Stuff’s slavery investigation concludes that “no slave-tainted fish are ending up in New Zealand”, and also that “it’s almost certain that we have eaten fish caught by crew under conditions of forced labour.”
Always look for the label. If it says “Fabrique en Nouvelle Zelande” there might be a problem. How much are corporate reassurances worth? More importantly, how can they be verified?
My son has a friend who fishes for 3 months at a time at sea near the Auckland Islands , with a crew of around 55 people … he says its a hard life but the captain and crew are a close knit family and they get looked after well ,… and when you compare the two… and whats been going on in the Stuff article,… it just shows that it doesn’t have to be that way at all.
Further proof globalisation and neoliberalism is literally killing people and species as it’s ruthlessly exploits the finite resources of capitalism his planet.
Add that to bananas from slave plantations in the Philippines and electronics from slave mines in the Congo.
The article presents a neoliberal solution- consumers can change things.
Much better would be government actions to rid the oceans of these death factories.
That would be a good use for our navy.
Yes it would , the Navy has a long tradition of hunting down these sort of high sea pirates , and that’s what they are – pirates. Criminals. The trick then is to bring them before the courts on human rights abuses with so many of these govt’s shielding them. And to do that we need the assistance of the ICC- International Criminal Court, if indeed, they manage these sorts of offences.
The other problem is lack of jurisdiction in certain waters, and the sheer size of the area , which enables these criminals to indulge these behaviors,… when we consider that the ocean is a massive water filled desert,… we get an idea of its expanse.
It would need several cases to be made an example of using an international policing force , a power of legal workers behind that , – in short , – some sort of international agreement with teeth, – and therein lies the problem; so many big business interests… which takes us back to the Stuff answer… widespread public education to bring international political solutions.
Wows, OAB, cheers for the link, really pleased the fishing industry is being brought to light, again, so much goes on out there.
WK, this bit…. “The other problem is lack of jurisdiction in certain waters, and the sheer size of the area” absolutely bang on.
It’s important to understand that MOST officers are treated well in the fishing industry, this ensures their flexibility.
What goes on at sea stays at sea, open your mouth and someone may shut it for you, loose lips sink ships etc. Good on Stuff for gaining some insight.
Get the job done, stress runs high out there, fish are money.
In many instances, officers (cook to captain) are paid a salary plus a % of the catch, as a result, the crew are worked hard if the fish are running, no sleep for you, shall we bring up the P epidemic, time is money and all that.
Those in the factory or on deck are often graded to earn their percentage, so if any officers have it in for you, that will impact your grade.
Factory/deck crew from other countries are treated like shite, depending on the ‘culture’ of the vessel. It’s easy as to pick up more offshore factory and deck crews, easy as.
And if you spend 3mths at sea, there’s not much you can do or say about it and there is def nowhere to run.
The RNZN/ MOD have asked for a 3rd OPV that is design to operate in the Southern Ocean in the last DWP as the current two OPV’s are barely Fit for Purpose for Southern Ocean duties (fit for only the Summer run down Sth, but I believe it can’t take a Seasprite down Sth as it pushes the ships ice belt below the waterline). But from the sounds of it the 3rd OPV is on hold until they work out what’s going to replace the P3’s so they can line up right Combat Mission Systems etc so that OPV, Fixed and Rotary Wing assets can have and provide update SA to each other plus future proof the system when the UAV’s entry service sooner or later down the track.
Once that is sorted out I think you would the NZDF spending a lot more time down Sth all yr round instead of usual runs down during the summer periods. With having everybody on the same sheet of music unlike it atm will allow NZDF to effectively enforce the Southern Fishies. If the ODT is right about this one and it’s something that I have been suggesting as well.Then our wishes for a permanent presence in the Southern Ocean might come true.
Then there will be whining from the Fishing Industry as they well able to enforce the quota, Labour and Maritime Laws etc more effectively than at the present time.
The government ought to be looking at whether NZ crews can buy a house. Because if working a couple of months away on rotating shifts won’t let you do that, only a fool would do it. And that’s how the industry falls into the hands of the charter and slave fishing companies.
Here’s a classic example of a slave ship by an Aussie company (by that i mean it used to be Aussie based), their PR via the net would make people think otherwise lololz.
What this particular company does is grow their abalone on a factory ship outside of Aussie waters, that particular ship is a freaking disgrace, workers are treated like dirt, it’s hell on earth for them. The grown abalone is then collected by a small vessel and new spawn are dropped off along with ships stores. No reason for the factory vessels crew to go anywhere near land, keep them onboard as long as possible.
Edit… found an article about their ‘true colours’, was a fair while back, but I doubt they’ve changed.
Suspicions have increased because the ship’s owners have refused to publicly say how much its sailors are being paid, and it is believed that some of the Chinese crew are earning as little as US$300 a month.”
These practices have been going on for too long, may stuff continue to inform kiwis about it.
Because companies will always deny it, check out Polly, bold faced lies from her…
“Polly Kwok Wing-wah, a Hong Kong-based director of the firm, said: ‘The attack has taken the form of false submissions to local media, lies, and untrue allegations to union-biased government ministers and intimidation of company employees.'” LIAR !!!
Pac N save must be using some cheaper fish supplier than other supermarkets are as we have bought three times some red cod with fish bones in them. The cost per kilo is much cheaper than other supermarkets at only $16 a kilo, where other supermarkets are charging over $23 a kilo.
Beware as I got two large fish bones struck between my gums and teeth that caused a gum injury.
We see Jacinda ignoring the elephant in the room again today and was on the media mainly seeming to be worried about something other than mycoplama bovis as the main theme of this day!!!!!!!
We need a moritorium on cow movements until we do this now or we risk a widespread catastrope of this disease now.
Subject; Mycoplasma bovis can be spread on trucks among shared containment areas unless every truck is sterilised see below.
Everyone is asking how did mycoplasma bovis spread across the North Island from the south Island?
It can travel on trucks John, and we cannot allow moving of stock now until it is made safe otherwise we are all going to spread the disease before long now.
This is according to this article from the website.
The new threat of disease to our entire cattle stock is a case of point as we have now allowed the unchecked transport of cows all around NZ on trucks and the Mycoplasma_bovis dsease which may destroy our second largest export earner and biggest company.
Prevention[edit]
There are many ways by which cattle can be prevented from catching Mycoplasma bovis and other pathogenic bacteria.[7]
Transport of animals[edit]
When transporting the animals from one farm to another, It would be appropriate if the transport vehicle could be cleaned with disinfectants before and after use. For better care, environmental swabbing should be taken place and samples sent to a microbiology lab if any harmful bacteria will be detected, further actions should be taken place.[8]
Visitors[edit]
Only authorized people should be allow to visit a farm. Visitors shall arrive with clean clothing and footwear and disinfectant on arrival and departure can be used to stop getting the introduction of bacteria’s. For example, a water mat with disinfectant can be used in the entrance of the farm, water bath, company can provide sanitized clothes for people.
Weekly inspection and maintenance[edit]
In the end of the week, cleaning of all the areas and equipment reduces the chances of animals getting sick. Also, it is important to clean the feedlot container and keep the feed dry. Doubling the boundary fence with a 6-inch gap prevents the animals contacting neighbouring animals.
Well if loosing our largest export earner and farming bussinesses along with their company to overseas (Fonterra) this should now be a full blown five alarm amergency.
I am astounded that anything else is as important as keeping the direct focus on the major loss we are about to encounter if we sit there and ‘dilly dally’ while saying figuratively “rome burns”.
It is all about what’s most important as last governments lost the plot so will we if we dilly dally.
Well if loosing our largest export earner and farming bussinesses along with their company to overseas (Fonterra) this should now be a full blown five alarm amergency.
You do know why there’s cautionary tails about sticking all your eggs one basket right?
I don’t understand the dithering about on this issue. For a country that fines people hundreds of dollars for bringing a piece fruit into an airport it’s bizarre.
Short term pain. Ban all cattle movement for six months, slaughter any infected animals, massive cleaning operation of all associated infrastructure and name all infected farms.
Just make sure if any are driven to the wall they’re not sold offshore. Glomming the mortgaged dairy farms was a major cause of the SCF abuse of state power.
A press release from the nz embassy in Japan.- Translated by Google.
The Prime Minister of New Zealand, the prime minister of the New Zealand, instructed Vice Prime Minister to give birth to the second child in June, and the prime minister of’s will be on maternity leave on may 14th. The Vice Prime Minister published a letter showing his duties as prime minister.
I think we need to have provision set up to go at a moment’s notice with give a little ready for each time some NZr is discriminated into oblivion by the Australian government. Ours is helpless with confronting these intransigent, callous, spiteful non-friendly foreign politicians.
It may well be the case that there is no other country in the world that pays direct transfers for the social welfare of their citizens in another country, but honestly this government does need to go there.
The alternative is that these street waifs are going to be arrested, put into Australian jails, in which they are fully criminalised, after which they will be deported back to New Zealand as criminals.
Yes Ad it makes sense from an objective, economic sense. And there is also the moral imperative. They are being punished by the Australian government for being New Zealanders. It has become clear from recent happenings that sanctions are applied to us that they don’t apply to any other country’s citizens. This was actually stated in the interview with the NZ woman with a convalescent husband on Radionz this morning. http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2018645943/australian-pension-rules-leaving-nz-family-poor
A NZ family living in Perth are struggling to make ends meet after a father broke his leg and cannot gain access to any benefits.
Johno Walsh broke his leg playing in the park with his children at the end of April.
