Apparently Australia's Great Barrier Reef is no longer endangered, and will no longer be listed as such, because Australia's Environment Minister Sussan Leys has done a standup job convincing UNESCO that there are alternative facts:
It is the second time the Great Barrier Reef has been spared inclusion on the "in danger" list.
In 2015, lobbying by then-environment minister Greg Hunt escaped a push to have the reef added to the list.
After that, the reef was hit with an unprecedented three mass bleaching events in five years, driven by climate change and water quality targets that were not met.
Make it endangered and everyone will rush to see it before it vanishes – very good for tourism, and then they can break off bits of bleached coral for souveniers. (Santa I would like spellcheck and pop-up correction like I get on google email)!
"One of the things I find fascinating about the deepening twilight of industrial society is how rigid our modern notions of technology have become. Most people these days, asked to imagine a society with technology about as advanced as ours, present something all but identical to what we’ve got now; asked to imagine a society with less advanced technology, they spring to a distorted pop-culture version of early medieval Europe if they don’t leap straight to even more distorted pop-culture notions about the Stone Age; asked to imagine a society with technology more advanced than ours, you can bet dollars for dilithium crystals that they’ll rehash the same tired imagery from early twentieth century sci-fi that has been stuck sideways in our collective imagination for decades now."
I recall from my schools days projects on 'the Dark Age' a term now apparently avoided that described the roughly thousand year period after the collapse of the (western ) Roman Empire and the subsequent loss of knowledge and practices…..rinse and repeat?
I remember reading that certain tribes? in Britain asked if the Romans would come back, their organisation was good, and their infrastructure and they largely left the people to live within their own culture. But the Romans had trouble at home.
Yes there were undoubtably areas of 'light' if you like but fragmentation , disorganisation and I suspect a loss of common thought/education didnt make for an easy time….and importantly much that had been before was lost, good and bad.
The point I think Greer makes is that progress dosnt cease, it changes….and we need to remember we dont know what we dont know….even events a few centuries ago are largely a mystery to us …hell, even events a few decades ago are in constant dispute.
I don't have a lot of 'technology' in my house or life. I have a computer, a landline, and that is pretty much it. We have actually not invented anything much, we are upgrading 'systems' but that is about it. And i guess this is where the difference between the medieval times and our times are. The best we can do atm is change the look of a gadget or the system. Heck even the
Ev are not new technology considering that the 1920 had them already.
but with that lack of technology also come skills.
If you only cook ready made meals can you cook from scratch? if you only use your microwave can you cook on a coal range or a sun oven? if all your clothes come from a shop can you still sew and fix a garment?
these are all skills, same as with wood work, building, fishing, hunting, planting etc. How many of us still have these skills?
So yes, we now have a world were many have lots of gadgets but can't boil water without burning down the house. (my sister 🙂 )
Dont disagree with that…though would note some skills easier to learn than others AND many time constrained…..its best not to have to learn how to grow food say when the supermarkets are empty and theres a drought.
Interesting….dont think there was much lack of writing through that period though it may be fair to observe that much of what survived was curated by the Church which would sit with Petrarch who appeared to bemoaning the quality rather than the quantity of writings.
If we we drop the contested term 'Dark Ages' what do we know of the period following the collapse of the Western Roman Empiore?
[Content deleted because it contained too many links that triggered Auto-Moderation]
That's a bit of a retcon of what Petrarch actually said when he coined the expression: "Amidst the errors there shone forth men of genius; no less keen were their eyes, although they were surrounded by darkness and dense gloom"
] The Annales covered the first twelve centuries of Christianity to 1198, and was published in twelve volumes between 1588 and 1607. It was in Volume X that Baronius coined the term "dark age" for the period between the end of the Carolingian Empire in 888[24] and the first stirrings of Gregorian Reform under Pope Clement II in 1046:
"The new age (saeculum) that was beginning, for its harshness and barrenness of good could well be called iron, for its baseness and abounding evil leaden, and moreover for its lack of writers (inopia scriptorum) dark (obscurum)".[26]
LOS ALAMOS, N.M., Dec. 17, 2000 — The beginning of the Dark Ages may have been literal, as well as figurative, as the result of a massive volcanic eruption in the 6th century, according to a volcanologist at the Department of Energy's Los Alamos National Laboratory.
The ices of Greenland and Antarctica bear the fingerprints of a monster: a gigantic volcanic eruption in 539 or 540 A.D. that killed tens of thousands and helped trigger one of the worst periods of global cooling in the last 2,000 years. Now, after years of searching, a team of scientists has finally tracked down the source of the eruption.
Exactly, pat. So, who for example is advocating 'bringing back the Brits"?
They are the ones who would prefer benevolent despotism aka royalty, the ones who despise indigenous culture and language, who want tourism at the risk of our health, who want trade at the risk of covid deaths, who want their overseas trips and so flaunt their wealth at the risk of their community.
For they are the one percenters, and their sycophants, the untitled aristocracy, the ICE car importers, the exporters of swamp kauri, the manufacturers of coal-dried milk powder, the tainters of water, sellers of our land to foreigners, enablers of overseas bolt holers.
It is our thinking and how we think about and set up these hierarchical structures and institutions, held together by the ‘laws of the land’ as well as moral ‘laws’. In other words, it is a human construct.
How these institutions are set up are a function of scale I'd suggest….that which can work perfectly adequately locally may not at say a national level.
It is easier to consider impacts and needs when dealing with small groups and where the benefit has accrued is far more easily recognised…it is then also far easier to use democratic pressure to correct.
Observe and modify the excesses, minimise the discrepancies, allow justice for all, defend the weak. Societies tolerate a modicum of hierarchy and income/asset inequality.
ah, so tourists coming to NZ is unsustainable, but Kiwis being tourists in OZ is sustainable, and that has something to do with englishnessness? And 20.000 kiwis stuck in OZ has something to do with OZ, but not with Kiwis 'being tourists' during the years of the plague? 🙂
First sentence I don't think I argued for at all. Second sentence is right on both counts. Kiwi went touring into a 'bubble' risking it in a pandemic, Australians burst the bubble.
mac1 Your comments are very interesting. Thinking about Romans I found in a book I have about Caesar, a quote from Caradoc the son of leader Cunobel, when betrayed by the northern Brigantes and taken in chains to Rome.
'It is reported that when…he looked with wonder upon the great buildings of the city, he turned ironically to his captors and said: "It is strange, indeed, that a people who have so many and such rich possessions of their own should envy me and mine. It is strange that the owners of these palaces should desire to drive us from our poor hovels."'
Maori might, did? say the same to the colonials. We in turn say the same to the incoming phalanx of wealthy.
And to illustrate yours at 1.49 a brilliant little song from the past.
" If the occult teachings I learned are correct, this isn’t the end of the present cycle of civilizations—there are supposed to be several more great civilizations before the current cycle comes to an end—but we’re past the peak, and what remains of our civilization and the two to come will go through their own shorter cycles in the course of a greater decline. After that? There are supposed to be two more cycles of civilization, separated from ours and each other by long intervals of tribal existence, before humanity finishes its time on this planet."
It seems the effectiveness of the double dose Pfizer vaccine (Israeli evidence) in preventing infection diminishes by 6 months – the better news is that despite that hospitalisations in Israel are still down (despite the fact older people were vaccinated early).
We may have to look at giving the border staff, front-line workers and health workers an Astra Zeneca dose at 6 months or so.
This article looks at the mix and matching options and problems with using either vaccine for more than two doses.
New Zealand's target is 70% which has been described by health experts as a "low bar".
The fight against covid-19 has always been a political struggle as well as a medical one.
The ball is now firmly in the political court, for our leaders to be more ambitous, to inspire and lead us to lift this target.
In the past New Zealand was able to achieve vaccination rates of 80 and even 90%
"Let's Do This"
If we are really set on 'elimination' as our goal rather than 'suppression' we need to do this again.
[Here we go again:
New Zealand’s target is 70% which has been described by health experts as a “low bar”.
You continue to make the same assertion about the alleged target of 70% of the NZ population vaccinated to suit your endless and tedious narrative that this is too low, et cetera. Please provide evidence to back this up.
It is possible that I’ve missed a recent update on this and that Government has now set an official target, but this seems unlikely given the following:
* There is no set target for Covid-19 vaccination, but Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield hopes to see 90 per cent coverage by the end of 2021
You’re now in Pre-Moderation, also because there’s a raft of other unsubstantiated assertions that you keep peddling here, until you back up your above assertion in a satisfactory way – Incognito]
Do you really believe that the only ones that are vaccineshy are national/act voters or other minorities;? I am asking, because i have met vaccine shy – militant anti vaccers and they are on the left very left spectrum, or down right ;Anti Government’, sovereign citizens, earthlings etc.
Please be careful with having fun and making assertions that you cannot back up. Sabine was excellent in calling you out on this, which may have saved you from being moderated, as I’ve had enough of people peddling misinformation here.
Overseas the Right, especially the Far Right have politicised the vaccine just as they politicised mask wearing and lockdown strategies.
The key to reaching herd immunity is leadership.
To beat the virus all those in leadership positions must be on board.
All those in positions of leadership Left Right and Centre, every single MP in our parliament, need to declare their support for full immunistion, but not just in words but in actions.
How can they do this?
By getting vaccinated themselves.
If every single MP in our parliament agrees to get vaccinated the Prime Minister can announce this fact to the country and the world…..
If/when you get out of Pre-Moderation, here’s another task for you.
You seem to love laying blame with and pointing at the right, far right, right wing extremists, right wing media, et cetera, usually used synonymously with conspiracy theorists responsible for vaccine hesitancy.
I think the situation is a little more complex than that and that it might be quite difficult to draw a line between people causing, spreading, or propagating vaccine hesitancy and those who are vaccine hesitant. Obviously, there will be some overlap between these two groups. Shoving all these together on one pile and in one political corner is misleading and unhelpful. In fact, it think it is counter-productive and possibly hindering vaccine uptake and therefore potentially dangerous.
You claim that “[t]he far right conspiracy theorists spreading vaccine hesitancy are the enemy, and they are winning.”
None of the polls seems to support your assertions that this is a simple Left vs. Right issue.
So, next time you make these unsubstantiated assertions I will moderate you and ask you to back them up. Alternatively, you can adjust your language and avoid moderation ; forewarned is forearmed
New Zealand’s target is 70% which has been described by health experts as a “low bar”.
You continue to make the same assertion about the alleged target of 70% of the NZ population vaccinated to suit your endless and tedious narrative that this is too low, et cetera. Please provide evidence to back this up.
No probs.
Covid-19: Govt wants to vaccinate 70 per cent of NZ, but questions remain
Hannah Martin 07:27, Jan 29 2021
Health authorities are aiming for 70 per cent of the population to be vaccinated against Covid-19, but it is unclear over what time period this will occur.
Earlier this week, Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield said he hoped at least 70 per cent of New Zealand’s population would be vaccinated against the virus: “Obviously, the higher the better”.
But the Ministry of Health does not yet have a vaccination target for border, MIQ and health workers, or a time frame in which it will aim to vaccinate 70 per cent of the population, a spokesperson told Stuff.
Vaccinologist Associate Professor Dr Helen Petousis-Harris said she thought 70 per cent was a “low bar”.
Did I say that the the target of 70% was "Too low"?
I never said this.
I defy you to point to anywhere, where I said this.
I was quoting the word of Vaccinologist Associate Professor Dr Helen Petousis-Harris who said she thought 70 per cent was a “low bar”.
Note here, that I put this assertion in question marks to show that I was quoting someone else.
I am not quaified to say, whether 70% is too low or not. But I do know that the vaccination rate needs to be as high as we can possibly get it, that is, if we want to achieve Herd immunity.
Stuff Journalist Hannah Martin in her report dated, Jan 29 2021, said "Govt wants to vaccinate 70 per cent of NZ"
"Covid-19: Govt wants to vaccinate 70 per cent of NZ, but questions remain"
I said, "New Zealand’s target is 70%".. A much less pointed statement than Hanna Martin's claim that "the government" wants to vaccinate 70%.
