Open mike 22/10/2021

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, October 22nd, 2021 - 158 comments
Categories: open mike - Tags:

Open mike is your post.

For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose.

The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy).

Step up to the mike …

158 comments on “Open mike 22/10/2021 ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. Dennis Frank 1
    22 October 2021 at 6:33 am

    Rachel went to court, Rachel pronounced the verdict: https://www.stuff.co.nz/timaru-herald/news/126753711/timaru-woman-trespassed-by-supermarkets-for-refusing-to-wear-mask-has-high-court-case-thrown-out

    Rachel Joanne Tomkinson filed a proceeding requesting a High Court judicial review of two trespass notices, of two years each for non-compliance of mask mandates – citing “freedom to practice my religious liberties under my Human Rights Act”. Tomkinson, who represented herself, named Countdown Timaru and New World Timaru as the defendants.

    In her judgement released on October 13, Justice Rachel Dunningham unequivocally struck out the proceedings, which were referred to her under a rule used when a registrar believes the proceeding is “plainly an abuse of the process of the Court”.

    She said “right-thinking people” would regard the Court as exercising “very poor control of its processes” if it allowed Tomkinson’s one paragraph statement of claim “to be regarded as a proper document”.

    But would "left-thinking people" agree?? Why is the judiciary trying to get away with a policy of discriminating against folks who are sufficiently competent that they can make a legal claim in a single paragraph?

    We know that lawyers are trained to take forever to get to any point they are pretending to make. Obfuscation has been endemic in legal process since empire begain to use it as strategy for ruling the masses. Incomprehensible legal documents of inordinate length remain a useful tool of the patriarchy for oppressing people.

    Dunningham said she had made the assumption that Tomkinson had been banned from entering the two supermarkets because she refused to wear a mask and is objecting on the grounds the mask rule infringes her human rights, including her religious beliefs.

    “The nexus between the requirement to wear a mask in the supermarkets in question and the impact on [Tomkinson's] religious beliefs is not specified.”

    Yeah, specifying a nexus is essential in legal process, damn right! One up for the judge on that point! It was disappointing to see no reference to God telling Rachel not to wear the mask, though.

    Traditionalists will be dismayed at this. It leaves open the possibility that she's a postmodern religionist: "No, God didn't tell me that. I listened, but he didn't speak. I deduced that he wanted me to issue my own interpretation of his will. So I did!"

  2. Dennis Frank 2
    22 October 2021 at 7:10 am

    Parliament's Speaker puts rugby on record:

    "There are some things which are assertions, and there are some things which are matters of fact," Mallard said. "My old propping mate Pem Bird who I played quite a bit of rugby against in the King Country some time ago is properly described as a leading political figure and I think the member himself will know history in that way – it's just a matter of record," he said.

    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/rawiri-waititi-slams-grossly-inappropriate-trevor-mallard-in-parliament-stoush/VFUMQ6TPQUFNX53UCDSRUUX5ZA/

    Maori Party co-leader:

    "I take umbrage to the fact that we have mentioned a kaumatua in this room that has taken a position of a professional physician in that community that has created that particular assertion that Māori are encouraging people to get vaccinated – I think that's absolutely wrong"

    Huh? Well, maybe this will clarify:

    Hipkins jumped into the fray, asking Robertson whether "having prominent Māori political figures actively discouraging people from being vaccinated help or hinder the vaccination effort". Waititi took offence to this statement, which was a coded reference to former Māori party President Pem Bird who has been calling for more vaccine choice in his community, rather than just the Pfizer vaccine.

    Two possible pathways to the future: wheel in an ecologist to explain the merit of biodiversity, or wheel in an All Black to explain the merit of keeping an eye on the ball…

    • Nic the NZer 2.1
      22 October 2021 at 7:47 am

      Thats a fail Dennis. You've somehow actually managed to write that even less clearly than the herald.

      • Dennis Frank 2.1.1
        22 October 2021 at 7:51 am

        laugh Oh well. Did my best, Nic! I will admit to framing the saga as irreverently as it deserves. Perhaps someone else will give it a better go…

    • Tricledrown 2.2
      22 October 2021 at 9:02 am

      Pem Bird on RNZ was wanting the French vaccine to be made available. Well because its a dead inactive covid cell type it takes longer to develop .Which will not be available till at least April next year. By then Covid Delta will have done its damage . This is irresponsible leadership.

      This will be a disaster for Maori who are not vaccinated.

      This would be a good headline grabber for Dr Reti who could go to areas where Maori have low vaccination Rates.

      Or the Labour Maori caucus could turn up and help. Something urgent needs to happen.

    • alwyn 2.3
      22 October 2021 at 10:05 am

      I think the whole thing is explained by the line in your first quote.

      ""My old propping mate Pem Bird who I played quite a bit of rugby against in the King Country some time ago"

      That explains both Mr Bird's rather eccentric views and Trevor's appalling display as Speaker. Play enough Rugby, particularly in the front row and you can expect early onset dementia and probable CTE. Perhaps they should both retire and join the claim of other, although much better, players in seeking compensation?

      https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/dec/08/steve-thompson-former-rugby-union-players-dementia-landmark-legal-case

    • ianmac 2.4
      22 October 2021 at 10:30 am

      About a minute in on Morning Report, an interview with Bird.

      https://www.rnz.co.nz/audio/player?audio_id=2018817453

      • Dennis Frank 2.4.1
        22 October 2021 at 11:57 am

        Interesting. Murupara currently at 32%. The govt ought to despatch an ambassador to that independent republic toute suite!

        Ole Birdie says "We have a natural distrust of government." Well, hard to argue, eh? Been thataway myself since my teenage rebel years. But there's a difference between habitual bias and what folks oughta do when a pandemic hits.

        The ambassador ought to stand in the mainstreet & yell "It's like a tsunami!" Folks might notice enough to stop & think.

        Oh, just listened to more & Kiri Allan reckons its up to 42% so maybe the message is slowly getting traction.

  3. Dennis Frank 3
    22 October 2021 at 7:23 am

    Ex-Oz top dude Kevin Rudd discusses geopolitics without saying anything substantial: https://www.newsroom.co.nz/kevin-rudd-on-china-a-thousand-pound-gorilla-in-the-front-living-room

    You can see why he hit the top of the Labour Party so fast: bland is good! A classic demonstration of Labour intellectual heft is on display here. Spans the entire spectrum from banal to vapid with a pit-stop at vacuous in the middle.

    Rudd said he was reluctant to offer Jacinda Ardern any advice on how to manage US-China tensions

    Well, thank God for that!! There was always a danger she might actually listen.

    • tc 3.1
      22 October 2021 at 8:07 am

      Maybe but krudds joined with Turnbull in calling out Murdoch's influence.

      He's also called out scumo on his faiths influence on the role as PM.

      A polarising character who IMO is doing his best in their owned media landscape to highlight issues.

  4. Puckish Rogue 4
    22 October 2021 at 8:02 am

    So its been mandated that all Corrections staff that have contact with prisoners need to have their first jab by the end of the month and 2nd by December

    Even though I'm fully jabbed up I don't agree with this for a couple of reasons.

    1. We're getting jabbed up to protect prisoners but prisoners aren't getting forced to be jabbed even though some are getting released in the middle of the pandemic

    2. Continuing on from 1, we get the jab to protect prisoners but visitors don't have to be jabbed. If we have to so prisoners are protected why not their visitors

    3. If you don't get the jab you probably won't have a job and then if you don't find another job you go on the benefit so from paying taxes and not having the jab you…aren't paying taxes and still don't have the jab

    4. No jab no job so why not no jab no benefit given the amount of hold outs in lower socio economic groups

    5. I don't like this mandatory vaccine business, I really don't like "don't question the science", slippery slope and all that

    • Sabine 4.1
      22 October 2021 at 8:28 am

      Prisons were an issue in the US, and funnily enough one of the largest unvaxxed working group of people in the US are cops.

    • garibaldi 4.2
      22 October 2021 at 8:48 am

      So what's your point PR? I'm sure if you'd been through our penal system you wouldn't be lining up for a jab. I doubt if you would be lining up for a job either ,because you wouldn't get one.

      Strikes me your no.5 says it all. You really don't trust science. All the evidence shows it does a better job than a pie in the sky concept based solely on 'faith'.

      • Puckish Rogue 4.2.1
        22 October 2021 at 11:37 am

        My point is why is it mandatory for some (Corrections Officers) but not others (visitors)

        Science yes, people no.

        Pfizer in Nigeria, WHO beholden to China, Thalidomide, The Unfortunate Experiment, Dr John Moneys gender experiments

    • Tricledrown 4.3
      22 October 2021 at 9:08 am

      No jab no hospital treatment plenty of jobs out their PR better paid than a taxpayer funded low paid high stress job.

      Dairy farmers are screaming out for workers you could transfer your skills easily enough.

      • Puckish Rogue 4.3.1
        22 October 2021 at 11:46 am

        Doesn't take much for the old sexism to rear its ugly head on here does it

        Sure I'll just tell my wife to forget her career and uproot her to a life on a farm eh because that's what the little lady's there for isn't it, just support the man

        • fender 4.3.1.1
          22 October 2021 at 1:43 pm

          From what I can see your insistence on your wife accompanying you to a new job location is more sexist than anything Tickledrown wrote.

