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."
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.
"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.
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…
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.
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.
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.
Then there's the guy who wanted to reduce the amount of close contacts he had, so he changed all his social media profiles to match his Tinder profile 🙂
She should get the VP slot. Of all the candidates for the nomination, even Sanders, Gubbard is the one most capable of pulling votes from Trump. Though her anti-war stances would turn off the neo-cons in the DNC.
I would also have Lisa Nandy as UKLP leader, but it looks like that ain’t happening.
Hmm. Would have quite liked to have seen her as Sanders' VP. I don't think there's any chance she'll be Joe Biden's VP pick – he'll be choosing whoever Clyburn recommends he choose.
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.
"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]
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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'.
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 ?
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.
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.
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".
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.
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.
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]".
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.
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.
[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]
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.
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.
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
"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.
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.
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.
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?
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".
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..)
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
The important point is that while sneezing might not be a symptom of COVID-19 infection the fact is that all people occasionally sneeze. So, a carrier of COVID-19 can and most likely will spread virus particles when sneezing.
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.
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.
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.
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.]
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?
Yes this was one of the main platforms of her running for office – to really take corruption out of Govt. For casual readers here is a synopsis of what Liz Warren had in mind, and evidence of what she has worked for in the past to reduce this sort of grifting at the publics expense. (from the link Andre provides above)
Both the plan her campaign released in the fall of 2019 and a bill she introduced in the Senate in 2018 would outright ban not just members of Congress, but federal judges, White House staff, senior congressional staff and Cabinet members from owning or trading individual stocks while they're in office. Instead, they would have to put their investments elsewhere, where they simply couldn't profit from having inside information that could affect individual companies or the overall market.
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.
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.
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.
An alcohol based disinfectant is the best anti microbial. Non alcohol disinfectants (or hand sanitiser), which contain benzalkkonium chloride, are less effective.
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]
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.
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..)
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
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.????.
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.
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Open access notablesPublicly expressed climate scepticism is greatest in regions with high CO2 emissions, Pearson et al., Climatic Change:We analysed a recently released corpus of climate-related tweets to examine the macro-level factors associated with public declarations of climate change scepticism. Analyses of over 2 million geo-located tweets in the U.S. showed that climate ...
You can be all negative about these charter schools if you want, but I’m here to accentuate the positive. You can get all worked up, if you want to, by the contradiction of Luxon saying We’re going to make sure that every school in the country is teaching exactly the same ...
Losing The Room: One can only speculate about what has persuaded the Coalition Government that it will pay no electoral price for unreasonably pushing ahead with policies that are so clearly against the national interest. They seem quite oblivious to the risk that by doing so they will convince an increasing ...
Name suppression decisions can be tough sometimes. No matter your views on free speech, you have to be hard-hearted not to be torn by the tug of the competing arguments. I think you can feel the Supreme Court wrestling with that in M v The King. The case for ...
The Merchants of Menace: The Coalition Government has convinced itself that the “Brahmins’” emollient functions have become much too irksome and expensive. Those who see themselves as the best hope of rebuilding New Zealand’s ailing capitalist system, appear to have convinced themselves that a little bit of blunt trauma is what their mollycoddled ...
When National first proposed its Muldoonist "fast-track" law, they were warned that it would inevitably lead to corruption. And that is exactly what has happened, with Resources Minister Shane Jones taking secret meetings with potential applicants:On Tuesday, in a Newsroom story, questions were raised about a dinner Jones ...
Buzz from the Beehive One day – hopefully – we will push that Russian rascal, Vladimir Putin, beyond breaking point. Perhaps it will happen today, when he learns that Foreign Minister Winston Peters is again tightening the thumbscrews. Peters announced further sanctions, this time on 28 individuals and 14 entities ...
How Labour’s and National’s failure to move beyond neoliberalism has brought New Zealand to the brink of economic and cultural chaos.TO START LOSING, so soon after you won, requires a special kind of political incompetence. At the heart of this Coalition Government’s failure to retain, and build upon, the public ...
“Members of Parliament don’t work for us, they represent us, an entirely different thing. As with so much that has turned out badly, the re-organising of MPs’ responsibilities began with the Fourth Labour Government. That’s when they began to be treated like employees – public servants – whose diaries had ...
It’s becoming a classic case study for why lobbying deals with politicians need greater scrutiny. Former National Minister Steven Joyce runs a lobbying company with a major client – the University of Waikato. The University desperately wants $300m+ of taxpayer funding to establish a third medical school in New Zealand, ...
