Simon Bridges ,Michael Woodhouse. Are being Total Dicks.Politicing While we are facing a National crisis.Stay at home and Stop being a Dick Simon.Michael Woodhouse Stop taking cheap shots which haven't got any Scientific evidence or are pure lies.Outhouse claimed the 130 health workers infected were because of lack of PPE and proper safety in our hospitals.Fact Healthcare workers returning from overseas were infected passing Covid onto other workers before our borders were closed.Outhouse is a lying little S*?t
Most NZr are not silly ,should do a like poll on Bridges Woodhouse Hoskings not one of them would make 10%, My wife is from a blue family of 18, one of them put on facebook blue is not my favorite colour, almost all the family including children clicked Like, the three of them are going to come out of this so very disliked
dont forget about some certain mp's shoving up billboards all around wellington and the hutt right before lockdown stating how labour have done such a good job with covid19.
(It also makes me smile with the recollection of Stark, Ben Elton's comic novel about the reality of the company in the Stark consortium escape spaceship for those who brought about the end of the world).
Rising S Co. has planted about 10 private bunkers in New Zealand over the past several years. The average cost is $3 million for a shelter weighing about 150 tons, but it can easily go as high as $8 million with additional features like luxury bathrooms, game rooms, shooting ranges, gyms, theatres and surgical beds.
Anyone know if the resource consents on those will be in the public domain? eg the one in Canterbury that can house 300 people.
Quite possibly unconsented. If you're trying to hide from the zombie apocalypse, you wouldn't want the zombies to be able to just look up where you're hiding.
Thought it was more like negative 3 per barrel. Maybe a different benchmark.
The one I read was the calculated benchmark price for crude oil delivered to some town in Ohio in June.
They’re acutely short of oil storage space in the US. They’re rolling out old badges and storing oil in those because they have no tanks, and they’re starting to run out of those. Soon it will be cheaper to store oil in oil tankers parked offshore than it is to land it.
Meanwhile Brent Crude is about to go under USD30 / Barrel.
Personally I was suspicious of two VLCC oil tankers, from the same company, that collided in clear weather years ago, when the charter rates fell through the floor.
It will be a giggle in the rooms of Auckland ZB, Herald, Bridges, Paula, and the Kauri girl.
There are a couple of other serious problems that ought to get attention, however.
The major one is the ongoing violence of degraded dirty men who go about Killing and Violating their wives. They also force their evil on the children of the family.
The numbers attached to male violence are way way beyond the Current Coronova Virus.
However, there is a further treachery in Aotearoa. It is carried out by the Land Lord. The Land Lord makes the Virus look like a Xmas treat.
We must get rid of all Violent Men – on long long, penalties.
We also, must come together and refuse to pay Taxes on Housing until the Government itself pays for Just and Fair Housing.
As far as I can tell, all impetus to do anything has bounced off the heads of Jacinda et al. So many interesting alternatives on how to run things, all offered in vain. Opportunity lost. Although, was it really an opportunity if there was no intention to act? For a long time our governments have been mediocre middle management of the status quo. If reinfection rates begin again, there'll be no reason to do anything but stand by and console the bereaved – something Ardern is good at… "sympathising". "A population winnowing virus", or something like that. Nothing to really need a change for. Apparently we can afford to lose thousands, and blame them for not protecting themselves.
[lprent: Please try to stick to one handle, like the one you were using yesterday. I’ll let this one through. But be advised that shifting handles tends to be viewed by me as a pointer to a troll. I really don’t like trolls and I tend to express that strongly. Please read our policy and learn not to attract my moderating attention. ]
The worst is yet to come says the Director General of the WHO.
Hopefully we will be spared because of the brilliant management of the crisis thus far by the government and the health professional working in conjunction with on another.
There are just four nations in the world that look like they are going to crush the curve (excluding China who nobody trusts), New Zealand, Australia, Taiwan and South Korea. This is a remarkable alignment for us.
The Koreans in particular are technically minded, have a top-notch health care system, they are culturally wired for fast responses, their first instinct isn't to lie about everything, and they believe in math. They have provided the world with the best and most holistic information about this virus. I've been treating their dataset as the gold standard. This is a country with it's act together; we need partners like them to keep our technology systems running.
Taiwan is another nation in a similar position. While there is obvious political threats with the CCP poised to invade as soon as it thinks the world is not looking, the Taiwanese are an example of what China could and should have been if the CCP thugs were not running the mainland as a giant slave labour camp.
Australia is also responding well and is a fabulous supplier of raw materials with the potential for almost total energy independence if it wants to go there. It's already talking about rebooting local manufacturing as part of it's recovery efforts.
Together with NZ's superb agricultural exports (and as I write this I'm conscious that sustainable and regenerative techniques should be a core element of a high quality strategy) these four nations could readily form a new regional alliance. All four have competent and compatible governance, all four have high trust societies, and all four bring specific unique attributes to the trade table.
Yes the NZ economy has been hit hard by this event, but we are not on our own. We have some great strategic partners to reach out to who are highly compatible with us. Our relationship with China will remain significant, but no-one wants to be so dependent on them ever again.
We have a high-trust society with Australia? Like the kid who meets this guy who says come home with me and see my collection of Barbie dolls, train set, etchings.
I think you've misread a tad … I wasn't referring so much to the trust relationship between these four countries, as within their own societies.
Yes NZ and Australia have some significant political difficulties that we should be looking to resolve, but in every other social and economic respect they are both relatively high trust societies compared to many other nations.
I seem to read a lot here by various commenters about "sustainable and regenerative farming". The term is never explained, it is just used. I come from a farming background and have relatives who still farm, so I have a reasonable knowledge on current farming practises, with dairy and also sheep and beef. Not that I want to actually farm. After all I left the farming life.
What is different about "sustainable and regenerative" farming to the current form of NZ farming. Is it basically the same, though with a few tweaks? Or is it intended to signal a radical change in NZ farming? I suspect the latter, given who uses these references. And if so, how do those advocating this see that farming should change.
I'll probably be well advised to defer to people like weka and Paul G who've paid a lot more attention to this topic than I have for specific examples.
Having said that, as a matter of strong principle, I believe agriculture is one of the primary responsibilities of government. Farmers themselves are constrained by the need to stay in business this month, this year. While many do take a long-term view of their soil management, it is government that needs to take a long-term view of the whole picture. In this NZ already does pretty well, we always have.
But we do consistently fall short in some aspects; and in this there are more than a few alternative farmers who have consistently demonstrated that it's possible to farm productively with fewer inputs, less intensive stocking, better nutrient management, and improved animal welfare.
Personally I'm no fan of 'radical changes'. I don't think that's either achievable or even desirable to impose destabilising disruption. But if we took a more patient multi-decadal approach there are many 'tweaks' that we could implement, that as a whole would add up to something quite transformative over time.
Very different to the current, short term, model of "high input" agriculture.
Which relies on imported feed, fertiliser and depletion of soils and other resources, to make a short term gain.
I come from farming families too. Many wouldn't have been impressed with the current industrial farming.
There were some who took the view, "the only good tree is one that has been pruned to the ground" but most considered looking after the farm, soil and waterways, for the future, was part of farming.
A couple, in particular, were very proud that on their farms, they still had native stream life, unlike many other countries.
They would be horrified at the current, Federated Farmers, attitude.
I've been following with my son, he's been studying, farm management.
Even incremental improvements, in things like crop, animal rotation, once a day instead of twice daily milking, natural fertilisers, and preventing nitrates being lost to waterways, can improve both the environment, and farm efficiency.
Like wise the Canterbury Dairy farm and the Maniototo sheep farm. All high light that Traditional industrial farming is not as profitable ,sustainable nor is it kind to animals.
[Another typo in your user handle. Please be more careful!]
The most recent episode of Country Calendar provides a reasonably accessible example. Blurb:
Faced with falling profits, the owner of a big Central Otago station makes a radical move into regenerative agriculture and finds the profits soon flow.
Their was a reg a neg farmer on country calendar Sunday. (Usually they replay it early the next weekend) ,doing some interesting stuff.
Of course he was one of those high energy clever people so for it to catch on the government would need to capture his learnings and bottle it for easy digestion of the the rest of us.
We are in a hard left nationalist environment now. It beggars belief that a member of the neoliberal elite has held such a position for so long. A Galloway or Rachel Stewart type personality would provide the much needed journalistic rigour and intensity to reignite the show in my opinion.
Cripes, Kathryn has so much knowledge in her head, can handle a wide range of expertise, has a pleasant manner, and maintains her interest and energy in the frustrating world we create – don't diss her for sounding frazzled as she broadcasts from her bathroom or wherever. My feeling is that her questions become too long as she makes a short scenario around the problem or situation she is wanting to 'elucidate'.
Now Lisa Owen at the end of the day has apparently been employed to sound frazzled, high pitched, fast talking and sounds like a middle-class female exasperated with the world, with an upward whine to much of her pronouncements. What a turn-off.
Grey: Agree with you totally re Lisa Owen. A bit grating-she needs to take chill pill.
I wasn't dissing Ryan….I just think that show can be stressful where a whole series of interviews are done in a row on important topics…..but we need a show that does all of those interviews. I don't think it is just because we are in lock-down. It started before this.
My solution is two presenters….a bit more variation and a different character. Maybe a rotating second presenter.
Ryan has sounded tired and has not been laughing/getting laughs from the Friday comedians.
You're right Bearded Git I could imagine she is tired, you might be tempted to take a perk-up pill as artistic performers have often done. She might like that idea of a rotating second presenter but I would be afraid they would put on Jim Mora or the like. Someone who would be subtly, or not so, putting the self-satisfied, right wing approach which gives me such a pain I turn off, which negates the value of the public broadcaster to me.
If someone else was put on they would need to be compatible and who knows what this cardboard Radionz management would choose? Would we get a whole lot of amusing chatter? A little bit of that is good, but soon there is a pall of death to an enjoyable and informative show with too much shallow hah hah aren't we smart stuff.
Matthew Hooton was written about the bureaucratic mandarins hampering the government’s ability to move fast, especially at the moment – he also suggested that some “aren't happy taking orders from 30-somethings of any gender.”
I have been reading of this problem with the government’s departments for some time. If this is the case, once the Covid situation is under control I hope heads will roll and our fresh new government will have a fresh new team to work with.
Call it the school of hard knocks or the university of life. The world has changed so much and people cannot continue to carry on as if there is no pandemic.
Just look at what has happened with the price of oil.
In time the restraints which Covid-19 is causing, some solutions will be found.
“ had Monday's health information been more favourable – or Ardern wanted to take a risk – it was clear the bureaucracy simply wasn't ready for a move to level 3 this Wednesday night anyway.
Like all prime ministers, Ardern relies on the same mediocre and incestuous Wellington bureaucracy that delivered her the KiwiBuild fiasco, worsening child poverty and last year's comedic Budget "hack".
Ministry of Health boss Ashley Bloomfield has been praised for his handling of Covid-19. But, last year, even his ministry was responsible for the measles vaccine crisis, seemed unable to competently allocate the $1.9 billion in mental health funding from last year's budget, and has now been unable to tell a believable story on the availability of PPE to frontline health staff.
Now – despite having over a month to get organised – his ministry has failed to implement the testing and tracking systems necessary for a move to level 3. Talk of a contact-tracing app remains just that. The Beehive even claims it had to push the health authorities to conduct the random population testing required to see how widespread asymptomatic and undiagnosed Covid-19 is in the community.
Sexism among senior officials may explain some of Ardern's inability to achieve purchase over the bureaucracy, although the iron-hold Helen Clark had over Wellington suggests otherwise. Ageism is probably a bigger factor. Whatever their departmental "values statements", too many mandarins aren't happy taking orders from 30-somethings of any gender.
The day the lockdown was announced, Ardern promised that the definition of "essential services" would be available by close of business so parents would know whether they should send their children to school the next day. Despite the Prime Minister signing off the list before the 6pm TV news, MBIE bureaucrats held up its release until closer to midnight.
Inexplicably, no one in the bureaucracy was fired for making a fool of the Prime Minister in an emergency.
Similarly, Ardern's announcement of the details of level 3 last Thursday was necessary to give organisations time to prepare, despite its negative effect on compliance.
But important rules Ardern announced quickly turned out to be wrong or unimplementable.
Similarly, Ardern's announcement of the details of level 3 last Thursday was necessary to give organisations time to prepare, despite its negative effect on compliance.
But important rules Ardern announced quickly turned out to be wrong or unimplementable.
In health, hospitals and other providers have not yet received promised information on what medical procedures will be allowed under level 3.
There is no clarity on how the courts are meant to reopen under level 3.
Other major sectors have only just received the rules for what level 3 means for their operations, with no time to digest them.
Hunters haven't been told what rules were meant to start applying from Thursday morning.
With such uncertainty, the country would have faced a fiasco had it moved to level 3 this week.
The delay until next Tuesday allows the Prime Minister to demand the bureaucracy fix the confusion around level 3 it created. She must make clear to the most senior mandarins that jobs should be on the line if they do not.”
Janet I would like to see the politicians have some say in the choice of which officials would be employed that they need to work with. The idea of apolitical pointyheads dedicated to doing good public service is a vision not realised in practicality. There cannot be too much control by business either on government – I remember Maris O'Rourke in Education saying with the neolib set up that she had to wait till 11 pm to present her material to the Minister, as she was preceded by all the business lobbyists.
So more balance.
And here are some paras on serving in a government in transition to neolib from a piece by this very amazing woman who after years of hard yakka in Education has left much to thank her for. She sets a standard for other civil servants in NZ.
The Ministry started in 1989 and from the beginning was coping with substantial work pressures due to the speed of the reforms; an education system in flux where everything had changed at once; and the task of bringing together a number of disparate and separately organised activities into a coherent whole and creating a workable organization. I found when I took up the job that I was running three different and difficult organizations with a demoralised, disillusioned and bitter staff largely opposed to the reforms.
