3 Waters recognises a looming disaster across the country for local councils because of the parlous state of the "waters" infrastructure through underinvestment. If nothing new is done, ratepayers stand to be required to pay exorbitantly. The Government has proposed a solution. Councils have perceived that some of their number will go, as the "core functions" are taken off them. A great deal of anxiety has swept through the sector. The counter-proposals from councils have been…difficult to hear.
I don't think cost is the sole reason. There's the question of competency; these issues should been attended to already. Kicking the can down the road is generally a political decision. Problems with the cycle of elections, new councillors, capture by staff etc. all have conspired to create a massive problem. I think the extent of the problem is being understated.
Again, my prediction: the Govt will take 2 waters and leave councils with storm water. Just a reckon 🙂
Agree vto a new bearaucracy costing more .Those councils who have spent $100's of millions upgrading their water and waste water will be subsidising Those who have not upgraded.
A massive vote looser and Mahuta seems like a dictator in her portfolio.Because covid is taking all the limelight 3 waters is not being examined by the opposition or media.
“Même ça plus chose” I think is the correct shortened phrase.
Yes, I’m a former public servant but was never a bureaucrat. I made sure Inworked in jobs that delivered outputs & outcomes.
I worry that Labour is increasing the size of the bureaucracy with people who have no direct knowledge or expertise in the fields of their agencies. Which is how we got Cave Creek, Leaky Buildings, & Pike River. All these bureaucrat people are often good for is coming up with checklists & covering their arses when things go wrong because they didn’t know their “business”.
Water is life. We need clean drinking water, good waste water practices and better unified drainage ready for the coming climate caused surges. If we can not agree to improve this there will be huge burdens placed on future generations.
What a wonderful legacy we are leaving./sarc We don't seem to be able to solve local problems in some places. Imagine a patchwork of systems some sound some porous in the combination with rampant covid and the loss of key local people to it.
We only need to look to Australia to see their problems with each State's patchwork of differing views on covid prevention and how that has ended up.
Some Councils have done well, but many have had minimum maintenance for years. Some have had their neglect kill people. The coming costs of sea rise means many Councils will try to placate their most influential members. We have seen NIMBY behaviour swaying almost all Councils.
Rates taxes are now at $70 a week and more, cheap for the wealthy home owner but a burden for the poor one. No Council has raised the rebate much either in all those years.
This is the beginning of Unified Planning. We are talking a plan for the future here, not a prop for the present. Yes there will be pain anger and fightback from threatened interests. Huge changes are needed to overcome the neglect.
Where would our Airline be without Government support in hard times "because it is a strategic asset" So is water, and we already have large overseas entities wanting ours, while Cities are already taking it from nearby places to supliment poor planning.
The number of "shortfalls in infrastructure" this Government is facing is critical.
They have a huge number of important projects underway, and an army of critics and partisan parties to negotiate with including iwi. Yesterday for the first time in years cross party planning took place to try to mitigate aspects of our housing conundrum. I am the first to say that is not the whole answer, but if it encourages developers to consider smaller homes near transport hubs, yes it is a necessary helpful change.
The infrastructure to support such inner city intensification and modernisation needs services of a magnitude no Council is currently considering, except in newer developments. We will argue about this, but those who think this Government is all "Kindness" and "No Spine" may get a surprise. They move when they see it is required.
Having worked 8 years in this industry I think you've gotten the wrong end of the stick here vto. This is a long-overdue reform that will create a number of regional water entities across logical geographic boundaries – it isn’t about centralising everything in Wellington.
Water supply is a high-tech industrial process that requires a range of specialist skills to meet modern standards and expectations. Small councils simply cannot attract and retain the people necessary. Just as an example – we had one of our staff move to a smaller council to an apparently more senior role, but return just a few years later very disappointed at the lack of support and resources available to such a small organisation.
Last I counted in 2013 the Wellington Region alone had 14 organisations responsible for water in one form or another serving a population of barely 650,000. While the formation of Wellington Water in 2014 rationalised this somewhat – it has to be stood in stark contrast to say the UK where there are just 14 entitities serving the entire nation.
Modern water systems are not for well-meaning, under-resourced amateurs.
Yes. I've worked in both small and large settings, private and public. Each has it's strengths and weaknesses. But since councils first started providing water services over 100 years ago the world – and the nature of the task – has changed.
I have to admit to being a little biased here – having lived and worked in multiple countries in the past two decades, I have to tell you that while NZ remains my home and close to my heart – it really is a small nation. Just one large scale water supply authority typical everywhere else in the world could do the whole of NZ standing on it's ear.
On a tangent I recently discovered this extraordinary bit of water history. The WA Goldfields project built over 120 years ago still staggers my imagination. The whole story of it is one of vision, audacity and for the era a mind-bending scale. And also of parochialism, small-mindedness and ultimately a tragedy.
But in time it proved the backbone of the state generating value vastly beyond it's originally contested origins.
The Goldfields Water Supply Scheme was designed by WA’s Chief Engineer, Charles Yelverton O’Connor, to provide a reliable source of water for the goldfields. It was an inter-basin transfer water system which extended 560 kilometres from Mundaring Weir (Dam) in the west to Mount Charlotte Reservoir at Kalgoorlie in the east. The scheme included two main reservoirs, the main conduit of the pipeline, eight pump stations, holding tanks and regulating tanks. Pipes were made of 30-inch diameter steel and the original pumps at the eight pumping stations were capable of delivering 5 million gallons (22.73 million litres) of water per day. Work was completed in early 1903.
…
At the time of its opening the scheme was recognised as the largest engineering undertaking of its time. The amount of steel used in construction was greater than any steel structure elsewhere in the world. It attracted worldwide attention. Never before had water been pumped so far or lifted so high.
Incidentally O'Connor came to WA from 20 yrs on the West Coast where among other things he led the building of Westport's harbour.
Nelson Council has decided to opt in for which I am very glad. Seems to me a no brainer to accept funding and expertise and to take away yet another voice of dissent every time we the people decide to make water quality better.
It may get initial funding but in the longterm it will mean a new tax for every household on top of rates and central govt taxes while councils who have already taxed rate payers for upgrades will effectively pay again.
The govt should directly fund upgrades for areas who have poor quality water.
Not installing a whole new bearaucracy which no doubt such up a good percentage of any rate payers funding.
Political commentator Ben Thomas, a former press secretary in the Key government, said such cross-party announcements have proven to be good for opposition politicians in the past, noting that both John Key and Todd Muller benefited from supporting the government on the anti-smacking and zero carbon legislation, respectively.
“If you look at the smacking bill, the government’s intention was to get some political cover, as they didn’t need it to pass the legislation, but by bringing the popular leader of the opposition along, it was seen as a bit of a masterstroke by Clark at the time,” he said.
The next poll will be most interesting. Pipsqueak reckons he must consult his caucus before declaring an Act view of the new law, but he expressed personal disapproval of it. If his colleagues go along with him on that, the right will have a new pivot point.
Labour and National's historic truce on housing all began when Judith Collins wrote a letter to Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern in January proposing a bipartisan solution.
In June, Housing Minister Megan Woods and Environment Minister David Parker wrote to National confirming they saw merit in the proposal to increase the supply of residential housing, according to Collins.
"They welcomed National's contribution to further development of policy to allow a serious uplift in new housing in urban areas," Collins says.
JC deserves credit for initiating the bipartisan effort. It proves her capable of being more than merely divisive. I suspect the public will reward her with a poll boost. If it stalls the rise of Act, and the next poll shows a plateau of Act support, her leadership status will probably no longer be under threat.