Because his injury occurred outside of his work as a diesel engineer he was ineligible for sick pay or work cover. Now he and his wife Debbie, originally from Hawke’s Bay, found out their income protection insurance won’t pay out until the end of June. They have four children.
So Ms Walsh went to the social welfare office, Centrelink, to see about getting access to their seven years of superannuation paid while living in Australia….
New Zealanders on the Special Category Visa are not eligible for federal benefits. No one can withdraw super for hardship unless they had been on a benefit for six months.
Centrelink staff [were] asked how it was possible permanent residents from other countries were able to qualify for benefits and New Zealanders with seven years in Australia could not…
They and their New Zealand friends both had no idea that their income protection nor superannuation would buffer them.
We’re trying to play it cool cos we don’t want our kids to know, because I don’t think they need to worry about where their next meal is coming from.
“That’s the life of a New Zealand citizen in Australia.”
They have income protection insurance but didn’t shape the policy to cover this, and in a modern society expect that they can get help in times of need and emergency. But not us in Australia. They are following the neoliberal line even more rigidly than our RW governments have done.
I think that we have shown them up in Oz, irritated them, not followed an order etc, and they have decided that they don’t owe us respect, or anything. They have got themselves into a liege lord situation over us by owning our banks, and competing successfully for any business that still manages to run here, and have nothing to lose by acting out of character, that is, in a principled manner.
A moral imperative is a strongly-felt principle that compels that person to act. It is a kind of categorical imperative, as defined by Immanuel Kant. Kant took the imperative to be a dictate of pure reason, in its practical aspect. Not following the moral law was seen to be self-defeating and thus contrary to reason.
Moral imperative – Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moral_imperative
Australian Government Department of Human Services.
This is spelled out so you don’t get confused and end up in the Animal Services Department.
I am wondering whether there will soon be a parallel entity called the A.G. Dept of Robot, Android and AI Services. It will be funded out of the budget for Human Services which will need less funding as much of the work will be carried out by the A.I.R. Service crawlers!
I see that Winston has had another policy altered to favour his benefactors in the Fishing Industry. Years of work down the drain because the fishing industry has called in a debt from Tsar Winston. https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/104082934/government-dfrops-plan-to-restrict-deep-sea-trawling-protect-orange-roughy
Have a look at the photo of Ardern and Peters in this story.
Puppeteer Winston feeding Ardern with the lines she must utter. Then his final words.
“Just do what I tell you Jacinda.” is his order.
You really should learn to read properly.
It was wild Katipo who raised this as an apparently serious comment.
After all Ms Ardern tells us that Winston is going to be Acting PM.
That means she will still be PM and Winnie will only be filling in for her.
Wild Katipo tells us that he is going to actually be Prime Minister. You can only have one at a time so he will have to replace Ardern, won’t he?
Why don’t you ask Wild Katipo where he gets his information from?
You know how folks will react to you posting that link, wrapped up in your usual invective…and success! Because they’re all piling onto you rather than reading the actual article…which demands our attention.
So…now you’ve all taken alwyn’s bait…go and read the article…
I’m afraid they don’t want to read the story Rosemary. If they did they would have to accept the fact that this Government is simply made up of politicians whose main interest is just like every other politician.
They want the power and the perks of office. They aren’t paragons of virtue.
My real complaint about them is not that they are in power. It is that they simply aren’t competent and didn’t spend their time in Opposition preparing to be a Government with a set of well thought out policies.
I mean look at Twyford and Kiwibuild. Have you ever seen anyone in quite such a muddle?
National were tired and really needed replacing. No Government should last more than three terms, at least in my opinion. Unfortunately we have had a group who are incompetent taking over. The only one who actually knows what he is doing is Tsar Winston and he is running things for his mates, like those who run the Fishing Industry and people like Sir Patrick Hogan and the horseracing fraternity.
So, we have a discussion going on about David ‘Footloose’ Seymour trying to raise a rabble in Remmers against a potential invasion of mentally ill folk…and I contributed this link to an article about Seymour’s reaction to the professional opinions of a panel of palliative care experts to the euthanasia select committee.
“Act leader David Seymour, who introduced the bill to Parliament in June last year has hit back, accusing the experts of fearmongering.
He insisted the vulnerable would be protected.
“Our own Attorney-General has written that my bill has sufficient safeguards and is consistent with the New Zealand Bill of Rights. So these guys, frankly, need to go jump in a lake, start debating on the evidence and stop speculating to create fear, uncertainty and doubt.””
“ACT leader David Seymour said he was deeply disappointed that Ms Tesoriero was “spreading misinformation” as intellectually disabled people did not qualify under the bill.
“It’s very ironic that the Disabilities Commissioner of all people would be saying that a person who’s perfectly capable of making a decision … should have fewer rights and choices than other people.””
Tesoreiro had quite rightly pointed out that in NZ people with disabilities “could not freely exercise their choice in New Zealand.
“We live in a world where people focus on fixing us, not on removing the barriers that make us disabled.
“In the absence of adequate services, we run the risk that choice under this bill becomes a Clayton’s choice for disabled people.””
Seymour was supported by none other than Greg ‘give all the cops guns all the time’ O’Connor, who because he has a son with an intellectual disability claims to have looked at the Bill and has not seen any problems.
“A “Clayton’s choice” is a choice that exists in name only and isn’t genuine.
But Mr O’Connor said many disabled people were perfectly able to give well-informed consent.
“You have to be careful – because it’s almost like you’re saying, ‘Leave disabled people over here, because they’re not capable of the same … mental capability””
I know M O’ Connor still uses MP training wheels, but he really needs to be more nuance aware.
What the Disabilities Commissioner is saying Greg, is that while far too many disabled New Zealanders struggle to get the supports they need and have to battle all the way to the United Nations to have they basic rights as humans recognised, it is really inafuckingppropriate to be defending the rights of disabled people to choose euthanasia while dismissing the concerns of a disabled person who represents the rights of all disabled New Zealanders.
Not without making a clear and unequivocal statement on behalf on the government that the rights of all disabled New Zealanders will be respected.
Go have a lie down Gosman. I used far too many words, and there are subtleties that may be difficult to sense for those outside of the disability community.
I just suggest Rosemary that some disabled persons might wish to have the right to choose euthanasia in the present or at some future specified time.
I note that the antis regard their opinions as sacred, and the final authority. This assumes that other people have no agency in their own lives; that they don’t have the intellect, that they must do what society and those around them decide for them. It is strange that others want to own others body and soul.
“….that some disabled persons might wish to have the right to choose euthanasia in the present or at some future specified time. ”
And no one is saying otherwise.
BUT…and this is a very big BUT…there must be no question at all that the disabled person who chooses euthanasia is doing so because the lack of proper support is making their life unbearable.
And at the present point in time this cannot be guaranteed.
Most of the people living with disability in New Zealand have no entitlement to funded supports from the Ministry of Health whatsoever.
And seeking supports from the Ministry of Health has actually made people wish that they were dead.
“I note that the antis regard their opinions as sacred, and the final authority.”
Funny that, I’ve noted the exact same tone from the pros…did you actually read Seymour’s responses to the Commissioner and the palliative care professionals that I referenced in my comment?
Telling the palliative care professionals that they “need to go jump in a lake,”…..
An interesting article to read for those interested? With a 11pg document in English from Sweden on what to do if Sweden is attack from a hostile country.
I was reading a Janes Defence report a mths ago saying Russia Submarine activity in the Baltic Sea is almost back to Cold War levels and a huge increase around the Northern Approaches to Norway, Iceland and UK gap, but not to the same levels as during Cold War although there has been the odd surge or a increase rate of effort too Cold War levels during Russian Navy Summer Manoeuvres or NATO Ex’s.
Everyone is now having to relearn the art of ASW and tracking Subs etc as everything was either cut, mothballed or quietly drop as a peace dividend or the same to find cost savings to fund the “War on Terror” in the Gan and forgetting the need to have the “The Utility of Force” because the silly pollie’s didn’t want rise taxes to fund the “War on Terror” as British Armed Forces have found out thanks to that muppet Blair.
Yes I had seen that article as well, an interesting design and common sense prevail that it was unlikely to work. But they design this wee beauty of Submarine for use in and around the Baltic Sea until the Aussies got hold of it and completely bugged it up.
The design was so good that yanks got hold of a Swedish one on lease complete with it crew to train it scope dopes on how to find a diesel electric sub. When the aussies finally got their subs work properly and gave the yanks a right royal thrashing on RIMPAC Ex’s. As they got inside a Carrier Battle Group Anti Submarine Screen, then tailing the Carrier for couple days taking pictures of it before surfacing beside the Carrier after proclaiming to every Tom, Dick and Harry that no one can penetrate it a Anti Sub screen.
Both Sweden and Finland both cut back it Defence expenditure after the end of the Cold War to a point where they mothballed bases, equipment and move to suspend the National Service requirements of National’s Defence Force including the Civil Defence Forces. The Nordic countries have their own battle group with NATO for UN operations or for NATO’s Out of Area Operations aka The Gan. Which according to a couple of Swedish girl’s who work the bar at near bush block said they and many others are not impressed the close tries that Sweden has developed with NATO since the end of the Cold War. But on the other hand they could under stand the UN operations like Bosnia but not Gan as it comprises its Neutrality and if we run down our Defence Forces then we only have ourselves to blame. They also said Russia is a major concern to them as they see Russia wanting to rebuild its former Tsar Empire across the Baltic Nations and a threat to Nordic Values, Lifestyle and Freedoms.
