"The Government yesterday announced a $45 million investment in police on Wednesday, including $15.496 million for a new Tactical Response Model, an additional 78 constabulary staff and 28 intelligence analysts, and frontline training.
The Tactical Response Model will include Tactical Dog Teams and Tactical Prevention Teams with advanced training to undertake warrants and other work involving moderate risk. They will be "generally unarmed" unless specific deployment requires it.
"I want to be clear – the new Tactical Response Model is not Armed Response Teams," Williams said as the funding boost was unveiled.
"These officers will wear standard police uniforms, drive standard police vehicles, and will not be armed in their day-to-day duties. They will support frontline investigation and prevention teams and will focus on high-risk offenders, firearms, methamphetamine, and organised crime groups."
National began calling for the return of ARTs a few months ago after Police Commissioner Andrew Coster revealed violent criminal behaviour was ramping up, and offenders seemed to be more willing to use guns against police.
National's police spokesperson Simeon Brown said on Twitter it was "good" the Government was paying attention to the needs of police, but it looked like the ARTs were being introduced in "disguise". "This is good news for frontline officers but simply reinforces that the ARTs should never have been abandoned."
Police Association president Chris Cahill said the plan "falls short of the overwhelming call from our members for general arming", but he's willing to see how it goes: 'We are prepared to give this tactical response model an opportunity to deliver what our members so clearly need to police safely without the need for general arming.
It's a big ask, but all indications are that police and the Government are serious about a viable alternative between the status quo and an armed police service.'"
… … … …
I found this very interesting. Kind of DOES look to me like the Armed Response Teams, except that I gather they will only carry firearms by order on a case by case basis. Which may give local commanders some wriggle room.
While I personally hesitate to rush to support general arming of the police, having read of the alarming number of cases in recent times where officers have found themselves getting shot at and have been lucky to escape with their lives, I am wondering whether sole officers in patrol cars are too unsafe these days, and should perhaps be wearing their glocks on their hips while on duty.
But then an obvious downside could be that, alone, they may be too much at risk of having their firearm grabbed & used against them. There's no external safety catch on glock pistols. You just pull 'em & fire then, from what I've seen on YouTube gun-lovers' videos.
Some police officers may feel safer and behave differently – if arming NZ police becomes the norm then there will likely be a change in some criminal behaviour too.
Imho routine arming of NZ police would be a backward step – really sad if it’s necessary. #KiwiWayOfLife
No mention of firearms in this 2019 NZ police recruitment video.
Yes, the number of firearms in the possession of criminals is a problem, as is how they choose to use them.
My (uninformed/naive) concern is that some criminals may choose to use their guns more frequently if they know that police officers are routinely armed. I do hope that any 'arms race' (between police officers and criminals) will make the NZ police, and Kiwis in general, safer (or at least no less safe), but I have doubts.
The issue with armed police, as we have seen overseas is it becomes the " police protecting themselves from the public," instead of " the police protecting the public".
We have enough of that attitude from too many already.
Mainly from some of the younger police officers, I suspect.
Sadly, the days of minimum height restrictions & a calm, friendly, helpful manner being some of the principal police recruitment requirements are long gone.
As are the days of at least SOME police officers walking city & town streets, on the beat, when the public/community & the officers got to know & to generally trust each other.
Police officers are now too remote from their corporate-style executive management, & vice versa, I fear.
looks to me more like specialist full-time teams to focus on the big-bads in society. A model that has had mixed results in other police forces – fine until they build an esprit de corps of being "elite" and going for the "big busts" with "high threat levels".
Then they can end up taking down stupid teenagers with the aggression levels needed for arresting pablo escobar.
Well, I dunno what the answer is ensuring our police don’t get shot with no way to immediately defend themselves.
I wouldn’t take on the job of a police officer these days, even if I could.
I posted on other forum for a few years with a poster who’s got two daughters. The older one’s a GP, doing well for herself. He & their mum must have brought them up well because even tho he wasn’t keen the younger one’s a policewoman, in Auckland.
He said she sees a lot of really shitty stuff going on, but she still wants to do the job.
At the time we were posting about it, she’d already been stabbed with a screwdriver once – in South Auckland.
I’m sure I’d be worrying all the time if my “dad’s girl” was a policewoman.
If she's close enough to get stabbed, a gun won't be much help.
One of the good things NZ did was make the AOS largely supplemental to other routine police duties (used to be, anyway – dunno about these days). So they're frontline cops rather than being a sequestered unit where bad attitudes can brew.
But if the tactical response teams end up 9-5 warrant serving, they won't get that out-of-unit exposure.
Just spotted this, in today’s news. Very pertinent. Especially the embedded video of the Police Commissioner, talking about NZ’s criminals having more firearms, where they’re getting them from, & their being much more prepared to use them days.
Found this equally fascinating:
“Judge Russell Collins said a cultural report on Forde’s past and his addiction to meth “painted a pretty sad picture”, involving a childhood beset with violence and alcoholism.
The report, written by high-profile Mongrel Mob member Harry Tam, also said Forde had been subjected to reverse-racism as a Pākehā child raised in Flaxmere, and this had contributed to his becoming a criminal.
The judge said he understood Forde’s reasons for having the firearms, but that could not be accepted as a mitigating argument, and the public had no tolerance for this kind of offending.”
Interesting profile in NY Times ( yes, I know) about the 'other' Bronx progressive congressman that isnt AOC
Unlike AOC who was raised in Westchester suburbs and whos father was an architect Ritchie Torres grew up in a single parent household and worked at dead end minimum wage job.
'“I don’t hire ideologues or zealots,” he tells me on a walk through his district. “Most of the people in the South Bronx are practical rather than ideological. Their concerns are bread and butter, health and housing, schools and jobs.”
He goes off on an interesting tangent on one topic
'Torres is also particularly alarmed by the phenomenon that the Russian American evolutionary anthropologist Peter Turchin calls “elite overproduction.”
“We produce far more college graduates than there are elite positions for those graduates to occupy,” Torres observes. When those graduates find themselves deep in debt, shut out of the kinds of jobs they were promised and crushed by the cost of housing, “it is bound to have a radicalizing effect.”
“The possibility of an additional MIQ facility in Rotorua has created an unlikely political alliance – with National MP Todd McClay, Māori Party MP Rawiri Waititi and Labour List MP Tamati Coffey all united in opposition.
The unified voice from Rotorua’s three MPs comes in the wake of the joint head of managed isolation and quarantine, Megan Main, confirming Rotorua may host additional facilities.
…
Rotorua mayor Steve Chadwick said it had been made “very clear” at a meeting with MIQ officials involving council, iwi, Lakes DHB and Rotorua Economic Development that “Rotorua cannot sustain any more MIQ facilities”.
“Our community has taken on its fair share of MIQ for some time now and we have accepted this at a time when we are also trying to rebuild our economy, and despite housing challenges that have required the use of accommodation stock to fulfil a critical need.”
“Running MIQ facilities impacts on local DHB, police and security resources, and those are resources our community misses out on and that therefore increase risk in these areas. We also need to retain capacity for visitors – which we currently still have.”
…
“Minister Hipkins announced at Wednesday’s 1pm press conference a decision on the location of new MIQ facilities would be announced soon, and his office told Stuff ‘this week, or next week at the latest.'”
… … … … … …
Might be best to look elsewhere, Chris. Wonder if he’ll conclude the same thing?
Maybe the Government could buy the hotels and use them for emergency housing. If they have spare space, those who need emergency housing from other parts of the country can be shipped in. How would the Rotorua luminaries react to that?
