Collins touching on the one of the Far Right talking points. Even if it means she has to lie.
"We are concerned about mandatory vaccination creeping in."
"Non-jab, no job"
"No other job has mandatory vaccination, (other than border workers)" Judith Collins
In fact the NZDF has mandatory vaccination is required before deployment overseas.
All Water Care employees and contractors at Mangere waste water treatment plant, must be vaccinated to work on that site.
Is Collins advocating that NZDF should have voluntary vaccination, before deploying to vulnerable and isolated third world countries?
Is Collins advocating that Water Care workers should be allowed to have a choice whether they are vaccinated before working with sewerage?
What is most disgusting about Collins reach out to the anti-vax conspiracy theorists, is that it comes hard on the heels of the violent anti-vax and neo-nazi attack on the CFMEU trade union office in Australia.
Construction to shut down in Victoria after violent protests at CFMEU office
'It was orchestrated by rightwing extremists and that is something that we've seen – the targeting of other blue-collar unions over the last few months,' ACTU president Michele O'Neil says….
The anti vaxxer movement has infiltrated the construction industry in Victoria. I read it online somewhere last night. They are getting better organised by the day and undermining all the hard work by the authorities and the police.
“Voices for Freedom” are doing the same thing here. Apart from pamphlet drops (got one in my letterbox last week) they are assembling outside schools and trying to coerce teenagers from being vaccinated. I expect they are spreading the lie they will become sterile.
They are becoming more vociferous and daring and imo should be outlawed. There is plenty of precedence in history during times of emergencies.
Sep 22, 2021 8:55 AM
RNZ Live
Anti vaccination protesters are outside Taita College in the the Hutt Valley where students are getting vaccinated this week.
The group called Voices for Freedom are standing at the entry to the school with signs saying 'can we trust the media?' and "vaccines are bioweapons".
RNZ has spoken to some students who were confused and concerned, while others were laughing.
Police are at the scene, and teachers are helping students get inside.
Is Collins advocating that NZDF should have voluntary vaccination, before deploying to vulnerable and isolated third world countries? IsCollins advocating that Water Care workers should be allowed to have a choice whether they are vaccinated before working with sewerage?
Who knows? Collins reacts to everything that happens with a knee-jerk complaint about the government. Who even listens these days
What is most disgusting about Collins reach out to the anti-vax conspiracy theorists, is that it comes hard on the heels of the violent anti-vax and neo-nazi attack on the CFMEU trade union office in Australia.
True, but Collins is invested in whining about the guvermint purely for the sake of it. I seriously doubt any anti-vaxers who might harbour notions of organising disruptive, violent protests in NZ are going to be influenced by whatever new, daft outburst Collins has to say.
She's crashing the National Party's credibility towards zero every day. Shelf-life now very close to expiry, imo.
…..Collins is invested in whining about the guvermint purely for the sake of it. I seriously doubt any anti-vaxers who might harbour notions of organising disruptive, violent protests in NZ are going to be influenced by whatever new, daft outburst Collins has to say.
I don't think that Judith Collins was inciting any anti-vaxers into organising disruptive violent protests, (though that could be a side-effect). What Collins is doing with her comments,about creeping mandatory vaccination, is opportunistically scraping the bottom of the barrel for their votes.
In the same interview she attacks the government for low vaccination rates.
And then claims she has a plan.
I would be very interested in seeing it.
Just how does the National Party propose to get us out of Lockdowns and/or raise vaccination levels above the 90% threshold, that the medical experts tell us will be needed to lift all Lockdown restrictions, and prevent the collapse of our health system?
I would really like to know.
It would be ironic, if Judith Collins’ plan has some level of mandatory vaccination. Now that she has gone on the record as being opposed to it.
In the same interview she attacks the government for low vaccination rates.
And then claims she has a plan. I would be very interested in seeing it
… … … …
"Almost every other country that we compare ourselves to is rolling out vaccinations as quickly as they can. Our closest neighbour, Australia, has prioritized this with vaccinations starting within the next few weeks.
This means their citizens will be safer. They’ll have the certainty to get back to business. They’ll see international students and visitors return, and life for Kiwis who live in Australia will start to get back to normal.
New Zealanders can’t afford another lockdown. But even more than this, failing to secure vaccinations for our frontline workers, border staff and those who work in and around managed isolation and quarantine shows a massive disregard for the sacrifice New Zealanders made last year. It is not good enough.
We need to match Australia’s schedule. We should be like Singapore, rolling out the vaccine to frontline workers and those vulnerable New Zealanders who need it urgently."
… … … …
The Australian "defence" industry and the politicians they donate to (aka bribe) – are very much a mirror of the US war machine, and know exactly what they are doing.
MSM Russiagate and MSM lies on Syrian gas attacks both crumble even further into the gutter where they belong..but of course not one person in the media that uncritically pushed these obviously bullshit stories 24/7 will be held to account…nope just like all the media and journalist who willingly pushed war in Iraq in the service of power, they will face no consequences…probably because there is so much crossover in who benefits from those lies.
Hmmmm looks like those pesky Hunter Biden emails were real after all.
The disinformation wasn't Russian , it came from all those partisan journos ready to ditch the integrity of their trade so they could belong to the "right" crowd
Politico was one of those outlets.Now one of its writers has come out with a book verifying the emails , with recipients affirming .
@Jenny how to get there…can you please explain to us exactly how highlighting the fact that Liberal MSM has been disseminating misinformation on the completely fabricated Russian collusion conspiracy for years on end, also completely disregarding all public information on the Douma chemical attack that didn't fit with their state sanctioned narrative, to the point that the BBC has been forced into a pubic apology is "running interference for Russian imperialism and Assad fascism"?…I would be interested to see what tortured logic you come up with…I am sure it couldn't be any worse than the years of bullshit that has been spewed out by the usual suspects around here defending their masters like good little soldiers…but who knows you might be a better soldier than them….fire away.
I am not going to play google tag with you, and waste my time to go over line by line the specifics of the Douma gas attack. Not because I can't, but what's the point.
The vast majority of Syrian civilians killed by the Assad regime are not being killed in gas attacks.
The vast majority of Syrian civilians being killed by the Assad regime and their Iranian allies and Russian patron, are not by gas attacks, but by so called 'conventional weapons', and in industrial scale extermination camps, into which tens of thousands of Syrians have been disappeared into.
Everyone who knows anything of Syria has heard of Sednaya, the biggest and most notorious of the Assad regime's death camps.
19 kilometres North of Damascus everbody knows where Sednaya is.
But I tell you what. Not one of the Western journalists and apologists who have visited the Damascus as guests of the Assad regime, have ever asked for a tour of Sednaya.
Sednaya Prison
See also: Sednaya Prison
To the west of Saidnaya, the government has a military prison with estimated of 14,000 prisoners. The prison lies 30 km on the outskirts of Northern Damascus.[17] In February 2017 Amnesty International released a report saying: "that between 5,000 and 13,000 people were extra judicially executed at Saydnaya between September 2011 and December 2015."[18] On May 15, 2017, the US State Department reiterated the charge of 50 secret executions a day, concealed by subsequent cremation on site.[19][20]
The Assad regime is killing so many detainees in Syria that it now amounts to the crime against humanity of "extermination", a UN report has found.
In a document published by the UN's High Commissioner for Human Rights, investigators found the Syrian government responsible for "massive and systematised violence".
The crimes against humanity committed by the Assad regime, according to the UN, far outnumber those of Isis militants and other jihadist groups….
At least three detainees belong to Syria's minority Christian community were identified among leaked mass torture photos, according to the Syrian Association for the Missing and Prisoners of Conscience.
Syrian Christian community with total population of 1.75 million has faced growing violence since the uprising erupted in March 2011. But mass torture photos inside Syrian regime's security chambers have revealed gruesome revenge of Christians who supported Syrian revolution.
For long decades, Assad's family (Father and Son) has presented itself as minorities protector. But Syrian conflict disclosed the real face of such allegations, activists said.
……
According to reports, in 2012 the first Christian Free Syrian Army unit formed, yet it was reported that the Assad government still had the reluctant support of the majority of the country's Christians of various ethnicities and denominations. By 2013 an increasing number of Christians favored the opposition. In 2014, the predominantly Christian Syriac Military Council formed an alliance with the FSA, and other Syrian Christian militias such as the Sutoro had joined the Syrian opposition against the Assad regime.
The atrocious photos of mass torture by Syrian security had been taken between 2011 and mid 2013 in the well-known 601 military hospital in Mezzah neighborhood of Damascus. The photos showed hundreds of lifeless bodies with signs of starvation, brutal beatings, strangulation and other forms of torture and killing.
The Syrian Network for Human Rights, in report issued last September, said at least 215,000 people were arrested by Syrian security since the revolution erupted in March 2011. (4500 of them are women and 9,000 are less than 18).
According to the report, 2630 detainees were tortured to death and 70,000 cases documented as enforced disappearance…..
This thread is about Russiagate and Douma specifically…your obfuscating has not answered my question even slightly…of course.
But then you and others seem to be quite OK with your media lying right to your face..infact you seem to like it, which is kind of weird…but hey different strokes for different folks I say.
Douma at the time was under heavy rocket and air attack by the Assad regime.
The pattern is much the same, and still being practiced by the regime's forces, indiscriminate bombing and shelling of all rebel held towns and cities.
The contested Douma gas attack was only one incident in a much broader government offensive that killed many more civilians and rebel fighters.
Weapons of mass destruction like nuclear weapons arnd gas weapons are only for our side to have. Third World totalitarian leaders like Kim Jong-Un of Basha Al Assad are not allowed to have them, let alone use them.
Their use is what captures the Western powers attention, and makes our military and political leaders nervous.
Generally I have chosen not to battle through the fog of war and following propaganda enslaught over each separate incident of chemical weapons use, to concentrate on the more massive acts of genocide that even the most gullible or ablest knowing apologists of Assad fascism can't deny.
I am talking here of the genocidal destruction of Homs and Hama and rebel held Aleppo, and the extensive network of government extermination camps and prisons, into which tens of thousands of Syrian civlians and activists have disappeared into.
But if we are going to do the google thing around the Douma gas attack, you couldn't do better than this report from the Intercept.
For those who are genuinly interested in what is happening in Syria I can personally reccomend this report..
WHAT HAPPENED IN DOUMA? SEARCHING FOR FACTS IN THE FOG OF SYRIA’S PROPAGANDA WAR
The next world war may begin with a grainy, contested, online image launched onto the pages of a newspaper that has recently sacked all its journalists.
