to Rosemary McD at 6.2.1.1.3.1 which again popped up twice – one with the ability to edit and one with no ability. Deleted the one with the ability to edit after checking all OK.

                Will see what happens with this one … 
                All OK – only one this time.

          • Brigid 7.2.1.1.2
            20 March 2020 at 1:43 pm

            Then why not just use meths? After all hand sanitiser is mostly alchohol. Do people not know this? I suspect not.

            I see there's plenty still in Mitrebe 10.

             

            • Rosemary McDonald 7.2.1.1.2.1
              20 March 2020 at 1:45 pm

              Meths would be fine…according my my chemist Offspring, but you might want to soften it with a bit of something or other…wink

              • McFlock …
                20 March 2020 at 4:21 pm

                One option we were looking at for a venue was aloe moisturiser as the "softener", so like 1/3 moisturiser 2/3 alcohol.

                Ended up not bothering because it's not a recipe put about by moh or public health officers here, as far as we know. Could get confused between weight and volume and all that jazz.

          • Rosemary McDonald 7.2.1.1.3
            20 March 2020 at 1:43 pm

            Yes, veutoviper…lots and lots of soap and water handwashing here…to the point where the skin is beginning to peel.

            BUT the precious couple of bottles of hand sanitizer I keep for just those medical type situations are worth their weight at the moment.

            If you've ever seen the rigmarole the medics go through catheterising some bloke…then imagine doing that procedure while parked on the side of the road in your housebus…

            BTW, hand sanitizer theoretically has a shelf life limit…I stabbed my hand the other day, and after allowing the deep wound to bleed one of the Offspring dug up a very old bottle from his car.  Stung like absolute buggery…so my guess is it's still good.  Wound has healed well.

            Horses for courses, and hold fire with the censure eh?

             

             

            • veutoviper 7.2.1.1.3.1
              20 March 2020 at 2:41 pm

              Agree re the stinging etc!  But would certainly not use meths pre injecting or near eyes …  And it does not come in small sizes like hand sanitiser for popping in a pocket or bag.

              I recently did a search through the house, and in bags etc and came up with a surprising number of part used hand sanitizer bottles of various sizes and ages which for the most part seem OK. Local supermaket owner is awaiting new stocks and is going to keep some off the shelves for customers like myself who she knows have an ongoing use/need for it. 

               Re shelf time limits, like a lot of things whether these are important or extendable really depends on the type of product, its stability and how/where it has been stored.  According to my brother chemist, (snap!) hand sanitiser should be OK provided it has been kept in a cool dark place.  If left somewhere hot like in a hot car, it often just evaporates.  As well as a bigger first aid kit, I have a small "coolie bin" type soft bag (intended for taking lunch to work/school in hot climates) in my car with sanitiser, gloves etc in it which helps overcome evaporation, melting etc problems.   

              Re catherising, was trained in such things when mother was dying. I then went on to work as a trained medic volunteer at the local hospice c 10 hours a week for about decade, on top of very demanding jobs in the State Services as one of "them (insert word of choice!) bureaucrats". 

              • In Vino …
                20 March 2020 at 3:59 pm

                Back to the run on Freezers…  If things go really bad, I suspect that electricity supply could fail as well. So next run should be on petrol/diesel-run power generators, since fuel prices have dropped.

                (Of course, with no power you will be lucky to be able to buy petrol or diesel, because petrol pumps are no longer fitted with hand-pump levers. This should soon result in a run on petrol/diesel..)

                How far will these silly hoarders go?

                 

              • Brigid …
                20 March 2020 at 4:40 pm

                " it does not come in small sizes like hand sanitiser"

                I'm sure if you think hard you'd come up with a solution for that.

                If you want to disinfect a site on the skin prior to injecting use alcohol. Or Iodine.

                Methylated Spirits is denatured alchohol i.e. ethanol. It's every bit as good a disinfectant as the alcohol wipes used by health professionals.

                I can't think of an instant where using alcohol to disinfect hands prior to applying eye drops would cause any problem.

                You aren't expected to disinfect the eye after all. Are you?

                • In Vino …
                  20 March 2020 at 6:33 pm

                  Right… so to prevent infection via the eyes (a major source of infection, since even people wearing masks will unconsciously end up touching their eyes) will people infer that Meth Spirits eyedrops are a good idea?

                  Silly thought, but are there any helpful eyedrops available? I doubt it.

        • Pingao 7.2.1.2
          20 March 2020 at 4:12 pm

          All very well if you access to soap and water … for example if you work away from a building such as in the trade I work in or have just left a public area such as people's homes, public transport, the supermarket, the petrol station etc. Hand sanitiser is very useful.

          • Brigid 7.2.1.2.1
            20 March 2020 at 4:46 pm

            Granted, hand sanitiser is very useful in this case.

            The point I was aiming to make was that every man and his dog does not need a bottle of hand sanitiser. Most can use soap and water to wash their hands.

            The fact that the world seems to have been scoured of every available bottle suggests that people believe that only hand sanitiser will clean their hands. Therefore my assertion that a good few of them are stupid, stands.

            • In Vino 7.2.1.2.1.1
              20 March 2020 at 7:36 pm

              Hence my question about Meths eyedrops.  I would love to make up NCEA Level 1 English multi-choice questions about all this.

        • Craig H 7.2.1.3
          20 March 2020 at 4:29 pm

          At home and work that's generally true, but good in the car as a back up since not all public toilets have soap in my experience. 

      • Andre 7.2.2
        20 March 2020 at 11:25 am

        Nobody was talking about 300 glasses a day of tonic water, it was G&Ts. The difference matters. And if the gin runs out, I am not substituting in hand sanitiser.

        • veutoviper 7.2.2.1
          20 March 2020 at 11:36 am

          Well the fish are biting well today!  I certainly agree that hand sanitiser is no match for good gin with your tonic water, LOL 

        • Brigid 7.2.2.2
          20 March 2020 at 4:51 pm

          I don't know why they don't just continue to make gin. Giving everyone the choice to either drink it or disinfect what ever part of their body they like.