Maybe the suggestion can go ahead but the locals can stipulate where those housed come from. Step on down Hamish Walker.
Yes, Sasha, I know. I do sometimes use the Quotes Button on the toolbar.
Problem is my little iPad2 is 2011 -with a pretty small "RAM-brain" for some websites now. I find that after posting 1 or at best 2 comments, the iPad won't let me insert any more text into a new comment.
My workaround is to turn off Javascript in Settings. Then I can type as many comments as I like. BUT – No Javascript : No Toolbox. 😟
I can detect little sympathy in the wider public for poor vaccination rates in the Maori community.
At the end of the day, if Maori don't get vaccinated despite the resources being thrown at the vaccination effort and it is gangs largely made up of Maori that are acting as reservoirs of community covid then the political will to protect Maori communities in the medium term is going to be somewhere between none and less than none.
This political reality seems to elude some people, who will continue to insist on blaming everyone but the mirror when covid catastrophe envelopes the Maori community.
“Vaccination rates of Māori in Taranaki are improving as health providers push for more whānau to get the Covi-19 jab.
District Health Board statistics show that although Māori make up 15.6 percent of people eligible for Covid-19 vaccination in Taranaki, they have only received 10 percent of the shots given in the region.
But last week 1143 Māori had shots in Taranaki, making up 21 percent of all vaccinations in the region – double the previous rate.
It will take a sustained effort to catch up with non-Māori: despite last week’s doubling, the Māori share of all shots so far in Taranaki only gained slightly, from 9.7 percent to 10 percent by the end of the week.”
…. …. ….
Ae, it’s a bit of a mystery why Māori vax rates are still so low. There seem to have been lots of prominent Māori publicly encouraging whanau to get vaccinated. The Māori King arrived rather late to the party but has just recently put something out urging all Māori to get their jabs. Might have been waiting to get his first?
My tuakana (elder same-sex sibling) texted me on 21 August:
“Got mine over a month ago.
Out of the blue call from Māori Tui Ora!
Was due last week for second but heard on news … ring and delay so 7 weeks from first”
…
Well said Sanctuary. That catastrophe could be our undoing in that we settlers may well reap what we have sown ( because of our abysmal treatment of the indigenous people, for those who can't join the dots.).
Yes. I feed a four foot long NZ Native Longfin called Elvira too. I feed them off a 3′ long pointed stick. Meat or dog roll chunks.
Best for them not to arrive together.
Eli attacks Granville. It’s own damn fault. Silly young sod Granville arrived one day at the Eel Spot, where I feed them, behind Elvira, & decided to bite the end of her tail.
He was lucky to survive what happened next. Elvira’s a very BIG girl !
Elvira (below) is a four foot long NZ Native Longfin.
Ella is an even bigger NZ Native Longfin. Longer by about two more inches. I had them arrive for a feed side by side once. I had to work out how to tell them apart. Elvira has a black "beauty spot" on the port side of her dorsal fin, two inches back from where it starts.
"My" stream is pretty big. It would likely be called a river in some countries.
Sometimes it's full of eels – both types.
NZ Native Longfins are protected in all of Wellington's waterways.
That’s what I was thinking yesterday, after it happened.
“Geoscience Australia put the 9.15am quake’s magnitude – a measure of the energy released – at about 5.9. The quake’s epicentre was just south of Mansfield and about 10 kilometres below the Earth’s surface”
…
That’s pretty big. From all the fallen bricks I saw in some street on One News at 6, they’re lucky no one seems to have been injured.
The fallen bricks were, at least as I heard it, in Chapel St, Prahran. It is normally very busy but because of the pandemic the shops were closed. No open shops equals no people. Don't let anyone tell you that there is no good coming from Covid 19.
The proverbial saying 'every cloud has a silver lining' is used to convey the notion that, no matter how bad a situation might seem, there is always has some good aspect to it.
i watched many of the submissions to the Select committee on the BMDRR Bill yesterday.
of note a submission from NZ’s older “states women” including Phillips Bunkle and Sandra Coney. While supporting rights for transgender people, they are against gender self ID and are calling for a royal commission of enquiry into the issues around gender ideology. Their submission starts around 4 50
I am sure people wonder why I continue to post about these issues on the Standard. I do because there is almost a complete media black out on this Bill and almost without exception the only coverage fails to report about gender ideology in any sort of balanced way.
I was also struck by the unprofessional manner of many of the MPs on the committee.
the labour MP for Nelson, Rachel Boyack sat with her eyes closed through out one presentation that she was clearly opposed to. It was very obvious where the committee biases lay, smiling and affirming submissions they supported. Is this usual in select committees? It shouldn’t be. It should be for MPs to neutrally listen and ask relevant questions.
Beth from SUFW gave a great presentation and the micro aggression against her was palpable. Rather than ask questions about the points she raised, Deborah Russell attempted to undermine SUFW, by asking how many people supported them, DR then spoke about NCW and how they have more supporters. I didn’t realise a select committees job was to undermine people who took the time and had the guts to make a presentation. DR attempts back fired as SUFW were able to say200+ active members and over 5000 followers and while NCW have many thousands, very few people follow them on social media. No other submitters asked how many they represent.
[edited link to make it direct and permanent – weka]
The Select Committee's role isn't to uncritically accept what they hear and see from submitters. If submitters choose to submit they need to understand and accept that they will be engaged with and challenged by MPs as that is the nature of political debate.
I've always understood the job of the members of a Select Committee is to ask questions that enhance their understanding of the presenter's submission – points of clarification or follow-up. These people (BDMRR SC) showed no curiosity whatsoever and a couple of them were openly hostile to presenters (SUFW and SWS). This is not what we, taxpayers, pay them for. They need to understand that. The whole idea of this SC process is to substitute for a full and proper public consultation which almost no bill gets and none deserves more than this one.
Thank you for continuing to post about these issues Anker and Weka and others. I don't comment but I always read the posts and all the comments and share your concerns.
thanks so much for the headsup about the FOWL submission. Susan Middleton was outstanding. Ten fucking minutes vs Royal Commission of Inquiry.
I will try and put up a post on Saturday about this, probably a Women's Space post because I see the most important political issue at the moment is for women to have space to talk and organise.
That's fantastic Weka. Just a thought…..I wonder what you think about making this a open post? I.e. open for everyone to comment? I think if you did then men on this site might be more likely to read it.
Just re-read you post about women needing to talk and organise, so disregard what I said about an open post
Its is very significant when NZ Elder Statewomen call for a Royal Commission of Enquiry. Of course nothing in the media about this.
Sandra Coney and Philida Bunkle………For those of you not old enough to know these names google An unfortunate experiment at Greenlane Hospital.
ps Weka was not sure what was meant by your moderator’s comment? Just wanting to check, Cheers,
the link you put up went to the committee’s main FB page, not the page with the video on it. I changed the link so it went directly and people will still be able to find it in a week or a year.
They were exceedingly unprofessional. I get to speak next week and had been thinking of referencing the toxic atmosphere. I did not expect cheap 'gotcha' questions and even accusations of transphobia from Dr Kerekere. Why should anyone offer themselves to provide evidence with their obvious body language. I hope very much the chickens come home to roost on this topic and expose their shameful behaviour. I wrote this in the hope that they do. https://www.publicgood.org.nz/2021/09/23/jan-tinettis-millstone/
Great article Jan. Rachel Boyack unbelievable. It was a select committee to discuss a piece of legislation and RB raised the issue of constituents complaining about something SUFW alleging said in a talk they gave 3 months ago. If it bothered RB so much why didn’t she contacts SUFW to clarify. The complaints made weren’t even correct. SUFW doesn’t talk about women’s refuge in NZ………
I thought about the impact on democracy generally, and women's politics more specifically. I don't know what such committees are usually like, but this was a terrible example of consulation.