Time To Choose: Like it or not, the Kiwis are either going into AUKUS’s “Pillar 2” – or they are going to China.HAD ZHENG HE’S FLEET sailed east, not west, in the early Fifteenth Century, how different our world would be. There is little reason to suppose that the sea-going junks ...
Henry Ergas writes – When in Randall Jarrell’s Pictures from an Institution, a college president is accused of being a hypocrite, the novel’s narrator retorts that the description is grossly unfair. After all, the man is still far from the stage of moral development at which the charge ...
David Farrar writes – Radio NZ reports: The Education Review Office says too many new teachers feel poorly prepared for their jobs. In a report published on Monday, the review office said 60 percent of the principals it interviewed said their new teachers were not ready. ...
New Zealand’s economic performance and the PM’s vision Michael Reddell writes – When I wrote yesterday morning’s post, highlighting how poorly both New Zealand and its Anglo peer countries have been doing in respect of productivity in recent times (ie, in the case of New ...
Hi all,Firstly - thank you! You guys are awesome. The response I’ve received to last night’s mail has been quite overwhelming. It’s a ghastly day outside, but there are no clouds in here.In case you didn’t read my email and are wondering what on earth I’m talking about you can ...
If there was still any doubt as to who is actually running this government – and it isn’t the buffoon from Botany – then this week’s announcement of a huge spend up on charter schools has settled the matter. While jobs and public services continue to be cut in the ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Gaye Taylor As widespread drought raises expectations for a repeat of last year’s ferocious wildfire season, response teams across Canada are grappling with the rapidly changing face of fire in a warming climate. No longer quenched by winter, nor quelled by the ...
Half of Christchurch City Holdings Ltd’s directors and its chair resigned en masse last night in protest at Christchurch City Council’s demand to front-load dividends File Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The chair of Christchurch City Council’s investment company and four of its independent directors resigned in protest last ...
The University of Waikato has reworded an advertisement that begins the tender process for its new $300 million-plus medical school even though the Government still needs to approve it. However, even the reworded ad contains an architect’s visualisations of what the school might look like. ACT leader David Seymour told ...
As a follow-up to the Rings of Power trailer discussion, I thought I needed to add something. There has been some online mockery about the use of the same actor for both the Halbrand and Annatar incarnations of Sauron. The reasoning is that Halbrand with a shave and a new ...
This isn’t quite as dramatic as the title might suggest. I’m not going anywhere, but there is something I wanted to talk to you about.Let’s start with a typical day.Most days I send out a newsletter in the morning. If I’ve written a lot the previous evening it might be ...
Buzz from the Beehive The promise of tax relief loomed large in his considerations when the PM delivered a pre-Budget speech to the Auckland Business Chamber. The job back in Wellington is getting government spending back under control, he said, bandying figures which show that in per capita terms, the ...
Yesterday de facto Prime Minister David Seymour announced that his glove puppet government would be re-introducing charter schools, throwing $150 million at his pet quacks, donors and cronies and introducing an entire new government agency to oversee them (the existing Education Review Office, which actually knows how to review schools, ...
Seeing that, in order to discredit the figures and achieve moral superiority while attempting to deflect attention away from the military assault on Rafa, Israel supporters in NZ have seized on reports that casualty numbers in Gaza may be inflated … Continue reading → ...
David Farrar writes – Newstalk ZB report: The man responsible for a horror hit and run in central Wellington last year was on a suspended licence and was so drunk he later asked police, “Did I kill someone?” Jason Tuitama injured two women when he ran a red ...
Muriel Newman writes – Former US President Ronald Reagan once said, “Freedom is a fragile thing and it’s never more than one generation away from extinction. It is not ours by way of inheritance; it must be fought for and defended constantly by each generation.” The fight for ...
Why Courts should have said Waitangi Tribunal could not summons Karen Chhour Gary Judd writes – In the High Court, Justice Isacs declined to uphold the witness summons issued by the Waitangi Tribunal to compel Minister for Children, Karen Chhour, to appear before it to be ...
Bryce Edwards writes – The number of voices raising concerns about the Government’s Fast-Track Approvals Bill is rapidly growing. This is especially apparent now that Parliament’s select committee is listening to submissions from the public to evaluate the proposed legislation. Twenty-seven thousand submissions have been made to Parliament ...
An average of 166 New Zealand citizens left the country every day during the March quarter, up 54% from a year ago.Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The economy and housing market is sinking into a longer recession through the winter after a slump in business and consumer confidence in ...
The government has made it abundantly clear they’re addicted to the smell of new asphalt. On Tuesday they introduced a new term to the country’s roading lexicon, the Roads of Regional Significance (RoRS), a little brother for the Roads of National (Party) Significance (RoNS). Driving ahead with Roads of Regional ...