          • Puckish Rogue 4.3.1.1.1
            22 October 2021 at 2:26 pm

            You should probably read it again then

            • fender 4.3.1.1.1.1
              22 October 2021 at 2:56 pm

              Despite following your instruction it's still not obvious. Could you please just quote the sexist part out to me so I can understand where I'm missing it. Thanks in advance.

              • Puckish Rogue …
                22 October 2021 at 3:55 pm

                The sexist part:
                ‘Dairy farmers are screaming out for workers you could transfer your skills easily enough.’

                I pointed out how sexist it was to assume my wife should just give up her job to accompany me.

                If you can’t work it out from there then thats on you.

                • fender …
                  22 October 2021 at 4:32 pm

                  There was no mention of your wife or her career prior to your allegation of sexism. If you had said "but what about my wife and her career if I relocate to pursue a new career?" and Trickledrown replied something like "tell her to give it up and support you like a good wife should" then you may have a point.

                  But it seems the conversation on this screen doesn't match the one in your head so perhaps you owe Trickledrown an apology for alleging sexism.

                  • Puckish Rogue …
                    22 October 2021 at 5:14 pm

                    See heres the thing, Tricledrown suggested that I should find another job, a job in which moving would come with it.

                    Why?

                    I'm good at my job, I live close by and it pays for my mortgage, retirement and holidays plus its pretty secure work.

                    Having this job also allows my wife to have more uncertainty in her job so I find it pretty damn disrespectful for someone to just say start an entirely new career in a field in which I have zero interest in without even bothering to consider what it might take to start that new career like its no big deal.

                    You think of that at all?

                    Irrespective of whether or not I have a wife hes telling to simply upsticks and move and start a new career

                    One of the things on this site I've noticed is that if someone on the right suggests someone unemployed move for better job prospects then that gets viewed pretty damn negatively.

                    So no I don't 'perhaps' owe an apology to anyone.

                    If we're to end sexism on this site then it needs to be called out when it happens, not let it slide just because you happen to disagree with the politics of the person calling it out.

                    • fender …
                      22 October 2021 at 5:44 pm

                      Thanks for the reply. It's clear there was no sexism in what Trickledrown suggested, at most it was simply a rude and obnoxious suggestion to move elsewhere. Best of luck to you and your wife and thanks for working in your chosen field which must have its difficulties. Please do your best to help rehabilitate your "clients" if at all possible.

    • solkta 4.4
      22 October 2021 at 9:12 am

      yes that's right, if prisoners won't get the jab by the end of the month they should be released! Oh wait..

    • Tricledrown 4.5
      22 October 2021 at 9:57 am

      PR your logic is flawed if your fellow officers are unable to work becoming sick it would mean low staffing numbers.A highly risky situation.

      • Puckish Rogue 4.5.1
        22 October 2021 at 11:49 am

        Incorrect.

        We have low staffing protocols already.

        Mainly mean less unlock time for prisoners.

    • Bearded Git 4.6
      22 October 2021 at 11:50 am

      So why did you get jabbed Pukish….shome mistake?

  5. Dennis Frank 5
    22 October 2021 at 8:11 am

    Trump plays a trump on Wall St:

    Trump, whose companies have a long history of filing for bankruptcy, announced a deal Wednesday night to bring a new media company public through what's known as a SPAC, or a Special Purpose Acquisition Corporation. Trump Media & Technology Group, chaired by Trump, said it will launch a new social media platform that the former president promises will "stand up to the tyranny of Big Tech."

    How scared are tyrants Zuck, Jake, etc?

    The media company has agreed to combine with Digital World Acquisition Corp., a blank check company that exists solely to merge with private firms to take them public. The Nasdaq-listed shell company is led by Patrick Orlando, who is also the CEO of Yunhong International, a SPAC based in Wuhan

    Real tricky things come out of Wuhan, eh? So yeah, I reckon Zuck & Jake will run scared awhile. Dunno about the strategy of issuing blank cheques tho. Could be financial advisers will look at that & go "Tut tut!"

    https://edition.cnn.com/2021/10/21/business/trump-social-media-spac/index.html

  6. Robert Guyton 6
    22 October 2021 at 8:40 am

    Eftpostle Brian – brilliant!

    Karl Te Kaha Pearce

    20 October at 19:26 ·

    The Book of Brian Chapter 2,

    • Patricia Bremner 6.1
      22 October 2021 at 9:56 am

      devil Eftpostle Brian lol That's a cracker!!

    • Sabine 6.2
      22 October 2021 at 10:18 am

      now do the white evangelic churches that preach the same sermon, just to cover all bases.

      • Patricia Bremner 6.2.1
        22 October 2021 at 11:03 am

        yes especially Hillsong etc.

        • Gypsy 6.2.1.1
          22 October 2021 at 4:38 pm

          I don't think there is an official Hillsong position, but Brian Houston (who founded Hillsong) said that it's a "personal decision for each individual to make with the counsel of medical professionals."

          Sounds sensible to me.

          • Patricia Bremner 6.2.1.1.1
            22 October 2021 at 6:03 pm

            No… The Health department mandate over rides that.

            Some Drs are being stood down for their "Alternative" unhelpful views We need all who are able to to be vaccinated.

            • Gypsy 6.2.1.1.1.1
              22 October 2021 at 6:36 pm

              I'm pro-vaxx and fully vaccinated, but I'm not a fan of forcing reluctant people to vaccinate. Education, yes. Compulsion, no.

              • Patricia Bremner …
                22 October 2021 at 7:50 pm

                Hi Gypsy, How do you feel about No Smoking? Seat Belts?.. They are mandated.

                • Macro …
                  22 October 2021 at 10:15 pm

                  I remember the moans when Crash helmets were mandated for motorcyclists!

                  • Gypsy …
                    23 October 2021 at 11:17 am

                    Me too! I was a young teen, but I remember the 'let those who ride decide' stickers. I bought a motorbike in the late '70's and I don't recall needing any law telling me to wear a helmet. I do however remember my mother saying if she saw me take off without the helmet she'd call the police on me. Ah, those were the days.

                    • Macro …
                      23 October 2021 at 1:15 pm

                      My 1957 BMW R50 which I bought in 1968. It was originally sold in Pretoria SA. The original owner rode it up through Africa, around Europe, down through Turkey and Afghanistan (as you could in those days) India and had it shipped to Perth. He then rode across the Nullarbor Plain to Melbourne and had it shipped to NZ. I bought the bike in Wellington and rode it for a number of years until I joined the RNZN in 1974. It was stored in parts until 2016 when I rebuilt it again as you see it now. Unfortunately the magneto has lost its magnetism over the past 50 years and there is no spark so it's not going at the moment. 🙁

                  • Gypsy …
                    23 October 2021 at 5:14 pm

                    Macro – for some reason my laptops blocking your image, so I googled a pic. What a tale your bike could tell after all it's adventures!

                • Gypsy …
                  23 October 2021 at 11:13 am

                  Neither involve a medical 'intervention'. And with smoking, there's another fundamental difference – no-one can be protected against second hand smoking. But as a fully vaccinated adult, I am extremely unlikely to a) contract Covid or b) have a significant adverse reaction if I do.

  7. Jenny how to get there 7
    22 October 2021 at 8:52 am

    Time to get ugly?

    The torching of cell phone towers, the sabotaging of the vaccine roll out. These sorts of crimes should all be considered crimes of low level Far Right terrorism, and investigated thoroughly and prosecuted accordingly with penalties severe enough to discourage like minded attacks.
    But as yet we have not seen one apprehension or prosecution.

    Anti-vaxxers making fake vaccination bookings

    5:29pmSource: rnz.co.nz

    Suspected anti-vaxxers have been making bogus Covid-19 vaccination bookings in one of the least protected areas of the country….

    ….."To the people who are trying to book in it just looks like, 'oh this is hopeless'. And how many times do you try when the bookings are full up all the time?" she said.

    Tairāwhiti already had some of the lowest vaccination rates in the country, with 74 percent of people having had at least one dose of the vaccine, well below the national average.

    The rates were 63 percent for Māori and local health teams had crowdfunded this week for a vaccine bus to be able to reach more.

    Dr Murton said anti-vaxxers were entitled to their own view but had no right to take away other people's choice to get vaccinated.

    https://www.1news.co.nz/2021/10/21/anti-vaxxers-making-fake-vaccination-bookings/?

    It's bloody tragic, and they are getting away with it.

    Why are we spending millions of dollars every year on our security services, who we give extraordinary powers of surveilance to. Why haven't we seen even one arrest for these attacks on our pandemic response?

    Do our spooks need a performance based pay cut, to get off their behinds and spur them into action?

    I mean, what are we paying them for?

    • Tricledrown 7.1
      22 October 2021 at 9:21 am

      Jenny how did we get to this. I agree.Our spies only seem interested in spying on greenies .what do we spend all this money on .When they don't seem to be able to find real threats.These saboteurs are doing the same thing as terrorists .The end result is people dying so our spies should be chasing the health terrorists. The greenies have killed no one but have had huge spying resources wasted on unnecessary surveillance.

  8. Gezza 8
    22 October 2021 at 8:54 am

    .