Thanks Nordy. I hadn't watched a select committee before, so I didn't know how it worked.
Beth from SUFW was up to the challange, although surely. the challange should be about the ideas submitted for the proposed legislation? No matter, Beth handled the challenge really well.
I agree Sacha about the number of FB followers is no substitute for a well reasoned position, which I think SUFW had. It was Deborah Russell who brought up SUFW membership numbers, although no other group was asked about this. It back fired on DR.
I would recomend anyone watch SUFW, Save NZ sport of Fowls presentations. All well reasoned.
I object to the legitimisation of a changed definition of the word woman , without much wider social debate.The invitation to make submissions is not good enough for such a radical shift..In effect, self sexID is about feelings rather than evidence.What does it mean to "feel" like a woman?Even I don't know and I've had 4 kids, suffered male violence, had painful periods, been discriminated and overlooked because of my sexThe bill amendment does not define what it means by sex or gender.That is far too sloppy
"What does it mean to "feel" like a woman?" I'm damned if I know either. There's nothing that I do or think or feel that's based on my gender. I just am. There's nothing that I do from one day to the next that is effected by my gender, other than the obvious physical attributes.
How does a transgender person 'know' what it feels like to be a woman when we can't identify it.
So true about the responses to a developing female body.The queasiness of being shoved into a corner by a family friend's male gut when no one was around
"Jeez, you're finally filling out"
And the shame of that, not being able to tell someone and be believed
Agree Francesca. They are legalising the changing definition of women and they are doing it by stealth and their is deafening silence by the media.
Having said that I heard SUFW interviewed on Magic Talk today. She was clear, articulate and you could hear the hosts disbelief as he asked questions to clarrify.
The vast majority don't know about these changes and there will be hell to pay for the Green and Labour MPs over this. My prediction.
Select Committees are great places to see the type of people we have as MPs and to see just how badly some of them react to having to sit there wasting their time listening to the Hoi Polloi ….. as some of them so obviously believe.
I have some concerns about the proposed Health changes – but that looks to be a selection of some excellently qualified key people on the boards.
The main thing will be to keep the boards focussed & not let changes get bogged down by unnecessarily bureaucratic middle management. Bureaucracies always grow becos:
Parkinson’s Fourth Law: “The number of people in any working group tends to increase irrespective of the amount of work to be completed.”
&
Parkinson’s Fifth Law: “If there is a way to delay an important decision, the good bureaucracy (or non-elected government officials), public or private, will find it.”
“Political views
Amy Adams describes herself as “socially liberal, economically conservative.” She considers herself a feminist and supported the Abortion Legislation Act 2020. She has defended abortion on the grounds of women’s reproductive rights and urged religious opponents of abortion reform to stop teaching that contraception is a sin.
Adams has also voted in favour of legalising same-sex marriage and legalising assisted dying for people with terminal illnesses.
As Minister of Justice, she wiped the convictions of men convicted of homosexual acts prior to the decriminalisation of homosexuality in 1986, and apologised on behalf of the Government.” – Wikipedia
………………………………………
I don’t have a problem with Adams. She held a telecomms portfolio at one point. Two Labour Ministers have put her on the board. They presumably must believe she brings some useful skills & talents to the table?
The modelling from Te Punaha Matatini suggests that if 80 per cent of the 5+ population was fully vaccinated – around 75 per cent of the entire country – Covid-19 would still cause a serious death toll without other restrictions.
Hendy projects it would cause 60,000 hospitalisations and 7000 deaths over a one-year period.
If 90 per cent of the 5+ population was reached however – around 85 per cent of the full population – then deaths would drop to around 50 over a year.
Summarising:
80% eligible people vaccinated = 7000 deaths per year
For comparison, 27 deaths over 18+ months when vaccination rates were zero to begin with and the Delta variant did not exist from the outset. Not based on modelling, but on cold hard facts.
If vaccines remain effective against the virus or are reinforced with booster shots, if more than 90 percent of the population over the age of 5 is vaccinated and if moderate public health measures (like mandatory masking and improved ventilation) are put in place alongside a comprehensive testing, tracing and case isolation system, then the impact of the virus could be similar to an average flu year.
…
Masking and other widespread but less intrusive public health measures will help depress the R number and vaccines will still make a significant difference, reducing transmission by around 85 percent. But active testing for new cases, contact tracing of positive results, isolation of contacts and quarantine of Covid-19 cases will still be needed, the research has found.
Yup, no silver bullets unless new generation vaccines come around soon that provide lasting sterilising immunity against existing and future Covid-19 variants and possibly still dependent on a global elimination drive. We’re watching & creating the dawning of a New Brave World (not to mention CC).
Te Pūnaha Matatini modeller Professor Shaun Hendy said the cluster was clearly reaching towards the upper limit of expectations when it was detected in Auckland nearly a week ago.
Then they predicted 50 to 120 cases to have been circulating prior to the lockdown.
Now Hendy said a "best-case scenario" could see about 200 cases – greater than the outbreak in August last year – while it was possible the cluster could swell to 1000.
"It's very early to be making estimates because we don't yet know how effective alert level 4 is, but it is possible we could see 1000 cases before we close out this cluster.
"This does mean we will likely see level 4 held in place for several weeks more in the Auckland region.
I stopped searching at last year's US data because we still have loads of old people alive.
If someone needs to go to hospital because of an infectious respiratory disease, they're in deep trouble and going downhill. If they were getting better by themselves, they wouldn't need admitting. Hospitals can usually help, but if there are other factors like age or the patient has other conditions then the odds get worse.
It very much depends on the reason one goes to hospital, these days. Heart attacks? Bloody miracle workers compared to 20 years ago. Most cancers have amazeballs survival stats, too. But your liver or some acute respiratory thing? Still a tall order for a lot of people.
Ultimately, they want people to get vaccinated because they've chosen [my italics] to protect themselves and their community. That will be the main motivation used by the Government.
Transcript by Brittney Deguara of Live update on 23 Sep. 21
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What is it with the mining industry? Its not enough for them to pillage the earth - they apparently can't even be bothered getting resource consent to do so: The proponent behind a major mine near the Clutha River had already been undertaking activity in the area without a ...
Photo # 1 I am a huge fan of Singapore’s approach to housing, as described here two years ago by copying and pasting from The ConversationWhat Singapore has that Australia does not is a public housing developer, the Housing Development Board, which puts new dwellings on public and reclaimed land, ...
Buzz from the Beehive Reactions to news of the government’s readiness to make urgent changes to “the resource management system” through a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) suggest a balanced approach is being taken. The Taxpayers’ Union says the proposed changes don’t go far enough. Greenpeace says ...
I’m starting to wonder if Anna Burns-Francis might be the best political interviewer we’ve got. That might sound unlikely to you, it came as a bit of a surprise to me.Jack Tame can be excellent, but has some pretty average days. I like Rebecca Wright on Newshub, she asks good ...
Chris Trotter writes – Willie Jackson is said to be planning a “media summit” to discuss “the state of the media and how to protect Fourth Estate Journalism”. Not only does the Editor of The Daily Blog, Martyn Bradbury, think this is a good idea, but he has also ...