“It is a significant political step for both parties, which face pressure from urban property owners who are unhappy with more housing being built in their neighbourhoods. By both backing the bill, the parties have essentially agreed to not capitalise on that vote.”
"I suspect the public will reward [Collins] with a poll boost."
…………………………
That's an interesting speculation, Dennis. Wonder if you'll be proven right? Collins has basically been collecting brickbats & down votes all year. Perhaps some of the voting public ARE tired of reacting negatively to Collins' many ill-judged antics.
I think she will certainly be pleased that so much media reaction to this move has been favourable. 👍🏼
We'll see. Perhaps the next RR poll will feature on 3/Newshub soon. Seems noteworthy to me that both major parties are taking a stand against the urban capitalists. The obvious move for Act is to take advantage of their bipartisan representation of the rest of Aotearoa by marketing itself as the party of the nouveau riche. Pipsqueak: "Yeah, we're the aristocracy of the future. You got it."
Dunno if he'll have the balls to go for it. If he does, I bet he fronts with a smoke & mirrors act to deflect attention from his lunge for the plum.
Interesting political trade off by National. They’ve thrown votes ACT’s way by shitting on the ratepayer lobbies, but picked up truck loads of funding from developer lobbies. Puts ACT in an interesting position.
Think the government (Woods?) has played both of them like a piano.
poll-wise Jacinda is going to gather all the negative on this (and there will be large large amounts of it, guaranteed) and Judith will get away scot-free..
If, as mentioned be some experts we go down the path of 'allowing businesses to fail' the govt needs to legislate to override the personal guarantees often needed to secure a commercial lease.
This will avoid at least the spectre of complete financial wipeout and the forced sale of the homes of small business owners and I would extend that to putting requirements on banks to avoid these situations as well.
The pain needs to be shared atm Banks are creaming it.
We have allowed businesses to day since last year. But i am sure that someone is working hard on cracking this issue. One day. One day. Until then, some owners will have to sell their private belongings to pay a lease on a commercial property that is still at the cost of before 2019 – because nothing was done to force property owners to drop their leases either to a more accurate reflection of the business market, or to have a large enough sum ready to pay oneself out of a lease with a lumpsum.
But then, hey, all these tall poppy business people, they all need cutting back a bit, right. If they would have had some foresight (something that we can not ask the government for) then they would have planned for a 5+ year plague, lockdowns, and so on. So they deserve what they get. Right? s/
"The pain needs to be shared atm Banks are creaming it."
Recall the GFC, created by the banks… the banks got saved… so wrong, so very wrong…
But really, let them fail. Pandemics are a well known risk. It aint as if this is something new in the world – they are common. Taxpayers and wage and salary earners are not there to underwrite businesses. No way.
And also keep in mind that such sentiment runs both ways… if wage and salary earners are going to be required to share in the downside then they must also share in upsides… good luck
Yes I appreciate my point lacked those hard political realities. I guess I was pointing out that this entire issue is very fraught and much more complex than high level thoughts typically allow.
Keep in mind that in saying this "you can;'t just let big banks go bust. Too many peoples livehoods and actual lives involved, in more ways than one."….
… actually happens all the time. Small people, and one-offs get shat on by this kind of thing constantly. They don't matter though do they – just one person here, another over there, not enough to make a headline… it is apparently only important if large numbers of people suffer…
injustice
I know because I have been one of those such sufferers – kicked in the head and stomped on by exactly what you refer to – where was my saviour? ha
Having said that. I realise totally that my point seems to send innense bias on behalf of big banks over other people just trying to make a living with their hard worked business.
So kind of admit I am a bit of a hypocrite with it.
I think I kind of look at how many people will be screwed over it. And unfortunately banks win.
Maybe they should have to pay some mega tax, insurance thing to run.
I know actual insurance companies are insured by mega insurance companies
No one ever wants that sort of desperation – at least now it's become visible to people who never recognised how easy that can come about until covid knocked on their doors
At least there has been back-up but TBH most people continue on relatively normally with better understanding for those who genuinely can't & lost income
There was none of that with the GFC you battled on sometimes for months with no work so you mortgaged the house & eventually battled thru
People left for work in Aus, couldn't sell at a loss or even rent their home in 2011-12 what a surprise to return in 2015 & the next year sell it for twice the price the following year
At least NZ has a govt prepared to back all its people, the more they're included the less people will feel pushed to the edges – it's a start
Killing off personal guarantees for commercial leases wont hurt the taxpayers one bit and will stop people becoming suddenly destitute which certainly would.
The second half of that would be requirements on mortgage holders to provde relief to commercial landlords if needed.
Despite fundamentally changing the law of contract, removing personal guarantees and allowing business to default, would just kick the financial pain to someone who has everything they own secured by an Aussie bank.
Unless there was some relief offered to that person, I only see the banks winning with this proposal.
It’s a very complex issue that will take the wisdom if Solomon to resolve. For every tenant like Sabine, and ourselves, (we’re paying 2018 rent and have taken 5% of our rent in last month) who are genuine cases there will be 10 who will have a go to try and screw over their landlord for a lower rent.
Designing a program that gets just the genuinely affected without creating a lot of sad boundary cases that fester in the media will be hard.
Then you get businesses that were marginal / failing before covid but have zombied on thanks to the government support. Whole thing’s a huge stinking can of worms
There has already been cases of big firms using their clout to aviod paying leases during covid.
Even though they certainly have the means to do so. (Have to protect those commercial landlords from tenants bad faith while at the same time helping those with genuine hardship.
Pleasently surprised talking to small business owners I know, how many of their commercial landlords have come to the party on rent.
From experience a while back, big trade creditors are supportive with arrangements when you cannot pay on time. IRD also.
Only the whistle blowers were punished of the Ponzi scheming bank's.
1929 showed it was a mistake to let the Banks fail. BUT the best option used was to Nationalise those banks as in NZ ie BNZ then sell them off when stabilised not loosing taxpayers money and allowing corrupt practices to be rewarded. The 1998 economic correction showed this in Mexico and Ecuador. With new computers that were powerful enough to look at numbers profitability and over all benefits to economies.
But the power of big business has not been blunted and the Trump administration removed protections to stop banks printing and ponzi scheming ie loan to deposit ratios and massive management bonuses .
Iceland bailed out local depositors to the tune €5.8 billion euros.All overseas depositors lost everything. Given the size of Icelands economy they could not afford to bail out the banks.
That's why NZ does stress tests on our banks and are trying to get them to cover their deposits as opposed to govt bailouts.
Our govt paid for insurance in 2007 but remember South Canterbury Finance Bill English forgot to renew the policy sitting on his desk for 6 weeks. So we all paid for that ponzi scheme.
Initial reports of a looming crisis of capitalism will have many thinking `deja vu all over again'. But the blip theory of economics can be considered alongside the gradualist evolutionary view. What evidence of a paradigm shift do we have?
Q: You point out in your books and speeches that markets pay no attention to social justice and income distribution. Yet capitalism is built on the notion of free markets. How are we going to change things?
A: Through politics and through a change in societal norms. Let me just give you a couple of examples. This kind of awareness has led the vast majority of the people in the Business Roundtable [an association of chief executives of leading U.S. companies] to support a move away from shareholder capitalism to stakeholder capitalism. Even if not all of them really mean it in their heart of hearts, that change in the way they conceive of it will have effects over time.
Over the next 30 years, we have an enormous amount of work to do to make the green transition, to make sure that everybody has an adequate education, to have a decent infrastructure and so forth.
Stiglitz is very Green/socialist, eh?
Professor Stiglitz — winner of the 2001 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, a former chief economist at the World Bank and a professor at Columbia University — said in a pre-conference interview that the private sector had proven incapable of responding alone to the global health challenge and that government had a big role to play.
