Open mike 23/07/2021

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, July 23rd, 2021 - 113 comments
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113 comments on “Open mike 23/07/2021 ”

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  1. Dennis Frank 1
    23 July 2021 at 6:40 am

    "Meridian and Contact say they are seriously considering building a plant which would convert about 12 per cent of the country’s total electricity generation into green hydrogen. The plant would be based in Southland as an alternative user of the energy the Tiwai aluminium smelter uses, should it close as scheduled at the end of 2024."

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/125828691/the-hydrogen-problem-how-much-electricity-will-make-it-worthwhile

    "Meridian and Contact’s first feasibility report suggests New Zealand is well placed to be a leading green hydrogen producer; its high proportion of renewable electricity meaning it could export as well as meeting domestic needs."

    I suspect the devil is in the detail of how exactly hydrogen would be exported – is tank tech sufficiently secure yet? I wonder if export in liquid form would be feasible.

    "On the export front, the Government already has agreements of co-operation with Japan and Singapore to research production and explore New Zealand’s export potential. A letter of intent was also signed some years ago between a New Zealand private consortium and several South Korean companies to explore hydrogen exporting, although MBIE says it has yet to progress. There is also the research alliance with Germany, which has already committed to moving to green hydrogen."

    "According to the report, the investment in a green hydrogen economy could generate one-time benefits of $0.6 billion to $0.8 billion, and thousands of jobs, with ongoing benefits of $350 million to $450m per annum and hundreds of jobs. Some of those benefits might include attracting high tech talent and money from large sustainable investment funds, or chemical, fertiliser and other industries set up alongside the plant… Standards New Zealand has convened a hydrogen standards advisory group, and the Government will begin developing a hydrogen roadmap this year to examine the issue in more detail."

    • weka 1.1
      23 July 2021 at 11:05 am

      oh, so the Tiwai power isn't going to EVs now?

      • Dennis Frank 1.1.1
        23 July 2021 at 11:09 am

        Probably depends on the business case, eh? Or, to be more precise, the various competing business cases involved. So cabinet will have a plethora of input (refined by relevant ministers before it gets tabled) to eventually consider…

        • weka 1.1.1.1
          23 July 2021 at 11:20 am

          renewable, climate-saving power generation as a capitalist lottery rather than say a strategic asset core to how we transition and get through the next century.

          • Dennis Frank 1.1.1.1.1
            23 July 2021 at 11:41 am

            Well, it is how the cabinet is likely to decide. Jacinda being High Priestess of Neoliberalism – eventually to go down in history as St Jacinda the Neoliberal and featuring as such in the publications of next-century historians.

            If Labour were to ditch muddle thro the middle and form a govt with the Greens with formal sustainability/resilience focus, your scenario would apply.

          • AB 1.1.1.1.2
            23 July 2021 at 12:55 pm

            It's a contemporary variation on trickle-down theory. Instead of wealth trickling down from profit-driven enterprises, this time it will be salvational technology. God knows – but they may be right. Because we have spent 35 years eviscerating the State of both the will and the capacity to do much, this may be all we are left with.

    • RedLogix 1.2
      23 July 2021 at 11:14 am

      I suspect the future road map will have a mix of EV's and hydrogen. Both have their distinct optimal use cases and it will be interesting to see how this plays out. EV's definitely have a head start, but there is reason to think hydrogen could play a very large role in some contexts.

      The other aspect is using hydrogen for the direct (carbon free) conversion of iron ore to steel. One of my colleagues right now is an expert in this field and I'm impressed at what a big game changer this will be. Expect major plant startups using this technology within this decade.

    • Jenny how to get there 1.3
      23 July 2021 at 9:51 pm

      Dennis Frank

      23 July 2021 at 6:40 am

      "Meridian and Contact say they are seriously considering building a plant which would convert about 12 per cent of the country’s total electricity generation into green hydrogen……

      …….New Zealand has convened a hydrogen standards advisory group, and the Government will begin developing a hydrogen roadmap this year to examine the issue in more detail."

      Could the 'green hydrogen', proposed to be produced at Tiwai, be used to re-energise spent powdered iron fuel on an industrial scale?

      Unburnt (un-oxidised) iron powder has a higher energy density than coal and even petrol.

      For obvious reasons it can't burnt in Internal Combustion Engines, but it can be burnt in External Combustion Engines. That's right the good 'ol steam engine to you and me.

      Once burnt the only remains from the combustion of Iron powder, (Fe), is FeO2. That's right, good 'ol rust to you and me. (also in the form of a powder).

      To separate the O2 from the depleted iron, heated Hydrogen is passed over the powdered iron oxide to combine with the Oxygen to produce H2O which is vented as a vapour. The iron powder is ready to be burnt again. Repeatedy.

      If the Hydrogen is produced from a renewable source, which would be the case at Tiwai, then the whole cycle is completely carbon free.

      The energy from the hydrogen imbedded in the iron powder, can be stored for months and even years. Without the need for expensive pressure vessels, subject to leaks and explosions.

      The only downside of iron powder as a fuel is its weight, (another reason why it will never be a suitable replacement fuel for cars trucks and aeroplanes).

      In big surface vessels, ships and trains, where weight bearing is not such a big issue, iron powder is the perfect replacement for fossil fuels, especially the very dirty heavy bunker fuel oil used in ships.

      Iron powder could also be burnt in base load power stations, (Huntly could stay open).

      Iron powder could replace coal as a source of industrial heat, in bakeries and breweries and brick kilns, and for drying milk powder in dairy factories. And its non-toxic, did i mention that. (unlike oil and coal).

      We could bring back the Kingston flyer as a test bed for this new technology.
      (The Steampunks might have been on to something)

      The following article from Popular Mechanics claims that iron fuel is the fuel of the future.

      But is it?

      What is the draw back?

      it sounds too good to be true.

      Where is the fly in the ointment?

      Can anyone tell me?

      Burning Iron for Fuel Sounds Crazy. It's Also the Future.

      The most surprising renewable yet could power plenty of industries.

      Caroline Delbert Popular Mechanics, NOV 9, 2020

      A brewery in the Netherlands is making environmental history by using a cycle of renewable iron as fuel for its furnace.

      Royal Swinkels Family Brewers is working with Eindhoven University of Technology and a technology think tank calledMetal Poweron the circular economy of iron burning. “The iron acts as a kind of clean battery for combustion processes, charging up via one of a number of means including electrolysis, and discharging in flames and heat,”New Atlas reports.

      Here’s how it works: Iron is burned in furnaces, fulfilling a key industry requirement for high heat that isn’t covered by many other renewables. Then, the resulting oxidized rust waste is recycled back into newly re-burnable iron fuel using electrical energy that can be from clean sources…..

      Will this be one of the issues that the hydrogen standards advisory group, and the Government will begin examining in more detail?

  2. left for dead 2
    23 July 2021 at 6:45 am

    Spell check,anyone ! or are we not done with the hand wringing yet.?

    • Dennis Frank 2.1
      23 July 2021 at 6:56 am

      With me it happened in primers 1,2 & 3. Come primer 4, I no longer needed to do it. But I gather the education system has slid steadily down the hill since the 1950s, so there may indeed be a real need for the techies here to come to your rescue.

      • left for dead 2.1.1
        23 July 2021 at 8:03 am

        @ Dennis

        Dyslexia is a very real problem in Aotearoa/New Zealand,most folk in prison struggle with it an it excludes a large number of people pitisapating in DEBATE.thanks to Solkta advise,I've got my self a new dictionary.It may suit some for others not too ingauge,but I will keep trying even though it might take twenty minutes to write this.