School is outAnd I walk the empty hallwaysI walk aloneAlone as alwaysThere's so many lucky penniesLying on the floorBut where the hell are all the lucky peopleI can't see them any moreYesterday morning, I’d just sent out my newsletter on Tama Potaka, and I was struggling to make the coffee. ...
Hi,I wanted to check in and ask how you’re doing.This is perhaps a selfish act, of attempting to find others feeling a similar way to me — that is to say, a little hopeless at the moment.Misery loves company, that sort of deal.Some context.I wish I could say I got ...
I have hitherto been fairly quiet on the new season of Rings of Power, on the basis that the underwhelming first season did not exactly build excitement – and the rumours were fairly daft. The only real thing of substance to come out has been that they have re-cast Adar ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
“The thing is,” Chris Luxon says, leaning forward to make his point, “this has always been my thing.”“This goes all the way back to the first multinational I worked for. I was saying exactly the same thing back then. The name of our business needs to be more clear; people ...
Buzz from the Beehive It’s been a momentous few days for Children’s Minister Karen Chhour. The Court of Appeal has overturned a High Court decision which blocked a summons order from the Waitangi Tribunal for her. And today she has announced the Government is putting children first by introducing to ...
In 2014 former Australian army lawyer David McBride leaked classified military documents about Australian war crimes to the ABC. Dubbed "The Afghan Files", the documents led to an explosive report on Australian war crimes, the disbanding of an entire SAS unit, and multiple ongoing prosecutions. The journalist who wrote the ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – According to the respected Pew Research Centre, “In seven of eight [European] countries surveyed, the most trusted news outlet asked about is the public news organization in each country”. For example, “in Sweden, an overwhelming majority (90%) say they trust the public broadcaster SVT”. ...
David Farrar writes – Kata MacNamara reports: Details of Tony Blakely’s involvement in the New Zealand Government’s response to the pandemic raise serious questions about the work of the Covid-19 Royal Commission of Inquiry over which he presides. It has long been clear that Blakely, a ...
Chris Trotter writes – Are you a Brahmin or a Merchant? Or, are you merely one of those whose lives are profoundly influenced by the decisions of Brahmins and Merchants? Those are the questions that are currently shaping the politics of New Zealand and the entire West. ...
RNZ reports – It’s supposed to be a haven of healing and spiritual awakening but residents of the Kawai Purapura community say they’ve been hurt and deceived. It’s the successor to the former Centrepoint commune, and has been on the bush block opposite Albany shopping centre since 2008. It ...
TL;DR : Here’s the top six items climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, as selected by Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer. Usually we have a video chat to go with this wrap, but were unable to do one this week. We’ll be back next week.Several reports ...
The Transport Minister has set a hard 'fiscal envelope' of $6.54 billion for transport capital spending. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The economy is settling into a state of suspended animation as the Government’s funding freezes and job cuts chill confidence and combine with stubbornly high interest rates to ...
To be precise, the term “anti- Zionism” refers to (a) criticism of the political movement that created a modern Jewish state on the historical land of Israel, and to (b)the subjugation of Palestinians by the Israeli state. By contrast, the term “anti-Semitism” means bigotry and racism directed at Jewish people, ...
This is a re-post from the Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler Because hurricanes are one of the big-ticket weather disasters that humanity has to face, climate misinformers spend a lot of effort muddying the waters on whether climate change is making hurricanes more damaging. With the official start to the hurricane ...
Yesterday the Mayor released what he calls his “plan to save public transport” which is part of his final proposal for the Council’s Long Term Plan (LTP). This comes following consultation on the draft version that occurred in March which showed, once again, that people want more done on transport, especially ...
And it's a pleasure that I have knownAnd it's a treasure that I have gainedAotearoa’s coalition government is fragile. It’s held together by the obsequious sycophancy of Christopher Luxon, who willingly contorts his party into the fringe positions of his junior coalition partners and is unwilling to contradict them. The ...
The Select Committee hearing submissions on the fast-track consenting legislation is starting to become a beat-up of regional councils. The inflexibility and slow workings of the Councils were prominent in two submissions yesterday. One, from the Coromandel Marine Farmers Association, simply said that the Waikato Regional Council’s planning decisions were ...
Back in April, the High Court surprised everyone by ruling that Ministers are above the law, at least as far as the Waitangi Tribunal is concerned. The reason for this ruling was "comity" - the idea that the different branches of government shouldn't interfere with each other's functions. Which makes ...
