This is the outcome when a pandemic becomes rampant in a country which has a very high population. The logistics of being prepared for Covid in heavily populated countries is massive.
It is a very worrying time for anyone who has family in India. International aid will probably be required. This can be said for Brazil as well.
I am watching to see what will happen in Melbourne as the infectious man in Perth flew to Melbourne. Probably a domino effect shutting state borders in Australia.
I have not been in favour of a trans – Tasman bubble at this stage in the Covid pandemic. Covid is such an unpredictable bastard on so many levels and to jeopardise hard won gains is/was foolish.
It's looking like the bubble is pretty much a fizzer from a tourism pov so far.
Most, as in pretty much all, users of the services into Queenstown are New Zealanders going to see the whanu, to and from the wider southern region. We haven't had an Australian through the gallery, or heard any in the street, but the town's quite busy with New Zealanders with the school holidays.
I was working above Queenstown airport yesterday and two flights came in from Australia that we so light they were able to slow and go off the taxiway 2/3 the way down the runway, and without much effort. Domestic flights were having to use the full length to stop and some were working hard to do so, it's a very short runway.
Also noticing a change in language around town about interest in travel. It's gone from "strong bookings", ie the best rooms have been grabbed for the peak times and wholesale bookings for resale the week before travel as ski packages, to " strong search interest" or even "oh, there's a bit of search interest". We'll see what happens come July and August.
It's looking that people in Australia and New Zealand are being very responsible with their travel and trying to keep their exposure within definable bubbles. The VFF category is easily contact traced, it's mostly within a family bubble rather than out in the wider community as individuals. VFF is also very good for our community and individual wellbeing, and with most New Zealanders having family or friends in Australia the ability to travel and meet with them is something we need to do as soon as we are able. The risks are no different to travel in/out of Auckland, or interstate in Aussie, during an out break and we can manage that fine.
Nearly all the statements / press releases I've seen from industry players pleading for, or praising, the bubble can be interpreted as efforts to kick the bank manager can as far down the road as is physically possible.
Quite possible all they are going to achieve is a sore toe. With a couple of local examples it might be a very sore toe.
we never expected any 'tourism' from the bubble expansion here in Rotorua, just maybe a few people coming home without having to go into quarantine or people coming to visit.
And to be honest, where would the money come from to travel also. Oz may be subsidizing people into travelling but here we say nah nah nah to that.
Were the border to close like it has in Western Australia, not having to pay for a bed needed to have been considered. Some people on trans – Tasman trips could be weighting up relocating closer to family.
Air New Zealand said customers were being given the option to rebook, put their flight into credit or receive a refund if they purchased a refundable ticket.
Further to my comments above about flight loadings into ZQN, this popped up on my FB feed, sums up the bubble very well. The flight is NZ264 from Melbourne to Queenstown yesterday.
Hopefully it works, edit, does if you click on the FB link
Well put.
In my opinion, your considered and insightful eyewitness account, coming as it does from an insider's point of view deserves, to be more widely published and read.
Could you forward it to the admin of this website for consideration as a post.
This aligns with the mood of the nation on opening borders. Most just do not want it. It's nice that some families can visit each other, but mostly this was done to shut up mouthy right wingers.
Again, most responsible people simply do not want to travel for leisure at this time.
Incredible the tourism industry and airlines got this so wrong.
Turns out yet another bit of anti-Russian cold war propaganda disseminated by the rabid war mongering Liberal press and their useful idiots is just another piece of fake news…anyone else see a pattern forming here?
Yes you are right, every year it seems that MSM, and sadly pretty much all so called Liberal MSM entrench themselves further as nothing more than voice boxes for war, conflict and division when called upon to do so.
When the most effective medium for whistle blowers in our life times in the shape of Julian Assange is publicly humiliated, tortured and imprisoned, our media remain almost silent..but then to illustrate just how effective their propaganda model is, MSM actually get the public worked up enough over the openly racist and super dodgy Navaldy to protest and cry foul about him, but not Assange..that is really saying something disturbing about the effectiveness of mass media manipulation, even after four years of Russia gate, conducted by the most powerful information gathering organizations ever to exist that led to absolutely nothing, you would think people would learn, however in many cases, apparently not.
The news was hot with tales of Russian doping dastardliness…oh those Russians ..
We were subjected to weeks of Russian depravity on the field, the cheating bastards !!
But when those athletes took their case to appeal, and had the opportunity to cross examine the "whistleblower" Rodchenkov…he didn't come out well..28 athletes had their ban overturned and 7 medals were returned .
Quietly forgotten .We are left instead with the initial outrage
Thanks francesca, I wasn't aware of those developments in that story. This state fueled propaganda is getting pretty out of control…I just had my official complaint to RNZ over their coverage of the Douma poisoning rejected because the stories are over ten weeks old. However as I said in my complaint, I wasn’t complaining about their coverage at the time, I am complaining that they haven’t covered any of the recent developments of that that story which debunk the original accusations.
"Returning to the United Nations, veteran German diplomat and former top UN official Hans von Sponeck calls for an end to the stonewalling of accountability for the OPCW's cover-up of its April 2018 Douma chemical weapons probe."
‘
“I just had my official complaint to RNZ over their coverage of the Douma poisoning rejected because the stories are over ten weeks old.”
Adrian Thornton
Kia ora Adrian, It is a shame that RNZ rejected your complaint on grounds that it was over ten theeks old, rather than over your dispute of the facts of the Douma poisoning.
It is a disapointment, because if RNZ had bothered to go into the substance of your complaint more deeply it would have been instructive for all of us.
However if you want to cut and paste a copy of your complaint to RNZ to this forum, I for one would be interested in reading it to decide for myself if it has any merit.
And while on the subject of Liberal fake news…here is a great piece from one of the very few remaining US journalists that is worth a damn..Matt Taibbi
Rachel Maddow is Bill O'Reilly
After hyping a fake story for a year, cable's leading anchor doesn't blink and moves on to the next fable
It's interesting to consider the New Zealand equivalents of these U.S. personalities. Our own versions of Matt Taibbi would be John Stephenson, Nicky Hager, Gordon Campbell, Paula Penfold. (John Campbell has been excellent in challenging the powerful, and has angered many politicians, including Helen Clark, Gerry Brownlee, and the Prime Minister of Samoa; however, his credulous acceptance of the Russiagate conspiracy theory would amuse and appal Matt Taibbi.)
Bill O'Reilly: sadly this country has far more replicas of that ill-informed but opinionated right winger than it does of Matt Taibbi. The list is long and depressing: Mike Hosking, Karl Du Fresne, David Farrar, Neil Miller, Sean Plunket, Richard Harman, Bill Ralston, Duncan Garner, Barry Soper, Heather Du Plessis-Allan, … ad nauseam.
Rachel Maddow: Who's a New Zealand woman who has earned a reputation as an intelligent and perceptive interviewer, but has done much to erode that reputation by uncritically aligning herself with the right wing of the Democratic Party and its glum bunch of ideological warriors? Step forward, Dame KIM HILL.
Speaking of Kim Hill, Adrian, did you hear Jennifer Robinson this morning politely but firmly telling her that her statements about Julian Assange were false? It was the most complete demolition job done on her since another Australian human rights champion, John Pilger, took her to task for retailing Pentagon talking points in 2003.
Hi Morrissey, yes I tuned in especially to see how Kim would handle that interview, it went pretty much as I expected, Kim knows enough to know when she is on the wrong side of history, so was never going to seriously tangle with Robinson on Assange, just like she quickly backed off her guest (sorry forgot their name) who was on her show to talk about conspiracy theories recently, when he used Russia gate as an example of a contemporary conspiracy theory…it has been obvious from the outset, if these liberals talking heads had any confidence in these things, they would be only happy to interview Greenwald, Taibbi, Mate' etc, but of course never did and never will…enough said.
I was still shocked to hear her repeat the lie about him irresponsibly releasing files on WikiLeaks. Judging by her hesitant tone, I don't think she actually believed a word of what she was saying, but she said it all the same.
It raises, yet again, serious questions about her judgement and her integrity. It also raises questions about the judgement and integrity of her producer, who must have been aware of the questions and allegations she had prepared.
Yes I noticed her half hearted tone during that exchange as well..I don't believe there is any question about RNZ's producers or management, they represent New Zealand's own version of The Guardian, who have proved that they are one of the greatest threats to any serious progressive Left Wing project ever getting traction.
They are just centrist free market liberals who defend that ideology just as much as every other ideologue defends theirs..myself included, the only difference is that I happen to be fighting for the right one and they are not.
Robinson had the best answer too, that when misinformation gets repeated enough in the mainstream press people start to believe it – a brilliant indirect jab at RNZ. Let me guess.. this will be Robinson's first and last interview on this rather odious station.
At the time it seemed the more pressing bounty for Trump to eliminate was the one out on the Venezuelan president. But that is still being put up by the Biden administration.
And for all the talk of New Zealand ‘sucking up” to China or being the “West’s woke weak link” from some British MPs and news outlets, it really reeks more of a long post-colonial confusion within the UK about what its role in the world is. It is still struggling to get used to its diminished importance as the structural power centre of the world moves east.
True yes. But the UK still over- estimates its place as a world power. My comment was more in relation to the patently stupid responses coming from sections of the UK media.
In short, NZ is once again showing its ability to be slightly ahead of the rest of the 5 – Eye countries. It happened in the mid 1980s when we moved on the insane escalation of nuclear weaponry. We stuck to our guns and eventually they fell into line and followed us… not the other way round.