It’s was only about 5 or so yrs ago (maybe longer not sure) that the last Swedish Troops left Gotland Defences and turn the lights off. Here they now standing its up Defences on Gotland and as my friends were saying it’s little bit concerning that is is happening.
My first book Ticket to Paradise: A Journey to Find the Australian Colony in Paraguay Among Nazis, Mennonites and Japanese Beekeepers
about my search for the remnants of the Australian utopian colony in Paraguay was published by ABC Books in 2012.
I am a writing and journalism academic. My background is as a travel and features journalist for publications in Australia and overseas. I have written for The New York Times, The Guardian, The Toronto Star, The Sydney Morning Herald and Rough Guides among many others. My current academic research focuses on exploring the plurality of the travel writing form.
I am fluent in Spanish and my latest book After Dark: A Nocturnal Exploration of… Read more
China is happy that it is turning sand dunes into productive growing areas.
We could be going ahead with something special for NZ since we are such a beautiful country and we love it. I’m sure we could be forging ahead with organics. I think that the Falklands has done this. Robert G would have good ideas. Let’s do it !
the auckland sandflys are just like the ones in vags the get shitty because I can smell them and cheat and block all my devices from getting this site ———- ka kite ano
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New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern addressed the nation today about the decline in daylight New Zealand has been experiencing over the previous few months. She said “As many of you will notice, our attempts to stem the dwindling of the daylight over the last few months have been completely ...
Redline received this article from the KOE a Marxist party in Greece Our friends in the KOE describe here the mounting crisis in Greece and tensions on the Turkish border. As desperate people flee from their homelands which have been ruined after decades of imperialist wars and interventions the people ...
As the first week of Level Four lockdown unfolded, mounting questions grew as to just what was (and was not) allowed under its “rules”. Partly these were driven by some apparently contradictory messagesfrom different authority figures and explanations carried in the media. Partly they reflected a somewhat sketchy legal basis ...
. . April 3: Day 9 of living in lock-down… Another late-start to my work day. Everything is temporarily upended as clients are shuffled around so we can minimise our “bubble” by reducing the number of people we help. One of my colleagues has been removed from his clients; his ...
In order to meet our 2050 carbon target and do our bit to avoid making the Earth uninhabitable, New Zealand needs to decarbonise our economy, replacing fossil fuels with electricity in the energy, industrial and transport sectors. The good news is that it will mean cheaper power for all of ...
For those folk who find my other Lock-Down Diary versions too “negative” or otherwise unpalatable… Here’s a photo of a pretty flower, . . Better? Tomorrow’s Sanitised Version: a cute animal video. . . . =fs= ...
. . April 2: Day eight of living in lock-down… Today, my work day starts late. Our rosters and clients have been dramatically changed, lessening (theoretically) the number of people in our work “bubble”. If just one of us catches covid19 the impact could be considerable as Grey Base Hospital ...
As Aotearoa enters week two of lockdown, it’s clear we’re all still working out what our “bubbles” look like and how to stay in them to stop the spread of Covid-19. New to the government’s Covid-19 website is some good guidance for people living in apartment blocks. Recent decades have ...
“There are decades where nothing happens; and there are weeks where decades happen.” Lenin Don’t we all know that feeling now.
Prospect Magazine alerted me to this particularly apt quote. It is a much more evocative quote than Hemingway’s “gradually then suddenly” which is also doing ...
Yesterday was the day the consequences of the lockdown suddenly got very real for many. Firms have been closing and laying people off since the outset of the quarantine but this has mostly been happening out of the public eye. The mass closure of a number of iconic New Zealand ...
Brian Williamson1, Prof Nick Wilson2 (1Economic consultant, UK; 2University of Otago Wellington)In this blog, we outline how a win-win social contract could be forged to address the major dimensions of response to the COVID-19 pandemic when using a mitigation strategy: the particular need to protect older people from high ...
Resuming Normal Service: The Republican Party's nominee for in 1920, Warren Harding, promised the American people: “not heroics, but healing; not nostrums, but normalcy; not revolution, but restoration”. If she wishes to remain our prime minister, then Jacinda Ardern will offer New Zealanders the same.HOW EDUCATED AMERICA snickered when the ...
No Free Society Without A Free And Functioning News Media: If we are to surrender our civil rights to the broader cause of defeating Covid-19, then foreign corporations must, likewise, surrender their right to inflict immense economic and cultural harm on New Zealanders simply because it improves their bottom line.I’M ...
by Daphna Whitmore A third of the world is under lockdown and a clear assessment of this measure to curb the spread of COVID-19 is urgently needed. With any high-stakes decisions it has to be asked what are we dealing with here? Are the measures warranted? Will they achieve their ...
I haven’t done a huge amount in the last few days. I’m reading The Poppy War and I’ve sort of poked at a couple of games – I started SOMA but I’m a wimp and I quit while in the first room after the brain scan. I might try it ...
The swan politicians may be gliding on the water, occasionally snapping at one another. Meanwhile, as the Covid19 crisis illustrates, the officials are desperately paddling below providing the real locomotion. One of the most fatuous recent grandstanding comments (of about a week ago), adding to the public’s anxieties, was ...
Much has been written about the importance of discretion in an emergency situation, and the concerns raised by the potential for it to be exercised arbitrarily. Given the quality of the discussion, there seemed little point in adding to it at any length. In particular, I point to the evidence ...
Today has felt surreal. I was all set to touch base online with my science communication students when a colleague shared the news that Bauer Media would be shutting down its publications immediately. The first link I saw implied it was Woman’s Weekly affected, and even that shocked me. But ...
Bogeymen, Real And Imagined: Is the number of psychopathic and sociopathic individuals in any given society truly as vanishingly small as we like to tell ourselves? Isn’t it more likely that the mass-shooters and serial-killers filling the headlines represent only the tip of a much, much larger iceberg of frightfulness? ...
Outgoing Police Commissioner Mike Bush appeared before the Epidemic Response Committee today, who asked him for the rules police are using to enforce the lockdown. He refused:Police Commissioner Mike Bush has admitted the advice given to Kiwis about what they're able to do during the lockdown hasn't been clear enough. ...
For those folk who find my other Lock-Down Diary versions too “negative” or otherwise unpalatable… Here’s a photo of my cat, . . Better? Tomorrow’s Sanitised Version: a pretty flower. . . . =fs= ...
. . April 1: Day seven of living in lock-down… This morning I had a brief chat with one of my neighbours, “D” (social distance between us, a good three or four metres). I learned he had resigned from his previous job and had been hired by another company – ...
Funnily enough, my thought as I start this post is whether it will be well written enough. Or should that be well enough written? Because so much of what I know about good writing came from my two stints at The Listener, which this morning was shut down due to ...
With normal democratic procedures in abeyance, there were two ways to go. First, it was open for the government to dissolve itself and invite the National Party to join a ministry of national salvation. That would have lessened the democratic deficit of the times by having a team of rivals without ...
Dr Kirsty Ross Children and young people can respond differently in times of distress. This also varies by age and developmental stage, with younger children having more magical and imaginative thinking, and older children having more awareness and knowledge of the issues our communities are facing (which brings up ...
Hungary has been a virtual dictatorship for a decade now, as Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has gradually eroded its democracy. But now, its official, with the passage of an indefinite emergency law allowing rule by decree:Hungary’s parliament has passed a new set of coronavirus measures that includes jail terms for ...
While the economy is on pause under lockdown, the government is beginning to plan how to cope with the post-lockdown, post-tourism, post-export education world we will eventually find ourselves in. They're planning a lot of infrastructure spending as economic stimulus, and have asked for proposals which can start the moment ...
It's my distraction, setting up tiny scenes to photograph. I've got stuck on the Babushka dolls for now. Something about their bubble shape. Something about their never changing, smiling features, suggesting persistent equanimity. Can we get through everything that is being thrown at us and keep at least a tiny ...
. . March 31: Day six of living in lock-down… This time I managed to sleep a little longer and the alarm woke me at the pre-set time: 6.55am. Then remembered I was working a later shift and could’ve slept in. Oh well, there are things to do at home. ...
Image credit:Diamond Harbour School Blogs I notice a few regulars no longer allow public access to the site counters. This may happen accidentally when the blog format is altered. If your blog is unexpectedly missing or ...
Yesterday's Horizon poll showing support for a "Yes" vote in this year's cannabis referendum sliding into the majority for the first time in a year looked like good news for reformers – and it probably is. But the result warrants some scrutiny.The poll is the fifth in a series commissioned ...
For almost a week now, every one of us who isn’t an essential worker has been confined to their bubble. We are allowed to go shopping for groceries, to visit the doctor, and to get a bit of exercise if we stay local. The reason we are doing this is ...
The Covid-19 saga will no doubt produce many twists and turns for us before it is finally brought to an end. But one thing it has shown us – and what comfort it should bring us – is that our country’s government is in good hands. I am not thinking ...
In the absence of a vaccine or a cure for a deadly disease, staying home in your bubble is what you do, the concept is not new. To the best of my knowledge last time we did this in NZ was for polio, in the years before a vaccine came ...
The following statement was released on March 28 by the National Network on Cuba, a coalition of 40 groups, based in the United States. In recent weeks, Cuba has deployed hundreds of medical providers to over a dozen countries in Europe, Asia, as well as to their neighbors in Latin ...
This has been a terrible summer for Hector’s dolphins. The first indication was very low numbers of dolphin sightings during late spring and early summer. The Otago University Marine Mammal Research Team has carried out routine dolphin surveys at Banks Peninsula for more than 30 years. In all that time, ...