        Oh and too find the word can be difficuted,Phonics might help but that dictionary has disappeared.

        • Dennis Frank 2.1.1.1
          23 July 2021 at 8:15 am

          Okay, thanks for that explanation. yes I hope the techies get onto your case.

        • JO 2.1.1.2
          23 July 2021 at 9:29 am

          I don't know much about dyslexia but can imagine the frustration. A trick that might or might not work is just to write the consonants – t's srprsng hw qckly txt wrttn ths wy cn b ndrstd! Hp ths hlps?

          • left for dead 2.1.1.2.1
            23 July 2021 at 9:37 am

            Thanks u.

            Too be fair,I've always tried to spell out the word as I found txt languque a slippery slop.. but trust me I've tried many options. I see it as exclustionary,back to the dictionary,,exclusionery ,not there,Damn

            • Macro 2.1.1.2.1.1
              23 July 2021 at 1:25 pm

              My daughter has a form of dyslexia. We realised that there was no way she was going to cope in the public school system, and so we decided that we would try an alternative education for her at around the age of 9. We had been reading to her every day as she was unable to read at that time even the most basic text. The new school saw that she had a problem with connections between left brain and right brain. They began a series of curative eurythmy for her. Astoundingly, within 3 months she was able to read the first Harry Potter, and is now an avid reader, and writer. She still has difficulty with correct spelling on some of the more tricky English words.

              As you will be well aware "dyslexia" does not mean "unintelligent". There have been many advances in human knowledge and understanding and outstanding achievements made by persons with dyslexia. A cousin of mine was unable to complete school certificate because of his poor scores in English, yet he became a Professional Member of the NZ Royal Society. It was my task to proof read the papers he was about to send for publication in scientific journals to check the English.

              • Patricia Bremner …
                23 July 2021 at 2:50 pm

                Macro, the science behind the "Wobble board" is interesting. It is used in education to assist with the practice of using both right and left brain to assist learning. The brain, the new frontier.

              • left for dead …
                23 July 2021 at 3:28 pm

                @Macro
                Thanks and yes. hope your daughter is going well,intelligents has very little too do as you say,but jokingly with my self I wonder sometimes,Ha.the thing is i can speak well enough and understand what most words mean,may get out of order but hey-ho,just the print and lack of coninuity,which make a narritive difficult.I have made boo-bo's here more than once,cheers for your input.

            • Sacha 2.1.1.2.1.2
              23 July 2021 at 1:32 pm

              Thank you. So long as I can understand the other person I really do not care about how they spell. I'd rather hear what they say.

          • mikesh 2.1.1.2.2
            23 July 2021 at 12:08 pm

            I don't see how just writing consonants would help with sdxl.

      • greywarshark 2.1.2
        23 July 2021 at 10:04 am

        DF Why bother to reply with only a sarky patronising response. If you can't help, don't want to, it's no help to get negatives from the self-consciously smart.

        • Dennis Frank 2.1.2.1
          23 July 2021 at 10:12 am

          Tbh, I was actually trying to help. Seemed like everyone ignored the problem yesterday, so I figured replying would draw attention to the request, thus raising the probability of a tech solution…

          • greywarshark 2.1.2.1.1
            23 July 2021 at 10:51 am

            Well just say so, Most of your reply was circumlocution. Is that spelt right? And amazingly I dd fnd mslf ndstndg.

            • Dennis Frank 2.1.2.1.1.1
              23 July 2021 at 11:05 am

              What? Are you lobbying for the style police position at TS yet again?? Last time resulted in a collective slap-down, I seem to recall, but full marks for dogged perseverance anyway! laugh

      • Macro 2.1.3
        23 July 2021 at 10:35 am

        Hmmm, I guess "bureaucrats" wasn't on the spelling list then.

      • Patricia Bremner 2.1.4
        23 July 2021 at 11:17 am

        Some people suffer word blindness Dennis. Your comment is rude.

        • Dennis Frank 2.1.4.1
          23 July 2021 at 11:48 am

          Technically, it would be ignorant – since I had to google word blindness to discover that it is an established cultural term that I'd not previously encountered. Rude is intentional behaviour, where the intent is to offend the other person.

          • Incognito 2.1.4.1.1
            23 July 2021 at 11:56 am

            Rude is intentional behaviour, where the intent is to offend the other person.

            I see that have joined others in redefining the meaning of words to suit your narrative.

            • Dennis Frank 2.1.4.1.1.1
              23 July 2021 at 1:40 pm

              When aghast at the tendency of postmodernism to accelerate the evolution of language, conservatives seek solace in a cuppaT & lie-down. This method may not work for progressives – however a switch of focus from trivia to essentials usually does.

              If, instead, you actually get off on picking nits, I'll try to generate a few more for you… angel

              [Sure, if you want to make up shit to suit yourself then accept the consequences without trying to put blame on others. If you don’t like to be called rude then don’t be rude and start acting all victimized because we don’t understand that you operate at a higher dimension than we do or we didn’t receive the same education as you did or because we are dyslexic, for example. Just to avoid any post-modern confusion, stop your post-modern BS and maybe apologize to make up for your unintentional rudeness; it won’t kill you – Incognito]

              • Incognito …
                23 July 2021 at 2:01 pm

                See my Moderation note @ 1:40 pm.

                • Dennis Frank …
                  23 July 2021 at 2:58 pm

                  I actually didn't blame anyone for anything – so why pretend that I did??

                  [actually, you did shift it to others and even the education system but you seem to ignore this, how convenient for you. Your comment @ 2.1.4.1.1.1 was a sly put down and avoiding taking responsibility too. I told you to stop your post-modern BS and will add to this your tendency to gaslight. In case it is not clear to you, your comments are being moderated and digging in is not smart. Maybe you keep quiet and take heed of the notes, yes – Incognito]

                  • Incognito …
                    23 July 2021 at 3:16 pm

                    See my Moderation note @ 2:58 pm.

                    • Dennis Frank …
                      23 July 2021 at 3:36 pm

                      Since when has a "sly put down" been unacceptable? I see them here from others all the time. The about page doesn't forbid them, right? Gaslight is not a term I'm familiar with. I think you're just trying to bully me by operating a double standard. I'm puzzled as to why you are…

                      [You ask:

                      Since when has a “sly put down” been unacceptable?

                      Since it is used as deflecting blame and responsibility for your own commenting behaviour, which you still haven’t accepted, I note, and you’re still digging in.

                      Google “gaslighting” and you will enrich your post-modern vocabulary.

                      Not smart at all to argue back to a Moderator and accusing them of bullying you.

                      In any case, not all context is the same, which might come as a surprise to you; different comments and commenters are treated differently depending on a wide range of reasons.

                      Since you seem to think that perception and interpretation are everything, so for your information, from the Policy:

                      What we’re not prepared to accept are pointless personal attacks, or tone or language that has the effect of excluding others. [my italics]

                      …

                      We don’t really want to ban anyone. If you’re borderline we’ll probably warn you first.

                      …

                      Generally wasting a moderators time is just not a good idea. We’re there to deal with isolated problems. People persistently sucking up our voluntary time won’t like the results.

                      …

                      Arguing with moderation is a trait requiring darwinian winnowing that usually results in a rapid education about who runs the site …

                      …

                      Finally, the moderators may put you into moderation for what they consider is bad behaviour, while they get around to having a look at your patterns of behaviour.