From what I've heard ever since the press conference, there is no "90% target". Let alone by geographic, demographic, or number of jabs.
At least 90%. That's what they said. That's what they mean about loosening things up with "high" vax rates. The specifics depend on the circumstances when we get to a "high" rate. Don't fall into the tory trap of assuming 90% is a target. It's not, they're just laying the groundwork to bitch again.
"It depends" sucks for people who have an attachment to firm and precise numbers, but the real world requires fuzzy logic processing sometimes.
No, not a cop out. They made the cardnial sin of not boring people to death using language that even the 1980s HHGTTG text-based computer game could parse, probably because if they had then a lot of knobs would parrot "explaining is losing" instead of "we don't know what's going oooonnnn".
Let's break this down further, shall we?
90% is in the region that is denoted "high". Probably near the base of that region, but don't be super-surprised if they start announcing things loosening up from the mid 80 percentages.
But, gosh, a high percentage of what? Fuck, we might never know.
I'll take a punt and say maybe it's to do with vaccination levels. But fully vaxed or partial? Of over 12s or over 5s? omagerd, it needs to be written in stone right now!!!
fucksake. Who gives a shit. We get there when we get there.
All races at 90% (Admittedly it would only be Maori and Pacifica, as for some odd reason Asians and Indians never appear in figures as apparently don't matter)
I heard on the radio that Bloomfield idiot said not unless Maori were at 90% (Again 90% in what contexts?)
As an aside, if the figures are still double figures at that time, do you think they will open up the country to Aucklanders at the same time school holidays start?
All races at 90% (Admittedly it would only be Maori and Pacifica, as for some odd reason Asians and Indians never appear in figures as apparently don't matter)
Some things never change and it seems that you’re still a trolling idiot.
Fair point, it measured in official background statistics, but I was more talking about mentioned in their announcements to the media and their daily party ad.
But you have made a good point and I take back what I said.
You do unbderstand that the reason for high vaccination is to stop the ICUs being overloaded so people other than covid patients can be treated?
Opening up if the ICUs will be flooded by people from a particular region or ethnicity just creates the same outcome, with the extra icing that the region or ethnicity is viewed as expendable by the government.
If you genuinely don't know why your questions can come across as trolling, try thinking harder about that.
Māori Party co-leader Rawiri Waititi is not happy about possible govt plans to open two more quarantine facilities in Rotorua. He says one will be a fourth MIQ and the other a quarantine facility for Covid-19 infectious people.
… … … …
"Waititi said his information had come from "sources" and he was concerned about leaks of Covid-19 into the community if a quarantine facility was established in the city.
This only increases the potential for a MIQ breach leading to a community outbreak," he said. "It adds more pressure on the local health system and ultimately means more lockdowns.
"This would be disastrous for Rotorua, and especially Māori who make up 45 per cent of the Rotorua population."
There was a major difference between isolation and quarantine, Waititi said.
(Waititi seems to be creating a very high media profile by complaining about all sorts of things. He's very telegenic, imo, & personally I currently expect Te Pāti Māori to do very well at the next election – Gez)
… … …
"Rotorua keeps and brings those infectious, to our community," Waititi said.
'This would be disastrous for Rotorua, and especially Māori who make up 45 per cent of the Rotorua population.'"
… … …
Hard to say if this is primarily a political ploy or stunt, but I think he's got a point. Hope he's doing all he can meantime to arrange for eligible Rotorua district ngā tāngata katoa (everybody) to get their Covid vaccinations asap.
Both of those high value PR opportunities for Waititi. He knows his target audience.
I was watching Parliament live the day he suckered Mallard into giving awesome free publicity. The rules were that male MPs were expected to wear “business attire”, which tos most Pākehā is a suit & tie.
But there are tons of prominent Māori leaders, academics, & businessmen who wear a large hei tiki draped around their necks & hanging over their shirt front. It’s a perfectly, & very common normal tāne Māori business attire.
Mallard threw a classic Pākehā stale male hissy fit, not thinking it thru. Bingo. Waititi gets the opportunity to do – for a Māori man whose mana has just been impugned – a rollicking & very culturally appropriate haka of protest & utu – reciprocation.
Within days, Mallard lifted the requirement for men to wear ties. Big ups to Rawiri.
The “call NZ Aotearoa” petition & his & his Party’s commitment to keep calling for a name change is pure theatre, but he’ll get a lot more profile-raising mileage out of this issue too. I’m not in favour personally, bur I know two Pākehā acquaintences who agree with him.
Rawiri sometimes sails too close to the “all Pākehā are racist colonisers” line for my liking.
As for how much work he’s doing, I don’t know but I bet it’s a lot more than many Pākehā think. Māori electorates are huge, They involve talking at a lot of marare, with Māori orgs, hapu iwi, constituents, & a lot of travelling. That gets pretty wearing I imagine.
The Speaker was the hall monitor for what Parliaments ' rules committee' decides.
I thought he was in favour of a less literal interpretation of 'neck thingy' and once the committee met and changed it then the Speaker could follow the new direction
"Speaker Trevor Mallard has announced that ties are no longer mandatory in Parliament.
It comes days after a dress code stoush between him and Māori Party co-leader Rawiri Waititi, which saw Waititi booted out for not wearing a tie.
Mallard said a Standing Orders committee meeting discussed appropriate business attire tonight and a submission on the topic was heard from Te Paati Māori (Māori Party).
"The committee did not reach a consensus but the majority of the committee was in favour of removing a requirement for ties to be part of 'appropriate business attire' for males," he said in a Tweet.
'As Speaker, I am guided by the committee's discussion and decision, and therefore ties will no longer be considered required as part of 'appropriate business attire'. I acknowledge those who felt this was an important issue worthy of further consideration.'"
… … …
Where Mallard did Waititi a huge favour was in objecting to the hei tiki being worn instead of a tie. Hugely boosted Rawiri's profile, & his mana with Māori.
Rather long but interesting watch on who's at the forefront of everything from the January 6th insurrection in the US, the anti-Muslim/anti immigrant protests across Europe and the anti-vaxx/anti-lockdown demonstrations in the west to our very own howl of protest fuckwittery.
Are we the last country on earth talking about noting else other than COVID? I am becoming very fatigued that after 18 months it seems to be the only thing the media or government are focussed on. It has almost become an obssession. We are still having daily press conferences on this, and every new bulletin opens with a daily case update, or story about people buying KFC.
Yes, it is the issue of our time, but there are other things happening out there in the world, which warrant our attention. How long will our daily obesseion continue?
A quick scan of international media shows, that something which started 18 months ago, isn't really news worthy anymore. COVID doesn't really get much of a mention out there
I have general faith in the MoH to do their job when it comes to COVID. Contact trace, isolating people and slowly rolling out the vaccine. They are doing it reasonably well to the point I don't think we need the minute by minute commentary, that we were doing in March last year.
I have a lot less faith in other government departments doing their job, so I wish we would turn, at least some of, our attention to them. Imagine if we had a daily press conference to announce the housing waiting list, homelessness statisitics and climate change targets.
Climate change and homelessness are Green Party Ministerial responsibilities, so Chloe Swarbrick could always start with some accountability from her own colleagues.
Chloe's current push is the futile and exceedingly middle class pursuit of rebuilding St James Theatre.
Chloe Swarbrick should pull her head out of her ass.
Perhaps it is all distraction as continuing legislative changes take place out of the spotlight. It is quite instructive to have pending legislation and Parliament Order papers fed to your email.
I agree with you on the inevitable stories about coffee, KFC, buying flour etc.
It's not news, it's trivia at best. As Chloe Swarbrick says about updates on housing and CC, and Maurice eludes to, there are other important issues that are being ignored.
That will learn me for watching TV news after years of giving it a wide berth.
Yes. They’re very rare, but they DO sometimes happen. Even in the centre of their landmass. That whole continent’s tectonic plate is always being squeezed by others. And sometimes I guess some ancient fold or fault cracks or shudders. Or there’s some local geographic collapse deep down under.
Yes Earthquakes are very over rare over here in Oz, there is a very large number of various fault lines in Oz to ancient volcanos & hotspots from the east coast of Nth’ern Qld all the way down to Victorian- SA Border & within the greater Melbourne area.
I live in Wellington, Scud. We get a lot of small earthquakes in Tawa, many coming from a slow slip event happening off the Western Kapiti Coast.
And there are about four or five major fault lines in the Welly region that generate huge quakes when they go. We're always waiting for The Big One on the Wellington fault.
But I hail from New Plymouth, Taranaki, where I grew up. Now ma & pa have both passed away here, I've been thinking about whether I should move back there, like ma wanted me to after she died. To be with my siblings up there.
The thing is, I grew up in the shadow of the beautiful & magnificent Mt Taranaki. And volcanologists say, geologically speaking it's due for an eruption, which might be small, or it might be blimmin massive. It's unusual for the number of times it's blown itself apart, & then just rebuilt itself.
It's only short. But this is what my Taranaki Maunga does:
I’m ex CHCH until 1998, so I’m quite used to Mother Nature rocking & rolling. We get a few deep earthquakes from Indonesia- Timor-Leste Area rattling Darwin & the odd from Tennant Creek Area. I’ve just finished reading up the Halls Fall Faultline that runs from the Halls Falls area in WA all the way up to the other side of Darwin Harbour & out to the sea.
We are approaching the point in the pandemic where we move from collectivising risk to individualising it. In the first phase it was collective, action, equality of sacrifice and no-one left behind. In the second phase it is get vaccinated, take precautions that are suitable for your risk profile, and if you are unlucky the healthcare system should (but might not) be there to help you. Normal transmission is being resumed and the government has not used the pandemic as a catalyst for changing anything important. Last year in the first L4 lockdown, we were as ripe as we'll ever be for UBI and significant poverty and inequality reduction efforts. Under pandemic conditions such things would arguably be rational, rather than political. Operationally, this government has handled the pandemic superbly, but strategically and ideologically not so much. The lessons we learned will go down the memory hole of history as we scramble back into a dysfunctional BAU.
I'm thinking AB means BAU in a very broad sense, that in the end the interests of "the economy" prevail, back to the dysfunctional neo-liberal-driven way of life. Illustrated, possibly, by Auckland’s move from L4 to L3, described by some experts as a “calculated risk”, and by others as more ideologically-driven than anything else.