As usual with socialists, the interview is big on telling us what we already know and small on feasible solutions that promise good outcomes.
" country would reopen to the world at a vaccination rate of 85-90 percent of the eligible population "
While I am no fan of Collins, not actually sure why you disagree with this. as long as the countries were each classified as to risk in all their current situations,
Will Collins elaborate? I think the point is she says these blank meaningless things without the subtleties. Like "85%" of all? Or eligible? Of NZ? Of the world? It's just meaningless, simple sloganeering.
90% currently seems to be pushed and achievable. That still means at some stage someone from government will have to actually articulate what happens when that 90% is achieved.
And maybe that needs to happen to entice people to get their jabs.
"Collins said there was no reason why the target couldn't be reached.
"We need to get on. We've got now now around 80, close to 85, percent of people have had at least one vaccination. After a big effort to get people vaccinated. There's another six weeks to go. There's no reason why everyone can't get the rest."
There shes said it, no reason at all, shes said it so I have every confidence it will now happen just as she proposes.
Collins gave an ultimatum which ever comes first, Dec 1 or 85 – 90% vaccinated.
Collins will need a magic wand to manage a fully blown pandemic post 1 Dec if every region is opened up at the same time. The country is under resourced with health workers and ICU beds and any staggered opening up will depend on a region peaking and trending down.
I cannot exclude humanitarian health workers being deployed to NZ.
It’s a gang up against wealthy nimbies. Both parties are now more scared of the backlash from the middle class struggling with housing than scared of wealthier homeowners who don’t want higher density accommodation in their streets.
But let’s be clear – this is not addressing the most critical problem in the housing crisis which is the desperate lack of warm, dry homes for families and tenants on low incomes.
Thing is, John, God helps those who help themselves. If the working class organised themselves into a political force, Labour would have to factor them into the political equation. Since the working class have been resolute in their stand against political action in common cause for as long as anyone can remember, I'm puzzled about your perplexity John! You're only four years younger than me. You've had plenty of time to figure it out. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Minto
You're right in respect of history. That link provides useful insight into the mass psychology of employment relations. I learnt about that stuff myself in various career situations. However game theory provides a better view than class consciousness: if you identify as a player rather than as a class member then natural human agency is the determining factor.
As a free agent your chances of being made a victim of life's circumstances depend on how clever you are in relation to any opponents, how lucky you are, and how much willpower you apply to your situations. Depending which choices you make, fate then plays its accompanying hand. In contrast, those who depend on unions are at the mercy of union reps & poor decision-making by them.
" If the working class organised themselves into a political force".
They did. It was called the New Zealand Labour Party and it was founded in Wellington on 7 July 1916. It was of course taken over by the people of academic-socialist beliefs about 35 years ago and hasn't had anything to do with the working class since.
Indeed! Doesn't explain why the working class allowed the middle class to steal their project though. Nor does it explain their apparent lack of effort to co-create an alternative. Nor have I ever noticed any attempt by political scientists to explain why.
So you & I are free to advance our own theories, Alwyn. How about everyone is working together to deny that the working class have any inherent collective political agency? Too intellectual? How about the theory of universal cluelessness stretching to the horizon in all directions? Well that would only work on the basis of allowing all those who believe they are exceptions to the rule to register that dissident identity. Me first!
What about the "human right" to go to work, with out the danger of getting a potentially deadly illness, and taking it home to your family?
Why should someones right to aviod a harmless, and it is harmless, compared with most other things we regard as harmless, needle in the arm override others "Human right to life".
That is without even going into the loss of income, health and jobs for those that get sick. Hundred of jobs plus the delivery of essential materials food and groceries, is at risk if my workplace has covid cases forcing shut down. Watch all those MT supermarket and hardware store shelves, double.
In many workplaces, mine included physical distancing is impossible, when someone arrives with a cold we all get it. Why should my right to try and keep my family safe be overiddin, by someone who, to put it bluntly, is basically too mis-informed, selfish or stupid, to protect those around them.
Not to mention the rights of those who cannot choose, those with immune deficiency, who have allergic reactions to vaccines, who have health problems where vaccinations don't work.
What about their right, to go about their normal day safely?
Anti-vaccers want "Choice". But they want "choice" without personal consequences. They want their choice, even if it removes "choice" and even the "right to life" for others. A very childish veiwpoint.
"Choices" have consequences. If you want "choices" then you also have to accept that society has a right to protect the people those "choices" will harm.
Vaccination is only part of the tool kit. Other measures will be required for some time to come. But it reduces the chances of a disaster in NZ considerably, if enough are vaccinated. The number required looks like well over 90%. Even more in crowded workplaces, schools and hospitals.
[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.]
There's nothing in my post about anti-vaxxer values around choice. Nor am I anywhere saying that vaccination is wrong. And I said that vaccination is a bloody good tool for helping reduce spread of covid and protect individuals.
I probably should have pointed out in the post that people not yet vaccinated are so because of a range of reasons that reducing them all to 'evil antivaxer' is counter productive. But I thought that was obvious from context. Māori and disabled people don't have low vax rates because they're lazy and selfish.
So I'm really not sure what you are talking about.
Do you want to remove existing human rights in order to force people to be vaccinated? What would that force entail. If this is what you want, then please speak plainly. I don't want to do another round of dancing around this.
But please also put it in the context of the actual post.
I thought I have made it obvious over several conversations about this.
We cannot hold people down obviously. And I will never agree to that anyway.
But if someone makes a choice not to be vaccinated. They have to accept, like most "choices" we make in life, that there are consequences for that choice.
Consequences that protect others, like not being able to work in occupations such as teaching, health care and aged care. Or travel where they can spread covid to many people. For example.
Maori, amoung others, have low vaccination rates because of access and mis-information. Both I believe can be addressed. It will take some effort, but it is not insoluble.
And. I didn’t reduce them all to “evil anti vaccers”.
Mis-informed for many. As I believe I made clear. However the people behind the mis-information do not have good motives.
Nothing personal KJT, it’s not just your comment. I’m not willing to have my posts derailed by arguments that all unvaxed people are stupid/selfish/lazy/whatever. This both inhibits good debate, but it also works against getting more people vaccinated.
You are more than welcome to comment under my post if you address what is actually in the post.
The post was all over the place, making a lot of general points about systemic problems. Not surprising that people respond to your most contentious assertions. Are you in Auckland?
There is a reason that people respond with bitterness and frustration. We are tired of the fuckery of a few antisocial idiots holding a city of 1.8 million to ransom.
then address that in the post. Say what the contentious assertions are and put up an argument. That way I will know if you understood the post or are just going off on something about anti-vaxxers. You did address the race/ethnicity issue, and I responded, so we both know how to do this.
I am going a bit crazy under endless lockdown. And then Weka comes along and suggests we should be "kind" while Auckland is held to ransom by a few munters who refuse to paddle the waka, and seem to be actively trying to sink it. Half of the Christian community is spreading this free-dumb bullshit. The vaccine denial and rhetoric about government overreach is endemic across facebook, in Marae pages, Tradie pages, and "Alternative health" practitioners. Facebook needs to die in a fire.
Really frustrating. I want to be kind to people, but people also need to be kind to others by getting a f&$ing jab and wearing a f&#ing mask.
[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.]
[“And then Weka comes along and suggests we should be "kind" while Auckland is held to ransom…” No, that’s not what I said. No-one gets to tell lies on this site about my views (or any author’s), including about a post I have written, and when I am here and available to clarify. If you don’t understand, ask. You are free to tell me how any post come across, and I will clarify.