                      Please don’t try to argue your way out of Moderation, as it won’t work and you simply end up wasting more Moderator time. I have given you two warnings for something quite minor, but you opted to escalate it and this is your last warning. Take heed and STFU or take a ban – Incognito]

                    • Incognito []
                      23 July 2021 at 4:51 pm

                      See my Moderation note @ 3:36 pm.

    • weka 2.2
      23 July 2021 at 11:04 am

      Am happy to bring this up with Lynn again. Do you mean you want a spell check in the comment box? What do you need? Mis-spelled words are underlined, do you want to be able to click on them for the correct spelling?

      What devices are you using?

      • Brigid 2.2.1
        23 July 2021 at 1:18 pm

        I think they may mean this.

        When a word is misspelt in the comment box, right clicking on it doesn't give the list of various possible correct spellings but a 'paste' option.

        • Sacha 2.2.1.1
          23 July 2021 at 1:35 pm

          Might depend on browser settings as well.

        • Sabine 2.2.1.2
          23 July 2021 at 1:43 pm

          yep, that it does to me.

          solution, post the comment, hit edit and then the red underlined words are ok to be spell checked.
          desktop/chrome

        • weka 2.2.1.3
          23 July 2021 at 1:44 pm

          Yes, it's a long standing issue on TS, and as Sacha says I think it's browser/OS dependent. Seem to remember we had a discussion about this a while back, I'll see if I can find it.

          • Brigid 2.2.1.3.1
            23 July 2021 at 3:47 pm

            It's not browser or OS dependent. If it was it would occur on all other website comment boxes and it doesn't.

            Besides spellcheck is commonly the default. That the word is underlined shows that the browser recognises the incorrect spelling but for some reason doesn't initiate the next correct option. i.e. the list of possible words.

            I'm using Firefox and occasionally Chrome on Ubuntu.

            • weka 2.2.1.3.1.1
              23 July 2021 at 5:50 pm

              On my iPhone I have the ability to click on an underlined in red word and be offered options. Mobile version.

            • Sacha 2.2.1.3.1.2
              23 July 2021 at 6:07 pm

              I mean that the way @lprent has implemented it here may behave differently on browsers. Or not. It was a maybe..

              • Incognito …
                23 July 2021 at 6:24 pm

                Yup, Lprent can do a lot on this site but he cannot control people’s devices and browsers and settings unless he hacks them, which he tends to not do 😉

            • greywarshark 2.2.1.3.1.3
              23 July 2021 at 6:47 pm

              Brigid
              I'm on Firefox but probably behind with updates. Do you notice that the spellchecker frequently underlines an s and seems to want me to put z. I think my English speller has a US bias or something. It is quite 'aggressive' about this.

              • Brigid …
                24 July 2021 at 4:01 pm

                Yes. Insisting on 'z' rather than 's' is common. That's because the spell checker default is set to American spelling. You can choose 'add to dictionary' to teach the damned thing that we aren't all American. Hopefully it wont be underlined next time you use it.

      • left for dead 2.2.2
        23 July 2021 at 3:20 pm

        Hello Weka,

        Yes the words are underlined but right click just shows paste,and I can not see how I could use that,so yes is their a spell check but not on my lap top. I have most things including replys etc. regards Al

        • left for dead 2.2.2.1
          23 July 2021 at 3:35 pm

          Oh Weka i think it is Ubuntu 1804.5 LTS

        • McFlock 2.2.2.2
          23 July 2021 at 5:00 pm

          If you're on a laptop, a temporary work-around might be to use a word processor (e.g. libreoffice on linux) to draft things up and then paste them into the comment box.

          I tend to do that with longer pieces or important emails.

          • left for dead 2.2.2.2.1
            23 July 2021 at 5:46 pm

            Ta, I'll see if that works and me working it.

            • greywarshark 2.2.2.2.1.1
              23 July 2021 at 6:49 pm

              I'm on gmail and find it useful sometimes to draft using the Compose window which has a useful set of gadgets to manage the text. Then I just copy it and paste it in TS. And my Compose window is set for frequent saves so it's virtually idiot proof.

              • left for dead …
                24 July 2021 at 9:04 am

                @ Grey,

                Cheers. Idiot proof for me,it will need to be.

                left for deadshark.

          • weka 2.2.2.2.2
            23 July 2021 at 5:48 pm

            This works on a phone too, on an iPhone Notes will allow predictive text and correction as well as post-typing spell check.

      • left for dead 2.2.3
        23 July 2021 at 3:39 pm

        Hello Weka,

        Ubuntu 18.04.5 LTS

    • Forget now 3.1
      23 July 2021 at 10:02 am

      Why not do both at the same time?

      Dr. Stella Immanuel, a Texas doctor who spoke at the press conference insisted that cysts were caused by people having sex with demons and witches.

      Dr. Simone Gold, a doctor and lawyer in Los Angeles, founded the group and previously appeared on Fox News when Donald Trump was president. Gold also has connections to the Tea Party Patriots Foundation. Gold was also at the Washington riot on January 6, when Trump supporters stormed the Capitol building in an attempt to stop the certification of 2020's election results that made Joe Biden president. Gold even made a speech a day earlier calling the covid-19 vaccine an “experimental, biological agent deceptively named a vaccine,” according to the Washington Post.

      • greywarshark 3.1.1
        23 July 2021 at 10:48 am

        Where do such doctors do their training in the USA? They need to get certification somewhere as sane persons capable of helping their fellow citizens?

      • Jenny how to get there 3.1.2
        23 July 2021 at 12:23 pm

        On a more serious note:

        ‘Ridiculous’: Vaccine myths cripple U.S. uptake as delta surges

        By Josh Wingrove, Kristen V. Brown and Daniael Zuidijk

        BLOOMBERG, Jul 22, 2021

        …..Unvaccinated Americans cite a litany of myths to explain their hesitance to get shots, confounding local health officials battling yet another surge of coronavirus cases fueled by the more transmissible delta variant……

        “Everything from Bill Gates putting a microchip in it — I’ve heard everything. It’s ridiculous,” said Tom Keller, chief executive officer of Ozarks Health Care in southern Missouri, a region with low vaccination rates that’s an epicenter of the U.S. delta outbreak.

        “People are listening to social media instead of listening to their docs,” he said. “Somebody who has a million followers all of the sudden becomes the expert on not getting the vaccine.”

        Just as the Biden administration appeared on the verge of snuffing out COVID-19 in the U.S., a shadow pandemic of disinformation threatens to prolong the crisis. Promulgated virus-like itself through social media platforms, a miasma of uncertainties, anecdotes and outright lies has seized the imaginations of Americans hesitant to be vaccinated, slowing the U.S. campaign to inoculate its population.

        …..A political divide has also emerged, with Republicans far more likely to be unvaccinated than Democrats, polls show. Conservative media and some Republican officeholders have in some cases amplified disinformation, or have tacitly supported vaccine hesitancy by refusing to get shots themselves — or admit they have.

        https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/07/22/world/us-vaccine-misinformation/

        • Forget now 3.1.2.1
          23 July 2021 at 1:07 pm

          This doctor's account on the ground in Alabama makes pretty sad reading (I found the days old article linked via a Guardian story today):

          Dr. Brytney Cobia said Monday that all but one of her COVID patients in Alabama did not receive the vaccine. The vaccinated patient, she said, just needed a little oxygen and is expected to fully recover. Some of the others are dying… “One of the last things they do before they’re intubated is beg me for the vaccine. I hold their hand and tell them that I’m sorry, but it’s too late.”…

          “I hug their family members and I tell them the best way to honor their loved one is to go get vaccinated and encourage everyone they know to do the same.”