          Bloody good accelerant  too.  Hand sanitiser isn't.

    • AB 7.3
      20 March 2020 at 11:22 am

      Yeah – baked beans three times a week to avoid that sinking feeling of having wasted money.  

      The disappearance of my clients gave me a chance to go fishing yesterday – got enough for two meals and still well inside the actual catch limit (keep it sustainable folks). My tiny dinghy with a 5HP motor uses much less than a litre of fuel on an expedition – and it has functioning oars if needed. People in gin-palaces sweep past me with amusement and derision on their faces. 

      I also took the advice of the admirable greenies on here and got veggie seeds – things that will grow as it gets colder: rocket, broad beans, bok choi, radishes etc. I am nowhere near delusional enough to believe that self-sufficiency is possible for someone as incompetent as me. But if it wasn't for the fear of us running out of money or dying – things wouldn't be too bad.

        • AB 7.3.1.1
          20 March 2020 at 12:01 pm

          Probably – though I was quite restrained!

          • greywarshark 7.3.1.1.1
            20 March 2020 at 1:48 pm

            There was a full page ad in today's Nelson Mail shared between a bunch of supermarkets requesting people to restrain themselves when shopping and not to buy up large.   A good deed.

            In brief they say:  Shop like you normally would…  some extra but not for weeks ahead.

            Shop in our stores – they are safe.   We have thorough cleaning but have increased measures.

            Look out for each other – In times of uncertainty a little kindness goes a long way.  Please be kind to fellow shoppers and to our store, supply chain and call centre teams who are working around the clock…They're our heroes.

            PaknSave – New World – 4 Square – Raeward fresh – Countdown – Fresh Choice – Supervalue

            So that is Woolworths NZ (extra info – NZ$6.2 billion fyt June 2018 18,500 employees fully-owned subsidiary of Australian and part of Woolworths Limited Group, which employs more than 190,000 team members globally.)

            Foodstuffs (NZ) Ltd is jointly owned by two New Zealand grocery and liquor retailers' cooperatives, Foodstuffs North Island Limited and Foodstuffs South Island Limited.[1] Together, the two cooperatives collectively control an estimated 53% of the New Zealand grocery market.    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foodstuffs

    • Anne 7.4
      20 March 2020 at 1:38 pm

      Andre @ 6.

      It started with toilet rolls – emptied the supermarkets. Then tinned foods – emptied the supermarkets. Then bread – emptied the supermarkets. All of these are now available again. The latest is washing powder. All gone in my local anyway.

      What will be the next item to disappear from the shelves?

      Btw, I happened upon a way to clear the supermarket aisle you occupy from fellow competitors. Sneeze. Preferably two of them and make sure they're loud. I can guarantee from personal experience (yesterday – hayfever) within 10 seconds you will have the aisle to yourself.

      • Brigid 7.4.1
        20 March 2020 at 1:45 pm

        "sneeze.."

        Excellent idea.

      • Andre 7.4.2
        20 March 2020 at 1:47 pm

        Nice fake-out. Especially since sneezing isn't a common symptom of COVID-19. It's coughing that's the worry.

      • Wensleydale 7.4.3
        20 March 2020 at 2:16 pm

        Don't go to the supermarket. Shop at your local corner shop, mini mart or Four Square. All the stuff the rampaging hordes have pillaged from Countdown and Pak 'n' Save is still in good supply at my local mini mart. Sure, it's a little more expensive but it's all there. And they could probably do with the business.

        Watching the braying herds cram stacks of loo roll into their trolleys makes me chuckle. You know when your parents said to you, "If Jamie jumped off a cliff, would you jump off a cliff too?" Turns out that, yes, the human race would fling themselves into oblivion if they saw everyone else doing it. Lemmings, honestly.

        Public Service Announcement: Toilet paper is not going to save you from the Apocalypse.

        • In Vino 7.4.3.1
          20 March 2020 at 4:05 pm

          Come on, Wensetc – it could well be your local corner shop operators who did most of the hoarding…

  8. SPC 8
    20 March 2020 at 11:20 am

    Kiwis in Oz who lose jobs and if stuck without income come back here (we do not have any spare housing and especially not for those won a benefit)

    So either Oz steps up, or we pay them the dole while they are in Oz while in Oz (and and Oz gives them their AS).

    • greywarshark 8.1
      20 March 2020 at 1:50 pm

      Good point SPC  – Look after those poor kiwis stuck in the lucky country.

  9. Observer Tokoroa 9
    20 March 2020 at 11:48 am

     

    To: Alwyn

    You endlessly try and belittle the real people of New Zealand.

    Why?

    Is it because the National Party demands that you lust over the struggling poor and

    demand they receive the worst possible Life and Livelyhood ?  You dine like Pigs with  the Landords ! Don't you Alwyn.

    • alwyn 9.1
      20 March 2020 at 11:59 am

      "Don't you Alwyn."

      Well NO actually. I'm afraid that your comment here is simply delusional. Do these hot flushes happen to you frequently? Try a cold shower.

    • Incognito 9.2
      20 March 2020 at 12:46 pm

      This neither the time nor place to launch personal attacks on other commenters here. If you have nothing nice to say, please say nothing. People who feel they need to ‘moderate’ here and can’t leave it to the real Moderators usually find themselves being moderated.

  10. Reality 10
    20 March 2020 at 12:19 pm

    Brigid – people are not stupid, as you arrogantly infer.  There are many times when people are out and about and soap and water are not nearby.  So better sanitiser, than nothing.

  11. Burt 11
    20 March 2020 at 12:33 pm

    How much did Labour have put aside in 2008 – zip… under your logic they fall into the ‘fuck them – they fall’ camp. 