If I see anyone doing this again, I will be moderating. We’re all stressed and tense, and Auckland people doubly so. My suggestion is to take a breath and remember that TS is for robust debate and that still has actual meaning here. You cannot just choose to make up shit about other people. – weka]
Weka wants people to be kind, but Weka is [deleted]
[I also don’t take this smeary shit from commenters, even authors. Don’t misrepresent what I say onsite for your own agenda. I would clarify, but unfortunately people are being arseholes, I don’t have time or inclination for long time commenters who should know better, so I’m deleting instead. – weka]
I certainly didn't say that living in the country would save me (Ad is outright lying there). I'm booked in for two vaccinations. I explained in the comment, in context, why some people are still unvaxed and aren't lazy/stupid/an anti-vaxer. I've deleted that comment and a quote of it, because people here are stepping over a line here.
Um really not convinced its a good thing to putting an authors vaccination status out there, if indeed true or has Weka laid her position dowm somewhere?
I've deleted the quote and my original comment, because obviously there are people here that cannot be trusted to not use my personal shared details against me politically, by taking my words out of context.
Stop and think about what you are doing (Rob and Ad, and everyone actually). If you feel free to misrepresent my views or my life, how are you ever going to convince anyone to amend social media misinformation?
And, you cannot tell lies about authors on this site.
I'm not making excuses, and given how much time I've put into trying to talk with you today, I'm not going to try and explain further. You're sailing close to short ban if you can't shift out of the accusatory, misleading shit. If you want to make actual arguments you are free to do so (and this I would welcome).
Looking at testing numbers compared to NSW we are only testing approx at 25% the rate NSW.
We need our rate to go up to be able to control the virus.
Especially with the number of unlinked cases.
The govt is allowing health workers to be prioritised in MIQ.But is not giving visas to those migrant heathworkers already here.
This should be highlighted by the opposition.
What do we know about the implications of medical and surgical intervention for children?
Not only is a young child likely to be unable to grasp the necessary information to make an informed decision about transition, it seems that the adults around him or her do not yet even possess sufficient information to make a safe, informed decision on the child’s behalf. We appear to know more about the impact of puberty blockers on sheep than we do on children. Note comments from the Science Symposium on 18-19 October 2018 at The Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust, cited below in Further Reading. Grateful thanks to @bettytastic to alerting me to this.
We do know something of the effect of puberty blockers on the brain development of adolescent sheep however. Professor Neil Evans of the Institute of biodiversity in Glasgow reported impairments to several functions, including a sheep’s capacity to find its way through a maze, which persist after stopping puberty blockers. This raises questions about the possible neurological effects of puberty blockers on children’s psychological, social, sexual and cognitive development. Some of Professor Evans’s references are listed below (Robinson et al 2014, Hough et al 2017 a & b).
The consequences of a pathway of surgical and medical intervention are not merely physical of course. Stephen B Levine wrote in 2018 in the journal of Sex and Marital Therapy ‘Informed consent for transgender patients’ reminds us that risk needs to be identified across three categories – the biological, social and psychological. Four specific risks arise in each category.
Biological risks include loss of reproductive capacity, impaired sexual response, shortened life expectancy, Insistence that biological sex can be changed cannot alter the possibility of sex based illness – such as prostate cancer arising. Social risks include emotional distancing from family members, and ‘a greatly diminished pool of people who are willing to sustain an intimate and loving relationship’. Significant psychological risks involve deflection of necessary personal development challenges, inauthenticity and demoralisation – when changing your body does not bring about the desired changes to the way you ‘feel’.
Of course, the existence of risk does not mean that one should never embark upon a risky endeavour. It may well be that the benefits outweigh the possible disbenefits to a significant degree and the risk is well worth taking. But that conclusion cannot be reached without clear eyed and dispassionate unpicking of the risks AND benefits.
How can the ‘no debate’ platform and unquestioning acceptance of any child’s expressed wish to ‘transition’ ever reflect the serious ethical duty of medical professionals to be sure their child patient has offered informed consent?
Brian Tamaki in custody. Protests for the cameras. Will lead the news.
It's often said that a key component of political success is to be lucky with your enemies. Tamaki, Goudie, Slater and co must have been selected by central casting, working in the PM's office.
New slogan for the vax campaign: "Annoy Brian with a little prick".
What would be a good idea would be to give Brian Tamaki a 6 month jail sentence which would prevent him travelling overseas insurance and bank loans would be harder for him to obtain.The Tax department should go over him with a fine tooth comb.
I was reflecting on the continued demise of telephone boxes around the country this morning. The continual removal of such as recently even hit the national party. It seems that in many areas the "Retain Judith As Party Leader committees" no longer have venues to hold their meetings. Some committees have however reported that phone boxes are proving too big and they were already looking for smaller venues.
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Buzz from the Beehive Associate Education Minister David Seymour is urging the PostPrimary Teachers Association to put learning ahead of ideology. He wants the union leaders to call off their teachers meetings around the country where they hope to muster the strength to undo the government’s plans to establish several ...
What are police for? "Fighting crime" is the obvious answer. If there's a burglary, they should show up and investigate. Ditto if there's a murder or sexual assault. Speeding or drunk or dangerous driving is a crime, so obviously they should respond to that. And obviously, they should respond to ...
Michael Reddell writes – I got curious yesterday about how the Australia/New Zealand real exchange rate had changed over the last decade, and so dug out the data on the changes in the two countries’ CPIs. Over the 10 years from March 2014 to March 2024, New Zealand’s ...
Graham Adams writes that 20 years after the land march, judges are quietly awarding a swathe of coastal rights to iwi. Early this month, an hour-long documentary was released by TVNZ to mark the 20th anniversary of the land-rights march to oppose Helen Clark’s Foreshore and Seabed Act. The account ...
David Farrar writes – The Herald reports: Suspended Green MP Darleen Tana has passed an unpleasant milestone: she has now been absent for as many parliamentary sitting days as she has been present for this year. Tana is on full pay while she is suspended, and will benefit from a ...
Peter Dunne writes – It is no coincidence that two Labour should-have-been MPs are making the most noise about public sector cuts. As assistant general secretary of the Public Service Association, Fleur Fitzsimons has been at the forefront of revealing where the next round of state sector job ...
Bryce Edwards writes – 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 ...
This is one of the (extra) weekly columns on music or movies. Plenty of solid analyses of Possession exist online and most of them – inevitably – contain spoilers. This column is more in the way of a first-timer’s aid to getting your initial bearings. You don’t need to have ...
I am painting in oil, a portrait of a manWho has taken all the heart aches,And all the pain he can stand.I am using all the colors of blue,I have here on my stand.I am painting in oil, a portrait of a man.This has been an interesting week for me. ...
Helen Clark joins the Hoon as a special guest talking whether Aotearoa should join Aukus II, and her views on the fast track legislation and how Luxon and the new Government are performing. File Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for subscribers features co-hosts ...
With an election due in less than nine months, Britain’s embattled PM, Rishi Sunak, gave a useful speech earlier this week. He made a substantial case for his government, perhaps as compelling as is possible in the current environment. Quite an achievement. His overall theme was security, first pulling ...
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 ...
Don Brash writes – There was a rather revealing headline in the Herald on Sunday today (12 May). It read “One in 8 Auckland homes on market were bought during boom, may now sell for loss”. The first line of text noted that “New data shows one in ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – At a time when universities are understandably nervous regarding the establishment of the University Advisory Group (UAG) and the Science System Advisory Group (SSAG) it may seem strange – or even fool-hardy – to state that there are long-standing issues in the tertiary sector ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – A lack of perspective can make something quite large or important seem small or irrelevant. Against a backdrop of high-profile, negative statistics it is easy to overlook the positive. For instance, the fact that 64 percent of Maori are employed is rarely reported. For ...