          “They cry. And they tell me they didn’t know. They thought it was a hoax. They thought it was political. They thought because they had a certain blood type or a certain skin color they wouldn’t get as sick. They thought it was ‘just the flu’. But they were wrong. And they wish they could go back. But they can’t. So they thank me and they go get the vaccine. And I go back to my office, write their death note, and say a small prayer that this loss will save more lives.”…

          “All these kids are about to go back to school. No mask mandates are in place at all, 70% of Alabama is unvaccinated. Of course, no kids are vaccinated for the most part because they can’t be,” Cobia said. “So it feels like impending doom, basically.”…

          ‘Why haven’t you gotten the vaccine?’ And I’ll just ask it point blank, in the least judgmental way possible,” she said. “And most of them, they’re very honest, they give me answers. ‘I talked to this person, I saw this thing on Facebook, I got this email, I saw this on the news,’ you know, these are all the reasons that I didn’t get vaccinated.

          “And the one question that I always ask them is, did you make an appointment with your primary care doctor and ask them for their opinion on whether or not you should receive the vaccine? And so far, nobody has answered yes to that question.”

          https://www.al.com/news/2021/07/im-sorry-but-its-too-late-alabama-doctor-on-treating-unvaccinated-dying-covid-patients.html

        • Jenny how to get there 3.1.2.2
          23 July 2021 at 5:59 pm

          '

          How should his team mates deal with this guy?

          Maybe they could go all 'old school' trade unionism on him, and threaten to go on strike, until he gets his jab, or the organisers agree to ban him.

          Tokyo Olympics: 'Foolish, selfish' US swimmer slammed for refusing Covid-19 vaccine

          Phil Lutton 17:40, Jul 22 2021

          American swimmer Michael Andrew has been vocal about his refusal to have a vaccine before the Tokyo Games. Now, as the reality of the Covid-19 situation at the Olympics starts to hit, former US swimmers are calling him out for putting the health of the powerhouse Team USA squad in peril……

          “He sounded proud as he spoke, proud of his selfish, foolish ways. Proud to be a hindrance to his teammates, a worry to all. Proud to be doing whatever the heck he wants, no matter how it affects anyone else,…..”
          Prominent USA Today columnist Christien Brennan.

          “That Michael would make a decision that puts even a bit of risk on his teammates for his own perceived well-being frustrates me,”
          Fellow US Swim Team member, backstroke gold medallist, Maya DiRado

          https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/olympics/300364203/tokyo-olympics-foolish-selfish-us-swimmer-slammed-for-refusing-covid19-vaccine

          How should we deal with vaccine hesitancy?

          Reflections on democracy;

          (debate carried over from Freedom Day)

          Democracy has been described as the dictatorship of the majority over the minority.

          I have had the honour and privilege to have had my political views about democracy shaped by my experience in the grass roots trade union movement…..

          https://thestandard.org.nz/freedom-day/#comment-1804430

          Reading about US swimmer Michael Andrew's 'vocal' and 'proud sounding' refusal to be vaccinated, reminded me of an incident I had occasion to be involved in at a large unionised South Auckland workplace back in the good old days before the anti union Employment Contracts Act.

          The workers had one of the best shop floor delegates that I ever met. Indefatigueable and fearless in confronting the boss on her workmates behalf. Naturally she was well loved and respected..
          One day, (outside of work hours), she was involved in a bad car accident that left her with hand injuries and unable to work.
          As a sign of respect and in recognition of her advocacy on their behalf, the workers took a vote to each garner their wages by $20 a week for one month to help their delegate's recovery. In those days all decisions on any collective action was decided by a vote of 60 to 40. I can't remember the winning percentage, but the vote was carried by the needed margin.
          After a week I was contacted by the stand-in acting job delegate, who informed me there was a problem. Two women had point blank refused to give the delegate their $20, and it was creating some dissention among the rest. "Really? I was surpirsed. "Who are they?". She told me their names. I recognised one name. she was a new immigrant who I knew had been helped in the past by the injured delegate.

          I told the acting delegate I would sort it out.

          At lunch time both women were sitting together at a table in a corner of the canteen. They both recognised me as I approached. The woman I didn't know had a deeply lined face and a pinched expression and just glared at me. The other woman who I knew looked glad to see me. I sat down. "Do you you remember", I began, "when you first came to this country and this was your first job in New Zealand?"
          "Do you remember that it created a fuss when everyone found out the employer had hired you on less than the agreed rate.?"

          She nodded. "Then you would remember that time in the carpark where the delegate made you all wait outside while she went in to see the boss on your behalf." She nodded again. "Then you will remember when she came back and said the employer has agreed to pay you the full rate".
          "What you mightn't know" i continued, "Is that the manager initially refused to increase your rate, saying he had no legal obligation to do so, as your qualifications weren't recognised in this country. The delegate told the boss, "I don't care where she comes from she is doing the same work as the rest of us, therefore she gets the going rate". The employer then told the delegate if she insisted that you be paid the same rate as the rest, he would have to let you go. The delelgate then threatened to call a strike, unless he relented.
          "That was more than three years ago, I have my New Zealand registration now."
          "Yes but for a long time you worked on the full rate, even without your New Zealand qualification. If it hadn't been for your delegate, you could have been working here for a lot less, or even not working here at all."
          "I also know that with the extra money you made, you and your husband were able to scrape up enough between you to put a deposit on a house". (It was much easier in those days).
          "So how about it? Will you agree to pay the levy?"

          She said she would.

          As I got up to leave, I remember the shocked blank look on the face of her friend, even the deep lines on her face had seemed to plump out.

          Some would call that exerting undue influence, or even coercion.

          I would call it democracy.

          But what would I know. I am just an ignorant old working person from South Auckland.

          P.S.

          A week later I checked in with the acting delegate. "Is that worker paying the levy?" "Yes" she replied. "What about the other one?" "Yes, she is paying it too."

      • Sacha 3.1.3
        23 July 2021 at 1:36 pm

        Link for that quote?

  4. Anne 4
    23 July 2021 at 9:37 am

    I think some DHBs don't like their little fiefdoms being penetrated by GPs and pharmacies. Sheesh!

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/checkpoint/audio/2018805111/pharmacies-underutilised-in-covid-19-vaccine-rollout

    • mpledger 4.1
      23 July 2021 at 9:49 am

      It takes a lot more administrative effort to run lots of little vaccination clinics then one big clinic.

      • Anne 4.1.1
        23 July 2021 at 11:21 am

        I accept that mpledger but it is not an insurmountable problem. I doubt anyone is suggesting lots of little vaccination clinics but rather one or two well placed pharmacies/GP clinics per region who have the skills, capacity and the desire to be involved in the project.

        An example is my region – the North Shore. We have one large clinic in Birkenhead which covers an area stretching from Devonport in the south to Rodney in the North. It also stretches west into suburbs nominally considered to be part of West Auckland. That is a huge area and they are doing a tremendous job. I went there for my first jab and witnessed it for myself.

        The main problem is that some elderly and vulnerable folk do not have the capacity (for whatever reason) to get to this clinic. Setting aside retirement villages and rest homes, there are significant numbers in this category who have not had their first jab yet. A local pharmacy or GP clinic with the skills required – plus easy access – in the south of the region and another in the north would see a lot more category 3 people coming forward for vaccination.