I did not lay this claim on the government as Martin did, because just as you point out, no official government target has been stated or "set" Nor should there be. It just needs to be as high as we can possibly get it. To achieve this end, I have suggested that the government needs to give a lead. If possible, or as near as possible, to be able to give the best possible lead to our country, parliament needs to present a united front, a grand coalition if you will, against a common enemy, and not just in words but in deeds.
Now that we have the vaccine, to continue with our country's strategy of elimination, herd immunity must be the new goal.
The enemy to achieving herd immunity is vaccine hesitancy.
From the beginning the fight against the pandemic has been a political as well as a medical struggle. Conservatives (Winston Peters for one instance), have tended to favour putting the welfare of the economy first, demanding the opening up of the economy and easing border restrictions even at the height of pandemic. ("yesteday" as Peters infamously demanded)
The government's bold and world beating strategy of 'elimination' has paid off. IMHO It is now well past time that the rest of parliament got in behind the government.
The race is on.
Ashley Blomfield "hopes" for 90% vaccine coverage by the end of the year, that is a very high bar indeed, which in my opinion, will need all our representative political parties on board to achieve.
I think to call for a united parliamentary front against the virus, in both words and deeds, is a valid viewpoint to raise and share with others.
I hope you can agree.
[No, I’m afraid I cannot agree. Again, you waste an enormous amount of space here without giving a specific answer, i.e. you’re beating around the bush.
In contrast to your 6 month-old link, I provided a recent link that states two different things: 1) there is no set target; 2) Ashley Bloomfield hopes for 90%.
Instead of wasting more Moderator time and space, why don’t you get to the point in a succinct (!!) manner and provide a link, even a dated one will do, to a formal target set by Government. A hope is not a set target, no matter what the MSM headline says.
If there’s no such thing as a formal set target, which I suspect is the case, then you should adjust your narrative accordingly because otherwise your comments are deliberately misleading and could be construed as you doing the dirty work for the opposition parties and other malcontents.
Hi incognito
Good grief.
Now you are shiftiing the goal posts, first you said and I quote. "…provide a link, even a dated one will do, to a formal target set by Government."
Since I never made such a claim, and you know it, you now say. “You made the assertion about the 70% target and you cannot back it up because it was BS.”
I never made that assertion, I was quoting others
And I presume by “the assertion”, you mean when Vaccinologist Associate Professor Dr Helen Petousis-Harris said 70 per cent was a “low bar”.
Dr Petousis-Harris was reacting to Stuff Journalist Hannah Martin, who made "the assertion" "- "Covid-19: Govt wants to vaccinate 70 per cent of NZ,…."
Are you saying that I shouldn't quote from journalists and academic health proffessionals because you might disagree with their opinion, or think their opinion is BS?
If you feel so strongly that what Martin wrote or what Professor Petousis-Harris said was BS, maybe you could take it up with them. Or better yet write a post on why they are wrong. (Or even why I was wrong to quote them).
Let's be honest here for just a minute, eh Incognito; the disagreement between you and I, is one of differing political outlook. You have made it very clear over a number of issues that you fundamentally disagree with my Left of Centre political outlook. # Over bikes on buses, # over the obscenity of billionaires in space, # over suing climate polluters #over my view that a parliamentary united front would be a positive lead in combatting vaccine hesitancy.
over my view that those on the Right (and especially those on the Far Right), of the political spectrum, are more likely to believe or at least don't oppose anti-vax conspiracy theory.
It's alright to have differing views and I always like to hear yours. And I appreciated any time you have taken to explain your counter view.
I have read the links you have put up to prove your view that vaccine hesitancy is not a Left Right issue.
The first two of the three links you supplied, far from backing your claim, factually disproved your claim that vaccine hesitancy is not a Left Right issue. The third link you provided did not record political preferences of vaccine supporters or opponents. So proved nothing either way.
The first link you supplied from the Washington Post was published more than 5 years ago. Their conclusion then, was that anti-vaccination views were held by the Right more than they were held by the Left by a very slight margin.
The link you supplied to the Washington Post article which confirmed that the Right were slightlly more likely to be against vaccination, was more than two years before Trump took office, long before covid-19, long before lockdowns. All these thing worked to open this slight division into a yawning chasm.
By Chris Mooney Washington Post
January 26, 2015
……every time researchers examine the political outlooks of vaccine deniers through representative surveys, it seems that they fail to find a significant leftwing bent.
…..having a free market ideology led in the opposite direction — towards having more vaccine skepticism.
…..Yale’s Dan Kahan published results from a nationally representative survey which led him to conclude that the idea of vaccine fears being driven by leftwing ideology “lacks any factual basis.” In fact, Kahan found, “respondents formed more negative assessments of the risk and benefits of childhood vaccines as they became more conservative and identified more strongly with the Republican Party.” However, as in the prior study, this was a very slight effect.
The second link you supplied to back up your argument that there is no Left Right divide over vaccination, listed those groups with high support for getting the covid vaccine. Labour Party members made the list with 80% support, the link did not list the level of support for getting the covid vaccine by National Party members. So we don't know what National Party members support is for getting the vaccine. But we do know that it was too low to be on the list.
Colmar Brunton
The groups of voters who are more likely than average (76%) to say they would definitely or probably get
vaccinated include:
Those aged 70+ (90%)
Males aged 55+ (88%)
Those with an annual household income of between $100,001 and $150,000 (83%)
New Zealand Europeans (80%)
Labour party supporters (80%).
Those groups of voters who are more likely than average (17%) to say they would definitely not or probably
not get vaccinated include:
Those living in Gisborne or the Hawke’s Bay (30%)
Māori (26%)
While a large percentage of those who were against getting the vaccine were worried about side effecfs more were against getting the vaccine because they didn't think it was necessary 55%
There is strong evidence of a Left Right divide over vaccinations, there shouldn't be but there is.
Denying it won't make it go away. Which is sad if maybe there is something we could do to heal this rift in the body politic over vaccines and depoliticise it.
It is my opinion that there is a bleeding edge between the Far Right the Right. To staunch the cross flow of vaccine conspiracy views, across this bleeding edge, and politically isolate the covid and vaccine deniers, it would be good if the opposition parties came together around the government's call for everyone elgible to get vaccinated.
Personally Incognito I don't think our differences over whether parliament needs to respond to the issue of vaccine hesitancy by presenting a united front is such a bid deal. But you have decided to make into a huge do or die issue. Something you have been working up to for a long time.
You have been saying for a while now, (despite me not having broken any of the site rules on debate and commenting), that you don't like my "vibe" that my views make you "feel ill" or even, my comments make you want to "throw up". I have already said I am sorry that expressing my political views here makes you feel ill. But I am afraid that I can't be responsible for your extreme reaction to my views. How you react to my political viewpoint says more about you than me.
You have accused me of "bordering on fascist" of being a "cult leader", but your most common epithet is that I am "ignorant' I disagree. But that doesn't make you wrong. Even if I am ignorant, ignorance is not a crime. I am always willing to learn. I have asked you to educate me or point out where I am wrong, but you haven't. instead you choose to deliver insults and a personal attacks, that I should go and study crystals or astrology, which you have tried to falsely liken my political views to.
Now you are getting more explicit in your disaproval of my views asking me to self censor or be banned.
"I asked you to back up your assertion or modify your language accordingly"
I have more than backed up my assertions, but that is not enough is it? You want me to modify my language. Since I don't swear or indulge in personal insults or break any of the rules of debate on this site. What else can you mean, other than self censor my political views to those more acceptable to you.
.
It is my view that there is a bleeding edge between the Far Right and the Right. To staunch this cross flow of vaccine conspiracy views, it would be good if the opposition parties came behind the government.
You disagree and have chosen to blow this disagreement into a giant issue so you can ban me.
Voltaire was reputed to have said, “‘I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it,"
He actually never said that. it was his biographer Evelyn Hall
According to Wikipedia
On the news that the government had condemned and burned fellow French philosopher Claude-Adrien Helvétius’ book. According to Votaire's biographer Evelyn Hall (Voltaire did not find the substance of Helvétius’ work particularly impressive) but was still dismayed by French Parliament’s actions.
“‘I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it,’ was his attitude now," wroteHall.
The key word is "now" which hints that Voltaire's veiws on free speech were much more fluid. According to circumstance and time and place.
Hall's words were not Voltaire's, it is possible that though Voltaire was appalled at the censorship of another philospher's work, he may have at other times opposed the promulgation of extreme or violent and biggoted views. A view I would share. A view I also share with the government. I fully support the government over the hate speech laws. Right wing conservative views are espoused everywhere it is Left Wing views that struggle for a hearing. It is great that the Right are getting some of their own medicine back. It's about time.
The right to air you views is not an absolute right. And of course never more so than here, I have absolutely no right to air my views here, and you have every right to censor them, because you don't like their "vibe" or for any other reason, or none at all.
If you want to turn this website into an echo chamber only for views acceptable to you, that is your right.
You won't hear me complain. Enjoy your echo chamber.
Thank you for your 1,625 word-response; succinct has never been your strong point and needless repetition is not the mother of all learning. Now it is my turn, my final one.
New Zealand's target is 70% which has been described by health experts as a "low bar".
The fight against covid-19 has always been a political struggle as well as a medical one.
The ball is now firmly in the political court, for our leaders to be more ambitious [sic], to inspire and lead us to lift this target.
That was BS because NZ has never had and still does not have a set target regardless of what various people, including experts and Bloomfield, for example, have expressed as hope (and always hoping for more!). Hope is not a or the “target” of New Zealand.
In any case, the infamous article you always return to was from January 2021 when the Delta variant was hardly on the scene. Things have changed since and NZ modelling has shown that herd immunity might be near impossible by vaccination alone. I linked to the modelling because you were unaware of it and asked me to back it up with a link: “[c]ome on, help me out here. I am trying to understand where you are coming from.?”. Remember that?
Of course, you and I disagree on many points and issues. My main frustration with your comments is your many (but not all) wrong premises and many (but not all) weak arguments. Indeed, they are your opinions, not facts, yet you present them as absolutisms with an overzealous confidence and unwavering narrative of a dogmatic believer. As such, genuine debate with you is literally impossible. So, no, I utterly reject your notion that I “fundamentally disagree with [your] Left of Centre political outlook” [my italics]; I reject your piss-poor arguing.
You have never stated as such “that those on the Right (and especially those on the Far Right), of the political spectrum, are more likely to believe or at least don't oppose anti-vax conspiracy theory”. You declared them “the enemy, and they are winning”.
So, now you seem to be saying that they might not be the only enemy, which was exactly my point. I asked you where the “vivid antivaxxers before Covid” had gone. Your reply was an article arguing that “Nazi Hippies” and “Far Right Overlap”. What a load of codswallop! Your hypothesis seems to be that all Lefty antivaxxers have either died from preventable diseases because they refused to be vaccinated or moved across to the Dark Side to become Far Right, is that correct? In New Zealand? Not a single Lefty antivaxxer left? So shocking it is unbelievable that anyone would believe such a thing. BTW, being vaccine hesitant and being an antivaxxer are not the same thing.
The WP link was from before Covid-19; that was the whole point.
The Horizon link showed that whoever they are, antivaxxers are not “winning”, at least not here in NZ. Whether the Far Right is winning in NZ is a different question, but latest political polls seem to suggest this may also not be the case. BTW, I don’t consider the National Party as Far Right, but maybe you confuse them with another National Party from a different era in a different country (hint: they also have MMP), yes?
In short, your Far Right conspiracy theories are just that, especially in relation to Covid vaccination. Others see Reds under the bed or dancing Cossacks.
You argue that a united Parliament would depoliticise the vaccination issue. I think it is the opposite, it would politicise it. I linked to a paper that argued that “[o]ne strategy for increasing vaccination willingness is to politicize the issue of vaccination itself”. How you would do this and whether this has the desired effect is hypothetical. I have an issue with applying so much (peer) pressure that it becomes enforced; we have seen plenty examples in history on how well that can work out, which gives reason to ponder and thread carefully and cautiously in matters such as these, in my humble opinion.
I don’t have any right to ban you or censor you for your ill-considered views and I don’t want to. I can moderate you for unsubstantiated claims, but I’d rather not and prefer if you back them up, especially when asked. I cannot make you accept facts and information if you don’t want to, which clearly is the case with you, as you have demonstrated in your overly long epistle.