Buzz from the BeehiveTolling was mentioned when Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced the government was re-introducing the Roads of National Significance (RoNS) programme, with 15 “crucial” projects to support economic growth and regional development across New Zealand. All RoNS would be four-laned, grade-separated highways, and all funding, financing, and ...
or the past 14 years, ever since the Spanish government cheated on an autonomy deal, Catalonia has reliably given pro-independence parties a majority of seats in their regional parliament. But now that seems to be over. Catalans went to the polls yesterday, and stripped the Catalan parties of their majority. ...
David Farrar writes – Radio NZ report: Labour Party leader Chris Hipkins said the Electoral Commission should make sure the system ran smoothly and “taking away the right of thousands of people to vote” was not the answer. “Thousands of people enroled and voted on the day. If ...
The Government’s introduction of legislation that would enable landlords to end tenancies with no reason marks a dark day for the 1.4 million people who rent their home in Aotearoa. ...
The Minister for Mental Health has found the Suicide Prevention Office and mental health support for 111 calls slipping through his fingers, says Labour spokesperson for Mental Health Ingrid Leary. ...
Today’s justification from the Minister for Children for scrapping protections for our tamariki was either a case of ignorance or deliberate deception. ...
The Green Party says the Government’s misguided policy on gangs will fail, following the announcement of the establishment of a national gang unit and district gang disruption units to target gang activities. ...
“With Police pay negotiations still unresolved after six months in Government, Mark Mitchell has today rolled the Commissioner out for a rebrand of their approach to gang crime,” Labour police spokesperson Ginny Andersen said. ...
The Government bringing back 50 charter schools will not increase achievement and is a distraction from the core mission of the education system, Labour education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
Te Pāti Māori is showing extreme concern over the Environment Select Committees adoption of a lucky dip draw to determine hearings for the Fast Track Approvals bill. Of the 27,000 submissions, 2,900 requested to present. All organisations will be heard; however, the remaining 2,350 submitters will be subject to a ...
Today New Zealand First will introduce a Member’s Bill that will protect women’s spaces. The ‘Fair Access to Bathrooms Bill’ will require, primarily in the interest and safety of women and girls, that all new non-domestic publicly accessible buildings provide separate, clearly demarcated, unisex and single sex bathrooms. This Bill ...
The Green Party is welcoming Climate Change Minister Simon Watts’ continuation of Hon. James Shaw’s cross-party work on climate adaptation, now in the form of a Finance and Expenditure Committee Inquiry. ...
The National Government plans to cut 390 jobs at ACC, including roles in the areas of prevention of sexual violence, road safety and workplace safety. ...
The Government has been caught in opposition to evidence once again as it looks to usher in tried, tested and failed work seminar obligations for job-seeking beneficiaries. ...
The Green Party is welcoming the announcement by the Minister Responsible for RMA Reform Chris Bishop to approve most of the Wellington City Council’s District Plan recommendations. ...
David Seymour has failed to get the sweeping cuts he wanted to the free and healthy school lunch programme, Labour education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
Hon Willie Jackson has been invited by the Oxford Union to debate the motion “This House Believes British Museums are not Very British’ on May 23rd. ...
Green Party MP Hūhana Lyndon says her Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill is an opportunity to right some past wrongs around the alienation of Māori land. ...
A senior, highly respected King’s Counsel with decades of experience in our law courts, Gary Judd KC, has filed a complaint about compulsory tikanga Māori studies for law students - highlighting the utter depths of absurdity this woke cultural madness has taken our society. The tikanga regulations will compel law ...
The Government needs to be clear with the people of the Nelson Marlborough region about the changes it is considering for the Nelson Hospital rebuild, Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said. ...
Ministers must front up about which projects it will push through under its Fast Track Approvals legislation, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced that the Government will make it easier for lines firms to take action to remove vegetation from obstructing local powerlines. The change will ensure greater security of electricity supply in local communities, particularly during severe weather events. “Trees or parts of trees falling on ...
Wairarapa Moana ki Pouakani were the top winners at this year’s Ahuwhenua Trophy awards recognising the best in Māori dairy farming. Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka announced the winners and congratulated runners-up, Whakatōhea Māori Trust Board, at an awards celebration also attended by Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Finance Minister ...