My assessment would be the 'sections of UK media' are likely acting at the behest of the dominant 'partner' rather than any inflated sense of importance….and would contest the notion that any of the other 5 eyes members have followed our anti nuclear position….rather it is studiously ignored.
… would contest the notion that any of the other 5 eyes members have followed our anti nuclear position….rather it is studiously ignored.
They aren't as transparent as NZ, but both East and West did agree to limit the number of nuclear weapons they held which was an accomplishment of sorts – along with the world-wide anti-nuclear movement.
Of course since then the sabre rattling has restarted on both sides but I'm too old now to care much about it. Its all so puerile in my humble opinion.
I would say it is less their imperial power, than their status as a centre of culture. One cannot have a clown PM like Boris or a clown President like Trump and expect the world to take you seriously. The VRWC, in choosing populism over public interest policy, has, like the later Roman emperors, condemned their nations to decline and loss of influence.
"About a year ago the decision was made that the merger/takeover would proceed and the Ministry of Culture and Heritage outsourced the policy function to PwC, an accounting firm, to make a business case. (Note the term ‘business’. The framework is the commercialisation of RNZ – even had PwC much expertise in public policy, its advice will be trapped in a Rogernomic framework.)"
Our governments have abdicated the formation of public policy to the idealogues of neoliberalism for decades past so its unsurprising the same mistakes are being perpetuated….this wont change until we redevelop in house capability/capacity
This is the real locus and range of political choice and debate in the UK, i.e. what sort of Tory government are they going to get – Dodgy Dave, Clown Boris or Dry Stick Theresa – hard or soft Brexit, austerity or not so much austerity, etc. The Murdoch propaganda machine has done its job.
Get used to the Tories, AB. The Labour Party, which under Jeremy Corbyn became the biggest political party in Europe, has been reduced to a pile of ashes by the Blairite rump. We will never see another Labour government in Britain.
Kim couldve been a lot more demonstratedly ill informed i reckon morrissey T he corporate news talking points she did mention didnt extend to many of the familiar smears no mention of sweden etc didnt even repeat the one about him being mean to his cat !!Im not in love with lots of stuff the boss,s in rnz manage but at least they allowed kim to say assanges name a few times and have i think a quite pleasant interview with JR.
The things with legacy ………one does not really get to choose how people remember one, or what ones legacy is. I have seriously never come across anyone more detached from the reality of poverty than the current crew that runs this labour government. Out of touch, arrogant, useless.
Fears of an emerging "motel generation" are beginning to grow in Hawke's Bay as the number of children living in emergency accommodation spikes.
Ministry of Social Development data revealed to Hawke's Bay Today shows there are now 3888 children living in emergency housing nationwide – 225 in Hawke's Bay alone.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern told Hawke's Bay Today that while alternatives to emergency housing are sometimes worse, the Government is not satisfied with the current arrangements.
However, Ardern said she did not believe that a "motel generation" of children would be part of her legacy as Prime Minister.
Dear Leader, it is already your legacy. It will always be your legacy. No matter how much you protests to the contrary, if you want the good you need to also acknowledge your failures and when it comes to housing, poor people and their poor kids your legacy stinks to high heavens right next to the legacy of John Key. Two peas, one pod.
Sabine, if you're implying that there's really nothing of substance to choose between the two, then I respectfully disagree with your opinion. I know which ‘pea‘ I prefer.
I Eat My Peas with Honey (by Anonymous)
I eat my peas with honey;
I’ve done it all my life.
It makes the peas taste funny,
But it keeps them on the knife.
To some people, truffles, bonbons, pralines and Roses are just chocolates. Distinctions are useful or inconvenient, depending on the narrative (AKA wheel-barrow) one wants to push.
It seems to me that you don't know much about chocolate. Only that could explain you considering roses as 'just chocolate' while in effect it is 'just rubbish' as is the motel warehousing policy of this government. Chocolates would be the government stopping to continue to do what did not work under National, considering that they are so different. But then i hear there are people who consider Cadbury chocolate. Some just can't be helped.
I am a bit surprised that Davidson and Menendez have not been more vocal in having MSD pay the rent shortfall so people do not need to live in a motel.
The urgency of avoiding people living in a motel needs immediate attention and action. Introducing the old special benefit and having allowable costs worked in the past before temporary additional supplement replaced it apart from some still being paid a special benefit.
The Greens can do no more then Labour could when National warehoused people in motels and rundown properties for top dollar. Crow, from the back benches to no avail.
there is literally no difference between this under National in 2014
Winz will loan people money to rent out a motel room as emergency housing, when there is nowhere else to put them.
People then have to repay the debt, and many say that is just not possible.
Earlier this week, when asked what people living in cars or garages should do, Prime Minister John Key had a simple reply.
"My really strong advice is to go and see Work and Income," he said, "and we'll see what we can do, because I think people very often don't understand what's available to them.
2019
The government now spends more than $3 billion per year on housing assistance – with more and more of that money being spent on motels.
Emergency housing grants, which cover short term accommodation, were introduced in July 2016 as a stop gap measure but are increasingly being used for longer stays as the housing crisis bites.
There are 1899 households in private motels, with 381 of those in motels for more than three months at a cost of $1500 each a week.
Figures show it's big business for some motels, with five providers alone receiving $20m in the last three years to provide shelter for the homeless.
The top earner is an Auckland motelier, Auckland Astro Residences – it's been paid $6.1 million.
The Government is defending its decision to charge those staying in motels as emergency housing rent.
It announced Thursday, as part of a $300m homelessness package, that those who stayed in motels as a form of emergency housing longer than seven days would now be charged rent equivalent to 25 per cent of their income – the same amount charged for those in public and transitional housing.
Fears of an emerging "motel generation" are beginning to grow in Hawke's Bay as the number of children living in emergency accommodation spikes.
Ministry of Social Development data revealed to Hawke's Bay Today shows there are now 3888 children living in emergency housing nationwide – 225 in Hawke's Bay alone.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern told Hawke's Bay Today that while alternatives to emergency housing are sometimes worse, the Government is not satisfied with the current arrangements.
However, Ardern said she did not believe that a "motel generation" of children would be part of her legacy as Prime Minister.
i would like to know if the 25% that people in emergency housing have to pay of their benefits for the pleasure to be housed unsafely, over crowded, amongst gangs, drug, booze, abuse, violence are truly charged. I remember people here getting upset and writing posts about the dastardly nationalistas and paula benefit who charged emergency housed with the costs – refundable 5 NZD a week. I would really like to know if they went ahead with it, mind i would not put it past them. Callous is as callous does, and these guys are callous.
They truly are two peas in a pod. A blue pea, a red pea in the pod of NZ. And neither one of them consider the homeless their constituency unless its e lection time, or time to hug a baby for the cameras to show some ‘kindness’ and some ‘gentleness’ for the poor unfortunate people this country has no place and no use for.
There is a reason why the government do not want to bridge the gap by paying a shortfall in rent to prevent people needing to live in motels.
Menendez needs to do costings, once the accommodation supplement and temporary additional support caps are reached the shortfall would be $100 – $200 a week. Compare this to the cost of a motel.
I think the government do not want to send a signal to landlords that the government will subsidise a person's rent past a point. Government probably think this would slow an increase in market rents. Subsidising motel owners is preferred.
never mind asking an associate minister, there will be no answers.
In 2018, a parliamentary inquiry said introducing the new test should be done immediately. “Any delay in implementing primary HPV screening will have significant adverse effects and risks.”
It described unnecessary cervical cancer as a “serious threat”.
Ginny Niwa was eventually diagnosed with cervical cancer in the UK after having clear smear tests in NZ. In the UK, she was told her cancer would have been there for at least three years. She's advocating for a new test that the Government has failed to fund. She is pictured with her daughter Indi Niwa, 17 months.
Stuff asked Associate Minister of Health Ayesha Verrall what she thought of diagnoses being missed because of the delay, if she supports funding for primary HPV testing, and when a new programme should be implemented.
In a statement, spokeswoman Ranjani Ponnuchetty said: “The Minister is working hard on this issue. Regarding any funding decisions, they are matters for Government Budgets.”
She should have just said that at this stage she could not comment. Ask the minister. It would have had more value then "the minister is working 'hard''. That is a quote worthy of a Trumpian spokesperson.
In the future it is possible that some women will be able to take their own sample for HPV testing. There are still questions to address regarding how self-sampling would work in New Zealand and how women would be supported for any follow up testing or treatment required.
The Ministry of Health is funding further research about the acceptability and feasibility of self-sampling in New Zealand and is also investigating the effectiveness of different self-sampling devices.
Any self-sample test needs to be as safe and effective as a sample collected by a smear taker.
Māori doctors are urging the Ministry of Health to reconsider postponing a self-swabbing cervical cancer programme they say is more effective, less invasive and more affordable.
This here is the money quote that strikes right into the heart.
It was due to be rolled out in 2018, but the government put it on ice.
For those who prefer a self test, the method needs to be available. Those who want the current method they should be able to access it.
Cervical cancer screening reduces cervical cancer, especially when caught at the pre cancer stage or insitu stage. The HPV jab is also in the tool kit.
The below par up take of HPV vaccination needs to be looked into due to being effective for other cancers associated with HPV. I did not realise 2 injections were required.
"…But it was hated by landlords, real-estate investors and members of Germany’s conservative political parties. The lawsuit against the cap was filed by 284 parliamentary members of the centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and Christian Social Union (CSU), and the neoliberal Free Democrats (FDP)."
"Last week’s ruling represents a defeat for Berlin’s housing movement, but it may yet prove to be a pyrrhic victory for the city’s landlords and speculators. Anger over the nullification of the rent cap is fuelling support for the expropriation and remunicipalisation of thousands of units of public housing that had been privatised. Some activists would like to go further and expropriate empty flats."