        • Sacha 4.1.1.1
          23 July 2021 at 6:12 pm

          GPs also handle other vaccinations already and have trained nurses and appropriate storage. They are more trusted by some people than strangers in a big vax centre. Yet some DHBs seem unable to walk and chew gum at the same time. No wonder they are for the chop.

    • Foreign Waka 4.2
      23 July 2021 at 3:10 pm

      Hmmm… I know 2 ladies at age 88 and 93 and both have no phone or computer which seem to be the pre requisite to get anything going. Both still live in their own home and it should be their GP that should contact them so that they have certainty.

      I am pretty certain that these 2 ladies are not he only ones who will forever be kept on the waiting list.

  5. greywarshark 5
    23 July 2021 at 10:09 am

    edit
    Good things happened in the NZ film business during Covid19, now we have proved to the world that we are up to it.

    https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-55272486

    Dec.11/20 How New Zealand's film industry boomed during the pandemic

    …Thanks to its handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, the country is enjoying an unprecedented boom in film production, with directors seeking safe conditions, and that most elusive thing this year – a normal life.

    International blockbusters including James Cameron's Avatar sequels, Amazon's Lord of the Rings series and Jane Campion's The Power of the Dog – starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Kirsten Dunst – all managed complex film shoots in New Zealand this year.

    The country's home-grown movies have also received a boost at the box office by Kiwis supporting their industry, leading one local filmmaker to joke that they're now living in "the Hollywood of the Pacific".

    …According to the New Zealand Ministry of Culture and Heritage, the industry supports about 21,000 local jobs and contributes $NZ 2.7 billion (£1.4bn) to its GDP every year. The government has also announced a NZ$50 million (£26million) production grant that Annabelle Sheehan hopes “will lead to a surge in New Zealand led stories.”

    She also reports “about a doubling” of international inquiries for filming in the country in 2021.

    I read a lot of Anne Perry and see that she has shifted from Scotland to the West Coast USA and I think that movie/s are under discussion. What about making some here. She is a very sensitive writer about people, and gets cliff-hanging plots, with strong characters. A lot are set in London, with one character being in the River Police, and another more to do with society foibles. But there is a WW1 series that are good. Just an idea.

  6. greywarshark 6
    23 July 2021 at 10:42 am

    https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2021/07/22/the-pegasus-proclivity-on-recent-revelations-of-israeli-international-espionage/

    This sounds like an Israeli intelligence coup. And after reading I see it as similar to arms dealers selling arms to both sides of a conflict, and if they know all about the two countries' weaknesses (through covert intelligence) then they know how to inflame them, and reap the benefit of selling them arms to fight it out. Perhaps we should go back to primitive bare knuckling, men or women, perhaps we should be gender free, or turn our trans men into national heroes.

  7. Herodotus 7
    23 July 2021 at 10:57 am

    why has our minister not led the conservation and gone bush ? One reason could be he has been placed in this position because the govt doesn’t want debate and he is incapable to (promoted to fail, I know a bit Machiavellian ) Sure there are some who have taken over the role in this matter (posts on TS) but it is the govt to take control, if they cannot enter into coheriant conversation it says alot and not very complementary .
    https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/447500/silence-over-hate-speech-laws-has-allowed-misinformation-in-minorities-say

    • Matiri 7.1
      23 July 2021 at 11:11 am

      "led the conservation and gone bush" lol

      think you mean conversation….

      • Herodotus 7.1.1
        23 July 2021 at 12:28 pm

        Must have been my subconscious taking over as I was about to attach a liquid bird feeder to a tree out in the backyard 😉

        I read that they are great once the birds take confidence that they are safe to feed from.

        • weston 7.1.1.1
          23 July 2021 at 10:34 pm

          What would be the liquid you,d be feeding them Herodotus just out of interest ?

          • Herodotus 7.1.1.1.1
            24 July 2021 at 9:21 am

            Water , honey and a little red food colouring all in a happily and well enjoyed (now) empty bottle of wine and a dish . The bottle upended and framed on a wooden stand with a platform for the birds to stand on. There are a few tui's around, have not sighted a kereru since the initial lock down, last April. Then the number of native birds seen was very uplifting. But city life appears to have sent them back to a more peaceful area.

            https://www.selwyncomed.school.nz/courses/1627-make-your-own-birdfeeder/

  8. Dennis Frank 8
    23 July 2021 at 11:02 am

    Capitalists vs Controllers saga happening in China: "Beijing's sweeping tech crackdown has rocked firms from Alibaba and Ant Group to Meituan and Pinduoduo. And its efforts to control the sector spread even further this month." https://edition.cnn.com/2021/07/22/investing/china-us-ipos-intl-hnk/index.html

    "The Cyberspace Administration of China — a powerful internet watchdog with Chinese Community Party links that trace all the way up to President Xi Jinping — banned Didi from app stores days after its initial public offering. The CAC, which has accused Didi of illegally collecting and using personal information, also joined several other government agencies, including ministries in charge of public and state security, in visiting the Beijing-based company to review its cybersecurity."

    "The watchdog, whose influence has ballooned since Xi set the agency up in 2014, is also setting its sights on curtailing overseas listings. It recently proposed that any company with data on more than one million users must seek the agency's approval before listing its shares overseas."

    "Things are looking pretty dire for Chinese tech right now, especially firms that have been considering overseas listings as a way to raise money. The chill created by tensions, both within China's borders and with its greatest rival, could bring overseas investment in Chinese tech to a grinding halt. Investors are already rattled. China's unprecedented tech crackdown has wiped $1 trillion off the value of overseas-listed Chinese tech stocks since February — one of the worst sell-offs in history, Goldman Sachs analysts said in a research report last week."

    "Goldman estimated that China's digital economy accounts for 40% of the country's GDP, and that the tech sector represented some 40% of the MSCI China Index, which is widely followed by global equity investors as a major benchmark."

    "US investors now hold about $1 trillion in Chinese stocks. That includes about $590 billion worth of exposure in Hong Kong, $330 billion in the United States, and $135 billion in mainland China, according to a recent estimate by Goldman Sachs."

    Looks like the reef fish just got shifted into flight mode, eh? Another crisis of capitalism may ensue – aversion to melt-down likely to be motivating central bankers all round the world, crisis meetings for contingency planning…

  9. greywarshark 9
    23 July 2021 at 11:06 am

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/programmes/the-detail/story/2018804920/the-miq-nightmare

    Today's Acronyms of note: MIQ and MoBIE

    A new word has popped up in news stories about the MIQ booking nightmare – script. It's the key to Ietting a highly contested space in managed isolation.

    Jon Brewer was offered this kind of high-tech help to get out of Singapore where he has been living with his wife.

    But he says it is cheating and he refuses to break the terms and conditions of the MIQ booking system.

    He's taking his fight to the Ombudsman and if that doesn't work he'll hire a lawyer.

    "I want them to compel MBIE (Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment) to solve the problem. I went to them (the Ombudsman) because I complained to MBIE through their process that I was unable to interact with the site in a way that would allow me to get a booking the way that they have required me to use the site.

  10. Ad 10
    23 July 2021 at 11:06 am

    This public service announcement is a succinct 1 minute video push by every previous President (except Trump), and including 96-year old Jimmy Carter, urging all to get vaccinated.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCza6UGmRTk

    Once we get to the hard-to-reach and moronic who don't want the vaccine, it would be time for all of our previous Prime Ministers still around to do the same on video, and they are: Palmer, Bolger, Shipley, Clark, Key, and English.