Just out of interest I looked up the Polio Vaccine info and in 1956 there was 90% parental approval for child vaccination compared to only 29% in England, 42% in Scotland and 74% in NSW. We should be good for 90% here for Covid if our history of doing the right thing still holds. Interestingly the same problems were apparent then, production problems, the US refusing to export and lack of refrigeration, ( only a day or so leeway in ambient temp then).
More and more stories coming out about the what was going on in the Wuhan Lab and frankly it now seems more and more likely we are dealing with a virus that had been tinkered with… fucking insanity.
“They also planned to create chimeric viruses, genetically enhanced to infect humans more easily, and requested US$14 million from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (Darpa) to fund the work.”
Where does that link to; Cricklewood? I have learned not to click on concealed links on this site, as I imagine; so have others. Gain of Function Research is not that unusual – if that is what you are referring to?
A quick google threw up this Intercept article (limited to 3 free article views, but not otherwise paywalled) though I am not disposed to trawl through all 900+ pages of FOIA primary sources to confirm what they are saying.
On August 27, Biden announced that the intelligence inquiry was inconclusive.
Biden blamed China for failing to release critical data, but the U.S. government has also been slow to release information. The Intercept initially requested the proposals inSeptember 2020.
It doesn't seem that unreasonable to me to fund and conduct research into SARS & MERS in a virology lab. Though if it was done at the Biosafety Level 3 Wuhan University Center for Animal Experiment, rather than the BL4 Wuhan Institute of Virology, then the denials that the WIoV was involved might be a way of deflecting attention from the WUCfAE. The evidence does not seem conclusive.
In any case, there is more noise than sound in the speculations on both sides of these lab leak "theories" (ie conjectures beyond what is supported by evidence). I doubt there is much good faith on either side, even if one, or both, speculations are eventually confirmed. Personally, I think all labs licensed to operate beyond BL1 (eg university teaching labs using low risk biologicals level), should be subject to regular un-notified inspection by independent teams of international experts. That's not going to happen though!
Mr Zhao, who is known for his aggressive style of diplomacy, has played an important role in spreading the "US origin" theory. Several tweets from his account last year first drew wide attention to Fort Detrick. "What's behind the closure of the biolab at Fort Detrick?" he wrote in July 2020, "When will US invite experts to investigate the origin of the virus in US?"
In recent months, his calls have been joined by Chinese diplomats based in various countries, and the Chinese state broadcaster CCTV even aired an hour-long special report, "The Dark History behind Fort Detrick", focusing on breaches of containment at the lab in 2019, to bolster claims of lax lab security echoed by Chinese officials and state media. A related hashtag has had more than 100 million views on Weibo, China's Twitter equivalent.
Yesterday, seven were infectious in the community, FFS. They’re chasing the tail, which is wagging the dog. Stomp on it, hard and fast and don’t mind the yelping dog, FFS.
It's a dangerous habit to get into chasing the gauges of the daily numbers and demand level 4 for any community cases above zero.
It's a process they're working through. they're identifying connections with previous cases for almost all new cases within a day of diagnosis. They're not getting randos coming in so much with absolutely no connection with any previous cases. So they have several clusters that are being reasonably well contained, and that will burn themselves out eventually.
Level 3 matches that risk profile. We're using the same playbook that got us out of it last time, and it seems to be working about as well as it did last time. Better, even, because we started it sooner.
I hear you but the risk with smouldering fires is that they can flare up and burst into flames at any time. I believe that a more stringent ‘bespoke’ approach is justified and warranted to place a higher firewall around existing known clusters. The persistent tail is reason enough to up the ante, IMO.
At the moment, the assessment is that the winds have died down, the main blazes have been extinguished, so it's just the slog of finding the hot spots and digging them out. that means the evacuation orders can be cancelled and people can return to the properties that were in danger.
If the winds pick up and embers transfer again, back come the monsoon buckets and evacuations. But the full court press takes a heavy toll on everyone, so only gets done when times are desperate.
Changing topic. There is a major grizzle going down with importers about the backlog of vessels waiting to come alongside at Auckland Port. History repeats itself. I well remember in 1972 on a voyage to Japan with my partner (wives privilege of accompanying officers of the sea going vessels) and arriving in Tokoyo to see rows and rows of vessels waiting to go alongside or being off loaded by barges way out in the bay. 50 plus vessels at least. I also remember the sea was like glue it was so polluted. We were going into drydock at Yokohama but the sight was one I never forgot.
Now there are 60+ vessels out in the bay in LA waiting for a berth alongside. It seems our ports have been suffering from logjams for ever and a day.
In comparison Auckland has no problems and maybe there should be less whinging from the importers and accept the circumstances.
we are dealing with a virus that had been tinkered with… fucking insanity.
I'm not sure I'd be trusting the source of that article. Not one jot.
Papers, confirmed as genuine by a former member of the Trump administration, show they were hoping to introduce "human-specific cleavage sites" to bat coronaviruses which would make it easier for the virus to enter human cells.
When Covid-19 was first genetically sequenced, scientists were puzzled about how the virus had evolved such a human-specific adaptation at the cleavage site on the spike protein, which is the reason it is so infectious.
The documents were released by Drastic, the web-based investigations team set up by scientists from across the world to look into the origins of Covid-19.
In a statement, Drastic said: "Given that we find in this proposal a discussion of the planned introduction of human-specific cleavage sites, a review by the wider scientific community of the plausibility of artificial insertion is warranted."
DRASTIC (Decentralized Radical Autonomous Search Team Investigating COVID-19) is a loose collection of scientists and researchers investigating the origins of COVID-19, in particular the COVID-19 lab leak theory. Most scientists maintain COVID-19 likely had a natural origin, but a lab leak is still a possibility worth investigating. DRASTIC is composed of about 30 core members, whose activity is primarily organized through the social media website Twitter. They formed in February 2020, at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. DRASTIC members have called for a "full and unrestricted investigation" into the origins of COVID-19, conducted independently of the World Health Organization.
Many of DRASTIC's members use pseudonyms, while identified members have backgrounds including mycology, neuroscience, and data science. Members of DRASTIC have engaged in personal attacks against virologists and epidemiologists on Twitter, falsely accusing some of working for the Chinese Communist Party.
Perhaps but no one is flat out denying what they have released in terms of documents and given the USAs likely involvment in funding work in the Lab https://www.bbc.com/news/57932699 I think its the mostly likely source of what has proven a remarkably well adapted virus.
But it very much suits those in power not to have that exposed.
It can be a long process finding the animal source of an outbreak. Not only have you got to stumble across the correct population but additionally, you have to sample the animal at the time it is infected with the virus. Progress is however being made. A bat population in the Northern Laos region has been sampled and found to contain a very closely related covd virus. It contains the human ace receptor site though not however the furin cleavage site. But the existence of the human ace receptor site is enough to allow the possibility of the evolution of the furin cleavage site in repeated human contacts. Or a wild furin cleavage site may still be found. These things take a lot of time.
"The WHO team's main public conclusion so far is that it's "extremely unlikely" that the virus originated in a lab in Wuhan. The scientists think the virus most likely started in bats, then jumped to other animals, then to humans.
Dutch virologist Marion Koopmans was part of that team that "reconstructed every step in that initial outbreak" in two weeks of investigation."
"So from everything that we've looked at and we've also visited three labs involved and also three labs that work on these viruses. From that, we have not been able to find any credible link there."
"How open and transparent were the Chinese once they let you in?
This is a topic and a mission. There are sensitivities around it … big political tensions that are around it. And that's something you cannot completely avoid in a situation like this. But once we got out of our quarantine, got into the face-to-face meetings, I think we've managed to get into real good scientific exchange with stiff discussions here and there, because [people] start from different backgrounds and different views. But I tell everyone, wait and read the report and let's discuss then. But I think we managed to get a good outcome of this meeting. I think it was in that sense quite successful."
"Is there anything that you think is necessary to know that you don't have access to?
Not really. So if you say, did the Chinese colleagues hand over the complete raw data files? No, they did not. But then again, I did not expect that in a mission like this. So we've seen a lot of information. We've been given a lot of information. We've had access to the people working on the data, aggregating the data, looking at what exact questionnaires that they used, what does the data file look like. To me, that is quite extensive data access."
New Zealand is again having to reconcile conflicting pressures from its military and its trade interests. Should we join Pillar Two of AUKUS and risk compromising our markets in China? For a century after New Zealand was founded in 1840, its external security arrangements and external economics arrangements were aligned. ...
The ‘50 Shades of Green’ farmers’ protest in 2019 was heavy on climate change denial, but five years on, scepticism and criticism about the idea that pine forests can save us is growing across the board. File photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s the top six news items of note in climate ...
This morning the sky was bright.The birds, in their usual joyous bliss. Nature doesn’t seem to feel the heat of what might angst humans.Their calls are clear and beautiful.Just some random thoughts:MāoriPaul Goldsmith has announced his government will roll back the judiciary’s rulings on Māori Customary Marine Title, which recognises ...
In 2003, the Court of Appeal delivered its decision in Ngati Apa v Attorney-General, ruling that Māori customary title over the foreshore and seabed had not been universally extinguished, and that the Māori Land Court could determine claims and confirm title if the facts supported it. This kicked off the ...
Earlier this week at Parliament, Labour leader Chris Hipkins was applauded for saying that the response to the final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care had to be “bigger than politics.” True, but the fine words, apologies and “we hear you” messages will soon ring ...
TL;DR: In news breaking this morning:The Ministry of Education is cutting $2 billion from its school building programme so the National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government has enough money to deliver tax cuts; The Government has quietly lowered its child poverty reduction targets to make them easier to achieve;Te Whatu Ora-Health NZ’s ...
Kia ora. These are some stories that caught our eye this week – as always, feel free to share yours in the comments. Our header image this week (via Eke Panuku) shows the planned upgrade for the Karanga Plaza Tidal Swimming Steps. The week in Greater Auckland On ...
1. What's not to love about the way the Harris campaign is turning things around?a. Nothingb. Love all of itc. God what a reliefd. Not that it will be by any means easye. All of the above 2. Documents released by the Ministry of Health show Associate Health Minister Casey ...
Trust in me in all you doHave the faith I have in youLove will see us through, if only you trust in meWhy don't you, you trust me?In a week that saw the release of the 3,000 page Abuse in Care report Christopher Luxon was being asked about Boot Camps. ...
TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking about the Royal Commission Inquiry into Abuse in Carereport released this week, and with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on a UN push to not recognise carbon offset markets and ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 26, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Transport: Simeon Brown announced$802.9 million in funding for 18 new trains on the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines, which ...