"On the 27th of March, I sought assurances from the Chief Executive, Department of Internal Affairs, that the Department’s correct processes and policies had been followed in regards to a passport application which received media attention,” says Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden. “I raised my concerns after being ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins has announced the appointment of three new District Court Judges, to replace Judges who have recently retired. Peter James Davey of Auckland has been appointed a District Court Judge with a jury jurisdiction to be based at Whangarei. Mr Davey initially started work as a law clerk/solicitor with ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour is calling on the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) to put ideology to the side and focus on students’ learning, in reaction to the union holding paid teacher meetings across New Zealand about charter schools. “The PPTA is disrupting schools up and down the ...
Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly today announced the appointment of Craig Stobo as the new chair of the Financial Markets Authority (FMA). Mr Stobo takes over from Mark Todd, whose term expired at the end of April. Mr Stobo’s appointment is for a five-year term. “The FMA plays ...
Surf Life Saving New Zealand and Coastguard New Zealand will continue to be able to keep people safe in, on, and around the water following a funding boost of $63.644 million over four years, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Associate Transport Minister Matt Doocey say. “Heading to the beach for ...
New Zealand and Tuvalu have reaffirmed their close relationship, Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters says. “New Zealand is committed to working with Tuvalu on a shared vision of resilience, prosperity and security, in close concert with Australia,” says Mr Peters, who last visited Tuvalu in 2019. “It is my pleasure ...
New Zealand is gravely concerned about the situation in New Caledonia, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The escalating situation and violent protests in Nouméa are of serious concern across the Pacific Islands region,” Mr Peters says. “The immediate priority must be for all sides to take steps to de-escalate the ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon met today with Samoa’s O le Ao o le Malo, Afioga Tuimalealiifano Vaaletoa Sualauvi II, who is making a State Visit to New Zealand. “His Highness and I reflected on our two countries’ extensive community links, with Samoan–New Zealanders contributing to all areas of our national ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has announced that he has approved Waiheke Island ferry operator Island Direct to be eligible for SuperGold Card funding, paving the way for a commercial agreement to bring the operator into the scheme. “Island Direct started operating in November 2023, offering an additional option for people ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters today announced further sanctions on 28 individuals and 14 entities providing military and strategic support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “Russia is directly supported by its military-industrial complex in its illegal aggression against Ukraine, attacking its sovereignty and territorial integrity. New Zealand condemns all entities and ...
A year on from the tragedy at Loafers Lodge, the Government is working hard to improve building fire safety, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “I want to share my sincere condolences with the families and friends of the victims on the anniversary of the tragic fire at Loafers ...
Ka nui te mihi kia koutou. Kia ora and good afternoon, everyone. Thank you so much for having me here in the lead up to my Government’s first Budget. Before I get started can I acknowledge: Simon Bridges – Auckland Business Chamber CEO. Steve Jurkovich – Kiwibank CEO. Kids born ...
New Zealand and Vanuatu will enhance collaboration on issues of mutual interest, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “It is important to return to Port Vila this week with a broad, high-level political delegation which demonstrates our deep commitment to New Zealand’s relationship with Vanuatu,” Mr Peters says. “This ...
Minister for Land Information, Chris Penk will travel to Peru this week to represent New Zealand at a meeting of trade ministers from the Asia-Pacific region on behalf of Trade Minister Todd McClay. The annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministers Responsible for Trade meeting will be held on 17-18 May ...
Minister of Education Erica Stanford will head to the United Kingdom this week to participate in the 22nd Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers (CCEM) and the 2024 Education World Forum (EWF). “I am looking forward to sharing this Government’s education priorities, such as introducing a knowledge-rich curriculum, implementing an evidence-based ...
Minister of Education Erica Stanford has today thanked outgoing New Zealand Qualifications Authority Chair, Hon Tracey Martin. “Tracey Martin tendered her resignation late last month in order to take up a new role,” Ms Stanford says. Ms Martin will relinquish the role of Chair on 10 May and current Deputy ...
New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and President Emmanuel Macron of France today announced a new non-governmental organisation, the Christchurch Call Foundation, to coordinate the Christchurch Call’s work to eliminate terrorist and violent extremist content online. This change gives effect to the outcomes of the November 2023 Call Leaders’ Summit, ...
Distinguished public servant and former diplomat Sir Maarten Wevers will lead the independent review into the disability support services administered by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. The review was announced by Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston a fortnight ago to examine what could be done to strengthen the ...
Today’s announcement by Police Commissioner Andrew Coster of a National Gang Unit and district Gang Disruption Units will help deliver on the coalition Government’s pledge to restore law and order and crack down on criminal gangs, Police Minister Mark Mitchell says. “The National Gang Unit and Gang Disruption Units will ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today expressed regret at North Korea’s aggressive rhetoric towards New Zealand and its international partners. “New Zealand proudly stands with the international community in upholding the rules-based order through its monitoring and surveillance deployments, which it has been regularly doing alongside partners since 2018,” Mr ...