Rent controls are a political issue. When it comes to being homeless there are property investors who look the other way, a political party says no rent control and banks allow too much money to be loaned so high rent is required to pay the bank.
Having different interest rates, a high one for a property investor and a low one for a first home buyer.
Everything is a political issue….i find it curious that after 5 years of (presumably) a political decision, possibly at local level it has been legally challenged by the political class.
As noted in the piece, the victory(?) may well be pyrrhic…when something is unsustainable , one thing is certain….it wont continue.
That article illustrates very well how international and intractable the accomodation crisis is. When rental housing is the best, or only, investment with any sort of return and perceived lowish risk the shit's going to hit the fan for the poor bastards that have to rent.
We'll see if the imminent rise in interest rates, with a flow on to deposit rates will start to ease things for tenants.
Not so much ponzi, but the last reasonable investment with the perception of a manageable risk.
Housing will generally give you 5%, pretty risk free. Bank investments, the best my bank is offering is 0.90%. What are you going to do? The Share Market and Managed Funds offer better returns, comparable or maybe better than housing but require more knowledge and present more risk. Also most of the people putting their money into housing now were around when fortunes went down the gurgler in 1987 and 2008, often their fortunes, so are a tad wary of those sorts of investments now.
Agree 1% is a poor return (esp with bail in) but I suspect that many are due to find out that RE is no less susceptible to losses ….and ponzi is exactly what it is, increasing credit to sustain existing credit, and it all has to be underpinned by an (shrinking) economy with only one direction for servicing costs.
The folly will be obvious after the event…all too late.
Pat
That should be published as a poster! Could everyone of an activist nature, copy this message without name or other information to distract the eye, on half of an A4 sheet (a size easier to find a place for on a bulletin board etc), in about 14 font, clear and easily read, and pin, staple, bluetack – whatever is appropriate, somewhere in a public place. And repeat in about two weeks somewhere else etc. It could be a new way of breaking through the great disease of Plum Smugness (ie the boy with the pie who pulled out a plum. This was a sly rhyme about a trusted servant who stole the title to lands hidden in a pie!
Just these words – (under the heading of Financial Loss for Real Estate investors – a simple, striking and unwelcome message.)!
Financial Loss for Real Estate Investors ie Houses
Real Estate is susceptible to losses ….
and Ponzi is exactly what it is,
increasing credit to sustain existing credit, and
it all has to be underpinned by a (shrinking) economy
with only one direction for servicing costs.
The folly will be obvious after the event…all too late.
…Chris Roberts dissect the meaning of the nursery rhyme "Little Jack Horner." It's about a real estate swindle in 16th-century England. Roberts is the author of Heavy Words Lightly Thrown: The Reason Behind the Rhyme.
You think the real estate market is treacherous today, try England in the late 1530s. That's what the nursery rhyme "Little Jack Horner" is really all about. ..
`Little Jack Horner sat in a corner eating his Christmas pie.
He stuck in a thumb and pulled out a plum and said,
"What a good boy am I."'
Where to begin with this? This is talking about the dissolution of the monasteries, Henry VIII taking property from the Catholic Church. Jack, as we know, is actually called Thomas Horner. Now he was a steward to the Abbot of Glastonbury during the reign of Henry VIII. This is how the story goes: He was entrusted to take some title deeds of properties to Henry VIII as a bribe so the abbot could keep the main monastery, but was prepared to give away some of the lesser properties.
Now the title deeds were held and sealed in a pie, and Jack's off to London. But instead of delivering the bribe to Henry VIII, he helps himself to the pie, puts his hand in, pulls out a plum piece of real estate–in this case, a place called Mells Manor-
And the CDU/CSU – the federal german and bavarian state capitalists are neither Christian nor social.
As for the FDP – years ago they almost got taken over by students in a concerted effort to swamp membership for this party- so much fun, but sadly they found out too soon and stopped accepting membership request. This Party is useless on its own and can only get traction as part of a coalition and is usually considered a 'filler party' for the above mentioned Parties if they have to have a coalition partner that will be silent and roll over on demand.
And yes, while Germany is a federation we do have a Free State with its on set of laws – Bavaria, we have a free State City Hamburg with very much its own set of laws. Sadly Berlin – to new a town in terms of German history never got elevated to a 'free' status. And thus like in the eighties is still run by the same set of hostage takers it was in the 80s when we squatted due to no availablity of flats.
It should have done some some years ago to be honest.
this is a good rundown on the "Hafenstadt Occupation" in Hamburg that has been a thing now since the seventies. And interstingly enough it saved a lot of beautiful houses and complexes in Hamburg, one of them the 'Porttown' which is just stunning. One of the Oldest ones would be the "alte Flora' a building which has been occupied since 1986 🙂 (giggles with delight)
the beginning of the occupation of empty buidings in Berlin.
and this is repeated throughout Germany but these would be the most known towns for it. Ah, when the left was radical. Good times.
I am not sure how to convert these links into english language, but the first has a nice list of of occupied buildings and pictures to give an idea just what you can occupy if you put your heart to it. Some of these buildings are grandios.
Why do we privatise? It's the latest economic fashion. Unfortunately they don't change economic OS as fast as clothing fashions. You have to put up with obvious bad management even criminality for so many decades it turns into an era. When it should be seen to be a glitch in a good record and quickly abandoned when noticed.
The UK government had had a postal service since 1516. I see from Wikipedia that a directive came from the EU to privatise it and that was done in 2012. I am so ignorant, I didn't think that the EU did this sort of thing. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Mail#Privatisation
There had been lots of complaints about it before that. Poor delivery service: Often a miserable, underpaid temp, who stuffs all the mail for six flats through the door in one torn and crumpled bundle because he or she is so frightened of being penalised by the manager for not meeting a preposterous delivery target that there is no time even to take the rubber bands off.
In beefing the delivery targets to unmanageable sizes per worker, then sacking postmen for failing to meet them, in axing the second post and generally thumping down the iron fist, the Royal Mail managed this year to make a £321m operating profit. They celebrated by imposing an immediate pay freeze on the workers.
2009/Oct.18 https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2009/oct/18/victoria-coren-royal-mail
Then they had started jailing the small subpostmasters for theft and hiding the fact that discrepancies were likely to be caused by faults in their tech caused by their Horizon operating system.
The Post Office ultimately settled the civil claim brought by more than 550 claimants for £57.75m, without admitting liability, in December 2019.
Justice Fraser found Horizon contained “bugs, errors and defects” and that there was a “material risk” shortfalls in branch accounts were caused by the system.
……Subpostmasters’ lives were “irreparably ruined”, as they lost their jobs, homes and marriages after they were prosecuted by the Post Office – which knew the Fujitsu-developed IT system had “faults and bugs from the earliest days of its operation”, the court of appeal heard last month.
A pregnant subpostmaster was jailed and said the baby stopped her from thinking about suicide. One man, imprisoned, found himself crying every day. Their names have been blackened, their ability to get work affected, they had to declare themselves criminals n forms at the airport etc. They felt forced to plead guilty as advised by their barristers, rather than take on the mighty power of the now unscrupulous Postal Service, once held in high esteem. These two people were both Indian. I just note that as of interest amongst all the disturbing facts of this dreadful business of the UKPost
Thanks Grey, disturbing info on UK Post. The idea of public service has been affected/infected by the pernicious profit motive pandemic. Too late for a vaccine?
No profit from the pandemic – vaccine for all!
Global Health Day 2021 Statement: On the 7th of April, we celebrate Global Health. The COVID-19 pandemic has showed us how vital health and care services are to our lives and our societies. The pandemic has also demonstrated that only publicly owned, not for profit health and social care services are able to efficiently cope with major health crises and, most importantly, ensure accessibility for all citizens, regardless of economic status. Finally, COVID-19 has shown that health and social care are public goods.
Public services can guarantee the right to care for all. They can ensure the preparedness and resilience of health and care services for future health emergencies. One of the main lessons learnt from the COVID-19 pandemic is that, more than ever, we need to protect health and care from commercialisation and privatisation. No one should be making a profit from the pandemic.
Marketisation and Privatisation in Criminal Justice (2020) As privatisation, outsourcing and the impact of market cultures spread further across the system, the authors look ahead to future developments and signpost the way to reform in a ‘post-market’ criminal justice sphere.
Introduction Criminal justice used to be thought of as a field that ought to be autonomous from politics and the economy, with the management of crime and punishment being seen as essentially the responsibility of the state. Now, however, it is widely agreed that decades of marketisation and privatisation have blurred the institutional boundaries and functions of the public sector with those of for-profit and civil society interests in many parts of the penal/welfare complex. The ‘mixed market’ in criminal justice services, pursued by successive governments since the 1980s, accelerated sharply in the wake of the Austerity Agenda and the reconstruction of the social economy post the banking crisis of 2007. The ascendancy of market imaginaries is such that their influence on policing, prisons, probation, legal services and the courts, let alone numerous ancillary services from prisoner transport to interpretation services, is seemingly irreversible.
On Kneejerk Negativism, Cardi B, And Linda Manz (August 2020) Evidently, the government has looked at (a) the deadly role that incompetent private security firms have played in the deadly outbreak of community transmission in Melbourne and (b) at the role of private security staff in the latest privacy breach committed here. Serco and the private prisons fiasco had already shown that the profit motive is all but incompatible with maintaining high standards of security.