    Wet, windy day at Gezza's Stream

  9. Molly 9
    22 October 2021 at 9:33 am

    Sussex University (at last) provides a clear response to demands that Kathleen Stock be fired.

    https://twitter.com/SussexUni/status/1451201014875377672

    • Molly 9.1
      22 October 2021 at 10:29 am

      BBC's Question Time shows the uninformed burbling that accompanies discussions. It appears to me that none of the first three, the questioner, the Labour MP or Fiona Bruce have investigated for themselves Prof Stock's work.

      That uninformed meandering is abruptly halted when Fiona Bruce asks Robert Winston to respond in regards to his role at Wessex University and he replies as a biologist. (43:50)

      https://youtu.be/kY2Fu_IBcOs?t=2386

      • roblogic 9.1.1
        22 October 2021 at 4:15 pm

        Dare I say, a typical analytical male response, disregarding the niceties of emotional fluff that the other panelists get tangled up in. Thanks for picking out the only decent bit from the tedium.

        • Molly 9.1.1.1
          22 October 2021 at 4:53 pm

          You can dare, but go and have a look at 52:27. wink

          • roblogic 9.1.1.1.1
            22 October 2021 at 5:03 pm

            Good stuff. So frustrating to see others tangled up in knots about how people should always be nice and polite to one another. Of course, that's appropriate for social interactions. But not for law and science where technical accuracy and clarity of terms is a paramount concern, not tiptoeing around feelings.

  10. Rosemary McDonald 10
    22 October 2021 at 10:20 am

    "…a way that we can keep vaccinated people safe from those who have not been."

    (-5.30)

    Question. If the Pfizer injection is safe and effective how is it that those who have received two doses need protecting from those who have not?

    Serious.

    Switching off the live feed now before they start talking about vaccinating 'pregnant people' and other such un- scientific nonsense.

    • Sabine 10.1
      22 October 2021 at 10:31 am

      Our medical complex can still not cope, will not cope as evidenced by the kiddies flue outbreak this winter. No matter how many people are vaccinated. I think that really is the crux of the matter. The fact that for the last 18 month very little was done to bolster our health sector with tools, good wages, retention of people leaving to oz, and training and hiring.

      So yeah, us vaccinated people have to be protected from non vaccinated people, never mind that chances are it is the vaccinated ones without masks that will spread Covid like warm butter on a toast, cause 'I am vaccinated!"

      disclaimer, i am vaccinated.

      So, wear your mask, keep distance, sanitze, and don't insist in large concerts or festivals for a year or three.

      • Molly 10.1.1
        22 October 2021 at 10:38 am

        Agree.

        Like some others here, I am a regular attendee at hospital. The last two regular monthly appointments during lockdown have only taken place because I have rung up to query after radio silence. They just haven't got around to ensuring those regular treatment appointment notifications and schedules are maintained.

        It doesn't bode well.

      • Rosemary McDonald 10.1.2
        22 October 2021 at 11:49 am

        …us vaccinated people have to be protected from non vaccinated people,…

        Excuse my ignorance here…but surely your vaccinations protect you from getting sick from Te Virus? No?

        And because it is such a clever little injection it will only allow you to be infected by an unvaccinated person. No?

        So this apartheid system is more about protecting the capacity of the public health system rather than actually having to physically protect the vaccinated from the unvaccinated…because, like, they are "fucking filth" etc etc?

        A public health system…and I should not need to remind anyone purporting to identify as 'left wing'…that has been deliberately and systematically degraded over the past thirty years, at least.

        Surely to goodness y'all have not forgotten the horrendous waiting lists that existed in the Beforetimes? The 6 hour plus waits in A & E?

        And sorry Sabine…you might be aware that the Miracle Injection from the Pfizer Gods is far from effective at preventing transmission of Te Virus, and indeed will give the Double Shot an unfortunate sense of safety…but many don't because the hard sell has been so relentless.

        And also, it would seem anecdotally, that the Double Shot are not inclined towards volunteering for the Brain Scrape because they truly believe they carry no virus. We here are unlikely to ever have a true indication of the ratio of vaccinated/unvaccinated infected when there are outbreaks. Luckily, this work has been done. I assume the PM is aware of this?

        Such a pity that our government has failed on so many levels prior to Te Virus.

        But hey. All's good. The Double Shot can party hard this summer and the poor, downtrodden hospitality sector can vaccine passport check its way back into business.

        • Sabine 10.1.2.1
          22 October 2021 at 11:56 am

          So yeah, us vaccinated people have to be protected from non vaccinated people, never mind that chances are it is the vaccinated ones without masks that will spread Covid like warm butter on a toast, cause 'I am vaccinated!"

          i suggest that you read the whole phrase again.

          • Rosemary McDonald 10.1.2.1.1
            22 October 2021 at 12:13 pm

            I said '…you might be aware…".

            • Sabine 10.1.2.1.1.1
              22 October 2021 at 1:00 pm

              Considering that i said non of what you speak of, i will re-iterate my point again.

              Any one who is not vaccinated must and should be scared of any one who is. Why?

              Because we can carry the disease, be asymptomatic and not know about it all. If we were to get symptomatic for many of us that will mean sniffles. (As so far experiences from the rest of the planet have shown). Some – might get ill, but the vast majority will not.

              The ones not vaccinated however will get ill, and in many cases will die. AS experience so far from the rest of hte planet has shown.

              So mask up (always when outside, no matter how trivial), wash your hands, and sanitize.

        • Drowsy M. Kram 10.1.2.2
          22 October 2021 at 1:11 pm

          Excuse my ignorance here…but surely your vaccinations protect you from getting sick from Te Virus? No?

          Not 100%, no. Te Vaccine merely decreases one's risk of becoming hospitalised and/or dying from a COVID-19 infection – c'mon Rosemary, you know this.

          But since April, the risk [of dying from COVID-19] for fully vaccinated adults has never been higher than 1.2 deaths per 100,000 people.

          Tbh, I couldn't identify any part of your comment @10.1.2 that could be construed as encouraging the hesitant to get vaccinated. It's almost as if you 'think' getting vaccinated is the wrong choice. "No?"

          All "Te Virus" 'cares' about is spreading. The opinions you're continuing to spread here are unhelpful, imho, and in at least one way "Te Virus" is better than you – it’s unaware of the damage it's doing.

          “Misinformation” vs “Disinformation”: Get Informed On The Difference

          Amid the coronavirus pandemic, we are all desperate for information. Where did the virus come from? Is there a cure? How can we keep staying safe? Will life get back to normal?

          In the case of COVID-19, information can be a literal life-saver—when it’s true. Wrong information doesn’t help anyone and can even make things worse. And like a virus, wrong information can spread, causing what’s been called an infodemic.

          And now more than ever, we are seeing the spread of two forms of wrong information: misinformation and disinformation. These two words, so often used interchangeably, are merely one letter apart. But behind that one letter hides the critical distinction between these confusable words: intent.

          • Rosemary McDonald 10.1.2.2.1
            22 October 2021 at 2:34 pm

            Tbh, I couldn't identify any part of your comment @10.1.2 that could be construed as encouraging the hesitant to get vaccinated. It's almost as if you 'think' getting vaccinated is the wrong choice. "No?"

            Err…not sure what to make of that statement DMK…am I supposed to be encouraging people to get vaccinated? No one told me it is my job to convince others. The Pfizer injection surely sells itself?

            What I am challenging at 10 is the statement from Ardern that the announced rules are because we need…

            "…a way that we can keep vaccinated people safe from those who have not been."

            …how about you address that?

            How about you address the fact that our public health system has been so systematically and deliberately degraded over the past thirty years that an expected seasonal outbreak of RSV sent it into a spin?

            How about you address the wisdom of our PM deliberately placing a target on the backs of those who have chosen not to take the Pfizer injection?

            For very possibly sound reasons.

            And if you don't know of anyone who has had an 'effect' and not reported it, you need to speak to more people. (Yes, yes, I get the whole 'not talking with anyone outside your bubble' thing…but give it a socially distanced and masked go, eh?)

            • weka 10.1.2.2.1.1
              22 October 2021 at 3:14 pm

              The problem I have is that you started by asking,

              Question. If the Pfizer injection is safe and effective how is it that those who have received two doses need protecting from those who have not?

              it’s a really easy google to get efficacy rates, so I’m confused by the question. I have a straight answer to it below, the vaccine gives partial protection.

              also confused by you positing that the boundaries the government is mandating are solely to protect the health system. Not sure what you mean, as it’s clear that for best protection of the population we need a very high vaccination rate.

              • Rosemary McDonald …
                22 October 2021 at 5:46 pm

                Tell you what….watch this, give it your entire attention (bearing in mind that the host is a dyed in the wool pro- vaxxer who has very possibly torpedoed his popular channel). Hear me when I tell you that what happened to young Kyle has happened to too many our fellow Kiwis (worse, our young)…even having doctors dismiss the very real symptoms and suggest sufferers need psychiatric treatment. Kiwis have been made ill and Kiwis have died and their experiences have been completely dismissed and minimised by our so called experts.

                And folk wonder why some are very reluctant to play the numbers on the pfizer injection. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7inaTiDKaU

                (oh, and I'd watch it soonish as youtube routinely censors material like this.)

                • weka …
                  22 October 2021 at 10:07 pm

                  Afaik pericarditis is a known adverse reaction to the vaccine.

                  I still don't know what you are saying re the efficacy of covid vaccines, that's what I'm asking for clarity on.