Graeme Edgeler writes – This morning [April 21], the Wellington High Court is hearing a judicial review brought by Hon. Karen Chhour, the Minister for Children, against a decision of the Waitangi Tribunal. This is unusual, judicial reviews are much more likely to brought against ministers, rather than ...
Both of Parliament’s watchdogs have now ripped into the Government’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s political economy and beyond on the morning of Tuesday, April 23 are:The Lead: The Auditor General,John Ryan, has joined the ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Sarah SpengemanPeople wait to board an electric bus in Pune, India. (Image credit: courtesy of ITDP) Public transportation riders in Pune, India, love the city’s new electric buses so much they will actually skip an older diesel bus that ...
The infrastructure industry yesterday issued a “hurry up” message to the Government, telling it to get cracking on developing a pipeline of infrastructure projects.The hiatus around the change of Government has seen some major projects cancelled and others delayed, and there is uncertainty about what will happen with the new ...
Hi,Over the weekend I revisited a podcast I really adore, Dead Eyes. It’s about a guy who got fired from Band of Brothers over two decades ago because Tom Hanks said he had “dead eyes”.If you don’t recall — 2001’s Band of Brothers was part of the emerging trend of ...
Buzz from the Beehive The 180 or so recipients of letters from the Government telling them how to submit infrastructure projects for “fast track” consideration includes some whose project applications previously have been rejected by the courts. News media were quick to feature these in their reports after RMA Reform Minister Chris ...
It would not be a desirable way to start your holiday by breaking your back, your head, or your wrist, but on our first hour in Singapore I gave it a try.We were chatting, last week, before we started a meeting of Hazel’s Enviro Trust, about the things that can ...
Calling all journalists, academics, planners, lawyers, political activists, environmentalists, and other members of the public who believe that the relationships between vested interests and politicians need to be scrutinised. We need to work together to make sure that the new Fast-Track Approvals Bill – currently being pushed through by the ...
Feel worried. Shane Jones and a couple of his Cabinet colleagues are about to be granted the power to override any and all objections to projects like dams, mines, roads etc even if: said projects will harm biodiversity, increase global warming and cause other environmental harms, and even if ...
Bryce Edwards writes- The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. ...
Michael Bassett writes – If you think there is a move afoot by the radical Maori fringe of New Zealand society to create a parallel system of government to the one that we elect at our triennial elections, you aren’t wrong. Over the last few days we have ...
Without a corresponding drop in interest rates, it’s doubtful any changes to the CCCFA will unleash a massive rush of home buyers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate on Monday, April 22 included:The Government making a ...
Sunday was a lazy day. I started watching Jack Tame on Q&A, the interviews are usually good for something to write about. Saying the things that the politicians won’t, but are quite possibly thinking. Things that are true and need to be extracted from between the lines.As you might know ...
In our Weekly Roundup last week we covered news from Auckland Transport that the WX1 Western Express is going to get an upgrade next year with double decker electric buses. As part of the announcement, AT also said “Since we introduced the WX1 Western Express last November we have seen ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 29 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Stats NZ releases its statutory report on Census 2023 tomorrow.Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivers a pre-Budget speech at ...
A listing of 29 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 14, 2024 thru Sat, April 20, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week hinges on these words from the abstract of a fresh academic ...
The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. The Government says this will ...
This is a column to say thank you. So many of have been in touch since Mum died to say so many kind and thoughtful things. You’re wonderful, all of you. You’ve asked how we’re doing, how Dad’s doing. A little more realisation each day, of the irretrievable finality of ...
Identifying the engine type in your car is crucial for various reasons, including maintenance, repairs, and performance upgrades. Knowing the specific engine model allows you to access detailed technical information, locate compatible parts, and make informed decisions about modifications. This comprehensive guide will provide you with a step-by-step approach to ...
Introduction: The allure of racing is undeniable. The thrill of speed, the roar of engines, and the exhilaration of competition all contribute to the allure of this adrenaline-driven sport. For those who yearn to experience the pinnacle of racing, becoming a race car driver is the ultimate dream. However, the ...
Introduction Automobiles have become ubiquitous in modern society, serving as a primary mode of transportation and a symbol of economic growth and personal mobility. With countless vehicles traversing roads and highways worldwide, it begs the question: how many cars are there in the world? Determining the precise number is a ...
Maintaining a safe and reliable vehicle requires regular inspections. Whether it’s a routine maintenance checkup or a safety inspection, knowing how long the process will take can help you plan your day accordingly. This article delves into the factors that influence the duration of a car inspection and provides an ...
Mazda Motor Corporation, commonly known as Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The company was founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd., and began producing vehicles in 1931. Mazda is primarily known for its production of passenger cars, but ...
Your car battery is an essential component that provides power to start your engine, operate your electrical systems, and store energy. Over time, batteries can weaken and lose their ability to hold a charge, which can lead to starting problems, power failures, and other issues. Replacing your battery before it ...
In most states, you cannot register a car without a valid driver’s license. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. Exceptions to the RuleIf you are under 18 years old: In some states, you can register a car in your name even if you do not ...
Mazda, a Japanese automotive manufacturer with a rich history of innovation and engineering excellence, has emerged as a formidable player in the global car market. Known for its reputation of producing high-quality, fuel-efficient, and driver-oriented vehicles, Mazda has consistently garnered praise from industry experts and consumers alike. In this article, ...
Struts are an essential part of a car’s suspension system. They are responsible for supporting the weight of the car and damping the oscillations of the springs. Struts are typically made of steel or aluminum and are filled with hydraulic fluid. How Do Struts Work? Struts work by transferring the ...
Car registration is a mandatory process that all vehicle owners must complete annually. This process involves registering your car with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and paying an associated fee. The registration process ensures that your vehicle is properly licensed and insured, and helps law enforcement and other authorities ...
Zoom is a video conferencing service that allows you to share your screen, webcam, and audio with other participants. In addition to sharing your own audio, you can also share the audio from your computer with other participants. This can be useful for playing music, sharing presentations with audio, or ...
Building your own computer can be a rewarding and cost-effective way to get a high-performance machine tailored to your specific needs. However, it also requires careful planning and execution, and one of the most important factors to consider is the time it will take. The exact time it takes to ...
Sleep mode is a power-saving state that allows your computer to quickly resume operation without having to boot up from scratch. This can be useful if you need to step away from your computer for a short period of time but don’t want to shut it down completely. There are ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
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, ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 - ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
Asia Pacific Report From France to Australia, university pro-Palestine protests in the United States have now spread to several countries with students pitching on-campus camps. And students at Columbia and other US universities remain defiant as campuses have witnessed the biggest protests since the anti-Vietnam war and anti-apartheid eras in ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards, Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)New Zealand Government’s Fast Track legislation. 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 ...
Tara Ward talks to presenter Naomi Toilalo about the new TV show that turns food waste into a three course feast. Naomi Toilalo is standing in the warehouse at Good Neighbour Tauranga, helping unpack the two-and-a-half tonnes of rejected food that will arrive at the community support hub that day. ...
Scout is our latest Dog of the Month. This feature was offered as a reward during our What’s Eating Aotearoa PledgeMe campaign. Thank you to Scout’s human, Avril, for her support. Dog name: Scout (named after the little girl in To Kill a Mockingbird – she inherited the independent spirit ...
Megan Alatini takes us through her life in TV, including ‘terrible’ daytime TV, the class of Carol Hirschfeld and her most embarrassing TrueBliss moment. When she responded to a vague newspaper ad asking “do you have what it takes to be a popstar?” 25 years ago, Megan Alatini never guessed ...