What Is a Capitalist Economy Example? New Zealand is a prime example of a capitalist economy. This wealthy country in the Asian Pacific region has systemically deregulated and privatized many industrial and professional sectors since the 1980s. Its judicial system recognizes and enforces private property interests and contracts. Government subsidies are low, and an open, liberal attitude to global trade and investment is well-established. Tariffs are low on imports and exports, which comprise around 50% of New Zealand's GDP. https://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/042215/what-difference-between-capitalist-system-and-free-market-system.asp
Unravelling + reMAKING the public good Part 2: Unravelling privatisation Unravelling and then reMAKING the public good is not something to be done alone or at high speed. In Part 1, we introduced the idea of the public good and what it might mean for helping us to achieve an Australia reMADE. In Part 2 we look at the way privatisation and marketisation threaten the public good.
Good reading there Drowsy – (you aren't!). That ReMADE approach, I’m thinking now about our new health project. Is Labour attempting this with the Health Project meant to give our health system a vaccine against poor management? It needs to go to the very source of the flow of medical services – the Ministry of Health (or as Rosemary McDonald has sarcastically described as the Misery of Health.)
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 ...
Introduction Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) has revolutionized the field of translation by harnessing the power of technology to assist human translators in their work. This innovative approach combines specialized software with human expertise to improve the efficiency, accuracy, and consistency of translations. In this comprehensive article, we will delve into the ...
In today’s digital age, mobile devices have become an indispensable part of our daily lives. Among the vast array of portable computing options available, iPads and tablet computers stand out as two prominent contenders. While both offer similar functionalities, there are subtle yet significant differences between these two devices. This ...
A computer is an electronic device that can be programmed to carry out a set of instructions. The basic components of a computer are the processor, memory, storage, input devices, and output devices. The Processor The processor, also known as the central processing unit (CPU), is the brain of the ...
Voice Memos is a convenient app on your iPhone that allows you to quickly record and store audio snippets. These recordings can be useful for a variety of purposes, such as taking notes, capturing ideas, or recording interviews. While you can listen to your voice memos on your iPhone, you ...
Laptop screens are essential for interacting with our devices and accessing information. However, when lines appear on the screen, it can be frustrating and disrupt productivity. Understanding the underlying causes of these lines is crucial for finding effective solutions. Types of Screen Lines Horizontal lines: Also known as scan ...
Right-clicking is a common and essential computer operation that allows users to access additional options and settings. While most desktop computers have dedicated right-click buttons on their mice, laptops often do not have these buttons due to space limitations. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on how to right-click ...
Powering up and shutting down your ASUS laptop is an essential task for any laptop user. Locating the power button can sometimes be a hassle, especially if you’re new to ASUS laptops. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on where to find the power button on different ASUS laptop ...
Dell laptops are renowned for their reliability, performance, and versatility. Whether you’re a student, a professional, or just someone who needs a reliable computing device, a Dell laptop can meet your needs. However, if you’re new to Dell laptops, you may be wondering how to get started. In this comprehensive ...
Two-thirds of the country think that “New Zealand’s economy is rigged to advantage the rich and powerful”. They also believe that “New Zealand needs a strong leader to take the country back from the rich and powerful”. These are just two of a handful of stunning new survey results released ...
In today’s digital world, screenshots have become an indispensable tool for communication and documentation. Whether you need to capture an important email, preserve a website page, or share an error message, screenshots allow you to quickly and easily preserve digital information. If you’re an Asus laptop user, there are several ...
A factory reset restores your Gateway laptop to its original factory settings, erasing all data, apps, and personalizations. This can be necessary to resolve software issues, remove viruses, or prepare your laptop for sale or transfer. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to factory reset your Gateway laptop: Method 1: ...
“You talking about me?”The neoliberal denigration of the past was nowhere more unrelenting than in its depiction of the public service. The Post Office and the Railways were held up as being both irremediably inefficient and scandalously over-manned. Playwright Roger Hall’s “Glide Time” caricatures were presented as accurate depictions of ...
Roger Partridge writes – When the Coalition Government took office last October, it inherited a country on a precipice. With persistent inflation, decades of insipid productivity growth and crises in healthcare, education, housing and law and order, it is no exaggeration to suggest New Zealand’s first-world status was ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – In 2022, the Curriculum Centre at the Ministry of Education employed 308 staff, according to an Official Information Request. Earlier this week it was announced 202 of those staff were being cut. When you look up “The New Zealand Curriculum” on the Ministry of ...
Chris Bishop’s bill has stirred up a hornets nest of opposition. Photo: Lynn Grieveson for The KākāTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate from the last day included:A crescendo of opposition to the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill is ...
Monday left me brokenTuesday, I was through with hopingWednesday, my empty arms were openThursday, waiting for love, waiting for loveThe end of another week that left many of us asking WTF? What on earth has NZ gotten itself into and how on earth could people have voluntarily signed up for ...
Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.State of humanity, 20242024, it feels, keeps presenting us with ever more challenges, ever more dismay.Do you give up yet? It seems to ask.No? How about this? Or this?How about this?Full story Share ...
Determining the hardest sport in the world is a subjective matter, as the difficulty level can vary depending on individual abilities, physical attributes, and experience. However, based on various factors including physical demands, technical skills, mental fortitude, and overall accomplishment, here is an exploration of some of the most challenging ...
The allure of sport transcends age, culture, and geographical boundaries. It captivates hearts, ignites passions, and provides unparalleled entertainment. Behind the spectacle, however, lies a fascinating world of financial investment and expenditure. Among the vast array of competitive pursuits, one question looms large: which sport carries the hefty title of ...
Introduction Pickleball, a rapidly growing paddle sport, has captured the hearts and imaginations of millions around the world. Its blend of tennis, badminton, and table tennis elements has made it a favorite among players of all ages and skill levels. As the sport’s popularity continues to surge, the question on ...
Abstract: Soccer, the global phenomenon captivating millions worldwide, has a rich history that spans centuries. Its origins trace back to ancient civilizations, but the modern version we know and love emerged through a complex interplay of cultural influences and innovations. This article delves into the fascinating journey of soccer’s evolution, ...
Tinting car windows offers numerous benefits, including enhanced privacy, reduced glare, UV protection, and a more stylish look for your vehicle. However, the cost of window tinting can vary significantly depending on several factors. This article provides a comprehensive guide to help you understand how much you can expect to ...
The pungent smell of gasoline in your car can be an alarming and potentially dangerous problem. Not only is the odor unpleasant, but it can also indicate a serious issue with your vehicle’s fuel system. In this article, we will explore the various reasons why your car may smell like ...
Tree sap can be a sticky, unsightly mess on your car’s exterior. It can be difficult to remove, but with the right techniques and products, you can restore your car to its former glory. Understanding Tree Sap Tree sap is a thick, viscous liquid produced by trees to seal wounds ...
The amount of paint needed to paint a car depends on a number of factors, including the size of the car, the number of coats you plan to apply, and the type of paint you are using. In general, you will need between 1 and 2 gallons of paint for ...
Jump-starting a car is a common task that can be performed even in adverse weather conditions like rain. However, safety precautions and proper techniques are crucial to avoid potential hazards. This comprehensive guide will provide detailed instructions on how to safely jump a car in the rain, ensuring both your ...
Graham Adams writes about the $55m media fund — When Patrick Gower was asked by Mike Hosking last week what he would say to the many Newstalk ZB callers who allege the Labour government bribed media with $55 million of taxpayers’ money via the Public Interest Journalism Fund — and ...
Note: this blog post has been put together over the course of the week I followed the happenings at the conference virtually. Should recordings of the Great Debates and possibly Union Symposia mentioned below, be released sometime after the conference ends, I'll include links to the ones I participated in. ...
The following was my submission made on the “Fast Track Approvals Bill”. This potential law will give three Ministers unchecked powers, un-paralled since the days of Robert Muldoon’s “Think Big” projects.The submission is written a bit tongue-in-cheek. But it’s irreverent because the FTAB is in itself not worthy of respect. ...
One Could Reduce Child Poverty At No Fiscal CostFollowing the Richardson/Shipley 1990 ‘redesign of the welfare state’ – which eliminated the universal Family Benefit and doubled the rate of child poverty – various income supplements for families have been added, the best known being ‘Working for Families’, introduced in 2005. ...
Buzz from the Beehive A few days ago, Point of Order suggested the media must be musing “on why Melissa is mute”. Our article reported that people working in the beleaguered media industry have cause to yearn for a minister as busy as Melissa Lee’s ministerial colleagues and we drew ...
1. What was The Curse of Jim Bolger?a. Winston Peters b. Soon after shaking his hand, world leaders would mysteriously lose office or shuffle off this mortal coilc. Could never shake off the Mother of All Budgetsd. Dandruff2. True or false? The Chairman of a Kiwi export business has asked the ...
Jack Vowles writes – New Zealand is said to be suffering from ‘serious populist discontent’. An IPSOS MORI survey has reported that we have an increasing preference for strong leaders, think that the economy is rigged toward the rich and powerful, and political elites are ignoring ‘hard-working people’. ...
Chris Trotter writes – MELISSA LEE should be deprived of her ministerial warrant. Her handling – or non-handling – of the crisis engulfing the New Zealand news media has been woeful. The fate of New Zealand’s two linear television networks, a question which the Minister of Broadcasting, Communications ...
TL;DR: The podcast above features co-hosts and , along with regular guests Robert Patman on Gaza and AUKUS II, and on climate change.The six things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the ...
Policymakers rarely wish to make plain or visible their desire to dismantle environmental policy, least of all to the young. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s the top five news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above between Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent ...
I like to keep an eye on what’s happening in places like the UK, the US, and over the ditch with our good mates the Aussies. Let’s call them AUKUS, for want of a better collective term. More on that in a bit.It used to be, not long ago, that ...