                  You said,

                  If the Pfizer injection is safe and effective how is it that those who have received two doses need protecting from those who have not?

                  Do you really (still) not know the answer to this? Hard to have a conversation without knowing what you actually meant.

            • Drowsy M. Kram 10.1.2.2.1.2
              22 October 2021 at 3:28 pm

              Err…not sure what to make of that statement DMK…am I supposed to be encouraging people to get vaccinated? No one told me it is my job to convince others. The Pfizer injection surely sells itself?

              Err… did I say that it was your job to encourage people to get vaccinated?

              I’d prefer that you didn't discourage people from getting vaccinated, which is clearly what you're doing with mis/disinformation along these (nonsensical) lines:

              Bearing in mind Sabine, the Pfizer so-called vaccine neither prevents infection or transmission of the virus.

              By definition it is not a vaccine.

              I stand by my point that your dissemination of vaccine mis/disinformation on this site is more than just potentially harmful during a global pandemic. If you must continue to sow mistrust in the "Miracle Injection from the Pfizer Gods", I'd prefer that you did it elsewhere. To be clear, mRNA vaccines are not miracles, although they do save lives.


              On one point we agree – NZ's public health system has been under-resourced for many years. I'm just grateful to the many dedicated healthcare professionals who continue to do their best to prop it up – it must be a tiring and often thankless task.

    • weka 10.2
      22 October 2021 at 11:39 am

      Question. If the Pfizer injection is safe and effective how is it that those who have received two doses need protecting from those who have not?

      the vaccine provides partial protection to individuals and society. It lowers the risk of ending up in hospital, or dying, and lowers the risk of passing on to other people. Unvaccinated people are much more likely to transmit to others, including the vaccinated, and to need ICU care and thus putting strain on health system. It’s a numbers game, increasing the odds of better outcomes.

    • miravox 10.3
      22 October 2021 at 1:06 pm

      Question. If the Pfizer injection is safe and effective how is it that those who have received two doses need protecting from those who have not?

      I see it as a game of chance

      – Unvaccinated with covid have a higher viral load than Vaccinated so it spreads more readily, therefore:

      – The chance of an unvaccinated person infecting a vaccinated or unvaccinated person is higher than a vaccinated person infecting anyone

      Also

      – The chance of an unvaccinated person* contracting covid is higher because they have fewer, if any, antibodies to it than a vaccinated person

      For the same reasons, i.e. viral load +/- antibodies:

      – The unvaccinated are far, far more likely than the vaccinated to get really, really sick and end up in hospital or dead.

      The immune-compromised are somewhere in-between. They're playing the games of chance, but the dice is loaded against them – they won't 'win' as often as the vaccinated because they may not produce enough antibodies against Covid – hence the need for a third dose for some to even the chances up a bit.

      *the unvaccinated may of course been vaccinated the hard way – by contracting Covid – they’ll lose that protection (antibodies) over time, just like the vaccinated – but maybe they’ll prefer the easier way to get antibodies when that happens – a shot in the arm.

      • Rosemary McDonald 10.3.1
        22 October 2021 at 2:11 pm

        – Unvaccinated with covid have a higher viral load than Vaccinated …

        https://www.bmj.com/content/374/bmj.n2074

        – The chance of an unvaccinated person infecting a vaccinated or unvaccinated person is higher than a vaccinated person infecting anyone

        https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-02689-y

        The chance of an unvaccinated person* contracting covid is higher because they have fewer, if any, antibodies to it than a vaccinated person

        https://www.bmj.com/content/370/bmj.m3563

        The unvaccinated are far, far more likely than the vaccinated to get really, really sick and end up in hospital or dead.

        This may well be true…until the Double Shot need the latest booster. I'd need to see research. Having said that…it is still the case that that for most people with few or no co morbidities Te Virus will not put them in hospital.

        the unvaccinated may of course been vaccinated the hard way – by contracting Covid – they’ll lose that protection (antibodies) over time, just like the vaccinated

        Two parts to that…a) we generally do not refer to people who have naturally acquired immunity as having been vaccinated. This is one of those strange terminology shifts we have seen over the past 18months. b) not 'just like the vaccinated' at all . https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-01442-9

        • miravox 10.3.1.1
          22 October 2021 at 2:33 pm

          Your first link is a bit of an outlier when searching for viral load – if it's backed up, it still says vaccination prevents spread

          The second link says what we've known for some time. That Delta changes the game. Even then, it recommends vaccination and a booster – which is where the world is at.

          Vaccination is still better than no vaccination for saving lives and reducing the spread. My major concern (aside from the risk to Immune compromised people) is that if we allow Covid to continue to spread we will almost certainly get more mutation – and one of these will be completely impervious to vaccines and current treatments.

          a) yes, I agree with you , just like 'freedoms' is the new word for 'more activities in public spaces'

          b) last para in your link

          "Ellebedy’s team has observed early signs that Pfizer’s mRNA vaccine should trigger the production of the same cells. But the persistence of antibody production, whether elicited by vaccination or by infection, does not ensure long-lasting immunity to COVID-19."

  11. chris T 11
    22 October 2021 at 10:34 am

    Did anyone else hear Ardern earlier?

    Seriously. Only this govt could manage to over complicate and confuse levels more than they had already done.

    • KJT 11.1
      22 October 2021 at 10:49 am

      Seemed clear to me.

      Is there a correlation between being right wing and comprehension problems?

      Certainly with right wing opinionators posing as Journalists..

      On the other hand the ODT seemes to have no problem understanding it.

      • Dennis Frank 11.1.1
        22 October 2021 at 11:48 am

        Is there a correlation between being right wing and comprehension problems?

        As eldest son of a hardline Nat supporter in the '50s, who was himself eldest son of a hardline Nat supporter in the '30s, I can assure you that the general answer is yes.

        Seemed clear to me.

        Me too. In fact I was pleasantly surprised by how incisive and comprehensive her scheme for our path ahead seems to be. Think we can credit these guys:

        https://covid19.govt.nz/alert-levels-and-updates/independent-advisory-groups/scphag/

        But not just that brains trust – I reckon the PM deserves credit for her clarity of grasp & presentation of their design.

      • chris T 11.1.2
        22 October 2021 at 11:51 am

        Cool. That is helpful

        You can explain a few things then.

        By 90% do the mean 90% of sall Maori, 90% of all Pacific Islanders, 90% of all Asians, (0% of all Indians, 90% of all males, 90% of all females in every DHB?

        And you can give us the difference in numbers between sparodic imported cases and orange increasing cases?

        And what all these businesses are using to scan vaccine cert's

        And who is policing the scanning

        • lprent 11.1.2.1
          22 October 2021 at 12:56 pm

          This appears to be pretty unambiguous.

          From Stuff

          The Auckland region will transition into a new Covid-19 framework as soon as the region’s three district health boards hit 90 per cent of their eligible populations being fully vaccinated.

          They even repeat it for those who had problems with the first statement…

          Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced on Friday Auckland would move to the “red” setting as soon as each DHB in the city vaccinated 90 per cent of its eligible population.

          So these are the DHBs..

          The three Auckland District Health Boards

          And just to clarify..

          On the Government’s measure, 86 per cent of the eligible population have had a first dose, and 68 per cent have had a second dose.

          There are considerable differences between DHBs however. Auckland’s are likely to reach 90 per cent before other areas, as they are already close to 90 per cent of first dose.

          If you want to break it down by area – then try the maps here.
          https://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/diseases-and-conditions/covid-19-novel-coronavirus/covid-19-data-and-statistics/covid-19-vaccine-data/covid-19-vaccination-uptake-rates-across-nz

          By area, it looks to me like the laggard areas are in semi-rural suburbs of the Auckland metro area, and especially over in the North Shore

          • Nic the NZer 11.1.2.1.1
            22 October 2021 at 6:24 pm

            Unambiguously bad news for those expecting to open up right now. Just Auckland Metro being at 86% means they are 4% (+ 6-8 weeks) away from 90% double vaccinated target. If we had a political opposition right now they would be highlighting that shrinking the 6-8 weeks undermines the effectiveness of the vaccination effort being undertaken, and this is effectively what the government is asking to happen.

        • Macro 11.1.2.2
          22 October 2021 at 1:07 pm

          It's 90% of all eligible people within all DHBs. That will lift vaccination rates across all sectors. But we won't be constrained if some sectors are reluctant or for some reason unable to be as fully vaccinated as others. The vaccination programme will not stop there and everyone will still be encouraged to become vaccinated.

          • Dennis Frank 11.1.2.2.1
            22 October 2021 at 1:13 pm

            Yeah, I wondered about the viability of the 90% target. She deliberately gave the govt wiggle-room though – think she said they will review it end of next month. Looks like they will have to target towns/groups of slackers (Murupara for instance) so expect a shift to selective rather than broad containment.

            • lprent 11.1.2.2.1.1
              22 October 2021 at 1:27 pm

              I liked the change criteria on the Red.

              If the spread of Covid-19 possibly threatens the healthcare system, the “red light” setting will be used. This would limit private gatherings and restrict some inter-regional travel. Schools and retail stores would remain open but may have capacity limits, and hospitality businesses could open but for table-service only and with the requirement that customers are vaccinated.