    [lprent: If you want to just lie, then I suggest you go back to kiwiblog. If you want to comment here and want to assert a fact then you need to support it with something credible. I’m really not interested in tolerating fuckwit trolls myth spinning (ie blatantly lying). You also need to stay at least roughly on the topic. This is your only warning because you are pretty well known to me due to past trolling. ]

    [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.]

    • stigie 11.1
      20 March 2020 at 12:57 pm

      We won, you lost, eat that !~

      [lprent: And that isn’t helpful either. Continue in that vein and I’m liable to lose you off the site. ]

  12. Andre 12
    20 March 2020 at 1:00 pm

    Grifters gonna grift. And Burr is generally regarded as one of the more ethical and principled Repug senators. Wonder what the rest are up to while hoping they don't get busted?

    https://www.huffpost.com/entry/senator-richard-burr-coronavirus-stock_n_5e73e80dc5b6f5b7c5412d6c

  13. greywarshark 13
    20 March 2020 at 1:54 pm

    Interesting rah rah Social Credit?   Has your time come?

    Bernard Hickey Recommends Using Social Credit Economic Policy

    https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2020/03/20/bernard-hickey-recommends-using-social-credit-economic-policy/

    Our Reserve Bank could go one step further and purchase newly issued government bonds directly, rather than existing bonds from banks, to provide the government with a source of debt-free, zero-interest money at no cost to taxpayers to fund a basic income as part of the economic rescue package.

    Using that method, taxpayers will not have to pick up the long term tab for billions in interest payments and the repayment of the debt which under standard QE simply provides bigger profits for the overseas shareholders of banks and other financial institutions.

    • SPC 13.1
      20 March 2020 at 1:57 pm

      Well it won't be inflationary.

      • SPC 13.1.1
        20 March 2020 at 4:45 pm

        And its the right way to finance government led activity when the capitalist system cannot cope/function/fails. 

        • Brigid 13.1.1.1
          20 March 2020 at 5:00 pm

          Indeed!

          It's the right way to finance any government led activity at any time. Why increase banks' profits when there's no need.

  14. aj 14
    20 March 2020 at 4:20 pm

    Hand sanitiser is hard to get. I filled a spare empty window-spray bottle with liquid soap and water, and have it sitting in my car along with paper towels.

    Dead easy, a few squirts and you can wash your hands easily and dry them off. Don't let shortages of the alcohol based products deprive you of other ways of getting your hands clean if you are not at home. Cheaper too, just as effective, and recycling plastic into other uses. Ticks all the boxes.

    • mauī 14.1
      20 March 2020 at 4:53 pm

      I filled up an old household cleaning spray bottle with a few squirts of dishwashing liquid and the rest water. Sprayed down some high contact surfaces and hope that should work to kill the virus. I looked at spraying a dilute bleach solution, but it's strong stuff and I don't want to ruin any benchtops, stainless steel etc. I also thought about using disinfectant instead, but the stuff we have is 1% benzalkonium chloride, and there seems to be mixed views on that ingredient's effectiveness.

      • In Vino 14.1.1
        20 March 2020 at 7:41 pm

        As I understood, disinfectants kill bacteria but not viruses,  so why bother?

        • Brigid 14.1.1.1
          20 March 2020 at 9:54 pm

          An alcohol based disinfectant is the best anti microbial. Non alcohol disinfectants (or hand sanitiser), which contain benzalkkonium chloride, are less effective.

          • In Vino 14.1.1.1.1
            20 March 2020 at 11:13 pm

            Have Googled, and now agree that alcohol-based is effective.  Hope that internally applied alcohol is also effective!

  15. karol64 15
    20 March 2020 at 4:25 pm

    Not wishing to elbow anybody with regard to the extent and duration of this 2019 corona virus but it could still be lurking with vigor well in to 2021 or it may get a lot worse (like the Spanish flu of around 1918-1920 did). But at least for the moment, some still see a bit of humor in it and are showing esprit de corps, but if this drags on it will be devastating for a heavily dependent tourism economy such as NZ.

    Also, asking constitutional questions regarding executive (emergency) powers and suspension of general elections is a most valid deliberation. I would think that this type of emergency should not get in the way of standard democratic process come September unless it gets a lot worse and various political factions as parties or MP's are at loggerheads in relation to any further critical and affirmative actions needing to be taken.

    [Why are you using a different user name and e-mail address? Please explain – Incognito]

  16. Adam Ash 16
    20 March 2020 at 4:51 pm

    We carry a few dish cloths saturated in vinegar and detergent.  Easy to use and launder. Pop into another bag after use to wash and refill.  I keep a few pebbles in my pocket to press buttons with n toss away.  

    • Robert Guyton 16.1
      20 March 2020 at 6:53 pm

      "I keep a few pebbles in my pocket to press buttons with n toss away."

      Now were talking'! 

       

      • In Vino 16.1.1
        20 March 2020 at 7:26 pm

        Pebbles should NOT be tossed onto the floor around checkout points..  Where is the most ecologically favourable place to toss then into?
        (And remember, these are now probably infectious pebbles, and need a 14-day stand-down period..)

        ☺

  17. Eco Maori 17
    21 March 2020 at 6:31 pm

    Kia Ora Newshub. 

    Yes we have to stay positive but be careful. 

    Ka kite Ano 

  18. Eco Maori 18
    21 March 2020 at 6:52 pm

    Kia Ora Te Ao Maori News. 

    70 + years old are advised to stay home the younger tangata will need to help our Kau Matua with the kau Matua having to stay home they are our Taonga. 
    Good on the tangata jogging for logging

    Ka kite Ano 

     

  20. Eco Maori 20
    22 March 2020 at 6:29 pm

    Kia Ora Newshub. 

     

    The students army are doing great mahi looking after people in self isolation. 

    Ka kite Ano. 

     

     

  21. Eco Maori 21
    22 March 2020 at 6:50 pm

    Kia Ora Te Ao Maori News. 