Air Vice-Marshal Tony Davies MNZM is the new Chief of Defence Force, Defence Minister Judith Collins announced today. The Chief of Defence Force commands the Navy, Army and Air Force and is the principal military advisor to the Defence Minister and other Ministers with relevant portfolio responsibilities in the defence ...
Legislation to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act has been introduced to Parliament. The Bill’s introduction reaffirms the Coalition Government’s commitment to the safety of children in care, says Minister for Children, Karen Chhour. “While section 7AA was introduced with good intentions, it creates a conflict for Oranga ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins will this week travel to the UK and Italy to meet with her defence counterparts, and to attend Battles of Cassino commemorations. “I am humbled to be able to represent the New Zealand Government in Italy at the commemorations for the 80th anniversary of what was ...
The upcoming Budget will include funding for up to 50 charter schools to help lift declining educational performance, Associate Education Minister David Seymour announced today. $153 million in new funding will be provided over four years to establish and operate up to 15 new charter schools and convert 35 state ...
“The results of the public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has now been received, with results indicating over 13,000 submissions were made from members of the public,” Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says. “We heard feedback about the extended lockdowns in ...
Foreign Minister, Defence Minister, other Members of Parliament Acting Chief of Defence Force, Secretary of Defence Distinguished Guests Defence and Diplomatic Colleagues Ladies and Gentlemen, Good afternoon, tēna koutou, apinun tru It’s a pleasure to be back in Port Moresby today, and to speak here at the Kumul Leadership ...
Health, infrastructure, renewable energy, and stability are among the themes of the current visit to Papua New Guinea by a New Zealand political delegation, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “Papua New Guinea carries serious weight in the Pacific, and New Zealand deeply values our relationship with it,” Mr Peters ...
The coalition Government is launching Roads of Regional Significance to sit alongside Roads of National Significance as part of its plan to deliver priority roading projects across the country, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The Roads of National Significance (RoNS) built by the previous National Government are some of New Zealand’s ...
A high-level New Zealand political delegation in Honiara today congratulated the new Government of Solomon Islands, led by Jeremiah Manele, on taking office. “We are privileged to meet the new Prime Minister and members of his Cabinet during his government’s first ten days in office,” Deputy Prime Minister and ...
New Zealand voted in favour of a resolution broadening Palestine’s participation at the United Nations General Assembly overnight, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The resolution enhances the rights of Palestine to participate in the work of the UN General Assembly while stopping short of admitting Palestine as a full ...
Introduction Good morning. It’s a great privilege to be here at the 2024 Infrastructure Symposium. I was extremely happy when the Prime Minister asked me to be his Minister for Infrastructure. It is one of the great barriers holding the New Zealand economy back from achieving its potential. Building high ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced the upcoming Budget will include new funding of $571 million for Defence Force pay and projects. “Our servicemen and women do New Zealand proud throughout the world and this funding will help ensure we retain their services and expertise as we navigate an increasingly ...
New Zealand’s ability to cope with climate change will be strengthened as part of the Government’s focus to build resilience as we rebuild the economy, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “An enduring and long-term approach is needed to provide New Zealanders and the economy with certainty as the climate ...
Jobseeker beneficiaries who have work obligations must now meet with MSD within two weeks of their benefit starting to determine their next step towards finding a job, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “A key part of the coalition Government’s plan to have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker ...
A new standalone Social Investment Agency will power-up the social investment approach, driving positive change for our most vulnerable New Zealanders, Social Investment Minister Nicola Willis says. “Despite the Government currently investing more than $70 billion every year into social services, we are not seeing the outcomes we want for ...
Check against delivery Good morning. It is a pleasure to be with you to outline the Coalition Government’s approach to our first Budget. Thank you Mark Skelly, President of the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce, together with your Board and team, for hosting me. I’d like to acknowledge His Worship ...
Your Excellency Ambassador Meredith, Members of the Diplomatic Corps and Ambassadors from European Union Member States, Ministerial colleagues, Members of Parliament, and other distinguished guests, Thank you everyone for joining us. Ladies and gentlemen - In diplomacy, we often speak of ‘close’ and ‘long-standing’ relations. ...
The Therapeutic Products Act (TPA) will be repealed this year so that a better regime can be put in place to provide New Zealanders safe and timely access to medicines, medical devices and health products, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello announced today. “The medicines and products we are talking about ...