Rt. Hon. Winston Peters, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Foreign Affairs Hon. Ron Mark, Minister of Defence Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Ron Mark today announced that New Zealand will provide a further package of assistance to Vanuatu, to support the response to Tropical Cyclone Harold. “Tropical ...
Rt. Hon. Winston Peters, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Foreign Affairs Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced that New Zealand will enter into transit arrangements with a range of countries to make it easier for each other’s citizens to get home. “There are millions of people around the world stranded ...
From the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, our Government has striven to provide calm, clear and consistent communication, including daily press conference updates from the Prime Minister. ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters says getting New Zealanders back home and other travellers out of the country is "a nightmare for our embassies, consuls, and staff around the world".Speaking to NewstalkZB's Mike Hosking, the Foreign Minister said that he gave a clear message to people travelling overseas that they ...
The domestic travel ban has been lifted for stranded foreign tourists trying to get to international airports to fly home, after the Coalition Government announced a plan to help the tens of thousands of foreigners stranded here. Foreign Minister Rt. Hon. Winston Peters spoke with RNZ's Susie Ferguson said foreign ...
Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters believes the country is rediscovering its resilience and self-reliance through its response to the COVID-19 pandemic.He says he is heartened that the mass majority of New Zealanders are following lockdown rules and that the government looking at the future, including paying to keep much ...
New Zealand can emulate the success of the US after the Great Depression by exploiting our own resources to turn the economy around quickly, Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters says. Mr. Peters told Magic Talk that New Zealand has an opportunity to come out of the COVID-19 pandemic a "superior, ...
All 45 New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) personnel are either on their way back to New Zealand, or already in the country, according to Defence Minister Ron Mark."Twenty-eight personnel arrived back in New Zealand last week and are in isolation at the Royal New Zealand Air Force base in ...
The COVID-19 situation in New Zealand is moving fast - and to avoid what we've seen overseas - the Government's response must be to move fast too. We're committed to keeping New Zealanders safe and well-informed every step of the way. ...
We know people are feeling anxious about COVID-19. While the situation is serious, New Zealand has a world-class health system and we’re well-prepared to keep New Zealanders safe. ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters is encouraging New Zealanders overseas to stay where they are amid the COVID-19 pandemic. "We are reaching a point where the best option for most New Zealanders offshore is to shelter in place, by preparing to safely stay where they are.” "This includes following the instructions ...
Rt. Hon. Winston Peters, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs Foreign Minister Winston Peters is encouraging the tens of thousands of New Zealanders travelling overseas to consider sheltering in place, in light of COVID-19. “Since 18 March, we have been warning New Zealanders offshore that the window for flying ...
The Sport and Recreation Minister Grant Robertson has announced that urgent maintenance of turf and care for plants in non-plantation nurseries will soon be able to go ahead under Level 4 restrictions. “The Government has agreed that urgent upkeep and maintenance of biological assets will be able to go ahead ...
E tangi ana a Taranaki iwi, e tangi ana te ao Māori, otirā e tangi ana te motu. Mōu katoa ngā roimata e riringi whānui ana, mōu katoa ngā mihi. E te kaikōkiri i te reo Māori, e Te Huirangi, takoto mai. Takoto mai me te mōhio ko ngā ...
Today is day 15 of Alert Level 4 lockdown. And at the halfway mark I have no hesitation in saying, that what New Zealanders have done over the last two weeks is huge. In the face of the greatest threat to human health we have seen in over a century, ...
All driver licences, WoFs, CoFs, and some vehicle certifications, that expired on or after 1 January 2020 will be valid for up to six months from 10 April 2020, Transport Minister Phil Twyford has announced. “People shouldn’t have to worry about getting fined for having an expired document if driving ...
The Government has today released the report from the Public Inquiry into the Earthquake Commission chaired by Dame Silvia Cartwright. Minister Responsible for the Earthquake Commission Grant Robertson says the Government wants to learn from people’s experiences following the Canterbury earthquakes and other recent natural disasters. “Dame Silvia’s report documents ...
The Government has extended by two weeks till April 27 the amount of time priority groups, such as health workers and those aged over 65, have to get their flu vaccine before it is made available to the wider public. This year’s vaccination campaign is a key component of the ...
Communities stepping up to help New Zealanders stay at home to break the transmission of COVID-19 and save lives have received Government support, said Minister for Social Development Carmel Sepuloni. “Delivering groceries for the elderly who can’t shop online, providing data packs for low income families to keep them connected, and being ...
Across New Zealand 120 sites are taking samples to be tested for COVID-19. 68 community based assessment centres (CBACs) have been established to take samples from people with COVID-19 symptoms. Alongside this, 52 other centres including designated general practices, swabbing centres, and mobile clinics are now testing people for ...
The Ministry of Education is working with partners to develop a package of options so that students can learn at home when Term 2 begins on 15 April, Education Minister Chris Hipkins said today. Supports are also being prepared for households with children under five, to help parents and whānau ...
Māori Television to begin educational te reo programmes Ki te Ao Mārama – a new online learning space Thousands of hard copy learning packs ready for distribution Helpdesk and advice service for kōhanga, kura and wharekura Television, the internet and hard copy learning packs are some of the ways whānau ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has announced an initial package of support to help the people and the Government of Vanuatu respond to the impact of Tropical Cyclone Harold. “Our Pacific neighbours have been hit by a Category 5 Cyclone at the same time as dealing with the economic impacts ...
Tourism New Zealand to lead work reimagining the way tourism operates in post-COVID-19 world. Ministers to review International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy investment plan. The Government, industry and business are working together to develop a plan for how tourism will operate in a post-COVID-19 world, Tourism Minister Kelvin Davis ...
More New Zealanders are taking up the chance to work in horticulture as the sector keeps New Zealanders fed and in jobs during the COVID-19 Alert Level 4 lockdown. “Our horticulture sector has long been one of New Zealand’s export star performers, contributing around $6 billion a year to our ...
The Provincial Development Unit is working through applications and projects to see where Provincial Growth Fund money can be repurposed for initiatives deemed more critical to fighting the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones says. “We need to be throwing everything we have at ...
The Government’s wage subsidy to protect jobs and keep workers and businesses connected during the lockdown has now supported over a million New Zealanders, with $6.6 billion already paid out. “We’re supporting businesses to pay wages, and stay connected with their workers so that we are all in a better ...
The Government is stepping up efforts to help protect New Zealand’s Pacific communities in the fight against COVID-19. Cabinet has agreed that $17 million will be allocated to support a COVID-19 Pacific Response Package, which will: Support Pacific health and disability services facing increased demand; Ramp up public health messaging ...
“Yesterday evening the Health Minister advised me of his trip to a beach during the lockdown and offered his resignation,” Jacinda Ardern said. “Under normal conditions I would sack the Minister of Health. What he did was wrong, and there are no excuses. “But right now, my priority is our ...
Last night as part of my preparation for the Epidemic Response Committee, I provided the Prime Minister with a complete picture of my activity outside my home during Alert Level 4. That included the fact that on the first weekend of the Alert Level 4 lockdown I drove my family ...
A range of support is being rolled out across New Zealand to help people look after their mental health during COVID-19 Health Minister David Clark said this morning. “COVID-19 has brought a lot of uncertainty into our lives and many of us will be feeling some level of distress or ...
The New Zealand Government has made arrangements to charter a flight for New Zealanders stranded in Peru to depart the country, following agreement with the Chilean government to allow the necessary transit through Chile, Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters announced today. “Like many travellers around the world at the moment, ...
Hospital preparations for COVID-19 are well advanced says Health Minister David Clark. “Hospitals across New Zealand are repurposing buildings and training staff to get ready for COVID-19 patients. This gives me confidence that we are well prepared for any potential increase in COVID-19 patients needing hospital level care,” said David ...
The Government will be introducing legislation to make changes to the Companies Act to help companies facing insolvency due to COVID-19 to remain viable and keep New Zealanders in jobs. The temporary changes include: Giving directors of companies facing significant liquidity problems because of COVID-19 a ‘safe harbour’ from insolvency ...
The Government’s plan to cushion the blow of COVID-19 by supporting incomes, jobs and businesses, and position the economy to recover has been backed by another international report. International credit rating agency Moody’s today reaffirmed its highest Aaa credit rating on New Zealand, saying the economy is expected to remain ...
The Government has stepped in to support vital air links to our offshore islands, the Chatham Islands, Great Barrier Island and Motiti Island, Transport Minister Phil Twyford announced today. “As part of our $600 million support package to minimise the impacts of COVID-19 on the aviation sector, the Government has ...
National sports organisations have been given certainty of funding to ensure they can remain viable through the COVID-19 pandemic, Sport and Recreation Minister Grant Robertson announced today. “The global spread of COVID-19 has had a significant impact on sport and recreation in New Zealand, including the cancellation or postponement of ...
Changes have been made to allow butchers to process pork, only for supply to supermarkets or other processors or retailers that are open, Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor has announced. “We carefully weighed the risk of allowing butchers to open their shops for retail customers, but the risk of spreading COVID-19 ...
Essential workers who take leave from work to comply with public health guidance are being supported with a leave scheme to ensure they will continue to receive income, say the Minister of Workplace Relations and Safety Iain Lees-Galloway and Minister for Social Development, Carmel Sepuloni. A number of essential businesses ...
A Government WhatsApp channel has been launched to help make information more easily accessible and shareable in the fight against COVID-19. Govt.NZ, which is free to use on any mobile device, will carry information and news for the public, businesses, healthcare providers, not for profits and local government. It can ...