Earlier this year, the Herald ran a series of articles amounting to a sustained campaign against raised pedestrian crossings, by reporter Bernard Orsman. A key part of that campaign concerned the raised crossings being installed as part of the Pt Chevalier to Westmere project, with at least 10 articles over ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to May 19 include:PM Christopher Luxon is expected to hold his weekly post-cabinet news conference at 4:00pm on Monday.Parliament is not sitting this week. It resumes next week for a two-week sitting session up to and ...
Hi,Thanks to all the beautiful Worms who came to the LA Webworm popup on Saturday.It was a way to celebrate the online store we launched last week — and it was super special.As I talk about a lot, I really value our community here — and it was a BLAST ...
A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, May 5, 2024 thru Sat, May 11, 2024. (Unfortunate) Story of the week "Grief that stops at despair is an ending that I and many others, most notably ...
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. ...
"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 ...
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town planning – water – sewer – waste
core functions of local government
being ripped from locals without consent
votes will be falling from labour all over the place
some very poorly political miscalculations methink
aint gonna return for a third term methink
the left can never stop itself from this sort of thing
meme ca plus
not to mention the most foolish idea that all of these things will be done better by wellington than locals
ha ha ha ha ha ha
piss off wellington
seriously
Right on vto. Both Parties playing into the hands of the greedies and promoting mayhem in the suburbs. What could possibly go wrong ?
3 Waters recognises a looming disaster across the country for local councils because of the parlous state of the "waters" infrastructure through underinvestment. If nothing new is done, ratepayers stand to be required to pay exorbitantly. The Government has proposed a solution. Councils have perceived that some of their number will go, as the "core functions" are taken off them. A great deal of anxiety has swept through the sector. The counter-proposals from councils have been…difficult to hear.
The sole reason for taking it off Councils has been its cost.
So fund it.
Dont need new structures or or ownership or pulling into the dark hole of wellington. Just fund it and leave it as is.
Simple
This remains a full-blown vote loser
I don't think cost is the sole reason. There's the question of competency; these issues should been attended to already. Kicking the can down the road is generally a political decision. Problems with the cycle of elections, new councillors, capture by staff etc. all have conspired to create a massive problem. I think the extent of the problem is being understated.
Again, my prediction: the Govt will take 2 waters and leave councils with storm water. Just a reckon 🙂
Cost and priorities that remain longer than an election cycle so projects get completed not derailed or refocused.
It's alot worse than these councils let on. Chatting with the contractors who actually know is a real eye opener.
Reward incompetence and malfeasance? What a stupid idea
Agree vto a new bearaucracy costing more .Those councils who have spent $100's of millions upgrading their water and waste water will be subsidising Those who have not upgraded.
A massive vote looser and Mahuta seems like a dictator in her portfolio.Because covid is taking all the limelight 3 waters is not being examined by the opposition or media.
Labour this is a dumb idea.
“Même ça plus chose” I think is the correct shortened phrase.
Yes, I’m a former public servant but was never a bureaucrat. I made sure Inworked in jobs that delivered outputs & outcomes.
I worry that Labour is increasing the size of the bureaucracy with people who have no direct knowledge or expertise in the fields of their agencies. Which is how we got Cave Creek, Leaky Buildings, & Pike River. All these bureaucrat people are often good for is coming up with checklists & covering their arses when things go wrong because they didn’t know their “business”.
plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose
the more it changes the more it stays the same thing
Water is life. We need clean drinking water, good waste water practices and better unified drainage ready for the coming climate caused surges. If we can not agree to improve this there will be huge burdens placed on future generations.
What a wonderful legacy we are leaving./sarc We don't seem to be able to solve local problems in some places. Imagine a patchwork of systems some sound some porous in the combination with rampant covid and the loss of key local people to it.
We only need to look to Australia to see their problems with each State's patchwork of differing views on covid prevention and how that has ended up.
Some Councils have done well, but many have had minimum maintenance for years. Some have had their neglect kill people. The coming costs of sea rise means many Councils will try to placate their most influential members. We have seen NIMBY behaviour swaying almost all Councils.
Rates taxes are now at $70 a week and more, cheap for the wealthy home owner but a burden for the poor one. No Council has raised the rebate much either in all those years.
This is the beginning of Unified Planning. We are talking a plan for the future here, not a prop for the present. Yes there will be pain anger and fightback from threatened interests. Huge changes are needed to overcome the neglect.
Where would our Airline be without Government support in hard times "because it is a strategic asset" So is water, and we already have large overseas entities wanting ours, while Cities are already taking it from nearby places to supliment poor planning.
The number of "shortfalls in infrastructure" this Government is facing is critical.
They have a huge number of important projects underway, and an army of critics and partisan parties to negotiate with including iwi. Yesterday for the first time in years cross party planning took place to try to mitigate aspects of our housing conundrum. I am the first to say that is not the whole answer, but if it encourages developers to consider smaller homes near transport hubs, yes it is a necessary helpful change.
The infrastructure to support such inner city intensification and modernisation needs services of a magnitude no Council is currently considering, except in newer developments. We will argue about this, but those who think this Government is all "Kindness" and "No Spine" may get a surprise. They move when they see it is required.
Having worked 8 years in this industry I think you've gotten the wrong end of the stick here vto. This is a long-overdue reform that will create a number of regional water entities across logical geographic boundaries – it isn’t about centralising everything in Wellington.
Water supply is a high-tech industrial process that requires a range of specialist skills to meet modern standards and expectations. Small councils simply cannot attract and retain the people necessary. Just as an example – we had one of our staff move to a smaller council to an apparently more senior role, but return just a few years later very disappointed at the lack of support and resources available to such a small organisation.
Last I counted in 2013 the Wellington Region alone had 14 organisations responsible for water in one form or another serving a population of barely 650,000. While the formation of Wellington Water in 2014 rationalised this somewhat – it has to be stood in stark contrast to say the UK where there are just 14 entitities serving the entire nation.
Modern water systems are not for well-meaning, under-resourced amateurs.
All organisational systems have flaws.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/opinion/126014679/my-hopes-for-a-flood-solution-drain-away
Yes. I've worked in both small and large settings, private and public. Each has it's strengths and weaknesses. But since councils first started providing water services over 100 years ago the world – and the nature of the task – has changed.
I have to admit to being a little biased here – having lived and worked in multiple countries in the past two decades, I have to tell you that while NZ remains my home and close to my heart – it really is a small nation. Just one large scale water supply authority typical everywhere else in the world could do the whole of NZ standing on it's ear.
On a tangent I recently discovered this extraordinary bit of water history. The WA Goldfields project built over 120 years ago still staggers my imagination. The whole story of it is one of vision, audacity and for the era a mind-bending scale. And also of parochialism, small-mindedness and ultimately a tragedy.
But in time it proved the backbone of the state generating value vastly beyond it's originally contested origins.
Incidentally O'Connor came to WA from 20 yrs on the West Coast where among other things he led the building of Westport's harbour.
Being on the ground level of such a project here would have provided the confidence to look at the blank canvas and go big on the water scheme.
Nelson Council has decided to opt in for which I am very glad. Seems to me a no brainer to accept funding and expertise and to take away yet another voice of dissent every time we the people decide to make water quality better.
Unfortunately there is only one place for "other funding" to come from … the people in other areas. So let's TAX other people to solve our problems?
Eventually we run out of both other people’s money and created debt
Central government has cheaper debt funding cost, that quite apart from councils having debt caps that prevent long term infrastructure action.
If we don't have essential infrastructure.
We will not be able to earn any money.
BTW. It is OUR money, we earned. Not "other peoples".