I don’t want to turn this website into an echo chamber only for views acceptable to me. I don’t want to and have no right at all to do so; I’d be booted off this site before lunch time and rightly so. That said, I did trash the comment you posted after your Magnum Opus of 1,625 words that had the lyrics and YouTube clip of the song Ordinary World by Duran Duran. I could never stand them, and they were totally overrated. Such a shite song by such a shite band. But that’s entirely subjective and you were under Moderation, so I did.
It is becoming clear that you won’t change your ways because you don’t think there’s anything wrong with them. So, what should I do? I’ll take you out of Pre-Moderation and will ask you to back up any unsubstantiated claims like other commenters and I do with any other commenter who does the same thing. If you or anybody else spread misinformation on an important topic you can expect to be pulled up on it by another commenter or by me. This is the way it works here and always has.
We have come full circle and I’m going to turn over the page and I don’t want to (have to) waste one more single word on this!
Jenny, you know how this goes. If you make moderators work too hard, they get fed up and ban people. Just acknowledge that you posted the 70% target but now know that it's not a formal target. Or, argue it out and get a ban. Personally, if I'd been moderating this I'd have given you a medium length ban a few days ago just to free up my time.
First rule of mod club, is don't piss off the mods, especially around using up our time. To that end, if you want to write 1000+ word replies to a moderation and general issues with a particular mod (currently sitting in the filter), I'd suggest writing a post instead about one of the things you feel passionate about. Consider the value in that vs an inevitable ban.
Of the 8,787 people who have died in Texas due to COVID-19 since early February, at least 43 were fully vaccinated, the Texas Department of State Health Services said.
That means 99.5% of people who died due to COVID-19 in Texas from Feb. 8 to July 14 were unvaccinated, while 0.5% were the result of "breakthrough infections," which DSHS defines as people who contracted the virus two weeks after being fully vaccinated.
The agency said nearly 75% of the 43 vaccinated people who died were fighting a serious underlying condition, such as diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer or chronic lung disease.
Maybe we just start vaccinating those that have not gotten a jab at all first, and keep the borders closed to anyone but returning kiwis – who in some cases may have gotten vaccinations in the UK/US/Europe etc where they now currently live.
Never mind though, lets hope that the 20.000 kiwis on holiday in OZ come back without the virus, and lets hope that those that miss out on flights to come back home will not get sick while stuck over there.
Yes Sabine that 20,000 figure makes me shiver. We have done so well, and I fear are wallowing in self-gratification and enabling people who want to make a personal stand because they are too special to be attacked by a virus or a needle. I'm getting relaxed myself, though still use the hand wash where I go, but no-one else around me does. They view it as unnecessary and are relying on the government and Health Dept to do much.
But notice how much they are spending on full page advertisements in the media, and who stops to read every word. This is the lazy way of neolib government. I noticed this happening when they were making an effort to change practices in child rearing, stop smacking, better health. Preach from the top, lots spent on talking and publishing, but not get amongst the peeps helping them to fix problems, giving both information and demonstration and help close at hand on demand when needed.
The growing consensus that at least some Americans will need a booster is partly tied to research suggesting that Pfizer’s vaccine is less effective after about six months.
The most recent figures from the Israeli Ministry of Health, released late this week, suggested that Pfizer’s vaccine was just 39 percent effective in preventing infection in that country in late June and early July, compared to 95 percent from January to April.
The vaccine remained more than 90 percent effective in preventing severe disease, and nearly as effective in preventing hospitalization. Israel began offering a third Pfizer dose to citizens with severely weakened immune systems on July 12
The anti-vax movement is killing people, and the right-wing media is egging it on
Eoin Higgins
Sun, July 18, 2021, 12:28 AM·6 min read
Every person who died of COVID in Maryland this June was unvaccinated……
Anti-mask and anti-lockdown protests have combined with the existing anti-vax movement over the past 15 months, creating a Frankenstein’s monster of well-intentioned skepticism of the pharmaceutical industry, various pseudo-sciences, and the far right…..
If we are achieve levels of immunisation necessary to confer herd immunity to the general population, we will have to politically isolate our version of these right wing extremists. This will require a united front right across the mainstream political spectrum.
Taking personal responsibility is up to an individual when it comes to vaccination. Some people just do not give a hoot about anyone else's health and they do not value their own health.
Here on a domestic level describes what is happening at international level.
Coronavirus: NSW begs rest of Australia for COVID-19 vaccines
Australia's largest state of New South Wales on Friday urged the federal government to divert vaccine doses to Sydney, the epicentre of a flaring COVID-19 outbreak, raising objections from other states desperate for protection from the virus.
Now, NSW wants their own vaccination rollout to be sped up at the expenses of other safer states.
No-one would begrudge them this because their need is now greater (even if through fault of their own).
Now, will the unhinged RWNJs of New Zealand climb on board WA, NT Queensland, and Tasmania for their relatively poor vaccine rollout performance having given up stocks for those in greater need?
I always get a bit confused with the different states in OZ, but are the individual states responsible for their own vaccine purchases/ roll outs or is there an over arching government (for all of OZ) that handles that?
Example, Germany is a 'federation of states' that individually have their own governments, but the German Government is the one to purchase the vaccines and then distribute it to the individual states, who then with the allocated vaccines run their own roll out?
Oz sounds similar to Germany. Vaccine rollout is a federal (Coalition) responsibility, all other health decisions including Covid restrictions, lockdowns are state determined. Basically all states and territories, blue or red, have similar responses to Covid as NZ with the exception of NSW. The other key difference between Oz and NZ is that the federal government went with AstraZeneca, not Pfizer, as the main vaccine (AZ manufactured in Melbourne so a lot cheaper) and the hyped up scare stories about AZ side effects have meant a lot of vaccine hesitancy.
On Kim Hill this morning. About the debate for younger voting age 16 and up. Some points I noted – That voters choose from their beliefs and what will be best for them, countered by comment that isn't it supposed to be for what is best for the country.
And the statement that young people are being taught civics at school, and are therefore well-informed to make decisions.
And that schoolage is good for getting involved in voting and thinking about politics as the 18-24 age group get sidetracked into careers and places to live and starting out on life as young adults.
What do they get taught at school about civics, and building communities and how a country is supposed to run? Do all students learn this, ie is it compulsory or left up to the local school boards ? Probably USA style as have been other educational 'innovations' (so great a model for us to follow /sarc).
Perhaps we could invite someone with the knowledge and experience about civic education for school-age young adults, plus the ability to be objective, to write a guest post giving us the 'gen' on this?
Why is what kids they learn about civics at school important? Or anything else for that matter.
There are some who believe 5G towers disperse covid 19. There are some who believe the vaccine has microchips in it. There are some who believe the Coronavirus is a hoax. Some believe it's a big plot to take over the world.
So what did those people learn at school? They get to vote. What makes them getting to vote more valid than an "ordinary" 15 year? Simple miles on the clock?
What's that all about Pete. You are welcome to have a little rant about the topic. I still think that understanding the system that we live in, and the culture also, at school, will be beneficial for all. If parents don't know or ever talk about it, then the very basis of their adult lives may never be thought about, understood. Philosophies also should be discussed rather than setting the kids up for some religious stream which may not be one's preference, and be opposite to what a parent would say but often doesn't get round to it.
Over the years National policy towards law and order has proven to be a failure. Yet they still persist. At some point some journalists with clue in, and poor old Simeon is lost.
Is Judith playing the internal dirty politics long game, or am I just fantasising?
Nice piece from Aaron Bastani on how housing security transformed my mental health. In all the recent local discussions on mental health, so much of it has been about the nature and funding of mental health services. Virtually nothing has been about protecting mental health and preventing mental health crises through financial and housing security for everyone. Instead we argue about the disposition of ambulances at the bottom of the cliff; whether there are enough ambulances, who funded the most ambulances, and whether the ambulances are sufficiently tuned to the needs of Maori, etc.
It seems possible that by fixing the material and financial conditions of everday life, we will give mental health professionals the time and space to work with people whose mental health issues are truly endogenous/organic in origin – rather than triggered by an unlivable economic environment.
With news media enforcing payment or using of cookies maybe new ones that are easier to access are starting. I haven't found out much about News Logics. This is their About:
About us – Welcome to News Logics, We’re dedicated to giving you the news. Founded in 2017 by Frances Moody, News Logics has come a long way from its beginnings in the united state. When Frances Moody first started out, her passion for providing gripping content in the world of up to date, drove them to do tons of research so that News Logics can offer you the latest information, and small to big news We now serve reader all over the world and are thrilled that we’re able to turn our passion into our own website.
It refers to the united state – an oxymoron? Sounds as if it is run by a bot.
I have watched four 'dwellings' go up on a tiny section next – like right next to State Highway 5 in Rotorua go up. Curiosity killed to cat and today i went there and stopped for a look. Now they are small, ackward and if you look around you can see some nice and shoddy craftsmanship – but never mind, i thought, surely these are affordable? Right? Like big enough for a small family, or a couple. Yeah, nah nah,
they are 619.000 each. No extra charge for the noise pollution and traffic pollution, that is included in teh price, cause generous.
About 3000 requests for emergency housing were rejected by the Government last year, nearly triple the number the year before.
I no longer believe the minister's response, does the minister?
“The number of declines does not necessarily mean the client is left unsupported in their housing need as their accommodation need may have been met in discussion with their case manager through other support,” Sepuloni said.
“For example, when a person approaches the Ministry of Social Development for assistance, there is a range of assistance available, which may have resulted in other support or referrals being provided.”
So…is she claiming supports have tripled in the last year. Yeah, right.
The alternative take on this is that emergency housing has a big neon "no vacancy" sign over it. There is not enough room so people are being turned away to presumably live on the street, if they are lucky in the shelter of a vehicle.
You’re free what and whom to believe. However, for the sake of balanced opinion, you might want to ask yourself what else has changed between 2019 and 2020. For example, how many more requests had been received. Of course, a one-sided view leads to one-sided thinking.
From your link:
They show 2997 applications were turned down in 2020, compared to 1032 in 2019.
vs.
Roughly 155,000 grants were approved in 2020 at a cost to taxpayers of nearly $300 million. About 101,000 were approved in 2019, totalling $150m.
Did you see my post? did you click on the link? Do you realise that this is a new build, 4 on a tiny section with two houses literally the width of a walkway from a motorway? did you see the cost? 619.000 per 'unit'. Rentable 'value' of 540 – 550 a week? The collective greed of this country and the collective failure of various governments to manage housing as a social good will come to bite us in our collective behinds sooner or later.
As for Mrs. Sepuloni, she is the Paula Benefit of the Labour Party. There is no real difference between the two.
And frankly, many many are getting really tired of these games of 'may have or may have not'. Because too many don't have anything at all.
So yeah, i pity anyone who believes a word coming from this women. She does as she is told to do.
As for Mrs. Sepuloni, she is the Paula Benefit of the Labour Party. There is no real difference between the two.
I’m sorry, but I find this nonsense unpalatable. In essence, you do the same thing as always, which is shooting the messenger and your pet hates AKA targets, no matter what or when. Debating with people like you, with a closet mind, is therefore an exercise in futility and thus a waste of time.
I’m really not in the mood for your ignorant babble.
You are a fierce defender of the Labour Party, Incognito, i give you this. 🙂
And i guess i am a ' virtue signaler' as you so politely called me some time ago, and i am very very happy about this compliment. I should thank you for it, cause I would find it worse to see what is going on in the country and never say anything and just pretend it does not exist in order to not ruffle a few feathers or for fear of rocking some boats.
As for my comments, i always try to be at the very least respectful enough to provide a link to support my thoughts. And if you had a look at the link above you know that this can't go on like this for much longer, because at some stage we just have to many people who are unhoused or despite working and a 20 NZD min wage can't afford to spend 540 – 550 for a 'dwelling'. And that is not good for anyone. Not you, not me, and not our communities.
[I don’t know why you decided to misrepresent me and/or ascribe an obviously incorrect motivation to me.
You are a fierce defender of the Labour Party, Incognito, i give you this. 🙂
The rest of your comment was irrelevant and merely another opportunity for your virtue-signalling. I don’t do medals or damehoods, sorry.
