“Paul Rusesabagina – the one-time hotel manager portrayed as a hero in a Hollywood film “Hotel Rwanda” – was found guilty of being part of a group responsible for “terrorist” attacks and has been sentenced to 25 years in prison by a Rwandan court.
Rusesabagina boycotted Monday’s verdict after declaring he did not expect justice in a trial he called a “sham”.
If the Afghanis want this assistance provide it. Saving lives and preventing injury often goes down better than drone attacks.
Saw a meme yesterday…
“If you think you are ineffective…
the US took twenty years, trillions of dollars,
thousands killed, hundreds of thousands injured,
to replace the Taliban with the Taliban…”
I live right next to a large stream (in some countries it would be called a river).
I spend some time observing & occasionally videoing the wildlife that frequents & inhabits te wai & the surrounding stream banks. Mainly birds, waterbirds, Pukekos, ducks, a Little Black Shag, & 2 varieties of eel – some of which I’ve fed & named.
One of my favourite stream-dwellers is a female water-rat. I’ve named her Sarah. She’s actually quite cute. Not that I’m encouraging her to visit my property, but one day she came in under the fence palings & curled up & had a wee snooze on my back lawn. So she got added to my wildlife video collection.
Hi Robert. Lovely to see Spring has sprung in your garden. Don't know if you remember our blackbird called Pegleg. Well bless his heart he is still in our garden and has to be at least 8 seasons old now. We went to the US three years ago for a month and we had him in our garden for quite a few years prior to that. His gammy leg doesn't seem to have impeded his many breeding seasons. He is still glossy and cocky as a cock blackbird usually is. I wonder what spring will bring us this time as a female blackbird is wrecking our hanging baskets digging the straw lining to pieces and flying off with enormous bundles of straw in her beak. Oh the wonders of a garden.
Hat tip to Sandra Coney for sharing this powerful poem.
Sandra: “Got this fabulous poem today from Human Rights Network. Wish he'd said more about women and girls but agree with his sentiment. Sorry gaps between stanzas have been lost.”
Before I Start This Poem
by Emmanuel Ortiz written in 2004
[Deleted 199 double spaced lines; click on the link if you want to read the poem]
Emmanuel Ortiz works with the Minnesota Alliance for the Indigenous Zapatistas (MAIZ)
Collins has to go after bagging others for not wearing masks outdoors .Collins and 2 other National MP's not wearing masks in Queenstown takeaway icecream parler.
Collins is toast. National MPs & the party hierarchy cannot fail to see that she’s a massive fracking liability. She’s an idiot.
All she does these days, when she even opens her mouth, & for anybody who has however reluctantly been starting to wonder if she’s a fool, is instantly remove all doubt !
Probably needed a cooling icecream after a heavy session of pleading her case to the illuminati that control national from their powerbase in a cave in queenstown,
I wonder how many people there are whose application for bail is supported by the Corrections Department? I suspect that for most people who are charged for anything except a few white column crimes there is an instinctive "We oppose bail" response.
The US is heading for 675,000 deaths which will be its worst public health event – bigger than the 1918 Spanish flu.
Differences are that in 1918 the U.S. population was less than a third of today’s with an estimated 103 million people living in America just before the roaring 1920s. Today it's about 330 million people living in the U.S. That means the 1918 flu killed about 1 in every 150 Americans, compared with 1 in 500 who have died from Covid so far.
The first confirmed cases originated in the United States. Historian Alfred W. Crosby stated in 2003 that the flu originated in Kansas, and author John M. Barry described a January 1918 outbreak in Haskell County, Kansas, as the point of origin in his 2004 article.
New Zealand government takes a calculated risk to relax Auckland’s lockdown while new cases continue to appear
The decision to move Auckland to alert level 3 from midnight on Tuesday is a calculated risk by the government. New daily cases in Auckland have stayed stubbornly high over the past week, a period when many of us had hoped to see them fall to single digits.
“It’s official. The Government’s impossible Covid elimination strategy has been scrapped, although don’t expect it to admit to that. Just like it would never accept the alert level 4 lockdown in Auckland hasn’t been anything but a raging success.
The spin is that if it had waited just one more week before turning the key on lockdown, there would be at least 5000 cases by now.
That of course we will never know, although under level 3, if you listen to the Beehive’s puppet master Ashley Bloomfield, the numbers will now “rumble along”. That in epidemiological-speak presumably means expect more numbers.
…”
In my younger daze I used to sometimes feel sorry for Grumpy Old Men.
Until I realised recently that I somehow seem to have become one. I thought about it for a few days, & then, with a grin, decided that actually it wasn’t anywhere near as bad being one as I thought.
The trick, I’ve concluded, is to make sure you keep your sense of humour, continue to be able to hear yourself when you’re being one – and to just stop & laugh at yourself.
the trick is to be self-aware and realise you are turning into a grumpy old man. I am in the stale pale male group, and find myself occasionally slipping into the grumpy old man group. but knowing that, and deliberatley stopping, and having a couple of calming breaths is good, and,as you correctly point out , being able to stand back and laugh at yourself is a great leveller.
👍🏼 The first hint I had that I might be slipping in to GOM territory was some years back, when I was listening to some really discordant (to my ears) hip hop song, and the words formed in my mind:
“You call THAT music !?” 😡 😀
Me dear ol departed da instantly popped into my mind, grinning, & saying, “See what I meant?”
I only spotted that screw up too late when it went into moderation.
I thought about emailing the site but didn’t think anyone would read it in time to delete the extra characters. Already corrected the name in any following comments.
I think that context qualification you refer to fails the left massively. Nobody, except people like-minded to those around here, buys that.
Further, the assumptions around your qualification also fail. Try telling that to the poor old white man struggling in his Council flat.
Or alternatively, keep making excuses for using your own abusive terms and see it continue to be bounced straight back at you.
Or, to make it personal, if people refer to my own 'race', age, gender, religion, etc, they can go f&%k themselves. You know, just to keep it as real as it is in the streets…
sheesh….
edit: why do you feel the need to refer to a persons age, race, religion and gender?
Thing is, when powerful public figures do it, they deserve to be bailed up and face criticism. When someone from an historically oppressed group criticise their oppressors it's a different story.
But I agree with the sentiment that public discourse would probably be more constructive if we decided not to include certain insults in our arsenal.
"When someone from an historically oppressed group criticise their oppressors it's a different story"
Sure, in many ways true.
But the point still stands I think that there is no need, and no purpose served, in referring to oppressor's age, religion, gender, or race in a derogatory way.
Said young brown girl speaking to, say, Don Brash, "hey you old white honky, blah, blah…"..
yeah nah, it is just abuse.
and yeah, we should exclude certain insults… doesn't advance the cause one iota methink
The government surrender, has finally given the National Party opposition something to talk about and run with.
Chris Bishop was able to speak extensively this morning on TVNZ breakfast about 'government failure'. Not about eliminating the virus or lifting the lockdown early.
Chris Bishop attack line, ran like this;
If the pandemic spins out of control, if "this calculated risk fails", it is the government's fault that everyone is not vaccinated.
If the government's gamble does fail, expect a big resurgence of National in the polls.
"If the government's gamble does fail, expect a big resurgence of National in the polls."
Possibly, Jenny. Might depend on who's their leader? How many voters in NZ really think that the muddlesome, erratic, gaffe-prone Collins under the same pressure from all the various affected sectors of society would have done anything different, or any better?
If it fails, Ardern's best bet would be to front up, admit it (conceding no errors could potentially be politically fatal) & then tell the whole country what she is going to do about it.
I think she is completely incapable of admitting that she has ever made an error and she is simply going to go on and on and on trying to do the impossible and open up our country without letting Covid in. Still the majority of the late middle-aged women of my acquaintance continue to think she is wonderful so I doubt she will change.
I am cheered up by the way that the public seem to have decided that the America's Cup is a farce though. Team New Zealand, as they so grandiosely call themselves have been polling on whether the New Zealand public want to give them more money. I suspect they are having great difficulty getting any other country interested so they are hoping to be able to get more out of the New Zealand Government.
The public have spoken. Only 26% are willing to throw more taxpayer dosh into the black hole. Fifty percent say they should go overseas and the taxpayer shouldn't give them anything. Yippee, says I.
With any luck the Public will come to the same conclusion about the shambles that is our current Government and decide that the mad money printing of Grant Robertson will destroy us.
To those who say "Who will you choose to kill off?" I would ask in return "How many are you willing to kill from cancer, heart disease, suicide etc, etc, etc by devoting all your attention to Covid 19 now that vaccines have reduced its impact?" and "How many children's live will you ruin by preventing them getting an education?".
interesting alwyn. coming from someone who seems unable to admit his own numerous errors, an accusation that jacinda suffers from your problem is laughable. she seems perfectly capable of laughing at herself. you?
Ardern has already made it clear that if she can’t continue as PM, she’s off, alwyn. Presumably to a lucrative stint offshore at the UN or some other well-paid role for which her international reputation is thought by overseas fans to qualify her.
Ae. Were it not for the crises of the Mosque shootings, the Lynnmall stabbings, & of course, the biggie, Covid, voters’ attention may well be a lot more focussed on Ardern’s Ministers in several key areas showing a disturbing lack of apparent competence & cohesive policies to improve some very bad stats in poverty, child poverty, crime rates, gang growth, housing, emergency housing, health, mental health etc.
However, equally disturbing is the prospect of the rump of the National opposition going into government, with their several untested comparative newbies, and some experienced – but not previously particularly impressive – former Ministers. And if Collins was still leader they’d probably be shite.
ACT have the luxury of being able to take pot shots & wax eloquent about what they’d do, but they’re an untested crew too.
Unnerving times. May not be the best move to change the government horses.
Bye, Team NZ. Happy to watch you sail on TV with all the cool CGI, don’t like to see you lose, but you ain’t earning enuf for the country to justify more tax-spend. That money’s desperately needed elsewhere.
The Our World in Data dataset appears to show that we had negative excess deaths in 2020 but positive values in 2021. My suspicion would be that this was due to there shutdown last year meant there were negligible flu deaths but I'm not really up in this subject.
I have no idea on what is causing the positive numbers this year except to say that they appear to be happening.
You have to feel sorry for Bishop. He and his colleagues and Kiwibloggers are on their paths raving about the government 'ruling by Covid fear.
They rant about lockdowns, those needing to come off and how people in Auckland are all imprisoned and the Auckland economy being destroyed.
The latest decisions are made so it's into negative mode and pandering to a fear narrative, focussing on "calculated risk."
Feel sorry for Bishop? He must want things to go wrong. He loves the fear factor. He no doubt wants an outbreak so he can say, "I told you so." The desperate, die-hard, still National supporters will be hoping for the same and I would suggest are not averse to deaths as long as it's not them or their family and friends.
Hopefully the more intelligent kiwis will understand that covid is a barstard , and while Ardern and co haven't always nailed it they've given this country the best shot at getting through with the least harm possible.
'Surrender'? We should all know by now that "elimination" in pandemic response language does not mean zero cases, yet media and scared folk on Facecloth wilfully confuse the public. Why do you think the PM and DG are always talking about uncontrolled public spread?
Its not a surrender, and we have eliminated under level 3 before, so I am hopeful we can do so again.
But I am still unlcear on why or how the health advice has changed in the space of a week, when the case numbers (including numbers of unlinked cases) are essentially the same as they were a week ago.
Why was it unsafe a week ago to move to level 3, but it is now safe to do so? From evryhting we have been told in the past by the Prime Minister, I would have preferred that we delayed the move in levels.
Baz says Ashley is the "puppet master" while Prof Des says going to L3 is a "political decision". I guess grumpy old right-wing blokes are allowed to contradict each other (and even themselves) with impunity. Because in essence, impunity is what they're all about.
The German Federal election this week is showing the SPD still as the biggest party which it has been like that for the last month.
AS we know from our MMP biggest party doesnt mean you get to lead a new coalition government but the as both major parties are in an existing Grand Coalition the largest party will take the leading role.
Roughly the SPD is at around 26%, The Union Faction( CDU + CSU) at 21%, Greens at 16%, FDP at 7%, AfD at 11% and Der Linke at 6%.