The northern expressway extension from Warkworth to Whangarei is likely to require radical changes to legislation if it is going to be built within the foreseeable future. The Government’s powers to purchase land, the planning process and current restrictions on road tolling are all going to need to be changed ...
Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedFirst they came for the doctors But I was confused by the numbers and costs So I didn't speak up Then they came for our police and nurses And I didn't think we could afford those costs anyway So I ...
Photo by Joshua J. Cotten on UnsplashWe’re back again after our mid-winter break. We’re still with the ‘new’ day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when we have our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream ...
Notes: This is a free article. Abuse in Care themes are mentioned. Video is at the bottom.BackgroundYesterday’s report into Abuse in Care revealed that at least 1 in 3 of all who went through state and faith based care were abused - often horrifically. At least, because not all survivors ...
Luxon speaks in Parliament yesterday about the Abuse in Care report. Photo: Hagen Hopkins/Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:PM Christopher Luxon said yesterday in tabling the Abuse in Carereport in Parliament he wanted to ‘do the ...
About a decade ago I worked with a bloke called Steve. He was the grizzled veteran coder, a few years older than me, who knew where the bodies were buried - code wise. Despite his best efforts to be approachable and friendly he could be kind of gruff, through to ...
Some of the recent announcements from the government have reminded us of posts we’ve written in the past. Here’s one from early 2020. There were plenty of reactions to the government’s infrastructure announcement a few weeks ago which saw them fund a bunch of big roading projects. One of ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Thursday, July 25 are:News: Why Electric Kiwi is closing to new customers - and why it matters RNZ’s Susan EdmundsScoop: Government drops ...
Hi,I felt a small wet tongue snaking through one of the holes in my Crocs. It explored my big toe, darting down one side, then the other. “He’s looking for some toe cheese,” said the woman next to me, words that still haunt me to this day.Growing up in New ...
Yesterday I happily quoted the Prime Minister without fact-checking him and sure enough, it turns out his numbers were all to hell. It’s not four kg of Royal Commission report, it’s fourteen.My friend and one-time colleague-in-comms Hazel Phillips gently alerted me to my error almost as soon as I’d hit ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Thursday, July 25, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day were:The Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquirypublished its final report yesterday.PM Christopher Luxon and The Minister responsible for ...
The Official Information Act has always been a battle between requesters seeking information, and governments seeking to control it. Information is power, so Ministers and government agencies want to manage what is released and when, for their own convenience, and legality and democracy be damned. Their most recent tactic for ...
TL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:Transport and Energy Minister Simeon Brown is accelerating plans to spend at least $10 billion through Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) to extend State Highway One as a four-lane ‘Expressway’ from Warkworth to Whangarei ...
I live my life (woo-ooh-ooh)With no control in my destinyYea-yeah, yea-yeah (woo-ooh-ooh)I can bleed when I want to bleedSo come on, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)You can bleed when you want to bleedYea-yeah, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)Everybody bleed when they want to bleedCome on and bleedGovernments face tough challenges. Selling unpopular decisions to ...
Please note:To skip directly to the- parliamentary footage in the video, scroll to 1:21 To skip to audio please click on the headphone iconon the left hand side of the screenThis video / audio section is under development. ...
Given the crackdown on wasteful government spending, it behooves me to point to a high profile example of spending by the Luxon government that looks like a big, fat waste of time and money. I’m talking about the deployment of NZDF personnel to support the US-led coalition in the Red ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:40 am on Wednesday, July 24 are:Deep Dive: Chipping away at the housing crisis, including my comments RNZ/Newsroom’s The DetailNews: Government softens on asset sales, ...
As I reported about the city centre, Auckland’s rail network is also going through a difficult and disruptive period which is rapidly approaching a culmination, this will result in a significant upgrade to the whole network. Hallelujah. Also like the city centre this is an upgrade predicated on the City ...
Today, a 4 kilogram report will be delivered to Parliament. We know this is what the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care weighs, because our Prime Minister told us so.Some reporter had blindsided him by asking a question about something done by ...
TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Wednesday, July 24, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Beehive:Transport Minister Simeon Brownannounced plans to use PPPs to fund, build and run a four-lane expressway between Auckland ...
NewstalkZB host Mike Hosking, who can usually be relied on to give Prime Minister Christopher Luxon an easy run, did not do so yesterday when he interviewed him about the HealthNZ deficit. Luxon is trying to use a deficit reported last year by HealthNZ as yet another example of the ...
Back in January a StatsNZ employee gave a speech at Rātana on behalf of tangata whenua in which he insulted and criticised the government. The speech clearly violated the principle of a neutral public service, and StatsNZ started an investigation. Part of that was getting an external consultant to examine ...
Renting for life: Shared ownership initiatives are unlikely to slow the slide in home ownership by much. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:A Deloittereport for Westpac has projected Aotearoa’s home-ownership rate will ...
You're broken down and tiredOf living life on a merry go roundAnd you can't find the fighterBut I see it in you so we gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsWe gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsAnd I'll rise upI'll rise like the dayI'll rise upI'll rise unafraidI'll rise upAnd I'll ...
There’s been a change in Myers Park. Down the steps from St. Kevin’s Arcade, past the grassy slopes, the children’s playground, the benches and that goat statue, there has been a transformation. The underpass for Mayoral Drive has gone from a barren, grey, concrete tunnel, to a place that thrums ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Global society may have finally slammed on the brakes for climate-warming pollution released by human fossil fuel combustion. According to the Carbon Monitor Project, the total global climate pollution released between February and May 2024 declined slightly from the amount released during the same ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Tuesday, July 23 are:Deep Dive: Penlink: where tolling rhetoric meets reality BusinessDesk-$$$’sOliver LewisScoop:Te Pūkenga plans for regional polytechs leak out ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Tuesday, July 23, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Health: Shane Reti announcedthe Board of Te Whatu Ora-Health New Zealand was being replaced with Commissioner Lester Levy ...
Health NZ warned the Government at the end of March that it was running over Budget. But the reasons it gave were very different to those offered by the Prime Minister yesterday. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon blamed the “botched merger” of the 20 District Health Boards (DHBs) to create Health ...
Long ReadKey Summary: Although National increased the health budget by $1.4 billion in May, they used an old funding model to project health system costs, and never bothered to update their pre-election numbers. They were told during the Health Select Committees earlier in the year their budget amount was deficient, ...
As a momentous, historic weekend in US politics unfolded, analysts and commentators grasped for precedents and comparisons to help explain the significance and power of the choice Joe Biden had made. The 46th president had swept the Democratic party’s primaries but just over 100 days from the election had chosen ...
TL;DR: I’m casting around for new ideas and ways of thinking about Aotearoa’s political economy to find a few solutions to our cascading and self-reinforcing housing, poverty and climate crises.Associate Professor runs an online masters degree in the economics of sustainability at Torrens University in Australia and is organising ...
The Finance and Expenditure Committee has reported back on National's Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Bill. The bill sets up water for privatisation, and was introduced under urgency, then rammed through select committee with no time even for local councils to make a proper submission. Naturally, national's select committee ...
Some years ago, I bought a book at Dunedin’s Regent Booksale for $1.50. As one does. Vandrad the Viking (1898), by J. Storer Clouston, is an obscure book these days – I cannot find a proper online review – but soon it was sitting on my shelf, gathering dust alongside ...
History is not on the side of the centre-left, when Democratic presidents fall behind in the polls and choose not to run for re-election. On both previous occasions in the past 75 years (Harry Truman in 1952, Lyndon Johnson in 1968) the Democrats proceeded to then lose the White House ...
This is a free articleCoverageThis morning, US President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the Presidential race. And that is genuinely newsworthy. Thanks for your service, President Biden, and all the best to you and yours.However, the media in New Zealand, particularly the 1News nightly bulletin, has been breathlessly covering ...
A homeless person’s camp beside a blocked-off slipped damage walkway in Freeman’s Bay: we are chasing our tail on our worsening and inter-related housing, poverty and climate crises. Photo: Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
What has happened to it all?Crazy, some'd sayWhere is the life that I recognise?(Gone away)But I won't cry for yesterdayThere's an ordinary worldSomehow I have to findAnd as I try to make my wayTo the ordinary worldYesterday morning began as many others - what to write about today? I began ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Monday, July 22 are:Today’s Must Read: Father and son live in a tent, and have done for four years, in a million ...
TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Monday, July 22, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:US President Joe Biden announced via X this morning he would not stand for a second term.Multinational professional services firm ...
A listing of 32 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, July 14, 2024 thru Sat, July 20, 2024. Story of the week As reflected by preponderance of coverage, our Story of the Week is Project 2025. Until now traveling ...
This weekend, a friend pointed out someone who said they’d like to read my posts, but didn’t want to pay. And my first reaction was sympathy.I’ve already told folks that if they can’t comfortably subscribe, and would like to read, I’d be happy to offer free subscriptions. I don’t want ...
National: The Party of ‘Law and Order’ IntroductionThis weekend, the Government formally kicked off one of their flagship policy programs: a military style boot camp that New Zealand has experimented with over the past 50 years. Cartoon credit: Guy BodyIt’s very popular with the National Party’s Law and Orderimage, ...
Day one of the solo leg of my long journey home begins with my favourite sound: footfalls in an empty street. 5.00 am and it’s already light and already too warm, almost.If I can make the train that leaves Budapest later this hour I could be in Belgrade by nightfall; ...
Do you remember Y2K, the threat that hung over humanity in the closing days of the twentieth century? Horror scenarios of planes falling from the sky, electronic payments failing and ATMs refusing to dispense cash. As for your VCR following instructions and recording your favourite show - forget about it.All ...
Climate Change Minister Simon Watts being questioned by The Kākā’s Bernard Hickey.TL;DR: My top six things to note around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the week to July 20 were:1. A strategy that fails Zero Carbon Act & Paris targetsThe National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government finally unveiled ...
Summary:As New Zealand loses at least 12 leaders in the public service space of health, climate, and pharmaceuticals, this month alone, directly in response to the Government’s policies and budget choices, what lies ahead may be darker than it appears. Tui examines some of those departures and draws a long ...
The Minister of Housing’s ambition is to reduce markedly the ratio of house prices to household incomes. If his strategy works it would transform the housing market, dramatically changing the prospects of housing as an investment.Leaving aside the Minister’s metaphor of ‘flooding the market’ I do not see how the ...