It may get initial funding but in the longterm it will mean a new tax for every household on top of rates and central govt taxes while councils who have already taxed rate payers for upgrades will effectively pay again.
The govt should directly fund upgrades for areas who have poor quality water.
Not installing a whole new bearaucracy which no doubt such up a good percentage of any rate payers funding.
At last we can agree on something subby
Revival of bipartisan politics after a hiatus of 14 years has substantial political implications.
The next poll will be most interesting. Pipsqueak reckons he must consult his caucus before declaring an Act view of the new law, but he expressed personal disapproval of it. If his colleagues go along with him on that, the right will have a new pivot point.
JC deserves credit for initiating the bipartisan effort. It proves her capable of being more than merely divisive. I suspect the public will reward her with a poll boost. If it stalls the rise of Act, and the next poll shows a plateau of Act support, her leadership status will probably no longer be under threat.
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/political-consensus-on-nzs-deep-rooted-housing-problems
“It is a significant political step for both parties, which face pressure from urban property owners who are unhappy with more housing being built in their neighbourhoods. By both backing the bill, the parties have essentially agreed to not capitalise on that vote.”
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/david-seymour-not-keen-on-housing-bill-promises-he-is-still-a-libertarian/YOSF53MIDHM6JQKZGK7KAK2HLY/
"I suspect the public will reward [Collins] with a poll boost."
…………………………
That's an interesting speculation, Dennis. Wonder if you'll be proven right? Collins has basically been collecting brickbats & down votes all year. Perhaps some of the voting public ARE tired of reacting negatively to Collins' many ill-judged antics.
I think she will certainly be pleased that so much media reaction to this move has been favourable. 👍🏼
We'll see. Perhaps the next RR poll will feature on 3/Newshub soon. Seems noteworthy to me that both major parties are taking a stand against the urban capitalists. The obvious move for Act is to take advantage of their bipartisan representation of the rest of Aotearoa by marketing itself as the party of the nouveau riche. Pipsqueak: "Yeah, we're the aristocracy of the future. You got it."
Dunno if he'll have the balls to go for it. If he does, I bet he fronts with a smoke & mirrors act to deflect attention from his lunge for the plum.
Interesting political trade off by National. They’ve thrown votes ACT’s way by shitting on the ratepayer lobbies, but picked up truck loads of funding from developer lobbies. Puts ACT in an interesting position.
Think the government (Woods?) has played both of them like a piano.
Next poll Act and National are close to even.
Act just needs to repeat: “Jacinda sucks”; that’ll do it.
Not sure it do much poll wise actually.
Might just be me missing the obvious, which wouldn't be a first, but seems to have gone largely under the radar with the whole Covid thing going on.
One Ewes at 6 last night made a fairly major news item out of it.
poll-wise Jacinda is going to gather all the negative on this (and there will be large large amounts of it, guaranteed) and Judith will get away scot-free..
what on earth was Jacinda thinking
I think for once, not just PR value tbh
you might be right ct.. what I do know is that the screeching from these inner-city neighbourhoods will reach fever pitch over this..
Think it is actually a clever move by Ardern.
They were looking a bit control freak, closed shop, with the whole Covid, can't say nothing till Tuesday/Friday 4pm
Gives the impression they are open to others input.
Kind of shows how dim Collins is for rollng with it.
Just maybe. Politicians on both sides are looking at solving one of the countires ongoing problems together.
Not a bad thing.
National could follow on from that by making constructive suggestions to help solve the 3 waters problem, instead of Luxon spouting bullshit.
That wouldn't be a "reward" so much as "defibrillation".
Swinging sparrows & sparrows in my kitchen
If, as mentioned be some experts we go down the path of 'allowing businesses to fail' the govt needs to legislate to override the personal guarantees often needed to secure a commercial lease.
This will avoid at least the spectre of complete financial wipeout and the forced sale of the homes of small business owners and I would extend that to putting requirements on banks to avoid these situations as well.
The pain needs to be shared atm Banks are creaming it.
We have allowed businesses to day since last year. But i am sure that someone is working hard on cracking this issue. One day. One day. Until then, some owners will have to sell their private belongings to pay a lease on a commercial property that is still at the cost of before 2019 – because nothing was done to force property owners to drop their leases either to a more accurate reflection of the business market, or to have a large enough sum ready to pay oneself out of a lease with a lumpsum.
But then, hey, all these tall poppy business people, they all need cutting back a bit, right. If they would have had some foresight (something that we can not ask the government for) then they would have planned for a 5+ year plague, lockdowns, and so on. So they deserve what they get. Right? s/
“The pain needs to be shared atm Banks are creaming it.”
………………………….
👍🏼
"The pain needs to be shared atm Banks are creaming it."
Recall the GFC, created by the banks… the banks got saved… so wrong, so very wrong…
But really, let them fail. Pandemics are a well known risk. It aint as if this is something new in the world – they are common. Taxpayers and wage and salary earners are not there to underwrite businesses. No way.
And also keep in mind that such sentiment runs both ways… if wage and salary earners are going to be required to share in the downside then they must also share in upsides… good luck
Kind of unfair. As usless as they can be, you can;'t just let big banks go bust.
Too many peoples livehoods and actual lives involved, in more ways than one.
You kind of want to avoid people offing themselves rather than telling their partner they no longer own their house and all their savings have gone
Yes I appreciate my point lacked those hard political realities. I guess I was pointing out that this entire issue is very fraught and much more complex than high level thoughts typically allow.
Keep in mind that in saying this "you can;'t just let big banks go bust. Too many peoples livehoods and actual lives involved, in more ways than one."….
… actually happens all the time. Small people, and one-offs get shat on by this kind of thing constantly. They don't matter though do they – just one person here, another over there, not enough to make a headline… it is apparently only important if large numbers of people suffer…
injustice
I know because I have been one of those such sufferers – kicked in the head and stomped on by exactly what you refer to – where was my saviour? ha
That is a fair point.
A lot of big businesses have gone tits up and lives have been screwed.
Big banks though man. That could get very ugly.
Lot more people invested
Having said that. I realise totally that my point seems to send innense bias on behalf of big banks over other people just trying to make a living with their hard worked business.
So kind of admit I am a bit of a hypocrite with it.
I think I kind of look at how many people will be screwed over it. And unfortunately banks win.
Maybe they should have to pay some mega tax, insurance thing to run.
I know actual insurance companies are insured by mega insurance companies
Government should be provided with a shareholding proportional to the size of the necessary bailout if the bank is ‘too big to fail’.
Kind of used to think the same thing, but politics and banks could be a bad mix.
Not sure I want the Greens having a say in my savings, or the Nats.
Get your point though. Would put onus on them
Yep. Can't have the Greens stopping the banks from funding hydrocarbon pollution and clearing native bush and wetlands.
No one ever wants that sort of desperation – at least now it's become visible to people who never recognised how easy that can come about until covid knocked on their doors
At least there has been back-up but TBH most people continue on relatively normally with better understanding for those who genuinely can't & lost income
There was none of that with the GFC you battled on sometimes for months with no work so you mortgaged the house & eventually battled thru
People left for work in Aus, couldn't sell at a loss or even rent their home in 2011-12 what a surprise to return in 2015 & the next year sell it for twice the price the following year
At least NZ has a govt prepared to back all its people, the more they're included the less people will feel pushed to the edges – it's a start
Killing off personal guarantees for commercial leases wont hurt the taxpayers one bit and will stop people becoming suddenly destitute which certainly would.
The second half of that would be requirements on mortgage holders to provde relief to commercial landlords if needed.
Shared costs.
Yes you have nailed it.