However those are nationwide polls and unlike us , the German MMP allocation is done by federal state. The parties can vary widely in strength in various states which can boost the list allocation when all rolled up nationally. The Scottish MMP is similar and thats how SNP can end up with more seats than its nationwide vote would suggest.
The German overhangs and their 'leveling seats' for leading parties' can also be considerable number ( last election was just over 100 extra seats in Bundestag of 598)
Der Linke are Left so the Greens, SPD and Der Linke are at 48% which, if it holds, should see them home assuming, as in NZ, that there is some wasted vote.
Your graph unfortunately ends at Apr 2020, so it doesn't show the developments since then with significant movements for all parties. It will be interesting to see the final outcome at election day.
One thing that makes the German language interesting (and annoying) is the gender. In this case the gender of the word "Partei" is female. So it's "Die Linke (Partei)" not "Der Linke".
Der while always being masculine (and i still don't know why a table or a chair would be masculine 🙂 ) does not mean that Die is always 'feminine'. Die is plural also.
So a man would be Der Mann, but die Maenner means The men. 🙂 So any Partei will always be a Die, Die SPD, Die Gruenen, Die CDU, Die CSU etc, as Partei implies an assembly of more then one.
That my dear is the idiosyncrasy of the german language that makes no sense and drives many a german study mad.
It should, but 'die Linke' is the name of the party, And in that for some reason, die linke or die rechte (see what i do there) is both ' feminine', but 'die rechten and die linken are plural.
My thinking is that 'die linke' implies the word Partei but without explicit naming it, as it literally was and still is a coalition of the left that was not and is not included into german politics.
The Left (German: Die Linke (proper spelling: DIE LINKE[18]), stylised in its logo as DIE LiNKE.), also commonly referred to as the Left Party (German: die Linkspartei [diː ˈlɪŋkspaʁˌtaɪ] (listen)), is a democratic socialist[2][3] political party in Germany. The party was founded in 2007 as the result of the merger of the Party of Democratic Socialism (PDS) and Labour and Social Justice – The Electoral Alternative (WASG). Through PDS, the party is the direct descendant of the Marxist-Leninist ruling party of the former East Germany (GDR), the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED).[19]
one thing that i found easy learning english is the word THE – while hard to prnonounce for some of us germans, it is so easy to use.
Mind look at the french, il and elle, he and her. have a group of women they are 'elles', add one bloke to that group of 'elles' and they become 'ils'. 🙂
The "lease" will end up being the purchase. The Australians are incapable of building nuclear boats and this whole deal will turn to be a chimera to placate South Australian MPs worried about jobs in their electorates.
aus can find or train qualified submariners for its diesel subs.one of the main reasons most of them are tied up at the dock. how are they going to find sailors for nuke subs ?(far more difficult to run). may have to get a few chinese submariners in to staff them!lol
Give up, Morrissey. So many words change their meaning over time, and this is another case. The vast majority understand 'Redneck' as an unthinking, blunt conservative who goes all red around the neck and blows his stack if contradicted.
You are a hopeless, tiny minority in trying to restore the original meaning. The battle is already lost. Let it go.
It has certainly achieved preventing an explosion of cases that would break the health system and gave us the breathing room to get vaccination numbers up.
It has also kept elimination as a real possibility – whether that actually happens will be seen over the next few weeks. But even if elimination is no longer a realistic possibility, vaccination numbers are now high enough that an overwhelmed broken health system is much less likely. (but still enough of a possibility that anything we can do to continue lifting vaccination rates is worthwhile).
Quite – if we cannot ultimately push cases down to zero, at least we have given ourselves the opportunity of a semi-controlled exit from the strategy, rather than a total car-crash. But why bother trying to give nuanced answers to (most likely) bad faith questions – it's like being interviewed by Mike Hosking.
Do you really have to ask? try looking across the ditch, if you can't see the benefit of the hard and fast 5 week lockdown, you purposely have your eyes closed.
Moving to L3 is a balancing act that I hope works out. Not being in Auckland it would be easy for me to say keep them in lockdown longer but the reality is, you have to keep the majority on side unless you are going to bring in the Army so if letting people get their Takeaways etc keeps them on side, then it's exactly the right thing to do.
Level 3 is still lockdown by any reasonable definition of lockdown, even if the government and some others don't want to call it lockdown.
Going from level 4 to level 3 is like going from solitary confinement to general prison. We still can't go hang with our mates (if I had any mates, that is), we still can't go out of Auckland even to say last goodbyes to family, we're still restricted in what we can do for exercise, we're still not supposed to go anywhere or do anything besides home, work, and essentials (which now includes takeaway KFC and coffee).
In other words, our Bill of Rights freedoms of movement and association and peaceful assembly and religion are still heavily curtailed.
Not dying from a fucking horrible disease is not actually a right that I can find written down anywhere. Arguably it should be, particularly when it's mostly very cheaply and safely preventable by vaccination.
But the importance we as a society place on not dying from preventable fucking horrible disease can be seen in Section 70 of the health act giving health officials draconian powers to override actual rights to achieve that protection from dying from a fucking horrible disease.
Rather than trying to distinguish between types of deaths, The Economist’s approach is to count all of them. The standard method of tracking changes in total mortality is “excess deaths”. This number is the gap between how many people died in a given region during a given time period, regardless of cause, and how many deaths would have been expected if a particular circumstance (such as a natural disaster or disease outbreak) had not occurred. Although the official number of deaths caused by covid-19 is now 4.7m, our single best estimate is that the actual toll is 15.5m people. We find that there is a 95% chance that the true value lies between 9.6m and 18.1m additional deaths.
Yes they're referring to potential under-reporting, mainly in the third world. They also say "just one in 20 people infected globally thus far had entered official statistics. " While I agree the data is 'ropey', if just one in 20 infected have been reported, but their estimated death rate is 4x the official numbers, then the death rate to infections is even lower than the 2% widely published.
"the right to not die from a fucking horrible disease" is a rather dramatic statement. In 2021 one person has died in New Zealand with Covid-19 and that was a 90 year old women who had a number of underlying health conditions. In that same 9 month period 220 people have died on our roads, approx 6,000 from cancer and a total of approx 25,000 deaths from all causes. The reason that I have listed these figures is that I think we need perspective around the risks in our lives. We seem to have lost that at the moment.
If allowed to run it's course a conservative estimate is that about about a fifth of the population will be infected with Covid and after recovery, nearly 25% of those infected will exhibit persistent or new symptoms.
But I guess you'd be okay with an already creaking health system being lumbered with a quarter of a million long Covid patients….right up until you're confronted with the personal cost of your perception of risk.
Absolutely, it is not easy and people saying what is the point in moving to L3 or having L4 negates the seriousness of this bloody thing. I think it is the right thing to move slowly down the Levels. Do you not think any Government at times may need to curtail peoples rights for the betterment of the greater good. (Car seatbelts, Smoking in buildings etc, spring to mind)
I am very grateful of the effort and hardship that the majority of Aucklanders have endured.
Absolutely the role of government includes balancing various competing rights. All rights are subject to some limitations, exclusions, and responsibilities depending on the situation of the moment. The requirements of the situation of the moment can be very fluid and change quickly.
I happen to think the government made a good call a week ago to keep Auckland in level 4, and it's a good call to move Auckland to level 3 tonight. Even though infection numbers don't look better now than a week ago. To me, the difference is the vaccination numbers do look a lot better now. Hopefully those vaccination numbers will keep getting better.
I just get incredibly frustrated with some that focus on just one right, such as the right to refuse medical treatment, and appear to think that one right extends to justifying trampling wholesale over all others (not accusing you of this, RBO). It's always a balancing act that needs to be very mindful of what actual rights are actually being currently unusually curtailed.
Yes, that's the whole point of a lockdown – to stop the exponential growth of cases. Ashley Bloomfield's comments seem to indicate they are prepared for more cases, but are relying on other measures to keep the ongoing community spread reduced.
Oh well, that's that then, We don't need a team of health professionals driving our Covid response, we can just hand it over to The Jester to save us all, I feel so much safer. /sarc
I must admit, I'm no "expert" like Shaun Hendy who predicted up to 80,000 deaths even though Sweden has twice our population and basically 'let it rip'. Mind you he did predict this outbreak could be as high as 100-120! I guess that's a bit more accurate.
Keep pushing the 80k line as well. Pretend that it wasn't the absolute worst-case possible scenario with a virulent disease, no controls, no lockdowns, no change in personal behaviour (mandated or not) and business as usual. Helps remind people you're just a bad-faith actor who for some reason wants to see thousands of NZers dead. Sure, let's get Sweden's death rate. It's be good for small business owners (funeral directors in particular).
The behaviour requirements that led toan estimate of up to 80k dead were quite clearly outlined and published over a year ago.
And if you match the prediction for the criteria describing the measures we actually implemented, it's pretty accurate: 0.0004% of 5 million is 20 dead. We're currently at 27.
BTW, the accuracy of that prediction is the difference between science and economics. If treasury or RBNZ could predict GDP or unemployment 18months down the line to within 0.00005%, they'd be in heaven.
So a government lobby group for light rail announces that "they think light rail is the best solution for the City Centre to Mangere corridor" and that's news?
They had a big presence at the Balmoral flea market right before lockdown.. about 10 staff handing out info lobbying etc…
From what I heard very little thought put into how they might hope to preserve the little restaurants & character of Dominion road during the build. Best I got was but they'll all do so well when its finished… I'll bet theyll be gone long before its done.
I can see it being an absolute disaster full of unintended consequences shunting traffic onto Mt Eden and Sandringham roads being one of them
Auckland Council and it's offshoots have developed a ''talking points" approach to selling projects. This involves a large amount of spin and bullshit, and very little actual listening. AT are among the worst, but are by no means alone. When I looked at the Board of ALR and saw some of the 'usual suspects' (the CEO of AC, the CEO of AT, Chris Darby) I can only hope that this project is stopped in it's tracks.
An increased emphasis in littoral surface combat against peer opponents is noticeable. Lots of missile carrying destroyers and frigates, with a big increase in submarines and amphibious warfare capability & the ability to support expeditionary forces in extended operations. Many of the ships are planned to be un-manned.
Combined with significant investment in missile defense systems and previously neglected advanced anti-ship missiles and it is obvious the US is in a huge and rapid build up for a peer conflict in east Asia. Wonder with who that might be?
If it happens, like in all wars, it will likely be far easier to start than to finish, will not go exactly to plan for either side, & may well see some completely unexpected war-winning tactic or capability completely unforeseen used by one side to deliver a final victory.
I’m wondering how many technologically advanced military assets of China, Russia, USA are critically dependent on “secure” internet or satellite comms, but actually have an achilles heel that the other side has – or will have – the ability to exploit?
"At least six people were killed as a student opened fire at a university in the Russian city of Perm, the second mass shooting this year in a country where such incidents are usually rare.
The suspect was detained shortly after launching the attack on Monday morning at Perm State University, which is about 1,300km (800 miles) east of the capital, Moscow.
Russia’s Investigative Committee said the attacker had been identified as a student at the university. It has opened a murder probe into the incident.
The death toll had previously been stated as eight, but was later revised to six. More than 20 people were injured, several with bullet wounds. The severity of the injuries was not immediately clear."
Zuckerberg reportedly agreed with Kushner that FB wouldn't fact-check during the 2020 election and the tRump administration would avoid regulating FB. And Thiel's a thoroughly unlikable character.
In my opinion the judge needs to be held to account after letting this gang member out on bail to travel out of Auckland. Who would have thought, a gang member would stop four times on the way there and not follow the rules.
"It will take everyone doing their bit" resonates more with me than "playing a role" reminds me of what a relative said when I asked why they joined up in WW2. I was beginning to think she was getting into a reality TV state of mind and was losing confidence. A truly great Prime Minister.
Seconded. Great piece. Summarises how NZME and the gNats have attempted to sabotage a public health crisis response. And how NZME is taking a nosedive into Fox News territory.
Yet, as with previous outbreaks, the clamour from critics of the government started almost immediately, a chorus of whinge.
Business special interests laundered their messaging through an uncritical media …
Writing in Britain’s Daily Telegraph, one commentator called the outbreak “poetic justice” and claimed a “once-welcoming nation is turning into an isolated dystopia, where liberties are taken away in a heartbeat and outsiders are shunned”.