As previously noted, my historical fantasy piece, set in the fifth-century Mediterranean, was accepted for a Pirate Horror anthology, only for the anthology to later fall through. But in a good bit of news, it turned out that the story could indeed be re-marketed as sword and sorcery. As of ...
An employee of tobacco company Philip Morris International demonstrates a heated tobacco device. Photo: Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy on Friday, July 19 are:At a time when the Coalition Government is cutting spending on health, infrastructure, education, housing ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 8:30 am on Friday, July 19 are:Scoop: NZ First Minister Casey Costello orders 50% cut to excise tax on heated tobacco products. The minister has ...
Kia ora, it’s time for another Friday roundup, in which we pull together some of the links and stories that caught our eye this week. Feel free to add more in the comments! Our header image this week shows a foggy day in Auckland town, captured by Patrick Reynolds. ...
TL;DR : Here’s the top six items climate news for Aotearoa this week, as selected by Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer. A discussion recorded yesterday is in the video above and the audio of that sent onto the podcast feed.The Government released its draft Emissions Reduction ...
Save some money, get rich and old, bring it back to Tobacco Road.Bring that dynamite and a crane, blow it up, start all over again.Roll up. Roll up. Or tailor made, if you prefer...Whether you’re selling ciggies, digging for gold, catching dolphins in your nets, or encouraging folks to flutter ...
Waiting In The Wings:For truly, if Trump is America’s un-assassinated Caesar, then J.D. Vance is America’s Octavian, the Republic’s youthful undertaker – and its first Emperor.DONALD TRUMP’S SELECTION of James D. Vance as his running-mate bodes ill for the American republic. A fervent supporter of Viktor Orban, the “illiberal” prime ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 19, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:The PSAannounced the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) had ruled in the PSA’s favour in its case against the Ministry ...
TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent talking about the National-ACT-NZ First Government’s release of its first Emissions Reduction Plan;University of Otago Foreign Relations Professor and special guest Dr Karin von ...
Open access notablesImproving global temperature datasets to better account for non-uniform warming, Calvert, Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society:To better account for spatial non-uniform trends in warming, a new GITD [global instrumental temperature dataset] was created that used maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) to combine the land surface ...
A late change to charter school legislation will cheat educators out of fair pay and negotiating power proving charter schools are just a vehicle to make profit out of our education system. ...
In 2004 te iwi Māori rallied against the Crown’s attempt to confiscate our coastlines and moana with the Foreshore and Seabed Act. This led to the largest hīkoi of a generation and the birth of Te Pāti Māori. 20 years later, history is repeating itself. Today the government has announced ...
It has been five and a half years since the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care was established to investigate the abuse of children, young people, and vulnerable adults within state and faith-based institutions. Yesterday, the final report - Whanaketia through pain and trauma, from darkness to light ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to take action off the back of the International Court of Justice ruling on Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestine. ...
On Friday the International Court of Justice reaffirmed what Palestinian’s have been telling us for decades: that the occupation and colonisation of Palestinian lands by Israel is illegal and must end immediately. They also called for reparations for Palestinian’s who have lived under Israeli occupation since it began in 1967. ...
Labour calls on the Government to act after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian Territories is illegal. ...
The 53.7 percent rise in benefit sanctions over the last year is more proof of this Government’s disdain for our communities most in need of support. ...
Aotearoa could be a country where every child grows up feeling safe, loved and with a sense of belonging in their whānau and community. But for some of our children, this is far from reality. Instead, they are trapped in a maze of intergenerational harm that they can’t escape on ...
Te Pāti Māori are calling for David Seymour to resign as Associate Health Minister in response to his call for Pharmac to ignore the Treaty of Waitangi. “This announcement is just another example of the government’s anti-Tiriti, anti-Māori agenda.” Said Co-leader and spokesperson for health, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. “Seymour thinks it ...
The soaring price of renting is driving the rise of inflation in this country - with latest figures from Stats NZ showing rents are up 4.8 per cent on average while annual inflation is at 3.3 per cent. ...
National’s Emissions Reduction Plan will take New Zealand further from the economy we need to ensure the next generation has a stable climate and secure livelihoods. ...
Following consultation with named parties and thorough consideration of privacy interests, the Green Party is in a position to release the Executive Summary of the final report from the independent investigation into Darleen Tana. ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon should be asking serious questions of his Minister for Resources Shane Jones now it’s been revealed he misled the public about a dinner with mining companies that he didn’t declare and said wasn’t pre-arranged. ...
Te Pāti Māori have submitted to the Justice Select Committee against the Sentencing (Reinstating Three Strikes) Amendment Bill. The bill will further entrench racism in our justice system and fails to focus on rehabilitation. “Reinstating Three Strikes will empower a systematically racist system and exacerbate the overrepresentation of Māori in ...
The Transport and Infrastructure Committee is set to make a determination on the Residential Tenancies Amendment (RTA) Bill in the coming weeks. “This legislation will give landlords the power to kick our whānau out onto the street for no reason” said Housing spokesperson, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “Their solution to the housing ...
“National’s campaign was about tackling crime and the best they can do is a two-year long Ministerial Advisory Group,” Labour justice spokesperson Duncan Webb said. ...
“There are more examples of charter schools failing their students than there are success stories. The coalition Government is driving to dismantle our public school system and instead promote a privatised, competitive structure that puts profits before kids,” Jan Tinetti said. ...
“This government is choosing to deliberately mislead and withhold information, keeping our people in the dark about this government’s agenda and the future of our mokopuna,” said co-leader and spokesperson for Health, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. The call comes after the demand from the Chief Ombudsman that Associate Minister of Health, Casey ...
“Today’s climate announcement by Simon Watts makes clear the National Government is simply paying lip service to meeting its climate change targets,” Megan Woods said. ...
National is choosing to make life harder for workers by taking away the rights our communities have fought hard for. Here's how they’re taking workers backwards. ...
Australia, Canada and New Zealand today issued the following statement on the need for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza and the risk of expanded conflict between Hizballah and Israel. The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. The human suffering is unacceptable. It cannot continue. We remain unequivocal in our condemnation of ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today reminded all State and faith-based institutions of their legal obligation to preserve records relevant to the safety and wellbeing of those in its care. “The Abuse in Care Inquiry’s report has found cases where records of the most vulnerable people in State and faith‑based institutions were ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government’s online safety website for children and young people has reached one million page views. “It is great to see so many young people and their families accessing the site Keep It Real Online to learn how to stay safe online, and manage ...
Tēnā tātou katoa, Ngā mihi te rangi, ngā mihi te whenua, ngā mihi ki a koutou, kia ora mai koutou. Thank you for the opportunity to be here and the invitation to speak at this 50th anniversary conference. I acknowledge all those who have gone before us and paved the ...
New Zealand’s payroll providers have successfully prepared to ensure 3.5 million individuals will, from Wednesday next week, be able to keep more of what they earn each pay, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Revenue Minister Simon Watts. “The Government's tax policy changes are legally effective from Wednesday. Delivering this tax ...
An experimental vineyard which will help futureproof the wine sector has been opened in Blenheim by Associate Regional Development Minister Mark Patterson. The covered vineyard, based at the New Zealand Wine Centre – Te Pokapū Wāina o Aotearoa, enables controlled environmental conditions. “The research that will be produced at the Experimental ...
The Coalition Government has confirmed the indicative regional breakdown of North Island Weather Event (NIWE) funding for state highway recovery projects funded through Budget 2024, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Regions in the North Island suffered extensive and devastating damage from Cyclone Gabrielle and the 2023 Auckland Anniversary Floods, and ...
Indonesia’s Foreign Minister, Retno Marsudi, will visit New Zealand next week, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced. “Indonesia is important to New Zealand’s security and economic interests and is our closest South East Asian neighbour,” says Mr Peters, who is currently in Laos to engage with South East Asian partners. ...
He aha te kai a te rangatira? He kōrero, he kōrero, he kōrero. The government has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the aspirations of Ngāti Maniapoto, Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka says. “My thanks to Te Nehenehenui Trust – Ngāti Maniapoto for bringing their important kōrero to a ministerial ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has thanked outgoing Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority, Janice Fredric, for her service to the board.“I have received Ms Fredric’s resignation from the role of Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority,” Mr Brown says.“On behalf of the Government, I want to thank Ms Fredric for ...
The Government is proposing legislation to overturn a Court of Appeal decision and amend the Marine and Coastal Area Act in order to restore Parliament’s test for Customary Marine Title, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “Section 58 required an applicant group to prove they have exclusively used and occupied ...
Regulation Minister David Seymour says that opposition parties have united in bad faith, opposing what they claim are ‘dangerous changes’ to the Early Childhood Education sector, despite no changes even being proposed yet. “Issues with affordability and availability of early childhood education, and the complexity of its regulation, has led ...
After receiving more than 740 submissions in the first 20 days, Regulation Minister David Seymour is asking the Ministry for Regulation to extend engagement on the early childhood education regulation review by an extra two weeks. “The level of interest has been very high, and from the conversations I’ve been ...
The Coalition Government is investing $802.9 million into the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines as part of a funding agreement with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA), KiwiRail, and the Greater Wellington and Horizons Regional Councils to deliver more reliable services for commuters in the lower North Island, Transport Minister Simeon ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced his intention to appoint a Crown Manager to both Hawke’s Bay Regional and Wairoa District Councils to speed up the delivery of flood protection work in Wairoa."Recent severe weather events in Wairoa this year, combined with damage from Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023 have ...
Mr Speaker, this is a day that many New Zealanders who were abused in State care never thought would come. It’s the day that this Parliament accepts, with deep sorrow and regret, the Report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care. At the heart of this report are the ...
For the first time, the Government is formally acknowledging some children and young people at Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital experienced torture. The final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care “Whanaketia – through pain and trauma, from darkness to light,” was tabled in Parliament ...
The Government has acknowledged the nearly 2,400 courageous survivors who shared their experiences during the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State and Faith-Based Care. The final report from the largest and most complex public inquiry ever held in New Zealand, the Royal Commission Inquiry “Whanaketia – through ...
With a week to go before hard-working New Zealanders see personal income tax relief for the first time in fourteen years, 513,000 people have used the Budget tax calculator to see how much they will benefit, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “Tax relief is long overdue. From next Wednesday, personal income ...
Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden says a bill that has passed its first reading will improve parental leave settings and give non-biological parents more flexibility as primary carer for their child. The Regulatory Systems Amendment Bill (No3), passed its first reading this morning. “It includes a change ...