TL;DR: The global economy will be one fifth smaller than it would have otherwise been in 2050 as a result of climate damage, according to a new study by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and published in the journal Nature. (See more detail and analysis below, and ...
New Zealand is said to be suffering from ‘serious populist discontent’. An IPSOS MORI survey has reported that we have an increasing preference for strong leaders, think that the economy is rigged toward the rich and powerful, and political elites are ignoring ‘hard-working people’. The data is from February this ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters is understood to be planning a major speech within the next fortnight to clear up the confusion over whether or not New Zealand might join the AUKUS submarine project. So far, there have been conflicting signals from the Government. RNZ reported the Prime Minister yesterday in ...
Life throws curveballs, and sometimes, those curveballs necessitate wiping your iPhone clean and starting anew. Whether you’re facing persistent software glitches, preparing to sell your device, or simply wanting a fresh start, knowing how to factory reset iPhone without a computer is a valuable skill. While using a computer with ...
Gone are the days when communication was limited to landline phones and physical proximity. Today, computers have become powerful tools for connecting with people across the globe through voice and video calls. But with a plethora of applications and methods available, how to call someone on a computer might seem ...
Open access notables Glacial isostatic adjustment reduces past and future Arctic subsea permafrost, Creel et al., Nature Communications:Sea-level rise submerges terrestrial permafrost in the Arctic, turning it into subsea permafrost. Subsea permafrost underlies ~ 1.8 million km2 of Arctic continental shelf, with thicknesses in places exceeding 700 m. Sea-level variations over glacial-interglacial cycles control ...
The operating system (OS) is the heart and soul of a computer, orchestrating every action and interaction between hardware and software. But have you ever wondered where on a computer is the operating system generally stored? The answer lies in the intricate dance between hardware and software components, particularly within ...
Laptops have become essential tools for work, entertainment, and communication, offering portability and functionality. However, with rising energy costs and growing environmental concerns, understanding a laptop’s power consumption is more important than ever. So, how many watts does a laptop use? The answer, unfortunately, isn’t straightforward. It depends on several ...
Screen recording has become an essential tool for various purposes, such as creating tutorials, capturing gameplay footage, recording online meetings, or sharing information with others. Fortunately, Dell laptops offer several built-in and external options for screen recording, catering to different needs and preferences. This guide will explore various methods on ...
A cracked or damaged laptop screen can be a frustrating experience, impacting productivity and enjoyment. Fortunately, laptop screen repair is a common service offered by various repair shops and technicians. However, the cost of fixing a laptop screen can vary significantly depending on several factors. This article delves into the ...
Gaming laptops represent a significant investment for passionate gamers, offering portability and powerful performance for immersive gaming experiences. However, a common concern among potential buyers is their lifespan. Unlike desktop PCs, which allow for easier component upgrades, gaming laptops have inherent limitations due to their compact and integrated design. This ...
The annual inventory report of New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions has been released, showing that gross emissions have dropped for the third year in a row, to 78.4 million tons: All-told gross emissions have decreased by over 6 million tons since the Zero Carbon Act was passed in 2019. ...
Experiencing a locked computer can be frustrating, especially when you need access to your files and applications urgently. The methods to unlock your computer will vary depending on the specific situation and the type of lock you encounter. This guide will explore various scenarios and provide step-by-step instructions on how ...
While the world has largely transitioned to digital communication, faxing still holds relevance in certain industries and situations. Fortunately, gone are the days of bulky fax machines and dedicated phone lines. Today, you can easily send and receive faxes directly from your computer, offering a convenient and efficient way to ...
In our increasingly digital world, home computers have become essential tools for work, communication, entertainment, and more. However, this increased reliance on technology also exposes us to various cyber threats. Understanding these threats and taking proactive steps to protect your home computer is crucial for safeguarding your personal information, finances, ...
In the ever-evolving world of technology, server-based computing has emerged as a cornerstone of modern digital infrastructure. This article delves into the concept of server-based computing, exploring its various forms, benefits, challenges, and its impact on the way we work and interact with technology. Understanding Server-Based Computing: At its core, ...
The absolute brass neck of this guy.We want more medical doctors, not more spin doctors, Luxon was saying a couple of weeks ago, and now we’re told the guy has seven salaried adults on TikTok duty. Sorry, doing social media. The absolute brass neck of it. The irony that the ...
Buzz from the Beehive Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones relishes spatting and eagerly takes issue with environmentalists who criticise his enthusiasm for resource development. He relishes helping the fishing industry too. And so today, while the media are making much of the latest culling in the public service to ...
Having written, taught and worked for the US government on issues involving unconventional warfare and terrorism for 30-odd years, two things irritate me the most when the subject is discussed in public. The first is the Johnny-come-lately academics-turned-media commentators who … Continue reading → ...
Eric Crampton writes – Kainga Ora is the government’s house building agency. It’s been building a lot of social housing. Kainga Ora has its own (but independent) consenting authority, Consentium. It’s a neat idea. Rather than have to deal with building consents across each different territorial authority, Kainga Ora ...
Muriel Newman writes – The Coalition Government says it is moving with speed to deliver campaign promises and reverse the damage done by Labour. One of their key commitments is to “defend the principle that New Zealanders are equal before the law.” To achieve this, they have pledged they “will not advance ...
Chris Trotter writes – The absence of anything resembling a fightback from the public servants currently losing their jobs is interesting. State-sector workers’ collective fatalism in the face of Coalition cutbacks indicates a surprisingly broad acceptance of impermanence in the workplace. Fifty years ago, lay-offs in the thousands ...
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. ...
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. ...
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. ...
The Government’s newly announced review of methane emissions reduction targets hints at its desire to delay Aotearoa New Zealand’s urgent transition to a climate safe future, the Green Party said. ...
The Government must commit to the Maitai School building project for students with high and complex needs, to ensure disabled students from the top of the South Island have somewhere to learn. ...
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey and his Government colleagues have made a meal of their mental health commitments, showing how flimsy their efforts to champion the issue truly are, says Labour Mental Health spokesperson Ingrid Leary. ...
Māori are yet to see anything from this Government except cuts, reversals and taking our people backwards, Māori Development spokesperson Willie Jackson said. ...
The Coalition Government’s refusal to commit to ongoing funding for social housing is seeing the sector pull back on developments and families watch their dreams of securing a home fade away, says Labour Housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty. ...
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 ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector. "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today paid tribute to Singapore’s outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Meeting in Singapore today immediately before Prime Minister Lee announced he was stepping down, Prime Minister Luxon warmly acknowledged his counterpart’s almost twenty years as leader, and the enduring legacy he has left for Singapore and South East ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. While in Singapore as part of his visit to South East Asia this week, Prime Minister Luxon also met with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and will meet with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has made further appointments to the Board of Antarctica New Zealand as part of a continued effort to ensure the Scott Base Redevelopment project is delivered in a cost-effective and efficient manner. The Minister has appointed Neville Harris as a new member of the Board. Mr ...
Finance Minister Nicola Willis will travel to the United States on Tuesday to attend a meeting of the Five Finance Ministers group, with counterparts from Australia, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. “I am looking forward to meeting with our Five Finance partners on how we can work ...
The coalition Government has today announced purrfect and pawsitive changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to give tenants with pets greater choice when looking for a rental property, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Pets are important members of many Kiwi families. It’s estimated that around 64 per cent of New ...
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You thought lockdowns were bad
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/apr/21/system-has-collapsed-india-descent-into-covid-hell?CMP=fb_gu&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwAR1plYafJ-zVxWIYPIcVeuoU8mFGDC5uPNDyPK3BsjvrAXPoWTUePkwQlF4#Echobox=1619005174
This is the outcome when a pandemic becomes rampant in a country which has a very high population. The logistics of being prepared for Covid in heavily populated countries is massive.
It is a very worrying time for anyone who has family in India. International aid will probably be required. This can be said for Brazil as well.
Flight hesitancy, is it a thing?
Kiwis stuck in Perth might be giving people second thoughts.
And when they do come back, will they have to go into isolation hotels?
Probably.
Food for thought.
Travel paused between New Zealand and Western Australia due to Covid-19 outbreak
https://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/travel-troubles/124940177/transtasman-bubble-travel-paused-between-new-zealand-and-western-australia-due-to-covid19-outbreak
I am watching to see what will happen in Melbourne as the infectious man in Perth flew to Melbourne. Probably a domino effect shutting state borders in Australia.
I have not been in favour of a trans – Tasman bubble at this stage in the Covid pandemic. Covid is such an unpredictable bastard on so many levels and to jeopardise hard won gains is/was foolish.
It's looking like the bubble is pretty much a fizzer from a tourism pov so far.
Most, as in pretty much all, users of the services into Queenstown are New Zealanders going to see the whanu, to and from the wider southern region. We haven't had an Australian through the gallery, or heard any in the street, but the town's quite busy with New Zealanders with the school holidays.
I was working above Queenstown airport yesterday and two flights came in from Australia that we so light they were able to slow and go off the taxiway 2/3 the way down the runway, and without much effort. Domestic flights were having to use the full length to stop and some were working hard to do so, it's a very short runway.
There's been a bit of flight cancellation by Air New Zealand in/out of ZQN but that's adjusting to an unknown demand. Also a bit in the media about low demand after the first few days as they picked up the slack from customers who delayed travel after the announcement to avoid MIQ. https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/travel/2021/04/trans-tasman-travel-bubble-air-nz-cuts-flights-as-demand-lags-behind-expectations.html https://www.nzherald.co.nz/travel/transtasman-travel-bubble-the-big-difference-between-australia-and-new-zealand/RCSUOZZDR5CI2V6J6LVN66THAI/
Also noticing a change in language around town about interest in travel. It's gone from "strong bookings", ie the best rooms have been grabbed for the peak times and wholesale bookings for resale the week before travel as ski packages, to " strong search interest" or even "oh, there's a bit of search interest". We'll see what happens come July and August.