I’m allergic to commenters misrepresenting other commenters here, to commenters spreading misinformation, to commenters shooting the messenger especially when it is another commenter, to commenters who divert and derail threads, to commenters who only want to push their own wheelbarrow and don’t want to listen to others, to commenters who twist things to suit their narrow narrative and to confirm their own bias, et cetera. You see that nothing in this list has anything to do with attacking one political party or defending another per se. It is nothing personal either, before to jump to that silly conclusion.
I’m especially sensitive to commenters who accuse Authors, Moderators, and/or this site of being a (paid) tool and/or ascribe ulterior motives. This is specifically mentioned in the site’s Policy in the list of self-martyrdom offenses. It is usually used to ‘justify’ and goes hand-in-hand with shooting the messenger, be it the Author, Moderator, and/or the site.
If you don’t like what you read here, provide a robust argument that addresses content, leave and go somewhere else, and/or start your own blog. In other words, you don’t have to put up with our shit and we don’t have to put with your shit, if we cannot agree to disagree.
When I get an allergic reaction I take appropriate medication. When I go into anaphylactic shock I have to take drastic action. Your comment is causing quite a severe reaction and I might have to go for the more heavy-duty treatment option. I already told you that I wasn’t in the mood but you’re not a very good listener or simply chose to ignore it. Please don’t make things worse, thanks – Incognito]
While dwellings have prestige and speculative value they will be unavailable to those for whom prestige and value lie elsewhere and who live shorter lives, suffer material hardship and do not vote.
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Green Party MP Julie Anne Genter says her members' bill is an opportunity for the coalition government to plug the gap in electric vehicle incentives. ...
The National Government continues to talk about irresponsible tax cuts that will only drive up inflation, despite the country entering a technical recession. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues must act urgently to reinstate flexibility around the funding for disability support and apologise to disabled carers. ...
This story has been initiated by a leftie shill reporter who proactively sought to call a member of a former band, which disbanded twelve years ago, give their biased appraisal of what was said in my speech, and concocted a ham-fisted attempt at a story that does nothing but show ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Many in the mainstream media have taken what was said in New Zealand First’s State of the Nation Speech in Palmerston North on Sunday and deliberately, deceitfully, and ignorantly misrepresented what I said and why I said it. The headlines and commentary on the news stated that I compared ‘co-governance ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
Good afternoon. Thank you for, in your very busy lives, turning up to this meeting today. On October 14th last year New Zealanders overwhelmingly voted for change. That is exactly what this new government is bringing. New Zealand First campaigned to ‘take back our country’ and stop the disastrous economic ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the passing of legislation to move light electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) into the road user charges system from 1 April. “It was always intended that EVs and PHEVs would be exempt from road user charges until they reached two ...
New Zealand is strengthening its ability to combat illegal fishing outside its domestic waters and beef up regulation for its own commercial fishers in international waters through a Bill which had its first reading in Parliament today. The Fisheries (International Fishing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2023 sets out stronger ...
Economists Carl Hansen and Professor Prasanna Gai have been appointed to the Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced today. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is the independent decision-making body that sets the Official Cash Rate which determines interest rates. Carl Hansen, the executive director of Capital ...
Apartment owners and buyers will soon have greater protections as further changes to the law on unit titles come into effect, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Act had already introduced some changes in December 2022 and May 2023, and ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Egypt and Europe from this weekend. “This travel will focus on a range of New Zealand’s traditional diplomatic and security partnerships while enabling broad engagement on the urgent situation in Gaza,” Mr Peters says. Mr Peters will attend the NATO Foreign ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown is encouraging all road users to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. “Road safety is a responsibility we all share, and with increased traffic on our roads expected this Easter we ...
About 1.4 million New Zealanders will receive cost of living relief through increased government assistance from April 1 909,000 pensioners get a boost to Superannuation, including 5000 veterans 371,000 working-age beneficiaries will get higher payments 45,000 students will see an increase in their allowance Over a quarter of New Zealanders ...
Ensuring social housing is being provided to those with the greatest needs is front of mind as the Government restarts social housing tenancy reviews, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. “Our relentless focus on building a strong economy is to ensure we can deliver better public services such as social ...
The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will not go ahead, with Cabinet deciding to stop work on the proposed reserve and remove the Bill that would have established it from Parliament’s order paper. “The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill would have created a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
Dam safety regulations are being amended so that smaller dams won’t be subject to excessive compliance costs, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on reducing costs and removing unnecessary red tape so we can get the economy back on track. “Dam safety regulations ...
The coalition Government is expanding the medium-scale adverse event classification to parts of the North Island as dry weather conditions persist, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “I have made the decision to expand the medium-scale adverse event classification already in place for parts of the South Island to also cover the ...
The passing of legislation giving effect to coalition Government tax commitments has been welcomed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill will help place New Zealand on a more secure economic footing, improve outcomes for New Zealanders, and make our tax system ...
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds today announced plans to transform our science and university sectors to boost the economy. Two advisory groups, chaired by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, will advise the Government on how these sectors can play a greater ...
The Budget will deliver urgently-needed tax relief to hard-working New Zealanders while putting the government’s finances back on a sustainable track, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The Finance Minister made the comments at the release of the Budget Policy Statement setting out the Government’s Budget objectives. “The coalition Government intends ...
The coalition Government will look at options to address a zoning issue that limits how much financial support Queenstown residents can get for accommodation. Cabinet has agreed on a response to the Petitions Committee, which had recommended the geographic information MSD uses to determine how much accommodation supplement can be ...
Cabinet has agreed to a short extension to the final reporting timeframe for the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from 28 March 2024 to 26 June 2024, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says. “The Royal Commission wrote to me on 16 February 2024, requesting that I consider an ...
The coalition Government is delivering an $18 million boost to New Zealanders needing to travel for specialist health treatment, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says. “These changes are long overdue – the National Travel Assistance (NTA) scheme saw its last increase to mileage and accommodation rates way back in 2009. ...
The Government is recognising the innovative and rising talent in New Zealand’s growing space sector, with the Prime Minister and Space Minister Judith Collins announcing the new Prime Minister’s Prizes for Space today. “New Zealand has a growing reputation as a high-value partner for space missions and research. I am ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity, attributed to groups sponsored by the Chinese Government, targeting democratic institutions in both New ...
Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced the appointment of three independent reviewers to lead the Ministerial Inquiry into the Ministry of Education’s School Property Function. The Inquiry will be led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully. “There is a clear need ...
State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns will be open for Easter weekend, with work currently underway to ensure the resilience of this critical route being paused for Easter Weekend to allow holiday makers to travel north, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Today I visited the Brynderwyn Hills construction site, where ...
Introduction Good morning to you all, and thanks for having me bright and early today. I am absolutely delighted to be the Minister for Infrastructure alongside the Minister of Housing and Resource Management Reform. I know the Prime Minister sees the three roles as closely connected and he wants me ...
New Zealand stands with the United Kingdom in its condemnation of People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-backed malicious cyber activity impacting its Electoral Commission and targeting Members of the UK Parliament. “The use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is unacceptable,” Minister Responsible for ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced New Zealand will provide logistics support for the upcoming Solomon Islands election. “We’re sending a team of New Zealand Defence Force personnel and two NH90 helicopters to provide logistics support for the election on 17 April, at the request ...
The European Union Free Trade Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill received Royal Assent today, completing the process for New Zealand’s ratification of its free trade agreement with the European Union. “I am pleased to announce that today, in a small ceremony at the Beehive, New Zealand notified the European Union ...
Public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has concluded, Internal Affairs Minister Hon Brooke van Velden says. “I have been advised that there were over 11,000 submissions made through the Royal Commission’s online consultation portal.” Expanding the scope of the Royal Commission of ...
Hardworking families are set to benefit from a new credit to help them meet their early childcare education (ECE) costs, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. From 1 July, parents and caregivers of young children will be supported to manage the rising cost of living with a partial reimbursement of their ...
A specialised Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) tasked with preparing and publishing independent non-binding advice on the design of a "green" (sustainable finance) taxonomy rulebook is being established, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “Comprising experts and market participants, the ITAG's primary goal is to deliver comprehensive recommendations to the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins has thanked the Chief of Army, Major General John Boswell, DSD, for his service as he leaves the Army after 40 years. “I would like to thank Major General Boswell for his contribution to the Army and the wider New Zealand Defence Force, undertaking many different ...
25 March 2024 Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders Small Business, Manufacturing, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly will travel to Australia for a series of bi-lateral meetings and manufacturing visits. During the visit, Minister Bayly will meet with his Australian counterparts, Senator Tim Ayres, Ed ...
Government commits almost $3 million for period products in schools The Coalition Government has committed $2.9 million to ensure intermediate and secondary schools continue providing period products to those who need them, Minister of Education Erica Stanford announced today. “This is an issue of dignity and ensuring young women don’t ...
Good morning, it’s great to be here. First, I would like to acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors and thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning. I would like to use this opportunity to outline the Government’s ambitious plan and what we hope to ...
Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti has announced the Government’s commitment to the Auckland Secondary Schools Māori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival, more commonly known as Polyfest. “The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is a longtime supporter of Polyfest and, as it celebrates 49 years in 2024, I’m proud to ...
Before moving onto the substance of today’s address, I want to recognise the very significant and ongoing contribution the Breast Cancer Foundation makes to support the lives of New Zealand women and their families living with breast cancer. I very much enjoy working with you. I also want to recognise ...
New Zealand has notched up a first with the launch of University of Canterbury research to the International Space Station, Science, Innovation and Technology and Space Minister Judith Collins says. The hardware, developed by Dr Sarah Kessans, is designed to operate autonomously in orbit, allowing scientists on Earth to study ...
Introduction Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today and I’m sorry I can’t be there in person. Yesterday I started in Wellington for Breakfast TV, spoke to a property conference in Auckland, and finished the day speaking to local government in Christchurch, so it would have been ...
The Coalition Government is contributing more than $1 million to support the establishment of an emergency multi-agency coordination centre in Northland. Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced the contribution today during a visit of the Whangārei site where the facility will be constructed. “Northland has faced a number ...
New Zealanders have enjoyed a broader range of voices telling the story of Aotearoa thanks to the creation of Whakaata Māori 20 years ago, says Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka. The minister spoke at a celebration marking the national indigenous media organisation’s 20th anniversary at their studio in Auckland on ...
Commercial catch limits for some fisheries have been increased following a review showing stocks are healthy and abundant, Ocean and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The changes, along with some other catch limit changes and management settings, begin coming into effect from 1 April 2024. "Regular biannual reviews of fish ...
Analysis by Keith Rankin. Keith Rankin, trained as an economic historian, is a retired lecturer in Economics and Statistics. He lives in Auckland, New Zealand. My earlier article – Can ‘Good’ be the Greater Evil? – looked at the issue of how wars should end, and how Good versus Evil ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 AMMA by Saraid de Silva (Moa Press, $38)A stunning debut novel reviewed by Brannavan ...
From Steve Martin to Ricky Stanicky, a pick’n’mix of things worth watching and listening to this long weekend. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. If you’re at a loss for something to occupy yourself with this Easter, don’t panic: The Spinoff’s got ...
Jesus had dinner with his 12 disciples right before he died. Noted historian Madeleine Chapman finds out who really deserved to be there.First published in 2018 but let’s be honest, the subject is timeless. As you sit on your couch this Easter Sunday, eating a chocolate egg you know ...
The newly-promoted Northern League club is on a mission to return to the National League for the first time in two decades. Plenty about domestic football in New Zealand has changed in that time – but the sense that this amateur competition is not an entirely level playing field remains. ...
Comment: Every year on February 2, a dozen men in tuxedos and top hats approach the burrow of a groundhog in Gobbler’s Knob, Pennsylvania and entice the beaver-like rodent to emerge and predict the weather. If the groundhog, named Punxsutawney Phil, sees its own shadow when it is summoned, legend ...
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Auckland Council has put a deadline on new weather-impacted property owners applying for categorisation as government funding looks set to run out. Councillors have voted to support a deadline of September 30 for property owners who haven’t accessed support to come forward and engage with the council’s recovery office. It ...