A new exhibition in Wellington showcases the faces behind your local goods and services. Back in 1977, when I was a fine arts student at the University of Canterbury, I took a series of photographs of Christchurch shopkeepers. The photos were for a calendar – a project for my end ...
Toomaj and his resistance to tyranny through his songs have become an icon for the youth of Iran, so his sentence has hit the nation hard. Toomaj Salehi is not the first artist to pay the price for standing with the people. ...
My cousin Dylan and I spotted these big eels under the bridge that summer. We watched them lounging under the dark weed, facing into the flow of water, their mouths frozen open. Dylan and I couldn’t stop thinking about those eels. The night we went down to the creek, we ...
Newsroom, home of satire. My long-running weekly satirical series The Secret Diary has moved to Newsroom and will appear every Saturday, with Victor Billot’s wildly popular satirical Odes continuing to appear every Sunday. Diaries, Odes – while serious political columnists toil at meaningful opinions and stroke their chins to an ...
Tara Ward unravels the many nuanced layers of a cartoon about talking dogs.This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. It’s not often an episode of a children’s cartoon has adults sobbing into their sleeves, but that’s exactly what happened this week when ...
Working as a doctor in developing countries to help communities achieve better health outcomes is nothing short of a life goal for Jessica Tater. The University of Otago medical student has her sights firmly set on joining the international humanitarian organisation Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) when she qualifies ...
There’s an island in the far reaches of Auckland’s territory, sitting off the tip of the Coromandel Peninsula, 30 minutes by air from the city or four hours on the slow boat. Aotea Great Barrier is off-grid, it has a population of fewer than a thousand people … and most ...
Asia Pacific Report An Australian author and advocate, Jim Aubrey, today led a national symbolic one minute’s silence to mark the “blood debt” owed to Papuan allies during the Second World War indigenous resistance against the invading Japanese forces. “A promise to most people is a promise,” Aubrey said in ...
Asia Pacific Report The Freedom Flotilla is ready to sail to Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. All the required paperwork has been submitted to the port authority, and the cargo has been loaded and prepared for the humanitarian trip to the besieged enclave. However, organisers received word of an “administrative ...
Pacific Media Watch Palestine solidarity protesters today demonstrated at the Auckland headquarters of Television New Zealand, accusing the country’s major TV network of broadcasting “propaganda” backing Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. About 50 protesters targeted the main entrance to the TVNZ building near Sky Tower and also picketed a side ...
Opinion by Lynley Hood. Forty years on from my 1985 Fulbright Grant, my disquiet over the war in Gaza evoked some troubling questions. The answer to my first question – What is the primary purpose of the Fulbright Programme? – was on the Fulbright NZ website. It says: US Senator, ...
The ministers responsible for green-lighting major projects need to be open about potential conflicts of interest, says Transparency International. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Powell, Professor, Family and Sexual Violence, RMIT University It has been a particularly distressing start to the year. There is little that can ease the current grief of individuals, families and communities who have needlessly lost a loved one to men’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Lichen, the first described example of symbiosis.AdeJ Artventure/Shutterstock Once known only to those studying biology, the word symbiosis is now widely used. Symbiosis is the intimate ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim Hemsley, Head, Childhood Dementia Research Group, Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University Olena Ivanova/Shutterstock “Childhood” and “dementia” are two words we wish we didn’t have to use together. But sadly, around 1,400 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Whiteford, Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University The government’s Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee has just published its second report. It was set up by Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth in 2022 to provide: ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne The Queensland state election will be held in October. A YouGov poll for The Courier Mail, conducted April 9–17 from a sample ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Naeni, PhD candidate at Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University There’s been much talk in recent months about what a possible second Donald Trump presidency in the United States could mean for Europe, Russia’s war in Ukraine, the ...
A brief round-up of submissions on the controversial proposed law. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week, submissions on the controversial Fast-track Approvals Bill closed just hours after the government released a list of stakeholder organisations who were sent letters advising how they could ...
A poem from Robin Peace’s new collection Detritus of Empire: feather / grass / rock. Cereal giving I see a woman’s hands, see her curious hands break a stalk as she walks through the tall prairie, the savannah, the steppe, wherever it was. See her idly bite the grass that ...
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.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2021/09/police-minister-poto-williams-insists-new-tactical-response-model-is-not-armed-response-teams.html
"The Government yesterday announced a $45 million investment in police on Wednesday, including $15.496 million for a new Tactical Response Model, an additional 78 constabulary staff and 28 intelligence analysts, and frontline training.
The Tactical Response Model will include Tactical Dog Teams and Tactical Prevention Teams with advanced training to undertake warrants and other work involving moderate risk. They will be "generally unarmed" unless specific deployment requires it.
"I want to be clear – the new Tactical Response Model is not Armed Response Teams," Williams said as the funding boost was unveiled.
"These officers will wear standard police uniforms, drive standard police vehicles, and will not be armed in their day-to-day duties. They will support frontline investigation and prevention teams and will focus on high-risk offenders, firearms, methamphetamine, and organised crime groups."
National began calling for the return of ARTs a few months ago after Police Commissioner Andrew Coster revealed violent criminal behaviour was ramping up, and offenders seemed to be more willing to use guns against police.
National's police spokesperson Simeon Brown said on Twitter it was "good" the Government was paying attention to the needs of police, but it looked like the ARTs were being introduced in "disguise". "This is good news for frontline officers but simply reinforces that the ARTs should never have been abandoned."
Police Association president Chris Cahill said the plan "falls short of the overwhelming call from our members for general arming", but he's willing to see how it goes: 'We are prepared to give this tactical response model an opportunity to deliver what our members so clearly need to police safely without the need for general arming.
It's a big ask, but all indications are that police and the Government are serious about a viable alternative between the status quo and an armed police service.'"
… … … …
I found this very interesting. Kind of DOES look to me like the Armed Response Teams, except that I gather they will only carry firearms by order on a case by case basis. Which may give local commanders some wriggle room.
While I personally hesitate to rush to support general arming of the police, having read of the alarming number of cases in recent times where officers have found themselves getting shot at and have been lucky to escape with their lives, I am wondering whether sole officers in patrol cars are too unsafe these days, and should perhaps be wearing their glocks on their hips while on duty.
But then an obvious downside could be that, alone, they may be too much at risk of having their firearm grabbed & used against them. There's no external safety catch on glock pistols. You just pull 'em & fire then, from what I've seen on YouTube gun-lovers' videos.
Bugger.
*You just pull 'em & fire them
(Dunno why the TS edit feature isn't coming up on my iPad any more after I post?)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_New_Zealand_police_officers_killed_in_the_line_of_duty
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/111880584/drumbeat-remains-for-permanent-arming-of-nz-police
Some police officers may feel safer and behave differently – if arming NZ police becomes the norm then there will likely be a change in some criminal behaviour too.
Imho routine arming of NZ police would be a backward step – really sad if it’s necessary. #KiwiWayOfLife
No mention of firearms in this 2019 NZ police recruitment video.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/108057755/new-police-recruitment-video-aims-to-attract-diverse-new-cops-such-as-sam-nugegoda
And just for information (NZ and Norway are adjacent in the list).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Police_firearm_use_by_country#New_Zealand
https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/police-killings-by-country
Problem seems to be that our crims are routinely armed now, especially with the charming imports from Aus in recent years.
Yes, the number of firearms in the possession of criminals is a problem, as is how they choose to use them.
My (uninformed/naive) concern is that some criminals may choose to use their guns more frequently if they know that police officers are routinely armed. I do hope that any 'arms race' (between police officers and criminals) will make the NZ police, and Kiwis in general, safer (or at least no less safe), but I have doubts.