It's looking that people in Australia and New Zealand are being very responsible with their travel and trying to keep their exposure within definable bubbles. The VFF category is easily contact traced, it's mostly within a family bubble rather than out in the wider community as individuals. VFF is also very good for our community and individual wellbeing, and with most New Zealanders having family or friends in Australia the ability to travel and meet with them is something we need to do as soon as we are able. The risks are no different to travel in/out of Auckland, or interstate in Aussie, during an out break and we can manage that fine.
Independent leisure tourism is a bit trickier and people get that. Australian tourism has trouble getting Australians to travel to leisure destinations internally and has spent AUD 1.2 billion subsidising domestic airfares to try and get them traveling (and save their tourism industry) People don't want to travel and be around perceived strangers. We're seeing the same here with mainstream resorts doing a starve but less mainstream places just down the road having good trade because people feel they will be less crowded and less "tourist".
good post graeme. maybe the tourists are being more responsible than some in the tourist industry.
Nearly all the statements / press releases I've seen from industry players pleading for, or praising, the bubble can be interpreted as efforts to kick the bank manager can as far down the road as is physically possible.
Quite possible all they are going to achieve is a sore toe. With a couple of local examples it might be a very sore toe.
Looking forward to the Blanket Bay 5 night special coming down from $6k soon. Yeah nah sigh.
we never expected any 'tourism' from the bubble expansion here in Rotorua, just maybe a few people coming home without having to go into quarantine or people coming to visit.
And to be honest, where would the money come from to travel also. Oz may be subsidizing people into travelling but here we say nah nah nah to that.
Hearing about first hand observation is good.
Were the border to close like it has in Western Australia, not having to pay for a bed needed to have been considered. Some people on trans – Tasman trips could be weighting up relocating closer to family.
I expect a refundable ticket is also required.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/travel-troubles/124940177/transtasman-bubble-travel-paused-between-new-zealand-and-western-australia-due-to-covid19-outbreak
In other words, caveat emptor.
When it comes to re booking or putting a flight into credit can this be done more than once?
No doubt a fee is involved.
Further to my comments above about flight loadings into ZQN, this popped up on my FB feed, sums up the bubble very well. The flight is NZ264 from Melbourne to Queenstown yesterday.
Hopefully it works, edit, does if you click on the FB link
https://www.facebook.com/788747364/videos/10159228270852365/
@ Graeme
Well put.
In my opinion, your considered and insightful eyewitness account, coming as it does from an insider's point of view deserves, to be more widely published and read.
Could you forward it to the admin of this website for consideration as a post.
Contact
This aligns with the mood of the nation on opening borders. Most just do not want it. It's nice that some families can visit each other, but mostly this was done to shut up mouthy right wingers.
Again, most responsible people simply do not want to travel for leisure at this time.
Incredible the tourism industry and airlines got this so wrong.
NZ cannot even manage cervical screening and to think a trans – Tasman bubble can be managed, give me a break.
Turns out yet another bit of anti-Russian cold war propaganda disseminated by the rabid war mongering Liberal press and their useful idiots is just another piece of fake news…anyone else see a pattern forming here?
U.S. Intel Walks Back Claim Russians Put Bounties on American Troops
https://www.thedailybeast.com/us-intel-walks-back-claim-russians-put-bounties-on-american-troops
Thank you.
But according to some any alt-media that doesn't agree with the MSM is by default working for the Ruskies.
Yes you are right, every year it seems that MSM, and sadly pretty much all so called Liberal MSM entrench themselves further as nothing more than voice boxes for war, conflict and division when called upon to do so.
When the most effective medium for whistle blowers in our life times in the shape of Julian Assange is publicly humiliated, tortured and imprisoned, our media remain almost silent..but then to illustrate just how effective their propaganda model is, MSM actually get the public worked up enough over the openly racist and super dodgy Navaldy to protest and cry foul about him, but not Assange..that is really saying something disturbing about the effectiveness of mass media manipulation, even after four years of Russia gate, conducted by the most powerful information gathering organizations ever to exist that led to absolutely nothing, you would think people would learn, however in many cases, apparently not.
Selective amnesia on display
The news was hot with tales of Russian doping dastardliness…oh those Russians ..
We were subjected to weeks of Russian depravity on the field, the cheating bastards !!
But when those athletes took their case to appeal, and had the opportunity to cross examine the "whistleblower" Rodchenkov…he didn't come out well..28 athletes had their ban overturned and 7 medals were returned .
Quietly forgotten .We are left instead with the initial outrage
Thanks francesca, I wasn't aware of those developments in that story. This state fueled propaganda is getting pretty out of control…I just had my official complaint to RNZ over their coverage of the Douma poisoning rejected because the stories are over ten weeks old. However as I said in my complaint, I wasn’t complaining about their coverage at the time, I am complaining that they haven’t covered any of the recent developments of that that story which debunk the original accusations.
"Returning to the United Nations, veteran German diplomat and former top UN official Hans von Sponeck calls for an end to the stonewalling of accountability for the OPCW's cover-up of its April 2018 Douma chemical weapons probe."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewGa4S5ZNh4
‘
“I just had my official complaint to RNZ over their coverage of the Douma poisoning rejected because the stories are over ten weeks old.”
Adrian Thornton
Kia ora Adrian, It is a shame that RNZ rejected your complaint on grounds that it was over ten theeks old, rather than over your dispute of the facts of the Douma poisoning.
It is a disapointment, because if RNZ had bothered to go into the substance of your complaint more deeply it would have been instructive for all of us.
However if you want to cut and paste a copy of your complaint to RNZ to this forum, I for one would be interested in reading it to decide for myself if it has any merit.
Cheers J.
And while on the subject of Liberal fake news…here is a great piece from one of the very few remaining US journalists that is worth a damn..Matt Taibbi
Rachel Maddow is Bill O'Reilly
After hyping a fake story for a year, cable's leading anchor doesn't blink and moves on to the next fable
https://taibbi.substack.com/p/rachel-maddow-is-bill-oreilly
Or if you can't be bothered reading his piece, a short clip…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFacHcf0ugM
It's interesting to consider the New Zealand equivalents of these U.S. personalities. Our own versions of Matt Taibbi would be John Stephenson, Nicky Hager, Gordon Campbell, Paula Penfold. (John Campbell has been excellent in challenging the powerful, and has angered many politicians, including Helen Clark, Gerry Brownlee, and the Prime Minister of Samoa; however, his credulous acceptance of the Russiagate conspiracy theory would amuse and appal Matt Taibbi.)
Bill O'Reilly: sadly this country has far more replicas of that ill-informed but opinionated right winger than it does of Matt Taibbi. The list is long and depressing: Mike Hosking, Karl Du Fresne, David Farrar, Neil Miller, Sean Plunket, Richard Harman, Bill Ralston, Duncan Garner, Barry Soper, Heather Du Plessis-Allan, … ad nauseam.
Rachel Maddow: Who's a New Zealand woman who has earned a reputation as an intelligent and perceptive interviewer, but has done much to erode that reputation by uncritically aligning herself with the right wing of the Democratic Party and its glum bunch of ideological warriors? Step forward, Dame KIM HILL.
Speaking of Kim Hill, Adrian, did you hear Jennifer Robinson this morning politely but firmly telling her that her statements about Julian Assange were false? It was the most complete demolition job done on her since another Australian human rights champion, John Pilger, took her to task for retailing Pentagon talking points in 2003.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/saturday/audio/2018792915/jennifer-robinson-fighting-for-assange-west-papua-and-public-education
Hi Morrissey, yes I tuned in especially to see how Kim would handle that interview, it went pretty much as I expected, Kim knows enough to know when she is on the wrong side of history, so was never going to seriously tangle with Robinson on Assange, just like she quickly backed off her guest (sorry forgot their name) who was on her show to talk about conspiracy theories recently, when he used Russia gate as an example of a contemporary conspiracy theory…it has been obvious from the outset, if these liberals talking heads had any confidence in these things, they would be only happy to interview Greenwald, Taibbi, Mate' etc, but of course never did and never will…enough said.
I was still shocked to hear her repeat the lie about him irresponsibly releasing files on WikiLeaks. Judging by her hesitant tone, I don't think she actually believed a word of what she was saying, but she said it all the same.
It raises, yet again, serious questions about her judgement and her integrity. It also raises questions about the judgement and integrity of her producer, who must have been aware of the questions and allegations she had prepared.
Yes I noticed her half hearted tone during that exchange as well..I don't believe there is any question about RNZ's producers or management, they represent New Zealand's own version of The Guardian, who have proved that they are one of the greatest threats to any serious progressive Left Wing project ever getting traction.
They are just centrist free market liberals who defend that ideology just as much as every other ideologue defends theirs..myself included, the only difference is that I happen to be fighting for the right one and they are not.
And then Kim asked Jennifer Robinson why she thought dis-information was so readily taken up by people.
Perhaps Kim you could stop producing it.
I was most impressed with Robinson. She refused to be subdued by Kim's attempt to mollify her.
@ Brigid +1
"Perhaps Kim you could stop producing it."
That was exactly what thought.
Robinson had the best answer too, that when misinformation gets repeated enough in the mainstream press people start to believe it – a brilliant indirect jab at RNZ. Let me guess.. this will be Robinson's first and last interview on this rather odious station.