NONFICTION 1 BBQ Economics by Liam Dann (Penguin Random House, $40) “It’s official,” wrote Dann nine days ago in the Herald, where he works as business editor at large, “we’re in recession.” Yeah, great. He delivered the bad stats: “GDP fell 0.1 percent in the December 2023 quarter, compared with ...
By Anneke Smith, RNZ News political reporter A petition urging the New Zealand government to provide urgent humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people has been tabled in the House. More than 200 people gathered on Parliament’s forecourt today and they were met by MPs from Labour, the Greens and Te ...
Pacific Media Watch The Paris-based global media freedom watchdog RSF (Reporters Without Borders) has appealed for information about the “disappearance” of Palestinian journalist Bayan Abusultan. She was reportedly last seen on March 19 among people “sequestered” in this week’s raid and siege of Al Shifa hospital by Israeli troops in ...
EDITORIAL:The Jakarta Post It happens again and again; indigenous Papuans fall victim to Indonesian soldiers. This time, we have photographic evidence for the brutality, with videos on social media showing a Papuan man being tortured by a group of plainclothes men alleged to be the Indonesian Military (TNI) members. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robyn J. Whitaker, Director of the Wesley Centre for Theology, Ethics, and Public Policy & Associate Professor, New Testament, Pilgrim Theological College, University of Divinity A strange and eclectic range of activities takes place across these few weeks of the year. Some ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Panizza Allmark, Professor Visual & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University It’s Easter weekend, which means many of us will be kicking back with the greatest hits on repeat. But whether you’re a boomer, or an ‘80s or ’90s kid, you might be ...
RNZ Pacific Fiji’s Acting Public Prosecutor has filed an appeal against the sentences of former prime minister Voreqe Bainimarama and suspended police chief Sitiveni Qiliho in their corruption case. Bainimarama was granted an absolute discharge for attempting to pervert the course of justice while Qiliho received a conditional discharge with ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Arosha Weerakoon, Senior Lecturer and General Dentist, School of Dentistry, The University of Queensland Casezy idea/Shutterstock How does toothpaste work? What did people use before toothpaste was invented? – Amelia, age 7, Meanjin (Brisbane) Thanks for your ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brett Hallam, Associate professor, UNSW Sydney IM Imagery/Shutterstock Solar SunShot is well named. The Australian government announced today it would plough A$1 billion into bringing back solar manufacturing to Australia, boosting energy security, swapping coal and gas jobs for those ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Dix, Research Fellow in Nutrition & Dietetics, The University of Queensland Easter is the time for chocolate. The shops are full of fantastically packaged and shiny chocolates in all shapes and sizes, making trips to the supermarket with children more challenging ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emma Felton, Adjunct Senior Researcher, University of South Australia Even in a stubborn cost-of-living crisis, it seems there’s one luxury most Australians won’t sacrifice – their daily cup of coffee. Coffee sales have largely remained stable, even as financial pressures have ...
Mining company Trans-Tasman Resources has unexpectedly withdrawn its application for a consent to suck the valuable metals vanadium and titanium from the Taranaki seafloor, as it apparently wagers on the Government’s new fast-track process. It had spent two-and-a-half days putting its case to the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision-making committee, at ...
Contrary to the Associate Minister of Education’s claims, analysis of Healthy School Lunches Programme - Ka Ora, Ka Ako assessments has revealed it provides excellent value for the taxpayer dollar, as a groundswell of public opposition to Government ...
Greenpeace says wannabe Taranaki seabed miner Trans-Tasman Resources is likely banking on Christopher Luxon’s fast-track process to side-step proper scrutiny of its Taranaki seabed mining proposal by bailing out of the Environmental Protection Agency hearing ...
Kiwis Against Seabed mining today slammed Australian owned would-be seabed miner Trans Tasman Resources (TTR) for abandoning its application to the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to mine the seabed of the South Taranaki Bight. The company ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katie Attwell, Associate Professor, School of Social Sciences, The University of Western Australia Ground Picture/Shutterstock Months after COVID vaccines were introduced in 2021, governments and private organisations mandated them for various groups. Health and aged care workers were among the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Dzurak, Scientia Professor Andrew Dzurak, CEO and Founder of Diraq, UNSW Sydney Diraq For decades, the pursuit of quantum computing has struggled with the need for extremely low temperatures, mere fractions of a degree above absolute zero (0 Kelvin or ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne A national Essential poll, conducted March 20–24 from a sample of 1,150, gave the Coalition a 50–44 lead including undecided, a reversal ...
The Taxpayers’ Union has today made a formal request under the Regulations of the People’s Republic of China on Open Government Information () for information held about how New Zealand Members of Parliament are spending taxpayer ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert Nelson, Honorary Principal Fellow, The University of Melbourne A Byzantine depiction of the Eucharist in Saint Sophia Cathedral, Kyiv.Jacek555/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA A nasty quarrel arose in the 11th century over what kind of bread should be used in holy ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Patrick Hesp, Professor, Flinders University Patrick Hesp In some parts of Australia, coastal dunes are retreating from the ocean at an alarming rate, as waves carve up the beach and wind blows the sand inland. But coastal communities are largely ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Luke Heemsbergen, Senior Lecturer, Digital, Political, Media, Deakin University With an impressive 60% of the US smartphone market, Apple is undeniably big, but not a clear monopoly. Yet, years of innovation by Apple have effectively given the company its own exclusive ...
Whether you’re facing layoffs or are just an emotional junior staffer, it’s always a good idea to scout out a good crying place before you need it. It’s an incredibly hard time for Wellington. Across the city, thousands of public servants are hearing tough news about redundancies and layoffs. Government ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Miller-Jones, Professor, Curtin University Nuclear explosions on a neutron star feed its jets. Danielle Futselaar and Nathalie Degenaar, Anton Pannekoek Institute, University of Amsterdam, CC BY-SA How fast can a neutron star drive powerful jets into space? The answer, it ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daryl Adair, Associate Professor of Sport Management, University of Technology Sydney Earlier this week, independent MP Andrew Wilkie accused the AFL of conducting “off the books” illicit drug testing to identify players using substances of abuse, then inappropriately withdrawing them from matches ...
The Government’s announcement that it will scrap plans for a vast marine sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands is ‘shameful’ and will make it impossible for Aotearoa New Zealand to meet its international commitments, says the World Wide Fund for Nature ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Quiggin, Professor, School of Economics, The University of Queensland Shutterstock The federal government has bowed to pressure from the car industry, announcing it will relax proposed emissions rules for utes and vans and delay enforcement of the new standards ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Suzanne Rutland, Professor Emerita, University of Sydney In his latest book, Jewish Life in Medieval Spain, Jonathan Ray focuses on the tumult of the 14th century in Spain – a time of the plague, civil strife and war between the two largest ...
While creating a slate of world-class shows, Whakaata Māori also developed a generation of world-class creatives. Television is an odd word. It mixes the Ancient Greek and Latin languages, and its most literal meaning is “far-off sight”. In the contemporary and living language of te reo Māori, “whakaata” as a ...
Yesterday the UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Israel’s war on Gaza. This significant step and the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza prompted an urgent debate in the New Zealand Parliament. Leader ...
The Government’s decision to reduce access to continuous glucose monitors (CGM) not only threatens the lives of children with type 1 diabetes and increases the potential for ‘Dead in Bed’ syndrome, but also threatens the health of their parents an ...
Apples are available year-round, but the wide variety on offer involves intensive scientific research – and large-scale commercialisation. What’s beautiful, red, sweet and crunchy? Tony Martin’s favourite kind of apple: Sassy. The CEO of apple and pear breeding organisation Prevar, Martin’s fondness for Sassy represents professional success as well as ...
Family violence specialist service Shine is calling on employers to stop asking for proof of domestic violence in order for employees to access domestic violence leave. The call comes five years after the introduction of the Domestic Violence ...
The Deputy Chairperson of the Finance and Expenditure Committee is calling for public submissions on the Budget Policy Statement 2024. The Budget Policy Statement 2024 (BPS) sets out the Government's priorities for the 2024 Budget. It explains the approach ...
Brutal government spending cuts that will see the size of the Ministry for Pacific Peoples slashed by 40% will hit Pasifika communities hard, the PSA says. The Ministry has told staff that it is seeking voluntary redundancies, and to redeploy and reassign ...
I live with five people I mostly love, but our different ideas about generosity are starting to really irk me.Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nzDear Hera,This is a bit of a random one but here goes. I’m 22 and work an OK job (OK meaning I get paid ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Maria Nicholas, Senior Lecturer in Language and Literacy Education, Deakin University Earlier this month, the New South Wales government announced it would roll out programs for gifted students in every public school in the state. This comes amid concerns gifted school ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Rudge, Law lecturer, University of Sydney Massachusetts General Hospital In a world first, we heard last week that US surgeons had transplanted a kidney from a gene-edited pig into a living human. News reports said the procedure was a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Tombs, Howard Paterson Chair of Theology and Public Issues, University of Otago The 5th-century Maskell panel showing Jesus in a loincloth.British Museum, CC BY-NC-SA When Jesus is shown on the cross, he is almost always depicted wearing a loincloth around ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Panizza Allmark, Professor Visual & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University Shutterstock When you think about a red object, you might picture a red carpet, or the massive ruby in the Queen’s crown. Indeed, Western monarchies and marketing from brands such ...
COMMENTARY:Jewish Voice for Peace The UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza on Monday — and for the first time since the beginning of the Israeli military’s genocide of Palestinians, the United States abstained rather than vetoing it. Security Council resolutions are legally binding, ...
Asia Pacific Report A New Zealand investigative journalist and author says the US spy system hosted by the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) appears to be a controversial intelligence system used in global capture-kill operations. Writing a commentary for RNZ News today, Nicky Hager, author of Secret Power, a 1996 ...
While Nicola Willis wouldn’t give any details on its size, she said a package of tax cuts is definitely still coming in this year’s budget, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming the investigation into the Department of Internal Affairs after it was revealed that the Department’s Chief Executive personally reached out to expedite a DJs passport application. Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns ...
Finance minister Nicola Willis delivers her first budget statement, and unwittingly helps Joel MacManus save his relationship. Nicola Willis strode into the Beehive Theatrette. Around me, on the green foldout seats, were the country’s top business and political journalists. They were all here to see her announce the Budget Policy ...
Twenty years ago today, Māori Television launched after much controversy. Jamie Tahana looks back on its survival and impact across two decades. Chad Chambers stepped onto the stage, the brim of his cap casting a shadow across his face. His smile beamed as bright as his white freezing works gumboots, ...
Tauranga, Rotorua, Wellsford, Onehunga, Westhaven marina – Gavin Strawhan walks the meanish streets of New Zealand in his entertaining debut novel The Call, almost sure to roar into the number 1 position on the Nielsen bestseller chart, its front cover bearing a rave from somebody: “A really good and genuinely ...
On a Thursday in February, at Wellington’s Conservation House, the Conservation Authority, a statutory body advising the eponymous department and minister, Tama Potaka, opened its 195th meeting. Under consideration that afternoon was an agenda item written by Tim Bamford, chief advisor in the Department of Conservation’s biodiversity, heritage and visitors ...
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A lengthy response to the recently released draft Government policy statement on transport will soon be delivered from Auckland Council to Minister of Transport Simeon Brown. A submission raising concerns about funding distribution and the plan’s treatment of Auckland passed through the council’s transport committee on Wednesday, despite some councillors ...
The unidentified foreign intelligence operation discussed in a scathing report by New Zealand’s Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS) last week appears to be a controversial United States intelligence system. The IGIS report said the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) decision to host a foreign system from 2012-2020 was “improper” ...
The little fellow didn't make it:
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/toa-stranded-orca-calf-buried-local-marae
Seems to be a technical problem with commenting.
A big thankyou to the dedicated men and women who worked 24 hrs a day in an effort to save him and return him to his family.
Hopefully an appropriate fruit tree will be planted o'er top….
Apparently Australia's Great Barrier Reef is no longer endangered, and will no longer be listed as such, because Australia's Environment Minister Sussan Leys has done a standup job convincing UNESCO that there are alternative facts:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-07-23/great-barrier-reef-avoids-in-danger-unesco-tag/100319652
They'll look at it again next year.