Arawata Shane Arawata Shane had wandered long In the wild tangled hills of the West Coast. He came to a stop on the mighty range And looked down at the wide river flats. He breathed in the clean air, And he took in the shadows playing across The face of ...
SPECIAL REPORT:Islands Business in Suva Today is the 24th anniversary of renegade and failed businessman George Speight’s coup in 2000 Fiji. The elected coalition government headed by Mahendra Chaudhry, the first and only Indo-Fijian prime minister of Fiji, was held hostage at gunpoint for 56 days in the country’s ...
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist and Kelvin Anthony, RNZ Pacific digital journalist Police have used tear gas and stun grenades on rioters at an airport near Nouméa as the chaos in New Caledonia stretched into its sixth day. Five people, including two police officers, have died and hundreds of ...
Asia Pacific ReportThe global human rights watchdog Amnesty International has called on France to not “misuse” a crackdown in the ongoing unrest in the non-self-governing French Pacific territory of Kanaky New Caledonia in the wake of a controversial vote by the French Parliament to adopt a bill changing the territory’s ...
A major provider of school lunches fears the government's new $3 limit for most students will see them eating more pre-packaged and processed food. ...
The star of Dark City: The Cleaner takes us through his life in TV, including the VHS revolution and the John Campbell impression that started it all. Best known for his comedic roles, Cohen Holloway says he struggled at times to maintain the stone cold facade of serial killer on ...
David Hill remembers an old friend, who you’ve probably never heard of. My friend Doug never travelled; he had little interest in the world beyond his own tiny rural town. I’ve rarely known anyone who radiated such contentment. Doug (I’ll call him that) died in March. You won’t know him. ...
Some of the earliest photos of life in Aotearoa are on display at Auckland Museum right now – but the identities of some of the people in them are a mystery.What was it like to be one of the first people in New Zealand to have their photo taken? ...
Since its founding almost a decade ago, Featherston Booktown has grown into one of the country’s most interesting and idiosyncratic literary events. Erin Banks reports from the audience. “Come in, have you had lunch? I’m about to make a cheese toastie.” Mary Biggs, operations manager of Featherston Booktown Karukatea Festival, ...
After 33 years abroad, Loveni Enari recently returned to Aotearoa and Samoa in what a friend joked was an “existential crisis”. He learnt and re-learnt so much about his family, friends and both countries. Almost as an afterthought, he got a Samoan tatau. This is his story. (Accompanying it are ...
Nearly 30 years ago, two people told me they’d killed a woman they knew. I thought the truth would come out, that others would tell it. In the end, I had to. The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.Fact: in 1995, Angela Blackmoore ...
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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.]
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.
"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.
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…
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.
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.
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.
Election timetable … on Public Address there's a useful guide by Graeme Edgeler:
https://publicaddress.net/legalbeagle/pandemic-preparedness-and-the-new-zealand/
It's a good question (and I think it's almost certain we will still be dealing with this in September).
Nice to see some humour 🙂
Then there's the guy who wanted to reduce the amount of close contacts he had, so he changed all his social media profiles to match his Tinder profile 🙂
Gabbard is dropping out and endorsing Biden.
https://twitter.com/TulsiGabbard/status/1240650484546859008
"Important Announcement" – sure.
As important as Vernon Tava announcing his preferred coalition partners.
Or she's angling for VP.
She should get the VP slot. Of all the candidates for the nomination, even Sanders, Gubbard is the one most capable of pulling votes from Trump. Though her anti-war stances would turn off the neo-cons in the DNC.
I would also have Lisa Nandy as UKLP leader, but it looks like that ain’t happening.
She's also around 2:1 underwater in favourability among Democrats that care enough about her to form an opinion.
Let alone what what moderate independents and moderate persuadable Republicans might think.
https://www86.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2020/favorability/us/tulsi_gabbard_favorableunfavorable-6799.html
Dems already have California in the bag; she doesn't bring enough.
At most, she might pull a few David Duke and Alex Jones fanbois.
Hmm. Would have quite liked to have seen her as Sanders' VP. I don't think there's any chance she'll be Joe Biden's VP pick – he'll be choosing whoever Clyburn recommends he choose.
Stacey Abrams.
Oooh, brutal slam. On Vernon.
Some news.
https://twitter.com/RVAwonk/status/1240421018826682369
https://www.technologyreview.com/s/615379/antibody-test-how-widespread-coronavirus-covid-19-really-is/?
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.
"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]
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 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.
"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.
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.
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?
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'.
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.
Time will tell for both of us. (If the virus does not take us out…)
"
(If the virus does not take us out…)"
Ouch! Did you really need to remind me of my advancing years?