At the time it seemed the more pressing bounty for Trump to eliminate was the one out on the Venezuelan president. But that is still being put up by the Biden administration.
I think this is a good summing up of NZ's position re – China and Nanaia Mahuta's most recent comments re – 5 Eyes:
https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/opinion/124933898/new-zealand-isnt-sucking-up-to-china-by-learning-from-countries-mistakes
I say amen to that.
It is worth remembering that the dominant member of the 5 eyes alliance is the US….the UK is as subservient as the other 3
True yes. But the UK still over- estimates its place as a world power. My comment was more in relation to the patently stupid responses coming from sections of the UK media.
In short, NZ is once again showing its ability to be slightly ahead of the rest of the 5 – Eye countries. It happened in the mid 1980s when we moved on the insane escalation of nuclear weaponry. We stuck to our guns and eventually they fell into line and followed us… not the other way round.
My assessment would be the 'sections of UK media' are likely acting at the behest of the dominant 'partner' rather than any inflated sense of importance….and would contest the notion that any of the other 5 eyes members have followed our anti nuclear position….rather it is studiously ignored.
They aren't as transparent as NZ, but both East and West did agree to limit the number of nuclear weapons they held which was an accomplishment of sorts – along with the world-wide anti-nuclear movement.
Of course since then the sabre rattling has restarted on both sides but I'm too old now to care much about it. Its all so puerile in my humble opinion.
I would say it is less their imperial power, than their status as a centre of culture. One cannot have a clown PM like Boris or a clown President like Trump and expect the world to take you seriously. The VRWC, in choosing populism over public interest policy, has, like the later Roman emperors, condemned their nations to decline and loss of influence.
We don’t need no climate, let the mother fucker burn.
No Right Turn
Friday, April 23, 2021
Climate Change: Letting the world burn
http://norightturn.blogspot.com/2021/04/climate-change-letting-world-burn.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbAqWA-dxvw
Alluded to yesterday by Incognito and highlighted again in this piece by Brian Easton,
https://www.pundit.co.nz/content/destroying-public-service-broadcasting
"About a year ago the decision was made that the merger/takeover would proceed and the Ministry of Culture and Heritage outsourced the policy function to PwC, an accounting firm, to make a business case. (Note the term ‘business’. The framework is the commercialisation of RNZ – even had PwC much expertise in public policy, its advice will be trapped in a Rogernomic framework.)"
Our governments have abdicated the formation of public policy to the idealogues of neoliberalism for decades past so its unsurprising the same mistakes are being perpetuated….this wont change until we redevelop in house capability/capacity
I would like to see incognito's comment yesterday mentioned by Pat. Could you show me where, thanks.
23 April 2021 at 11:47 pm
and
23 April 2021 at 11:51 pm
Oh joy, they're eating each other.
https://twitter.com/MrHarryCole/status/1385341948484112385
This is the real locus and range of political choice and debate in the UK, i.e. what sort of Tory government are they going to get – Dodgy Dave, Clown Boris or Dry Stick Theresa – hard or soft Brexit, austerity or not so much austerity, etc. The Murdoch propaganda machine has done its job.
Get used to the Tories, AB. The Labour Party, which under Jeremy Corbyn became the biggest political party in Europe, has been reduced to a pile of ashes by the Blairite rump. We will never see another Labour government in Britain.
Jennifer Robinson: fighting for Assange, West Papua and public education. A number of commenters on this site should listen to this podcast.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/audio/player?audio_id=2018792915
Thanks aj. She politely but firmly refuted every one of Kim Hill's false statements about Assange.
Kim couldve been a lot more demonstratedly ill informed i reckon morrissey T he corporate news talking points she did mention didnt extend to many of the familiar smears no mention of sweden etc didnt even repeat the one about him being mean to his cat !!Im not in love with lots of stuff the boss,s in rnz manage but at least they allowed kim to say assanges name a few times and have i think a quite pleasant interview with JR.
That's a very fair point, weston. For all her faults, I still rate Kim Hill highly.
The things with legacy ………one does not really get to choose how people remember one, or what ones legacy is. I have seriously never come across anyone more detached from the reality of poverty than the current crew that runs this labour government. Out of touch, arrogant, useless.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/motel-generation-nearly-4000-kids-are-living-in-nz-motels/J475FISLJ6NTD43JUDF5ON4J5M/
Dear Leader, it is already your legacy. It will always be your legacy. No matter how much you protests to the contrary, if you want the good you need to also acknowledge your failures and when it comes to housing, poor people and their poor kids your legacy stinks to high heavens right next to the legacy of John Key. Two peas, one pod.
John Key and Jacinda Ardern.
Sabine, if you're implying that there's really nothing of substance to choose between the two, then I respectfully disagree with your opinion. I know which ‘pea‘ I prefer.
To some people, truffles, bonbons, pralines and Roses are just chocolates. Distinctions are useful or inconvenient, depending on the narrative (AKA wheel-barrow) one wants to push.
It seems to me that you don't know much about chocolate. Only that could explain you considering roses as 'just chocolate' while in effect it is 'just rubbish' as is the motel warehousing policy of this government. Chocolates would be the government stopping to continue to do what did not work under National, considering that they are so different. But then i hear there are people who consider Cadbury chocolate. Some just can't be helped.
Yeah. Everybody knows Hershey's Kisses are the only true chocolate.
Yeah, nah, life is like box of Roses chocolates, they’re all the same. With some people, you know exactly what you’re gonna get.
It is truly sad to me that you never in you life ate decent chocolate.
You should remedy this, but remember you always get what you pay for. And no one should pay for a box of Roses.
Life can and should be a box of good chocolates.
When I’m hangry, I have a Kit Kat. Now, that’s good chocolate!
Roses are for saying “thank you”, of course; you don’t buy them for yourself!
I am a bit surprised that Davidson and Menendez have not been more vocal in having MSD pay the rent shortfall so people do not need to live in a motel.
The urgency of avoiding people living in a motel needs immediate attention and action. Introducing the old special benefit and having allowable costs worked in the past before temporary additional supplement replaced it apart from some still being paid a special benefit.
The Greens can do no more then Labour could when National warehoused people in motels and rundown properties for top dollar. Crow, from the back benches to no avail.
there is literally no difference between this under National in 2014
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/76970605/homeless-in-motels-as-2m-for-emergency-housing-yet-to-be-released
to 2016
2019
Feb 2020
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/119500326/government-defends-charging-rent-for-emergency-motelstays
today
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/news/motel-generation-nearly-4000-kids-are-living-in-nz-motels/J475FISLJ6NTD43JUDF5ON4J5M/
i would like to know if the 25% that people in emergency housing have to pay of their benefits for the pleasure to be housed unsafely, over crowded, amongst gangs, drug, booze, abuse, violence are truly charged. I remember people here getting upset and writing posts about the dastardly nationalistas and paula benefit who charged emergency housed with the costs – refundable 5 NZD a week. I would really like to know if they went ahead with it, mind i would not put it past them. Callous is as callous does, and these guys are callous.
They truly are two peas in a pod. A blue pea, a red pea in the pod of NZ. And neither one of them consider the homeless their constituency unless its e lection time, or time to hug a baby for the cameras to show some ‘kindness’ and some ‘gentleness’ for the poor unfortunate people this country has no place and no use for.
Not sure putting people further into debt with accommodation loans is the same as charging them rent as a proportion of their income.
The use of motels themselves is shit, but better than the streets until someone figures out how to fix the housing market.
Experts in dairy intensification no more:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/124934463/first-farming-business-to-report-m-bovis-goes-under
Not remotely sad about this.
Reply to 10.2.1
There is a reason why the government do not want to bridge the gap by paying a shortfall in rent to prevent people needing to live in motels.
Menendez needs to do costings, once the accommodation supplement and temporary additional support caps are reached the shortfall would be $100 – $200 a week. Compare this to the cost of a motel.
Probably a reply not meant for my comment but I will chuck this in on the subject:
It is a poor indictment on the prevalent amateur landlord culture in this country that cheap motels are in better condition than most private rentals.
In some cases that would be the case.
I think the government do not want to send a signal to landlords that the government will subsidise a person's rent past a point. Government probably think this would slow an increase in market rents. Subsidising motel owners is preferred.
never mind asking an associate minister, there will be no answers.
She should have just said that at this stage she could not comment. Ask the minister. It would have had more value then "the minister is working 'hard''. That is a quote worthy of a Trumpian spokesperson.
this is from 2019
https://www.nsu.govt.nz/health-professionals/national-cervical-screening-programme/hpv-primary-screening/frequently-asked
This is from 2020
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/422865/funding-for-self-screening-cervical-cancer-test-delayed-again
it was advocated for by Maori in Auc 2020
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/422894/maori-doctors-urge-self-swab-cervical-cancer-tests
This here is the money quote that strikes right into the heart.
three years. some 90 women affected per year, 270 women since one of them Kiri Allen. I guess we don't care enough.
For those who prefer a self test, the method needs to be available. Those who want the current method they should be able to access it.
Cervical cancer screening reduces cervical cancer, especially when caught at the pre cancer stage or insitu stage. The HPV jab is also in the tool kit.
currently you can not self test.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/300281486/hpv-vaccine-uptake-languishing-below-target-amid-rising-cancer-rates
The below par up take of HPV vaccination needs to be looked into due to being effective for other cancers associated with HPV. I did not realise 2 injections were required.
2 or 3 injections, depending on age. It’s free for people between 9 and 26 years of age.
NZ Bus loses in court. NZ Bus is owned by an Australian private equity firm. Wellington's bus issues started after that sale in 2018.
Why do we do this to ourselves?