              One of the things that this will do is to push some of the laggard DHBs outside of Auckland to get to 90% double dose vaccination rates.

              The rest of the country will also be able to move to a new traffic-light system that replaces the alert level system when 90 per cent of each DHB’s eligible population is double-dosed.

              If you look at the vaccination data by DHB you can see the ones who won't get changes for a while..

              • roblogic …
                22 October 2021 at 1:34 pm

                I just want to know when I can get out of Auckland. Still getting vague "it depends" crap from the Govt.

                Looks like our whanau Christmas gathering up North won't happen this year because Northland DHB is underfunded, understaffed, and facing an uphill battle.

                sad

                • Foreign Waka …
                  22 October 2021 at 3:44 pm

                  Staff shortages are severe everywhere.

                  I know of several people who have had treatments in main centers (stitching, small ops etc.) and the doctor had to interrupt whilst working (! how safe is that?) because of being called to another patient. This is truly 3rd world stuff.

                  Is this not how the policy is implemented by DHB's?

                  https://www.health.govt.nz/new-zealand-health-system/key-health-sector-organisations-and-people/district-health-boards/accountability-and-funding/population-based-funding-formula

                  From "Structure of the model – points 1-3

                  1. its share of the projected New Zealand population, weighted according to the national average cost of the health and disability support services used by different demographic groups
                  2. an additional policy-based weighting for unmet need that recognises the different challenges DHBs face in reducing disparities and access to health services between population groups
                  3. a rural adjustment and an adjustment for eligible overseas visitors and refugees, each of which redistribute a set amount of funding between DHBs to recognise unavoidable differences in the cost of providing certain health and disability support services to these population groups.
              • Dennis Frank …
                22 October 2021 at 2:29 pm

                DHBs are looking better than I expected on that graph. Uniformity of catch-up seems to be happening. I suspect the problems lie in smaller pockets and may need micro-analysis for targeting.

    • KJT 11.2
      22 October 2021 at 11:00 am

      Facebook

      Graphic of the “Traffic light” system.

      Not sure if changing from “Levels” at this stage is the best idea, however.

      • Macro 11.2.1
        22 October 2021 at 1:10 pm

        We won't be changing to the traffic light system across the motu until all DHBs reach 90% of all eligible people within the DHB vaccinated. Auckland will however move to red when they reach that milestone.

        • alwyn 11.2.1.1
          22 October 2021 at 6:09 pm

          "all DHBs reach 90% of all eligible people".

          I live in Wellington. Capital and Coast look like getting to the 90% level before most of the other DHBs. Suppose we get up to 90+% by, say, 1 December. Will we go to code Orange?

          Suppose we, and every other DHB except Taranaki get to 90+5 by, say, 1 March 2022. Will everyone except Taranaki be moved to Orange or will nobody move to that status?

          Suppose Taranaki never gets to 90+% Will the entire country, with the possible exception of Auckland, never ever get to the traffic light system?

          Your comment, which I copied, appears to say that the last statement is true. Is it?

          AB, who has commented at 11.3 seems to think it is totally clear. Perhaps he (she?) would care to answer as well.

          • Macro 11.2.1.1.1
            22 October 2021 at 9:59 pm

            Suppose we get up to 90+% by, say, 1 December. Will we go to code Orange?

            Short answer. No.

            Suppose Taranaki never gets to 90+% Will the entire country, with the possible exception of Auckland, never ever get to the traffic light system?

            Taranaki is currently at 81% of eligible persons with a single shot. Capital and Coast at 89%. I'm not sure what you are worried about.

    • AB 11.3
      22 October 2021 at 11:43 am

      Broad outline seemed pretty simple to me. I have always suspected that most of the people who claim this stuff is 'confusing' can't be arsed trying to understand it, don't watch the press conferences because they are 'propaganda', and are simply inherently anti-Labour. If John Key was slurring and shrugging his way through the same stuff and assuring us he was comfortable with it all, they'd say he was masterful and isn’t it great to have someone with ‘business experience’ as PM.

    • Bearded Git 11.4
      22 October 2021 at 11:54 am

      You need to pay attention Chris. Things are bound to be different under the non-elimination regime.

      Why is it that only Nat and ACT voters can't understand these things?

      • chris T 11.4.1
        22 October 2021 at 12:02 pm

        "Why is it that only Nat and ACT voters can't understand these things?"

        Lol. Ouch!

        I am a lot of things, including probably thick for thinking the govt is just over complicating things.

        But I am not and never will be an ACT voter lol

  13. Jenny how to get there 13
    22 October 2021 at 11:20 am

    5.4 magnitude. Just how bad is that?

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/126760514/54-magnitude-earthquake-strikes-lower-north-island

    Let’s hope it is not a magmatic earthquake.

  14. Jenny how to get there 14
    22 October 2021 at 11:55 am

    When the war is over. Aren't you meant to release prisoners of war?

    https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/10/21/historic-victory-us-judge-rules-guantanamo-detainees-imprisonment-illegal?

    Oh, that's right they aren't prisoners of war. They are 'unlawful combatantts'. (it's not kidnapping if we do it).

    And the war isn't over, after being beaten on the ground President Biden says the U.S. will continue with, 'Over the Horizon" attacks. (it's not terrorism, if we do it).

    The Legal Status of the Guantanamo Bay Detainees – Ten Years Later

    …..It will be argued that Guantanamo is not a legal ‘black hole’ and therefore the detainees should be accorded prisoner of war status according to the Third Geneva Convention on the Treatment of Prisoners of War, or alternatively, they should be treated as civilians protected by the Fourth Geneva Convention on Civilian Persons in Time of War. It will be shown that there is no intermediate status under international law and that particularly, international humanitarian law does not recognise the term ‘unlawful combatant’.

    https://www.researchgate.net/publication/263659424_The_Legal_Status_of_the_Guantanamo_Bay_Detainees_-_Ten_Years_Later

  15. Macro 15
    22 October 2021 at 12:04 pm

    On a lighter note:

    image

  16. Cricklewood 16
    22 October 2021 at 12:25 pm

    Well, we've just cleaved somewhere between 5 and 15% of our population from society.

    What could possibly go wrong….

  17. Cricklewood 17
    22 October 2021 at 12:56 pm

    From Facebook:

    "So we're now told if we dont take a government mandated medicine of which there is no other choice available we will be excluded from society and be the targets for vitriol and hatred. Sounds like Jacinda just introduced apartheid NZ style"

    That's something repeatable should see some of the stuff directed at Maori which I wont repeat.

    Fuse is lit.

    • Bearded Git 17.1
      22 October 2021 at 1:09 pm

      In France if you don't want to vaxx they offer you the option of getting (and paying for) a negative covid test in the previous 72 hours if you want to get into a venue, That sounds like a better system to me

      • Cricklewood 17.1.1
        22 October 2021 at 1:12 pm

        Yes, there are other options especially around saliva test and rapid tests.

        I've got a really bad feeling about what happens next.

    • mauī 17.2
      22 October 2021 at 7:17 pm

      Wouldn't our WW2 vets be so proud today…

      • joe90 17.2.1
        22 October 2021 at 7:38 pm

        '..of New Zealanders doing what they have to..

      • solkta 17.2.2
        22 October 2021 at 7:55 pm

        Given that military conscription is so many rungs further up the authoritarian ladder than the vaccine rules that seems like a rather stupid thing to say. That before getting to the ridiculous comparison with what the Nazis were up to.

  18. roblogic 18
    22 October 2021 at 1:07 pm

    If we don't get out of this stupid lockdown by Christmas I will either kill myself or vote ACT

  19. Sabine 19
    22 October 2021 at 1:12 pm

    have seen this floating about for a few days now

    http://www.news.cn/english/2021-10/22/c_1310260673.htm

    JERUSALEM, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) — Five more cases of the new COVID-19 Delta variant "AY4.2" were reported by Israel's Ministry of Health on Thursday.

    The first case of the variant in Israel was detected on Tuesday in an 11-year-old boy who returned from Moldova and was tested positive at Ben Gurion Airport outside Tel Aviv.

    Upon the detection of the variant in the boy, the ministry's genetic sequencing laboratory reviewed all sequences that were classified as the Delta variant so far, given the AY4.2 variant had been classified all over the world as the Delta variant and only recently was classified as a separate variant.

    https://www.health.com/condition/infectious-diseases/coronavirus/what-is-ay4-2-variant

    UK reported its biggest one-day Covid case increase in 3 months just as the new delta variant AY.4 with the S:Y145H mutation in the spike reaches 8% of UK sequenced cases," Dr. Gottlieb wrote. "We need urgent research to figure out if this delta plus is more transmissible, has partial immune evasion?"

    buckle in, the ride is bumpy.

  21. Jimmy 21
    22 October 2021 at 3:16 pm

    This is interesting that Radius Care have had enough of lockdown and are opening up for visitors.

    Radius Care: Retirement village chain to allow visitors for residents' mental health (newstalkzb.co.nz)

    • Joe90 21.1
      22 October 2021 at 3:33 pm

      The more fractious the residents, the higher the staffing levels so damn the torpedoes, open the doors and pay the fines.

      /

    • Robert Guyton 21.2
      22 October 2021 at 4:09 pm

      "Radius Care" have "had enough"! All change! Radius Care have HAD ENOUGH!!!!