    That's is good our government giving 56 million to help Tangata Whenua cope with the virus problem facing us.

    That's is good that the community helpline gave Te  Tane the information  he needed. 

    Yes be calm.

    Ka kite Ano 

  22. Eco Maori 22
    23 March 2020 at 8:46 am

    Kia Ora The Am Show. 

    The positive things its raining our farmers needed rain and in  Te Tai tokerau they need rain to. 

    The Papatuanuku carbon footprint is falling fast thats great for our future and our environment. 

    Time for A universal wage to  build up Aotearoas internal economy.

    Ka kite Ano 

     

  23. Eco Maori 23
    23 March 2020 at 6:29 pm

    Kia Ora Newshub. 

    Yes life as we know it is changing rapidly. 

    That was a cool view of Tawhirimate Ingrid. 

    Ka kite Ano. 

     

  24. Eco Maori 24
    23 March 2020 at 6:50 pm

    Kia Ora Te Ao Maori News. 

    I we are going into level 4 restrictions to protect Te tangata from the virus. We must look after our love one's and give Aohai and be kind.

    It is quite hard for rual tangata to see a doctor these days especially if you don't own a Waka. 

    Ka kite Ano. 

  25. Eco Maori 25
    24 March 2020 at 8:43 am

    Kia Ora The Am Show. 

    I walk my dog and keep away from people  its so easy to read there body language. 

    Our scientists warned us about the effects of a virus like this and just like global warming the people in charge chose to ignore it for the love of money and power. 

    The taxpayers union is just a national party attack dog.????. 

     

    Ka kite Ano 

     

     

     

     

  26. Eco Maori 26
    24 March 2020 at 2:01 pm

    Since when does the Rotorua Council turn the water off with out giving noticing to the public.??????. 

  27. Eco Maori 27
    24 March 2020 at 6:28 pm

    Kia Ora Newshub. 

    That's good that nanny and care givers are going to be cleared to keep looking after tamariki.

    The rain can cause a lot of damage to whare that are not weather proofed. 

    Ka kite Ano. 

     

  28. Eco Maori 28
    24 March 2020 at 6:52 pm

    Kia Ora Te Ao Maori News. 

    That is a good question what happens to our homeless people during the levels 4 lock down.

    Ka kite Ano. 

     

     

     

  29. Eco Maori 29
    25 March 2020 at 8:46 am

    Kia Ora The Am Show. 

    Condolences to Albert's whanau those Asterix and Obelix books were one of my favourite  when I was a young.

     

    I will be helping educate our mokopuna and obey the lock down rules.

    Ka kite Ano 

  30. Eco Maori 30
    25 March 2020 at 6:30 pm

    Kia Ora Newshub. 

    No hunting and fishing.

    The wild Kai Moana will get a bit of pressure taken off them with the 4 week shut down in Aotearoa.

    Ka kite Ano 

  31. Eco Maori 31
    25 March 2020 at 6:54 pm

    Kia Ora Te Ao Maori News. 

    We need to be calm kind and careful. It is good that our government is looking at ways to help our homeless people. 

    Its good that the authorities have worked with local Iwi so they can check people going into their rohi to protect their Kaumatua from the effects of the virus. 

    Ka kite Ano. 

     

     

     

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    by Jan Rivers The article has been corrected to show that it was Ewen MacAskill, former Guardian journalist and not Luke Harding who travelled to meet Edward Snowden with journalist Glenn Greenwald and filmmaker Laura Poitras.  Some of the Guardian’s well-known journalists who did not sign the protest letter are ...
    RedlineBy Daphna
    1 week ago

  • Life asserts itself regardless
    by Cultural Worker Late March 2020 amidst the virus. With gigs crashing and burning all around it was without much hope that I called a long standing rest home booking: “ Hi, I’m supposed to be entertaining at your place this afternoon – is it still on?” “”If you don’t ...
    RedlineBy Daphna
    1 week ago

  • Politics, the possible, and the pandemic
    Whenever people demand real change from their politicians, we're told that "politics is the art of the possible". The implication is that change isn't possible, so we'd better just get used to the sucky status quo. But now that there's a pandemic, a lot of things we were previously told ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 week ago

  • The Only Way Through This Crisis Is Together.
    Together: In leading New Zealand through the Covid-19 Pandemic, the Prime Minister could do a lot worse than allow herself to be guided by the spirit of collective sacrifice and co-operation that animated the New Zealanders of 80 years ago. Most Kiwis alive today have had no opportunity to prove their ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago

  • GFC vs Covid-19
    It is said that generals fight the last war. In the case of the early stages of the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) they had learned from the Great Depression of the 1930s and they fought intelligently and successfully. Later their advice would be ignored in favour of the Austerians who ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    1 week ago

  • Nobody Left Behind.
    Solidarity Forever: All over the world, the arrival of the Covid-19 virus has exposed the fragility of the walls we erect around ourselves and our loved ones. It has shattered our illusions of autonomy and revealed to us how utterly dependent we all are on other human-beings. Finally, we see ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago

  • Rebuilding a truly “Democratic” counter, or a “moderate Republican” bolt-hol...
    Looking across the various arguments for/against the leading candidates to take the Democratic Nomination, you might honestly be very hard pressed to tell. There are a number of things that have now started happening since Amy Klobuchar and “Mayor Pete” Buttigieg both threw the towel in and immediately (and ...
    exhALANtBy exhalantblog
    1 week ago

  • Abortion law reform a win for women
    by Daphna Whitmore Abortion is no longer in the Crimes Act in New Zealand. The law reform passed yesterday and now abortion is a medical matter between a woman and her doctor. Many women’s groups and progressive people have campaigned for reform for decades. The women’s liberation movement and some ...
    RedlineBy Daphna
    1 week ago