Two Bills designed to improve regulation and make it easier to do business have passed their first reading in Parliament, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. The Regulatory Systems (Economic Development) Amendment Bill and Regulatory Systems (Immigration and Workforce) Amendment Bill make key changes to legislation administered by the Ministry ...
New legislation paves the way for greater competition in sectors such as banking and electricity, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “Competitive markets boost productivity, create employment opportunities and lift living standards. To support competition, we need good quality regulation but, unfortunately, a recent OECD report ranked New ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says lotteries for charitable purposes, such as those run by the Heart Foundation, Coastguard NZ, and local hospices, will soon be allowed to operate online permanently. “Under current laws, these fundraising lotteries are only allowed to operate online until October 2024, after which ...
The Coalition Government is accelerating work on the new four-lane expressway between Auckland and Whangārei as part of its Roads of National Significance programme, with an accelerated delivery model to deliver this project faster and more efficiently, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “For too long, the lack of resilient transport connections ...
Sir Don McKinnon will travel to Viet Nam this week as a Special Envoy of the Government, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced. “It is important that the Government give due recognition to the significant contributions that General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong made to New Zealand-Viet Nam relations,” Mr ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says newly appointed Commissioner, Grant Illingworth KC, will help deliver the report for the first phase of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons, due on 28 November 2024. “I am pleased to announce that Mr Illingworth will commence his appointment as ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters travels to Laos this week to participate in a series of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-led Ministerial meetings in Vientiane. “ASEAN plays an important role in supporting a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific,” Mr Peters says. “This will be our third visit to ...
Construction of a new mental health facility at Te Nikau Grey Hospital in Greymouth is today one step closer, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “This $27 million facility shows this Government is delivering on its promise to boost mental health care and improve front line services,” Mr Doocey says. ...
New Zealand is committing nearly $50 million to a package supporting sustainable Pacific fisheries development over the next four years, Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones announced today. “This support consisting of a range of initiatives demonstrates New Zealand’s commitment to assisting our Pacific partners ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour says proposed changes to the Education and Training Amendment Bill will ensure charter schools have more flexibility to negotiate employment agreements and are equipped with the right teaching resources. “Cabinet has agreed to progress an amendment which means unions will not be able to initiate ...
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Liar, liar pants on fire.
Judith Collins, this morning on TVNZ Breakfast.
Collins touching on the one of the Far Right talking points. Even if it means she has to lie.
In fact the NZDF has mandatory vaccination is required before deployment overseas.
All Water Care employees and contractors at Mangere waste water treatment plant, must be vaccinated to work on that site.
Is Collins advocating that NZDF should have voluntary vaccination, before deploying to vulnerable and isolated third world countries?
Is Collins advocating that Water Care workers should be allowed to have a choice whether they are vaccinated before working with sewerage?
What is most disgusting about Collins reach out to the anti-vax conspiracy theorists, is that it comes hard on the heels of the violent anti-vax and neo-nazi attack on the CFMEU trade union office in Australia.
Jenny, our media is pretty average, but (if you've got the stomach) check out some clips of Murdock's Sky News on youtube.
Frankly, they are inciting resistance to being vaccinated. As well as being blatant climate deniers!
Gutter press.
Just one example among so many: hold your nose before viewing.
Da, I'm so stupid,I believe my own tea leaves, "It is tea leaves you use"Sharri Madson
The anti vaxxer movement has infiltrated the construction industry in Victoria. I read it online somewhere last night. They are getting better organised by the day and undermining all the hard work by the authorities and the police.
“Voices for Freedom” are doing the same thing here. Apart from pamphlet drops (got one in my letterbox last week) they are assembling outside schools and trying to coerce teenagers from being vaccinated. I expect they are spreading the lie they will become sterile.
They are becoming more vociferous and daring and imo should be outlawed. There is plenty of precedence in history during times of emergencies.
There need to be tent(s) in hospital ground for Anti vax that get covid. They should nt be let into wards.
Collins plays to her dwindling audience on the provided tvnz soapbox.
She's using the supplied rope very effectively. Was she given another free ride or actually challenged ?
Predictably appalling that’s Judith.
Is Collins advocating that NZDF should have voluntary vaccination, before deploying to vulnerable and isolated third world countries? Is Collins advocating that Water Care workers should be allowed to have a choice whether they are vaccinated before working with sewerage?
Who knows? Collins reacts to everything that happens with a knee-jerk complaint about the government. Who even listens these days
What is most disgusting about Collins reach out to the anti-vax conspiracy theorists, is that it comes hard on the heels of the violent anti-vax and neo-nazi attack on the CFMEU trade union office in Australia.
True, but Collins is invested in whining about the guvermint purely for the sake of it. I seriously doubt any anti-vaxers who might harbour notions of organising disruptive, violent protests in NZ are going to be influenced by whatever new, daft outburst Collins has to say.
She's crashing the National Party's credibility towards zero every day. Shelf-life now very close to expiry, imo.
I don't think that Judith Collins was inciting any anti-vaxers into organising disruptive violent protests, (though that could be a side-effect). What Collins is doing with her comments,about creeping mandatory vaccination, is opportunistically scraping the bottom of the barrel for their votes.
In the same interview she attacks the government for low vaccination rates.
And then claims she has a plan.
I would be very interested in seeing it.
Just how does the National Party propose to get us out of Lockdowns and/or raise vaccination levels above the 90% threshold, that the medical experts tell us will be needed to lift all Lockdown restrictions, and prevent the collapse of our health system?
I would really like to know.
It would be ironic, if Judith Collins’ plan has some level of mandatory vaccination. Now that she has gone on the record as being opposed to it.
In the same interview she attacks the government for low vaccination rates.
And then claims she has a plan. I would be very interested in seeing it
… … … …
"Almost every other country that we compare ourselves to is rolling out vaccinations as quickly as they can. Our closest neighbour, Australia, has prioritized this with vaccinations starting within the next few weeks.
This means their citizens will be safer. They’ll have the certainty to get back to business. They’ll see international students and visitors return, and life for Kiwis who live in Australia will start to get back to normal.
New Zealanders can’t afford another lockdown. But even more than this, failing to secure vaccinations for our frontline workers, border staff and those who work in and around managed isolation and quarantine shows a massive disregard for the sacrifice New Zealanders made last year. It is not good enough.
We need to match Australia’s schedule. We should be like Singapore, rolling out the vaccine to frontline workers and those vulnerable New Zealanders who need it urgently."
… … … …
https://www.national.org.nz/covid-19-response
… … … …
If that's it, it's blimmin vague; lacking any useful particulars. (As is usual for Judith when reporters question her.)
I'm betting – beyond this – she doesn't actually have one.
Why America goes to war.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/saturday/audio/2018812875/andrew-cockburn-how-the-american-war-machine-is-all-about-money
Or, how Australia has been conned.
The Australian public have been conned.
The Australian "defence" industry and the politicians they donate to (aka bribe) – are very much a mirror of the US war machine, and know exactly what they are doing.
MSM Russiagate and MSM lies on Syrian gas attacks both crumble even further into the gutter where they belong..but of course not one person in the media that uncritically pushed these obviously bullshit stories 24/7 will be held to account…nope just like all the media and journalist who willingly pushed war in Iraq in the service of power, they will face no consequences…probably because there is so much crossover in who benefits from those lies.
Hmmmm looks like those pesky Hunter Biden emails were real after all.
The disinformation wasn't Russian , it came from all those partisan journos ready to ditch the integrity of their trade so they could belong to the "right" crowd
Politico was one of those outlets.Now one of its writers has come out with a book verifying the emails , with recipients affirming .
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10014239/DC-accepts-Hunter-laptop-real-New-book-Bidens-cites-sources-verifying-damaging-emails.html
But what the hell, moving on, who cares? job done.
Just like your piece about the Clinton campaign lawyer lying, silence from all those ardent truth seekers…
Still running interference for Russian imperialism and Assad fascism?
American imperialism is not the only evil in the world.
https://thestandard.org.nz/heroes-2/#comment-1298465
@Jenny how to get there…can you please explain to us exactly how highlighting the fact that Liberal MSM has been disseminating misinformation on the completely fabricated Russian collusion conspiracy for years on end, also completely disregarding all public information on the Douma chemical attack that didn't fit with their state sanctioned narrative, to the point that the BBC has been forced into a pubic apology is "running interference for Russian imperialism and Assad fascism"?…I would be interested to see what tortured logic you come up with…I am sure it couldn't be any worse than the years of bullshit that has been spewed out by the usual suspects around here defending their masters like good little soldiers…but who knows you might be a better soldier than them….fire away.
I am not going to play google tag with you, and waste my time to go over line by line the specifics of the Douma gas attack. Not because I can't, but what's the point.
The vast majority of Syrian civilians killed by the Assad regime are not being killed in gas attacks.
The vast majority of Syrian civilians being killed by the Assad regime and their Iranian allies and Russian patron, are not by gas attacks, but by so called 'conventional weapons', and in industrial scale extermination camps, into which tens of thousands of Syrians have been disappeared into.
Everyone who knows anything of Syria has heard of Sednaya, the biggest and most notorious of the Assad regime's death camps.
19 kilometres North of Damascus everbody knows where Sednaya is.
But I tell you what. Not one of the Western journalists and apologists who have visited the Damascus as guests of the Assad regime, have ever asked for a tour of Sednaya.
" industrial scale extermination camps"
Lol
'
For you Brigid, I have one word.
Sednaya
Don't support fascism. (It really shouldn't have to be said).
LOL?
You can dispute the evidence, (Something I notice you don't do).
So my question for you Brigid;
Is what sort of low life laughs at the mass extermination of human beings?.
This thread is about Russiagate and Douma specifically…your obfuscating has not answered my question even slightly…of course.
But then you and others seem to be quite OK with your media lying right to your face..infact you seem to like it, which is kind of weird…but hey different strokes for different folks I say.
Douma at the time was under heavy rocket and air attack by the Assad regime.
The pattern is much the same, and still being practiced by the regime's forces, indiscriminate bombing and shelling of all rebel held towns and cities.
The contested Douma gas attack was only one incident in a much broader government offensive that killed many more civilians and rebel fighters.
Weapons of mass destruction like nuclear weapons arnd gas weapons are only for our side to have. Third World totalitarian leaders like Kim Jong-Un of Basha Al Assad are not allowed to have them, let alone use them.
Their use is what captures the Western powers attention, and makes our military and political leaders nervous.