It is the second time the Great Barrier Reef has been spared inclusion on the "in danger" list.
In 2015, lobbying by then-environment minister Greg Hunt escaped a push to have the reef added to the list.
After that, the reef was hit with an unprecedented three mass bleaching events in five years, driven by climate change and water quality targets that were not met.
Hey but let's hear it for Queensland tourism.
Make it endangered and everyone will rush to see it before it vanishes – very good for tourism, and then they can break off bits of bleached coral for souveniers. (Santa I would like spellcheck and pop-up correction like I get on google email)!
I know C and V – I’ve got that on my tech CV!
Cant copy and paste!
First "C", then "V" 🙂
John Michael Greer challenges the technophiles!
"One of the things I find fascinating about the deepening twilight of industrial society is how rigid our modern notions of technology have become. Most people these days, asked to imagine a society with technology about as advanced as ours, present something all but identical to what we’ve got now; asked to imagine a society with less advanced technology, they spring to a distorted pop-culture version of early medieval Europe if they don’t leap straight to even more distorted pop-culture notions about the Stone Age; asked to imagine a society with technology more advanced than ours, you can bet dollars for dilithium crystals that they’ll rehash the same tired imagery from early twentieth century sci-fi that has been stuck sideways in our collective imagination for decades now."
https://www.ecosophia.net/whispers-from-antiquity/
+1
I recall from my schools days projects on 'the Dark Age' a term now apparently avoided that described the roughly thousand year period after the collapse of the (western ) Roman Empire and the subsequent loss of knowledge and practices…..rinse and repeat?
I remember reading that certain tribes? in Britain asked if the Romans would come back, their organisation was good, and their infrastructure and they largely left the people to live within their own culture. But the Romans had trouble at home.
'Bloody Romans…what have they ever done for us ' springs to mind.
https://www.britannica.com/event/Dark-Ages – refers to the invasion of Europe by various other people.
but also this
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medieval_technology
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medieval_technology#Civil_technologies
the times were not quite that dark.
Yes there were undoubtably areas of 'light' if you like but fragmentation , disorganisation and I suspect a loss of common thought/education didnt make for an easy time….and importantly much that had been before was lost, good and bad.
The point I think Greer makes is that progress dosnt cease, it changes….and we need to remember we dont know what we dont know….even events a few centuries ago are largely a mystery to us …hell, even events a few decades ago are in constant dispute.
I don't have a lot of 'technology' in my house or life. I have a computer, a landline, and that is pretty much it. We have actually not invented anything much, we are upgrading 'systems' but that is about it. And i guess this is where the difference between the medieval times and our times are. The best we can do atm is change the look of a gadget or the system. Heck even the
Ev are not new technology considering that the 1920 had them already.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_electric_vehicle
Its not just technology that is impacted in a collapse….knowledge in general, systems, welfare even beliefs.
Greer's writing on catabolic collapse is very interesting…. and it is without the mystical.
https://www.ecoshock.org/transcripts/greer_on_collapse.pdf
but with that lack of technology also come skills.
If you only cook ready made meals can you cook from scratch? if you only use your microwave can you cook on a coal range or a sun oven? if all your clothes come from a shop can you still sew and fix a garment?
these are all skills, same as with wood work, building, fishing, hunting, planting etc. How many of us still have these skills?
So yes, we now have a world were many have lots of gadgets but can't boil water without burning down the house. (my sister 🙂 )
Dont disagree with that…though would note some skills easier to learn than others AND many time constrained…..its best not to have to learn how to grow food say when the supermarkets are empty and theres a drought.
@ Pat,
well i guess when the supermarkets run out of food cause the planet is done with us, its soylent green 🙂
"Dark" describes the lack of sources, not the society.
Thats the first time Ive heard that
I linked to a blog about it below.
Interesting….dont think there was much lack of writing through that period though it may be fair to observe that much of what survived was curated by the Church which would sit with Petrarch who appeared to bemoaning the quality rather than the quantity of writings.
If we we drop the contested term 'Dark Ages' what do we know of the period following the collapse of the Western Roman Empiore?
[Content deleted because it contained too many links that triggered Auto-Moderation]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle_Ages
That's a bit of a retcon of what Petrarch actually said when he coined the expression: "Amidst the errors there shone forth men of genius; no less keen were their eyes, although they were surrounded by darkness and dense gloom"
Yes my take too…he could well have been taking aim at the Church
Petrarch said "darkness". But Baronius actually coined the term:
] The Annales covered the first twelve centuries of Christianity to 1198, and was published in twelve volumes between 1588 and 1607. It was in Volume X that Baronius coined the term "dark age" for the period between the end of the Carolingian Empire in 888[24] and the first stirrings of Gregorian Reform under Pope Clement II in 1046:
Lots to suggest times were literally dark.
LOS ALAMOS, N.M., Dec. 17, 2000 — The beginning of the Dark Ages may have been literal, as well as figurative, as the result of a massive volcanic eruption in the 6th century, according to a volcanologist at the Department of Energy's Los Alamos National Laboratory.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2001/01/010102061812.htm
The ices of Greenland and Antarctica bear the fingerprints of a monster: a gigantic volcanic eruption in 539 or 540 A.D. that killed tens of thousands and helped trigger one of the worst periods of global cooling in the last 2,000 years. Now, after years of searching, a team of scientists has finally tracked down the source of the eruption.
https://archive.li/hU69K (NatGeo)
yes, but this 'does not refer to the 'dark' ages.
It should actually, as the times themselves were actually quite sophisticated and if you like the term, fashion forward. But generally the terms
'dark ages' is applied to infer a time where people regressed rather then progressed.
But you could also call this the small ice age, as some do indeed call it.
The suggestion is that a consequence of the lower levels of sunlight was cultural, social and economic regression.
Some medievalists disagree most bluntly with the "regression" idea.
As i pointed out, hence why learned people now no longer use the term 'dark ages'.
I have however heard of the 'small ice age' in regards to weather, low sunshine, crop failures etc.
Collaborators? Sycophants? One percenters? Rome lovers? Dionysians? Aristocrats? Tourism operators? Celtic artifact salesmen? Chariot exporters?
Lol…all of the above and no doubt more.
The more things change the more they stay the same.
Exactly, pat. So, who for example is advocating 'bringing back the Brits"?
They are the ones who would prefer benevolent despotism aka royalty, the ones who despise indigenous culture and language, who want tourism at the risk of our health, who want trade at the risk of covid deaths, who want their overseas trips and so flaunt their wealth at the risk of their community.
For they are the one percenters, and their sycophants, the untitled aristocracy, the ICE car importers, the exporters of swamp kauri, the manufacturers of coal-dried milk powder, the tainters of water, sellers of our land to foreigners, enablers of overseas bolt holers.
The Romans had them. The Britons had them.
We've got them.
I dont know of a society of any size without hierarchy….do you?
Perhaps scale is the problem?
Scale is just one factor.
It is our thinking and how we think about and set up these hierarchical structures and institutions, held together by the ‘laws of the land’ as well as moral ‘laws’. In other words, it is a human construct.
How these institutions are set up are a function of scale I'd suggest….that which can work perfectly adequately locally may not at say a national level.
It is easier to consider impacts and needs when dealing with small groups and where the benefit has accrued is far more easily recognised…it is then also far easier to use democratic pressure to correct.
Nowhere to hide
Observe and modify the excesses, minimise the discrepancies, allow justice for all, defend the weak. Societies tolerate a modicum of hierarchy and income/asset inequality.
Modicum being the operative word…..the problem appears to be the measure of 'modicum'
In many cases scales are the problem – signature trait of reptilian consciousness.
lol..very good
Is that why we now have 20.000 kiwis stuck in OZ? cause their englishnessness caused them to want unsustainable tourism?
Actually, Sabine, I think it's something to do with the Australians?
ah, so tourists coming to NZ is unsustainable, but Kiwis being tourists in OZ is sustainable, and that has something to do with englishnessness? And 20.000 kiwis stuck in OZ has something to do with OZ, but not with Kiwis 'being tourists' during the years of the plague? 🙂
First sentence I don't think I argued for at all. Second sentence is right on both counts. Kiwi went touring into a 'bubble' risking it in a pandemic, Australians burst the bubble.
mac1 Your comments are very interesting. Thinking about Romans I found in a book I have about Caesar, a quote from Caradoc the son of leader Cunobel, when betrayed by the northern Brigantes and taken in chains to Rome.
'It is reported that when…he looked with wonder upon the great buildings of the city, he turned ironically to his captors and said: "It is strange, indeed, that a people who have so many and such rich possessions of their own should envy me and mine. It is strange that the owners of these palaces should desire to drive us from our poor hovels."'
Maori might, did? say the same to the colonials. We in turn say the same to the incoming phalanx of wealthy.
And to illustrate yours at 1.49 a brilliant little song from the past.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z45EB4TiYz4
The "deepening twilight of industrial society" imagery resonates; fun ‘whispers‘ less so.
This?
" If the occult teachings I learned are correct, this isn’t the end of the present cycle of civilizations—there are supposed to be several more great civilizations before the current cycle comes to an end—but we’re past the peak, and what remains of our civilization and the two to come will go through their own shorter cycles in the course of a greater decline. After that? There are supposed to be two more cycles of civilization, separated from ours and each other by long intervals of tribal existence, before humanity finishes its time on this planet."
https://www.ecosophia.net/whispers-from-antiquity/
If so then yes, tend to agree…..but then he is a Druid.
Theosophist
A self described Druid.
Reading that took me back to my days as a credulous 11 year old that came across some of von Daniken's books.
Reading that took me back to my days as an 11 year old boy scout….be prepared
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZV3kGRY1j0
lol…indeed we are.
Unless you plan on living forever
It seems the effectiveness of the double dose Pfizer vaccine (Israeli evidence) in preventing infection diminishes by 6 months – the better news is that despite that hospitalisations in Israel are still down (despite the fact older people were vaccinated early).
We may have to look at giving the border staff, front-line workers and health workers an Astra Zeneca dose at 6 months or so.
This article looks at the mix and matching options and problems with using either vaccine for more than two doses.
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-01359-3
Israel has an vaccination rate of 80%
New Zealand's target is 70% which has been described by health experts as a "low bar".
The fight against covid-19 has always been a political struggle as well as a medical one.
The ball is now firmly in the political court, for our leaders to be more ambitous, to inspire and lead us to lift this target.
In the past New Zealand was able to achieve vaccination rates of 80 and even 90%
"Let's Do This"
If we are really set on 'elimination' as our goal rather than 'suppression' we need to do this again.
[Here we go again:
You continue to make the same assertion about the alleged target of 70% of the NZ population vaccinated to suit your endless and tedious narrative that this is too low, et cetera. Please provide evidence to back this up.
It is possible that I’ve missed a recent update on this and that Government has now set an official target, but this seems unlikely given the following:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/300250582/covid19-vaccine-medsafe-issues-alert-on-rare-side-effect-of-pfizer-jab
You’re now in Pre-Moderation, also because there’s a raft of other unsubstantiated assertions that you keep peddling here, until you back up your above assertion in a satisfactory way – Incognito]
About 30% of people vote act, national and other minority parties so it's to be expected that about that number would be vaccine shy.
Do you really believe that the only ones that are vaccineshy are national/act voters or other minorities;? I am asking, because i have met vaccine shy – militant anti vaccers and they are on the left very left spectrum, or down right ;Anti Government’, sovereign citizens, earthlings etc.
Na just having a little fun on a bored Saturday
Please be careful with having fun and making assertions that you cannot back up. Sabine was excellent in calling you out on this, which may have saved you from being moderated, as I’ve had enough of people peddling misinformation here.
Oops my bad ,
‘
“About 30% of people vote act, national and other minority parties so it’s to be expected that about that number would be vaccine shy.”
bwaghorn
Understood
If/when you get out of Pre-Moderation, here’s another task for you.
You seem to love laying blame with and pointing at the right, far right, right wing extremists, right wing media, et cetera, usually used synonymously with conspiracy theorists responsible for vaccine hesitancy.