The complexity of all this was vastly under-estimated. Add to this mix an election coming up in 1990 and a new Minister of Education Phil Goff. I was responsible for implementing the most extensive administrative reforms ever to occur in NZ education and in the run up to the 1990 election this generated much negative energy and what appeared to be muddle and chaos. All this at a time when the Minister, the government and the party wanted positive energy and a smooth running system. It wasn’t easy. It wasn’t possible. And there were certainly times when a little wrist-slitting looked attractive. Labour lost the 1990 election, we had a new government and I had a new Minister Dr Lockwood Smith for the next 5 years.
I have always felt that success in a job is when no-one notices you have gone and the transition is smooth but the things you have implemented, the things you have DONE stay in place and last.
So by 1995 I had been in Wellington for almost seven years and had vaguely begun to feel it was time to move and that message went into the cosmos. I was head-hunted by the World Bank to be their first Director of Education. As a farewell my three ex Ministers had their photo taken together on the stairs and presented it to me with an award for bravery and courage under fire plus a copy of ‘Where the Wild Things Are’ by Maurice Sendak.
I hope not. One of New Zealand's strengths is that we do not have a politically appointed public service.
In fact I don't have to worry about this. There is simply no way that the PM, if she is re-elected, is going to overturn the basic systems of the public service.
Hooton, may well be right, that some civil servants don't find it so easy to work with young political leaders. That is not a systemic failure, it is simply part of the human condition. It exists in any organisation when the top leadership is quite a bit younger than their immediate subordinates. Over the years, I have seen a few examples of this, interestingly enough when I was much younger. But I have seen and experienced a lot more situations where youthful leadership drives energy and commitment from the wider team.
In any event it looks to me that our public service are doing an excellent job. Sure there may be some hiccups, which is hardly surprising given the size of the challenge. Not everything is going to work perfectly, not everyone finds their job easy to do, not everyone is completely up to speed, not everyone is equally competent.
Well I for one am deeply grateful that the director general of health has been a competent individual with all the background skills to have a decent understanding of public health.
Not the previous incumbent who had few relevant background skills " Mr Chuah was Chief Executive of Hutt Valley District Health Board. Mr Chuah is a qualified chartered accountant with more than 25 years health sector experience. " and didn't do so well.
It may not be "politicisation" but it is definitely neoliberalisation "anybody can be a manager – background skills not required." and the public service needs to rethink the criteria largely based on a neolib world view point.
In my experience the practice has been somewhat lacking, with bean counters, and cronies, typically with no knowledge of the sector, promoted beyond their competence level, in the two Government departments I'm most familiar with.
… he also suggested that some “aren't happy taking orders from 30-somethings of any gender
Christ, I can't say I blame them. Who the hell wants to take orders from Spice Girls fans and nauseating Millenials excitedly calling out "Cowabunga, Dude !" to each other ???
"Japan's exports fell more than forecast in March, down almost -12% year-on-year when a -9% fall was expected and the February fall was only -1%. It is almost certain April exports will fall much harder."
In an interconnected world what we do is only a small part of the equation…we can try to prop up sectors and open businesses asap but the fact remains demand has fallen off a cliff…and it isnt coming back anytime soon.
No different to the GFC.NZ will have sustain its economy by creating local demand.Until a vaccine is widely available.This is the time to fix homelessness by keeping the construction industry going building state houses and affordable houses. Infrastructure Transport bottlenecks.
very different to the GFC…that was a trust problem…nobody knew who was going to be left holding the baby so everything stopped…once the govs basically guaranteed those loses everyone went back to BAU….this is not a trust (liquidity) crisis….demand has plummeted and the environmental conditions mean that it cant return to prior levels anytime soon….liquidity isnt the problem.
Attempting to replace that global demand with national stimulus does not solve the problem when you need (not want) to import so much and almost guarantees a productivity loss
Pat so you have agreed with my argument but don't understand that trust has disappeared around the world already .whole industries have disappeared and will take 10 years to reestablish.So really the only option we have in the short term is to stimulate the local economy diversify as much as possible.The Financial fallout will be much higher than the GFC.But lessons learned will help countries who bailout mainstreet as opposed to Wall st will recover more quickly .Even Boris Johnston said overnight the biggest mistake made in the GFC was giving trillions to the corporates and forgetting about the people on the street he said he Won't be making that mistake this time.While Trump is letting all the money flow to the corporates while delaying and denying mainstreet funding.On Top of all his other f/ups the US is going to have a much longer slower recovery.
not sure how you get agreement with your claims from my reply…whether the lessons of the GFC will be learned is yet to be demonstrated and you completely miss the point about international v national economy.
Ever felt just a tad concerned that the affluent liberals who lead nominally 'left' parties might be a bit out of touch with the lives of the 'common man'? Don't worry, relax, it's all fine – check out Nancy Pelosi's fridge if you need more reassurance.
As opposed to The Man with the Golden Shower Shitter. I'd guess it's less than 50:50 that he even knows where his fridge is or what it even looks like, let alone what's in it.
It's also kinda hard to argue that Pelosi is way out of touch with her constituents.
California runs a jungle primary system when all the candidates from all the parties are tossed into one common pool, then the top two go on to fight it out one-on-one for the November general election. So it's quite common in California for the two candidates for any position in November to both be Dems.
Pelosi won her primary with 74%, second was Buttar (D) with 13%, third was Dennis (R) 8%.
Nah. He sends out minions like Chris Christie to get fresh ones. The congealed grease tastes better if it's just freshly cooled than if it's gone into a fridge.
Let me spell it out. Lots of people under neoliberalism are asset rich, but are an inch away from not having the cash flow to buy groceries. This is why even in NZ in wealthy towns there are food banks. If a family's mortgage requires two incomes to service and one of the couple loses their job, they're screwed.
It's also common knowledge that women and their kids take a drop in standard of living when a marriage ends.
People in the US who have lost their jobs because of covid come from all classes.
In all those scenarios people can own late model cars.
Read the article because it's pretty clear what is going on here.
I just got a flash back of an old commenter at this site called ' Randal' who used to berate the younger generations for their 'Hardly Davisons and flat screen TeeVees in the toilet' …
Did you bother to look at the photos in the mother jones link?
If not why don't you do so.
And not I will not be saying any such thing about it being fun to sleep in the streets covered by cardboard. Are you really so foolish as to regard such statements as equivalent?
In large parts of the US, if you need a car to get to work it's fairly likely to be more cost effective to drive something that's only a decade or so old, rather than pay the continual repairs on something older.
Then, when you lose that income from your job, keeping your car is still going to be a high priority. Because if you haven't got one, you won't be able to get back and forth to a new job.
I very happily walked around Manhattan on a number of visits. Does New York count as a "major" city? To be fair I was only on the Island. It is quite big though. It is amazing on a first visit. It seems as if you see something you have heard of on every corner. Then you get a bit blase.
I also walked a lot in Washington DC when I visited there. Only in DC though, not in the suburbs in the adjacent States.
And around San Francisco, although I was rather careful about where I went there. It might be only one block from a nice neighborhood to somewhere a bit scary.
It would still be pretty cold in Minneapolis at this time of year though I imagine.
22 million unemployed now, their loss of job comes with a loss of free health care and people are still waiting on their cheques from agent orange. How many of those cars are ticked up? Probably most of them.
It's getting pretty desperate over there and it's only just beginning for them.
Manhattan? You think every city in the states is like Manhattan? And Americans aren't particularly known for waiting for hours, sitting in their cars, for hand outs, it kinda goes against everything they stand for. Also I doubt most of those cars are paid for, like here, people get car loans, to look rich, then they go on blogs and harp about the poor.
As if there are not enough things to worry about these days – it is not a great time to have non-Covid health issues. Bloomfield et al say do not stop seeking medical help for non-Covid issues. But this is in a context when the health system is pre-occupied with Covid.
It has taken me 4 GP consultations at full cost – 2 on the phone, 2 in-person – to narrow down possibilities for the white stuff on my tonsil. In normal times it'd have probably taken 1 in-person consultation. I can afford it, others might not be able to.
So, the GP who looked at my throat today says it's not strep throat. It's either a stone (which is not a problem) or a growth (which is a problem). And she's referring me to a throat specialist.
Another GP had taken a throat swab a couple of weeks ago. The lab refused to process it, cos too busy with Covid. The GPs queried it, and now the lab has agreed to process it. But now they can't find my original swab. So the GP took another swab today.
So I probably have another few weeks to wait to find out if I have a problem or not.
I had thought maybe the GPs thought I was worrying needlessly by keeping going back to them: first when the antibiotics didn't work, then to ask why I hadn't had the results for my throat swab. The receptionist then booked me in for a phone consult with the young GP who did the swab.
But, next thing, the older more-experienced GP who had given me the antibiotics, phoned me, asked to see me in person, and cancelled the phone consult with the other GP. I got the impression she thought I maybe just had a non-problematic stone, and thus, that I was worrying needlessly.
Turned out, I think the older GP didn't want to say on the phone she was concerned that it might be a growth. In the car park, in full PPE, after she'd checked my throat, said it could be a growth or a stone, and said she was referring me to a throat specialist another car pulled up. The GP looked around and said it wasn't a very private space for this conversation.
She also seemed keen for my swab to be analysed. So, it was a bit of a shock, but it does show it's worth keeping on insisting on consultations & info about non-Covid concerns.
sounds like someone reviewed your situation, which is a good thing. They all seemed swamped that week or so around lockdown, but I'm guessing they've got more time now to be paying attention.
Also around the beginning and first couple of weeks of lock down, GPs were being instructed to do phone and video consultations as much as possible. People really didn't have much of an idea of how widespread C-19 might be in NZ communities.
And also part of the situation where our public health system has been allowed to atrophy over the last few decades.
While the testing and tracing capacity had been built up "exceptionally well", Prof Baker told Morning Report it was still not quite there yet.
"The wider question we need to come back to when the dust is settled is why did New Zealand allow its public health infrastructure to get to such a poor point? And we had so many warnings of this … a lot of us were saying for a long time that we were not ready for a pandemic. It's a very tough way to learn.
Labour and National are responsible for decades of under-funding of our public health system.
I hope the Ardern government follow through on claims they will work to rebuild the system, once the pandemic has been dealt with.
I'm afraid the question that needs to be answered is why did the Government do nothing to prepare for this between the end of January and the middle of March? Why did they not buy PPE then instead of finally putting money into it in the middle of April?
They just sat there.
[Simple task for you: shows us that you’re not lying this time, thanks – Incognito]
If Alwyn's 'considered' opinion @18.1 passed the sniff test, then I'd be surprised that the opposition National party didn't hold the Government to account re PPE supply, in a timely fashion (“end of January and the middle of March“). Maybe the opposition National party just sat there?
From his reply @18.1.1.1 it's clear that Alwyn was lying – no surprises there.
Before I start this "simple task" would you please tell me what you would regard as satisfactory evidence? It is, of course, generally accepted that it is almost impossible to demonstrate that something does not, and never has, existed. In this case I really don't think that the Government are going to give me access to all the accounts of the Health Department and you will possibly claim that because there might be a purchase of a mask hidden away somewhere I haven't proved my point.
So, before I take this task of Sisyphus on what evidence will you accept?
[When I said “simple task”, I meant it, not a “task of Sisyphus”. You know how it works here: when you make a statement(s) of fact, you need to (be able to) back it up with evidence for it to be judged a fact and not merely some made up shit that sounds good to you but is nevertheless made up BS and/or anti-Government propaganda. In this case, for example, you could link to a statement by the Director General of Health, the Minister of Health, or the Prime Minister showing that everything you said @ 18.1 is factually true and correct. To avoid wasting more time on you than is necessary and to stop your troll-like diversions, I have put you in Pre-Moderation to intercept your comments until you comply with this repeated Moderation request and complete your simple task or until I move you to the Blacklist – Incognito]
I'm afraid the question that needs to be answered is why did the Government do nothing to prepare for this between the end of January and the middle of March? Why did they not buy PPE then instead of finally putting money into it in the middle of April?
They just sat there.
Not very hard to show some evidence that the government did NOT "just sit there"
On 25 February, Ministry of health is reported as saying that they had already begun planning for a possible spread of the pandemic to NZ. This includes preparing to have the necessary protective medical equipment.
Mind you, imagine having the task (be it paid employment or self-anointed holy quest) of trying to sow enough alarm and despondency about the this government's covid response so that people should vote tory.
The NZ response broke the chart (damn can’t embed pic properly).
WA has a similar size population and has over the past 2 weeks had around 10 new cases. Yesterday there were none. It has been under a regime very similar to the Level 3 we are moving to. The borders are closed even to other Australians.
To expand upon "so?", how does that help Alwyn sow enough discontent to make nact seem palatable to the electorate?
WA has a number of different factors that might aid in keeping their numbers low, including the ability to do sub-national border control and possibly the heat.
Quite. Being a fuckwit about the pandemic is quite the position.
I'd be very surprised if alwyn lasts much longer let alone until the election campaign proper. We're now into that time of the election cycle when it's just easier to ban until after the election.
I must admit to noticing a distinct lack of tolerance on this site for any opinion that is questioning of the ministry response, preparedness or plans for non Covid related care during and as we exit Level 4 lockdown.
Really? You haven't seen Rosemary, myself and others talking about PPE?
People don't get modded for criticising the govt or the MoH. People get modded for astroturfing and trolling, and then creating work for the mods. Longstanding patterns of behaviour where the mods have to spend time repeating themselves tends to fuck us off because we all have better things to do with our time. This is what alwyn's problem is.
I did see Rosemary's comments and the number of people pooh poohing, you were certainly one of the notable exceptions prepared to discuss her concerns.
Carolyn's been putting up solid information and analysis too.
I think there's an unsaid agreement that in a time of crisis one doesn't want to undermine confidence in the ability of authorities to manage what we are going through. That's different from not critiquing at all or having no tolerance for critique. In the post I put up last week criticising the MoH on the PPE issue, the comments were evenhanded debate across a range of opinions, quite a bit of disagreement, from memory none of the bullshit that alwyn just did here.
I think you make a fair point that tolerance levels here are lower than usual; mine certainly are, as you undoubtedly have noticed. I think this is not too hard to understand. So, if you want to criticise you may have to watch the way you do this more than usual. You may also have to present more solid support for your reckons. Small words matter as they can substantially change the message. Please keep in mind that challenging your critique, even when valid, is not the same as fawning of the Government or the PM. My tolerance for these sorts of stupid simple-minded comebacks is near-zero.