  • How to spot bogus science stories and read the news like a scientist
    Doug Specht, University of Westminster and Julio Gimenez, University of Westminster When fake news, misreporting and alternative facts are everywhere, reading the news can be a challenge. Not only is there plenty of misinformation about the coronavirus pandemic, climate change and other scientific topics floating around social media, you also ...
    SciBlogsBy Guest Author
    2 weeks ago

  • Why New Zealand needs to continue decisive action to contain coronavirus
    Michael Baker, University of Otago and Nick Wilson, University of Otago With some of the toughest border restrictions and a newly-announced NZ$500 million boost to health services, New Zealand is among a small number of countries with a strategy to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. New Zealand is also fortunate in ...
    SciBlogsBy Public Health Expert
    2 weeks ago

  • Parliament and the pandemic II
    As expected, the government has introduced a sessional order to allow Parliament to operate during the pandemic. You can read it on the Order Paper here, but the short version is that questions and motions can be filed electronicly, select committees can work remotely, and the the Business Committee can ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 weeks ago

  • When a virus goes viral: pros and cons to the coronavirus spread on social media
    Axel Bruns, Queensland University of Technology; Daniel Angus, Queensland University of Technology; Timothy Graham, Queensland University of Technology, and Tobias R. Keller, Queensland University of Technology News and views about coronavirus has spread via social media in a way that no health emergency has done before. Platforms like Twitter, Facebook, ...
    SciBlogsBy Guest Author
    2 weeks ago

  • How to survive 14 days of self-isolation
    So you’ve recently returned from overseas, come into contact with someone who tested positive, got a bit of a dry cough yourself or perhaps just want to self isolate for 14 days to avoid other people who might have COVID-19. Here are a few tips and tricks to help get ...
    The Jackal
    2 weeks ago

  • Abortion Legislation Bill passes third reading
    Some fave speeches:     ...
    Boots TheoryBy Stephanie Rodgers
    2 weeks ago

  • Why Leadership Matters – More Than Anything.
    Our Good Fortune: Precisely because she has never been an ideologue (she calls herself a “pragmatic idealist”) Jacinda Ardern has a political nimbleness and spontaneity which, when infused with her exceptional emotional intelligence, produces spectacular demonstrations of leadership. Jacinda's empathic political personality contrasts sharply with the less-than-sunny ways of her ...
    Bowalley Road
    2 weeks ago

  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #11, 2020
    46 Articles Physical science of global warming & effects Global pattern of short‐term concurrent hot and dry extremes and its relationship to large‐scale climate indices Opposite spatial variability of climate change‐induced surface temperature trends due to soil and atmospheric moisture in tropical/subtropical dry and wet land regions ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 weeks ago

  • 68-51
    The Abortion Legislation Bill has just passed its third reading, 68-51. NZ First MPs bailed because their referendum amendment didn't pass, but there were plenty of MPs to provide a majority without them. The bill is a long way from perfect - most significantly, it subjects pregnant people who need ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 weeks ago

  • The ‘herd immunity’ route to fighting coronavirus is unethical and potentially dangerous
    As most of the world tries to suppress the coronavirus spread, some countries are going it alone – trying to manage the pandemic through so-called “herd immunity”. Herd immunity means letting a large number of people catch a disease, and hence develop immunity to it, to stop the virus spreading. ...
    SciBlogsBy Guest Author
    2 weeks ago

  • Eight new COVID-19 cases today. It’s no surprise when you look at some numbers
    So, as I sit at home with a very, very slight headache (i.e. not at work when I would otherwise be so), the now familiar figure of Ashley Bloomfield reports eight new confirmed cases of COVID-19  including two in Waikato. A surprise, given that we had just twelve yesterday? No. ...
    SciBlogsBy Marcus Wilson
    2 weeks ago

  • The WINZ Paradox versus the new COVID-19 Reality: Get real people, seriously…
    Many who advocated for, and voted for, the current Coalition – particularly those who voted Labour and the Green Party – expected to see a sea change in the reality of social services. A real, deep change of attitude, approach of process through which the system negotiates the difficult and ...
    exhALANtBy exhalantblog
    2 weeks ago

  • The Air New Zealand bailout
    Stuff reports that the government is going to have to throw $2 - 3 billion at Air new Zealand to get it through the pandemic. Good. While international routes are basicly closed, Air New Zealand is a strategic asset which is vital to our tourism industry, not to mentioning airfreight. ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 weeks ago

  • Why NZ’s tough coronavirus travel rules are crucial to protecting lives at home and across the Pac...
    New Zealand’s border restrictions will come with significant job and business losses in the tourism sector, both at home and in the Pacific. But the new travel rules are absolutely necessary to protect the health of New Zealanders and people right across Pacific Islands, because New Zealand is a gateway ...
    SciBlogsBy Guest Author
    2 weeks ago

  • The tiniest of teeth
    Back in early 2018, as a shoddy legal tactic to try and avoid the prisoner voting ban being formally declared inconsistent with the BORA by the Supreme Court, Justice Minister Andrew Little floated the idea of greater legal protection for human rights. When the Supreme Court case didn't go the ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 weeks ago

  • One simple, common factor to success against COVID-19
    Professor Philip Hill and Associate Professor James Ussher Most infectious diseases have an Achilles heel, the secret is to find it. The question is if we don’t have a drug or a vaccine for COVID-19, is there something else we can do to beat it? Some people estimate that, without ...
    SciBlogsBy Guest Author
    2 weeks ago

  • National should isolate Simon Bridges
    The Coalition Governments $12.1 billion economic package to help combat the financial effects of COVID-19 was generally well received across the board, even amongst many business leaders who would normally be critical of a Labour led Government.However there was one glaringly obvious exception, Simon Bridges. The so-called leader of the ...
    The Jackal
    2 weeks ago