The economy must reign supreme, after all.
[Barry Soper] issued a remarkable dog-whistle to New Zealand’s far-right, the kind of people who believe Ardern – a fairly mild political centrist – is turning the country into a communist dictatorship.
“If you have ever wondered what it must have been like to live in a totalitarian state, then perhaps wonder no more.”
This nonsense went on and on.
This speaks to how the media has fundamentally misunderstood what the briefings are: public service announcements.
Thanks John G for posting the excellent article by Glen Johnson of Aljazeera. I do wish we had a more intelligent and balanced local media here.
Not having listened, but read about it, Mike Hosking was his usual rude obnoxious self with Dr Bloomfield this morning. It seems to me Hosking and his ilk would like nothing more than NZ to have an outbreak like NSW and Victoria solely to be able to accuse the PM of being a failure. Nasty, cynical people.
The PM is absolutely remarkable how she maintains her dignity and commendable qualities in the face of these onslaughts.
Ah, yes, Hoskings. The plonker who said this recently:
"Berejiklian is Australia's most successful premier. Her state is the best economic performer, she is popular, and she has led far and away Australia's most successful COVID response."
Does any sane person, a) listen to Hoskings or b) take any notice of what he says?
Anyone else getting tired of overseas based New Zealanders constant whining about not being able to get back.
Obviously it is very frustrating and upsetting for them. But, many have chosen to live overseas for many years seeking a "better" and more lucrative and interesting life out of New Zealand. They have not paid taxes here or contributed to life here. But things got bad elsewhere so want to come back and seem to think NZ should take over every empty hotel, provide security and healthcare and cleaners and meals. We are a very small country with a small population. To build a dedicated quarantine would take two or three years to do, given material and staff shortages.
I do sound grumpy! But with close family myself who have been away 14 years, the situation affects me also. Have had three trips to visit them cancelled in the last 18 months.
They have had over a year to come home, and chose to leave it to the last minute. Unfortunate but necessary border controls have saved NZ from a disaster that has traumatised the rest of the world
Seems that the queue for MIQ spots is longer because there seems to be plenty in NZ who want to do trip overseas and come back.
Sometimes for family reasons other times its because they can.
When they get back in the country they will be 'surprised' at getting a bill for the MIQ stay. But it seems many have the 'family illness' theme all lined up
People doing essential work, such as seafarers, who are residents and tax payers in NZ, who are stuck overseas for months after their normal leave is due.
Most of them had to find jobs overseas, when the NZ Government in the 90's destroyed NZ shipping.
I know several. Including those who have had to resign from jobs because of the uncertainty in getting back.
No system with 3000 spaces and 20000 applications, will please everyone, but I still find who gets priority puzzling.
Holy smoke if this is true, it doesn’t bow well for NZ Foreign or NZ Defence Policies mandated by the NZG!
A well known NZ Aviation Forum has mentioned that the RNZAF is now down 2 C130’s 04 &05 with 02 is retired at RNZAF Woodbourne to provide spares for 04 & 05? If this the case then it doesn’t bow well for the summer, the Sth Pacific Cyclone Season, the Antarctic Research Summer or any hort Notice Taskings in the short term 1-3yrs.
But there is no mention the status of 01 or 03 either atm.
I had heard from my Uncle, the RNZAF had said to the last Government & the previous National Government that they are running out of hrs for the Engines, critical Airframe components & other System related components. As Lockheed won’t support once these components or systems when they reach their end life design hrs as Lockheed couldn’t guarantee what would happen once those Systems & Components reach the end of their respective design hrs.
I'm OK with fines for Covid-19 rule-breaking increasing, but another clueless neoliberal move from a government that is blind to inequality. In more enlightened countries they recognise that a $1000 fine means completely different things depending on your income, and base fines on your income or wealth.
Here in NZ the maximum $12,000 fine is completely beyond the means of people on the minimum wage, while our richest citizen could pay this fine every single day for the next 2,671 years or so…
One law for the wealthy, another for everyone else.
Odd that a Labour government has to be dragged kicked and screaming to address this issue – but then it took them 40 years to acknowledge not all was sweetness and light on the slave ships. One of many acts, together with residency wage theft scams, that need to be cleaned up. MBIE might even be given the "please explain" over how they let things get this bad.
Yes, if like me and most NZers you are keen on the truth about the reality of a pandemic like COVID & our Govt's response, then we (like Hipkins) can be forgiven for getting pissed-off at politicians (like Bishop) who don't see anything wrong with blatant, calculated lies, and misinformation.
Venom, Gezza? This? " What I do agree with is that the member should stop spreading misinformation. That is not what any Minister in this Government has said. I would say to any New Zealander listening to him that they should think twice about any of the statements he makes, because most of them don't stack up." Rebuttal etc said forcefully but does 'venom' overstate it a bit? I watched it, by the way, at the time.
Telling off accepted. Sorry mac. “Venom” definitely does overstate it. I wasn’t watching the telly directly when I heard the raised voices towards the end. Was preoccupied in my dining room.
No telling off, Gezza; I've too much respect for what you write here, but I have a grumpiness about over-exaggeration- like people who talk of a 'shambles' all the time.
But Hipkins can give a telling off in parliamentary terms, and there was cause for that. He might look as young as a schoolboy but some responsibility and I suspect some good mentoring along the way has seen him grow impressively into the job.
Hipkins is a real blinken Peter Pan, isn’t he? He seems to have discovered the fountain of youth. Never seems to age a day. He’s one of Ardern’s better Ministers. Very hardworking & competent, imo.
Thank you for that remark about respecting my comments. Nice thing to say.
Please pick one email address and stick to it. The system treats new emails as new commenters and then we have to release the comments manually. Also double check spelling, because some devices don't manage the name and email address field well.
I watched the video. I must come from a volatile background as I didn't think they were "absolutely hammering" each other.
Venom being spat? Hipkins sounded peed off with Bishop for putting out what he says is misinformation. It seems he thinks Bishop is undermining with negativity.
Bishop was on RNZ this morning. I didn't listen to hear how he would have had the MIQ system organised from the beginning and his ideas right now to have 25,000 expeditiously and fairly brought back into the country. * He has been loud in criticism but I haven't heard him say what specifically should be done and that he'd passed his considered views on to the relevant ministers.
Maybe the Bishop parody has pertinent observations about his attitude.
* Accepting that had his party been in government there probably wouldn't have been a need for any MIQ, we wouldn't have had lockdowns and everyone, 100%, would have been vaccinated fully many months back.
Telling off accepted, Pete. “Venom” definitely does overstate it. I wasn’t watching the telly directly when I heard the raised voices towards the end. Was preoccupied in my dining room. And the video certainly doesn’t amount to “hammering each other”.
More like Bishop getting a deserved metaphorical rap on the knuckles with a ruler.
Will try to be more careful to avoid hyperbole & wait until I see on Vimeo what actually really happened in future.
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
TL;DR: In today’s ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Tuesday, March 19:Kāinga Ora’s dry rot The Spinoff DailyBill McKibben on ‘Climate Superfunds’ making Big Oil pay for climate damage The Crucial YearsPreston Mui on returning to 1980s-style productivity growth NoahpinionAndy Boenau on NIMBYs needing unusual bedfellows Urbanism SpeakeasyNed Resnikoff's case ...
Negative yesterday, negative today. Negative all year, according to one departing reader telling me I’ve grown strident and predictable. Fair enough. If it’s any help, every time I go to write about a certain topic that begins with C and ends with arrrrs, I do brace myself and ask: Again? Are ...
Bryce Edwards writes – It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just show a minimal amount of flux in public support ...
Inspirational: The Family of Man is a glorious hymn to human equality, but, more than that, it is a clarion call to human freedom. Because equality, unleavened by liberty, is a broken piano, an unstrung harp; upon which the songs of fraternity will never be played.“Somebody must have been telling lies about ...
Tax Lawyer Barbara Edmonds vs Emperor Justinian I- Nolo Contendere: False historical explanations of pivotal events are very far from being inconsequential.WHEN BARBARA EDMONDS made reference to the Roman Empire, my ears pricked up. It is, lamentably, very rare to hear a politician admit to any kind of familiarity ...
It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just show a minimal amount of flux in public support for the various parties in ...
Buzz from the Beehive Housing Minister Chris Bishop delivered news – packed with the ingredients to enflame political passions – worthy of supplanting Winston Peters in headline writers’ priorities. He popped up at the post-Cabinet press conference to promise a crackdown on unruly and antisocial state housing tenants. His ...
Ele Ludemann writes – The Reserve Bank is advertising for a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion advisor. The Bank has one mandate – to keep inflation between one and three percent. It has failed in that and is only slowly getting inflation back down to the upper limit. Will it ...
Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency Waka KotahiThe fact that a ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Gavin Jacobson talks to Thomas Piketty 10 years on from Capital in the 21st CenturyThe SalvoLocal scoop: Green MP’s business being investigated over migrant exploitation claims StuffSteve KilgallonLocal deep-dive: The commercial contractors making money from School ...
It’s a home - but Kāinga Ora tenants accused of “abusing the privilege” may lose it. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The Government announced a crackdown on Kāinga Ora tenants who were unruly and/or behind on their rent, with Housing Minister Chris Bishop saying a place in a state ...
This is a guest post by Connor Sharp of Surface Light Rail Light rail in Auckland: A way forward sooner than you think With the coup de grâce of Auckland Light Rail (ALR) earlier this year, and the shift of the government’s priorities to roads, roads, and more roads, it ...
Note: As a paid-up Webworm member, I’ve recorded this Webworm as a mini-podcast for you as well. Some of you said you liked this option - so I aim to provide it when I get a chance to record! Read more ...
TL;DR: In my ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Monday, March 18:IKEA is accused of planting big forests in New Zealand to green-wash; REDD-MonitorA City for People takes a well-deserved victory lap over Wellington’s pro-YIMBY District Plan votes; A City for PeopleSteven Anastasiou takes a close look at the sticky ...
Buzz from the Beehive Here’s hoping for a lively post-cabinet press conference when the PM and – perhaps – some of his ministers tell us what was discussed at their meeting today. Until then, Point of Order has precious little Beehive news to report after its latest monitoring of the ...
David Farrar writes – We now have almost all 2023 data in, which has allowed me to update my annual table of how labour went against its promises. This is basically their final report card. The promiseThe result Build 100,000 affordable homes over 10 ...
I’m a bit worried that I’ve started a previous newsletter with the words “just when you think they couldn’t get any worse…” Seems lately that I could begin pretty much every issue with that opening. Such is the nature of our coalition government that they seem to be outdoing each ...
Geoffrey Miller writes – Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. ...
Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture ...
Last week Transport Minster Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre. The new train control centre will see teams from KiwiRail, Auckland Transport and Auckland One Rail working more closely together to improve train services across the city. The Auckland Rail Operations Centre in ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson said in an exit interview with Q+A yesterday the Government can and should sustain more debt to invest in infrastructure for future generations. Elsewhere in the news in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 6:36am: Read more ...
Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. It is more than just a happy ...
TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to March 18 include:China’s Foreign Minister visiting Wellington today;A post-cabinet news conference this afternoon; the resumption of Parliament on Tuesday for two weeks before Easter;retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson gives his valedictory speech in Parliament; ...
New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters’s state-of-the-nation speech on Sunday was really a state-of-Winston-First speech. He barely mentioned any of the Government’s key policies and could not even wholly endorse its signature income tax cuts. Instead, he rehearsed all of his complaints about the Ardern Government, including an extraordinary claim ...
A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
“I’ve been internalising a really complicated situation in my head.”When they kept telling us we should wait until we get to know him, were they taking the piss? Was it a case of, if you think this is bad, wait till you get to know the real Christopher, after the ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
.“$10 and a target that bleeds” - Bleeding Targets for Under $10!.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.This government appears hell-bent on either scrapping life-saving legislation or reintroducing things that - frustrated critics insist - will be dangerous and likely ...
“It hardly strikes me as fair to criticise a government for doing exactly what it said it was going to do. For actually keeping its promises.”THUNDER WAS PLAYING TAG with lightning flashes amongst the distant peaks. Its rolling cadences interrupted by the here-I-come-here-I-go Doppler effect of the occasional passing car. ...
Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology – the Internet – is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
Bob Edlin writes – And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ HeraldThomas CoughlanSimeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
TL;DR:Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it: We want our country to be a ...
The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading → ...
Ele Ludemann writes – The government is omitting general Treaty references from legislation : The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last Government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty ...
What was that judge thinking?Peter Williams writes – That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop:Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
Buzz from the BeehiveThe text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary. It can be quickly analysed ...
For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
Questions need to be asked on both sides of the worldPeter Williams writes – The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop:The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
TL;DR:Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
Bob Edlin writes – The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
The New Zealand public voted for a change in direction at the 2023 general election and that is exactly what this coalition government has been delivering in its first 100 days. There was an immediate focus on the economy, easing the cost of living, cracking down on law and order ...
The Government has left the health system as an afterthought, announcing half-baked targets at the last minute of their 100-day plan, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
Kiwis are still waiting for their promised cost of living support after 100 days of a National Government that is taking us backwards, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
100 days of National taking NZ backwardsThe National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
The Government must commit to funding free and healthy school lunches, as thousands of people sign the petition to keep them, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti says. ...
If the Government was serious about moving families into public housing, they would build more houses so there is actually somewhere for people to go. ...
The free and healthy school lunches programme feeds our kids, helps them to learn, and saves families money – but it is at risk under this Government, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
The Government’s proposed changes to Firearms Prohibition Orders (FPO) add almost nothing new and are merely an attempt to distract from its plans to loosen gun laws, police spokesperson Ginny Andersen and justice spokesperson Dr Duncan Webb said. ...
The great Victorian era English politician Lord Macauley stood in the British House of Parliament and said, "The gallery in which the reporters sit has become a fourth estate of the realm".He understood and outlined even way back then, the significant role and influence media have in a democracy. ...
The government’s attack on Māori health this week is committing tangata-whenua to a premature death, says Te Pāti Māori. “The government have begun their onslaught on Māori health with the abolishment of the Māori Health Authority and smokefree laws in the same day” said health spokesperson and co-leader, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. ...
"The Government is moving quickly to realise an additional $46 million in tariff savings in the EU market this season for Kiwi exporters,” Minister for Trade and Agriculture, Todd McClay says. Parliament is set, this week, to complete the final legislative processes required to bring the New Zealand – European ...
New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April. ...
Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand. Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships. “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland Acknowledgements and opening Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says. “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024 Acknowledgements and opening Morena, Nga Mihi Nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country. “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week. “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee. “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today. “The Amendment Paper represents ...
Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level. “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024. “Lower fruit and vege ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction. Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
Recommendations from the Climate Change Commission for New Zealand on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction and unit limit settings for the next five years have been tabled in Parliament, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “The Commission provides advice on the ETS annually. This is the third time the ...
The coalition Government is beginning its fight to lower building costs and reduce red tape by exempting minor building work from paying the building levy, says Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. “Currently, any building project worth $20,444 including GST or more is subject to the building levy which is ...
Proposed changes to tax legislation to prevent the over-taxation of low-earning trusts are welcome, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The changes have been recommended by Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee following consideration of submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill. “One of the ...
Assalaamu alaikum. السَّلَام عليكم In light of the holy month of Ramadan, I want to extend my warmest wishes to our Muslim community in New Zealand. Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, renewed devotion, perseverance, generosity, and forgiveness. It’s a time to strengthen our bonds and appreciate the diversity ...
Former Transport Minister and CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber Hon Simon Bridges has been appointed as the new Board Chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) for a three-year term, Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced today. “Simon brings extensive experience and knowledge in transport policy and governance to the role. He will ...
Good morning all, it is a pleasure to be here as Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology. It is fantastic to see how connected and collaborative the life science and biotechnology industry is here in New Zealand. I would like to thank BioTechNZ and NZTech for the invitation to address ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says he is looking forward to the day when three key water projects in Northland are up and running, unlocking the full potential of land in the region. Mr Jones attended a community event at the site of the Otawere reservoir near Kerikeri on Friday. ...
Associate Finance Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government has agreed to restore deductibility for mortgage interest on residential investment properties. “Help is on the way for landlords and renters alike. The Government’s restoration of interest deductibility will ease pressure on rents and simplify the tax code,” says ...
Sport and Recreation Minister Chris Bishop will travel to Switzerland today to attend an Executive Committee meeting and Symposium of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Mr Bishop will then travel on to London where he will attend a series of meetings in his capacity as Infrastructure Minister. “New Zealanders believe ...
Pacific Media Watch Ismail al-Ghoul, an Al Jazeera Arabic correspondent who was held for 12 hours at Gaza’s al-Shifa hospital, says Israeli forces rounded up Palestinian journalists at the facility and made them kneel on the ground for hours, while naked and blindfolded. “The occupation forces handcuffed and blindfolded us ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tony Wood, Program Director, Energy, Grattan Institute chinasong, Shutterstock Electricity customers in four Australian states can breathe a sigh of relief. After two years in a row of 20% price increases, power prices have finally stabilised. In many places they’re ...
Chumbawamba have reportedly issued the deputy PM a cease-and-desist notice after he used their song 'Tubthumping' before his state of the nation speech. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Deborah Lupton, SHARP Professor, Vitalities Lab, Centre for Social Research in Health and Social Policy Centre, and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making and Society, UNSW Sydney kitzcorner/Shutterstock The assertion from Queensland’s chief health officer John Gerrard that ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Shutterstock Why are musicians so keen to get played on the radio? It can’t be because of the money. In Australia they are paid at rates so low they ...
"Farmers make a point not to tell our urban cousins how to live, yet Chlöe from central Auckland is hell-bent on having her say about farmers," says ACT Rural Communities spokesman Mark Cameron. “On her first day in the House as Green ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards – Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Curran, Associate Professor of Ecology, Lincoln University, New Zealand Getty Images/Gerald Corsi In the latest move to reform environmental laws in New Zealand, the coalition government has introduced a bill to fast-track consenting processes for projects deemed to ...
Uber has argued it does not have as much control over drivers as the unions suggest, and wants a judgment ruling that drivers are employees and not contractors set aside and sent back to the Employment Court. The 2022 ruling followed a three-week hearing in which four drivers sought to ...
What can and can’t be purchased by disabled people or their carers has been slashed in an effort by the Ministry of Disabled People Whaikaha to save money. The purchasing guidelines, a set of rules that sets out what can be purchased using the various streams of Government disability funding, ...
The Treasury has published today a new Analytical Note by Tod Wright and Hien Nguyen, Fiscal incidence in New Zealand: The effects of taxes and benefits on household incomes in tax year 2018/19 . Analyses of the distributional impact of taxation and government ...
The Treasury has published today a new Analytical Note by Cory Davis, Boston Hart and Benjamin Stubbing, Household cost-of-living impacts from the Emissions Trading Scheme and using transfers to mitigate regressive outcomes . This Analytical Note ...
A coalition of public transport and climate organisations, united as ‘Transport for All’, is actively opposing the government’s transport proposals. The draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) includes plans for higher fares for public transport, ...
Greater Wellington is inviting feedback on proposed changes to its Revenue and Financing Policy. The Revenue and Financing Policy covers the Council’s various sources of funding, and how the cost of services is shared across the region. This includes ...
Labour has conceded it could have done more to deal with disruptive state housing tenants while in government but says the current coalition is going too far. ...
The band has asked their record label to issue a cease and desist to stop the NZ First leader using their 1997 hit to support his ‘misguided political views’. “I get knocked down, but I get up again,” blared through the speakers on Sunday as Winston Peters took the stage ...
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist Food rationing is underway in remote areas in Papua New Guinea’s Highlands following torrential rain and flash flooding. More than 20 people have been reported dead in Chimbu Province. In nearby Enga Province, the centre of last month’s massacre, a 15-year-old boy has been ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Hughes, Lecturer, Research School of Management, Australian National University After months of debate and intrigue, the AFL’s 19th and newest team, the Tasmania Devils, finally launched its jumper, logo and colours in Devonport this week. The Devils will wear green, ...
Brannavan Gnanalingam reviews the debut novel by Saraid de Silva.One of the most baffling things for children who move to a new country is what their parents’ (or grandparents’) lives were like prior to moving – for kids in particular, they’re too busy trying to fit in in their ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Gaunson, Associate Professor in Cinema Studies, RMIT University Narelle Portanier/Binge “If you don’t know who your mob are, you don’t know who you are,” Detective Andrea “Andie” Whitford (played by Leah Purcell) is told early into the new crime ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elise Klein, Associate professor, Australian National University It’s commonly accepted that women do the vast majority of caregiving in Australian society. But less appreciated is that Indigenous women do larger amounts of unpaid care than any other group. Working with the Aboriginal ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne Joe Biden and Donald Trump have both secured their parties’ nominations for the November 5 United States general election by winning a ...
Comment: There has been a striking contrast in trans-Tasman interest about Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi’s visit to New Zealand and Australia. While the Australian press has been full of articles about the visit – including his curious decision to meet with former prime minister and China booster Paul Keating ...
After years of pressuring banks and other institutions to stop investing in fossil fuels, climate campaigners are making some progress. So how does divestment work?For years, climate activists have been pushing banks and other big institutions to divest from fossil fuels. New research from climate advocacy group 350 Aotearoa ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. The three young Polynesians are part of a K-pop fan community in Tāmaki Makaurau. It’s one of many that have sprung up worldwide as K-pop has gone ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. This one-off documentary presents three intimate portraits of young Polynesians who are pulled into a Korean cultural phenomenon. K-POLYS is directed by Litia Tuiburelevu, Produced by Hex ...
There’s ample evidence demonstrating free school lunch programmes provide wide benefits across schools, households and communities according to public health researchers. ACT Minister David Seymour wants to reduce the spending on Aotearoa New Zealand’s ...
By Wata Shaw in Suva Fiji is facing an exodus of Fijians as many are leaving for overseas seeking employment and education and others are migrating, says Opposition MP Viliame Naupoto. Speaking in Parliament, he said: “His Excellency’s speech (Ratu Wiliame Katonivere) comes after a little over one year of ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming comments from Christopher Luxon this morning recommitting to ‘no new taxes’ as part of Budget 2024. “Mr Luxon’s refusal at the Post-Cabinet press conference yesterday to repeat the ‘no new taxes’ promise ...
SAFE is urgently calling on the Environment Committee to reject the Government’s Fast-Track Approvals Bill, and is urging New Zealanders to rally behind the call. The proposed Bill, currently under consideration with the Environment select committee, ...
Teammates who spend all their time picking fights with spectators are only helpful for the other team, writes Madeleine Chapman. Anyone who has ever played a team sport competitively, particularly as a child and particularly, for some reason, basketball, will know that there’s a lot of politics involved. While there ...
The long-running Wellington music festival is too focused on the Jim Beam-ness and not enough on the Homegrown-ness.There is something about Homegrown that’s difficult to place. A barely perceptible-ness. Like feeling a ghost is watching you from the corner of the room but when you look, there’s nothing there. ...
The latest Ipsos New Zealand Issues Monitor reveals that fewer New Zealanders believe crime / law and order is one of the top issues facing our country. In 2018, Ipsos New Zealand started tracking the key issues facing New Zealand. In this wave ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Griffiths, Deputy Program Director, Budgets and Government, Grattan Institute Australia’s political donations rules are woefully inadequate, but donations reform is finally on the agenda. The federal government has signalled its interest in reform and will soon begin briefing MPs on its ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Patrick Taylor, Chief Environmental Scientist, EPA Victoria; Honorary Professor, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University Naiyana Somchitkaeo/Shutterstock A recent study published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine has linked microplastics with risk to human health. The study ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Albert Van Dijk, Professor, Water and Landscape Dynamics, Fenner School of Environment & Society, Australian National University Global climate records were shattered in 2023, from air and sea temperatures to sea-level rise and sea-ice extent. Scores of countries recorded their hottest year ...