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/124941377/wellington-bus-lockout-to-end-after-court-grants-injunction-against-nz-bus
Good question. I guess profit for the few over rides the greater common good.
Rent controls
"…But it was hated by landlords, real-estate investors and members of Germany’s conservative political parties. The lawsuit against the cap was filed by 284 parliamentary members of the centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and Christian Social Union (CSU), and the neoliberal Free Democrats (FDP)."
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/apr/23/berlin-rent-cap-defeated-landlords-empty
"Last week’s ruling represents a defeat for Berlin’s housing movement, but it may yet prove to be a pyrrhic victory for the city’s landlords and speculators. Anger over the nullification of the rent cap is fuelling support for the expropriation and remunicipalisation of thousands of units of public housing that had been privatised. Some activists would like to go further and expropriate empty flats."
The article shows how divisive rent control is between a tenant and a landlord and the extent a landlord will go to to stop it.
not just the investors but the politicians (who took the legal action)….the peoples representatives(?)
Rent controls are a political issue. When it comes to being homeless there are property investors who look the other way, a political party says no rent control and banks allow too much money to be loaned so high rent is required to pay the bank.
Having different interest rates, a high one for a property investor and a low one for a first home buyer.
Everything is a political issue….i find it curious that after 5 years of (presumably) a political decision, possibly at local level it has been legally challenged by the political class.
As noted in the piece, the victory(?) may well be pyrrhic…when something is unsustainable , one thing is certain….it wont continue.
That article illustrates very well how international and intractable the accomodation crisis is. When rental housing is the best, or only, investment with any sort of return and perceived lowish risk the shit's going to hit the fan for the poor bastards that have to rent.
We'll see if the imminent rise in interest rates, with a flow on to deposit rates will start to ease things for tenants.
The last ponzi standing?
Not so much ponzi, but the last reasonable investment with the perception of a manageable risk.
Housing will generally give you 5%, pretty risk free. Bank investments, the best my bank is offering is 0.90%. What are you going to do? The Share Market and Managed Funds offer better returns, comparable or maybe better than housing but require more knowledge and present more risk. Also most of the people putting their money into housing now were around when fortunes went down the gurgler in 1987 and 2008, often their fortunes, so are a tad wary of those sorts of investments now.
A rent strike could send a message to greedy landlords. Or not to pay the increase in rent.
Agree 1% is a poor return (esp with bail in) but I suspect that many are due to find out that RE is no less susceptible to losses ….and ponzi is exactly what it is, increasing credit to sustain existing credit, and it all has to be underpinned by an (shrinking) economy with only one direction for servicing costs.
The folly will be obvious after the event…all too late.
Pat
That should be published as a poster! Could everyone of an activist nature, copy this message without name or other information to distract the eye, on half of an A4 sheet (a size easier to find a place for on a bulletin board etc), in about 14 font, clear and easily read, and pin, staple, bluetack – whatever is appropriate, somewhere in a public place. And repeat in about two weeks somewhere else etc. It could be a new way of breaking through the great disease of Plum Smugness (ie the boy with the pie who pulled out a plum. This was a sly rhyme about a trusted servant who stole the title to lands hidden in a pie!
Just these words – (under the heading of Financial Loss for Real Estate investors – a simple, striking and unwelcome message.)!
Financial Loss for Real Estate Investors ie Houses
…Chris Roberts dissect the meaning of the nursery rhyme "Little Jack Horner." It's about a real estate swindle in 16th-century England. Roberts is the author of Heavy Words Lightly Thrown: The Reason Behind the Rhyme.
You think the real estate market is treacherous today, try England in the late 1530s. That's what the nursery rhyme "Little Jack Horner" is really all about. ..
`Little Jack Horner sat in a corner eating his Christmas pie.
He stuck in a thumb and pulled out a plum and said,
"What a good boy am I."'
Where to begin with this? This is talking about the dissolution of the monasteries, Henry VIII taking property from the Catholic Church. Jack, as we know, is actually called Thomas Horner. Now he was a steward to the Abbot of Glastonbury during the reign of Henry VIII. This is how the story goes: He was entrusted to take some title deeds of properties to Henry VIII as a bribe so the abbot could keep the main monastery, but was prepared to give away some of the lesser properties.
Now the title deeds were held and sealed in a pie, and Jack's off to London. But instead of delivering the bribe to Henry VIII, he helps himself to the pie, puts his hand in, pulls out a plum piece of real estate–in this case, a place called Mells Manor-
https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5135080
Berlin has a nice history of squatting. 🙂
And the CDU/CSU – the federal german and bavarian state capitalists are neither Christian nor social.
As for the FDP – years ago they almost got taken over by students in a concerted effort to swamp membership for this party- so much fun, but sadly they found out too soon and stopped accepting membership request. This Party is useless on its own and can only get traction as part of a coalition and is usually considered a 'filler party' for the above mentioned Parties if they have to have a coalition partner that will be silent and roll over on demand.
And yes, while Germany is a federation we do have a Free State with its on set of laws – Bavaria, we have a free State City Hamburg with very much its own set of laws. Sadly Berlin – to new a town in terms of German history never got elevated to a 'free' status. And thus like in the eighties is still run by the same set of hostage takers it was in the 80s when we squatted due to no availablity of flats.
Squatting (and the like) may become the housing solution du jour
It should have done some some years ago to be honest.
this is a good rundown on the "Hafenstadt Occupation" in Hamburg that has been a thing now since the seventies. And interstingly enough it saved a lot of beautiful houses and complexes in Hamburg, one of them the 'Porttown' which is just stunning. One of the Oldest ones would be the "alte Flora' a building which has been occupied since 1986 🙂 (giggles with delight)
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hausbesetzungen_in_Hamburg
or Berlin
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schlacht_am_Fraenkelufer#:~:text=Ab%201979%20nahmen%20Besetzungen%20leerstehender,Haus%20Fraenkelufer%2048%20zu%20besetzen.
the beginning of the occupation of empty buidings in Berlin.
and this is repeated throughout Germany but these would be the most known towns for it. Ah, when the left was radical. Good times.
I am not sure how to convert these links into english language, but the first has a nice list of of occupied buildings and pictures to give an idea just what you can occupy if you put your heart to it. Some of these buildings are grandios.
Here are a few links about squatting if wanting to explore that theme.
2018 https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/property/108269114/an-australian-man-has-got-a-home-using-squatters-rights-and-theres-a-similar-law-in-new-zealand
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squatting_in_England_and_Wales
Under Section 144 of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012, squatting in residential property became a criminal offence on 1 September 2012.
https://squattinglondon.wordpress.com/2017/11/01/an-early-history-of-british-squatting/
Why do we privatise? It's the latest economic fashion. Unfortunately they don't change economic OS as fast as clothing fashions. You have to put up with obvious bad management even criminality for so many decades it turns into an era. When it should be seen to be a glitch in a good record and quickly abandoned when noticed.
The UK government had had a postal service since 1516. I see from Wikipedia that a directive came from the EU to privatise it and that was done in 2012. I am so ignorant, I didn't think that the EU did this sort of thing. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Mail#Privatisation
There had been lots of complaints about it before that. Poor delivery service: Often a miserable, underpaid temp, who stuffs all the mail for six flats through the door in one torn and crumpled bundle because he or she is so frightened of being penalised by the manager for not meeting a preposterous delivery target that there is no time even to take the rubber bands off.
In beefing the delivery targets to unmanageable sizes per worker, then sacking postmen for failing to meet them, in axing the second post and generally thumping down the iron fist, the Royal Mail managed this year to make a £321m operating profit. They celebrated by imposing an immediate pay freeze on the workers.
2009/Oct.18 https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2009/oct/18/victoria-coren-royal-mail
Then they had started jailing the small subpostmasters for theft and hiding the fact that discrepancies were likely to be caused by faults in their tech caused by their Horizon operating system.
The Post Office ultimately settled the civil claim brought by more than 550 claimants for £57.75m, without admitting liability, in December 2019.
Justice Fraser found Horizon contained “bugs, errors and defects” and that there was a “material risk” shortfalls in branch accounts were caused by the system.
……Subpostmasters’ lives were “irreparably ruined”, as they lost their jobs, homes and marriages after they were prosecuted by the Post Office – which knew the Fujitsu-developed IT system had “faults and bugs from the earliest days of its operation”, the court of appeal heard last month.
Lawyers representing 42 former subpostmasters said evidence of serious defects in the Horizon system was “concealed from the courts, prosecutors and defence”, in order to protect the Post Office “at all costs”…
2021/Apr.23 https://www.theguardian.com/business/2021/apr/23/former-subpostmasters-expected-to-have-names-cleared-after-court-appeal
A pregnant subpostmaster was jailed and said the baby stopped her from thinking about suicide. One man, imprisoned, found himself crying every day. Their names have been blackened, their ability to get work affected, they had to declare themselves criminals n forms at the airport etc. They felt forced to plead guilty as advised by their barristers, rather than take on the mighty power of the now unscrupulous Postal Service, once held in high esteem. These two people were both Indian. I just note that as of interest amongst all the disturbing facts of this dreadful business of the UKPost
Geez
Chicken run: New Zealand Post will start delivering KFC to beat mail slump
Thanks Grey, disturbing info on UK Post. The idea of public service has been affected/infected by the pernicious profit motive pandemic. Too late for a vaccine?
Good reading there Drowsy – (you aren't!). That ReMADE approach, I’m thinking now about our new health project. Is Labour attempting this with the Health Project meant to give our health system a vaccine against poor management? It needs to go to the very source of the flow of medical services – the Ministry of Health (or as Rosemary McDonald has sarcastically described as the Misery of Health.)