The Government has announced a plan to enable the safe, orderly exit of tens of thousands of stranded foreign nationals from New Zealand during the current COVID-19 Alert Level 4 restrictions, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters has said. “When we moved into lockdown a week ago, the ...
Health Minister Dr David Clark says the Government is delivering on its commitment to support general practice doctors and nurses, and pharmacies on the front-line of our fight against COVID-19. "For us to overcome COVID-19, we need community health services such as general practice and community pharmacy to step up ...
Justice Susan Thomas has been appointed Chief High Court Judge, Attorney-General David Parker announced today. She replaces Justice Geoffrey Venning who has resigned from the position. David Parker paid tribute to Justice Venning, who he said had stewarded the High Court very capably over the last five years. “On behalf ...
Businesses can start applying to their banks for loans under the Business Finance Guarantee Scheme set up to support the New Zealand economy during the COVID-19 pandemic. “We’re moving quickly to protect New Zealand businesses, jobs and the economy during this unprecedented global economic shock,” Finance Minister Grant Robertson said. ...
Work is underway looking at measures to speed up consents for development and infrastructure projects during the recovery from COVID 19, to provide jobs and stimulate our economy. Environment Minister David Parker said the COVID-19 pandemic is a serious global crisis that will have a wide ranging and lasting impact ...
Advance payments will be made to transport construction industry contractors to retain the workforce and ensure it is ready to quickly gear up to build projects which will be vital to New Zealand’s COVID-19 economic recovery, Transport Minister Phil Twyford announced today. He said keeping the workforce required to build ...
The Government has tasked a group of industry leaders to seek out infrastructure projects that are ready to start as soon as the construction industry returns to normal to reduce the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Economic Development Minister Phil Twyford and Infrastructure Minister Shane Jones say. The Infrastructure ...
Work to scale up the health system in preparation for COVID-19 was today outlined by Health Minister David Clark, as he reported back to the new Epidemic Response Committee. “We are well placed to contain the spread of COVID-19. We have taken early and decisive action at our borders, and ...
The Government is refining its COVID-19 essential business guidance to include the distribution of news publications for communities which are hard to reach. The Minister of Broadcasting, Communications and Digital Media, Kris Faafoi, said the move was in recognition of the importance for New Zealanders who might be harder to ...
The Government is ensuring supermarkets can open on Easter Sunday so we can buy groceries, but stay closed on Good Friday allowing workers to take a break. This provides a balanced approach and ensures we avoid large queues that two days closure may cause. “Supermarkets will be able to open ...
Following the successful conclusion of the Building Partner Capacity (BPC) mission at Taji, New Zealand defence personnel are returning to New Zealand from Iraq, in accordance with the Cabinet decision made in June 2019, Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Ron Mark announced today. “New Zealand is very ...
The State of National Emergency to help stop the spread of COVID-19 has been extended for a further seven days, Minister of Civil Defence Peeni Henare said. The initial declaration on March 25 lasted seven days and can be extended as many times as necessary. “Since we went into isolation ...
Business is Boring is a weekly podcast series presented by The Spinoff in association with Callaghan Innovation. Host Simon Pound speaks with innovators and commentators focused on the future of New Zealand. This week he talks to Pat MacFie from Manaaki.This week we have another special podcast highlighting some of ...
NZ First leader Winston Peters today said he wants the election held on November 21, Radio NZ reported. He says he believes the health system would be under the pump in September with the winter flu season and the country potentially still dealing with the impacts of Covid-19. Prime Minister ...
New Zealand Rock Lobster (crayfish) are once again heading to China with the first small consignment being airfreighted last week. It was one of the first primary industry sectors in New Zealand to be affected by Covid-19, and as we now know, the sledgehammer that hit this industry was just ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lauren Bloomfield, Senior Lecturer, School of Medicine, University of Notre Dame Australia Lockdown measures aimed at limiting the spread of COVID-19 should actually help cut the cases of flu this year. That’s because keeping people apart to reduce the spread of coronavirus ...
New modelling from Te Pūnaha Matatini projects the impact of the lockdown, and what our next steps could be, Marc Daalder reports New figures from a team of mathematicians and scientists modelling the way Covid-19 could affect New Zealand indicate the lockdown has significantly dampened the spread of the virus. ...
Bernard Hickey talks to Kiwibank chief economist Jarrod Kerr about the latest retail spending data and the Reserve Bank's call for banks to step up as market-makers for corporate and local government bonds. In their latest daily 'Bernard Zooms out to lunch with Jarrod' video, Bernard Hickey and Jarrod ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Georgie Russell, Senior Lecturer, Deakin University This Easter will be especially challenging, with family isolation and many parents under financial strain, or other stressors. So, many parents will be looking to restore some sense of “normality” by welcoming the Easter bunny into ...
The Beths’ live-streamed concert yesterday showed that even in lockdown, music isn’t dead. Here’s why it worked, and where you can see Kiwis live streaming for the next week.Yesterday at 9am, Liz Stokes put a giant pineapple mask over her head and played the Animal Crossing theme on a trumpet ...
New Conservative Leader Leighton Baker has lived in and around the Waimakariri district since 1992 and is revelling in the opportunity to represent the electorate in Parliament after the 2020 general election. “Waimakariri is a diverse district with a strong ...
“Hard-hit councils, who oversee half this country’s public infrastructure, require financial support from central government that is tied to shared priorities through Urban Growth Partnerships,” says Paul Blair CEO of Infrastructure New Zealand. ...
Airways may close seven of its regional air traffic control towers because of a collapse in traveller numbers. The services under review are provided at Hawke's Bay, Gisborne, New Plymouth, Rotorua and Invercargill Airport as well as the airfield flight information services provided at Kapiti Coast Airport and Milford Sound ...
Proposals to expand the role of local councils into climate change mitigation under the Resource Management Act would add confusion, complexity and duplication, according to the Petroleum Exploration and Production Association of New Zealand (PEPANZ) and ...
As New Zealand enters its third week of Covid-19 lockdown, a just released set of modelling provides a flare of light at the end of the tunnel, reports Toby Manhire.On a day that the active case number decreased, it finds that “While New Zealand case numbers remain low, tracing, testing, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rachael L. Brown, Director of the Centre for Philosophy of the Sciences and Lecturer at the School of Philosophy, Australian National University As they released the modelling of the COVID-19 pandemic behind Australia’s social isolation policies this week, Prime Minister Scott Morrison ...
The latest in our new series of charts, graphics and data visualisations by Chris McDowall.This work is entirely funded by the generosity of The Spinoff MembersThese posts collate the most recent statistics and present them as charts and maps. The Ministry of Health typically publishes data updates in the early ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jim Tognolini, Director, Centre for Educational Measurement and Assessment, University of Sydney Following a meeting with states and territories, federal education minister, Dan Tehan said year 12 students were a priority, and were being sent a clear signal: “There will be no ...
The Council of Licenced Firearms Owners (COLFO) is calling for an equal extension to all licencing regimes, following the Government’s announcement today offering motorists a six-month licencing grace period. COLFO says that like motorists, licenced ...
Dear Minister Jones, Firstly, let me introduce myself. My name is Adrian. I am an employee in the forestry industry, a Future Forester, a graduate of Canterbury University and, albeit very small, a forest owner. ...
As countries in Europe plan a tightrope walk back out of lockdown, the World Health Organisation warns it is too early to relax strict suppression measures in the fight against Covid-19, writes Peter Bale Two weeks into New Zealand's aggressive and early lockdown to combat the spread of Covid-19, voices ...
Consumers dramatically changed their spending patterns last month because of Covid-19 and the government ordered lockdown. Official numbers show overall retail spending using electronic cards fell a record seasonally adjusted 3.9 percent on the previous month. Stats NZ senior manager Sue Chapman said spending on eating out and accommodation plunged ...
A new $200,000 business subsidy package is being launched in Christchurch to help those affected by Covid-19. The ChristchurchNZ business support subsidy will offer eligible businesses up to $1000 each to seek professional advice. The scheme - funded by ChristchurchNZ, the city's economic development agency, will support small to medium ...
Large retailers have been quick to apply for government wage subsidies during the Covid-19 lockdown. The Warehouse has received $67.7 million to cover the labour costs of the shutdown of its Red Shed, Torpedo, Noel Leeming, and Warehouse Stationery chains, which between them employ about 11,000 staff. "The receipt of ...
A new report Quantifying the wellbeing costs of Covid-19 by the New Zealand Initiative shows how an economic hit of about 6.1% of GDP would be justified if it meant saving 33,600 lives during the Covid-19 pandemic. The figures, compiled by research fellow ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dougal Sutherland, Clinical Psychologist, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington The COVID-19 pandemic has forced millions of people to live under strict lockdown conditions, but the psychology of human behaviour predicts they will find it harder to stick to the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Luke Smillie, Associate Professor, University of Melbourne The coronavirus pandemic has caused tens of thousands of deaths around the world and pushed major economies into a tailspin. Beyond those impacts, almost all of us will face psychological challenges – trying to maintain ...
We asked Tony Baird, of Newsroom foundation supporter Vodafone NZ, to provide some insights into how New Zealanders have been using online and their smartphones during the first fortnight of lockdown. At Vodafone NZ, we entered new territory in this lockdown as New Zealanders have been turning to their smartphones and devices ...
The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union has launched a new campaign to temporarily reduce the remuneration of politicians, senior bureaucrats, and council bosses to match those voluntary and involuntary efforts in the private sector where pay is being ...