As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, a teacher explains why he and his partner are in frugal mode – and how they’re making it work. Gender: Male Age: 35Ethnicity: Pākehā Role: I am an intermediate school teacher and my partner is ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Bendall, Senior Lecturer, Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences, Australian Catholic University Binge Mary & George, the new British television drama series, depicts the real-life story of Mary Villiers and her son George, and their social climbing at the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jason Nassios, Associate Professor, Centre of Policy Studies, Victoria University This article is part of The Conversation’s series examining the housing crisis. Read the other articles in the series here. Australian state and federal governments spend money in many ways to ...
The finance minister is denying that there’s a $5.6b shortfall in paying for the government’s campaign promises, including tax cuts. At his post-cabinet press conference yesterday, the PM refused to rule out new taxes to pay for the cuts, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s ...
Kāinga Ora tenants abused by their neighbours are doubting the government's crackdown on disruptive tenants will make a difference on their behaviour. ...
Kāinga Ora is New Zealand’s biggest residential landlord, housing more than 180,000 vulnerable people in more than 67,000 properties. Yesterday the government announced a crackdown on its tenants who fall behind on rent. One longtime Kāinga Ora tenant shares her experience.For 18 years I lived in a 1960s standalone ...
Why does this myth persist, and what’s the real reason our skin is suffering?It’s one of the biggest international grievances New Zealanders hold, up there with the sinking of the Rainbow Warrior and 1981’s underarm incident. We’re quick to tell international travellers that the world’s pollution led to the ...
Auckland Council is opposing a fast-track development backed by Sir John Kirwan and Spark NZ, because it doesn’t meet stringent new climate adaptation requirements The post Surf-data centre faces new 3.8C climate warming rules appeared first on Newsroom. ...
When the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act was introduced in 2009 it was firmly targeted at gangs and drugs. The legislation means police no longer need a conviction to seize assets that criminals can’t prove were paid for legitimately, as long as their alleged offences are punishable by more than a ...
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Bob’s relationship with certain members of Lincoln’s academic staff continued to deteriorate in the 1990s. Others supported him publicly, though articles such as Roland Clark’s 1993 piece in Growing Today cannot have pleased the university management. Clark wrote that Bob was selling onions from the Biological Husbandry Unit to a ...
SailGP’s races feature in-your-face action, with agile, hydro-foiling catamarans tacking and jibing for the title over several days. However, public comments ahead of the global series’ return to New Zealand have left this past year’s controversy in the shadows, as a key appointment attracts criticism from dolphin advocates. A year ...
Opinion: We are fast approaching a fundamental change in prisons. As the number of people on custodial remand looks set to overtake the number of sentenced prisoners, the main function of prisons in New Zealand may become incarcerating un-sentenced people who may not be guilty of offending. We have already ...
A huge seven months lies in store for the White Ferns, beginning this week with the visit of England and culminating with the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh in September and October. Starting on Tuesday in Dunedin, the world ranked No. 2 visitors will play five T20s and three ODIs, ...
Opinion: In a move that has shocked road safety advocates across the country, the new Minister of Transport, Simeon Brown, is poised to abandon the previous government’s speed limit reduction policy, particularly around schools. Even more alarmingly, he wants school speed limits to be variable rather than full-time, arguing ...
The letters, which were published last week, were addressed to Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) Chairperson Megawati Sukarnoputri, National Democrat Party (NasDem) Chairperson Surya Paloh, National Awakening Party (PKB) Chairperson Muhaimin Iskandar, Justice and Prosperity Party (PKS) President Ahmad Syaikhu and United Development Party (PPP) Chairperson Muhammad Mardiono. In ...
Evicting more people from state housing is ignorant to the consequences of poverty, the Greens say, but the Housing Minister says it's a privilege that can be taken away if abused. ...
Evicting more people from state housing is ignorant to the consequences of poverty, the Greens say, but the Housing Minister says it's a privilege that can be taken away if abused. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emerald L King, Lecturer in Humanities, University of Tasmania IMDB Between Netflix’s 2023 live-action version of One Piece, and its latest take on Avatar: The Last Airbender, fans are once again asking: why are live-action anime adaptations so tricky to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emerald L King, Lecturer in Humanities, University of Tasmania IMDB Between Netflix’s 2023 live-action version of One Piece, and its latest take on Avatar: The Last Airbender, fans are once again asking: why are live-action anime adaptations so tricky to ...
The government says it still intends to deliver tax cuts by July, but will not lock them in until they have got them past their coalition partners. ...
Kiingi Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII has hosted members of the Green Party Caucus at Tuurangawaewae Marae in Ngaaruawahia. The audience follows the King’s Hui-aa-Motu on 20 January, where more than 10,000 people gathered to discuss national ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dr Rachael Potter, Research Associate and Lecturer in Work and Organisational Psychology, University of South Australia Ground Picture/Shutterstock Pregnant women and workers with children are often unfairly treated by their bosses and colleagues, despite laws to protect against workplace discrimination ...
Al Jazeera English tv is reporting that:
“Paul Rusesabagina – the one-time hotel manager portrayed as a hero in a Hollywood film “Hotel Rwanda” – was found guilty of being part of a group responsible for “terrorist” attacks and has been sentenced to 25 years in prison by a Rwandan court.
Rusesabagina boycotted Monday’s verdict after declaring he did not expect justice in a trial he called a “sham”.
The case has had a high profile since Rusesabagina, 67, was arrested in August 2020 after what he described as a kidnapping from Dubai by Rwandan authorities.”
…
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/9/20/rwanda-court-finds-hotel-rwanda-hero-guilty-in-terrorism-case
TALIBAN CALL FOR MORE INTERNATIONAL ASSISTANCE TO CLEAR UNEXPLODED ORDINANCE IN AFGHANISTAN
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=EnDB7-5BCLk
If the Afghanis want this assistance provide it. Saving lives and preventing injury often goes down better than drone attacks.
Saw a meme yesterday…
“If you think you are ineffective…
the US took twenty years, trillions of dollars,
thousands killed, hundreds of thousands injured,
to replace the Taliban with the Taliban…”
And a few psycopathetic capitalists became extremely rich
I would go one step further.
Mandate either/and supplier or firer of munitions bears the cost of clean up.
This is a job for the Hero Rats.
Indeed.
I live right next to a large stream (in some countries it would be called a river).
I spend some time observing & occasionally videoing the wildlife that frequents & inhabits te wai & the surrounding stream banks. Mainly birds, waterbirds, Pukekos, ducks, a Little Black Shag, & 2 varieties of eel – some of which I’ve fed & named.
One of my favourite stream-dwellers is a female water-rat. I’ve named her Sarah. She’s actually quite cute. Not that I’m encouraging her to visit my property, but one day she came in under the fence palings & curled up & had a wee snooze on my back lawn. So she got added to my wildlife video collection.
Elvira
https://i.imgur.com/vXMmxq1.gif
NOW I remember you from Keeping Stock!
Elvira's a 4 foot long NZ Native Longfin tuna, Rōpata. My girl.
Tomorrow I might post Granville, a 3 foot long Australasian Shortfin tuna. He's a beautiful colour.
Bluey & Sweety Pook, with solo pooklet
https://i.imgur.com/rOuXqgr.gif
They had four pooklets, one season. Once the kidz sprouted wings & learned to fly they'd all come into my back yard and trim the grass. My lawn moas.
Hi Robert. Lovely to see Spring has sprung in your garden. Don't know if you remember our blackbird called Pegleg. Well bless his heart he is still in our garden and has to be at least 8 seasons old now. We went to the US three years ago for a month and we had him in our garden for quite a few years prior to that. His gammy leg doesn't seem to have impeded his many breeding seasons. He is still glossy and cocky as a cock blackbird usually is. I wonder what spring will bring us this time as a female blackbird is wrecking our hanging baskets digging the straw lining to pieces and flying off with enormous bundles of straw in her beak. Oh the wonders of a garden.
Sounds like you'd like my place, Kate?
https://vimeo.com/312599520
I saw these rats in Cambodia. Fantastic to watch them work, with a very high success rate, virtually no false positives.
The human stories related to these 'spent' munitions are heartbreaking.
'
"Spray and Walk Away!"
https://www.rnz.co.nz/programmes/the-detail/story/2018722375/the-tragic-results-of-nzdf-s-failure-to-clean-up-after-bamyan
It's what we do.
Audio file;
https://podcast.radionz.co.nz/thedetail/thedetail-20191118-0500-the_tragic_results_of_nzdfs_failure_to_clean_up_after_bamyan-02.ogg
Hat tip to Sandra Coney for sharing this powerful poem.
Sandra: “Got this fabulous poem today from Human Rights Network. Wish he'd said more about women and girls but agree with his sentiment. Sorry gaps between stanzas have been lost.”
Before I Start This Poem
by Emmanuel Ortiz written in 2004
[Deleted 199 double spaced lines; click on the link if you want to read the poem]
Emmanuel Ortiz works with the Minnesota Alliance for the Indigenous Zapatistas (MAIZ)
Collins has to go after bagging others for not wearing masks outdoors .Collins and 2 other National MP's not wearing masks in Queenstown takeaway icecream parler.
Collins is toast. National MPs & the party hierarchy cannot fail to see that she’s a massive fracking liability. She’s an idiot.
All she does these days, when she even opens her mouth, & for anybody who has however reluctantly been starting to wonder if she’s a fool, is instantly remove all doubt !
Probably needed a cooling icecream after a heavy session of pleading her case to the illuminati that control national from their powerbase in a cave in queenstown,
Collins got given a hard time by One News at 6 over this.
Her attempt to say she wasn’t being hypocritical because of her criticism of Siouxsie Wiles “Not really, we’re in Level 2” was so lame it was tragic.
Item ended with Ben Thomas telling viewers she’s gone as leader soon.
Judge decided, against Corrections advice, to release Black Power member on bail to Whakatīwai where Covid spread https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/coronavirus/300411598/corrections-deemed-black-power-member-who-caught-covid19-unsuitable-for-bail
I wonder how many people there are whose application for bail is supported by the Corrections Department? I suspect that for most people who are charged for anything except a few white column crimes there is an instinctive "We oppose bail" response.
Would be nice to know why Corrections are so sure transmission didn't happen at Mt Eden.
I'm guessing because it's genomically linked to one of the gang houses they visited after that.
The US is heading for 675,000 deaths which will be its worst public health event – bigger than the 1918 Spanish flu.
Differences are that in 1918 the U.S. population was less than a third of today’s with an estimated 103 million people living in America just before the roaring 1920s. Today it's about 330 million people living in the U.S. That means the 1918 flu killed about 1 in every 150 Americans, compared with 1 in 500 who have died from Covid so far.
But still a long, long way to go there.
And the number of cases in the last weekish have been
abt 150k, 80k, 60k and 30k ish
CF 200k, 300k at peak.
The 1918 Kansas Flu
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_flu#United_States
The Breadheads win
What the medical experts are all saying:
"Gamble"
"Calculated risk"
What if the calculated risk fails?
What if the gamble is lost?
What if the virus keeps spreading?
What if our hospitals start to become overwhelmed?
Will the Level 4 lockdown be re-imposed?
Does the government still have the courage to face down the breadheads?
Or was that the last Lockdown ever?
To placate the business and banking lobby, will the government surrender our country to the virus, to keep the markets happy?
Have the neo-liberal money men achieved total victory over our democracy?
Let us all play that this gamble succeeds?
Baz Soper has burst into print:
“It’s official. The Government’s impossible Covid elimination strategy has been scrapped, although don’t expect it to admit to that. Just like it would never accept the alert level 4 lockdown in Auckland hasn’t been anything but a raging success.
The spin is that if it had waited just one more week before turning the key on lockdown, there would be at least 5000 cases by now.
That of course we will never know, although under level 3, if you listen to the Beehive’s puppet master Ashley Bloomfield, the numbers will now “rumble along”. That in epidemiological-speak presumably means expect more numbers.
…”
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/covid-19-delta-outbreak-barry-soper-dont-expect-govt-to-admit-elimination-strategy-has-been-scrapped/4GKLRVCI22TM3XNZ2DG5VYBUIE/
Silly old men give old men a bad name.
😀
In my younger daze I used to sometimes feel sorry for Grumpy Old Men.
Until I realised recently that I somehow seem to have become one. I thought about it for a few days, & then, with a grin, decided that actually it wasn’t anywhere near as bad being one as I thought.