Despite fundamentally changing the law of contract, removing personal guarantees and allowing business to default, would just kick the financial pain to someone who has everything they own secured by an Aussie bank.
Unless there was some relief offered to that person, I only see the banks winning with this proposal.
It’s a very complex issue that will take the wisdom if Solomon to resolve. For every tenant like Sabine, and ourselves, (we’re paying 2018 rent and have taken 5% of our rent in last month) who are genuine cases there will be 10 who will have a go to try and screw over their landlord for a lower rent.
Designing a program that gets just the genuinely affected without creating a lot of sad boundary cases that fester in the media will be hard.
Then you get businesses that were marginal / failing before covid but have zombied on thanks to the government support. Whole thing’s a huge stinking can of worms
There has already been cases of big firms using their clout to aviod paying leases during covid.
Even though they certainly have the means to do so. (Have to protect those commercial landlords from tenants bad faith while at the same time helping those with genuine hardship.
Pleasently surprised talking to small business owners I know, how many of their commercial landlords have come to the party on rent.
From experience a while back, big trade creditors are supportive with arrangements when you cannot pay on time. IRD also.
Pity that banks have been less helpful.
Only the whistle blowers were punished of the Ponzi scheming bank's.
1929 showed it was a mistake to let the Banks fail. BUT the best option used was to Nationalise those banks as in NZ ie BNZ then sell them off when stabilised not loosing taxpayers money and allowing corrupt practices to be rewarded. The 1998 economic correction showed this in Mexico and Ecuador. With new computers that were powerful enough to look at numbers profitability and over all benefits to economies.
But the power of big business has not been blunted and the Trump administration removed protections to stop banks printing and ponzi scheming ie loan to deposit ratios and massive management bonuses .
Then in the GFC.
Iceland let the banks fail….
Iceland bailed out local depositors to the tune €5.8 billion euros.All overseas depositors lost everything. Given the size of Icelands economy they could not afford to bail out the banks.
That's why NZ does stress tests on our banks and are trying to get them to cover their deposits as opposed to govt bailouts.
Our govt paid for insurance in 2007 but remember South Canterbury Finance Bill English forgot to renew the policy sitting on his desk for 6 weeks. So we all paid for that ponzi scheme.
Initial reports of a looming crisis of capitalism will have many thinking `deja vu all over again'. But the blip theory of economics can be considered alongside the gradualist evolutionary view. What evidence of a paradigm shift do we have?
Stiglitz is very Green/socialist, eh?
As usual with socialists, the interview is big on telling us what we already know and small on feasible solutions that promise good outcomes.
Judith plan," I snap my fingers you do it, "
Judith Collins on National's target for ending lockdowns https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/453883/judith-collins-on-national-s-target-for-ending-lockdowns
" country would reopen to the world at a vaccination rate of 85-90 percent of the eligible population "
While I am no fan of Collins, not actually sure why you disagree with this. as long as the countries were each classified as to risk in all their current situations,
Do you mind elaborating?
Will Collins elaborate? I think the point is she says these blank meaningless things without the subtleties. Like "85%" of all? Or eligible? Of NZ? Of the world? It's just meaningless, simple sloganeering.
90% sounds great but is it enough? Also that 10% may mean 30-40% of māori. Def means all under 12s right now.
"90% sounds great but is it enough? "
Yes I think it is. Other countries seem to think less is.
Honestly. Do you actually want the country to stay closed, when it has been let lose now and shutdowns are no longer the best option?
90% currently seems to be pushed and achievable. That still means at some stage someone from government will have to actually articulate what happens when that 90% is achieved.
And maybe that needs to happen to entice people to get their jabs.
Think she probably means NZ. It actually says eligible, and frankly it is more fricken straight than anything the current govt has said.
Well till we we find out Friday, because although they obviously know, they can't say it till Friday
"Collins said there was no reason why the target couldn't be reached.
"We need to get on. We've got now now around 80, close to 85, percent of people have had at least one vaccination. After a big effort to get people vaccinated. There's another six weeks to go. There's no reason why everyone can't get the rest."
There shes said it, no reason at all, shes said it so I have every confidence it will now happen just as she proposes.
yea right
Well Collins wouldn't even have let the virus get in. "Forever", get a grip, it's been what, a few months? Every country is struggling with this.
We actually do need to get on, unless you want a load of unemployed people.
Businesses are dying
Cellular organisms live and die; businesses succeed and/or fail – get a grip.
We are moving on, and the current pace is a compromise – too slow for some, too hasty for others.
And most are doing OK, if not better than usual.
Unemployment is down. BTW.
Your selective quoting left out the 'or Dec 1st, whichever comes first'.
So any talk of %'s is just fertilizer.
That is a fair point. But I just happen to agree with her for once. It is getting ridiculous, now the thing is spreading.
The thing that's spreading, Collins's reckons or Delta?
Collins gave an ultimatum which ever comes first, Dec 1 or 85 – 90% vaccinated.
Collins will need a magic wand to manage a fully blown pandemic post 1 Dec if every region is opened up at the same time. The country is under resourced with health workers and ICU beds and any staggered opening up will depend on a region peaking and trending down.
I cannot exclude humanitarian health workers being deployed to NZ.
John Minto is perplexed:
Thing is, John, God helps those who help themselves. If the working class organised themselves into a political force, Labour would have to factor them into the political equation. Since the working class have been resolute in their stand against political action in common cause for as long as anyone can remember, I'm puzzled about your perplexity John! You're only four years younger than me. You've had plenty of time to figure it out. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Minto
"God helps those who help themselves". That makes sense just like:
"The harder I work, the luckier I am"
union busting may have played a part
https://www.amrc.org.hk/content/union-busting-aotearoa-new-zealand-becoming-subtle-and-psychological
You're right in respect of history. That link provides useful insight into the mass psychology of employment relations. I learnt about that stuff myself in various career situations. However game theory provides a better view than class consciousness: if you identify as a player rather than as a class member then natural human agency is the determining factor.
As a free agent your chances of being made a victim of life's circumstances depend on how clever you are in relation to any opponents, how lucky you are, and how much willpower you apply to your situations. Depending which choices you make, fate then plays its accompanying hand. In contrast, those who depend on unions are at the mercy of union reps & poor decision-making by them.
Unions, unlike workplaces, are Democratic organisations.
" If the working class organised themselves into a political force".
They did. It was called the New Zealand Labour Party and it was founded in Wellington on 7 July 1916. It was of course taken over by the people of academic-socialist beliefs about 35 years ago and hasn't had anything to do with the working class since.
Indeed! Doesn't explain why the working class allowed the middle class to steal their project though. Nor does it explain their apparent lack of effort to co-create an alternative. Nor have I ever noticed any attempt by political scientists to explain why.
So you & I are free to advance our own theories, Alwyn. How about everyone is working together to deny that the working class have any inherent collective political agency? Too intellectual? How about the theory of universal cluelessness stretching to the horizon in all directions? Well that would only work on the basis of allowing all those who believe they are exceptions to the rule to register that dissident identity. Me first!
Look at "deliberate disinfrancising of the working class" since 1984!
Weka.
What about the "human right" to go to work, with out the danger of getting a potentially deadly illness, and taking it home to your family?
Why should someones right to aviod a harmless, and it is harmless, compared with most other things we regard as harmless, needle in the arm override others "Human right to life".
That is without even going into the loss of income, health and jobs for those that get sick. Hundred of jobs plus the delivery of essential materials food and groceries, is at risk if my workplace has covid cases forcing shut down. Watch all those MT supermarket and hardware store shelves, double.
In many workplaces, mine included physical distancing is impossible, when someone arrives with a cold we all get it. Why should my right to try and keep my family safe be overiddin, by someone who, to put it bluntly, is basically too mis-informed, selfish or stupid, to protect those around them.