Analysis by Keith RankinWhat is Mercantilism?Keith Rankin. Mercantilism is the form of public policy that was dominant in Europe – especially Northern Europe – in the ‘early modern’ period; meaning in the period loosely between 1500 and 1800 (sixteenth to eighteenth centuries). In a political sense it ...
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency says legislative changes to driver licensing and vehicle certification requirements coming into effect tomorrow (10 April) will help drivers and vehicle owners safely navigate through the COVID-19 lockdown period and ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katie Woolaston, Lawyer, Queensland University of Technology Never before have we seen how the human use of wildlife can yield such catastrophe, as we have with COVID-19. The current available evidence indicates COVID-19 was first transmitted in a wildlife market in Wuhan. ...
In a week alone there was an increase of about 10,000 people now relying on welfare to get by. As the number of benefit recipients rapidly increases as a result of COVID-19, Auckland Action Against Poverty is calling on the Government to urgently lift benefits ...
CEAC stands alongside Forest & Bird, Greenpeace, WWF-New Zealand, Generation Zero, EDS and Ecologic letter to Jacinda Ardern calling on the Government to transform the New Zealand economy to tackle climate change, save native species, improve freshwater ...
Better Public Media welcomes the announcement that the Ministry of Education will fund Television New Zealand and Māori Television to provide up to six hours daily of educational content for our children and students, beginning next week. It is ...
It’s OK if you don’t come out of lockdown with abs.We are living through the worst global pandemic since the Spanish Flu in 1918 and the beginning of an economic calamity that has already claimed the jobs of millions of workers the world over. Hospitals are full, schools are closed and many countries are in ...
One thing is abundantly clear, when this lock down is over, many tourism related businesses will be reliant on Domestic Tourism to stay afloat. But what will that mean from a Freedom Camping point of view? While it has been true, that many towns ...
The Government has announced that all incoming travellers will be quarantined away from their homes and families for a 14 day period, after a public campaign that received widespread support The Government has bowed to a public campaign led by epidemiologists and the National Party to have all returning New Zealanders ...
How is Covid-19 spreading within the country? Newsroom is collating information as it's available to paint a picture of what's happening.The following charts are based on numbers shared at the daily press conference. These may vary from the full day's numbers released in the Ministry of Health's spreadsheet ...
New Zealand is has joined the ranks of countries experiencing a wave of sabotage attempts against mobile networks as false claims about 5G go viral, Marc Daalder reports Spark, 2degrees, Vodafone and the Rural Connectivity Group have all experienced threats or actual attempts of sabotage of cell towers in recent ...
Air traffic control closure sends COVID-19 shockwaves through regional airports Seven regional airports are shocked that Airways NZ, the national air traffic management organisation, wants to discuss the removal of air traffic control at their facilities ...
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters wants an election on November 21st. Peters told RNZ he fought for that originally as it's his long held position that summer elections are better. ...
The national lockdown was justifiable to protect the nation's intensive care capacity. But any prolonged lockdown and border closure will cause economic issues that lead to broader, indirect problems for our health and wellbeing, writes Professor Grant Guilford. In a caring society it is right that we do our utmost ...
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A news item by Māni Dunlop, Māori News Director, has been posted on the RNZ website under the heading Government urged to put Māori at forefront of Covid-19 planning. “Forefront” means the position of greatest importance or prominence. One implication to be drawn from the headline, therefore. is that Māori ...
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Environmental groups from across New Zealand have written to the Prime Minister urging the Government to restore Aotearoa in the economic recovery after lockdown. Forest & Bird, Greenpeace, WWF-New Zealand, Generation Zero, EDS and Ecologic ...
We've published a Controller update on Government spending in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. On 25 March 2020, Parliament passed legislation in response to the pandemic authorising the Government to spend up to $52 billion in addition ...
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An Auckland small business owner says he's paying full price for broadband in an empty factory and it is not fair. Steve has been wrangling with Spark for days arguing it should share in the pain of thousands of its customers. He runs a small manufacturing business with a handful ...
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The Overstory, the winnner of the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for fiction, is an engulfing, worldview-shifting novel about climate catastrophe and hope, writes Susan Wardell. (Photographs are from a photo essay on kauri dieback by Michelle Hyslop; captions by Andrea Ewing). The year before last, I spent the month of January hugging ...
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By Sri Krishnamurthi, contributing editor of Pacific Media Watch After some weeks of heavy criticism of Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape’s government amid the Covid-19 pandemic, support for the administration has come from a surprising quarter – one of the media. Scott Waide is the Lae bureau ...
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A philanthropist known for funding the construction of the Wellington Children’s Hospital is supporting the Council of Licenced Firearms Owners’ (COLFO) campaign against the Arms Legislation Bill. Mark Dunajtschik has endorsed COLFO’s campaign ...
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Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters has spoken of the "huge tensions" between looking after the health of New Zealanders but also saving the country's economy. ...
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Milne, Senior Lecturer, Resources, Environment and Development, Australian National University The world faces profound disruption. For Australians who lived through the most horrific fire season on record, there has been no time to recover. The next crisis is now upon us ...
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Open Mike 22/05/2018 
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Stuff’s slavery investigation concludes that “no slave-tainted fish are ending up in New Zealand”, and also that “it’s almost certain that we have eaten fish caught by crew under conditions of forced labour.”
Always look for the label. If it says “Fabrique en Nouvelle Zelande” there might be a problem. How much are corporate reassurances worth? More importantly, how can they be verified?
^^^
Just read that too,… it was appalling.
My son has a friend who fishes for 3 months at a time at sea near the Auckland Islands , with a crew of around 55 people … he says its a hard life but the captain and crew are a close knit family and they get looked after well ,… and when you compare the two… and whats been going on in the Stuff article,… it just shows that it doesn’t have to be that way at all.
Thank you for sharing.
Awful.
Further proof globalisation and neoliberalism is literally killing people and species as it’s ruthlessly exploits the finite resources of capitalism his planet.
Add that to bananas from slave plantations in the Philippines and electronics from slave mines in the Congo.
The article presents a neoliberal solution- consumers can change things.
Much better would be government actions to rid the oceans of these death factories.
That would be a good use for our navy.
– That would be a good use for our navy –
Yes it would , the Navy has a long tradition of hunting down these sort of high sea pirates , and that’s what they are – pirates. Criminals. The trick then is to bring them before the courts on human rights abuses with so many of these govt’s shielding them. And to do that we need the assistance of the ICC- International Criminal Court, if indeed, they manage these sorts of offences.
The other problem is lack of jurisdiction in certain waters, and the sheer size of the area , which enables these criminals to indulge these behaviors,… when we consider that the ocean is a massive water filled desert,… we get an idea of its expanse.
It would need several cases to be made an example of using an international policing force , a power of legal workers behind that , – in short , – some sort of international agreement with teeth, – and therein lies the problem; so many big business interests… which takes us back to the Stuff answer… widespread public education to bring international political solutions.
It should be done. Murder is going on out there.
Wows, OAB, cheers for the link, really pleased the fishing industry is being brought to light, again, so much goes on out there.
WK, this bit…. “The other problem is lack of jurisdiction in certain waters, and the sheer size of the area” absolutely bang on.
It’s important to understand that MOST officers are treated well in the fishing industry, this ensures their flexibility.
What goes on at sea stays at sea, open your mouth and someone may shut it for you, loose lips sink ships etc. Good on Stuff for gaining some insight.
Get the job done, stress runs high out there, fish are money.
In many instances, officers (cook to captain) are paid a salary plus a % of the catch, as a result, the crew are worked hard if the fish are running, no sleep for you, shall we bring up the P epidemic, time is money and all that.
Those in the factory or on deck are often graded to earn their percentage, so if any officers have it in for you, that will impact your grade.
Factory/deck crew from other countries are treated like shite, depending on the ‘culture’ of the vessel. It’s easy as to pick up more offshore factory and deck crews, easy as.
And if you spend 3mths at sea, there’s not much you can do or say about it and there is def nowhere to run.
An electronics mine. I’d love to see that in action. Do you get working equipment of just components?
The RNZN/ MOD have asked for a 3rd OPV that is design to operate in the Southern Ocean in the last DWP as the current two OPV’s are barely Fit for Purpose for Southern Ocean duties (fit for only the Summer run down Sth, but I believe it can’t take a Seasprite down Sth as it pushes the ships ice belt below the waterline). But from the sounds of it the 3rd OPV is on hold until they work out what’s going to replace the P3’s so they can line up right Combat Mission Systems etc so that OPV, Fixed and Rotary Wing assets can have and provide update SA to each other plus future proof the system when the UAV’s entry service sooner or later down the track.
Once that is sorted out I think you would the NZDF spending a lot more time down Sth all yr round instead of usual runs down during the summer periods. With having everybody on the same sheet of music unlike it atm will allow NZDF to effectively enforce the Southern Fishies. If the ODT is right about this one and it’s something that I have been suggesting as well.Then our wishes for a permanent presence in the Southern Ocean might come true.
https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/dunedin-navy-base-rumour
Then there will be whining from the Fishing Industry as they well able to enforce the quota, Labour and Maritime Laws etc more effectively than at the present time.
The government ought to be looking at whether NZ crews can buy a house. Because if working a couple of months away on rotating shifts won’t let you do that, only a fool would do it. And that’s how the industry falls into the hands of the charter and slave fishing companies.
Here’s a classic example of a slave ship by an Aussie company (by that i mean it used to be Aussie based), their PR via the net would make people think otherwise lololz.