  • How testing for Covid-19 works
    With confirmed cases of Covid-19 in New Zealand up to 12, many influential people are writing open letters and opinion pieces and doing press conferences asking why we aren’t pulling out all the stops and testing thousands of people a day like they are in South Korea. The thing is, ...
    SciBlogsBy Siouxsie Wiles
    2 weeks ago

  • The COVID-19 package and the limits of capitalism
    by Daphna Whitmore The willingness to put human life before business shows that sometimes capitalism is capable of suspending its relentless drive for profit. For a short time it can behave differently. Flatten the curve is the public health message since COVID-19 suddenly overwhelmed the hospital system in northern Italy. ...
    RedlineBy Daphna
    2 weeks ago

Older posts

  • Week That Was: COVID-19 Alert Level 4
    The COVID-19 situation in New Zealand is moving fast - and to avoid what we've seen overseas - the Government's response must be to move fast too. We're committed to keeping New Zealanders safe and well-informed every step of the way. ...
    Labour Blog
    2 days ago

  • SPEECH: Green Party Co-leader James Shaw – Ministerial statement on State of National Emergency an...
    Thank you, Mr. Speaker.  The scale of what we face right now is unlike anything we have ever seen before. Overcoming it is our common purpose. ...
    Greens
    5 days ago

  • Winston Peters urging New Zealanders overseas to stay put
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters is encouraging New Zealanders overseas to stay where they are amid the COVID-19 pandemic. "We are reaching a point where the best option for most New Zealanders offshore is to shelter in place, by preparing to safely stay where they are.” "This includes following the instructions ...
    NZ First News
    6 days ago

  • New Zealanders overseas encouraged to shelter in place
    Rt. Hon. Winston Peters, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs Foreign Minister Winston Peters is encouraging the tens of thousands of New Zealanders travelling overseas to consider sheltering in place, in light of COVID-19.  “Since 18 March, we have been warning New Zealanders offshore that the window for flying ...
    NZ First Press Release
    6 days ago

  • Ground-breaking abortion law passes, giving NZers compassionate healthcare
    Ground-breaking law has passed that will decriminalise abortion and ensure women and pregnant people seeking abortions have compassionate healthcare. ...
    Greens
    2 weeks ago

  • Package supports Kiwis to put collective health first
    The Green Party says that the measures announced by the Government today will help families and businesses to prioritise our collective health and wellbeing in the response to COVID-19. ...
    Greens
    2 weeks ago

  • Winston Peters: COVID-19 rescue package ‘more significant’ than any worldwide
    As New Zealanders brace for a global downturn due to Covid-19, Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters says his Coalition Government’s rescue package "more significant" than any other he's seen around the world. The Coalition is to reveal a multi-billion-dollar stimulus plan on Tuesday afternoon designed to cushion the economic blow ...
    NZ First News
    2 weeks ago

  • Our response to COVID-19
    We know some people are feeling anxious about COVID-19. While the situation is serious, New Zealand has a world-class health system and we’re well-prepared to keep New Zealanders safe. ...
    Labour Blog
    2 weeks ago

  • ‘Demerit Points System’ will address youth crime
    Darroch Ball MP, Spokesperson for Law and Order A New Zealand First member’s bill drawn from the ballot today seeks to overhaul the youth justice system by instigating a system of demerit points for offences committed by young offenders. “The ‘Youth Justice Demerit Point System’ will put an end to ...
    NZ First Press Release
    3 weeks ago

  • Investment in kingfish farming
    Hon. Shane Jones, Minister for Regional Economic Development The Provincial Growth Fund is investing $6 million in a land-based aquaculture pilot to see whether yellowtail kingfish can be commercially farmed in Northland, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones announced today. A recirculating land-based aquaculture system will be built and operated ...
    NZ First Press Release
    3 weeks ago

  • 1BT grants for Northland planting
    Hon. Shane Jones, Minister for Forestry Forestry Minister Shane Jones has announced two One Billion Trees programme grants of more than $1.18 million to help hapu and iwi in Northland restore whenua and moana. “Many communities around Aotearoa have benefited from One Billion Trees funding since the programme was launched ...
    NZ First Press Release
    3 weeks ago

  • New Zealand reaffirms support for Flight MH17 judicial process
    Rt. Hon. Winston Peters, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs Ahead of the start of the criminal trial in the Netherlands on 9 March, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has reaffirmed the need to establish truth, accountability and justice for the downing of Flight MH17 ...
    NZ First Press Release
    3 weeks ago

  • PGF investment in green hydrogen
    Rt. Hon. Winston Peters, Deputy Prime Minister The Government is investing $19.9 million through the Provincial Growth Fund in a game-changing hydrogen energy facility in South Taranaki, Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters announced today. “The development of alternative energy initiatives like this one is vital for the Taranaki region’s economy. ...
    NZ First Press Release
    3 weeks ago

  • Coronavirus support for Pacific
    Rt. Hon. Winston Peters, Minister for Foreign Affairs Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters says New Zealand is partnering with countries in the Pacific to ensure they are prepared for, and able to respond to the global threat of Coronavirus (COVID-19). “There are currently no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the ...
    NZ First Press Release
    3 weeks ago

  • Green Party passes landmark law to ensure deaf and disabled voices heard equally in democracy
    Chlöe Swarbrick's Members Bill to support disabled general election candidates has passed into law. ...
    Greens
    3 weeks ago