  22. Adrian 22
    22 October 2021 at 3:56 pm

    At least there is employment on the way for young fellas with a shovel, courtesy of Radius Care, good on them for looking out for the yoof.

  23. chris T 23
    22 October 2021 at 5:08 pm

    Totally left field one, but I needed a break from everyone going on and on about Covid.

    Alec Baldwin just accidently killed one person and wounded another with a prop gun.

    https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/oct/22/alec-baldwin-fired-prop-gun-woman-death-movie-rust-sheriff

    " Alec Baldwin fired prop gun accidentally killing a woman on set of movie Rust – sheriff

    Alec Baldwin fired a prop gun on a movie set in an accident that killed a photography chief and injured a director, authorities in New Mexico have said.

    A statement from the Santa Fe Sheriff’s office said Baldwin, who is acting in and producing the film Rust, had fired the prop gun in an incident on Thursday.

    The statement said deputies were dispatched to the set around 2pm in Bonanza Creek Ranch when a 911 caller reported a shooting…………"

    • Puckish Rogue 23.1
      22 October 2021 at 5:16 pm

      Its not that hard.

      Treat all weapons as loaded, don't aim at anyone and don't put your finger on the trigger until you're ready to fire.

      • chris T 23.1.1
        22 October 2021 at 5:23 pm

        Yeah, know what you mean.

        Was how Brandon Lee (Bruce Lee's kid) bit the bullet (pardon the pun), from memory.

      • McFlock 23.1.2
        22 October 2021 at 5:51 pm

        And systems. Lots of systems, developed in response to how rare incidents happened and could have been prevented.

        Read an article by a movie armourer ages ago, talking about how asome of these incidents can happen, and in particular deconstructung the Brandon Lee incident and the standard industry practises that meant it shouldn't happen again. According to the article, part of the problem with that scene was that the production was being rushed and they'd deviated from the plan.

        Because of the rush they hadn't checked that the barrel was unobstructed. So especially since then the angles were usually worked out that if someone was supposed to be filmed with a firearm pointed at them, it was actually pointed away from them but that wasn't apparent in the movie.

        But maybe this lot found a new way to screw it up fatally with a single point of failure.

        • chris T 23.1.2.1
          22 October 2021 at 6:04 pm

          Film is independent apparently. So presumably not the biggest budget. Maybe they were just saving money on the stupidest place to try to save money. Safety of the actors and crew, and they prop weapon protocols got a bit lax.

          Could probably add time constraints as well with equipment hire etc, like you mentioned with Lee.

          • McFlock 23.1.2.1.1
            22 October 2021 at 6:33 pm

            Yeah. It'll probably all come out in the wash, but usually the director and the armourer or stunt coordinator would bear the bulk of responsibility unless the person holding the weapon made the primary screw up (e.g. Hexum).

            The other thing ISTR from that article was that he'd brief everyone, including extras, with a demonstration of the power of a blank at close range, e.g. with a plank or box or watermelon. Good way to stop people treating it like a toy.

            Damned if I can find the original article, though. Lots of the details check out in the google search, but I haven't found the article I'm thinking of – it had a really god flow in the writing and making its case, too.

    • roblogic 23.2
      22 October 2021 at 5:31 pm

      stupid cosplay cowboy Americans. half of their films revolve around shootouts and punching each other in the face.

      • chris T 23.2.1
        22 October 2021 at 5:37 pm

        Have to feel for the dude though.

        Actors have no control over prop guns etc.

        Just heard an interview with an American correspondent. Apparently he wasn't in a great space at the cop station. Would screw you up a bit for life I would imagine.

        • Patricia Bremner 23.2.1.1
          22 October 2021 at 8:38 pm

          Yes Chris T That was my reaction. How terrible to kill a friend with a faulty? prop.

      • McFlock 23.2.2
        22 October 2021 at 6:41 pm

        Bit harsh. Movies with guns and violence are international.

      • weka 23.3.1
        22 October 2021 at 10:07 pm

        please fix user name on next comment.

      • chris T 23.3.2
        22 October 2021 at 10:16 pm

        Has to be I guess.

        She defo' isn't a real gun and that def' aint a a live round.

        Problem with even real pistols like that is aim is crap, So even if Baldwin wasn't pointing it at her, If it was shattered faulty metal it could have gone out at any angle aand hit the people.

      • McFlock 23.3.3
        22 October 2021 at 11:25 pm

        Unlikely I reckon, especially without Baldwin being reported hospitalised with a hand injury (or face injury, if rifle breech go boom when he's looking down the sights).

        The film is set in 1880, so revolvers and lever actions are the ones hollywood like for that period. Mostly cartridges, but cap&ball were still around at that time.

        So maybe a chainfire of the cap&ball revolving cylinder, but then you have to ask why the unused cylinders had dense obstructions and full charges. Or a Brandon Lee repeat. Or some small rocks went up the barrel while acting and became real projectiles with a blank charge behind them, and folks off the line of aim were hit by the dispersion pattern.

        Lots of possibilities for fuckup or unforeseen hazard. We'll find out soon enough.

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

  • Peters’ real foreign policy threat is Helen Clark
    Winston Peters’ much anticipated foreign policy speech last night was a work of two halves. Much of it was a standard “boilerplate” Foreign Ministry overview of the state of the world. There was some hardening up of rhetoric with talk of “benign” becoming “malign” and old truths giving way to ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    1 hour ago

  • NZ’s trans lobby is fighting a rearguard action
    Graham Adams assesses the fallout of the Cass Review — The press release last Thursday from the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls didn’t make the mainstream news in New Zealand but it really should have. The startling title of Reem Alsalem’s statement — “Implementation of ‘Cass ...
    Point of OrderBy gadams1000
    9 hours ago

  • Your mandate is imaginary
    This open-for-business, under-new-management cliché-pockmarked government of Christopher Luxon is not the thing of beauty he imagines it to be. It is not the powerful expression of the will of the people that he asserts it to be. It is not a soaring eagle, it is a malodorous vulture. This newest poll should make ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    14 hours ago

  • 14,000 unemployed under National
    The latest labour market statistics, showing a rise in unemployment. There are now 134,000 unemployed - 14,000 more than when the National government took office. Which is I guess what happens when the Reserve Bank causes a recession in an effort to Keep Wages Low. The previous government saw a ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    16 hours ago

  • Bryce Edwards: Discontent and gloom dominate NZ’s political mood
    Three opinion polls have been released in the last two days, all showing that the new government is failing to hold their popular support. The usual honeymoon experienced during the first year of a first term government is entirely absent. The political mood is still gloomy and discontented, mainly due ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    17 hours ago

  • Taking Tea with 42 & 38.
    National's Finance Minister once met a poor person.A scornful interview with National's finance guru who knows next to nothing about economics or people.There might have been something a bit familiar if that was the headline I’d gone with today. It would of course have been in tribute to the article ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    17 hours ago

  • Beware political propaganda: statistics are pointing to Grant Robertson never protecting “Lives an...
    Rob MacCulloch writes – Throughout the pandemic, the new Vice-Chancellor-of-Otago-University-on-$629,000 per annum-Can-you-believe-it-and-Former-Finance-Minister Grant Robertson repeated the mantra over and over that he saved “lives and livelihoods”. As we update how this claim is faring over the course of time, the facts are increasingly speaking differently. NZ ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    18 hours ago

  • Winding back the hands of history’s clock
    Chris Trotter writes – IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in acknowledgement of electoral victory: “We’ll govern for all New Zealanders.” On the face of it, the pledge is a strange one. Why would any political leader govern in ways that advantaged the huge ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    18 hours ago

  • Paula Bennett’s political appointment will challenge public confidence
     Bryce Edwards writes – The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill ...
    Point of OrderBy xtrdnry
    18 hours ago

  • Business confidence sliding into winter of discontent
    TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 10:06am on Wednesday, May 1:The Lead: Business confidence fell across the board in April, falling in some areas to levels last seen during the lockdowns because of a collapse in ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    20 hours ago

  • Gordon Campbell on the coalition’s awful, not good, very bad poll results
    Over the past 36 hours, Christopher Luxon has been dong his best to portray the centre-right’s plummeting poll numbers as a mark of virtue. Allegedly, the negative verdicts are the result of hard economic times, and of a government bravely set out on a perilous rescue mission from which not ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    21 hours ago

  • New HOP readers for future payment options
    Auckland Transport have started rolling out new HOP card readers around the network and over the next three months, all of them on buses, at train stations and ferry wharves will be replaced. The change itself is not that remarkable, with the new readers looking similar to what is already ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    22 hours ago

  • 2024 Reading Summary: April (+ Writing Update)
    Completed reads for April: The Difference Engine, by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling Carnival of Saints, by George Herman The Snow Spider, by Jenny Nimmo Emlyn’s Moon, by Jenny Nimmo The Chestnut Soldier, by Jenny Nimmo Death Comes As the End, by Agatha Christie Lord of the Flies, by ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    1 day ago

  • At a glance – Clearing up misconceptions regarding 'hide the decline'
    On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago

  • Road photos
    Have a story to share about St Paul’s, but today just picturesPopular novels written at this desk by a young man who managed to bootstrap himself out of father’s imprisonment and his own young life in a workhouse Read more ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: Paula Bennett’s political appointment will challenge public confidence
    The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill English, Simon Bridges, Steven Joyce, Roger Sowry, ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    2 days ago