Your final link was that the Department was assessing the situation.
That is fine. However after that date I never saw anything about whether they did get any more gear. Then we had report after report that said there was plenty of gear, from the DOH and complaints that we can't get any from the front line.
After that we had some individuals, and I haven't checked the names, but I think Mowbray, Morgan and Tindall were involved who were buying and importing the gear. At about mid March there were stories from importers that the Government was desperately trying to get some supplies but that nothing was available.
Now, a few days ago we had a Press Release that there was going to be a couple of hundred million available to buy it.
However I never saw anything until mid March then that they were actually buying the damn stuff. Looking at it? Yes. Buying it? Nothing for a long time.
I started gathering the links to justify my statements, thinking that you might at least consider them. Statements like "We didn't order any supplies at all" from the Minister weren't there. Surprise, surprise. On the other hand there was nothing until mid-March that they were going to put any money into getting any PPE.
However I collected –
The evidence, in repeated stories, that in spite of the claims by the DOH about all their stuff in stock, people on the front line couldn't get the items.
Then the reports by people who supply this stuff in New Zealand of the sudden heavy demand from the Government to import gowns by air but the orders couldn't be met. These were completely new orders and Government interest.This was just after the lock-down.
Then the statements by Robertson, repeated somewhat later by Clark that they were going to put a lot of money into buying the PPE goods. A couple of hundred million in fact. This was after the lock-down of course, and was the first time they had ever mentioned buying any.
Then I thought about what was likely to happen from some moderator or other who had said that
"I'd be very surprised if alwyn lasts much longer let alone until the election campaign proper. We're now into that time of the election cycle when it's just easier to ban until after the election."
And then I remembered being banned for a couple of months by the aforesaid moderator for saying that Shaw was out of the country on Census day. My evidence was rejected because it was a newspaper story from, if I remember accurately, the day before the Census saying Shaw would be up in the Islands with the PM on Census day. This was in the future tense and therefore not evidence at all apparently so I was banned.
Then I thought about how many people still post here who actually discuss interesting things in a rational manner. There are still 3 or 4 but that is all. There used to be posts by people like Colonial Viper, or Puckish Rogue or best of all Lanthanide. All gone and hardly anyone except for the KDS sufferers left.
So I have decided, stuff it. Why go to any trouble knowing I will shortly be banned again because I might say something truthful about the Green Party and their coming demise and be banned instantly. There isn't enough here worth reading any more.
I'm off. I'm afraid I can't say "Thanks for all the fish"
If you make factual statements here then you need to be able to back them up. If you cannot find anything to support your statements with then they were most likely just your opinions.
We don’t mind opinions at all, as long as they don’t masquerade as ‘facts’.
This rule is as old as the site, I believe [see what I did there?].
The reason why that Moderator mused that you might not last here is your pattern behaviour. It is not personal, but it is highly likely that it does become self-fulfilling if you believe it is. Moderation takes time and these are stressful times so Moderators do look for ways to avoid the extra burden of having to deal with recidivist behaviour.
Relitigating (past) Moderation is never going to help anybody; you only dig in and a deeper hole.
This is nothing new either.
The irony is that if you want to discuss things in a rational manner you need to be able to distinguish between fact and fiction. The three commenters whom you mentioned all have (considerable) history here. Just like you, they have chosen self-exile from the site quite a few years ago. Only one is currently serving a long ban because he dug in, just like you, and when offered a way out, he didn’t accept!? Yet, oddly enough, he’s still trying to send comments to the site!?
The fact you hold these three commenters in such high regard is quite telling. Even more telling is that you brandish with broad brush everybody else here as “KDS sufferers”. I could easily list quite a few regular commenters who would not fit that brand at all. I think it shows your prejudice towards this site and the people who comment here.
There’s nothing rational about cutting your nose off despite your face. I know this all too well because I’m somewhat of an expert in this.
Lastly, it is well known that you feel some (…) antipathy towards the Greens. This is not a bannable offence at all! However, the truth-threshold is higher than for more general topics and the tolerance for BS is correspondingly lower. If you want to criticise the Green Party then the onus is on you to make it correct and compelling yet you inevitably fail in this regard. I assume this is because you don’t distinguish clearly enough between fact and fiction and because of your demonstrable anti-Green bias.
In summary, if you accuse us of banning you, please know why and what you were banned for and be honest about it. Please don’t make up lame excuses that we cannot handle the truth about the Green Party, for example. It is not becoming of a mature adult who claims to want a rational and civil discussion here.
For the record: you have chosen to leave the site of your own accord.
I always liked the quote about "luck" from golfer Gary Player. He said that people always told him how "lucky" he was in playing out of a bunker and getting close to the hole.
His response was that he found that the more he practiced the luckier he was.
A wee while ago I had a debate with a colleague about whether it should be "clinical practise" as oppoosed to "clinical practice". It took some time, and involved colleague pointing to scholarly articles referring to clinical practise as "clinical practice", and me asking about how one would distinguish between the clinical practice at which the clinical practise was being practised and the clinical practise practised at the clinical practice even if only in a practice of the practise at the practice.
Last time they make me write rather than count, I hope. 👿
Lovely! The whole thing is easily settled if one substitutes the word 'advise' for 'practise' and 'advice' for 'practice'.
No problem with advice and advise, because we pronounce them differently.
But practise and practice (owing to stupid English spelling non-system) are pronounced the same, hence the massive error-rate, which annoys us true pedants.
P.S. It should be 'clinically practise' and 'clinical practice'. No other options available.
The best thing to do is to take turn about. That way one can be reasonably sure of a 50% right – 50% wrong scenario no matter what word is in contention. 😎
There are even bigger questions behind this though. Maybe others can help? Had bits of the health service needed for this epidemic been effectively privatised draining money away from essential government maintained services and making it more difficult to ramp up quickly because there needs to be contract renegotiations?
Healthline which has been quite a part of the response seems to be a multi year (8? 9? years) costing $257? million for the basics over these years. I struggle with who is actually running this and if money is being drained into supersized salaries for some and profits as well? Anybody know anything?
Just breathe. It's only a tweet. Wait to see what actually eventuates.
Even if it becomes something substantial, MAGog will quickly come under a lot of pressure from the only people he gives even a tiny rats about to start letting people back in. To help keep wages and salaries low.
This and the so called skills shortage lists have just been used to keep wages down across the economy and avoid doing any training. Some of the visa's have terms way beyond the time it would take to train people. It has also given lousy employers a free pass- some of them no one but somebody desperate for a visa would work for,
If true, another huge variable in the worlds future. For all his sins, I guess there is stability, albeit based on evil, in NK. If true, and he passes away and the old order collapses, could be a refugee crisis for China.
Interesting. It would have enormous consequences if there were to be a collapse of the Nth Korean regime. The dissolution of strong man regimes is rarely peaceful, and it could entail sustained cooperation between the Chinese, Sth Korean and American armed services to manage the humanitarian and refugee fallout alone.
A fast moving crisis in Nth Korea could determine the power balance in East Asia for decades. If you look at just the 20th century, East/West Germany, North/South Yemen, North/South Vietnam it was predicted that these divided nations would be very likely to ever recombine … yet all three did during events that lasted just weeks, not even months.
Big Fat Caveat. No-one really knows what is happening in the hermit kingdom, which makes early reports like this highly conditional. If true however, the timing would be appalling ….
So, it’s finally happened,
That thing you were afraid of,
Something’s come from overseas,
And taken your jobs,
Made it unsafe to walk the streets,
Kept you trapped in your home.
A dirty disease,
Your proud nation, gone.
But not me. Or me.
Or me. Or me.
No, you clap for me now.
You cheer as I toil,
Bringing food to your family,
Bringing food from your soil.
Propping up your hospitals,
Not some foreign invader.
Delivery driver. Teacher. Life saver.
Don’t say ‘go home’,
Don’t say ‘not here’,
You know how it feels for home to be a prison,
You know how it feels to live in fear.
So you clap for me now.
All this love you are bringing,
But don’t forget when it’s no longer quiet,
Don’t forget when you can no longer hear the birds singing,
Or see clear waters, that I crossed for you,
To make lives filled with peace,
And bring peace to your life too.
Come all you Gretas,
You Malalas,
You immigrants,
See what we have learned.
It only takes the smallest thing,
To change the world.
The world’s largest investment banks have provided more than $700bn of financing for the fossil fuel companies most aggressively expanding in new coal, oil and gas projects since the Paris climate change agreement, figures show.
The financing has been led by the Wall Street giant JPMorgan Chase, which has provided $75bn (£61bn) to companies expanding in sectors such as fracking and Arctic oil and gas exploration, according to the analysis.
The New York bank is one of 33 powerful financial institutions to have provided an estimated total of $1.9tn to the fossil fuel sector between 2016 and 2018.
The data shows the most aggressively expanding coal-mining operations, oil and gas companies, fracking firms and pipeline companies have received $713.3bn in loans, equity issuances and debt underwriting services from 2016 to mid-2019.
Today is Donald J Trump’s second inauguration ceremony.I try not to follow too much US news, and yet these developments are noteworthy and somehow relevant to us here.Only hours in, parts of their Project 2025 ‘think/junk tank’ policies — long planned and signalled — are already live:And Elon Musk, who ...
California Burning: The veteran firefighters of California and Los Angeles called it “a perfect storm”. The hillsides and canyons were full of “fuel”. The LA Fire Department was underfunded, below-strength, and inadequately-equipped. A key reservoir was empty, leaving fire-hydrants without the water pressure needed for fire hoses. The power companies had ...
The Waitangi Tribunal has been one of the most effective critics of the government, pointing out repeatedly that its racist, colonialist policies breach te Tiriti o Waitangi. While it has no powers beyond those of recommendation, its truth-telling has clearly gotten under the government's skin. They had already begun to ...
I don't mind where you come fromAs long as you come to meBut I don't like illusionsI can't see them clearlyI don't care, no I wouldn't dareTo fix the twist in youYou've shown me eventually what you'll doSong: Shimon Moore, Emma Anzai, Antonina Armato, and Tim James.National Hugging Day.Today, January ...
Is Rwanda turning into a country that seeks regional dominance and exterminates its rivals? This is a contention examined by Dr Michela Wrong, and Dr Maria Armoudian. Dr Wrong is a journalist who has written best-selling books on Africa. Her latest, Do Not Disturb. The story of a political murder ...
The economy isn’t cooperating with the Government’s bet that lower interest rates will solve everything, with most metrics indicating per-capita GDP is still contracting faster and further than at any time since the 1990-96 series of government spending and welfare cuts. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short in ...
Hi,Today is the day sexual assaulter and alleged rapist Donald Trump officially became president (again).I was in a meeting for three hours this morning, so I am going to summarise what happened by sharing my friend’s text messages:So there you go.Welcome to American hell — which includes all of America’s ...
This is a re-post from the Climate BrinkI have a new paper out today in the journal Dialogues on Climate Change exploring both the range of end-of-century climate outcomes in the literature under current policies and the broader move away from high-end emissions scenarios. Current policies are defined broadly as policies in ...
Long story short: I chatted last night with ’s on the substack app about the appointment of Chris Bishop to replace Simeon Brown as Transport Minister. We talked through their different approaches and whether there’s much room for Bishop to reverse many of the anti-cycling measures Brown adopted.Our chat ...
Last night I chatted with Northland emergency doctor on the substack app for subscribers about whether the appointment of Simeon Brown to replace Shane Reti as Health Minister. We discussed whether the new minister can turn around decades of under-funding in real and per-capita terms. Our chat followed his ...
Christopher Luxon is every dismal boss who ever made you wince, or roll your eyes, or think to yourself I have absolutely got to get the hell out of this place.Get a load of what he shared with us at his cabinet reshuffle, trying to be all sensitive and gracious.Dr ...
The text of my submission to the Ministry of Health's unnecessary and politicised review of the use of puberty blockers for young trans and nonbinary people in Aotearoa. ...
Hi,Last night one of the world’s biggest social media platforms, TikTok, became inaccessible in the United States.Then, today, it came back online.Why should we care about a social network that deals in dance trends and cute babies? Well — TikTok represents a lot more than that.And its ban and subsequent ...
Sometimes I wake in the middle of the nightAnd rub my achin' old eyesIs that a voice from inside-a my headOr does it come down from the skies?"There's a time to laugh butThere's a time to weepAnd a time to make a big change"Wake-up you-bum-the-time has-comeTo arrange and re-arrange and ...
Former Health Minister Shane Reti was the main target of Luxon’s reshuffle. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short to start the year in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate: Christopher Luxon fired Shane Reti as Health Minister and replaced him with Simeon Brown, who Luxon sees ...
Yesterday, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced a cabinet reshuffle, which saw Simeon Brown picking up the Health portfolio as it’s been taken off Dr Shane Reti, and Transport has been given to Chris Bishop. Additionally, Simeon’s energy and local government portfolios now sit with Simon Watts. This is very good ...
The sacking of Health Minister Shane Reti yesterday had an air of panic about it. A media advisory inviting journalists to a Sunday afternoon press conference at Premier House went out on Saturday night. Caucus members did not learn that even that was happening until yesterday morning. Reti’s fate was ...
Yesterday’s demotion of Shane Reti was inevitable. Reti’s attempt at a re-assuring bedside manner always did have a limited shelf life, and he would have been a poor and apologetic salesman on the campaign trail next year. As a trained doctor, he had every reason to be looking embarrassed about ...
A listing of 25 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, January 12, 2025 thru Sat, January 18, 2025. This week's roundup is again published soleley by category. We are still interested in feedback to hone the categorization, so if ...
After another substantial hiatus from online Chess, I’ve been taking it up again. I am genuinely terrible at five-minute Blitz, what with the tight time constraints, though I periodically con myself into thinking that I have been improving. But seeing as my past foray into Chess led to me having ...
Rise up o children wont you dance with meRise up little children come and set me freeRise little ones riseNo shame no fearDon't you know who I amSongwriter: Rebecca Laurel FountainI’m sure you know the go with this format. Some memories, some questions, letsss go…2015A decade ago, I made the ...