The targets however appear to be other gang members, not police, or the general public, That may well change if they are confronted by armed police.
An "arms race" is definitely possible. It has happened elsewhere.
The issue with armed police, as we have seen overseas is it becomes the " police protecting themselves from the public," instead of " the police protecting the public".
We have enough of that attitude from too many already.
Mainly from some of the younger police officers, I suspect.
Sadly, the days of minimum height restrictions & a calm, friendly, helpful manner being some of the principal police recruitment requirements are long gone.
As are the days of at least SOME police officers walking city & town streets, on the beat, when the public/community & the officers got to know & to generally trust each other.
Police officers are now too remote from their corporate-style executive management, & vice versa, I fear.
looks to me more like specialist full-time teams to focus on the big-bads in society. A model that has had mixed results in other police forces – fine until they build an esprit de corps of being "elite" and going for the "big busts" with "high threat levels".
Then they can end up taking down stupid teenagers with the aggression levels needed for arresting pablo escobar.
Well, I dunno what the answer is ensuring our police don’t get shot with no way to immediately defend themselves.
I wouldn’t take on the job of a police officer these days, even if I could.
I posted on other forum for a few years with a poster who’s got two daughters. The older one’s a GP, doing well for herself. He & their mum must have brought them up well because even tho he wasn’t keen the younger one’s a policewoman, in Auckland.
He said she sees a lot of really shitty stuff going on, but she still wants to do the job.
At the time we were posting about it, she’d already been stabbed with a screwdriver once – in South Auckland.
I’m sure I’d be worrying all the time if my “dad’s girl” was a policewoman.
If she's close enough to get stabbed, a gun won't be much help.
One of the good things NZ did was make the AOS largely supplemental to other routine police duties (used to be, anyway – dunno about these days). So they're frontline cops rather than being a sequestered unit where bad attitudes can brew.
But if the tactical response teams end up 9-5 warrant serving, they won't get that out-of-unit exposure.
.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/125538791/guns-bombs-and-ammo-found-at-gang-pad-for-protection
Just spotted this, in today’s news. Very pertinent. Especially the embedded video of the Police Commissioner, talking about NZ’s criminals having more firearms, where they’re getting them from, & their being much more prepared to use them days.
Found this equally fascinating:
“Judge Russell Collins said a cultural report on Forde’s past and his addiction to meth “painted a pretty sad picture”, involving a childhood beset with violence and alcoholism.
The report, written by high-profile Mongrel Mob member Harry Tam, also said Forde had been subjected to reverse-racism as a Pākehā child raised in Flaxmere, and this had contributed to his becoming a criminal.
The judge said he understood Forde’s reasons for having the firearms, but that could not be accepted as a mitigating argument, and the public had no tolerance for this kind of offending.”
😠
* these days.
Yeah, I'm just wary of heading to models that end up escalating that problem while being a sledgehammer to crack the nuts of less serious offending.
First Dog on the Moon has an important message from Mother Nature.
'
"Whatever you thought you would be doing at the end of the world, you are doing it right now"
FDOTM
"Get back on the comet you flew here on dickheads” made me larf.
Interesting profile in NY Times ( yes, I know) about the 'other' Bronx progressive congressman that isnt AOC
Unlike AOC who was raised in Westchester suburbs and whos father was an architect Ritchie Torres grew up in a single parent household and worked at dead end minimum wage job.
'“I don’t hire ideologues or zealots,” he tells me on a walk through his district. “Most of the people in the South Bronx are practical rather than ideological. Their concerns are bread and butter, health and housing, schools and jobs.”
He goes off on an interesting tangent on one topic
'Torres is also particularly alarmed by the phenomenon that the Russian American evolutionary anthropologist Peter Turchin calls “elite overproduction.”
“We produce far more college graduates than there are elite positions for those graduates to occupy,” Torres observes. When those graduates find themselves deep in debt, shut out of the kinds of jobs they were promised and crushed by the cost of housing, “it is bound to have a radicalizing effect.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/21/opinion/Ritchie-Torres-AOC.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPP3p2Dp52A
😆 Hahahahahaha!
That’s brilliant !
Crikey! Very funny. Lot of hard work there.
Good work
.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/126455787/rotoruas-three-mps-united-in-opposition-against-additional-miq-hotels-in-tourism-hub
“The possibility of an additional MIQ facility in Rotorua has created an unlikely political alliance – with National MP Todd McClay, Māori Party MP Rawiri Waititi and Labour List MP Tamati Coffey all united in opposition.
The unified voice from Rotorua’s three MPs comes in the wake of the joint head of managed isolation and quarantine, Megan Main, confirming Rotorua may host additional facilities.
…
Rotorua mayor Steve Chadwick said it had been made “very clear” at a meeting with MIQ officials involving council, iwi, Lakes DHB and Rotorua Economic Development that “Rotorua cannot sustain any more MIQ facilities”.
“Our community has taken on its fair share of MIQ for some time now and we have accepted this at a time when we are also trying to rebuild our economy, and despite housing challenges that have required the use of accommodation stock to fulfil a critical need.”
“Running MIQ facilities impacts on local DHB, police and security resources, and those are resources our community misses out on and that therefore increase risk in these areas. We also need to retain capacity for visitors – which we currently still have.”
…
“Minister Hipkins announced at Wednesday’s 1pm press conference a decision on the location of new MIQ facilities would be announced soon, and his office told Stuff ‘this week, or next week at the latest.'”
… … … … … …
Might be best to look elsewhere, Chris. Wonder if he’ll conclude the same thing?
Where is the elsewhere ?
Rotorua has the hotels. Do they just let them rot and its tourism industry accomodation will just grow again like a new forest….yeah over 20 years!
Ah, what to do?
Maybe the Government could buy the hotels and use them for emergency housing. If they have spare space, those who need emergency housing from other parts of the country can be shipped in. How would the Rotorua luminaries react to that?
Maybe the suggestion can go ahead but the locals can stipulate where those housed come from. Step on down Hamish Walker.
Gezza, have you tried the Quotes button on the editor toolbar? Easy way to show what is from the article and what your own comments are.
Test
Yes, Sasha, I know. I do sometimes use the Quotes Button on the toolbar.
Problem is my little iPad2 is 2011 -with a pretty small "RAM-brain" for some websites now. I find that after posting 1 or at best 2 comments, the iPad won't let me insert any more text into a new comment.
My workaround is to turn off Javascript in Settings. Then I can type as many comments as I like. BUT – No Javascript : No Toolbox. 😟
I'm trying different layouts eg … … … … dotted lines
to see if that visually helps demarcate any "quoted text" from my free text.
Sounds frustrating Gezza.
Not really as frustrating as it sounds, Sasha.
roblogic suggested the workaround to me a week or so ago – was having the same problem with his(?) iPad – a more recent one.
It only takes 2 or 3 seconds to open Settings, turn JS off, & refresh Safari.
Then I just leave it like that unless I need to re-enable Javascript to play & watch a video, for example.
PS: Apologies – just noticed your monicker is correctlly spelt Sacha.
Thank you.
I can detect little sympathy in the wider public for poor vaccination rates in the Maori community.
At the end of the day, if Maori don't get vaccinated despite the resources being thrown at the vaccination effort and it is gangs largely made up of Maori that are acting as reservoirs of community covid then the political will to protect Maori communities in the medium term is going to be somewhere between none and less than none.