“To satisfy the surging Asian appetite for its abalone, the company said it will base its abalone grow-out ship, the MV Destiny Queen, in Asian waters.”
What this particular company does is grow their abalone on a factory ship outside of Aussie waters, that particular ship is a freaking disgrace, workers are treated like dirt, it’s hell on earth for them. The grown abalone is then collected by a small vessel and new spawn are dropped off along with ships stores. No reason for the factory vessels crew to go anywhere near land, keep them onboard as long as possible.
Edit… found an article about their ‘true colours’, was a fair while back, but I doubt they’ve changed.
“The 120-metre, 65-tonne ship has been under close scrutiny by Australian unions, who are furious that all but four of the vessel’s Australian crew were dismissed last September and replaced with much cheaper Chinese sailors and Ukrainian officers and engineers.
Suspicions have increased because the ship’s owners have refused to publicly say how much its sailors are being paid, and it is believed that some of the Chinese crew are earning as little as US$300 a month.”
These practices have been going on for too long, may stuff continue to inform kiwis about it.
Because companies will always deny it, check out Polly, bold faced lies from her…
“Polly Kwok Wing-wah, a Hong Kong-based director of the firm, said: ‘The attack has taken the form of false submissions to local media, lies, and untrue allegations to union-biased government ministers and intimidation of company employees.'” LIAR !!!
Pac N save must be using some cheaper fish supplier than other supermarkets are as we have bought three times some red cod with fish bones in them. The cost per kilo is much cheaper than other supermarkets at only $16 a kilo, where other supermarkets are charging over $23 a kilo.
Beware as I got two large fish bones struck between my gums and teeth that caused a gum injury.
Is it ostrich day today????
We see Jacinda ignoring the elephant in the room again today and was on the media mainly seeming to be worried about something other than mycoplama bovis as the main theme of this day!!!!!!!
We need a moritorium on cow movements until we do this now or we risk a widespread catastrope of this disease now.
Subject; Mycoplasma bovis can be spread on trucks among shared containment areas unless every truck is sterilised see below.
Everyone is asking how did mycoplasma bovis spread across the North Island from the south Island?
It can travel on trucks John, and we cannot allow moving of stock now until it is made safe otherwise we are all going to spread the disease before long now.
This is according to this article from the website.
The new threat of disease to our entire cattle stock is a case of point as we have now allowed the unchecked transport of cows all around NZ on trucks and the Mycoplasma_bovis dsease which may destroy our second largest export earner and biggest company.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mycoplasma_bovis
Prevention[edit]
There are many ways by which cattle can be prevented from catching Mycoplasma bovis and other pathogenic bacteria.[7]
Transport of animals[edit]
When transporting the animals from one farm to another, It would be appropriate if the transport vehicle could be cleaned with disinfectants before and after use. For better care, environmental swabbing should be taken place and samples sent to a microbiology lab if any harmful bacteria will be detected, further actions should be taken place.[8]
Visitors[edit]
Only authorized people should be allow to visit a farm. Visitors shall arrive with clean clothing and footwear and disinfectant on arrival and departure can be used to stop getting the introduction of bacteria’s. For example, a water mat with disinfectant can be used in the entrance of the farm, water bath, company can provide sanitized clothes for people.
Weekly inspection and maintenance[edit]
In the end of the week, cleaning of all the areas and equipment reduces the chances of animals getting sick. Also, it is important to clean the feedlot container and keep the feed dry. Doubling the boundary fence with a 6-inch gap prevents the animals contacting neighbouring animals.
People can concern themselves with more than one thing at a time!!!!!!!!! Especially Prime Ministers!!!!!!!!
Well if loosing our largest export earner and farming bussinesses along with their company to overseas (Fonterra) this should now be a full blown five alarm amergency.
I am astounded that anything else is as important as keeping the direct focus on the major loss we are about to encounter if we sit there and ‘dilly dally’ while saying figuratively “rome burns”.
It is all about what’s most important as last governments lost the plot so will we if we dilly dally.
You do know why there’s cautionary tails about sticking all your eggs one basket right?
I don’t understand the dithering about on this issue. For a country that fines people hundreds of dollars for bringing a piece fruit into an airport it’s bizarre.
Short term pain. Ban all cattle movement for six months, slaughter any infected animals, massive cleaning operation of all associated infrastructure and name all infected farms.
We can point fingers and blame each other later.
Hooch, 100%
Yes we agree.
We now need an imeadiate ‘moritorium’ on this spreading of movements of diseased cattle now or we are done.
Stop trucking cattle now.
and charge them for the clean up.
Just make sure if any are driven to the wall they’re not sold offshore. Glomming the mortgaged dairy farms was a major cause of the SCF abuse of state power.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=12054158
I agree, its Judith time! Yes!
What is Peters up to now.
Peters is pregnant?
A press release from the nz embassy in Japan.- Translated by Google.
Hahaha excellent
Well he has been instructed
He had better get on with it
A.
https://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2018/05/study_finds_journalists_drink_too_much_and_are_bad_at_managing_emotions.html
Submitted without comment 🙂
I think we need to have provision set up to go at a moment’s notice with give a little ready for each time some NZr is discriminated into oblivion by the Australian government. Ours is helpless with confronting these intransigent, callous, spiteful non-friendly foreign politicians.
http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/world/2018/05/advocates-for-homeless-kiwis-in-australia-pen-letter-asking-pm-jacinda-ardern-for-help.html
https://www.msn.com/en-nz/news/video/homeless-kiwis-in-australia-pen-letter-asking-pm-to-help/vp-AAxzu7j
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2018645943/australian-pension-rules-leaving-nz-family-poor
It may well be the case that there is no other country in the world that pays direct transfers for the social welfare of their citizens in another country, but honestly this government does need to go there.
The alternative is that these street waifs are going to be arrested, put into Australian jails, in which they are fully criminalised, after which they will be deported back to New Zealand as criminals.
Which would of course be even worse.
Yes Ad it makes sense from an objective, economic sense. And there is also the moral imperative. They are being punished by the Australian government for being New Zealanders. It has become clear from recent happenings that sanctions are applied to us that they don’t apply to any other country’s citizens. This was actually stated in the interview with the NZ woman with a convalescent husband on Radionz this morning.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2018645943/australian-pension-rules-leaving-nz-family-poor
A NZ family living in Perth are struggling to make ends meet after a father broke his leg and cannot gain access to any benefits.
Johno Walsh broke his leg playing in the park with his children at the end of April.
Because his injury occurred outside of his work as a diesel engineer he was ineligible for sick pay or work cover. Now he and his wife Debbie, originally from Hawke’s Bay, found out their income protection insurance won’t pay out until the end of June. They have four children.
So Ms Walsh went to the social welfare office, Centrelink, to see about getting access to their seven years of superannuation paid while living in Australia….
New Zealanders on the Special Category Visa are not eligible for federal benefits. No one can withdraw super for hardship unless they had been on a benefit for six months.
Centrelink staff [were] asked how it was possible permanent residents from other countries were able to qualify for benefits and New Zealanders with seven years in Australia could not…
They and their New Zealand friends both had no idea that their income protection nor superannuation would buffer them.
We’re trying to play it cool cos we don’t want our kids to know, because I don’t think they need to worry about where their next meal is coming from.
“That’s the life of a New Zealand citizen in Australia.”
They have income protection insurance but didn’t shape the policy to cover this, and in a modern society expect that they can get help in times of need and emergency. But not us in Australia. They are following the neoliberal line even more rigidly than our RW governments have done.
I think that we have shown them up in Oz, irritated them, not followed an order etc, and they have decided that they don’t owe us respect, or anything. They have got themselves into a liege lord situation over us by owning our banks, and competing successfully for any business that still manages to run here, and have nothing to lose by acting out of character, that is, in a principled manner.
Needs / must.
This should be a priority.
Rates of payment here:
https://www.humanservices.gov.au/individuals/enablers/payment-rates-youth-allowance/30496
The link above takes you to the –
Australian Government Department of Human Services.
This is spelled out so you don’t get confused and end up in the Animal Services Department.
I am wondering whether there will soon be a parallel entity called the A.G. Dept of Robot, Android and AI Services. It will be funded out of the budget for Human Services which will need less funding as much of the work will be carried out by the A.I.R. Service crawlers!
I see that Winston has had another policy altered to favour his benefactors in the Fishing Industry. Years of work down the drain because the fishing industry has called in a debt from Tsar Winston.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/104082934/government-dfrops-plan-to-restrict-deep-sea-trawling-protect-orange-roughy
Have a look at the photo of Ardern and Peters in this story.
Puppeteer Winston feeding Ardern with the lines she must utter. Then his final words.
“Just do what I tell you Jacinda.” is his order.
Since you are so concerned you’ll have to vote green next time so nzf has less sway in the next lab/green/and gov
You sour little creep Alwyn, always badmouthing someone trying to do good in running the country besides your losing team.
I really would suggest that you stop reading my comments.
It is obviously not good for your digestion, or for the preservation of your delusions.
Mr Delusional returns. A quote from Alwyn’s rant earlier today:
“I wonder if Ms Ardern realises that she is not just allowing him the role of Acting Prime Minister as she has said. He is going to depose her”
Don’t take anything Alwyn says as being a rational comment. He lives in fantasy land.
You really should learn to read properly.
It was wild Katipo who raised this as an apparently serious comment.
After all Ms Ardern tells us that Winston is going to be Acting PM.
That means she will still be PM and Winnie will only be filling in for her.
Wild Katipo tells us that he is going to actually be Prime Minister. You can only have one at a time so he will have to replace Ardern, won’t he?