In 2017, when Ghahraman was elected to Parliament as a Green MP, she recounted both the highlights and challenges of her role -There was love, support, and encouragement.And on the flipside, there was intense, visceral and unchecked hate.That came with violent threats - many of them. More on that later.People ...
It gives me the biggest kick to learn that something I’ve enthused about has been enough to make you say Go on then, I'm going to do it. The e-bikes, the hearing aids, the prostate health, the cheese puffs. And now the solar power. Yes! Happy to share the details.We ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park from the Gigafact team in collaboration with members from our team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Can CO2 be ...
The old bastard left his ties and his suitA brown box, mothballs and bowling shoesAnd his opinion so you'd never have to choosePretty soon, you'll be an old bastard tooYou get smaller as the world gets bigThe more you know you know you don't know shit"The whiz man" will never ...
..Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.The Numbers2024 could easily have been National’s “Annus Horribilis” and 2025 shows no signs of a reprieve for our Landlord PM Chris Luxon and his inept Finance Minister Nikki “Noboats” Willis.Several polls last year ...
This Friday afternoon, Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka announced an overhaul of the Waitangi Tribunal.The government has effectively cleared house - appointing 8 new members - and combined with October’s appointment of former ACT leader Richard Prebble, that’s 9 appointees.[I am not certain, but can only presume, Prebble went in ...
The state of the current economy may be similar to when National left office in 2017.In December, a couple of days after the Treasury released its 2024 Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update (HEYFU24), Statistics New Zealand reported its estimate for volume GDP for the previous September 24 quarter. Instead ...
So what becomes of you, my love?When they have finally stripped you ofThe handbags and the gladragsThat your poor old granddadHad to sweat to buy you, babySongwriter: Mike D'aboIn yesterday’s newsletter, I expressed sadness at seeing Golriz Ghahraman back on the front pages for shoplifting. As someone who is no ...
It’s Friday and time for another roundup of things that caught our attention this week. This post, like all our work, is brought to you by a largely volunteer crew and made possible by generous donations from our readers and fans. If you’d like to support our work, you can join ...
Note: This Webworm discusses sexual assault and rape. Please read with care.Hi,A few weeks ago I reported on how one of New Zealand’s richest men, Nick Mowbray (he and his brother own Zuru and are worth an estimated $20 billion), had taken to sharing posts by a British man called ...
The final Atlas Network playbook puzzle piece is here, and it slipped in to Aotearoa New Zealand with little fan fare or attention. The implications are stark.Today, writes Dr Bex, the submission for the Crimes (Countering Foreign Interference) Amendment Bill closes: 11:59pm January 16, 2025.As usual, the language of the ...
Excitement in the seaside village! Look what might be coming! 400 million dollars worth of investment! In the very beating heart of the village! Are we excited and eager to see this happen, what with every last bank branch gone and shops sitting forlornly quiet awaiting a customer?Yes please, apply ...
Much discussion has been held over the Regulatory Standards Bill (RSB), the latest in a series of rightwing attempts to enshrine into law pro-market precepts such as the primacy of private property ownership. Underneath the good governance and economic efficiency gobbledegook language of the Bill is an interest to strip ...
We are concerned that the Amendment Bill, as proposed, could impair the operations and legitimate interests of the NZ Trade Union movement. It is also likely to negatively impact the ability of other civil society actors to conduct their affairs without the threat of criminal sanctions. We ask that ...
I can't take itHow could I fake it?How could I fake it?And I can't take itHow could I fake it?How could I fake it?Song: The Lonely Biscuits.“A bit nippy”, I thought when I woke this morning, and then, soon after that, I wondered whether hell had frozen over. Dear friends, ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Asheville, North Carolina, was once widely considered a climate haven thanks to its elevated, inland location and cooler temperatures than much of the Southeast. Then came the catastrophic floods of Hurricane Helene in September 2024. It was a stark reminder that nowhere is safe from ...
Early reports indicate that the temporary Israel/Hamas ceasefire deal (due to take effect on Sunday) will allow for the gradual release of groups of Israeli hostages, the release of an unspecified number of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails (likely only a fraction of the total incarcerated population), and the withdrawal ...
My daily news diet is not what it once was.It was the TV news that lost me first. Too infantilising, too breathless, too frustrating.The Herald was next. You could look past the reactionary framing while it was being a decent newspaper of record, but once Shayne Currie began unleashing all ...
Hit the road Jack and don't you come backNo more, no more, no more, no moreHit the road Jack and don't you come back no moreWhat you say?Songwriters: Percy MayfieldMorena,I keep many of my posts, like this one, paywall-free so that everyone can read them.However, please consider supporting me as ...
This might be the longest delay between reading (or in this case re-reading) a work, and actually writing a review of it I have ever managed. Indeed, when I last read these books in December 2022, I was not planning on writing anything about them… but as A Phuulish Fellow ...
Kia Ora,I try to keep most my posts without a paywall for public interest journalism purposes. However, if you can afford to, please consider supporting me as a paid subscriber and/or supporting over at Ko-Fi. That will help me to continue, and to keep spending time on the work. Embarrassingly, ...
There was a time when Google was the best thing in my world. I was an early adopter of their AdWords program and boy did I like what it did for my business. It put rocket fuel in it, is what it did. For every dollar I spent, those ads ...
A while back I was engaged in an unpleasant exchange with a leader of the most well-known NZ anti-vax group and several like-minded trolls. I had responded to a racist meme on social media in which a rightwing podcaster in the US interviewed one of the leaders of the Proud ...
Hi,If you’ve been reading Webworm for a while, you’ll be familiar with Anna Wilding. Between 2020 and 2021 I looked at how the New Zealander had managed to weasel her way into countless news stories over the years, often with very little proof any of it had actually happened. When ...
It's a long white cloud for you, baby; staying together alwaysSummertime in AotearoaWhere the sunshine kisses the water, we will find it alwaysSummertime in AotearoaYeah, it′s SummertimeIt's SummertimeWriters: Codi Wehi Ngatai, Moresby Kainuku, Pipiwharauroa Campbell, Taulutoa Michael Schuster, Rebekah Jane Brady, Te Naawe Jordan Muturangi Tupe, Thomas Edward Scrase.Many of ...
Last year, 292 people died unnecessarily on our roads. That is the lowest result in over a decade and only the fourth time in the last 70 years we’ve seen fewer than 300 deaths in a calendar year. Yet, while it is 292 people too many, with each death being ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Jeff Masters and Bob HensonFlames from the Palisades Fire burn a building at Sunset Boulevard amid a powerful windstorm on January 8, 2025 in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. The fast-moving wildfire had destroyed thousands of structures and ...
..Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.The Regulatory Standards Bill, as I understand it, seeks to bind parliament to a specific range of law-making.For example, it seems to ensure primacy of individual rights over that of community, environment, te Tiriti ...
Happy New Year!I had a lovely break, thanks very much for asking: friends, family, sunshine, books, podcasts, refreshing swims, barbecues, bike rides. So good to step away from the firehose for a while, to have less Trump and Seymour in your day. Who needs the Luxons in their risible PJs ...
Patrick Reynolds is deputy chair of the Auckland City Centre Advisory Panel and a director of Greater Auckland In 2003, after much argument, including the election of a Mayor in 2001 who ran on stopping it, Britomart train station in downtown Auckland opened. A mere 1km twin track terminating branch ...
For the first time in a decade, a New Zealand Prime Minister is heading to the Middle East. The trip is more than just a courtesy call. New Zealand PMs frequently change planes in Dubai en route to destinations elsewhere. But Christopher Luxon’s visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) ...
A listing of 23 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, January 5, 2025 thru Sat, January 11, 2025. This week's roundup is again published soleley by category. We are still interested in feedback to hone the categorization, so if ...
The decade between 1952 and the early 1960s was the peak period for the style of music we now call doo wop, after which it got dissolved into soul music, girl groups, and within pop music in general. Basically, doo wop was a form of small group harmonising with a ...
The future teaches you to be aloneThe present to be afraid and coldSo if I can shoot rabbits, then I can shoot fascists…And if you tolerate thisThen your children will be nextSongwriters: James Dean Bradfield / Sean Anthony Moore / Nicholas Allen Jones.Do you remember at school, studying the rise ...
When National won the New Zealand election in 2023, one of the first to congratulate Luxon was tech-billionaire and entrepreneur extraordinaire Elon Musk.And last year, after Luxon posted a video about a trip to Malaysia, Musk came forward again to heap praise on Christopher:So it was perhaps par for the ...
Hi,Today’s Webworm features a new short film from documentary maker Giorgio Angelini. It’s about Luigi Mangione — but it’s also, really, about everything in America right now.Bear with me.Shortly after I sent out my last missive from the fires on Wednesday, one broke out a little too close to home ...
So soon just after you've goneMy senses sharpenBut it always takes so damn longBefore I feel how much my eyes have darkenedFear hangs in a plane of gun smokeDrifting in our roomSo easy to disturb, with a thought, with a whisperWith a careless memorySongwriters: Andy Taylor / John Taylor / ...
Can we trust the Trump cabinet to act in the public interest?Nine of Trump’s closest advisers are billionaires. Their total net worth is in excess of $US375b (providing there is not a share-market crash). In contrast, the total net worth of Trump’s first Cabinet was about $6b. (Joe Biden’s Cabinet ...
Welcome back to our weekly roundup. We hope you had a good break (if you had one). Here’s a few of the stories that caught our attention over the last few weeks. This holiday period on Greater Auckland Since our last roundup we’ve: Taken a look back at ...
Sometimes I feel like I don't have a partnerSometimes I feel like my only friendIs the city I live in, The City of AngelsLonely as I am together we crySong: Anthony Kiedis, Chad Smith, Flea, John Frusciante.A home is engulfed in flames during the Eaton fire in the Altadena area. ...
Open access notablesLarge emissions of CO2 and CH4 due to active-layer warming in Arctic tundra, Torn et al., Nature Communications:Climate warming may accelerate decomposition of Arctic soil carbon, but few controlled experiments have manipulated the entire active layer. To determine surface-atmosphere fluxes of carbon dioxide and ...
It's election year for Wellington City Council and for the Regional Council. What have the progressive councillors achieved over the last couple of years. What were the blocks and failures? What's with the targeting of the mayor and city council by the Post and by central government? Why does the ...
Over the holidays, there was a rising tide of calls for people to submit on National's repulsive, white supremacist Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Bill, along with a wave of advice and examples of what to say. And it looks like people rose to the occasion, with over 300,000 ...
The lie is my expenseThe scope of my desireThe Party blessed me with its futureAnd I protect it with fireI am the Nina The Pinta The Santa MariaThe noose and the rapistAnd the fields overseerThe agents of orangeThe priests of HiroshimaThe cost of my desire…Sleep now in the fireSongwriters: Brad ...
This is a re-post from the Climate BrinkGlobal surface temperatures have risen around 1.3C since the preindustrial (1850-1900) period as a result of human activity.1 However, this aggregate number masks a lot of underlying factors that contribute to global surface temperature changes over time.These include CO2, which is the primary ...
There are times when movement around us seems to slow down. And the faster things get, the slower it all appears.And so it is with the whirlwind of early year political activity.They are harbingers for what is to come:Video: Wayne Wright Jnr, funder of Sean Plunket, talk growing power and ...
Hi,Right now the power is out, so I’m just relying on the laptop battery and tethering to my phone’s 5G which is dropping in and out. We’ll see how we go.First up — I’m fine. I can’t see any flames out the window. I live in the greater Hollywood area ...
2024 was a tough year for working Kiwis. But together we’ve been able to fight back for a just and fair New Zealand and in 2025 we need to keep standing up for what’s right and having our voices heard. That starts with our Mood of the Workforce Survey. It’s your ...
Time is never time at allYou can never ever leaveWithout leaving a piece of youthAnd our lives are forever changedWe will never be the sameThe more you change, the less you feelSongwriter: William Patrick Corgan.Babinden - Baba’s DayToday, January 8th, 2025, is Babinden, “The Day of the baba” or “The ...
..I/We wish to make the following comments:I oppose the Treaty Principles Bill."5. Act binds the CrownThis Act binds the Crown."How does this Act "bind the Crown" when Te Tiriti o Waitangi, which the Act refers to, has been violated by the Crown on numerous occassions, resulting in massive loss of ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to stand firm and work with allies to progress climate action as Donald Trump signals his intent to pull out of the Paris Climate Accords once again. ...
The Green Party has welcomed the provisional ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, and reiterated its call for New Zealand to push for an end to the unlawful occupation of Palestine. ...
The Green Party welcomes the extension of the deadline for Treaty Principles Bill submissions but continues to call on the Government to abandon the Bill. ...
Complaints about disruptive behaviour now handled in around 13 days (down from around 60 days a year ago) 553 Section 55A notices issued by Kāinga Ora since July 2024, up from 41 issued during the same period in the previous year. Of that 553, first notices made up around 83 ...
The time it takes to process building determinations has improved significantly over the last year which means fewer delays in homes being built, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “New Zealand has a persistent shortage of houses. Making it easier and quicker for new homes to be built will ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden is pleased to announce the annual list of New Zealand’s most popular baby names for 2024. “For the second consecutive year, Noah has claimed the top spot for boys with 250 babies sharing the name, while Isla has returned to the most popular ...
Work is set to get underway on a new bus station at Westgate this week. A contract has been awarded to HEB Construction to start a package of enabling works to get the site ready in advance of main construction beginning in mid-2025, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“A new Westgate ...
Minister for Children and for Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence Karen Chhour is encouraging people to use the resources available to them to get help, and to report instances of family and sexual violence amongst their friends, families, and loved ones who are in need. “The death of a ...
Uia te pō, rangahaua te pō, whakamāramatia mai he aha tō tango, he aha tō kāwhaki? Whitirere ki te ao, tirotiro kau au, kei hea taku rātā whakamarumaru i te au o te pakanga mo te mana motuhake? Au te pō, ngū te pō, ue hā! E te kahurangi māreikura, ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says people with diabetes and other painful conditions will benefit from a significant new qualification to boost training in foot care. “It sounds simple, but quality and regular foot and nail care is vital in preventing potentially serious complications from diabetes, like blisters or sores, which can take a long time to heal ...