    We need cross-Party leadership to assist in this nationwide effort.

    • Andre 10.1
      23 July 2021 at 12:01 pm

      Fortunately we in NZ have mostly avoided making the vaccine a political identity issue the way the Donnie One-Term cultists have. Who aren't likely to be influenced by Shrub's endorsement in any case. So I have doubts any of our former PMs would be influential among those that would need to be influenced.

      The political 'leaders' we would need to get on board here in NZ include the likes of Billy Te Kookiha, Sue Kedgley etc. Good luck with that.

  11. Chris 11
    23 July 2021 at 11:21 am

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/125834890/labour-list-mp-tamati-coffey-hits-back-at-81m-rotorua-motel-purchase-critics

    Good that someone's pointed this out. McClay's despicably disingenuous response reeked of the same desperation that runs throughout the national party at the moment.

    What's important, though, is that the government keeps in the front of its mind what Coffey referred to, which is that all of this emergency and transitional housing malarkey is a temporary fix. This is easy to say but hard to execute. It's easy to see emergency and transitional housing getting a permanent spot within our wider social welfare system. Just look at what food banks have become. They were talked about as a temporary measure back around the time of the 1991 benefit cuts. Now the bloody Ministry of Social Development even funds them. An extremely sad state of affairs things have come to this, but it's nothing new because it's something that affects only the poor so nobody really gives a fuck, which is the only reason this has been allowed to happen, of course. The same thing will happen to emergency and transitional housing unless there are a clear and deliberate efforts to avoid it.

  12. greywarshark 12
    23 July 2021 at 11:33 am

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/whoseatingnewzealand/447490/booze-tops-new-zealand-exports-to-antarctica

    Can booze be used as anti-freeze? Did you ever hear that story about film star David Niven out skiing who noticed numbness in his vitals and found brandy helped?

    • Andre 12.1
      23 July 2021 at 12:07 pm

      Yes, ethanol is a very effective antifreeze. In water it lowers the freezing point progressively with increasing concentration all the way to about 93% by weight where it freezes at about -115C. Which is why it is about major ingredient in windscreen washer fluid in cold climates.

      David Niven may have thought the brandy helped, but what it actually did was open up the capillaries near his skin which gives the sensation of warmth, but actually increases heat flow away from his vitals.

      • Sacha 12.1.1
        23 July 2021 at 1:39 pm

        Helps you feel better about freezing to death, I guess. And who doesn't like a St Bernard? 🙂

    • joe90 12.2
      23 July 2021 at 1:32 pm

      McMurdo Station is dry.

  13. Stephen D 13
    23 July 2021 at 2:06 pm

    The rivers of rain we are getting are obviously an effect of climate change.

    Should this be a concern for those Wellingtonians who live on the sides of steep hills. And from memory there are a lot of them. Perhaps planning has already taken this hillside/slippage/mud slide thing into consideration.

    Any geologists out there?

  14. RobbieWgtn 14
    23 July 2021 at 3:37 pm

    Race relations commissioner Meng Foon told Newshub the booklet is "racist to the core".

    https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2021/07/absolutely-culturally-ignorant-bay-of-plenty-dhb-covid-19-vaccine-booklet-withdrawn-from-circulation.html

    Hold my beer.

    https://i.stuff.co.nz/pou-tiaki/125840147/covid19-mori-artist-created-offensive-pamphlet-design-with-moko-on-cartoon-virus

    DHB board chair Sharon Shea first saw it on Thursday night, was offended and found it wrong, she said in a statement.

    “Since last night, I have been informed it was designed by a Māori artist, and had input from Māori marketing specialists and it had gone through an approval process, including consultation with some local iwi,” she said.

  15. greywarshark 15
    23 July 2021 at 4:49 pm

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/447445/how-ordinary-kiwi-cyclists-started-being-seen-as-elitist

    I notice that many males ride on bikes in a way similar to how they would drive. Then there are ones in the twilight and dark all dressed in black, no brightness to show up, and they possibly won't have a light either. They don't indicate and they go through red lights relying on being nippy and thinking that cars can see them. They don't realise if they are in front of headlights that they are invisible.

    Drivers have to wait at busy inter-sections longer because in the middle of the only space for half a minute is a cyclist, slower, vulnerable and defenceless. Then when they choose to ride on the footpath they can woosh by and then the pedestrian gets stressed out. It's mostly males, used to getting what they want, who have started the footpath stunt for adults, okay for children though they can be fast. Because it is males who are most vociferous, they are catered to without spending on a needed division on the footpath so both wheels and feet have their own space. Happy people intermingling on coloured mock-ups for council publicity mock reality about safety and ease for walkers.

    • Gabby 15.1
      23 July 2021 at 6:56 pm

      I've not noticed this. Where is it happening? Ninja cyclists will very quickly become ex ninja ex cyclists.

  16. joe90 16
    24 July 2021 at 8:24 pm

    Remember when when we thought the internet would help the world become a smarter, more informed place. Unfortunately, we got morons by the gross.

    https://twitter.com/vanbadham/status/1418795177217568769

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  • Protecting Your Home Computer A Guide to Cyber Awareness
    In our increasingly digital world, home computers have become essential tools for work, communication, entertainment, and more. However, this increased reliance on technology also exposes us to various cyber threats. Understanding these threats and taking proactive steps to protect your home computer is crucial for safeguarding your personal information, finances, ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    1 day ago

  • Server-Based Computing Powering the Modern Digital Landscape
    In the ever-evolving world of technology, server-based computing has emerged as a cornerstone of modern digital infrastructure. This article delves into the concept of server-based computing, exploring its various forms, benefits, challenges, and its impact on the way we work and interact with technology. Understanding Server-Based Computing: At its core, ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    1 day ago

  • Vroom vroom go the big red trucks
    The absolute brass neck of this guy.We want more medical doctors, not more spin doctors, Luxon was saying a couple of weeks ago, and now we’re told the guy has seven salaried adults on TikTok duty. Sorry, doing social media. The absolute brass neck of it. The irony that the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 day ago

  • Jones finds $410,000 to help the government muscle in on a spat project
    Buzz from the Beehive Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones relishes spatting and eagerly takes issue with environmentalists who criticise his enthusiasm for resource development. He relishes helping the fishing industry too. And so today, while the media are making much of the latest culling in the public service to ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    2 days ago

  • Again, hate crimes are not necessarily terrorism.
    Having written, taught and worked for the US government on issues involving unconventional warfare and terrorism for 30-odd years, two things irritate me the most when the subject is discussed in public. The first is the Johnny-come-lately academics-turned-media commentators who … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    2 days ago

  • Despair – construction consenting edition
    Eric Crampton writes – Kainga Ora is the government’s house building agency. It’s been building a lot of social housing. Kainga Ora has its own (but independent) consenting authority, Consentium. It’s a neat idea. Rather than have to deal with building consents across each different territorial authority, Kainga Ora ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • Coalition promises – will the Govt keep the commitment to keep Kiwis equal before the law?
    Muriel Newman writes – The Coalition Government says it is moving with speed to deliver campaign promises and reverse the damage done by Labour. One of their key commitments is to “defend the principle that New Zealanders are equal before the law.” To achieve this, they have pledged they “will not advance ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • An impermanent public service is a guarantee of very little else but failure
    Chris Trotter writes –  The absence of anything resembling a fightback from the public servants currently losing their jobs is interesting. State-sector workers’ collective fatalism in the face of Coalition cutbacks indicates a surprisingly broad acceptance of impermanence in the workplace. Fifty years ago, lay-offs in the thousands ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • What happens after the war – Mariupol
    Mariupol, on the Azov Sea coast, was one of the first cities to suffer almost complete destruction after the start of the Ukraine War started in late February 2022. We remember the scenes of absolute destruction of the houses and city structures. The deaths of innocent civilians – many of ...
    Open ParachuteBy Ken
    2 days ago