I think the situation is a little more complex than that and that it might be quite difficult to draw a line between people causing, spreading, or propagating vaccine hesitancy and those who are vaccine hesitant. Obviously, there will be some overlap between these two groups. Shoving all these together on one pile and in one political corner is misleading and unhelpful. In fact, it think it is counter-productive and possibly hindering vaccine uptake and therefore potentially dangerous.
You claim that “[t]he far right conspiracy theorists spreading vaccine hesitancy are the enemy, and they are winning.”
This doesn’t seem to be reflected in/by polls:
https://static.colmarbrunton.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/9-13-March-2021_1-NEWS-Colmar-Brunton-Poll-report.pdf
https://www.horizonpoll.co.nz/page/618/overall-vaccine-uptake-potential-rises-to-80
https://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/diseases-and-conditions/covid-19-novel-coronavirus/covid-19-vaccines/covid-19-vaccine-strategy-planning-insights/covid-19-vaccine-research-insights
None of the polls seems to support your assertions that this is a simple Left vs. Right issue.
So, next time you make these unsubstantiated assertions I will moderate you and ask you to back them up. Alternatively, you can adjust your language and avoid moderation ; forewarned is forearmed
HTH
I just saw on the ABC News TV channel in Oz that 69 per cent of Republicans say they will get vaccinated.
See my Moderation note @ 10:51 am.
[No, I’m afraid I cannot agree. Again, you waste an enormous amount of space here without giving a specific answer, i.e. you’re beating around the bush.
In contrast to your 6 month-old link, I provided a recent link that states two different things: 1) there is no set target; 2) Ashley Bloomfield hopes for 90%.
Instead of wasting more Moderator time and space, why don’t you get to the point in a succinct (!!) manner and provide a link, even a dated one will do, to a formal target set by Government. A hope is not a set target, no matter what the MSM headline says.
If there’s no such thing as a formal set target, which I suspect is the case, then you should adjust your narrative accordingly because otherwise your comments are deliberately misleading and could be construed as you doing the dirty work for the opposition parties and other malcontents.
https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA2107/S00163/dhb-vaccine-targets-meaningless.htm
I hope you understand what this moderation is about. If not, let me know, and I’ll end the needless agony – Incognito]
See my Moderation note @ 7:28 pm.
Hi Incognito,
I can't provide a link to something that doesn't exist.
Why would you ask me to, since I never claimed there was any formal target set by the government.
I defy you to point out where I ever said such a thing.
Yours J.
[I’m not getting through to you and wasting my time.
You made the assertion about the 70% target and you cannot back it up because it was BS.
See the problem here? – Incognito]
You asked me to look for something that doesn't exist.
And in return I asked you to look for somethng which doesn't exist.
I'ts hilarious.
[I asked you to back up your assertion or modify your language accordingly.
Neither has happened.
I don’t think this is funny and I’m not laughing.
You have one more chance self-correct before you go in the Black list until further notice.
This has wasted too much time already and is getting beyond the tedious – Incognito]
See my Moderation note @ 10:45 pm.
Hi incognito
Good grief.
Now you are shiftiing the goal posts, first you said and I quote. "…provide a link, even a dated one will do, to a formal target set by Government."
Since I never made such a claim, and you know it, you now say. “You made the assertion about the 70% target and you cannot back it up because it was BS.”
I never made that assertion, I was quoting others
And I presume by “the assertion”, you mean when Vaccinologist Associate Professor Dr Helen Petousis-Harris said 70 per cent was a “low bar”.
Dr Petousis-Harris was reacting to Stuff Journalist Hannah Martin, who made "the assertion" "- "Covid-19: Govt wants to vaccinate 70 per cent of NZ,…."
Are you saying that I shouldn't quote from journalists and academic health proffessionals because you might disagree with their opinion, or think their opinion is BS?
If you feel so strongly that what Martin wrote or what Professor Petousis-Harris said was BS, maybe you could take it up with them. Or better yet write a post on why they are wrong. (Or even why I was wrong to quote them).
Let's be honest here for just a minute, eh Incognito; the disagreement between you and I, is one of differing political outlook. You have made it very clear over a number of issues that you fundamentally disagree with my Left of Centre political outlook. # Over bikes on buses, # over the obscenity of billionaires in space, # over suing climate polluters #over my view that a parliamentary united front would be a positive lead in combatting vaccine hesitancy.
over my view that those on the Right (and especially those on the Far Right), of the political spectrum, are more likely to believe or at least don't oppose anti-vax conspiracy theory.
It's alright to have differing views and I always like to hear yours. And I appreciated any time you have taken to explain your counter view.
I have read the links you have put up to prove your view that vaccine hesitancy is not a Left Right issue.
The first two of the three links you supplied, far from backing your claim, factually disproved your claim that vaccine hesitancy is not a Left Right issue. The third link you provided did not record political preferences of vaccine supporters or opponents. So proved nothing either way.
The first link you supplied from the Washington Post was published more than 5 years ago. Their conclusion then, was that anti-vaccination views were held by the Right more than they were held by the Left by a very slight margin.
The link you supplied to the Washington Post article which confirmed that the Right were slightlly more likely to be against vaccination, was more than two years before Trump took office, long before covid-19, long before lockdowns. All these thing worked to open this slight division into a yawning chasm.
The second link you supplied to back up your argument that there is no Left Right divide over vaccination, listed those groups with high support for getting the covid vaccine. Labour Party members made the list with 80% support, the link did not list the level of support for getting the covid vaccine by National Party members. So we don't know what National Party members support is for getting the vaccine. But we do know that it was too low to be on the list.
The third link you supplied to a Horizon poll did not record people's political position relating to vaccine hesitancy.
https://www.horizonpoll.co.nz/page/618/overall-vaccine-uptake-potential-rises-to-80
There is strong evidence of a Left Right divide over vaccinations, there shouldn't be but there is.
Denying it won't make it go away. Which is sad if maybe there is something we could do to heal this rift in the body politic over vaccines and depoliticise it.
It is my opinion that there is a bleeding edge between the Far Right the Right. To staunch the cross flow of vaccine conspiracy views, across this bleeding edge, and politically isolate the covid and vaccine deniers, it would be good if the opposition parties came together around the government's call for everyone elgible to get vaccinated.
Personally Incognito I don't think our differences over whether parliament needs to respond to the issue of vaccine hesitancy by presenting a united front is such a bid deal. But you have decided to make into a huge do or die issue. Something you have been working up to for a long time.
You have been saying for a while now, (despite me not having broken any of the site rules on debate and commenting), that you don't like my "vibe" that my views make you "feel ill" or even, my comments make you want to "throw up". I have already said I am sorry that expressing my political views here makes you feel ill. But I am afraid that I can't be responsible for your extreme reaction to my views. How you react to my political viewpoint says more about you than me.
You have accused me of "bordering on fascist" of being a "cult leader", but your most common epithet is that I am "ignorant' I disagree. But that doesn't make you wrong. Even if I am ignorant, ignorance is not a crime. I am always willing to learn. I have asked you to educate me or point out where I am wrong, but you haven't. instead you choose to deliver insults and a personal attacks, that I should go and study crystals or astrology, which you have tried to falsely liken my political views to.
Now you are getting more explicit in your disaproval of my views asking me to self censor or be banned.
"I asked you to back up your assertion or modify your language accordingly"
I have more than backed up my assertions, but that is not enough is it? You want me to modify my language. Since I don't swear or indulge in personal insults or break any of the rules of debate on this site. What else can you mean, other than self censor my political views to those more acceptable to you.
.
It is my view that there is a bleeding edge between the Far Right and the Right. To staunch this cross flow of vaccine conspiracy views, it would be good if the opposition parties came behind the government.
You disagree and have chosen to blow this disagreement into a giant issue so you can ban me.
Voltaire was reputed to have said, “‘I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it,"
He actually never said that. it was his biographer Evelyn Hall
According to Wikipedia
On the news that the government had condemned and burned fellow French philosopher Claude-Adrien Helvétius’ book. According to Votaire's biographer Evelyn Hall (Voltaire did not find the substance of Helvétius’ work particularly impressive) but was still dismayed by French Parliament’s actions.
“‘I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it,’ was his attitude now," wrote Hall.
The key word is "now" which hints that Voltaire's veiws on free speech were much more fluid. According to circumstance and time and place.
Hall's words were not Voltaire's, it is possible that though Voltaire was appalled at the censorship of another philospher's work, he may have at other times opposed the promulgation of extreme or violent and biggoted views. A view I would share. A view I also share with the government. I fully support the government over the hate speech laws. Right wing conservative views are espoused everywhere it is Left Wing views that struggle for a hearing. It is great that the Right are getting some of their own medicine back. It's about time.
The right to air you views is not an absolute right. And of course never more so than here, I have absolutely no right to air my views here, and you have every right to censor them, because you don't like their "vibe" or for any other reason, or none at all.
If you want to turn this website into an echo chamber only for views acceptable to you, that is your right.
You won't hear me complain. Enjoy your echo chamber.
Hi Jenny,
Thank you for your 1,625 word-response; succinct has never been your strong point and needless repetition is not the mother of all learning. Now it is my turn, my final one.
You stated the following without quotation marks and reference (https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-24-07-2021/#comment-1804909):
That was BS because NZ has never had and still does not have a set target regardless of what various people, including experts and Bloomfield, for example, have expressed as hope (and always hoping for more!). Hope is not a or the “target” of New Zealand.
In any case, the infamous article you always return to was from January 2021 when the Delta variant was hardly on the scene. Things have changed since and NZ modelling has shown that herd immunity might be near impossible by vaccination alone. I linked to the modelling because you were unaware of it and asked me to back it up with a link: “[c]ome on, help me out here. I am trying to understand where you are coming from.?”. Remember that?
Of course, you and I disagree on many points and issues. My main frustration with your comments is your many (but not all) wrong premises and many (but not all) weak arguments. Indeed, they are your opinions, not facts, yet you present them as absolutisms with an overzealous confidence and unwavering narrative of a dogmatic believer. As such, genuine debate with you is literally impossible. So, no, I utterly reject your notion that I “fundamentally disagree with [your] Left of Centre political outlook” [my italics]; I reject your piss-poor arguing.
You have never stated as such “that those on the Right (and especially those on the Far Right), of the political spectrum, are more likely to believe or at least don't oppose anti-vax conspiracy theory”. You declared them “the enemy, and they are winning”.
So, now you seem to be saying that they might not be the only enemy, which was exactly my point. I asked you where the “vivid antivaxxers before Covid” had gone. Your reply was an article arguing that “Nazi Hippies” and “Far Right Overlap”. What a load of codswallop! Your hypothesis seems to be that all Lefty antivaxxers have either died from preventable diseases because they refused to be vaccinated or moved across to the Dark Side to become Far Right, is that correct? In New Zealand? Not a single Lefty antivaxxer left? So shocking it is unbelievable that anyone would believe such a thing. BTW, being vaccine hesitant and being an antivaxxer are not the same thing.
The WP link was from before Covid-19; that was the whole point.
The Horizon link showed that whoever they are, antivaxxers are not “winning”, at least not here in NZ. Whether the Far Right is winning in NZ is a different question, but latest political polls seem to suggest this may also not be the case. BTW, I don’t consider the National Party as Far Right, but maybe you confuse them with another National Party from a different era in a different country (hint: they also have MMP), yes?
In short, your Far Right conspiracy theories are just that, especially in relation to Covid vaccination. Others see Reds under the bed or dancing Cossacks.
You argue that a united Parliament would depoliticise the vaccination issue. I think it is the opposite, it would politicise it. I linked to a paper that argued that “[o]ne strategy for increasing vaccination willingness is to politicize the issue of vaccination itself”. How you would do this and whether this has the desired effect is hypothetical. I have an issue with applying so much (peer) pressure that it becomes enforced; we have seen plenty examples in history on how well that can work out, which gives reason to ponder and thread carefully and cautiously in matters such as these, in my humble opinion.
I don’t have any right to ban you or censor you for your ill-considered views and I don’t want to. I can moderate you for unsubstantiated claims, but I’d rather not and prefer if you back them up, especially when asked. I cannot make you accept facts and information if you don’t want to, which clearly is the case with you, as you have demonstrated in your overly long epistle.