There’s been a major shake-up at the Waitangi Tribunal, with more than half of the current members, including some esteemed Māori academics, losing their places to make way for some controversial new appointments.Established in 1975, the Waitangi Tribunal investigates alleged Crown breaches of the promises made to Māori in ...
PFAS chemicals are omnipresent, enduring, and almost certainly in your bloodstream. Here’s a guide to where they come from, why there are concerns about their use and what regulations are in place to help you avoid exposure. Your raincoat, beading with water. The slippery smooth surface of your non-stick pans. ...
Comment: If you’ve ever wondered how Omni Consumer Products became the government in the 1987 Paul Verhoeven film, Robocop, you’re about to find out. As Donald J. Trump, a convicted felon and a man who tried to violently seize power through a failed coup in 2020, begins his second term ...
Opinion: Austria is poised to become the next European country to fall to the far right. There is only one option for mainstream parties to break this cycle. The post Europe’s far-right dominoes knock down democracy appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Prime Minister Christoper Luxon has turned Finance Minister Nicola Willis into a ‘super minister’ by adding the rebranded economic portfolio to her plate and bolstering her ability to implement change.Luxon announced his decision to appoint Nicola Willis to the role of Minister for Economic Growth as part of a wider ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp');Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions.The post Newsroom daily quiz, Wednesday 22 January appeared first on Newsroom. ...
When I reflect on my life, I look at how everything changed on the evening of June 22, 1970.I was lying in bed when the phone went late one night. My father picked it up. He was on the phone for what seemed like an eternity, and I could tell ...
Opinion: After an exhaustive period of consultation spanning almost two years, the Privacy Commissioner, in the week before Christmas, released the draft version of the Biometric Processing Privacy Code he intends to issue under the Privacy Act.Biometric information, collected through the likes of facial recognition technology, is personal information covered ...
Opinion: With a freshly minted transport minister taking the helm this week, it’s a good time to consider why we lack a fair and objective conversation about transport in New Zealand.The main reason for opposing investment in public transport and rail is that these modes reduce the reliance on and ...
After 23 years following a black line at the bottom of a swimming pool, Aquablack and Olympian Helena Gasson has retired from competitive swimming on her terms.She now wants to share her expertise and give back to the sport after being the only New Zealander to compete at an Oceania ...
A temporary impasse between the executive and the courts over the Marine and Coastal Areas Act has now seen six more Māori groups granted customary rights by the High Court.The judge in the latest case says the courts can’t wait for what might eventuate from Parliament but must decide applications ...
After sitting on the back benches as an MP for five terms, Lee was given the ethnic communities, economic development, and media and communications portfolios after the coalition government won the 2023 election. Lee was demoted from Cabinet in April last year, with Luxon stripping her of the media and ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra After rejecting calls for months, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese finally summoned a Tuesday national cabinet meeting to discuss Australia’s rising wave of antisemitic attacks and other incidents. This followed the torching of a childcare ...
COMMENTARY:By Eugene Doyle A litmus test of Israel’s commitment to abandon genocide and start down the road towards lasting peace is whether they choose to release the most important of all the hostages, Marwan Barghouti. During the past 22 years in Israeli prisons he has been beaten, tortured, sexually ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tessa Leach, Research Manager, Industry, at Climateworks Centre, Monash University Maksim_Gusev/Shutterstock Aluminium is an exceptionally useful metal. Lightweight, resistant to rust and able to be turned into alloys with other metals. Small wonder it’s the second most used metal in the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Samuel Garrett, Research Associate, United States Studies Centre, University of Sydney In a piece of pure political theatre, Donald Trump began his second presidency by signing a host of executive orders before a rapturous crowd of 20,000 in Washington on Monday. ...
By Leah Lowonbu in Port Vila Vanuatu’s only incumbent female parliamentarian has lost her seat in a snap election leaving only one woman candidate in contention after an unofficial vote count. The unofficial counting at polling locations indicated the majority of the 52 incumbent MPs have been reelected but also ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Justin Keogh, Associate Dean of Research, Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine, Bond University Photo by cottonbro studio/Pexels If you’ve ever seen people at the gym or the park jumping, hopping or hurling weighted balls to the ground, chances are they ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Senior Lecturer, Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society, University of Canberra Freshly elected US president Donald Trump has exercised his usual degree of modesty and named his newly launched cryptocurrency or memecoin, $Trump. And like the man himself, the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Samuel Garrett, Research Associate, United States Studies Centre, University of Sydney In a piece of pure political theatre, Donald Trump began his second presidency by signing a host of executive orders before a rapturous crowd of 20,000 in Washington on Monday. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dominique Falla, Associate Professor, Queensland College of Art and Design, Griffith University JYP Entertainment A South Korean boy band you’ve probably never heard of recently made history by becoming the first act to debut at No. 1 on the US Billboard ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emma Shortis, Adjunct Senior Fellow, School of Global, Urban and Social Studies, RMIT University Today, in the Capitol Rotunda in Washington DC, the 47th President of the United States was sworn into office. The second Trump era has begun. In his inaugural ...
Anna Rawhiti-Connell joins Duncan Greive to recap a big month for social media, and make some predictions for the year ahead. You could say it’s been an epochal month in the geopolitics of social media. As The Fold returns for 2025, The Spinoff’s resident social media philosopher queen, Anna Rawhiti-Connell, ...
The proposed principles are inconsistent with Te Tiriti o Waitangi, they are unsupported by the text of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and seriously breach Te Tiriti o Waitangi with implications for the education sector, adds Tumuaki Graeme Cosslett. ...
Greenpeace is calling on the Government to significantly strengthen its climate target, in particular the goal to cut methane emissions. This is what the independent Climate Change Commission advised in its report at the end of last year. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nicholas Khoo, Associate Professor of International Politics and Principal Research Fellow, Institute for Indo-Pacific Affairs (Christchurch), University of Otago Getty Images Donald Trump is an unusual United States president in that he may be the first to strike greater anxiety in ...
The Governor-General is already taking home $447,900 a year, plus an allowance of $40,551. Totalling almost seven times the median wage, no one can accuse Dame Cindy Kiro of being underpaid, Taxpayers’ Union Spokesman James Ross said. ...
Ten brilliant – and brilliantly short – books to kickstart the year. Whoever said “If you love something, you should let it go” was way off base.Anyone who sets a yearly reading goal knows the truth: if you love something, you should quantify it with a numerical target to ...
Al Jazeera journalist Fadi al-Wahidi, who was gravely injured on 9 October 2024 while reporting from the Jabalia camp in the northern Gaza Strip, is fighting for his life as the Israeli authorities continued to refuse his transfer to a hospital abroad, despite repeated calls from RSF. Also, two Palestinian ...
Can either newbie beat the best ice block in New Zealand? When I crowned the Cyclone the best ice block in New Zealand in 2023, I argued that it had earned the crown by being singular. As a Streets product, the Cyclone had no competitors, not from Tip Top and ...
A new study from the University of Canterbury has found that not even our humble compost is safe from the scourge of microplastics. At first, you could be looking at a beautiful piece of abstract art, or a collection of precious gemstones extracted from a distant planet. There’s what appears ...
The New Conservative Party will now be campaigning under the name Conservative Party, dropping the "New." This change reflects our confidence in the enduring strength of our Conservative values – principles that speak for themselves without the need ...
Green hydrogen - which has been described by fans as the "swiss army knife" of clean energy - has enjoyed a wave of private investment and government subsidies. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Agriculture, Food and Ecosystem Sciences, The University of Melbourne ChWeiss/Shutterstock If you’ve been on a summertime stroll in recent weeks, chances are you’ve seen a red flowering gum, Corymbia ficifolia. This species comes from ...
Simon Bridges ,Michael Woodhouse. Are being Total Dicks.Politicing While we are facing a National crisis.Stay at home and Stop being a Dick Simon.Michael Woodhouse Stop taking cheap shots which haven't got any Scientific evidence or are pure lies.Outhouse claimed the 130 health workers infected were because of lack of PPE and proper safety in our hospitals.Fact Healthcare workers returning from overseas were infected passing Covid onto other workers before our borders were closed.Outhouse is a lying little S*?t
Most NZr are not silly ,should do a like poll on Bridges Woodhouse Hoskings not one of them would make 10%, My wife is from a blue family of 18, one of them put on facebook blue is not my favorite colour, almost all the family including children clicked Like, the three of them are going to come out of this so very disliked
dont forget about some certain mp's shoving up billboards all around wellington and the hutt right before lockdown stating how labour have done such a good job with covid19.
labour started politicising this long ago.
Since 19 October 2017?
Reading this Herald article about bunkers available for the rich, brings to mind that this will be an infection of a different kind.
(It also makes me smile with the recollection of Stark, Ben Elton's comic novel about the reality of the company in the Stark consortium escape spaceship for those who brought about the end of the world).
Really curious what kind of visa the dude at the start of that article has. And what will happen to him when it runs out.
Anyone know if the resource consents on those will be in the public domain? eg the one in Canterbury that can house 300 people.
Quite possibly unconsented. If you're trying to hide from the zombie apocalypse, you wouldn't want the zombies to be able to just look up where you're hiding.
Did you just call council staff zombies? 😛
I'm not sure they'd be talking to the media if they were unconsented.
so ultimately for a "king" and his support staff . In other words, self indulgence. Is that really the the kind of person we need in NZ ?
I was scratching my head at the 300 people one.
A remake of Logan’s Run.
they're going to kill anyone over 21?
Nah, of course not! Only Boomers.
you can actually build these pretty cheaply. I'd kinda love to do this if I ever built a house.
Check this out, good watch
There's now such a glut of oil that oil is selling for US$-30 a barrel.
That's effectively paying those US producers to keep it in the ground – or find massive above-ground storage.
https://edition.cnn.com/2020/04/20/investing/premarket-stocks-trading/index.html
I'm sure it won't last but …
That's a particularly weird moment.
Thought it was more like negative 3 per barrel. Maybe a different benchmark.
The one I read was the calculated benchmark price for crude oil delivered to some town in Ohio in June.
They’re acutely short of oil storage space in the US. They’re rolling out old badges and storing oil in those because they have no tanks, and they’re starting to run out of those. Soon it will be cheaper to store oil in oil tankers parked offshore than it is to land it.
Meanwhile Brent Crude is about to go under USD30 / Barrel.
At this rate they will need to just keep it in the ground
The May oil contracts expires tomorrow,at expiration they are required to take physical delivery at cushing Oklahoma.
Can't see much of a future in oil future trading.
Oil futures minus $US37/barrel.
Watching the tanker charter rates.
Huge demand for ships for temporary storage. Already cheaper to store it offshore.
Oil futures have gone negative.
Won't be investing in oil companies.
How long before it starts getting 'lost' at sea.
Yep. Expect a few, "insurance jobs".
Personally I was suspicious of two VLCC oil tankers, from the same company, that collided in clear weather years ago, when the charter rates fell through the floor.
Seemed a bit too, coincidental. 😀
Seventy years of prices.
https://www.macrotrends.net/1369/crude-oil-price-history-chart
It's a bizarre time to be alive.
I trade oil, it's not oil. oil was at $22 last I checked. It was some weird measurement.
Futures.
Which means infused might well consider selling, lol
I've been shorting since covid kicked in.
the shit that happened today though was crazy.
The Covid 19 is a very serious issue.
It will be a giggle in the rooms of Auckland ZB, Herald, Bridges, Paula, and the Kauri girl.
There are a couple of other serious problems that ought to get attention, however.
The major one is the ongoing violence of degraded dirty men who go about Killing and Violating their wives. They also force their evil on the children of the family.
The numbers attached to male violence are way way beyond the Current Coronova Virus.
However, there is a further treachery in Aotearoa. It is carried out by the Land Lord. The Land Lord makes the Virus look like a Xmas treat.
We must get rid of all Violent Men – on long long, penalties.
We also, must come together and refuse to pay Taxes on Housing until the Government itself pays for Just and Fair Housing.
As far as I can tell, all impetus to do anything has bounced off the heads of Jacinda et al. So many interesting alternatives on how to run things, all offered in vain. Opportunity lost. Although, was it really an opportunity if there was no intention to act? For a long time our governments have been mediocre middle management of the status quo. If reinfection rates begin again, there'll be no reason to do anything but stand by and console the bereaved – something Ardern is good at… "sympathising". "A population winnowing virus", or something like that. Nothing to really need a change for. Apparently we can afford to lose thousands, and blame them for not protecting themselves.
[lprent: Please try to stick to one handle, like the one you were using yesterday. I’ll let this one through. But be advised that shifting handles tends to be viewed by me as a pointer to a troll. I really don’t like trolls and I tend to express that strongly. Please read our policy and learn not to attract my moderating attention. ]
Oil has reached a negative price as storage facilities run out of capacity. This is … weird. And for the moment it's not good for green alternatives.
Also Saudi Arabia, Russia, Canada, Venezuela and other major producers must be nervous.
I believe It is a leading indicator of a depression, not just caused by a massive consumption drop caused by Covid.
Plant a garden – just because we live in NZ doesn't insulate us entirely from major currency issues.
Here it is for the record when the nay-sayers and Trump blame the WHO when it happens:
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=12326244
The worst is yet to come says the Director General of the WHO.
Hopefully we will be spared because of the brilliant management of the crisis thus far by the government and the health professional working in conjunction with on another.
There are just four nations in the world that look like they are going to crush the curve (excluding China who nobody trusts), New Zealand, Australia, Taiwan and South Korea. This is a remarkable alignment for us.
The Koreans in particular are technically minded, have a top-notch health care system, they are culturally wired for fast responses, their first instinct isn't to lie about everything, and they believe in math. They have provided the world with the best and most holistic information about this virus. I've been treating their dataset as the gold standard. This is a country with it's act together; we need partners like them to keep our technology systems running.
Taiwan is another nation in a similar position. While there is obvious political threats with the CCP poised to invade as soon as it thinks the world is not looking, the Taiwanese are an example of what China could and should have been if the CCP thugs were not running the mainland as a giant slave labour camp.