  • Babies and benefits – no good news
    Lindsay Mitchell writes – Ten years ago, I wrote the following in a Listener column: Every year around one in five new-born babies will be reliant on their caregivers benefit by Christmas. This pattern has persisted from at least 1993. For Maori the number jumps to over one in three.  ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • Should the RBNZ be looking through climate inflation?
    Climate change is expected to generate more and more extreme events, delivering a sort of structural shock to inflation that central banks will have to react to as if they were short-term cyclical issues. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago

  • Bernard's pick 'n' mix of the news links
    The top six news links I’ve seen elsewhere in the last 24 hours, as of 9:16 am on Thursday, April 18 are:Housing: Tauranga residents living in boats, vans RNZ Checkpoint Louise TernouthHousing: Waikato councillor says wastewater plant issues could hold up Sleepyhead building a massive company town Waikato Times Stephen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell on the public sector carnage, and misogyny as terrorism
    It’s a simple deal. We pay taxes in order to finance the social services we want and need. The carnage now occurring across the public sector though, is breaking that contract. Over 3,000 jobs have been lost so far. Many are in crucial areas like Education where the impact of ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    2 days ago

  • Meeting the Master Baiters
    Hi,A friend had their 40th over the weekend and decided to theme it after Curb Your Enthusiasm fashion icon Susie Greene. Captured in my tiny kitchen before I left the house, I ending up evoking a mix of old lesbian and Hillary Clinton — both unintentional.Me vs Hillary ClintonIf you’re ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago

  • How extreme was the Earth's temperature in 2023
    This is a re-post from Andrew Dessler at the Climate Brink blog In 2023, the Earth reached temperature levels unprecedented in modern times. Given that, it’s reasonable to ask: What’s going on? There’s been lots of discussions by scientists about whether this is just the normal progression of global warming or if something ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago

  • Backbone, revisited
    The schools are on holiday and the sun is shining in the seaside village and all day long I have been seeing bunches of bikes; Mums, Dads, teens and toddlers chattering, laughing, happy, having a bloody great time together. Cheers, AT, for the bits of lane you’ve added lately around the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago

  • Ministers are not above the law
    Today in our National-led authoritarian nightmare: Shane Jones thinks Ministers should be above the law: New Zealand First MP Shane Jones is accusing the Waitangi Tribunal of over-stepping its mandate by subpoenaing a minister for its urgent hearing on the Oranga Tamariki claim. The tribunal is looking into the ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago

  • What’s the outfit you can hear going down the gurgler? Probably it’s David Parker’s Oceans Sec...
    Buzz from the Beehive Point  of Order first heard of the Oceans Secretariat in June 2021, when David Parker (remember him?) announced a multi-agency approach to protecting New Zealand’s marine ecosystems and fisheries. Parker (holding the Environment, and Oceans and Fisheries portfolios) broke the news at the annual Forest & ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago

  • Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?
    Bryce Edwards writes  – Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Matt Doocey doubles down on trans “healthcare”
    Citizen Science writes –  Last week saw two significant developments in the debate over the treatment of trans-identifying children and young people – the release in Britain of the final report of Dr Hilary Cass’s review into gender healthcare, and here in New Zealand, the news that the ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • A TikTok Prime Minister.
    One night while sleeping in my bed I had a beautiful dreamThat all the people of the world got together on the same wavelengthAnd began helping one anotherNow in this dream, universal love was the theme of the dayPeace and understanding and it happened this wayAfter such an eventful day ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago

  • Texas Lessons
    This is a guest post by Oscar Simms who is a housing activist, volunteer for the Coalition for More Homes, and was the Labour Party candidate for Auckland Central at the last election. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    3 days ago

  • Bernard's pick 'n' mix of the news links at 6:06 am
    The top six news links I’ve seen elsewhere in the last 24 hours as of 6:06 am on Wednesday, April 17 are:Must read: Secrecy shrouds which projects might be fast-tracked RNZ Farah HancockScoop: Revealed: Luxon has seven staffers working on social media content - partly paid for by taxpayer Newshub ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • Fighting poverty on the holiday highway
    Turning what Labour called the “holiday highway” into a four-lane expressway from Auckland to Whangarei could bring at least an economic benefit of nearly two billion a year for Northland each year. And it could help bring an end to poverty in one of New Zealand’s most deprived regions. The ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago

  • Bernard's six-stack of substacks at 6:26 pm
    Tonight’s six-stack includes: launching his substack with a bunch of his previous documentaries, including this 1992 interview with Dame Whina Cooper. and here crew give climate activists plenty to do, including this call to submit against the Fast Track Approvals bill. writes brilliantly here on his substack ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • At a glance – Is the science settled?
    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
    3 days ago

  • Apposite Quotations.
    How Long Is Long Enough? Gaza under Israeli bombardment, July 2014. This posting is exclusive to Bowalley Road. ...
    Bowalley Road
    3 days ago

  • What’s a life worth now?
    You're in the mall when you hear it: some kind of popping sound in the distance, kids with fireworks, maybe. But then a moment of eerie stillness is followed by more of the fireworks sound and there’s also screaming and shrieking and now here come people running for their lives.Does ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago

  • Howling at the Moon
    Karl du Fresne writes –  There’s a crisis in the news media and the media are blaming it on everyone except themselves. Culpability is being deflected elsewhere – mainly to the hapless Minister of Communications, Melissa Lee, and the big social media platforms that are accused of hoovering ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Newshub is Dead.
    I don’t normally send out two newsletters in a day but I figured I’d say something about… the news. If two newsletters is a bit much then maybe just skip one, I don’t want to overload people. Alternatively if you’d be interested in sometimes receiving multiple, smaller updates from me, ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago

  • Seymour is chuffed about cutting early-learning red tape – but we hear, too, that Jones has loose...
    Buzz from the Beehive David Seymour and Winston Peters today signalled that at least two ministers of the Crown might be in Wellington today. Seymour (as Associate Minister of Education) announced the removal of more red tape, this time to make it easier for new early learning services to be ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?
    Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. Our political system is suffering from the ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    4 days ago

  • Was Hawkesby entirely wrong?
    David Farrar  writes –  The Broadcasting Standards Authority ruled: Comments by radio host Kate Hawkesby suggesting Māori and Pacific patients were being prioritised for surgery due to their ethnicity were misleading and discriminatory, the Broadcasting Standards Authority has found. It is a fact such patients are prioritised. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • PRC shadow looms as the Solomons head for election
    PRC and its proxies in Solomons have been preparing for these elections for a long time. A lot of money, effort and intelligence have gone into ensuring an outcome that won’t compromise Beijing’s plans. Cleo Paskall writes – On April 17th the Solomon Islands, a country of ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Climate Change: Criminal ecocide
    We are in the middle of a climate crisis. Last year was (again) the hottest year on record. NOAA has just announced another global coral bleaching event. Floods are threatening UK food security. So naturally, Shane Jones wants to make it easier to mine coal: Resources Minister Shane Jones ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago

  • Is saving one minute of a politician's time worth nearly $1 billion?
    Is speeding up the trip to and from Wellington airport by 12 minutes worth spending up more than $10 billion? Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me in the last day to 8:26 am today are:The Lead: Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago

  • Long Tunnel or Long Con?
    Yesterday it was revealed that Transport Minister had asked Waka Kotahi to look at the options for a long tunnel through Wellington. State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    4 days ago

  • Smoke And Mirrors.
    You're a fraud, and you know itBut it's too good to throw it all awayAnyone would do the sameYou've got 'em goingAnd you're careful not to show itSometimes you even fool yourself a bitIt's like magicBut it's always been a smoke and mirrors gameAnyone would do the sameForty six billion ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago

  • What is Mexico doing about climate change?
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections The June general election in Mexico could mark a turning point in ensuring that the country’s climate policies better reflect the desire of its citizens to address the climate crisis, with both leading presidential candidates expressing support for renewable energy. Mexico is the ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago

  • State of humanity, 2024
    2024, it feels, keeps presenting us with ever more challenges, ever more dismay.Do you give up yet? It seems to ask.No? How about this? Or this?How about this?When I say 2024 I really mean the state of humanity in 2024.Saturday night, we watched Civil War because that is one terrifying cliff we've ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago

  • Govt’s Wellington tunnel vision aims to ease the way to the airport (but zealous promoters of cycl...
    Buzz from the Beehive A pet project and governmental tunnel vision jump out from the latest batch of ministerial announcements. The government is keen to assure us of its concern for the wellbeing of our pets. It will be introducing pet bonds in a change to the Residential Tenancies Act ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago

  • The case for cultural connectedness
    A recent report generated from a Growing Up in New Zealand (GUiNZ) survey of 1,224 rangatahi Māori aged 11-12 found: Cultural connectedness was associated with fewer depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms and better quality of life. That sounds cut and dry. But further into the report the following appears: Cultural connectedness is ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • Useful context on public sector job cuts
    David Farrar writes –    The Herald reports: From the gory details of job-cuts news, you’d think the public service was being eviscerated.   While the media’s view of the cuts is incomplete, it’s also true that departments have been leaking the particulars faster than a Wellington ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell On When Racism Comes Disguised As Anti-racism
    Remember the good old days, back when New Zealand had a PM who could think and speak calmly and intelligently in whole sentences without blustering? Even while Iran’s drones and missiles were still being launched, Helen Clark was live on TVNZ expertly summing up the latest crisis in the Middle ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    5 days ago

  • Govt ignored economic analysis of smokefree reversal
    Costello did not pass on analysis of the benefits of the smokefree reforms to Cabinet, emphasising instead the extra tax revenues of repealing them. Photo: Hagen Hopkins, Getty Images TL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me at 7:26 am today are:The Lead: Casey Costello never passed on ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago

  • True Blue.
    True loveYou're the one I'm dreaming ofYour heart fits me like a gloveAnd I'm gonna be true blueBaby, I love youI’ve written about the job cuts in our news media last week. The impact on individuals, and the loss to Aotearoa of voices covering our news from different angles.That by ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago

  • Who is running New Zealand’s foreign policy?
    While commentators, including former Prime Minister Helen Clark, are noting a subtle shift in New Zealand’s foreign policy, which now places more emphasis on the United States, many have missed a key element of the shift. What National said before the election is not what the government is doing now. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 days ago

  • $41m to support clean energy in South East Asia
    New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    12 hours ago

  • Minister releases Fast-track stakeholder list
    The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    14 hours ago

  • Judicial appointments announced
    Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    14 hours ago

  • Education Minister heads to major teaching summit in Singapore
    Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa.  The summit is co-hosted ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    15 hours ago

  • Value of stopbank project proven during cyclone
    A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    15 hours ago

  • Anzac commemorations, Türkiye relationship focus of visit
    Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul.    “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    16 hours ago

  • Minister to Europe for OECD meeting, Anzac Day
    Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    18 hours ago

  • Comprehensive Partnership the goal for NZ and the Philippines
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr.  The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Government commits $20m to Westport flood protection
    The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Taupō takes pole position
    The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Cost of living support for low-income homeowners
    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners.  “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Government backing mussel spat project
    The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Government focused on getting people into work
    Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Clean energy key driver to reducing emissions
    The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Earthquake-prone buildings review brought forward
    The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Thailand and NZ to agree to Strategic Partnership
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Government consults on extending coastal permits for ports
    RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Inflation coming down, but more work to do
    Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • School attendance restored as a priority in health advice
    Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Unnecessary bureaucracy cut in oceans sector
    Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Patterson promoting NZ’s wool sector at International Congress
    Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector.    "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Removing red tape to help early learners thrive
    The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • RMA changes to cut coal mining consent red tape
    Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • McClay reaffirms strong NZ-China trade relationship
    Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Prime Minister Luxon acknowledges legacy of Singapore Prime Minister Lee
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today paid tribute to Singapore’s outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.   Meeting in Singapore today immediately before Prime Minister Lee announced he was stepping down, Prime Minister Luxon warmly acknowledged his counterpart’s almost twenty years as leader, and the enduring legacy he has left for Singapore and South East ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • PMs Luxon and Lee deepen Singapore-NZ ties
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. While in Singapore as part of his visit to South East Asia this week, Prime Minister Luxon also met with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and will meet with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.  During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Antarctica New Zealand Board appointments
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has made further appointments to the Board of Antarctica New Zealand as part of a continued effort to ensure the Scott Base Redevelopment project is delivered in a cost-effective and efficient manner.  The Minister has appointed Neville Harris as a new member of the Board. Mr ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Finance Minister travels to Washington DC
    Finance Minister Nicola Willis will travel to the United States on Tuesday to attend a meeting of the Five Finance Ministers group, with counterparts from Australia, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.  “I am looking forward to meeting with our Five Finance partners on how we can work ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Pet bonds a win/win for renters and landlords
    The coalition Government has today announced purrfect and pawsitive changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to give tenants with pets greater choice when looking for a rental property, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Pets are important members of many Kiwi families. It’s estimated that around 64 per cent of New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Long Tunnel for SH1 Wellington being considered
    State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the Government has also asked NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) to consider and provide advice on a Long Tunnel option, Transport Minister Simeon Brown ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • New Zealand condemns Iranian strikes
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters have condemned Iran’s shocking and illegal strikes against Israel.    “These attacks are a major challenge to peace and stability in a region already under enormous pressure," Mr Luxon says.    "We are deeply concerned that miscalculation on any side could ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Huge interest in Government’s infrastructure plans
    Hundreds of people in little over a week have turned out in Northland to hear Regional Development Minister Shane Jones speak about plans for boosting the regional economy through infrastructure. About 200 people from the infrastructure and associated sectors attended an event headlined by Mr Jones in Whangarei today. Last ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Health Minister thanks outgoing Health New Zealand Chair
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti has today thanked outgoing Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora Chair Dame Karen Poutasi for her service on the Board.   “Dame Karen tendered her resignation as Chair and as a member of the Board today,” says Dr Reti.  “I have asked her to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Roads of National Significance planning underway
    The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has signalled their proposed delivery approach for the Government’s 15 Roads of National Significance (RoNS), with the release of the State Highway Investment Proposal (SHIP) today, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “Boosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Government’s plan to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
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