The trick, I’ve concluded, is to make sure you keep your sense of humour, continue to be able to hear yourself when you’re being one – and to just stop & laugh at yourself.
the trick is to be self-aware and realise you are turning into a grumpy old man. I am in the stale pale male group, and find myself occasionally slipping into the grumpy old man group. but knowing that, and deliberatley stopping, and having a couple of calming breaths is good, and,as you correctly point out , being able to stand back and laugh at yourself is a great leveller.
👍🏼 The first hint I had that I might be slipping in to GOM territory was some years back, when I was listening to some really discordant (to my ears) hip hop song, and the words formed in my mind:
“You call THAT music !?” 😡 😀
Me dear ol departed da instantly popped into my mind, grinning, & saying, “See what I meant?”
music and the ability to enjoy it is one of the big factors in keeping dementia-altzheimers at bay. I try and dose myself with rock music every day.
👍🏼 The Blues still does it most for me. 🎸
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=RSht5j3Cnh0
please fix user name on next comment.
Sorry weka.
I only spotted that screw up too late when it went into moderation.
I thought about emailing the site but didn’t think anyone would read it in time to delete the extra characters. Already corrected the name in any following comments.
all good. I drop a note so people pick it up the next time (some people don’t realise and I won’t necessarily have seen their next comments).
Emailing TS is probably the lease efficient way of communicating 🙂
And here's another silly old man – a gross understatement imo:
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/covid-19-delta-outbreak-ashley-bloomfield-mike-hosking-clash-on-his-relationship-with-government/3OEQE5C773QAW7KYYGI26UFMZI/
And what kind of a shit treats a senior public servant like Bloomfield as if he's a politician.
i think it is incumbent on the entire populace to remove ageism and sexism from their everyday discourse
silly brown girl
grumpy old man
bloody maori
bloody honky
silly old chook
big fat hypocrite
just dump the lot ok. this seems quite hard for many around here – a centre for calling out abuse – which is hard to fathom
no. free speech includes offensive remarks.
sure.. wasn't my point
Language does not happen in a social or power vacuum. Quite a big contextual difference in those examples you're written.
I think that context qualification you refer to fails the left massively. Nobody, except people like-minded to those around here, buys that.
Further, the assumptions around your qualification also fail. Try telling that to the poor old white man struggling in his Council flat.
Or alternatively, keep making excuses for using your own abusive terms and see it continue to be bounced straight back at you.
Or, to make it personal, if people refer to my own 'race', age, gender, religion, etc, they can go f&%k themselves. You know, just to keep it as real as it is in the streets…
sheesh….
edit: why do you feel the need to refer to a persons age, race, religion and gender?
white lives matter
refer previous
Thing is, when powerful public figures do it, they deserve to be bailed up and face criticism. When someone from an historically oppressed group criticise their oppressors it's a different story.
But I agree with the sentiment that public discourse would probably be more constructive if we decided not to include certain insults in our arsenal.
"When someone from an historically oppressed group criticise their oppressors it's a different story"
Sure, in many ways true.
But the point still stands I think that there is no need, and no purpose served, in referring to oppressor's age, religion, gender, or race in a derogatory way.
Said young brown girl speaking to, say, Don Brash, "hey you old white honky, blah, blah…"..
yeah nah, it is just abuse.
and yeah, we should exclude certain insults… doesn't advance the cause one iota methink
The government surrender, has finally given the National Party opposition something to talk about and run with.
Chris Bishop was able to speak extensively this morning on TVNZ breakfast about 'government failure'. Not about eliminating the virus or lifting the lockdown early.
Chris Bishop attack line, ran like this;
If the pandemic spins out of control, if "this calculated risk fails", it is the government's fault that everyone is not vaccinated.
If the government's gamble does fail, expect a big resurgence of National in the polls.
"If the government's gamble does fail, expect a big resurgence of National in the polls."
Possibly, Jenny. Might depend on who's their leader? How many voters in NZ really think that the muddlesome, erratic, gaffe-prone Collins under the same pressure from all the various affected sectors of society would have done anything different, or any better?
If it fails, Ardern's best bet would be to front up, admit it (conceding no errors could potentially be politically fatal) & then tell the whole country what she is going to do about it.
Think Ardern has what it takes to do that?
A very simple answer Gezza. No she doesn't.
I think she is completely incapable of admitting that she has ever made an error and she is simply going to go on and on and on trying to do the impossible and open up our country without letting Covid in. Still the majority of the late middle-aged women of my acquaintance continue to think she is wonderful so I doubt she will change.
I am cheered up by the way that the public seem to have decided that the America's Cup is a farce though. Team New Zealand, as they so grandiosely call themselves have been polling on whether the New Zealand public want to give them more money. I suspect they are having great difficulty getting any other country interested so they are hoping to be able to get more out of the New Zealand Government.
The public have spoken. Only 26% are willing to throw more taxpayer dosh into the black hole. Fifty percent say they should go overseas and the taxpayer shouldn't give them anything. Yippee, says I.
With any luck the Public will come to the same conclusion about the shambles that is our current Government and decide that the mad money printing of Grant Robertson will destroy us.
To those who say "Who will you choose to kill off?" I would ask in return "How many are you willing to kill from cancer, heart disease, suicide etc, etc, etc by devoting all your attention to Covid 19 now that vaccines have reduced its impact?" and "How many children's live will you ruin by preventing them getting an education?".
https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/americas-cup/126442680/new-poll-favours-team-nz-defending-americas-cup-offshore-without-public-money
interesting alwyn. coming from someone who seems unable to admit his own numerous errors, an accusation that jacinda suffers from your problem is laughable. she seems perfectly capable of laughing at herself. you?
Ardern has already made it clear that if she can’t continue as PM, she’s off, alwyn. Presumably to a lucrative stint offshore at the UN or some other well-paid role for which her international reputation is thought by overseas fans to qualify her.
Ae. Were it not for the crises of the Mosque shootings, the Lynnmall stabbings, & of course, the biggie, Covid, voters’ attention may well be a lot more focussed on Ardern’s Ministers in several key areas showing a disturbing lack of apparent competence & cohesive policies to improve some very bad stats in poverty, child poverty, crime rates, gang growth, housing, emergency housing, health, mental health etc.
However, equally disturbing is the prospect of the rump of the National opposition going into government, with their several untested comparative newbies, and some experienced – but not previously particularly impressive – former Ministers. And if Collins was still leader they’d probably be shite.
ACT have the luxury of being able to take pot shots & wax eloquent about what they’d do, but they’re an untested crew too.
Unnerving times. May not be the best move to change the government horses.
Bye, Team NZ. Happy to watch you sail on TV with all the cool CGI, don’t like to see you lose, but you ain’t earning enuf for the country to justify more tax-spend. That money’s desperately needed elsewhere.
..another lie with it's boots on..
https://twitter.com/Thoughtfulnz/status/1439105585601912832
https://twitter.com/Thoughtfulnz/status/1439105589435457536
We're running negative excess deaths wal, bad news for undertakers I'll concede.
Really?
The Our World in Data dataset appears to show that we had negative excess deaths in 2020 but positive values in 2021. My suspicion would be that this was due to there shutdown last year meant there were negligible flu deaths but I'm not really up in this subject.
I have no idea on what is causing the positive numbers this year except to say that they appear to be happening.
You have to feel sorry for Bishop. He and his colleagues and Kiwibloggers are on their paths raving about the government 'ruling by Covid fear.
They rant about lockdowns, those needing to come off and how people in Auckland are all imprisoned and the Auckland economy being destroyed.
The latest decisions are made so it's into negative mode and pandering to a fear narrative, focussing on "calculated risk."
Feel sorry for Bishop? He must want things to go wrong. He loves the fear factor. He no doubt wants an outbreak so he can say, "I told you so." The desperate, die-hard, still National supporters will be hoping for the same and I would suggest are not averse to deaths as long as it's not them or their family and friends.
It's pretty rich that Bishop is National's spokesperson on Covid-19 response.
C-19's an aggressive respiratory/lung disease.
And in his former guise, Bishop was the PR man for NZ's Big Tobacco!
Hopefully the more intelligent kiwis will understand that covid is a barstard , and while Ardern and co haven't always nailed it they've given this country the best shot at getting through with the least harm possible.
'Surrender'? We should all know by now that "elimination" in pandemic response language does not mean zero cases, yet media and scared folk on Facecloth wilfully confuse the public. Why do you think the PM and DG are always talking about uncontrolled public spread?
Its not a surrender, and we have eliminated under level 3 before, so I am hopeful we can do so again.
But I am still unlcear on why or how the health advice has changed in the space of a week, when the case numbers (including numbers of unlinked cases) are essentially the same as they were a week ago.
Why was it unsafe a week ago to move to level 3, but it is now safe to do so? From evryhting we have been told in the past by the Prime Minister, I would have preferred that we delayed the move in levels.
Now The Hosk, surprise, surprise, has put the boot in to Bloomfield:
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/covid-19-delta-outbreak-ashley-bloomfield-mike-hosking-clash-on-his-relationship-with-government/3OEQE5C773QAW7KYYGI26UFMZI/
hosk doesnt have a boot . all he knows about boots, are what john keys tastes like.
It has been said, that he is that far up the LotO he can see Whaleoil's boots.
Baz says Ashley is the "puppet master" while Prof Des says going to L3 is a "political decision". I guess grumpy old right-wing blokes are allowed to contradict each other (and even themselves) with impunity. Because in essence, impunity is what they're all about.
They like to cover all the bases, knowing their more rabid followers will happily parrot contradictory nonsense unquestioningly.
NSW reopening is driven by the real managers of strayla…..business.
Gfoffloffle takes full responsibility.
The German Federal election this week is showing the SPD still as the biggest party which it has been like that for the last month.
AS we know from our MMP biggest party doesnt mean you get to lead a new coalition government but the as both major parties are in an existing Grand Coalition the largest party will take the leading role.
Roughly the SPD is at around 26%, The Union Faction( CDU + CSU) at 21%, Greens at 16%, FDP at 7%, AfD at 11% and Der Linke at 6%.
However those are nationwide polls and unlike us , the German MMP allocation is done by federal state. The parties can vary widely in strength in various states which can boost the list allocation when all rolled up nationally. The Scottish MMP is similar and thats how SNP can end up with more seats than its nationwide vote would suggest.
The German overhangs and their 'leveling seats' for leading parties' can also be considerable number ( last election was just over 100 extra seats in Bundestag of 598)
Der Linke are Left so the Greens, SPD and Der Linke are at 48% which, if it holds, should see them home assuming, as in NZ, that there is some wasted vote.
I understand the 'wasted vote' is reused to give the leading party some extra list seats. I think thats how it works or used to.
But the overhang and leveling seats are a bit out of control , other 100 last time, so Im not sure what changes they have made
https://www.dw.com/en/germany-seeks-electoral-reform-to-avoid-xxl-bundestag/a-54694043
Your graph unfortunately ends at Apr 2020, so it doesn't show the developments since then with significant movements for all parties. It will be interesting to see the final outcome at election day.
One thing that makes the German language interesting (and annoying) is the gender. In this case the gender of the word "Partei" is female. So it's "Die Linke (Partei)" not "Der Linke".
Sorry but inserting images can be tricky doesnt show the full picture width wise
The full graphics and numbers are here. I should have put it with the comment
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opinion_polling_for_the_2021_German_federal_election
Der while always being masculine (and i still don't know why a table or a chair would be masculine 🙂 ) does not mean that Die is always 'feminine'. Die is plural also.
So a man would be Der Mann, but die Maenner means The men. 🙂 So any Partei will always be a Die, Die SPD, Die Gruenen, Die CDU, Die CSU etc, as Partei implies an assembly of more then one.
Good point. Wouldn't that be "Die Linken" instead of "Die Linke" if we stick to plural?
That my dear is the idiosyncrasy of the german language that makes no sense and drives many a german study mad.
It should, but 'die Linke' is the name of the party, And in that for some reason, die linke or die rechte (see what i do there) is both ' feminine', but 'die rechten and die linken are plural.
My thinking is that 'die linke' implies the word Partei but without explicit naming it, as it literally was and still is a coalition of the left that was not and is not included into german politics.
one thing that i found easy learning english is the word THE – while hard to prnonounce for some of us germans, it is so easy to use.