I don’t want to turn this website into an echo chamber only for views acceptable to me. I don’t want to and have no right at all to do so; I’d be booted off this site before lunch time and rightly so. That said, I did trash the comment you posted after your Magnum Opus of 1,625 words that had the lyrics and YouTube clip of the song Ordinary World by Duran Duran. I could never stand them, and they were totally overrated. Such a shite song by such a shite band. But that’s entirely subjective and you were under Moderation, so I did.
It is becoming clear that you won’t change your ways because you don’t think there’s anything wrong with them. So, what should I do? I’ll take you out of Pre-Moderation and will ask you to back up any unsubstantiated claims like other commenters and I do with any other commenter who does the same thing. If you or anybody else spread misinformation on an important topic you can expect to be pulled up on it by another commenter or by me. This is the way it works here and always has.
We have come full circle and I’m going to turn over the page and I don’t want to (have to) waste one more single word on this!
The choice is yours. [994 words, Jenny wins]
Jenny, you know how this goes. If you make moderators work too hard, they get fed up and ban people. Just acknowledge that you posted the 70% target but now know that it's not a formal target. Or, argue it out and get a ban. Personally, if I'd been moderating this I'd have given you a medium length ban a few days ago just to free up my time.
First rule of mod club, is don't piss off the mods, especially around using up our time. To that end, if you want to write 1000+ word replies to a moderation and general issues with a particular mod (currently sitting in the filter), I'd suggest writing a post instead about one of the things you feel passionate about. Consider the value in that vs an inevitable ban.
See my Moderation note @ 10:29 pm.
btw, sent you an email
https://www.rawstory.com/texas-has-seen-nearly-9000-19-deaths-since-february-all-but-43-were-unvaccinated-people/
Maybe we just start vaccinating those that have not gotten a jab at all first, and keep the borders closed to anyone but returning kiwis – who in some cases may have gotten vaccinations in the UK/US/Europe etc where they now currently live.
Never mind though, lets hope that the 20.000 kiwis on holiday in OZ come back without the virus, and lets hope that those that miss out on flights to come back home will not get sick while stuck over there.
Yes Sabine that 20,000 figure makes me shiver. We have done so well, and I fear are wallowing in self-gratification and enabling people who want to make a personal stand because they are too special to be attacked by a virus or a needle. I'm getting relaxed myself, though still use the hand wash where I go, but no-one else around me does. They view it as unnecessary and are relying on the government and Health Dept to do much.
But notice how much they are spending on full page advertisements in the media, and who stops to read every word. This is the lazy way of neolib government. I noticed this happening when they were making an effort to change practices in child rearing, stop smacking, better health. Preach from the top, lots spent on talking and publishing, but not get amongst the peeps helping them to fix problems, giving both information and demonstration and help close at hand on demand when needed.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/23/us/covid-vaccine-boosters.html?action=click&module=Spotlight&pgtype=Homepage
If we are achieve levels of immunisation necessary to confer herd immunity to the general population, we will have to politically isolate our version of these right wing extremists. This will require a united front right across the mainstream political spectrum.
Taking personal responsibility is up to an individual when it comes to vaccination. Some people just do not give a hoot about anyone else's health and they do not value their own health.
Here on a domestic level describes what is happening at international level.
Now, NSW wants their own vaccination rollout to be sped up at the expenses of other safer states.
No-one would begrudge them this because their need is now greater (even if through fault of their own).
Now, will the unhinged RWNJs of New Zealand climb on board WA, NT Queensland, and Tasmania for their relatively poor vaccine rollout performance having given up stocks for those in greater need?
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/world/2021/07/coronavirus-nsw-begs-rest-of-australia-for-covid-19-vaccines.html
I always get a bit confused with the different states in OZ, but are the individual states responsible for their own vaccine purchases/ roll outs or is there an over arching government (for all of OZ) that handles that?
Example, Germany is a 'federation of states' that individually have their own governments, but the German Government is the one to purchase the vaccines and then distribute it to the individual states, who then with the allocated vaccines run their own roll out?
Oz sounds similar to Germany. Vaccine rollout is a federal (Coalition) responsibility, all other health decisions including Covid restrictions, lockdowns are state determined. Basically all states and territories, blue or red, have similar responses to Covid as NZ with the exception of NSW. The other key difference between Oz and NZ is that the federal government went with AstraZeneca, not Pfizer, as the main vaccine (AZ manufactured in Melbourne so a lot cheaper) and the hyped up scare stories about AZ side effects have meant a lot of vaccine hesitancy.
cheers for explaining that.
On Kim Hill this morning. About the debate for younger voting age 16 and up. Some points I noted – That voters choose from their beliefs and what will be best for them, countered by comment that isn't it supposed to be for what is best for the country.
And the statement that young people are being taught civics at school, and are therefore well-informed to make decisions.
And that schoolage is good for getting involved in voting and thinking about politics as the 18-24 age group get sidetracked into careers and places to live and starting out on life as young adults.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/saturday/audio/2018805350/make-it-16-advocating-for-lower-voting-age-in-aotearoa
What do they get taught at school about civics, and building communities and how a country is supposed to run? Do all students learn this, ie is it compulsory or left up to the local school boards ? Probably USA style as have been other educational 'innovations' (so great a model for us to follow /sarc).
Perhaps we could invite someone with the knowledge and experience about civic education for school-age young adults, plus the ability to be objective, to write a guest post giving us the 'gen' on this?
Why is what kids they learn about civics at school important? Or anything else for that matter.
There are some who believe 5G towers disperse covid 19. There are some who believe the vaccine has microchips in it. There are some who believe the Coronavirus is a hoax. Some believe it's a big plot to take over the world.
So what did those people learn at school? They get to vote. What makes them getting to vote more valid than an "ordinary" 15 year? Simple miles on the clock?
What's that all about Pete. You are welcome to have a little rant about the topic. I still think that understanding the system that we live in, and the culture also, at school, will be beneficial for all. If parents don't know or ever talk about it, then the very basis of their adult lives may never be thought about, understood. Philosophies also should be discussed rather than setting the kids up for some religious stream which may not be one's preference, and be opposite to what a parent would say but often doesn't get round to it.
Is Simeon Brown being set up by his own team,
Over the years National policy towards law and order has proven to be a failure. Yet they still persist. At some point some journalists with clue in, and poor old Simeon is lost.
Is Judith playing the internal dirty politics long game, or am I just fantasising?
Nice piece from Aaron Bastani on how housing security transformed my mental health. In all the recent local discussions on mental health, so much of it has been about the nature and funding of mental health services. Virtually nothing has been about protecting mental health and preventing mental health crises through financial and housing security for everyone. Instead we argue about the disposition of ambulances at the bottom of the cliff; whether there are enough ambulances, who funded the most ambulances, and whether the ambulances are sufficiently tuned to the needs of Maori, etc.
It seems possible that by fixing the material and financial conditions of everday life, we will give mental health professionals the time and space to work with people whose mental health issues are truly endogenous/organic in origin – rather than triggered by an unlivable economic environment.
With news media enforcing payment or using of cookies maybe new ones that are easier to access are starting. I haven't found out much about News Logics. This is their About:
About us – Welcome to News Logics, We’re dedicated to giving you the news. Founded in 2017 by Frances Moody, News Logics has come a long way from its beginnings in the united state. When Frances Moody first started out, her passion for providing gripping content in the world of up to date, drove them to do tons of research so that News Logics can offer you the latest information, and small to big news We now serve reader all over the world and are thrilled that we’re able to turn our passion into our own website.
It refers to the united state – an oxymoron? Sounds as if it is run by a bot.
affordable houses
I have watched four 'dwellings' go up on a tiny section next – like right next to State Highway 5 in Rotorua go up. Curiosity killed to cat and today i went there and stopped for a look. Now they are small, ackward and if you look around you can see some nice and shoddy craftsmanship – but never mind, i thought, surely these are affordable? Right? Like big enough for a small family, or a couple. Yeah, nah nah,
they are 619.000 each. No extra charge for the noise pollution and traffic pollution, that is included in teh price, cause generous.
https://www.eves.co.nz/property/2-bedrooms-Riverholm-Drive-Rotorua-Central-Rotorua-ERT08604?fbclid=IwAR2KAuReqWlo8wcDA2W5oO4hgsY0Zr_WtEJyGQ_PwtpYo-PJvfh929wXMsU
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/300364742/number-of-rejections-for-emergency-housing-tripled-in-2020
I no longer believe the minister's response, does the minister?
So…is she claiming supports have tripled in the last year. Yeah, right.
The alternative take on this is that emergency housing has a big neon "no vacancy" sign over it. There is not enough room so people are being turned away to presumably live on the street, if they are lucky in the shelter of a vehicle.
You’re free what and whom to believe. However, for the sake of balanced opinion, you might want to ask yourself what else has changed between 2019 and 2020. For example, how many more requests had been received. Of course, a one-sided view leads to one-sided thinking.
From your link:
vs.
Is your glass half-full or half-empty?
Sorry Incognito, the glasses are all empty.
Did you see my post? did you click on the link? Do you realise that this is a new build, 4 on a tiny section with two houses literally the width of a walkway from a motorway? did you see the cost? 619.000 per 'unit'. Rentable 'value' of 540 – 550 a week? The collective greed of this country and the collective failure of various governments to manage housing as a social good will come to bite us in our collective behinds sooner or later.
As for Mrs. Sepuloni, she is the Paula Benefit of the Labour Party. There is no real difference between the two.
And frankly, many many are getting really tired of these games of 'may have or may have not'. Because too many don't have anything at all.
So yeah, i pity anyone who believes a word coming from this women. She does as she is told to do.
I’m sorry, but I find this nonsense unpalatable. In essence, you do the same thing as always, which is shooting the messenger and your pet hates AKA targets, no matter what or when. Debating with people like you, with a closet mind, is therefore an exercise in futility and thus a waste of time.
I’m really not in the mood for your ignorant babble.
TTFN
You are a fierce defender of the Labour Party, Incognito, i give you this. 🙂
And i guess i am a ' virtue signaler' as you so politely called me some time ago, and i am very very happy about this compliment. I should thank you for it, cause I would find it worse to see what is going on in the country and never say anything and just pretend it does not exist in order to not ruffle a few feathers or for fear of rocking some boats.
As for my comments, i always try to be at the very least respectful enough to provide a link to support my thoughts. And if you had a look at the link above you know that this can't go on like this for much longer, because at some stage we just have to many people who are unhoused or despite working and a 20 NZD min wage can't afford to spend 540 – 550 for a 'dwelling'. And that is not good for anyone. Not you, not me, and not our communities.
[I don’t know why you decided to misrepresent me and/or ascribe an obviously incorrect motivation to me.
The rest of your comment was irrelevant and merely another opportunity for your virtue-signalling. I don’t do medals or damehoods, sorry.
I’m allergic to commenters misrepresenting other commenters here, to commenters spreading misinformation, to commenters shooting the messenger especially when it is another commenter, to commenters who divert and derail threads, to commenters who only want to push their own wheelbarrow and don’t want to listen to others, to commenters who twist things to suit their narrow narrative and to confirm their own bias, et cetera. You see that nothing in this list has anything to do with attacking one political party or defending another per se. It is nothing personal either, before to jump to that silly conclusion.
I’m especially sensitive to commenters who accuse Authors, Moderators, and/or this site of being a (paid) tool and/or ascribe ulterior motives. This is specifically mentioned in the site’s Policy in the list of self-martyrdom offenses. It is usually used to ‘justify’ and goes hand-in-hand with shooting the messenger, be it the Author, Moderator, and/or the site.
If you don’t like what you read here, provide a robust argument that addresses content, leave and go somewhere else, and/or start your own blog. In other words, you don’t have to put up with our shit and we don’t have to put with your shit, if we cannot agree to disagree.
When I get an allergic reaction I take appropriate medication. When I go into anaphylactic shock I have to take drastic action. Your comment is causing quite a severe reaction and I might have to go for the more heavy-duty treatment option. I already told you that I wasn’t in the mood but you’re not a very good listener or simply chose to ignore it. Please don’t make things worse, thanks – Incognito]
While dwellings have prestige and speculative value they will be unavailable to those for whom prestige and value lie elsewhere and who live shorter lives, suffer material hardship and do not vote.
See my Moderation note @ 7:19 pm.
3000 out of…?