Generally I have chosen not to battle through the fog of war and following propaganda enslaught over each separate incident of chemical weapons use, to concentrate on the more massive acts of genocide that even the most gullible or ablest knowing apologists of Assad fascism can't deny.
I am talking here of the genocidal destruction of Homs and Hama and rebel held Aleppo, and the extensive network of government extermination camps and prisons, into which tens of thousands of Syrian civlians and activists have disappeared into.
But if we are going to do the google thing around the Douma gas attack, you couldn't do better than this report from the Intercept.
For those who are genuinly interested in what is happening in Syria I can personally reccomend this report..
The 90% target is too broad. It should be 90% for every age bracket, and every ethnicity.
Forgive me if this is a dumb question, but has she clarified whether it is 90% had1 jab, both jabs, or had the opportunity to get a jab?
It seems to get mixed up depending who is talking.
From what I've heard ever since the press conference, there is no "90% target". Let alone by geographic, demographic, or number of jabs.
At least 90%. That's what they said. That's what they mean about loosening things up with "high" vax rates. The specifics depend on the circumstances when we get to a "high" rate. Don't fall into the tory trap of assuming 90% is a target. It's not, they're just laying the groundwork to bitch again.
"It depends" sucks for people who have an attachment to firm and precise numbers, but the real world requires fuzzy logic processing sometimes.
Sorry mate but that is a cop out on their part.
90% of what
No, not a cop out. They made the cardnial sin of not boring people to death using language that even the 1980s HHGTTG text-based computer game could parse, probably because if they had then a lot of knobs would parrot "explaining is losing" instead of "we don't know what's going oooonnnn".
Let's break this down further, shall we?
90% is in the region that is denoted "high". Probably near the base of that region, but don't be super-surprised if they start announcing things loosening up from the mid 80 percentages.
But, gosh, a high percentage of what? Fuck, we might never know.
I'll take a punt and say maybe it's to do with vaccination levels. But fully vaxed or partial? Of over 12s or over 5s? omagerd, it needs to be written in stone right now!!!
fucksake. Who gives a shit. We get there when we get there.
Yes obviously vaccinations.
But 90% of Aucklanders?
1 jab or both?
All regions at 90%
All races at 90% (Admittedly it would only be Maori and Pacifica, as for some odd reason Asians and Indians never appear in figures as apparently don't matter)
I heard on the radio that Bloomfield idiot said not unless Maori were at 90% (Again 90% in what contexts?)
As an aside, if the figures are still double figures at that time, do you think they will open up the country to Aucklanders at the same time school holidays start?
Some things never change and it seems that you’re still a trolling idiot.
https://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/diseases-and-conditions/covid-19-novel-coronavirus/covid-19-data-and-statistics/covid-19-vaccine-data#ethnicity
Also scroll down to Vaccine uptake per 1,000 people by ethnicity
Indians and Chinese, for example, are Asians. Humans are a race.
Fair point, it measured in official background statistics, but I was more talking about mentioned in their announcements to the media and their daily party ad.
But you have made a good point and I take back what I said.
And I fail to see how that post was trolling btw
Trolling?
Hint
That Bloomfield IDIOT
Sorry. Still don't see how that is trolling. Am I not allowed to think someone is an idiot?
You do unbderstand that the reason for high vaccination is to stop the ICUs being overloaded so people other than covid patients can be treated?
Opening up if the ICUs will be flooded by people from a particular region or ethnicity just creates the same outcome, with the extra icing that the region or ethnicity is viewed as expendable by the government.
If you genuinely don't know why your questions can come across as trolling, try thinking harder about that.
Of course I do.
I would just like to know the context of the %
Māori Party co-leader Rawiri Waititi is not happy about possible govt plans to open two more quarantine facilities in Rotorua. He says one will be a fourth MIQ and the other a quarantine facility for Covid-19 infectious people.
… … … …
"Waititi said his information had come from "sources" and he was concerned about leaks of Covid-19 into the community if a quarantine facility was established in the city.
This only increases the potential for a MIQ breach leading to a community outbreak," he said. "It adds more pressure on the local health system and ultimately means more lockdowns.
"This would be disastrous for Rotorua, and especially Māori who make up 45 per cent of the Rotorua population."
There was a major difference between isolation and quarantine, Waititi said.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/rotorua-daily-post/news/covid-19-coronavirus-delta-outbreak-mp-rawiri-waititi-claims-govt-plans-quarantine-facility-for-rotorua/YIUWMNYGNEOFU2BC6IDORTBW6Y
… … …
(Waititi seems to be creating a very high media profile by complaining about all sorts of things. He's very telegenic, imo, & personally I currently expect Te Pāti Māori to do very well at the next election – Gez)
… … …
"Rotorua keeps and brings those infectious, to our community," Waititi said.
'This would be disastrous for Rotorua, and especially Māori who make up 45 per cent of the Rotorua population.'"
… … …
Hard to say if this is primarily a political ploy or stunt, but I think he's got a point. Hope he's doing all he can meantime to arrange for eligible Rotorua district ngā tāngata katoa (everybody) to get their Covid vaccinations asap.
It's the only thing he's done so far that could be mistaken for work – going ballistic over ties was just grandstanding, as is his push on Aotearoa.
Both of those high value PR opportunities for Waititi. He knows his target audience.
I was watching Parliament live the day he suckered Mallard into giving awesome free publicity. The rules were that male MPs were expected to wear “business attire”, which tos most Pākehā is a suit & tie.
But there are tons of prominent Māori leaders, academics, & businessmen who wear a large hei tiki draped around their necks & hanging over their shirt front. It’s a perfectly, & very common normal tāne Māori business attire.
Mallard threw a classic Pākehā stale male hissy fit, not thinking it thru. Bingo. Waititi gets the opportunity to do – for a Māori man whose mana has just been impugned – a rollicking & very culturally appropriate haka of protest & utu – reciprocation.
Within days, Mallard lifted the requirement for men to wear ties. Big ups to Rawiri.
The “call NZ Aotearoa” petition & his & his Party’s commitment to keep calling for a name change is pure theatre, but he’ll get a lot more profile-raising mileage out of this issue too. I’m not in favour personally, bur I know two Pākehā acquaintences who agree with him.
Rawiri sometimes sails too close to the “all Pākehā are racist colonisers” line for my liking.
As for how much work he’s doing, I don’t know but I bet it’s a lot more than many Pākehā think. Māori electorates are huge, They involve talking at a lot of marare, with Māori orgs, hapu iwi, constituents, & a lot of travelling. That gets pretty wearing I imagine.
The Speaker was the hall monitor for what Parliaments ' rules committee' decides.
I thought he was in favour of a less literal interpretation of 'neck thingy' and once the committee met and changed it then the Speaker could follow the new direction
Herald:
"Speaker Trevor Mallard has announced that ties are no longer mandatory in Parliament.
It comes days after a dress code stoush between him and Māori Party co-leader Rawiri Waititi, which saw Waititi booted out for not wearing a tie.
Mallard said a Standing Orders committee meeting discussed appropriate business attire tonight and a submission on the topic was heard from Te Paati Māori (Māori Party).
"The committee did not reach a consensus but the majority of the committee was in favour of removing a requirement for ties to be part of 'appropriate business attire' for males," he said in a Tweet.
'As Speaker, I am guided by the committee's discussion and decision, and therefore ties will no longer be considered required as part of 'appropriate business attire'. I acknowledge those who felt this was an important issue worthy of further consideration.'"
… … …
Where Mallard did Waititi a huge favour was in objecting to the hei tiki being worn instead of a tie. Hugely boosted Rawiri's profile, & his mana with Māori.
Mallard could've just let it go.
By making it an issue it got to be changed .
Isnt that how change happens ?
Wow. Crazy stuff in Melbourne. Anti-lockdown, antivaxx zombies gather to riot, harass nurses and spread chaos.
https://twitter.com/guardian/status/1439437673685389312?s=20
Unions deny any association with the mob of grifters and denialists
https://twitter.com/lhilakari/status/1440163312897957888?s=20
Looks like our bubble with Australia won't be viable again for a long time. The plague of fuckwittery is particularly virulent
Rather long but interesting watch on who's at the forefront of everything from the January 6th insurrection in the US, the anti-Muslim/anti immigrant protests across Europe and the anti-vaxx/anti-lockdown demonstrations in the west to our very own howl of protest fuckwittery.
It ain't poor people.
https://www.pscp.tv/w/1eaJbnjnojYJX
You sure about that?
https://twitter.com/dnforca/status/1440571893388484612
Are we the last country on earth talking about noting else other than COVID? I am becoming very fatigued that after 18 months it seems to be the only thing the media or government are focussed on. It has almost become an obssession. We are still having daily press conferences on this, and every new bulletin opens with a daily case update, or story about people buying KFC.
Yes, it is the issue of our time, but there are other things happening out there in the world, which warrant our attention. How long will our daily obesseion continue?
A quick scan of international media shows, that something which started 18 months ago, isn't really news worthy anymore. COVID doesn't really get much of a mention out there
We are a peculiar little nation at time.
https://edition.cnn.com/
https://www.bbc.com/news
https://www.smh.com.au/
https://www.theguardian.com/international
https://www.bbc.com/news
Rant over.
Here's hoping for daily 1pm updates of the other crises afflicting NZ and the world: housing, inequality and climate change.
https://twitter.com/_chloeswarbrick/status/1440053826774454277?s=20
https://twitter.com/gumdigger/status/1439858037955563523?s=20
Absolutely.
I have general faith in the MoH to do their job when it comes to COVID. Contact trace, isolating people and slowly rolling out the vaccine. They are doing it reasonably well to the point I don't think we need the minute by minute commentary, that we were doing in March last year.
I have a lot less faith in other government departments doing their job, so I wish we would turn, at least some of, our attention to them. Imagine if we had a daily press conference to announce the housing waiting list, homelessness statisitics and climate change targets.
Climate change and homelessness are Green Party Ministerial responsibilities, so Chloe Swarbrick could always start with some accountability from her own colleagues.
Chloe's current push is the futile and exceedingly middle class pursuit of rebuilding St James Theatre.
Chloe Swarbrick should pull her head out of her ass.
Perhaps it is all distraction as continuing legislative changes take place out of the spotlight. It is quite instructive to have pending legislation and Parliament Order papers fed to your email.
I agree with you on the inevitable stories about coffee, KFC, buying flour etc.
It's not news, it's trivia at best. As Chloe Swarbrick says about updates on housing and CC, and Maurice eludes to, there are other important issues that are being ignored.