Australia is also responding well and is a fabulous supplier of raw materials with the potential for almost total energy independence if it wants to go there. It's already talking about rebooting local manufacturing as part of it's recovery efforts.
Together with NZ's superb agricultural exports (and as I write this I'm conscious that sustainable and regenerative techniques should be a core element of a high quality strategy) these four nations could readily form a new regional alliance. All four have competent and compatible governance, all four have high trust societies, and all four bring specific unique attributes to the trade table.
Yes the NZ economy has been hit hard by this event, but we are not on our own. We have some great strategic partners to reach out to who are highly compatible with us. Our relationship with China will remain significant, but no-one wants to be so dependent on them ever again.
The country which could have the worst outcome is Mexico. 1 in 7 have diabetes and 70 % are obese. Both are known to cause Covid-19 complications.
1 in 1000 in 30 states in the US are infected with Covid-19.
There are so many unknowns with the virus and this is making it difficult to manage the economy in real time.
Health workers have my respect the most, they are selfless and then essential workers.
That's our new de facto trade agreement right there.
Thanks for the summary RedL. It's an interesting overview – about South Korea etc.
We have a high-trust society with Australia? Like the kid who meets this guy who says come home with me and see my collection of Barbie dolls, train set, etchings.
I think you've misread a tad … I wasn't referring so much to the trust relationship between these four countries, as within their own societies.
Yes NZ and Australia have some significant political difficulties that we should be looking to resolve, but in every other social and economic respect they are both relatively high trust societies compared to many other nations.
But yes a reasonable point.
Red Logix,
I seem to read a lot here by various commenters about "sustainable and regenerative farming". The term is never explained, it is just used. I come from a farming background and have relatives who still farm, so I have a reasonable knowledge on current farming practises, with dairy and also sheep and beef. Not that I want to actually farm. After all I left the farming life.
What is different about "sustainable and regenerative" farming to the current form of NZ farming. Is it basically the same, though with a few tweaks? Or is it intended to signal a radical change in NZ farming? I suspect the latter, given who uses these references. And if so, how do those advocating this see that farming should change.
It is one of the many ways you can farm sustainably.
Regenerative farming is a pastural side shoot of Permaculture.
One of the NZ leaders in regenerative farming is
https://www.mangarara.co.nz/family-farm-produce/
I'll probably be well advised to defer to people like weka and Paul G who've paid a lot more attention to this topic than I have for specific examples.
Having said that, as a matter of strong principle, I believe agriculture is one of the primary responsibilities of government. Farmers themselves are constrained by the need to stay in business this month, this year. While many do take a long-term view of their soil management, it is government that needs to take a long-term view of the whole picture. In this NZ already does pretty well, we always have.
But we do consistently fall short in some aspects; and in this there are more than a few alternative farmers who have consistently demonstrated that it's possible to farm productively with fewer inputs, less intensive stocking, better nutrient management, and improved animal welfare.
Personally I'm no fan of 'radical changes'. I don't think that's either achievable or even desirable to impose destabilising disruption. But if we took a more patient multi-decadal approach there are many 'tweaks' that we could implement, that as a whole would add up to something quite transformative over time.
Very different to the current, short term, model of "high input" agriculture.
Which relies on imported feed, fertiliser and depletion of soils and other resources, to make a short term gain.
I come from farming families too. Many wouldn't have been impressed with the current industrial farming.
There were some who took the view, "the only good tree is one that has been pruned to the ground" but most considered looking after the farm, soil and waterways, for the future, was part of farming.
A couple, in particular, were very proud that on their farms, they still had native stream life, unlike many other countries.
They would be horrified at the current, Federated Farmers, attitude.
Wayne you probably have zero interest,but watch Country Calendar on Sunday nights for a glimpse into seriously innovative and successful farming
It's awe inspiring
Don't know if you can get it
On Demand but last CC would tell you all you need to know …sustainable sheep faring
The limitations are to be found in crippling bank mortgages,the biggest hindrance to better animal husbandry and farming practises
Yes that Country Calendar episode was very impressive. Imagine the amazing benefits if that farming system was widely adopted!
I've been following with my son, he's been studying, farm management.
Even incremental improvements, in things like crop, animal rotation, once a day instead of twice daily milking, natural fertilisers, and preventing nitrates being lost to waterways, can improve both the environment, and farm efficiency.
The last Country Calendar screened, showcased a King Country farmer walking the talk.
You should be able to view it on TVNZ on demand.
Like wise the Canterbury Dairy farm and the Maniototo sheep farm. All high light that Traditional industrial farming is not as profitable ,sustainable nor is it kind to animals.
[Another typo in your user handle. Please be more careful!]
Wayne,
The most recent episode of Country Calendar provides a reasonably accessible example. Blurb:
TVNZ OnDemand: Country Calendar 2020 e7 (should also be on YouTube in the next week of so)
Points that I took from it:
Edit: snap with multiple commenters on CC episode, obviously took too long to write …
Thank you everyone for your comments. I will have a look at the Country Calendar episode.
Their was a reg a neg farmer on country calendar Sunday. (Usually they replay it early the next weekend) ,doing some interesting stuff.
Of course he was one of those high energy clever people so for it to catch on the government would need to capture his learnings and bottle it for easy digestion of the the rest of us.
Kathryn Ryan sounding a bit frazzled on Nine to Noon today. Maybe its time they gave her a shorter slot somewhere else and tried a new face?
Most likely frustration with the logistics of broadcasting under the lockdown.
But I agree it’s well past time Nine to Noon had a bit of a refresh.
Maybe co-presenters would give her a breather between intense interviews.
Suggestions for the identity of a new co-presenter please.
Alex Perrottet did a good job looking after Morning Report (or was it Checkpoint?) a while back.
Karyn Hay might be a good unorthodox choice.
Could Jesse Mulligan move to Nine to Noon? And still do his telly stuff (I never watch that).
I like listening to Alison Ballance on Our Changing World.
Colin Peacock? He’s certainly made Mediawatch unmissable.
Mahinerangi Forbes would be awesome!
Not sure about Mulligan-he is fine where he is- but the rest are excellent options.
Karyn Hay has been doing a great job at 10PM I think that is her?
Jesse's better off where he can be the smartarse 6th former at the back that he is.
On Sunday last Sunday, Anthony Hill, the health and disability commissioner did not look or sound his vibrant self.
It may of been the topic which was a serious one, (care during labour and maternity complications).
We are in a hard left nationalist environment now. It beggars belief that a member of the neoliberal elite has held such a position for so long. A Galloway or Rachel Stewart type personality would provide the much needed journalistic rigour and intensity to reignite the show in my opinion.
Cripes, Kathryn has so much knowledge in her head, can handle a wide range of expertise, has a pleasant manner, and maintains her interest and energy in the frustrating world we create – don't diss her for sounding frazzled as she broadcasts from her bathroom or wherever. My feeling is that her questions become too long as she makes a short scenario around the problem or situation she is wanting to 'elucidate'.
Now Lisa Owen at the end of the day has apparently been employed to sound frazzled, high pitched, fast talking and sounds like a middle-class female exasperated with the world, with an upward whine to much of her pronouncements. What a turn-off.
Grey: Agree with you totally re Lisa Owen. A bit grating-she needs to take chill pill.
I wasn't dissing Ryan….I just think that show can be stressful where a whole series of interviews are done in a row on important topics…..but we need a show that does all of those interviews. I don't think it is just because we are in lock-down. It started before this.
My solution is two presenters….a bit more variation and a different character. Maybe a rotating second presenter.
Ryan has sounded tired and has not been laughing/getting laughs from the Friday comedians.
You're right Bearded Git I could imagine she is tired, you might be tempted to take a perk-up pill as artistic performers have often done. She might like that idea of a rotating second presenter but I would be afraid they would put on Jim Mora or the like. Someone who would be subtly, or not so, putting the self-satisfied, right wing approach which gives me such a pain I turn off, which negates the value of the public broadcaster to me.
If someone else was put on they would need to be compatible and who knows what this cardboard Radionz management would choose? Would we get a whole lot of amusing chatter? A little bit of that is good, but soon there is a pall of death to an enjoyable and informative show with too much shallow hah hah aren't we smart stuff.
If she'd shut up for 5 minutes she would last longer.
Matthew Hooton was written about the bureaucratic mandarins hampering the government’s ability to move fast, especially at the moment – he also suggested that some “aren't happy taking orders from 30-somethings of any gender.”
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=12326190
I have been reading of this problem with the government’s departments for some time. If this is the case, once the Covid situation is under control I hope heads will roll and our fresh new government will have a fresh new team to work with.
Call it the school of hard knocks or the university of life. The world has changed so much and people cannot continue to carry on as if there is no pandemic.
Just look at what has happened with the price of oil.
In time the restraints which Covid-19 is causing, some solutions will be found.
Hi Janet. Any chance of summarizing that article a little more?
I am very keen to learn more, but have cancelled my NZH subs to their online site some time ago.
Have cut and pasted paragraphs … hope that helps.
“ had Monday's health information been more favourable – or Ardern wanted to take a risk – it was clear the bureaucracy simply wasn't ready for a move to level 3 this Wednesday night anyway.
Like all prime ministers, Ardern relies on the same mediocre and incestuous Wellington bureaucracy that delivered her the KiwiBuild fiasco, worsening child poverty and last year's comedic Budget "hack".
Ministry of Health boss Ashley Bloomfield has been praised for his handling of Covid-19. But, last year, even his ministry was responsible for the measles vaccine crisis, seemed unable to competently allocate the $1.9 billion in mental health funding from last year's budget, and has now been unable to tell a believable story on the availability of PPE to frontline health staff.
Now – despite having over a month to get organised – his ministry has failed to implement the testing and tracking systems necessary for a move to level 3. Talk of a contact-tracing app remains just that. The Beehive even claims it had to push the health authorities to conduct the random population testing required to see how widespread asymptomatic and undiagnosed Covid-19 is in the community.
Sexism among senior officials may explain some of Ardern's inability to achieve purchase over the bureaucracy, although the iron-hold Helen Clark had over Wellington suggests otherwise. Ageism is probably a bigger factor. Whatever their departmental "values statements", too many mandarins aren't happy taking orders from 30-somethings of any gender.
The day the lockdown was announced, Ardern promised that the definition of "essential services" would be available by close of business so parents would know whether they should send their children to school the next day. Despite the Prime Minister signing off the list before the 6pm TV news, MBIE bureaucrats held up its release until closer to midnight.
Inexplicably, no one in the bureaucracy was fired for making a fool of the Prime Minister in an emergency.
Similarly, Ardern's announcement of the details of level 3 last Thursday was necessary to give organisations time to prepare, despite its negative effect on compliance.
But important rules Ardern announced quickly turned out to be wrong or unimplementable.
Similarly, Ardern's announcement of the details of level 3 last Thursday was necessary to give organisations time to prepare, despite its negative effect on compliance.
But important rules Ardern announced quickly turned out to be wrong or unimplementable.
In health, hospitals and other providers have not yet received promised information on what medical procedures will be allowed under level 3.
There is no clarity on how the courts are meant to reopen under level 3.
Other major sectors have only just received the rules for what level 3 means for their operations, with no time to digest them.
Hunters haven't been told what rules were meant to start applying from Thursday morning.
With such uncertainty, the country would have faced a fiasco had it moved to level 3 this week.
The delay until next Tuesday allows the Prime Minister to demand the bureaucracy fix the confusion around level 3 it created. She must make clear to the most senior mandarins that jobs should be on the line if they do not.”
Janet I would like to see the politicians have some say in the choice of which officials would be employed that they need to work with. The idea of apolitical pointyheads dedicated to doing good public service is a vision not realised in practicality. There cannot be too much control by business either on government – I remember Maris O'Rourke in Education saying with the neolib set up that she had to wait till 11 pm to present her material to the Minister, as she was preceded by all the business lobbyists.
So more balance.
And here are some paras on serving in a government in transition to neolib from a piece by this very amazing woman who after years of hard yakka in Education has left much to thank her for. She sets a standard for other civil servants in NZ.
The Ministry started in 1989 and from the beginning was coping with substantial work pressures due to the speed of the reforms; an education system in flux where everything had changed at once; and the task of bringing together a number of disparate and separately organised activities into a coherent whole and creating a workable organization. I found when I took up the job that I was running three different and difficult organizations with a demoralised, disillusioned and bitter staff largely opposed to the reforms.
The complexity of all this was vastly under-estimated. Add to this mix an election coming up in 1990 and a new Minister of Education Phil Goff. I was responsible for implementing the most extensive administrative reforms ever to occur in NZ education and in the run up to the 1990 election this generated much negative energy and what appeared to be muddle and chaos. All this at a time when the Minister, the government and the party wanted positive energy and a smooth running system. It wasn’t easy. It wasn’t possible. And there were certainly times when a little wrist-slitting looked attractive. Labour lost the 1990 election, we had a new government and I had a new Minister Dr Lockwood Smith for the next 5 years.
I have always felt that success in a job is when no-one notices you have gone and the transition is smooth but the things you have implemented, the things you have DONE stay in place and last.
So by 1995 I had been in Wellington for almost seven years and had vaguely begun to feel it was time to move and that message went into the cosmos. I was head-hunted by the World Bank to be their first Director of Education. As a farewell my three ex Ministers had their photo taken together on the stairs and presented it to me with an award for bravery and courage under fire plus a copy of ‘Where the Wild Things Are’ by Maurice Sendak.
https://commonwealthwomensvoices.wordpress.com/2009/11/15/maris-o%E2%80%99rourke/
I hope not. One of New Zealand's strengths is that we do not have a politically appointed public service.
In fact I don't have to worry about this. There is simply no way that the PM, if she is re-elected, is going to overturn the basic systems of the public service.
Hooton, may well be right, that some civil servants don't find it so easy to work with young political leaders. That is not a systemic failure, it is simply part of the human condition. It exists in any organisation when the top leadership is quite a bit younger than their immediate subordinates. Over the years, I have seen a few examples of this, interestingly enough when I was much younger. But I have seen and experienced a lot more situations where youthful leadership drives energy and commitment from the wider team.