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 ?
"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.
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.
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".
"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.
And did you enjoy rewarding conversations with any of National's leaders?
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.
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]".
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.
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.
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.
https://thestandard.org.nz/daily-review-18-03-2020/#comment-1692574
https://thestandard.org.nz/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]
mod note.
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.
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.
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.
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
Nobody needs fucking hand sanitizer. Soap and water is a better way to clean hands.
Why are people so goddamned stupid.
"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.
Ooops – don't know how that double posting happened and its too late for me to delete one!
Sorted 🙂
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.
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.
Meths would be fine…according my my chemist Offspring, but you might want to soften it with a bit of something or other…
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.
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?
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".
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?
" 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?
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.
"will people infer that Meth Spirits eyedrops are a good idea?"
No
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.
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.
Hence my question about Meths eyedrops. I would love to make up NCEA Level 1 English multi-choice questions about all this.
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.
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.
Well the fish are biting well today! I certainly agree that hand sanitiser is no match for good gin with your tonic water, LOL
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.
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.
Seeds, huh? So this is your fault?
https://www.msn.com/en-nz/news/national/never-seen-anything-like-it-before-garden-centres-selling-out-of-seedlings-as-supermarket-shelves-stand-empty/ar-BB11nUhm?li=BBqdg4K
Probably – though I was quite restrained!
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
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.
"sneeze.."
Excellent idea.
Especially into your elbow while elbow-bumping. Multi-tasking!
Nice fake-out. Especially since sneezing isn't a common symptom of COVID-19. It's coughing that's the worry.
https://www.health.gov.au/resources/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-identifying-the-symptoms
Now don't go muddying the issue with facts.
The important point is that while sneezing might not be a symptom of COVID-19 infection the fact is that all people occasionally sneeze. So, a carrier of COVID-19 can and most likely will spread virus particles when sneezing.
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.
Come on, Wensetc – it could well be your local corner shop operators who did most of the hoarding…
The trucks that show up every day to deliver stock say otherwise.
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).
Good point SPC – Look after those poor kiwis stuck in the lucky country.
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.
"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.
You'll have stocked up on bogroll then.
NO, simple solution Sell off your shares to pay you tax obligation.
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.
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.
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.]
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. ]
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
Oh Look! Another one.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/sen-kelly-loeffler-dumped-millions-in-stock-after-coronavirus-briefing?source=twitter&via=desktop
And another..
https://www.rawstory.com/2020/03/republican-jim-inhofe-dumped-up-to-450000-in-stock-the-fourth-gop-senator-implicated-in-scandal-report/
And another
https://twitter.com/TheRickyDavila/status/1240837180018192385
And then there were five…
So far the list is Richard Burr (R-NC), Kelly Loeffler (R-GA), Ron Johnson (R-WI), Jim Inhofe (R-OK), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA).
https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/488593-four-senators-sold-stocks-before-coronavirus-threat-crashed-market
Of course, Liz has a plan for that.
https://www.salon.com/2020/03/20/republicans-are-actually-supervillains-they-profited-while-abandoning-us-to-coronavirus/
Yes this was one of the main platforms of her running for office – to really take corruption out of Govt. For casual readers here is a synopsis of what Liz Warren had in mind, and evidence of what she has worked for in the past to reduce this sort of grifting at the publics expense. (from the link Andre provides above)
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.
Well it won't be inflationary.
And its the right way to finance government led activity when the capitalist system cannot cope/function/fails.
Indeed!
It's the right way to finance any government led activity at any time. Why increase banks' profits when there's no need.
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.
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.
As I understood, disinfectants kill bacteria but not viruses, so why bother?
An alcohol based disinfectant is the best anti microbial. Non alcohol disinfectants (or hand sanitiser), which contain benzalkkonium chloride, are less effective.
Have Googled, and now agree that alcohol-based is effective. Hope that internally applied alcohol is also effective!
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]
See my Moderation note @ 4:25 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.
"I keep a few pebbles in my pocket to press buttons with n toss away."
Now were talking'!
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..)
☺
Kia Ora Newshub.
Yes we have to stay positive but be careful.
Ka kite Ano
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
https://youtu.be/qQfetkoGrpU
Kia Ora Newshub.
The students army are doing great mahi looking after people in self isolation.
Ka kite Ano.
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
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
Kia Ora Newshub.
Yes life as we know it is changing rapidly.
That was a cool view of Tawhirimate Ingrid.
Ka kite Ano.
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.
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
Since when does the Rotorua Council turn the water off with out giving noticing to the public.??????.
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.
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.
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
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
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.