  • Tariff concessions on COVID-19 related products
    New Zealand will temporarily remove tariffs on all medical and hygiene imports needed for the COVID-19 response. Trade and Export Growth Minister David Parker and Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Kris Faafoi said today that the New Zealand Customs Service will apply tariff concessions to all diagnostic reagents and testing ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Clarification of modification to wage subsidy scheme
    Minister of Finance Grant Robertson has clarified that the changes to the wage subsidy scheme announced yesterday mean that employers should be passing on the full subsidy to workers, except in the case where the person’s normal income is less than the level of the subsidy. “We still want employers ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Face masks flowing to DHBs
    Medical face masks from the national reserve supply are now being distributed to District Health Boards, while at the same time local production is being ramped up. Yesterday more than 640,000 masks were sent to DHBS – that is an immediate two week supply, with more to follow in coming ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • COVID-19: Further steps to protect New Zealanders’ jobs
    The Government has made modifications to the wage subsidy scheme to ensure people don’t lose their jobs during the national lockdown. These changes will soften the impact of COVID-19 on workers, families and businesses, and position them to exit the lockdown and look to recovery, Finance Minister Grant Robertson says. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Tax relief for Mycoplasma Bovis farmers
    Farmers whose herds were culled in response to the outbreak of Mycoplasma bovis will be able to minimise the tax treatment of their income in some circumstances. Revenue Minister Stuart Nash says Cabinet has agreed to change the law. It means farmers may be eligible to spread their income over ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • $27 million for NGOs and community groups to continue providing essential services
    A $27 million dollar package, effective immediately, is being provided to social sector services and community groups to ensure they can continue to provide essential support to communities as we stay at home as a nation to stop the spread of COVID-19, Minister for Social Development Carmel Sepuloni announced. “At ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Statement on guilty plea of March 15 terrorist
    “The guilty plea today will provide some relief to the many people whose lives were shattered by what happened on March 15,” Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said. “These guilty pleas and conviction bring accountability for what happened and also save the families who lost loved ones, those who were injured, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • COVID-19 updates
    The Prime Minister is holding daily press conferences to update New Zealanders on the Government's response to COVID-19. Links to videos and transcripts of these updates below. These transcripts also include All of Government press conferences led by Director Ministry of Health's Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield. 25 March: Live update from the Prime ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Police numbers break through 10,000 mark
    Frontline Police numbers have broken through the 10,000 mark for the first time in history as officers step forward to keep the community safe during the COVID19 lockdown. “Two Police graduations in Auckland and Wellington in the past week have been conducted in unprecedented circumstances,” Police Minister Stuart Nash said. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Urgent tax measures for economic recovery
    Urgent legislation has been passed to support the package of economic and social measures needed to recover from the impact of the coronavirus outbreak. “The COVID-19 Response (Taxation and Social Assistance Urgent Measures) Bill will cushion New Zealanders from the worst economic impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak,” said Revenue Minister ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Further support for farmers and growers as drought persists
    From tomorrow, Government support for farmers and growers affected by drought will be expanded and extended across the country, with access to Rural Assistance Payments (RAPS) available throughout the North Island, parts of the South Island and the Chatham Islands, Social Development Minister Carmel Sepuloni announced. “These challenging conditions have ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • COVID-19: Temporary changes to Education Act
    Parliament has passed amendments to legislation that give the Secretary of Education stronger powers to act in the fight to limit the spread of COVID-19, Education Minister Chris Hipkins said today. “They are part of a suite of changes passed under the COVID-19 Response (Urgent Management Measures) Legislation Bill,” Chris ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Canada, Australia, Chile, Brunei and Myanmar join NZ and Singapore in committing to keeping supply a...
    Canada, Australia, Chile, Brunei and Myanmar have joined forces with New Zealand and Singapore by committing to keep supply chains open and remove any existing trade restrictive measures on essential goods, especially medical supplies, in the face of the Covid-19 crisis.  Trade and Export Growth Minister David Parker today welcomed ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • COVID-19: Rent increase freeze and more protection for tenants
    Immediate freeze on rent increases Tenancies will not be terminated during the lock-down period, unless the parties agree, or in limited circumstances Tenants who had previously given notice can stay in their if they need to stay in the tenancy during the lock-down period Tenants will still be able to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Working together to protect businesses and workers
    As New Zealand unites to lock-down in the fight against COVID-19, the Finance Minister is urging all businesses and workers to stay connected over the next four weeks. “We understand the extreme pressure many businesses are under right now. I know most business owners think of their workers as family ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • State of National Emergency declared to fight COVID-19
    A State of National Emergency has been declared across the country as the Government pulls out all the stops to curtail the spread of COVID-19. “Today we put in place our country’s second ever State of National Emergency as we fight a global pandemic, save New Zealanders’ lives and prevent ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Prime Minister’s statement on State of National Emergency and Epidemic Notice
    Mr Speaker I wish to make a Ministerial Statement under Standing Order 347 in relation to the recent declaration of a State of National Emergency. Having considered the advice of the Director Civil Defence Emergency Management, the Minister of Civil Defence declared a State of National Emergency for the whole of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Deadline for domestic travel extended
    People needing to travel on domestic flights, trains and Cook Strait ferries to get home before the country moves into level 4 lock-down tomorrow night will be able to continue using the passenger services until midnight on Friday, Transport Minister Phil Twyford said today. Domestic passenger services, particularly ferries, have ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Mortgage holiday and business finance support schemes to cushion COVID impacts
    The Government, retail banks and the Reserve Bank are today announcing a major financial support package for home owners and businesses affected by the economic impacts of COVID-19. The package will include a six month principal and interest payment holiday for mortgage holders and SME customers whose incomes have been ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Government working to keep air freight moving
    Minister of Transport Phil Twyford has today announced details of the Government’s support package to keep key air freight moving and ensure New Zealanders retain access to essential goods during the four-week level 4 lockdown. “The Government is working with airlines and air freight operators to ensure New Zealand’s key ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • New Zealand moves to COVID-19 Alert Level 3, then Level 4 in 48 hours