  • NZDF is still hostile to oversight
    Newsroom has a story today about National's (fortunately failed) effort to disestablish the newly-created Inspector-General of Defence. The creation of this agency was the key recommendation of the Inquiry into Operation Burnham, and a vital means of restoring credibility and social licence to an agency which had been caught lying ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago

  • Winding Back The Hands Of History’s Clock.
    Holding On To The Present: The moment a political movement arises that attacks the whole idea of social progress, and announces its intention to wind back the hands of History’s clock, then democracy, along with its unwritten rules, is in mortal danger.IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in ...
    Bowalley Road
    2 days ago

  • Sweet Moderation? What Christopher Luxon Could Learn From The Germans.
    Stuck In The Middle With You: As Christopher Luxon feels the hot breath of Act’s and NZ First’s extremists on the back of his neck and, as he reckons with the damage their policies are already inflicting upon a country he’s described as “fragile”, is there not some merit in reaching out ...
    Bowalley Road
    2 days ago

  • A clear warning
    The unpopular coalition government is currently rushing to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act. The clause is Oranga Tamariki's Treaty clause, and was inserted after its systematic stealing of Māori children became a public scandal and resulted in physical resistance to further abductions. The clause created clear obligations ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago

  • Poll results and Waitangi Tribunal report go unmentioned on the Beehive website – where racing tru...
    Buzz  from the Beehive The government’s official website – which Point of Order monitors daily – not for the first time has nothing much to say today about political happenings that are grabbing media headlines. It makes no mention of the latest 1News-Verian poll, for example.  This shows National down ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    2 days ago

  • Listening To The Traffic.
    It Takes A Train To Cry: Surely, there is nothing lonelier in all this world than the long wail of a distant steam locomotive on a cold Winter’s night.AS A CHILD, I would lie awake in my grandfather’s house and listen to the traffic. The big wooden house was only a ...
    Bowalley Road
    2 days ago

  • Comity Be Damned! The State’s Legislative Arm Is Flexing Its Constitutional Muscles.
    Packing A Punch: The election of the present government, including in its ranks politicians dedicated to reasserting the rights of the legislature in shaping and determining the future of Māori and Pakeha in New Zealand, should have alerted the judiciary – including its anomalous appendage, the Waitangi Tribunal – that its ...
    Bowalley Road
    2 days ago

  • Ending The Quest.
    Dead Woman Walking: New Zealand’s media industry had been moving steadily towards disaster for all the years Melissa Lee had been National’s media and communications policy spokesperson, and yet, when the crisis finally broke, on her watch, she had nothing intelligent to offer. Christopher Luxon is a patient man - but he’s not ...
    Bowalley Road
    2 days ago

  • Will political polarisation intensify to the point where ‘normal’ government becomes impossible,...
    Chris Trotter writes –  New Zealand politics is remarkably easy-going: dangerously so, one might even say. With the notable exception of John Key’s flat ruling-out of the NZ First Party in 2008, all parties capable of clearing MMP’s five-percent threshold, or winning one or more electorate seats, tend ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • Bernard’s pick 'n' mix for Tuesday, April 30
    TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:30am on Tuesday, May 30:Scoop: NZ 'close to the tipping point' of measles epidemic, health experts warn NZ Herald Benjamin PlummerHealth: 'Absurd and totally unacceptable': Man has to wait a year for ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago

  • Why Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating in the country
    Bryce Edwards writes – Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • Worst poll result for a new Government in MMP history
    Luxon will no doubt put a brave face on it, but there is no escaping the pressure this latest poll will put on him and the government. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago

  • Pinning down climate change's role in extreme weather
    This is a re-post from The Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler In the wake of any unusual weather event, someone inevitably asks, “Did climate change cause this?” In the most literal sense, that answer is almost always no. Climate change is never the sole cause of hurricanes, heat waves, droughts, or ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago

  • Serving at Seymour's pleasure.
    Something odd happened yesterday, and I’d love to know if there’s more to it. If there was something which preempted what happened, or if it was simply a throwaway line in response to a journalist.Yesterday David Seymour was asked at a press conference what the process would be if the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago

  • Webworm LA Pop-Up
    Hi,From time to time, I want to bring Webworm into the real world. We did it last year with the Jurassic Park event in New Zealand — which was a lot of fun!And so on Saturday May 11th, in Los Angeles, I am hosting a lil’ Webworm pop-up! I’ve been ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago

  • “Feel good” school is out
    Education Minister Erica Standford yesterday unveiled a fundamental reform of the way our school pupils are taught. She would not exactly say so, but she is all but dismantling the so-called “inquiry” “feel good” method of teaching, which has ruled in our classrooms since a major review of the New ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago

  • 6 Months in, surely our Report Card is “Ignored all warnings: recommend dismissal ASAP”?
    Exactly where are we seriously going with this government and its policies? That is, apart from following what may as well be a Truss-Lite approach on the purported economic “plan“, and Victorian-era regression when it comes to social policy. Oh it’ll work this time of course, we’re basically assured, “the ...
    exhALANtBy exhalantblog
    2 days ago

  • Bread, and how it gets buttered
    Hey Uncle Dave, When the Poms joined the EEC, I wasn't one of those defeatists who said, Well, that’s it for the dairy job. And I was right, eh? The Chinese can’t get enough of our milk powder and eventually, the Poms came to their senses and backed up the ute ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: Why Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating in the country
    Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is higher than for any other mayor ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    3 days ago

  • Justice for Gaza?
    The New York Times reports that the International Criminal Court is about to issue arrest warrants for Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, over their genocide in Gaza: Israeli officials increasingly believe that the International Criminal Court is preparing to issue arrest warrants for senior government officials on ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago

  • If there has been any fiddling with Pharmac’s funding, we can count on Paula to figure out the fis...
    Buzz from the Beehive Pharmac has been given a financial transfusion and a new chair to oversee its spending in the pharmaceutical business. Associate Health Minister David Seymour described the funding for Pharmac as “its largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff”. ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago

  • FastTrackWatch – The case for the Government’s Fast Track Bill
    Bryce Edwards writes – Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Bernard’s pick 'n' mix for Monday, April 29
    TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:10am on Monday, April 29:Scoop: The children's ward at Rotorua Hospital will be missing a third of its beds as winter hits because Te Whatu Ora halted an upgrade partway through to ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell on Iran killing its rappers, and searching for the invisible Dr. Reti
    span class=”dropcap”>As hideous as David Seymour can be, it is worth keeping in mind occasionally that there are even worse political figures (and regimes) out there. Iran for instance, is about to execute the country’s leading hip hop musician Toomaj Salehi, for writing and performing raps that “corrupt” the nation’s ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    3 days ago

  • Auckland Rail Electrification 10 years old
    Yesterday marked 10 years since the first electric train carried passengers in Auckland so it’s a good time to look back at it and the impact it has had. A brief history The first proposals for rail electrification in Auckland came in the 1920’s alongside the plans for earlier ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    3 days ago

  • Coalition's dirge of austerity and uncertainty is driving the economy into a deeper recession
    Right now, in Aotearoa-NZ, our ‘animal spirits’ are darkening towards a winter of discontent, thanks at least partly to a chorus of negative comments and actions from the Government Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • Disability Funding or Tax Cuts.
    You make people evil to punish the paststuck inside a sequel with a rotating castThe following photos haven’t been generated with AI, or modified in any way. They are flesh and blood, human beings. On the left is Galatea Young, a young mum, and her daughter Fiadh who has Angelman ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago

  • Of the Goodness of Tolkien’s Eru
    April has been a quiet month at A Phuulish Fellow. I have had an exceptionally good reading month, and a decently productive writing month – for original fiction, anyway – but not much has caught my eye that suggested a blog article. It has been vaguely frustrating, to be honest. ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    3 days ago

  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #17
    A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 21, 2024 thru Sat, April 27, 2024. Story of the week Anthropogenic climate change may be the ultimate shaggy dog story— but with a twist, because here ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago

  • Pastor Who Abused People, Blames People
    Hi,I spent about a year on Webworm reporting on an abusive megachurch called Arise, and it made me want to stab my eyes out with a fork.I don’t regret that reporting in 2022 and 2023 — I am proud of it — but it made me angry.Over three main stories ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    4 days ago

  • Vic Uni shows how under threat free speech is
    The new Victoria University Vice-Chancellor decided to have a forum at the university about free speech and academic freedom as it is obviously a topical issue, and the Government is looking at legislating some carrots or sticks for universities to uphold their obligations under the Education and Training Act. They ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Winston remembers Gettysburg.
    Do you remember when Melania Trump got caught out using a speech that sounded awfully like one Michelle Obama had given? Uncannily so.Well it turns out that Abraham Lincoln is to Winston Peters as Michelle was to Melania. With the ANZAC speech Uncle Winston gave at Gallipoli having much in ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago

  • 25
    She was born 25 years ago today in North Shore hospital. Her eyes were closed tightly shut, her mouth was silently moving. The whole theatre was all quiet intensity as they marked her a 2 on the APGAR test. A one-minute eternity later, she was an 8.  The universe was ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago

  • Fact Brief – Is Antarctica gaining land ice?
    Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park in collaboration with members from our Skeptical Science team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is Antarctica gaining land ice? ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago

  • Policing protests.
    Images of US students (and others) protesting and setting up tent cities on US university campuses have been broadcast world wide and clearly demonstrate the growing rifts in US society caused by US policy toward Israel and Israel’s prosecution of … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    5 days ago

  • Open letter to Hon Paul Goldsmith
    Barrie Saunders writes – Dear Paul As the new Minister of Media and Communications, you will be inundated with heaps of free advice and special pleading, all in the national interest of course. For what it’s worth here is my assessment: Traditional broadcasting free to air content through ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: FastTrackWatch – The Case for the Government’s Fast Track Bill
    Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its arguments for such a bold reform. ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    5 days ago

  • Luxon gets out his butcher’s knife – briefly
    Peter Dunne writes –  The great nineteenth British Prime Minister, William Gladstone, once observed that “the first essential for a Prime Minister is to be a good butcher.” When a later British Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, sacked a third of his Cabinet in July 1962, in what became ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • More tax for less
    Ele Ludemann writes – New Zealanders had the OECD’s second highest tax increase last year: New Zealanders faced the second-biggest tax raises in the developed world last year, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) says. The intergovernmental agency said the average change in personal income tax ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • Real News vs Fake News.
    We all know something’s not right with our elections. The spread of misinformation, people being targeted with soundbites and emotional triggers that ignore the facts, even the truth, and influence their votes.The use of technology to produce deep fakes. How can you tell if something is real or not? Can ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago

  • Another way to roll
    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.Share ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago

  • Simon Clark: The climate lies you'll hear this year
    This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Simon Clark. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). This year you will be lied to! Simon Clark helps prebunk some misleading statements you'll hear about climate. The video includes ...
    Skeptical Science
    5 days ago

  • Cutting the Public Service
    It is all very well cutting the backrooms of public agencies but it may compromise the frontlines. One of the frustrations of the Productivity Commission’s 2017 review of universities is that while it observed that their non-academic staff were increasing faster than their academic staff, it did not bother to ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    5 days ago

  • Luxon’s demoted ministers might take comfort from the British politician who bounced back after th...
    Buzz from the Beehive Two speeches delivered by Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters at Anzac Day ceremonies in Turkey are the only new posts on the government’s official website since the PM announced his Cabinet shake-up. In one of the speeches, Peters stated the obvious:  we live in a troubled ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • This is how I roll over
    1. Which of these would you not expect to read in The Waikato Invader?a. Luxon is here to do business, don’t you worry about thatb. Mr KPI expects results, and you better believe itc. This decisive man of action is getting me all hot and excitedd. Melissa Lee is how ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago

  • The Waitangi Tribunal is not “a roving Commission”…
    …it has a restricted jurisdiction which must not be abused: it is not an inquisition   NOTE – this article was published before the High Court ruled that Karen Chhour does not have to appear before the Waitangi Tribunal Gary Judd writes –  The High Court ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • Is Oranga Tamariki guilty of neglect?
    Lindsay Mitchell writes – One of reasons Oranga Tamariki exists is to prevent child neglect. But could the organisation itself be guilty of the same? Oranga Tamariki’s statistics show a decrease in the number and age of children in care. “There are less children ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • Three Strikes saw lower reoffending
    David Farrar writes: Graeme Edgeler wrote in 2017: In the first five years after three strikes came into effect 5248 offenders received a ‘first strike’ (that is, a “stage-1 conviction” under the three strikes sentencing regime), and 68 offenders received a ‘second strike’. In the five years prior to ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • Luxon’s ruthless show of strength is perfect for our angry era
    Bryce Edwards writes – Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in politics. That’s refreshing and will be extremely ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • 'Lacks attention to detail and is creating double-standards.'
    TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the two days to 6:06am on Thursday, April 25:Politics: PM Christopher Luxon has set up a dual standard for ministerial competence by demoting two National Cabinet ministers while leaving also-struggling ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago

  • One Night Only!
    Hi,Today I mainly want to share some of your thoughts about the recent piece I wrote about success and failure, and the forces that seemingly guide our lives. But first, a quick bit of housekeeping: I am doing a Webworm popup in Los Angeles on Saturday May 11 at 2pm. ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago

  • What did Melissa Lee do?
    It is hard to see what Melissa Lee might have done to “save” the media. National went into the election with no public media policy and appears not to have developed one subsequently. Lee claimed that she had prepared a policy paper before the election but it had been decided ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    6 days ago

  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #17 2024
    Open access notables Ice acceleration and rotation in the Greenland Ice Sheet interior in recent decades, Løkkegaard et al., Communications Earth & Environment: In the past two decades, mass loss from the Greenland ice sheet has accelerated, partly due to the speedup of glaciers. However, uncertainty in speed derived from satellite products ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago

  • Maori Party (with “disgust”) draws attention to Chhour’s race after the High Court rules on Wa...
    Buzz from the Beehive A statement from Children’s Minister Karen Chhour – yet to be posted on the Government’s official website – arrived in Point of Order’s email in-tray last night. It welcomes the High Court ruling on whether the Waitangi Tribunal can demand she appear before it. It does ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    7 days ago

  • Who’s Going Up The Media Mountain?
    Mr Bombastic: Ironically, the media the academic experts wanted is, in many ways, the media they got. In place of the tyrannical editors of yesteryear, advancing without fear or favour the interests of the ruling class; the New Zealand news media of today boasts a troop of enlightened journalists dedicated to ...
    Bowalley Road
    7 days ago

  • “That's how I roll”
    It's hard times try to make a livingYou wake up every morning in the unforgivingOut there somewhere in the cityThere's people living lives without mercy or pityI feel good, yeah I'm feeling fineI feel better then I have for the longest timeI think these pills have been good for meI ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    7 days ago

  • “Comity” versus the rule of law
    In 1974, the US Supreme Court issued its decision in United States v. Nixon, finding that the President was not a King, but was subject to the law and was required to turn over the evidence of his wrongdoing to the courts. It was a landmark decision for the rule ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 week ago

  • Aotearoa: a live lab for failed Right-wing socio-economic zombie experiments once more…
    Every day now just seems to bring in more fresh meat for the grinder. In their relentlessly ideological drive to cut back on the “excessive bloat” (as they see it) of the previous Labour-led government, on the mountains of evidence accumulated in such a short period of time do not ...
    exhALANtBy exhalantblog
    1 week ago

  • Water is at the heart of farmers’ struggle to survive in Benin
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Megan Valére Sosou Market gardening site of the Itchèléré de Itagui agricultural cooperative in Dassa-Zoumè (Image credit: Megan Valère Sossou) For the residents of Dassa-Zoumè, a city in the West African country of Benin, choosing between drinking water and having enough ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 week ago

  • Minister acknowledges passing of Sir Robert Martin (KNZM)
    New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    12 hours ago

  • Speech to New Zealand Institute of International Affairs, Parliament – Annual Lecture: Challenges ...
    Good evening –   Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    13 hours ago

  • Accelerating airport security lines
    From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    15 hours ago

  • Community hui to talk about kina barrens
    People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    20 hours ago

  • Kiwi exporters win as NZ-EU FTA enters into force
    Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    20 hours ago

  • Mining resurgence a welcome sign
    There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    22 hours ago

  • Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill passes first reading
    The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Government to boost public EV charging network
    Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure.  The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Residential Property Managers Bill to not progress
    The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Independent review into disability support services
    The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Justice Minister updates UN on law & order plan
    Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Ending emergency housing motels in Rotorua
    The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Trade Minister travels to Riyadh, OECD, and Dubai
    Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Education priorities focused on lifting achievement
    Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • NZTA App first step towards digital driver licence
    The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say.  “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Supporting whānau out of emergency housing
    Whānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Tribute to Dave O'Sullivan
    Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Speech – Eid al-Fitr
    Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Government saves access to medicines
    Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced Pharmac’s largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff.    “Access to medicines is a crucial part of many Kiwis’ lives. We’ve committed to a budget allocation of $1.774 billion over four years so Kiwis are ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Pharmac Chair appointed
    Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Taking action on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
    Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says.  “Every day, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • New sports complex opens in Kaikohe
    Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Diplomacy needed more than ever
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges.    “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Anzac Commemorative Address, Buttes New British Cemetery Belgium
    Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service.  It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Anzac Commemorative Address – NZ National Service, Chunuk Bair
    Distinguished guests -   It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders.   Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Anzac Commemorative Address – Dawn Service, Gallipoli, Türkiye
    Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia.   Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • PM announces changes to portfolios
    Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • New catch limits for unique fishery areas
    Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Minister welcomes hydrogen milestone
    Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Urgent changes to system through first RMA Amendment Bill
    The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Overseas decommissioning models considered
    Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Release of North Island Severe Weather Event Inquiry
    Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Justice Minister to attend Human Rights Council
    Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order.  “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Patterson reopens world’s largest wool scouring facility
    Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Speech to the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective Summit, 18 April 2024
    Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing  At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin    Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho    Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today.    I am delighted ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Government to introduce revised Three Strikes law
    The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • New diplomatic appointments
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions.   “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says.    “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Humanitarian support for Ethiopia and Somalia
    New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today.   “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Arts Minister congratulates Mataaho Collective
    Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale.  “It is good ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • Supporting better financial outcomes for Kiwis
    The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2024-05-01T18:10:52+00:00