Why don’t you ask Wild Katipo where he gets his information from?
And then calm down.
alwyn…playing Machiavelli are you?
You know how folks will react to you posting that link, wrapped up in your usual invective…and success! Because they’re all piling onto you rather than reading the actual article…which demands our attention.
So…now you’ve all taken alwyn’s bait…go and read the article…
There’s something not right about this.
I’m afraid they don’t want to read the story Rosemary. If they did they would have to accept the fact that this Government is simply made up of politicians whose main interest is just like every other politician.
They want the power and the perks of office. They aren’t paragons of virtue.
My real complaint about them is not that they are in power. It is that they simply aren’t competent and didn’t spend their time in Opposition preparing to be a Government with a set of well thought out policies.
I mean look at Twyford and Kiwibuild. Have you ever seen anyone in quite such a muddle?
National were tired and really needed replacing. No Government should last more than three terms, at least in my opinion. Unfortunately we have had a group who are incompetent taking over. The only one who actually knows what he is doing is Tsar Winston and he is running things for his mates, like those who run the Fishing Industry and people like Sir Patrick Hogan and the horseracing fraternity.
So, we have a discussion going on about David ‘Footloose’ Seymour trying to raise a rabble in Remmers against a potential invasion of mentally ill folk…and I contributed this link to an article about Seymour’s reaction to the professional opinions of a panel of palliative care experts to the euthanasia select committee.
https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/356086/euthanasia-bill-dangerous-palliative-care-workers
“Act leader David Seymour, who introduced the bill to Parliament in June last year has hit back, accusing the experts of fearmongering.
He insisted the vulnerable would be protected.
“Our own Attorney-General has written that my bill has sufficient safeguards and is consistent with the New Zealand Bill of Rights. So these guys, frankly, need to go jump in a lake, start debating on the evidence and stop speculating to create fear, uncertainty and doubt.””
Seymour continues his less than respectful response to those expressing concern about his pet project with an attack on the Disabilities Commissioner…https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/357924/euthanasia-bill-a-clayton-s-choice-for-disabled-people
“ACT leader David Seymour said he was deeply disappointed that Ms Tesoriero was “spreading misinformation” as intellectually disabled people did not qualify under the bill.
“It’s very ironic that the Disabilities Commissioner of all people would be saying that a person who’s perfectly capable of making a decision … should have fewer rights and choices than other people.””
Tesoreiro had quite rightly pointed out that in NZ people with disabilities “could not freely exercise their choice in New Zealand.
“We live in a world where people focus on fixing us, not on removing the barriers that make us disabled.
“In the absence of adequate services, we run the risk that choice under this bill becomes a Clayton’s choice for disabled people.””
Seymour was supported by none other than Greg ‘give all the cops guns all the time’ O’Connor, who because he has a son with an intellectual disability claims to have looked at the Bill and has not seen any problems.
“A “Clayton’s choice” is a choice that exists in name only and isn’t genuine.
But Mr O’Connor said many disabled people were perfectly able to give well-informed consent.
“You have to be careful – because it’s almost like you’re saying, ‘Leave disabled people over here, because they’re not capable of the same … mental capability””
I know M O’ Connor still uses MP training wheels, but he really needs to be more nuance aware.
What the Disabilities Commissioner is saying Greg, is that while far too many disabled New Zealanders struggle to get the supports they need and have to battle all the way to the United Nations to have they basic rights as humans recognised, it is really inafuckingppropriate to be defending the rights of disabled people to choose euthanasia while dismissing the concerns of a disabled person who represents the rights of all disabled New Zealanders.
Not without making a clear and unequivocal statement on behalf on the government that the rights of all disabled New Zealanders will be respected.
Eh????
The current bill won’t be able to be used by disabled people unless they are of sound mind, can convince a GP.
Go have a lie down Gosman. I used far too many words, and there are subtleties that may be difficult to sense for those outside of the disability community.
I just suggest Rosemary that some disabled persons might wish to have the right to choose euthanasia in the present or at some future specified time.
I note that the antis regard their opinions as sacred, and the final authority. This assumes that other people have no agency in their own lives; that they don’t have the intellect, that they must do what society and those around them decide for them. It is strange that others want to own others body and soul.
“….that some disabled persons might wish to have the right to choose euthanasia in the present or at some future specified time. ”
And no one is saying otherwise.
BUT…and this is a very big BUT…there must be no question at all that the disabled person who chooses euthanasia is doing so because the lack of proper support is making their life unbearable.
And at the present point in time this cannot be guaranteed.
Most of the people living with disability in New Zealand have no entitlement to funded supports from the Ministry of Health whatsoever.
And seeking supports from the Ministry of Health has actually made people wish that they were dead.
“I note that the antis regard their opinions as sacred, and the final authority.”
Funny that, I’ve noted the exact same tone from the pros…did you actually read Seymour’s responses to the Commissioner and the palliative care professionals that I referenced in my comment?
Telling the palliative care professionals that they “need to go jump in a lake,”…..
An interesting article to read for those interested? With a 11pg document in English from Sweden on what to do if Sweden is attack from a hostile country.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-05-22/sweden-issues-leaflet-on-how-to-prepare-for-war/9785934
Saw that.
A great read in translation.
Sweden has their own strong reasons to fear Russia, and it is driving them into NATO membership.
Also some concerns about coastal submarines, if I recall correctly.
I was reading a Janes Defence report a mths ago saying Russia Submarine activity in the Baltic Sea is almost back to Cold War levels and a huge increase around the Northern Approaches to Norway, Iceland and UK gap, but not to the same levels as during Cold War although there has been the odd surge or a increase rate of effort too Cold War levels during Russian Navy Summer Manoeuvres or NATO Ex’s.
Everyone is now having to relearn the art of ASW and tracking Subs etc as everything was either cut, mothballed or quietly drop as a peace dividend or the same to find cost savings to fund the “War on Terror” in the Gan and forgetting the need to have the “The Utility of Force” because the silly pollie’s didn’t want rise taxes to fund the “War on Terror” as British Armed Forces have found out thanks to that muppet Blair.
Oh, I knew I’d read something else a while back:
the Swedish nuclear sub design of old.
Deary me.
Yes I had seen that article as well, an interesting design and common sense prevail that it was unlikely to work. But they design this wee beauty of Submarine for use in and around the Baltic Sea until the Aussies got hold of it and completely bugged it up.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/V%C3%A4sterg%C3%B6tland-class_submarine
The design was so good that yanks got hold of a Swedish one on lease complete with it crew to train it scope dopes on how to find a diesel electric sub. When the aussies finally got their subs work properly and gave the yanks a right royal thrashing on RIMPAC Ex’s. As they got inside a Carrier Battle Group Anti Submarine Screen, then tailing the Carrier for couple days taking pictures of it before surfacing beside the Carrier after proclaiming to every Tom, Dick and Harry that no one can penetrate it a Anti Sub screen.
Lol those would be the ones being replaced by the ones pauline hansen thought could only stay under water for a few hours?
Both Sweden and Finland both cut back it Defence expenditure after the end of the Cold War to a point where they mothballed bases, equipment and move to suspend the National Service requirements of National’s Defence Force including the Civil Defence Forces. The Nordic countries have their own battle group with NATO for UN operations or for NATO’s Out of Area Operations aka The Gan. Which according to a couple of Swedish girl’s who work the bar at near bush block said they and many others are not impressed the close tries that Sweden has developed with NATO since the end of the Cold War. But on the other hand they could under stand the UN operations like Bosnia but not Gan as it comprises its Neutrality and if we run down our Defence Forces then we only have ourselves to blame. They also said Russia is a major concern to them as they see Russia wanting to rebuild its former Tsar Empire across the Baltic Nations and a threat to Nordic Values, Lifestyle and Freedoms.
It’s was only about 5 or so yrs ago (maybe longer not sure) that the last Swedish Troops left Gotland Defences and turn the lights off. Here they now standing its up Defences on Gotland and as my friends were saying it’s little bit concerning that is is happening.
11 pages…
There is number 11, once again
..
This sounds like an interesting read.
https://people.unisa.edu.au/Ben.Stubbs
My first book Ticket to Paradise: A Journey to Find the Australian Colony in Paraguay Among Nazis, Mennonites and Japanese Beekeepers
about my search for the remnants of the Australian utopian colony in Paraguay was published by ABC Books in 2012.
I am a writing and journalism academic. My background is as a travel and features journalist for publications in Australia and overseas. I have written for The New York Times, The Guardian, The Toronto Star, The Sydney Morning Herald and Rough Guides among many others. My current academic research focuses on exploring the plurality of the travel writing form.
I am fluent in Spanish and my latest book After Dark: A Nocturnal Exploration of… Read more
Heart warming and hopeful for the future of our environment.
Together we can make the vital difference and achieve amity and mutuality.
China is happy that it is turning sand dunes into productive growing areas.
We could be going ahead with something special for NZ since we are such a beautiful country and we love it. I’m sure we could be forging ahead with organics. I think that the Falklands has done this. Robert G would have good ideas. Let’s do it !
The dismal Economist deigns to lecture the stone-slingers of Palestine
http://normanfinkelstein.com/2018/05/21/smug-economist-but-the-cover-is-priceless-lecturing-david-as-he-confronts-goliath-that-there-is-a-better-way-than-a-slingshot-it-cant-but-amuse-these-tone-deaf-arses/
the auckland sandflys are just like the ones in vags the get shitty because I can smell them and cheat and block all my devices from getting this site ———- ka kite ano