This political reality seems to elude some people, who will continue to insist on blaming everyone but the mirror when covid catastrophe envelopes the Maori community.
16 Sept 2021: Stuff :
“Vaccination rates of Māori in Taranaki are improving as health providers push for more whānau to get the Covi-19 jab.
District Health Board statistics show that although Māori make up 15.6 percent of people eligible for Covid-19 vaccination in Taranaki, they have only received 10 percent of the shots given in the region.
But last week 1143 Māori had shots in Taranaki, making up 21 percent of all vaccinations in the region – double the previous rate.
It will take a sustained effort to catch up with non-Māori: despite last week’s doubling, the Māori share of all shots so far in Taranaki only gained slightly, from 9.7 percent to 10 percent by the end of the week.”
…. …. ….
Ae, it’s a bit of a mystery why Māori vax rates are still so low. There seem to have been lots of prominent Māori publicly encouraging whanau to get vaccinated. The Māori King arrived rather late to the party but has just recently put something out urging all Māori to get their jabs. Might have been waiting to get his first?
My tuakana (elder same-sex sibling) texted me on 21 August:
“Got mine over a month ago.
Out of the blue call from Māori Tui Ora!
Was due last week for second but heard on news … ring and delay so 7 weeks from first”
…
And we’re not even Māori ! 😳
Well said Sanctuary. That catastrophe could be our undoing in that we settlers may well reap what we have sown ( because of our abysmal treatment of the indigenous people, for those who can't join the dots.).
Perhaps listen to the likes of Hone Harawira to get a view from a different lens.
Thank you gsays.
This is Granville, in my stream. A 3 foot long Australasian Shortfin eel. He's a beautiful colour – yellow & green. And a very personable tuna.
https://i.imgur.com/RMnFCWf.gif
Yes. They certainly can see you and rise up to be near the surface…you must be feeding him/her
Yes. I feed a four foot long NZ Native Longfin called Elvira too. I feed them off a 3′ long pointed stick. Meat or dog roll chunks.
Best for them not to arrive together.
Eli attacks Granville. It’s own damn fault. Silly young sod Granville arrived one day at the Eel Spot, where I feed them, behind Elvira, & decided to bite the end of her tail.
He was lucky to survive what happened next. Elvira’s a very BIG girl !
I think in some southern lakes they have a giant variant- the NZ longfin
Yes, so do we up in the North Island.
Elvira (below) is a four foot long NZ Native Longfin.
Ella is an even bigger NZ Native Longfin. Longer by about two more inches. I had them arrive for a feed side by side once. I had to work out how to tell them apart. Elvira has a black "beauty spot" on the port side of her dorsal fin, two inches back from where it starts.
"My" stream is pretty big. It would likely be called a river in some countries.
Sometimes it's full of eels – both types.
NZ Native Longfins are protected in all of Wellington's waterways.
Best you don't tell Elvira about eel-rents.
https://historiacartarum.org/eel-rents-project/
Good heavens !
No, joe. I wouldn't want to do anything to ruin our beautiful relationship!
https://vimeo.com/403093791
There's a creepy man's face peering out of the mud at 7 seconds. And again at the end.
.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/world/australia/300413783/scientists-say-victoria-quake-probably-caused-by-tectonic-pressure-from-nz
That’s what I was thinking yesterday, after it happened.
“Geoscience Australia put the 9.15am quake’s magnitude – a measure of the energy released – at about 5.9. The quake’s epicentre was just south of Mansfield and about 10 kilometres below the Earth’s surface”
…
That’s pretty big. From all the fallen bricks I saw in some street on One News at 6, they’re lucky no one seems to have been injured.
I did not realise it was their biggest quake in Melbourne since colonisation until an Australian tv reporter said it on the tvnz breakfast show.
If you have any friends in Melbourne I suggest that you send them a link to this site. It provides a record of all the earthquakes that happen.
https://earthquaketrack.com/p/new-zealand/recent?mag_filter=5
I asked for earthquakes greater than 5 on the North Island East Coast. There are lots of them.
Then you tell your Melburnian mates that a 5.8 is nothing at all. People wouldn't even get up from their chair for that.
The fallen bricks were, at least as I heard it, in Chapel St, Prahran. It is normally very busy but because of the pandemic the shops were closed. No open shops equals no people. Don't let anyone tell you that there is no good coming from Covid 19.
Tru dat.
Gawd. Didn’t expect I’d need to a grammar check on that website! 😰
What is the world coming to these days ! I blame the education dept.
Yes. ONE building has the part of the parapet collapse and into a side street off a well known shopping strip.
Considering the vast swaths of the city in Victorian era unreinforced brick buildings- which they still build with today- Im very surprised.
Good job, it’s time we were able to put some pressure on them instead of vice versa.
of note a submission from NZ’s older “states women” including Phillips Bunkle and Sandra Coney. While supporting rights for transgender people, they are against gender self ID and are calling for a royal commission of enquiry into the issues around gender ideology. Their submission starts around 4 50
I am sure people wonder why I continue to post about these issues on the Standard. I do because there is almost a complete media black out on this Bill and almost without exception the only coverage fails to report about gender ideology in any sort of balanced way.
I was also struck by the unprofessional manner of many of the MPs on the committee.
the labour MP for Nelson, Rachel Boyack sat with her eyes closed through out one presentation that she was clearly opposed to. It was very obvious where the committee biases lay, smiling and affirming submissions they supported. Is this usual in select committees? It shouldn’t be. It should be for MPs to neutrally listen and ask relevant questions.
Beth from SUFW gave a great presentation and the micro aggression against her was palpable. Rather than ask questions about the points she raised, Deborah Russell attempted to undermine SUFW, by asking how many people supported them, DR then spoke about NCW and how they have more supporters. I didn’t realise a select committees job was to undermine people who took the time and had the guts to make a presentation. DR attempts back fired as SUFW were able to say200+ active members and over 5000 followers and while NCW have many thousands, very few people follow them on social media. No other submitters asked how many they represent.
[edited link to make it direct and permanent – weka]
The Select Committee's role isn't to uncritically accept what they hear and see from submitters. If submitters choose to submit they need to understand and accept that they will be engaged with and challenged by MPs as that is the nature of political debate.
And the number of Facebook followers a submitter has is no substitute for a well-reasoned position.
Oh, yes, but a social media megaphone does help spreading beliefs and opinions 24/7 straight onto people’s Apple Watches.
Luckily their position was well reasoned and well evidenced as well as being eloquently delivered.
Lucky for some.
I've always understood the job of the members of a Select Committee is to ask questions that enhance their understanding of the presenter's submission – points of clarification or follow-up. These people (BDMRR SC) showed no curiosity whatsoever and a couple of them were openly hostile to presenters (SUFW and SWS). This is not what we, taxpayers, pay them for. They need to understand that. The whole idea of this SC process is to substitute for a full and proper public consultation which almost no bill gets and none deserves more than this one.
Thank you for continuing to post about these issues Anker and Weka and others. I don't comment but I always read the posts and all the comments and share your concerns.
Thanks Pingao. That really helps to know.!
thanks so much for the headsup about the FOWL submission. Susan Middleton was outstanding. Ten fucking minutes vs Royal Commission of Inquiry.
I will try and put up a post on Saturday about this, probably a Women's Space post because I see the most important political issue at the moment is for women to have space to talk and organise.
Best wishes with this.
@ weka
Ditto.
That's fantastic Weka. Just a thought…..I wonder what you think about making this a open post? I.e. open for everyone to comment? I think if you did then men on this site might be more likely to read it.