In any event it looks to me that our public service are doing an excellent job. Sure there may be some hiccups, which is hardly surprising given the size of the challenge. Not everything is going to work perfectly, not everyone finds their job easy to do, not everyone is completely up to speed, not everyone is equally competent.
Well I for one am deeply grateful that the director general of health has been a competent individual with all the background skills to have a decent understanding of public health.
Not the previous incumbent who had few relevant background skills " Mr Chuah was Chief Executive of Hutt Valley District Health Board. Mr Chuah is a qualified chartered accountant with more than 25 years health sector experience. " and didn't do so well.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/95381385/directorgeneral-of-health-chai-chuah-fully-owns-38m-dhb-funding-botchup?rm=m
It may not be "politicisation" but it is definitely neoliberalisation "anybody can be a manager – background skills not required." and the public service needs to rethink the criteria largely based on a neolib world view point.
Agree with the principle.
In my experience the practice has been somewhat lacking, with bean counters, and cronies, typically with no knowledge of the sector, promoted beyond their competence level, in the two Government departments I'm most familiar with.
Christ, I can't say I blame them. Who the hell wants to take orders from Spice Girls fans and nauseating Millenials excitedly calling out "Cowabunga, Dude !" to each other ???
Hell on Earth.
RNZ and others are working from home.
"Japan's exports fell more than forecast in March, down almost -12% year-on-year when a -9% fall was expected and the February fall was only -1%. It is almost certain April exports will fall much harder."
https://www.interest.co.nz/news/104622/us-oil-prices-collapse-us-economic-activity-sinks-japanese-exports-dive-china-cuts
In an interconnected world what we do is only a small part of the equation…we can try to prop up sectors and open businesses asap but the fact remains demand has fallen off a cliff…and it isnt coming back anytime soon.
No different to the GFC.NZ will have sustain its economy by creating local demand.Until a vaccine is widely available.This is the time to fix homelessness by keeping the construction industry going building state houses and affordable houses. Infrastructure Transport bottlenecks.
very different to the GFC…that was a trust problem…nobody knew who was going to be left holding the baby so everything stopped…once the govs basically guaranteed those loses everyone went back to BAU….this is not a trust (liquidity) crisis….demand has plummeted and the environmental conditions mean that it cant return to prior levels anytime soon….liquidity isnt the problem.
Attempting to replace that global demand with national stimulus does not solve the problem when you need (not want) to import so much and almost guarantees a productivity loss
Pat so you have agreed with my argument but don't understand that trust has disappeared around the world already .whole industries have disappeared and will take 10 years to reestablish.So really the only option we have in the short term is to stimulate the local economy diversify as much as possible.The Financial fallout will be much higher than the GFC.But lessons learned will help countries who bailout mainstreet as opposed to Wall st will recover more quickly .Even Boris Johnston said overnight the biggest mistake made in the GFC was giving trillions to the corporates and forgetting about the people on the street he said he Won't be making that mistake this time.While Trump is letting all the money flow to the corporates while delaying and denying mainstreet funding.On Top of all his other f/ups the US is going to have a much longer slower recovery.
not sure how you get agreement with your claims from my reply…whether the lessons of the GFC will be learned is yet to be demonstrated and you completely miss the point about international v national economy.
Ever felt just a tad concerned that the affluent liberals who lead nominally 'left' parties might be a bit out of touch with the lives of the 'common man'? Don't worry, relax, it's all fine – check out Nancy Pelosi's fridge if you need more reassurance.
As opposed to The Man with the Golden
ShowerShitter. I'd guess it's less than 50:50 that he even knows where his fridge is or what it even looks like, let alone what's in it.Totally – I'm going for the lesser of two fridges.
It's also kinda hard to argue that Pelosi is way out of touch with her constituents.
California runs a jungle primary system when all the candidates from all the parties are tossed into one common pool, then the top two go on to fight it out one-on-one for the November general election. So it's quite common in California for the two candidates for any position in November to both be Dems.
Pelosi won her primary with 74%, second was Buttar (D) with 13%, third was Dennis (R) 8%.
Drumpster
Hamberders.
Nah. He sends out minions like Chris Christie to get fresh ones. The congealed grease tastes better if it's just freshly cooled than if it's gone into a fridge.
Early days of a pandemic and the idiot-left mirrors the idiot-right.
ffs
https://twitter.com/justinbaragona/status/1252344011131465728
Hoskings changes decades old global terminology and claims there are 7 business days in a week. Someone should tell business that.
But then this is yet another example of the slow erosion of the gains made for working families with the introduction of the 40 hour week.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12326116
I don't imagine Hoskings himself believed what he was saying but he'd backed himself into a corner.
Keeping 'Murica great.
MADA, Make America Diseased Again.
And hungry, again.
https://twitter.com/pdacosta/status/1252165627713933312
https://www.motherjones.com/food/2020/04/these-photos-show-the-staggering-food-bank-lines-across-america/
Those lines, quite heart breaking, what a pity there aren't protests against the obscene wealth discrepancy over there.
I find it hard to see that people are really desperate when they are driving to the food bank in a late model automobile.
poverty blindness is a thing.
Let me spell it out. Lots of people under neoliberalism are asset rich, but are an inch away from not having the cash flow to buy groceries. This is why even in NZ in wealthy towns there are food banks. If a family's mortgage requires two incomes to service and one of the couple loses their job, they're screwed.
It's also common knowledge that women and their kids take a drop in standard of living when a marriage ends.
People in the US who have lost their jobs because of covid come from all classes.
In all those scenarios people can own late model cars.
Read the article because it's pretty clear what is going on here.
I just got a flash back of an old commenter at this site called ' Randal' who used to berate the younger generations for their 'Hardly Davisons and flat screen TeeVees in the toilet' …
People berating beneficiaries for having smart phones used to be a thing too.
Weka
Hey Alwyn are you saying that lots of people drive to food banks in late model cars? Do me a favour.
Next you will be saying its fun to sleep on the streets covered by cardboard.
Alwyn is correctly reporting the photos as in the link above..
https://www.motherjones.com/food/2020/04/these-photos-show-the-staggering-food-bank-lines-across-america/
Luxury!
Did you bother to look at the photos in the mother jones link?
If not why don't you do so.
And not I will not be saying any such thing about it being fun to sleep in the streets covered by cardboard. Are you really so foolish as to regard such statements as equivalent?
Moderation note for you here: https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-21-04-2020/#comment-1704763.
OK, I've just seen it. I appended a question to it.
In large parts of the US, if you need a car to get to work it's fairly likely to be more cost effective to drive something that's only a decade or so old, rather than pay the continual repairs on something older.
Then, when you lose that income from your job, keeping your car is still going to be a high priority. Because if you haven't got one, you won't be able to get back and forth to a new job.
I guess Will Rogers had it right then.
"We are the first nation in the history of the world to go to the poor house in an automobile."
Of course he also said, just as accurately.
"I don’t make jokes. I just watch the government and report the facts."
Have you ever set out to walk anywhere in a major US city?
https://www.google.com/maps/search/von+maur+Minneapolis/@44.8531085,-93.4329738,2926m/data=!3m1!1e3
I very happily walked around Manhattan on a number of visits. Does New York count as a "major" city? To be fair I was only on the Island. It is quite big though. It is amazing on a first visit. It seems as if you see something you have heard of on every corner. Then you get a bit blase.
I also walked a lot in Washington DC when I visited there. Only in DC though, not in the suburbs in the adjacent States.
And around San Francisco, although I was rather careful about where I went there. It might be only one block from a nice neighborhood to somewhere a bit scary.
It would still be pretty cold in Minneapolis at this time of year though I imagine.
22 million unemployed now, their loss of job comes with a loss of free health care and people are still waiting on their cheques from agent orange. How many of those cars are ticked up? Probably most of them.
It's getting pretty desperate over there and it's only just beginning for them.
Unfortunately that is so very true. But plenty of money pouring in to the coffers of the fossil fuel companies courtesy of the Donald.
https://www.vox.com/2020/4/20/21224659/coronavirus-stimulus-money-oil-prices-fossil-fuels-bailout
Manhattan? You think every city in the states is like Manhattan? And Americans aren't particularly known for waiting for hours, sitting in their cars, for hand outs, it kinda goes against everything they stand for. Also I doubt most of those cars are paid for, like here, people get car loans, to look rich, then they go on blogs and harp about the poor.
I see people struggling, lining up to get food and feel empathy, you see the same thing and make a snide comment and troll, it's quite revealing.
As if there are not enough things to worry about these days – it is not a great time to have non-Covid health issues. Bloomfield et al say do not stop seeking medical help for non-Covid issues. But this is in a context when the health system is pre-occupied with Covid.
It has taken me 4 GP consultations at full cost – 2 on the phone, 2 in-person – to narrow down possibilities for the white stuff on my tonsil. In normal times it'd have probably taken 1 in-person consultation. I can afford it, others might not be able to.
So, the GP who looked at my throat today says it's not strep throat. It's either a stone (which is not a problem) or a growth (which is a problem). And she's referring me to a throat specialist.
Another GP had taken a throat swab a couple of weeks ago. The lab refused to process it, cos too busy with Covid. The GPs queried it, and now the lab has agreed to process it. But now they can't find my original swab. So the GP took another swab today.
So I probably have another few weeks to wait to find out if I have a problem or not.
that's not good. Fingers crossed they sort these issues out now going forward and put better systems in place.
Thanks, weka. It is a worry for me.
But I also wonder how many others are having difficulty getting appropriate medical attention for potentially serious, non-Covid conditions
I think it's an issue. Overseas reports suggest that less people are going to GPs and A and E for serious problems.
Yes. Very likely.
I had thought maybe the GPs thought I was worrying needlessly by keeping going back to them: first when the antibiotics didn't work, then to ask why I hadn't had the results for my throat swab. The receptionist then booked me in for a phone consult with the young GP who did the swab.
But, next thing, the older more-experienced GP who had given me the antibiotics, phoned me, asked to see me in person, and cancelled the phone consult with the other GP. I got the impression she thought I maybe just had a non-problematic stone, and thus, that I was worrying needlessly.
Turned out, I think the older GP didn't want to say on the phone she was concerned that it might be a growth. In the car park, in full PPE, after she'd checked my throat, said it could be a growth or a stone, and said she was referring me to a throat specialist another car pulled up. The GP looked around and said it wasn't a very private space for this conversation.
She also seemed keen for my swab to be analysed. So, it was a bit of a shock, but it does show it's worth keeping on insisting on consultations & info about non-Covid concerns.
sounds like someone reviewed your situation, which is a good thing. They all seemed swamped that week or so around lockdown, but I'm guessing they've got more time now to be paying attention.
Yes. That's very likely.
Also around the beginning and first couple of weeks of lock down, GPs were being instructed to do phone and video consultations as much as possible. People really didn't have much of an idea of how widespread C-19 might be in NZ communities.
And also part of the situation where our public health system has been allowed to atrophy over the last few decades.
No interviews from Winston today.
Wonder why.
Perhaps the fish are biting?
Or possibly the horse kicked him?
He’s at L5, which means physical distancing from the paparazzi by at least 200 m. I’m sure Simon will be happy to talk though, about relevant stuff.
Both very droll … lol
RNZ Reports:
Labour and National are responsible for decades of under-funding of our public health system.
I hope the Ardern government follow through on claims they will work to rebuild the system, once the pandemic has been dealt with.
I'm afraid the question that needs to be answered is why did the Government do nothing to prepare for this between the end of January and the middle of March? Why did they not buy PPE then instead of finally putting money into it in the middle of April?
They just sat there.
[Simple task for you: shows us that you’re not lying this time, thanks – Incognito]
I don't believe you.
I am hurt, truly hurt, that you would say such a thing. Mind you if you don't believe that you would be right.
If Alwyn's 'considered' opinion @18.1 passed the sniff test, then I'd be surprised that the opposition National party didn't hold the Government to account re PPE supply, in a timely fashion (“end of January and the middle of March“). Maybe the opposition National party just sat there?
From his reply @18.1.1.1 it's clear that Alwyn was lying – no surprises there.
See my Moderation note @ 2:19 PM.
"Simple task for you"
Before I start this "simple task" would you please tell me what you would regard as satisfactory evidence? It is, of course, generally accepted that it is almost impossible to demonstrate that something does not, and never has, existed. In this case I really don't think that the Government are going to give me access to all the accounts of the Health Department and you will possibly claim that because there might be a purchase of a mask hidden away somewhere I haven't proved my point.
So, before I take this task of Sisyphus on what evidence will you accept?
[When I said “simple task”, I meant it, not a “task of Sisyphus”. You know how it works here: when you make a statement(s) of fact, you need to (be able to) back it up with evidence for it to be judged a fact and not merely some made up shit that sounds good to you but is nevertheless made up BS and/or anti-Government propaganda. In this case, for example, you could link to a statement by the Director General of Health, the Minister of Health, or the Prime Minister showing that everything you said @ 18.1 is factually true and correct. To avoid wasting more time on you than is necessary and to stop your troll-like diversions, I have put you in Pre-Moderation to intercept your comments until you comply with this repeated Moderation request and complete your simple task or until I move you to the Blacklist – Incognito]
Alwyn:
Not very hard to show some evidence that the government did NOT "just sit there"
On 23 January, there is a report that the government had started rolling out their pandemic response plan.
On 25 February, Ministry of health is reported as saying that they had already begun planning for a possible spread of the pandemic to NZ. This includes preparing to have the necessary protective medical equipment.
On 27 Feb, it's reported the Ministry of Health is assessing how much PPE they have in DHBs and how much they need to order from overseas.
Doesn't look like just sitting there. No wonder you don't want to look for the evidence.
It does look like a health system that was not aywhere near prepared for a pandemic when the news of it broke.
Cheers for that.
Mind you, imagine having the task (be it paid employment or self-anointed holy quest) of trying to sow enough alarm and despondency about the this government's covid response so that people should vote tory.
The NZ response broke the chart (damn can’t embed pic properly).
https://twitter.com/belindajanenz/status/1251650473624399873
I suspect some of the Australian states would be very similar to our plot line if they were broken out.
So?