Mind look at the french, il and elle, he and her. have a group of women they are 'elles', add one bloke to that group of 'elles' and they become 'ils'. 🙂
Interesting opinion piece from Tasmania about Aukus and it's potential to destabilise and exacerbate unease in Southeast Asia
https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3149413/why-southeast-asia-so-concerned-about-aukus-and-australias-plans
A de facto US submarine base in Australia
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/sep/19/australia-could-lease-submarines-from-uk-or-us-but-nuclear-weapons-remain-off-the-table
The "lease" will end up being the purchase. The Australians are incapable of building nuclear boats and this whole deal will turn to be a chimera to placate South Australian MPs worried about jobs in their electorates.
aus can find or train qualified submariners for its diesel subs.one of the main reasons most of them are tied up at the dock. how are they going to find sailors for nuke subs ?(far more difficult to run). may have to get a few chinese submariners in to staff them!lol
Ocker watch: scumo is off to the states so Barnaby Joyce is acting PM.
Captain redneck can’t even control his own team.
Last time Scumo was out of the country (in self-quarantine on return) Joyce rolled his own leader. No telling what he'll do this time.
Probably pushing more coal industry boondoggles and avoiding George.
Don't call him a redneck. That bludger has not done an hour of hard work in the sun in his entire life.
We covered the inappropriate and condescending use of that term on this forum just over a week ago….
https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-11-09-2021/#comment-1814864
Give up, Morrissey. So many words change their meaning over time, and this is another case. The vast majority understand 'Redneck' as an unthinking, blunt conservative who goes all red around the neck and blows his stack if contradicted.
You are a hopeless, tiny minority in trying to restore the original meaning. The battle is already lost. Let it go.
At least Scomo gives First Dog on Moon lots of material to work with.
Scott Morrison got to see his kids on Father’s Day and everyone is furious at him all the time now | First Dog on the Moon | The Guardian
With Auckland moving to L3 tomorrow and we still have a similar number of daily cases I have to ask what the last 5 weeks lockdown was all about?
It has certainly achieved preventing an explosion of cases that would break the health system and gave us the breathing room to get vaccination numbers up.
It has also kept elimination as a real possibility – whether that actually happens will be seen over the next few weeks. But even if elimination is no longer a realistic possibility, vaccination numbers are now high enough that an overwhelmed broken health system is much less likely. (but still enough of a possibility that anything we can do to continue lifting vaccination rates is worthwhile).
Quite – if we cannot ultimately push cases down to zero, at least we have given ourselves the opportunity of a semi-controlled exit from the strategy, rather than a total car-crash. But why bother trying to give nuanced answers to (most likely) bad faith questions – it's like being interviewed by Mike Hosking.
It's not usually for those that ask the questions, their minds are usually already made up.
It's for the off chance that someone else reading might go hmmm …
Do you really have to ask? try looking across the ditch, if you can't see the benefit of the hard and fast 5 week lockdown, you purposely have your eyes closed.
Moving to L3 is a balancing act that I hope works out. Not being in Auckland it would be easy for me to say keep them in lockdown longer but the reality is, you have to keep the majority on side unless you are going to bring in the Army so if letting people get their Takeaways etc keeps them on side, then it's exactly the right thing to do.
Level 3 is still lockdown by any reasonable definition of lockdown, even if the government and some others don't want to call it lockdown.
Going from level 4 to level 3 is like going from solitary confinement to general prison. We still can't go hang with our mates (if I had any mates, that is), we still can't go out of Auckland even to say last goodbyes to family, we're still restricted in what we can do for exercise, we're still not supposed to go anywhere or do anything besides home, work, and essentials (which now includes takeaway KFC and coffee).
In other words, our Bill of Rights freedoms of movement and association and peaceful assembly and religion are still heavily curtailed.
Ah but the right to not die from a fucking horrible disease is still protected
Not dying from a fucking horrible disease is not actually a right that I can find written down anywhere. Arguably it should be, particularly when it's mostly very cheaply and safely preventable by vaccination.
But the importance we as a society place on not dying from preventable fucking horrible disease can be seen in Section 70 of the health act giving health officials draconian powers to override actual rights to achieve that protection from dying from a fucking horrible disease.
The worlds population is around 7675billion.
The number of covid deaths is around 4.55million.
That is a death rate of 0.06%. US data suggests that nearly 80% of those are 65+.
So your chances of dying from this "fucking horrible disease" are remarkably small. And even smaller if you're vaccinated.
The Economist has an article this week that says the true death number is 18 million not 4.5 million. Sorry it is paywalled.
shhh…
Rather than trying to distinguish between types of deaths, The Economist’s approach is to count all of them. The standard method of tracking changes in total mortality is “excess deaths”. This number is the gap between how many people died in a given region during a given time period, regardless of cause, and how many deaths would have been expected if a particular circumstance (such as a natural disaster or disease outbreak) had not occurred. Although the official number of deaths caused by covid-19 is now 4.7m, our single best estimate is that the actual toll is 15.5m people. We find that there is a 95% chance that the true value lies between 9.6m and 18.1m additional deaths.
https://archive.li/QxUIt
Yes they're referring to potential under-reporting, mainly in the third world. They also say "just one in 20 people infected globally thus far had entered official statistics. " While I agree the data is 'ropey', if just one in 20 infected have been reported, but their estimated death rate is 4x the official numbers, then the death rate to infections is even lower than the 2% widely published.
"the right to not die from a fucking horrible disease" is a rather dramatic statement. In 2021 one person has died in New Zealand with Covid-19 and that was a 90 year old women who had a number of underlying health conditions. In that same 9 month period 220 people have died on our roads, approx 6,000 from cancer and a total of approx 25,000 deaths from all causes. The reason that I have listed these figures is that I think we need perspective around the risks in our lives. We seem to have lost that at the moment.
Guess why the numbers are low Rony. Take yr time.
Yes 'Zactly !!!!
If allowed to run it's course a conservative estimate is that about about a fifth of the population will be infected with Covid and after recovery, nearly 25% of those infected will exhibit persistent or new symptoms.
But I guess you'd be okay with an already creaking health system being lumbered with a quarter of a million long Covid patients….right up until you're confronted with the personal cost of your perception of risk.
Feel free to quote us the excess death/mortality numbers during the same period. And please provide links to your claims of fact.
Since you’re new here, please read the About and the Policy of this site:
About « The Standard
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I don't want your "perspective" to place bets on my life or the lives of my loved ones.
Heard of Status Quo bias?
https://twitter.com/G_S_Bhogal/status/1438972548570664960?s=20
Absolutely, it is not easy and people saying what is the point in moving to L3 or having L4 negates the seriousness of this bloody thing. I think it is the right thing to move slowly down the Levels. Do you not think any Government at times may need to curtail peoples rights for the betterment of the greater good. (Car seatbelts, Smoking in buildings etc, spring to mind)
I am very grateful of the effort and hardship that the majority of Aucklanders have endured.
Absolutely the role of government includes balancing various competing rights. All rights are subject to some limitations, exclusions, and responsibilities depending on the situation of the moment. The requirements of the situation of the moment can be very fluid and change quickly.
I happen to think the government made a good call a week ago to keep Auckland in level 4, and it's a good call to move Auckland to level 3 tonight. Even though infection numbers don't look better now than a week ago. To me, the difference is the vaccination numbers do look a lot better now. Hopefully those vaccination numbers will keep getting better.
I just get incredibly frustrated with some that focus on just one right, such as the right to refuse medical treatment, and appear to think that one right extends to justifying trampling wholesale over all others (not accusing you of this, RBO). It's always a balancing act that needs to be very mindful of what actual rights are actually being currently unusually curtailed.
Ronald Have a look at the graph of case numbers
Note the nearly vertical climb before lockdown and the sharp drop after lockdown.
What do you think the nos would have been with NO lockdown?
https://www.google.co.nz/search?q=auckland+covid+case+numbers&client=safari&rls=en&sxsrf=AOaemvJdW5IGtoBzAu2XpABlfPCSXR9zuA%3A1632176308139&ei=tAhJYYTeB8uP4-EP296gYA&oq=AUCKLAND+COVID+NUMBERS&gs_lcp=Cgdnd3Mtd2l6EAEYATIFCAAQgAQyBggAEBYQHjoHCAAQRxCwAzoHCAAQsAMQQzoECCMQJzoNCC4QsQMQxwEQ0QMQQzoRCC4QgAQQsQMQgwEQxwEQowI6DgguEIAEELEDEMcBENEDOggIABCxAxCDAToLCC4QgAQQxwEQ0QM6BAgAEEM6CgguEMcBEKMCEEM6CgguEMcBENEDEEM6BAguEEM6CAgAEIAEELEDOgoILhCxAxCDARBDOgcIABDJAxBDOgUIABCSAzoLCAAQgAQQsQMQgwE6DQguELEDEIMBEEMQkwI6CgguEMcBEK8BEEM6BwguELEDEEM6CggAELEDEIMBEEM6DggAEIAEELEDEIMBEMkDOggILhCABBCxAzoICCEQFhAdEB46BQghEKABOgUIIRCSA0oECEEYAFDtC1jqpAFg5a8BaAVwAngAgAGdAogBmiiSAQYwLjE5LjeYAQCgAQHIAQrAAQE&sclient=gws-wiz
Yes, that's the whole point of a lockdown – to stop the exponential growth of cases. Ashley Bloomfield's comments seem to indicate they are prepared for more cases, but are relying on other measures to keep the ongoing community spread reduced.
I think we could have been at level 3 at least a week ago and the South Island could be at level 1 now.
Oh well, that's that then, We don't need a team of health professionals driving our Covid response, we can just hand it over to The Jester to save us all, I feel so much safer. /sarc
I'll have you know jesters navel is a very reliable source of ideas.
Wrong side of body BW
I must admit, I'm no "expert" like Shaun Hendy who predicted up to 80,000 deaths even though Sweden has twice our population and basically 'let it rip'. Mind you he did predict this outbreak could be as high as 100-120! I guess that's a bit more accurate.
No, he said that when the first positive case was found in the community there were an estimated 50-120 other covid-positive people undetected at that time.
Keep pushing the 80k line as well. Pretend that it wasn't the absolute worst-case possible scenario with a virulent disease, no controls, no lockdowns, no change in personal behaviour (mandated or not) and business as usual. Helps remind people you're just a bad-faith actor who for some reason wants to see thousands of NZers dead. Sure, let's get Sweden's death rate. It's be good for small business owners (funeral directors in particular).
We would not get anywhere near 80k deaths in NZ unless we all went around licking toilet seats or something.
The behaviour requirements that led to an estimate of up to 80k dead were quite clearly outlined and published over a year ago.
And if you match the prediction for the criteria describing the measures we actually implemented, it's pretty accurate: 0.0004% of 5 million is 20 dead. We're currently at 27.
BTW, the accuracy of that prediction is the difference between science and economics. If treasury or RBNZ could predict GDP or unemployment 18months down the line to within 0.00005%, they'd be in heaven.
Yes. And the very best case scenario with lockdowns and other public health measures the death toll could be …..20.
Why do I always see a man with a striped short sleeved jersey, shorts and a handkerchief on his head when I read a statement beginning "I think……"?
The peak was around 80 cases per day at end of August
It was about getting to a point where it was safe to drop to level 3. Duh.
https://www.greaterauckland.org.nz/2021/09/21/auckland-light-rail-suggest-light-rail-in-auckland/
I’ve a lot of faith in Michael Wood, but he better get this one right.
So a government lobby group for light rail announces that "they think light rail is the best solution for the City Centre to Mangere corridor" and that's news?
They had a big presence at the Balmoral flea market right before lockdown.. about 10 staff handing out info lobbying etc…
From what I heard very little thought put into how they might hope to preserve the little restaurants & character of Dominion road during the build. Best I got was but they'll all do so well when its finished… I'll bet theyll be gone long before its done.
I can see it being an absolute disaster full of unintended consequences shunting traffic onto Mt Eden and Sandringham roads being one of them
Auckland Council and it's offshoots have developed a ''talking points" approach to selling projects. This involves a large amount of spin and bullshit, and very little actual listening. AT are among the worst, but are by no means alone. When I looked at the Board of ALR and saw some of the 'usual suspects' (the CEO of AC, the CEO of AT, Chris Darby) I can only hope that this project is stopped in it's tracks.