    New Zealand moved up to COVID-19 Alert Level 3 – Restrict New Zealand to move up to COVID-19 Alert Level 4 – Eliminate, in 48 hours Two-staged approach to give people and businesses time to prepare  Level 3, from tomorrow Non-essential businesses must close All events and gatherings must be ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Prime Minister: COVID-19 Alert Level increased
    Good afternoon  The Cabinet met this morning to discuss our next actions in the fight against COVID-19.  Like the rest of the world, we are facing the potential for devastating impacts from this virus. But, through decisive action, and through working together, do we have a small window to get ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Govt takes significant economic decisions as NZ readies for Alert Level 4 in COVID-19 fight
    The Government is announcing significant further support for the economy, workers and businesses as the country unites to prepare for Alert Level 4 in the fight against COVID-19. Cabinet today agreed to remove the cap on the Government’s wage subsidy scheme, which will inject a further $4 billion into the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Govt backs RBNZ move to support economy with lower interest rates
    The Government is backing the Reserve Bank’s latest action to support the economy by reducing longer-term interest rates, meaning lower costs for businesses and mortgage holders, and a lower currency to help our exporters. The Minister of Finance has signed a memorandum of understanding and a letter of indemnity with ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Government statement on commercial cooperation during COVID-19
    The Government has asked the Commerce Commission to take account of the exceptional circumstances created by COVID-19 when monitoring business behaviour in coming weeks.   “The purpose of my request to the Commerce Commission is to make sure businesses can work together in ways that will allow them to provide ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • New Zealand temporarily closes diplomatic posts in Barbados and Myanmar due to COVID-19
    The New Zealand Government has temporarily closed its High Commission in Bridgetown, Barbados and its Embassy in Yangon, Myanmar due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.   “Due to the increasing scarcity of air links in and out of Bridgetown and Yangon, and the pressure COVID-19 is placing ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Supporting Māori communities and businesses through
    Associate Health and Whānau Ora Minister Peeni Henare has today announced the Government’s plan to support Māori communities and businesses in the face of COVID-19. “Our Government’s $12.1 billion economic package will help many Māori whānau, workers and businesses, whether it’s through wage subsidies, income support and worker redeployment, or ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Guidelines for hospitality establishments released
    The Government and the hospitality industry have worked together to produce guidelines to assist with managing and reducing transmission of COVID-19, Health Minister David Clark announced today.  The guidelines developed between the Government, Hospitality New Zealand and SkyCity Entertainment Group, set out how the new restrictions on physical distancing and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Nation steps up to COVID-19 Alert Level 2
    Four stage Alert System for COVID-19 announced New Zealand moved up to COVID-19 Alert Level 2 – Reduce Contact New Zealanders over 70 and those with certain medical conditions told to stay at home as much as they can to reduce risk of contact with the virus Workplaces to implement ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • PM Address – Covid-19 Update
    Kia ora koutou katoa I’m speaking directly to all New Zealanders today to give you as much certainty and clarity as we can as we fight Covid-19. Over the past few weeks, the world has changed. And it has changed very quickly. In February it would have seemed unimaginable to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • NZ and Singapore commit to keeping supply and trade links open, including on essential goods and med...
    New Zealand and Singapore have jointly committed to keep supply chains open and to remove any existing trade restrictive measures on essential goods, especially medical supplies, in the face of the Covid-19 crisis. Trade and Export Growth Minister David Parker welcomed the commitment. “This is an important collective response, and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Joint Ministerial Statement by Singapore and New Zealand -Covid-19 situation
    JOINT MINISTERIAL STATEMENT BY SINGAPORE AND NEW ZEALAND AFFIRMING COMMITMENT TO ENSURING SUPPLY CHAIN CONNECTIVITY AMIDST THE COVID-19 SITUATION  The COVID-19 pandemic is a serious global crisis.  As part of our collective response to combat COVID-19, Singapore and New Zealand are committed to maintaining open and connected supply chains. We ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Transit between Australia and New Zealand
    Travel restrictions, closing our border to almost all travelers came into force from 23:59 on Thursday 19 March 2020 (NZDT).  All airlines were informed of these restrictions before they came into force. Immigration Minister Iain Lees-Galloway says “The transit of passengers between Australia and New Zealand has been agreed upon and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • $100 million to redeploy workers
    The Government has allocated $100 million to help redeploy workers affected by the economic impact of COVID-19, with the hard-hit region of Gisborne-Tairāwhiti to be the first helped, Economic Development Minister Phil Twyford, Forestry and Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones and Employment Minister Willie Jackson announced today. Phil Twyford ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • More support for wood processing
    The Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) is ramping up support for Tairāwhiti’s wood processing sector to bolster the region’s economy at a time of heightened uncertainty, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones announced today. Following earlier announcements today of a regional support package for Tairāwhiti, Minister Jones has also announced a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Govt steps in to protect Air New Zealand
    The Coalition Government has stepped in to protect Air New Zealand with a significant financial deal that protects essential routes and allows the company to keep operating. The Government and Air New Zealand have agreed a debt funding agreement through commercial 24-month loan facilities of up to $900 million*. The ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Stronger border measures to protect NZers from COVID-19
    The Government has taken further measures to protect New Zealanders from the COVID-19 virus, effectively stopping all people from boarding a plane to New Zealand from 11:59pm today, except for returning New Zealanders, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced today.  New Zealanders’ partners, legal guardians or any dependent children travelling with ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Action on indoor gatherings and events to protect public health
    The Government has reinforced its commitment to protecting the health of New Zealanders from COVID-19 through the cancellation of indoor events with more than 100 people.  “Protecting the health of New Zealanders is our number one priority, and that means we need to reduce the risks associated with large gatherings,” ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • New Zealanders advised not to travel overseas
    The New Zealand Government is advising New Zealanders not to travel overseas due to COVID-19, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced. “We are raising our travel advice to the highest level: do not travel,” Mr Peters said. “This is the first time the New Zealand Government has advised New Zealanders ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • Govt announces aviation relief package
    Transport Minister Phil Twyford today outlined the first tranche of the $600 million aviation sector relief package announced earlier this week as part of the Government’s $12.1 billion COVID-19 economic response. The initial part of the aviation package aims to secure the operators of New Zealand’s aviation security system, and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

Older posts

Older posts