WA has a similar size population and has over the past 2 weeks had around 10 new cases. Yesterday there were none. It has been under a regime very similar to the Level 3 we are moving to. The borders are closed even to other Australians.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/datablog/ng-interactive/2020/apr/20/coronavirus-australia-numbers-how-many-new-cases-today-deaths-death-toll-covid-19-stats-graph-map-by-postcode
To expand upon "so?", how does that help Alwyn sow enough discontent to make nact seem palatable to the electorate?
WA has a number of different factors that might aid in keeping their numbers low, including the ability to do sub-national border control and possibly the heat.
Quite. Being a fuckwit about the pandemic is quite the position.
I'd be very surprised if alwyn lasts much longer let alone until the election campaign proper. We're now into that time of the election cycle when it's just easier to ban until after the election.
I must admit to noticing a distinct lack of tolerance on this site for any opinion that is questioning of the ministry response, preparedness or plans for non Covid related care during and as we exit Level 4 lockdown.
Really? You haven't seen Rosemary, myself and others talking about PPE?
People don't get modded for criticising the govt or the MoH. People get modded for astroturfing and trolling, and then creating work for the mods. Longstanding patterns of behaviour where the mods have to spend time repeating themselves tends to fuck us off because we all have better things to do with our time. This is what alwyn's problem is.
I did see Rosemary's comments and the number of people pooh poohing, you were certainly one of the notable exceptions prepared to discuss her concerns.
Carolyn's been putting up solid information and analysis too.
I think there's an unsaid agreement that in a time of crisis one doesn't want to undermine confidence in the ability of authorities to manage what we are going through. That's different from not critiquing at all or having no tolerance for critique. In the post I put up last week criticising the MoH on the PPE issue, the comments were evenhanded debate across a range of opinions, quite a bit of disagreement, from memory none of the bullshit that alwyn just did here.
I think you make a fair point that tolerance levels here are lower than usual; mine certainly are, as you undoubtedly have noticed. I think this is not too hard to understand. So, if you want to criticise you may have to watch the way you do this more than usual. You may also have to present more solid support for your reckons. Small words matter as they can substantially change the message. Please keep in mind that challenging your critique, even when valid, is not the same as fawning of the Government or the PM. My tolerance for these sorts of stupid simple-minded comebacks is near-zero.
Your final link was that the Department was assessing the situation.
That is fine. However after that date I never saw anything about whether they did get any more gear. Then we had report after report that said there was plenty of gear, from the DOH and complaints that we can't get any from the front line.
After that we had some individuals, and I haven't checked the names, but I think Mowbray, Morgan and Tindall were involved who were buying and importing the gear. At about mid March there were stories from importers that the Government was desperately trying to get some supplies but that nothing was available.
Now, a few days ago we had a Press Release that there was going to be a couple of hundred million available to buy it.
However I never saw anything until mid March then that they were actually buying the damn stuff. Looking at it? Yes. Buying it? Nothing for a long time.
I started gathering the links to justify my statements, thinking that you might at least consider them. Statements like "We didn't order any supplies at all" from the Minister weren't there. Surprise, surprise. On the other hand there was nothing until mid-March that they were going to put any money into getting any PPE.
However I collected –
The evidence, in repeated stories, that in spite of the claims by the DOH about all their stuff in stock, people on the front line couldn't get the items.
Then the reports by people who supply this stuff in New Zealand of the sudden heavy demand from the Government to import gowns by air but the orders couldn't be met. These were completely new orders and Government interest.This was just after the lock-down.
Then the statements by Robertson, repeated somewhat later by Clark that they were going to put a lot of money into buying the PPE goods. A couple of hundred million in fact. This was after the lock-down of course, and was the first time they had ever mentioned buying any.
Then I thought about what was likely to happen from some moderator or other who had said that
"I'd be very surprised if alwyn lasts much longer let alone until the election campaign proper. We're now into that time of the election cycle when it's just easier to ban until after the election."
https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-21-04-2020/#comment-1704912
And then I remembered being banned for a couple of months by the aforesaid moderator for saying that Shaw was out of the country on Census day. My evidence was rejected because it was a newspaper story from, if I remember accurately, the day before the Census saying Shaw would be up in the Islands with the PM on Census day. This was in the future tense and therefore not evidence at all apparently so I was banned.
Then I thought about how many people still post here who actually discuss interesting things in a rational manner. There are still 3 or 4 but that is all. There used to be posts by people like Colonial Viper, or Puckish Rogue or best of all Lanthanide. All gone and hardly anyone except for the KDS sufferers left.
So I have decided, stuff it. Why go to any trouble knowing I will shortly be banned again because I might say something truthful about the Green Party and their coming demise and be banned instantly. There isn't enough here worth reading any more.
I'm off. I'm afraid I can't say "Thanks for all the fish"
@ Alwyn,
Thank you for the response, which I released from Pre-Moderation as you can tell; I thought you’d given up and it seems you have indeed.
I will respond to it later, for the record.
For the record:
If you make factual statements here then you need to be able to back them up. If you cannot find anything to support your statements with then they were most likely just your opinions.
We don’t mind opinions at all, as long as they don’t masquerade as ‘facts’.
This rule is as old as the site, I believe [see what I did there?].
The reason why that Moderator mused that you might not last here is your pattern behaviour. It is not personal, but it is highly likely that it does become self-fulfilling if you believe it is. Moderation takes time and these are stressful times so Moderators do look for ways to avoid the extra burden of having to deal with recidivist behaviour.
Relitigating (past) Moderation is never going to help anybody; you only dig in and a deeper hole.
This is nothing new either.
The irony is that if you want to discuss things in a rational manner you need to be able to distinguish between fact and fiction. The three commenters whom you mentioned all have (considerable) history here. Just like you, they have chosen self-exile from the site quite a few years ago. Only one is currently serving a long ban because he dug in, just like you, and when offered a way out, he didn’t accept!? Yet, oddly enough, he’s still trying to send comments to the site!?
The fact you hold these three commenters in such high regard is quite telling. Even more telling is that you brandish with broad brush everybody else here as “KDS sufferers”. I could easily list quite a few regular commenters who would not fit that brand at all. I think it shows your prejudice towards this site and the people who comment here.
There’s nothing rational about cutting your nose off despite your face. I know this all too well because I’m somewhat of an expert in this.
Lastly, it is well known that you feel some (…) antipathy towards the Greens. This is not a bannable offence at all! However, the truth-threshold is higher than for more general topics and the tolerance for BS is correspondingly lower. If you want to criticise the Green Party then the onus is on you to make it correct and compelling yet you inevitably fail in this regard. I assume this is because you don’t distinguish clearly enough between fact and fiction and because of your demonstrable anti-Green bias.
In summary, if you accuse us of banning you, please know why and what you were banned for and be honest about it. Please don’t make up lame excuses that we cannot handle the truth about the Green Party, for example. It is not becoming of a mature adult who claims to want a rational and civil discussion here.
For the record: you have chosen to leave the site of your own accord.
Stay safe and well, Alwyn.
I was going to warn you that comment would attract attention.
But then I didn't.
Good luck…
I always liked the quote about "luck" from golfer Gary Player. He said that people always told him how "lucky" he was in playing out of a bunker and getting close to the hole.
His response was that he found that the more he practiced the luckier he was.
You certainly do get a lot of practice responding to moderation notes. Am unsure why you're not better at avoiding them.
I think that the views I express may differ from many others on this site.
That is only my impression of course. I could easily be wrong and they are really in the main stream of remarks here.
C'est la vie.
Throwing shade at the mods, now? Implying that you take up so much moderator time because of your differing views?
'practised' alwyn. You will get it right with more practice.
I like your persistence..
Yours in selective pedantry
Sorry but it is a valid alternative spelling and is the one used in the country where he said it. He was in the USA at the time.
https://www.google.com/search?q=practiced&oq=practiced&aqs=chrome..69i57j0l7.3742j1j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
But it wasn't a direct quote from written material. The spelling was your own.
McFlock is right, alwyn. A direct quote should be given in quotation marks.
And NZ's official language is British English, not US English.
How dare you debase our language, alwyn!!
Yours in righteous pedantry
A wee while ago I had a debate with a colleague about whether it should be "clinical practise" as oppoosed to "clinical practice". It took some time, and involved colleague pointing to scholarly articles referring to clinical practise as "clinical practice", and me asking about how one would distinguish between the clinical practice at which the clinical practise was being practised and the clinical practise practised at the clinical practice even if only in a practice of the practise at the practice.
Last time they make me write rather than count, I hope. 👿
Lovely! The whole thing is easily settled if one substitutes the word 'advise' for 'practise' and 'advice' for 'practice'.
No problem with advice and advise, because we pronounce them differently.
But practise and practice (owing to stupid English spelling non-system) are pronounced the same, hence the massive error-rate, which annoys us true pedants.
P.S. It should be 'clinically practise' and 'clinical practice'. No other options available.
Licence and license, I always get it wrong. Is there a simple rule?
The trick I learned in school was "ice is a thing you slip on".
Interesting re: "clinically practise". The entire thing still confuses me a bit, but that makes sense.
Practise, license, etc – switch the word to 'advise/advice' in that sentence, and you will instinctively pronounce the right choice.
-se = verb. -ce = noun
The best thing to do is to take turn about. That way one can be reasonably sure of a 50% right – 50% wrong scenario no matter what word is in contention. 😎
There are even bigger questions behind this though. Maybe others can help? Had bits of the health service needed for this epidemic been effectively privatised draining money away from essential government maintained services and making it more difficult to ramp up quickly because there needs to be contract renegotiations?
Healthline which has been quite a part of the response seems to be a multi year (8? 9? years) costing $257? million for the basics over these years. I struggle with who is actually running this and if money is being drained into supersized salaries for some and profits as well? Anybody know anything?
Good questions. I'd like to know the answers, too.
Trump is about to suspend all immigration into the United States.
OMG this is the neo-right moment writ large.
Just breathe. It's only a tweet. Wait to see what actually eventuates.
Even if it becomes something substantial, MAGog will quickly come under a lot of pressure from the only people he gives even a tiny rats about to start letting people back in. To help keep wages and salaries low.
https://edition.cnn.com/2020/04/20/politics/donald-trump-immigration-halt-coronavirus/index.html
Sure I will wait for the Executive Order to be signed.
Shutting the borders at both airport and Mexican border is a great base-energiser.
But great to see his polls going down again. Nice and quick for a "flag-rally" bump.
Pretty much the same as NZ at the moment; it's really only open to returning citizens and people who can show their travel is essential. It's my understanding everyone needs to obtain prior permission to even get on the plane.
Having said that I'm with you on the underlying sentiment; the era of relatively open borders is over for a while; maybe quite a while.
NZ 2019/20 brought in 150000 on temporary work visas,will this continue under border control?
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/119826510/call-for-freeze-on-temporary-visa-numbers-a-sixfold-increase-with-no-consultation
This and the so called skills shortage lists have just been used to keep wages down across the economy and avoid doing any training. Some of the visa's have terms way beyond the time it would take to train people. It has also given lousy employers a free pass- some of them no one but somebody desperate for a visa would work for,
Needs to stop .
Have they only just closed all of their borders?
Didn't we close ours to all but NZ citizens like 4 weeks or so ago?
Kangaroo on the deserted streets of Adelaide.
https://www.twitter.com/Protect_Wldlife/status/1252342963323023360
Nature is healing. We are the virus.
https://ruinmyweek.com/funny/nature-is-healing-we-are-the-virus/
Excellent wit in there
Kinda dry and wry.
Just love the way wild animals and birds (peacocks) are taking over human territory all around the world. And we think we are superior:
And in NZ:
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12326127
ROFL !!! Those goats were hilarious !!! Gonna show the girls, thanks so much for sharing 🙂
Brilliant
Kim Jong Un on his deathbed?
If true, another huge variable in the worlds future. For all his sins, I guess there is stability, albeit based on evil, in NK. If true, and he passes away and the old order collapses, could be a refugee crisis for China.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.cnn.com/cnn/2020/04/20/politics/kim-jong-un-north-korea/index.html
Interesting. It would have enormous consequences if there were to be a collapse of the Nth Korean regime. The dissolution of strong man regimes is rarely peaceful, and it could entail sustained cooperation between the Chinese, Sth Korean and American armed services to manage the humanitarian and refugee fallout alone.
A fast moving crisis in Nth Korea could determine the power balance in East Asia for decades. If you look at just the 20th century, East/West Germany, North/South Yemen, North/South Vietnam it was predicted that these divided nations would be very likely to ever recombine … yet all three did during events that lasted just weeks, not even months.
Big Fat Caveat. No-one really knows what is happening in the hermit kingdom, which makes early reports like this highly conditional. If true however, the timing would be appalling ….
Since the story is seemingly not based on hard evidence, there is not much point in getting too excited.
It never rains but it pours.
The world’s largest investment banks have provided more than $700bn of financing for the fossil fuel companies most aggressively expanding in new coal, oil and gas projects since the Paris climate change agreement, figures show.
The financing has been led by the Wall Street giant JPMorgan Chase, which has provided $75bn (£61bn) to companies expanding in sectors such as fracking and Arctic oil and gas exploration, according to the analysis.
The New York bank is one of 33 powerful financial institutions to have provided an estimated total of $1.9tn to the fossil fuel sector between 2016 and 2018.
The data shows the most aggressively expanding coal-mining operations, oil and gas companies, fracking firms and pipeline companies have received $713.3bn in loans, equity issuances and debt underwriting services from 2016 to mid-2019.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/oct/13/top-investment-banks-lending-billions-extract-fossil-fuels
That's GOLD 🙂
Cinny, I think you had replied to that tiktok I posted.
Sorry, I took it down. It came from facebook and you never can tell how far they have their tentacles into your private IT settings.
Funny though. @kyscottt if you want to find it.
Thanks MB for the tiktok addy 🙂 Miss 15 looked it up on her phone, she loved it 🙂
She said…. 'mum this girl is drunk, what is she on about….'
'listen carefully darling do you recognise that voice?'
'omg mummmmm it's trump'
'yes, and this is what he is like in his daily pressers too'
'wow!'
Ireland's Covid-19 numbers are frightening.
They currently have 15,652 cases, 687 deaths and 77 recovered. The population of Ireland is only 4.9 million.
https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/ireland/
could have been us.