Not to mention the rights of those who cannot choose, those with immune deficiency, who have allergic reactions to vaccines, who have health problems where vaccinations don't work.
What about their right, to go about their normal day safely?
Anti-vaccers want "Choice". But they want "choice" without personal consequences. They want their choice, even if it removes "choice" and even the "right to life" for others. A very childish veiwpoint.
"Choices" have consequences. If you want "choices" then you also have to accept that society has a right to protect the people those "choices" will harm.
Vaccination is only part of the tool kit. Other measures will be required for some time to come. But it reduces the chances of a disaster in NZ considerably, if enough are vaccinated. The number required looks like well over 90%. Even more in crowded workplaces, schools and hospitals.
[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.]
There's nothing in my post about anti-vaxxer values around choice. Nor am I anywhere saying that vaccination is wrong. And I said that vaccination is a bloody good tool for helping reduce spread of covid and protect individuals.
I probably should have pointed out in the post that people not yet vaccinated are so because of a range of reasons that reducing them all to 'evil antivaxer' is counter productive. But I thought that was obvious from context. Māori and disabled people don't have low vax rates because they're lazy and selfish.
So I'm really not sure what you are talking about.
Do you want to remove existing human rights in order to force people to be vaccinated? What would that force entail. If this is what you want, then please speak plainly. I don't want to do another round of dancing around this.
But please also put it in the context of the actual post.
I thought I have made it obvious over several conversations about this.
We cannot hold people down obviously. And I will never agree to that anyway.
But if someone makes a choice not to be vaccinated. They have to accept, like most "choices" we make in life, that there are consequences for that choice.
Consequences that protect others, like not being able to work in occupations such as teaching, health care and aged care. Or travel where they can spread covid to many people. For example.
Maori, amoung others, have low vaccination rates because of access and mis-information. Both I believe can be addressed. It will take some effort, but it is not insoluble.
And. I didn’t reduce them all to “evil anti vaccers”.
Mis-informed for many. As I believe I made clear. However the people behind the mis-information do not have good motives.
Nothing personal KJT, it’s not just your comment. I’m not willing to have my posts derailed by arguments that all unvaxed people are stupid/selfish/lazy/whatever. This both inhibits good debate, but it also works against getting more people vaccinated.
You are more than welcome to comment under my post if you address what is actually in the post.
And, we can continue the above discussion in OM 👍
The post was all over the place, making a lot of general points about systemic problems. Not surprising that people respond to your most contentious assertions. Are you in Auckland?
There is a reason that people respond with bitterness and frustration. We are tired of the fuckery of a few antisocial idiots holding a city of 1.8 million to ransom.
then address that in the post. Say what the contentious assertions are and put up an argument. That way I will know if you understood the post or are just going off on something about anti-vaxxers. You did address the race/ethnicity issue, and I responded, so we both know how to do this.
because the impression I had from both you and KJT is that you misinterpreted what I said.
I am going a bit crazy under endless lockdown. And then Weka comes along and suggests we should be "kind" while Auckland is held to ransom by a few munters who refuse to paddle the waka, and seem to be actively trying to sink it. Half of the Christian community is spreading this free-dumb bullshit. The vaccine denial and rhetoric about government overreach is endemic across facebook, in Marae pages, Tradie pages, and "Alternative health" practitioners. Facebook needs to die in a fire.
Really frustrating. I want to be kind to people, but people also need to be kind to others by getting a f&$ing jab and wearing a f&#ing mask.
[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.]
[“And then Weka comes along and suggests we should be "kind" while Auckland is held to ransom…” No, that’s not what I said. No-one gets to tell lies on this site about my views (or any author’s), including about a post I have written, and when I am here and available to clarify. If you don’t understand, ask. You are free to tell me how any post come across, and I will clarify.
If I see anyone doing this again, I will be moderating. We’re all stressed and tense, and Auckland people doubly so. My suggestion is to take a breath and remember that TS is for robust debate and that still has actual meaning here. You cannot just choose to make up shit about other people. – weka]
Weka wants people to be kind, but Weka is [deleted]
[I also don’t take this smeary shit from commenters, even authors. Don’t misrepresent what I say onsite for your own agenda. I would clarify, but unfortunately people are being arseholes, I don’t have time or inclination for long time commenters who should know better, so I’m deleting instead. – weka]
I don't believe Weka has ever stated she is unvaccinated or that living in a rural setting will 'save her'.
I certainly didn't say that living in the country would save me (Ad is outright lying there). I'm booked in for two vaccinations. I explained in the comment, in context, why some people are still unvaxed and aren't lazy/stupid/an anti-vaxer. I've deleted that comment and a quote of it, because people here are stepping over a line here.
Um really not convinced its a good thing to putting an authors vaccination status out there, if indeed true or has Weka laid her position dowm somewhere?
See comment 1.3.1.2 on the "Covid and Kindness" post. (not gonna link because the site messes up internal links).
I've deleted the quote and my original comment, because obviously there are people here that cannot be trusted to not use my personal shared details against me politically, by taking my words out of context.
Stop and think about what you are doing (Rob and Ad, and everyone actually). If you feel free to misrepresent my views or my life, how are you ever going to convince anyone to amend social media misinformation?
And, you cannot tell lies about authors on this site.
Sorry if I come across as a grumpy old man. I deffo feel that way lately.
thanks rob, appreciate that. I do understand that some people are doing it way harder than others at the moment. I hope it changes soon.
I clarified upthread.
Mod note.
mod note for you.
All good. Keep making up excuses. I hope your solution works. But Aucklanders' tolerance is running out fast.
I'm not making excuses, and given how much time I've put into trying to talk with you today, I'm not going to try and explain further. You're sailing close to short ban if you can't shift out of the accusatory, misleading shit. If you want to make actual arguments you are free to do so (and this I would welcome).
As I think I've said before, I'm in Auckland and I am over the lockdown and ready to open up tomorrow.
Looking at testing numbers compared to NSW we are only testing approx at 25% the rate NSW.
We need our rate to go up to be able to control the virus.
Especially with the number of unlinked cases.
The govt is allowing health workers to be prioritised in MIQ.But is not giving visas to those migrant heathworkers already here.
This should be highlighted by the opposition.
https://twitter.com/KJ_Harrison/status/1450577708476469260
We must be on the same information quest. Read that this morning, along with:
Stephen B Levine's 2018 article in Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy – Informed Consent for Transgendered Patients
and the article which led me to both on the Child Protection resources website:
In whose best interests, transgender children choices and consequences – Sarah Phillimore.
We need Tommy Lee Jones here. We have another fugitive!
Covid-19: Alleged MIQ escapee still missing, another charged | Stuff.co.nz
Preview of tonight's 6 pm headlines:
Brian Tamaki in custody. Protests for the cameras. Will lead the news.
It's often said that a key component of political success is to be lucky with your enemies. Tamaki, Goudie, Slater and co must have been selected by central casting, working in the PM's office.
New slogan for the vax campaign: "Annoy Brian with a little prick".
Problem I see is you could end up making him just a martyr to his weirdo followers. But not much choice I guess
What would be a good idea would be to give Brian Tamaki a 6 month jail sentence which would prevent him travelling overseas insurance and bank loans would be harder for him to obtain.The Tax department should go over him with a fine tooth comb.
I was reflecting on the continued demise of telephone boxes around the country this morning. The continual removal of such as recently even hit the national party. It seems that in many areas the "Retain Judith As Party Leader committees" no longer have venues to hold their meetings. Some committees have however reported that phone boxes are proving too big and they were already looking for smaller venues.
lol