That will learn me for watching TV news after years of giving it a wide berth.
Australia has earthquakes?
https://twitter.com/TimothyJ_23/status/1440458736640794628
Yes. They’re very rare, but they DO sometimes happen. Even in the centre of their landmass. That whole continent’s tectonic plate is always being squeezed by others. And sometimes I guess some ancient fold or fault cracks or shudders. Or there’s some local geographic collapse deep down under.
My understanding anyway.
🙄 *geographic = geological
Yes Earthquakes are very over rare over here in Oz, there is a very large number of various fault lines in Oz to ancient volcanos & hotspots from the east coast of Nth’ern Qld all the way down to Victorian- SA Border & within the greater Melbourne area.
I live in Wellington, Scud. We get a lot of small earthquakes in Tawa, many coming from a slow slip event happening off the Western Kapiti Coast.
And there are about four or five major fault lines in the Welly region that generate huge quakes when they go. We're always waiting for The Big One on the Wellington fault.
But I hail from New Plymouth, Taranaki, where I grew up. Now ma & pa have both passed away here, I've been thinking about whether I should move back there, like ma wanted me to after she died. To be with my siblings up there.
The thing is, I grew up in the shadow of the beautiful & magnificent Mt Taranaki. And volcanologists say, geologically speaking it's due for an eruption, which might be small, or it might be blimmin massive. It's unusual for the number of times it's blown itself apart, & then just rebuilt itself.
It's only short. But this is what my Taranaki Maunga does:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=GljllvKlTac
I’m ex CHCH until 1998, so I’m quite used to Mother Nature rocking & rolling. We get a few deep earthquakes from Indonesia- Timor-Leste Area rattling Darwin & the odd from Tennant Creek Area. I’ve just finished reading up the Halls Fall Faultline that runs from the Halls Falls area in WA all the way up to the other side of Darwin Harbour & out to the sea.
Newcastle, 1989.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/1989_Newcastle_earthquake
We are approaching the point in the pandemic where we move from collectivising risk to individualising it. In the first phase it was collective, action, equality of sacrifice and no-one left behind. In the second phase it is get vaccinated, take precautions that are suitable for your risk profile, and if you are unlucky the healthcare system should (but might not) be there to help you. Normal transmission is being resumed and the government has not used the pandemic as a catalyst for changing anything important. Last year in the first L4 lockdown, we were as ripe as we'll ever be for UBI and significant poverty and inequality reduction efforts. Under pandemic conditions such things would arguably be rational, rather than political. Operationally, this government has handled the pandemic superbly, but strategically and ideologically not so much. The lessons we learned will go down the memory hole of history as we scramble back into a dysfunctional BAU.
yep. Although I'm not convinced we will go back to BAU. The vaccine isn't a silver bullet.
I'm thinking AB means BAU in a very broad sense, that in the end the interests of "the economy" prevail, back to the dysfunctional neo-liberal-driven way of life. Illustrated, possibly, by Auckland’s move from L4 to L3, described by some experts as a “calculated risk”, and by others as more ideologically-driven than anything else.
I used "BAU" too loosely (this damn writing thing is so hard to get right), but meant in that broad sense you suggest.
How many lives has Covid lockdown saved in Melbourne this morning? Bet the mad mob leaders say "It was the fucking gummint mate ".
Just out of interest I looked up the Polio Vaccine info and in 1956 there was 90% parental approval for child vaccination compared to only 29% in England, 42% in Scotland and 74% in NSW. We should be good for 90% here for Covid if our history of doing the right thing still holds. Interestingly the same problems were apparent then, production problems, the US refusing to export and lack of refrigeration, ( only a day or so leeway in ambient temp then).
More and more stories coming out about the what was going on in the Wuhan Lab and frankly it now seems more and more likely we are dealing with a virus that had been tinkered with… fucking insanity.
“They also planned to create chimeric viruses, genetically enhanced to infect humans more easily, and requested US$14 million from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (Darpa) to fund the work.”
Where does that link to; Cricklewood? I have learned not to click on concealed links on this site, as I imagine; so have others. Gain of Function Research is not that unusual – if that is what you are referring to?
A quick google threw up this Intercept article (limited to 3 free article views, but not otherwise paywalled) though I am not disposed to trawl through all 900+ pages of FOIA primary sources to confirm what they are saying.
https://theintercept.com/2021/09/06/new-details-emerge-about-coronavirus-research-at-chinese-lab/
It doesn't seem that unreasonable to me to fund and conduct research into SARS & MERS in a virology lab. Though if it was done at the Biosafety Level 3 Wuhan University Center for Animal Experiment, rather than the BL4 Wuhan Institute of Virology, then the denials that the WIoV was involved might be a way of deflecting attention from the WUCfAE. The evidence does not seem conclusive.
In any case, there is more noise than sound in the speculations on both sides of these lab leak "theories" (ie conjectures beyond what is supported by evidence). I doubt there is much good faith on either side, even if one, or both, speculations are eventually confirmed. Personally, I think all labs licensed to operate beyond BL1 (eg university teaching labs using low risk biologicals level), should be subject to regular un-notified inspection by independent teams of international experts. That's not going to happen though!
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-58273322
Links back the Herald
23 cases today. All but 1 linked to known clusters.
Covid-19 case update: 23 new community cases reported | RNZ News
Yesterday, seven were infectious in the community, FFS. They’re chasing the tail, which is wagging the dog. Stomp on it, hard and fast and don’t mind the yelping dog, FFS.
I've generally found it helpful every few months to go back to the implementation criteria for different alert levels.
It's a dangerous habit to get into chasing the gauges of the daily numbers and demand level 4 for any community cases above zero.
It's a process they're working through. they're identifying connections with previous cases for almost all new cases within a day of diagnosis. They're not getting randos coming in so much with absolutely no connection with any previous cases. So they have several clusters that are being reasonably well contained, and that will burn themselves out eventually.
Level 3 matches that risk profile. We're using the same playbook that got us out of it last time, and it seems to be working about as well as it did last time. Better, even, because we started it sooner.
I hear you but the risk with smouldering fires is that they can flare up and burst into flames at any time. I believe that a more stringent ‘bespoke’ approach is justified and warranted to place a higher firewall around existing known clusters. The persistent tail is reason enough to up the ante, IMO.
Fire is a fair analogy.
At the moment, the assessment is that the winds have died down, the main blazes have been extinguished, so it's just the slog of finding the hot spots and digging them out. that means the evacuation orders can be cancelled and people can return to the properties that were in danger.
If the winds pick up and embers transfer again, back come the monsoon buckets and evacuations. But the full court press takes a heavy toll on everyone, so only gets done when times are desperate.
Changing topic. There is a major grizzle going down with importers about the backlog of vessels waiting to come alongside at Auckland Port. History repeats itself. I well remember in 1972 on a voyage to Japan with my partner (wives privilege of accompanying officers of the sea going vessels) and arriving in Tokoyo to see rows and rows of vessels waiting to go alongside or being off loaded by barges way out in the bay. 50 plus vessels at least. I also remember the sea was like glue it was so polluted. We were going into drydock at Yokohama but the sight was one I never forgot.
Now there are 60+ vessels out in the bay in LA waiting for a berth alongside. It seems our ports have been suffering from logjams for ever and a day.
In comparison Auckland has no problems and maybe there should be less whinging from the importers and accept the circumstances.
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-58643717
I'm not sure I'd be trusting the source of that article. Not one jot.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DRASTIC
DRASTIC (Decentralized Radical Autonomous Search Team Investigating COVID-19) is a loose collection of scientists and researchers investigating the origins of COVID-19, in particular the COVID-19 lab leak theory. Most scientists maintain COVID-19 likely had a natural origin, but a lab leak is still a possibility worth investigating. DRASTIC is composed of about 30 core members, whose activity is primarily organized through the social media website Twitter. They formed in February 2020, at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. DRASTIC members have called for a "full and unrestricted investigation" into the origins of COVID-19, conducted independently of the World Health Organization.
Many of DRASTIC's members use pseudonyms, while identified members have backgrounds including mycology, neuroscience, and data science. Members of DRASTIC have engaged in personal attacks against virologists and epidemiologists on Twitter, falsely accusing some of working for the Chinese Communist Party.
Perhaps but no one is flat out denying what they have released in terms of documents and given the USAs likely involvment in funding work in the Lab https://www.bbc.com/news/57932699 I think its the mostly likely source of what has proven a remarkably well adapted virus.
But it very much suits those in power not to have that exposed.
or, like, shit just happens sometimes. and this virus is that shit this time.
It can be a long process finding the animal source of an outbreak. Not only have you got to stumble across the correct population but additionally, you have to sample the animal at the time it is infected with the virus. Progress is however being made. A bat population in the Northern Laos region has been sampled and found to contain a very closely related covd virus. It contains the human ace receptor site though not however the furin cleavage site. But the existence of the human ace receptor site is enough to allow the possibility of the evolution of the furin cleavage site in repeated human contacts. Or a wild furin cleavage site may still be found. These things take a lot of time.
Link
Good reason not to trust the source
https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2021/02/16/968375658/virologist-on-wuhan-trip-seafood-market-not-the-whole-story-in-early-outbreak
"The WHO team's main public conclusion so far is that it's "extremely unlikely" that the virus originated in a lab in Wuhan. The scientists think the virus most likely started in bats, then jumped to other animals, then to humans.
Dutch virologist Marion Koopmans was part of that team that "reconstructed every step in that initial outbreak" in two weeks of investigation."
"So from everything that we've looked at and we've also visited three labs involved and also three labs that work on these viruses. From that, we have not been able to find any credible link there."
"How open and transparent were the Chinese once they let you in?
This is a topic and a mission. There are sensitivities around it … big political tensions that are around it. And that's something you cannot completely avoid in a situation like this. But once we got out of our quarantine, got into the face-to-face meetings, I think we've managed to get into real good scientific exchange with stiff discussions here and there, because [people] start from different backgrounds and different views. But I tell everyone, wait and read the report and let's discuss then. But I think we managed to get a good outcome of this meeting. I think it was in that sense quite successful."
"Is there anything that you think is necessary to know that you don't have access to?
Not really. So if you say, did the Chinese colleagues hand over the complete raw data files? No, they did not. But then again, I did not expect that in a mission like this. So we've seen a lot of information. We've been given a lot of information. We've had access to the people working on the data, aggregating the data, looking at what exact questionnaires that they used, what does the data file look like. To me, that is quite extensive data access."