Just re-read you post about women needing to talk and organise, so disregard what I said about an open post
Sandra Coney and Philida Bunkle………For those of you not old enough to know these names google An unfortunate experiment at Greenlane Hospital.
ps Weka was not sure what was meant by your moderator’s comment? Just wanting to check, Cheers,
the link you put up went to the committee’s main FB page, not the page with the video on it. I changed the link so it went directly and people will still be able to find it in a week or a year.
Thanks very much. The conversion practices prohibition bill is underway too. Again there are some serious problems. Migt you be interested in an open letter that I have written to Dr Ayesha Verrall as a post for discussion. It's here. https://www.publicgood.org.nz/wp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Letter-to-Dr-Ayesha-Verrall.pdf
They were exceedingly unprofessional. I get to speak next week and had been thinking of referencing the toxic atmosphere. I did not expect cheap 'gotcha' questions and even accusations of transphobia from Dr Kerekere. Why should anyone offer themselves to provide evidence with their obvious body language. I hope very much the chickens come home to roost on this topic and expose their shameful behaviour. I wrote this in the hope that they do. https://www.publicgood.org.nz/2021/09/23/jan-tinettis-millstone/
I thought about the impact on democracy generally, and women's politics more specifically. I don't know what such committees are usually like, but this was a terrible example of consulation.
Thanks Nordy. I hadn't watched a select committee before, so I didn't know how it worked.
Beth from SUFW was up to the challange, although surely. the challange should be about the ideas submitted for the proposed legislation? No matter, Beth handled the challenge really well.
I agree Sacha about the number of FB followers is no substitute for a well reasoned position, which I think SUFW had. It was Deborah Russell who brought up SUFW membership numbers, although no other group was asked about this. It back fired on DR.
I would recomend anyone watch SUFW, Save NZ sport of Fowls presentations. All well reasoned.
I object to the legitimisation of a changed definition of the word woman , without much wider social debate.The invitation to make submissions is not good enough for such a radical shift..In effect, self sexID is about feelings rather than evidence.What does it mean to "feel" like a woman?Even I don't know and I've had 4 kids, suffered male violence, had painful periods, been discriminated and overlooked because of my sexThe bill amendment does not define what it means by sex or gender.That is far too sloppy
"What does it mean to "feel" like a woman?" I'm damned if I know either. There's nothing that I do or think or feel that's based on my gender. I just am. There's nothing that I do from one day to the next that is effected by my gender, other than the obvious physical attributes.
How does a transgender person 'know' what it feels like to be a woman when we can't identify it.
Just found this. It's excellent
https://www.feministcurrent.com/2018/07/07/feeling-like-woman/
“Woman” is not a feeling. “Woman” just is.
Thanks Brigid
That was great!
So true about the responses to a developing female body.The queasiness of being shoved into a corner by a family friend's male gut when no one was around
"Jeez, you're finally filling out"
And the shame of that, not being able to tell someone and be believed
Because
'he was just being friendly'
Never ever occurred to any of them just how disgusted and revolted we were. And somehow we blamed ourselves!!
Jesus effing bloody christ
Exactly!
Thank you for that
Agree Francesca. They are legalising the changing definition of women and they are doing it by stealth and their is deafening silence by the media.
Having said that I heard SUFW interviewed on Magic Talk today. She was clear, articulate and you could hear the hosts disbelief as he asked questions to clarrify.
The vast majority don't know about these changes and there will be hell to pay for the Green and Labour MPs over this. My prediction.
Select Committees are great places to see the type of people we have as MPs and to see just how badly some of them react to having to sit there wasting their time listening to the Hoi Polloi ….. as some of them so obviously believe.
Govt appoints the initial boards of peak new sector organisations Health NZ and the Māori Health Authority – some solid people named. https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/expert-group-appointed-lead-new-zealand%E2%80%99s-future-health-system
I have some concerns about the proposed Health changes – but that looks to be a selection of some excellently qualified key people on the boards.
The main thing will be to keep the boards focussed & not let changes get bogged down by unnecessarily bureaucratic middle management. Bureaucracies always grow becos:
Parkinson’s Fourth Law: “The number of people in any working group tends to increase irrespective of the amount of work to be completed.”
&
Parkinson’s Fifth Law: “If there is a way to delay an important decision, the good bureaucracy (or non-elected government officials), public or private, will find it.”
Some excellently qualified people and Amy Adams
“Political views
Amy Adams describes herself as “socially liberal, economically conservative.” She considers herself a feminist and supported the Abortion Legislation Act 2020. She has defended abortion on the grounds of women’s reproductive rights and urged religious opponents of abortion reform to stop teaching that contraception is a sin.
Adams has also voted in favour of legalising same-sex marriage and legalising assisted dying for people with terminal illnesses.
As Minister of Justice, she wiped the convictions of men convicted of homosexual acts prior to the decriminalisation of homosexuality in 1986, and apologised on behalf of the Government.” – Wikipedia
………………………………………
I don’t have a problem with Adams. She held a telecomms portfolio at one point. Two Labour Ministers have put her on the board. They presumably must believe she brings some useful skills & talents to the table?
Adams was a competent Minister. She also has rural networks which is a big qualification for that role.
Fresh Covid modelling by Shaun Hendy shows big impact of vaccination levels. https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/300414146/covid19-nz-modelling-suggests-7000-deaths-in-a-year-even-with-75-per-cent-of-country-jabbed
Summarising:
That’s a MASSIVE difference !
Wonder how reliable the modelling is tho.
For comparison, 27 deaths over 18+ months when vaccination rates were zero to begin with and the Delta variant did not exist from the outset. Not based on modelling, but on cold hard facts.
The facts are based on natural selection,hence the difficulty with the laws of chance.
I think those new numbers are without lockdowns. More detail that I have not read yet: https://www.newsroom.co.nz/modelling-thousands-of-deaths-without-high-vaccination-rates
Yup, no silver bullets unless new generation vaccines come around soon that provide lasting sterilising immunity against existing and future Covid-19 variants and possibly still dependent on a global elimination drive. We’re watching & creating the dawning of a New Brave World (not to mention CC).
Core numbers
https://twitter.com/marcdaalder/status/1440846815000084481
Hendry's modelling of Covid in NZ has been pretty impressive. On the 24th August at the beginning the current outbreak his modelling forecast the outbreak could top 1000 cases.
So around 12% of hospitalisations result in death? Seems high.
Not that high really.
I stopped searching at last year's US data because we still have loads of old people alive.
If someone needs to go to hospital because of an infectious respiratory disease, they're in deep trouble and going downhill. If they were getting better by themselves, they wouldn't need admitting. Hospitals can usually help, but if there are other factors like age or the patient has other conditions then the odds get worse.
It very much depends on the reason one goes to hospital, these days. Heart attacks? Bloody miracle workers compared to 20 years ago. Most cancers have amazeballs survival stats, too. But your liver or some acute respiratory thing? Still a tall order for a lot of people.
Transcript by Brittney Deguara of Live update on 23 Sep. 21
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/coronavirus/300413679/covid19-live-15-new-community-cases-in-auckland-government-releases-new-vaccine-modelling
That's a pretty impressive AB 23 picked for the 100th test with the Boks.
Bring it on boys and give them a hiding.
Depth at hooker, largely forgotten about Laumape with the steadiness of Havili and Ioane in the centres and Barrett looking good at 10.
Here is an interesting take on the great foe.
https://www.theroar.com.au/2021/09/22/how-the-springboks-hit-an-english-speed-bump-at-suncorp/amp/