Politicking by media (click on tweet to see full cartoon, damn cropping).
https://twitter.com/joshua_drummond/status/1440042958682681347
US Navy plans to expand to a fleet size last seen under Reagan, going from 296 ships to 512 in their latest plan –
https://news.usni.org/2021/09/17/congressional-budget-office-analysis-of-navys-30-year-shipbuilding-plan
An increased emphasis in littoral surface combat against peer opponents is noticeable. Lots of missile carrying destroyers and frigates, with a big increase in submarines and amphibious warfare capability & the ability to support expeditionary forces in extended operations. Many of the ships are planned to be un-manned.
Combined with significant investment in missile defense systems and previously neglected advanced anti-ship missiles and it is obvious the US is in a huge and rapid build up for a peer conflict in east Asia. Wonder with who that might be?
If it happens, like in all wars, it will likely be far easier to start than to finish, will not go exactly to plan for either side, & may well see some completely unexpected war-winning tactic or capability completely unforeseen used by one side to deliver a final victory.
I’m wondering how many technologically advanced military assets of China, Russia, USA are critically dependent on “secure” internet or satellite comms, but actually have an achilles heel that the other side has – or will have – the ability to exploit?
Dreadful anywhere it happens. I usually expect these to occur in the USA.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=yAkWQQwBSQQ
"At least six people were killed as a student opened fire at a university in the Russian city of Perm, the second mass shooting this year in a country where such incidents are usually rare.
The suspect was detained shortly after launching the attack on Monday morning at Perm State University, which is about 1,300km (800 miles) east of the capital, Moscow.
Russia’s Investigative Committee said the attacker had been identified as a student at the university. It has opened a murder probe into the incident.
The death toll had previously been stated as eight, but was later revised to six. More than 20 people were injured, several with bullet wounds. The severity of the injuries was not immediately clear."
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/9/20/several-killed-in-shooting-at-russian-university
Zuckerberg reportedly agreed with Kushner that FB wouldn't fact-check during the 2020 election and the tRump administration would avoid regulating FB. And Thiel's a thoroughly unlikable character.
https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/peter-thiel-silicon-valley-contrarian-max-chafkin.html
Zero surprises there and I can't recall Biden doing anything either since becoming POTUS.
In my opinion the judge needs to be held to account after letting this gang member out on bail to travel out of Auckland. Who would have thought, a gang member would stop four times on the way there and not follow the rules.
Covid-19 Delta outbreak: Infected inmate – PM wants answers over bail breach and family transmission – NZ Herald
Perhaps the judge has a weak bladder and had to stop four times during the trip.
The judge is just weak full stop.
Do you know who the judge was, out of interest?
"It will take everyone doing their bit" resonates more with me than "playing a role" reminds me of what a relative said when I asked why they joined up in WW2. I was beginning to think she was getting into a reality TV state of mind and was losing confidence. A truly great Prime Minister.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/451944/auckland-could-reach-90-percent-first-dose-vaccination-milestone-in-two-weeks-ardern
This is a reasonable summation of NZ media I think
https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2021/9/20/new-zealand-is-on-its-way-of-eradicating-covid-19-again
Well worth the read.
Seconded. Great piece. Summarises how NZME and the gNats have attempted to sabotage a public health crisis response. And how NZME is taking a nosedive into Fox News territory.
Some people have been working on this for a long time (90 second clip).
https://twitter.com/rawirimj/status/1440092022790967299
No context tweet
https://twitter.com/NZAHParallels/status/1440101108811063300?s=20
Thanks John G for posting the excellent article by Glen Johnson of Aljazeera. I do wish we had a more intelligent and balanced local media here.
Not having listened, but read about it, Mike Hosking was his usual rude obnoxious self with Dr Bloomfield this morning. It seems to me Hosking and his ilk would like nothing more than NZ to have an outbreak like NSW and Victoria solely to be able to accuse the PM of being a failure. Nasty, cynical people.
The PM is absolutely remarkable how she maintains her dignity and commendable qualities in the face of these onslaughts.
Ah, yes, Hoskings. The plonker who said this recently:
"Berejiklian is Australia's most successful premier. Her state is the best economic performer, she is popular, and she has led far and away Australia's most successful COVID response."
Does any sane person, a) listen to Hoskings or b) take any notice of what he says?
Anyone else getting tired of overseas based New Zealanders constant whining about not being able to get back.
Obviously it is very frustrating and upsetting for them. But, many have chosen to live overseas for many years seeking a "better" and more lucrative and interesting life out of New Zealand. They have not paid taxes here or contributed to life here. But things got bad elsewhere so want to come back and seem to think NZ should take over every empty hotel, provide security and healthcare and cleaners and meals. We are a very small country with a small population. To build a dedicated quarantine would take two or three years to do, given material and staff shortages.
I do sound grumpy! But with close family myself who have been away 14 years, the situation affects me also. Have had three trips to visit them cancelled in the last 18 months.
They have had over a year to come home, and chose to leave it to the last minute. Unfortunate but necessary border controls have saved NZ from a disaster that has traumatised the rest of the world
Seems that the queue for MIQ spots is longer because there seems to be plenty in NZ who want to do trip overseas and come back.
Sometimes for family reasons other times its because they can.
When they get back in the country they will be 'surprised' at getting a bill for the MIQ stay. But it seems many have the 'family illness' theme all lined up
Not just trippers though.
People doing essential work, such as seafarers, who are residents and tax payers in NZ, who are stuck overseas for months after their normal leave is due.
Most of them had to find jobs overseas, when the NZ Government in the 90's destroyed NZ shipping.
I know several. Including those who have had to resign from jobs because of the uncertainty in getting back.
No system with 3000 spaces and 20000 applications, will please everyone, but I still find who gets priority puzzling.
Holy smoke if this is true, it doesn’t bow well for NZ Foreign or NZ Defence Policies mandated by the NZG!
A well known NZ Aviation Forum has mentioned that the RNZAF is now down 2 C130’s 04 &05 with 02 is retired at RNZAF Woodbourne to provide spares for 04 & 05? If this the case then it doesn’t bow well for the summer, the Sth Pacific Cyclone Season, the Antarctic Research Summer or any hort Notice Taskings in the short term 1-3yrs.
But there is no mention the status of 01 or 03 either atm.
I had heard from my Uncle, the RNZAF had said to the last Government & the previous National Government that they are running out of hrs for the Engines, critical Airframe components & other System related components. As Lockheed won’t support once these components or systems when they reach their end life design hrs as Lockheed couldn’t guarantee what would happen once those Systems & Components reach the end of their respective design hrs.
I am very concerned that our precious RNZAF personnel may be flying in now-unsafe aircraft.
Worthy of an Opposition news story, if I knew who they were.
bode
I'm OK with fines for Covid-19 rule-breaking increasing, but another clueless neoliberal move from a government that is blind to inequality. In more enlightened countries they recognise that a $1000 fine means completely different things depending on your income, and base fines on your income or wealth.
Here in NZ the maximum $12,000 fine is completely beyond the means of people on the minimum wage, while our richest citizen could pay this fine every single day for the next 2,671 years or so…
One law for the wealthy, another for everyone else.
or as some wag put it, for the rich a "fine" is just a "license fee".
Make it a Category 1 offence that comes with a criminal record. The fines seem to more or less equal reflecting the severity of the offence.
Modern slavery: Time for NZ legislation (msn.com)
Odd that a Labour government has to be dragged kicked and screaming to address this issue – but then it took them 40 years to acknowledge not all was sweetness and light on the slave ships. One of many acts, together with residency wage theft scams, that need to be cleaned up. MBIE might even be given the "please explain" over how they let things get this bad.
I forgot that today is a Parliament sitting day.
I switched on the tv & caught a bit of Question Time. Need to go find the video & have a proper look when it’s posted on the Parliament website.
Whatever Covid-related Question it was, Bishop & Hipkins were absolutely hammering each other. Both sounded really insulting & bitter.
It can be how people get when they're misquoted, misrepresented, and questioners are less than factual. Funny that……
https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/hansard-debates/rhr/combined/HansDeb_20210921_20210921_12
Yes, no doubt. The venom was mostly spat by Hipkins, I see now.
For those that like to witness the actual drama in The House.
https://vimeo.com/610339898
At least it didn't descend into argy bargy with the Speaker, & a "flouncing out" ejection.
Yes, if like me and most NZers you are keen on the truth about the reality of a pandemic like COVID & our Govt's response, then we (like Hipkins) can be forgiven for getting pissed-off at politicians (like Bishop) who don't see anything wrong with blatant, calculated lies, and misinformation.
Venom, Gezza? This? " What I do agree with is that the member should stop spreading misinformation. That is not what any Minister in this Government has said. I would say to any New Zealander listening to him that they should think twice about any of the statements he makes, because most of them don't stack up." Rebuttal etc said forcefully but does 'venom' overstate it a bit? I watched it, by the way, at the time.
Telling off accepted. Sorry mac. “Venom” definitely does overstate it. I wasn’t watching the telly directly when I heard the raised voices towards the end. Was preoccupied in my dining room.
No telling off, Gezza; I've too much respect for what you write here, but I have a grumpiness about over-exaggeration- like people who talk of a 'shambles' all the time.
But Hipkins can give a telling off in parliamentary terms, and there was cause for that. He might look as young as a schoolboy but some responsibility and I suspect some good mentoring along the way has seen him grow impressively into the job.
I hope I'm not over-exaggerating…….
No, you’re not.
Hipkins is a real blinken Peter Pan, isn’t he? He seems to have discovered the fountain of youth. Never seems to age a day. He’s one of Ardern’s better Ministers. Very hardworking & competent, imo.
Thank you for that remark about respecting my comments. Nice thing to say.
Test
Seems James and his menagerie missed out on MIQ places. Off to the boss lady to get an emergency place. It’s not what you know …
You’re new here, so my suggestion is you learn how things work here rather than trolling.
Ardern has already said the Climate Minister will be given places in MiQ to return.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/covid-19-delta-outbreak-climate-change-minister-james-shaw-taking-nine-staff-to-glasgow-scotland-for-cop26-talks/XW7DYQHJRWZTWA3D6IGIS3JOGU/
Why in gods name did he go into the lottery then?
I recommend staying ahead of the news rather than behind it before accusing someone of trolling 🤗
https://www.google.co.nz/amp/s/www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2021/09/james-shaw-hasn-t-secured-miq-spot-for-uk-climate-conference-only-1-of-14-person-entourage-has.amp.html
Please pick one email address and stick to it. The system treats new emails as new commenters and then we have to release the comments manually. Also double check spelling, because some devices don't manage the name and email address field well.
My link is more recent than yours and includes this,
So I ask again, why in gods name did he go into the lottery if the boss lady had already granted an MIQ space for him and the menagerie???
Your timeline is off as far as I can tell.
https://twitter.com/henrycooke/status/1440129780460834816
I await your next complaint.
I watched the video. I must come from a volatile background as I didn't think they were "absolutely hammering" each other.
Venom being spat? Hipkins sounded peed off with Bishop for putting out what he says is misinformation. It seems he thinks Bishop is undermining with negativity.
Bishop was on RNZ this morning. I didn't listen to hear how he would have had the MIQ system organised from the beginning and his ideas right now to have 25,000 expeditiously and fairly brought back into the country. * He has been loud in criticism but I haven't heard him say what specifically should be done and that he'd passed his considered views on to the relevant ministers.
Maybe the Bishop parody has pertinent observations about his attitude.
https://twitter.com/bishflap?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor
* Accepting that had his party been in government there probably wouldn't have been a need for any MIQ, we wouldn't have had lockdowns and everyone, 100%, would have been vaccinated fully many months back.
I’ll repeat my response to mac, above:
Telling off accepted, Pete. “Venom” definitely does overstate it. I wasn’t watching the telly directly when I heard the raised voices towards the end. Was preoccupied in my dining room. And the video certainly doesn’t amount to “hammering each other”.
More like Bishop getting a deserved metaphorical rap on the knuckles with a ruler.
Will try to be more careful to avoid hyperbole & wait until I see on Vimeo what actually really happened in future.